40 degrees North, 180 degrees West, North Pacific. 5,500 meters deep. The Clementine tool hooks onto the Soviet submarine K-129. After several hours of ascent, the claws gripping part of the submarine break, and two-thirds of the vessel’s body cracks and falls to the seabed. This is the stern section, containing the ballistic missiles. The rest (from the turret to the bow, containing the nuclear torpedoes) continues to ascend toward the Hughes Glomar Explorer. The Soviet tugboat SB-10 lies just below its nose, remaining suspiciously a few hundred meters away. The covert activity (collecting manganese nodules) continues.
