by Charles Lamb
This allowed them to move faster, and even hover over water obstacles, negating the need for bridges. With the addition of inertial dampeners, and the reduced recoil weaponry, they were still a stable platform to fire from. Early tests on a prototype, taken above ground in Nevada, showed great promise. While the design was more than capable of handling the energy cannon, more work was needed to address the railgun forces in rapid fire mode. The engineers were confident it was a tuning issue.
Besides their work on the armor, the first delivery of the combat suits had come in from South Dakota. Robert could see the effect they had on Colonel Bo’s men as they worked through the evaluation tests designed to validate their use in the armored vehicles. Even the Colonel couldn’t resist testing the tankers suits, as they had been nicknamed.
It was during one of these tests that Dallas pulled the two men away from their work.
“Robert, you and Colonel Bo are requested to attend a meeting,” Dallas announced.
“Is it important?” he asked as he hated meetings in general, and this one was interfering with his current priority.
“Jake called it,” was her only reply.
“We will be right there,” Robert answered as he caught the nod of agreement from Chao.
----*----
Entering the conference room, Jake noted that the number of faces he didn’t recognize was significant. He did recognize Grace Middleton in a group he pegged as Patti’s analysts. He assumed that as they were the ones preparing the briefing materials as he walked over to his chair.
Nearby was Colonel Banks, but Nigel was not in the room so he suspected he may have returned to London to begin preparations for Jacob and Gemma’s wedding. Truth be told, that was part of the reason Jake went to hide in his workshop, as Helen could be exhausting. Jake had nothing but respect for Nigel when it came to handling his wife’s demands.
On that note, Jake did not see Sara anywhere, although Linda was seated where she might normally be, next to Jake.
“Sara wasn’t feeling well, so she asked me to be sure you had everything you needed,” she offered as Jake sat. Jake made a mental note to go to her after the meeting and then motioned for the analysts to begin.
“For those of you that may not be aware, we have successfully inserted a team onto a planet of interest. There, they have located what we believe to be the manufacturing facility that upgrades NeHaw ships to better withstand railgun projectiles,” Jake heard Patti say.
Rather than displaying her own image as she talked, she was presenting the visuals he had seen earlier from the insertion team.
“This was the ship that attacked ALICE-3 just off the Wawobash shipyards. Here you can see it as it both deflects and absorbs significant hits from her guns before finally withdrawing.”
Jake continued to watch and listen as Patti walked everyone through the same information they had discussed earlier. Eventually they got to some new data that drew Jake back into the conversation.
“Here we can see some of the indigenous life forms, installing replacement plating on the damaged areas of the ship,” she explained as the short video clip played for all to see.
In it, Jake watched aliens with three arms and three legs moving about the ship, placing squares of some kind of sheeting over the damaged parts of the cruiser. The aliens looked like two tetrahedrons placed point to point, vertically. The head was like a ball with multiple eyes.
The top tetrahedron had flexible spindly arms like octopus tentacle arms, one at each point, while the bottom tetrahedron had stiff articulated legs, allowing for a change of direction without turning. The top and the bottom tetrahedrons were offset so the arms didn’t interfere with the legs when hanging down.
“All around the perimeter of the facility is an energy barrier that vaporizes anything that touches it,” Patti explained as the next clip demonstrated the statement. Someone out of camera tossed a piece of a plant at a hazy red glow before them. As the object touched the red, it turned to black smoke and ash.
“And then there are these,” Patti added as the image changed to towers throughout the facility grounds. Each tower held a gun turret, with a pair of energy cannons.
“So, the point of this meeting is to discuss options for destroying the facility and preventing the NeHaw from reinforcing more of their ships,” Jake announced once Patti had finished.
“Do we know what they are doing there that makes the ships better?” someone in the room asked.
“No, unfortunately our team hasn’t been able to enter the area without risk of detection. All we have been able to record is workers attaching exterior plating to the ship’s hull. The plating comes from inside the facility with no clues as to what is it or how it’s made,” Patti replied.
“Why don’t we just take it, then?” Jake heard from a familiar voice.
“You have a suggestion Robert?” Jake asked the faceless voice.
“Colonel Bo and I have been working on converting his armor for just such an attack. I propose we set an assault force on the ground and take the place. Once we have it, we can see how they make those plates,” he replied.
With that statement, the images in the room changed to the design drawings and 3D models Dallas had for the work they were doing in Texas.
“How many of these do you have?” Jake asked after the images were complete.
“We have one functional prototype each of the tanks and the fighting vehicles,” Robert replied firmly.
“And how soon can you have a fighting force capable of taking this facility?” Jake asked slowly.
“We have two tank platoons and six fighting vehicles currently under modifications, say eighteen days?” Robert replied hesitantly.
“So, you will have eight tanks and six fighting vehicles, what about ground troops? Are you planning on using Marines?” Jake asked, still not committing one way or another.
