The Submariner

by Zarek Dragon

After Kirk and Zarek talked with Mark, Kirk went to the NCIS Agent handling the investigation. Zarek followed, "to act as a witness" if needed. Kirk didn't even knock, he barged into the office they were using. I guess, since he's in charge of this base, he didn't feel a need and Zarek told me that he was pissed. "Why in the hell are you still holding my officer? From my understanding, everyone that you've questioned has stated that Lieutenant Granger was the only one who touched that engine and yet Ensign Hough is still in custody."

Very Special Agent Timothy DiLazzari was signing papers when Kirk and Zarek walked into the office. He closed the file and looked at Kirk before speaking, "I have just closed the case, signing it off as an accident. I am on my way to release Hough now. I am sorry for any inconvenience he has suffered over the last few hours."

"Bull shit," Kirk stated. "If you're signing it off as an accident, what caused you to think it was sabotage in the first place?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss that with you," DiLazzari declared.

Kirk was getting madder as he spoke, "I am the Commanding Officer of the sub and this base. I have every right to know every aspect of this investigation. If you don't wish to share, I do have SecNav on speed dial."

Kirk pulled out his phone to show that he wasn't bluffing. The NCIS agent stood there, so Kirk pushed a button on his phone. As the phone sounded the second ring, the agent finally caved. "Alright, I'll tell you but the ensign needs to leave."

"He stays," Kirk declared.

"William, to what do I owe the pleasure?" a man's voice came over the phone.

The NCIS agent agreed to Kirk's terms, "Alright, you win."

Kirk smiled, "Sorry Ray, I must have pocket dialed."

The voice sounded chipper, "OH, well tell the NCIS agent that he better be forthcoming with what you want. I would hate for you to need to pocket dial me again."

Kirk laughed, "I believe he understands now, Ray. Next time you're on the west coast, I still owe you a case of scotch."

Ray informed Kirk, "I'll be visiting my daughter in a month. I'll see you then."

"I'll have the case ready for you. Talk to you later, Ray," Kirk turned his phone off.

The NCIS agent couldn't believe his ears, "You are on a first-name basis with SecNav?"

Kirk had a big grin on his face, "Normally, I call him Dad, but when it's official business it's Ray. It kinda helps when you marry his daughter."

The NCIS agent was ready to wet himself, "You… You… You're married to SecNav's daughter?"

Kirk just nodded his head and the agent started laying out his file. He showed Kirk and Zarek what caused him to think sabotage and reports that explained how it was indeed an accident. He discovered from the secondary Engineering Officer that the Lieutenant was worried about something concerning the engine and that's why she insisted on being the only person to deal with it. Whether the engine was faulty or not has yet to be determined, but the Navy wishes for the case to be closed and for Lieutenant Granger to be remembered as a heroine.

"So," Zarek kidded, "does 'Ray' have any cute sons?"

Kirk began to laugh, "He only had daughters. Besides, I thought you and Daniels were an item."

"We are," Zarek admitted, "but I don't think he would have minded adding a third person to our family if it gave us some pull." When Zarek told me this part, I didn't know what to think. I did go a few hours without talking to him until he apologized and said he was only joking. They went to tell Mark that the case was being written off as an accident and he was free to return home.

Mark walked into the house and Ernie embraced him, crying into his shoulder. We couldn't make out what was said between them, all we heard was "I thought I had lost you," from Ernie and the rest was mixed with crying plus sounded muffled by their shoulders. There was no doubt that they loved each other.

Ernie and Mark pulled apart but Ernie grabbed Mark's hand and led him to their bedroom. I heard Ernie say, "I'm ready," causing Mark to grin. We were sure we knew what Ernie was ready for, and judging by the loud moans and groans Ernie made, we were also sure we were right.

When we were within weeks of when the Blue team was supposed to get underway, the Navy personnel, including those retired and Captain Kirk, disappeared. I couldn't believe that the only ones left here were the ensigns and the crewmembers. Kirk told Zarek that he was in charge for a few days which scared my love a little. It was nice that all we had to do for the few days was PT and continue with what we had been training for way too many months, but Zarek confided in me, with this being his first time in charge of anything, he was nervous. I reminded him of what he told Ernie and he laughed, saying it's not quite the same thing. I couldn't see a difference.

Three days later, the Ohio Class sub pulled into the harbor and maneuvered to be put into the dry dock. The Navy personnel disembarked onto a boat while tugs attached lines to tow the sub into the dock. We learned that Fredericks wanted to put his special polymer paint on the hull but otherwise she was ready for to "set sail" again.

Two days before we were to leave, the sub was waiting on us. She was re-christened as the Leonard S. Nimoy A and we had a ceremony taking all day to give us a break from all the training. Zarek asked Kirk if he could check out the engines instead of partying. Kirk laughed and told him he can do that all day tomorrow. We would start preparing to go to sea, tomorrow.

