by Paul Phipps
Ansel started to walk to the Trans-Portal and said as he moved toward the Trans-portal, “That’s my cue. I plan on a fairly slow trip to Tehran with an arrival time of only five minutes before the deadline at the Presidential Palace.”
And then he was gone. A few minutes later Rover lifted off the After Flight Deck. He was once again a Brilliant White Color that attracted attention from everyone that saw him. He then headed North North-West for Tehran.
New York City, United Nations Plaza 1120L November 13, 2026
Admiral Webster and Seeker wearing her Commander McAndrews Body-Sim exited Uncle Harry the Large Scout that had brought them to the United Nations Plaza. They marched straight up the steps of the building and through the doors that opened for them. They neither looked left or right as they marched straight for the Security Council Chambers. They also allowed no one to get in their way either. And with one look at the determination on their faces people hurried to get out of their way.
Eventually there was a small procession of Diplomats, Ambassadors and aides following them curiously. Then they were at the Security Council’s Chamber and two guards blocked their way.
“We are expected.” Admiral Webster said with a stern face.
The guard on the right then asked. “Who are you?”
“Fleet Admiral Webster of the Terran Space Navy and my aide.” He said with a straight face.
The guard made a show of looking at his clipboard and then said, “I’m sorry sir, you are not on the access list.”
“I see”, Commander McAndrews said. She then walked over to a nearby Bronze bust on a pedestal that looked to weigh several hundred pounds and picked it up and started to bounce it in the air with one hand. As she was doing that she looked at the guard and said politely. “Please check once again, I believe that you might find that we are on it after all.”
The guard was staring at her and then slowly looked at the clipboard again. Then he looked around for someone…anyone to help him out. All of the Diplomats were backing away slowly. They knew what danger looked like and this spelled it in capital letters.
The guard then shrugged his shoulders and said, “Please enter, you are expected.”
Commander McAndrews put the bust back on the pedestal but turned it around the face the wall. Just as a little reminder that what they had witnessed was real after all.
“Thank you, you obviously aren’t a diplomat. You appear to have some common sense.” She said as she and Admiral Webster entered the Security Council Chambers.
The current chairman of the Security Council was from Indonesia. He was not at all pleased by the arrival of Admiral Webster and Commander McAndrews. And started to tell the guards at the door to escort them out when Commander McAndrews firmly closed the doors in the faces of the guards and there was nothing they could do to open them.
Fleet Admiral Webster was angry, in fact he was livid. But years of training in self-control allowed it to stay out of his posture and his face. But his eyes, oh yes, his eyes glowed with the anger he felt at that moment. He walked to the center of the floor and made a show of looking for the Ambassador for the Iranian Unified Republic. Once he did lock eyes with the man he called him forward to meet him.
“Ambassador Mehmet Abdullah Al-Tikrit, I have a document for you.”
In Tehran Ansel stood in front of Rover and Called for a representative of the Government to present himself.
“Who are you to be demanding anyone?” The Ambassador said in return.
“I am the man who holds your destiny in my hand. That’s who.” Admiral Webster stated confidently.
The ambassador in turn told the TSN Fleet Admiral that he had no standing in this place.
In Tehran a group of soldiers formed up to make a double row that allowed an Older Man who appeared at the top of the steps to come forward as he walked between them. Ansel asked Ariadne if the records showed who he was.
“He is the First Secretary to the Foreign Minister. His Name is Abdullah Al-Islamabad. The records indicate that he isn’t a bad sort himself, just a career Civil Servant.”
“Mr. Ambassador either you accept this now or I will give it to the Chairman of this council to read aloud to all that are here.”
Ansel gave a short bow to the First Secretary and extended the Declaration of War to him in its cream colored envelope. “Mr. First Secretary Al-Islamabad I have a declaration for your government.”
“Do so then, I will not accept it from you.” The IUR Ambassador said haughtily.
At which point Admiral Webster just laughed and walked up to the Chairman of the Security Council. “Will you accept this Declaration for the Government of the Iranian Unified Republic?”
“You barge into this chamber and you expect me to take this document from you. No, I will not accept it.” The Chairman said.
At that point Admiral Webster stepped backwards to the center of the Council Chamber and started to read aloud from the Document.
“To the Legal and duly appointed representatives of the Iranian Unified Republic. The Terran Space Navy on November 13, 2026 declares that a state of War now exists between us. You are charged with producing a biological Weapon of Mass Destruction and the intent to distribute this weapon amongst the peoples of Earth E15714.
You have been given a Forty-Eight hour time period to turn over all stocks and/or samples of this weapon and to destroy all methodology of Research and Development of this Biological Weapon. This has not been done. That time period is now over.
Signed, Fleet Admiral Carl Noah Webster, Terran Space Navy.
