Stealth Journeys with the Steam Mapper

Ch 88: A Sleepless Night Lands Stef Awash with Conflict

Stef hoped to fall asleep thinking of more stories and movie trivia to share with MYKA and wondering if any more sightings of a large sea creature would interrupt their scheduled dives as they continued their expedition.  But, sleep would not come easily for Stef, as thoughts of an overheard conversation were rehashed.  On the way to catch some sleep, Stef had suddenly realized that the current precious journal had been left behind in the snack bar.   Returning to the snack table to find the treasured journal, brought panic.  It was missing and it held confidential observations, not to be shared with anyone.   Sheepishly, Stef headed for the Chief Scientist's office to report the lost item.   Standing just outside the office, Stef heard a strange one-sided conversation taking place.

"Hey!  Thanks for calling me back . . . Yes, I thought so . . . So, it seems we have more than one impostor aboard . . . I appreciated the heads up . . . Yea, really nice kid . . . Who would have guessed?   Well, we'll deal with it when we deal with it . . . Guess there were lots of motives for being on this expedition.   Just didn't figure this would enter into it.    Always a surprise. . . Yes, this is between us . . . Not a word . . . Keep me apprised of any new revelations.   Thanks again!"

Stef decided to go directly to the Lost and Found area and fill out a report for the missing journal, acting as nonchalantly as possible. And, then return to the berths to ruminate on what the Chief Scientist's phone call might have meant.    And, wonder until sleep overtook just who might have picked up the journal and might be reading it.

Relief in finding MYKA  fast asleep, meant time to think things through.   Stef felt some humiliation as a thought popped up.  "Was I so gullible, that I accepted everything as true? Could MYKA  whoever that is, be the impostor?    What was it MYKA had said about being impressed with con artists like that character Leonardo Di Caprio played?   The true life one?  MYKA  was a polymath with an eidetic memory who mentioned books about the Cousteau family all of the time.   Maybe after reading these books "The Expert" was immersed in deep sea diving, and Cousteau adventures, and could regurgitate their contents to StLF as wonderful memories.   And what about the comments they shared about Erin Brockovich conning the lawyers of the company owning the big water treatment plant?"

"And, hadn't Stef bragged to MYKA  about Sir Steven Payne's exploits of working in disguise and stealing the property belonging to others?"  Stef wrestled with these many conflicting ideas of what was heroic and what was sinister.

If MYKA was up to something, why wouldn't a true friend trust Stef with the information?  When and why did their friendship get complicated or compromised?   Stef had let down a wall of suspicion that usually went up when extra-friendly people approached.   Friendships usually took years of communication and sharing of work and ideas over long periods of time.   Frankly, Mom and Dad had usually handled the introductions to people they saw as potential friends.   Making a new friend without Mom and Dad's involvement had been an important part of this new friend being valued over all others.

With all of these thoughts racing, Stef was reminded of another song, a favorite of Mom's, one she kept on her "teen memories" playlist.   Mom had enjoyed after school viewings of MTV's reruns of the old show "The Monkees" and when they did a reunion tour, Davy, Peter, and Micky, put out a new album, "Pool It!"  Her favorite song was "Shades of Gray" written by favorite songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Stef chose to listen to it now in hopes of calming down.   Mom's playlist always reflected conundrums and laments and sometimes, hope. "Blowing in the Wind".   "Where Have All the Flowers Gone".   The songs on the Grammy nominated album by Peter, Paul and Mary called "No Easy Walk to Freedom", including "Weave Me the Sunshine".

So now Stef listened to the Monkees sing "Shades of Gray".

"When the world and I were young, just yesterday . . . Life was such a simple game a child could play.  It was easy then to tell right from wrong.   Easy then to tell weak from strong, when a man should stand and fight, or just go along."

"But today there is no day or night.  Today there is no dark or light.   Today there is no black or white, only shades of gray."

"I remember when the answers seemed so clear.  We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.   It was easy then to tell truth from lies, selling out from compromise.   Who to love and who to hate.  The foolish from the wise."

"But today there is no day or night.  Today there is no dark or light.   Today there is no black or white, only shades of gray."

"It was easy then to know what was fair . . . When to keep and when to share . . .How much to protect your heart . . .And how much to care."

"But today there is no day or night. Today there is no dark or light. Today there is no black or white, only shades of gray."