By Dawn’s Early Light

A dissident faction in the Soviet Union launches a nuclear strike at Donetsk from Turkey, triggering a rapid defense response. Soviet automated defense systems misinterpret the attack as a NATO assault and retaliate with a measured launch of ICBMs toward the United States. The world trembles as the first mobilizations set the stage for full-scale escalation.

SAC Commander General Renning presses the President to authorize a large-scale counterstrike. The Soviet leader explains the dissidents’ actions and urges a stand-down, but is prepared to accept a US counterstrike with devastating casualties on both sides. The clock ticks as senior leaders weigh the consequences of furious retaliation.

News of a second Soviet attack coerces a reluctant Presidential decision to authorize a multi-part all-out strike. The plan calls for immediate US ICBMs, followed by SLBMs hours later, and then a wave of bombers over the Soviet Union. The chain of command tightens as the countdown begins.

Renning issues the first-order alarms just before the first wave. Alice, the commander of Looking Glass, takes control of the airborne command platform, coordinating defenses as the crisis widens. The responsibility for the counterstrike shifts to the Looking Glass crew.

The President departs aboard Marine One and learns the second Soviet attack was directed at China. He attempts to cancel the retaliatory plan, but a nearby nuclear detonation forces down his helicopter. The crisis deepens as the leaders wrestle with a plan that could annihilate nations.

A B-52 bomber, Polar Bear 1, lifts off from Fairchild Air Force Base with Major Cassidy and Captain Moreau at the controls. A nuclear flash partially blinds Moreau and a crewman is killed by the shock wave, yet the mission presses on toward Russia. The crew steels themselves for a dangerous overflight.

Admiral Harpoon commands Nightwatch, the presidential flying command platform, as Condor is sworn in as President. Harpoon briefs Condor on the evolving threats and argues for continuing the attack, while the Looking Glass crew remains a key yet conflicted link in the chain of command.

Cassidy and Moreau react emotionally to the orders and persuade their crew to abort the mission. The reality of civilian casualties weighs heavily, and the crew becomes a focal point for the ethical tension wilding through the chain of command. Their resistance to escalation marks a human counterpoint to strategic plans.

Crewman Tyler, devastated by the loss of his family at Fairchild, commits suicide by ejecting without a parachute, destroying the crew except for the two pilots. The tragedy underscores the mental strain and moral weight borne by those on the front lines of annihilation.

The President is found badly injured at the crash site and taken to a FEMA shelter. He negotiates a one-hour stand-off with the Soviet leader, while Nightwatch and Looking Glass provide real-time updates. A tense pause hangs over the possibility of de-escalation.

Looking Glass notices Polar Bear 1 having abandoned its attack and a Soviet squadron turning back. Alice seeks to recall the rest of the U.S. bombers to orchestrate a ceasefire. The data points toward a potential path to de-escalation if recalled in time.

Condor orders Nightwatch to send fighters to shoot down Polar Bear 1, while Alice hesitates for authority. Fargo informs Condor that the authority to issue recalls lies with Nightwatch, highlighting a critical bottleneck in command.

Two Navy fighters attempt to intercept Polar Bear 1, but their carrier is sunk by a Soviet nuclear torpedo. The attack is halted, with the crews forced to acknowledge an ominous turn of events in the Pacific.

The President finally connects with Condor and orders a stand-down. Alice and Looking Glass decide to ram their plane into Nightwatch to stop launch orders, sacrificing themselves to prevent further catastrophe. The dramatic act buys time for a ceasefire and de-escalation.

With the Ram thwarted and orders halted, Cassidy and Moreau fly toward the sunrise, realizing their fuel will not last to reach land. They sense a fragile future for humanity and report that the world has a chance to survive this crisis. The crisis ends with a cautious hope emerging from near annihilation.