A Drop in the Ocean

by James Cooke

  Lucy gazed deep into Brian’s eyes with a deadpan expression, which didn’t go unnoticed.

  ‘Um Brian, I do believe Lucy is impressed, keep it up.’ Sarah said, in a catty manner.

  ‘Sarah! I can’t help it if I’m the only one with any idea’s.’

  Sarah squinted at Brian, ‘I don’t know how you’ve got the nerve to say that Brian, the cheek!’

  Brian smiled back, ‘Me neither! I’m just joking. Right now, we’ve got to do something.’

  Turning to Lucy, he asked, ‘So Lucy, how about my plan, do you think it’d work?’

  ‘Yes, it is possible. I can do that and do not worry; no one will not be able to enter the ship unless they have a twenty kilo-watt Ytterbium laser cutter.’ Lucy replied.

  ‘Well, I think it’s reasonable to assume that they don’t have one of those on their ship. So, are we all agreed?’ Brian asked, glancing at Sarah then Lucy.

  Suddenly, their little tête-à-tête was rudely interrupted.

  ‘You three, stay where you are.’ Eghert shouted across the room after noticing the three of them in a discussion.

  Brian kicked himself for not realising that Eghert would easily spot them, it was too naïve to assume otherwise.

  ‘Well, what do we have here, what a pleasant surprise. How the hell did you get here so damn quickly?’ Eghert demanded, while all the time staring at Lucy with puzzled curiosity. This was concerning, and Brian knew that he had to divert his attention somehow before he took it any further.

  ‘Listen Eghert; you might want to wipe that smirk off your face because I don’t think you’ll get away with what you’ve done.’ I said.

  Eghert let out a rictus of a laugh, ‘Done? I haven’t done anything. Besides if I were to do - anything, who’d stop me? You and your girlfriend sidekicks? Don’t make me laugh.’

  Just as I thought, a raving lunatic and a dangerous one too, now just take the bait dammit, thought Brian.

  ‘Well, we’ll see about that. I suppose you’re going to make off with the –,’ Brian paused for a second, ‘the device over there whatever it is and the spaceship too.’ he said nodding towards the Kel-Taire.

  Eghert’s eyes widened at the revelation. Brian felt as if he could read his warped mind like a book. He was taking the bait, and now he was about to fall for the trap, hook, line, and sinker.

  ‘Spaceship, what the hell are you talking about? Tell me, or you can join the Doctor.’

  ‘I’ve got you now, you bastard,’ Brian muttered under his breath. But it would be of no use unless Lucy was somehow able to trigger the self-destruct without Eghert cottoning on.

  Brian knew that he had to find a way of luring Eghert away from the spaceship on a wild goose chase, so as to allow enough time for Lucy to go to the spaceship unnoticed.

  ‘But surely you know about the spaceship Eghert, what with all your resources? You’re not really that good, are you?’

  Eghert glared wildly at Brian, who could see that he was losing patience with him.

  ‘Don’t - fuck - with me, Hopper. Just tell me where it is goddammit. That or die, the choice is yours.’

  ‘Fucking hell, Brian, where did you learn to do this?’ Sarah whispered, out of earshot.

  ‘Okay, Eghert. I’ll tell you exactly where it is, if you promise not to harm anyone in this room, is that a deal?’

  Eghert grimaced with frustration.

  ‘Very well, Hopper, you got yourself a deal. Now tell me where this spaceship is; this is your last chance.’

  Eghert loaded a slug into the chamber of his desert eagle. Brian knew he wasn’t bluffing; it was time to set the conclude the trap.

  ‘There is what can only be described as a UFO I guess, about three miles from here in a sheltered depression.’ Brian lied, convincingly.

  Sarah tried hard not to appear confused.

  ‘Really, is that so Hopper. Well listen up, this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to take me to it, and if I find out you’re lying, I’ll kill you, simple as that, how does that sound?’

  Eghert retorted.

  Fine by me as long as you don’t expect Sarah and Lucy to come with us, I’ll take my chance on that Brian thought to himself.

