Breakthrough (Breakthrough, #1)

by Michael C. Grumley

Something out there sounded strange. He pressed the headphones in tighter against his ears. Sonar operators were a special breed. Few people could sit in front of a computer screen,

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listening to the faintest of sounds through

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for the few who could, it was surprising how attuned a human sense could become. Eugene Walker would rather be a Pin...

sense could become. Eugene Walker would rather be a Ping Jockey than do any other job in the Navy. Here, he could hear everything. Even on a boring night like this, he knew exactly what surrounded them as they slid silently through the dark waters. What he was listening to tonight was odd though. He had heard it for some time but couldn’t pin it down. He shifted in his seat and studied the computer screen in front of him, listening to the strange sou...

as they slid silently through the...

What he was listening to tonight was odd though. He had heard it for some time but couldn’t pin it down. He shifted in...

could not place it. Some jockeys were rumored to be so good that they could identify the current moving through the coral,

couldn’t hear currents, though he had identified some natural occurrences that the computers could not. But this one was strange; a steady hum at a very low frequency

more than ten feet behind Walker stood Commander Sykes, reading through yet another fascinating maintenance report. Sykes was a stickler for detail, as

He picked up his warm coffee and sipped, letting his mind wander to his wife and girls at home, wondering if they were in bed yet. He glanced at his watch

eye, he noticed his Navigation Officer repeatedly looking at the instruments and then back to the table and his digital map. “Something

table and his digital map. “Something wrong, Willie?” Willie Mendez didn’t reply for a long moment. Reporting a problem to the XO wasn’t something you did without triple checking. “Mmm…” Sykes turned slowly, still reluctant to take his eye off the report which was now blurring into a jumble of words. The officer looked closer at the large illuminated, three square foot map between them. “I’m getting something strange here, sir.”

checking. “Mmm…” Sykes turned slowly, still reluctant to take his eye off the repo...

three square foot map between them. “I’m getting something strange here, sir.” Sykes looked

many times have you checked this?” “Four times.” Sykes scratched his chin while Mendez spoke. “Plotting from our last verifiable had us here, two minutes ago.” He zoomed

direction. “Now it’s reporting us here.” “In two minutes?” Sykes’ response was rhetorical. He

they’d had, far from it. He knew that software written by some geek hyped up on Jolt was far more fallible than traditional

the cooks knew that by now. “Anything else acting buggy?” “No, sir.” “Run integrity checks on both systems.” “Already started, sir.” All eyes turned to the monitor now displaying the results. “Systems report no consistency errors.” Great, broken software that doesn’t even know it’s broken. Sykes looked closely at the orange GPS display. “Try re-synching the satellites.”

monitor now displaying the results. “Systems report no consistency errors.” Great, broken sof...

complied and waited. He began to slowly shake his head. “Birds look good. I’ve got five…now six. Pinpointed to

remained focused on the GPS screen, thinking. Eugene stuck his head out of the tiny radio area and dropped his headset around his

feed and closed his eyes. “…it’s gone now.” “Any ideas?” Eugene

After a long silence and with forced control, he put his mug down. Stepping from the room over the lip of the hatch, he continued down the long gray, metal corridor. “Of all the damn timing.” ***

forced control, he put his mug down. Stepping from the room over the lip of the hatch, he continued down the long gray, metal corridor. “Of all the damn timing.” *** Captain Ashman replied to the knock on his door with a simple “Enter”. Sykes stepped in, his head barely an inch from the piping overhead. “What it is?” he hardly needed

miles.” Ashman looked up. “Fifteen miles?” “Yes, sir”. “Did you run diagnostics?” Sykes

sir. The propulsion systems are in perfect sync. It’s just our position that’s incorrect. I suspect it’s a misread somewhere in GPS, but we can’t verify unless…” “If we surface, the mission is aborted.”

someone was stupid enough to upgrade anything before a four-month mission, I’ll personally escort them to the brig!” “Yes, sir!” He took a deep breath. It didn’t matter whether someone upgraded the system or not, it was still broken and probably could not be fixed from here. Even if it could, it would leave enough doubt to abort the mission anyway. No one would risk continuing on and having a problem crop up at deeper depths. Down there you can’t just pop up to the surface. “Talk with the engineers and make sure no one made any changes.” Sykes nodded. He’d

whether someone upgraded the system or not, it was still broken and probably could not be fixed from here. Even if

there you can’t just pop up to the surface. “Talk with the engineers and make sure no one made any changes.” Sykes nodded. He’d expected this order before he knocked

up. Tell them we’re coming back.” By the time Sykes made it back to the bridge, he

developing a bad ...

