Talosian Chronicles 6: Armageddon

by Ben Winston

  Ian bowed and thanked him before the call was disconnected. Ian sighed, smiled at Alex, and they returned to his office to get back to work.

  Chapter Four

  New Talos, New Mexico

  Earth, Sol System

  Sol Sector

  In the desert of New Mexico, near where New Talos had been destroyed, Alan and his team climbed out of their modified Raptor dressed in their combat armor. The shuttle that had come with them began to unload its cargo of construction drones, while Kevin and Carl set up the portable shield generator to cover the two shuttles’ landing area. Alan didn’t think it would take long for someone to notice that people had returned to this area.

  One drone immediately began tunneling down, while another drone put up a safety fence. All but two of the drones followed the first down the hole; those other two simply waited beside the shuttle. The plan called for the construction of a large underground fighter base. The orders had said that stealth was no longer a consideration, but the need to defend themselves would be. Admiral Williams had spoken to the world leaders, so they knew what was going on, but that didn't mean they were happy about it. Out here in the middle of nowhere, anything could happen.

  Very shortly Alan could hear the approach of many diesel-powered vehicles. Andreya had told Alan that the troops nearby knew they were there shortly after they had unloaded.

  “Is the shield up yet?” Alan asked.

  “Yes sir, switch to combat display in your visor for the perimeter,” Kevin, one of his team members, replied.

  Alan sighed; “Thanks Kevin. Remember folks, we are protected from them, but they aren’t protected from us. Let’s not do anything that will cause them to fire at us and hurt themselves, okay? I’ll try to talk to their commander once they get here. Andreya, please have one of the drones build some kind of open-air shelter near the perimeter where our 'guests' will arrive. Include a table and a few chairs. Make sure it’s outside the perimeter, though. I don’t want to bring anyone inside the shield unless I have to.”

  No response was given, but Alan noticed one of the drones speeding off to the task. He made sure his pulse rifle was secure to his back before walking slowly after it. “Andreya is with me; please bring a small holo-drone. Stacy, stay on the ship and monitor site security. The rest of you, go about your duties, but try to make sure you are clearly seen at all times. I’ll let you know when to start the drones building the landing areas. Stay in your suits until we get shelters built. The desert can dry you out quick, and we aren’t used to it.”

  Major Dentin was tired of this duty. Why were they out here guarding a stretch of desert anyway? He had been told the reason his unit was out here, but the Marines had quartered this area and still found nothing. Now, the Marines had returned to Twenty-Nine Palms and the Army had been ordered to send a full battalion out here to the middle of the New Mexico desert. The Major, as well as his men, would much rather be back at Fort Carson doing their normal training maneuvers. Instead, the Pentagon wanted them out here, miles from any form of support, for months at a time; just to watch the desert. So what if something strange had happened out here? Nothing had happened since, and in the Major’s opinion, nothing was going to be happening anytime soon. It was a colossal waste of the taxpayers’ money to have all their equipment loaded onto trucks and shipped down here just to perform maneuvers in the desert. The Army had a fine facility for this already sat up at Fort Irwin, California.

  The real battalion commander, Lt. Colonel Ferguson, had been called back to Colorado for some kind of general staff meeting. Dentin sighed; well, at least they had war games to play while out here. He finished putting on his gear and walked out to where his command staff was assembling. They were to make an assault on one of the larger hills in the area. They would move out to their staging area, then begin the mock assault.

  They had only been moving for about a half hour when the lead unit reported that someone was out here. Several figures and two strange aircraft were moving around in the desert. What they were doing was unclear at this time, but the people seemed to be wearing some kind of medieval armor.

  Dentin felt his heart lurch. This was the real reason they were out here, to watch for this. He immediately grabbed the radio handset. “This is delta-six-four actual. Flash priority! All units stop, I repeat stop in place and await further orders. Alpha two-two, keep a close watch on those visitors. All commanders report in person now!” He switched radios; “Whisky Base, this is delta six-four. Activate plan ‘Grifter’, I say again activate ‘Grifter’, over."

