Captain Wilma Harris stood inside the splendid but colonial style Navy headquarters on Midway Island. Before her stood Admiral Kimmel, head of Pacific Command.

“Quite an impression you have made captain. One rogue North Korean sub accounted for and of course the Hogan incident.”

“Can you tell me sir how a man like that slipped through the security net?”

The admiral shrugged his shoulders.

“Sometimes they do captain. We have replaced him and of course informed his family.”

“What did you tell them?”

“That there was a tragic accident.”

“Sounds better I suppose.”

“The repairs are also complete by the way,” he added glancing at the paper.

He smiled and said, “I note your request for a female officer too.”

“I just need someone that I can relate to sir.”

He pressed a buzzer and a scarlet haired woman marched in.

“This is Sheila Davies captain. Our scientific advisor.”

As the woman saluted the captain asked, “What do you do around here?
Apart from make the tea.”

The woman smiled.

“She has a great idea captain,” the admiral said gently. “Your vessel is being fitted with degaussing.”

Wilma looked up in deep surprise.

“That was used in the last war sir to counter the magnetic mine.”

“I’ve given it a new lease of life,” Sheila said.

“Will you be so kind as to explain?”

“Once it is fitted, power from your reactor will be used to create an extremely strong magnetic field.”

The admiral smiled.

“For all intents and purposes your sub will become invisible to sonar.”

“That old chestnut again,” the captain quipped.

“This time it will work,” Sheila said calmly.

“We are so confident that USS Vancouver will take part in an exercise.”

He smiled.

“See how many of our ships you can sink.”

Wilma loved the idea but managed to suppress the giggle.

“It’s not every day that you get to send an admiral to the bottom sir.”

“We start at ten hours Zulu on the morrow then,” the admiral said. “I look forward to the cut and thrust.”

The hours passed quietly enough and one hour before the dark sub slipped out of Midway harbour.

“You are sure this will work?”

Sheila nodded.

“All my tests confirm it mam. The fleet won’t know what has hit it.”
Wilma turned to Vanderhofen.

“Take us down sir.”

“Aye mam. Bow planes to thirty. Dive, dive, dive.”

Upon the surface, Admiral Kimmel scanned the flight deck of the carrier George Washington.

“I think that we are all ready here. Begin the anti sub search.”

Some two hundred feet below and four nautical miles to the west, USS Vancouver slipped through the ocean silently.

“Turn the system on Murray.”

“Aye mam.”

As the power surged into the thick cable wrapped around the submarine the sonar operator smiled.

“Two targets mam. One is a destroyer and the second an aircraft carrier.”

Wilma smiled, glancing at her number two.

“Time to have some fun sir. Bring us to periscope depth.”

She glanced into the viewer and saw the targets moving line a breast in standard convoy mode. Wilma shook her head.

“That tactic went out with the dinosaurs. Arm tubes one through three.”

Within the torpedo room, the fish were quickly loaded and the tubes sealed.

Watching carefully Wilma smiled.

“Petty they are dummy warheads eh?”

Vanderhofen smiled.

“Fire tubes one through three.”

She saw the torpedo tracks hurtle towards their targets as a copter came into view.

“All hands crash dive!”

“Bow planes to forty,” Vanderhofen said.

As the pilots pushed the controls forward, the sub sank into the silent depths.

“Starboard ten degrees,” the captain called.

The great vessel swung as the speed increased.

“Three strikes,” Sonar reported.

As the crew cheered, Wilma called for quiet.

“That’s an admiral we need now. Think I’ll get the job number two?”

Vanderhofen nodded.

“After this performance mam you deserve it.”

A sudden shout from sonar silenced everyone.

“Contact bearing six degrees mam. It’s a destroyer. Triple screws.”

“Don’t worry captain,” Sheila muttered. “They can’t see us.”

“Dropping depth charges.”

“Dive another hundred,” Vanderhofen ordered.

Everyone heard three soft crumps and the gentle shake of the detonation.

“What the hell are they playing at?” the captain muttered. “Those were for real.”

“I’m picking up three more mam,” sonar reported.

“Starboard eighteen degrees!” she barked.

As the boat was rattled for a second time, the incensed captain banged the periscope.

“I don’t mind reality number two but I get annoyed when our own side tries to kill us!”

“Perhaps they don’t know the charges are for real,” Sheila suggested.

The officers glared at her.

“Of course they ruddy well know.”

“What do you want to do mam?” Vanderhofen asked.

“Bow planes up thirty degrees. Take us to periscope depth. Any sign of that destroyer?”

“No mam,” sonar reported. “There is a carrier close by though.”

“Probably the one we hit,” Wilma suggested.

As the periscope broke surface the captain peered cautiously into the viewer.

“I don’t recognise that configuration.”

“Mind if I take a look captain?” Sheila asked.

“Be my guest.”

As the woman peered, her face became deeply troubled.

“That’s the carrier Akagi mam. Circa World War Two.”

“You know what you are saying?” Vanderhofen asked.

“I certainly do sir.”

The captain grabbed her arm roughly.

“Tell us what is going on and this time no secrets.”

