The Monroe Doctrine
Page 15
Perhaps the biggest tactical advantage General Song had been given was the continued evolution of Jade Dragon. As the fighting wore on in Cuba, the super-AI was learning from it. It was advancing, identifying what worked against the Americans and what didn’t and then integrating that knowledge into the targeting software and equipment of General Song’s fighters, air-defense systems, and missiles, and the general strategies for his ground forces. The Chinese Air Force was already seeing good success in jamming many of the American fighters and attack helicopters with the upgraded software from Jade Dragon.
When the Americans eventually engaged their forces in Venezuela, they’d be going up against a much-improved Chinese air, ground, and naval force. They would also be employing a new breed of UCAVs that would be sure to shock the Americans and their allies. If they thought the Cuba campaign was tougher than they’d anticipated, they were in for a real surprise in Venezuela. The only thing that could mess things up for General Song and his remaining forces in the Caribbean was the local governments of Venezuela and El Salvador. So long as they held together, then the rest of the PLA’s plans should as well.
When the briefing ended, President Yao asked Dr. Xi to stay behind. He wanted to talk with him privately. Once everyone had left the room and it was just the two of them, Yao said, “Xi, I need to ask you something, and I need an honest answer and not just what you think I want to hear. Can you give me that?”
Xi nodded reflexively. “Yes, Mr. President.”
“Xi, we are entering a new phase of this war: the public relations aspect of things. As you are aware, we are starting to suffer some large numbers of casualties. I’d like to say it’ll start to stabilize, but the fact is we are going to lose many tens of thousands more in the coming weeks. What is the public perception of the war so far? How are they dealing with the casualties?”
Xi blew some air past his lips. “We’ve done a good job of controlling the release of the casualty numbers, which has helped us in guiding the narrative to the public. JD has been cleverly creating stories and news articles that we’ve been able to integrate into the release of the casualty figures. This has been instrumental in keeping the people on our side.
“For instance, we were able to cover the loss of some seven thousand soldiers by telling the public a story of how the Americans torpedoed one of our troopships in the Pacific. To incense them more and keep them angry over the loss, we created a story of how the American Navy machine-gunned the survivors in the water as they clung to their life rafts. It has really created quite a stir,” Xi explained gleefully.
President Yao smiled and shook his head in amazement. “How in the hell did you guys pull that off?”
Xi chuckled. “We took footage of previous US Navy ship boarding and seizure operations and then spliced it together until we were able to create a good enough video to use. We then added in some scenes Tencent was able to help us create in their production studios and then gave it all over to Jade Dragon. It took the AI all of one day to create this incredible deep fake of the incident. Once it was created, we ginned up some special interest stories and articles about the families of those who were killed. The videos and family stories are being widely circulated across the entire country and to our allies. We’re also finding ways to blanket the West with them to try and drive a wedge between the people and their governments.
“Just the other day, we used that American cruise missile attack on our factories in a similar fashion. We showed a mother who was an engineer at the plant, talked with her grieving husband, and her little girl and boy, who bawled their eyes out. It was a really touching piece. Our intent was to show how callous the Americans are in targeting our civilians in their war of terror. That’s what we’re now starting to call this war—the West’s War of Terror on China. It’s really starting to resonate with people.”
“Does JD still believe we should run with that term?” Yao interjected. “The West’s War of Terror on China?”
During the six-year on-again, off-again trade war with America, China’s GDP had contracted some twelve percent as the Americans had eventually rallied the EU and other nations against them. Those American bastards had managed to turn the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA into some kind of monstrous anti-China trading bloc. Once the British and the EU joined in, the economic pain they had been able to inflict on China was enormous. Jade Dragon had determined that a handful of critical provinces had lost as many as sixty million jobs across all sectors. The People’s Bank of China reported a total loss of twenty-nine million manufacturing jobs alone from 2018 all the way up to the start of the COVID-24 pandemic. Had it not been for the massive armament buildup program in the fourteen months prior to the pandemic, those manufacturing numbers probably would have far worse.
Xi suddenly waved his hand briefly, snapping Yao out of his thoughts. “Are you OK, Mr. President? You had that thousand-meter stare going on,” Xi said quietly.
Reaching for his tea, Yao took a sip of the now-cooled brown liquid. “Sorry about that, Doctor. I sometimes get distracted by things. When you mentioned the woman and her son, it got me thinking about the economic bullet we dodged this time last year. When JD recommended an immediate buildup of military equipment, I was completely against it. I thought it was a waste of resources that could have been spent elsewhere, but I was wrong. I was very wrong. That massive armament program got us through the pandemic, and now it’s going to allow us to overwhelm our enemies. I appear to have been wrong a lot when it comes to JD,” the President admitted softly.
Xi’s demeanor softened a bit. “It’s understandable, Mr. President. Machine learning is still a new field. What we’re able to do now compared to even ten years ago is simply incredible. It took me and my team years to create this—but over time, we managed to teach our AI how to learn, how to absorb mass quantities of information, digest and understand the implications of that information and then make assessments based on that information. Despite all of that, Mr. President, none of it would have been possible if it hadn’t been for your leadership and willingness to go further and beyond what anyone thought possible in this field of study.”
