by Dale Brown
But something happened. As he reached the switch, the train veered right onto the siding. Kong throttled back and hit the brakes, but he could not stop in time, even traveling less than ten kilometers per hour, such a large train needed a lot of time to stop. The engine plowed into a pile of concrete and debris lying on the tracks, and he heard a loud crunching sound from under the wheels that ran along the entire length of the engine until the train finally came to a halt. He shifted into reverse and tried to move-nothing. He went as high as 80 percent power, loud enough to be heard all the way to Holch'on-still nothing. They were stuck fast.
Damn, damn, damn! He cursed at himself as he leaped from the engine to inspect the damage. He knew he should have visually inspected the switch. It had obviously been damaged, or else deliberately sabotaged to turn any unsuspecting train into the defective siding. Now he was trapped.
"I will curse my own incompetence from now and for eternity!" he shouted as he joined Kim beside the engine. "How does it look? Do you think we can move?"
"I think we can move if we clear some of the concrete from around the axles," Kim said. "It might take full throttle, but I think it can be done."
Kim got up to retrieve some tools from the engineer's locker in the engine, but Kong stopped him. "We don't have time," he said. "We're less than two hundred meters from the presurveyed launch point. All we need is a single transit shot to update the launch point coordinates, and then we need to start the heading alignment. We can use the gyro platform heading calibrator at the presurveyed point to cross-check the heading alignment. If we hurry, we can make the launch time."
OVER THE SEA OF JAPAN, OFF THE EAST COAST.
OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
THAT SAME TIME.
Feet dry," Patrick McLanahan announced. "We actually made it."
"Amen," Nancy Cheshire, the aircraft commander aboard the EB-1C Megafortress, said, echoing Patrick's relief. They had just completed a nonstop eleven-hour flight from Dreamland to Korea, without seeing any land whatsoever since leaving the United States coastline near Big Sur.
"I hear ya, guys," Dave Luger added. "Good job. Now the fun starts."
Dave Luger was not onboard the modified B-l bomber-he was more than a thousand miles away in the Megafortress's "virtual cockpit" on Naval Air Station Adak in the Aleutian Islands. The HAWC teams had quickly deployed the ground support equipment to Adak while the EB-1 was made ready for its first mission.
The virtual cockpit, or VC, provided Patrick and Nancy with an extra set of eyes on their instruments and on the tactical situation around them. It was like a miniature mock-up of the EB-1 Megafortress cockpit, using computer monitors in place of aircraft gauges and instruments. Several other screens on the side of the module allowed extra technicians to monitor aircraft systems, and to monitor other sensors and displays and pass along their observations to the crew in real-time. The largest screen in the VC, atop the remote cockpit displays, was the "God's-eye" view, or what the crews called the "big picture," which combined all of the external and mission-specific sensors available into one big chartlike display. The God's-eye view combined civilian and military radar information, satellite imagery, shipborne and aircraft radar data, and even information broadcast from ground forces all on one map.
The most important system adding its information to the God's-eye view was a string of satellites in low earth orbit called NIRTSats, or "Need it right this second" satellites. Four small dishwasher-sized satellites had been released just hours earlier aboard a booster rocket launched from a converted DC-10 airliner and placed into a one-hundred-mile circular orbit, positioned so that each satellite was over the Korean peninsula every twenty minutes. The satellites had been launched and positioned specifically for Patrick's EB-1C Megafortress mission. They used thrusters to precisely position themselves in space but did not have enough fuel or power to keep themselves in orbit very long or allow themselves to be repositioned into another orbit. Within three or four weeks, their battery power would run out and they would burn up in earth's atmosphere.
During its pass, each satellite would take a stream of radar images of broad areas of Korea and China and transmit the images to earth. Within seconds, the images would be processed and sent to the virtual cockpit at Adak and to the crew on the Megafortress. The radar images could see objects as small as an automobile and were precise enough to measure the dimensions of a target, compare it to a vehicle database, and actually try to guess at what the object or vehicle might be. Over time, the images would show trails of moving vehicles, vehicle concentrations, and even vehicles that had traveled off known highways or were trying to hide to escape detection.
