Sky Masters

by Dale Brown

  be no higher than that implemented by DEFCON Three. Stand by." A few

  moments later, a warbling tone was heard over Tyler's headset and

  through the interphone system. The DEFCON lights above the big board

  changed from "4" to "3" and all of the Command Center status lights

  changed to red Top Secret indications. The Joint Chiefs of Staff

  communications center had assembled a coded message and broadcast it to

  all of the major commands. When received in the Essential Elements

  section, the message was decoded, checked, and the checklist for that

  order run immediately. "What do we got, Audrey?" Tyler asked. "DEFCON

  Three, posture three, " the SAC senior controller replied. "No A-hour

  specified. Time-control clock start in five... four... three... two...

  one... now." Just then, the second event-timer above the big board

  started counting. "Message acknowledged to JCS, checked and verified,

  standing by for retransmit."

  "Retransmit, " Tyler ordered. The message ordering an increased state

  of readiness would now be sent to all SAC alert units in the United

  States. The DEFCON change would also affect nuclear-capable Tactical

  Air Command units in Europe and Asia, all of the Navy's ballistic

  missile submarines, and the Sixth and Eighth Armies in Europe and Korea,

  which were some of the few Army units with deployed nuclear weapons.

  After acknowledgment messages were received from all the major military

  commands, General Curtis said to the poll participators: "I will convene

  a Charlie conference as soon as possible. Have a breakdown of the

  pre-planned options for this contingency, along with your further

  recommendations. RENEGADE out." The connection was then terminated. "So

  what do we do now?" Stone asked. "Run the checklists, " Tyler said.

  "It's not unlike flying a fighter-we follow the checklist and it

  generally keeps us out of trouble." A yellow light flashed on the

  telephone beside Tyler. "Well, here we go." He sighed. Before he

  picked up the phone, he turned and requested that iced tea be brought

  for him and Stone. "This is going to take awhile, " he predicted. "We

  do it a little bass-ackwards, but it usually works. "Curtis does a

  Charlie conference to direct each service branch to review the

  pre-planned contingency OPLANS, and the JCS decides which one to run.

  Then Curtis'll go to the President and SECDEF face-to-face and make his

  pitch. The President usually signs off on the plan just to get the ball

  rolling-then, when his Cabinet, the Congress, and the press find out,

  shit hits the fan. But that's not our concern."

  "Where do you need me?" Stone asked. "Right with me, Rat Killer, "

  Tyler replied. "You're my resident Philippine expert. We built a new

  Philippine contingency plan when Clark closed, but I'll need you to look

  it over, tell me if it's still valid in the face of what the Chinese

  have out there."

  "I'm ready, " Stone said. "Is there any time to get out of these

  sweats, though? I'm not sure the staff will be able to work closely

  with me if I stink like an old pair of sneakers."

  "Don't worry about it, " Tyler said, a grim smile on his face. "Before

  long, everyone here will be just as nervous and sweaty as you are-except

  it won't be from exercise, it'll be from good ol' fear." THE MALACANANG

  PRESIDENTIAL PALACE MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES SAME TIME Philippine First

  Vice President Daniel Teguina paced restlessly as he, the Second Vice

  President Samar, and the Cabinet awaited the arrival of President Mikaso

  in the presidential conference chamber. Everyone was tense and worried.

  A few were terrified. All had rushed to the presidential palace

  immediately after being advised of the disaster in Palawan. Finally,

  President Arturo Mikaso entered the conference chamber. Unlike the

  others gathered, who were dressed casually, Mikaso was in a dark-gray

  business suit, polished shoes, and a tie. His appearance was so crisp

  that a few wondered silently if he hadn't just dressed. "Gentlemen..."

  Mikaso said, his old body moving as quickly as it could into the room.

  "Please take your seats." The elder statesman stiffly took his at the

  center of the oblong maple conference table and the other Cabinet

  members immediately sat down. "As you know, a terrible tragedy has

  occurred, " Mikaso began. "Less than thirty minutes ago, a patrol task

  force from this country was attacked by a large Chinese naval patrol off

  the coast of Palawan." The Cabinet members exchanged looks of complete

  shock. They'd been advised of a major sea disaster, but given no

  details. Murmurs went around the room. Teguina immediately spoke up. "A

  Chinese naval patrol? Judging by the state of our naval force, I assume

  we were beaten badly?" Mikaso nodded sadly. "We were indeed. We've

  suffered serious losses-"

  "Naturally, " Teguina interrupted. "What do we have to fight with?

  Outdated, expensive, useless American equipment that we were suckered

  into buying." Mikaso glared at Teguina. "Daniel, now is hardly the time

  for editorializing. There are far more serious considerations at hand."

