Ch 3 The river flows to the ocean

[dakota]

" You are quite welcome, Captain Fraser." The sailor said in a heavily accented voice. " I am afraid there is not much room, but we are not used to company like this."

The sub was very cramped, and definitely not meant for transporting groundpounders.

[Tori]

For a small cat like Tori, the sub's scale was not a big deal. She would move to the torpedo room or engine room once oscar mike. She took note of each officer and crewman, noting rank and rankings before she had a 'nip. She stowed the gear as well as possible. Maybe she would get it back, or maybe she would need a reissue when and if they returned to the real world. Right now, she was pessimistic of the mission's survival rate.

"How y'all do transit from the boat to shore for SEALs and SOGs?" Tori asked. If no army people would answer her, she'd ask the navy. She tried hard to place his accent, and looked around for other animals, especially cats on the boat. A touch of feline sensibility beyond Sleepysox was just what she needed.

"Wake up Janxi. You'll sleep through the hurricane and seamonsters," she needled her partner.

[Renekin Skywalker]

Socrates looked out the viewport. He hadn't spent much time underwater before. He curious to see what he would see here. As always, his psychic senses are keeping watch.

[Dome]

As he climbs down into the sub, Richardson looks as uncomfortable as he did on the first plane ride the team took together. He says nothing, but walks toward the bulkheads and looks for possible escape routes.

[Janxi]

Janxi was bored. She was sleepy and surly to boot. Nothing was happening. Just to stir things up, she grabbed Tori's tail and gave a gentle tug. Knowing her strength well, she knew to be careful not to injure the little tabby. She then turned towards Socrates casting an accusatory glare at him.

[Renekin Skywalker]

(You mean my Socrates that's near the front of the ship, sitting watching out the viewport, right? Not the other Socrates that would have been close enough to make the accusation credible?)

[sasqaricious]

Autumn just enjoys the trip and the difference that the people on the sub seem to be.

[Janxi]

(I'll be danged. I read the part where Socrates was looking out the window into a muddy river, but missed the part where he walked forward in a crowded mini-sub on the bridge. I figured we were all huddled up like in a clown car. I guess I meant the socrates Janxi stood in a crowded sub with, and no spare room Socrates. Thanks for telling me there's 2!)

[Mierin]

(OOC: Don't start, guys. Either of you)

Sam does her best to find a spot where she is not in the way of the sub's crew as they make way toward their destination. She keeps an eye out on Shep, knowing that he is going to be feeling mighty uncomfortable in their tight surroundings.

[Tori]

Tori whirled around at the tug and hissed. Janxi was in the most obvious position to be the instigator, but she had little love for Socrates at this point and glared at him, too. She vocalized a long, cross "meeerrrrrewwwlllll," as her ears flattened. Her tail swished now from the molestation and her eyes narrowed.

[Renekin Skywalker]

Socrates was still looking out the big fish-bowl viewport of the sub, wondering what sea creatures they'ld see.

[dakota]

[It's a Triax XS-30 mini sub, and in the GM's opinion, small enough that there are onlythree compartments. the command section, the small crew comparment and the enging room, which would be off limits]

The Captain looked at Tori. " We don't. That is for larger vessels to take care of. This is a first for us so I was hoping you had some sort of idea how to use that." He pointed to an odd case holding a self inflating raft. " Do you have orders for me once we clear the river?"

The five man crew busied themselves with their duties as the boat began to move. The entire front of the sub was fishbowl-like, and socrates was getting a good view of the river ahead. The only creatures he saw were fish and a small alligator.

Shep had huddled back in the corner near their gear and the raft, and had stuck his helmet on, his legs folded beneath him. He hadn't made a sound since he came on board.

[Renekin Skywalker]

Socrates eyed the alligator as it swam, watching its movements through the water.

[Tori]

Tori looked at the inflatable, to Janxi, back up at the captain and finished, with even on a feline face was pure incredulity. Back in BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolitions School), candidate teams would hump inflatable boats up and down beaches, out into the water and paddle back. Yes, the training was in high surf, cold water and in a perpetual state of exhaustion.

