Of Waves and Water

[Mostly Heep]

It was a common site around Washington at this time of the morning.The small man with bright red hair and carefully trimmed matching van dyke beard jogging along the sidewalk.Every day for the last twenty years James Sandecker jogged the five miles from his apartment to his office.
Situated on a hill overlooking the Potomac River the thirty story glass edifice that was NUMA had been his creation from the first.He had been hand picked by then President Gerald Ford to start the organization and had started in a rented wharehouse with just a handful of people.Today it was considered the finest Oceanographic institution on the planet boasting over ten thousand employees with an annual budget in the billions.What NASA did for space NUMA did for the oceans.He was fiercely proud of his creation and his employees.

Sandecker was just toweling off after a shower in his private bathroom when he heard a knock on his outer door."What the heck" he muttered glancing at his watch."It's not even 6am".
He pulled on a robe and strode into his outer office ready for his first fight of the day."Come in"
He relaxed when he saw his second-in-command Rudi Gunn close the door behind him.His good mood evaporated when he saw Gunn's rumpled appearance and sleep deprived eyes.
"Rudi? What's wrong?"
"Have you read the paper today sir"? Gunn said in a weary voice
Sandecker shook his head "Haven't got the far yet.Haven't even had my orange juice yet. Why?"
Rudi threw a copy of the Washington Post on his desk."Page five" was all he said as he slumped onto the Admiral's couch.
Sandecker sat behind his desk and flipped open the paper to page five.The color drained from his face as he read the headline.

Senator's son feared dead in ferry disaster
Prince Rupert,British Columbia. AP
The son of Senator George Pitt is presumed dead in a ferry disaster last night.The Queen of the North a British Columbia passenger ferry collided with Gill Island just before 1am and sank in over an hour.
Dirk Pitt and his new wife,former Colorado Congressman,Loren Smith were on their honeymoon to Khunghit Island to visit an old friend and were returning to Port Hardy for the plane ride home to Washington.
The survivors were rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard and taken to the small town of Prince Rupert to be checked out by the doctors of the local hospital.
Some of the survivors remember Mr.Pitt helping them into the life boats before heading back into the ship to save others.
"He was a hero last night" Mrs.Joseph said to reporters this morning.

He looked at Rudi."Dirk?" he whispered in shock
Rudi nodded."I've got Al flying up there now with Dirk and Summer.I've also got the Eos Adventurer heading that way from Hawaii where she was testing a new submersible.She should be on site by tomorrow afternoon.Al should be there this evening and will co-ordinate everything".
"How are they taking it?"
Rudi smiled for the first time."You know Al Admiral.He won't believe it till he see's the body and I think the kids are just in shock".
Sandecker nodded slowly"Do we know how it happened?"
"Nothing yet.It's still to early.Speculation is that it was human error,there are too many backup saftey systems for it to be mechanical.But for a ship that size to go down that fast after hitting a rock,it must have ripped the bottom right out of her.I've got a call into the BC Ferry Corporation asking for the latest news and to offer our services".
"Get Yeager to pull up any charts of the area,anything that can help Al and the kid's.The better prepared they are the faster we can get that submersible into the water".
"On my way sir".Rudi hauled himself off the couch.

This post has been edited by Mostly Heep on Apr 15 2006, 04:39 PM

[Dear_Heart05]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Rob, I have a feeling im REALLY gonna like this one!
FANTASTIC beginning! Keep em coming...

[Mostly Heep]

