Sabotage (17 page)

“Can you imagine the ramifications? Since the Cold War, our civilizations have grown increasingly dependent upon electronics for communication and data storage. Dependence translates to vulnerability. Consider the upshot of even a localized attack. A strike to the New York Stock Exchange would halt a sizeable fraction of world financial trading. A strike on an airport would render air traffic controllers incapable of guiding planes to safe landings. Aircraft would collide or continue to glide until they ran out of fuel. Now imagine the outcome of a nationwide attack, a space blast over Kansas. Telecommunications, industrial, and transportation networks would shut down. Cars and buses would stop on busy highways. Passengers would be trapped in subway tunnels without working cell phones. No computers, no landlines, no radio, no television or Internet access. A person couldn't communicate with a friend a hundred meters away, let alone kilometers apart or across states. Hospitals would no longer function. Supermarkets couldn't refrigerate food. There would be no heat for homes. People would starve and freeze. Emergency relief agencies would have no way of mobilizing response teams. The power grid is unprotected. Hierarchy would become anarchy. Infrastructure would collapse.”

“We've learned a bit about EMP bursts in class,” said Austin. “The consequences have always sounded farfetched.”

“I don't exaggerate. The technology is real,” Avdeenko countered, “and it's capable of stopping the motor of modern Western civilization. An electromagnetic tsunami formed at the right altitude could bring a country as large as the United States to its knees. Nuclear explosions generate cascades of X-rays and gamma rays, which interact with molecules in the upper atmosphere to generate a pulsed, oscillating current of electrons. The electrons interact with Earth's magnetic field. Invisible waves stream out, a million times as strong as normal radio signals, and devastate all unprotected electronics within the blast's line of sight on land, at sea, and in the air. The flux can wipe out circuits, silicon chips, transistors, diodes, inductors, and electric motors.”

“What about vacuum tubes?” Victoria asked with sarcasm.

“Those would be relatively safe.”

“So if you're living in the early nineteen hundreds, you're home free.”

“Five variables determine the magnitude of a pulse's effects,” Avdeenko continued. “So far, I've talked about altitude. Second is the actual potency of the bomb. As we saw from the comparison between America's Starfish Prime and Russia's ‘K Project' over Kazakhstan, proximity to civilization introduces a third. You must also consider geography and strength of the local magnetic field, a fourth and fifth.

“As you saw with my Herf Gun, it is possible to generate the same effect without a nuclear blast. We can create other electromagnetic bombs, called e-bombs, although their effects are usually limited to a radius of ten kilometers from the blast. We can also focus high-intensity rays on targets using parabolic reflectors. Militaries would use these weapons for disabling localized targets, like moving vehicles. For broader impact, nuclear warheads are ideal.”

Victoria's eyes narrowed to a squint. “The sun burns by nuclear fusion, right? It's as if the sun is nothing but billions of nuclear bombs going off at once. You'd think that with all that power, the sun might wreak the same havoc on our planet.”

“Disturbances in space weather caused by the sun
have
disrupted power on Earth. Geomagnetic storms, caused by solar wind shockwaves linked with flares, coronal holes, or other anomalies, can create temporary changes in Earth's magnetosphere. In 1989, one such electromagnetic storm affected power throughout Quebec. The storm knocked out their power grid, leaving six million people without electricity for nine hours. People witnessed auroras in the sky as far south as Texas. Later that year, as if Canada hadn't suffered enough, another storm put Toronto's stock market on hiatus by widely damaging microchips.”

“So there's nothing we can do to prevent disruptive solar phenomena,” Victoria said. “But what if a rogue state obtained the technology required to detonate a nuke in space over the States?”

“Your government established an EMP commission to assess the threat and recommend defenses against hostile states. It is possible, though expensive, to protect systems from an EMP attack. The process would entail encasing every electronic component with a metallic cage to block out electromagnetic radiation. A ballistic missile defense system would help safeguard the electronic infrastructure, as well. Your question is particularly relevant today. Concerns for an attack abounded during the Cold War, then diminished. Now there is concern over Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, and a few other countries, particularly since North Korea has expressed willingness to sell its nuclear weapons to terrorist organizations.

