"All right," he said. "Let's assume they decelerate in the atmosphere at a constant rate that puts their speed at zero by the time they make landfall. Can you calculate that?"
"Affirmative."
"Okay. Then based on that tentative rate of deceleration and the current speed and position of the landers in relation to the speed, tilt, and orbital eccentricity of Earth, can you determine exactly where the first lander will touch down on the surface?"
"Negative. There are too many other variables."
"Can you approximate?" asked Mazer.
"Affirmative. The landers will likely touch down within this circle."
A large red transparent dot appeared on the surface of the Earth.
"Enlarge three hundred percent," said Mazer.
Earth zoomed toward them in the holofield and stopped. The dot was massive. Roughly two thousand kilometers wide. Its center was in the middle of the South China Sea. To the east it covered the northern half of the Philippines. To the west it engulfed most of Vietnam, nearly touching Ho Chi Minh City to the south and Hanoi to the north. Plus the northeastern tip of Cambodia and all of southern Laos. But the largest mass of land was in southern China, including all of Guangdong province.
"We're in that circle," said Patu.
"It's a big area," said Reinhardt. "They could be going anywhere."
"It's eighty percent water," said Mazer. "They're not headed for water. And you can probably cross off the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos as well."
"Why?" said Fatani.
"Computer," said Mazer. "Show population density within this circle."
Hundreds of tiny blue dots appeared, the vast majority of which were in southern China, where the dots were so thick along the coast and a hundred kilom
eters inland that they had coalesced into a solid blob of blue.
"You think they're headed for populated areas?" asked Fatani.
"You saw what they did in the Belt," said Mazer. "Computer, how much time do we have before the projectiles reach Earth?"
"Approximately seventeen minutes."
Fatani swore.
"Patu, I need a sat uplink to NZSAS immediately," said Mazer.
"I'll try," she said.
"What do we do?" said Reinhardt.
"We warn as many people as we can," said Mazer. He waved his hand through the holofield, reconnecting with the Chinese base. "Red Dragon, Red Dragon. Acknowledge. This is Captain Mazer Rackham. Do you read? Over."
A Chinese soldier's head appeared. Mazer knew the face but not the name. One of the flight controllers.
"Red Dragon acknowledge," said the soldier. "We've been trying to hail you, Captain. You're in a bit of trouble with the base commander, I'm afraid."
"Patch me through to him."
The controller looked surprised. "To Colonel Tuan?"
"Yes, immediately. It's an emergency."
"Yes, Captain, but I doubt he'll answer." The soldier busied himself, then returned a few seconds later. "I'm sorry, Captain. Colonel Tuan is not available, but Captain Shenzu is here."