Chapter 234: Preparing to Embark

Friday, August 6, 1971

“You certainly are in a better mood this morning,” Hanna observed as we were walking over to the hotel to join the rest of the family for breakfast.

“I had a good night,” I replied.

“Yeah. We heard! It’s a wonder you were able to get out of bed this morning!” quipped Abby.

“I’m going to have to have Mother talk to Mikeya about abusing our husband,” Ileana added with a giggle.

I just let them go on. I did feel good this morning, even though I was no closer to finding a solution. It just didn’t seem as important when you put it in perspective.

“Have you figured out where to get a new cable yet?” Sandy asked.

“Not yet,” I replied. “But I’ll get with Captain Tab after breakfast and see what we can reasonably come up with.”

Sandy didn’t say anything, she just looked thoughtful. I didn’t bother to scan her. As I have said, I had gotten pretty lax about scanning at all. However, as we entered the lobby, I noticed the Men’s Restroom and remembered the kidnapping, so I immediately scanned the hotel.

“All clear,” I reported to Kip and Karla. They were the only two of my security team in the restaurant this early.

A lot of my family was already in the dining room and I was headed for their table when I saw Captain Tab sitting by himself. I waved him over to an empty seat next to Kip as I slid into an empty chair beside David and Catherine.

Before I could be say good morning, a blue clad missile came shrieking towards me. I stood to try to catch it.

“Daddy!!!” she cried as she almost toppled me when she grabbed my legs and squeezed. Picking her up and swinging her around, I told her how much I loved seeing her smile.

“Good! Then you’ll not forget me when you go away,” she said.

“I could never forget you!” I told her as I sat back down with Sunny in my lap. “Besides, I won’t be gone all that long. We’re just going to look for a sunken ship for a while.

“But I’ll be grown up before you get back,” she told me. Then abruptly changing subjects, she asked, “Can I eat with you? I’m starved!”

As I became happily enmeshed in feeding Sunny, I forgot about what she had just said. It would be much later when I remembered it, but it would be too late by then.

“I heard about your needing a new cable,” Catherine said gently after Sunny had left to go with her mom. But not before she told us all about going to see the baby fishes yesterday.

“I guess that made you happy,” I replied somewhat sourly. And I had been feeling so good.

“Michael! Don’t be that way!” Nicky scolded.

“No. I probably deserved that after the way I treated him yesterday,” she told Nicky.

“No, you don’t. You were right. I need to stay focused on why we’re here and not be looking to create more problems,” I told her.

“Create more problems?” she asked.

“Yeah. Like what would we do with an interstellar spacecraft if we did locate it and were able to raise it?” I supplied. “That’s a problem we don’t need right now. The General says they have to keep Wilheinda and Tabita sedated because they cannot communicate with them. Given how long-lived they are, they may have to keep them sedated for the rest of our lives. You can imagine how crazy they would become if we dropped Don’rahall’s spacecraft on them too.”

“But what if someone else stumbles across this spaceship before you can find it and secure it?” Captain Tab asked.

“I don’t know...” I replied.

“Well, does this mean we’re not going to search for it?” he asked.

“I don’t see how we can without a new tow cable for the TAC,” I replied.

“Well, they were finding sunken ships long before the invention of the TAC. We’ll just have to use other methods,” said Captain Tab.

“Other methods?” asked Abby.

“Yeah. Like taking what we know and applying Bayes’ Theorem, then, since it’s not supposed to be too deep, we can mount the array and use its hydrophones on wherever the theorem says is the most likely place. It limits the array’s range, but not its scope,” he explained.

“Really?” I asked, feeling myself becoming excited again.

“Sure. It might make it a little harder and take a good bit longer, but if we tighten up your parameters a little more, it just might be doable,” Captain Tab replied.

“Then what are we waiting for?” I asked excitedly as I jumped to my feet.

“Well ... for one thing, we haven’t had breakfast yet, and second, my crew doesn’t seem to be here yet,” he said with a smile.

Several of my family giggled as I resumed my seat with a sheepish look on my face.

“Where ARE Barbara and Larry this morning?” I asked Captain Tab.

“When I left, they were in the galley whipping up something for the crew’s breakfast. Our old cook was one of the ones who jumped ship, and Larry hasn’t found a replacement yet. So I told him that he had to cook for them until he does find a cook. I figured that would motivate him to find another cook soon. I’m sure Barbara stayed to help him out.

“So we’re going to be eating your nephew’s cooking while we look for this ship?” asked Vickie.

“I guess so, if you’re going with us,” Captain Tab replied.

I recognized the signs. Vickie’s head was bowed which meant she was probably in conference with one, or more likely, several members of my family. A few minutes later, she looked up.

“Do you already have supplies on board?” she asked Captain Tab.

“Barbara was supposed to secure them yesterday, so you’ll have to wait until she gets here to ask her.”

“Barbara?” Vickie asked absently, then bent her head again. After another minute, she looked at Captain Tab.

“Barbara said she had stuff for your normal compliment, but nowhere near enough for the thirty-two of us,” Vickie told him. “Would it be okay if we took care of that?”

“Thirty-two?” Captain Tab asked surprised.

“Adriana says that’s counting Michael, all of us, and his security detail,” Vickie explained.

“Ah-h ... okay. I just didn’t know you had that many wives?” this he directed to me.

“He doesn’t. He only has four mates that want to go. The rest are friends, co-workers, and staff,” Vickie explained. “Oh! And he has twelve security people too.”

