Our Nuclear Winter

“We need to move now, Mr President.”

”What’s happened?”

“There’s been a missile launch.”

”From where?”

“Mr President, we’ll brief you on the way... there’s no time.”

*******

”Where’s my family?”

“A team have them... we’ll meet them in the bunker.”

As they enter the elevator, the President of the United States of America looks shaken... they all look shaken.

”Mr President, there are multiple launch sites...from China, Russia, and North Korea.”

“Shit...are they confirmed?”

“Yes, Mr President, there is no doubt.”

As they arrive in the bunker, control panels are lit and alarms sound. Men who have trained for this day but never thought it would happen, await the order.

”Mr President?”

”Launch.”

And with that command, silos across the United States slide open and missiles fire. From various points around the globe, nuclear submarines launch their deadly payload, and within minutes, the world descends into nuclear holocaust.

*******

The first of the pre-emptive missiles arrive, splitting into ten warheads each, and every major city along the west coast of the US are impacted with complete devastation.

Most of the people living there are killed in the initial blasts, and as the following volleys arrive, millions more are killed. Armageddon has arrived.

China, Russia, the United States and Europe all burn. Ash rises, and embers blacken the sky. The sun and its ability to shine onto the ground disappear, and not long after, so do the crops.

In places where no bombs fall, the sky slowly darkens, acid rain falls and parents hold their children as the grids on which the human race has become so reliant, shut down.

Without satellites...without electricity, and so, without water...those who die in the blasts become the lucky ones.

Thirst and absolute desperation as fathers face choices no man should ever have to make...watch your child die a slow and agonising death...or mercifully.

Meanwhile, those who pushed the buttons are safely hidden underground, with enough supplies to last until the toxic rains end, and the sun shines onto the ground again.

Some will survive outside. Those who chose remote locations, who were prepared and got lucky. But what sort of world will they inherit? And who will hold to account those responsible for the deaths of so many?