The atmosphere on board the Glomar Explorer was relaxed and partylike. The NUMA team and the ship’s personnel that were gathered in the spacious lounge next to the galley celebrated their success in repelling the acoustic plague. Admiral Sandecker and Dr. Ames were sitting opposite each other, sipping champagne poured from a bottle produced by Captain Quick from his private stock for special occasions.
After further consideration, it was decided to reclaim the antenna/reflector from the water and dismantle it again in case Dorsett Consolidated’s disastrous mining operations could not be terminated and it became essential to stop another acoustic convergence in order to save lives. The reflector shield was raised, and the hull below the Moon Pool was sealed off and the sea pumped from its cavernous interior. Within an hour, the historic ship was on its return course to Molokai.
Sandecker heaved himself out of his chair after being informed by the ship’s communications officer that he had an important call from his chief geologist, Charlie Bakewell. He walked to a quiet part of the lounge and pulled a compact satellite phone from his pocket. “Yes, Charlie.”
“I understand congratulations are in order.” Bakewell’s voice came clearly.
“It was a close thing. We barely positioned the ship and dropped the reflector shield before the convergence occurred. Where are you now?”
“I’m here at the Joseph Marmon Volcanic Observatory in Auckland, New Zealand. I have an update for you from their staff of geophysicists. Their most recent analysis of the sound ray energy’s impact cars Gladiator Island isn’t very encouraging.”
“Can they compute the repercussions?”
“I’m sorry to say the predicted magnitude is worse than I originally thought,” answered Bakewell. “The two volcanoes on the island, I’ve since learned, are called Mount Scaggs and Mount Winkleman, after two survivors from the raft of the Gladiator. They’re part of a chain of potentially explosive volcanoes that encircles the Pacific Ocean known as the `Ring of Fire’ and lie not far from a tectonic plate similar to the ones separating the San Andreas Fault in California. Most volcanic activity and earthquakes are caused by a movement of these plates. Studies indicate the volcanoes’ last major activity occurred sometime between 1225 and 1275 A.D., when they erupted simultaneously.”
“As I recall, you said the chances of them erupting from the convergence impact was one in five.”
“After consulting with the experts here at the Marmon Observatory, I’ve lowered the odds to less than even.”
“I can’t believe the sound ray traveling toward the island has the strength to cause a volcanic eruption,” said Sandecker incredulously.
“Not by itself,” replied Bakewell. “But what we neglected to consider was Dorsett’s mining operations making the volcanoes most susceptible to outside tremors. Even a minor seismic disturbance could trigger volcanic activity from Mounts Scaggs and Winkleman, because years of excavating diamonds has removed much of the ancestral deposits containing the gaseous pressure from below. In short, if Dorsett doesn’t stop digging, it’s only a matter of time before his miners uncork the central conduit, releasing an explosion of molten lava.”
“An explosion of molten lava,” Sandecker repeated mechanically. “Dear God, what have we done? Hundreds of lives will be lost.”
“Don’t be in a rush to confess your sins,” said Bakewell seriously. “There are no women and children known to be on Gladiator Island. You’ve already saved the lives of countless families on Oahu from certain extinction. Your action is bound to wake up the White House and State Department to the threat. Sanctions and legal actions against Dorsett Consolidated Mining will occur, I guarantee it. Without your intervention the acoustic plague would have continued, and there is no telling what harbor city the next convergence zone might have intersected.”
“Still ... I might have ordered the reflector shield to divert the sound waves toward an uninhabited landmass,” said Sandecker slowly.
“And watch it surge through another unsuspecting fishing fleet or cruise ship. We all agreed this was the safest path. Give it a rest, Jim, you have no reason to condemn yourself.”
“You mean I have no choice but to live with it.”
“What is Dr. Ames’ estimate of the sound wave’s arrival at Gladiator?” inquired Bakewell, steering Sandecker away from a guilt trip.
Sandecker glanced at his watch. “Twenty-one minutes to impact.”
“There’s still time to warn the inhabitants to evacuate the island.”
“My people in Washington have already tried to alert Dorsett Consolidated Mining management of the potential danger,” said Sandecker. “But under orders from Arthur Dorsett, all communications between his mining operations and the outside have been cut off.”
“It sounds almost as if Dorsett wanted something to happen.”
“He’s taking no chances of interference before his deadline.”
“There is still a possibility no eruption will happen. The sound ray’s energy might dissipate before impact.”
“According to Dr. Ames’ calculations, there’s little chance of that,” said Sandecker. “What is your worst case scenario?”
“Mount Scaggs and Mount Winkleman are described as shield volcanoes, having built gently sloping mounds during their former activity. This class is seldom highly explosive like cinder cones, but Scaggs and Winkleman are not ordinary shield volcanoes. Their last eruption was quite violent. The experts here at the observatory expect explosions around the base or flanks of the mounds that will produce rivers of lava.”
“Can anyone on the island survive such a cataclysm?” asked Sandecker.
“Depends on which side the violence takes place. Al, most no chance if the volcanoes blow out toward the inhabited part of the island on the west.”
“And if they blow to the east?”
“Then the odds of survival should rise slightly, even with repercussions from enough seismic activity to bring down most if not all of the island’s buildings.”
“Is there a danger of the eruption causing tidal waves?”
“Our analysis does not indicate a seismic disturbance with the strength to produce monstrous tidal activity,” explained Bakewell. “Certainly nothing on the magnitude of the Krakatoa holocaust near Java in 1883. The shores of Tasmania, Australia and New Zealand shouldn’t be touched by waves higher thaw one and a half meters.”
“That’s a plus,” Sandecker sighed.
“I’ll get back to you when I know more,” said Bakewell. “Hopefully, I’ve given you the worst, and all news from now on will be good.”
“Thank you, Charlie. I hope so too.”
Sandecker switched off the phone and stood there thoughtfully. Anxiety and foreboding did not show on his face, not a twitch of an eyelid, not even a tightening of the lips, but there was a dread running deep beneath the surface. He did not notice Rudi Gunn approaching him until he felt his shoulder tapped.
“Admiral, there is another call for you. It’s from your office in Washington.”
Sandecker switched on the phone and spoke into it again. “This is Sandecker.”
“Admiral?” came the familiar voice of his longtime secretary, Martha Sherman. Her normally formal tone was nervous with excitement. “Please stand by. I’m going to relay a call to you.”
“Is it important?” he asked irritably. “I’m not in the mood for official business.”
“Believe me, you’ll want to take this call,” she informed him happily. “One moment while I switch you over.”
A pause, then, “Hello,” said Sandecker. “Who’s this?”
“Good morning from Down Under, Admiral. What’s this about you dawdling around blue Hawaii?”
Sandecker was not the kind of man to tremble, but he trembled now and felt as if the deck had fallen from under his feet. “Dirk, good Lord, is it you?”