2035 June 18th, 2020 CE (Five minutes earlier)

Fort Greely, Alaska

The night sky was veiled in darkness and the frigid Arctic air blew across a field where military police Humvees zoomed around. Tension gripped the soldiers stationed at the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense installation.

 

Inside the command center controlling the Ground-Based Interceptors, five soldiers sat in front of their monitors, each carrying out their task. The commanding officer, Colonel Chris Karbler, stood behind the five soldiers and looked at the three monitors that hung at the top of the front of the room. On the three monitors, blips slowly blinked across the map, each blip representing an approaching hostile missile. The atmosphere was heavy with the gravity of the situation.

 

The communication officer reported the situation. "One minute remaining until hostile missiles breach the threshold of our interceptors, sir." 

 

The commanding officer, Colonel Chris Karbler, glanced at the screens. He wasted no time in issuing his orders, his voice resonating with authority. "I want a ratio of two interceptors per hostile missile. Initiate the countdown at five seconds."

 

Acknowledging the command, the operations officer nodded with a firm resolve. The other soldiers swiftly moved into action. The room fell into a focused silence as they adjusted controls, double-checked systems, and ensured that every aspect was ready for the interceptors to launch.The operation officer soon began the countdown in a steady but undeniably urgent voice. "Five, four, three, two, one. Within range, sir." 

 

The commanding officer barked out the order to fire. "Engage!" 

 

Outside the command center, lights were flashing across the field where the interceptors rested in the launch tubes in the ground. Horns and warning messages were being broadcasted of the imminent launch. Military police that patrolled the interceptor missile field have already cleared off. 

 

The ground of the field burst in pillars of fire as the night sky soon lit up with the fiery trails of the 10 interceptor missiles. The thunderous roar of their engines filled the air, drowning out all the blaring horns and warning messages. 

 

The soldiers in the command center held their breath, their eyes locked on the monitors displaying the ongoing interception. 

 

0040 June 18th, 2020 CE (Now)

Washington D.C.

An aide gave the announcement. “Mr. President, we have just launched our ICBMs and the Ground-Based Interceptors are approaching the hostile missiles.”

Ronell had his entire being focused on the screen in front of him. The rest of the Situation Room was in a similar state of being. Projected across the screen, green blips representing the interceptors blinked slowly across the map edging ever closer towards the red blips of the hostile missiles. A singular blue blip over Idaho represented the American ICBM that had, mere seconds ago, been fired in response

 

Two minutes later

The green blips had converged on the red blips. Time slowed and the seconds seemingly felt like hours as Ronell waited to see if the red blips would continue. Two red blips blinked forwards. An aide got off the phone and bitterly confirmed what he saw. “Mr. President. Three missiles have been successfully intercepted. Two have broken through to our final line of defense.”

 

Ronell took a sip of his water, put the glass down, and made no comment.

 

Fort Greely, Alaska

The same screen was being shown on the three monitors at the top of the front of the room. The operation officer reported the result. “Confirmed interception and destruction of three of the five missiles headed towards San Francisco. Two missiles are confirmed undamaged and still heading to San Francisco.”

 

Three minutes later

Naval Base San Diego

The captain of the USS Spruance looked at the radar that showed the incoming two missiles. His Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was already loaded with all the SM-3 Block IIAs they could get their hands on, the newest variant of the SM-3 and was said to have the capability to possibly intercept ICBMs. However, this capability had never been tested. It was supposed to be tested against an ICBM by the end of this year but now it's going against the real deal. 

 

The captain's voice reverberated through the control room of the USS Spruance, cutting through the tension-filled air. “Split the SM-3s targeting between the two incoming missiles. Five on both.”

 

Under the light blue lights of the control room, the crew sprang into action. On the green radar screen, the two red blips representing the incoming missiles drew nearer. The crew manning the controls set the limited number of the Block IIAs to split between the imminent threats. As the missiles closed in on their target, the crew members stood ready to launch at the captain’s command.

 

The captain gave the order. "Five... four... three... two... one. Launch!" 

 

An ear-splitting siren blared on the deck of the ship. Both front VLS cells and the aft VLS cells opened up. The front and back of the ship were illuminated by a blaze of fire and smoke as if the sun had just appeared. The front and aft VLS cells launched their first SM-3 and the noise of their launch drowned out the siren. The noise of the siren returned as the first two SM-3 Block IIAs streaked skyward, leaving trails of exhaust smoke in their wake. The siren was interrupted again as the next two missiles launched. Two at a time, missiles streaked towards the sky. 

 

Skies over the Pacific

Two missiles traveled over the Pacific. Under the moonlight, the missiles were shaped like a dark greenish mass of meat. It was pulsating and seemingly had small limbs and eyes jutting out everywhere. Fire spewed out of the back of the missiles through some unknown chemical reaction that propelled the organic missiles forward at insane speeds. One of the eyes on the missile moved its pupil after noticing something blazing towards it.

 

Naval Base San Diego

The crew members in the USS Spruance control room fixated their eyes on the radar screen, tracking the trajectory of the hostile missiles. Beads of sweat formed on some of their brows as they watched.

 

The green blips of ten SM-3 Block IIAs closed in on both red blips.

 

Washington D.C.

The Situation Room was filled with tense anticipation as the green blips representing the SM-3 interceptors closed in on their targets. President Ronell's gaze remained fixed on the map display, his heart pounding in his chest. The room buzzed with restrained energy, the air thick with the weight of the impending outcome.

 

The first two SM-3s that reached the first missile seemingly missed, two green blips flying past the red blip. However the green blip of the third SM-3 seemed to have stopped right on the red blip of the missiles. Both the red blip and green blip disappeared. However, no cheers could be heard for the interception though. The second hostile missile had yet to be hit by its fourth SM-3. The fourth blip flying past it. The fifth and last SM-3 moved ever closer to the missile. Seconds ticked by. The last green and red blip converged. The red blip moved forward. Everybody looked at the phone as it rang. 

 

An aide picked up the phone. He proceeded to announce the bitter news to President Ronell, his voice laced with disappointment. "Mr. President, despite the successful interception of the first missile, all five of the SM-3s meant for the second missile have failed. It's continuing towards San Francisco."

 

Ronell's expression tightened, his disappointment mirrored in the somber faces surrounding him. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily upon them.

 

San Francisco

The commander of the Bradley that Eric was in shouted into the crew compartment.  “I just got informed that one of the missiles got through. Brace for impact!”