It appeared from the inside as if a mountain had been hollowed out, which was partially true. In actuality, a high section of the coastline had been excavated and the dirt dumped well out to the sea by dredges. A man-made cocoon was then constructed over it and extended seaward to complete the fishbowl effect. The area selected was sparsely populated and little traveled. There was minimal concern among those few natives who noticed the unusual changes. The dredges dug out a channel over a two-year period from the open sea into the fishbowl. Every few months sections of a floating dry dock were moved inside to be joined together. Generators were delivered. A miniature shipyard evolved.
When the fishbowl was done, navy tugs would appear towing sections of the hull constructed at various locations on the West Coast. Most shipments to the fishbowl came in this manner, and usually in the middle of the night. The skilled workers who made Imperator a reality also came by sea. They worked intense twelve hour shifts for a week at a time, then would depart as they came, returning two weeks later to resume their shifts. Their paychecks sealed their mouths.
Reed remained enthralled with the fact that such a project could continue as secretively as this one. There was no doubt in his mind that it would not have occurred this way if Imperator had been constructed with government funds. The fact that she was spawned by private funding through a consortium of defense contractors made her secret existence possible. There had never been a name for the organization, at least not one known on the outside. They simply had been known among themselves as the “consortium” when the project began, and the name had stuck. Retired officers became covert advisors, involving only active-duty personnel whose assignments would conceal their time at the fishbowl.
“She looks like she could slide out tonight, doesn’t she. Andy?” Hal Snow cut a recruiting-poster figure in his uniform.
“Yup. But how long do you think it would take if I said get ready for sea now?”
Reed had often compared Imperator to an aircraft carrier, for the giant submarine was longer and would displace more tonnage when fully loaded and submerged. Yet the comparison wouldn’t stick. Most of an aircraft carrier rode above the surface for the whole world to see, while Imperator was like an iceberg on the surface. Ninety percent of her bulk lay below.
“It’s just a matter of final testing from the main reduction gears aft.” Snow smiled knowingly. “The computer says everything’s hunky-dory, but I just want to make sure for myself. I’ve got my engineers making personal inspections now — the old submariner in me.” The old guard were not opposed to computers: they simply had greater trust in a human being than an electronic wonder. “The reactor’s been on line without a whimper for so long that we hardly pay attention anymore. Auxiliary engineering’s been double-checked until they can repeat the status of each unit in their sleep. Every pump and valve has been through each test at least three times. The only thing I can’t guarantee is weapons. Haven’t fired a one,” he joked.
‘Then you could get underway tonight if you had to?”
Snow peered out of the comer of his eye. “After I’ve run my final tests on the shafts… I suppose so.”
“Don’t bet that it might not be soon.”
“I thought you said I could probably squeeze out twelve weeks.”
“I said eight — that I’d try for twelve. Now I doubt it.”
“I still have a lot of incomplete job orders that are close to ten on our list.”
“Make sure you have the parts on board if you have to get underway beforehand. You’ve got the talent to do that at sea.”
Hal Snow paused thoughtfully. “You know, I don’t think you could find a better man than me for this job right now, but I hope you’ve got someone else in mind after this tour. I think I’m from another generation…”
“We both are.”
They were standing near the stem, looking forward. The sail structure was larger and higher than the bridge on a destroyer, yet it appeared a last-second thought on a submarine longer than four football fields. Andy Reed had yet to be included totally by the inner circle, whose evolving strategy was based on arctic confrontation. It was only after a late-night meeting two days before that he was informed orders might be coming any day.
“There’s just one item holding me back now, Andy.” Reed turned curiously to his friend.
“That broad, Andy. Every damn day someone comes in to see me with only one thing on his mind — is the navy really crazy enough to send her off with us? I’m not losing my grip on this crew, but I’ve never run into anything tougher. They still won’t speak to her.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do. I don’t have any choice. She controls the brains of the ship. Without her, that computer might be useless at the wrong time. She’s got me by the shorts!”
“Do you get along?”
Snow shrugged disconsolately. “I suppose so. She’s polite, understands the navy, does her job… and she doesn’t take shit from anybody.”
“Doesn’t have to either,” Reed said, as he smiled and gestured for the other to follow while he meandered along the dockside. It was no different than the first female astronaut. The consortium wanted to exhibit some element of liberalism. Not only was Carol Petersen one of the most talented computer designers, she was destined to succeed, for she was their display piece.
“I wouldn’t be surprised that, if there was some guy just as qualified as Carol Petersen, the navy still would have had to accept her. The times they are a-changing,” he added wistfully.
As they strolled beside Imperator, Snow returned to a question he’d asked before. “You expect I’ll head directly for the ice?”
“Couldn’t say. But it looks more like it to me each day.”
“Still too bad you can’t go with me.”
“I’d give my right arm but they want to see what you can do alone. I’ll catch up.” Reed stopped and turned to the other man. “You’ve never been worried about anything before in your life. Are you starting now?”
“Negative. Nothing of the sort. I imagine it’s more like the first man in space, or Armstrong stepping out onto the moon. When the greatest thing that will ever happen in your life is about to take place, you’re not scared or worried. You have to be excited about the unknown. It’s just that I’d like to know when and where — a normal human reaction, I think the shrinks would agree.”
Nothing more was said until they reached the head of the dock and looked down the length of Imperator from the bow. She’s beyond comprehension, Reed thought to himself, yet there she is. Sleek and black, the giant submarine lay silently in the water, waiting to emerge from her cocoon. Many of her weapons had been delivered in the past few months — torpedos, missiles, tanks, helicopters, everything that could be stored deep within her hull except her marine contingent. Troop movements were watched too closely by the media. When they came aboard, they’d be transferred at sea.
“I envy you, Hal, more than anyone ashore can imagine,” Reed said quietly.
Abe Danilov rarely invited guests to his apartment. It was not so much that he disliked social contact; rather, he was selfish about saving all his wife’s time for himself — and giving all he could spare of his own to her. Anna Danilov was ill. Her days were numbered, and those close to her knew it. Her husband intended to fill those days with as much love as he could afford, and he begrudged every minute of his time that the navy required.