It had been a terrible mission. Every thing that could have gone wrong had gone wrong and there had been delays at every point. The equipment failures had mounted and Admiral Harriman Nelson had roamed the decks of the SEAVIEW, mumbling under his breath and descending on his men for the slightest error or infraction of the rules.

Executive Officer Chip Morton and Lt. Bob O'Brien were pulling double shifts in the Control Room as Captain Lee Crane had left it in their hands. The crewmembers had kept going to Chief Sharkey to complain about their treatment from the Admiral. He finally took the complaints to the Captain, who stared to roam the corridors with the Admiral, trying to head off some of the ill will that was being generated. Often the Captain would step in to take charge and to protect the men from the Admiral's anger. He was spending a great deal of time trying to make situations right and soothing over hurt feelings and tempers before it became beyond control. Crane did not know what had the Admiral in such a foul mood except that when things did go wrong, it seemed to pile up until the Admiral's tolerance reached a breaking point.

It was almost there now and the Admiral searched the corridors looking for things going wrong. Lee stayed at his side trying to see what the problem was. It was a hard job and he was beginning to weary from it. He would catch a few hours sleep whenever he could but tried to stay with the Admiral. Nelson was acting like a man possessed as he determined to get the boat back to normal running standards. He rarely got to get up to the Control Room and hadn't seen O'Brien and Morton in days. Verbal communication was passed on by Chief Francis Sharkey as Crane entered the Control Room, mostly to get a rest from the Admiral's constant growling.

Even Morton's off-duty hours were often interrupted by O'Brien calling him about problems developing. This had been going on all week. O'Brien was quite competent under normal conditions but he had never dealt with SEAVIEW and the Admiral when they were both in a peevish mood. He would call Chip and the Exec would go up to the Control Room to check out the situation.

It was during one of these many trips back and forth to the Control Room that he actually sighted his friend, Lee Crane, standing in the corridor with a clipboard. He was writing something as the Admiral was speaking to him. Lee gave Chip a half-smile when Chip passed but continued to write what he was instructed on the clipboard.

Chip finally reached the Control Room to check out the problem when he overheard Patterson, Riley and Ski talking.

"Yeah." Ski was agreeing with Patterson and Riley. "I don't know what we would do without the Skipper. He's really keeping things under control on this trip."

"He's not been to the Control Room in ages." Pat added, "He's having to do everything--just to keep the Admiral happy."

The men laughed and continued to brag about their Skipper and his ability to seemingly keep the submarine and the Admiral all happy at once.

Chip listened to their comments as he worked on the panel next to Ski's sonar station. He reached across Ski and flicked a few switches and was rewarded when the sonar sprang back to life.

Ski stopped his talking and looked down to watch the sonar for a minute. "Thank you, sir!" He stated to Mr. Morton. Ski then turned back to Patterson, who was ready to relieve him. "This is one time I'm glad that the Skipper wasn't on a mission. Who would have kept things going?"

O'Brien and I would. Chip answered in his mind as he turned to see Bob working at the plotting table. He wanted to say something to Ski but thought better of it and stepped over to the plotting table.

O'Brien looked up as Morton approached the table. He was clearly relieved to see him, "I'm sorry to bother you again. It just seems like nothing is going right."

Chip smiled at him, "Oh, she's just being a female--she wants a little extra attention."

He patted the top of the plotting table, "Be good, Girl! Call me if you have any more problems, Bob."

And of course there had been other problems to develop and Chip had come the aid of the Control Room several times while the Admiral continued to check everything out with Lee Crane at his heels. The Captain was totally exhausted by the Admiral's reign of terror as he went over everything on the boat.
 
 

Three days later they had finally come to rest in the nearly circular crater-lagoon of the small Greek Island of Thera. On a rare trip to the Control Room the Captain had secured permission for the crew to take shore leave at one of the larger villages.

The knowledge of leaving the sub had lifted the men's spirits quite a bit and they were trying to see where they fit into the leave schedule. Again it was praise for the Captain's s ability to arrange the leave, so Chip said nothing as he posted a schedule for a 72-hour stopover that he had worked out himself.

The Admiral had insisted that Chip and Lee have the first leave periods since they had been so busy the past week with the running and repair of the boat. Lee had passed Chip in the corridor suggesting that they grab a dinner on the island their first night ashore.

Under normal conditions Chip and Lee would get along quite well. They had been friends for many years and worked together under some very hard conditions but Chip was exhausted. He was about filled up with the 'wonderfulness' of the Captain, while he and Bob had worked such long stretches in the Control Room. Chip laid the clipboard on the charting table, feeling very tired and guilty about the actions that he was planning to take as soon as the 'shore leave' announcement was made. As the hour approached Chip rushed to his cabin to cram a few things into an overnight bag. He really needed to get away from the sub without anyone accompanying him, much less Lee Crane.

He picked up his bag and stepped out into the corridor. The Captain's door was closed so he rushed past it and headed up to the deck. A launch from the village, Fira, upon the cliffs was waiting along side the SEAVIEW as she rode the gentle waters.

