Warzone: Nemesis: A Novel of Mars
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GEN Carter F. Colson,
Alpha One Test Center
Inside the Kremlin office of the First Secretary of the CPSU
First Secretary Khrushchev greeted GEN Andropov. The general had a worried look on his face.
“Comrade First Secretary, our agents within the secure American facility were discovered and killed, but not before a wealth of technical information was received by us. It is a pity that we will get no more information from them.”
“Comrade General, it does not matter. Our source sold us the research the Americans had collected for nearly ten years. The damage to the Americans’ exclusive ownership of the information is irreparable. We will proceed as planned and start our colonization of the cosmos. It is of little importance if we’re first in that race. We must be the first to establish production facilities on the moon if alloy-x does indeed exist there. We must get to the Moon as soon as possible in a disc large enough to transport equipment and an expedition team. If we find alloy-x there, a post must be built. Once we have a military post there, we should destroy the Americans and take full possession of the Moon and all of its resources.”
Courier dispatch from GEN Mikhail Andropov to First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev.
To Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU
From GEN Mikhail Andropov, Army of the USSR
Comrade Secretary, I am reporting today the successful formation of the SCA-Soviet Cosmonaut Agency. With the technologies our operatives stole from the Americans, combined with the alloy-x we’ve harvested, we are poised to win the struggle. We should be able to build transport space vessels to transport our troops and equipment to the moon to establish our permanent post within a few months.
The SCA shall remain completely secret to keep the Chinese in the dark. Our greatest concern is the Chinese may somehow be able to join us in this race and become the dominant Marxist superpower. I advise the “public space race” continue, and the real one remain secret. Our agents discovered that President Kennedy is the only government official that knows about the disc and the secret test center’s existence. Our sources stressed that even the vice-president does not know. President Kennedy’s failure at the Bay of Pigs invasion and his executive order to withdraw from Vietnam has earned him many enemies within his own military and the CIA. Our mole within the CIA Black Operations assures us it would be possible to motivate the CIA to eliminate him on their own. Kennedy should be killed before the Americans have a chance to establish their space organization to compete with us. This in itself may be enough to give us the momentum to beat the Americans to the moon to establish our post first.
Please advise,
GEN Mikhail Andropov, SCA
The First secretary wrote his response and placed it in the locked attaché case and gave it to the courier to return to the general, who was on army business doing an inspection along the Chinese border. The courier took the first plane to the army post where the general was staying. He surrendered the case to the general, who eagerly unlocked it. The Soviets had never assassinated a sitting United States president before. He was concerned the first secretary would consider the plan too risky. He read the response.
To GEN Mikhail Andropov, SCA
From Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU
Comrade General, I approve of your plan to assassinate President Kennedy. It is imperative no evidence of Soviet involvement be discovered. As soon as the mission is accomplished, our agent within the CIA should conveniently have a fatal heart attack, so no link to the Soviet Union should be discovered in any investigation sure to follow. I understand he has had a history of heart trouble, so this should not arouse any suspicion.
Nikita Khrushchev,
First Secretary of the CPSU
General Andropov was pleased with the response. It was time to plan the American president’s demise. He’d thought of nothing else since the Cuban Missile crisis and the Bay of Pigs incident. It is time to stop this arrogant young man dead in his tracks, the operative word being dead.
Memorandum from Dr. Jan Eichmann
October 8, 1963
To: GEN Carter F. Colson
General, we will launch the three discs we replicated from the alien disc in T-24 hours, at zero eight hundred hours MST. We’re also able to make twelve transport vessels out of alloy-x to transport troops and supplies to set up our post on the moon. There’s going to be a clear blue sky, so we painted all of the discs and transport vessels sky blue. We’ve set up security to clear all civilians from the area and have arranged for satellite blackouts during the launch time. We’re going to set up a rash of false UFO sightings all over the west, so most serious people will ignore our launches. We’ve enough water, food, fuel, equipment, and a recycler to start up our post. When the American public celebrates the public moon launch in a few years, we will already be standing on the moon.
Dr. Jan Eichmann
Dept. of Research and Development,
Alpha One Test Center
Arriving at the white house, the courier checked his locked attaché case again. Even though silence was considered golden, after his many trips to the White House, he was on a first name basis with the president’s secretary. Janet smiled at him. “Dan, the president will see you now.”
He smiled a shy smile. “Thank you, Janet.”
The young courier saluted, relinquished the case to the president, and waited for a response.
From GEN Carter F. Colson, ASDC
To the President of the United States
October 12, 1963
Mr. President, we landed the expedition team this morning and found the moon is indeed rich in alloy-x. We will have a secure post constructed and a reclamation facility and begin salvage operations within two months. Our team reported the Soviet team also arrived mid-afternoon. I assume they’re planning the same thing we are. We’re also making the building of post defenses and offensive hoverships a high priority as soon as we have our post built.
