War Game

"War Game" by Bryce Walton is a tense science fiction story about a group of powerful leaders playing a dangerous strategy game with the world as their board. The story follows Secretary of State Thompson as he puts the finishing touches on Operation Push Button, a plan to use nuclear weapons for a shocking victory. Set in a U.N. bunker, the leaders give speeches, push buttons, unaware of the destruction they release upon the world. Key to it all is Thompson's belief that everyone has been prepared to view this destructive violence is not only as rational, but inevitable. Meanwhile, his valet, Morten, struggles with the gravity of the situation. The story reaches a boiling point when Thompson faces off against a Russian leader, with only one surviving to claim victory. Ultimately, as the world reacts to the threat, the bunker's occupants are unaware of the revolution brewing outside, and their impending doom.