Chief Sharkey was standing beside the launch as Chip approached. A few of the men were already in the launch, waiting to go to the Island. "Where's the Skipper, Sir?" he asked as Chip climbed over into the launch.

"Lee will be along later." Chip answered. Liar echoed in his mind. "Let's not wait. We're getting together tonight for dinner."

Two of the men rose to push the launch away from the sub. Chip watched as the deck of the SEAVIEW grew smaller and the cliffs of Thera rose ahead of him. He really enjoyed this island and he needed some time away for a few hours. It was confining this time as he had actually lived in the Control Room for the entire mission. The few times that he did get to his cabin he would fall asleep at his desk or nearly collapse on the bunk out of pure exhaustion.

Looking back at the SEAVIEW, he felt quite ashamed of his rash act of leaving Lee behind on the sub but Lee did know the departure time. Sometimes he thought that Lee felt rather uncomfortable on shore leave, usually leaving the planning of activities to Chip. Today Chip did not feel like planning anything or dealing with any plans. Again he felt the tide of guilt surge over him for leaving Lee stranded aboard the sub but they would run into each other later that night. The village wasn't that big.

He arrived at the launch pier at the base of the cliffs and looked at the stairway that climbed to the top of the cliffs and to the village beyond. The first time that they berthed here several years ago, he was amazed by the distance they had to climb; but the view was really worth it. He had already picked out the little hotel that Lee had shown him the first time that he had seen the island. It overlooked the crater-lagoon below and was reasonable in price.

That's it! Lee will know where to find me. We always stay here. But that did not help the guilt. Chip finally reached the top of the cliffs and stood looking down to the water below. Off in the distance he could see the shiny metal hide of the SEAVIEW as it rested in the deep blue waters.

He turned and went down the street to the small family-style inn that they stayed at. The owner, an older woman, recognized him as soon as he entered the courtyard. She hurried over to the counter just inside the opened door, remembering the room that Chip favored. She started to hand him the second key, looking around for the dark-haired gentleman that usually came with him.

Chip waved the key away, smiling at her. "He'll be here later, okay?" He told her. She smiled and nodded at him. He didn't really think she understood him because she had always smiled at him and nodded. Lee was always the one who could speak enough Greek to communicate their needs. He nodded and smiled back, accepting the key to his room. They always stayed on the top floor, three flights up. He opened the door to the room, savoring the fresh air that was blowing in the window. He walked over to the connecting door to the next door room that Lee usually insisted on because it was a corner room with two windows.

The rooms were fairly simple but clean and fresh looking. The walls were whitewashed and the floors were clean, bare hardwood. The beds were full-sized and comfortable. The only other furniture was a chest of drawers and a straight-backed chair; there were no phones or televisions. Chip sat on the bed and leaned back. Maybe a short nap was what he needed before venturing forth on the island.

It took only minutes before Chip fell into a deep sleep. He slept longer that he had planned since there were no problems or emergencies to attend.

Chip was sleeping soundly when the door between the rooms slammed shut. Lee's here and he's pissed. Chip got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom and splashed water on his face. Ho looked into the mirror, surprised to see that he looked less haggard than he had been feeling. Oh well, I'll go make peace with Lee.

He finished up in the bathroom and walked over to the connecting door and opened it, walking into Lee's room. "Sorry, I left before you were ready, Lee. Let's go get dinner."

Chip came to a dead stop as a tall blond woman walked from around the corner of the room. She was dressed in a deep teal bra and French-cut teal panties and a wide smile.

Her body was perfect and looked like fine porcelain, topped by long curly blond hair.

Chip felt a flush beginning to cover his face as he turned to leave the room.

"Wait!" the woman called to him.

He stopped but did not turn around. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry..." he started.

"Actually, the dinner part sounds pretty good." The woman continued speaking, "You can turn back around."

Chip turned around slowly. The woman had slipped into jeans and a tee-shirt. She extended her hand toward Chip, "Hi. I'm not Lee but I am Lisa. I guess that you were expecting a friend?"

Chip smiled. He could still feel heat from the flush on his face. "I was expecting him this evening. He usually uses this room."

"Well, he hasn't shown up, but I could use dinner." she suggested, smiling back at him.

Chip indicated the door to the hallway, "Shall we see what they are serving tonight?"

As Lisa stepped ahead of him, Chip looked up to the ceiling, please don't show up tonight, Lee!

As they walked down the stairs to the lower level, Chip began to apologize for barging in Lisa's room.

"I really did think it was Lee." he explained.

"I could tell that you were definitely surprised." She answered, smiling back at him. "You should have seen the look on your face." She added with a quiet laugh.

Chip smiled at the memory, "I bet you've never seen a man blush before."

Lisa laughed again as they entered the eating area, "Actually, I have. I'm a doctor." She answered. She laughed again. Her laughter was like music to Chip's ears. "Usually I walk in on patients in various stages of undress. It was interesting to be on the receiving end." She laughed, blushing herself. "You have taught me something with this...do you have a name?"

Oh, brilliant, Chip! He turned to her. "My name is Chip." He indicated a table over in the corner and followed her to the table and pulled out the chair for Lisa.

"Chip?" she repeated.

