Red Shark

Commander Tongsun Park ordered the Red Shark back to port. A day that had included maneuvers with warships of the Korean People’s Navy had turned sour. Poor performance by the Red Shark’s crew had angered Park: Officers manning the ship’s integrated fire control system had had to abort two live torpedo launches at the last moment due to confusion and error. Park, humiliated by the miscues, had received a savage dressing-down from Admiral Jung-en Woo, Commander West Coast Fleet, who had observed the Red Shark’s maneuvers while aboard a destroyer.

Park commanded the most modern and deadly submarine in the DPRK’s fleet. Based on a secret German design, the Red Shark had been built inside a hidden construction hall in Nam’po, using plans stolen by the DPRK’s SPF — Special Purpose Forces — from the Germans. Her construction and shakedown over a four-year period had proven how complicated and demanding a vessel she was. Park still didn’t fully comprehend the workings of her propulsion and combat systems.

The Red Shark’s propulsion system consisted of three components: a closed-cycle Thyssen diesel engine powered by liquid oxygen, argon gas, and diesel fuel; a lead acid battery set; and an air-independent propulsion — AIP — system. The AIP system utilized nine fuel cells filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen reactants that produced electricity for low-speed cruising. For high underwater speeds, the Red Shark used her ultra-high-performance battery or the diesel engine itself.

Though Park had a hard time keeping the three components sorted out in his brain, he knew that new quieting technologies — rafted machinery platforms, elastic mounts for noise and vibration control — coupled to AIP made the Red Shark virtually undetectable. Add to that an ability to cruise submerged for over a month, and the Red Shark was the perfect instrument to carry out the mission assigned to her by Pyongyang.

Upon arrival in Nam’po, Park received another dressing-down from his squadron commander, a captain, who then handed Park a lengthy set of orders from Pyongyang. Park, in a black mood and sweating furiously from his ordeal, saw the label Most Secret attached to his orders, and also, in the originator box, a name he didn’t recognize.

“General Yi is an aide to Marshal Jin, the Dear Leader,” the captain explained.

Park read his orders and felt his mouth turn to cotton. “The Philippines?”

“Yes. The cargo you are to transport there will arrive here in four days.”

“But—”

“There is a problem?” The captain’s stony look cut Park like a knife.

“Comrade Captain, we, I—”

“Yes?”

“Sir, with respect, the crew of the Red Shark will need further training — at minimum another two weeks — if we are to undertake a voyage to the Philippines.”

“If you cannot make the necessary preparations in the time allotted, I will relieve you of command.”