Accelerant- Sixth Extinction

by James Morris Robinson

  Captain Russell continued with the small talk to distract Captain Bashir while scanning the navigational consoles for signs of an Apophis Tablet.

  Captain Russell commented, “Caracal pistols are designed by European small arms designers but are manufactured in the United Arab Emirates. Go figure.”

  Captain Bashir’s smile turned to a frown as he carefully placed the gun on the desk. He pointed to one of the navigational consoles that had a huge, beautiful screen. Captain Bashir put a live aerial image that was projected from a camera at the highest point on Savannah’s superstructure. It showed two massive aircraft carriers, each about the length of three ships away from the Savannah on either side. “We seem to have picked up company during the night. May I ask why?” said Captain Bashir.

  Captain Russell quickly responded, “They are awaiting the status of our medical investigation and quarantine status. If we have a problem, we have to contain it. Let me contact them, as they must know this ship is about to be cleared from medical quarantine and they can pull back.”

  Captain Bashir quickly picked up his gun and pointed it at Captain Russell. With both hands in the air, Captain Russell said, “Hold on, Captain, we come in peace.”

  Captain Bashir shouted, “The hell you do. You devils are no medical nurses.”

  Captain Russell looked dead into Captain Bashir’s eyes. Coldly and firmly he said, “Actually, those two carriers are not company. They are family, so lower your weapon now.”

  Suddenly, they both heard a gun go off. Captain Russell knew by the sound of it that it was not a commando’s gun. He knew the sound of that rapid fire. It was a caracal pistol and the bullets had just pierced the brains of one of his commandos.

  Captain Russell and Captain Bashir saw the commando slumped over a console bleeding out from a head wound. With his gun pointed at the other two commandos, Ghaazi yelled, “Where are my Apophis Tablets, you devils? Where are they?”

  The other commandos drew their guns and said, “Drop the weapon. Drop the weapon now.”

  Captain Russell still held his hands high to show he was unarmed. He turned away from the captain and yelled, “Ghaazi, lower your weapon; all my men are armed. The others are coming. They heard the shots. You are no match for them. If they see this, I cannot stop them if you are armed. We can fix this Ghaazi.”

  Three other crewmen appeared and they were armed. One of them yelled, “Death to the devils!”

  Captain Russell turned and pleaded with Captain Bashir. “Tell your men to stand down, Captain. They must stand down now.”

  Ghaazi pointed the gun randomly at the two commandos to keep them at bay. He looked at Captain Bashir and asked, “My captain, have we failed?”

  Captain Bashir said in a loud but calm voice, “No, young warrior, we have not failed. They have only delayed us. They can’t stop us.”

  Captain Russell turned back around and to his disbelief, he saw that Captain Bashir had pulled up a new console. Right before Captain Russell’s eyes, he saw a huge serpent with the name APOPHIS flashing.

  Captain Russell lurched towards him and Captain Bashir fired rapid rounds into Captain Russell’s chest, but the armor protected him. The force of the bullets at close range knocked the wind out of him.

  There was no delay on the retina scanning.

  Too late…Apophis scanned the room in a quarter of a circle, 90 degrees. It locked on to Captain Bashir's retinas.

  Captain Russell yelled, “SEALs, shoot Captain Bashir in the eyes now!”

  Captain Russell now knew there was no other Apophis Smart Tablet. Apophis was built into one of the navigational consoles.

  J.R. gathered his strength and jump over the console again…it was a little too late.

  J.R. realized Captain Bashir had activated the Hellburner. He heard Apophis’s commanding voice say, “Allahu Akbar.” J.R. tried to get up but fell back. He whispered to himself, “May God himself deliver America from this nuclear storm.”

  At 0704 hours in military time, or 7:04 a.m., Captain Russell and Captain Bashir saw an intense flash of light. It was as quick as a lightning flash but thousands of times as bright. Both had been cremated by the powerful pulse of heat radiation that followed.

  Minutes earlier, Admiral Barksdale had radioed Admiral Cooper. “Brice, shots have been fired. The SEALs multi-band communications reveal repeated gunfire on the Savannah.”

