GWOT VII - Port Call
May. 8th, 2021 05:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drewkittyBy custom, tradition, law and necessity, the security arrangements dockside were the responsibility of the host nation.
That didn't mean I was off the hook. But I could delegate. Major RIze was now the juniormost of our three military attaches, and needed the experience. She was also perfectly suited for the job as a Bear Force command officer. Any idiot can kill people and blow shit up. Deciding who to kill and what to blow up is what you need officers for.
(The American military had tried to dodge this through the technical term 'operator' as in 'special operations.' What they'd done instead is to give their field personnel whiplash - enormous responsibility and authority, until and unless communications are established, then you're at the mercy of some recently showered idiot in a command center five thousand miles away.)
The one point of surprise had been when I'd explained about the need for tours.
"You want ... ordinary people ... to be able to look around the ship?"
By tradition, submarines are boats. But as this was a rather huge submarine, and I'm not a naval officer, I let the maybe-slip go.
"Yes. It's very important to us."
That meant there would be an enormous intelligence and counter-intelligence effort surrounding the visiting process. They wanted to know exactly who came on board, because all of them would now be suspected of being California agents. The people given "tickets' - read orders - to visit knew that even as loyal Communists they would be under suspicion as a result. But there weren't all that many tickets, which made them a prestige item. And people are simply curious.
That as many as a third of the 'civilians' would be Chinese agents and officers was obvious. They too would be suspect. But the chance to see an enemy warship was something any ambitious loyalist would jump at.
We wouldn't be making contact with any California agents by this method. Too risky.
We were trolling - and so would be the Chinese - for _American_ agents. This was a temptation they simply could not pass up.
Fishing with submarines. Who would have thought?
###
Again, custom and tradition. The submarine was towed into port by two tugs. I could see from here the Chinese pilot officer on the submarine sail.
I could also see the two teams on the bow and the one team on the stern. CAR Marines in their naval camoflauge with automatic grenade launchers mounted on tripods that hooked into the deck.
Our Marines don't fuck about. They had much nastier stuff on tap or they wouldn't show the AGLs.
The Chinese port defenses were much heavier. They'd certainly mined the selected berth. I couldn't blame them. I felt certain that artillery, mortars, attack helicopters, missiles and bombs were on speed dial.
As if casually, the Chinese naval officer who was acting as my liasion, turned to me and asked in careful English.
"Does this ship carry a weapon of mass destruction?"
I nodded, and for clarity said out loud, "Yes, this is a strategic asset. I am authorized to disclose that she carries long range nuclear weapons. She could strike the United States from here."
And not just Hawaii either. She could hit Maine or Florida from here.
This was very much not the answer he was expecting. He'd expected polite circling around the subject, or a flat denial.
"Let me get the Admiral."
He spoke no English. I spoke no Mandarin or Cantonese. But he wanted to read my face. Before he decided to have me machine gunned into the water and that damned ship blown up at once.
I'd read his face.
"How many of these vessels do you have?"
"More than one."
"You are claiming that she has capability equal to or greater than an American Trident."
"Fact. Yes, she does."
"Can you prove this?"
"Do you recall the missile test from Vandenberg last year? Hypersonic. Everyone said it failed?"
A careful hard nod.
"It was successful twice. The hypersonic was a valid offensive weapons test. This ship shot it down midrange, proving her own hypersonic intercept weapons."
Now things were going to get rather destabilizing. At a glance, the Chinese Marines escorting the party started clearing a wider space around me and the Admiral and his translator-officer.
"This is a ... missile defense submarine?"
"By pre-War standards, she would be an Aegis cruiser. She is rather more than that. I would like to invite you both to join me aboard ship, where you may ask further questions of her command crew. I am not privy to many of the answers you will get."
I wasn't lying. I didn't know enough to lie.
But this wasn't the only weapon of mass destruction in a Chinese city. I had the other one. And that was a not-quite-yet secret.
###
The gangplank went down, the (fully armed) honor guard went dockside, and a California Naval Militia officer waved me aboard.
The official greeting ceremonies were in a few minutes. This was the preparation, so to speak, the host getting ready for the party.
"Colonel 18, I am Duty Captain Fitzgerald. My ship for the moment. You are not read in. I respectfully refuse to disclose to you any secrets."
I nodded.
"You have your orders, Captain."
His face had a great deal of pain on it.
"I am ordered, repeat ordered, to share a grave number of moist operational details with my counterparts in the People's Liberation Army - Naval Branch. I must officially protest."
