The resultant fiery explosion erupts through a section of the outer hull. The action/reaction effect sends the Phesavius into an uncontrolled spin toward the planet. Braax works desperately to stabilize the Phesavius while damage control parties work to seal off the affected compartment. Hoth laughs as the Phesavius spirals out of control. “Fire a high-yield tuon sphere and destroy that wretched ship!” She orders. Her weapons officer acquires a lock on the struggling Phesavius and fires one high-yield tuon energy sphere, which possesses fifty times the explosive yield of a standard tuon sphere. Usually, such enormously powerful weapons are used to target cities from high orbit. The brilliant blue tuon sphere accelerates to maximum speed toward the Phesavius.
As the Astrakis races farther away, Hoth happily counts down the seconds before the energy sphere destroys the Phesavius. “Die! Every one of you!” She yells. The tuon energy sphere detonates. The enormous explosion, free of air and ground resistance, expands in all directions covering a 100-mile effective-kill radius before dissipating. For a few seconds, the intense energy release is much brighter than the sun. Any object caught within the effective-kill explosive radius simply ceases to exist.
Chapter 3 Defcon One
Strategic Air Command Headquarters (SAC)
Offutt Air Force Base
Omaha, Nebraska
Strategic Air Command military officials are aghast as their computers confirm their worst fears. Several U.S. early warning satellites, including the Vela 6911 satellite, have detected several above-atmospheric nuclear explosions high over Northern California. The first two explosions, each registering the equivalent of a 500kt nuclear detonation, have rendered inoperative various communications and surveillance satellites.
The third and more powerful explosion, registering the equivalent of a 25-megaton nuclear detonation, was considerably closer to Earth in that the expanding fireball penetrated Earth’s thermosphere down into the lower mesosphere. Radio telescopes, including the one located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico have detected anomalous traveling ionospheric disturbances moving within the upper stratosphere. The intense explosion lights up the nighttime sky over western United States and Canada. Fast moving, thermal induced super-heated air is creating a thunderous shock wave that can be heard for thousands of miles.
From the pacific coast to the mid-west, many people became terrified at seeing brilliant flashes of light in the late evening sky. Computers at Cheyenne Mountain’s North American Air Defense Command; the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center and the alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland; all of which are principal agencies of the Worldwide Military Command and Control System have processed the information from the remaining satellites. These computers are indicating that hundreds of Soviet ICBMs are inbound toward the United States.
Thus, U.S. military officials have been alerted that a massive Soviet nuclear first strike is in progress to destroy key U.S. command systems, industrial facilities and land-based ICBM silos. A threat assessment conference involving top-level senior U.S. military officials via highly secured communication lines of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Network is immediately convened. In Montana, Utah, Wyoming and North Dakota, Launch Control Center personnel for the LGM-30G Minuteman-III have received warning of a massive Soviet ICBM attack. Each Minuteman III missile possesses several of the type Mark 12A multiple independent reentry vehicles or MIRVs.
In addition, each Minuteman III missile is carrying three thermal hydrogen warheads that can be guided to a different Soviet military target.
U.S. combat crews at various locations including the 91st Strategic Missile Wing (formerly the 91st Bombardment Group) in Minot, North Dakota, are receiving their Emergency Action Messages to begin the launch sequence of their Minuteman ICBMs. Many U.S. National Security Council officials, Pentagon officials as well as Defense Department military analysts know that Soviet military officials would feel threatened by the 1,000 U.S. land-based Minuteman ICBMs (450 Minuteman II and 550 Minuteman III). Thus, Soviet military officials, fearing an U.S. decapitating first strike, would risk launching their own first strike to destroy the entire U.S. land-based missile force.
American military analysts estimate that if just one 20-megaton hydrogen bomb is detonated over Los Angeles, the blast would release the heat equivalent to that of the sun’s surface, approximately 2,000,000° Celsius. Along with creating a huge crater hundreds of feet deep and nearly a mile wide, every building and human within a radius of two miles would be instantly vaporized. Every building within six to eight miles of the blast center would be flattened or pulverized by the enormous over pressures. Twenty miles from the blast center; every single human would perish or be severely injured. The estimated death toll would be 1,000,000 people.
Unconfirmed reports of imminent full-scale thermonuclear war are causing pandemonium and fear to spread throughout various military ranks. Many military officials are calling their families in nearby cities and are telling them to vacate their homes and move very far away. Panic is beginning to spread among the Anonwood populace in light of a reported Soviet nuclear attack. U.S. Air Force bases along the mid-west and pacific coast, including Edwards Air Force Base in Los Angeles County, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the 22nd Bombardment Wing (March AFB) in Riverside California and Anderson Air Force Base in Guam are preparing to launch their B-52 intercontinental heavy nuclear bomber and FB-111 squadrons.
Various U.S. military officials are convinced that numerous Russian SS-18 and SS-19 missiles, each carrying their respective complements of thermohydrogen warheads, are inbound. Within thirty minutes, these missiles would impact and destroy hardened Minuteman silos. Literally millions of Americans would perish. At the National Emergency Airborne Command Post, President Ford’s doomsday plane has been readied for takeoff.