Coverage was not 100 percent-each satellite was only in the sky over the Korean peninsula for about twelve out of every ninety minutes. But since most ground vehicles didn't move very fast anyway, it was very good information. The data from the satellites combined with the Megafortress's laser radar system allowed the crews both on the ground and in the air to see all ground activity for most of the northern Korean peninsula and the border region of China, and all air activity within fifty miles. It was truly a God's-eye view. Patrick activated the laser radar system and got his first look at the Korean peninsula from the Megafortress-a five-second LADAR shot was all that was necessary to get a detailed view of everything around them for fifty miles. The LADAR could detect small vehicles on the ground and aircraft at any altitude, map terrain, scan for weather, and identify ships at sea; it could even detect satellites flying overhead in low earth orbit. Patrick could manipulate the LADAR image to zoom in on the smallest return or out to take a look at the entire tactical situation over a span of 100,000 cubic miles around the aircraft.
The EB-1C Megafortress was loaded primarily for ballistic missile and launcher hunting, but it also carried a big self-defense weapons package. In its forward bomb bay was a rotary launcher with a total of sixteen AIM-120 radar-guided AMRAAMs (advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles). The AMRAAM was a "launch and leave" antiaircraft missile: each missile was programmed right before launch with the target's position, heading, and speed, which meant that the launch aircraft did not have to stay locked onto the target. But since the Megafortress's laser radar could stay locked onto a target even while maneuvering, the AMRAAM received updates on the target's flight path until it got close enough to use its own onboard radar to home in on the target and complete the intercept. The Megafortress's laser radar system could simultaneously track three dozen air targets in any direction and could attack six of them at one time.
The center bomb bay contained a rotary launcher with eight Lancelot antiballistic missile missiles, two of which were armed with plasma-yield warheads. The aft bomb bay had another rotary launcher with eight Wolverine cruise missiles, all with conventional warheads.
The EB-l's "supercockpit" display, the large computer screen on the right side of the cockpit, was showing the God's-eye view of the area within Lancelot missile range of the bomber. The NIRTSat radar data showed positions of ground vehicles, making identification guesstimates when the radar got a clear measurement of the target. The laser radar data displayed data on aircraft and ground and sea targets, and the bomber's electronic warfare suite displayed early-warning radars throughout Korea. As the bomber flew farther inland, it came closer to Seoul, Ch'unch'on, and Kaesong radar coverage, which was displayed as green circles. The size of the circle was a measurement of the strength of the radar signal and the estimated detection threshold of the bomber itself. If the bomber's radar cross section was larger because bomb doors were open or communications antennas were extended, the radar circles became larger; if the Megafortress was in full "stealth" configuration, head-on to the radar and running completely "stealthy," the circle would become smaller, indicating it was safe to fly closer to the radar if necessary.
"Muck, looks like we picked up a newcomer ground target," Dave Luger radioed. With a flashing pointer, he indicated the new NIRTSat radar return on Patrick's superco
ckpit display. "Appeared on the last satellite pass. Slow-moving, big, long. Take a look."
"Got it," Patrick said. He zoomed his display in closer, then overlaid topographic and highway charts over the sensor display. "Looks like the newcomer is right on a railroad track. We might have ourselves a missile train." He zoomed in on the digital display again. As he did, the targeting computer rendered its best guess on what the radar return was. "Computer says it's a train, all right. Chinese gauge, seven cars. Could be a Nodong missile unit." Patrick entered commands into his laser radar system and bombing computers, preloading a Wolverine missile with the train's coordinates. "Looks like it's parked close to a North Korean missile launch point," he said.
"I'm relaying the find back home," Dave said, entering the information into a secure datalink back to Dreamland. "I think Korea's been looking for this baby."
"Dave, see if the NIRTSats came up with any other trains on previous passes," Patrick ordered.
"Already done," Dave said. "We've actually got seven other likelies." A few moments later several radar returns flashed on Patrick's supercockpit display. "You're within LADAR range of two of them."
