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CHAPTER TWO

THE BAD STORM

Fifty miles north, the storm was creating havoc for the other trawlers there. The trawler Norlina was battling the elements as she sailed through the massive waves. Her captain, Joe Diamond, was managing his vessel as best he could.

"This weather is going to be the death of us all," said Joe.

Meanwhile, five miles west of the Norlina the trawler Glendora was already in trouble and had sent a distress call for help. The _Glendora_had run aground and was taking on water. The Coast Guard responded quickly and rescued the crew.

Meanwhile, the crew aboard the Capt M. J. Souza woke up to a nightmare. During the nigh, the ship was tossed about and the deck was covered with seawater. The storm had damaged the mast and radar system. The captain ordered a course for their homeport for repairs. The crew transferred to the Amaltal Atlantisl, sister ship of the Capt M. J. Souza. and was back out again in the storm, plowing through the waves and gales.

Darin and Robert had been quick to settle into their new cabin and receive their work orders. Their job was to assist in the handling of the nets and their maintenance.

The ship was battered by the waves and wind howled through the lines with an eerie sound. The Atlantisl pitched up and down as she plowed head-on into the waves and the crests broke over the bow, washing the decks with seawater. The crew was inside watching the weather and the seagulls circling them. The sky was black and fierce looking. The sea reflected that as it continued to douse the ship trying to pull it under. The storm lasted for several hours; when it stopped, the crew went out to make up for lost time. They hauled out the net and tied ropes to it. Then they lowered the net into the water and dragged it behind them. The crew then tried to keep themselves busy to fight off boredom. Darin and Robert were looking out over the sea trying to spot Keiko, which was not easy since Keiko was a master of stealth.

As they gazed at the open sea, Darin allowed his mind to wander into the past to the time when he and Keiko had crossed.

It was during the summer in the year 2004, when Darin was under the protection of an elite group of creatures he had met. They were Sethi-Arh, Nemek, Coldfire, Tim, Deniodragon, Kreg, Finback Lizardman, Lizardfolk, Tokeki, Verkkaar, Urox, Chaos, Unuluk, and Softwind. Sethi-Arh had taken them all to Florida to Sea World where Darin met Keiko for the first time. Then Vlatorran invasion began. Darin formed AUD (American United Defenders) to fight them off and his protectors joined the ranks. After the war Darin and Robert, who then was at the time known as Angel, stowed onto a transport and ended up on Septerra Station, where they encountered Kreg a Vlatorran police officer that nearly killed them. They also encountered Sethi-Arh, who embraced them with loving arms.

After living on the station, they returned to earth where they began to rebuild their lives. It was then that most of Darin's protectors had dispersed and continued with their lives. Darin has never heard from them since. After Darin and Robert reassembled their lives, they left for Alaska to work for a fishing company where during a fierce storm Darin was washed overboard and rescued by Keiko.

Darin awoke from his daze in time to help bring in the net. The deck was now a mass of activity. The crew secured ropes and opened the fish well. Darin and Robert stood ready to haul the now ten ton net to be unloaded.

As the net broke the surface of the water, Darin started cranking a winch to keep the net from sliding back into the water. Robert helped guide the net to the well while a crewmember opened the net and the fish dumped into it. Then once the net was empty, it was put back into the water for another load. This cycle repeated several times until the well was full. They sailed towards the Aleutian Islands to the small island of Adak where they would dock in the port of Adak near Adak National Air Force base. The company freezer ship would be waiting to carry their load to the main land. When the Atlantisl arrived, there was a ferry in port. The crew waved to them and the passengers waved back until suddenly there was panic on the ferry followed by an enormous fire that engulfed the ferry.

The crew stood horrified at the scene, moments before they were exchanging greetings and now were watching the same people being burned alive. The fire brigade was quick to arrive and fight the fire as the ferry rolled over. When the fire was out the ferry look like a wreck that had been raised.

The crew watched as the salvage work began. Chains were attached to the side of the ferry and winches on land began pulling the ship upright.

The Atlantisl continued to the docks where the freezer ship was waiting. The crew quickly off loaded their catch to the other ship where it was packed in ice. The Atlantisl then left port and sailed northwest to the Bering Sea.

