Laura 02 The God Code

by Anton Swanepoel

  “Mm, interesting story. Well, get your men and their gear aboard so we can get out of here, I do not like sitting on the surface.”

  “Yes Captain,” Darius replies, playing along.

  Captain Rinehart looks on as twenty men dressed in Navy Seal attack gear climb into his submarine with two sets of gear each. Rinehart scratches his chin. Wonder what is in the bags? That is too much gear for a Seal’s mission, must be the information he talked about, well I am not about to ask. The faster we get these men off my sub, the happier I will be. Rinehart looks at his watch. Five minutes have elapsed since the two vessels moored up.

  “Captain Jennings, what’s taking so long? Get your men and gear aboard and cut the boat loose so that we can get out of here.” Jennings does not reply.

  He is waiting for a password from his men that all is ready.

  Inside the ship, the twenty men are stationing themselves all over the submarine, all armed with automatic rifles and pistols, all with silencers fitted.

  “I’m going to see what’s taking so long,” Captain Rinehart says as he makes his way back to the conning tower.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  Captain Rinehart turns as he hears Jennings’s reply. All his muscles tense up and he freezes. Jennings is pointing his service pistol right at his head.

  “We are taking your submarine Captain,” Jennings says, then presses the send button on his neck and addresses his men. “Secure the ship.”

  The Pegasus’s crew suddenly find themselves staring down the barrels of twenty trained men, yelling for them to make their way to the deck of the submarine. Some of the crew tries to resist, but get rifle butts in their faces, and two get shot in the head. It takes ten minutes to get all the men on the deck, where they are made to stand in line. Jennings does not have the necessary men to totally crew the submarine. Looking at a list in his hand, he starts to pick out the men that he needs and have them one by one taken down into the submarine where they are then secured in the mess hall for when they are needed.

  ***

  “Contact, 40 miles out. I think it’s our fishing trawler, start to get ready.” Pieter has the jet’s radar jammer on. The jammer will be able to jam the radar on the fishing trawler, but the radar on Pegasus is another story.

  As long as Pegasus is still crewed by her own crew, they will recognize the jets as US airplanes and hopefully think the jets are only providing air cover.

  Victor rechecks the dry bag tied to his leg, containing weapons and explosives.

  “Pick us up when you’ve retaken the submarine.”

  “I was wondering if you had enough fuel to return,” Victor replies.

  “Nope. Pull the ejection handle behind your head, it will eject only your seat. I’ll cover you until you’re in the water.”

  Victor nods then puts on an oxygen mask. The mask is attached to a small oxygen cylinder on his side to provide oxygen for him to breathe at the high altitude he is ejecting at, and will also enable him to breathe underwater as he opens the submarine’s rescue hatch. Victor takes a deep breath, then reaches back and pulls the ejection handle. Suddenly explosive bolts go off all around his part of the canopy and Victor is thrust into his seat from the force as his seat rockets out of the jet. Cold air immediately chills all exposed skin, but Victor is only focusing on the mission, ignoring the pain. Glancing around, he looks for Ernest. Ernest has also ejected and is slightly above Victor. Both men unclip themselves from their seats and freefall towards the ocean and a target far below. The submarine is slowly taken control of by the new crew as they take their positions. The old crew that may be needed is secured in the mess hall, while others that are immediately needed are at their stations under guard, forced to cooperate at gun point.

  The old crew that is not needed is made to climb into rescue rafts from the submarine, where they are given provisions. Keeping them on the submarine is too risky and Captain Jennings does not want to shoot them. He may be part of a group committing treason, but he has no intention of killing innocent Navy brothers without good reason. He intends for them to be towed behind the trawler and dropped off at the nearest land where they can make their way home. The submarine is virtually undetectable, thus he has no worry of them being debriefed, for they know nothing of his plans.

  “Captain, air contact, two jets!” Dan has just taken his position behind the controls of the radar station.

  “Whose are they?”

  “US Navy Sir, partially jamming our radar.”

  “That means they know we are here, dammit, how did this happen? Shoot them down!”

