Run silent, run deep.

[Zaphod_the_spacebum 0]

Zaphod sat in the back of the shuttle double checking the bilge pumps. He still couldn't believe they were actually trying this. A warp capable shuttle was not meant to be a submarine. But, he and the other engineers on QoB had made it a reality. Here they were below the surface of the Zoalis ocean, the scanners gave them a quick look over when they were in the air. But, once they submerged, the scanners started looking elsewhere. The bridge crew on the QoB had found them a likely spot to go on shore. They would have to swim about 40 meters to shore, but they were all pretty strong swimmers. Zaphod learned to swim on Cait at the young age of two. Caitians had larger lungs and richer blood, which meant they could hold their breath longer than a Human. He was half human, but his lung structure was Caitian. He also didn't have the genetic heart defect that plagued all pure Caitians. Pher, the security chief was a strong swimmer also. The Orion said that if anyone were to get into trouble, she would give them mouth to mouth. This garnished smiles and grins from the male members of the shuttle. Pher was a very attractive woman. Zaphod didn't think he'd ever seen an Orion woman who wasn't attractive. He pushed this thought out of his mind. No time to think about that. They were going ashore in a cove surrounded by fiords. That meant they would have to climb their way out. He wasn't worried about this. Selek had rope in his gear. Good thinking on the part of the emotional Vulcan. Zaphod himself had climbing experience. When he was on Earth, he loved to go free climbing. Looking Glass rock in North Carolina was his favorite spot to climb. With his natural climbing ability and his claws, ropes and climbing gear weren't a necessity. But, it had been years since he'd climbed. Oh well, it's like riding a bike I guess. Selek had offered his hand to him, apologizing for shooting him on the Verbistule. He took the Vulcan's hand, shook it, and told him, no hard feelings. Selek asked about his wounds, he joked about it and said that it only hurt when he meowed. This seemed to satisfy the Vulcan. Truth was, the wound was healing well. Only a small scar, and some missing fur remained. He knew it was Selek's job to protect his crew, and he would have done the same thing in his shoes. As for landing, the plan was still the same. Swim to the shore, climb the rocks, then investigate the planet. Pher volunteered to stay at the rear and help anyone who may have trouble with the swim. He volunteered to take point, swimming ahead to scout out the terrain. The shuttle settled to the bottom at 8 meters, the landing party gathered at the back of the shuttle. Rosetto and Alex would stay behind with the shuttle. After the swimmers left, they would activate a proximity field around the shuttle to warn of any large fish with the taste for shuttle submarine. Zaphod pulled out his pad and awaited the order to activate the force field and flood the cargo area. He would pump some extra oxygen into the airlock to help them with their swim. He started doing his breathing exercises.