  Suddenly they heard a horrific sound as if the gates of hell just opened. It was like being in a deafening thunderstorm. They were not mistaken; they did open. The admirals, Captain Russell, SEAL team Savannah, the prisoners in the brig and the crews were all gone. Vaporized. The force of two B-53 thermonuclear devices laced with red mercury had set off an atomic event that vaporized and killed everything within a 900-mile radius. It would have been worse if not for the port and starboard shields created by the aircraft carriers. The explosion and nuclear heat created a mushroom cloud seen from 40 miles in any direction. The light released by the energy of the Savannah was as bright as that of the sun, and the temperatures and pressure were comparable to those in the sun’s interior. The Savannah’s thermal radiation sent out light rays that would burn cities and instantly cremate anything organic including humans, but they were in the deep ocean.

  Back in Fort Stewart, Colonel Werner’s group reconvened for an update on the mission. Colonel Werner, Sara, Daniel, and Jeff all were eager to hear what was transpiring with Captain Russell’s mission. It was a summer afternoon in Fort Stewart, a humid day as it had rained earlier and the sun was beaming. All flat screens lit up, all 18 of them. Daniel was reminded at times like this how this room looked like the command center of a space-ship.

  Colonel Werner looked at Sara worriedly. On the big screen, they saw the United States Navy Atlantic Commander in Chief and in the room with him were three other admirals.

  “Let me convey the President of the United States’ appreciation and my appreciation for everyone’s support and contributions, including the United States intelligence community which involves the more than 16 agencies that appear on the teleconference screens, the Director of National Intelligence, National Security Council Director, Directors of the FBI and CIA. Let me start with the good news. The threat to our homeland and shores has ended but we remain on patrol until further notice.”

  There was a loud applause from all over the country including the folks at Fort Stewart. Then there was an unusual silence as everyone noticed the Commander in Chief had a firm, serious demeanor. “This victory came at a high cost. I will bring in the admirals to brief us on the status of the mission.”

  The three admirals took the group through the mission logistics of the last day and a half.

  Captain Anderson helped with the briefing. “The gamma rays from the explosion created a nuclear wind moving at over 2,000 miles an hour, literally vaporizing the Savannah and the aircraft carriers. The initial shock wave tore the Savannah apart. Satellite images reveal that the massive engine of the Savannah, which was as high as a six-story block of apartments, hit the side of the USS George W. Bush and tore off the entire bow of the carrier before both carriers were vaporized. The flash of light was visible as far as two thousand miles away. The carrier strike groups at the forward operating base saw the light about twenty minutes later.

  Because the nuclear explosion occurred in the deep ocean, near the surface, the mushroom cloud was mostly water and intense heat. The radiation boiled the ocean water ten miles deep and for hundreds of miles. Schools of blue whales, sperm whales with young calves and other sea creatures that were not cremated were boiled to death. In some cases, it appeared as if the ocean was on fire and constantly bursting into flames.

  A nuclear scientist, after reviewing the NRO’s spy-sat imagery and heat signatures, states in a report to Fleet Command that a vast fireball jumped upwards into the stratosphere and would have destroyed all aircraft flying over the area. The fusion created by the red mercury created gamma rays that literally blew apart a commer
cial aircraft that departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico en route to Dakar, Senegal. The Admirals were wise in putting a vast distance between the fleet and the Savannah. It was Captain Russell’s team, assisted by our scanning and sensor technology, that prevented the primary explosion that would have lowered the ship down about ten stories. This meant that ten of its 22 stories would have been underwater as the Hellburner detonated. We now know that the covert operation by Captain Russell and the Navy SEAL teams Savannah and Charleston prevented the force of the red mercury and two B-53 bombs from creating a deep ocean earthquake that would have registered more than 9.5 on the Richter scale. The resulting tsunami would have had waves traveling at jet speed. By the time it reached the coastlines of Africa and North America, the tidal waves would have wiped out life for hundreds of miles. The Advanced National Seismic System and the Global Seismographic Network immediately reported the incidents in real time to the United States Navy and the Defense Department. No aircraft or ships can enter the area as it is still too hot. It is a dead zone for the foreseeable future.”