  Jennings looks at his first officer Leon, who nods and walks over to the weapons control panel. Leon can see from the screens that the jets are trying to jam his radar, but the submarine’s radar is too sophisticated and powerful for the jamming to be effective at the range they are from the submarine. Leon smiles as he presses a button on his console, four times.

  “Missile lock, two SAMs,” Pieter alerts John over the radio.

  “I show two SAMs locked onto me as well,” John replies.

  “Break, evasive maneuvers,” Pieter replies as he banks his jet hard left, away from John’s.

  Pieter opens the jet’s throttles to maximum while making a sharp turn to try and have the missiles aligned that they approach him from the side. John is doing a similar maneuver. Pieter waits for the missiles to get close to him, and then drops flares and chaffs, while re-aligning the jet to keep the missiles at a 90 degree angle to his left. Glancing down quickly, he affirms that the missiles have lost radar lock. Pieter watches as the two missiles pass harmlessly behind him.

  Suddenly alarms again sound and Pieter looks down to his radar screen. What he sees makes him freeze. The warning system shows four missiles locked on to him, approaching fast. The system indicates that the missiles are using a different active Doppler and infrared tracking system, making it almost impossible for him to fool them with chaffs and flares. Alarmed, Pieter looks at his fuel gauges, only a few minutes of fuel left. He activates the afterburners and pushes the jet as hard as he can vertically up until his warning system informs him that the missiles are right on him.

  Quickly he makes a half loop and dives straight down, just passing the missiles that cannot change course in time. He just bought himself a few seconds. Hope it is enough time before the missiles turn around and, guided by the radar from the submarine below, reacquire a lock on him. The fuel warning system is now in critical mode, but Pieter keeps the afterburners on, pushing the jet to its max, gaining as much speed as he can on the descent. Even with the maneuver, the missiles have a lock on him within three seconds and are gaining fast. Pieter grips the controls tighter. Come on baby, fly, you can do it.

  Suddenly the engines cut out as the fuel runs out, and the jet’s airspeed starts to drop drastically, the missiles are almost upon him. The ocean is approaching fast, but the missiles faster. One missile is ahead of the others, and almost on top of the jet. Pieter looks back and up, straining to see. Just as the missile is about to hit his right wing, he barrel rolls, causing the missile to skim inches past the wing. Suddenly there is an explosion next to the cabin as the missile’s proximity sensor activates. Pieces of shrapnel rip through the jet and smoke pours out of the right wing. Pieter smiles as he deactivates a fire alarm. Good thing I am out of fuel, otherwise I would have been blown up. Pieter holds the Jet in a direct dive, aiming for the trawler.

  Pieter looks confused as red fluid drips onto his hands and flight controls. Hydraulic fluid, where is the airplane hit for it to leak hydraulic fluid? Pieter tries the controls, all seem fine. He brings his hand to his face and looks at the fluid. It is not hydraulic fluid, it is blood, his blood. Pieter looks at the warning system showing the three missiles on his tail, then takes a deep breath, pain fills his body. Pieter closes his eyes for a moment and thinks of his family. As he opens his eyes, he looks back up at the missiles behind him. They are almost on him. It is a good day to
die, time for the grand finale. Suddenly bullets start bouncing off the jet as men shoot at it from the deck of the trawler. Pieter smiles. Fools, the small arms fire does not have the penetrating power to go through the jet’s tough canopy. Just a little further, almost there. Pieter places his left hand on the ejection handle beside his seat, while keeping the airplane lined up with his right.

  Suddenly he gets slammed into his chair and with a shock he looks at the three holes in the canopy. Slowly his left arm unwillingly drops away from the ejection handle, hanging lifeless by his side. More bullets hit the jet, tearing it to pieces. This is impossible, no handgun has that kind of firepower, who is shooting? Pieter searches for the shooter. His heart sinks as he finds it.

  The three Gatling guns on the deck of the submarine spew a trail of death at him. Pieter tries to reach the ejection handle by his headrest with his right, but he does not have the power left. The jet hits the fishing trawler just as the three missiles slam into the back of the jet. As the nose of the jet plows into the deck, emergency sensors activate in half a millionth of a second, and Pieter’s ejection seat fires automatically. Being vertical, he gets shot out just over the submarine, and hits the water before his parachute can open. Pieter, still strapped to his flight seat, passes out as the emergency flotation on his seat activates, keeping him afloat.

