Nine Days

The AL-1A’s were designed to have a capacity for twenty-two full power shots. "Bronco 3" had already used three and continued shooting at the other missiles shot from the facility at No-Dong. The missiles that were targeted at Guam were shot down in rapid succession, as were the previous ones. The missiles targeted at Sasebo and Yokosuka had a head start since all the missiles were launched within seconds of each other. Three of the last four missiles were engaged by the AL-1A and were destroyed before they could arm themselves. The last one however reached its breakaway speed and continued towards Sasebo. The High Energy Laser heated the skin of the Taepo-Dong II as it reached the upper limits of the atmosphere. The pressurized hydrazine fuel tank exploded as the Laser focused its ten thousand-degree beam on target. The second stage fuel tank blew up, separating the re-entry vehicle and scattering its debris over a large area. The armed re-entry vehicle continued on a ballistic course to detonate in the Sea of Japan, thousands of feet below.

The Topeka had been tracking the "Oscar" for days while the Reagan slipped up the East Coast of the Korean Peninsula. They had no other contacts but the Japanese Destroyers to the south. The Captain had a hunch that the Chinese "Oscar" was here to help the North Koreans. The SS-N-19 "Shipwreck" missiles that the "Oscar" carried made an awesome first strike weapon against a Carrier Strike Group. The "Oscar" was about two nautical miles ahead of him at a depth of nine hundred feet. It would be an easy task to dispatch the "Oscar", just match bearings and shoot. The Mark 48 ADCAP’s would do the rest. The sonar officer interrupted the Captain’s train of thought. "Conn, sonar. Captain, the target is coming shallow again" the sonar officer reported. Indeed the "Oscar" was going to periscope depth. The Captain ordered the Topeka to slow to four knots and to come to a new depth of five hundred feet. The Topeka slowed and angled up to its new depth. After a few minutes the sonar officer reported the "Oscar" had reached periscope depth and had raised its masts. The Captain thought that this was it. If the "Oscar" opened it’s cavernous missile bays he would have to commit to shooting his torpedoes. The "Oscar" was running close to ten knots and making a lot of noise in the process. The Topeka reached her ordered depth of five hundred feet, deep below the Thermocline. Even if they shot now the "Oscar" probably wouldn’t hear it since the Captain purposely kept the Topeka in the "Oscars" baffles. "Conn, sonar. The target has opened three missile bays!" the sonar officer reported excitedly. Seaman First Class William Conner, who came on duty earlier, heard the Captain order the outer doors on tubes one and two opened. He heard a muffled "thump, thump" as both the outer doors locked opened. Not a second later he also heard something large enter the water, off the bearing of the "Oscar", with a loud audible "click" that followed. William started to report the contact as a loud hum began to grow in his headset. William yelled as the hum grew beyond the tolerance of human hearing. He tore off his headset as the Topeka seemed to dip and then roll to port about thirty degrees, sending the sonar officer out of his chair.

Captain Su Loc had the coordinates on the Reagan. He also received word that the North Koreans had begun launching their missiles. Good, with any luck the Americans would be too busy to intercept all his SS-N-19 missiles. He would fire off three missiles in six volleys, the nuclear tipped missiles in the fourth volley. The Reagan’s defenses would be sure to be overwhelmed by the first three volleys and the last missiles would surely finish it off if the nuclear missiles were intercepted by any of its escorts. He also wanted to retain some missiles in case he encountered any angry ASW Destroyers. At a depth of fifty-three feet the Captain ordered the first three missile hatches opened. The missile bay doors opened revealing the deadly SS-N-19 missiles. The sonar operators removed their headsets, deafened by the noise of rushing water over the open missile bays. Captain Su Loc looked at his launch officer and nodded as they both turned their keys to initiate the launch. The Captain ordered the first missile launched as a loud hum began to grow inside the large submarine. The Captain uttered his last order as he yelled "Emergency surface the ship!" The huge submarines starboard side seemed to implode as if it the submarine went below its test depth. Thousands of gallons of water entered the "Oscar" through cracks in its pressure hull as the submarine rolled to port about fifty degrees and then a second later tried to right itself. Personnel were thrown violently about and some fortunate ones died quickly, sparing them the long lingering death of drowning. One hundred thousand gallons of seawater under pressure washed through the hull, sweeping personnel, dead and alive, through the casing. There was no help for the crew. The interior of the submarine quickly filled up with seawater as the "Oscar" went down by the bow, diving in a counter clockwise spiral to the ocean floor below.