Truckin'

Part 1

“Whatcha haulin'?” Daisy tried to sound somewhat interested as she poured another fifty cent coffee for the latest driver to pull into the Over Easy Diner. The morning rush was busier than normal, but she still made for plenty of time for superficial chatter while waiting on the current loser at the grill.

“Don't know.” Dave Bird paused for a brief moment as if considering whether that should bother him or possibly whether he should have even said that. “Don't really care.”, he said mostly to answer his own thoughts. Normally Dave Bird didn't mind a little mindless conservation at a rest stop to help break up the endless hours of solitude on the road. Sure, the stereo was one thing, he loved his Blues albums, but some real live human interaction was essential to keeping one's sanity over the long haul.

This day he wasn't feeling exactly feeling his usual friendly self however. The questions that normally made him feel like a vital cog in the gear of the American Economy, just made him feel stupid and unimportant this particular morning. He knew he really did care, he just hated to sound like a dunce, instead choosing to sound like he deliberately wanted nothing to do with the load he pulling.

“Probably something pretty special though.” Dave slipped back into careless conversation as the waitress plopped some extra creamer containers onto his table. “Boss said to get it right away. Dropped everything else already scheduled. Said these guys were paying double time.”

“You sure it's legit?” Daisy couldn't help herself. Curiosity was always her downfall.

"Boss says it's legit. So its gotta be legit.”

“Well, where ya headed?”

“Alaska.” Dave blurted out right before remembering that even though his boss didn't give him any information on this load, he did tell Dave not to talk to anyone about the trip. A couple clean cut men drinking coffee at another table were looking at him right up until he noticed them and then they went back to examining their coffee and discussing something that the rest of the diner couldn't understand because they seemed to talk in one word sentences like a word association psychotherapy session.

Part 2

“Morning General. What's a Five Star like you doing in a place like this?!!”

“Hey. Are your guys almost ready? I hear the hardware is going to be here tomorrow. Those Russian rockets gotta be ready to light up any time.”

“We're ready.”

“Good. The chief wants to run the drill by end of day tomorrow. Check everything again to be sure it's ready.”

Next Morning, Dave arrives pulling trailer of unknown contents. Arrives at an outpost in the remote forest of Northern Alaska. He is met by a very strange mix of Russian scientists and high ranking US military type with a lot of shiny decorations.

“Just unhook it over there.” the general had told Dave pointing beside a couple fancy mobile homes where the scientists seemed to by scurrying.

“Sure.”

“You get many channels up here?” Dave asked, eyes glancing towards the satellite dishes on the trailer tops. Dave wondered why someone would need to drive to Alaska to watch Jeopardy.“No.” was all the response he heard, but something told him that dish was more important to this man than even the most addicted Jeopardy watcher.

Part 3

Later that evening in one of the trailers - “That's right Mr President, it's all set. We launch at oh-one-hundred. Those poor beggars won't know what hit 'em.”

“Don't worry general, that's what we've got the press team for. At the press conference in the morning, Security of Defense will explain EXACTLY where these nukes came from. There won't be any doubt in the American mind.

“Nukes, sir? American?”

“That's right Sherm. You agreed we needed to take this fight to the next level.”

“But Mr. President. I really don't think we can justify a nuclear strike on Iran. Think about what the repercussions of an unprovoked strike will be!”

“Sherm. Listen to me. I'm only going to tell you this once. Tonight at oh-one-hundred, 4 Russian made nuclear warheads are seen over Alaska coming from Iran and headed towards major US cities. These warheads will fortunately miss the densest populations by several miles, but will never the less constitute an unmistakable justification for our counter strike.”

“Oh no.”

“Listen General. You do your job and launch those rockets and I'll do the rest. Yes, we'll have some casualties, but you and I both know that nothing strengthens the resolve of the voter like fear and revenge. Once we show the America and our allies who's behind this unthinkable attack on our sovereignty, we will have no choice but to completely destroy the meddlesome middle-east.”

“That should keep us busy for the next four years at least!”

“That's the plan Sherm. That's the plan.”