  ‘Sergeant, come with me. Mr Hopper and I are going for a little walk. Corporal, if I’m not back within two hours, you know what to do. Make sure that thing over there is transferred to the ship and keep everyone away from it, then evacuate immediately.’

  That’s right Eghert, you do that. Now if only Lucy and Sarah can slip away unnoticed, we’ll be well on our way to being home and dry. Brian glanced at Lucy and gave her a surreptitious nod, just hoping to god she knew what that meant, but he needn’t have worried, for she reciprocated equally discreetly. With a soldier’s gun prod in Brian’s back, Eghert led the way outside.

  ‘Be safe Brian,’ Sarah called out as he left the room.

  Brian just caught it, and acknowledged Sarah, with a raised hand, not enough to alarm Eghert.

  ‘Okay, Hopper which way?’ Eghert asked.

  Brian made up a cock-and-bull story about having seen the spaceship inland south-west from the station, luckily, Eghert bought it, and off they set.

  Back at the base, Sarah and Lucy shuffled closer to each other.

  ‘Lucy, Brian needs you to activate the self-destruct mechanism in the spaceship, can you do that?’ Sarah whispered.

  ‘Yes, of course, but how can we leave when we are under armed guard?’ Lucy replied.

  Sarah though hard and then said, ‘I’ll create a diversion so that you can slip away unnoticed and get to the spaceship to do your stuff. But for god’s sake, don’t get caught.’

  Lucy tried to compute what Sarah had asked.

  ‘What is stuff and who is this God you and Brian keep talking of?’

  Oh god, not now, please, thought Sarah.

  ‘Stuff is what you have to do to activate the self-destruct mechanism, and God is, well no one, it’s not important. I’ll tell you later about him. But right now, can you do that?’

  ‘Yes, I am ready.’

  ‘Okay, wait until the soldiers make a move.’

  Sarah feigned stomach cramps and writhed around on the floor, moaning as if in agony. During the ensuing commotion, while the guards came over to investigate, Lucy managed to slip away unnoticed. She headed back towards the rear of the base, stealthily hugging the walls, and carefully avoiding the remainder of Egherts men standing guard at various locations. Once she arrived at the spaceship, Lucy entered and set to work on the self- destruct mechanism, doing her stuff as Sarah had said, setting it to T-minus six hours. This gave a detonation time of 20:44 hours, local time.

  Brian had successfully managed to lead Eghert on the wild goose chase for a couple of hours much to his annoyance, but he realized that sooner or later he’d have to come clean, because if Lucy had succeeded, he knew they’d only have about four hours before they needed to be a very long way away from the station.

  ‘Eghert, I’m telling you, it was around here somewhere. I’m sure of it but then again, it was very dark, and this landscape is so confusing. When we arrived back to the base, we did notice a strange light, come to think of it, so perhaps it's moved. That was at the rear of the station.’ Brian proffered.

  ‘Damn you, Hopper, I ought to shoot you right here and now, but I might need you alive just a while longer. Right, enough of this time wasting. Sergeant we’re heading back, watch him like a hawk.’

  Yes, so far so good, all I need to do now is make sure you retrieve the spaceship Brian thought to himself, and then its game, set and match.

  Chapter 28

  At 17:40 hours, MS Veel Brasil ore carrier dropped anchor a mile north-west of Marion Island. Captain Pedro Gomez entered the bridge closely followed by FBI special agent Carol Foss.

  ‘There she is Ma’am, a godforsaken place if ever I saw one and you and your men want to go there?’ Gomez asked.

  ‘That’s right Captain, official business to sort o
ut. We shouldn’t be too long. While we’re gone could you make the brig ready, we may have a prisoner or two to bring back. I’ll radio ahead when we’re about to return.’ Foss replied.

  Shortly afterwards Foss and her team of three US Navy Seals seconded to the FBI special operation team, left the Veel Brasil by rib and headed for a somewhat dangerous landing spot several hundred meters west of the research station. From there, they slowly made their way up towards the station under cover of darkness. Foss had her orders much to her satisfaction; find and arrest the lunatic Eghert. After her first-hand experience working with him previously, nothing was going to give her greater pleasure. The exact nature of his crimes where somewhat immaterial, she already knew what a nefarious character he was.

