Chapter 1
Laying on a sofa asleep were Nibs, Sandra and Daraus, with them in the VIP lounge of Club Millana were Tina, Abs, Amy, Paul, Richard Chancer, Jaboc, Hell Bright and Ren. She rolled over and opened her eyes to look into the face of the one person who gave her life meaning. She realised her other partner was at her feet, curled up and not in the small blanket bed she had made last night. She swung her legs out and sat up lent forward and rested her head in her hands. ‘What a night last night was. I wonder how Metzza is.’
She felt Sandra shift behind her and she looked down at her to see her open her eyes. At this she smiled at Sandra who returned the smile and she gave her a light kiss on the lips.
“Did you enjoy your birthday my sweet?”
“I did love the only thing that would have made it better would have been having my adoptive mum and dad here too,” she replied. She smiled at spending, this, the most important birthday of her life with her closest friends, she even got to see her other two best friends. “But they are very straight and with some ideas very closed minded, I doubt they would understand my life choices.”
Sandra sat up beside her and the moving of the blankets woke Daraus.
Nibs looked at the clock above the bar and saw the time was only 06:50BN.
“Don’t you want to know about your birth family?”
“In a word no,” she said in a matter of fact way. “They decided to put me up for adoption and haven’t tried to contact me since. They must have there reasons for that, and if they do ever get in contact it’s at that point I will ask them why, and anyway I need a coffee.” She stood up, picked up Daraus’ bowl and tip-toed through the sleeping bodies. The staff member who had manned the bar was asleep on a roll mat in front of the bar itself. She lifted the hatch and pushed open the front.
She heard the staff member move and she looked back and saw his eyes were just about open. “Coffee?” she asked him.
He nodded ‘yes please’ at her.
The bar area was a metre and a half wide and under the bar were lots of glasses. Above the bar area were bottles and other drinks. Behind the bar at the farthest end was the kettle and the sink she was looking for. She filled the kettle and switched it on. As the kettle was boiling she went hunting for cups, coffee, sugar, mily and a spoon. She found the cups and took three. Just after finding the cups she found the rest of the drinks making items she was looking for and got them ready. She ran some water into the Daraus’ bowl and took it to him. He soon had his tongue lapping at the water. She crossed back across the lounge and poured the now boiling water into the three cups and stirred them.
When she offered the staff member his coffee he took it and placed it on the ground beside him. She carried the remaining two cups across the room and gave one to Sandra.
Sandra took it and sipped at the hot coffee.
She sat down beside her and placed the cup on the table. She took out her tin and loaded her patar and smoked that. She lent back and was joined by Sandra as she also placed her cup on the table.
“When Jaboc told us you were adopted, I began to wonder about what your real parents were like and if they would like the person you’ve become,” said Sandra as Jaboc rolled off the sofa he had stretched out on.
Jaboc woke with a start and quickly looked around the room and then he sat up and shook his head as he realized what had happened.
The way Jaboc had acted then made her quietly chuckle. “Good morning Jaboc,” she said.
“Oh, good morning ladies,” responded Jaboc whilst turning to see where the voices had come from. “Did you enjoy yourselves last night, I must apologise for the incident, but at least the outcome was satisfactory.”
“Yes thanks,” she replied.
Jaboc stood up and walked towards the bar.
Sandra lent in and whispered in her ear, “I think I know what blue aura means. Hell Bright is producing a really powerful blue aura very similar to the one Amy is producing. Ren is producing a mid yellow aura. I wonder if he even knows he’s different. Hell Bright’s is controlled, Ren’s isn’t.”
Paul stretched and as he brought his arms back he hit Amy who was asleep beside him. He sat up after making sure the blanket didn’t uncover her. He looked around and when he saw Nibs and Sandra he smiled at them.
Daraus then padded towards where Tina and Abs were asleep in each other’s arms and gave then both a sloppy kiss as a wake up call. They both coughed and spluttered at this. Daraus then walked to each person asleep and gave each a sloppy kiss before returning to where Nibs and Sandra were sat.
Nibs lent forward and picked up her cup and sat back. She sipped it and blew air over the surface to cool it. Jaboc walked out and saw everyone walking up and he placed his cup down and headed back behind the bar. The switch for the kettle was switched on and he took his cup and had a sip. The staff member stood up and he headed behind the bar to give Jaboc a helping hand.
Ten minutes later everyone had a hot coffee in their hands.
Richard walked over to where she was sitting, he sat beside her and Sandra, and said, “Your Naj Blades I said I wanted to have a chat with you about them, can I have a look at one?”
“Yeah,” she replied and took one from its scabbard and handed it to Richard.
“If what I think is right then these are at least 10,000 years old and may have either been cast by the Chrometal Dragon, the creator of the Tiranna Martial Arts, or the Tiranna Martial Arts Grand Master.” Richard opened the hilt and looked at the inscriptions. “Red partnered with the gold, green with silver, black with bronze, blue with brass, white with copper, and the last one,” said Richard quietly. He took out a small hand held unit, similar to her PDU. He placed the blade across his lap and used the stylus to open NetViewer. The PDU loaded a page from what she could see off a net server. She looked at the path and it was one she had never seen before. “Yeah, this was the only one I couldn’t identify at ring side but it is, this it the rune symbol for the Chrometal dragon. Only a very few of these were every made and all of them are Greatest Rune weapons. They are very powerful weapons. I wish I could help in working out what their abilities are, I’m not sure if I know of, yes I do, Sharra would be a good person to talk to about trying to work them out.”
She nodded as Richard reattached the hilt.
“From what I saw in the ring last night, you had the makings of a Tiranna Master. I think a brief history lesson on the Tiranna.”
“Ladies and gents as you are guests of Club Millana may I suggest we head for the canteen and breakfast.”
Sandra and her both stood up and was joined by Richard who handed the short stave back to her. She re-attached it to its holder and followed everyone out of the VIP lounge.
Outside Richard continued, “The Tiranna Martial Arts have been around for countless millennium and use to have a school dedicated to each of the ten dragons. Five were metallic and five were Chromatic, and out of the ten schools a grand master was chosen and became apprenticed to the previous, until the previous died and the student became the master. Around 10,000 years ago the then Grand Master died and his female student became the Grand Master, she took an apprentice and began to teach her the arts of the Tiranna.” He put emphasis on the word, ‘her’. “Her student was the metamorphosed Chrometal and made three pairs of Naj Blades. The Grand master had one set, the student had a second set and the third disappeared. That’s as much as I know from my own research into it and lessons from my master.”
“Ok, thanks.” She had the look of, ‘This is going to be interesting to look into’.
“Do you know the provincing of them?”
“No, you’re the second person to ask me. Darla bought them as my birthday present. I would ask her.”
“Thanks I will.”
After walking for a few minutes through the corridors, Jaboc led them down a ramp that she worked out would lead them in the basement of the house. The corridor opened in to a very large room with twenty pairs of long tables, with each table was a pair of benches and between each set was a good three metre gap. Along the far wall was a barriered off area behind which was rack upon rack of what looked like food, breakfast food.
“The Canteen here is self service, free to staff and guests and damn excellent,” said Richard as Jaboc led the group into the run.
She took one of the trays and asked Richard, “How much can we take?”
“As much as is required,” replied Jaboc as he stood on the other side. He pulled Richard back and whispered something into his ear. Her hearing easily picked it up, “Reports from a couple of people are Wacker Inc are up to something, they are parading a very large body of corporate security and their military.”
Richard stopped and looked wide eyed at him. “Back in a bit,” said Richard and he disappeared after handing Jaboc his tray. Jaboc took the tray and moved in behind the pair.
“How’s Metzza?” she asked.
“He is ok, sleeping off the fight, from what the doctors say, he’s not happy at all. Surabon saw him first thing, he just looked at his sleeping body and left with his students, two of Metzza’s friends stayed with him all night the others were put up in the guest quarters. The doctors will check him over this morning and then release him.”
Ren led the friends to one of the tables and they sat down. A couple of staff members, both were wearing the same coloured tops as her, turned and said, “Nice fight.”
She looked at them in surprise and said, “Thanks.” She sat with Sandra sitting beside her and Daraus who was under the table. She placed a plate with a couple of sausages on and her water bowl beside her. By the time she had retrieved her hand the sausages had gone and Daraus was lapping at the water.
A couple of minutes later Richard returned and her PDU started to vibrate and play Delta Ray by Vizza. She took it out and saw the number was phone number was Gary’s. She connected the call and said to him, “A bit early for you isn’t it?”
“And you. No Misty got us up, she heard that Wacker was up to something and me, Bee and her came down to their HQ to take a look.”
“Hang on I’ll put you on speaker.” She placed the PDU on the table and pressed the speaker button and said, “Your on Gary. What can you see?”
“Lots of Wacker security forces and also what I think is their military. They all look like they are wearing combat armour and they are look heavily armed.”
Misty’s voice came over the phone, “They have sand bag implacements around the parimeter of the Headquaters and there is a considerable amount of military vehicles and I think I’ve seen a couple of new looking CSMRs.”
Richard then said, “Describe them Misty?”
“About 9 maybe 10 metres tall what look like two gun ports on down each side of the chest and its left arm above the hand is what looks like a barrelled weapon of some kind.”
Richard looked at Jaboc as Misty was describing, what she knew to be quite new technology. To her the CSMRs were the pinacial of combat mobility and fire power. She knew from the specs of the few she had seen on Digital Systems News when they covered wars and military actions that they pack the equivalent of a medium tank’s firepower.
The group then heard a bellowed order, “Move to control the Zone. Move out.”
Bee’s voice was heard along with running footsteps, “Here they come.”
The last sound before Gary disconnected was a couple of bikes starting up.
Jaboc stood up and bellowed, “Listen up people, we are Ops level 1 as of now. Get this place ready to receive Street Ghost refugees and possibly battle casualties.”
Jaboc then turned and said “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would excuse me please.”
“Hell no, you want any helpers,” said Amy and Abs together.
“No your guests,” Jaboc said.
“No we not, we’re Street Ghosts and Gangrels first and foremost,” said Tina
“Hell yeah we are,” everyone then said.
As Jaboc turned and disappeared she thought through the various jobs that needed to be done before they could do anything in the Street Ghost arena. ‘Job one and the most important,’ she thought, ‘collect our equipment from Home-base.’ “Guy’s our first job is to collect our equipment from Home-base.”
“Feck me, yeah. Were not going to be much good, we only have our pistols with us,” said Abs.
She saw Ren go to say something and then he looked at Hell Bright as if questioning something. Then after a couple of seconds Ren’s eyes opened wide and his head moved in a way that she thought he must have agreed with something.
Tina asked Ren and Hell Bright, “You two not got any major jobs to do now Wacker are have declared war?”
“No, why?” asked Ren.
“You two want to join us on a run to ours so we can collect our equipment?”
