by M. L. Maki
They start with ‘What Child Is This’, then ‘Little Town of Bethlehem’, then ‘The Little Drummer Boy’, ending with ‘Silent Night’. The hangar bay, again, filling with the sound of thousands of voices, airdales and nukes, officer and enlisted, side by side, old rivalries forgotten, with this, their first Christmas truly separated from home.
HANGAR BAY 3, 0830, 26 DECEMBER, 1941
Sam walks through the hangar bay hearing sailors singing songs from the night before. Airman Lori ‘Sass’ Givens comes up, “Ma’am, did you know Lt. Hoolihan could sing like that?”
“Yeah, I knew, Lori. She sings like an angel. What do we have on board today?”
“We’re inspecting a crate engine and re-patching some holes on Thud’s plane, ma’am.”
Sam smiles, “Sounds good. It was a good Christmas, considering, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am, it sure was.”
“You haven’t said much about who you’re missing.”
“That’s because I’m not missing much. My dad died in a logging accident when I was thirteen, and a few years later, my mom moved in with this, um, herbalist. She and I aren’t very close.”
“Sorry, yes, sometimes mothers can be difficult.”
Sass shrugs, “It’s okay. I’m glad to be away from there, really. I also had a thought. I might get to meet my dad again. He and I were close.”
Sam looks at Sass in wonder. “Oh.”
Lt. Warren joins them, “Lieutenant Hunt, the Captain is calling the brain trust together again.”
“I’ll be there in a moment, thank you,” and turns back to Sass. “Maybe we can…my dad was a marine on Guadalcanal.”
“Did you lose him in the war?”
“No, but I might as well have.”
Sass looks down, then up at Sam, “They were setting up a yarder and a guywire let go. It cut him in half.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” and puts a hand on Sass’s shoulder. “Tell you what, when we get time later, let’s talk. I’m not trying to pry, it’s just…let’s talk, okay?”
“Okay, ma’am. O, and ma’am, the music was beautiful last night. I cried.”
“So, did I, Lori, so did I.”
OUTSIDE THE BLACK KNIGHT READY ROOM, 0842, 26 DECEMBER, 1941
Lt. Carleton has Lt. JG Hyam ‘Joker’ Alberts, RIO for ‘Bug’ Ulster in Knight 101, cornered, “You and I both know she’s going to unravel and someone is going to get hurt.”
“Book, do you really think so? Any one of us could unravel, not just her.”
“I tell you, Joker, she’s going to hurt someone. She doesn’t much act like an officer with all that crying and all. I saw her crying last night. I tell you, she’ll unravel and kill someone.”
“You’re kidding, right? We were all crying last night. I said any one of us could unravel. I was wrong, Book. You already are. Just drop it, okay. She does her job. The only one causing problems is you.”
CHAPTER 28
RT CLASSROOM, 0900, 26 DECEMBER, 1941
Captain Klindt says, “I hope we all had a good Christmas, now it’s back to business. Before we get into the technology reports, we need to talk more about time travel. The device that brought us back in time is called the Heinlein device, after its inventor. I’ve asked John and Scott to go over the materials we have and brief us. So, what have we learned about the Heinlein device?”
Lt. Warren says, “Sir, I’ve read through the book, papers, and news reports, and all were open source. The good news is there’s no indication the novel was ever translated into Japanese. However, it was translated into French and German, so that’s a concern. The antenna design is odd, but any competent individual should be able to produce one. Also, there seems to an underground fan base for the book and that makes it likely there may be other locations with transference. There is an editorial in Der Spiegel about the upcoming time travel date. The likelihood that a locale in Germany came back is relatively high. Japan is doubtful.”
Klindt says, “Thank you. What do we tell Admiral Ren and Captain Johnson about returning to our own time?”
Richardson replies, “Based on Dr. Heinlein’s research, there is no mechanism for returning. It’s a one way trip. I’ve gone over the mechanism and the math myself, we’re stuck.”
“Thank you, for that good news. Any questions?”
