Remy acknowledged the order and tapped his screen while Jake turned to Julien.
“Prepare for active search, semicircular pattern starting at zero-nine-zero relative and ending at two-seven-zero relative, fifteen-degree search increments. Middle frequency, half power.”
Jake watched the active transmissions from the Specter and its drones. On the fourth emission from the starboard drone, the young operator buried his finger into the display.
“There!” Julien said.
“We got one,” Jake said.
He tapped the shoulder of the sonar apprentice seated on Remy’s other side.
“Designate the new contact as target Master One. Set range to thirteen thousand, two hundred yards. Speed zero.”
“Zero?” the apprentice asked.
“Yes. That’s a submarine with a smart and patient captain. He’s waiting in silent ambush for us because that’s the only way he can win. Speed zero. Bearing zero-one-two.”
“The bearing is uncertain with a drone,” Julien said. “It doesn’t have the hydrophone spread we have on our hull.”
Jake forgave the newbie for stating the obvious.
“Agreed,” he said. “But it’s good enough for me. I’m shooting at Master One on that bearing. Antoine, set the solution into the slow-kill weapon in tube one. We’ll refine the targeting solution and steer the weapon as needed.”
“The solution is set in tube one,” Remy said.
“Maximum transit speed?” Jake asked.
“No. I set it to medium to reduce the chance of our weapon being heard too early.”
“Set maximum transit speed,” Jake said. “Trust me. Do it.”
“Tube one is set at maximum transit speed,” Remy said.
“Shoot tube one.”
The torpedo tube’s pneumatic whine filled the control room, and the rapid pressure change popped Jake’s ears.
“Tube one, normal launch,” Henri said.
“Keep an eye on Master One,” Jake said. “He’s not going to just sit there after being painted by our drone.”
“Launch transients, Master One!” Remy said. “Master One is also accelerating.”
“Jake!” Julien said.
“What?”
“I just picked up another submerged target from our other drone. Range twelve thousand, four hundred yards. Bearing three-three-nine.”
Jake noticed the hunched shoulders of the young men. Their tennis shoes tapped the deck plates, and their fingers fidgeted below their displays, seeking outlets for nervous energy.
He crouched.
“You three, look at me,” Jake said. “That includes you, Antoine.”
The toad-head rotated on its thick neck.
“The new target is Master Two. Antoine, get tube two ready for Master Two. Also, take control of drone two for tracking Master Two.”
Remy turned to his screen, and Jake faced the sonar apprentice.
“You stay with Master One. Take control of drone one, use it to track Master One, and steer weapon one into it. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“Also, listen for Master One’s torpedo and make sure it’s heading for our drone and not for us. Master One thinks our drone is a submarine, and that’s what I’m betting he shot at, unless he’s the luckiest captain in the world, which he’s not. You can handle this.”
The apprentice nodded and turned back to his screen while Jake continued the discourse with Julien.
“You’ve got good sonar training, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course. I was a sonar operator on the Casablanca.”
“Good, you’re now our defense. You’re listening to the water around our ship, and you’re using the secure active to make sure nobody is near enough to shoot us. We just made launch transients, and you’re going to make sure nobody heard us. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Don’t worry,” Jake said. “If anyone is coming for us, they’ll be loud. The system would probably flag the noise for you automatically, but someone needs to pay attention. That’s you. Make sure drone control has shifted to the other guys.”
“I’ve shifted drone control to the others.”
“Good. Start listening.”
“Tube two is ready, Jake,” Remy said. “Target is Master Two, maximum transit speed.”
“Very well, Antoine. Shoot tube two.”
After the whine and ear popping, Jake realized that one of his targets had withheld its reactive counter-strike.
“No signs of a weapon from Master Two?” he asked.
“No,” Remy said. “The captain is showing some maturity. I’ll be sure to watch his every move.”
“Maturity won’t help him, given the advantage we have.”
His torpedoes seeking his targets, Jake turned his thoughts towards defense. He walked to the elevated conning platform and studied his personal tactical display.
Master One’s weapon chased after his first drone, and the worst-case estimate of the hostile weapon’s movement showed it passing miles in front of the Specter.
He noticed that the Goliath was creeping up beside him and into possible danger, if he believed the system’s estimate of Cahill’s location.
“Julien, do you hear the Goliath?” he asked.
“Hold on, let me check. I haven’t been listening.”
“See if you can hear it. I’ll wait.”
“No, nothing, Jake.”
“Good. That means Terry heard our launch transients and figured out we’re in combat. He was smart enough to go to all stop. I’ll reset the system with him at zero speed.”
He tapped buttons to update his best guess of the Goliath’s position as it drifted off his starboard flank. He then exercised the learned patience of a veteran submariner as ten minutes passed before the first torpedo’s seeker came to life.
Within seconds of blasting its condemning acoustic energy into the water, the seeker acquired Master One. The North Korean submarine’s limited speed and aged technology made its countermeasures useless and its attempt at flight pitiable.
The apprentice announced the fate.
“Weapon one has detonated under Master One. Submunitions are deploying. Submunitions are now attaching.”
“Weapon two’s seeker is awake and has acquired Master Two,” Remy said.
“Very well, Antoine. Belay your reports on weapon two unless you notice something wrong.”
Remy nodded as Jake walked to the sonar team and crouched between them.
“Submunitions are detonating,” the apprentice said. “Two of them.”
“How many did you hear attach to the hull?”
“Twelve, at least. It’s hard to tell. Some of them attached at the same time.”
“That’s at least half of them. That’s more than plenty to get the job done. Do you hear Master One heading to the surface yet?”
The young sailor became animated as he pressed his speaker to his ear.
“I hear high-pressure air. Master One is blowing to the surface! I hear hull popping, too.”
“Any more detonations?”
“Yes. Two more submunitions have detonated.”
“Perfect,” Jake said. “Just like it’s designed. The initial detonations force the surfacing and let the crew escape, and then the staggered delayed detonations make sure the ship goes back down for good.”
“Three more detonations,” Julien said.
“Very well, Julien. Belay your reports unless you hear anything except ongoing detonations and Master One heading back down to the bottom of the sea.”
“I will, Jake.”
He pointed his nose at Remy.
“Report status of Master Two.”
“Our weapon detonated under its hull, but I counted only seven submunitions attached.”
“Seven. That should still be enough. How many have detonated?”