Chapter 10: Reinstated

Commodore Hooves rushed through the corridor back to the Command Room passing through uneventful halls. The Command Room door swung open and the Commodore rushed passed the rows of monitors to go straight to the Captain's station.

"Hey Bubbles, you are back early. Any news on the engine room situation?" Captain Robertson asked.

The Commodore didn't say a word as she ran up to him and clocked him right in the snout. The Captain winced in pain and took a few steps back. A few officers witnessed the attack and moved in to restrain the Commodore.

As they held the Commodore down she screamed deliriously, "Snap out of it Robertson! You are under a hypnotic trance!"

"Ok now I know you damaged that noggin of yours! What kind of bilge are you spouting on about now?" the Captain inquired while cupping a hoof over his snout.

"I had a vision! At the bottom of the ladder I was contacted by the saboteur who tried to hypnotize me. He was unsuccessful in convincing me but he said he already got through to you!" the Commodore explained.

"At first I had my doubts but now I can see the truth. You are completely mentally infirm! I am going to walk you down to the sick bay myself and we are going to get you the care you need," the Captain replied.

"No please! Just listen to me for another moment! In the trance the saboteur needed my key. I am not sure if it meant the launch key or the safe containing the sealed orders key. This made me realize that you must have opened the sealed orders safe and discarded the orders, even if you were not aware of it," the Commodore continued.

"I do not like what you are implying Hooves. I think you are trying to say that under some kind of 'hypnotic trance' I opened the safe to carry out the actions of the saboteur. There is no way that we could prove this and I don't even believe in hypnosis! And I thought I was supposed to be the superstitious old sailor on this ship," Captain Robertson said.

"Tell me Robertson, where is your launch key?" Commodore Hooves asked.

"It is on the same key ring as the safe key. Why do you ask?" Captain Robertson retorted with suspicion.

"Can you check if you still have it on you?" the Commodore said.

"I thought we already discussed why I can't do that right now. Does the whole 'below deck' thing ring any bells?" the Captain whispered.

"Grow up Captain! We don't usually wear clothes anyway. Just reach deep inside your pockets and let's see if I am on the right track here," the Commodore continued.

"I can't say I follow where you are going with this but I guess it won't hurt to check," the captain said as he reached inside his back pocket. He fished around for good a minute of so but was unable to find the familiar jingle of the key chain. The Captain turned around in horror towards the Nuclear Launch Console.

Inside one of keyholes there was the Captain's key in the security lock.

"I think you might be on to something, Bubbles. If you promise to not punch me in square in the face again I will have you unrestrained," the Captain said.

The Commodore got back up on her hooves and walked over to the launch console. The key dangled the rest of the key ring which contained the safe key and the Captain's ID.

"I don't know what this means but I think we should focus on your saboteur angle a little more," the Captain stated while stroking his beard.

There was a commotion in the room below and by now the Captain and Commodore instinctively walked over to the balcony when the busy sounds of chairs moving and papers shuffling echoed from the room below.

"We are in attack range of the two unknown submarines, Sir! Do the orders still stand?" a crew member reported from his station.

"Oh right, the unknowns! Given the recent excitement I forgot about them for a second there. Belay the previous orders but stay in action stations. I want to see how the unknowns react to our change in position. Perhaps the Commodore was right about the threat being entirely internal," the Captain commanded.

"If you are up to it, Hooves then I would love to have you back in the Command Room again," Captain Robertson said to the Commodore.

"Absolutely! No hard feelings and let bygones be bygones. I think the next course of action should be to find out who has access to your quarters. It is most likely that you could have been hypnotized during your sleep," the Commodore cheerfully stated.

"We are really going to run with this hypnosis theory, eh?" the Captain snorted.

"I would like to hear some of your brilliant theories then!" Commodore Hooves replied.

"Fair enough, but I still find it hard to swallow that's all. The only ponies that have access to the room are myself and my superiors, so that means you by the way," Captain Robertson stated.

"Don't insult me Robertson! I think we can assume that the saboteur doesn't have the clearance. What I want to know is who would have the opportunity to break into your quarters," Commodore Hooves retorted.

"Well, the maintenance crew does have the tools required to force open a door and then put it back in place without anyone noticing. Maybe we should start there." The Captain said.

"Alright, where can we talk to the maintenance crew?" the Commodore inquired.

The Captain walked over to a scheduling book on his desk and said, "They should be in the Mess Hall right now for breakfast. If you hurry you could catch them before their first shift starts."

"Then that's were I will be heading off to. Oh, and Captain do you know where my jacket is? I have seem to lost track of it." the Commodore said.

"I have no idea, Hooves. You had it on when you stormed out of here last," the Captain replied as he turned to desk to look at a navigational report.

"Strange, how very strange," the Commodore said to herself as she walked out of the Command Room.