A Drop in the Ocean

by James Cooke

  Lucy seemed slightly confused, ‘I did not mention this before now because up until one hour twenty-three minutes and thirty-seven seconds ago, it was not required, but now it is.’

  Sarah, mouth aghast, interrupted, ‘Woah, I think we’re gonna have to work on your communication skills, Lucy. Let’s hope the hell we get the chance to do that if we ever survive!’

  ‘Well, I am truly amazed, the good doctor works in mysterious ways, ergo, we have what we need.’ Jones piped up.

  Everyone regarded Jones, nonplussed.

  ‘Hey check that out.’ Brian said.

  ‘Check what Brian, I don’t see anything?’ Sarah replied.

  Brian had noticed strange markings on the interconnecting tubing between the corner spheres. Sarah became impatient searching for her reading glasses in her rucksack, emptying it in frustration. ‘This bag drives me crazy, I swear to god.’

  ‘Everything has its place, even a vision-enhancing optical tool. Eventually, you will find them, of that, I’m very positive.’ Jones interjected.

  Brian regarded Jones with awe, any second now Sarah’s gonna have a pop at him, ‘Jones, how long have you been on this Island?’

  ‘Well, let’s see if you don’t count the early field trip, back in the mid-seventies, a one-off assignment, then according to my calculations, around about, that would be yeah, about thirty-eight years.’

  ‘Wow, Jones, you must have covered some miles over the years. I hope you got your mileage points, yeah?’ Brian queried.

  ‘Not quite sure what you mean, but if you are referring to said individual flying to Cape Town or Durban, then sir, I would point out that we are not blessed with so much as a three-hundred yard stretch of what you might call a runway. Putting it as simply as I can, I have remained on Marion Island for the duration of those thirty-eight years.’ Jones replied.

  ‘Jones, oh my god, what is this place, a jail? We are they treating you like this?’ Sarah asked with a hint of concern.

  ‘Ah, maybe I’ve given you the wrong impression, which was not my intention. I have, over the years, grown very fond of, what amounts to living in isolation; we have everything you need to live a life in the service of science.’

  Brian frowned in amazement of Jone’s seemingly simplistic philosophy, ‘Wow, if we ever get through this, I swear to god you’re gonna love New York.’

  ‘Guys, that’s all very, yeah, very wonderful, I can’t wait for the postcard; but please, can we focus on surviving first?’ Sarah exclaimed.

  Brian suddenly realised he was wasting time, ‘She’s absolutely right, what do you make of this Sarah?’

  Sarah moved closer to an area on the side of the small spaceship Brian was pointing at.

  ‘I ain’t no expert, but it kinda reminds me of the Thai alphabet?’ Brian postulated, hoping Sarah would be impressed at his knowledge.

  Sarah shone her torch for a better view.

  ‘Wow, these are amazing; I’m sure I’ve similar markings on some of the ancient geoglyphs at the Chug Chug caves in the Atacama Desert in Chile. But that would be impossible, surely?’

  ‘So not Thai characters then?’ Brian replied disappointedly.

  ‘No Brian, have you got a thing or something for Thai, c’mon you can tell me.’ Sarah replied, cajolingly.

  ‘Far from me to spoil the theoretical possibilities of origins of the characters in question, but I am extremely conscious of the lack of time in which to affect our very survival, ergo, who gives a shit. Perhaps if we ever make it, you and Lucy can have a good old chat about little green men in the desert, but for now could we, please get on with it.’ Jones pleaded.

  ‘Hey, calm down man, she’s just making an observation.’ Brian replied.

  Jones was right of course; they all knew the need to stay focused.

  ‘Here it is!’ Lucy announced as a hatchway opened up in the one-meter diameter tube.

  Lucy entered first followed by Sarah, then Jones and Brian. As the hatchway automatically closed behind them, they fumbled around in bewilderment. The inner surfaces where ultra-smooth and easy to navigate. Lucy went ahead where the tube opened out into a larger spherical shaped chamber. Checking that we were all together, Lucy said, ‘Please come this way, don’t be afraid. Let the ship make you comfortable. Soon you will be suspended by anti-gravity clamps and able to relax while I pilot the ship.’

