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Loonz Morrow Project Pages Monday, October 18, 1999 |
Turn 6: Checking out the Neighborhood
The morning after the giant rodent opened with an unexpected ease. The
morning watch was surprised to be awaken by Chet serving instant coffee from
his own kit out
of Styrofoam cups from the 7-11. Alec even recovered his gear from the bolt
hole and donned his uniform, giving Ray a childish smirk as he headed off to
his roof top perch.
The camp woke with a familiar bustle, as the teams had awaken many times
during training. Training breeds familiarity. Then everyone went about
they're morning rituals by 7am or so the camp was ingesting the dehydrated
breakfasts. Ray handed his own patrol over too Martin so he could set up the
Recon he had planned for today.
The girls with little to do, being unassigned, decided to augment the watch
since Ron had shoo'd them away from Su Lin and what Doc' had started to call
the
"Karma sucking hole". Sylvie shimmied up the ladder to join Alec in his
observation post. While Maura took up with Martin on the walk around the
camp. The silent patrol more bearable with the occasional reassuring glance
from Martin.
Ray set out the mission for the 2km patrol of the area surrounding the camp.
Robert and Ray consulted the auto-nav getting familiar with where things
were
over a century ago. This seemed to cause Chet to blink, realizing the
children of the children of the survivors had probably passed on. His
silent attentiveness not yielding.
With a good luck from all in camp the four man foot patrol set off to the
south. Traversing the footpath that was once state 687. It was about 300m
south to the remains of Route 258, though wider still nothing more than a
footpath. The trees had grown up over the former by way closing the
familiar space above the road in their quest for sunlight through the
decades past. Brush crop's,
tangle weed and tree falls dotting the way. The creek that once paralleled
the road way now merging with it at times forming an asphalt creek bed.
A couple hours after turning west on route 58 the team discovered the washed
remains of the bridge. The water level is calf high at the time, so while
scouring the
bank for a fording point a beaten path is discovered just a few meters
south. This disclosure gets a noticeable sweat from Chet and a loud "SNIK!"
as he pops his safety. No prints were evident but it was obviously a worn
path.
Continuing on the patrol took lunch from the top of the 58/258 interchange
looking west into to cold marshy countryside. After a short 30min break the
group proceeded North on 58 heading back east, forming a circle around the
bolthole. Progress was slow, the marsh having taken the road in spots and
washouts being common. Again there are signs of wagons and possibly shoed
horses
having broken trails around the obstructions. Adopting a quicker pace they
proceeded toward the town of Franklin on route 58.
Franklin was a ruin. Obviously a fire had been part culprit in the
obliteration. The only structures the concrete and brick shells. Metal
street lamps leaning at weird angles as well as sinking roads. After two
hours of fruitless scouring of the city Robert turned the team around.
Heading back west down 58 to
the trail southward down 687. The patrol entered camp about 1700. Covered
with the mud and soot of their travels.
**
As soon as the patrol left Ray started his pilot hole in preparation of his
small explosion to break up the perma-frost from the top of the access way.
By noon all was ready. After checking on Maura and Martin walking their
patrol he climbed up to roof top with Sylvie and Alec scanning the
countryside awaiting his next possible move.
Waiting several minutes after the recon team leaves, Ray climbs down and
gets Martin. Watching the scene of Martin and Maura on patrol. Maura is
almost following Martin and seems to be watching him as much as the
perimeter. " I hope I don't have to see her use that big steak knife of
hers" he thinks with a smile. Noticing she never is far from it.
"ok, Martin, lets see if we can move the ATV into the
Cryo room." Turning around and yelling up to Sylvia, "ok, Slyvie you're in
charge, if anything happens yell in the radio and we
will come up ASAP. Oh, who among us knows how to cook
so we don't have to eat these rations of ours? I think
it will be a great gesture to the boys coming home
later."
