K-495 chapter 3
#3 of K-495 The Devils Boat
Chapter 3
Days passed since my conversation with Dmitriy, the rumor we talked about spread like wildfire aboard the sub, each fur taking his sides, some were for the admiral, some, like me, were against him, but he didn't know.? Today was going to be an entertaining day; all the crew furs were looking forward to today. I was sitting up against the conning towers port side; the gentile waves of the now calm north Atlantic. I sat there, watching the sea, the waves slapping up against the hull, the cawing of a sea gull could be heard off in the distance, it was peaceful, calm, relaxing. I looked down the hull, most of the 83 fur crew was sitting on deck, some playing poker, some smoking, and a few asleep, they looked happy, there ears perked, some tails wagging, a laugh could be heard here and there. I yawned, and stretched, muttering to Gustav, who was sitting next to me, half asleep.
"When do you think it will be here?" I asked him, as I scanned the ocean.
"I don't know..." he muttered, his eyes shut, paws in his lap, trying to sleep.
?I don't care right now Uri, I'm tryin to sleep." I chuckled and nodded, "alright, I?ll wake you when they get here.?
I didn't have to wait for long, soon the bubbles started to rise, just off our starboard side. The water seemed to be boiling, bubbles as big as furs popped and burst, as the K-23 rose up from the waves. The K-23 was a November class nuclear powered attack sub, sleek and shark like it was an amazing combination of art and steal. But there it was, next to the K-495. I kicked Gustav as I got up, and yelled across to the other soviet sub, other crew furs were yelling too, and soon hatches opened on the K-23, the crew and captain soon emerged.
"HELLO?K-495" the captain of the K-23 yelled to us, we responded with a cheer. Soon the two boats were tied up next to each other, the crew mixed. Gustav and I were standing on the bow of the K-23, talking with our friend Igor.
"Hello comrade Igor!" I said, hugging him.
" Comrade Uri, Comrade Gustav, it is good to see you both!" Igor said, hugging us both. Igor was a nice fur, he was the captain of the K-23, but didn't enforce rank on most of his crew, or us. Igor and I had grown up together in the same seafront tow. Both our fathers had served in the Russian and later soviet navy during world war one, and world war two.
"Comrades," he said, a cheery look on his face, his ears perked, and his tail wagging, "how are you two?"
"Well, Igor," I said, "life as usual, long boring days, and tired long nights" I said, Gustav nodded to this.
"Oh well," Igor said, "but how is she, the K-495," he said, gesturing to the sub. "Id give my left hind paw to be a captain on such a beast." He said, smiling.
"She's doing ok" I said, shrugging, "missile tube three has some problems, but, it should be ok." I said.
"That's too bad, comrade, but every sub has its problems, the old K-23 here has plumbing problems." he chuckled. "Now comrades" Igor said, "please come with me, let?s go below, into the sub, and get some fresh food into you!" I looked at Gustav, grinning, he grinned back, licking his lips. Fresh food! I thought, wonderful! I couldn't wait to see what there was to eat, I didn't care, it was fresh, so id eat anything.
The inside of the K-23 was much like that of the K-495, cold wet, and cramped. But the crew there seemed happier, there eyes were still bright, they had only been on patrol for 2 weeks, there mood would change. Igor took us into the officer?s private galley, sitting us at one of the tables.
"Comrades!" he said, "I shall return with food! Good food! Fresh fruit, and fresh bread" he said, smiling.
"Wow, Uri" Gustav said to me, "you sure know some neat furs." I chuckled, and replied,
"Igor and I grew up together, we agreed upon joining the navy to stay friends, no matter our ranks" I chuckled.
"Well, still, its pretty cool." he said. With that, Igor returned, with 2 plates of food, handing them to us, and sitting at the table across from us.?
"Eat comrades! Eat!" he goaded, and we started to eat. We ate fresh fruit, fresh bread, and nice fresh, hot soup. Once we were done eating we started to talk.
"So, Igor" Gustav said, "What do you think of our admiral?" he asked.
Igor chuckled and scratched his muzzle, "I don't like him, he's been brought to court three times, I?m not too sure the reasons, but each time, the charges were dropped."
This was new news to Gustav and me, and we exchanged looks. "Listen, Igor," I said, leaning in, "I don't like, or trust him worth a damn, there's a rumor going on that he's trying to.... attack the USA with out orders," I said, almost whispering. "I?m afraid of nuclear war... Igor, I?m ready to sabotage the missiles." I whispered.
"If he tries anything" Igor said, looking at me. "Shoot him, for he is a traitor to the Soviet Union" he said. "Be sure to have your pistol near buy at all times" he said, looking at Gustav and me, "I believe he's a traitor, and deserves to die, but... We haven't enough proof to convict him." We chatted some more, changing the subject, our current one, started to worry us. Later we exchanging some minor gifts, mostly vodka, and books, and that was that, 12 hours after she appeared, the K-23 left, diving back into the deep.
The K-23 would also have an interesting story, we were the last ones to ever see it again, no ones quite sure what happened to it, but the November class did have a bad reputation of reactor accidents, and I believed that a reactor accident sent her to the bottom.
***
Back in to our iron tube we went, back on deck, I stood there looking off into the now dark night, the seas were starting to get choppy and dangerous, and waves broke over our bow, and washed across the deck.
"URI!" Gustav yelled, "Haul your tail, we are going to dive!" I chuckled and turned, tail wagging, and walked over to the last open hatch, from with Gustav was yelling, ducking into the sub.
I yawned, sitting in the main command compartment, I was deciding either to go forward and go to bed, or go aft and go gamble. Bed won, but first I decided to go to the torpedo compartment, walking past my cabin, I looked in, to see Gustav fast asleep a book over his face, and his arm draped down, hanging off his bed. I chuckled to my self, and ducked through the small hatch into the bow torpedo compartment. I went over to a fur named Vladimir, I wasn't close friends with him, but I knew him. He was a sneaky type, always had any contraband you wanted, if he didn't have it, he could get it next time we were in any port.
"Vlad, I need a favor from you" I said, walking up to him. He was sitting on one of the torpedoes, reading in the dim light.
"what exactly can I do for you Uri?" he asked, shutting the book.
"I want a gun, a powerful hand gun I can hide on me at all times." I said, he smiled, and nodded.
"Wait here, comrade" he said, handing me the book and walking out of the compartment. A few minutes later he returned, with a small box, opening it he showed me the American Colt 45.
"It will stop anyone, comrade, only gun I have ... Right now," he said, smiling. I picked up the gun, and looked it over, an American gun... It was nice, had nice weight, and would be easy to hide.
"Il take it comrade" I said, putting the gun back in the box. Also in the box were 3 extra magazines, and 5 small cardboard boxes of?ammo.
"All right, comrade," he said, as I took out a wad of money, and handed it to him, "its all yours" he said, handing me the box, and taking his book back. I thanked him and left, going to go to bed.