“Again, though, there was confusion. The Chinese thought it was the Russians, but they weren’t entirely sure. It’s possible that the Chinese were uncertain because they weren’t hit by all that many nuclear weapons. Clearly they were not targeted with even a substantial minority of the Russian arsenal.
“The result was that China thought they might have the wrong enemy. They must have thought it might be India, because its largest regional opponent was targeted as well. And again, it appears we were uninformed concerning their nuclear capabilities. The Chinese apparently had far more nuclear weapons and delivery systems than we knew about. The Indians struck back, but it’s not clear how much of the damage was caused by India and how much was caused by Russian. In any case, both China and India appear to have been hit very hard, and they were rather innocent bystanders in the whole mess.
“The result of the confusion was that the desperate act of the Finns was miraculously successful. Scandinavia and the eastern European states were relatively untouched except for the former location of the RSR invasion force in Finland. Successful only for a time, however. The slightly limited nuclear war turned global, causing enormous destruction over most of the Northern Hemisphere. While we and the NATO nations in Europe were badly damaged by the RSR’s nuclear assault, everyone including Scandinavia was devastated by the effects of temperatures about fifteen degrees below normal, of course with commensurate record snowfalls.
“Now you’ve got the overall picture, but I’ll go through some of the important details.
“Most of the Northern Hemisphere was destroyed directly in the nuclear free-for-all. Nearly all of the major cities of the U.S. and the RSR were destroyed, plus most of the major cities of Europe, a substantial portion of China including Beijing, and last but not least, the major cities of Canada. Australia lost most of Sydney and Melbourne to oversized conventional weapons.
“A rather odd by-product of the first nuclear exchange was the nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan that occurred last year. It was probably caused by the breakdown of global trade as much as anything. Anyhow, an area of the hemisphere that appeared to be in relatively good shape managed to blow itself to hell. Happy trigger fingers everywhere, unfortunately.
“The U.S. probably made the global situation worse with the many bases we had overseas. The RSR struck our bases in Turkey, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia to name a few. In effect, any country that had American troops stationed within its borders was at risk of attack. While the target might be a base, there was always collateral damage, often to population centers of critical importance. If we have any international future, countries where we had forces will think twice about having us back.
“Most of our bases in Asia were destroyed, including those in Korea. Although we didn’t lose anything in Japan, those two countries have suffered severely from the nuclear winter. That might have been expected from their northerly location. The Russians used a mix of nuclear and conventional weapons, either because they ran out of nukes or they were trying to soften the blows in areas they thought they could bring over to their side. If a base was in a country with a long-standing treaty, like South Korea, it was targeted with a nuke. Japan and Turkey seemed to have been the exceptions. They were hit with near-nuclear force conventional weapons targeting our bases. We got lucky with the big naval base in Japan; while it was damaged it’s still there and has been able to provide some support for our ships in the Pacific.
“Fortunately, some U.S. bases outside the continental United States were missed in the first strike. The Hawaiian Islands and Guam were untouched. At present we have no way of telling how that occurred. Perhaps the extreme distance was a factor; perhaps the Russians didn’t consider our Pacific forces a threat. We are grateful for small favors.
“Radioactive dust brought illness and death everywhere that nuclear weapons were used, but those effects tended to be local and have already dissipated. The initial detonations and the resulting nuclear winter were far more devastating to targets than any radiation aftereffects.
“The nuclear winters of these last two years have brought devastation to innocent bystanders in the Northern Hemisphere and made life difficult for most of the Southern Hemisphere. It’s been bad globally, and the nuclear winter has been the prime cause of problems in the Southern Hemisphere.
“The last of the bad news is the destruction of almost the entire satellite network of the Earth. They're still out there, but electromagnetic pulses created by nuclear missiles targeting the satellites as well as just the sheer volume of EMP disruption caused by the nuclear exchange as a whole has rendered all the satellites except a very few geostationary ones useless. Everyone lost control stations as well, so the effort to find and restart survivors has been severely hampered.
“As you know, after the first nuclear exchange there was no second. Or rather, not that we or Russia were involved in.
“Overnight the global balance of power was turned upside down and survivors are struggling to stay alive. Only very small portions of the U.S. and the RSR remain untouched, mostly in desert and mountain regions. Some of the Midwest, like Iowa, was relatively unharmed because of the lack of sizable targets. Much of southern Asia has suffered substantial damage, although not on the order of the primary combatants.
“Most of the RSR military command structure and its armed forces have been wiped out. As far as we can tell, every major city of the RSR was destroyed, as well as most of their smaller communities. And like us, they have lost most of their critical infrastructure.
“In some ways the U.S. was fortunate. We were alerted by the initial set of nuclear detonations and had about an hour before the RSR attack to prepare. That was only enough time to mobilize our nuclear forces. That wasn't nearly enough time to make a real difference for the continental U.S.
