"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."
Brent said nothing.
"I'm sorry, Marshall," the President asked. "I know you tried. I'm thankful to you for your efforts. But it doesn't seem to have worked.
"No, but-" "We gave them exactly what they needed-more time. They rejected it. Its implication is clear. They'll feel emboldened to do more The President turned to Curtis.
"general, I want a detailed briefing on Ice Fortress this aftermoon.
"Yes, sir.
"It makes no sense to launch Ice Fortress, " Brent continued to argue.
The members of the President's Cabinet shifted uncomfortably.
"We've heard all your arguments, Marshall "The Ice Fortress would be just as vulnerable as the Alpha Omega satellite, wouldn't it, General Curtis?Why launch a seven hundred million dollar target for the Soviets to beat on?"
"Marshall," Ken Mitchell said, "in the case of Omega and the Javelin, both vehicles were destroyed by us, not by the laser. "The President looked surprised. "What?"
"Remember, sir, I briefed you on this shortly after the attack on the Midgetman. "Mitchell had the look of an impatient schoolmaster. "The Omega was blinded and damaged, but not destroyed-we lost it when we tried to steer it through the atmosphere in an attempt to recover it intact. The Javelin apparently had sustained enough damage to prematurely ignite the third stage booster, but we don't know exactly how much damage was done-it was automatically destroyed when it flew off course.
Brent slapped the table with his hand. "That doesn't answer my-" "In no case," Curtis cut him off, "was either vehicle shielded against a laser attack. A space station the size of Ice Fortress, assembled in space, can be armored to withstand as much direct energy as that nuclear power plant can put out. A beam of laser light, no matter how powerful, is still a beam of light-it can be reflected. I can have the researchers at Wright Patterson present a more detailed analysis, sir, but Ice Fortress can be protected."
"We're betting a lot of money on your analysis, General," Brent said, shaking his head.
"You're worried about the money, Mr. Brent-?"
"No, dammit," Brent said, exploding. "Mr. President, it's not only the risk of losing the hardware, sir-Ice Fortress represents the worst fears about the militarization of space.
Can we stand the pressure of world opinion if we launch that thing?"
"I'm more concerned about losing the ability to maintain deterrence," Curtis said. Perhaps you don't understand we have lost a good percentage of our strategic nuclear deterrent power. Right now, right this minute, Mr. Brent, we can't detect a missile launch from eastern Asia. There are twelve submarines docked at Petropavlovsk, each with an average of fifteen sea-launched ballistic missiles. Each of those carry three warheads, maybe more. Mr. Brent, we can't tell if the Russians launch those missiles until they are ten minutes from impact.
That's not speculative-that's fact. And the Soviets have demonstrated a capability of destroying our missiles in the boost phase. So, if they did launch those missiles, and we retaliated, a good percentage of our missiles wouldn't reach their targets.
Curtis had everyone's attention.
"It may be everyone's image of Armageddon," Curtis concluded, "but we need Ice Fortress. The risk of losing it is far outweighed by our need for a bargaining chip."
Brent offered no further argument.
"Marshall, draft a statement of protest to the Kremlin for my signature," the President asked. "Get with Karrnarov at the U.N. and ask him what the hell is going on. I want the Soviets to know they've committed an act of war and that we intend to respond.
"I'd advise against using such language, sir," Brent said.
The President glanced around the Situation Room chamber at the shaking heads. He too shook his head.
"An act of war, Marshall. That's what it is.that's what I said.
THE UNITED NATIONS, SEVERAL WEEKS LATER
"It is an act of war!"