  As Brian approached the rear of the base, closely followed by Eghert and his men, he guided them towards the storage hanger, praying to god that Lucy had succeeded. This was it, make-or-break time. Bizarrely, the music of Sergio Leone’s the good, the bad and the ugly was playing, encouragingly in Brian’s mind. It roused him on, pumping up his charade.

  ‘In that building over there, the main warehouse; that’s where we saw the strange light.’ Brian shouted to Eghert to overcome the roaring, heat sapping, wind. Eghert waved his machine gun towards one of his men, which was seemed obviously easier than barking out an order. As the giant hangar doors were opened, the alien spaceship gradually revealed itself.

  Egherts eyes lit up like that of a child opening up the first Christmas present. Without hesitating for a second, he approached the spaceship.

  ‘My god, this just gets better and better.’ Eghert gushed.

  Brian carried on with the charade.

  ‘Magnificent isn’t it. The staff here will have a field day with this.’

  Eghert regarded Brian, with a horrified expression.

  ‘Over my dead and rotting body Hopper, they won’t be allowed anywhere near it, you damn fool.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes really. We’ll have this thing apart in no time once we get it to -,’ Eghert paused suddenly.

  ‘Get it to where?’ Brian replied.

  Eghert sneered. ‘Ha, you think you’re so smart Hopper, well let me tell you, I’d have to kill you if I did. All you need to know is that we’ll be taking this little beauty with us once I get it on-board.’

  ‘Onboard! So, you’re taking it away by ship.’

  ‘Listen up Hopper, I’d advise you to keep your fucking mouth shut and your nose out of this if you want to live, in fact, it’s probably best if you forgot all of this if you know what’s good for you. Just go and re-join your sidekicks.’

  Brian tried to appear disappointed.

  ‘Okay, I understand. That’s fine by me, she’s all yours. I’ll just clear off then.’

  Eghert was losing interest in Brian, now that he had the icing on the cake, this would seal his retirement aspirations.

  ‘Don’t forget what I said Hopper, just forget about everything and go. Maybe you’ll live long enough to see your daughter again.’

  Brian couldn’t believe his luck, it was turning out to be child’s play, so far. He left them to it and made his way back to the common room.

  When Brian returned, he found Lucy and Sarah sitting in the corner of the common room, holding hands.

  ‘Hey there, I’m back!’

  Sarah glanced up, joyfully.

  ‘Thank god Brian, I was worried sick. How’d it go?’

  ‘Just as planned, I took Eghert on a little tour of the Island and then back to the spaceship. He was really pissed off when I couldn’t find it, but then I said I remembered it was back at the storage hanger. Anyway, he revealed that they intend taking the spaceship apart after they’ve taken away somewhere by ship.

  Sarah high fived him. ‘That’s amazing, Brian, I didn’t know you had it in you, but today you’ve really impressed me.’

  ‘Thunder birds are go!’ Brian sang the TV tune, then added, ‘and there I was thinking I impressed you every day, thanks!’

  Brian then focussed his attention on Lucy.

  ‘Hi Lucy, did you manage to do it?’

  ‘The self-destruct mechanism - yes, it has been activated. You have approximately three hours and forty minutes until detonation.’ Lucy replied.

  ‘Hell-fire, it’s all systems go then.’ Brian said, jubilantly.

  ‘There is no way of going back now, no way of stopping it.’ Lucy added.

  ‘Good! Eghert also let slip, that he intends to take the spaceship onto his ship. I just hope to god that they all leave here sooner rather than later.’

  ‘We’re fucked then if they don’t,’ Sarah added.

  The mood suddenly nosedived. Sarah had a good point, something that was outside of their control now that they had set things in motion, if they didn’t leave within about three hours, it would be the mother of all anti-climaxes.

  Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait very long before their prayers were answered. They could hear the unmistakable drone of an approaching helicopter, and through the small windows, saw its flashing lights.

  The characteristic deep wop-wop of the helicopter became louder and louder until it was directly above us, but as the tonal pitch changed, Brian could tell that it was carrying on towards the rear of the station and hopefully to the hanger where the end-game awaited collection.

