The wheels had come off the wagon of enthusiasm for the research team. They'd all had close calls and Logan in particular felt lucky to be alive, walking, and using his fork to eat with.

The Scorpion came out one last time. Logan even said no to a dive in the submersible. Dylan had no such hesitation. Before he finished asking to go along, he was handing the air tanks to Dolf and situating himself in the backseat.

The whir the camera made started before Dolf had the leash in his hand. Dylan photographed everything. Bill took the same path the shark took along the top of the reef. He settled the craft into the breach and sat for a time.

Clay wasn't sure the schoolmaster wasn't considering not going to see what the other three had seen. As Dylan filmed this and that the craft raised and moved toward the trench they'd be warned about by Klaus. There was a trench. Clay had seen it on sonar. He made a point of making sure it was there, and it was.

They circled the ruins and landed on each of four sides. It was square. The construction was of unknown origins, but it had been constructed. Maybe ten thousand years ago on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Maybe a hundred years, or so, ago.

Not a word was spoken. What was there to say? Two scientists had no idea what they were seeing who how it got there. The boy in the back was along for the ride and he didn't worry about such matters. The ruins were here and Dylan filmed them.

Before it was dark, Bill made his way to the film lab.

"Can I see the footage you shot today, Logan."

Logan immediately reached in the container with the film that had been developed, taking out the first reel. He threaded the editor and they watched it in real time.

"This is all the footage of the ruins you have?"

"Yes, that's it," Logan said.

Bill leaned forward to do what Logan usually did. He secured the reel and removed it from the editor.

"There are people at the university that will want to see this."

Bill left the film lab and walked to his office. He unlocked the top drawer and placed the reel on top of the rocks he'd asked Clay for. All the evidence of a ruins on the floor of the Pacific Ocean were in Bill's hands now, or so he thought.

His scientific mind thought the matter through to its logical conclusion. Having that piece of film in the documentary wouldn't do. The university would know what to do.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Dylan had never been away from the cove before. For a few days now and then, when he went on speaking engagements with his father, if he didn't have school. Sometimes Clay took Dylan with him when he should have been in school.

Being with his father was normal. Dylan decided some time ago it was the best part of his life. He wanted to be like his father. He wanted to be steady and thoughtful, like his father was. He wanted to make a difference the way his father did. He knew this by the time he turned twelve.

He wasn't about to say anything but he missed Mama, Pop, and Tag. Especially he missed Daddy-O. They hadn't been separated for more than a couple of days at a time since Daddy-O came home. As grown up as he considered himself, Dylan knew the piece of him that was still very much a child. It was the piece that connected him to his biological father. That's just how it was.

The second-best thing that ever happened to him was Daddy-O coming home. If Clay was the glue that held everything together, Daddy-O was the rock they could all depend on. Ivan did everything he'd told Dylan he'd do and that was good.

As they passed the time on the way to Guam, Dylan mostly thought of home. It was less than two weeks before they'd start back home. The Pacific was kewl. Hawaii was better than kewl. Once they got to Guam, they were sure to see new things and it would help to pass the time.

His father and Bill were busy in the biology lab and Logan hardly came out of the film lab. They all seemed to be deep in thought when they weren't busy. When his father came to his cabin at night, he was still writing in his journal when Dylan fell asleep.

It wasn't long before Guam was dead ahead. Dylan stood on deck while they sailed into the harbor. This was another new place he'd get to see. They dropped anchor rather than tie up to a dock. They'd only be there for a half a day.

They'd fill Horizon's fuel tanks and restock the pantry.

There was a rush to get their feet on terra firma. A half an hour after arriving, a harbor taxi sailed up to take anyone ashore who was going ashore for a price. The Greek was at the front of the line bargaining for a trip to shore and back. Once they settled on a price, Rolf, Dolf, Sidney Peacock, Clay, Logan, and Dylan got on board.

Seaman liked being at sea, but they loved shore leave. They would only be there for a few hours, but it didn't matter how long they were on shore. They'd been on the Horizon for weeks.

The Greek had shopping to do. He'd resupply the Horizon's kitchen with the most exotic foods available on Guam. Clay and Dylan were going to look around for the hours they'd be on shore. There was always excitement when they reached a new place. It was hard to explain why because there was no place like home.

Everything was new to Dylan and his father. Honolulu had been exciting because they mingled with Asian tourists. These weren't like the Cambodians and Vietnamese at home. There were many Chinese and Japanese tourists seeing Honolulu for the first time too.

Guam was way west of Hawaii in the Pacific and they couldn't wait to mingle with the people there and see what Guam was like. They'd get things there they couldn't get on the ship. They wanted to walk and eat, eat and walk the day away. It was nice to just walk.

