“Luke. I’m very happy for you. I hope to find a woman like Liz someday and settle down myself,” Peter said seriously.
“You will. Susan seems to think a lot of you.”
“How do you know?”
“We have talked some. I can tell. She has asked me about a million questions about you during the last couple of months. She is more than just curious.”
“Now don’t start getting worked up. We just have a mutual respect for each other,” Peter said.
“Oh right. Does drool come with respect? You seem to do that every time she comes around.”
“You’re a sick man. Go to sleep. The thought of getting a little has turned you into dirty old man,” Peter said.
“Good night Pete,” he said then whispered, “I’ll be watching you two.”
“Watch this you pervert,” Peter said, giving him the international sign for ‘up yours’.
CHAPTER FIFTY
- SEA TRIALS DSV-1 -
“Dr. Ferris? It’s 0600. The skipper requested that you join him in the control room.”
“Tell him I’ll be right there. He had better have a Diet Coke standing by if he expects me to talk to him,” Peter grumbled.
“Here,” the sailor said, handing him a cold Diet Coke, “he already warned me.”
Peter got dressed and looked over to see that Luke was already gone. He must have slept better than he thought. He could have sworn he hadn’t slept a wink. He made his way to the control room and found Luke sitting at the control panel. Okeefer was briefing the skipper when he entered.
“We are right here,” he said, pointing to a spot on the tracking system display. The red line showed the distance the Chameleon had traveled since leaving Portsmouth. The green line indicated the current direction they were following according to the information programmed into the computer’s navigational system. Small yellow diamonds indicated where course changes had taken place. Blue dots indicated ships detected in the area. A coded number next to the dot indicated the name and type of the vessel if identified by the sonar system. Just then another blue dot appeared on the screen.
“Control. I have contact. Bearing 086 degrees, range 18,000 yards. It has been identified as the USS Galapagos.”
“Understood. We appear to be right on time. Come to 200 feet, bearing 086 degrees, thirty percent power.”
“200 feet, 086 degrees, thirty percent power,” came the reply
“Sir. The Galapagos has come to a dead stop.”
“Understood. Come to periscope depth.”
“Coming to periscope depth.”
“Raise scope.”
The USS Galapagos filled a large screen and everyone could see the ship bobbing up and down in the water. The sea seemed to be running about a foot or so. Not bad. He pressed the enhancement button and could see several sailors along the main deck.
“Down scope,” he ordered, “I don’t want to let them know we're here until we surface right next to them.”
The Chameleon closed the distance in a few minutes and when she had maneuvered into position, the skipper gave the order to surface.
The crew of the Galapagos was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the futuristic submarine. The sight of the Chameleon startled most of the men standing topside. Several rushed to get their cameras but the Captain of the Galapagos made the announcement that absolutely no pictures were to be taken of the submarine. Within a few minutes the Chameleon was secured to the mother ship.
Admiral Marcus and Peter went aboard to meet with the Captain. A brief conference was held to make sure that all understood the planned sea trials. The water and LOX tanks were topped off once more. Within two hours they were ready to get underway. They were informed that the USS Ranger was on station and ready to commence the exercise. Marcus and Peter returned to the Chameleon and all lines were taken in. Minutes later she had departed and was ready to dive.
“Dive. Dive. 900 feet. Bearing 180 degrees, forty percent.”
“900 feet. 180 degrees, forty percent.” They knew the hunter killer helicopters would be launched within an hour. Two more would be launched thirty minutes later. Soon there would be ten choppers searching for them. Marcus wanted to put distance between him and the mother ship. They could hear the sonar activity increasing as more and more helicopters joined in the search for them.
“Where is the bottom?”
“1600 feet, skipper.”
“Okay, take her down to 1100 feet. Twenty percent.”
They eased on down, closer to the bottom of the ocean.
“1100 feet.”
“Five percent power. I want to ease her on down. We're going to set this thing right on the bottom. Call out readings.”
“Bottom in 500 feet......300.....150.....100.....50.....25.”
“Easy now. I want her to just drop down gently. Zero percent power.”
“10 feet....5....2....1”
They didn’t have to be told when she touched down. The image display showed an almost featureless, flat surface.
“Set the camouflage system.”
“Engaged,” Dr. Morgan responded.
“They will be using the Sea Ranger and Atlantis to see if they can spot us,” Marcus told them.
“Sir. There is a ridge up ahead. It shows the depth to be 4800 feet.”
“I appreciate that but our orders were not to go below 3000 feet. The Sea Ranger and Atlantis only have ranges to 3500 feet. Where is the Galapagos now?”
“Bearing 234 degrees. Just over five miles.”
“Now we just wait.”
It didn’t take long.
“Sir. Six sonar buoys in the water. 4,000 yards.”
“They must think they have something,” Peter said.
“I have a sub. No, it’s a DSV. I can’t tell if it is the Sea Ranger or Atlantis. Bearing 212 degrees, 2000 yards and closing.”
“We will soon find out how good the Chameleon is,” the observer said.
