“What’s your point?” the President asked, sounding nettled.
“The issue at hand, sir,” the Defense Secretary said, “is how to stop them dead in their tracks. We keep feeding them units piecemeal, trying to plug their advance. Clearly, that hasn’t been working.”
“What else do you suggest?” the President asked.
“Call the Canadian Prime Minister and talk him into helping us. We helped them during the Quebec Separatist War. Surely, a few Canadian battalions rushed to Alaska could do wonders.”
“The Canadians don’t want anything to do with this,” the Secretary of State said.
“Then we must rush mass reinforcements to Alaska,” the Defense Secretary said.
General Alan spread his slender hands. “Sir, we’ve been trying to do just that.”
“Not hard enough apparently,” the Defense Secretary said.
“It’s not like it used to be,” General Alan said. “Storms rage in the Yukon and in upper British Columbia. Ice and snow block the passes and many of the roads. The storms have cut off Alaska to everything except carefully rerouted air-travel.”
The Defense Secretary slammed the table with his fist. His pudgy face was crimson and his eyes were red- rimmed. He was a Southerner, a hot-tempered man known as “the Knife” for how he’d slashed the defense budget during his time in office.
“The Chinese made an unprovoked attack,” he said. “According to the records, they destroyed a Californian oil rig and then sneakily targeted two of our carriers. There was never a formal declaration of war, simply these unforgivable attacks on sovereign American territory. They have burned away any goodwill we might have. They’ve tossed aside the accepted rules of war, and therefore we’re warranted to do the same.”
“What are you suggesting, Tom?” the President asked.
“No one wants nuclear winter, sir,” the Defense Secretary said.
Anna’s chest tightened. She couldn’t believe she was hearing this.
“Our military is in full stage rout,” the Defense Secretary said. “The Chinese are racing toward Anchorage, the pivot point of the State.”
“Wait,” said Green. “If it’s troops we need, what about those in the North Slope oilfields?”
“They await the Chinese ice-mobile attack,” General Alan said.
“Have these ice-mobile formations attacked yet?” Green asked.
“Not yet,” General Alan admitted.
“Maybe that was all a bluff,” Green said, “used to draw away military strength from the critical area at the key time.”
“Explain that,” the President said.
“What are the Chinese ice-mobile units doing now?” Green asked.
“Unfortunately, we have no idea,” General Alan said. “The GPS drones are needed elsewhere.”
One of the military aides had explained about the GPS drones earlier. They were inexpensive, lightweight, high-endurance and high-altitude flyers that took the place of expensive satellites. Most American high-altitude GPS drones belonged to the Navy, and they were being used on the Southern Front.
“Maybe the Chinese sent supplies north to Ambarchik Base in order to fool us,” Green said. “The Chinese mindset seems to prefer elaborate plans with hidden deceptions. Perhaps they believed we would discover their invasion plan before it occurred. This deception was meant for us to waste precious military resources in a place they never intended to attack.”
“Are you suggesting the Chinese are not headed for the North Slope oilfields?” the President asked.
“It’s a possibility,” said Green.
“We can’t know that,” said General Alan. “Maybe the polar taskforce hit blizzards along the way. Maybe it’s much harder crossing the icepack with several brigades-worth of men and vehicles than anyone could imagine. Maybe even as we speak the Chinese are getting ready to strike the North Slope.”
“Or maybe it’s time to take a risk,” Green said. “Tom says we’re about to lose Anchorage. Very well, use the troops protecting the oilfields to redeploy to Anchorage.”
“Redeploy how?” asked General Alan. “The Alaskan rail-line ends at Fairbanks. We would need to use precious air-transports to move them. We need those transports to air-ferry troops and supplies from the south. No. I can’t see how it will help us to lose
“What good are the oilfields if Anchorage falls?” Green asked. “Maybe it is time to deicide which point is most important and protect it with everything we have. The many mountains ranges and the vast distances between the oilfields and Anchorage means the ice-mobile formations could never help attack South Central Alaska. The cross- polar attack, if it is really coming, is only good for capturing the oilfields.”
Deep lines appeared on the President’s forehead. “That’s a cogent point, Colin. The Marine Commandant said something similar to me this morning.”
“Sir,” said General Alan, “I doubt there’s time for such a redeployment in any case, not at the present rate of the Chinese advance to Anchorage. We have to stop them with what we already have in place.”
“That’s my point,” the Defense Secretary said. “We must stop them now.”
“You’re not suggesting tactical nuclear weapons?” the President asked.
“Tactical?” the Defense Secretary asked. “No. The short-ranged missiles would likely never make it to target. They’re too fragile, and despite their short-range, they’re in the air too long, giving the enemy a radar fix. Have you seen the lasers stabbing our aircraft?”
Anna thought about the video showing that less than an hour ago.
“Those battlefield lasers are primarily for stopping tactical nuclear weapons,” the Defense Secretary said. “No. I’m talking about ICBMs—strategic nuclear weapons—targeted on the invasion fleet. Our ICBMs are big, armored and many have complex EW equipment onboard. They’d fall down straight from space and enough should get through the Chinese tactical laser defense.” The Defense Secretary made a sweeping motion. “We’d remove their fleet from the board and see what happens to their vaunted invasion force then.”
Anna’s mouth dried out. Talk of strategic nuclear weapons was sickening. Some of the people looked shocked like her. Others seemed to consider the Defense Secretary’s words.
“Some of our non-nuclear ASBMs got through before,” the Defense Secretary said. “If just a few nuclear warheads hit the fleet, our worries would vanish like that.” He snapped his fingers. “The Chinese couldn’t sustain the attack because their naval infantry already ashore would quickly run out of supplies, never mind their sudden lack of air support. We’d have won the war.”
“That’s an interesting point,” the President said.
The Secretary of State sipped his water and ran a thick hand through his strands of hair. Lines appeared in his forehead. Then he swiveled his head to gaze at Anna.
“Ms. Chen,” the Secretary of State said. “How do you think the Chairman would view such an attack?”
“Sir?” she whispered.
“Would the Chairman respond with a strategic nuclear attack on our heartland?” the Secretary of State asked, “Or would he accept our strike as one of the prices of battle?”
“It is hard to know,” Anna said carefully. Then she was aware of every eye focused on her. It was at that moment she truly realized that she had become the Chairman expert. It’s why she was here. “Yes…there is a possibility he would launch a strike at our heartland, as you say.”
“A possibility,” the Defense Secretary said. “It’s a gamble then, not a foregone conclusion. Sir,” he told the President, “I think this is a gamble worth taking.”
“Are the seven carriers bunched together?” the Secretary of State asked.
“As you know,” General Alan said, “we’ve used high-level flights and recon drones to try to pinpoint their position. The Chinese keep shooting those down and shifting their ships.” He looked up. “It’s almost as if they expect a nuclear attack.”
“Mr. President,” Anna said, “could I interject a point?”
“Please do, Ms. Chen.”
“I believe the Chairman would think along conventional Chinese lines concerning nuclear weapons. Ever since Chairman’s Mao’s time, they have believed—or they have stated—that China will win any nuclear exchange.”
“We’re all familiar with the statement,” the Defense Secretary said. “But that’s not the point here. We’re not talking about firing at China, but at her fleet, the one the Chairman used to stab us in the back. Do we let them grab Alaska, or do we use our nuclear missiles to stop them?”