  Ernest and Victor maneuver their parachutes to keep them in line with the submarine, aiming for its deck. Suddenly bullets pass inches from Ernest’s face and puncture his parachute in multiple places.

  “Shit, they’re firing at us, make wild S maneuvers!” Ernest calls over the mike to Victor, just as more bullets tear into his parachute, causing it to split open. Ernest falls like a rock when the parachute gives in. He quickly cuts his chute away with a pull on the emergency cord and deploys his back up chute. All three Gatling guns turn and aim directly at him, now only 500 ft above the submarine.

  Just as the guns start spinning up to fire, sparks appear all over the deck and the Gatling guns as bullets ricochet off them. Two guns get destroyed in the attack, but the third gun locks onto John as he passes over the submarine after his attack run. Ernest looks on in horror as the Gatling gun spins to life, putting hundreds of rounds into the jet until it explodes. A seat ejects just moments before the jet explodes. Ernest hits the water next to the submarine just as the airplane explodes. Victor is 100 feet above the submarine. The Gatling gun is adjusting its aim to target the ejection seat. Quickly Victor cuts his parachute, freefalling the last 100 ft. Victor hits the water hard, but quickly bobs up to the surface and swims hard to the submarine, climbing onto the deck.

  Ernest has already dived down, going for the hatch on the starboard side. The Gatling gun is blasting away, riddling the air with bullets. Some hit the ejection seat and its parachute. Victor hopes that it does not penetrate the seat and hit John. The gun is fed by a belt coming from a box under the gun, and Victor quickly takes his knife and rams it into the belt six inches before it is fed into the gun. The six inches are eagerly taken up into the gun, until the knife gets jammed against the belt uptake, disabling the gun. Victor then runs across the deck, aiming for the port side rescue hatch. He quickly reaches the back of the submarine and makes ready to jump. Just then a large rogue wave rolls over the submarine, washing him overboard on the starboard side, close to the propellers.

  Victor briefly sees Ernest swim to the hatch in the submarine’s starboard side as Victor swims around the propellers to the other hatch in the port side.

  Maybe Ernest will be okay. Following the hull, Victor easily locates the hatch and fits the end of the handle into a round slot. He has to use all his power to crank the handle, but slowly it turns, four turns later and suddenly the handle stops. Victor tries to open the hatch, but cannot. The hatch is held closed by the pressure of the water and Victor strains against the handle, pulling on the door. With effort, the hatch springs open an inch, and air rushes out as water fills the chamber.

  Victor has to keep pulling back on the handle to stop the water pressure from closing the hatch again. Suddenly a shudder goes through the submarine and to Victor’s horror the twin propellers slowly start rotating and the submarine starts to dive. Victor pulls harder on the hatch, but he just cannot get it open more than the inch gap he already has. The water pressure against his body from the submarine moving forward causes him to lose his footing on the hull of the ship. Victor is now hanging from the handle, feet dangling in mid water, with the submarine moving forward and diving down.

  Victor looks at the surface getting further away. How deep are they already? He will not be able to breathe for long from the oxygen mask before it becomes toxic, possibly causing a seizure. With effort, Victor pulls his body forward to the hatch. If he can get it open just a bit more, water will enter the escape hatch faster, allowing him to get in. The hatch opens towards the back, but the gap is too small for the water passing over it to push it open, he has to get it open more. Victor pulls himself into a squatting position over the hatch and pushes away with his legs, pulling the hatch.

  Suddenly the hatch flips open, causing Victor to lose his grip on the handle. As he slides he frantically grabs at the open hatch and manages to catch it with his right hand. Even though he tries as hard as he can to pull himself forward, he cannot win against the force of the water on his body and he loses his grip. A sickening feeling goes through his stomach as he slides over the hull of the submarine.

