Read Online Talosian Chronicles 6: Armageddon by Ben Winston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ben Winston
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up at Fort Irwin, California.
The real battalion commander, Lt. Colonel Ferguson, had been called back to Colorado for some kind of general staff meeting. Dentin sighed; well, at least they had war games to play while out here. He finished putting on his gear and walked out to where his command staff was assembling. They were to make an assault on one of the larger hills in the area. They would move out to their staging area, then begin the mock assault.
They had only been moving for about a half hour when the lead unit reported that someone was out here. Several figures and two strange aircraft were moving around in the desert. What they were doing was unclear at this time, but the people seemed to be wearing some kind of medieval armor.
Dentin felt his heart lurch. This was the real reason they were out here, to watch for this. He immediately grabbed the radio handset. “This is delta-six-four actual. Flash priority! All units stop, I repeat stop in place and await further orders. Alpha two-two, keep a close watch on those visitors. All commanders report in person now!” He switched radios; “Whisky Base, this is delta six-four. Activate plan ‘Grifter’, I say again activate ‘Grifter’, over."
“Delta six-four, I acknowledge, ‘Grifter’. The trucks are on their way. Good luck.”
Plan Grifter was the contingency plan if the troops actually found someone out here that didn’t belong. Dentin had a brief flash of doubt that he might be activating the plan early but the report said that the people seemed to be wearing armor? In the desert? Hell, it was only oh-seven-thirty now, and he was already sweating. Anyone dumb enough to wear heavy armor in this heat was either crazy, or… or was exactly what Dentin had been told to watch for.
“Roger whiskey base, pass the word immediately. I want the strike force ready as soon as possible. Delta six-four, out.”
He turned to his own crew, who were watching him in curious silence. He knew they would all be able to hear the briefing he was about to give his company commanders, so they would learn the truth soon enough. “Drop the ramp, we have a major change in plan. Strip all the blank ammo out of your weapons and the Bradleys’ guns. We’re getting live ammo. Olson, you head up the line and pass the word to strip out all the blanks and get ready to reload fast. Evens, you head back down the line. It’ll be full combat load, boys, now go!” The two young men ran off to relay his orders.
Looking back along the armored column, he could see the approaching trucks led by the Sergeant Major himself. Each truck held live ammo for a platoon of the battalion’s vehicles, and had been sitting under cover and guarded back at the cantonment area. The drivers must have known their assignments well, because each truck pulled up to a vehicle. Two men, the driver and one other, jumped out and took up defensive positions with their M-16’s while calling instructions to the vehicle crew. Each crew jumped to comply; everyone seemed to be sensing the importance of this event. At least nothing weird had started happening yet.
The company commanders had arrived, so he turned to give them the briefing he was sure none of them would believe.
“Okay, I know you have questions; trust me, you’ll have more in a few minutes. Do any of you remember the report of a military tanker plane crashing out here last year?” He paused as most of them nodded. “Well, that’s not exactly what happened. What I was told was that there was a small town here. I was also told that it had been completely destroyed. I mean not even a twig left. Now, the thing that confirms this is that it happened right in front of a battalion of Marines. There had been some kind of major battle and the town had taken a hell of a beating.
"As it turns out, that town was really a base for those guys up in space that say they are defending us from aliens or some such. We got word a few days ago that these
The real battalion commander, Lt. Colonel Ferguson, had been called back to Colorado for some kind of general staff meeting. Dentin sighed; well, at least they had war games to play while out here. He finished putting on his gear and walked out to where his command staff was assembling. They were to make an assault on one of the larger hills in the area. They would move out to their staging area, then begin the mock assault.
They had only been moving for about a half hour when the lead unit reported that someone was out here. Several figures and two strange aircraft were moving around in the desert. What they were doing was unclear at this time, but the people seemed to be wearing some kind of medieval armor.
Dentin felt his heart lurch. This was the real reason they were out here, to watch for this. He immediately grabbed the radio handset. “This is delta-six-four actual. Flash priority! All units stop, I repeat stop in place and await further orders. Alpha two-two, keep a close watch on those visitors. All commanders report in person now!” He switched radios; “Whisky Base, this is delta six-four. Activate plan ‘Grifter’, I say again activate ‘Grifter’, over."
“Delta six-four, I acknowledge, ‘Grifter’. The trucks are on their way. Good luck.”
Plan Grifter was the contingency plan if the troops actually found someone out here that didn’t belong. Dentin had a brief flash of doubt that he might be activating the plan early but the report said that the people seemed to be wearing armor? In the desert? Hell, it was only oh-seven-thirty now, and he was already sweating. Anyone dumb enough to wear heavy armor in this heat was either crazy, or… or was exactly what Dentin had been told to watch for.
“Roger whiskey base, pass the word immediately. I want the strike force ready as soon as possible. Delta six-four, out.”
He turned to his own crew, who were watching him in curious silence. He knew they would all be able to hear the briefing he was about to give his company commanders, so they would learn the truth soon enough. “Drop the ramp, we have a major change in plan. Strip all the blank ammo out of your weapons and the Bradleys’ guns. We’re getting live ammo. Olson, you head up the line and pass the word to strip out all the blanks and get ready to reload fast. Evens, you head back down the line. It’ll be full combat load, boys, now go!” The two young men ran off to relay his orders.
Looking back along the armored column, he could see the approaching trucks led by the Sergeant Major himself. Each truck held live ammo for a platoon of the battalion’s vehicles, and had been sitting under cover and guarded back at the cantonment area. The drivers must have known their assignments well, because each truck pulled up to a vehicle. Two men, the driver and one other, jumped out and took up defensive positions with their M-16’s while calling instructions to the vehicle crew. Each crew jumped to comply; everyone seemed to be sensing the importance of this event. At least nothing weird had started happening yet.
The company commanders had arrived, so he turned to give them the briefing he was sure none of them would believe.
“Okay, I know you have questions; trust me, you’ll have more in a few minutes. Do any of you remember the report of a military tanker plane crashing out here last year?” He paused as most of them nodded. “Well, that’s not exactly what happened. What I was told was that there was a small town here. I was also told that it had been completely destroyed. I mean not even a twig left. Now, the thing that confirms this is that it happened right in front of a battalion of Marines. There had been some kind of major battle and the town had taken a hell of a beating.
"As it turns out, that town was really a base for those guys up in space that say they are defending us from aliens or some such. We got word a few days ago that these
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