"I see." But the President shook his head as if he did not really understand or necessarily believe all that he was being told.
"Meanwhile," Defense went on inexorably, "the rate of Soviet launches is increasing. That's on the graph you have in the middle, there. Today they have thirty-nine satellites functional in orbit. Four weeks ago they had only thirty, even though we found and destroyed eleven of their satellites over that time span. Unless we do something about it, the Soviets 285 will complete their network in another year—eighteen months, at most. And we'll still be far short of having completed ours."
"They'll have won," said General Hofstader.
"They will be in here dictating terms to you," whispered the burly man at the end of the table.
The President rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Well, what do you recommend?"
Defense nearly smiled. Tensing slightly in his chair, leaning forward, he ticked off points on his fingers. "First, we must increase our own satellite launch rate by at least fifty percent. Doubling the present launch rate would be preferable.
"Second, we must increase our kill rate of Soviet satel- lites, otherwise they will pass us in a matter of months.
"Third, we must prepare for the possibility of striking their orbital command centers. One successful blow at a command center could incapacitate their entire network for weeks."
"Right!" snapped the General.
It took a moment for the President to realize what was being suggested. Then his mouth dropped open in sudden comprehension. "You mean attack their manned stations? That . . . that would kill people!"
"It would mean war!" the Secretary of State gasped.
"Not necessarily," Defense countered calmly. "Even if a few Russian technicians and cosmonauts were killed, they probably wouldn't go to war over it. Our computer forecasts show less than a forty-percent chance. Remember, neither side has publicly admitted that there are military operations going on in orbit. And they certainly won't attack when we have more functioning ABM satellites in orbit than they do."
"But that's precisely when they would attack," State insisted, his normally placid voice going shrill. "They'll attack when it becomes clear to them that we can complete our ABM network before they can complete theirs. They'll attack before we finish it and have them completely outgunned. That's what we would do. That's what you Pentagon people call a preemptive strike, isn't it?"
General Hofstader shook his head. The Defense Secre- tary frowned across the table at State. 286
The President said, "I don't want to run the risk of starting a nuclear war, and I don't want anyone hurt . , . unnecessarily."
"Sir, I am not making these recommendations lightly," Defense said. "The life of our nation is at stake, and—"
"I understand that," said the President. "But I still don't want any blood on my hands. You can increase your own satellite launches and shoot down more of theirs—your first two recommendations. But no attacks on people!"
"We may be forced to, sooner or later," muttered Defense.
The General asked, "What do we do when they attack our manned stations?"
The Secretary of State leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