The Russian Kremlin
Mikhail Margelov is visibly nervous as he knocks, albeit bangs, on the door. He turns the knob and forces the door open. Various members of the Russian Politburo turn their attention to Margelov. “Forgive my intrusion, General-Secretary! We have detected several exoatmospheric explosions above Russia! American ASAT missiles have destroyed two of our surveillance satellites! The Americans are also preparing to launch their ICBM missiles and their Pacific Bomber Groups! It is imperative that we launch an immediate counterstrike!”
“What! Has the new American president gone insane? When was this?” Brezhnev screams angrily as he rises from his chair.
“Just now! What are your orders General-Secretary?”
Two minutes later, Strategic Rocket Forces officials have received direct orders from the General-Secretary to prepare the launch of various land-based and mobile ICBM’s. At sea, three Russian SSBN 667A (NATO code name: Victor class) nuclear attack submarines are receiving their launch orders. Two of these submarines had been launched from the Russian naval base in Severodvinsk and one from the Amur Shipbuilding Plant in Komsomolsk na Amure some two weeks earlier. The first of these Russian boats is located some 600 miles off the coast of Los Angeles.
The second Russian submarine is approximately 550 miles off the coast of Tacoma, Washington. The third is 440 miles off the coast of northern Oregon. All three submarines, equipped with the D-5U launch system, are preparing to ascend to launch depth between 40m to 50m (132ft to 164ft) to release their complement of sixteen R-27 missiles. The sonar officer of the first Russian submarine, however, has detected the approach of an American fast attack submarine, the USS Sturgeon (SSN-637). As he hears the unmistakable sound of the Sturgeon’s forward torpedo tubes being flooded, the Russian sonar officer begins yelling to his senior officers.
On other Russian submarines, missile crews have already targeted other cities located in California; Utah, Washington State, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Closer to the Russian homeland, the commanders of three U.S. Lafayette class nuclear attack submarines; the Daniel Boone, Henry Clay and the Von Steuben are receiving their launch orders to in
itiate a nuclear strike on various major Russian cities. Crew members in each sub are aghast to hear the news: This is no simulation. America and Russia are at full scale nuclear war. Located at strategic points in the Pacific, each U.S. submarine has targeted various Russian cities including Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad, St. Petersburg, Molotov, Grozny, Nizhny Novgorod and Vladivostok.
This military action includes carrier-based air strikes and other conventional cruise missile attacks on Russian naval ports at Petropavlovsk, Sovetskaya Gavan, Vladivostok and air bases such as Alekseyevka. Soon, unverified reports of major American cities being obliterated by scores of Soviet ICBM’s have some of the crew members on the verge of tears as they begin thinking of their parents, wives and children. Presently operating in the Bering Sea just North of the Aleutian Islands near the strategically important island of Adak, the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group-via long range radar-has detected several groups of the newer Soviet TU-22M2 Backfire bombers-escorted by Russian MiG-21 fighter interceptors-approaching their position. A squadron of American F-4 Phantom II Interceptors is racing to engage Russian aircrafts
The White House
President Ford has resisted intense pressure from his military aides to vacate the capital and has ordered an immediate communications link to the Russian Kremlin. Surrounded by members of his Joint Chiefs of Staff and of the National Security Council, Ford is on the Washington/Moscow hotline with General-Secretary Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union.
Ford and Brezhnev, via two US Intelsat communications satellites and two Soviet Molniya II communication satellites, are locked-via their respective human translators-in a virtual screaming match. As the minutes to possible nuclear Armageddon counts down, both leaders are blaming each other for initiating the hostilities. Each demands that the other stand down.
Aboard The Astrakis
“Commander, we have a heavy destroyer bearing aft! It has destroyed our sphere!” True to the sensor officer’s words, the selothian heavy destroyer, Holfeas, had entered the system seconds before Astrakis fired a tuon energy sphere. Commander Vespren’s words come over Astrakis’ audio. “Astrakis Commander! I order you to stand down and surrender!” Hoth orders her helm officer to veer off. The Holfeas pursues the Astrakis. A few seconds later, a quantum jump sphere expands in front of the Astrakis. The quantum jump sphere, however, collapses prematurely after its energy source, the Astrakis, explodes. Two superpowerful peshon beams had pierced the Astrakis’ main reactor.
Aboard The Starship Phesavius
Ularik flinches as his medical officer applies medication to a facial cut. Although perturbed, Ularik looks at his old friend appear on the forward visual. “With all due respect, Commander, but what took you so long?”
“You are quite welcome. Feel free anytime to thank me for saving your skin,” Vespren replies. “A Kijorian Assembly member tried to stop us.”
“Who and why?” Ularik asks, stunned.
“Kijorian Imoth Trass.”
“Trass? What is his involvement in this?”
“At the behest of Kijorian Trass, three Ahira Legislative members convinced military officials that it was unnecessary to us to interfere.”
“Interfere?” Ularik objects. “Were they not aware that Hoth was sent to destroy us?”
“No. After your departure, a Tavus-Alverand official, Elyron Drubin, asked Kijorian Trass to persuade the Ahira members to block Solbian Defense Command officials from rendering any aid.”