In the silence of the chamber, Admiral Webster tossed the Document to the feet of the Ambassador for the IUR whose jaw had dropped and his eyes were bulging out. The veins in his neck were popped out and it was obvious he was near to having an apoplectic fit.
Then he and Commander McAndrews walked out and made their way back to Uncle Harry and lifted off.
* * *
In Tehran Ansel was doing much the same. The first secretary to the Foreign Minister had accepted the Declaration of War but had not read it. He was only the messenger to deliver it to the Foreign Minister and the President. Just before he reached the top of the steps that led to the Governmental Palace the Blockade Screen flashed across the distance from the East and the West along the legal border of the Iranian Unified Republic.
And met to the north of Tehran and then glowed with a Pearly Blue color that was almost cheerful to look at. And on all Radio Frequencies was the notice in Farsi, Arabic, Urdu, English and French that the Nation of the Iranian Unified Republic was now under a state of war with the Terran Space Navy and under blockade and that to attempt to cross the border risked serious personal Injury or Death.
As Rover lifted into the Air over Tehran, Ansel let out a deep breath. He was grateful that his Suit had been modified with a personal shield as Ariadne’s ‘gift’. All those soldiers had bothered him but it had gone down well. And he had not had to leave the safety of Rover’s Shadow to go up those steps himself. He wasn’t too sure about the mental stability of the people he was dealing with. Just as they didn’t understand him, he had just as hard a time understanding them.
TSN Companion, Strait of Hermuz, Three miles from IUR Mainland, 2000L Friday, November 13, 2026
Admiral Webster, Ansel, Gunnar and Evana are on the Bridge of the Companion. They have been listening to news reports from within and outside of the IUR. Currently the only signs of panic are at the Airports in The IUR and those that had flights going to the IUR. There were no Airliner crashes into the Blockade Screen at least not since a Flight of IUR Fighters had hit it head on at 800 miles per hour.
That incident had been fortuitously recorded by an Al-Jazeera News Van in Syria. There were unfortunately 37 Oil Tankers currently behind the Blockade Screen. They were discussing what their next move would be.
“As you might expect we are going to be pressed to repatriate Non-citizens of the IUR. I’m of the mind to do so with a mandatory
isolation period. Perhaps six months.” Seeker said.
“Does this mean I need to build Isolation Camps?” Ansel asked.
“Possibly, do you have some place in mind?” Seeker asked.
“Actually, I do. How about the Sea of Tranquility?” Ansel said with a straight face.
Evana Laughed delightedly. “I love it! And we could have those officious UN Pricks run it.”
“Hmmm, I like it too. And they will be able to see the Earth all of the time. We treat them well and courteously. Let them see all sorts of TSN Technology and then once they are used to it, send them back home with reparation pay for having been involuntarily placed into quarantine, maybe $500,000 dollars for each one.” Admiral Webster said seriously.
“And where are we going to get the money?” Gunnar asked, “In fact what is our pay going to be?” He finished up with a chuckle.
“First, where are we going to get the Money? Ariadne and Ansel have come up with very good idea. We are going to build several Seawater and Garbage conversion vessels. We will charge nothing for accepting Garbage and Charge for Refined Petroleum and Sweet Crude using the Spot Market for the Daily rates.” That should make up for the IUR no longer supplying Petroleum and bring in some legitimate funds we can use for disbursement to our Quarantined populace on the Moon. Admiral Webster said gleefully.
As for the pay of TSN Personnel, with everything being provided for you and them, Gunnar, You won’t need to get paid until you decide to leave at the end of your First 500 year enlistment or your full retirement. At that time you get a lump sum of equivalent prevailing median wage for the time period you are a member of the TSN.”
“Lump sum, eh? I think that is a far better deal than the U.S. Government ever offered.” Gunnar said with a laugh.
“Since we have got that decided. We better get it built. I’ll have Susannah take care of the Moon Base. And I think that I’ll have Johnny Reb build the Refineries. We’ll have them be built along the lines of the Epiphany so we can move them as necessary. Johnny was asking for some extra work. This should suit him.” Seeker said.
Ansel then said, “Now that we have settled those problems. Susannah has handed off to us all of the Audio Bugs and Telecom intercepting. We can definitely say that Colonel Al-Quds doesn’t know where the ‘Shaitan’s Breath” sample that was sent by the Donkey method is currently located. He is going quietly insane with fright. He and the developing physicians know full well how devastating this Bio Weapon is.
President Ahmad is also in a dithering state. He has started to openly blame the Grand Ayatollah for all of their problems and he has been discussing with the foreign minister how to deal with our Declaration of War. Their version of the General Staff is making plans on how to attack or defend against us depending on what they are ordered to do.”
“What about the General Populace, what are they doing?” asked Evana.
