Джон Шеттлер - Condition Zebra - The Next War - 2025

“A time shift?” said Dean. “But how?”

“The proverbial good question. Their disappearance was too stark and sudden, and without any possible explanation other than time shift. I’m thinking there’s no trace of them out there, because they aren’t in this time any longer. Aye, there was no detonation, thank god. This world hasn’t started throwing nukes about. But Elena told us these time rifts we’ve discovered are physical, and this may be a case of that. They may have just stumbled on a rift no one knew about.”

“Good lord,” said Dean. “Well, how would they get back?”

“Another good question. This is all speculation. We don’t really know what happened yet, but it doesn’t seem that we can do anything more about it. We’ll just have to wait. In the event they did shift in time, and to the past, I’ve put a man on the history.”

“I don’t understand,” said Dean.

“Well, it isn’t easy to muck about in the past without leaving some trace. And if I know the Captain and Miss Fairchild, they would find a way to signal us as to their whereabouts.”

“Signal us? You’re speaking as if they could just get on the radio and phone home.”

“No, Mister Dean, but they could use more pedestrian means—simply writing a letter and getting it to a place that would likely be preserved. If they did such a thing, then the letter would just suddenly appear in the historical records. At least this is the way I understand this business. It’s pretty arcane, I’ll admit it. For the moment, we’ll have enough to worry about as things stand. The Chinese Navy has 20 ships out here, and they’re heading our way.”

The distances involved in this region made for a slow approach as the two sides closed on one another. By 17:00 on the 19th of November, 650 nautical miles still separated them, and both sides were simply conducting recon operations. A second strike against Andrakaka was much more successful. Flown by six F-35’s off HMS Vengeance , the planes carried the Storm Shadow this time out, and it was much stealthier than the ship launched Tomahawks. Hits were scored on the north cape radar, the SAM battery and at the airfield, where six J-10’s and another four J-20’s were destroyed on the ground.

Seeing it was a use them or lose them proposition, the remaining planes at the airfield were ordered up. There were only three planes still operational, one being a J-20, but the smoke and fire on the airfield was going to delay this launch for some time. In effect, the surprise attack by those unseen F-35’s, and an equally stealthy weapon, had all but neutralized Andrakaka as a functioning air base.

“That’s more like it,” said Wells. “This may just set the template if we get a shot at their East African fields. At least one of our missiles is living up to the advertising. Mister Hurley, the Type 42’s should be getting thirsty by now. See that they undertake replenishment. I’ll want them full and fit when it comes time for a fight.”

“Right away, sir.”

Older ships, those destroyers actually had shorter legs than any of the frigates, which was why the fleet had a pair of fast oilers assigned, one with Vengeance and one with Victorious, each being escorted by a pair of Type 42’s.

“The next problem is that we’ve lost our contacts on the Chinese fleet. Let’s send out a reconnaissance. Let Victorious handle it. The last we heard, the Chinese were operating 300 miles off the coast. “

At 22:00, the first report from that mission came in.

“Sir,” said Hurley, the Admiral’s adjutant. “Skybolt reconnaissance has reacquired the enemy. We have four discrete surface groups, presently about 480 miles from Victorious .”

“So their longer range missiles will be able to reach us by midnight,” said Wells. “But weren’t there at least five separate groups this morning from the satellite report?”

“Yes, but they may have consolidated, sir.”

“Just the same, have that recon linger a bit. I’d rather be certain. Redesignate that plane Livewire, and have it act as an air controller for the other fighters.”

It would not be long before Livewire found group five. The Chinese Fleet was still advancing, in a long series of TF’s, line abreast, over 100 miles wide. It was a seaborne storm of steel, and still headed directly for the British carriers.

Wells considered the situation, taking note of the fact that his recon plane had not been spotted. He was considering an air strike, but he could also elect to use his Multi-Mission Tomahawks, a most welcome gift from the Americans on the Daring Class upgrades.

We might as well simply buy their ships, he thought. Here we are needing their ESSM instead of our Sea Ceptor, and if not for these Tomahawks, I would either have to turn and close the range dramatically, or stand off and be limited to air operations only. For now, with the range this open, let’s see what our F-35’s can do.

Wells was a carrier man, and wanted to spread his wings. He ordered up six F-35’s off each of the three carriers, all laden with the SPEAR, and sent them east. Livewire would picket on active radar, with all the other strike groups coming in EMCON. The strike would be directed at the southern end of the Chinese TF line.

The Chinese had one KJ-200 AEW plane up over the center of their line, but it saw nothing as the F-35’s began to approach release range. Aside from that, at 01:30 in the morning on the 20th of November, there were apparently no other enemy contacts airborne, though that was not ruled out.

“Livewire, this is Whalerider, we are in position. Over.”

“Roger Whalerider. You are cleared hot. Sharktail, Skybolt, Cleared hot when ready.”

“Livewire, Sharktail. In position and going hot.”

The Chinese ships saw nothing, until the planes had flung their SPEAR’s and turned for home. About 30 miles out, they finally picked up the incoming Vampires, and the entire southern end of their TF line lit up with active radars. The British had achieved complete tactical surprise. Yet when the SPEAR’s closed inside 20 miles, long streams of defending SAMs began to lance out at the incoming Vampires, and the battle had finally been joined.

While the British SPEAR was not a real ship killer, its small 8Kg warhead could still do damage if it hit radars, gun mounts, and other sensors on a ship. The defense against those thrown by Whalerider and Sharktail was too good, with only two missiles getting close to their targets, only to be gunned down by Gatling guns. Skybolt had better luck. It had attacked the southernmost TF, unseen until the planes got into position, and was able to get a single hit on the frigate Jinhua , which took out a twin 37mm gun, and destroyed an I.R. range finding camera. Corvette Bengbu was struck twice, with damage to sensors and one of the gun magazines. Neither ship had fires or flooding, and they were in no danger of sinking, but the British had drawn first blood, even if it was only a scratch or two,

The real lesson Admiral Wells took from the strike was that his planes were indeed stealthy enough to get in close and deliver their missiles from their 80 mile range. If only I had a decent air launched cruise missile worth the name, he thought. What will we have to do, go begging to the Americans again for ordnance that can put real harm on the enemy? We built these damn carriers at great expense. What in the world did we think we would do with them? We have no real teeth.

Yet as he thought the situation over, he realized the strike had accomplished one more thing. It had put 136 missiles into the air, and if they were defeated, he had just pulled 136 SAM’s, or more, from beneath the enemy decks. He didn’t hurt them as he had hoped, but he had weakened their defensive strength a good deal.