The Planet 1.4

1.4.

Battle at DOD Suzuka Zentai

“You are getting old, codger.” I leaned back into the small protection space which had some beating. The sparse wall of stone was however able to accommodate the two of us then. I was with my other mercenary mate, Mac Duggan. He was a nut with the wilder streak that was the marks of a wild horse. We were Duggan Duds; the construct group paid for by the wrong side then. We were employed by DOD to steal some prototype at the Suzuka plant. It was a simple task but the whole task was screwed up from the start.

“Well, pull in your legs.” I replied while I cramped up my legs close to my body with the phaser rifle held around it. It was not the best but with the credits available, we got some mean model there.  Mining corporations pays well, for they demanded the best. And DOD gives you the best.

Well, it was until then.

“Remind me to get rebate on these models.” We paid good credits for the PH375 double shot phaser but the energies pack was unreliable. “They are good for the earlier batches but these last ones sucked. So you reckon we were played for pawns in the Mining game again. It happened before; the mercenaries were sacrificed when the corporations drew new conditions in their corporate games. It was then we were the last to get the revised terms.

I drew in my breath and hugged my legs closer to me. I wanted to discard the phaser but it was holding my legs close to me.

“You said to trust you.” Duggan was my commander and his words were sacred like in trust. I did and followed him here. For that, I was seated on my rear haunches and cowering behind some cover because of trust. I should have said I was fucked but that will be too harsh on my commander who was in the same predicament. Another literary term was we were both fucked. That felt nicer then.

“Clam it!” Duggan turned his body to fire the phaser over his shoulder. He must have read my mind. Besides mind reading, he was also reckless. I had joined him with fifty others to be part of the DOD Assault Team but from the moment we arrived, we were given the beatings of our lives. He did tell us then before we land that we were going in without much Intel. I wished I have backed off.

“Do you think we were played out?” I asked Duggan. The other nodded.

“It happens. We get screwed and get sacrificed. Who cares? We are mercs. They will stay pay us but it will be our beneficiaries who gets paid.”

I laughed. So the task had changed to a game of survival now. Both teams are now being teamed to fight for the entertainment of the corporations. And I was not planning to die that day.

I crouched up while firing my rifle phaser. One thing I was good as the shooter. Sometimes to get the best shots, you need to be exposed. And that means being shot. I rushed forward after I took down the fore shooter with a chest shot. By then the rifle phaser was a goner; the energy pack had jammed in the powering turn. It was useless to me then so I had it discarded. I grabbed my side arm with my right hand; the PH450 with the seven energy shots. I shot while running; it was not to kill but to give me some cover. It worked then for the fourth wound of mine appeared. It blew of my right shoulder and left me with a dangling arm. I was a construct there and I have no time for useless parts; I pulled out the useless arm by the socket and discard it. It was then a stump with exposed cables and circuitries. I jumped ahead and landed on my right side. It was there I retrieved the enemy rifle phaser. Damned, they had better models; PH375-2 Upgraded. I turned my body and took my aim of the enemy with the left hand. It was my organic arm and held a firm aim on the targets. I downed the second and third shooter with well placed shots. Then the rifle energy pack went dead. It was time to change the pack but I was one arm short. I threw the rifle and grabbed the side arm. Left or right handed, I was better at both. I took off the fourth shooter at fifty yards and then I was up running. I ran at random directions and thankfully Duggan was giving me god cover. I hit the far wall at running speed with my right side slamming the wall. With sixty five percent constructs on my body, the wall went down with a gap big enough for me to fall through.

It was a fully assembled droid. No wonder it could put in three shots into me. It was a four limbed model with each limb a built-in rifle phaser into three limbs, while the fourth was the loader limb. It was a Suzuka construct and it was deadly in the battle field. It had a rectangle upper body and it was rest on a double triangular shaped tracks. The head piece was an inverted round bucket with the red sensor slots. They were not built for looks but they held serious fire power. I did not stop there with a body slam into it with my body. Biggest mistake, the darned droid was three times my mass and heavier. It threw me off like a discarded toy but I was a persistent pest when it comes to close body contact. I like to pick the toys off bigger bullies.

