Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3) (31 page)

68

By the time the Pathfinder’s powerful engines began to slow, Lee Kenwood had concluded that they’d gotten as much out of their testing as they were going to get.  It was far from perfect, but better than nothing under the circumstances.  However, without more dolphins to test it, he couldn’t be sure how well his “fix” was going to work.  His fear was that it wasn’t going to work well at all.  Tracking a single conversation was one thing, but successfully translating dozens of them simultaneously was another.  And contrary to what most people believed about computers, software bugs were the norm, not the exception.

Lee leaned back and folded his arms, staring at his screen.  The problem was that he had now applied the new, largely untested code and reverting back to the old code would be their only option if it didn’t work.  But that would take time.

Down on the stern, Alison was worried about something else entirely.   Although she and Neely had come back to investigate the plant life covering the ocean bottom, she had the distinct impression Dirk and Sally had come, not just to help, but for a totally different reason.  One they had yet to share with her.

If she was right, Alison had no idea what that reason was.  She stared at Dirk and Sally, both watching her quietly with their heads poking out of the water. 

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something unexpected was coming.

Alison looked up when several more men appeared on the deck above, led by the ship’s lead engineer, Elgin Tay.  He was shorter than the others but moved with an air of confidence.  One by one the men descended the ladder and moved aft toward her and Lightfoot, swaying back and forth with the rolling of the ship.  She recognized the last figure in line as Chris.

The ship’s forward momentum gradually slowed and was replaced by steep side to side rolling from the ocean swells beneath them.  Lightfoot approached from behind and grasped the rim of the dolphin’s tank for support.  “We can take the harness off if you like.  It’s still going to be a little rocky though.”

“Fine with me.” Alison began unbuckling.  “At least if I fall over now you guys aren’t going far.”

“Very true.”

Tay and the others approached, several putting their own hands on the tank.  “Everyone okay?”

Before she could answer, her vest translated Dirk’s reply. 

We good.
 

Dirk jerked his head, laughing.

Tay laughed with him.  “I guess that means he’s ready to get out.”

Alison’s vest emitted a sharp tone.

“There’s no word for
guess
,” Alison replied.  “But yes, I think they’re more than ready.”

Ready
.

“Okay, but I need to warn you, this may not be easy.  These winches are strong, but they can be difficult to maneuver in conditions this rough.  We don’t normally use them when it’s this bad.  Payloads are too heavy.  If they start swinging around, things can get dangerous in a hurry.”

Alison stared at him, nervously.  “How dangerous?”

The ship suddenly pitched and everyone grabbed something for support.  “Very.”

“We have to get them out.”

Tay gave an understanding nod.  “All right, men.  You heard the lady.  We’re bringing them out.  Careful as we go.”

Within minutes, the giant winch was unchained and its powerful arm extended out over the rear of the stern.  A chain was then wrapped around the arm, holding it in place.  A large, thick sling was retrieved from a nearby compartment.  One of the men tied a control line to the underside of the sling, allowing them to counter any excessive movements due to the ship’s swaying.

Next, the fat cable from the winch’s arm was released and secured to two large metal rings running through the sling’s two center points.

As Tay’s men struggled under the pitching of the ship, Chris managed to make his way to the side railing.  They hadn’t heard it before above the roar of the Pathfinder’s engines, but as those systems were powered down, a familiar sound arose from all directions: the sound of dolphins.

Lightfoot, helping with the sling, abruptly stopped.  He whirled around and spotted hundreds of moving shadows in the water.  “Holy crap!  You guys see that?”

Another of Tay’s men edged closer.  “There’s a ton of dolphins surrounding the ship.”  He turned back just in time to see Alison’s grin.

“Just wait until dawn.”

Once the sling was in the tank, Sally moved forward, easing her sleek gray body into the fabric cradle.  She waited while Lightfoot and another engineer ran their hands alongside, ensuring nothing was restricted and the overhead cable was taut enough to keep the dolphin secure in the event of a problem.

When they’d loaded the dolphins in Puerto Rico, it was done as carefully as possible.  This time would be different.  Their priority now was to get them off as quickly as possible.

