It all looks so very differant over here !
Luigi sat before the TV screen and drank in the news, It was the first he had seen for 3 days now. He was shocked, shocked to the very core, so much death and so much destruction had happened.
He knew of the US generals coup and their moves upon Canada, he had also heard of the UK jumping striaght in to Canada's defence. He had seen on the radar screens the battle to the south. He had seen the US 7th fleet and the Soviet 5th Eskadrille destroy each other, he'd seen the combined Nato fleet fight it out with the Warpac and Damascus pact navies. He'd also seen Malta destroyed and the revenge attack by the brave but small defence force. Now if the reports where true the Mediteranian belonged to the UK and it's Commonwealth lap dogs.
He saw on the news that Turkey was screaming for help from NATO, Soviet aero-naval forces where taking the Bosphorous and Istanbul away from them, but no help was coming, from what he knew it seemed that Nato command ability had fallen apart and they where floundering. The once great alliance seemed dead with countries only looking out for themselves. Hell, he saw on the screens that Italy was helping noone and only patroling it's own airspace.
The next peice on the news made him sit up, India, The Red Chinease and the Soviets where fighting a vicious three way war were the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Delhi was gone, Ho che min city and Valdivostock with them and a map or unpronounceable and instantly forgetable chinease cities joined them.
The Holy Father had called for peace but at this time was celebrating a mass of peace in times of war and calls for National unity came from Rome.
He Jawned.........then the alert siren cut through him like hot knife through butter, he rushed back to the battery command centre and avidly searched the screens in front of him........they were coming from the south east and were identified by radar signature as Soviet..........The Battery came to full alert...........search radars locked on.........Targets where allocated and the call for release was sent.........long seconds went by then the authorisation came through, and missiles where launched
Tense seconds that seemed like hours ticked away, as on the screen the markers for the missiles clawed towards their Targets, It was like a game, one second they were on the screen the next they where gone. No feeling of death at work, no smell no screams nothing to mark the passing of the Soviet airmen .
The mood in the room began to lift, just 3 left...........now only 2......come on come on ...........Yes just one now....a cheer came from somewhere, instantly hushed..........Oh God, nothing could catch it in time........Rome,Rome lay wide open...........They had failed......The holy Father, the people, his Grandmother, they were all there.........He was an officer, he must carry on......... His voice rang out in the silence, he ordered the reloads and got the battery moving.
He watched as the Bomber moved over Rome, he saw the Detonation on the screen, he knew it was gone.....................
