Trinity Universe: The Lost Treasure of Sir Henry Morgan

[ProfPotts]

The Captain smiles at Beth ::smile ,

"Oh, I'm sure there are a few oceans I've sailed on that would be a revalation even t' you, young lady. Have y' read o' my exploits on 'Th' Lost Ocean o' th' Crimson Pirates'? Nasty buggers they were - a full seven feet tall & bright red, to th' last man. Now, they caused m' shipmates & I a bit o' bother, then young Randy - the cabin boy - just happened t' be playing his flute on their third... no, I tell a lie... fourth assault - just when we were getting tired. You should've seen those big buggers run - screaming like little girls they were. Who'd have thought a race that could build a contraption like that Heat Ray o' theirs wouldn't have heard simple music before? It was soon after that I rescued th' Queen o' th' Nymphs from th' royal harem o' th' Red King..."

Finally catching the rather frantic look his granddaughter is giving him ::rolleyes , Park trails off, shakes his head, then adds,

"Oh... right... That's probably a tale best left for another time..."

Seemingly just recalling the original question he says to Beth,

"Normally I'd have t' say, as a gentleman, that such a hazardous dive is no place for a lady. However, if I did say that, then I'm sure Min here would spare no time in telling her grandmother when we got home, & my life wouldn't be worth living. So - I guess I can't refuse your request!" ::sly

[Heritage]

Bethany listens in wonder as the Captain spins his fantastic yarn. Truth? Fiction? It doesn't matter, of course; when the storyteller is deep in his tale, it becomes truth, and Bethany had seen enough in her young life to know that nothing was truly impossible. Unfortunately, the Captain cut himself short before his story threatened to get really interesting ::sly

"Normally I'd have t' say, as a gentleman, that such a hazardous dive is no place for a lady. However, if I did say that, then I'm sure Min here would spare no time in telling her grandmother when we got home, & my life wouldn't be worth living. So - I guess I can't refuse your request!"

That brought a deep knowing laugh out of Bethany.

I'd hate to be the cause of domestic strife, Captain!

She gives Min a wink and a quick conspiritorial smile.

I do appreciate you being flexible on this point; however, I don't want to endanger the well-being of the other divers if special allowances would have to be made. Obviously, the safety of the divers and the success of the mission are far more important than fulfilling my childish sense of adventure!

[Asbjørn]

Having welcomed Miss Benson to the table and introduced themselves to her, both Tom and Mrs Morgan (who by the way has no problems with alcohol outside of US waters) sit back a little and watch her 'encounter' with Roughneck. Even Min notices, and actually looks a little jealous.

“Hi Ms. Benson, I’m “Dash” Quill I’m also with the Aeon Society. Nice to know Max didn’t send me off without some back up.”

"Now, now, Dash", Mrs Morgan says. ::sly "Even though we're not all personal aquintances of Mr Mercer, I think we're capable of taking care of each other. Besides, a membership in the society is hardly a measure of neither capabilities nor resolve. Roughneck is, to my knowledge, the only one of us who is not a member, and you wouldn't say his commitment has been lacking so far, would you?"

"Normally I'd have t' say, as a gentleman, that such a hazardous dive is no place for a lady. However, if I did say that, then I'm sure Min here would spare no time in telling her grandmother when we got home, & my life wouldn't be worth living. So - I guess I can't refuse your request!" ::sly

Min beams with joy at this comment. She almost jumps in her chair as she bursts out "So I can come too?!? Oh, thank you, granddad! I can't wait to get out there in the deep! That's gotta be so exciting!!" ::biggrin

Hastings shakes his head and smiles a little, while giving the captain a 'You should have seen that one coming' look.

I do appreciate you being flexible on this point; however, I don't want to endanger the well-being of the other divers if special allowances would have to be made. Obviously, the safety of the divers and the success of the mission are far more important than fulfilling my childish sense of adventure!

"I'm sure that won't be a problem at all, Miss Benson.", Tom says. "Here's what I propose: We're doing some test diving tomorrow, and then we'll let you have a go at it in a controlled situation. If you handle it OK, I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, I'm going to have to keep an eye on anyone who hasn't been deep diving before, just in case."

[ProfPotts]

"... Obviously, the safety of the divers and the success of the mission are far more important than fulfilling my childish sense of adventure! "

Park smiles at Beth,

"Now I'm sure it's a good idea t' have you on-board: maybe some o' that common sense will rub off on young Minnow!" ::wink

"So I can come too?!? Oh, thank you, granddad! I can't wait to get out there in the deep! That's gotta be so exciting!!"

"O' course, child, how else could I keep an eye on you?" ::sly

[Ayre el KaBeer]

(OOC:sorry alittle late on the posts)

David rises (it's what you do when a lady comes to the table ::cool ) with a look of pleasant suprise ::bigsmile "Miss Benson, an honour to meet a writer of your calibre, that report you did on...".