Hughes asks, “Yes, sir, how did the device get on board?”
“Sorry, Shawn, that is being held close to protect the individual involved.”
Hughes says, “Oh, yeah, I saw Lt. Hunt leaving the RM office with my div-o. I can pretty much guess. It was that f…”
Klindt interrupts, “Stow it, Shawn. No speculation. No retribution. Just drop it.”
After a moment, Mohr asks, “So, is it ASTC like I thought?”
Richardson says, “Yes, basically, you nailed it.”
Mohr pumps his fist, “Yeah!”
Sam says, “A pyrrhic victory, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, well, all those times I was called lazy for reading science fiction just paid off.”
Klindt says, “Right, okay, if there are no more questions, let’s move on to the technology reports. John, can you start us off.”
Warren answers, “Best I can tell they are already working with most of the metal we will need, except uranium, of course. Biggest problem will be QA. No one made equipment to the tolerances we need. I believe the primary location should be the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. They were doing a lot of the maintenance on us in ’90, so we know it can be done there.
“The Navy is also going to need to build super carriers. I think they ought to be constructed on the flats of Tacoma where they’ll have rail access. They can be finished at PSNS. I don’t think PSNS has a dry dock large enough to handle us at this time. No one does. That has to be upgraded, too. There is so much that needs to happen, it makes sense to put it all in one place.”
“How long until they can handle the Vinson?”
“They’ll need to upgrade service power to whichever pier we’re parked at, and they’ll need a source of pure water. They may already have a plant, but I doubt it meets our standards. I think, if they are pushed, they can have a pier ready in a month, or so. But for a dry dock, they’ll need at least two years.
“Oh, the Long Beach has enough fuel for five or six more years and can be refueled one more time, for a possible life span of twenty more years. They’re not nearly in as good of shape as we are, given they were commissioned in 1961. Their needs are much the same as ours, except they shouldn’t have problems with shore power or dry dock size.”
“Okay, write it up. Be as specific as you can. Include all the QA, maintenance shops, oversight, materials, and dry dock requirements. Give me an organization chart for what nuclear maintenance department should look like. Also, get the blueprints for the Vinson and the Long Beach. See if we can begin planning a fossil fueled super carrier like the Kitty Hawk. Get it back to me in six days. Lt. Mohr?”
Mohr says, “I researched the JP-5 we use and it’s based on kerosene, but it has a number of additives, including naphtha, alkanes, and some other stuff. I have the exact mix. A 1941 refinery should have no problem making it. It does take longer to make than avgas or diesel, though. Really, only the challenges are logistical. If a refinery is southern California starts making it, we should be able to get new fuel within a month or so. QA will be a problem, but not unsurmountable.”
“Okay, I want a full report in six days, including the exact formula, and how it’s to be transported. I, also, need a recommendation for who would manage the QA at the refineries. Lt. Jackson, missiles.”
Frank says, “It was way more complex that I thought. Basically, our rockets use a double base propellant; a nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin base propellant, and ammonium perchlorate and powdered aluminum. The trick is the process and the percentages of each ingredient. All of the ingredients are dangerous. Put together, they are extremely dangerous. Ensign Severn says that existing gun powder and
chemical plants could make it. With the required safeguards, it should still only take a couple of months to get production going. The airframes, fins, operating mechanisms, and all that are straight forward. Of course, guidance is the issue, but that’s Scott.”
“Excellent. Ensign Severn, do you think she could supervise the industry?”
“Yes, sir, she’s an expert.”
“Okay, same as everyone else, report in six days with all the details. I also want you to find or produce blue prints, and break down what it will take to put together new missiles, including flight controls and nozzles. Denton, communications.”
Denton says, “In WWII, they used, basically cypher codes. They used layers of letter substitution, as well as filler on the end of messages, which is why Admiral Halsey received that stinging rebuke. Um, well, it hasn’t happened yet. Anyway, it was fairly secure as long as the codes didn’t fall into enemy hands, like us getting the Enigma machine. All the comms were over short wave and VHF during the war. Short wave is long range, but fickle. It isn’t uncommon for atmospheric conditions to cause interference. VHF is line of sight. It would be real nice to get some communications satellites up. GPS, too. We would have to advance rocketry about fifteen years, though, and build computers, so that isn’t going to happen.”
