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

by Douglas Howell

  “Captain Wilcox, may I have a word with you?”

  “I’m kind of busy here.” Wilcox responded in scripted tone of voice.

  “Oh, this will only take a brief moment of your time.”

  “Alright then.” Wilcox responded with a smile. It almost looked like he was forcing himself to smile because it looked faked. He then turned around and gave orders to those around him. Their reaction gave the impression that they already knew what their orders were.

  “Have you heard anything from Task Force ZH-3C?”

  “No but we’re making every effort to contact them.” Wilcox lied to them in scripted tone of voice.

  “What have you tried?”

  “The traditional methods are not working. It sounds like… that maybe they are… being jammed by some unknown enemy. (Wilcox realized that he shouldn’t have said that and it showed.) I did thought about using drones but we don’t have that many left. And half of them are damaged. I can’t send my people in because the robotic defensive guns are still operational.” This time he didn’t sound like he was scripted.

  “You stated that, or imply that, half of the drones are still operational. So why not use them instead?” The reporter asked him. Wilcox felt like he was caught and it showed.

  “They’re doing recon and can’t be spared.” Wilcox responded in a way to suggest that he really didn’t want to answer the question. He could do as the reporter suggested but it never occurred to him until the reporter mentioned it. So instead of telling the truth he decided to lie.

  “So how long will the repairs on the rest of the drones take?”

  “My people is making every effort in repairing them.” Wilcox responded. He knew what question will come next and he wished that it wouldn’t.

  “So how long will it take to repair them?”

  “As soon as my people have finished the repairs I will let you know.” Wilcox responded. The reporter had the reaction of that Wilcox is hiding something.

  “Alright captain I will let you get back to your duties.” The reporter, along with everyone else, knew what Wilcox was hiding: his own incompetence.

  Wilcox was only falling back upon his training when dealing with the media. It is why he sounded like he was scripted. He knew that he is supposed to be friendly and somewhat truthful with the media but not at the expense of the mission. As luck would have it with him everybody could tell that it was his first time in dealing with the media.

  Although no damage was done because of Wilcox incompetence, his behavior told the media that they got an amateur in dealing with them. Being the vultures that they are, the media decided that it would be great for ratings if they got there. It was primarily based upon the thought that there could be more enemies there. And this time, so the media thought, the enemy was stupid. Of course that is only somewhat true as Task Force ZH-3C is learning the hard way. Once the Golems do come out it will be the media who would benefit the most. It would give them a huge ratings boost. Before they had good warnings from competent leaders and now they have an amateur. What the media wants is a good story and now they are fixing to become part of that story.

  (18)

  “What the hell? So now they’re coming after us.” Martinez said out of frustration.

  Acting on a hunch from Viper 33X, the three of them got too close to where the activity of the Golem was suggesting that it was redesigning it’s communications and it’s protectors. They then notice that the Golem itself was being redesigned. After chasing the three of them away the protectors then went back to the Golem.

  “They’re breaking off pursuit!” Viper 33X mentioned.

  “What are we missing here? We can observe at a distance but we can’t get too close.” Jaguar 42R said out of frustration.

  “Maybe they think that we came to sabotage the Golem.” Viper 33X responded.

  “Then why not just finish us off then?” Jaguar 42R asked him.

  “Maybe they think that we don’t pose much of a threat to them.”

  “Or maybe they don’t want us to go somewhere.” Martinez mentioned.

  “Like where?” Viper 33X asked him.

  “What does the map say?” Jaguar 42R asked.

  “The only thing that is relevant is the cloning vats. But they’re too far away to hold any value. And what would they need with those vats anyway?” Martinez mentioned after he finished studying the map after a minute.

  “Too far away for us, but not for them.” Viper 33X mentioned.

  “What about the damage that they caused?” Jaguar 42R asked him.

  “The nanites within them could just eat a hole through the damage.” Viper 33X responded.

  “Wouldn’t that destabilize the roof given the full extent of the damage?” Jaguar 42R asked. Viper 33X said nothing but Martinez did.

  “You know if they are going to the cloning vats that might explain their behavior.” Martinez said after he gave it some thought.

  “How so?” Jaguar 42R asked him.

  “Why waste their time on us when we don’t pose much of a threat? But if they are trying to keep us away from something than that would be different. It’s what I would do.” Martinez responded.

  “Your orders?” Viper 33X asked him.

  “Let’s flank them, but head in the direction of the cloning vats.” Martinez responded. As they got nearer to the cloning vats it became apparent that the Golem’s protectors was monitoring them.

  “What the fuck?” Martinez said through his teeth as a door opened and behind it was a protector stopping them from going through.

  “Is there another way around?” Jaguar 42R asked.

  “You know, it’s a damn good thing that we are using this helmet-com system. I noticed that whoever is talking it is looking at them. And no, there is no other way.” Viper 33X responded.

  “Send me some gibberish.” Martinez mentioned as all three was watching it.

  “Blah, blah, do da de blah, blah.” Viper 33X responded as they noticed that it was looking at him.

