Back with another chapter. I apologize for staying in the colony so long, but thats how the thread runs. But there will be
some coming up about whats going on in the Badlands and even in Chicago. As an aside. What do you guys think of the
sentient life forms they are supposed to find, and would it be beneficial to have a little assistance. Like in taking the fight
to 2155? Am open for suggestions to please review
Einzel
Five days after the explosion that nearly ended them. The scout team arrived back in Terra Nova. Remaining on radio silence.
They had used most of that time scouting the trails between the outposts nearest the Badlands. Finding fresh tire tracks on
one occasion near outpost 15. They found the trail belonged to a relief crew. After conferring a short while, they finally
turned towards Terra Nova and home.
It was a very relieved Commander Taylor who met them at the gate the following morning. Calling them up to the Command Center.
As soon as the last one was in the room and the doors shut. Taylor barked out.
"Report."
Sgt Mapes saluted and gave his report.
"Sir. Per our mission we located their new encampment, placed remote cameras and tried to get a strength assessment. It appears
that they brought a portal which we believe to be in the largest building in this compound. The personnel and equipment exiting
same building appears to confirm that. We observed stacked cases of ordnance that appear to be packaging for pyrosonic charges,
and there is enough there for them to be armed to the teeth. Their perimeter is very hot Sir. From what our readings indicate,
its a multi-phasic pulse that may require more than one code to deactivate. While we were out there. We'd seen people filtering
in from the east, that appeared to us to be sixers and Phoenix. Mira, Lucas and Hooper were also observed entering the camp,
but had not exited the big building that we think houses the portal.
When we completed emplacement of the cameras and the assessment and mapping of what we could see of the camp.
We began to break our camp down, when our observer saw a rhino and a rover exiting their camp and head north. We'd almost
finished prepping to leave when Corporal Jenkins said he had a hunch that he might know what that 2 vehicle team was up to.
We finished our trip prep, placed a camera atop a rock facing the direction the vehicles had gone, then waited. Five hours later.
The two vehicles returned and took cover behind some boulders on the northwest corner of the camp. Shortly afterward. A Pyro
charge engulfed us. As soon as the dinos and boulders quit flying. We lit out of there. We spent the last five days cutting
sign on the trails between outposts closest to the Badlands. Sir. Unless my guys have anything else to add. Thats all we can share."
"Well done Sergeant. But the five days of radio silence had us a bit concerned. Sergeant Mapes. Go ahead and dismiss your men.
Have them take a week off. I'd like you to hang back a moment."
Sgt Mapes did as he was ordered. When he turned back to Commander Taylor who indicated a seat at the conference table.
As they both sat down. Taylor remarked.
"I meant it when I said; Well done. You got us good intel with those remotes."
"Thank you Sir. They were very good setting up that camp where it is. Low enough and sheltered enough to be below any
blast wave yet sloped and high enough to remain well drained."
"Yes and now that they have a foothold, they can pretty much do as they wish. I'll be sending 2 three man teams out
again in the next week. So when you come off your rest. You and your men get first pick to go out. That is if you want to."
"Myself Sir. I wouldn't mind, and I'll bring it up to the men."
"Good Sergeant. When you come off break, report directly to Lt. Guzmann."
Taylor replied. Reaching into his left breast pocket, he pulled out a 30T piece and told Sgt Mapes
the drinks were on him at Boylans.
"If thats all, then dismissed."
"Thank you Sir."
Sgt Mapes stood to attention, saluted and left the room. He met Guzmann on the stairs as he left.
"Great work man."
Guzmann commented as they passed waving off Mapes salute.
"Not a problem Sir. See you in a week."
"I'll be waiting."
Guzmann grinned.
Lt. Guzmann entered the Command Center, stood to and saluted. Then sat down in the chair just vacated by Sgt Mapes.
"What you got Guz'?"
Taylor asked as he turned and activated the HUD.
