Friday, March 20, 1964, Time: 1536 – Tashkent, USSR
The internal communications system crackled through the pilot's headset. "Heads up, Captain, radar confirms six bogies approaching at mach two. They're coming in from our three o'clock. You should be picking them up any second. ETA …four will be here in two minutes. The others are about six minutes out and closing fast."
"Roger. I see them too, Dino." The pilot replied to, Lieutenant Dean Castellan, his navigator. "Strap yourself in, buddy; it's going to get bumpy in here real fast. No need for radio silence now that they know we're here. I'm going to patch into the rest of the squadron"
Captain Johnson flipped a switch attached to his headgear. A quick rush of static filled the air. "This is Alpha-One. We've got company. They'll be here any minute. Bravo-two, three, and four, you are to proceed to target. Alpha-three, you're with them as well. Bravo-two radio Command and fill them in on our status. Alpha-two is coming with me. We're going to break formation and intercept those MiGs before they get here."
The other aircraft acknowledged. Captain Mark Johnson and Lieutenant Tom March veered off, kicked in their afterburners, and headed towards the MiGs. Johnson fired a salvo of ammunition as an enemy aircraft came into sight. The MiG broke hard right and narrowly avoided the projectiles.
"They're not taking the bait, Mark." March said. "Two of them are still heading towards the squadron.
"You need to try and intercept, ASAP. It's still two against four but the mission is too important to chance it." Johnson replied as he jerked the controls and broke to his left. "If they don't make it to their target a lot of good men on the ground are going to die."
The second MiG shot past March, intentionally ignoring him, and headed directly for Johnson's craft.
"Mark!" March shouted through his headset "You've got company and he's attempting to hook so that your belly is exposed. He's going to try and hit you as you turn into the first."
Johnson noted the fact but it was too late. "Mark, do you hear me? You've been painted" was the last thing to shoot through Johnson's headgear. The events that happened next passed so quickly, March hardly had time to take it in. The second MiG shot at the US, M-40 Fighter-Bomber just as March had warned. Rounds tore into the plane, punching holes into the metal. Johnson's jet began to smoke, spit out fluid, and finally went into a dive. As the MiG swung around to fire again, it crossed paths with March.
"Someone up there is smiling down on me, Alan." March said to his Navigator. "He just turned right into us and I've got missile-lock". The instrument panel illuminated as the faint tone rang through their headsets. March hit the button with his thumb. The rocket engaged. In the blink of an eye the MiG broke apart in a burst of flames. But it was a short victory celebration. Johnson's craft was still heading straight for the deck. "Alpha-One…Eject, eject" March yelled. Why isn't he answering?, the Lieutenant thought. He pondered the idea that they were dead as he felt the stinging pain of hot metal ripping into his body. The first MiG had him dead to rights. He'd completely forgotten about it and was about to pay the price. The cockpit burst into flames and he watched as his friend smashed into the ground.
Several apes rushed the wreckage, ripping at the metal like it was paper. They grabbed at the men inside. March felt his hands and arms get heavy as he tried and tried to eject. They wouldn't move. His head and chest felt as if they were on fire. Suddenly one of the creatures looked up locking its eyes with his. It bound into the air, landed on the nose of his craft, and ripped off the Plexiglas casing. The ape grabbed him by the throat and roared like a lion. Its mouth opened wide as saliva dripped from the savage fangs.
March's body jerked as he awoke from the dream with a loud yell. He was soaking wet. Sweat covered most of his body. His heart was beating like he'd just run a hundred yard dash at a full sprint. His fever had finally broken. The man reached over and lit the oil lamp on the table to his left. He took a long drink from the canteen by its side. He drank until it was almost empty. He poured a little of the water on his head and face.
