“Like Ploughshares?”
“Ploughshares is one, but there are others, as well as powerful individuals, including several high-ranking officials in the State Department. You’d be shocked to learn how many of your own admirals and generals support our mission.”
Rocky shakes her head. “That I refuse to believe. You’re talking about career military men. Men who’ve fought in battle, men who’ve dedicated their lives to—”
“They are still human beings,” Covah interjects. “They have families. And like Gunnar and me, they’ve had access to top-secret information that frightens them.”
“Like pure fusion,” David says, turning to face Gunnar. “You knew the DoD planned to use Goliath’s minisubs as a delivery system for these weapons, and it freaked you out. But did you know your fiancee knew?”
Gunnar looks at Rocky, in shock. “You knew?”
“Of course I knew. I was head of the project.”
“And you weren’t concerned? You didn’t protest?”
“Why should I? Goliath was designed to replace our aging Tridents. Why wouldn’t we arm her with our most sophisticated weapons available?”
Gunnar shakes his head in disbelief. “Pure fusion is just one of a dozen ways this whole nuclear stalemate could be broken. We’re talking about relatively small devices capable of annihilating entire cities—”
“With none of that messy radioactive fallout,” David adds, the sarcasm dripping. “After all, the United States wouldn’t want to slow oil production.”
“I’m well aware of what pure fusion can do,” Rocky retorts. “For your information, France and Russia are only three years behind us in developing the first prototype. Would any of you so-called pacifists sleep better if they beat us to it?”
Covah shakes his head. “And this was the woman you were about to marry? You should thank me, Gunnar. You were better off in Leavenworth.”
Gunnar looks at Rocky as if seeing her for the first time. “I think you’ve been playing with your G.I. Joe dolls too long.”
“Screw you. You think the answer to the threat of violence is destroying our weapon systems? Are you that naive? Is the world a safer place since you helped this lunatic steal Goliath’s schematics?”
Covah sits. “Which brings us back to why we have stolen the Goliath.” He turns to face Gunnar. “Neither of us wanted to go to prison. That’s one of the reasons we went to such extraordinary lengths to bring you on board. We felt you had sacrificed so much for our cause, albeit unknowingly.”
David nods. “Simon and I wanted you to see firsthand how we’re going to end the violence and oppression that haunt humanity.”
Gunnar stares at his former friend, wondering if he could endure Sorceress’s punishment long enough to snap David’s neck.
“How?” Rocky asks. “How are you going to end the violence?”
Covah drains his wineglass. “We’ve compiled a list of demands, which we just finished broadcasting across the globe. Unlike the United States, we have no political affiliations to protect and no surviving family members to fear for. There is no room for negotiation, and, of course, no way to track down Goliath to retaliate. Either our demands are met or consequences will ensue.”
The Tibetan looks uneasy. “You will still release warnings as we discussed?”
“Of course, Sujan. Just as we discussed.”
“You’d actually consider launching a nuke?” Rocky asks.
“We must do what the circumstances dictate.”
She shakes her head in disbelief. “Then you’re not only murderers, you’re goddamn hypocrites. You’ll end up slaughtering millions of innocent people.”
“There are seven billion people in this world, Commander. Most are ignorant lambs, fighting among themselves as they allow the shepherd to herd them to the slaughterhouse. Our species is already on the path of self-annihilation. One of our goals is to give the world a small taste of modern thermonuclear destruction in the hopes of preventing World War III. At the same time, we will allow democracy to flower as we crush the self-appointed oppressors and zealots of this world. We, who are insane, will put an end to the insanity.”
Gunnar feels his heart jump-start. Jesus, he really means to do it …
Covah seems to read his expression. “It will only take one demonstration to gain the attention of the masses. Goliath will enable us to do what the United Nations was never empowered to do, what the United States tried but failed to achieve. We will stuff the nuclear genie back into its bottle and, at the same time, force the humanity back into our souls. We will end terrorism and all who protect it. The human experiment will take a long overdue step up the evolutionary ladder. Goliath, the ultimate weapon of war, will become the ultimate tool of peace.”
Simon Covah tears off the tip of his slice of pizza and slips it into his deformed mouth, signaling the others to resume their meal.
In the corner of the galley’s ceiling, the computer’s sensor eyeball continues observing, its biochemical brain recording everything, its childlike consciousness scanning its circuitry, dissecting each word as it searches for meaning.
“The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them.”
—George Bernard Shaw
“I hate the Jew. There is only one way they will leave Auschwitz—through the smokestacks!”
—Karl Adolf Eichmann, Nazi SS leader who oversaw the extermination of six million Jews
CHAPTER 14
2 November
White House Washington, D.C.
General Michael “Bear” Jackson enters the White House Situation Room, both of his wrists immobilized in fiberglass casts up to his midforearm. The chamber is crowded, packed four to five deep around the center conference table. Conversations are a mix of shock, outrage, and calls for revenge.
Jackson listens briefly, then takes his place at the table beside the Secretary of the Navy. President Jeff Edwards calls for quiet.
“Gentlemen … and ladies, please. By now, everyone should have a copy of Covah’s list of demands. The emergency session of the United Nations convenes in less than two hours, so we don’t have much time. Secretary Nunziata.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.” Nick Nunziata adjusts his wire-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose and opens his folder. “A few ground rules before we begin. The purpose of this meeting is not to debate whether this lunatic will launch his nuclear weapons. As we’ve already seen from the attack on the CVBG, Covah has both the will and military might to follow through on his threats. Instead, our objective this morning is to determine the proper posture and course of action our country will take in regard to each one of these demands.”
A rustle of paper as the National Security Advisors take out their copies of Simon Covah’s Declaration of Humanity.
DECLARATION OF HUMANITY
We, THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, in conjunction with the International Court of Justice, do hereby accuse the Heads of State of failing to implement and enact a comprehensive Global Non-Proliferation Treaty that guarantees complete and total nuclear disarmament by all nuclear powers. In unison, we declare that the collective welfare and rights of society must prevail over the narrow-minded views of the few. In an attempt to prevent the eradication of our species, and to, furthermore: Stop the escalating violence among ruling factions, End the tyranny of military dictatorships, Wipe out the zealots who seek to destroy society, and Guarantee the God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness among all citizens of this planet, we hereby make the following demands: