Image Thirteen
Black smokers in action. As described in the scenes where the submarine uses the heat and magnetic interference to hide on the relatively shallow floor of the Java Sea.
The colour comes from the types of minerals that are percolating up through the ocean floor - caused by the heat from magma deep below the seafloor that boils the water inside and between rocks of the ocean floor. (Heat rising, not magma rising, so the magma doesn't actually touch the sea water.)
Note: Usually, only white smokers occur in areas where one continental plate is subducting under the other - as is the case with the location for Project Apocalypse - which would have made it less believable that a submarine could hide here, but extensive research with the help of specialist Aussie and Indonesian geologists revealed that black smokers do actually exist in this region!
Image Fourteen
Subduction diagram which inspired the plot for the red-faction's plan to set off every volcano around the ring of fire.
an be found by clicking here
By blasting a whole in the bottom of the harbour's trench and allowing seawater to access a live magma chamber, a cataclysmic explosion would occur, somewhat similar to the explosion of Krakatoa in 1883 (which killed 36,000 people and was heard up to 5000km away!)
Image Fifteen
The sonar dome at the front of "The Lady Peacemaker"... looks like there's enough room to land an assault chopper, until...
you look up and see all the running lights and other deck clutter... so that's why Locklin had to parachute onto the deck , being very careful not to rip his own legs off on the way down (at night). Those cables are strong enough to cut a guy in two!
Image Sixteen
Finally, here's a couple of draft covers that didn't make the final production run because they made the book look as if it was for guys only. What do *you* think? Would you have chosen one of them?
