BANG!

TICK

“Sir, the first line of defense in Los Angeles stopped responding,” the Cheyenne Mountain liaison officer said.

TOCK

“Fort Eustis surrendered.” A hub of transportation and aviation was lost.

TICK

“Fort Smallwood lost connection to Cheyenne.”

TOCK

“Houston just went dark.”

“Space Force Command is down.”

“Mar-A-Lago….”

“Fort Knox has….”

“Coronado….”

TICK

“The Pentagon is being contested,” came another report.

The bunker below the situation room was in a frenzy, as it seemed like there was a competition over who could deliver the worst news to the president as fast as possible. Each analyst and liaison officer was shouting to be heard over the others, and that was just the most important information. The stream of defeats seemed endless and came in faster than even an entire large room like the one they were in could contain.