nt

A crewman gets the team dry coveralls to wear and they head for the bridge. From the pitch of the boat, it appears that it's definitely heading for deeper waters.

Just as they pass through the last water-tight door before the bridge, the sub's collision alarm goes off. The XO's voice then comes over the intercom.

All hands! Brace for impact!

An explosion is heard and felt from the starboard side as the sub rocks over at a 30-degree angle. The power momentarily goes out as the team and crew get tossed about the boat like a bee in a half-full beer can.

Kyun frowns as he flails for something to grab onto.

Out of frying pan, into ....

Ayumi gasps, but finds a rail to hold onto and brace herself against, though barely. Her balance is exceptional, but then she's never been in a tilting submarine.

Carla leans to the side for a second, and takes a few steps.

Geez, this is like old times, except if something punches a hole in the ship, we can't just jump out.

"Let's get something to eat."

"And keep it down?" Kyun asks.

The main power comes back on as the submarine rights itself. With the exception of a few new cuts, scrapes, and bruises the team is fine.

As the team climbs into the bridge compartment they witness the deliberate choreography of command-repeat command-execute.

The Captain relaxed. He was confident in the abilities of the man who he qualified for the job and who was driving the ship. “OOD, proceed to periscope depth.”

“Proceed to periscope depth, CONN aye.”

The moment had arrived. The OOD immediately swung into action. “Make your depth six-eight feet smartly, all ahead two-thirds.”

The Diving Officer acknowledged the depth order, and called out through the darkness an order to change depth to 68 feet. He orders an eight degree up bubble on the angle of the ship. The stern planesman pulled back on his control stick and placed the stern planes at 20 degrees rise. The inboard station put the fairwater planes at full rise. This caused the submarine to slowly change to an angle of eight degrees up. Everyone on board felt the ship angle up as the boat began driving toward the surface. They knew that the ship would soon be rocking and rolling in the state four seas.

The inboard diving station man also acknowledged the speed change and shifted the engine annunciator to All Ahead 2/3s. The Maneuvering Room immediately answered the annunciator action, increasing speed and acknowledging the annunciator at their station.

“Answers ahead two-thirds, sir.”

As the boat began ascending toward 68 feet, the Diving Officer called out the depths. The Chief of the Watch stood over the BCP valve controls, ready to flood the necessary water into the Depth Control Tank to compensate for the ship getting lighter as she ascended toward the surface. He needed to maintain a neutral trim on the ship when at periscope depth. He didn't want a barbell effect to put heavy water in the trim tanks at either end of the ship making it more difficult to maintain depth.

“One hundred ten feet,” the Diving Officer called out. The OOD placed his hands on the #1 scope control ring. He would begin raising the scope as the ship reached 68 feet , and he would come up with the scope trained directly ahead to ensure that the boat was not about to ram anyone or anything.

“One hundred feet.”

“Raising #1 scope,” the OOD called out. In the darkness, the sound of hydraulics filled the air and the Control Room watch section knew that the periscope was being raised up out of the scope well and pushed up out of the sail above. Everyone became keenly aware of all the sounds around. From the sound of the sea outside through the sonar speakers in the Conn, to the orders from the OOD and the Diving Officer.

“Nine five feet.”

“Nine zero feet.”

The Diving Officer looked toward the BCP. “Chief of the Watch, flood Depth Control from sea.” The COW acknowledged, and moved the switches that would flood water into the tanks. He must match the flooding with the ship weight change to keep the ship in neutral or slightly heavy buoyancy. If not, the boat would broach up, exposing the sail or more of the ship to the ever searching adversary.

“Eight five feet.”

“Eight zero feet.”

“Seven five feet.”

As the ship approaches the surface, the OOD remembers, “One point one four times the square root of the height of the scope window above the water line. That's how far in miles I can see.” The periscope windows comes up out of the water, and the OOD sings out, “Scope is breaking. Scope is out.” As the periscope pushes out of the water, the OOD quickly sweeps horizontally all around — ahead, abeam, astern — and then up to look for aircraft. “Close contact!” he calls out.

