***** Vol.1 Chap.30 Plotting to get on board *****
Kristin grabbed her backpack and emptied the contents into her desk drawer. With only her cell phone, her laptop computer, and an extra battery pack in the backpack, like a spy, she trotted over to the dock to survey the situation and to strategize a viable plan to board the Mayflower.
To her dismay, security personnel were stationed all over the dock. With her badge and her present security clearance, she would not even get closer than a mile from the ship. She stood at the observation lounge and surveyed the situation. The security guards checked everything that entered the dock area and carried out. With at least three checkpoints between the building and the ship, not likely that she could sneak in unnoticed, especially in broad daylight.
She recalled the time that one walked up to the boat at will. One officer had sneaked his girlfriend abroad during one of the brief trips and Jonas had never found out about it. But now, ever since he had taken over the entire operation, installing security gates all over the place became a top priority. And today, it appeared three times as many security guards as usual showed up on duty.
She was now really in a quandary about what to do next. She had such an urge to get on the ship, but she also realized that not being welcomed as one of the honored guests, she would be blocked at every gate if she tried to board the ship. She had to find another way to get on board without notice.
First things first. She needed supplies, then lunch, then a plan to board. She stopped by the commissary and bought a bunch of dried food like chocolate bars, dried nuts, and two large bottles of water, supplies that she need to survive for a few days in hiding. Once on board, George would take care of her just like before.
By the time she got all the supplies, she noticed a long line in the cafeteria. She stood the line for a hot meal, perhaps her last hot meal, while still formulating a plan. By the time she made to the food counter, not much choices were left for her as the kitchen staff were caught off guard, not anticipating such a sizeable crowd of dignitaries coming in for lunch. She settled for a cup of hot French onion soup with cornbread. With her tray of food in hand, she scanned the cafeteria for a quiet table and spotted George standing up after finishing his lunch. Her spirits were lifted, and she made a beeline to him.
“George!”
“Hey, Kristin.”
“May I sit down?”
“Of course. How are you? I haven’t seen you for quite a while.”
“Oh, same old, same old.”
“I kind of missed you the last two times out at sea.”
“I missed you, your coffee, the trips, your company, and mostly your smiles as well. Probably more than you.”
“No doubt.”
He stood up to leave. She grabbed his arms and motioned for him to sit down.
“George, I need your help.” She leaned forward and said in a hushed tone.
“Anything, Kristin.”
“When is departure this afternoon?”
“Five.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Can you get me on board?”
He sat there staring at her with wide-open eyes. He dropped his mouth and spoke nothing for the longest time. “Why do you want to get on board?”
“It is a long story. I will tell you once you get me on board.”
“You want to drive the sub?”
“You got it, but more than that.”
“More?”
“Yes. I have the urge to be on board.”
“Have you talked to Jonas?”
“Yes. He practically threw me out of his office.”
“That sounds like Jonas.”
“Yes, not surprised at all. Anyway, you can get me on board?”
“Impossible. They are checking everyone and everything that goes on board. The security is really, really tight. I have to wear three stupid badges all the time now. No matter how many times you have gotten on board, they act as if they have never seen you before. They always make such a big fuss about letting you on board.”
“That’s their job.”
“It is a big hassle. They would check their lists to make sure that you are authorized to get on board that day and at that hour, and they would poke into everything that I carry with me. I am really tired of all these ‘precautions’, if you ask me.”
“Yeah. At the observation lounge, I observed all the security guards running around. Is there any way at all that you can help me get on board?”
He scratched his head, wrecking his brain for a way. Then he shook his head and said, “I don’t know of a way how. For sure, you cannot just walk up the connecting bridge unless you are invisible.”
“Well, is there a way that I can get on board without walking up the connecting bridge?”
“Can you scuba dive to the mooring lines of the ship and then climb up the mooring ropes on the starboard side?”
“That is a long climb and surely someone will notice me along the way.”
“Hmm.”
“Besides, the boat will be gone before it is dark.”
“That is true.”
“I need a more hideous way to get inside the ship.”
He looked at the time and said, “Well, if there is anything I can help, let me know. In the meantime, I better get going. I have more food to buy and then I have to supervise the food being loaded onto the ship. You can’t imagine the dietary requirements of some passengers, not to mention the ferocious appetite of our esteemed captain for delicacies.”
“Yes. Thanks for listening to me.”
“I will be at Warehouse #3 if you need me. Good luck.”
“Thanks, George. I am glad I ran into you.”
“Me too.”
He stood up to leave.
Suddenly, she grabbed his sleeves and pulled him back to the chair again.
“Wait, George. I just had an idea.”
“How do you load the supplies on the ship?”
“I put them into crates which are then loaded by the cranes,” George explained, scratching his head.
“Do you have any bulky crates that still needed to be loaded?”
“Yes, what are you getting at?”
“Are the crates loaded already?”
“No, I need to put more stuff in the crates. After my shopping, I will then have the workers load the crates onto the ship.”
“George, perhaps I can hide in one of your crates?”
“That might work. They don’t open the crates to check the contents because they are working at such tight schedules today.”
“Well, can I be one of your cabbages for the day? Ha, ha.”
“Let’s hope you will not end up being one of my chopped-up coleslaw at the dinner table.”
“I hope not too. George, I would not normally want to put you at risk. This is my fight and my battle.”
“Kristin, I will always be happy to help you. Jonas is not particularly my favorite person either. Besides, I can take care of myself.”
“George, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Just be safe and stay out of trouble.”
“Now, where do I go to be one of your cabbages?”
“Meet me at the back door of Warehouse #3 at 2:00 pm sharp. I have a few more shopping chores to do. We will figure out the next steps then.”
“Thank you so much, George. I will never forget your help and your kindness.”
He stood up to go, and she squeezed his hands tightly.
Back at her office after lunch, she wanted to have a little time to consider and to sort things out. Lots of things happened quickly around her, leaving her with the sensation of a maelstrom swirling around her. The chaos turning into a whirlpool sucked her into the middle. And she shuddered at that idea.
Jonas and his attitude to her this morning was utterly unsettling. Especially when Jonas claimed all the credit for the sub now. The more she dwelled on this, the more upset she got; the more she remembered Jonas using her invention for his glory, the madder she became. On an impulse, she erased all the files related to the specifications and designs of the sub. If Jonas wanted to take over the project; then let him make his own decisions. She had no intention to let him have all the research equipment and results that she had painstakingly collected over the years handed over to him on a silver platter. Unethical may be, but under her current state of mind, Jonas owed her nothing.
After cleaning out her files, she grabbed her backpack and sneaked out of the cubicle to meet George.