Operation Red Dragon and the Unthinkable

STEM

The President had arranged for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, his National Security Advisor, and his Chief of Staff to be read into this Presidential Level “Eyes Only” science brief. He needed counsel and advice from his trusted circle on what technology they should pursue and how they could employ it in the war.

All four men arrived by helicopter from the White House and went through several security checkpoints before they arrived at the 44th floor of the HIVE, which was the secured Science Division (SD) floor. This floor and the one above it is where DARPA had some of their greatest secret projects being worked on. Away from the prying eyes of the public, and with extremely limited access to their floors (let alone the HIVE itself), their work was truly clandestine.

As the President walked up to the final checkpoint, he saw Professor Michael Rickenbacker, the Director of Special Projects. “Professor, it’s good to see you. I hope you have some good news for us today,” said the President as he shook his hand.

Smiling at the President, Rickenbacker replied, “I see you brought some people with you for this briefing. Are you sure you want to loop them into this?” he asked, a bit skeptical of the guests.

“Yes, I believe it is time for some additional people to be brought into the ‘circle of trust.’ I need their counsel and advice, and more importantly, I need their perspective for how we can implement these new technologies to help us win the war.”

After leading everyone into a small briefing room, the professor sighed for a moment as he turned down the lights and activated the holographic image display unit at the center of the table. “The information and programs I am about to discuss with you are highly secretive. There are less than a few hundred people who even know about the main project, and less than five people who know about all of the projects combined. We did this for secretive purposes, but also to ensure we had no bleed-over between projects.”

“The first project we are going to talk about is a technology called ‘EmDrive.’” said the professor to the four men in the room. “Have any of you heard of it before?”

The Secretary of Defense looked around the room first before answering, “I believe you are talking about a power or thrust source that uses a resonant cavity to produce thrust without propellant. Correct?”

“That is partially right, yes. We are essentially talking about electromagnetic propulsion; using an EmDrive device, we make an object float, change directions and accelerate or decelerate very quickly. If built into an aircraft, the pilot would activate its engine and then the plane would start to hover or float; as power would be applied to the engines, the aircraft would begin to move in any direction. Using several directional engine ports, the aircraft would be able to climb, descend, accelerate or stop in seconds. Seeing the puzzled look on their faces, the professor brought up the image of a very advanced and futuristic looking fighter aircraft.

“This fighter we are calling the F41 Archangels, leverages an EmDrive propulsion system. It burns no fossil fuels, and does not emit the type of heat a standard fighter does. It can start, stop and turn on a dime and accelerate to speeds of Mach 10,” the professor said with a smile on his face.

“Essentially you have created a scramjet technology that needs no external fuel source and has one heck of steering system, right?” asked Erik Jordan, the Secretary of Defense, skepticism in his voice.

The professor smiled at Mr. Jordan and said, “That is exactly what it can do. But it can do much more than that. We can incorporate this same type of propulsion essentially into virtually all of our current aircraft and increase their speed and maneuverability tenfold. The implications for this technology, just in the transportation sector alone, is amazing. We can also incorporate this into our space program, which is where we would see the greatest advancements,” Professor Rickenbacker explained. He didn’t get to talk about what he did very often, so he could not hide his delight. His face beamed with an almost devilish grin.

General Branson broke into the discussion. He wanted to talk further about the space implementations of this technology. “How else could this be used.?” he asked.

“Right now, the Allies (and the world in general) lack a certain type of resource that can really only be found from asteroids or other types of space rocks. The specific material, Veldspar, has been found in abundance on the Moon. When it is refined down, it creates a specialized material call Tritium4, which is what we use in our armor for the Pershings and Razorbacks. Presently, we are creating a synthetic version of this material, but it is costly, time consuming, and resource intensive. This had not been a problem in the past, because we never needed it in the quantities that we presently find ourselves requiring.” Bringing up a new slide deck with charts and images, Professor Rickenbacker proceeded to show everyone their solution to this problem.

“Mr. President, one thing I would like to gain from you today is your approval to move forward with Operation Pegasus, which is DARPA’s and the AFC’s lunar mining operation,” he requested.

Examining the information, the President asked, “Bring us up to speed on that project again and I will give you a decision. This is going to require a reallocation of some valuable resources, so I would appreciate some input from everyone.”

