TRWD17

My Journal
By Harriman Nelson
17


Lee and I were informed the women were headed back to the nose. While Lee and I waited for them, Chip had Sparks turn the news back on….
“…Again,” the BBC reporter was saying from the anchor desk, “in case you’re just joining us, the People’s Republic test launched an experimental rocket carrying a communications satellite a shortly ago.
“…Captain Nelson-Crane, aboard the submarine Seaview, now in the Moray Firth, as it nears the River Ness in Scotland, apparently misinterpreted the launch a nuclear weapon and launched an intercept missile. Without permission from Acting President Hodges. ”
“Misinterpreted, my ass!” I fumed.
“Sweetheart,” Emmie said, hurrying with Mrs. C. toward us from the aft hatch
“…Seaview’s intercept missile, instead of blowing up the rocket somehow caused it to modify its trajectory and move to the Arctic ice cap, where it and the intercept have skidded onto the heavy ice. Both projectiles are said to be intact, according to the instrument readings of NORAD.
“…At no time did Acting President Hodges place the U.S. military on alert, believing the statement from the People’s Republic as accurate and that the rocket would splash down harmlessly in the Atlantic. Captain Nelson-Crane, in defiance of the presidential ‘do nothing’ order, assumed the worst and took matters into his own hands, launching the Seaview’s intercept missile. He is also said to have pointedly told the acting president to ‘get out of the chair’.
“…Nelson-Crane will be taken into custody by U.S. military police, stationed in the United Kingdom, as soon as Seaview arrives in Inverness. Charges are willful disobedience, insubordination, and outright treason. He will also be financially liable for any damages to the People’s Republic property and the expenses to recover their rocket.
“…The White House has placed the Seaview on active U.S. Navy status as the captain is thought to be a flight risk from justice despite the Royal Navy’s escort of ships and helicopters surrounding the submarine.
“Flight risk? Flight risk?” I shouted at the screen, “Lee put himself under arrest you idiots!”
“The press doesn’t know that, Harry,” Lee said, holding his weeping mother.
“You need to make a statement.” Jiggs told us.
“What if you were wrong, Lee?” Mrs. C. whined, “You could be executed for treason!”
“Hasn’t been an execution for treason in the 1800’s,” Jiggs said. “Pretty doubtful it would come to that.”
“Damn socket feels loose,” Lee changed the subject as he rubbed the skin around his vacant metal socket.
“I’ll go with you to Sick Bay to have Doc check it out,” I told him.
Jiggs, Joe, Emmie, and Mrs. C. accompanied us.

