We've done two Dirk Pitt adventures, so why not a Kurt Austin adventure?

Same rules as the others.

March, 2005
Tonga, South Pacific

The panoramic view of the South Pacific was beautiful. Glancing around, Kurt Austin realized why this is such a popular vacation spot. Turning his back to view, Austin walked into the bridge of the National Underwater and Marine Agency ship Sea Quest.
"You ready, Joe?" Austin asked his partner, Jose "Joe" Zavala.
"Ready as I'll ever be," replied Zavala. "If only we were here on vacation instead of work."
Austin grinned. "Well tell Admiral Sandecker that NUMA should send their employees to the South Pacific for R and R, instead of some hospital."
"And get my head blown off? I don't think so."
Admiral James Sandecker was well known in Washington as a strict disciplinarian, but he still gave his employees breaks.

Hey hey this is nice :)

"Is the Question ready for it's dive?"Zavala asked
Austin shook his head "Why did you name that montrosity the Question?"
Joe laughed"Cause it's a Question whether it will even perform the way I designed it too"
"That's very comforting to know" Kurt replied "As long as it gets us there and back I'll be very happy"

Captain John Walker stepped out on the bridge wing and looked down at the two men.He was a broad shouldered man with long grey hair and the beginnings of a paunch.He was wearing a brightly colored bandana tightly wrapped around his head,shorts and a t-shirt that proclaimed
*SAHARA..best adventure movie of all time.Opens Xmas 2007*
Walker could have been a pirate in another life.All he needed was the peg leg,eye patch and a parrot for his shoulder.
"You boys all set to go?"
Both men gave the thumbs up and the submersible was winched over the side into the water.
Submersible was a kind word for Joe's creation.It looked like a huge tape dispenser.Larger at the back it sloped to a square front.The pilots sat in a small housing atop the front edge.A small open space behing the control cabin on the outer deck was used to store extra air tanks or equipment.
The larger back end was taken up with battery driven engines that pushed it's speed to a limit of 14 knots.

ROBLMBO j:

"My god! It's cold in here!" Cried Kurt. "Sorry but that's the way I designed it" said Joe. They began diving down into the depths.

***

"If you mind me asking" Zavala commented, What are we looking for?"

"We're going after the CSS Chancellorsville" Austin siad quietly. The sound of the submersible diving into the abyss still uneased Austin even though he had been working with NUMA for a number of years. If the unthinkable happened at 9000 feet, Zavala and himself could kiss their butts goodbye. No one could save them if there was a problem. no one.

"The Chancellorsville!" Zavala exclaimed. I thought she was a myth made up by the south.

"Nope," Austin said simply. "In 1864 the Chancellorsville sneaked out of Charleston and made a beeline to Japan in order to deposit the remnants of the Confederacy's gold supplies. The other half was sneaked out by the Texas in 1865."

"Pitt and Giordino foud that ship in '96 didn't they?" Zavala asked.

"Yup." Austin reached over and made a report on the Question's depth and position on the radio. He was acknowledged by the Captain of the support ship Jim Walker. "Anyway," Austin continued, "the Chancellorsville made it half way before her luck ran out."

"What happened then?" Zavala urged on.

"The Union steam frigates Chicago and Philadelphia caught up with the Chancellorsville and sank her. It was one helluva battle. The Chancellorsville had eight 9 inch smoothbores and two Blakely's. She pounded the living crap out of the two Union ships before the Chicago closed the range and raked the Chancellorsville with her dalgrens. The Confederate ship was badly holed, and taking water, but the Chancellorsville's skipper- Leigh Hunt-Finally destroyed the Philadelphia with her blakley's and turned her fire on the Chicago. After two more hours, the Chancellorsville ran out of ammuniton and struck her colours. Captain Leigh Hunt and the remaining crew of 94 men surrendered to the Chicago, but blew up the Chancellorsville to keep the gold out of enemy hands. After the war, the last voyage of the CSS Chancellorsville was forgotten."

"My god, what a story! Never belived it actually happened though, until now."
Austin could see the suprised look on Zavala's face.

"According to our charts the Chancellorsville lies 9000 feet down. Admiral Sandecker wants a piece of the ships hull or fittings as proof we found the ship. Salvors have been saying they've found the ship since 1889."