“As I am sure you know, some of the ships of the RSR navy survived because they were at sea. They are greatly outnumbered, however, and are obsolete for the most part. They are being hunted down by the remaining Allied naval and air forces and destroyed wherever they are found. A few nuclear submarines are left, but the truly dangerous ones launched their weapons during the first strike and are now relatively toothless. From your position in the Navy you may realize that the U.S. military is in better but rather odd shape; even though losses were great our navy is still a powerful force and some naval bases outside the U.S. are still intact.
“While our army and the Air Force will have a tough time recovering, the Navy is still a force to be reckoned with. As you know, however, the Navy is now a near-orphan with few domestic bases, working on plans to maintain some level of effectiveness against nations of the Southern Hemisphere. Nations like Brazil and Argentina are virtually intact, with the exception of exposure to the nuclear winter. Those states are likely to be our biggest problems once they get over the nuclear shock. The Northern Hemisphere is a mess and will be easy pickings for anyone in the south that can survive the winters over the next few years.
“The remaining Armed Forces are attempting to help us, I mean the rest of the government, to assess American damage and find some way to begin the big job of American reconstruction. Small units of the European navies and European military bases outside of Europe have become true orphans with little if any contact with the remnants of their governments. We are providing safe harbors to the extent we can to NATO forces. The NATO command has become a rallying point for the leftovers of Western military power.
“That was probably a lot to take in. Any questions at the moment?"
"No, ma'am. Not at the moment."
The President continued with her briefing.
"In the moments after the launch of missiles by the RSR, we were able to locate the geographical source of the launch command. Further, we were able to ascertain who in the military chain of command was in the area when the launch order was given.
“As it turns out, the commander-in-chief of the RSR army was in the air between destinations when the Finns
launched their attack. He was the most senior officer in the RSR military to survive the assault. Flying to Kiev for a conference, Gorovyak diverted to a base in southern Russia, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. From what we can guess, he heard that Moscow was wiped out. He couldn't find anyone above him to give orders, and assumed that we and the E.U. had decided to escalate the Finnish matter to global nuclear war. So, being the suspicious Russian asshole that he is, he decided not to look further for the facts and managed to issue the launch and attack commands for their nuclear armed forces. While we have our suspicions, our official position at the moment is that China was an inadvertent victim. Either the RSR couldn't retarget the missiles they had allocated to China and launched them anyway, or it was an accident. Or they recognized the risk of an intact survivor on their border and just decided to go all the way.
“In any case, he ordered the launch, we had no choice but to launch in retaliation, and pretty much all of the Northern Hemisphere of planet Earth is a mess now. If people weren't killed during the nuclear exchange, they died for lack of medical care or from the disruption of virtually all aspects of normal life after the exchange. Survivors now are dying from cold, starvation, or other effects of the nuclear winter."
The President seemed to reflect for a moment, and then continued. "In the time remaining to him, the former President lost communications with Moscow and had no idea what we could do to stop the attack. Our government wasn’t even able to find civilian leaders we could talk to. Moscow was gone well before the RSR launched their missiles. We detected their mass missile launch, so we reciprocated.
“There was an effort to get the President out of Washington, but the nuclear attack was such that the city and environs were virtually obliterated. That’s how I ended up President. So far my government has been unable to make contact with anyone in the RSR who could reasonably be expected to be a significant political authority. In essence the war is still on, even if it is unfightable for the most part."
Her voice shook a little as she continued. "Do any of you have families?"
The admiral spoke first. "My wife and children are in Hawaii, ma'am. I was planning on joining them on vacation when the attack occurred. I was very lucky."
Captain Georgian steeled himself. "Captain Georgian, ma'am. My parents and my family were in San Diego."
As did Captain Jenson. "Captain Jenson, ma'am. My people were in Norfolk."
The President's voice softened. "I'm sorry, gentlemen. Mine were still in central Chicago when it was hit." For a moment her voice was soft and tired. "Perhaps I'll join them soon."
The President's voice firmed up quickly.
"Admiral Meyers, I wouldn't be talking to you now if we had any alternatives, but most of our usual assets are... unavailable. I have a big job for you. We’re calling it Operation Long Shot.
We are pretty sure we know where Gorovyak is. I want the son of a bitch taken out. If he'd kept his head the world would be in much better shape than it is now. If he’d talked to us, we might have been able to put a lid on things.
“Besides, we believe he's trying to pull together his command and control network again. We don't want anything in the RSR working enough for them to even consider continuing the war, let alone use more nukes against us or the E.U.
“We have no way of knowing what they may have left. If we can keep the RSR disorganized enough perhaps we can find some kind of political authority who will see reason and put hostilities on indefinite hold, or perhaps even end the war.
A successful raid would also impress upon the Russians that the American military is still capable of accurate and powerful retribution for attempts to damage the U.S. or its allies.