Ren looked at Hell Bright and she signed something at him and he said, “Yeah, thanks. I’m not sure what it is about you lot but I feel as if I’ve known you for years and yet last night is the first time we’ve ever met you, other than in the middle of a takedown. Oh yeah, I think dad’s rather shocked at the weapon one of the twins carried on the take down.”
“Oh, you must be talking about Angel and that cannon she uses, the Trig 8. One thing Jaboc’s research wouldn’t have found out, she only uses solid rounds. She is very evil in combat, Damieel more so up close and personal.”
She noticed Richard gulped when Abs said the Trig 8. Even she thought, ‘using that weapon, 15mm solids. Ouch, that combination has been known to knock out truck engines.’
“Can we ask that you join us later on a combat patrol, we have a few friends that some local heavies are after, they might use the chaos to go and hurt them.”
Paul said, “No problem at all. I think I can safely say we count you both and you Richard as our friends, what do friends do.”
“Help each other.”
She smiled at the pair and noticed everyone else had a similar smile.
Ren then said, “Lets finish breakfast and go get your stuff.” Ren looked and sounded very happy.
“I don’t believe it sis,” Ren said with his mind to his sister.
“Same here bro,” thought replied Hell-bright. “I reckon this group and the people they arrived with are some of the most respecting groups of human kind I know of.”
When breakfast was finished the eight friends stood up. Richard joined them and said, “I’ll meet you in command in a couple of hours, you should be able to get back on the CWs but I wouldn’t reckon on returning that way.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t, I’ll use my PDU for the route back,” Nibs said. She and the rest of the friends followed Ren and Hell Bright out of the second of three sets of doors.
Richard headed out of the third set of doors and disappeared.
Ren led the friends through a large room over 20metres long. On both sides were lockers, lots of locker. Just after the lockers they entered a large open area, with a large empty rack to the left hand side. To the right was a large extension which sat behind a large dividing screen made of concrete and she thought some form of toughened glass. Behind which were racks of large cases. The people working behind the divide were busy preparing for something. Some looked like they were reloading magazines and others were carrying boxes of ammunition from somewhere behind what she could see.
Ren turned down a short corridor, she estimated easily tall enough to take vans and other similar sized vehicles. The corridor opened up into another large room easily 35 metres long. Around all the walls were work areas with wall mounted racks of tools similar to the workshop under Home Base. Slightly further down the right hand wall was a ramp down. She could see that further down the garage was a separate section which had four motor-bikes up on their stands. A gent was sat relaxing on a seat. He had a cap pulled down over his eyes, a second gent walked out of the corridor they had just left and crossed the garage towards the first gent. This one was carrying two insulated cups they both looked like they were steaming.
Ahead of the group were a couple of dune buggy style vehicles into one climbed Ren and Hell Bright. Ren said, “Up that ramp is the outside where your bikes are.”
The group continued and walked across the frontage towards the where the five bikes were parked. Daraus was at her heels and stopped when they arrived at the bikes. She looked down as Ren pulled up in the dune buggy. As she hadn’t heard the engine on the vehicle as it pulled up she listened very intently for a second and heard a very faint hum. ‘That sounds like the hum high voltage electric cables make.’ “Ren can Daraus ride with you, we have carrier but we left it at home base.”
“Ok, no problem,” responded Ren and called, “Daraus come here boy.”
Daraus padded over and jumped into the vehicle and then landed in the single seat between the rear wheels.
She climbed on and rammed the kick start down. The engine started and was joined by the rest of the group as they all headed for the main gate out.
Before they pulled away, Ren asked, “You lot got digital transmitters?”
“Yeah, we have, you want the frequency?” answered Tina.
“Yeah, thanks,” responded Ren.
Tina told the pair the frequency which Hell Bright typed into the radio and the group heard Ren say, “Can you guys hear me?”
“Yeah,” responded Tina, “Let’s roll.” The bikes slowed and the guards working the gate stopped them as a couple of vehicles cornered hard and drove up to the main club.
She over heard the guard talking to Ren and Hell Bright. “The first of many I think today. Where you heading to?”
“To get their stuff, they volunteered to help in the up coming battles,” replied Ren.
“No worries, chat soon,” responded the guard and the barrier lifted. Ren pulled out and turned right and the right again and drove down the north side of the club.
She asked over the communication system, “Ren, Hell Bright, Nibs. What’s the plan when we get back?”
“Chat to dad and Richard and then conduct a combat patrol into the area,” replied Ren as he slowed for the corner at the other end of the club grounds. He turned right again and pulled into the middle for the junction onto the CW6 which ran along the south side of the club.
Within thirty minutes the group was pulling off the CW9 and on the main road that the minor road on which Home Base was on.
The bikes and FAV, which was the official designation the vehicle Ren and Hell Bright were driving pulled up and everyone climbed off and headed for the garage.
Sandra and Nibs headed up the steps to the front door and the pair headed for the bedrooms of all three to gather a few items of clothing for each.
*****
Amy ran over the road to her home and burst through the front door, really happy. She knew she was lot happier then she had been over the past few months. She called, “Anyone in.” She ran up the stairs to her shared bedroom and grabbed her fingerless gloves the only item she owned which was a street scene fashion item. They had been bought by Julie-Ann, one of the nicer friends from her time at Rotork Academy. ‘I must get around to trying to ring those two again,’ she thought.
After she put her gloves on she also grabbed a few items of clothes, namely underwear and a second pair of light weight trousers and a couple of her favourite tops. From the desk, on which was the book she had taken out of the school library was her medication dispenser, that and the book ended up in the bag as well.
Her next stop was the bathroom and a second canister of her medication. She went down the stairs and quickly wrote a note to her dad and Bill explaining the situation and the fact the guys had volunteered to help. As she grabbed her jacket from the coat hooks she heard the back door opening and her dad come in.
“Thought you were working today?” she asked him as he appeared in the corridor.
“I am about to head to work now.”
“Hi and bye then dad,” she said. She waited for him to appear in the living room and said, “Something has come up and the rest of the guys have volunteered to help.”
“Ok,” responded Duggie.
“I’ve also been asked and I’ve said yes to joining the Gangrels.”
“Follow me then young lady. It is time I passed on to you something that has been mine for 4000 years.”
She looked at him with wide eyes. Duggie led her to the Shrine room behind his room. He opened the double doors of his shrine and reached into the back and took out the longest of the two Karrack blades. She stood in the doorway, not sure if she should come in
“Come here my daughter,” said Duggie as he turned around.
“Ok dad,” the tone in dad's voice was one of he meant for her to come rather than the please he would have normally used.
Duggie spoke in a voice not his own, but one still friendly and reassuring, “I as the last of the warrior monks from the Samutai Temple pass my legacy to my daughter so that she may become what fate has destined for her to become.” He then handed the master blade to her. She accepted it with the up most reverence and bowed a deep bow. Duggie returned the bow with a deeper one. He then turned back and removed the second paired blade and like the first he turned and spoke, “I as a Chiang-Ku dragon bestow upon my offspring the sword of my father and his father before that. Use it only when you need to, and always be ready to retreat. Not completing a mission is better than completing one and dying whilst extracting.”
Amy took the second sword and bowed very deeply to her father, who said, “It is not you who should be bowing to me, but I should be bowing to you my daughter. Enjoy your new life and your new friendships, for with friends comes responsibility.”
“I know dad that is the other piece of news I have I’ve fallen in love with Paul and he’s fallen in love with me.”
“Now that is great news, I’m so happy for you, I hereby give my consent for the two of you to get married when you feel the time is right, just invite me, Bill and the young ones to the wedding.”
“I will dad, bye, tell Bill I love him and hope to see him soon,” she said. The pair walked out of the shrine room and she grabbed her rucksack and fleece jacket from beside the door. She headed back across the street to Home Base.
She looked at the garage doors and saw that they looked closed. She headed up the steps to the front door and tried it, it opened and she called out, “anyone here?”
She heard Nibs’ voice call back, “Yeah in the bedrooms.” She walked towards the bedrooms and saw in the floor a trap door into the garage. Nibs walked out of her bedroom and Sandra walked out of the second door down the opposite side of the corridor.
Sandra said to the pair, “Got everything?”
“Yeah,” she answered.
Nibs nodded and dropped the two small rucksacks she was carrying down the trap door. She looked down and saw that Ren had caught them up and passed them towards the garage doors, he was standing at the bottom waiting for them to drop through.
“You first Amy,” said Nibs. “Just drop straight, Ren will catch you.”
She stepped off into mid air and dropped. As she dropped Ren held his arms up ready to catch and slow her drop. She stepped away and Sandra dropped next.
Tina walked out from behind the black screens and saw her standing there. Tina said, “Come here Amy.”
She followed Tina as she disappeared behind the sheeting again. She parted the sheeting and saw Tina was bent down and looked like she was dragging something from under the tables on which were growing trays and numerous plants. More plants where hung up along the furthest wall.
“Your Black Light Armour set. Take it and place it in the back of the van,” said Tina
*****
Abs opened the garage doors whilst Paul climbed into the driver’s seat and reversed the van so its back door was against the garage door, Abs pulled the door closed after Tina, Ren and Hell Bright had walked in.
Ren asked, “What do you want us to do?”
“Help us load the van, it’s our command and control centre,” she replied as she disappeared through the black sheeting. She parted the sheeting and took a case of 10mm loose standard ammunition out from under one of the tables. She gave it a push along the concrete floor and it disappeared under the sheeting.
Tina walked in and started to pull the Black Light Armour cases out and she pushed each one out into the main area.
She grabbed the next case in line which was a case on 10mm binary APEX rounds, these were in the magazine used in the MA series weapons, which she knew both Nibs and Sandra now used as their standard weapon. The next few cases under the tables were more loose ammunition for the pistols and other weapons they used. The last case contained the loose ammunition for her and Tina's weapons. These too were pushed across the floor. She walked out and headed for the armoury cupboards. She swiped her card and opened the locker doors; she removed from the cupboard her Echo 27 and laid it on the work bench. The next weapon out was Tina’s Coltanar 85 SAW and that too was laid on the bench. She looked at where Ren and Hell Bright were helping Paul load the ammunition into the van.
“Paul what do you want the M40 we brought back or your normal weapon?” she asked.
“M40 thanks Abs,” replied Paul.
She took out the M40 and the two MA260s and they were also laid on the bench, Hell Bright took the Echo 27 and the Coltanar and passed them to Paul.
A couple of bags were dropped from the trap door and Ren moved to catch them. Amy dropped through and Tina said after she came out of the growing area, “Come here Amy.”
Ren walked over to the bench and took the two MA260s, he said, “Where the hell did you get this type of gear and the Black Light.”
“It was Darla’s inheritance. From what we were told Ren, her mum and dad were both on an operation and disappeared four years ago. The Will was read a few weeks ago and Darla was the sole benificary of the estate which included a house with an Academy Armoury, workshop and lab in the Low Back Forest,” said Nibs as she dropped through and caught Sandra as she dropped through.
“Ok, that must mean Darla’s parents must have attended the Academy at some point in the past.”