Alec responds, "The only way to improve these dehydrated rations is to bury
them Ray." Getting a giggle from Sylvie and with that Raymond pulls Martin
down into the bolt hole.
"Coming boss man, Oh by the way. I was thinking..." as he fidgeted with his
hat. "Yes I know
how dangerous it can be to rig an alternate activation device but. ." Martin
says with a smile. " I think we have the electronics to rig up the power to
the tube but not turn it on. And
if we tie it into a radio with a receive code. We can activate it from a
distance if we start running into problems. Kind of a best of both
worlds. We would have to cannibalize some equipment and spend more time.
But I do not want to spend sixty days looking for a hospital and find
squat and then on the way back run into some shit that we can not get
around. This is a real Dead Line. So what you think. I know we have
enough engineers here to pull it off."
"Its a good idea, but I don't think its practical. First of all we need a
solid receiver, which we don't really have, second our radios do not have
the range let along a remote. Sorry, I think we might have to do it the old
fashion way. Ok, lets get the tool box and start dismantle this sucker." Ray
put on his fedora and hands Martin some tools. Hours pass and finally its
finish. "Now we got to safe guard this room against intruders." Ray looks
around, "the best thing to do it is probably put a claymore right here." Ray
points at a spot in front of crippled freeze tube. "Hmm, we have to get a
good back prop to make sure the blast points away from the tube, looks like
lumber from the woods."
While saying this Ray got the message on his PRC from Robert.
=
After the return of the patrol, Armstrong says" OK, Chet and DJ,
check your weapons and gear and get it all ready to go again.
When you're done with that, take a break and get something to eat.
If ya see Ray, tell him we'll brief him in a few minutes in the 7/11.
Rich, since you're the security specialist, come along with me and
we'll brief Ray on what we found. Find a place to drop your gear
and meet me and Ray for the brief."
He stops by the V-150 and tosses his pack inside and walks in to the 7/11.
While waiting for Rich, Robert sighs, rubs his shoulders, and then wipes
the dirt off his face with a bandana. Then he keys the mike on the PRC-68,
"Ray, come in. Patrol is back safely. Can you come to the 7/11 for a quick
brief?"
"Roger that on my way," Ray replied. "Ok Martin, lets wrap up the show
downstairs and go up to see what they brought us." With that Ray makes his
way up the hole and walk towards the 7/11. Reaching the 7/11 Ray sees Rich
and Robert dusty from their hike.
Raymond listened to the debrief quietly. After about a minute he speaks up,
"I have a few questions. First: since the conditions of the road way is so
bad would the ground surrounding them be able to support our vehicles,
especially the XR? "
Robert looking around for consensus "We think that we'll be able to get
around, but we gotta be real careful.
Chet says it's gonna be a pain in the ass, he's the driver, I suppose he'd
know best. "
Chet nods agreement, "That's right Ray, the Project probably fore saw this
probability with the resident ground conditions. They probably thought
there would be significant deterioration in the roadways. It's kinda eerie
they had this much fore sight. I hope they take care of our others needs as
well as they did on this issue. We have atleast one vehicle that can go off
road with minimal fear of bogging."
"How long do these old fields appear to be abandon? I know farmers as a
practice let their fields go fallow for up to three years?" Ray continuing.
"Probably just a season or two. looks fallow. mostly covered
with grass, no real brush or trees."
"How do the local landmarks and terrain match up with the info on our
autonav maps?"
"All in all, things match up fine. About 5 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Most of the bridges are gone, the highway overpasses look
alright though. Most of the places where the road was laid
near water or the water has diverted, have been washed out,
covered with sand and silt, or turned into the creek/river
bed itself"
Rich plops down with the rest of the team. He is smiling as usual.
Apparently unaffected by the patrol. With his weapon across his lap, he
unstraps his ruck, and pulls off his LBV and Body armor. Taking a long pull
of his canteen he
listens to the rest of the debrief. Then adds;
"That pretty much sums it up. Something big happened here a while ago.
