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Doomsday RE: Before the Dawn CH 2 - Midnight

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Doomsday RE: Before the Dawn

Or, a 1983 Doomsday Tale through many Nations’ Eyes


CH-2 – Midnight

Undisclosed location outside Washington D.C., United States of America. 1983.

”…President Reagan is still airborne. Confirm command is with the President…”

”…Mount Weather is operational, sir. National Guard are on standby…”

”…Lost contact with European Command. West Germany is silent, repeat! Good God…"

”…Missiles away! Bombers have taken off. Maintain radio silence…"

”…TV and radio stations are reverting to the Emergency Broadcast System…”

”…I don’t wanna die. Tell me this is a damn false alarm! Don’t dare tell me to get my act together…"

Alfred F. Jones pinched his nose as he forced himself to stay calm amidst the mounting din of alarms, shouting and announcements. Pacing about the middle of the chaotic control room, he gazed at the large map of North America that dominated the scene. On it, ominous dots and projected lines glowed, encroaching ever closer on U.S. soil. To me, the American Nation thought with mounting dread. It’s really coming to this!

"Mr. Jones?" one of the military officers in the control room muttered as he approached, the middle-aged man’s voice barely audible amidst the alarms. "Transmissions from NORAD have ceased. From here on, we’re on our own."

Damn you, Ivan! America sneered in his head he attempted give an assuring grin, only to come across as unnaturally false.

"It’s not like we could stop all those nukes now, Captain Richards. How much time do we have left?"

"About 10 minutes at most, sir. Possibly less. The President and his cabinet should be on evac now. But I can't say the same for everyone else..."

The middle-aged man kept droning on in forced professionalism as the panic all around them gradually turned to exhausted, silent resignation. Before them, the lines and dots continued moving ever closer to their targets. As Alfred tried to straighten out the bomber jacket he still had on over his suit, his thoughts flashed back to that Doomsday Clock a few of his scientists thought up.  And it’s about to strike Midnight. God, I miss that mess with Cuba… Taking a deep breath, the United States of America slumped down on a chair, his blond hair momentarily covering his bespectacled eyes. There was no denying it anymore, even for someone as heroic, high and mighty as himself.

“I fucked up, didn’t I?” he sighed aloud, a crooked smile on his lips. “Or maybe, we all did.” No point regretting it now, is there?

It just seemed too unbelievable, and all over some faulty early-warning signal or some Soviet officer’s fatal mistake. Those were the only logical explanations he or his top minds could think of for those Russian Communists to suddenly declare war with everything they had, prompting he and the rest of NATO to do exactly the same. But even if his brave men hold the line along the Iron Curtain, no matter how quickly FEMA and the National Guard could keep order in the evacuating people, it’s too little, too late. All that was left now was for his own nukes to hit home.  It wasn't supposed to be like this! No-

The Nation cringed, as he felt a torrent of pain, his eyes glancing at the map and screens. He didn’t need to see the monitors blinking out one by one to know what was going on. Boston. New York. Washington. Chicago. Los Angeles.All…gone…  How many of his towns and cities, he wondered, as well as the people living there would die for all this? Would it be from the first flashes, fallout or the complete chaos that would certainly follow? He thought of the many lives, human and Nation alike, whose death warrants he had already signed with the push of a button. The very idea of England, Canada and his other friends being killed, of the world ending in something straight out of his worst nightmares shook him to the core. They'll all be gone...damn it. Fuck it, DAMN THOSE BASTARDS!

"Five minutes. Is anything wrong, sir?"

The sound of Captain Richards’ voice snapped Alfred back to reality as he gave a weak semblance of his trademark smirk. For the first, and possibly last time, he wasn’t sure about anything.

"It-It’s nothing at all,” America replied as he struggled to stand up. “Just wondering whether we did the right thing."

"That’s MAD for you, Mr. Jones," the officer nodded in shaking, if barely concealed sarcasm. "No point cursing whoever the hell thought of it. But at least we'll take those Commie sons of bitches out along with us, right?"

The normally upbeat blond nodded solemnly in agreement. There was barely any time left for regret anyway. In all likelihood, the nuclear fires would remove this facility and whatever traces that a person named "Alfred F. Jones" ever existed. The rest of the world, or whatever’s left once it’s over, may come to resent his memory as a Nation.  The American Dream spited for bringing about the apocalypse. But the memory, he convinced himself, would remain among his people in the trials ahead. That good old freedom, hard work and democracy would endure in some form for whoever survives. Maybe they might even build a better country than I was.

