“Very well, batteries released.”
The 16-inch turrets were already locked onto the target hidden behind several hills on the island base. By standing far away, the shells would be fired high into the air and be able to hit the target instead of the hills in between them and the ship.
Down in Main Battery Plot among the walls of butterfly switches sat a lone operator in front of a PC. Bunches of wires were coming up out of the decks and attached to connectors that were then attached to some electronics boxes. These, in turn, had small cables that were plugged into the USB ports of the PC. On the screen was a colorful display that looked like the top of the old Ford Rangekeeper with additional drop down screens to add offsets and other inputs. The operator watched as the turret syncros lined up to what the PC generated for a gunfire solution. The 50 pound unit was taking the place of what used to weigh about a ton. He saw the trigger light flash on the upper right hand side of the screen. Topside, light once again brightened the night sky far out to sea.
“What is that sound?” asked Kim when he heard something getting louder.
He got his answer when the projectiles struck along the pier beside the ship. The blast rocked the big container ship back and forth against the pier. The technicians abandoned their work and began scrambling to get out from under the fake containers and out of the path of the falling projectiles.
Kim threw caution to the winds and began running toward the ship’s bridge for shelter. The rest of the ministers and party officials began looking for any place that would shield them.
The second salvo had been corrected from the first. Three of the 16-inch shells struck the ship. Two passed completely through before exploding underneath. The third struck the engine room and detonated inside. The ship shuddered and the containers were jerked back and forth. Inside the open missile, the bare leads shorted out against the main battery buss. Since the safety devices had been removed, there was nothing to prevent the ignition circuit from triggering.
Night became day as the nuclear warhead detonated. Its powerful EMP set off all eleven of the other bombs in one cataclysmic nuclear blast that vaporized every building and ship, flattening the hills on the island. Until they ceased to be, the hills briefly acted as a reflector, sending the massive blast wave both up into the sky and back toward the mainland, just two miles away. The blast rolled over Yuktae-dong like a steamroller, crushing every building and killing nearly 20,000 people as they prepared for bed. The massive pressure wave extended to Hongwan just twelve miles away. Flimsy buildings were blown apart and every pane of glass was shattered. Although the loss of life was not as bad as Yuktae-dong, the destruction was abhorrent.
Aboard the North Carolina Captain Hustvedt looked in horror as the bright light emerged behind the hills. He ran back to the bridge and grabbed the 1MC. “This is the Captain. We’ve had a nuclear explosion at the target. All hands set Circle William. All hands stay off the weather decks!” he yelled into the microphone.
“Right full rudder, all engines ahead flank. Take us directly away from that island as fast as we can,” he ordered. The men responded at once and the ship began to button up. Unfortunately the North Carolina had not been designed for a nuclear attack and the Circle William status was not really much more than Zebra. But it was all they could do.
Hustvedt peered out the bridge wing window as the ship’s wake was illuminated by the growing mushroom cloud. The ship was moving away quickly when he saw the shockwave approach the ship. “Brace for impact,” he called out.
The shockwave struck the ship from the stern, giving off a dull boom and shaking the ship as it passed them at the speed of sound. Immediately the damage control teams went out with the Geiger counters. After a ten minute search they found that no radiation reached the ship. At a range of twenty miles, the ship escaped the blast and heat. Already there were no traces of the naval base or the island that once contained it.
It took a few minutes before the ionization allowed the transmission of radio waves. Fortunately, the hardening of the electronics against EMP had been effective. Hustvedt grabbed the encrypted radio. “All stations Sierra Whisky, this is Sierra Alpha. There has been a nuclear detonation at Yuktae-dong. I say again, there has been a nuclear detonation at Yuktae-dong. Ship struck by shockwave but undamaged. Ship was approximately twenty miles from detonation. Damage Control teams report no radiation. I say again, no radiation on the ship. Ship partially shielded by low hills on island. Ship proceeding away from the island at flank speed. Recommend you notify local authorities and governments down range.”
“Once again, this is Sierra Alpha. There has been a nuclear detonation at Yuktae-dong. Ship struck by shockwave but undamaged. Damage Control teams report no radiation. Ship proceeding away from the island at flank speed. Recommend you notify local authorities and governments down range. Sierra Whiskey, do you copy, over.”
“This is Sierra Whisky actual, we copy. Chris, do you know the cause of the detonation? Over,” asked Hammond on the radio.
“This is Sierra Alpha, boss we were shelling a ship with lights on at the naval base when the things just went off. I have saved the RPV pictures and they might be able to tell us something. My RPV is long gone, over.”
“This is Sierra Whiskey. OK, Chris. Break off and head straight to Pusan. I want some teams to get aboard and make sure things are okay. Don’t wash down your decks unless your teams pick up residual radiation. Then clean it up as best you can. I will meet you there. Is that understood, over?”
“This is Sierra Alpha, understood. My DCA just came up and gave me another high sign. No problems on our end. But we’ll play it safe and see you in Pusan. I should be there sometime tomorrow morning, over.”
“Good enough Chris. We’ll see you there. Sierra Whisky out. Break, Alpha Whiskey, this is Sierra Whisky did you copy, over?”
“This is Alpha Whisky, roger, we copied. The Admiral is on his way. I’ll tell him your plan and we will get nuke teams down to the Navy piers by tomorrow morning. I agree this is one case to be more cautious than normal. I have put a call in to the local government and will contact the embassy, over.” Hammond could tell it was Thacke’s Chief of Staff speaking. “This is Sierra Whiskey, roger; recommend the Admiral meet us at the pier when we get in, over.”
“This is Sierra Whiskey actual, I copy and will be there. Concur with your decision. Will save questions for later. Have Sierra Alpha send out the Navy Blue ASAP. This needs to get out fast, over,” it was the Admiral this time.
“This is Sierra Whiskey, roger out.”
“This is Sierra Alpha, I also copied and the message is already being drafted, out.”
Then a new voice came across the net. “Sierra Whiskey, this is National Military Command Center. We have copied your transmissions and are taking steps on this end. Will send representative to Japanese and Chinese governments within the hour. Will also notify command authority. Will relay any questions regarding the detonation when provided. Notify this command if there is any need for further assistance regarding this incident, over.”
Hammond pressed the transmit key again. “This is Sierra Whiskey, roger, we will be standing by. Thank you for your assistance, over.”
“This is NMCC, roger out.”
“Damn,” said the XO. “Nice to know the big boys are listening in.”
Hammond chuckled. “Probably have been all along. OK, let’s turn the ship around again and head to Pusan.”
“Aye, sir. I’ll try and get us there by 0800 if that’s okay.”
“Perfect. Let’s get churning.”