  While Lucy stood and pointed at it, the other three sat down on large black armchairs made from jelly-like material. It moulded itself to the shape of their bodies; the effect was extremely comfortable. If we survive the day, I’m gonna have to get one of these, Brian thought to himself.

  Ahead of them, Lucy was already operating a holographic console that appeared to be projected out of nowhere. Then a virtual screen formed which provided a window view to the outside. Without warning, the spaceship slowly and smoothly ascended from the base of the cinder cone and up into the sky. There was no noise except for a distinct humming and an associated vibration. Otherwise, everything felt as if gravity didn’t exist, every turn and thrust was effortless. As the spaceship climbed higher, the blue sky deepened, and clouds thinned. Looking down, the Island grew smaller and smaller, surrounded by thousands of square miles of ocean. Brian looked across at Sarah and reached out and grasped her hand, only this time not so tightly.

  ‘You okay Sarah?’ he asked.

  Sarah at frozen, like a rabbit in the headlights of a car.

  ‘Sure, I’m perfectly fine thank you for asking. I get to fly in alien spaceships all the time. No, I’m not okay as it happens.’ Sarah replied, facetiously.

  The spaceship accelerated away like a hard-core amusement park ride in free fall; the g-forces pulling their face in all directions, ‘Holy - shit, I - am - truly - impressed, and - I -thank - you - for - that - Mr Hopper,’ Jones managed to say through a contorted face. ‘Don’t - thank – me – Jonesy, it’s - all - down - to - Lucy.’

  Then the sky became darker; it could only mean one thing; they were in space.

  They felt like they were still accelerating to god knows where judging by the fact that they could no longer see the earth, made them find faith in whatever it was Lucy was doing.

  Unable to speak, because his face was being squashed into something unrecognisable, Brian grimaced and wondered if he would ever set foot on land again. It reminded him of the theme park ride he took his daughter to last year in Disneyworld, thinking that was a bad idea at the time. It was only after the ride has finished and he had climbed out of the seat that he felt good about it. Lifting his heavy head, he strained to view forward. Then he caught a glimpse of a new screen view in front of Lucy and observed a big blue and white marble in the darkness of space.

  The next words they all heard came as an immense relief.

  ‘Please do not worry, I am just calibrating the spaceship. Once I have done that I will return to Earth, to wherever they are taking the Kel-Taire.’ Lucy informed everyone like she did this every day.

  Chapter 26

  Eghert was feeling very smug with himself, having captured the thing, whatever it was, that his superiors were so desperate to retrieve. He planned for this mission to be his swansong that would lead to a significant promotion within the agency. From thereon he intended coast into an early and well-paid retirement. As for Dr Carter, too bad, no body, no crime as far as he was concerned. Anyway, he knew his men would stand by him should there ever be an investigation, and as for those interfering civilians, well, they could be made to disappear if necessary. Otherwise, it would be their word against his and his men he surmised.

  He wasted no time in heading back to the research station to await the final airlift off, in his opinion, a godforsaken Island and back on board the USS George H.W. Bush, within the next few hours. The last thing he needed now was any unavoidable delays, but, unbeknown to him, that was precisely what was about to occur. Ever since he had landed on the Island, the wind and rain had continued relentlessly, but things were about to get a whole
lot worse as an even deeper low-pressure weather front barrelled in across from the south Atlantic, driving the roaring forties to sixty to eighty miles per hour gusts. Heavy, near horizontal rain, lashed the Island. It was as if the Island was located in a giant wind tunnel fitted out with a jet wash. By the time he and his squad reached the station, the weather front was at near hurricane category two strength.

  The research base creaked and groaned under the pummeling wind, and like a giant tuning fork, it sang ominously. In the staff room, Egherts Sergeant tried to contact the USS Bush, but the interference was making it difficult. Eventually, a message came through.

  ‘This is Captain Rainer aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. Colonel Eghert, you are instructed to remain at the research station and await further orders. We can’t fly out and retrieve you in this storm. Having difficulty maintaining current position. Do you understand, over?’

  ‘Fuck,’ Eghert screamed before pressing the microphone button, ‘Eghert here, message received. What is your e-t-a? We need to get off this Island a-sap, over.’

