by Ira Tabankin
“My fellow Americans, you heard me correctly, worldwide gun violence is ending. Worldwide race violence will end. Bloody revolutions will end, no longer will a country’s leaders have to worry about some rogue element trying to overthrow them. The money wasted on such wars will now be used to support the world’s people and infrastructure. I am overjoyed to report that The Small Arms Treaty was signed by my administration. I asked the Attorney General to review the treaty’s impact on our existing laws. She has reviewed the treaty to ensure that it can stand up to any legal challenge. She’s reported to me that all international treaties have the force of law behind them. The Small Arms Treaty, therefore, repeals the Second Amendment, we will begin issuing instructions how to turn in your privately owned firearms tomorrow. If you don’t voluntarily turn in your firearms, we will come for them. The senseless violence so many are experiencing is coming to end. Without guns in people’s hands there won’t be any more mass shootings or violent crimes people commit against their neighbors. The United Nations has pledged to send troops to the countries with the most guns to help remove these deadly and senseless weapons from private ownership. No longer will children be harmed by playing with their parent’s guns. This and the Affordable Care Act are the most important accomplishments I’ve made as President.”
We greet the President’s announcement with shock and screaming, “Go fuck yourself.” Rich stands yelling, “You can have my guns when you pry them from my cold dead fingers.” We cheer Rich, most of us, less one person, share his feelings.
Ricky stands pumping his fist in the air, cheering, “YES, finally the end of senseless gun violence. He is the greatest President in our history.”
People throw anything in front of them at Ricky to get him to shut up.
The President continues, “My administration has been able to pass some of the most important legislation in the country’s short history. Healthcare for everyone, financial control, infrastructure recovery through the many stimulus acts, the First Lady’s school lunch program which brought healthy lunches to all school age children. Of course, there were the reasonable tax bills and finally the best gun control act in our history; total gun control. It’s through total gun control that the violence across the country will end. It’s now illegal to own a firearm, not just in America, but in the entire world. My friends, we’ve finally found a way to end violence not just here, but worldwide.”
People are throwing trash at the TV monitor. I stand yelling, “Hey, there’s no replacement if you break that monitor. If it breaks, we won’t have a screen in the mess hall.”
We’re booing as the President continues, “I’m also bringing home all of our troops who were based around the world. These returning troops will work with the United Nations to put a quick stop to the random violence that has broken out in the heartland. The initial troops are already here, they are providing health care and bringing security so everyone can get a peaceful night’s sleep. The long day’s night is lifting from the country. If you haven’t already seen the troops in your towns, you soon will. Very soon you’ll see military vehicles painted white with blue UN symbols on them, the troops will shortly begin arriving wearing blue helmets with white UN on them. These troops may not be Americans, they may not be familiar with our customs, help them to help you. Make them feel at home, help them bring stability to our country, a peaceful America equals a peaceful world. The IRS will release the new tax rules tomorrow, remember when you read them, you're no longer paying a tax to the United States federal government, you’re paying to support the entire world. A new a united world, a single world united under the United Nations, which today offered me the position of it’s first World Chairman. America, today is indeed a very special day for all of us. May God bless the United Nations.”
We sit in the mess room completely silent, he surprised the shit out of us with his last line. None of us was expecting him to be named world leader. Fred whispers, “The entire world is screwed. We might as well stay underground for a very long time. It’s going to be a lot safer here than anywhere he’s running things.”
Everyone who heard Fred nods in agreement.
I whisper to Lacy, “I can’t believe what he just did. He just announced the new world order, with him as its leader. This is the worst news I could have imagined. We’re going to have to fight to return America to her former greatness and also battle the stupid UN to allow us to be free again.”
“Honey, is this going to slow our return to our home?”
Chapter 8
The US Navy Task Force 77 is running at their maximum speed of 33 knots towards the Chinese fleet. Task Force 77 has a ‘bone in their teeth’, they are firing anti-ship cruise missiles towards the Chinese. Vice Admiral Long is reviewing his depleting armament inventory report. He looks over to his Chief of Staff, “Something is wrong, we’ve fired over 400 missiles, there shouldn’t be anything left of the Chinese fleet, however, their anti-ship missiles that are attacking us says they’ve still viable. We should have sunk them ten times over.”
“Admiral, their missiles are taking a real toll on our ships, they copied the Russian Sunburn anti-ship missile. It flies at wave top height and at Mach 3 which is 3 times faster than our missiles. We’re having a hard time intercepting their missiles. Even Aegis is having problems picking them up and holding lock due to how low they fly. Our anti-missiles are averaging only a 35% intercept rate. The ships without the close in weapons system are taking a pounding. We made a mistake removing the CIWS off of the newest generation of ships. We thought we could intercept a missile with a missile versus having the backup of a gun. Sir, we’re running out of missiles. We need to withdraw and rearm. Our major problem is our ships weren’t designed to be rearmed at sea. We removed the vertical launch cranes in order to add three additional missiles to the ships. Right now, it seems to have been a very bad trade.”