But vegetation has had time to recover. Its obvious the roads haven't seen
heavy vehicles of any kind on them in a long time. Otherwise thats it from
me."
Reaching into an outside pocket of his ruck, he pulls out an pouch of
dehydrated rations looking
at it, "Gag me. Thank god for tabasco." He says disgustedly. He pays
attention to the group as he fishes through the rations. He thinks to
himself that he might be a crappy cook in the real world. But out here he
was an ration chef. If you could jerry rig it. He could do it with the
dang things. Too bad they sucked.
Raymond thinks for a while and looks up while Robert
and recon team is eating. "Looks like we have to send
out the contact team. That was Rich and the mystery members job, but
now with them still in Cryo we need a replacement for them."
"I will do it," Martin speaks out from behind Raymond.
"I don't know about that Martin. The original plan is to
call for them to act like a married couple, so I think
it has to be either Sylvia or Maura to pair with Rich."
Ray answers as he takes a spoonful of his wonderful
ration bar."
"Well who do we want to risk? One of three engies with no rank? The
XO? Or the doctors assistant from the medic team? When you work in the
Peace Corp you get real good at fitting in. That is what I can offer."
Martin says, with a shrug."
Maura sitting there with the group softly speaks up from the side.
"Well the XR311 should handle that or the ATV. They were built with that in
mind.
The other thing comes to mind is feet I guess." She looks at her dehydrated
rations in disgust.
"Did some one say this was food? Ugh lets contact local civilization and buy
or barter for some real food shall we?"
"I volunteer to be cook if you find the food. And before any one asks no I
have no objections to killing animals for food. Now if you will excuse me I
have a patient to see to."
Maura heads down to the V300.
Armstrong, listening to the discussion, looked up from his rations and
commented, "Martin, you really want the job? As far as I'm concerned, yer as
good a choice as any and got some big plusses on your side. I suppose it's
up to
Ray in the end, since he's your team leader. Personally, I got no problem
with givin' a
guy a chance to show us what he can do."
He scrapes up the last bite of food from the bottom of the packet and chews
it quickly,
then he sets the packet at his feet.
"I think that we may have to forgo the man and wife routine until we can we
can get your other member out of Cry and Su Lin back on her feet. No offense
to Maura, but
she is far to shy for this kind of work. I think Sylvie could pull it off
though.
That north Texas accent of hers is so sweet you could eat it up with a
spoon."
"Well, that's my two cents, it's really your call Ray." He stands and walks
across the room. He picks up a jerry can and pours some water into a pot and
sets
it on the V-150's hot plate. "I hate washing up with cold water, especially
in
cold weather like this."
Rich finishes a bite and speaks up: "I look at it this way. We've trained
for a man and wife combo as a whole team. During our year of training, we
planned
for everyone having an assignment. Personally I think your right about
Maura,
Ron. She's a great medic, but too shy for contact. Sylvie would be the
better
choice for a couple. She has a cool head and experience. I know she is the
XO,
but we do have the bonus of having two COs here. As for moving Sylvia from
her
position, we have more than enough medical personal to fill in the gaps."
Chet injects; "Look. Our contact training was always FUBAR because the last
member didn't show up so we could wing it, like we always did."
Turning to Martin, "Marty, if it is you and I, we need to come up with a
concurrent story about why they heck we're out here. We need to pick where
we
came from and where we're going. And you have to remember not to act like
and
engineer.
Martin looks up from the bazooka round in his hands. With the I
wonder it I can put it back together again look on his face. " Huh? Oh yeah
got it."
They haven't seen one of those in a generation or two probably.
Chances are most groups will be outwardly hostile or at least very cautious
around strangers. So no matter who my partner is, we need some time to plan
out
our actions. That's the low down of it. So we better choose soon so we can
get
this show on the road." Looking at his watch..."Whoa! I've been serious for
over ten minutes now!! Ack!" Then flinging a lump of what might have been
chicken and rice in
Ray's general direction. "Incoming!! " he calls out with a grin.
