‘Good. Look, I’m not saying it’s a bad idea,’ Fletcher said, standing, ‘but it is a politically dangerous one. Let’s talk to Marty when he’s up, see what his reaction is.’
Later that afternoon, in General Stephens’ office, Sarah had just taken the general through the idea. The room was silent. Stephens’ face was expressionless, his gaze rooted on the empty chair opposite him. Sarah and Fletcher, sitting on either side of the empty chair, watched him, waiting in anticipation for his response.
‘Interesting,’ said General Stephens finally, his gaze still on the chair, his face stoically resisting expression.
Sarah leaned forward and perched herself on the edge of her chair. ‘General, I have to tell you. I’ve spoken to Connor about it. He understands that it is highly sensitive and is using the utmost discretion. But he is putting together a viability paper on it, which we will have by the end of next week. We’ve codenamed it Operation Fulcrum.’
‘Good work, Sarah. I want to understand the scenario completely. Get me the report as soon as you can,’ replied the general. Looking directly at Sarah, he continued, ‘It’s an interesting option you’ve raised Sarah, radical. But interesting.’
‘Marty,’ interjected Fletcher, ‘we need to understand the legalities of this sort of action. You know cabinet will never allow us to nuke our own country. If we are going to do this, we’ll be making the call and we’ll be solely responsible.’
‘I understand what you’re saying, Fletch. I will be solely responsible. No one else. It would be unfair to ask the government. It cannot be held responsible for a decision like this. It needs to remain beyond reproach so it can run the country, once this is all over.’
‘General, we will stand by you no matter what decision you make,’ said Sarah, raising her head confidently.
General Stephens looked at her and gave her a grateful smile, hope lighting his face for the first time in months. ‘I know you will, Sarah, I know you will. But let’s see that paper from Connor first.’
That night Sarah lay in her bed with Matt. Most nights were ending up like this these days. They’d become a steady, regular thing without ever discussing it — cooking meals together, spending whatever free time they had with each other. It was nice. They both enjoyed how naturally it had evolved.
Rolling over to face Matt, Sarah propped herself up on her elbows. ‘If you were General Stephens right now, what would you do?’
Matt, a little taken aback by the question, pondered it briefly. ‘Well, I’d do a deal with Yun, get paid a fortune, buy an island in the Caribbean, take my Number One female advisor and disappear forever,’ he grinned, idly playing with her hair.
Sarah let out a short laugh. ‘Very funny. But seriously, what would you do?’ she said, brushing her hair back behind her ear.
Matt sat up, trying to consider the question. ‘I have no idea,’ he said finally. ‘It’s a no-win situation we’re in. I guess I would do what’s best for the greatest number of Australians. This war will never be won. It will only ever result in the annihilation of our way of life. So, the first thing I would do is lay down our arms, then I would hand over the running of the country to people who can rebuild our nation under a new paradigm, with new borders and a new focal point of prosperity.’
‘Aha! So you have thought about it,’ she said with a smile.
‘Of course I’ve thought about what’s right for this country…’ he trailed off. It was bizarre talking about all this — they never talked shop, at Sarah’s insistence. He was pleased with her sudden openness.
‘So you don’t think that what we’re doing is right then?’ Sarah interrogated.
Matt paused and continued slowly, deliberately. ‘No, no I don’t actually.’ All of a sudden, he felt the conversation take a turn. This is why we don’t talk shop, he thought to himself.
Sarah sat up, shocked by Matt’s admission. ‘That surprises me,’ she said, folding her arms across her chest. ‘I would’ve thought you could see that by surrendering to the Chinese, we are not benefiting the greatest number of Australians, because the greatest number of Australians are yet to be born, the greatest number of Australians are the future generations,’ she felt her voice rising involuntarily. ‘The sacrifices we must make now will benefit the greatest number of Australians. You just have to broaden your point of reference.’
Matt leaned back tensely. ‘But Sarah, that assumes whatever sacrifice we make now will benefit future generations. There’s a good chance our actions now are not good for them, are possibly even destroying them.’
‘Come on, Matt,’ cried Sarah, ‘if we don’t fight now, it will be impossible to get the Chinese out of here until they have sapped our land of every natural resource we have, and that will take hundreds of years, even at the rate they’re going.’
‘But what option do we have, Sarah?’ asked Matt, his voice rising in volume to match hers. ‘After the Sydney attack, we know our future if we continue to resist them.’
Sarah was flustered now, frustrated and surprised by the realisation that Matt’s view was so different from hers. She’d thought they were on the same team, had been so confident that she’d never even thought to ask him what he thought. ‘There is something we can do, rather than wait to be annihilated — we can annihilate the Chinese.’
‘What are you talking about Sarah? That’s impossible.’
‘No, it’s not impossible; it’s actually entirely possible,’ Sarah said, throwing out her trump card. ‘We nuke them, we nuke the mines — wipe them and our mines out completely.’
Matt had heard enough. He got off the bed and started to dress. ‘You’re fucking insane. Is the general seriously considering that as an option? It would never get through parliament, you know that.’
Sarah knelt on the bed with a sheet wrapped around her shoulders. ‘It’s not insane, Matt — it’s our only option, our only chance of saving ourselves.’
‘What you’re talking about,’ said Matt, furiously buckling his belt, ‘will result in civilian deaths, possibly thousands. And God knows what will happen to our environment! The ecology would be destroyed. You might get the Chinese out, but at what cost?’ He paused, looking at her with disgust. ‘My God, you talk about future generations of Australians, Sarah. What about the kids born into a nuclear-poisoned land?’
With that Matt walked out, slamming the bedroom door. Sarah stared at the door, stunned, listening as Matt slammed the main door on his way out.
‘Fuck,’ she said to herself, realising what she’d done.
The next day, Sarah sat on a bench at City Park on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin, looking across to Parliament House. The afternoon sun was hot. Sarah could feel the heat even in the shade. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Connor walking towards her. She did not turn or stand to greet him. She just waited for him to come and sit.
‘Hello Sarah,’ said Connor, with as little emotion as could be wrapped in a greeting.
‘Connor,’ replied Sarah without looking at him. ‘So, do you have the report?’
‘Yes, I do. I must say Sarah, I’m impressed. I didn’t take you to be the sort who would consider, let alone come up with, an idea like this,’ said Connor.
‘Well, I can be full of surprises, Connor,’ she said drily.
‘Oh, I’m sure you are,’ he chuckled.
Sarah was in no mood for repartee. ‘So, may I have the report then?’
‘Of course,’ replied Connor, quietly pulling the report out of the briefcase on his lap, handing it over.
Sarah slid it into her attaché case. ‘So, can Operation Fulcrum work then?’