STEC Archives, Digital Document Division
April 15th, 1989
Correspondence no. 55
Sender: Tautog, Shipgirl
Recipient: Michael Yin, Commander NBA; New Jersey, Shipgirl, Executive Officer NBA
Um, Mike! Is this one of ours? Because if not…
US-BASED DIVE TEAM UNCOVERS FINAL RESTING PLACE OF THE USS BOXER
The New York Times, April 15th, 1989
By Dr. Jason Z. Brown, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
A US-led dive team has discovered the final resting place to the USS Boxer, one of the Navy’s numerous lost aircraft carriers in the Korean War.
Affectionately known to her crew members as the “Busy Bee,” the Essex-class aircraft carrier was fatally damaged and sunk with all hands during the opening phase of the Korean War. To date, it remains one of the Navy’s deadliest incidents.
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the Boxer’s loss also remain a popular target of conspiracy theorists. Public opinion polls have consistently shown that only about thirty percent of the population believe the U.S. Navy’s official narrative: Under inclement weather conditions, the Boxer somehow lost all electric power and steering capabilities. While attempting to repair, she unfortunately struck an then-experimental naval mine (now known as the UDM-8) created by the USSR and sank with all hands.
While the Soviets have never formally acknowledged the presence of these “ship-killing” weapons, evidence emerging from the dive appear to confirm the U.S. Navy’s suspicions regarding the nature of the Boxer’s loss. The UDM-8 appears to be a cluster mine of some sort, as the dive uncovered over fifteen scattered fragments and other samples consistent with naval weaponry of a Soviet design and make.
The leader of the dive team, Cpt. Caleb Myer, had this to say to the Times.
“We found her in a series of scattered and shattered fragments littered along the seafloor. I showed the pictures to my wife, and she remarked that it looks like some gigantic sea creature had torn it apart with tooth and claw, with how badly mauled the hull looked. In fact, the force of the explosion was so powerful, it took entire chunks of the ship off and embedded it into the sea floor.”
Myer, whose grandfather had served on the USS Boxer prior to her loss, said that he was content to finally have closure.
“At last, more than three thousand families can now know for sure what happened to their sons and fathers and husbands. We can grieve, and then we can move on to heal.”
Moscow has not made any official statements in regards to the discovery. The Pentagon is expected to release an official statement by April 25th.
STEC Archives, Digital Document Division
April 15th, 1989
Correspondence no. 345
Sender: Michael Yin, Commander NBA
Recipient: Tautog, Shipgirl; New Jersey, Shipgirl, Executive Officer NBA
Tautog,
The discovery definitely wasn’t ours. But you might want to say we called a few favors in. 🙂
Also yes, I authorized the dive.
STEC Archives, Digital Document Division
April 15th, 1989
Correspondence no. 351
Sender: Tautog, Shipgirl
Recipient: Michael Yin, Commander NBA; New Jersey, Shipgirl, Executive Officer NBA
I don’t get it. I thought the Boxer was one of the ones that got taken out by the Abyssals? Mind you, this is waaaay before me, so I’m just going off of what’s in our records.
Plus, the Abyssals consume. SO! What’s actually going on? Don’t tell me they can get full or something?
STEC Archives, Digital Document Division
April 15th, 1989
Correspondence no. 352
Sender: Tautog, Shipgirl
Recipient: Michael Yin, Commander NBA; New Jersey, Shipgirl, Executive Officer NBA
WAIT
STEC Archives, Digital Document Division
April 15th, 1989
Correspondence no. 358
Sender: Tautog, Shipgirl
Recipient: Michael Yin, Commander NBA; New Jersey, Shipgirl, Executive Officer NBA
Ooh okay I think I get it now. So nothing to worry about right? Everyone’s all in on this already?
STEC Archives, Digital Document Division
April 15th, 1989
Correspondence no. 378
Sender: New Jersey, Shipgirl, Executive Officer NBA
Recipient: Michael Yin, Commander NBA; Tautog, Shipgirl
Yes.
MORGAN Intercept no. [Classified]
Code: Lermontov-4
Date: [Classified]
From [Classified]
To [Classified]
Rodyna, is the Americans going to be fooled so easily?
MORGAN Intercept no. [Classified]
Code: Lermontov-4
Date: [Classified]
From [Classified]
To [Classified]
How do you mean, dear one?
MORGAN Intercept no. [Classified]
Code: Lermontov-4
Date: [Classified]
From [Classified]
To [Classified]
I understand this is a favor for Cmdr. Yin. I also understand the Americans have fascination with very large explosive object. Some sort of mystery secret SOVIET weapon. Okay, the story sound good,
but what about their navy officers? Their analysts? I worry that if they examine the mine we planted they will think to themselves, “Why are these Soviets so dumb? How could anyone have approved design for such a weapon?”
MORGAN Intercept no. [Classified]
Code: Lermontov-4
Date: [Classified]
From [Classified]
To [Classified]
And?
MORGAN Intercept no. [Classified]
Code: Lermontov-4
Date: [Classified]
From [Classified]
To [Classified]
I just worry that we might have created something too perfect this time around. I mean there it is. They even have evidence now. “We,” and not the Abyssals, did it. Only the truly insane would be chasing after the shadow of the Boxer now.
But wouldn’t someone wonder just how in the world did the Boxer have such poor luck to run into maybe “one of the only examples of its kind,” you know, the fact that we would never make such a stupid thing?
MORGAN Intercept no. [Classified]
Code: Lermontov-4
Date: [Classified]
From [Classified]
To [Classified]
Tasha, small sun, I see why you are worrying.
But I ask of you. Have anyone ever seen explosion large enough to sink a ship like that?
No?
Then I think we have nothing to worry about. We play on their assumptions. I will call Vladimir this afternoon and to tell him to be extra bombastic in his address to America. So long as enough people can believe that “we” are all crazy, it will work.
Twenty years from now on when this all gets declassified we will all have a good laugh, and the world may be at last, in peace. That would be a great thing.