The Third World War: A Terrifying Novel of Global Conflict

43

'I can do it,' said Kee Tae Shin, standing at the base of the missile. 'But are you certain this is what you want?'

Park Ho would have taken the question from no one else. Park understood Kee better than any man in North Korea. Park was the man Kee had called upon when his wife was dragged away to a labour camp. Park was by his side when gunmen from the previous regime broke into his apartment and shot dead Kee's son and daughter in front of his eyes. It was Park who had tracked Kee's wife to Khechen prison, where he found her on the workhouse floor between rows of sewing machines, her spine broken from beatings, and sleeping in her own urine. It was Park who had knelt down, snapped her neck, then loaded her body into a helicopter and flown it back to Pyongyang, where he appeared, carrying the corpse in his arms, at Kee's door, his eyes wet with tears. And it was Park who had stayed up many nights with the distressed and lonely Kee, guiding him back to his science and skilfully steering his motivation towards support for the regime that had destroyed his family.

Without Kee, Park would never even have been able to make the choice over which delivery system he would use. Kee was one of Park's more brilliant creations and for that Park was prepared to be questioned, as long as they were alone.

He put his hand on Kee's shoulder. 'We have to create the threat of mutually assured destruction, a scenario which stipulates that if we are challenged there will be such terrible consequences that few people are likely to survive.'

Kee looked up sharply, his eyes following the contours of the missile and pointing towards the top of the rocket. 'They know we have this weapon, but they do not know how far it can fly. They know we have nuclear warheads, and they know what happens when one is exploded. But they do not know we have variola major, and they do not know we have a delivery system for it.'

Kee turned as the door behind them opened and Li Pak was ushered in. Unlike Park and Kee, Li had a wife and a son, and therefore everything yet to lose. There was a subtle difference in Li's expression. It was one of nervous enthusiasm, still motivated by the thought of creating something. Park and Kee, on the other hand, were men driven by revenge.

'Tell him,' ordered Park, as soon as the door closed behind Li. Li's presence made the space between the two missile fins and the reinforced concrete wall much smaller. The air was heavy with stale smells of oil and rocket fuel.

'We have successfully activated the interleukin-4 agent with the variola major virus,' said Li. 'Its effect on a human being is rapid and devastating. At the moment, we believe the strain we have created is resistant to the common smallpox vaccinia vaccine, and we are in the process of creating our own antidote to the new strain.'

Although the information was for Kee, Li looked only at Park as he spoke, unable to conceal his excitement.

'Can it withstand the impact stresses of delivery?' asked Kee softly.

'The liquid formulation when deep-frozen is stable in aerosol form,' said Li. 'If the technology explained to me by Comrade Park works, then, yes, the virus will survive a traumatic delivery impact. We have also put in an additive which lowers the freezing point. Your technology will allow the smallpox agent to travel in a refrigerated warhead with thermal shielding to allow it to survive re-entry into the atmosphere.'

Kee nodded. 'That is correct. We tested it over Yokata, and no one picked up what we were doing. It was a complete test of our guidance and delivery systems.'

Park shifted to the door and knocked on it twice. It opened from the other side. 'Come,' he said to Li. 'Dr Kee has something to show you.'

In the small room outside, two oblong-shaped metal casings lay on a table. Kee picked one up. 'You put the liquid formulation in here,' he said, tapping the inside. 'Right in the centre is a barometric pressure trigger. On re-entry, the warhead would release each of these capsules into the atmosphere. They would descend, stabilized by a fixed propeller which would cause the capsule to spin. Between 100 and 25 metres above the ground, the trigger would free the virus from the capsule, but would not destroy it, creating a cloud of infection which would float to the ground.'

Li nodded thoughtfully. 'A trigger, you say?' he muttered. 'Explosive or mechanical?'

'Mechanical. Just enough to prise open the capsule,' said Kee.

Li picked up the second half of the capsule from the table and examined it. 'It should work,' he said. 'We have tested the decay of our viral particles in varying conditions of heat, humidity and light. It would work with even a tiny explosion, if you don't trust the trigger.' He looked up at Park. 'Are we to test this system as facility for a fine-particles aerosol?'

Park laughed. 'Even a test will be seen as an act of war,' he said. 'Give Kee six capsules to put in his warhead.'

Li looked bemused. 'But that is nothing,' he said.

'How much do you have?' asked Park sharply.

'We haven't even begun to mass-manufacture yet—'

'Precisely,' snapped Park. 'And it will take you weeks to do so. You need 20 tonnes to infect 4,000 square kilometres of territory, and only then will we begin to destroy the apparatus of the United States. And by then, they will have developed a vaccine.' He took the capsule off Li and put it back on the table. 'No, Dr Li, you will prepare enough of the virus to show them that we have it and that we can deliver it. This is a weapon which complements the nuclear deterrent. Its purpose is to destroy those elements of society left functioning after a nuclear attack.'