'To better understand the data presented on the left,' Brent said, 'we will plot the location of the RC-135 aircraft on the map below. The bar graphs are readouts of electromagnetic energy levels outside the RC-135 aircraft. The graphs show levels of heat, visible light, radiation, transmitted energy, and polarized single-frequency light.
All of the presentations have been time-synced to show exactly what was happening at each moment. 'The screens went into motion. 'The RC-135 is one hundred and forty miles from Kavaznya when surveillance radars from Ossora Airfield north of Kavaznya begin to track it. 'A circle appeared on the chart. 'The circle represents the computer's estimate of the range of the surveillance radar scanning the RC-135the plane is well within that range. 'The transmitted energy bar moved upward-all of the other graphs were motionless.
Brent motioned to the scrolling printout. 'The RC-135 is now ninety miles from Kavaznya. It is still being tracked by surveillance radar, as shown by this line on the printoutstandard India-band surveillance radar. I assume air defense forces have been alerted, but only the missing controller's transcript can tell us this. Here Brent pointed to the transmitted energy bar graph, 'is where a new radar comes on.
The plane is still over ten minutes from reaching land.
'See how much the energy level has increased?The printout confirms it… here. Frequency, carrier power, modulation-all significantly different, thousands of times more powerful than the ordinary surveillance radars. 'A new circle appeared on the map, this one several times larger than the first.
'Mr. Secretary-General, I must protest this,' Kannarov said.
Brent stopped the scrolling display. 'Mr, Karen, arov, this presentation has been approved by the Steering Committee for presentation,' McCaan asked. 'What are the grounds for your objections' 'This appears to be what Mr. Brent says it is,' Karmarov said, 'but it can also be a clever forgery. Why, I can create such a grand display on my own computer.'
'If you are challenging the Steering Committee's judgment,' McCaan said, 'you must enter a protest with the Steering Committee-' 'But I have not yet had an opportunity to examine any of the evidence being presented.
The Steering Committee-' 'I know about the Steering Committee. But such a…
jumble of information cannot be brought before the Security Council without-' 'It seems your objection is a procedural one, Mr. Karmarov,' McCaan said, 'and as such I must overrule it. The admissibility of this data and the manner of its presentation have already been approved by the Steering Committee as per this body's regulations. Mr. Brent, proceed.
The screen went into motion once again. 'The RC-135 is now forty-two miles from shore. 'Brent pointed at the readout on the left. The map magnified into a much larger scale of the Kavaznya area itself. The red line plotting the course of the RC-135 began to change. 'It is here that the plane begins a right turn away from the coastline. As you can see, the transmitted energy scale has greatly increased. At the same time, all other radars in the area have been turned off-all but One. No India-band radars, only the much more powerful Lima-band radar at Kavaznya.'
Brent turned to Kan-narov. 'Why, Mr. Ambassador, would your air defense operators turn off their radars with an intruder in the area?
With three fighters airborne that rely on that radar deactivated?
Where are for vectors to the intruder, why was it the fighters?'
Karmarov decided his only response was silence.
The screen froze. The bar graphs had all suddenly pegged at the top of their scales.
'Suddenly, here,' Brent said, 'there is a massive explosion visible light, radiation, and polarized of transmitted energy, light.'
The display began to move slowly. 'The blast lasts for almost a full second. Gentlemen, the readout for polarized light is a readout of levels of visible light that meets very strict the wavelength, one parameters. The light must be pure-o frequency, one direction.
Polarized light. 'He turned and Laser light. A laser on the order of two looked at Karmarov.
hundred megawatts has Just been fired from Kavaznya.'
The scrolling continued, but the printout display on the left and the movement of the bar graphs halted for several minutes.
'The data transmission was interrupted after the laser blast,' Brent asked. 'The tremendous amount of energy disrupts electronic circuits for hundreds of miles. Is that why there are Mr. Karmarov?A fighter near that laser no fighters in the area, blast would fall into the ocean.'
No reply from Karmarov.
A few moments later the stream of data returned. 'As you can see,' Brent went on, 'the levels of radiation and transmitted energy are still high. The bar graphs for polarized light and thermal energy have been removed. That is because that data was obtained from an Alpha Omega Nine reconnaissance satellite over Kavaznya. That satellite was destroyed by the laser blast.'
'Impossible,' came a voice from the Council table. The rumble of voices increased in volume.
'The crew aboard the RC-135, which is now almost ninety miles from shore, are probably already exposed to lethal doses of radiation, but they are still alive.'
One bar graph jumped. 'Transmitted energy is increasing again,' Brent asked. 'The radar at Kavaznya is active againsearching for another victim.'
'Unfounded accusations,' Karmarov protested. 'Mr. Secretary-General-' 'The Lima-band radar is at full power again. 'Brent was no longer looking at the screen but directly at Karmarov, who stared at the data flowing on the screen. 'There is a pulseshift-the radar has locked onto the aircraft, an unarmed reconnaissance aircraft almost ninety miles from shore with ten men and two women aboard.'
The screen went blank, and the room went dark. Slowly, the lights were brought back up in the Council chamber.
'Witho aid ut warning, with malice aforethought,' Brent s to Karmarov, 'the Soviets disabled a satellite, then, trying to cover their first crime, turned that laser on an unarmed aircraft, killing twelve people.'
The chamber was silent. 'In America, Mr. Ambassador, we call it murder in the first degree. 'Brent turned and faced the Council members seated around him.
'Four days ago a test of a new intercontinental missile design was also attacked by the laser at Kavaznya. I will present the data when it becomes available. This time, the data was collected by a vessel anchored offshore from Kavaznya, e that not only has and not by another satellite. Yet it will prove the Soviet Union used its new laser to attack another American vehicle, but that it used this. 'The lights were immediately lowered. Brent clicked a button again, and a magnified, computer-enhanced picture of Salyut Nineteen with the large rectangular mirror attached flashed on the screen.
'Salyut Nineteen, gentlemen,' Brent announced, 'but with a new and frightening twist-a mirror used to bounce the laser beam to targets over the horizon from Kavaznya!' The murmur in the Council chamber became one of disbelief.
'I know you're not going to respond to any of this, Mr. Ambassador,' Brent said, turning back to Karmarov. 'You are going to request a video tape of this session, take it back to the Embassy, and talk it over with Moscow. Fine. But the United States requests the reinstatement of charges made back on November fifteenth. We charge the Soviet Union with premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, piracy, perjury, and conspiracy to suppress evidence. We also charge violation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the deployment of the laser, the Lima-band radar used to steer the laser, and the Salyut Nineteen spacecraft refitted with a mirror for the reflection of laser beams with the purpose of destroying ballistic weapons. We call for the immediate dismantling of the Salyut Nineteen spacecraft and the closure of the entire Kavaznya complex until an on-site United Nations inspection can be made. We are also demanding reparations in the amount of five hundred million American dollars for the death of the American service personnel aboard the RC- 135 aircraft and the loss of the RC-135 aircraft, the Alpha Omega Nine satellite, and the Javelin missile.'
He turned to the Security Council delegates. 'I know that, despite our lofty ideals, justice meted by the United Nations is slow and sometimes ineffective. But the government of the United States considers the laser device and the orbiting mirror a major threat to its security, and we cannot, we will not, wait for these devices to be disarmed.'
He turned again to Karmarov and raised his voice. 'We give the Soviet Union three days to dismantle or render inoperative the Salyut Nineteen spacecraft. If it is not proved to our satisfaction that the Salyut Nineteen's
