Week 23
Day 1
The four HELI-PODs came in that morning with cannons blazing from the far right of Outpost Six avoiding the cannons on SWAMP which is situated to the left of Outpost Six. It came in low and SWAMP cannons could not target it. They totally ignored SWAMP and went in for the kill here. Its target was the cannons on Outpost Six. It fired two missiles each at the cannons on Outpost Six and damaged the cannons. By then some of the rear SWAMP cannons facing Outpost Six went into action and hit one HELI-PODS on its way in. The damaged craft was still about o maintain its height as it dis-lodged the personnels by the rappeling ropes.
The other three flew past Outpost Six, ignoring it. From its flight path, its going for the Village Two as predicted. It skimmed the tree lines and flew over the wall of Village Two.
Back at Outpost Six, the cannons took down the damaged HELI-PODs and it went down in flames.
The LSC came in from across the river and weave it ways through. The five LSC zig zagged in with the SWAMP cannons firing on them. The LSC landed at the river banks just behind some trees, and dislodged their loads of about forty military personnels. The Feds as we called them now, ran in between the trees offering covering fire and also getting into position to attack the Outpost. The distance between the treeline and the wall is about fifty feet and we laid covering fire to pinned them down. The LSC returned to the other side for more reinforcements.
At the same time, three HELI-PODs by then had initiated landing sequence at the Village Two yard and started unloading the men. There are about fifteen of them taking firing positions on the yard while the pilots starts to take off for more loads. There were exchange of fires from the colonist in the units and they had the Feds pinned down in the yard.
Then came the surprise package; some colonists risked their lives by pushing in five wooden wagons with crates on top to the edge of the yard. Once its there they released the latch on the side of the crates and ran back to their cover in the units. Two of the colonist did not make it in time; they were shot dead by the Feds. The crates on the wagon starts to shake and the unlatched side came down. Then there was a creature head that pop out. Its a raptor and it smelled blood. Other crates opened up and more of them appeared. The Feds saw the creatures and started focusing their shots on the raptors. The charges in their PH762 are not effective on a single hits unless its concentrated on a particular spot on the thick skin of the raptor. One raptor went down in a hail of shots but the others were more nifty and agile to jumped into the Feds position and create a ruckus there. With their sharp teeth and claws, they were alarming the Feds as well as causing casualties. The surviving Feds on seeing the oncoming raptors ran to huddled together but they were soon overwhelmed by these crafty and agile creatures. Even though it was four Raptors to twelve Feds, but the ferocity of the Raptors took the advantage.
The Colonist hidden in their units could only do was watch as the primitive fights with the Feds. Some said silent prayers while some looked away. But this is war.
The three retreating HELI-PODs did not foresee the tiny drones coming at them from below surveillance scanners. The drones Birdeye One, Two and Three released two missile each to their respective targets from the rear. The HELI-PODs exploded simultaneously killing the pilots.
On the river banks towards the treeline, the Feds are moving up the area with the cover fire provided by the LSC who is coming back with the second wave. But they did not land the reenforcement; instead they picked up the Feds and turned back. They were responding to orders from their Commander. The remaining on the treeline held their fire while waiting their turn.
I told the Outpost Six and SWAMP to hold fire while the Feds awaits their transport. The LSC came back for them and they boarded it, leaving’ some dead ones behind.
Soon it was all over. And all it took was half and hour of fighting.
The count was four recruits on Outpost Six, and four colonists in Village Two, plus two cannons there. They lost four HELI-PODs and twenty five Feds including the pilots. In the evening, I had their dead send by MSV to the opposite river bank but I kept back their weapons and gear. The colonel doctor was there and he did not say a single word.
We chased the raptors away from the yard out to the jungle, although Doctor Leong wants to keep them.
They executed PP10234 ‘Mama’ Pepe on the river bank that evening. She is secured with some bindings on her hand and legs. They then cut her wrist and chest with some shallow wounds and tossed her into the river. The let the reptiles do the execution of the victim.
So we know who is responsible for the attack, and failed to deliver.
Day 2
Unknown to many, I sent the drones at early dawn and blew up their LSC. We crippled their LSC fleet parked behind the trees near the riverbank. That’ payback in my book. I was to have my coffee when SWAMP comm me.
‘Commander, you need to see this.’ I sure hate morning surprises.
There is a huge chimp hanging across on the riverbank. Its about seven foot tall and three feet across. But the best part was its dressed in some uniform; a crimson vest to above the knees with a belt around the waist and a matching red cloak. And it also wear a helmet of sort made from some hard leather and transverse horsehair crest on it. Its dead from my view and given the gun shots on its chest, I would say it has to be dead. Colonel Doctor Meering is standing there with a spear in his hand. He is obviously waiting for me.
