The Asshole App

28. PROJECT ODIN

The "Rods from God" concept is a bundle of 20 foot telephone-pole sized tungsten rods, dropped from orbit, reaching a speed of up to ten times the speed of sound. The rods would penetrate hundreds of feet into the Earth, destroying any potential hardened bunkers or secret underground sites. More than that, the explosion would be on par with the magnitude of a ground-penetrating nuclear weapon – but with no fallout.
-Blake Stilwell, Military.com

Several levels below the mountain retreat, Casper Winterman and Satoshi's father stood in Atsuo's subterranean command center. "You know what I like about your secret head quarters, despite the fact that they look like an IMB clean room?" Cuban cigar smoke circled his head like a wreath before being sucked away by the facility's high-powered HVAC system. "It can withstand any external assault, including a nuclear arsenal."

"Almost anything," Atsuo said. His intelligent, dark eyes watched the older man intently, searching the weathered face for an ounce of humanity. Winterman hadn't gotten his nick name, The Ghost, because his hair was white or he was named after a friendly cartoon character. He'd earned the appellation because of his legendary ability to disappear unscathed after butchering innocent victims. "Casper, please reconsider your course of action. There are innocent people in CENTIEN's corporate headquarters." Unwavering, his hands hovered over the computer terminal.

Casper dismissed Nakamoto's concerns, blowing cigar smoke towards the tech genius. "The only valuable assets we had at CENTIEN were Jamison and Darrow." He glanced at his phone. "Langley's tracking agent Darrow's phone as we speak. He's in New Jersey with Jamison, whatever the hell they're both doing there. They're probably transporting the original satellite app to Naval Weapons Station Earle. I don't care about the other useless garbage at CENTIEN. They're all collateral damage." He chewed his cigar. "Stop stalling and initiate Thor's Hammer."

~~~~~~~~

From her San Onofre command center, Satoshi saw the ODIN Project's kinetic attack being activated. "Ray, they're sending THOR'S Rods of God down on you."

Sinclair was already tracking the kinetic strike activity on the ICARUS app. "I see it, Satoshi. Don't worry, I'll cancel the strike order." He started punching the necessary directives into ICARUS. His phone chose this moment to die. "I need a charger," he yelled, frantically.

Satoshi responded immediately. Picking up her cell, she swiftly texted her father the tracking ID for agent Darrow's new phone. When he'd been recruited by Thanatos, she'd insisted the double agent's whereabouts be known at all times. Unknown to Darrow, his replacement phone was Satoshi's personal tracking collar.

~~~~~~~~~

Casper watched Atsuo enter the coordinates, locking onto Ray and Thanatos' location inside the CENTIEN high rise. "I wish I could see those bastards fry." When Casper looked down to check his phone, Nakamoto swiftly tapped in a system override, using the latitude and longitude that Satoshi had texted him for the new assault coordinates.

An androgynous accent-less voice intoned, "Targets acquired."

Casper looked up from his phone and frowned, his bushy eyebrows raised like antennae. "Why did it say targets when there's only one strike zone?"

"Coordinates locked. Two minutes to impact."

"Nakamoto! What's going on?" Casper's anger flared as Atsuo ignored him, locked the key board, and walked away from the computer terminal. Satoshi's father assumed a tranquil lotus position in the center of the room.

Casper strode over to him. "What did you do, Nakamoto?" Spittle flew from his lips.

"I have lived a long life, as have you." Atsuo pulled out his phone and focused on the picture of Satoshi.

"Do you want to live out the rest of your life in an eight-by-ten cell?" A vein bulged on the side of Winterman's withered neck.

"I have made peace with my gods. You must make peace with yours. Remember, it is a terrible thing to die without honor." Casper's eyes widened in horrified comprehension. Onscreen, he could clearly see the GPS path of the tungsten steel rods headed straight for them. His cigar dropped to the floor as the strike path split in two. Half the kinetic payload was headed towards Jamison and Darrow.

"Despite your boomer level understanding of technology, I think you know." Nakamoto closed his eyes. Smiling, he imagined a favorite summer day from his youth. Outside, the grasshopper raised both its wings. Rubbing the sharp edge of the lower wing along the file of the upper wing, he began to chirp.

"You bastard!" In a fit of uncontrolled rage, the Deep State overlord lunged at Atsuo.