The Tiger and the Dragon

by Stephen Makk

  “All set, Innes?”

  “Aye sir,” replied Innes. May looked unsurely, even frightened but nodded.

  “You’re about one eighty yards from the entrance. The bearing to datum two is two three five degrees.” Innes set his compass bezel to the bearing.

  “Off you go, and good luck.”

  Innes opened the lower hatch and climbed up, May followed. The seaman to one side helped them both up into the sail, the hatch was sealed and wheeled shut. Two taps followed by two more was the signal. The rating opened a valve to let seawater into the chamber.

  INNES AND MAY SWITCHED on their helmet lights, the red light filling the chamber with a dull glow. They were already waist deep in the rising seawater. Equipment checks had already been carried out in the boat’s main companionway. Innes could see May’s hands checking and rechecking the valve settings. He knew it was a sign of fear, check and recheck over again. He held her hand and shook it reassuringly, looked into her mask and smiled.

  The chamber filled, the water level rose to cover their masks, then finally, it was full. Innes made an OK sign and showed it to May, she nodded and returned the sign. He reached up and turned the wheel, then stepped up a couple of rungs, reached back and patted her head. Innes lifted the hatch. Outside was a deep black void. Innes swam out into it, May followed, the two of them were now kneeling in the sail. He gave her an OK sign, she returned it with little enthusiasm. She checked her valve settings again. Innes patted them gave her the OK. He took a bearing and kicked off. She followed. Their buoyancy was slightly negative so they drifted down to the seabed. It was silty, there was a mass of filter feeders and starfish. Some were thin, kelp like green fronds waved to and fro. They were everywhere, he knew they’d be feeding off the outflow from the river. Natural and human waste, discarded food would all pass this way. Innes checked the depth, 80 feet. The world was filled by the sound of their breathing and the hiss and pop of the feed and return valves of the Poseidon SE7ENM rebreathers.

  The rebreathers they wore were a high-tech triumph. They were a fully closed circuit and gave no bubbles off, they re-used their breath and removed carbon dioxide. Electronics made sure the divers always got the right mixture of gas for their depth; the required Oxygen level was lower when they went deeper. All this gave the divers the right gas for the depth they found themselves at, the least gas for the maintenance of life and the lowest chance of DCS; decompression sickness, or the bends. May shouldered the rebreather. Inside the shell on the divers’ backs, was a large cylinder to the left and plastic tube of some powder substance with a smaller cylinder below it.

  Innes checked the digital readout, it checked the two cylinders carefully. In the larger tank was the diluent, Trimix. Helium, oxygen and nitrogen. The small tank held oxygen.

  Innes remembered his training. Using a diluent sounded exotic. A diluent was nothing exotic, a non-diver breathes a diluent: the nitrogen in the air. We all breath diluent all day and night.

  Oxygen was added to the trimix when told to by the computer. As well as breathing, He knew the mix provides buoyancy gas to the bags on the diver’s chest. This gas is also breathed in and out. The powder scrubbed out the carbon dioxide.

  Innes knew that May and him were in their equipment’s hands. Rebreathers provided them with a much extended dive time and depth, and of course no bubbles; ideal for a covert Infil of an enemy’s harbour or other facilities.

  He ran his hands over the tank on his chest. They each wore a seven litre bail out tank with its own breathing regulator. This was just in case the rebreather failed. It was filled with Nitrox thirty six; that is thirty six percent oxygen, sixty four percent nitrogen, so reducing the decompression time. He decided it was time to attach a buddy line, he didn’t like them, but better now than when you didn’t have to time. He clipped May to him on a three yards long line. Innes followed the compass upriver, not really seeing where you were was one of the worst parts of it. Trust your instruments, total trust, you’ve nothing else. The most unreliable thing down there was that lump of grey matter in your head. Clever enough to figure out how to get through and survive that black void, but not clever enough to get through by itself. Innes knew that they must be more than half a mile up the Lingshui river by now. He looked back at her, May had settled now. She couldn’t do anything about it, so she was just getting on with it. Finning away through the blackness, heading for wherever he’d take her. Innes knew he couldn’t do that, he had to know where he was and what his fall back would be. He knew she was so far out of her depth, so to speak, she just had to follow him.