‘Good morning, Commander. Welcome to our side of the world. We could not make it there as we have no working boats, no thanks to your morning raid. Mischievous of you, but we are ever vigilant of your acts. This one really baffles us; dressing up the monkey ape in the uniform and running in our backyard. Your ape killed three of my men before we could kill him. Crude weapon but he did wield it well. All three who fought him died in their pain. So tell me, Commander who among your scientist has perfected to train the creatures to fight like man. I need to see that person and pass my compliments.’
‘I have no idea of what you talking about. This is not an ape; its a chimpanzee. We did not create this monster and if we did, we will be happy to get it to be acquainted with you in the ring.’ I looked at the chimp hanging there and then I saw the badge which was in its jacket vest. I seen the emblem before but I cannot recalled. I reached for it and took it out. Its oblong shaped metal piece like a belt holder. There are some marks that looks like letters on it. I recognised it as I seen it before. It was in a museum back on Earth. It a sign of an em missay from an ancient race.
‘Can I keep this?’ I asked the Colonel.
‘Yes, you may. Its after all your ape.’ He laughed and walked away. I boarded back the MSV and then stopped. I asked the pilot to help me lowered the ape and we will carry it back with us. We will bury it on our side of the river.
‘Its looked like the Spartan warrior sign, the inverted V or L depending on how you read it. Its the letter lambda (Λ), standing for Laconia or Lacedaemon, normally painted on the shields. Its also the feared warrior sign of that age. Any Spartan was worth three of the other warriors. It unusual to find these here as there are no links of them to any terrestrial life form in the history of mankind. But they were linked the to the ancient Greek mytholodogy of Gods like Zeus, Hermes and Ares. If its, then these apes may be communicating in ancient Greeks.’ That was Doctor Irina who knows about history of mankind. She referred us to Doctor Boris Ivanov; Forensic Achaeologist/ Palentologist.
‘Terrestial living among our ancestors has never been proven as there was no supportive evidence but myths and hearsay till today. We are space colonists now and yet we questioned our past which could be associated with other earlier space colonists or explorers. If we can do it, then what about then; as time is relative to some of us. Like the Gods which we worshiped today and then, they could had transpire between dimensions or portal of time. That is my personal opinion as science avid follower. But as a scientist as said we have no hard evidence of the terrestrial life form as yet. We been probing the galaxies since we learned light years travel, but we found no one to talk to as yet. Maybe we are looking it up wrong or we are just not getting it right.’
‘Be darned honest, all I wanted to know was about the sign not a hike around the universe theory.’ I had to interrupt the Doctor as its was getting late.
‘I know, Commander. But you need to understand the background of things before you can appreciate the answer. But to cut short, yes, that is the symbol of Spartan and how it got here, remain unclear.’
I thank the doctor for his time and promise to asked more the next time. I am sure next he will tell me about Hercules and Zeus. The only Zeus I know is a combat pilot in the Space Exploration Team. Hercules; she broke my arm when I tried to arm wrestle her.
Day 3
‘Scott, I think we finally succeeded in making the ‘gunpowder’.’ He does looked bad for his age, all covered in soot and dirt. He later told me they had to experiment with the correct quality and quantity before they stabilized the ingredients. They made about one lbs and are still testing it. They are trying to made ancient from the iron and get it to fire metal projectile. Apparently someone read about this works of a inventor in this civil war of the old days which came up with the 12 pounder Napoleon Cannon. He found the design in the vid-library and they are casting it now. Incidentally his name is Napoleon Bonpart.
I sent Major Shaw up on the Bubble to see the land further up stream. This is her report.
Special Report from Major Shaw
Day 3 Week 23
1243hr
At 0901hr, I took Bubble One for a patrol along the river going upstream. I must had covered quite a long flight when I decided to turn back for Outpost Six. I detour to the across the river to check for activities of our neighbors.
At 1130hr, I saw a sight of a column moving down there on the clearing. I swooped down to get a better view and activated my vid-cam. It looks like some creatures walking on their hind legs and then again they are dressed in red, which was what caught my eye. They looked like large chimps or young apes and they are carrying spears. I saw the leader riding what appears to be a lizard but I cannot be sure. There are about a hundred of them and they are going downstream. They will hit the Fed camp by nightfall or early morning at their moving speed.
I turned back Bubble One to Outpost Six at 1201hr as I was running out of power fuel.
I reviewed her vid-cam and I consulted the scientist. They are chimpanzees but larger ones like our size or bigger, and they are what Doctor Leong feared most; an educated primate race.
But are they friendly or brutal like the predators?
Was the dead ape an earlier scout?
Do I tell the others across the river?
Is this really New Pangaea or another cursed Earth?
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