03x05 - Minefield

[bunniefuu]

General Quarters, General Quarters, mines in the water.

Set Condition Zebra... all decks.

Disengage shafts.

Man: Disengage on.

No turns port and starboard. Rig for Quiet One.

Alisha: Mines in the water.

All hands, rig for Quiet One.

The reason for General Quarters is mines in the water.

Secure all spaces, Set Condition Zebra.

[Alarm blaring, indistinct conversations]

[g*n cocks]

[Alarm continues]

Michener: My fellow Americans, 30 minutes ago, I gave the order to begin the evacuation of all United States Naval forces from our Base in Uruma, Okinawa.

What's left of the Pacific Fleet... two ships... is currently heading east, en route to their agreed position in Pearl Harbor.

Shut down long-range sonar.

Shine Kingfisher.

Man: Shining Kingfisher.

Whose water is this? Whose been out here?

This is disputed territory.

There's three nations, several non-governmental actors currently vying for...

Why are you turning off sonar if there are mines around?

Long-range sonar's what set off that expl*si*n.

Kingfisher's lower power will still give us a picture of the minefield.

Efforts are currently being made to negotiate for the release of the hostages, both directly with the parties involved and through our allies in the region.

The nature of these details must and will remain classified.

I've got Kingfisher on this screen, sir.

There's got to be dozens of them out there, sir.

TAO, you seeing what I'm seeing?

I count 96, sir.

I ask for all Americans to maintain faith with their government in this time of crisis, while we keep our service people in our prayers and thoughts.

Thank you.

[Indistinct shouting]

No questions at this point, but I will keep you informed as things progress.

Jacob: How do we know this is the whole story when your administration has been keeping information from the public ever since Chandler left for Asia?

[Chatter]

Sets of three, and they're very close, sir.

Sir, I've calculated every available path for us, sir.

We're surrounded. There's no way out.

You only put up a wall if you're trying to protect something.

That means we're close.

♪ ♪

[Grunts]

All done pirating for the day?

Not quite.

What are you after this time?

A shipment of men's suits?

Lawn furniture?

No, not today.

Today, we hunt a bigger prize... your ship.

[Indistinct conversation]

Masks, suits, fins, tanks at pressure, regulators, cutting tools, comms.

Now, Cruz, Kudelski, Wallace, Fiores, you're all going in.

Be damn sure I wish I could join you.

Next time, L.T.

They're lining the pass here to here... groups of three chained together.

Each mine set appears to be anchored to the bottom by a single tether.

We figure larger traces like these here and here could be contact mines.

Narrower traces could be magnetic.

Normally, I'd have you work in teams, but we have too many mines to scout.

So you'll be going in solo.

Now, once you get close enough to a mine, you'll radio in the intel.

We'll have spec sheets in the CIC to help you determine how to disarm.

Chandler: All right. Listen up!

I know you're all in a hurry to get to our people on the other side of that minefield, but we got to get ourselves out of here in one piece first.

So go slow, be smart.

Let's get this done.

[Chatter]

[Indistinct conversations]

Michener: You realize what a sh*t storm we're gonna be in if they don't find their way out of that minefield?

Barnes is already fishing for answers about Chandler.

We weren't gonna broadcast to the country, and possibly the pirates, that our Chief of Naval Operations is playing cowboy on the James.

National Security issue, plain and simple.

I just heard from Beatty.

The regional leadership committee is demanding a meeting.

Demanding?

Half of them are in town already. The rest are on their way.

We're gonna have to level with them about Asia, bring them into the fold.

I'm afraid Allison's right.

Like it or not, they're our partners, and they speak for millions in their territories.

Their support is crucial, now more than ever.

[Sighs]

We've got a banana split here.

Block contact activated.

Block magnetically activated.

Still trying to get a handle on the third one.

Chandler: Everyone else seeing the same thing?

Man: Yes, sir.

Wolf, is there any writing on it?

A manufacturers' number?

Anything?

Negative so far.

Look at the tether attachment.

Sometimes the boltheads are stamped.

Nothing.

There's nothing.

Never seen a mine like this before.

I have it at one meter in diameter, steel casing, painted.

Checking reference based on physical descriptors.

Stand by.

And what looks like a vent hole on the center of a steel box at the bottom.