That night Darin was out on the stern looking at the sea as the sailed through it. The night air was cool and refreshing. The moon was out in full casting a mystic light on the water turning it from black to aqua. The stern was lit from the floodlights illuminating the deck enough that a person could walk around without tripping, but also not to bright. Darin gazed at the horizon, his breathing deep and slow, his eyes closed. He relaxed his mind and let the tensions of the day fall away. He then felt a presence, not a person, but one of the seas. Keiko was near, very near. Darin opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of something moving through the water behind the trawler. He smiled as Keiko was following them. Darin turned and went inside to his cabin to turn in for the night; Robert was awake when he entered.

"Where have you been?" Robert asked.

"Out on the stern for some fresh air." Darin replied.

"Did you see him?" Robert asked.

"I think so." Darin replied.

"I hope he's somewhere near, because according to the captain, we're not out of this weather yet," said Robert.

The two drifted off into peaceful sleep. Sometime that night, Darin had a very strange dream. He and Robert were on the stern doing their job when suddenly they were in the water and going under. He tried to swim back to the surface but the more he tried the faster he sank. Therefore, he stopped but continued to sink. When they reached the bottom, he looked around and saw a trawler that had sunk. He and Robert walked towards the wreck and recognized it as the one they were aboard. Darin looked towards the bow and saw a skeleton. Then Darin felt himself floating closer to it with out putting in any effort, he slowed and hovered in front of it and almost screamed in terror. The skeleton was him. Darin looked away and saw something walking on the bottom. He looked to his right to see Robert there, looking at the same figure. Darin returned his attention to the figure and saw that it was a skeleton walking. Darin and Robert were horrified. The skeleton looked up at them and pointed at Darin.

"You! Why did you accept that job for us? You should have said no."

"What job?" Darin asked.

"Working in the engine room," said a voice.

Darin turned to see Keiko looking at them.

"The engine room? Why?" Darin asked.

"Your trawler struck an underwater formation and sank, taking you and Robert with it." Keiko replied. "I could not help you and I had to let you two go."

Darin was shock and frightened by this. He had sent himself and Robert to any early grave. He thought long and hard to see reason why he was having this dream but was interrupted when Keiko spoke again.

"I must leave you two now. I fear that we shall never see each other again."

Darin broke out in tears and swam after him. He held Keiko tightly and sobbed into his melon. Keiko shook him off and rolled over to embrace Darin in his fins.

"There is still time my son," Keiko said softly.

Darin looked at Keiko intently.

"You must decline working in the engine room."

During that moment, Darin felt as if Keiko was there. He felt Keiko's skin against his face and how warm it was. How Keiko's tail pushed them along and how he was able to feel every push and stroke, the power and grace of his movements.

"Now that I have warned you, be ready." Keiko said.

Darin woke up the next morning scared stiff. He sat up in his bunk and looked around the cabin. Everything was quiet except for the sound of creaking metal and the sound of water. Darin jumped down from his bunk and discovered that the trawler was not floating normal. He woke Robert up who jumped.

"What did you do..."

"Something's not right," said Darin.

They exited their cabin and stepped out into the hallway. The first thing they noticed was the eerie silence. They then walked to the ladder that led up to the deck and found water on the steps. The ship was pitching and rolling. What was even more unnerving was that there was no one around. They began searching the ship for anyone. Darin was about to go into the engine room when he remembered his dream.

After a few minutes of searching, they climbed up the stairs to the top deck and looked outside. A storm was raging and the trawler seemed to be listing. Lightening flashed as the wind howled of death and the rain pelted down; huge waves were crashing down on the stern. Darin and Robert decided to make a dash for the wheelhouse. As they left the safety of the stairwell, a wave came and smashed into the deck washing Darin and Robert to the slopped stern. They grabbed onto a rope and pulled themselves up then dashed for the wheelhouse. They climbed the ladder and got inside just as another wave crashed behind them. Robert slammed the door shut as the water splashed against the glass. They looked around the wheelhouse and discovered it deserted. Darin looked outside and noticed that both the ship's list and the storm were getting worse. He looked around and saw a ship to shore radio. He grabbed the microphone and called for help. It was then that he realized that the radio was not working. He dropped the microphone and turned to Robert with a frightened expression.

"What?" Robert asked.

"The radio is not working and we're out of time." Darin replied.

Robert looked at Darin; his face too had turned white. They stood there when suddenly; a wave smashed through a window, and the wheelhouse began to flood. Darin and Robert panicked as they were suddenly washed out of the wheelhouse and into the open water. They looked back at the trawler as it finally sank. They floated there in the raging storm as if waiting for something to happen. The water soaked their cloths and the wind blew in their face. The waves washed over them as they struggled to remain afloat. Suddenly, a lifeboat sprang up from the depths.

