"Explosion in the Reactor Room! Fire detail, on the double!" Chief Sharkey yelled the orders over the intercom. "Sickbay, we need help down here!" Sharkey turned to Admiral Nelson who was trying to get in the reactor room past the smoke. "Admiral, wait! You can’t go in there. Wait for the fire detail!"

Nelson was about to enter the room despite Sharkey’s warning, when the fire detail arrived. The smoke coming out of the reactor room was so thick that the men had to wear oxygen masks. They could see three men trapped inside, badly injured and overcome by the smoke. Armed with fire extinguishers and wearing protective gear, the fire crew managed to get the blaze under control in short order and were able to rescue the men who had been working in the reactor room. Captain Crane had been supervising the repairs to the reactor circuitry panel when something went wrong. The whole panel had exploded and erupted into flames. The two crewmembers who had been working on the panel, Kowalski and Patterson, along with Captain Crane had been blown across the room by the force of the explosion. Doc quickly examined his three patients and immediately ordered the stretcher bearers to take Crane, Kowalski and Patterson to Sickbay.

*************

Admiral Harriman Nelson paced about in Sickbay, anxiously waiting for news about Captain Crane and the other two crewmembers. From the worried look on Doc’s face, Nelson knew that this had been a serious accident. Nelson had ordered Chief Sharkey to investigate the incident and find the cause of the explosion. Meanwhile, all Nelson could do was wait and Admiral Nelson was not good at waiting.

"Doc. How are they?" asked Nelson. Doc looked up from his examination.

"Not now, Admiral. I’ll give you my report as soon as I can." Doc returned to his work, a worried frown on his face. The three men were still unconscious. The corpsman was helping Doc with the bandaging. When the panel exploded, a number of pieces had hit the men, injuring them. Doc gave the corpsman the order to prepare Patterson for surgery.

"Admiral, I’m afraid you will have to wait outside. I need to perform surgery on Patterson and I’m not sure about the Skipper and Kowalski yet."

"I understand, Doc," said Nelson, "but please let me know as soon as you can if they are going to be alright."

"Yes, Admiral, you’ll be the first to know. Now will you please let me get my work done?" Nelson reluctantly left the Sickbay and headed for the observation nose of the submarine, Seaview. The nose was Admiral Nelson’s favorite place to go and think. He found that by gazing out the large windows into the depths of the ocean, he was able to clear his mind and relax. But today, with three of his men in serious condition, he was not going there to relax. He needed to think and try to figure out what went wrong in the reactor room.

*************

The day had started out routinely enough. Seaview’s mission was to test out the new equipment that had just been installed in the reactor room, by taking a trial run from Santa Barbara to Pearl Harbour. They were to run at flank speed most of the way, checking out the new equipment as they went. Things had been going smoothly. Nelson, himself, had helped install the new equipment which was to enable Seaview to travel faster than she had ever gone before.

Commander Chip Morton, the executive officer of the submarine, Seaview, had the duty watch in the control room. "What are your orders, Admiral?"

"Continue at flank speed, Chip," ordered Nelson. "We’ll continue to monitor the temperature of the reactor but so far it looks good. I’m going down to the reactor room to check on things at that end. Carry on."

"Aye sir." Chip Morton watched as Admiral Nelson left the control room, heading for the reactor room. He hadn’t seen the Admiral this excited in quite a while.

*************

The crew in the reactor room were carefully checking out the new equipment for any malfunctions but so far everything seemed to be working well. Admiral Nelson arrived and made a thorough inspection of the new console. He checked the temperature gauge again and was surprised to see that the temperature of the reactor had started to rise considerably.

"Kowalski, give me a hand here."

"Yes, sir. What seems to be the problem?"

"The temperature is too high. It should be reading at least ten degrees cooler. Check the wiring on this panel and I’ll see if there is a problem with this one."

"Aye, sir."

