by Paul Phipps
* * *
The group of six TSN Craft came over the top of the Blockade shield that was now surrounding Ramsheh and the surrounding countryside. As they came slowly down toward the ground far below them Rover was showing Evana the people as they were mobbing up in panic. The town itself appeared to be an older one with a small section to the Northeast that looked to be laid out in a modern street format. There was even a small unimproved airstrip nearby.
And there to the northeast of the airstrip was the Agricultural Station that had been the cover for the R&D Laboratory. A group of IUR soldiers were in BMP vehicles near the entrance road to the station. But it appeared that they were not actually on the property of the Agricultural Station.
“Rover, please take us down to 100 feet. I believe that I and two Samurai’s will take the Grav lift down.” Evana directed.
“As you wish, Evana. But I think that it might be better if I landed and you kept within the defense shields around me.” Rover told her with some concern in his voice.
“I agree with Rover, Evana.” Ariadne added to the conversation. “These men are probably still in a state of disbelief over the Blockade Shield surrounding them. They have a high probability of attempting to use force on you to get out of there.”
“Since you put it so nicely, I agree. Let’s do it your way Rover. I still want the Samurai’s with me though.” Evana conceded.
“I agree with you. I believe I have identified the commanding officer of this group. He is a Major in the IUR Army.” Rover said as he landed in front of the group of vehicles.
* * *
“Captain! Have the men be prepared to fire on my command and only on my command.” Major Mujahidh annunciated clearly and slowly so that all his men within earshot could hear him.
The two platoons that were available were flanking their BMP personnel carriers and they were sighting in their weapons on the large flying saucer shape of Rover as he descended to land only two hundred feet away from the soldiers and their commanders.
The silence was eerie as even the constant wind had ceased earlier when the Bluish colored shield had surrounded the area. They had received a briefing from the Colonel in charge of their region telling them that the Iranian Unified Republic was at War with a very strange and previously unknown enemy that called themselves the Terran Space Navy.
Not a single one of them from the Major in charge of this detachment to the lowest private had ever thought that they would see one of these out of the world vessels. And here was one now before them. The other five floated above them in silence and glowed with an inner light that turned even the shadows into lighted areas. There was nowhere to hide, so they must stand their ground and fight and die like the Islamic Warriors they were.
The saucer shape in front of them suddenly lowered a ramp down to the ground. Major Mujahidh goggled and then felt a rush of fury through him as he saw a woman flanked by two large figures come striding down the ramp and advance on him. They had sent a mere female to talk to him and she was probably an infidel besides!
Evana stopped ten feet from the Major and Captain and waited for them to make a move. After standing there for a few minutes she decided that it was up to her.
Evana/Comm Mode: “Rover please make sure that this Telefactor translates my words into Farsi. These men look to be on a hair trigger.”
Rover/Comm Mode: “Everything is set up for you. The Samurai’s are generating low level shields and are prepared to increase defensive strength if any one attempts to shoot at you.”
Evana/Comm Mode: “Thank you, that makes me feel better knowing that.”
“Good Afternoon Major, Captain.” Evana’s Telefactor spoke in Farsi. “I am Lt. Commander Evana Thomas of the Terran Space Navy. You and the people here are under Bloc-“
“Silence! You Infidel, how dare you, a woman, speak to me without my leave. You have attacked us first and now you send a woman to tell us these things. I will not listen to you any further.” The Major said loudly so all of his men could see and hear him.
Evana on the other hand was shocked. No one had ever spoken to her like this. She was very, very close to losing her own temper. Then it was like a gentle cold rain falling on her from within, her clarity returned and her emotions were under strict control. She listened for another minute or so to the Major in front of her belittling her and trying to provoke her into a lethal reaction.
Evana/Comm Mode: “Rover, have this Jerk of a Major pulled up and ISO-tubed immediately. Then we will see if the Captain here is willing to listen to me.”
Rover/Comm Mode: “Certainly, I believe that you have an 85% probability of being attacked if we don’t do this.” And then as an aside comment. “He does seem to have a problem with human females doesn’t he?”
Ariadne/Comm Mode: “Yes, he does. Unfortunately in this part of the world that has been under the sway of the dominant religion here, there is a deep distrust and dislike of women in general and Strong Women in specific.
Be careful here Evana and make sure that you stay within the Samurais defensive perimeter.”
Evana/Comm mode: “Good advice Ariadne. Thank you.”
The IUR Army Major had mistaken Evana’s silence for her being cowed by his blistering verbal attack. He took one step toward her and raised his right arm and then a golden glow surrounded him. He was pulled off of the ground and before he could even utter a word was in the ISO-tube carrier.
Evana with a calm expression on her face then looked at the IUR Captain in front of her. “Will you listen to what I have to say or will you and your men join the Major?”