(OOC: couldn't think of a topic that would be apropriate for an article of hers that David would have read. Give me a headline and I'll gladly take it frm there ::wink )

[archer]

Oblivious(or at least pretending to be) to Min's jealous pout, Roughneck listens to the ensuing conversation. Going slightly pale again at Tom's mention of 'test diving', he quickly hides his worried grimace in his port. Taking a deep drink, he then sets his glass down and forces his face into polite attentiveness; hoping no one has noticed his obvious...discomfort, at walking around on the ocean floor.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

David looks alittle frustrated "... Oh , what was it again? The Barons of Bayview, that's it! Was quite the piece, you must have risked alot on that one. Though to be honest I still can't see how you figured Dr. Jessup was involved since he was already incarcerated at the time". Shaking his head in apreciation "The reporters mind works in some very mysterious ways".

(OOC: writters (err, gammers) block sorry)

[Heritage]

"... Oh , what was it again? The Barons of Bayview, that's it! Was quite the piece, you must have risked alot on that one. Though to be honest I still can't see how you figured Dr. Jessup was involved since he was already incarcerated at the time".

Bethany smiles with pride at the recollection.

I applied for a job at the Bayview Hotel, passing myself off as a simple-minded French laundress; convinced that I spoke no English and was a half-wit to boot, several of Bayview's high rollers were far from discreet in my presence, and Jessup's name came up repeatedly in their conversations. I'd written everything down on a small notepad concealed in my apron, until one night I was almost discovered by the bell captain, and I was forced to eat both my notebook and my pencil. Afterwards, I spent almost a week at an Italian spa recovering from my less than palatable supper. It's a good thing I have an excellent memory, or the whole story would be lost!

After finishing her tale, she turns to Tom.

What time are you doing your test dive tomorrow? I'm sure we'd all like to see this new gear in action.

[Asbjørn]

"I'm afraid I must have missed that story, Miss Benson", Mrs Morgan says, "but I have read a few other articles of yours. I trust you'll do your best to make us all look good in print. For your information, one of the things we've brought with us is a new underwater camera so you'll hopefully have access to some pretty exciting pictures for your story."

What time are you doing your test dive tomorrow? I'm sure we'd all like to see this new gear in action.

"As soon as possible, I guess.", Tom replies. "Of course, we can't do it until we reach the trench, but if Mr Wallace is right we should be there around 3 tomorrow afternoon. We'd probably best have a few hours of theory and demonstration first, so to make sure you're all familiar and secure with the equipment, let's say we start around 12? I probably should have a talk with your chief diver before that, Captain."

"Well, if we're going to have diving classes at noon tomorrow, I know at least one old lady who needs to be getting her beauty sleep." ::wink Mrs Morgan smiles at the group and turns to Roughneck. "And you, young man, really should let the good doctor take a look at you. Granted, I've patched up more than my share of wounds in my time, but I don't want you going out there in worse shape than you have to." ::sly

While Mrs Morgan finishes her drink, the ship's doctor looks at Roughneck, leans forward a bit and says "There is a medical problem, yes?"

[archer]

"And you, young man, really should let the good doctor take a look at you. Granted, I've patched up more than my share of wounds in my time, but I don't want you going out there in worse shape than you have to."

Grinning roguishly, Roughneck nods, pretending to be contrite. "Yes ma'am."

While Mrs Morgan finishes her drink, the ship's doctor looks at Roughneck, leans forward a bit and says "There is a medical problem, yes?"

"Just a scratch. Little pest at the house managed to get a blade across my belly. I wouldn't want to worry Ms. Morgan though, you can take a gander at it."

[Asbjørn]

[OOC]OK - I'll speed things up a little. Got a lot more time to actually post stuff the coming months, so I'm hoping this will pick up.[/OOC]

Smiley takes Roughneck to the sick bay and checks on the wound. It needs a change of bandages, and he puts in a few stitches to make sure it stays shut, but otherwise it looks ok.

The night finally comes to an end, perhaps after another story or three from the captain. Every one of the guests are led back to their quarters when they feel like turning in, and although there's always a shift working on the Nausicaa it feels like the calm of night finally settles.

Day 2 of the Expedition

After a night's sleep, a nice breakfast in the lounge and a few hours of smalltalking or sightseeing on board, everybody gathers in the divers' briefing room by noon.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!" ::biggrin Tom's cheerful voice rings loud and clear in the room. Seated in front of him are all the members of the expedition, as well as the six-man diving team of the Nausicaa. Standing next to him is Mr MacKinnon, the diving team leader, a rather large, red-bearded man in his forties. There are also two man-sized crates and one slightly larger leaned against the wall beside the two instructors.

"Some of you have extensive experience with the MK V diving suit that is the standard of the US and British navies. Some of you have never seen the ocean from below before. None of you have ever used the two other types of equipment we'll be using on these dives."

Tom opens the first of the smaller crates, showing a classic rubber diving suit with a rigid helmet mounted on top of it. Meanwhile MacKinnon explains (in a thick scottish accent) "This is one of our suits. The MK V suit is airtight, the helmet has solid glass windows, and pressurized air reaches the diver through a hose that is mounted here." - He points to a point at the back of the helmet. - "The suit is fairly flexible, but yer movements are limited by the length of the hose and the pressure of the air ye're breathing. No impulsive descents or ascents with these suits. Yer lungs will burst. ::sly But as long as ye stay at the depth the air is pressurized for ye'll be all right."