Vent's screened off.

[Clanging]

I can't see in there too well.

There's some kind of homemade contraption in there.

Anything, Burk?

Nothing yet.

Homemade sounds about right.

Sir, we're drifting.

Suggest we start our starboard engine and run slow... two degrees right rudder, one minute every five to counteract.

Helm, ahead 1/3 for two knots as necessary to maintain position.

Muffle starboard and proceed.

Aye, sir.

All right. Listen up, gentlemen.

Looks like we're gonna have to start sweeping with just the information we got.

Stay as clear as you can from the third mine in each series.

I need you to cut the chains to the bottom in a narrow avenue ahead of the ship, then you are going to gently move each group out of the way, one by one.

Are you all ready?

Wolf: Aye, sir.

All right, mine-group seven, that's you, Kudelski.

Start now.

Kudelski, aye.

Commencing cutting 12 lengths beneath the mine.

Captain, we need to belay that order.

There's something about this third mine.

There's some kind of electrical coiling in it.

Kudelski, stand fast.

Chain's free, Captain.

It's all good. I may need a hand from another diver to move these guys. They're pretty heavy.

Kudelski, did you hear the captain's order to belay?

It's moving, sir.

Kudelski.

Sir.

This mine here. It's beginning to vibrate.

Kudelski!

Wolf: Out of the water!

Back up!

Out of the water now!

Back up, now!

Deploy retrieval teams. Everyone out of the water now!

Wolf: All teams out of the water!

Oh, Jesus, Kudelski's [Groans]

[Groaning]

[Dog barking in distance]

Captain.

Come.

Bring your doctor.

[Indistinct shouting]

[Breathing heavily]

Rios: High fever.

Jaundice.

She has red flu, but the blood is not working.

Her pulse is elevated.

She may have the red flu, but she also has malaria.

That's what's causing all this.

Are you sure?

She has all the symptoms.

I don't need to tell you about all the mosquitos out there.

What do we need?

No, there's nothing in here. I need antibiotics.

She's your wife.

God damn sons of b*tches!

You find Kudelski?

Nothing to find, sir.

Wolf: Did you see that?

After the expl*si*n?

The mines dropped their anchoring chains.

All of them?

That means they're sensing something.

Blast must've triggered them, huh?

Well, we should be able to push them out the way then, right?

They're floating free?

I don't know.

I just know I don't like it.

Neither do I.

[Indistinct conversation]

Michener: Good to see you, Senator.

Manuel, welcome.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Al, Roberta, Randall, sit down.

Please, sit down.

Thanks for taking the time, Mr. President.

I know it's not been easy.

Well, I appreciate you making the trip here.

Obviously, we have a lot to discuss, so I think we should just jump in.

Danny: Is it possible the expl*si*n knocked them all free?

If it was powerful enough to do that, none of us would be standing here.

That coil there.

Maybe it's some kind of sensor.

To make the mines drop their chains?

What would that even accomplish?

Well, look at that there, behind the coil.

Is that... is that moving?

If it is, it could be a motor.

Is that even possible?

I've seen hundreds of mines.

Never anything like that before.

Chandler: It's an improvised w*apon.

Anything's possible.

Sonar, you getting any kind of low hum?

I got something.

Very faint, sir.

I thought it was the echo off the coral of our gear, but...

TAO, take a listen.

It's barely audible.

Could it be the hum of a motor?

It's getting louder.

Where's it coming from?

It's coming from all around us, from all directions.

That third mine has its own engine.

The sounds are getting closer.

Mines are coming right at us.

So Nathan James is trapped in this minefield as we speak!

Michener: That's right.

And when did Chandler leave Hong Kong?

After the kidnapping occurred.

Beatty: At which point Peng, the president of China, tried to blow up his plane?

Captain Chandler's certain that's the case, sir.

And now he's taken the helm and is personally leading the rescue mission.

Not quite how you presented it to us.

Well, I'm sure you can understand I didn't feel comfortable discussing the details over our video-conference systems.

Well, I suppose it's a good thing we showed up here today, then.

Yes, it is, and I appreciate your support, as always.

Beatty: At the risk of sounding cold-hearted, I'll be blunt.

These events in Asia are coming at a bad time.

Our constituents in the territories are still reeling from the plague and the chaos that followed.

