The College Years
I hadn't entirely forgone poetry, even in college, and I was just starting to put together what became my first novel on the lines of a Georgette Heyer. The short stories I wrote were more in line with science fiction, which is what I read more of at the time, and were starting to be more complex as the idealism and fatalism of my high school years fell away. Dialogue was still clunky, but improving, and now a bigger player in revealing character and moving story along. Motivations were less black and white and I managed to even inject a little humor here and there. Mostly, these stories were exercises in "what if," something that became of a favorite pastime of mine.
Operation Terminal Beach
Up in space, a satellite that serviced both Soviet television and one of the less respectable US satellite stations bounced an unscheduled beam down to Moscow, a beam all in trinary and in a code so simple as to be as unbreakable as the genetic code, even if it was detected.
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. . . 2012112201201 . . .
"Comrade Solonov to see you, Comrade General."
"Send him in," the Soviet Head of Defense said without looking up from his desk, but, when Solonov entered the room, the General leapt to his feet smartly and abandoned his desk to greet the famous scientist. The General might be in his sixties, but he hadn't gone to seed as so many of his comrades had done.
"Comrade General," said Solonov, bowing his head slightly and shaking the proffered hand.
The General hadn't expected Solonov to be so young, hardly even forty by the look of him. "Comrade Solonov, what an honor and a pleasure to meet a scientist of your accomplishments. I am so glad we could finally meet. Please sit down. I have been so busy since taking office that I have not had a chance to talk to you, so I was pleased when you asked for an interview. I was but too happy to comply."
"Thank you for your kindness in granting this interview, for yours is such a vital position that I know your time is valuable."
"No more than yours, Comrade Solonov. You have done a great deal to ensure the safety of our mother country. It is truly an honor. I must ask, however if this is to be a social call?"
"I would never waste your or my precious time with a social call. You have given me credit for much of our country's present security, but I wish to do more, much more. That is why I came."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I recently toured a missile silo, one of those not run by my own hand-picked men, and I was appalled by the lack of discipline and dedication in those workers. I am filled with fear that part of our national security is in the hands of those who may not be totally dedicated to our cause. My OBTB missiles are maintained by my own staff of engineers, and, of their loyalty and efficiency, I can have no doubt."
"Nor I, Comrade Solonov," the General replied thoughtfully, but with conviction, for he visited several of Solonov's missile silos and hand been astounded at the blinding efficiency and the almost palpable sense of purpose.
"What I worry about," continued Solonov, sitting forward in his chair, "are the attendants in the silos and subs alike, with any access to nuclear weapons. Can we depend on them? Many are influenced by Western music and dress. Who knows if they are not influenced by Western philosophies and moral standards. I have not seen the dedication I think necessary for the vast responsibility they have, and, not being engineers, I don't believe they handle their jobs with either the skill or reverence they should."
"Perhaps you are right, Solonov. What is your suggestion?"
"Let me put men in the silos, in the subs. Let me work over every single weapon to make certain it is still in working order after being in the hands of the unqualified. Let me make certain my country is just as strong as it should be!" Solonov seemed almost standing although he never left his chair. Fanaticism glowed from his face, his eyes alight with a half-mad look the General had seen once before in the eyes of a concentration camp colonel in World War II.
"Do you expect us to leave the control of our entire nuclear force in your hands alone?"
"My men are hand-picked, competent engineers and totally dedicated to me."
"To you, and not the country?"
"They are dedicated to the country, because I am dedicated. Can you doubt my loyalty?"
The General looked into the cold blue eyes intense with that unnatural fervor he had so hated forty-five years before. "No," said the General slowly, and then weakly smiled. "I can think of no more effective hands to put our salvation in. I have every confidence in your abilities and loyalty."
Solonov looked directly at the General's eyes. "Thank you, Comrade General. You won't be disappointed." He rose to his feet. "Believe me, I know just what to do."
"I'm sure you do," replied the General, nodding his head in dismissal. As the door closed behind Solonov, the General whispered, "I hate that sort of man, but we need him, need more of him. Why, oh why, must that always be so?"
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"What makes you so certain your information is correct, Michaels?" asked the President in his soft voice.
"Well, from the mobilization of Solonov's team, it seems likely that they must have infiltrated our own silo personnel. That's their typical paranoid response."
"And what's our typical paranoid response?"
"Sir?"
"Nothing. So, what do you want me to do?"
"Well, sir, we were thinking of a strong aggressive program to . . ."
"No. I think I'll just ask Ryan to screen and retrain nuclear personnel, make certain everything's working right. He provides most of the maintenance people from his own group after all."
"But sir . . ."
The President waved his hand impatiently. "No sense in being more paranoid than they are. I am no warmonger, Michaels. Besides, this is about the extent of my powers. In fact, I may not be able to get Congress to approve it—but I probably can. Don't worry, Michaels. It's in my hands." He opened the door for his Secretary of Defense to leave his office.
"That's what I'm afraid of," the Secretary said to the closed door behind him and walked down the hall alone, shaking his head at the weakness of his President. Scientists had no business in politics.
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MOSCOW (UPI) - Soviet leader Nenchenko, who replaced the sadly assassinated Gorbachev two years ago today, announced today that he still intends to put nuclear weapons in space under the direction of Mikhail Solonov. The proposed weapons should be orbiting just months away, the announced date November 19, 1989. The United States Congress said today that they deplored all use of nuclear weapons in space and would appeal to the UN for support . . .
NEW YORK, NY (AP) - Tension is high now that the Soviet ambassador to the UN has formally and violently withdrawn from the United Nations. Before he left, Ambassador Marichev announced that the Soviet Union would not be dictated to like nursery children, the UN was a fraud, and ineffectual council with no power. Soon after, Cuba, Yugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Rumania also withdrew as well as . . .
TOKYO (AP) - In a surprising twist, Japan, whose leaders have recently been known for their peaceful endeavors, declared war on the Soviet Union for alleged ocean territory infringements. Soviet head, Nenchenko is quoted to have replied, "Didn't they learn anything from Hiroshima?" This reaction has done nothing to reduce tension and has alarmed US government agencies . . .
2201211021112112220012122001122000121 . . .
WASHINGTON, D.C. (UPI) - In an unprecedented statement, President Samuelson declared that any "overt act of nuclear aggression aimed at any ally would be returned in kind from US silos." Surprisingly, he is being backed by a frightened Congress who gave him a standing ovation as he addressed the House, but there were many white faces. When asked for a comment, the Speaker of the House said, "We must avoid nuclear war, even if we have to use nuclear aggression to convince the Soviets we are serious."
MOSCOW (UPI) - Today,
the Soviets sent up their space missile silo station right on schedule. Dr. Ryan, when asked, said that his SDI satellite sent up last year on defense funding could not stop any missiles from space and, as the only defense satellite, could only stop a small fraction of nuclear bombardment. "Nuclear aggression is really something to be afraid of now," said Ryan. "We can't do a bloody thing to stop it." Ryan said he would not be available for further comment at any later date as he will be going on an extended retreat . . .
Conjuring Dreams or Learning to Write by Writing Page 6