Alison’s expression grew increasingly nervous as she watched the men trying to work and at the same time struggling to maintain their own footing.

“Lightfoot!” Tay yelled.  “Man the control line.  The rest of us will help lift her out.  Once she’s out, it’s going to be all winch.”

“Aye.”  Lightfoot gripped it tightly.  “Ready.”

Tay glanced to his man, Smitty, controlling the winch.  “Okay, we’re going to time this with a roll to port.  We lift in the middle and gravity will swing her out over the water.  Lightfoot will slow her down.  Everyone understand?”

Tay nodded.  “All right, here we go.  On my mark.  Ready…wait for the roll.”

The lower deck promptly began to rise again.

“UP!” he yelled.

The winch’s cable lurched and immediately grabbed, hoisting Sally up while those around her steadied the sling.  But the vessel rolled too quickly.  Her heavy body was abruptly pulled out of their hands and swung hard toward the falling side of the ship.  The swing accelerated too quickly, sending her far out over the water and back again. 

“Look out!” Tay shouted.  “She’s coming back!”

No sooner had he yelled than the weight of the Pathfinder’s enormous keel overcame the upper sway of the ship and the motion reversed.  Sally’s momentum increased even more rapidly, sending her swinging toward them and missing the rim of the tank by inches.  Her four hundred pound body passed over the tank and smashed into Chris at full speed, throwing him careening into the winch’s thick base. 

“Chris!” Alison shrieked and let go of the tank, sliding across the wet deck.  She scrambled to get her feet out in front of her and managed to stop herself between the winch and one of the ship’s stanchions.

She grabbed Chris’s limp body and pulled him closer.  “Chris!  CHRIS!”  Seconds later, Smitty dropped into place on the other side.  He wrapped an arm around Chris’s frame, preventing him from moving.

“Check him!” Smitty yelled.

Alison frantically ran her hands over him until she found Chris’s neck.  She pressed two fingers in, searching.  She felt nothing and moved to the other side of this neck.

“Get the control line!”

Standing above her and Smitty, the other men struggled to secure the control line while Sally slowed and began swinging back again.  The line, now wet, whipped past them, whipping through Lightfoot’s outstretched hand.

Tay watched Sally swing uncontrollably back over the water.

“Wait!  Wait!” he shouted.  “Let her go!”  He twisted around and stared at Smitty, who was trying to right himself with one hand.

“Smitty!” Tay yelled.  “Let it go!”

Smitty’s eyes found Tay’s and looked at him in confusion.  He pushed Chris’s body toward Alison and she grabbed him with both arms.  He then rose onto one knee and steadied himself against the base of the winch.

“Smitty!” Tay yelled again.  “Let it go!”

It took only a moment for Smitty to understand.  He braced himself against the winch and grasped the metal handle controlling its motor.  He watched Sally’s thrashing tail as she sailed toward the water yet again. 

When she was far out enough, Smitty released the tension, letting Sally’s momentum catapult her out over the ocean and into the water with a splash.

Lightfoot struggled to the side, where he watched the sling billow in the water just enough for Sally to escape.

Behind him, Tay was already on the phone to the bridge.  “We need medical on the main deck
now
!”  He turned back to see Smitty raise the cable and empty sling back out of the water.

Within moments, the ship’s doctor and medical assistant burst from a door above them on the upper deck.  They sprinted down the metal grating until they reached the ladders and descended.  Even with the swaying of the ship, they made it to the stern in less than a minute.

Doctor Kanna wrapped his fingers around Chris’s neck, searching.  He then moved to his wrists.  “I’m not getting anything. Get a stretcher down here!”

Tay barked again into the phone.  Two more men appeared overhead carrying a basket stretcher.  They reached the ladder and slid it down to the others.

Tay’s team gathered around as Kanna folded Chris’s arms in over his chest.  “Get him in, quick!”  In a coordinated movement, they lifted and moved him into the basket where thick nylon straps were secured over him.  Alison pulled herself to her feet and watched the men move smoothly to the ladder, raising him back up.   Kanna followed and together they disappeared from Alison’s view.