Even now, he could see it the strained, resigned faces of the operators and officers around him. Surely the Dream could endure even a nuclear winter. Even if I don't. The Nation forced back the urge to just cry and hug everyone, telling them that everything would be fine, as much as he wanted to.  

"You guys," he muttered. “I’m so s-“

"You did your best. We all did," he heard Richards interrupt, finally standing in attention to give a crisp salute. Before long, even as the alarms continued ringing over the chamber, the others did the same.

"It's been an honor serving this country, Mr. Jones,” one of the other operators added with a sad smile. In the face of the Bomb, their eyes still showed a glimmer of pride and resilience that had created the United States in the first place. At least in in their eyes, the Nation was still the great hero and for him they would die with honor. "God bless America."

The embodiment felt utterly overwhelmed, managing to give one final, youthful grin before a loud rumbling was heard, causing the ceiling to cave in. The next thing the Nation saw was a radiant flash. One brighter than the Sun.

It was the last image he saw. But the smile remained to the very end.
This is the second chapter of the latest "RE" remake tale for the 1983: Doomsday Stories AU. 

This one, though takes place almost directly after the first part. As it covers the titular Doomsday itself happening from America's perspective. And given that it's depicting "World War III," its graphic carnage and a rather bittersweet death, consider this a warning as well. 

If there's any consolation however, there is some foreshadowing to events down the line. As well as possibly, references to a Survivor-Nation who in time would take up America's mantle. 

Still, just to be on the safe side, this is a work of fiction and not intended to be a political, ideological or propaganda piece.

And lastly, hope you enjoy!

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As for some reference:

The events described are largely based on these 1983: Doomsday articles: [link] and [link] . While Doomsday as depicted (and the stories overall) aren't at all 100% "by the book" given all the difference, I tried keeping it as true to form as possible.

The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, or Mount Weather for short is a real-life Civil Defense (later, FEMA) complex and command shelter for the US Government, built in 1959 and still in operation ( web.archive.org/web/2005033008… ). In both the source material and Doomsday-verse, Mount Weather was one of the many designated shelters for then-President Reagan and his cabinet.

It's also mentioned in the source material that they would leave North America for good on a long perilous flight to Australia not long after, along with the remaining soldiers, staff and families they could bring along, leaving behind a seemingly dying wasteland. The evacuation led to Reagan's death, with then-Vice President George Bush going on to lead the American exiles until fully submitting to Australian authority in the mid-1990s.

Mutually Assured Destruction, also known as "MAD" is a real life Cold War principle meant to deter the Americans and Soviets from nuking each other, for the fear that both sides would be wiped out. While the Doomsday Clock mentioned is a symbolic timer first devised by an American scientific think-tank in the late 1940s and meant to show how close humanity is to nuclear destruction. Thus "a few seconds to Midnight" is another way of saying "the end is nigh."

Lastly, the source material describes several Survivor-Nations and remnant States emerging from the ashes of the American wastelands in the decades after. Including a group of surviving communities and State officials in the Midwest who go on build a Provisional United States in 1992, in memory of their long-dead country.

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I neither own Hetalia nor 1983: Doomsday. All rights belong to their respective owners.

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The original inspiration for this chapter can be found here: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An…

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Other Doomsday RE: fics:

An Ocean of Flame Abovemdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do…
The Vanishing Shadowsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do…
The Vanishing Shadowsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do… (CH-2)
The Vanishing Shadowsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do… (CH-3)
The Vanishing Shadowsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do… (CH-4)
The Vanishing Shadowsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do… (CH-5 END)
A New Meeting for All Rivalswww.deviantart.com/art/Doomsda…
A Wasteland Memorialwww.deviantart.com/art/Doomsda…
An Alpine Dawnmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do…

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CH-1 - Dead Handmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do…
CH-3 - Alpine Bondsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do…
CH-4 - Loyal Daughtermdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do…
CH-5 - Reluctant Dawnmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Do… (END)

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The preview image is courtesy of :iconrosel-d:, from here: rosel-d.deviantart.com/art/Doo… . So feel free to check the image out! :) (Smile)
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PersephoneEosopoulou's avatar
America and thus Alfred just died ?.

No tears from me considering what they contributed to, no tears for Ivan either to be honest but I'm softer on him for heritage reasons.