by R. K.
It was still dark outside when he opened his eyes. His dreams had disturbed him all through the night. Deciding it was a waste of time to lie in bed any longer, he pulled on his wrinkled shorts and a button down shirt over his T-shirt before quietly leaving the room so as not to disturb Alex. As he made his way to the wheelhouse, he tried to recall the dreams. They seemed so real and vivid just minutes ago, but he only remembered scattered fragments of them now. Thinking it over, he recalled now that his sleep had been disturbed the few nights they had been on site. Normally, he slept soundly no matter where he was. He acquired that ability from his time in the Navy. But this time it was different. He shrugged his shoulders, brushing away his own unanswered questions, and moved his thoughts onto other things.
After narrowing down their present location as well as he could while fighting with the direction finding equipment, and comparing his previous notes to the readings they had recorded yesterday, he decided to move the boat. He estimated that they were nearly one mile from where they were supposed to be. One mile didn’t seem like such a far distance on land, but underwater, with lowered visibility and the extra effort needed to fight the currents, it might as well have been one-hundred miles. He waited as the members of his charter filed into the galley one by one.
The professor looked his normal self and Tori looked amazing. Well, even after a few days out to sea without the conveniences to pamper oneself, as she was probably used to, she still looked good. He offered her a smile when she looked at him.
As the others took their seats, Professor James asked, “How are we looking today?”
Once he knew he had everyone’s attention he said, “Don’t know yet. I recalculated our position using the readings we took yesterday. We’re gonna pull anchor and move about a mile northeast of here. Once we’re there we’ll check the currents and see what we have.”
When nobody replied, indicating that they accepted what he had said, he walked out of the room to get them underway. Tori followed him.
“Mind if I come and watch? I’ve been on lots of boats before, but never one like this.”
“Yeah, this one is pretty fancy. Just watch so that you don’t damage anything.” He said in a serious manner.
She looked at him as if he was joking and realized that he was. She thought the Cantankerous II was built more like a tug boat than any diving platform she had worked on before. She wasn’t about to criticize his boat, however, as she knew captains could be sensitive about such comments, even with a vessel such as this.
She sat on a bench seat and watched as he went through the motions of getting them underway. When she left to follow Sean, Alex evidently left shortly thereafter. She now saw him through the front window standing near the anchor line. Once he had it secured on board he disappeared again and Sean started the craft.
After he tapped the compass with his forefinger and smacked the direction finding equipment with his hand, he settled on a course he believed to be true. He motioned for her to come over and let her take control of the wheel while he explained what she was supposed to do. She already knew from previous experience, but she listened anyway as that gave them an excuse to be near one another. Just when the thought had entered their minds to steal a moment between themselves in a shared embrace, they heard someone walking through the passageway.
“I hope I’m not disturbing anything. Is it okay if I come in here?” Professor James asked.
Tori smiled and kept her eyes on the instruments, while Sean was starting to believe that there really were unknown forces working against him on this excursion.
“No, not at all,” Sean said with as much believability as he could muster. He didn’t actually approve of his being there uninvited, but he didn’t think it would ever cross the professor’s mind as to why that might be. The wheelhouse was the captain’s domain. It was even more exclusive when he was entertaining a beautiful woman. But since that beautiful woman just happened to be his uninvited guest’s daughter, he decided to let it go.
The professor took a seat on the bench which left Sean to stand. I just can’t win, he thought to himself.
When it was apparent that all he wanted was to spend time someplace new and didn’t come by to start up a conversation, Sean took the time to do a little fishing of his own.
“What exactly do you expect to find on this wreck, Professor James?”
He looked at him in alarm for a second before gaining control over his reaction to the question. Sean noticed the change in demeanor the instant it happened. When he composed himself he said, “Treasure; what else?” He then got up to stand next to his daughter, effectively ending the conversation before it even began.
Sean wasn’t buying it. A lot of things could be considered treasure. He wanted to know what was so interesting about this site that had generated such a generous flow of money on short notice. He thought about it as he studied the backs of the pair before him. He really had no reason to be suspicious. Everyone had deferred to him up until now and they were the model of courtesy when considering the other three passengers.
He decided there was nothing to worry about; it was probably just Alex’s overactive imagination working on me. They were tallying up a healthy fare and if they did recover any valuable treasure, the boat received an automatic percentage along with the notoriety of discovery. It would pay off dividends in the future. All they had to do now was find one wreck, probably no more than one-hundred and ten feet long, if it was still in one piece, in about three-hundred and fifty feet of water; with the weather, electronic instruments and water conditions working against them. What could be difficult about that?
When he was as close to the original position of discovery as he thought he could bring them, Sean shut down the engines. His electronics were completely useless by now. Even the tried and true method of smacking the outside of the components failed to achieve any change in operability. The sea was agitated and it appeared as if the immediate area was in a constant state of expectation for a brewing storm. While they could easily see that the surface water was choppy, they had no way to measure the underwater currents, currents that could swiftly take them a great distance away from their boat in a short span of time. He had Alex tie a two ounce weight at the end of a heavy line. He let out lengths of twenty feet at a time to see how quickly the line moved with the current. Surprisingly, it was not as severe as it had been at their previous location; at least as close as they could estimate.
