USA 2002 in 1942 section 7

__TOC__
While ISOT American 2002 (Written by Dave Knudson) is the 2002 US transported to 1942 it can serve as a rough template on how the Infopunk and Dieselpunk Earths interact. The formatting at the source archive has issues and so the piece is provided here. Due to its size it is in sections. It not clear if chapter 20 was used for something else or the numbering is incorrect.
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 1
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 2
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 3
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 4
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 5
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 6
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 7
*USA 2002 in 1942 section 8
==USA 2002 in 1942 ISOT Part 19 "Conferences"==
Contrary to what many mystery writers would posit, coincidence does
occur. The world is so large, and so complicated, and has so many
disparate people living in it that "coincidence" - as it is termed by
some - is actually inevitable. Some might call it fate, others
serendipity, still others a weird convergence.
Whatever the term, it certainly happened a few days after the British
raid on Essen. The strange occurrence of March 23, 2002 - though
still completely mysterious - had happened long enough in the past
that people were reacting to it in a non-flabbergasted way; that is,
the usual human weaknesses were coming in to it. First of all, the
United States from 2002 evidently wasn't going anywhere. Whatever
mysterious intelligence (and most conceded that it was an
intelligence) had deposited the United States into 1942 seemed content
to leave it there.
The human emotional price for this was immense. Literally millions
of people had been shorn away from homes, loved ones - familiarity was
nowhere to found. Most impacted were the American citizens from 1942
who had been outside the United States on that fateful day. Their
families were gone - and their country was now
Unrecognisable.
The 2002 government did it's best to succour these people; civilians
and military alike. The government also did it's best for 2002
citizens whose loved ones had been overseas in 2002 - and hence lost
to the mists of time. The traditional strengths of society -
government and religion - were helpless before the event, however. 
They could not explain it - and worse, they could not prevent it from
happening again.
This fact drove the salient points of the coincidence. In raw form
the coincidence was a series of meetings that took place around the
globe at the same time. The agendas for these meetings were almost
identical - a startling fact given the disparity of locations, and
individuals at these meetings.
The meetings were about the United States, and what to do about it. 
Specifically, what it meant, and what place in the world other powers
and cultures might have. Given the diversity of the participants and
locations, there many opinions presented.
The first meeting was held late in the morning in Camp David,
Maryland. Participants included most of the senior leadership of the
United States, including the President, Vice-President, Secretary of
State, Senate and House leaderships from both parties, and the JCS.
This meeting was probably the most critical, as the United States
possessed most of the military power- and therefore the most options. 
Despite the smashing of the German counterstroke, and the increasing
speed with which the US Army was advancing through Europe, deep
problems remained. These problems fell into two categories; immediate
military problems, and the longer-term strategic issues.
In the shorter term, while many German units were unable to offer
resistance; and indeed many were starting to surrender, many others
were dug into German urban areas. In particular, Berlin was heavily
garrisoned by SS and Wehrmacht troops - over 300,000 in all. While
the US could take the city, casualties were likely to be high. The
JCS said they needed another two months to secure logistics in
Germany, isolate other Nazi pockets of resistance, and gather forces -
infantry and air assault - for the attack on Berlin.
There were grimaces at the number of casualties that an infantry
assault against hardened German regulars in an urban environment would
cost. Bush was adamant about this, though. Berlin was to be taken as
soon as possible. The US President had been badly shaken by the gas
attack on London, and Churchill's reaction to it. Bush wanted Hitler,
and if Enduring Freedom had taught him anything, it was that getting
the main guy was important.
Mussolini in Italy was still defiant, but with the Italian Navy gone,
and the Italian army being interned by the British 8th Army in North
Africa, it was not expected to present a problem. George Tenet,
director of the CIA, revealed that the US was already in contact with
certain members of the Italian government. Steps were being taken -
both by the US and Italians - to ensure that Italy did not see the
same kind of fighting that was gutting Germany.
