Log edited with Logedit 2.6.9pl on Sun Sep 14 12:52:48 EDT 1997 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AquaticProbe comes into view across the ocean's expanse, traveling from the North Pacific . AquaticProbe charges through the water, turbines roaring. AquaticProbe comes roaring through at top speed, following the Aquatic Tank who it caught up to whilst comming here. Toward the center of the harbor, you notice a moderately-sized sailboat that had rolled onto its side and capsized. Several humans are splashing around frantically in the water. Transmission from DepthCharge: Orca... This is DepthCharge. You see what I see? DepthCharge transmits a message via radio. Aquatic Tank zooms over the waves, its audio microphones picking up the screams for help. It passes under the Golden Gate Bridge and moves into the Harbor. You transmit a message to DepthCharge: Greetings, DepthCharge! Looks like a capsized craft to me...I'm trying to get closer for a better look. DepthCharge receives a radio transmission. AquaticProbe puts more power to its water turbines and is propelled faster through the water, catching up to the Aquatic Tank. The probe continues its high speeds, narrowly missing crashing into part of the golden gate bridge. But still the Probe continues on, falling into formation with Orca. Aquatic Tank 's turbines begin to wind down slightly as it nears the boat. It makes a broad circle around the capiszed sailboat in order to keep from tossing too much wake toward it. The tank turns to look toward the splashing individuals. Aquatic Tank transmits: "Move toward your boat and hold on...let me place a call to the Bay Area rescue unit." AquaticProbe is unfortuanatly going too fast to slow down without making massive waves, so instead it quickly dives beneath the water, disappearing from view. Moments later it resurfaces on the other side of the boat, slowed down to minimum speed. Orca says, "Attention San Francisco Bay area Rescue Units...we have a capsized boat here in the middle of the harbor that is in need of assistance. Please dispatch Coast Guard boats to assist." Splashing madly in the water, a man without a life preserver tries to make his way toward the boat. A small child float face-up in the water several feet away, thankfully held afloat by the life jacket around its neck. AquaticProbe's twin search lights flare into life, illuminating the dark, nightime ocean waters around the boat and the stranded people. Capsized Sailboat The white craft is about 30 feet in length, with a slim blue stripe running along its side. Painted in navy blue script along the hull is the title "Charlie's Angel." The steel mast of the ship seems to have broken near its base, but is still attached to the boat by the torn white sails. Aquatic Tank pulls away from the boat slightly. The bow of the black and white tank shoots into the air. It unfolds its form and shifts, transforming into the broad form ot the Autobot Orca. Orca lands in the water with a loud *splash!* He surfaces several moments later and begins to swim toward the boat. On his left shoulder, his small spotlight pops up and activates, sending a bright beam through the early-morning mist covering the water. AquaticProbe dives slightly beneath the water, so that now rather than sticking high out of the water, it is just visable.. appearing almost like a small, metallic, moving island. THe Probe increases its turbine speed just a litte, and slowly beings heading towards the humans. AquaticProbe transmits to Orca: "Okay.. I guess our first job should be to make sure that all the humans are no longer in any immediate danger... Did you get any reply from the coast guard?" Orca transmits to DepthCharge: "No, I did not...not yet, anyhow." Orca moves his way through the water and approaches the hysterical man. "Sir, please grab a flotation device...who all was with you in the boat?" he asks. Reaching his trembling arm up under a hatch, the young man pulls out a blue floating pad. He says through trembling, blue lips, "Just my wife and two kids, pal! Please help me! I can't see 'em and this water is freeeeezing!" AquaticProbe falls in behind Orca and says through two external speakers "Orca.. do you know if his wife and kids are still in the water or if they got back to the boat?" Orca turns his head and looks around through the choppy early-morning waves. "I don't see them," he calls out to DepthCharge. "Check under the sails...I'll try to look on the other side of the hull." AquaticProbe flashes his search lights once and speeds towards the sails which float lifelessly on the water's surface. DepthCharge hopes with all his heart that the wife and child will be found