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MYSTIC:
Okana enters Lisa’s laboratory and notices her frowning at the magnified image of the lens from the fiber optic drill. “Any idea what happened?”
Lisa spins her chair around and folds her arms across her stomach. “No, darn it. Something made it so hot it melted the glass lens. Because of the freezing temperature at that depth, I didn’t think that could happen.”
Okana leans against the doorframe. “Huh. That is strange. Tell me, how well do you know Dieter?”
“Not well, really. The first time I met him was here on the Mystic when I started working for Mike. Why?”
“I don’t trust him, and neither does Alex.”
“Do you think he turned on the ultrasound?”
Okana sits in a chair in front of her. “No, he didn’t do it. Listen. A friend of mine will fax you some information here, in your lab. For now, you’re the only one I can trust. Please don’t tell anyone else about this and be discreet when the fax comes in. If I’m not here, hide it someplace safe until you contact me.”
Lisa smiles. Her life is uneventful most of the time, yet since she started working for Mike, it’s become more exciting. Now, ever since Alex came on board, she feels as though she’s on a great adventure. “You can trust me. I’ve never liked the Captain.”
Okana reaches over and gently squeezes her arm. “Thanks.”
“What’s the deal with Alex?”
Okana leans back in his chair. “What do you mean?”
“For a geology instructor, he must have a lot of important friends if he can take over this project.”
“He’s not taking over anything, Lisa, but you’re right. He does have a lot of connections.”
Lisa gives him a conspiratorial grin. “You guys sound like spies to me. Were the two of you in the CIA or something?”
Okana leans forward. “You really don’t want me to answer that, Lisa.”
“You mean, if you tell me, you have to kill me?”
Okana chuckles. “No, nothing like that. You would simply disappear.” He winks at her. “I’m waiting for a call from Alex, so I’ll be up in the lounge if you need me.”
When Okana walks out of her lab, Lisa smiles as she thinks about Alex, and swivels back and forth in her chair. The idea he and Okana might have worked for the CIA is fascinating. Alex is not only good looking. He’s mysterious, too.
She spins her chair around and continues examining the recordings from the optical lens, one frame at a time. The last five frames show the device for a fraction of a second before the brilliant blue flash and the screen goes blank, then she notices something strange happen to the ice during the flash.
She hears a beep, and the printer ejects two sheets of paper. She rolls her chair over to her desk and looks at the cover page, and it’s for Okana. She wants to look at the second page in the worst way, but knows if it’s CIA related, she might be breaking some law. “Oh, crud,” she whispers. She shoves them into an envelope, then slides the envelope between two folders in the bottom drawer.
She rolls across the floor back to the images, and transfers a few onto a flash-drive. Maybe Okana and Josh can help figure out what’s going on. When the transfer is complete, she stands and slips the drive into the front pocket of her white nylon jacket, then walks out of her lab and across the walkway to the lounge.
Okana and Josh are playing shuffleboard on a long slender table near the windows, and she moves across the room to watch. “That’s game, Okana.”
Okana smiles at Lisa. “I’ll get him next time.”
Lisa removes the drive from her pocket and looks at Josh. “Something happened to the ice I can’t figure out, and I need your opinions.”
Josh takes the small device and goes over to his desk, sits down, and inserts the flash-drive into his laptop. He opens each file and puts the pictures side by side on the large television screen. In each frame, they see the device at the bottom of the fracture, except in picture number four. “What do you need, Lisa?”
“Enlarge number four and I’ll show you what I’m trying to figure out.” The picture suddenly fills the entire screen, and the device is blurry. “The ice appears fractured. Can you enlarge that area?”
Josh does, and millions of small fractures in the ice suddenly fill the screen. “That’s good. Now locate the same area on the third and fifth picture for a comparison.”
With the pictures side by side, it’s easy to see the change in the ice, from clear to fractured, and back to clear. “I have an idea what caused the seismic event, so tell me what you think. When water freezes, it expands with incredible force. Enough to shatter rock, and in this case, force the crack in the sea floor apart, creating an instant seismic event.”
Josh leans back in his chair. “That’s a lot of force, but wouldn’t it go up through the crack?”
“Not if it happened that fast.”
Okana steps closer to the television. “So each time that device was activated, it froze the water?”
Lisa shakes her head no. “Not exactly. It melted the lens on the optic cable. That means it melts the ice first, then instantly re-freezes it to expand and force the crack open. That would also explain why we saw the bubbles. They were created when small amounts of water flash boiled into steam for an instant and escaped before re-freezing. That expansion would also cause the pressure wave that hit the sub and nearly killed you guys.”
Okana turns away from the television and looks at Lisa. “Twice, for me. The freezing idea makes sense. I’d better call Alex about this.”
Lisa gives him a quick nod, then lightly cocks her head to one side. “I should get back to the lab.”
Okana understands her meaning. “I’ll go with you and call Alex from the stern.”
They step out of the room, and Okana follows her into the laboratory. She opens the bottom drawer and hands him the envelope.
Okana sits in a chair and removes the pages. He sets the cover page aside and reads page two. When he’s done, he looks over at Lisa. “Did you read this?”
“No, but my curiosity is driving me crazy.”
“It seems Dieter has a German relative who was the captain of a U-boat during World War 2. His relative was using his sub to transport confiscated gems and precious metals to a secret location, but the submarine and its crew was never heard from again.”
“Is that why you have suspicions about Dieter?”
“I know there is something going on with him, and I’ll bet it’s the lost submarine.”
“So what? Maybe he’s on a treasure hunt. What’s that got to do with us?”
Okana leans back in his chair. “He would need a submarine to find a submarine, but why be so mysterious about it? I’m sure Mike would be interested in a new adventure.” He leans forward and stands up. “I’ll call Alex and tell him what we discovered about the freezing. Thanks for the help.”