Chapter Eight
Julsey didn't sleep much, she was still getting used to the pitch and roll of the boat and was too excited to. She woke up after dozing for a couple of short catnaps, maybe 10 or 15 minutes each at best, but felt halfway refreshed anyway, enough to function. The edge of the need sleep buzz was gone. She fumbled her way to the bridge. One other hand was awake and was at the communication station, and Sky was at the helm sitting in the cushioned lowback stool with Orion sleeping there, not at his feet but on them. Orion lifted he head, then ran to her tail lopping back and forth. He maybe didn't know he was a dog because he was such a vocal creature and was trying to actually speak. “Ra, rooo ra raaaarrrr woooo warrrrr raaaaarrrrrr rooo rooo... were the kind of noises coming out of him, and it almost sounded like he was trying to form words from some unknown dialect of some unknown language. He meant something with his vocalizations, and to that happy canine he was saying something important. Sky knew what certain sounds meant, and the dog could actually make a sound like “out” when he wanted out and “I love you” when he was being asked for it or playing or just wanted to say it. Sky always joked that if he did have the full power of speech that he'd be in trouble. He was also happy the dog didn't have opposable thumbs.
He swiveled the seat to meet her as she walked up to him and she gave him a truly comfortable kiss. This wasn't the kind of kiss passionate lovers share, but more like the kind her parents would share, or his, when greeting someone who was a familiar part of their life and had been for years. “Sleep good?” he asked. “Just dozed a little, but I'm okay” she replied, and he motioned to her to stand at the wheel inbetween the wheel and the chair he was sitting in, and he put her hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel, and told her to lean back, which she did, and into him as he put his arms around her waist and kissed her below her ear. “Here we are moving forward sailing into the sunrise” he softly said, a hint above a whisper. “Watch...” he said and when she went to speak he repeated the command and put his finger to his lips in a hush gesture, then pointing over the bow and directed her to look forward again. She smiled and nodded just a little, and they stayed there in silence watching the sun break over the water past a flash of emerald green that occasionally one is able to see just before a dawn when the conditions are right. “W-o-w!” she said, stretching the word out twice as long to say the word as normal. “Yusssssss! That was sooooo cool! What was that?”
“It's caused by refraction, eh... yo, yous guys never saw that with all the sunrises you've seen up by that castle?” he asked. “I thought I saw a little green before maybe, but nothing like that, at least that I ever paid any real attention to before.” she replied. “It only lasts a second, or two maybe in winter, depends on the tilt of the axis how long it lasts... that's why I knew you when I first looked into your eyes, they reminded me of the color of the green flash.” She turned and kissed him. “You've been up since yesterday morning, you need rest” she said in earnest concern, placing both palms of her hands on either cheek of his face. “After morning's over, I'm holding a briefing thismorning. We're a third of the way there. We have 18 hours to go to get there, the Hornet is about a half hour behind us and the Wicked Wind is maybe two and coming fast. We're racing against a storm down off Puerto Rico that might be making the turn north as well, so after that I'll rest, okay?” It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement, “I did a little research last night. Everything known about blue whales is almost all from before the Reset, and is fragmented in the cloud. I've been looking up some data on them, and they like most whales they go to warm waters to give birth, but that's usually in winter, and this is almost fall, so she's off cycle by a few months. I just hope we can do something for her.”
Louis came through the hatch from the stairwell that led below, followed by Karl, the student captain his displaced for this mission, and Mazza made him the first mate on this trip; something Sky didn't even think about because Karl was first mate under him his last six months on board before he left the Watson. Sky had been really enjoyed his tenure as captain when he was taking Professor Mazza's program. Mazza always selected his best students to serve as captain of the Watson. Sk'lar barked an order to his first mate. “Sound general quarters and run an engine fire drill. I want to see what I got here.” Karl looked amazed and hesitated. “I said general quarters, Now! Mister.” Karl saw he had gone into a very serious mode, and he snapped into action. An alarm started to sound. Karl fumbled setting the P.A. to “shipwide”, then depressed the key on the mic. Sky stopped him and said, “Do NOT say drill, make it sound real.” Karl nodded, “General quarters, general quarters, fire in the engine room, fire in the engine room. All hand to your designated positions. Fire team assemble forward of the main engine room, move, move move!” He broadcast. Sk'lar was checking his watch. The crew slowly fumbled around in confusion getting to their positions. They weren't used to this sort of drill, and didn't expect it on this mission.
