Week 32
Day 1
Three days of Bubble patrols tell me nothing is happening out there. We may have our reprieve after all from the chimps. We did not hear anything from Corin or her troops. A hundred and twenty one colonist left us with the Fed’s twenty. Monolith One is already occupied with the personnels there, while Monolith Two is being built, and Three is still excavating. I moved some supplies including Taser and Napoleon cannons there for their defenses.
Just when you though it safe to move around, we had new trouble. The dead carcass of the dead chimps over the last battle has been cremated but the scent of the massacre lingers. It brought in the predators who come to look for food. Scavengers and predators are aplenty, as they surround the Castle. I flew in on the Bubble and met Vickie who was shaken up.
‘There was a fight between a T-Rex and some raptors over there in the jungle edge. It was like an alley fight with no rules; clawing and biting, or kicking if you can managed it. In the end the T-Rex won but I can see its bleeding in so many places. We had to bring down a Spinosaurus out there with the cannons as it was charging at the wall. It smell the blood on the wall. The Napoleon cannister shots took it down but then the rest came to finished the job. Its brutal......’ She was by then sobbing like a woman. I guess the pressure on her shoulder was getting too heavy to carry on. She has lost almost two third people that last days, leaving her with now only a handful of them.
I got Doctor Bashir to sedate her and let her rest. I addressed the remaining Fed’s and we agreed to lived on with what we have. Some of the other colonist will come over and stay here and they be treated equally. And if there are new colonists coming, they will be given a new piece of land to build their own. This unique castle will be the first Empire/Fed’s site. After all, we are all Earthlings.
Fifty five colonist from the Village including women and children moved to the Castle. My own counts are reducing down to less than five hundred now. Ten new families wants to start off Eden Two in the South too. I gave them permission to scout for new land but I told them to go east. I am trying to bridge the land between here and Monolith.
Day 2
‘Welcome to Monolith, Commander.’ That was Major Shaw welcoming me to her new place of command. I walked through Monolith One to see the progress. They have erected two rows of twenty housing units and three large units for the Command and Storage units. A section of the Monolith One was reserved for Bubble One and its hangar. The could not plant anything up there, but they decided to plant using ‘Hydroponic’ gardening in a glass house structure. Most of the units are occupied and that also includes the colonists who does not want to go back to the Main Village or Two. They have chosen to settle here with the Matsu’s.
My main concern is the access down to the bottom. I got Philip Dupine to look at the possibility of building the road. Instead he suggested a long spiral bridge down using steel and wood. His comment was that to cut the gradient takes time and effort, so why not build metal bridges. We done it with the high structures on Earth so why not here.
‘Philips’ Freeway perhaps?’ I added as a knife statement. His reply was ‘No, ‘Maria’ for my wife. She is not here but we can remembered her in that manner.’ I gave up. I reminded him to work Ishido Matsu.
I met Doctor Indira, who cornered me off. She thinks that this rock or monolith as I called it may not be that straightforward as in created by forces of nature. She requested for permission to survey the base and of course with Military guards. I duly approved but she takes instruction from the guards.
It was Major Shaw who pulled me later. ‘Commander, we need to established a transit outpost between here and BASE.’ I will look at it on the flight back but not now. But I was thinking more of the bridge concept. It may work for here, if I can convince the Four Horsemen too.
Day 4
Trouble never tells you where and when it will come, but they do in the most opportune timing.
I was riding in the jungle on my bike to the Main Village when I heard a rifle shot like the one from the PH900. I sped to the place where I think the shot was done, but there was nobody or creature laying on the ground. It was then the next shot came and I was the target on the left arm and I went down. The shot just hit my flesh and not the bone, but it aches like hell. More to it, my PH900 is on the bike which is about twenty paces away. I moved my body to the tree trunk and leaned against it. Whoever it was, is good and the shooter is either still there or left the scene. I got up slowly and peeked at my bike. If I could reach it, I may be able to get away from the shooter.
But before I could run for it, the raptors has found my bike; there are three of them. They smell blood and its on me. I looked up the tree trunk and to my dismay the branches are too high. I looked around me for places to hide or defend from but there is none that is viable against three raptors. Then I smell those darned creatures near me. I peeked over and saw the trio is about five paces away facing me. I un holster my PH350 and took it in my right hand.
My head or theirs, was the question.
Then the shot came and one raptor was without it head. The body went rigid and then it went running for a few paces before falling down. The other two looked at it and then me, and back at their dead comrade. It then ran off into the jungle. I dropped down on my knees and let go off of my PH350. I am very tired by then. I saw the shadow of the shooter and I looked up. It was Pedro and he is holding a PH900 in his hands.
