mirror is incapable of steering a laser beam projected from Kavaznya to an atmosheric or ballistic vehicle anywhere on the globe, we will Passume that the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the 1986
Iceland Summit Arms Reduction Treaty are null and void and take appropriate steps to insure our national security.'
'And what steps are those?' Karmarov asked. 'Will you go to war to back up your silly rhetoric, Mr. Secretary?Will you destroy civilization because of a baseless, insignificant, pie-inthe-sky threat?'
Brent turned to the Russian ambassador, planting his hands firmly on Karmarov's desk. In a voice so low few could hear except Karmarov himself, Brent said, 'Why, Dmitri?Why?
We suspected almost from the beginning, and I took a tremendous risk and told you of our suspicions. Yet your government continued to use that laser device. Why? It doesn't make sense.
'You were foolish to expose your so-called evidence like this, Brent,' Kannarov said softly. 'I need not try to explain. But forcing my government into a corner with outlandish grandstanding will not yield the results you want.'
'I asked you why, Dmitri,' Brent asked. 'Dammit, I-' 'The device is an instrument of defense, of territorial security,' Karmarov said between clenched teeth. 'It is years ahead of its time, a device that even the most optimistic in your country would not have expected to become operational in another ten years, It violates no existing treaty. It affords a J defensive umbrella, its existence cannot merely be shouted away with threats.'
'You've got a choice,' Brent said in a normal voice, stepping away from the Russian ambassador so the rest of the delegates could hear. 'Start with the Salyut Nineteen aircraft.
Disarm it, go up there and dismantle the mirror, burn it up in the atmosphere-I don't care. But prove to the United States that you will pledge to use the laser as a defensive device only.
Right now it's an offensive weapon, and it's already been used to murder innocent American lives. The other choice is to prepare to accept the consequences of your actions. 'Brent returned to his seat and slid into it slowly, studying the faces of those around him.
'And what would those consequences be, Mr. Brent?'
Karmarov said quietly in English. 'Global war?Global death?' He was taunting his American colleague, but Brent folded his hands serenely and returned Karmarov's gaze in silence. Then the memory of their private meeting returned to him. Brent saw that Karmarov had remembered, too. Brent gathered his notes together and nodded to Adams, preparing to leave.
'Zal Lyot, ' Kartnarov said, almost in a whisper. Delegates scrambled for translation earpieces. Brent's gaze narrowed, as if in pain.
'You cannot,' Karmarov asked. 'It will mean the end. You cannot-' 'We can, we will,' Marshall Brent said, hoping he sounded more convincing than he felt. He stood, nodded to Ian McCaan, and left the Security Council chambers.
The scene in the hushed, dimly-fit blast-proof chamber beneath the White House known as the Situation Room could best be described as funereal-and, at that point, the atmosphere exactly matched Secretary of State Marshall Brent's mood.
Brent waited for the President to signal that he was ready, then picked up the sheet of paper that lay in front of him and began: 'Ladies and gentlemen, I have received the reply from the Soviet Premier to our charges concerning the use of the avaznya laser installation and the Salyut Nineteen orbiting mirror on the RC- 135 aircraft, the Alpha Omega Nine satellite, and the Javelin small I.C.B.M. It reads as follows-Quote:
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS CATEGORICALLY DENIES THE CHARGES LEVELED AGAINST IT IN CLOSED SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL.THE USSR REJECTS THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED IN CLOSED SESSION AS FABRICATION AND INADMISSIBLE.THE USSR DENIES ANY CULPABILITY IN THE ALLEGED LOSS OF ANY AIRCRAFT ON OR ABOUT THE THIRTEENTH OF NOVEMBER, NINETEEN EIGHTY-SEVEN, OR THE ALLEGED LOSS OF AN ILLEGAL SPY SATELLITE ON OR ABOUT THE SAME DATE.WE WILL NOT DIGNIFY THE BASELESS AND LUDICROUS CLAIM OF SHOOTING DOWN A MISSILE OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN WITH A DENIAL.'
'Those sonsofbitches,' Curtis muttered.
