Bad choices being made...Thank you.
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Bad choices being made...Thank you.
The word Bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. George Carlin
Oh yeah, big time.
Thanks FMJ for the new post. Looking forward to more soon.
Wayne
“Begging your pardon, Colonel Temple,” the young Sergeant politely interrupted her rapid-fire profane description of the Major’s intelligence, manners and the genetic diversity of his parents.
“Yes, Sergeant, what is it?” the Colonel replied vehemently biting back a more colorful response to the undeserving junior officer.
“Ma’am, the CO has been given additional responsibility because of the disappearance of two officers in his direct chain of command. Up until then, he was a fair man to work for.”
Rounding on the Sergeant, Colonel Temple replied, “Were you aware you could be court-martialed for insubordination for even implying the behavior of your CO was unacceptable?”
The Sergeant stopped short and visibly paled before he quietly replied, “No, ma’am.”
“No, of course you didn’t, but, if you worked for me, I would have promoted you for the effort,” the Colonel said with a grin as she walked out the door into the bright sunlight. The Colonel paused for a moment, considering, before she turned back, “However, Sergeant, you should also be aware that your CO has made a grave tactical error that will ultimately endanger all personnel at Nellis, yourself included.”
“I understand, ma’am,” the Sergeant replied holding the door open.
“Sergeant, you seem to have a better grasp of the situation than your CO does. If you were in my unit tomorrow, I could promote you to master sergeant if you were so inclined,” the Colonel offered.
“I would be so inclined ma’am, thank you,” the Sergeant replied as he shut the door and walked away smiling for the first time in months. He would have to jump ship to get his promotion, but his prospects were bleak at Nellis anyway.
great GREAT better than great, john
Outside, the Colonel nonchalantly brushed a lock of auburn hair back from her right ear touching the TVS communicator hidden there before sub-vocalizing, “Dominic?”
“Yes Jenny, I am here.”
“Dominic, I very much need to make a grand exit even though it is childish and unnecessary.”
“I take it your meeting with the Major was less than productive?”
“I was humiliated..., by a moron,” the Colonel summarized through clenched teeth.
“How grand, Jenny? Shall I demolish the guard house and main gate before deftly extracting your person at speed in a one hundred and eighty degree turn with guns blazing?”
“No, Dominic. Although that maneuver would give me great personal satisfaction and convey my feelings perfectly, the collateral damage would only feed their suspicions and lead to unintended consequences.”
“We shall make a dignified exit, then? May I upload the official statement of our withdrawal, Colonel?”
“Yes, Dominic, with maximum prejudice and simultaneously take down the Nellis tactical node as well.”
“The Major must have been quite the ass if you would blind the facility for his insolence alone.”
“Dominic, everything will be in my report. Now get me out of here before I change my mind about letting you destroy the guard shack.”
“The Colonel’s wish is my command. Accelerating to sprint.”
Dominic’s burst of high acceleration made the brilliant blue machine appear to materialize just fifty yards outside the main gate with a shriek of advanced electric traction motors before skidding to stop less than three feet from the gate. The guards scrambled awkwardly, unaccustomed as they were to the menacing sound and sudden appearance of a machine totally outside their experience.
As the Colonel approached the gate from inside the facility, she saw three soldiers nervously pointing their weapons at the machine. “Stand down,” the Colonel commanded, “You’re aiming those rifles at my ride. Open the gate, soldier.”
“Yes, ma’am,” one soldier responded quickly shouldering his rifle and returning to the guard shack to operate the gate.
“It’ll take a minute, ma’am. The equipment is old,” he explained raising his voice to be heard over the squeaking mechanism that reluctantly opened the gate in a series of lurching starts and grinding halts.
The gull wing door of the heavy Centurion class cruiser swung smoothly upward strategically revealing the spacious, but conspicuously empty interior as Jennifer strode proudly through the sagging gate to the open door of the waiting machine and sat in the pilot’s chair calmly folding her hands in her lap.
