Unearthly Power

by R. K.

  Sean had watched the angry gray and white clouds boiling over the horizon since first light. There were no reports of storms in the area and his onboard meteorological equipment indicated that the weather should be fair. The clouds appeared unnatural, but he held his course, trusting in the information he had available. Strange things happened at sea and this could just be another one of those things, he reasoned.

  As individual members of their party walked into the wheelhouse to inquire about the weather, Sean repeated what his data showed. By the time he was finished, he wished he would have just provided a general announcement over the PA system. Short segments of sleep were starting to deprive him of his natural tendency toward tolerance. This was made worse due to the fact that the waves had increased to crest between the five and seven foot range, which caused him to focus the majority of his attention on steering the not-so-nimble craft. Even if everyone onboard was accustomed to sea travel enough to avoid getting motion sickness, a rough ride attributed to feelings of insecurity similar to turbulence on a plane.

  Sean rechecked his Doppler equipment to ensure he was not charging directly into a tropical storm, or worse. Everything was normal. When Alex walked by the door Sean called his name.

  “Can you take the wheel for a minute? I want to take a look outside.”

  “Sure.”

  Once Alex took control, Sean walked out onto the bow. He held onto the partly rusting railing as he went to steady himself against the upsurge of the swells. The boat crashed into the foamy water which caused a showering spray to rise above the craft and cover its deck. This happened on every other wave as their frequency was becoming more rapid. Being at sea was unique in the perspective it provided. There were no structures to help estimate distances and no shadows to provide context. While that unnerved some people, Sean found it agreeable. With nothing else to see, Sean returned to the wheelhouse. If anything, he needed the feel of the wind around him to escape the confinement from inside the cabin. The fresh taste of saltwater he had on his lips was also a reminder of where he was.

  By the time they were within thirty minutes of the wreck site, he slowed the engines and settled into a circular sailing pattern which alleviated much of the turbulence. The seas were still volatile, but it was manageable. When he considered his charts from his previous trip, he compared them to the digital GPS readout. They didn’t add up. According to the numbers, he was still one-hundred nautical miles away. When he compared this to his sailing log, reflecting time and speed, it still didn’t add up. He went over the numbers several times before finally giving up. He needed something to eat and some much needed rest. After he called Alex to relieve him and explained the course he wanted him to maintain, he walked into the galley, poured a cup of coffee that appeared to be leftover from several hours prior, and drank it down. As tired as he was he could have drank an entire pot of the burnt tasting liquid and still fallen asleep.

  When he awoke two hours later he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes but the tiredness of the trip remained. He could tell by the motion of the boat that the waves had subsided. He washed up and changed clothes before leaving his room. Feeling refreshed, he resumed his normal duties.

  When he passed the galley he noticed Dee, Tori and her father sitting at the table. He stepped in.

  “Are we on site?” Professor James asked.

  “Close,” Sean said as he went to the stove and opened the stock pot. He helped himself to a bowl of thick stew. He didn’t know who made it, but it smelled good and he was hungry enough not to care. He took a seat next to Tori and began eating. After he practically inhaled the contents of his bowl, he took a piece of bread and wiped it clean on the inside. It was only then that he realized everything was quiet. He looked up to see the other three occupants in the room staring at him.

  “I take it you were hungry?” Dee asked with arched eyebrows.

  “Famished,” he said unapologetically.

  Tori smiled at him.

  “What do you mean by close?” asked the professor.

  “I mean,” Sean said as he got up to place his bowl in the tiny sink, “just that. We have been circling the location of the wreck for the last few hours, or at least as close as I can figure. Alex has been plotting a search grid. I’ll compare those readings to my original ones. Until my GPS equipment starts functioning properly, I won’t be able to get us on top of it. Once we are, we’ll check the underwater currents and determine when it is safe to go down.”

  Professor James gave him a look that indicated he was not happy at the announcement, possibly believing Sean was a bit nonchalant in his efforts and possibly incompetent as well.

  Sean knew the look, ignored it and continued, “Nobody goes down unless it is safe. If that means we stay up here for a week until that happens, then so be it. You are not the one risking your life down there,” he said as he noticed that the professor apparently hadn’t accepted his line of reasoning. “I am. And I am not in the habit of putting myself in harm’s way, or anyone else for that matter.”

  Still not in the mood to give any ground Professor James said, “I understand. As soon as conditions allow it, please advise me so that we can get started.” He finished his coffee, stood and left the room.

  “Don’t be mad at my father; he doesn’t understand what’s involved with this kind of work,” Tori said as she detected the tenor of his voice and saw the intent look on his face.

  When he turned to her, his expression changed immediately and was replaced by one of admiration. “I’m still a bit tired. Let your father know that as soon as we are able, we will be under water.”

  “Boy, I wish I had that ability over you. Whenever I say something that irritates you, it takes at least a few hours before the scowl goes away,” Dee said.