“Have you researched the satellite designs and rocket systems needed?”
“No, sir, um, I thought them beyond reach.”
“See if you can find out how heavy the satellite would have to be, and what the technology constraints are. It may take some time to put it together, but no sense sitting on our hands. You’ve the same six day schedule. Put it all the report.”
“Yes, sir, one other thing. If any other modern areas came back, like we did, they may also have our codes.”
“Good Point. CT1 Barr, you’re supposed to brief us on those issues.”
Barr says, “Yes, sir. The problem is, we don’t know. I would hate to trash a good system on a worry. Denton is right, though, about the risks to our systems. In some ways, the WWII code is better. Any modern German or Japanese unit may be able to understand our transmissions, but just like we don’t know WWII codes, no other modern unit would know them either. To make our comms truly secure, we need a brand new system. I’m working out the details, and will have the basics by deadline.”
“Good job, Barr. Hughes, metallurgy?”
“Yes, sir, like Lt. Warren said, QA is the big issue for metals. Also, they were not working much with titanium or stainless steel. They knew how though. It’s just a matter of getting the whole thing scaled up to produce the volume of parts we need. There are several processes for making titanium. The Kroll process is the most common. It’s a pain to make titanium, though, no matter the method. It will probably take a few months to get the system up and running correctly.
“Stainless is easier. It’s a blend of nickel and other metals and is easier to work with. To start making nuclear grade valves and stuff will take at least half a year. They already have suppliers for steam plant valves, the only issue is QA.”
“Do you know the exact blend of metals in every alloy we use, so they can be reproduced?”
“Yes, sir. I don’t have all of them together, but I’m working on it.”
“Okay, six days. Lt. Hunt?”
Sam says, “There are a number of material issues with jet engines. The first, being the titanium used, but there are also graphite linings, precision valves and fuel nozzles. Once those hurdles are jumped, the whole thing has to balance precisely. Not an easy task by itself. Given that none of it can start until we are making good titanium parts, I think jet engines are at least nine to ten months away. Our existing engine supply should probably get us through, depending on our op-tempo. It’s way easier, in a way, being we’re reverse engineering. Still, about eight to ten months is probably about right.”
“Who would you put in charge of building them?”
“For the GE -F110-400 engines used by the F-14, I would recommend ADCS Ronald Cassidy. He’s the chief of the Tomcatter engine shop. Chief Cassidy is split service. He spent three years building engines for GE in Maryland, before getting back into uniform. He has a degree in mechanical engineering, so he speaks geek. A couple of pilots might make better supervisors in the program, but no one knows more than Chief Cassidy, and we really need the pilots.”
“What about the other aircraft? Do they all have the same material issues?”
“Yes, sir, they use similar materials. I have a list of first class and chief volunteers.”
“Who will be in overall charge?”
“I’m not sure, sir, probably Senior Chief. He’s the expert. I will get them all together and sort that out.”
“Right, six days. We need non-pilot experts for each engine and someone in overall charge of that program. I also need someone who can ramrod building new aircraft. He might have to be a pilot. Chief Richardson?”
“I think the integrated circuit is the limiting factor for a lot of war materials we need. If we build new missiles and fuel them, they are still useless without sensors and circuits. It’s going to take up to a year to bring the electronics industry to life.”
“Why so long?”
“Well, sir, it’s a matter of miniaturization. We need the technology to build the technology to build better technology. Also, we use thousands of different processors to run this battle group. I will need to create a production line for all of them. Most critical, though, are missile and torpedo cards, aviation cards, and weapon systems control cards. Things like boiler cards can wait.”