While Major Lawson stood in his office watching the closed circuit camera feed from the main gate, the door of the Centurion swung smoothly downward as the machine backed slowly away. He smiled as he congratulated himself on the way he had controlled the interview, always maintaining the upper hand and easily putting the TVS Colonel in her proper place. The tactical displays he had demanded and received, as the cost of the Nellis Facility’s continued cooperation replaced their outdated radar and dysfunctional satellite fed systems perfectly. Thanks to his shrewd negotiations, the multiple surveillance modes and target recognition options available through the advanced TVS equipment placed the Nellis Facility once more, in complete control of their airspace.
With his hands on his hips, Major Lawson smiled as he watched the machine retreat from his gate and savored the tactical defeat he had dealt the TVS officer.
“Now, Dominic,” the Colonel whispered with an evil grin. “Do it while we are still in plain sight.”
Making the necessary uplink connections through the Nellis tactical node, Dominic spoke with authority through every tactical display, intercom and public address system in the Nellis facility, “TVS Colonel Temple and Centurion D4MNC8 withdraw from Nellis at the specific direction of Major Michael Lawson.”
Major Lawson jumped involuntarily at the unexpected volume of the announcement when it was broadcast echoing through the building PA system as well as the tactical display in his office. Confused, he looked uncertainly from the PA speaker to the tactical screen still displaying the blue icon identifying the TVS machine just outside the main gate.
It was at that moment that Dominic remotely severed the Nellis tactical node from the TVS grid and the large tactical display in Major Lawson’s office went dark displaying only the ironic message, TVS Connection Lost, scrolling continuously.
Although the guards were the only witnesses, Dominic executed a tight three-sixty “doughnut” before powering away in the requested “grand exit” with the screaming whine of advanced electric motors.
The Sergeant walked into the Major’s office inquiring, “Sir? Reports are coming in from all over the facility that all tactical displays at Nellis have lost connection. What did that withdrawal announcement mean, Sir? What are your orders?”
Major Lawson did not reply but only stood staring at the dark tactical display and its scrolling message in disbelief.
The DA should have expected that. Thank you FMJ
The word Bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. George Carlin
Wow, two and a half weeks worth of Cerulean story and I'm just now stumbling across it.
Thanks FMJ, I was really hoping you'd continue this story.
Now, of course I want more!
These are the busiest days of the year.
Thank you for continuing this story. You've really presented a lot of information and wide open storyline possibilities. I can't wait to see what happens next. Thank you!
great story FMJ,get some r&r
Thank You FMJ, great story!!
Wayne
(5)
“That’s it, Captain. Four full magazines of exotics, one of each flavor, water supply topped up, replaced all the filters, vacuumed the floor mats and cleaned the windshield,” joked Marty, the TVS maintenance tech assigned to Magnus’ reload as he handed a data-pad to Lizzy for her approval.
“Thanks, Marty! Hey, did you manage to get that wad of gum out of the carpet by the console?”
Marty gaped, open-mouthed, stunned, his eyes bugging out as he stammered, “You...you didn’t! You couldn’t, not to the interior of a...a Knight?”
“Got’cha,” Lizzy laughed as she tossed him the data-pad and swung through the open door into Magnus’ pilot’s compartment.
“You do realize that TVS service techs are selected for their meticulous attention to detail...,” Magnus reminded her.
“Yes,” Lizzy replied absently twisting a lock of blonde hair around a finger.
“...and their ability to execute dozens of complex and dangerous mechanical procedures from memory...,” Magnus continued.
“Mm’hm,” Lizzy agreed nodding.
“My lady, is this practice of pushing the psychological buttons of the technical workforce a type of flirting?”
“Um, maybe a little. Marty’s cute,” Lizzy admitted.
“(INTERNAL RECORDING OFF) (Packaging sound file, reference M2GNS8, pilot preferences advisory) (Upload file to mailbox, TVS Service Tech, Martin Lennox T9)”
“What was that?” Lizzy asked absently.