I smiled.

The droid registered it late. The energy pack was armed and it was ticking. I had left it in the energy pouch there.

Bad place to leave an armed pack.

I ran and jumped out of the walled area just in time when the energy pack went off. The droid did not stand a chance of taking another shot at me. I laid there on the ground face down and with my organic body screaming for medical attention.

I guess I won the battle and downed the opposing squad. I stood up with my punctured holes. Instead of body fluids, I was seeping hydraulic oils. I guessed it pays to be half droid where the living anatomies are my brains, heart and my lower body. Thankfully the healers kept that intact, or I will be accumulating oils too.

“John, one of these days they are going to miss your mechanical parts and hit one of those remaining body parts.” Duggan stood by me and smiled.

“Isn’t anything the healers cannot replace?” I was sixty five percent mechanical inside me. That was how I kept on surviving. “So tell me are we winning?”

We did win eventually with half the team dead. We also blew the plant that cost Suzuka more pain. It was nothing compared to the reception which we had when we returned.

“You were to stand down.” Craig of DOD snapped at us. “We already have a stand down agreement with Suzuka.”

“And nobody told us. So we proceed with the task. Task completed and we are here.” Duggan replied on our behalf. “So pay up and clam it.”

“You don’t know what you had done.” Craig glared at us. “Suzuka is waging war on us. You are all responsible.”

We ignored the man and walked out. It was soon I found out that DOD had a contract on all of us who survived. Only five of us survived when Kingsley bought the contracts. We were saved by Kingsley but DOD never forgave us. 

The Planet 1.3

1.3

That morning, I had myself to blame for taking the steps into the Earth Office of the Mineral Rights. My name is John Smith; well that’s the name I chose to. I could not remember my real name but who cares. I had assumed many identities before; some in name of survival and most times given by others to me. It became so common that the name meant nothing to me unlike the ranks I once held. I was once in the unnamed division of the Marines, slowly climbing up from the Special Officer to the Special Commander before I ended it all. They meant nothing to me at all except to make me take notice of it when I am called.

Rankings placed you in the containment.

And I disliked containment.

I also disliked being called. I do make exceptions when the call was from friends.

‘The Earth Office of Mining Rights.’ That was the message.

There I was standing there. I came straight from work. I was working on my new battle suit that will greatly improve the soldier in the field. It was a prototype of Kingsley.  

“Hello, John.” I turned and saw the man I was to meet. “Can I walk with you?”

“Sure, Mark. After all you are my boss.” I nodded. Mark Kingsley, Junior was the senior executive officer of Kingsley Defense and Mining Corporation. He was also one of my ex-Commander from the Marines. He was dressed in the Chinese Mao design with buttoned collar but the material the suit was not eastern but more to the opposite. The executive was in his forties but his look was older. He was accompanied by his troop of six bodyguards; all burly and ex-soldiers. They were similarly dressed but the suit did not do much to cover the outlines of their weapons tucked beneath their armpits.

“I would have given you a suit if I knew you were coming in that … working overall.” Mark commented on my dressing. I looked at it and smiled. I did have on what he described; it was my working clothes and it was one of the six sets I had with me. It was blue overall with six zippered deep pockets. I brushed my left hand over the fewer and shorter hair there; I was self conscious of it decay there, although it was not hampering my facial hairs. My week old stubble was helping me recover some pride in replacing the above.

We stood there on the steps among the assembled; the news hounds and the corporate. They were all there; their reps to listen and await instructions but there were also the curious ones. Those were the unpredictable ones. They could be innocent bystander or at worst, the trouble rabble.

“Hey, there is Kingsley Mining.” It was one of the trouble rabbles. The guy was dressed in a silvery suit with a clean shaven head. His whole facial expression was devoid of any facial hair, but that was not all that was hideous. It was the sneer on the expression. The trouble rabble shout drew the attention of the gathered and among them the curious ones.