“No Jake, my men are being equipped with off planet capabilities as well. We will be able to field two platoons of infantry as well as the armor,” Colonel Bo replied.
“Help me understand this? You are proposing to use untested equipment and men in a hostile, alien environment. You intend to confront an entrenched enemy and take possession of their location for as long as necessary to understand what they are doing and how they do it?”
“Yes,” both men replied in unison.
“Outstanding. Have a mission plan on my desk in three days. Oh, and gentlemen, I suggest you talk to Kola about transportation plans. Meeting dismissed,” Jake finished as he rose and left the room, leaving several mouths agape.
----*----
“Are you insane?’ Sara asked Jake as he sat with her in her quarters. Apparently, he had no sooner exited the briefing room than Bonnie had been on a call with Sara asking how Jake could allow Robert to run with such a hair brained scheme.
“They have a great idea. If we could take the facility and hold it long enough to discern what the NeHaw are making there, it would be a huge coup,” he replied as the two sat on her bed together.
Sara was reclining with a pile of pillows behind her. As the two sat talking, Sara would grab Jake’s hand and place it where one of the twins was actively moving inside her.
“I swear they are going to be tap dancers!” she exclaimed as they both started moving, one inciting the other.
Jake smiled as he felt the twins moving inside.
“If they are anything like their mother, they are going to be hell on wheels,” Jake replied with a laugh.
“Or maybe just crazy like their father,” Sara replied, getting back on topic.
“Sara. That force will have at least three combat patrol craft and a dozen fighters providing air cover. Our biggest worry is whether or not we can discern how the NeHaw are reinforcing their ships before we have to pull out,” he replied with a sigh.
“I hope you are right,” she replied with a sigh of her own.
Chapter 13
The next day, Jake was surprised to ge
t a special invitation from both Kathy and Linda, for an evening together with his children. As mothers to his son Timothy and daughter Tracy, they were members of the initial group Jake had rescued so long ago. If Sara had any comments on the event, she gave no outward indications she objected.
The sisters had been some of the first, in Jake’s opinion, to fall victim to the ALICEs plot to insure everyone’s future. As altruistic as their motivations might have been, Jake was of the opinion that all held special feelings for one another.
Call it love, respect, or just affection, their relationship was based on more than just shared parental responsibilities. So, after a day of plotting and planning, it was with some hesitation that Jake presented himself at the door of Linda’s quarters as requested.
“Come in Jake,” Kathy said warmly as she met him at the door. She greeted him with a hug followed by a lingering kiss, one they had not shared in quite a while.
Behind her, he could see the two toddlers, playing on the floor together in the living room space. The table there had been moved aside providing an open space between the seating for the two. At the sight of their father, both began to move toward him as he approached.
While close in age, Tracy had managed an unsteady walk while Timothy slipped past her at a faster crawl. Dropping down to their level, Jake scooped up both kids and, with one in each arm, turned to find Linda right behind him.
“Hi,” she said as she kissed his cheek and then repeated the process for both kids. The kiss from Linda was another familiarity he had not experienced in some time.
The next half hour or so was spent focusing on the two children, doing the things Jake remembered people did before the fall of civilization. As the only one in the room who had experienced that life, a part of him was sad his children would never know the world he had come from.
Once the kids were fed, Linda had the nanny both she and Kathy used take the pair into the other room so the three adults could dine in a more relaxed manner. From that point on they stopped being mom and dad and were just grownups enjoying each other’s company.
“Jake, did Sara ask you not to see us intimately anymore?” Linda finally asked after they had finished eating.
“No, not at all. Why do you ask?” he lied in reply. If he was going to cut it off officially with the others, he wasn’t going to make Sara the fall guy.
“That’s great news. We were afraid her hormones had gotten the best of her and she had lowered the boom,” Kathy replied with a laugh.
“No boom, but the hormones are definitely there,” Jake replied, receiving knowing looks from the sisters.
“Well, with that not an issue, we wanted to talk to you about something,” Linda started.
“We were thinking that, after the twins come and things are calmer, we would like to start the rotation again.”
----*----
A few days later Jake and Sara had snagged one of the corporate type jets converted to repulser for the trip to London. The aircraft was considerably slower than a fighter, but given Sara’s condition, it was a far more comfortable trip for her. Becky had joined the pair, her concern for her sister putting her normally exuberant behavior on hold.
Jake had run to Alaska, in part to retrieve the aircraft, but also to visit Jessie and his son. After the dinner with Linda and Kathy, he was both feeling guilty about his other son, but also concerned about the latest turn of events.
He tried to balance his time with his kids, an effort that seemed to always be lacking. Jessie had been particularly attentive this time around, more affectionate than any time he could remember since Ryan’s birth. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she missed him or was in league with the sisters down south. Either way, Jake was worried he was headed for disaster in his personal life.
