Disclaimer: I do not own any movies set up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies, cartoons, games, books, or comics. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial aim. It is not for sale or rent.
Phase 5: Changing world III
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Part 3
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Fort Drum
New York, US
Brisk, tiny raindrops poured down when we got to the firing range. Soldiers in dark-green raincoats held a perimeter around a large tent. A few Humvees were parked nearby – likely the transport of the people we were here to meet. The vehicle that guided us here from the base's entrance turned right and parked next to the others.
My security detail piled out, leaving their SMGs inside the cars. Woods went to the trunk of our SUV and eagerly pulled out a large case holding the blaster. He was just as eager as the rest of my security to try the new toy. They were like Children who had to wait to open their Christmas gifts.
I got out, ignored the rain, and walked around the tent's side. I could hear quiet voices coming from inside. A quick glimpse through the Force revealed two familiar signatures. Generals Danvers and Scudder were here, standing in a corner beside another signature.
Inside I could see the Generals I knew talking with a short man wearing an army uniform. He was built like a professional wrestler and almost looked too large for his uniform. A few civilians and a handful of specialists sat at folding tables monitoring military laptops or fiddling with recording equipment.
"Mr. Stark." General Scudder was the first to see and greet me.
"Generals." I nodded. "As promised, I'm here to deliver."
"So we hear." Danvers turned to look at me. "My new command has heard all kinds of interesting news from Stark Industries since we met."
"I aim to please and make an extraordinary amount of money."
"Mr. Stark." The third General spoke in a deep, bass voice. "I'm general Frank Miller, the commander of this base. The Pentagon has decided we'll be testing any infantry-scale weapons and armor you develop and build while in the area."
"Good morning, General Miller. Your base is certainly a convenient location from where I stand. Are you ready for the demonstration?"
"Captain Vance?" Miller turned to one of the specialists.
"We're ready, sir! We're just triple checking the equipment."
"You can do the honors, Woods." I finally let my Chief of Security off the leash.
"Finally!" Woods brought the case with the blaster while one of the troopers guarding the area carried a hydrogen canister.
Woods opened the case and stepped back, letting everyone see what was inside.
"That thing's ugly." Miller proclaimed. "At least it looks like a weapon and not like some toy for my grandchildren to play with."
Woods almost reverently picked up the weapon and opened the stock.
"Keep in mind, this is a proof of concept prototype, not something even remotely ready for field deployment," I warned.
"That's what we expect, Mr. Stark," Danvers noted.
A loud clack sounded when Woods sealed back the stock. The weapon lit up, and while it ran it's automatic diagnostic, the former Major picked up the gas canister. He waited until everything came out green and plugged it in.
"The weapon is live," Woods announced.
"By all means, proceed, Major." General Miller instructed. We went out of the tent, and two specialists with cameras followed us.
"Sadly, we currently lack the technology to create a single power pack that both provides the fuel for the particle bolt and powers up the weapon," I explained.
"Range is clear!" The Range Master announced after giving it one last hard look, just in case.
Woods looked at the set-up targets, smiled, and shouldered the weapon.
"Which first?"
"The ballistic gel dummy to the left, first. Service them left to right, Major." Miller said.
An atmosphere of eager anticipation surrounded me.
"You can open fire now!" The Range Master barked after Miller gave him a nod.
A loud crack-hiss echoed over the range. A bolt of blue light left a sizzling smoking trail in the rain, which quickly dissipated.
Woods hit the target center mass. The particle bolt burned into it before releasing its remaining energy. It boiled and then vaporized some of the gel, creating a steam explosion that tore a vast smoking hole into the target.
Despite what you could see on holo movies or Star Wars here on Earth, even "weak" blaster bolts could fuck up limbs and cause fatal wounds to unarmored targets. It wasn't just logistics that ensured everyone in the galaxy preferred blasters instead of slugthrowers.
