by Jessie Wolf
“Yes ma’am” He gives me a salute which I return and walks away. As I stand there I think to myself that this day just keeps getting better and better. The good news just keeps coming. I look around and spot who I’m looking for and head that way. I really need to get these people inside or our problems are going to get worse. Half way to where I need to be I hear the H.D.H.T. fire up and roll away from the ship toward the Military Hangers on the other side of the Port. With a heavy sigh and a silent prayer for Cmd. Owens I turn back to the task at hand.
* * *
One hour and 45mins after landing
Cpt. David Huston
I and my team quickly, but carefully, get the cocoon out of the ship and onto the H.D.H.T. As I look at my team I can tell that they’re all relieved to be done with this job. I really can't blame them as nobody likes handling live explosives. That’s what it felt like while dealing with that cocoon. Waiting for it crack open and praying it didn’t.
The strange thing about this one was, it kept getting smaller and smaller as we worked to remove it from the ship. By the time we were ready to move it, it was only 5 and half feet long, 2 and a half feet wide and maybe 200lbs total weight. When we first got here the thing was about 6 feet long, 4feet wide and weighed maybe 450lbs total. “Hey Lt. did that cocoon look bigger when first got here?”
“Yes sir it did. I thought it was just me, but I would swear on all the Holy Books known to man and alien alike that it was shrinking.”
“I’d be right there with you Lt. so don’t sweat it. Maybe the tech Heads over at that Hanger can make sense of it.”
“I’m just glad they get to deal with it and not us, sir.”
“Amen Lt. Amen. Alright people let’s hit the locker room and get out of these suits and hit the showers.”
“YES SIR.” They all shout. Glad to be getting out of the suits. Power Suits are wonderful tools, but after a few hours in one they tend to get to be a little ripe and they begin to rub in places one doesn’t want to have rubbed raw.
* * *
Commander J.J. Owens inside the cocoon
D.D.A.I: SYSTEM REBOOT: 100% COMPLETE
C.O.B.R.A.: SYSTEM 100% COMPLETE
ARMORED SKIN: 100% COMPLETE
PRIMARY WEAPONS SYSTEMS: 100% REPAIRED
SECONDARY WEAPONS SYSTEM: 100% REPAIRED
TOTAL TIME TO FULL SYSTEMS REPAIR AND REBOOT WITH SECONDARY CONFIGURATION 0 MINUTES
TOTAL SYSTEM RECONFIGURE COMPLETE
HOST RECONFIGURE COMPLETE
PRIMARY WEAPON ON LINE: PARTICLE PROJECTION CANNON RIGHT ARM
SECONDARY WEAPON ON LINE: PLASMA LASER LEFT ARM
ARMORED SKIN COVERAGE: FROM NECK DOWN TOTAL
C.O.B.R.A.: COMPUTER OPERATED BATTLEFIELD REFLEX ACTION ON LINE
FULL INTEGRATION SECONDARY CONFIGURATIUON:
HIGHEST PROBABILITY FOR SUCCESS HOST CONFIGURATION #2
Well Dee De, shall we take a look at what we look like?
J.J. I hate to tell you this but that status report is not complete.
What’s missing, my dear lady? You know I hate surprises. What else does this new body of ours come with?
I think it would be best that I just show you in a printout.
D.D.A.I.: FULL PRINTOUT OF SECONDARY CONFIGURATION
PRIMARY WEAPON ON LINE: PARTICLE PROJECTION CANNON RIGHT ARM
SECONDARY WEAPON ON LINE: PLASMA LASER LEFT ARM
ARMORED SKIN COVERING
C.O.B.R.A. O.S. CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT CLAWS L&R ARMS
JUMP ASSIST JETS L&R LOWER BACK
SONIC DISRUPTERS L&R UPPER CHEST
ANTI PERSONNEL LASERS L&R INDEX AND LITTLE FINGERES
TRACTION ASSIST PADS IN BOTH PALMS OF HANDS AND SOLES OF FEET
STRAIGHT ASSIST UP TO 4500LBS
SPEED ASSIST 85MPH CRUSE 110MPH BURST
COMBAT CONTROL COMMUNICATION CENTER ACCESS LEVEL 5 INTER NET ACCESS
UNLIMITED RADAR DETECTION AND TARGETING 360 DEGREES
END OF LINE………….