Good points, something's to consider. A man and woman in a world
without birth control and No kids? Might just be suspicious. Have to
have a story to cover that."
Sylvie interrupts; "With the state of this periods health care it would
probably be common for one or both of the couple to be sterile."
Martin continued with a nod; "Most people would not travel far, or without
reason. Also our stuff. All machine made stuff will stand out like a sore
thumb. Oh I just found these one hundred year old Levi's Dude. Will not
fly. I have a set of handmade Ukraine clothes, itch like anything. I
suggest that who ever goes take those clothes. Most small villages should
be able to make clothes like them. So they should blend in. Also what do
we have to trade, and don't even quote what is in the trade pack. Way
too new. We could take a knife or two and work them in a campfire to age
them, lose the scabbards and they might fly."
Martin thinks for a while. " Hey I have it a little bit of the
truth. Easy to remember. His wife and someone's sister, is sick and we
are looking for a place of healing. An old place that is rumored to be
around here. Just an idea,"
==
As Maura enters the Cryo room, via the Escape hatch ladder, a jumbled mess
that is left from whatever Ray and
Martin were up to. The fusion plant of the ATV lying beside the unopened
tube.
Going through the door to the common area/vehicle bay she approaches the
V-300. A note hangs from the V by a piece of string, these words scrawled
above a smiley face;
~~~
Hovering Nurses go away, patient resting with Doctor on call. You will be
called when needed.
Doctor in Residence
Ron Pickett Md.
Maura looks at the card in absolute fury for all of about 30 seconds. The
sits down tears of laughter rolling down her face.
" Doc you sod " she says out loud over the team net.
" My ribs hurt from that joke."
Maura heads back upstairs to the group carrying her flute.
She sits down and listens to the conversation.
waits for a gap in the conversation then says.
" Okay so how do we get every thing out of the hole please."
PART 2
After the Recon of the general area and the brain storming was complete, it
was deduced the local threat was such that the blast would take place the
next day.
Before nightfall a stokes stretcher was devised to allow a more comfortable
transport of Su to the surface. Ron with the help of Sylvie, Maura and
Martin prepped her for movement, though clearly anyone of them would have
been sufficient, it was easier to have them help then try to keep them away.
Ron and Maura letting Sylvie and Martin tend to their team member. Once Su
was securely in place, Ray and Chet we're enlisted to help raise her up the
escape hatch. Then taken into the 7-11 by Ron and Sylvie and made
comfortable near where Alec planned a flew for his planned fire for the next
night. Hopefully tonight would be the last cold camp for a few days any
ways.
A somber tone came over the camp, as Su was topside for the first time. The
realization that Benny and the stranger we're still below, hitting home
again.
Ray giving Robert a knowing glance, neither wanting this mood to take hold
quickly put people into motion. Explosives we're placed. Equipment below
rechecked for safety. The camp watches set as the team then waited for
morning, to blast at first light.
The next day, at first light Ray had everyone move to designated spots on
the far side of the 7-11. Su covered with several sleeping bags and placed
next to the large counter Ron and Sylvie by her side.
The ambulance moved to the far lot and buttoned up. Ray and Robert did a
final head count. Ray then connected the leads to the fuses. Giving
everyone a loud count.
3-2-1. "Thud!!"
A big grin broke on Raymond's face. A near perfect blast, "All clear!"
Chet looked at Martin confused, "a dud?" "Naw" answered Martin rounding
the corner after hearing Ray yell out.
The top of the access ramp was broken up in a roughly 15x30 mound. Martin
slapped Raymond on the back. "Good work boss man."
Ray turned around the smile not yet fading, alright people now the hard
part.
Raymond still smiling says, "ok boys and girls lets get
some work done, DJ and Rich you are our lookouts. Ron
you stay in the driver's seat of the V150 in case we
need to bug out fast. Everyone else grab a shovel or
pickaxe and lets start digging."
