[Chapter 579: A Christmas of Challenges]
Saddam was exploding with troops, at least William White's current game settings were off. The U.S. wasn't that formidable, and Saddam wasn't that weak, either.
On this point, the game was impossible to complete. Modern computers couldn't accurately reflect both sides' strengths. Tanks and airplanes were easy enough to work with, but electronic warfare was another story entirely.
If you revealed Saddam's map and kept America's map hidden, there'd be no need to play the game at all.
"Alright, Tom, the beta version can be released. Even if we miss Christmas, we can still make the back-to-school season, right?"
Tom was at a loss for words at his boss's audacity. Seriously, students should be studying, not buying games from you. If those kids really got addicted, it would be quite the problem.
"Sir, time is a bit tight; Christmas is almost here, and there's no chance for a release party."
"A release party? Are you kidding? There's a war starting! Don't you know how to ride the wave of hype? Just say it's a game based on the desert situation. Remember, the pitch is all about the fun of local area network battles."
Tom left, and it was already holiday time. He wondered if those kids would come back to school to play games. Tsk, tsk, he decided to post on the BBS first. America hadn't started its big fight yet, but the game version of desert warfare was about to kick off.
...
Christmas was primarily spent with family. As for whether he needed to go to church, William White figured he should attend. He had committed quite a few bad deeds lately and should probably do some repenting; if he waited too long, he might forget.
William White's Christmas dinner was no longer turkey. Nobody at home liked that; it only came out on Thanksgiving for show.
After dinner, the family headed to a church near Beverly Hills.
Christmas is merely a religious ritual. What everyone cared most about was being together as a family.
The church on Christmas Eve was lively, with not only a choir but also performances akin to a stage play. The story, of course, was about the birth of Jesus.
If one could do a statistical analysis on Christmas in 1990, I think the vast majority of Americans prayed for peace. Given a choice, most people wouldn't want to go to war.
What? You say that Saddam is an aggressor? Come on, he hasn't invaded us.
What? Kuwait is our ally.
So what? They don't even want to sacrifice themselves. Why should we send our kids to die?
Even during the Christmas holidays, there were still many people taking walks in Washington. Americans' anti-war sentiment was genuinely not just talk. If NBC wasn't promoting peace on their shows, they probably wouldn't even be able to get a door open right now.
After concluding a special service, William White realized he wouldn't have a chance to confess since he'd have to wait in line. It seemed there were quite a few people who had done wrong -- it was better to postpone it anyway.
William White was leisurely at home; Washington was a completely different scene. Five hundred thousand troops had been dispatched overseas; they couldn't even return home for Christmas.
For Americans, this was a disaster, especially for those with family and friends in service. It felt like the sky was falling.
Such scenes could perhaps only be likened to World War II.
Thinking about the countless corpses, the public mood sank. Don't let their bravado fool you; they were genuinely afraid of war.
With over half a million troops gathered, if you jumped up and said, "There won't be any serious war; Saddam won't fight," you'd probably have a shoe knocked over your head before you finished your sentence.
The most optimistic estimates put the casualties in the thousands. Of course, if the numbers topped ten thousand, America would probably pull out. The President wouldn't last if the fighting continued. Once a competitor promised to end the war, your votes would disappear in an instant.
This Christmas Eve truly wasn't very joyful. The shadow of war loomed over everyone. That heavy feeling was deeply troubling.
...
Of course, there wasn't much discomfort at William White's home. They were enthusiastically decorating the Christmas tree and piling gifts underneath.
A Christmas without snow always felt a bit lacking. Oh well, this guy was getting sentimental again. For the unemployed, a snowy day was a disaster; Los Angeles could handle it, but New York couldn't.
With the economy sliding and clouds of war thickening, it felt a bit like the end times. Some more radical folks had already started digging bunkers. After all, ever since the Soviets fell on hard times, such activities had basically disappeared. Now they had a chance to start building again.
But if a major war really broke out, those bunkers would at best serve as large graves, proving utterly useless.
Saddam rejected America's advice; peace was clearly out of reach. This stubborn guy only understood one language: violence. It's hard to figure how someone like that could still hold power. Talk about divine oversight.
Is it true that someone who holds absolute power for too long will lose their intellect?
*****
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