The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell

by Douglas Howell

  “Yeah, he does that.” Jaguar 42R said out loud.

  “How did he get away?” Taylor asked.

  “How did he get in?” Ramirez asked.

  “He obviously knows this place better than we do. There most be some type of a secret passageway.” Jaguar 42R responded to both questions.

  “In other words: certain Intel was kept from us.” Ramirez said.

  “No sir. Think ghost order.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “Yeah, well…” Ramirez was saying.

  “Guess where am at?” Dawson said over the intercom. He was calling from the escape tunnel.

  “Hey coward, why don’t you come out and face us? Or are you scare that you will get your little bitch ass beaten again?” Jaguar 42R angrily said to Dawson.

  “Who was that lieutenant commander who was in the com room?” Dawson said almost laughing.

  “Why do you ask?” Jaguar 42R asked him.

  “Because he saved me the trouble in destroying the computer console that controls the LMPG and I just wanted to thank him for it.” Dawson responded.

  “Thank him for what?” Taylor asked.

  “You’ll see.” Dawson responded. He then laughed and said, “It’s time to introduce you all to a new class of Demon Xs called…” He then said in a loud boastful voice, “…Demon Cy-Xs.”

  “What the hell is up with these assholes and demons? Demon this and demon that.” Ellis said with nobody committing on it.

  They then heard a Demon X somewhere nearby do a eerie howl/growl, but it sounded electronic not beastly. And then all hell broke lose near the secret elevator shaft. Ramirez, who was standing near the computer console, brought up the video where the action was. On the monitor they could see everyone trying to kill these new type of Demon Xs as they were coming out of the secret elevator shaft. What terrified everyone was the fact that the Demon Cy-Xs was shooting back.

  “Look like the Cy in Cy-X means cybernetics. Which means they are just like us.” Wolf 19R said out loud. It had a chilling effect upon everyone.

  “Oh shit. We’re going to die.” Jaguar 42R said depressed tone of voice.

  While Vaistll, Taylor and Ramirez was arguing over what to do, Wolf 19R was studying the action on the monitors. When he finished studying the monitors, he took off his backpack, took off the backpack of another Dragon Clone, squat down and took out all the explosives and then linked them all together so that they would detonate at the same time. He then looked up at the monitor, set the timer on one of the explosives, put them back in the backpack, stood up and put on the backpack and ran out the door. Wolf 19R then ran to the elevator shaft, use his skills to bypass the Demon Cy-Xs, shot and killed two of them and then jumped down the elevator shaft. Although he was shot a few times, nothing will stop him from his objective. Because of Wolf 19R self-sacrifice it allowed the rest of the Dragon Clones to kill the remaining Demon Cy-Xs.

  “Hawk 27J.” Jaguar 42R called out.

  “Yes sir.” Hawk 27J responded.

  “Count our losses.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Five minutes later Hawk 27J return and mentioned that eleven Dragon Clones, including Wolf 19R, was killed. Jaguar 42R then contacted The Hammer of Doom and told them that they lost 19 Dragon Clones, Task Force ZH-3C lost two, Dawson sneaked in through an underground tunnel with a secret elevator, Dawson indirectly mention the threat posed by the LMPG, and the Demon Cy-Xs.

  Vaistll, Taylor and Ramirez felt so horrible in how they treated Lenkov. They realized the sad truth that if it wasn’t for him and Colonel McIntyre all of them would be dead. Knowing how tough one Dragon Clone is and seeing how easy it was for the Demon Cy-Xs to kill them, is what told them that they never would have made it. They realize that Lenkov was right about them in the sense that they naively thought that when you betray the EOD you must join Project 21. Hasn’t it been like that from the get-go? Of course. Which is why they naively thought what they did. Vaistll knew that there was only one honorable thing for her to do.

  “Jaguar 42R, put me in touch with Fleet Captain Lenkov.” Vaistll said after several moments and after Jaguar 42R had already discontinue the call. Jaguar 42R didn’t say anything since he could tell why she wanted to talk to Lenkov.

  “Lenkov here. Go ahead.”