She saw Nibs look at Ren as if to say, ‘You must be kidding?’
Ren shock his head, “The only way you would be allowed to have an Academy Armoury is if you had attended the Academy.”
“Ok,” said Nibs, “How long before we can leave for the club?”
“We only need to sort out Amy’s assault weapon and we are set,” she said as Amy walked out dragging a Black Light case Tina pushed the Tech Case out. “Amy come here, you need to choose your assault weapon.”
Amy walked over from dropping the case and the two swords she was carrying in the van. Amy looked at the various weapons present and she saw she had a face of, ‘help’.
“I wish we had time to go through all the different weapons, but,” she said.
Ren walked around the bench and said to her, “Let me Abs, I’m fully trained in Armoury duties and know pretty much every weapon on the market inside and out.”
“Ok, all yours then,” she said, “I may be the Bitch Vixens armourer, I know the weapons we use as standard.”
Ren nodded and took a D300 out and passed it to Amy, “This weapon is a D300 assault rifle, it is used by the military forces in Eban, Toshmand, and Sheedan, and a lot of security forces use it, it’s effective and hard wearing.”
Amy held it very tenativelly and said, “This is the first time, I’ve actually held anything like this.”
Paul came out of the van and headed for where the three were standing and said, “Not to worry, you have a lot of people willing to teach and help you.”
“Thanks. I guess theirs some basics I should know?” asked Amy.
“Yes and the first is that when ever you are passed a firearm, you should check to see if the safety catch is on,” she replied and pointed the safety catch out to Amy.
Amy smiled at her and said, “Ok.”
Nibs who was standing waiting said, “Right, Abs anything else to be loaded?”
She looked in the armoury and said, “No, I don’t think so.”
“If you find you do need anything the armoury will very likely have it, just ask for it.”
“Lets get that stowed and then I think we’re ready,” said Tina.
Amy handed Tina the D300 and she took it to the van and disappeared inside.
She slammed the doors of the armoury shut and made sure the bolts had fired and secured the doors.
When Tina had reappeared Nibs slid the garage door open and the group walked out.
Paul slammed the rear doors shut, walked up the side of the van and opened the passenger side door so he could climb in. Just as he was he said, “Can someone drive my motor-bike back to the club.”
“No problem,” replied Ren and walked to Paul’s motor-bike and caught the keys Paul threw at him.
Nibs climbed on to her bike and Sandra lifted Daraus to the carrier she was wearing. When Daraus’s head was out, she gave him a friendly rough of the head and neck. She saw Amy join Paul in the van and the engine started.
Paul slowly pulled the van up the driveway towards the minor road at the end. He climbed out and closed the garage door and locked it.
Amy called out of the open window, “Security has closed the CWs and ICs in the area.”
“Ok, thanks Amy,” she responded and opened up the map system her PDU had and was in the process of finding the best route back to the club.
When Ren pulled alongside her and said, “Let Hell Bright lead, she has a nack for finding the best routes to places when she knows the start and finish points.”
“Right,” she responded and looked at Hell Bright sat in the driver’s seat of the FAV at the top of the driveway.
Hell Bright looked at her and smiled a friendly smile.
She called above the noise of the engines, “Lets roll.”
The motor-bikes, van and FAV all pulled out of the minor road and headed for the junction she had used on her exploration of the area.
*****
Two hours later as the roads were becoming clogged with vehicles moving out of the area surrounding Wacker’s HQ and medical centre the group arrived back at the back entrance of the club. Hell Bright led the group down the route-way from the back entrance and was soon turning into the garage.
When the group had parked up in the few spaces for temporary vehicle storage and gathered around the vehicles, Ren and Hell Bright led them through the corridors towards Command and Control.
Chapter 2
11:15BN
The group entered Command and control on the top floor of a three level room. She estimated around the edges were over 200 separate terminals, of which twenty were being manned all of them on the ground floor. The room was in the shape of an L and in the middle on the ground floor was a large table and suspended above it was four large screens, all of which were displaying a map of the area. Stood around the table were Jaboc and Richard. On the third level were a few doors and windows that seemed to be connected to various offices and briefing rooms.
“Ren, what’s the story, I very much doubt the previous owners would have left this alone without stripping it?”
“What happened was twenty years ago the previous owners a rich old couple left the building and grounds to Echo Tech Inc as they wanted it to remain the way it was. I think they must have either worked for Echo Tech or had some connection to them. From what dad has said the only areas of the facility known about were the garage, the now armoury and canteen, the rest was filled with earth and rocks. Echo Tech took control and started to excavate the rest of the facility. It took Echo Tech twelve years to completely excavate the complex which has seven levels, the lowest three are used by Echo County to house a ready status military unit at the moment it’s empty. Those levels have exits else where in the area most of them are on sites owned by Echo Tech or one of the subsidiary companies.”
The group arrived on the ground floor and walked towards Richard and Jaboc.
“The command and control, Armoury and Garage were installed by Echo Tech before they handed control over to dad.”
The group arrived at the table and Jaboc said, “I now use it to help and assist local Street Ghost teams when they are on missions and as a training centre for said Street Ghosts and local security forces. The Armoury and Garage are full teaching centres and are happy to have people learn and help. There’s a full medical facility and holding centre used by Conspiracy forces as well. Other facilities include a range, swimming pool, combat simulator centre and full gym.”
“Ok, you guys back and ready then?” asked Richard.
She looked around the group and said, “Yes I think so.”
“Good as we need a team to check an area out. From the Echo Tech Security cameras and those on the security vehicles are showing a mass exodus from the area. Except this area, there is no movement at all from the area and I’m wondering why,” said Richard. “You are the only group that is ready to move, most of the Street Ghosts that use here are caught up in the mass movement and haven’t been able to report in or they are stuck and are planning on staying put until more is known about the situation. We’ve ordered all teams and members staying put to lie low and await orders and re-supply.”
The table showed the area around what looked like a large religious building and a few out buildings.
“The only question I have is what type of support can we call on as if it’s only us on the ground and we run into security forces, they might overwhelm us,” she said looking concerned for the team as a whole.
“From what we’ve been told Echo Tactical Security is deploying a team of 24 Power Armoured troopers to the Club, but they’ve also been caught up in the mass humanity movements. The first support and transport vehicles should be here in the next half hour,” said Jaboc.
She looked and thought about the mission, “Ren you asked us to conduct a combat patrol to check on some friends, where were you looking at patrolling to.”
“That area,” replied Ren.
‘If we split the eight of us into two teams, Abs, Tina with me and Sandra, and the other four make up the second team,’ she thought planning the combat patrol. “What Street assets do we have in the area Jaboc, Richard?” she asked. “What is their current status?”
Jaboc used a stylus to tap a tablet screen and after a couple of seconds he replied, “Five Conspiracy rated Street Ghosts and seven normal Street Ghosts have reported in, via the Net and have said that they are ready. We’ve ordered them to lie low and await orders.”
“That gives us a good sized back up force. What’s the tech with them?” She noticed most of the team were listening intently to the replies and they all looked happy that she had taken charge of the situation, including Paul.
“Most have advanced weapons and other equipment the Conspiracy rated teams are all equipped with MA series and Black Light, the others have standard street armour and some have APEX firing weapons,” replied Richard.
She nodded at this information and looked at the group all of them were smiles and they generally looked ready to move and help. “Let’s get ready and see what the situation is with the inbound support.”
“Ok, you’ll be online with the controllers here as well and the second we get the Power Armour in and it’s deployed you’ll be the first to be told.”
“Ok, let’s get ready to move then,” she responded.
Jaboc and Richard nodded ‘Ok’ and the group left heading for the van and the equipment stored inside.
As the group headed back for the Armoury and the changing area she looked at Amy as she was the only person whom this was the first time in a live fire situation. She dropped back and asked Sandra, “Does training at Command include live fire combat?”
“Yes it does,” Sandra replied as they walked down the corridor.
“What is the support like as I guess for some it would be the first time of being in a situation like that?”
Sandra looked at her as if to say ‘why do you want to know?’
“Amy,” she responded.
“Arh, I see,” replied Sandra. “All members who participate spend the debriefing in what is called the ‘Talking Shop’, it’s where every one discusses the events, feelings and everything else relevant to the operation.”
She nodded ‘Ok’. ‘Right after this in a couple of days I think it might be wise to do that with Amy, I think she might need it.’ “I hope you don’t mind me taking over in there?”
“No hun,” responded Sandra. “All of the questions you asked I hadn’t thought of myself, and I’ve been a Gangrel almost four years. Your experience of the environment is showing me I have a lot to learn and I thought I knew about the scene.”
The group arrived back in the Garage where Ren said, “Back the van up to the Armoury and we’ll sort out cases for you all and sort out changing lockers for your Black Light. What version are you running?”
“No idea,” replied Paul. “When we found it we had just been told about it by Darla.”
Paul climbed into the driver’s seat and reversed the van towards the entrance to the Armoury and changing area as two pick-ups arrived, each had what looked like five adults on, two in the driver’s compartment and three in the back area. She looked at the three in the back area and saw each of them was armed and ready.
Ren walked to the Armoury window and started to talk to the guy sitting on the other side.
Paul opened the rear and side doors and the team started to unload the van. Stacked at the rear were the cases containing the team’s Black Light. She noticed Ren turned and looked at Hell Bright. After a couple of seconds Hell Bright walked over and tapped her on the shoulder and indicated that the group was to follow her. ‘That is strange, that the second time Ren has done something after looking at Hell Bright. I wonder.’ The group followed and Hell Bright showed them to the first of the lockers where she indicated that these were know theirs.
Ren followed and when he had arrived she asked, “The cases I can see what do we do with them?”
“Leave them, Benny will organise removing them so you can put your Black Light in the lockers.”
“Right thanks,” she replied and started to undress.
The rest of the group were just stood around as if waiting for something. “You guys going to just stand around,” she said. This had the desired effect of shifting them, except Ren and Hell Bright into gear.
A couple of seconds later after Hell Bright had shown each which locker they should use they started to undress.
Paul who was stood next to Amy who was looking around somewhat shocked by the fact Ren and he was starting to change along side Hell Bright, Abs, Sandra, Tina and Nibs.
“Hun, we of the Gangrels operate a uni-sex policy on things like changing facilities,” he said.
“Arh, ok,” responded Amy and she started to remove her top.
A few minutes later she had opened the largest case and looked at the contents. “Help,” said Amy.
“First things first, you have to be totally naked for the technology to work,” he said.
When Amy had removed her bra and knickers he continued, “Put the black garment on first and then I’ll help you with the rest.” He slid the first of the plates into the chest area.
He looked at her and saw she was looking at the size of the garment on her.
“Have you got anything smaller?” asked Amy.
“No, one size fits all,” replied Ren from behind her. “The nanytes that make up the plates shrink the outer garment to fit.”
Amy turned and stared with a startled expression at Ren when he had said that. “Nanytes!”
