Chapter 3: A Queen’s Furry
“Here’s what we know so far,” Wilson began. He recounted the damn failure and the subsequent destruction caused by the break.
“So now you have the scope of the disaster,” Wilson said, “Although in most tragedies of this type it would be months before we would know what caused the damn failure. Most of the major dams and other sites that have potential for disaster are monitored by automated surveillance devices. I have not played their recordings back yet. I want you to get a feel for the scope of the disaster.” He touched a few keys on the console in front of him. The holo display showed the damn and its surrounding land. “What you will see first is a pulse. This was caused by a low yield clean nuclear weapon detonating at about 35 feet below the surface of reservoir. There was a brief EMP which is how we determined that it was a nuke that had detonated and not a dam failure. As the bomb detonated it created a slug of high energy causing a tidal wave effect. This damn was designed to take a wall of water thirteen feet high over the top of the damn before it would fail. Although the saboteurs didn’t know it their bomb was sufficient to defeat the grouting of the damn, they had planted additional explosives where the damn was grouted into the side of the cliffs. Between the wall of water and the removal of the grouting this caused the dam to be ripped from its foundation and fall forward. The damn was carried about a mile downstream where it collided with this bridge. The bridge held it back for about ten seconds then was swept away. The damn acted as bulldozer sweeping into Galloway. There was still sufficient energy behind the damn wall for it to grind about half of the town to rubble. The energy dissipated to the point that the damn was no longer moving with the water flow. But the water still had sufficient energy to continue on, sweeping the rest of Galloway into this bend here. The water now having only one quarter of its original energy, continued sweeping down the Grant River, until it reaches the outskirt of Trenaport. Here the flood walls and canal system contained the disaster.”
Wilson concluded then nodded at Mylea.
“As Lord Wilson said, the damn failure was caused by an act of man. It was not a natural act. Although we cannot confirm this; we believe that Theocracy sent one their action teams to Trena. Although most of the action teams are people who are used once and thrown away they never see action again, this one isn’t. They are mostly suicide teams believing that their deaths further the cause of their religion. A day ago a Theocracy Courier processed through immigration. This man,” The photo of the bishop’s visitor was thrown up on the image, “His name is Father Pierce, and he is used by the Theocracy as a special agent to bring about the directives of the College of Cardinals. Somehow he got through the passport control station when he shouldn’t. He was traveling under a diplomatic passport, with a different name. We only know who he is as the Trena Mounted Patrol arrested him last year for killing a Thonian. Before he could be brought to trial he was rescued by the Theocracy.”
“He was a known murder and you let him through!” The Queen’s temper was barley in check. “You let that murderous scum bag back onto my planet! To commit murder again!”
“Your majesty,” Mylea looked the young woman in the eyes unflinchingly, “Yes, customs blew it, and yes, my people blew it! If you want my resignation you’ve got it! But there is a limit as to what my boys and girls can do! He entered through the diplomatic gate in customs, he was assumed dead, although his face matched that of Father Pierce, his name now is Deacon Duncan. I am not sure why but the Intelligence AI missed him as he entered the kingdom. We don’t know where he is. But every cop, militiamen and the Black Guardsmen have his picture. We were able to back track the boat that put the bomb in place, and got a fairly decent read on the vehicle I’ve asked for and was given permission for the Black Guard to hunt this animal down and close his file.”
Mylea never raised her voice, and had remained calm cool and collected throughout her presentation. Mylea waited for the Queen to accept her resignation, or to continue to vent. Instead the Queen looked at Mylea and said, “Please accept my apology for my outburst. I guess you are right. There is just so much any of us can do to stop this. In the meantime; I want to hear what is being done to help the survivors”
“Your highness,” Langtree spoke, “At the present time my engineers are making combat crossings of the Grant River. They are treating it like a combat crossing so as to get bridges up that can handle emergency relief traffic that we can’t put in the air. We have one back to the EVAC hospital. We put a new bridge or will be in the next couple of hours a little bit south of Galloway. Jonesy’s has gotten body bags, shoring equipment, heavy equipment for me to get into the Galloway area.”
