NationStates Jolt Archive


USoP Situation Room

Philimbesi
06-07-2007, 20:46
04:30

The sentries on guard at the door to the Situation Room clacked their heels and snapped to ready attention as the president’s chief of staff pressed his hand on the biometric sensor. The doors opened and inside was Nadine McMally the USoP national security adviser.

“One of these days I’m going to come down here and find out that we’ve discovered the cure for some major disease, or we will have found a way to add something to the water to make everyone in the world like each other. When will that day be Nadine?. Leon quipped

“You really want to suggest to me that we poison the world water supply? Nadine returned.

“Fine fine, what’s going on?”

“About 5 minutes ago, seismic indicators along the Harley Ridge fault in Alpha picked up on a big event”

“How big?”

“7.8”

“7.8 That’s the biggest out there in a while.

“Yea, ever actually, anywhere in the USoP… Leo.”

“Hang on a minute.”

“Wait for it”

“Oh God, the dam” Leo said, his face losing color.

“Bingo”

“What’s going on?”

“The structure of the dam is in place at this time however the hydro pressure readings aren’t pretty, and we’re not sure exactly what the bottom of the dam looks like.”

“Ok, worse case?” Leo says, asking them to think the unthinkable saved him the effort of doing it himself.

The Interior department liaison spoke up, “The dam has a full breech, the contents of Lake Harmony then rush into the Harley Valley which follows the original path left by the Harmony river. Flooding about 10 to 15 towns estimated populations there of about 500,000, with a mountain of water probably 50 to 60 feet high. The force of which will in addition to covering the houses of all those people will knock out 4 major manufacturing centers and 5 to 10 mines on the way.

“There’s a bigger problem.” Nadine said

“The power plants.” Leo responded paler still.

“Yes, there are two plants, both nuclear, in the direct path of the potential flooding. They both have some reinforcements for flooding along the Harmony but neither have the bulk to stop this.” Nadine said, hoping she had kept the humanity out of her voice when she said that, she knew that it wasn’t going to help to get emotional.

“Ok, let’s get The Critical Incident Task Force online, whoever the largest earthquake in the history of our country didn’t wake up is going to need to be woken up and evacuated, we’re going to need General Fitz-Wallace here as well to coordinate the armed forces response, as well as about a million of his best engineers to stand around and look smart.”

The room jumped to action as satellites were moved into position over the damage, phones were snapped off their cradles, the images on the screens reflected local news broadcasts from the Alpha’s Picturesque Harmony Lake, soon the network boys would get a hold of it, and this would go world wide.

Leo walked over to the blue phone on the wall with the Presidential Seal engraved. “Hello Marissa this is Leo, I need to wake the president. “