"To date Sir. We have recorded 12 Pyro sonic detonations since OPS-November. They are overlapping the blasts radious by
as much as three miles to ensure a complete kill of all dino's that were on the edge of the previous blast. The effective range
of these babies is around forty square miles or larger on flat ground, but varies in broken country. They've left the Badlands
alone for now. And appear to be establishing a wide arc. If it continues the path its on. It will intersect the foot print
occupied by OPS-november.."
"Whats the time progression til then?"
Taylor asked.
"Unknown Sir. Appears they are concentrating on gathering or mining out the areas they've cleared before moving on.
When they finish. They may move to a wider arc to clear out the closer areas."
"Understood. Ok. I do need to know from your instinct. Guz'. So far, they left us alone. You think they may have a
motive for re-taking the colony?"
"If its just mineral extraction. No Sir."
Taylor waited.
"But both of us know Nathaniel that there had always been black ops and special projects. Some of these folks may
be entertaining the idea of establishing their own private Idaho."
Taylor nodded again. Lost in thought. Never took his eyes off Guzmann. He reached out to the HUD controls. Opened a file.
"Eyes only Guz'. Make sure you remember this. The night Ops-November was attacked, they had recorded a series of
portal activations. During one of those so-called events. We received a data burst from our own time line. This file
contains the gist of it. But I can tell you is we may still have friends back there. But I am understandably wary.
Read up on it Guz'. I got some work to finish."
As Taylor got up and moved to his desk. Guzmann asked him.
Did they get everything sorted on Skye Sir?"
"Still a work in progress Guz'. I'm afraid I wont be in much of a position to to do much about it.."
"Why's that Sir?"
Guzmann was shocked.
"All this time I was wanting to reconcile with her. But never got to it or was too busy to allow myself the chance.
So indirectly, I could be at fault as well."
Sitting down at his desk and turning on a plex. He scowled at it, not looking at his lieutenant . He went on.
"I had no choice but to punish her for her part in the Sixer rebellion. But I understand now why. I would like to
get my hands on that shadow master that had been watching Skye. But I was also hurt and I didnt want to pass
that pain on to her. Now I'm finding there was a mob action against her in more ways than one. But at the same time,
while I may be in the position to make it right. I cant. Because I was involved myself."
"What are we going to do Sir?"
Guzmann asked as he kept reading.
"When Jim Shannon returns from Nova Vida, I'll ask him to form a tribunal. 5 Civilians, 5 military. He'll be the swing.
We'll take it from there. Information in the by-laws is very sketchy concerning matters such as this."
"No other solution Sir?"
"Not until I talk to Reynolds."
Guzmann said no more as he read further.
"Are they serious?"
"Apparently. So in the next week, we'll have a team out there to extract them.
Guzmann shook his head.
"Of all the foolishness of war..."
He thought to himself.
Nova Vida
Jim, Ben and Mark sat in the pavilion in the little market. Under its shelter, sitting across from them were
the adult members of OPS-November. They'd gone over what the contents of the hard drives and had
begun fleshing out a report. Maddy. True to form. Had commandeered a table and had her babies there
as well as Skye's twins. Lt. Karen Avery had stayed on to help.
Everyone was slightly frustrated because the answer to a pertinent question eluded them.
Who or what was it that had ordered them from their home? And where were they?
One of the tech's had stumbled across a recording that had originated in the sensor lab approximately
three hours before the blast. And it was plainly heard by everyone at the meeting. Maddy and Adelaide
could be heard having a conversation with a third party. While Maddy and Adelaides voices could be heard
clearly. The other person came across as a whisper. Barely audible. Mother and daughter looked at each
other. And both shook their heads.
"I don't remember having that conversation dad."
Was all Maddy said. Jim noticed she looked worried. And asked her what was wrong.
"Its bothering me that I don't remember."
Was her frustrated reply.
"And judging by what me and Adelaide are talking about. Its very involved, and you can ask Mark, Dr. Marks
or anyone else from O-N. When I get involved, its caught my interest. When Adelaide joins me. No one can
stand a chance. So I'm stumped as to why I forgot such an intense conversation."
