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THE DEFIANCE:
The ship rolls incessantly in the storm, making walking extremely difficult as Alex moves through the passageway and up the stairs to the bridge. When he steps through the doorway, he steadies himself against the bulkhead as he looks at Bull. He tightens the straps on his inflatable life vest and pushes away from the bulkhead. With one hand on the control panel, he bends his knees to the rhythm of the pitching ship and looks at Bull and the helmsman, both wearing the same style life jackets. “I’d rather be on a sailboat.”
Alex looks through the starboard window at the lights of the other tanker. A Shell Oil Company ship called Mercer. “How long before we enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca?”
“Another day and a half,” Bull tells him.
“Have you made contact with the submarine?”
“Yeah, I talked to the commander of the Tannen just before the storm hit. They’re going to stay down for a while, but will be right behind us and the Mercer. Said they’d make radio contact again when the storm eases up.”
When Alex told him he wanted to be on the tanker when it heads to the refineries in Washington, Bull decided to accompany him. He likes Alex immensely and thinks he’s intelligent. He also finds Alex gutsy for wanting to be on this tanker when no one knows exactly what killed the previous crew.
“Defiance, this is Mercer. Come in, over.”
Bull grabs the microphone. “Mercer, this is the Defiance. Go ahead.”
“Something’s happening in the holds. It’s not a fire, but there’s a bright blue light coming out of the hatch. Can you see it?”
Bull and Alex stare out the starboard window, watching the blue light on the Mercer increase in intensity as it rises above the deck.
Alex spins toward Bull in sudden fear. “That’s what I saw happen to this ship in Puget Sound. Tell them to abandon ship immediately!”
Bull sees the fear in Alex’s eyes and keys the microphone. “Mercer, this is Defiance. You have to abandon ship right now!”
“Defiance, come in. Shit, it’s too bright. I can’t breathe!”
Bull see the outline of the Mercer as the blue light continues to grow in intensity. “Mercer, you’re breaking up. Say again. What is it?” A burst of static erupts from the radio speaker for a moment, then ceases.
Alex steadies himself as he looks through the window at the Mercer. Her deck suddenly erupts in a geyser of sparkling colors, which reach a height of two-hundred-feet and vanish.
“Oh, crap,” Bull mumbles when the Mercer is a dark silhouette riding high in the water.
“Defiance, this is the USS Tannen. Come in, over.”
Bull regains his composure and keys the microphone. “Tannen, this is Defiance. Go ahead.”
“What the hell’s happening up there? We came up to look around and saw a rainbow.”
“Ask them if they have anything on their sonar,” says Alex.
Bull keys the microphone. “Are you detecting any other traffic in this area?”
“Negative, Defiance, not a blip.”
“Down there on the deck!” The helmsman yells. “Someone is opening a hatch!”
Alex and Bull turn to the forward window. “What’s he doing?” Bull asks.
They watch the shadowy figure drop something into the hold, and as he starts to turn, another figure runs across the deck and tackles him. Bright blue light suddenly glows from the open hatch, and they see the two figures struggling on deck.
“Shut down the engines and sound the abandon ship alarm!” Alex yells at the helmsman. “Tell the Tannen we’re abandoning ship,” he orders Bull. “We’ll lose radio contact in a few minutes.”
A loud Claxton sounds throughout the ship as the helmsman slams his palm on the alarm button. Bull informs the sub of their situation and tries to describe what he’s seeing.
While Alex stares through the window at the two men on deck, the helmsman runs past him and out the door. The blue ight grows in intensity, escaping from the hatch like a searchlight at the opening of a premiere movie. The two figures on deck freeze in mid-motion, locked in combat, then they burst into blue light and disappear.
Alex waits until Bull drops the microphone, then staggers across the rolling deck toward the door. He loses his balance and crashes against the bulkhead, and when Bull grabs his arm and helps him stand, Alex sees Bull’s face is brightly illuminated by the light.
“We’re out of time, Alex! We’ll have to jump from up here.”
“Okay,” Alex tells him, and both men stagger out the door.
Just past the stairs is another door leading to the lookout station on the starboard side of the ship. Alex and Bull rush to the railing and look down. The light from the open hatch illuminates the choppy water below, and they stare at the two life rafts drifting past, looking incredibly small from this height. They see the helmsman leap over the deck railing and swim toward the rafts.
“Hold on!” Bull tells Alex, and runs back into the bridge. He makes sure the engines are shut down and takes one last look around, then runs back out to the lookout station.
Bull grabs the railing to steady himself, then pulls Alex close. “Wait until the ship rolls to this side, then jump. It’ll put us closer to the water.”
The ship’s forward momentum leaves the two life rafts well past the stern, and both men look at each other with a sense of foreboding. They feel themselves dropping with the roll of the ship, and with a final nod from Bull, both men leap over the railing.
Alex feels as though he is falling forever and struggles to keep his feet pointed straight down. The ice-cold water suddenly closes over his head, but he keeps going deeper and deeper.
Bull flails his arms in an attempt to keep himself upright, but knows it’s no use as the water rush toward him. His side erupts in searing pain as he smacks the surface, and the air is driven from his lungs. Bright dots of light swirl on the inside of his eyelids, and he can’t tell which way is up.
