Chapter 2
CMOC Command centre, Cheyenne Mountains, Colorado Spring, Co, 0835 hrs
Akeno focused heavily on her surroundings. She had never seen anything this big before. She had only had general information on the base and heard basic stories and rumors.
The Cheyenne Mountain is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Centre (CMOC). In recent years it had changed its name back to CMOC.
During the Cold War and continuing to today, the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Centre and Cheyenne Mountain Directorate collect data from a worldwide system of satellites, radar, and other sensors and process that information in real time. Operations are conducted year-round in the Air Warning Centre, Missile Correlation Centre, Operational Intelligence Watch, Systems Centre, Weather Centre, and the Command Centre. The design of this facility makes it one of the most unusual installations in the world. Apart from the fact that it is housed 2,000 feet (600 m) into the mountain, it is also notable in that it is a joint and bi-national military organization comprising over 200 men and women from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Canadian Forces.
As she strode further and further inside of the complex, Akeno became absolutely amazed by the sheer size and audacity of the complex. It was a labyrinth of complex and snaking tunnels, feeding off one another like a newborn baby would its mother. The complex was made out of a variety of materials such as carbon steel plates supported by steel frames. Metal walls and tunnels served to attenuate electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Metal doors at each building entrance served as fire doors to help contain fire and smoke. Blast valves, installed in reinforced concrete bulkheads, had been placed in the exhaust and air intake supply, as well as water, fuel, and sewer lines. The complex was designed originally designed to withstand a 5 megaton nuclear weapon. It was clear to see that it was made with nuclear fighting in mind. As such, it was a complete and self-sufficient complex, gathering its own water supply from within the confines of the mountain.
It had been improved drastically over the years, and the list of improvements could go on and on; Leah was very impressed.
Akeno reached a checkpoint of some kind. There were numerous guards standing watch around the vicinity. Their ever shifting eyes caressing ever passer-by that didn?t belong in the complex. At the same time, there was another guard who was checking everyone?s ID and handing out folders and documents of some kind. These must have been the information and press packs that Larry had told her about early on. She watched carefully. The guard was more like a machine than man. He would stop the person, check their identification tags, do a full body-scan on the person, then hand out the documents to the person and direct them to where they needed to go. He didn?t engage in useless chit chat, he didn?t pay any more attention to them than need be; only stopping on certain occasions when someone was not following the protocol commands he was given. He was ruthlessly efficient.
Akeno soon reached the checkpoint. She went through the same process that everyone else went through and was then herded to the back like abandoned cattle. She scanned the contents of the press pack. Nothing special. The usual guide to the day?s events, bio?s on some of the important people that would be speaking at the event and the same old tips and resources that Larry always threw at her.
After a 15 minute wait the doors to the chamber opened. There was a gasp from some of the people behind Akeno. The room was magnificently large. It had mounted monitors on the ceiling, vast rows of benches and tables to sit on, each facing the enormous stage at the front of the room. It was big enough, and the seating was elevated enough, to make sure that the stage and the podium on the stage were the centre of attention.
Everyone rushed into the room and went to their designate places. There was a lot of murmuring going on, and Akeno decided to use this brief period to collect her thoughts. Her mind was wondering back to the recurring nightmare she had been having. It was still fresh in her mind, still as vivid as if it had happened only minutes before. She was trying to piece it all together, but couldn?t make any sense of it at all. She had been seeing a highly recommended dream therapist and psychologist in Dr Devon Andrews, for the past month and a half. He had been helping her try to organise her thoughts and clarify her mind, in order to best understand the dream and herself. She had an appointment with him tomorrow. Dr Andrews had said he had a method he had developed himself that he now wanted to try on her. She had no idea what it was, he was being secretive, but whatever it was, she hoped it would work, as she had an important promise to keep, and this dream could be a key clue.
Once everyone had entered the room and was seated. The huge steel reinforced doors closed, with a thud. Everyone looked around, a bit taken by surprise. They were all now sealed inside this huge chamber. Before anyone had a chance to collect their thoughts, a piercing voice echoed around the room.
?Good morning, ladies and gentleman, I?m glad you could all come at such an early time in the morning. My name is General Adam Weiss, and I am in charge of CMOC command centre here in these mountains?