It was 4 minutes and 40 seconds later. “Fire team reports being in position at the forward engine room, the rest of the crew is assembled at the skiffs and have life boats ready to deploy.” Karl offered. “Ready to deploy what?” Sk'lar asked. “Ready to deploy..... Sir?” Karl asked, not being used to this kind of strict discipline. “That's right Mister Hampton, this isn't the Navesink Bay or the Raritan, this is critical here, and I need you to get that response time cut in half by the time we get there. Push only as much as you have to, Karl. Finally on board with this sudden change to an authoritarian style of command, Karl say the logic and need of this, and said to Sk'lar, “I've got this, Sky.” “Don't worry, Karl, I won't be the kind of hard ass Michael can be. Professor Mazza rode me as well, and there's a reason why. If you want a hard ass my dad should have been here... that was fair, but slow, and if there was an emergency out here we could die fast. I can't stress enough that this isn't inshore sample and testing, this is the real deal, and we need to be ready for anything out there.” First Mate Hampton realized just how right Sk'lar was. “Yes, Sir, Captain Duncan. Thank you, Sir.” he said half sarcastically, remembering mandatory civil service and civil militia drills he had when he was younger. Strict military style discipline was rare, but was a part of every citizen's life and training. They would have to all be sharp and couldn't afford any mistakes when dealing with an animal the size of their boat.
“I want the lead team assembled in the mess at 0700 hours. We'll keep all clocks set to Eastern time for the duration of this trip, and verify time when there is any question or dealing with other ships at sea. I want a status report on the Hornet and Wicked Wind as of 0630 hours, and to have both ships and the Navy cruiser and cargo ship if they're available skyped in, if not, transmitted by radio to them. I want everyone in the loop. We are about 18 hours out, and I want a position on the whale as soon as possible.”
“I have that, captain.” Micky, the communications officer had just finished talking on the radio and typing on the computer terminal. “The whale is at 32.511036 by minus 64.689560, just north of Bermuda. The Al Gore reports she has been rocking her body up and down from time to time, but otherwise is just swimming slowly and drifting in place. There are four other whales nearby, one is smaller than the other three.”
“Set course for that location and bring this boat up to full speed, Mister Hampton. Assign someone to the helm right away. Get everything else together as I requested and call me if you need me. I will be in the mess getting things ready for this mornings meeting. Tell the crew they can eat when we're done, and that when I inspect this boat later it better be right. I'm blind until then. Am I clear, and do you have that?” Sk'lar asked with authority. “Yes, Sir” came his reply. He leaned into Karl's ear. “I'm not really a hard ass, in fact I hate that, but this crew will need to be tight and it's our job to have them on the ball so they have to think I'm a dick at first. I need everyone focused and if they think this is a whale watching cruise they're in for a rude awakening, yo...” he smiled... Karl understood
and smiled just a little. He turned. “Your heard the captain, this ship needs to be right and people need to get busy” He told Micky, who got on the com and was talking to someone below. These were college students, and not used to having to really follow any kind of serious command structure, but Sk'lar would make sure they were as foicused as they could be when they got there.
Everyone had assembled in the mess and the skype was broken into four screens. The Hornet and the Wicked Wind on top, the N.A.N. Al Gore, and Michael Mazza in his office. When everyone was assembled and after introductions, which Julsey handled for him, Sk'lar started. Good morning everyone. As you know we are 16 hours away from Bermuda where a 25 meter very pregnant blue whale seems to be having difficulty giving birth. The first report of her and her unusual activity actually came from a fisherman on Bermuda who made a general distress call for help, then a cargo vessel spent time observing her and a deckhand who has an interest in whales recognized there may have been a problem and that she was about to calf. Since then the Al Gore has been shadowing her, and had ceased using radar or sonar to keep a fix on her in case that bothered her, which is why there was no confirmed location overnight. I have reviewed as much as I could and have skyped the only two experts on marine mammals I could find, and they said she indeed must be sick or is having a problem delivering. I'm going over my strategy here this morning, and after I finish would appreciate any feedback any of you might have either openly or in confidence through email.” Mike Mazza smiled a little, very proud of his former student and current friend.
“I will need the Al Gore to maintain a fix on her. Speaking of which, we have to name her, so for lack of anything better how does 'Big Mama' sound to everyone?” He paused and when no one objected, he went on. “When we get there we stay tight with each other and come in slow, staying about a kilometer off. If we seem like a threat we might have an issue with a bull, but blues were said to be peaceful from everything I read; but remember, there never was much interaction with this species even before the Reset, so we just don't know, and better stay safe.