His head suddenly breaks through the surface, and he desperately tries to fill his lungs with air. His first gasp causes a sharp sting in his side. The second breath is easier, but again, he feels the sting and knows something is broken. He rises on a swell and looks around for Alex, but can’t see him. As he drops into a trough, Alex’s head suddenly breaks the surface a few feet away.
Alex sucks the cold, damp air into his lungs with a great sense of relief, then looks around and sees Bull a few feet away. “Are you okay?” he shouts.
Bull nods vigorously, still trying to catch his breath. He stares after the ship, still drifting about four-hundred-yards away.
“Give me your hand!” someone shouts from behind them.
Alex and Bull turn and see a large orange raft with one man reaching over the front, and two more paddling vigorously. The raft reaches Bull first, and he accepts the hand. When he tries to pull himself over the side, it feels like he’s being stabbed with a red-hot poker. He screams in agony and falls back into the water.
Alex hears Bull scream and swims up next to him. “What’s wrong?”
“I think I broke some ribs.”
Alex looks up at the man in the raft. “Get some help!”
A moment later, the two paddlers are leaning over the side. The three men grab Bull’s arms, and with Alex pushing as best he can from below, manage to roll Bull into the raft. Two men help him to the center, while the third man helps Alex over the edge into the boat.
“Get us away from the ship!” Alex orders and grabs a fourth paddle. Together, they put some distance between themselves and the Defiance, while Bull lay stretched out in the middle of the floor. The sound of the screaming claxon on the Defiance suddenly ceases.
Bull struggles to a sitting position and points behind them. “Look!”
Everyone stops paddling and turns around. A sparkling rainbow of colors is erupting out of the cargo hold. In numbed fascination, everyone watches the rainbow rise two-hundred-feet into the air and vanish. The Defiance is now a dark silhouette blocking the horizon.
Alex has a gut feeling something else isn’t right and looks up. High above, just under the cloud cover, is a bright crescent moon.
“Ahoy, the raft!” a muffled voice hollers across the water. “Now what do we do!”
Alex kneels closer to Bull and speaks into his ear. “There’s no way the submarine can take all of us onboard. I think we should row over to the Defiance. I learned she doesn’t need a computer to operate. Do you think you can climb the ladder?”
“Do you think it’s safe?”
“I think so. Whatever happened is over now.”
“I can make it.”
When the two rafts meet up, Alex tells everyone they should return to the Defiance. Two men object out of fear, but Alex convinces them he’s seen this before and the light won’t return. As they battle to row against the rough seas, they are constantly battered by wind-driven rain and seawater. One man in each raft bails out the water continuously, and to everyone, it seems like they have been paddling for hours before reaching the ladder on Defiance’s stern.
The ship swings around into the wind, making it easier to grab the rungs near the stern. Still somewhat afraid, the other men insist Alex goes up first. Now empty, the Defiance rides high in the water, making the climb much longer. Weary from paddling, Alex finds the climb exhausting, and wonders how Bull will manage. Once on deck, he spots a life ring and rope, and lowers it over the side.
“Two of you come up and give me a hand,” he shouts through cupped hands toward the rafts, and waits. A short time later, two men step on deck. Alex gives them a few moments to regain their strength, then waves his arms down at the raft as a signal to send Bull up.
Bull allows the rope to be tied under his arms, then grunts in pain as he stands and grabs the ladder. He feels the rope become tight and begins his assent. Each time he reaches up for the next rung, he feels a sharp pain in his side, but forces himself to ignore it and keep climbing. As he nears the top of the ladder, he can feel the rope getting tighter and knows he’s losing his strength, putting more demand on his helpers. By the time he reaches the top, it’s all he can manage to raise his arm for the last rung.
Several hands grab his wrist, dragging him onto the deck. He’s more exhausted than he’s ever been in his life, and each deep breath sends sharp pains through his chest. He rolls onto his back and stares up at the dark clouds. They gradually grow darker and the pain in his side seems to vanish as he thankfully drifts into the deep black void of unconsciousness.
***
PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON:
The darkness fades, replaced by a bright white light. Bull opens his eyes, squinting at the face above him.
“How are you feeling, pal?” Alex asks.
Bull sees the concerned look on Alex’s face. “Like shit,” Bull answers, turning his head to look around, and seeing the metal track and white curtain surrounding him. “What happened? Where am I?”
“You passed out, and we took you down to the sleeping quarters. We pumped seawater into the holds for ballast and brought the ship into Port Angeles. I called an ambulance and rode with you to this hospital. You have three broken ribs. You’re damn lucky none of them punctured a lung.”
“I guess so. What happened to the Mercer?”
Alex shakes his head solemnly and looks dismal. “She capsized in the storm. The Navy searched for survivors, but didn’t find anyone.” Alex sees the sorrow in Bull’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Bull. There was nothing we could do.”
“I suppose you’re right, but, damn! Why the hell is this happening?”
“I wish I knew. Listen, you’ll have to stay here for a few days. I’m flying to Washington to brief the President. A super tanker ran aground in India after leaving Kuwait. The circumstances are almost identical to our tankers. It was empty before it ran aground, and the crew is missing. OPEC is threatening to stop shipping oil from their countries until we find out what’s happening. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Thanks.”
Alex tries to give him a reassuring smile before he leaves the room.