The scotsman turns to the second crate and opens it, leaving the explanation to Tom. The suit in the case looks more or less like the first one, except that the helmet is smaller and with a narrow glass window covering the 180 degrees of the helmet, in front of the eyes, and the tank and hoses hanging from its shoulders. The legs of the suit end in big rubber frogleg like shoes.

"This is a more flexible suit.", Tom says. "It's equipped with a head-mounted helmet that allows for a wider field of vision, as well as a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus - a scuba. With this suit you bring the air you're using with you. It's still pressurized for a specific depth level, but your movements are unhindered by the hose. It's easier to move in, and faster, particularly when used with the propeller shoes this suit is set up with. My favorite..." ::cool

"This one, however...", Tom says as MacKinnon opens the last and biggest crate, "Is unlike anything you've seen."

Inside the crate is a huge armoured suit that looks more like it was designed to walk on the moon than explore the ocean depths. The helmet is similar to the first suit, and it's got an air tank on its back, but the similarities stop there. Its body is made of some kind of metal, and it's got mechanical, clawlike hands on the end of the slightly long, apelike arms.

"I know it looks big. We have a couple slightly smaller ones, and the inside padding can be adjusted to the user. We call this a 1A suit. It's armored to resist the pressure on the depths we'll be working at, and carries with it a tank of surfacelevel pressurized air. Thus the name: 1 Atmosphere pressure. With this suit you can move up and down as much as you want, unhindered by hoses and wires, and protected from the weight of the ocean just like we are in this submarine."

"It's heavy as hell. I doubt even you could move around in it out of the water, Roughneck ::wink , but once submerged it gives you almost as much flexibility as the MK V. It's main advantage is that it can reach extreme depths, and when you're done you just get undressed and go to dinner. No need to bother with decompressing like we have to with the other two models."

"Of course, since it's so damn heavy, you can't exactly swim in it, like with the scuba suit. In both the MK V and the 1A you'll need either a wire to connect you to the Nausicaa, or an underwater sleigh to move you around, and especially if you do need to ascend a bit. That's why we have the Swordfish underwater sleighs. And to move whatever we end up picking up from the deep, of course..." ::wink

"Now, we'll be practicing on using these suits and the sleighs a bit later. Any questions so far?"

[The History Follower]

Dash raises his hand, "Who will be handling which suits and handling the sleighs?" He's been unable to hide his interest as each of the suits are reveled.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

David audibly sucks his tooth, aims an expression like he was expecting this at Tom ::sly "...and how exactly do we stop our... you did say lungs exploding, correct?" waits for the nod "I thought so," he says mostly to himslef "...so how do we stop them from doing that?"

(OOC: Anyone see The Mummy returns? "I knew it! I'm gonna get shot!")

[Asbjørn]

Dash raises his hand, "Who will be handling which suits and handling the sleighs?"  He's been unable to hide his interest as each of the suits are reveled.

"I think it's best if that's more or less up to you.", Tom says. "You'll have the chance to test each suit later and figure out which one's your favorite. Before anyone starts to lay claim to specific models, however, there is one other factor. Each and every one of you is going to have a diving buddy. During the dives you look after each other, and always know where the other person is and how he or she is doing. For obvious reasons it simplifies matters if each pair of buddies use the same equipment."

"How many swordfish we deploy depends on the situation at hand, but there will always be at least one pair on each sleigh. As for who gets to control it..." - he shrugs - "Flip a coin. It's not difficult."

David audibly sucks his tooth, aims an expression like he was expecting this at Tom  "...and how exactly do we stop our... you did say lungs exploding, correct?" waits for the nod "I thought so," he says mostly to himslef "...so how do we stop them from doing that?"

For once, Tom is very serious when he replies. "Exploding or imploding, yes. We prevent that by sticking to the plan. OK, let me explain why this can be dangerous if handled carelessly. We are used to living in an air pressure level of one atmosphere, that's the pressure at sea level. That means that we basically feel the weight of the air above us on our bodies. When we dive, we add the weight of the water above us as well, and as we all know, water is a lot heavier than air."

"Now, the human body can take an absolutely incredible amount of this weight, but it takes some getting used to. Even pressures that would have killed a man instantly if he were suddenly exposed to it are endurable if the body is allowed to adjust gradually. So: Before we dive, we sit down in the Nausicaa's pressure chamber and wait while Mr Quick turns up the heat, so to speak. Once the pressure of the air we're breathing is equivalent to the air we'll be receiving or carrying with us on the dive, we do a last minute check of our equipment, check on our buddies, and dive right in."

"Once we're out there it's important that we stay within the planned depth range. Move outside it, and the air pressure in your lungs will no longer be adjusted to the pressure outside your body. That can be very dangerous." He looks around at the newbie divers to make sure they're all getting the message.

"Each of you will be given a depth indicator, and it's vital that you check on it as often as possible. You have to know how deep you are. If you do forget to check on it your body will tell you when you're moving too high or too deep, but those signals are harder to pick up on. A good tip: If you start to feel a bit dizzy or drunk, signal your buddy and head back to the ship."

