On The Beach

"He's here right now, sir. He arrived this morning. I put him in the wardroom and got the duty officer to allocate a cabin for him for tonight."

The captain raised his eyebrows. "Well, what do you know? What does he look like?"

"Very tall and thin. Mousey sort of hair. Wears spectacles."

"How old?"

"A little older than me, I'd say. Under thirty, though."

The captain thought for a minute. "Going to make things kind of crowded in the wardroom. I think we'll berth him with Commander Holmes. You got three men aboard?"

"That's right. Isaacs, Holman, and de Vries. Chief of the Boat Mortiner is on board, too."

"Tell the chief I want another cot rigged on the forward side of Bulkhead F, transverse to the ship, head to starboard. He can take one out of the forward torpedo flat."

"Okay, sir."

Commander Towers ran through the routine matters in the other signals with his officer, and then sent the lieutenant to ask Mr. Osborne to come to the office. When the civilian appeared he motioned him to a chair, gave him a cigarette, and dismissed his officer. "Well, Mr. Osborne," he said, "this is quite a surprise. I just read the order posting you to join us. I'm glad to know you."

"I'm afraid it was rather a quick decision," the scientist said. "I only heard about it the day before yesterday."

"That's very often the way it is in service matters," said the captain. "Well, first things first. What's your full name?"

"John Seymour Osborne."

"Married?"

"No."

"Okay. Aboard Scorpion, or aboard any naval vessel, you address me as Captain Towers, and every now and then you call me 'sir.' On shore, off duty, my name is Dwight to you-not to the junior officers."

The scientist smiled. "Very good, sir."

"Ever been to sea in a submarine before?"

"No."

"You'll find things just a little cramped till you get used to it. I'm fixing you a berth in Officer's Country, and you'll mess with the officers in the wardroom." He glanced at the neat grey suit upon the scientist. "You'll probably need clothing. See Lieutenant Commander Holmes about that when he comes aboard tomorrow morning, and get him to draw clothing for you from the store. You'll get that suit messed up if you go down in Scorpion in that."

"Thank you, sir."

The captain leaned back in his chair and glanced at the scientist, noting the lean, intelligent face, the loose, ungainly figure. "Tell me, what are you supposed to be doing in this outfit?"

"I'm to make observations and keep records of the radioactive levels, atmospheric and marine, with special reference to the subsurface levels and radioactive intensity within the hull. I understand you're making a cruise northwards."

"That's what everybody understands but me. It must be right, and I'll be told one day." He frowned slightly. "Are you anticipating a rise in the radioactive level inside the hull?"

"I don't think so. I very much hope not. I doubt if it could happen when you are submerged, except under very extreme conditions. But it's just as well to keep an eye on it. I take it that you'd want to know at once of any significant rise."

"Sure I would."

They proceeded to discuss the various techniques involved. Most of the gear that Osborne had brought with him was portable and involved no installation in the ship. In the evening light he put on an overall suit lent him by the captain and went down with Dwight into Scorpion to inspect the radiation detector mounted on the aft periscope and formulate a programme for its calibration against a standard instrument as they went down the bay. A similar check was to be made upon the detector installed in the engine room, and a small amount of engineering was required at one of the two remaining torpedo tubes for the sampling of sea water. It was practically dark when they climbed back into Sydney, to take supper in the great, echoing, empty wardroom.

Next day was a turmoil of activity. When Peter came aboard in the forenoon his first job was to telephone a friend in the Operations Division and point out that it would be courteous, to say the least, to tell the captain what was common knowledge to the Australian officers under his command, and to make a signal requesting his comments on a draft operation order. By evening this signal had come in and had been dealt with, John Osborne was suitably clothed for life in a submarine, the work on the aft door of the torpedo tube was finished, and the two Australians were packing their gear into the little space that had been allocated to them for personal effects. They slept that night in Sydney, and moved into Scorpion on Tuesday morning. A few more chores were finished in a couple of hours, and Dwight reported readiness to proceed upon sea trials. They were cleared for sea, had lunch at noon beside the Sydney, and cast off. Dwight turned his ship and set a course at slow speed down the bay towards the Heads.