Confrontation

by William Hayashi

  “Plus, he trapped them. There’s no way everyone with nukes will give them up. So everyone on the planet is going to stew in their own juices for the duration. I think eventually, those who don’t have any nuclear weapons are going to end up pressuring those who do. I wonder what the balance of power is going to look like a decade from now?” said Simon.

  “If they last that long,” Andrea softly said as they flipped around to different news broadcasts.

  Seeing that nothing of importance was being said or done on Earth, they dispersed to bring the station fully operational.

  It was designed to enable the colonists on duty to keep track of attempts to circumvent the embargo of Earth. There would be no manned space launch allowed, there would be no new satellites launched, and missions to the other planets, the moon or anywhere else were strictly forbidden until further notice.

  The colony council had approved Christopher’s interdiction plan in its entirety and set up a schedule of personnel to operate the space station. Of the four who were the first to keep watch over Earth, two were scheduled to rotate out in two weeks while the others stayed for four. That way replacements, would overlap in their time on station with those who had been there for a while, ensuring continuity in case of someone on Earth mounted a serious operation to defy the embargo.

  The station was not only equipped with the best in Peanut’s shields, it was capable of powered flight if someone on the planet decided to try an armed launch against the colonists on duty.

  The station was a sphere, one hundred feet in diameter. The interior was equipped with six bedroom suites, an abundant water supply, which would be replenished as personnel rotated in, a gym and a full kitchen. About twenty-five percent of the station was taken up by hydroponic equipment that was yet to be utilized, except for the seeded algae tanks used for oxygen production and the removal of carbon dioxide. But with jumpers capable of traveling to and from the colony in less than a week, there was little need to have the hydroponics fully stocked at the onset.

  And though the jumpers on station were well equipped with defensive shields and insanely fast, there would be no opportunity for the colonists to visit the planet for supplies. It was enough that Earth knew they were right around the corner, cosmically speaking, should someone get the notion to try to defy the embargo.

  * * *

  Bianca had left LaGuardia as soon as the message ran through the first time, sure that Madam Secretary already had a full plate with the advent of Earth’s new normal. When she arrived at the U.N., she was immediately directed to the Secretary’s office. When she arrived, Bianca was surprised to see both the Russian and U.S. ambassadors, several aides and a stenographer.

  “Gentlemen, you’re aware that Ambassador Ortega was on the Jove mission. I asked her here so that I may have her perspective on the message sent us by the separatists and to hear both your views on the coming trial. Mr. Goodman, since the United States had the larger criminal complaint against Russia and the European Union, perhaps you should speak first,” the secretary suggested.

  “It is our intention to charge the consortium that backed the Svoboda mission with the unlawful arming of their spacecraft in violation of several treaties, including SALT II. Furthermore, the crew of Svoboda will be charged with attempted murder,” stated the U.S. ambassador.

  The secretary nodded to Russian ambassador Mikhail Pankov to reply.

  “This whole unfortunate incident was precipitated by the secret installation of missiles on the Svoboda spacecraft by General Rowan, who was tried, found guilty and executed according to Russian military regulations. It was he who had passed along secret orders to attack the separatists’ space station and the Jove spacecraft to Colonel Levkov in clear violation of international law. The president has ordered any member of the military, as well as the technicians and engineers responsible for the installation of the hidden weapons, brought to justice. As of now, I have not been notified that all those involved in the conspiracy have been found,” Ambassador Pankov replied. “Allow me to offer my country’s sincerest apologies for anxiety or fear you may have experienced because of the attempted attack, Ambassador Ortega.”

  Bianca looked at Pankov with little expression on her face as she said, “I appreciate the apology, Mr. Ambassador. However, I will not be satisfied until those responsible for this reprehensible act are brought to justice. And let us hope that the investigation neither takes an inordinately long time to complete nor fails to discover who truly gave the orders.”

  Before Pankov could reply, Secretary Dimonaco said, “I dare say that the International Criminal Court will be very thorough in its investigation. However, there is a draft resolution to remove Russia from the Security Council, a resolution that Russia will be unable to veto should a majority of the fifteen members vote in the affirmative.”

  “This is an outrage! Russia has been a permanent member of the Security Council since its inception. You cannot do this!” Pankov protested, almost rising to his feet.

  “Really?” Dimonaco replied in bored tones. “Take a look around you, Mikhail, after what happened this morning Russia has no friends except its tame satellite countries. Your country brought this upon the entire world. It’s not just Russia that can no longer operate in space. And only Russia had the temerity to send nuclear-armed satellites into space in violation of half a dozen treaties—”

  “That has not been proven!” Pankov protested.