Japan was a bigger problem. The IJN had been utterly destroyed
(except for those two fleet carriers the US couldn't locate), and the
combination of SSN and CVN was proving unbreakable as far as the
blockade went. However, Japan was showing no inclination to negotiate
a peace. To invade the islands would require literally hundreds of
thousands of troops, and take years. Casualties - both for US troops
and Japanese civilians were likely to be extreme.
Both of the tactical issues could be solved with nuclear weapons. 
Nobody was particularly interested in that - yet. It was hoped that
the assault on Berlin would break the Germans, while the CIA and NSA
had cooked up a scheme for dealing with Japan. Bush looked curious
about this, but the plans were still being formed - he would be
briefed later.
Strategically, the US faced three big issues - China, the USSR, and
the British Empire. In China, the Japanese Army was finding itself
isolated from its supply sources in Japan and Manchuria. The Chinese
were fighting the Japanese, but the civil war was heating up again. 
The best Nationalist and Communist units were fighting each other, and
Tenet believed that both sides were receiving advice from certain
members of the 2002 embassies of the two Chinas that were now making
their way over there.
A map of China was brought up on an electronic screen, with different
colors for areas under Nationalist, Communist, Japanese, Manchurian,
and "other" forces. It looked like bad modern art to Bush; no one
faction controlled anything like a coherent territory. Condi Rice
asked about the "other" designation, and was informed by Tenet that it
represented warlords, bandits, communists-communists, independent ethnic
groups of various types, and the like. There were more grimaces. 
China was a morass, and nobody wanted to get involved in it.
The Soviet Union was a different matter. The fighting in Finland was
nearing an end as the Red Army pushed its way forward. Satellites
showed the Soviets digging in along the old 1941 pact line with
Germany, and Stalin had remained silent after the Amonpour interview. 
The group was in agreement here - the Soviets would be restricted to
their 1939 national borders. No one liked the idea of invading
Russia, but no one liked Stalin either. Additionally, Bush instructed
the NSA and CIA to maintain a careful watch for any nuclear testing or
development by the Soviets. Stalin would not be allowed to develop
nuclear weapons.
The JCS recommended that if Bush wanted, plans for an outright
invasion of the USSR could be created. Bush nodded, as did Rice. 
Additionally, it was hoped the example of the United States would
prove to the Soviets that they did not have a lock on the future as
far as economic models went. Additionally, the JCS noted that the
performance of the US Army was making a deep impression on the members
of the STAVKA in Harwich. Koniev had been deeply impressed. Some US
officers - and some members of the 2002 Russian embassy - had been
pointing out to the Soviets in Harwich that relations between the two
countries could be vastly improved without Stalin.
Finally, the issue of the British Empire came up. Bush had been a
fan of Churchill before arriving in 1942 - seeing the man in action
had only reinforced that feeling. Despite the disagreement over
Essen, Bush - and others - could see the man's point, and couldn't
honestly say that they would not have done the same in his shoes. The
British had happily coordinated their troops with American plans, and
even now British regulars were doing hard fighting in Germany.
The problem was the Empire. Over a million of Americans were from
various parts of the British Empire - from Indians and Pakistanis to
Kenyans, Burmese, and Malayans. While for the most part they had been
quiet, with the war seemingly almost won, and the shock of being in
1942 wearing off, they were demanding - more and more vocally, that
the British Empire withdraw from their homelands, and the US recognize
their independence.
Most of the American government was inclined to agree with this. 
After all, the British would lose the Empire sooner or later; indeed,
even the original Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations had done
little to help the British keep their Empire. The problem was that
Churchill and the British government of 1942 had access to the history
books. They knew what had happened, and might very well take steps to
prevent it.
The US government was in a real quandary, and they knew it. Quite
simply, the British Empire was not democratic; it was territory the
British were exploiting to enrich themselves. On the other hand, the
British had deep, and traditional ties to the United States, and were
active allies in the war against Hitler.