"I accept your protest. Submit it through your chain of command in writing. Now comply with your verified orders from the Governor of California, or shoot me or shoot yourself."
He flinched. Got it in one.
"What you want from me is reassurance. It would be criminally negligent for me to provide any. Captain, maintain your crew and ship in a state of maximum alertness for battle. We may get minutes, we may get nothing. And if I am on deck when you submerge, you fucking submerge. is that clear?"
He looked relieved, if anything. This was language he understood.
"Sometime in the next few days, we are going to present Case Zulu to the Americans," I added, as if casually.
Now that was a truly deep secret. Major Rize wasn't read in on Case Zulu. The Ambassdor was, but she thought it was in months, not hours.
"Now we are going to go through some tedious naval ceremonies, I am going to stand to the side and look benign, and you are going to take the first party of VIPs through the ship. And while we're on the subject of benign and not benign, my Cube identifier is eighteen."
His Cube identifier was twenty two. And that was a shoot yourself in the head before thinking about it secret.
The key point is that he and I could now send secure messages to each other, that wouldn't have to go through the California operational network and slow it down.
Sidebar comms were strictly prohibited unless individually authorized. But we were authorized.
A courier left the ship and discreetly made his way, briefcase cuffed to his wrist, towards Rize. Everyone discreetly ignored the courier. Orders for the Embassy.
###
The Admiral and the Duty Captain were chatting. In Mandarin.
I chaperoned the MILO, Military Liasion Officer, who was my regular point of contact. He asked me questions. I shrugged. I pretended I'd never been aboard a California submarine before today. The crew gave us the vague unclassified answers.
Finally, the Admiral stopped and turned to me.
"This ship, alone, could shoot down seventy-two incoming warshots?"
I shrugged.
"So if it is here, it is not your only, and likely not your best, because you woud use that to protect your home and own. Why? I know you are not a technical man, but you are a soldier. I must know."
"We love our countries. We are going to ask you to trust us with the survival of your nation. Do you think we would come empty handed to a bridal feast?"
Or a funeral, choked with the corpses of a world in flames.
America was going down. Soft or hard. Case Zulu was coming.
###
To: Ambassador California Republic, Accredited to China
From: GOVCAL
Re: Case Zulu
Zulu Zulu Zulu. Authenticator seven two five four three seven. Zulu Zulu Zulu.
Operational timing is at the complete discretion of Colonel 18 for reasons that will become clear within the next day.
Work with him. I don't have time to replace you and I can't replace him.
Your request for accompanied family in China is approved. They will be over on the next flight. Their personal effects will follow and packing will be at State expense.
###
I extricated myself from the submarine tour show and eye-yanked Rize out of a discussion between four Chinese naval officers and her chest.
"Sir?"
"Embassy. While everyone's distracted."
###
The Protocol Secretary was aghast.
"You want me to do what?"
"We're hosting a diplomatic reception. Three days, 7 PM. Everyone is coming. Especially the Americans. The Americans come or we cancel. Then we think of something else. Maybe in front of their interest section on the sidewalk or something."
She shook her head.
"That's not much time."
Tell me about it.
###
Most of the physicists still had severe jet lag. Even the ones from the same continent.
The concepts presented were not helping.
"The quantum foam implies the existence of N hyperreal dimensions in parallel space time..."
The technical intelligence officer from DIA couldn't speak physics gibberish. But he had a nose.
The presenter, one of California's most brilliant physicists in her own pre-War lab, was absolutely, positively terrified.
She stank of fear.
Not like a budget, a grant or a career or a marriage - or even her own life or death - rode on her presentation.
Like she was giving a presentation for all that was, that is and that might ever be.
At the break he called his "wife" and told her that he wanted to go back into "counseling."
The operator took the message and called the Director. He had gone home for the day.
"Security? This is the Duty Desk. This is an emergency. I need to speak to the Director at once."
###
TS/SCI NOFORN
PROJECT LIBERTY
This is an operational Warning Order for Project Liberty. This is a war warning.
The renegade former state of California appears to be planning a decapitation strike.
We will strike first. Further details to follow.
###
EYES ONLY CENTRAL COMMITTEE
The United States and California are moving mutually towards heightened alert levels leading to the conclusion that both are planning an "axe theory" strike on each other.
It is most important that Russia be perceived to be neutral in these matters...
###
Prime Minister of Great Britain
Letter By Courier
British Nuclear Submarine Commanders
We anticipate that during this sailing you will receive authenticated and valid launch orders targeting the land, naval and aerospace assets of the United States of America.
