Sharkbait Ch. 76: Conclusion

"That makes sense. I have a tech guy I work with a lot. I'll work with him on designing what we need; we can fly back there and sketch it all out, then he can return after the equipment arrives and get it all installed. We're going to put everything out there from photography to editing so we can get a head start. I can stay on the vessel and use the survey room to edit in between expeditions."

"I need to figure out how to outfit this baby for shark science instead of ocean mapping, too. I don't have much experience in that." I'd only been on two vessels, although I had watched a lot. "I could reach out to Doc Holliday." I pulled up my contact number for Doctor John Holliday, the shark researcher I'd worked with on the Ocean Explorer. "John- I need help with outfitting a 134' boat for shark research. Are you available for a day or two in the next week? I'll handle travel and expenses. Vicki"

Linda didn't say anything for a few more minutes. "I was going to suggest hiring crew full-time, instead of hiring for each expedition. The design is two weeks at sea, so a two-on two-off rotation makes sense from a scheduling standpoint. Start in late January, so we have more time to prepare. We work on a schedule from there."

I rolled my eyes. "Schedule? I don't even know if we'll be East or West coast right now."

"You don't want to be in San Diego?"

I let out a sigh. "If I do San Diego, we could start at Guadalupe Island and work our way north to San Clemente, Catalina, Farallon Islands, and Puget Sound," I said. "The problem from a show perspective is that Great Whites, especially the bigger ones, don't start showing up at Guadalupe until late summer, and not in the Farallons until October or November. We'd be better off going to Hawaii in the spring for them." Great White Sharks migrated thousands of miles a year, sometimes disappearing into deep water for months at a time. "On the East Coast, you've got hammerheads, bull sharks, great whites, tigers, reef sharks, and many others. We could do Honduras, the Florida Keys, New Smyrna Beach, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, maybe Cuba."

"It sounds like the sharks made our choice for us. Leave the Sea Scout in the Caribbean for the winter and spring shooting season. After that, in the summer and fall shooting season, we either keep moving up the East Coast to Cape Cod, or we move the Sea Scout to the Pacific for Great Whites."

I nodded, but there were more ideas in my head. "You forgot some options. We could send the Sea Scout to Hawaii, Australia, or South Africa after the overhaul. All three will be in peak season for sharks."

Her eyes got big, and she started tapping on her phone. "Hawaii is the closest, but that is still a six-thousand-mile transit that would take fifteen days or so. South Africa is even farther away, 8300 miles. That's twenty-five days nonstop at 12-knot cruising speed, but you'd have to stop at least once for food and fuel. Australia? That's another thousand miles further, making for a month-long voyage with a real stretch between stops in Panama and New Zealand. I don't think either one should be our maiden voyage on the Scout."

It was a lot to consider, but we needed to decide before I started partnering with researchers and before we set a schedule. I made a list on a legal pad, listing the four locations and their pluses and minuses. Ten minutes later, we looked at it.

Linda pointed to the East Coast option. "This is the lowest cost and lowest risk. Florida and the Caribbean offer good diving, better visibility, multiple species, and warmer waters. It's better for the show if the four of you are free-diving in bikinis instead of wetsuits with hoods and booties. The other advantage is that the Sea Scout is ALREADY in the Gulf. You save two weeks of transit and a lot of fuel by not having to send it through the Panama Canal." She looked out the window, then back. "Plus, if we run into any problems getting the boat ready, we'd have more time to recover on that side of North America."

"It puts everything across the country instead of around here," I said. "I was kind of looking forward to being home."

"It's not that long a flight, and if we do two-on, two-off rotation, we're only gone one weekend a month," Linda answered. "We won't be going into port in the same place, either; we'll have the crew transit to the next episode's base while we are gone. Either coast, you're moving north the whole time."

She was right. It wasn't like the guys were going to be in Coronado the whole time. They had jump school and other specialty schools they would be attending over the next year, and many were not in Coronado. Long term, they could ask to be on an East or West coast SEAL team, but 'the needs of the Navy' would have the final say. "Better to be flexible."

"Exactly. Decide in the next week or so, because we're running out of time before the tour."