  “Just because General Rowan was killed to prevent the revelation of your country’s role, enough evidence exists to prosecute Russia for its criminal acts. The only thing your country could do as a start toward international rehabilitation would be the immediate, verified destruction of all nuclear weapons in the Russian arsenal, including all naval assets currently at sea. Otherwise, I guarantee that your country will be declared a rogue nuclear power and a pariah in the international community. Furthermore, the United Nations will forbid any other country to engage in commerce with Russia until full compliance with the disarmament is verified as completed—”

  “This is completely unacceptable! We will veto …”

  “I think not, since there will be no venue available to your country where such a veto will be relevant. Imagine what your neighbors will say and do given Russia’s enforced isolation? And I dare say that any declaration of war by your country will be met with the combined military might of every other superpower on the globe, and perhaps even the separatists themselves.” Dimonaco paused, then continued, “Don’t think you’re the only country to face sanctions. The United States will be facing its their own resolution for the illegal detention of the two separatists captured in Chicago. Although what the international community will decide an appropriate response should be has not been decided,” she said, holding up her hand to forestall any interruption from Ambassador Goodman. “Your country has the most to lose from being banned from space. I’m guessing that President Laughlin is going to get an earful from GST’s board over the separatists’ demands.

  “I invited you both here as a courtesy to give you advance warning of the resolutions and sanctions coming from the rest of the international community. It is by your two countries’ actions alone that the entire planet is now enjoined from any space venture whatsoever. This cannot go unanswered. Now both of you, get out of my office,” the Secretary said dismissively.

  Both men stood and left the office without looking back, or at each other. When the door closed, Dimonaco looked at Bianca and laughed at the expression on the ambassador’s face.

  “Oh Bianca, that was far less than they deserved. We’re in a new era now. The entire world is, not just Russia and the United States. And I really don’t know how the embargo is going to change the international dynamics,” Dimonaco confessed. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your afternoon, but I received word that the ICC wants a preliminary statement from you about the events that led up to Svoboda
’s attack.”

  “Very well,” Bianca replied, taking a seat across from the stenographer.

  Chapter 44

  DON’T CALL US, WE’LL CALL YOU

  The White House bunker conference room erupted in chaos as everyone started talking at once. President Laughlin just let it go, already exhausted thinking about what this world was going to exact from his administration, and from him personally.

  He was slowly shaking his head as he looked at each member of his staff trying to shout over those around them. He felt their obvious dismay at the new state of affairs. Then his eyes came to rest on Debra Dawkins sitting quietly, a slight smile on her face as her eyes met his. She just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, I told you so.

  Laughlin stood up and started to leave the conference room, unnoticed by anyone other than Dawkins, who discreetly followed a second later.

  As they rode the elevator together, Laughlin just shook his head in silence.

  “We suspected something would happen, but most everyone is going to consider this beyond the pale,” Dawkins said.

  “And nobody knows what this means in the long term. Right now no one can get back into space unless the unthinkable happens. We’re no more going to disarm than anyone else,” Laughlin said, fatigue in his voice. “And I know now that the separatists cannot be defeated, we simply don’t have the technology. So now the world has to decide what to do about their demand.”

  “Perhaps you should get out in front of this, be the first world leader to hold a press conference. It would go a long way toward showing how the United States, under your leadership, is going to lead the way in working toward nuclear disarmament. Use the future manned Mars mission and the fact that nuclear weapons are simply not the answer in a twenty-first century Earth,” Dawkins suggested.

  “Sounds cynical to me,” he replied. “Self-serving at best.”

  “Of course it is. But really, what choice do you have at this point?” she asked as the elevator doors opened and they were met by two Secret Service agents, who escorted him to the his office.

  Just as they reached the door to the office, one of the agents said, “One moment, Mr. President. You’re wanted in the Situation Room. It looks like the Chinese are about to launch a rocket into orbit.”

  “Son of a bitch!” Laughlin cursed, reversing his course.

  “Someone was bound to test them,” Dawkins said, matching him stride for stride.

  “I didn’t figure anyone would try it so soon.”

  When they arrived in the situation room everyone present was silent, watching a broadcast from the official Chinese news agency showing a rocket prepared for launch. The news crawl along the bottom of the screen was in Chinese but the countdown clock was easy enough to read. Just over twelve minutes until launch.

  “Someone tell me what’s going on. Is this an already-scheduled launch?” Laughlin asked.

  “No, sir. If this is the satellite they had publicly announced a few weeks ago, it wasn’t supposed to be going up for another two weeks,” the director of the CIA replied.

  “Can anyone tell if the satellite is aboard that rocket, or are they just sending up an empty bird to test the separatists’ resolve?” asked the president.

  “Excuse me, sir. NORAD has announced that one of the separatists’ spacecraft is inbound at one hell of a clip,” the military liaison announced.

  Laughlin turned to the Secret Service agents stationed inside the door and pointed a finger at them, announcing, “Screw going downstairs, gentlemen, unless there’s evidence that the ship is headed for D.C. You get me?”

  Neither agent replied, but everyone in the room could tell that they weren’t happy being called out. One of the agents shrugged his shoulders and whispered into his microphone while the other just stared impassively around the room, eyes never still.

  The main screen stayed on the Chinese broadcast, while a screen off to the side showed the inbound ship in relation to Earth.

  Everyone watched one of the outlying displays as the ship from the L4 point raced ever closer to Earth while the minutes and seconds counted down for the Chinese rocket launch. As the time to launch grew closer, more of the senior White House staff drifted into the room.

