Chapter 298 |
On January 31 1957 a gigantic fireball with a radius of five thousand meters suddenly erupted in the pitch-black polar night environment at the North Pole, illuminating the entire Arctic sky.
Immediately, a huge mushroom cloud nearly 40 kilometers wide and about 64 kilometers high rose into the air, lingering for a long time.
The shockwave generated by the explosion spread to an astonishing distance of one thousand kilometers.
Several countries around the world that had been closely monitoring the launch process of this nuclear bomb instantly fell silent.
Such a long range and such powerful force.
It’s manageable for those big powers, but for small countries, wouldn’t a single bomb just wipe them out?
“Can we achieve this level of nuclear bomb and this launch method? Can we intercept such a launch?” In the White House conference room, after hearing the complete summary report of the nuclear bomb launch process sent from Europe, Eisenhower, who was just re-elected last year, asked the group of top military officials and advisors in front of him.
The senior officials looked at each other but no one spoke because it was an obvious question, and none of them were idiots — when that ICBM exited the atmosphere, everyone knew that with the current level of the U.S. military, interception was simply impossible.
Eisenhower was also fully aware of this.
“Mr. President, although we cannot intercept this kind of nuclear bomb, we can actually manufacture and deploy it!” At the silence, the then Chief of Staff of the Army, Maxwell Taylor, an old acquaintance of Josh, spoke up.
His words immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
It was known that before this, the U.S. military had conducted many nuclear tests, but the yields were always controlled within certain limits, and the deployment method was mainly air-dropped.
Missile attempts were made, but the technology for long-range strategic missiles was still not very mature.
“Explain?” Eisenhower nodded at General Taylor.
“In fact, the military and Boeing started a series of strategic missile research programs as early as 1951 and achieved good results. However, this program was halted by the Secretary of Defense two years ago. But Boeing, lacking military support, still retained the related research materials and continued research, making new breakthroughs last year. I even reported this to the Secretary back then, but it seemed ignored!” General Taylor said, praising Boeing greatly while subtly criticizing the Secretary of Defense.
Taylor’s words made Eisenhower and then Secretary of Defense Charles Erwin Wilson frown in unison.
Others present kept glancing between the three, quickly sensing some underlying intrigue.
Who does Boeing belong to? It’s a subsidiary of Continental Group under the super tycoon Josh Kane.
It was also the largest supplier for the U.S. Army and aerospace industry during the Truman administration.
Since World War II, Josh Kane had a very close relationship with the Army, which was known at all levels.
This General Taylor had a very good personal relationship with Josh during World War II.
However, cooperation between Boeing and the military had faced some obstacles since Eisenhower took office.
And the problem lay with the Secretary of Defense appointed by Eisenhower.
This man was formerly the president of General Motors for nearly ten years before becoming Secretary of Defense.
During World War II, General Motors was the top U.S. military supplier and was not part of the council but operated independently with great influence.
However, during the war, General Motors mainly supplied aircraft, trucks, tanks, and other military equipment.
At that time, Josh mostly supplied medicines, food, and other daily necessities, so there was little conflict of interest then.
But after WWII, Josh leveraged the council and the Chicago financial consortium’s power to acquire Boeing and other companies, aggressively getting involved in the arms business, naturally leading to conflicts.
However Josh had a good relationship with the Truman government, and his companies’ military equipment outperformed General Motors, even securing Josh’s direct appointment as a senior intelligence official in the Truman administration, leading to Hoover’s downfall.
Under those circumstances, even if General Motors sided with Howard Stark’s faction, they mostly survived by subcontracting and other scraps.
When Eisenhower took office, relations with the Continental Group faction were still decent—for example, the robotics industry and nationwide anti-crime campaigns received Eisenhower’s strong support.
On other fronts, Eisenhower simply felt the Continental Group’s influence over the military and government was too strong, so he promoted agents from competing financial consortia.
Josh, whose focus was no longer in the U.S., didn’t care much.
But during Josh’s absence from Earth for over a year, General Motors people saw an opportunity and began stirring trouble, especially this Secretary of Defense, who used his authority to cut many military projects with Boeing.
Because the losses were minor, Josh did not pursue it too much — the opposition’s behavior was technically within the rules.
Not pursuing then didn’t mean he wouldn’t reclaim later and now was a perfect chance.
Boeing was Josh’s, and had developed the technology, but the Defense Department rejected it.
The Austrian queen was Josh’s daughter, Josh’s Continental Group wielded huge influence in Austria, and suddenly they possessed strategic missile technology.
It was hard not to draw the corresponding inferences.
Faced with General Taylor’s criticism, Secretary Wilson wanted to shout “Boeing is treason!”
But he was smart enough to know that if he said that, he would just be ridiculed.
Because Taylor only said Boeing had strategic missile technology but never claimed Austria’s technology came from Boeing.
Such an accusation at this level, without evidence, was serious.
Wilson didn’t want to end up dead on the street.
“Sorry, Mr. President, this is my responsibility. I will apologize to Boeing and resume cooperation with them, ensuring that our country soon has sufficient excellent strategic weapons!” Wilson took the blame on himself with a stiff face.
“This matter is not urgent. The priority now is the founding parade of the Austrian United Kingdom tomorrow. Let’s discuss the visiting delegations quickly; time is running out!” Eisenhower waved his hand.
His words made the aides exchange glances again.
Wow, the Austrian founding parade was only a few hours away? Sounds like the President planned to go to Vienna personally?
Lucky modern planes were fast, or it wouldn’t be possible to make it in time.
Similar situations were unfolding in other countries.
