Chapter 42: Without A Trace Of Reluctance
Daniel sat in the office, still staring fixedly at the screen, watching the dynamic simulation image on the screen, where the bright spot representing the opponent’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile slowly moved above the massive Earth.
Of course, this was an image drawn by our side’s space detection and defense system’s radar station, not those published in real time by the opponent.
But for now, they appear to have no difference; it seems the opponent did not fake it.
The telephone rang again: “Daniel, our missile has been intercepted!”
With a boom, like a thunderbolt exploding in his head, Daniel’s thoughts seemed to freeze in that instant.
“This is impossible! Our missile has already passed the most dangerous ascent phase and entered the midcourse! How could it be intercepted!”
In the ascent phase, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile’s infrared signature is most obvious, and its speed is slowest. Most Intercontinental Ballistic Missile interception technology focuses on the ascent phase.
Interception technology targeting the midcourse and terminal phase is not mastered by any nation at present, let alone interception in actual combat.
Because in the midcourse of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, the missile speed reaches several kilometers per second—too fast, how to intercept it?
Not to mention the terminal phase—during the terminal phase, the missile is not only within the atmosphere, but its speed is even faster, reaching up to over ten kilometers per second, even more impossible to intercept.
And… our missile was intercepted in the midcourse?
“It’s the laser satellite! They used the laser satellite to destroy the key module of our missile, causing the missile to malfunction!
Now it not only cannot detonate, it has become a lump of iron, crashing wherever it falls, completely out of our control!”
Daniel’s expression grew increasingly terrified.
He looked at the screen and saw that the opponent’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile warhead had already flown thousands of kilometers; in at most three minutes, it would reach the sky above the city where he was.
Our side’s missile had completely lost its threat to the opponent.
The opponent could hit us, but we couldn’t hit them!
This meant that even if the opponent really broke their previous promise and let the missile warhead smash into the city where he was and detonate the nuclear bomb, our side would be helpless, unable even to retaliate in kind.
And obviously, the city where he was had the highest strategic value along the entire missile path!
If the opponent really wanted to destroy a city, the probability of destroying the city where he was would be the highest.
“FUCK, FUCK!”
Daniel trembled all over, instinctively wanting to transfer to the nuclear shelter.
But he moved his body a bit, then slowly stopped.
Those old guys must have already transferred to the nuclear shelter first; his level wasn’t high enough, he couldn’t get in…
The only thing he could do was to stay here honestly, just like the tens of millions of ordinary people living in this city, obediently waiting for fate’s verdict.
He tremblingly walked to the window, pushed open the window, and looked toward the sky.
The sky was deep blue, cloudless for miles. A gentle breeze blew, neither hot nor cold—a fine day.
He just stared wide-eyed at the sky, silently beginning to pray.
A flash suddenly pierced Daniel’s eyes, making him tremble instantly.
Damn it, nuclear explosion?!
The next moment, the flash disappeared.
Daniel then realized it was probably just the reflection from a piece of glass on the ground or a nearby building.
A false alarm, but Daniel’s body nearly collapsed, his heart pounding uncontrollably, his emotions almost breaking down.
He roared loudly out the window: “FUCK! FUCK!…”
Looking at the radar image again, he saw the missile was only 30 seconds from the city where he was.
Although he knew full well that with the missile’s speed he couldn’t possibly see it, he still stared wide-eyed at the deep blue sky.
30, 29… 2, 1…
Over a thousand kilometers away, the missile silently passed over the city without the slightest pause.
It left?
He looked at the radar image and finally confirmed the news.
The missile really left.
It really flew past the city where he was.
At this point, his body really collapsed to the ground, his mouth only able to repeatedly chant that one word: “FUCK, FUCK…”
…
“Our missile was intercepted by them! Our interception failed!
The missile has flown past Ton City, and in one minute it will reach Luo City! After that is Tu City, Yu City…”
No one knew which city this missile would ultimately land in.
In the city, people surged in terror toward underground garages, subways, and other places.
Air raid sirens that hadn’t sounded in decades echoed throughout the entire city.
Some people didn’t go underground but instead went to the rooftops.
If a nuclear bomb with over one million tons of TNT equivalent exploded in the city, being underground did offer a higher survival probability.
But… is a nuclear bomb’s lethality only the explosion and shockwave?
No, there’s also the destruction of order and systems.
With the city gone, water supply, power supply, food supply—all gone, could this city still support so many people surviving?
Impossible.
Even if they survived the first wave, over 95% would die miserably afterward.
Since that’s the case… better pray it doesn’t fall on our city.
Countless people silently gazed at the sky, silently praying.
Clearly a fine day with skies clear for miles, yet the atmosphere in the entire city at this moment was as heavy and oppressive as if a storm was imminent.
But this situation was completely reversed in just a few short minutes.
In that instant, people who had been praying with eyes closed suddenly threw their arms wide, cheering and roaring, embracing each other.
People who had been hiding underground rushed out like birds from a cage, cheering wildly on the empty chaotic streets; countless people were so excited they shed tears, countless knelt on the ground thanking the heavens.
Because just before, that missile had flown past their city.
Without a trace of lingering, without leaving any mark, just passing by.
This scene kept replaying in every city along the missile’s orbit. Until over ten minutes later, when it flew past the last city on the continent.
It flew toward the ocean.
Atlantic Ocean, some high seas area.
The sun hung high, sky deep blue, no wind or rain, sea calm.
Several survey ships and warships were quietly anchored here, as if waiting for something.
The next moment, a giant wave over a hundred meters high suddenly erupted on the calm sea surface, the entire ocean shaking.
Only after several seconds did the massive explosion sound and waves reach people’s ears.
Then, everything returned to calm.
Clearly, this Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that flew over ten thousand kilometers, passing over dozens of major cities, had only conventional high explosive in its warhead, not a nuclear bomb.
An announcement was issued in a television station live broadcast, appearing before billions of viewers worldwide.
“The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launched by our country this time accurately hit a certain high seas area, with error not exceeding ten meters; the experiment was a complete success…”
