*stands up, places hand on chest and tries to breathe normally, walks to Silverraptor after several seconds and salutes*

Mr. Silverraptor, report everything significant that has happened in the last 24 hours, also give me your report on the flooded level.

"I'm really not sure, the timing is playing havoc with me. All I know is that someone, or something, has been killing off crew members...and that the crew is desperate to find it..."

*gets Silverraptor's report* ((I really hate doing this, but he left me no choice))

I wonder if Mr. Chad agreed to this, but more importantly...

*runs to the Admiral's room and grabs a few papers, then runs down to the leak and begins inspecting the area under flashlight*

"The rest of you who stood by and did nothing are just as much at fault here!"

"We need to take action to find out who it is that is causing all this!"

TarJak goes over to Chad and montions towards the hatch.

"You wanted a private chat?"

*Oberon continues work in the rescue sub, with a wind-up torch to provide a small amount of light. He overhears passing chatter to the extent that Task Force is dead.*

"Huh...so he wasn't the beast...well, that comes as no real surprise...but there's still a few people unaccounted for on this boat...heck, even amongst our team..."

*His eyelids begin to droop but he forces them open again, fearful of what he might dream of should he fall asleep.*

*runs to the rescue sub*

Mr. Oberon, mind coming down to the lower deck for a minute? I need to show you something

*Oberon looks up, strokes his beard and then nods.*

"Eh, sure why not..."

*He shuts the hatch behind him and then, holding his wind-up torch he follows Raptor.*

*leads Oberon to the lower level and shows him the papers retrieved from the Admiral's room*

I checked if we had any explosives on board, and these papers clearly show that the amount we were supposed to have was too small to cause any damage here...

*waves arm towards the chamber*

Now, the hull is extremely strong, and reinforced at the reactor level, anything short of the reactor going critical shouldn't have breached it here.

*hands Oberon several schematics of the area*

I believe that a breach here could only be caused deliberately, maybe a shaped charge built right into the pressure hull. There is no other explanation that I can see, what do you think?

*Oberon shines his torch around as much as he can.*

"Hmmm...this is true...either that or you were hit from the outside. Although a torpedo impact would have generated a bigger hole and flooded an entire section rather than just the lower levels..."

*He crouches down and tries to see through the water.*

"A shaped charge isn't something you can hide away that easily either...not unless it was built into the boat on commission."

*He stands up again and draws in his breath.*

"So...there's two pretty unhappy scenarios here...either someone blew OUT the hull at the reactor space to put us down here...or someone torpedoed the boat, however a torpedo would have been heard by your sonar...so...yes Raptor...yes...I would concur..."

*He nods grimly.*

"Someone did this on purpose..."

No, I don't believe this was a torpedo impact either, that would have created a wholly different sort of mess. But I really can't think of anyone who could...or would...plant shaped explosives inside the hull like that. I mean, even if you could hide it, why would you want to secretly destroy a research vessel?

*breaths sharply*

If our boat was sabotaged, do you think yours could be as well?

*Oberon breaths in sharply*

"****...I hadn't considered that...I'd better go and check!"

*He nearly trips over the bulkhead on the way out.*

*takes one last look, picks up the papers and strolls to the bar*

*pours a mug of juice, then looks into it in the barely lit room*

Really...

*sets down the mug without drinking it*

*Oberon pulls open the hatch and starts looking around.*

"Damn all these wires...gah, the only thing I can do is trace each one from the maglock...this is going to take all night...well...good thing I'm trying to avoid sleeping..."

*Stumbling in looking pasty and white*

"Jeezus lads, I thought that finding the Admiral was a bad dream, but clearly not.... Whats going on? I've just been lying in bed, trying to get that picture out of my head! NNow I hear voices talking about TaskForce being killed by some of us! I'll be staying up tonight I think.."

*grabs a crowbar from the back of his overalls and sits in a corner, back against the bulkheads*

*watches Raptor closely....

"Interesting - don't care for bug juice do you?"

*walks over to the juice dispensor and pours a cupful, then tosses it down.

"Ugh - damned orange color swill"

Returns to looking at data, but keeps one eye on Raptor.