Tom panted for a minute as his body slowly calmed down. They cut my hair he thought as he rubbed his almost bald head. Water and perspiration dripped from his scalp and neck. When Hayes had asked the Major if he was alright it had been done for a good reason. March had caught some kind of bug. His temperature shot up in a matter of hours. He'd been sedated and moved to one of the empty rooms to sleep it off. The local medic had sedated the man and wrapped him in blankets to help speed up the process.
He held the canteen up and let the last drops fall on his tongue. March then removed his wet shirt and snatched a dry blanket that was draped over a chair in the corner. He rolled it up like a pillow as he thought back on the actual events that had taken place that day long, long ago. The man yawned as fatigue set in. In a matter of minutes he was fast asleep and snoring like a buzz saw.
*** The following morning
A very rested Tom March walked out of the building and took in the cool morning air. He felt a hundred and ten percent better. The bath he'd just taken combined with the morning breeze made him shiver. Summer was slowly fading as signs of Fall emerged, but he could tell that in no time the sun would be shining bright and hot.
"He's alive. You gave me quite a scare last night" Hayes said as he handed the Major a mug of hot liquid and changed the subject. "Take it Tom, its coffee. Can you believe it? Crappy stuff but I'm not complaining."
March took a whiff of the smoking brew. It smelled a little like hickory. He swallowed a small sip and said, "Well, beggars can't be choosers, now can they?"
They ate a hot meal and enjoyed some peace and quiet as the two drank their hot beverages. About fifteen minutes later a soldier broke up their rest session. He informed the men that they were to follow him to a large tent off in the distance. Reluctantly, the two emptied their cups and followed the Coalition fighter.
"Well it's about damn time" a stocky, bald man said as the two entered the area. "We're at least six hours behind schedule."
"Give it a rest Franks" another man stated in a sharp voice. He was almost as muscular as the NCO he'd just corrected. "What could we do? Drag a sick man out of bed. Forgive him gentlemen he's all work and no play. I assume you're feeling better, Sir. You look it anyway." The Captain ended the sentence with a salute.
March returned the military greeting and shook the extended hand in front of him "I'm Captain Noah Rice, Sir. I'll be in command. That's my second, there; Lieutenant Berger. You're the senior officer but I'm in command of the mission. You and the Captain are on detachment. He's here…" the man stated pointing at Hayes "because of his expertise. You're here…"
"To control him" the husky Sergeant blurted out in jest. There was some laughter until Lieutenant Berger glanced at the group and expressed a few colorful comments regarding Frank's …input.
"It's ok, Lieutenant. No harm done. I'm a big boy." Hayes said.
"We haven't fed him his pound of raw meat today, Sir." Berger replied. "Sergeant, take the platoon and inventory our equipment. Check weapons and gear. Make sure they're ready to muster as soon as I give the word. Let the Gorillas know what's going on and have them ready to muster as well. Report back to me when you're done."
Franks acknowledged the order, barked at a few of the sleeping soldiers hunched on the ground, and went on to do the Lieutenant's bidding.
"Franks isn't exactly wrong, Major. We have no choice but to bring your …um friends with us." Rice said.
"My friends?" March asked.
"The monkeys, Sir" the Captain replied. "We're short on man-power so we're going to have to utilize their strength if we want to succeed. And I don't like it either. It's highly irregular and downright stupid as far as I'm concerned. They don't even know the tunnel exists. But until I'm General, I'll do my job." The man stopped and inhaled as he calmed himself slightly.
"They trust you and you have a history together. At least that's the idea The Brass has." Rice paused again and this time shook his head. "See those men there?" he added pointing to a group in the corner. "They're coming along simply to shadow the animals. One wrong move and I'll cap them on the spot, orders or not."
"Your equipment is there," Rice said "except for that relic. Our engineers have that. You can take what you need. We're moving out in one hour. Ask your questions now and get your things in order."
The Edge of the Flat Lands
"Don't ask me what, LT but something isn't right down there. Here take a look" the NCO stated as he handed the officer the binoculars.