  “Delta six-four, I acknowledge, ‘Grifter’. The trucks are on their way. Good luck.”

  Plan Grifter was the contingency plan if the troops actually found someone out here that didn’t belong. Dentin had a brief flash of doubt that he might be activating the plan early but the report said that the people seemed to be wearing armor? In the desert? Hell, it was only oh-seven-thirty now, and he was already sweating. Anyone dumb enough to wear heavy armor in this heat was either crazy, or… or was exactly what Dentin had been told to watch for.

  “Roger whiskey base, pass the word immediately. I want the strike force ready as soon as possible. Delta six-four, out.”

  He turned to his own crew, who were watching him in curious silence. He knew they would all be able to hear the briefing he was about to give his company commanders, so they would learn the truth soon enough. “Drop the ramp, we have a major change in plan. Strip all the blank ammo out of your weapons and the Bradleys’ guns. We’re getting live ammo. Olson, you head up the line and pass the word to strip out all the blanks and get ready to reload fast. Evens, you head back down the line. It’ll be full combat load, boys, now go!” The two young men ran off to relay his orders.

  Looking back along the armored column, he could see the approaching trucks led by the Sergeant Major himself. Each truck held live ammo for a platoon of the battalion’s vehicles, and had been sitting under cover and guarded back at the cantonment area. The drivers must have known their assignments well, because each truck pulled up to a vehicle. Two men, the driver and one other, jumped out and took up defensive positions with their M-16’s while calling instructions to the vehicle crew. Each crew jumped to comply; everyone seemed to be sensing the importance of this event. At least nothing weird had started happening yet.

  The company commanders had arrived, so he turned to give them the briefing he was sure none of them would believe.

  “Okay, I know you have questions; trust me, you’ll have more in a few minutes. Do any of you remember the report of a military tanker plane crashing out here last year?” He paused as most of them nodded. “Well, that’s not exactly what happened. What I was told was that there was a small town here. I was also told that it had been completely destroyed. I mean not even a twig left. Now, the thing that confirms this is that it happened right in front of a battalion of Marines. There had been some kind of major battle and the town had taken a hell of a beating.

  "As it turns out, that town was really a base for those guys up in space that say they are defending us from aliens or some such. We got word a few days ago that these folks would be coming back here to build a new base. It seems they've told the UN that a huge battle is coming and they need to build defenses on the planet.' Seeing the look on his people's faces he shrugged. "Hey, that's what I was told. Anyway, since they actually showed up, our orders have changed.

  The group of captains and lieutenants grumbled but let the Major continue. “The real reason we are out here is because of this. We are to observe and try to capture or grab as much of their technology as we can for analysis. We are not to actively interfere with them, but getting their tech was stressed several times. Other than that, we are to secure the area and keep them from leaving. We are not to engage them; no shooting unless we are shot at first."

  He looked each of the men in the eye. “Gentlemen, I honestly have no idea what is really out there. We can only operate on what we are told by our super
iors and execute the orders given us. I know you have questions about this, but I simply don’t have the answers to give you.” He sighed and turned to the map one of his staff had set up for him. Here’s what I want. Corporal Anderson placed our friends about here. Terrain won’t let us surround them, so I would like us to deploy in a line…” He continued to issue orders, finally having to move aside as his staff loaded his vehicle with its ammo. Orders issued, the commanders returned to their own units to set those orders in motion.

  Alan watched as the Bradley fighting vehicles spread out in a line formation. He was kind of glad this wasn’t the Marines he would be dealing with; they had a tendency to shoot first and apologize later; especially after what happened here during the battle.

  As they approached he watched them deploy their troops. He knew normal doctrine would have had them deploy their troops farther away, and advance slowly under cover from the powerful twenty-five millimeter cannons mounted on top the vehicles.

