Stef often had philosophical discussions with Mom and Dad, whenever another devastating event with terrorist ties took place. It seemed they had been happening with more and more regularity. An entire lifetime had milestones based on events going all the way back to a first birthday at the time of the Oklahoma City Bombing. And, not all tragic events involved terrorists. Sometimes, it was equipment failure, or poor judgment by the ship's captain, or a quickly unfolding natural disaster. Or, it could possibly be all three happening at once.
Thoughts of such things came up every time another trip began with a plane flight or a voyage away from the coastline of a continent. It was a wonder that these fears were conquered enough to participate in any travel involved occupation. Needless to say, these were thoughts not shared in interviews. Only Mom and Dad knew, and they realized that their child had come a long way in overcoming what some called irrational fears.
Journal writing and in many cases familiarizing oneself with as much background information as possible before embarking on a new adventure had worked to bolster courage. Knowledge is power. And, that is why this young oceanographer paid careful attention to all of the details during the tour of the ship, especially regarding the submersibles.
The submersibles onboard this R/V, which was designed loaded with high-tech equipment, are treated with the utmost care, much as space shuttles were watched over by teams of experts in every aspect of their missions. To facilitate the manned submersible, a large A-frame crane was installed on the stern of the ship, to lift the submersible off of the deck, put it into the water, and later haul it back on deck. While the submersible is in use, the R/V uses a positioning system that keeps it one spot. The technology in use impressed all of the scientists in the tour and came up frequently in conversations later as everyone attempted to become acquainted with one another before and after the meetings to discuss the itinerary.
Being aboard this wonderful research ship with all of the latest technology was equal to being invited to work at a high- tech lab at a research hospital. As this had been a time of national governmental downsizing for all sorts of environmental projects, the ship had been put on the list for being decommissioned. Losing access to such a valuable asset, was of great concern to the worldwide community of scientists.
Fortunately, a private party with very deep pockets pounced on the opportunity to purchase this gem of the ocean and keep the oceanic and environmental research alive and well. The oceanographers and marine biologists aboard had all felt the disappointment of seeing important projects cut from the government's budget for EPA and National Parks and the National Science Foundation, as well as deep cuts in Medical Research.
Knowing that private parties had funded this major exploration, made all of them feel immense gratitude to the unknown benefactors. StLF and MYKA realized how very fortunate they were to be included among so many dedicated and distinguished scientists.
As the two youngest aboard, they stood out, and curiosity about their presence brought bemusement to the others who tried to be nonchalant about the mystery of who they might be and why they were there.
This dynamic duo enjoyed each other's company and often met on the ship's fantail to compare observations about the much older scientists who had been selected. Although they both had years of training and education, their slim athletic builds, smooth complexions, shaggy hairstyles with sun-bleached highlights, and nonchalance swagger and peppy steps gave them the appearance of teenagers in contrast to the rest of the science team and ship's crew.
They were glad to have each other as companions, with whom they could converse with easily and who understood the current scientific jargon and kept up with the latest in online gaming sites and movies. They had each worried that their work and contributions to the research would not be taken seriously. Each had experienced firsthand the loneliness and frustration of being dismissed by others who had so much more experience in the field.
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Stealth Journeys with the Steam Mapper
AdventureA 2019 Wattys entry deeply into climate change, global warming, and environmental destruction, especially the nuclear kind! A lot of true facts are embedded in this story which has both true and fictional characters. Who is to be believed is for y...