2041 The Peoples' United States

by T W Powell

  By now the tarps had come off and the Marine security detail had retired below deck. The “telescopes” on Missouri and Iowa pointed skyward, controlled by the newly installed battle management AI. Narrowly focused 1-megawatt beams of monochromatic light shot skyward in short pulses, destroying any remaining incoming threats. The conditions were perfect, no dust, no rain, no fog, not even any air turbulence. There was nothing to interfere with the laser beams.

  The Chinese bombardment ended as they ran out of missiles. One incoming Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle was damaged, but not destroyed by Phalanx 20mm fire. It struck the stern of Missouri. Her rear 16” turret was severely damaged and damage control parties quickly rushed to extinguish fires below deck. It would take more than one Chinese warhead to kill the Mighty Mo.

  As the Chinese missile bombardment ran out of gas, radars on the Chinese Naval armada supporting the Okinawa Invasion tracked dozens of fleeting and erratic radar signatures approaching from their rear. Chinese Captains demanded that their radar operators rerun diagnostics on their equipment. This had to be yet another Yankee deception. Moments later, 600 LRASMs launched from the four Ohio SSGNs began decimating the Chinese Naval force. The People’s Liberation Army on Okinawa watched in horror as their naval fire support and only means of supply and escape burned and sank in the waters west of Okinawa. The few Chinese naval vessels that escaped were picked off by the Virginias now prowling the depths like wolves among the sheep.

  A Chinese naval relief force was hastily assembled and set sail for Okinawa. It was mercilessly hunted and dispersed by the Japanese Soryu submarines. The B-52s finally arrived over the East China Sea and finished off the Chinese Navy with LRASMs launched from over 300 miles away.

  Following a thundering shore bombardment from Missouri and Iowa’s 16-inch guns firing conventional high explosive rounds, 10,000 Marines, both US and Japanese, landed at the Naha Airport. Although still a great military power, China had just lost the war.

  CVX

  It was a long, cold ride from Denver to Salt Lake.

  Bobby Ray was asking questions off the top of his head as he marveled at the splendor of the Rockies in between shivers, “So, the Chinese forces on Okinawa surrendered?”

  “Hell no, they’re brainwashed from birth. The Coalition landing force attacked from the southwest and we, the Survivors, counterattacked from the southeast. We had to kill most of the Chinese, very few surrendered. The Coalition forces linked up and started driving them north, up the island. The big guns of Missouri and Iowa were pounding them and the F35s were bombing them. They were on the verge of breaking. Out of desperation they launched a CVX mortar attack all along the frontlines. It was a cool, clear, still morning, perfect for a chemical attack.”

  “But, Junior, I was always told that the use of chemical weapons is against the rules of war?”

  “It is against the rules, but the truth is, when you are fighting for survival, there are no rules.”

  “There’s a narrow bottleneck on Okinawa near Uruma City. That’s where the Chinese launched the CVX attack. Bobby Ray, I pray to God that you never have to endure a chemical attack. Victims were convulsing and suffocating all around.”

  “Man, that sounds like using insecticide on roaches.”

  “I’m told the chemistry is very similar.”

  “How did you survive?”

  “We initially took many casualties, but shortly after the attack began, the morning calm abruptly ended. An unforecast stiff breeze began blowing out of the south. The CVX aerosol was blown back onto the Chinese positions. A loud cheer rang out among the Japanese Marines. They yelled, ‘Kamikaze, Kamikaze’, which means ‘Divine Wind’. I caught the eye of a group of celebrating Japanese Marines and pointed my finger upward and nodded my head, ‘Yes’. They ran over and gave me a big hug.”

  Bobby Ray looked toward the heavens and exclaimed, “Oh my God.”

  Junior smiled and answered, “Exactly.”

  Paparazzi

  Junior continued his tale, “There were dead and dying PLA soldiers lying everywhere, many exterminated by their own vile concoction. Those that wore protective gear had no stomach to continue a hopeless fight. They surrendered by the hundreds. To the Japanese Marines, these POWs were the most despicable creatures. Historically, there is no love lost between the Chinese and Japanese, and these Chinese had fought without honor and then surrendered as cowards. We had to physically restrain many Japanese Marines.

