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around the room. These were the best and brightest research and weapons-design engineers in the world. He focused past them to the floor-to-ceiling views of the tops of New York City skyscrapers looking all the way out to Ellis Island and to Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty stood. Could this all end today? The RTS-RGS system simply had to work--for all of them there, for his wife and children, for New York, for the country, for the whole world. He snapped back to reality. His team stared, waiting for direction. He took a breath and steadied himself.
    "I need an answer--concise and within the high range of probability," he began. "Can a single one of our jammers redirect not just one, but two nuclear warheads where their trajectory suggests a common target?"
    After less than ten seconds of reflection, Ted, the senior engineer spoke up. "We tested those protocols. We have all the calibrations to make that happen--"
    "But we've never fired a dual redirection system," Carolyn, the weapons physicist blurted out. "Not in a real-world test."
    "Fine, but either our protocols are correct or they aren't...," another engineer shouted.
    "And if they aren't--," a second engineer started to say.
    But Joshua jumped in.
    "If our calculations are wrong," he said, "then we're all in trouble, along with several million Americans. Anyone here have any suggestions to increase the likelihood of success?
    Silence. Ted shook his head.
    "Then I'm making the call," Joshua snapped, and he reached down to a locked desk, tapped in a code, and a titanium steel drawer opened, revealing a red-white-and-blue phone. He dialed a number on a keypad, then waited.
    Three seconds later it rang.
    The phone emitted a heavy metallic ring that made everyone jump. The team may have looked cool and calm, but their nerves were on the very edge.
    Joshua picked up the receiver.
    "This is Major General Zepak, calling on behalf of Vice Chairman Bolthauer from the Joint Chiefs. Who am I speaking to?"
    "Joshua Jordan here, along with my primary systems design team..."
    "What's the verdict?" the Pentagon officer snapped.
    Joshua was resolute. "We have a high degree of confidence that if we follow the protocols we developed for a multiple missile attack we'll be successful, sir."
    "Okay. I'll patch you through to the USS Tiger Shark. You folks'll run the show from there, coordinating with the ship to get that jammer target-ready and airborne in the next..." his voice paused, "seven minutes."
    Then the Pentagon official added one more sobering thought.
    "And I don't have to remind you, we only get one crack at this..."
    In the Atlantic, a few miles off Long Island, Commander Bradley of the USS Tiger Shark waited in the weapons launch room with a direct line to the security phone in Joshua's office. His naval weapons officer sat at a keyboard, typing in commands. As the officer hit each keystroke he called out the verbal cue. In Joshua's office the design team listened and watched on the secure videophone, comparing the seaman's verbal cues with the system protocol displayed on a large screen on one of the walls.
    When he was done, Joshua started to type furiously on his laptop, setting the laser coordinates for the two nukes, using GPS data fed directly into his computer from defense satellites. With Ted and Carolyn looking over his shoulder, Joshua checked his work and leaned back. Then they reviewed his commands line by line.
    "Are we go?" Joshua asked.
    Ted answered, "We're go."
    Joshua looked at Carolyn.
    Carolyn nodded. "Yes. We're go."
    Joshua turned back to the videophone.
    "Commander, is the launch sequence complete?"
    The commander turned to his weapons officer, nervous perspiration rolling down his face. "Yes, sir," said the officer, his voice cracking.
    Joshua turned back to his laptop and punched a key. A red screen flashed "PROTOCOLS LOCKED. LASERS ARMED. READY TO FIRE."

SEVEN
    On the bridge of the Daedong the crew tried to go about their duties as if