“They are mercenary constructs.” It was the key word for the curious ones to drop their pretense and reveal themselves to instigators of troubles. To them, all mercenary constructs’ were killers of the innocents. It triggered the required response. They rushed forth with murderous intents. They were not few but grew to hundreds when the hidden ones by the corners rushed in. The assigned guards to handle the crowd went into action and formed a cordon around us. They carried shields and powered batons. That did not deter the trouble rabble which came with their hidden weapons. They had their own batons hidden under their coats which they used to batter the guards.

The line of guards fell back on the impact but the Mining Office have prepared for such eventualities.

The skyline was soon filled with dark orbs that swamped down among the trouble rabbles.

“The dark ones! They launched the dark ones.” The trouble rabbles withdrew from the line of guards. The dark ones were armed droid in the shape of a two feet radius floating dark orb that hovered over the trouble rabbles. The orbs then launched its sonar weapon on the trouble rabbles; the sonar vibrations were so intense that it may ruptured the brain cells when in contact for over ten seconds within its track of twenty feet wide. That was if you are protected by the head gear, but most of the trouble rabbles were unprotected.

They could only bear it for five seconds maximum.

They screamed out in pain when the orbs hovered over their heads. For those who were stubborn to move or had fallen on the ground during the withdrawal, they will have blood pouring out of their ears and nose, and then the pain was so unbearable that the affected will reach with their fingers to pull at their pain through the eyes.

We were saved. I was soon meshed in with Kingsley and herded to the side. It was a clear area from the orbs but I saw the punch and moved my head. It was not by a trouble rabble but one of the personal guards of Kinsley. The punch missed me but I had my defense up. I lashed out with the right finger jab at the guard. He did not see it but the force of my jab ruptured his liver. The man keeled over but by then, we had moved on with Kingsley calling the move.

“Ignore him.” Kingsley called out to his head guard. “He tried to strike at John.”

We were forced marched into the doorway by the side of the building. There were three other groups there and we were protected by more guards.

“Sir, its Stane. He was part of your guards.” Michael the Head Guard questioned his employer.

“Michael, you are fired.” Kingsley glared at him. “Get out of my sight.”

With that Kingsley other guards pushed their ex-leader out. Kingsley ignored the pleading and joined the other groups.

“John, look like we are in the pick.” Kingsley motioned to me to the others. I scanned the group. They were all the same like Kingsley; mining corporations.  I saw Suzuka there. There was the eastern group; the Phoenix Foundations.  Heck, even the DOD was there. They aren’t the Defense Department but the Dart Ordinance of Defense. They were the top notch in the military supplies.

Then the final countdown came.

“Kingsley Defense and Mining.”

We were the selected. That threw a hue and cry among the others. I saw Michael speaking to the DOD while glaring at me. I wondered what I did to deserve the attention. I was only a mercenary after all.

“Kingsley Defense and Mining to move to the Chairman office.”

We were soon greeted by the large lobby area with long reception counter. The flooring was immaculate white and besides the reception counter, there was nothing there. I forget there were others there; they were so still in the background. There were four twelve feet high droids which designed to look like menacing quarterbacks with then bend forward stance but instead of menacing biceps, these droid held a twin set of six barrels roller cannons. We walked towards the reception counter which was staged sixty feet inside past those droids.

“Welcome, Mr. Kingsley.” The lady appeared from behind the counter. She must had been hidden behind it or I was getting blind. “The Chairman had finalized the successful bidders. Your organization was the one. Please acknowledge here.”

She handed over the tablet for him to approve

“Thank you.” Kingsley replied. He then turned to walk out. I was curious then and had to ask.

“Why did you made me come?” I looked sheepishly at the man. “And why me?”

