- A
- new
- naval
- ship
- is
- under
- construction.
- It
- is
- one
- of
- many
- in
- this
- class.
- A
- small
- engine
- room
- change
- may
- help
- a
- leaking
- shaft,
- which
- is
- on
- every
- ship
- of
- this
- class.
- A
- light
- switch
- is
- out
- on
- the
- lathe
- as
- they
- turn
- the
- shafts,
- but
- well
- within
- specs.
- Quality
- control
- approves
- the
- shafts
- as
- they
- have
- high
- values
- but
- still
- within
- the
- limits.
During
- sea
- trails
- the
- Valiant
- is
- requested
- to
- help
- in
- a
- commercial
- aircraft
- forced
- to
- ditch
- in
- the
- ocean.
- The
- Chief
- of
- the
- engine
- room
- and
- the
- lead
- engineer
- Jan
- Douglas
- tries
- to
- coax
- the
- speed
- of
- the
- Valiant
- above
- its
- rated
- value
- to
- attempt
- a
- rescue
- of
- the
- airplane
- passengers.Sea
- trials
- go
- very
- well
- after
- which
- Captain
- Strong
- become
- an
- Admiral
- and
- the
- Exec
- becomes
- the
- Captain
- of
- the
- Valiant.
- Jan
- goes
- back
- to
- work,
- and
- the
- Chief
- retires
- from
- the
- Navy.Several
- years
- later,
- Jan
- and
- the
- Chief
- are
- picked
- up
- by
- black
- hawk
- helos
- wherever
- they
- are
- to
- help
- again
- on
- the
- Valiant.
College
- students
- and
- teachers
- are
- on
- a
- small
- atoll
- in
- the
- Pacific.
- They
- have
- a
- plane
- to
- get
- off
- but
- stay
- to
- study
- the
- unusual
- happens
- to
- the
- island.
- Then
- the
- island
- sinks
- a
- few
- feet
- and
- they
- lose
- their
- plane.
- They
- call
- for
- help
- but
- with
- no
- air
- strip
- they
- need
- be
- taken
- off
- by
- helos
- or
- ships.
It
- is
- feared
- the
- island
- will
- explode
- and
- the
- closest
- ship
- is
- days
- away
- to
- pick
- them
- up.
- However,
- the
- seas
- are
- so
- rough
- that
- a
- ship
- dares
- not
- get
- to
- close.
- They
- fear
- the
- volcano
- will
- explode
- and
- send
- out
- huge
- waves
- that
- could
- swamp
- any
- size
- ships.
- The
- navy
- is
- steaming
- out
- of
- the
- area
- as
- fast
- as
- possible.
The
- main
- fleet
- is
- two
- or
- three
- days
- from
- getting
- a
- helicopter
- into
- the
- area.Some
- how
- the
- Valiant
- with
- the
- best
- speed
- might
- be
- able
- to
- get
- close
- enough
- for
- a
- Marine
- landing
- craft
- to
- land
- and
- pick
- them
- up.
- But
- now
- the
- water
- maybe
- to
- hot
- and
- burn
- its
- engines
- out.
They
- are
- able
- to
- get
- a
- phone
- calls
- transferred
- out
- from
- the
- Atoll,
- “Daddy,
- don’t
- try
- to
- come
- and
- get
- us.
- The
- island
- is
- almost
- covered
- with
- water
- and
- it
- near
- boiling
- in
- the
- lagoon..
- It
- is
- sinking,
- fast.
- Love
- you.”
- Click.
He
- hands
- the
- phone
- to
- an
- aid,
- “Is
- there
- something
- I
- can
- do
- Mr.
- President?”
“No,
- that
- will
- be
- all.”Can
- Jan,
- the
- engine
- room
- designer;
- the
- engine
- room
- Chief,;
- the
- ex-Captain
- of
- the
- Valiant,
- now
- an
- Admiral
- pull
- another
- rabbit
- out
- of
- their hat?”
pro-mbooks3 : libris
