While the three spoke with each other, a new text appeared from Patterson. “Lieutenant Li is actually a major, appears to be from intelligence — POTUS.”
There were two important facts included in that text. One explained why Li was so interested in anything to do with the UUV. The other was that not just the national security advisor, but the president himself, was monitoring his conversation with these Chinese officials.
It said something about the urgent nature of the meeting that the Chinese either hadn’t considered that they could be overheard, or just didn’t care. And, it was more than a little creepy to know that the commander-in-chief was “looking over his shoulder” in cyberspace. No pressure, thought Simonis.
Another text appeared. “They’re telling Li to focus on the problem, and not go into business for himself.”
Simonis had to read that one as Li was speaking again. “So all we have to do is sit and wait while the vehicles search our harbor, and hopefully when one finds the torpedo, we send divers down to recover it.”
“Well, we do have to work together on the search plan, but yes, once the vehicles begin their search, all we can do is monitor their progress and wait.”
Li relayed Simonis’s response, listened to Zhang, then said, “The captain wants to know if a minesweeper can hear the sonar transponder. That way he can follow the vehicles with divers standing by on board. That will save some time.”
Simonis frowned, but nodded. “Tell Captain Zhang that depending on the frequency of their system, yes, they should be able to detect the pinger. And his plan is fine as long as the minesweeper stays at least a hundred meters away from the UUV’s position. When it’s rising to make a report, if there’s a surface craft nearby, it will move that far away before transmitting. So staying too close will just slow it down.”
Li began to relay Simonis’s explanation, but then the commodore added, “Above all, we don’t want the minesweeper accidentally colliding with the UUV, or even just bumping into it. And if it becomes disabled in some way, don’t attempt to recover or repair it. The UUVs are equipped with anti-tamper circuits that will fry the electronics and wipe the software if the correct handling procedures aren’t followed.”
That got Li’s attention. Hopefully it would reduce the chance of the vehicle meeting with some sort of “accident” after the torpedo had been found. Both Tian and Zhang asked more questions as Li explained, but evidently Zhang was satisfied. “The captain says he will keep the craft much farther away than one hundred meters. What are we to do with the UUVs after the torpedo is found?”
“We are sending a surface ship to the area. It will wait outside the harbor until the weapon is found and the harbors are cleared, then come in and recover the two vehicles. What are your plans for the torpedo?” Finding the weapon was just one part of the problem, the part they’d spent the most time on. Simonis was equally concerned about what to do after the weapon had been located.
“There has been a great deal of discussion about this. There is great anxiety that the torpedoes also have an anti-tampering feature — how do you say it… a booby trap. We decided that we will make no attempt to disarm it; we can’t risk it detonating when a technician tries to open an access plate. We plan to load it on a helicopter, manned with a volunteer crew. They will fly at maximum speed to a point about two hundred miles off the coast and discard it there. It is past the continental shelf, and the water depth is over one thousand fathoms. Captain Zhang’s staff is preparing a notice to airmen and mariners right now that will warn all craft to remain clear of the area.”
“Very well, please tell Captain Zhang to have his staff contact Captain Jacobs in my watch center, he’s coordinating the search planning. We’ll put whoever he assigns to good use.”
Li interpreted Simonis’s comment; Zhang nodded and smiled. He then spoke briefly and Li relayed the message. “Captain Zhang thanks you and wishes you good luck.”
“Good luck to us all,” Simonis answered. The screen suddenly went blank as the VTC link was terminated. Sitting back in his chair, Simonis let out a deep sigh of relief. The videoconference with the Chinese had gone better than he had expected. He was about to give Jacobs an order when the commodore noted another text from Patterson on the screen. “POTUS left — very impressed with your performance. Oh, BTW, Touché.”
Simonis grunted smugly after reading her message. He’d finally won an argument.
“Captain.”
“Captain Jain.”
“CAPTAIN JAIN!”
Jain came awake with a start, sitting upright in his bunk and looking around with alarm. A petty officer was standing over him, looking very guilty.
As he took in his surroundings, he could feel the smooth vibration of the sub’s engines, the sound of the ventilation system. Everything seemed normal. He asked, “The boat — is it all right? It felt like a collision.”
“That was me, sir, I’m sorry, but I had to shake you hard to wake you. The first officer has been trying to reach you, but you weren’t answering.”
His head still clearing, Jain said, “I’m awake now. Thank you.” He turned to the phone on the bulkhead next to his bed. It was buzzing loudly, not a foot from where his head had been. The display next to the phone showed Chakra’s speed, depth, and current location, southwest of Taiwan. The clock said he’ been asleep for five hours, give or take.
He picked up the handset. “Jain here.”
“Captain, we have a problem with our route.” It was Rakash’s voice. He didn’t sound happy. “You need to see what sonar has detected.”
Jain turned and nodded to the petty officer, who quickly departed. “Understood. I’ll be there in a moment.”
Lieutenant Commander Rakash looked apologetic when Jain came into the central post a few minutes later. “I tried to let you sleep a little longer, sir, but we must decide now.” He gestured toward one of the displays. “Please, sir, look at the plot.” His voice still held the same worried tone.
The map display showed Chakra headed almost straight for Taiwan. They’d been on the same course for the last twelve hours, according to the clock, as planned.
The first officer had finally convinced his captain to rest thirteen hours after their battle with the Chinese diesel boat. They’d headed directly away from the Chinese coast for six hours, which had put them in deeper water, and then they’d turned east by north, toward Taiwan’s west cost. Seven hours after that, with no sign of Chinese pursuit, the first officer was finally able to persuade his captain to lie down.
The revelation that the Chinese were waiting for Chakra had thrown most of their voyage planning into the rubbish bin. Vajra was supposed to be a surprise attack. Jain and Rakash had laid out their route using the simplest, most direct route between each of the target ports, but that wouldn’t work if the Chinese navy had been alerted.
As they had hurried away from Hong Kong and the scene of their battle, Jain, Rakash, and the other officers had debated whether or not the encounter with the Chinese Kilo was an accident, a coincidence, or a deliberate confrontation. It had been a short discussion. There were no PLA Navy submarine bases near Hong Kong, and there were few operations that a submarine could be performing in such a spot. It was very shallow water, not the kind of place a submariner liked to be. And if it was some sort of exercise, a practice run sneaking into an enemy port, where was the other side, the defenders?