“John, the final endorsement was to confirm our participation.” Kingsley smiled at me. “And as for you, I needed you for the task as my mercenary. Element L 391 is a very competitive mineral and it so rare that everyone will kill for that. If my plant hits an issue, I want you there as my recorder.”

I stared at Kingsley. One of my abilities was my eidetic memory; it was the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects with high precision.

“I trust you. You are special. I worked with you before. I need your special touch.” Kingsley replied to me. “I will your left arm updated with more sensors.”

My left arm did felt cranky on some days.

“I have expected trouble and more to it, Michael was under my scrutiny for some time. He works for the DOD and spied for them. I tolerated him because it’s better to keep my enemy close to me. If there were any of them trying to stop me, it would be DOD.”

“Okay, I am in.” I replied. After all security was my favorite task. “But tell me, what is L 391? Is that the installation?””

Kingsley did not reply until we were out of the building. He stood at the same spot where we met earlier. He waved his hands at the assembled. He then turned to look at me. His bodyguards made a ring around him and me again. He then began telling me what L 391 was.

“In simpler terms, Element L 391 is newly discovered composition which was ten times more durable than titanium and its military grade. It’s so rare that the only nearest alternative was at Tauzin Seven and that was in limited supplies. We are one of the few corporations that were authorized to mine it. You are on the Armed Response Team for any response. You will also work with Commander Duggan.”

Every mining corporation maintained an armed response team for resolving conflicts. It was the fall back when something went wrong like in the case of Tauzin Seven.

“Tauzin Seven? Wasn’t that where the DOD Suzuka Incident of four years that triggered the...” I was no expert on minerals but when it comes to conflicts, I was one. I was there. I recalled those battles’.

The Planet 1.1. & 1.2

Jimmy Loong     

15 Oct 2015

1.

1.1 The discovery

‘DSV Madeson, Z-100 proceeding to designation 101.’

Z-100 was one of the fifty exploration units deployed on the surface on Planet M-1098. The unit was a designed saucer top with a circumference of fifteen feet with four major tentacles extrusions that extend eight feet below it to the surface. Each tentacle at the end of its stand held the receptors. Each tentacle served as collectors on the surface and the data will be channeled to the seventeen processors inside the saucer main unit at the center. Located at the bottom, there was probing light that was the main probe which does more; it reads the underground composition as deep as five miles across a radius of five miles. It moved across the surface on it anti-gravity discs that were mounted at the bottom. The speed it was moving at was about forty miles per hour. It will then moved diagonal for ten miles and then resumed its return direction. It keeps on moving like that until it covered the assigned area of five hundred square miles.

Where there were high or obstacles in its way, it will hover higher and then lowered to the desired height after it is passed. It was programmed to register a list of minerals and on that occasion it found what it wanted to find. It was not east to move with the wind on the surface that could reach sixty miles on a normal condition to two hundred miles on those stormy conditions. When that happens, the probe will compensate for it by adjusting its height and speed. If the wind velocity moves too high for it to compensate, it will release a series of eight anchors on the hard surface. It will remain anchored until the wind was manageable before it gets retracted back.  When it’s anchored, the probe will cover itself with a magnetic field that will repel any physical items like stones that may be hurled by the wind.

The wind condition was not the only danger there. There was also the acidic rain which was rare but its corrosive nature had worn down one of the fifty exploration units coating and caused a breakdown in the unit. The experts then recalled the units to apply a new coating that managed to counter the corrosive rains.

There were no living creatures on the planet. Not even a microbe; only metal minerals.

It was the center probe that confirmed it the rare finding.

‘DSV Madeson, Z-100 reporting identifying a new element.’

That was the first report.

Three weeks later, the same area was surveyed and then more probes were introduced.

‘We have located the main layer.’

The center probe began relaying the data for further analysis.

One week ago, the probes were all removed. It was then the new element was given a new identification designated L 391.

It was not only rare but the element had unique properties that made it viable for some highly valued uses. It triggered off the mining corporations interest but the planet was off limit. It did not stop the mining corporations to begin their probing.

