Page 144 - Musings 2022

“Sir! The valve has been showing signs of degradation and frequent failures! It has been almost

a week since we last surfaced, and the control systems are in urgent need of maintenance. Our
oxygen levels are also near critical; and we wont last more than two days. Please sir, we need

to decide on whether to surface or retreat now!”
Vasili stiffened for a second and let loose a sigh.

“Comrade Assimov, that decision will be taken soon. Please see to your duties and make sure

we stay alive to even make that decision. Our survival rests in your hands.”
Assimov gave a stern salute and left. Hearing his scurrying footsteps retreat and fade in the

background, a snide voice said, “Vasili. This is ridiculous. It has been a week since I arrived
here in the Cuban sea and heard anything back from the Kremlin. The war must have started

already. We must strike while the iron is hot. Otherwise, we will have to live in the shame of

not pulling the trigger when the Motherland needed it the most for our entire life!”
The voice in question belonged to Ivan Maslennikov, the designated political officer for this

mission. Along with him Ivan and Vasili in the control room was Valentin Savitsky, Chief of
Staff of the submarine. Ivan and Savitsky were extremely pro-war fanatics and had been in

favour of launching the nuclear torpedoes from the first day the submarine arrived in the Cuban
bay. It seemed that being on their last legs or facing a watery grave had triggered something in

these two war fanatics’ heads.

Ivan and Savitsky marched up to the control board and jammed their authorization keys into
the nuclear launch authorization board. Vasili was speechless. Launching nuclear missiles

required authorization keys from three officers onboard, who were in this case Ivan, Savitsky
and Vasili. The shell shock came in like a sneaking predator. If a war had indeed broken out

and the submarine fired the nuclear torpedoes, it might have landed a decisive advantage in the

hands of the soviets. However, if a war had not broken out and if the torpedoes were launched,
countless innocent lives would be lost. This would prove a reaction from the capitalists, and an

all-out nuclear war would annihilate millions. There would be no way out of it. Every single
person Vasili loved and held dear, his parents, his relatives, and his wife and daughter – all

would be lost.

“Should I follow orders and authorise the launch? If this is a false alarm, we will forever be
branded as the ones who launched this planet into utter chaos.” Thought Vasili. The pressure

was too much. He was at a crossroads; and he needed to choose wisely. Follow the objectively
right path and authorise the launch, or follow his heart and his moral compass and refrain from

the launch? Unfortunately for Vasili, the world moved fast, and time was cruel.

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