As a gesture of goodwill, and possibly as a diplomatic cue (obviously the Soviets couldn't know about her being an alt-jumper) Sharon was given back her weapon and a custom-made alluminium breastplate with a golden Hammer and Sickle emblasoned on its back. The Leviathan was refueled with the deterministic efficiency that only a totalitarian military can muster, and slowly passed under the minefield surrounding the base. Riding the beast clung to the periscope, Sharon let out an ultrasonic sigh of relief when they reached clear, less polluted waters. Sharon was going to follow the submarine until the Seawolf was out of the Russian-controlled zone, then take the lead and trace the route for them; although she could outswim the mammoth with some effort -- the extra turrets had ruined its streamlining, and the engines weren't as efficient in this alt as in the original one -- there was no reason to tire.
As the big machine moved on in the otherwise deserted waters (Sharon could tell that the unusual low hum of the propellers scared away every living thing for miles) she swam around it remaining in its flux flow, trying to locate a weak point. She still had her lava lamp, his captors having assumed that it had only cosmetic value, but Antoine had been very clear about its use; the Leviathan's armor was way too strong for it to burn away the reactor core.
It was late in the afternoon when the submarine let out an ear-piercing sonar ping. From then on, they were relying on Sharon's guidance. She replied with a short shriek, quickly went to the surface to take a deep breath -- enough for two, three hours -- and looked around.
The Russians knew that the best way to avoid Allied depth charges was to follow the underwater canyons created by the Rhein and Danube eras before, but always had to take the riskier route because no-one could chart the canyons precisely enough. Now they had an extra chance to reach the river's estuary undetected and activate the EMP weapon... although the Leviathan could more than defend itself, the Russian navy didn't want to risk its most powerful -- and least replaceable -- offensive weapon.
After floating a little before the Leviathan's fore to rest for a moments, as dolphins sometimes do with boats, Sharon dived down with a determined flap of her long tail. For now, her plan was to...
Tue Dec 14 04:48:53 1999