The Gulf & The Horizon

By: Rick Beck
(© 2022 by the author)
Editor: Bob

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

beck@tickiestories.us

Prologue: 

Look as far as your vision takes you and you'll see the horizon.

The Horizon is also a state of the art research ship.

Bill Payne doesn't customarily take his research ship to the same reef two years in a row. Advances in technology now allows him to measure more accurately the condition of a coral reef. Armed with that technology, he will see if it measures change on the same reef he studied last summer.

The marine biologist, college professor, and now explorer of the seven seas, Bill is betting there will be change and not for the better. He is inviting Clayton Olson, the best marine biologist he's trained,  to accompany him on this year's research trip into the Pacific Ocean.

He wants Clay to see what he has been seeing and once he sees it, he wants Clay's opinion on what it means. He intends to show him the results of last years research before they arrive at the reef this year. He won't give Clay his conclusions until Clay gives him his own.  There is one obstacle in the way of what Bill wants to do. His former student, now Senator Harry McCallister, keeps his marine biologist hopping in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bill understands how important his protege's work is. He also knows hat Clay needs to see other bodies of water if he is going to make informed decisions about what he is finding in the Gulf of Mexico. He is seeking Clay's assistance because he needs it now.

Bill has been a marine biologist for thirty years and he's been an environmentalist for at least that long. He's been teaching marine biology since SCUBA gear allowed a new breed of marine biologist to gain access to the underwater habitat of the creatures they study.

Harry took Bill's courses because one day he'd inherit the responsibility for the Sanibel Island Conservancy. He wanted to know more about the environment and the Gulf of Mexico. He heard Bill Payne could teach him what he needed to know.

His father's sudden death puts Harry's plan to enter politics on hold. What he needs is a crash course in running the family business. Experience being the best teacher, Harry starts learning.

Hiring John Olson early in his tenure, he is a  handyman who  keeps the lights on at the Conservancy. John soon becomes an indispensable man. He keeps the ancient building from falling down around  Harry's shoulders.  

To keep up with his growing list of duties, John employs several of his sons to empty the trash cans and pick up trash on the beaches.

Harry didn't care if he hired his entire family as long as people didn't start complaining to him.

It wasn't until John's youngest son came to Harry's attention that John's true worth is revealed. Clay, John's youngest son, didn't work at the Conservancy. Clay worked on one of the fishing boats in Captain Popov's fishing fleet, but everyone knew about Clay.

Clay gained a reputation for examining anything unusual coming out of Nick Aleksa's fishing nets. Sketching each oddball creature, if it's alive he puts it carefully back into the sea. If it's dead, he has bottles and chemicals to preserve it.

Harry is too busy to worry about stories of a kid drawing pictures. He fails to see the significance until he pays attention to what the picture are depicting. 

Harry begins to investigate the rumors. He didn't need to go  far. When he finds out the kid is an Olson, he goes straight to John.

It turns out that the bottles with dead sea creatures are on shelves John made for them in his Conservancy workshop. The sketchbooks are in John's desk. Harry isn't sure what his next move should be. He decides to call his college professor and friend.

He phones Bill and tells him about Clay.

“Harry, the boy is a marine biologist. All he needs is a degree. Think of how much more influential the Conservancy becomes by having its own marine biologist on staff. You better have a talk with this kid before he gets away.”

Fifteen years later, Harry keeps Clay busy in the Gulf and by this time, Harry has been a congressman and is now a US senator. He's been dubbed the environmental senator and Clay appears in front of Harry's  environmental committee whenever Harry needs him.

Clay's speaking engagements stretch around the Gulf states where he tells his environmentally conscious audiences about the conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.

As the voice of the Sanibel Island Conservancy, Clayton Olson's stature as a marine biologist is growing and he is in demand.

Bill, knowing Harry only too well, needs to find a way to convince him that allowing Clay to go on next summer's research trip into the Pacific isn't just a good idea, it's necessary if Clay is going to see the conditions in other major bodies of water. Eventually anything in waterways around the world is likely to end up in the Gulf.

“If you're the environmental senator, act like it,” Bill told Harry.

Senator Harry McCallister isn't a man to be easily swayed but the fact Bill Payne is a major contributor to, and supporter of, the Sanibel Island Conservancy means Harry listens to his one time college professor and full time friend.

Harry is willing to give a little but he isn't giving Clay's services to Bill for an entire summer and that's final.