“Yes hun,” replied Paul. “The plates are made from Nanytes that from what I have been told form a solid barrier when a fast moving object is detected”
“The technology is straight out of the pages of future fiction. The guys at the Academy are all experts in designing and creating what people would imagine as future fiction,” said Ren.
“Ok, what now?” she asked.
Paul picked up one of the plates and said, “These go into the pockets, except each plate will only go into its own pocket. It won’t go into any-other pocket.”
She picked up one of the larger plates and tried it in the left chest pocket and it didn’t slide in, she tried it in the other chest pocket and it slipped straight in. “Ok, I think I understand.” She picked up the next plate and tried it in the left and again it just slipped in. “Right, ok now I understand that.”
Ren said from behind her, “Also make sure the pocket tops are sealed, in their current state the nanytes are dormant, but provide them with body heat and darkness they literatly come alive.”
She covered the two pockets and went about finding out which pocket each plate went into. When she had taken the next plate and stood up she felt a strange sensation on her breasts. ‘What the hell, it feels like water, but I’m completely dry.’ She turned to Ren who was just slotting in his last plate and asked, “What?”
Ren smiled at her and replied, “You are wondering about the feeling of having the feeling of being covered in water?”
She nodded as she went around the various pockets.
“The feeling is the nanytes being active.”
“A very strange sensation though,” she said as she tried the plate in the next pocket down the front.
Paul started to help her slot the plates in and pretty quickly she was ready, wearing the urban camouflage outer and her utility belt.
“What’s next?” she asked.
“The battle technology,” replied Paul as he passed her the tactical computer.
She took it and clipped it to her belt behind the environmental box.
“The next question is helmet or not?” asked Paul.
“No helmet,” she replied.
Paul took from the tech box a long small box and from one end were three short stubby tubes.
She looked at him and asked, “What is that?”
“This is the vision rig, it provides low light, thermo, high frequency infra-red, a high resolution digital camera with the same vision options. It sends a digital transmission to a command and control centre,” replied Paul.
“And when it is plugged into the Mk3 Tactical computers, it provides the command and control centre with a position lock. It also provides the user with a complete smart gun system and a map where all the position locks within 500metres. It also adds a limited functionality to the nanytes, in that it improves the user’s strength slightly and also allows the binding of objects to the armour itself,” said Ren as he came around the corner carrying a couple of small black boxes. “The data transfer is now nanyte and not cables.”
Paul took his and swapped it for the older one he had.
Ren handed her hers and she did the same swapped it and then she handed the Mk2 back to Ren. She then picked up a head rig and slotted it on to her head. “This clips where?” she asked whilst holding the vision rig.
“That gets clipped there hun,” said Paul as he positioned it on the head gear.
Ren then clipped something to the back of the vision block. “Short range high speed data transmitter, the entire suit is the receiver transmitter.”
“With that you are ready hun,” said Paul smiling.
She lifted the single eye piece. “Can I take it that the vision rig can be placed on the other-side?”
“It can, but the advice is not to move it. If you do need to due to vision problems then talk to some of the experienced members of staff or Street Ghosts would be happy to help and assist in sorting it out,” suggested Ren. “All it means is that you need to teach your eyes which is dominant and which is not.
The group walked around the end of the lockers and saw lots of boxes and the rest of the guys sorting weapons into large metal boxes.
‘Fuck me not again.’ Into her head appeared a voice and the scene of being in an alley way. She put her hands up and dropped to her knees clutching her head. Within moments Nibs and Hell Bright were at her side. Hell Bright gripped her shoulders and dragged her to her feet and suddenly in her mind was a beautiful voice which said, “Amy, let me see the vision drop your defences and allow me to see, and I will make it stop.”
She did, she stopped fighting it and she also relaxed as best she could. The vision ended as suddenly as it had started.
*****
Clang, clang sounded from above Richard and Jaboc as metal struck metal. The pair looked up and saw two figures in the form fitting body suits of power armour.
As they got to the ground floor of command they removed their helmets and the lead female said, “Morning bro.”
“Hi Jane, Nicolai or is it Nicole today?” he asked.
“Either, hi Rich, Jaboc.”
Jaboc looked at the pair and asked, “What are you two doing here, I thought you were still running Echo Tech Inc Nicole, and you very defiantly were running Corporate Enterprises, Jane.”
“Not anymore,” replied Jane. “I’m now officially Life President of Corporate Enterprises, my successor took control of the board a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been on holiday and arrived yesterday to oversee a couple of projects. I’m also here to welcome the Academy’s new year one’s. Then this kicks off and both of us decide to don our power armour and here we are.”
“What is the situation at the moment and what forces are available?”
“An eight man youth team are at the moment kitting up in preparation of checking a site and conducting a combat patrol. That’s it, other teams and solos have reported in but they are caught up in the movement of the refugees or are lying low until more is known.”
Jane took out her PDU and looked at something on it. “Any known operatives in the eight man team?” asked Jane.
“Yes, Ren and Hell Bright are two members of the group,” replied Jaboc.
“The rest of the group are ‘Conspiracy Wise’ they specifically came and saw me last night to talk to me about the Conspiracy. At least four members of the group are showing signs of becoming Adepts except without the normal side effects,” Richard said.
Nicolai looked at him as if to ask, ‘who are they?’
“Nibola Calton, who I might add use to be called Nicholas Calton. Yes the guy I put forward for Academy selection, Sandra and Paul Patterson, Tina Griffiths, Anna Detric and Amy Delimetry.”
Jane stared at him.
“What’s up sis?” he asked.
“Sandra, Paul Patterson, Anna Detric and Tina Griffiths along with a few other people were put forward by Sarah for Academy Selection as well,” replied Jane.
“Oh feck,” said Jaboc. “Well they are ready and off loading the weapons and equipment from their van.”
*****
In the area in front of the armoury Nibs was passing the weapons from the back of the van out to the other members of the group who were placing them in cases. Each member of the six Vixens present had a box and in that was their main weapon in the five others were the rest of the van’s arsenal. She picked up Angel’s Trig 8 and thought, ‘I bet we see the rest of the guys either today or tomorrow.’ “Hun,” she said at Sandra who was next in line. “Should we sort out cases for the rest of the guys?”
“We could,” replied Sandra as she was passed an MA60.
Nibs had a glance around the van’s armoury cases and found them to be empty. “Just the ammunition now.” She pulled the first case and passed that to Sandra.
When the last of the ammunition was off she stepped down from the rear doors and closed each one. Amy rounded the corner as Hell Bright gave something to Sandra. Then Amy collapsed clutching her head as if in intense pain. Hell Bright landed the rest of the items in to Sandra’s arms and as Nibs crossed the distance, Hell Bright appeared right in front of Amy. She looked a little shocked to have Hell Bright there before her and she was moving before Hell Bright. As Hell Bright picked her up Paul and her grabbed Amy to support her if her legs gave out.
Amy looked as if she relaxed as Ren brought her a case to sit on. Paul looked at her incredibly concerned by what had just happened. A couple of minutes later Hell Bright and Ren moved slightly away and she heard Ren say “Dad, Richard, Hell Bright needs to tell you something, it looks like she and Amy have just received a message that came via Magick.”
Jaboc’s voice was heard over some speakers in the area and it said, “Right go ahead Ren.”
Ren then translated the signs Hell Bright used to tell him the message, “The message was from a gent called Ithian, and he needs our help, he’s trapped in an area from what he can detect and see would be highly non conducive to his continued living. He thinks four maybe more people are looking for him and he’s detected a strong presence of evil and Magick in the area.”
“Do you have an idea where he is?” asked a new voice to her.
Ren translated some more signs and said, “Yes Hell Bright thinks, he’s near a large religious building in the area we where heading to check out.”
“I don’t know what your plans were Ren, but your new primary mission is to rescue Ithian at all costs and if need be you have two suits of Power Armour to support you,” came the new voice.
“Thanks new voice,” she said. “Your orders are understood, find Ithian.” She stood up and looked at Sandra as she walked over, “Let’s get ready to roll people. You ok Amy?”
“I should be. Thank you Hell Bright,” said Amy
*****
In Amy’s head again came the voice she had heard a few minutes before, “It wasn’t a vision, it was a call for help, a fellow mage is calling for help from friendly forces.”
*****
In command Ren’s voice came over the speakers, “Dad, Richard, Hell Bright needs to tell you something, it looks like she and Amy have just received a message that came via Magick.
At this Nicolai and Jane both look at Jaboc. “Right go ahead Ren.” Jaboc then transferred the camera in the changing area to the large screens above the map table.
On the screen the group saw Hell Bright start to sign. Ren’s voice was heard translating the message, “The message was from a gent called Ithian, and he needs our help, he’s trapped in an area from what he can detect and see would be highly non condusive to his continued living. He thinks four maybe more people are looking for him and he’s detected a stong presence of evil and magick in the area.”
“Do you have an idea where he is?” asked Jane.
A couple of seconds later after Ren translated Hell Bright’s signs said, “Yes Hell Bright thinks, he’s near a large religious building in the area we where heading to check out.”
“I don’t know what your plans were Ren, but your new primary mission is to rescue Ithian at all costs and if need by you have two suits of Power Armour to support you,” said Jane.
“Thanks new voice,” said some else. “Your orders are understood, find Ithian.”
“Who was that and who’s in command of the group?” asked Jane.
“That voice would be Nibs’,” Richard replied. “She is also the commander and she is the one closest to becoming a new type of adept, one we’ve never seen before.”
*****
In Amy’s head came the voice again which said, “Thank you Amy. I think you might also me a Wielder of Magick and I will teach you what I know and the spells I know. I know I surprised Nibs just then by the speed I was able to cross the distance, but I know the blink spell very well, and the better you know the spell, the faster you can cast it.”
She smiled at her and mouthed, ‘I think we will become very close as friends’. She stood up and walked with Paul towards where the boxes where.
Nibs picked up one of the new Tactical Computers and installed it in place of the old one. She saw Ren pick up a D300 and place it against his leg, it stayed there when he brought his hand away.
“How come?” she asked looking at where Ren had the D300.
“The new Tactical Computers have improved the nanytes; they have given users a boost in strength and also provided that nice little extra.”
Sandra passed her, her MA260 and she placed it against her right hip just behind where her Naj blades were located. She removed the holders and placed the short staves against her thigh and they stayed put. She brought the Short staff away in her hand complete. She replaced it and then unscabbarded the blade. ‘Very nice,’ she thought.
She then stooped and took her bow from the case. This she placed in the middle of her back. The next two items from the case were the two quivers which she placed across the small of her back. Into the front pouches went six magazines for her MA260. Into the right kidney pouch went a few grenades for the 260 and she loaded the grenade magazine with four fragmentation grenades. She kept the last round clear from the breech.
Daraus stood at her heel and allowed her to move as she needed to, but he was always there. She looked down at him there and smiled. She walked to the drivers door and called, “Ren where would be a good place to park the van?”