Well, this wasn't entirely fair. I watched a New Hope a few weeks ago with Rhodey while we were chilling out one evening. That Rodian, the burned Javas, and Luke's aunt and uncle being burned to the bone? That's the kind of damage a shot from cheap mass-produced carbine could do to unprotected flesh.
The trick was that a blaster shot was more than the mere components of its parts – energy charge and gas to use as ammunition. Much of the magic happened in the combustion chamber. The gas turned into a highly energized plasma state before being shot out as a particle "slug." That was why the chamber was the weapon's most expensive and hardest-to-make component. Without the chamber changing the state of the fuel, we would need a much longer weapon's barrel even to approach similar killing power.
"Fuck me…" Woods looked at the blaster, then at the target. "Boss, I think I'm in love!"
"Service the next target!" The Range Master barked again. However, his voice sounded different – there was more than a hint of respect in it.
The Major aimed again. His second target was another dummy, this time one clad in what looked like an older model Kevlar vest.
Crack-hiss. A bright afterimage and a trail of vaporized water connected the blaster and the target. The dummy jumped up, obscured by a cloud of vapor and boiled gel.
"So much for Kevlar being fire resistant." General Scudder muttered.
"The particle bolt releases all its energy into the target at contact. Depending on the weapon's power, distance, and armor, a hit might be survivable. Even a primitive weapon such as this one will be lethal if it hits the chest or head without advanced armor to absorb the kinetic effect and distribute the energy. High-end military armor should have an ablative property if hit by an energy weapon of a magnitude that they couldn't simply distribute over the armor's surface and absorb safely. Of course, recreating such armor is much easier said than done."
"Close misses?" General Scudder asked.
"Can cause flash burns or worse. A hit into a stone or metal can boil and vaporize parts of the target. This means molten ejecta and overheated gasses washing over everything nearby. That's why armored weave clothing was popular – it could protect against grazing hits and, more importantly, near misses." I lectured.
"Target three. Fire!" The Range Master ordered.
"The prototype's safe for no more than three shots in succession. After that, it needs time to cool." I noted.
"One more shot then. There's no point risking injury." Danvers offered.
"I think the rain helps a bit in that regard." Woods pointed out. He rotated the smoking weapon, so rain could wash all over it and help cool it. "It's a bit too warm for comfort now. I don't believe that a fourth shout will be feasible."
"You're the one with the gun, Major. No one will force you to shoot again before it cools down." General Scudder looked pointedly at me.
"I want and need him in one piece, thank you very much, General."
"Shoot when you think it is safe." The Range Master said in a normal voice. He was squinting at the second target. From where we stood, the vest itself looked mostly intact, but the same couldn't be said for the torso within it.
"What's the third's armor?" Woods asked.
"Standard Level Three protection."
Woods aimed. Crack-hiss. A loud crack echoed alongside the predictable steam explosion.
"Boss, may I humbly request you get proper armor into production before putting those things on the market?" Woods tapped the blaster. He quickly pulled his fingers away from its side and waved his hand. "It's much more fun not to be the one on the receiving end."
"An inadequate armor can melt and fracture from a direct hit. A soldier might survive such an injury with prompt and good medical attention. In practice, this means said soldier being hit in front of one of the best trauma centers in the country. Such an injury almost certainly means a protracted gruesome death in the field. That won't change until someone develops better options to treat injuries in the field. That's not something I can help with. In some regards, no armor is better than bad armor when facing particle-beam weapons. If you don't have armor that can stop a direct hit, the next best option is armor that can protect you from a close miss." I shrugged. "That won't likely be a feasible option until and unless everyone on Earth transitions to use energy weapons."
"I can see where you're coming from, Mr. Stark. Some ways to die are better than others." General Scudder nodded grimly.
"Is this enough of a demonstration, Generals? If so, I have a weapons design team who would love to work on turning the prototype into an effective combat weapon." I inquired.