“Oh, ah..., uploading test file response preferences. Tech stuff.”
“Oh, okay.”
As the royal blue machine rolled out of the depot service bay, a soft chime alerted a TVS service tech that new mail was waiting in his message queue. He selected the file and noted with curiosity the “dot wave” extension. Opening the message and playing the attached sound file, he listened intently and immediately recognized the voices but was unable to determine the file’s origin. The last few seconds of the file played while Marty stared at the ground in confusion. He suddenly raised his head to watch a certain brilliant blue machine rapidly accelerate away from the TVS service depot; a look of unbelieving shock on his face that gradually gave way to a huge smile.
“She thinks I’m cute!” and he danced a little jig on the way to his next assignment.
That made me lol! Thank you.
The word Bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. George Carlin
FMJ,
Your skill at spinning the continuation of this story is captivating....
Thank you....
Texican....
An American Christian....
Live Free and Die Free....
Thank's FMJ for more of your story, Greatly appreciated.
Wayne
FMJ Praying you and yours have a Blessed Christmas.
Wayne
Great continuation of the story! Truly an enjoyable read, thank you.
Have a Merry Christmas (just in case things get crazy later!)
Thank you for more of your fine story!
Thank you. May the Joy and Wonder of the Christmas holidays bring Peace to you and yours.
More cool writing
(6)
When the attack commenced, the full focused energy of the heavy assault railguns ran nonstop for all of six minutes.
Although Nellis was not the target, it did lie directly under the flight path of the nearly constant barrage of hypersonic projectiles coming from a single Strax heavy assault weapon situated in the northern range. The firing solution for the actual target, located beyond the horizon, intersected many taller objects in its path. The Nellis base hospital, the administration building, and the control tower were all reduced to charred stumps exactly twenty-three feet in height.
The Nellis personnel above ground that had the misfortune to see the brilliant plasma trails of the projectiles with the naked eye were immediately exposed to dangerous levels of ultraviolet energy that resulted in injuries ranging from severe welders flash up to and including permanent blindness in a handful of cases.
The northern range was later found to be blasted and barren; sterilized by the exposure to the continuous energy bursts that accompanied the huge railgun ignitions.
The actual firing point of the Strax heavy assault weapon was discovered within a large semicircle where the desert sand had melted and run in rivulets of green glass.
“Sergeant, there are reports of explosions, fires and power failures all over the facility! The fire department is at the hospital!” shouted the airman over the raucous fire alarm. “We won’t get any help until that fire is out but the fire here is spreading because the fire sprinklers aren’t working.”
“Understood. Spread the word, evacuate the building, now. Assume communications are all down. Start on the north wing of the building and go room to room until every floor is cleared. I’ll start on the south wing.”
“Right! Sergeant, should we try to fight the fire?”
“No! Our highest priority is the people. Get everyone out of the building first! Fight the fire only after everyone is out and only from a safe position if you have an open escape route. This building is replaceable, but you are not.”
“Yes, Sergeant!” the airman called over his shoulder as he ran from the room shouting instructions to others.
In the stairwell, the Sergeant met people coming down from the second floor coated with ashes and soot assisting others who had suffered burns. He helped carry the wounded and encouraged others blinded by smoke they were close to safety as he helped to evacuate the remaining people from the building.
Ignoring the rain of ash and embers, he ran back up the stairs and turned south, but thankfully found the floor deserted. Checking the rooms individually, he cleared the south wing and met the airman coming from the opposite direction checking the rooms of the north wing.
“All rooms cleared in the north wing, Sergeant.”
“Good job. The south wing is clear too, so the second floor is clear.”
“Understood,” shouted the airman as he ran back the way he had come.
The Sergeant retraced his steps to the stairwell and continued upward into thickening smoke. Mounting the stairs in the smoky gloom of flickering emergency lights, he stopped short when he unexpectedly reached the twisted and broken end of the stairway railing.