“On sub level 2, down the ramp from the garage, find a bay and park up, I would suggest leaving the keys in the box at the bottom of the ramp. It allows the mechanics to work on the vehicles with out having to worry about getting the keys from you,” replied Ren as he walked up loading the under slung grenade launcher.
She looked at the breech block of his D300 and it didn’t look like a normal D300 breech. “What’s the breech, that’s not the normal breech?”
“No, it’s configured for APEX operations. As Conspiracy if a weapon can take APEX, take it. A lot of the nasties we hunt can only be harmed by APEX or APHV ammunition or the advanced weapons in the armoury.”
She climbed up into the driver’s seat and started the engine. She slowly drove down the ramp into the main car-park. She headed for the first bay big enough to take the van and drove into it very carefully as on either side were other vehicles. After it was parked she climbed out and walked back towards the ramp up where she found the box. Inside was a plan of the car-park, she found the bay the van was parked in and hung the keys up. She walked up the ramp and found the rest of the team stood ready and waiting. Sat at Sandra’s heel was Daraus.
“Ok, team make-up, Tina, Abs with me and Sandra, Amy, Paul, Ren and Hell Bright make up the second team. You guys ok with that?”
Most of the group smiled at her choice of teams.
“Channel open Nibs to Paul, end. Paul, Nibs. We are on a private channel, keep an eye on Amy. If she gets in over her head call the support forces, in. It’s nothing against you, Ren or Hell Bright, but as acting commander her life is my responsibility and she has had no training.”
“I know, I love her, but I also feel responsible for her safety. Both Ren and Hell Bright know and I think Hell Bright is going to be keeping an eye on her just in case she receives more of what ever happened earlier.”
The group turned up the ramp to the outside and they started down the route way towards the front gate.
“Do you want to do the Talking shop with her or shall I?” she asked Paul.
“You do it, your knowledge of the scene and how people are, are vastly superior to mine.”
Paul stopped and turned back towards his unit.
Her unit proceeded on towards the front gate. Abs was carrying in the patrol position an MA60, but down her back was her Z2 sniper rifle. Tina was carrying her Coltanar 85 LSW. Nibs looked at her and noticed the belt feed coming from a backpack she was carrying.
“How many rounds, Tina?” she asked as the walked down the road.
“2000 in the pack and 600 in three magazines,” replied Tina.
As they approached the gate she asked, “How are we going to move?”
“A pair lead and are covered by the second pair, but as I move you cover Nibs,” replied Sandra.
She nodded as she understood the system, ‘move in pairs, but partners cover.’ “Leap frog movement?”
“Yes, at major junctions, but standard combat patrol the rest of the time,” said Abs.
The unit moved around the gate house and crossed the road. They headed for the main road junction north of the club. On the club side of the junction was a manned road block. Ten guys were working the road block; two of them were operating a heavy support weapon. ‘That looks like a heavier version of the 260.’ The unit moved around the corner and crossed the main road using standard combat patrol manoeuvres. Tina and she stayed at the corner of the alley-way one looking down the street the other looking up. About 50metres away were Sandra and Abs, they had stopped at a road junction.
“Nibs, Sandra. Your clear.”
The pair moved down the street Daraus easily keeping pace with her move.
“Nibs, Ren. What’s your status?”
“We’re on the move heading north and then north east, not seen much movement of humanity yet, but I’m guessing they are using the main roads out of the area.”
The pair stopped at the junction and crossed the secondary road on a north easterly diagonal to a back street which ran parallel to a secondary road on one side and a minor road on the other.
“What’s yours?” asked Ren as she waited for the other pair to move and join them.
“We’re north of the main road and heading down some back streets now, our ETA at the church, assuming no hold-ups is about four hours.”
“Roger that, ours is about the same.”
Chapter 3
“Ladies and gentlemen of the board, I think we are ready to initiate Operation Re-align. Commander Sinc of Sec Com has confirmed the five mercenary commands he stated would be ready are and have arrived at their launch points. His forces are ready to support our own troops should they come across area’s that require them, which should be very few as the City government has also assured us that they will kill the electricity and water to the area in the early phases of the operation,” the chairman stated.
From the third seat down the right hand side the female, head of corporate aquisations, smiled and said, “Good the boarding crews are also ready to move and board up the apartments, houses and tenement blocks when they have been confirmed as clear. I’ve also had confirmation that the building crews are also preparing to begin the demolition of the sites and also to start the construction of new homes and apartments for the returning populations.”
“Good, Sylvia,” the chair responded. “I can also confirm for the board that the talks with Nanuni technologies are almost complete and they have already supplied 10 of their Death Knight Assault Robots and a small quanity of new body armour to our military. By this time next week we should be one of the most powerful corporations on Darra Von.”
*****
A short while later the unit, which had taken the name Vixen Alpha when control communicated out to them, Ren’s unit was now called Vixen Bravo, had stopped a short distance from a north south main road. The unit was hidden behind a dumpster and in the gate way to a back garden. On the main road were a few people, which was petering out, this surprised her as she would have expected a constant stream of people. As the last of the people moved past the entrance to the back alley-way, she moved around the dumpster and slowly edged towards the entrance. When she could see up the road she stopped. She could see two APCs with what looked like infantry in body armour and riot shields. A second line just behind looked as if they were armed with assault rifles. The APCs looked like they had water cannons rather than the usual 20mm cannon they normally carried.
“Control, Nibs. Jaboc you seeing this.”
“Yes we are Nibs,” said a second unknown voice.
“Can I ask for the two new voices, namely the one I heard earlier and that new one please identify themselves. I have an edetic memory for conversations, and I need to have names for voices so I can put them correctly with a name and hopefully soon a face.”
“Sorry Nibs,” said Richard.
“Hang on, what are they doing? Sorry Richard.” Up the street the unit was mounting up again, as just behind the APCs were a couple of mini-busses where the infantry went to as the APCs moved out in a westerly direction.
“No worries, I wonder myself on what the hell is going on. The two new voices belong to Nicolai or Nicole and Jane Chancer, my brother and sister.”
“Hello Nibs, Richard has been telling us about what you discussed yesterday evening. Yes, before you ask we are the same as the two from the prophecy. I’m Nicole or Nicolai.”
“And I’m Jane. Good afternoon, just.”
She indicated for Sandra and Abs to move across the street for the back street junction they wanted.
Sandra and Abs disappeared around the corner she started to feel some vibrations through the ground, very faint indeed, but they were there. Just as Abs disappeared a CSMR came into view at the junction the APCs had left on. It turned its head and looked right towards the unit. It turned and headed north away from them
“What the hell was that, I know it was a CSMR but that thing looked advanced, far more advanced than what is in some of the bigger corporations military and what I’ve seen on the weapon technology forum boards?”
“Don’t worry, we’re already on it,” replied Jane.
“You’re not the only one who wants to know,” said Nicolai, “That is far more advanced than anything we know of on the corporate or country front. Leave that in our hands, we’ll research it and get back to you.”
“Ok, out.” Sandra signalled for them to move and they did.
*****
Jane and Nicolai had sat at two empty stations and they had both logged in to the network. Richard was busy coordinating Street Ghost assets.
“Two more position locks are activated Jaboc,” said one of the controllers.
“Display it to the map table and name when able,” responded Jaboc.
The two new locks displayed and one was soon joined by the name Surat and the second in very close proximity was labelled Bret. “Good, Surat and Bret are online,” said Jaboc.
“What, Surat and Bret. As in Surat Froid and Bret Walkes?” Richard asked.
“Yes the very same two. Bret had been working for me doing a bit of field work and Surat walks into the club one evening and it’s a match made in heaven. Surat is carrying Bret’s kid.”
He looked up at Jaboc and Jane said the words he was thinking, “Feck me. Now that’s a turn up for the books.”
Jaboc looked at the pair as if asking, ‘what do you mean?’
“The Academy staff had Bret pegged as a loner, he worked as good as anyone could when team work was needed, but all the rest of the time he stood slightly aloof and didn’t really mix with the year or the rest of the Academy. He walked out with two Highers, four mids and nine lower qualifications.”
“Right ok, Bret. I will pass your message on,” said Jaboc. “Bret asks what the feck is going on, we come back from a walking holiday to the Tibinssey mountains and get back yesterday morning and this hits the following day. Someone is having a laugh somewhere?”
“We want to know the same answer Bret,” said Nicolai, “We still haven’t got enough assets on the ground to launch any form of extraction mission, but when we do, you two are high on the list, just beneath Ithian who is at the moment being rescued.”
“Not Line Walker Ithian?” asked Bret.
“Yeah the very same, why?” Richard asked.
“I met him in my first year at the academy. Chat to you guys soon. Out.”
“Oh right.” He went back to looking at the satellite images and was slowly overlaying them with the ground map.
“Found it,” said Jane. “It’s a Death-Knight Assault Robot.”
“That’s Naruni tech, where the hell did they get there hands on Naruni technology?” asked Nicolai.
“I think we dropped the ball on this one,” Richard said as he looked up. “I have 10 CSMRs, and what I guess to be about half their armed forces on site, just before the launch. The Delta Nine-Zero satellite took a digital image of the HQ and I’m looking at the image now.” Richard brought up one image and zoomed in and checked the armour the forces were wearing. “Do you two want to run this image through the armour databases and see if that’s also been upgraded?”
“No problem, save the image and I’ll start the run.” After a short while Nicolai said, “From what I can remember of Wacker Military the last time they faced Echo Tech forces that looks the same. I would expect the officers to be equipped with something a bit better, but not much.”
*****
Vixen Bravo approached the main road north of the club. Behind them on the north side of the secondary road was a road block manned by six members of the club’s staff along with some heavy firepower.
Ren turned to Amy and said, “You and Hell Bright move as a pair, whilst me and Paul cover then you cover our movement.”
“Ok,” replied Amy as she looked up and down the main road. Then the pair headed on a diagonal North East to a path beside two houses. He knew it led to a small piece of open land and on the far side was a back street people used to dump stuff there. He was looking east along the main road and could see the column of refugees exiting the area, very likely behind them was Wacker Security and military. ‘I wonder how far they will go from the HQ.’ He saw Hell Bright signal for Paul and him to move and they did. They crossed and headed up the alley-way only stopping at the other end.
He looked across the open area and saw what he thought was movement in one of the windows backing onto the area. He turned and signalled for Hell Bright and Amy to move, but stop at them.
“Thermo is picking up small heat lumps, but nothing aggressively looking towards the area. Likely to be people hiding from the security and military,” said Paul
“Or people loyal to the street laying low and waiting. I’m surprised this close to the club, but you never know.”
He pointed at the far side and Hell Bright and Amy headed across the area. When they reached the far side they stopped and Hell Bright signalled for the other two to move.
“Is this your first time in this type of situation?” Hell Bright asked Amy, again directly to Amy's mind.
“Yes it is,” replied Amy. “I’ve known of the scene and have tried to stay true to their beliefs but it’s hard especially when the high school does nothing to stop the bullies making people’s life hell.”