Everyone immediately fixed their attention upon the stage in front of them, and where out if nowhere a man had appeared as if from thin air and was addressing this now captivated audience. Akeno immediately opened up her file, and scanned down the list of speakers. A lot of other people must have read her mind as they completed the same action.Akeno soon found the page she wanted and scanned down it. The guy had an exemplary record. Was born in North Carolina, Graduated from west point at the top of his class and with full honours, Completed five tours of the Middle East during the ?terrorist wars? of the early 2000?s. Had won many bravery awards and purple hearts during his service there, after that things were a bit slow for him, but he was then given command of this complex 2 years ago, and has since turned it into a dynamic centre of operations for the entire military structure of the United States.
Akeno was impressed by this man?s record. She fixed her gaze upon him again him again. He was just as impressive as his record suggested. He appeared to be 6?2? in height, was slim line, and had greying hair, which could be attributed to his age of 52, but looked very athletic and focused. His clean shaven look and military style crew-cut, gave him a formidable appearance. His stance, which was perfectly straight, only accentuated his height and presence. He stood there, silent, as if he expected the commotion, expected people to be checking up on who he was.
After a few more minutes he spoke up. His voice carved through the air, and suddenly the excitement boiled down, and the attention was focused upon him again.
?Ladies and gentleman, quiet down please. Today?s meeting is an important. It?s about the war with the Mechanoids. We have decided upon a plan to combat them once and for all. But I won?t waste your time anymore. The man to explain this is right here...?
General Weiss stepped away from the podium as another figure stepped onto the stage. Everyone stared in amazement. Everyone knew who the figure was that had just stepped upon the stage, no-one needed to check up in their neatly arranged files. This man was a war-hero.
There was no need for an introduction. Everyone on the whole planet should know who this man walking towards the podium was, let alone the people that now occupied the room.
Akeno was completely absorbed by the presence of the man now standing at the podium. She immediately went to the mental safe in her head and started to unravel the information on this man.
The war with the Mechanoids was now in its fifth year. At the start of the war, the Mechanoids invaded the solar system and made a b-line straight towards its most populated planet; Earth. There was a huge armada of alien vessels, and the whole of the planet was in a state of complete panic. For one year Earth forces had been fighting the Mechanoids, and had never won a single space battle against them. Every single time, Earth forces got destroyed and outmanoeuvred by superior handling and technology. Now suddenly, out of the blue, a huge armada came before the planet Earth. How could they possibly hope to win such a fleet, where they had failed miserably at every other opportunity?
One man was able to step up to the plate and answer Earth?s distress call. It was an Admiral by the name Nelson Halsey. Named after two famous Admirals from history, and two men-known for their no nonsense aggressive attacks on their enemies. Nelson, this Admiral was about to show that he too was of the same steel as these men. Nelson proved to be a very astute leader, and also showed he was a man who knew his history and could take advantage of a single weakness in an enemy. Nelson had served in junior positions against the Mechanoid fleets before and had studied carefully their patterns of attack. He had noticed that for a very short period of time the Mechanoid fleets would stop and seemingly drop their defences. He deduced that ships were probably linked to a ?hive? mind and were receiving orders. It therefore would allow for a small window of opportunity to attack and defeat them. He reminded himself that it was similar to the Spanish Armadas invasion of England in 1588. He decided that he would follow a strategy similar to what the English had used, but instead of using fire-ships, he would use his very own unique twist. He used a small fleet of Ships as decoys. The Mechanoids had used their advance technology to scan the ships, and when their scans revealed that there was no-one onboard the ships, they left them alone, and dropped their defences. The plan was a masterpiece. From around the back a nearby satellite swung Nelson and his fleet. The Mechanoids tried to sever the connection and bring their defences back up, but the ships that they had left alone, exploded and stopped them. Nelson destroyed 70% of the Mechanoids fleet that day, and became an instant hero. It was the last time that Earth would claim a victory over the Mechanoids in a space battle. Nelson had won fame on that battle, but like happened with most heroes; his fame followed him wherever he went. He couldn?t get any respite for him or his family. He later contracted a disease which paralyzed him down the entire right side of his body. He retired from service soon after. Yet here he stood, in Earths time of crisis, come to rescue her again.
