Book 2: Episode 33

Pacific Command

Joint Base Hickam Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

“War Plan Ardent Resolve in effect.  Pacific Command directs all units to maintain wartime footing.  DEFCON 1, medium probability.  ROE Delta in effect.”

Well shit.  “This had to happen when Howdy Doody is in charge.”  The Admiral grimaced, not really caring that he had just insulted the President of the United States in front of a junior officer.

Commander Lee took it in stride.  He really didn’t disagree.  “Perhaps that is WHY it is happening now.”

The Admiral looked at him, his grim expression hiding his inner thoughts.  “OK, Lee.  Spit it out.  Worse case assessment.”

“Sir, worst case is that the POTUS or other senior officials are actively under the control of Russian Intelligence officials, most likely FSB.  We have records of contact and reason to believe that classified material left the White House and was transferred to the FSB.”

“Jesus, Lee, I didn’t mean ‘end of the world’ analysis.  Let’s have the medium case.”

“Medium case is useful idiot, likely several members of the administration compromised to greater or lesser degree.”

The Admiral sighed and rubbed his face.  What has the world come to?  “Yeah, I’m afraid that works for me.”  He paced for a moment.  “I assume you have all this written up in a formal intelligence finding?”

“Of course, sir.”

“OK, burn it to disc.”

Lee used his secure laptop to burn a CD-ROM for The Admiral.  Normally, nothing could leave a SCIF like the one they were in now.  Only communication within the secure network.  Things like cell phones and thumb drives were strictly forbidden.  CD-ROMs had fallen out of favor in civilian life because they could only be used once.  However, in a secure facility, this limitation was actually an asset.  Anything written to CD-ROM was more or less permanent.  Even so, removing a CD-ROM from a SCIF was normally not allowed.  Of course, five-star admirals could pretty much write their own rules.

Striding out of the secure facility with the disc in his pocket, The Admiral made his way to the office he’d been assigned to while working with Red Team.  Small, but comfortable enough, it had a PC connected to SIPRnet, the US DOD’s secure internal network.

The Admiral wasn’t a computer wiz, but he knew how to send an email.

TO:  COMMANDER, US NORTHERN COMMAND

FROM: SACPAC

Intelligence brief follows.  Intelligence Red Team reports high confidence of coordinated intelligence operations to degrade civilian and military leadership of the United States. Senior leadership may be compromised.  Strongly urge you to abandon any existing war plans and assume that enemy forces are aware of current operational plans and unit dispositions.

The Admiral wasn’t really “Supreme Allied Commander, Pacific” anymore and hadn’t been for many years.  However, sometimes you just bluffed and hoped the other guy didn’t ask to see the cards in your hand.

“Aces over kings” he muttered to himself.

“Sorry, sir?”  Commander Lee was peering at him curiously from the door to his office.

“Just hoping I’ve made my best play.”  The Admiral hit “send” and hoped SOMEONE would listen.

Just then the air was split with a screaming klaxon.  Something nobody expected to hear in Hawaii.   “INCOMING BALLISTICS.  ALL PERSONNEL TAKE COVER.  THIS IS NOT A DRILL.  ALL PERSONNEL TAKE COVER, BALLISTICS INCOMING.”

The Giant Voice announcement shocked The Admiral too much for him to be afraid.  “Any idea where our nearest shelter is?”  Despite working at Pearl Harbor for over six years, he had never bothered to figure out where the air shelters were.  The danger of air attack seemed remote even during the SCS war.

“About a quarter mile that way.”  Lee pointed vaguely towards the airfield.

“You better get moving.”

Lee never had a chance to move. The Chinese DF-ZF hypervelocity glide vehicle impacted the building at over seven thousand miles an hour.  Dropping nearly straight down from low earth orbit, the space-based weapon carried so much kinetic energy that the warhead was almost unnecessary.  The vehicle and everything it directly impacted simply disintegrated.  The actual warhead explosion was almost secondary to the effects of the vehicle impacting the ground at that speed.

Everything in the building, and the people in it, were obliterated.