Summer spent most of the flight staring out the window of the NUMA jet as it flew North into Canada.Dirk on the other hand busied himself with his laptop,checking news reports and corresponding with Yeager back in Washington.
Giordino spent the flight in the cockpit buried in his own thoughts.The autopilot did all the work so he too stared out the window and reminised.
30 years of freindship,countless dangers overcome,death cheated more times than he cared to count."He can't be dead" he said to himself."I'd know it.I'd feel something"
He felt rather than saw Dirk squeeze into the co-pilots seat."Where are we landing?"
"Victoria International on Vancouver Island.Then we hop a float plane and head North to Shearwater on the coast.You got any new news?"
"Nothing yet.I did manage to find the passenger manifest and both Dad and Loren are on it.Also has their cabin number.I have Hiram emailing me the deck plans"
Al nodded."That should make it easier".
Both men went silent.Each wrapped in their own thoughts.
Dirk was the first to break the silence"How much longer?"
"About an hour"
Summer poked her head through the door."You boy's want anything to eat or drink?"
"No thanks" came two replies.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and they landed at Victoria right on time.Whisked through customs thanks to Sandeckers influence they headed for the rental counter and rented a blue Hummer.
With Summer driving and Dirk acting as navigator Al stretched out in the back seat and promptly fell asleep.The ride into Victoria took only half an hour and they were soon at the float plane counter talking to Josh Tamar,the owner of the small company.
"Yeah I know Shearwater well.We're going to have to stop en route to refill the tanks but we can be there in four hours".He looked around."You bring any luggage?"
"Everything we need is on the Eos Adventurer.She's meeting us there tomorrow"Summer explained.
"Cool.When do you want to leave?"
"I hate to rush you Josh" Giordino said. "But the faster we can get there the better"
"Of course" Josh nodded."Just let me do my pre-trip and we'll get in the air.If you want something to eat there's a little cafe at the top of the parking lot.Give me fifteen minutes"
"Thanks" Al said.He fished in his pocket for some money."Go get us some sandwiches and a couple of coffee's will you Dirk?"
Suddenly Al's Globalstar cell phone started ringing.Without looking at the call display he answered it.His face went white and his breath became ragged when he heard the voice on the other end.
"Dirk?"he barely whispered."Where are you?"

This post has been edited by Mostly Heep on Mar 27 2006, 05:32 AM

[Foss Gly]

I'm liking this, Rob!! Excellent use of current events and tying them into previous books!

[tonym5]

Great start, Rob!!! Very intriguing!!! Can't wait for more!!!

[DirkPitt]

Bring it on!

[Dear_Heart05]

HA! I knew he was alive........never doubted..... ...not once...

[Mostly Heep]

It wasn't the crash that woke Pitt it was the fact that his new wife was now laying on top of his head making it increasingly hard to breathe.
Then the alarms starting ringing and loud voices could be heard giving orders.He could feel rather than hear the engines running at full speed still driving the ship further onto whatever it had hit and tearing out it's bottom.
He struggled out of bed and into his jeans and a sweatshirt.
"Dirk? What's going on?" A groggy Loren Smith asked as he was tying up his hiking boots.
"We've hit something and by the feel of it we're sinking.Put some warm clothes on and pack a watertight bag if you can.I'm going to take a look around".He noticed the concern in her eyes so he bent down and gave her a quick kiss of reassurance."Don't worry I won't play hero and I'll be back before you know it.Just get dressed and wait for me here".
"No.I want to go with you.I don't want to get seperated". Loren said as she climbed into jeans and a sweater."It's our honeymoon after all".
Pitt nodded knowing it was almost impossible to turn Loren away from doing what she wanted when she had made up her mind.
He gave her hand a squeeze and grabbed his cell phone before opening the cabin door and moving into the hallway.The ship had started to list as water rushed into the smashed hull making it difficult to keep their footing.Pitt followed the other passengers,some wearing only pajamas or robes,some even barefoot.
They struggled upward against the slope of the deck.Dirk caught the lady in front of him when she fell and helped her up the stairs.They finally made it onto the deck and got their first look at the situation.He remembered the Leonid Andreyev and caught himself looking around for Lee Tong.He had saved Loren from a sinking liner that day as well."Let's hope this one turns out better" He mumbled to himself.
There were only a hundred people on board including the crew but the evacuation seemed to be progressing in an orderly fashion.No signs of panic yet but that could change at any second as the ship slid deeper and deeper under the waves.
The deck continued to slant and the footing was getting precarious as Dirk climbed to the bridge.
"Mr.Pitt.You should be in a lifeboat". Captain John Norrison said as he directed some of the crew with a portable radio.
"I will.I just wanted to know if you needed a hand?"
"No I think we have everything under control.Thank-you anyway.Now get yourself to a lifeboat,I don't think she'll stay up much longer.When the cars start to shift she's going to go down fast." He turned back to the radio barking more directions.
Pitt stayed for a few seconds more but the ship gave a huge lurch and a rumbling sound from deep in the hull told him to get his ass in gear.
He turned back to the door and bumped into Loren."Come on,we've got to leave.The cars just shifted so she doesn't have much time left" To reinforce his statement there was another rumble and she listed sharply making the two of them grab for a railing to stop from falling overboard.
They made their way to the nearest lifeboat but suddenly Dirk stopped.He'd seen something out the corner of his eye.

[gamaytrout103]

Amazing Keep it up and update soon pretty please with sugar on top!