Almost everyone smiled at the tone of her voice. When it came to research. Maddys tenacity was legendary.
So when there was a note of frustration coming from Maddy. She was stumped and not liking it at all.
Only Mark and Ben did'nt smile. When Maddy got that way, it was impossible to keep up with her.
Jim's light smile spoke volumes. Looking at Mark.
"If we turn her and Addy loose with the data base, do you think they can come up with something
viable for us to present to Nathaniel?"
Mark looked at Jim, then Maddy.
"You want to have a go at it Honey?"
Maddy looked up. Her frown turned into a hopeful look.
"I can try. I'll have Addy help me if its ok."
"That'll be fine Maddy."
Ben had cut in. He knew Addy's penchant for emulating her mom.
"Also."
Jim piped up, changing the subject.
Does anyone here besides Captain Reynolds know anything at all about Skye? What we are looking
for is what motivated her to risk traveling to OPS-November in the middle of the night?"
Jim looked at the silent circle of people gathered about in the pavilion. No one seemed willing to speak.
Mark finally cleared his throat. Looking at Jim, then Ben. He finally answered.
"We dont know all that had happened to her. But it was serious enough for her to consider it a
personal threat. All I know of this is from Maddy and Dr. Marks. I think a few others mentioned something of this."
Looking to Maddy. He said.
"I'll have to ask you to take over on this one. All I did was give her the ok to come."
Maddy looked back at him. The look on her face held sadness and pain. Passing Brian over to Lt. Avery.
She stood and came around the table, moving til she stood in front of Mark. Looking at Jim, then further right at Ben.
She stepped to the left and turned til she could address everyone.
"Many of us are aware of Skye's past. But not many know the extent of the lengths she went through to keep her
mother alive and protect the colony. And I know many of those that dont know dont really give a shit. To them.
Shes a pariah that needs to be made an example of or thrown out of the colony."
Maddy's vehemence and language shocked all three men at the front. She normally wasnt so harsh. She continued.
"I do know from what I,d heard from others in the colony, that they would have preferred her gone. In any way possible.
To hell with the by-laws. These people took it on themselves to punish her, and I understand there was a lot of them.
They did not stop at ostracizing but had implied or tried to use threats of violence against her, her mother and later.
Her unborn children. They had pretty much pushed her out of colony life despite the fact that this was'nt a
requirement or condition of her colony arrest. It had gotten bad enough that neither Skye, nor her mother could
even get food at the market. The vendors had even gone so far as to refuse the help of her friends to get food.
It was bad enough that Taylor had had a sit down down with the vendors. That had seemed to solve the problem for a while,
but even soldiers were trying to do violence against her. And by the way Dad. Debra ended up dying alone. Skye had had
to leave to attend to things. Came back and found her dead. Debra had managed to send off some messages on their plex
before passing. The last one being a 911, which wasn't answered for several hours after she died."
She ended by looking pointedly at her father.
"I remember that night Maddy. And I was still troubled by it. Commander Taylor had had me out and about all day.
Josh had gotten in trouble at Boylan's and everything was all over the place. I was shocked when I got the call to
respond to Debra's and found her slumped over the table. It appeared to me she knew she'd been dying.
She'd left several messages on her plex that had already been sent. It was pretty devastating to the medical folks
that it had taken so long to respond to a distress call. And The Commander was livid for almost a whole week after that.
Especially after finding out the father of her twins had skated on her. We did a very thorough investigation on peoples
conduct towards Skye and were not too happy at what we found. It was pretty ugly. I,d never seen Nathaniel so
dangerous before, but at the end he realized he couldn't say much because he was as much at fault as everyone. I have
the inclination that he will allow her to remain out here on her own terms."
Finished. Jim didnt say any more. No one wanted to. Ben looked around the circle. Still early morning. It helped that Ben
had kept the Ops- November complement on a mids cycle which mean that they had the place pretty much to themselves.
"Ok. We'll meet in the break room later. About 10:00. Jim, Maddy, Mark. Your with me at the Command Center.
Every one dismissed."