MCGRAW: I want the Chinese to rue the day they ever decided to attack my country. I’m from Texas, and I want to make sure such an invasion never happens again. I’ll make sure by killing the bastards who started it.
LEVIN: Maybe it’s time to talk peace. I’ve heard rumors that Premier Konev is considering a withdrawal from Manchuria and Mongolia.
HAROLD: How reliable are these rumors?
LEVIN: I’m looking into it, sir.
HAROLD: I’ve heard nothing of this.
LEVIN: As we know, Konev keeps his cards close to the vest.
HAROLD: That’s true.
ALAN: This is terrible news. What happens if Konev backs out? I’ll tell you. Our Expeditionary Force would be finished. We’d have to retreat with him. Then we’re back to square one, with the Chinese as embedded as ever in Mexico.
HAROLD: This is bitter news, if true. I thought Konev had more heart than that.
LEVIN: He seeks Russia’s glory and his own. This conventional assault on China… it will ruin both our countries. The latest Chinese offensive in Inner Mongolia has demoralized those around Konev. That much I know. His military chiefs might feel otherwise.
HAROLD: The Chinese proved tougher than I expected. I’ll admit that. Their best units—almost five million strong—are far away in Mexico. They were thin everywhere else, and Konev made them pay for it in Kazakhstan and Siberia. These past months have given our combined arms amazing and seemingly decisive victories. Yet still Hong throws more and more soldiers into the fray against us.
MCGRAW: I still think he’s bluffing. Hard offensives now from the Russians and us will—
ALAN: I completely disagree with you, General.
MCGRAW: Maybe it’s time you grew a pair, Chairman.
HAROLD: Gentlemen, please. That gets us nowhere.
LEVIN: What do you suggest we do, Director?
HAROLD: It has been my dream for several years now to pay back Chairman Hong and China in the same coin they have used against America.
LEVIN: Are you talking about a nuclear strike?
HAROLD: Precisely.
LEVIN: Do you mean a strategic attack then?
HAROLD: Not if there is another method available.
LEVIN: I doubt the Chinese are open to a cruise missile strike as they used against us.
HAROLD: I’m thinking about precision nuclear strikes in order to show the Chinese leadership the futility of continuing the war. Either they agree to our terms, or we will flatten their country.
LEVIN: Is such a thing possible? I mean, the Chinese cannot attack us with ICBMs and we cannot attack them with our strategic arsenal. That’s why both sides have built the expensive ABM sites.
HAROLD: Air Marshal Danner, do you care to comment on that?
DANNER: Theoretically, we can defeat their laser ABM systems. We have experimental hypervelocity missiles. Our tests show that at Mach 18— LEVIN: We have hypervelocity missiles that can go that fast?
DANNER: A handful of them, yes we do. Our tests show that ABM lasers will not be able to strike the missile’s surface long enough to damage the object. The projectile simply moves too fast for the laser beams to track and touch the missile’s skin long enough to heat it.
LEVIN: This is interesting. (Coughs discreetly.) I suppose I should admit that the CIA has studied China’s ABM defenses. We’ve heard of your hypervelocity missiles. Lasers won’t stop them, as you suggest, for the reason you stated. Powerful particle beam weapons will, however. China has been shooting down our THOR missiles with them for some time. Our studies show that these strategic PBW sites could destroy the hypervelocity missiles.
DANNER: That is conceivable, certainly.
LEVIN: (To Director Harold.) That ends your dream, I’m afraid. China remains shielded against strategic precision nuclear strikes.
HAROLD: That’s not quite true.
LEVIN: What am I missing?
HAROLD: Several things. First, we have the ability to knock out some of the enemy’s strategic PBW stations.
LEVIN: Not with THOR missiles.
HAROLD: No. With our latest new weapons system.
LEVIN: What is the new system?
HAROLD: General McGraw.
MCGRAW: I want to begin by saying that I’ve witnessed a nuclear attack’s devastation first hand. It’s terrible, a dirty business, and I hate it. So, even with the Chinese, with their people particularly, I only want to knock out a few cities or industrial centers. If they can see the light after that, we’ll let them surrender. If not—well, the blood will be on their heads.
LEVIN: This is all very mysterious. What new invention have you found to knock out the PBW stations?
MCGRAW: The Director and I have been engaged in a top secret experiment. You heard about it a year ago. Now they’re ready.
LEVIN: They?
MCGRAW: Yes, the orbital dropping Marines.
LEVIN: Ah, yes, I remember you mentioning them. How do they help us here exactly?
MCGRAW: We launch their Orion ships and drop the Marines at key PBW stations. Once the men successfully demolish them, we will have a window of opportunity to launch our hypervelocity nuclear missiles.
LEVIN: We’d need the hypervelocity missiles in Manchuria, would we not?
MCGRAW: They’re relatively short-ranged, that’s true. However, we have a number of launchers with our army group. Once the Marines strike, vital areas of China will be at our mercy.
HAROLD: At that point, we can dictate our terms for peace to the Chinese. One of the main conditions will be no Pan-Asian Alliance soldiers in Mexico.
LEVIN: Hmm… I’m beginning to see your idea. The THOR missiles gave us tremendous advantages last year. Orbital space is a new battleground. High technology combined with elite soldiers—your plan sounds insane, and yet, I can see how it could work.
HAROLD: It must work. I see no other way to drive the Chinese out of Mexico.
LEVIN: I just thought of a problem.
HAROLD: Yes?
LEVIN: The Chinese PBW stations are able to knock out THOR missiles. Those missiles are little better than guided crowbars coming down like meteors. The kinetic force is their payload.
HAROLD: We’re all familiar with THOR missiles.
LEVIN: Don’t you see the problem? If the PBW stations can destroy these crowbars, these THOR missiles, surely, the particle beams can kill the Marines as they drop from orbit. I imagine the ABM lasers will be able to take them out, too.
MCGRAW: You’re right, Doctor. Those boys are going to take losses getting down. I don’t think there’s any way around that. But I don’t see we have any choice. The hypervelocity missiles are our best chance of knocking China out of the war.
LEVIN: In other words, this is a huge gamble. We only have a handful of these hypervelocity missiles.
MCGRAW: The Chinese won’t know that. Still, if you have a better idea, I’d like to hear it. I dislike the idea of our Marines taking heavy causalities going down, but this is a war to the finish.
LEVIN: Do the men know how dangerous this is going to be?
MCGRAW: They joined up with their eyes open. I can assure you of that. These men are the best of the best.
LEVIN: I hope you’re telling the truth.
MCGRAW: I’m not used to someone suggesting I’m a liar.
LEVIN: No, I’m sure you’re not. Let me ask you a different question, then. Has the government always told its troops the entire truth about a tough assignment?
HAROLD: You let us worry about that, Doctor.
LEVIN: I have no more questions.
HAROLD: Very well, that’s decided. Now, if you’ll look here…
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Drop Specialists