Haze Gray 19
Danny sighed and lay down in the bed in the hospital section. The berthing barge was in the dry dock, all hooked up to services, floating freely and they had lost maybe five hundred gallons of the solution as the caisson had sealed. Tyrone had taken over ramrodding deliveries of stuff. Kurt and Lacey were laid down as well. Taylor and Amy were fine as were the dogs and Rachel. The younger girls, he chuckled, had pouted like they were being, well they pouted like young girls when they were gotten out of the dock by the people who spoke a language they could understand and shepherded off to bed.
The chiefs of the Alphabets, PRT included, and the overall Commander and Commander ground forces, were driving on on figuring out what was going on and what to do about it. And how to make the girls let them.
"So now we wait."
Lacey asked "How are we in this tiny hospital?"
Haze Gray
Danny's eyes opened and he got up, went through a quick routine then walked out to the dock. Taylor was still out. Hmmm. He went by the researchers who were happy with her vitals but a little concerned about the low levels of stuff in the dock water. They had continuous flow testing going on, Tess was linking that to the conveyors, feed pipes and and trains somehow. The feed pipes, some of them, had slowed, but the conveyors had picked up to their maximum. He looked around and found Tyrone at Lacey's table. He walked over and got the hand.
Tyrone finished up on the phone "I know. I'm on it. Should get a thicker stream of stuff in about an hour. The grinders are working as hard as they can.
"Get this, Tess's thing? It doesn't just do oil and she got these portal things set up at the heads of the conveyors. Now we are mainly hunting nonferrous metal because her thing doing it's thing is taking care of the rest and cleaning up the ocean?
"Plastics, iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, everything. I knew about iron sand, collecting it off most beaches in the world isn't economically viable but that thing of her's does it? Tinkers eh? Plus, manganese balls, nodules I guess they call them, read about that back in the day. The only stuff we have to find now are minerals and metals that don't occur naturally in any quantity. Her thing is sucking a bunch of them out of wherever they are but it's taken a while to get them to good places for it.
"Tess's thing even purifies and processes the stuff into powder or liquid, skips the refinery step. Of course that means we got tanks over in the tank farm filling with everything as it's a distillation process but we are getting some interest from buyers for that stuff. Why do the Canadians want all the lightest fractions?
"Got one of the professors from the university over here asking me where some of these compounds were coming from? I have no idea. looks like they are bucket chemistry with dirt or clay thrown in to me."
Danny frowned looking at the list Tyrone waved at "One of the worm thing's got into a superfund site maybe?" He had been watching the overhead cranes, all of which were busy. "What's wrong with the barge?"
Tyrone blinked "Nothing?"
"Why is that crane moving that metal back there?" Danny pointed with the coffee cup he had been given.
"Let's go see." Tyrone got up and Danny followed.
The two men stopped; Danny offered "Essex?"
"Well deck, Wasp, Iwo Jima maybe? Big though, baby bird farm for sure."
Lacey who had walked up behind the two nodded then asked "Who is she and why is she hidden back here? She's nearly as buff as Taylor and between Taylor and Leslie tall. Is that USMC camo?"
Tyrone and Danny jumped then squatted. Lacey tch'ed them "Babies. Come on, let's get a tug, two tugs, and get her pushed over to the others. Why are her workboats like that? Are those ramps on both ends of them? Is that one they are building a girl? Why does it have a skirt?"
Tyrone looked closer "LHA, landing helicopter assault, that's a LCAC with the skirt, landing craft air cushion, maybe one of those new hundred-ton ones. Hull and skirt so far, no engines or superstructure yet, so I think? Looks like mostly composites. The others are LCUs, landing craft utility, but I dont remember ever using both ramps. Ours had them, we just didn't use them both, just the front. Mostly aluminum."
Danny shook and nodded his head "Finger prints, PRT can figure out who she is."
Lacy nodded "How much displacement you think?"
Tyrone shrugged "Wasp are forty-one thousand tons, she's different though, I wouldn't say less than that. they laid the keel on a new class, pretty big. Don't know the stats on it."
"It's the concept of every ship of that type thing Taylor talks about. That's where all these resources are going. We had Rachel's build under control, the pups were mostly done. How the hell did she get in a guarded base?" Danny asked.
Mark walked over "We pulled the caisson, she must have snuck in either under, or up against, the berthing barge. We weren't really thinking about harbor security. Danny, we got a metric shit ton of press people outside the gates."