[Mostly Heep]

The man was huddled against the steel staircase,shaking with fear,eyes scared with a face as white as a ghost.
Pitt walked carefully over to him"Sir?.Are you alright?.Do you need a hand?"
He looked up at Dirk with fear in his eyes.His lips moved and Pitt had to bend close to the mans mouth to hear him.
"My wife" He whispered "She's trapped in our cabin.I came up here to try and get some help and froze in fear.I feel so worthless".
"It'll be alright" Pitt reassured him "Where's your cabin?"
"A 13.Down the hall on the right".
Dirk took him by the shoulders and led him over to where Loren was waiting by the lifeboat. "Stay by him and both of you get in a lifeboat.His wife is stuck in their cabin".
Loren started to protest but Pitt cut her off."I'll be fine sweetie I promise."
With that he ran back to the stairway and headed down into the dark and cold.Just as he reached the bottom the lights started to flicker."Great" he thought.He ignored them and ran along the hallway his feet making no sound in the plush carpet.He stopped at a cross hallway to catch his breath and take his bearings.Suddenly he stiffened.Cocking his head he thought he heard crying but couldn't be sure.
"Hello" he yelled
"In here" came the weak reply "Hurry"

[Mostly Heep]

''I'm coming" Pitt yelled as he moved along the hallway finally reaching A-13.Pushing open the door he scanned the room with a bewildered look finding it empty.
"Hello? Anyone there?"
"In here" the voice came from the tiny bathroom."Thank God Dennis found someone.I've been wondering if anyone was ever coming.My names Rita"
Pitt peeked around the door frame and saw a woman who seemed to be jammed between the toilet and shower stall.At least she was dressed he noticed with relief.
"Are you alright Rita?" He asked for the second time in ten minutes.
"I'm ok but my arm is stuck"
Dirk shook his head and held back the laugh that was forming."This may sound like a stupid question but how did you get your arm stuck?"
"I was taking off my earrings,the ones that Dennis bought me for our anniversary,when the ship hit something and I lost it down here.Stupid I know but they were sentimental"
The ship gave another lurch and started to list even more.Rita screamed and Dirk had to grab at the towel railing to stop from falling.
"Oh God please hurry" Rita sobbed. "I don't want to die like this"
"Rita calm down,you're not going to die.We have at least half an hour"
Dirk lied more to calm her down than anything else.What he didn't need was Rita fighting him while he tried to free her arm.
He quickly scrounged through the cabinets and found nothing useful.Getting down on his knees he tried to see where her arm was stuck but the maze of pipes and her body were in the way.
"Can you move your arm in any way?"
"No.And I've lost all sensation in my fingers if that helps.Did you know we've been married for thirty-eight years in May"
Pitt let her talk since he knew it was her way of dealing with the stress.He soon tuned her out while his mind discarded plan after plan.
"I'll be right back Rita"
That shut her up. "Please don't leave me.I don't want to die"
"You're not going to die.I promise" Second time in the last ten minutes for that one as well he said to himself."I better make good on these promises" He muttered as he left the cabin.

[Mostly Heep]

Pitt crossed to the cabin opposite and kicked the door in knowing that it's occupants were already in a lifeboat.Quickly moving to the bathroom he rifled through the medicine cabinet and found what he was looking for.
Returning to A-13 he shoved his way into the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks.
Rita was gone.
Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood up,his inate sixth sense again,causing him to duck just as a fire axe imbedded itself in the door frame.Dropping to his knees he lashed out with his feet and caught his attacker in the stomach sending her back through the open door.Dirk spun around and slammed it shut before she could recover..
At that moment the lights went out and the room was plunged into darkness.
"Oh this just keeps getting better and better"He said to the dark.
He pressed his ear to the door and could hear Rita gasping for air on the other side.He heard a grunt and again dropped to his knees as the sharp end of the axe was thrust through the door just missing his head.Rita had aimed low expecting him to duck and had nearly succeded.Pitt groped around for a weapon and unceremoniously ripped the towel rack from the wall.He hefted it in his right hand as his left closed on the doorknob."Beggars can't be choosers"
He tried to picture what the room was like and where Rita would be.She also had the dissadvantage of being in the dark and didn't know he'd armed himself,although she had probably heard the noise as he'd ripped the rack down.He would just have to trust that she wasn't paying that close attention.
Taking two deep breaths he yanked the door against it's stops and flung himself through launching himself high knowing that Rita would expect him to go low.He swung the rack as hard as he could in an arc and was rewarded with hearing a resounding crack as metal hit skull.

This post has been edited by Mostly Heep on Mar 29 2006, 05:52 AM