"One thousands yards, heading 1-7-2. It's a destroyer, probably Russian."

The Captain looks concerned but keeps a cool head.

"Very well, Torpedo room, Conn, flood tubes No.1, No.2, and No.3." All his orders were repeated.

"Open outer doors on tubes 1, 2 and 3."

As the Captain was about to deploy the fish, the Emergency Action Message (EAM) light flashes. Spooling out from the sub's decryption system are the most current orders from Pacific Fleet.

U.S.S. Connecticut. Stand down from hostile engagements. Cease fire declared. Head to Okinawa station, best speed possible. Avoid futher contact with enemy.

The XO concurs with the message read by the operator as the Captain nods with some relief.

"Alright. Take her down to 100 feet! Right 15 degrees rudder, all ahead full. Best speed for Okinawa station."

Minutes go by as the crew seemingly returns to the unsettled state of calmness. About another 20 minutes go by before the Captain acknowledges the XO's mentioning of the team being aboard. He quietly says something to the XO. Moments later, the XO confronts the team.

"The Captain wishes to talk to you in the officer's mess in 30 minutes. In the meantime, why don't you all head to the galley and get yourself some coffee and a bite to eat. Seaman Taylor will show the way."

(Edited by Dieter at 1:26 pm on May 2, 2003)

"Boy, I hope they have subs on this boat," I smirk.

Jess walks up to Artis, only now speaking again.

"And I turned down a desk job for this..."

Brian heads to the galley with the rest of the team.

"Never a dull minute with you folks, is there?"

The team file into the officers mess, and after being fed a hearty navy meal, the XO opens the door and the Captain enters the room.

"You've all had a chance to catch your breathes and get some chow...good. I hate telling people bad news on an empty stomach. As you know, about 200 meters above us, World War III is about the break out with South Korea as the epicenter. Who's to blame...you got me. I just follow orders and execute them to the best of my ability. That being said, about 5 minutes ago I received a message from a Colonel Wade, USMC. In a special order given to him by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, I'm supposed to take my boat back into hostile waters and dump you off at a Nav-Buoy some 10km off the coast of North Korea."

Ayumi frowns and adjusts her glasses. "What'd we do wrong?"

The Captain helps himself to some coffee and sits down.

"I don't quite know, I had the Chief of the Boat start rigging the VLF antenna in case you needed to get anything to your C.O. It should be ready in about 10 minutes."

Brian raises his hand.

"Sir, I don't know where this little mission is going, but I have a bad feeling it involves rampaging around the North Korean interior and well Sir, we have a tendency to attract trouble. I wonder if it would be too much to ask to borrow a pistol and a few clips from your weapons locker? I had to cut mine off during the crash, and well...its best to be prepared."

"Son, I'm sure whatever your CO had in mind when he decided to endanger both yourselves and my boat, he also had to good sense to properly equip you. We have a few small arms kept here in the unlikely event of a mutiny or capture and I can't be lending them out to stow-aways plucked from the water. My orders are to get you to that Nav-Buoy and that's where they stand."

As the Captain was about to continue the dressing down of Brian, the Chief of the Boat enters the room.

"Excuse me, Captain. The VLF is extended and the radio operator is ready."

The Captain nods.

"Well, this discourse in operating procedure will have to wait for another day. If you guys need to send anything to your CO do it now, because in 30 minutes we'll be too deep and rigged for ultra-quiet running."

The Captain gives the team's orders from Colonel Wade and exits the room, the XO speaking as he closes the door behind them.

"Meet me on bridge when you are ready to send."

Team Orders

Your mission is recon the North Korean submarine base and provide realtime images to HQ. Proceed via USS Connecticut to rendevous Nav-Buoy location in Sea of Japan, approx. 10km off the coast of North Korea. Tethered below buoy will be your mission equipment/weapons sealed in waterproof container. Equip and proceed via AquaSub to coastline. Resistance on coastline should be light, but expect foot patrols. Upon securing beachhead, proceed approx. 3km north to outskirts submarine base. Notify HQ upon arrival, await further orders. Avoid detection at all costs.

