Chapter 105: Saladin Sails to New York
"Welcome aboard, General. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve started to grow fond of me," chuckled Saladin, as General Malkovich stepped onto the deck of the Aristotle.
"Believe it or not, I actually have, and I’m actually trying to stop The Powers That Be from getting too jittery and trying to nuke your ass," replied Malkovich.
"Well, I appreciate the sentiment, as for The Powers That Be as you call them, it’s gratifying to be on the receiving end of them being jittery for a change," said Saladin, as the Aristotle got underway and started steaming out into the Mediterranean, shadowed by French and Israeli submarines.
"May I ask why you decided to use this thing to get to New York instead of using a plane like a normal person?" asked General Malkovich.
"I went through a lot of trouble to acquire this wonderful toy, General. I’m not passing up the chance for showing off how cool it is," chuckled Saladin.
"Now that is a sentiment I can appreciate," replied Malkovich with a smirk.
They walked together back into the ship’s superstructure.
The cool air conditioning blasted across Malkovich’s face as they entered the interior.
"Whew! That’s some serious climate control," he remarked.
"Aaron Zakhrov likes to keep his interiors at optimal conditions for leather," chuckled Saladin.
"Is this your ship or Zakhrov’s?" asked Malkovich.
"It’s Libya’s, but Aaron Zakhrov’s fondness for leather and black paint jobs resonates with me, so I let him just do what he wants," replied Saladin.
"Yeah, yeah, that kid’s a menace," grumbled Malkovich.
"He’s not much of a kid anymore," chuckled Saladin.
"Oh yeah? He may be 21 now, but he’s still a damn kid who has way too many dangerous toys. And instead of throwing a tantrum when you try to say no, he just goes and makes even bigger more dangerous toys," said Malkovich.
"The same could be said of America in general, wouldn’t you agree?" asked Saladin.
"Touché," replied Malkovich with a small smile.
"Come, let me show you to your quarters. I believe you will find them quite comfortable," said Saladin, as they headed towards the ship’s accommodations.
----
"This a warship or a cruise ship? I’ve never seen a stateroom like this even on a damn flagship," remarked Malkovich, as he entered his stateroom.
The stateroom was luxuriously appointed, with a large bed, a sitting area with a sofa and armchairs, a large flat-screen TV, and a desk.
All decked in sleek black leather of course, and black wood topped with polished glass, and lit by soft white OLED panels.
"Zakhrov might just single-handedly be the enemy of all cows," chuckled Malkovich, as he sat down on the sofa, the leather creaking softly under his weight.
"He once remarked that the only things a cow is good for are beef and leather," said Saladin with a chuckle.
"Well, I suppose there are worse ways to spend a week at sea," said Malkovich, as he picked up the remote and turned on the TV.
"Indeed. See you at dinner," said Saladin, as he headed out of the stateroom.
"Wait, Saladin. One more thing," called Malkovich.
"Yes, General?" asked Saladin, turning back.
"Why is the ship named after Aristotle?" asked Malkovich.
"Aaron is the one who named it. I believe ironically, since the ship doesn’t exactly embody Aristotle’s ideals of moderation," replied Saladin with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I can see that," said Malkovich with a small smile, as Saladin headed out.
----
Malkovich tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep.
"This ship is too damn quiet, and too damn comfortable," he muttered to himself, missing the familiar humming of a warship’s engines, and the small vibrations and rocking of the hull.
He got up and went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face.
Feeling slightly refreshed, he changed into a fresh uniform and headed to the bridge.
"Ah, General Malkovich, what brings you to the bridge at this hour?" asked Captain Siddig, as Malkovich entered the bridge.
"Couldn’t sleep. The ship’s too damn quiet," replied Malkovich, taking in the view of the black Atlantic night through the ship’s observation windows.
"What’s our position?" he asked.
"We just left Gibraltar a few hours ago. We’ll be approaching the US eastern seaboard in about 4 days," replied Siddig.
"4 days? What are we running at?" asked Malkovich.
"30 knots," replied Siddig.
"Wait a second. You guys were going a lot slower the last time," said Malkovich.
"The last time we had a flotilla of Japanese freighters in tow. They could only do 22 knots even with us powering them through tow cables," explained Siddig.
"Well, at least it’s nice to know you guys still obey the laws of physics," chuckled Malkovich.
"Indeed, General," replied Siddig with a small smile.
Malkovich stifled a yawn.
"Well, I suppose I should try to get some sleep," he said, as he headed back to his stateroom.
----
"General Malkovich to the bridge," announced the ship’s PA system.
Malkovich entered the bridge, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"General, we have some visitors," said Captain Siddig, gesturing to 2 Ticonderoga-class cruisers approaching the Aristotle.
