'No Nukes' (fiction)

Some of this material may not be suitable for younger readers.

© 2022, 2025 Theron Jackson. All rights reserved. 

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. The characters and incidents portrayed and names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person, location, building, event or product is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

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The president sat pondering the situation. He had exhausted all diplomatic options and was finally fed up with the other countries blatant disregard for life and human rights. The out of control regime had began indiscriminately using nerve agents, not only on their own people (many of which were fleeing the country), but the surrounding counties in the region, threatening U.S. interests. After several days of great consternation and much debate amongst his advisors and cabinet people he decided to use the nuclear option. 

Upon calling the Marine with the football over to his desk, he informed the president that he could not do that. The perturbed president inquired, "Why the hell not?" 

To which, looking at the others in the oval office, the Marine uttered, "Uh." 

The president pressed, "Well?" 

The nervous Marine, knowing the secret truth, which he knew he was suppose to maintain, but confronted by the query from the commander, he replied, "You are required to contact the commanding officer, sir." A now angered president reminded him that he was the commander-in-chief, and directed him to explain himself. Hesitatingly the Marine replied, "Uh. — Sir, — there is no nuclear weapons." The president now beside himself demanded, "What the hell do you mean there is no nuclear weapons! What the hell happened to them!" 

Looking around at the others, now quite interested in hearing his answer, the Marine now struggling between his prior orders and his commander-in-chief. Gulping hard, composing himself as a true Marine with his back up against a wall, he responded, "Sir, there never was any, sir." 

Everyone else in the room simultaneously replied, "WHAT?!" 

The Marine, back in full character, conveyed that he had only been told to reveal the fact if it were absolutely necessary, continuing that he had no knowledge of the details as to why, other than what he had been told. 

The fuming president, glared at his Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and asked what they knew of it. They were as clueless as the president. The president now collecting himself, still obviously aggravated, calmly stated for them to find someone who knew. 

Shortly after being summonsed to the White House, a five-star general arrived. 

The general calmly explained how that in the nineteen-forties when the research for developing a nuclear weapon hit a snag, it was decided by the military command in charge, in the interest of national security, since the Soviets were by then aware of the research, that it was not to be disclosed. It was expected that they could eventually proceed with the successful development, but, "that never happened." 

When the defense secretary pointed out how they had nuclear power plants. The general replied, stating how that was a totally different thing, "It's one thing to get the crap to glow, it's a completely different thing to make it explode. Hell, if you sneeze on it, it will start sputtering and sparkling." 

When pressed about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he replied, "Firestorms." And the various nuclear disasters. He replied how those were all freak incidents, "We thought we might be able to learn something from those, but all the scientists still came up empty-handed. Meltdown is simply that, the crap overheats and melts through the floor of the containment vessel. The resulting explosions were caused by the excessive pressure from the built up steam." Smiling ever so slightly, continuing, "Makes a hell of a mess, the steam cloud is quite deadly, but not much good for military purposes." 

The president calmly setting behind his desk, taking in the new information, inquired as to why he was not privy to such important information. The general replied, stating that since it was so important, to national security, it had been decided that none of the politicians should know. 

The Secretary of State queried, "But other countries have the capability." The general chuckled, then smiling, replied, "They want everyone else to think they do." 

Noticing the president looking puzzled, the general explained, "Don't take this wrong, but you, as was most of your predecessors," looking around the room continuing, "and most of you other gentlemen, for all intents and purpose, are businessmen who briefly hold your office. Unlike us, for whom it is a career. It was decided that this was a military matter and therefore the knowledge should be kept by us." Continuing, "In the fifties the Soviets had realized that nuclear weapons were a lost cause, knowing that we obviously had discovered the same. So, it was decided to bring them into the game." Smiling, adding, "Well, at least partly." 

The defense secretary remarked, "And the billions of tax dollars allocated for research and development?" The general replied, "That is where it has went, sir. We are still attempting to develop a viable atomic weapon. As are the Russians, the Chinese and practically every other country with nuclear scientists. —You see, it is still an arms race." 

The president setting quietly, then chuckled, looking at the general then remarked, "So, I assume we have never been to the moon." The general replied, "Uh, no sir, we have not." 

The End