Ren and Paul passed the pair and stopped about 50 metres up the back street. Paul signalled for the pair to move.
She said as they were moving, “Ren, standard patrol rules I think, only pairs movement when we need it.”
Ren looked at her and nodded his reply. Ren then moved to the head of the line and she fell in behind him. Amy and then Paul finished the four man patrol line.
Amy heard Paul’s voice over the communication system, he said, “This is as good a time as any to tell you the correct methods for patrol movement hun.”
She looked back at him and smiled. “I’m not that stupid love, but it would be nice to correct any errors I have.” She went back to looking forward and made sure the weapon was in a comfortable position.
“Well maybe not hun, but in case I’m going to tell you anyway,” said Paul.
“Ok, I was kind of hopping someone would. All I’ve got to go on is what I have seen on the tele, and we all know how distorted that can be.”
She saw Hell Bright look over her shoulder and smile at her. “Too damn true. The tele distorts everything that doesn’t suit the corporations.”
“What Tele programs did you watch?” asked Ren as he signalled for everyone to stop.
“Swat Tactical, as many of the documentaries about military operations and similar,” she replied as she looked around the neighbourhood. From what she could see it was run down housing and flats mainly, her vision system was set to normal vision.
“Were the documentaries by Digital Systems or one of the Echo Tech Inc tele companies?” asked Paul
“Yeah, when they came onto normal tele, we haven’t been able to afford cable or anything better than normal tele for a couple of years.”
Ren looked at the road ahead and saw it was full on humanity moving south. “Great our route is blocked, back track.”
After a couple of seconds Ren said, “Mm. That is a possible. Control, Ren. Can you guys bring up the sub-surface pipes and crawl-ways, we are blocked by a column of humans moving south.”
*****
Nibs headed up the alley way slightly ahead of Tina and stopped some 40 metres up. Sandra and Abs caught the pair up. “Control, Nibs. How the hell are we suppose to handle something like that. Our weapons are effectively useless against it.”
“No their not Nibs,” replied Richard. “Every wondered why all Echo Tech Military and security forces use the MA series of weapons and it’s not because they are produced by the company? It’s a very valid reason but not the main one.”
“No,” she replied as she took point and moved down the alley way, until it exited on a back road and small piece of man made park land for the children to play on.
“The APEX and APHV ammunition is capable of hurting the advanced armours that the CSMR uses. Plus your small size and the advantage of Black Light is that you are covered by a basic stealth layer that throws radar through a loop. It finds locking on to people wearing Black Light very difficult.”
“That’s useful,” she responded with as she exited the park land on the back road. It looked like it crossed the minor ahead and continued on. When the unit reached the exit of the back road Nibs looked north and Tina looked south. She tapped Sandra on the shoulder and pointed across the minor road at the continuation of the road they were on. Sandra and Abs moved around their respective partners and crossed the street and stopped to cover her and Tina.
She went past Sandra and Abs and Sandra moved to number two position. She looked around using a combination of thermo and high frequency infra-red.
*****
“Ren, Jaboc. We’ve got the plans you asked for, transmitting the relevant section to you now,” came over Ren’s ear piece.
Inside his eye-piece a box started to flash, he activated the switch that brought the eye scanner online. He moved the bar and opened the window. It displayed the location of an old storm drain that ran in the same direction as they wanted to go. ‘Where’s the nearest access.’ “Find a man-hole cover guys, there’s one in the near vicinity.” He checked along the storm drain and found a junction of a second storm drain that ran from near to the Wacker hospital.
Amy said, “Found it.” Amy started to clear away the bushes and weeds from around it.
He walked over and used his knife to try and pry the cover off. “It’s jammed.”
Hell Bright took aim with her weapon and he moved back. He signalled for everyone to move back. When everyone was at a safe distance, Hell Bright fired at the man-hole cover. The cover disappeared in a white ball of super intense heat.
Paul looked at Hell Bright and asked, “What the hell is that weapon?”
He replied, “That is the A-7 Plasma Rifle. You remember Richard said about visiting other dimensions?”
“Yes,” responded Paul.
“Meet one of the treasures, The Twelve have brought back, the guys at the Academy reversed engineered it and you have the A-7 Plamsa Rifle.”
“I think may have found my weapon of choice,” said Paul.
He took two grenades and dropped them down the shaft, and called down the shaft, “Fire in the hole!”
Splash, Splash was heard as the grenades hit the floor. He climbed down the ladder and was soon at the foot of the ladder. He looked both ways as Hell Bright followed him down. After Hell Bright was down and ready, he said over the communication system, “You two going to join us?”
He looked up and saw Amy was on her way down. Just above her was Paul and the pair were soon in the storm drain.
“Which way?” asked Paul, “Control, Paul.” Then after a couple of seconds and no reply from control he said, “Great, no communications.”
“That and a faint position lock,” he responded. “I have a complete map of the local area which includes all the storm drains and service crawl ways.”
Paul smiled at him and looked ready to move.
Ren took point and led the group in the right direction.
Paul’s voice came over the ear piece, “Ren, Paul. The grenades, why?”
“Think about it Paul, what do you do when you see grenades or hear the words fire in the hole?”
“You take cover. I get it; force anyone at the bottom of the ladder to take cover whilst you drop on them.”
He turned and looked at Paul smiling. After rounding a corner in the tunnel he stopped as his HUU was picking up ambient light ahead. Behind him he knew the rest of the unit had stopped and was waiting for him to move. He did slowly missing the puddles and by walking on the up slopes of the tunnel. He could see the light was coming from a side tunnel. He looked at the map and saw it was the storm drain from the hospital.
He stopped a short distance back and took from his left kidney pouch a small tube; he edged it just beyond the edge. He saw a small check point manned by two Wacker Security guards. One looked like was wearing a communications rig, the other didn’t look like he was. He looked back at the group and indicated that he had seen two people down the side tunnel. He saw the pair was looking away from the junction and he quickly crossed it against the far wall, whilst Hell Bright moved up and covered him in the darkness.
He moved and looked around the corner again as Hell Bright crossed. He signalled for the next person to cross. Amy went to move but froze a second before a rat splashed through a puddle. This sound startled the pair and they look around with their weapons ready. After a few seconds they relaxed and started to quietly chat amongst themselves again looking in the direction of the hospital. Amy then crossed after he had signalled for her to move. Paul crossed just behind Amy and the unit continued down the tunnel towards the exit man-hole.
*****
Across the area Vixen Alpha had come to a main road and they saw a couple of vans with their rear doors open. As Nibs crossed the road she looked inside and saw items of furniture, valuables and other items of value to people. She took a good look at the number plates. “Control, Nibs. Are the camera’s recorded for analysis later?”
“They are Nibs, Conspiracy Intelligence tries to review as much as possible but the amount of data gathered means they may review a couple of percent. Why the question?” asked Richard.
“Two vans, I just want to make sure they’re not looting.”
“Ok,” responded Richard. “Check it when you get back.”
She stopped and stood opposite her was Tina who looked up the street. Tina signalled for the other pair to cross the road.
Tina asked her as Sandra and Abs passed them, “Why the question about the camera’s?”
“I have a feeling the street isn’t going to take this laying down, and I just want to make sure the vans are legit and not looting someone’s stuff. Its things like that, which marks the street world as different as and better than the corporate world.”
Tina smiled at her as Sandra signalled for them to move. As they headed through an apartment block she looked around and saw a couple of what looked like teenagers knelt using the flower beds as protection. One of the pair nodded at her as she went past, she returned the nod to indicate she had seen it. ‘I need to make sure either these guys are supplied or extracted. The street needs to look after it’s assets in times like these, especially the young.’
The pair stopped and knelt beside Sandra who was looking at a steady stream of people and vehicles heading south out of the area. Just up the road was a bridge which linked two halves of a shopping mall.
“Lets use the mall to get on the other side of the road,” she suggested and got Sandra and Abs’ nods in reply to the idea. All four headed back through the apartment and he saw the two had moved back to one of the apartments and the open door showed a few more youths most looked scared as hell. ‘I need to get some business cards done to let people know who to contact should they need to.’ They reached the gate entrance and a quick glance revealed the same sight two vans loading stuff. They moved up the front of the apartment towards the mall. The doors were set slightly back which allowed the group disappear. Sandra and Abs watched the street as she worked the lock. ‘Hell I need my black box. Feck it.’ She hit the door and the lock busted. When the alarm didn’t sound, she tried the switch and found no power to the mall. ‘That’s interesting, you need the city’s help to kill the power to an area.’
“Control, Nibs. I am right in thinking that to kill the power you need the help of the City Government to authorize the utility providers to pull the plug?”
“Yeah you do, why?” asked Nicolai.
“We’ve just entered a mall and theirs no lights and no alarms.”
She led the group across the small entrance lobby to the door at the back. She noticed Sandra closed the door and pulled a sofa across the door to stop it opening. She opened the door and found it opened onto a corridor and at the left hand end was another door the right hand side had a set of stairs going both up and down. She turned left and opened the door onto the mall. The unit then headed up the first stairs to the first floor and they soon crossed the road and were exiting the mall via the service exits. The minor road that ran down the back of the mall also ran down the back of a long line of houses. 120 metres to their left, as they exited the service area, was a road that would lead them in the right direction again.
*****
Richard looked at the map and said, “Jaboc can we check to see which areas have been switched off power wise?”
“Don’t know if we can here, but the people on the ground might be a good way of finding out.”
Jane turned around and said, “One thing I can say is that the Corporate Enterprises medical production and Bio-Tech R&D complex in South Cliffs have reported total loss of power. They’ve gone over to back-up generators but the boss of the site is fuming. The site is currently working on a very important piece of research that may go a long way to combating Tirkkana Syndrome.”
He looked at Jane somewhat shocked as Tirkkana Syndrome was a major killer in South Olliath.
Nicolai also looked at Jane and said, “Ok, this brings a whole new playing field to the ball game. I’ll check on the legal situation concerning the utilities, but I do think they need the City Government support to kill power. I wonder if they’ve also killed the other utilities.”
Jaboc looked up from looking at something on the tablet. “Bret has just reported they lost power during the initial phases and now they’ve lost water.”
He brought up the utility plans and found that the entire area was fed by four water mains; each had a cut off terminal in the east. Three of which were located in Grand South. He then took out his PDU and rang Misty.
After a couple of ring Misty connected and said, “Hi, who’s this?”
“Richard, Misty. What is the situation concerning water and electric where you are?”
“Don’t know, I’ll check.”
After a couple of seconds she said, “We’ve lost all water supply, not electric. Why the question?”
“It looks like the city government is in on the deal with Wacker. They’ve cut water and electrics to the area.”
“Bloody hell, someone will need to check the legal situation on it, but I think that’s illegal under World Government laws.”
A few minutes later Jaboc said, “Nicolai, Richard the latest satellite images are in.”
After a few minutes of checking a few sites across the area Nicolai said, “Wacker are being stupid, they‘re declaring war on the other corporations as well. I’ve got military units outside nearly all Corporate sites, including the Corporate Enterprises site Jane.”