“Why?”
“Solbian Defense officials were told that the Astrakis would be in the best possible position to render any aid to you.”
“Aid? Vemaick aided in almost destroying my ship.”
“Agreed,” Vespren replies. “After Trass’ acceptance of considerable funds from Tavus-Alverand officials was discovered, he was temporarily suspended from duty pending an investigation. What is your status?”
“We have sustained outer hull damage. Three crew members are dead.”
“What is the status of your landing party?”
“The landing party is safe. My security team fought with and—”
“Commander! Commander!” Neoma shrieks.
“Neoma! What is wrong?”
“Emergency message from the surface! The extraspatial otivicon has been activated!”
Chapter 4 Black Star
Panon-suram (Lacocian root word: panon-sura, meaning “born of darkness”), a massive red giant in the northern constellation of Ki’mah, is located 730 light-years from planet Dabenar. Many centuries before either Cadicia or Perasia became a major world power, Panon-suram had already been the subject of intense study by astronomers from around the planet. Over subsequent centuries, continued astronomical study indicated that this star’s behavior was rather bizarre.
Along with progressively better methods of performing a spectrum analysis, a visual analysis indicated that Panon-suram had begun going through, on a cosmic time scale, abrupt changes in brightness. Beginning 4,900 years ago in 2772 U.E., Nthanda Nwanajuma, a young West Afarikan astronomer living in the populous city of Karleh, located in the country of Sarcatia, also began taking acute notice of Panon-suram’s unusual and erratic behavior. Over time, the star’s brightness began to pulsate at increasing intervals. Along with many of his other astronomical discoveries, Nthanda made certain to keep a record of Panon-suram’s unusual behavior.
Thus, various news reports regarding Panon-suram’s behavior was gaining international interest as a greater number of astronomers in more countries were becoming keenly interested in this star. Extensive records of this star’s behavior were dutifully recorded for future generations of astronomers. Over time, vast improvements in spectrum analysis and visual tracking technology enabled many astronomers to record Panon-suram’s behavior in greater detail. Astronomers were presenting various theories as to what occurs when stars of differing mass experienced partial or total gravitational collapse.
Regardless, all agreed that Panon-suram, like innumerable other stars before it, had entered the terminal stage of its life span. In essence, Panon-suram’s diminishing hydrogen fuel supply was having an adverse effect on its ability to maintain its dynamic equilibrium, thus the thermonuclear fusion process. As the hydrogen level continued decreasing, the increasing gravitational pressure was forcing the massive star into an ever-shrinking diameter. As they are keeping an intense watch on this situation, various astronomers and physicists had been working on a radically new scientific endeavor. Much like other engineering physicists on their worlds, engineering physicists on Dabenar had also developed a way of approximating the core collapse of a final-stage-life star to within two days of its total destruction.
In this case, after all available data regarding increased particle emission and spectrum analysis from various observatories from around Dabenar had been compiled, physicists and astronomers working at the Hanasarah Astronomical Center in Hezras, a city in the middle-eastern country of Pelu, had reached a consensus of great historical significance. The date is Gaitha, 12 Nithra 1086 B.E. Speaking in behalf of his colleagues during a social function, Chief Director Achnar Shebniah proclaimed that Panon-suram will suffer core collapse in eleven years in 1097 B.E. on the 29th or 30th of Galdier. Essentially, Panon-suram will suffer a massive explosion.
One individual raises the question as to whether the effects of this explosion will in time adversely affect Dabenar’s inhabitants. Achnar replies that the data indicates that the stellar explosion, the accompanying lethal radiation burst and the expanding shockwave will literally obliterate all planets in that distant solar system. Any indigenous life remaining on any planets within the habitable zone will be terminated. The inhabitants of planets within a fifty to seventy light-year radius of the supernova explosion will be most likely adversely affected by the intense gamma radiation burst. Achnar states that Dabenar, though, will be safe from any such effects caused by Panon-suram’s catastrophic demise.
Furthermore, he states that 730 year
s must pass before the visible manifestation of the explosion becomes observable in Dabenar’s night sky. Thus, present day 11th century astronomers must keep a detailed record of this information so that 19th century astronomers will be in anticipation of this forthcoming celestial manifestation. Achnar had later researched, written and published The Dying Star, a book detailing the scientific procedure for determining the time for the catastrophic demise of certain stars. Thus, in the year 1827 B.E., people will be eagerly awaiting the present visible manifestation of a past stellar event.
Like a prophetic warning message out of centuries past, historical writings revealed that this celestial manifestation would occur in the last days of the month of Ithir. One month before the manifestation is to occur, news of this event is continually broadcast around the world. However, a few skeptics within the scientific community doubt that any such visible manifestation would occur, as they feel that Panon-suram had most likely become one of various types of compact stars. However, one month later on the date of 29 Ithir 1827 B.E., a huge throng of astronomers, physicists and amateur stargazers alike are stunned as a bright point of light appears overhead. Panon-suram, as many had predicted, had gone supernova.
Crisis Earth Page 3