“Isn’t the RAM Block 2 bringing down the incoming missiles?”
“Admiral, the RAM Block 2 is averaging a 40% intercept. The RAM’s fire control radar isn’t picking up the incoming missiles until they’re almost on us. Even the new seeker on the RAM Block 2 is having problems picking out the missiles from the wave clutter.” The two officers are interrupted by a large flash on the horizon, the overhead speaker says, “Admiral that was the Gettysburg. Two Chinese missiles struck her, one hit her forward vertical magazine. Her bow broke off, the second missile struck her in the engine room, shrapnel struck her fuel tanks, she blew up, taking all hands with her.”
Admiral Long responds, “Captain, how many missiles got through in this round?”
“Sir, we’ve accounted for eight missiles that made it through all of our efforts and defenses. Four ships were struck by six missiles, two were suckered by a decoy. Sir, the Chinese aren’t having any problems bringing our Harpoon missiles down. They’re averaging over a 95% kill ratio. We’re firing a lot of missiles, but they’re not reaching their intended targets. Admiral, the only ship in our fleet that can survive a hit by the Chinese missiles is the Missouri. She’s the only ship in the fleet with any armor. We forgot history’s lessons.”
Admiral Long turns to his CoS, “Commander, send in the subs. They should be able to pop up in the middle of the Chinese fleet surprising the hell out of them.”
“Aye, sir. I’ll issue the orders.”
Twenty US nuclear-powered fast attack submarines receive the order to attack the Chinese fleet. They were spread out in a large circle around the Chinese fleet. Captain Johnson, the commanding officer of the USS Virginia, the lead boat of America’s newest class of attack submarines held the print out of his orders. He smiled as he picked up the boat’s IMC, “Virginia, this is the Captain, we’ve received the orders we’ve been waiting for. We’re ordered to attack the Chinese fleet. Men of the Virginia, man battle stations torpedo, this is no drill. Men of the Virginia, our time has come to take vengeance for our lost brothers and sisters.” The general quarters alarm sounds in the Virgini
a and nineteen other US attack submarines. The Virginia’s XO (Executive Officer) says, “Captain, sonar is holding three targets marked as Sierra 1, 2 and 3. All are Chinese warships making turns for 30 knots, they are 4000 yards ahead of us. They are cruising together, angle of the bow, 25 degrees.”
“Weaps, Captain, assign one mark 48 to each Sierra.”
“Captain, weaps, assign one mark 48 to each Sierra, aye, sir. Captain, run time for the Mark 48s is 3 minutes.”
“Weaps, Captain, set the mark 48s to swim out of the tubes, send them on a zig-zag course so the Chinese won’t be able to follow the path of the fish back to us. When the mark 48s are within 1,000 yards, turn on their sonar and set them to their fast attack speed, when they’ve found their targets, cut the guide wires. Close the outer doors and reload with four additional mark 48s.”
The USS Virginia makes all preparations to launch four torpedoes against the Chinese surface fleet when the boat rocks with an explosion that knocks the entire crew off their feet. The USS Virginia rolls onto her port side. Captain Johnson grabs the edge of one of the workstations, he pulls himself up, he can’t stand on both feet because one of his ankles is broken. “Damage control, Captain, what the hell happened?”
“Captain, DC, sir, looks like we ran into a mine. We’re taking in water, the pumps are running at 100%, I’m pumping air into the damaged compartments.”
The Virginia hears multiple rumbles in the sea around her, “Sir, I think some of our sisters also ran into mines. I think the Chinese laid mines around their fleet to catch us as we made our approach. They had to have known where we were located and the course we’d use to attack them.”
“What’s the boat’s condition?”
“Sir, pressure hull is cracked, front sonar dome is broken, we’ve lost main sonar and the outer torpedo doors are wrapped and jammed closed. We can’t fire anything at the Chinese, nor can we hear them. We have twisted metal and plastic hanging on the bow, we’re making noise. Suggest we come to a slow stop so we can check every system.”
“Make it so.”
Captain Johnson asks the XO, “How’s the crew?”
“Sir, one dead, thirty wounded, two seriously.”
“Shit. How the hell did they catch us with our pants down? Why didn’t our sensors find the mines?”
“Sir, we believe the mines were coated in an anechoic rubber coating similar to the one that coats our hull. It absorbs sound. We were traveling at 20 knots, it was easy to miss a silent waiting mine. From the damage, it looks like the mine was below us when it blew.”
“I thought our anechoic coating makes us almost nonmagnetic.”
“Sir, almost. The Chinese must have designed the mines knowing their targets were coated submarines. They may have even used a laser to locate us. Either way, we’re out of the fight.”