  When they finished, heads hung low in silence and the Commander in Chief stepped in. “I for one salute the men and women.”

  But before he could finish, everyone attending the teleconference was on their feet and applauding.

  The Commander in Chief continued, “The rear admirals’ plan will live on through infamy. The shield strategy worked brilliantly. The shipbuilders and navy engineers at Newport News in Virginia advised fleet command that this option, suggested by Rear Admiral Cooper and Admiral Barksdale was ingenious at best. These huge floating cities included sections that were heavily shielded against nuclear disasters at sea. To minimize the risk of such a catastrophe, the reactors inside a supercarrier are heavily shielded. The hull of the ship is made up of extremely strong steel plates making this heavy body highly effective protection against fire and battle damage. In their last moments, the USS George W. Bush and the USS William J. Clinton aircraft carriers were less than the length of an aircraft carrier away from the Savannah on either side. They created a port and starboard harbor wall effect which contained the shock wave and limited the blast and shockwave radius. As we leave today, keep our fallen heroes in your hearts and minds. If they could speak, they would say, ‘We gladly gave our lives for family’s sake and America’s sake.’ Good day and may God bless their souls. We who live, live out our lives free in America. Let us give thanks to our honored dead who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that the Constitution of the United States remains a guiding light to us all.”

  The conference screens faded to black.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine — First Watch

  The conference room lights turned on again. Colonel Werner saw Daniel in the corner bent over in tears and grief. Colonel Werner said, “Son, J.R. was a Marine and a damn good one. John Russell was loyal to God, family, and country. He knew the risk and he was a soldier.”

  Daniel cried, “A soldier who was my closest friend. I shall miss him.”

  Colonel Werner said, “And you should, son. You should.”

  Colonel Werner looked at Sara, Jeff, and Daniel and sadly said, “I must leave now to tell my old friend John Russell Senior that his son will not be coming home. I need to be there by tomorrow. Daniel, I want you to go with me. Alexis and the kids will need you. I will have your wife and children picked up and they will meet us in Omaha. You and I have about three weeks ahead of us at U.S. Stratcom. Are you okay with that?”

  “Of course, Colonel.”

  “Jeff will be taken into custody by FBI in several hours. I promise the both of you that I will do everything I can to help him as he helped prevent an event that only God himself has seen. On the other hand, he also helped put the event in place. He’d be perceived as a traitor by millions. But that does not mean Jeff should give up on redemption.”

  Sara nodded her head with approval.

  Colonel Werner reminded Daniel, “You are and always will remain under the confidentiality agreement you signed.”

  Daniel said, “I understand.”

  Colonel Werner saluted Sara and Daniel. He winked at Daniel. “You would have been a fine officer, son.” He looked at Jeff and shook his head. “We have work to do when I get back. Agreed?”

  Jeff sadly said, “Agreed, sir. I am guilty of an awful thing and I know that I will be held accountable. I am asking God for redemption, and I pray he grants it.” Jeff reached out for Daniel, but Daniel walked away, sat down and looked at the wall.

  Colonel Werner walked over and grabbed Daniel by his arm. “On your feet, soldier.”

  Sara gave Daniel a hug and said, “It was a pleasure serving with you over the last few days.”

  Daniel smiled, “If I could tell my wife, she would never believe this!”

  Sara said, “That is why we do what we do, to keep America safe without them worrying about the details and you are a part of that. That is something to be very proud of!

  As they walked down the hall, Colonel Werner patted Daniel on the shoulder and spoke to him about Valkyries. “In Norse mythology, angels of death fly over the battlefield, picking out the righteous dead. They reward the people who drew first blood. They are called Valkyries, soldiers’ angels. In Norse mythology, the only way you get to go to heaven is to die in battle. If you die in your sleep, you go to hell. Soldiers are trained to restrain, protect, and kill if necessary. Most of all, they are trained to follow orders. J.R. was the first of the righteous dead they picked up, son. He died a soldier’s death. Honor his memory by living as an American. You did your part here today too.”

  The MPs took Jeff back to his room to await the FBI.

