Chapter 7: Diving into the Deep
The view outside the Queen’s ship was Armageddon. It took Elvira a little over an hour to get to Tristan Da Cunha from the Nemtsov Palace and the entire time Aleksandrina was beside herself. She took Amelatu with her since he was an expert with natural disasters and their overall impact on victims and the surrounding areas. At the very last second, the Queen’s brother also jumped on the ship to join the rescue expedition. He seemed concerned of his sister’s reaction to the news coming from the remote South Atlantic island. As the ship arrived at its destination, it began to creep high above the burning waters examining the wreckage, searching for survivors. It became clear early on that the impact of the underwater earthquakes coupled with a viciously erupting volcano disintegrated the main island as well as a neighboring Nightingale islands, resulting in a wall of water traveling in all directions away from the disaster zone. As the ship neared the epicenter of the disaster, Amelatu commanded that pilots notify Cape Town about a possible tsunami heading their way. He figured it would be the only place that might receive significant damage.
The view outside the Queen’s ship was Armageddon. It took Elvira a little over an hour to get to Tristan Da Cunha from the Nemtsov Palace and the entire time Aleksandrina was beside herself. She took Amelatu with her since he was an expert with natural disasters and their overall impact on victims and the surrounding areas. At the very last second, the Queen’s brother also jumped on the ship to join the rescue expedition. He seemed concerned of his sister’s reaction to the news coming from the remote South Atlantic island. As the ship arrived at its destination, it began to creep high above the burning waters examining the wreckage, searching for survivors. It became clear early on that the impact of the underwater earthquakes coupled with a viciously erupting volcano disintegrated the main island as well as a neighboring Nightingale islands, resulting in a wall of water traveling in all directions away from the disaster zone. As the ship neared the epicenter of the disaster, Amelatu commanded that pilots notify Cape Town about a possible tsunami heading their way. He figured it would be the only place that might receive significant damage.
The stunned passengers of the Elvira could do little else other than observe the mesmerizing destruction aided by the deafening explosions below. The burning lava could still be seen sitting on scattered pieces of land, floating all around the erupted volcano that clung to its last major piece of the main island. Someone among the passengers screamed as a piece of large debris flew in the air from the volcano heading to Elvira. The Queen’s brother pushed forward past the screaming passenger, towards the window and watched as the debris barely missed the tail end of the Queen’s ship. Relieved, he turned around looking at the unsettled Queen, “If there are any survivors down there, we should drop the rescue bots, Your Majesty.” Amelatu, who ran down from the cockpit after being alarmed by the passenger’s scream, agreed with the young Prince. “I have already dropped 5 bots into the water, Your Highness, so far they have nothing. If there are any survivors, they would move away from the main island, to avoid the lava and the debris. I’ve instructed them to search a 5 mile radius.”
The Queen stared at Amelatu, nodding in agreement, “That should’ve been done sooner, a lot sooner, as soon as we got here.” Displeased, she continued, “Let’s get my submarine in the water. I want to see what’s going on beneath the surface.” Amelatu shook his head, rather vehemently, insisting that the Queen must not leave Elvira. Defiantly, Aleksandrina ignored his warnings, “Nothing will happen, Amelatu, the sub is protected by impenetrable Muromets shield, it cannot be pierced by any element on this planet, even lava. Go and get it ready.” Motioning with her hand to Amelatu that she is no longer willing to hear him speak, she turned to her brother, addressing him in a commanding tone, “Wilfred, while I am down there, I want you to fly around. Collect anything you can find. There must be a ton of stuff Tristanians left behind. I want to return any possessions we might find to families in Britain.” Just as with Amelatu, the Queen abruptly finished speaking, turned and headed towards the back of the ship. She figured she had a few minutes to spare while getting changed into the pressurized suit.