It was a Norsafe 8,5 TELB/PELB self-righting boat and fully enclosed. Darin and Robert swam to it, opened the hatch, and climbed in. The lifeboat was a good-sized craft, about two hundred fifty-nine feet long, ninety-nine wide, and one hundred eight feet tall built to hold about seventy people inside. The top of the boat was bright orange and was self-propelled. It was then, after they had closed the hatch, that the boys discovered another problem, they had no idea where they were, where to go and in which direction. Darin climbed up a ladder that led to a spot on the boat where it could be steered. He checked the gas gage and found that the boat had a full tank. Darin thought about turning the engines over but decided against it since he did not know how far it was to the nearest port, nor the maximum range of the lifeboat.

Their situation looked very bleak and it only got worse. As they drifted in the storm, the hull was ruptured by something and water quickly began filling the boat.

"We've got a leak!" Robert shouted.

Darin looked around the cockpit and found a patch kit. He exited the cockpit and ran over to the leak. It was a bad one, almost a foot wide. Darin grabbed the sheet metal and dove into the freezing water. He jammed the plug on the hole and began welding it in place. Bubbles from the torch rose to the surface. When Darin had secured the plug, he swam up to the surface, gasping for air. Robert activated the bilge pumps and the water began draining out of the boat. Darin then climbed up to the cockpit and scanned the water for any sign of Keiko or his pod.

Meanwhile, Keiko had gathered several pods and briefed them on the situation. He told them the Darin and Robert were stranded somewhere in the ocean and they had to be found. He told them to look for any life rafts or lifeboats and report it to him. The pods split up in search for the boys. Keiko was growing worried for their safety and went off in search for them.

Meanwhile, the storm had died down a little. Darin and Robert were trying to figure out why no one had woken them up and told them that the trawler was sinking.

"Maybe they couldn't reach us," said Robert.

"Come on, our cabin was close enough to the stairs that anyone with a brain could have knocked on our door as they ran by." Darin replied.

"Where was Keiko in all this?" Robert asked.

"I don't know." Darin replied.

They drifted for days without any idea where they were. Outside there were icebergs. Darin started the engines and navigated around them. He then noticed that there was a compass and that they were currently heading north. Darin altered their course east and hoped they would eventual find land or another trawler.

Meanwhile, a pod of orcas had entered the same ice field Darin and Robert were traveling through. The leader, Taka, sensed that a craft had passed through where he was not to long ago. Leading on instinct, he and pod followed the boy's last course change and it was not long when they found them. The Taka told a member to find Keiko and to tell him that they found to two boys.

Taka chose a young male orca named Chico. Taka had come to know Chico when an orca named Kara gave birth to him. Later on in his life, Chico had become a very skilled in speed swimming. Therefore, it was natural that he be given the task, and no sooner had Taka told Chico his duty, he sped off in search for Keiko. Taka continued to trail the boys through the ice field, keeping low in the water and sending signals as they went.

Chico swam at blinding speed, weaving in and out of the icebergs and stumbled upon Keiko, who was just entering the ice field. Chico slowed as he approached Keiko.

"Keiko, we've found them!" Chico said.

"Where?" Keiko asked.

"Follow me, I'll show you." Chico replied.

Keiko followed Chico closely through the field to where the pod was trailing the lifeboat. Keiko was overjoyed when he saw Darin through and window.

At the same time, Darin was looking right at the water and saw a figure swimming next to them. He looked closely and realized that it was Keiko. He cut the engines, jumped down and opened the hatch, the cold night air rushing into the boat. Keiko swam up to the open hatch and raised his head out of the water where Darin embraced him. Keiko nuzzled him as Darin sobbed. Keiko felt Darin's tears of worry and fear fall on the top of his melon then trickle down his back and into the sea.

"Shh...It's okay, I'm here now," Keiko said softly.

The mood had now become a heart warming one. Keiko kissed Darin's cheek as Darin continued to empty out his tensions, his worry and fear. Keiko's back glistened in the moonlight from the rivers of tears as they rolled into the sea.

"Its okay let it all out, let it all out," Keiko said gently.