"Yep, I have had it since childhood. It's short for Charles. It's Chip Morton."

She reached for his hand and picked it up off the table, "Hello, Chip Morton. I'm Lisa Ryder, and it is very nice to meet you."

Chip pulled her hand to his side of the table and gently kissed the back of her hand. He smiled at her. "It's most wonderful to meet you, Dr. Lisa Ryder."

She smiled back, "Thank you, Mr. Chip Morton. And what brings you to Thera, in the off-season for tourist?"

"Actually I'm on shore leave for a couple of days." he answered.

"Shore leave?"

"From a research vessel moored below in the lagoon."

"The submarine?"

"Yes. What brings you here, Dr. Ryder?"

"Lisa." She corrected. "I'm returning to the States after working for the summer in the Middle East."

"Oh?"

"I'm taking a few days vacation before returning home." She continued.

"And where is home?"

"Santa Barbara, California, at the Memorial Hospital. It's downtown near the freeway." She answered as the owner hurried over to them with wineglasses and a bottle of wine. The woman scurried off and returned with a tray laden with bowls of hot, steaming stew, breads and cheeses.

Chip looked at the stew as the owner placed everything on the table, chatting at them the entire time. Neither Chip nor Lisa could understand what she said, but since the owner was smiling as she talked, they assumed that it was something good and smiled back and nodded with her.

"I don't speak the language so I don't know what we are having, but the food is always good here. My friend usually does the ordering since he speaks Greek."

Lisa dipped her spoon into the stew and tasted it, "Something with fish, I think." she answered. "I don't speak the language either."

They ate in silence for a few minutes, sharing the bread and cheese. The inn owner returned with dishes of meat and vegetables, said something to them and hurried off again.

Lisa watched after her, "Does she ever stop?" Turning back to Chip, "Are you in the Navy?"

"Not really, but sometimes I am...it depends." Chip laughed, "Right now I'm a civilian but tomorrow -- who knows?"

"Where are you from? San Diego?"

"No, just a few miles from you...have you heard of the Nelson Institute for Marine Research?" he asked.

"Yes." she answered. "Isn't he suppose to be a genius -- rather eccentric though?"

Chip roared with laughter, "Admiral Nelson? He's a genius -- but a very demanding genius. I do believe that's why my friend hasn't showed up."

"You don't seem to be too worried." Lisa observed.

"No, Lee can handle the Admiral when he's in his manic moods. I'm not worried about him." Chip responded, taking a sip of his wine.

"So what are you going to do on the island?" she asked him.

"Not sure yet." he answered, truthfully. He hadn't thought what he was going to do. He only wanted to get a break from the submarine. He hadn't thought about any activities since getting to the hotel and the slamming door woke him up.

"Well, since Thera is the fabled remains of Atlantis, I'm planning to do some skin diving and snorkeling over the next few days." Lisa suggested. "Would you like to join me?"

"Sure, why not? What are we diving for?" he asked.

"Well, actually we can't dive for anything since the waters are protected, but we can look at the ruins. I have heard that the diving is wonderful."

Chip grinned at her, "So we are sightseeing diving?"

"Something like that." she answered.
 
 

Something moved gently across his face, causing a slight tickle on his cheek. He reached up and rubbed his cheek, only to have the sensation to move to his forehead and he slapped at it, realizing it was probably one of those big bugs that he hated. He jerked awake to find Lisa sitting on the edge of the bed with a long blade of grass in her hand.

"Don't you ever lock your door, Sailor?" she commented. "It might keep you out of trouble one of these days." She was smiling at him. "I've been busy. I have reserved a boat, got the equipment ready. Now I'll go order breakfast while you dress."

She rose from the bed and headed back to the connecting door. "Don't be late, Chip!" she called, closing the door behind her.

Chip waited until the door was closed then got out of bed. Thank Heavens she did not jerk the sheet away...but that could have been interesting too!

He plodded over to the bathroom as he prepared for the day. He had originally decided not to shave for the days that he was on the island, nor was he going to worry about if a comb visited his hair; but maybe the few extra minutes would be worth it now.

Stepping from the bathroom he dressed in swim trunks and a cotton button-up Hawaiian shirt that he had nearly worn out from use. His well-worn sneakers completed the outfit and he went out into the hall to go downstairs.

When he arrived at the table, Lisa was engrossed in a large detailed map that she had of the islands. She looked up as Chip sat down, "I've ordered something, not certain what, but it seems to make her happy." She indicated the owner, who gave Chip a knowing smile.

Lisa spread the map on the table for Chip to see it. She pointed to one side of the island. "We could go diving here. It shows promise. The water's are patrolled by the Greek government and the island authorities."

"So you think that we will find Atlantis?" Chip asked smiling.

"At least some of the Minoan ruins, if nothing else. We have nothing else to do so maybe it will be nice to look about to see what's out there."

"Could be interesting." he agreed as breakfast was shuffled over to them. The Innkeeper was carrying a huge tray of eggs, meats, cheeses and breads. She put this on the table before them and rushed off, only to return with a battered metal coffeepot that she set on the table.

