Chapter Five
The Warning
The next two hours were organized chaos. A call from the
Russians informed The United States that three of their
submarines were being sabotaged, and if it was not stopped the
Russians would consider it a preemptive strike. The American
military people tried to convince the Russians that THEY were
suffering the same difficulties. But the Russians, even with the
better feelings lately, would not believe the Americans were not
somehow responsible.
On a map in the operations room the positions of all six
submarines were plotted and experts worked feverishly trying to
plot the results of nuclear explosions in those areas.
Peterson kept urging the President to take immediate action, but
the President kept pushing him aside. Finally a naval officer
rushed up.
"We've made contact with The Abraham Lincoln, sir. The
Admiral is ready to brief you."
"I don't want a briefing from the Admiral," the
President snapped. "I want to talk to the officer on the
scene. Arrange it through that phone, ten minutes."
The officer looked startled. "Yes sir!" he finally
snapped and hurried off.
Ten minutes later the phone buzzed and the President picked it
up. "Can you hear me, Captain Hope?" he inquired,
"This is the President. Can you report your situation?"
"We hear you loud and clear, Mr. President!" Captain
Hope responded. "Our situation here, sir, is desperate, to
say the least. We're on the bottom, right on the edge of our
crush depth and somehow the warheads of four of our missiles have
become activated and seem to be programmed to detonate
simultaneously, in four hours.
We have done EVERYTHING Mr. President, gone through the manuals
repeatedly, but nothing seems to work. None of our computers are
functional, except the monitor to the weapons' systems, and one
computer that keeps flashing the same message....."
"What is that message, sir?" the President asked.
"'Cancel operation Northern Light,'" the Captain
answered. "'Discipline all those responsible for it, and
never, ever CONSIDER such an operation again.'
What in the hell is going on, Mr. President? Excuse my language,
sir."
"Something pretty frightening, Captain," the President
answered, "something we shouldn't even have gotten into. How
is your life support, sir? Is your crew safe?"
"That's what's driving us crazy, Mr. President," Hope
answered. "Those systems are functioning perfectly. We're
sweating, sir, but it's not because the ship is too hot. We're
terrified, sir. We've had a few men snap, but they really can't
be blamed, sir."
"No, Captain," the President agreed. "God bless
them, they can't be. Hold on sir. Give us a little while. I think
we can resolve this situation. I have to speak to my experts but
I'll be back to you."
"We'll be waiting, Mr. President," Captain Hope
acknowledged. "That's about all we can do is wait."
The President hung up the phone and Peterson rushed over.
"Sir!" he cried, "We've got to prove our resolve
NOW! They're bluffing. They won't destroy themselves with us.
This is a senseless act. They won't detonate."
The President motioned over a Sergeant of Marines. The man came
to attention and saluted. "Yes sir?" he snapped.
"Take this man to the detention area. He is under arrest.
See that he communicates with no one."
"Yes sir!" the Sergeant snapped. He turned to the
bewildered Peterson. "Come along, sir, now! Please do not
resist, sir."
Peterson looked to the President with pleading eyes, then his
shoulders and his head sank, and he allowed the Sergeant to lead
him away. The President walked to Nathaniel Green rubbing his
weary face with a single hand. "My God, Nathaniel," he
asked, "are They really THAT determined? DO They really hate
us that much that they'll wipe out millions of us? Will they
really detonate those bombs?"
"Hate, Mr. President," Nathaniel answered, "has
nothing whatsoever to do with it. In reality They care for us,
deeply. We have driven Them to an act of desperation. Yes sir.
They WILL detonate. They WILL destroy Themselves, and, us before
They permit us to enslave Them."
"Oh, God," the President sighed, "oh, merciful
God!"