Austin checked the depth gage. "Ok were almost at the bottom, It's showtime. "

"Ready to make history Joe?" Austin said.

"Let's do this" Zavala exclaimed enthusiastically.

Outside the plastic dome covering the control cabin the sea was pitch black.The only illumination was from the instrument panel.
"Bottom coming up"Zavala said nochalantly.If he showed concern at operating an untested sub at 9000 feet he didn't show it.
"Switch on the exterior lights and lets see what we have"
"Lights on"Joe replied.

Suddenly the sea around them was bathed in light from the set of floodlights that were mounted behind the cabin and the set that were recessed just under the front edge of the submersible.
The brown muck that was the sea bottom rose to meet them.Tiny ripples made by the current were the only distinguishing feature of an otherwise barren landscape that would have looked at home on the moon.
"Perfect retirement acerage" Zavala joked.
"Lets start our lanes from this point,working our way towards the center of the coordinates that Yeager faxed us"Kurt made a notation on the chart clipped to a hook on the console between the two men. Joe nodded and moved the joystick so that the Question moved quickly to it's starting position.

For the next three hours they moved the sub across the sea bottom as if they were mowing a lawn.They turned the lights off at regular intervals to conserve the battieries and relied on their instruments.
"I have a hit on the side scan at a thousand yards"Austin said excitedly.This was the fifth hit they had had over the past three hours but just like the other four turned out to be too small for the ship they were looking for.They had akll turned out to be piles of junk that had been thrown overboard at some point during the last hundred years or so.
"I've got a huge reading coming off the magnetometer"Zavala said
"Where?"
"Would you believe directly below us.And above us.And beside us." Joes voice was tinged with excitement.He reached over and hit the light switch at the same time bringing the sub to a complete stop.
"What the......." Austin was the first to react as his eyes adjusted to the bright lights.
"Oh sweet Jesus"Zavala exclaimed as he crossed himself

***

The fractured hull of the Confederate raider stood in the floodlights of the Question like a deer caught in the headlights of a Mack truck. The submersible had just come across the remains of one of the most sought-after treasure ships of the century.

"Holy christ," Zavala exclaimed "Look at the size of it."

"Yep" Austin said, "Thar she blows. Looks to be in excellent condition, considering 140 years of exposure to seawater and bacteria."

Zavala wiped a trickle of sweat from his brow. "This area must've been devoid of marine life due to the pressure and freezing cold at some point." He checked the gages. "We're at 9,853 feet Kurt. You wanna give our fearless leader the news?"

Austin shook his head. "Its too early yet Joe. We need some concrete eveidence that this is the Chancellorsville. Lets go up a few meters to the gun deck, see what we got."

"I hear ya boss," Zavala chuckled. "Coming up three meters."

The Chancellorsville was seemingly devoid of marine life. The 18 degree water tempurature had preserved the ship in a veritable deep freeze, Deep ocean rat-tail fish and mollusks clung to the iron and wood sides of the ship. The anchors, hawsepipes, gunports, and retractable propeller-used to decrease water resistance and make the ship go faster-was secure in its chock. Austin skillfully brought the sub up to the warship's gun deck and bathed the entire length of the hull in white incandesance.

"Oh my god," Austin exclaimed, "Look at that. The guns are still rung out!"
Zavala got to a porthole and gazed out at the mixture of destruction and preservation.
"Just like she sank yesterday." Zavala blurted.

The Chancellorsville's gun deck was deserted. The 9 smoothbore guns and two Blakley rifled cannon were rung out ready to fire. Shells, solidshot, and grapeshot stacked nearby ready to be hoisted into the muzzles of these enormous guns. detritus from the battle-rusted cutlasses, six shot navy revolvers, and Enfield rifled muskets with primers attached-littered the deck as if the sailors of the Chancellorsville had given up the tools of their trade and gone on to better things. The open bridge and wheelhouse stood standing with its compass, binnacle, helm and telegraphs ready to await acommand that would never come. The two submersible pilots could just imagine the crew of this amazing warship readying themselves for battle. Guns being drawn out, boilers being stoked, Captain Leigh Hunt and his Executive officer Lt. Commander Catsby Jones-A veteran of Hampton Roads-screaming orders to fire madly at the advancing Yankee warships. Austin thought that he had stepped back in time.

th: Great additions, Guys!!

