OOC:
Basically, the U.S.C. has joined the ever-enlarging Nuclear Club by detonating a bomb. They are about to detonate another, this one at sea.
I'll make a second post later on, today.
Feel free to join in, if you'd like. Environmental protest groups, media sources, that sort of thing. I'm here to have fun if you are, my friends.
IC:
Ms. Julie L. Myers had been the Press Secretary to the Executive Office for precisely two months now, since President Gordon Romero had taken office. To date, her job had not yet required too much in the way of exciting or unexpected news to the press. Everything had been calm, routine, expected. Usually, she was merely confirming what everybody already expected was true.
Until now.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, standing behind the solidly-built podium in the Press Room of the Executive Residence. "I am sure by now that many of you, especially those of you from sources here in the United States, have heard rumors, or idle talk concerning the development of nuclear weapons. You may have heard stories of subterranean detonations. Scientists and technicians being trucked by military transports to and from an unknown place in the deserts of the southwest. Most of you have probably dismissed these rumors as just that, only rumors."
Myers paused, took a deep breath, and continued steadily.
"They are not rumors," she said, pausing again to let the rustling of hushed reactions die down. "Not the core of the stories, anyway. Some of the more wild and outrageous claims may be dismissed by news sources as false, but we have successfully developed a nuclear weapon. The first of many. It was detonated in the bottom of an abandoned salt mine, by an all-services military team, supervised by some of the best scientific minds in the United States now. The test slightly exceeded the predicted yield, and all went smoothly. This concluded the first stage in the development program, and it has been decided to proceed with the next stage."
Myers paused again, this time apparently to take a sip from a glass on the podium.
"For this reason," she said. "President Romero has ordered the Navy to prepare for an undersea detonation test. This test will be carried out in international waters, and at a depth meant to minimize long-term damage to the environment as a result of the detonation. The bomb will be dropped from a Navy aircraft and will be set to detonate upon reaching a certain depth. The test is scheduled to be carried out in two months."
Now, she stood back from the podium for a moment, squared her shoulders, and looked out at the assembled media.
"Any questions?"