“They can’t be that stupid, can they? They do that and they know they can’t win if they do that. Not with Suraban ratifying the Corporate Land Laws. How many front line units can we bring to bear?”
“Immediately, two divisions sis, that’s not the issue, someone is not advising the board of Wacker and the City government very well. By them doing what they have done, they’ve not only declared war on the corporations but they’ve declared war on Echo County and we have two task forces in the Allan Straight. They are only four days out and I know the Storm Makers are in the area as well.”
Richard looked at Nicolai when she said the Storm Makers are in the area. “Wacker is not going to survive this. If Wacker wants to start a land grab war, they are picking a fight with the wrong people.”
*****
“Ren, Nibs. What’s your status?”
When after a couple of seconds she hadn’t heard Ren’s reply she said, “Control, Nibs. What’s happened to Vixen Bravo?”
“They’ve had to go underground to cross a column of refugees. They should be back on the surface in the next ten minutes, we have a faint position lock on them but no communications, they are in an old storm drain that are renown for blocking communication signals,” replied Jaboc.
“Ok, thanks Jaboc, I was just wondering where they went. Can you get Vixen Bravo to contact me when they re-establish communications.”
“Will do, how is the patrol going?” asked Richard
“As can be expected with the situation,” she replied. She headed down the road and stopped when she saw a couple of Wacker security walking past the end of the road. Both she and Tina went to ground, thankfully Sandra and Abs were at the corner waiting for them to signal safe. The pair disappeared and a larger group of eight more crossed the entrance, never once looking up the road. When the last of the eight had disappeared she slowly edged her way forward. At the entrance she saw the group had stopped and was looking at a map of some kind. They headed off down right back tracking down the secondary road that joined this secondary with the main road. She indicated for Sandra and Abs to move and they did. Tina who was looking up the street didn’t see anything that would cause them a problem and pointed at the alley-way between two apartment blocks. Sandra and Abs headed for the alley-way and stopped in the entrance and signalled that it was clear to move.
In the distance she could see the top of the spire of the religious building. “Almost there guys,” she said as they moved up the alley way and crossed a minor road. They entered a garden of a house, inside she could see more people all of them again young, just a bit younger than she was, she guessed. “Control, Nibs. What is the status of extraction teams being ready?”
“We have a couple of units in and they are preparing to head out and conduct an extraction of a couple of groups, why?” asked Jaboc.
“I have a couple of groups containing youngsters that seemed to be holed up in places. It would be good to see if we can help them.”
“Very true,” replied Jaboc. “The young are the future. Vixen Bravo is back online with us.”
*****
Vixen Bravo arrived at the manhole they wanted to use and Ren disappeared up the ladder. At the top he forced the manhole cover out of its hole and found that a car had been parked over it. He replaced the cover and climbed back down. At the bottom he said to Hell Bright, “A one second double tap at the cover. It’s blocked by a vehicle.”
Hell Bright nodded her understanding and stood directly beneath the up tunnel whilst the other three moved away slightly.
Amy who was watching Hell Bright saw her skin change from a flesh colour to a colour that mimicked stone. Hell Bright then brought the A-7 to her shoulder and fired one ball and then a second later she sent a second ball up the shaft.
Ren disappeared up the ladder and found the car was no longer blocking the man hole. He headed for an alley-way; Paul appeared and headed for the same alley-way. A couple of seconds later Amy’s head appeared and she too joined him and Paul. Hell Bright appeared beside the group.
He looked around and saw in the distance the spire of the building they were heading for. “Control, Ren. We are out of the tunnels, what’s the status of Vixen Alpha?”
“Ren, Vixen Alpha has asked that you contact them when you were out of the storm drains,” said Jaboc.
“No problem, out. Nibs, Ren. We are out of the storm drains.”
“Good, what is your status, where are you in relation to the target building and how is everyone?” asked Nibs.
“Everyone is good. I can see the spire, I would estimate it’s a couple of miles away now.” He stood and headed towards the spire.
“Ok, so can we, I would estimate we are about thirty minutes out.”
He felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He looked at Hell Bright who pointed at a street sign. He nodded his reply to where they were. “Nibs we are going to check on our friends as we are on the road where they live.”
“Ok, keep me informed of your situation.”
“Will do,” he replied.
The four headed up the road to a set of steps down. He headed down them whilst the rest waited at the top. He hammered on the door.
A few seconds later he heard a voice from the other side which said, “Who is it?”
“It’s Ren and Hell Bright, how’s you and the others Jacqui?”
“We’re good thanks. Why are you here?”
He looked back up the steps and signalled to Hell Bright that they all seemed safe.
“Checking on you and also rescuing someone important,” he replied. “I can organise extraction for you and the kids if you want?”
A couple of seconds later Jacqui’s voice said, “Thanks Ren, Hell Bright. How long before you think we can leave?”
“A few hours maybe a day. We’ll need to organise it back at the club, just stay put and we will organise something.”
“Ok, chat to you soon.”
He headed back up the steps and the group crossed the road, they turned down an alley-way and in the distance they could see the entire spire.
*****
Vixen Alpha had stopped at the edge of an alley-way looking directly at the building from the north side. It looked fortified; it had sand bag emplacements covering most of the doors in to it and the surrounding buildings. Nibs was looking at the map of the area when she saw the four position locks of Vixen Bravo appear on the edge of the area. “Vixen Bravo, Nibs. We have you on the map.”
“Confirmed Nibs, likewise we have you as well. Stay put we’ll join you,” replied Ren.
Fifteen minutes later Vixen Bravo rounded the corner of the alley-way from the back street and joined Vixen Alpha at the entrance.
“Hell Bright, can you direct us to where Ithian is?” she asked.
Hell Bright nodded ‘yes she could’ and took point, she headed back down the alley way and turned west. Very soon Hell Bright was leading the group up a back street towards a court yard area.
The group stopped at the entrance to the yard and saw a gent backing away from a group of five thugs. The yard looked like it was a dumping ground for rubbish. Setadar pipes and rods, wooden tables, chairs and other items of unwanted and very likely busted items of house hold appliances and general rubbish were piled, in places quite high.
“Is that Ithian?” she asked.
Hell Bright nodded, ‘Yes it is’.
Chapter 4
She bonded her MA260 to her hips and drew her short staves, she headed around the corner and stood in the entrance way. Tina, Sandra and Abs all joined her. She said, “Gents I would advise leaving the gent alone as he is now under our protection. You have two options, leave or we deal with you.”
“Yeah right, not before we’ve dealt with you,” said the largest one and he grabbed a piece of setadar pipe. The others with him also grabbed pieces of wood or setadar pipes and rods.
Sandra and Abs both drew their combat knives, Tina unattached her short staves from her back.
The four friends then stepped into the yard area and they split up. She headed straight for the largest one and his slightly smaller colleague. The larger person of the pair swung the pipe he was carrying, and long before the pipe was anywhere near hitting her left stave was in position to block the attack. Her right one was already on the counter-attack and impacted against the gent’s gut. The power behind the attack forced the gent to double over and collapse to the ground.
She then heard the second one swing his piece of wood and that hit her side. The armour went solid and stopped the blow; she didn’t even feel the impact. She turned to face him and as she did her boot was already on the rise going for his head, the impact forced him to take off and spin. This gent landed face down very much unconscious.
She looked around and saw the others were dealing with their opponents; two of them were already on the floor in pain. Sandra slashed her opponent across the neck and from what she could see he dropped.
She placed her staves back against her leg and slowly walked with her hands palm towards Ithian. She said when she was close enough, “Ithian, we have been sent by Nicolai and Jane Chancer to take you to safety.” She looked at him and he was defiantly favouring his left arm and shoulder.
“Can I take it you have an idea who I am?” asked Ithian as he stood up, his face was one of concentration.
“Other than that you are someone they don’t want in enemy hands, no.”
Ithian stepped towards her and he accepted her offer of help. She helped Ithian over the piles of rubbish and heard a fire fight happening down at the entrance to the back street.
“Sandra is anyone medically trained?” she asked.
“Yes Paul is,” replied Sandra.
She headed for the corner of the back street and a main road. She tapped Paul on the shoulder and said, “Ithian needs looking at.”
Paul looked back up the road and saw Ithian sitting on an old wheel, he headed to him, as Paul walked back he had already swung his pack off.
She took his place at the corner and fired a short burst from her 260, the APEX rounds destroying a car in the progress. “Paul, Nibs. I need to know how long to stabilize Ithian?”
“He’s stabilized now. He’s got a busted left arm and I think a dislocated shoulder.”
“Thanks,” she responded. “Guys we are leaving. Control, Nibs. I need a fast safe route out now?”
Hell Bright fired again this time at one of the APCs that was operating with the unit, who now were hidden from view. She knew the presence of her MA260 and Hell Bright’s weapon was enough to make most people take cover.
“Nibs, Jaboc. The quickest route out of the area is the deep subway. You have a station entrance one street over directly opposite the building opposite the yard.”
“Thanks Jaboc. Sandra, Tina, Abs, Nibs. Stay with Ithian we are heading for the subways. Sandra the back door opposite should lead us to a station entrance.”
She glanced back up the street and saw Sandra move and kick the door so it opened. Paul helped Ithian to his feet.
“Hell Bright, Amy, Nibs. We are leaving.”
Hell Bright with Amy appeared beside her in the entrance way and they both headed back to where the fight had happened. Ren and her moved back up the street after she pumped the grenade launcher and both of them sent a grenade in direct fire arc towards the now burning wrecks of the two APCs.
*****
Amy walked down the back street to the junction of it and a main road. At the corner she glanced around and saw heading in their direction at least ten people all wearing the uniforms of Wacker Security and carrying assault weapons. Also up the road was at least one APC. ‘Feck me! No way are these guys going to get the jump on us.’ She placed her back against the wall and readied herself. “Control, Amy. I have a unit of security troops heading this way, permission to engage?”
“Amy, Jane. Permission granted.”
“Amy, Nicole. I’m confirming the command, you may engage.”
She lifted her D300 to her shoulder and turned so just the weapon her arms and a small section of her head were visible around the corner of the building. She pulled the trigger and sent a shortish burst up the street. It hit the two closest to her on the same side of the street. The APEX rounds she was using killed the pair instantly, but it got the rest of the security goons to take cover. “Hell Bright, Ren, Paul, Amy. I need help. I am engaging some security people.”
Very quickly she was joined by the rest of Vixen Bravo. When Paul and Ren had arrived she moved so she was behind a parked car. She had seen four of them slowly, cautiously moving down the other side of the road, using the cars as cover. She fired a second burst at one pair and hit the car they were behind. The car exploded as the rounds ignited the fuel tank, the fireball instantly killing the pair. The pair who were slightly behind them took cover in an alley way rather than the cars. Hell Bright appeared beside her and she stood up and double tapped her A-7 at the APC as its turret moved and swung its main weapon towards them. The two balls of plasma went right into the open rear area and destroyed it from the inside out.