“Which leads us to Malcolm's latest development: the Baldr satellite.” Avdeenko interlaced his fingers and pushed his wrists together, stretching his palms. “Satellites come in many forms, shapes, and sizes with a wide range of purposes. Technically, a satellite doesn't have to be manmade. A satellite is anything that orbits a planet or large body. The moon, for example, is a natural satellite. We distinguish manmade satellites by calling them artificial. The first successful manmade satellite was launched in 1957 by the USSR.”

“Sputnik One,” said Austin.

“Correct. The event marked the start of the Space Race between Soviets and Americans. Decades later, thousands of satellites and pieces of ‘space junk' orbit Earth. These satellites serve a wide scope of functions. Some are astronomical, used to observe stars, planets, and galaxies. Telephone companies use private satellites for communication. Meteorologists use Earth observation satellites to monitor the environment and weather. Cartographers use them for mapmaking. GPS systems receive key information from navigational satellites.

“The military has its own reasons for launching satellites, among them reconnaissance. Spy satellites collect intelligence overseas and send classified data to agencies. And then … you have killer satellites: orbiting arsenals designed to eliminate other threatening satellites, hostile warheads, et cetera.

“Malcolm designed Baldr as an armed killer satellite loaded with nuclear missiles. The missiles range in yield and can be detonated from any preselected altitude.

“In plain English, it's a floating armory that can drop a bomb of any size wherever it wants. Mind you, Baldr's purpose is not to incinerate land or people. It is intended for the EMP effects. It can also deploy non-nuclear EMP missiles for localized targets. Anything the U.S. wants to shut down, whether it's an armed vehicle, nuclear facility, battlefield, village, city, or portion of a continent, it can.

“The nation that owns Baldr has great power over any other country. Most pertinently, I would hope, for preventive defense. Who would threaten to launch a missile against the United States? The U.S. could quickly cut enemy power, and even localize EMP shockwaves to specific arsenals or nuclear facilities. The U.S. would suffer none of the typical political consequences associated with preemptive strike or the killing of innocent civilians. America could mitigate any threat with clean hands.

“In terms of ground warfare and special operations, Baldr can effectively neutralize even fortified opponents with advanced defense systems. Say the U.S. wants to capture a drug lord in dense jungles that are difficult to navigate and infested with armed mercenaries. On a criminal's turf, the criminal has the advantage. Take out his power, and you level the playing field. The same applies to the sea.

“Reconnaissance tools built into Baldr reduce the perils of gathering intelligence on enemy soil. The terrorist trail often leads your foot soldiers to arid deserts, hidden caves, and other harsh terrains. Baldr's spy technology helps locate targets. Once it's found any hostile combatants, Baldr can isolate whichever region the military wishes to immobilize, knock out electricity, and put a crimp on the enemy's ability to organize. The military can then advance swiftly and with greater safety.

“There you have Malcolm's work in a nutshell. Victoria, I imagine you have already discovered the mythological connection. How did the satellite get its name? In a sense, your father's invention is an absolute master of light. With its all-seeing electronic scanners, the satellite can gaze directly into enemy territory, illuminating its controller's foes. It has the power to give light. It also has the power to remove light, and cast vast regions into total darkness. That is why Baldr was named after the Old Norse god of light.”

“Why doesn't the satellite destroy or depower itself after detonating a nuclear missile in the near vicinity?” Austin asked.

“Warheads never blow in the satellite's vicinity. They travel great distances before detonating to avoid direct damage to the missile carrier caused by the heat of the explosion. And the exterior is covered by a heavy shield of conducting material, preventing electromagnetic radiation from damaging the satellite's core. This shield is called a Faraday cage.”

“Doesn't the launch of the Baldr satellite violate any sort of international space law?” Victoria asked.

