“What’s the sitrep?” asked Nathan.
“Sir, it’s basically the shaft seals, and the gearbox has taken a bashing. We’re looking to replace the main shaft seal, we expect we’ll have it done in a few hours. We have another crew on the gearbox. They’re getting ready to take the cover off and fit a new feed shaft. It’s a big job and a slow job. When it’s done we’ll be slower and there’ll be no deep dives. As an estimate, a few hours is all I can say.”
“Thanks, you’re doing a great job.”
LIEUTENANT KAMINSKI sat at her chart table and accessed her console. There wasn’t too much for her to do so she set about charting three different ways out of their location. She was starting the third when she heard it.
“XO?” the Executive officer Lieutenant Commander Larry Sayers walked across to her.
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
“Squat down Sir, can you hear it?” He squatted down and listened.
“Yeah I can.” The XO stood and walked aft, a couple of minutes later he returned with an A-Ganger.
“There, open the floor inspection cover.” The A-Ganger opened the cover and shone his torch in. He reached in with his arm, then leaned back into the room and licked his fingers.
“That’s it Sir, it’s seawater.” The XO looked into the space himself with the A-Gangers torch.
“Thanks, it looks like quite a flow rate, go and get the Chief Engineer.” A few minutes later he appeared, looking like the Grease Monkey that he was. He inspected the floor space.
“Shit, XO we have a leak. We’ve had some leakage from the shaft seal but nothing like this. I’ll get a bilge pump, at least we can eject it via the sanitary tank. These things can be a devil to trace. I’ll get people on it.”
NATHAN DIDN’T WANT to, but he’d had to grab an hour or so’s sleep. He immerged from his cabin and soon saw various engineering staff pulling floor panels up and making inspections. The XO told him what was going on and why.
“Sir, the torpedo room says they’re three feet deep in there.” Nathan shook his head.
“Tell them we’re on it.”
He walked over to Kaminski’s chart area.
“Hi, well done spotting the leak. It’s the last thing we need down here but we need to know about it. Are things fine?”
“Yes Sir, I’m a bit bored, I’ve plotted exit routes from here but there’s not a lot else.”
He couldn’t show it to the crew, but he just wanted to talk with her, he knew it wasn’t that easy. He was Commander, the boat came first, and laid on the bottom of the strait wasn’t a good place to be.
“I know but first we have to get the hell out of here. Then you’ll have things to do.” He smiled.
“Yes Sir. Fresh air suddenly has a special appeal.” The Chief Engineer walked into the control room.
“Sir, we’ve found it.” Nathan got the XO over to join them.
“It’s in the sanitary tank, the seawater valve is leaking.”
“Can we fix it,” asked the XO.
“Yes Sir,” said the Engineering officer hesitantly.
“XO,” said Nathan, “can you hear a But coming?” Lieutenant Commander Sayer’s nodded.
“We can fix it. We can stop the leak quickly by pressurizing the area by the sanitary tank to
a higher pressure than the seawater depth, three hundred feet. No more water would enter, stopping the leak.” He smiled, “Here’s the But. Whilst we’re fixing the valve, there’ll be a constant air escape through the broken valve, which will be detectable by the enemy. It’ll also make a sound that a sonar might pick up.”
“So, we’re fucked if we do, and fucked if we don’t,” said Sayers.
“I have an idea,” said the Engineering Officer. He took a breath.
“We put an A-Ganger in with all the tools and spares he’ll need. We close bulkhead doors five and six, then pressurise the space to the one hundred and forty psi pressure we’ll need to stop the leak and get him to work. We can rig this by rerouting the ballast air system. Once it’s fixed, we’ll need to decompress the space slowly, so as not to give him the bends.”
“Let’s do it,” said Nathan, “Larry?”
“Sounds OK to me. The torpedo room is five feet deep now.”
“I’d like to get Innes to put his ten cents in,” said the Engineer, “he’s the boat’s diver.” Nathan nodded.
“There is one more thing,” said the Engineer. “Whilst we’re carrying out the repair and decompression. All areas of the boat, aft of bulkhead five can’t be accessed, and if we do have to exit the boat via the WAEFFO suits.” He looked them both in the eyes.
“The A-Ganger’s a dead man.” Nathan knew it was a dangerous solution, but they hadn’t much choice.
“Get your man and get Innes’s help. Do it.”
The Chief Engineer considered doing it himself, but he knew it wasn’t a good idea. He asked for and got, a volunteer. The tools, spares and anything else they could think of were placed in the space. Innes stuck his dive computer to the wall with duck tape, and gave the A-Ganger a quick rundown of what the display would show during “ascent”. He wrote down a series of knocks for communications, all was finally ready.
Bulkhead six was closed.
“Close bulkhead five.” The hatch was closed, and the wheel spun.
“Who’s in there?” Nathan asked the Chief Engineer.
“Many Ortiz, he’s a good guy. But his ass needs corking up.” It was time.
“Open ballast valve two.” After a minute or so there were two loud knocks from inside.
“Close the valve. That’s it, the pressure’s been equalised, the leak’s stopped. It’s up to Many now.”
Nathan wished he could see inside. How was he doing? Was he short of anything? Long minutes went by.
He looked at Larry Sayers.
“This is Goddamn purgatory.”
“Yeah, but you know you’re going to get out of purgatory, we just have to hope.”
Finally, there were three knocks from inside the space.
“He’s done. Crack open valve three,” said the Chief Engineer.
After several minutes there were two knocks, a pause, then another knock.”
“He’s at two hundred feet,” said Innes.
A while later there was one knock followed by a pause and then another.
“One hundred feet. Close the valve a little. We’re slowing the ascent Sir. It’s the most critical time for the bends.” Innes had given him a system of signals, so he could indicate every ten feet of ascent.
“Close valve three,” said Innes, “we’re making a stop.” Nathan could barely watch, he had to. God knows what it would be like for Many Ortiz. Innes checked his wristwatch after fifteen minutes they were ready.
“Crack open valve two, just a little.”
Long minutes went by, there were three knocks. Innes ordered a long stop. Finally, he stopped again at twenty feet for a long stop.
“Crack open valve two.” Many minutes later there were six knocks from inside, Innes spun open the wheel and opened the hatch.
“It’s fixed Sir,” said Ortiz to the Chief Engineer as he climbed out.
“Well done Many, well done.”
“Sir, there is a problem.”
“Go on Ortiz.”
“I need a shit Sir.” The Engineering Officer laughed.
“Go and take one then.”
“Chief Engineering officer get this water purged out,” said Nathan.
“With pleasure Sir.”
Many Ortiz walked nervously into the control room, he’d been summoned by the Captain.
“Ah, Seaman Ortiz,” said Nathan, “have you recovered?”
“Yes Sir.”
“Ortiz, I’ll not keep you from your duties. But you did well back there, under pressure in a combat zone. That’s what we’re in here, the enemy would like to destroy us and nearly did. You played a big part in preventing that. I’m going to recommend that you be awarded the Silver Star. Well done Ortiz, now go back aft and join the other Fresh Air Snipes.”