Against the Sea: Tales On and Under the Sea Read online

  "Bermuda Triangle!” Will shouted. "You're responsible for all the stories of ships and planes lost without a trace."

  "To some extent that is true," the storm said. "...but certainly not all. Mistakes and accidents happen without my intervention."

  "And what will happen to us?" Jack frowned. "Will we survive this encounter with you?"

  "Of course you will survive this chance meeting," the storm said. "Before you go I want to learn more about both of you as you want to know more about me. For the most part the only way I can learn about humans is through direct observation which is incompatible with our physical being. I am a storm as you call me and you are tiny fragile beings."

  "You haven't told us where you're from," Will said.

  "That is true because there is no time or place that I call home to my existence. However, I am not alone. There are others like myself elsewhere."

  From starboard a flash of light lept onto the bridge where Jack and Will stood and they were covered in a blue light. Jack could not move or speak. Will tried relaxing to fall down but could not. The storm engulfed them completely and penetrated their minds. They felt the storm's presence within their consciousnesses. It was a pleasant sensation. There was no corner of their minds left unexplored. Time was temporarily suspended.

  "I wish you both well," the storm said quickly. "Return to your lives in which you belong."

  "Will we see you again?" Jack looked upward.

  "There is always that chance," the storm said. "But probably not."

  Jack and Will lost consciousness and were surrounded in darkness.

  "Jack, Jack," Will shouted. "Turn off the alarms!"

  Jack shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He turned off the ringing alarms on the console.

  "I must have dozed." Jack looked out at the glass flat water. "Thank goodness we have great weather."

  "It really couldn't be better," Will said.

  Off to the northeast there was a dark area receding in the distance.

  Atum Bom

  Everything was ready. The captain scanned the panoramic view screens, paused a moment, then pushed a button on the arm of the command chair. Without any audible sound or vibration I felt a sudden sense of motion down and forward. I have been on many nuclear submarines, but this boat surpasses them all in its quietness of operation. In fact, the only noise I could hear was my own breathing.

  The captain turned his face toward me. I knew instantly from the sharp clearness of his dark brown eyes that his initial expectations had been realized. Although I had only met Captain Ulysses Arcane several days ago, there was a sort of unspoken communication between the two of us that brought us into an immediate understanding we were kindred spirits. At first, when I was assigned to join this mission, I thought I would be treated with a cold disdain that an outside observer from the Naval High Command brings. I was pleasantly surprised Captain Arcane warmly welcomed me aboard his boat, not as an interloper, but as a co-partner in a great adventure. After our initial introduction, Captain Arcane asked me to call him by his first name. I accepted the offer provided he call me by my own. Familiarity may breed contempt, but in this case I was impressed with his sense of self assurance and control. Standing at a mere five foot six, the captain was hardly an imposing presence. However, with his commanding voice of flawless English and penetrating eyes he projected himself as a man of genuine intelligence. Under the circumstances, I could not help but admire and respect him.

  “We are off at last, Matthew,” the captain said warmly. “You are one of the first men to experience the ultimate in undersea technology. My boat has no equal and will one day become the standard by which all others to come will be judged.”

  “I am certainly thankful to you and those who made this assignment possible for me,” I said. “It’s not every day I get to witness history being made.”

  “The best is yet to come.” The captain laughed. “In a few moments, I’m going to lose our surface escort and literally disappear. I have orders to lose contact and discovery for as long as possible. I think my boat will remain invisible throughout the test.”

  “We shall see,” I said. “I am sure you know that our detection technology has advanced to the point where nothing can escape being seen.”

  “Yes, I understand,” he said confidently. “But this is not your average nuclear submarine. The boys at MIT and Groton have built something completely different. This boat is the wave of the future.”

  The view screen showing the sea ahead with its overlaid heads-up display of data became increasingly dark. I could not help but silently agree with the captain that what I was seeing was completely new. All the submarines I had ever traveled under the sea were basically tubes of metal, instruments and controls. A view of what was immediately outside was available only through one of the periscopes or television sets receiving images from the same. This boat has a control center in the middle of a planetarium type dome. Everywhere I looked I could see where I am going, where I have been and what is above me toward the surface. The view is spectacular. For the first time, I felt I was part of the sea rather than a creature of the land trapped in a tin can. As I looked behind and upward I clearly saw the bottoms of our escort receding.

  Another unique feature, which impressed me even more, was the absence of a crew. There was a crew, but in far fewer numbers than even I could imagine. Everything was either automated or closely controlled by one of three supercomputers. One man could control the movement of the boat completely. The immediate thought that crept into my mind was that all the other submarines I had been in were like were buses while this one was akin to a racy sports car.

  The more I marveled at what I saw the more I expected from the experience. The captain had told me previously about our mission, but was decidedly vague as to the details. I enjoy a good mystery, although sometimes I have to look into the pot to see what’s cooking.

  “Captain,” I said. “Now that we are underway can you tell me any of the particulars of our exercise?”