  “Sir, I um… I just wanted to say, um…” Vaistll was trying to say that she was sorry.

  “You’re trying to say that you will give me your sword and your Code Book of Honor, but not in the sense of committing treason.” Lenkov said.

  “Yes sir.” Vaistll responded.

  “Jaguar 42R.” Lenkov said.

  “Yes sir.”

  “I’m rescinding the order to kill them.”

  “I understand sir.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “We’ve have reason to believe that the tunnel that Dawson escaped in leads to Wolf Creek. If so, then he would only be fifty miles from Main Laboratory: Ultra 3X. I know it is asking too much of you, but get there before he does and end this.” Lenkov said.

  “I understand sir.” Both Vaistll and Jaguar 42R said together.

  “Over and out.” Lenkov said.

  Task Force ZH-3C and thirty Dragon Clones then headed down to the garage in the base and boarded some APCs. The rest of the Dragon Clones boarded transport helicopters in a separate garage. In order to get to the laboratory AQAP (as quickly as possible) they had to take the freeway. Eight miles before they got to Wolf Creek two Black Knight KC-144S, that was piloted by Demon Cy-Xs, made an attack run on the helicopters and destroyed two of them. As the wreckage landed on the freeway the motorists panicked and started to drive faster which created a pile up. Each of the helicopters had to take evasive action, so they basically scattered. When the airplanes came around, they strafe two of the helicopters killing and/or seriously wounded most of the crew except for the pilot and the gunners.

  “Time to clip their wings.” One of the pilots of the crippled transport helicopter said to the other pilot in the other helicopter. Each of the surviving crew in both helicopters then let out a war cry.

  Each of them knew there was only one way to destroy those Black Knights and they gladly accepted their fate. With their adrenaline running high they waited for those airplanes to return. As the Black Knights came about to finish off the two cripple helicopters the gunners fired at them, but to no avail. They then took evasive action when the Black Knights fired at them. Although they weren’t hit, both pilots made their helicopters act as if they were. One wounded crewman, in both helicopters, set off a smoke grenade in the helicopter to further create the illusion that they were hit. As both airplanes came by, both pilots in the helicopters made a kamikaze run on the planes. One of the helicopters hit one of the airplanes and both were destroyed. The other helicopter missed when the Black Knight pilot took evasive action. One of the gunners then opened fire upon the Black Knight destroying it. The debris of the airplane hit the helicopter causing it to break in half. All of the Dragon Clones (including a few of the motorists) died as the helicopter hit the freeway.

  After the losses of the transport helicopters, two Black Scorpion PCJ-337s (EOD helicopter gunship), both piloted by Demon Cy-Xs, came to attack the APCs. Each of the gunners in the APCs had a hard time shooting at the helicopters. The pilots of both helicopters were skilled enough to avoid being hit at the same time shooting at the APCs. The drivers in the APCs had a difficult time in avoiding being hit. They had to swerve to avoid hitting the other motorists, off-and-on they would hit a motorist, vehicles would be hit by one of the gunships, and neither side could score a direct hit.

  When they got near the off-ramp to Wolf Creek, a Demon Cy-X in a park tanker truck detonated the explosives in the truck. The explosion was so massive that it destroyed a whole section of the freeway, including the off-ramp. The driver in the lead APC couldn’t stop fast enough, and so he went over the edge. The second APC stopped hard, swerved to the right, and caused the APC to roll over the edge. The third APC with Red Team in it c
ame to a stop before it went over the edge (only the front wheels went over). The fourth APC with Blue Team in it, swerved to the right and came to a stop before it hit the third APC.

  As the two Black Scorpion helicopters passed the APC convoy the gunners in the APC kept on firing. Caparzo was the only one who shot down the helicopter on the west side. As the lone surviving Black Scorpion came around to make an attack run, with the gunners in the APCs shooting non-stop, Caparzo shot it when the helicopter was facing him head on. The Demon Cy-X in the Black Scorpion struggled to keep the crippled helicopter on coarse while it was crashing. When he got to his target, which was both APCs that went over the edge, he fired off his rockets destroying both APCs and killing himself and the crew of the APCs.