They sat in silence. Every once in a while they would get an update as the DSV searched for some sign of the Chameleon.
“Sir, she is headed right for us. 200 yards and closing.”
“Do you think she has spotted us?”
“Sir. I can see her lights,” Phillips reported from the observation port.
Everyone gathered around and watched as the mini sub headed right for them. They held their breath as the sub passed directly over them and kept on going. A few minutes later she came back but further away. She was headed back for her mother ship.
At the appointed time they came off the bottom and headed back to the mother ship. She surfaced right at the time the trials schedule called for. It couldn’t have been better. Over the course of the next three days they continued to put the sub through rigorous testing. The last phase would be to take her to Oceanographer’s Canyon. It was a tight, twisting underground passageway that had a maximum depth of 13,000 feet according to the maps of the area. Luke had turned over the controls to the trainee and was just watching his progress.
“Viewing distance is down to 300 yards,” he said.
“Temperature?”
“38 degrees. Depth 11,000 feet.”
“We can expect to lose a little more by the time we get to the bottom unless we hit a thermal layer.”
“How are you doing?” Marcus asked.
“Just fine. He is doing a good job,” Luke said indicating the performance of the control man.
“Hold her steady,” the skipper said.
“Aye, skipper.”
“Looks like a spot at 13,111 feet just ahead,” the controller said.
“That must be the spot.”
“Wait sir. There is a small sinkhole just beyond that. Reading 13,496.
“That’s a surprise. It sure isn’t on the charts. Are you getting all of this on video?”
“Every detail,” Susan replied.
The sinkhole was too small to get the DSV into so they had to settle on the bottom in 13,113
feet of water. A few minutes later they were clear of the canyon and heading back to the Galapagos. Sea trials were essentially over. The Chameleon had passed with flying colors. After making their report to the mother ship they headed back to Portsmouth at 80 percent power. They arrived at 1600 hours on Monday, exactly as planned.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
- NEWPORT SHIPYARD -
“They want to do what?” Peter asked in amazement.
“I’m serious. This was a consideration from the very first. In the beginning stages we realized that we had to have the ability to go any place.”
“I guess I just never gave it much thought. I don’t think any of us did. I figured we would go to the Atlantic location they discovered. That makes the most sense to me.”
“Since when has making sense been in the equation? I’ve already started making preparations while you guys took a much deserved day off yesterday. I only wish I could have done the same,” Marcus said.
“You snooze, you lose. I feel really dumb. It just never entered my mind that we may have to use the Chameleon in the Pacific so soon,” Peter said.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds. The mule that supported the boat when it was being built was designed to be towed. All we do is place her back in dry dock and lower the water level until she is secured on the mule. Then we tow it to the C5-A and load it aboard. We had the C5-A designed inside to accommodate the Chameleon and to make sure it would fit. That’s part of the reason for the specific dimensions.”
“I guess it takes someone a lot smarter than me to figure all of this out.”
“No it doesn’t. It’s just what we do. Your experience with the Navy began only eighteen months ago. Mine started twenty years earlier.”
“What’s the drill? What do you want me to tell my people?”
“Handle it however you want. We have our best fix yet and it’s approximately 147 degrees East by 23 degrees North,” Marcus said taking out a large map of the Pacific.
“Right about here,” he said, pointing to the coordinates.
“That’s right at the tip of the Mariana Trench.”
“You’ve got it. Our plan is to fly us and the Chameleon to the west coast. We will refuel in San Diego. Then we will hop over to Pearl Harbor. From there we go to Guam. We will offload the boat and start the trip to our destination,” Marcus told him.
“When does all of this take place?”
“We’re pulling the boat into the dry dock today. It should be ready to load by tonight. The C5-A is being prepped and should arrive sometime later today. We will load and secure the Chameleon tomorrow morning and depart at 1600 hours if all goes well.”
“I guess I should have all the LOX and non-essential fluids removed to save weight,” Peter said.
“Good. I’ve had the water tanks drained but I didn’t think about the liquid oxygen and nitrogen tanks.”
“I’ll take care of it. I guess I should be the one to break it to the team.”
“I don’t mind doing it but it would be better if it came from you, I think.”
“Me too.”
“Do you foresee any problems?”
“Only with Dr. Morgan. He will moan and groan but in the end he will still go. He just likes to gripe a little first.”
“Some people are like that. When will you tell them?”
“Now. As soon I can round them up. I don’t see any reason to wait.”
“I agree. Any personal items that they want to take along should be on the Chameleon by no later than 1300 hours today,” Marcus told him.
“Okay, I’ll let them know. I’ll call if I run into a problem.”
“Thanks. I'll see you later.”
Peter went back to his assigned BOQ and called each member. They made arrangements to meet at 10:30 a.m. Everyone was on time except Dr. Morgan. He arrived fifteen minutes late with no explanation.
“How to start? I guess I'll just lay it out. I met with the Admiral this morning and they have a very good fix on at least one transmission site. The plan calls for us to get ready to go right away. We all knew that was a possibility and for most of us, the sooner, the better. The kicker is that the location is in the Mariana Trench.”