"The Marine PAO can handle them. Chaos and his boys need some more." The DWU members all grinned at him. The MEF headquarters just moving into the dock was slightly irritating. Though it was making Taylor lots of money with all the stuff they wanted and the DWU running the management of the dock, not that they all were ex-military and knew how to milk a field ordering officer of every penny or anything, they were very helpful, showing them how to maintain their 'adequate records' even. A percentage of them were ex-military though. "In fact, let's move the MEF over to that Warehouse beside the store. Its 'austere', they will eat it up. Has a door to the outside of the fence too like the store. The press will love it too when they have the press conference they are going to have." Danny decided.
Lacey nodded "Get them to pay for us fixing it up and keep us from having to put up curtains around the dock, where are you going missy?" She scooped up the six-year-old girl in the one piece that trotted by "First breakfast and we need to do something with your hair. Don't pout. Why aren't you eating in the barge? And who let you escape. You don't speak English do you. Let's go see what's going on over there." The men watched her walk off with the girl on her hip.
Kurt nodded "The briefing may keep Taylor from shooting Lung and Kaiser in the dick but it may not keep me from doing a few Nazi's and ABB gangers." The other men all nodded.
"A hundred and fifty-seven girls. Yeah. We need a plan." Mark said.
Haze Gray
Emily watched the staff practice the briefing and nodded. She turned her head to the Army two star "OK, say that keeps her from doing anything. I can pick off the members of the Empire, the parahumans, and Oni Lee. You guys can stop Kaiser from breaking them out or take them like you did Uber and Leet. That does nothing about Kaiser and Lung. Even if we get the A classes prosecuted and jailed, Hookwolf sent to Bauman where he belongs, that leaves us with Lung, and Kaiser. Do you know why Kaiser is in charge of an organization with people like Hookwolf in it?"
Tenth Mountain's commander nodded "I read the history. I'm the ground force commander and unlike some, I brought my artillery, and have no tears in my eyes. They fuck around and I am going to light them up. Meanwhile we have to wait until the position becomes untenable and its decided to let me light them up, outside some narrowly defined criteria."
Emily snorted "I'm already doing that, the waiting thing."
Tenth Mountain shrugged "Something changed. My analyst tell me you have been doing great with no resources, your PRT Strike Teams are some of the best in the country, your battle staff excellent, and Armsmasters Protectorate doing Yeomans work from a base that can be moved. Somebody planned to abandon Brockton Bay, and apparently all of New England down to Boston.
"No idea why, Ellisberg maybe, but we are right there, Jamie isn't going anywhere. The damage from New Foundland, possibly, but the region is slowly recovering. Not so slowly if the Sub has her way. Can't catch her before the fact, but after its public record after and she is building COMKANMUSU an empire. Somebody in high places had a plan and its blown. Now we get to pick up the pieces. Or set the conditions so that COMKANMUSU can pick them up, given the thinker working around us.
"Right up until she fails against an Endbringer."
Emily nodded "I like the Mountains better than the Chaos."
Dwayne Johnston walked over "I haven't even shipped out Army."
The general laughed "And my wife would kill me."
Emily glared at them both then huffed "Dwayne Johnston, James Terry."
Jim looked at Dwayne "Chief? That's what we would call you in the Army."
Dwayne smiled "I'll answer to it. Where I came from after all. The Navy calls us Warrant Officer, never shortened. So, I came over here to figure out why I'm getting a Task Groups supply, it's about a day out on replenishment ships. While the Eisenhower and her group are hovering around, they haven't fired a round in anger yet?"
Jim nodded "I'll introduce you to our Navy liaison. She was over there scowling at Marines a few minutes ago."
Haze Gray
Mouse Protector appeared "EIGHT OF THEM AND AND PUPPIES!" she collapsed in a pile with her phone still held aloft. It got wet or something though because it was screeching. Lisa walked over and snatched it "Pardon me but they are still sleeping." She hung the phone up.
Emily looked around at the people at her table and held her hand up counting on her fingers. She got to one and her phone rang "Forwarded from my office, Yes Mr. President? Yes sir, we have some people who know how to make that happen. Yes sir." She hung up and looked at the surprised faces around her "He's a fan of the Kanmusu." She dialed her phone "Chambers, get your boy Lucas and his cronies and get them down here to the dock, the Bosses boss wants to see what's going on." 'Hey.' Get them to school, a Kanmusu bus will pick them up.
"Call it a field trip, work experience, whatever, I don't care.
"Oh, for Christ sake, send me a list, no, send it to Ops, they can make the calls."
