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"A smart move," Sandecker agreed. "Ask your captain to moor his ship alongside. We'll begin transferring the antenna sections as soon as his anchors are out."
"Is that the famous Hughes Glomar Explorer I'm seeing?" asked Gunn.
"One and the same with a few alterations," answered Sandecker. "Lower a launch and come aboard.
I'll be waiting in the captain's office. Bring Ms. Faraday."
"We'll be aboard shortly."
Originally proposed by Deputy Director of Defense David Packard, formerly of Hewlett-Packard, a major electronics corporation, and based on an earlier deep ocean research ship designed by Willard Bascom and called the Alcoa Seaprobe, the Glomar Explorer became a joint venture of the CIA, Global Marine Inc. and Howard Hughes, through his tool company that eventually became the Summa Corporation.
Construction was commenced by the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company at their shipyard facilities in Chester, Pennsylvania, and the huge vessel was immediately wrapped in secrecy, with the aid of misleading information. She was launched forty-one months later in the late fall of 1972, a remarkable achievement in technology for a vessel completely innovative in concept.
She then became famous for her raising of a Russian Golf-class submarine from a depth of five kilometers in the middle of the Pacific. Despite news stories to the contrary, the entire sub was raised in pieces and examined, a colossal feat of intelligence that paid great dividends in knowledge about Soviet submarine technology and operation.
After her brief moment of fame, no one quite knew what to do with the Explorer, so she eventually wound up in the hands of the United States government and was included in the Navy's mothball program. Until recently, she had languished for over two decades in the backwash of Suisun Bay, northeast of San Francisco.
When Gunn and Molly stepped onto the deck of the immense vessel, they felt as though they were standing in the center of an electric generating plant. Seen close up, the scope of the machinery was staggering. None of the tight security that surrounded the vessel during her first voyage was visible. They were met at the top of the boarding ramp by the ship's second officer and no one else.
"No security guards?" asked Molly.
The officer smiled as he showed them up a stairway leading to a deck below the wheelhouse. "Since this is a commercial operation and we're not on a secret mission to steal foreign naval vessels from the seafloor, no security measures are necessary."
"I thought the Explorer was in mothballs," said Gunn.
"Until five months ago," replied the officer. "Then she was leased to Deep Abyss Engineering to mine copper and manganese from the deep ocean two hundred kilometers south of the Hawaiian Islands."
"Have you begun operations?" asked Molly.
"Not yet. Much of the ship's equipment is ancient by today's standards and we've had to make some major changes, especially to the electronics. At the moment, the main engines are acting up. Soon as they're repaired, we'll be on our way."
Gunn and Molly exchanged questioning looks without voicing their concern. As if tuned to the same wavelength, they wondered how a ship that was dead in the water could get them where they had to be in time to deflect the acoustic plague.
The ship's officer opened the door to a spacious, elegant stateroom. "These quarters were reserved for Howard Hughes in the event he ever visited the ship, an event that is not known to have taken place."
Sandecker stepped forward and greeted them. "An extraordinary piece of work. I compliment you both. I take it the dismantling turned out to be a tougher job than we estimated."
"Corrosion was the enemy," Gunn admitted. "The grid connections fought us every step of the way."
"I never heard so much cursing," said Molly with a smile. "The engineers turned the air blue, believe you me."
"Will the antenna serve our purpose?" asked Sandecker.
"If the sea doesn't get too nasty and tear it apart at the seams," replied Gunn, "it should get the job done."
Sandecker turned and introduced a short plump man a few years over forty. "Captain James Quick, my aides Molly Faraday and Commander Rudi Gunn."
"Welcome aboard," said Quick, shaking hands. "How many of your people are coming with you?"
"Counting Ms. Faraday and me, I have a team of thirty-one men and five women," Gunn answered. "I hope our numbers don't cause a problem."
Quick leisurely waved a hand. "No bother. We have more empty quarters than we know what do with and enough food to last two months."
"Your second officer said you had engine problems."
"A stacked deck," said Sandecker. "The captain tells me a sailing time is indefinite."
"So it was a case of hurry up and wait," muttered Gunn.