Changing some images, the Professor began, “Operation Pegasus is a lunar mining operation that, frankly, we have been developing for decades. We continue to update it if there is a significant technology change that could make it a reality or lower the costs. The EmDrive and the Angelic power source have made this operation a truly cost effective reality. Leveraging the EmDrive, the travel time from Earth to the Moon would be cut down to two days. That includes taking off and landing on both surfaces.”

The National Security Advisor broke in to ask, “Excuse me, you said Angelic power source? Can you tell us more about this?”

“Yes, I call it Angelic as the power source is nothing short of amazing. It’s essentially a cold fusion reactor. I will discuss the reactor in greater detail in a short bit, if we can continue on with Pegasus.” He did not wait for permission, but quickly continued.

Showing an image of a space craft, he explained, “What we propose is to build a multipurpose ship to initiate the operation. The vessel you are looking at is what we are calling the Hulk. It’s 5,100 feet in length, 400 feet in height and 300 feet in width.” The National Security Advisor let out a short whistle, saying, “That’s a big ship to construct. Are you proposing to build that in space or here on Earth?”

“We would build the ship here on Earth. Because the ship would use the EmDrive, it would be able to power itself into space without any problem, and return back to Earth if needed. The intent of this ship is to essentially build a self-contained mining operation. Building the ship would be broken down into several operations. The first would be the cargo bay. This section would carry the equipment and vehicles needed to start the mission. It would also carry with it the equipment needed to build a small modular building and two bio-domes. The modular building would be 200 feet by 800 feet, with an eight-foot ceiling. Connected to this central building would be two bio-domes on either side. The bio-domes would be used to grow food and start to establish some initial food production to support and sustain a permanent outpost. This modular building would be expanded with additional bio-domes, which we would incorporate with each successive transport load from the Earth to the Moon.” Rickenbacker showed a short video of the process he had just explained.

“The next compartment in the Hulk is the rock crusher. This section can actually be fed externally once the ship has been anchored to the lunar surface. Once the rocks are crushed, they will be separated from the actual ore. The ore will then be moved internally to a small smelter where it will be melted down into unrefined blocks of Tritium4. The Tritium4 will then be loaded onto the transports and sent back to earth for further refinement and incorporation into our industrial needs. This would effectively solve our Tritium4 problem, and increase our manufacturing capability exponentially. The weapon systems we’ll be able to build with this essentially unlimited supply of Tritium4 would be incredible.”

General Branson spoke up first, saying, “I’m not a manufacturing expert, but I suspect this ship of yours, the Hulk — it’s going to require a lot of resources that would otherwise go towards our Pershings and Razorbacks?”

“It would require us to suspend production of them for the next six months while we used the synthetic Tritium4 to build out the ship” Rickenbacker replied, deadpan as could be.

Eric Clarke, the Secretary of Defense, decided to break in. “We can stop production of the Pershings and increase production of the older M1A5s, but we cannot stop production of the Razorbacks; they are more important right now than even our tanks. My suggestion is we go ahead with this project Mr. President. The gap in Pershings is going to hurt, but like the Professor said, having an unlimited new supply of Tritium4 would, in the long-run, change the course of the war. The question is — can we protect this ship during takeoff and while it is in route to the Moon and stationed on the lunar surface? Also, can we protect the transport craft that will need to travel to and from the Hulk with the materials we need?”

The President looked to Rickenbacker for the answer.

“We can, if we time our launches and landings to keep the Russian and Chinese ground based lasers from optimal attack trajectories. Given that both countries have been working with directional mirrors on aircraft to increase their laser attack capabilities to go beyond the horizon, this could become a problem. But they are still experimental for the moment. The other thing to remember is that the Hulk will be built with a Tritium4 exterior hull and refractive armor. As long as we know the frequencies their lasers are operating on (which we do), we can modulate the armor frequencies so the laser hits are harmless.” The Professor once again produced another short clip that showed exactly what he had explained and how the entire process would work.

Monty, the President’s Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, praised their presenter. “I am truly impressed Professor. Every possible question we have asked, you have a ready answer and an illustration to explain it in laymen’s terms.”

Rickenbacker chuckled before responding, “I gave this brief to the others on this team. We came up with a lot of possible questions, and then prepared answers for you.”

“Well gentlemen, not to appear rude, but like I said, we do need an answer on whether to move forward with production immediately.”

“Professor, I am impressed to say the least. Unless anyone has an objection, the project is approved and given top priority above all other projects. With exception to the Razorbacks, the Pershing program will be suspended for the time being until the Hulk is completed. Your AFC LNO will have full authority and support to get production going as quickly as possible, and for all equipment needed to make this project a reality,” the President directed.

