The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

“Let’s go into the main deck compartments,” he said. “Wet lab and storage here, and with the catamaran design, plenty of room. My jaw was on the ground as we took the main deck tour; it had twelve staterooms with twenty-six berths, many double bunks with a small desk. He showed us one of the four shared heads with showers and toilets. Other spaces included a fitness room with a treadmill and exercise bike and a laundry room with two sets of washers and dryers. We finished in a crew lounge with three tables and television, next to a commercial kitchen and walk-in cooler. “The Sea Scout was designed with fourteen-day open-water expeditions in mind, carrying up to twelve crew and fourteen scientists. Everything about it is designed around that mission, including fuel storage. It can race out at full speed to a site in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, spent two weeks on station at cruising speed, then race back to port again. It’s unique in that it has four engines and propellers; one set is big, the other small. You use all four diesel engines at top speed, but at low speed, you only use the two smaller engines to go between four and eleven knots. It makes it more fuel-efficient; add in over eleven-thousand gallons of fuel capacity, and it can go anywhere in the world. I’ve taken it through twenty-foot waves, but I can’t recommend that while you’re eating.”

I was falling in love with this ship with every step; I just hoped I could afford it. Even buying it used, I knew it wouldn’t be cheap. “What is your normal crew load for missions?”

“For underwater survey and mapping, we bring more technicians, but I’ve never had more than twenty. Four to eight crew, depending on the mission.” He took us up the ladder to the 01 Level. “Most of the survey work goes on in this lab; there is a computer room attached.”

“I want this vessel,” Linda whispered as we walked around the lab. Multiple computer work stations and desks filled the expansive workspace that took up the whole level. “I can do anything I need up here. Tons of space to monitor cameras and edit, and plenty of space for the computers and cameras. You can even run mission briefs here.”

We followed him up to the pilothouse above; it was huge, spanning the width of the ship and giving three-hundred-and-sixty-degree views. The steering station had all of the electronics you’d expect. “As a survey boat, we need the Scout to be able to maintain position regardless of winds and seas. Bow thrusters and engines help with that, plus it can use GPS or reference to an object on sonar to show relative position. We have three means of deploying sonar probes, two through valves in the hull, the third through a moon pool on the deck, all with winches.”

“If you can lower a sonar probe, you can lower underwater cameras, and you won’t interfere with anything else,” Linda said with a grin.

“Let’s head back down.” The deck forward of the superstructure was much smaller, holding only the anchor windlass. He took us back through the watertight doors, then down to one of the engine rooms in the catamaran structure. I didn’t know a ton about engines, but they were big, the space was clean, and he pointed out the generator, reverse osmosis unit, and other features. We climbed back out of the engine room and headed back to the fantail. “What do you ladies think?”

“It’s PERFECT for what we need,” I said. “Plenty of room for a breathing air compressor and air bottles. The only thing it doesn’t have is a dive platform off the fantail.”

“You could lower a portable platform in place with the side A-frame when you need it, and not affect work on the stern,” Steve said. “We haven’t done any diving as our work is in much deeper water.”

“Or have small, folding dive platforms and ladders added to the back of each catamaran.” Linda was making sure her camera caught everything. “The things we could do with a ship like this? It’s incredible.”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“I hope it works out for you,” Steve said after he heard a car horn. “Your car is waiting. Can you see yourselves out while I shut everything down out here?”

“Of course. Thank you for the tour, and I’ll send you something when I get home,” I said. I didn’t bring any of my Bodyglove swag with me, but he’d be getting something in the mail soon.

I felt like a kid in a candy store as we walked out, and Linda was just as excited. I’d picked up on how the Sea Scout was no longer useful to them, but that didn’t tell me if I could afford it. We joined Emily and Cyprian in the back of the limo and drove off. “Is that what you were looking for,” Cyprian asked.

“It’s more than I thought to look for,” I replied. It was perfect.

“I’m glad you liked it,” he said. “We were going to put in on the market late this year.”

I wanted it, but I didn’t want to appear desperate. “What are you asking for it?”

He shook his head. “It’s not ready yet. We have to get it pulled out of the water for her Coast Guard inspection. While she’s out, we need to overhaul the four diesel engines and main generator, replace the shaft seals, upgrade electronics, and remove the hydrographic survey gear and computers,” he said. “Add in refurbishing the kitchen and staterooms with the latest equipment and running fiber optic everywhere, and it’s a big job. The overhaul will take about two months, Steve tells me. When it’s over, the Sea Scout will be as good as new.”

