========================
Mostly unchanged from last report. Robbo's and Raven's weapons entry shortened (you still have it all, but in the interest of space)
Wiz:
Sherman:
Robbo:
Sean:
Raven:
=======================
08 MAY 2001 / 1600 HOURS
MAJ Raven awoke with a start. No, there was no attack. All seemed relatively quiet. He had been dreaming. He was somewhere between tired and rested. But he was fully awake, and found himself searching the little sectioned-off area that was now his personal quarters. Pretty sparse, yet actually better than he had expected. A cot and two blankets. A trunk for personal items, and a rickety table and chair. A crate turned sideways was his nightstand, and someone had furnished it with a basin, a pitcher of water, and a mug. Raven drank, and washed and felt better.
It wasn't 1700 hours yet, but he felt there was something that needed to be done. Perhaps without anyone interrupting for one hour... Immediately he remembered the content of his dream, and reached for the pen and paper on the flimsy table. Stopping once or twice in the next hour to drink, or fight with the pen that "skipped" every so often, he detailed several pages of plans for fortifications...
8 May 2003/1700 Hrs
Maj Raven put the final touches on the map he was working on for the defenses of the Halfway Dam Camp. He had awoken early, his mind racing with the thousand things he had to do, to give his people a fighting chance. Sleep was impossible, he had learned after many years when he was in this mental state, that it was better to simply get to work, and try to catch up on sleep later.
He looked over the map. It seemed to be a good plan, but there was only one to test it out. He wasn't looking forward to that test, no matter how good the defenses were, no matter how well trained his troops were, some of his people were going to die. He went over to the wash basin, and washed his face. This is the part of command they never tell you about at OCS, the gnawing dread in the pit of your stomach, as you looked at the faces of the men under your command, the men that were counting on you to get them through, and knowing that you would be burying far too many of them.
He buttoned up his tunic, and strapped on his gun belt. He automatically checked the loads in his .45 and M21, a ritual he had performed countless times in the last 30 years. He slipped on his Kevlar vest, and hung the helmet by it's chinstrap off of the top of the canteen at his waist. Goddamn brain-buckets, I've always hated the damn things, they're uncomfortable as hell, especially when you're lying in the tall grass for hours at a time. The back of his neck would be screaming in agony before the night was over. He chuckled to himself, a rifle bullet to the skull would hurt a hell of a lot more.
He stepped out of the CP, and told the first guard he saw that if Cpl Robinson was looking for him, he would be at the hospital. He carried his rifle in his right hand as he walked over to the tent that housed the wounded personnel. In the field, you always carried your weapon at the ready, a point his squad leader had pounded into his head when he first arrived in 'Nam. He hadn't slung a rifle over his shoulder since, well, since The Big Red One had been sent overseas, when all this mess started. There had been a mass formation, with the commanding general giving a speech about their duty as soldiers, how honored they should feel to serve their country, and fight for freedom. 10,000 men had stood at attention that day, with their rifles slung, bayonets gleaming in the sun. He snorted in disgust, maybe 1 man in 50 from that day was still alive. Some honor.
The sun was starting to set as he ducked into the hospital tent. He spotted SPC Yates, the pretty young nurse who had patched him up earlier. He spoke to her softly, "I'm not here for an inspection or anything, just pretend I'm not here. I just wanted to talk to PVT Thomas for a couple of minutes, and see how he is."
[Yates]
Raven found PVT Thomas resting on a cot, his arm wrapped in bandages. He knelt down next to him, and smiled. "How are you feeling, Thomas?"
[Thomas](groans as he sits up in bed)
[Raven]
Thomas smiled.
Raven stood up. "I've got to go, duty calls. You just concentrate on getting better. I'll check in on you later." He turned, and left the tent.
He went back into the compound to find CPL Robinson. The man was on the ball, when he found him, he already had the squad assembled. He walked up to the CPL and said, "Do the men have all the gear I specified?"
[Robbo]
Robbo hefted the Radio harness onto his own back. No-one else in the
patrol, possibly excepting the Major himself was more qualified as a
signaller. And from past experience, this was a job to trust to an
experienced soldier, not a half trained militaman. Especially on a night
patrol!