I snickered. "Looking forward to following four teenage girls around for two months?"

"You don't know how," Linda said. "What's left to get film of before we leave?"

"Amy's nineteenth birthday party is the weekend after this, but don't tell her. I'm inviting her husband's SEAL class, their wives, and girlfriends out for a cruise on my boat." Her eyes got wide, thinking of all that man-candy on my yacht.

"Can I record it? PLEASE?"

"You'll have to get releases signed." I was hoping to hear back from him. "I don't think we will get permission to shoot that episode about undergoing some of the SEAL training until after we return, though."

"We have plenty to do without it." We started making lists of things we knew we wanted to get done; gear, people, and support. I had a lot figured out by the time we landed in San Diego.

The next morning, I got an email from my accountant. The bottom line was that the Foundation's use of the boat to support shark research was perfectly legal. The film crew and the four of us would have to reimburse the foundation for our added costs, like our food. Also, if we did any shooting that wasn't incidental to shark research, we would have to pay the Foundation for that time. It wasn't a bad deal, because we expected shark research to be the focus of the at-sea times. Operating and maintenance expenses, including the crew, were the responsibility of the Foundation.

When everyone available joined the video call, I played the tour video that Linda had recorded without telling them what was going on. They all knew I'd found a boat, and it was fun watching expressions as they fell in love with it. When Master Cyprian said they were DONATING it to my foundation, people went wild. Amy was crying, while the twins were jumping up and down and screaming behind me. I ended the video and waited for everyone to calm down. "So, we have a boat," I started.

"One HELL of a boat," Lynette said. "That's faster than any yacht I've driven."

"Linda and I made some lists of what we will need to get done by the end of the year to be ready for shooting in January. She is going to supervise the purchase and installation of cameras, video editing, and lighting on the Sea Scout."

"I'll get all the wiring runs and mounts in place during construction, and put the cameras in last, so they don't get damaged," Linda agreed.

I looked at Lynette on the screen. "I need a person to oversee the Scout's overhaul and learn the systems. To that end, I'd like to hire, at a minimum, a Captain and an Engineer this year and get them to New Iberia. Lynette, I'd like that to be you. You'll have the discretion to hire the crew you want. They should be female, and I'd prefer supernatural, so please send the postings out to both our people."

I could tell she was shocked; she didn't expect to be offered the job as a newly licensed Captain. "We'll have to talk about the contract, but I'm interested."

"You're going to have a bunch of werewolves, so make sure the cook is good at her job," I said to laughter. "The last part is outfitting the Scout for shark-specific research. I've reached out to one person already; once we have a plan, I'll need to run it past the Foundation's board for approval." I chaired the Foundation, but Alpha Leo, Luna Carolyn, Amy, and Ocean Ramsey were also board members. Between the million dollars I had donated and the $1.4 million from the Sotheby's auction, we had enough cash to buy a lot of gear. I'd be putting another million into my production company based on the budget numbers I was crunching.

I explained our plan for two-on, two-off shooting schedules starting in January. Then I put up the slides talking about the potential locations, which led to a lively debate. The consensus was to stay in the Caribbean for the winter and spring and worry about the summer later. "Are you returning to San Diego between expeditions," Leo asked.

"That's my intent, but the girls may go to wherever their mates are training," I said. I could tell the twins were nervous, as we were going to explain to their boyfriends and Hammer about our true nature this weekend.

Leo asked me to call him back when the call finished. I went into my bedroom to make that video call. "What's going on, Unky?"

"I just wanted to tell me how proud of you I am," he said. "You've accomplished a lot, and you have a lot going on. Don't hesitate to ask for help or slow things down if you're overwhelmed."

"I will."

"As a future Alpha, you have responsibilities during the reveal and the eventual turnings. Normally, I would tell you that if they respond badly, you have to kill them to protect our secret. You've given yourself an option that none of the current Alphas would consider." I didn't know what he was saying. "You have friends in the vampire world. IF you can trust them, and that's a big if, then I think you should work to get one of them onto your yacht this weekend. I also think you should bring one onto the Sea Scout for your expeditions."