This situation across the globe, coupled with tensions over construction... we're seeing demonstrations in the streets.

They're not peaceful vigils like you've got going on here.

We-We've got people on the brink of... of rioting, Mr. President.

I understand.

So what can I do to help?

Cancel the ration cards.

Restore the land-claim rights.

Open the markets.

Rescind all of my domestic policies.

They're not working and people aren't happy.

There's not much more they can take...

You think you can waltz in here and leverage this crisis to muscle me?

Look, when you closed the banks for a month and then reopened them with limited withdrawals, we supported you even though our people were up in arms.

When you used the m*llitary to forcibly remove refugees from their shelters...

Those weren't shelters. Those were land grabs... people squatting in homes of surviving plague victims, pushing out surviving family members who had a legitimate right to be there.

That is an oversimplification, sir.

Is it?

I'm living in a hotel next door.

I've seen where you live, Manuel, in that mansion.

It's quite an upgrade from your previous home.

Tell me, do you even know who it belongs to?

Beatty: There's no reason to make this personal, Mr. President.

We're here to help you as much as ourselves.

You're weak right now.

With what's going on overseas... people are losing faith.

You can't solve Asia... fine.

Then give the people something they want.

And if I don't?

I only have so much control over my region.

Some of our truckers may decide they no longer want to volunteer to make those long-haul shipments all the way to the heartland.

Suddenly, your people don't have the supplies they need, then you don't have candles out there, you've got pitchforks.

[Sighs]

Gentlemen, Mrs. Price, I'll remind you that we were sitting around this table just five months ago.

We put our hands together and we agreed that this was the best arrangement for the country under reconstruction.

The presidency, here, in St. Louis with the Chief of Staff and my Secretary of Foreign Affairs chosen from your regions.

Senator Beatty with the constitutional authority to ratify certain new laws, and I thank you for that... and an expectation that all of you would try to maintain control over your regions until we sorted out how the boundaries could be drawn or whether or not we needed to elect new governors.

Now, we've got congressional elections coming up next month, after which the people, through the voice of the new Congress, can decide whether or not to retain my policies.

Until then, I say this... get a handle on your people.

If you can't and you really fear rioting, I will not hesitate to use the full force of our armed forces to maintain order in this country.

Now, I have a job to do, and so do you.

As your president, I advise all of you to get to it.

Thank you for coming and have a safe trip back.

[Door opens]

[Indistinct conversation]

How's she doing, doc?

Malaria's a funny disease.

It comes in waves.

She's in a lull now.

I don't need to tell you, we can't lose her.

She's gonna be touch and go for a bit.

And the baby?

If I can't get the fever spikes under control...

A highly placed source tells me there is currently broad suspicion that CNO Tom Chandler is no longer in China, but is, in fact, onboard the Nathan James in pursuit of man called Takehaya and the hostages.

Whether or not they're making progress, no one can tell us, except the man behind that door, which remains closed.

No questions have been answered today.

Kara: What do you think you're doing?

Turn that off.

Where did you hear that?

So it's true.

Judging by your reaction, there's no good news.

Get him out of here.

There's no one in there.

They all left for the night.

Who told you about Chandler?

Who do you think?

One of the regional leaders.

Don't you see how you're being manipulated?

I think it's you and the administration that are doing the manipulating.

We could freeze your credentials.

I thought we still had a free press.

Jacob, this is a sensitive operation.

I am begging you, do not run that story... not now.

What do I get?

A sit-down with the president... one-on-one.

Today?

Tomorrow.

Just give us 24 hours.

[Sighs]

You got 12.

Sasha: I can't tell how fast they're moving.

Lucky for us, the motors are very small and the mines are very large, and we're 1/4 mile from the closest one.

Well, how soon till the first one closes in on us?

TAO estimates approximately 44 minutes, with the next wave a few minutes later... if we're still here.

Has anyone talked about evacuating the ship while we still have time?

We canvassed the crew.

No one's leaving.

Burk: We already lost one man. I'm not gonna lose another. What do we do?

Danny: I say we send the divers out again, we attach C-4 charges to each mine, we blow them up one by one.

Cameron: That could cause a chain reaction and blow the whole minefield.

Burk: You got a better idea?

Put flotation gear on them. Get them to rise to the surface, ship takes them out one by one with the 50-cals.