GEN Carter F. Colson,
Commander, American Space Defense Corps
The young president wrote a quick response of message received, placed it in the case, and handed it back to the courier.
“Lieutenant, there’s no rush in sending this response back. I think you should stay in Washington tonight. I have it under good authority Janet doesn’t have any dinner plans,” he confided, flashing his trademark smile.
“Yes, sir. I’ll look into it.”
Phone call to Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU, from GEN Mikhail Andropov, SCA
“Comrade First Secretary, Our expedition team landed on the moon this afternoon and found the American team was already there, by about eight hours. We’re quickly moving to build a post and alloy-x reclamation facility. Our plan is to construct adequate defenses and offenses out of the alloy-x. Then we will begin our war with the Americans in an attempt to destroy them quickly before they can establish a dominant position here.”
“Dah, very good.”
AP news release, November 22, 1963
In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy’s motorcade in downtown Dallas. President Kennedy died at 1:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, two o’clock Eastern Standard Time.
The young Soviet courier delivered his message to the general. The general opened the case and retrieved the letter.
To GEN Mikhail Andropov, SCA
From Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU
Comrade General, the timing of President Kennedy’s demise would have been better had it occurred before the American post’s construction. However, it will still serve our purpose. We have sent inquiries though all of our operatives within the CIA, the State Department and other agencies. We concluded this is a secret operation their congress and military are not aware. Our listening device planted within President Johnson’s office monitored his calls and visitors after Kennedy’s demise. We are convinced he knows nothing of the ASDC. With Kennedy d
ead, all government support should dissolve, and the ASDC will not be able to function.
Nikita Khrushchev,
First Secretary of the CPSU
General Andropov crafted his response, placed it into the locked case, and dispatched the courier back to the First Secretary. The courier dispatched to the Kremlin delivered his locked case to the First Secretary. The First Secretary unlocked the case, and read the letter.
From GEN Mikhail Andropov, SCA
To Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU
Comrade First Secretary, concerning the American president’s demise, our agent within the CIA black operations has conveniently died of a heart attack this morning. Ironically, the CIA is trying to blame the assassination on us by using an unstable former US Marine. They claim he had ties to Cuba and to us. We stopping using him because we discovered he was a double agent and untrustworthy a few months ago. Meanwhile, we will continue to fight with the Americans on the moon until we’ve vanquished them. I trust we have the resources within the American press and government to blame this on the CIA.
GEN Mikhail Andropov, SCA
The courier was admitted to the office of Perry Dubois, the chairman of the Investco Corp. The chairman opened the locked case, and read the letter.
To: Chairman Perry Dubois, Investco Corp.
From GEN Carter F. Colson, ASDC
November 23, 1963
As you know, the president, our chief benefactor was killed yesterday. Please convene a board meeting of Investco to determine our financial status and structural independence. Our post on the moon is complete and we’ve begun salvaging alloy-x and fighting openly with the Soviets. Fighting there is fierce, to say the least, and we need to know if we can operate as the president wished. A member of our staff who worked for the president obtained access and destroyed the only copy of project code name Desert Jewel the president possessed.
GEN Carter F. Colson, ASDC
The chairman dismissed the courier, and called his secretary to contact the board members to convene a meeting.
The courier was received from the Investgo Corp by the general at his post in Utah. He received the case and read the letter.
To GEN Carter F. Colson, ASDC
From Perry Dubois, Investco Corp
November 26, 1963
GEN Colson, after examining the books and the infrastructure of the Investco Corporation, the board has concluded we’re well able to stand-alone as you instructed. The recent reverse engineering will be extremely useful to expand our financial base and secure more inroads into other businesses and corporations.
Perry Dubois, Investco Corp
Rotten business, the president getting himself killed thought the general. At least we can operate as the president wished.
Secure radio transmission to Luna—July 12, 1969
Memorandum from GEN Carter F. Colson, ASDC
To COL Darrel Cavender, Black Dogs Battalion, Luna
Colonel, I’m pleased to hear the American position on Luna is strong. Soon the American space program under NASA will be putting on a “dog and pony show” for the world to see. I want you to coordinate the cleanup of alloy-x in the area surrounding the Eagle Lander’s landing site. The priority is to make sure there’s no alloy-x anywhere near the site. Our people on NASA’s team will let you know the exact lunar landing site in advance. Make absolutely certain the only moon rocks the astronauts find aren’t alloy-x. Also brush out any footprints we may have left near the landing site.
GEN Carter F. Colson
LOG ENTRY:
June 16, 1969
2LT Paul Smith, ASDC
After leaving the Naval Aviator Academy, I served my four years as a cold war fighter pilot. My father served as a naval aviator in the Korean War, and never returned. I’d have liked to have known more about his death than missing in action. I was young when I last saw my father, but my memory of him has been a guiding light. I followed in his footsteps.