  He smiled, there were more boring ways to make a living. When he signed up he didn’t expect he’d be swimming in the blackness of a Chinese river on an Infil mission with a hot Chinese br...No, hot Taiwanese broad. Innes gave his digital instrument the once over, depth, no stop time, PPO2, gas mix. Ok, he turned to check May’s instruments and gave her the OK then turned and carried on.

  It wasn’t loud; at first. Then it grew, a deep inexorable throb. A thrumming sound. Innes knew what it was, a ship or ships heading their way. He knew they wouldn’t draw more than seven or so yards, so they were deep enough down here. The sound grew louder, it was advancing. He heard something unusual, something rumbling. He turned to May pointed to his ears, cupped them and gave her the ok sign. She nodded. He turned back and swam on. He wasn’t ok at all, what the hell was it? Innes could feel it now a thrum, thrum, thrum with the rumbling noise, he could feel the vibration.

  Suddenly, it was on them. Heavy steel chains rumbling across the bottom, hanging from something up above.

  Innes was being pulled down to the base of the chains, he knew his mouthpiece could be pulled out and his mask ripped off. It couldn’t happen. May was being pulled down even faster. No. The wall of chains ran into them pulling them along and down with it. Innes mind raced, they were being pulled down to the riverbed where they’d be dragged along entangled. At the mercy of the rough violent chain wall. He knew it would be very short on mercy.

  Chapter 3

  Innes turned in the darkness and took hold of May’s arm, he grabbed the links and pulled himself up. He could only use one hand and the links were rotating and overlapping, clanking with a dull sound as they turned. Innes pulled and pulled, one hand pulling May after him. He slowly ascended the rumbling clanking wall of chains. It pulled them along with it, he looked and was relieved that she was holding it together, at least trying to. He now knew what it was. The wall was trawling for mines, any mines caught up in the chain wall would detonate. A simple net would block submarines, but any mines laid would still be active. He got May up maybe 20 feet, that would do. It was hard to keep your hands from being caught in the links, he watched and swapped his grip. Innes looked down at May, she was pushing at the wall keeping herself off it. He tried it, it worked. He shook his head and thought, I’ll learn from anywhere. It was pushing them back, he noticed the depth seventy feet. It was time to come up shallower. He knew they were being pushed back, as long as it didn’t drag them down. Innes knew it must reach up to the surface, the ships must have a frame to hang it from. It was exhausting the constant pushing, pushing. And then it stopped. What the hell? He heard the engines pulsing thrumming, thrumming. Then slowly the chain wall started to move away from them, he swam after it and took a hold on a chain. They separated now as they retreated. May took a hold of it too, she’d got it. Follow the chain wall, it had pushed them back, now it could carry them further up river with it. Long minutes went by as they hung on the chain wall, eventually it stopped, then it started to turn to starboard. Innes knew, that was it. The sailors above were going to park the chain, and this was as far as they’d follow it. He left the chain, got May’s eye and pointed to the south. That’s where the river bank would be, they were near the end and it was now time to ascend and get a position fix.

  Innes took a bearing south and kicked off, he looked back to check if May was following, she was. He angled upwards aiming for a depth ju
st deeper than 20 feet. A few minutes south he came to a concrete wall, it was covered in a green wispy algal growth. He turned to May and held his hand out then pointed up to the surface with a thumbs up sign. He tugged on the buddy line, she’d have to follow him part way up. Innes had turned off his helmet light as he’d ascended from depth. He rose up the slimy green dockside wall, he soon found himself at the surface. He put the palm of his hand out stopping May. Innes looked out at the base they’d entered. It was a river with moorings on both sides, across the river was a Frigate and an offshore patrol boat. On his side further up-river a Frigate or Corvette was tied up. There were the usual dockside lights for workers or crew access. The nearest lighting gantry was seventy yards away up by the ships, down river it was darker. There were a couple of small buildings and a pile of wooden beams. The hillside behind was lightly wooded, he couldn’t make out any fence, but one would almost certainly be there. He swam back down river for fifty yards and stopped. Innes pulled on May’s buddy line. Within a minute she surfaced next to him.

  “You OK May?”

  “Yes, that chain dragging was terrifying, what was it?”