[Raven]
"From here on out, there is to be absolutely NO talking or smoking, and keep your movements to a minimum. If you spot something, come to me or CPL Robinson, and tap us on the shoulder. If you HAVE to say something, like where exactly you just spotted the enemy, whisper quietly in the man's ear. If the enemy does show up, nobody fires until I give the order. I'll be next to machine gunner, and I'll tell him when to open up. That is your signal to open fire."
He stood up, and said, "OK CPL, line 'em up, and have them jump up and down, one at a time." They all looked at him a little strangely at that.
[Robbo]
[Raven]
[Robbo]
[Raven]
Maj Raven motioned to the man carrying the radio to come over. He checked the frequency, and then spoke into the handset. "Phoenix One Romeo, this is Phoenix Six. We are crossing the wire, repeat, we are crossing the wire. Will perform commo checks on the hour. Phoenix Five has the ball, repeat, Phoenix Five has the ball. Phoenix Six Out." He gave the handset back to the RTO.
[Robbo]
"Time check sir?"
[Raven]
[Robbo]
08 MAY 2003 / various times
Outside the park, Wiz was shaking inside and out from what he saw on the computer. Headlines! Real news from across the US, as well as from abroad. His eyes and fingers worked in rapid unison, scanning and gathering what he could -- it could all vanish at any moment without any warning...
[GM]
PA NEWS:
GOV JUDITH BENSON (R) & LT GOV HARRY LEWIS SIMMS WELCOMED, AND "TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON" IN PITTSBURGH
RELATED STORY: COME TO PITT! WE'VE GOT THE POWER! AND COAL, AND GASOLINE, AND STEEL...
PITT MILITIA RECRUITING. OFFERS CLOTHING, WEAPONS, FOOD, MEDICAL CARE FOR ENLISTEES AND DEPENDANTS. SIGN-ON BONUS THRU MAY 15, 2003
BMY, INC OF EAST BERLIN, PA OFFERS AN ARMORED CAR UPGRADE FOR HUMVEES
MARAUDER ACTIVITIES ON RISE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN PA
INTERSTATE 80 DECLARED "HELL'S HIGHWAY"; PA TURNPIKE RATED #2 MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN PA.
PHILLY A "GLOWING RUIN"
NORTHERN TIER MILITIA DECLARES "DEADLINE" SOUTH OF 4 COUNTIES.
INCREASED SKIRMISHES BETWEEN PA AND OHIO AT PITT. PITT NOT WORRIED.
COL N.A. STRYFE, US ARMY, LEADS A LRE BASED IN SUNBURY. REFUGEES WELCOMED.
SAFETY AND FOOD OFFERED TO ALL WHO WILL WORK IN THE LRE
ERIE AND PITT ENTER TRADE AGREEMENT
AVERAGE BLACK MARKET PRICE FOR GASOLINE IN PA IS $20 PER GALLON.
DOMESTIC NEWS:
US CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT DECLARED AT CUMBERLAND, MD
VP BRIAN DONNELLY ASSASSINATED; PRES TOM CRUISE (D) APPOINTS MEGHAN LAWRENCE AS NEW VP, IN ABSENCE OF HOUSE AND SENATE QUORUM.
MILITARY GOVERNMENT AT COLORADO SPRINGS CHALLENGES LEGITIMACY OF CIVGOV.
THIRD PARTY ALIVE AND WELL! SOUTHERN CONFEDERATION, (FORMER STATES OF AL, MS, GA, TN, SC, AR) MAKING BID FOR OWN GOVERNMENT. FL WANTS NO PART.
MEXICO WRACKED BY CIVIL WAR
LIBERTY BELL ALIVE AND WELL IN MD
THE FOREIGN REPORT:
ITALY AND GREECE CALL IT QUITS
ISRAELI PM DAVID AVI BENJAMIN ELECTED
UK DECLARES NORTH SEA A FREE-FIRE ZONE
FEDERACION DEL SOL (FS) CONTROLS GOVTS OF COLUMBIA, EQUADOR, & PERU
=======================
Wiz jotted down notes for several of the most interesting headlines. Hopefully time would permit him to dive deeper. MAJ von Fischer's email was in codewords, he assumed, and that would take awhile to decipher. So, Wiz went to the uplink control program, and typed in von Fischer's logon and password. To his amazement, the system accepted both. Before Wiz celebrated too much, he was greeted with a screen with perhaps 25 spaces to fill in -- detailing the parameters of tasking the satellite -- everything from the SAT ID #, SAT PASSWORD, to USER LONGITUDE and LATITUDE, PRIORITY, SWEEP TYPE, and a host of other variables. But it looked like Wiz was mostly there. At least he hadn't been booted. Yet...
