Castles of the Sea
By
Carol Foss
The two admirals sat by
themselves in the great observation lounge, while the captain busied himself correcting the
Admiral's mistakes, again, grateful
he had abandoned the Control Room leaving it for those in the know.
"I don't think she likes
me very well, Harry," the younger man was saying, dejected. And he hadn't meant the captain.
Nelson laughed gently and
patted him on the shoulder, "Lee, Lee, Lee, don't take it to heart. Anyone
could have gotten the code sequences wrong. We're only here as observers for this shakedown
cruise anyway."
"I even got lost trying
to find my way to my cabin," he shook his head, embarrassed, "She's
too big, too computerized...hardly even needs a captain or a crew and..."
he sighed and stopped.
"And?"
"I miss my old boat,"
Lee sighed.
Harriman Nelson's eyes
softened all the more. He too, had felt the pain when the SSRN Seaview had been
retired, too old and outdated for the times. But Crane had felt the heartache
more, he knew. Seaview had been and
always would be Lee's life's blood. Nelson's former captain had chosen to remain
with the Nelson Institute afterwards, intending to help out with the necessary economic and technological restructuring,
but the long arm of the US Navy had snatched him back to active service. Since
then he'd had two more submarine commands under his belt and a rapid rise to the
rank of Admiral. But Nelson was even prouder of the fact that his
old friend, in truth more of a son to him, now Commander of Submarines Pacific,
had chosen to simply be here with Nelson for the sea trials of
NuSeaview.
Crane didn't like all the new
technologies of the age, yet had suffered their indignities like every other
sub driver in the Navy. But NuSeaview was far ahead of even the most
sophisticated submarine in existence.
Lee was, if possible, even prouder of Harriman Nelson, who as his 'friend,
enemy, partner, rival, big brother, and blood brother'*, had also merged some
of his own scientific advances with those of a
entirely new generation of computerized engineering to develop NuSeaview.
Nelson knew Crane didn't exactly like her design or characteristics, but come
hell or high water he wanted Nelson to know he'd stand by him.
"Why not take the Nuflub
out for a spin, Lee? I know that'll cheer you up. And she's not all that
different from FS1."
"You
sure? I might forget how this new
one works."
"Nonsense. Go on now, enjoy yourself."
"You know Harry, I think
I just may. Oh, by the way, what's for lunch?"
"Whatever the
auto-dietitian decides, depending on your height, weight, percentage of body
fat, and..."
Crane groaned dramatically, then grinned, "Doc'd be so proud."
"Only if you eat
it....but, between you and me, Lee...I have the override sequence...trust me,
I'll make sure we have a lunch to remember."
***
The Nuflub did indeed handle
as well as the old flying sub, actually a bit too well. Somewhat angered, maybe
jealous of the young hotshots of NuSeaview, he couldn't help imagining himself
back aboard the original flying sub, just launched from Seaview.
"Warning. Warning," the autcontrols took over.
Not a good idea to go
daydreaming...that is, until he saw it. Seaview and the flying sub, with a
radiant glow about them.
"Uh, NuSeaview? You're not going to believe me but...somebody's
stolen the Seaview and the flying sub.
"NuSeaview? Do you read me? I haven't lost my marbles. They're
right next to me. Captain, respond. Admiral? What the
hell's wrong with everyone. I 'm not crazy."
"Communication with
mother ship has been discontinued."
"Then I'll go see for myself,
"Crane tried to turn Nuflub toward Seaview.
"Error. Error," auto control said.
"Oh shut up," he
hit the manual override button. In minutes he was docked with Seaview, armed
himself, and prepared to disturb the hooligans who had taken her from her berth in the first
place. At least he hoped they were only hooligans. Certainly she had no
firepower any more but still...
Climbing up the ladder to the
hatch after he gingerly opened the hatch. 2 pairs of
shoes greeted his eyes, one a pair of sneakers, the other a pair of oxfords.
"Ski? Chip? What are you doing
here?"
"Skipper?" Morton turned, "Can you come here a
moment?"
In seconds Cmdr. Crane
approached and looked at the intruder in shock.
"You're me!" he
exclaimed at the same time as Admiral Crane did.
"Oh this is
impossible," both said. "Pemm?
Mallory?" they each called out, looking around. But the
little professor nor the mad scientist appeared.
"Admiral?" Crane looked at the single star on the interloper's
collar, surprised and a bit disgusted.
"Well, there's a reason
for that...for now, go on,
turn on the magnifying cameras. You'll see NuSeaview and..."
