/ Duel Universe
/ Author: The Cowboy of Oklahoma
/ Ch 2: Prisoner 627
/ word count: 2271
Six months after the events in Europe, duelists world wide took up their duel disks and began fighting the goo. There was no significant progress or even that they could push it back, at best, when a group of them stood together, they could hold it off for a few minutes, once was an hour. But the goo always built up and either eventually over took them or they just pulled out and it would move on like nothing even happened. Duelists were used on many fronts to delay the goos progress. Allowing for the evacuation and saving of as many lives as possible. All too often at the expense of the lives of the duelists themselves. I had my share of facing off against the goo, I found that one massive explosive burst of energy was the key to giving nearly twenty minutes of clearance before the goo would move in again, and I mean massive! As in making a monsters stats reach up to or over 5000 in a single move, following a board wipe or two attacks of such magnitude on top of each other. I was assigned to Coronado, an inland naval base in the state of California. Engineers here were tasked in assembling some of the spaceships, like the Gotango. Resources coming up from the south, if they weren't going to the west coast, always passed through here. We did drills and maneuvers in case we had to pull out suddenly. As the Gotango neared completion, personnel were routinely shipped further south to work on other ships or to secure other bases. Nuclear power plants were slowly shut down, all materials not needed to power bases or for the ships being constructed, were moved south. Soon, there was only a handful of bases in the north left with any personnel to them, mainly because they were where ship construction sites were located.
Coronado Base:
I was woken to alarm klaxons inside the base, the intercom crackled to life, "All units to their posts! All units to their posts!" "This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!" Grabbing my gear, I danced the quick-dress-without-watching-what-your-doing dance. Snapping buckles and slinging straps, putting everything where it belongs, lastly placing my cover on my head as I'm jogging down the hallway towards my designated post. Finding the base CO, Rear Admiral Fleetfoot, on the way, "Sir! What's going on!?" I saluted and asked.
"The goo has made it past the Arctic Circle Lieutenant Commander," was the reply, "Canada has been invaded and the outcome isn't good." He explained.
"That's an understatement sir."
"Just get to your post until told otherwise." He ordered.
"Aye sir." I saluted.
Leaving the CO, I continued my jog for another 40 seconds until I reached my post. Jumping into the seat and firing up the monitors and sensors, the whirl of machinery coming to life. The monitors snapped to life and three sets of turrets filled my screens, the system flew through a self check, aiming, and arming setup. It took about 30 seconds, I grabbed the joysticks and tested the movement of my cannons, all the reticules lined up on similar targets. I then sat and waited for a target to reveal itself or further orders.
The base stayed at red alert for about 15 minutes before we were told to stand at ease. However we couldn't relax too much, we were still in yellow alert, and the Rear Admiral had decided to tell the men what was happening.
"Sailors, Marines, the goo has breached our northernmost borders. All assets are to be moved south. We will begin loading all non-essential personnel and equipment. All weapons and remaining staff will be moved in the coming week. Until then, continue with maintenance, weapons check, and unit construction until you're relieved. That is all." The coms went silent.
Personnel that was able to, began their preparations for departure. When I was relieved of my duty, I went straight to the Admirals office to get any other further information I could before I went back to my quarters.
Knocking on the Admirals door, "Enter," came the reply, I did so, stepping in and quickly shutting the door behind me.
"Sir. Is there any preparations I can help with?"
Rear Admiral Fleetfoot, a salt and peppered haired man, eyes heavy with age, and bags under them due to lack of sleep, looked up over his glasses, "Lieutenant Commander Freeman, it's a shit show. The goo is still 100 kilometers from the actual boundary of the base in Canada, but there already scrambling to make their unit air worthy. They figure they have no more than 48hrs to at least make it float. But the HMCS Baddeck is in need of one final piece of equipment for her to be flight worthy. Then she can be moved to another base and finish being retrofit for space. The only problem is, the component is not in Canada."
I looked confused, "Then where is it sir?"
He pointed out the window to a hanger with a single crate sitting inside the belly of a Hercules model transports open bay. "It's sitting right over there."
