Editor: This story is a prequel to The Juggernaut. You can also read the sequel, The Trapped Submarine.

“It hasn’t been tested!” his crew muttered.

“I’ll volunteer, Cap.”

“Why you Piper?”

“Stupid, sir!”

Later…

“Piper, your wife’s been in to see me. She’s some woman, all right. Made me promise to bring you home! Anyway, when we’re through we can celebrate with this here whiskey I’ve been saving.”

Connell Wayne Regner had successfully avoided writing creatively since he wrote spontaneous lyrics to music some years ago. Although from a linguistic background, he has serendipitously succumbed to fiction. His other dabblings can be found at paragraphplanet and wtdmagazine.wordpress.com.