“Thank you, Mr. President. This is going to require a lot of manpower; we are looking at close to 140,000 people in all to work on the varying aspects of the project. Our AFC LNO said he can shift people around and make it work though,” the Professor said confidently.

Now that Operation Pegasus had been approved, the Professor continued. The next piece of technology I want to discuss with you is this…

The Professor pulled out a small spool of cabling and passed it to the group. “I would like to draw your attention to this material. This substance is 20 times stronger than steel or any other matter known to man. It is also the material that is going to make the space elevator a reality. If we are able to establish a platform base in high earth orbit, then we can establish a space lift. This elevator will enable us to move great amounts of material to and from Earth; it would be the cornerstone of a permanent base.”

Before going down the rabbit hole the space elevator would be, the President wanted to get back to the new fighter design and low orbit aircraft. “Professor, the space elevator concept is amazing, and I want you to continue to pursue it. However, we have a war we need to win now, so please discuss the EmDrive technology again and how we are going to incorporate it into our current military equipment?” directed the President.

“As you wish Mr. President. Once we had sufficient supplies of Tritium4, we would begin to replace our jet propulsion engines with EmDrive Propulsion. The EmDrive propulsion uses no fuel and runs purely on hydrogen fuel or water. We simply divert more power from the reactor to increase the speed, and likewise decrease the amount of power drawn from the reactor in order to slow it down. This is a propulsion system that will work in the atmosphere, in orbit and in space.

“The idea of fighter aircraft being able to incorporate this technology sounds incredible; how soon we can get a working prototype going?” the President asked warmly.

“The technology is complex, but something that we have the capability to build. I’d like to be optimistic and say we can have it completed in a couple of months, but it may be closer to a year. It really depends on how much of our resources and manpower is put in to it,” said the Professor.

Monty broke into the conversation saying, “Mr. President, the Boeing plant (the one Vice President Kern was visiting when he was nearly assassinated), it could be used. It’s a new plant, and has increased security.”

“Get with the manufacturers and find out if that plant can work. We need to get a working prototype built immediately, and that might be best done at our Skunkworks facility in Nevada. Once the bugs are identified then we can get it into full production,” the President directed.

Eric Clarke, the Secretary of Defense, provided counsel on this subject. “The key to getting this aircraft into production, Mr. President, is going to be not making the structure of it more complicated than it needs to be. We should look at developing two versions: one, a pure drone, and the other a manned aircraft. See which one works the best, and then go in that direction.”

“Make it happen Eric… Please, continue Professor,” asserted the President, not wanting to get too far off course from the presentation.

Trying to remain patient, Rickenbacker continued, “There are a couple more inventions I would like to go over with you as well. Two are something we can use now to help us win the war, and the other is something that will enable the U.S. to not just reach for the stars, but to conquer them.”

General Branson interjected, saying, “Let’s focus on the first couple that can be used immediately; we need to win this war before we can think of anything that could be used in the private sector or to dominate space.” Branson did his best not to come off as abrupt or disrespectful.

“Yes General. The first is, as of two days ago, we successfully tested our first limitless energy reactor. It is essentially cold fusion. This is the Angelic power source I mentioned earlier.”

“That is incredible,” the Secretary of Defense said, knowing that if this type of technology were miniaturized, it could completely change the battlefield.

“Right now the device is about the size of a reactor used in a nuclear powered plant, except that this apparatus could power not just a city, but an entire state. We believe we could build a version about three times as large and power a full quarter of the entire country. But this is only half the story. This new technology also gives us the ability to build a fully functional plasma laser. Not only that, we can miniaturize the weapon to fit on the new aircraft we are going to build,” said the Professor with excitement in his eyes and voice. “The things we will be able to do with this new technology is truly amazing.”

The men in the room all generally agreed that this was a stupendous step forward, and that the project should continue to be advanced.

General Branson changed the topic. “What about the cybernetics and this new Raptor Combat suit I’ve heard about?”

Rickenbacker seemed a bit alarmed that General Branson knew anything about the cybernetics or Raptor suit. Those were closely guarded secrets. “I was going to mention those next, but since you have brought them up… the Raptor combat suit is similar to the exoskeleton combat suit our Special Forces and the Chinese and Russians are currently using. The difference between the Raptor and the current models the Reds are using is that our version also incorporates a suite of cybernetic implants. These grafts give the user a host of new capabilities the exoskeleton suits never could hope to achieve.”

“Let’s start with the suit itself. The ensemble encases the operator in an environmental and bullet proof shell. Each suit is fitted to their operator, so it is nice and snug like a diver’s suit. It has its own filtration system that allows the operator to regulate their body temperature, in case they are operating in the heat of the Middle East, or in the tundra and mountains of Alaska. It can also operate in a chemical or WMD environment. It has radiation shielding, which will also make the suit perfect for space operations down the road. In the meantime, one could wear the suit and move through a radiation hot zone and survive just fine.”

“If for some reason, the armor is penetrated and the person inside is shot, or shrapnel rips a hole in it and the operator is injured, the suit will self-seal up to an inch-wide hole. It will also fill the person’s wound with an antibiotic gel that will both stop the bleeding until the injury can be properly addressed, and numb the area so the operator can continue to focus on the job at hand without getting distracted by the pain. The suit also has several self-injections it can apply. One is adrenaline — it has up to five adrenaline shots that can be applied and refilled. It also has up to two morphine shots — one to relieve the pain, and a second one is available in case help is a long way off or if the operator is too injured and wants to self-terminate.” The Professor showed some videos of the suit in action.

“The suit provides the person inside with the ability to lift up to 5x their body weight, run up to 35mph, and jump as high as 30 feet. The suit weighs 250 lbs., and uses a variety of new polymers and nanofiber technology, which gives it flexibility, speed and makes it lightweight. The power for the suit is geothermal, so the body heat and movement of the operator actually regenerates the power for the suit.” Professor Rickenbacker was almost giddy with excitement. “This new type of geothermal energy is going to have a host of new civilian applications once the war is over.”

Not wanting to miss something, General Branson asked, “Where do the cybernetics come into play?”

“Ah yes. Well, there are two versions of the suit. The standard issue, which uses no cybernetics, and then the advanced version, which incorporates them. The standard issue can do everything we just talked about and all of the other functions that you see on the display. The enhanced suit that incorporates the cybernetics enables the operator to integrate their mind into the operating system of the suit and the targeting system. Essentially it allows an operator to see and engage targets faster than someone could without a cybernetic implant. The implant connects at the base of the skull and interfaces with the neurons in the brain that allow a person to process images and threats.”

“The implant also allows the operator to push the limits of the suit to the max. Instead of being able to run 35mph, someone using the implants could easily hit 50 or 60 mph. They can do this because their body becomes completely fused with the suit for the duration that they are connected. We’ve tested it, and the results are amazing. However, not everyone is able to integrate with the cybernetic implant. Some people’s bodies reject it, others are simply not able to control it. So in this regard, the cybernetic implants are still a little while off from full implementation.”

Eric Clarke, the Secretary of Defense, saw the Raptor suit as a means of being able to even the odds for the American forces, particularly in regards to the troops in Alaska, who would soon be facing an Army of nearly five million, and who knew how many of them would be equipped with the Chinese and Russian exoskeleton suits.

“How soon can we get the standard Raptor suit into production and begin training our troops on them?” asked the Secretary of Defense, eager to get a new technology operational quickly.

Rickenbacker handed a tablet to Eric with the full specs needed to build the Raptor and a training program for how to use it. “This should help; it’s fully ready to be fielded now. We’ve actually been working on this project in one form or another for nearly three decades. The exoskeleton the Special Forces have been using was second generation. This is now the fifth generation of that same technology. Where the first two generations were not a fully enclosed system, this is, and that is why this system is going to be so much farther advanced compared to anything the Chinese or Russians have.”

“You can begin building them immediately, but they will take time. You can construct most of it using 3D printers, but training a soldier on how to use it is going to be the challenge. There is no way around that particular problem,” Rickenbacker explained.

Knowing they had been in the meeting for nearly five hours, the President indicated to the group that their session was coming to an end. “Professor Rickenbacker, you have given us a lot of food for thought, and certainly provided us with some new technologies to look at. When we get back to the White House, I am going to start bringing others into the loop on the Raptor combat suit, the EmDrive propulsion system and the F41. We need to get these three pieces of technology into the war immediately. I want you to be available when the time comes to answer questions by some of the engineers from the major producers in the country if they have questions,” the President directed.

Rickenbacker agreed and then the men parted company.