In a swift deadly blow, 225,000 Americans were vaporized, while another 585,000 more-received a near-fatal doses of radiation and severe third-degree burns. Because the nuclear missile exploded at 1430 hours, many people were at work at the time of the attack, increasing the number of casualties. As the mushroom cloud began to build, the firestorm that would consume the neighboring cities and forest preserves near the edge of the blast zone began to rage out of control. Many thousands more were blinded by witnessing the searing light of the bomb, even from across the Bay.
While this horrific scene was unfolding, another warhead was still streaking through the sky, careening towards the city of El Paso, Texas, the home of the 1st Armored Division at Ft. Bliss. A glimmer of hope still existed as two remaining interceptors raced for the incoming missile, which was now traveling at Mach 25. Unfortunately, the first interceptor just missed the warhead, sailing right past it. El Paso’s fate now rested in one final chance. In an extraordinary triumph, the second interceptor scored a direct hit, slamming into the warhead and destroying it before a second US city was blotted from existence.
The President breathed a huge sigh of relief as the remaining warhead was destroyed. Without allowing himself to spend any time dwelling on the emotions of the human tragedy on the West Coast, he turned to his advisors and started issuing orders. “First, we need to get whatever government aid we can to California. Those people are going to need immediate assistance. I want FEMA to deploy immediately.”
He then turned to face the image of his Secretary of Defense, who had just joined the conference call at the secured bunker. “Jim, what are we supposed to do now? Do we strike at China for providing the North Koreans with the DongFeng?” the President asked.
Secretary of Defense Jim Castle heard the President’s question, but he needed a minute to think through what they should do. His gut told him to nuke the two countries into the abyss, but he knew they had to be cautious right now. They had just expended nearly 80 % of their land-based ballistic missile interceptors. They could not adequately protect against another strike like this one.
“Mr. President,” he began, “the North Koreans just launched twenty-three nuclear tipped missiles at South Korea and our forces there. Two of them got through our defenses and probably killed and injured over 300,000 people. We need to counter that attack with a severe nuclear response of our own. We cannot allow another nation to use nukes against us or our allies, and it not go unpunished.”
“Furthermore, the B-2 that is currently carrying the B61 guided nuclear bombs should hit the North Koreans with the maximum yield these bombs can inflict. Now, the second strike is a completely different matter. It is now apparent that China provided the North Koreans with ten Chinese made ICBMs. They may not have launched the missiles, but they are just as complicit in the annihilation of Oakland and the near-destruction of nine other American cities. That cannot go unanswered. The challenge is-how do we respond to that? Do we nuke one of their cities in response? Do we carry out a first strike against them and attempt to wipe out their nuclear missile capability?”
Castle sighed loudly, taking it all in, and then he continued, “We also have to keep in mind that we just expended a large percentage of our ballistic missile interceptors. If the Chinese respond by launching a counterstrike against us, we are most likely not going to be able to stop it. We could lose dozens of additional cities,” he cautioned.
The group discussed what to do, with several factions arguing for a first strike against China, another faction argued for a limited strike, hitting one of China’s cities in exchange for the destruction of Oakland. After taking a few minutes in private to think the scenarios over, the President made his decision.
Retaliation and Retribution
Lieutenant Colonel Tyler Scott’s aircraft had just returned to Misawa Air Base, Japan after a successful bombing run over North Korea. They had delivered a series of bunker busting bombs against several suspected nuclear missile sites. As he taxied his B-2 to their hardened bunker, a voice came over the radio.
“Don’t shut down the engines!” the voice ordered. “You are going to do a hot refuel and rearm for an emergency mission.”
Their Emergency Alert Message (EAM) came alive and began to spit out their new orders. The two pilots looked at each other; this was not something either of them expected, though they had trained for this very scenario their entire careers. The EAM system was only used in cases of extreme emergency, or to issue the use of nuclear weapons.
Major Bryan Jordan looked at the code and immediately pulled out their code book. He compared the numbers and confirmed it was a valid code. They then looked at the message to see what their new orders were. As they read the message, they both sat back in their seats for a second, digesting what they had just been ordered to do. Meanwhile, the ordinance teams outside the aircraft wheeled out a B-83 nuclear bomb. This was the largest nuclear bomb still in the US arsenal, with a combined yield of 1.2 Megatons. They could see their fuel gauge now read half full; they would be ready to head to their target shortly.
Then, a voice came over the radio. “Ghost Nine. This is Control. Do you copy?” asked their commander.
“This is Ghost Nine, we copy Control,” Lt. Col Scott responded.
“Ghost Nine, standby for the SecDef,” the voice said. The two pilots looked at each other in surprise. They had never met or spoken with the SecDef. This was extremely unusual for someone this high in the food chain to call them directly.
“Ghost Nine, can you hear me?” asked in a gravelly voice they immediately recognized.
“We copy, Sir.”
“Listen up, Ghost Nine. Ten Chinese-made ICBMs were launched from North Korea at ten US cities. These were MIRV-capable missiles. We managed to intercept 44 of the 45 warheads; however, one detonated over the Port of Oakland. It wiped out the city, and caused significant damage to San Francisco. The President has decided to retaliate against the Chinese for providing the North Koreans with these missiles. We lost one city, and we are going to wipe out one Chinese city in retaliation. One of the other B-2s is currently hitting the North Koreans with nukes in retaliation.”
The two pilots looked at each other, mouth’s aghast. They could not believe an American city had just been obliterated by a nuclear missile. This was like something out of a fiction novel, not real life. The voice of the SecDef continued, “The President and I want to wish you luck on this mission, and let you know that the entire country is depending on you.”
Twenty minutes later, their aircraft was airborne and heading towards China. They took a flight path that would take them over North Korea once again. They had already wiped out the enemy’s air defenses; their best chance of penetrating Chinese airspace was going to be across this border. As they approached North Korean airspace, they received a warning that several nuclear detonations were about to happen. They closed the blinders on their windows and watched their radar scope and instruments. A few minutes later, they saw the screen white out from one, and then multiple nuclear detonations. Once they confirmed that the bombs had detonated and the flash danger was over, they opened their window screens again and saw eight mushroom clouds rising into the air.