Writing for Fun
Something's Wrong - Bob Wendelkin
July 2014
All the communications equipment had been out of action for several days including the backup systems. The Captain was very anxious to communicate with base to let them know they were on station.
Unknown to the boat over the last few days the world situation had deteriorated, the super powers had gone from an eye to eye condition to outright hostility. When the Submarine had left base the world was unsettled, but nothing that had really changed over last few decades.
'Sir, I haven't heard any ELF Transmissions from base since the communications equipment was repaired,' said the Radio Operator.
'Keep listening out. I'll take the boat up if it's safe and you can listen out for RF transmissions,' replied the Captain.
'Yes, sir,' replied the Communications Officer.
'Check to see that no killer subs are around,' ordered the Captain.
'Take her up so that the aerials can be deployed above the water,' said the Captain.
He then went to the radio room. The operator then started to run a sweep of the various naval communication frequencies.
'Nothing, sir, just a lot of static, there is nothing on our frequencies or their frequencies,' reported the operator.
'Try some of the Short Wave frequencies, particularly those used by the radio amateurs,' suggested the Captain.
The operator swept the amateur band and could hear that someone was transmitting Morse code.
'Can you read that?' asked the Captain.
'I can read the letters, but the words are foreign, could be Spanish. Is there anyone on board who understands Spanish?' asked the operator.
'This is the captain is there anyone in the crew who can understand Spanish? If you do you are to report to the Radio room immediately,' said the captain over the internal communication system.
'You had better take down as much of the Morse as you can read so that if we have a Spanish speaker he will have something to read,' continued the captain.
A few minutes later a member of the crew arrived at the door of the radio room.
'Sir, I can speak some Spanish,' said the crewman.
'See what you can make of the message being received,' said the captain.
The radio operator handed the message pad to the new arrival. The crewman studied the paper for some time and looked at the Captain.
'Sir, can we go to your cabin so I can tell you what I believe this message says,' said the crewman his hand shaking.
'Yes, come at once. Radio operator you continue to take down as much as you can and search for other signals,' ordered the captain.
He and the crewman went to his cabin.
'Now what did that message say?' asked the captain.
'I think that the message comes from somewhere in South America. It was a conversation between two Amateurs. From what they were saying it appears that there has been a nuclear exchange between the big powers. That's why I asked to speak with you alone,' said the crewman.
'Yes, very wise, that could be the reason why we have lost contact with base,' said the captain.
Picking up the intercom he ordered the boat to dive down to below the thermo-cline. The boat began to sink once more into the depths.
'Would all the senior officers report to my cabin immediately,' said the captain over the intercom.
'Gentlemen, it would appear that on both sides the leaders of the world have done the most stupid thing and decided to wipe one another out with a nuclear exchange. We seem to have lost contact with base and have a sort of message from some Spanish Amateurs,' said the captain.
'Then we must launch our missiles at once before we are sunk by one of their Killer Subs,' said his executive officer.
'Before I do that I must be certain that we are not the victim of some malfunction in the transmitting equipment at base. Where our misplaced action could cause WW3. We will wait for 24 hrs then we will go up and listen out for any transmissions, hopefully from home. That will be all dismissed. No1 can we talk?' said the captain.
'Warn the crew and set the boat for highest level of silent running.'
The rest of the officers filed out of the cabin leaving No 1 there.
'Well, No1, what should we do if the silly B's have been so stupid to go to war?' said the captain.
'We must be confident that they have gone to war and if they have it is our duty to fire our missiles. That's what we have been paid to do,' replied No1.
'If they have, then it's what we were paid to do we are now unemployed. The world we knew may have ended along with all our families. Our duty to whom? They may no longer exist. In the end we may have a much higher duty to perform than just revenge. I'd better inform the crew as I'm certain rumours will have already started to circulate,' said the captain.
The captain then spoke over the intercom and told the crew all he knew and what he proposed to do in the next 24 hours.
The day passed and once more after checking for killer subs the boat was taken up to deploy the aerials and listen out for any transmissions. As before they couldn't receive any communications from their base and they even tried transmissions from the enemy radio stations. The transmissions from South America were continuing and his Spanish speaker was translating the messages.
'Take her down,' ordered the Captain.
'We are reasonably certain that our countries have had a nuclear exchange,' reported the captain to the crew over the intercom. 'The question now is what should we do?' continued the captain.
'Our job and our duty to launch the missiles onto their targets at once,' said the Exec. Officer.
'I'm not so certain; can we go to my cabin and discuss the question,' replied the Captain to all his senior officers.
The officers all trooped into his office.
'Well, Gentlemen, we have a question to face: should we launch the missiles or sail to another part of the world. If as it appears the command structure to which we had belonged no longer exists. Therefore we may have a stronger loyalty to mankind the human race in general and not to the politicians who put us in this position. I have been thinking about this over the last 24 hours and I'm prepared to put it to the crew to ask them what we should do. Well No1?' said the Captain.
'The Officers are in control not the crew and when I took my commission I swore that I would do my duty. That means launch the missiles,' replied No 1.
'I agree, if we were ordered by our masters to launch then I would. However, we have not received any such orders. I believe those who could issue such orders no longer exist and therefore any orders they issued that may be in the safe are no longer valid,' said the Captain.
'I also think that the ranks we hold no longer apply as they were also issued by those who no longer exist. On this boat I think we are now all equal and I think that we should let the crew decide to launch or seek safety. However, while we are at sea we will maintain the ranks for the well running of the boat,' continued the Captain.
'I have decided we will put it to the crew,' said the captain.
The Captain took hold of the InterCom to address the crew.
'Men, from the best of my knowledge there has been a nuclear exchange while our communications were out of action. From what I can tell our country and their Country have been destroyed. The question I put to you should we fire our missiles onto fellow human beings which may make their survival impossible or should we sail to the other end of the earth and hope that the radiation doesn't go too high to destroy all life. My belief we should sail away but the choice is up to you. You have two hours to make your decision, your senior NCOs will convey your decision,' said the Captain.
About two hours later the NCOs reported to the results of crew's decision to fire or sail away.
'This is the Captain, I'm pleased to say that you have chosen mankind and we will sail to New Zealand and seek sanctuary in that country. However, as it's the politicians who have brought mankind to this situation I will launch missiles to strike at the location where their leaders could be hiding in their bunker waiting to come out and start it all over again. From your other decision only God knows how many people in Essex, the Southend area and the Thames Estuary may live on, but they may never know about your decision to save them. May God preserve us all and save mankind from the actions of our psychopathic leaders, who risk our lives but not theirs.'