Read Online Up From the Depths by J. R. Jackson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J. R. Jackson
Tags: Science-Fiction, Literature & Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Genre Fiction, post apocalyptic
Ads: Link
personnel to place them in positions that would provide overlapping coverage. While the fighting positions were being built, Ackley had taken the time to poll the residents to see who had any experience with the operation of such weapons.
The M119 was of British design and had quite a unique way of being used. The right wheel had to be removed when emplacing the piece then reinstalled. Unlike the older artillery pieces, this was quite different. For road travel, the barrel was moved to the six O’clock position and that required the right wheel to again be removed and reinstalled. To Ackley, the whole concept of removing and replacing a wheel to get the barrel aligned was too much like masturbation without the reward. Whoever thought of this concept was someone who could sell ice cubes to the Inuit in the far northern reaches of the Arctic Circle. It didn’t make a lot of sense as modern artillery was more a shoot and scoot procedure because the advanced science of counter-battery fire was now a serious threat. That threat was non-existent in this changed new world and it was pretty unlikely that if they had to evacuate Cascade for any reason that they’d be spending time configuring artillery pieces for road travel.
A fairly unpleasant aroma announced the arrival of Shorty, Cascade’s mechanical genius. Ackley turned and looked at the short, rotund man who wore a heavily stained CAT baseball cap tilted at an angle. His coveralls had been a dark blue at one time, now they were covered in grease, oil, hydraulic fluid, spilled beverages, and slopped meals.
“That’s close enough, Shorty,” Ackley said, his eyes starting to water from the heavy stench of body odor. “You fix that trailer yet?”
Shorty, no one knew his last name and he wasn’t offering, turned his head to one side and spit a stream of brown tobacco juice then used the back of his hand to wipe the dribble from his mouth.
“It’s as fixed at its going to get,” Shorty said. “I done told Martin and them other boys that they need to start shopping for a new one. This one is about fixed at its going to get.”
Ackley thought for a moment, there were all kinds of cargo trailers at Lewis. But, only Martin’s Unimog and the military vehicles had the correct hitch attachment to use them. But, there were several trailer sales outlets inside their forage circle and those usually contained a large selection of cargo trailers. He’d mention that to Martin at the next meeting.
“What those boys building over there? Looks like a big ass circle jerk,” Shorty said, peering around Ackley to look at the artillery piece. “That sure is a right mighty big gun,” he said, punctuating his sentence with another ejection of tobacco juice and a wipe of his hand across his mouth.
“You think they need any help over there?” Shorty asked his use of the word help came out as ‘hep’.
“They got it under control,” Ackley said.
“That’s a real pretty gun for sure,” Shorty said before he turned and walked back to his shop. Ackley was glad that the town had someone of Shorty’s skills but being in his presence was a whole different experience.
Ackley’s two-way radio crackled, announcing that the last forage run to Lewis was leaving in thirty minutes. He turned from the crew working on the M119 and headed in the direction of the East Gate where the convoy was forming. He wanted to make sure the forage team knew to look for water filtration equipment and supplies. There was a serious need to prevent waterborne illnesses. He had seen what Guardia and Cholera could do and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. On the plus side, the walk would help clean out his nasal passages.
***
Chapter 10
DARPA Facility, Nevada Desert
“Don’t you see? This makes all the difference,” Chambers stated vehemently to Heller. “This could be the start to unraveling all this. The virus manufactures this compound and that in turn makes the infected appear impervious
The M119 was of British design and had quite a unique way of being used. The right wheel had to be removed when emplacing the piece then reinstalled. Unlike the older artillery pieces, this was quite different. For road travel, the barrel was moved to the six O’clock position and that required the right wheel to again be removed and reinstalled. To Ackley, the whole concept of removing and replacing a wheel to get the barrel aligned was too much like masturbation without the reward. Whoever thought of this concept was someone who could sell ice cubes to the Inuit in the far northern reaches of the Arctic Circle. It didn’t make a lot of sense as modern artillery was more a shoot and scoot procedure because the advanced science of counter-battery fire was now a serious threat. That threat was non-existent in this changed new world and it was pretty unlikely that if they had to evacuate Cascade for any reason that they’d be spending time configuring artillery pieces for road travel.
A fairly unpleasant aroma announced the arrival of Shorty, Cascade’s mechanical genius. Ackley turned and looked at the short, rotund man who wore a heavily stained CAT baseball cap tilted at an angle. His coveralls had been a dark blue at one time, now they were covered in grease, oil, hydraulic fluid, spilled beverages, and slopped meals.
“That’s close enough, Shorty,” Ackley said, his eyes starting to water from the heavy stench of body odor. “You fix that trailer yet?”
Shorty, no one knew his last name and he wasn’t offering, turned his head to one side and spit a stream of brown tobacco juice then used the back of his hand to wipe the dribble from his mouth.
“It’s as fixed at its going to get,” Shorty said. “I done told Martin and them other boys that they need to start shopping for a new one. This one is about fixed at its going to get.”
Ackley thought for a moment, there were all kinds of cargo trailers at Lewis. But, only Martin’s Unimog and the military vehicles had the correct hitch attachment to use them. But, there were several trailer sales outlets inside their forage circle and those usually contained a large selection of cargo trailers. He’d mention that to Martin at the next meeting.
“What those boys building over there? Looks like a big ass circle jerk,” Shorty said, peering around Ackley to look at the artillery piece. “That sure is a right mighty big gun,” he said, punctuating his sentence with another ejection of tobacco juice and a wipe of his hand across his mouth.
“You think they need any help over there?” Shorty asked his use of the word help came out as ‘hep’.
“They got it under control,” Ackley said.
“That’s a real pretty gun for sure,” Shorty said before he turned and walked back to his shop. Ackley was glad that the town had someone of Shorty’s skills but being in his presence was a whole different experience.
Ackley’s two-way radio crackled, announcing that the last forage run to Lewis was leaving in thirty minutes. He turned from the crew working on the M119 and headed in the direction of the East Gate where the convoy was forming. He wanted to make sure the forage team knew to look for water filtration equipment and supplies. There was a serious need to prevent waterborne illnesses. He had seen what Guardia and Cholera could do and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. On the plus side, the walk would help clean out his nasal passages.
***
Chapter 10
DARPA Facility, Nevada Desert
“Don’t you see? This makes all the difference,” Chambers stated vehemently to Heller. “This could be the start to unraveling all this. The virus manufactures this compound and that in turn makes the infected appear impervious
Similar Books