  Captain Rainer clicked off the radio microphone, ‘Who in god’s name does he think he is, does he not understand basic English?’ Rainer said in exasperation so that his second could hear. ‘Goddammit.’ He clicked the microphone back on, ‘Rainer here. Listen up Colonel Eghert, we will get to you as soon as it is safe to do so. Could be with the next few hours’ or twenty-four hours,’ there's no telling when this weather front will pass, over!’

  ‘Message received, over.’

  Eghert threw the microphone down onto the table. He massaged his forehead and grimaced, in frustration.

  ‘What an asshole. Sergeant, find out out how long this bloody storm is going to last.

  I don’t want to hang around this hell hole any longer than we have to.’

  The Sergeant nodded in affirmation, ‘Aye-aye sir.’

  Turning to his two Corporal’s, Eghert gave his orders.

  ‘Rogers, Watson, take this damn thing to the common room and guard it with your lives. If anyone other than me goes near it, shoot them, dead, no questions, do you understand, dead!’

  Van Den Bough sat slumped in the adjacent radio room, horrified at what he had just heard, and he knew that he had to warn the rest of the staff that there was a psychopath on the loose. He needn’t have worried about that, for several other members of the base staff had also heard the commotion earlier and had come to find Van Den Bough.

  ‘Jesus Van Den Bough, what the hell has happened, we heard gunshots earlier,’ exclaimed Harrison, the base Engineer.

  ‘That’s right you did, those American assholes have gone crazy, shot the radio set up as you can see.’

  ‘Then I suggest we all keep cool, keep out of their way, and lay low. Hopefully, they might leave soon. By the way has anybody seen Jones and Dr Carter? I thought they would have been back by now.’ Harrison replied.

  ‘Yeah, they should be. They went with the other visitors to the peak, I think Dr Carter has been studying something up there for some time now.’ Van den Bough added.

  ‘I did wonder why Jones and Doctor Carter kept on making trips together, neither of them would say anything when I asked why. What beat’s me is why they are still working here after all these years, thirty-seven I think it is,’ said Harrison.

  ‘I don’t know either, two or three years would be enough for me, any longer and I think I’d go crazy.

  ‘It’s got to be something connected with that peak area. I say we wait a few more hours and if they’re not back by then, we’ll head out there ourselves and see what’s going on, how’s that sound?’

  Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.

  Chapter 27

  Lucy, having tested the spaceships’ capabilities, took it back to Earth and straight for Marion Island at velocity mankind could only so far, dream about.

  ‘The ship’s sensors say that the Kel-Taire is still somewhere on the Island, so we go there.’ Lucy explained.

  Yes, thank you oh lord, we’re still in with a chance, and I don’t wanna die out here thought Brian.

  Jones was as white as a sheet and apparently hadn’t taken to Lucy’s piloting skills, Brian just hoped he wasn’t feeling nauseous; the consequences didn’t bear thinking about. Sarah, on the other hand, had a massive grin on her face. It was plain to see that she had enjoyed the experience; no doubt her pièce de résistance of a lifetimes UFO research to have actually flown in one. The story possibilities were endless, she imagined. As the shipped decelerated, and the g-forces lessened.

  ‘Lucy, can you be more specific, whereabouts on the Island?’ Brian asked.

  ‘In ten more seconds, I will have the exact location pinpointed.’

  In ten seconds alone, we must have covered a vast distance judging from the speed at which Earth’s atmosphere was approaching. It came as an enormous relief to sense the force of a powerful deceleration. Lucy continued to operate controls at the console.

  ‘Yes, I have located it. It is in the centre of the research station, stationary not moving.’

  It couldn’t be any better, thought Brian, a good chance – god knows how – but still a chance to reclaim our property. Eghert and his crew can go to hell. Brian figured the first thing would be to arrive unannounced, without alerting Eghert’s team.

  ‘Lucy, can you land this thing out of sight of the main complex, at the back of the storage buildings?’ He asked. Lucy operated the holographic console in a blur of finger movement, it was a fascinating sight.

  ‘Yes, I can. Will this location just inside the main warehouse be acceptable?’ Lucy replied, pointing to the spot on the screen.

  ‘Well if the doors are open, that will be perfect Lucy, it should conceal our presence, for now anyway.’ Brian replied.