Akenosmiled at how much she remembered, but this was basic knowledge on a man who was both widely known and regarded in all circles. She put away her thoughts quickly. It appeared Mr. Halsey was about to speak.
?Good Morning ladies and Gentleman? That statement alone was enough to elicit a response from some members of the crowd. Halsey politely smiled, waiting for the noise and commotion to quieten down. So it did, very quickly.
?It?s so nice to be back amongst the land of the living? This drew a laugh from the audience, although Leah could clearly recognise a sad undertone to that statement.
?Anyways, as you all know, we are now entering the fifth year of our war against the Mechanoid race. It?s a war that has cost us gravely; in resources, in time and in the lives of civilian and military casualties that have represented this brilliant planet we call Earth. Well that ends now! Me and my staff have developed a campaign plan that will defeat the Mechanoids at the very heart of their power?? Halsey slammed his fist onto the podium, like a judge wields their gavel. The emotion was evident in Halsey?s voice, and the crowd soon picked up on this. There were gasps, followed by a round of applause, as a new wave of optimism suddenly spread around the room.
Halsey waited for the noise to die down and then started to explain the new plan of action.
As each stage of the plan was revealed to the audience, Leah could clearly see, that the crowd were completely encapsulated, completely taken in by what this man was saying, and once more, they seemed to believe it would work.
The plan seemed very simple in concept at first. Halsey would use the plan that the Americans, and more importantly, his predecessor used during World War II, against the Japanese. Halsey?s fleet would ?planet hop? along each of the planets that were occupied by the Mechanoids, and re-occupy them for the human race, until they reached the heart of the Mechanoid powerbase. Just like happened in the pacific war, they would leave the weaker occupied planets to ?wither on the vine? and to a clean-up task force that would follow up at a later date. It was almost identical in plan to the one used during the pacific war, but this time in the deep hinterlands of space, instead of the vast waves of the Pacific Ocean. Yet, this man?s reputation alone had made them believe that this plan could and would be successful. He was a remarkable man. He hadn?t finished talking though.
?..However, this is not going to be an easy task. It will take time and patience. We need to take the initiative and we will. We have designated a special task force that will precede the arrival of our forces on each of the target planets. Major, would you like to come and explain more about your role to the crowd?
The rest of the crowd followed Admiral Halsey?s gaze to the top of the room. Down the stairs strode a tall, thin man. He had long flowing hair which ended just above his shoulders. He must have been in his early forties, but his face looked like it had seen a lot, and he had an eye patch covering his right eye. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit like apparel. Flanking him but just behind were two other men. One was a tall man, taller than the Major in front. He had a slim, athletic build, and he had a scar on the right side of his face. It was about 3 inches across from the corner of his mouth, and made him look very sinister. The other guy was smaller than the two. He looked Asian in origin. Adeline wouldn?t have been able to tell more than that, but she noticed a curved blade attached to side of his waist. Although she was no weapon expert, she could recognise the weapon instantly. It was a Kukri. A weapon used by the very famous mountain warriors of Nepal; The Ghurkha. He also had the look of a veteran. Both were wearing the same attire as the major.
These three men gave off a very powerful aura; and felAkenot a tingling sensation throughout her spinal cord, as they passed her. She feared these men.
As they reached the podium, Admiral Halsey stepped away, and daunting figure of the man with long hair, which Akeno assumed was the Major, stepped up to the podium; the two other men continued taking the flanking position they did as they had when striding down the stairs.
?Why thank you very much Admiral Halsey, for that kind introduction, most appreciated...?
It was a distinctive and educated sounding accent. Akeno had no idea who this man was, but she knew from his accent, that he was British. She also picked upon the hint of sarcasm in his opening remarks. Admiral Halsey obviously never, or refused to react if he did.