alright... and they are not submerged beneath the ice cold water. AquaticProbe partly transforms, shifting everything into its robot mode except for a single arm which stays transformed as a turbine, in order to keep the Aquabot moving through the ocean. DepthCharge then begins lifting up the sail with his one free arm. Orca dips under the surface of the water and swims under the boat to the other side of the hull. He stays underwater for several seconds, then surfaces hodling a small girl in his arms. "She was pinned between two boards that had broken in the hull," he says. "Luckily she was in an air pocket...but she looks to have received a steady blow to the head." The wet sails prove to be harder to move than DepthCharge first thought, for they keep flopping lifelessly down as soon as he raises them in the air. DepthCharge frowns, his frustrations and concerns starting to build. The Aquabot then says to himself "Can't waste any more time..." and concentrates on the wet sails. Slowly they begin to shimmer an electric blue and a forcefield begins to grow under the sails, raising them in a dome formation above the sea water. DepthCharge dives under the water and emerges in the created forcefield which supports the wet sails. He swims around for a while before finding what he has searched for, a human woman, hopefully the person's wife he has been searching for. D.C. scoops her carefully up and begins to transform, putting her inside his hull. The young man looks with fear toward the Autobots as they grab the bodies. "What's wrong with them?!" he asks with concern through chattering teeth. AquaticProbe roars foward, for he had apparently forgot that when he is transformed all power to his forcefield projectors is re-routed. The dome shaped sails begin to tremble and quickly sink in together, forming a wet trap.. Suddenly the Probe appears through a rapidly closing gap, the sails falling down with a *splash* behind him. AquaticProbe speeds towards Orca and says, his voice sounding worried "I have the woman in my hull... but my sensors indicate her body temperature is extremely low.. and they don't indicate any chest or lung movement. THough I am reading a faint pulse. AquaticProbe moves into position with Orca and partly transforms again, carefully dropping the female human he was carrying into the palm of his hand. Orca says, "We have successfully retried the humans from the capsized boat and will be brining them to the closest available medical facility. Hypothermia seems to have set in, and they have other minor injuries." Orca completes a call for help then looks toward DepthCharge, "I register the same from these three. It looks like something seems to have impeded the Coast Guard...it's up to us to bring these people to the hospital for medical treatment." The sound of crying suddenly is heard above the waves as the youngest child regains consciousness. Orca swims over near the humans and holds out both arms. "Please come with me," he says in a calm and non-threatening voice to the man and his children. "We'll get you to the hospital safely." Pausing to look around the wrecked boat, the man looks at Orca and says, "What about my boat? We just bought it last week!" DepthCharge nods slowly, hoping that it is the hypothermia that is makng the humans' vital signs so weak. DepthCharge transforms again, putting the human into his hull and approaches Orca. DepthCharge says to the human "Just be glad that you both are safe at the moment... worry about the boat once you are in a hospital. After all, it is just a physical item, a possession. With a sharp reply, the man quips, "That 'possession' cost me $25,000!" AquaticProbe says, his tone darkening slightly as he continues to monitor the unresponsive woman in his hull "Which do you think is worth more. Your boat or your lives?" A conceding frown forms on the man's face. "I suppose you're right..." he says softly. "What about my wife?" Orca motions toward the shore, "Don't worry about that right now...we need to get all of you out of this cold water. I have room here in my cockpit." AquaticProbe flashes his lights, agreeing with Orca. The Probe then says "I say we have loaded them in to our hulls, we turn our internal heating up to try and reduce the effects of the hyperthermia" Orca nods in agreement as he begins to back away from the boat. You are already in that mode. Diving forward, Orca thrusts his arms over his head. They combine as his legs fold under him. His head descends into his body as his tubrines move backward into position for directing aquatic movement. Aquatic Tank pops open the blue hatch atop it. "Please enter my cockpit, sir. We'll get you and your family