It was early but it was never too early for ice cream. They were waiting when the proprietor of Tooties Fruity Ice Cream showed up. He immediately asked them where they were from while dishing out their ice cream cones two hours before he usually opened.

Clay got a double chocolate cone and Dylan got caramel Mocha chocolate almond delight. They walked away happy.

Dylan was ready for a phone call home. It was the one thing he planned to ask for. He didn't want anything else, but the ice cream made a great breakfast.

Dylan wondered if someone might be selling candied apples.

"I want to talk to Daddy-O," Dylan said, stopping at a phone booth on the corner of the main street.

Clay stopped beside him and calculated the approximate time at the cove.

"He'd be at the shop if it's his night to work. We'll try there."

"Kewl," Dylan said.

"It's a good idea. We'll see if he sounds any better this time. You know there is no guarantee we'll get the call to go through," Clay said.

"I know. I want to try," Dylan said.

"We'll be back here after we visit the next reef. We'll be flying home."

"I know. I just want to hear his voice," Dylan said.

He didn't need a reason and neither did Clay.

"Make sure he's still there?" Clay asked, knowing Dylan too well.

"That too. He'll be there. How could he run out on us? Everything he does he does for us."

Clay laughed. He wasn't as positive as Dylan seemed to be.

The call went through in about five minutes. Dylan held the phone to his ear as operators from here talked to operators in the states and finally they had an operator in Florida who put the call through. They called the number at the shop because there's where Ivan would be that time of day.

"Hey, Tag," Dylan said. "How are you?"

Tag said, "I'm fine, Dylan. How are you?"

"You don't have to yell," Dylan said. "I hear you fine. How's your mom?"

"Mom's fine. Your father is knocking me over trying to get the phone away from me. I better go," Tag said.

"How are you, Dylan?" Ivan asked.

"I'm fine, Dad. How are you?"

"I'm great. Can't wait for you two to get home. It's way too peaceful without you around here. How's Clay?"

"He's OK, Dad. You OK. You sound better today," Dylan said, having worried about his father since they'd last talked.

"Everything's fine, Dylan. Let me speak to Clay," Ivan said.

Dylan held the phone out for Clay to take.

"Ivan, it's me," Clay said.

"How you doing, Babe? Bill keeping you busy?"

"You wouldn't believe it, Ivan. It's so different here. I love every minute of it. I don't want to leave. I know I have to leave and I want to be there but it's a different world here, Ivan."

"You know how excited it makes me to hear that. Not," Ivan said. "You better get your ass back here on time," Ivan said.

Clay laughed. The love he felt for Ivan flooded over him.

"You sound good, Ivan," Clay said. "Everything is OK. How's Mama and Pop?"

"They're great, Babe. I've gained twenty pounds from eating at your house every night," Ivan said.

"You have not," Clay said.

"Well I could have. How long have you been gone already?"

"This is week four and we'll fly out of here in less than two weeks. It's really beautiful, Ivan. This trip has been great," Clay said. "There's so much to tell you. It'll take a week to give you a rundown on everything that's happened."

"I'm glad you're having fun. Makes me being miserable without you small potatoes, babe. You better not leave me again. I haven't slept a wink and my dick's always hard."

"What's new," Clay said. "I happen to have the solution for that particular problem. I'm a scientist you know. There are things I can do for you that I won't mention over the phone."

"You're killing me, Babe. You better get your ass back here toot sweet. Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"You may have mentioned it once. I love you, Ivan," Clay said.

"Me too, Babe. You take care of yourself. Take care of my kid. Let me say goodbye to him. This is costing a fortune, you know?"

"I will, Ivan. I love you. See you in a couple of weeks. Here's Dylan," Clay said handing the phone back.

"I miss you, Dad. This is kewl and all but I didn't know I'd miss home this much," Dylan said, letting the cat out of the bag his father saw through long before Dylan said the words.

"Happy birthday, kid. You finally made it to fourteen. You're a man now. You'll be old as me one day," Ivan said.

Dylan held the phone away from his mouth.

"What day is it? Is it my birthday, Dad?"

"Son-of-a-bitch," Clay said. "It is your birthday. I can't believe I forgot my son's birthday," Clay said surprised by the news.

"Language, Dad. I'm an impressionable child, you know?"

Clay laughed.

"We forgot, Dad. Neither of us remembered it was my birthday. This trip is all the present I need. It is great. I can play the guitar, Dad," Dylan said. "Tell Tag bye. Love you. See you in two weeks."

"Love you, Dylan. Tell Clay I said to buy you something nice and I'll pay him when you get home," Ivan said.

"Sure thing, Dad. Love you. Bye."

Dylan wiped tears off his cheeks. He'd be happy to see Ivan once they got to Miami. He was glad he came. It would be nice to be home.

"You didn't call your father Daddy-O once," Clay said.

"I miss him. I've never been away from him this long before," Dylan said.