Paul fired a short burst at a pair who had decided to return fire the rounds impacting against the brick work. A couple of rounds hit him in the arm, but the armour went ridge and stopped the bullets one actually got stuck in the armour. He brushed it off and fired a second burst at the exposed commander of a second APC that had just appeared from a junction. He then felt someone tap him on the shoulder and he turned to face the person.
*****
“Commander, we are under attack, returning fire,” said one on the security personal. “It looks like they are using advanced ammunition, as the first burst blew two apart.”
“Fecking hell, APEX ammunition. Command we are engaging hostiles they are using APEX ammunition.” The turret of the APC started to turn so the gunner could bring the 20mm cannon to bear on the attackers. “What the fe.”
The sergant saw two white balls go into the back of the APC and it just exploded. “Command, we need support. The attackers are using weapons I’ve not seen before. The APC has just exploded after two balls of white went into the rear section. It is now a burning wreck.”
“Sergant pin the attackers down, we are deploying forces to assist, they should be with you shortly. We’ve just lost two more, one of the cars exploded and killed them in the fireball.”
From the junction came the high fire rate of an MA260, the Sergant knew that weapon as he had used it when he was working for the mercenary command before joining Wacker security. ‘Feck me these guys are well armed.’
“Sergant, I know I’ve just hit one of them and he instantly returned fire as if the bullets had not effected him at all,” said one of the security personal.
“Thanks Conners,” the sergant replied. ‘Who the hell are these guys. Our weapons are suppose to be able to defeat street armour.’
*****
“Richard, Jaboc, the first of the Echo Tactical response units have arrived top side. What are your orders,” asked Jack from one of the terminals.
“What power armour have they been equipped with?” asked Jane from her station.
“Standard security ET-4 Jane,” replied Jacks.
Jane stood and said to Nicolai, “Shall I go and break out the heavier stuff.”
Nicolai thought about it and then said, “Yeah I think they might need it.”
Jane headed off in the direction of the exit.
Richard said, “At last.”
“Control, Nibs. I need a fast safe route out now?”
Jaboc who was looking at the sub-ways said, “Nibs, Jaboc. The quickest route out of the area is the deep subway. You have a station entrance one street over directly opposite the building opposite the yard.”
“Thanks Jaboc.”
“Nicolai do you want to deploy a couple of units to the sub-way station off 4455th Street, I’ve just sent them to the Deep Line.”
“Ok, will do,” responded Nicolai.
*****
Sandra led the group through the long corridor until they had reached the front door. A small window allowed her the chance to look out. She could see the entrance building opposite. Normally across the entrance was a metal gate, this was open, which meant people had gone into it or come from it. “Control, Sandra. The sub way, where do the tunnels go to and from and does any of them go near Wacker HQ?”
“Yes, the deep line runs close to the HQ,” replied Nicolai.
“Thanks, just wondering.” She opened the front door and Abs and she headed out after checking both up and down the street. They both went to ground on the steps down looking up and down the street. She signalled for Paul and Tina along with Ithian to move.
They did and they stopped on a landing about halfway down. Hell Bright and Amy crossed next and they went past Paul, Tina and Ithian and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She could see Nibs and Ren in the door way, they were waiting for something, they had to be.
She saw both of them fire back down the corridor and then they ran across the street. Nibs paused for a brief second and fired a grenade down the corridor. As Nibs and Ren ran down the stairs she and Abs followed them. At the bottom, she noticed Nibs was chatting to control and both her and Ren disappeared.
“Control, Sandra. I need the plans for the sub-way station and where did Nibs and Ren go?”
“Uploading the plans now. They went to take out the electrics, Nibs reckons they are not ready to fight in darkness as none of them seem to be using enhanced vision options or smart gun links,” said Richard. “Damn you are vicious Sandra, that last slash I reckon you almost removed that guy’s head.”
‘Damn. I wanted to remove his head.’
A couple of minutes later her, Abs, and Tina were watching the street entrance when the lights went out.
“All forces, Nibs,” came over her communication head set. “The enemy are now working in complete darkness. Paul, Abs, stay with Ithian.”
She looked around as Nibs and Ren walked out of a door labelled ‘Maintenance Personal Only’. She watched Nibs as he walked up to Ithian who seemed to be at ease in the total darkness. Ithian smiled at Nibs and she heard Nibs say, “You ok Ithian?”
“Yes thanks. I’m quite alright thanks to you now.”
“Good, I’ve detailed Paul and Abs to stay with you. We can see in total darkness, how about you?” Nibs asked Ithian.
“Do not worry about me, I can see quite well thanks, even in this level of darkness. I am just happy that I am with friends.”
She looked up the stairs out and saw no one coming after them. She looked at each person and noticed Amy was not that happy. She walked to where Amy was knelt down. “What is wrong Amy?” she asked.
“I can’t see,” replied Amy and she sounded scared. She wasn’t surprised at Amy’s current situation.
“Amy give me your hand.” Amy did and she moved it to the switch on the HUU and switched it. “Listen to me. Use you eye as if it was a moulzua, one blink selects something, two in quick succession activates it.”
Amy nodded that she understood. “Do you see the menu bar at the top of your screen?”
Again Amy nodded ‘yes’. “Third menu item is the vision options, select and activate the High frequency Infra-red.”
Amy did, she looked at the menu bar and selected the third menu item and the menu dropped, she looked down the list and selected the line ‘High Frequency IR’. She activated it and the screen changed. She was looking directly at Nibs.
“Look at the bottom right, see the half circle?”
“Yes I do,” she replied.
“Activate it and then you can move the screens around.”
She did just than and the various screens separated a bit. She then moved them around and when she was done, she switched the system off.
“It’s an eye scanner that allows the user to change the way the information is passed and processed.”
She nodded and she knew she was a bit happier as she could now see the rest of the guys. Paul was with Ithian as was Abs. She stood and moved so she was close to Paul in a position to cover him if he needed it.
Nibs then turned and headed off in the direction of the stairs down, she knew they wanted the very bottom platform and that was beneath a second set of lines. The ‘Deep Line’ ran from the very north of Suraban to the very south, 235 kilometres of sub-way and one of the crowning achievements of the Suraban Subway system. The fact someone in the north could travel to the south with out ever leaving the confines of the subway.
She led the entire unit to the stairs down and saw knelt in one corner was a small group of Wacker Security, they were looking terrified as she guess they had not been trained to operate in total darkness. She led the group with Sandra just behind her and Daraus at her heel down the central concrete stairs and at the bottom she turned left and moved using the walls of the tunnel towards the deep line stairs.
As she approached the stairs down a couple of people at the bottom fired up the stairs. The muzzle flashes illumating the seven men and three women at the bottom all of them were looking up the stairs. A couple of them were using small flash lights that shone about half way up the tunnel. She stopped and indicated for everyone else to stop. ‘Damn, a grenade isn’t going to take them all out.’
Ren who was just behind Sandra asked, “What’s the hold-up?”
“Men at the bottom of the stairs, grenades aren’t going to take them out.”
Hell Bright stood up and moved to the top of the stairs and she started to concentrate on something, her hands moving in a specific way, repeating the various positions. She could hear very faintly words being said, she didn’t understand any of them. Suddenly a ball no bigger than a foot maybe a foot and a half flew from her hands. She followed the path down the tunnel where at the bottom it hit the ground and exploded. The fireball that was created shot back up the tunnel with the edge of it coming to about half way up the tunnel. After it had cleared she saw that the men who had been down there were now crispy and black with charring. She went down at speed and at the first entrance to the deep line she headed down the stairs. The explosion had blackened the walls as well. She exited the passage way and could see the men down here were huddled together as what ever had done that was very powerful and something not to be messed with. She realised that if she had shouted ‘Boo’ a few would probably have heart attacks. She headed for the end of the platform and the door that led to a service tunnel that ran down both sides of the main tunnel. She looked around the platform at the remains of the Mole people’s homes, all of them had been busted up, computers smashed, walls ripped away from the sides, beds and other household furniture destroyed.
She opened the door hoping no security was beyond it. None was so she led the group though the service tunnel to the station nearest to the Club.
Stood on the platform at the exit were two suits of Power Armour, both of which turned and asked, “Nibola Calton?”
“Yes that’s me,” she replied.
“We’ve been sent to escort you back to the club.”
“Thanks,” she replied and followed one up the stairs and escalators. Back in daylight that was streaming through the larger station complex, she guessed that this one was a major junction building, probably had four or five major railways or sub-lines.
The two troopers were joined in the air by two more; both were using even more advanced versions. They both had long barrelled weapons and what looked like a couple of missiles under each wing. The engine blocks were much quieter than the ones she had heard on the trip to Misty’s.
After ten minutes of walking through the streets they reached the club, where Ren led the group through the maze of tunnels to the ground floor of the control room. Stood at the map table were four people. Richard and Jaboc along with the other two were smiling when they saw Ithian and he smiled back at them.
“Welcome back Ithian, I wish it was in better circumstances,” the left one of the pair said.
“Thank you Nicolai, Jane.” Ithian nodded at the pair. “I wish it was in better circumstances. I must thank this group for the professional way they met me and dealt with the problem of getting me here. You train your youth well.”
“Thank you, but they not trained by us, a lot of it is from needing to survive in a hostile and sometimes dangerous world,” said Jane.
“If you wouldn’t mind I think we will go and get changed and meet you in the canteen. I need some food,” she said realising she hadn’t eaten since breakfast this morning and it was now almost 18:00 and she had been very active.
“Yeah and I need this looked at. Thanks to you for what you did, but I think the break is slightly more major than the treatment provided was aimed at dealing with and with the equipment carried.”
Jaboc walked over to one of the controllers who had indicated they wanted to see him.
Richard said, “Yes meet in the canteen in an hour.”
She nodded and the group turned as Jaboc walked back to them, where he said, “The club is now secure, we control the road on our north side and the area going two blocks east and a block west and three blocks south.” Jaboc said as he lent over the map table. “Map control zoom out to current area plus our controlled area.”
The friends now left and again Ren led them through the corridors to the armoury.
In front of the armoury window she turned and said “Well done everyone, that was an excellent operation, and especially well done Amy for her cool head and her quick thinking to engaging the corporate forces.”
When Nibs had finished everyone clapped and cheered Amy. Tina and Abs walked over and gave Amy a hug and said, “Welcome to the Vixens.”
Amy responded to both by giving them both a hug back and she said, “Thanks for inviting me.”
She then took her case down and opened the top. She placed her 260 in along with the rest of her weapons. “Ren what is the situation concerning the carrying of pistols on Club grounds?”
“Security are all armed with SMGs and Mk2 Black Light, the same version as you guys had. Other than that, both me and Hell Bright don’t generally. We carry our combat knives mainly and pistols when off the grounds.” After everyone had returned their cases to the main Armoury they all walked to the changing area, where they stripped off and headed for the communal showers down the left wall.
