Prometheus and the Dragon (Atlas and the Winds Book 2) (24 page)

“As many of you already know, the Chinese Government announced today that the
Zhen-Long
missile detonated twenty-eight days early. It has failed to complete its mission. What many of you do not know, was the United States had mounted one final attempt to deflect Antu. Unfortunately, our ship, the
Eagle
, was close enough to the warhead that it was caught in the explosion. The ship and its crew of twenty-eight appear to be lost. We have not confirmed the fate of the
Eagle
, but there has been no contact in almost twelve hours.

“The Chinese have accused us of attacking their missile. Although in the face of the bigger situation it may truly be irrelevant, I hereby state unconditionally that this accusation is an absolute falsification. Our scientists have explained to me that a nuclear warhead cannot be made to detonate by attacking it. It can be disabled, but not made to explode. Their statement that we were involved in this disaster is slander of the most egregious type.

“I appreciate that the Chinese Government has stated they do not intend to press their allegations forward with military force, and the United States military, though ready to respond, will not take an aggressive posture against the Chinese people. With the time left to us, we do not need to be expending what precious resources we have in a pointless war.

“The new projected impact site for Antu is in the Pacific Ocean, sixty miles off the coast of Washington State. As this is known to be a geologically active region, we have already begun the process of deploying military units to assist in the voluntary relocation of people out of the Pacific Northwest and along the Pacific coast in low-lying or seismically unstable areas. Additionally, we are planning to evacuate the entire populations of Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands as well as all of our other Pacific holdings. Our Canadian neighbors have begun similar plans, and have pledged to work cooperatively with our efforts.

“We have 170 days to make preparations for this event. This is more than adequate time to move people out of the affected areas without the need for panic. Right now, to overreact would be worse than to do nothing. Calm is the most critical thing for us, as a people, to maintain.

“As of this afternoon I have ordered the activation of the Emergency Broadcast System, and have put FEMA and Homeland Security into full disaster response mode. These agencies will coordinate the evacuation process and will be reinforced by the military as needed to keep civil order. Your cooperation is essential to this process.

“America has faced crisis before. This is not a new thing for us. Our spirit has always been our strength. Our indomitable will to triumph will carry us through the hard times ahead. They will be hard, but I have faith in you, the American people, and in the Almighty above. Together we will see this through.

“God bless, and good night.”

The camera faded to black, and as it did, the President seemed to crumple inward, imploding on herself, looking wrung out and empty. It had taken the last of her energy to finish the speech.

Colton had been sitting on the front of the stage, dangling his legs off the riser and listening. His head rested on his hands, and he faced not toward the President, but rather toward those who had gathered. He sat there for several moments, feeling the silence emptying his soul.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, starting to dissolve like the President had.

“For what?” Andre Duquesne, the chief Botanical Geneticist, said. He stood off the front of the stage, looking like a farmer in his traditional bib overalls.

Cole looked at him, not realizing that anyone had heard him. “For what?” Andre repeated. “Being right even when the rest of us doubted you?”

Cole opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. He looked puzzled. Frustrated.

“If it weren’t for you, we’d have no hope at all,” someone else said, standing up to join the botanist. It was a woman. One of those that Cole barely knew, who had been out on sabbatical since almost the day she’d arrived. “I’ve got kids,” she said, stepping forward with two little ones in tow. They looked to be about seven or eight. “If it weren’t for you, what could I tell them tomorrow? How could I look them in the eyes and tell them that their entire future was going to be only 170 days long? That all their potential didn’t matter? That there was going to be no more tomorrow? Without this, there’d be no hope.”

Cole shook his head, staring at her children and fighting back the tears. He knew he couldn’t speak, emotion choked his voice in his throat.

“You’ve given my kids a future, and the children who survive will give humanity a future. That is the greatest gift you could have given any of us.”

“She’s right,” Andre said. “Your legacy will live long after this transient moment has passed. Because of you, humanity still has a future.”

***

Section Two: Archangels and Demons

“
It is when humanity stands in the face of utter and total despair that we can see the true nature of ourselves. Will we choose to become beings of light, and illuminate the darkness that surrounds us, or will we allow ourselves to be consumed by it, and fall into the pit of self-pity and sorrow?”

Bradford Stone Commentary

Ghost Towns on the Rim of Destiny

Chapter Fifteen:

A Change in Tone

Atlanta, Georgia:

The television lights hadn’t even cooled in the Oval Office when Nathaniel Sommerset took the stage in his new studio sanctuary. He was riding a wave of fanatic fervor he knew would take him all the way to the gates of Heaven. While the world waited for the Red Dragon to be driven from the sky by the forces of New Babylon, he’d been making preparations. Building his following. Bringing the word of the coming tribulation to those who had ears. Now, everyone was listening, and it was his holy duty to bring these souls home to the Lord.

The voice in his ear counted down the last seconds, and he recited the same silent prayer he’d always said before a sermon. “I open myself unto You my Lord. Give me the strength of Your words and let me not fail You in spreading Your light. Through me, speak to them. Let them hear Your divine wisdom. I humbly submit myself to do Your holy work. Amen.”

The red light flashed on one of the dozen miniature HD cameras that sat along the front of the pulpit. He looked at it and said, “My children, the Lord has shown you the inevitability of His coming judgment. He has brought unto us the time of salvation, and has shown us that we need not fear. His judgment is absolute, and those who have chosen to put their faith
in the ways of men
will fall in the face of the greater wisdom of the Lord Almighty.