"But, sir, shouldn't we be making the plane ready to go?" I asked.
"That we should, but this sudden order to depart has stretched our personnel too thin. We have a copilot and one ground crewman working to check the craft for flight now, but we don't have enough for even a skeleton crew." He explained.
"What do we need sir? I'll find it for you." I was quick to respond.
"We need a pilot and an instruments operator." He said.
Thinking for a moment, "well if someone will toss our belongings in some crates for us, I think I can do the instruments for one round trip flight." I explained.
"And the pilot?" He asked.
"You're not going to like this, but she was put in the brig last week for insubordination, destruction of military property and strikin..." I started to say.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me Ka'an! Her!?" He bellowed.
Walking to the barracks first to find the Warrant Officer in charge, I told him to have a sailor at my quarters in half an hour to meet me. Then I walked towards the prison complex, with orders in hand for the one person on base with a rap sheet longer than my arm. Insubordination, striking a superior, crashing multiple vehicles, and on and on. But they were the only one available for this mission. Walking into the entrance, I stepped up to the front security office.
"Orders for release of prisoner 627, Alpha Protocol, Urgent." I slapped the papers onto the desk and slide them under the glass to the monitor control room.
"One moment sir." Came the reply. "Proceed sir, do you need an escort?"
"No. I know where it is." I said as I turned away.
Making my way down the corridor, I passed mostly empty cells. With world destruction pretty much guaranteed, most everyone was being helpful and working to get ready to leave. There were the occasional dissidents, disregarding order, but...she, she was a special case for some reason. Locking horns with pretty much every officer she ever met and making every other person hate her guts. I sighed, as I reached a closed metal door, a small slit window and a little door for food trays.
I knocked, "prisoner 627?" I asked.
"Yer expectin someone else darlin?" Her voice sing songed out as if it was a stupid question.
A southern bell, she really doesn't act like a sailor at all.
"Stand at attention sailor!" I barked.
She jumped to her feet and gave a mock salute. "Woof!"
I rolled my eyes, then I noticed she was not wearing her full prison issued jumpsuit and left her lower half mostly uncovered, she's tall, good figure, and flaming red head of hair.
"Oh? Ye're not my Ward'n." She leaned onto the door and let her breath fog the small window, flittering her eyes seductively. "So, what can I DO ye fir?" She said flirtatiously, twitching her tail slightly.
"Stow it 627." I deadpanned, keeping a straight face. "There's a priority mission. Possible one way. Skeleton crew onboard a Hercules Carrier transport. Cargo for Base Northface in Canada, Priority Urgent."
"Ye said that already." Giving me sad puppy dog eyes as if I've hurt her feelings. "Well, ye could've gotten some of ye weren't such a stick-in-the-mud "
Ignoring her words. "We have less than 38hrs to get there and get out."
"Yeah, yeah. When do we leave."
"Now."
Walking back to the barracks, 627 in tow, the Warrant Officer in charge noticed our approach and saluted.
"Sir!" Ensign Jenkins is waiting at your quarters."
"Thank you Warrant Officer." I saluted back, when I reached him, then handed him some papers. "Make sure these items are found and moved to the departure sight." I ordered.
"Aye, sir." He complied.
Stepping inside, I walked at a brisk pace towards my quarters.
"Takin me to y'er place so soon after rejectin my advances?" She questioned flatly.
"I said stow it!" I grumbled.
"Humph! Ye ain't gettin none then." She said, crossing her arms.
Rolling my eyes, I reach my quarters and saw the Ensign, she was young with a good figure as well, her eye looked side long as we approached, then blushed slightly catching herself. She snapped to attention as I reached her.
"Sir." She saluted.
"At ease Jenkins. Step inside." Opening my door and stepping inside ahead of them both. "Jenkings, I'm headed out on a priority mission. I realize you might not have gotten your gear stowed yet, but I need you to pack all my stuff here and have it all at the departure point on time."
"Aye sir. I'm already packed and was the only one available sir." She stated.
"Already packed?" I asked.
"Yes sir, knowing that we would eventually be moving out on a moments notice or the base would be attacked, I only had some essentials unpacked. Everything else was stowed prior to the announcements." She explained.
I eyed her for a moment. Then went on my way. "Very well, as you were sailor." Turning to leave, "follow me 627!" I ordered
As I stepped out of my quarters, apparently, or so I've been lead to believe, Jenkins was "blushin redder than a tomato in the summer sun and stiflin a giggle."
Walking to the hangers, 627 started in on her usual bullshit.
"So, Jenkins, she's cute." She started.
"Stow it!" I ordered.
"Oh, I bet that's what she wanted ye to.." she began.
I turned suddenly and she nearly walked right into me, our faces were an inch apart.
"If I have to tell you to stow it one more time 627, so help me, you won't be leaving this planet when the rest of us are flying away!" I spat in her face. "I know you like to skirt the rules whenever it suits you, but I will not allow that kind of talk about myself, letting it off as just some joke!" My face was getting red from the anger boiling to the surface. "Now if there is nothing else you'd like to add that is pertinent to the mission at hand, I suggest you keep your trap shut unless you're spoken to!! AM I CLEAR!?"
"Aye sir." She said with a bit of disgust.
Without another word, I turned and headed for the hangers again.
Stepping up into the open cargo bay of the Hercules, the only other two there taking notice and snapping to attention, saluting.
"Sir." They said in unison.
"How's the cargo and plane?" I asked.
"Cargos ready and the birds flight ready, sir." The copilot said, eyeing the female behind me. "But we don't have a.."
"It's taken care of Lieutenant. She's the pilot." I interrupted.
"What's her name?" He asked.
"627 is all you're going to call her for this mission." I said.
"Aye..sir." He said with a questioning look.
"Good. Now you two," pointing to the Lieutenant and 627, "get up there and do your final flight checks. Then we take off." Turning to the ground crewman, "Ensign, hook this bird up and push us out of the hanger. Then check to make sure we are carrying max fuel capacity."
"Aye sir." He turned and ran out of the plane.
Settling into my seat behind the pilots as they went over the final checks and start up procedures. The plane was pushed out and lined up with the strip for taxing. Fuel was filled and all instruments and gauges read 100%. The crewman gave a thumbs up and salute to the pilots, then moved aside to allow the plane to move freely.
Getting clearance, priority take off, climbing to station keeping, and as ordered, 627 kept her mouth shut the entire flight as long as there wasn't anything prudent to say. The flight took nearly 7 hours to get into radar range of Northface Base.
Air traffic control chimed in, "Flight 82-0856, we have you on radar. Squawk ident, destination and cargo!" They ordered.
"This is Harbinger flight, destination is Northface Base, 1hr out, cargo is equipment for Baddeck vehicle completion." 627 stated.
There was a short pause then, "confirmed Harbinger, proceed to marker north east, and await permission to land." The tower came back.
"Roger Tower." She sighed the ing to me. "So can I..?"
"Quiet!" I ordered.
She turned and stared out the cockpit window staying silent.
(Author's note: I need help with different deck ideas, but decks cannot be the regular, everyday consistent or competitive builds. The decks must adhere to the rules of this world. Resources are scarce, cards cannot be made in multiples freely. Stronger cards are rare and hard to find.)
1. Decks must be no more than 50 cards in the main deck, however the extra deck can hold up to 20 single cards. (with few exceptions)
2. Every card must be set to 1 per deck, unless the card is weak in terms of stats or effect. The only exception are cards that are required for a special summons or a unique card effect that calls for 2-3 of a particular card by its original printed name. ("This card is always treated as…" does not count.)
3. Unique cards, originally created by duel or spirit energies in the official anime or manga, for specific characters or decks, can only have 1 of those cards in existence in this world. No copies will have been made.
4. Fighting the goo is scripted, but you must still adhere to the cards effects and summoning requirements.
5. Duels are to be played out normally. The outcome will affect the storyline going forward.
6. Custom cards are not allowed!!!
7. The field used is the MR4, however the EMZ is strictly for link monsters and no other extra deck summoned card.