“You must warn him.”
“How can I warn him?”
“You forget, you can do anything now. You are not among the living anymore. Go warn him before it happens. The lives of every man on that submarine depend on you getting to him.”
“I will try.”
“You will not try. You will do it!”
“Yes, I will do it,” the beautiful dark haired ghost declared confidently.
“If you do this right your wings await you on your return. For now you will remain a ghost until you succeed in your mission.”
“Thank-you, Sir,” she said as she floated away from the white-garbed figure.
Slowly, at first and then with ever quickening speed the spectre swooped towards the vast ocean below her. She knew the area where the sub should be but not the exact location. Her ghostly remains hit the cold water with no sign of disturbance. She did not feel the cold; she did not notice the fish, sharks or other underwater life. Her mind was intent on finding the one man who could save the sub. If she failed they would all be like her.
Down through the depths of the water she went. Swirling endlessly in an ocean of marine life that no living human could ever hope to see or feel. She swam through a mighty whale and smiled when the creature didn’t respond.
Faster and faster she swam until she saw the silver streamlined beauty of the submarine she had been ordered to find. She swam up to the Herculite windows and gazed into the nose of the submarine. Two men, one blonde, one red haired, both handsome but neither was the man she was searching for. Still not used to the idea of being a ghost she reached her hands tentatively towards the glass windows. She jerked them back as they went through and then quicksilver laughter erupted from her.
Without any more hesitation she threw herself at the windows and swept right through the hull of the sub. She smiled as the two men sitting at the small table shivered as if they felt her presence. On and on she went through the submarine searching for the lone man who could save the sub. Closed hatchways were no problem for her as she drifted through them.
Finally she stood before a bunk where a handsome dark haired man lay with his eyes closed. His face was pale and she reached out to lightly touch it. She sighed as she imagined what life would have been like under different circumstances, but that could never be now.
‘Lee,’ she called gently.
“Hmm.”
She heard his quiet response to her soft voice and spoke again, ‘Lee, there is something you must do.’
“Something must do,” his sleepy voice murmured.
‘That’s right, Lee. Before you give your information you must make sure the crash doors are closed over Seaview’s windows,’ she told him.
“Close crash doors,” he said sleepily.
‘That’s right. It’s important that you remember, Lee. The lives of you crew are depending on you,’ she explained.
“Crew... crew depending on me,” he said sleepily.
‘Yes, Lee, the crew is depending on you,’ she said and noticed he was starting to wake up. ‘Remember,’ she said once again and moved away as another man came up to the bunk.
“Remember. Have to remember,” he said as he opened his eyes.
“Have to remember what?” Seaview’s doctor asked.
“Huh?” Lee asked.
“You said you have to remember something.”
“I did?”
“Yes you did. What was it?”
“I haven’t got a clue. Must have been dreaming,” Lee told him.
“Must have been. How are you feeling, Captain?” Doc asked.
“I’m fine. Where’s the Admiral. I have to send that message out.”
“I called him just before you came to. If you feel up to it we can go to the control room right now.”
Lee Crane eagerly jumped off the bunk and hurried through the corridors till he reached the control room, doc right behind him.
“Lee, I’m glad to see you’re on your feet. How’s the arm?” Nelson asked.
“Fine, Sir. Are they ready for the message?”
“The call is just coming through any minute now,” Nelson said.
“Nelson institute coming through, Admiral. Miss Hale,” Sparks voice called.
“Very well, unscramble,” Nelson said.
The video screen lit up and a woman’s face came on, “Congratulations, Admiral,” she said. “Is Lee all right?”
“He’s fine, Miss Hale, see for yourself.”
Lee walked in front of the screen and smiled, “Hi Lola,” he said. “Are you in the mood to listen to a little music?”
Lola took note of the sling on Lee’s arm and asked. “What happened to your arm? A music critic.”
“A little respect for the artist please. Get your tapes ready Lola. This is the tune that caused all the trouble,” Lee told her and then noticed the crash doors were open. Something clicked in the back of his mind and he turned to the Admiral, “Sir could we close the crash doors first?”
“Do what, Lee?” Nelson asked unbelievingly.
“Can we close the crash doors?” Lee asked again.
“Why?” Nelson asked curiously, but signalled to Chip Morton to close them.
“I don’t know,” Lee told him seriously. “I’d just like them closed.”
Morton grinned as he walked over to the crash doors. “What the matter, Lee? Is your voice really that bad that you think it can break the windows?” he asked.
“No, let’s just say I got a message that they should be closed,” Lee told them.
“A message?” Nelson asked.
“Yes, Sir. I’ll explain later,” Lee said as he watched the door’s close.
“Are you ready now, Lee?” Lola Hale asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Lee said.
“But are we,” Chip mumbled from behind him. Snickers of laughter met his comment.
Lee shook his head and started the tune, “La la la, la la la la la,
La la la, la la la la la
La la la, la la la, la la
La la la la la la La.”
As Lee’s voice finished the last note of the song a splintering began in the Herculite windows. Nelson ran into the nose and stood before the magnificent windows. A jagged break ran from the top of one window straight down to the bottom. Nelson ran his hand down the seam and shook hid head, “Lee!”
Lee shook his head as he came up behind Nelson. “Now how did that happen?” he asked worriedly.
“I don’t know, Lee, but it’s a good thing you got that message. If the crash doors had been open we wouldn’t have stood a chance. Who gave you the message anyway?” Nelson asked.
“I’m not sure, Sir. I thought I was dreaming and someone said to make sure the crash doors were closed and that the lives of the crew depended on me.”
“Whoever it was we owe them a debt of gratitude,” Nelson said and turned to Morton. “Chip head for Santa Barbara for repairs.”
“Aye, aye, Sir,” Morton said.
Nelson touched the glass once again and looked at his captain. “One more thing, Lee.”
“What is it, Sir?”
“Please refrain from singing in the shower or anywhere else until we find out what caused this,” Nelson said in a serious voice.
“I... I... Sir I...” Lee stammered.
Nelson couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer and gave Lee a friendly swat on the back as he walked by him. “Just kidding, Lee, let’s get some coffee.”
“Yes, Sir,” Lee said and sat at the table. For just a moment he could see a dark haired woman in white standing by the window, slowly the vision disappeared and Lee smiled as he realized who she was.
“What are you grinning about, Captain?” Nelson asked as he sat down next to him.
“Well, Sir, you’re not going to believe this but I think I know who I gave me the message.”
“Who?” Nelson asked curiously.
“Alicia.”
“Alicia. You mean the agent who was killed giving you that tune?”
“Yes, Sir. She came to me in a dream.”
“Dreams are amazing things, Lee. It’s funny how people have been trying to interpret them for years and they still remain a mystery. We all owe Alicia our lives even if it was only a dream.”
“Yes sir we do,” Lee said and began drinking his coffee.
Alicia smiled at the two men seated at the table. Because of the warning she’d been able to give them they would all live to return to their families and she would now be at peace. A beautiful smile adorned her ghostly face as she floated away from Seaview towards her destiny.
THE END
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