  Weeks later, on July 3rd, Daniel got off from work. Several container ships had a deadline to be back out to open sea fully loaded and, thanks to longshoreman crews including his, they were steaming out of the harbor on time. As Daniel pulled into his driveway in his Ram 2500 pickup, he waved at his neighbor. He thought, I am sure looking forward to being off tomorrow. As he got out the cab of his truck, his cell-phone rang.

  “Hi Alexis.”

  “Hi Daniel. The kids and I are in Charleston attending a special memorial to J.R. and the other sailors. Why don’t you and Marcia join us tomorrow?”

  “Alexis, we would not miss it for anything in the world.”

  “Good, tell Marcia I will call her later.”

  Daniel was so happy to hear from Alexis.

  Independence Day. It was a beautiful day, and every fourth of July, Daniel picked his mom up before firing up the grill. J.R. usually sent Daniel a box of his dad’s best beefsteaks for his cookout and while they were both grilling, they drank a beer together and talked on the phone. Today, with some sadness, Daniel, Marcia and the children were headed to Charleston.

  Marcia loaded the kids in her car and there was just enough room for Alexis and the kids to drive back with them. She looked at Daniel and hugged him because she knew what was on her husband’s mind. Daniel’s son jumped into his truck while Marcia and their daughter drove ahead of him as they headed for the Marine Corps Air Station at Beaufort for the special air show. They all were excited about seeing J.R.’s wife Alexis and the twin girls. After the air show, Alexis and the kids were coming back to Savannah to spend time with Daniel and Marcia. Savannah was actually a hop and a skip from Beaufort, just across the beautiful Talmadge Memorial Bridge.

  A short while later, Daniel and Marcia arrived at the Air Station and entered through gate three. The security personnel directed them to the available parking lots. The airshow started at 10:00 a.m. The day started with the Parris Island Marine Brass Band performance, then the opening ceremonies. Throughout the day, they saw multiple aerial shows.

  “Dad, look, there’s the F-35 jet stealth fighter that Uncle J.R. talked a lot about. It rises like a helicopter.”

  “Wow, Dad.”

  “Yeah…now watch this.”

  Daniel and Tony watched the F-35 stealth fighter jet take off like a bat out of hell
.

  “Awesome, Dad.”

  “I know, right?”

  Daniel could always tell when the air show was nearing its end. The bands played God Bless America and asked the crowds to join it. Daniel loved the sound of all the great voices fused together as they sang: God bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her. Through the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies. To the oceans, white with foam. God bless America, My home sweet home . . .

  In the middle of the song, Daniel heard a familiar voice singing loudly with a glorious thunder. He looked to his right and was pleasantly surprised by the presence of Colonel Werner. They shook hands and the Colonel said, “At ease soldier!”

  The colonel gave him a huge, manly hug. “My son, how are you doing?” said the colonel.

  “I am okay, I guess,” said Daniel.

  Colonel Werner knew that Daniel missed his buddy something fierce. Suddenly a public announcement was made.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the Blue Angels will fly in missing man formation to honor the death of Captain John Russell and the 200 men and women who died in a naval tragedy as they came to the defense of this world. Captain John Russell’s actions show us that one man can make a difference. We honor J.R. and the men and women who served and died with him. We salute every one of these warriors.”

  The crowd heard a roar and saw beautiful blue jets fly over and then break in missing man formation. The crowd stood and applauded.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we know you love the Blue Angels. However, we have a special tribute to make to Captain John Russell as he was one of our own. His squadron is on the way to pay tribute to their captain, fellow commando, friend, and loyal American. At exactly 7:04 p.m., what you see coming is J.R.’s Marine Corps Air Station F-18 Hornet Squadron. Six beautiful supersonic fighter jets flying in V formation.” Colonel Werner pointed to the sky. “Watch this.”

  As the F-18 Hornets in V formation passed overhead, the Super-hornet in the ring-finger position peeled away and did a steep vertical climb with a roar of thunder and then leveled off and headed toward the Atlantic Ocean. Colonel Werner explained, “This is what the military calls the missing man flight formation. It is being flown in honor of J.R. The F-18 Hornets will pay the same honor a little further south at Savannah Port in honor of his memory.”