By Dawn's Early Light - Plot

Plot

As the Soviet Union begins to undergo radical political change, a group of renegade Soviet military officers steal a nuclear missile and launch it towards the Soviet Union from Turkey. The Soviet city of Donetsk is destroyed by the stolen missile. When the missile hits, Soviet defense systems see that the weapon was launched from Turkey, and conclude that a NATO attack is in progress. The Soviets retaliate by launching ICBMs and SLBMs at the United States from both nuclear submarines and from land-based silos.

Moments after the Soviet attack is launched, the President of the United States receives a teleprinter message from his counterpart in the Soviet Union saying that they have determined that the first missile was launched by renegades and not by NATO; the Premier tells the President that the Soviet Union will, without retaliation, accept a limited U.S. counterstrike comparable with the Soviet attack (that is, killing between six and nine million people). However, should the U.S. counterstrike be any larger, the Soviets will have no choice but to retaliate in kind — meaning that an all-out nuclear exchange would almost certainly ensue. To further add to the turmoil, China launches its own strike against the Soviets in accordance with a treaty with the United States.

The President argues over the phone with General Renning at Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, over whether or not the teleprinter message can be trusted. The General believes it is a bluff intended to trick the U.S. into not counterattacking and leaving itself vulnerable, while the President is reluctant to launch a nuclear strike over what could be a mistake. General Renning orders his naval attache, "Harpoon", to board the Boeing E-4 airborne command post and orders a launch of his remaining land-based bombers, as most of them have been destroyed in the initial Soviet attack.

After much persuasion, the President orders an initial counter-assault, just after Washington, D.C. is struck by a nuclear missile, which was originally intended to detonate over Andrews AFB, Maryland but overshot its target by 13 miles and instead detonates over Walter Reed Army Hospital. Renning then informs the President that the Soviets have launched a second attack, presumably proving him right in that the Soviet Premier was being untruthful. The President reluctantly orders a second counterstrike. Aboard Marine One, the President's Emergency War Orders officer (EWO) receives a teleprinter message informing him that the second nuclear strike was directed at the Chinese, not at the United States, meaning that the United States will not suffer further casualties. The President is then evacuated from The White House on Marine One and is en route to Dover AFB, Delaware, but is presumed killed when a second nuclear weapon detonates over Andrews and causes the helicopter to crash. The President is, however, only wounded, yet now completely blind from exposure to the light of the nuclear explosion.

Assuming the President is dead, the United States Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation locate the Secretary of the Interior in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As the only remaining Cabinet member known to still be alive, and thus next in the order of succession, the Secretary of the Interior is installed as President of the United States with the codename "Condor". Though the Secretary at first appears open to the suggestion of Harpoon, who urges a cautious approach involving reduced hostilities, he quickly decides instead to follow the advice of the hawkish Colonel Fargo, who sees the total destruction of the Soviet Union as the only acceptable resolution to the conflict.

On board the Boeing E-4, Condor orders a decapitating strike on the Soviet Union, concentrating on the destruction of leadership bunkers by land-based bombers and the launch of all U.S. submarine-based nuclear missiles. Condor holds fast to his decision to attack the Soviet Union, even after hearing that the President of the United States is still alive, as he believes the communication to be a trick by the Soviet Union.

In Olney, Maryland, the President is taken to a nearby Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency shelter, where he is able to get in touch with the Soviet Premier via shortwave, though there is some question at the time of whether the authentication is legitimate. He then contacts the Looking Glass command aircraft which recognizes that the President is still alive. He then orders the Looking Glass aircraft battle staff to stand down the bombers and land-based missiles; however, to prevent Condor from ordering the launch of the submarine-based missiles from the U.S. Navy's TACAMO communications aircraft, the Looking Glass aircraft loyal to the President pledges to ram the E-4B. Minutes before Condor sends out the order for a full-scale nuclear strike, the Looking Glass is able to ram the E-4B (with the unspoken cooperation of its own flight crew during the last few moments, including a brief salute between each aircraft). The President then reasserts control and orders a stand-down of all U.S. nuclear and military forces. The Soviet Union responds in kind. However, the outcome of the conflict between Soviet Union and China is left unanswered.