"It's not my name... it's what I am. I am your role model Mr. Potty Mouth Name."
-YourRoleModel
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| The Emerald Legion: Part One - A New World. | | | Author: | | | IP: | nr11-216XXXX | | Date: | 07/29/02 05:07 | | Game Type: | Other | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 0, Max: , Min:
Lifetime Rating for EldritchEvil: 8.5111 | | After screwing up fileread yet again, I am now posting this. Please delete the first.
Continued from the the first one
My head hurt. Not since officer training had I been trying to absorb so much information at once. Actually... Now, I was attempting to absorb even more. A man named Derek, who is a lieutenant in the Legion, took me around and showed me the technology, the weapons, the command structure... It was all so confusing. Frenando had told me that I had a choice: I could be a fighter pilot (flying the revolutionary "Dart" plane, which I will get to in a moment), a crew member on a Bombadier gunship/bomber/transport, a field soldier, or an officer here. I chose officer, it's what I'm comfortable with. So I am now, officially, Private Dante T. Perlis of the Emerald Legion.
The first place Derek brought me to was the second level of the complex, affectionaly called "Level Two" of the complex. Imagine my suprise. This was the Hangar of the complex. I guess I should get to describing the aircraft for you now. The Fighter Craft of the Legion is a super-advanced fighter, about 10 meters in length. It has no wings, making it very streamlined. It looks like a dart, suprise suprise. In a continued effort to make it as streamlined as possible, the "Shell" of the fighter is a composite of titanium and several other alloy metals. It also has no external weapons. It has the capability to hold 14 Air-To-Air missiles, and it has 4 Air-To-Ground bomb bays, and it has a Vulcan II machine gun. When the missles go to "Firing mode", the metal plates the make up part of the shell flip, so the missles are on the underside. The vulcan comes to firing mode the same way. It takes about 1 second. It's a two seater, with large windows on the appropriate side of the plane. When it comes time to be fighting, the pilot and the bomber/navigator press buttons on the side of the window, and titanium "shields" come sliding over the windows. The pilots then have to go by computer calculations and radar, but it works better that way anyway. The engines use liquid oxegyen as fuel, and the plane has been clocked at hypermach five. It also has a special, radar deflecting "sheen" on the shell, so it's stealth.
About this time, I started to feel the first pangs of the coming headache.
And then we got to the bombadier. The Bombadier is a large craft. 20 meters long, 10 wide, with a 30 meter wingspan. It has a crew of four - A pilot, a bomber, a navigator/radio operator and a gunner. The Bombadier has two tail mounted Vulcan II semi-turreted guns. It has the capaciety for over 50 bombs. It can carry 10 tons of personnel or equipment in it's cargo bay. It takes off like a Harrier, with two belly engines. It's wings can turn 90 degrees, to help slow the aircraft for landing. It's been clocked at mach two. Fast, for a bomber/transport. It has a 8-inch thick bulkhead of titanium alloy on the front, absorbs missiles like nobodys buisness.
The Hangar itself is a peice of work. Shiny, silver metal covers everything, and the sound of wielding torches rebounds off the celing walls, creating a disorienting effect. There were about ten workers in there, putting the finishing touches on Bombadiers, the paint job on the Darts...
And about now my head started to be pained.
Then, Derek took me down to Third Level, which, unsuprisingly, is called the Third Level. This is the sleeping quarters and the cafeteria. After showing me my rather simple quarters ("It's not much" said Derek, showing me the bed.), we headed to the cafeteria. Tables set in rows, where the off-duty Legionetts come to eat and talk. I sampled the food, and it's better than the cooking I got in the AF. I talked to several officers, like myself. They were very professional and serious. Like I was, 10 years ago. When I was serious about the military... But I digress. Everything, from the walls to the cafeteria is very sleek and futuristic looking. I admit I was impressed.
