“Morning, David. Join us, please. I’d like you to hear the latest.” General Schwartz and several of David’s colleagues were in the seats adjacent to her. The seat directly in back of the bus driver was filled with two men David knew were with Cybercommand. They had military-grade laptops that were connected to a large black communications device.
“STRATCOM’s online. PACFLEET. CENTCOM. Homeland Security’s up. Okay, we’re getting real-time data now. It’s slow, but it’s coming.”
David offered Susan a puzzled look. She whispered, “They’ve set up a drone-based network over the US to provide coverage until we can get our replacement satellite networks up. It will be spotty, but it’s better than nothing, and we’re relatively confident it hasn’t been hacked.”
David nodded.
After a few moments, the group began going over updates from various sources around the globe. The situation was dire. It was now less than twelve hours since the war had begun, and there was no electricity or internet for the vast majority of the United States. The effects of the EMPs weren’t as bad as the sci-fi movies would have you believe. But the collective result of cyber, EMP, and whatever the Chinese special operations teams were doing was quite potent.
“We have several nuclear power plants that came very close to having a meltdown. One hasn’t reported in yet. Cyberattacks have wiped out a lot of data centers. It looks like the companies that handle logistics and transportation were the worst hit.”
“Is that really a big deal?”
David said, “Yes, it is. It means they won’t be able to plan the trucks or tell how many packages to fill. Everything is digital now. Some warehouses will have surpluses while others go barren. The end result is that people won’t be able to get food and water, or soap and toothpaste, within a few days. Although with the panic and riots, that will probably be a matter of hours.”
General Schwartz said, “What do you see on the Chinese ground forces in the US?”
The communications specialist said, “Eight bases were attacked. All were Air Force heavy bases — aerial refueling aircraft appear to have been the targets. Most attackers were killed or captured, but not all. There are reports of some larger numbers of Chinese ground forces in the northern plains states. But those are unconfirmed. Lots of people are calling into the police stations on landlines and saying they saw Chinese people after the emergency broadcast. A lot of stuff like that. We don’t know how true any of it is, but local authorities have been told to keep an eye out. Problem is the normal means of communication are shot for the most part.”
Susan said, “Any diplomatic communications between China and POTUS?”
David heard the squeal of the bus’s brakes as it came to a halt. The highway was now a sea of red brake lights, the traffic on I-95 south having come to a complete stop.
“The State Department has been directed to start an open dialogue with the People’s Republic of China and an immediate deescalation of hostilities.”
David said, “Not sure how that’s going to go over, I don’t—”
The rapid-fire siren of the lead security vehicle came on and then off as their convoy of two buses and two security vehicles moved over to the shoulder lane and began traveling forward at a slow pace.
“Hold on — just got this — both the UN and China have just put out a statement via official channels. They are calling for an immediate cease-fire of all hostilities between the PRC and the United Sates.”
“Are you effing kidding me?”
David said, “What else is in the Chinese statement?”
The communications specialist scanned the message with his finger. “China denies any wrongdoing. They deny accusations of instigating hostilities. They are calling the cyberattacks and blackouts the US has experienced another religiously motivated terrorist attack. They condemn the US for their nuclear response—”
“Nuclear? What the hell are they talking about?”
“—and demand the rest of the world condemn those actions as well. Something about American radical religious antagonism. I don’t know what that is… some sort of propaganda speak, I guess. They’re calling for a one-week cease-fire to remove civilians from each other’s territory and are encouraged that the United Nations is willing to manage the truce.”
David said, “They just put that out?”
“Yup.”
“And they’re already citing the UN’s statement.”
Susan said, “Seems scripted, doesn’t it?”
General Schwartz said, “Agreed.”
David said, “What the hell are they talking about with the nuclear response?”
Susan shot the general a look. He nodded. Susan whispered, “The US fired a small number of strategic nuclear weapons on Chinese nuclear missile sites, as well as one military installation in northern China.”
David sat back in his seat, his hand over his mouth. “Son of a bitch…”
Susan glanced around the bus. They were out of earshot of any of the other passengers. “Keep that to yourself.”
The trip lasted another twenty-two hours. They made a few stops, and a boxed lunch was handed out about halfway through. After that, it was water-only until their destination. The convoy gained a more substantial military escort in North Carolina. Three Humvees and an MRAP. By then, the left lane of all major highways had been cleared, designated for military and official government vehicles only. Every highway ramp had either a police or military vehicle posted.
David was called up to the front of the bus several times to hear updates and provide his opinion on global developments. The more he understood about the scope of the Chinese attack, the more worried he was about his sister, brother, and father. His sister Victoria’s ship had been involved in a sea and air battle near Guam. His brother Chase had been in Korea when the attacks had begun, but David learned that he was unharmed and now in Japan. David didn’t know the status of his father, who was on board the USS Ford near Hawaii, but he assumed that Admiral Manning was safe for now.
By the time they arrived at Eglin Air Force Base, they were all ready for the trip to be over. The families on the bus needed space, and more than a single bathroom.
There was a woman in an Air Force uniform waiting for them as they got off the bus. She wrote down all of their names on a notepad and began directing them to temporary housing. David and his family ended up in the bachelor officers’ quarters. It was basically a two-room hotel suite, with a queen bed and a pull-out couch. Lindsay changed their youngest while Maddie sat coloring on the couch.
“I need to get over to the office. Susan said we have an orientation briefing at eleven. Are you okay?”
Lindsay nodded. She had bags under her eyes. “We’ll be fine. I’ll see you later.”
David left the BOQ and walked down the road towards the building he would be working in. A convoy of troop transports and Humvees drove by, and in the distance he could hear the roar of jet engines.
It was early morning the day after the war began. David wasn’t so sure things would ever get back to normal.
9
Admiral Song stood behind the expansive plexiglass windows of his personal bridge, looking out over his fleet. The carrier steamed west into the wind as she recovered another replacement squadron of attack aircraft.
The aircraft carrier’s captain watched with him. “These pilots will be less experienced.”
The admiral said, “And what are we? Veterans of a three-day-old war? At least they are alive. The same cannot be said for the men whom they replace.”