It is important that we give context to these orders.
In light of the thermonuclear devastation of China, the increasingly erratic actions of America, her frank dissolution into a series of failed states while still possessing a nuclear arsenal greater than any other power in the world, I have had to face a most painful choice.
1) The devastation of the world and the elimination of the United States as a threat in exchange.
2) The obliteration of the world with remnants of an America still able to do further damage.
In absolute alliance with my French and California counterpart, and general alliance with China, I have firmly decided on Option #1...
###
Commander, California Expeditionary Forces
To: Bear Force Field Units
We shortly anticipate presenting an ultimatum to the American government.
You have two orders sets. One anticipates a partial or attempted compliance with our ultimatum. The other anticipates a rejection of our ultimatum.
In the former case, it is most important that you conduct your operations surgically and carefully for minimum loss of life consonant with the operational objective.
In the latter, bring the fucking noise.
###
Secretary of the French Navy
To: Ballistic Submarine Captains
Upon opening these orders, you shall monitor the BBC continuously, remaining at periscope depth to do so if necessary. YOU ARE ORDERED AND DIRECTED TO RISK THE SAFETY OF YOUR VESSEL TO CONTINUE THIS MONITORING WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.
Upon the second transmission on either the BBC network or the secure ELF network of the words "Zebra Zoology Zoophile" you shall open the second set of orders at once and set Battle Stations Missile.
If the words are followed by "Our apologies," you shall monitor the BBC and await further developments, with target packages at your discretion to disarm the United States of America.
If the words are followed by "Our condolences," immediately execute War Plan Blue. Your immediate objective will be the utter destruction of the command and control capability of the United States, without regard to loss of life. You shall target the national capitol, every state capitol that is not in rebellion except Salt Lake City and Honolulu, and in order of length of runway any base that could recover the Looking Glass or Nightmare command and control aircraft...
###
The Protocol Secretary was exhausted. But she'd done it.
"That was the last confirmation. We've got the party."
We were all going to the party.
I nodded to Rize.
"Now we can go for that drive in the country."
Our hosts would have me back in time, or they wouldn't.
I was going to blindside the entire rest of the world. But I wasn't going to blindside our hosts.
China deserved more consideration than that.
America did _not_.
That didn't mean I was off the hook. But I could delegate. Major RIze was now the juniormost of our three military attaches, and needed the experience. She was also perfectly suited for the job as a Bear Force command officer. Any idiot can kill people and blow shit up. Deciding who to kill and what to blow up is what you need officers for.
(The American military had tried to dodge this through the technical term 'operator' as in 'special operations.' What they'd done instead is to give their field personnel whiplash - enormous responsibility and authority, until and unless communications are established, then you're at the mercy of some recently showered idiot in a command center five thousand miles away.)
The one point of surprise had been when I'd explained about the need for tours.
"You want ... ordinary people ... to be able to look around the ship?"
By tradition, submarines are boats. But as this was a rather huge submarine, and I'm not a naval officer, I let the maybe-slip go.
"Yes. It's very important to us."
That meant there would be an enormous intelligence and counter-intelligence effort surrounding the visiting process. They wanted to know exactly who came on board, because all of them would now be suspected of being California agents. The people given "tickets' - read orders - to visit knew that even as loyal Communists they would be under suspicion as a result. But there weren't all that many tickets, which made them a prestige item. And people are simply curious.
That as many as a third of the 'civilians' would be Chinese agents and officers was obvious. They too would be suspect. But the chance to see an enemy warship was something any ambitious loyalist would jump at.
We wouldn't be making contact with any California agents by this method. Too risky.
We were trolling - and so would be the Chinese - for _American_ agents. This was a temptation they simply could not pass up.
Fishing with submarines. Who would have thought?
###
Again, custom and tradition. The submarine was towed into port by two tugs. I could see from here the Chinese pilot officer on the submarine sail.
I could also see the two teams on the bow and the one team on the stern. CAR Marines in their naval camoflauge with automatic grenade launchers mounted on tripods that hooked into the deck.
Our Marines don't fuck about. They had much nastier stuff on tap or they wouldn't show the AGLs.
The Chinese port defenses were much heavier. They'd certainly mined the selected berth. I couldn't blame them. I felt certain that artillery, mortars, attack helicopters, missiles and bombs were on speed dial.
As if casually, the Chinese naval officer who was acting as my liasion, turned to me and asked in careful English.