It was then the Earth Office of the Minerals Rights stepped in.

“The planet was off limit to all. Anyone attempting to land there will be subject to violation rule 104.” Violation Rule 104 was the harsh punishment of delisting and banishment from the mining rights. No mining corporation will risk that on normal conditions but element L 391 was very tempting.

1.2.

Rule 104.

The Earth Office of the Minerals Rights was a tall solitary tower that reached eighty levels high with a hexagonal design. It was the command center that managed the mining rights. On that particular morning, it was the center of furious activities, with the whole building under tight security. There were scores of securities personnel there, and they were maintaining a cordon around the building. A perimeter was maintained to prevent any intrusions but most of the assembled were not there to intrude but to see the one they seek will step out.

It was all about a data leak from the Earth Office that happened five hours ago.

The leak of the discovery caused the commotion with the mining corporations rushing in to verify the findings but they were all stalemated at the cyber doorstep. When that did not work, they went physical.

The Chairman of the Mineral Rights barricaded himself to the Office since then and refused to see anyone. The corporations tried all the options but they had not made any progress. Not even the cajoling or influences of the influential from the elite Councilors and Statesman.

The pursuit of the matter did not end there, and even some have gone further to retrace the Deep Space Vessel that could have launched the probe. It was the era of cyber data super links but the large data was not making much headway. There were a dozen of the Deep Space Vessel that were out there, and tracing the right one took longer. The search for the finite value soon discovered DSV Madeson.

It was all in the containment of the data server.

The DSV identified and an assorted of rag tag fleet of corporation’ was launched to intercept. With the advanced development in hyper warp, the planet was soon besieged but it was also protected since the discovery.

“Anyone breaching the line will be retaliated without warning will be a violation of Rule 104.” That was a fair warning but the arsenal behind the warning was more than fair. It was protected by the Mineral Rights Enforcement Fleet which was a formidable force of several heavily fortified frigates. No one dares to challenge the fleet.

 “You found the planet but can’t touch it.” Chairman Ian Finney of Earth Office of the Minerals Rights made the announcement to the mining corporations.  He was on the video conference screen surrounded by a half dozen guards.

 “I know all of you are keen to mine it but it will have to be by the rules. Within the stipulated rules, I am now opening the bid for the mining exploration of the new discovered named Element L 391 with immediate effect. The bidding process will close its bidding window in exactly one hour.”

Tweet...tweet....the latest is here...07/12

Hello everyone.

I am back with the new tale which finally got completed at 34,605 words. It was a hard journey but I completed it. Have a go at it.

Cheers

Tweet...tweet.... 2/11... I was away.

I''ll be back...soon.

I was away from my writing laptop for over a month with my mind on work. The kitty was running low on the level, so it needed some topping up plus work needed to be done.

Also it was coming to year end and pressure was mounting.

I have also made a pledge not to publish any works which is not complete. I disliked leaving Mordred and Deep Sea hanging at the edge. I feel bad about it but the inspiration to conclude was not there.

Have I resumed my writing?

Yes, I  have. I was writing on my tablet albeit slow and then editing the contents over five times. It was a new tale named The Planet. I am at 12K words now;  not my old record but its moving. It probably end at 25K words aka short tale. Or 50K words if I find new directions. Its a horror drama action tale. I was doing it my usual style while watching re-runs of old movies. I must had seen over a dozen re-runs this month from Commando to Harry Porter and also Babe ( that's the hog version and it ain't milking. ). I also saw Ronin, Three Kings and a couple of Clint Eastwood westerns.

I do loved my writing. Its one of my avenue to ease my work stress and among other stressful events. I would like to request give me a few more weeks. I will crawl out once more to be here. Probably before Thanksgiving.

Till I am back, thank you for reading.

Cheers

Tweet...tweet.... Long delay in my postings

I would like my apologies once more. I have not pen anything for one month now; with my mind pre-occupied on other issues, I could find myself doing any writing. Its only fair to all that I mentioned this.