"No, not if you don't count the first ten years of your life when you never saw him," Clay said.

"That doesn't count. I didn't know him then. He's my father."

"I've heard that somewhere before," Clay said, hugging Dylan closely. "Sorry I forgot it was your birthday."

"It's OK. We dive every day. It's like my birthday every day. I really like that you're letting me work with Logan," Dylan said.

"Logan is OK. I trust him to take care of you," Clay said.

"Dad, I can take care of myself. I'm fourteen," he said, trying it on for size. "I'm finally fourteen. Can I get my driver's license now?"

"That's fifteen in Florida, Kiddo," Clay said.

"You never let me do anything," Dylan said like he was nine.

They both laughed.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

While talking to Ivan at home, Clay and Dylan found out it was Dylan's birthday. Such were the distractions of a research trip with everything being new enough to keep you captivated. Guam took on a different look as Clay needed to get creative to mark the occasion.

Clay bought Dylan the most audacious Hawaiian shirt he'd ever seen. It was a rainbow of color and Dylan insisted on wearing it out of the shop where it was purchased.

"I want you to know, Dylan, that's a gift from your father. I'd never buy anything that outrageous," Clay told his son.

"You see the looks we're getting?" Dylan asked. "Talk about attracting attention. I love it."

While wandering about for the hours they had in Guam, they decided on pizza at a place that sold it by the slice. They stood at the window drinking soda while eating three large slices of pizza a piece.

"Ice cream for breakfast and pizza for lunch. We sure know how to live," Clay said.

"It's my birthday. I can't imagine a better diet on my birthday."

"Pizza pie isn't really cake but the ice cream fits," Clay said.

"Yeah, it does," Dylan said thinking of Mama's two layers of yellow cake with her wonderful chocolate icing he usually got.

They were celebrating Dylan's birthday after all. It would be all the party Dylan would get, or so they thought. There was someone else who knew it was Dylan's birthday. He'd marked the day on his calendar in his cabin, after asking Dylan how old he was.

It was like his birthday every day on the Horizon. He got to do what he wanted to do and he was treated like one of the guys. Sure, he usually got ice cream and a nice cake to go with it. He'd gotten the ice cream before he even knew it was his birthday.

They tired of walking around by early in the afternoon. They waited for a water taxi at the spot where they'd left the taxi and in another hour they were back on board the Horizon. Her engines were already running. Captain Hertzog was getting prepared to leave.

When the specified time to be back on the Horizon approached, the water taxi made three different trips to the ship. As the time for departure neared, only Greek was absent. He'd arrive at the last minute. After scurrying around to unload the taxi and get the fresh produce into the galley, they'd leave right on time.

Everyone who saw Dylan's new look got a laugh out of his garb. Clay and Dylan didn't mention that the shirt was a birthday present.

What Dylan didn't remember, and Clay didn't know, when he was first helping Greek in the kitchen, Greek asked him how old he was. He figured on sixteen or seventeen. When Dylan said he was thirteen, Greek asked when he would turn fourteen. Dylan told him and the events that followed were undertaken by the ship's crew.

Everyone on the ship knew it was Dylan's birthday and they were ready for his return. They'd spring the surprise without a word. No one acted like they knew anything once Clay and Dylan were back. Dylan didn't mind that the men on the ship were oblivious to what day it was. Men didn't have birthday parties. A birthday was no big deal once you had twenty or thirty. Dylan hadn't had twenty or thirty birthdays. The men on board understood that.

Once back on board he was more or less ignored completely. There was always things to do before a ship pulled up its anchor and got underway. Systems needed to be checked and rechecked to be sure it was all OK. He leaned on the railing and looked back at Guam.

Dylan stayed on deck to watch them leave Guam behind. It was no Honolulu, but it was another place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where he'd been.

Seeing it fade into the background was an enjoyable experience for Dylan. It was one more new place he'd been and would return to. The returning to was a bit new but they'd be returning to Honolulu on the way home.

As he stood by himself on deck, he was sure that once he got home, Mama would make sure he got ice cream and cake to. She still thought he was a kid. He'd go along with it to make her happy but men on ships had no time for a kid's birthday.

Besides, he didn't remember it was his birthday before Daddy-O wished him happy birthday on the phone. It wasn't a big deal. Birthdays were kid stuff and he wasn't a kid, not really; not on the Horizon.

Dylan heard the anchor chains clanking as it was hauled aboard. The deck vibrated under him as the engines engaged, but there was business to do and Captain Hertzog got busy doing it.

"Dylan Olson-Aleksa, report to the bridge on the double," Captain Hertzog ordered in his most authoritative voice.

Dylan climbed the ladder to the bridge like Rolf and Dolf did it. When he stepped onto the bridge, there was standing room only. Rolf and Dolf were there as was Sidney Peacock and Bill.