  “Blah, blah it is looking at flow go.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “Row, row door goes close, close.” Martinez said.

  “Kaboom in the kaboom?” Viper 33X asked him.

  “Then let’s go dancing the night away as our feet gets moving real fast on the dance floor.” Martinez responded as they noticed that the protector moved it’s head to one side denoting that it was confused by their conversion.

  Viper 33X then program the door with a delay timer (before it opens) as Martinez set the booby trap so that when the door opens a small explosive will fall in front of the protector and then immediately detonate destroying it. The three of them then moved as fast as they could through the corridors trying to get to their destination. And then there was an explosion and it was lights out for all three of them. When they came to they realize that it was neither the Golems nor their protectors that was responsible for the explosion. The rest of their team was just too far away. It gave them the impression that it must have come from the outside.

  “Great, night vision. I always hated this.” Jaguar 42R mentioned.

  “Yeah, I always loved thermo.” Viper 33X added.

  “Then switch to it.” Martinez instructed them.

  “How?” Jaguar 42R asked him.

  “Yeah, it’s one thing that they never taught us.” Viper 33X added.

  “Oh yeah, that is right. Isn’t it?” Martinez responded. He then showed them through the helmet-com system how to do it. Both of them took to it in a purely natural way.

  “They should have taught us this in basic.” Viper 33X mentioned after five minutes.

  “Yeah, really.” Jaguar 42R added.

  “Maybe it’s because you guys are the reincarnation of a Vikyyard.” Martinez responded.

  “A what?” Jaguar 42R asked him.

  “A dragon from the captain’s home world. Here read the file.” Martinez responded.

  “Hey Martinez, I hate to tell you this but I just had
an idea that may greatly assist us.” Viper 33X said after seven minutes.

  “I’m afraid to ask but what?” Martinez responded.

  “The two of us goes off and monitor the protectors and try to take out some in an effort to, not only help you in achieving the objective, but also see how they will behave.” Viper 33X mentioned.

  “Yeah alright.” Martinez responded. Twenty-five minutes later Martinez heard from them as they told him that they will come north of his position.

  “Here’s all the Intel that we collected upon them.” Jaguar 42R mentioned.

  “This position is not secure. So give me cover as I read this.” Martinez responded. After ten minutes he finally spoke. “For some unknown reason the outside is attacking this facility. It does gives us perfect cover as we achieve our objective.”

  They will make it to the cloning vats safe and sound only to discover why the Golems are headed in that direction. But whatever the outside (Wilcox) is doing it is only making matters worse. For now it is friendly fire that is turning out to be a bigger threat to their survival. They need to get the word out, they need to tell the outside to knock it off. They need to do something. They have to contact them, for their own survival is at stake.

  (19)

  “What the hell is up with the lights?” Ellis asked.

  “Power disruption. The only possibility is that this facility is being bombarded.” Ramirez responded.

  “So somebody got the word out?” Wexler asked.

  “Not likely. We’re too far deep and it’s not likely that anybody did got the word out. It’s coming from the outside based upon those who have no Intel.” Ramirez responded.

  “So what would compel them to strike based upon lapse of Intel?” Wexler asked.

  “Somebody who’s not a good commander.” Ellis responded.

  “Yeah well, Maxwell’s is a good commander.” Wexler responded.

  “Not unless something happen to him.” Ellis mentioned.

  “I don’t think that we should be having this conversion. We should stay focus upon our objective and not this conversion.” Ramirez responded. As a officer he knew where the conversion was going and he needed both of them to stop thinking about what is occurring on the outside.

  It didn’t take long for them to realize that there may have been another reason for the place being put under the sights of artillery bombardment. The Golem and it’s protectors was redesigning themselves making the Golem the size of a fifty story skyscraper. There was also a very large hole in the roof (It is not known if it was the Golem or those on the outside that was responsible for that.). This particular Golem was a walking factory producing what… That could not be discerned at the moment. But they had to find out and their job was rendered all the more difficult given the fact that the place is under an artillery barrage.

  “What do you want to do now sir?” Wexler asked Ramirez.

  “Get as much Intel as we can and then get the fuck outta here.” Ramirez responded.

  “Out of this area or outside?” Wexler asked.

  “Outside. It’s too risky to go look for the rest of our team. We have no idea as to where they are. No, we need to leave this facility.” Ramirez responded.

  “Sir I have an idea as to how we can collect the Intel. Because of both of our training we can act as a decoy as Wexler collect the Intel.” Ellis mentioned.

  “Sir I must object. It could get the two of you killed.” Wexler commented. He just didn’t want to be left alone should anything happen to them.

  “Noted. Overruled. Collecting the Intel and getting it outside is considered our top priority.” Ramirez responded sounded a bit like his old self.

