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July 15, 2035, Japan Navy 4th Mobile Fleet, Aircraft Carrier DDA-190 "Kii," Trans-Japan Sea Military Exercise "Bratstvo"
The piercing roar of a turbofan jet engine crescendos into a deafening blast. The deflection paddles at the jet nozzle flare open, the engine's afterburner igniting in a white-hot glow. A torrent of exhaust slams into the blast deflector, scattering across the deck.
"Catapult One, launch!"
The catapult crew chief's arm swings down as he crouches. A gray-white aircraft dips its nose briefly, then surges forward, its 20-meter frame accelerating as if swatted by a giant's hand. The electromagnetic catapult's high-pitched whine pierces the air as the jet rockets toward the bow, launching off the deck. It dips momentarily before climbing sharply, shimmering in the heat haze of its afterburners. The engine's roar fades swiftly.
"Reset Catapult One! Prepare Catapult Two for next launch!"
The crew chief's command sends deckhands scrambling from their "foxholes" toward the next F3B fighter awaiting launch.
"Going smoothly," Rear Admiral Kumagai mutters, gazing through the bridge window at the bustling flight deck.
"No room for slip-ups with the Russians watching. Plus, we've got company tailing us," Lieutenant Colonel Shirakawa, the deputy captain, replies in his distinctive low baritone from behind.
Japan and Russia, having grown closer, now conduct joint exercises in these waters. This missile interception drill in the Sea of Japan, held despite China and Unified Korea's rapid-fire condemnations of Japan's supposed imperial ambitions, proceeds as planned. Ignoring their rhetoric, Japan presses forward with the Russian Pacific Fleet. Meanwhile, Chinese and Korean destroyers and cruisers shadow the fleet, lingering 100 kilometers astern to gauge both navies' strength.
The electromagnetic catapult's shrill hum rings out again, and another F3B launches, dipping slightly before retracting its landing gear and soaring into the cloudy sky, trailing white-hot afterburners. It seamlessly joins the attack squadron circling above with escort fighters.
"Rain's coming," Kumagai remarks, eyeing the gray clouds.
"'Forget your lunch, not your umbrella,' as they say. Yep, rain's on the way," Shirakawa replies, glancing at the low, slate-colored clouds. Weather radar could predict rain to the minute, but the dark canopy overhead makes it obvious. The all-weather F3B and Kii can operate unhindered, their GPS-guided systems allowing launches even in a midnight downpour provided the pilots have the nerve.
Another catapult hum, and a third F3B streaks into the gray sky.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, reborn as the Japan Navy, has expanded its peacekeeping and support roles globally, necessitating versatile vessels like the Kii, Japan's first true aircraft carrier. Built with expertise from the "escort" ship Hyuga (a helicopter carrier in all but name) and the modified Izumo (capable of operating F35Bs), the Kii faced one hurdle: the catapult. The U.S. refused to share its steam catapult technology, so the Kii was initially designed with a ski-jump ramp. But inspiration struck unexpectedly.
In late 2027, an exhausted engineer from a heavy industry firm, returning to Sekigahara, sank into a seat on the newly opened Chuo Shinkansen. Amid the superconducting linear motor's smooth acceleration, he scoured data on his tablet, realizing its potential for a catapult. At Nagoya Station, he continued researching in the waiting area, ignoring the last train's departure. By morning, after a night on a station bench, he was convinced the technology could work. Buying a ticket back to Tokyo, he strong-armed his way past reluctant security at Yokosuka's shipyard during the New Year holiday. By the next evening, after countless family calls, he'd drafted a basic electromagnetic catapult design, which was fast-tracked for review and enthusiastically approved by the Defense Equipment Agency's director.
"No unsightly ski-jump for our first true carrier," the director had quipped.
The engineer, attempting to return home again, found no tickets for the new Shinkansen and endured a grueling, overcrowded ride on the old line, two days late.
"Commander, all attack squadrons launched," the flight deck chief reports, snapping a crisp navy salute.
"Well done. I'm heading to CIC," Kumagai replies, returning a nod before glancing at Shirakawa.
"Understood, sir. I've got the bridge," Shirakawa responds.
Kumagai crosses the bridge slowly, exits, and descends via elevator. He walks the narrow, utilitarian corridors of the massive warship, entering the Combat Information Center after punching in his code. The dimly lit CIC, the largest ever built for a Japanese naval vessel, hums with activity. As the fleet's flagship, Kii commands air, sea, and subsea operations, electronic warfare, and disaster relief, integrating Aegis systems for coordinated missile defense across multiple destroyers.
Noticing an unusual tension, Kumagai pauses. "Something up?" he asks Colonel Kiyama, seated at the captain's station.
"Yes, sir. Fleet HQ just reported something odd."
"Odd?"
"An hour ago, all communications with the U.S. dropped."
"No contact with the U.S.? Impossible. Comms failure? Solar flare?"
