Of course, everyone understood perfectly well that an explosion of such power would lead to global consequences. They even predicted the shift of the continental plate with the appearance of giant tsunamis, the height and power of which no one could accurately determine. And, of course, everyone predicted the explosion of the Yellowstone caldera with a description of the consequences that could not be compared with all apocalyptic scenarios put together; although there were some who predicted an "ordinary" tsunami with casualties and destruction comparable to the consequences of the hurricane in New Orleans, only in all directions of the impact force.
One way or another, the world did not know that no one was going to blow up, but that the goal was an excuse for another redistribution of the world, this time financial. Naturally, no one wanted to blackmail the "Russian bear," as Russia was often called abroad. And so, on the very eve of the New Year, "unexpectedly" for everyone, this very "Russian bear" makes an official statement that it intends to make a warning aerial detonation of nuclear warheads and informs about the danger of electromagnetic pulse, first of all, the airlines. This, of course, was met with multiple notes of protest, but mostly NATO politicians and militaries showed calmness and equanimity, although the public was "buzzing", especially on social networks.
Rutra began to suspect that the calmness of the politicians and military was due to a leak from Echelon 2, but he was assured that "everything was real," although it was clear that if Echelon 2 was not "making waves," Echelon 1 and the other levels were not worried, doing everything according to instructions. To make his intentions more convincing, the President ordered the submarine cruisers to surface. After the surfacing off the U.S. coast, which came as a shock to the public, as the public was reassured by the daily propaganda that this could not happen, "the Russians want to take a fright" – opinions changed radically. A brigade of anonymous hackers showed the world a supposedly intercepted secret report from the Institute of Physics of the Earth to the Russian president on the likely consequences of detonating the entire nuclear warheads of these submarine cruisers. This had the effect of an exploding bomb followed by a domino effect. Demonstrations, rallies and protests outside the Russian embassy, which had been going on since the beginning of the Russian president's threatening attacks on Western countries, stopped. People ran: some to buy everything, others to sell what they had.
The first to collapse was the stock market, its work was halted, followed by the rest of the trading floors, and a chain reaction went on all over the world. The next morning no stock exchange opened, and by lunchtime banks were closing. Discontent turned into riots and pogroms.
On his way to work, Rutra was particularly emotional about one scene. A crowd was rushing into a hypermarket, at the entrance of which a stately citizen, arms outstretched to the sides, was shouting: "I bought this center, I bought everything here, nothing is for sale." The crowd was pushing against the guards, who stood in front of him in two rows, heavily armed. He shouted to the guards, "Shoot, they will kill us all." The guards did not dare to shoot at people, they only fired warning shots in the air.
Another group drew attention to itself in this pandemonium. A man in civilian clothes, who was leading the group, shouted through the crowd: "This center is occupied by me, get out of here"; he ordered his "own" to "shoot in case of disobedience." A scuffle started between these groups of fighters, which caused the main crowd to disperse, and afterwards – they pounced, crushed, trampled on "their own" and "strangers", and started robbing the shopping center.
Two of Rutra's guards, this time FSO men who guarded him as head of the Special Affairs Division of the Presidential Administration, looked questioningly, waiting for a command. Rutra ordered to move forward, which was becoming increasingly difficult to do, even with the special signal, because of the traffic jams, "reckless" drivers, and special vehicles with flashers and sirens going in different directions.
Rutra got to the center by sidewalks, courtyards, and oncoming traffic. The soldiers remained guarding the entrance to the first building of the Institute of Statistics; they were not supposed to know the rest of the story. Rutra went down to the center and was told that he had to perform an urgent task, namely, to consider the possible consequences of actually detonating the entire ammunition of both submarines at maximum depth. Rutra was alarmed by this. First, because of the urgency, second, because the matter had not been considered before, but most of all because it had to be considered at all.
– Part of the analysis has already been done," Christina reported. – Now we are studying the possible impact on Europe.
– The data is nested in the system, the machine works," said the head of the computer analysis department, who had a degree in probability forecast modeling.
All past experience, combined with what was happening on the street and in the world, told Rutra that what was happening was not exactly what was being proclaimed. He remembered Isa's words to listen to his own inner voice. And that "inner voice" was saying that the family should be removed from Moscow.
Ruthra was busy sorting through the reports and analysis, skimming through them, his mind on other things. The main consequences were giant tsunamis and no less giant earthquakes with volcanoes "waking up". The basic information didn't give anything new. Henta and someone else was interested in concrete – how, on what area the degree of impact of the consequences of the explosion would manifest itself.
– So, what do we have? – he asked loudly, so the whole department could hear.
The first to respond was the head of the computer analysis department. He began, in his scholarly, military manner, to talk or report. Ruthra was used to it, so he didn't stop when he switched from reporting style to layman's terms.
– The formation of high waves in narrow channels, such as submarine basing areas, is possible. Resonant oscillations in bays can cause great damage to surface ships based there, especially aircraft carriers, as well as tangible damage to the infrastructure of naval bases, including their life support systems.
– Excuse me, please," Ruthra interrupted him. – What's going on right now? Is there something I don't know?
– Not something that is happening right now, let us say, but could happen. After all, this our "expedition" to the shores of America has the character of a cover-up. If an artificial tsunami will be caused, then only deliberately, organized and in the right direction.
– I developed this option myself, I know that. You tell me, were there any orders other than mine?
– Uh, no.
– Then go ahead.
– In principle, at the current level of technology development, such a thing is quite possible. Similar principles can be used to control for military purposes such no less formidable natural phenomenon as a hurricane, which refers to the field of hydroclimatic regime management.
– I'm sorry, I have to interrupt you again. Can you tell me exactly what's going to happen?
– With this plan, with this formulation of the question, I don't think anyone will take the responsibility to say exactly what will happen. I just want to say that there are quite normal, if you can call it that, methods of affecting nature. And I also want to say that it is still very unpredictable, first of all, the consequences in the long run. I am telling you this so that you have information from which to choose.