?Ladies and Gentleman of the audience, my name is Trevor Eyre. I am in charge of an organisation known as the wolf pack. The name of our game is intelligence gathering and infiltration. We will be the spearhead of Admiral Halsey?s vanguard fleet. Our mission is...Well its top secret, but I can tell you we will be at the focal point of every major strike that happens in this upcoming campaign. We will be both in the back and at the front of the frontlines?.however, enough of the pleasantries. I would like to change our schedule a little, and show you a little video if that?s ok...?? Admiral Halsey didn?t answer. It was obvious that Major Eyre was asking a rhetorical question and had every intention of playing the video anyway
?Mr. Andrews, if you please...? Eyre handed the tall scar-faced man an object, and as he placed the object into some kind of projector, The Ghurkha toned down the lights.
The video was a complete shocker. It showed graphic images of the Mechanoids eviscerating people, eating them, abusing them and burning down and destroying settlements. It showed the charred corpses of people. So shocking were the images that Adeline mind told her she could actually smell the burning and the rotting of the people. All around the room people started to gasp and groan. Some people were even force to vomit over the floor. The situation was made worse by the fact that there were mounted screens all around the arena, bringing the images very close to the audience, and in their faces.
Major Eyre continued to look on casually as if it was as common as an occurrence to him, as taking a stroll through the park
?Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that this video is very graphic, and not suitable for those of a weak disposition.? Eyre?s? voice could hardly be heard amongst the gasping and now angry voices of the audience in front of him. What could be heard though was the voice of Admiral Halsey telling someone to shut down the video, immediately. It was duly done, and the lights toned back up.
Major Eyre went back to addressing the now shocked and irate audience. Gone was the playful almost mocking tone he had displayed before, now it was a more sinister and cerebral voice.
?People, this is the type of enemy we are dealing with, the type of enemy we will have to fight. There is no time for talk and censoring of images. This is the true face of our enemy. An enemy that will stop at nothing to annihilate us, an enemy that will use any trick and method to defeat us and reach their objectives. I?m afraid, if we want to win, we will have to fight fire with fire??
Admiral Halsey barged in front of Major Eyre before he could finish his speech.
?That?s enough Major! I?m sorry about that little detour from our Major, we will fight this war at our own pace, and we will win. Now, as with every major mission that has taken place, over the last decade, we will invite a war photographer to the front lines with us, in order to capture the way the military operates, and the dangerous environments we work in. We will be taking applications from various companies, so please get them in a soon as possible.?
Akeno had a sudden vested interest in what was going on. Was this the opportunity which Larry had told her about in the early hours. She would definitely apply for this job. Who wouldn?t, when a position with the vanguard of a fleet on a dangerous an important mission, especially when led by a highly popular and revered war hero. However, she couldn?t seem to fix her gaze off the man who had just spoken. He was very mysterious indeed. Major Trevor Eyre. She would remember that name.
Major Eyre was casually watching the people around him. Watching at how calm they had become, now their ?hero? had taken centre stage again. It made him sick. They knew nothing of the rigours, of the true face of war, nor did they want too; only the news that made them happy, and believe, they were like trapped lab-rats who had never been exposed to the real world.
Suddenly the room started flashing red, as a huge alarm siren suddenly penetrated the airspace of the room. Everyone was instantly in a state of panic. Everyone accept Major Eyre and his two men.
A gentleman who looked like a good advert for an admin clerk ran over to the side of General Weiss, and whispered something into his ear. The same thing was then done with Admiral Halsey in turn. Both men?s facial expressions changed to one of sudden panic General Weiss instantly took to the podium...
?People please, can you leave the room in an orderly manner.? No-one was listening, as people scrambled towards the exit like a stampeding herd of Elephants, stepping over one another, trampling each other into the ground. Fear of the unknown had always been the enemy of the human race. They forget about everything but themselves in situations such as this. Survival of the fittest some would call it.
Admiral Halsey looked at Major Eyre, and nodded his head
Major Eyre smiled ?It?s Showtime boys..? and with that they left the scene in a hurry. Akeno who managed to not get herself caught in mob frenzy that was occurring, noticed this sudden escape, and her curiosity got the better of her, as she quietly hurried after them, off stage. Riko watched from the back as Akeno trid to exit the room ,but a group of reporters quickly surrounded her. He tries to rescue her but fails. then he pulls the fire alarm and all the reporters ran for the door "Thanks for the save." Akeno said blushing
CMOC Command centre, Cheyenne Mountains, Colorado Spring, Co, 0835 hrs
Akeno focused heavily on her surroundings. She had never seen anything this big before. She had only had general information on the base and heard basic stories and rumors.
