“No. Because we are not going to take off today or tomorrow. I will have someone check your data, and if it is correct, we will use it. Be confident in your actions. We must double check everything we do. Any decision you make for the entire ship would have repercussions, so you need to be extra careful.”
Jose and Sally now looked relieved, although their faces stayed white.
“If I could drink, I would do it now,” said Jose.
“Me too,” Sally said.
Sam said, “All right, we need to be ready to do whatever my dad asks. So, get some rest and be ready to work at any moment. Everyone is under a ton of pressure now, and we can’t make things worse.”
Tom grinned.
Two days later there was more bad news. Tom, Sam, and Jose were on the deck along with several other officers. Given the spaceship’s advanced communication system, the president had set up his communications center on the ship to stay ahead of bad situations getting worse. It was able to link up with almost any mobile satellite in space. This included the Russian’s satellites. The president had brought his officers to the bridge to discuss critical options to significant problems that he had suddenly learned about.
“The first problem is that there has been another significant earthquake overnight in Anchorage. It was a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, which was the largest ever recorded for Alaska. There were not many deaths reported, but the impact of the quake is really going to be felt by the environment. The Alaskan oil pipeline has ruptured in several places, resulting in large oil spills. Nothing like this has ever occurred before. This oil spill is more massive than the Exxon Valdez. I have asked Canada and our own northern troops to go to Alaska in response. Wildlife is severely affected. The oil has spilled into areas of large salmon populations. It is estimated that fifty per cent of the salmon will be killed.”
The president then turned away from Tom to speak to his generals and Major Johns.
“We can handle the spill, although it will cost us both financially and ecologically. I have sent teams to shut down the oil pipeline until further notice. Our second problem is the more serious of the two, and I am asking for suggestions before I make the final decision about our course of action. We have intercepted communications from Russia and have verified via a satellite that Ivanov has ordered a large number of Russian troops to the Ukrainian border as well as Estonia. It looks like an all-out invasion, which is going to be very costly in terms of life. Obviously, he is striking now due to all the disasters happening around the world. He believes he can take advantage of everyone and consolidate his power, since we are so focused on trying to save our own people.
“We have to stop him from doing this. We do have NATO, but many of the countries are also suffering from natural disasters, and I do not know if they can be of great help. England is willing to use its air force to help us. France’s attitude is to give us the cold shoulder. They are still smarting from Trump’s refusal to follow environmental protection protocols that were established in Paris years ago. Poland is a bright spot. We set up a large missile defense system there that can shoot down almost any Russian missile directed at Europe.
“Does anyone have a suggestion? We still have nuclear missiles ready to go from North Dakota and nuclear subs in the area. I have also ordered two battleships and two aircraft carriers to the region that are standing by for orders. I prefer to use nuclear weapons only as a last resort. If we do so, you can be sure that Ivanov will also use them to attack Europe and the United States. Once we go down that path, millions will die regardless of the natural disasters. One thing I am hopeful for is that this spaceship takes off and is out of harm’s way before I call Ivanov again. An all-out war might end up destroying this ship before you can launch.”
The generals focused on where to attack Russia. Some wanted to pursue an immediate strike and assassinate Ivanov. Others preferred to wait and see what Ivanov did and then counterattack. These generals did not want the world to see them as starting a world war. They all started arguing with each other about what to do.
Sam had an idea. He tried to raise his hand to speak, but everyone ignored him.
Finally, he screamed, “Excuse me, everyone.”
Everyone turned toward him.
“I have an idea that it seems no one has mentioned. Why doesn’t the president call Mr. Ivanov again and try to work things out? An all-out attack should be the last possible option. I suggest that the president make it clear that the United States, while facing many obstacles, still has the use of military force in the region and can retaliate immediately if necessary. Let him also know that any missiles he fires will be shot down from our missile defense system in Poland.”
The bridge became hushed. All eyes were on the president as he looked at Sam. The president smiled.
“Excellent idea, Sam. Unfortunately, we did try that once before to no avail. I may call Mr. Ivanov again as soon as we finish this discussion. It is always better to avoid military confrontation if possible, but sometimes we have no choice. Sam, someday you are going to be an amazing officer. Dr. Burns, you should be very proud of your son.”
“Yes, Mr. President. I am very proud of him, although sometimes I do forget to say so.”
Chapter 50 – Denial and Deception
President Stevens, The Imagine, Rocky Mountains, CO
Moments later, the president left the bridge and returned to the communication center with his officers and called the Russian leader. Of course, Ivanov denied everything, telling the president that he knew nothing about an invasion of Ukraine. President Stevens sent satellite photos showing the Russian troop movement confirming what he knew.
Stevens made it clear to Ivanov he could have a war if he wanted it but that he would lose. There was no reason to kill millions of people over his foolish ambitions. The world was hurting. He should be using his troops to assist others.
Ivanov tried to bully the president, but the president demanded Russia withdraw its forces or face an attack by the United States and its allies. In the background, he could hear Ivanov discussing the matter with his generals. Time seemed to stand still. Finally, Ivanov told the President his troops would remain in Russia for now. He realized the risks were too high to have an all-out war with each other, one in which millions of people would die.
When the president returned to the bridge, he announced that the Russian troops were going to withdraw.
Everyone on the bridge was clapping, giving high-fives to each other.
Jose and Sam hugged each other.
“You did it, Sam. You are a hero,” said Jose.
The president looked pleased, wanting Sam to have his moment of fame. Still, he knew there would be more trouble ahead with the Russians. It was not possible to trust Ivanov.
He said, “We may have dodged a war for the moment, but I doubt Ivanov will lay low for very long.”
Chapter 51 – Unify
Tom Burns, The Imagine, Rocky Mountains, CO
Two weeks later, Tom felt more confident than ever about all the preparations. Carson, Dorothy, and Bob, along with about fifty other people were still working furiously round the clock on the control consoles. There would be minimal time to test anything. If the launch failed, they would all be incinerated. Perhaps. But perhaps not. Everyone was bringing their best effort to secure their passage beyond Earth.
It was going to work. The only question was whether it would work before any other major conflict erupted that would interfere with their launch date. He went to his quarters. He decided to contact the three commanders of the spaceships to let them know what was happening and to see if they could offer insights to rectify the situation. He also wanted to know what other problems they were having and how soon it would be before they could launch.