Kowalski and the Admiral began a check of both panels in the new console. Everything seemed to check out but the Admiral wasn’t satisfied. Something was causing the temperature in the reactor to suddenly rise. Admiral Nelson went to the microphone. "Engine room. Reduce speed to one third." Having given the orders, Nelson returned to the console to continue checking for the problem. Running at flank speed for such a long time was putting a strain on the reactor but the new equipment was supposed to prevent that. Nelson went over to the reactor itself and checked for any problems on that end. Nothing. Everything seemed to be working fine, except for the rise in temperature.

"Admiral, there seems to be something here," said Kowalski. Nelson came over to have a look.

"That’s it, Kowalski!" The Admiral was pleased to see that one of the circuit boards showed a small burnt out section but could be easily replaced. "You and Patterson get on it right away. It shouldn’t take long to fix. We have a replacement part in stores that should do the job."

"Aye, sir," said Kowalski. "Come on Pat, let’s get on it."

Captain Crane entered the reactor room just as the Admiral had issued his orders to Kowalski and Patterson. "Ah, Lee. There you are. We were getting a temperature rise in the reactor core but we found what was causing the problem." Nelson showed Crane where the repairs were needed. "Stay here with Kowalski and Patterson and see if you can get the repairs started, I need to check the replacement part to make sure it will do the job."

"Yes, Admiral. We’ll get right on it." As Nelson left to check the part out in stores, Crane bent over the console to have a good look at the faulty circuit board. "Okay, Kowalski, Patterson, let’s get this piece out right away and have things ready for when the Admiral gets back."

Admiral Nelson had just stepped into the passageway and had taken a few steps when he was almost knocked off his feet by the force of a terrific explosion coming from the reactor room!

*************

It had been three hours since the accident. Doc had finished operating on Patterson. He called Admiral Nelson on the intercom and asked him to report to Sickbay. Nelson had been waiting anxiously for Doc’s report.

"The three men are stable at the moment, Admiral. Kowalski has regained consciousness. His injuries are not as serious; a concussion and minor cuts and bruises. Patterson is still recovering from the operation. I had to remove a large metal fragment from his chest but there were no internal injuries so hopefully, he should be fine. I’m concerned about the Skipper, though. He received quite a blow to the back of the head when the force of the explosion threw him against the wall. There’s no skull fracture or internal bleeding but he shows no sign of regaining consciousness. He also has a number of cuts from the pieces of the control panel but nothing life-threatening. We’ll just have to wait and see. Come back in the morning, Admiral, I’ll have a better idea of the Skipper’s condition by then. There’s nothing you can do and you look beat. Get some sleep, Admiral. That’s an order, or I’ll put you in Sickbay with the rest of them."

"Alright, Doc. But if Lee regains consciousness I want you to call me."

"Yes, Admiral. Now go and get some rest."

*************

Admiral Nelson returned to the control room to relay Doc’s report to Chip Morton who had been waiting anxiously for the news. He explained about Captain Crane’s condition.

"Lee’s got a hard head, Admiral. He’ll pull through OK," said Chip, only half-believing this himself. He and Lee had been friends a long time. Chip was more worried than he liked to admit.

"I hope you’re right, Chip," said the Admiral. "How are the repairs coming in the reactor room?"

"It’s slow going, Admiral. There was no damage to the reactor itself but all the circuitry was damaged on the two panels containing the new equipment. We have had to suspend all further experimentation until the repairs are complete. We are running at standard and the reactor temperature has remained normal."

"Very well, Chip. Carry on. I’m going to my cabin for a while. Call me if there are any further developments."

"Aye, aye sir."

*************

It was dark when he woke up and slowly opened his eyes. There was a dim light coming from a small lamp on a desk in the corner. Someone was sitting at the desk reading a book. He tried to sit up but the pain forced him to lie down again. His head was pounding and he felt dizzy. He found that if he lay very still and did not move, then the pounding would subside. There were a number of other beds in the room. He could see two other men lying in them. He guessed he must be in some kind of a hospital. Had he been in an accident? Somewhere in the back of his mind he seemed to recall a huge bang and then darkness. He tried sitting up again, this time more slowly. The man at the desk heard him and turned around, smiled and came over to the bed.