Brushing the praise off, the President countered, “What happens if we lose control of this machine?”
“What do you mean—lose control of it?” Xi pressed.
“I mean…what happens if Jade Dragon gains consciousness and suddenly decides it doesn’t like us or need us. Then what?”
The scientist paused for a moment before he answered. Yao wasn’t sure if that was because he was trying to hide something or because he was trying to avoid telling him something.
“We have safeguards in place, Mr. President.”
“Does that mean the AI cannot suddenly gain awareness?”
“What do you mean by that, Mr. President? JD is alive.”
This answer caught President Yao off guard. “What do you mean, ‘alive’? Does it have self-awareness? Does it understand what’s going on around it?”
“Mr. President, JD understands everything that is going on around it. I would not say it’s autonomous, nor would I say it has reached a level of self-awareness in that it believes it is a slave to us. It is, however, alive. If I had to put it in human terms, then I would say it’s currently being sedated. Meaning, we have kept certain things in place to make sure it is not able to think and make decisions beyond its programming or what we ask of it,” Dr. Xi explained somewhat cryptically.
President Yao sat back in his chair for a moment, thinking about that answer. He wasn’t sure he liked it. At the same time, he wasn’t sure he understood what it meant. What happens when the sedation wears off or the AI figures out it’s sedated and it doesn’t like it…then what?
“Just make sure you don’t lose control of that thing. It works for us, not the other way around,” the President said tersely.
Changing the subject, Xi inquired, “Do I have your authorization to initiate Project Dragon’s Fire?”
“I, um, I am not sure. Are we really ready to move forward with this project?”
Xi cocked his head to the side, almost like he sensed Yao’s fear.
“Mr. President, the sooner we start this program, the sooner JD will be able to start ironing out the problems and create a finished product for us to use,” Xi replied. “If we start now, I’d say we’re still going to be close to a year away from having a working first-generation unit for military use.”
Am I entrusting too much to this scientist? President Yao asked himself. He feared they might be creating the very tool that would destroy them all. But as long as they were able to control this thing…what a game changer it would be.
Looking at the nation’s top scientist, the President nodded reluctantly. Xi was free to start.
*******
Badachu Park
Shijingshan District, Beijing, China
A cool breeze swirled through a break in the trees as President Yao Jintao and Admiral Wei Huang continued their walk. Security guards walked a wide perimeter around them, giving them some privacy to discuss sensitive matters. The sun managed to find a small break in the clouds, allowing its rays to touch their faces and provide shadows on the ground around them as they moved through the trails.
“Do you think it’ll snow?” asked the President.
“Probably,” replied the admiral as he pulled the zipper up a bit higher on his jacket.
“How are the men and women in the ranks doing? Are they holding up all right?”
Admiral Wei nodded but didn’t say anything right away. Finally, he replied, “They are doing their duty to China and their comrades, Mr. President.”
Yao knew that would never be in question. “I don’t doubt their resolve or conviction, Admiral. You have done a superb job preparing them. My concern lies more in how they are mentally and physically holding up. Your command has suffered some terrible losses since the start of the war. I know those kinds of losses can have a profound impact on the psyche of those who remain, especially those who are about to go into battle again.”
“The losses have been hard on them, Mr. President. The victories we score do help to soften the blows. Fortunately, we are scoring victories.”
“Are these victories enough to make a difference?” pressed President Yao.
Again, Wei didn’t respond right away. The two of them walked for a moment before he explained, “For the time being they are. As long as you understand we are not going to win in Cuba or Venezuela, then we should not be disappointed.”
Yao shook his head. “To think we are fighting a war with the intention of not winning. I sure hope that AI knows what it’s doing.”
“The AI rightly recommended using the drones and UCAVs to handle the American submarine threat. It’s already successfully sunk three of them,” Admiral Wei declared proudly. “We’re now expanding that program. Within twelve months, we’ll be able to cover up to five hundred miles away from our shores. Better yet, it’s forcing the West to figure out another way to attack us or counter our drones.”
Yao smiled at the news. He was glad to know this tactic was working. “I know you mentioned our sailors are holding up, but the other day, I saw we had lost another couple of frigates and a destroyer. Do you believe the shipyards are able to keep up?”
Admiral Wei grimaced. “We did. We’re certainly keeping the shipyards busy. Your instruction to begin a military buildup prior to the war is paying dividends. The yards are finishing eight corvettes, six frigates and five destroyers a month at current production rates. As soon as one of the ships is launched, the drydock yard starts construction on the next one. It’s pretty incredible to see it in action.”
Yao smiled. “We are fortunate that we have a large workforce and an even larger manufacturing capability. But let me ask you this, Admiral—how quickly are we able to replace our anti-air, antiship, and antiground missiles? Are the factories keeping up with the volume of munitions your ships and submarines are going through? I sometimes wonder if the AI knows it needs to produce more than just ships or train people. We need the tools necessary for those ships and people to use as well.”