The Cheyenne Mountain is home to the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and its Cheyenne Mountain Directorate, formerly known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Centre (CMOC). In recent years it had changed its name back to CMOC.
During the Cold War and continuing to today, the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Centre and Cheyenne Mountain Directorate collect data from a worldwide system of satellites, radar, and other sensors and process that information in real time. Operations are conducted year-round in the Air Warning Centre, Missile Correlation Centre, Operational Intelligence Watch, Systems Centre, Weather Centre, and the Command Centre. The design of this facility makes it one of the most unusual installations in the world. Apart from the fact that it is housed 2,000 feet (600 m) into the mountain, it is also notable in that it is a joint and bi-national military organization comprising over 200 men and women from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Canadian Forces.
As she strode further and further inside of the complex, Akeno became absolutely amazed by the sheer size and audacity of the complex. It was a labyrinth of complex and snaking tunnels, feeding off one another like a newborn baby would its mother. The complex was made out of a variety of materials such as carbon steel plates supported by steel frames. Metal walls and tunnels served to attenuate electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Metal doors at each building entrance served as fire doors to help contain fire and smoke. Blast valves, installed in reinforced concrete bulkheads, had been placed in the exhaust and air intake supply, as well as water, fuel, and sewer lines. The complex was designed originally designed to withstand a 5 megaton nuclear weapon. It was clear to see that it was made with nuclear fighting in mind. As such, it was a complete and self-sufficient complex, gathering its own water supply from within the confines of the mountain.
It had been improved drastically over the years, and the list of improvements could go on and on; Leah was very impressed.
Akeno reached a checkpoint of some kind. There were numerous guards standing watch around the vicinity. Their ever shifting eyes caressing ever passer-by that didn?t belong in the complex. At the same time, there was another guard who was checking everyone?s ID and handing out folders and documents of some kind. These must have been the information and press packs that Larry had told her about early on. She watched carefully. The guard was more like a machine than man. He would stop the person, check their identification tags, do a full body-scan on the person, then hand out the documents to the person and direct them to where they needed to go. He didn?t engage in useless chit chat, he didn?t pay any more attention to them than need be; only stopping on certain occasions when someone was not following the protocol commands he was given. He was ruthlessly efficient.
Akeno soon reached the checkpoint. She went through the same process that everyone else went through and was then herded to the back like abandoned cattle. She scanned the contents of the press pack. Nothing special. The usual guide to the day?s events, bio?s on some of the important people that would be speaking at the event and the same old tips and resources that Larry always threw at her.
After a 15 minute wait the doors to the chamber opened. There was a gasp from some of the people behind Akeno. The room was magnificently large. It had mounted monitors on the ceiling, vast rows of benches and tables to sit on, each facing the enormous stage at the front of the room. It was big enough, and the seating was elevated enough, to make sure that the stage and the podium on the stage were the centre of attention.
Everyone rushed into the room and went to their designate places. There was a lot of murmuring going on, and Akeno decided to use this brief period to collect her thoughts. Her mind was wondering back to the recurring nightmare she had been having. It was still fresh in her mind, still as vivid as if it had happened only minutes before. She was trying to piece it all together, but couldn?t make any sense of it at all. She had been seeing a highly recommended dream therapist and psychologist in Dr Devon Andrews, for the past month and a half. He had been helping her try to organise her thoughts and clarify her mind, in order to best understand the dream and herself. She had an appointment with him tomorrow. Dr Andrews had said he had a method he had developed himself that he now wanted to try on her. She had no idea what it was, he was being secretive, but whatever it was, she hoped it would work, as she had an important promise to keep, and this dream could be a key clue.
Once everyone had entered the room and was seated. The huge steel reinforced doors closed, with a thud. Everyone looked around, a bit taken by surprise. They were all now sealed inside this huge chamber. Before anyone had a chance to collect their thoughts, a piercing voice echoed around the room.
?Good morning, ladies and gentleman, I?m glad you could all come at such an early time in the morning. My name is General Adam Weiss, and I am in charge of CMOC command centre here in these mountains?
