“Indeed I have,” said Clark. “It’s why I’m agreeing to this…ah, request.”
“News of the trade agreement will help us.”
Clark nodded.
“I will speak to my ministers about the renewing of trade talks,” the Chairman said. “I hope to finish this conversation with you tomorrow.”
“It would be my honor, sir. Ah, before we leave—” Clark hesitated, and he nodded, to himself, it seemed. “I would like to ask you for one small favor.”
“If it is in my power,” the Chairman said, “I will gladly give such a man of honor as you a favor.”
Clark looked earnestly out of the computer-scroll. He’d picked up the pen again and clutched it fiercely. “I would like to ask that you call off your naval exercise, immediately bringing the warships back to their Chinese homeports.”
“I see,” the Chairman said. “Hmm. I’ve watched the news about the dastardly attack against your carriers. Fully one third of your naval power destroyed in an instant. That would set any nation on edge.”
“Our Navy is still very powerful,” Clark said. “And it was only a sixth of our carrier force that was, ah, incapacitated.”
“Are you including in your count the small helicopter carriers and your hovercraft tenders?”
Clark breathed deeply through his nose. “About your naval exercise….”
“Mr. President,” the Chairman said, staring straight into Clark’s eyes. “I’m afraid that as much as I’d like to give you the small favor you requested, I cannot simply order the exercise’s cessation. My naval ministers informed me earlier that it would complicate matters for our personnel to receive such an order now. We are in the final phases of a highly sensitive maneuver and dearly wish to make sure there are no unwarranted accidents.”
“But Mr. Chairman—”
“Please, ask your own military people and I’m sure they will tell you I’m right about this.”
Clark licked his lips as his eyes tightened. He looked like a harried man. “Sir, two of our carriers were destroyed by Chinese nationals using Chinese weaponry. I need something to show my military chiefs, or they will recommend severe defense responses against your fleet.”
The Chairman became grave. “Mr. President, I am reluctant to speak these words to you. You are an honorable man of peace. This I know, and for this, I highly respect you. But I must—warn is too strong a word. It approaches the meaning of what I intend, however. Hmm, let me say it this way. I must ask that all American military vessels, planes and hardware stay well away from all Chinese naval ships for the duration of our exercise. During this time, many of our warships carry live weaponry. With all my heart, I wish to avoid any messy incidents that could pull you and me into unforgivable actions against each other.”
Clark had become pale. “You spoke of the need of grain to help abate your food riots—”
The Chairman laughed, interrupting Clark’s speech. “Riots present a false word-image of what really occurs.”
Clark seemed confused. “But on the Internet I’ve seen Chinese people storming a police station. That seems like a highly-charged situation, if I may be so bold to say so.”
The Chairman shook his head. “That is what I tried to explain earlier. I am old, so perhaps I failed to impart the correct…hmm, idea. The staged Internet riots are more Taiwanese extremist work. This time, instead of using weaponry, they use a clever fabrication to make it seem as if there is disorder in China. But the situation is quite otherwise, I assure you.”
Clark closed his eyes as he massaged his forehead. When he opened his eyes, he said, “Since you have seen fit to warn me about approaching your warships too closely, I would like to return the favor and inform you of recent developments. I have sent three heavy tank battalions to Alaska and four light infantry battalions. I have also sent new squadrons of fighters, bombers and laser-defenders to the North Slope oilfields. What is more—” Clark grew pale as his eyes reddened. “Mr. Chairman, in the interests of my nation’s security, I must inform you that if any of your naval vessels head toward the American coast, particularly toward Alaska, we will regard that as a prelude to an impending amphibious attack.”
“These are hard words, Mr. President.”
“They give me no joy,” Clark said.
“I will—”
“I’m not finished,” Clark said. “I’m sorry to sound so abrupt, but I feel I must tell you that not all of our ICBMs are nuclear-tipped. My military chiefs tell me that some of our ballistic missiles are ship-killers. You might be interested to know that the use of Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles, ASBMs, against naval vessels was first a Chinese tactical solution to an enemy fleet with too many carriers near its coast. It was a good idea, one we will use if we must.”
“I’m not sure I heard you correctly. Are you threatening me with war?”
“Don’t you understand? I’m trying to stop a war that in the end no one will win.”
The Chairman nodded slowly. “Mr. President, you seem highly agitated. It pains me to say this, but your state of mind troubles me.”
“War is a terrible thing, Mr. Chairman. Yet I will not shrink from my responsibilities as the nation’s Commander-in-Chief.”
“Hmm, I can see that you dearly love your country. And your resolve… it might help my military people to know it so they can understand what they are risking with the continued exercise. Therefore, in the interest of peace between our two nations, I will attempt to order a cessation of our naval exercise. I must ask, however, that you keep your military people from hair-trigger responses. Let us send watch-teams to each other’s installations and sea platforms. That might help dampen the danger.”
Clark blinked several times before a grin stretched across his face. “I can agree to that.”
“Let us talk tomorrow,” the Chairman said.
The smile on the President’s face grew. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I knew I could talk to you. You are a man of honor and foresight.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. I return the compliment. Until tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow,” Clark said, sitting back in his chair.
The red light on the camera shut off, and the screen showing President Clark blanked out.
Jian was aghast. Deng must have sent the American President secret communications. The trade talks would resume and it seemed that the war was over before it had started. This was a disaster.
The wheelchair turned around so a haggard Chairman could regard them. “Time has run out,” he said. “These non-nuclear ASBMs: how dangerous are they?”
“Very,” said Admiral Qiang. “It is the correct response on their part.”
“Do you have enough laser-defense planes to stop them?” asked the Chairman.
“It all depends on how many missiles they launch,” the admiral said. “But we will use more than just the laser-planes. Our destroyers and cruisers are armed with anti-missile systems. Still, it could be a risky—”
“Is there nothing we can do?” the Chairman asked.
“Yes,” said Qiang. “We can take out their targeting satellites. That will make it much more difficult for the ASBMs to pinpoint our ships during the terminal phase of their flight.”
“I hereby order this satellite destruction,” the Chairman said. “Now what is all this about them moving divisions of troops to Alaska?”
“It is pure fantasy, sir,” Jian said. “The U.S. Army hasn’t moved yet. They’re just beginning to mobilize, but they haven’t moved a single troop unit. It will be at least two or three weeks before the American Army can get there, probably longer. So it is not an issue.”