Aleksandrina closed the cabin door behind her and sat down on her bed feeling numb. No longer strong, uncontrollable shaking pierced her body. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about what might have happened to Vadim and Julian. Eight months ago, she sent her boy to this remote island with Julian Hagan. She trusted Hagan since the beginning. He always supported her, sacrificed his family for her, devoted and loyal to a fault. He was neither a close friend, nor an advisor, not even a military commander. He was always around, yet no one noticed him, he was always supportive, yet did not hold a leadership position. He simply loved her and made it his life’s goal to serve her. Aleksandrina fell to the floor wailing gutturally like a wild animal, blaming Julian that he finally failed her with the most important task she entrusted him.
Still sitting on the floor, wracking her mind, she remembered that the last communication she received from her son was a little over 72 hours ago. Both seemed happy and excited. Vadim told her a story about a new art project he was making for his mom. He couldn’t wait to see her. Seeing his sweet face before her eyes brought her momentary relief. An annoying static from the PA system intruded into Aleksandrina’s private thoughts. Amelatu’s voice filled the cabin, apologetically telling the Queen that the royal submarine was prepared for boarding. He cautiously inquired if she will be needing assistance putting on the pressurized suit. Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she commanded that Wilfred be sent to help her.
Within a blink of an eye, Wilfred made his way to the Queen’s cabin. He quickly closed the door behind him so the rest of the passengers didn’t get a glimpse of his distraught sister. He knelt down and gently touched her shoulder. “Whatever it is that is upsetting you so much, we can find a way to fix it. But you have to tell me what’s wrong.” He waited for her to respond. For a long moment, neither moved or made a sound. Somehow her brother’s presence, his arm on her shoulder and his voice vibrated a calming energy throughout Aleksandrina. The numbness gave away to strength. She started to slowly get up. Clearing her throat, she looked up at her brother. The despair in her desolate, empty eyes made him involuntarily recoil. “I have a son. His name is Vadim. Julian Hagan brought him to this island, to keep him away from danger.” In a shaky, unstable voice, trying to keep from crying, she spat out the unbelievable news at Wilfred in one breath. “They are dead.” The last three words generated another waive of emotion, making her sob harder. Slowly grasping the gravity of events unfolding before his eyes, he hugged his sister and held her until the crying spell began to subside.
The cabin’s PA system came alive once again, with another message from Amelatu. By now, his voice adopted a wincing tone, informing the Queen that Elvira will be moving one kilometer out because the flying projectiles from the erupting volcano have increased. “Yes, that’s fine. I am almost ready to dive. I need two minutes.” Sighing bitterly, Aleksandrina walked over to the closet and pulled out a pressurized suit. “Here, let me help you with the buttons on the back.” Wilfred walked around his sister and swiftly untangled her elaborate royal tunic. Stripping her outwear took a few moments, but before she knew it, she was fully engulfed by the tight pressurized suit. “Make sure you don’t fart in that thing, Drina, cause that will be the end of that. You might actually tear a hole, and then you will lose pressure…” Wilfred started laughing at his own joke until his sister finally said, “Oh shut up, you idiot.” Her voice gave away that she was feeling less desperate. “Thanks for helping me with this.” Aleksandrina looked at her brother, “I have to go down there and see if I can find any clues Julian may have left behind. He always stashes things to be prepared for any eventuality.” Wilfred nodded in agreement, patting his sister on the arm.
“Listen, Admiral Mikhail Malyishev is down there. He is commanding the Akula submarine. He sent a signal to us just before I came to your cabin. I think you should take him with you. He is very experienced and if there is anything to find down there, he can help you. Do you remember him? You’ve met him a few times at the Navy command, along with a lot of other people.” Aleksandrina nodded, struggling to recall, “Yes, I remember, doesn’t he have a nickname? Vodyanoy? Like, a King of the Deep or something? I also remember that he wasn’t very personable.” Wilfred shook his head in disagreement, “Who cares what he is called. He is the best person for the job. I will see you soon. Be careful.” Wilfred kissed his sister on the cheek and left the cabin.
