by Tom Jones
Phi-8-1 had an objection, “If that’s so, then why not just wait for them to move it, and then we can take it during transit?” Phi-8-2 replied to the objection, “I doubt they’d move it as one big vehicle. It would be a lot easier for them to disassemble it and move each part separately. That would also make it harder for us to get it since we’d have to locate each segment of this damned vehicle.” Phi-8-1 sighed, “And here we are practically kicking the hornet’s nest. Whose idea was it to send us here? This is CDI’s fucking base. They have practically every advantage under the damn sun here.” Phi-8-2 shook his head, “Beats me. I don’t even know what the big deal with this vehicle is, either. They don’t tell us jack shit.” Phi-8-1 replied, “Perhaps that’s what you should expect when you’re working for a group that doesn’t technically exist.” Phi-8-2 was about ready to proceed with the mission, “Yeah? Well, how about we get what we’re supposed to get before they decide that we no longer exist.” Phi-8-1 nodded, “Sure. We’re not getting into the base talking shit out here.”
Before the operatives could discuss their next move, Phi-8-1 heard a knock outside of the VPK-3927’s door. Both of the humans raised their eyebrows behind their goggles upon hearing the knock, and Phi-8-1 immediately looked to his left to see who knocked on their door. When the human looked out of the window, he could see a uniformed CDI member wearing combat fatigues. The contractor was not wearing a helmet or plate carrier, but he was wearing a tactical belt which even included a holstered PL-15 handgun. Phi-8-1 knew that he had to answer the door, so he tried to act as clueless and unsuspecting as possible. When Phi-8-1 regained his composure, he opened the door and waited for the contractor to speak. After a second of silence, the contractor spoke, “Are you guys waiting on someone inside of the hangar?” Phi-8-1 began bluffing, “Yeah, we’re actually waiting to go inside.” The contractor replied, “Oh? You guys are the test crew for today’s MAV-29 trial?” Phi-8-1 had no idea what a MAV-29 was, but he decided to play along with what the contractor was saying, “Yeah. Can you let us in?” The contractor replied, “Sure thing. Are you waiting for your relief driver?”
Phi-8-1 still decided to go along with the situation, even though he did not know what the contractor was talking about, “I guess he’s running late today. Can you get someone to take the car?” The contractor nodded, “Of course. Here, I’ll let you guys in first.” Phi-8-1 exited the vehicle, and Phi-8-2 did as well. Phi-8-1 followed the contractor as he led them to the hangar, but Phi-8-2 went around to the rear of the truck and spoke over the radio, “We’re ready to exit the vehicle now. Let’s go. We’re going in the hanger.” Within the next few seconds, the rear door opened and the remaining two occupants exited the vehicle. After regrouping with the contractor who was waiting at the side entrance to the hangar, the contractor inputted a code into a keypad, and he held the door open once the electronic lock disengaged. Each of the four MTG operatives entered the hangar, and they looked at the only vehicle inside of the hangar. Immediately upon viewing the MAV-29, the MTG knew that they had just found the vehicle they were looking for.
After the door closed behind the four of them, another contractor who was already in the hangar approached the group, “You guys are just in time. I know you guys did the first few phases of the test last time, but we’re going to have to do them again. I know it’s tedious, but CDI demanded that the test should be completed in one uninterrupted session. I’m sure we all remember what happened during the previous test. Yes?” Phi-8-1 took a shot in the dark, and he hoped that he was correct, “I guess it’s a good thing we were ready to stop those helicopters.” To the human’s surprise, he gave the correct answer, “In my opinion, that gave better results than the actual test which we had lined up, but CDI still wanted the entire first session to be thrown out because of that incident. We’re restarting again from the very beginning, so you guys are going to have to go through the pre-mission checklist. I know, it’s tedious as hell, but all you need to do is just get it done this time. If we don’t have any more interruptions, then you guys shouldn’t have to do this again.”
