Every Last Mother's Child
Page 72
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“Attention in the Trenaport TCA.” The AI controlling the air traffic around Trenaport went to emergency mode, “We are now in full Emergency Air Traffic Control. All inbounds will divert to their diversion fields, all out bounds will hold at the gate, or on the pad. Trenaport is now a positive control zone from ground to orbit.”
The pilot of IRS 1 the lead ship of the IRS landing craft squadron stationed at the Evac hospital heard the announcement, and then keyed his com, “Trenaport Control Life Guard Flight with a flight of five Galaxy Lifters inbound on an emergency to the convention center. Request a direct vector to the convention center.”
“FAC to Life Guard.” A new voice called on the com.
“Go ahead FAC,” Life Guard called.
“This is the air controller for the convention center command. “ The voice said, “Please state load out!”
“I have five say again five LC 10 heavy with ambulances, and medical personnel. I have 250 marines that can be air deployed. The on board ready group includes battle field medics, and surgeons.”
“Please enter holding north of the center over the harbor. We still are searching for UXB we’ll call you in as needed. If you have UXB personnel on board you may air deployment them.”
“Roger that,” He changed to his inter ship channel. “Life Guard five you are go to make a run on the convention center. Deploy your bomb squad. Then join us in holding.”
“Roger commencing run now!” the pilot called breaking formation and diving for the deck. He came in barely missing the crystal towers on the north side of the structure. As he came over the structure he opened the back ramp and the bomb squad jumped with their equipment.
The bomb squads went to work. They began checking the injured first so the medics could get to work. Although the process was fast, it wasn’t fast enough for 33 souls who bled to death while the bomb squad secured the area. Another hundred or so would have to spend longer in the hospital due to the time it took for the medics to begin treating them.
When Michelle got in she set up a field aid station where the medics would bring the most critical to her and her doctors. They quickly assessed the injuries assigning priority codes to everyone they saw. Although it took some time for the injured to be moved off, the system worked. The nonlife threatening injuries were put on buses and shipped over land to the EVAC hospital in the park. Severely injured were air lifted or put on ambulances to the trauma centers around the city, with the most severe going directly to the hospital ship in orbit. In less than five hours the only thing left at the scene of the explosion was the coroner and crime scene investigators and 75 men and women who were laid out in a triple row of zippered plastic bags that would protect them until they were turned over to their families for internment.
Janet and Michelle walked the long line of bodies one final time. They were double checking the names to make sure everyone accounted for the medical examiners. She wanted to make sure they hadn’t missed something.
“It never gets easy does it,” Janet commented, “How many times in twenty years have I seen something like this. You would think that I would be used it by now.”
“Ensign,” Michelle said, remembering that Janet had been an ensign with the Fire Protection Unit on Station 24 where she had first met Janet years before. “Whenever it does get easy, you turn in your papers and get out of this business.”
Janet just nodded, and said, “I’ll be okay admiral, but this is so senseless.”
“Terrorism is always senseless,” Admiral Klond said as she motioned for the final body to be removed. “It’s usually used by people who feel they have no other way to make their point with a larger more powerful opponent or it used by someone who is an expert at manipulation of a small group of mentally weak people who are made to feel this is the only way to accomplish their goals. It works in the short term, but seldom in the long term, as the victims get fairly pissed off at the prospect and takes severe action. That action is often worse than the terror incident itself, and often makes things much worse.”
Janet just nodded, gone were the good old days of firefighting when a fire man just had to understand the physics and chemistry of fire, they didn’t need to be sociologist, or social workers. “This is going to turn ugly.”
“Yep,” Michelle said as they walked to the front of the hall. “I’m hoping Mike knows what he’s doing here. We could have more violence.”