Down: The Fall

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Return

It took three days of hard riding to finally teach Jenson Town. Once back they were swiftly swept into the city councils meeting hall. Grant and Dutchess both gave their accounts of what had happened all the way up to their return to Jenson Town. The only one of their group not to speak was Roger. Roger just sat there emotionless manican like and unresponsive. He was led away to a room to rest.
The council consisted of ten elected members of the community, the mayor, Brent Merdoc, Justin Robinson, and of course Clyde Jenson, Jenson Towns founder and owner. Johnny Winthral, Frank Johnson, Rob Bowman, were also there also.
"Every thing I'm hearing tells me that we still have work to do around here getting ready to defend this place from all these new emerging threats" Clyde stated with stress and concern in his voice.
What I think we need to do now is start coming up with some ideas on what to do about these various hoards of different sorts we're facing. Second we need to discuss a way of forming a group to patrol the regions outside our fortifications. Third we'll need to see to it that that group is capable of gathering intelligence on any potential threats that may arise in the future.
The meeting continued through out the day as they discussed what to do. They brought in all the cities military personnel, scientist, engineers, and first responders to brainstorm on how they would defend Jenson Town.
. . . . .

" Bring her down on the roof Henry" Morris commanded. The little red helicopter landed on the roof of the Aeronautics Prime research facility in Huntsville.
The city lay before them, with overgrown landscaping and weed sprouted pavement for miles. The city seemed very quite, and ghost town like, loose trash tumbling in the wind.
" Alright let's go have a look boys" Morris yelled over the loud wane of the helicopters engine and blades."Hey!" Katlyne exclaimed. " And Girls " Morris added candidly.
A small group exited the helicopter as it's engine shutoff and it's blades began to slow. "Alright Leon lead the way" Morris told the talk lanky blond headed man behind him climbing out off the chopper. "Are you sure we're safe here? " Leon Turkowits asked Morris with a slight shake in his voice. "Last time I was here I was almost dinner for a hawk" Leon explained. " You'll be fine I'll make sure of it" Harold said. He cranked back the slide on a mine millimeter glock hanging on a swivel arm attached to the helo. "I'll stand watch up here while you guys go down into the building.
At the sight of Harold manning the hand gun turned turit mount Leon' s nerves seemed to ease. "let's go gentle men down to the lab.
Leon led them through an open vent shaft by an a.c. unit. They followed the tunnel deep down into the facility. Finally long after having to use flashlights to see, daylight appeared up ahead.
" The lab is just a little further" Leon stated. They emerged into a room flooded with sunlight piercing through a wall of large floor to ceiling windows. This my friends is my old lab, this were I worked on special military projects for Aeronautics Prime. The drones I aforementioned in our meeting with the mayor back in Sentral are over in that large metal shelving unit against the wall.
Leon ushered them over to a large shelf that reached to the ceiling. "Well let's get to climbing Leon my boy"Morris ordered. "Climb!...uh..uh..i don't know.." Leon stammered. "Are you scared" Morris asked the gangly man. "Well yes,..uh..I..am" Leon said gulping loudly as he looked up the mountain of metal shelving before him. " Well at least your honest, guess if I'm honest I ain't to keen on this climb my self, but it's gotta be done son so let's go" Morris commanded.
They began to make their way up the shelves towards were Leon has indicated the drones would be. After climbing for a while Leon finally called a halt. He motion towards a row of large sheet covered Objects pushed to the back of the shelf.
"Here we are, Mr Morris just as I described earlier" Leon stated as he began pulling the white cloth off of the large object.
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle, Morris said as he ran his hand down the metallic surface of the drones fuselage. "You wasn't lying about having access to military grade UCAVS my friend" Morris said as he eyes the mini guns and missiles mounted on the drones.
There were ten of the drones all together seven favored scaled down helicopters. Three were styled like fighter jets. " Now all we have to do is figure out how to get them down and fueled" Morris said. "That will be the easy part" Leon said with a grin then gulped as he looked ovèr the shelves edge."Well once we get down".
It turns out the next lab over had been working on a research drone for a future Mats mission. It had a very useful set of robotic arm attached to it. they drive it back into Leon s lab and lowered all ten of the UCAVS to the floor.
Leon had attached a wagon to the back of the rover. He began loading the drones onto the wagon.
"Let's get them out to the tarmac, we'll fuel the up there, then we'll work on integrating the smart phones we brought into their systems for navigation"
Leon stated.
Finally after hours of removing inner parts to make room for passengers, and wiring the smart phones into the drones in order to steer them during flight they had finished.
" Well how about a test drive Leon?" Morris asked. "Yes I do believe that is in order Mr Morris " Leon answered.
Morris climbed inside one of the helicopters followed by Leon and Henry. "Stay boy, this could be dangerous" Morris told Henry.
"But I want to see what they can do" Henry protested. "You'll get a chance if this little test flight works out" Morris said as he shut the hatch to the UCAV.
With that done they took off flying up and around the building zipping down the adjacent street and landing twenty minutes later. The hatch popped open and Morris stuck his head out saying " ladies and gentlemen I think we have a winner". Everyone cheered and clapped as some jumped up and down in excitement.
Soon Leon was flying the drone back to Sentral along side Henry's dwarfed toy helicopter. After landing back in town Mayor Quimby , Morris, Leon, and the town council met to discuss the future of the drones.
"I guess my old toy helicopter is old news now with these fancy UCAVS around" Henry said sadly. Katlyn wrapped her arms around him saying " you can still take me for a spin in your old helicopter I love it, I'll never forget how you used it to save my life". Henry's faces began turning red as he blushed. " Well..uh..uh.. ok I would like that" he replied. Katlyn smiled at him as she walked away, and his heart melted.
. . . .