Everyone immediately fixed their attention upon the stage in front of them, and where out if nowhere a man had appeared as if from thin air and was addressing this now captivated audience. Akeno immediately opened up her file, and scanned down the list of speakers. A lot of other people must have read her mind as they completed the same action.Akeno soon found the page she wanted and scanned down it. The guy had an exemplary record. Was born in North Carolina, Graduated from west point at the top of his class and with full honours, Completed five tours of the Middle East during the ?terrorist wars? of the early 2000?s. Had won many bravery awards and purple hearts during his service there, after that things were a bit slow for him, but he was then given command of this complex 2 years ago, and has since turned it into a dynamic centre of operations for the entire military structure of the United States.
Akeno was impressed by this man?s record. She fixed her gaze upon him again him again. He was just as impressive as his record suggested. He appeared to be 6?2? in height, was slim line, and had greying hair, which could be attributed to his age of 52, but looked very athletic and focused. His clean shaven look and military style crew-cut, gave him a formidable appearance. His stance, which was perfectly straight, only accentuated his height and presence. He stood there, silent, as if he expected the commotion, expected people to be checking up on who he was.
After a few more minutes he spoke up. His voice carved through the air, and suddenly the excitement boiled down, and the attention was focused upon him again.
?Ladies and gentleman, quiet down please. Today?s meeting is an important. It?s about the war with the Mechanoids. We have decided upon a plan to combat them once and for all. But I won?t waste your time anymore. The man to explain this is right here...?
General Weiss stepped away from the podium as another figure stepped onto the stage. Everyone stared in amazement. Everyone knew who the figure was that had just stepped upon the stage, no-one needed to check up in their neatly arranged files. This man was a war-hero.
There was no need for an introduction. Everyone on the whole planet should know who this man walking towards the podium was, let alone the people that now occupied the room.
Akeno was completely absorbed by the presence of the man now standing at the podium. She immediately went to the mental safe in her head and started to unravel the information on this man.
The war with the Mechanoids was now in its fifth year. At the start of the war, the Mechanoids invaded the solar system and made a b-line straight towards its most populated planet; Earth. There was a huge armada of alien vessels, and the whole of the planet was in a state of complete panic. For one year Earth forces had been fighting the Mechanoids, and had never won a single space battle against them. Every single time, Earth forces got destroyed and outmanoeuvred by superior handling and technology. Now suddenly, out of the blue, a huge armada came before the planet Earth. How could they possibly hope to win such a fleet, where they had failed miserably at every other opportunity?
One man was able to step up to the plate and answer Earth?s distress call. It was an Admiral by the name Nelson Halsey. Named after two famous Admirals from history, and two men-known for their no nonsense aggressive attacks on their enemies. Nelson, this Admiral was about to show that he too was of the same steel as these men. Nelson proved to be a very astute leader, and also showed he was a man who knew his history and could take advantage of a single weakness in an enemy. Nelson had served in junior positions against the Mechanoid fleets before and had studied carefully their patterns of attack. He had noticed that for a very short period of time the Mechanoid fleets would stop and seemingly drop their defences. He deduced that ships were probably linked to a ?hive? mind and were receiving orders. It therefore would allow for a small window of opportunity to attack and defeat them. He reminded himself that it was similar to the Spanish Armadas invasion of England in 1588. He decided that he would follow a strategy similar to what the English had used, but instead of using fire-ships, he would use his very own unique twist. He used a small fleet of Ships as decoys. The Mechanoids had used their advance technology to scan the ships, and when their scans revealed that there was no-one onboard the ships, they left them alone, and dropped their defences. The plan was a masterpiece. From around the back a nearby satellite swung Nelson and his fleet. The Mechanoids tried to sever the connection and bring their defences back up, but the ships that they had left alone, exploded and stopped them. Nelson destroyed 70% of the Mechanoids fleet that day, and became an instant hero. It was the last time that Earth would claim a victory over the Mechanoids in a space battle. Nelson had won fame on that battle, but like happened with most heroes; his fame followed him wherever he went. He couldn?t get any respite for him or his family. He later contracted a disease which paralyzed him down the entire right side of his body. He retired from service soon after. Yet here he stood, in Earths time of crisis, come to rescue her again.