"Does this ship carry a weapon of mass destruction?"
I nodded, and for clarity said out loud, "Yes, this is a strategic asset. I am authorized to disclose that she carries long range nuclear weapons. She could strike the United States from here."
And not just Hawaii either. She could hit Maine or Florida from here.
This was very much not the answer he was expecting. He'd expected polite circling around the subject, or a flat denial.
"Let me get the Admiral."
He spoke no English. I spoke no Mandarin or Cantonese. But he wanted to read my face. Before he decided to have me machine gunned into the water and that damned ship blown up at once.
I'd read his face.
"How many of these vessels do you have?"
"More than one."
"You are claiming that she has capability equal to or greater than an American Trident."
"Fact. Yes, she does."
"Can you prove this?"
"Do you recall the missile test from Vandenberg last year? Hypersonic. Everyone said it failed?"
A careful hard nod.
"It was successful twice. The hypersonic was a valid offensive weapons test. This ship shot it down midrange, proving her own hypersonic intercept weapons."
Now things were going to get rather destabilizing. At a glance, the Chinese Marines escorting the party started clearing a wider space around me and the Admiral and his translator-officer.
"This is a ... missile defense submarine?"
"By pre-War standards, she would be an Aegis cruiser. She is rather more than that. I would like to invite you both to join me aboard ship, where you may ask further questions of her command crew. I am not privy to many of the answers you will get."
I wasn't lying. I didn't know enough to lie.
But this wasn't the only weapon of mass destruction in a Chinese city. I had the other one. And that was a not-quite-yet secret.
###
The gangplank went down, the (fully armed) honor guard went dockside, and a California Naval Militia officer waved me aboard.
The official greeting ceremonies were in a few minutes. This was the preparation, so to speak, the host getting ready for the party.
"Colonel 18, I am Duty Captain Fitzgerald. My ship for the moment. You are not read in. I respectfully refuse to disclose to you any secrets."
I nodded.
"You have your orders, Captain."
His face had a great deal of pain on it.
"I am ordered, repeat ordered, to share a grave number of moist operational details with my counterparts in the People's Liberation Army - Naval Branch. I must officially protest."
"I accept your protest. Submit it through your chain of command in writing. Now comply with your verified orders from the Governor of California, or shoot me or shoot yourself."
He flinched. Got it in one.
"What you want from me is reassurance. It would be criminally negligent for me to provide any. Captain, maintain your crew and ship in a state of maximum alertness for battle. We may get minutes, we may get nothing. And if I am on deck when you submerge, you fucking submerge. is that clear?"
He looked relieved, if anything. This was language he understood.
"Sometime in the next few days, we are going to present Case Zulu to the Americans," I added, as if casually.
Now that was a truly deep secret. Major Rize wasn't read in on Case Zulu. The Ambassdor was, but she thought it was in months, not hours.
"Now we are going to go through some tedious naval ceremonies, I am going to stand to the side and look benign, and you are going to take the first party of VIPs through the ship. And while we're on the subject of benign and not benign, my Cube identifier is eighteen."
His Cube identifier was twenty two. And that was a shoot yourself in the head before thinking about it secret.
The key point is that he and I could now send secure messages to each other, that wouldn't have to go through the California operational network and slow it down.
Sidebar comms were strictly prohibited unless individually authorized. But we were authorized.
A courier left the ship and discreetly made his way, briefcase cuffed to his wrist, towards Rize. Everyone discreetly ignored the courier. Orders for the Embassy.
###
The Admiral and the Duty Captain were chatting. In Mandarin.
I chaperoned the MILO, Military Liasion Officer, who was my regular point of contact. He asked me questions. I shrugged. I pretended I'd never been aboard a California submarine before today. The crew gave us the vague unclassified answers.
Finally, the Admiral stopped and turned to me.
"This ship, alone, could shoot down seventy-two incoming warshots?"
I shrugged.
"So if it is here, it is not your only, and likely not your best, because you woud use that to protect your home and own. Why? I know you are not a technical man, but you are a soldier. I must know."
"We love our countries. We are going to ask you to trust us with the survival of your nation. Do you think we would come empty handed to a bridal feast?"
Or a funeral, choked with the corpses of a world in flames.
America was going down. Soft or hard. Case Zulu was coming.
###
To: Ambassador California Republic, Accredited to China
From: GOVCAL
Re: Case Zulu
Zulu Zulu Zulu. Authenticator seven two five four three seven. Zulu Zulu Zulu.