Lisa picked up several of the breads and cheese and shoved them into plastic bags that she then put in her tote. She noticed Chip looking at her rather strangely. "It's for lunch." she explained, laughing. "Hard to cook a fish on a boat."

"Yeah, I imagine that it is." Chip answered.

As they ate, they talked of their plans for the day and Lisa pointed out several areas of interest on the map.

"Oh, if we find anything important, we have to report it to the Island authorities." She warned him.

"And if we don't find anything important?" Chip asked.

"Then we swim around and chase fish." Lisa answered.
 
 

The rising sun rode the crest of the ocean, highlighting every dip of the waves. The breeze was warm and fresh, and Chip had nearly dozed as he leaned back against the rough back of the seat. Lisa had fallen sleep at his side and stirred slightly as he stretched.

"The sun's up." he announced.

Lisa opened her eyes and looked over in the direction of the rising sun, "This sounded like such a good idea." she complained. She reached over the edge of the boat, barely able to reach the water as it lapped against the side of the boat. "At least the water is warm." she commented.

Chip handed her the diving equipment that she was using and gathered his at his feet and began to look over the pieces. He noticed Lisa watching him. "Never assume the person at the dive shop knows what they are doing." He warned. "Always check your own equipment." He moved over to her seat and began to explain to her how to look for damages and to test-breathe the tank.

Once they had suited up they both slipped over the boat's side into the warm waters of the Aegean Sea. The sun had risen enough for them to begin to see the structures that lay in the water beneath their boat.

Chip was surprised to see that this side of the island was littered with broken pieces of amphora and bits of clay. A few of the large jugs seemed to be in one piece or only slightly damaged but there was pottery everywhere below them. Fish of all sizes glided around them like small puppies demanding attention. Some of the larger fish had to be pushed away as they collected around the divers.

As the sun rose higher, colors began to appear among the remains of the amphora and the shards of pottery. Most of the clay pieces were in neutrals but occasionally there would be a beautiful blue or red piece sighted below. Chip checked his watch and signaled Lisa to follow him over to some of the pits among the coral. Using the high powered torches they searched the pits for bits and pieces of ruins. From time to time, a large fish or moray eel would dart out and swim off, disappearing into the blue waters.

They searched around for several minutes and saw nothing but the pottery shards and broken amphorae until they found something that looked like an old wall and broken columns. Chip raised his eyebrows questioningly at Lisa. She shrugged and started swimming back up to the boat. He followed her up, seeing the shadow the boat cast off to their right.

Once they broke the surface of the water, Chip took off his mask and waited until she had done the same.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I didn't see anything on the map." she answered. "Do we want to go back down and check it out?"

Chip reached over the side of the boat, picking up the map that Lisa had brought with them. Nothing was marked on the map showing areas of interest for divers. Although the map indicated the amphora and pottery shards, it did not show anything else.

"Maybe we did find Atlantis." Chip joked as he dropped the map back into the boat. "Do you want to go back down?"

Lisa nodded in agreement and refitted her mask into place. Chip followed her down. They swam around looking for other interesting ruins.

Lisa stopped and indicated something to her right. Chip swam over to see where she was pointing her torch. The water was darker and colder here and the overhang of the island protected the area. Coral blanketed the area and changed the ruins into an off-world structure of weird shapes and patterns, with heavy alga clinging it to. They searched, finding an opening in the coral and algae that they could swim into.

As Lisa started to go in, Chip stopped her by grabbing her arm and indicating that they only had 30 minutes of air left before they had to return to the boat for another tank.

Lisa nodded that she understood, and they slowly entered the opening, moving the torches from left to right. Here the water was murky and filled with pieces of algae and seaweed. The natural light did not penetrate this deep into the cavern.

As Chip flashed his torch around and moved in the cavern, he realized that the area they were in was not a natural cavern but actually a building that had sunk into the sea quite some time ago. The murky water cutting down the visibility had made it impossible to see that until he moved around. It seems that the walls had been painted at one time but most of that had flaked off and joined the swirling water that seemed to be constantly moving about the area. He guessed that it was the movement of the tides affecting the water inside the building, just enough to keep the water and debris stirred up.

Turning from the wall he flashed his light out into the room, trying to signal to Lisa but caught a glimpse of a quick glitter off in the distance. He swam toward the area where he thought he saw the glitter, keeping an eye out for Lisa. He saw her light through the murkiness and caught her arm and pointed ahead into the gloom. He saw her nod a response and he swam in the direction of the glittering object. Stopping to shine his torch again in the direction where he had seen the flash, he could not locate whatever he had caught in the light earlier. Checking his watch, he saw that they had ten minutes to return to the surface before their air would be severely limited.

He brought his hand up near Lisa and tapped the watch crystal, point up with his hand. She nodded in agreement and they started for the opening in the wall. Leaving the enclosure they swam slowly toward the surface of the sea.
 
 

Chip broke the surface just a few feet from the boat and reach out and lifted himself over the side of the boat. He reached over for Lisa and helped her up out of the water. He was glad that when he left the sub as a diver that he did not have to climb back aboard the SEAVIEW but could just swim back inside. Climbing aboard the boat made him aware of the weight change in his body and suddenly he was a bit tired and decided that he needed to rest a few minutes.

