“So these drones can fly over an area and photograph troop movements and artillery positions?”
“Yes, Mr. President, these machines can have an enormous military impact. And the drone machine itself can also fire rockets. They have a way for troops on the ground to point a thing they call a laser, which is a device of some sort that I simply don’t understand. A soldier would point this laser machine at a target such as an artillery battery, and the drone would fire its rocket directly at the battery. It’s amazing, Mr. President.”
“That it is my friend, that it is.”
“How many ships like the California are sailing the oceans, Mr. Secretary?” Lincoln asked.
Lincoln’s question confused Wells. He thought he had made it clear that the California took a solitary trip through time. “Only one, Mr. President. The California took her strange journey all alone.”
“So you’re certain that there are no other ships like the California at sea at this very moment, Gideon?”
“Yes, sir, there are no others.”
“And do you base your conclusion on personal observation?” Wells realized that he was being cross examined by an expert lawyer. “No sir. I did not personally look for any other ships.”
“Did you ask the officers on the California if they knew of any others?”
“No sir, I did not.” said Wells.
“Now, Gideon, these gigantic ships in the photos that are called aircraft carriers, have you determined that there are none at sea?”
“No sir, I have not personally determined that.”
“It seems to me,” said Lincoln, “that in the vastness of the oceans it is impossible to say with certainty that there are no other Gray Ships afloat. Do you not agree, Gideon?”
Wells had to admit, “Well, no, Mr. President, I cannot say so with certainty.”
Lincoln walked over to a window and stood silently, looking out at the grounds. The flowers were starting to bloom as spring opened its wings. Lincoln always saw spring as a time of new beginnings, a time of renewal.
He then turned to Wells and said, “Let me ask you a question, my friend. If you were Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, would you not be concerned about a whole fleet of these amazing vessels, maneuvering and ready to strike at your forces? And would not this worrisome possibility, if you were Davis, consume your thoughts and guide your decisions?”
Wells paused and stroked his beard. “If you put it that way Mr. President, I suppose Jeff Davis would be concerned. But, sir, he has no reason for worry, except for the one ship that he knows about, the USS California.”
Lincoln walked over to his Navy Secretary and sat in a chair across from him, his long legs jutting forward as if pinning Wells to his chair. He peered into Wells’ eyes and said, “Gideon, what if we give Davis something to worry about?” Wells eyes grew wide. He suddenly slapped his knee and laughed uproariously.
“Of course,” said Wells. “We’ll make them think that there’s a fleet of Gray Ships!”
Lincoln smiled broadly. He then stood and walked over to the table that was covered with the photographs of ships.
“You have told me about the fearsome weapons aboard the California, Gideon. But these,” Lincoln waved his hands over the array of photos, “these are our most potent weapons.”
The phrase PsyOps or psychological operations did not exist in 1861, but the idea of using tricks to fool an enemy has been around since ancient times. Lincoln realized that they had an opportunity to prevent the slaughter that Wells told him about.
The Gray Ship fleet would soon put to sea.
Chapter 29
The Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin arrived in the vicinity of the California’s last known position. It was 0327 and still pitch dark. Fortunately the sea was calm, always a good condition for an ocean search and rescue operation.
Commander Donald Hester, the CO of the Gallatin, contacted the Office of Naval Operations at the Pentagon to advise them that he had arrived on station and was commencing search and rescue operations.
The Gallatin was equipped with the US Navy’s latest in underwater rescue technology. Known by the catchy phrase Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System’s (SRDRS), it was designed for rescuing submarines. This SRDRS was nicknamed “Bubbles.” It is a manned submersible and can dive to a depth of 2,000 feet.
The depth below the Gallatin was only 300 feet, making Bubbles’ mission relatively easy. There was one problem. As the Gallatin approached the area, it had been pinging with its forward directional sonar to pick up a “target.” The sonar waves returned no hits, meaning the California had not yet been located.
Hester decided to wait before he launched Bubbles. First they would try to locate the California by dragging a sonar array just beneath the surface in a plotted grid pattern.
Combined with sonar buoys dropped from the helicopters, they should be able to locate something as large as the California in a short time.
All sonar operators peered at their screens and listened for the telltale return sound of a metallic “hit.” They heard silence.
The California has been missing for 18 minutes.
Chapter 30
Bradley called Chief Ray to his office. He was careful to keep their meetings to a minimum and to communicate in short conversations at prearranged locations throughout the ship. Bradley knew that they needed more people to make their Confederacy plans work, but for now he kept it between himself and Chief Ray. At this point, the more people involved the greater the chance of a leak or slip up.
“What about the big weapons, Chief? The guided missiles, the five-inch guns, and even the ASROCS (anti submarine missile system) can do a hell of a lot of damage. We can’t get them off the ship. Any way to disable them?”
“I’ve been thinking about just that, Commander. The first way is easy. I just remove the printed circuit boards for all of the big weapons systems. Every one of them, including the five inch guns, have a printed circuit board. I just take ‘em out and toss ‘em overboard. But the timing is tricky. All these systems, except for the ASROCs, are manned by crews around the clock. The boards would have to be yanked before anybody notices a problem.”
“What about the five-inch guns?” asked Bradley. “Can’t they be operated manually?”
“Excellent question, Commander. Yes they can be operated manually without a circuit board. For the guns I suggest we use thermite grenades. Those little babies are designed to melt metal. They can burn at a temperature as high as 4,000 degrees. We have 100 of them aboard. Pop one of them down the barrel of a gun and it’s time to buy a new gun. The grenades that we don’t use we can put in the Zodiacs.”
“So,” said Bradley, “we can turn this cruiser into an unarmed cruise ship in a few minutes.”
“Yes, sir. A cruise ship without a swimming pool.”
Also, thought Bradley, a ship that can’t defend herself can be sunk, especially if you use her own weapons against her.
Chapter 31
SEAL Petty Officer First Class Peter Campo is a master in the martial arts. He began as a freshman in high school, and by his second year in junior college he had become a black belt in both karate and the Korean skill of Taekwondo. He’s also an expert in the Japanese “Gentle Way” or judo. He had taught martial arts at the Navy SEAL training school as well as the Naval Academy. When he reported aboard the California he asked Lieutenant Conroy if he could teach classes on the ship. Conroy ran the idea up the chain of command and Campo got the job.