The candidates were already strong swimmers, and essentially drown proofed before these exercises. Recon marines got much the same training. They could all paddle small boats to shore or along a river.

Storm seas were completely different. A swell could tip them, and a breaker could wash them out. Surge could smash them against mangroves. Rip currents would drag them back out, while if anyone falls overboard, strong undertows could be fatal.

She sat where she assumed she would be out of the way. She looked at the Chief of the Boat (assuming a Petty officer for a small boat like this on, like a PBR) and shook her head with pessimism. "Well, Chief. I hate to say it, but it'll have to surface. It would work best to lash the inflatable to your boat's sail. They should powerinflate with compressed air bottles. We then gotta board and cast off. God help 'em if your men gotta get out on the deck in this weather. We'll cut free and paddle towards shore. We were hoping you could beach and we'd walk out."

Every member of the team would have EBA on. That was good to a point. While the suit remained intact and air was not an issue, there would be no drownings. Heavy rips and undertows might mean a team mate could be driven out to sea, and exhaust themselves before swimming to shore. Even if strong swimmers like she and Janx would probably refuse, they could probably do it.

Tori started to think, and this was dangerous for people, especially herself.

"Chief, Mr. Trassk... I have an idea that could make this easier for everyone. Janxi and I could possibly swim out your escape trunk while you got as low under the surfline as possible. We could lash a line to your sail, swim to shore with it. Lash it to shore, and the rest of the team could use that for a security line and to pull the inflatable to the beach. We'd leave slack in the line to compensate for wave motion. Really all the team would need to do is hang on and pull yourselves along, and maybe keep paddling.

"I don't know how well anyone on the team swims but the two of us. If someone goes overboard, your best bet is to reach for them with something like a paddle. Secure yourself to a line if you try to pull someone in. Y'all will probably wanna wear PFD's (personal flotation devices). You ain't gonna drown in your suits, but undertows and rips are going to be nasty. If you're bobbing on the surface, chances are better than average you'll get washed to shore. Before we go, secure ALL your weapons and gear, and get a buddy to double and triple check. If we do this line idea, get to the rope stat and pull yourself to shore. Don't panic. Your buoyancy with a PFD means the water will lift you up and keep you upright and face out of water. Your suit means you will not drown. Pull yourself ashore and we'll help as we can.

"Above all, if we lose a man going in, do not go in after them. Trained lifesavers are often pulled down by panicking swimmers even in pools. We ain't got that. Reach with your paddle or hand, or help them find the safety rope, if we get one rigged. If you're overboard and can't find that, and are fighting a rip, swim laterally along the shore until you find a swell and ride it in best you can. Look for anything you can grab onto for flotation or rocks along the beach you can hold on to. Don't fight against waves. Remember, lateral along rips, and catch a breaker to bring you closer. Your PFD will work just like a surfboard! When we all get to shore, we cut the lifeline, and the Skipper sails off into the sunset."

Her whiskers twitched. "You could even lash the rope to the inflatable and we could pull you in. Then again, it might be better to paddle in with no rope, with your strongest members with oars." The same parallel rips, surf swells theory would work in the raft, just without the safety rope."

She would give Trassk and Sam a chance to think over her suggestion, before she walked up beside Socrates taking in the view. Now was mission time, not time to break stones. They needed to work together to survive. Tori would do her part. She looked up at the gator and smirked to Socrates, shooting him a playful wink. "Aww look, a baby."

[Janxi]

"Capt'n, we never been in this type of boat before. What's your minimum depth needed for both surface and undersea operations? If you could find us an old barge dock or somthin' we could jump out. Rivers are going to be full of storm water and limbs and trees and trash, and currents are going to be awful. Somethin' like an ol' canal has a pretty low flow of water, even during hurricanes, though storm surge still gonna suck." She looked over at Tori and narrowed her eyes.

"Rule No. 1 is nobody volunteers for nothing, Tea-Bag!" Her tail swished with a little anger too. "And if that's a baby, I'd hate for Socrates to see that gator's mama!"