  “Within a couple of days, the Fake News were bumbling about through the ruins. They were desperately trying to find evidence that Coalition forces had resorted to the use of chemical weapons. Bobby Ray, can you imagine that? They tried to blame us for the CVX attack.

  “When they couldn’t make that fabrication stick, they quickly shifted to interviewing the Japanese and Taiwanese soldiers, playing up their innate hatred of the Chinese, trying to find evidence of atrocities, you know, war crimes.

  “They finally decided that if they couldn’t go negative, they would go positive. So, they started digging around for ‘feel good’ stories. When they interviewed the few surviving medical staff from the Naval Hospital, they heard about me and my Taiwanese bud wiping out that ChiCom Special Operations Squad.

  “That’s when I discovered that my Taiwanese friend had died in the CVX attack. He was one brave hombre.

  “The Paparazzi tracked me down and started bugging the shit out of me, taking pictures, asking stupid questions. Some wise guy came up with that “RAMBRO” crap. Next thing I knew I was all over the television, internet, and printed media. I was their new Poster Child.”

  “Wow Darius, you became a superstar.”

  “Hang on Bobby Ray, those assholes are fickle. It didn’t take long for those Pricks to return to their left-wing agenda. They started asking me all kinds of leading questions.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  “Like, RAMBRO, how can a young Black man risk his life for a country mired in systemic racism? Or RAMBRO, as a person of color, how do you justify the killing of other persons of color in a colonial war?”

  Bobby Ray couldn’t believe all the bullshit, “What did you say?”

  “I told them the truth. God, Country, Corps! That’s when their heads exploded. That’s when they started ‘fact checking’. They revisited Pop-Pop’s actions in Korea, questioning whether he had killed infiltrators, or massacred POWs. They questioned whether the Special Action Squad that attacked the Naval Hospital was actually just Chinese POWs fleeing a chemical attack when I murdered them. The nonsense never ended. These people are sick, very troubled.”

  Anarchy

  As the freight traveled westward, Junior continued his story, “The problems that began in 2020, never really went away, they only got worse. First responders, police, EMTs, and firemen quit or retired in droves. The big city politicians were either too weak, or incompetent to cope with all the mayhem. I suspect some of those politicians were closet communists, socialists, and anarchists.

  “After the North Korean nuke strikes and the US response, the loonies started marching for disarmament. They actually believed if the US disarmed, then everybody else would. They also called the US nuclear response a ‘Crime Against Humanity’. The Chinese fully supported all this as they denounced the use of nuclear weapons while maintaining their own huge nuclear stockpile. Those bastards actually cited the US nuclear response against North Korea as justification for their attacks upon the US Navy, Taiwan, and Japan.

  “Upon the defeat of China in and around Okinawa, most Americans demanded that the Chinese be driven out of Taiwan and that Madame Kim and her band of North Korean cutthroats be eliminated. The American, Japanese, Australian, Singapore, South Korean and Taiwanese forces began massing for an assault upon Korea, to be followed by the liberation of Taiwan. That’s when all the Chinese stooges showed their true colors.

  “The Chinese threatened the use of nuclear weapons in defense of socialism. The Media ramped up their anti-Am
erican and pro-Chinese rhetoric. The radicals in the streets now began destroying infrastructure, lynching politicians, and burning the cities. They demanded peace. It became impossible to move goods and just live everyday life. In the cities, people hunkered down. Barricades went up in rural areas and guns came out. The country was paralyzed.

  “The Federal Government had no choice. They began negotiations with the Chinese and Madame Kim. At the initial negotiating session, the Chinese attitude was ‘in your face’. They demanded that Korea remain united under Madame Kim and Taiwan remain under Red Chinese control. Japan must demilitarize Okinawa and the US must demilitarize Guam. The US and Japan had just 7 days to agree, or China would launch nuclear strikes against both Guam and Okinawa. The Chinese and Korean delegations then walked out leaving a small 7-day clock ticking on the negotiating table.”