Oh sweet Mary Mother of God! What the Hell did that reboot do to us?
Well if I had to guess I would say that it turned us into an almost perfect infiltration/insurgent unit.
What the frack do you mean GUESS? Are you or aren’t you the AI in charge here? Or is the cobra o.s. in change?
YES, I’m in charge, but during the reboot you gave total control over to the secondary system for the REBOOT you bone head. So I had no control over how we turned out.
Oh!!! Sorry Hun I didn’t know that I gave total control to the secondary system for the REBOOT. Forgive me?
Ok you're forgiven. Now do you want to see what you look like?
Don’t you mean what WE look like?
Hum… J.J. I think I need to tell you something. We are currently being held in a level 9 Military Hanger on the backside of Hades Space Port Prime. It seems that the Military and Civilian authorities are afraid that I’m the one controlling this body and have surrounded us with 4 Mark 21 Marauder Power Armor units, all fully armed and piloted by some of their best troops.
BLOODY HELL!! You have got to be kidding me?
I wish I was. Even with all the new upgrades there is no way I can take on that much firepower and survive.
What is their problem with us that they have Mark 21s chomping at the bit to blast us into little bitty pieces?
I’ve been scanning the net since we got here to figure that out. I now have the answer. It seems that some of the later Death Dealers entered their secondary configurations in the last war, but when they exited their cocoons they became blind killing machines because either the host went crazy, or the AI took over because the host was brain dead. They killed everything around them, enemy and friendly alike. High Command was forced to destroy all secondary configuration Death Dealers because they were uncontrollable.
Sweat Holy Hanna no wonder they’re not taking any chances. So I take it I should not mention you or the c.o.b.r.a. O.S.?
Got it in one again J.J.
Ok. Let’s pop the shell. And deal with the fans.
D.D.A.I.: COCOON SEPARATION IN T -10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 SEPARATION COMMENESING
I can hear and feel the air rushing in around me. For the first time in almost 30yrs. I can actually smell the air and feel it on my skin. My God how I’ve missed that simple feeling. With some trepidation I push up on the top half of the cocoon. Once it’s out of the way I stand up slowly with my hands raised above my head. I look around at the Marauders and shudder, as those four monsters pack enough fire power to give a minor God a hard time.
“Hi guys. Do you mind if I step out of the bottom half of this cocoon?”
“Identify yourself!” came the reply.
“James Jessie Owens “
“Identify yourself! Name, Rank, Service Number, and unit.”
“LOOK! You over rated, tin plated asshole! I’m retired! I don’t have a rank, s.n., or unit anymore. All I have is a name and s.s.n.”
“I repeat! Name, Rank, Service Number, and Unite.” at which point all four Mark 21s leveled their main guns at me.
Well my momma didn’t raise any dummies.
“Alright already! Owens James J., Commander, s.n.297-54-8898, 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 101st Division, Death Dealers of Earth Prime Military High Command asshole. Now that you know that I’m a Cmdr. you can tell me exactly who I’m dealing with.”
“Sorry Cmdr., but we had our orders not to let you move from that spot until you identified yourself. I’m Captain Mark Howard of the P.D.F. Hades Intel. Security sir. I’ve been told that I’m to inform you that you have been recalled to active duty until further notice.”
“Ok I can deal with that but you want to do me a favor and POINT THOSE GOD DAMNED CANNONS AWAY FROM ME!!”
“SIR! YES! SIR!”
“Thank you. It was beginning to make me jumpy. Now is there a mirror around here were I can get a look at new myself.”
“Yes sir. Over in the ready room.”
I just nod my head and walk over to the door to the ready room. As I walk in I see the mirror over on the far wall, along with the usual things one would find in a pilots ready room. Coffee pot, chairs, Map board, and duty roster. I start to walk over to the mirror when Dee Degives me a heads up display to navigate by. Dee De why did you put up the heads-up-display?
Because you didn’t turn on the lights. So unless you want to trip over something in here you better turn on the lights.
Then how can I see everything in here already?
That’s the 360 radar that’s painting all possible targets and giving you a visual display of what’s there.
Oh. Well I guess I better turn on the lights then. With that I turn around and flip the light switch. With the lights on I ahead over to the mirror and get a real good look at my NEW body.