"Well, hello, Skipper. How are you feeling? Here, lie down and take it easy."

He lay back down again and the man began to take his pulse and shine a flashlight in his eyes. What had the man called him? Skipper?

"Are you a doctor?"

Doc looked at the Captain strangely. "Skipper, it’s Doc. You’re in Sickbay. There was an explosion in the reactor room."

"Sickbay? Reactor room? I don’t understand. I. . . . "

"Take it easy, Skipper. You’ve had a serious blow to the head. Things are bound to seem fuzzy for a while. Try to get some sleep. We’ll talk later."

He closed his eyes but found that his thoughts were jumbled and his mind was whirling. This man was a doctor. He called me Skipper? I must be aboard some kind of ship; I can feel a slight swaying. We must be out on the water. This doctor is wearing a naval uniform. There was an accident? The pounding in his head was getting worse as he tried to piece things together. He finally fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

*************

It was morning when he woke again. The doctor was checking him over and was talking to another man who was standing over by the desk. The other man came over to the bed.

"Well, Lee, how are you feeling?"

"I. . . I’m not sure, I. . . .you called me Lee?" The other man looked over at the doctor who merely shook his head.

The doctor continued his examination and then said, "Skipper, do you know where you are?"

He looked around the room and then back at the doctor. "Some kind of hospital, I guess."

The other man, the one wearing an Admiral’s uniform approached the bed again. "Lee, do you know who I am?"

"Well, from the uniform, you must be an admiral. What did you call me?"

"Can you tell me what your name is?" asked the Admiral.

"I..... I’m not sure. It’s hard to think." His head was spinning. He tried to clear his thoughts but he couldn’t seem to concentrate. What had the Admiral asked him?

The Admiral was clearly distressed. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. "Lee, listen. You’ve had an accident and you have a head injury. You are having trouble remembering things. Your name is Lee Crane. You are the captain of this submarine. The Seaview. Remember the Seaview?"

He shook his head. A submarine. Not a ship. They were on a submarine. "No, I don’t know, everything is mixed up."

Doc interrupted, "Admiral, I’m going to give him something to relax him. No more questions for now. Let him rest."

"Alright, Doc. As you wish." The Admiral smiled at Crane. "Don’t worry, Lee, it will all come back to you. Get some rest. I’ll check in on you later."

*************

Chip Morton couldn’t believe what the Admiral had just told him. "You mean he doesn’t know who he is or where he is or anything?"

"That’s right, Chip. Doc says he has amnesia. He says that head injuries often cause temporary amnesia. Lots of accident victims are unable to recall the circumstances surrounding the accident."

"So Doc thinks it’s just temporary?"

"No, he doesn’t know for sure. He says we have to give it time. He says Lee’s memory may come back slowly or suddenly or not at all."

"Not at all?" Chip found it hard to believe that the man who was his best friend had no memory of him or the times they had served together on the Seaview.

*************

Two days later, Lee Crane was given the green light to leave Sickbay. His memory had still not returned. Chip Morton offered to show him around the submarine. They all hoped that seeing familiar places and people may help to bring back his memory. Doc warned him to take it easy and not try to hurry things. He didn’t want to get Lee’s hopes up too much.

The officers and crew of the Seaview had been apprised of the Captain’s condition. They were all anxious for him to regain his memory. The men were very loyal to their Captain who had often risked his life to save the Seaview and her crew. They would do anything for Captain Crane but this was one time when they felt they didn’t know what to do or how to help the Skipper. Admiral Nelson had warned them to continue to go about their duties and to treat Captain Crane the same way they always had, with respect and loyalty.

