“Yes, if I can recall it was some kind of supercontinent…right?”
“Yes, the eastern seaboard sits in the middle of the North American plate, but 200 million to 300 million years ago, it sat along an ancient plate boundary that ran through a connected Africa, and North America called Pangaea, a supercontinent. Approximately 200 million years ago, the continents began to split, forming the Atlantic Ocean. If you are sitting on GWO Savannah in the North Atlantic Ocean, North America is on the left and Africa on the right. The collisions and the splitting of the one continent into Europe, North America, and Africa generated a network of faults under what is now the east coast of the U.S. These faults, however, are still susceptible to stresses on the crust. Some of this intense stress comes from a section of the Mid-Atlantic ridge called the Puerto Rico Trench.”
“Chief Navid, has our mission changed.?”
“No, my warrior, it has not.”
“Then why are we discussing this Puerto Rico Trench?”
“Because it is our primary target.”
“Chief Navid, are you ill? Savannah and Charleston are our targets.”
Captain Bashir yelled, “Chose your words carefully young man.”
“Patience Ghaazi, said Chief Navid, “Years ago, our geologists, oceanologists, and volcanologists helped the world community confirm that the mid-ocean ridge is a 44,00-mile snake that carves an ‘S’ between the old world and the new world as it slithers across the floor of the Arctic, Atlantic, Southern, Indian, and Pacific Oceans—”
“Chief Navid…you mentioned the Mid-Atlantic Ridge but now you speak of the Mid-Ocean Ridge. Captain Bashir, where are we going?”
Chief Navid continued despite Ghaazi’s impatience,
“The mid-ocean ridge winds its way between the continents much like the seam on a baseball. It is a vast underground mountain range with gouges that would dwarf the Grand Canyon and has mountains higher than Mount Everest. The mid-ocean ridge forms where two tectonic plates pull apart and hot magma from deep within the Earth oozes up to fill the gap. Ocean ridges are alive and intensively active with hydrothermal vents and volcanic activity. The mid-ocean ridge is most dramatic in the Atlantic Ocean. There it is called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge or the ‘Zipper.’”
“Oh, okay Chief. I am beginning to understand now.”
Captain Bashir tapped his display screen and a 3-D image appeared. It was the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Chief Navid said, “Ghaazi, look at the frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes along some portions of its length. Its active hydrothermal fields tend to be larger than active hydrothermal fields on other mid-ocean ridges with more frequent periodic hydrothermal activity.”
“Chief, what are those huge smokestacks?”
“Ghaazi, those are the results of hydrothermal vents. They form the cylindrical chimney structures you are looking at. This happens when the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate out of the vent to form particles which continuously add to the height of the stacks. Some of these chimney structures can reach the height of a 15-story building.”
Ghaazi snapped out of the astonishment of it all and asked, “Captain Bashir, what does this have to do with our mission?”
Captain Bashir quickly answered, “Ghaazi, it is our mission. Deep ocean volcanism was always our mission. Remember earlier, Chief Navid mentioned that almost 200 million years ago, the Americas, Africa, and Europe were part of one continent that split into three separate tectonic plates and an ocean basin began to form? This basin is the Atlantic Ocean. Deep ocean volcanism is the engine that continues to move the plates away from each other. The Earth’s crust stretches and thins here. As the crust thins, it releases pressure on the rock below the crust, which is called mantle. The drop-in pressure causes the extremely hot mantle rock to melt, which causes intense volcanic activity along the mid-Atlantic ridge.”
“Oh…I get it. The mid-Atlantic ridge seafloor is being pulled and stressed and it is constantly cracking and breaking.”
“Clever boy. You see, we were always on mission…. but I never intended for us to reach Savannah and Charleston. Our true destination was here.”
“Captain Bashir…that is Puerto Rico.”
Chief Navid acknowledged, “Actually, young man, our destination was just north of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Our target was the Puerto Rico Trench which separates the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Here the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates constantly scrap each other, making a huge transform fault that extends from the Puerto Rico Trench to the coast of Central America. The Caribbean plate is shifting east, while the North American plate is shifting west. In addition to the transform fault, the Puerto Rico Trench is also associated with a subduction zone. To the trench's east, the heavy North American plate, which carries the northern Atlantic Ocean as well as the continent of North America, is being subducted beneath the smaller Caribbean plate.