Patrick directed a slight turn north toward the two closest radar returns, then activated the laser radar again. Taking LADAR shots from several different directions was the way to get ultra-detailed three-dimensional images. These shots were combined with earlier shots and with the NIRTSat radar images to further enhance the target. "No go on target one," Patrick said. "The computer says it's a bus or truck-too small for a seven-car Nodong unit. But target number two could be another player. It's a seven-car train, Chinese gauge, moved into its current position just an hour ago."
"Two Nodongs at presurveyed launch points?" Nancy Cheshire asked. "Sounds like a lot more than coincidence to me."
"Same here," Dave said as he relayed the new information back to Dreamland. "This could be the prelude to another rebel missile launch."
"Hey, we've got an air target behind us!" Patrick said. He had just completed another LADAR sweep all around the Megafortress. It was flying at about thirty thousand feet over the Sea of Japan, heading toward them from the southeast at over five hundred knots. "No ID yet, but it's gotta be a fighter."
"But we didn't pick up any radar indication on him," Nancy said. She continued a moment later: "A MiG-29. It's gotta be a Japanese MiG-29, using GPS for navigation and his IRSTS for targeting." The IRSTS, or infrared search and track system, was a sophisticated Russian-designed heat-seeking sensor that allowed a MiG-29 to scan large sections of sky for enemy aircraft without being detected. Used along with GPS satellite navigation, the MiG would never have to use his radar except for very long-range attacks-most enemies would never know he was there until he fired his missiles. "Are they still patrolling the peninsula with the Koreans?"
"I'm sure the Koreans are happy to have them up here," Patrick said. "Korea might be providing the ground control information for the MiG. I think that as long as we stay farther than twenty miles from that MiG and we don't aim our exhausts right at him, he won't spot us. Dave, why don't you drop a note to General Samson and ask him to ask the White House to find a way to tell the Japanese we're up here. I'd hate to be jumped by a Japanese MiG. Maybe we can exchange Mode Two codes or something."
"You got it," Luger said. "I should be able to find out what his interplane or command frequency is too, so if the shit really hits the fan you can talk to him. You can . . . Hey, looks like fighters launching from Korea." When Patrick expanded his supercockpit display to a full God's-eye view, he saw the new information: relayed from Korea's own air traffic control radar system, two high-speed aircraft were climbing rapidly through the night sky, headed northeast. "Two fighters off from Seoul, headed your way."
"Getting crowded up here," Nancy said. "Maybe we should go low and hide in some ..."
Just then the LADAR system issued a shrill warning tone, and an icon began blinking near one of the suspected Nodong missile units. "Launch detection!" Patrick shouted. "Missile in the air! Left forty and full blowers, Nance!"
Nancy Cheshire shoved all four throttles to max afterburner and yanked the EB-1 Megafortress to the left. They could see the missile launch clearly: a tiny sparkle of light on the horizon, followed by a bright yellow column of fire rising rapidly through the atmosphere. Patrick's turn pointed the nose in precisely the right direction to lead the missile as it climbed.
"Bomb doors coming open! Wolverine away!" Patrick had immediately launched one of the powered glide bombs at the Nodong launcher. "Bomb doors closed! Okay, Nance, follow that missile!"
Nancy raised the nose only slightly to start her tailchase climb. At first it seemed as if they might overfly or pass the missile-the Nodong didn't look as though it was accelerating so fast, while the Megafortress was rapidly picking up speed. But this was an illusion. Seconds later it was obvious how fast that ballistic missile was traveling. In the blink of an eye the Nodong was above them, accelerating rapidly on a tongue of fire. By this time, Nancy had the speed built up to almost Mach I and she easily kept the nose aimed at the missile. They never reached the Mach, however, and the higher Cheshire pulled the nose up to point it at the Nodong missile, the quicker the airspeed bled off.
"Punch it out quick, sir," Nancy urged him. "Airspeed's falling way off already. You got about six seconds . . ."