“I still don’t know if I can afford it,” I said. “A vessel like this is not cheap, and the maintenance isn’t either. A boat like this has to sell for millions of dollars! Probably more with the overhaul you’re talking about.”

“You don’t understand, Vicki. It is not for sale,” Emily said.

It felt like I’d been punched in the gut.

Master Cyprian got my attention. “My company is donating the refurbished vessel to your research foundation, Vicki, along with one of our older ROPOS remote-operated vehicles, and some other gear we think you’ll find useful. My company gets a tax deduction, and you get the research boat. You and Linda can work with Steve Clarke on how you want it outfitted, and he will make it happen,” Cyprian said.

I sat there in shock, unable to form a word. The silence stretched on for an uncomfortable amount of time. “I think you broke our Sharkbait,” Linda finally said with a chuckle.

“Thank you,” I said. I moved across the limo, giving the Supreme Vampire a big hug.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve garnered that reaction,” Cyprian said with a small smile. “When Emily sent me your wish list, I knew I could make it come true.”

“Why would you help me like this,” I said as I sat back.

“For over a century, our kind barely talked beyond what was needed to keep the peace,” he said. “You were the one who saw beyond that and forged a bridge between us. I also respect your enthusiasm and commitment to conservation. Since direct payments would raise too many eyebrows after Master Alexander’s death, Emily and I are cooperating on this. I will be donating the vessel, and she is paying for the overhaul.”

I hugged Emily as well. “I can’t believe it.”

“What good is money if you can’t help your friends out,” she said. “The timing works out well for everyone. We can have the Sea Scout ready by December so we can deduct it from this year’s taxes. Your tour ends just before Christmas, so you can start filming as soon as January. I just need to know where you want it delivered to.”

I hadn’t even thought about that. It was in the Gulf, but most shark studies were done around Florida or up the East Coast. The spots I had in mind for my show were all on the West Coast, from Mexico up to Seattle. “How would I get it to San Diego?”

“It’s got enough range to go through the Panama Canal,” Cyprian said. “If we had longer, we could load it onto a commercial vessel and ship it to you. Or, you could stay in the Atlantic and pick a new homeport. The waters of the Gulf in this area are too muddy for your purposes.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Linda said. She looked at me, just as excited. “I’m going to need to move here for the overhaul, so I can purchase and install everything we need while in drydock. You need to think about who else needs to be involved; at a minimum, your future Captain should oversee the boat’s overhaul, plus an experienced scientist to help get it outfitted it properly for shark research.”

“I’ll take care of that tomorrow,” I said.

Maybe by then, my heart rate might return to normal.

I was pinching myself the whole drive to the airport, not saying anything that might break the dream I was having. Our jet was ready to depart as soon as we arrived. It wasn’t until the doors of the business jet were closed, and we lifted off that I turned to Linda. “PLEASE, tell me that ACTUALLY happened to me. I’m not dreaming, right?”

Linda reached out and pinched my arm to prove it. “I have the entire tour on video, including the meeting with the vampires. I never stopped recording,” she said. “And thanks for not giving me ANY warning on that! I almost sharted myself when the door opened, and the scent of vampires, werewolves, and gumbo hit me.”

“The gumbo was good, though.” I still couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t wanted to pull my phone out while in the limo, but I took it out now and turned it on. Opening up a group text to Amy, Makani, Noelani, Brent, Olivia, Beta Lawrence, Leo, Adrienne, Linda, Captain Lynette Vickers, and my Alphas, I sent them all a message. “Search is over for a research vessel!! Will explain in the morning, 9 am PT/11 CT conference call for all that can make it. We’re all doing great. Love you, SB.”

Everyone I just texted was supernatural, but not everyone in my team was. I sent a separate text to Stan Greenberg, my accountant, and my investment manager. “Research vessel is being donated to my foundation. I need to know what this means for me if I’m using it to film my shows. Send me an email with a summary ASAP.” I would need this for the group call.

Linda airdropped the video file to me as I read through the messages I’d missed.

When I turned my phone off again, I opened up my juice bottle and looked across at Linda. “Am I just kidding myself that I can do all this?”

“Hell, kid, I don’t know if I can do all this,” Linda replied. “Hire who you need to get this done. We’ve got a couple of weeks until we head out on tour, and then we’ll be busy with travel and filming the show for two months. These are the same two months that we need for the Sea Scout overhaul and outfitting. We can’t be in two places at once.”

“We need to put people we trust in place to take care of this,” I said. “We need someone to oversee the overhaul. I’d like that person to be the Captain of the ship once it’s back at sea.”