Bush fretted about this. There was a lot of talk about quietly
recognizing components of the Empire as being independent, but doing
nothing - in much the same way that the United States had never
recognized the incorporation of the Baltic States into the USSR in the
original timeline. Like with China, no one wanted to get involved in
this, but circumstance would not let them sit it out. It was decided
that Bush would meet with Churchill after Berlin fell to openly
discuss the situation.
While the Americans fretted about what to do, the British were having
a conference of their own. Meeting at Chequers (a place the Americans
hadn't been, and presumably hadn't placed any of their magical
listening devices), indoors (so the Americans' satellites couldn't see
them), Churchill and Imperial War Council met. As far as the war was
concerned, things were going swimmingly. The Americans' sophisticated
technology was shredding the Germans, and the Japanese. It was clear
that the West was going to win - and better yet, the Soviets were
going to be pushed back to their 1939 borders.
That was good, all agreed. What was bad was that the Americans were
very anti-imperialist. The fact that their society was so ethnically
diverse, and that so many non-whites had positions of power within it
meant that the United States was distinctly unsympathetic to the
problems of the Empire. The British had reference materials from 2002
that clearly showed the decline of the Empire, and now they wanted to
do something about it.
What was amazing to the British, in addition to how complete the
collapse of the Empire in 1950s and 1960s seemed to have happened, was
that it left such a mess behind. India had been split into three
countries based on the Hindu-Muslim divide, and it seemed they'd been
at each others' throats ever since. Worse, in 1998, both developed
atomic weapons, and threatened not only each other but also the whole
region with nuclear annihilation. Africa was a mess, with a new type
of government prevailing - a "kleptocracy". It was even worse in the
former French parts; genocide between warring tribes seemed to rule
the day there - while Algeria was a conflict between a fascist
military government, and a horrifying confluence of radical islamists.
The real issue was the Middle East. It seemed that most post-war
problems centered around a state of Israel that had been carved out of
Transjordan. This had enraged the Muslims of the area, and the fact
that these "Israelis" seemed to be such doughty fighters (a fact that
Monty had commented on from the ruins of Warsaw) meant that it was a
festering sore in 2002, never closing.
Despite the protestations of the Americans, and of the people from
the Empire in the 2002 United States, it was obvious to all at
Chequers that decolonisation had been a disaster - both for the
Europeans and for those they ruled. The question, what was to be done
about it.
It was clear that the Americans wouldn't move until after the war. 
That was good. Additionally, the Americans seemed much more concerned
with the USSR than the British Empire. That was also good. Then what?
The technology of mass media was a powerful tool; Goebbels in Germany
had used it well - until the Americans shut him down, that was. The
British would use that as well. They would stand foursquare with the
Americans in this war, and the one presumably headed at the USSR. 
Meanwhile, they would blitz the US mass media with examples of the
Empire's benefits - to Kenya to India to Singapore. The Commonwealth
of the late 20th Century seemed to be an interesting idea. Perhaps
something like that could be worked out.
Meanwhile the government would work the Americans to come up with a
post-war structure that would address the Americans' needs -
particularly in the Middle East where the powerful Israeli lobby in
Washington was already demanding a State of Israel - while preserving
the British Empire. The British were already the beneficiaries of
more technology than any other 1942 state save Canada (and
surprisingly, Cuba, but that was another story). That technology
would be used - to hold the British Empire.
At New Zossen, the mood was grim beyond belief. The Germans Army had
been smashed - Thule had done little besides destroy the Luftwaffe,
and bring a gas attack on Essen. German command and control was gone - New Zossen had contact with virtually nothing.
There were two camps at New Zossen - those who recognized that the
war was lost and the best Germany could do was sue fore peace before
any more damage was done. Then there were the hawks. The said that
Germany still held most of continental Europe, and the Army, while
being pushed back, could still offer resistance to the Americans in a
guerrilla capacity, if nothing else.