"Sylvia and Maura will go down and open the door and drive
our vehicles out as soon as we can pop the door," Ray says as he wipes the
sweat off
his forehead.
Maura grins then says; "Hey Sylvia they are trusting us women to drive !!"
"Think the insurance is up to date"?
With the sod broken to depth of ten feet the digging began. Sections of
frozen soil coming up in chunks. After 7 or so feet the concrete ramp was
discovered, a further 3 feet the slabs covering the sandy base were visible.
Once those were muscled out of the hole by the V a pleasant surprise was
discovered.
A large plastic sand bucket and plastic strap/cords, roughly 6ft x 4ft x
4ft. Once down to the sandy area by midday on day two, the excavation
proceeded rapidly with the aid of the bucket. By night fall on day 4 the
vehicle bay door was fully exposed.
Maura, Sylvie and Ray went into the hole to open the bay. Sylvie entered
the V-300 and Maura the HUMVEE having to call on the radio for a quick quiz
on where all the levers were, she within minutes knew enough to move the
Hummer.
Ray donned the provided hearing protection and gave everyone a heads up he
was hitting the button. Everyone topside backed up to the 7-11, the girls
covered there ears with the recommended cotton balls Sylvie provided.
Ray hit the button, the small shape charges blew the supports that held the
door in place and it quickly fell irretrievably into it's sump.
Sylvie yelled "women drivers coming through!" and bolted the V-300 up the
ramp following Maura in the Hummer.
The vehicles took their spots next to the V-150, U97 impressed with the size
of the V-300. Alec walking up to V-300 hatch and tossing down his shovel,
and yelled "Shotgun!"
"Ok, guys one more job before we turn in. Alec can you
cut use some blocks of wood about so big," drawing in the dust on the side
of the 150.
"Ok, Martin lets go set it up," Raymond said as he head
down.
" Hey boss I was thinking. If we hook up a PTO to the ATV then slave it
to the chainsaw. We should be able to pull off about Fourty Five Horse
Power! That should take down a twelve inch tree in Two Point Two
Seconds!" Martin says while following Ray down below. "And it would have
lights!!"
Alec winces, "Damn Engineers never stop thinkin', it's sickening some times"
he thinks to himself.
Maura parks the Humvee where directed and switches it off.
" Hey this thing is a pleasure to drive after the V150. Can I stay as the
driver of it please. I want to find out what it can do."
Looking at Ron "Right what do you lot want me doing next? One thing Doc that
might help Su Lin now she is conscious is a course with acupuncture and Moxa
herbs. They can help the body restore it's balance."
"We can try that later when she's more comfortable." Answers Doc.
Then continues, "I don't think all that Eastern medicine is on the up and
up,
but by and large it's harmless to try. Sure have at it. I'll just do my
normal rounds and check on her during the day."
"Doc I will wait till she is conscious, and leave the Decision up to her. I
will not force what I know on any one unless it is to save a life."
Ron replies; "If you "BELIEVE" your medical techniques will help and I have
faith that they will not harm. Then I don't think you need any other
consensus. Use what you trust."
"Ok thanks Ron, but you are wrong about Eastern medicine you know.
Some of the people that claimed to know things were fakes. Acupuncture and
Moxa burning work. I do not know all the reasons, but the herbs seem to act
to help the body regain a balance.
As for Acupuncture", Maura hesitates "..well I could block pain with it so
you could operate with out anesthic on a patient. Cure minor discomfort
with them. There is a wide range of uses.
If you are at all interested or wish to check up on it I will lend you my
books on the subjects."
"Sure Maura, I got plenty of time to read now. Thanks."
Maura smiles. "Well okay Maura ducks to her bag and pulls out her books on
acupunture and
moxa herbs. There you go Doc a basic and advanced on each subject. See
what you think."
Ron smiles back and nods a thank you.
With no pressing matters Maura rolls herself in her sleeping bag out by the
V300 and gets her flute out and softly runs through some tunes .