Still sitting on the floor, wracking her mind, she remembered that the last communication she received from her son was a little over 72 hours ago. Both seemed happy and excited. Vadim told her a story about a new art project he was making for his mom. He couldn’t wait to see her. Seeing his sweet face before her eyes brought her momentary relief. An annoying static from the PA system intruded into Aleksandrina’s private thoughts. Amelatu’s voice filled the cabin, apologetically telling the Queen that the royal submarine was prepared for boarding. He cautiously inquired if she will be needing assistance putting on the pressurized suit. Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she commanded that Wilfred be sent to help her.
Within a blink of an eye, Wilfred made his way to the Queen’s cabin. He quickly closed the door behind him so the rest of the passengers didn’t get a glimpse of his distraught sister. He knelt down and gently touched her shoulder. “Whatever it is that is upsetting you so much, we can find a way to fix it. But you have to tell me what’s wrong.” He waited for her to respond. For a long moment, neither moved or made a sound. Somehow her brother’s presence, his arm on her shoulder and his voice vibrated a calming energy throughout Aleksandrina. The numbness gave away to strength. She started to slowly get up. Clearing her throat, she looked up at her brother. The despair in her desolate, empty eyes made him involuntarily recoil. “I have a son. His name is Vadim. Julian Hagan brought him to this island, to keep him away from danger.” In a shaky, unstable voice, trying to keep from crying, she spat out the unbelievable news at Wilfred in one breath. “They are dead.” The last three words generated another waive of emotion, making her sob harder. Slowly grasping the gravity of events unfolding before his eyes, he hugged his sister and held her until the crying spell began to subside.
The cabin’s PA system came alive once again, with another message from Amelatu. By now, his voice adopted a wincing tone, informing the Queen that Elvira will be moving one kilometer out because the flying projectiles from the erupting volcano have increased. “Yes, that’s fine. I am almost ready to dive. I need two minutes.” Sighing bitterly, Aleksandrina walked over to the closet and pulled out a pressurized suit. “Here, let me help you with the buttons on the back.” Wilfred walked around his sister and swiftly untangled her elaborate royal tunic. Stripping her outwear took a few moments, but before she knew it, she was fully engulfed by the tight pressurized suit. “Make sure you don’t fart in that thing, Drina, cause that will be the end of that. You might actually tear a hole, and then you will lose pressure…” Wilfred started laughing at his own joke until his sister finally said, “Oh shut up, you idiot.” Her voice gave away that she was feeling less desperate. “Thanks for helping me with this.” Aleksandrina looked at her brother, “I have to go down there and see if I can find any clues Julian may have left behind. He always stashes things to be prepared for any eventuality.” Wilfred nodded in agreement, patting his sister on the arm.
“Listen, Admiral Mikhail Malyishev is down there. He is commanding the Akula submarine. He sent a signal to us just before I came to your cabin. I think you should take him with you. He is very experienced and if there is anything to find down there, he can help you. Do you remember him? You’ve met him a few times at the Navy command, along with a lot of other people.” Aleksandrina nodded, struggling to recall, “Yes, I remember, doesn’t he have a nickname? Vodyanoy? Like, a King of the Deep or something? I also remember that he wasn’t very personable.” Wilfred shook his head in disagreement, “Who cares what he is called. He is the best person for the job. I will see you soon. Be careful.” Wilfred kissed his sister on the cheek and left the cabin.