"I heard you once captained a fishing trawler," Captain Hertzog said in full command.

"Captain Popov let me steer his fishing boat on my birthday, when I turned twelve," Dylan said apprehensively.

"How'd you like to take the Horizon out of the harbor?" Captain Hertzog asked him.

Everyone was watching him. His father arrived on the bridge shortly after Dylan got there. He looked toward his father for help.

"I don't know. Captain Popov's boat isn't anything like the Horizon. This is way bigger," Dylan said with trepidation in his voice.

"Take the helm," Captain Hertzog ordered after he lined up the Horizon so it could exit the harbor. "Steady she goes, Mate."

Dylan had forgotten it was his birthday and now he was in danger of forgetting his name. His hands shook as he held the smooth wood of the wheel. Through the wood he felt the vibration of the engines. He stood close like he'd seen Captain Hertzog doing it.

What if he hit something? How was he supposed to steer a ship this size. There was no how. He had to do what he was told to do.

After five minutes of Dylan in control of the ship as they steamed toward the harbor opening on the ocean, Dylan's eyes got big as saucers when a gigantic freighter turned toward him a mile ahead. To Dylan it looked like a certain collision was at hand but there was five minutes before the Horizon and the freighter would meet.

"I uh," Dylan said not wanting to show his fear. "I uh."

"I'll take it from here, Captain," Captain Hertzog said. "He has his own lane, Dylan. He'll be a couple of hundred feet to our left as we exit where he came into the harbor. You did a fine job, Son. You'll make a fine Captain one day."

Dylan could finally smile. He'd actually steered a ship.

He turned to leave the bridge and walked into his father's arms.

"Great job, Dylan. You are certainly accomplished for a fourteen-year-old and I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad. I'm shaking," he admitted to his father.

Both Dolf and Rolf went around Clay and his son as they headed for the galley,

"I think Greek wanted you in the galley," Captain Hertzog said.

Clay and Dylan turned and followed Rolf and Dolf to the inside passageway.

"Probably needs your help with dinner," Clay said. "You are popular around here, Dylan."

Clay was sure the crew knew it was Dylan's birthday by now. Once they reached the door to the galley, Clay stepped to one side to allow Dylan to go in first. As soon as he went through the doorway the singing started and Dylan was caught by surprise. Everyone was there but Captain Hertzog and after the singing was done, Rolf went to take the helm so his father could officiate over the cake cutting.

Dylan blushed. The song was an indication he'd been accepted by the crew. Greek went all out to honor the young man who was a big help to him. It was his way of saying, thank you, Dylan.

The cake was the biggest birthday cake Dylan had ever seen. It was fifteen inches across and six layers high.

Greek wrote in white icing: '14 Going On 40. Happy Birthday, Dylan.'

Captain Hertzog came to wish Dylan a happy birthday and to present Dylan an official captain's hat, "You took the helm of the Horizon, which makes this hat official, Captain Olson-Aleksa. One day, I'm sure you'll make a fine captain," Captain Hertzog said, before cutting the cake and handing a piece to everyone present.

A sea captain's duties were never ending.

Dylan cut quite the figure in his rainbow colored Hawaiian shirt and the captain's hat with gold braid on the bill.

Logan caught it all on film and it was certain to be in the final cut of the documentary. He was going to make Dylan famous.

Everyone seemed to have a gift for the birthday boy. Logan gave him one of his light meters. Sidney Peacock gave him a wrench complete with grease on it. Dylan laughed at it. Bill had a small specimen bottle with a seahorse preserved inside. His father told him they'd go shopping when he got home and get something he liked.

"Dad, you gave me this trip. I don't need more than that."

Greek managed to top all the other gifts put together by constructing a six-layer cake, with two layers of chocolate cake, two layers of yellow cake, and two layers of strawberry on top with real strawberry bits. The icing was chocolate, of course, and a piece of cake and vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream was more than a meal. Greek did things in a big way and when it came to Dylan's birthday, Greek went all out for a lad who was a big help to him.

Everyone realized the feisty cook had a heart of gold.

The trouble with a birthday celebrated away from home is that it is celebrated away from the people who love you most. This reached all the way to Dylan's heart. He missed the people who had been with him for every birthday until now. Under his appreciative smile was some youthful sadness.

He loved every minute of the trip and he wanted to be invited back. Acting like a child wasn't the way to get to come back. Dylan learned more new things than he could have imagined. He'd steered a ship, learned to play the guitar, helped make a movie, and he washed more dishes than he'd ever washed before.

Being helpful whenever he could was how he earned his right to be part of the Horizon's research voyage.

On the Horizon, Dylan was more than Clayton Olson's son.

Dylan loved life on board the Horizon.


Send Rick an email at quillswritersrealm@yahoo.com

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