ADAM

 

Monday January 13 - 0719 CST

Two days until Turbocharger activates

 

"What's the cooler for?" I asked as Gunny Lively came running down the ramp with an ice chest in his hands. "I don't think we want to be getting drunk on this trip."

He was the last aboard our air boat after pulling his truck and trailer off the launch ramp to park. The rest had already clambered aboard along with a literal boat load of supplies. For a minute I thought we would sink with so much weight, but Sergeant Madarasz and his engineers had built in a lot of extra flotation foam. They really intended for this thing to see some action.

"It's for my prizes." As Lively stepped into the boat careful to avoid stepping in the swamp water he patted the fishing rod tucked in behind a big, green pelican case containing our guns. Like I suspected the cooler was empty. Though I wondered when Lively expected us to stop for some fishing.

There was a single bench seat in front of the pedestal where I would be sitting—and powering—our the boat. It made sense for me to have this prominent seat because after all, I was the engine for our electric boat.

Johnson and Sterling had already made themselves at home on the bench which left Sheriff Dubois and Lively to crouch down in the front of the boat. Lively however, found that the pelican case made an excellent seat.

"You won't be needing those." Johnson pointed at the ear muff style hearing protection that Dubois was putting on his head.

Dubois shot him a questioning look. "You sure about that? These kinda boats can get pretty—"

I gripped the handlebars and let the current flow in reverse. The metal blades behind me began spinning up and throwing a current of air towards the front of the boat to gently nudge us away from the loading ramp. Besides the whistle of the impeller blades slicing air it didn't make any sound.

Dubois blinked and then removed the ear protectors. "That's the first time I've seen that. What kind of motor you got running this thing?"

He was looking right at me as he asked. I had to fight hard not to say "You're looking at the motor". Instead I just said "It's electric. That's why it's so quiet."

When we were out about twenty feet I swung the rudder vanes to the right. They didn't do anything while in reverse but they would once I switched polarities and got us moving forward.

Doctor Johnson looked out across the expanse of murky brown-green we were about to take off across. "I don't think I ever caught the name of this vessel."

Kelly Lively shrugged his shoulders. "Don't think it has a name."

Johnson then looked up at me. "We should give it a name then. Adam, I think it's only appropriate we ask you for one. What should we call her?"

I stared out at the dark water a moment thinking about all the power that would be running through my hands and the boat in just a moment. Then it hit me. "How about the Lightning?"

Johnson nodded in approval. "That's a fine name for a fine boat."

Up until that moment I had been gentle with the power because I didn't want the wind generated by the impellers to knock off any hats. The Sheriff's big cowboy hat especially. It looked expensive and the swamp water would ruin it. But now that we were going forward I had nothing holding me back.

So I gave the Lightning a ton of juice, and she answered. We accelerated hard enough that the front of the boat picked up a foot at least. It was enough to send the pelican case Gunny Lively was using as a seat sliding backwards with him still on it. Colonel Sterling and the Sheriff barely caught him in time before he fell over. But after that we were off like a rocket, tearing down the muddy river to the first circle on Sterling's map.