New Homeport Island (12 page)

figure out. I had descended that ladder many times by just
 falling until I was half way down, then I would us two fingers
 thumping the ladder rungs and the toe of my boot slowing
 myself just enough to stop, but this time there would be a splash.
The water was about two feet from the overhead and Hyple was
 sitting on the I-beams running along the hull. Hyple called out,
“who is that?” I replied, “Lyon” Hyple asked, “Did we get hit by
 a torpedo?” He was trembling from the cold. I said, “No
 dude…it looks like it’s coming from the fire pump, its flex pipe
 has bubbles in it I told Hefter about, he said he’d handle it.”
Hyple said, “We won’t be able to shut off the pump dude, the
 controller is in local.” I replied, “Your Hypothermic Hyple just
 head out I got it.” Hyple replied, “Fa..fa..fuck you.” The last few
 feet of air in the compartment filled quickly as I swam down and
 tried to get passed cables, pipes and a spinning coupling I was
 accustomed to using to ensure I didn’t slip into the bildge. I
 eventually open my eyes under the water and noticed the
 permanently mounted damage control lanterns were still on, but
I was swimming into a dark corner with a single green light.
That light was on the controller indicating the pump was
 running. Hyple was on the other end of the space keeping his
 head in an air pocket.
Once I reached it I switched it to the off position and
 noticed the light went out, but I needed air. I swam back to and
 up the escape trunk and as I surfaced I gasped for air. Captain
Artimus was at the top of the ladder looking down wide eye and
 yelled, “Is he dead?” I replied, “no he’s in an air pocket, I shut
 off the pump but needed air I’ll go back and get him.” Just as
Captain Artimus was yelling, “Wait!” I swam back under over
 to the air pocket and told Hyple, “The pump is off; we have to
 swim out!” Hyple replied, “We’ll get electrocuted!!” I said,

“After I switched the pump off I needed air, so I swam to the
 trunk before I got here, the path I took is safe, you shouldn’t end
 up as the path of least resistance in any case.” Hyple chattered
 with a body wide shiver only his neck was above water. We
 heard a thump, it turned out I had placed the pump controller in
 remote rather than off. So I asked Hyple where the 2JV mic was
 at. That particular mic had a long cable and I was concerned I
 may spend too long pulling the cable to me underwater and run
 out of air just trying to get the mic. Hyple said, “It’s hooked on
 the S.T.P.” I swam over briefly under water and grabbed the
 cable and pulled it to me. I keyed the mic, “Central forward
 pump room, the space is flooded solid. Stop number one fire
 pump. I don’t know if the amp is still working but you should be
 able to hear me…”Just then the fire pump stopped and I
 continued, “Forward engineroom align to pump forward pump
 room over the side.” Orbly’s voice came over the amp, “Lyon
 can you hear me?” I keyed the mic again, “Affirmative.” Orbly
 called back, “Is the fire pump the source of the flooding?” I
 replied, “Yes, the flex pipe ruptured, me and Hyple are in an air
 pocket. Once we start pumping the space I’ll close the valves.”
Orbly replied, “Aye” Gillis and Washam replied simultaneously
 from different levels in the forward engine room not knowing
 they were speaking over each other, they had said the valves for
 pumping out the space were in forward pump room. I replied,
“Use the remote actuators.” Then Hyple and I decided to swim
 out. I grabbed Hyples collar and pulled him through the space.
Once I had him in the trunk above water he said, “Thanks” and
 said, “I’m going to close the suction valve”, and I swam back
 down as he climbed the ladder.
In the forward engine room Tinnel, Washam, and Gillis
 went to align the space and pump it out. Washam stayed at the

pump controller Gillis and Tinnel headed up and out of the
 engine room to the passageway to use the remote operators
 there. Gillis ran to the hatch to forward pump room and looked
 down the trunk. In astonishment he uttered an odd sound, “uo
 whoo whoo eh.”  
There was still a current to the water in the space as I swam
 for the suction valve. It hung down from overhead and it had a
 large hand wheel, I had been wishing it was just a butterfly
 valve. As I spun the valve closed every fear and doubt I had over
 my entire life came to mind, I might run out of air and this
 wasn’t exactly absolutely necessary, but there had been doubts
 about the source of the flooding because of the whirlpool in the
 bilge and it was possible that there were multiple sources of
 flooding. I thought back to the women in the crew I had dated
 and the number of times my heart had been broken and it felt
 like a kick in the chest. Just as I was beginning to think, ‘well,
 that’s close enough’ the valve came to a close and I swam back
 to the trunk.
When I reached the top, all those that were directly
 involved had been evacuated for shock, hypothermia, and to
 take statements and give reports. The late comers asked ‘what
 happened down there’ and others asked ‘what the hell I was
 doing there they had flooding to deal with.’  I could only
 respond with a shivering, “were pumping it now.” to which
 more than one replied, “Oh, that’s good because we don’t even
 know what gear we need for this yet, but were pumping it
 down?” I said, “Let me guess you guys are repair two?” A
 female voice called out from the back of the crowd, “Ya, so fuck
 off.” And I headed down to berthing to put something dry on.
Gillis came back and asked if I had come up, FC2 Garenie
 responded, “Ya, some idiot was down there.” Gillis replied,

