Chapter 126 – Evidence of the Fallen
A moment of silence fell over the Kremlin conference room.
The weight of the proposal—and the opportunity it represented—hung thick in the air. General Secretary Brezhnev, fingers loosely clasped on the polished oak table, tapped once, slowly, a signal for attention.
His voice came low and deliberate:
> "An international exhibition. Held in Moscow. Present the evidence. Invite the Western press."
A nod. Then another. The approval spread like a slow-moving fire.
Andropov turned his eyes toward Ustinov. The two men exchanged the briefest glance.
The trap had been set, but now... now it would be sprung.
---
Far East – Sokolovka Base
At the edge of the runway, Andrei stood beside Colonel Ivanov, both dressed in flight uniforms, breathing the frigid air deeply. News of the civil airliner incident had reached every outpost, and tensions were climbing.
But it was Andrei's private call to Andropov the night before that was already changing the game.
"You're sure it had recon gear?" Ivanov asked in a low voice.
Andrei nodded. "That Boeing wasn't standard. She had two extra belly panels—one openable. I saw it in a glance before it broke up. That's enough space for IR lenses. Same config as the EP-3 we recovered."
Ivanov whistled. "And the West doesn't know we found that gear yet?"
"They will," Andrei said. "When we decide to show them."
---
Moscow – KGB Special Warehouse 7
Deep underground, under sodium lights, technicians in sterile white overalls and KGB officers in black uniforms combed through the recovered debris.
On one table: the twisted housing of an infrared lens. Scorched. Bent. But identifiable.
On another: a partially melted flight recorder, the casing marked with the unmistakable orange of Western manufacture.
Next to it: a digital still camera unit—military-grade. Burnt at the edges, but the circuitry was intact.
All of it had been recovered in the waters off Sakhalin. Some had been found tangled in scorched fuselage plating. Others were picked up by GRU divers within hours of the shoot-down, operating from unmarked trawlers under radio silence.
And now, in Moscow, the evidence was coming together. A narrative was forming.
---
Kremlin – Back Room Briefing
Ustinov paced before a map of the Pacific. He was energized. Triumphant.
> "Once the West sees we recovered a military-grade optical suite aboard a 'passenger jet,' the Americans will choke on their own accusations."
He turned to Brezhnev, whose heavy-lidded eyes remained half-closed.
> "General Secretary, this is our moment. Not only do we silence the Western press, we reclaim the narrative. We show them what happens when they provoke the bear."
Brezhnev inhaled deeply, then exhaled like a steam valve.
> "Fine. Proceed with the exhibit."
> "But," he added, "no provocations until then. We hold our fire."
Ustinov gave a slow nod. But inwardly, he was already imagining the red star flags on Hokkaido.
---
KGB Internal Bulletin – Restricted Circulation
TO: All Section Heads – Directorate S
FROM: Office of Comrade Andropov
RE: Event Designation "Winter Glass"
Prepare the materials recovered from aircraft KAL 311 for controlled exhibition. All hardware marked with Western defense contractor codes will be prioritized for press exposure. A classified segment will be presented privately to select neutral diplomats. Satellite imaging evidence will accompany live hardware, pending satellite review by Space Reconnaissance Unit 3.
Target Date: March 15th, Moscow Central Exhibition Hall.
Media invited: Associated Press, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, The Times, NHK, and Reuters.
Maintain full security. No leaks. No tampering.
This is a strategic front, not a domestic one. We are at war in shadow.
---
Kremlin – Final Word
The meeting ended. Officials rose from their chairs like statues thawing from frost.
Only Kirilenko remained seated, his face pale.
Aides quietly removed his chair from the head table, without a word.
The die was cast.
And in the snowbound Far East, steel birds were lining the runways, their bomb bays closed, their engines cold... but ready.