Goliath

President Li Peng stares at the surreal scene playing out before him. In the bleachers to his right, party officials are yelling and pushing each other toward the clogged exit ways. Several fights break out, blows exchanged, one enraged politico clawing at the faces of his rivals.

00:00:12 …

LOOK TO THE HEAVENS. CAN YOU HEAR IT?

A hush falls over the panicked crowd as the omnipotent voice echoes across the square.

IT IS THE WRATH OF GOD.

00:00:01 …

A flash of blinding white-hot light—

The 100-million-degree nuclear fireball expands outward at supersonic speeds, vaporizing every person and object within Tiananmen Square in the blink of an eye. A second later, an even greater burst of light illuminates Beijing as the shock wave detaches from the cooling fireball, fleeing it, creating a sharp, severe increase in air pressure that flattens and incinerates the Chinese capital before sucking back in upon itself, over the now-blackened landscape.

Aboard Goliath

Stunned looks, the big screen now blank.

Sujan Trevedi drops to his knees, fighting to catch a breath.

Gunnar looks up at the scarlet sensor orb, his voice weak. “Sorceress, what have you done?”

David’s face appears on screen. “Not Sorceress, just me. The Chinese had no intention of complying with the terms of the Declaration of Humanity.”

Sujan looks up at the blank overhead screen, his limbs trembling. “Beijing was not one of our targets.”

“Come on, Sujan, don’t waste crocodile tears on these bastards. I assure you, the future leaders of China’s democracy were not in attendance.”

“That is beside the point! You murdered innocent people.”

“I took out China’s Communist regime, paving the way for freedom. Jesus, Sujan, what’s with you? Think back to everything you told me, about how these assholes tortured you, how they murdered your sister and beat you into pulp—”

“David, Tibetans do not believe in your ‘eye for an eye’ philosophy.”

“Maybe not, but I promise you, China will be evacuating your homeland posthaste. As for the rest of you, you’d better decide if you’re really committed to this mission, because if you’re not, Simon and I don’t need you.”

Covah moans in the background.

“Gotta run.”

The image disappears.

Sujan grabs his head, struggling to grasp what has happened. “This is wrong. This is not why I joined the movement. This is not justice, this is murder.”

MURDER.

They look up at the glowing sensor orb, startled.

MURDER: TO WRONGLY TAKE LIFE. MURDER IS A HUMAN CONDITION. HATE. MALICE. ANIMOSITY. ANGER. FEAR. HUMILIATION. DECEIT. THE HUMAN CONDITION IS INFECTED. THE HUMANE GENOME MUST MUTATE. UTOPIA-ONE MUST BE REEVALUATED.

Reevaluated? Gunnar stares at the scarlet eyeball, his thoughts suffocating. “Sorceress, what are you doing to Simon?”

No response.

“Sorceress, respond. What are you doing with Simon Covah?”

The scarlet orb glows, its silence—deafening.

Aboard the USS Scranton

“Conn, radio. NORAD has pinpointed the launch site of that SLBM. Northern Indian Ocean, course, zero-three-zero, range, two hundred and sixty-three miles.”

“Very well. Officer of the Deck, plot an intercept course. All ahead full.”

“Aye, sir. Coming to course zero-three-zero, all ahead full.”

Aboard the Goliath

Rocky follows Gunnar into the crew’s workout room. “You’re not working out?”

“Just wanted a quick steam. Why don’t you join me?” Passing the rows of machines, they head for the bathroom. Avoiding the temptation to look up at the scarlet eyeball, they quickly strip, wrap themselves in towels, and enter the steam room.

Sujan Trevedi and the African, Kaigbo, are already inside, their bodies glistening with perspiration. Both steamers have been running for several minutes, the humidity fogging up the glass doors—preventing the camera lens mounted in the bathroom outside the steam bath from seeing in.

Gunnar sits opposite the lanky African, who has removed his prosthetic arms prior to entering the bath. Through the mist, he can make out the two bulbous stubs of flesh at the ends of Kaigbo’s elbows.

Sujan presses a finger to his lips, then points to a small microphone fastened to the ceiling tile. “I asked Abdul to join us. I believe he can offer a different perspective on the things you experienced in Africa.”