“This loss of life can spark a bigger retaliation from the country that may not even know that a terrorist group is launching a nuclear attack against us or our supporters, and considering we do not know the exact locations of all the sites, and the difficulty of hitting all of them before one can be launched, it is not a viable option.” Abraham takes a sip of water after replying.
“Because of this, we came up with a different approach, nanotechnology.” Before Jeremy can continue Victor cuts him off.
“You are basically using mechanical chemical warfare. Using nanites of minute size to destroy the electronics on the missiles and controls, right?”
“That’s right. Nanotechnology is nothing new, and we can program these nanites to do many things, like repair damaged tissue or build and replicate material. In this instance, the nanites will be programmed to attack any electronic components it comes in contact with, specifically silicon based as most microchip contains them. The submarine will launch special rockets over its target that will then at altitude release containers which in turn will disperse these nanites over the target site, forming a cloud of nanites. As they reach their target, they will immediately start to destroy all electronics they come in contact with, and then continue to search for more electronics for the 48 hours they will last. Some will be pulled into the air vents and attack the inside of the buildings.”
“Heck, just do not release it over Florida.” Everyone gives Victor a puzzled look. “These things attack silicon. Florida, hello, land of the breast implants.”
Ernest just shakes his head but Abraham smiles at Victor; he admires him.
“What will happen if you were to launch those missiles over a large city?” Ernest is slowly grasping the power of the submarine.
“All systems will be destroyed, all electronic data lost. It can range from crippling a country’s economy and way of life to if done on a large enough area, putting them back into an age before computers,” answers Jeremy.
“If they release some over Wall Street, you won’t need to worry about paying your mortgage, or about your retirement fund, mate,” Victor laughs as he slaps Ernest on the shoulder.
“Why do we not send other submarines to force them to surrender, or if needs be, destroy the submarine?” Ernest doubts how and why two men are tasked to retake a submarine.
“Because it cost 40 billion dollars, and because this baby has a few tricks up her sleeve and packs a punch, right Prof?” Victor holds out a picture to Ernest that shows the strange armament on the submarine’s outside.
“That is correct. The first problem is that this submarine is capable of travelling at 300 knots, way faster than the 25 to 30 knots of other fast submarines. It also has torpedoes that can reach Mach 2, and bullets that can be fired underwater.”
“How is that possible?” both Ernest and Victor ask at the same time.
“Supercavitation. One of the limiting factors of speed underwater is the great deal of drag that water has.
“On the noses of the submarine, torpedoes and special bullets are gas nozzles that continuously expel an envelope of water vapor around the hull of the object. This bubble of gas creates a super cavity that prevents the skin of the object from contacting the water, thus eliminating almost all drag and friction and allow the object to travel at great velocity underwater.” Jeremy looks at the two men before continuing. “This is actually not a new design. The Soviet Union used the technology in the latter half of the Cold War on a torpedo called the Shkval, or Squal. However, we did not learn of its existence until the 1990s. These torpedoes used powerful solid rocket motors that allowed the torpedoes to exceed 230 mph, more than four times faster than a normal torpedo.”
“Wow, did it work?”
“Yes Ernest, these torpedoes had a success killing rate of 80% at a range of just over four miles.”
“I take it there are some drawbacks to this design, else it would have been standard deployment on submarines?”
“That’s correct Victor. There are three major problems with the design. One is the range of the torpedo, as conventional torpedoes have a range up to 30 miles. That problem is overcome with better propulsion systems. The torpedoes on Pegasus have a range of 25 miles. The second problem you have is noise, the speed of the torpedo and the cavitation from the bubbles will show immediately on radar when it is launched.
“However, as shown by the Russian torpedoes that only traveled at 230 mph, few submarines have the time to maneuver out of the way or take action, and with ours running at over 1500 mph, there is no running away or defense. The last and biggest problem is maneuverability. The bubble of water vapor surrounding the hull becomes asymmetrical and breaks up along the outer side when the torpedo alters course significantly. At speeds, the sudden re assertion of water pressure and drag on the object will rip the object apart. The torpedo needs to slow down before it can change direction, and if the target is far, constant readjustments in course will have the torpedo run not much faster than a normal torpedo. We overcame the problem by having the gas-ejection nozzles pump more water vapor into the side of the bubble on the outside of the turn, providing a buffer for the turn without any parts of it exiting the cavity. In addition to magnetically charging the vapor used in the bubble coupled with a magnetic field coming from the torpedo or hull of the submarine to hold the bubble in place while it turns.”
“So she can outrun any sub or torpedo then?”
“Yes, Ernest. However, she does not need to run. She also employs state of the art defenses. Onboard are 500 mini supercavitating anti-torpedo darts. These are mini-torpedoes that are launched in a swarm towards an oncoming torpedo and intercept it on its way.
The darts have explosives that detonate on proximity, creating a cloud of dense shrapnel that will tear the enemy’s torpedo to pieces as it passes through the shrapnel. If that were to fail, then Pegasus has four deck mounted 11/2 inch miniguns firing supercavitating bullets.