"How about a bite to eat?" he asked, offering Lisa bread and cheese.

She accepted them and sat down on the bench opposite him, "What did you see down there?"

"Not certain, it really quite murky down there." he answered her back. "I thought I saw something glittering but couldn't find it in the torch light again. Our time was getting too short to search much longer."

"We have additional tanks, do you want to go back down in a bit?" she asked.

"I have to admit that I am a bit curious about what I saw down there."

They sat in silence as they ate, both lost in thoughts of the morning. Perhaps also of thought from the day before. Chip was quite certain he had not seen quite a lovelier lady since he and Angie, Nelson secretary at the Institute, had decided that the relationship between them was not working. She did live in Santa Barbara. May be he would look her up once they were both back in California.

"So why did your friend not show up?" Lisa asked him, suddenly bring him back to the present.

"Probably baby-sitting the sub." Chip answered. He realized that he hadn't thought about the sub once today, although he knew that it was still in the waters at the other side of the island.

"Why would he have to baby-sit it?" she asked.

"Because he's the Captain." Chip answered, smiling. "If he were not there baby-sitting her, then I would probably be doing so."

"Well, I'm glad that he is baby-sitting..." she commented. "Do you want to go back down to that cavern?"

Adjusting their equipment they both slipped over into the warming water. It was early afternoon and the sun was piercing deep into the sea, bringing out the colors of the corals and the ruins below them. Chip had picked up a stronger torch this time to investigate the outside of the entrance to the cavern. As they neared the structure, he motioned Lisa to wait as he swam around, shining the light on the outside of the entrance. To his absolute amazement he was surprised to see that the sides of the cavern were actually well-fitted large blocks of limestone-like material. The seams were nearly perfect. They were not in a cavern but an actual building. Chip motioned Lisa over and pointed out the big blocks, trying to make her aware of the fact that they were in a building. He missed having the communication devices like they had on the Seaview.

He swam for the entrance waiting for her to follow him. Stopping at the entrance he was able to project the light around it, making out a doorway covered with coral and algae. Apparently the building had been underwater for so long that the entrance way was beginning to be covered over by the growth and would probably disappear within the next few years. They were fortunate that they found it when they did.

Entering the structure, he decided that he would find whatever it was that had gleamed through the murky water at him earlier. Using the torch he flashed it around the water and was rewarded by a glistening off toward the center of the back wall. Lisa nodded at him and they begin to swim forward, with the glistening object growing larger as they approached. The room was larger than he originally thought that it was and seemed to be filled with debris and fallen columns. He looked down at the floor of the room to see that it was littered with pieces of limestone and pieces of metals, one which he reached down and picked up, handing it over to Lisa.

She looked at it and shrugged, handing it back to him.

He continued to swim forward, flashing the torch forward and catching it reflecting off an object just ahead. The water had gotten murky and still, as though they had entered an alcove where the undersea currents could not enter. The ceiling seemed to slope forward, at least the algae were closer to his head, and the side walls seemed to move in also. He flashed his light again, surprised to see that he was right in front of the object that glistened in the light.

Motioning to Lisa, Chip brought up the light to reveal a statue standing about two feet high. The statue stood on a small squat marble pedestal. It was a gold colored figure of a woman in ornate, skirt-type pants. Her hair was formed in an elaborate style, cascading down over her bare breast. At her feet were two reclining cat-like creatures staring out of the sculpture. She had a large snake wrapped around her body, and she held its head aloft in her right hard. On her out stretched left wrist sat a large bird. The figure stared forward with a solemn expression on her face.

Chip reached out and touched her gently, almost afraid to add any pressure for fear of knocking the sculpture off of the pedestal. He was surprised when the delicate statue did not move under his touch, but wondered if the gleaming statue could actually be gold.

Lisa was at his side looking at the statue of the golden woman before her. She touched one of the cat-like creatures, amazed at the detail of the statue. She felt Chip reach out and touch her arm and she looked to see him tap the crystal of his watch. She nodded in agreement and followed him away from the golden lady.

Chip tossed his air tanks over the side of the boat and treaded water until Lisa surfaced beside him. He assisted her in removing the air tanks, dropping them over the edge of the boat.

Lisa clung to the side of the boat, gathering her breath from the change in body weight. "What was that?" she asked, smiling at him.

Smiling back, Chip replied, "I'm not sure what she is but I'm willing to bet that she's made of gold by the color." He climbed aboard the small craft and helped Lisa aboard. He sat on the bench and looked across to her, "Maybe we should return to Fira and report our findings to some authority there."

"She's beautiful, "Lisa agreed, "and we should certainly report this to someone."

Chip guided the boat back across the water to the boat docks at the base of the cliffs below Fira. In the distance he could see the Seaview, quietly riding the gentle waves of the lagoon. He docked the boat at the pier and jumped aboard the boardwalk, tying the boat and holding his hand out to Lisa as she stepped across to the boardwalk.

They climbed the hundreds of steps to the top of the cliffs. Lisa grabbed his arm, laughing at the top as they both stopped to catch their breaths.