  “Please call me Ulysses,” he said sternly. “I’m afraid that our mission must remain a secret to you for a while longer. Even so, you are not restricted in any activity other than communicating with the outside. Is that understood?”

  “Of course,” I said. “I was just curious. I am afraid I am behaving like a little child at Christmas who sees a big present under the tree and wants to know what is inside before it’s time.”

  “All in time, Matthew,” he said. “All ahead, one third, depth 300 feet.”

  The red numbers on the front screen changed quickly. The speed rose from 12 to 30 knots as the depth increased from 75 to 300 feet. At first, the impact of these numbers did not strike me as significant until I realized the captain had said all ahead one third and we were already traveling faster than all diesel-electrics and nearly at the top speed of most nukes.

  “Cap… Ulysses,” I stammered. “Are we really moving that fast?”

  Ulysses grinned. “That’s only one of the several surprises this boat is capable. This boat is a real man made fish in every sense of the word. I don’t think there is another submarine that even comes close to the real thing.”

  “So far I am more than impressed,” I said. “At least can you give me an idea of where we are heading?”

  “My intent is to head south into the Atlantic underwater testing area,” he said carefully. “I’m sure our pursuers will be waiting for us. However, I don’t expect to be detected at all. We will swing into the Straits of Florida and pass into the Caribbean. When we get to Grand Cayman I’m sure that the rest of our voyage will be more leisurely.”

  “Do you really think you can elude the best of the best?” I said smartly. “What about the satellites overhead?”

  “At the depth and speed we will be traveling we will be virtually invisible from the satellites,” he said confidently. “Our pursuers will need more than a stroke of luck to even begin to track us.”

  “Except, they d
o know you’re headed south,” I said directly. “Based on our initial heading that does help limit the area they have to search.”

  “True.” He laughed. “...except I have a little trick up my sleeve.”

  “And what’s that?” I was skeptical.

  “In a moment I’m going to circle back and stalk our pursuers,” he said. “There is no better way to be stalked than to know where your stalker is at all times.”

  “Isn’t that more risky than simply outrunning and disappearing,” I said. “Logic dictates, if you want to avoid detection, you shouldn’t even remotely put yourself at risk.”

  “That’s true.” He smiled. “I have full confidence in the capabilities of my boat to meet and exceed the expectations of the men that designed it. Engineers at times are nothing more than a collection of practical dreamers. I belong to that other more important group of seamen that make dreams a reality. And that reality can more often than not exceed the imagination of a land-based egghead.”

  “I understand.” I fully agreed with what he said in principle. I still had my reservations, but I was willing to keep an open mind that what he was telling me was possible.

  The captain gave a series of orders which changed the readings displayed on the screen. I immediately recognized we were now heading straight back toward our pursuers. He looked at me and winked. What could I do other than trust his judgment?

  “So far I’m really impressed with how quietly everything works,” I said. “I’m beginning to believe your boast of remaining undetectable will hold true.”

  “It is more than just an idle boast,” he said slowly. “And not only will we remain undetectable, we will always know where our pursuers are.”

  At the base of the view screens there were several red figures with data indicating distance, speed and direction of each of our pursuers. Our initial convoy comprised a tender and destroyer. Their position was indicated directly ahead.

  “Prepare for interception,” the captain said. “Mister Jones, are you ready?”

  “Yes sir!” A voice came from nowhere.

  The Chief Executive Officer, Rudy Jones, was stationed in the Master Control Center. It was possible to run all operations of the boat from the bridge, but Captain Arcane preferred to follow naval tradition in sharing control with other human beings rather than rely completely on himself and the computers. Although the XO was not on the bridge, he could see everything we were seeing with his virtual reality visor.

  “Mister Jones, I want to circle around and cut off their towed sonar array,” the captain said firmly.

  “Yes sir,” the XO said, and then added, “You know that’s going to make them mad as hell.”

  “I am aware of that.” The captain chuckled. “However, I have the freedom of my orders to prove the effectiveness of my boat in every way I deem best. I think crippling their detection system will make a very clear and decisive statement.”

  “Yes sir,” the XO said. “All systems are ready and we are at your command.”

  The captain gave several instructions and took manual control of our movement through the water. I could just begin to see the bottoms of our prey when the captain began a tight circle directed to hit the destroyer’s towed array as close to its stern as possible. The bow tilted forty-five degrees causing me to slip somewhat uncomfortably in my chair which was identical with the captain’s and to the right on a level below his. My heart began beating faster at the excitement of what we were trying to accomplish. We moved effortlessly through the water as the name of this boat suggested. When I first heard I was assigned to the Atum Bom, I thought first of a misspelled nuclear weapon. I soon discovered the name was taken from the Portuguese which means good tuna. The tuna are some of the fastest fish in the sea. Since this boat was designed to be more like a fish without a propeller and move faster than anything built before, the name seems more than appropriate to me.

