NOTE - This is only here 'cause I have/am running out of room in the first damn 6 posts taht I reserved!!! I HATE THE STUPID CHARACTER LIMIT FOR POSTS!!!
Background to NES, long version:
The Year: 1962. The height of the Cold War. Tensions were at their highest, and it was the 5th
day of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy and Khruschev were on the Hot Line, trying to discuss
the situation. The Rhetoric was flying on both sides, and neither seemed willing to back down.
The Soviet fleet was advancing towards Cuba, and battle plans were being hastily drawn up on
either side. Both sides knew the stakes. Both knew of the consequences. Both knew what would
very likely happen if they did not negotiate this, and settle it. This dispute had been raging for 5
long days, and both Kennedy and Khruschev and their top advisors had hardly been getting any
sleep. Here were 2 sleep-deprived men, yelling at each other over the Red Line, as the
Americans called it, about to declare war on each other, or at least, on the brink. In real life, we
all know what happens: Khruschev backs down,m and the crisis is poeacefully resolved. But not
this time. In this NES, things go terribly, terribly wrong.
And it all started, ironically enough, in an American Factory that produced Phones. Specifically,
this factory produced the American end of the Red Line.
And, that particular phone had been built by a particular worker who had been having a bad day.
Or month, really. First, his wife left him. Then, he lost his job, and had to get this job, a
low-paying job in a factory. So it was understandable that he was not happy with life. And, he
was not really paying attention to what he was doing. He had ben on this shift for 7 and a half
hours, and, well, he was tired. He was clock-watching, counting down until he could drown his
sorrows in beers. Well, he was glancing at the clock, when his finger slipped, causing a crucial
piece of metal inside the Phone to be slightly longer then it should have been. Well, of course
this went unnoticed, and it would not have affected the phone at all, if the phone had been used
as it should have been. But, this was Kennedy. A very, very pissed off Kennedy. This was the
phone that Kennedy had been smacking down the receiver, and taking out a bit pent-up anger at.
Now, normally, this would not have caused a problem, had the phone been built properly. But
this one had not. Everytime Kennedy slammed down the phone, he moved that little piece of
metal that was a little bit longer then it should have been a little bit more out of place.
Eventually, the piece of metal would move a little bit more, and would stop the phone from
working, short-circuit it, essentially. Now, normally, this would not be that big of a deal, this one
would be repaired, or thrown out, and a new phone would have been installed. But, this phone
decided to short circuit at the worst possible moment - When Kennedey and Khruschev were
promising, that, if either ended this conversation prematurely, that would be considered as an act
of war. Well, actually, it was more Khruschev saying this, but Kennedy completely agreed. And
so, of course, this occurred. That abberant little piece of metal moved just a little bit, and cut off
communications. Both leaders through that the other had stopped talking, and declared war.
Yup. It went Nuclear. It was the USA who struck first. Using their 27,000 Nuclear Weapons, he
ordered SNAPCOUNT - the American plan to take out as many Soviet Nukes with American
Nukes as possible, and Nuke major Soviet military facilities. But, Khruschev had an ace up his
sleeve. He knew that the USA had 9 times more Nukes then he did. But, the USSR had been able
to successfully pull off the biggest infiltration coup in history - they had managed to sneak in
agents to either change the course of, or render useless over 70% of American's Nuclear
Weapons. Khruschev knew this, but he knedw that this still meant at least 8,000 Nukes that
could devastate the USSR and its allies. And devastate was not a good enough word. Once
Khruschev found out that the Americans were launching Nukes at him, he immediately ordered
a counter-offensive. Nuclear Weapons, and planes loaded with Nukes flew around the world like
Candy falling from a pinata. It was devastating. The only reason that the world was not totally
Nuked was because of some major problems with the Nuclear Arsenals of both the USA and the
USSR. Some Nukes exploded in their silo, some refused to fire, either way, it saved the world,
but at such a great cost. Cuba was the first to get hit. The Americans obliterated Cuba, to the
point that it would take many hundreds of years before anyone could set foot on that island
again. nobody survived. The USA was nearly totally devastated. All of the major cities were
destroyed, and Washington, DC with a vengence. About 5 Nuclear Weapons hit Washington,
DC, and the same was for Moscow, but more so. 50% of the total land mass of the USA was
Nuked. Nuked as in parking lot status, as in, all that was left was, well, blakened, scorched earth.
The same was true for the USSR, except that about 45% of Russia was totally devastated.
Moscow, Leningrad, all the major, and minor USSR cities, obliterated, and all of the USSR army
bases. But, the Nukes did not solely fall on those 2 countries, other nations, like Canada, most of
Europe, and China were hit, with major cities being partially or completely destroyed. This is devastation of the like that the world has
never seen before. WWII seems small and insignificant in comparison. Now everything is up to
you. Vast stretches of the world have been totally destroyed. Can Humankind survive? You
have the job. The USA and USSR are, effectively, reduced to 3rd world nations. The new
world's super-powers? Well, taht is up to you. China and India are top contenders, as they were
mostly spared. Plus, the threat of Nuclear Winter hangs in the air. Will you freeze?
You're playing an apartheid government. Let's see the fireworks.. 
