Parallel Echoes: A Clash of Realities

The USS Venture was an impressive piece of machinery. It showcased all of the finest aspects of high-level engineering and human ingenuity. The submarine boasted the latest photonic sensors, which had made traditional periscopes obsolete. The entire submarine spanned more than 380 feet, much longer than two combined football fields. Aside from that, the Venture was fitted with a pair of top-of-the-line pump-jet propulsors that could leave a propeller-equipped submarine summarily in its wake. It also had the most comprehensive emergency rescue and evacuation technology in any modern submarine. The Venture was equipped with an emergency rescue pod that could provide passengers a safe escape from depths as far as 1000 feet underwater. The craft was truly a marvel of innovation and it was engaged in one of its most important missions yet.  The Venture had a complement of 80 US Marines. On this voyage, the boat added to its company four civilians. Subcontracted by the British Ministry of Defence, the civilians and the crew onboard the Venture had been sent to investigate a suspicious series of massive data spikes along the Apollo North fiber optic cable, beneath the Atlantic Ocean. The fiber optic cable was a shared resource between both the United States and British governments. The journey towards the source of the spike was not a problem for the Venture, as it had gone through much more complicated and dangerous maritime excursions in the past. The source of the mysterious data traffic was located some 250 miles off the coast of Cornwall. It was around 8:00 in the evening when the vessel began closing in on the source of the data spikes. “Sir,” said John Mackley, a software specialist assigned to the mission. “It looks like the unusual data spikes were triggered by a packet sniffer tapping into the fiber optic cable.”  William Watson, the commanding officer of the software division, approached John’s workstation and examined his readings alongside Katra, one of the civilian subcontractors. Katra was very curious to learn everything about the data spikes, as they were the only reason she was on this mission.  “Do we know what data it is targeting?” Watson inquired.  “Hard to tell, sir, without deciphering it first. There’s nothing normal about this,” replied Mackley. “It appears to be fitted with an AI node that is stacking the data under several layers of encryption before piggybacking it onto the cable.”  “What kind of data?”  “That’s the thing, sir. I can’t seem to identify what it’s piggybacking on, where it’s coming from, and where it’s going. Although, I can tell you that this is definitely what’s causing the spike in traffic for this cable. It’s exceeding 125% of its regular throughput.”  The lieutenant commander paused to gather his thoughts before proceeding.  “Excellent work, Mackley,” he finally said. “Let’s get to work on determining what that node is up to.”  The software specialists set to work on decrypting the data that was being dumped into the network.  “This is some really sophisticated code,” sighed Mackley. “There’s no way we can decrypt this thing remotely, not with the equipment we have onboard.”  “Is there a way that we can bypass the shields of the node and just download the data into our local drives? We can get it to the lab for further decryption,” suggested Johnson, the youngest member on the team.  “I’m already ahead of you,” replied Mackley.  John Mackley had been on numerous missions similar to this, though in the Middle East. He was accustomed to intercepting and investigating data from sources that did not want anyone snooping around on their information. But he had never encountered code with the sophistication of the program before him; the very thought of this challenge excited him.  “Looks like I’m in,” he exclaimed in victory. “Their code is complex and the encryption is insane, but the node’s blockers are really weak.” Mackley was very cautious, downloading to a duplicate pair of drives that were isolated from the submarine systems, albeit powered by the sub’s main grid.  “I can’t wait to take this back to the lab and see what this little scoundrel has been up to,” sighed Mackey.  The download was in full swing, but before the sweet taste of victory had comfortably settled on Mackey’s tongue, disaster struck.  “Oh no,” cried the software and communication engineers, in quick succession.  “We’re being hacked!” the chorus continued.  “What’s happening?” cried Mackley as the code on his screen took on a life of its own. He did not want to believe what was happening. It was rather foolish of him to believe that a sophisticated AI node would have had such weak blocking protocols. With this realization, Mackley could not shake the feeling that the whole thing was a Trojan horse and he had led the invisible enemy right into the submersed heart of Troy.  “Sir, it looks like a virus!” said Johnson in a panic. “It’s compromising the ship’s operations. It’s attacking us, sir.”  The software experts were all in a state of frenzy and panic as they all knew what was coming. Even Watson, who didn’t have as a sophisticated understanding of cyber technology as his subordinates foresaw the impending doom.  “Mackley!” commanded Watson. “What is happening? Report!”  “We’ve been compromised, sir,” replied Mackley as he came to terms with the truth. “It looks like the AI node wanted us to download its contents into our drive. Our system has been compromised by a virus and the ship’s machine operations are in jeopardy.”  “So what does that mean? Can you fix it?”  “We’re doing our best, sir.” He hesitated. “But whoever developed this code is the real deal. We had better try to get to safety now, sir.”  “Damn it, Mackley. Cut that connection and pass me those hard drives. Everyone, get to work on containing the virus right now and salvage our systems!”  “PO4!” Watson addressed his petty officer. “Escort Ms. Katra back to her quarters. As you go past the Command Center, hand this case of hard drives to the captain.” The petty officer promptly took Katra by the arm and began leading her away from the commanding bridge.  Watson then reached for his intercom and contacted the captain.  “Watson!” groaned the nervous and agitated voice of Captain Robert Xavier. “What the hell is going on back there? I’ve just been informed by my chief engineer that the ship’s critical systems are shutting down!”  “Captain, we have a situation,” replied Watson. “We need to order the ascent of the Venture ASAP. This is not a drill, Captain. The ship’s system has been compromised and we need to get to safety. Right now –”  The line on the intercom went dead as the submarine was rocked by what seemed to be a huge explosion.  “Lieutenant Commander?” yelled Xavier into the unresponsive line. “Commander?” “Captain,” interjected the chief engineer. “We’ve had an explosion. It looks like the ship’s electrical systems were overloaded by some unidentified surge.”  The two men stared at each other with a look of doom in their eyes.  “We’re taking in water, Captain!” exclaimed the chief engineer.  Various spots within the Venture were rocked by a series of small explosions, including the Radio Room where Commander Watson and his team of engineers were working. The submarine was being flooded and there was very little time to act. The Captain picked up the receiver of his phone and placed a distress call to the US base in Suffolk, UK.  “Hello, you have reached the Uni–”  April was cut off before she could even introduce herself. This must have been urgent.  “Mayday! This is Captain Robert Xavier of the USS Venture,” Xavier interrupted. “The USS Venture is under attack and has been compromised. Our systems are failing and we require immediate assistance as we try to initiate our ascent protocols.”  “Yes, captain. I will relay your distress call to the nearest available ship to your location. Could you send me your coordinates?”  “We are around 250 miles off the coast of Cornwall. I am sending you the escape pod’s transponder ID so that you can track our exact location. Please be on the lookout.”  “Got it, captain. Although, you should know that we are really short-staffed right now here at the base. A lot of our officers have been on lockdown because of COVID-19. Please do expect some delays and I hope you stay safe.”  April didn’t realize that her words were falling on deaf ears, as the line had already gone cold.  “XO!” Captain Xavier motioned toward his first officer. “You need to get the civilians into the escape pod.” Jordan Rodgers had been Captain Xavier’s first officer on numerous missions now. These two had an excellent working relationship and had grown rather fond of one another, with Xavier comfortably filling the proverbial boots of a father figure for Jordan. A third-generation Marine, Jordan entered the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis as a naive dynamo with the energy of a young buck. He managed to amass a considerable deal of success as a student, and that momentum would carry over into his career in the Navy. His reputation for earnestness was what led to him being assigned to high-profile missions such as this.  “Yes, Captain,” replied Jordan.  Before dismissing him, the Captain handed Jordan two sets of hard drives.  “Jordan, I need you to keep these safe no matter what,” said the Captain with a deep sense of urgency. “One of these you will hand over to Katra, of the civilian crew. This is for her eyes only, as a MOD representative. The second one is that you will keep on your person at all times. Do you copy?”  “Copy, sir,” Jordan snapped back.  “Godspeed, son!” And the Captain saluted.  Jordan knew that he had very little time left. He had read about the four civilians on board. They all worked for a UK-based company called Trans Tech Global (TTG), led by Hans Meyer, a German-born tech mogul and CEO of TTG. From his profile photos, Meyer looked like a very rigid man. His light blond hair was thinly trimmed into a tight crew cut. He had very pale skin that matched his striking icy-blue eyes. Then there was the only lady on the crew, Katra Larsson. The Swede, in her early thirties, was TTG’s CTO. Her naturally tan skin and enchanting green eyes belied the geek in her that made her one of the world’s most prominent C-RAN software experts. The other two were Dr. Martin Banks, the Brit, and CXO, and lastly the young Scot and PR executive, Frank Greenwood. Before setting off, Jordan radioed ahead to ensure the civilians were prepared for evacuation and were carrying their essentials only.  By the time he reached the civilians, a petty officer had already gathered them up in a row.  “Thank you, PO3,” Jordan told the sailor.  “Lady and gentle people,” said Jordan as he turned his attention to the civilians. “I am Commander Jordan Rodgers. The ship has been damaged, and I will be evacuating the four of you. The Venture is fitted with an escape pod that can hold all five of us and delivers us to the surface. It can, however, only safely deploy at 1000 feet. The sub has initiated its ascent and we will deploy as soon as we hit that depth. Until then, we will make sure that we are secured into the pod. Is everybody ready to go?”  