It turned out that, indeed, the force Lee had used to remove the prosthesis had loosened the socket.
“I don’t believe there’s any danger of it pulling away,” Will said, “but it has irritated some of the orbital and exterior tissues. There’s a little blood leakage but I don’t believe it’s serious. You’ll still need to be seen by a prosthesis specialists as soon as we return to the states.”
“But there’s no danger to him as it is?” Mrs. C. asked.
“Skipper?” Chip called over the PA, “a video call for you from the acting president. At the pentagon.”
“Pipe it to Sick Bay,” Lee responded through the nearest mike, “and Chip, remember, you’re the skipper now.”
“When hell freezes over.”
In seconds the image appeared on the Sick Bay monitor. Hodges was at the head of the long conference table, with several members of the top military brass with him, and a few civilians scattered around it as well.
“…Where the dickens are you now?” Hodges asked, apparently confused by the change in our location as there weren’t any blinking lights in view.
“…Sick Bay,” Will answered before Lee could. “Please make it short Mr. Hodges. I’m in the middle of treating the captain for an injury,” he said.
“…Never mind that now, Captain, I should be arresting all of you. You, Nelson, Morton, and every member of your crew.”
“…I alone am responsible for my actions. Not the admiral, not Captain Morton. No one. No one but me. I’m sure the military courts will have no problem with that.”
Just then more bloody ‘tears’ formed and rolled down his cheek.
“…What’s the matter with his thingamajig, Doctor?” Hodges asked.
“…He pulled out his prosthesis too hard,” Jiggs said. “It’s what he installed it into the intercept missile. Programmed it upset the bogey’s trajectory and alter it to impact a safe area well away from Washington or the United States.”
“…It was already safe! It was going to splash down in the Atlantic.”
“…You don’t know that,” Lee said. “But we will shortly, as soon as the NCIS forensics inspection team joins the Seaview’s team on the Flying Sub to determine the legitimacy or illegitimately of the People’s Republic’s claims.”
“…How dare you order NCIS to go anywhere! You have no authority over any government agency! And I already sent out a NATO team!”
“…I didn’t order it,” Lee said, dabbing the corner of the socket and the trail of bloody drops with some gauze that Will handed him. “They asked me if their forensics team could help.”
“…You still should have cleared their offer with me!”
“…Why?” Lee asked coolly, “In the brief time you’ve been acting president, you have continually hounded me as to what you should or shouldn’t do for everything. You can’t think for yourself, and you don’t know how to judge circumstances on their own or future merits. Like I told you before, sir, if you can’t see the obvious, or make the decisions, get out of the chair. There are plenty of other people in line for the job.”
“…Don’t be insubordinate or flippant with me again, Captain! And my chief military advisors couldn’t find any trace of weaponry from the rocket.”
“…I have to wonder just who you listened to! The missile must have been shielded somehow. Ours have the technology, you know. Theirs probably does too. And I’ll be insubordinate or flippant toward you any time I like.”
“…This damn socket isn’t quite as secure as I thought,” Will interrupted, as more blood dripped from behind it and down Lee’s cheek. “You’ll have to continue your discussion later, Mr. Hodges. Captain, with me.”
“…President Hodges. And you remember he’s under federal arrest now, not his own. When you’re done treating him, I want him in your brig.”
“…What was that?” I asked. “Sorry, we’re having some interference…”
Sparks took the hint and the screen went to static then he turned off the link.
“Good job, Sparks,” I said to him over the mike.
“Thank you, sir.”

Mrs. C. was trembling, as Will pulled a screen around Lee to examine him again, so Emmie helped her to cabin, and told me she’d be sitting with her awhile.
Jiggs helped me to the Observation Nose, where Chip and Joe were in a deep discussion, apparently having witnessed the altercation on the monitor thanks to Sparks.

“We’ll get to Inverness sooner than we’d planned,” Chip told us, “unless you’d like me to slow things down.”
“You’re the captain, but, delaying our arrival might make Lee look cowardly.”
“Not necessarily. You know, that call wasn’t classified or on a secure transmission, and then there’s the Freedom of Information Act…no doubt the entire thing was recorded for the record. If everyone sees how badly Hodges responded to the threat…it could help in Lee’s favor.”
“Chip, you could be in trouble if you share it. But you’re the captain.”
“I’ll risk it,” Chip said. “Do it, Joe. Use your secret agent skills to replay the damn thing someplace. Nothing to indicate it came from us or that we were recording it.”
“You got it.”
“God help us,” Jiggs said.

“What’s that all about?” Lee asked as he strode down the spiral ladder, heavy packing and bandaging against his socket.
“Just asking for a little divine intervention,” I said. “How’s the hole?”
“Will had to cauterize some of the orbital tissues with a laser. Should be able to remove this packing tomorrow. Frank told me that Mom’s a little hysterical. Glad Emily’s with her. Maybe she can distract her with a list of things to buy in Inverness.”
“If Seaview stays there,” Jiggs said. “She’s back in the Navy now.”
“She’ll stay. Once I’m gone, there’s no need for her to be anything but civilian. Harry’s going to be in charge of the expedition. Joe will help out to track down any holographic projectors and…”
“Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself, son?” I interrupted. “If you’re taken into federal custody, I want to be with you. And I may be under arrest too.”
“I don’t think so. And I want you to find out if the kelpie is what I think it is.”
“But…”
“Please, Harry. For me?”
“Oh, very well. If I’m not sharing a jail cell, that is.”
“Good. Well, I’m going to take a nap, maybe even turn in. I’m whacked.”
“But it’s not even…”Jiggs began.
“Have a good rest, Lee,” I interrupted.

And so, there we sat, Jiggs and me, while the water pushed against the viewports and I reflected on the day’s events so far.
I don’t know about Jiggs, but I offered a silent prayer to the Almighty to favor Lee for the ordeal to come.