“Gentlemen,” said Al Augustus, moving rapidly to his chair. “I’ve just come from a meeting with the president. I have full authorization to continue with crisis management operations. That, of course, includes the protection of our troops and our military equipment from the volcanic ash and flooding we’ve been experiencing.”

“Tommy,” he continued quickly, “is there any place in the United States where the ash hasn’t been falling?”

“Yes, sir, there is,” the chief of staff of the air force replied. “The jet stream has moved south so that it’s now flowing across the California Coast, up over Nevada and northern Colorado, then almost due east. That means maximum fall of ash is taking place in the far West, the Midwest, and the East Coast. Other fallout is blowing from Texas all across the Southeast. For some reason, though, there is a rea sonably clear pocket down in New Mexico and parts of southern Colorado.”

“Very good,” Al Augustus replied. “I want to move as many of our assets into that clear pocket as we possibly can. Tommy, I want you and General Clark to work together on this. Deploy whatever army and air force units you can muster, and let’s get a base set up outside of Albuquerque. Now, whatever you do, don’t get tangled up with the emergency relief operations down there. This is to be strictly military. But I want the Eighty-second Airborne out of Fort Bragg, plus all the C-130s based at Pope Air Force Base. I want a squadron of F-117s out of Langley moved down there as well. Send the Second Armored and the First Cav out of Fort Hood, and the Mechanized Division from Fort Riley. If either of you has further recommendations, I’ll be glad to consider them.”

“What about tactical nukes, sir?” asked the air force chief. “Don’t you think we ought to send them along as well?”

“Good point, Tommy,” Al Augustus said, “You’ll also need all the communications gear, food, hospital equipment, spare parts, and ordnance you can get your hands on to sustain a protracted stay. We want to haul as much of that stuff as we can by rail. I’ll issue an emergency order so that you can commandeer the rolling stock you need.”

He turned to the chief of Naval Operations. “Admiral, can you put the three new Sea Wolf submarines into the water for an extended cruise?”

“In three days, Mr. Secretary. With a full complement of weapons.”“Perfect. I want each of us to have in our possession the necessary authorization codes to contact the three skippers. Admiral, I want these three boats to be under my direct command.

“For the rest, use all maximum efforts to mothball your assets so that this corrosive ash can’t destroy them. Keep your personnel on full alert to wash the ash down as soon as it falls. Got it?