=======================
Booker spent most of the day getting equipment and supplies organized. The "WizWorks", as the Special Projects Section was being called by some of the civilians, was nearly ready to go -- provided it received a request to build something. That seen to, Booker plowed thru the drudgery that was paperwork, the bane of all hands-on people. The sneaking around with the camera had been exciting. Now only if someone would bite on the bait...
[GM]
The only uses of the radio were official ones by Wu. Nothing abnormal noted.
=====================
Sherman made his rounds and chatted with a few people along the way.
[Yates]
The conversation turned to Hannah. "Sweet girl, Sarge. And smart too. You've both been through a lot, I understand. We've gotten pretty close. She learned some solid medical skills back in Philly. She's helped by easing the load for me. I understand she's also helping out with the Admin section. Frankly, I'd like to see her here full-time." Sensing Sherman wanted more than just work talk, Yates continued. "She seems better now than when I first met the two of you. The radiation sickness... She... it's hard to tell. At least her hair stopped falling out. That kind of thing is hard for a pretty gal like her, and so far from her home and family. Well, how are you feeling, John? While I've got you here, let me check you over. You both should have monthly medical checkups, and if you notice anything like blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, change in appetite, either way, or passing blood, front or back, let me know. Well, now that you mention it, something's bothering her. Actually a coupla things. You should talk with her."
She moved a few boxes of meager supplies. "The stuff MAJ Raven brought was great. We just need more. More of everything. Antibiotics especially. At least with those stills running, we have some antiseptic, and mild pain killer. We've just gotta remind these fools not to drink wood alcohol. It'll blind them if they guzzle enough. It'll kill them if they guzzle too much. I had two just this morning come in with splitting headaches, and blurry vision, and that was why. So yeah, some medical supplies will always be priority. I think our Camp census is up around 160, right? So we always need more."
"SGT, walk with me on rounds, and we can talk some more." Yates led Sherman over to the two most permanent structures in the camp, which were used for the elderly, and those about to give birth, or with very young children. "Whoever's idea it was to use the houses for these people, well, it's a beautiful thing. Everyone else would've argued about it, but who can really begrudge anything to pregnant women and old folks..."
Tina led him into the Elder House, and Sherman was warmly greeted by several oldsters. "Great job son. Thanks for taking care of us." "Did you steal my cookies? First it was my socks, then my friggin' cookies." "We gonna whip the Hun this time". "Tom? Tom?" It might have been difficult for Sherman to be around the old people, but he saw that just his presence there did some good.
[Yates]
"Family... uh, well, I had a Mom and Dad. They lived not far from here. Ran a hardware store in Port Trevorton. Marauders got to 'em while I was at The Gap. I just found out last week. We rolled through, and I saw the store, and lots of bodies. Turns out the whole town was infected with Cholera, so we didn't waste alot of time there. They would probably have died even without the marauders, but it still hurts."
She paused, regained her cool, and continued working on a diabetic man's leg ulcer. Sherman decided to back off on the family discussion. He was reminded of his own family circumstances, and thought himself foolish for asking so directly. Yates was one cool camper, though, and continued talking as she worked. She explained the treatment. "A snug bandage, then sprinkle with some of RB Winter's 97 proof magic medicine, and Mr. Trasker, you'll be up chasing the women like it was 1952 again. There. " She ducked into the Birthing Place, and checked on everyone. She eyed Sherman conspiratorily, and they both exited. "We'll all appreciate the babies being down here and us being up there when it's time for them to pop out. Well, I guess I be here, so, when it's time, YOU enjoy the quiet."
Sherman couldn't help but like Yates. She was a little rough at times. Comes with being a tomboy, and all those older brothers. But she was competant, and compassionate with those she treated, and that was what was important. Her sense of humor was quirky, but enjoyable. They continued walking around the lake, up to where Petey Slade was working on one of the M113s. Petey poked his head out from under the track, wiped his hands off, and approached with a disgusted look on his face.
