The Broadway Project

[Michael McBride]

[b]**CLASSIFIED**[/b]

Excavation of Giant Mountain nearly complete. Earth and rock removed from inside the mountain will be shipped to Long Island, Buffalo, and the border with the United States to begin forming natural barriers in case of attack. Construction inside the mountain has already begun. Observation sections already built and sealed off, main detonation chamber being constructed now. Estimated completion time: less than two weeks at current pace.

[b]**CLASSIFIED**[/b]

Implosion-type nuclear bomb nearly complete. Estimated yield: 20 kt. Estimated time to completion: 2 days, plus a week of testing. The bomb will be ready for the demonstration.

[b]**PRIVATE, SYRACUSE, YORK**[/b]

"Everything seems to be proceeding as planned, Mr. Dobbs. The technical readouts you were able to provide our engineers proved invaluable, as was the nuclear fuel you were able to obtain. May I ask where you got it from?" Dobbs smiled as he turned in his chair slowly.

"The less you know about everything concerning this operation, Octavian, the better. Prepare the country for this revelation... in less than two weeks time, we will make sure that the United States and her allies know not to mess with us."

[Michael McBride]

Deep within the bunker in Great Mountain, the scientists strapped themselves in. The government and leadership of the Republic was situated back Syracuse, watching seismic readings. Since the test was being constructed underground (though technically in a mountain and therefore above ground), the seismic readings would be their indication if the test went off as planned or not. Dobbs picked up the phone and smiled. "Begin Operation Broadway."

Deep within the mountain, the scientists pressed a button to hoist the nuclear device one hundred feet off the reinforced concrete floor. Tightening their straps, the three scientists turned to each other.

"Insert keys..." All three inserted specially made keys into locks on the arm rest of their chair. "Turn." As they all turned, a panel popped open, revealing a red button.

"Ready... execute." The bomb released, and a second later, there was a terrific flash and rumble.

Back in Syracuse, the room exploded in cheers as a magnitude 5.3 earthquake emitted from the test site, with Giant Mountain at its center. Dobbs grinned to the others in the room. "Get the recording room ready, it's time for Ahab to make a speech to the world."

OOC: At this point, people can comment on the earthquake, etc. However, it would be exceptionally irresponsible to speculate on other things at this point.

[JEDCJT]

In Burlington, located right across from the Republic of York via Lake Champlain, citizens felt something of a ‘mild earthquake’. Similar reports surfaced in the neighboring towns such as Vergennes and Rutland. However, the local and provincial governments in Vermont, and even the federal government in Endor Cuidad made no comments on this, though several officials voiced the “[i]impossibility of an earthquake occurring so far from the tectonic plates.[/i]”

According to a seismographer, the nearest tectonic plates to J Andres and York are the North American and Caribbean plates, which are located in the vicinity of Cuba. As the official put it, “[i]there were no reported seismic activity[/i] [in the aforementioned tectonic plates][i]….An earthquake occurring so far from the tectonic plates is, to put it, an impossibility. It can only be something else, but we don’t know what it is.[/i]”

OOC: How's this?

[Michael McBride]

OOC: Actually, JED, earthquakes are relatively common in the Adirondacks as they are one of the fastest growing mountain ranges on earth and a minor tectonic plate lies just to their north on the NY-Quebec border. Earthquakes in the 5.0-6.0 range are at the strong end, but certainly not unheard of for the region.

Minor Edit: Earthquakes also happen in the middle to tectonic plates from time to time. They don't always have to happen at the edges. So both parts of your post are incorrect.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Pravus Ingruo

[Maelstrom Vortex]

There was no comment out of the U.S. as the earthquake was small and seemed geologically typical. And due to them being down-wind.. no other detection measures (such as trace atmospheric heavy element detection) for atomic testing had been triggered.