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!"