Lee’s in a snit again. Asked me outright why I’m’ continually being swept off my feet by my egghead scientist buddies, (his words, not mine). Seems some old sci fi movie on TV got him thinking about Dr. Janus and our disastrous expedition we’d had at the Vema Seamount.

He hadn’t been happy about the mission in the first place, and even wanted to keep Seaview in port. But, Lee being Lee, finally agreed to let me peruse my scientific dreams of this protozoa which Dr. Janus had assured me was located at just the kind of the place where evolution began and with a little tweaking, might  conceivably lessen or cure a multitude of ailments.

 When you get right down to it, it wasn’t really the energized protozoa‘s fault that felled us so badly. Its increased growth and weight simply weighed us down so we couldn’t maneuver when the already bad seismic activity in the area  got worse.

But it did cause nitrogen narcosis amongst the night watch, sucking too much oxygen from the air leaving the men a bit ‘drunk’. Lee was livid as we’d been sailing around in circles. Poor Chip was on the receiving end of Lee’s wrath  but with a bone fide medical excuse, it  was quickly forgotten by both men, still friends. Still are.

As for another matter, though I wanted to throw the book at Lt. Clarke for downright  disobedience. Since he’s not a Navy man, not even in the Reserves,  the only option open to me was to fire or bust him back down to Seaman which is what I did. Which I suppose in retrospect was the right thing to do. After all if I’d listened to Lee in the first place I wouldn’t have placed Seaview in such a precarious area and Clarke was simply being logical. As it is, Clarke will remain at NIMR, but will not be allowed aboard Seaview unless we’re undermanned.

And so Lee began to question me after that movie. He may not always understand science, but he usually allows me a little leeway (ha ha) when I ‘chase after dreams’.  But that was one expedition I’m sure he hasn’t really  forgiven me for.   I suppose he feels responsible, one,  for bringing Seaview to the seamount against his better judgment ,  two,  the loss of his passenger and three, the loss of Lt. Clarke who could have been a fine officer.

It was hard to answer Lee. I am swept off my feet by the possibilities  out there. That’s not all together a bad thing. I’m a scientist not just a submariner. I thought he’d come to grips with that. But I do know in retrospect that I should have at least considered the options. Suffice it to say he knows the next time he has reservations about a mission, I’ll weigh them more carefully than I did that time.