“We can do everything but read the name on the stem, sir,” Major Kelvin Carter said proudly. Carter was one of the heads of the EB-52 Megafortress strategic escort “battleship” bomber project, a command pilot, and the special project officer in charge of interfacing the PACER SKY satellite system with the Megafortress fleet. “It’s not an actual photo — it’s a composite image, combining radar, infrared, and low-light visual-spectrum data. We can do this with every ship that’s out there. We’ve spotted whales, dolphins, schools of fish, and even people on some of the smaller inhabited islands. But keep in mind, this is not the usable display.”
Carter motioned to the console operators, who switched the display to a larger-scale map of the area. The screen was filled with icons representing different vessels, along with data blocks near each icon. “Here’s the plan view of the area around the vessels out there. The computer issues identification icons to each and computes its track, speed, and plots past and probable courses. In attack mode, the computer will plot routes around the different threats displayed, select weapons to strike each target, and prioritize targets according to parameters entered by the commander.” Carter turned to a young Air Force officer beside him. “Ken?” Air Force Captain Kenneth F. James, assisting Carter with his presentation to the Joint Chiefs of Staff representative, motioned to a smaller monitor on another console. “As you know, Colonel McLanahan is out flight-testing his modified B-2 Black Knight at SWC. Here’s what he’s watching in the bomber, sir,” James explained. “It’s an instant intelligence and operations display. With this, a bomber doesn’t need to launch with a completed flight plan, decode targeting messages, or even stay in touch with his headquarters or task force commander. He can launch and drive right to the target, knowing that he’ll have the best and most current intelligence and flight plan available.”
Wyatt shook his head with amazement. “Incredible. Really incredible. Do you see that display in your plane someday, Captain? I understand you’re involved in a very futuristic fighter program.”
James glanced at Carter, momentarily unsure how to respond. “Captain James is a stickler for security, sir,” Carter explained. James smiled, apparently relieved that Carter had stepped in to intercede for him. “He’s understandably hesitant to talk about his DreamStar project, even to you.”
“I understand,” Wyatt said. “You guys live with security measures that really infuriate the Joint Chiefs. I don’t think there could be a bad guy within five miles of this place, right, Captain James?”
The young test pilot looked a bit startled at the question directed at him, but gave Curtis’ aide a weak smile and replied, “Security becomes a way of life around here, sir. You get very close-lipped after a while.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
“I think we can safely say that DreamStar is light-years ahead of even PACER SKY, sir. In my Megafortress strategic escort project, which I know you are well familiar with, PACER SKY would be ideal. One EB-52 acting as escort to a flight of bombers on a long-range strike mission will use PACER SKY to plan and update strike routes, pre-plan defenses, and optimize weapons usage.”
“All this… from a satellite that weighs only four hundred pounds,” Wyatt said. “Amazing.”
“It looks like Colonel McLanahan is getting ready to enter the low-level route, sir,” James pointed out. “When he switches between his Super Multi Function Display modes, we’ll be able to watch his entire run on this screen.”
They called it Powder River. It was a pleasant-enough sounding name, almost relaxing — completely out of place for a high-tech bombing, navigation, and gunnery range.
The Powder River weapons complex encompassed the southeast comer of Montana, a bit of the northeast comer of Wyoming, and an even smaller part of northwestern South Dakota. It was almost perfectly flat, with only a few windswept rolling hills and gulleys to break up the awful monotony of the terrain. In nearly eight thousand square miles of territory, there were only six towns of any size, mostly along route 212 that ran between Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and Crow Agency, Montana. The northern edge of Powder River A contained parts of Custer National Forest, while the very southern tip of Powder River B claimed an even greater landmark — Devil’s Tower, the unusual cylindrical rock spire made famous in the movie
It was truly the badlands this day. Sixteen men had already been “killed” in Powder River in one day.
