Chapter 549 - 520: Midnight Nuclear Explosion Incident

Several squads from the Terrorist Mobile Team, in an instant, lost all sense of direction:

The so-called Electromagnetic Pulse is divided into two types, the first type causes a sudden change in the electric current within circuits, creating a drastic electromagnetic disturbance, which affects all nearby electrical devices.

This type of EMP is singular and not entirely undefendable. At the very least, with today’s war technology development, there are many techniques to minimize the impact of this type of EMP on electronic equipment. On the battlefield, large-scale EMPs are more about temporarily disrupting wireless communication and limiting some special tactics.

But the other type is much more violent—it is the nuclear EMP.

Nuclear explosions release a vast amount of high-energy gamma rays, these high-energy rays collide with electrons in the air, directly generating a massive number of high-energy electrons.

Next, these high-energy electrons accelerate due to the Compton effect, forming a strong electric field. These accelerating electrons interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, producing an instantaneous electromagnetic pulse.

Unlike the relatively minor non-nuclear EMPs, a nuclear EMP generated from an airburst can cover hundreds of kilometers and its intensity is several times stronger than the latter.

Munemasa used a bomb to destroy the power station in Saint Domingo and triggered a line explosion and an EMP that extended for kilometers. Additionally, he covertly triggered a considerable range of supreme electronic attack using a miniature transmitter—a masterpiece of non-nuclear EMPs.

But it wasn’t as fierce as this nuclear explosion.

With the flash occurring, centered at the blast point, all the lights still on, the operating electronic devices, and Cyber Prosthetics completely went into paralysis.

The intense nuclear EMP even caused these devices, especially the electrical network devices, to emit sparks and burst into flames on the spot!

This was like the catkins of spring being ignited, the flames from this explosion forming a circle around the blast point and expanding outwardly, sweeping through Night City.

This time it was truly a total blackout—

And this nuclear EMP has a third phase; the chaotic geomagnetic field will continue to release pulses for a while, causing prolonged disruption to the electrical network devices.

The EMP was swift, arriving a bit faster than the shockwave and the fireball, but soon it was the Terrorist Mobile Team’s turn to experience the impact.

The floating engines of the Scorpion-tailed Lions simply could not maintain balance in such an intense explosion; turbulence and shockwaves tossed these massive creatures around in the air like leaves.

With their sparse muscles stretched by the terrifying explosion, restraining their already halted cyber organs, the fireball did not scorch them, yet the superheated air drilled into their lungs and stomachs through their mouths and noses—

The officers from NCPD on the shore were terrified as they watched the missile trigger the nuclear explosion. They completely missed the radiation and high-energy rays creating noise on their Prosthetic Eyes, where the noise quickly turned into black dots, which then merged into black spots...

But before they went blind, they still managed to see the Scorpion-tailed Lions plunging toward the water surface like leaves under the nuclear blast’s impact.

Finally, it was over—

But fear made them repeatedly ask themselves...

Is it really over?

But they could no longer see anything; they could only pray that it truly was over.

...

[Warning, detection of an incoming nuclear strike]

[Emergency alert, radioactive element analysis and matching completed, confirming the fugitive is carrying weapon-grade enriched uranium.]

[Disaster alert, a nuclear explosion has occurred in the southern bay of the Valley Region of Night City.]

[Nuclear threat automatic reporting time: 2076.10.30]

[Explosion core data:]

[Nuclear explosion radius: approximately 300 meters]

[Estimated yield of the explosion: 2700~3300 tons of TNT]

[Instantaneous maximum temperature: approximately 5000 degrees Celsius]

[Diameter of the fireball: 150 meters]

[Instantaneous radiation intensity in the blast zone: 5000 Sieverts (Sv)]

[Initial radiation dose rate: >1000 Sieverts per hour, within 1 kilometer from the blast center]

[Neutron radiation flux: approximately 10^18 neutrons per square centimeter]

[Radiation dust spreading speed: about 20 meters/second]

[Shockwave data:]

[Primary shockwave coverage radius: approximately 2 kilometers]

[Maximum overpressure: about 30 kilopascals (kPa), within 1 kilometer from the blast center]

[Secondary Shockwave Range: Approximately 5 kilometers]

[Note:]

[Detectors autonomously recorded explosion data, accuracy within ±3%]

[It is advised to wear full protective gear when entering the blast area to avoid direct exposure to radiation]

[Ongoing surveillance and data analysis will continue, with updates on the latest data available]

[File path: /Company Internal/Safety and Emergency Response/Nuclear Explosion Response Report/]

[Event Name: 2076.10.30_Midnight Nuclear Explosion]

[Related Files: Burger King’s Dumb VIP Trading (Person/Organization Files) (Full Name); Night City Extreme Metal Unrestricted Racing (Event File); Biotechnology Building Attack Event; Lizard Man Incident; Network Surveillance Intercepts Soul Killer; ....]

Multiple companies were thrown into chaos.

Even when Lille entered the Afterlife Club, they thought everything here had ended and focused entirely on monitoring the Kujira aircraft carrier that Arasaka had stationed beside Night City.

Unlike places like the Marvel World, where corporate wars are sometimes illogical and unforeseen—

The aircraft carriers in the Marvel World might be more for deterrence, but here, any weapon could open fire suddenly, including the aircraft carriers.

But unexpectedly...

The nuclear blast had paralyzed a large number of detection devices, plunging the city into darkness—

Honestly, they couldn’t be blamed, be it the NCPD, corporate armed forces, or the Terrorist Mobile Team. Even the mercenary who detonated the nuclear bomb at Arasaka Tower fifty years ago didn’t drive these types of vehicles around!

Moreover, having to guard against the Arasaka aircraft carrier and a hovering nuclear explosive pickup that could reach 400 yards, who could manage that?!

When the explosion occurred, all they could do was sigh, feel relieved, and lament:

These three... fugitives, are really gentle, not detonating a bomb in the city center like fifty years ago.

For those near the explosion site, the impact of surviving the ordeal was stronger and more intense—

Many collapsed on the spot, clutching their severely damaged prosthetic eyes, shedding tears of gratitude, some even cried themselves to death...

So gentle, Burger King.

As the nuclear explosion occurred, the companies in Night City had been left in a semi-paralyzed state, or rather, all organizations in Night City were in a semi-paralyzed state, unable to pursue the nuclear pickup, nor did anyone have the energy to confirm their conditions right then.

What’s more troubling, surveillance of the Arasaka aircraft carrier had also halted.

But the good news was, the electromagnetic pulse from the nuclear explosion had a broad range of impact, affecting even the Kujira aircraft carrier offshore.

Though it wasn’t the most intense wave, it definitely disrupted the communication across the entire fleet of aircraft carriers—

Most aircraft carriers are quite timid, and the Kujira was no exception.

From the island of the aircraft carrier, Arasaka Saburo watched as the brightly lit Night City suddenly plunged into total darkness, revealing a look of surprise on his face...

This was... not what he had expected.

It was a completely unforeseen event.

He couldn’t fathom where the nuclear bomb had come from! There was no reason!

Saburo started to feel a hint of losing control over the situation, which instantly made him wary—

It had been fifty years since the last such feeling, following the collapse of the old net and the nuclear explosion at Arasaka Tower.

Nothing was moving according to plan... except for his ability to suddenly land.

And why... does every situation of control loss always involve a nuclear bomb?

Fortunately, he still had a backup plan.

However, plans need updating now.

The old man quietly gazed at the small mushroom cloud: Night City was getting closer.

Unlike what other companies had imagined, the Kujira had never stopped from the very beginning, continuously executing landing procedures.

He was about to go ashore.