Am I giving up?

No. I am not. I just need some time to sort my current issues.

Will there be postings?

Yes, but maybe not so prompt. I will do it at least once or twice a week. I will complete Deep Sea War, though I have not pen the final chapters.

Do I have any other tales to post?

I do have some older tales. They were written like more than five years ago, but they may not be as detailed like the ones now. I will edit and post them.

When do I get out of this fuddled mind?

Soon I hope but please allow me some time to get my wits and fingers to tap dance once more. I just needed the breathing space for now.

And once more, thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Deep Sea Wars 13.1. and 13.2

13.

The Surface

General Clarke looked at map on the wide and long table at his personal home at the twenty four room mansion on the riverbanks of the river that flows through the city. It was his family home from his grandfather’s days.  The elderly old man was in the colonies when he was informed of his inheritance by the barristers then. Ironically, he was fighting the same ruling class for the decent patch of farm in the colonies. Once he was advised of the inheritances, the old man abandoned his quest from a farmer to that of the Lord. He absorbed the family into the ruling class with fine tutoring and rankings in the social circle with the hefty purse he had carried. His son which was Clarke’ father was given a rank of Colonel but the poor man died from over indulgence in opium. Clarke was the younger generation then and had disclaimed all the family’ troublesome past to stay afloat on the influences of power and greed. The later caused him some pain where he lost at the cards but the former brought him the position as General. It was rumour that the former bought him the later, but whatever it was he was ranked General by the Army.

General Clarke was all familiar with the points on the map but he disliked the ones marked red. Those are the enemies; similar in blood and flesh but with a different view of the issue. Before him there were the seventeen senior officers with the lowest ranked Colonel. They were from the three divisions of the Army.

“General Allen, are your men ready?” General Allen heard the Senior General request. He was a single star General from the Armoured Division. They have the armoured Mark I units with the rhomboid design and the long tracks coupled with the two rear wheels to steer the tank. Each tank weighed over twenty seven tons each. Each tank held a crew of eight with the twin six pounder cannons, and three Hotchkiss machine guns. The twin side sponson which looked like pigeon homes housed the cannons. 

“Yes, General.” General Allen replied. ‘But we have an issue.”

General Clarke glared at the other. He then looked at the others around the table. He was not sure if they will support him on the war. They were once his command but with the shift of command, he was unsure.

“General Clarke, we have an issue. Sir.” General Allen voiced out.

“Then fucking cleared the issue.” General Clarke raised his voice. “We are soldiers, Allen. Not fucking stooges.”

“All of you listen up. See those red spots. I want them cleared.” General Clarke shouted out. “Dismiss.”

The officers all trooped leaving the General to himself by the table.  

“You are losing your command, Clarke.” The voice belonged to Lord Stuart. The later was seated on the far corner while holding the glass of brandy. “They need your voice to command and not to ignore them.”

“Ian, if I ever need your advice, remind me to call my mother. She have lots of it even she was not drunk.” General Clarke stepped away from the table. He then pointed at the table.

‘Those red spots represent the regiments or company that will not listen to my command. They are for the General who took my spot of command. Half of those bastards were promoted by me.”

“The promotions which you sow like the poppy seeds in the field then. I recall it very well in your exact words; ‘they are loyal officers and more to it, capable men.’ You thought you were feeding them for their loyalty, but apparently, your chosen men have lived to their mantle. They have grown their own poppy plants to feed their own. They fought for their land and never the snob that sold the rights to the seas.” Lord Stuart gleefully sounded it out.

“This scheme was yours to begin with, my Lord.” General Clarke replied with the cynical tone.

 “It’s mine by birth, General Clarke and ours when we nurtured it to near adulthood now.  You can’t deny my birth right gave me the edge needed to foresee the benefits of it all, if we continued nurturing it.”

“Damn you, Stuart. If it was not your planning, I may be still seated on the post.” General Clarke lament on his loss of authority.

