Deception City: A World at War Novel (World at War Online Book 5)

by Mitchell T. Jacobs

  “Still though,” Zach said, “even if it’s just minor and temporary, it’s kind of freaky to think about how much the device is altering your brain’s perception of things.”

  “It’s kind of like a hallucinogen, so to speak,” Xavier said. “Making your brain perceive things that aren’t actually there.”

  Zach frowned. “Put that way, is this really good for us? I mean, I know they tested the technology pretty thoroughly, but when you put it that way…”

  “Well, it’s more of a comparison than anything else,” Xavier shrugged. “And I don’t think it’s a big deal, either. They’re very different, in my opinion.”

  “How so?”

  “You’ll have to ask Gavin about this, because I’m not a biologist, but I think that they’re two entirely different things, even if they’re having similar effects. With drugs it’s fundamentally altering the way your brain works, but with the tech it’s just presenting you with sensory input using your normal brain. If that makes sense, I mean.”

  “Yeah, I’d say that sounds plausible,” Zach agreed. “Though I’m not much of an expert on this either. Where’s Gavin when you need him?”

  “I know, right? But it’s all hypothetical anyway. I can’t imagine that they’d let technology like this out to the public if they hadn’t tested it first. I know that a lot of companies will try to get away with anything they can if it saves them money, but this seems like it’s something they wouldn’t want to mess with.”

  Zach nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I was told when I was on the development team for the game. They tested the technology on simpler things like virtual tennis and basketball to work out some of the kinks.”

  “Bet that wasn’t fun for the beta testers.”

  “Well, they tested the technology on lab rats and monkeys first, then scaled it for the human brain. And they were pretty thorough about documenting everything too. The manual they gave me when I was programing was about as thick as a Chicago phone book.”

  “Man, that’s a lot of info,” Xavier replied, shaking his head. “Did you have to read through it all?”

  “I did,” Zach confirmed. “Not that I would have avoided it if it was optional. We’re talking about systems that have direct contact with a person’s brain, so I wanted to make sure everything worked correctly.”

  “Even though you were just working with the communications system?”

  Zach smiled. “Hey man, the communications system was one of the more complicated things to design. We had a lot of people working on it.”

  “What made it so complicated?” Xavier asked. “Sorry if it sounds dumb, but I’m not exactly the brightest person when it comes to programing. Spreadsheets are the pinnacle of my knowledge.”

  “Didn’t you use financial analysis software?” Zach asked. He remembered Xavier mentioned being a junior financial advisor sometime in the past.

  “Well I used it, but that’s about it. I have no idea how it actually works,” Xavier told him.

  “Fair enough,” Zach conceded.

  That was the way with a lot of technology. The people who used it every day knew how to operate it, but didn’t understand its inner workings. It was for the professionals to handle the complicated inner working and ensure everything operate properly.

  “The most complicated thing about it was the radio system, surprisingly,” Zach told him. “We started out having people hear it inside their heads, but that made a lot of the testers uncomfortable. It was too close to mimicking auditory hallucinations. So eventually, we switched to having the noise appear to come from the ear, because that feels more natural for the brain.”

  “Something I’d never think about until it was mentioned to me,” Xavier said.

  “And if we’re doing our jobs right you’d never have to think about it,” Zach replied. “Our goal is to make everything as seamless as possible.”

  Xavier nodded. “I’d say you’ve done a pretty good job of it.” He paused for a moment. “So you’re going to be infiltrating the southernmost district by dive?”

  Zach nodded. “Yeah, we’ll be coming into the Cudahy District underwater.”

  “Won’t they see you swimming ashore once you get close?” Xavier pointed out. “That’s why we infiltrated at night.”

  “We’re going to head for one of the piers while the initial bombardment of the landing beaches is happening,” Zach told him. “We’ll climb ashore and set up while they’re distracted, then go from there. If we can get a good enough beachhead we’ll have them offload at the pier. Otherwise, we’ll provide fire support while they go for the beach as originally planned.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Xavier nodded. “Sounds pretty dangerous too. I don’t envy you guys one bit.”