He pauses briefly before he adds "I make it sound worse than it is now. You'll have around a ten meter depth range to maneuver inside before it gets uncomfortable. And with the MK V suits you'll have another advantage: The pressure of the air you're receiving can be adjusted as we go, so if you want to move deeper or higher than planned, you just signal Mr Quick or whoever is manning the air supply and he'll change the pressure to the best level."

"After the dive, we sit down in the pressure chamber again, wait for Mr Quick to adjust it back to normal, and then we're done."

Done explaining, he looks at David and the others to make sure he actually answered the question.

MacKinnon, who's been waiting quietly while Tom explains the dangers of deep sea diving, steps forward. "Rrright. Another question that will present itself soon enough: Just how do we send that signal? There are four ways of communicating in these conditions. Three of them have worked for ages, and the fourth is brand new. We've yet to see how it works. The three safe bets are hand signals, light signals and writing. We'll go through common signals later, and ye'll all be given 'pen and paper' before we dive in."

Turning as much to his own guys as to the newbies he adds "The fourth way is through a telephone line. ::rolleyes The idea is to equip one of the sleighs with a telephone apparatus that is connected by cable to the ship. This apparatus can connect to the helmet of the 1A suits, and allows the user to speak to the divemaster on the other end."

Casting a glance at Tom a grin crosses his face. "Me and Mr King have a wee bet going on wether this will actually work or not..." ::sly

[Heritage]

Bethany looks slightly nervous as the diving procedure is explained, but also captivated by the whole process. After some thought, she raises her hand.

Am I correct in assuming that inside the trench itself, at the depths we expect to find the wreck, that the 1A suits will be required due to the water pressure?

[Asbjørn]

Am I correct in assuming that inside the trench itself, at the depths we expect to find the wreck, that the 1A suits will be required due to the water pressure?

"Yes and no.", Tom replies. "Nobody knows exactly how deep the Cayman Trench is, and we can't be absolutely certain of how deep she lies before we get there. ::confused We will most likely be able to use all the three types of suits in the salvage operation, but if the Challenge has drifted too far from where she sank, she may be deep in the trench. If that is the case, our only chance is the 1A."

"Er... by the way... I don't really know which way is the best to decide on who gets to be who's buddy. Any suggestions?" He looks around at the assembled people, finally stopping when his eyes meet the captain's.

"What do you think, Captain?"

[ProfPotts]

"What do you think, Captain?"

One of the crew elbows the snoozing Park ::sleeping in the ribs,

"Er... Wassat!" ::blink

After a few whispered comments from helpful crewmembers, the Captain - now alert - replies,

"I think it'd be best if each o' our guests was partnered with one o' my experienced divers, wouldn't you? I'll keep an eye on Min, naturally..." ::sly

[Asbjørn]

"I think it'd be best if each o' our guests was partnered with one o' my experienced divers, wouldn't you? I'll keep an eye on Min, naturally..." ::sly

MacKinnon looks around and does a few mental calculations. Then he nods to the captain and says, turning to each one in turn:

"Aye. You and Min, Captain. With a group this big I'll need a few men with me at the pumps, so I'm only sending three of me boys with ye. Miss Benson, I'll give you the first choice between Tom here and one of them. The rest of ye team up with whoever's left."

After having gone through a few more procedures and security measures, the group moves on to the more practical part of the training. They're led to a large room with an open pool in the middle. All the suits and underwater equipment are securely lined against the walls, and the pool is filled with water.

MacKinnon stops between the suits and the pool and says. "For now, ye'll be test-diving in a 15 feet deep pool, simply to get a feel for the movements of the suits and know what it feels like to breathe air that tastes like rubber. So: Choose yer suits, and dive in!"

Min naturally leaps forward to put on the smallest of the scuba suits, while Tom and the Nausicaa divers stand by to help the others get dressed.

[Heritage]

"Aye. You and Min, Captain. With a group this big I'll need a few men with me at the pumps, so I'm only sending three of me boys with ye. Miss Benson, I'll give you the first choice between Tom here and one of them. The rest of ye team up with whoever's left."

If you don't mind, Mr. King, I'd feel a lot more comfortable with you as my 'buddy'. And I think I'd like to try the scuba suit this first time out.

Bethany strips down to the fashionable one-piece swimsuit she wore under her clothing this morning. As she watches the various pieces of equipment being prepared, she pulls an ornate bronze medallion on a neckthong out of her suit, kisses it for luck, and tucks it back in. She turns to Tom with a smile, both frightened and excited by the challenge ahead.

I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Mr. King; suit me up!

[Archer21]

During most of Tom's speech, Roughneck looks bored...when Tom mentions exploding lungs, however, Roughneck swallows nervously, and rubs his hand over his chest as if he's checking to make sure his lungs are still there. ::lookaround

When the time comes to put on the suits and get in the pool, Roughneck reluctantly stands and walks over to one of the 1A suits. Completely baffled on how to put on the suit, he stands there with a rather helpless expression on his face until one of the divers comes over to help.

His forced grin made all the more evident by the pallor of his skin, he grips the arm of the diver helping him. He pitches his voice low. "Hey there...I, uh...haven't done this before. I'm not...er, scared at all, you understand. Just a bit nervous. You're good at this diving stuff, right?"

[ProfPotts]

Bethany strips down to the fashionable one-piece swimsuit she wore under her clothing this morning.