  “They were dragging for mines. This looks about the best spot, up there through the trees. There’ll probably be a fence up there. Can you find your way from here?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I know someone in the town. A contact, who’s waiting.”

  “Ok get out here.” She pulled off the Re-breather and handed it to Innes, then climbed out. She took off her fins, mask and dry suit and handed them to him. He secured them by a holding net and clipped it on to a D ring hanging from him. He looked up at her, glad he wasn’t going with her into that strange hostile land. For him it was the easy part, descend and swim down river, locate the boat and get aboard.

  “Good luck May.”

  “Thanks.” He replaced his mouthpiece, vented his buoyancy and slipped beneath the water.

  May took a look around the port and turned to the wooded hillside. She carried her papers and enough Renminbi to pay for what she’d need. In her wallet was plastic that she could use to pull more from a bank account. She was alone now in the People’s Republic, this was just the start. She walked across the dockside for the hillside. From further down towards the warship up-river came a shout.

  “You there. Stop, who are you?” It was a naval security guard, she saw him heading towards her swinging his AK47.

  “Shit.”

  AT THE BASE OF USS Stonewall Jackson’s sail, the hatch swung open and a weight belt and Re-breather were passed down to the main companionway. Innes followed, Nathan stood by.

  “She’s ashore Sir, we had an incident with a mine chain net but got by it.”

  “Well done Innes, get to the Galley and have what you want, then hit your bunk for a few hours. I’ll see that your duties are covered.”

  “Aye sir, thank you.”

  Nathan returned to the control room. “Sir, we have a postcard.”

  Lieutenant Commander Lemineux, the boat’s Communications Officer shrugged as he handed Commander Blake a communications slip.

  “This just came in from COMSUBPAC sir.”

  PRIORITY RED

  R 231347Z MAR 93 ZY09

  COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HAWAII//N1//

  TO STONEWALL JACKSON

  PACFLT// ID S072RQ81//

  NAVAL OPS/02

  MSGID/PACOPS 6722/COMSUBPAC ACTUAL//

  MSG BEGINS://

  YOU ARE AUTHORISED TO UPGRADE FOUR UUV TO EXPANDED STATUS.

  PLEASE FIND ATTACHED UPDATE DOCUMENTATION AND SOFTWARE SYSTEMS UPDATES FROM LOCKHEED MARTIN AND L-3 CHESAPEAKE SCIENCES CORP. THEY HAVE STAFF ON STANDBY.

  MSG END://

  Nathan walked over to the Weapons Officer’s station and laid down the communication slip.

  “You and the Engineers will be busy Weaps. I’ll put the boat in position off northern Taiwan at periscope depth so you can get on with it.”

  The Weapons Officer smiled. “Yes sir, this is just what we wanted.”

  With the boat at periscope depth 35 miles off Taoyuan City north west Taiwan, Weaps started work. He installed the updates, ran tests and reported the results to the manufacturers in the US. Made changes and re-tested.

  Eighteen hours later he reported. “Sir, all Pointers upgraded. Ready for a deployed test.”

  “Load Ren in tube six.” The boat carried four Pointers, these are Underwater drones launched from a torpedo tube. Named after the hunting dog, they can be wire guided or free-swimming recoverable intelligent decoys. Pointers can sound like the USS Stonewall Jackson and can simulate active sonar, torpedo launches, or countermeasures sounds. Deceiving the enemy into thinking that they are facing the real thing. All were named after cartoon dogs, they carried Scooby, Deputy Dawg, Ren and Stimpy.

  A few minutes went by. “Tube six is loaded.”

  “Flood tube six, open outer doors, launch when ready.”

  A minute later Weaps looked over at Nathan. “Ren is launched.”

  “Go through your tests.” Long minutes went by.

  “Sir,” Benson put his hands over his headset, “we have a submerged contact nine miles to the north. Threat computer reports suspected Hai Lung class submarine. Heading south east, speed ten knots.” The Hai Lung class was a Republic of China navy vessel, that is a Taiwan navy boat.

  “She’s active pinging us. Sonar type, Elodone Octopus, type 20026.” Nathan listened.

  “She’s flooding a tube sir, opening outer doors. Fish launched, fish running in. Threat computer identifies fish as AEG SUT wire-guided, active/passive homing. Fish closing, range now four miles.”