***********


"Okay lets go to work," Austin said quetly.

"Lets" muttered Zavala. Austin gripped the controls of the Question and skillfully-like the pilot of a 747, brought the Question to the Chancellorsville's waterline.

"Ok, TV and still cameras on and rolling." Zavala flicked a switch. The video images flickered and were sent to the research ship. The voice of NUMA'S chief scientist Kelly Johanson broke over the speaker.

"My god, you actually found it! Its definetly the Chancellorsville!"

"Roger that Kelly," Joe replied. He turned to Kurt. "We have confirmation boss."

"I heard," Austin said. "Okay lets look for some of this gold. We'll check out the fracture in the starboard aft section." The Question moved slowly to the massive gaping wound in the aftersection of the ships powder magazine. The two NUMA employees didn't have to look long. The glimmer of bright yellow caught Austin's eye.

"Turn left Joe, I think I got something." Austin commanded.

"Roger that boss" The floodlights of the Question illuminated several broken boxes of what appeared to be medical supplies. Zavala knew better. his hunch was rewarded when one of the Question's manipulator arms flipped the box over, revealing the bright, shiny glimpse of cold coin.

"Sweet jesus christ! we got some!" Zavala cried.

Austin did not answer. Something else caught his eye. The lights of another submersible caught the Question in its floodlights. Austin reached for the radio mike.

"Big Daddy, this is Question over..."

"What is it Question?" The voice of Walker came in clear.

"Are there any other subs in the area?"

"Negative...Why?"

Austin sighed. "I think we got some company people, and judging by their speed, they're not happy to see us."

"Aw crap" Zavala muttered.

"What the hell are you talking about Kurt?We read nothing up here"Walker said excitedly..
Austins voice came back to him calmly
"Well we have company down here whether your prescious instruments can see it or not"
"And they don't look happy"Zavala chimed in
"Yeah I gathered that"Walker said acidly."Hang on for a second and I'll kick the electronics expert out of his bunk"
"Uh boss we may not have any time for that"Joe said"I think we may have to leave right now"

Zavala had already backed the Question out of the skeletal remains of the ship and was in the process of negotiating a sharp turn when they suddenly went dead in the water.
The men exchanged glances and then looked over the instrument panel.Nothing seemed out of place and no warning lights were flashing.Everything appeared normal they just had no headway.
"Great 9800 feet below the ocean and we are dead in the water"Zavala muttered."There goes my date with that brunette in town"
Austin laughed at his freind despite his feeling of dread.He knew it was Joe's way of blowing off steam and making himself calm down.

Good going Heep!!!!...Well written :)

Looks good so far! Big Red and Heep have practically written the whole thing! th:

We'll try not to let you down Mel. :lol: :lol:

Austin turned from the panel and looked out the plastic bubble at the approaching lights.
"I wonder if this is what the light at the end of the tunnel looks like"Zavala said
Austin chuckled "I'm a little too young to find out.Have you figured out what happened yet?"
Zavala swore at him in Spanish and went back to work on the panel.

The lights grew closer and suddenly strange noises were heard on the outside of the hull.It sounded like someone was using a ballpeen hammer on the outer skin.
Austin pulled his hands through his platinum hair and closed his eyes in thought.
"What is that"Joe whispered."Sounds like they're knocking to come in"
Austin opened his eyes and looked around.He got up and moved to a small access ladder that went down to the main deck.
"Keep your eyes open and yell if anything happens.I'm going to check things out"
Zavala nodded.

"Gentlemen please stay where you are and you will not be hurt."the voice was deep and came from the onboard speakers."We wouldn't want anything to happen to you at 9800 feet"
Zavala and Austin looked at each other with blank faces.
Suddenly the lights blinked out and they were left in total darkness.The only illumination was from the instrument panel.
"Now what"

good going heep and big red!!!!...well written and with verve!!!! keep it coming guys!!!!

"Well this certainly is a first," said Austin.
"What? Trapped in a untested submarine at 9800 feet or the fact these people are trying to crash our party without an invitation?" asked Zavala.
"Yeah," replied Austin looking around. "We have no weapons, just our Yankee ingenuity."
Austin's thoughts were interrupted more noises coming through the hull.
"Sounds like these people are trying to cut their way in," observed Zavala.