“It does,” said Avdeenko. “Namely, the Registration Convention and the Outer Space Treaty. The former, adopted in the mid-seventies, requires countries to provide the United Nations with information about the orbit of all space objects. The latter, signed in 1967, forbids states party to the treaty from launching nuclear weapons or any weapons of mass destruction into Earth's orbit—among other rules. But remember your Defense Department's logic, and your father's. Used for its disruptive rather than destructive potential, Baldr enables a more surgical form of warfare, one that spares lives, minimizing physical harm to American soldiers and civilians in hostile territory. It was largely for this advantage that the satellite was contracted, despite its violation of space laws; and it is in part because of those laws that the satellite must remain top secret.”

Austin leaned back on the sofa, cupping his hands on his knees. “It's astounding such unthinkable power can be unleashed at the flick of a button. Also makes sense why any number of extremist groups would want to steal it.”

Somber, Avdeenko shook his head. “Based on what you witnessed in Malcolm's office, it may be too late. Someone out there must have done more than plant bugs in my telephone to learn the ways of Malcolm Clare.”

“What do you mean?” Victoria asked. “All they took was a briefcase.”

“A briefcase with Malcolm's laptop inside,” Avdeenko answered. “And in that laptop he installed a copy of the program that operates Baldr—all the basic functions. From his own office, he could transmit, or uplink, any command he desired.”

Paling, Victoria said, “Why would he do that?”

“Malcolm wanted to ensure the ethical use of Baldr. A tool this powerful … he knew it could easily fall into the wrong hands, perhaps some political loon either too afraid to use it or too trigger-happy. Closer to home, he worried about moles at Glitnir. The only solution was to duplicate the controls and allow himself overriding authority unbeknownst to anyone but me. A moral failsafe. He never thought this action would compromise us. Of course he protected the overriding program with various security measures. Any false attempts or efforts to crack the program's password—just a single misstroke—would cause the duplicate program to erase itself from his hard drive.”

“Dad could never have anticipated someone stealing his backup control,” Victoria said in his defense. “Not if no one knew about it.”

“That's right.”

“Then apparently our thieves do careful homework,” Austin said. “It's safe to assume they've kidnapped Clare and stolen his copy of the satellite's command controls. They must have been watching a long time, studying his and your every move to find an Achilles' heel.”

“We didn't think there was one,” Avdeenko said. “But we were wrong. We can only hope they have yet to discover the password.”

“Do you have any idea who might have taken Baldr?” Austin asked. “While you collaborated with Professor Clare, did anyone express interest in the project? Any other physicists or colleagues?”

“I kept my consultation private. Unfortunately, despite his talents, Malcolm was never the best judge of character. He's too trusting.” Victoria arched a brow at Austin, who shrugged. “My leading suspicion is that a Glitnir insider has been gathering information. I believe a mole from within his company had something to do with it.” The physicist's head sank into his shoulders. “I simply can't wrap my head around the notion of a heist.”

“Clever criminals,” Victoria said. “They seized the project soon before its official reveal, during a time of ambiguous ownership. Surely the Defense Department was about to assume control. Before the transfer, the satellite disappeared, and all that remains is that obscure radio transmission on the flash drive Austin found in my dad's cabinet.”

“Just a gut feeling, but I don't think Baldr rests in the hands of the end user … yet,” said Austin.

Avdeenko looked skeptical. “What leads you to that hunch?”

“Terrorists tend to be poor organizers. That's not true across the board, but in general they tend to be scattered. No harebrained fanatic could have easily found the resources to keep you, Clare, and Glitnir under close surveillance and execute the robbery of such an important technology without someone hearing about it. I agree the existence of an insider seems a likely explanation. Of course, a defense corporation like Glitnir thoroughly investigates the backgrounds of its employees. Anyone with the remotest link to an extremist group would never make the cut. That means whoever stole Baldr probably intends to sell it rather than use it, unless the thieves have some very large target in mind—some very large chips to fry.”