A Peek Inside the Box

My phone has been ringing non-stop for almost two days now. The East is still reeling from the 8.9 earthquake and accompanying tsunami off the coast of northern Japan.

Thor is on a conference video line with Balder and myself.

"As our assets go to work, the picture is becoming quite clear. The fact of the matter is our ally Japan has been attacked. A major attack and for a very specific reason."

"What is the reason?"

"Japan's nuclear program had to be scaled down and thrown into chaos."

"Why?"

"Japan's nuclear program had been making preparations and modifications to provide needed materials for a nuclear weapons program should North Korea conduct more nuclear tests."

"So this was a way of disabling Japan's nuclear weaponns program?"

"Yes, and doing it in such a way that the people themselves will shy away from nuclear technologies. It is almost diabolical in its cunning. Not only does it throw the Japanese nuclear program into disarray, damage their economy and weaken their military preparedness, but it carries an enormous psychological and propaganda warfare payload as well. The worst part is, they will largely get away with it."

"How badly damaged is the fault?"

"We have a team studying it now and already have several remote submersibles in theatre and are collecting data. Bottom line - preliminary indications show this fault will be active with after shocks for at least probably several years."

"And what about the timing?"

"Well our satellite shows the North Koreans have been digging tunnels for another underground nuclear test of considerable more yield. We expected it in April or May, but knew they could fire it off at anytime. With what's going on in Libya and Saudi Arabia, I think they figured this was the perfect time for maximum distraction. Our radiation monitors and satellites have detected unusual radiation at both the North Korean borders and over parts of North Korea for the past two weeks. Now we are detecting the radiation released from the damaged facilities, which will mask some of the radiation which would be found in the waters off the coast if they actually managed an undersea nuclear detonation."

"Those little bastards are learning aren't they?"

"I don't think even they knew just how successful it was going to be. I think they are smiling now, but mainly because it takes Japan out of the threat equation for long enough to get their nuclear missile program completed."

"Do we have enough proof to go public with any of this?"

"No."

"Damn it! What about China, do we have any trails?"

"Even while we speak several teams are following leads and investigating several shipments received by North Korea from China. Kim il Jung isn't long for this world anymore and his son's a loose cannon. China is using North Korea the way a neighborhood drug dealer uses a pit bull - as a distraction from their own indolence, corruption and keeping the neighbors off balance. Everybody watches the pit bull act psychotic and brain dead and they pay less attention to its owner while he conducts his profitable criminal pursuits."

"What's the status of Project Xanadu?"

"I don't want to discuss that on a conference call, even a scrambled one. I'll talk about that the next time we meet face-to-face."

"Understood. Have we gotten Libyan oil fields back under Ghaddafi's control yet?"

"Yes. But it's been a dicey game. S via his puppet show at the WH and the State Department has been putting pressure on the Saudis to arm the rebels. It's insane. S wants those oil fields badly and wants to have jacked up oil rates in the US forever."

"It's crazy when you find yourself working for the Ghaddafi's of the world isn't it? S is even gunning for Iran's oil fields too. Has he bought any more rebels?"

"His fingers are in the pie, even as we speak. We've traced his purchases through many subsidiaries and fronts he's been using many of the same channels he used to pay insurgents in Iraq. We expect that he will activate them as soon as Libya is determined one way or the other."

"If we keep the Libyan fields will he postpone Iran?"

"He'll activate them either way. S isn't getting any younger either. This is his swan song."

"Can we utilize this knowledge to our advantage?"

"Oh, we'll find ways to use it, just not very effectively with Iran."

"Obama is very silent. Is S keeping him under lock and key while all this is going on."

"Pretty much. But we are using that to our advantage as well. The State Department is a total mess right now. Our allies are angry and feel we are selling them out."

Do you think that S is working with North Korea? The timing is totally fortuitous for his agenda."

"Anything is possible. But after his prediction of a bloody revolution in Iran, home of North Korea's biggest customer, I would think even they would be careful of getting into bed with that snake."

"Keep me informed of any major developments or if I can be of assistance. The Shadow President has been planning to stop by your neighborhood again soon and I may even drop by before the summer heat arrives."

"I look forward to it."

He laughs.

"Oh yes....I'm sure you do! I know you'd much rather be playing ESP with your favorite ETs than acting as the pool lifeguard for a bunch of delinquents and reprobates!"

"We all make sacrifices in this line of work don't we?"

"Yes, we do."

The conference feed disconnects, faces vanish and the monitors return to live feeds from the submersibles.