“Some idiot?” Garenie retorted, “Ya…it’s still full of water and
 he came up soaked.” Gillis replied, “He had to go get someone
 out and close the valve. So, you idiots get the eductor.” Garenie
 said, “I didn’t think it had the static lift for that trunk.” Gillis
 replied, “It probably doesn’t…your just supposed to have
 something in the event the in space educator fails or isn’t
 enough.” Gillis then looked down the ladder and noticed the
 water level seemed to be dropping, and headed back to the
 forward engine room.
Back in medical Hyple was sitting on the examination table
 with his shirt off as Hospital Corpsman first class Linda Hays
 and Hospital Corpsman third class Brian Dorman took his vitals.
His chest was pale and still beaded with water; he was using a
 hand towel to dry his hair. Dorman asked politely, “Could you
 be careful not to poke my eyes out with your nipples?” Hyple
 looked at him and said, “It won’t be my nipples that poke you in
 the eye.”  
DCFN Hyple was chilled, shivering and in euphoria from
 the hypothermia. Captain Artimus was still interviewing ENS
Mulner through her stateroom door which was left ajar as she
 changed into dry clothing.  DC3 Jennifer Hennely came to the
 officer’s country passageway to report to the captain. The
 captain was amidst his interview with ensign Mulner, “When
 you saw the water your first thought wasn’t to call me?” Mulner
 responded, “No sir! I was trying to figure out how long it would
 take to flood the ship; then I needed to report it to central
 control.” The captain replied, “But…why the hell would I have
 been the furthest thing from your mind?” Mulner said, “I’m
 almost done changing sir…I’m sure you’re a hero…but I don’t
 believe you have superpowers.”  DC3 Hennely interjected,
“Captain she’s probably putting her bra on. I’m supposed to

report the dewatering is nearing completion and it appears the
 fire pump caused the flooding.” Artimus glanced at Jennifer’s
 chest with a pause and rubbed his bottom lip with his index
 finger in contemplation. He then replied, “What about the two
 that nearly drown?” She said, “They didn’t say anyone had
 nearly drown…” The captain responded, “Check with medical
 and tell your chief I’ll need that for the record.”
Jennifer darted down into medical and saw Hyple on the
 table coughing into a hand towel and rubbing his nose. Jennifer
 blurted out, “I heard you drowned…?” Hyple took her by the
 wristed and said romantically, “No…Lyon may have…but I’m
 still here.”  Jennifer looked him in the eyes, then at her wrist that
 he was holding and then at the bulge in his dungaree pants. She
 gasped with a cringe and look over at HM1 Hays and said,
“Linda…what did you give him!?” Hyple let go of her wrist and
 wiped his face with the hand towel. Dorman said, “Didn’t you
 just blow your nose on that towel?” Hyple glared at him
 thinking, ‘you cock blocking bastard!’ but he said, “Ya, I did.”
 and then tossed the towel in Dorman’s face. Hennely said,
“You’ll be fine just don’t get excited.”  
In the forward engine room Washam was at the bilge pump
 controller looking over at the suction gauge waiting to see the
 suction drop off. Over the 2JV amplifier came the word,
“Forward, Central…status of forward pump room?” Washam
 grabbed the 2JV mic on the lower level of the forward engine
 room and keyed it, “You got anyone down there?” Central
 control responded, “No, that’s why I’m calling you.” Washam
 replied, “I haven’t lost suction yet…that’s all I know.”
Hyple had changed into dry clothes and went back to
 central, he was provided a sounding tape from the oil lab,
 another clip board and a fresh log sheet. Chief Pete said, “You’ll

