Of course, it was all a lie. The dogs that made up the Chinese government would never back down. Their lives of power and privilege depended on their ability to blind their population to the fact that far from being a rising power, China was rotting from within. Income disparity, the reliance on slave wages, environmental destruction, sleight of hand in the financial industry. Like the Soviet Union before it, China was drowning. And like a drowning man, there was nothing and no one they wouldn’t drag under for one last gasp of air.

“I understand, General. But surely there’s another option.”

Takahashi had appeased the scientist as much as he was willing to. The man was becoming increasingly unfocused, spending valuable time thinking about things that were none of his affair.

“Launch the weapon.”

Ito stood frozen, but Fujii didn’t hesitate. “The torpedo is away, General.”

Takahashi straightened, standing at attention. His order would end in the death of many fine Japanese sailors. It would be a weight he would bear until the day he died.

29

29

President’s Private Residence
The White House
Washington, DC, USA

And so there it is, Fred.”

President Sam Adams Castilla sat on the sofa while Klein watched a flat screen on the wall. The image of a massive battleship on fire was shaky and clearly cobbled together from numerous sources.

Flames and smoke obscured the scene as the wind whipped across the slowly listing deck. Japanese sailors were running in every direction, trying to contain the fire, rescue their comrades, and retrieve bodies. Some were forced to throw themselves overboard, and Klein watched in horror as they took the long fall to the waves.

His ability to immediately analyze and make accurate predictions about any situation was one of the things that made him the president’s most trusted confidant. But what to make of this? How to calculate the potential ramifications?

“Does the media have access to this footage, Sam?”

“Not yet. Sanetomi’s clamped down on it, but it’s only a matter of time. By tomorrow, the entire world will be watching Japan’s brand-new battleship heading for the bottom of the sea with its captain and a lot of young kids still aboard.”

“Jesus,” Klein muttered as the screen faded to black. “What are our naval analysts saying about it?”

“We don’t have anything more than the video at this point,” Castilla said, taking a seat behind a modest desk. “But their initial reaction is that the damage is consistent with what you’d expect from a well-placed torpedo. In fact, just the kind that the Song-class sub in the area would be carrying.”

“And the Chinese?”

“They’re denying the attack. They insist that their sub has all torpedoes on board and accounted for. Of course, the Japanese say that means nothing. If China planned this, they’d have been smart enough to carry an extra and make everything look innocent.”