  The contact faded. Nathan patted Benson on the shoulder.

  “How did it look Benson?”

  “Good sir, it fooled our systems.” Nathan smiled.

  “Weaps, recover Ren to tube six and give him a doggy treat.”

  Ren was a replacement; the original had been destroyed in an engagement with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, the PLAN and the Iranians.

  “Will do sir. I had Lockheed Martin and L-3 Chesapeake sciences Corp running simulations in their water test tank and computer model. All looked good. Sir I checked and L-3 added another identity, the Pointers can now impersonate a Chinese Song class.”

  Nathan knew this new capability of becoming a Hai Lung class could be important, the Song class less so. He had requested it expecting to be turned down, but they’d done it. USS Stonewall Jackson could now look like a Hai Lung boat as far as the PLAN was concerned. Taiwan had two of them, the Sea Dragon and the Sea Tiger. He didn’t know if he’d need that capability, but it was now an arrow in his quiver.

  Nathan decided it was time to set out their position.

  “XO, KAMINSKI. WAR COMMITTEE, Wardroom now.”

  Lieutenant Commander Larry Sayers and Lieutenant Nikki Kaminski sat at the Wardroom table. “OK, War committee rules apply, say what you like, first names, rank is irrelevant.”

  Sayers sat back, “The Island doesn’t seem to be under threat as far as we can see.”

  Nikki stood. “Anybody apart from me want a brew?”

  “A brew?”

  “A coffee or tea. It’s English, I picked it up from Anupa.”

  “Go on, a coffee,” said Nathan. She left for the Galley and returned soon with two coffees and a tea.

  “A lot depends,” Nikki set the brews down, “on what May turns up and we can’t know that. Just wait for her report or requests.”

  “That’s one weakness I see in this operation,” Nathan rubbed his brow, “we don’t have any way to contact her, and she’s a major part of it.”

  “Yeah,” said Larry, “we have the contact details of the Commander of the Navy, Admiral Su-kang or something, but that’s it.”

  Nikki leaned towards Nathan. “Put me ashore and I think I’ll be able to get it.”

  “You? Why?”

  “Because Nathan, the National Security Bureau the NSB is very likely run by a man.”
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br />   He frowned. “So?”

  “So, give him a sexy smile, push up your tits, wiggle your ass and it’s surprising what you can get.”

  Nathan grinned. “I’ll see what we can do.” He turned to Larry. “In the meantime, I think we need to know just how active the PLAN is off the coast. Carry out a patrol north south say 20 miles offshore. Let’s see if there are any boats out there sniffing around.”

  Back in the control room Nathan checked out his monitor screen and followed that with a look around the crew room. It was perhaps surprising just what you could figure out about the boat’s status from the Officer’s expressions and body language. All seemed well.

  “Trim fore and aft for descent, down ten. Make your depth two hundred feet. Right rudder one third. Course hold on south southwest.”

  The USS Stonewall Jackson dived into the gloomy Taiwan strait, the deck inclined down toward the bow. A few minutes later the boat levelled out.

  “Two hundred feet sir.”

  “Keep her steady, speed six knots.” He walked over to the sonar operator at his console.

  “Benson. Keep those ears at it, get me a PLAN boat and there’s a tray of Zhang men beer waiting for you in Taipei.” Benson smiled.

  “I’ll do my best sir.” Nathan walked back aft to see the Engineers. It was always wise to keep them happy. Smooth talk them, make them feel important and appreciated, without them many things would go wrong. It didn’t matter what torpedoes or missiles you carried, if the Engineers weren’t there doing their thing, then it was all a waste of time.

  It reminded him about the meeting where the body parts were debating over who should be in charge. The brain said I control things it should be me. The lungs said if I didn’t breathe there’d be no air and we’d die. The stomach said something similar. The eyes said they could see so the body knew where it was going. The blood said it carried the oxygen and without that you’d all waste away. The asshole said it should be in charge. Everybody laughed, so the asshole stopped working. Soon the brain got a headache, the lungs palpitated, the eyes crossed and got watery, the stomach was bloated, the blood became toxic. They all agreed that the asshole could be in charge. He sniggered.