Captain Pike's Ship Log II

Chapter 4 -- The Ocean

Anthony had forgotten how much more he had enjoyed swimming in the great ocean than in any chlorinated pool. One thing about swimming in salt water is that you are more buoyant -- salt water is more dense than fresh water. This increased density means that an object will float higher. Further, since the human body is largely composed of salt water, swimming in the sea is naturally non-toxic. Consider the skin of the human body to be viewed as a semi permeable membrane; the similarity between the fluids inside and outside the membrane cause there to be less migration through the membrane. Less migration means less wear and tear and thus, less deformation of the skin.

Anthony began to swim more and more in the ocean. Since all his belongings were to be carried along with him as he swam, this meant he did not have to return by way of the point at which he entered the sea. This made all kinds of things possible. He began at first to swim a mile or so up the coast. After that, he tried swimming to the next town. Nobody seemed to notice. Anthony would simply swim up to a wharf or the beach, walk up out of the water and get dressed.

In addition to becoming a better swimmer as the days passed, Anthony noticed some other changes beyond physical strengthening. Often, he felt quite cold as he first entered the water. He noticed, almost invariably, the ocean seemed to warm up no matter where he made his destination. This observation seemed so peculiar that Anthony began to drag along a thermometer in the water, attached to his tether. While he did observe that the ocean water did change in temperature as he moved about the coast, the more startling realization was something he hadn't expected. He noticed, often, when leaving the sea and observing its temperature, that pressing the thermometer to his skin soon revealed that his own outer surface was very similar in temperature to the sea. His skin felt cold to the touch, yet, often, he would actually feel hot, or at least comfortable, hardly ever cold. More in-depth measurement of his body's temperature, using a medical thermometer, verified that his internal temperature remained very much normal. Continued journaling of the temperature of his body, both internal and external, along with that of the sea, showed a definite adaptation on the part of his body to the water temperature. He was becoming able to tolerate a wider variation in the Ocean's temperature, all the while feeling comfortable.

He lost his goggles quite by accident while swimming in the deep water. At first, his blurred vision, and salt water in his eyes was cause for alarm. He soon found out however, that by releasing a small amount of bubbles up across his face, he could trap a small amount of air in the opening of his eye. With his face pointed downward, and his eyes opened and relaxed, bubbles of air could be retained, in a manner of speaking, "fenced in", by his eyelashes. With air bubbles retained thus, his underwater vision was clearer than when using any pair of goggles. This took practice. At first, the bubbles would not stay very long upon his eyeball, providing him with clear vision. He developed a method of rolling his head during his exhalation such that many bubbles would pass across his face, some becoming trapped in this "fenced in area". By slightly squinting his eyes, he became able to contain a bubble of air just large enough to serve as a tiny self-contained single goggle. Sometimes, it felt as though he could swim for ever.


There was no question about it, Anthony felt more and more at home swimming in the ocean. The solace offered by its waves was a peace that he had never felt but always sought. On the other hand, his life on dry land seemed more uncomfortable than ever. His mother became concerned. He would come home later and later in the evening, looking showered. At first, she had thought he had a girlfriend. His face reddened by the absurdity of what was a natural conclusion on the part of his mother made him long for the soothing cool of the ocean. If he didn't have a job, she conjectured, where was he spending all this time? He had saved a little money from his work-study job in the library at the University. Finally, she sat him down for a face to face. Had he been using drugs? What looked like anger to his mother for having asked this perfectly reasonable question was really Anthony's embarrassment. Inside, he loved his mother very dearly and realized the naturalness of her concern. He yearned to be able to tell her his truth: there was nothing bad about swimming. Certainly, she would understand. But there was the same old stone wall in his mind again. "How," he grilled himself, "would he began to speak to her?" It was the same thing he always felt when trying to make new friends. If he could just get started, blurt out almost anything, then maybe he would be able to explain. He remembered what had happened back in grade school. The question on the table was what music he preferred. All it took was a momentary delay, and other kids began suggesting answers for Anthony which made fun of him. The truth was, Anthony liked all kinds of music that he heard on the radio at home and at the school dances, but wasn't able to reel off the names of popular bands. His face had turned red with embarrassment and he slunk away, dejected and resentful. His classmates had laughed cruelly at him as he left.

He told his mother he had gotten into the practice of swimming. Swimming in the ocean. He explained how it always calmed him down, yet, woke him up -- woke his mind up to new ideas. When she asked him how long he swam for, it surprised him that he lied to her in his answer. He told her he usually swam for an hour or two, when, in truth he often swam for more than four hours, only coming back again to meet obligations back on Earth. Anthony's mother was skeptical to be sure, but left the subject alone, unsure how it could be harmful to her son, not wanting to discourage what seemed a harmless pastime.

One thing about swimming for several hours was that it produced in Anthony an healthy appetite. He had always carried a small bottle of fresh water which served him more psychologically than biologically: he rarely actually took a drink. He began bringing along foodstuffs to sustain him over long swims. Sometimes he would roll on his back, dig out some trail mix and munch happily while lying in the sun, his feet idly peddling. This proved to be a tedious business however, especially with any amount of chop on the sea. Gaining access to his bag, and getting something out, without letting water in, took some doing. Sometimes he would come in to shore on small islands to explore and have a lunch. And, in keeping with what happens with most habitual activities, the number of accompanying accouterments grew. Anthony's rubberized bag got to be overstuffed with items such as binoculars, sandals, cutlery, a waterproof container of matches, he actually carried around a paperback edition of "The Catcher in the Rye". Sometimes, he would fall asleep in the sea grass watching the puffy clouds floating by above. In a way, Anthony fancied himself to be as one of those clouds, floating alone. All at once an idea came over him so profound that he sat upright immediately, stuffed his belongings in his seaworthy tote and set about vigorously for the mainland. His mind worked best when clipping along at nearly top speed. He began to design in his mind a water sleigh that he would pull behind him while swimming. The truth was, that while the tote was a fine idea, it presented formidable drag for its size. He could feel it bouncing and dragging in the water behind him. His new idea consisted of a low, flat bottomed, fiberglass raft that would be a little longer than his body. It would be wide enough so that he could easily roll upon it, and long enough to support his entire length and provide some additional storage accessible while he was lying on it.