The Secret of Vladivostok - Part 2
First light allowed the two UNIRO teams to see the extent of the fire as they traveled to the naval base that held the Samara. A narrow column of impenetrable black smoke arose from near the sea, fanning out in the direction of Vladivostok at about a thousand feet. No flames were yet visible.
Captain Canderlaria's team, Hazardous Firefighting Squadron 2, rode in the first and second truck, two large white and blue fire engines, each pulling a trailer full of supplies. Captain Aguilar's team rode in the third vehicle, a white personnel carrier towing a flatbed that held the Firefly, an armored multipurpose all terrain firefighting and debris clearing vehicle built from a heavily modified landfill compactor. Looking like a white and blue bulldozer, it had four oversized polygon disc wheels, a front scraper blade, an enclosed lead lined cab that was armored with lead glass, and a massive rear holding tank for flame retardant. Just below the cab and above the front blade were two high-pressure hoses that could eject the entire tanks contents in under ten minutes.
Once they had passed through the base's fortified entrance, they drove under military escort to the dry dock that contained the Samara. Canderlaria looked around ominously as she drove the lead truck towards the dock. The base was deserted.
"Of course," she huffed in dismay. "They evacuate the base but not the city."
As they approached the dry dock, they were stopped by an armed guard at a staging area for firefighters who had been on scene since the fire had first broken out.
"Okay!" Canderlaria shouted, putting the fire truck in park. "Everyone out! Let's go! Time is not on our side, people!"
As soon as her boots hit the snowy pavement, a Russian firefighter approached her, as well as two Russian naval officers, one looking highly distinguished with an obnoxious number of metals on his black jacket.
"Captain Canderlaria?" the distinguished one asked.
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Good of you to arrive," he smiled. "We've been expecting you and your team. I am Counter Admiral Mikhailov, commander of this naval base. This is Nikita Garin, captain of Samara. We thank you for agreeing to help with this most urgent matter."
"Yeah, you're welcome," she said, waving off the diplomacy. "Bring me up to speed on the situation."
"Do you know Russian or have a translator?" asked Mikhailov. "Alex here only knows Russian."
Canderlaria chuckled and pointed to her earpiece. "No need," she said. "UNIRO personnel are equipped with universal translators. I can give him one as well."
The two naval men nodded their heads and moved aside to allow the firefighter to speak.
The admiral turned to the firefighter. "Dat' yey situatsiyu. Ona tebya poymet. Prosto pogovori."
"Alex Tatarov," he politely introduced, extending a hand.
Canderlaria reluctantly shook it. "Hello," she said, handing him an earpiece. She motioned to her ear. "Put it in," she instructed.
Alex took it, studied it for a few moments, and then placed it in his right ear.
"Can you understand me, Alex?" Canderlaria asked, eagerly awaiting a response. She knew immediately that he could by the perk of his blue eyes.
"Yes, I can," the device translated. "I can," he laughed in amazement. "I can."
"Good," Canderlaria said, trying to move past the moment. "Now, Alex, tell me everything I need to know."
"Right," he nodded. "The fire has breached the sonar dome at the bow," he explained. "It is using the flammable liquid that surrounds it as fuel. So far, about twenty percent of the sub has burned with only ten percent containment. We were spraying the entire bow but we've been asked to pull back and only spray seawater on the torpedo room by the military, which is strange."
"Why is that strange?" Canderlaria asked. Before Alex could answer though she remembered the answer to her own question.
"Because the torpedo room is empty," he shrugged. "It is a waste of water."
My God, Canderlaria thought, lowering her head. He doesn't know.
"The fire basically surrounds the room," he continued to explain. "In my opinion, it is pointless to continue wasting water on it. It's only a matter of time before the bulkhead fails and the fire makes its way in. We estimate we have less than ten hours before that happens, even with the soaking."
"Ten hours," Canderlaria sighed, looking behind Alex at the smoke. "Can we see the fire please?"
"Oh, yes, of course," Alex said, motioning for her to walk ahead of him.
"Hazardous Firefighting Squadron 2, stay here and assemble the gear. Prep the trucks and get the Firefly down," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!" her team shouted in unison.
"Captain Aguilar," she called. "Care to join me?"
"On my way," Aguilar called back after giving his team similar instructions.
The temperature increased dramatically as they approached the edge of the dry dock. The dock dropped down at least 60 feet in front of them, extending 200 by 400 feet. The stricken submarine sat on pilings in the dead center of the concrete lined canyon, its bow facing inland. A singular massive floodgate held back the cold Pacific waters from flooding the holding area. Scaffolding surrounded most of the sub, with the portion that surrounded the bow having collapsed.
"Well," Aguilar sighed deeply, "that’s a sight you don’t see every day."
Fire was jumping from numerous holes in the hull, which was black in color on the upper half the sub and red on the lower. The conning tower rose up abruptly at the sub's midpoint and then gently sloped back down into the hull a good distance from the stern's stabilizing fins. Smoke billowed upwards at an incredible rate as fire hoses, affixed to the top edges of the dry dock, rained down a constant stream of high-pressure water; seemingly having little to no effect on the blaze.
Aguilar held out a Geiger counter over the dry docks handrail. For a few seconds he let the machine sense for radioactivity with its signature staticky clicks and chirps. The needle remained motionless.
"We're good… At least, right here," Aguilar cautioned. "Could be a different story closer. I'll send in a drone sweep to get a better idea of an radiological contamination."
"We have detected no radiation leaks since the fire started, sir," Alex informed.
Aguilar subtly smirked. "With all due respect, our equipment is much better. I'll make my determination based on our findings."
Aguilar walked briskly away. Canderlaria saw Alex looked hurt as he gazed at the submarine.
"Don't mind him," she said nicely. "Your help is appreciated – really, it is."
"Thank you," Alex grinned, "but the military would seem to agree with your friend. They've been ordering us around from the beginning, as if we don't know what we're doing at all."
"It's because…" Canderlaria stopped herself, swallowing her anger. She bit her lip.
"What?" Alex asked interestedly.
"It's the military," Canderlaria finally said. "They always love to be in control."
A loud siren blast wailed across the dry dock.
"What is that?" Canderlaria quickly asked, looking around.
"That is my signal to leave," Alex said with dismay.
"Why?"
"Now that you and your teams have arrived the military is calling us back. The battle to save the Samara is up to you now, Captain."
Another siren blast.
"Good luck," Alex nodded, staring at the submarine one last time before turning away. Canderlaria could see a feeling of incompleteness in his eyes, even, abandonment.
"Wait, Alex!" she called. "Wait."
Alex stopped and turned around.
"Do you live nearby?"
"Yes," Alex replied, somewhat perplexed at the question. "Just a few kilometers away." A seriousness brushed over Canderlaria's face that disturbed him with its sudden intensity. "Why?" he asked, fright slipping his voice.
"Leave," Canderlaria said softly. "Get as far away from here as you can."
"But, I have a family," Alex said.
"Even more reason to do so then," the captain insisted. "Leave the area and don't come back until we've put out this fire… Please…"