Generally speaking, the camps were comprised of regular Wehrmacht in
the "peace" camp, and the hardcore SS and Nazis (with a few Wehrmacht)
as "Hawks". Instructions from Hitler in Berlin were irregularly
received, but consistent in content - resist until the end, no
compromise with the Americans allowed. Shoot deserters, and scorch
Germany.
Even the hawks thought this a bit off. Therefore, when the time
came, some of the hawks participated. As the Americans met at Camp
David, and the British at Chequers, a nasty little firefight broke out
in New Zossen. The "doves" initiated it, and had brought in a
battalion of infantry to help them. The hawks - led by Heinrich
Himmler - fought back fanatically. It was a brutal fight, and in the
end, Himmler and the others fled. The doves, led by Heinz Guderian,
tried to pursue, but frantic radio calls by Himmler had attracted the
attention of a US F-16 flight, which hit New Zossen. The damage was
not severe, but it delayed Guderian enough that Himmler and his
followers escaped.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, yet another meeting was held. This occurred in
the Kremlin, and included the politburo and senior members of STAVKA. 
This also included Koniev, flown in from Harwich.
Stalin was concerned about the pace of American military operations
against the Germans. He glared at the table, and turned on Molotov. 
Stalin wanted to know what they should do now, what with the course
they had embarked on which had been recommended by the Foreign
Minister. Molotov appeared totally non-plussed at this accusation. 
The fact that Soviet policy since March 23 had been recommended by
Stalin and not Molotov was irrelevant; fact was not something Stalin
let cloud his thinking. Molotov said simply that there was no way to
predict how effective the future Americans would be, and that the
growing speed of German collapse was evidence of the futility of their
economic and political systems - just as chairman Stalin had always said.
Flattery was something that impacted Stalin, and his eyes turned from
Molotov to Koniev. What about the Americans? Was their equipment as
good as all that? It was unbelievable, said Koniev. Their ability to
detect enemy movements - and react quickly to it - was unheralded. 
They backed that up with superb training and massive hardware
superiority. There were only a dozen divisions of Americans in Europe - yet they were conquering the continent - with ease.
Nikita Khrushchev spoke up. What about the inherent class
differences in the American Army? Surely the inequities of the
capitalist system meant that the American soldiers labored unwillingly
under the yoke of oppression. Koniev was not as experienced in Soviet
politics as others at that meeting, but he'd been there enough not to
snort in derision at the question as he wanted to. Instead, he spoke
slowly and clearly. While the Politburo member was correct that those
inequities must exist, the Americans' indoctrination efforts must be
very good. Koniev had seen little in the way of rebellious spirit
among the Americans he had seen; indeed, many seemed committed to the
United States.
Stalin waved his hand at this. Of course the Soviets would only have
been around indoctrinated Americans - Stalin was sure that the
Americans would not show Koniev real troops. There were nods all
around at this (agreeing with Stalin was healthy), and Koniev nodded
as well. He did not say that the Americans had made no efforts to
keep him from meeting any soldiers - it would serve no purpose.
Beria spoke. Broadcasts picked up from the United States had not
diminished in their anti-Soviet rhetoric. The 2002 Russian Embassy
seemed to be leading the charge - though it was undoubtedly populated
exclusively by revanchist pseudo-Tsarists. Still the core issue
remained. The Americans would soon finish with the Germans. Then what?
Stalin was quiet, so Molotov spoke again. The glorious Red Army
would soon finish liberating Finland. As much as it pained him to
suggest it, the dialectic did not provide for capitalists from the
future. It might be best to give Finland up - as a temporary
concession only, of course - to give the Americans the illusion that
the USSR knew it was finished. That would give the brilliant
scientists of the Soviet Union time to develop counters to weapons of
the plutocrats. Meanwhile, the Americans would find it impossible to
hold Finland; once the common people there had experienced Socialism,
they would want more.
Khrushchev spoke again, agreeing with Molotov. Molotov hated owing
anyone favors, but he needed the support of at least one member of
this circle, no matter how junior. Stalin's eyes flicked from Molotov
to Khrushchev, and a glimmer of paranoia crept into them, but when no
one else spoke he relaxed. He asked for opinions of the suggestion of
the Foreign Minister. Everyone gave a carefully crafted non-opinion
that it might be a good idea. Or might not.
