Carla used her radio to contact the US1. She knew the frequency band on which to transmit, but would they reply? Unlike a phone call, the transmitter broadcasts to anyone within range and tuned to that frequency. US1 might not want their reply overheard.
By now, the red helicopter was 10Km out from the island and Star was behind, 7Km out. The US1 was 30Km away intercepting the work boat, 5Km west of the boats it had been towing.
Aboard the 2 boats, everyone was waking up and arguing about what had happened to them, where they were and how to get home. Fortunately it did not take long for the respective captains and their crews, to figure out their position and heading.
Over Dom Island there were a number of small explosions that uncovered the launchers for the fuel/air bombs. The first launch was for the probe which measured wind direction and speed. That information was used to point the launchers optimally, so the fuel cloud would engulf the island, completely.
The 8 fuel-air bomb missiles launched and they all exploded at 150 meters above the highest point on the island. Because the explosive was surrounded with fuel, a mixture of gasoline, aluminum particles and other compounds, it did not ignite the fuel. Instead, the explosive blasted it apart in a massive, dense cloud that settled over the whole island and surrounding coast.
Finally, a series of aimed flares ignited the fuel cloud, which was now well mixed with the oxygen in the atmosphere. The fuel-air was instantly oxidized into an intense fireball. A vacuum formed due to the consumption of the oxygen, replaced just as quickly with a mother of all shockwaves, as the fireball expanded. It threw Star’s helicopter around like a leaf in a storm, the stabilizers working overtime to compensate. Max and Carla felt some turbulence after they heard an ear splitting bang.
Looking back, the island was covered with a blinding orange light.
The final phase of destruction started 30 seconds later. Large, simultaneous explosions occurred, deep below the island at the bottom of the sea filled caverns. The contained explosion ripped the lava crust and fragile cavern walls apart, turning them into dust and steam. It was just like a volcanic eruption. Every part of the island vanished, leaving a vast hole in the sea, where it had stood for millennia.
As millions of cubic meters of sea water flooded the hole, the sea level dropped around it, only to be replaced with a massive tsunami hurtling outwards at 800Km per hour. The wave was just one meter high when it reached the boats and US1, two minutes later. It would have been much higher if the water had been shallow.
Max and Carla were amazed at the speed the wave propagated across the ocean. The boom of the explosion was audible 1000Km away.
“Max, I think we should consider what will happen next.”
“What do you mean, we will find somewhere to land and I am going to vanish.”
“A good plan, but fatally flawed, we don’t have enough fuel to get to land, any land. We will run out over the sea, about 80Km from the nearest land, actually.”
“And you are telling me this now, why?” Max asked sarcastically.
“I had hoped we might have spotted the US1 by now, but they are obviously not on the surface. You will need to prepare for ditching within the next hour; hopefully, we will see the US1 by then or a ship to ditch near.”
For the first time, Max looked at her and smiled. Carla tried to smile back - but the memory of Star’s face looking up at her, made her freeze.
“Are you usually so reckless, Carla? You entice me up here with the promise of a future, only to swap a quick death for a messy one. If we survive ditching which is, by the way, hardly an adequate term to describe crashing into a shark infested ocean, we will eventually drown.”
“If only you could remember the situations we have been in together, Max, you would be so much more positive.”
“Sam Leighton made it clear that we were very close, emotionally, at one time. ‘Partner with benefits’ was the phrase he used. I cannot imagine why I would place myself in danger, yet you imply we did just that, frequently.”
Max never got an answer to his question, fate stepped in at the crucial moment.
“What is that white streak down there, Max?” Carla pointed ahead and to the west.
“I will reduce altitude as we close on it. I just hope it is the US1 breaking surface, but it is travelling at a hell of a speed, for a submarine.”
A minute later, the streak had slowed and a long, grey submarine broke surface. Max reduced forward speed and altitude, finally hovering just a few meters above the water, close to the US1.
“Max, see the rear section of the hull, there is a large flat area, that’s the helipad. Can you drift over and land on it? There are no gusts or swell - just take your time - we can do it.”
The Robinson handled very well and Max felt he had enough confidence to try, so in they went. The pad was quite large and for a skilled pilot, it would have been easy, but Max was not experienced with landings. He soon found that when he got close to the pad, the increased uplift, or rotor flare, stopped him from descending. He had to force himself to continue to lower the collective. When he did, the skids bumped and slid over the surface. In the end, he reduced rotor speed and banged down so hard, the main rotor tip struck the tail rotor. Alarms went off and the vibration made their teeth rattle. Carla dropped the throttle, cut the ignition and applied the rotor brake.
Crew poured out of the US1 like ants, wearing hazmat suits, to secure the helicopter and help its occupants out. Max and Carla were told to strip off all their clothes and were sprayed with disinfectant foam. They were ordered to work it into their hair and over their bodies. Finally, they were hosed down and given towels with which to dry and cover them.
One of the hazmat suits spoke. “Carla, I am a doctor and I need to inject you with the cure for the virus infection that you have. You will feel pretty rough for about 12 hours, like a bad case of flu and then you will be fine and back to normal. Max, you don’t need another injection; the original will still be working.”
They were ushered below and the lashing securing Carla’s helicopter to the deck, was removed.
The crew decontaminated themselves and re-entered US1. As they closed the hatch the huge vessel submerged.
Within seconds the pretty red metallic Robinson 44 slid off the hull and settled in the sea. Carla knew it was the sad end to a beautiful machine, but it had served its purpose.
She had Max safely at her side.