Stage Two

At this point in history, China was Pakistan’s best ally. They shared technology and resources with each other, and even had a of joint nuclear energy program. They were insulted and infuriated by Federama’s attack and disregard for international law. While China was preparing to deploy a military contingency against Federama, Stage Two of Governor Stockton’s plan went into effect. China’s nuclear weapons programs was the second largest in the world, and an invasion would not be sufficient enough for full disarmament. They also had an extremely formidable military branch that would swiftly and easily knock down any aggressors. Stockton knew this, and had planned to use a different tactic than the one against Pakistan.

Every country in the world contained a certain fraction of its population who identified as Amadesin. But the lowest by far, and mathematically surprisingly, was China. So because of this, there was not a lack of Chinese expatriates who had immigrated to Federama, and were loyal to its cause because of its act of courage against Amadesis years ago. China was originally, in fact, one of Federama’s best allies. But that didn’t mean that Stockton could allow them to keep their nuclear weapons. They had to be shut down, just like everybody else.

Federama had spent the better part of the last decade planting moles in strategic positions within the Chinese government. The day after the last Federama spy in China was in the right place was the day of the Pakistan invasion. Stockton was nothing if not incredibly intelligent. It was even said that genius level intelligence was his second superpower, but this was never formally tested. Stage Two was carried out much slower than Stage One. With each passing day, panic in China increased, along with their confusion. They began to make a lot of mistakes, and many lower-level officials, unsure of what was happening, ended up destroying nuclear documentation, which meant that Stockton’s people didn’t have to do it. Unlike Pakistan, whose nuclear armory contained only bombs that needed to be dropped or put in place, China’s inventory included missiles. Fortunately, these missiles could be released by the Federama spies, and detonated safely out of the range of innocents, sometimes even on the edge of the atmosphere.

Little by little, spies were pulled out of the country by Federama extraction teams; each one more shocking of a reveal than the last. The conspiracy went almost all the way up to the top. Most of the spies considered themselves to be loyal Chinese through and through, and betrayed their nation’s trust because they genuinely believed nuclear disarmament was the only way to prevent another Utah catastrophe. Though technically no one had died from that explosion, the number of deaths from Russia’s bombing on Georgia five years later following the Amadesins’ attempt was astronomical. It was actually probably the deciding factor in Stockton’s plans. Instead of recognizing the kind of devastation such weapons could have on the world, other governments seemed to take it as a success story, and chose to use it as a learning experience for their own programs. Their bombs were bigger and badder than the original, and let to continue, they could soon lead to The Eleventh Extinction.

While not condoning Federama’s extremist approach to nuclear disarmament, the government of India deployed their military in order to protect Federama’s borders from Chinese forces. They held the line for weeks while China continued to threaten total annihilation, even after Stage Two was complete. It was at this point that Stockton was forced to make an announcement that he was firmly against. He was trying to rid the world of its weapons; not create further panic. But this had to be done. In order to defend his own, he had to make the world believe that he really was the bad guy. He had to bluff and convince everyone that the weapons he had stolen from Pakistan and China could now be used against them, or anyone else who tried to make a move. This decision not only protected Federama, but also ensured that Russia would push them into Stage Three without even realizing it.

Governor Stockton stood at the podium and began his speech that was set to be broadcast in every region that agreed to it. He cleared his throat. “People of Earth. Five weeks ago, I released an invasion into Pakistan. Not long after, I engaged a league of spies that I had embedded within the Chinese government. They sent nuclear missiles into the atmosphere and detonated them away from potential casualties. But that’s not all we did. We...procured a number of engineers and scientists and recruited them to work for us. With these new resources, we enhanced our own nuclear program, and we have plenty to go around. Anyone who threatens us threatens the sanctity of human life, and we will use our weapons against such threats, even if the act results in seeming hypocrisy.

“Our now greatest ally, India has been utilizing its own people and resources to support and protect us. I have begun negotiations with them to figure out the best way for them to pull out of our waters and return home to their families. Do not take this a sign of weakness. We are stronger than ever. We will do what we must in order to push this planet into the future, and make it great again. The nuclear attacks in Utah and Georgia were only the beginning. Every year, a new nation begins plans to develop weapons of mass destruction. Meanwhile, those already with weapons increase their stores dramatically. I spent the first half of my tenure lobbying to form an oversight organization to make sure nuclear technology would be used only for energy and other benevolent endeavors. But I failed in this. And so I’m taking a different approach. I’m taking your weapons. This is not the end. I am not content with only stopping Pakistan and China from making a mistake that leads to World War IV. Many of you will say that I am foolish for revealing my plans and motivations to you, but I assure you that I know exactly what I’m doing.

“Surrender your weapons to us now, or face the consequences. Whatever you choose, I will find a way to get your bombs. I won’t let you keep them. I can’t. There is a new world order. In the past, you may have seen our tiny nation as negligible. But no more. We have technology beyond the weapons we stole that you know nothing about. We can overcome any obstacle in our way. We are small, but we are strong, and you cannot defeat us. Forget what you know about what your governments can do. They may be powerful, but we are now the leader. We are now...the world’s greatest Superpower.”