Sean, Tori and Finley all suited up to go in the water. Sean noticed with appreciation that neither diver appeared concerned over the conditions. When they made their final equipment checks, they all agreed to remain near to one another for this dive. Alex adjusted their breathing gas for the depth they would be descending to. He explained the Trimix 10/70/20 mixture to both Tori and Finley. Tori was already familiar with it; Finley didn’t seem to care. Sean waited until they were ready as he would lead the way.
They went into the dark blue water, one by one, as the others looked on. They had to fight the current as they plunged into its depths. Tori kept to his right, just a little behind him, and Finley to his left. Visibility was fair, so Sean decided they would do a wide sweep in the hopes of discovering the wreck.
After twenty minutes, they were all contending with fatigue due to the challenging water conditions. Sean had decided to return to the boat when Tori touched him on his side and pointed to the right. He could see a large object on the bottom, but couldn’t tell if it was man-made. He decided to take a quick look before they left the area. A little positive news would go a long way to improve morale.
After he signaled to Finley, they dove toward the dark shadow waiting for them below. Sean tried to contain his excitement once he was close enough to know for certain it was a ship. Actually, it was a piece of a ship. He estimated it was close to sixty feet in length. The currents were even stronger now than when they had first entered the water. They fought on as the excitement of discovery overrode their wearin
ess. Once they reached the ship, Tori tapped him on his shoulder and pointed to her intended destination. After he acknowledged her, he turned toward Finley to see that he had already begun his own investigation. Sean wasn’t happy about that, but decided that he was probably caught up in the moment. Sean followed after the newly motivated swimmers and decided they could spend another ten minutes on site before it was necessary to return.
The wooden ship sat as if in testimony of perpetual defiance at the sea. Apart from the damage of being separated from its other half, the ship appeared to be in better condition than any wreck of its age had a right to be. As he swam around the exterior he didn’t see any indication of a name or any other identifying marks inscribed on the vessel. Having finished that, he joined the others inside.
Finley was the first to go in and he moved as far and as fast as he could. Tori took a more casual pace as she examined the interior more meticulously. When Sean finally caught up with her, she motioned toward the floor. Small fragments of pottery were strewn about with one piece relatively intact. She picked up the piece to examine it. Satisfied, she took out a mesh bag and placed it inside. Sean was also looking about the floor. Something caught his attention. Instead of the overflowing treasure chest of jewels and coins people often imagine to be in such a place, he saw a curious object wedged into a corner of the room. It was a wooden staff. This too seemed to be well-preserved in spite of its time underwater. In fact, it appeared almost flawless as if it was made of some synthetic material instead of actual wood. When he picked it up he was sure it was wood, real wood. It was an unlikely object to be found in such a wreck, but not one that would be of much interest. He decided to keep it anyway.
Once he had the rod in hand, it seemed as though the waters had subsided significantly from their stubborn exertion. It somehow felt to him as if it was energized. He couldn’t explain it at the time, but it was somehow reassuring. He noticed Finley move into the room they were investigating and decided it was time to leave. He made them aware of his intentions, pointing toward the surface with his thumb, and they reluctantly agreed. Finley was empty-handed when they left the wreck.
The conditions in the water improved considerably as they made their ascent. When they finally broke through the surface, they found themselves farther away from the boat than they had expected. The surface waters were also more noticeably calm in their immediate area in contrast to the rest of the ocean. It was a surreal scene, but Sean had been witness to a lot of strange things at sea. He put it out of his mind as he called Alex on the portable radio—one of the few electronic devices that still worked—and they waited until the Cantankerous II was moved into position for their retrieval.
Tori was careful with her salvage as she handed it to Alex before she got onboard. Sean tossed the staff on the deck as he raised himself out of the water. The others all stood nearby to witness the return of the divers.
“We found it,” Tori said to her father with the enthusiasm of discovery.
“What is that?” he asked pointing to the object by her side.
She delicately removed the small clay pitcher from her mesh bag and handed it to him. She and Finley both saw the wooden staff Sean had brought up from the wreck, but neither one thought much of it. While the others were distracted with examining the antique for any trace of identification, Finley looked at Marcel and shook his head from side to side. Uninterested in the small treasure, they both excused themselves and returned to their room. Though he was not positive, Professor James believed the few markings still visible on the jar were of Spanish origin. Small talk involving the find carried on with the excitement infecting those onboard. Sean was satisfied in knowing his previous charting of the wreck was now validated.
They shed their diving gear and followed Dee, Alex and the professor to the galley. The skies were clearing, as if the storm which had not happened had instead chose to move on.
“Did you see any identification on the ship?” Professor James asked.
“No. But we only saw half a ship. By the time we located it we were pretty much spent and had to return soon. The next time we go down we can take the ROV and move our search outward to see if we can find the other half,” Sean answered.