The female Lieutenant peered through the goggles, noting the smoke and activity in the ape city. "Yeah, something's going on alright, but I can't see beyond those rooftops. It's odd they've pulled most of their security too. No wonder we didn't run into any patrols. That factory right there is practically vacant. We could almost walk right in and …"
The woman stopped and then repeated her last sentence slower. She turned to the NCO and said, "Well Sarge, what do ya think? Our orders do say to engage targets of opportunity."
"We can't pass this up Ma'am. It's a no brainer." The NCO replied with a half cocked grin.
"Ok, send Corporal Moon and Private Vincent back to report what's going on. Then inform the group that we're going to flank …there." She said pointing off in the distance. "We'll sweep in right…there… at the gray building next to our objective."
She put the goggles in a case and finished with, "Then we'll toss in couple of incendiary grenades and bug out. If we're lucky half the city will catch fire. They'll never know what hit them. Brief the squad and put Alex on point. He's the best we have and we'll be crossing open ground for two-thirds of the trip. You take center and I'll bring up our six. That will maximize command and control in case this is a ploy of some kind. I don't want any surprises. We move out in five"
On the other side of city Sullen jumped for cover as pieces of brick and rubble flew in every direction. He'd separated himself from the humans. It had been apparent that if he didn't they were going to kill him for certain. Things were getting too chaotic. If they didn't shoot him intentionally one of them was bound to gun him down him in all of the commotion. He'd managed to mix together with some of the local soldiers during the ongoing ruckus. It had been relatively easy. There was so much smoke and dust in the area that you could almost cut it with a knife. His ratty looking uniform made him appear no different than the others. He was now just like any other Joe.
He'd been ordered, along with the group he'd joined, to secure a building. As the soldiers lined up outside, he slipped in, hoping to slip right out the back; if there was a back. He looked around the large room and saw someone approaching. "Its okay" he said as he caught the eye of a lab tech.
"Are Th...They close?" She whimpered.
"No they're miles away. Everything is fine" he lied. "Is there another way out of here? Um, I, Uhh, need to make sure the building's secure.
"Yes, you'll have to go through the lab though; follow me." She stated pointing towards an entrance.
She unlocked the door and pushed a button. The room illuminated. Sullen instantly thought of the old city tunnels. The building, because of its importance, was one of the few that contained its own power cells. It was limited but the work the apes were doing was too important.
"It's just down here." she said "Wait, I'd better secure the relics. Grogan will have my pelt if anything happens to these. The safe over there is fire proof. I'll just be a second."
She unlatched a steel box and then opened a long drawer. Sullen stopped dead in his tracks as he gazed down at the items. "…By the great ape himself… I do not believe my eyes. What are the odds?" he exclaimed.
"The great who?" the female replied in confusion.
Sullen ignored the tech and went right to the drawer. He casually pushed her aside. She protested as he grabbed the small relic and then picked up the weapon. The chimp noted the change in Sullen's demeanor as he said "You, female, tell me about these. Are they functional?"
"Look, you're not supposed to…" She began to say as her body convulsed and she fell to the ground shaking.
"Well, we now know that the rifle works" Sullen laughed. He examined the M-16 and then slung it over a shoulder. "I might just make it out of here alive". He reached for a bag and put the miniature device inside.
He turned towards the exit but fell to the floor as a bullet shattered his knee. The Prefect wailed out in pain. The pocket-sized mechanism rolled out of the bag as both he and it toppled clumsily to one side.
Please Authenticate it stated as it hit the ground.
"Well, Well, Well Prefect. Haven't you been busy? You're more resourceful than I figured" Major Polk said as he held out his pistol. "Good bye Sullen, you great big pain in …"
"Wait" Sullen cried out, holding up his arm up and waving his paw feverishly. "I can help you, look." Sullen rolled towards the computer. He groped a bit and managed to pick up the device. He brought it to his mouth and said "I authenticate; Whiskey Mike Seven Echo Five Zulu Zulu"
Authentication accepted. Please specify primary inquiry
Polk's arm dropped and his paw went limp. "How?" He said as he snatched the device from Sullen. It simply repeated; please specify primary inquiry. Sullen nodded at Polk and tilted his head. "I know how it operates" he added.