"Why?"

"Vampires can remove memories, Sharkbait. It's better than killing their mates."

Ch. 80

The rest of the week was a blur. Amy and I both called the University and dropped half our classes, going to part-time status. I needed the extra time because I was only getting a few hours of sleep a night with everything on my plate.

By Thursday morning, Linda and I were back in New Iberia. Steve met my group, which included Doctor Holliday, electronics whiz Kim Sturgeon, Captain Lynette Dauntless, and her choice for Engineer, Patty Holmes. We spent all day on the Sea Scout, now out of the water at the Diamond 'B' Shipyard.

We gathered in a back corner of the break room, chowing down on poboys and seafood platters from Bon Creole that I'd purchased for everyone working today. "What's the verdict," I asked when I'd slowed down enough to talk.

Lynette was the first to start. "Steve's plans to upgrade the marine electronics and overhaul the engines are aggressive, in that the engines have time left on them, but I'm sure that's part of their tax deduction. The living facility upgrades are mostly cosmetic."

Patty agreed. "Mechanically, we're in good shape for a vessel this old. I found a few sections of hull starting to show signs of fatigue cracking, so we'll get those ground out and rewelded."

"How is it from the audio/visual standpoint, Linda?"

"I've got sketches now with the equipment I need and where it will go, so Kim can start ordering and installing in the survey room and running cables. There are spare penetrations and conduit, and plenty of power. Most of our computer gear is more compact and efficient than ship's design anticipated, even though it has far more processing capacity and storage."

Kim nodded at this. "We'll put the primary server and equipment in the existing computer room, and backup server on the main deck in a closet that used to hold signal processing equipment for the towed sonar. I'll also install remote-operated cameras in the common crew spaces, on and above the deck working areas, and over the sides. Anything we do will have at least two cameras showing it, plus any portables. We can monitor and control them all from the survey room. What I'm most excited about is the moon pool." In the center of the ship was a two-by-two foot opening, with a retractable post designed to mount sonars and other equipment on that could be lowered below keel depth. "I can put a high-quality underwater camera on that with a remote operator, and it will have a perfect shot of anything coming up to the boat."

I looked over at Doc, who was drinking milk while he tried to wash out the hot spices from his mouth. "Where do we sit for shark research equipment?"

"You've got a great base of support equipment in the A-frames and crane, and plenty of deck space. Honestly, I wish I was the one using it!" He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Here's a list of the gear I would purchase and either install or store onboard."

I looked at the list. At the top were shark cages, two of them, one bigger than the other. "Why two?"

"You have two rigs that can deploy them at the same time. That allows cameras in one, and researchers in the other."

That made sense. There were three remote-operated underwater vehicles listed, and they weren't cheap. "We're getting the ROPOS donated, why not use that?" The ROPOS was 2016 technology; it had powerful thrusters, a long deployment cable, cameras, and mounts for gripper arms or scientific instruments.

"It's a capable platform, but much more than you need for shark research. We rarely go more than three hundred meters down," John said. "If you were targeting six-gill sharks at extreme depths, it would be all right, but the ROV is the size of a small car. The support equipment takes up a short container. It would use up a ton of deck space, so I'd ask to leave it here until there is a mission need."

"These you listed are better?"

Doc nodded as he pulled up one of them on his phone. "Much smaller and easier to use. You can pilot them with a phone or tablet, and the cameras are excellent. The big one is good to 300 meters, the small one down to a hundred meters. I prefer ROV's to fixed cameras as I can move them around, and they can stay down for hours. The small one gets power from topside, so it can stay down as long as you want."

"Why two of the smaller ones?"

"They get the most use, and I've seen Great Whites try to eat them," he said. I saw two large drones with cameras. "Get someone training to fly the drones and pilot the ROV's; they have simulation programs you can use. The drones work great for finding sharks in shallow water, and you can lower small cameras into the water and look around. I like this style because of its range and payload capacity."

ROV pilot seemed like the perfect task to give to Amy; her vision still hampered her diving, but focusing on a screen would be fine. I figured I could get the twins to learn to fly the drones. I could get one of the small ROVs and the drones sent to San Diego so we could practice with them off my boat.