The Captain quietly thinks to himself that it's a good thing the Nausicaa won't be at sea all that long - a few more displays like that coupled with a long time at sea & the men would riot! ::rolleyes

"Hey there...I, uh...haven't done this before. I'm not...er, scared at all, you understand. Just a bit nervous. You're good at this diving stuff, right?"

Park laughs ::laugh , & slaps the big guy on the shoulder,

"Good on y' lad, acting up t' make sure th' ladies aren't embarrassed by their nerves. Y' almost had me going there, for a minute..." ::sly

When it's his turn to get 'suited & booted', the Captain takes whatever suit Mr MacKinnon has put aside for him, & climbs into it (as if he's done this sort of thing before).

[Ayre el KaBeer]

"I think I'll try the scuba first, at least I'll be able to move with one of those on ::smile ". David pauses for a moment then looks to face Ms. Morgan "Ah Ms. Morgan, surely you will not be diving aswell? I mean no disrespect but..." loosing his tongue and knowing he's getting death stares from all the ladies present "It's just... It just doesn't feel... Well if you are..." *Oh spit it out man!* "then I couldn't in all good concience not suggest we team up... That is assuming I turn out to be a capable enough diver".

Looking embarassed but at least releaved to have finally finished his sentence.

(OOC: It's not right I tells ya! ::tongue )

[archer]

Park laughs  , & slaps the big guy on the shoulder,

"Good on y' lad, acting up t' make sure th' ladies aren't embarrassed by their nerves. Y' almost had me going there, for a minute..."

Forcing a laugh, Roughneck replies, "Uh...right, yeah, just trying to help out." His face flushing, he busies himself trying to get the rest of the suit on. Then, despite Mr. MacKinnon's claims to the contrary, he tries walking over to the pool in the heavy suit!

[Asbjørn]

Bethany strips down to the fashionable one-piece swimsuit she wore under her clothing this morning. As she watches the various pieces of equipment being prepared, she pulls an ornate bronze medallion on a neckthong out of her suit, kisses it for luck, and tucks it back in. She turns to Tom with a smile, both frightened and excited by the challenge ahead.

I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Mr. King; suit me up!

Tom looks more than pleased with being partnered with Bethany, and goes about suiting (and looking... ::halo ) her up with great enthusiasm. Leaving the frogfeet for last, he gets his own suit on and leads her over to the pool. Sitting on the edge he puts the shoes on, doublechecks that the helmet fits tightly on both Bethany and himself, and jumps in.

Sitting on the edge with her feet in the water, Bethany hesitates a moment or two before she pushes herself off the edge and slides into the water.

When it's his turn to get 'suited & booted', the Captain takes whatever suit Mr MacKinnon has put aside for him, & climbs into it (as if he's done this sort of thing before).

Since his 'buddy' granddaughter is already getting into one of the smaller scuba suits, MacKinnon helps Park on with one for him too.

"How else could ye keep up with the lass, eh Cap'n?" ::wink

  "Ah Ms. Morgan, surely you will not be diving aswell? I mean no disrespect but..." loosing his tongue and knowing he's getting death stares from all the ladies present "It's just... It just doesn't feel... Well if you are..." *Oh spit it out man!* "then I couldn't in all good concience not suggest we team up... That is assuming I turn out to be a capable enough diver".

Mrs Morgan smiles ::bigsmile "That's very sweet of you, David, but you don't have to worry about me. I guess maybe I'm a bit more traditional and set in my ways than these young girls, so I'm staying on board. I do appreciate the offer, though."

Forcing a laugh, Roughneck replies, "Uh...right, yeah, just trying to help out." His face flushing, he busies himself trying to get the rest of the suit on. Then, despite Mr. MacKinnon's claims to the contrary, he tries walking over to the pool in the heavy suit!

The diver helping Roughneck on with the suit assures him that he's got hundreds of hours under water, so there's nothing to worry about. However, It's rather obvious to the slightly worried Roughneck that this is the other guy's first time with a 1A too... ::nervous

After a while he does get it on and securely fastened all over, and Roughneck starts lumbering towards the pool. Walking is actually fairly easy! Granted, he's not going very fast, and his movements are rather hampered by the tubes of metal surrounding him, but he does manage to move pretty freely. To the spectators' amazement he even manages a few jumps!! As he approaches the pool, his diving buddy points him towards the stairs. Who would have thought walking down a small flight of stairs would be that difficult? Inside the suit he can hardly see his own feet, and he has to move really slow not to fall as he supports himself on the edge of the pool, which is a challenge in itself considering the mechanical 'hands'... Once clear of the edge, however, there's nothing left to do but dive in.

A few seconds later, he's standing on the bottom of the pool with water all around him, and breathing air from a can. ::unsure

[Asbjørn]

The next couple of hours are spent in and around the pool, getting used to moving under water, practicing signals and in general getting used to the idea of diving. Under these conditions it's all fairly easy, and none of the newbies seem to be having any big problems. Both Tom and MacKinnon agree that the difficulty of diving is the psychological aspect, however, but assure everybody that at the rate they're picking up things the real deep sea diving will go without problems as well.

