Chapter 18 - A Breach at Sea
The lower engineering flat of Hull 804 was an inferno of sound and vibrating pressure.
Massive steam turbines the size of locomotives hummed with terrifying kinetic potential. The air tasted of hot mineral oil, ozone, and pressurized coolant. As I descended the final ladder into Compartment 4-Charlie, my cane clipped to my tactical harness, I could feel the harmonic vibration through my prosthetic. The titanium transferred the deep, unnatural tremor of the deck straight into the nerves of my remaining limb.
"Captain Ellison!" a young chief engineer screamed over the roar of the blowers, wiping grease from his forehead. "What are you doing down here? We're reaching auxiliary operating pressure! We’re five minutes from casting off!"
"Scram the secondary reactor circuit!" I ordered, pulling the emergency manual wrench from the bulkhead rack. "Get all non-essential personnel up through the watertight scuttle immediately!"
"Ma'am, we have direct orders from Halston's shore liaison to maintain line pressure—"
"Halston is in federal handcuffs on the pier!" I shouted, shoving the digital bypass readout into his chest. "Look at the differential gauge, Chief! Look at Valve 12-Alpha! The analog readout is pegged at three thousand PSI, but your digital screen is feeding you a looped telemetry signal showing standard standby!"
The Chief turned white as a sheet. He looked at the mechanical dial tucked behind the secondary conduit. The needle was trembling violently past the red hashmarks.
"Sweet mother of God," he gasped. "The bypass... it’s welded shut internally."
"Clear the compartment!" I yelled. "Julian! Get the hydraulic spreader!"
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Julian dropped down the ladder behind me, carrying the sixty-pound extraction tool. "Ellie, the pressure line is starting to hiss! The weld seams on the main manifold are sweating!"
A high-pitched, metallic shriek cut through the engine room roar—the horrifying sound of molybdenum steel stretching beyond its molecular tolerance.
