New Pangaea 8-11

Week 1

Day 1

The plateau we are on is like a raised platform on the plains. Its measured six miles in length and two and a half miles to three miles across from north to south, given a magnetic direction indicator. The plateau tapered off down in its last mile to the lower plains at the south while the sides on the east and west side are steep slopes. The northern slope is a also steep gradient slope that leans off towards the plains. The base is at the central south and just before the tapered end. The plateau is majority covered with high trees but not tall ones like the ones on the plains. Nevertheless the high trees here formed a canopy of leaves which shelters the undergrowth of large ferns and knee length grass growth which spread out to get the filtered sunlight. Unlike on the plains, the canopy acts as a guardian for the humid and wet condition here, where the dense growth is growing rapidly compared to the plains on Earth. But the grass under our BASE are now mostly levelled down flat by the force of the landing.

But irregardless here on the plateau, the creatures who inhabits here may had vacated the post which we land but they are seen at the side of the landings peeking at us. They are smaller in size and stay hidden most times in the thick undergrowth. We will probably identified them later as we research this place. There are a couple of small streams with clearwater that flows on the plateau out of tghe rocks to joined up with the bigger rivers. Its probably flowing out from the undergorund water catchments in the plateau.

Our first mission is to setup a communication outpost at the northern tip for better coverage in the area.

The communication team complained of ion interference in the transmission to our revolving orbital satellite up there in the upper atmosphere, and we may need to enhance its strength by running a series of communication outposts on the plains. The one we are setting up is at the north of the plateau and we named it ‘Tip’ is a backup for the base comms systems.

I selected six personnel for this mission along with the two comms experts in the ATV. The comms equipment is a rectangular box that looks like a coffin to be exact.That is mounted onto a two wheel cart and we attached it to the back of the ATV. The ride over the terrain was slow and we made some detours to avoid obstacles to reach the top.

I waited for the ATV rear door to opened up automatically before I unbuckle my seat belt. I am sitting in with the personnel at the rear while Specialist Nixon drives the ATV. He is a fine recruit with good citations for work and intelligence. He has the looks of the nice neighbourhood boy and every mother’s assured friend for their daughters. But Nixon drives part time in illegal races on the plains and has been involved in crashes that he still manages to survived when others didn;t.

His co-driver is Specialist Melinda Chang; distant cousin of the Cheng’s but she is level headed in most situation. Like her cousin, she is built small but carries a lot of energy in the body, that can outleap a lion if need be. I nicknamed her ‘Lioness’ as she does bite if she is losing a fight.

I was was the one sitting nearest to the door, I got off first to stepped into the knee length grass. I discarded my survival kits backpack which inludes a breathing filter for the smell of fresh air. I took my first real breath of the fresh air in this world, so different from the recycle air in the BASE. Its against ruling to do this as we feared any air borne diseases but I find if very invigorating to breathe in the frsh air. And if there any airborne diseases, then its us who is bringing it, although we been innoculated with a long stream of antibodies enough to put down a normal grown man in bed.

Specialist Micheal Burns; half Irish and British with a knack for arm wrestling and also one of my best  sniper, steps off and held his PH900 Heavy Recoil Rifle to his chin and scanned the forest edge. He ran to the nearest cover which is a clump of undergrowth and crouched down for any surprises. He is a professional in his field; ever highly strung up in the nerves during a mission. The PH900 is a ten shot rifle with a metal projectile. He has also removed his breathing filter to get the fresh taste of real breathable air.

I unslung my PH762 PDW; which is a smaller design of the one carried by Michael. Mine does not have a stock butt and shorter barrel, but it fires mutiple taser energy charge unliked the PH900 Heavy Recoil Rifle. I can hear the ATV Revolving Twin Cannon swinging in response to possible intrusion alerts as there are creatures out here. But we programmed it to shoot if it attack us. Probably may be too late then, but we did not want a shooting gallery on our first day.

The other two personnel of my assualt squad, are the Jessies’ sisters; two sister by a year apart and they are Specialist Mary and Joan Jessies; mean Highland’s bonnies and mean fighters plus survivalist, whose dedication is to themselves first and the rest later. That is why I brought them together with me as they are an awesome pair to have on your side in a fire fight. They are also armed with the PH762 PDW and they took recon of the perimeter. We nicknamed them ‘Double Barrel’ and it ain’ their chest sizes, but their attitude.