Confused, he leaned forward feeling gingerly for the next step when a gust of hot wind abruptly emptied the stairwell of smoke to reveal the building parking lot below his outstretched foot and the still raging hospital fire in the distance.
Twisted rebar emerged from the shattered concrete wall of the stairwell like a curled groping hand alongside electrical conduits trailing severed sparking wires.
The Sergeant clung to the railing, frozen in place, astonished at the realization the rest of the building was simply not there anymore.
“Sergeant! Sergeant, can you hear me?” the airman yelled in the distance, breaking him from his trance.
“There is debris blocking the stairwell on this end! I can’t get through this way! Sergeant, if you can hear me, I’m going back down to the second floor to try a different way!”
“Yes, I hear you…, understood!” he yelled in answer. “I’ll backtrack and meet you on the second floor.”
Stepping carefully back from the crumbling edge of the ruined stairwell in the darkness, the Sergeant tried to imagine the firepower capable of such destruction in so short a time. The Sergeant was forced to recall the Colonel’s last words, “your CO has made a grave tactical error that will ultimately endanger all personnel at Nellis, yourself included.”
The Colonel, she knew something was up and she was trying real hard to tell the Major, but he wouldn’t listen and that made the Colonel mad. I bet he wishes he had listened to her now because his office was on the third floor.
Thank you, just reward for an outsized ego.
The word Bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. George Carlin
Thanks again! And may you have a very Happy New Year.
(7)
“Report!” commanded Colonel Temple as she entered the darkened chamber containing North American Tactical.
“Yes, Ma’am! Orbital detected the ionization trails of multiple hypervelocity rounds originating from six sources beginning at 0954 hours and continuing for six minutes.
Energy signatures verified over two hundred heavy railgun rounds were launched and the trajectory placed them in a heavily populated area of old San Diego, possibly Mission Bay. Orbital detected detonations and fires in the target area in a triangular grid,” replied the officer of the watch.
“Damn! Any reports from the target area?” swore the Colonel slamming her fist on the table.
“There are none, Colonel,” responded a white-haired man with stars on his shoulders as he walked into the light. “Although at that degree of saturation, I’m hardly surprised. I should imagine most of the people in old San Diego are busy dying at the moment.”
The Colonel didn’t even glance in the direction of the voice before snapping to a rigid salute and holding it. “Sir! I was not informed you had returned to the surface, Sir.”
The General returned the salute, and then quietly added, “As you were, Colonel. Now, Jennifer, I need to know more about the Nellis facility tactical report.”
“The Nellis report is complete and accurate, Sir. I recorded the interview with Major Lawson for the specific reason that there might be questions afterward,” she stated with her eyes averted, standing rigidly at attention with her hands balled into fists at her sides.
“At ease, Colonel.” Coming in close, the General whispered, “I just need to know that your decision to sever the Nellis tactical node was in no way influenced by your previous relationship with our Major Lawson.”
Jennifer turned to face the older man directly before quietly asking, “Permission to speak freely, Sir?”
“Always.”
“I did not make that decision lightly, but it was made strictly according to standard TVS protocols. I attempted to reason with the man and was humiliated for my efforts. I even warned him that Nellis could be the target of the heavy assault weapons and he responded that my judgment was suspect because of my involvement with TVS, despite the fact that we provided Nellis with the tactical capability to see otherwise.
I stand by my decision, Dad.”
“That’s what I needed to know, Jennifer. There were casualties at Nellis due solely to the fact they were in the line of fire of the heavy weapon.
The Strax firing solution for San Diego intersected several structures on the base and the addition of tactical would not have prevented that disaster.
I agree with your conclusion and your decision. Orbital’s full resources are now at your disposal. Do send me a copy of that recording though, please. Carry on, Colonel.”
“Yes Sir, I..., I will Sir.”
The Colonel saluted again and the General acknowledged, turning on his heel. As he walked away, he smiled saying, “In the future, I will attempt to inform you when I come back to the surface.”
great story
Egos have caused more disasters, destruction and death than imaginable....