Kirk walked up to me, "I want you to be the second officer in the engine room." I was elated, but I could tell Zarek had mixed emotions. He was happy for me, but he also thought he would get the second position. Then Kirk walked up to him. "I thought you would happy with Daniels as your second."

Zarek had a big grin on his face, "Yes, I'm happy for him, but I thought I would… wait, what? What happened to Lieutenant…" Zarek didn't get to finish that sentence.

Kirk interrupted him, "He took Lieutenant Granger's spot on the Gold Team. That leaves you as the top Engineering officer. As such, and with all the training you have gone through, I am promoting both of you to Lieutenants Junior Grade, effective immediately. Zarek, you should also be third in command, but there are other higher ranking officers, just not in the engine room. I do want to put you in charge of some watches, though."

After Kirk left, Zarek confided in me, "I was so happy when he made you Second Officer of the Engine Room, but at the same time I felt slighted. I'm sorry that I wasn't just happy for you."

"I could tell," I told him, "and I understand. The way Kirk has been with you, there is no doubt he would have made you the second, if the lieuie didn't transfer. I'll work under you any day, but I want to top some night." I winked and Zarek laughed.

The next day, Zarek had everyone in the engine room inspecting the engines. "If anyone sees anything that looks amiss, I want to know about it. I don't want another incident like the Gold Team had. You all are very well trained and should be able to do this in your sleep. You are the best of the best and I expect you to shine." Zarek knew how to get the crew motivated, that's for sure.

Everything looked good and Zarek made sure the Captain was informed. We got underway as scheduled and everything seemed to be purring. Over the first week at sea, Zarek didn't sleep a wink. He spent every hour in the engine room. He probably drank about a hundred seventy cups of coffee, and I mean coffee so strong that it made superman look like a weakling. It poured out of the pot like molasses in January. You stick a spoon in the center and it stands straight up, that kind of coffee. OK, I may be exaggerating a bit, but Zarek did drink a lot of very strong coffee. After what happened with the Gold Team, I didn't blame him. One thing I did appreciate, when I or another officer were supposed to be in charge, Zarek made sure everyone knew we were in charge and he was just there.

He was standing beside me while it was at my watch and Crewman Jacobs came up to him. Zarek didn't give them a chance to speak, he just pointed at me and said, "His watch, he's in charge right now." At first I felt weird, but at least Zarek let us be in charge while it was our watch and he just observed, ready to get his hands dirty if the need arose.

When the temperature rose in the engine room, Zarek told everyone they could remove their shirts to get more comfortable. Zarek removed his and I think I licked my lips. He just gave me a smile.

On the eighth day of our voyage, when Zarek's watch was over, he decided to find his rack and sleep while it was my watch. Ernie came into the engine room looking for Zarek, only I didn't know that until I approached him. "What do you need Ensign," I asked, keeping it professional.

"I'm looking for Ensign... I mean, Lieutenant Drage. Captain Kirk wants him to get some rest because he'll have the Conn next watch," Ernie explained.

I laughed, "You just missed him, he went to his rack to sleep."

Ernie was surprised, but pleased, "I'll leave him sleep for a bit then. I'll let Kirk know and he'll probably have me go get him just before the next watch. Kirk said that he hadn't left the engine room except to go eat. I'm guessing he was worried about what happened to the Gold Team and didn't want it to happen to us."

I nodded, "You could say that, but unlike Lieutenant Granger, he utilized all personnel to make sure everything was in proper order. Perhaps if she didn't try doing everything herself with that engine, she'd still be alive."

"Probably," Ernie stated, "but that's something we will never know." After Ernie left, I thought to myself, "Damn, I thought I would finally get time to spend with Zarek alone, but noooooooo, Captain Kirk decided to have him run the sub for a few hours.

Now, I'm not going to bore you with what happened on a daily basis in the engine room. I will tell you that I could feel us diving at a steady pace a few times. I could hear the hull being stressed somewhat as we made our descent.

We had been out to sea for a couple of weeks when Kirk made a ship-wide announcement. "May I have your attention, we are currently at the lowest part of the earth right now, we are in the Mariana Trenches. You may hear what sounds like the hull buckling, but I assure you, this sub was made to withstand the pressures at this depth. There are microbial lifeforms down here and the research team will be observing them for a few months. That's right, we will be spending a few months in this area. With the exception of the research teams and any crewmembers assisting them, our time should be fairly simple. Whatever you do, however, do NOT go outside this sub unless you are in one of the Shark personal subs. That is all."

First thought in my head was cool, I should get time with Zarek. Have you any idea how difficult it is to share a space with someone you love and feel like you never get time to be with them? I'm telling you it is torturous. Zarek tries to sleep while it's my watch and I get to sleep during his, but with him having the Conn whenever Kirk thinks he's capable, it limits our time. I'd be lying if I said there was never a time I wished we had normal jobs, but how many people can say that they were an officer aboard a non-military nuclear sub.