She looks impishly at the group " any requests ?"
=
Raymond gathers his and Robert's troops together after
all the vehicles are out, "ok people, we know there are
people living a few miles from here, so I am going to
sent Richard and Martin out to investigate. The rest of
us will try to use the debris to disguise the vehicle
entrance of the bolt hole." Turning to look at both
Martin and Richard. "Ok, you guys get into your PCK's
and grab a trade pack. This is what I want to know. Are
they under any form government and are there any
dangers out there? Observe and report and ask
questions." Turning to Robert, "how far is the XR?"
"Well, Ray, I figure that it's about a hundred miles to the west.
That's if ya travel straight down old 58. With the roads like they
are, the mileage will be about half again that, say 150 miles.
We hid the 311 just on the other side of the Kerr Reservoir, near
Clarksville. We didn't have time to find a way around the water
due to ya'lls medical emergencies. So we cleaned our the supplies,
took off the tires and anything not welded in place, then loaded it
into the V. After that, we amphib'd the V over a 2 mile stretch of
lake. I'm surprised that we made it as over loaded as it was. After
that we high-tailed it over here as fast as we could. Hopefully, it's
still there in one piece."
"So who do you think should go on the trip to recover this thing
anyway? I'd feel better leaving Ron here to watch Su and the tube.
Before we go, I'll check our cache inventory and see if there is
anything that we could use to help get our member out of Cryo safely."
Robert continues "By the way I think that we should circle the vehicles
around the back
side of the CP here. It would give us more room to move around and
better improvised fighting positions than parking them side by side."
**
"Roger that boss man." With that Martin changes clothes. Returning
in gray hand spun shirt, pants, and sweeter. Covered by a ratty old
lined Levi jacket. Wearing what looks to have Once been a gray cowboy
hat. Now looking more like something that did not have the self respect
to decompose. Slung over his right shoulder is a blue and green internal
framed backpack that has seen better days. Over his left a Ruger 1022
with scope. " Hey boss man my 22 is light on fire power but everything
else we have just reeks of military. I have this." Martin says while
patting the rifle. " And my 9mm we should be ok. Do we walk or ride? Oh
boss man the trade pack just Will not do! Way to new. I can rough up
the knives and dirty up the whisky. The rest is well... "
"I recommend you to carry the Medusa than the M9. Don't
mess with the knives, that's what sells, bright, flashy
knifes." Raymond said to Martin.
Rich comes back in from the perimeter and approaches Ray and Martin. Hey,
have we thought about a covert recon before just walking in there? DJ and I
could put on Gillie suits and get an overwatch position on the place, stake
it out for a bit and then we can send me and Martin in. If not that's ok
too, we'll just have to be more careful and move slower. And Marty, we'll
probably want to lose the scope on the rifle. Its way too new looking.
It will definitely draw attention and possibly suspicion."
Rich starts to remove some his gear straps, thinking where all of
his PCK it is in the hole and what he needs to pack.
Martin nods " Had not even thought of that. " While he pulls of the
low powered scope.
=
The camp decides to take a day to rest up from the digging and prep their
equipment. Rich and Martin are glad to be in totally clean out fits. The
others having to cook the RW coveralls over the electric burners.
Rich and Martin prepare themselves most of the Day as Sylvie also preps her
"away team" to recover the XR-311. The two have an extensive discussion
concerning "roughing up" their gear and which weapons to take.
Robert explains to Ray; the location of the 311 and the plan to recover it.
They both nod the acceptance that this spreads both teams paper thin, but
reconcile it's only for 24 hours. The recovery team will be back in half of
that hopefully. The Recon team will be probably a couple of days.
=
Rich and Martin proceeding on foot at the next dawn. The plan a 10mi recon
of the area northeast of the 7-11.
After a full day of exhausting travel threw overgrown marshy terrain all the
pair discover is 3 abandoned and overgrown farms approximately 5 miles
northwest of the Franklin ruins.