Stalin sighed, and nodded at Molotov, who relaxed internally. Stalin
spoke to Zhukov. Zhukov was to continue liberating the Finns,
wrapping it up as soon as possible. Molotov would contact the
Americans. An aide entering the room interrupted Stalin. Interested
news had been received - from Vladivostok.
==USA 2002 in 1942 ISOT Part 21 "Land Wars in Asia"==
"There's something you should know," said the Spaniard.
"What's that?" asked the Man in Black.
"I am not left handed."
There was a gasp, and then a giggle. Five-year-old Geoffrey Winthrop
covered his mouth with his hands as the Spaniard's sword flew through
the air. The Man in Black parried, and the fight resumed.
The sun was high in the sky over the aquamarine and turquoise waters
of Abaco's Treasure Key. The vibrant colors of the water gave way to
the pure white sand of the beach, and then the dense green of pines
and palmettos, and, for the life of him, Geoffrey's father Harold
Winthrop could not imagine what anyone would want here. The Bahamas
were hardly the top notch place to be assigned in His Majesty's
Foreign Service, and Harold knew - just knew - that real reason he'd
been assigned here in 1939 was because a war had started, and a man
with his weakness for the bottle couldn't be trusted in a sensitive spot.
Well, he was in a sensitive spot now. It was impossible to not to
know of the profound change that had undertaken the world, when the
United States from 2002 appeared, and even Harold knew about the
impact they were having Europe. In Freetown, all anyone could talk
about was how the Americans were overrunning Germany, and the big
Battle of Berlin was shaping up to come soon. There'd been strict
instructions from London as well - limited contact only with the
Americans. They knew too much, and even wary men could be fooled.
However, one night in Freetown, at his favorite bar (just about the
only bar in Freetown, as a matter of fact), Harold had been approached
by a man with an easy smile and lots of money. That the man was an
American was obvious - and from the future, even more obvious. He had
an easy manner, and got in well with Harold, and had introduced
himself as Mike Santarino from Newark. When he learned that Harold
had an important position in the British Colonial Administration here
(well, important for the Bahamas), he'd been delighted. He'd offered
to take Harold on his yacht - there were certain investment ideas had
wanted to discuss. Harold had demurred, but the promise of more
money, and a good time had swayed him. Besides, said Mike, bring the
lad. A day on the water will do him good.
So, Harold agreed, and met Mike's boat - The Jersey Belle - at an
isolated dock away from Freetown. Palatial didn't begin to describe
the 72-foot yacht. There were staterooms, bars, and even a miniature
theatre with movies - like the Princess Bride - which Geoffrey was
watching with delight. Also, there was plenty of liquor - and the girls.
Harold had been stunned at the ridiculous clothing - called 'bikinis'
after some island in the Pacific Ocean - that these women wore. They
were friends of Mike's, and Harold struggled not to stare at them. 
They were gorgeous, and Harold sweated beneath his white suit. He
didn't want to offend Mike, but as soon as the Belle left, Mike - and
the girls - made it plain that he could stare all he wanted. While
one kept his glass full, another sat on the chair next to him, rubbing
his shoulders. Harold knew about prostitutes of course, but refused
to believe these women could be ladies of the night - they were simply
too gorgeous, and besides, it was the middle of the day.
Mike Santarino - Mikey Cool to his friends - smiled inwardly. He'd
presented himself as an agent of Weyerhauser Lumber. In the 1950s
Weyerhauser moved into the Abacos in force, only to discover that the
trees here weren't high enough quality lumber to justify the expense. 
What they did discover was that Americans would pay a lot of money to
come here for the other attractions. Sun, surf, snorkelling - and
parties. Yep, this was prime-grade real estate, and with Harold
signing contracts, it would all belong to the Family.