“Today, in this very hour, all of mankind has learned the price of hubris. To stand and shake our fist in the face of God is not something He will abide. All the powers of Earth could not delay the time of His Judgment. Those who have thrown themselves against the instrument of His wrath must be brought down. They must be laid low before the altar of His righteousness, and punished for their sins.

“He has chosen this moment for us to rise against the wicked and the immoral. For us to restore the souls of the lost. Today I proclaim in His name that we will not fail. We will bring down those who oppose Him. We will carry the torch of His divine power into the world without fear. The Tribulation is at hand, and the Rapture comes to those who do His work.

“Rise up. Join me in His new crusade, and ye shall have everlasting life. I pray in the name of our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

The camera shut off, and he hung his head in prayer. The congregation was silent, joining him. He looked out over their faces, and saw they were indeed ready to take this Holy War to those who opposed the will of God. Their eyes burned with a single fire, the fire of righteousness that would not be extinguished.

***

Tel Aviv, Israel:

The Infantry unit stood its ground for the hundredth day, on a ridge that stared out over the lower terrain from where they watched the Russian troops digging in, a little closer than they were the day before.

At first the Russian advances had been wholesale, crushing through the northern cities without resistance, but for the last months, their gains were measured in blood-soaked inches.

Twisting columns of thick, black smoke rose from the shattered remains of the suburbs, often obscuring the exact position of the Russian tanks. Occasionally a round would flash from the barrel of a tank, and they would have a target.

Sergeant Gahdrel Onan was a forward observer for the Israeli Fifth Light Infantry. He was responsible for calling in the heavy guns on any hard target he could see. He hid beneath a section of white stucco wall that had caved in to create a small concrete lean-to. It gave him good cover while still providing an excellent view down-slope toward the Russians.

Through his binoculars he could see men walking around the streets, and although he could have ordered a shelling, his objectives were to target only armored units. The war had gone on long enough that they had to make every round count. So he watched them, hoping to catch a glimpse of something big enough to be worth blowing to hell. If it happened to be close to those men, so much the better.

He’d stood this duty for so many days, he’d actually started to recognize some of the Russian soldiers. He’d named the big, heavy-bearded officer, who always smoked a cigar and waved his hands when he talked, Ivan the Terrible. Then there was the skinny one that followed him around, carrying a radio pack, that he called The Snake. Today he watched as The Snake came running up to Ivan, holding a field phone in his hand. He didn’t see or hear the radioman, because he kept waving his arms and pointing at men around him. Finally, The Snake got Ivan’s attention and handed him the phone.

He watched the man talking for several seconds before he tossed the phone back to the radioman. He stuck his fingers into his mouth and appeared to whistle. Several heads popped up out of partially dug foxholes and looked at him. He waved his arm in a big circle over his head and pointed back toward the north. They all shook their heads, climbing out of their incomplete fortifications and slung their gear, like they’d just received marching orders.

“Hey Gahd, are you seeing this?” a voice whispered in his ear. It was the next spotter to the east of his position.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” he asked.

“Looks like they’re pulling out.”

“That’s what I was thinking too,” he said, looking around to see if he could see any other units walking north. Sure enough, there looked to be hundreds of men marching away from the battlefield.

Several seconds later the voice of their lieutenant confirmed his suspicions. “They’re withdrawing from the field,” he said. “Onan, assemble a fire team and go down there and see if you can confirm that they’re disengaging.”

“Yes sir,” he said, sliding out from under his cover and standing up. He grabbed his mic and almost called in a strike on a Russian self-propelled artillery unit, but then watched in amazement as it swung away and rolled off to the north with the foot soldiers.

***

Washington:

“I’m giving you my endorsement,” the President said. “But I want your promise you won’t waste time campaigning. It really doesn’t matter who wins the office; they’ll inherit no more than a title. If you win, you’ll take office fourteen days after Antu wrecks the country.”

“I don’t know if I want it anymore,” John said. “I also think since this is certainly extenuating circumstances, it might be prudent to just cancel the elections and have you sit the chair from here on.”

“Oh no you don’t,” she said, wagging a finger in his direction. “Just because you aren’t man enough for the job, doesn’t mean I am.” She smiled. She was teasing, but they both knew there was some truth to what she said.

“Like you said, we don’t have time for an election. I don’t want to run for office, but I guess I won’t run from it either,” he said, pouring them both a drink. He walked over to the sitting area and handed one of the crystal glasses to her. “So far there’s been very little attention paid to the usual process by either party. Maybe we could form a coalition government and short circuit the entire election?”

“You mean offer the Republicans the second seat, and see if they’ll agree to skip the race?” she took a large sip and looked thoughtful. “Do you think you could sell it to them?”

“I’ve got some friends who swing their way,” he said. “Considering what we’re facing, it’s certainly not worth fighting over the last scraps of power.”

“Excuse me, ma’am,” a Secret Service agent knocked on her door. Janice had gone home for the evening, and he was sitting the phone in her outer office. She recognized him, but couldn’t remember his name. “The Director of NASA is holding for you.”

She nodded, getting up to walk to her desk. She clicked the video line and watched his face materialize. “Hello Joshua,” she said, sitting down and taking another sip from her drink.