Jordan saw the look of dread in the eyes of the people who were staring back at him. No one said a word.  “I’ll take that as a yes. Follow me, please.”  The explosions that were taking place all over the ship were becoming much more frequent now. Jordan grew even more agitated as pandemonium seemed to have erupted on the boat. Sirens blaring all over the vessel were barely loud enough to drown out the screams of crew members in their emergency maneuvers. Yells of Abandon ship! resonated all throughout the submarine. However, Jordan knew that there was no way out except through the escape pod. If anyone even attempted to disembark the vessel at these depths without the proper gear, they would die from the water pressure. Suddenly, Jordan was overcome with a horrific thought. It was common knowledge among crew members that there was only one escape pod available and that it could house only five souls. However, only the captain had the codes to the pod, and he had entrusted them to Jordan for this specific mission. So, while there was a good chance that some crew members might have tried their luck with breaking into the pod, it was unlikely that any of them would be successful. As they reached the airlock to the escape pod, Jordan’s fears were realized. Standing before him were two Marines who looked like they were tinkering with the pod. The first, with a stubby disposition, had a large gash on his forehead and the other was a considerably taller individual.  “The civilians! They’re going to escape! Let us go with you!” yelled the one who was bleeding from his forehead.  “Sailor!” replied Jordan. “Stand down. The pod can only accommodate five people and I have strict orders from the captain to escort them back to the surface.”  At that moment, the taller Marine lunged at Jordan, revealing a wrench in his left hand. He had probably been using it in an attempt to break into the escape pod. Jordan’s reflexes took over and he used his attacker’s momentum against him. He gripped his assailant’s lead arm with both his hands and threw him headfirst into the bulkhead. The sheer force of the collision knocked him out instantly. Then, the smaller Marine charged at Jordan as well and managed to land a left blow to his right cheek. Just as he c****d his arm back for another punch, Jordan quickly stiffed him with a jab and grappled him to the ground before putting him into a headlock.  “Quick!” yelled Jordan to the civilians. “Get into those inflatable suits over there… before anyone else comes!”  The Marine wriggled and squirmed in a faint attempt to escape Jordan’s grip. However, Jordan was far too strong and skilled in grappling. Little by little, he could feel the Marine’s attempts to escape become weaker and weaker until he eventually passed out. Jordan then released him from the headlock and proceeded to put on his inflatable suit. He entered the code into the escape pod’s door lock and motioned for everyone to enter. Once everyone was safely inside and strapped into their seats, Jordan began preparations for their escape. He checked the pod’s depth finder to make sure that they had entered the safe range for deployment. The increasingly desperate Jordan realized, however, that they were still a couple of hundred feet beneath the threshold. Conscious of the relentless compression creaks from the hull, he knew that catastrophe was not far off. With that, he decided to risk it and initiated their ascent. He had been trained for this but had never actually found himself in a real-life situation that required him to pilot the escape pod. Needless to say, he was nervous about the uncertain ascent. Knowing that he had to project calmness and confidence for the sake of his passengers, he completely masked the fact that he was just as frightened as they were.  As the distance grew between the pod and the beleaguered submarine, Jordan and the civilians could just about make out the forward hatch of the submarine opening up. The crew in inflatables began emerging. Jordan knew that these suits wouldn’t help them much, considering how deep they were. But he was still hoping for the best for his fellow Semper Fi. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the front section of the USS Venture, one of the world’s most sophisticated submarines, was engulfed in a large underwater fireball and separated from the rear. Katra and Frank let out loud shrieks as the boat they were just on was blown to bits. They watched as the rear section sank in slow motion.  The explosion was so intense and had spread so rapidly that even those who escaped through the ship’s hatch were not spared. Shrapnel and debris rocketed through the water in all directions. Everything happened so fast that Jordan didn’t even realize that the pod wasn’t entirely spared. The pod’s dashboard immediately indicated a problem with the vehicle’s engine operations. Upon further study, Jordan realized that a piece of shrapnel must have wedged itself between the propeller and rudder. This rendered the pod uncontrollable. Jordan knew that he needed to fix the pod or else they would run out of air before they reached the surface.  “Brace yourselves!” he warned his companions.  With only his instincts to rely on, Jordan managed to safely maneuver the pod as it crash-landed onto an underwater ledge. The impact was significant, but Jordan didn’t believe that it had done any more damage to the ship.  “Is everyone okay?” Jordan yelled. “What happened?” asked Hansel. “Have we crashed?”  “Why aren’t we moving anymore? Is something wrong with the pod?” chimed in Frank.  Jordan surveyed his passengers. Everyone seemed fine, albeit a little shaken up.  “It looks like the propeller has been damaged by shrapnel. A few of us will have to go outside to repair it.”  “What?” exclaimed Hansel. “In those waters? At this depth? The water pressure will kill us!”  “Not necessarily,” replied Jordan. “The depth finder is broken, but I’m confident that I’ve managed to bring us to a depth that’s safe enough for our inflatables to withstand.”  Jordan hesitated before continuing.  “Dr. Banks. Mr. Greenwood. Would you be willing to help me repair this boat? It’s the only way we can make it back to the surface alive.”  After a little pause and some well-considered reluctance, the two men agreed and asked Jordan what he wanted them to do. Jordan methodically briefed them.  “Remember, we’re not going to be able to communicate while we’re out there. If you have any questions, best get them out now.”  The three men went over the plan a couple more times until they were confident of getting the job done. Stepping into the airlock, Martin handed Katra his cell phone, saying, “Look after this for me.” He then gave her a look like he had more than he wanted to say but turned away and followed Jordan and Frank into the airlock.  E  W G Jordan, Martin, and Frank exited the pod’s airlock and were immediately immersed in the oppressive darkness of the deep blue. Jordan was no stranger to deep-sea diving and was relatively calm in this situation. However, he knew that his companions had probably never been this deep into the ocean before and it must be nerve-wracking for them. He could only do so much during his quick orientation to calm their nerves and make them feel confident about engaging in this deep-sea mission.  They got right to work on the propeller and the rudder, just as Jordan had instructed them. As they surveyed the damage, Jordan was relieved to find that it wasn’t as bad as he had initially feared. He gave a look of assurance to Martin and Frank to let them know that everything was going to turn out fine. Martin and Frank must have understood what he was trying to say because they each responded with individual nods of affirmation.  Suddenly, Jordan felt all of his confidence slip away in just a blink of an eye. In spite of the darkness of the deep blue ocean, he could make out the silhouette of a swift-moving figure gliding toward them. It looked too small to be a bomb or torpedo and it moved too smoothly to be a random piece of floating shrapnel. By the time he realized what the fast-moving object was, it was too late. With Frank and Martin’s backs turned, they couldn’t get out of the way in time. A great white shark zipped towards them with unfathomable speed and locked Martin in its large jaws while simultaneously bumping Frank to the side. As quickly as it had come, it swam away. It had moved with such incredible agility that only faint remnants of Martin’s blood had been left seemingly hovering near them.  Both men were stunned and horrified by what had just happened. Martin had just been there a few seconds earlier and then he wasn’t. Jordan turned to look at Frank and saw an expression of utter dread. Frank began to swim back towards the airlock of the ship, but Jordan grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. Jordan gestured towards the propeller as if to say that they still had to finish the job. In Jordan’s mind, they would die anyway if they didn’t get that propeller fixed, so they might as well try. Frank must have also been thinking this because he reluctantly went back to work with Jordan on the propeller.  The two men made quick progress in spite of the shock of Martin’s sudden demise. They were nearing completion, and everything was going according to plan. Looks like we’re going to make it out of this, after all, Jordan thought to himself. Just then, as the two men were about to finish up, Jordan saw Frank’s body fly away at a ridiculous speed. The shark had returned, apparently, to finish its own job as well. Jordan caught sight of Frank’s lifeless body suspended in the strong lock of the shark’s jaw as it swam away.  With no time left to lose, Jordan frantically tried to finish the work on the propeller. He knew that none of them were safe so long as that propeller remained jammed. Then he remembered that he still had passengers waiting for him inside of the pod. Katra and Hansel must have seen everything that had taken place through the pod’s portholes. He could only imagine their terror at seeing their friends meet such gory and violent deaths. Jordan managed to free up the propeller and the rudder so that both were fully functional and ready for operation. Hastily, Jordan scrambled back to the pod’s airlock and secured himself within the safety of the ship. As he emerged from the airlock, he saw Hansel and Katra both on the ground with the former’s arm draped around the latter. Katra looked like she had just been crying buckets and Hansel had a distraught expression on his face. Neither of them said a word to one another as they took a moment of silence to process everything that had just happened. Then, Jordan stumbled over to the escape pod’s operations console and initiated the ship’s second attempt at ascent.  