The Nike missile battery had never been fired in anger.
Suddenly the telex came. The Russian ICBMs were inbound.
Sirens wailed. Cables sparked. Rocket engines burst into fire and then a rising vapor trail.
In the stratosphere, there was a hollow blue -ping- as the Metaphysics Package did its highly implausible work.
A million burning sneakers rained down on the grateful city.
@natecull penn & teller-ulam