  Sarah squeezed Brian’s and Lucy’s hands just as Eghert re-entered the room.

  ‘Sergeant have your men take that thing to the chopper. Corporal Hudson here will show you the way. Guard it with your life. I’m ordering you to shoot anybody who tries to stop you, is that understood?’ Eghert made it deadly clear.

  Eghert switched his attention to Brian, ‘Better luck next time suckers and to think that you thought you could outsmart me with your, frankly amateur efforts. Just be glad that I’m letting you all go free. If you all know what’s good for you, you’ll just go back to your boring lives and forget everything that has happened here.’

  Brian and Sarah tried not to smile, neither couldn’t quite believe how well the plan was going so far.

  ‘Absolutely, we most certainly will Mr Eghert, won’t we ladies?’ Brian replied.

  Eghert threw them a contemptuous glance before leaving with the remainder of his men.

  Once they had left the room, Brian observed them, out of sight, walking down the corridor.

  ‘Listen, I think we should follow them, from a safe distance of course just to make sure that they are actually going back to the spaceship. We have to be sure that they’re going to take it onto their ship.’ Brian said to Lucy and Sarah.

  ‘Does it make any difference? We’re stuck here whether we like it or not, we’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy, in case you hadn’t noticed,’ Sarah replied cynically.

  Just when Brian thought they had the cat in the bag, Sarah went and found another fly in the ointment. He had to hand it to her, her powers of foresight were better than his, it seemed as if Brian was limited to just two steps ahead.

  ‘Okay, fair point Sarah, but if there’s any doubt that they won’t take it away to their ship in time, at least we can try and get away from here as far as possible.’

  Sarah gritted her teeth, ‘yes but by the time we know that, just how far do you think we’d get out there, it’s not exactly a walk in the park!’

  Brian was getting slightly frustrated with Sarah’s negativity, ‘aw come on Sarah, a moment ago you were saying how amazed you were, now it sounds like you want to throw the towel in?’

  Sarah raised her hands, ‘okay, you’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just a pessimist, that’s all. C’mon then let’s do it.’

  Brian smiled, ‘don’t give up now, Sarah, we - can - do this. I want to see my daughter again.’

  Sarah nodded and gave the thumbs up.

  In a comically clandestine fashion, they stealthily followed Eghert and his men from a safe distance, darting in and out of doorways whenever they thought that they might be seen. By the
time they got to the storage hanger, Eghert’s team was already making preparations to carry the spaceship beneath the huge Sikorsky helicopter using several forklift trucks. Watching them out of sight, things seemed to be going okay when suddenly a gunshot rang out. Eghert’s soldiers were shooting towards the rear of the building that Brian, Lucy and Sarah were in, and whoever it was that they were shooting at, must have been on the ground level immediately below them.

  ‘Who the hell are they shooting at Brian?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘How the hell should I know? Maybe some of the station staff are putting up a fight.’ Brian replied.

  ‘If that’s the case, they’re stupid fools if you ask me, they must be crazy.’

  Suddenly three clandestine figures ran out of the back of the building and took up positions behind some sizeable wooden packing crates. It was then that Sarah noticed it, clearly visible from their upstairs window, three large white letters on their backs, the acronym F.B.I.

  ‘Whoa, shit do you see that? It’s the goddam FBI.’ Sarah screamed.

  ‘Jeez, seems like the cavalry has arrived.’ Brian added.

  ‘What - the - hell is going on?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘Dammed if I know, but at least they’re not shooting at us.’ Brian replied, shaking his head.

  It came as a heavenly sound to hear the Sirkorsky had just fired up its engines now that the spaceship had been secured beneath it, even more so when it took off. Soon it was up and heading out to sea, the time-bomb spaceship slung beneath it. It didn’t seem to matter one iota what might happen next, as far as Brian, Lucy and Sarah were concerned, it was job done! The spaceship carrying the Kel-Taire was gone.

  Brian and Sarah whooped and cheered, high fiving each other. They stopped and stared at each other, Sarah had tears in her eyes, Brian instinctively reached out and gave her a great big cuddle.