For four uneventful years, I served. We came close to a conflict with some Soviet fighters once or twice over the Sea of Japan, but we never had an incident. I had a bright future after the Navy as a commercial airline pilot. My tour of duty drew to a close and I started the paperwork of processing out. We all felt as though the clash between the superpowers would happen during our tour. I felt as though what I’d been trained for was being wasted. Soon the only wings I’d be wearing were of an American Airlines pilot.
My plans were interrupted by the visit. The government had various different covert ops that sometimes recruited, so the visit was no surprise. What did surprise me was they wouldn’t tell me what I would be joining. Once they found out my loyalty to our country was absolute and I had no conflicting commitments, they made me an offer.
I signed up for a military outfit without even being told its name, with whom or where we would be fighting. I was sent to a top-secret training center. I had no idea what I was training for, and the training was more grueling than anything I’d ever experienced. The drill instructors pushed us beyond our limits and back again. The only encouragement the instructors would offer us was we’d be actively fighting the best the Soviet military had to offer. That was enough for me. I sucked it up and made it to the end.
Graduation came, and I was finally to learn of my mission. We were to leave on a space vessel to start a post on the moon, where I’d be actively fighting Soviet pilots flying hovertanks. The gloves were off, and the cold war wasn’t cold anymore. The contest between the superpowers had begun. I had a choice; I could leave now, or stay and fight. I was born for this. Communism is a disease that threatens liberty around the world. I accepted my commission. I chose to stay and fight for freedom—it is my destiny.
CPT Paul Smith died during the Soviet offensive on Eagle 1 post on Luna; July 13, 1970.
LOG ENTRY: April 5, 1969
1LT Vitaliy Grigorovich, SCA
I was a member of the Soviet Air Force when I was chosen. It was a great honor to be selected, but it was even a greater honor to pass training. Only five percent of the trainees were selected. Although my father was not told what unit I was fighting in, he was very proud when my commander told him I would be serving in the Soviet Union’s most elite fighting force. Later I learned I would be serving in space, fighting the hated Americans. The Americans want to spread their poisonous system of government and force it on us. Our society is orderly. Gangsters do not run free on our streets carrying guns. Criminals are not let loose on society over legal technicalities, to repeat their crimes by preying on the innocent. Our leaders do not amass wealth and live like czars, like the rich Americans, while the rest of the world starves. It is for the common good and Soviet motherland I fight until every last American is destroyed from among the cosmos. Then we can bring the war back home and finish the job there. Only then will there be security for the Soviet peoples.
Soon it will be evident how corrupt and worthless their democracy is. There is no greater honor for me than to fight for justice and the Soviet peoples.
All Power to the Soviets!
An American sniper on Mars killed MAJ Vitaliy Grigorovich; August 5, 1971.
THE FALL OF EAGLE 1
“COL Wycoff, please sit down,” said GEN Colson, motioning to the seat before his desk.
The colonel sat down in the chair directly in front of the general’s heavy oak desk. COL Wycoff eyed the map behind the general’s desk of the far side of the moon with markings indicating the American and Soviet posts near the D’Alembert and Fabry craters.
“Colonel, there’s been a change of plans. You won’t be leading your landing force on Mars to set up a post there.” The Americans had hoarded the precious alloy-x material for the last six years to help build next post on Mars.
“Sir, am I being relieved of my command?”
“Nothing like that, read this.” The general handed him a printed copy of the commander’s log from Luna.
COL Wycoff accepted the white paper printo
ut and started to read…
Eagle 1 Post: Black Dogs Battalion
Luna; July 10, 1970
Commander’s log, COL Darrel Cavender
The fighting with the Soviets over the last three months has shifted the balance of power to the Soviets. It began after we sent the lion’s share of our alloy-x reclamation to Earth to provide the material to set up the Mars post. We didn’t have reserves of the precious material and we started to lose ground with a slight loss of two ships in a skirmish. The Soviets were able to hold the battlefield and recover the alloy-x scrap. Each time we met them in battle, they had greater fleet strength, and each time they became bolder in battle. When it was clear that their fleet strength was superior, their strategy was to shut down our alloy-x reclamation. We were unable to defend our scavenger crews and the alloy-x supply dried up.
At this writing, we have only five offensive units left. We can’t send scavenger teams out to harvest any alloy-x because we can’t defend them. Our defensive grid was already partially dismantled to recycle for building tanks. I estimate the Soviets will bring their artillery and all of their offensive units soon to begin the siege of our post. ASDC command has informed me that reinforcements won’t be ready to deploy here for at least four days. With no hope of reinforcements, we will fight to the last man. Sidearms and rifles have been issued to noncombatant personnel, including the mess crew.