Dust Devils - A Girls Und Panzer Story

Chapter 22

"Where'd you get all this?"

"My instructor gave them to me to help relax."

"Looks like they're working."

She then grabbed some of the leftover, unlit, incense.

"I've always been meaning to try this out." her mother said, leaving the room.

Valarie resumed her attention to her studying. Her notes were strewn across her bed, some were all crumpled up as she had accidentally slept on them. She organized them all and browsed through them. To her great delight, Valarie by now was beginning to understand some of the material. An improvement over previously not understanding any of it. Sat on her bed, she took out the flashcards Emma had given her and looked through them. The chapter exam was this Friday. Passing it would mean she could go back on the team and return to her role as team captain. Failure...well...she didn't want to think about that. She was away from the team too long already. Valarie won't let anyone down.

Tuesday, March 26th 2013.

"What you two are proposing is..." Redwood mused.

"Is fantastic! I'm stunned no one else had thought of it before."

"Cool. So, do we get sledgehammers to bust that shelter open?" Ashley said

"Hold on now, there's a lot more included than just sledgehammers. It's not just school officials who'll have to be persuaded but the city as well. This process won't be done overnight, it'll take time."

The girls looked disappointed.

"Though, I imagine turning a bomb shelter would generate excitement which would expedite some things. And when the day comes to bust that place open, I'll make sure you two are there."

"As long as it happens before we graduate." Heather said.

The two girls left content. Redwood turned his attention to his computer. There were some important emails to compose.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

A popular joke about early American settlers during the 19th century is that as they traveled westward toward places like California or Oregon, they saw the Rocky Mountains and decided to forget about the west coast and settle where they stood. Can this be applied to Colorado Springs? Possibly not but the fact that the city is near the base of a mountain may make people think otherwise. That fact alone makes the city much different than Barstow but what cements the difference was the fact that it snowed. Being a mile above sea level would do that. The two cities do, however, have something in common; a relationship with the U.S military. Fort Irwin is not too far from Barstow, in fact, Mojave Rose's first match with Bascom was at a place that bordered the base. That installation is also the home of the U.S Army's National Training Center. Any tactic that the army wants to test is done there. For Colorado Springs, well, they serve as the headquarters for NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command. Being such an important apparatus of the U.S military, it is not surprising at all to learn that a good chunk of the city is working for the U.S Air Force in some capacity. That chunk includes MacKenzie Hayes. Having been with the Air Force for nearly all of her adult life, she had attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. Her office is located underneath the Cheyanne mountain, where the day to day activities of NORAD is conducted. Though, other than the excitement of the occasional drill, there was very much a routine that she had become accustomed too. At the end of the workday, she drove home to the nearby suburbs. When she went up and unlocked her door, she saw her daughter sitting on the couch, envelope in hand, with an excited face.

"You got something in the mail, mom" she said.

Hayes sat down with her daughter where she was given the envelope.