Read Online Into the Abyss (Tom Swift, Young Inventor) by Victor Appleton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victor Appleton
Ads: Link
it into perfect landing position. It touched down, and the engines whined to a stop. Out stepped the pilot, followed by my mom—and my little sister!
Oh, no,
I thought.
That’s all I need.
Now, instead of getting ready for my rescue dive, I was going to have to deal with
two
peoples emotions—starting with my little sister’s hysterical panic.
My mom ran straight over to where I was standing with the captain, and hugged me tight. “Oh, Tom!” she said.
“It’s okay, Mom,” I told her. “It’s going to be all right, don’t worry.”
“Has there been any word from him?” she asked the captain.
He shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t mean—”
Sandy cut him off. “You’ve got to go down there right away and bring them back up!”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I said. “Calm down, Sandy.”
“You?” my mom gasped. “Oh, no, Tom—let someone else do it.”
“He’s
my
dad, not theirs,” I said, indicating the members of the crew. “Besides, I know how the submersible works—they don’t.”
My mom looked deep into my eyes. “What if there’s another earthquake, or an aftershock?” she asked. “I can’t—I
won’t
lose my son, too.”
Meaning she thought she’d already lost her husband … my dad.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” I said. “I’ll be careful. You’ll see, everything will be fine.”
She just kept looking at me. “Tom—”
Trust me, Mom. I’ll be okay—and so will Dad.”
“I’m coming with you!” Sandy said suddenly.
“No, you’re not,” I said.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes!”
“No.”
“YES!!”
“Sandy, stop it!” Mom yelled. I’d never heard her shout at Sandy like that.
Neither had Sandy. This was clearly a special occasion, and it was no time for one of Sandy’s childish temper tantrums. I mean, okay, she’s a mathematical genius, but nobody ever called her mature for her age.
Sandy sniffed back tears. She and Mom both hugged me hard, as if they were afraid they’d never get another chance.
Meanwhile, the
Jules Verne-O
had been unloadedfrom the Sub-Orbiter and prepared for its descent into the deep.
Now it was
my
turn to get ready.
I turned to Bud, who was carrying my diving suit and the helmet with the zapper. “Ready,” I said. “Bud fitted me into the suit.
Before Yo fastened on the helmet, she said, “Don’t take any stupid chances.”
“Don’t worry,” I said.
But I didn’t say I wouldn’t.
I climbed aboard the
Jules Verne-O
. It was so cramped inside that I could barely move around. It would have been nice to have company along for the ride—someone who could operate the submersible while I went outside of it in my diving suit—but there was no possible way. Even if there’d been enough oxygen aboard for two, there was no room in here at all.
The captain’s face appeared in the doorway. “Uh, Tom,” he said, looking very serious. “There’s something else you should know.”
“Yes?”
“That storm? The one that rocked us around yesterday? It’s changed course, and it’s coming straightfor us … closing in fast. It may even hit us while you’re down there.”
I looked out the porthole of the
Verne-O
at the southern sky. There were dark clouds creeping over the horizon.
“You might want to reconsider, Tom,” he said. “I mean, this is a bad storm, and very fast-moving. If it gets bad enough, being attached by cable to the
Verne-O
might prevent us from steering into the waves. In other words, we may have to cut the cable loose to save the
Nestor
.”
I took in his words, nodding slowly. If the cable was cut, I could still bring the prototype back up to the surface on its own power. But there would be no chance then for the
Jules Verne-1
.
On the other hand, if we waited for the storm to arrive and then blow over, it might be too late anyway to save my dad and the rest of the submersibles crew.
“I don’t have a choice. It’s my dad down there,” I
Oh, no,
I thought.
That’s all I need.
Now, instead of getting ready for my rescue dive, I was going to have to deal with
two
peoples emotions—starting with my little sister’s hysterical panic.
My mom ran straight over to where I was standing with the captain, and hugged me tight. “Oh, Tom!” she said.
“It’s okay, Mom,” I told her. “It’s going to be all right, don’t worry.”
“Has there been any word from him?” she asked the captain.
He shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t mean—”
Sandy cut him off. “You’ve got to go down there right away and bring them back up!”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I said. “Calm down, Sandy.”
“You?” my mom gasped. “Oh, no, Tom—let someone else do it.”
“He’s
my
dad, not theirs,” I said, indicating the members of the crew. “Besides, I know how the submersible works—they don’t.”
My mom looked deep into my eyes. “What if there’s another earthquake, or an aftershock?” she asked. “I can’t—I
won’t
lose my son, too.”
Meaning she thought she’d already lost her husband … my dad.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” I said. “I’ll be careful. You’ll see, everything will be fine.”
She just kept looking at me. “Tom—”
Trust me, Mom. I’ll be okay—and so will Dad.”
“I’m coming with you!” Sandy said suddenly.
“No, you’re not,” I said.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes!”
“No.”
“YES!!”
“Sandy, stop it!” Mom yelled. I’d never heard her shout at Sandy like that.
Neither had Sandy. This was clearly a special occasion, and it was no time for one of Sandy’s childish temper tantrums. I mean, okay, she’s a mathematical genius, but nobody ever called her mature for her age.
Sandy sniffed back tears. She and Mom both hugged me hard, as if they were afraid they’d never get another chance.
Meanwhile, the
Jules Verne-O
had been unloadedfrom the Sub-Orbiter and prepared for its descent into the deep.
Now it was
my
turn to get ready.
I turned to Bud, who was carrying my diving suit and the helmet with the zapper. “Ready,” I said. “Bud fitted me into the suit.
Before Yo fastened on the helmet, she said, “Don’t take any stupid chances.”
“Don’t worry,” I said.
But I didn’t say I wouldn’t.
I climbed aboard the
Jules Verne-O
. It was so cramped inside that I could barely move around. It would have been nice to have company along for the ride—someone who could operate the submersible while I went outside of it in my diving suit—but there was no possible way. Even if there’d been enough oxygen aboard for two, there was no room in here at all.
The captain’s face appeared in the doorway. “Uh, Tom,” he said, looking very serious. “There’s something else you should know.”
“Yes?”
“That storm? The one that rocked us around yesterday? It’s changed course, and it’s coming straightfor us … closing in fast. It may even hit us while you’re down there.”
I looked out the porthole of the
Verne-O
at the southern sky. There were dark clouds creeping over the horizon.
“You might want to reconsider, Tom,” he said. “I mean, this is a bad storm, and very fast-moving. If it gets bad enough, being attached by cable to the
Verne-O
might prevent us from steering into the waves. In other words, we may have to cut the cable loose to save the
Nestor
.”
I took in his words, nodding slowly. If the cable was cut, I could still bring the prototype back up to the surface on its own power. But there would be no chance then for the
Jules Verne-1
.
On the other hand, if we waited for the storm to arrive and then blow over, it might be too late anyway to save my dad and the rest of the submersibles crew.
“I don’t have a choice. It’s my dad down there,” I
Similar Books