“Oh crap,” Dr. Phillips uttered.
“I know. I know. But it’s the best shot we have at this time.”
“What’s the problem?” Morgan asked.
“The Mariana Trench is in the Philippine Sea, Paul,” Phillips told him.
“The Philippine sea. That’s in the Pacific Ocean. How are we supposed to get there? Fly the dumb thing?” Morgan said.
“You’re not far from wrong. The Navy had accounted for this in the beginning. A specially outfitted plane is on the way here. The Chameleon will be loaded on to what they call a C5-A, and then airlifted to Guam. From there it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to the trench.”
“Peter, are you out of your mind? That’s half way around the world from here.”
“Paul, I didn’t ask the aliens to locate so far away. It’s just the way it is.”
“When do we go?” Susan asked.
“Tomorrow. Departure is set for 4:00 p.m. We fly to California, from there to Hawaii and then on to Guam.”
“What about the preparations for the DSV?” Luke asked.
“Already underway. They started this morning, apparently.”
“Do we go along at the same time?” Susan asked.
“I didn’t think to ask. I just assumed we would. I’ll check.”
“It would make sense. How big is this C whatever?” Susan said.
“Big. It’s really, really big. It’s my understanding that it is one of the largest aircraft in the world. They made sure the Chameleon would fit during the design stages.”
“I need to make sure some of the equipment is secured before we start,” Luke said.
“We will all have to check her out, I’m sure. If you want to move your personal effects on board, it needs to be done as quickly as possible. The Admiral said by 1:00 p.m. today. After that, I take it they will start moving the boat toward the airfield.”
“Peter, when I said I would go along I didn’t foresee this. I’m not sure I still want to go.”
“That’s fine Paul. I accept that. I will inform the Admiral. He will make arrangements for your stay here.....”
“I don’t intend to stay here,” Paul said.
“We have been over this. Your leaving is not an option.”
“You can’t be serious. It’s against the law to hold me.”
“Paul, you are on a military base. It’s run by military police and military officers. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military. You’re smart enough to figure out that if they want to hold you, there is little you can do about it. I don’t intend to debate this with you. I have the same options that you do. Actually we all do. What difference does it make in which ocean we locate the source? Water is water. Either you go or you stay here.”
“It still isn’t right,” he said.
Peter and the rest remained quiet for a few minutes. Finally Susan said, “Anything else?”
“That’s about it for now. We could meet at 5:00 p.m. for an update if you think it necessary.”
“Sounds like a good idea. I need to get to work. I want to make darn sure everything is ready before they start to move her,” Luke said.
“Me too,” Okeefer said.
“Ditto,” Susan added.
“Okay that’s it. I’ll see you all at 5:00 p.m. at the mess hall, if that is satisfactory.”
Everyone indicated that it was fine with them. Paul was the last to leave. Peter was hoping to get a chance to talk to Susan alone for a few minutes but it didn’t work out.
“Peter, this really isn’t fair. They shouldn’t have the ability to hold me against my will. I’m a responsible scientist. I’m not about to endanger yours or anyone else’s life. Surely they can understand that.”
“Paul I couldn’t agree more. It’s not how I would
have handled it, but I’m not in charge. I learned some time ago that when you’re dealing with the military, it’s better to think in their terms. If you don’t, little makes sense.”
“Do you mind if I talk to the Admiral?”
“By all means, if it will make you feel better. Good luck with that.”
Paul looked at him for a few seconds.
“No. I can see by the look in your eye, it would do no good.”
“Paul, surely you don’t think I’m making this up, or that I’m buffing?”
“No, I guess not. It’s just hard to swallow. Alright, I’ll go along.”
“Good. I think you will be a great help. Thanks for reconsidering.”
“You’re being kind. We both know I don’t really have a choice,” Paul said and headed off to the boat.
The rest of the day was a furious pace of activity. Securing the boat took longer than expected. It seemed simple in theory but as usual, theory and practical application seldom go hand and hand. Getting the Chameleon to rest on the mule was considerably more difficult than they thought.
It ended up taking divers with an improvised chain hoist to get the boat secured into the correct position. Once they overcame that obstacle the rest went pretty much as planned.
One other small glitch appeared when they went to pull her out of the dry dock. The uphill grade was too much for the tow vehicle. They had to jury-rig a way to have two vehicles pull the boat to the top of the incline. Once that was accomplished it went quickly. Peter’s team had everything secured and had moved their necessary gear onboard. The C5-A was mammoth. Susan didn’t see how it was ever going to fly with all that weight but the pilot assured her that they had handled bigger and heavier loads before. At 5:00 p.m. the team met at the mess hall.
“Boy, they really had to work to get her up that incline,” Luke said.
“It was a slight miscalculation. I hope that doesn’t indicate that they have made others, like stress load capabilities,” Paul said.
“We will sure find out soon enough if they have,” Phillips chimed in.
“You’re such a comfort.”
“What do you care? You’re staying here aren’t you?” he taunted.
“Up yours.”
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