Deep Sea Wars 11.2

The Depth

Stacy had never been inside a submerged ship. When she stepped down the stairwell, she was marvelled the similarity of it to the interior of the ship engines compartment except the submerged was an extended version. There was the jet black-valves, gadgets and machinery all required to help the crews keep alive. Once you are in the ship, your heart thumps and the lungs expand, greedy for oxygen. It’s a general feeling of anyone first feel in the ship. You cannot help but to look for the exits. Those are the closing hatches that were latched by the crew members.

“Steady on, First Officer. You are in a metal coffin that will soon be covered by the sea water.” Captain Arthur made his way to the so named bridge. “Come along. We ain’t got all day. The ship needs it Captain.”

They squeezed their way from one compartment to the other with their heads bent down. It was tight with pipes and valves with the walkway cramped fully. Stacy felt the ship tilting forward. Her first reaction was to grab hold of the pipes. It felt warm on her touch; probably fed by the hot water from the turbine and recycled through there to give them the warm feeling. When she looked at the crews there who were working in the cramped condition they looked like they don’t need it for most of them were naked from waist up. Some wore a thin vest on their chest but it may be cut on the sides to vent the heat. It was unlike the surface ship where everyone is dressed to the fullest. It was not only the heat but the musky air. She was feeling nausea then although it was not her usual reaction on the ship.

“Come along, Stacy. You are still the First Officer.” They reached the bridge and Captain Arthur took his honorary seat while the First Officer on seeing the familiar wheel took over. She called on for the chart. Stacy looked out at the glass window view.

They were not above the water surface. She was surrounded by water beneath the sea. They were swimming with the fishes in the depth. She once told Arnold when they were fucking in the shower.

“On the ship we are always near the water, inside the water but we never held a fuck about it. Water is essentially the nutrient of life besides the sunlight. Yet we never appreciates it value like the mined minerals.”

On the bridge, Captain Arthur took his seat with his Lordship on the right reserved seat and the Sergeant Major taking the other. The navigator was on the assigned seat charting out their next course.

“Jolly chap, do I get a seat here too?” Jones asked the navigator.

“Corporal Jones, I presume. I am Boatswain I Conlay. On this ship besides the Captain and First Officer, I ranked the third most senior one.” The tough lady smiled at the Welsh. “Inside here, we are rather limited in space. In some areas you cannot even walk straight as you may collide with the equipment.”

“However we are accommodative to some guests.” A wooden stool was brought for the Corporal. “Let me …”

“Do you serve drinks?” Corporal Jones asked.

“As you can experience now, we are breathing on recycled air. This is done by the electrical generator that operates the air filter and reversed the bad air we exhaled into breathable air. We do appreciate that you do not contaminate it with you’re …”

“I fart pretty well.” Jones replied. “It’s my garlic diet.”

“As I was explaining just now before I was scented off, cooking is done at the minimal. If you don’t like the food, feel free to starve.” Boatswain I Conlay signed off her lengthy lecture on conduct. She drew a smile from the Sergeant Major.