Beta Zulu
Location: Somewhere near Crimea.
Time: 23:30
Date: 5/05/05
"Segodnya eto odin iz slavnykh momentov Materi Rossii . Segodnya my vypuskayem artilleriyskiy platformu , izvestnuyu kak beta- Zulu dlya ispol'zovaniya v voyennykh . Pust' vse vragi Rossii-matushki trepetat' ot strakha , kak my sokrushit' vse oni dlya neye!"
Beta Zulu, a Russian artillery platform, is resting on top of the water, waiting for the gun crew to arrive. They were going to test how long she could last out in the ocean.
Beta Zulu stood at eighty feet tall, excluding the fifteen foot gun at the top, forty feet wide, and thirty feet in length. However, even Beta Zulu has secrets. Beneath the surface, Beta Zulu is even more massive. Underwater, Beta Zulu looked like a giant submarine, with the exception of a periscope and torpedo tubes.
In total, Beta Zulu is one hundred and thirty five feet tall and one hundred and fifty feet in length. The underwater part for Beta Zulu is seventy feet wide, allowing more space for food, ammunition, and other things needed on their voyage.
"Mat' Rossiya razvodyat nas byt' voinami . Sdelat' yeye gordost'yu i vernut'sya domoy kak geroi."
Even though Beta Zulu could hold up to six hundred sailors, only three hundred were going, just to make sure it could operate anywhere in the world.
Once Beta Zulu was activated, the crew sailed her down the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic. Hopefully she would return successful. If she did, they would add a new weapon to Mother Russia's arsenal.
Nine years later
Location: Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Time: 0700
Date: 5/08/14
Operation: Cyclone
"Nine years ago, the Russians released an artillery platform called Beta Zulu. We had tracked it down after that, but it disappeared. Now, it has turned up again… and it's dead quiet. We suspect terrorism. The president already sent word to the Russian president and we got the greenlight. We're going to go in there and eliminate the terrorists."
"Sir, who are these terrorists," asks a grey wolf with hazel eyes. He looks all wolf, though there are some secrets best left hidden.
"We believe they are part of the 505th Army Corps known as Dust Wolf. They deserted a while back and we believe they have taken the artillery platform to threaten the United States. You and another will be sent with three others from the 507th to eliminate this terrorist threat."
"Sir, who are these men… sir?"
"The one who will be going with you is Corporal Jenna. The three from the 507th are First Sergeant Alex, Private First Class Steele, and Private First Class Isaac. Do your country proud Corporal Balto."
Balto sighs heavily. He didn't like the colonel saying his rank and name. "You got it… sir."
As he left the room, he was soon greeted by a red and cream husky. "Oh… hi Jenna…"
Not noticing the nervousness in his voice, Jenna smiles at him and says, "Hey Balto. Heard we're going on some mission together. When do we leave?"
"Colonel wants us to leave right now or something."
"Oh… well let's go."
U.S.S. Carrier Anchorage.
Location: Fifty miles away from Beta Zulu.
Time: 0900
"So, I'm guessing you're the two corporals blessing us on our lovely trip to Beta fucking Zulu," says a fox with green eyes.
"And you must be First Sergeant Alex of the 507th."
"No, I'm Private First Class Isaac." You can call me Isaac," he then looks at Jenna and says, "But you can call me whatever you want."
"Does asshole work for you?"
With a laugh, the private says, "Hey, calm down ma'am. I already have a girl. Besides, I'd never date a corporal."
"Why not?"
Another laugh and he asks, "What, you're jealous now? Jesus ma'am, get your head in the game. I'm just teasing you."
Jenna resists the urge to slap the private when all the sudden, he salutes. The two corporals turn to see a wolf with blue eyes… and a cigar in his mouth, approaching them. He wore a desert camo uniform and a desert US Army hat, complete with the eagle in the middle.
He stops near the two corporals and, throwing his burnt down cigar to the deck before stepping on it, he looks at Isaac and says, "Get on the chopper dipshit. I don't get paid by the hour so move your ass."
"Yes sir," shouts the private as he scrambles onto the helicopter. The wolf then looks at the two corporals and says, "I'm First Sergeant Alex of the 507th. You will address me as sir or Sarge. I don't get paid enough for you to call me First Sergeant Alex. Nor am I a Marine so get your ass in gear and get on the chopper."
They do as he says, though Jenna grumbles slightly at the way he said it. As soon as Sarge got onto the helicopter, he says to the pilot, "Alright, we're clear for takeoff. Try to get us there in one piece."
"What, you don't want to be laid to rest at sea," jokes the pilot as he starts up the helicopter.
"Not the way you intend. Besides, sailors in the Navy get laid to rest at sea. I'm in the Army. Lay me to rest in dirt and mud and rock."
"Oh come now Sarge, doesn't that water look nice?"
"No."
The pilot laughs and, once he got the helicopter into the air, he says, "Thank you for flying Alpha Airlines. We hope you enjoy your flight and try not to get shot in the face by terrorists. Please come again-"
"Shut the fuck up," shouts Sarge as he turns towards the pilot before glaring at him.
"Sorry…"
As the helicopter flies towards Beta Zulu, Jenna turns to Sarge and asks, "So Sergeant-"
"I'm a first sergeant to you corporal. And you either call me sir or Sarge. Don't call me sergeant."
"Oh, sorry. Anyways 'Sarge', how did you get to be part of this mission? Did you volunteer or were you selected?"
"Selected."
"Oh, why?"
"Because the brigadier general trusts me… that or he couldn't spare any of his dead brain officers to grace us with their presence so… here I fucking am."
Jenna chuckles a bit and says, "Well it's nice to have you Sarge."
Sarge sighs heavily and says, "I'd still rather be in Iraq."