Akenosmiled at how much she remembered, but this was basic knowledge on a man who was both widely known and regarded in all circles. She put away her thoughts quickly. It appeared Mr. Halsey was about to speak.
?Good Morning ladies and Gentleman? That statement alone was enough to elicit a response from some members of the crowd. Halsey politely smiled, waiting for the noise and commotion to quieten down. So it did, very quickly.
?It?s so nice to be back amongst the land of the living? This drew a laugh from the audience, although Leah could clearly recognise a sad undertone to that statement.
?Anyways, as you all know, we are now entering the fifth year of our war against the Mechanoid race. It?s a war that has cost us gravely; in resources, in time and in the lives of civilian and military casualties that have represented this brilliant planet we call Earth. Well that ends now! Me and my staff have developed a campaign plan that will defeat the Mechanoids at the very heart of their power?? Halsey slammed his fist onto the podium, like a judge wields their gavel. The emotion was evident in Halsey?s voice, and the crowd soon picked up on this. There were gasps, followed by a round of applause, as a new wave of optimism suddenly spread around the room.
Halsey waited for the noise to die down and then started to explain the new plan of action.
As each stage of the plan was revealed to the audience, Leah could clearly see, that the crowd were completely encapsulated, completely taken in by what this man was saying, and once more, they seemed to believe it would work.
The plan seemed very simple in concept at first. Halsey would use the plan that the Americans, and more importantly, his predecessor used during World War II, against the Japanese. Halsey?s fleet would ?planet hop? along each of the planets that were occupied by the Mechanoids, and re-occupy them for the human race, until they reached the heart of the Mechanoid powerbase. Just like happened in the pacific war, they would leave the weaker occupied planets to ?wither on the vine? and to a clean-up task force that would follow up at a later date. It was almost identical in plan to the one used during the pacific war, but this time in the deep hinterlands of space, instead of the vast waves of the Pacific Ocean. Yet, this man?s reputation alone had made them believe that this plan could and would be successful. He was a remarkable man. He hadn?t finished talking though.
?..However, this is not going to be an easy task. It will take time and patience. We need to take the initiative and we will. We have designated a special task force that will precede the arrival of our forces on each of the target planets. Major, would you like to come and explain more about your role to the crowd?
The rest of the crowd followed Admiral Halsey?s gaze to the top of the room. Down the stairs strode a tall, thin man. He had long flowing hair which ended just above his shoulders. He must have been in his early forties, but his face looked like it had seen a lot, and he had an eye patch covering his right eye. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit like apparel. Flanking him but just behind were two other men. One was a tall man, taller than the Major in front. He had a slim, athletic build, and he had a scar on the right side of his face. It was about 3 inches across from the corner of his mouth, and made him look very sinister. The other guy was smaller than the two. He looked Asian in origin. Adeline wouldn?t have been able to tell more than that, but she noticed a curved blade attached to side of his waist. Although she was no weapon expert, she could recognise the weapon instantly. It was a Kukri. A weapon used by the very famous mountain warriors of Nepal; The Ghurkha. He also had the look of a veteran. Both were wearing the same attire as the major.
These three men gave off a very powerful aura; and felAkenot a tingling sensation throughout her spinal cord, as they passed her. She feared these men.
As they reached the podium, Admiral Halsey stepped away, and daunting figure of the man with long hair, which Akeno assumed was the Major, stepped up to the podium; the two other men continued taking the flanking position they did as they had when striding down the stairs.
?Why thank you very much Admiral Halsey, for that kind introduction, most appreciated...?
It was a distinctive and educated sounding accent. Akeno had no idea who this man was, but she knew from his accent, that he was British. She also picked upon the hint of sarcasm in his opening remarks. Admiral Halsey obviously never, or refused to react if he did.