  “Goddamn it all to hell! They’re trying to wipe us out of existence!” Jaguar 42R said to a Dragon Clone standing near him.

  “Isn’t that obvious sir?” Brewster said.

  “What!?” Jaguar 42R angrily asked.

  “I mean, it’s it obvious that they are trying to kill all of us sir?” Brewster responded.

  “I didn’t mean all of us and all of you. I meant us, as in Dragon Clones.” Jaguar 42R corrected him.

  “Are you trying to say that you guys are the only Dragon Clones in existence?” Taylor asked.

  “Yes sir.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “I thought they created Dragon Clones in the tens of thousands.” Ramirez said.

  “They do.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “Then what happened to all of you?” Vaistll asked.

  “First, the EOD High Command discontinue us. I guess in favor of the Demon Cy-Xs. And then they sent us off to put down a major rebellion near Tyos Prime.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “How big was the rebellion?” Ramirez asked out of curiosity.

  “Bigger than Valkyrie.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “If it was bigger than Valkyrie, than how could you put it down when your numbers are too small?” Taylor asked.

  “Because our targets were generals, admirals, political leaders, scientists, high ranking officials, etc.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “How long ago did the rebellion take place?” Ramirez asked.

  “Twenty-five years ago.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “So how old are you?” Taylor asked.

  “Thirty.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “So what about them?” Taylor asked about the other Dragon Clones.

  “Nineteen. Except for Viper 33X who is the same age as I am. We’re close like brothers because of that.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “I thought you said that they discontinued the creation of the Dragon Clones.” Ramirez said.

  “Both Lenkov and Omori had several cloning vats that were still operational, shipped to Andromeda.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “Sir this is Hawk 27J. We lost two more transport helicopters. It appears that they managed to destroy the Black Knight airplanes.” Hawk 27J said over the helmet-com.

  “Where are the rest of our transport helicopters?” Jaguar 42R asked.

  “En route sir.” Hawk 27J responded.

  “Alright. Get up here on the double.”

  “Yes sir.” Hawk 27J responded.

  Jaguar 42R then went and looked over the edge at what remained of the two APCs. He started to feel that the remaining Dragon Clones, including himself and his long time friend Viper 33X, may die on that godforsaken moon. His morale was at a all time low. While he was standing there Viper 33X came over to give him comfort.

  “We lost two more transport helicopters. Four helicopters lost with thirty-two of us killed. And now we lost another sixteen. We’re being wiped out.” Jaguar 42R said to Viper 33X.

  “Come on bro, let’s go.” Viper 33X said to him.

  When the transport helicopters got back they off-loaded the Dragon Clones in a nearby park and then they headed to the freeway to pick up the APCs to place them in the park. For safety reasons no crew could be in the APCs while they are being airlifted to the park. While the helicopters were airlifting the APCs to the park, the ground forces on the freeway had to climb down using ropes. They then headed to the park and went into a nearby unoccupied building.

  “Ma’am…” Jaguar 42R was saying to Vaistll. She was in a office room eating and drinking. “…Fleet Captain Lenkov said that because of our losses, when we get to the laboratory we need to contact him in case we need reinforcements. He also said that they will not be able to send any reinforcements until they get back into orbit, which will be eight hours from now.”

  “Alright. Anything else?’ Vaistll asked. She could tell that something else was on his mind.

  “Ma’am, do you believe in reincarnation?” Jaguar 42R asked.

  “Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. Why do you ask?” Vaistll asked.

  “There is a part of me that thinks that I lived before.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Because I have a recurring dream of some ancient battle, and I am the only Dragon Clone born with several scars.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “What was the dream?” Vaistll asked out of curiosity.

  “In my dream I’m a… Maybe it’s nothing.” Jaguar 42R was saying.

  “What were you?” Vaistll asked.

  “A dragon that uses sound instead of fire.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “What WAS your dream?” Vaistll asked.