Haze Gray
Sarah and Carol trotted down the ladders of the catwalks. They had landed on the roof and been challenged by a quad forty mount. They got to ground level and trotted to the dock. Carol looked at Vicky "She's fine mom, just a lot of boat building." Carol looked at the twenty-four patrol torpedo? Well, big speed boats, with guns and torpedoes, and the two new ships, one of them an aircraft carrier, and then the dogs and girls under, in? them, plus the young girls around them in the uniform one-piece suits, did they start a swim team? She nodded "I see. Well I'll call her out of school."
Danny walked up "Yes, I did tell them when I called Taylor out. They said it had to come from you. Mr. Carmichael too."
"Call me out too mom." Vicky said, planted firmly in the dock. Carol nodded.
Haze Gray
Carol finally got satisfied after looking at the monitors and then after sitting by the dock for an hour or so watching young girls in one-piece suits play with the dogs that were boats. She went looking for the nearest Protectorate rep. She found Emily first. Sarah was talking to her "So we will help." Sarah said as she walked up.
Emily looked at Carols face and sighed "Help take them alive."
Sarah looked at her sister, then the girls in the dock then Emily "No guarantees. We will use deadly force if we have to."
Emily nodded. "I'll let you brief your sister. I have some briefing to do myself."
Haze Gray
"You have betrayed me Trickster."
"What do you expect me to do Coil?"
"I expect you to die Trickster Muhahahaha."
Coil cut off the time line and pinched the bridge of his nose. His mercenaries confirmed the Travelers were gone. Oh, he would find them, he might even go all Blofeld or whoever that was supposed to be. That one was better that than the one with Circus as a pilot and Trainwreck with that bowler hat. Pussy Galore, was Circus even a female? Why was the actor's biography with him playing a child molester in some German film part of the scene with Trickster in the HVAC vent? That wasn't in the original was it?
Haze Gray
"What is she doing?"
"Watching movies projected on the side of the Saratoga, like it's a drive in?"
"Is that villain in these movies Coil?" Armsmaster asked.
"The sensor package is too high, I'll get a better angle. That dark paint doesn't help." Dragon replied from her cawthorn.
"Don't get caught. Right now, she only has nineteen forties technology, I don't want to give her anything more modern. She has enough material to make other things but instead she is rebuilding those ships as they were."
Dragon nodded "Those whales are angry."
Armsmaster nodded "I wouldn't have believed they could sink those battle ships."
"All that wriggling with the metacentric height being so high. They had so much list the turrets fell out. She has some more work to do on that. Not sure they would have recovered anyway, but she obviously missed some openings if she wants them water tight.
"I would take a break too. Probably wouldn't remake Bond films, definitely not with Trickster as Bond. Daniel Craig is the best Bond by miles. Trickster doesn't even make an extra in any of his films.
"Interesting how she took all the projectors to make that one drive in one. I wonder how she got the Japanese one to work with the rest, and why film?"
"The ships were loaded as if going to combat, there were both combat camera and aircraft gun cameras in use at the time, though different film formats. The stores for them and developing their film would have been well packed, probably in sealed cans. The sonar is ready." Armsmaster offered "One ping only Vasili." he continued in a horrible accent. Dragon froze, and then howled with laughter.
She sobered when the three-dimensional image of the bay for five kilometers appeared, projected around them "Oh my! Colin this is amazing." She didn't see Colin's pleased smile and blush.
Haze Gray
Lung laughed for twenty minutes then sobered "They are girls. We have possibly made an error. Bring me a girl from Arcadia, one who attends there, for me to speak to. After school is out. No more mistakes."
Haze Gray
"Have Rune come see me as soon as she is out of class Victor." Max went back to contemplating the current situation. Hebert's mother was an enforcer for Lustrum. Her closest older female mentor was as well. As swiftly as she had moved against Uber and Leet he couldn't imagine what was holding up a swift and brutal retaliation. He was capable of using the time however.
Haze Gray
Victor looked at Brad "You fucked up. Word is the Kanmusu are pissed. The Military and all these agencies are buzzing like a hornets nest. You and your followers might want to take a trip. Take Krieg with you."
"I'm not afraid."
"Read this." Victor tossed Brad a tablet open to site called Navweaps "It's an Aleph site but pretty interesting."
"Yeah, and what are you going to do?"
Viktor shrugged "Othala needs to go back to the Herren's for the yearly meeting."
"Convenient." Brad growled. Victor shrugged.