Then we went down to the Fourth Level, which is essentially the command centre. It's where all the high-level officers and what-have-you go and issue orders. I found out I would be stationed there as a Communications Officer. Whee. It looked like the bridge of the late 20th century show Star Trek. Dark, with men and women talking into head-sets, serious looking fifty-ish men standing looking serious, engineers fiddling with this and that, men and women hunched over radar displays. Very impressive. Very... Military.
Derek told me that the Fifth and Sixths levels are off limits for anyone under the rank of Colonel.
"Really? Why?" I asked.
"Top secret stuff. I assume that's where they test new technology and equipment. Who knows," he shrugged, "It may be a shaft leading to the planet core, for all we know."
And then I went to bed.
I woke up to the first shift ding in my room. The complex works in shifts. The first shift is from 6:00AM to 12:00 PM. The second is from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The Third Shift is from 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM. The Fourth Shift is from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM. I turned to the floor on my room. Another jumpsuit was ready for me, as well as all the equipment I would need. A headset. The Military had always been frugal. I walked through the silver corridors, passed by a Lt. Colonel, and walked into the Tube-elevator. It took me down a gut-wrenching 10 feet, and I staggered out and started to walk to my post, which is just down and right from the highest seat on the "deck". The Deck was layered as such: The top layer had one chair, where the First Shift General would be sitting. Below that layer, seperated by about 3 inches, was my layer, which had two "sets" as they were called. Sets are a chair, nice, real leather, and in front is a computer. I was on the right, and to my left was a lieutenant. Her name is Lieutenant Jessica L. Madison. She's a radar operator, and she relayed information from the radar to the general, so he can make the commands. The First Shift General's name is Hager B. Wallace, a serious man from England. The layer below us had four sets, two radio operators (who relay the general's commands to the troops in the field), a radar operator, and a strategist. The strategist's job was to suggest strategies to the general. The last layer had eight sets. Four Radio operators, and four Radar operators. "Alright, officers." Said Hager, "This is the first shift for our new Complex Operator. His name is Dante." I nodded to confirm the claim.
Hager turned to Jessica. "Anything around the exterior?" He asked.
"No, sir." She replied.
"Good. Barry, tell the Caviet squad to begin operation Short Help is Better Than None." He sounded a little annoyed.
"Yessir." The man named Barry, one of the two Radio operators below my layer. Even a whole two levels below Level Two (And a good solid 8 feet of solid steel bulkhead), I still hear the "Ca-chung, Ca-Chink" of the Hangar doors opening and allowed Caveit squad, whatever that was, to exit the complex. "What is Caviet squad?" I asked Jessica.
"Two Bombadiers and three darts. Small attack force."
"And what are we doing with it?"
"Oh, that's right, you just joined. We're assisting the Chinese revolt against the communist rule."
"But I didn't know anything about this in the AF."
"Yes. The staff has been letting the Emerald Legion take care of the military activities for the past 9 months. They find we work more efficiently." She said with a grin. I grimaced.
"The Armed Forces won World War III, if you remember. I think we des-"
"Yes, but that's the past. Forgive me for saying so, but I think you're getting old." She grinned at me, and turned back to her screen. I was about to reply when my headset said, "Caviet sqaud is away.".
"Caviet Squad is away, sir." I said. Hager nodded at me. "Vernon, William, keep me updated on Caviet Sqaud." Hager told the bottom layer.
"Yessir."
*
After 6 hours of listening to the various commands and reports that had to be relayed back and forth, I was tired. But not tired enough to not spend some time on the Internet. I logged on with my labtop (800 ghz TiBook III) and started surfing around the various news sites (The Times, BBC News, ect.) and didn't come across anything about the Chinese revolution, or the Legions' apparent involvement in it. After shutting down, I headed to the cafeteria to get some food. I got todays special ("Tuna Warmed Up". This is, after all, military cooking.) and sat down next to Jessica.
"So, how did you find your first day working here? Enjoyable?" She asked.
"Hmm. If not enjoyable, then interesting. Also tiring."
"Everyone says that on their first day."
"Reminds me of Holes."
"What?"
"An old book. It was a story about children who had done misdemeaners and had been sent to Green Lake, where they were forced to dig holes. To search for treasure."
