Stealth Journeys with the Steam Mapper

Chapter 51: Getting in Over Their Heads

The three principal parts to this expedition's mission seemed straightforward:   First, they must increase the knowledge of locating hydrothermal vents.  Then, they would seek out the vents where the carbon eating bacterium is found.  And, finally, they would gain knowledge in using the MAPR devices to detect the plumes of the vents and learn how to distinguish the signs that would allow more of the desired bacterium in less time.

The voyage along the coast of the western hemisphere, was a chance to sight see watching for migrating species of whales, sharks, and sea turtles.   The sea turtle nesting season was active and different species were identified. The females could lay a nest of one hundred plus eggs up on shore, bury them, and swim out into open waters to mate again and repeat the whole nesting ordeal again in the same season.  MYKA and StLF enjoyed watching over the rails and being first to spot different species.   A bit of competition, sort of like watching for auto tags from different states or spotting vanity plates.   On several occasions, they spotted loggerhead sea turtles.  A couple times a pair was seen together.   Watching them swimming with powerful front flippers, coming up for air, and then diving lower was fun to see.  Their strength was admirable, and their size was impressive.

Stef brought up the fact that Grandpa Land had been friends with Archie Carr and his wife Marjorie.   They had met at the University of Florida and visited the Carr's rustic rural home with a special pond, holding a special gator.  Mom had played with the Carr children and enjoyed playing in their many acres of wilderness.   Archie Carr was the expert on the subject of turtles and tortoises.

The many days spent visiting locations of hydrothermal vents created many opportunities for discovery.   Although hundreds of locations of hydrothermal vents had been mapped, the locations were forever changing.   As new magma was released at rifts, it could easily flow hot basalt over the existing "smokers" burying them.  The ocean floor was under constant change, as plates collided and subducted, as volcanoes emerged, or plates spread exposing molten lava to fill in the ridge.   A large region of vents studied for years for the unique species living there, may be totally erased within one day of an earlier visit.

The MAPR devices rely on subtle changes of temperature, pressure, and light to detect plumes coming up from the vents.  More and more sophisticated equipment meant more reliable results in detecting these plumes.  Often, these MAPRs revealed vent regions that may have been overlooked before.

The data of longitude and latitude data recorded by Sir Steven Payne in his leather journal gave scientists much needed data for possible sites to explore in their recent expeditions.  These expeditions did depend on deception, as some regions took the scientists into inhospitable waters.  Because of the scarcity in finding the unusual bacterium that fed on carbon compounds at a voracious rate, finding every hydrothermal vent in existence was a priority.  The application of putting this species inside chimneys to scrub away the coal compounds and end carbon emissions, would accomplish a long-needed goal to minimize the greenhouse effect and reverse the steady increase in atmospheric temperatures.

Although the research vessel was owned by U.S. citizens and embarked from an unnamed U.S. port, the expedition was made up of an international team of scientists.  All on board, were vetted and their background checks all supported their serving on this expedition.   Everyone was trained to follow the same research procedures, and report to only the company that financed the trip.  Everyone's confidence level in their co-workers indicated that they were a solid team.

But the imagination of  StLF and MYKA  could get them in trouble.  Maybe too many spy movies and the misadventures of Sir Steven shared by StLF to MYKA fueled their imaginations.  For whatever reason, and perhaps just to add another layer of excitement, the two of them watched and shared their observations of the four most  (or better described as the foremost) mysterious foreign scientists on board.   They congratulated themselves on going undetected.

Perhaps their naïveté was mistaken for innocence in recognizing the behavior traits that seemed a bit odd among these four.  Perhaps the arrogance of the foreign scientists would not allow them to suspect that they would be watched by these wide-eyed newbies who seemed enthralled by their impromptu lectures given whenever MYKA or StLF asked an innocuous question.

Certainly, the presence of these four scientists gave the junior scientists more opportunities to watch and learn.

StLF had shared concerns about VLAD and his associate, and, DRNO and his associate, to ROBN during a midnight visit in the bio lab. The subject first came up after the Galapagos visit.

Robin shared that a porthole, just outside of the closet at the top of the hidden ladder, allowed a vantage point to view some of the island sights with the help of powerful binoculars.  And, Robin confessed that the opening was big enough to squeeze through and grab hold of handles conveniently placed on either side of the porthole.  Staying close to that opening and keeping hold of handles, the risk-taking preteen could sit atop a box built into a small alcove, and stay hidden from view.  Apparently, that narrow portion of the starboard side was only used at times of tying up to a dock.   Robin assured Stef that these secretive maneuvers were only done in calm seas.  And though it was a tight fit, the life preserver was always donned.

"Yes, but who would know you went overboard?"

"Oh. Yeah. I guess you're right. I need to carry some kind of air horn."

"Or, just promise you'll never do it again, without your uncle knowing."

At that point, it was time to focus on Robin's Earth Science assignment.  Stef had offered to help and Robin had brought along the lap top holding the classwork and lessons they would review together.

"Doesn't your uncle suspect anything about when you do your school work?"

"No, he doesn't have a clue.   For one thing, he is very predictable.   He goes to bed at 9:30, gets up at 11:30 to pee, and goes right back to sleep.   He snores a lot which lets me know he's asleep again.  He won't get up again until 1:45, to pee again.   And then he's good until 3:45.   And, he starts his day at 5:30.   He doesn't even check to see if I'm asleep when he gets up each time."

"But doesn't he wonder if you're tired during the day?"

"No, my assignments are all done by mid-day.   He knows I'm smart.   If he finds me asleep during one of his dumb old movies, he just laughs.   I hear him remark to himself that teenagers require a lot of sleep.   Well, thanks for your help tonight.   I should be going.   It's 1:30.   I have fifteen minutes to be back to bed.   I'll leave a note in our box later.   Thanks!"

Back on the upper berth, Stef thought of Robin's daring moves about the ship, and wondered what would be the consequences of being found out.   "Daring can be dangerous.   Maybe I should approach the captain about the risks Robin is taking.   No, I'm being trusted to keep this secret.   We are far from the coast.   I should have spoken up when we stopped for provisions and refueling.   It is too late to speak up now.   Try to sleep."

Trying to sleep during restless thoughts, Stef often turned to imagining how different the travel accommodations were for Sir Steven's journey to Antarctica, (which took a totally different route), from Europe to Australia and then to that last stealthy trip which resulted in a fatal decision.  Sir Steven was brave or foolhardy or both.   Stef could not imagine taking such risks.

Stef's well-planned, state-of-the art equipped vessel's four-month modern day voyage would first head towards Antarctica, traveling southward past the west coast of the South American continent to nearly the southernmost coast of Patagonia and then heading westward towards New Zealand.  Passage between New Zealand and Australia, would lead them into the southern part of the Indian Ocean, and finally move closer to Antarctica in search of elusive hydrothermal vents that had not yet been confirmed but had been mentioned in Sir Steven and Ned Land's records of 1915.