Under the Ice

“I appreciate your concern. Doctor. But how could the designer of this project allow us to go to sea without making absolutely certain the device was in perfect operating condition? He must have known the risks involved.”

“He certainly did,” replied Laurie Lansing somberly.

“And believe me when I tell you that no one valued human life more than he did. For you see, he was my father, and it was his untimely death that kept me from making those final checks as he would have done.”

Genuinely moved by her revelation. Matt Colter shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea such a thing had taken place.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Captain. I guess I should just have been a bit more forceful in my appeal to the admiral to hold the Defiance in port a little longer. But with my father’s sudden passing and all, I’m afraid that I didn’t put up much of an argument.”

“Understandably so,” reasoned Matt Colter.

“If anyone’s to blame, it’s the admiral for failing to heed your warnings. But that’s water over the dam. We survived our confrontation with the ice pack, and now it appears we’ll both be getting a second chance.

How many hours will the repair effort take?”

“I should be able to give you a fully operational unit in approximately three more days. Most of the work will concern reprogramming the computer interface, though there was a bit of structural damage caused when the sail struck the ice. That must have been some impact.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” observed Matt Colter.

“But fortunately the Defiance was built with just such punishment in mind. Though I wouldn’t want to have to needlessly put my crew through such an experience again. We’re going to be having enough nightmares about those collisions as it is.”

Any response on Laurie Lansing’s part was cut short by the shrill buzz of the sail’s intercom unit.

Quick to pick up the black handset. Matt Colter spoke into it.

“Captain here… Sure, Lieutenant, I’ll be right down.”

As he placed the receiver back in its cradle. Colter politely excused himself, then started to return below.

Only when he was nearly halfway down the narrow ladder did he realize why the control room crew had appeared so dapper earlier. They had seen the type of woman who was working in the sail, and were doing their best to give her a good impression of them.

Grinning at this thought, he jumped off the final two rungs, and expertly slid down the ladder’s shiny steel handrails to the deck below.

Colter was surprised to find his XO waiting for him beside the fire-control panel. Al Layman looked serious, and the captain sensed trouble.

“What are you doing back here so soon, Al? I thought you’d be well on your way to Nantucket by now.”

Meeting the captain’s greeting with a somber scowl, the XO answered him directly.

“I wish that was indeed the case, Skipper. But I bumped into the admiral’s aide while I was in the Officer’s Club making those reservations, and he dropped off this packet he was about to bring over to the Defiance. I’ll bet my pension it’s sailing orders.”

As he handed Matt the sealed envelope, the XO added.

“Thank the lord I didn’t call Donna and let her know about the trip I planned. One more heartbreak like that and it would have meant a divorce for certain.”

Not paying this remark much attention. Colter tore open the envelope and removed several typed documents.

After skimming the top sheet, he handed it to his second-in-command, commenting, “They’re sailing orders all right. And it looks to me like Command wants us out of here as soon as we can restock our stores and get the men back from shore leave.”

“Does it say where we’re off to?” quizzed Al Layman.

Hastily reading the rest of the packet, the captain answered, “Looks like it’s the Arctic again, my friend.

Says here that we’ll be getting additional orders while at sea.”

“But the ice machine,” protested the XO.

“They can’t send us up there again with one unit on the fritz and the other still inoperable.”

Matt Colter replied while studying the packet’s last sheet.

“Command realizes that, and is authorizing us to continue the repairs while we’re underway.”

“They want us to take that civilian repair team to sea with us?” asked the XO incredulously.

“They sure do, Al. And you don’t know the half of it. One of the members of that repair crew is one of the most gorgeous women I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Al Layman rubbed his forehead.

“Oh, swell. A dame on board and more ice to boot. Perhaps you could convince the admiral to leave the woman behind where she belongs.”

“I seriously doubt that, my friend,” replied Colter with a sigh.

“Because these, orders aren’t just coming down from COMSUBLANT. They’re originating from no less a place than the White House!”