“Sir, we’ll be building new ships and upgrading existing ships to fire missiles and torpedoes. They’ll have to have cards to work. Guided torpedoes and modern sonar will change everything in the battle of the Atlantic. Once we have the technology moving forward, we need an expert in every weapon system to stand up their production line. I know Lt. Jackson’s friend can handle the missile designs, but there are other systems. We need a guy for the RIM-7 launcher, Mark 10 missile launcher, Mark 14 missile launcher, Mark 41 missile launcher, torpedo launchers, radar, counter measures, sonar, ASROC, five-inch and three-inch gun systems, and the R2D2 thing. The technology team will outgrow the brain trust quickly.”
Klindt asks, “R2D2?” as most of them laugh.
“Yes, sir, the Gatling gun, forgot what they are called.”
Frank says, “The Phalanx Close in Weapons System.”
“Yeah, that’s it. We need all these experts with hard design information ready to hit the beach even before we stand up the electronics industry. We can have missiles and torpedoes waiting for cards. As soon as the card is tested and ready, you finish assembly and ship it.”
Klindt asks, “Can we simplify by cutting out construction of older technology like the Mark 10 on Long Beach and Horne?”
Frank says, “Sir, the Mark 41 vertical launcher was being tested for launching a modified standard anti-aircraft missile, but we were not using them yet. There are structural and controls issues involved. Right now, the Mark 10 and Mark 14 are our only platform for launching long range surface to air missiles.”
“Is it possible to produce the SM2-ER in a vertical launch configuration?”
Frank replies, “I think so. It’s basically strengthening the airframe and adding a guidance step.”
Klindt says, “I don’t want to leap forward to twenty-year old technology. Let’s focus on building the Mark 41. It simplifies the mission and improves capabilities.”
“Yes, sir.”
Okay, people, you’ve got six days for all your reports. Scott, Shawn, John, you’re all off the watch bill. You know what we need. Set it up.”
Richardson says, “But, sir, shouldn’t an officer take the lead on this?”
“You know what needs to be done, and you have my confidence.”
The enormity of the task sinks in and they all look at each other, Hughes, “Is there anything else we should be doing? I mean, with our spare time
?”
Klindt grins, “Get outta here.”
CHAPTER 29
KNIGHT FLIGHT 3, 600 MILES NORTH EAST OF THE BATTLE GROUP AT 40,000 FEET
1245, 26 DECEMBER, 1941
Spike asks, “Puck, is there anything out there?”
“Not a blessed thing. We’re 25 minutes to Wake. I can see clouds above it.”
“Do you suppose the Japanese have come and gone? The Admiral wants to hit their task force.”
“You’re thinking like a leader, Spike. I can only see what’s there.”
“Sorry, I guess it’s getting to me.”
“Can you talk about the brain trust, or is it all, hush, hush?”
“We’re trying to figure out how to bring 1941 into the 90’s technology wise. My bit is jet engines.”
“Yeah, we’ll need those. Can it be done?”
“Yeah, it just takes time. We’ve a female weapons officer who’s going to be in charge of missile production. The ‘41’s are probably not going to like it.”
“True. Are they going to drag you off the ship?”
“Not yet, anyway. Of course, once congress gets a whiff of us, all bets are off.”
Swede waggles his wings and begins the descent for a TARPS run over Wake Island. Spike waggles her wings to acknowledge and stays at altitude with Thud as high cover, flying under radio silence. Puck says, “It was WWII that really brought women into the work force in numbers. After the war, the men wanted them to stay home and make babies. That ensign may be okay.”
“I hope so. It’ll be hard.”
“Hold on, bogeys, 11 o’clock low, above the clouds. I think they’re reacting to Swede.”
“Okay, rolling in,” and she inverts into a dive with Thud following.
“Okay, Spike, they’re Wildcats. We have to still be in control. That, or a carrier group is nearby.”
“Friendly or not, we have to keep them off Swede and Hot Pants.” She lines up a pass, and as they dive they break the speed of sound. “I’m going to pass right by them.” She passes 200 feet from a F4F Wildcat going 780 knots, more than twice the WWII fighter’s top speed. Her pilot tries to pull into her and fires a burst, but all the rounds fall short.
