Disaster Among the Heavens, Don E Peavy Sr [reading rainbow books txt] 📗

credenza.
“Come now, Mr. President,” responded the Premier. The President heard muffled laugher in the background. It was clear he was on a speaker phone.
“You’re wasting valuable time,” continued the Premier. “Are you trying to stall me so you can launch your missiles?”
“Missiles? What missiles?” shouted The President.
Hearing the word, missiles, the Chief of Staff left the room in a hurry and returned just as quickly, handing The President a folder which he opened and saw a photo of the open silos at NORAD. The President glanced quickly over the next two pages of information. Damn, he thought to himself, can things get any worse?
“Mr. President, are you there?”
“Ah, yes, sorry.” It was now clear to The President what the Premier was talking about. He nodded to his Chief of Staff and closed the folder.
“Mr. Premier,” continued The President, “I’ve always appreciated our open and frank discussions. Sir, I assure you I know not of what you speak. Do you care to enlighten me?”
He covered the mouth piece of the receiver and whispered to his Chief of Staff, “Get my crisis team in here now!” The President also reached under his desk and turned off the telephone and room taping devices. He did not want a record of what was about to transpire.
Neither his presidential library, nor posterity, nor his post-presidential memoirs were important enough to warrant the potential danger of having the ensuing matters recorded and later leaked to the public. He had always subscribed to the principle that there are some things that must remain undisclosed. Unfortunately for The President, but fortunately for later generations, history always finds a way to be historical and to burst out of darkness into the sunshine of day as happened with the inadvertent release of Appendix A.
“Come now, Mr. President,” the Premier chastised, “we happen to know that your missile silos in Colorado have been opened in preparation for launch. We are prepared to counteract those missiles.”
“Mr. Premier, I assure you there is no plan under way here to launch any missiles. Hold on a minute, please, Sir.”
About that time the Secretary of Defence and the General of the Air Force came into the Oval Office. The Secretary of Defence spoke first as The President pushed the mute button on the telephone. “Mr. President, a pilot in a SR-71 Blackbird just confirmed that the missile silos at NORAD have been opened. The noses of the missiles are at the ready mark. Sir, it looks critical.”
“Mr. Premier,” The President said into the receiver after releasing the mute button, “I’m just receiving a report that this is an internal matter. Sir, I assure you we represent no threat to your sovereignty. If you will recall your fighters and stand down, I will have the Vice President deliver to you a personal explanation. Please, Mr. Premier, I give you my word this is purely an internal matter.” The President spoke in a rushed but humble manner. Humility is the oil which makes diplomatic wheels turn and turn smoothly.
He pleaded with the Soviet Premier; although he had long thought himself too proud to beg. However, on this evening, the fate of a nation, if not the world, was at stake.
The Assistant, in opening the silos, threatened not only America, he threatened the entire world. He also had the two most powerful nations in the world playing Russian roulette with an arsenal of mutually assured destruction.
Nevertheless, The President sought to manoeuvre through this crisis without revealing the fact that the United States had perfected missiles capable of hitting targets in outer space contrary to existing treaty prohibitions. He listened for assurances that he had reached the Premier. For a few minutes silence was the only reply.
“Excuse me, Mr. Premier, I have another critical call,” interrupted The President as the Premier was about to speak. He picked up the blue telephone and heard the voice of the British Prime Minister.
“I assure you, Mr. Prime Minister; I am just as surprised as you are. But this is a purely internal matter. The Secretary of State is leaving within the hour with a personal message for you which will explain what is happening. Trust me, Mr. Prime Minister, we are not on the brink of a world war. Mr. Prime Minister, can I count on you to keep this matter under wraps? It is absolutely critical that this information not be disseminated. Thank you, Sir, I appreciate your deference. We can and we will do this. Good bye, Mr. Prime Minister.”
The President extracted a nicely pressed and perfumed handkerchief from his inside breast pocket and wiped his forehead. He glanced at his Chief of Staff who gave him thumbs up, then picked up the red telephone and continued, “Mr. Premier, that was the Prime Minister. He sends his regards.”
“Mr. President, I have recalled my MIGS. I will maintain my forces at full alert until I hear from your Vice President. I expect to see him first thing in the morning,” said the Premier.
“He will be there,” responded The President in a tone of relief. “Thank you, Mr. Premier. One last thing, Sir. Can I count on you to keep this matter under wraps? I mean, can I trust you not to let it get out of your office? Thank you, very much. Mr. Premier, we can and we must do this. Good night, Sir.” The President hung up the telephone and let out a long, loud sigh of relief. Those in the room responded with applause.