Darin poured out every ounce of tears he had. Keiko hugged Darin with his fins. The scene was starting to rub off on Robert. His shell of no emotion was starting to crack and crumble. He had believed that showing emotion was a sign of weakness and that he was not weak.

Meanwhile, word had spread among the orca pods that two humans had been found alive stranded in an ice field. Thousands of orca pods began migrating to the ice field to see these survivors. The mass migration attracted the attention of researchers. They could not make out any reason why so many were traveling to the same destination and began calling their colleagues.

On the Alaskan mainland, researcher Jeff Bowers was asleep next to his wife Ginger. Jeff was enjoying a pleasant dream when the phone rang. He groaned as he rolled to pick up the receiver.

"Hello," he said sleepily.

"Jeff, its John. Listen you're not going to believe this but thousands of orca pods are migrating to the ice field."

Jeff would normally hang up on John when he called him early with some ridiculous sighting; however, this caught Jeff's attention. He had studied orcas and there behavior throughout the year. During that week, the orcas should be heading to open waters to breed, however according to John they were doing something that threw him off.

"How soon can you be at the docks?" John asked.

"With in five minutes, you're forgetting that I live across from them." Jeff replied.

"Right. Dress warmly, were going to follow them to where ever it is that they are going," said John.

"I'll be there," said Jeff as he hung up.

Jeff looked at his wife as she slept, wishing that he could go back to bed and be with his wife. He then returned his attention to getting ready for John to arrive.

Meanwhile, John was on a research ship traveling at its top speed toward the Adak Naval Air Station where Jeff lived. John and Jeff were collage friends and had worked together on research projects. Jeff liked working on land while John liked working out in the field. They both specialized in studying orcas and their behavior. However, this migration took them both by surprise. John had plotted the pods' course on a map up to the point where they turned around to go pick up Jeff. John followed the line he drew and added a broken line to indicate the estimated course. John put a dot on the map where he thought the orcas were heading. John estimated that the orcas were traveling to a point four hundred-thirty miles north northwest of Point Hope.

The research ship Lomur sailed at her top speed of thirty knots, a speed unheard of for her size.

The ship use to be a trawler named the Sirena Star and had a red paint job.

Now as a research vessel, she sails the world's oceans and fishes for knowledge.

Jeff was standing on the dock dressed in a full body thermal suit. He could see his breath in the cold morning air. It was quiet on the dock; the wind blew snow from the roofs of some buildings. The dock was lit by lamps of the 1940's along the side of the dock as the moon lit the areas that remained dark adding some milk blue to the soft yellow light from the lamps. Jeff walked up and down the dock to keep himself awake. He stopped when he head the sound of a large ship coming in. He walked to the end of the dock where he saw the Lomur pull up. A gangway was lowered and Jeff walked onboard to be greeted by John.

"Good morning," said John.

"It's not good until I've had my morning coffee." Jeff replied.

"Perhaps you would like to join me in the galley," said John.

The two walked through a doorway into the warm inside of the ship. Jeff took off his hood and hat as he stepped inside. He then followed John to the galley where he made Jeff a cup of coffee. They sat down at a table next to a window over looking the ocean below. Jeff sipped his coffee as John brought out a map.

"So where is it we're going?" Jeff asked.

"We're heading to a point one hundred-twenty miles north northwest of Point Hope. I estimate that to be the point where all of the pods are heading." John replied.

"What on earth are they going there for?" Jeff asked.

"I don't even have a clue as to the reason." John replied.

Jeff looked out the window as an orca broke the surface of the water for some air before diving back down.

"I suppose there is a cabin available in which I may avoid the red eye special?" said Jeff.

"We do. It's on the second deck and three doors down." John replied.

Jeff finished his coffee and headed for his temporary cabin to lie down. John went outside and looked out over the vast ocean thinking of what the orcas could be after.

Meanwhile, Darin and Robert were staying put in the ice field trying to figure out where they are and where to go from where ever they are.

"We could be near the Artic circle," said Robert pointing at the numerous icebergs.

"It could be glacial ice from the Alaskan mainland," said Darin.

"We could be near...or we could...or...err I can't figure it out, it's too hard. My head hurts. I can't take this anymore," said Robert.

"Can't take what?" Darin asked.

"Everything." Robert replied.

"What's everything?" Darin asked.

"Everything." Robert replied.

"You know Robert, your definition of hard is pretty badly warped," said Darin.

"No it's not!" Robert shot back.