  “Boy, those guys were tough.”

  “Yes, they were Bobby Ray, and our leader was weak. She dithered, and consulted, and focus grouped, and wrung her hands. Meanwhile, the cities burned, and the lynchings continued.

  “On the seventh day, in a joint statement, Japan and the United States agreed to the Chinese conditions. The Chinese response was negative. Now there were new demands. The United States must also demilitarize Hawaii and Alaska, and the clock was still ticking.

  “Intel satellites detected Chinese missile bases preparing to launch and airbases going on high alert. There was more hand wringing. Finally, one hour before the deadline, the US and Japan capitulated. Just like Neville Chamberlain 85 years earlier, our President said the new treaty would, ‘Insure peace in our time.’

  “The whole world breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone at home thought things would finally settle down. After all, Taiwan, Korea, and Okinawa were halfway around the world.”

  “So, you came home, right Darius?”

  “Yes, Bobby Ray, just like Spud’s Dad, I won my war only to have wimpy two-faced politicians snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.”

  “Then everything settled down?”

  “No! Things got worse. The Collective, that’s what they called themselves, demanded that the leadership of the armed forces be tried for war crimes. They demanded unilateral disarmament. They burnt state capital buildings, mostly along the coasts, and denounced governors on those capital’s lawns. Several governors were publicly beaten to death live on cable news. Local Collectives began seizing private property and rounding up Jews.

  “The Collective shared a special hatred for the Jewish people. They hated the Jewish traditions. They hated the Jewish families. They hated the Jewish work ethic. But, most of all, they hated the Jewish God.

  “It all came to a head right after I got back home in ’26. On April 1, 2026, five million Members marched on Washington, DC. They burnt buildings, killed at will, and arrested government officials. The pitiful President announced that she would remain in Washington and work with The Collective. In return, she was denounced, and the nation watched on TV as she pleaded for her worthless life and denounced her own country and its’ Constitution.

  “Some of the military sought refuge in the British Commonwealth, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and India, but most went to Japan. As the feckless President was being stoned to death on the White House lawn, leaders of the Resistance formed a government in exile in Japan.

  “Those damned Chinese got their way.”

  “For a time, maybe. Now they must contend with the Japanese, Russians, and British Commonwealth. India is a real problem for our Chinese friends.”

  “So, everybody here, at home, just gave in to The Collective?”

  “I didn’t say that. When the Revolution began, local Resistance groups sprang up. Many military units and police departments joined the Resistance. National guard armories were stripped of arms. Anything that couldn’t be taken was sabotaged.

  “Many state governments resisted. Texas is still in revolt, as is rural Kentucky. In fact, much of the rural South is in revolt. Utah is virtually at war with The Collective. About the only thing The Collective controls in Utah is the main rail line. Most rural areas of the country have never accepted The Collective. The Cuban Americans down in Miami are tough SOBs and they know all about socialism. They will never surrender to The Collective.”

  “Junior, do we have any friends who will help us?’

  “It’s mostly up to us now, me and you. The Japanese send us help as does India. But it’s really up to us.”

  “But don’t despair, he’s on our side.” Junior pointed his thumb straight up.

  Emeryville

  The California Zephyr’s final stop was Emeryville, California. Emeryville is on The Bay, tucked between Oakland to the south and Berkeley on the north. It’s a good central location in the Bay Area.

  Dr. Pham & Co. had an enjoyable, but tiring, trip across the country. Beth and Yasmin had never seen the real America before. They had never seen the great rivers, vast plains, towering mountains, and sun baked deserts. Now Beth had a better understanding of just why she must risk everything to make America free again.

  Dr. Pham had selected his headquarters. His team would set up operations in a hospital that, prior to the Revolution, was part of a major university’s health care system. This location offered access to equipment and support staff who were qualified to both administer and monitor the vaccination and testing programs and process millions of test kits.

