1255th Intel. Group E.
HEAVY RECON / SIGNAL CORPS.
CIVIL MANAGEMENT PROJECTS DIV. 9
18 Hrs. Later
Captain Rhodes powered up the X12, and waved good-bye to the rest of the units on the ground. He pushed the tilt-rotor aircraft to its flight limits in a wild high speed bank over the runway for a flashy take off maneuver.
Timing was everything, with the X12 taking the first wave of CAT-3 Racing over the desert at over 250 MPH with the bottom of it's rotor tubes missing the rocks by less than twenty feet at times. They had to hit the main landing port as an expected ship landed, as CAT-1 and CAT-2 came in on cargo tube trains several levels underground by way of the bases at Los Alamos and Sandia.
Word had just reached them that the safe extraction of the prototype CED weapon was a success , with no losses. This was crucial as any loss this early in the attack would have been catastrophic, as any loss was magnified five fold and would exponentially decrease their chances of success.
CAT-4 was going to hit with a Sigma shock team coming through a water intake as the main group hit a small support hatch that would allow them to open another hatch to allow the Sigma unit in. Everything, however, revolved around the success of CAT-3's attack in the main security control room and the 'sonic's weaponry systems that were controlled from there.
The X12 came in as planned, racing over the badlands at over 200 MPH while less than 20 feet off the sand. Five hundred yards behind them was the main assault force in the BoS Humvee and heavily modified and armored APC as well as another two hijacked Humvees they took from Los Alamos security station. The timing had to be perfect, hanging on the timely arrival of a large disk-like vehicle that was known and expected cargo shuttle from space.
The main landing port holographic projectors hiding the base were turned off, and the entry blast doors were opened for the landing shuttle. Captain Rhodes brought the X12 in so tightly that it's landing gear missed touching the top of the moving disk by mere inches, lowering his roaring craft with the disk until he had cleared the upper support girder-system. Then the X12 shot around the side of the shuttle, using it to block any attack by the main gun mounts of the landing port. The X12 backed up by the Humvees and APC began firing their weapon systems, bringing down to bear the full might of three .50 cal mounted machine guns with Depleted Uranium penetrators searching for weakness in the security while simultaneously the APC began firing the two automated 20mm GAU cannons at 6,000 RPM. After the initial pre-attack, the automated 40mm grenade launcher of the APC activated and released a concentrated volley of automatic High explosive rounds which annihilated enemy units within a radius of 150 meters in an exploding cyclone of white hot shrapnel. As the Unit began to swiftly reload the weapon systems, the interim gap was filed with the firing of the 2.75'' hellfire rockets in a dazzling display of firepower as the the X12 landed on the roof of the main port control facility watching as the assault began in earnest.
The attack was textbook, CAT-3 forces blowing a massive entry crater with shaped charges into the control tower and taking full control of that facility within 55 seconds of the X12 breaching the port. This platform provided a excellent vantage point and first egress point as the Shock troops of Cat-3 partially disembarked and laid down overlapping fields of fire. Hovering, Captain Rhodes in the X12 continued to monitor the situation as the humvees and APC advanced forward and continued to rake any enemy weapons and robotic security entering into the port area causing massively extensive damage to the area while the large caliber weapons perforated through to the adjoining rooms and levels, eliminating anything which moved in an expanding arc of fire which was morbidly stunning in magnitude. Debris and large portions of the facility which were blown away to little more than bits of scrap flew everywhere as the infrastructure began deteriorating under the heavy damage, the structural integrity beginning to collapse in on itself in a demonstration of utter destruction, the noise was deafening as the firefight escalated to unprecedented heights. Nothing survived which had been previously stationed there, yet more reinforcements began to arrive to replace the fallen.
Knight Frank led the APC in, bringing the carrier in fast and steady, covering the main floor of the chamber, where the Power Armored shock troops began to egress at this point as well, and would have the cover of a nearby disk as they marched for the nearby passenger entry hatch while returning fire and laying down heavy suppressive fire from small arms and energy weapons.
Seeing that the landing disk was now trying to escape, captain Rhodes landed on its edge and kicked the props of the X12 into full down draft in a improvised maneuver, nearly flipping the disk. Fighting to regain control of the X12, he was forced to make a hard landing on a nearby pad, all the while watching in surprise as four more rockets from the APC's rocket pod slammed into the shuttle, forcing it to crash onto the two parked triangle- craft that were known to be fighter-type vehicles.
Although the men of CAT-3 were now taking heavy weapons fire from a number of directions and we in danger of being pinned down in the landing port, they had disabled the main weapons pods, and the sonic systems for the whole facility allowing the other teams to attack from different directions and locations. Holographic image systems were shut off, so that entry ports, airshafts, and other systems that were normally hidden now became fully exposed.
Alien security teams with the aid of large modified robotic sentries had managed to close the main doors under cover fire from the recovered mechanical army into the central hub, and the first two shock troopers who attempted to get explosives close enough to damage the huge blast doors were cut down by enemy fie. Taking heavy damage, the X12 rolled forward providing cover to the men on the ground and from less than 40 yards watched as the APC fired the last salvo of rockets directly into the blast doors. The resulting explosion blew the doors apart, basically incinerating them from the intense heat from the combined arms of energy weapons and the HE ammo, and wiped out any aliens and mechanical sentries on the other side for one hundred feet.
Forced to feather the now burning engines of the X12, Captain Rhodes took command of one of the CAT-3's attack teams, and led the attack through the still smoking entry into the main central hub, as other teams attacked from other directions in a blazing display and shower of laser and small arm fire which ricocheted off the metal structures causing massive collateral damage. The 2mm kinetic penetrators of gauss rifles which some of the units had fielded cut through metal like a hot knife through butter, shredding through multiple layers of solid reinforced steel, leaving gaping holes the size of a mans fist. Making quick work of any opposing force standing in their way, they aggressively pushed forward to other parts of the facility.