  Zach smiled. “Hey, I could say the same to you guys. You get to put out all the fires as they happen.”

  Xavier grimaced. “Yeah, and I wished we had more troops to do it with. Oh well. At least we have the new helos and the gunships.”

  “Yeah, you do. You have no idea how much I could bring that kind of covering fire along with us.”

  Zach might have wished it, but that hope was nothing more than a pipe dream at this point. Bravo Wolf needed as much firepower as possible to fulfill their mission, and the gunships were the only thing that could keep up with them and provide sufficient support.

  Besides, the airspace over Milwaukee wasn’t exactly conducive to air operations. Both Ragnarok and the NPC garrison had antiaircraft guns scattered throughout the city, and the skies themselves were patrolled by fighters. Even if Perseus Squadron challenged Ragnarok’s air superiority, there were no guarantees they could actually provide sufficient cover for the helos. And if they couldn’t, the transports and gunships would be sitting ducks.

  “First time in a while we’re not going to be fighting as a single unit,” Xavier observed. “Way back when we were first scouting our way into Indianapolis, actually.”

  “That seems like forever ago,” Zach agreed. “But we’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again. Besides, we have a lot more stuff to work with this time. Remember when we were just starting out with our helicopters and river craft.”

  “Those were the days,” Xavier nodded with a nostalgic smile. “Come to think of it, we’re turning into a specialist company. Or, into an even more specialized company than we were before.”

  “How so?” Zach asked him.

  “Well, our platoon is turning into an air assault or paratrooper unit. And you guys are spearheading the attack on the beach. Does that make you marines?”

  “Maybe?” Zach answered. “I haven’t really thought about it much, to be honest. I never thought about it being anything more than a title.”

  By completing challenges within the battledomes of Old Chicago, players could acquire titles denoting certain skill sets. They didn’t mean much in gameplay terms other than bragging rights, but players chased after them regardless.

  Ghost Battalion used them as part of their initiation rites. Anyone wanting to join had to complete the ranger challenge, focused on infiltration and light infantry combat. Most of the battalion leadership, including himself and Anna, believed that it gave them a certain edge. The other battalions were formidable in their own right, with considerable skill and firepower within their ranks, but there was a certain something within Ghost Battalion.

  Esprit de corps, that’s what it was called. Zach had no doubt that the other battalions had strong bonds within and could fight with the best of them. But Ghost Battalion had bonds like steel chains. They knew that even the most junior members had proven themselves against difficult challenges, and they could depend on them to watch their backs.

  That spirit had carried them through some of the worst battlefields anyone inside the world had experienced. Zach had no doubt their shared bond was what allowed them to endure Ragnarok’s savage onslaught at Green Bay. Even against overwhelming firepower, massive numbers and the sheer ferocity of Ragnarok’s best troops, Gh
ost Battalion had taken the best their enemies had to offer and gave back as good as they received.

  And that spirit had rubbed off on some of the others as well. Thorn and Myrmidon Companies weren’t a part of the battalion, and weren’t even a part of the alliance at the time. But Ghost Battalion’s stalwart defense of the city had been infectious, and they had picked up some of the spirit as well. Magic Battalion might be new, but Lex and Evy were taking great pains to make sure their battalion had those same tight bonds.

  All that, resulting from a simple shared title. Ghost Battalion still used the ranger challenge as an initiation rite, but most of them hadn’t taken up any of the others. Maybe it was time to change that.

  “So are you thinking we’re a certain type of specialist unit?” Zach asked.

  “Well, Redd Foxx is our stealth specialist company. Don’t tell Miko, but none of us are ever going to be able to come close to touching them.”

  Zach smiled. “Yeah, she might take umbrage with that statement. Anna and Liz have both told me she’s as good as any of their troops.”

  “Yeah, but the rest of us? I’m OK, but not great. And have you seen Danny trying to sneak around?”

