1953…
Ann O’Malley enjoyed a two-week holiday of uninterrupted relaxation after her adventure on Kadrom. It was a period of enjoying one of the most cooperative climates to be offered by the recurring month of December.
"I love this weather. It's not cold like winter, but it's a mild summer. The sun is warm enough to enjoy, without being as hot as it usually is in December. I have not needed to stay inside to be cool enough this year. I think I shall wait until January before I go swimming. I do not need the pool just yet. I did last year," said Ann.
“I wish I could go swimming,” said Wendell.
Ann went to the Freedom Fields kitchen and came back with a huge discarded ice cream container, which she had almost completely filled with water. She took out a rubber ducky that she had once used (because of its ability to squeak when pressed) to play a prank, placed it in the ice cream bucket, and then took the swimming costume off an old doll of hers and gave it to Wendell.
“I’ll set some books up next to it like steps, while you go into your little room and change,” said Ann, “Just don’t splash water out onto the books. I’ll give you a handkerchief to use as a towel. It’ll be just like having your private baths in the little bowl I put in your room, only you’ll have the length of one of your earth-T pools to swim around in, and you can always rest on the rubber ducky when you need to.”
“Thank you, Ann!” said Wendell, and was soon doing laps.
Ann's decision to avoid water was soon to be altered. That evening, a Saturday actually, she was watching the television news program and heard an astounding report:
"American naval exercises in the South Pacific have been interrupted by a series of vicious attacks from an unknown source. Naval officers say that the barrage of ammunition must have been fired from beneath the surface of the ocean. A diving submarine attempted to investigate, but its crew barely escaped with their lives, when the submarine was bombarded by another mysterious torpedo. The ship was badly damaged, but the crew were able to escape in diving suits. The commander of the American Navy refused to be interviewed on television, but responded to a telephone inquiry by saying that all naval exercises in the South Pacific would have to be suspended until a safe investigation could be planned."
* * * *
"I think that Butler One and I will have to make that investigation using Wildstar as a submarine" thought Ann O’Malley, "Wildstar was designed for things like that, as well as its air and space flights. Let's see those mysterious attackers try to finish off Wildstar."
Ann went to bed early on Saturday evening and arose at six o'clock on the Sunday morning. There was no formal breakfast time on a Sunday. The girls could help themselves to a certain amount of food. Ann enjoyed a brief meal, and then wandered across the Freedom Fields oval and into the forest to keep an appointment with her robot double. She found her twin waiting below a hovering Wildstar in the clearing.
"You will replace me at Freedom Fields and behave as I would," said Ann.
"Yes Mistress O’Malley," replied the robot, in a mechanical simulation of Ann's own speaking voice.
Ann activated her antigravity triangles, floated up to Wildstar and stood on the circular platform which was a part of the roof of the spaceship. She was lowered aboard and instructed Butler One to head for the South Pacific.
Since the formation of their peculiar alliance, Ann's robot companion had familiarized his memory banks with earth's geography and was able to pilot Wildstar to the specified destination. Wildstar's speed was phenomenal. Ann could barely recognize any of the scenery far below them. It went by at such a speed, that she could only rely on the safe knowledge that Butler One was in full control of the spaceship.
* * * *
"Approaching the area of the naval exercises, Miss O’Malley. Do you require us to submerge?"
"No. Just land on the surface and we'll float about like a naval submarine that has surfaced, until something happens."