Ghaazi face had that enlighten look. “So, that why we were to rendezvous at the coordinates near Puerto Rico first with the orders to move further north on the Atlantic Ocean to the Savannah-Charleston area.”
Captain Bashir was pleased that Ghaazi finally understood, “Simply countermeasures Ghaazi…simply countermeasures. Information is revealed on a need to know basis. That is how we have always operated.”
Ghaazi asked curiously, “So does this increase our kill-zone?”
With a careful and calculated voice, Chief Navid responded, “My young warrior, yes it does. The first explosion will take Fireship Savannah down, Ghaazi, way down. The pressure will kill us quickly as we drop through 1,800 feet if the crew hasn't drowned already. The Widowmaker set Fireship Savannah’s detonators at 26,500 feet. So as she descends into the deepest part of the trench at Milwaukee Deep, the red mercury-enhanced nuclear blast will cause a catastrophic shift of Earth’s tectonic plates, triggering massive earthquakes and awaking volcanoes across the Caribbean and North Atlantic oceans. Puerto Rico and the southeast portion of the United States will be in the deep ocean. This will provide the accelerant for the sixth extinction. In the aftermath, perhaps months later…the world will feel the beginning of Continental Drift.”
“Captain, that is about five and a half miles below sea level.”
“Yes…it is Ghaazi. Praises be to Allah.”
Ghaazi looked at the display showing the structure of a volcano and now he understood. “Captain, we are headed for the seafloor at the Achilles Arc. The nuclear blast carries Hades dust which will open the gates of hell as it reaches the vents and magma chambers.”
Chief Navid laughed, “Captain when the student is ready…the teacher appears.”
Captain Bashir laughed and replied. “Indeed.”
“We must make it through, Ghaazi. We must hit them and hit them hard. Now make haste. Input the new coordinates. Oh, one more question, Ghaazi. You are in possession of your Apophis Tablets?”
“Yes, my Captain…both are hidden in plain sight.”
The captain hugged Ghaazi and kissed him on his cheek. “Ghaazi, you are one of Allah’s finest warriors. Jihad is our incumbent religious duty, established in the Quran as a divine institution, and leveraged for advancing Islam. The Prophet Mohammed teaches us that nobody who enters paradise would ever want to return to this world even if he were offered everything. Do you believe the teachings, Ghaazi?”
“Yes, my Captain, there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.”
“Ghaazi, go now and prepare the crew. Arm each with a handgun from the security weapons cabinet. I do not think we have seen the last of the United States Navy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven — Quarantine
It was late evening. Captain Bashir wanted another cup of Sudanese coffee. The captain was in the mess hall with an old friend, the chief cook. He watched Rayan prepare traditional Sudanese coffee. Rayan fried the coffee beans in a special pot over charcoal and then ground them with cloves and certain spices. Rayan sa
id, “Captain, you are one of the only men I know that can drink Sudanese coffee this time of evening and sleep well.”
“Just fix the coffee old man.”
They both laughed as only old friends can as Rayan steeped the coffee in hot water and lovingly poured it into a tiny coffee cup after straining it through a special fresh grass sieve. Captain Bashir impatiently dumped the coffee into a big cup and placed a top on it to keep it hot.
Rayan just shook his head. “You always break our tradition and drink coffee just like those damn Americans.”
Captain Bashir patted Rayan on the head and headed back to the bridge. When he entered, Ghaazi was relieved that he had arrived.
“My captain, Fireship Savannah’s radar has just sent a warning to the helmsman. The split-screen display on the radar also shows a United States Navy ship just slightly smaller than a destroyer but not as large as the two huge aircraft carriers they saw earlier.”