“That post will not bear you the grandeur that your grand paddy once held. It was your father’ and your grand scheme to lose most of it at the cards.” Lord Stuart reminded the other. “It was my grand scheme if we are to succeed regained that loss for you.”

“The land cannot bear another war after the last one.” General Clarke sighed. “It was to takeover Lord Henry’s idea and made it ours. No fighting on the grand scale.”

“And it should be. Your Army are to stand down. I will have Lady Jan’s do the fighting. She will annihilate the island named Jaws. After all, it’s at the boundary and none of our ships are capable of reaching it.”

“You are telling me to babysit the renegades while Lady Jan battle Henry’s fleet?” General Clarke asked

“Yes, remember the plan was to get rich again. We were supposed to fish but the fleet that Lady Jan brought was her fighting fleet. I had the data on it. She was trying to invade us.”

“That’s good news. But why tell me now?” General Clarke asked. “We have brought the enemy to our shores.”

“Good point but she had not landed. Her fleet stands off our shores.” Lord Stuart replied.

“The fleet is off our shores and you tell me we are not to worry.” The General shouted back. “I am to protect it.”

“Protect it you shall, General Clarke. Let our enemies fight among themselves. The victor side will be weakened and with that, we can overcome them. It’s called killing two birds with one stone.”

“Then explained to me one more time how can we win the war?” General Clarke asked.

“Our primary task is to fish in the deep sea. When we recruited the assistance of Lady Jan, our agreement was to get her here so that we can take over the fleet. She refused to berth and with the new General, we have to make new plans. Lord Henry abrupt move pushed the deadline ever closer. He is the unknown factor here. We are not sure of his fleet and that infernal submerged ship of his.”

“Henry’s fleet is not a fighting fleet. It’s a fishing one.” General Clarke cut in. “He was not …”

“So why are you afraid of Lord Henry?”

“Lord Henry is resourceful. He will not be easily defeated.” General Clarke explained himself. “He had out fought me on the few occasions we met.”

“Twice beaten and you are ashamed to stand up again. By George Clarke, you are a disappointment to the family. Considering that I am your cousin, I ought to march you out for a duel for shame on the family name but we lived in a different era now.” Lord Stuart did not hide his distaste for the cowardly General. “Lord Henry is only flesh and blood. It’s how we handle the situation that will determine his demise.”

General Clarke then saw the arrival of Lady Jan with unkempt and poorly dressed man at her side. The lady was dressed in knee length dress with the flats. He had taken offence to the arrival for that man should not be allowed into the house. He knew that man and was to voice out his protest.

“Lady…” General Clarke was cut off.

“May I introduce to you gentlemen the man who will help us destroy Lord Henry”

The Depth

The only way to describe the sea cavern was it was huge. Its entry was seen as a narrow outcrop by the ships in the bay there, but beneath the surface, was the open mouth that could swallow the Sea King into its throat and surfaced inside the huge belly.

Stacy was not new to caving but each time she arrived at one, she was overwhelmed by the majestic feel of being inside it. For one to experience a cavern was to be become engulfed in the dark. There was the accompanying feel of chill which will tinge your skin. Its cold touch there reached out to your fear. The first thing you do was to reach for light. It could be a distance light that shone through some narrow openings or the reflection of your own light. That was only part of the sensation. The other ones was silence. It was most times silent in the cavern unless there were some dripping waters from the ceilings or the side of the walls. Each drop will resonance across the cavern and be echoed at times. Your hands will reach to feel the solid walls; it was your only secured feeling then. Your feet will grip into the nocks and cracks of the dark path. Each step was taken with a breath of prayer hoping it will prevail on and not be a deep crevasse fall into the depths.

“Stacy...” She heard her name called. She looked back to the Captain.

“Are you okay?” Captain Arthur asked her. Stacy nodded and then turned to look at the glass window. They were surfacing in the cavern. She was told that it held a depth of a hundred feet and a height of equal with a length across of over five hundred feet.  The large bulbs of the ship were turned off but the smaller ones were still lighted. It shone against the wall and then the magnificent works of the tenacious breed known as Man.