  “I was flying in the air on some unknown world. I know that there was a woman lying down on my back. I think it’s because of the type of saddle that I was wearing. I know that there were other dragons flying with me. Each one had someone on them, but I never saw who. We were flying near a snow cap mountain chain. There were mountains on both sides of me and they were close, but not too close. It was cold and dark when we got to our destination. It was some type of a castle that was under siege. I then swooped down and grabbed two people off of a siege tower with my feet. I aimed at, and released them at a siege tower at the same time I used my sonic shock wave. I then heard another dragon behind me do a death cry. As I was flying over the attackers I was hit by several arrows. Although I was dying I didn’t do a death cry. I then aimed at the attackers on the ground because I knew that it was the best way to keep the woman on me alive. After that I typically would wake up. But the strange thing is, is that each place were I was shot, is where I have those scars. So what do you think ma’am?” Jaguar 42R mentioned. Vaistll said nothing. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was her! The woman on his back! It was something that occurred to her. Something that she never mentioned.

  “Ma’am, all the APCs is off the freeway. We’re ready to leave now.” Ramirez informed her. Vaistll only nodded her head, she was still speechless at what Jaguar 42R told her.

  The rest of their trip to the laboratory was uneventful. When they were two miles from the laboratory Caparzo shot down a P109 Nighthawk (a EOD scout/surveillance helicopter). They then stopped one half mile from the laboratory and continued the rest of the way on foot. When Jaguar 42R contacted The Hammer of Doom he was told to wait eight minutes, but it took twenty-two minutes. It was only because Dawson used the other ace up his sleeve and it changed everything.

  (7)

  “This is Jaguar 42R.”

  “Go ahead.” The com officer on the bridge of The Hammer of Doom responded.

  “We’re in position and waiting for further orders.” Jaguar 42R said.

  “One moment please.” The com officer responded. She then turned to Captain Maxwell and said, “Sir our ground forces are in position and waiting for further orders.”

  “Lieutenant.” Captain Maxwell said.

  “Yes sir.” The lieutenant responded.

  “How much longer until we are in firing range of the LMPG?” Captain Maxwell asked.

  “Eight minutes sir.”

  “Ensign.” Captain Maxwell said to the com officer.

  “Yes sir.” The ensign responded.

  “Inform Jaguar 42R to wait e
ight minutes.” Captain Maxwell ordered her.

  “Yes sir.”

  Three minutes later the signal from a satellite monitoring the LMPG was blocked by the LMPG. The Hammer of Doom had no way of knowing what the LMPG was doing until they got into firing range. When the LMPG blocked the signal from the satellite it put Captain Maxwell in a extremely difficult situation. In order to destroy the LMPG Maxwell needed to “see’ it in order for the targeting systems to lock onto it. But the LMPG is a weapon that could either destroy the ship or cripple it. What matters the most is who’s quicker on the trigger. Unfortunately there is a blind spot that the LMPG can exploit and it may be the one to get off the first shot. If Maxwell tries to retrofit either a shuttle or a drop-ship with a torpedo and then send it at the LMPG, the LMPG’s automatic defense system would ask for the proper clearance codes and then fire a EMP at the approaching shuttle/drop-ship when it either do not respond or if it puts in the wrong code. The only way to disable it is for Colonel Blackburn, Captain Dawson or the EOD High Command to send the codes for it.

  Captain Maxwell’s options are so limited that they are easily predictable, and he knows it. He already told Lenkov (both he and Omori where on their way from lunch) and he knows what Lenkov would say if he ask what he should do. There is only one thing that he can do and he know that decision will haunt him for the rest of his life if he gets anything wrong.

  “Divert all power to the shields! Lock onto the last known coordinates of the LMPG and have the ship’s weapons system fire when we are in range! Have another shot ready in case it moves!” Captain Maxwell ordered the bridge crew.

  Five minutes later the ship fired it’s shot and missed. And just as Maxwell feared the LMPG moved before the shot was fired. Not only did it moved, but the three parts of it combined, powered up, and was pointed directly at them. Before anyone could get a lock onto it, in less than a second, it came at them at one-fourth the speed of light. When it hit the shields it exploded creating a massive EMP jolt. The EMP was so powerful that it created auras all over Golden Hyperion, knocked out all satellites in orbit over the moon, and left The Hammer of Doom dead in the water.