One look is all it takes for me to get the full effect of the changes. One thought keeps running thought my head. I look like my deceased daughter when I last saw her. Okay I’m going to need a bat and a gun. Looking like I do every horny male within 100 miles is going to be chasing me.
Hey Dee De is that really us?
Hun, I’ve never lied to you before, even when you wanted me to so hey, that’s US!
OH SHIT. THIS DAY CAN’T GET ANY WORSE!
Hum… JJ
Hay what?
The local General of the P.D.F. and High Command Rep. just showed up and is demanding to see you.
So I’ve dealt with H.C. Reps and P.D.F. Generals before.
It’s his Honorable Lord, High Marshall General Alexander Wellington Stonewall.
Did I just say this day can’t get any worse? Well it just did.
Chapter 2
Stonewall
Hum… JJ
Hay what?
Sir Alexander Wellington Stonewall of all the Jack legged, knee jerk, pig headed, egotistical ass hats for me to run into here on Hades HE is not one of my favorites. How in the Nine Gates of Hell did he get appointed to the top spot for the Military on Hades? He sent a whole A.C.R. to their deaths on Free Port at the Battle of Four Points. He knew it was suicide. All those poor kids had were Mark 17 AI tanks, M2A9 Bradly’s’, and Ju-58 Stuka attack hellos’. Up against 3 Divisions of Harkconien Heavy Assault troops. Not even Death Dealers would take on that without Drop Ship and orbital station K.K. (Kinetic Kill) support. If it wasn’t for him my daughter would still be alive and so would her husband. They were both assigned to the 4th Squadron of the 3rd A.C.R. its air support Squadron. They were due to get the new at that time AH-60 attack hellos’, but funding problems and construction delays prevented their arrival. Then you add in the shipping delays for the rest of the Regiment and it left them woefully unprepared for the battlefield. No way were they even close to being able to take on what they did. The more I think about that F.U.B.A.R. command the madder I become. There a loud click and a target sight pops up on a heads up display with the words primary and secondary weapons on line tracking for primary target General Alexander Stonewall. Target located distance 29.7 meters at 273 degrees from current location.
JJ Hun you need to calm down here. You can’t kill the Lord High Marshall.
What are you talking about Dee De?
JJ look in the mirror. Look at your arms both the primary and secondary weapons have deployed and you have a hard lock on the H.M. get a hold of yourself.
Holly SHIT!!! Where did those come from? From the backs of my fore arms sticking out of what can only miniature be docking bays are a miniature P.P.C. and P.L.G. My God if those deployed because I was pissed what would happen if I had been in a blind rage? That kind of fire power unleashed with no one in control would terrify any sane humane. I take a few deep breaths and called up all of my old training methods from when I was a young man. As I slowing regain control of my anger the heads up display and targeting lock disappear. The calmer I become the more control I gain over the D.D.A.I. systems most importantly the C.O.B.R.A. Operations system. I quickly ask Dee De a question about the C.O.S.
Dee De did the C.O.B.R.A. system just take over?
I think so. It looks like that program is activated by strong or powerful emotions such as anger hate and fear. If I had to make a guess that system was designed to come on line when we lose control or if it looks like we are in danger of losing a fight. Since the H.M. is out there with 4 Mark 24 Marauders that currently are out fitted with rail guns and P.P.C.s there would be no way for us to win under normal circumstances the C.O.S. took over and started planning how to achieve its goals.
ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT FOR ME OR YOU TO STAY INCONTROL OF THIS BODY OF OURS I HAVE TO STAY CLAM!?
Hum… will… Hum…UH…Yes.
I see the heads up display come back on line with the radar tracking/targeting showing 9 possible targets on my six o’clock position. With a deep inhale fallowed by a long exhale I force myself to calm down again. I can’t get upset I have to remain in control until I can get Dee De to figure out a way to override that dammed cobra O.S.. After a few more minutes of this I feel more in control of my emotions I turn around and head for the door and the hanger beyond. I really would rather go and get a beer than go in there but I know that if I don’t those fools will try and force me and the situation. If they were to do that it could …no would get really hairy and ugly quick, fast, and a hairy, of that I’ve no doubt.