*************

Captain Crane entered the control room for the first time since the accident. He surveyed the room, looking around at the plot table, periscope island and all the control panels and felt a sense of relief at the familiar equipment. He may not know who he is or who anyone else is but he still knew how to chart a course and command a submarine. Doc had explained it to him earlier that people may lose their memory for names and places but they still knew how to tie their shoes or read a book. Crane was relieved that those memories were still intact but he wasn’t ready to take over command of the Seaview yet. Chip Morton was in temporary command for now. Admiral Nelson called Crane over to join him in the observation nose.

"Well, Lee, how are you doing?"

"I don’t know, Admiral. I know I’ve been in a control room before but I don’t remember being on Seaview. I’ve been trying to learn where everything is."

"Just take your time, Lee. Don’t rush things. You have been captain of the Seaview for four years now. When you first arrived you didn’t know your way around the ship and you didn’t know anyone else aboard except for me and Chip. You and I had served together on the Nautilus and you and Chip had been in the Academy together, although you were a few years ahead of him. It took you a while back then, but you soon got to know the Seaview and all her crew. You can do it again, Lee."

"And what about me, Admiral. How do I get to know who I am? What about all those years I’ve lost. I look in the mirror and all I see is a strange face. I don’t know who I am."

"You are still the same Lee Crane to all of us. You haven’t changed, Lee, just your memories are gone. Right now, there are no yesterdays for you, Lee, only tomorrows. You have to look ahead. Doc says your memory could come back anytime."

"Or it could never come back."

"Yes, that is a possibility but no one knows for sure what will happen. Lee, I want you to assume command of Seaview again. You haven’t forgotten how to run this ship. You need to keep busy. Doc says to take it easy at first, light duty only, but he agrees that you should go back to work as soon as you can. We have a mission to complete."

Lee smiled, "Refresh my memory, Admiral, just what exactly was our mission?"

Nelson laughed. "Well I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor, Lee." They headed over to the plot table to consult the charts. "We have been on course from Santa Barbara to Pearl Harbour. Repairs to the reactor room are almost complete but we have only been able to manage standard cruising speed and no more. We had been testing out new equipment that was enabling us to travel at flank for much greater lengths of time without putting too much strain on the reactor. As you know, something went wrong and while you and Kowalski and Patterson were working on the panel, something exploded. We never were able to determine what went wrong. The electricians reported that it was just one of those fluke things that would probably never happen again but of course we are taking all precautions to make sure that it doesn’t happen again, ever."

"I’m not sure I can do this, Admiral."

"Lee, you could run this submarine in your sleep. The day watch is about ready to begin. Come on, let’s take her up to flank and see what she can do!" Nelson grinned and watched as Captain Crane relieved Chip of the watch and started giving orders. The crew in the control room seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief as they saw their Captain once more taking charge.

*************

"Still no memories returning, Skipper?" asked Doc as he examined the Captain one final time before giving him a clean bill of health, at least physically. He could now return to full active duty.

"No, Doc, but sometimes I feel like there’s something there and if I could only just reach out and grab it then I could remember something but just when I think I have it, it moves further away, just out of reach again."

"Just stay relaxed, Skipper, remember I said not to push it. Let the memories come when they are ready. When we get to Pearl, I’m going to have you checked into the Naval Hospital so you can get a thorough checkup."

Lee held up his hands and shook his head. "No way, Doc, I’ve had enough of hospitals and being poked and prodded." He looked at Doc who was frowning and immediately added, "No offense, Doc, I’m really grateful for what you’ve done for me but . . ."

Doc laughed. You don’t have to worry about offending me; I’m used to it. You haven’t changed a bit. You may not remember, but you have spent quite a lot of time in Sickbay over the past four years and you were one of my most difficult patients, and still are I might add. Now why don’t you get out of here before I think of some other test I haven’t given you yet."

"Right away, Doc." Crane grinned at him and left quickly in case Doc wasn’t kidding.