Suddenly Captain Bashir, Ghaazi and most of the crew heard a helicopter in the distance. The ship’s long-range cameras showed a helicopter leaving the deck and headed towards them. The communication links lit up on all channels and all frequencies. The crew’s attention was now focused on the emergency message that came across all of the ship’s communications, mobile, and internet systems.
“Captain Mark Bashir of the GWO Savannah. This is the USNS Medgar Evers medical and ambulatory supply ship of the United States Navy. We have been dispatched by Military Sealift Command to provide full hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide. We may have a problem aboard your ship. You made a port stop on Isabela Island. The World Health Organization reported an outbreak of the Marburg virus that was traced to passengers that traveled from Isabela Island to Guayaquil, Ecuador. One of them was possibly bitten by a species of fruit bat that roosts in caves in certain parts of Africa. They are carriers of the Marburg virus. Captain Bashir, it is imperative that you heed this medical alert. The Marburg Virus is a part of the family of Ebola viruses. These viruses cause massive hemorrhagic bleeding and fevers that cause a horrible death. Viral infections such as this cannot be treated with antibiotics. The use of antibiotics will make the infection worse. We need to send in a medical team to examine and treat your crew. Your manifest shows your destination is the United States. We are not armed and we acknowledge that we are in international waters. With that being said…we cannot allow you to enter our country or territories until we certify the health of your crew and the environment of your ship. Our helicopters are deploying now from this medical supply ship with a team equipped to conduct immunological and molecular biological tests that can identify the virus in body fluids and confirm the diagnosis. We have the vaccine. Prepare to be boarded. Any resistance will be perceived as a threat to United States sovereignty. The USNS Medgar Evers supply ship will maintain a three-mile safety buffer zone from GWO Savannah. Your radar will also confirm there are two United States warships approximately fifty miles to stern. They have been dispatched with hospital facilities to handle massive outbreaks. They are also armed warships. We come in peace and we are not weapons hot. Repeat, we are not weapons hot.”
Captain Russell was on the first helicopter that lifted. The commanders heard the roar of the rotors as they lifted the chopper off the flight deck of the supply ship. Captain Russell thought Daniel would be proud to know we named our team after his town.
Captain Russell did a visual check. They were not dressed for combat but were wearing the Navy working uniform. They were carrying concealed M84 stun grenades and a Sig Sauer 226. SEAL team Charleston would come in stealth and fully loaded.
One of the SEALs noticed Captain Russell taking a mental count. She said, “Skipper, all eight of us are here and I am quite sure there are eight on the other chopper.”
J.R. and the whole crew laughed.
J.R. yelled above the chopper’s roar, “As of now, boys and girls. We are on mission. Let’s do the deed.”
The team bellowed, “Hooyah.”
J.R. asked the rhetorical question, “Why do you guys look like working stiffs today?”
A Navy SEAL across from him barked laughingly, “That’s because we are, sir.”
J.R. laughed. “Let’s hope that crew thinks we are.”
The Knighthawks approached GWO Savannah with radar systems scanning for weapons. The heat signatures were varied and showed some crew-members had on concealed soft body armor, as it was interfering with the thermal signatures. Captain Russell used his communication link to warn SEAL team Charleston that they should adjust their targeting, if necessary.
“Copy that,” said the commander.
“If they have on body armor, they are expecting a party,” barked J.R. as they began to lower the team via the fast rope from the Knighthawks to the deck of the GWO Savannah.
J.R. was the first to land. “Are you Captain Bashir?” asked J.R. as the rest of the team descended to the deck with the medical equipment.
Captain Bashir smiled cautiously. “Yes, I am. Welcome aboard the GWO Savannah. This is my first officer Ghaazi.”
“I am Captain Russell. You can call me J.R.”
Neither Captain Bashir nor Ghaazi said anything.
“This ship is spotless. You guys should be Navy,” yelled J.R. above the noise of the helicopter rotors. Neither Captain Bashir nor Ghaazi smiled or laughed.
JR thought, well so much for the small talk.
Captain Bashir spoked, “Officer Ghaazi will take you to our ship’s dispensary and get you set up. We are glad to have you here. We do not have a doctor as our normal crew is about 15. My first officer, second officer, and I are certified in first aid and CPR. This virus thing sounds pretty serious. We haven't noticed any sickness yet.”
