"How much fallout is there with a nuclear torpedo or, or a depth charge?"
"Nothing like an H-bomb used on land."
"But how bad is it?"
"Not counting any from the ships they hit?" Sessions said. "There're the weapon parts, of course, vaporized. Fish and plankton, what's left of 'em. And loads of radioactive steam, from carbon, sodium, trace metals in the seawater, by neutron activation."
"Tidal waves?"
"At least two surges," Sessions said, still watching his displays. "They subside eventually with the kind of warhead yield we're using."
"So they aren't like the big ones from an earthquake?" Ilse said. "Like that one in the Caribbean that wrecked your cruiser Memphis years ago?"
Sessions shook his head. "Then the thing's a meter high way out at sea, but moving literally fast as a jumbo jet, piling up murderously onshore. Nuclear tsunamis act more like ripples in a pond, except they're fifty, sixty feet from crest to trough. They die off, mostly, in a matter of miles."
"Can't big surface ships just ride that out in open water? I got caught on the edge of a typhoon once, on a research trip."
"Yeah," Sessions said, "assuming the enemy doesn't ripple fire or hit from several bearings at once. A ship's hydrophones will give some warning, if you don't receive it on the data links or see the fireball glow, and you can turn bows-on. Still one hell of a ride."
"I can imagine."
Sessions turned to face Ilse. "The worst is if you're close, caught by the blast itself, or lose propulsion from the shock and take a wave from off the beam that's any higher than you're wide. Busted open, capsized, either way you've had it."
"Warhead locks are bypassed," Jeffrey said. "Special weapon loaded in tube seven."
"Very well, Fire Control," Wilson said. "I am relaying the permissive action link code."
"Green light in the torpedo room," Jeffrey said. "PAL code is accepted. Weapon is enabled, armed guard has withdrawn."
"Very well, Fire Control," Wilson said.
From here Jeffrey knew the procedures were the same as were used with a conventional fish. To be fully armed, the warhead had to first be surrounded by seawater, then get an electronic signal, then feel the g-force of launch, then run out for a preset safety distance.
"Make tube seven ready in all respects," Wilson said. 'Tube seven, firing point procedures, area burst on Master 1 and Master 2."
"Solution ready," Jeffrey said. "Ship ready … Weapon ready."
"Match generated bearings," Wilson said, "and shoot."
"Unit from tube seven fired electrically," Jeffrey said. "Unit is swimming out."
"Unit is running normally," Sessions said.
"Time to target?" Wilson said.
"Current range is fifteen thousand yards, sir," Jeffrey said. "We should detonate in ten minutes."
"Very well," Wilson said. "I intend to put some distance between us and our unit's track, but we'll do it stealthily and keep the layer between us and our quarry. Helm, make your course two six five, make your depth one eight zero feet."
"Aye, sir," Meltzer said.
"Captain," Jeffrey said, "since we're about to make one hell of a datum anyway, recommend we increase speed slightly to gain more track separation."
"Concur, Fire Control," Wilson said. "Helm, ahead one third, make turns for eight knots."
Meltzer acknowledged.
"I intend to leave our towed array deployed," Wilson said.
"I concur, sir," Jeffrey said. "Sonar, there could be more enemy boats out there."
"Understood, Commander," Sessions said.
"Hull popping sounds on the towed array," Sessions said, "bearing three five five true!
Assess the transient as coming from Master 1."
"Interpretation?" Jeffrey said.
"More hull popping sounds on bearing zero zero five! Assess both targets are rising!"
"They're preparing to fire," Wilson said. "Will our unit intercept in time?"
"It'll be close, sir," Jeffrey said.
Suddenly Ilse saw Sessions sit bolt upright. "Water slug transient on bearing three five five! … Torpedo in the water! Incoming torpedo bearing three five five!"
"They heard our weapon after all," Wilson said.
"In time to launch a snap shot back at us," Jeffrey said. "Sir, recommend we move away from our unit's track more rapidly."
"Concur," Wilson said, "but first, fire a brilliant decoy toward the incoming torpedo." Jeffrey gave the orders.
"Helm," Wilson said, "take us back below the layer. Make your depth six hundred feet, make normal one-third turns and do not cavitate."
"Maneuvering acknowledges," Meltzer said.
"Chief of the Watch," Wilson said, "keep the fore-planes deployed — they enhance our maneuverability."
"Do not retract the foreplanes, aye," COB said.
"Lose the towed array. I don't want it tangling our stern and we don't have time to retract it."
"Shear off the towed array, aye."
"Second incoming torpedo," Sessions shouted, "bearing zero zero four!"
"Master 2 just fired at us," Jeffrey said.
"Chief of the Watch," Wilson said, "on the sound-powered phones, prepare for radical maneuvers. Helmsman, make a knuckle. Hard left rudder, make your course one six zero."
Ilse braced herself against her console as Challenger banked into the turn. Meltzer called out their course every ten degrees, finally announcing, "Steering one six zero, sir."
"Very well, Helm," Wilson said.
"Incoming torpedoes drawing left to right," Sessions said. "They're in passive search mode, sir."
"What kind are they?" Jeffrey said.
"Modified Russian propulsion systems, their export model VA-III Shkvals."
"Nuclear-capable platforms," Jeffrey said.
"We'll try to sneak away fast as we can," Wilson said, "see if our decoy draws them off. Helm, top quiet speed. Ahead two thirds, make turns for twenty-six knots and do not cavitate."
Wilson gave Meltzer a moment, then picked up the MC. "Maneuvering, Conn, this is the captain. Stand by for high-speed operations." Ilse watched two bright lines cascade down Sessions' waterfall displays, gradually getting thicker. She could see a third line run between them, thinning out. Those are the torpedoes, she realized, theirs and ours.
"Unit from tube seven has detonated!" Jeffrey said.
"Did those contacts launch their missiles?" Wilson said.
"Not yet, sir," Sessions said.
"Chief of the Watch," Wilson said, "on the sound-powered phones, collision alarm." COB acknowledged.
But there was nothing, and Ilse was confused. Then she understood. The fiber-optic signal, through the wire, came at the speed of light. The shock wave traveled at the speed of underwater sound.
Challenger rocked, shaking Ilse against her seat belt. A thunderous blast pummeled the ship, heard right through the hull. The mike coils jerked crazily from the overhead, and navigation instruments flew. A heavy brass divider crashed to the floor, one sharp point sticking in the fleshy part of Commodore Morse's ankle. Snow danced across the sonar screens.
"Loud explosion bearing three five nine!" Sessions said.
"No kidding," Ilse mumbled.
"Status of incoming torpedoes?" Wilson said. "Impossible to tell."
"Navigator," Wilson said. "Sounding."
"One three five zero zero feet, sir," the navigator said.