Phi-8-1 pretended as if checking over the controls of the MAV-29 was a bad thing, “Damn. The pre-mission checklist? That took forever last time.” The contractor smiled and shook his head in a sort of mutual understanding, “I know, right? I wish I could speed it up or at least skip some of it, but that would invalidate the test again. Think of it this way: If you guys get it done now, then you won’t have to do it again.” Phi-8-1 nodded, and he looked up at the massive Articulated Tracked Armored Combat Vehicle, “Do we have a full armament inside of that thing ready to go?” The contractor replied, “Yep. We even decided to replace the rear compartment with a model that has a VLS system. The good thing about the MAV-29 is that the compartments are pretty modular. It makes it easy for us to swap out loadouts for different operations, and it also makes it a helluva lot easier to transport the damn thing. We can just disassemble it into compartments and ship them separately. It doesn’t even take that long to reassemble it.” Phi-8-1 looked over to his colleague once he remembered a similar conversation occurring from earlier, and he asked the contractor another question, “Will we still have room for us four?” The contractor nodded, “Yeah, of course. The crew compartment has room for six operatives, but you only really need two to operate the thing.”
Phi-8-1 was surprised with how good the mission was already going. He was not expecting for CDI to simply let him inside of the vehicle without having to use force. The Mobile Task Group operative felt that he was ready to proceed with the mission, “Well, if you’re ready for the test, then I guess we’re ready too.” The contractor gave a quick jerk of the head while his eyes continued to track Phi-8-1, “The sooner we get this over with, the better it is for all of us. I see that you guys came in full kit as well.” Phi-8-1 briefly looked down at his person and tried to play along yet again, “Yeah. We figured that it would be better to prepare as if you’d actually be going into a combat scenario with this. It’ll prepare us for when we actually get to use this thing for real. Do you know how long that’ll be until we start deploying these?” The contractor replied, “We have this model, the Arvak, combat operational, but CDI isn’t ready to start mass-producing them until we clear it with the test. I guess you could say the sooner you guys get the test done, the sooner we’ll see these things rolling out during security and peacekeeping operations. These things don’t come cheap, so that’s why CDI wasn’t really ready to invest in a whole fleet of them yet. It could be that the laser just costs a shit ton of cash, or maybe if we didn’t lose sixteen aircraft during that one operation from two years ago, then we’d have some more money to spend on building these MAV-29s.”
Phi-8-1 decided that it would be best for him to proceed with the mission instead of sitting around and talking with the people who were not technically on his side. After all, Phi-8-1 was not sure when the actual test pilots would show up. The operative spoke, “If there is nothing left to be said, then I guess we should get going with the test.” The contractor nodded, “Of course. You guys can go and climb inside. I’ll be the one to run the script with you. I have a car that should be waiting outside to drive me to the control tower where I’ll be observing you from. When everything is ready, we can start the pre-mission checklist. This whole session might take a while, so you guys should probably take off your helmets plate carriers once you get in there. The ventilation system in there is pretty decent, but it’s not perfect.” Phi-8-1 still played along with the contractor, “Sounds good. Do I need to do anything specific today before we officially begin the pre-mission checklist?” The contractor shook his head, “Nope. All you need to do is just get on the radio and let me know when you’re ready. Do you remember your callsign?” Phi-8-1 did not know the callsign, but he continued his tactical deception which seemed to have been working so far, “Did we get a new callsign?” The contractor said, “Nope. Your callsign is still Softshell. That should be everything you need to know,
right?” Phi-8-1 nodded, “Yeah. I think so. How about we just get this over with?” The contractor began to turn around, “Sounds good. Let me know over the radio when you’re ready.”
Mobile Task Group Phi-8 began proceeding towards the MAV-29, and they used the integrated ladder that had already deployed from a hidden panel to climb up to the cockpit of the Arvak. When the unit reached the door of the crew compartment, Phi-8-1 opened the door, and he let all of his men inside of the vehicle before entering himself and closing the door behind him. Phi-8-2 spoke as he looked over the control panel of the Arvak, “Shit. That went a helluva lot better than I thought.” Phi-8-1 began to remove his CDI disguise, and he started by depositing his Colt Canada C8 on the rifle rack positioned in the rear of the cockpit. The operative spoke as he removed his helmet, goggles, balaclava, and plate carrier, “I know, right? I really hope we don’t get interrupted by the actual people that are supposed to test this thing.” Little did the MTG know, they killed the test crew in order to commandeer the vehicle they used to enter the base in the first place. Phi-8-2 worked on removing the unnecessary equipment from his own person as he replied, “Do you think those two guys we killed outside of the base were the people who were actually supposed to test this thing?” Phi-8-1 took the left seat of the MAV-29 as he waited for his colleagues to remove their disguises, “If that was the case, then I’d be fucking blown out of the damn water. There’s no way they’re making it this easy for us.” Phi-8-2 took the right seat in the cockpit as he studied at the control panel of the Arvak, “Well, we did the hard part. All we need to do now is just ride this thing on out of here and get to the rendezvous point. The Majestic 12 will take care of anything we can’t handle. After all, look how fucking decent this vehicle is: This thing is like a fucking Mercedes-Benz if they made combat vehicles. Most of the other stuff is fucking shit, like that car we drove on the way here. Hell, even the Stealth Hawks that we use don’t have the most comfortable interiors. This thing is a fucking luxury vehicle.”