Still feeling somewhat shaken, Aleksandrina took a deep breath. After a brief pause, she proceeded to walk over and unlock the outer door of her cabin. Looking down at the raging water below, she spotted the royal submarine slightly to the side of Elvira. She crossed herself three times while looking up at the sky and spat over her right shoulder, followed by the left shoulder. It was a normal routine she completed any time something dangerous had to be done. Silently praying that her dive will go smoothly, she attached a cable to a connector located in the back of her upper shoulders and lunged forward in a swan dive. The cable automatically extended as Aleksandrina flew through the smoky air. Just before reaching the submarine, it retracted leaving the Queen dangling five feet above the boat’s surface. Aleksandrina waited until she stopped bobbing up and down before trying to disconnect from the cable. During the dive, it appeared that, the cable connector became twisted, refusing to budge in any direction as the Queen tried to pry it off. Just in the nick of time, a series of large bubbles surfaced followed by a gigantic Russian submarine distracting Aleksandrina. Continuing to dangle, she watched as the latch door of the submarine slowly opened and Admiral Malyishev emerged to the light of day.
The Admiral threw a curious glance at the Queen, followed by a quick nod, before proceeding to jump on the stairs and descend to the deck. Several sailors followed him, also glancing at the Queen. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging by the poorly hidden grins on their faces, she figured it was safe to assume they couldn’t wait to laugh. Several minutes have passed before the sailors fastened a make shift bridge from one submarine to another. Once the bridge seemed sturdy enough, Admiral Malyishev found his way across. He approached the dangling Queen and bowed. “Your Majesty, I am sorry we are meeting under these circumstances. Here, let me unhook you from the cable.” Briskly moving his hands, Malyishev freed the Queen. She quickly thanked him and shook his hand in gratitude. “I was told you are the best man for the job, Admiral. I hope you and I can find some vital information down there.” Without further pleasantries, both walked in silence towards the entrance hatch of the royal submarine. “After you, Your Majesty.” Malyishev gallantly waited until the Queen descended before proceeding down the stairs himself.
The Admiral threw a curious glance at the Queen, followed by a quick nod, before proceeding to jump on the stairs and descend to the deck. Several sailors followed him, also glancing at the Queen. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging by the poorly hidden grins on their faces, she figured it was safe to assume they couldn’t wait to laugh. Several minutes have passed before the sailors fastened a make shift bridge from one submarine to another. Once the bridge seemed sturdy enough, Admiral Malyishev found his way across. He approached the dangling Queen and bowed. “Your Majesty, I am sorry we are meeting under these circumstances. Here, let me unhook you from the cable.” Briskly moving his hands, Malyishev freed the Queen. She quickly thanked him and shook his hand in gratitude. “I was told you are the best man for the job, Admiral. I hope you and I can find some vital information down there.” Without further pleasantries, both walked in silence towards the entrance hatch of the royal submarine. “After you, Your Majesty.” Malyishev gallantly waited until the Queen descended before proceeding down the stairs himself.
Admiral Malyishev was a skinny, rather short 72 year old man, with a full head of thinning gunmetal gray hair and a time ravaged wrinkled face. He seemed relaxed sitting in the driver chair of a narrow, gloomy cockpit. Aleksandrina stood behind him, observing his preparation for an upcoming deep water dive. Once the pre-dive safety check was complete, Malyishev turned on the engines. A loud roar reverberated through the hull, reaching the cockpit. Some strange underwater clicking which turned into banging alerted Aleksandrina. Malyishev ignored the banging and proceeded to push several buttons, eventually looking at the Queen, “Your submarine, Your Majesty, is built using very advanced technology. Technology I have never seen before. I am not sure how it will perform once we reach the bottom, but if it works I want it installed in my fleet.” Aleksandrina nodded in agreement. “Ok, let’s close the hatch.” Malyishev reached for the radio and dialed Elvira, “This is Vodyanoy. Air in the banks, shit in the tanks, ready to submerge below. Queen is diving to eight thousand feet.” On the other end of the radio, Amelatu’s voice came alive, “Signal received Vodyanoy. Proceed to eight thousand feet.”