"No gentlemen.We are not cutting our way in.The pressure at this depth is too much even for us"

Austin and Zavala exchanged surprised glances.Austin shrugged.
"Ok so you can hear us.What do you want?" he said.
As he spoke he wrote on the clipboard so Zavala could see.
Go aft and check for damage.Check for a weapon we can use.I'll keep them occupied.
Joe nodded and made his way to the stairs.He gave Kurt the thumbs up before dropping out of sight down the ladder.
"We are rigging a sling around you so we can tether you to our ship"the mysterious voice said."You have stumbled into something you shouldn't have."
"You think" Austin muttered sarcastically
"That wasn't nessesary Mr.Austin"
"Sure as hell was.You're holding us against our will.You expect me to be pleasant to you.Well screw you whoever you are" Austin was angry now and he didn't care."I saw no sign out front that said *private property*.We're on a scientific mission and nothing more.I demand you let us go"
His only response was laughter.
He turned as he heard a low whistle behind him.Joe popped his head through the hatch and gave a slashing motion across his neck indicating he had found no damage.Find a weapon Austin wrote on the clipboard.
Zavala shook his head.

th: th: Looking Good!

Yep, looking good th:

Wow! What a wait! Hope you keep it coming :lol:

What's taking so long to add s'more :lol:

I've never added to someone else's story before, so I hope you'll forgive me if I step on creative toes.
_______________________

Austin craned his head to get a better look at the vessel that had accosted them, but the brilliance of its running light, obscured everything else. He sat forward again and closed his eyes, trying to order his thoughts; there was a solution, he just couldn’t see it yet.

If there was a way to use The Question in their defense, he trusted that Zavala would hit upon it sooner or later; his partner and friend was intimately familiar with the designs of all his submersibles, and not afraid to scratch the paint if necessary. But for some reason, Austin felt that a violent response to the interdiction was not yet warranted. He mentally replayed the events of the last few minutes, looking for the pattern.

Just not enough information, he thought. Maybe Joe caught something I missed.

He reached for the clipboard, intent on scribbling out his intentions to his friend but stopped short. Maybe I’m going about this wrong.

“Well, buddy. Seems we’re just going to have to sit tight and see how this plays out.”

Zavala’s handsome face creased in consternation, but before he could think of a way to discreetly ask what was going on, Austin winked and began verbally recounting the facts as he recalled them. “Did I leave anything out?”

Zavala shook his head slowly. “No, I think that about sums it up.”

“It all started when we found The Chancellorsville. I’d say our party crasher is most likely a treasure hunter who doesn’t want to share the loot.” It was such a ludicrous conclusion that he hoped their unseen antagonist would feel compelled to voice a denial, and in so doing, perhaps tip his hand. He held his breath as mocking laughter once more reverberated inside the Plexiglas bubble.

Looking good Nick w:

A most evil laugh Kurt and Joe had ever heard reverberated in the submersible. They just looked at each other.

All right. As Emeril would say, let's kick this up a notch....
____________________________________________________

On the bridge of the Sea Quest, Captain John Walker was on the verge of hysteria.

Everything had been picture perfect right up to the moment when The Question had ventured into what everyone assumed was the wreck of the Chancellorsville. The computer-aided graphic display of the sonar return was almost like watching a real-time video image of the dive. Austin’s last report before commencing the exploration had been upbeat—more than upbeat—triumphant.

And then everything had gone to hell.

As Walker and the duty crew watched the irregular topography of the ocean floor, waiting for the submersible to reappear on the screen, the radio operator stiffened in his chair, then flipped a switch that transferred his feed to the overhead speakers. An incomprehensible stream of words, recognizable as an Asian language, but not identifiable by any of the men present, issued forth.

“It’s a distress call,” explained the commo man. “It started in English, then switched to Japanese. I think it’s automated.”

After a few seconds, the voice changed and a different dialect was expressed, then a third voice, evidently a computerized simulation of human speech, repeated an all too clear message: “This is the Oryoku Maru. We are in distress. Our location is…“

Walker, with chart in hand, began plotting the location of the distressed vessel, while another crewman began checking the NUMA database for more information about the ship. “Sir, the Oryoku Maru is a survey vessel operated by Capricorn Maritime Industries, mostly used for deep sea geological surveys. She’s 270 feet, beam 45, gross tonnage 2500 tons.”