It looked like the efforts had paid off as the propeller and rudder were functioning almost normally. The pod wasn’t in prime condition, but Jordan knew that it was functioning well enough to get them all to safety. No one said anything as they rose through the murky water. As they made their way to the surface, faint light gradually began to fill the interior of the pod, signaling to the pod’s inhabitants that they had escaped the dangerous darkness of the sea and were finally edging into safety. In a matter of just a few minutes, even though it felt much longer to them, Katra, Hansel, and Jordan found themselves above water. Through the pod’s portholes, Jordan saw that a rescue ship was already approaching them and was ready to take them onboard.  Jordan knew that the worst was behind them, but there were still a lot of questions that were left unanswered. Was what happened to the Venture merely an accident? Had someone intentionally sabotaged the ship? If so, who? Taking down a submarine like the Venture with a few lines of complex code could not have been a simple feat accomplished by a lone wolf. If this were an intentional attack, Jordan figured that they were facing a very well-organized enemy who knew how to cover their tracks well. He also knew that whatever answers he was looking for could be found on the hard drives. But that would have to wait for another time. For now, he just needed to get himself and his passengers back to safety. Everything went by in a blur for Jordan, Hansel, and Katra after the pod successfully completed its voyage to the surface. Jordan told his two civilian passengers that they would be boarding a rescue ship that was already waiting for them and he assured them that they would be okay. However, this did very little to dissuade the looks of clear anguish and despair on the faces of his passengers. A smaller rescue boat was dispatched from the ship and made its way towards the pod. Jordan made sure to gather his belongings, including the two hard drives that were entrusted to him by Captain Xavier. One by one, Katra, Hansel, and Jordan exited the pod and boarded the rescue boat where they were given towels and drinking water.  “Are you guys okay?” asked the rescue boat operator. “Is it just the three of you?” Jordan nodded his head, too exhausted to say anything else. The three of them settled into the rescue boat as it made its way to the main ship.  On board, the ship, Jordan, Katra, and Hansel were greeted by the captain, who offered them food and coffee to help warm them up. Despite their hunger and cold, all three seemed too drained to want to do anything. Katra and Hansel were immediately escorted towards their own private cabins where they could change into fresh clothes and rest for a bit. However, Jordan had to debrief the captain on the events that transpired underwater and also talk to someone who had been waiting for him on the phone. The captain handed Jordan the phone’s receiver and it was April from the U.S. base in Suffolk. She was the one who contacted the ship and informed them to seek out the escape pod’s emergency signal. “Hello, Commander Rodgers?” said the soft and accommodating voice over the phone. “This is April. I’m assigned to the base in Suffolk. Are you alright?”  “Could be better,” replied Jordan.  “I’m so sorry for what you had to go through.” She hesitated as if she were dreading asking her next question. “How many of you made it off the ship?”  “I managed to extract four civilians from the ship, but two of them perished from complications during our ascent. Right now, I have Mr. Meyer and Ms. Larsson with me as the only survivors from the Venture.”  “What? What happened to the crew? And the other two contractors?”  Jordan meticulously and cathartically recounted the ordeal to April, who hung on his every word.  “Oh my goodness, Commander!” shrieked April over the line. “That’s horrid! How are you and the surviving passengers?”  “We’re pretty shaken up, but I’m sure we’ll all be fine eventually.” “You will, sir,” April reassured him.  “Anyway, I have to debrief the captain. He tells me the ship is going to drop us off in Bude, where we will begin the final leg of this journey. I will also need to pay the U.S. Embassy in London a visit and might require your help with that, so I’ll call you when we’re ashore.”  “Of course, sir.”  Jordan took down April’s name and direct contact number as the two said their goodbyes. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let out a huge sigh, unburdening himself of the weight on his shoulders. The first goal of getting survivors to safety was behind him, albeit only a partial success. For a moment, the burden was gone, and he felt some relief. Yet the vacuum left by that burden quickly filled with the heavier weight of survivor’s guilt. The rescued were assigned three cabins, which they quickly settled into as they began their recuperation. It was going to take some ten to twelve hours for the ship to reach the port town of Bude. Jordan wasn’t able to catch an ounce of shuteye. Apart from the burden of guilt, Jordan also struggled with the loss of the man who mentored him and oversaw his growth as a marine. He wrestled with his thoughts and feelings all night. Hansel, on the other hand, understandably did not take long to fall asleep. He was out like a light after he’d had a brief chat with Katra about their day and his frustration over failing to contact his girlfriend once they’d boarded the rescue ship. Katra fell asleep almost instantly too. A comforting stream of reggae music filled Susan’s office as she went over Mr. Meyer’s schedule for the