  Lucy skilfully brought the spaceship safely down without so much as a jolt, much to their relief. ‘That was without a doubt, the most exhilarating thing to happen in my somewhat sheltered life, and I do hope a repeat performance, if I may be so bold to say, is on the cards.’ Jones commented.

  On exiting the spaceship, Brian, Lucy, Sarah, and Jones, covertly made their way into the rear of the central station complex. There was a foreboding feeling that all was not as it should be, Jones indicating that you would generally be able to hear loud music playing in the bar, despite the wind blowing. The base staff were noticeable by their absence, and the station radio wasn’t playing.

  ‘All else being equal, I’m needed in the basement, I’ll go see what they want and leave you to do your stuff.’ Jones announced.

  ‘Jonesy, no. Don’t blow our cover now, just relax man. Just act as if you’ve been here all the time if you bump into Eghert or his men, yeah?’ asked Sarah.

  ‘Please, give me some credit please; I've just witnessed my life-long friend being murdered in cold blood.’ Jones retorted.

  Brian could understand that Jones wanted to seek revenge on Eghert, but the main priority now was to destroy the Kel-Taire. Until then, everything else was irrelevant.

  ‘Hey, keep cool Jonesy, don’t try any silly heroics. We can deal with Eghert later, somehow, yeah?’ Sarah added.

  Jones muttered an acknowledgement and scurried away, still mumbling something. Sarah shook her head slowly, clearly not convinced Jones wouldn’t inadvertently let the cat out of the bag.

  ‘Hope we can trust him, anyway where the hell is everybody?’ asked Sarah.

  Lucy pointed ahead towards the central common room. Brian had no reason to doubt her and figured she must have some sort of sensory perception. As they crept along the corridor towards the common room, they gradually heard voices.

  ‘Careful, stay behind me.’ Brian whispered.

  The voices of two soldiers became clear. They were discussing the tour of duty and their onward plans eastwards aboard their ship. In the background, Brian Sarah and Lucy could also hear bursts of radio chatter.

  They arrived at the common room only to find chaos, soldiers with guns stewarding th
e frightened station staff into the far corner of the room. Just then, one of the soldiers spotted the trio, making it too late to attempt a hasty retreat.

  ‘Hey, you three, get over here now,’ a particularly burly soldier ordered them.

  It was at that moment that they saw, in the centre of the room, several soldiers standing guard over the Kel-Taire not twenty feet away. Brian and Sarah exchanged worried glances. Neither of them expected what happened next; out of the blue, a loud shot rang out and then things went deadly silent. Eghert had just arrived. Holstering his sidearm, he announced, ‘Now that I’ve got your attention, listen up carefully. No one will be harmed in any way if you all do as I say. We want out of here as soon as possible, and then you can all go back to doing whatever it is that you do in this place. Nobody, I repeat nobody, should attempt anything stupid. We will be leaving just as soon as we have taken care of a few loose ends.’

  Loose ends? What the hell does he mean by that? Thought Brian. Then it dawned on him, Dr Carter’s research materials on the cinder cone, the bastards were probably ransacking his office right now.

  Brian whispered to Lucy and Sarah, ‘We’ve got to stop him from leaving with the Kel-Taire at all costs, any ideas?’

  Lucy acknowledged Brian, and then she quietly said, ‘The Kel-Taire has to be completely destroyed, using the intense heat of the spaceships self-destruction mechanism. When it is detonated, it will vaporise everything within a sphere, roughly half a kilometre in diameter, including its contents.’

  Sarah frowned, either not understanding or believing what she had just heard.

  ‘Hang on a minute, if it’s ok with you, I for one don’t particularly fancy being vaporised today, nor any other day come to that,’ Sarah objected.

  Brian had no reason to doubt Lucy for one minute, he couldn’t believe their luck, here was the eleventh-hour opportunity to complete the mission. Yes, it wouldn’t be straightforward, but it was achievable. Then the answer hit him in the face.

  ‘I’ve got it! We don’t have to, I think I know of a way to do it,’ Brian whispered, ‘Lucy, can you set the self-destruct timer for let’s say six hours from now, and then we somehow get Eghert to take the spaceship with him on their ship. Boom, by the time it goes off they should be well enough away from us. Of course, I’m assuming that he won’t try and make entry into the spaceship and shut it down.’