  The towed array came suddenly into view straight ahead. To the left, or more properly the port side, I could see the twin propellers of the destroyer. Before I could blink an eye, we were upon the array cable. The captain remained calm. I almost thought I could detect a slight smirk on his face. There was a muted snapping sound and the captain changed course ninety degrees to port at one half speed. His intent was to pass to the destroyer’s starboard side and sprint ahead before its captain and crew knew what had happened. The logic of his move impressed me. I am sure the captain of the destroyer would never think of looking for us straight ahead of its bow. Speed and maneuverability certainly added to the stealth capability in a wartime situation and our country will certainly be with a superior advantage over any maritime force the enemy has.

  “Ulysses, I’m impressed,” I said. “I have never seen such a perfect example of submarine agility and stealth.”

  “Please note, Matthew.” He grinned. “Our target is turning away from us. They are either trying to recover their lost cable or they have no idea where we are. In my opinion, I favor the latter explanation. What do you think?”

  “I agree,” I said. “It is hard to come to any other conclusion. If you will excuse the pun, we now have the Atum Bom and our enemy does not.”

  The captain laughed. “That is very true, my boy, very true.”

  Nearly an hour later, Mister Jones appeared to relieve the captain. By now, we had placed over one hundred underwater miles between us and the destroyer. The captain and I went to the galley where a hot meal was waiting for us. The captain sat down at his place and waved for me to sit likewise with him. The food before me was unlike anything I had ever had on a submarine before.

  “Matthew, you look surprised.” The captain smiled. “Everything about my boat is better, including the cuisine. Since I don’t need even a third of the men a traditional nuke must have to operate, the extra space is now used to store extra supplies.”

  “I can see that everything here is done to excess,” I said.

  He stared at me a moment, then laughed. “Taste your food first, and then tell me again that the excess has been wasted.”

  Without a doubt the captain knew I was trying to get a rise from him. I took a bite of my food, chewed, swallowed it and broke out laughing. “As always, you are right,” I said. “And never pick me as a poker partner. It is always hard for me to keep a straight face.”

  “The name of the game in this service is bluff and counter bluff,” he said calmly. “Even with an Atum Bom, winning is not assured. Tactics and sneakiness are at times more important.”

  “Now that the game has begun, have you changed any of your plans?” I was enjoying my meal immensely.

  “We will make a dash into the Bermuda Triangle before we enter the Straits of Florida,” the captain said holding a cup of coffee. “We will spend a few days in the area before heading south. In that time, we will know if we have any pursuers.”

  “I take it, you don’t ascribe to the myths of the area.” I smiled. “Aren’t you afraid we will encounter forces that even this boat can’t overcome?”

  “I have an Atum Bom,” he said drolly. “We have nothing to worry about.”

  We both laughed. If nothing else, the captain made me feel comfortable with his confidence and warm humor. After dinner, I retired to my sleeping space and almost immediately fell asleep when my head hit the pillow. How long I slept I do not recall, but I remember being in the middle of a very pleasant dream when I was awakened by the XO.

  “Wha…” I groaned trying to gain my senses from a sleepy fog.

  “Matthew, we have an emergency.” The XO shook my pillow. “The captain needs you on the bridge immediately.”

  “What’s going on?” I gasped and sat up on the side of my bed.

  “All I can tell you is to go to the bridge immediately,” the XO said. “I have to get to my own station. Please hurry.”

  The XO left before I could utter another word. I put on my glasses and shoes, brushed my hair with my hands and headed toward the bridge. Everything was quiet as a
lways. It was almost too quiet for me to feel comfortable. I tried to imagine what sort of emergency would require my attention by the captain. When I entered the bridge I could hardly believe what I saw on the view screens. In every direction I looked there were giant squids. We were totally surrounded! The captain sat in his command chair seeming deep in thought.

  “Ulysses,” I said. “Where are we? What’s happening?”

  The captain slowly turned and faced me. “Witness the Bermuda Triangle.” He pointed to all the images on the view screens. “We have been surrounded by a school of fifty-foot long giant squids!”

  “That’s not possible.” I nearly choked. “No one has ever seen one giant squid in its own habitat, not to say a whole school!”

  “Proof disputing your assertion is staring at you from every side,” the captain said calmly. “There are more coming into view as we watch.”

  Sure to his statement, I saw at least a half a dozen more squid move into view. I knew it was not possible for their platter-sized eyes to see us, but I could not help but feel we were being scrutinized by them anyway. I suddenly noticed the heads-up display which showed our depth at eighteen hundred feet and forward speed at zero. A mild panic swept through my bones. We were too deep, unless there were specifics about our boat that I still did not know.

  “Ulysses,” I said. “The depth...”

  “I know,” he said. “We are far below our safe operational level. So far, we have nothing to worry about; this boat was built with several magnitudes of extra safety. The optimum recommended safe operational depth is a guarantee. Going deeper is not necessarily contraindicated. I saw the first squid at nine hundred feet and decided to follow. It quickly led me deeper to its companions.”

  “Wasn’t that a little foolhardy?” I said boldly. “Do you think the risks were worth it?”

  “I took no unnecessary risks.” He continued watching the view. “I tested my boat and followed up a very fortuitous discovery on an elusive deep-sea creature. I have learned more in a few minutes about the giant squid than anyone before me.”