J.R. motioned for the team to follow Ghaazi. He gave the chopper pilots the signal to return to base. J.R. walked alongside Captain Bashir and asked, “You mentioned you are normally heavy by 15 men. How many do you have now?”
Captain Bashir replied, “28 men, the 13 extra men are due for training for tugboat duty with a company in Savannah.” Captain Bashir welcomed J.R. to his ready room and poured him a cup of piping hot Sudanese coffee.
“Captain Bashir, may I suggest the exams be expedited by using a deck that is mostly public, from an efficiency and morale standpoint. We do not want to alarm the men anymore we have already.”
“I agree, Captain Russell. The navigation bridge and crew accommodations are a part of the deck-house. The engine room is more to the rear. I will have Ghaazi escort your medical team to the promenade deck four decks down from the bridge. It’s a nice deck with terrace, television, movie room, conference room, and the main lounge, with a deck-to-deck glass bulkhead. The ship’s dispensary is also located on this level. The dining room is on that level also.”
Captain Bashir and his crew had been busy accommodating their medical guests. They did not see the second helicopter that took off in an opposite direction. The helicopter descended about four miles beyond the ship on the other side. SEAL team Charleston was lowered into the deep ocean using naval assault hovercraft to reach and slip aboard Savannah. This light small-sized rugged boat was hard to see and track in the water.
“Listen up, boys,” barked the commander of the SEAL team Charleston. “We are on mission in about six clicks. One boat to port, one boat to starboard. Check your tactical wireless headsets when we get aboard. We will proceed down to the lower decks where the C-4 is located on each side of the ship.”
The team responded, “Hooyah!”
The naval assault hovercrafts, powered by four gas turbine engines, traveled super-fast over the water, noiselessly over a cushion of formed hot air. The four-mile trek to the Savannah would be over in a matter of minutes. SEAL team Charleston had a daunting task in arriving quietly. The Savannah had twenty-two stories between her bridge and engine room. The SEALs had to climb the equivalent of a ten-story building.
SEAL team Savannah had Captain Ba
shir and the crew busy and distracted with medical exams on deck seven. The entire crew had been called to the dispensary area for intensive tests for the Marburg virus. The Savannah was now on autopilot.
SEAL team Charleston entered the ship from the port and starboard side near the rear to eliminate threats that might be stationed near the C-4 explosives.
“All right, boys,” barked the SEAL team Charleston commander. “This is what we trained for. Now let’s do the deed.” As they approached the gigantic vessel, the commander communicated to both naval assault hovercrafts on the communications link. “Prepare all Jacob’s boarding ladders now.”
Once the port side team was in place, the commander gave the order to deploy. Two SEALS started their ascent, port side, and starboard side. Once they'd climbed five stories, they shot grappling hooks and secured the special state-of-the-art cable kevlar ladders so they could make the next five stories. Once they were up on the main deck, they released the launch ladder that was normally used by the harbor pilot. Once aboard, they made their way down to the engine room via the anchor or windlass room located to bow.
Captain Bashir announced to the crew that he expected full cooperation from everyone to get the exams and inoculations underway.
Ghaazi proudly barked an order. “We need to be back at our stations in one hour. I would not want one of the pistons to miss its oiling. They are big boys you know.”
The crew laughed. The true medics on the team checked Captain Bashir and Ghaazi first.
Captain Russell noticed a faint light on his smartphone. He walked into the restroom and when he was sure he was alone, he spoke quietly. “Rover, this is Rodeo do you copy?”
“Roger that, Rodeo. The horses are in the stables and we are headed for the racetrack.”
“Copy that Rover. We have 28 watching the race so it better be a good one.”
Decks below, SEAL team Charleston’s smartphones sensor arrays scanned. They got three green lights pinpointing the C-4 explosives packages. There were three explosive packages located on the last deck to bow, eight packages located in the engine room, and four massive packages on the same deck in the fuel and lubrication room.
Accelerant- Sixth Extinction Page 28