"Defensive emplacements with a larger version and dedicated cooling system." General Miller suggested.
"That's one of many options we'll be exploring. That said, it will be some time before we have particle weapons effective, reliable, and cheap enough to be anything but prototypes for testing."
"The weapon works." General Danvers smiled. "More importantly, this is not a mature technology but a taste of what's possible. Our existing weapons systems are largely mature and sophisticated technology. Improvements there would likely be incremental at best instead of paradigm shifts. This, on the other hand?" she waved at Woods. "This combined with what your company is currently developing?" the General smiled at me. "In my mind, you just proved yourself. I will explicitly point it out in my report." Her smile died down. "Prototype or not, this weapon is close in firepower to the alien sidearms I saw used back in eighty-nine." She jabbed a finger at my chest. "You and your weapons, Mr. Stark, just might give us a fighting chance the next time."
"That's the plan, General Danvers."
"Whatever you need, Mr. Stark, we'll ensure you get it if it's up to us," Scudder added in a deadly serious tone.
"Good. Now we can begin bringing this world into the future."
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Part 4
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Stark successfully tests an energy weapon! Pentagon is negotiating a contract with Stark Industries to develop practical energy weapons from infantry scale to vehicle mounted!
US Army Magazine
Stark Industries shares prize skyrockets after recent developments. Tony Stark consolidated control over SI by buying many of the shares on the market after the government investigation of the company commenced.
Forbes Magazine
Italy backs the EU fusion initiative! Green parties across the continent are in arms against nuclear power's 'despicable' and irresponsible proliferation. The German government is in a deadlock over the issue. French President and Parliament both pledge to support fusion proliferation and European energy independence.EuronewsStark Industries revolutionizes construction! Synthetic Concrete has been confirmed to significantly exceed any available building material's structural strength and durability!
Financial Times
US Senate and Congress passed a historical Infrastructure Bill pledging two trillion dollars to refurbish and reinforce bridges, dams, nuclear power plants, and airfields. Senator Mich Colins from New York and Congresswoman Natalie West from California are preparing a second Infrastructure Bill to finance the building of multiple fusion plants across the continental United States and Overseas Territories.Washington PostCoal Lobby offers full support to any citizens afraid of thoughtless nuclear proliferation. It offers to finance lawsuits aimed at blocking fusion reactor construction!USA TodayGreenpeace activists rally people for 'Save our future' protests in front of a dozen Stark Industries corporate offices and Tony Stark's home in New York. The demonstrations are scheduled for this Friday afternoon.
New York Times
Green parties across Europe are ready to stage protests in twenty-seven capitals in support of Greenpeace's efforts in the United States.
BBC News
Radical Islam leaders across the Middle East and North Africa declare fusion power a temptation any true Muslim has to resist! Tony Stark, the Merchant of Death, is now the most hated person in the region.Al JaziraSyria and Iran sign up trade deals with the Russian Federation. Moscow ignores protests from the US and regional allies.Associated PressA devastating attack against a Coalition outpost in Afghanistan! Firebase Guardian overrun before reinforcements could arrive! Twenty-five Coalition soldiers are confirmed dead, and sixteen are declared Missing in Action! This is the worst defeat of Coalition forces since the invasion of Afghanistan.
New York Times
A C-5 Galaxy was lost in Northern Iraq last night. Missile strike suspected.
CNN Morning News
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camera recording recovered from Private Allen, James;
1st Marine Division, 2nd Battalion; Charlie Company
Firebase Guardian, Afghanistan
Status: KIA
The world shook and lit up with brilliance rivaling the sun at high noon. The camera caught streaks of light sharply cut down from the dark sky and slammed into the defensive positions at the perimeter of the small base. Blinding light and barely visible shock waves washed over Allen. The picture went wild, then showed a starless sky. The Marine shook himself up and rolled on the ground. The camera caught dark, almost invisible figures running through the smoking craters where the heavy weapons were.
