The Vigilant Spy by Jeffrey Layton

Author:Jeffrey Layton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2020-02-13T20:01:22+00:00

Chapter 40

Commander Yang Yu observed from the deck of the pressure casing. The squad of technicians scurried around the aberration bolted to the exterior skin of the Heilong. It was positioned on the submarine’s hull about sixty feet astern of the sail. Around thirty feet long and six feet in diameter, the steel cylinder had the appearance of an oil tank on its side. The aft hemispherical door to the tube was swung open to the port, revealing the interior of the pressure resistant chamber. A retractable steel frame cradle protruded twenty-five feet from the opening; its solid rubber support wheels rested on the steel deck. The “package” hovered above the cradle, suspended by steel cables from an overhead monorail crane.

The monorail system was bolted to the rock ceiling of the grotto. The Heilong floated inside the secret subterranean sub base at Jianggezhuang near Qingdao.

“Captain, permission to lower the unit into its cradle?” The officer in charge of the installation stood beside Yang.

“Proceed, Lieutenant.”

“Yes sir.” The officer turned about and began issuing commands to his work crew.

Yang watched as the package gradually descended. It had the shape of a drainage pipe, roughly twenty-five feet long and just over three feet in diameter.

The package made a soft landing in the cradle with its bow positioned aft toward the Heilong’s stern. Designated Shing Long—Victory Dragon, the machine represented the People’s Liberation Army-Navy’s latest autonomous underwater vehicle. Coated with a jet-black sound absorbing rubberized veneer, the AUV had a bullet shaped nose cone, stubby tailfins, and a ducted propeller.

After verifying that the Shing Long was positioned correctly, the officer in charge directed his team to engage the two metal straps that secured the AUV to the cradle. Next, the cradle was rolled back into the pressure chamber.

The excessive diameter of the Shing Long prevented launching it from any of the Heilong’s eight torpedo tubes or dozen vertical missile cylinders, necessitating the external cargo container.

Commander Yang walked to the open end of the pressure chamber, seeking a close-up view of the Shing Long. Standing beside the nose cone, he ran a hand across the curved surface. It was chilly to the touch. Like most weapons, the explosive was positioned in the forward end of the AUV.

Yang moved aside as the installation team leader connected a pencil sized cable to a remote release external port on the AUV’s side near the nose cone. The opposite end of the cable connected to a through hull fitting in the top of the Heilong’s pressure casing. The cable supplied electrical power. It also contained multiple fiber-optic communication lines, which allowed remote monitoring and activation from the submarine’s attack center.

The lieutenant wore a headset that was linked to the weapons console in the attack center via a hardwire connection port inside the chamber. He looked up, making eye contact with Yang. “Sir, the weapon’s officer verified that all systems for the Shing Long are within normal parameters.”

“Very well, go ahead and complete the installation.”

“Aye, Captain.”

It took ten minutes before the hefty hemisphere door to the containment chamber rotated to the closed position and sealed.

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