Mayor Quimby and the council had given the go ahead to start trying to salvage the rest of the drones. Some of the Sentral Guardsmen would occupy the research facility. Leon had plans for retro fitting the drones. The council planned on using them for scouting missions. Morris saw the UCAVS use in defense of the town. He began to push the councils conversation towards this subject. " Does anyone here in this council understand what UCAV means?" Morris questioned. "All we know is it's some sort of military designation for these drones" Mayor Quimby replied when no one else on the council answered. "Leon tell'em what UCAV stands for" Morris ordered.
"Unmanned Combat Aireal Vehicle" Leon stated. " For our friends who arn' t familiar with the concept explain what that is" Morris ordered. "Well it's is a drone with the ability to fight other aerial vehicles in per say a dog fight between fighter jets or combative helicopters such as apache gunships" Leon described.
" What he's saying is we have two fighter jets and seven gunships at our disposal. I believe we can utilize them for town defense" Morris explained.
"Morris do you really believe we're going to approve this coxamamy scheme of yours to arm these drones. You'll probably blow up the whole town. What on earth would we even need them for, surely the government will have figured this out by now and soon restore order" the obnoxious voice of Daniel Sentral quipped.
" You can keep thinking that pal but it's been half a year and we've heard nothing" Morris retorted. " We have to start planning as if things will never go back to the way they were. Do you really think they ever could we have half feral children wandering in every day, gangs of thugs roaming the country side, housewives with PTSD! We're the size of toys for cryin out loud! Tell me how the government is gonna fix that, their probably barely making it themselves! The time to act is now not tomorrow when the next set of overwhelming odds come around the corner!" Morris took a deep breath and then became silent ending his rant.
"I agree with Mr Morris" Leon finally broke the silence." When I finally worked up the courage to leave that research facility I couldn't have dreamed the horrers I would see the friends I'd loose. I was more terrified than I'd ever been in my life, on the verge of insanity when Mr. Morris and the guard found me and brought me to safety in your town. I want this town to stay safe, that's why I brought up the drones, especially after hearing from the other towns, of the dreadful things like these rat hoards and huge dog packs. So I don't plan to just fix just these ten drones. I plan to begin the manufacturing of as many as we can and the dispersing of to all the town's who ally with us in order to make life safe again!" Leon finished." Aye! that's what I'm talkin about good for you Leon" Morris said with a grin and pat on the back that almost sent him toppling to the ground.
"I motion that we go forward with Mr Morris and Leon's plan to build an air force for Sentral" Mayor Quimby stated. "Does anyone second the motion?" she asked. " I second" Daniel Sentral said surprisingly. "That settles it we're gonna build an air force then" Mayor Quimby said.