War: A Business

Chapter 66:Stranded

  The red emergency lights shone amidst the darkness of the ship. What the fuck happened.

    A sailor in blue camouflage patterned fatigues ran and leaned on the doorframe of my office, panting.

"Sir, we have been EMP'd." He reported, while catching his breath.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "How? Who did this?!"

"Sir, the source of the EMP pulse is from the flying fortress we saw earlier."

"Our defense systems!" I exclaimed."We need to hold out until the backup fleets arrive!"

"Sir, they are working, but our EMP-proofed backup generators will be out in about three weeks."

"We will make it count!" I encouraged." Do everything to keep us sailing! Signal the other fleets to conserve their energy!" I ordered.

"Roger!"

   He ran outside the dark corridors. Panzer ran to my feet and just lie there, whimpering. I patted his brown furry head, ears quivering in fear.

"Its okay buddy, at least there are no cruise missiles cruising our way." I comforted Panzer.

    I heard a explosion far away.

    I stand corrected. My dog ran inside the ship as soon as I turned around.

     I commanded them, without using a Holo. I ran around the ship to give commands. The other ships heeded my command by using signal lights installed on the ship.

   We prevented any missiles destroying the ship by using our Close-in Weapon Systems onto incoming missiles.

    Moving eats up more power, so we did not move until when we need to. We're are just sitting ducks here in the dark ocean.

  Throughout the night, we were bombarded by missiles and bombs from enemy warplanes overhead.

   The only thing keeping us afloat is our CIWS, deck naval railguns, anti-ship missiles, anti-ship laser cannons and our planes and our Energy Shields blocking the incoming projectiles.

   We coordinated our defense with the other ships by using signal mirrors installed at the edges of the ship.

  We used our ECHO sensors throughout the night, scanning for threats. The ECHO sensors can see sounds, like a highly advanced radar.

    To the east, We saw a small group of rapid semi-submerged boats advancing the cruiser just 23 kilometers north of us.

    We signaled the cruiser that there are threats coming their way. I got out of my office, then I grabbed my Smart Binoculars.

   I zoomed in on the cruiser. I saw the black stealth boats submerged in place. The cruiser shone a spotlight on the boat. I saw the tracer fire from our cruiser's CIWS. The enemy boats exploded after being eviscerated by a rapid hail of bullets.

    I approached the vice admiral on the deck, while the anti-ship missile's launch blew my hair to the right.

    I told him to command the ship while I'm gone. He ran off from the deck.

    I walked inside the ship. I lay on my office chair, as the sounds of war boomed outside.

     Loud noises don't even bother me while I'm sleeping. Like when I slept through a mortar attack without even knowing it during my time in the army.

     My eyes closed slowly, looking at the red light.

    Day and night, we were gunned and bombed by the war birds from the flying fortress at the horizon.

   Small enemy boats encircled and fired us. Ammunition, supplies and morale were dropping. Each day is more treacherous than the last.

    Three ships, ten planes, two dropships were down. For days we waited for the other fleets to come.

     I cannot die here. I did not yet executed my revenge towards the ones who killed my step-brother.

    From our 3' we saw ships. Some of the crew cheered while some still are wary. We aren't sure that it's the backup fleets or another wave of enemy warships.

    Balls of fire rose from the unknown ships, emitting a large smoke trail. I realized that they are incoming missiles.

"Incoming!" One shouted.

   Our energy shield blocked the projectiles. We cannot use it again because it is now out of energy.

   Something had hit the starboard, exploding and, flew me back, landing on another one of our crewmen.

"What the actual fuck!" The man I accidentally landed on exclaimed.

"Sorry." I apologized.

"Sorry for the disrespect, Lieutenant General." He apoligized, after realizing what he had just said.

"Its ok." I reassured.

    The strong waves rocked the ship with the chaotic rhythm of the sounds of war. Men scurried around the deck.

    We retaliated with anti-ship missiles and railgun fire, but they don't seem to do much, just one ship sinking.We conserve the missiles and kinetic rods; 12 anti-ship and anti-air missiles left and 21 tungsten rods left.

     Then, on our 6', we saw a number of fleets.They destroyed the fleet attacking us earlier. We cheered, as the enemy sank.

     The reinforcements came. The flying fortress suddenly disappeared.

   Later, hover-planes containing supplies and relatively small vessels delivering ammunition arrived, landed on the ship.

    I realized that smoke billowed around the horizon, in the place where the other ships sailed. I saw the wreckage of the ships.

   I asked one of the newly arrived troops that assisted on delivering the supplies.

"Where are the other ships?" I asked.

"Sir, haven't you realized? That your ship is the only one who survived."

   I looked around. He is right. The remains of the warships burned on the ocean, sinking on the waters, now mixed with oil.

    The flying fortress hovering menacingly on the horizon, unscathed. Then it disappeared into a large bank of clouds, right in front of us. When the clouds dissipated, the fortress was gone, like nothing happened.

  I didn't noticed until now. So many died on my command. Unknowingly, I touched my chin.

    A grey dropship hovered on the runway of the skycarrier. The door opened.

    Holding his signature rifle, Boss strides on the runway. Approaching me, he patted my shoulder.

"Are you ready?" He asked, with a menacing grin.