He looked at her with wide eyes and visibly swallowed two times, and then as he was starting to speak a shot rang out from off to his left. The Samurai Defense Unit on Evana’s right reached out and plucked a bullet out of the air that was floating there in front of Evana. The Samurai then took two steps forward and took the Captains right hand in his left and gently placed the hot bullet into his palm. Two steps back and he was in his place again guarding Evana’s right side.
The Captain looked at the bullet in his hand and then dropped it quickly as his brain finally reacted to the sensation of heat. As he shook his hand wildly to cool it off he turned and issued his own commands.
“Sergeant! Find out who fired that round! I will deal with him shortly. Have the rest of the men lay down their weapons and dismount the vehicles. NOW!”
Then he turned to Evana and started to apologize. “Lt. Commander Thomas, please forgive my men. You must admit that this is something that they haven’t trained for.”
Evana in turn looked at him closely as he was speaking then she nodded her head once. “I forgive them and yourself also. What I have to say is important. Are you ready to listen?”
“Yes, I am ready to hear what you have to say.”
“Good, please have your men form up then, I really only want to say this once.” Evana directed.
Within a few minutes all of the men of the IUR Army detachment were standing at attention in front of Evana.
Evana then began to speak using the loudspeaker technology in the IGD’s that were still stealthed and hovering overhead. “Good Afternoon, I am Lt. Commander Evana Thomas of the Terran Space Navy. We have placed this area under a blockade identical to the one surrounding the Iranian Unified Republic.
The Terran Space Navy has declared War on the IUR. We did not do this on a whim or lightly. The Declaration of War was issued for one and only one reason. The leadership of the IUR had their scientist’s developed a Biological War Weapon and they intended to release this weapon on this world known as Earth E15714.
If this weapon known as ‘Shaitan’s breath’ is successfully released then humanity here will die. It has a kill rate of 99.99%. Very efficient don’t you think? And yes, you are included in those numbers. And why do you ask? The Imam Al-Quds believes that the 12th Imam will be revealed and save all the true believers and Islam will rule the Earth.
Leaving aside religiou
s beliefs, the mission of the Terran Space Navy is to Protect and Nurture the Human race, all of it, not just a portion of it. We will not let it destroy itself again. The building behind you that proclaims that it is an Agricultural Research facility is in fact the home of ‘Shaitan’s Breath’. The Scientists and the military group under Colonel Al-Quds have left this place and gone elsewhere.
The Terran Space Navy found them and most but not all of the vials of ‘Shaitan’s Breath’. We are here now to search this place and others nearby. You are being given two choices. Either help us or get out of the way.”
Evana paused and looked at the men in front of her closely and then she asked. “Which one do you wish to take?”
The Captain looked very troubled as he stood in front of his men. Then he asked, “If we help you, what would we be doing?”
“You would be asked to gather up the Civilian Leaders and Doctors that are within the Blockade shield. The TSN will give you tools to diagnose if the ‘Shaitan’s Breath’ has infected anyone.
You will be asked to keep order here amongst the people of the IUR who have had the misfortune to be trapped in here with you.
In return we will provide medical assistance, Electrical Power and Food. If it becomes necessary we will move you to a refugee camp on the moon with the other refugees from the IUR.”
“Why don’t you just allow us to leave here?” The Captain asked Evana.
“It’s our policy that all of those people who are enclosed within an actual or potential Bio-Hazard Contamination Zone must stay or be evacuated. You are all potentially infected or carriers of Shaitan’s Breath. We have machines call Scanner-Arches that will aid in determining that. But they are experimental still, so truly only time will tell for now. And that time could be as short as six months or as long as several years.
We just don’t know with certainty right now.” Evana told him in total candor.
Captain Atwi listened to her closely. After she finished speaking he asked her for some privacy as he talked this over with his men. Evana in turn agreed and went back up the ramp into Rover.
“Well! That went a little easier than it started off didn’t it?” She asked Rover
“It did, at least it did once the Major was removed from the equation. Speaking of the Major, I have bad news, his boots were contaminated with ‘Shaitan’s Breath’s” spores. This area is definitely contaminated.” Rover notified her. “Also, for your information, your Telefactor was checked and is still ‘clean’.”
“Damn!” Evana exclaimed in frustration. “Ok, how soon can we get a Scanner-Arch here? Next do we have the means to put a spherical shield around the Lab? Maybe out to a mile or so?
“Ariadne here. I am having several of the Blockade drones modified to project such a field. They will be at your location as soon as the modifications are complete.”
“The Scanner-Arches arrived two minutes ago, Evana.” Rover reported.
“Good!, Good… Is that Captain done talking to his men yet?”
“No, not yet. Let’s give them 10 minutes more. It doesn’t matter now. Either they are or are not contaminated on an individual basis. This area as a whole is now an official contaminated zone.” Rover told her. “On a related subject the Donkey seller Faisal has been located and is under observation. There are quite a large number of Donkeys there right now. Hopefully the two vials are also.”