  Victor thinks of Ernest. Hope Ernest made it, he may be the world’s only hope. Suddenly something slams into Victor’s back causing him to be pushed forward at the same speed as the submarine. Turning around, Victor sees what it is, one of the trim flaps on the side of the submarine that can be deployed for added stability at slow speeds and retracted when the submarine is running full out. Victor grabs the flap. He will hold on until he cannot anymore or drowns from a seizure due to oxygen poisoning. Suddenly the submarine levels out. Victor looks up to the surface and judges the depth they are at. They must be at periscope depth, but why? Why did the submarine not dive down completely? Are they tracking a surface ship or more jets? Maybe the President sent help. Five minutes go by with Victor holding on to the trim tab before suddenly the submarine slows down and comes to a dead stop. Victor immediately swims to the hatch and dives in, then quickly closes the hatch. He barely has the hatch closed when a slight shudder goes through the submarine, it is moving again. Victor starts locking the outside hatch and when almost done, takes a deep sigh of relief. Victor’s heart sinks when no gas comes from the mask. A quick look at his oxygen gauge confirms his suspicion.

  He has used up his breathing supply. Holding his breath he continues locking the outside hatch and as soon as it is locked, he turns to the lever that will let air into the chamber, pulling it fully open. Victor’s stomach tightens in a knot. Only a small amount of air comes out of the pipe, he will never be able to hold his breath until the chamber is drained. Ripping the mask off, he puts his mouth over the pipe and sucks some air in, managing to only get two breaths from the pipe before the air stops.

  Why is the airflow not working, and why did the submarine stop and then start again? Suddenly Victor realizes why. The crew must have detected a warning that an outside hatch was open and knew that someone was trying to get in. They also know they cannot operate the submarine at full speed or dive with the outside hatch open, so they stopped in the hope that he will make it in and close the outside hatch, then they cut the air supply to the chamber in the hope of drowning him. Smart plan, trapped like a wet rat. Only one option now, open the inner hatch and hope he can kill the welcome party before they kill him.

  As fast as Victor can, he starts to unlock the inner hatch with his left hand while holding his knife ready in his right hand. He has two more turns left before the hatch is unlocked when he stops. Victor has no way of knowing if Ernest made it safely onboard or if they have detected him entering as well. If they did catch Ernest, then Victor remains the world’s only ho
pe, and if he gets killed trying to save the submarine crew that is possibly already dead, humanity’s last hope dies as well. Victor’s lungs are burning from holding his breath, he has to decide quickly.

  Letting go of the hatch lock, Victor closes the valve on his breathing mask and removes the regulator attached to the tank. The regulator only works if there is at least 100 psi of pressure still in the tank, thus when the regulator stops working, there will always still be some pressure left in the tank. Putting his mouth directly over the tank valve, Victor slowly cracks the valve handle, opening the tank just enough for him to sip some oxygen. His lungs welcome the gas. Quickly he opens his backpack and removes the antisubmarine mine, attaching it to the inner door. Victor sets the timer to 10 seconds, and then activates the bomb, sipping the last oxygen from the tank.

  Victor thinks of Laura, and a tear comes out of his eye and mixes with the water around him. One teardrop in an ocean, as lonely as he feels right now. Forgive me Laura, but I will have to break my promise of coming back. 8 seconds left. His lungs are burning again; hold on, almost there. Victor feels sorry for the crew and their families, but he knows they are fighting men, and will gladly give their lives to protect their country and the world. 5 seconds left. Victor’s diaphragm spasms, his body trying to force him to breath. He is starting to get dizzy. It will be easy to take in a lung full of water and end it all, all the pain and suffering, the memories. No, he will not die like that, he will die fighting, even if it is until the bomb explodes. 3 seconds left. Suddenly air starts rushing in from a small opening next to the door, ripping Victor from his thoughts. Instinctively Victor rushes to the air, then stops. He will not have enough time to take a breath and deactivate the bomb.

  Time suddenly stands still for him as his mind tries to reason, struggling to function with the lack of oxygen, causing hallucinations. What if it is a trap? What if they have a camera and saw him activate the bomb and are sending in poisonous gas, tricking him to deactivate the bomb, only to die from the gas? Images of Laura flash through his mind. Involuntarily he gasps, swallowing a mouthful of water. The sudden chocking feeling clears his mind and he presses the deactivate button, 1 second remaining.