I know what you're thinking. And yes, as has already been established, we do have Navy personnel aboard, but while they are aboard, instead of the Navy paying their salary, the research company's paying for their services, thus reducing the amount of government military spending just a smidgen. Sure, their checks are being paid by the US Navy, but then the Navy bills the research company.

Yes, this was a military sub, but missile silos were removed and our only defense is torpedoes and countermeasures. If someone were to attack us, we would probably lose. I don't like to think about such things, but that is a fact.

Zarek had the Conn one day and there was a research team member out in one of the Sharks. I had just gone to the bridge when the member came over the radio, "There was a rockslide and it damaged the Shark. The Shark is trapped, but I can get out."

Zarek had a serious look on his face as he spoke, "That's a negative Chen. You leave that Shark and you will be dead in seconds. I'll send another Shark out to get you."

"I can make it, I'm sure," Chen returned over the radio.

"Listen to me, damn it," Zarek insisted, "The water pressure down here is too much for your body. You were NOT made to withstand that kind of pressure. The Sharks were. DO NOT leave the Shark."

The last words of Chen were, "I'm opening the hatch now. I will be back on the sub in no time."

"NO!!!" Zarek yelled into the radio, but it was of no use. Zarek did send a Shark out to retrieve the body and abandoned Shark.

Someone had gone to get Kirk when Chen first called about the rockslide. He had stepped onto the bridge in time to hear Zarek tell Chen to stay in the shark. After Chen's crushed body was retrieved, Kirk took Zarek to his office. Zarek thought for sure he would be chewed out for allowing a member of the sub to die. We all knew it wasn't Zarek's fault, but Zarek felt guilty.

As soon as Kirk closed the door, Zarek started to apologize, "I'm sorry Sir, that should never have happened."

"You're damn right it should never have happened." Kirk returned, "but you needn't apologize. You told Chen more than once to stay in the Shark. IF he miraculously survived, I would have kicked him from the team, myself. You did everything that you could to prevent it."

Zarek told me that he started to cry, "I don't know, I feel like I could have done something."

"In that case," Kirk stated, "You are hereby relieved of duty until you either tell me what you could have done differently or accept the fact that you did everything you could. I will have Ensign Raye assist Daniels in the engine room until you can figure it out. And you need to write an incident report."

Zarek went to our space, got undressed and climbed into his rack. At the time, I was only told that Kirk relieved Zarek of duty. When I started to protest, Kirk stopped me and told me to talk to Zarek. I found him in his rack sobbing. "Why the hell were you relieved of duty?" I shouted, "Kirk was there to hear you tell Chen to stay in the Shark, he knows that you did what you could."

"Did I?" Zarek asked. "Will wants me to think of what I could have done differently. He's not blaming me, I am. I was the person in charge at the time of his death, so how can I not be to blame?"

I took Zarek in my arms, "Babe, I was there the whole time. You did everything that you could. You told him that if he exited the sub he would die. He didn't listen. Name one thing you would have done any different."

Zarek continued to cry, "I don't know what I could have done differently? Maybe have a second Shark out there already, I don't know, but I was the one in charge, so I am at fault."

I tried using a hypothetical situation, "Suppose you told Lenny that the exterminator was coming to spray our house for preventative measures while we were at sea, and the spray was so powerful, if he walked in before opening both doors it would kill him instantly. If Lenny were to walk into the house anyway, whose fault would it be if Mark found his body lying there?" Sorry Lenny for using you like this.

Zarek looked at me, "Lenny wouldn't do that, he's too smart."

"I know Babe, but just suppose he did do it," I demanded, "whose fault would it be?"

"Lenny's, if I warned him," Zarek finally admitted.

I felt like I was getting somewhere.  I asked Zarek, "What did Captain Kirk say about going outside the sub?"

Zarek showed signs of feeling better, "He strongly emphasized NOT to go outside the sub unless in a Shark."

Finally stabbing at making him see that he wasn't at fault, "And how many times did you tell him to stay in the Shark?"

Zarek wiped his eyes as he answered, "I told him a total of three times.  He just wouldn't listen."

"So," I asked, "do you still feel at fault?"

"No, but I feel sorry for his family, his wife was pregnant with twins when we left," Zarek responded.

I gulped, not having known that, "I feel for his family too, and maybe we can take up a collection for them, but he did this to them, not you."

"I realize that thanks to you," Zarek responded, but feeling his lips pressed to mine was an even better response.  "I better write up my incident report and turn it in to Kirk."

"You can do that after I have my way with you," I told him, and then I started showing him how much love I had been waiting to give him.

I hope you enjoy the story and that it draws you in, wanting more. If you have any suggestions or concerns, don’t hesitate to email me.  Thoughts and suggestions are always welcomed and may or may not be implemented. Concerns will be considered and addressed as much as possible, please contact me at Zarek A Dragon.  Please let me know that you read it on The Story Lovers' Website.