String of Pearls by Larry Vardiman

Author:Larry Vardiman [Vardiman, Larry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798634744896
Publisher: Self published - Amazon
Published: 2020-04-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16. Where Did They Go?

Wong Da Xiao was excited. He had been given the go-ahead to implement his plan to expand Chinese control across the Pacific. His first thought was to contact his comrades in the carrier and destroyer battle groups and fill them in on his plans to close Pearl Harbor with a mudslide. He was confident once he explained his plans that they would see the glorious opportunity for conquest.

However, before he began to recruit allies for his cause he wanted to see how the number of American subs under surveillance had grown on the LLA system. Rather than return to his office near the sub pens at Sanya he had his driver take him to the radio lab.

“I need to have a remote display of the global distribution of the American fleet installed in my office,” he said to himself. “It’s intoxicating to see your enemy exposed before you on a screen.”

Two days before he had been thrilled to see a dozen subs distributed around the globe on the display. He was eager to see if more were beginning to show. His agents in all but one of the American home ports had been successful in getting the software activated.

As he walked into the ELF radio room he sensed tension in the room. It was quieter than normal and two of his lieutenants and several technicians were gathered around the monitor. Usually the room would snap to attention when he entered, but this time no one noticed his arrival.

He stood just inside the door waiting for his greeting, but none came. So, he announced himself. “Attention!” he yelled. The room immediately came to attention, but rather than declaring, “At ease!” he kept the room at attention and asked, “Lieutenant Low, what’s the meaning of this?”

“Sir, no disrespect, sir, but something’s happened to the display,” Lieutenant Low replied.

“Something’s wrong with the display? What are you talking about?”

“Sir, about ten minutes ago the USS VIRGINIA disappeared from the screen. Then just a few minutes later, the USS TEXAS.”

“What! Did you check the circuits?”

“Yes, sir. All systems appear to be normal, sir.”

“Move out of the way, men! Let me in. At ease! Get out of my way!”

As Wong moved closer to the screen a third ship in the Atlantic disappeared, then a fourth.

“What’s going on?” Wong yelled. “Recheck the circuits! See if we have a power failure somewhere! Lieutenant, I want answers!”

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” The lieutenant barked orders to the techs and soon they had dispersed to check various components of the system. As Wong stood before the monitor two more ships disappeared.

“I’ll be in my office, Lieutenant. When you get this display up and running again you call me! Understood?”

“Yes, sir. Will do, sir.”

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