He was relieved that despite the unpopularity of the war that he was waging in Southeast Asia, his reputation for truthfulness remained intact. World leaders had no reason to doubt him. This was a critical factor in an increasing age of weapons of mass destruction and in view of Hitler’s assurances during World War II that he would not invade a nation only to do so when the people least expected it. In this present climate of world unease, it remained critical that The President safeguard his reputation for truthfulness; especially since the Soviet Union and the United States were travelling a road of mutually assured destruction. If the Premier could not believe The President, then his only recourse was to act. Fortunately, for both the world and the heavens, the Pentagon Papers had not yet been released, and so The President enjoyed a reputation of truthfulness, at least in the minds of foreign leaders.
“Gentlemen, please. Can I have some quiet?” shouted The President after he hung up the telephone and turned around in his chair to look across his desk. The room was now filled with men who now formed a semi circle around The President’s desk.
“Mr. Vice President, I want you to leave now for Moscow. You will receive a message for the Premier along the way,” fired The President.
“Mr. Secretary of State, I want you to head for England. You will likewise receive a message for the Prime Minister along the way.”
“But Mr. President,” protested the Vice President who moved closer to where The President sat. “Shouldn’t I be here at a time like this? Can’t we send someone else to Moscow? What if you have to call the Senate into session?”
“No, sir,” responded The President turning slightly to the left to face the Vice President. “The Premier is expecting you. and I have no one else for the job. I suggest you get moving. We can do this and we must,” ordered The President who was making a special effort not to appear too harsh on the Vice President – a man who was very insecure in his position and harboured paranoid feelings that The President had little, if any, use for him.
The Vice President started to re-urge his protest but he saw in The President’s face a certain kind of resolve, which once he got it, it was as firm as the Rock of Gibraltar. He left the room saddened and thinking that The President was purposefully getting rid of him. However, he did not want to risk getting The Treatment in the presence of so many men whose loyalty and respect he needed. Unwilling though he was, he marched quickly to his office, and then his home where he packed and left to do The President’s bidding.
As the Vice President exited, the room burst into loud and undirected discussions. Bewilderment and a need to know spurred all of the attendants, to question one another. All, that is, except for The President and his Chief of Staff.
“Gentlemen, please,” shouted The President.
Once the room returned to quiet, The President looked at his Chief of Staff and said hurriedly, “Mr. Chief of Staff, get me the Speaker of the House on the telephone.” The Chief of Staff picked up the black telephone and ordered the operator to get him the Speaker of the House. He then hung up the phone.
“Does anyone have an idea as to why those silos are open?” asked The President.
“My best guess, Mr. President,” It was the General of the Air Force who spoke first. “The assistant figured we might try to lock them to prevent his launching the missiles. He seems to be always a step ahead of us, which is why I continue to believe he has some foreign assistance.”
“Are we certain none of them have been launched?” The President asked.
“Yes, sir. We have confirmation none have been,” answered the Air Force General.
“Tell me, General, can the SR-71 knock out a missile if it is launched?” queried The President.
“Generally, yes, Mr. President, but this particular model is strictly reconnaissance. It has no weaponry. We must remember, Mr. President, those missiles at NORAD are equipped with nuclear warheads. You detonate one of those things in American airspace and you might as well kiss this country goodbye. Life as we know it will cease,” cautioned the General who now leaned over The President’s desk.
“General, we need a plan. Do we have an aircraft that can hit those missiles in such a way as to have them explode in space?”
“That’s a scenario we’ve never faced, sir,” answered the General.
“Dammit, General,” shouted The President, causing the Air Force General to stand erect, “we’re facing it today! Do we have such a plane?” The President pounded his fists on his desk, knocking the room into dead silence.
The Air Force General realized he was getting The Treatment and tried to de-escalate the situation, “We have the Phantom F-4. It can reach a height of 62,000 feet and then launch its four AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared missiles. We have no data on what the fallout will be. We don’t know if the nuclear storm will fall back to earth.”
“Mr. President,” interrupted the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “all of our planning has been to develop ways to intercept and destroy Russian missiles, not our own. We have contingency plans to even intercept an asteroid or other space-bound object but nothing as to our own missiles.”
“We can do this,” said The President. He ignored the comments of the Chairman and continued to face and to speak to the Air Force General, “We’ll have to take our chances. I want you to draft a plan and place your best men and aircraft on standby. Not a word to anyone about what is going on. And that goes for the rest