Descending into darkness took some time. In an abundance of caution, Malyishev decided to move slowly. The automation of the vessel, while impressive because it did not require a crew, impeded Malyishev’s ability to have full control. Elvira was still plugged in into the main frame with an ability to override the submarine’s chartered course. He repeatedly cursed under his breath with an astounding vigor forcing Aleksandrina to cringe at his prolonged stream of continuous vulgarities. The deeper the submarine descended, the harder the rocking and the rolling was felt. A small arrow inside the pressure gage remained firmly in the green. “So far so good, Your Majesty.” Malyishev muttered to himself hardly looking up from the panel full of gadgets in front of him. “According to the radar and active sonar navigation systems, there is a lot of activity on the ocean floor.” With his index finger, Vodyanoy pointed at the small screen next to the sonar. “Do you see these? They are gas bubbles, and they are increasing. That one is huge.” Mesmerized by the exploding bubbles turning into gigantic, underwater clouds of dust, Aleksandrina felt her shoulders tense up. “Elvira, we are at 1000 feet now, holding steady.” Malyishev transmitted their position to the Queen’s ship above and continued to watch the pressure gage.
A few, relatively calm minutes went by as the submarine descended. Malyishev began receiving communication back from the underwater bots scattered on the ocean floor like crustaceans. The information collected so far gave him an idea where the most stable areas of the ocean floor were located so he could touch down the vessel. Grunting to himself with a clenched jaw as he tinkered with the hydraulic gage, indicating to Aleksandrina that something is going terribly wrong, Malyishev asked for a hot cup of black tea. It has been a long time since anyone asked the Queen to make tea, but feeling glad to be useful, she got up from her co-pilot chair to locate the hot liquid dispenser. Her back was to the Admiral when she heard his high-pitched outburst. “What? What’s wrong?” Aleksandrina transported her body five feet in a fraction of a second, and pushed the Admiral’s shoulder prompting an answer. “A pod of whales, Your Majesty. Some of the largest I have ever seen.” Aleksandrina smiled. “I think that is a good sign, Admiral.”
A few, relatively calm minutes went by as the submarine descended. Malyishev began receiving communication back from the underwater bots scattered on the ocean floor like crustaceans. The information collected so far gave him an idea where the most stable areas of the ocean floor were located so he could touch down the vessel. Grunting to himself with a clenched jaw as he tinkered with the hydraulic gage, indicating to Aleksandrina that something is going terribly wrong, Malyishev asked for a hot cup of black tea. It has been a long time since anyone asked the Queen to make tea, but feeling glad to be useful, she got up from her co-pilot chair to locate the hot liquid dispenser. Her back was to the Admiral when she heard his high-pitched outburst. “What? What’s wrong?” Aleksandrina transported her body five feet in a fraction of a second, and pushed the Admiral’s shoulder prompting an answer. “A pod of whales, Your Majesty. Some of the largest I have ever seen.” Aleksandrina smiled. “I think that is a good sign, Admiral.”
Following the movements of the whales on the navigation radar, Aleksandrina wondered out loud, “It’s as if they are trying to tell us something, Admiral. Are they guiding us toward the epicenter of the earthquake?” Vodyanoy nodded his head, “Whales are known to be very smart, Your Majesty. They are definitely up to something. I say we follow them and see where that takes us.” Letting out a big sigh of mixed emotions, Aleksandrina finished up making two cups of tea and re-joined Admiral Malyishev at the helm of the submarine. The cockpit fell silent as both passengers sipped their tea, listening to the intermittent, pulsating calls of oversized mammals. Watching the majestic creatures outside the starboard window move along the submarine with phantom elegance was fascinating. The gigantic silhouettes in the murky water created an eerie, yet divine, calming ambiance in both observers. "Look at that one! I think it's bigger then this vessel." Aleksandrina pointed towards a massive, endless blue whale with a damaged tail. " Vodyanoy nodded, "I see him." The whale seemed to sense that he was being observed and started rotating himself while moving his right fin. "I am no whale whisperer, Your Majesty, but I am pretty sure that over-sized fish wants us to dive to the right." Aleksandrina shrugged her shoulders, "Go for it."