“Sparks, Captain, any word on how many of our squadrons got nailed by the mines?”
“Captain, sparks, we haven’t received any messages. However, the mine may have damaged our receivers. Sonar recorded at least sixteen underwater explosions.”
“XO, launch a communication buoy to inform the Admiral that we’re out of the fight. Turn us around and head for Pearl. Hopefully, they’ll be able to repair us in time to rejoin the fight.”
“Aye, sir.”
Vice Admiral Long is holding a handful of radio messages sent via communications buoys. “Commander, the Chinese pulled a new one on us. They seeded the approaches our boats would use to attack their fleet with stealth mines. They caught sixteen of our fast attacks. We lost eight of them, they went down with all hands. The other eight are damaged to an extent that they are out of the fight. Two had to surface, the damage was so severe they couldn’t stay submerged.”
“Admiral, how did they know which course our boats were going to take?”
“My gut says we have a spy on our staff. Please send me Colonel Bradley, I think this is something the good Colonel and his security staff need to handle.”
“Aye, sir. Admiral, what are we going to do now?”
“Get me Captain Jefferson on the Missouri, the future of this battle is in the hands of a seventy-year-old battleship.”
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In the Chinese military command and control facility, located inside a hollowed out mountain, Admiral Zin smiles when he reads a report similar to Vice Admiral Long’s. Zin thinks, we sank eight of their fast attacks and also damaged another eight of them. They drove right into our special mines, never suspecting their location or impact. We’ve succeeded in removing their submarine threat to us. They stumbled into one of our surprises, we have a few more tricks to spring on them. They caught me by surprise with that damn Battleship, who would have thought a World War 2 Battleship would hurt us so much in the twenty-first century. We’ll soon see how she handles the sunburn anti-ship missiles that should be launching against her in three minutes. His thoughts are interrupted by an aide, “Admiral, message from the fleet, twenty missiles have been launched at the Missouri.”
Smiling like the Cheshire cat Admiral Zin replies, “Excellent, please keep me informed.”
“Aye, sir.”
@@@@@
Captain Jefferson is exiting the head when the general quarters alarm echoes through the USS Missouri, he’s thinking, at least they let me finish my morning constitutional before they attacked us. He jogs to the armored bridge yelling, “Make a hole!” Reaching the bridge he asks, “XO, what’s going on?”
“Sir, Aegis radar picked up a swarm of missiles heading in our direction, they’re coming in very low and fast. Sir, they’re Sunburns.”
“I guess we’re going to see how the seventy-year-old armor stands up to modern weapons.”
The XO smiles, “Sir, I don’t think the Sunburn is going to hurt us, our midsection is protected by twelve inches of armor designed to protect the ship from Japanese 18-inch shells.”
“Weapons, Captain, place the CIWS on auto.”
“Captain, weapons, Aye, place the CIWS on auto, sir when you and the XO enter your keys, the ship self-defense network will engage its Armageddon mode.”
“Tell the crew to get inside the armor belt right now! I don’t want anyone on deck or outside of the armor. XO, prepare to enter your key and turn on my mark. Three, two, one, mark your key.” Both officers turn their command keys to the right, they hold them for a count of three before they release them. The Missouri’s newly installed ship-self-defense network takes over the defense of the seventy-year-old ship. In an instant, mortars fire chaff and IR decoys to lure the incoming missiles away from the ship. The chaff creates clouds of radar reflecting foil to the sides and rear of the Battleship. Four incoming missiles locked onto the chaff, the other sixteen missiles continued their pursuit of the Missouri. Captain Jefferson ordered the ship to begin quick zig-zagging while the ship’s computer continued to fire chaff into the air. Recently installed RAM launchers begin firing RAM missiles towards the Sunburns. The two missiles have a combined closing speed of Mach 5, six of the Sunburns are struck and destroyed by the RAMs, twelve other RAMs missed their targets. The Missouri’s last ditch defense was four CIWS, which fired 20mm depleted uranium shells in bursts. The CIWS radar matched the outgoing shells with the incoming missiles. CIWS got four of the remaining ten attacking Sunburns. Six Sunburns strike the Missouri. The ship shakes and rings with vibrations from the six missile strikes. Smoke covers the ‘Mighty Mo’. Captain Jefferson is knocked out of his chair, picking himself up off of the deck, he called damage control, “DC, Captain, how bad is it?”
There is a long pause before DC responds, “Captain, DC, sir, we lost a lot of new paint and six antennas. We also lost eight boats which were blown off their mounting amidships.”
“DC, what about the ship herself?”
Captain Jefferson hears the voice on the other end of the line snicker, “Sir, that’s it. The sunburn is a blast warhead, it couldn’t penetrate our armor belt. I’ve got DC members checking the hull and machinery, so far
we haven’t suffered any real damage.”