“After watching that video,” Chief Able began, “I was certain that we would not find anyone alive. I was more than surprised to find out that we have rescued several hundred people from the wreckage of Galloway. That town was only about a couple of thousand. I expect we’ll find a lot more. Right now I have deployed every rescue unit I can spare into Galloway some are still responding. I have activated the Trenaport Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue unit. The IRS has placed four LC-6s at the Evacuation hospital. They have transferred all of their patients to the hospital ships. General Langtree’s troops have done miracles in the four hours since the dam failed. His maintenance troops and CE units have literally moved heaven and earth getting supplies and equipment into Galloway. I don’t know how he did it your majesty, but he managed to move a salvage barge from Trenaport Harbor, over Trenaport, and set it down on the river just south of Galloway. The cranes and salvage equipment on that barge is the single biggest reason we have been successful in Galloway.”
“You moved a barge?” Wilson looked incredulously at his chief engineer.
“Yes Sir Mike. A couple of my troopers took a couple of Landing craft rigged some chains to a barge in case the tractor beams failed. They lifted the mother straight out of the bay. I didn’t know anything about it until it was done. If one of tractor beams failed or if the LC lost control and that bugger fell into northern Trenaport it was going to be one big mess!” Langtree replied. “When I get the time I’ll be recommending Lieutenant Hooper, and Master Sergeant Erickson for a distinguished service cross for what they did.”
“Ah general,” The Queen said understanding only that two of her people did something unusual, and only marginally how dangerous it was to move a salvage barge across a populated area with tractor beams. “Good work! Keep it up.”
“Just tell us after it done.” Chief Able quipped. “This crew’s got enough ulcers.”
That brought a round of chuckles. Wilson didn’t know if he needed to say something to Langtree, or just let it go. What his team did was extremely dangerous. A thousand ton barge being floated over head on what had to be a quick and dirty lash up was not safe. But then anyone who had ever been with a combat engineering unit knew their brand of engineering was anything but 100% safe. Anyone who had watched them make a bridge while they were under attack knew why Combat Engineers had to be the craziest people on the battle field.
“There is little or no damage in the Trenaport area.” The chief continued, “My troops reported only scattered rescues and damage. I am hoping that we don’t get a big fire or something. With my troops tied up in Galloway it could get to be crazy!”
“We’ll put an additional militia unit into the city. We’ll use the auxiliary equipment.” Wilson remarked.
The meeting wore on for another hour as they discussed options and received further reports from the field. Finally the Queen nodded and left the room stopping only long enough to motion for Mylea to follow her. Once in the near privacy of the hall leading back to the outside, the Queen said, “I am sorry Mylea. You of all people didn’t deserve that outburst. You have given me and my people everything you can.”
The thonian woman remained quiet she didn’t know what to say. Once again she had become impressed by this young monarch’s style. Very few of her su
periors had, had the class to apologize. Mylea had no idea what was going to happen once they got to Home. There had been a few discussions as to what form a government the refugees would create. Whatever did happen she hoped fervently that the Queen’s talents and energies would continue to serve the people of Trena.
The Queen saw her former regent leaving the meeting room and asked, “Uncle Larry get Lord Kenworth on the horn I want that unholy son of bitch who calls himself a man of god in the throne room by 1900 this evening. I want full media coverage of the event.”
“What are you going to do your highness,” Mercer afraid that his monarch was going to do something that was completely the wrong way to handle the situation asked.
“I am permanently closing the Theocracy embassy on Trena. At the same time I am going to lay the law down to the kingdom about supporting these bastards.”
“Yes ma’am” Mercer who had been her regent and guardian, now her Queen’s Attorney agreed with what she was doing.
“I want you in the throne room tonight,” The Queen turned to Mylea said; “I want you, in your best. I want a couple of your friends from the Companions, and a couple of biowoman. When the ambassador enters the throne room I want you to fall in on either side of him. From that point on he is not to be out of one of your people’s sight. I want nothing but women in that contingent Mylea. When they are escorted to the space port I want women police officers present.”
“Why?” Mylea asked.
“Members of the Church of the One God feel that clones, and thonians are less than human, and they feel that woman need to be naked on their back either giving birth or being used as sex objects. It will be the greatest insult I can give to have these scum bags, being escorted to the space port by the very people they think are less than human.” The young queen replied.
“Aye ma’am,” The middle aged alien woman replied, “I will see that your wishes are carried out.”
Every Last Mother's Child Page 109