  When the countdown reached zero smoke billowed away from the base of the rocket as it crept skyward, the pillar of flame growing longer as the rocket rose. It rapidly climbed into the sky, with the Chinese coverage switching to a long-range telescopic view of the quickly diminishing rocket as it traveled farther away. A bright flash signaled the jettisoning of the first stage as the drive flame resumed upon second stage ignition.

  The picture’s focus and stability started to falter as the rocket left the atmosphere and traveled farther downrange from the launch facility. On the tracking screen in the Situation Room it was easy to see that the separatists’s ship was on course to intercept the Chinese rocket. Estimated to time to intercept, four minutes.

  * * *

  “Any radiation readings, G2?” Andrea inquired.

  “Negative. And based on its velocity it appears that the rocket is not carrying any payload at all,” replied the A.I.

  “A decoy? Testing us, I imagine,” Regina speculated.

  “Could it be rigged to explode?” Andrea queried.

  “That cannot be determined. At the very least the rocket should be equipped with a self-destruct system. If the rocket should detonate, the shields will protect the jumper from both concussion and shrapnel damage,” answered the A.I.

  “Thank you, G2. Ready, Gina?” Andrea asked.

  “Anytime you are,” Regina replied.

  “Gentlemen, we’re going to grab this thing, keep an eye out,” Andrea radioed.

  “Standing by, ladies. Are you sure you don’t want us deployed with you?” Damien asked, as they watched the camera view transmitted from the jumper to the station.

  Andrea looked over to Regina who shook her head and said, “We got this. We expect hot dinner waiting for us when we get back, boys!”

  Damien laughed. “Did we bring hot dogs in the supplies?” he asked rhetorically. “Be careful out there. We’re standing by.”

  “Thanks. Okay, Gina, I’m going to bring us in on a parallel track. I’d like to keep as far away as I can. What do you think?”

  “We should be good about two hundred feet away.”

  “Roger that. Stand by … closing … coming about,” Andrea announced.

  “I read three hundred feet,” Regina announced.

  “Roger that. Okay, where are we now?” Andrea asked a few seconds later.

  “Just over two hundred feet, but I got a grip on it. Okay, let’s stop this thing in its tracks.”

  Andrea began bleeding off forward velocity.

  “I have blocked all radio and data traffic to the rocket. It is on automatic pilot. One moment … I have taken control of the rocket,” the A.I. said as the rockets engines shut down.

  “Okay, let’s dump this bitch in the China Sea. They should see us on radar while we’re carrying this big honkin’ bull’s eye, so keep a close watch for anyone shooting at us,” Regina cautioned.

  Andrea set a course back along the rocket’s track and began to sink into the atmosphere, not the least bit concerned with atmospheric friction damaging their cargo. Ten minutes later the jumper was approaching China’s airspace, coming up on the east coast of the country. Andrea slowed and hovered at thirty thousand feet, a hundred miles off the coast. The radar showed a wing of five fighters on an intercept course. Regina rechecked the shields, getting a little nervous over exactly what might happen in the upcoming confrontation.

  Andrea was excited at the prospect of engaging the incoming fighters. When they were within five miles, Andrea instructed G2 to broadcast a message in Chinese to the pilots, warning them to hold their fire. G2 reported that the Chengdu J-10 fighters ha
d their weapons on safe for the moment.

  As the wing split, passed on both sides of the jumper and then turned to make a second pass, G2 reported that someone was trying to contact the jumper speaking English.

  “No reply, G2. Gina, just before they come around for a second pass, drop that piece of crap into the drink.”

  Regina waited until the fighters were on approach, two miles out, and then released the rocket to fall into the sea.

  As much as she wanted to go head-to-head with the entire wing, Andrea decided to err on the side of caution and piloted the jumper straight up out of the atmosphere.

  * * *

  “Intercepts of transmissions from the Chinese fighters report that the rocket was dropped into the South China Sea by the separatist spacecraft and then the ship rose straight up out of the atmosphere. NORAD reports that it has left near-Earth orbit and is on course to return to their space station, Mr. President.”

  “Thank you, colonel. That as they say, is that. They weren’t kidding. They have the tools and the talent. I want to meet with the national security team in forty-five minutes. And Debra, would you invite the press secretary along to the meeting as well?” Laughlin asked.

  “Will do, chief.”

  “I’m going back to the office to think about how we’re going to spin this to the American people,” Laughlin said as he left the room.

  * * *

  Television channels were replaying the launch of the Chinese rocket over and over again, even though there was no video of the capture of the rocket by the Separatist spacecraft. It had passed out of telescopic range and the Chinese military had seized all the gun camera footage from the fighters and refused to share it even with their own people.

  The action of the separatists was further proof that they meant business. Even though there was very little activity in space prior to their declaration, being denied something always made it more attractive, more coveted. People around the world were already beginning to behave like they were missing some vital national organ, and that life ahead could only be characterized by loss and deprivation.