As the three arrived in Oxford, at one of the two entrances to the facility built by the British under the Chilterns AONB, they exited the craft to a waiting reception party. As there was no hangar available, the craft simply lifted off, returning to Nevada unmanned, courtesy of ALICE.
“How was the trip?” Patti asked Sara as they came to meet the three.
“Not terrible, they gave me the couch,” she replied with a smile as she hugged the younger woman. Jake remembered Patti and Sara had bonded very early on, well before he knew she was his great granddaughter.
“Gemma and Jacob arrived earlier,” Daniel offered as he took Jake’s offered hand.
“Helen is a mess. She greeted them stiffly, burst out crying and then ushered Gemma off somewhere to discuss the wedding. Jacob has been in hiding ever since,” Patti added with a laugh. With that, she turned and with Becky’s help, assisted Sara to the tunnel leading to the underground train.
“Actually, he has been at the pub with my mates, getting pissed,” Daniel confessed privately to Jake.
“Maybe we should join them!” Jake replied with a nod as he watched the women head inside. After the last few days, a good stiff drink sounded great.
----*----
Sergeant Hillestad was not particularly happy with his leadership at the moment. The team had moved off, away from the facility they had been monitoring, to hunker down and wait. They had been ordered to risk a rare extended transmission that could potentially expose them to the enemy.
“How much longer,” one of the shooters asked.
Jason replied by holding up his gloved hand and showing five fingers, indicating five more minutes. Everyone had their helmets on and were all ready to link together, point to point, to receive the transmission all at once.
“This is Charlie Oscar actual, acknowledge,” came the message.
“Charlie Oscar actual, Alpha Team Lead here, over” Jason replied, acknowledging he understood he was talking to their commanding officer.
“Request authentication code Delta, over,” came the response.
“Authentication code Delta, roger,” Jason replied as he began transmitting one of the preassigned security codes that would confirm he was who he claimed to be.
“Code accepted. Transmitting orders, acknowledge receipt, over” came the reply.
Jason and his team watched their helmet display as a large data dump arrived for their review. When the indicator went green in his helmet display, Jason replied to the sender.
“Receipt confirmed.”
“Will contact again as instructed, transmission complete.”
With that they dropped their communications link and began moving to another location before reviewing the data dump. Once they had settled in once more, positive no one had come looking for them, Jason began to review the information while the rest of his team took up security positions.
“They have got to be kidding,” was all he could say as he read through their instructions.
----*----
Although Jake wasn’t much of a drinker, the same could not be said for his hosts. At some point after the NeHaw bombing, the men and women of the London facility had completely relocated a traditional English pub from the streets of London and installed it here.
Jake was at a loss for words, as Daniel led him into the room and up to the bar on the far wall of the space. As he looked around, he could see the wood paneled walls with interlaced stained glass windows.
“They put lighting on the other side to simulate sunlight,” Daniel explained as he had caught Jake examining them.
With that, the two men approached the group that appeared well ahead of them.
“Danny, me boy! What took you so long?” one of the men at the bar shouted as he turned to greet the two.
“Right, and who might this be then?” another asked as he referred to Jake.
“This is…” Daniel started before Jake cut him off.
“No one of any importance, just call me Jake. I’m just happy to be invited to drink with you,” Jake supplied.
“Another Yank huh? Well, this one is quite all right,” the first man answered while pointing to Jacob.
“OI! Gaffe
r, another round!” one of the men shouted at the old timer behind the bar.
At that, Jake and Daniel worked their way among the men at the bar as he listened to the stories only military men tell.
----*----
Robert was buried in work when his wife came in to check on him. In her role as facilities Commander, she was up on everything he was doing and wasn’t happy about it one bit.
“You are not really going to go through with this?” Bonnie asked as she sat next to him while he worked. He pushed his papers aside as he turned to face her.
“Do you remember the day we met?” he asked, referring to the day she had shown up with a small army to chase down the raiders he had been forced to join.
“Yes, you were with that rag tag group in Texas. Because of you, they lived, well, most did,” Bonnie replied after some reflection.
“And after,” Robert asked.
“About wanting to make amends? Dear heart, you work so hard every day to make this all work,” she replied as she waved all around her.
“If it wasn’t for you, the ships and fighters and guns we need wouldn’t get made. You have paid that debt in spades,” she finished.
“Even so,” he started to reply.
“Don’t! Just admit you won’t be satisfied until you get to shoot something down or blow some shit up?” she snapped back at him.
The statement brought a smile to his face. Not so much because of the contents as to the attitude Bonnie projected.
“Then come do it with me,” Robert replied softly.
“You know I can’t,” Bonnie replied, the softness of his reply disarming the rage she had been building inside. With that, she kissed him firmly on the mouth and left the room without saying another word.
----*----
Linda had taken on the responsibility of resupplying the Scout/Sniper team they had in place on G-43578. They had decided long ago to continue using the NeHaw references to planets and other places in the many sectors of space they traveled to, but called them something else in communications to prevent accidentally exposing operations.
