Chapter 15: History

Captain Robertson was at a loss for words. That doesn't mean he didn't say anything it just means that the assortment of throat noises, grumbles, and curses were not coherent speech. The eyes of all of the sailors fell upon Dr. Slow Drip who was elected to be the mortician.

"Now Captain I could swear on my dear granny's grave that Hector's body was in that casket," Dr. Slow Drip said to the Captain.

Captain Robertson pulled the Doctor aside and whispered, "For your sake, I hope this was carried out by an interloper."

"Interloper, Sir?" Dr. Slow Drip asked.

"Yes, the Commodore and I have intelligence that there could be a second agent on board. The changeling said that there were contingencies in place if he (or whatever that thing is) failed," the Captain informed Dr. Slow Drip.

"What do you possibly think the body of Hector Riptide has to do with the destruction of the Pride?" Dr. Slow Drip asked.

"I don't know, Drips! Maybe they are trying to get to me. If that's the case then the interloper has succeeded," the Captain responded.

The Mess Hall grew louder with the uneasiness of the crew. The Commodore inspected the casket thoroughly but she found nothing out of the ordinary (besides the obvious lack of a body). Commodore Hooves at first thought that the whole thing was a horrible mix-up but in light of recent events she thought that this could hardly be a coincidence. Noticing the escalation of the crew, Commodore Hooves walked over to the podium and appealed for calm.

"Silence, I will have order! These are trying times for us all. I am sure there is an explanation behind this debacle. Until we get to the bottom of this I want everyone to report for duty as if nothing happened...dismissed," the Commodore ordered.

The Mess Hall cleared out swiftly and the Commodore rushed over to the Captain and the Doctor.

"Captain at this point I am open to suggestions," Commodore Hooves stated.

"Is that so Bubbles? The good Doctor and I actually were actually interested to hear any theories you might like to volunteer," Captain Robertson said.

"I might just have one but you may not like its implications. Doctor, when was the last time you saw the body in the casket?" Commodore Hooves asked Dr. Slow Drip.

"Let's see, I would say approximately twenty minutes before the casket was brought in. I did one final check and I closed the lid. After that no one saw what was on the inside until you bumped into the casket," Dr. Slow Drip responded.

"Ok. Captain, I think that would be more than enough time for Hector to climb out," Commodore Hooves theorized.

"This is no time for jokes in poor taste Bubbles! I have had to made some leaps in thinking with the systems failure, hypnosis, and that blasted changeling but when we talk about dead crewmen coming back from the grave that is when I draw the line!" Captain Robertson exclaimed.

"Perhaps he was never dead," the Commodore stated.

Dr. Slow Drip interjected, "Impossible! I declared him dead myself! There is no way in my professional opinion that Hector was alive twenty minutes before his own funeral."

"Captain, we already have one changeling aboard. Is it conceivable that another could be at work and behind this strange turn of events?" Commodore Hooves suggested.

"Aye. Perhaps it wasn't Hector that the Doctor declared dead, but Is that even possible?" Captain Robertson said.

"Although little is known about the physiology of changelings, their bodily function are drastically different from that of higher equines such as ourselves. It is probable that either I did not pick up on the vital signs of a changeling or the changeling entered into a brief period of hibernation," Dr. Slow Drip said.

"Great, we may have a working theory but where does that leave us now?" Commodore Hooves asked.

"We can certainly have a heightened alert state and try to do a sweep of the submarine," Captain Robertson replied.

"I am not sure we can go to a higher alert than 'be-afraid-of-your-own-shadow' but a general warning to be on he look out for suspicious behavior would be in order," the Commodore said.

"If I may ask," Dr. Slow Drip inquired, "the changeling we have restrained could prove to be an extraordinary specimen to study. It is certainly a rare occasion when a living changeling can be studied so closely. My research could also prove valuable to solving our current predicament."

"Go knock yourself out Drips. I want you to make sure you have an armed guard with you during your proceedings. We don't need to have two changelings causing chaos," Captain Robertson replied.

The Doctor ran off visibly excited about being granted permission to poke and prod at a creature that has avoided much needed study for so long. The Captain and the Commodore followed the doctor out shortly afterward. The Commodore and the Captain went on a leisurely walk back to the Command Room. They both where unsure of what exactly to do next but decided that there was no use in staying in that stuffy Mess Hall.

"Robertson, do you think the real Hector is alive?" The Commodore asked.

"Hooves, I am starting to think that the Hector that stepped aboard was never the real Hector," the Captain replied.

"You were close to this Hector for along time?" the Commodore inquired.

"Aye. He is like a son to me. A very distant son that only visits on the holidays but a son regardless," Captain Robertson responded.

"Why have I not heard out him until now then?" The Commodore curiously asked.

"Hooves, I gave him his space. I didn't want him to get any grief over being the Captain's pet project. We did talk occasionally, mostly about his father. Admiral Riptide was the title given to the stallion I knew as Swift Riptide. I am sure they still teach you about him in school right?" Captain Robertson reminisced.

"The topic of the Second Battle of Tompkins Gulf is required reading. The Equestrian Navy just barely pulled together. Admiral Riptide commanded the the attack during the final push and in exchange for victory the Admiral gave his life. I guess I can see how his son might have been stuck in his father's shadow," the Commodore stated.

"If I am correct at guessing then we should be near if not already in the Gulf of Tompkins. Just a few hours before nightfall. You should get some rest. I think we will have plenty of answers when we surface," the Captain replied.