[Slade]
Later, as Yates and Sherman returned to the Infirmary, Hannah came rushing in. She was out of breath, and her long hair was simply a mess. "John, I need to talk with you." Her eyes were big, and her voice was lower, and more nervous than when the two of you escaped the MP Company on the outskirts of Philly. Yates took this as her cue to exit, and as she did, Hannah closed the door and shuttered the windows.
She removed a poster from inside her sweatshirt. This one was much better quality than the earlier one they both had seen. The sketches were actually done by someone with some artistic talent. Sherman's portrait was dead-on. Hannah's needed some more work -- it looked more like Patty Hearst than Hannah. The most amazing thing was where Hannah said she had found them.
"Petey Slade's toolboxes near the M113. I was bandaging his hand. He said he cut it on a file or something, and I reached into the toolbox to wipe up some of the blood, and there it was! So I waited till he got back to work, and then I snatched it. If he says anything, we're done for."
They'd both been the subject of wanted posters before, but this was different. Sherman examined the poster more closely, and understood why Hannah was so worked up. The poster had several anti-Semitic slurs on it, and it would be hard to miss the Swastika beneath Hannah's name and picture. But even more upsetting was the reference to the Israeli Intelligence Service, The Mossad, at the top of the list of Hannah's supposed crimes....
"Sherman... John. I know this looks bad. I... There's more to it than even this. Uh, We need to talk. You had better sit down. I... I'm pregnant..."
WEAPONS / AMMO / HEALTH:
RESTED
HEALTHY
M92 Beretta Deluxe 9mm, 15 rnd mag in wpn, 1- spare 15 rnd mag
SKS with 4x scope, bipod, synthetic stock, and 30rnd fixed mag. 26 loose
rnds 7.62 x39
RESTED
RECOVERED(?) FROM RADIATION SICKNESS
M16A2 5.56N rifle, 30rnd mag in wpn, 4- spare 30 rnd mags. (plus 2- empty
30 rnd mags)
12 gauge pump shotgun,
8 rnds 00 buck in wpn, 18 spare rnds 12 gauge
M92, 15 rnd mag in wpn, 2- spare 15 rnd mags, spare box of 50 rnd 9mm
3 HC grenades, 3 CS grenades, 2 CO grenades
RESTED
HEALTHY
SA-50 7.62N rifle (full auto conversion)
30 rnd mag in wpn, 6- spare 30 rnd mags, 20 loose rnds 7.62N
Glock 21 .45 pistol,
10 rnd mag in wpn, 4- 10 rnd mags, plus 150 rnds .45 (3 boxes)
RESTED
SLIGHT WOUND TO R. ANKLE (recovering from pain - probably will limp for a long while)
BULLET WOUND TO R. THIGH (healed)
Winchester Model 70 bolt action .30-06 w/ 6x30 scope (5 rnd internal mag),
10 rnd bandolier, and 50 rnd box ammo.
M1911 pistol, 7 rnd mag in wpn, spare 7 rnd mag
1 LEVEL OF FATIGUE
SLIGHT WOUND TO R. SHOULDER (recovering)
assorted bumps and bruises -- head, chest, shins, knees.
M21 sniper rifle,
20rnd mag in wpn, 7- spare 20 rnd mags, plus 200 rnds 7.62N
M1911A1 .45 Automatic.
7 rnd mag in wpn, 2- spare 7 rnd mags
M3 Grease gun,
2- 30rnd mags "jungle clipped" together.
Hunting Bow and 24 arrows
Bowie knife
3/103rd Camp/Halfway Dam
"By all means. He's a big fan of yours, MAJ. The visit would do him some good."
"I'm OK. Lemmee at 'em, sir!"
He motioned his head to SPC Yates, "You couldn't ask for a prettier nurse, I'm thinking of shooting myself in the foot! I just wanted to tell you what a damn fine job you did at Freeland. We couldn't have pulled it off without you. We freed those prisoners, and gave them a second chance. And I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you. Don't get too comfortable, I've got about a hundred jobs waiting for you when you get back on your feet. So if you're going to ask your nurse out on a date, you'd better do it quick!"
"Yes sir. One Pig, a 66, and a radio. Also got a claymore with a ring pull
and a 15 second delay, if we need to break contact in a hurry."
