The mission: sink the aircraft carrier. The programming was simple — twelve Nagasaki torpedoes were to be targeted for the carrier. When they were launched, the Curtain of Flames was to ensure that the carrier sank; if it remained floating another six torpedoes would be launched, and would continue to be until the American ship was dead. The probability of the submarine’s mission being successful depended on the presence or absence of American submarines in the area, since the computer-driven submarine was not able to fight other submarines. The subroutines for sub versus sub actions were too complex to be uploaded into the mental processing suites of the Destiny III class. The programs were being worked on, but as yet Destiny Ills had continued to lose in exercises to Destiny II manned submarines. If the carrier were unescorted by American attack subs, the Curtain of Flames counted on surviving. If it were accompanied by a sub escort, all the Curtain of Flames could hope to do was get out all its torpedoes at the carrier prior to being attacked. Once engaged by an American submarine, it would be totally vulnerable. SUV-m-987 Curtain of Flames official deck log of underway mission number 118, commencing 20 december Mission 118 Official Deck Log Entry 27: Current position — thirty kilometers west of island Onaharajima, forty kilometers south of the mouth of Tokyo Bay. This unit is at mast-broach depth observing American aircraft carrier, hull number CVN-76, as it steams eastward. Task force now reduced to ships needed to protect carrier.
Other ships of task force split off to enforce blockade further around perimeter of Home Islands, the line the Americans have called exclusion zone boundary. This unit steaming at bare steerage way, five kilometers per hour, the periscope using low light enhancement to view the night steaming of carrier. Ships visible are carrier at bearing one one five, cruiser at bearing one two one, destroyer at bearing one zero eight.