“You okay?” Tay asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry.  Kanna’s one of the best doctors in the Navy.”

“It’s true,” Lightfoot said.  “He’s in good hands.”

Alison nodded reluctantly and blinked.  The clock was ticking and she knew it.  She reluctantly turned back to the large tank.  “Now what?”

Tay took a deep breath.  “We have one more dolphin to get into the water.”

“Not like that again, I hope.”

Tay managed a smile.  “Trust me.  The first time’s never the best.”

Her eyes fell on Dirk with his head still bobbing above the water.   “Are you ready, Dirk?”

Yes.  Ready.

“Okay…let’s do it.”

A moment later, Lightfoot reached down to grab the control line, now hanging over the edge of the steel tank.

The three steadied themselves against the edge as the ship rolled through another large wave.

“This time, don’t fight it.”

Tay and Lightfoot pulled the sling down into the shallow water and held the sides open for Dirk, who promptly circled and slid into place.  Smitty reeled in the cable just enough to pull the thick canvas closed and waited for a signal.  He nodded to Tay and Alison. “Say when.”

69

Their second attempt was smoother.  Working with the roll of the ship, Dirk became a living pendulum, oscillating past the equilibrium position until they had enough momentum for it to carry him beyond the edge of the deck.  Smitty timed the release of the cable perfectly and let Dirk fall into the dark water.  Smoother than the first time, but not something any of them wanted to try again.

And while the team aboard the Pathfinder was exhausted, Dirk and Sally seemed little worse for the wear.  In fact, Alison had a sneaking suspicion that Dirk had actually enjoyed his launch.

With calmer nerves, she and the others went topside to check on Chris.  Standing in front of the wall of glass with Tay and Lightfoot, she was overcome with the memory of being in the exact same spot just a year earlier.

It was the very spot where Alison had the conversation with John that eventually led her to fall in love with the man.

A nervousness suddenly welled up inside her as Alison realized it was the first time she’d let herself admit she was in love with him.  Even to herself.  She promptly pushed the thought out of her mind and stared back through the glass at Chris’s still figure lying on the examination table.  Nervousness was replaced with fear as she watched Kanna lift Chris’s eyelids again and note something on a small tablet.

Behind her, the door opened and she turned to see both Lee and Neely enter, joining Tay, Lightfoot, and herself.

“How is he?!”

“We don’t know yet.”

“What happened?”

“We lost control of the sling trying to get Sally into the water and she swung back straight into Chris.  He flew head first into the winch.”

“Jesus.”  Lee stepped forward toward the glass.  After a long silence, he turned back around.  “God, please let him be all right.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

Alison shook her head, holding back tears.  “Just wait, I guess.”

Lightfoot, who had been staring at Chris and the doctor, somberly replied.  “I don’t think there’s much you can do here.”

“He’s right,” Tay nodded.  “As harsh as it sounds, we need to let Doctor Kanna do what he can.”  He glanced at his watch.  “The clock is ticking.”

“I can’t just leave him.”

Tay and Lightfoot looked at Neely, who stepped closer to Alison.  “I think we have to,” Neely said softly.

“It’s true, Ali,” Lee frowned, although also reluctant to leave.  “If the situation were reversed, Chris would have to do the same thing.  We’re all here for a reason and we don’t have much time.”

“And the faster we finish,” added Neely, “the faster we leave…for Chris’s sake.”

Alison continued staring at the glass.  They were right.  Although she still didn’t want to admit it.  She and Chris had been through so much together.  He was her best friend.  The thought of leaving him alone tore at her heart.

But she had to.

Alison could barely focus.  And attempting to don their gear under the rocking of the ship left both her and Neely struggling to keep their balance, even with the help of Tay and his men surrounding them.  The light-colored steel deck was covered with a slick sheen of water, making it nearly impossible to stand up for more than a few seconds.  After they were geared up, Lightfoot sat down and began putting his own equipment on.  Getting into the water was one thing, but getting back out was quite another.  It would be Lightfoot’s job to help them back up.

Tay slid a thick headband over Alison’s forehead and turned on the strip of bright LED lights.  “These should last a few hours.  The battery on your head is going to feel a little heavy, but once you’re in the water, you won’t even notice it anymore.”

Alison nodded and tested the airflow from her rebreather, ensuring the oxygen mixture was sufficient.  She then adjusted the rubber seal of her mask around her eyes into a more comfortable position.  Finally, she checked the IMIS unit on her chest to make sure it was powered on.  She took a few deep breaths before looking back up at Tay.

He took her hands and helped her to her feet.  Together, they waited for the next roll before he quickly passed her to Smitty, who stood along the steel railing.   Smitty grabbed her and pulled her across.  Beyond the railing, with the help of her headlamp, dozens of dolphins could be seen converging around the stern.

“Are you good?”

Alison nodded.

“Okay.  Hold on,” he said, before turning to receive Neely.

She stumbled into him with a soft bounce, but managed to latch onto the rail next to Alison.  Her fins went on just as quickly and Smitty moved back to Alison.

“Okay!” he yelled.  “Let’s go to the end.”  He wrapped his arms around her and they shuffled to the end of the railing together.  “We have to wait and go with the roll!  When we’re as close to the water as possible, you take a step to your right and jump!  Don’t be afraid if you feel me give you a little push!  We have to do it fast!”

When Alison felt the starboard side begin its dip, she stepped nervously to the side while Smitty maintained an iron grip from the back.  She was surprised when Smitty launched her forward, sending her head first into the dark ocean with a giant splash. 

From between the swells, she watched as Neely stepped to the end of the rail.  She wished she could warn her about Smitty and that first step, but only moments later, Neely hit the water next to her.  Lastly came Lightfoot, splashing on the opposite side of Alison with a natural grace that reminded her he’d been a semi-professional swimmer before joining the Navy.  Even in those conditions, he surfaced as relaxed as anyone she’d ever seen.

“Can you both hear me?”

“Yes,” answered the women in unison.

“Good.  Any problems?”

“Nope.  I’m fine.”

“Me too.”

“All right,” he said.  He motioned to Smitty and turned back to both women.  His full face mask reflected brightly from their LED strips.  “Ms. Shaw, we’re all yours.”

Alison nodded.  “Lee, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Ali.”

“Are we ready?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be.  I’ve paused the translating on your vest.  When I turn it back on, it will only be filtering for Dirk and Sally to begin with.”

“Okay.”  Alison looked to Neely and Lightfoot.  “Here we go.”

Alison used the button on her scuba BCD to release some of its air and reduce her buoyancy.  She began slowly sinking and watched the waterline pass over her mask and head.  Together the three continued down, eventually adding enough air to end their descent.

Neely and Lightfoot became silent, marveling at the hundreds of dolphins swirling around them.

“Still there, Lee?”

“Like a bad penny.”

She smiled inside her mask.  “Let’s turn it on.”

“Okay.  Here goes.”  Far above them on the ship’s bridge, Lee typed a command on his keyboard and hit the enter key.  Almost instantly, the lines on his screen began dancing as the microphone was reactivated on Alison’s vest and began transmitting wirelessly to the server at Lee’s feet.

However, below the surface Alison heard nothing through her earbuds.  She waited patiently for almost a minute before finally responding.  “Lee?”

“Yes, Ali.”

“I’m not hearing anything. Is it working?”

“It’s because of the filter.  I’m getting an audio feed from your mike, but the server isn’t translating any of it.  Try calling Dirk or Sally.”

“Sally?  Dirk?  Are you there?”

After a moment, the reassuring mechanical voice of IMIS sounded in Alison’s ears.

We here Alison.

They both appeared from out of the darkness and into the bright glow of her lamp.

Behind her, Lightfoot reached out his hand and skimmed the body of several passing dolphins.  “My God,” he said through his microphone.  “I’ve never seen anything like this.  What is this place?”

Neely twisted around to face him.  Her LED lamp illuminated him as if he were suspended in space without gravity. 

“That’s what we’re about to find out.”