  He laughed as the image came to his mind. “Well, he’s passable, at least.”

  “But that doesn’t quite measure up to Redd Foxx,” Xavier said with a smile of his own. “I have to credit Liz, though. He’s at least able to maintain some semblance of stealth.”

  Zach couldn’t exactly blame Danny for his failings. He had been a heavy, after all, carrying bulky weapons and significant amounts of ammunition. Anyone lugging around that much equipment was bound to have trouble staying quiet. In fact, Redd Foxx’s heavies had shocked him when he watched them in action, precisely because they could move so quickly and quietly while carrying a significant load.

  “So Redd Foxx is our stealth company,” Zach said. “I’d say Spectre is our reserve company. Barghest would be our support or heavy weapons company, and Raven is Raven. So what does that make us?”

  “We seem to be the assault company, honestly,” Xavier said. “Think about it. We were the first ones onto the beach in Eagle Creek, the ones who charged the boss in Central City, and the ones holding the trenches against the worst Ragnarok attack on the Ghost Line.”

  Zach nodded. “Yeah, and we seem to be becoming experts at rapid deployment too. Might be something to look into, actually. Everyone should be able to perform the basics, but it might be better for certain units to specialize in certain areas.”

  “Makes sense,” Xavier agreed. He looked up as several of the other doors opened up. “Looks like the rest of them are done.”

  And that meant they could move on to their next task for today.

  * * *

  Shadows slipped through the water as Black Wolf moved toward their objective. Zach watched his troops move through the underwater expanse of the reservoir, threading their way through forests of weeds and the occasional rocky outcropping. He wanted to make sure they were able to move smoothly, swimming quickly without causing too much of a disturbance.

  One of the squads caught his eye, and he activated his radio. “Logan, the left end of your squad is lagging. See if you can have them speed up a bit.”

  “Roger,” Logan replied, his voice sounding tinny in the confines of Zach’s diving gear.

  Zach looked around at the other two squads, trying to make sure they were keeping up their steady pace. Ethan’s squad seemed to be doing the best, probably due to their previous training with the diving equipment. Gavin’s squad operated fairly smoothly as well, though Gavin had to stop more than once to get them back into formation. Logan’s squad seemed to be struggling the most, not always keeping cohesion. They weren’t terrible, but they needed work.

  That was fine, though, because that’s why they were here, in the bottom of the Eagle Creek Reservoir. Alpha Wolf Platoon had temporarily transferred back to Indianapolis to undergo dive training for the attack on Milwaukee.

  Zach had decided on this location for several reasons. First, it was deep in the heart of Hydra territory, away from prying eyes. As far as he could tell, Ragnarok didn’t realize they had diving equipment, even after their brazen raid on the port. Their commanders probably figured that Black Wolf had managed to sneak ashore by boat. If they could keep the element of surprise, that gave them a valuable trump card to play.

  Second, the Eagle Creek Reservoir was much less prone to wild weather Lake Michigan. While the effects of wind and rain would be lessened while underwater, it would still mess with them when they tried to surface at the beach. Better to learn under ideal conditions and then learn how to deal with problems than to try perform an operation with troops that didn’t know what they were doing.

  Third and finally, Eagle Creek didn’t have any hostile fauna. There was wildlife, to be sure, several species of fish and amphibians. But all of those were little more than window dressing at this point, and barely paid any attention to the divers. Lake Michigan, in contrast, had several dangerous spots teeming with razormouths. The vicious fish would focus in on a target and rip it to pieces within seconds. They were highly territorial and almost impossible to fight off once they began their attack. No diver could ever hope to counter their speed and agility in the water.

  They would have to deal with them eventually, but Zach wanted Alpha Wolf to be able to swim properly, at least, before they did so. The platoon had about a week to train, and most of them had at least cursory experience with the diving gear. But being able to take a leisurely dive and being able to deploy into a heavily defended combat zone were two different things.