"See to his wound and get that weapon away from him, now." Polk ordered one of the soldiers. "Dress it and have him brought to my office. I want a full squad to guard him. If he escapes, I'll kill them all. Clean him up too and get him out of that uniform. He disgraces it with his stench."
A loud sound ripped through the building as windows shattered and the structure shook. The startled Polk almost squeezed the trigger on the pistol. Mists of glass sprayed and dust floated downward from the ceiling and support beams. The lights flickered for several seconds and then finally stabilized. A few shots sounded off in the distance, then a few cries and then silence. The night sky brightened as the flames of the burning factory and adjacent buildings began to light up the area. The factory was blocks away but the munitions it housed leveled it and several of the neighboring structures.
"That came from the munitions factory." One of the apes said. "How did the humans get to that part of the city?"
"You just do as I said." Polk ordered "The rest of you come with me".
The outskirts of Old Washington, DC
They'd traveled a long way. The nights had been cold and the days were hot. The trip itself was uneventful. It was a nice change from the usually turmoil that had become the norm. What was left of the city could be seen clearly. Most of it was in rubble but a small amount of the region was somewhat recognizable. It was a bit creepy to Hayes. Sporadic specs of light blinked on and off in the distance. Somehow a small bit of power was still active within the ruins.
"That's it there, Tom. Right by that rubble and what's left of those steps." Hayes said as he handed March the field glasses.
March peered through and adjusted the settings slightly. His eyes were not what they'd used to be. Something was there but it was hard to make it out. Chunks of rock and granite were strewn about. Dry vegetation and vines grew just about everywhere. He handed the glasses back to Hayes and said something about crossing that bridge when they came to it.
They were to camp for the night and would be heading to the tunnel in the morning. March had volunteered to take the first security shift. Since he was the senior officer he really wasn't obligated but he'd never been one for using his rank as a way to gain privilege. Besides, after spending weeks on a stretcher he was more than happy to be up and around.
"Dried root, Sir?" Corporal Marshall asked as he handed the officer the fat piece of vegetation.
"Thanks Corporal" March answered his security backup. "You ought to get some shut-eye Sir" He went on looking at Hayes. "We'll be up bright and early".
Hayes gave a head shake in agreement. He looked up at the star lit sky and the full moon. "See that small dot, Corporal? ...Over there" Hayes said pointing.
"Uh, yeah…yeah I do it see it. What is it?" The man answered in surprise. Until Hayes had pointed it out he'd never noticed. "Look there's one over there too." The Corporal added.
"Satellites, probably" Hayes replied. "Those dang things are still going after all these years. Anyway, see ya both in the morning." With that Hayes walked in a small tent, climbed in his sleeping bag, and fell fast asleep.
March sat on security for the next two hours, listening to Marshall, talk his ear off. The Corporal had taken an interest in the M-103. It seemed that the weapon could fire both 7.62 and 5.56 rounds. His rifle was limited to 5.56. He also gave March his opinion on apes, politics, religion, the military, and Sergeant Franks. By the time their relief showed, March was more than ready to go back on a stretcher.
"Anything to report?" Lieutenant Berger asked.
"No Sir" Marshall replied coming to his feet "…been pretty quiet. The monkeys haven't budged and not much else has either. We thought we thought we saw something in the trees but it was just the wind; or maybe an animal"
Berger's seasoned mind found something odd in that last sentence. The apes always took to the trees. He instinctively looked around but nothing was there. Their ape allies were housed in a tent with several guards, keeping post, outside. There was no way one of them could have gotten out. The security inside the camp was a precautionary backup in case they did try and cause trouble. They were fed and had the freedom to move about but they had not been issued weapons. In truth, the apes were more as prisoners than partners.