Lisa led him down the small winding streets until they came to a small building nestled on one of the side streets. Lisa explained that this was a government office for the artifacts found on the islands. As they entered the building they were stopped by a squat little man dressed in a uniform who would not allow them to proceed any further.

Chip realized that they would not get anywhere with this man and he could not communicate well enough to tell the man what they wanted. He pulled the piece of metal out of his pocket that he had picked up off the ocean floor. The little man snatched the piece away from him and turned, disappearing into one of the back rooms.

Lisa laughed at Chip's confused look following the disappearance of the little man. She walked around the room looking at the photos and paperwork that seemed to document one of the recent digs on the island. Some of the glass cases were filled with artifacts. She suddenly paused beside one of them, calling Chip to her side. When Chip came up beside her, she indicated the drawing of a bare-breasted woman holding a large snake, much in the way that the statue had held the snake. She pointed to it and was starting to say something when she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

"That is the Snake Goddess." The voice spoke. The man who had walked into the front room was a few years older then Chip. He was tall and slender, with black-gray hair and his shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He spoke excellent English, with just a touch of an accent. "She is one of the smallest Gods of the Santorini Island group...a house god." He continued talking as he walked up to the case, standing between them. He placed Chip's piece of metal on the glass counter. "This is a part of a bronze alloy oil lamp. Not rare, but you are not permitted to collect artifacts while visiting our island."

"So I was told." Chip agreed, looking toward Lisa. "I used it because you guard seemed not to want us to visit your office."

"Yes," agreed the man. "He is a bit possessive with my time." The man agreed. "My name is Dr. Michael Skalos and I am the curator at this small office."

Chip introduced Lisa and himself and explained that they had found the lamp while diving off the coast of the island. "We thought we were in a cave, but it's more like a large room." Chip explained.

The man was beginning to look interested as he indicated that Lisa and Chip should join him in one of the back rooms. Michael Skalos led the way down a narrow hallway and into what was obviously the man's office. There were papers scattered around the room and bit and pieces of artifacts sitting about on the furniture and paperwork.

Skalos cleaned off the couch, apologizing for the messy office and poured them a strong cup of thick, rich coffee. Leaning against the desk, he addressed them, "How may I be of service to you?"

Chip looked over to Lisa who nodded back at him. "We found something else in the room." Chip answered. "That's why we were so interested in the drawing in the case."

"The drawing of the Snake Goddesses?" Michael Skalos asked.

"We found a statue of her about two feet high." Chip stated as he went on to describe how they had found her and the shape of the room.

"She's beautiful, but with more animals...they are two cats at her feet and a bird of some kind." Lisa added. "She also looks gold."

"Gold...that would be impossible." the curator answered. "The Minoan culture is very old and pre-dates the smelting of gold...at least we have no evidence of golden figures...." He looked deep in thought. "That is a very large sized statue, too large for a house god...unless it is the figure of Rhea. She is the original matriarchal figure of the early god-worship of the early tribes as they began to come together to build what we now consider our first cities and trade centers." He wandered over to the window, looking deep in thought, then turned around to Chip, "It was found in a single room?"

"It is a large open room."

"But it is underwater," Skalos replied. "Can you take me to this location? Can we go in the morning?"

"Of course." Chip answered.

Lisa looked over and caught Chip's eyes on her if asking for an agreement from her also. "Can you meet us at the boat docks below Fira at 7:00 in the morning?"

"I most certainly can be there." the man agreed.
 
 

After dinner at another restaurant in the heart of the village, Lisa and Chip walked the tiny street back to the inn where they were staying. Lisa walked beside him clinging to his left arm, trying to avoid the ruts in the streets of cobblestones. They had both had steaks and wine to celebrate their find but decided that they needed to return to the inn early since they were going out again in the morning.

Arriving at the inn, they slipped by the owner and went up the stairs to their rooms. Chip had left Lisa at her door after giving her a lingering, gentle kiss. He walked into his room and found her sitting on the bed and the connecting door between the rooms opened.

"I'm too excited to sleep." she complained.

Chip walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. Lisa moved to the head of the bed, fluffing the pillow against her back. Chip moved to the pillows and stretched out on the bed, pulling her to his chest where she rested against him. She curled up as he wrapped his arms around her, closing her eyes and listening to his steady breathing. They talked quietly for a few minutes before he realized that she had fallen asleep. Chip smiled to himself, finding the situation amusing. He was in bed with a beautiful woman, she was sound asleep and he was totally exhausted.

It was several hours later when Lisa woke to the sound of running water. For the first minute or two she was uncertain of where she was and then she remembered the day before. She was lying on Chip's bed, fully dressed and covered by a light blanket. She looked around the room and saw a light on under the bathroom door and realized that the sound of the water was from the shower running.

Stretching, she rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom. The door was unlocked so she opened it and walked into the bathroom. Pausing for just a minute, she stepped out of her shorts and swimsuit briefs and pulled her tee-shirt over her head. Releasing the swimsuit bra, she dropped it to the floor and pulled back the shower curtain and stepped into the shower.
 