The professor seemed a little disappointed in the news. Alex was standing against the wall listening as the others spoke, not having anything to say himself, while Dee and Tori were intent on scrutinizing every little inch of the clay jar.
Sean noticed the reaction of the professor and said, “Now that we know it’s down there, we’ll find anything there is to be found. Considering the way things have gone so far, I think we’re coming out of this better than expected.”
Professor James was not thinking about anything other than the reason he was there. It wasn’t a reason anyone onboard knew but him; not even his daughter. Realizing this, he offered a smile and a nod in acknowledgment of Sean’s proclamation. Small talk continued until they each retreated to their rooms. Sean was intent on getting as much sleep as possible that night. At first he lay awake staring at the ceiling, replaying the events of the dive in his mind. When that had run its course, his thoughts moved on to Tori. He wondered exactly what his feelings were in relation to her. Their time together had been brief, but fast moving. There was a spark there but he didn’t know exactly what it meant. They would be together only for another few days, or a week, at the most. Usually, that was enough time for his average relationship to run its course. With Tori it seemed different somehow. He just wasn’t sure what that ‘different’ meant yet. He pulled the thin sheet up to his neck and turned on his side clearing his mind for some much needed rest. He was exhausted from the dive and the rush of discovery. Tomorrow was likely to be a very long day.
He opened his eyes and turned his head to see the red colored LED display next to his bed: 5:58. He was up two minutes before the alarm, feeling fully recovered from the activities of the previous day. He turned off the alarm by 5:59, picked up his pile of undergarments and his toilet kit and walked quietly out of the room to visit the head. Being the first one up guaranteed the availability of hot water. A ten gallon electric water heater was less than sufficient to provide for the number of guests they had on board, but they were rarely at sea long enough for it to be an issue. The facility itself was barely adequate and Sean put more than the normal amount of effort to ensure it was somewhat presentable for this trip.
After wiping his face with a hot washcloth, he took out a bottle of shaving cream and his razor. The waters had calmed enough to allow for a safe attempt at removing several days’ worth of growth. When he was finished, he changed clothes and returned to his room; upbeat in anticipation of the rest of the day. He quietly opened the door, replaced his toilet kit, and threw his old clothes onto the growing pile in the corner before turning his attention to his roommate. It was obvious that Alex was still sleeping soundly. He took it upon himself to make sure everything onboard was in good order before turning in for the night. This meant he was always the last one to go to bed and usually the last one to rise. Sean looked at him as if in personal debate. When he overcame the inner struggle involved in making his choice, he leaned over and roughly shook Alex by the shoulder and yelled, “Man overboard! We hit an iceberg! Deploy the life boats!”
As Alex jumped out of bed, Sean skipped out of the way and went through the door, closing it behind him as he did. He smiled in satisfaction a moment later when he heard the string of muffled obscenities flow from the room he had just left. Alex would pay him back at some time, but he was in too good a mood now to think about that.
He walked by the galley deciding to pass on his morning coffee. If they were down there for any significant period of time, he decided he would like to return with dry undergarments. He went into the wheelhouse and looked at the equipment. It all seemed to be working. When he realized this he logged their current position and reviewed the weather report and water conditions. The readings were not optimal, but were within allowable con
ditions for a dive.
He picked up the wooden staff he recovered from the wreck and examined it as he walked to the back of the boat. When he made it to where they had the submersible secured, he ran into Professor James.
“Morning Professor. Ready for the day?” Sean asked in a cheerful voice.
“Yes. But I’m not the one who has to do the work, only the waiting,” he answered with a thin smile. When he noticed the object Sean was carrying his expression turned inquisitive, “What is that?”
Sean looked at the staff and held it out as he said, “Just a piece of wood. Found it on the wreck; doesn’t look like the water has had any effect on it.”
A strange expression came over the professor’s face. His look was vacillating between Sean and the piece of wood he held. Seeing that Sean had noticed this, he tried to dismiss his reaction, “It looks as though it is just as good as new.”
Sean smiled and nodded in agreement. “Funny markings on it too. Must have been a personal walking stick or something,” he said as he held it for the professor to see.
Because he had spent an ample amount of time in research before they left, brushing up on anything he could find in relation to the assignment, he was able to quickly translate the inscription: “To the extent of God let these come to pass.” The professor knew why he was here. He also believed the three men his benefactor sent along were in support of his efforts; he doubted they were made aware of what he knew. Until that moment, he thought it was dubious at best in thinking it might be possible. Beholding that wooden staff created both an excitement and a fear within him. He did his best to hide his emotions while Sean continued to engage him in small talk. When he could no longer maintain his composure, Professor James excused himself.
Sean could see other bodies milling about in the front of the boat. He took the wooden staff to his room after he was sure Alex had left and it was safe to do so. He threw it on the bed with a mild feeling of regret. For some reason that slender piece of wood provided feelings of reassurance when he had it in his hand. After he thought about it, he decided he was overreacting and wrote it off as a byproduct of being intoxicated by the impending hunt.