‘You okay, Commander?’ His right hand reached out for me, and I looked at it. Was it him who shot me and now helped me? Or he just happened to pass by and saw my previous guests?
Pedro pulled me up and comms to BASE.
‘They will send a LTV now. Who shot you?’
I looked at the man I would had trusted with my life, and now I am not sure. I shook my head and stared at the ground. Pedro stood guard until the LTV arrived. They loaded me into the LTV and someone took my bike.
I walked out the Infirmary and saw Pedro there standing by one of the Units. I walked up to him and took his rifle. I took out the clip and saw that it was three projectile short. I looked at him, and asked.
‘When did you shoot the other two projectile?’
‘Yesterday, when I went to shoot at some Lions which was near the Village.’ I remembered that in the report and he scared them off.
‘Pedro, someone shot me with a PH900 projectile, and I want to know who, and why?’ His look was blank of any expression as always, and he took back his rifle. ‘I did not shoot you, Sir.’
He walked away.
Of all the personnels, only ten carries the PH900 while the rest carries PH925 or PH762. The list of names are as here.
1. Commander Scott Bent
2. Major Ally Feeley ( BASE Command Centre )
3. Sargeant Mugan Kabe ( Weapons )
4. Corporal Micheal Kano ( Weapons )
5. Corporal Pedro Mano ( Sniper/Scout )
6. Corporal Cheng MT ( Electronics )
7. Specialist Ian Mathew ( Sniper )
8. Lance Corporal Micheal Burns ( Sniper/Scout )
9. Specialist Jamil Aminuddin ( Recon )
10. Specialist Andre Dukov ( Demolition
We did not issue the PH900 as its for snipers or those who are good at target shooting. I left out one more name; General Victoria Seeker. Everyone has an alibi for their whereabouts except Corporal Pedro, Specialist Jamil, Specialist Dukov and General Seeker. The last three claimed they were in their units or sleeping.
All three of my personnels has an excellent records and none has shown me any disrespect or anger, except Pedro. But he has always been different between me and him.
Specialist Jamil is a recon expert or can be considered as a scout. He has an uncanny ability to track in any terrain as he was raised in a tropical climate. His parents were forest rangers when there were still forest then. He used to grow up in those areas. He does not communicate much and is a loner like Pedro.
Specialist Andre Dukov; European with a likes for tea instead of coffee, and is a good man in a delicate situation. He has been awarded some commendations for bravery and courage, but when in the right crowd, is a clown. He is always laughing unless he is on mission. Then he is a smiling killer machine.
Corporal Pedro; I know him for over five years and served with me on several missions. Good man, and reliable in any situation. I would had place my head on his gun sight but I am not sure today.
I have no comments on Vickie, but she was in BASE area that morning.
Day 6
Recruit Jamie Ticker died during sentry duty; apparently he jumped off the wall at the Outpost Six. But Doctor Bashir found traces of him being strangled. No one saw anything as he was on sentry duty alone in view of the quiet days. Moreover the automated cannons were on and it would had fired if it was a chimp. They found his rifle on the ground and it was not fired.
Report from Doctor Bormann
Day 6 Week 32
1312hr
Strangulation is a form of asphyxia (lack of oxygen) characterized by closure of the blood vessels and/or air passages of the neck as a result of external pressure on the neck. The victim died of what is known as Ligature strangulation or strangulation with a cord-like object (also referred to as garroting). In the human neck, the carotid arteries are the major vessels that transport oxygenated blood from the heart and lungs to the brain; they are at the side of the neck that persons. This jugular veins are the major vessels that transport deoxygenated blood from the brain back to the heart.
The victim will lose conscious-ness by any one or all of the following: blocking of the carotid arteries (depriving the brain of oxygen), blocking of the jugular veins (preventing deoxygenated blood from exiting the brain), and closing off the airway, causing the victim to be unable to breathe. A weighted pressure placed on both carotid arteries for ten seconds is necessary to cause unconsciousness. Brain death will occur in 4 to 5 minutes, if strangulation persists.
Recruit Ticker was killed by such a method.
Its only at death that everyone comes forward and expressed their emotions or words of consoling. Or in some cases justification to how they know the person. Or appeared to know the dead. But I know not Recruit Ticker and I was asked to speak at his funeral. I said only one line; ‘we will find the murderer to close the case.’
I got Joseph Bat on the case.
But there was no witnesses or accusers to date.
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