Titanic

{Chapter Three}

.  .  .  .  .

A CNN news report could be heard in the background of a house in Ojai; a live satellite feed from the deck of the Keldysh, intercut with the CNN studio.

The announcer looked at the teleprompter. "Treasure hunter Brock Lovett is best known for finding Spanish gold in sunken galleons in the Caribbean. Now he is using deep submergence technology to work two and a half miles down at another famous wreck...the Titanic. He is with us live, via satellite, from a Russian, research ship in the middle of the Atlantic...hello, Brock?"

Brock signaled to the film crew. "Yes, hi, Tracy. You know, Titanic is not just a shipwreck, it is THE shipwreck. It's the Mount Everest of shipwrecks."

The CNN report was playing on a television set in the living room of a small, rustic house. It was full of ceramics, figurines, folk art, the walls were crammed with drawings and paintings...things that had been collected over a lifetime.

A glassed-in studio was attached to the house. Outside, it was a quiet morning in Ojai, California. In the studio, amid incredible clutter, an ancient woman was throwing a pot on a potter's wheel. The red clay covered her hands, hands that were gnarled and age-spotted, but still surprisingly strong and supple. Another woman in her late thirties was assisting her.

The news report continued. "I've planned this expedition for three years, and we're out here recovering some amazing things...things that will have enormous historical and educational value."

 "But, it's no secret that education is not your main purpose. You're a treasure hunter. So, what is the treasure you are hunting?"

"I'd rather show you than tell you. And we think we're very close to doing just that. Everyone knows the familiar stories of Titanic - the bravery, the nobility, the band playing down to the very end, and all of that - but I'm interested in the untold stories...the secrets locked deep inside the hull of Titanic."

The old woman's name was Rose. Rose Calvert. Her face was a wrinkled mass, her body shapeless and shrunken under a one piece, African-print dress...but her eyes were just as bright and alive as those of a young girl.

Rose got up and walked into the living room, wiping pottery clay from her hands with a rag. A Pomeranian dog got up and came in with her.

The younger woman, Lizzy Calvert, rushed to help her.

Rose walked closer to the television. "Turn that up, please, dear."

As Lizzy turned up the sound, Rose's eyes focused on the screen.

"Your expedition is at the center of a storm of controversy over salvage rights and even ethics. Many are calling you a 'grave robber.'"

"Nobody called the recovery of artifacts from King Tut's tomb 'grave robbing.' I have museum-trained experts, here, making sure these relics are preserved and cataloged properly. Look at this drawing, which was found today..."

The video camera panned off of Brock to the drawing, in a tray of water. The image of the woman with the necklace filled the screen.

"...a piece of paper that's been underwater for eighty-four years...and my team are able to preserve it intact. Should this have remained unseen at the bottom of the ocean for eternity, when we can see it and enjoy it now?"

Rose was galvanized by this image. Her mouth hung open in amazement. Squinting to see the picture more closely, she exclaimed in surprise, "I'll be Goddamned."

.  .  .  .  .

The Mir submersibles were being launched. Mir Two was already in the water, and Lovett was getting ready to climb into Mir One when Bobby Buell ran up to him.

"There's a satellite call for you."

"Bobby, we're launching. Do you see these submersibles, here, going in the water? Take a message."

"No, trust me, you wanna take this call."

"This had better be good." Lovett followed Buell back inside.

Buell handed Lovett the phone, punching down the blinking line. "You've gotta speak up. She's kind of old."

"Great," Lovett replied with annoyance lacing his tone. He instantly began to play his nice game as he spoke into the phone. "This is Brock Lovett. What can I do for you Mrs..."

Bobby spoke up. "Calvert. Rose Calvert."

"...Mrs. Calvert."

Rose was sitting in her kitchen with a mystified Lizzy. "I was just wondering if you had found The Heart of the Ocean, yet, Mr. Lovett."

Brock almost dropped the phone. Anyone who knew the name of the diamond they sought for was either dead or part of their research team. But she knew.

Bobby saw his shocked expression. "I told you-you wanted to take the call."

Lovett spoke into the phone again. "All right. You have my attention, Rose. Can you tell us who the woman in the picture is?"

"Oh, yes. The woman in the picture is me."

.  .  .  .  .

Just finished watching Kate Winslet's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and it was great!  Kate is a fucking Goddess and everything I wish to be as a woman.

Anywho...make sure to let me know what you think of the story so far, and remember to vote, comment, and share! (;