Narr and the others had been relatively patient. Only because Hayes had assured Grazot that if the mission succeeded, there was very good chance he could guide them back home. Oddly enough a professional trust had developed between the two. Grazot enjoyed goading the man as much as Hayes enjoyed giving it right back. The Air Force officers had made several attempts at getting the others to trust the simians. The words fell on deaf ears.
The following morning Berger ordered the platoon into formation. He briefed the different sections and individuals on their particular parts in the overall mission. "The majority of you will establish a base camp. Sergeant Franks will be in command. Only essential personnel and equipment will be going forward with the Captain and me." He stated. After he was finished Rice made a few remarks and the two groups separated.
They walked forward for ten minutes and stopped abruptly as the point man held up a bent arm and fist.
"Ok this is it. Any further and we risk triggering the net. You men set up that artillery." Rice said to a couple of the soldiers hauling boxes. He turned to the others and went on; "Listen, here's how it works. That concrete rubble there is just shy of an entry point. Once the defense systems fire, we'll have approximately fifteen to twenty seconds to make it in. That's about how long it takes for the system to cycle, target, and fire again."
"That's at least two hundred yards" Hayes said. "Most of its open ground too. We'll never make it"
"A lot of people have died proving that same point, Mister Hayes" Captain White answered.
The area was undeniably open. A few skeletal remains littered the vicinity. Not all were human. Some were animal. Wreckage was present as were a few trees but most of it was exposed with little cover.
"Hold those thoughts, Captain" Rice added as he opened a map. "Yes, it lacks cover but there are dead zones…here, here, here, and right here. We if we negotiate the whole area at one we will die. So instead we move and cover. You gorilla" he said pointing at Ogden. "Think you can make it to there carrying those things?" Rice pointed to some duffle bags and crates. Ogden mentioned something about doing it with ease.
The plan was straightforward. Four mortars were to be launched in four different directions. The automated defenses would come on line and fire. Once the recharge sequence began to hum they'd move to dead-zone one. They'd repeat the process until they were in.
"Twenty seconds is not a lot of time to make it. You move and you move fast. It can be done. Berger and I have been in the tunnel twice before." Rice stated. He went on for the next minute or two with specific instructions and finally ended with, "grab your stuff and get ready."
*** Minutes later
An ear piecing sound echoed through the region. The mortar rounds fizzed and several turned to mist as the unseen energy pulse vaporized them in a millisecond. The barrages lasted for close to ten minutes, until the order, cease fire was given.
"Move it." Rice shouted. The teams leapt to their feet …and paws… and headed out. Narr, Grazot, and Ogden looked like superheroes. It took them seconds to reach dead-zone one. Amazing, Rice thought as he watched the animals bound overhead.
Everyone else made it with only seconds to spare. March was huffing and panting as he mumbled something about being old and broken down. "Wha …what now?" he puffed out.
"They fire again while we hope they don't bring it down on top of us." Berger smiled. "I'm joking" he said looking at the worried Grazot. "Gather your strength, we go at it again in just a few minutes."
They moved and covered and moved again. On the last run something happened. Captain White was too fatigued. It was no fault of hers. She was in fairly decent shape but couldn't keep up physically with human males. Everyone was in full combat gear. All of it combined weighed between sixty and eighty lbs. The last stretch was the longest and she'd run out of steam. Rice was looking at a time piece as he yelled "Move it Karen." The woman was running as fast as she could but wasn't going to make it.
…11…12…13 …the seconds ticked by. Rice cussed and rose to his feet. Before he could react he felt a strong force pull him back. Ogden flew into the air as the mammoth beast's legs propelled him with a swiftness that only his kind understood. He landed a few feet from White and without hesitation he grabbed her and flung her towards the group. She'd have slammed into the granite but Narr caught her at the last second.