We got back to work and had our plans set before we left. I left the list of gear and a credit card with Lynette, who would ensure everything got ordered and installed. Our target completion date was December 15^th. She and Patty had signed their employment contracts, making them the first full-time Sharkbait Foundation employees.

Friday, we all caught up on our work, wanting to have the weekend free for when the guys showed up. They were tired and beat up, and the girls took them to bed early.

The next morning, Captain Lynette and her Mom, Loretta, were arriving and preparing for our day cruise while the couples were still asleep. Hammer, Susan, and Emily came on board soon after. Emily stayed with me while the other two went upstairs to enjoy the view. It was a good thing I'd warned everyone that a Master Vampire was coming because even knowing it was happening, they still froze when she came close. "Thank you for coming, Emily," I said.

"I'm glad to help, and I wanted to talk to Master Caroline before the summit in New Orleans," she replied. For those who thought vampires were pale creatures afraid of the sun, her tanned skin and athletic figure were a shock.

"Hopefully, we won't need your powers," I told her. I'd called her a few days earlier, explaining my dilemma. She offered to come personally, telling me that vampires below Master status might struggle to remove memories without causing more damage. I didn't want that, and I didn't trust any other vampire the way I did her. "Master Cyprian sends his regards."

I waved her to a couch where we could talk in private. I'd been thinking for a week about my relationship with the two Master Vampires. Adrienne told me that "vampires never do anything out of friendship or charity; they want something in exchange." I had helped rid Boston of Master Alexander, with Cyprian's help and to Emily's benefit. In return, she made me a rich woman by offloading millions in art and antiques. Now, they were making a multi-million-dollar donation to my Foundation and coming to my aid with the mate situation. "Emily, are we friends?"

"I would hope so," she said.

"I've been told that doesn't happen with vampires."

She just nodded at that. "Centuries of conflict don't go away in a year, Vicki. Master Cyprian is patient; he takes a long view of things, thinking in generational terms."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think the Werewolf Council would say if our Council approached them about increased cooperation?"

I just snorted. "The Council wouldn't trust you."

"Exactly. To build trust and cooperation, we have to start with a generation not yet poisoned against us. You are the one we believe we can build that relationship with over the years, and your actions thus far have proven the wisdom of that choice."

"Me?"

"You're the future, Vicki. Young, powerful, and a bridge between the species. Just look at who is here today! It was unthinkable to have humans, werewolves, mermaids, and vampires in the same vicinity, and you've got them all working together on a boat!"

I wanted to talk more, but I felt the engines start. Hammer and Susan came up the stairs. "We're going up, care to join us," I asked them. "This is Emily; she's my friend from Boston."

"A pleasure to meet you," Hammer said as he shook her hand. "Cold?"

"I'll warm up in the sun," Emily said as I led them up the stairs. The guys joined us, all of us enjoying the cruise. At full speed on the open ocean, the cool ocean breezes pushed us down into the salon, which still had all of the curtains drawn. The couples sat together on the couches, while Emily and I took the chairs. I ducked into the bathroom, removing my clothes and wrapping a sheet around me before coming back to the center of the room.

"I asked you all to be here today because there is something you need to know," I said. We'd agreed on this plan, thinking it best the girls stay in contact with their mates. "The girls and I are different; we are more than you think we are."

"You're right, and we love it," Manuel said as he pulled a smiling Noelani into his side.

"It's easier to show you. Don't be frightened; I won't hurt you," I said. With that, I let go of the sheet at the same time I shifted. In a second, my human body became that of a big grey-over-white wolf.

"DA FUCK," Ricardo said as he pulled Makani behind him, standing to protect her.

"SHIT," Manuel said as he dove over the back of the love seat, pulling Noelani after him.

"It's about time you trusted me enough to tell me you were all werewolves," Hammer said quietly. Susan looked at him in shock, and he pulled her close and kissed her. "Cold nose!"

Susan and the twins started to laugh. I moved over to Hammer and put my jaw on his leg; he started scratching my neck and ears. "So beautiful," he said. "Show me your wolf, my love."