“TWELVE?” I exclaimed.

“Michael, did you forget that Penny should be here this morning with her team?” Grace asked me. “And I’m sure that she’ll want some or even all of them wherever you are.”

“This morning? Really? What time will they get here?” I asked her.

” You’re asking us?” Adriana asked with a smirk.

“Yeah. You’re the one with the long-distance radar in your brain,” Izzy added with a giggle.

“Oh, yeah...” I said slowly. It seems that I have forgotten how to use my gifts lately.

Little did I know how that little fact would affect so many of our lives...

“She says they should be landing shortly,” I reported to everyone at the table after I broke my connection with Penny. “They must have left Honolulu in the middle of the night.”

“They didn’t fly through Honolulu,” Grace interjected.

“Lockheed contacted us day before yesterday saying that your new TriStar was ready. So I had the flight crew fly it to Washington to pick up Penny and the rest of your security team and then fly straight to Tapato with a stop in Mexico City to refuel,” Adriana explained. “That’s okay, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. We figured it was cheaper to keep it here since Tapato isn’t charging us very much for parking,” Grace said.

“That’s great!” I told them.

“Of course, we’ll have to house your flight crew here for two weeks, until we fly home. But somehow, I don’t think they’ll mind too much,” Grace added.

“Where’s Larry?” Captain Tab asked his daughter as she joined us.

“He’s still in the galley,” she replied as she reached for a biscuit. “Can you pass the gravy?”

“Is he coming up?” her father prompted.

“Don’t know,” she replied while taking her first bite. “When I left, he was washing dishes. Somehow, I think his main priority today is going to be finding a new cook.”

“Since you have so many more of your security team coming, if you like, I could help out in the galley,” Karla offered.

Before I could say anything, Amy said “Shelly and I could help her.”

I just stared at her for a moment. She wasn’t usually one to volunteer so quickly.

“What-t-t?” she asked. “Shelly’s a great cook and besides, we both want to go.”

“And I’m sure the rest of us wouldn’t mind helping out some, too,” Eve added.

“Wait a minute,” I told them. “Just how many of you are actually planning on going with us?”

After some discussion, it turned out that four of my mates, Hanna, Abby, Ileana, and Sandy wanted to go. And if Abby was going, then her sister, Deedee and Hanna’s sister, Allie wanted to go too. Along with all three of my administrative assistants, Adriana, Grace, and Vickie. Then there was the Foundation team; my sister Nicky, along with Izzy, Amy, and Shelly. Then there was Rose and Eve who also wanted to go, along with Aida and Lydia. Of course Shelby said she needed to go to chronicle our adventure and Narvenia said she had been sent here to observe, so she was going as well.

“ ... and with my security team and me, that makes thirty-two. Can we handle that many people?” I asked Captain Tab.

“Easily!” Barbara replied before her dad could say anything. “The Edna Lorraine was originally set up for a full complement of eighty-seven officers and crew, so your thirty-two, plus the eleven crewmen we currently have, plus my dad, Larry, and me, doesn’t really put much of a strain on her. Of course, I know that Larry and Dad want to add at least another half dozen or so crew, but until then, if everyone pitches in, we’ll be just fine.”

“So ... does that mean we can go” Vickie asked Captain Tab.

“Whoa!” Captain Tab said as he put up both of his hands with his palms facing out. “Hang on there, sailors. While Barbara is correct in that the Edna Lorraine will handle all of you okay; let me remind you that this is not a pleasure cruise. Everyone will have to work. And when we shove off, we probably won’t be back until we either find the ship or we run out of time. So it’s very likely that we won’t be back for thirteen days. Are you all sure you want to be gone that long?”

There was some general murmuring all around the tables as everyone discussed this new information.

“Captain Tab? Can we take some extra clothes and stuff with us?” Aida asked.

Most of the conversations around the tables ceased as they all listened for what he would say. After all, this was important.

“The general rule is one duffle bag per sailor. That’s because storage space on a ship is at a premium,” Captain Tab explained. “And I’ll advise you to take everything you might need in the way of medicines or feminine products, because once we shove off, there are no convenient drug stores in this part of the Pacific.”

No one challenged his statement or asked anything else as they continued their discussions.

“You know, I almost wish I was going with you,” Catherine said in a low voice. “If it wasn’t for Liz coming in, and all that will have to be done for the new consulate opening, I really think would.”

“And you would be most welcome to come along,” I told her. “But I’m glad that you are going to be here to keep an eye on the company while I’m out there.”

I knew that Kip and Karla would go, but with my nine additional security folks arriving soon, I wasn’t sure if Beth or Luisa would want to go.

“I’ll go if you need me to,” Beth stated slowly. “But I’ve never been at sea for that long. I mean, I did okay yesterday, but for that long...?”

“That’s fine dear,” Catherine told her. “I’m sure David would appreciate it if one of you stayed.”

“I’ll go with you,” Luisa said quickly. “I AM supposed to be watching out for you.”

That about accounted for everyone in the dining room, now for the others...

“Are you up yet?” I thought to Anna.

“Of course. I’m just not ready to come over there yet. I’m still a little queasy,” Anna thought back.

I briefly filled her in on what was happening and what everyone was thinking.

“I’m so sorry, Michael, but I think I’ll pass this time. It would not be much fun being out on a ship with you while I’m feeling like this. I am so envious of Mikeya!”