06 Night Probe! by Clive Cussler

Author:Clive Cussler [Cussler, Clive]
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“Our researcher had a breakthrough on that score,” said Sandecker. “She was able to pinpoint the location of Harvey Shields’ cabin.” He motioned to an area amidships on the buried starboard hull. “It lies somewhere about here. There is, unfortunately, a good possibility that the cabin was mangled in the collision with the coal collier.”

“How will you go about reaching the cabin?”

“After the crew conducts a survey of the interior of the ship by an unmanned remote search vehicle,” replied Sandecker, “the salvage operation will start on the lifeboat deck and excavate downward to the target site.”

“It looks like they’re going about it the hard way,” said the President. “Me, I’d enter from outside the lower hull.”

“Easier said…As near as we can figure, Shields’ cabin lies under tons of silt. Take my word for it, Mr. President, dredging through river mud is a dangerous, exhausting, time-consuming procedure. By attacking from inside the ship the men will have a firm platform from which to work, and most important, they’ll be able to orient the exact direction of their penetration from the shipbuilder’s plans at any time during the operation.”

“You’ve made your case,” the President acquiesced.

Sandecker went on: “We’re relying on four different systems to tunnel through the guts of the ship. One is the derrick you see on the Ocean Venturer. Designed for a lifting load of fifty tons, it will remove the heavier debris. Second, a two-man submersible with mechanical arms will function as an all-purpose back up unit.”

The President picked up a detailed miniature and studied it. “I take it this represents the submersible?”

Sandecker nodded. “The Sappho I. It was one of four deepwater recovery vehicles used on the Titanic project last year.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt. Please continue.”

“The third system is the keystone of the operation,” said Sandecker. He held up a doll-like figure that resembled a mechanical polar bear with portholes in a bulbous head. “An articulated, deepwater atmospheric diving system, more commonly called a JIM suit. It is constructed of magnesium and fiberglass, and a man inside it can work at tremendous depths for hours at a time while eliminating the need for decompression. Two of these suits will enable six men to work on the wreck around the clock.”

“Looks heavy and cumbersome.”

“In air, with an operator inside, it weighs eleven hundred pounds. Under water, only about sixty. It’s surprisingly agile. You might say it puts hiking on the seafloor in a class with hiking on the Sahara.”

The President took the figure from Sandecker’s offered hand and moved the tiny articulated arms and legs. “It also makes aqualung divers obsolete.”

“Not entirely,” answered Sandecker. “A diver with three dimensional mobility is still the backbone of any salvage operation. The fourth and final system is called saturation diving.” He gestured at a model in the form of a cylindrical tank. “A team of divers will live in this pressurized chamber while breathing a mixture of helium and oxygen. This prevents the narcotic effects of inhaling nitrogen under pressure.

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