SSGN-901 Tecumseh slid under the Atlantic waves as it neared the equator. Except for a few special passengers, this was a routine surveillance mission, since the Tecumseh monitored the Atlantic in the region of Olvidados and Zudlandia. Second day out, and Pegeen wished she was back in South Carolina, and not a few hours from Olvidados and whatever lethal virus McGonn had found there. She alternated a narrow bunk with an unhappy ensign who had been ordered to share with her. She climbed from her berth and dressed for the day.
She stumbled into the mess. The cook offered her canned ravioli. A lot of the crew disliked it or were tired of it, and it was often the last meal left. Fortunately, she liked canned ravioli and took it. She wished she had some garlic or onion powder to add to it, and some cheese, but she got two slices of buttered bread, coffee and orange juice.
She was almost finished when Pete Stanley, her annoying law-school neighbor sat beside her with coffee. To her surprise, he had been a naval diver and was now in the reserves. He had been called up for this mission by Captain Brenda Stanley, his sister, who was by the helm with the Captain Gruber, commanding the Tecumseh.
"How's it going?" Pete asked.
"Slow," Pegeen answered. She ate the last of her ravioli. "When do we get to Olvidados?"
"Less than an hour. We're in shallow water now, near Olvidados. We have permission to land. They're fighting Zudlandia again, so they want US and UN help to remain independent.
"I hope they get it," Pegeen said. "Do they know about the bacteria?"
"Yeah. They had an outbreak of the Olvidado Virus thirty-four years ago. Brenda says they don't know where it came from on the island, so they want us to locate it and hopefully contain it, like smallpox."
"We don't need another virus. Times are hard enough."
The submarine slowed and began to turn 180 degrees in the water. An alarm sounded and Pete looked up. "Gotta go to Control."
Pegeen walked into Control a few minutes later. Submariners were watching monitors, machines were beeping, and every looked serious. She needed to go to Control and had learned not to ignore these feelings.
Brenda came over. "We spotted a submersible, a mini submarine, armed with torpedoes, heading for one of our destroyers. Don't know who it belongs to. It's a commercial model that was fitted for torpedoes."
"What's out here besides us? Do they know we're here?"
"We think not. That sub could be Russian, Chinese, Japanese, or ours, but it's almost certainly not ours."
The vision came to Pegeen, clear, and this time she heard people speaking English with a Spanish accent. Like the Olvidadans and Zudlanders.
"Two people...Speaking English, but they're some sort of...not sailors--submariners. They want to blow up a US or Russian ship hoping to start a war. They know enough to find their target and program a torpedo. Using sonar. Then Zudlandia might pick up the pieces. At least they'd have Olvidados to thenselves."
Brenda listened carefully. She had seen what Pegeen could do during the search for the emblem.
"What else."
"They don't know we're ahead of them and the carrier. Apparently, they had a crash course in running a submarine and don't much. They've located a US Aircraft carrier a few nautical miles away and plan to blow it up. The carrier won't see them coming till too late." The vision faded. Pegeen blinked. "That's all."
Brenda spoke to Gruber quietly. He looked at Pegeen, shook his head, and the talk continued.
Pegeen joined them. She'd had a future vision. Brenda motioned for silence.
"What about disabling their sonar? Can you. I see a buoy," said Pegeen.
"We can," said Gruber. "Put out a buoy with sonar blocking equipment."
"We can have something ready in twenty minutes, sir," said an officer.
"Get it ready. Divers?"
"I can go," said Pete.
"Me, too," said another man. Gruber nodded and they two left to suit up.
"We notified the captain of the carrier there is an unidentified sub in the area, and to prepare for assault. They're turning away. I don't think the minisub can catch up to them," said Gruber. "Periscope depth."
"Periscope depth, aye, Captain."
Twenty minutes later Pete entered an airlock and swan into the warm Atlantic. He got the buoy and the other diver appeared on with propulsion vehicles. The two divers moved towards the minisub.
In Control, the sonar operator reported their movements. Soon they were near the minisub. Pete and the diver released the buoy and returned to the Tecumseh.
Soon the minisub stopped, started, and turned away from the carrier.
"Stand by to surface," said Gruber.
"Standing by to surface, aye, Captain."
"Surface."
"Surface, aye, Captain."
Three blasts of the alarm warned the crew the ship was surfacing. The ship lurched up hard, and Pegeen staggered. Someone caught her arm. Pete kept her from falling.
The ship settled. Soon the hatch opened, and Gruber, Stanley, and armed crew went to investigate.
The minisub rolled over in the wash from the submarine. It settled, and its hatch opened. Two men crawled out. One man removed his white t-shirt and waved it.
"Surrender. Take them in, and report.
The Tecumseh connected with a USN destroyer. The prisoners were turned over to the Navy. Pegeen, Brenda and Pete watched from the hatch.
"Next, Olvidados," said Pete. "I can get back to school."
"Not yet," said Brenda. "We want you if the search needs a diver. You can party at school later."
"Hah," said Pete. Dora and Cora and the friends do the partying, I just provide pizza and sofas to sleep on."
"Dora and Cora," Pegeen asked.
"My daughters," said Brenda. "They attend the same school as Pete, and take advantage of a home away from home.
"You've seem them," Pete said. "The twins."
"Twins? You mean all those girls aren't your...friends?"
"Nah." said Pete. "I haven't had time to date much."
"Time you settled down," said Brenda. "You're thirty, after all."
"I'm interested in a girl, but she doesn't like me, it seems.
"Change her mind," said Pegeen.