“Complement?”

“Normal crew operations can run as low as twenty-six, but she has sixty five berths.”

Walker pulled a hand through his scruffy beard. Short of danger to his own ship, a distress call at sea was a captain’s worst nightmare. The location given in the automated message placed the Oryoku Maru less than thirty nautical miles to the south. “Anyone else in the neighborhood?”

“There’s an auto transport hauler five hundred miles south.”

“That’s it?” It was unthinkable for the Sea Quest to leave station with two men still below, but he could not ignore a call for help. “Try to raise them. I need to know exactly what their emergency is.”

Walker then picked up the handset connected to the hydrophone. “Question, this is Sea Quest, how copy?”

It took less than a second for the computer to translate his words into a digital code that was transmitted acoustically into the depths. There was a similar computer on the submersible which served to recognize the pattern and reconstruct it into surprisingly accurate facsimile of the speaker’s voice. Walker waited patiently for Austin’s reply, but after more than a minute of silence, his frown deepened. “Kurt, this is Sea Quest, please reply.”

Instead of the mechanically reproduced voice of NUMA’s Director of Special Assignments, Walker heard only a chaotic clicking noise, like the reaction of a Geiger counter. Then the command center was filled with a deafening burst of high-pitched noise that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Walker and the others were still trying to cover their ears when every electrical component on the bridge burst into flame.

______________________________________________

BAM!!!!

Walker was the first to react as he slammed his hand down on the fire control button and the alarm sounded throughout the ship.He struggled through the blinding smoke towards the extinguisher hanging on the bulkhead.The bracket was empty.
"Goddamnit!Someone open the door so we can at least see what the hell we're doing" he said between coughing fits.
He reached the bridge door and threw it open.The smoke dissappeared instantly and he could see his First Officer pointing the nozzle of the extingiusher at the flames leaping fom the consoles.
Walker shook his head in disgust and had another coughing fit.
"What in the sam hell happened?"
His question hung in the smoky air.

He walked over to the bridge phone and rang the engine room.All he could hear over the line was silence.He slammed the receiver back into it's cradle.
"I'm going to the engine room.Do you have everything under control up here Mr.Tanner?" he asked the First Officer.
"Yes sir.Once I'm sure the fire is out I'll have Sparks look at the console and see if he can fix it"
Walker glanced at the still burning unit and shrugged as he headed for the bridge door
I"ll be in the engine room if you need me"

Whoaaaaaa!!!! yike:

Walker paused at the bridge door.
"Mr.Tanner?"
"Yes sir"
"Do you by chance have a cell phone with you?"
"Yes sir in my cabin"
Walker nodded."After you've finished here can you bring it to me in the engine room?"
"Yes sir"
As Walker left the bridge he was almost run over by three crew members carrying fire equipment.
"Sorry Captain" the nearest one said
"Thats alright.Just be careful.The fire's not going anywhere in the next minute"
"Yes sir"

********

Walker heard Engineer Bryan Findley long before he saw him.He smiled at the cursing and swearing coming from the engine room.It reminded him of Scotty from Star Trek.
Findley was a huge bear of a man with a great shock of red hair and matching beard.At 250 lbs he was as strong as an ox.He lovingly maintained his engines and was clearly mad at the state of them at this moment.
"Mr.Findley" Walker said as he entered the engine room"You seem to have a problem"
Findley looked up and let loose with a stream of curses.
"They just stopped dead.I don't understand it"
"You should see the bridge" Walker said "The consoles actually burst into flames"
"Any idea what caused it?"Findley asked
"No.But we were trying to contact Question when we heard a strange laugh and then everything went to hell in a hand basket"
"You were trying to contact the sub? What happened to it?"
"They found the Chancellorville but another ship or sub showed up and thats the last we heard from them.They hadn't responded to any of our attempts at contact and the last thing we heard over the hydrophones was a kind of noise like nails down a blackboard.Then the consoles burst into flames."
"Any idea why or what? Findley asked
"None,but Tanner is bringing his cell phone down here.I'm hoping it'll work and we can get in touch with Sandecker or Gunn"

Hmmm lets hope that cell works ;)

no back-up radios? oh, well. whatever is handy. :)

ITS GOOD BUT THE HUMOR IS LAME

J/K it's very good!!