With the Cubans already sealing up the Northern Caribbean, and the
British and Dutch owning just about everything else, opportunities
were few and far between. Some twit at the DEA figured out that the
real way to stop the drug trade was to move in hard and fast and
early, before the networks had a chance to re-establish themselves. 
The newspapers and CNN could crow all they wanted about Israelis and
Cuba - Mikey knew the real reason. The DEA and INS and every other
alphabet soup government agency with any interest in the drug trade
had set up shop in Cuba, far from the prying eyes of the American
Media or Congress.
Treasure Key was the result. The Bahamas were close - some would say
too close - to the United States, and available. There was a ton of
cash to made here - both legitimate and illegitimate - and Mikey
wanted in. He could already see the hotels and casinos that would be
set up - and all for a song. The Sea of Abaco - five to seven mile
wide strip of water between Abaco and smaller island like Green Turtle
and Great Guano Keys - could serve as the highway to the Family's -
and Mikey's - dreams with the legitimate businesses on Abaco and the
not so legitimate on the others.
The best part was that the islands were not independent, but part of
the British Empire. That had worried Mikey (the British being
notoriously hard to bribe) until he got there and realized just how
huge the British Empire was in 1942. India, half of Africa, other
places all over were British. And, since no one had considered
tourism as a moneymaker in 1942, well, the Bahamas just didn't rate
first-class people. Instead, they got people like Harold. Mikey
really liked Harold. He was a total slave to his baser passions, but
maintained a rigid pose that just screamed British aristocrat. A few
nights in Freetown had revealed him to be a bitter, failed, and
eminently corruptible official. Just Mikey's kind of guy.
A little booze, a few girls, and a promise of soundproof rooms on the
Belle (so as not to disturb little Geoffrey, watching his movie), and
Harold was signing anything Mikey put in front of him.
Harold staggered to feet. Linda and Bonita giggled and rose with
him. Linda glanced at Mikey, who gave a barely perceptible nod. They
would make sure that Harold enjoyed the rest of his day before they
returned him and his son to Freetown. As the happy trio stuttered off
to a stateroom, Mikey leaned back in his seat. He contemplated the
view for a moment, and then heard maniacal laughter and glanced in the
room where the movie was playing on the DVD.
"You've committed one of the two classic blunders," screeched the
Sicilian. "The first is never get involved with a land war in Asia". 
Mikey tuned him out. He'd seen the movie.
Still, that was good advice.
Asia - and wars in it - were very much on the minds of the two men
seated at a small table in the rear room of a restaurant in Chicago's
Chinatown. The restaurant was open, and doing a fair amount of lunch
business, but the back room was closed for a private party. Six men,
all Chinese - were in the back room.
There were three tables in the room. A radio blasted out an
improbably loud mix of rap and salsa music, which destroyed the
ambiance of the restaurant, and effective masked the conversation that
was taking place in the room. Two of the tables were very large, and
covered with a variety of Chinese dishes. Four of the six men sat
these two tables, two at each. They were eating, but were focused on
each other with a degree of wariness that professional bodyguards
would have recognized.
The third table was small rectangle, and had nothing more than a
small teapot, which steamed gently, and two cups. Two middle-aged
Chinese men faced each other. Lee Ho was a cultural attaché to the
mission that the Republic of China - Taiwan's official name -
maintained in Washington. Wei Jong was a Special Assistant to the
official ambassador to the United Nations for the People's Republic of
China. While their titles were innocuous enough, they were the power
of their respective governments in China and Taiwan, and this meeting
was unprecedented.
Wei sipped his tea, and glanced at Lee. Neither man had spoken of
anything consequential yet - and Wei was waiting for Lee to open the
discussion. He was curious - the Embassy of the PRC was trying to
contact Mao, but the United States was not making that easy, and Wei
at least had no real desire (beyond historical fascination) to put
himself under the command of a peasant with poor taste in wives. Lee
had called the meeting, and Wei agreed, simply to see what the man had
to say.
Lee sipped his tea. "The event of March 22 was, I think, very
fortunate."
