by Kronos on Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:12 pm
In the meantime, the Technocratic Auto-Fabricators were quick at work establishing a base camp. In addition to that, one of the engineering platoons had vented into the woods trailed by four transports carrying dozens of cylindrical objects.
The bulk of the the engineering officers, suits distinguished by their unique pauldrons, clustered around a small equipment table covered with wires and two black boxes. The wires seemed to stream off in every direction from the boxes; they went to the peripheries of the camp and then some.
Three, two, one..." counted the staff, pounding their fists down on the air in unison.
Alfonse turned his key. Godiva turned his own key. They engaged both black boxes simultaneously. The firing impulse for several dozen thermonuclear charges surged away from the equipment table, traversing miles of wire, and reached the ring of nuclear charges placed around the camp.
The ground shook. The horizon lit up in a thermonuclear blaze, painting long shadows across the forest. In reality, a ring of nuclear charges had carved a mile-wide no-man's-land around the camp, irradiating the area and creating a deep moat at the same time. The effect of the blast was positioned so that the creek bisecting this landing zone would drain into his ad hoac ditch, creating a moat of sorts.
Back at Command HQ a popup message appeared on Specialist Anni's datapad. It read "sequence complex". She smiled and nodded to Godiva, who instantly took the hint.
"Good work men," said Godiva, pivoting to face his engineering crew and clapping. They joined in, clapping along with their leader.
Godiva abruptly ceased clapping and stolidly folded his arms across his chest. He loudly cleared his throat over his helmet-comm, drawing his crew's attention to him, and he launched into another tirade, "But we're not finished yet! Now that we've cleared the perimeter, we've got to set up fortifications before nightfall. We've drilled this exercise a hundred times, so you know what to do. Stage Three is go," he paused, awaiting the engineers' reactions, and then drove the side of his hand into his palm several times, "Chop chop!"
The Engineer Officers scattered, returning to their awakening Auto-Fabricators, and went to work.
Godiva strode towards the prefab housing modules that had been constructed in the meantime; he need foot and a shower to erase the stench of sweat on his body.
...
Someone came barreling through Godiva's office door like a bat out of hell. He was a small man, with an overly cocksure demeanor for someone his height, but one who made up for it with his rippling musculature. He was wearing orange coveralls and carrying a data-pad tucked under one arm. Like all the engineers on this mission, he was clean shaven with cropped hair.
"Colonel Godiva, sir!" he bellowed, saluting to the Colonel, who was sitting behind a drab metal desk. Godiva had obviously neglected to unpack.
"Yes?" The Colonel arched his left eyebrow quizzically, and then, rather embarrassed, stated, "Oh right, the status report. Give it to me straight."
The man smiled sarcastically and began, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Stage Three is proceeding on schedule and we haven't encountered any technical hitches... yet. The bad news is that one of the Auto-Fabricators gave out. Some constructor paste clogged in the machine and it's fused now. We're doing the best we can to repair it... but I think it's best if we junk it for spare parts. I've got the Captain's data-pad right here, everything but your signature is filled out. Just sign and we'll recycle that a-fab into something useful."
The Lieutenant held out the data-pad for Godiva to read.
Godiva absently took the pad and scribbled his digital signature on it, before handing it back to the Lieutenant. "Anything else I need to sign? he asked sarcastically.
"Nope," replied the Lieutenant in a matter-of-fact tone.
The Lieutenant then turned to leave as Godiva suddenly blurted, "Wait, Lieutenant, what's your name again?"
"Augusto Valchidaz, why?" inquired the Lieutenant, looking back over his shoulder.
"Oh, just curious. I don't remember you on the mission rooster, odd... I'll see you later then. Bye," Godiva rambled on, before shooing away the Lieutenant with one dismissive gesture. Augusto pivoted away from Godiva and strode towards the prefab's core hallway, slamming the door behind him.
"Idiot," muttered Augusto as he strode towards the mess hall.