  In the center of the formation, and slightly behind, Alan could see the command vehicle. The only discerning features that identified it were its position and the number of radio antennas it had. Alan waited a few more minutes then walked slowly forward, hands lowered to his side, and open to indicate he was unarmed, but not surrendering. He made sure his armor’s shield was active as well. He knew the armor could withstand multiple hits from one of those cannons, but he really didn’t want to find out for sure.

  Cautiously, one platoon of soldiers crept forward, weapons trained on him and at the ready, to surround him in a semi circle. “Halt!” Alan was ordered. “By the authority of the United States government, I am placing you under arrest in connection with the events that took place here last year; lay down on the ground now!” The trooper said.

  Alan glanced at the soldier’s uniform before replying, “Sgt. Grant, I would like to speak to your commanding officer. I’ve set up a shelter from the sun to discuss this. You may accompany us to insure his safety.” Moving slowly, Alan tuned and began walking back to the shelter.

  “Get on the ground, now! Or I will be forced to fire!” The soldier replied.

  “No, you won’t. Your orders are to capture our technology and possibly detain us. Not to kill us. I’ve made no threatening moves against you or your men. Please pass along my request; I’m sure you guys are getting hot out here,” Alan said reasonably and continued to walk. The platoon followed him cautiously, never lowering their weapons.

  After Alan had returned to the small pavilion, he sat down on one of the chairs to wait. Shortly, another platoon moved to the command vehicle and prepared to escort what Alan assumed to be the force commander.

  Alan once again stood as they neared the pavilion. Making sure his armor was safe, he extended his hand. “Major Dentin, it’s nice to meet you. I am Colonel Alan Carlton, Special Operations branch of the Terran Defense Forces.”

  The astounded Major shook hands and replied, somewhat automatically, “Major William Dentin, U.S. Army.” He seemed to shake his head a moment in confusion, then narrowed his eyes. “Colonel, I have orders to arrest you and your people and to confiscate your equipment. Do you intend to resist us?”

  Alan chuckled; “Absolutely, Major. I would ask that you don’t attempt to fire any of your weapons at us, since we are shielded and the attempt would cause the bullet to ricochet, potentially harming one of your own soldiers. Further, we cannot allow you any closer to our ships since they might accidentally cause harm as well. I can tell you that you might want to bring your tents and other supplies up from your cantonment area since we are going to be here for awhile.”

  “Just what the hell are you planning on doing out here?” Dentin asked.

  “We're here to build a fighter base for the defense of this planet. As you can see, work has already begun. If you'd like, I could show you exactly what we have planned. Major, I used to work for the NSA, I know what’s going to happen out here. By tonight, there are going to be special ops teams crawling all over this desert trying to get in here. Just some friendly advice; if one of those crazy fools starts shooting, duck and cover.”

  “You are human then? You’re not some alien from another planet? I thought that sounded a bit hokey.” The Major looked relieved. “What are you wearing? It has to be over a hundred degrees already and you’re not even sweating.”

  Alan chuckled; “Yes, I’m human. I’m even from Earth, though not all of my people are. There is a long story here if you really want to know it all, but I should tell you that there are aliens as well as humans not from Earth. In fact some of those aliens will be stationed right here after the base is built.

  “What I am wearing is a suit of our combat armor. It can function in any atmosphere we’ve been able to dream up and can withstand most Earth weaponry, though I might actually feel it if you shot me with one of the twenty-five millimeters.”

  “Okay, we can’t see this ‘shield’ you keep telling us about. How do we know you’re telling us the truth?” Dentin asked. “I mean no offense, but I don’t think my superiors are simply just going to take your word for it.”

  Alan turned slightly, to look at the Sergeant that had spoken to him before, “Sgt. Grant, would you please throw a rock, like you were pitching a baseball, at one of the ships?” He gestured to the ships behind him. “But do it a little ways away from us.”