Bill understands that minds are made to be changed and he intends to change Harry's as soon as he can meet face to face with him. He needs Clay's eyes on this summer's research and he intends to get them.

Wanting Clay to accompany him on the 1983 research voyage into the Pacific has become like a game of Whac-A-Mole.

But Bill's trouble don't start and end with Harry. Clay has his own reasons for being reluctant to spend a summer in the Pacific Ocean. With the date of departure fast approaching, and with Harry agreeing to let Clay go for half the summer, Ivan is on the phone telling Bill about  Clay's defection.

Bill's quest for Clay's services has become like a game of Whac-A-Mole but Bill refuses to be denied. He needs Clay on this year's trip.

Clay says to Ivan, “'I can't go with Bill. I can't leave Dylan.”

Ivan sees a solution to Clay's situation a few minutes after Clay leaves the Dive Shop. He picks up the phone to call Bill, who has been assisting Ivan in getting good photography equipment for Dylan. He tells Bill what Clay told him.

Ivan isn't thrilled Clay is going away either. The solution is simple enough, take Dylan along. It means Ivan doesn't get to spend the summer with his son but Ivan knows Clay needs to go on this trip. It will give him a better understanding of what is going on in other major bodies of water.     

There will be other summers to share but an opportunity for Clay to take a research trip into the Pacific Ocean might never come again. It's a simple solution Ivan isn't sure Clay will go for.

Bill doesn't know either but it's was worth a try. He'd invite Dylan to go along before Clay tells him he isn't going. He'd head Clay off at the pass. It just might work.

Having a youngster go along was one way to add excitement to an otherwise routine research voyage. Explaining his reason for inviting Dylan to go at the last minute sets Clay wondering.

How did Bill know to call and invite Dylan to go along. He'd only told Ivan a few hours before and the next thing he knows, Bill is on the phone inviting Dylan to go along before Clay even tells him he can't leave Dylan?

Clay smell a rat and Ivan has cheese on his breath.

Chapter 1
Things In Motion... 

In September while Ivan was on his way back from Fort Myers where he bought parts for the compressor he used to fill air tanks, he came upon a garage sale in progress. As soon as he emerged from Clay's Buick, he spotted the camera right off the bat. It isn't what you'd expect to find lying on a table amongst odds and ends.

Ivan, being Ivan, saw it immediately. He'd bought Dylan an 8mm camera the year before. Once he shot up the film that came with the 8mm camera, Dylan didn't ask for more. He went back to taking stills.

This camera had multiple lenses that were easy to rotate into place if you wanted to zoom in or out. The grip was engineered to allow it to be carried in one hand, using what was now a worn and tattered leather strap.

Ivan picked it up, weighing it in his hand. It was surprisingly light. Ivan turned the camera looking for defects.

“My fathers. He took movies in World War II. They furnished all the photographers with those. He died earlier this year. I figured I might as well make a little money on the stuff he left me,” the woman said. “I'm not into photography.”

“My kid likes cameras,” Ivan said. “WWII. Old camera. It's surprisingly clean.”

“My father loved that camera more than he loved me. He was always cleaning and replacing worn parts. Had some special polish to use on it. He took pictures of us kids. Family stuff, you know. He filmed picnics, birthdays, and like that. My oldest brother asked him once, 'What did you film in the war, Daddy. My father looked Buck square in the eye and said, “You don't want to know.” That's all he said, 'You don't want to know.' Daddy never talked about the war. It's old like he was. I'll take whatever you'll give for it.”

Ivan took out his wallet. He'd been to the bank to pay the snack cake man and the soda man later today. He'd also spent forty bucks on compressor parts earlier.

Who'd name his kid Buck, Ivan thought as he took all the bills out.

“I've got $311.43,” he said, looking at the change. “You know if it doesn't work, I'll be back tomorrow.”

“He used it until last year. It still worked then,” the woman said. “If you don't like it bring it back. I'll refund your money. What's your son's name.”

“Dylan,” Ivan said, handing her the bills.

“This must be your lucky day. You aren't going to believe this but That camera happens to be $311. You keep the forty-three cents in case you break down or need some gas or something. I wouldn't want to take a man's last dime.”

Since Ivan's return from Southeast Asia, on birthdays and at Christmas, he bought Dylan a camera. Each one was a step up from the last. When he bought Dylan the 8mm, for the first time, Dylan put it on the shelf in his room and didn't take it down. He went back to using the last still camera Ivan bought him.