“According to our military planners in Hawaii, the only way we can get to him in southern Russia is with a carrier raid from the Mediterranean. We have no refueling capability in the area of south Asia any longer, or in southern Europe for that matter, and nothing long-range other than a few ICBMs. The last thing I want to do is take out an entire city with a nuclear armed ICBM to get one man.
“Our best option is to move your strike group into the Mediterranean. Using your long-range command and control aircraft, the planners think you can fly your attack drones to the northeast coast of the Black Sea, locate Gorovyak and destroy him. The ability of the drones to stay aloft for long periods gives the best chance of locating the man and ensuring that an attack will successfully eliminate the military commander of the remaining RSR forces."
The Navy men were all silent, but the admiral and his ship captain looked at Truman's wing commander. Strike Group Ten had been in the Mediterranean before returning to Charleston, using both ships and aircraft to blockade the Dardanelles. That was the only exit from the Black Sea for Russian ships. Captain Jenson knew the area and had some feel for what would need to be done. He had one question to ask.
"Uh, this is Captain Jenson, ma'am. How long do we have to prepare, Madam President?"
"My people say you have no more than two months. After that we think the Russians will have had enough time to locate and move enough surface-to-air resources into place around the target to threaten the mission. Gorovyak might well be the only political as well as military power in the RSR now. If he is they will take steps to protect him and his staff. The planners recommended making the move no later than a month from now." She let that sink in for a while. "Can you do it?"
Jenson was still in the spotlight at the Charleston end of the call. He pictured a map of the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea in his mind and thought quickly about the approach and the logistical issues. He nodded. "I think we can do it. The new E-7Us have done well so far and we've gotten the bugs out of the drones. We've got the tools and I think we can have the men ready. Our people are familiar with the eastern Mediterranean. If we sail soon we might be able to execute in a couple of weeks."
Admiral Meyers asked the next question. "I must ask, Madam President. Our people will have to go deep into enemy territory to execute the mission. The Black Sea was a Russian pond; there may still be enough enemy forces in the area to be a concern. Do we have anything in terms of long-range weaponry that might offer a better chance of success?"
"No, Admiral. Frankly our military planners said they would have preferred almost any alternative to this. We just don't have any other realistic option."
"Well then, Madam President, Strike Group Ten will do its best. Can you put us in touch with the planners and any intelligence people who can give us their thoughts and any current intelligence on the situation?"
USS Harry S. Truman
Emmett cleared the security checkpoint and started up the steep ramp to the crew entry. As he entered the ship he could see his squadron leader pacing back and forth. Commander Harvey Adams looked like a man with a problem.
"It's about time," complained Harvey. "Where the hell have you been?"
"On my way here," replied Emmett. "What's going on? What am I giving up my last day of leave for?"
Harvey snorted. "How long have you been in the Navy, anyhow? CAG says jump, we say how high. You think I'm a mind reader or something? We'll know what's going on when the captain decides we need to know. If you'd gotten your ass in gear we might already know what's up. Now shut up a minute so I can call the captain's admin. As soon as we've got a time and a place I'll call Charlene and have her meet us there."
Emmett waited as Harvey made his call. The call was brief but Harvey listened more than Emmett would have liked. Harvey hung up.
"CAG wants to see us and our pilots in our ready room in fifteen minutes. Let's get moving. I'd rather not arrive after he does."
They reached the squadron ready room with ten minutes to spare. They were the first to arrive, but only by a few minutes. Charlene Alvarez, the other Combat Information officer that had been ordered to be present, arrived shortly thereafter. Then came the pilots of their E-7U Superhawks, a five-person, twin turbofan aircraft. The E-7 was originally designed for carrier-bas
ed reconnaissance and command/control functions. Truman's squadron of E-7s had been upgraded to E-7Us just before the war. Their command/control capabilities had been enhanced to enable each E-7 to manage up to 4 assault-capable drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Emmett realized that as things were adding up it was likely they were going to use their Panther CV drones on a combat mission. The crews of Harvey's squadron of E-7Us had received training with the Panthers as combat birds as well as for very long range reconnaissance. Between the three thousand mile patrol radius of the E-7 and a similar patrol radius for the Panthers the task group could reconnoiter a mighty big chunk of the Earth’s surface. Either that, or loiter for hours over a target or in a battle space.
The training had occurred just before the war. They had some combat experience, but most of that had been using the E-7 and a cluster of Panthers as an antisub umbrella for the task group. The group’s destroyers had taken out their shadow sub during the outbreak, but Charlene’s E-7 had actually gotten a second sub in the Mediterranean with a drone-dropped antisub torpedo during their previous patrol. Emmett was a little jealous, but there was always a lot of luck in sub searches. A crew could be on patrol for a long time and never detect an enemy sub. And he couldn’t be too jealous; if that sub had gotten to Truman he could have been without a place to call home.
He was a little surprised that they would be briefed before they had even left port, but that meant it was likely they were going to need time to prepare for whatever they were going to do.
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