Together with his diving buddy Roughneck is learning the 1A faster than he thought he would, and is after a while fairly confident that he won't screw up on the technical part, at least.

The real testing, however, doesn't begin until a while later, when the Nausicaa reaches its destination...

Around 3 pm...

...the almost inaudible humming of the engines changes pitch, and soon after a crewman informs the captain that they've reached the Cayman Trench. Mr Chang also requests Mrs Morgan's presence on the bridge to assist with locating the exact position of the wreck.

[Heritage]

Bethany feels much more confident about the dive after her training session with Tom and the others, but knows that going out into the deep ocean itself will be an entirely different matter ::unsure

...the almost inaudible humming of the engines changes pitch, and soon after a crewman informs the captain that they've reached the Cayman Trench. Mr Chang also requests Mrs Morgan's presence on the bridge to assist with locating the exact position of the wreck.

Now that they were finally at the dive site, Bethany was growing increasingly agitated, because a thought had occurred to her. She sought out Tom.

Mr. King, a question. There was some concern that a rather hostile group of competitors might be looking for the wreck as well, correct? What provisions will be taken for our safety from human threats? If these men are dangerous, we are very vulnerable in deep water.

[Asbjørn]

Mr. King, a question. There was some concern that a rather hostile group of competitors might be looking for the wreck as well, correct? What provisions will be taken for our safety from human threats? If these men are dangerous, we are very vulnerable in deep water.

"Er... I really don't know, Miss Benson.", Tom replies. ::unsure ::blush

"I guess the Captain and his people will be able to spot anyone else in the water and warn us... If there are anyone there at all, of course. But I guess we won't know that till we get there. I wouldn't worry too much, though. We should be well ahead of the competition, and we'll check the waters thoroughly before we dive for real. " ::smile

[ProfPotts]

Overhearing Beth's concerns, the Captain calls over,

"Not t' worry - they may have zombie hordes or what-have-you, but we've got one o' these...", he slaps Roughneck on the back, "... No contest!" ::wink

"Oh," he adds, "& we've got spearguns too, if that helps..." ::sly

[Heritage]

"Not t' worry - they may have zombie hordes or what-have-you, but we've got one o' these...", he slaps Roughneck on the back, "... No contest!" 

"Oh," he adds, "& we've got spearguns too, if that helps..."

Somehow, the mentioning of 'zombie hordes' does little to dispell Bethany's fears; however, the undeniable power of the manly Roughneck is indeed a comfort.

Sir Robert, if I join the ranks of the rotting dead, make sure someone looks after my cat back in New York, would you? I'd hate for Mister Tibbles to suffer unduly.

[Archer21]

"Not t' worry - they may have zombie hordes or what-have-you, but we've got one o' these...", he slaps Roughneck on the back, "... No contest!"

Roughneck grins at the Captain's compliment. "No worries, Cap'n. The only thing I can't handle 'bout zombies is how bloody bad they smell! ::laugh Though a speargun wouldn't go amiss later on."

Sir Robert, if I join the ranks of the rotting dead, make sure someone looks after my cat back in New York, would you? I'd hate for Mister Tibbles to suffer unduly.

A bit taken aback, he blinks. Rescuing a luscious lovely...err, fair maiden Roughneck's fairly accustomed to, but the damsel instead asking him to look after her cat? ::blink Still, if all she needs is her pussy taken care of..."Of course, Miss Benson. I love animals." He smiles at her charmingly.

[Asbjørn]

Mrs Morgan leaves for the bridge, and after an hour or so later the internal telephone in the diving room rings. MacKinnon answers it, exchanges a few words with the person on the other end and shortly after calls the captain over.

Taking the phone he hears Chang's voice on the other end.

"Captain, we've found the wreck. There's no signs of underwater activity in the area, and only one ship on the surface, five miles east of our position. Not sure what kind, but judging from its size and lack of engines my guess is a pretty big private sailboat."

"The wreck is only at about 90 feet, but it looks unsafe. The trench is pretty steep here, and she's lying on a shelf. The underwater streams seem to keep it in place, but you should watch your step going out there. What's the order, Captain? Take her higher and let you have a practice run? Or go right for the wreck?"

Meanwhile, MacKinnon and one of the divers open a hatch next to the pool, revealing a ladder down to a pressure chamber. There are benches around a similar hatch in the floor, and various gauges on the wall.

"This is it, lads and lasses!" MacKinnon smiles. "Jump in, leave yer helmets off until the barometer reaches the right level, and then mount up. Except you lads. " - he nods at Roughneck and his buddy - "Ye keep the helmet on, but breathe air from that hose while ye're in the chamber. No point in wasting the tanked air, right?"

[The History Follower]

Dash had decided to give the MK V a try and decided he liked it. Of course, his “I can figure this out on my own” attitude about most things got his buddy a let upset since he didn’t pay attention to his suggestions. Afterwards he decides to take a look at the telephone apparatus that they have hooked up to one of the sleighs. Dash goes over every inch of wire to determine if there is any way he can help to improve the system and make sure it works properly. At the call that they’ve reached the ship, he heads over to the others to see what their next step is.

OOC: do I need to send an engineering roll or will you do that?