"NuSeaview?"
"Seaview's
successor."
"I know what to do Admiral whoever you are, and I don’t
appreciate this masquerade," Cmdr Crane said, "There's only one Seaview."
"But I am you, Lee. I can't explain it, and she
does have a successor even if we both don't exactly like the idea."
"
"Admiral Nelson designed
her so she can keep up with
technology. Radio frequencies are configured differently now..."
"What an ugly boat!"
O'Brien said as NuSeaview came into view.
"Yeech," Commander
Crane voiced his own opinion.
"FS1 to Seaview,"
Patterson's voice came over, "I think I've been seeing things out here."
"Never mind that now.
Hold your position."
"Aye
sir."
Just then Admiral Crane's
stomach growled.
"You been eating okay on
that monstrosity?" Chip asked.
"Not really. Just about
everything's automated. The food's prepared by robotics and dietary decisions
are made for you. I told Harry it wasn't a good idea but the surgeon general
ordered it."
"Oh gawd,"
Commander Crane groaned, "I bet that'd make Doc happy though."
"The Surgeon General is Doc, Chip."
"No kidding. Well, c'mon,
let's have lunch. Harry is it? When did that happen, and how is he?"
"Sharp as a tack
but...he misses the old girl too," Admiral Nelson stroked a hand lovingly
along the view port, "NuSeaview just doesn't compare. You can't believe
how lucky you
are to be here in the past. I hope you
appreciate it."
"Always have, always
will. That's a promise."
"I know."
"Skipper?" O'Brien called out, "She's glowing again, like
when we first got the visual..."
"Perhaps that's a sign
I'd better go back," the Admiral said," especially as I don't know
how I got here. Sure wish I could stay..."
"I'd like that. But
you're right. We can't be in two places at once. I'd also like to know about that star. I
don't fancy myself with one, you know."
"I know, suffice to say the
Navy always
gets what it wants in the end..."
"So what happened to
Seaview?"
"She just...grew too
old. Don't worry. She wasn't scrapped. Harry and I would never allow
that...she's a nautical museum, in fact. We keep her shipshape in
***
"No,
no, not a museum!" Cmdr.
Crane was yelling in his sleep as Chip and Doc tried to rouse him.
"C'mon Lee, wake up.
You're having a nightmare."
"Huh? Wha...Chip? Doc? Wha..."he finally took in the fact he was aboard
Seaview. Racing to the head, he looked at himself in the mirror and sagged in
relief, "it was a dream. It was all a dream," then turned to Chip
grabbing his arms, gleefully, "I'm not an Admiral, I'm
not an Admiral!"
"Uh, I'm not so sure
that's something to happy about Lee," Nelson said from the doorway.
"He had a dream,"
Doc was saying.
"I think I have enough
intelligence to have figured that out even if I am an Admiral."
"The Navy made me go
back to active service," Lee said, almost without taking breath, " and before I knew it I was Commander of Submarine's
Pacific and we had to retire Seaview and you built another one, but she was the
ugliest computerized mega boat in creation. Had artificial intelligence and
robotic food preparation systems, even the flying sub talked and took action of
her own...gawd it was awful!Please, please, please, I know
technology's going to keep on advancing, but please, Harry, can't we just keep
Seaview the way she is?"
"Harry?"Doc mouthed to Morton, as surprised as he was while Crane continued.
"I know we have to keep
up with technology, but NuSeaview was just...too too much."
"Apparently, if it's
gotten you all hot and bothered. Now, you just go back to sleep and we'll talk
about it in the morning. Doc? Maybe
a sedative?"
"I don’t need a sedative
Harry," Lee complained, "and...er...I mean
Admiral and.."
"Harry's fine Lee," Nelson helped push him back onto the bunk,
"About time too, son. As for technology, well, I can't promise you not to
redesign things if the times will warrant them. Sometimes we can't do what we want
to Lee, you know that."
"Of course I do, but it
was so awful...we had to turn Seaview into a museum! A museum!" he almost choked on the word.
"Doc," Nelson
nodded as the sawbones injected Crane with something to make him sleep. "Be that as it may Lee, the future can't
be all that bad. Commander of Submarines Pacific eh? I
wonder what Jiggs Starke would make of that?"
"It was just a dream sir..er..Harry. Probably none of it will even happen."
"Well I can't promise
you that it won't, but one thing's for certain."
"What's that?"
"As long as Lee Crane
exists, Seaview will too, I can promise you that."
*See 'City Beneath the Sea' year 1, episode 2 of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.