Chapter 1: 1952
President Truman began his solemn ascent from the taramac. The bright aluminum hull of Air Force 1 seemed a stark contrast to the dark world around him.
The war in Korea had gone badly, after a Chinese and North Korean attack upon Seoul Truman authorized a nuclear response to the Chinese. Unexpectedly, the Soviets decided that the United States could be defeated if they acted quickly. Russia was destroyed instantly, Europe, Northern Asia, the Orient, and soon North America would lie in ruins. Trans-Atlantic communitcations had been destroyed. If the Europeans were fighting the Russians, it was outside Washingtons reach. An evacuation of all major cities was underway.
Upon entering the plane, Truman took a seat away from the Cabinet and his family. 1952 could be the end of the United States. He ordered coffee from the flight attendant and began considering his options.
The US Nuclear Arsenal had been deployed. There were no nuclear weapons left to drop, besides what the Russians had flying to the US. The Army had no units within striking distance of any enemy targets, save a bold Airborne division in Pusan. The Navy had no real tactical value. The Airforce was frantically searching the skies for Russian bombers. No, there would be no retalitation.
What would the future of the world be? The Soviet Union was as naked as the United States when it came to strategic potential. The already weak China had barely got its feet in a stable government when the US nuked Beijing, leaving China in a state of anarchy. Europe was reminiscent of WW1. The rest of the world was cowering in fear, either sending its troops haphazardly across the map or making alliances that lasted for hours if the two sides didn't immediately betray each other.
"Mr. President" the Secretary of State was a meek little man, dating back to the Roosevelt administration. He had thick glasses and a white shirt and a tie hung around his neck. He was nervously tremebling and dripping in sweat. His predecessor had been killed in a nuclear attack on Pusan, the undersecretary wasn't competent to dictate foreign policy to a boulder, let alone handle a post-nuclear world.
"What is it Scott" Truman said passively.
"I think we ought to land the plane somewhere safe, Cuba maybe, I was thinking…"
"What for Scott?"
"Excuse me sir?"
"I said what for?"
"The people sir! The people need to know that your alive and well and that you hav…"
"It's me who subjected them to anarchy and mob rule I don't think that they'll care what becomes of me. No Scott, go up and tell that pilot to fly us anywhere, anywhere in the country that there's a safe airfield, the president will not abandon his people in a time of emergency!"
"Yes, but, yes sir."
Truman breathed a sigh and lay back in his seat. The plane gave a slight roar and began its ascent.
The plane landed several hours later in Colorado. The president was driven to a bunker from where he would direct country in the post-nuclear world.
Upon entering the bunker, the president was faced with the death estimations. Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Pheonix, Houston, Atlanta… It amazed Truman that a simple piece of paper was blank yesterday, but today held the names of the people who trusted him, believed in him, supported him. No real names were given of course, everyone was assigned a number. Truman started assigning identities to the numbers.
Number 3529: Five year old girl visiting grandparents, New York
Number 10042: Ten year old aspiring to be a scientist, Atlanta
Number 1679824: Twelve year old enjoying his birthday, Cleveland
Number 3: Recently repented criminal, San Francisco
Number 72: Eighty year old man mourning his wife, Boston
After reading the list of targets twice over. Truman visited the broadcasting room. The people needed to know that their country was not leaderless, that they could sleep at night, that help was on the way.
"My fellow Americans, today, at six o' clock eastern time, the United States of America was the target of a nuclear attack by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. I have contacted the Russian premeir and have agreed to a cease-fire you do not need to fear a further Soviet attack. In the coming weeks men from the National Beareu of Reconstruction will assist your communities in rebuilding what was lost. All Americans must remain vigiliant in the coming months, thank you, and god bless America."
Of course, there had been no contact with Moscow, but after what the US 116'th did to the Russians there was no possibility of another attack, and of course there never existed a National Beareu of Reconstrucion, and due to the lack of manpower, there never would be one.