Wei cocked his head. "I agree. Most fortunate - for the future of
China."
"Yes. The future of China. That is what I wish to speak of -
China."
Wei studied his tea. "It would seem that fate has provided a chance
for China to resume her rightful place in the world - even sooner than
it would have seemed earlier than March 22."
Lee smiled. "I agree, of course. But let us speak of the future. 
For it seems to me that China has two possible futures in front of it.
And I do not think that you and I would have the same future for China."
Wei simply looked at him.
"One future is a sad one. In it, you go to your faction and I go to
mine-"
"Chairman Mao is not a faction. He is the future of China." Wei
interjected.
Lee actually snorted, a surprisingly indelicate and American-sounding
expression given the circumstances. "Yes, the Great Chairman. Tell
me - do you actually carry a copy of his little red book?" Wei stared
hard at Lee, but couldn't faze him. Lee would well aware of the
unofficial panic that gripped the remnants of the PRC government in
the United States at the thought of dealing with Mao.
"What is it you wish to say, Mr. Lee?"
"Yes - two futures. One in which Chairman Mao, aided by you, and
Generalissimo Chaing Kai-Shek, aided by us, fight the Civil War again,
but with much more terrible weapons-"
"We would win - will win - as we did in the past." Wei was blunt. 
"Especially since the Nationalists have no access to American weapons
as they did originally." Wei allowed himself a small smile. "Just as
the Soviets are discovering, relying on the United States of 1942 was
a misplaced faith."
Lee gestured with his tea. "Yes, you might - just might win." He
sat back and sighed. "Yes, then what a glorious future China would
have. The Cultural Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, the Gang of
Four - yes, I can see how that would appeal."
Wei actually winced. "You spoke of two futures, Mr. Lee?"
Lee sipped again. "Yes. I believe that both Mao and Chaing can
serve us - and China - in identical ways."
Wei smiled. "And how might they do that?" A note of incredulity
crept into his voice.
Lee stared at the ceiling for a moment, and then looked directly at
Wei.
"As martyrs."
For a moment neither man moved. Wei sat, simply shocked that anyone
in Lee's position would suggest the assassination of the two dominant
figures in Chinese history of the mid-20th century. Lee spoke again.
"Neither of them ever did China any good, Mr. Wei. The people who
can lead China - all of it - to greatness are here in the United
States. Mao is a brutal peasant and Chaing a bloodthirsty warlord. 
Neither seeks any but his own greatness, and China will suffer for
decades if they are allowed to pursue this foolishness."
Wei drank his tea, and stalled. "China needs a strong government to
care for 1.3 billion people-"
"China does not have 1.3 billion people, Mr. Wei. It has less than
half that, and we can keep it that way if we cooperate. My people
will recognize the primacy of your - candidate - for the leadership of
China. In return, we want a say in what goes on."
Wei stalled some more. "The Japanese rule a good part of China. The
Americans destroyed their navy, but I do not think they will invade
the home islands any time soon."
Lee waved. "The Japanese are fanatics. They are of no moment, no
matter who long it takes to expel them. While that is happening - and
the Americans are fruitlessly bashing away at them - we can organize. 
We can give China the government it deserves - it needs - to be
great."
Wei drank his tea. He stared for a moment at the other man, and then
rose. Two security men rose as well, and followed Wei to the door.
Wei paused, and looked at Lee. "Tell me, Mr. Lee, who would be
responsible for the Martyrdom of which you spoke?"
The other man shrugged. "It hardly matters. We can blame the
Japanese. Or even the Russians."
Wei nodded slowly. "Thank you for the tea, Mr. Wei. And, the
conversation was - well, more interesting than I might have thought. 
As the Americans say, I will be in touch." With that, he left.
Lee finished his tea, and nodded to himself. That had gone as well
as he'd dared allow himself to hope.