  Mikaso looked at the men gathered in the room and said, "Gentlemen, the

  worst part of this confrontation, which involved two of our F-4E

  fighters, was that the Chinese launched a nuclear missile against our

  force." Gasps went around the table, followed by immediate cries of

  outrage which echoed off the walls of the conference room. Everyone was

  talking at once until Mikaso rapped his knuckles on the table. "This

  has not been confirmed by us yet, " Mikaso said, "but the detonation was

  detected by American and Japanese monitoring stations." Again everyone

  started talking at once, their voices reaching a crescendo of questions

  of concern: What about the fallout? The food and water supplies? How

  could the Chinese have justified a nuclear-tipped missile? Did it mean

  this was a prelude to a full-scale invasion? Question piled upon

  question. Mikaso tried to calm them down. "We have no definite reports

  of an invasion, " Mikaso said, "although the Chinese warships are in

  Ulugan Bay on Palawan, being guarded by our Army."

  "But how did this happen?" demanded Second Vice President J~~e Samar.

  "Civilized nations don't just set off nukes!" Mikaso nodded in

  agreement. "One would think. However, this was a battle between our

  forces and theirs. They ventured into the neutral zone, were going to

  attack a drilling platform, and we opened fire."

  "What was a drilling platform doing there anyway?" Teguina asked, even

  though he knew. "Those islands are not for exploration or drilling. The

  Chinese have long considered that their territory, even though we don't.

  Why were we provoking the Chinese?"

  "We weren't, " Mikaso said pointedly. "Exploration is allowed within ten

  miles of the boundaries of the zone, Daniel. Learn your treaties. If

  you did, you'd know that the Spratly Island agreement not only allows

  that, but also prohibits a deadly force to patrol the zone. Armed

  warships must stay on their own side. We've seen how the Chinese

  violated that in the past-the previous incide
nt was just a few months

  ago. I authorized our forces to protect themselves if the Chinese

  prepared to attack again, and that's what they did." Teguina shook his

  head. "Why don't you tell them who we were really protecting? Unless

  I'm mistaken, it was an A American-financed company who erected the oil

  platforms in the zone to begin with." He looked directly at Mikaso: "A

  company, I believe, Mr. President, run by one of your relatives?" More

  murmurs went around the room. "That is beside the point. It's a

  Philippine company and they had every right to explore the island and

  the resources on it." The two men stared at each other. "What about

  fallout?" another Cabinet member demanded. Mikaso nodded. "That is

  our first priority. Daniel, you will immediately dispatch National

  Guard forces to Palawan to assist in the recovery efforts. In fact, I

  think the people of Palawan would appreciate seeing you there to help in

  the effort. Use all available transport assets and-" Teguina pushed

  back his chair and stood up, something he usually did in Cabinet

  meetings to stress a point. He leaned over the table, looking at the

  others seated. "I will be honored to help our fellow Filipinos in

  Palawan, but there's one point we've dismissed too easily: who really

  launched that missile?" Rumbling went around the table, and Mikaso

  pointed his finger at Teguina: "Daniel, I don't know what you're up to,

  but it's not going to work. I resent the dissension you're trying to

  create in the middle of a crisis. It-"

  "Yes, sit down!" Second Vice President Samar said. Teguina ignored

  them. "You say that the Chinese are at fault, but what you really meant

  to say is that it's not known who's to blame for the attack. That

  nuclear explosion could have just as easily been caused by an American

  nuclear device, either delivered by covert American forces or by

  Filipino airmen under orders by the American military or Central

  Intelligence Agency-"

  "What are you talking about, Teguina?" Mikaso snapped angrily, his

  hands and lips trembling as much from confusion and exhaustion as from

  fury. "Are you that paranoid? There aren't any nuclear weapons on

  Filipino soil, no American airmen, and we did not launch any sort of

  nuclear attack. It was a Filipino vessel that was destroyed, for God's

  sake!"

  "Do you deny that there are still American Intelligence agents here in

  the Philippines?" Teguina asked, his eyes darting between Mikaso and

  Samar. Mikaso hesitated-only for a moment, but the pause was the answer.

  The Cabinet officers looked at each other, then at Mikaso with

  undisguised shock. "Then it is true?" one of the Cabinet officers

  gasped. "The American consulate is still open, " Mikaso explained,

  trying hard to ignore the accusing glances, "and yes, I gave permission

  for several CIA officials to be stationed here."

  "No, Mr. President... "This is outrageous . . . Samar said. Teguina

  couldn't believe it-he had stumbled onto something that at least for the

  moment overshadowed even the nuclear explosion in Palawan. The American

  CIA had long been blamed for the Philippines' internal turmoil, and

  Mikaso's admission could, even after all American military personnel had

  left the country, eventually bring down Mikaso's government. A common

  fear among the newly "liberated" Philippine government was that America

  would leave "moles" in place who would report to Washington and who

  could easily take over the Filipino government and realign with Washing

  ton in a coup. The Americans had left easily when ordered out-too

  easily, many thought. . "You did this in direct violation of the law,

  without consulting your Cabinet or Congress?" the Minister of the

  Interior asked incredulously. "Why weren't we informed?" another

  Minister demanded angrily. As the chorus of other voices rose up in

  angry protest, Daniel Teguina sat back down in his chair, listening and

  inwardly smiling. Even in the middle of a crisis there was more than one

  way to skin a cat. . ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH DAKOTA SAME TIME

  Generals Calvin Jarrel and Brad Elliott had been waiting on the tarmac

  for the F-23 fighter pilots returning from their Powder Run sortie.