Evana asked Ariadne to send over at least two Gunships with more Samurai Defense Units. They were to be deployed around the perimeter of Faisal’s business under cloak. She definitely did not want to see the vials if they were still there slip out before she could get there.
“Evana, they are done talking and appear to be awaiting you.” Rover told her a few minutes later.
“Thank you, Rover. I’m going down this time in full spacesuit mode. Maybe that will get their attention?” Evana said with a grin.
This time Evana did come down the ramp with the two Samurais beside her. And yes, her Shipsuit had extruded the clear helmet and gloves that sealed it off from the outside environment. As she strode up to the IUR Captain she saw him looking at her strangely.
“Captain Atwi, when the Major was taken aboard the ISO-Tube carrier he was examined for ‘Shaitan’s Breath’. I am truly sorry to report that his boots were indeed contaminated with spores. We don’t know if he is infected also. We immediately put him into suspended animation to protect his life.”
The Captain and the Lieutenant and Sergeant with him got very strange looks on their faces and then paled as the import of what was being said dawned on them. As Evana was talking a Scanner-Arch was being lowered to the ground nearly a mile away.
“Captain, please march your men to the Scanner-Arch. If there is anything you feel you will need later then take it now. This area is about to be sealed off within another Shield and once it’s up you will not be allowed to come back in.” Evana directed him.
Captain Atwi was still coming to terms with the entire chain of events he found himself in. But for the moment it was easier to follow the TSN Officer’s directions. After issuing his own orders all of his men formed up and marched to the location of the Scanner-Arch with his Infantry fighting vehicles following behind them.
Evana in turn chose to walk with the IUR Captain and have Rover move out of the contaminated zone around the ‘Shaitan’s Breath’ Lab.
“Captain, do you know how the Major was contaminated? Did he go into the Lab building or did he just walk around it? Was anyone with him?” Evana asked him
“Major Mujahidh was already here when I and my men arrived. Corporal Fawaz was his driver. Let me have him come here and we will ask him.”
A minute later the corporal was jogging up the line of marching men and was beside Captain Atwi. Once Evana’s question was relayed to him he told them both.
“The Major and I walked around the building together and looked in several of the windows. I stayed outside to watch out for the Captain here and his men while the Major used a key that he had to go inside.
He was in there only a few minutes and said that it looked to be abandoned and that there was a smell of something having been burned in the air. But he saw nothing in the rooms he could open the doors to.”
“Thank you Corporal.” Captain Atwi told him and then turned his head to Evana was walking beside them. “Does that help you?”
“Yes, it does Captain. Corporal Fawaz you have just volunteered to be the first to go through the Scanner-Arch up there.” She said pointing her finger at the Scanner-Arch that sat only one hundred yards away. Just then there was a sound of displacing air as the Laboratory complex was encased in a spherical shield behind the marching group of soldiers.
The Corporal looked at Evana in her Spacesuit uneasily then he asked her. “What does that thing do?”
“As I was telling the Captain here, the Scanner-Arch is a device for detecting the ‘Shaitan’s Breath’ Bio-weapon. It will also check your general health and see if you have any medical problems. All you have to do is walk through it. You won’t be touched or asked to remove your clothing. It’s a very easy thing to do. If you would like I will walk ahead of you to demonstrate.” Evana told the Corporal with the Captain listening in carefully.
“And if I am infected with this thing you call ‘Shaitan’s Breath’, then what?” The Corporal asked cautiously.
“Then you will be immediately placed into suspended animation in an ISO-Tube like the Major was. You won’t even have a chance to be afraid.” Evana told the Corporal honestly.
“Do you have any questions for me Captain Atwi?”
“Yes, I do, Lt. Commander Thomas.” He said, “But let me get my men through this first then we must talk.”
And true to her word Evana walked through the Scanner-Arch followed close behind by Corporal Fawaz and Captain Atwi. They all were clean and feeling very relieved when they emerged and then the Captain was having the rest of his men and equipment going through the Scanner-Arch. No one else
was contaminated leaving only the vehicles that were too big to fit through.
Evana/Comm Mode: “Rover, can we scan these vehicles with the equipment we have here?”
Rover/Comm Mode: “I believe so, but doing so might damage them. I will ask Susannah to make a bigger Scanner-Arch capable of scanning Vehicles.”
In less than a minute Rover had an answer.
Rover/Comm Mode: “Susannah says that it will take some time to research and fabricate such devices. I recommend using the more energy intensive means we use in scanning the countryside with the IGD’s Heavy scanner.”
Evana/Comm Mode: “Let me tell the Captain here first so they don’t freak out if one of their BMP’s gets trashed.”