"Stand by .., doors coming open . . , missile away!" Seconds later they heard a loud thundering rocket blast, and one of the Lancelot missiles shot past their windscreen on its own plume of fire. "Clear to unload, Nance! Doors closed!" Nancy released back pressure on the control stick, lowered the nose to the horizon, and pulled the throttles out of afterburner. They were rewarded by a spectacular multicolored globe of sparks and fire in the sky as the Lancelot intercepted its quarry.
"Ya-/7Oo!" Nancy shouted. Both crew members had to turn away from the brilliant flash of light and shower of sparks. "Man, did you see that! Was that a nuclear detonation?"
"Could have been," Patrick said. "Maybe a partial yield, five or ten kilotons. Lancelot intercepted it about fifty-one miles downrange, eighty thousand feet altitude." Then a heavy rumble of turbulence rocked the Megafortress. "Yep, maybe a nuclear burst, all right. All our systems look okay." Patrick switched to the imaging infrared view from the Wolverine missile, only long enough to clearly see the outline of the Nodong missile train. He had just enough time to roll the aiming cursor onto the car with the erector-launcher still extended in firing position before the missile hit.
Then came another warning message blinking on the supercockpit display. "Another missile launch! Left ninety, max AB, now!" Nancy followed Patrick's instructions. This time Nancy kept the Megafortress's nose down until Patrick had launched another Wolverine missile and the Nodong missile crossed the "horizon; it was enough to accelerate past Mach I. The nose lifted quickly, it felt much steadier, and the airspeed drop-off was less drastic-although the fact that they were six thousand pounds lighter on weapons and four thousand pounds lighter on fuel certainly helped too.
"Stand by .., doors coming open . . , missile away!" Patrick shouted. Nancy shielded her eyes from the bright glare of the Lancelot missile's first-stage rocket motor as the big missile streaked into the night sky. "Doors closed, clear to-"
"Warning!" Dave Luger shouted on the satellite commlink. "Bandit at seven o'clock ten miles! Get out of there!"
He was interrupted by a high-pitched deedledeedledeedle and a large MISSILE LAUNCH warning on the supercockpit display. "Break left!" Patrick shouted. Nancy yanked the Megafortress to the left-it was already in a slight left turn-and pulled hard right to the stall warning stick shaker. At the same instant, Patrick ejected several TALDs from the bomber's right ejector racks, then quickly reeled out the first towed decoy and activated it. The tactical air-launched decoys immediately deployed their radar fins and activated infrared and radio emitters-to an air-to-air missile they were hundreds of times larger than the escaping EB-1. Both enemy missil
es hit the TALDs without a single look at the Megafortress.
They saw another explosion in the sky, not as big as the first one, but spectacular nonetheless. "Looks like we got the second Nodong," Patrick said, "but I don't know what happened to the second Wolverine. It might've been shot down."
"By who? Who is shooting at us?" Nancy shouted.
"That motherfucker Japanese MiG-29 sneaked up behind you when you plugged in your 'burners and shot two missiles at you!" Dave replied.
"Why would he do that-other than the fact there are missiles flying everywhere and he might've thought we launched all of them," Patrick declared. "You got his frequency yet, Dave?"
"I'm getting it now," Dave replied. "He's talking to Seoul GCI and those two Korean fighters. I think they're going to try to box you in ... I got it. I set the freq in radio two. They're unsecure."
"Let me talk to 'em," Nancy said. She moved her comm switch to radio number two and keyed the mike ' button: "Hey, boys, we're on your side. Stop shooting at us!"
"Unidentified aircraft, this is the United Republic of Korea Air Force," a voice replied in a thick Korean accent. "You have violated Korean airspace. Roll wings level, slow down, and lower your landing gear immediately or you will be shot down! This is your final warning!"
The supercockpit display showed the deployment of the air targets. "Looks like those Korean fighters are F-16Ks, judging by their radar signature-they don't have us on radar yet," Patrick said. "We are well inside Seoul radar coverage, but we can be out of it in less than two minutes at mil power. The MiG-29 might still have us on IRSTS. There's squat we can do to escape him unless we get beyond his sensor's max range, which is about ten miles. That's pretty unlikely-he can fly just as fast as we can up here."