The homes appear to have been the scene of violence. The doors and shutters
ripped apart and the skeletal remains of both human and livestock are
scattered haphazardly about. Rich discovers more than one rusted and ruined
weapon about the scenes. Martin points out that couple are still loaded.
The ammo likewise ruined with time.
Martin estimates the cabin like structures made from a combination rough
milled lumber and obvious salvaged fixtures and materials to have been in
this state for more than a year maybe more than 2 years.
Personal effects such as jewelry are present still in their place as are
tools and at one farm a still and a generator are a rusted ruin.
"Well Rich not what I expected for a Contact mission. Next time let's
carry more firepower, even if it looks suspicious. Some one is using a
fair amount of deadly force." Martin says grimly. Thinking back to
earlier in the day, As he collects the Human remains and makes a makeshift
mass grave in a falling down shed.
Martin observing the rough hewn lumber combined with salvaged materials.
Determines a post ruin construction. As to the bodies they're not nawed or
cut, but are strewn about. Yet not scattered as though they were dropped
randomly.
~~~
Robert, Sylvie, Chet and DJ say good luck to there friends heading north
then as they vanish in the distance they bid farewell and get their well
wishes from Ray, Maura and Ron before they also headout.
After traveling the better part of the day at a snails pace Robert can not
believe he even made it through this terrain in the dark. "This is
murderous" he thinks to himself. So far Chet has been only able to match
his pace of that night a mere 10-15 miles per hour at his maximum.
Washouts, mudbanks, treefalls and brush block what used to be US 58 turning
it into a horse path at best.
Sylvie and Robert using a hygiene (read toilet) break near Emporia using
binocs can neither
see nor sense any sign of the before thought settlement.
However as the team approaches South Hill the team notices a still
functional spur of rail-road tracks just past La Crosse the surfaces not
nearly as corroded as they should be. Then further by 1400 2 miles shy of
the limits of South Hill smoke can be scene rising above the foliage.
Robert doesn't believe it is sufficient to indicate a structure fire, more
like chimneys. DJ and Sylvie agree with that assessment. Robert determines
that there is adequate time for a "quick look see" before proceeding to
Clarksville and the 311.
Leaving DJ and Sylvie to guard the 150 with orders to head back if anything
goes wrong or they lose comms. Robert and Chet proceed through the brush
and thicket towards the sources of the smoke.
The discover an unusual scene taking place a village 6 or so homes, their
out buildings and a couple large barn size structures that has sprung up
near the flat elevated plain next to a large shopping mall size ruin.
Currently there are 2 buckskin wearing men holding rein on 10 horses. While
8 or so other men, similarly dressed and all armed with long as well as
handguns, are hold court over 30-40 kneeling or lying figures in an open
area near one of the barns. 2 of the men are kneeling near and sorting
through a pile of items. 3 men are having their way with a young women
possibly a teenager who's clothes are giving way to their interests. 4
others are standing watch over the huddled figures kneeling or lying in the
mud. The objections of the young women are suddenly silenced by a vicious
backhand of one of her suitors.
Robert whispers on the radio, "DJ, this is Armstrong. We got some real bad
hombres over here. You need to get up to our position, double quick. Put the
silencer on your rifle and come in real quiet like. Set up a little ways
from us
to
get a different angle. Sylvie, button up, get the V ready to move, and keep
a
sharp eye out of the windows, you can shoot that carbine from the firing
ports.
If you get a chance, report back to Ray and let him know what's goin' on."
Robert folds out the bipod, puts the silencer on his M-21 and finds a good
spot to shoot from. He whispers into the radio again, "We can't sit here and
let
these bastards do this. Chet, move over about 10 or 15 yards or so, keep low
and find some good cover. Load up with some CS, followed by one more CS,
then HEDP. Your first target is the guards holding the group, second is that
group of rapist trash, we'll try to separate the bad guys from the civilians
with a
screen of CS. Your third target is the wagons. After that just fire on any
targets of
opportunity, try to avoid firing your rifle 'til they figure out where we
are. If things
start getting violent go ahead and open fire, otherwise wait for me to fire
first I wanna wait for DJ if we can, but we may not be able to."
