Bill Fagan finally looked up, pleading with his eyes. "Skipper, I know all that. That's why I'm writing my resignation. If I can't handle the pressure, I don't belong here."
Hunter reached across the desk and grabbed the paper. "So that's your answer, just to run away? I won't accept it. Having an XO that that freezes is bad enough, but one that's a coward is too much. You will do your job and the next time, you'll do it right." Hunter tore the offending page into bits and threw them on the deck.
As Hunter turned to leave, Fagan jumped to his feet, both fists clenched in tight balls at his side. "You sanctimonious son of a bitch! How dare you call me a coward!" he spluttered. "You and your ego. You're so driven, you almost get us all killed making a stupid play like that. Just so you could strut around like some big hero!"
Hunter didn't even respond. He slammed the door and stormed back to his stateroom. He slumped down into the leather chair and put his head in his hands.
What had he done? He had almost blacked out at the worst possible time. Was Bill right? Had his desire to go on this mission, his arrogant knowledge that no one else could do it, brought everything to this? His ego had almost killed his crew tonight.
16
11 Jun 2000, 1530LT (0630Z)
The engine-room was a bustle of hurried activity. One team of machinist mates built a clean tent around both propulsion turbine reduction gears; draping up large sheets of a material called Herculite to form a small room around the reduction gears. Everything inside the room not welded or bolted to the deck was removed. After this was completed, every item that entered the clean room, even Chief Richey’s thick eyeglasses, would be logged in and logged out again. Then they unlocked and removed the casing covers.
Two other machinists started to purify and cool down the hot oil remaining in the system. They found several large pieces of bearing material in the lube oil strainers, telling them that one or more of the bearings were severely damaged.
Number one pump would not rotate when they attempted to turn it by hand. It was jammed, but number two rotated freely. Why hadn’t it started?
“Eng, here is the reason that number two didn’t pick up. Look at this switch. Damn thing failed and jammed open. Talk about Murphy’s Law; we have probably tested it fifty times since overhaul, worked every time. When we really need it, the damn thing fails,” Chief Turston reported as he held up the offending relay for Sam Stuart to scrutinize. “My guys are drawing a new one from supply. We’ll have this baby up and running in a couple of hours,” he stated as he rose and stretched to relieve his aching muscles of the tension from working in an impossibly cramped space. “The Navy needs to issue electricians that are ten feet tall with eight foot arms and not more than six inches around. No bones would help.”
“Sure Chief, just send that suggestion up the chain,” Stuart chuckled as he turned to check on the machinists.
Stuart picked up the sound powered phone. “Captain, Engineer. We have found the cause of the loss of lube oil. Looks like a nut got caught up in the screws for number one pump. Really messed up the pump. We won’t be able to fix it. Out of commission for the duration. Number two has a faulty loss of pressure relay. We’ll have it out and replaced in two hours.
"I won’t know which propulsion train bearings are damaged until we can get into the reduction gear casing to inspect them. I'm hoping that all the damage is on one side. Then we can slip the shaft coupling on that side and operate with one main engine. If we have damage to one of the large main shaft bearings, we’re screwed. We can’t fix those. If we have damage to the same reduction gear bearing on both sides, we’re screwed again. We only have one of each bearing type. If we can repair the bearing, rolling it out and replacing it will take at least twelve hours. Bottom line, best case, I will be able to give you one main in about three hours. Worst case, we get towed home. Anything in between is negotiable.”
The SAN FRANCISCO had two identical main engines and two sets of reduction gears that were completely independent. Although normally operated together to drive the single main shaft, they could be separated in an emergency and one used for propulsion while the other was repaired. The two systems joined to drive the huge final reduction gear and then the main shaft. Any casualty to these components meant that SAN FRANCISCO would be without her engines to drive her home.
“Very well, keep working at it,” Hunter grunted.
Turning to the OOD, Hunter directed, “Officer of the Deck, reload tubes three and four with Harpoons, just in case we get any surface company.”
“Aye, sir,” the OOD acknowledged. He then reported “The air charge is at two four hundred pounds. I expect another two hours on it. I still hold Xray Papa Three visually. No other contacts. Making two point one knots good on the outboard.”
Hunter leaned against the stanchion and rubbed his eyes, his mind racing.
So much to