  Tori gave her a quick glance and blushed slightly when she recognized the meaning behind the look Dee was giving her. When she turned back to Sean, he was smiling. That made everything all right.

  Ignoring the retort from his sister, Sean said, “I’m gonna go relieve Alex. Why don’t you advise everyone else to make it an early night? We’ll see what we are dealing with first thing in the morning.”

  As they moved to leave, Dee preceded Tori out of the room. Tori smiled and traced her finger across his chest as she walked by. Sean stepped out behind them and looked on with appreciation as Tori walked away from him in her tight fitting shorts, leaving little doubt in his mind that she knew he was watching her.

  On the following morning, Sean stepped out onto the deck to take in the sky with a white china mug filled with hot coffee in hand. He leaned on the railing as he tried to figure out the strange formation of clouds surrounding them. His malfunctioning equipment did little to inspire confidence. He was sure they were in the right area, but it seemed that his instruments were conspiring against him; even his old reliable compass fluctuated as if it too was affected like the electronics. The underwater current readings were extreme, if they could be trusted. If he were superstitious, he would swear that something was plotting against him. When he circled the area where he was sure the wreck was located, he dropped anchor at fifty fathoms. Professor James joined him on deck.

  “Strange sight,” he said referring to the cloud cover.

  “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing myself.”

  “You think we might have a chance to go down today?”

  By ‘we’ he meant me, Sean thought to himself. “Right now the currents are too strong. We’ll take some more readings around noon to see what we are dealing with then. By logging in the changes we will not only know when it is safe to go down, but also learn the times of day that are best. That way, when we do go in, we’ll make the most of each opportunity.”

  “How many dives do you think will be necessary?”

  “Honestly professor, I have no idea. I only promised to bring you this far and to do the best we can. Other than that, it’s all up to the sea.”

  Unlike last night, Professor James was not bother
ed by his lack of positive assurances. He simply nodded in understanding and stood there for a while longer, captivated by the strange formation of the cloudy sky surrounding them.

  That evening after dinner, following another day of inactivity, Sean, Alex, Dee, Tori, and her father remained in the galley engaged in small talk as a result of having nothing better to do. The other three men followed their regular routine of eating quickly, speaking briefly only when spoken to and then leaving for their room. From time to time Marcel could be engaged in moderate conversation, but he too seemed to be uncomfortable with any lengthy discourse. To those in the room, it felt as if there were two entirely separate groups of people on the ship: the regulars and the men in black. At least that was the joke among them.

  Conversation eventually broached the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. While the full scope of the Triangle stretched from Florida to Puerto Rico to Bermuda and back to Florida, they were close to the heart of that area. The Bermuda (or Devil’s) Triangle was not recognized by name or distinction by the U.S Navy or certain other government and nautical agencies. Sean was surprised it hadn’t come up sooner.

  “Do you think the stories are really true? I mean, did you see those clouds out there today?” Tori said to everyone at the table.

  “Nothing more than myths of fantasy to explain away that which has not been solved yet. Nothing more.” Her father replied.

  “I don’t know about that,” Alex chimed in. “I can understand ships being lost at sea, and even the odd plane or two, but our Navy lost an aircraft carrier and a submarine in these waters. That seems to give it more weight than just calling it a fantasy.”

  “Really?” Dee asked. “I never heard about the submarine.”

  “I think it was back in the sixties,” Alex said.

  “What about you, Sean?” Tori asked. “Do you think there is something mysterious about this part of the ocean?”

  By this time Sean had left his seat to refill his mug. He stood with his shoulder against the door frame and with one foot crossed over the other. “I sure do,” he replied. When he had everyone’s attention he continued, “This boat and its crew. I don’t think you will find anything more strange and mysterious than that for miles around.”

  Tori threw a towel at him while Dee gave her brother a sour look. Sean smiled with a self-satisfying grin. Even Professor James lightened up and seemed to be enjoying the moment. Sean decided to do a little background checking while his guests were at ease. When he was spending time alone with Tori he wasn’t exactly interested in comparing full personal histories. As long as he was asking such questions about her in open discussion he didn’t think her father would mind sharing.

  “So where are you two from originally, Professor?”

  After he took a moment to collect his thoughts he said, “Pennsylvania. A small town in the northeast called Danville. We lived there for twenty years until Tori was old enough for college.”

  “You didn’t want to go to college near your home?” Sean asked her.

  “No. Small towns might be good for some people, but not me. It was a total bore.”

  “How about you professor, were you looking for excitement too?” Sean asked in jest, but with a serious look on his face.

  “No.” He answered seriously, “I taught Anthropology courses at a nearby college in Bloomsburg, but that was a way to pass the time until Tori was old enough to finish high school. The position I had waiting for me was a much better opportunity.”

  Tori smiled at him, recognizing what he was doing. She decided to play as well. “How about you? Where did you grow up and what was it like?”

  “I was born in an orphanage. Then I finally made it to the streets. I don’t really remember much from those days as it was a struggle just to stay alive.”