“Ever since the mass executions of Anti-Government Students and general members of the populace in 2014 and 2019, there has been no organized opposition movement. Either they are afraid to show any sentiment like that or they are dead.
The Pakistan and Iraq provinces are still devastated and mostly don’t even have basic services like Electricity, Water and Sanitation. The IUR was mostly interested in controlling major population areas when they took over and the Tribes have pretty much assumed control of their historical territories.
The effect is that the population that has modern telecommunications either via Satellite TV reception or through their local subscriber system have heard what Al-Jazeera is saying both on the IUR side and the Outside. They are probably in a state of shock and will be docile as long as food and their basic services remain intact.
The others without those electronic devices are curious but not especially worried. It’s tough enough for them to scratch a living out of the ground and with their herds. So what we’ve done will have a minimal effect on them.” Ariadne reported.
“And that brings us to the $24,000 dollar question. What is the Grand Ayatollah saying and doing?” Gunnar asked.
“Well Ariadne, what is he doing and saying?” Ansel asked.
“At the moment he is praying. He’s been doing a lot of that this evening.”
“I’ll just bet he has.” Evana said quietly.
Ariadne continued, “Earlier he asked the Foreign Minister and the President to his offices where the Declaration of War was read to him. As you can imagine he was not a happy camper. He did manage to hold his temper in and asked what the Blockade Screen was.
When he was told that it prevented anyone from leaving or entering the IUR he actually relaxed a bit. I believe that he thinks that without outside influences he can keep control over the situation as it develops. He might be right too. This government has showed an amazing degree of contempt for their citizenry.
And the fact that Islam is totally integrated into that Government means that if he makes a religious decree they have to follow it or be declared apostates and be brutally executed by stoning or other such methods as the local Mullah and Judge determine.
Tomorrow he was scheduled to give his normal Address at the Noon Prayers. I think he will continue to do so and may address the IUR about our Declaration of War. It will be a good insight into his thinking.”
“Thank you Ariadne that was very informative.” Admiral Webster said and then stood up. “I am going to go get some rest; I suggest the rest of you do too. Tomorrow I am going to visit Beijing, Montenegro, Bosnia and the Capitals of the Surrounding Nations to inform them of the potential danger from “Shaitan’s Breath’.
Ansel I believe that you have already committed to several Media Interviews?”
“Yes Sir I have, So far I have three of them and I am of the mind to combine them all into one. Seeker, how long will it take for the Quarantine Base on the Moon to be Complete? If it is ready tomorrow, I am going to take them there and do it from the base.” Ansel asked.
“I’ll make sure at least one section is ready for you to use for that purpose. I think we will even have an Atmospheric Dome put in place for you to do an ‘outdoor’ shot. Have fun!”
“Thank you Seeker, I’ll try.” Ansel said and then yawned. “I’m going to go rest too. Ari if you need me…”
“I’ll call you if I do. I don’t expect anything to happen tonight. Good night to you all.” Ariadne said with a motherly voice to everyone.
Tehran, Governmental palace, 0730L Saturday, November 14, 2026
The Foreign Minister and his First Secretary are meeting with President Ahmad.
“I have received demands from all of the Embassies that we arrange for their Staffs and foreign Nationals in the IUR to be evacuated immediately. I have told them all the same thing. We are not in control of that. The Terran Space Navy has made it so that none may come in and none may leave.
I have also told them to talk to those Infidels and tell them their demands.” The Foreign Minister said.
“That was well done. There is nothing we can currently do about that state of affairs.” The President commented.
“What are we going to do with our military forces? Will we attack and destroy this ship that holds us hostage?” The Minister asked of the President.
“At the moment we are studying them as closely as we can and are looking for ways to attack them with at least some measure of success. We may have to use nuclear armed torpedoes. They have very formidable defenses against airborne forces. But the hope is that they won’t against our Submarines.” The President replied.
“I have heard that we may need to tunnel under this wall. Does it look to be a feasible way of getting around it?” The First Secretary asked hopefully.
“I have asked our Ministry of Natural Resources about this. It is doubtful that we can dig far enough down to block their technology. They have reported to my office that they don’t think this will be possible. A report from a Copper mine in the mountains near Afghanistan found the shield across one of th
eir mine shafts at a depth of one mile. No one had been working that seam when the shield went up so we are fortunate that none will lose their lives there.”
“I saw on Al Jazeera that some of our fighting planes were destroyed when they hit the shield, do you know how many there have been?” The Foreign Minister asked.
“So far there have been twelve Fighters and three Helicopters. We have also seriously damaged several tanks and earth moving equipment in attempts to get through.”
“And yet other than imposing this Wall on us they have done nothing else, why? Do you know?” The Foreign Minister asked gently.