Annihilation

[Centurius]

[b]April 23 20XX
3:55
Genesis Central Command
Somewhere in the Bulgarian mountains[/b]

Upon confirmation of launches the first phases of Genesis automatically activated, while this system could run independently mostly there still were humans present at the centers to make sure the systems worked. Alerted personnel rushed to their Code Red stations, code red simply meant missiles were detected but their destination was unknown or not in the direction of Europe. However only shortly after the personnel was in place a second message came in. The system had moved to code black.

"My god, they are heading right for us" one of the operators said, it was his first day on the job and considering this was the second nuclear attack on Athens tensions in general were high, after all they mostly did this in drills.

"Genesis has established destinations, Lisbon and Porto. Additional missile heading towards Austria and Monaco" Another officer said in the direction of the commander who was witnessing the entire even on his own screen.

"Does Genesis have the missile in range?" The commander ranked General would ask.

"Affirmative, Monegasque missiles however will be..." Before the officer could finish his sentence the screen showed entire provinces across the map turn red, localized systems in Portugal, Spain, France and Portugal turned into motion and targeted the incoming missiles. Somewhat against the odds several missiles disappeared from the screen however a few remained in motion, one heading for Porto. While Genesis activated all remaining systems it had to make another attempt it was already too late. With deadly effects the missile detonated above Porto, due to it being an airburst most of the city would be affected by the hit. In the center most buildings would likely be destroyed, slightly out of the center moderate damage would be done and the outskirts would luckily suffer less damage but still enough to make the area uninhabitable due to fallout and the like. The men and women in the command center were shocked as the last missile disappeared from the screen and Genesis moved to its retaliatory programming. Officers, especially the younger ones, could be seen crying. They had failed, and the effects were unimaginable.

With a sigh the commander walked towards his office after getting a hold of himself, while he knew the Imperial War Cabinet already had the information he felt like talking to the General of the Joint Forces himself to confirm future orders.

[b]April 23 20XX
4:15
On the roads of Athens[/b]

Ariadne was just on her way to the Imperial War Cabinet as the car phone rang, the display showed the numbers was from Imperial Command. With some fear she took the phone.

"What is the news?"

"Your highness, I regret to inform you that Porto has been hit by a nuclear weapon. Genesis has managed to take down most nuclear weapons heading over our territory however a few passed through our defenses."

"Casualties?"

"Uncertain, due to the time and the fact the missile was detonated over the center we assume civilian casualties have been relatively light. Still we expect it to be between nine hundred thousand and one point two million. It is too early to assess."

"We have confirmation they're from Maine?"

"Affirmative."

"!@#$%^&*, inform Genesis that we will be launching a counter-strike in the next few hours, I want a plan ready when I arrive at the Cabinet. Also prepare the Third Army to commence recovery operations and deploy elements of the Fourth to assist. All other plans have secondary priority, Porto is our priority."

"Yes, ma'am"

[b]April 23 20XX
6:12 AM
Third Army - Group Iberia HQ, Lisbon[/b]

Recovery operations quickly began, the air force had been flying over the affected region since half past 4 trying to see which areas were mostly affected and which needed the most help, at the same time ships of the Second Fleet moved near the port to retrieve civilian ships which might have tried to go out of port to find safety, at the same time the ships would established a blockade that would keep other ships away from dangerous areas.

The branch however that would take the worst was the Hellenic Army, from bases throughout Spain and Portugal soldiers wearing their armor prepared for deployment to Porto, while their armor had protection against nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological threats there still were dangers. The first wave would consist of 5,000 soldiers deployed throughout the city but with priority on the outskirts.

[Centurius]

[b]April 23 20XX
7:23 AM
Matosinhos[/b]

Well before the emergency services were fully mobilized a different part of the Athenian armed forces had moved in the area. Among the casualties of Porto was a governmental jet flying north of Portugal, on the plane were the Chief Magistrate Castor Baros and Magistrate of Justice Caterina Fabrini. The faith of the plane was unknown and plans of the Committee for State Security almost ruined however they would not be stopped so quickly. Within hours a CSS team arrived at Matosinhos wearing Ares Combat Armor that provided protection against the radiation, most of the citizens living there had already moved to other cities and villages in the north.

“Colonel, I see the jet, 20 meters north”

Colonel Martin Draganov turned towards the area where one of his men had seen the missing jet. “Very good, move and secure”

Raising their rifles they moved towards the jet, while the radiation around here was too strong for anyone to stay in the open without protection they had to be sure.

“Looks mostly intact, the pilots must have made an emergency landing.”

Draganov would be the first to actually enter the jet, the tail of the plane had been ripped off and the front looked crushed however the center where the passengers were did in fact look mostly intact. Once he moved in he could hear some of the systems were still running however most were burned out. The lights were among the destroyed systems and as such it was relatively dark however some light came in from the windows and holes.

“All clear”

At that moment 4 other agents ran in while 2 remained outside on watch. Among those inside was a doctor working for the CSS, without looking at the other chairs they walked towards the one of the Magistrate of Justice.

“She’s in critical condition, but alive sir.”

Draganov nodded, at that point they heard a cough, upon closer look it seemed to be the Chief Magistrate. The doctor wanted to move to him too however was blocked by one of the other agents. Without hesitation Draganov took his sidearm and shot the Chief Magistrate through the back of his head.

“He is not included in our orders, get her out of here and clean up. I will get a helicopter to pick us up.”

While placing his sidearm at the side of his uniform again Draganov walked out of the remains of the jet, once outside he established a connection with Vila Real using a FIA communications satellite.

“Requesting retrieval, mission accomplished, need medical support for Hummingbird.”

“Understood, 2 Blackhawks on their way”

Draganov nodded in approval, this was the first CSS operations of this scale and it had gone fully as planned, to clean up the evidence explosives were placed in the jet which would be detonated in about 40 minutes. As soon as the men had finished the promised helicopters landed near the team. Fabrini was taken into one helicopter which featured medical equipment and medics while the team would enter the other. At that point the Blackhawks went into the air again heading for Vila Real.

[b]April 27 20XX
15:00
Braga[/b]

After days of search and rescue operations the thousands of volunteers and soldiers would get some moral support. In Braga, just outside of the evacuation zone the Empress of the Eastern Athenian Federation had arrived to speak to the victims, the workers and the people in general. The speech would be directly transmitted to the Assembly of the People in Athens and with a slight delay on national television. Dressed in ceremonial clothing Ariadne walked to a stand on the stage overlooking the people who had come, thousands of faces, security forces had moved among the crowds to maintain order and make sure everyone had some space.

“My people, we have been attacked.

The cowards in Maine have launched the worst weapons known to man at us without cause, one million one hundred twenty-five thousand fifty people so far have been slaughters, hundreds of thousands may follow in years to come. Centuries of culture has been wiped out.

To many people this would be enough to cripple them, but not us. Rather than sitting and mourning our losses we hit back. The terrorists that have attacked us are imprisoned, to be extradited into our custody within days. We have made sure that every Athenian killed would have one or more eyes for their own.

Now with our enemies on their knees ready for their punishment we must look to the future and learn lessons from this disaster. It has become clear not everyone can be trusted with weapons of mass destruction. All stable states have a responsibility to ensure non-proliferation to states with unstable regimes or those that otherwise are a threat to the global stability.

We have a responsibility, our neighbors have a responsibility, the world has a responsibility.”

After bowing slightly for the crowd she left the stage again to witness the great things the men and women were doing in Porto.