In France, troops originally en route to Germany were recalled urgently by the government.
President Gustave Coty personally sent a telegram to Vienna, congratulating the founding of the Austrian United Kingdom and promising to attend the parade tomorrow.
In Britain, Prime Minister Robert Anthony Eden announced his resignation—not simply because of Austria.
In 1956, at the same time as the Czechoslovakia-Hungary crisis, a conflict erupted in Egypt—the famous Suez Canal Crisis in history.
This crisis, in the original timeline, was originally won by Britain, France, and Israel, but under the combined pressure of the United States and Russia, they failed.
However, in this world, Israel was founded in a different location, so it did not participate.
The Egyptian army secretly received military support from the Ouroboros.
So although they could not completely defeat Britain and France, they successfully stopped their military actions and shattered the two countries’ dream of regaining control over the Suez Canal.
Afterwards, the United States and Russia also took advantage of the situation to criticize the military actions of Britain and France.
Under these circumstances, Eden’s position was already unstable. He originally planned to use the Czech-Hungarian crisis to turn the situation around and divert domestic tensions.
For this, he even specially recalled his retired old superior, Churchill but an intercontinental nuclear missile completely shattered his plans, and he could only resign shamefully.
The new prime minister had not yet been chosen. What to do?
In the end, the just recently enthroned, barely thirty-year-old British queen Elizabeth II stepped forward to deliver a speech.
In the speech, she lavishly praised the peace coexistence principles mentioned by the Queen of the Austrian United Kingdom, Carol Kane, stating that the friendship between Britain and Austria is long-standing, and both sides should work together for Europe’s prosperity, and so on~~~
In short, she represented the British royal family and recognized the newly born Austrian United Kingdom.
After hearing the queen’s speech, Churchill, who just days ago had been loudly promoting the Austria threat theory on the streets, was in a bad state. Already in his eighties and in poor health, he was immediately sent to the emergency room, seemingly about to meet up with his old World War II comrades.
Russia became the only country in Europe that did not “admit defeat,” continuing to criticize Austria’s series of actions through international public opinion.
They claimed Austria’s nuclear test was the greatest threat to world peace, that the establishment of the kingdom was a step backward in history, and so forth.
They also claimed that the unrest in Czech-Hungary was orchestrated by Austria — calling it a conspiracy.
They declared they would absolutely not attend Austria’s founding ceremony, and sent their first deputy Mikoyan to Austria to conduct a “stern negotiation” with Austria!
At the same time, on the military front, they stopped attacking Hungary and Czechoslovakia, instead building defensive lines on the borders of Romania, Poland, Ukraine, and the small remaining territory of the Yugoslav Federation, declaring their intent to forever block the evil Austria outside Russian lands.
As for other European leaders, especially those from the former Mediterranean Trade Alliance members, they had already flown to Vienna at the first opportunity.
“How do you feel?” On the morning of February 1st, in the queen’s chambers at Schönbrunn Palace, Josh and Margot smiled as they watched their daughter Carol, who had changed into her queen’s regalia, looking in the mirror.
From now on, this Schönbrunn Palace would be Carol’s royal palace.
Isn’t this more magnificent than Buckingham Palace?
Though only thirteen, due to good genes, a privileged life, and early development, Carol was already tall, close to 1.6 meters, wearing a splendid court dress, full of queenly demeanor.
Of course, her twin brother Mike and younger brother Ben, also dressed splendidly and ready to attend the ceremony, were no less impressive.
“Don’t worry, Father, I will become an excellent queen!” Carol proudly lifted her head like a swan and said.
Having received Josh’s arranged monarch education early on these past few years, although her mind was not fully mature, Carol had long accepted that she was to be queen, worked hard for it, and was very proud of it.
Look, while girls around the world are still dreaming of becoming princesses, she skipped all the intermediate steps and became a queen.
Isn’t that something to be proud of?
Of course, she also knew this was because she had Josh as her father.
But being born lucky is also a kind of skill, right?
“I certainly believe it!” Josh looked at his suddenly grown-up daughter, feeling an inexplicable wistfulness.
His little cabbage was growing up. He wondered which rascal she would eventually end up with!
Wait, with her current status and identity, is there anyone on Earth worthy?
Could she have to find a talented man from an alien civilization as her husband?
Just thinking of the bizarre aliens he had seen before sent chills down Josh’s spine.
While he was lost in such thoughts, he suddenly sensed a familiar spatial fluctuation in the air.
Everyone in the room, including the maids dressing Carol, were all trusted aides, so no one was asked to leave.
The next moment, a spatial portal appeared in the room, and from it, the Ancient One stepped out.
After Josh and Margot’s confrontation, the Ancient One had become a regular visitor to their home; even the three children were familiar with her.
Besides slight surprise, no one overreacted to her appearance; instead, they respectfully greeted the supreme human sorceress.
“Ancient One? Why have you come?” Josh asked, curious about her sudden visit.
“Well, Carol did call me ‘teacher’ after all. Of course, I had to come to her coronation. Sweetheart, this is for you!” The Ancient One didn’t immediately answer Josh but hugged Carol and then placed a very antique necklace around her neck.
Josh immediately recognized it as a powerful magical artifact and a rather valuable gift.
“...I guess that’s not the only reason, right?” Josh raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, besides that, I am here to inform you that the two princes of Asgard will also come to represent Asgard at the ceremony!” The Ancient One looked at him meaningfully and said.
Hearing this, Josh was stunned.
The two princes of Asgard?
Thor and Loki?
Coming to a mortal kingdom’s ceremony?
Is that old Odin going mad?