Part 5: Session Five: It's not different at all
Session Five: It's not different at allThe same bed. The same wake up call? Is it cold sweat and tears all over me, or is it some sea water left on me as I'm pulled through time by some crazy vengeful force?
I don't want to answer that phone. I don't want to get out of bed. I just want a day where I don't die, where everyone's life doesn't hang in the balance. Is that really so much to ask? Why is this happening to me?
I hide under my NFL sheets and shove my head under the pillow. But it turns out, the day refused to let me ignore my responsibilities.
XO: Take that down to the old man. Get a signature.
Wheeler: Yes, sir.
XO: Thank you Mister Wheeler.
Master Chief: EYES-ONLY usually means it's gonna get ugly.
Please, just get lost. Trip and fall onto a bent fork. Let the message dissapear into confetti. Anything, anything at all to keep you from knocking on that door.
Wheeler: Lieutenant Wheeler, Sir. I have your message.
No one's here. Go away.
Wheeler: There you go, sir. Right by the X.
I'm so worn out and depressed I can barely hold a pen. Holy crap, am I having a stroke? I remember the acronym is FACE... but I can't remember what the F stands for. I hope that's not because of the stroke talking, which I may or may not be having.
Eesh, man, back up. This guy's got some personal space issues. I know it's a submarine, but come on. Besides, this is for your own good; I haven't brushed my teeth in, like, a week. Or longer. I can't tell what day it is anymore, darn it.
---
(This is as if we made the choice "Have someone bring it to me." after "You handle it XO. I'm beat.")
VOTING RESULT: 1
CO: It's an EYES-ONLY message, Wheeler. Do me a favor and quite steaming up my glasses.
Wheeler: Sorry, sir.
Why do I feel the need to lash out?
CO: EYES ONLY: Compromised patrol area Yankee Victor, okay. Seventy-two hours ago, Libyan Kilo submarine effected exit of Med gained open sea. Though tracked by US forces, Kilo has broken contact. Subject sub is believed to be headed north at patrol area Yankee Victor. At present time, threat to your mission and platform is considered slight. You're advised of this developing situation so you may take appropriate action. Disclosure of this message to your officers, men left to your discretion. Continuation of your deterrent patrol considered paramount. All other considerations secondary, SUBLANTS and et cetra etc.
Well, I've just about got it memorized now, for all the good it does me.
Gah! You're still there. Oh, right, I have to dismiss you. I wonder what would happen if I didn't. Would he just starve? Or sit there frozen like a lawn jockey?
My grandfather had one of those. Then some filthy hippies passed an local ordinance and had them banned. Called it 'insensitive." Stupid long-haired flea collectors have no appreciation of antiques.
Oh yeah, where was I?
---
VOTING RESULT: 1
CO: That will be all, Wheeler. You're dismissed.
Wheeler: Aye-aye, Sir.
Oh good. Maybe I can get back to bed.
Foster: (over loudspeaker) Captain, your presence is requested in sonar.
Crud.
Better lock up before I leave. Wouldn't want anyone to get in there and find everything horribly shameful about me.
---
Wooosh! Screee! Pew pew! "You switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?"
---
XO: Captain.
Foster: Thank you for coming sir. Um, here's the situation. We just pulled the towed array for scheduled maintenance. It's a routine thing, you know; just a few hours of downtime.
CO: Is this going to be a long story, Ensign?
Foster: Well, it's weird. We've got this, like, sound short. It's like an intermittent buzz at 5 hertz. And the volume changes with our speed. When we go fast, it gets louder. When we go slow, it gets softer.
Dang it, this again. What did I say last time? Wait, why does that matter? It got us killed. Again.
---
VOTING RESULT: 1
CO: Was it a malfunction in your gear?
Foster: Well, I thought about that possibility too, Sir. So I cross-checked with the other towed array, the TB-23, and the WLR-9. They both heard it too.
Okay, so we've confirmed it exists. That's not much of an accomplishment, even for me.
---
VOTING RESULT: 1
CO: Do you think it's a sound short, Ensign? Is it a malfunctioning piece of gear on the sub?
Foster: You'd think so, wouldn't you Sir?
Yes. No? Maybe?
Foster: But-but we've been clean since we left Charleston. Nothing's been reported broken on the way out. Besides, 5hz... the sound's almost too low to be mechanical.
Well, then what is it? A drunken Aquaman or something? Because that could be actually kind of awesome.
---
VOTING RESULT: 1
CO: This buzz at 5hz, it doesn't interfere with your sound processing abilities?
Foster: No skin off our nose, Captain. We're still in the Sonar business.
What are you so happy about? Oh... right. You don't know.
XO: Can't always sweat the small stuff, Sir.
And you don't know either. You're just a pessimist. It doesn't mean you're always right just because I'm always wrong.
---
VOTING RESULT: 1
CO: How long would a hull search take?
XO: Takes a while. And there's a little question of exposure.
Foster: And we'd have to bring the boat to 100 feet, which is a pretty vulnerable place to hang out.
Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah. Are you going to follow my potentially reckless and suicidal orders or not?
---
VOTING RESULT: 2
CO: I want to lock out a diver, XO. I want a thorough hull search.
XO: Are you sure, Skipper?
CO: Do I look like I'm sure?
XO: Alright, I'll notify the conn. We'll conduct a lockout immediately.
Why do I always hurt those around me?
---
Master Chief: How long does a hull search take?
XO: It's a big ship. Master Chief. We've only got one diver out there. It's just going to take as long as it takes.
Maybe he's right... I can make it out of this loop. It'll just take as long as it takes... even if that is ten thousand years.
Cook: Here you go, XO.
XO: Thank you.
Cook: Another cup of coffee, Captain?
Oh coffee...
CO: Coffee would be good.
♫I never thought I'd miss you♫
♪Half as much as I do♪
♫And I never thought I'd feel this way♫
♪The way I feel♪
♫About you♫
Foster: Conn, Sonar.
Not now, Foster. I'm busy. *sip*
♪As soon as I wake up♪
♫Every night, every day♫
♪I know that it's you I need♪
♫To take the blues away♫
Foster: Damn it! Conn, sonar. Hydrophone effect. Torpedo door event bearing 130. Range 3000 yards.
*spit take*
XO: Officer of the deck, sound the general quarters.
OOD: General quarters, aye.
XO: Captain, your orders?
Orders? How about you order me up another cup of coffee? Maybe put a little booze in it this time? Ho ho, I'm kidding. We're all about to die.
---
VOTING RESULT: 3
CO: Recover the diver.
♫You've been down too long in the midnight sea♫
Ahem. Now is not the time for singing. I realize that now.
XO: Officer of the deck...
Foster: Hydrophone effect. Incoming torpedo. Bearing 130. Range 2500 yards.
Let me guess... he's closing on us?
Master Chief: He's closing on us.
Thought so.
Foster: Impact in 3, 2...
Maybe I should go try and go limp?
Whoa, that was not wise.
XO: Damage control, report!
Master Chief: Ship is flooded aft of frame 170, Sir. Water's going into the reactor room. If water hits the coolant, we're gonna-
From my position on the floor, I hear and feel another big boom... and that's all.