The Lotus Eaters

SdL Orca, Shimmering Sea, Terra Nova

Quijana remembered the groaning of the metal on the various Volgan and Yamatan submarines on which he'd done a portion of his training. Damned good thing for us the plastic doesn't make anything like that much noise.

Even so, Quijana looked forward to where one of the crew had strung a piece of string across the control room at waist height. That string was almost touching the deck now. He thought, then, about the ocean pressing in from all sides. He remembered, too, the terrible moments after he'd been booted off the old Trinidad, just before it plunged into the side of the Salafi suicide ship in the straits of Nicobar. He could still feel the massive blow transmitted first through the water and quickly followed by the shock wave that came through the air.

Just so you know, God, I really don't want to die. If I ever said I wish I'd gone in with Trinidad, I didn't mean it. I'm scared and I could use Your help, by the way.

Yermo said, "Fish two seems to have lost us, skipper. It's started a spiraling search again."

"Keep close track, sonar," Quijana ordered. "I want to pop back up above the layer just as two drops below."

"Skipper?" Weapons asked.

"Yes?"

"I can try to take two out with another torpedo."

Forcing down his fear, trying to think clearly, Quijana considered it, deciding, "No, not yet. If it's lost us for now, a launch will let it know where we are. And two's only the most dangerous enemy out there." Again, he gestured at the screen. "There are at least four more."