"Come on" Rice shouted "You only have…" …But it was too late. The hum had stopped. As Ogden began to hurdle back, the cities defense grid had already reset, sensed the motion, and targeted the ape. Ogden's survival was a fluke as fate handed him a get out jail free card. His speed, angle, and chance timing had positioned him in just the right spot at just the right time. He winced as the invisible beam scorched the fur on his arm just between his shoulder and elbow. His skinned burned as he twisted and dropped with a thud.
"That couldn't have killed him, could it?" Grazot said looking at Rice.
The beam had only clipped the gorilla but the pain caused him to collapse into unconsciousness. A slight groan from the beast answered Grazot's question before Rice ever spoke.
"No ape sacrifices himself for a human" one of the soldiers mumbled in disbelief. Tears had formed in White's eyes as the realization of what almost happened caught up with her reasoning. She was shaking involuntarily.
Narr turned to the Corporal and sneered "Take a look boy. That's twice one of mine has saved one of yours. I'm beginning to wonder if you're worth it."
The tone startled some of the humans who began to raise their weapons. There was one problem with that; they weren't quick enough. Grazot thrust himself forward and with a single swing of his arm shoved the entire group backwards. He sent them wobbling to the ground. Before they knew it he'd secured a weapon and was handing one to Narr. He tilted his head as if to imply, what did you expect, as his locked eyes with Captain Hayes.
"I knew it." Rice blurted out. "Those damn fools back there wouldn't listen but I knew this was one big lie."
"You're the damn fool, human" Narr said as he handed the man the rifle, "You don't know anything. If I wanted you dead I could have accomplished it a dozen different ways at a dozen different times. I don't give a rip about you, your society, or this magical city that you all seem to worship. I almost lost a comrade and a friend. My Executive Officer actually died in an ambush, an ambush from apes. …And my army is dead as well. We have a common interest, a common enemy and I'm sick of playing the untrustworthy savage captive."
It was tense for a few seconds until someone finally spoke. It was Karen White; "Thank you, General Narr. I mean that sincerely. I'd be looking into the face of God, if he hadn't saved me. Now… Shouldn't we be helping your …um our… friend over there rather than pointing guns at each other?" She added, motioning towards Ogden.
That seemed to defuse the tension slightly. Rice spoke up and ordered one of the soldiers to look to Ogden wounds. Next Rice fired a flare high into the Washington sky. Moments later the base camp acknowledged in similar fashion.
"They made it." Sergeant Franks shouted. "Those SOBs actually made it."
The tunnel was cold and dark. It had been built with humans in mind and the gorillas found it to be extremely cramped. It twisted downward for over a mile and finally opened into a set of long corridors. Cobwebs and dust littered the area. The rotted remains of what was once a door lie at the base of the entrance.
"We follow this one" Rice said glancing down at the small gadget he was holding. When their long trek finally finished Rice turned to White and said, "Ok, do your stuff."
The room was large and spacious. A variety of odd looking apparatuses filled the area. The only radiance came from a few thin cable-like structures that ran between the machines and into the walls, ceiling and floor. Several workstation interfaces blinked but others looked as if their power had been cut. Certain machines lie in pieces. They'd been cannibalized long ago. Some of the mechanisms were lodged directly into the walls. Wires, cable, and circuit boards hung limp from several spots. The official seal of the United States of America lie faded on the far wall where it had been originally painted long ago. Rotted and rusted furniture lie scattered about.
White directed the apes to drop their equipment in different spots in the room. The Corporal and a couple of the other soldiers were removing panels and unpacking some kind of clear conduits. The additional soldiers began clearing the area of the centuries old debris. White pointed and made a few "Ok, put that there" and "move those here" remarks as she directed the section like a foreman. Next she pulled out a small mechanical device and tapped a button. A 3-D design similar to the paper Hayes had explained displayed in mid air. Narr and Ogden stepped back not sure what to make of the magic that was glimmering before them. They were spooked even more when a mechanized voice crackled; Hello Karen, Please specify primary inquiry. White slid the object into a notch on one of the larger work areas. She tapped at the 3-D illustration and used her fingers to glide some of the imagery around. Once she was satisfied she turned and looked at Rice.