Operational timing is at the complete discretion of Colonel 18 for reasons that will become clear within the next day.
Work with him. I don't have time to replace you and I can't replace him.
Your request for accompanied family in China is approved. They will be over on the next flight. Their personal effects will follow and packing will be at State expense.
###
I extricated myself from the submarine tour show and eye-yanked Rize out of a discussion between four Chinese naval officers and her chest.
"Sir?"
"Embassy. While everyone's distracted."
###
The Protocol Secretary was aghast.
"You want me to do what?"
"We're hosting a diplomatic reception. Three days, 7 PM. Everyone is coming. Especially the Americans. The Americans come or we cancel. Then we think of something else. Maybe in front of their interest section on the sidewalk or something."
She shook her head.
"That's not much time."
Tell me about it.
###
Most of the physicists still had severe jet lag. Even the ones from the same continent.
The concepts presented were not helping.
"The quantum foam implies the existence of N hyperreal dimensions in parallel space time..."
The technical intelligence officer from DIA couldn't speak physics gibberish. But he had a nose.
The presenter, one of California's most brilliant physicists in her own pre-War lab, was absolutely, positively terrified.
She stank of fear.
Not like a budget, a grant or a career or a marriage - or even her own life or death - rode on her presentation.
Like she was giving a presentation for all that was, that is and that might ever be.
At the break he called his "wife" and told her that he wanted to go back into "counseling."
The operator took the message and called the Director. He had gone home for the day.
"Security? This is the Duty Desk. This is an emergency. I need to speak to the Director at once."
###
TS/SCI NOFORN
PROJECT LIBERTY
This is an operational Warning Order for Project Liberty. This is a war warning.
The renegade former state of California appears to be planning a decapitation strike.
We will strike first. Further details to follow.
###
EYES ONLY CENTRAL COMMITTEE
The United States and California are moving mutually towards heightened alert levels leading to the conclusion that both are planning an "axe theory" strike on each other.
It is most important that Russia be perceived to be neutral in these matters...
###
Prime Minister of Great Britain
Letter By Courier
British Nuclear Submarine Commanders
We anticipate that during this sailing you will receive authenticated and valid launch orders targeting the land, naval and aerospace assets of the United States of America.
It is important that we give context to these orders.
In light of the thermonuclear devastation of China, the increasingly erratic actions of America, her frank dissolution into a series of failed states while still possessing a nuclear arsenal greater than any other power in the world, I have had to face a most painful choice.
1) The devastation of the world and the elimination of the United States as a threat in exchange.
2) The obliteration of the world with remnants of an America still able to do further damage.
In absolute alliance with my French and California counterpart, and general alliance with China, I have firmly decided on Option #1...
###
Commander, California Expeditionary Forces
To: Bear Force Field Units
We shortly anticipate presenting an ultimatum to the American government.
You have two orders sets. One anticipates a partial or attempted compliance with our ultimatum. The other anticipates a rejection of our ultimatum.
In the former case, it is most important that you conduct your operations surgically and carefully for minimum loss of life consonant with the operational objective.
In the latter, bring the fucking noise.
###
Secretary of the French Navy
To: Ballistic Submarine Captains
Upon opening these orders, you shall monitor the BBC continuously, remaining at periscope depth to do so if necessary. YOU ARE ORDERED AND DIRECTED TO RISK THE SAFETY OF YOUR VESSEL TO CONTINUE THIS MONITORING WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.
Upon the second transmission on either the BBC network or the secure ELF network of the words "Zebra Zoology Zoophile" you shall open the second set of orders at once and set Battle Stations Missile.
If the words are followed by "Our apologies," you shall monitor the BBC and await further developments, with target packages at your discretion to disarm the United States of America.
If the words are followed by "Our condolences," immediately execute War Plan Blue. Your immediate objective will be the utter destruction of the command and control capability of the United States, without regard to loss of life. You shall target the national capitol, every state capitol that is not in rebellion except Salt Lake City and Honolulu, and in order of length of runway any base that could recover the Looking Glass or Nightmare command and control aircraft...
###
The Protocol Secretary was exhausted. But she'd done it.
"That was the last confirmation. We've got the party."
We were all going to the party.
I nodded to Rize.
"Now we can go for that drive in the country."
Our hosts would have me back in time, or they wouldn't.
I was going to blindside the entire rest of the world. But I wasn't going to blindside our hosts.
China deserved more consideration than that.
America did _not_.