"Facinating, I'm sure."
"I find your sarcasm... Disturbing."
"The power to sense sarcasm is insignificant, next to the power of being a Radar Operator."
We both laughed. Star Wars was still great.
*
It was now 8:00. My next shift was in 10 hours, and I was incredibly tired. Feeling that I should be at peak alertness for my next shift, I went to sleep. I had a troubling dream. I was being chased by a bombadier, and the pilot was shouting for me to stop. I couldn't understand why I didn't, because the bombadier was my friend, or why I felt so afriad of it. It worried me, a little. I woke up, troubled, and saw it was currently 5:20. Good. 30 minutes before I was required to be at my post. I dressed, and turned on my computer. I checked The Post. Nothing interesting. Then I checked BBC News.
I stared. The news read:
"ARMED FORCES ACCUSED OF IMPROPER ACTIONS IN THE FIELD.
Today, Staff investigators found evidence of improper field actions conducted by the Armed Forces, the EUs' main military force. Details were not specified, although use of biological and chemical weapons is indicated in the Sweden Skirmish of 2026. Also, soldier brutality was overlooked in Bosnia, Lebanon and Chad. No names were specified, and the AF is currently seeking out those soldiers who were, according to Admiral Sanders, were 'Overzealous' in their punishement of evildoers. More on the story at 11:00."
Well. This was news to me. Any "Improper Field Actions" were not conducted by me, or, to my knowledge, conducted at all. I was glad that I was no longer in the AF - for the first time, as it were - because I wouldn't have to deal with the press scratching at my door.
Ding.
The first shift bell rang. I shut my computer down, and went to my post. Once everyone was setteled, Hager spoke.
"Well, as I'm sure you've heard, the AF has been accused of improper actions in the field."
Nods all around. I wasn't the only one to have checked the news.
"Yes. This means that the Staff will have no choice but to give us more field action. I want your best performance."
More nods.
"Now, I-"
"Sir?"
Hager looked down at Vernon, one of the lowest layer radio operators.
"Yes, Vernon?"
"Caviet Squad has come under fire."
A flurry of activity. Jessica - my attention was on her - was studying her screen, scanning for any detectable enemy forces around Caviet squad.
"There isn't anything around them, for eight miles!"
This was confirmed by anxiously nodding heads around the room. Chaos insued.
"Tell them to get to safety! Where are they, where are they?"
"Caviet Squad, this is base, come in, come in!"
"I would've thought they'd be there by now!"
"Caviet Squad, retreat! Retreat!"
Only after three minutes - by my watch - did the room calm down. Caviet Squad was retreating with no casualties, but they hadn't seen what was firing at them, either. Hager massaged his forehead.
"Report to the staff what happened."
I turned to Jessica. "Well, now what?"
"Now, we find out what fired at Caviet squad. Hager's going to tell the staff they couldn't fight them because the mission was undermanned, which is partly true. The Staff refuses to let us mount a full-scale mission to help the Chinese Revolutionists. Hence the mission name." She replied.
"Why not?" I asked.
"They're afriad. It's stupid. They have the most powerful military in the world, and they're afriad of china. Afriad of the United States turning on us with accusations of world domination, to try and regain their lost status as leader of the free world."
"You speak like the EU is seperate from us."
"It is. Or rather, it will be."
"Really. Do tell."
"We're the most advanced military power in the world, all by ourselves. It's only a matter of time, really, before we get out from under the Staff's thumb."
"Ha. And what will we do then, pray?"
"Whatever suits us. We could dominate the world, or we could assist in world peace."
I was going to reply with a sarcastic "Ha, yes, sure you could", when I thought about what I had seen. An invisible fighter, so fast it cannot be seen with the naked eye, capable of carrying a payload that can destroy a city. A gunship that can bring supplies to anywhere on the world, destroying enemy forces on the way, and carrying a payload that can bring a country to it's knees. And Derek had said there were two levels devoted to testing new weapons technology, maybe even inventing new ones.
Maybe they could.
To be continued.
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