Now just what will the heroine and hero do with their super cars to stop this barrage????
Only FMJ knows....
Texican....
An American Christian....
Live Free and Die Free....
Thank you.
The word Bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. George Carlin
She felt drained when the door closed and the palpable presence of the General left the room. Jennifer slowly relaxed, unclenched her fists and sighed in relief even though she knew she would miss her father when he went back up to his “Olympus”.
The demands of rank had taken a terrible toll upon them leaving little room for a family relationship between senior TVS officers under the threat of a looming planetary war.
Alone with her thoughts, a cold dread formed in the pit of Jennifer’s stomach as she mentally reviewed their discussion. Her father had felt it necessary to personally return to the surface for details about her involvement and it had ultimately been her decision to sever the Nellis tactical node even if it would not have saved them.
A firing solution that intersected base structures was a nice way of saying heavy railgun rounds tore through them on their way to the target causing death and destruction in the process. People had died and her father had placed the full resources of Orbital at her disposal. This conflict had just gone hot in a very big way.
Jennifer straightened her back and the sleeves of her tunic as she ordered her thoughts.
Turning to address the assembled Tactical Response control, the Colonel ordered in a clear authoritative voice, “Officer of the watch, recognize authorization code, Delta, Four, Mike, November, Charlie, Eight.
Synchronize North American Tactical with Orbital on my mark. Centurion? Verify identity. Do you concur?
“Colonel Temple, I recognize authorization code, Delta, Four, Mike, November, Charlie, Eight. I concur,” Dominic’s deep voice solemnly intoned through the tactical network.
“Mark!”
The officer of the watch replied,” North American Tactical synched with Orbital at 1137 hours, Sir!”
The chamber came alight as several formerly inactive screens suddenly illuminated with rapidly changing information streamed down from Orbital while other North American Tactical screens were augmented with huge new resources and capabilities.
A hushed awe fell over the newly energized North American Tactical chamber as the technicians assessed the enormous increase in capability the Orbital weapons platform added to their new role as forward fire control.
Things starting to get lively eh? Thank you.
The word Bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. George Carlin
Yup, FMJ...definitely going to be time to rumblllllle soon!
Thank you!
Thanks for another installment. Don't know how you find the time to write these during the holiday season, but I'm sure glad you do.
(8)
“Magnus! What just happened?” Lizzy’s frightened voice called from within the combat restraint. “All your displays froze and then they all went dark for a second! Are you alright? Is something wrong?”
"My lady, fear not, all is well. My systems are operating at nominal levels and I detect no malfunction. We are being directed to recognize a change in TVS command structure. It would seem that North American Tactical has been synchronized with Orbital."
“What does that mean?” Lizzy asked unable to keep the anxiety from her voice.
"Ordinarily, synchronization of two TVS units simply combines their resources and surveillance abilities for their mutual benefit. The synchronization of the entire North American Tactical grid with the Orbital weapons platform however, can only mean that TVS has chosen an overt operating mode. I am even now receiving an encrypted strategic directive from North American Tactical via Orbital. We are instructed to immediately review it and acknowledge receipt.”
“Well, put it up, big guy. Let’s see what the brass has to say.”
Within the darkened combat restraint, the main screen flickered and illuminated revealing the outline of a dark machine in a desert. A Strax red icon appeared over the machine while the view zoomed out to reveal five more identical machines positioned in a huge arc many miles across.
The view then zoomed out and turned in a dizzying roll revealing the edge of the atmosphere where the horizon meets the blackness of space as a narrator described the machines as a new type of Strax heavy weapons platform. Panning down, the camera came to rest on a coastal city on a large body of water.
Lizzy gasped when the view snapped back to the new Strax weapons and the narrator called attention to the time of 0954 hours as all six dark machines fired simultaneously. The glowing plasma trails appearing like tracers as the hypersonic rounds crawled across the curvature of the world to explode in the distant city.
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