The cavern was lined up with three platforms that were built into the solid wall with the wood piling and planks. Each platform reached out to the water and there it supports the ship while it berthed. When the Sea King was anchored by the ropes, the walking planks were extended out and then the hatches opened. The fresh air was inhaled with relief by the crews after their exhausting five hours of recycled air.

Stacy was assisted out by the cavern crews to the platform. It felt strange to stand on firm ground then. She saw that each platform was about fifty feet across and there were crates of supplies and equipment there. She saw the large closed structures on the far end of the cavern. She was to ask when she saw the Captain and the others were lead to the nearby staircase. They mounted it up for over five levels before they appeared in the open mouth cave.

There were structures that housed the cavern crews with the rail tracks that allow the small metal carriages to move the supplies in.

“The island was once a mining colony for iron ores. I bought it and changed.” Lord Henry told the newly arrived guests. “This is the entrance to Small Jaws, and up here we called it the Gooseneck. I don’t know why but it got stuck to the name.”

“Big Jaws in on the other side of the island where the fishing trawlers get to seek shelter during the storms. In the centre of the Island is my Fortress of Solitude. It stretched from there back to Big Jaws.” Lord Henry explained. “It’s more of a home to the ones who stayed here. It’s fortified with guns but for defensive purpose. We are living in dangerous times now.”

“I say, old boy.” Jones quipped in while nudging at the Sergeant Major’ left ribs. “Is there a tavern here?”

“Yes, Corporal. It’s on Big Jaws.” Lord Henry replied. “If you walk, it might take you half a day climbing over the volcano there. Or you could take the train. It should not take more than an hour.”

“Aye, my Lord. I am on my way.” Corporal Jones dragged the Sergeant Major by the arms. The later was reluctant to leave but his Lordship gave the consent. Lord Henry then led the others to his home on the volcano side.

“Living dangerously had always been my life.” Lord Henry then held his brandy after having refreshed himself at his home. They were all seated at the cushy settee in the mansion hall. “When I saw this island on one of my reckless sails, I sought out the owner and bought it. I stayed here for over a month to explore the place and found the cavern. It was an explorer dream then.”

“During the war, I did bring Arthur here. We hid out here and planned our missions here. It was him who introduced me to deep sea fishing. I was intrigued and then invested in it. The fishes will be the bridging supply to our dwindling food supply. Of course we never bargained for the predators but then again, which frontier does not have its own predators.”

“I could not just have the island to myself. I had to make it useful for others too. The sea is huge and we are pawns to its emotions. I developed Big Jaws to become a safe harbour.” It was the elderly man sighed. “I never thought the Chamberlain will play dirty. Damn! He was a good friend then.”

The dark uniformed officer stepped in to his Lordship Hall. He was an elderly man with a stern look and a firmer frame. He was armed with a Webley strapped to his waist belt.

“My Lord, we are in need to speak.” The elderly man had on the thick curled up moustache that was the trade mark of Senior Sergeants.

“You may speak freely, Staff Sergeant Hamley. We are among friends here.”

“So be it, my Lord. Three trawlers came to berth last week. They sought shelter on the grounds of repairing their boats.” Staff Sergeant Hamley spoke up. “We never turn anyone away. They turned out to be Far Eastern in their looks and talks.”

“I suspect they are not fishermen’s but pirates or at worse killers.” Staff Sergeant Hamley continued on. “I was on the Mediterranean and seen my share of those booties killers.”

“Their strength, Staff Sergeant?” Lord Henry asked.

“About five on land and another twenty five on the boats.  They have weapons, rifles and pistols next to their cleavers.”

“Put them under surveillance and give me daily report. They could be genuine pirates or Lady Jan’s hired killers.” Lord Henry gave the command. “Gentlemen, it’s time we visit Big Jaws.”