Phi-8-1 chuckled, “Heh. We’ll play along until they give us control of the weapons systems, and then we’ll go ahead and ride it out of here. If we’re quick enough, they won’t even have time to scramble their aircraft, and I doubt they’d be willing to take any sort of armored vehicle outside of their property and try to pursue us with. After all, does CDI really want an armored vehicle chase in broad daylight?” Phi-8-2 was a bit skeptical, “I’m not sure. I mean, this thing is supposed to be their top secret special vehicle. They probably wouldn’t be too happy with us taking it.” Before the conversation could proceed any further, a voice was heard over the radio, “Softshell, are you ready to begin the pre-mission checklist? Over.” Phi-8-1 looked on the control panel, and he was able to spot the radio’s PTT button. The operative held down the button and replied, “Copy. This is Softshell. We are ready to begin the pre-mission checklist. Over.” The controller replied, “To start the checklist, turn to page five of the vehicle’s manual. Over.” Phi-8-3 spotted the manual, and he handed it over to Phi-8-1. When Phi-8-1 looked over the manual, he was surprised that he would actually receive full instruction on the vehicle’s operations right before he would use it to drive out of the base. The Mobile Task Group did not think the mission could get any easier.
After a rather lengthy briefing involving the basic controls and operations of the vehicle, the actual testing session was now ready to begin. The mission controller spoke over the radio once the hangar doors opened to their fullest extent, “Softshell, the hangar doors are open, and there’s nothing blocking your way. Accelerate slowly and proceed forward about fifty meters before stopping on the taxiway. Over.” Since Phi-8-1 was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Arvak, he was the one who was responsible for moving the vehicle. Phi-8-1 replied to the mission controller as he moved the vehicle out of the hangar, “This is Softshell: We are moving to the designated location. Standby.” Noise from the MAV-29’s engine was audible from inside of the cabin, but it was not too loud. Phi-8-4 commented on the vehicle as it drove forwards, “This thing’s a bit more agile than I thought it would be.” Phi-8-1 chuckled, “Hah. We’ll be out of here in no time with this sort of pace. They won’t even have a chance to stop us.”
Once the MAV-29 arrived at the waypoint, Phi-8-1 spoke over the radio again, “This is Softshell. I have arrived at the designated location. Awaiting further instructions. Over.” The mission controller replied seconds later, “Affirmative, Softshell. Confirm that your ACLS is operational. Standby.” Phi-8-1 spoke, “Shit. Is that the laser he’s talking about?” Luckily, Phi-8-2 was already in the process of cycling the laser weapons system, “Yeah, that’s right. Don’t worry, I remember from the manual what to do.” All four humans sat in silence as they waited for the mission controller to reply to them and for the laser system to finish checking itself. After a couple minutes, Phi-8-2 spotted a tan Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout entering his field of vision. The operative commented on the aircraft, “Shit. Do you see that helicopter?” Phi-8-1 replied as he heard a beeping sound suggesting that the laser calibration sequence had completed without encountering any errors, “Yeah. Don’t worry, we’re about done playing along.”