  Neither Ramirez nor Ellis would ever talk about it, but their paths crossed once before. Ellis was in the Special Forces and his team was sent in to neutralize an EOD Special Forces team operating inside China. The Chinese forces played a major role in the defeat of the EOD and as Ellis told them, “Thank you for your sacrifice for without it, victory could not have been possible.” And the commander of that EOD Special Forces team was none other than Ramirez. Towards the end of the struggle both Ramirez and Ellis was in a major battle with one another. It ended with Ellis being defeated in a hand-to-hand combat. Ellis was stabbed in his side and Ramirez said, “Remember this moment,” and then he was gone. What Ellis remembered the most about that situation is the fact that later he’d found a note on him that read, “Not everybody is your enemy.”

  Both Ramirez and Ellis was so driven by their commitment some would mistaken them for being a sociopath. Not caring about themselves or others that is. They are the top of their fields because they are so driven to achieve their mission that they have lost sight of their own safety. And somehow they can walk away with very little scars to show for it. Par excellence bar none is both Ramirez and Ellis. They’re not the type to throw their lives away or those under their command so callously.

  “I got the Intel!” Wexler almost shouted when he finished his objective.

  “Good. Then let’s get the fuck outta here.” Ramirez said as the three of them begin to look for a way out of the facility.

  (20)

  “Sir, I think you need to take a look at this.” The Chief Petty Officer informed Wilcox. Wilcox was somewhat fuming over how the media was portraying his (first ever) media coverage.

  “This better be good.” Wilcox responded as he came near. He studied the video feed from one of the drones (Yes he finally sent a few of them to scour the facility because of his poor performance in front of the media.) for several minutes before he finally spoke. “I want immediate artillery bombardment of the facility! Sending coordinates now!”

  “Sir, what’s going on?” The Chief Petty Officer asked Wilcox who said nothing.

  Captain Wilcox makes a far better officer than he does as someone who stands in front of the camera who have to deal with the media and it shows. He knows that the media (the vultures as he calls them) will show no mercy or compassion in dealing with those like him. He knows that to them it’s all about ratings not about the good of the community or the good of the mission. Once they get the chance to know him they will realize that he is no friend of theirs so why should they be a friend of his. And no, he didn’t care that they felt that way. But maybe he’d should have.

  (21)

  “Good god. What do you think that we should do?” Iverson asked Maxwell.

  “There is nothing that we can do other than to ask for assistance for them.”

  “So when will help arrive?”

  “I don’t want to think about that for if I did then it most likely would lead me to drink.”

  “So we do nothing?” Iverson asked.

  “The only thing that we can do about these so-call Golems is to use what little torpedoes we have left. And from the looks of it, it would do more harm than good. I’m sorry but I have no idea as to how we can deal with this new threat. As a matter of fact I was hoping that you would.”

  “You think that Lieutenant Commander North may have an idea?”

  “It’s a long shot, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”

  “You wanted to see me sirs?” North asked the two of them. It took him ten minutes to get there.

  “Take a look at this Intel and tell us what you think?” Iverson asked him.

  “I have no idea.” North responded with sigh.

  “What do you mean that you, ‘have no idea’?” Maxwell asked him.

  “I thank you for asking me for my opinion when you have none. But please understand sirs, that if I knew of the best solution than I would be the first to have informed you. But alas, I have no idea. The Golems appear to have been a well thought out weapon of mass cosmic destruction. And within that, the planners have miscalculated their new weapon. Either through that of their own arrogance or that of their own callousness their short-sightedness have created a weapon who’s blowback will take many lives as the devil himself will rejoice in. No sirs, it is not possible for us to def
eat them.” North stated. His words rang loud and true and somewhat cold. For his words confirmed their worst fears that they are out of the fight.

  (22)

  They came out of the facility with their guns held up over their heads (to denote that they were non-combatants). And those who tried to contact them via the helmet-com system learned that their signal is being jammed. It was strange since nobody else had their signals jammed, just those three. As they got nearer all could see that it was Ramirez, Ellis and Wexler with their helmets retracted. Wilcox was not surprised when he noticed the vultures (media) run up to them.

  “We need to talk to Captain Maxwell immediately!” Ramirez urgently requested.

  “Hey man, what’s the hold up?” Ellis asked the Petty Officer – Second Class.

  “Oh, I guess you didn’t hear about Captain Maxwell.”

  “Hear what?” Ellis asked him.

  “Hi there. Let me introduce myself to you. I’m Captain Luis Wilcox. Please come with me.”

  “Sir I need to talk to you…” Ramirez was saying.

  “Let’s talk in private Lieutenant Commander.” Wilcox was saying as he was leading Ramirez away from the vultures.

  “Sir is your communications being jammed?” Ramirez asked Wilcox after he told Wilcox everything that he knew of the Golems and their protectors.

  “Why no? Why do you ask?” Wilcox asked Ramirez.

  “Because I’m starting to think that the Golems are jamming our signal.” Ramirez informed him.

  “Alright, turn your helmets into maintenance and let’s see what they have to say.”

  “Yes sir.”

  It didn’t take long for the IT department to get back and inform them that the Golems are jamming their signals. Apparently the Golems were “smart” enough to put a computer virus into their helmet-com system. Had they downloaded Sayaka’s little gift into their computer system that might have been avoided. But alas, they never thought about doing that.