Day 12: Syrian Epiphany
Donk led the weapons team straight out and away from Mad Max, or what was left of her. They didn’t draw any fire so they fanned out and took up three points along the ridge between the two ASLAV. Donk watched as Hot Rod turned and made it’s way towards them. When he was sure that they could see him clearly he gave them the friendlies arm sign and he watched Dozer reply in kind.
Donk turned and signalled to his nearest trooper. Paddo acknowledged and passed it across to Sandwich and Donk saw Odi acknowledge it. M had moved DJs away from Mad Max and setup a hutchi as a sun shelter over DJs. He watched M running her med checks on him then turned back to scan over and out from the direction of Hot Rod’s approach.
Something moved further up the ridge from him but it was gone as soon as he’d noticed it. Fuck it
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Dozer saw the arm signal from what looked like Donk and signaled the all clear back to him. He scanned down the ridge through his eNocs, spotting Paddo and Sandwich. He swept down around then back up the ridge.
Something crouched near the edge of the highest point of the ridge not far from Donk and watched them approach. Its clothes seemed to flutter in the remnant breeze of the storm but it could also have been shimmering like a heat mirage.
“Take us toward the upper ridge Bluey!” he called the change of course and Hot Rod swung toward the figure. Dozer thumbed record on the eNocs just as it disappeared from his field of view. He quickly changed to wide field but there wasn’t a skeric of movement anywhere.
“Damn! Take us back to Mad Max Bluey,” and the ASLAV swung away from the ridge toward the saddle lower down where Max had crossed just prior to the storm. Dozer checked the eNoc images but they were too blurred to make out any details without a large monitor and looking separate stills.
They rolled slowly over the saddle of the ridge and Dozer’s heart sank as he took in the wrecked state of Mad Max and the way the crew were spread out to reduce casualties if the ASLAV was targeted. The weapons team was well placed to give cover to the others and Dozer nodded at how well they’d reacted to protect the damaged ASLAV and themselves.
Hot Rod pulled up so they faced north away from the ridge and with the rear hatch close to where the hutchi was setup. Another drone lofted and disappeared up the ridge trying to track the figure Dozer had sighted. Dozie sat where he was and just stared at what was left of Mad Max. One by one the hatches on Hot Rod opened as everyone stuck their heads out to stare at the wreck. The rear hatch opened and their medic Boomer ran with a large paramedic bag across to the prostrate figure. He gave the All Clear arm sign and stood talking with Odie and checking every ones pulses.
“Drongo, scout northward for any signs, then come back to a 50 metre perimeter.” “Right Boss,” and he and Stinky and Blowfly moved out slowly across the storm swept landscape as the scout drones moved in front of them scanning the ground for mines and IEDs. There was no sign of the Guest Drone yet and the comm to the Angel was still full of static
Odie and Creo came over to Hot Rod, and Dozer leaned over from his Commanders hatch, “Sorry Madam, but I cant give you anything for that as a trade in on our latest model!” he said taking in the twisted comm mast, crushed stowage bins and bent fenders. In fact anything that was not a solid component of the hull was damaged.
“Yeah, up yours Dozie!” She turned to look at her set of wheels and just shook her head. She turned back and looked at him and shrugged. “We felt two maybe three what could be called collisions and then everything fried. Djs smacked his head as plasma formed in the cabin due to a nitrogen leak from the fire fighting unit. We were all off our fucking heads hearing voices and seeing things!”
Dozer saw Creo look quickly at Odie then away as if he couldn’t believe she’d just said that. He took a risk, “If you all saw the same thing then it’s not hallucinations. Jim will want everybody to be completely honest with their reports!” Oddball stared at him for a moment then Lt Odette Reed, saluted him, “Sir, yes Sir!” She turned and walked back across to Where DJs had come too and was sitting up.
Dozer looked down to Creo, “no cover ups mate! Sparkes will want a complete report. We have no idea what we are dealing with. Your commanding officer chose to protect her crew from possible claims of mental dysfunction under combat conditions.” Creo nodded, he understood what was at stake here.
“I would probably do the same under similar conditions. We look after our own, that goes without saying. What is more important here is the collection of data.”
Dozer turned to his Gunner, “you have the call Red! I’m with the ground team, and he dropped down through his hatch then appeared through the rear hatch. He carried his Austeyr in his left hand and eNocs in his right. Dozer adjusted his helmet and checked the commlinks. Everybody came back affirmative except the Max crew whose helmet comms had also fried. One thing though, the static appeared to be reducing.
He nodded to the Mad Max crew as he approached and Odie nodded back, they were a team and that was all there was to it. Dozer dropped down on one knee and eye level with DJs. “So you ok to tell me what happened?” DJs nodded and went over how the M saw the screens start to flouresce and static discharges kept jumping them. Then the plasma formed at the front of the cabin and some started to form on his gloves.
“So you were the closest to what appeared?” DJs nodded and you all saw it?” “Yes Sir,” everyone replied. “Any video by any chance?” They all shook their heads, “Nah, no sir!”
“Uhm, actually, I may have,” came Emma’s faltering response as she scrabbled through her med kit and dragged out her regulation army ePad. “Ah, yes, here,” and she swiped open the video library and opened the relevant file. “Doesn’t appear very clear,” she said as the others gathered around her, “Woh shite,” and she handed the ePad to Dozer.