Japan and the U.S., once Pacific adversaries, now share the world's strongest military alliance. Their combined air and sea power is unmatched, and Japan's growing military could repel a Chinese invasion for months, even without U.S. support. A total communications blackout with the U.S. is unthinkable.
"No flare, but massive disruptions across military and civilian lines. Domestic internet's near unusable, too. Staff HQ is considering DEFCON 3."
"DEFCON 3? That's serious. Exercise cancellation orders?"
"No, sir. We're to continue. Likely to avoid showing weakness to the Russians."
"Makes sense. Let's proceed. Russian fleet's status?"
"Following the scenario, no deviations."
"Then we do the same." Kumagai shifts his gaze to the wall of monitors displaying the tactical map. Blue markers show the 4th Mobile Fleet's ten ships; green, the Russian Pacific Fleet's twenty, sailing north in parallel. Yellow markers, 100 kilometers south, indicate Chinese and Korean vessels.
The fleet is 500 kilometers northwest of Niigata, heading northeast for missile interception drills simulating ballistic, stratospheric, and low-altitude supersonic threats set to conclude near the Vladivostok-Sapporo line.
"Russian fleet's speeding up. Not in the script," a radar operator mutters.
"Single ship or the whole fleet?" Kiyama asks sharply, his usual calm edged with tension since the U.S. comms report.
"Entire fleet. Average speed 24.5 knots. Submarines Shivatitel and Svetlanskaya accelerating too."
"Any word on a plan change?"
"Negative. Radio silence continues."
"Russians began radar sweeps. Full power, aggressive scanning."
"Russian fleet initiated jamming. Sweep-through."
"Russians accelerating further. Fleet average 27.5 knots."
"Russian message: 'Exercise canceled.' One line."
"Attack squadron requesting continuation orders."
"Squadron holds position. What are the Russians chasing? Can we detect it?"
"No radar contact."
"Lift radio blackout. Full radar sweep. Connect to JIPNET. Find their target."
"Roger. Full radar sweep. Aegis link confirmed."
"JIPNET connected. Fleet HQ message: 'Cooperate with Russian fleet, engage with full force.'"
Engage? Full force? Engage what? Kumagai frowns. Japan's military, now the Japan Defense Force, retains its defensive ethos. Attacking an undefined enemy feels alien, unlike the old "don't shoot until shot at" doctrine.
The Russians are clearly pursuing something at full speed, heading northeast, likely aiming north despite the Sea of Japan's geography. "Ask HQ, 'What are we engaging?' Bias radar north. Something's there."
"SPY radar detects multiple objects beyond the atmosphere, north. What the hell?"
"Report, operator. What's there?"
"No response from HQ. JIPNET connection failing."
"Non-Russian jamming detected. Barrage, low output, minimal impact."
"Massive objects descending from orbit, north. Eight thousand… ten thousand? No, increasing—fifteen thousand! Not free-falling. Accelerating into atmosphere!"
"Aegis link status?"
"Minimal jamming impact. Fleet link stable."
"Attack squadron position?"
"200 kilometers northeast of Kii."
"All ships, prepare anti-air intercept. Pinpoint those objects."
"All ships, anti-air ready!"
"Objects located. 1,000 kilometers northwest of Khabarovsk. Altitude 50 to 250 kilometers, descending."
"Multiple aircraft launches from Tsentralnaya Uglovaya Air Base."
"Numerous missile launches from Russian interior, likely S-400s. North-northeast, 1,000 kilometers. 400 missiles."
"Chitose and Misawa air bases scrambling fighters. JIPNET down, details unclear."
"Optical confirmation of large unidentified objects at 300 kilometers altitude, ejecting descending objects. Mother ships?"
"Air Force KC-767 and AWACS E-767 heading north. AWACS data link established."
"Multiple aircraft launches from Khabarovsk."
"Explosions among descending objects. Likely Russian optical weapons."
Kumagai pieces it together. The Russians knew what happened in the U.S. an hour ago. The U.S. and Russia, intimately aware of each other's moves down to missile deployments and lunch menus share intelligence via satellites and informants. Russia must know the U.S.'s situation and response. Their rapid reaction suggests preparation.
Thousands of unidentified objects descending from orbit? Most would doubt their eyes, suspect equipment failure, or hesitate to report. It's straight out of a dated sci-fi flick. Even now, watching the monitors, Kumagai struggles to accept the surreal data. A hacker breaching military networks seems more plausible.
Yet Russia's response decisive, unhesitating suggests they anticipated this. They likely warned Japan, explaining the U.S.'s silence with an unbelievable cause, forcing Japan's government and military to face reality as objects appeared over Siberia. That must be the cryptic order from HQ.
"All 4th Mobile Fleet ships, proceed north. Coordinate with Russian Pacific Fleet to intercept unidentified objects over Siberia. Maximum speed, northeast heading. Heighten anti-air alert. Attack squadron, maintain air cover until further orders. Signal Russians: 'We will cooperate to engage the enemy.'"
The Kii and its ten ships surge forward, kicking up white waves as they race north.