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DRW: Prime Minister Samuels Orders Deployment of Nuclear Weapons |
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Written by Juan Ramirez on
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
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 Prime Minister Samuels Orders Deployment of Nuclear Weapons
Juan Ramirez - Earth News Network
February 14, 2157
At 11:00 AM local time this morning, Prime Minister Nathan Samuels addressed Earth’s House of Parliament in Berlin, European Alliance, in which he outlined a radical overhaul of Earth’s defense policies. A press release given to the media two days ago had indicated that he would make a speech at this time, though it appears the rumors of taking a hardened approach to defense may have been understated.
Samuels began his address by speaking about Zefram Cochrane’s historic warp flight and Earth’s subsequent first contact with the Vulcans, saying, “On that day, a hundred years ago, a new world opened up for Earth. We learned that we were not alone in the universe. We learned that we were part of a larger interstellar community. That event helped to bring Earth out of the dark ages of war, famine, and disease.” He went to discuss the launch of Enterprise NX-01. “When its mission of exploration began, our world once again took a giant leap forward. As time went on, we discovered countless new wonders and contacted dozens of new species.
“But, not all of them were friendly. Captain Archer and his crew discovered more hostility in the stars than we had ever imagined, and in spring of 2153, we learned just how dangerous the universe could be.
“March 22, 2153, forever changed our perception of space. Though Earth was ultimately saved from the Xindi threat, the scars of that period have yet to heal,” Samuels said of the Xindi attack on Florida, Cuba, and Venezuela that killed seven million.
The prime minister then flashed forward to speak about the current Romulan crisis. “And now Earth faces danger from an alien source once again. The Romulans threaten our very existence with their vicious sneak attacks and brutal planetary bombardments.
“Chancellor Tson of Andoria was correct when he said that we can no longer continue the pretense that the universe is a friendly place. We must leave our innocence behind and look to the future.”
Samuels spent the remainder of his seventy-minute speech outlining the proposed changes to Earth’s defense policy.
He began by outlining a program to massively overhaul and expand Mars’s orbital Utopia Planitia Shipyards for the purpose of constructing new deep space craft and support ships for Starfleet, as well as defense and surveillance satellites. The vast mineral resources of the Utopia Planitia surface colony are cited as the reason for using the Martian facilities instead of the large Starfleet shipyards in orbit of Earth. Previously, the Utopia Planitia yards have been primarily used for the construction of cargo ships and other light craft.
The most significant part of the new plan, however, was Samuels’s decision to outfit Starfleet ships with atomic warheads. As he made the announcement, he spoke about the Third World War:
“Over a hundred years ago, humanity nearly destroyed itself in petty feuds between nations. Now, we have evolved as a people; but we still face great peril. Not from ourselves, but from those outside Earth who wish to see our world destroyed. The legacy of that conflict will now help to protect us in this hour of need. Hundreds of nuclear warheads were left behind by that devastating conflict, and now, the time has come to put them to use. This time, they will be used to defend humanity, rather than to destroy it.”
When Samuels made this announcement, several anti-war members of parliament interrupted his speech with yells and jeers. Eventually, the prime minister regained control and resumed his speech, saying, “These weapons will enable us to drive the Romulans back from our borders and prevent future attacks.”
Other new ideas outlined in the address include expanding recruitment for Starfleet officers, particularly in the security division; constructing orbital defense platforms over Earth and major Terran colonies over the next several years; and speeding construction on Discovery, the fourth and final NX-class ship planned. Starfleet estimates that at the current construction rate Discovery will be ready to launch in fourteen months. Samuels’s plan also calls for the accelerated development of the larger Daedalus-class starships, destined to begin to replacing the NX-class by 2160.
Despite the frequent and vocal objection by anti-war members of all parties, Samuels’s motion passed with slightly less than 60% of the vote.
It may seem odd to rely on weapons from more than a century ago to combat an advanced enemy such as the Romulans. ENN’s chief military analyst, former Starfleet Admiral Markson Kelley, explained the decision. “While it’s true that we now have access to more advanced weapons, that doesn’t necessarily make them better in all respects. Photonic torpedoes, for example, have the capacity to deliver a significantly greater yield than a nuclear weapon of similar size, but they’re also unreliable and frequently fail to ignite their full yield. Nukes are a proven technology. We know what to expect from them. They’re also quicker and cheaper to produce, especially with the current stockpile held by the government.”
Numerous politicians, celebrities, and activists have denounced the decision, referring to the horrible devastation atomic weapons caused during the Third World War. Noted anti-war activist Sarah Benson called it “a regression.” Many prominent Vulcans have also spoken against the plan, remembering their own planet’s civil wars, which involved widespread use of nuclear weapons.
While Earth’s government has not yet released any official estimates of the cost of this new plan, it is likely to be large. The new policies include cost-cutting measures, such as cannibalizing parts from retired ships and satellites, but many still believe it will lead to widespread tax hikes. Years of interstellar trade and the founding of the Coalition of Planets have led to a significant economic surplus on Earth, but some economists fear this action may wipe it out completely.
To operate effectively in space combat, the existing stockpile of atomic weapons will require extensive modification to be used on Earth starships. Starfleet Munitions commander Admiral Branson Hart said that Starfleet has long considered plans to modernize Earth’s nuclear arsenal and within weeks will have the equipment in place to begin upgrading and installing the new nuclear warheads. Current projections indicate that by one month after full-scale conversion begins a complement of eight to ten nuclear warhead-tipped torpedoes could be installed on all MX and NX-class starships.
This announcement comes after devastating Romulan attacks on Denobula and Proxima Colony. The combined death toll from these attacks is now believed to be somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000 people.
Recent reports have confirmed an earlier rumor of a brief skirmish between CoP and Romulan forces near the edge of Andorian space at approximately the same time as Samuels was making his speech. At this time, there is no word on the how many, if any, casualties were suffered.
This Dispatches from the Romulan War report was contributed by Ensign Edwards.
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