"DJ, Chet, I'm figuring 12 to 18 men here. 1 for each of the 10 horses and 2
to
4 for each wagon. I can only see 9 of them. the rest are probably looting.
Watch for
flankers. DJ, you got to take out the guards, and then the rapists. After
that, it's a free fire
zone. I'm hoping that they will run instead of fighting it out, wouldn't
seem to be their style.
Let me know when you guys get set up."
Armstrong sets up behind his rifle and aims at the group of rapists.
In the time it took to issue instructions and set up his weapon, the party
(girl and attackers) had laughingly moved to inside the barn.
Armstrong punches the ground and curses, "Damn it! They took her inside!"
Over the radio he gives new orders, " Chet, if you can move around and get
some CS into that barn. DJ, we got a change of plans. See if you can cover
those rapist bastards through the barn doors. I'll cover the guards now.
Move fast and let me know what's going on."
DJ replies quickly that the angle is wrong for the targets in the barn but
he has many more. Chet rogers for his orders, maneuvering behind cover to
the east so as to approach from behind the dwellings.
Robert shifts the rifle and puts the cross hairs on the guard that looks the
most dangerous/trigger happy. He slows his breathing and makes a mental note
of
the next closest guard for a follow-up shot. Periodically he opens his other
eye
to get the full picture and tries to remember the positions of any of the
bad
guys that may have moved.
Sylvie gets the V ready to move at a moments notice, and buttons up all
the security measures there are. Then, while keeping watch out of the port
with her M-16 standing by, she picks up the vehicle radio and tries to
reach "Base 711".
"Base seven-one-one, this is field team alpha."
"Team alpha this is base seven-one-one, what's your
situation?" Ray answers.
"Our recon has come across some civilians under assault by hostiles."
Quickly passing coordinates off the auto-nav . "They report 12-18 hostiles,
and
are moving in undetected to try to intervene. Looks like a firefight
brewin' though. I'll keep you appraised over the next few minutes."
Will do team alpha, we will start packing here for
emergency response."
Switching over to the field radio, "Robert, I'm standing by and can be in
your lap in half a jiffy If y'all decide an armored vehicle might be
nice to have." Putting on her helmet, she chambers a round in the M-4 and
set's it
back down beside my seat, chambers a round in her M9 and puts it back
in the holster. Silently breathing a prayer.
"Affirmative, Sylvie. You may be moving sooner than you think. Nice to know
that I can always call the cavalry."
**
Raymond yells out to the rest of the group, "we got
trouble brewing, get ready to move out in ten!"
"Team Bravo, this is base seven-one-one, come
in."
Maura and Ron fetch Su from the 7-11 and secure her as best they can to the
deck of the V-300. With Su Lin in her position Maura sticks her head out
yelling "Ready boss! What about the Cryo unit ?"
Ray looks at Maura, "its as secure as we can make it
plus we have to leave it sooner or
later."
" Fine by me boss you want me to drive or what?" then noticing that Alec has
climbed into the drivers seat of the V-300 and Ron is getting in the back
with Su Lin. Leaving the Humvee for her. "This is going to be fun." She
thinks. As she plops in and prepares to move out
Ray looks at his radio, "I forgot they either
don't have a radio or are on radio silence.
Lets go get them, its no more than 10 minutes away by
vehicle."
Alec with a curious look, "Who's 10 minutes away? We have no idea where
there at. We may get lucky and trip over them but what are the odds?"
Looking at Ray.
The Morrow Project is Copyrighted (1980) and Owned by Timeline Ltd.
Psi World is copyright by Fantasy Games Unlimited, Del Carr and Cheron.