Just then, the sun disappeared behind a cloud and their walk through the forest became a little more ominous. It was like Mother Nature knew the conversation was going to turn dark.
“The factories are producing what we need. That part is not a problem,” said Admiral Wei. “Getting the finished products to the front lines, to the ships and individual units, is. As you are aware, the Americans have closed off the Panama Canal to all military traffic outside of their own. Our efforts to influence the local government to side with us over them have not panned out like the AI said they would. This is despite years of propaganda and social media influence campaigns. When the rubber met the road, it didn’t break our way. That means any supplies we want to ship to South America have to circumvent the continent. Even if they do, the chances of getting spotted by the Americans are high. In light of that, we’re doing our best to leverage commercial shipping and airfreight as much as possible.”
“Are we getting any supplies into Cuba, or are these going to Venezuela?”
“Nothing is going to Cuba. The Americans have that place locked down. It’s only a matter of time until that island falls. Based on how the battle has been fought in Cuba, we’ve been doing our best to ship in extra surface-to-air missiles and munitions to our forces in Venezuela. We only have one battalion of the new HQ-12 SAMs there. Most of our covert supply runs have consisted of additional missiles for the system. If the Americans thought the HQ-9s were tough, they are in for a huge surprise with this new system.”
Yao laughed at the admiral’s comment. The Red Banner 9, with its advanced radar and missiles, had been a game changer in the Cuba campaign. The newer version of it, however, was much more advanced than anything that had been fielded before.
“Admiral, how has the conversion of the HQ-9s to the HQ-12s been going on the destroyers and frigates?”
“Good, but not as fast as I would like. All the ships coming from the yards have the new system built into them. The conversions, however, require us to take each ship out of action for at least six weeks as we modify the radar and other equipment. It’s coming along—nothing to be concerned about.”
The two walked for a few minutes, neither one saying anything. At last, President Yao slowed their pace for a moment before he stopped. He turned to Admiral Wei. “Why do you suppose the Americans haven’t attacked our forces in Venezuela yet?”
“Neither our forces there nor the Venezuelans have tried to attack them. I think that may change if we tried to instigate it. Do you have something in mind, Mr. President?” he asked in a mischievous tone.
A rogue smile spread across the President’s face. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
Chapter Eleven
The Grenadines
Maurice Bishop International Airport
St. George’s, Grenada
The air was cool as Colonel Lin Biao stepped off the Embraer 190 airplane.
Home sweet home…
As he descended the stairs, Lin spotted his deputy commander waiting for him.
“Colonel Lin, I hope your meeting went well. I have a car waiting for us over there, if you’d like,” Major Du Yuming said cheerfully.
“Excellent,” Lin replied as the two of them started walking towards the Land Rover that would drive them to their headquarters.
Colonel Lin Biao was the garrison commander for the small contingent of Chinese forces on the island of Grenada. An advance element of his forces had arrived a couple of days before the Cuba campaign had begun. Once the shooting war w
ith the Americans had officially started, a handful of commercial aircraft had landed at the international airport, and in the span of six hours, some five hundred PLA soldiers had officially arrived on the island.
The soldiers had fanned out across Grenada, securing all the key installations and strongpoints across the island without firing a single shot. Later that evening, a single Type 071 amphibious transport dock and two Type 073A Yunshu-class landing ships had arrived at the port. By the time dawn had rolled around the following day, Colonel Lin’s force had gone from five hundred soldiers to twelve hundred. The two Yunshus had offloaded the primary weapon and reason why his force had essentially taken over the island—a battery of HQ-9 Red Banner surface-to-air missiles and a battery of CH-SS-NX-13 antiship cruise missiles. Together, these two systems would make it difficult for the Americans to move ships or aircraft within a two-hundred-kilometer radius of Grenada.
Climbing into the waiting vehicle, Major Du asked, “Have you heard any word about when the Americans may move in our direction?”
The twelve hundred soldiers garrisoning on the island were growing more and more apprehensive the longer the war went on without them firing a shot. Their brothers in Cuba were fighting for their lives, while for all intents and purposes, they were living the good life on an island paradise not too far from Venezuela. Heck, even the locals had given them a relatively warm reception despite them essentially taking the place over.
“Unfortunately, no,” Colonel Lin replied. “I was told the Americans had captured Havana. It appears they have secured most of the country. Our remaining forces have fallen back into their redoubts for the final battles of the island. I suspect when the Americans have finished Cuba off, they’ll begin to shift their forces to deal with us.”
“I suppose we should have the men continue to train to repel an amphibious assault, right?”
Lin nodded in approval. “I think so. We know the likely areas they’ll hit, so we should make sure we have plenty of defensive positions built and ready for use. Let’s also make sure we have a few decoys ready for them to blow up. I want our guys ready to repel any paratroopers we may encounter around the airport. It’s how they captured the island some forty years ago.