  The PRC was shipping millions of test kits to the PUS. After all, vaccination isn’t necessary if someone is already infected. The protocol called for antibody testing, then vaccination of those testing negative. Those testing positive, if any, would be quarantined and treated with antiviral and immunomodulating drugs. In addition to the antibody testing, the protocol also included typical diagnostic measures such as checking body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation levels.

  The Operations Center was close to Berkeley, The Collective’s nerve center in California. The Collective had prepared plush lodging for the Phams and Beth in what had once been a major hotel right on The Bay and only a few blocks from the Operations Center.

  There was no rest for Delvin Smith. He had to rush back to Emeryville and meet with Dr. Pham and team to prepare for receipt of the incoming shipment. That shipment was just being loaded onto a Boeing 777-300ER at Beijing Capital International Airport. After Delvin’s meeting with the Pham team, he would catch a nap, then head for Peoples’ Bay Area International.

  The Chinese were not the only major power in the medical supply business. The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, JMSDF, based in Kure, Japan was loading PPE, antiviral drugs, immunomodulating drugs, and Vitamins D, C, and Zinc supplements aboard several Virginia class nuclear submarines covertly operated by the exiled United States Navy and their Japanese sponsors. Dr. Pham’s intel had made its’ way to the top of the Resistance Command Authority.

  Warthog

  Tom Jackson was wide awake by supper time. As Tom walked over to the mess tent, he was met by Doc Williams.

  “Tom, we’ve got all the wire restrung up in Cougar Canyon. We’ve also got new bonfires ready.”

  “How about our Collective guests?”

  “Ray’s got that pole barn sealed up tight, everything except the front barn doors.”

  “How about the yard out front?”

  “He’s got barbed wire strung around a nice sized yard out front and there’s a bonfire going.”

  “Are the lights on in the pole barn?”

  “No, but we can sure turn them on.”

  “Hell yes, I want it so bright in there that I could read the holy scriptures with my eyes closed. And make sure that barn door is propped wide open.”

  “You expect visitors tonight?”

  “Yes, I do. Don’t know if they will come by air, or road, or both.”

  “How about our guests in the pole barn?”

  “I told them we wouldn’t kill them, and we won’t.”

  After supper, as the sun wa
s setting behind the Toiyabes, Tom met with Doc Williams, Ray, Vet, Dawg, and Abrams.

  Tom handed Vet that large yellow plastic saddlebag he had brought back from Austin, “I almost forgot about this stuff. Nicolescu, what do you know about IEDs?”

  “I’ve never made one, but I’ve seen their results and how they’re placed.”

  “Good. You’re familiar with Claymores?”

  “Of course.”

  “There’s an M183 Demolition Charge in that saddle bag, 16 blocks of C-4 and 4 primer assemblies.”

  “Ray, Vet, I need you guys to make several IEDs. Make ‘em like a Claymore. Use nails, bolts, glass, as the shrapnel. Disguise ‘em to look like cans, boxes, trash. Place them up against a blast plate, you know, a flat rock, a piece of plate metal. Position them to blow out toward the target. Vet, you know how to place the pattern, right?”

  “Hell yes, but where?”

  “Concentrate on the creek crossing. Place that pattern strategically along that road.”

  “Vet, Ray, you don’t have much time.”

  “Dawg, we think they’ll come from the north, but they may switch up and come from the south. Make sure your men understand their responsibility is to identify the threat and sound the alarm, then fall back while delaying the enemy until Abrams can take them in the flank. Are we clear?”

  “Clear, we are a screening force.”

  “Juan, just like before. Be ready to move and flank the enemy.”

  “We’ll be ready.”

  “You are all aware that we now have two Type 91 heat seekers?”

  Everyone replied affirmatively.

  “Fire those only upon my command. Otherwise, same protocol as before. Make sure the Stooges are ready.”

  The meeting was suddenly interrupted by Juan’s wife. She was so excited that she was chattering non-stop in Spanish.

  Juan grabbed his wife by the shoulders, “Adriana, calm down. Speak slowly, in English.”