The Americans had focused on the bullet-hitting-a-bullet strategy of missile defense, but all of Ito’s research suggested that this was a dead end. Even if it could be made to work under idealized test conditions, effective countermeasures were almost comically simple for the enemy to deploy. The only realistic solution was to create massive electromagnetic pulses that short-circuited the electronics of anything entering Japanese airspace.

The only way they’d found to achieve that goal was with a very specialized set of tactical nuclear weapons. The airbursts themselves weren’t particularly powerful—far less so than that of the bombs used to attack Hiroshima and Nagasaki—but the radioactive aftermath was quite innovative. Countless microscopic particles would persist in the atmosphere for days, shielding Japan in an impenetrable radioactive cloud.

“And the danger to civilians?”

“Acceptable,” Takahashi said, once again cutting in. “Even when we suffered a nuclear attack during World War Two, radiation casualties were largely caused by people ingesting radioactive ash through drinking from the river. Our water supply is now protected from that kind of contamination. We expect to see twenty percent higher cancer rates nationwide for the next generation, as well as higher levels of birth defects, but this is unavoidable. And certainly preferable to the alternative.”

“What about our air-to-air drones?” Sanetomi asked, unwilling to even look at his chief of staff.

“Of little use,” General Minami replied. “We’ve only recently completed testing and there hasn’t been time to ramp up manufacturing. Obviously, we have conventional fighters that will be able to patrol our territory when it’s feasible to fly. Overall, we believe it will be enough to limit casualties to around a million.”

“A million,” Sanetomi said, seeming to have trouble processing the number. “That’s a success?”

“In a country of one hundred and thirty-five million under attack by the second-largest military power in the world, yes,” Minami said. “In fact, I consider it a near miracle.”

Sanetomi turned again to Admiral Inoue. “What about our sea defenses?”

“As you know, our self-cavitating torpedoes are in their third generation and have proven extraordinarily effective. We have hundreds covering Japanese waters as well as Chinese ports and sea-lanes. We’ll rule the sea within hours of your attack order.”

“That’s a great deal of confidence, Admiral.”

“Well warranted, I assure you. Neither the Chinese nor the Americans are aware that this technology has been perfected, so they haven’t developed any defense against it. Our system is virtually flawless in the face of current countermeasure technology.”

Sanetomi turned to the only person in the room who hadn’t yet spoken, a gray-haired man almost Takahashi’s age. “And our ground forces?”