  Major Dentin nodded to the Sergeant to comply with the request. Shouldering his weapon, Grant walked a few feet away, bent and picked up a rock. He turned back to face the ships, drew back, and threw as hard as he could; it was an impressive pitch. The rock streaked through the air and then, suddenly it changed course as if it bounced off a solid wall.

  “Holy shit!” Dentin said. “I guess that answers that. Okay, so you are not going to let us arrest you. May I ask just what the hell you’re doing out here?”

  Alan refrained from reminding the confused man that he had already offered to do just that. “Sure! We are here to build one of multiple fighter bases that we will need to protect this planet from an attack that is coming.” Alan turned to Andreya, “Andreya, could you display the plans for this base; please include a topographical view of the surface as well as the base defenses.” He turned back to the table to face an astounded Major Dentin. The man was staring at a hologram that was now on the table in front of him. “Major, this is going to take awhile and it’s supposed to be a pretty hot day. I know your vehicles don’t have air conditioning; would you like to make some other arrangements for your troops? I’d also like to offer refreshments for you and your soldiers.”

  “Th… uh,” the Major cleared his throat, “Thank you, Colonel. Yes, let me issue some orders. If you don’t mind, I think we’ll pass on the refreshments for now. No offense, but we’d probably all be getting poked and prodded for the next twenty years if we took you up on your offer."

  Alan chuckled, “Major, you're probably right, but I thought I'd at least make the offer. Please keep in mind that we can, and will render any aide you might need. We can even sneak it to you if we have to.

  “If you'd like, you can pull your Bradley up here to make it easier for you, but we’ll probably have to ask you to move one or two of your other vehicles. I need to issue some orders of my own. If you'll excuse me, Major, I’ll make sure plenty of cold water and anything else is available in case we need it. We also have medical facilities close by in case of an emergency. I’ll explain these designs after you’ve issued your orders, and I’ve got my folks doing what they’re supposed to be doing.” Alan turned away from the major, to try to give the man time to collect his thoughts. 'It’s a wonder this guy ever made it to major,' he thought to himself. He stood and slowly walked back to the Raptor Poseidon.

  Alan had Kevin and Carl carry a portable replicator out to the small pavilion, but still inside the shield. He had Andreya start the other two drones on building the surface buildings, landing strip and defense perimeter. The drones underground were building hangers, repair and large-s
cale replication bays, as well as launch tubes for the Hornet and Wasp fighters. Most of the base was to be built underground, with the only visible parts being the control center and a few support buildings (and of course, whatever buildings were going to be needed for the U.S. troops that would be set to guarding them).

  Seeing that everything was going according to plan, Alan - still wearing his armor since it was protecting him from the fierce sun and keeping him cool - returned to the pavilion to talk with the Major and his company commanders. The drone that was to start on the perimeter “fence” followed along with him.

  When he noticed that the people in the pavilion starting to get nervous, he told the drone to stop and wait. He turned back and finished walking to the shelter. “Sorry to scare anybody. I was bringing the drone along so you could get a close look at it. Its assignment is to build a perimeter fence around the area that will be used as a protective shield over the base during attack. I thought if you all got a good look at it, you wouldn’t be as nervous when it went wandering off into the desert alone.”

  “That thing is going to build a fence? How?” asked one of the Captains standing with the Major.

  “Well, that’s one of the other things I wanted to show you. Do you mind if I bring it closer? It can’t hurt you,” Alan asked. When the Major nodded, Alan called out for the drone to proceed to the pavilion.

  When it stopped beside him, he told it to build a standard military issue M-16 and two twenty-round magazines for it. It beeped at him and the side door opened to reveal the butt end of the rifle. Alan took hold of the weapon and slowly pulled the rest out as the drone replicated it. The door slid shut then opened again with another beep. In the slot were the two magazines.

  Alan handed the rifle and the magazines to the Major to inspect. “This is the primary reason we can’t let you get a hold of any of our equipment. Major, do you or any of your men see anything wrong with that M-16?”