  Going by his calculations, they would have enough time to give them dive experience in both the safe environment of the reservoir and the open expanse of Lake Michigan. It would be enough. Barely.

  At least they had some qualified divers to fall back on. Selene, Gavin, Nora, Miko and himself had combat experience as divers. Ethan’s squad lacked that veteran knowhow, but their enthusiasm and dedication toward training helped give them a leg up. They might not be completely ready, but they knew how to handle themselves.

  And while the others might need work, Alpha Wolf Platoon had plenty of instructors. Zach watched as Selene swam over to Logan’s squad and helped some of the stragglers to get back in formation. Miko trailed Gavin’s squad at a distance, swimming back and forth. She ushered anyone who fell out of cohesion back into position.

  Zach felt something touch his shoulder and turned his head. Nora looked at him, lazily holding position in the underwater void around them.

  “Looks like they’re making progress,” she said over the radio.

  Zach gave her a thumbs up. “Right. Once we complete this exercise, let’s see how they do with extra weight.”

  They might be making progress, but Alpha Wolf Platoon was also swimming without much of their gear. That might be fine for leisure, but once they were in the actual combat operation they needed to be able to carry their necessary supplies with them. That meant weapons, ammunition, explosives, medical supplies, anything they needed to fight a battle.

  Their troops would have to get used to coming ashore without their main weapons at their disposal. Traveling underwater severely restricted what kind of weapons they could carry, because water would ruin most guns. Fang Squad had resorted to carrying their armament inside waterproof cases. That kept their weapons dry and capable of functioning properly, but it also meant they couldn’t use them until they were unpacked.

  They had a few options while they were in the water. Knives could always be used, and weapons like spearguns were an option as well. Those were a stopgap solution though, because they could only get one shot off. Hydra didn’t have many in the armory either, mostly because they were a specialist weapon with highly specific uses.

  No, if they wanted to be effective, they needed to learn how to get ashore and get their weapons unpacked quickly. Once they had assembled Zach was confident they would be able to figh
t as well as they were capable, but it was those initial few minutes that concerned him the most.

  They had a long way to go until they were ready. But right now, the only thing they could do about it was practice, practice, and practice some more. No matter how much work it took, they would be ready.

  They had to be ready.

  11

  SIDESHOW

  “You’re good to go.”

  “Thanks Blake,” Danny replied over the sound of rushing air and whirling rotors. His troops dismounted from their transports and moved to secure their surroundings.

  They were currently in a clearing, with thick forest surrounding them on every side. The trees would give enemy troops plenty of cover and concealment to launch attacks on the airborne soldiers trying to get reorganized, which was why they had four helicopter gunships circling above. If the enemy made a peep, Blake’s unit would light them up.

  Or at least, they would get themselves into position to mimic a real battlefield scenario. Bravo Wolf’s enemies in this instance weren’t Ragnarok troops, but rather a platoon from Jackal Company, acting as the opposing force for the training exercise.

  Everyone carried their weapons to simulate real combat conditions, but only their sidearms were loaded in case they had to deal with hostile wildlife. The battledomes might be a better place to train, since they could use simulated firearms, heavy weapons and explosives, but Hydra couldn’t afford to pull troops away from their forward positions in the north. Even though Jackal and Bravo Wolf weren’t on the front lines, they were close enough to respond if a unit needed backup.

  Hydra had more members than ever before, their ranks swelling with new recruits who had joined up seeking glory and challenges. Their capture of Indianapolis and Green Bay had certainly helped with their publicity, attracting many who wanted to be a part of a strong alliance. However, even with those extra numbers they were still spread thin.

  Magic Battalion was permanently based around Green Bay, alternating between defending the city and launching raids on Ragnarok’s patrols and mining groups. Having an enemy stronghold so close to their territory had to make their leaders sweat, but Danny wondered if the whole endeavor was anything more than a drain on their resources. The only way to resupply Green Bay was by sea, because Ragnarok had control of the airspace near their territory. That meant devoting resources to ships, which weren’t invincible by any means.