“It would appear that my dampening field had a rather unusual side effect mam.”

“What kind of side effect?” Vanderhofen asked.

“Somehow or other we have been teleported back through time.”

Wilma shook her head.

“That would certainly explain the depth charges. What can you do to help us?”

The woman scratched her head.

“I need the reactor taken off line mam.”

“That would leave us dead in the water,” Vanderhofen pointed out.

“We can still operate on emergency batteries number two.”

Wilma activated the com.

“Murray, take the reactor off line and activate the emergency stand by.”

She then glared at the scientific advisor before coming to a decision.

“We have a duty here. Don’t you agree number two?”

He nodded.

“Now hold on a moment,” Sheila said. “You can’t play around with
history.”

“Midway Island is being bombed to hell as we speak. They need all the help they can get.”

“That’s just great!” Sheila yelled. “What will you do captain? Nuke Tokyo?”

The captain was genuinely shocked.

“Certainly not, but we will sink that carrier. Now get to engineering and figure out how to get us home.”

As the woman stormed off, Wilma hit the intercom.

“Torpedo room. Load tubes one through four with live fish.”

She gazed at the bridge crew.

“Helmsman, two degrees to port. We are going in.”

The bow shifted as the unsuspecting carrier drew closer.

“Torpedo room ready mam,” Vanderhofen said quietly.

Wilma stared into the viewer.

“Right half a degree. Now steady...Fire one through four.”

As the weapons streaked toward the target she barked, “Crash dive!”

The bow planes tilted into position and the conning tower vanished beneath the boiling ocean. Moments later, the Akagi and its compliment of Zero fighters was engulfed in bright orange flame.

As it heeled over, a squadron of US fighter bombers came over the horizon.
...
Within the command area, a frantic call came from the forward torpedo room.

“Three of my men just vanished mam.”

“What do you mean by vanished?” Vanderhofen asked.

“Just that sir. They faded before my eyes.”

The second in command glanced at his captain, but saw her too fade from view.
...
Wilma found herself sitting behind a rather unfamiliar desk. As she glanced around the new surroundings she muttered, “Why am I inside the Oval Office?”

She glanced up as the door was rapped.

“Come in...”

“Sorry to disturb madam president but Admiral Roosevelt is here to see you.”

She gave him a rather blank look.

“Naval chief of staff?” the aid informed her.

“Send him in.”

She sat up and folded her arms across her bust.

“My life is getting really crazy,” she muttered.

As the uniformed officer walked in, she noted the large black leather briefcase.

“How can I help you admiral?”

He sat down and began to remove a file.

“As you know mam, Sheila Davies has been working on project X-Ray for five years now.”

“Has she indeed.”

“Yes mam. She now feels that a live test is necessary.”

“Do you mind if I read that?”

Wilma took the file and read slowly.

“I’m assuming you want the USS Vancouver to conduct this test of yours?”

“She is our latest model mam.”

“Who’s in command?”

The admiral gave her a strange look.

“Captain Vanderhofen mam. An extremely reliable officer.”

“Is he indeed.”

She handed the file back and stood. As she walked over to the window, dark clouds were interlaced with flashes of lightning.

“Terrible weather.”

“It’s been like this for three days now,” the admiral replied.

Wilma turned slowly.

“I know this is probably against procedure admiral but can I speak to Captain Vanderhofen?”

“You are the commander in chief mam. If you would like to follow me.”

“To the Pentagon?”

“Of course mam.”

As the armoured vehicle crossed the streets of Washington, Wilma looked at the bleak paths.

“What’s the state of the world like?”

“Well mam, the Chinese continue to strengthen their grip on south Asia.”

“We lost the Korean War?"

“Of course mam. Now the joint chiefs want your approval to invade Britain.”

She gave him a filthy look.

“What have they done to upset us?”

“As you obviously forgot mam their PM wants to join the Eastern Alliance. If we do nothing, an invasion force will sail for our east coast.”

“We certainly can’t have that,” she muttered.

“Here we are mam.”

She was shown into the central pod of the Pentagon, and stood looking at a huge electronic screen.

“You can speak to him here mam.”

She followed the admiral to a secure communications console.

As the link was set up, she smiled.

“Pretty smart place this.”

“It’s the best in the world mam. You can speak now.”

“Is that you captain?”

A familiar voice quickly answered.

“Yes madam president.”

She coughed nervously.

“On no account are you to visit Midway Island. I have a special job for you.”

As the shocked admiral looked on, she continued.

“Take the Virginia off to Guam for me.”

“Yes mam. It’s a pleasure mam.”

As the communication ended the shocked admiral asked, “What about the test?”

Wilma smiled.

“I want the funding cut and the notes shredded. That test is really far too dangerous for my liking.”

The shocked admiral was about to protest, when his timeline came to an abrupt end.
...
Wilma found herself back inside the command area, holding onto the communicator.

“So we are off to Guam mam?”

She put it back and gazed sleepily at Vanderhofen.

“Yes we are sir.”

“Why do you think the president ordered us there?”

Wilma shook her head and muttered, “Time will tell...”