became an official British territory in the late 1960’s. Like many Caribbean islands, the majority of business in the Caymans was tourism, flocked to regularly by thousands of sunburned, overweight Americans with too much money and a penchant for cat naps. Arriving in Georgetown and setting out for adventure in their sparkling rental cars and air conditioning, most visitors would be hard pressed to spot remains of the devastation inflicted by the hurricane just a few years earlier. Progress could be simply astounding when it came to the anticipation of more money. While undetectable from the island, Georgetown was in fact still visible, albeit barely, from the 38 foot catamaran across the stretch of ocean. Anchored

across the stretch of ocean. Anchored much closer to Little Cayman, the boat sat listless in the gentle ocean swell, swaying

the aluminum mast. The warm winter breeze flowed gently through the lines and over th...

enough, an observer might mistake it for abandoned with no one in sight. Though at this distance the only neighbors were sea...

tossing them up and grabbing his towel in the same motion. He retrieved a bottle of orange juice from the small

grabbing his towel in the same motion. He retrieved a bottle of orange juice from the small refrigerator and went forward to relax on the trampoline. Peering at the larger island, he could make out the faint image of a jet ski skirting across the water. It amazed him how many people loved noise. Insistent that they need a break from the grind, they travel to a remote area to unwind, only to shop with a thousand other tourists, or zip across the bay on a rocket running at 80 decibels. He smiled to himself and tipped his orange juice in their direction. To each his own, he thought. He should, in fact, be thankful. If they were not over there,

across the water. It amazed him how many people loved noise. Insistent that they need a break from the grind, they trave...

sound was extremely faint but unmistakable and he felt a flutter of grim acceptance before reaching for the binoculars. He wiped the water from his face and peered through the lenses. He stood, watching stoically as the tiny black dot in the distance slowly grew into the recognizable

wiped the water from his face and peered through the lenses. He stood, watching stoically as the tiny black dot

busy Fridays were. He would have guessed a Saturday or Sunday, but the last day of the school week was always the busiest. This was thanks to all the nearby schools and their field trips, which meant

schools and their field trips, which meant playing host for four exhausting hours. An obligation Chris had finally been freed from just three weeks earlier with the hiring of a new tour guide. Of course, now he had to admit that giving the tours to the kids was not all bad. It was the fact that their retention levels dropped to zero once they were through the front door that bothered him. From there, they could see the aquarium’s star attractions, dolphins Dirk and Sally. Not that he would have been any different at their age. He strolled through the empty lobby sipping his coffee. As he approached, he smiled at Betty behind the information desk and his replacement, Al, who was looking over his schedule and straightening his tie.

the hiring of a new tour guide. Of course, now he had to admit that giving the tours to the kids was not all bad. It was the fact that their retention le...

return to his real work. Chris glanced at his watch; thirty minutes until the doors opened. He headed downstairs to the bottom level of the main

were already illuminating the water with a soft shade of blue from the tank’s open top. He watched both shadows dart back and forth effortlessly through

and dropped his backpack onto the desk. Swimming with dolphins was beyond what most could imagine, and she should know, she did it as often as possible. She rarely missed a Friday, as it was the one day that the aquarium opened late, leaving a forty-five minute window between feeding time and opening time. Over the last five years, Dirk and Sally had especially come to enjoy their swims together, it was more than obvious. They constantly swirled around her, letting her run her hands over their slick bodies, and in turn, would playfully bump her as they passed beneath. She looked at her watch, gave them one last pat, and headed for the ladder.

rarely missed a Friday, as it was the one day that the aquarium opened late, leaving a forty-five minute window between feeding time and opening

than obvious. They constantly swirled around her, letting her run her hands over their slick bodies, and in turn, would playfully bump her as they passed beneath.

are you smiling?” He bent down. “I think you’re going to want to see this.” Her eyes shot open. “IMIS?” Chris grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the water with one hand, and handing her

still snuck a glance now and then at her trim figure. A few inches shorter than average, she was still far from the norm when

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