 

A little over an hour later, Lisa stood at the counter in the lobby of the inn collecting two thermos of coffee and a basket of rolls and cheese. She looked up as Chip entered the lobby from the front door and went to her side to pick up the thermos and placed them in his bag. She smiled her thanks to the owner and followed Chip out into the early morning fog that was resting on the small village.

Chip draped his jacket over her shoulders as they started down the steps to the boat landing far below. The fog was thicker so it was like descending into an unknown world, as the fog seemed to cut out the noises from the village just waking up to the day. They had the landing to themselves except for Dr. Michael Skalos, who was waiting for them beside the boat.

"I'm early." He explained. "I was so looking forward to this excursion today."

"So are we." Chip answered. "I must admit I would like to know who the lady is too!"

They boarded the small boat and started out into the early morning. The boat dock quickly vanished into the fog leaving them in a sea of fog and water. Chip thought he could hear the gentle hum of the Seaview's engines from across the lagoon as they passed near the area where she was moored.

"That humming is my boat." he explained to the other two with him. He looked directly at Lisa. "I have to report back for duty tomorrow by noon."

"I have to fly home tomorrow night." she answered him. "Shall we race home to Santa Barbara?"

"Yep," he answered smiling at her, "the first one home can buy dinner. I like steak with all the trimmings."

In minutes they had returned to the spot where they were diving the day before. Chip felt confident that he had guided them back to the correct place. Michael was looking around, trying to get some kind of bearing on the island to see where they were located, but the fog prevented that.

Chip indicated the extra-sized oxygen tanks and the stronger torches that they had packed with them this time. He hoped that Michael Skolas knew enough about diving to be able to look after himself while underwater but decided that he would be keeping an eye on Lisa and their new-found friend.

The Doctor seemed very impatient as he waited for Chip to check over the diving equipment. Chip assisted him with getting it on and remained on board while they slipped into the water. He had them check their tanks and masks before he was comfortable enough to put on his equipment to join them. Just as Chip slipped into the water he heard the sound of a far-off engine and thought that the crew of the Seaview was beginning to make their way back across the water to the sub.

The amazing thing was except for the gloom of the sunless morning so far, the sea did not absorb the murky appliance of the fog and it was clear and the water was already warm this morning. Pausing for a minute to get his bearings, Chip began to see familiar landmarks from yesterday appear as he led the small group toward the opening in the wall ahead.

Michael stopped outside, carefully and reverently touching the outside of the structure. He petted the algae like it was an obedient pet awaiting their arrival and carefully parted it to peer at the structure that it was growing on, then he smiled and nodded to Chip.

Chip was pleased that the Doctor seemed to find something that pleased him with the structure. Chip saw him nod again and Chip swam into the crevice, making sure that Michael was following and that Lisa was right behind him. They entered the murky water of the room and it was stiller today than it had been yesterday. It moved in gentle eddies around their bodies. Chip flashed the strong torch at the back wall to see the statue flash the light back to them. He felt Michael grab his arm and stop swimming. He was just staring off into the distance at the gleaming statue. Chip motioned Lisa and they begin to swim in the direction of the statue. The Doctor was getting impatient and wanted to see the statue so Chip swam over to it with him.

Michael reached out to touch the statue as a humming sound zipped by and a spear from a spear gum embedded itself in his left shoulder. Michael pulled back from the statue with a jerk of surprise and wonder. The wound in his shoulder began to release blood into the water. Chip turned to see two dark figures swimming through the water toward them. He thrust the doctor toward Lisa and turned to greet the invaders, holding the torch as a weapon against further attack. Another spear darted through the water to disappear into the murky darkness behind the statue. Chip recognized one of the figures as the squat little man from the office in Fira.

Once in the water, the squat little man moved with grace and speed. He attacked Chip, trying to pin him to the floor of the cavern as he struggled at the same time to release a knife from the right ankle area.

They rolled over and over in the water as Chip still battered the little man with the torch, trying to get him to drop the knife. He lunged at Chip, cutting him slightly on the right cheek. While he was overextended, Chip brought the torch down heavily on his head, not caring about the damage that he caused the man's head. The knife dropped from the little man's hand and he slowly sank down to the floor below as the larger man attacked Chip.

Chip had made a mistake when he focused his attention on the smaller man with the knife. The larger man had no weapon but he quickly showed Chip that he needed none as he slipped his arm around Chip's throat. The man's other hand grabbed at the torch, holding it tightly where Chip could no longer use it has a weapon. Chip struggled, surprised at the man's strength. He caught Lisa out of the corner of her eye, trying to support the limb body of the doctor, who was trailing more blood into the water.

Chip continued to struggle, trying to free himself of the arm around his throat but the arm snaked around tighter and tighter. The more that he struggled, the stronger the man's grip became and Chip could hear a low roaring in his ears. Darkness began to move in on the outer edges of his sight as the man grasped the mouthpiece and yanked it from Chip's mouth. The man's face leered at Chip and Chip caught the strong glittering brilliance of the statue, as it seemed to pulse before him. Suddenly as it had begun, the arm loosened about his throat as the man began to fall away from Chip. Chip snatched up the mouthpiece and shoved it back into his mouth, sucking hungrily on the air.