Dylan loved taking pictures. He'd become good at it. It was halfway between Dylan's birthday and Christmas but he wouldn't wait to give him the camera. Something told Ivan a 16mm motion picture camera might get Dylan's imagination rolling.

The woman gave him three canisters of film and there was still film in the camera. Ivan put the camera up to his eye and rotated the lenses until he had a clear shot of the garage and the tables. He filmed for less than a minute.

How neat was that, he thought, looking at the camera.

He started the car.

“World War II,” Ivan said, setting the camera beside him on the front seat and he drove home.

The sequence of events could be described as fortuitous. The camera was well used and Dylan would have the opportunity to try a 16mm motion picture camera without the price that came with one.      Because of its age Ivan wouldn't wait to give it to Dylan. It was a good opportunity for him to add a new format to what Dylan liked to do. It was unclear how he'd like it because he'd been using an underwater still camera to photograph Clay at work.

This camera couldn't photograph underwater which meant filming around the cove and that was limiting. He could take the camera on Sea Lab and photograph the boat, their trips into the Gulf and what Clay did before he went into and came out of the water.

“Hey, Boss. What's shaking in Fort Myers?” Tag asked as Ivan came in the door.

“Not a damn thing. You going to put the seal back in the compressor or is it my turn?” Ivan asked.

“Not a thing going on here. I'll do it. A kid came in wanting Milk Duds. What is a Milk Dud, Boss?”

“You don't want to know. It's candy,” Ivan said. “I'll be at the house if you need me. I'll be down at six.”

Ivan needed to take the car to Clay at the Conservancy but he needed to take the camera home and he wanted a shower. Then he'd take the car to the Conservancy and walk to the shop to relieve Tag.

Once in the door he went up to the bedroom. He put the 16mm camera in the middle of the giant feather bed for safe keeping. Ivan showered and sat on the deck to air dry. Kicking his feet up on the railing, he watched birds taking off and landing on the logs. He reached for the new Time magazine and he began reading.

In five minutes Clay came through the curtains on to the deck.

“Hey, Sweety Pie, I love your new suit,” Clay said, kissing Ivan on the cheek and he sat in the chair beside Ivan, taking his hand.

“I'd have taken the car to the Conservancy for you once I dry off,” Ivan said.

“Oh, Dylan called. He wants to go for pizza. I walked up to get the car. Tag said you were back. You want to go for pizza?”

“Yes. I'd like some pizza.”

“He needed to run an errand for Mama. I told him I needed to come and get the car and to come up when he is ready,” Clay said.

“I'd say we have time to get better acquainted. I'm dressed for it, but sure as shooting, we'd get going and the kid would show up.”

“You at the shop tonight?”

“Yeah,” Ivan said. “I take over for Tag at six.”

“I'll stop by. By the way, what's in the middle of our bed?” Clay asked.

“A 16mm camera. You won't believe it but I stopped at a garage sale and there it was,” Ivan said.

“Uh huh. Yesterday you were trying to get money together to pay the snack man and the soda man and you just happened to have enough change to by a 16mm movie camera,” Clay said.

“I wasn't planning to buy a camera. It was there, and we have this kid who loves photography, and well, putting two and two together, as I do from time to time, I saw Dylan using that camera. Can't you see it?”

“No. He's got more cameras than he can use. Each time you get him a new one the one he is using goes on the shelve, Ivan. I know you two dreamers think taking pictures for a living would be great.  I'm not so sure you can make a living taking pictures. I want him to keep his options open, Ivan. He might find something he likes doing more than he likes anything else.”

“He already has, Babe. He likes taking pictures. Actually he likes taking pictures of his father at work. That's what he really likes and I just happen to be his father.”

“Yes, but you aren't the father he photographs,” Clay said.

“I'm not,” Ivan said sounding offended. “What you don't understand, Clay, there is a progression involved in selecting a camera. A still camera, a good till camera, a not so good 8mm movie camera, an underwater 35mm still camera to photograph his father, and now a 16mm motion picture camera,” Ivan said with fanfare.

“Good thing you're naked because I'm getting the urge to spank you, young man. Don't keep encouraging him. He hasn't had the underwater camera that long. This isn't going to take underwater pictures.”

“Oh, I can move the camera for a good spanking. You haven't spanked me in a while,” Ivan said with a smirk. 

“There's a camera in your bed?” Dylan said bursting through the drapes. “Did you know there's a camera in your bed?”

“Why did we have a kid,” Ivan said with disappointment. “Think of all the things we could be doing if our kid didn't pop up every time I get a new idea.”