He motioned for the squad to follow him. They fell in behind him, as they walked to the edge of camp. Raven found a secluded spot inside the camp perimeter. He turned back to the squad, and motioned them to halt. "Alright, everyone gather around, and take a knee. We are going to go out and set up an ambush, at the spot where the mortar attack came from this morning. In case the bad guys come back and hit us again, we'll be waiting for them. If they don't show up, we'll come back at dawn. When we get set up at the objective, we'll be at 50% security, half the men will be keeping their eyes open, the other half will be resting. We'll switch every hour, so you'll get some sleep tonite."
All except Robbo. The Australian Army had learnt a few lessons from
Vietnam, and this check was part of the routine before any patrol, but
especially at night.
He smiled, "It's an old trick I learned in 'Nam. We used to do it every time we'd go out on patrol. Anything on you that's loose will rattle, and we'll find out what it is, and tape it down." One by one they complied, and adjustments were made here and there. When he was satisfied their gear was adjusted to his satisfaction, he told them to rub mud on their faces and the backs of their hands. He preferred using an Army-issue camo stick, but he hadn't seen one of those in over a year.
Robbo had almost forgotten the pre patrol routine of checking for a rattle.
It had been many years since he had been on a patrol, and that was as a
mere rifleman, way back in Somalia. That was a lifetime ago, for sure.
He looked them over one last time, with the last light of the setting sun. They looked good, but it was obvious they were scared. Well hell, so was he. Any man that said he wasn't, going into potential combat, was either a liar or a fool.
Robbo took back the handset, and slipped it into his epaulette, close to
his ear. He drew back his glove, and checked his watch.
Maj Raven agreed, and hefted his M21, and pulled the bolt to the rear. "Lock and load, weapon's on Safe. CPL, NVG's on, lead us out. Everyone in a file, look to your front, sides, and rear. Silence, not speed, is what I'm looking for. Watch your footing, and your flanks. Move out."
Robbo gestured to his scout, the one that claimed to have the best woodland
skills, and pointed him in the direction of travel. Once he was a few
metres ahead, Robbo followed on, and the patrol began to snake its way out
of the base.
3/103d Camp
RB WINTER STATE PARK, or vicinity
These are the headline links that appear. For more detail, Josh, just tell me which you click, or ALL, and I'll determine what time allows.... Some players may remember that the actor Tom Cruise was the last President of the US when the national news disappeared from the air.
========
STATE CAPITOL MOVED TO PITTSBURGH
===============
TEX - MEX DISPUTE CONTINUES AT BORDER.
===================
FR & GE AGREE TO RHINE RIVER BORDER RESOLUTION
"Danvers? Well, he's been thru a lot. He's malnourished, teeth in terrible shape, smokes like a chimney, and then walked into what, was it 4 booby traps? He's a mess, SGT Sherman. And I don't have much here that I could do for him. It's actually a shame he didn't die -- he ties up our staff, uses our medicine, and food, and he doesn't seem smart enough to scratch when he itches. No, no visitors yet. Why? Think there's someone we can't trust here in camp? I know the feeling. We let a lot of people in recently. You have my word, anything looks funny with anyone or anything, I'll let you know."
"Me? Well, I always wanted to do something with people. Or animals. I wanted to be a vet, originally, but the money wasn't there for school. And I might not have cut it. Nursing seemed easier, quicker. But still the money thing. Then the Army said I'd get my RN in 3 years, and only owe them 4 more. Well, the Army is notorious for not being able to count. I've done 9 years now, including an all-expense paid vacation to The Gulf, and it doesn't look any closer to the end."
"Hey Sarge, gotta minute? Take a look." Petey and someone else had dug a pit beneath the APC, and were working on the vehicle. Petey got a handful of some sludgey muck from a bucket, and let it ooze through his fingers. "Someone dumped some crap in the gastank. It's sand, metal filings, and something else. Damn good thing I didn't turn it over. It'd freeze up the fuel pump for sure, if it even started at all. I guess we need to double the guards, huh? We need this vehicle to be in working order, if for no other reason than the Army says we're an Armored unit, and this is our only friggin' piece of armor! Hey, d'ya think the Major would mind?" Petey pointed to the red handkerchief flying from the M113's radio antenna. Someone, probably Petey, had cut out cloth letters, and attached them beneath a rough version of the tank and crossed sabres of an armored unit. But the thing was a stupid gag, as it read "KISS MY ASS!"