  Elliott especially was looking forward to giving the pilots some

  good-natured ribbing about the surprise they encountered with the EB-52

  Megafortress that he'd gotten Jarrel to put in the air. Elliott was

  willing to bet that McLanahan had gotten a big kick out of seeing the

  F-23 pilots turn and run. Just then a dark-blue staff car pulled up a

  few parking spaces from where Jarrel and Elliott were standing. Out of

  the car came Major Harold Briggs, General Elliott's aide and chief of

  security. Plugging his ears with his index fingers, he strode toward

  Elliott clutching a sheet of paper. He handed it to him. Elliott read

  the note, and Briggs saw the expression on his boss's face change. "I'll

  take you back in my car, General, " Briggs said loudly over the whine of

  the nearby jet engines. "Problem?" Jarrel asked. Elliott showed Jarrel

  the note, keeping the sheet of paper tight in his fingertips-it was

  stamped Top Secret on both the top and bottom. "Christ, " was all Jarrel

  could say. "I'll give you a ride back to your command post, " Elliott

  said. They hopped in the sedan the second Briggs braked to a stop beside

  them. In the car, Briggs passed out two red-colored vinyl folders, one

  to each of them. "Full text of the classified FLASH message for you,

  sir, " he indicated to Jarrel. "Message from Colonel McLanahan from the

  Black Knight bomber sortie." Elliott frowned at the folder he was given

  and was about to set it unopened on his lap, but Briggs added, "I think

  you should read it, sir. I think it might have a connection with the

  DEFCON Three message. There was silence in the sedan for several

  moments. Then, as though they were thinking the exact same thing, they

  handed their folders over to each other. "Holy shit, " Jarrel finally

  exclaimed. "This NIRTSat thingyour SPO actually thinks this satellite

  got pictures of a Chinese nuclear attack against a Philippine patrol?"

  "Well, God knows it was possible, " Elliott said. "If they had the

  N1RTSat up there, and it was over the Philippines at the time, it's more

  than possible. That might also explain why the satellite went off the

  air for McLanahan. Except it didn't go completely off... the thing was

  alive long enough to download the last of its photos to McLanahan in the

  B-2 during his bomb run here."

  "But McLanahan says here the data wasn't transmitted to SPACECOM..."

  "Space Command wasn't one of the users, " Elliott said. "They provided

  launch and orbiting monitoring and had backup-performance telemetry but

  weren't scheduled to receive the imagery." Elliott paused for a moment,

  then said, "You know, Cal, if you're in DEFCON Three... "Yeah?" Elliott

  knew that if Jarrel was going to be in a conventional contingency

  operation, which was very possible, he would be deploying, as priority

  one, the Air Battle Force. "Well, I think we've got the ultimate

  mission-planning tool in the world avail
able for you if you want it. All

  we need to do is hook you up with Jon Masters and his NIRTSat boosters,

  and you can build mission packages for the STRATFOR so detailed that

  you'd think someone already flew the mission."

  "Maybe not, " Jarrel said, motioning to the message from McLanahan.

  "Your SPO says that SPACECOM will deorbit the NIRTSat. SPACECOM didn't

  know about the nuke-they thought it had malfunctioned." "Hal, step on

  it, " Elliott told Briggs. "We need to get to the command post five

  minutes ago."

  "Got you covered, sir, " Briggs said. He tossed a pocket-sized cellular

  telephone into the backseat. "I wasn't cleared to peek at General

  Jarrel's message, but I was cleared to peek at yours. When I read the

  thing about Space Command, I ordered a direct scrambled call to General

  Talbot at Falcon Air Force Base. He should be calling back any minute."

  True to his word, the phone rang just as Briggs pulled up to the steel

  and glass headquarters building, so Elliott sat in the car and took the

  scrambled telephone call from there. A gruff, impatient voice answered,

  "NORAD, General Talbot, " then added with even greater brusqueness,

  "Make it quick."

  "Mike, this is Brad Elliott calling from Ellsworth. How the hell are

  you?"

  "Fine, Brad, just fine. Listen, Brad, can this call wait? I'm up to my

  ears in 'gators right now." Brad Elliott knew that was the

  understatement of the year. Air Force General Michael Talbot had one of

  the most unusual military jobs in the world: he was a "triple hat, "

  commander of three major military organizations all at the same time.

  Because the Air Force was the lead agency in space-related matters,

  Talbot, as commander of the Air Force Space Command, was also commander

  of the United States Space Command, the new specified military command

  that directed all military space functions and coordinated all

  space-related activities for the three services; and because Space

  Command was the United States' agency in charge of space defense, Talbot

  was also the current commander of the North American Aerospace Defense