Haze Gray
Lucy and Amanda poured over everything. The others watched them. Danny looked at Vicky and arched a brow "Codependent geniuses. Should have been in college when they came to middle school. They haven't slowed down. Thinkers without triggering somehow. Into everything. If they think its fine, over and above every Navy doctor who ever served on a cruiser, aircraft carrier, or hospital ship, thinking its fine, we're good.
"It took Ame's two days to wake up from doing Taylor. Only overnight for Tess, Leslie too, Lisa hardly bothered her.
"This is a lot of tonnage. New designs too. It's good. She'll wake up tomorrow."
Danny nodded "OK. We got the Marines a building, the store is going great even as we build and stock it around the patrons. The store web site is driving the electric bill up using cooling. And we got a hundred and fifty-seven girls to wrangle. Busy is good."
Vicky chuckled "Why don't you get a nap Mr. Hebert. The girls from school have gotten with the girls that got brought here. They were getting interviews. Chambers is talking about 'shopping it to selected media outlets' They will work it out."
Haze Gray
Kayden Anders got out of the car in the parking garage of the PRT Building, Theo Anders helped her get Aster settled in the stroller. They walked to the glass door and entered the gift shop entrance. Kayden led them up to the desk after passing through the shop. "I have an appointment to see Miss Washington? Kayden Anders."
"Certainly, I'll let her know you are here."
Haze Gray
"I will need you to carry a message to the Kanmusu."
Tammi blinked "How exactly do you expect me to get passed the anti-aircraft?"
"How would you like to go shopping on a Medhall credit card?"
Tammi gaped at Max.
Haze Gray
"Yes Lung. Sorry, but this is in nihongo in kanji?"
"You do not read or speak the language?"
"I do Lung san. I will ensure it is understood. Can I have some help with the gold?" She looked at the arched brow "Never mind Lung San, I will handle it." She grunted trying to lift the chest. It didnt budge.
Lung snapped his fingers and five men scrambled from their knees to the chest and lifted it straining. Lung growled and Kim, Kimiko, fled, the men followed her.
Haze Gray
Lisa looked at the girl, the scroll, and the chest and fell over laughing. When she finally stopped, she said "Lung apologized, says he has stopped the brigands from trafficking women, and has sent their assets to support the women. Or the value of their assets." She pointed at the chest they had moved from the gate with a fork truck "Ten million dollars' worth of antelope krugerrand. For the Kanmusu to use to support the women he knows of." She laughed some more and waved a slip of paper "Cheap ass Kaiser sent a check, for fifteen million, but a check! Same bullshit story about stopping the people doing this, oh, 'in his demesnes', who the fuck is he? The Prince Bishop of Brockton Bay? And goddamn Lung thinks he's a daimyo and Taylor is kazoku."
"I wonder if they actually believe that's going to stop Taylor?"
Emily snorted "It will muddy the waters. Especially if they give up the alleged perpetrators." She looked at Rune and Kim. "This does give us an opportunity to open a dialog."
Kim shook her head violently "Huh uh. I'm a schoolgirl. I don't want any part of this."
Aisha appeared, then Missy appeared behind her. Missy, with her visor on, said "That works so well. She isn't lying Director. We saw her get picked up and followed them to the Ruby Dreams. Lung just ask her a bunch of questions about Taylor then had her deliver this stuff. Well, lead those guys here and deliver the scroll, which she is supposed to translate for Taylor if she needs her too. He had a bunch of guys kneeling on the floor in his office, a couple of them were smoking." She turned and looked at Rune "She's been talking to Purity, a lot."
Rune hissed "That's against the rules!"
Aisha shrugged and put her arm around Vistas shoulders They fist bumped and everyone blinked at the clang that resulted. The researchers started to pull the two girls away until Emily cleared her throat. When everyone settled, she asked "And Kaiser, did he have a bunch of people with spears through them in his office?"
Aisha shook her head "Nah, but he doesn't get his hands dirty, so you can bet he has a blame guy somewhere. I'd bet Hookwolf as it seems Hookwolf's faction of the Empire is getting too powerful. He is going to use Taylor as the long knife."
Vista held her hand up "You go girl." Aisha high fived her. The clang this time launched the researchers again.
Emily pinched the bridge of her nose. "All the spy boats were nuclear."
"Growler, built her, diesel electric. Halibut class was diesel electric but I can't talk about the class. Halibut was converted to nuke, but she was built in California." Mr. Carmichael said.
Dwayne, back after a day at work blinked "Halibut class? She was a one off?"
Mr. Carmichael nodded "That's what the record says."