The Watson will approach slowly and try to get as close as she can under electric drive. I and two volunteers will then enter the water in dive gear and slowly approach Big Mama and try to get photos and sonograms of her belly and see what we can. I myself will attempt to take a small tissue and blood sample for testing to determine if she's sick. Until we know more that's as far as I've got. We don't know what is going on, and we have to try to determine what is going on with her before we even think about making any plans, eh.”
“Right now, though, I need people to come up with scenarios and contingencies so we have options ready. I will need Doctor Planter, Denise here and Louis to familiarize yourselves with whale anatomy and learn as much about their biology and whale birth issues as possible before we get there, so cram please as much as you can. One of the major complications big whales have which responsible for infant mortality is a condition where the placenta comes out first. If that happens we have real issues and might lose the mother. We also have the other blues in the area to consider, how they will act.”
“Professor Mazza spoke up, “I have seen a few rights and humpbacks born, and baleen whales are a little different than toothed whales and dolphins. I don't think we have much to worry about when it comes to the other whales in the vicinity. We do have to worry about Mama there, and yous guys need those biological samples taken and done before anything. Sk'lar messaged me last night and told me how off schedule this birth was for blues, they normally give birth in tropical areas in the winter, so we don't know if this is a preemie or what is going on here. Their gestation period is normally over ten months and under a year, so we might be dealing with a fetus only six months old and a very sick mother who may be aborting. We need the medical data first.” Mazza finished.
John Planter spoke. “She might be early or she may be near her time and just sick, or there might be things physically wrong. A calf cannot survive without it's mother, so the life of the mother comes first here.” A few people vocalized their agreement. “So, we have it. I have sent you all email with assignments and what I have so far. I expect reports for our next meeting at 2300 hours Eastern. Al Gore, will you keep us updated and can you keep a line of communication open until we get on site?”
“Affirmative” Joesph LaCroix responded. “We will maintain contact and are free to remain and assist, but there is a very recent complication. There is a tropical depression that threatens Bermuda. It is currently heading northeast but has slowed and if it turns north or northeast we may be facing rough seas.”
He was from Montreal and stationed in Annapolis in the Province of Washington. The former United States and Canada, and some parts of Mexico, had joined together in a political union after the Reset. Europe was also under one unified coalition as well. They weren't exactly nations, it was more like a system of enlarged counties which were called provinces, which actually held the most political power, and then there were regional states, such as New England, The Hudson, Amishlund, New Washington, The Carolinas, all running down the Atlantic Coast. The North American Navy did the job the navy did before the Reset, but also the Coast Guard and the EPA as well. Their mission was stewardship of the seas and those who sail upon them. Service was for no more than 25 years at sea, the longest of any kind of civic or military style of service. Some public service careers needed people with lifelong skills and positions.
“Understood Sir, thank you, we have been watching that as well but did not know it had stalled or might turn. Please keep us informed”. Sky asked his peer. The N.A.N. Would have the best weather data of anyone.
“Will do Watson, ahhh, will keep an open channel and advise you any changes. If nothing else, Sir, I shall attend to other matters and exit conversation now.” The navy captain said with his lite post French-Canadian accent.
Those in conference said goodbye to him and realized the meeting was about over. “I need some sleep myself if I'm going to be worth a damn... thank you all.” Sky said as he excused himself. Julsey on his six they were making their way to their quarters, and he turned and slowed and she joined him at his side despite the narrow space. “How did I do?” he asked seeking a critical review and honest answer. He had been nervous, but it didn't show. “You did great. Everyone has their assignments and you're doing what any good manager does, getting the best people doing what they do best..... you should be proud.” she said. “I was nervous as shit, yo.... this is more than I'm used to.” He confessed. “You did fine, you were amazing and professional. Your professor was smart in assigning you to this, and I'm really proud to be here with you.”
They entered the cabin and locked the door. She began to undress him. “Let me take care of you.” the words came spaced as she stripped him. When he was naked before her she slid down before him and eased him back onto the bunk. He fell backwards and lightly hit his head. “You okay?” she asked as if she had done it herself and was responsible. “Just fine, come here.” He started to try undress her as much as she had undressed him, but could only remove her top, and she sat straddled on his legs devouring him and making him squirm, taking charge of him. He flinched and quivered. “Payback's a bitch” she said in a laugh.