“These are actually fitted to naval helicopters for rapid airborne mine clearance.”
“Very much a killer sub.”
“Not really Victor, the sub is designed to protect itself as it disables inland missiles, however she does not have to destroy enemy submarines. Pegasus is also fitted with 100 special torpedoes that use the supercavitation design, but do not have explosives onboard. The torpedo is designed to penetrate the outer and inner hull of a submarine, and then release a cloud of ionized gas that makes the air inside the sub highly conductive. The torpedo will then release an electrical charge, and basically taze the crew in the room where the torpedo hit, rendering them unconscious for about an hour. The same technology is used in some modern stun guns. The torpedo has a special rubber on the outside that creates a seal where it penetrated the submarine’s hull, to help minimize flooding of the submarine and give the rest of the crew a chance to seal the hatches should there be a serious breach. You basically force the submarine to surface.”
“How sweet Doc, just hope the sub does not sink while the crew is asleep from being tazed. What about surface and air attacks?”
“We thought of that as well, Victor. Pegasus has 60 surface to air missiles that can shoot down enemy airplanes. Any air to surface missiles launched at the sub while on the surface can be taken out by the miniguns, and torpedoes that they drop in the water will be disabled in the same way as a torpedo from a submarine. Depth charges from surface ships are the main concern.
“However, the submarine has 20 small yield nuclear devices that she can launch and detonate in the air just over the surface of the water. The detonation will create an EMP wave that will disable most ship’s electronics. They can also use the stun torpedoes. Alternatively they can target the surface ships with a Nanotech missile, letting the nanites disable the ship while they hide at depth.”
“Wow, Professor, you truly have built a super fortress.”
“Yes Ernest, but might I remind you that the purpose of the submarine is not to kill, but to save lives by
disabling an enemy’s attacking ability without loss of life, possibly limiting retaliation. It is then also much easier to make friends after the war, a thing we learned in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, after we dropped the atom bombs.”
“So how do we take out the sub?”
“High altitude parachute drop with special gear, Victor. We know where and when the submarine will rendezvous with the men intending to take over the sub. The hard drive you rescued contains every transmission sent and received from and to the submarine. Since the men on the sub will not expect anything, they will be overpowered easily. We can get you there in time for the rendezvous. Your job will be to parachute into the water and enter the submarine through special escape hatches designed for rescue and Seal team deployment. There are four of these, two on each side of the submarine, front and rear of the submarine.
“They are specially built to be able to hold 10 men each at a time, allow for 40 crew to escape the submarine at a time without flooding the rest of the submarine, or to deploy a five man Seal team with gear with the submarine underwater. The best option will be if each of you enter on either side of the submarine, then proceed to free any hostages and try to retake the submarine. If you cannot, then you are to sink her.”
“Why not just attack the boat that the men are on before they board the submarine?”
“A valid question Ernest, however submarine commanders operate their submarines as if they are in a constant state of war. This submarine is so secret that its whereabouts are not known to any until she comes into port. Communication is basically one way, with us sending orders and the submarine seldom replying. Further, if you were the Captain of a highly classified submarine that has just been given an order by your President to pick up a group of men for a mission, and someone attacks that boat, would you not protect the boat and men?”
“The Captain will just shoot the missiles down before they reach the boat and then possibly shoot down the airplanes attacking, causing unnecessary loss of lives, not to mention innocent lives.” President Abraham sits down in his chair before continuing. “Gentlemen, Jeremy can give you more details on your way out, you need to get going.”
“I see your point, Sir. It is a pity you have only one communication device to talk to her, else we could have warned her.”
“We are working on that problem, Ernest.”
“Here are layout plans of the submarine, study them carefully,” Jeremy says as he hands Victor and Ernest some papers and notes. Jeremy then turns to the President to shake his hand before walking to the door. Ernest salutes the President, while Victor only nods his head. Ernest gives Victor a surprised look for not saluting. However, Abraham knows that a head nod from Victor gives more respect than a salute from a hundred troops.
Chapter 9
“How do we open these doors Professor?” Victor is walking right behind Jeremy as he leads them through the White House towards the helipad.
“They are opened with a lever that slots into a hole in the door, standard submarine rescue hatch locks. Once you open the outer hatch, water will flood the inner compartment. You have to close the hatch again and open an air lever inside the compartment to allow air to enter and clear the water from the compartment, before you can open the inner hatch. The inner lock is a standard submarine door lock that can be opened from both sides by turning a wheel on the door that opens the locks.”
Just then they reach a door where two armed guards block the exit. They salute and stand aside while one opens the door for the men. Jeremy leads Ernest and Victor out to the helipad and holds out his hand to Victor and Ernest as he speaks. “Your ride is ready.”
On the helipad in front of them is a UH-60 Black Hawk gunship helicopter. The helicopter’s two pilots are waiting outside the helicopter for them. After saying goodbye to Jeremy, Ernest and Victor approach the helicopter. The two pilots salute them, then one pilot opens the side door for them, while the second pilot climbs into the cockpit.
“Good day, I am Commander Brent. Please take a seat, men.”