*************

Admiral Nelson and Chip and the rest of the crew seemed pleased with the Captain’s adjustment to his new situation. He had become more familiar with where things were on Seaview and had gotten to know a number of the crewmen, but what they didn’t realize was that Captain Crane was having serious doubts about whether he could continue with things as they were.

Alone in his cabin, Lee Crane spent many hours trying to remember something, anything at all. He felt like half a man. He didn’t know anything about himself except what others had told him. He longed to remember something of his childhood. It was as if he had just been born, but born as a grown man, a man with no memory. Lee decided that once they reached Pearl Harbour he would go into the hospital as Doc had suggested. As much as he hated hospitals, he hoped that maybe the specialists there could help him get his memory back. And if they couldn’t then he would not return to Seaview. He would start a new life, somewhere else.

*************

Sparks relayed the weather report to the control room. A big storm was brewing in the Pacific, with hurricane force winds. Seaview was headed right for it. Nelson and Crane discussed alternate routes but the storm was very widespread and they wouldn’t be able to go around it. There were already heavy seas topside and so they were running submerged but things were getting rocky and were going to get worse.

Nelson radioed the Institute in Santa Barbara to apprise them of their situation. His secretary, Patricia, came over the videocom in the control room. "Admiral," she said, "That storm is right in your path. Are you going to be alright?"

Nelson smiled at the concerned look on Patricia’s face, "Don’t worry Patricia, we plan on staying as deep as possible until the storm passes over."

"You know I always worry about you, Admiral. By the way, how is Lee doing?"

"Why don’t you ask him yourself, he’s right here." Lee stepped into view of the videocom. Patricia smiled at him.

"How are you, Lee?"

"Pretty good, Tish. Is the weather any better in Santa Barbara?" Lee had always had a soft spot for Nelson’s secretary. She was one of the few people who could keep the Admiral organized.

"It’s getting stormy here, too, Lee. I think we are in for some rough weather in Santa Barbara. You are looking well, Lee, take care of yourself."

"Thanks, Tish. Seaview out." The video screen went blank and Crane turned to Nelson who was staring at him with a shocked look on his face. "What’s wrong, Admiral?"

"Lee, did you hear what you just said?"

"About the weather you mean?" asked Lee, not understanding what the Admiral was talking about.

"What did you call Patricia?"

"What do you mean, what did I call her?" Nelson was getting pretty excited over something and Lee had no idea why.

Nelson walked up to Lee and grabbed him by the shoulders, almost choking with excitement. "You called her TISH! Don’t you get it, Lee. You’re the only one who calls her Tish. You remembered her name! You knew who she was!"

The realization of what he had done dawned on Crane and he smiled at Nelson. The crew in the control room had been watching the scene and they, too, realized the significance of that one little word -- Tish.

"You’re right, Admiral. I did know who she was. I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to know her, if that makes any sense. Do you think this means that more memories might return?"

"I’m no doctor but I would say that it seems pretty likely that you’ll soon start to fill in more of those gaps. Let’s go talk to Doc; he’s going to want to hear about this."

*************

Lee Crane woke up the next morning convinced that the last three days had been some horrible dream. He remembered everything; who he was, where he was, everything. The only thing he couldn’t remember was the accident that had started the whole nightmare. He bounded out of bed, barely containing his excitement.

As Captain Crane entered the control room he saw Admiral Nelson and Chip Morton finishing their coffee and discussing the storm topside. He walked up to them, valiantly trying to suppress a grin.

"Chip, I’ll take that twenty bucks now."

"What did you say, Skipper?"

"You know, Chip, I’m surprised at you, taking advantage of a man with no memory. Thought you would get away with it, didn’t you." Chip was practically choking on his coffee. He looked over at Nelson who had an amused smile on his face.

"Get away with what?"

"The twenty bucks that you borrowed from me two weeks ago during the Saturday night poker game. Or did you forget?"

Chip looked up into the grinning faceof his friend. "You remembered?"

"I remembered."