Read Online Warzone: Nemesis: A Novel of Mars by Morris Graham - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Morris Graham
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oxygen extraction and steel mill, meager medical equipment and supplies for a sick bay, food, water and fuel.
His personnel would be his command staff, the construction crew, one doctor, one clergyman who was cross-trained as a nurse, a few support staff, and three shifts of tactical operation technicians. All but five of the pilots of the transport freighters were also his combat pilots. CPT America, who had the lead ship, the pilots of the two fuel tankers and the two water tankers weren’t part of his crew. His pilots who would remain were all cross-trained to work in the oxygen extraction and steel mill or the factory they would construct to build artillery pieces, work and combat vessels. The construction process used a lot of fuel and water, so as soon as one water or fuel tanker was empty, they flew back for a refill at top speed. His construction crew was cross-trained as his artillery battery. More personnel, food, supplies, and equipment would be would be arriving with each vessel returning. One small vessel was left behind for shuttling any emergency spare parts for equipment breakdowns. It was faster and lighter and could make the trip from Earth to Luna in only twelve hours. A total of one hundred and twenty men would be on the first trip. His construction battalion was ready to lift off.
July 13, 1970—Seventeen Hundred Zulu
“Colonel, all preflight checks are complete. All systems are go: all cargo loaded and accounted for, and all personnel ready to embark,” reported his executive officer LTC Judgment Day.
“Very good, load up.” His XO gave the order for all personnel to enter the ships.
Luna was a sixteen hour trip. The first one hundred and twenty men would sleep most of the way there. This would get them ready for the grueling pace of setting the new post up before the Soviets attempted to lay siege to it. Six of the freighters would be unloaded and return quickly to pick up more equipment, supplies, and another one hundred and twenty men. It would be another thirty-four hours after they landed before they were relieved.
The American fleet of sixteen transport freighters, one by one lifted off from their secret post in Utah. They were painted sky-blue to limit the amount of possible UFO sightings. It was imperative civilians didn’t see their ships. All civilians had been removed from a one hundred square mile area, under the pretext that the EPA was checking for radiation leakage from some old uranium mines.
It was good to be connected
, thought the colonel.
“Captain, get us there ASAP,” COL Red Fangs ordered.
“Aye sir, full speed it is.” So it was on the third day, at seventeen hundred, the American fleet left for Luna, unsure of what they would find there.
CPT Walker recently had undergone a name change as per orders. He was now referring to himself as CPT America, and his transport freighter the
America
was the lead vessel. COL Red Fangs regarded the name as a good omen. The colonel hated this part of any assignment. The waiting was unsettling, especially knowing his good friend COL Cavender and all hands may be dead by the time he arrived.
LUNA—July 13, 1970
Nineteen Forty-Two Zulu
COL Red Fangs was reading the file’s documents for the tenth time. The summary on the last page contained the physical parameters that defined how they would conduct their mission.
Summary… ‘Luna has no atmosphere. Its gravity is 16.6% of Earth’s. To keep their cardiovascular system healthy over a long period of time, the men were required to exercise by carrying weights to overcompensate for the weak gravity. The Lunar month is 27.225 Earth days, half of which has around the clock intense light and heat, reaching temperatures up to 265 °F/129 °C, while the dark period gets as cold as -170 °F/-112 °C. Because daylight and dark periods are nearly two weeks long, post operations will keep Earth Zulu time and date, and operate on twenty-four hour days, seven day weeks to keep the men
His personnel would be his command staff, the construction crew, one doctor, one clergyman who was cross-trained as a nurse, a few support staff, and three shifts of tactical operation technicians. All but five of the pilots of the transport freighters were also his combat pilots. CPT America, who had the lead ship, the pilots of the two fuel tankers and the two water tankers weren’t part of his crew. His pilots who would remain were all cross-trained to work in the oxygen extraction and steel mill or the factory they would construct to build artillery pieces, work and combat vessels. The construction process used a lot of fuel and water, so as soon as one water or fuel tanker was empty, they flew back for a refill at top speed. His construction crew was cross-trained as his artillery battery. More personnel, food, supplies, and equipment would be would be arriving with each vessel returning. One small vessel was left behind for shuttling any emergency spare parts for equipment breakdowns. It was faster and lighter and could make the trip from Earth to Luna in only twelve hours. A total of one hundred and twenty men would be on the first trip. His construction battalion was ready to lift off.
July 13, 1970—Seventeen Hundred Zulu
“Colonel, all preflight checks are complete. All systems are go: all cargo loaded and accounted for, and all personnel ready to embark,” reported his executive officer LTC Judgment Day.
“Very good, load up.” His XO gave the order for all personnel to enter the ships.
Luna was a sixteen hour trip. The first one hundred and twenty men would sleep most of the way there. This would get them ready for the grueling pace of setting the new post up before the Soviets attempted to lay siege to it. Six of the freighters would be unloaded and return quickly to pick up more equipment, supplies, and another one hundred and twenty men. It would be another thirty-four hours after they landed before they were relieved.
The American fleet of sixteen transport freighters, one by one lifted off from their secret post in Utah. They were painted sky-blue to limit the amount of possible UFO sightings. It was imperative civilians didn’t see their ships. All civilians had been removed from a one hundred square mile area, under the pretext that the EPA was checking for radiation leakage from some old uranium mines.
It was good to be connected
, thought the colonel.
“Captain, get us there ASAP,” COL Red Fangs ordered.
“Aye sir, full speed it is.” So it was on the third day, at seventeen hundred, the American fleet left for Luna, unsure of what they would find there.
CPT Walker recently had undergone a name change as per orders. He was now referring to himself as CPT America, and his transport freighter the
America
was the lead vessel. COL Red Fangs regarded the name as a good omen. The colonel hated this part of any assignment. The waiting was unsettling, especially knowing his good friend COL Cavender and all hands may be dead by the time he arrived.
LUNA—July 13, 1970
Nineteen Forty-Two Zulu
COL Red Fangs was reading the file’s documents for the tenth time. The summary on the last page contained the physical parameters that defined how they would conduct their mission.
Summary… ‘Luna has no atmosphere. Its gravity is 16.6% of Earth’s. To keep their cardiovascular system healthy over a long period of time, the men were required to exercise by carrying weights to overcompensate for the weak gravity. The Lunar month is 27.225 Earth days, half of which has around the clock intense light and heat, reaching temperatures up to 265 °F/129 °C, while the dark period gets as cold as -170 °F/-112 °C. Because daylight and dark periods are nearly two weeks long, post operations will keep Earth Zulu time and date, and operate on twenty-four hour days, seven day weeks to keep the men
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