Quote:

Quote: from Dieter on 3:12 pm on May 6, 2003
"Son, I'm sure whatever your CO had in mind when he decided to endanger both yourselves and my boat, he also had to good sense to properly equip you. We have a few small arms kept here in the unlikely event of a mutiny or capture and I can't be lending them out to stow-aways plucked from the water. My orders are to get you to that Nav-Buoy and that's where they stand."

Brian chuckles as the captain leaves. "He wasn't given our track record, was he?"

The team carefully finalizes their requests for transmission and heads off to the bridge. The
XO hands off their messages to a subordinate and he in turn takes it to the radio operator.

A few minutes later, the Radio operator comes over the main comm channel.

Conn-Radio. VLF messages transmitted and confirmed.

Immediately, the Captain gives the order for Ultra-Quiet running. The command is repeated and flows through the duty stations as the COtB issues the "Rig for ultra-quiet" order. The normal fluorescent lights go to a pale blue and crew dive into their methodical routines.

-Captain. We are rigged for ultra-quiet.

-Very well. Conn, make your depth 500 feet. 5° left rudder to bring us to a new heading of 285°.

As everything settles down on the bridge, the XO takes the team aside.

"It'll take a few hours to reach our destination, in the meantime, I'd advise taking a load off and get some sleep. From where you're heading, looks like you'll be needing it. We hot-bunk it here, but it's at least something other than a stiff chair in the officer's mess."

The team gets some well-needed rest and are awakened by the Chief of the Boat.

"Erm. Excuse me gentleman and ladies, the XO wanted me to let you know we're about 50 minutes away from our objective. If you want a quick shower and shave, I suggest you do it now."

Everyone gets cleaned up and readies themselves for what appears to be another suicide mission. The sub slows its pace as it near the Nav-Buoy.

"Go to periscope depth, zero-bubble. Let's not let the North Korean's know we're swimming in their pool."

Arriving at periscope depth, the XO peeks around.

"No contacts. Surface is clear."

The Captain, who has been otherwise quiet to the team, takes them aside into the next room where they are and is joined by diveteam who initially rescued them.

"These men will see you off. I can't say that it's been a pleasure, but you people sure make my job interesting. Good luck with your mission and come back alive."

Everyone is shown back to the airlock.

Didn't we already see this episode???

Lt. Hyland makes sure everyone is in and gives the order for the hatch to be secured.

"Ok, gentleman and ladies. Raise your hand if you have any experience in dive and retrieve manuevers in hostile waters....riiight...didn't think so. This is how it's going to work. You guys sit tight and we'll be right back."

The lieutenant and petty officers move into the external airlock leading outside the sub. About 15 minutes later, the inner airlock hatch open up revealing the two of them carrying waterproof containers. They chuck them into the room, landing with resounding thuds. Lt. Hyland takes off his goggles and rebreather.

"Damn. Your people know who to secure a dropoff. Petty Officer Chan had to end up breaking the fasteners with a cutting torch."

Everyone suits up (in their ever-so-spy-ish) wetsuits, frantically trying to remember their 30-hour Agency course on basic SCUBA operations.

Chatter comes over Lt. Hyland's earpiece.

"Right. Roger that, CONN."

The lieutenant turns to the team.

"Ok, that was Captain. To put it lightly, he wants you off his boat ASAP. Good hunting out there."

With that, he jams the team into the external airlock and slams the hatch shut.

It's a slightly unnerving feeling when you're in a grossly confined, pitch-black room but when 50-degree water also starts rushing in, that's when you remember that you should have used the restroom before you left. No matter, relief (literally or figuratively) is just in sight.

The team is "flushed" out of the airlock with about as much ado as a turd going down the toilet pipe. Next thing they know, they're surrounded by saltwater with only an aquascooter keeping them from an untimely drowning.

Ayumi hangs back and uses one arm to send Brian a series of hand signals.

Take point. I'll sweep.