The vessel was at least fifteen miles off the coast, directly west of here, when they came upon it, at a depth of over two thousand feet below sea level.”
“That’s incredible,” commented the archaeologist.
“It sounds to me as if it could be some sort of submerged land mass that was possibly pulled down by an earthquake. You know, the Chumash had a legend that told of an island that was said to be located directly west of Point Arguello. Its name was Similaqsa, and it was known as the portal of the dead.
“If this formation is indeed of Chumash origin, we might have an amazing discovery on our hands.
When’s the soonest that you can introduce me to the men who made this initial find?”
Richard was just about to answer when his attention was diverted by a clearly audible, throaty roar that sounded in the distance. Immediately aware of what this signaled, he redirected his line of sight towards the south. There, against a crystal-clear backdrop of rolling green hills and deep blue sky, the shuttle was just visible, on its way towards the heavens.
“It’s the Condor!” exclaimed the Nose researcher, whose pulse quickened at the magnificent sight.
Close at his side, Miriam also viewed the ascending spaceship. She found herself thrilled as the roar of its boosters rose to an almost deafening pitch. The very ground beneath them seemed to vibrate in response.
Both figures were speechless as the tips of the boosters became visible. Belching fire and smoke, the mighty engines reverberated with a thrust of over 6 million pounds. As the rocket continued upward, the orbiter itself could be clearly seen. The white skinned delta-winged vehicle, which was about the size of a DC-9 jetliner, lay gripped onto the rust colored main engine. Attached to each side of this central structure were the two detachable, solid-rocket boosters. Clear from the flames themselves, the black-nosed orbiter slowly began to rotate.
Watching as it began arcing up over the ocean, Richard restrained his innocent awe with a single realization. If his theory held true, this would be the most critical phase of the flight. Hastily, he scanned the surrounding seas, in a vain effort to locate any possible adversary. Yet, much to his relief, only the ever-surging waters were visible.
The Condor continued climbing, and soon was but a tiny speck high in the cloudless sky. Thankful that his supposition was apparently a foolish one after all, he reached out for the thin, inviting waist of the woman who sat at his side. Pulling her towards him affectionately, he felt her warmth and his tenseness instantly dissipated.
“It looks like they made it,” said Miriam, who reciprocated with a hug of her own. Feeling his need, she was in the process of turning her lips up to meet his when a high-pitched, crackling male voice was suddenly heard.
“Miss Rodgers, you’ve got to come down at once!
Joseph has found some sort of sealed cavern dug into the base of the canyon!”
The spell was broken, and Miriam turned to identify the source of this news. Behind them, the tall, lanky figure of Mick Thompson was just emerging onto the plateau. Clearly out of breath, with his thin body soaked in sweat, the student had obviously run all the way up the trail that led there. Richard caught her puzzled glance and playfully winked in response.
Both of them then stood, and began their way toward the path that would take them back down to the floor of the valley.
Chapter Sixteen
Five hundred and forty feet below the Pacific, the DSRV Marlin cautiously approached the remains of the submarine taken out by the Razorback’s torpedo.
Located five and half miles due west of Point Arguello, the Marlin was guided by its usual three-man complement.
Lieutenant Lance Blackmore sat in the copilot’s position, his gaze locked on the DSRV’s active sonar.
Beside him sat Commander Will Pierce, whose hands tightly grasped the airplane-like steering column.
Crouched behind the two officers. Ensign Louis Marvin scanned the controls, in a vigilant effort to make certain that all systems were operating properly.
The hollow ping of a sonar return resonated over the Marlin’s PA. system, and Blackmore reached over to determine the exact distance between the source of this return and their own bow. Familiar now with the DSRV’s systems, the young lieutenant determined that a mere 400 yards of water separated them from the crippled submarine.
Because they had been nearby when this vessel was hit, they had been able to monitor the entire attack sequence. Blackmore would never forget the sounds of the approaching torpedoes. For a tense moment, he had even feared that the Mk-48’s were being aimed at them. Yet they had streamed by the Marlin and, eventually, one of them had made contact.
And to think that he had thought DSRV duty was going to be dull! Since he had been deployed on the Marlin, the action had been almost non-stop. First there had been the rescue off the coast of Kauai. This had been followed by their surprise flight to Vandenberg, the arrival of the tidal wave, and then the recovery of the Titan’s nose cone. And now to witness actual undersea combat! This was the Navy that Lance had always dreamed of serving.
He had found himself excited when Commander Pierce had relayed his decision to temporarily halt their present debris search. The grizzled veteran couldn’t resist taking a closer look at the vessel that had incurred the Razorback’s wrath.
Blackmore was finally beginning to have a genuine liking for the beard-stub bled veteran. He was unlike any man he had ever met before. Direct and to the point, Pierce held back no punches. If he didn’t like you, he’d tell you right to your face. Yet if he saw even a hint of promise in your make-up, he’d be the first to give you a chance to prove what you were made of. This was how he had allowed Lance to come of age.
Only a few days had passed since Blackmore was standing on the deck of the tender Pelican, feeling sorry for himself. How much he had learned about life since then! He could place the blame for this newfound maturity squarely on the back of a single individual.
Though the commander certainly had his faults, when it came down to basics, there was no one Lance would rather have responsible for his life than Pierce.
His technical expertise couldn’t be questioned. He knew the Marlin inside out. Utilizing it as a mere extension of his own self, he knew just how far he could push the vessel. Time after time he had shown what kind of stuff he was made of whenever duty called. Yet throughout it all he had remained a human being. This point had struck home the morning the tidal wave had almost swept them to their deaths. Plunging into the icy depths without any hydraulic control, Lance had thought that he would be the only one to show his fear. Yet when the lights had suddenly flashed on, even Pierce’s face had been contorted with terror.
Not embarrassed by this show of emotion in the least, the commander had taught him that fear was only natural. What one had to be wary of was when panic veiled logical thought. That was when it could prove fatally dangerous.
From that moment on. Lance had felt accepted.
Looking at the commander in a new light, he had accepted his duty draw wholeheartedly. Even Louis Marvin was beginning to rub off on him. The ensign, who always seemed to have a smile and joke to offer, was currently perched behind them. Competent and bold, he could be relied on when the going got rough.
Proud to be an integral part of such a team. Lance sat forward to get a better look at the sonar screen. As they continued their approach, the exact shape and position of the wreck was most evident. The sub rested upright, on a relatively level, sandy sea bed. Its hull appeared intact, though there was considerable damage apparent aft, the probable result of an explosion in its stern.
The hushed silence that had prevailed for the previous couple of minutes continued, as Pierce activated the Marlin’s spotlights and guided the DSRV up over the disabled vessel’s hull. Bending over to peer through the viewing scope, he took in the incapacitated sub’s blunt bow. Two plane fins protruded from each side of the hull, with a single fin projecting from its upper deck.