  Dee did her best to keep from spitting her drink onto the table as she held her hand over her mouth and started to choke.

  Before Professor James could completely buy into his recitation, Alex said, “Oh bull! I saw your house and met your parents. Your mom was in the movies and your dad is a big shot in the Navy. If anything, you were a spoiled brat.”

  Tori was caught between her own laughter, helping to make sure Dee was in fact okay, and looking at the reaction of her father. After she addressed all three things, she gave him a look of warning. If it was meant to change his behavior, it served no more than to have the opposite effect.

  “Your mother is an actress?” Professor James asked.

  “Mostly she was in commercials advertising suppositories and VD medications.”

  “Sean!” Dee yelled. “That’s enough already. Don’t you take anything seriously?”

  “Actually, I take both suppositories and VD very seriously,” he replied in mock sincerity.

  Alex couldn’t control his laughter, while Dee and Tori were doing their best to show their disapproval through a series of easy to read looks. Feeling out of place, and a little uncomfortable, Professor James excused himself and returned to his room.

  “You are making such a fine impression on my father,” Tori said to him with the intended sarcasm.

  “I think he likes me,” he said with a smile.

  “You’ll have to excuse my brother. He isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is and he often embarrasses himself before he realizes it.”

  Sean decided to let the comment pass. Tori redirected her question to Dee. Once they were engaged in a discussion of their childhood, Sean and Alex excused themselves from the room.

  Even when morning came there was little evidence that the day would be any less gloomy. The ocean swells had subsided and the readings from the underwater currents were not optimal, but were manageable if they didn’t get any stronger. Today, Marcel and the professor came out early to see if a dive would be possible. They were all wearing lightweight windbreakers because of the chill moisture rising from the water. They originally anticipated sunny skies and calm waters in this part of the ocean, but their experience was proving otherwise. Sean agreed to a test dive, but said he would go alone. The other two men were not happy with that announcement, but Sean left little room for debate—it was his ship and his rules regardless of who was paying the bill. Sean agreed to it himself only because of the rising disappointment among his guests over their lack of activity.

  The excitement of someone finally going into the water had spread to cause everyone on board to watch with anticipation and offer help where they could. That excitement quickly diminished when they realized there was nothing more to do, or see, once he disappeared from the surface. Sean had a miniaturized radio in his mask and this allowed contact between him and Alex while he was underwater. One by one, the others returned to attend to other diversions.

  Sean initially followed the anchor line. Once he attained a depth where he could barely make out the bottom with his high powered flashlight, he leveled off and started a search pattern. In the depths he would be working, he decided to stay as far from the bottom as he could for his general search. This allowed him more time underwater, and better coverage of the bottom itself. Sean decided to work with the current. He quartered it as a ship would quarter a stiff wind; this kept him from being swept along too far in one direction and interfering with the effectiveness of his search pattern. He looked at the GPS device attached to his wrist and started the program.

  It was slow going as he fought the current and the low visibility. While his GPS helped him keep his sense of direction, he also had a GPD tracking device installed in his diving suit which was monitored by Alex. This was the main tool they used to ensure proper coverage of an area. Alex annotated time and location at three minute intervals. Normally they would go as long as five or ten, but the conditions and depths they were working required finer measurements to ensure nothing was missed.

  When Alex saw his tracking device was reversing course, he knew Sean was returning. He was standing by when Sean surfaced. He lifted his face mask and held it for Alex to take. He used his hands t
o lift himself onto the platform at the rear of the boat and twisted his body at the same time so that he could sit down.

  “Anything?” Alex asked.

  “No. It’s still a little too strong to cover it effectively.” He said while removing his gear.

  “Maybe tomorrow.” Alex replied.

  “Yeah, maybe. We could be out here for a month in these conditions and never find it . . . Did you chart the readings?” he asked his partner.

  “Yep. You didn’t do too bad, actually.”

  “Well,” he said as he was finally able to slip out of his suit. “I’ll compare what we got today with what I have from the last time we were here. Maybe I can get us dialed in a little closer for the next dive.”

  Alex nodded his head in agreement.

  At dinner that evening, talk centered on the next dive. While the five members of their charter were sure of success, Sean had a more ‘wait and see’ attitude. He didn’t want to put a damper on their enthusiasm. If they were excited, they were easier to manage. When people are dispirited, it tends to infect others quickly, making time on board more difficult with each successive day.

  He didn’t get any time to spend alone with Tori that evening. Nobody, it seemed, was willing to leave the galley; even Marcel and his men remained and he could find no plausible excuse for calling her away. The casual glances they gave each other were playful, but not very gratifying. He excused himself, having decided on a good night’s sleep while praying for favorable conditions in the morning. He knew he could not keep the others out of the water for long. Eventually, they would insist on going, despite concerns for their safety, and he would have more to deal with than he would by going alone. If they proved to be less than competent underwater, he would be lucky to cover half as much area as he did today.

  ~ Six ~