The multi-leveled facility at Dulce, with its central hub controlled by an extensive base security force, proved far more extensive and complex than the Power Armored attackers had been ready to cope within the original plan. Information sources like 2nd LT Miller had clearance levels that did not allow them to know the full scope of the operation, His clearance granted him knowledge of seven (known) sub-levels- there were more. Most of the aliens supposedly were on levels 5, 6, and 7 - but there were more. There also was a more vast network of shuttle connections under the ground than expected, extending into what seemed like an endless network that had not been reported. Providing escape routes and entry ports for rapidly deployed additional security forces that had not been expected. These were now ushering in a steady force of more robotic security forces, as the scale of firing inside the hub escalated with the huge rooms filling with smoke from the firefight and small fires began to burn and smolder from use of incendiary ammunition as well as the super heated bolts of laser fire.
Against overwhelming numbers and technology, they fought from level 1 (containing the garages and hangars) down into the bowels of the enemy base. Portions of the combat took, and held, the level 2 ports where tunnel shuttles and disk maintenance areas would have allowed enemy reinforcements to enter, while the main force charged forwards towards level 6, and what became known as "nightmare hall" based on the contents they found there, to rescue the hundreds of human victims kept there.
They were not ready for what they found on level 6. They found multi-armed and Muti-legged humans and cages (and vats) of humanoid and strange creatures as tall as seven feet. The aliens had learned a great deal about genetics, things both useful and frightening, while combining such knowledge with F.E.V. for horrendous results. As most of it had been learned at the cost of human suffering and lives. With the confusion of the attack many of these abominations had escaped thier pens and cages and were running rampant through the facility.
Major Wolfe's flight reached level 7 first, blowing the main hub entrance open and neutralizing the security force there with extreme prejudice in less than 45 seconds. On entering the Security station, they realized the extent of the facility for the first time, finding systems for watching and controlling over 3,000 captives on the one level alone, and the control and security systems for moving the captives to "testing facilities" and "pleasure centers" in over 26 different locations - where another 450 captives were currently kept.
Wolfe radio'd to the Sigma squad leader of CAT-1;
"I am recording these holographic images of the captives. It's horrible! Impossible to express in words. There is a zoo of human beings in various stages of health and mental condition. Forwarding images of these women, who are being tortured at this very moment. We need to move forward and release as many of these prisoners as possible, how copy CAT-1 Leader?"
"Roger. We're experiencing similar scenes of horror as well. What the Fuck is this place? There are so many of them! We were unaware of how many captives were being held here. Continue mission objectives, we'll be in contact, CAT-1 , out."
While the original plan had called for the teams to attack, smash as much of the enemy facility as they could, and withdraw in less than half an hour, the introduction of so many victims added a new dimension to the problems at hand. While none of the officers in charge will admit to who made the order, the recorded audio communications, and boots on the ground seem to suggest that 2nd LT Miller allowed Major Wolfe to change the mission demands as the numbers of "savable" victims became more apparent.
"It's not like we have choices. We can't leave these poor girls behind alive. You damn well know as well as I do, that any we cannot evac, we are going to have to exterminate. Our problem is simply numbers. Several hundred aliens and machines trying to kill us, hundreds of human females screaming for help. Hundreds more so far gone that we will have to just leave them behind." It sounded like Captain Rhodes.
"There are hundreds of enemy troops still arriving on the subway trains. We just aren't set up for a mass evacuations. The subway back to New York, and one to Mexico , seemed to still be open, so lets start loading these girls onto the tube trains and get them going! Our forces on the other end should secure them. Reports of CAT-2 have reported blowing two airshafts wide open, so evacuating girls out that way into the fresh air so our people can get to them there hopefully. CAT-4 took a real beating. They're keeping the alien reinforcements from entering the main subtle stations."
"Roger. We've been here too long, No doubt in my mind. It's hard to leave these poor young women behind. But everyone we fail to send out in front of us is going to die, and soon."
Exactly one hour after the X12 had first attacked the main port entry a full recall was ordered. Lt. Col. Rigs and Paladin Sam had managed to get an alien craft airborne, one disk-craft and Paladin Hall had one of the highly advanced triangle fighter craft- and were running for Area 51. Rhodes had also managed to get a huge disk shuttle moving in which over 300 human females had been loaded and were now being taken to a safe base.
The attack teams were now withdrawing behind walls of smoke and set explosions. The MAT Technicians had set the CED weapon to go off shortly after the full withdrawal of the attack teams. The Sigma leader who led the Filter Attack Team, managed to repair the X12 battle damage before taking command of a captured alien triangle fighter craft. AS the wounded units fought against a running retreat with the last of the rescued females and the survivors of CAT-4 and CAT-3, he provided cover fire from the alien fighter craft. This gave him time to reach and restart the X12 , land the last victims and he and two of his men fought off attacking alien and mechanical shock troops.
Nearly overwhelmed, the Power Armored troops in the X12 would likely not have made it into the air if at that last moment a couple vertibirds scrambled from Cheyenne mt. Complex at the last moments had finally arrived on site and darted into the port facility and started to lay down a brutal fire pattern against the other aliens.
72 minutes, 14 seconds after the attack had started, explosions from dozens of set bombs started to blowup, and thirty five seconds after they cleared the doors, the CED went off, causing every life-form alien and human to demolecularize on a subatomic level. To the knowledge of the attack teams, there were none who survived in the base.