Not enough time.

TAO... we still have both Nixies?

Yes, sir. Full working order.

How's that gonna help us?

We drag a Nixie behind us to fool a torpedo.

What's to stop us from having it trick the mines?

Rig the Nixie tube to the batteries on the helo, crank up the sound generator, and tow it through the minefield ahead of us.

So the sound it puts out triggers the sonically activated mines to blow and creates a path for the ship.

And we follow the helo's track as it clears a lane.

How fast can you rig it?

Less than 10, sir. I'm on it.

Sir, I don't think Jesse's helo can cover enough water in the time that we have.

You may get a path out, but by the time it's clear, the mines on our flank are gonna take us out.

We can rig the second Nixie to one of the RHIBs.

You let my team run interference on the weak side.

You'll be racing over the mines as the detonate.

We got 100 yards of cable, sir.

We... We put the Nixie far enough behind us, it takes the blows.

We keep moving through.

It's the only way.

Get it done.

What is it?

Sir, um...

Driving the RHIB could be a two-man job, if it had to be.

Wolf and me... we don't have wives and kids at home.

Green doesn't need to join.

Understood.

Thank you.

Sir.

[Sighs]

[Door closes]

Kara, it's May 27th.

I'm recording this message at...

11:22 hours local time, South China sea.

You should know Danny will be assigned off the ship, but in case we don't make it out of here... [Sighs] please forward the following message to my children.

[Sniffles] Mm.

Ashley, Sam...

I hope to God you never see this.

But if you do...

I wanted you to know...

I wake up every day proud of you.

[Sniffles]

Please never forget that.

Be brave.

Be kind to each other.

Help each other whenever you can.

And listen to your grandad once in a while.

He's a pain, but the older I get, the smarter he seems to be.

I wish I could have been there more.

I hope you know that.

[Indistinct conversation]

You'll be with Jesse on the helo.

Gator's gonna chart the coordinates, you and Lieutenant Green will cover the lookouts.

You're putting me out of harm's way.

We don't come out of this, get to Okinawa any way you can.

Convince the president to send our other ships, find our people.

Bring them back.

Green!

You're lookout on the helo!

What?

That's a two-man job!

Lookout, helo, now!

[Chatter]

Hundred yards of cable.

Kara: It was leaked.

And who leaked it?

He wouldn't tell me.

Michener: It could've been any one of them.

What does it matter now?

It sounds like you got their backs up when you threatened martial law.

For all we know, it could be the leaders stoking the flames with their people.

And even if they are, we can't risk going toe-to-toe with them right now.

She's right.

The crisis in Asia trumps our domestic agenda.

We need to throw them a bone, make some kind of concession.

Unless the James makes it out of that minefield.

I'm sorry, Kara.

I know your husband's on that ship, but we can not count on the James surviving to bail us out.

Michener: Even if they do, there's no bailing us out.

The leaders smell blood in the water.

What do you want to give them?

Nothing, except maybe my middle finger.

Sir...

Nothing, Alex.

We give them nothing.

CNO on the bridge.

How far to the closest mine?

110 yards, sir.

8 minutes till impact.

[Helicopter blades whirring]

Let's go.

Cruz: Nathan James, RHIB is in position.

Commence engine engagement procedure.

Alisha: Aye, sir.

OOD, engage shafts port and starboard.

Engage shafts port and starboard.

Engaging.

We have turns on port shaft.

We have turns on starboard shaft.

Sasha: Releasing the Nixie now.

Chandler: OOD, ahead 2/3 knots.

We do not want to wake up those mines.

We stay a Quiet One.

CCS, CIC, maintain Quiet One.

Helm, no less than 1,000 yards from that helo.

Give it room to work in front of us.

Aye, sir.

Gator: Approaching the first set now, sir.

Port side.

[Explosions]

Five degrees starboard!

Come to 0-2-1-2.

The next group is right...

Oh!

There!

That was close.

Two more sets.

[Explosions]

Cruz and Wolf, you're up.

Port side.

Steady now.

Got three of them coming right up, bearing 2-2-5.

Chandler: Nicely done, gentlemen.

How many was that?

I count 12.

[Whispers]

[Inhales deeply]

Sir, maintaining current speed, we'll reach the end of the minefield in less than four minutes.