“Told you he'd be coming up,” Clay said.

“Yes, I knew. I put it there,” Ivan said.

“Why?” Dylan said, certain of what was coming next.

“So you'd come out here and ask me why the camera is in the middle of the bed. I love a plan when it comes together,” Ivan said. “I can not tell a lie. I bought it for you.”

“It's old,” Dylan said, moving back through the curtains. “It isn't my birthday, is it?”

“No, and it isn't Christmas,” Clay said. “Your father doesn't need a special day to buy you one more camera.”

“It's a motion picture camera, Dad,” Dylan said.

“How did you know that?” Clay asked.

“Says right on the grip. 16mm motion picture camera.”

“A man used that camera to take pictures in World War II. I don't know that camera wasn't specially made for that purpose. I never heard of someone carrying around a motion picture camera. Every one I've seen is huge,” Ivan said. “Anyway, there are three canisters of film on the nightstand.”

“These?” Dylan asked.

He came back through the curtains with the camera in one hand and the canisters in the other.

“Them's those,” Ivan said, putting Time down in his lap.

“Are we going for pizza or what?” Clay asked, feeling like he knew where this was heading in a hurry. 

Clay was apprehensive with no way to put on the brakes.

“I'm ready,” Ivan said. “I've got to take over for Tag at six.”

“You don't have any pants on,Dad,” Dylan said.

“I knew I forgot something,” Ivan said. “Give me a minute.”

Ivan went into the bedroom to get dressed. 

“You can push this doohickey and it changes lenses automatically, Daddy-O,” Dylan said zooming in on the logs at the mouth of the river.

As quick as he pulled the trigger that made the camera whir as a mass of birds lifted directly into the sky above the logs.

“Wow! I caught them taking off,” Dylan said. “Dynamite.”

“You engineered their takeoff. The noise the camera made alarmed them,” Clay said.

“Dad, that's a hundred yards away. They couldn't hear that noise from there.”

“Why do you think they took off when they did?” Clay asked.

“We taking off,” Ivan said, coming through the curtain back onto the deck.

“This is like totally kewl, Daddy-O,” Dylan said looking over the camera. “It's not much bigger than the 8mm but way more kewl.”

“That 8mm is on the shelf in your room,” Clay said. “Don't get too excited until you see what it can do.”

“No,” Dylan said. “Can I take this tomorrow, Dad? I won't to use it on the Sea Lab. I want to get pictures in the cove as we leave and return from tomorrow's dive.”

“You don't want to take the underwater camera tomorrow. You haven't taken a dive without it in a couple of months,” Clay said.

“I want to photograph everything we see as we go to the site where we're going to dive. Then, I'll take the still camera on the dive.”

Clay realized the two weren't mutually exclusive. Should he put his foot down and tell him to take one camera or the other? That would go over real big and in a couple of months he'd be taking both cameras no matter what Clay wanted him to do. Why even try to make sense to his son when it came to taking pictures.

“Take the movie camera to film the surface shots. Those are expensive pieces of equipment, Kiddo. You'll need to take care of both cameras,” Clay said.

“Dad, I know that,” Dylan objected.

“You better get those canisters off the railing before you knock them off,” Ivan said, brushing his hair. “Lord knows where we'll get more film.”

“Bill has a film lab. The university does business with film labs. Call Bill and ask him where to get film for that model. He'll want to see it once he hears it took movies of WWII. He's a film buff.”

“Kewl,” Dylan said. “Call Bill, Daddy-O. We're going to need more film,” Dylan said.

“Yes, sir. I know someone mentioned pizza like an hour ago. I'm having a pepperoni attack here. Can we go,” Ivan asked.

Dylan held on to the camera and the canisters of film. As they went around the corner of the house he filmed Clay and Ivan walking in front of him. He photographed Clay's Buick before they left.

“You're going to shoot all the film up before we get to the Sea Lab tomorrow,” Clay said.

“I want to shoot my world, Dad. Daddy-O's, the Conservancy house, the cove, the Sea Lab and especially I want to film the Gulf.”

“You already making your first movie?” Ivan asked. “Got to be a record. You've had that camera for fifteen minutes.”

“A movie? Yeah. Kewl. I'm going to make a movie about my world,” Dylan said with certainty in his voice.

They agreed on pepperoni pizza and bread sticks once Dylan got finished filming the outside of the Pizza Emporium. There wasn't enough light to take movies inside.  

To be continued...

Posted: 07/15/22