[Heritage]

A bit taken aback, he blinks. Rescuing a luscious lovely...err, fair maiden Roughneck's fairly accustomed to, but the damsel instead asking him to look after her cat?  Still, if all she needs is her pussy taken care of..."Of course, Miss Benson. I love animals." He smiles at her charmingly.

Bethany favors him with a dazzling smile.

I'm glad to hear it.

She steps to the top of the ladder, checking to make sure all her gear is in place.

You know, I've been thinking about taking up the equestrian arts recently.

She pauses to give him a look.

There's something about...riding a stallion.

And with that, she slides down the ladder out of sight. ::devil

[ProfPotts]

"... What's the order, Captain? Take her higher and let you have a practice run? Or go right for the wreck?"

"Go for th' wreck - I'm not getting any younger here, or hadn't y' noticed?" ::sly

"Oh, & y'll keep an eye on that sailboat - & anything else that might want t' join in th' fun too - I presume?"

Before exiting the submarine, the Captain makes sure to arrange for the crane to be ready to assist in securing the wreck.

The last thing he does before entering the deep blue is to pat the side of the hull, & whisper, "You take care now, princess - o' us & yourself..."

[Archer21]

Bethany favors him with a dazzling smile. "I'm glad to hear it."

She steps to the top of the ladder, checking to make sure all her gear is in place.

"You know, I've been thinking about taking up the equestrian arts recently."

She pauses to give him a look.

"There's something about...riding a stallion."

And with that, she slides down the ladder out of sight.  ::devil

Chortling to himself, Roughneck follows...his diving buddy helping him down into the tank.

[Asbjørn]

OOC: do I need to send an engineering roll or will you do that?

[OOC]You leave the dice in their bag. I handle all the dicerolls. It's not that I don't trust you (honest...), but it's easier that way.[/OOC]

Dash had decided to give the MK V a try and decided he liked it.  Of course, his “I can figure this out on my own” attitude about most things got his buddy a let upset since he didn’t pay attention to his suggestions.

Actually, he can't 'figure it out for himself'. The only thing to figure out about the MK V is how to be sure it's airtight and weighed down correctly, and he won't be able to test that before he's in the water... ::devil

Dash also gets more than a few annoyed looks from his buddy, until the diver finally speaks his mind openly: "Listen, kid. If you don't start paying attention to me, we're not diving together. I'm not going out there with a newbie who's too busy to watch my back. You hear me?"

Presuming Dash gets the message, they soon work things out and he dives in along with the rest of the group.

Afterwards he decides to take a look at the telephone apparatus that they have hooked up to one of the sleighs.  Dash goes over every inch of wire to determine if there is any way he can help to improve the system and make sure it works properly.

The whole telephone rigging looks like good work. It's simple, solid and easily repairable, and it doesn't take him long at all to figure out how to fix it if it should break down. It looks to be in perfect condition at the moment, though.

"Go for th' wreck - I'm not getting any younger here, or hadn't y' noticed?" 

"Oh, & y'll keep an eye on that sailboat - & anything else that might want t' join in th' fun too - I presume?"

The captain can practically hear the grin on Chang's face as he replies "When have I ever not kept an eye on a luxury sailboat like that...? ::devilangel Good luck out there, Captain."

Before exiting the submarine, the Captain makes sure to arrange for the crane to be ready to assist in securing the wreck.

MacKinnon puts a man on the job right away. He also sets about extending the gangway under the pressure chamber.

When everyone is huddled together in the small chamber, MacKinnnon gives them all a thumbs up and good luck smile before he slams the hatch shut. The sound echoes in the chamber for a few seconds before it's replaced by the squeaking and grinding sounds of the wheel locking the hatch in place.

Then follows a period where the gauges on the wall and the gradually increasing pressure in their ears tell the group that MacKinnon has 'turned up the heat'. Roughneck and his buddy are blissfully ignorant of the uncomfortable process, locked inside their own suits.

After a while the gauges reach the correct level, and a small bell goes *ping*. "Time to seal your suits, people!", Tom says as he puts his own helmet on and makes sure it's tight. There's a brief moment of panic among the slower of the group as he opens the floor hatch before everybody's finsihed suiting up ::nervous, but as soon as it's apparent that the ocean has no intention of entering the chamber everybody calms down again.

After checking that his buddy Bethany is ready ::thumbsup he climbs down the hatch, followed by the other pairs of divers. One by one they all climb down into the deep blue and step onto a telescopic gangway under the Nausicaa. As each diver steps out, they all turn to see the otherworldly sight around them.

The water is fairly clear, and even with the sunlight blocked by the bulk of the Nausicaa, the floodlights of the enormous submarine floating above them sheds more than enough light to clearly see schools of fish speeding past, colourful seaplants on the bottom and the ragged canyon of the Cayman Trench dropping into the deep darkness below. Above them, where the practice pool now has been closed on top and opened up below, the underwater sleighs lie moored to the submarine, like tiny fish finding shelter under their mother.

As the line of divers grows longer, the gangway turns around so it extends towards the front of the ship. The strongest searchlights on the submarine are mounted next to the bridge at the very front of the vessel, and in the flood of light an overgrown ship can be seen lying against the canyon wall. The prow of the ship points out over the edge of the shelf, with a gaping hole in the side. Seaweed, algae and corals have had centuries to cover the wreck, and very little of the actual ship is visible under it all.