The Comms Team is Specialist Ivan and Sargeant McKay; both of them are unloading the Comms Unit now. I did not know them much as they are newly attached to my team for his mission. But their records tells me good reviews. They carried the Unit to the designated place and prop it upright on the ground. Both of them starts to clean up the place of any undergrowths and stones leaving the area cleaned. The Sargeant went abck to his unit and kneel down to open the front panel on the lower middle section on the Comms Unit. The panel light up and a display of touch buttons appeared on the screen. The unit has a builtin biometric unit which verified the identity of the Sargeant. Once the Sargeant had his biometric checked, the screen changed  to different layout which allowed him to punched in the codes to activate the unit. If his biometric failed, we would had been a dust by now from the self destruct explosion. The explosion will wipe out the area cleaned by a half a mile of any growths or living creatures. Its a safe gadget of the military not to have the unit falling into the wrong hands. There are too many secrets in that ‘coffin’ box. One the unit is activated, the Sargeant stepped back and watched as the unit unwrapped itself.

From the bottom half of the unit, sides of plates dropped open to reveal an extended tripod legs which secured itself on the ground. The four tripod stand will raised the unit up by one foot while a smaller round tube is lowered to the ground. The tube will burrow into the ground and hold firm the unit from any vibrations. The upper part of the unit will now detached itself at the middle and raised itself. It will be supported by the first long tubular stands on the four sides. The upper part plates of the unit will then open up in a steep gradient facing upwards to the skies. Thess are the energy panels getting its power from the solar heat. The inside of the upper part will then have a three long antennas which will protrude up for an extended five foot each. 

Sargeant McKay walks up to the installed Comms unit and cqlled up the touch screen panel to punched in some codes. The upper unit then lowered a glass transparent panel which will light up to display the LED diagram of a control board on its touch panel. The corporal will tapped in the correct switches and the unit starts to become more operational. When all is completed, the Sargeant tapped a switch on the LED diagram panel, and the glass panel retract back to it housing. The unit will then sealed off back the housing and its all silent except for the strobe lights on the units giving a low hum as its shines around.

‘Its operational, sir.’ I nodded to his good work and stepped back further.

Specialist Ivan brought out a small back box from the crates he carried out earlier, and placed it next to the Comms Unit. He will then retrieved some long tubular rods of about five foot in length from the pile he left at the ground and set it on the four sides of the Comms Unit. Each tubular rod once inserted into the ground, seems to come alive as it burrows into the ground. Sargeant McKay then open the top flap of the black box and punched in the codes. He closed back the flap and stepped back.

The black box emits a humming sound and then the tip of the four rods starts get illuminated, and a hazy screen was build around the Comms Unit. Its a mini canopy defense wall and it will protect the unit from any intrusion. It can withstand a speeding ATV crashing into it. Its designed to counter any force on it by responding against it.

‘Comm’s Unit is ready, Sir. When do you think we can get our bird’s nest here?’ Sargeant McKay is referring to the Manned Outpost here as per our discussion. We planned for a small mobile outpost here with four personnel manning it. It was to be named ‘Tip’s Nest’.

‘This week, Sargeant, and you can also have a M-Bot for company.’ I stood by there looking at the view of the plains. We are on a reasonably high platform and I can see far out but there are other higher ranges than ours. But what held my interest is the vast green vegetation and the buzzing of life here, so free to roam the plains unlike our Earth; all desolate and dying from its lack of water.

If you were to look at New Pangaea, you would had thought that you have stepped back in time by seventy millions years on Earth; the land of the great dinosaurs. Here its a replica and as dangerous as it was before to man, but we are well prepared to faced these old challenges with new technology. But waht the probe did not tells us was we are outnumbered two hundred thousand to one here. And with that odds against us, we need more than technology; we need luck and survival skills.

‘Incoming hostile’, but the twin cannons shot it its wings off. Its a big winged reptile like bird and its now swooping down with a pair of damaged wings. Its shriek of pain can be heard by us and all around the place before it crashed beneath the canopy of leaves. I guess even the big ones here need luck too against us. Myabe for now.

‘Mount up. We got hot supper at the Base. Sargeant McKay, you can stay if you want, but I need you, so get in now or I will drag you in.’

Damn sentimental idiot over a metal box.

Day 3

We took the path that looks like a like road build up to ‘Tip’s Nest’ with the help of the M-Bots doing most of the clearing and the reduction of local population by their taser touch including a small T-Rex which came to pick up some scraps. The carnivore never made it near us as the M-Bot 5 or MB 5 which was near us blew the hind legs off it, and then the upper chest. It dropped on its front face but what made us shudder in fright was the eerie sound the small T-Rex made just before it died. Its like a dead howl that calls on its devil to take vengeance on us for the act committed. That eerie sound was replied by more errie sounds from the surrounding plains. As a military man, I would said that is a call for vengeance.

