The Dark

All Rights Reserved © 2001 by Girad Clacy

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

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ISBN: 0-595-18367-0

ISBN: 978-0-5958-8010-2 (ebook)

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

About the Author

To Roger Howard (1938-1987) a teacher and a friend—God bless you

Chapter 1

Pier 66 at the New York Harbor Authority was quiet in the early morning hours of the day. A few people were seen walking about the pier as well as those on the quarterdeck of the small freighter. The freighter was named Hades and her commanding officer, Captain Roy Peterson, was arriving for the days’ activities. As he walked up the gangplank to the quarterdeck, he paused for a moment to look at the sky. The sky showed red-orange streaks in it as the sun tried to punch it’s way through the cloud cover. The cloud cover would not let the sun’s light through today. The captain looked at the stacks. There was no steam or smoke coming from them. He started to wonder if the engineer had forgotten that today they were to get underway for Italy. As he stepped across the quarterdeck, the quarterdeck watch saluted him. He returned the salute and picked up the phone on the quarterdeck. There was a slight delay before the ship’s Chief Engineer Kyle Mordan answered the phone.

Main control, this is the chief engineer.

Chief engineer, this is the captain. How come I don’t see any steam from the stacks yet?

We are in the pre light off stages right now, sir. I will have us underway by 12:00 hours as promised.

Very well.

The captain hung up the phone and looked at the quarterdeck clock, 05:45 hours. He shook his head and started towards his stateroom several decks up. When he arrived, he opened the door to find his cabin steward cleaning the place up. The steward turned around with a surprise in his hands, a cup of coffee. The captain took the cup of coffee and thanked the man as he left his cabin. The captain shook off some of the gloom of the day by drinking the coffee and taking off his heavy wool jacket.

Hanging the heavy wool jacket on the back of his stateroom door, he looked around at the place. It was different to him, but no different than any of the other staterooms he had stayed in during his career with the Merchant Marine. He looked up at one of the only pictures in the place, a picture of his son. He suddenly realized that after this voyage, he would see his son graduate from the Merchant Marine Commanding Officers School. His attention was distracted by the humming of the force draft blowers. He headed for the bridge to begin his underway check-off list.

As he arrived on the bridge, he was handed his logbook and started making the preparations for getting underway. As this was being completed, the bridge yeoman was handling the calls for getting underway. Every few minutes, another department would present itself ready. He was signing the last of the recent entries when the chief engineer called.

Main control, bridge.

Bridge, aye, said the captain into the telephone.

We are ready to begin underway check-off list for engineering. Respectfully request to engage the jacking gear on all three shafts.

Permission granted.

Main control, aye.

There was a momentary lowering of the noise from the force draft blowers. As the noise returned to its normal pitch, things started happening around the ship. The bridge yeoman touched the captain on his right shoulder.

Yes, what is it? asked the captain.

New York Harbor Fueling Company has requested permission to come alongside to refuel us.

Permission granted. Do we know how much fuel we are taking on?

I do not know, sir.

Carry on. Picking up the phone, the captain called main control.

Bridge, main control.

Main control, aye.

Fuel barge is coming alongside. Do you know how much fuel we need?

Yes, sir. We need 500,000 gallons of fuel for our trip.

Very well. I suggest that you get some of your personnel topside to hook up the fueling hose. They are alongside now.

Main control, aye. Request permission to activate the ship’s service turbo generators.

Permission granted.

Main control, aye.

The captain watched as the fuel hoses came aboard and the ship started to take on fuel. As the fuel was loaded on the starboard side, the ship started to list to starboard, but before the captain could say anything, the chief engineer was already on the problem.

Main control, bridge.

Bridge, aye.

Transferring fuel from starboard side wing tanks to the port side wing tanks. Request permission to pump up service and standby tanks to the boilers.

Permission granted.

The ship started to right itself as the fuel was transferred. The ship was nearing the 500,000-gallon mark and was seen to sit lower in the water. One of the ship’s damage control crewmembers walked out onto the pier and began marking the ship’s draft. A moment later he arrived on the bridge with the ship’s latest draft report. The captain took the draft report and placed it into his logbook, making a notation that most of the engineering department was ready to get underway. He was looking over the latest reports when the chief engineer called again.

Main control, bridge.

Bridge, aye.

Respectfully request permission to shift from shore power to ship’s power in five minutes. I need to have everything placed into a standby mode.

Permission granted. I’ll pass the word to the ship.

Switching channels on the telephone, the captain put himself on ship wide announcement.

All hands, this is the captain. Place all electronic and electrical gear in standby mode while shifting from shore power to ship’s power. That is all.

The lights flickered for an instant, growing dim as the ship’s service turbo generators took on the load of the ship. As the generators were paralleled to the load, the lights came back up to normal. The captain looked up at the time, 09:45 hours. The chief engineer called up once again.

Main control, bridge.

Bridge, aye.

Plant is stable at this time. We are running four of six generators at this time. Fuel status is maximum for our trip. Request to disconnect shore service steam.

Permission granted.

The captain watched as the engineering crew, who were topside, ran down to the pier and disconnected the shore service steam, electricity and telephones. All the preparations for getting underway were almost complete. The captain looked at the sky once more and started to get a funny feeling about this trip even before it really started. He felt something bad was going to happen to the ship, and him. He quickly shook it off, preparing for the arrival of the tugboats that would take him out of the harbor. The final check-off items were completed and the bridge yeoman made the announcement to set the sea and anchor detail. When the report came back that the sea and anchor detail was stationed, the captain looked once more out the windows of the bridge at the clouds.

The bridge was alive with all sorts of movement. The navigator pulled out his charts and maps, preparing for the trip. The helmsman and the lee helmsman were stationed at their posts. The watches on the bridge wings, as well as the forward and aft lookouts, were soon on post. The ship was indeed ready to get underway. The captain saw the report that the tugboats were coming alongside any minute. He looked at the bridge clock, 11:15 hours. Final preparations were completed.

Lee helm, is main control ready to answer all bells? asked the captain.

Yes, sir. Main control reported to me about ten minutes ago that they are ready to answer all bells.

Very well, prepare to get underway. Ring up 999 rpms on the engine order telegraph.

Aye, sir, ringing up 999 rpms.

Down in main control, the chief engineer looked at the engine order telegraph and responded with 999 rpms. He looked at his pit crew and picked up the phone, switching the circuit to the boiler and engine rooms.

Look steady, disengage the jacking gear and prepare to open the astern tubes.

Up on the bridge, the final steps were completed. The Lines Officer indicated that the ship was ready to get underway. He called the bridge when the tugboats arrived alongside and the gangplank had been removed.

Lines Officer, bridge.

Bridge, aye.

The tugboat captains indicate to me that they are ready for us to single up all lines.

Single up all lines.

The Hades was gently pushed into the pier