Flight of the Tristan by D.B. Reynolds-Moreton

Author:D.B. Reynolds-Moreton [Reynolds-Moreton, D.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: sci-fi-cafe.com
Published: 2012-06-22T00:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER 4

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FOR TWO DAYS and nights the submarine followed the course set by Brentford, using the star map they had made earlier. As there was virtually no magnetic field emanating from the plant the compass was useless.

The sonar operator suddenly announced an anomaly on the ocean bed, and Brentford hurried to the screens to see what it was. It was clearly about one third the size of the submarine, and by the signals returning from it, metallic in nature.

“Well, that's the first piece of metal we've seen on this planet so far,” he said. “We'll go down and see what the cameras can pick up.”

With the submarine just a few metres above the sea bed, they slowly made their way towards the mystery shape, following the line indicated from the sonar returns.

With the searchlight on, the external cameras picked out the shape of something shiny and tube shaped with two stubby fins attached. The submarine slowed to a crawl, and then stopped.

“What do you make of that, XO?” said Brentford, quietly. “It's certainly been manufactured, and look, there's a rent in the side of it.”

“If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a sort of space ship - you wouldn't build a boat like that. Pity it's too deep for a diver - might be something interesting in there.”

Pictures were taken from every possible angle, so that they could later examine the craft in detail for any clues which they might have missed while being submerged.

That evening, up on the conning tower, the CO and the XO were talking over the significance of what they had found.

“Well, that certainly proves an intelligent agency has visited the planet, but not what it was up to - got any ideas XO?”

“Not really, we'd have to get into that ship for more information. But if the occupants were responsible for the islands, they would have to have landed on solid ground somewhere - that's what we need to find - I have a feeling that's where the answers may be. May I suggest we keep following the same bearing?”

“Don't see why not,” Brentford replied, “there's precious little else to do.”

The submarine continued its search for land, but it was three days later before radar picked up a signal, and it was dead ahead. Slowly, a tall mountain peak came into view, but there was smoke coming out of the top of it. As they drew nearer, it was plain to see it was a volcano, and at some time in the past there had been a massive out flow of lava, as quite a sizable island had been built up.

The submarine circled the island, looking for a suitable place to moor up, and land the crew. A small bay with a sandy beach was located, with what looked like some buildings set into the hillside some distance in. Above it towered the volcano with lazy wisps of smoke drifting up into the clear sky above.

It was decided to

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