"I need the codes, Captain Rice" White stated.
Rice tapped the timepiece he was holding. Its face lit up and he brushed his finger across the surface. A minute later he spoke up and said, "Ok, I've got them. Let me know when you're ready."
"Good morning, Norman," White said, "Please link into the neural processor. Unlock all internal terminals. Initiate heat expansion and begin a controlled chain reaction. Identify gaps in the mass multiplier where the square light velocity is being compromised. On my signal power the primary PWRs (*Pressurized Water Reactors)."
"She asked it to come on line, power up and let her know where things are broken" Hayes whispered to March. The Major smiled as if Hayes had read his mind and joked back; "Yeah, that's what I thought she said"
The device interfaced with the primary CPU. Security access protocols were requested by Norman and, when signaled, Rice read them off. The dimensional representation updated and several of the bright green connections changed color. Some were began to blink yellow others blinked red. White directed Hayes to a computer terminal close by. Rice gave him another set of codes and instructed the man to speak them into a square box on the terminals top-right support. Hayes did as he was instructed and the console came on-line. A 3-D interface with icons similar to a desk-top computer blinked into view.
Hayes immediately spoke up as his brain interpreted the error before him. "We have a problem. The neutrons, being absorbed by the nucleus, are splitting too quickly. That would be fine if we were igniting a bomb, to blow ourselves up, but they need to be slowed. The nuclear fuel cycle is out of balance…"
"It's ok. That's what the Nuclear Cells are for. The thermal reactors don't depend on refined and enriched uranium. That's century's old technology. Once it breaks down to the subatomic seticks, it will stabilize." White said calmly. "But you are right about one thing. We need to balance the cycle or we'll fry the system. Heat is still heat. Corporal Marshall, how are things coming at your end?"
"I'm ready ma'am" he replied. "You just give me the sequence and make sure that Norman controls the cycling and we'll be good." Marshall replied.
White turned back to Hayes who'd just mumbled something about having no idea what a setick was. "Forget about it Captain." She said in irritation. "I need you to concentrate on the bosons and fermions. Take note of their spin ratio. The spin-statistics displaying in the center identify the resulting quantum statistics that differentiates the two. You'll have to adjust so that the particles associated with matter are purely fermions. They'll have a half-integer spin and are divided into twelve flavors. The particles associated with fundamental forces are bosons and they'll have an integer spin. As Norman feeds you the ratios that are in error, you'll have to adjust and compensate manually. Simply speak your corrections into the display. Norman process voice recognition and accept only level 3 commands. …Say something Mister Hayes."
"Hi Norm old buddy. Let's hope you and I don't kill everyone in the process" The cynical man stated.
Voice print accepted – level 3 access now permitted the device replied.
"Norman, please power the primary PWRs. Ok, Corporal, you have a go". White stated. A creaking sound ripped through the area as Marshall flipped a few large levers and connected some cabling. For a second everyone stooped and looked around. The sound was anything but a comfort. Minutes later rushing water echoed through the pipes. An old vent in the ceiling opened and air began to circulate. It blew dust and dirt around as it circulated the gust upwards.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea" Ogden said as he glanced over at Grazot
For the next half hour or so, White instructed the personnel in the large room as they fixed equipment, compensated for problems, pulled out glowing circuit boards, and manipulated the 3-D images. The Corporal and his team routed wires sealed the cells. Hayes monitored pressure levels, gamma emissions, heat conditions and molecular stability. He entered corrections but still worried about making a mistake.
"Ok" White finally said "We're up and running. The fail-safe has powered down. The city is now off line. We have to get to the surface and repair ruptured links. Once that's done we move to the CDC Main AO and we can tap into the entire network."