“Captain?” Coleman had appeared on the periscope stand behind him. He held an oil-soaked and badly torn industrial Kimwipe in one hand and a long metallic extraction tool in the other. Odd implements to bring from the engine room to the conn, but Edwards understood the meaning before Coleman said a word.
“Is that what caused the main engine to fail?” Edwards said incredulously.
Coleman nodded, staring at the twisted Kimwipe as he turned it over several times in his hand. “We had to tear apart the whole engine to get to it, Captain. We found it in the lube oil suction line for the forward turbine bearing. It was blocking oil flow completely.”
“Damage to the turbine?”
“Minimal, sir. Amazing, since we were answering a flank bell when it happened. I’ve looked it over and I think everything’s okay. I think the automatic trip saved it.” Coleman paused when he saw Edwards looking distant, then added, “If you’d like to come back and take a look at it, Captain …”
“No, no. You’re my acting engineer. I trust your judgment.” Edwards waved dismissively. His mind had already moved on from the main engine failure and was now concentrating on its cause. Something troubled him deeply, and he wondered if the same thought had already crossed Coleman’s mind too. Kimwipes didn’t just magically appear inside main engine housings.
As if on cue, Coleman said, “I’m a little concerned as to how this Kimwipe got in there, Captain.” He lowered his voice so that only Edwards could hear him. “The lube oil strainers should’ve caught it. The only way it could’ve made it past them is if someone intentionally removed the strainers and placed this Kimwipe downstream.”
Edwards nodded. His thoughts exactly. The look in Coleman’s eyes told him they had both come to the same conclusion. Someone had intentionally sabotaged the main engine.
Someone on board was a saboteur!
The chilling thought made the hairs on the back of Edwards’ neck stand up, as he searched his mind for who the culprit might be.
Coleman made to speak, but then hesitated.
“What is it?” Edwards prompted.
“Well, sir.” Coleman hesitated and looked over his shoulder before continuing. A few men near the chart tables chuckled and joked, completely oblivious to the situation Coleman and Edwards now discussed. “I’m no detective, Captain, but that guy we pulled out of the water with the Eng has bothered me ever since he came aboard. I know he claims to be an Indonesian marine and all, and I know he had an I.D., but he asks a lot of questions. Too many questions, if you ask me.” For the most part, Edwards had given the Indonesian marine free access throughout the ship. The man seemed harmless enough at first glance, and appeared to be enjoying his stay. Most times when Edwards saw him, he was socializing with the crew on the mess deck. That seemed to be where he spent most of his time. Edwards had considered denying him access to the engine room but once he found out that the man was a chain smoker, he abolished that thought. The engine room’s shaft alley was the only designated smoking area on the ship, and he didn’t see the need to deprive the man of a good smoke to pass the time.
Coleman’s theory was certainly plausible, but Edwards wasn’t sure. Either way, he couldn’t take any chances now.
“Chief of the Watch,” Edwards called across the conn to the ballast control panel.
“Yes, sir,” the chief said, swiveling in his chair.
“Have the security petty officer apprehend our Indonesian guest and confine him to the doc’s office.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” The chief looked puzzled, but removed the phone off the panel to contact the security petty officer down in the torpedo room.
Coleman appeared satisfied. “With your permission, Captain, I’ll start putting the main engine back together. It shouldn’t take too long. Of course, we’ll have to do a bowed rotor warm-up before we place it back on the line.”
“Good. Let me know if you run into any troubles.” Coleman nodded and made to walk away, but Edwards stopped him.
“Just in case we’re wrong about our guest,” Edwards said in an uneasy tone. “I think it’d be a good idea if we exhausted every possible option. Make sure you check the propulsion lube oil system on both port and starboard sides for total integrity. And don’t forget to check the engineering logs. There might be some clue for us in there as well.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” Coleman said before disappearing down the aft ladder.
Resting his hands on the cold railing surrounding the periscope stand, Edwards glanced at the men manning the various stations around him. They seemed unfazed by the curious order to arrest the Indonesian marine, and Edwards chalked it up to numb indifference. Most of them probably could not care less at this point. They’d had their brush with death, and now they had homes and families to think of. Providence was once again on her way home, and this time she would make it all the way home. With her missiles expended, her food supplies running low, and her crew’s fatigue at its zenith, ComSubPac would have no choice but to bring her in. The crew certainly sensed this and Edwards could tell by the warm smiles on their faces that they would need little of his leadership on the voyage back to Pearl. They were on autopilot now, with only one goal in mind.
“At two hundred fifty feet, Captain,” the diving officer announced.
“Steady on course zero seven five, Captain” reported the helmsman immediately after.
“Very well, Dive. Very well, Helm.”
The control room quickly settled in to the same quiet cruising routine of all lengthy voyages. The extra quartermasters left the room, leaving the lone quartermaster of the watch to man the chart table by himself. The messenger of the watch moved silently around the room collecting coffee orders. Near the OOD’s podium, Fremont reviewed the deck log in preparation of relieving the conn. The gentle rumble of a distant volcano, almost tranquilizing in nature, emanated from the overhead sonar speaker. It and the whirring fans were the only noises in the room.
Edwards struggled to keep his eyes open as he focused on the sonar display above him and the bright green swath marking the volcano’s location. He politely refused the messenger’s offer to bring him coffee. Fremont would be relieving him soon, and he was in dire need of a few hours’ sleep. He been living on coffee for the last twenty-four hours, and the last thing he needed now was more caffeine in his bloodstream. Even with all that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, his weary mind could focus only on the bunk in his stateroom.
Suddenly, Fremont stood before him. “I’m ready to relieve you, sir,” he said cheerfully. The navigator still reeked of garlic from the wardroom’s evening meal.
Edwards was too tired to be annoyed at the odor. “I’m ready to be relieved.”
Just then, the overhead speaker cracked, “Conn, Sonar. Picking up funny noises astern, bearing two three four. Sounds like intermittent cavitation.”
Edwards glanced up at the display to see tiny bright green dots appear at irregular intervals along the southwesterly bearing. He shook his groggy head to make sense of what he was looking at. Edwards then glanced at the Providence’s depth and speed. It took only a few moments before the realization set in, and he and Fremont exchanged panicked expressions.
“Helm, ahead full, cavitate!” Edwards shouted across the room. “Chief of the Watch, sound general quarters!”
Everyone in the room appeared puzzled at first, some apparently convinced it was a drill. But as the Providence picked up speed, they gradually realized that this was anything but a drill, and that the ship was certainly in danger. The fourteen-bell gong rang throughout the ship and soon the room filled to capacity as each man once again occupied his battle station.