Allen aimed, and his laser sight ran over one of the advancing figures. He shot it twice, and it stumbled back. Return fire shattered the rocky ground around Allen, who kept firing. His first target got up and opened fire as well. Something wet and dark splashed over the camera, and Allen grew still.
Two Coalition soldiers moved forward, going from cover to cover and shooting at the attackers. A Combat Medic ran at Allen, using the covering fire to reach him. A burst brought the medic down, and he slumped off-screen.
Five, then ten figures in heavy dark armor rapidly advanced through the base, firing in short bursts. After the
m came at least twice their number of clearly recognizable Taliban wearing a mixture of clothes and looted equipment.
An RPG struck the cover of the soldier to the left. The bright explosion sent him spilling to the ground, where the Taliban cut him down. The other trooper reloaded and tried to retreat before being overrun before someone shot him in the back.
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Stark Industries HQ
California
Sadly, I couldn't stay away from California forever. That was especially true while the corporate HQ was still here, alongside many of our labs and R&D centers. A gradual move to the other side of the country, closer to home and where the climate was more pleasant, was going to be a long process.
"Pepper, Happy! It's great to see you in person again!"
For the past few months, Pepper was my face and voice in front of the Board of Directors and various SI Department heads in California, while Happy got assigned as her bodyguard. Now he was nominally in charge of three units of my security detachment, meant to keep them alive and intact.
I briefly toyed with Stark Global Operations or Executive Decisions, but that would be too on the nose. Instead, we went with Aegis Defense, which made Woods happy.
"Tony, you look good!" Pepper beamed at me. "And who do we have here?" She cooed and leaned forward to look at Hannah.
My daughter looked curiously around and did her best to hide behind my legs. Despite the therapy, she was still exceptionally uncomfortable around strangers and in new places.
"Hannah, everything is fine." I turned around and ruffled her hair. That earned me a pout and a glare. However, it helped her relax a bit.
"Auntie Pepper?" Hannah asked and squinted at the redhead. "You have pretty hair!"
"Your hair is pretty too!" Pepper cooed again.
"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark!" Reporters screamed from behind a heavy police cordon backed by a loose line of soldiers.
"The natives are getting restless. Let's get out of the sun." I squinted at the scorching menace in the sky. It was early winter, but this damn place kept refusing to get the memo.
Security teams fell in formation around us, and we headed for the main entrance.
"Joanna, the cafeteria is left and to the right. I'm sure Hannah can use something cool to drink."
"No orange juice!" My daughter demanded.
"No oranges."
"Sure thing, sir. Let's get you something tasty to drink."
"I want apples!"
"How's fatherhood treating you, boss?" Happy asked happily.
"It's good. Odd but good. Sadly, we're not here to catch up. Pepper, dear, what do you have for me?"
"For a warm-up, you've got a metric ton of contracts to review and approve with Legal, then sign. You'll observe exoskeleton testing in the early afternoon and then have meetings with multiple design
and research teams. Then it's back to paperwork. Tomorrow at ten, we're having a Board meeting, and you'll be there in person." Pepper consulted her tablet. "Late afternoon, you're meeting with Toshiba and General Dynamics representative to discuss fusion energy development…."
"The day after tomorrow can wait. Did you manage to get a visit to Disneyland cleared up?" I certainly wouldn't let Hannah step in such a place without heavy security or out of my sight. Such parks and the distractions they offered, combined with the inevitable crowds, were good places to assassinate people or take someone hostage. They were not ideal places to abduct people from and get away clean.
I should know. Back in the day, I killed three people in amusement parks and similar establishments all over the galaxy. At the same time, they were distracted enjoying time with their children. Imperial Intelligence and Baras certainly appreciated the irony.
"Disney's security is open to negotiating a reasonable compromise, if possible." Pepper informed me.
"Make sure to find me time to talk with them. Now, lead the way. There's paperwork to vanquish."
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