The control tower spoke to Phi-8-1 again, “Softshell, we are ready for the first phase of the test operation. Your first task is to track the unmanned aircraft with your laser operating under a low power output. Do not shoot down the UAV. Proceed with the test when ready. You are weapons free.” Phi-8-2 looked over to the driver, “Well… Is this where we’re ending our charade? Are you ready to get this thing out of here?” Phi-8-1 nodded at the helicopter hovering ahead, “Yep. Take it down first and then fire on the control tower with the laser. We’ll save our gun and SAM launcher for later. Let’s see what this laser can do. Take that bitch down, and we’ll get this shitshow on the road.” Phi-8-2 powered up the laser, and he set the power output to its maximum setting. After targeting the MQ-8B, the operative fired the laser, and the helicopter had a hole quickly burned through it that caused enough damage for it to crash into the ground and burst into flames.
Immediately, the mission controller spoke over the radio, “Softshell, cease engagements! You have shot down the training UAV!” Phi-8-1 gestured over to the control tower, “Take that fucker down. Fuck him up!” Phi-8-2 turned the ACLS-2 towards the control tower, and he fired once it was within his sights. The Mobile Task Group listened to the penultimate transmission by the control tower, “Softshell, terminate all engagements, and disable your laser weapons system! I say again: Disengage at once!” Once the mission controller realized that he was being directly targeted by the laser, he spoke his final transmission over the radio, “Shit! Softshell, you’re targeting the tower! Dammit! Fuck! What the fuck are you --” It took only a few seconds before the invisible laser was able to destroy the booth of the control tower, and Phi-8-2 brought the laser downwards in order to cut the control tower itself. Unfortunately for the crew of the control tower, the laser was powerful enough to slice directly through the walls, and the control tower began to collapse in the opposite direction of the rogue MAV-29 after a rather short moment of cutting with the laser capable of burning through reinforced steel. The control tower landed on the ground, and it collapsed into a great plume of smoke.
As the carnage began, Phi-8-1 drove the vehicle forwards as he began to congratulate his crew, “Fuck yeah, that’s what I like to see! That bitch got fucked up! Let’s get this shit out of here.” As Phi-8-1 drove the vehicle directly across the airfield, Phi-8-2 was already using the laser to target CDI personnel fleeing the scene. Even armed personnel were also fleeing; they knew that their handheld weapons would be unable to damage the Arvak. The laser cut through several of the men, and they had no way of telling if the laser was targeting them or not. Since none of the men were using infrared imaging equipment, they were unable to see the beam, but they were definitely able to feel the beam as it penetrated their bodies and burned them alive. Though the MAV-29 was slower
than an armored personnel carrier, it was still able to proceed at a pace that was fast enough for the purposes of the Mobile Task Group. So far, there were no CDI vehicles out on the tarmac to engage the MAV-29, but The MTG knew that if they did not quickly hurry to the nearest exit, then they would have to fight likely a few vehicles at the very least. At least it would take any aircraft about fifteen minutes to scramble and get airborne, and that would give the MTG at least a bit of a head start if they did not stick around to engage the aircraft as they came out on the rather damaged runway.
The vehicle proceeded towards the exit which they came out of, and there was absolutely no resistance. Even though there were no hostile vehicles to target quite yet, the emergency siren was already sounding, and there were still plenty of infantrymen trying to return fire in the vain hope that they would be able to do something to stop the rogue MAV-29. Little did they know that the crew inside of the MAV-29 were not even CDI personnel in the first place. It took only a few minutes for the hijacked Arvak to arrive at the rear entrance to the base, and it easily drove directly through the checkpoint, taking a piece of the wall with it. As the vehicle proceeded out of the CDI base, Phi-8-3 commented on the damage the vehicle was able to cause, “Shit, son. You just ran straight through that checkpoint. They don’t even have anybody out to chase us yet.” Mere seconds after speaking, two CDI Iveco LMVs exited the base, and they began to follow the fleeing MAV-29. Phi-8-1 spoke to Phi-8-2, “Get rid of those two cars behind us.” Though the gunner on the LMV began to fire upon the MAV-29, its rounds did little to actually damage the hull of the Arvak, Phi-8-2 rotated the laser system around, and he fired upon the vehicles once they were within his sights. The LMVs quickly succumbed to the laser weapon, and they burst into flames due to their fuel cells igniting upon overpenetration from the laser. With their pursuants disabled again, all the Mobile Task Group now had to do was just get their ill-gotten vehicle to the rendezvous point they had arranged before the mission began.