?Ladies and Gentleman of the audience, my name is Trevor Eyre. I am in charge of an organisation known as the wolf pack. The name of our game is intelligence gathering and infiltration. We will be the spearhead of Admiral Halsey?s vanguard fleet. Our mission is...Well its top secret, but I can tell you we will be at the focal point of every major strike that happens in this upcoming campaign. We will be both in the back and at the front of the frontlines?.however, enough of the pleasantries. I would like to change our schedule a little, and show you a little video if that?s ok...?? Admiral Halsey didn?t answer. It was obvious that Major Eyre was asking a rhetorical question and had every intention of playing the video anyway
?Mr. Andrews, if you please...? Eyre handed the tall scar-faced man an object, and as he placed the object into some kind of projector, The Ghurkha toned down the lights.
The video was a complete shocker. It showed graphic images of the Mechanoids eviscerating people, eating them, abusing them and burning down and destroying settlements. It showed the charred corpses of people. So shocking were the images that Adeline mind told her she could actually smell the burning and the rotting of the people. All around the room people started to gasp and groan. Some people were even force to vomit over the floor. The situation was made worse by the fact that there were mounted screens all around the arena, bringing the images very close to the audience, and in their faces.
Major Eyre continued to look on casually as if it was as common as an occurrence to him, as taking a stroll through the park
?Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that this video is very graphic, and not suitable for those of a weak disposition.? Eyre?s? voice could hardly be heard amongst the gasping and now angry voices of the audience in front of him. What could be heard though was the voice of Admiral Halsey telling someone to shut down the video, immediately. It was duly done, and the lights toned back up.
Major Eyre went back to addressing the now shocked and irate audience. Gone was the playful almost mocking tone he had displayed before, now it was a more sinister and cerebral voice.
?People, this is the type of enemy we are dealing with, the type of enemy we will have to fight. There is no time for talk and censoring of images. This is the true face of our enemy. An enemy that will stop at nothing to annihilate us, an enemy that will use any trick and method to defeat us and reach their objectives. I?m afraid, if we want to win, we will have to fight fire with fire??
Admiral Halsey barged in front of Major Eyre before he could finish his speech.
?That?s enough Major! I?m sorry about that little detour from our Major, we will fight this war at our own pace, and we will win. Now, as with every major mission that has taken place, over the last decade, we will invite a war photographer to the front lines with us, in order to capture the way the military operates, and the dangerous environments we work in. We will be taking applications from various companies, so please get them in a soon as possible.?
Akeno had a sudden vested interest in what was going on. Was this the opportunity which Larry had told her about in the early hours. She would definitely apply for this job. Who wouldn?t, when a position with the vanguard of a fleet on a dangerous an important mission, especially when led by a highly popular and revered war hero. However, she couldn?t seem to fix her gaze off the man who had just spoken. He was very mysterious indeed. Major Trevor Eyre. She would remember that name.
Major Eyre was casually watching the people around him. Watching at how calm they had become, now their ?hero? had taken centre stage again. It made him sick. They knew nothing of the rigours, of the true face of war, nor did they want too; only the news that made them happy, and believe, they were like trapped lab-rats who had never been exposed to the real world.
Suddenly the room started flashing red, as a huge alarm siren suddenly penetrated the airspace of the room. Everyone was instantly in a state of panic. Everyone accept Major Eyre and his two men.
A gentleman who looked like a good advert for an admin clerk ran over to the side of General Weiss, and whispered something into his ear. The same thing was then done with Admiral Halsey in turn. Both men?s facial expressions changed to one of sudden panic General Weiss instantly took to the podium...
?People please, can you leave the room in an orderly manner.? No-one was listening, as people scrambled towards the exit like a stampeding herd of Elephants, stepping over one another, trampling each other into the ground. Fear of the unknown had always been the enemy of the human race. They forget about everything but themselves in situations such as this. Survival of the fittest some would call it.
Admiral Halsey looked at Major Eyre, and nodded his head
Major Eyre smiled ?It?s Showtime boys..? and with that they left the scene in a hurry. Akeno who managed to not get herself caught in mob frenzy that was occurring, noticed this sudden escape, and her curiosity got the better of her, as she quietly hurried after them, off stage. Riko watched from the back as Akeno trid to exit the room ,but a group of reporters quickly surrounded her. He tries to rescue her but fails. then he pulls the fire alarm and all the reporters ran for the door "Thanks for the save." Akeno said blushing
Last edited:
