Chapter 5
RX-01…Where are you?
10/23/2018
14:29
"All right, make sure all those connections and welds are correct. I don't any slip ups this time, got it." I was handing out orders to my men
because I was now a Major. I was the second-in-command for the 1st R&D division. I was also the designer for the newest piece of equipment in
the United States military which I called a mobile suit. It was about 17 meters tall, total weight approximately 30 tons, two arms, two legs and a
head that was shaped like a human. Surprisingly, it resembled the machines that were in my dream eight years ago. The mobile suit, dubbed the
RX-01, was going to be the test version for later models of the mobile suit. It had a compact nuclear reactor that I designed to fail safe should
anything catastrophic happen to the mobile suit. If the on-board computer advises the pilot that the suit can no longer function, the reactor was
designed to self destruct after given orders to do so from the pilot. Normally, when a nuclear reactor explodes, it is essentially an atomic bomb.
However, my reactor was designed to emit no radiation at all when destroyed. It was designed to channel the energy from the "source" and use it
like a battery. When the self-destruct mechanism is activated, the fuel breaks down and no longer becomes radioactive and therefore safe to
handle. After that, the remaining power left in the battery then overloads the power circuits in the rest of machine making them explode and thus
making the entire machine damaged beyond repair. This is so the technology does not fall into enemy hands. The chest, back and the power plant
of the Mobile Suit had a four inch outer layer of armor, the abdomen had three inches, and the head, arms, legs, top of the feet and hands and two
inches. The bottom of the feet had six inches of armor because it would have the most impact and it was also to prevent the destruction of the feet
from minefields. The armor was made from both high-tensile titanium and a high strength ceramic whose design was classified. There also a pair of
high output thrusters under the reactor that were designed not for flying, but for jumping. The thrusters had a maximum burn time of ten seconds
before requiring recharge. The bottom of the feet had about twelve fourteen inch diameter pads of rubber for grip and retractable studs for walking
on ice. The only weapons system that was built into the RX was two forward facing 60mm Vulcan cannons that were mounted inside the head with
the barrels protruding out of the temples. The cannon system was configured to fire about 900rpms for the entire system which meant 450rpms
per cannon. The system was also set-up so that the cannons fired alternatively. I continued to give orders to the men, "make sure that the core is
powered off. Check all the cameras to make sure they are properly focused. All teams go over every thing twice and then go over it again."
19:03
After a year and a half of trial and error, going through two promotions and convincing the higher ups that this project could benefit all of the
military, I finally realized my dream. With my eleven year old dog and long time friend, max, beside me, I looked up at the magnificent machine that
I designed and created. It was standing tall, like a new soldier ready for combat. Tomorrow was going to be the first testing for the completed
mobile suit. The test was going to be done at the artillery test range near Yuma, Arizona. So after every thing was put together we to it apart. It
took a year put every little piece together, but it only took two hours to take the limbs of the machine off and another hour to load everything on
the transports. The arms and legs were loaded into two C-17 transport planes and the torso and head were loaded in to a C-5S Super Galaxy
transport plane. The C-5S was about one and a half times bigger than the C-5 and was outfitted with the latest technology. After all of the
equipment was loaded. I ordered the battalion to form up in a battalion formation. There were three companies, exactly 531 men and women in
the entire battalion, including staff and commanding officers. I told them that they were to wake up at 0500 the following morning and that the
entire battalion was going to be in formation at 0730 and on the planes at 0800. I also ordered that there was to be no drinking tonight, because
we needed everyone to be focused the next day. I then dismissed them to have free time but lights out was at 2300. I then went to my office to
finish some paperwork regarding some promotions, awards some of the other workings that the battalion was developing. After about forty-five
minutes of doing paperwork, I heard a knock on my door. When Max heard the knocks he perked up from his bed and looked at the door. I told the
person to come in. The person was the Sergeant that was in charge of the welding team. His name was Reed. He came up to me, saluted and said,
"Sir, Sergeant Reed requesting permission to see the Major, sir." I saluted back and said, "Permission granted sergeant. Please sit down. Now
what's up?" He sat and then said, "Sir, I was just wondering where you get the idea for RX-01, if it's all right for me to ask, Sir." "I got the idea for
the RX-01 eight years ago during a dream I had one night. It was the night I decided to rejoin the military." "Oh, well then I guess the completion
of the RX-01 literally qualifies as chasing your dreams, right sir." I chuckled at what he said because it was true. He continued, "I am honored to
work with a great designer like you, sir. I am anxious to see the tests tomorrow." "Well, so am I. you better go and get some sleep. We have a big
day tomorrow, Sergeant." "Yes, sir" he got up saluted me and walked out. I then looked back down at the paperwork. It had to be done by the
end of the month and the tests would be over in three days. "I'll get these done after the test." I then turned off my desk lamp, called max and
walked out of my office. I then walked out of the 1st R&D Headquarters and went to my hummer, which I got when I turned in my Ford two years
ago. I then drove to the Military Police Building to make sure that we had MPs on duty at the hangers, the planes and at Yuma. After that, me and
max went to the officers housing. I walked into my room, took a shower, and went to bed.
10/24/2018
19:14
"…okay Major, now we are going to test the weapons systems. The first weapon we'll test is the head mounted 60mm Vulcan cannons. Your target
is the 300 yard tank target. Fire at your discretion, over." "Roger control, 60mm Vulcan's at the 300 tank." I sat in the rather spacious cockpit in the
chest of the RX-01. The cockpit had three screens, two on the sides and on in front. There were buttons, knobs, and levers on a panel overhead, a
panel with dozens of buttons and a few knobs under the forward screen, a joystick in the right hand, a sliding throttle control in the left, a
targeting computer the size of a small, flat tissue box with eye pieces like binoculars, which was on a double jointed swing arm that was mounted
on the right side of the back of the seat. The seat was like an oversized F-18 super hornet cockpit seat. The seat had a five point restraint system.
There were also two foot pedals which were for walking. we had been testing everything from the power systems, camera systems (three total:
Primary cameras, which were mounted in the RX-01's head, Back-up Cameras which were mounted in the chest, and finally the Forward Looking
Infra Red system which was installed in all cameras), limbs which included head movements, arm and leg articulation, walking, running, and stance
positions. So far everything checked out. The mobility of the RX was a lot better then I anticipated. I proposed that the maximum walking speed
was about ten to thirty miles per hour and the maximum running was eighty. I got to the firing range which about five hundred yards from the
primary testing area. The ammunition wasn't loaded into the Vulcan for safety. When I got to the range, I made the RX go into the kneeling
position. I pulled back on a lever on the outer side of the left armrest and the hatch which was behind the front screen open and the front screen
and front panel swung to forward to the left. The hatch made to split in two halves. The bottom was designed to open by swinging downward and
become a platform for pilot to walk on. The top half swung upward so the pilot didn't hit his head. There was also a swing arm that went up and
down to the left of the hatch. The end of the arm had a foot handle attached to which has a high-tensile wire that could hold about five-hundred
pounds because not only did it need to hold the pilot but also hold supplies such as food and water incase the unit got stranded. I opened the
hatch to observe the weapons crew load the ammo for the Vulcan's. They loaded the ammo with expert precision. After about three minutes the
ammo was loaded. I called to the loadmaster, "how many rounds total?" "Three-thousand, Sir." "Thanks." Once the load crew cleared the area I
closed the hatch and called control and told them I was commencing fire. After about four minutes of firing, control called me, "RX-01, Control.
60mm Vulcan test complete, switch to the 100mm machine rifle for testing on various targets, over." "Roger switching to the 100mm rifle." I turned
the RX to the transport trailer to my left and made the RX's right hand grab the rifle. The grip fit perfectly in the right hand. The rifle had I
retractable swing handle for the left hand to hold on to. It also had a camera on the top of the rifle that when the unit grabbed the grip it was
linked in to the targeting computer. I then turned back downrange and called control, "Control. Switching call-sign, RX-01 is now unit one, over."
"Roger on the call change." "Control, Unit One. Requesting permission to fire the 100 at the 250, 300, 500, 1000, 2000 ground targets and
airborne targets." The range had tank and vehicle targets on the ground and several target balloons in the air. "Unit One, Control. Permission
granted, commence firing." I then pulled the targeting computer from the side of the backrest, and pulled it up to my eyes. I acquired the first
target and fired. After shooting up all of targets and put the safety on, even though the rifle was empty, and put it on the transport. I then walked
over to the other transport and grabbed the 180mm cannon. The 180 had a large main body, like the old M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, and a
very long barrel. It also had a sighting camera. I made the RX go down into the kneeling position. I then fired the cannon and the 1000 yard tank
target exploded. I was about to fire the second shot before I heard a "beep beep beep…beep beep beep..." I looked up at the over head panel.
There was a yellow indicator light that was blinking for general warning. I pressed a few buttons on the control panel and the main screen then
indicated that that there was electromagnetic interference occurring around me. I called control, "Control, Unit one. Please confirm EM interference,
over" "Unit One, Control. Unable to confirm, Stand-by." All of the sudden, a bright, pale blue ball of light appeared right in front of the RX. "What
the hell?" I said. while looking at this light on the screen, then the alert klaxon sounded, I looked up. All of the instruments were going haywire. I
called control, "CONTROL, UNIT ONE, CONTROL, UNIT ONE. ALERT ALERT ALERT. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" "We don't know!"
Control towers POV
"WHAT IS THAT THING?" the Air Force Lieutenant Colonel in charge of the tower hollered. The Technical Sergeant responded, "I
don't know, sir." All of the sudden the ball of light grew to a size that was large enough to engulf the RX-01 and the two transports. Max
immediately knew that something was wrong and bolted from the control tower, out of the building and towards the ball of light. He ran into it and
disappeared. Then the ball of light shrunk and to its original size and then immediately disappeared. The RX-01 and the two transports were gone.
Everyone in the tower was in shock. Then the technical sergeant called into the radio, "RX-01, come in…" silence. "Unit one, unit one come in…"
silence. "RX-01, Where are you?"
10/26/2018
20:34
Sparrow, Illinois
Army Chaplin Colonel Foster and Sergeant Major Williams pulled up to the home of Patricia Radford, Mother of Major Tom Radford. The Colonel
knocked on the door. Patricia Radford opened the door and said, "Can I help you?" The Colonel then gave the news that a mother did not want to
hear ever in her life, "Mrs. Radford, there has been an accident involving your son…"
11/04/2018
10:34
Arlington National Cemetery
"…Colonel Thomas Eugene Radford, you will be missed." The Major General then saluted the closed, empty casket. The Command Sergeant Major
then ordered. "HONOR GUARD Present ARMS!" approximately one thousand soldiers and officers saluted in unison. The funeral was exceptionally
well planned. After the ceremonies, Patricia Radford was in the hotel room paid for by the army. She was being consoled by Katie, tom's sister.
There was a knock at the door. Katie answered to see the Major General in charge of the ceremonies. "May I speak with you both?" "Yes, come in."
he walked over to the chair and sat down. "Mrs. Radford, I am sorry for your loss, but I came to maybe give you a glint of hope. The investigation
team turned up no sabotage, no terrorist attack, nothing. That will say he is gone in the minds of many. But I got to thinking, I don't think he is
totally gone. I think what happened was that he was taken somewhere along with all of the equipment surrounding him. And if that's the case,
then he is still alive." Patricia and Katie looked up and they did have a glimmer of hope. Patricia then said sadly, "Thank you, sir." The General then
left. After he closed the door and walked down the hallway towards the elevator, he said to himself, "I just hope I'm right."
TOM'S POV
"Where... am I?"