"Yes it is. You say that your going to be a sniper, well here's a news flash for you. To be a sniper you have to go through some of the most demanding training in your life," said Darin. "You'll have to do exercises for three days straight with out sleep, without food, without water for three days and you won't be staying in one spot neither. They'll keep you constantly moving, changing positions doing thousands of different things at once."

Outside the boat, pods of orcas circled them. Some of the migrating pods had arrived and were socializing with the search party that was circling. Keiko was listening to Darin and Robert's conversation from the open hatch when a young female approached him.

"Keiko," she said.

"Yes can I help you?" Keiko replied.

"I'm hungry," the female replied.

"Chico!" Keiko called.

Chicoswam over to them.

"Yes Keiko." Chico replied.

"I want you to take this young one and find her some food," said Keiko.

"Right, come along now my dear," said Chico.

The youth followed Chico through the massing orcas gathered around Darin and Robert's boat.

The night starting to turn to day and the pods kept coming. By 6:00 AM, the number of orcas gathered around the small lifeboat was over eight thousand and still growing. Darin and Robert were fast asleep some time before then.

Around 6:40 AM, they were woken up to their boat rocking back and forth. Darin looked out the hatch to see orcas looking up at the roof of the lifeboat. Darin looked up and saw seals gathered there. Darin then looked back at the orcas to see seven of them begin to try and tip the boat over. Darin slammed the hatch shut, which woke Robert up.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"There are seals on the roof and the orcas are trying to...."

Before Darin could finish his sentence, the boat leaned to the left and roll over, sending the seals into the jaws of the hungry orcas. The lifeboat righted itself and the boys dusted themselves off.

"Well, that was entertaining," said Darin.

"Shut up Darin!" said Robert.

Meanwhile, the Lomur was just entering the ice field. John and Jeff were standing on the bow looking at the field ahead. Jeff took out a pair of binoculars and scanned the water ahead of them. He did several sweeps before he abruptly stopped.

"Do you see something?" John asked.

"Do I ever." Jeff replied.

Jeff handed John the binoculars. Jeff pointed John to what he had been looking at. John's eyes widened. Ahead of them were thousands and thousands of orcas gathered around a lifeboat that looked like it came from a cruise ship. John used the zoom to focus on the lettering on the side, which read, SS Amaltal Atlantisl.

"What did you see?" Jeff asked.

"That lifeboat, it's from the Atlantisl." John replied.

"I thought the crew was all accounted for," said Jeff.

"All except for two, Darin and Robert were said to have never made it off in time." John replied. "Plus, out of a total of three lifeboats, only two were recovered."

Jeff looked at the lifeboat for a moment. Could it be that somehow, Darin and Robert made it out alive and used the last lifeboat?

"I'll alert the captain," said John.

With in minutes, alarms were going off and crews pulling out towlines. The ship began to slow as they approached the lifeboat, being careful not to run into the orcas surrounding it.

Meanwhile, Darin had opened the hatch again as Keiko came up and the two talked to each other. Keiko told Darin that a ship was heading their way. Darin could not believe it, they had been found after three days. He quickly climbed up to the cockpit, activated a flare launcher, and launched a flare. Darin also switched on a strobe light to signal that they were there.

Meanwhile, onboard the Lomur the captain spotted the flare and sounded his horn in acknowledgement of receiving their distress signal. The orcas surrounding the lifeboat parted and raised their heads out of the water. The crews onboard were stunned at the sight. The ship stopped within eight hundred feet and lunched a Zodiac boat with a medical team. They pulled up along side the lifeboat and noticed Keiko with his head resting on the edge of the open hatchway as if to tell the team where to go. The medical team entered the lifeboat to find Darin and Robert in good health. They asked Darin if they could bring the lifeboat to the stern of the research ship and Darin agreed. When the team disembarked, Darin started the engines and followed the zodiac to the stern where the lifeboat was hooked up to a crane and hoisted up to the ship's deck. Darin had closed the hatch while they were lifted out of the water. The crane set the boat down on top of a cradle. Darin, noticing that their upward journey was over opened the hatch to a cheering audience. They were helped out of the lifeboat and were taken to the galley where they were offered a hearty meal.

After eating, Darin told their story of how they were left behind by their own crew while their ship sank. Darin and Robert were given a cabin to stay in on the way back to the Alaskan mainland where they were ably to sleep soundly and undisturbed. Their journey through the storm was over now, but their adventure was just heating up.