He turned slowly trying to see what had happened to the man. He was dropping slowly to the floor, part of his skull crushed by a large stone that had slipped from the roof above, dropping on his head. Chip reached out to take one of the Doctor's arms to help Lisa get him back up to the surface and to the boat.

He noticed that Michael was nearly unconscious, so he took the weight of his body from Lisa and headed to the entrance to the room. Lisa helped maneuver his feet through the crevice and followed Chip to the surface as he supported the man's limp body. Once on the surface, Chip cradled the body while Lisa climbed into the boat and he lifted the Doctor's limp form up to her then climbed in to help her position him in the boat. The shoulder wound was oozing little blood now, although the man was gray in appearance and moaned softly. Lisa held his head in her lap and tried to hold his upper body still as Chip started up the boat for a quick trip back to the docking area.
 
 

A couple hours later, Chip and Lisa waited at Michael's house in the village for word on the injury that he had received. The local medical doctor walked out of the room and addressed them in a heavy accented voice to inform them that the Michael Skalos would do all right as he was asking about them. They entered the room to see him propped up on pillows in a small iron bed in the corner of the room. A little color had returned to his face as he turned his head to look at them. He smiled slowly at them.

Lisa walked over to him and took his hand, "We did not mean to get you into trouble. Who would think that a little statue would bring so much trouble."

Chip walked up behind Lisa, resting his hand on the man's arm. "It seems that we caught the interest of a few of the locals."

"Yes," the Doctor agreed quietly. "She probably is gold. She is the Snake Goddesses. It's a Minoan version of a guardian angel." He smiled at the two of them and closed his eyes in sleep.

Chip helped Lisa up and they walked softly out of the room. They paused to talk to the medical doctor as they left the building, promising to come back to check on their friend. As they walked out into the sunshine, Chip asked for the map from Lisa and marked the spot on it of the statue and they went to the office of Michael Skalos. Chip entered his office and left the map on the desk, putting a limestone brick on top of it as a paperweight.

Later that night, Chip stretched out on the bed of his room. He did not realize how tired he was and how sore his body was until he had finally had a chance to lay down on the bed. His cheek was still sore, his right arm was bruised where the man had pinned it against his side and his throat was on fire. He had drank just a little wine, letting it warm his body and to cause him to relax. He closed his eyes allowing himself to drift as a cooling breeze blew in the window. As he was drifting closer into sleep he felt the bed move as someone slipped into the bed under the sheet. He felt a tender pair of lips on his forehead as Lisa snuggled up against his side and then he knew nothing except sleep.
 
 

Chip stood at the plotting table working on the charts as the Seaview sailed her way back to Santa Barbara. He had been back on board for two days and had not seen Lee since his return. He had gone by his cabin, only to find a "Do Not Disturb" sign posted on the door in Lee's handwriting. Chip had walked away figuring that he would have to talk to Lee later about the shore leave.

Admiral Nelson entered the Control Room and came up to the plotting table, resting his hand on Chip's shoulder as he stopped to talk with him. The Admiral actually had a smile on his face and was joking with Chief Sharkey who had followed him to the Control Room.

"Chip, you and Bob really did a wonderful job keeping things going smooth up here while Lee and I were checking out the boat. We couldn't have done it without you." He patted Chip's shoulder and moved off humming a tune as he left the Control Room.

Chip looked up and caught the Chief's eye, "Have you seen the Captain this morning?"

Sharkey nodded and jerked his head toward the hatch as Lee Crane entered the Control Room with a cup of coffee in his hand and a clipboard tucked under his arm. Lee noticed Chip at the plotting table and came over and stood quietly, waiting for the Chief to leave.

After several seconds the Chief was aware that both men were waiting for him to move away and he excused himself by announcing that he had to make sure that Patterson and Ski finished the chore he had given them.

Once he walked away, Lee turned to Chip and started to say something then paused and touched the small cut on his cheek, "What happened to you?"

Chip smiled, shaking his head, "Shaving, Lee." He paused for a minute then started to talk, "Lee..."

"No, me first." Lee interrupted. "When I finally got away from the Admiral, I was just too tired to go ashore." He began to explain to Chip. "I'm sorry that you were on the island by yourself. Knowing that you don't know the language, it must have been a very boring three days."

Chip smiled broadly, "Well, actually...." As he started to speak, Sparks came up to the plotting table and looked at him, impatient to get back to the radio.

"Go ahead, Sparks." Lee invited.

"I have two messages for you, Sir." he said turning to Chip.

"Go ahead, tell me." Chip answered, still leaning over the charts.

Sparks looked at the papers in his hands, "The first one is from Dr. Michael Skalos, who reports that it is gold and he will be in touch with you." Sparks turned to the other sheet of paper. "The other message is that the steaks are on Dr. Ryder." He laid the papers on the table and walked away.

Lee looked at Chip, raising his eyebrows. "Gold? Steaks?"

"Well, I'm off duty now, Captain" Chip answered smiling. "I'll tell you about it sometime." He stated as he walked through the length of the Control Room. Might be a good trip home after all.