Tom pulls one of the sleighs to him and signals Bethany to set off with him towards the shelf before the gangway is fully extended. Min turns to her grandfather waiting for him to do the same thing, while the other divers each check on their buddies before grabbing hold of a sleigh. Roughneck's buddy takes hold of the one carrying the telephone apparatus, carefully unwinding the cable as they move towards the wreck.

Not long after, the gangway reaches the shelf and anyone left standing on it can walk safely off. Standing on or floating above the shelf with the glare of the Nausicaa's headlights behind them, the group has a good view of the side of the Challenge. From this angle it's evident that almost a fourth of the ship's length is suspended above the canyon. On the other end, the cabin area at the stern of the ship seems to have crashed into the canyon side before it settled where it lies. There are several holes in the woodwork of the side of the ship, evidence of heavy cannon fire a long time ago. The broken middle mast lies sprawled across the wreck, nothing but rags and tatters left of the sails and ropes. It's crow's nest pointing towards the group, with parts of the skeleton of an unlucky sailor visible where the mast rests against the ocean floor.

[Heritage]

Clutching tightly to the sleigh, Bethany is struck speechless by the magnificent underwater world. However, the Challenge itself appears to be as precarious as it is fascinating. She begins taking photographs of the eerie wreck with the special watertight camera.

OOC: No one mentioned bringing the camera, so forgive me if a crew member would have it. I can always edit the post.

[Asbjørn]

Taking the camera from the sleigh, Bethany starts taking pictures of the wreck. The camera is a lot larger and bulkier than what she's used to, but she soon gets the hang of it. It's kinda hard to change film while underwater, though, so she has to be careful not to waste the pictures. Taking her time picking her objectives she gets a few shots of the entire wreck from a distance before she swims closer to the ship. Tom stays nearby, swimming high to get a view of the deck. Before she follows him, Bethany also takes a picture of a cannon hanging halfway out through a hole in the ship's side.

Meanwhile, Min is swimming towards one of the holes in the side of the ship. With the added bulk of the diving suits she and Dash are probably the only ones who'll fit through that particular hole, although there are bigger ones.

As Bethany follows Tom closer to the wreck, she sees a few more entrances to the interior of the vessel. The cargo hatch is wide open, like a gaping hole in the middle of the deck, and the door to the cabin area is held absurdly ajar by a small barrel jammed in the doorway.

Moving a bit slower than the rest, Roughneck and Dash spread out watching the wreck, along with their buddies. Roughneck is still working on getting used to his limited field of vision when he steps on something that's not rock or sand. ::nervous Looking down they both see the bloated right leg and lower torso of a man half hidden where it lays sprawled between the rocks. His clothes are shredded, and the bones protruding from the rests of his shirt and trousers tell of an unfriendly meeting with something strong with very sharp teeth. ::crazy

Luckily the aforementioned spearguns are close at hand, mounted on the sleighs should the need arise...

[Archer21]

Roughneck is still working on getting used to his limited field of vision when he steps on something that's not rock or sand.  Looking down they both see the bloated right leg and lower torso of a man half hidden where it lays sprawled between the rocks. His clothes are shredded, and the bones protruding from the rests of his shirt and trousers tell of an unfriendly meeting with something strong with very sharp teeth.

Through his descent into the water, and subsequent crossing to the wreck, Roughneck has just been trying not to blubber like a baby, terrified as he is. With the famous stiff upper lip of the Britons, he manages not to, focusing only on the operation of his suit. Feeling his booted foot squish on something, he looks down. Noting the torn body with a soldier's detachment, he almost keeps walking before his admittedly sluggish brain starts screaming at him. Snapping his eyes over to the wreck, he can see in his minds eye the skeletal remains near the mast. Looking back down at his feet, he realizes this corpse should be much more decayed than it is...meaning, of course, that this visitor got here recently.

Years of battle experience come to the fore, and Roughneck's senses come alert, searching for any possible danger. Forgetting his fear for the moment, he moves switfly(as he can, anyways) to the sled, trying to get his diving buddy's attention.

[Asbjørn]

Years of battle experience come to the fore, and Roughneck's senses come alert, searching for any possible danger. Forgetting his fear for the moment, he moves switfly(as he can, anyways) to the sled, trying to get his diving buddy's attention.

Being an experienced diver Roughneck's buddy seems to always keep half an eye on his companion, so when he moves towards the sleigh he notices immediately. Seeing Roughneck wave in his direction and go for the speargun, he too scans the surrounding waters for any sign of danger.

After a completed 360 degrees scan of the nearby area they see nothing else that's out of place. However, even if the water is pretty clear there's a limit to how far it's possible to see, and sharks can move awfully fast when they want to.

Apart from his training, three things serve to Roughneck's comfort in an otherwise unfortunate situation: Firstly, he's never seen a shark that would try taking a bite off a tinman like himself. Secondly, his buddy points to the glare of the sub's headlights while showing him the words "3 BLINKS = SHARK ALERT" on his writing pad. And third: The speargun in his hand.