I immediately ordered the road crew including the M-Bots to withdraw to BASE. That day to dusk, we heard the similar sound of those replies from so many places. I had the guards double on the outer ring and we did not stand down until the next dawn. The reports came in that there were activities on the perimeter during the night but no intrusion attempts. A large T-Rex was seen at the nearby plains just before the track to the Base, but it kept its distance.

The next morning, I took the ATV with four personnel and McKay, including MB5 up the newly cleared road. The  ride was okay considering the uneven terrain , but we made it to the place where the T-Rex had its last moments.

Day 4

We came upon the next day was almost bare bones of the beautiful creature, with some smaller carnivore still taking bites out of it.

‘Shall I removed those scavengers, Sir?’

Melanie Chang is holding the gunstick on the ATV which operates the front cannons. I nodded my head and she fired off some rounds above the small scavengers. They are Eoraptor or Raptor for short; a small sized carnivore abiut three foot in length who hunts in pack and sometimes scavenger of the remains of bigger kills. These little scavengers just ignored the taser shots and continue their feeding. Melanie trained her cannon on the nearest one and blew it off with a deadly concentrated blast. The shot blew the Eoraptor into bits, and that caught the attention on the other Eoraptor. They all looked up from their feeding in unison and Melanie took another blast above their heads. The remaining carnivore then got up and ran for the undergrowth.

‘Field is cleared, Sir.’ I looked through the side view in the ATV and can see no movements. I activated the back door and pushed the switch for the MB 5 cubicle to be lowered. The square cubicle extend out of the ATV, and the MB 5 comes to life again. Its actually designed to sit in the ATV rear with lower extension legs folded in the front of its chest and the upper extension arm limbs on the side like a box position. When the MB5 come to life, it will extend its legs out and stepped out. The unit will then do a system check on all its functions and then proceed to scan the surrounding.

It was during the system check which takes a few seconds when the Raptor came out with its claws on the unit. Its right claws slashed at the MB while its jaws close in on the left extension upper arm. MB5 was pushed slightly to the back by the oncoming charge but it soon regain its control. Its right upper extension arm reached over for the Raptor’s at the side of the head and fired off a single taser blast causing the Raptor to released its hold. Its shaken momentaly but it came to the range of the automated twin cannons now being activated. The M-Bots held up the Raptors for the twin cannons to shoot it into several bites pieces. Meanwhile MB5 did another system check and confirmed its operational. It moved towards the the treelines and gave out a series of deadly taser blast which brought down the branches and some overhanging vines. There can be heard sounds of creatures hiding further back into the jungle.

‘Intrusion cleared. Perimeter establised’ That was MB 5’s reply. We got out and looked at the Raptor carcass. Its almost devoured to the bone by other smaller rpedators which crawl from the undergrowths and take bites of it. I walked over to MB 5 and saw the slash mark on the chest plate. Its dented but only slightly; I wondered how it will do on human flesh. I cleared the ATV to go on for Tip’s Nest.

With the road intact, I was able to move materials to build an outpost there. The outpost is a rectangle structure with a length of thirty foot and twenty foot in width. Its twelve foot high and has a large double door on the front wide enough for the LTV to park in. Inside the outpost on the left side is the bunk place for the four men, and on he right side is the command console, and a small storage area where supplies are kept is located at the rear. On top of the outpost is the automated revolving twin taser cannon and the intrusion alert scanner. There are side windows for the personnels to repel any intruders with their rifles. There are two emergency hatches; one on the right side of wall and the other on the roofing.

The defense wall is installed by implanting the energy poles around the camp. It will generate a wall forcefield that rise up to thirty five foot height and completely surround the camp.

Day 5

All was ready in Day Five and we have our first outpost ready. As this place is named Tip’s Nest, we also named the Outpost Tip. But the official sign stays for official communication which is Outpost One. McKay was the first volunteer there, while we had three more volunteers’; the Jessies’, and Micheal. I was to gave them one last advise; fratenizing is not encouraged, but I drew more flaks from the Jessie’s than the guys. Both McKay and myself drew up the communication protocols; every four hours call in on status and perimeter checks twice a day with two personnels each. We left a LTV there for them to use.

That more or less wrapped up Week One in our stay at Pangaea.