Beginning in the South China Sea
Following the destruction of the Goshawk plane, the various ships and boats dispersed, with neither side choosing to continue the encounter. The UK submarine and aircraft carrier are traveling together.
On the sub, Smith is communicating with his headquarters. “Line up the connections,” he says. “I’ll get started immediately.”
The sub and the carrier stop, and a helicopter transfer is carried out once again, but this time with Smith as the passenger. Once he’s aboard the carrier, he gets into an F-35B, which is the staple single-seat combat jet of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, due to the plane’s short takeoff and vertical-landing capabilities. Smith takes off and heads west toward Vietnam, which is easily reachable with the F-35B’s thousand-mile range. He is planning to take advantage of the secret agreement with Vietnam to allow transit through one of its air force bases. With its supersonic speed, the plane reaches the base in southern Vietnam in under an hour, whereupon Smith immediately switches to a Eurofighter Typhoon T3.
The T3 is a two-seater version of the Typhoon, an advanced fighter jet noted for its flexibility. With another pilot in place, Smith is able to focus his attention on mentally preparing for the rest of his mission. The T3 heads south toward Western Australia, with a necessary mid-flight refueling provided by an Airbus Voyager, the military version of the civilian Airbus A330.
The T3 lands at Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce, which is about twenty miles north of Perth. As soon as the plane stops, a British Consulate Jaguar I-PACE, an all-electric SUV, pulls up next to the plane. Smith exits the plane and gets right into the SUV, which starts off immediately toward Perth International Airport.
A passenger plane at the airport has been boarded and is ready to depart for Washington DC. The plane’s departure is delayed due to an official request by the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, which followed an urgent plea from MI6. Smith’s vehicle drives up to a gate at the airport, whereupon Smith exits the Jaguar and gets into an official airport vehicle, which drives him to the delayed plane.
Smith boards the plane and apologizes humbly to the puzzled attendants and passengers, saying, “A thousand pardons, a thousand pardons.”
One of the attendants, who is still flustered and wondering what kind of VIP he is, guides Smith to his seat in first class.
Smith says, “Many thanks.” Before sitting down, he adds, “May I impose upon you for a drink?”
“What would you like?”
“A whiskey would do the trick nicely.”
“One moment.”
The attendant returns with his drink.
Smith graciously says, “Thank you kindly.”
The plane is given priority for takeoff and it moves forward to the runway. After the plane takes off, Smith finishes his drink, pushes his seat back, and falls asleep immediately.
South China Sea
The ships and boats of the Chinese Navy are encircling Taiwan. Once in position, they begin to prevent any other ships or boats from entering or leaving Taiwan. Chinese Air Force planes begin patrolling the skies around Taiwan, preventing any other planes from arriving to or departing from Taiwan. The Chinese military is effectively blockading Taiwan.
The Chinese government releases a statement: “The government of the People’s Republic of China has taken decisive action to prevent the outbreak in Chinese Taipei from spreading to the rest of the world. The People’s Liberation Army has been ordered to prevent anyone or any traffic from entering or leaving Taiwan. This order will be carried out fully and decisively, including the use of whatever force might become necessary. All parties are directed to heed this announcement and to not interfere in any manner whatsoever with the implementation of the aforementioned order.”
The government of Taiwan is already overwhelmed battling the virus outbreak, and the actions of the Chinese government push it to the breaking point. Taiwan is heavily dependent on imports for food, medical products, and oil, such that the blockade immensely exacerbates its already dire situation. Taiwan desperately reaches out for help, but no one responds. Taiwan is totally isolated and near collapse.