As I step out into the hanger I’m greeted by the sight of those four monsters with all that fire power and a chill runs down my spine leave me with a real deep down bowl gripping sense of fear. Hell anyone would have that if they know that those monsters were there just for them. They stand 15ft tall weight in at 80tons and are armed with 1 M17 120mm rail gun, 1 k12 120mm Practical projection Canon, 2 M24 Bushmaster 35mm chain guns, and 2 15 round 2.7 in rock pods. Like I said before enough fire power to give a minor God a hard time. The fact that they have four of these bad boys here to keep an eye on me is really quite impressive as well as disturbing.
“HALT! DO NOT COME ANY FURTHER! IF YOU ATTEMP TO DO SO WE WILL OPEN FIRE!” came from the Mark 21 in the middle just behind the High Marshall. This guy definitely had my undivided attention. I really need to get a handle on what’s going on around here.
I decide to pull the old get pissed off officer and make an ass out of myself “HEY! Dumb ass if you think I’m going to stand over 80ft away and try to hold a conversation with the High Marshall your out of your pea pinking mind!”
“DO NOT COME ANY FURTHER! THIS BY THE COMMAMND OF THE LORD HIGH MARSHALL GENERAL ALEXANDER STONWALL”
With a look of total disbelief on my face. “OF all the stupid stunts’ you’ve pulled Alex this one takes the cake. Captain Howard just over 20mins ago you informed me that I was recalled back to active duty by who’s authority did that order come from?” This joker can’t be for real can he?
“SIR IT CAME FROM EARTH PRIME MILITRAY HIGH COMMAND SIR.”
“In other words it didn’t come from Gen. Stonewall correct?” I asked sweetly playing up to my appearance.
“YES SIR!”
Oh boy oh boy with that order and its confirmation it just changed the ball game and Stoney ain’t goanna like it one fracking bit. “That’s what I thought. By High Command order 801b sub section 5 as puritans to combat personnel in the field under unusual circumstances I am assuming command. Authorization Delta 7 2 1 9 Beta 6 Code word Hell Fire understood.” I ordered with all the sweetness I could muster at this time. For some strange reason I have a feeling that before long I’m going to get better at being this cute little girly-girl that I appear to be. A whole lot better.
After what felt like the better part of an hour but more like 5 minutes Cpt. Howard finally said over his load speaker “AUTHORIZATION... APPROVED! …WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS COMMANDER OWENS?”
“Post up outside the hanger and keep the civilians away for now. You are not authorized to use deadly force unless fired upon first. Am I clear on that?” I know that last bit wasn’t needed but I felt I should make really cle
ar that I didn’t want a fire fight if it could be avoided.
“YES SIR. LOUD AND CLEAR.”
“Just what do you think you’re doing? I’m the one in charge here!” screamed Stonewall at the top of his voice. ”You will not leave this area do you understand me. That thing is not the one in charge. Do you hear me?”
“Sorry sir but the commander’s codes and authorizations supersede any and all planetary authority. Both civilian and military sir.” Was the captain’s reply through his loudspeaker.
“What!?” Screamed Stonewall in total disbelief.
“He said that you are no longer the top dog around here Alex you ignorant shit now shut the frack up and listen. Before I have you arrested thrown in the brig charged with insubordination.” I have to get control here or its goanna get crazy around here real quick. What I wouldn’t give for a cup of coffee and a smoke right now to help calm my nerves. I know they always helped back in my younger days.
He stood there and watched as the Marauders walk out of the hanger with a look like someone just kicked his puppy. I couldn’t help it I started to laugh at this poor excuse of an officer. Will it was more of a giggle but I just couldn’t help it. All this time he thought that no one but no one could override him from the Military except the High Command on Earth Prime. He definitely didn’t expect a lowly Commander to be able to do it. “Will now that that’s taken care of. Why don’t we get down to business shall we?”
“Just who the Hell are you?” came Stonewalls reply.
“Will Gen. that should be painfully obvious to you by now. I am OR was James J. Owens, Commander of 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 101st Division, Death Dealers of Earth Prime Military High Command at your service.” I said with smile and a bow. I just couldn’t help it my old smart ass attitude from when I was younger was coming back.
Dee de what’s going on with me? I haven’t been this big of a wise ass in over 70yrs?