Brent went on,
THE SOVIET UNION MAINTAINS THAT ANY GROUND-BASED LASER DEVICE IN EXISTENCE IS NOT A VIOLATION OF THE 1972 ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY, SINCE SUCH WEAPONS WERE NEVER ADDRESSED BY THAT TREATY, NOR IS THE PRESENCE OF A SPACE VEHICLE WITH A MIRROR ATTACHED TO IT IN ANY WAY IN VIOLATION OF ANY TREATY THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT' S PROVOCATIVE ULTIMATUM DELIVERED BY THE AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE TO THE SOVIET UNITED NATIONS DELEGATION IS GROUNDLESS AND AGGRESSIVE, AND IT IS HEREBY REJECTED.THE UNITED STATES MUST OFFER PROOF, REAL PROOF, THAT THE ALLEGED LOSS OF THEIR EQUIPMENT WAS NOT CAUSED BY THEIR OWN INCOMPETENCE OR MALFUNCTION BEFORE THEY CAN BEGIN TO REQUEST ANYTHING FROM THIS SOVEREIGN NATION.
WE FURTHER REJECT THE ATTEMPTS BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO COERCE THE SOVIET UNION BY THREATENING UNILATERALLY TO DISOBEY THE 1972
ANTIBALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY AND THE UNRATIFIED 1986
ARMS REDUCTION TREATY.A RESPONSIBLE NATION WOULD MAINTAIN THE PATH OF FAIR AND OPEN NEGOTIATIONS TO SOLVE A DISPUTE, AND NOT IMMEDIATELY JEOPARDIZE WORLD PEACE BY OPENLY THREATENING TO CANCEL AND VIOLATE INTERNATIONAL TREATIES.
THE SOVIET UNION, AS ALWAYS, STANDS READY TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE LOSS OF AN AMERICAN AIRCRAFT OFF OUR SHORES, AND TO ENTER INTO TALKS ON ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR POSSIBLE TREATY VIOLATIONS THAT MAY BE CONNECTED WITH RESEARCH BEING CONDUCTED IN EASTERN SIBERIA.WE PLEDGE OUR FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL COOPERATION IN THE SPIRIT OF PEACE.
'So they've denied everything,' Brent summarized.
'They're willing to start talks on whether or not the radar violates the ABM treaty, but that's all.'v'o We're back to where we started,' Curtis said. He turned to the President. 'Sir, with all due respect, I recommend immediate deployment of Ice Fortress.
Brent shook his head. 'And trigger World War Three?The solution would be worse than the problem.'
'Mr. Brent, we've had this argument before,' Curtis said.
'It's time to act. 'He turned to the President. 'Mr. President, if you prefer, we can launch the station itself in two consecutive Shuttle launches, one from Canaveral, one from Vandenburg, in one month. We can delay arming the station until all possible diplomatic avenues are exhausted. If we have no other choice, two follow-on launches can make the Fortress fully armed and ready two weeks later.'
There was a murmur of assent that filled the White House Situation Room. Brent looked around at the assembled advisors.
'We'd be stooping to their level,' Brent asked. 'It would mean an escalation that we might not be able to control.'
'Why are they doing this?' the President asked rhetorically, massaging his temples. 'Why?They can't be trying to provoke US.'
'They've achieved their goal of crippling our strategic warning and surveillance capabilities,' Curtis asked. 'That's why.
Brent sighed. 'Dammit, General, you see Russian invasions at every turn. We could launch another spy satellite-we could launch ten of them-and I believe they'd be safe because the Russians' objective has already been met. They've disorganized, confused, and scared this government. Don't you see, General?They want us to launch Ice Fortress. They want us to try to bomb Kavaznya or start a fight somewhere else in the world. No matter what they have already done, our response will be seen as much more aggressive in the eyes of the world.
'So what you're saying,' Curtis shot back, 'is that our best move is to do nothing at all. Make big threats and then wait and wait after they've thumbed their noses at us. 'He ran fingers through his hair, then slammed down his fist. 'No. It's not a matter of being macho.
I'm not convinced that the Russians don't have an attack plan behind this.'