need to start your rounds in forward pump room, good job.”
Hyple smiled and replied, “Thanks.” Then he headed to forward
 pump room and resumed his rounds.
DC3 Hennely was back at the machine shop and heading
 aft and down one deck to the Hull technician store room to help
 find more flex pipe. As she arrived HT1 Hefter was shifting the
 stock material around, trying to get past pipes and valves and
 rods to the flex pipe buried beneath the other raw materials of
 his trade. ‘Turd chasers’ they were sarcastically called. The most
 frequent tasks they tended to was unclogging the sewage system.
On no less than three occasions he had been called upon to
 remove shower towels and even men’s briefs from the sewage
 piping to unclog it within the past six months. It seems some
 areas of the country still relied on out hoses and the restriction as
 to what can be sent down the commode was still a difficult
 matter for some to understand.
Hefter asked, “You working with me Jenn?” Hennely
 responded, “Ya…how bad is it?” Hefter replied, “Lyon told me
 that flex pipe was bubbled, so I told the Div-O and he said to
 hold off. Now it looks like I may be an HT two.” Hennely said,
“Lyon will tell the Captain.” Hefter responded, “All Lyon
 knows is I said I would handle it and didn’t; and he and Hyple
 nearly drowned.”  Hennely reassured Hefter, “Lyon’s chiefs are
 like our officers, he’ll understand.” Hefter coughed out, “Don’t
 sweat it…it’s a guy thing.”  
As the pump was being repaired C.I.C. was getting the
 satellite communications up and running. Manuals and
 procedures, circuit cards and tools were strewn across the space
 and the operational specialist were sitting cross legged indian
 style on the deck like some disobedient kindergarten class
 finally brought to order. Athena asked, “Does anyone have card

three six one seven four four twelve tac nine?” as she read the
 part number out. A voiced called out from behind the console,
“Go fish.” Athena replied with a laugh, “I’m pretty sure that’s
 what I’m doing.”  ET1 Spaclavia asked, “Why don’t they just
 put these things in Nintendo cartages?”  
            At that moment a seagull blew out to sea by the recent
 storm landed on the superstructure and found a warm place to
 rest. The sea gently rolled and the word was passed, “Dinner for
 the crew.” The crew gathered in the mess line for their meal,
 midday meal being ‘dinner’ and evening meal being ‘supper’;
 which was a semantic pointed out to new sailors usually
 followed by saying, “…but, the breakfast is pretty good.”  
As the sailors ate their lunch the ship changed course to
 rendezvous with and auxiliary oiler ship for underway
 replenishment. The oiler was a full days steam from the USS
Paul F Foster’s position, and had to divert due to weather
 extending the distance and making the rendezvous and refueling
 critical or we would run out of fuel on the open waters.
Mr. Mormus dined in his stateroom with Ens. Mulner. As
 they dinned they discussed the investigation they were going to
 conduct on the ship. Mulner said, “I hate to rule anyone out so
 early, but certain members of the crew that have been very
 violent in the past have been just too busy to be involved in any
 coercion.” Mormus chuckled and asked, “Who are you afraid to
 rule out?” Mulner said, “Honestly, I think Auxiliaries division
 has let the slang name for their department to go their heads…I
 mean ‘A-Gang’? But, the engineers have been very busy.”
Mormus replied, “I believe that’s exactly where they are
 rooted.”  
Mulner said, “Well Elper for example, he falls into social
 cliques quickly and would love to be regarded as a bad ass, but

just had to deal with a ruptured pipe in Aux one and all the other
 discrepancies in material condition. Lyon had to deal with that
 as well and with the flooding in forward pump room. He was on
 a tender before this ship and he hates it here but he is also way
 too busy.” Mormus replied, “Lyon carries work lists in the waist
 his coveralls that he generates and I’ve seen how he responds to
 his shop when they throw a tantrum. I know why he hates it
 here, but he is more likely to threaten their lives if they don’t do
 the job right rather than demand protection money or sell
 drugs.” Mulner said, “Drugs?” Mormus said, “Something is
 driving this. We have top performers that save the day here and
 it’s been a tough couple of months, they make themselves hero’s
 and when we go to complement them they tell us to fuck off.”
Mulner replied, “Isn’t that just the F.T.N. guys?” Mormus
 looked at her as he finished chewing his food, he swallowed and
 said, “You mean like Lyon?” Mulner looked surprised and drank
 her bug juice then said, “Well no I mean the ones that won’t
 work and hate the navy.” Mormus rubbed at his right eye and
 said, “I’ve been in the navy a while…and I never have seen one
 of those.”    
In Aux. one senior chief Rickly was putting away tool
 inventory sheets and headed up to the chiefs mess for lunch. As
 he walked down the passage way a small group of blue shirts
 stood talking, two of his were there EN3 Zanes and EN3 Elper.
Zanes looked near to the point of rage and Elper was laughing a
 subtle laugh they were toe to toe with one of the gunner’s mates
 and one of the Firecontrolmen. Rickly let out a loud startling
 cough from behind the combat systems pair and the enginemen
 were also caught unaware.
Rickly looked at the two enginemen, “Have you eaten yet?”
 he asked. “Ya.” they replied. The two Combat systems