Private Senji Taemura of the Imperial Japanese Army enjoyed the
breeze coming in off the Pacific. It blew the stench of Tokyo away,
and allowed the young man to enjoy the spectacle of Mt. Fuji beneath a
sliver crescent of a moon. He adjusted his rifle on his back, and
gazed at the sight, and tried to ignore the hunger pangs he felt.
Whatever propaganda the government put out, they couldn't deny the
reality that was hitting Japan. Very few motor vehicles moved in
Tokyo, and the emptiness of the food markets. Senji had heard rumors
of a huge naval defeat some time ago. He was supposed to ignore that - the Imperial Fleet was sailing to victory against the Americans even
now - but if that was the case, then where was the oil, the fuel, and
the food from China and the NEI?
Senji was so lost in thought that at first he mistook the sound in
the sky for the drone of a patrol Zero the Japanese still infrequently
flew over Tokyo. Then he realized it was an entirely different sound.
He stared hard at the direction the noise was coming from, and then
saw them. He blinked, for what he saw were not like any aircraft he'd
ever seen before. There were almost two dozen of them - and they had
no wings. Senji had been briefed on Auto-rotor flying craft that the
Americans had - and concluded these must be them.
Senji stared hard. He knew these helicopters could carry armed
troops, and place them anywhere they choose. But those twenty craft
couldn't possibly carry enough soldiers to threaten Tokyo - not even
close. The Senji plotted their course from what he could see. He was
a native of Tokyo, and he gasped in horror as he saw them descend
towards a beautiful park-like area.
The Imperial Palace.
Colonel Robert Searle of the United States Army grunted as the
G-forces hit him. The blackhawk he rode on turned hard to avoid
something Searle couldn't see, and the harness bit into his shoulders.
This plan was not his idea, and, much as he hated to admit it,
despite the pucker factor, the Pentagon might have had an idea here. 
Searle knew enough history to know that the United States would be
forced to essentially starve the Japanese out to win, and no one
wanted that.
The idea of hitting them with the Marines was there, of course, but
Searle shuddered to think of the casualties that would cause - both
Japanese and American. No, there had to be another way, and this was
the idea they had. The lights in the cramped cabin of the Blackhawk
turned green, and the Rangers Searle commanded made last-minute
adjustments to their gear. Then the helicopter touched down.
Searle was running the before the helicopter stopped moving. Apaches
took out watchtowers and guard posts with hellfire missiles and auto
cannons, and the Japanese were taken by surprise. Each Ranger had an
assigned mission, an assigned target to take out. Intel put close to
two hundred thousand troops in Tokyo, but only the emperor's personal
guards were in the palace.
The rangers hit hard and fast, and Searle and men swept through the
palace. The resistance they met was fanatical. No one could accuse
the Japanese of either cowardice or stupidity, and they had to know
what Searle and the Rangers were after. Searle's hope was to get
there fast enough, get what he came after, and get out before all of
Tokyo fell on him.
The Palace was beautifully landscaped, of course, and Searle felt a
twinge as explosions from the fighting ripped it to shreds. They'd
all been thoroughly briefed, and they moved like the well-trained
soldiers they were.
Someone opened up with a machine gun, and a Ranger went down, but an
Apache nailed the spot, and as Searle rounded a corner, he saw the
quarry.
Hirohito, Emperor of Japan, was being hustled by a group of guards
towards a solid-looking concrete structure. Searle didn't hesitate;
he tossed two grenades that landed right at the Emperor's feet. 
Another ranger added two more, and they went off, blanketing the group
with tear gas.
The Japanese guards were superbly trained, motivated men, and they
tried to resist. But the tear gas caught them, and Searle and the
Rangers cut through them easily. Searle unceremoniously grabbed the
arm of the semi-conscious emperor, and then hustled off back to the
helicopter.
Boarding the Blackhawk with the quarry, Searle strapped him into a
seat, and then signalled the return to base.
A very relieved Pentagon was able to report to President Bush that the Emperor of Japan was safe and unhurt. And a prisoner of the United States.
Category:Timelines
Category:ISOT American 2002