How we doing, Green?

That's four!

How many left along this line?

I count three remaining.

There! Hold that.

200 yards on this bearing.

By our count, we've got three sets left, sir.

Chandler: Copy that.

Alpha team, 2 more sets... 100 yards off our starboard bow.

Bearing 1-6-5.

Got it, sir. On it. Brace, Wolf.

We're turning.

Alpha team, we've got the same problem midships port side.

Cruz: Heading to your port side.

Permission to increase speed, sir.

No more than 15 knots.

We don't want your engine noise to set off the whole damn minefield.

Aye aye, Captain.

Hydrophone effects.

I hear hydrophone effects, sir.

Jesus.

Captain, we've got hydrophone effects.

Torpedo incoming. Where?

[Alarm blaring]

Son of a bitch.

Where the hell did that come from?

Calculating vector, sir.

All engines ahead flank!

Sonar, radar, find me a contact.

There's a ship out there somewhere.

Wolf, Cruz, be advised torpedo incoming.

Inbound. 7 miles out, doing... 60 knots.

[expl*si*n]

Danny: We have not swept all the mines, sir!

You are not clear to overtake us!

Sir, no room to evade port or starboard.

Sir, torpedo appears to be a VA-111 big enough to blow the entire minefield around us.

TAO, what's the bearing on that torpedo?

Bearing 2-4-0 to the ship... 2-4-5 to you.

You got that?

I got it.

[Alarm blaring]

What are they doing?

They're going for the torpedo.

Danny: Holy sh*t. They're trying to intercept it.

Can that work?

If they don't intercept far enough out, the shock waves will set all the mines off and k*ll everyone anyway.

Wolf, let out as much line as you can.

Captain, 15 knots will not allow us to intercept.

Sir, the Nixie needs to hit that torpedo beyond the edge of the minefield.

g*n it, Cruz.

Cruz: Copy that, sir.

[Alarm blaring]

Ah! [Grunts]

Disengage overpower governors.

Jesse, you need to hustle.

Those mines are gonna be exploding right under our bow if we get any closer to you.

I go any faster, I'm gonna pull the Nixie out of the water.

[Explosions]

Cruz, 400 yards.

Flare to starboard on my call.

[Groans]

Cruz: Hold on, Wolf!

300 yards.

Hold 2-4-5. Now 2-4-7.

When this thing goes, you do your damndest to stay in that boat.

Roger that!

[Grunting]

200 yards.

100 yards. Brace!

When it goes... dive down, lie flat, hold on.

Fire in 3, 2, 1...

Now!

[expl*si*n]

Shockwave coming!

Brace! Brace! Brace!

TAO.

We're clear, Captain.

Alisha: Wolf, Cruz, come in, over.

[Sighs]

Lookouts to the rail.

Prepare to form a search party.

Alisha: Wolf, Cruz, come in, over.

Anything?

You got them?

Burk?

Burk: There's no sign of them, sir.

Just some pieces of the RHIB.

How you doing on fuel, Jesse?

Jesse: Uh, plenty.

Going in for another sweep now.

North-northwest heading 3-3-0 to 3-4-3.

That torpedo came from somewhere.

No contacts on radar or sonar, sir.

These islands here, they could be taking cover anywhere.

[Shouting]

[Sighs]

Shh.

We're taking another pass, sir.

Green?

I got nothing, sir.

There! There!

God damn.

Captain, you're never gonna believe this.

We got them.

[Cheering]

We got them, sir. We got them.

[Laughs]

[Cheers]

All right!

[Cheers and applause]

Yes!

Coming home to Mother.

Watch yourself.

Got him.

[Chatter]

Sir, we have word from Nathan James.

They made it out of the minefield.

They think they're closing in on Takehaya.

Well... we live to fight another day.

[Sighs]

Make yourself at home.

You've got a soft spot for him.

Green.

He's my best operator.

I wanted you protected... if it went to hell.

So you've got a soft spot for me?

That's never been much of a secret.

I've always run things as a solo operation.

Must be such a burden, having to make all those decisions... everyone's lives in your hands.

It's the job.

Well... you do it with grace.

[Sighs]

I really did not want to lose you today.

[Door opens]

Chandler: I'm gonna get there, Mike.