The Secret of Vladivostok - Part 1
"Captain Canderlaria," ushered Base Commander Zeigler. His voice was hurried. "Please, come in."
Canderlaria entered the conference room that sat atop Umoja Tower - Base Unity. Zeigler and one other UNIRO member, another captain, were the only ones in the long room. Both of them sat opposite a collection of flat screens, all of which were off.
"Take a seat beside, Captain Aguilar," he motioned, rolling a chair out from the table. "We haven't much time."
"Yes, sir," she said.
Once she sat down she was handed a glass tablet, as was Aguilar next to her. Zeigler took a seat at the head of the table to their left. Electrochromic glass windows behind them suddenly darkened, obscuring the outside world that was twenty-five stories below. On the glass tablet's screen was nothing but a hollow red square. She looked to Captain Aguilar on her immediate left. The squadron patch on his shoulder said Nuclear Cleanup Squadron 1.
Each of the flat screens turned on simultaneously, revealing a smartly dressed person in business attire. A small national flag in the top right corner of each screen made it clear who these people were; UN ambassadors.
"Base Commander Zeigler, have you informed your personnel about why they are here?" asked the British ambassador.
"No, sir," Zeigler replied. "I thought it best that you'd be the ones to inform them of the situation, the handling of which I disagree with, for the record."
"Noted," said the Russian ambassador brashly through a heavy accent. "Captain Aguilar. Captain Canderlaria," he swiftly continued. "The UN Security Council has cleared an operation involving your two squadrons, effective immediately."
"Cleared for operations?" Canderlaria said apprehensively. "Sir, with all due respect, my team isn't ready for - "
"Captain," Zeigler stopped, shaking his head.
"What's the problem?" Aguilar asked inquisitively.
"Three days ago the Russian nuclear submarine Samara, designation K-295, Akula-class, caught fire in dry dock near the city of Vladivostok. This is well known to the global public…"
Canderlaria sighed. "But…" she said, annoyance streaming into her voice as she realized what was coming.
"The public believes the fire poses no nuclear threat; that the nuclear tipped torpedoes aren't on board. They are…"
Canderlaria chuckled in disbelief. "Why hasn't this information been made aware to the public? Vladivostok is home to over half a million people. If one of those torpedoes explodes it could - "
"We are quite aware of the risk, Captain," shot the ambassador coldly. "The public has not been told of the danger because we wish to avoid a panic. If something does happen the people will be safer in their homes than out on congested roads. The sub’s status will remain secret indefinitely and I've been assured by your base commander that you will have no problem ensuring that secrecy."
The Russian ambassador’s face took on an expectant look, waiting for Canderlaria to respond.
Canderlaria looked over at Zeigler, who returned an emotionless stare.
"Yes, sir," Canderlaria forced.
"Good," he said, grabbing a piece of paper. "You and Captain Aguilar's squadrons will deploy to Vladivostok tonight. Your team, being responsible for hazardous firefighting, will help first to put out the fire before it reaches the torpedo room. Then, once the fire is out, Aguilar's team will help to offload the torpedoes and secure them."
"Are we looking at a full-fledged nuclear explosion if the fire breaches one of these torpedoes?" Canderlaria asked.
"No," Aguilar answered, pulling from his knowledge of the nuclear field he was once employed in. "It would be nearly impossible for a breach of the torpedo casing, even in the presence of a fire, to create a nuclear detonation since the core of the weapon must be activated with a uniform chemical explosion from a detonator, compressing the bomb’s plutonium. This uniformity would not come from a random breach. But…" Aguilar grimly sighed. "But, an explosion of the bomb’s chemical detonator could release radioactive material over a large distance, tens of miles at the least if there is no wind to carry fallout. Multiply that by the number of torpedoes on-board and we could be looking at the complete devastation of the region."
"Can't you just submergethis submersibleto put the fire out?" Canderlaria asked the ambassador.
"No," he said without thought. "The fire is so hot it has pierced the sub’s hull. If we put it back in the water, it will sink."
"…And?" Canderlaria said, trying to understand why her suggestion wasn't an option.
The Russian ambassador cleared his throat. "The Samara is an asset the Russian Navy cannot lose for national security reasons, Captain."
"National security?!" Canderlaria cried. "You think losing one sub over contaminating an entire region of your country is more of a national security risk?! That is bullshit!"
"Captain!" Zeigler reproached. "Hold your mouth! It is not your position to - "
"Sir, UNIRO cannot accept this mission," she protested, rising out of her chair. "UNIRO holds transparency in the highest order. This is a mission to only protect the Russian’s Pacific naval interest in a power struggle with the American's no doubt. We are taking sides in an arms race with this mission!"
"You are a member of UNIRO, Captain," reminded the Russian ambassador. "You represent the globe as a whole, not any one nation; therefore, you have not taken a side. If you decline this mission – fine, we'll just find someone else to run it. But, either way, this is happening. The Security Council has approved of it and UNIRO follows the direction of the council."
Canderlaria angrily stared down the ambassador. "I'll do it… for the people of Vladivostok," she grumbled.
"And you'll do it because I'm ordering you too, Captain," said Zeigler. "Your team is by far the farthest along with its training and therefore the most experienced for this mission. We have no other choice. It will be done and it will be done in secret. As far as this base and the rest of the world are concerned, you will be on an extended off-base training mission."
Canderlaria sat down. "Yes, sir," mumbled.
"You're wheels up in three hours," he said. "Phoenix 27 has already left to provide you with extended range for the mission. You and Aguilar will be flying there with two Phoenix 8's and one Phoenix 12, along with the Firefly; our most advanced firefighting apparatus for jobs of this severity. You'll be using our new Ignis-Z17 fire suppression chemical compound. Before you go, place each of your thumbs on those glass tablets in front of you."
"What is it, a gag order?" Canderlaria said half jokingly.
"Yes," said the Russian ambassador. "If you or any of your team members speak of this mission you will lose your place in UNIRO and find yourselves in prison."
The two captains placed their thumbs on the red square at the center of their respective screens. After a few seconds, the squares turned green.
"Now only you two, Base Commander Zeigler, Director-General Ferrer, select members of the Russian government and military, and the people before you know of the danger we face, a danger that could unleash the greatest nuclear catastrophe since Korea."
Zeigler arose from his chair, "And that one, Captains, is still fresh enough."