As soon as the two men are aboard, Brent hops in and closes the side door.
The helicopter takes off immediately, and from the speed of the takeoff and the climb to altitude, clearly the pilot is in a hurry.
“Where are we going Commander?” Victor asks. He is tired and would welcome a little shut eye.
“We are tasked to take you directly to Andrews Air Force Base, it’s only a few minutes away Sir.”
“Do you know what transport awaits us Commander?” Ernest asks, now glad that Victor had asked for food, as it seems they may not have any for a while.
“Sir, that is classified information.”
“I think we have the clearance to know Commander,” Ernest responds.
“Yes Sir, but I don’t. I do not know anything about your mission, except that I must get you to Andrews Air Force Base immediately.”
Just then the pilot’s voice comes over the intercom, “Make ready for landing, we are almost there.”
As the helicopter descends onto the runway, Brent shakes Victor and Ernest’s hands and wishes them luck. He opens the side door for them and is taken aback himself by what he sees. The helicopter lands on the runway next to two modified hypersonic X-51A WaveRider jets that use a revolutionary scramjet engine, enabling the jets to reach 4,500 mph within seconds by riding their own shockwaves. The jets have a top speed of Mach 10 and are capable of flying from New York to London in under an hour.
“What are those?” Ernest asks.
“Something I didn’t even know was in production. I heard about the tests, but I didn’t know they are a reality. Those are new Hypersonic jets. You boys must be in a hurry, wherever you’re going.”
Each jet has a pilot next to it, and both pilots step forward when Ernest and Victor climb out of the helicopter. Brent salutes Ernest and Victor, then climbs back into the helicopter, which takes off again immediately. When the noise from the departing helicopter lessens, a pilot steps forward and greets them.
“Hi, I am Navy Commander Pieter Wallace, and this is Navy Commander John Hunter. Please follow us and get aboard, we will talk in flight, time is of the essence.”
“Wow, we are meeting a lot of commanders lately,” Victor comments.
“That’s because your mission is of the utmost importance,” Pieter replies.
Victor follows Pieter to his jet, while Ernest follows John to his. The airplanes have two seats each, one behind the other. As soon as they are strapped in, the canopies close and the pilots prepare for takeoff. Pieter addresses them using the onboard communication system that has earphones and a microphone inside each helmet.
“Gentleman, get ready for takeoff.” With that he slams the throttle full open. Victor is being pressed back hard into his seat. The G-force is immense and Victor is unable to turn his head to look sideways. Ernest gets the same treatment seconds later.
As soon as they reach cruising altitude at 70,000 ft, the pressure on their bodies from the acceleration eases off and they are able to breathe normally again.
“If you have any cell phones or gear that cannot get wet, there is a waterproof bag under your seat.” Pieter’s voice is matter of fact.
“What for?” Ernest’s puzzled voice comes over the radio.
“Because this is a one way flight. We are heading to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise CVN-65, and we cannot land these jets on her deck. We will parachute out and be picked up in the ocean by a rescue helicopter. The jets will continue to fly under remote control, and taken back to base and landed.”
“Remote control, that’s neat,” Victor responds.
“Yes, it’s a safety installed in the jets, in case a pilot loses consciousness from the G-force created by the jet’s acceleration.”
“How fast are we going at the moment?” Victor is enjoying the ride.
“Mach 9.8” Pieter answers.
“How fast in miles Commander?”
“Around 7000 mph.”
“How long to the aircraft carrier?”
“Just over an hour.”
“Good, then I will get some shut eye. Wake me when we get there.”
Pieter bursts out laughing, and then responds jokingly. “Would that be before or after I push the eject button?”
“Before, I would not want to be caught sleeping on the job when we are picked up.”
Pieter just smiles and shakes his head. This South African is something else.
How can he be so calm, when he knows the dangers he is about to face? Or does he? Pieter himself only knows he is to get the men to the aircraft carrier, where immediately after being rescued, they will transfer to Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet tandem-seat jets. He and Commander John are to then fly them to a secret submarine whose coordinates he has already been given. The men are to be high altitude dropped and protected on their way down. Only he and John know that the submarine may be in enemy hands, not even the Admiral on the aircraft carrier knows anything more than to pick up four men who will parachute close to his carrier, and to have two jets ready for them to use. Pieter and John’s lives depend on the success of Victor and Ernest’s mission. The coordinates place the submarine 1000 nmi away from the carrier, 275 nmi over the jet’s ferry range. Thus, he and Commander John will need to ditch the airplanes and wait to be picked up. If the mission fails, they will be dead before the fleet can rescue them, but it is a risk he is willing to take for his country.
The rest of the trip goes by in silence, and each man occupies himself with his own thoughts, except for Victor, who is happily fast asleep. He had stared death so many times in the face and kicked its balls that it is just another day for him. It is not that he thinks himself to be invincible, but that he long ago made peace with the fact that he may not return from a mission.
“Ten minutes to landing, get ready to get wet.” Pieter slows the jet down as he speaks.
Laura 02 The God Code Page 25