This tale begins one dark and stormy morning at the Gdańsk Shipyards, Poland. Three people enter the watchmen’s office intent on claiming their prize. Their spokesman announces, “We’re here to collect the hulk of #452.”
Originally designated Project 613 (NATO Whiskey), the Polish Submarine ORP Orzeł (292), was based a German Type X modified design. The purchasing cartel paid an obscene amount of gold to remove the weapon systems and reseal the hull. Minutes later the 1,110 ton, 275ft long, 22 feet wide hulk of #452 is lofted from its cradle in dry dock #7 and was lofted into the darkened heavens as if it were no more than a feather. This introduction is meant to prepare you for the following adventures and to consider Why this hulk was purchased in the first place, where did the gold that made the purchase come from and how hulk lifted. These and other questions will come to you as you read. Moving on to the man section to join the central character.
James Hanson is a broke, discouraged, grad student struggling to complete a PhD in planetary science at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. It is on the very eve of his departure on and wend his way homeward to Davenport Iowa. Jim’s a good student but hasn’t yet attracted the attention of any individual or organization willing to underwrite his program.
A discussion with his PhD Supervisor did little to console him. The Professor smiles sadly, “I Don’t wish to dash your hopes Jim, but competition for a billet on the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) is unrealistic. You’d be competing for a limited number of berths against seasoned NASA astronauts and tenured professors already working in the field and you haven’t even finalized your thesis proposal.” Chagrined and chastened, Jim departs for home to consider his options.
Jim was working as substitute manager at the Bolero bowling lane, when an old high school chum calls inviting him to inspect a piece of space junk that has just fallen on his property. At the fall site, Jim quickly deduces this is no meteorite but wrought of crafted metal.
When Bob offers to haul it off his property after it has cooled, Jim suggests the alley behind the Bolero. There, Jim quickly discovers the fall is no piece of scrap but an intelligent organometallic shape shifter he names Morph!
Morph is a fast learner; In the alley behind the Bolero; Morph quickly masters enough English to teach Jim how to tow his 500-pound body behind his ancient Ugo through the darkened streets of Davenport Iowa to his parent’s home. Two days later Morph has mastered written English, accessed the internet, learns about biological life, human life and what mankind now knows of scientific concepts. Jim also learns many things about Morph. Morph struggles with concepts like wealth and mediums of exchange … he learns Gold is a favored medium.
When Morph learns about Jim’s current financial embarrassment, he suggests he obtains Gold. Jim explains that Gold is a difficult commodity to barter; it usually belongs to someone else and is stored in secure places. This brings up subjects like ethics, morality, theft, and punishment. Then Jim has another thought. “Hordes of gold, silver, and precious gems have been lost in the oceans of this world, he regales Morph with fabulous tales of lost treasures of the sea.
Morph then asks the poignantquestion that could change Jim’s life and those of many: “If you had sufficient gold and Silver, could you exchange it to complete your education?”
Jim answers, “Enough to do pretty much anything, anyone would ever want.”
Morph and Jim pour over suspected treasure locations. Two days later as Jim returns from work he finds stacks of gold bars and coins drying near the basement furnace. Two days later Jim stores this new-found windfall in a bank vault … two days after that federal marshals appear, impounded the trove presenting him with a summons to appear in the Tampa Southern Federal District Court for a hearing to discuss the find and disposition of said treasure. At that hearing Jim faces the stark world of treasure salvoring; a legal mine field of levies, claims, counter claims made by discoverers, former property owners, and conflicting government claims of territorial rights.
Jim is told to “lawyer up” after discussing the case with Attorney Francis Howe’s law firm, he still faces the question he couldn’t answer in court: How he found the treasure …
With all legal remedies denied, Jim resolves to try another way.
Jim’s search for another way ends when he finds a pair of women crewing a small charter business on dives in shallow waters off Key West. This vessel is called Ihe Double-Down. It’s rumored these women dive for treasure in their spare time. By the close of Book I, Jim, Monica, Pamela, and Morph have managed to form an odd partnership to salvage treasure in a somewhat quasilegal way.
In Part II you’ll share the many Caribbean exploits and misadventures of Jim, Monica, Pamela and Morph on their dives, and their run-ins with various unsavory Columbian underworld groups and the ultimate fate of these four stalwart adventurers.
Staarbaads Universe 