"This is General Malkovich, NATO commander in the Middle East. Aristotle is on a diplomatic mission to New York, we are carrying Premier Saladin and his delegation to the UN," said Malkovich into the radio.
"Understood, General. You are requested to proceed at 22 knots. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group will escort you to New York," replied the Ticonderoga’s captain.
"Understood," replied Malkovich.
The Aristotle slowed to 22 knots, as the Ticonderogas fell in on either side of her.
"How far out are we?" asked Malkovich.
"About 200 nautical miles," replied Siddig.
"I suppose that’s close enough for them to pick us up," said Malkovich.
Saladin entered the bridge.
"Ah, I see we have some company," he remarked.
"What did you expect? This thing can outrun pretty much anything short of a nuclear carrier," chuckled Malkovich.
"How much longer until we reach New York?" asked Saladin.
"About 9 hours at this speed," replied Siddig.
"Very well. I’ll have my delegation prepare for arrival," said Saladin.
----
A Navy Bell UH-Y1 helicopter approached the Aristotle, and landed on the helipad mounted on the stern.
A Navy Nuclear Inspection and Safety Detachment disembarked, and was greeted by Saladin and Malkovich.
"Welcome aboard," greeted Saladin.
"Yeah, yeah. Out of the way! We need to make sure that this thing is safe," barked the lead inspector, as she picked up a bag of equipment.
"Friendly," commented Saladin, as Malkovich pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What’s your name, ma’am?" asked Malkovich.
"Lt. Commander Sarah Thompson, USN," replied the inspector, glaring at Malkovich.
"Commander, you’re in the presence of a superior officer. Show some respect!" barked Malkovich.
"Yes, sir," replied Thompson, reluctantly.
"Now follow me. I’ll lead you to the missile tubes," said Malkovich, heading towards the ship’s forward deck.
The Navy team followed Malkovich and Saladin, as they headed towards the missile tubes.
"Ugh! This is going to take forever," grumbled Thompson, as she inspected the VLS silos and confirmed that they were shut and safe.
"Commander, a word in private please?" asked Malkovich.
"Fine," replied Thompson, as she followed Malkovich to a quieter part of the deck.
"What is your major malfunction, Commander? Are you trying to start a damn war?" asked Malkovich.
"Not at all, General. I’m just doing my job," replied Thompson coolly.
"Then what’s with the attitude?" asked Malkovich.
"With all due respect, General, I don’t take orders from you. Nor do I have to explain myself," replied Thompson.
"Fine, carry on Commander," sighed Malkovich, heading back to Saladin.
"Trouble?" asked Saladin.
"I’m not sure yet. It could just be an overworked officer, or it could be something more," replied Malkovich.
"I’ll have Siddig keep his eyes open," said Saladin.
"Good idea," replied Malkovich.
"Sixty four damn VLS launchers! Sixteen tubes for ICBMs! I’ve inspected a lot of ships, but this is ridiculous!" grumbled Thompson, as she and her team cleared the last of the missile silos.
"All right, where’s the reactor room?" asked Thompson.
"You’re not getting in there. Have your team check for radiation levels from the outside," replied Saladin.
"That’s not up for discussion Commander. Remember that you’re a guest in foreign territory while you’re aboard this ship," said Malkovich as Thompson opened her mouth to argue.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth.
Saladin and Malkovich led the Navy team into the ship’s superstructure, then down a series of gangways and security doors.
They finally arrived at reactor room 1.
"All right, Commander. You can take it from here," said Malkovich, gesturing to the thick steel door.
Thompson’s team set up their equipment outside the door, and began taking radiation readings.
"This thing even nuclear? I’m picking up mostly heat and background radiation," remarked Thompson.
"I suppose that means the radiation shielding is working," quipped Saladin, which earned him a glare from Thompson.
"Next room," said Malkovich, as they headed to reactor room 2.
They repeated the process, with Thompson’s team taking radiation readings from outside the door.
"All right, the ship is clear," said Thompson churlishly, as she packed up her equipment.
----
"Aristotle, this is the Abraham Lincoln. You are requested to maintain 12 knots, and proceed to Norfolk pier for secure docking," came the call over the radio.
"Aristotle acknowledges, maintaining 12 knots and proceeding to Norfolk pier for secure docking," replied Siddig.
The Aristotle slowed to 12 knots, as the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group fell formed up around it in a containment zone.
At 12 knots, the Aristotle’s engines were barely audible, the sound was mostly the rushing of water past the hull.
Soon, the skyline of New York came into view.
"The UN awaits," remarked Saladin, as he took in the view of the skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty.