DEAD SPAC MARTYR PART FOUR THE DESCENT Part 34
34 They were still six or seven days away from the center of the crater when Markoff decided without warning to put the bathyscaphe through deepwater tests. Hendricks and Moresby were to be carried by freighter thirty miles or so ahead of the facility. There they were to dive as deep as they could, until they reached the ocean floor, test the equipment, the air systems, the communications systems, sonar, lighting, et cetera, take a few readings, remain in place for at least an hour, then ascend. Two submarines were to go along and stand by in case assistance was required. Hendricks showed up at Altman’s door shortly before he was scheduled to leave. He looked nervous. “I’ve got a problem,” he claimed. “It’s Moresby. He tied one on last night as soon as he heard we’d be going down.” “Is he all right to go down?” “Right now he can’t even see,” said Hendricks. “I’ve been trying to walk him out of it, but I’ve got to supervise the transfer of the bathyscaphe. Do you think you . . .” He trailed off, waited. “Ma…