to safety." Hoisting his children into Orca, the man climbs onto the Autobot as well. He turns his head to look toward the boat with a saddened face. "I suppose I should learn a little more about how to sail before I buy another boat," he says, "Oh...and call me Charlie." From inside the warm interior of the AquaticProbe, a slight coughing and gasping sound is heard as the human woman begins gagging and coughing up water. Soon a small puddle of water is lying on the floor of the AquaticProbe and the woman is breathing in weak breaths, but she is still unconscious. Aquatic Tank transmits: "Sure thing, Charlie. Go ahead and hope in. The San Francisco Coast Guard will take care of things here." Charlie stops and throws a quick glance of extreme concern to DepthCharge. "What is it?" he asks. AquaticProbe says through two external speakers, his tone sounding less worried than before "Your wife was just coughing up all the sea water she had swallowed.. Don't worry, it is a good sign as it means she is breathing again. Charlie nods his head and turns back toward the cockpit of Orca. He kneels down and slips into the plush seat in its interior as the hatch closes down. He sets his crying children on his lap. Warm air flows from Orca's internal heating vents. Aquatic Tank 's turbines begin to whine loudly as it slowly begins to move. It pulls away from the capsized boat and increases speed, zooming through the waves and heading toward one of the wooden docks along the shore of the harbor. AquaticProbe's turbines start up and he moves over towards Orca without making any sudden movements which might jostle his occupant around. Aquatic Tank skims over the surface of the water and begins to approach the shore. Flashing lights light up the bank as policemen and medical units wait to accept the injuried people from the Autobots. A small crowd has gathered to watch the events unfold. In the distance, along the docks of the harbor two sets of twin, red and blue flashing lights can be seen. Closer look reveals them to be two Ambulances with back doors open and medics standing on the docks, looking out towards the harbor's water with concern. Aquatic Tank transmits: "We have recovered all injured individuals, thank you for coming to assist." AquaticProbe transforms as he arrives and the carefully hands the female human to the paramedics, looking on with relief as they quickly usher her into one of the waiting vans. Aquatic Tank surfs onto the sandy shore and opens its hatch. Charlie climbs out holding his two small children in his arms. Paramedics rush to their side and wrap them in thick, wool blankets. Holding out a helpful hand, they help Charlie and his children step out of the Autobot and onto the dock. AquaticProbe transmits to the Aquatic Tank, as he watches the events finish up with happy results "All in a days work, huh?" Aquatic Tank chuckles over his speaker. "An Autobot's work is never done." As the family is assisted into the ambulances and taken to the hospital, several cheerful waves erupt toward the Autobots from citizens thankful to have their help. DepthCharge hopes back into the water and transformers. The Probe circles around slowly, flashing his search lighs in fairwell to the people on the docks as they wave. The bow of the black and white tank shoots into the air. It unfolds its form and shifts, transforming into the broad form ot the Autobot Orca. Orca waves excitedly to all the people. "You're welcome! You're welcome!" he says with a playful bow. AquaticProbe chuckles slightly as he watches Orca from the water, wishing silently to himself that the UN could see this. Orca waves one last time and does his token trigger-finger motion toward the crowd. "Take care, friendly citizens of San Francisco!" He smiles widely, carefully getting a direct look at one of the television cameras, then heads back into the water. Diving forward, Orca thrusts his arms over his head. They combine as his legs fold under him. His head descends into his body as his tubrines move backward into position for directing aquatic movement. Aquatic Tank honks his alert-horn loudly and then turns to skim away from the shore. Aquatic Tank transmits: "Well, nothing like hamming up some the photo-opportunity, right, DepthCharge?" AquaticProbe falls into formation with Orca and says, "I guess so. Normally I wouldn't worry about such things.. but lately it seems that we need to publisise all the stuff we do, just to be though of as doing something. Oh well... all I have to says is - I hope they got your good side" D.C. chuckles Aquatic Tank transmits: "Hey, *every* side o' me is a good side!" ---------------------LOG ENDS - STATISTICS----------------