Which Is Why It's Not There

Roo-kai and Baby Pierre walk to the end of the half submarine.

Baby Pierre climbs onto Roo-kai's back.

Baby Pierre holds the camera.

Roo-kai rises, and flies slowly over the submarine to the middle.

No periscope. No hole. No half hole.

Baby Pierre takes several pictures.

Roo-kai flies back, and lands.

This must be the back half, says Roo-kai.

That's what I was thinking, says Baby Pierre. They wouldn't put the periscope in the back half. 

Which is why it's not there, says Roo-kai.

The French will be pleased, says Baby Pierre.

They will, says Roo-kai. And we have the photos.

There's a propeller, says Baby Pierre, and a couple of wing things. Shall I snap them?

Yes, says Roo-kai. 

Baby Pierre has no trouble snapping things with his very strong fingers.

Now what? asks Baby Pierre.

Papers, says Roo-kai. French instructions for submarine building.

Where will we find them? asks Baby Pierre.

In the construction shed, says Roo-kai. But there shouldn't be any.

I get it, says Baby Pierre. When the Australian government cancelled the contract, they were meant to give back the instructions.

Yes, says Roo-kai. Our job is to find them, if they didn't.

I LOVE spying, says Baby Pierre.

They head for a large construction shed, Baby Pierre wheeling his bicycle. 

They approach it with caution. 

Luckily. The two guards are just coming out.

False alarm, says one security guard to the other.

Yeah, says the other. Thought it would be. Reckon it's the weather.

Yeah, funny weather, says the first one.

(It's not that funny, but guards must come up with a reason).

Roo-kai and Baby Pierre tiptoe in.

A large Collins class submarine looms before them.

Should this be here? asks Baby Pierre. 

It doesn't look like the one we've just photographed, says Roo-kai.

It's longer, says Baby Pierre, and look! It's dented!

Hide! says Roo-kai Someone's coming!

They hide behind a box of propeller parts and antennae.

Two men in overalls walk by.

Dunno how this old tub's gunna go another twenty years, says one.

Least it's a job, says the other. And they're not bad old tubs. Swedish design.

Yeah, Kockums, says the first one. 

They both laugh. 

Even though they've been working on these subs since 1987, the names Kockums is still pretty funny.