_As i was saying-
_I was at one of the lesser doors into the transport docks, on my way to an interplanetary jumpship.
_The code entered correctly and open slid the door. I jogged down empty corridors and into the main bay. A code to open the hangar door. A code to enter the jumpship corral. A code to start the closest jumpship. Flying up, I entered three last codes.
_The first closed the blast-proof hangar door.
_The second opened all the inside doors and added extra protection to vents and exits - a special emergency setting.
_The last caused the nuclear reactor for the docks to meltdown.
_Having covered my escape, I laid back and started to turn on my hand-terminal to link with the jumpship and enter coordinates. Then I smashed through a brick wall - or at least, that's what it felt like. The jumpship dropped out from under me and we began falling back down. The terminal had flown into the windshield. I grabbed it as I groped my way into an escape pod.
_Escape pods are not fun.
_They are tiny, the oxygen/nitrogen mix smells bad, and you are literally shot out of a gun before you simply implode along with the craft being left.
_So there you have it. My illustrious failed escape.
_Apparently, I forgot about checking to see where the atmospheric windows were before attempting exit - which could've been avoided had I linked my hand-terminal earlier. I hit a layer of wind or whatever (I don't know anything that in-depth) and it folded some of the stabilization foils over onto themselves. That must have shorted out some circuits and ruptured plenty of hydraulics. Way more than enough damage to ruin a flimsy jumpship.
_But, of course, if I had made that mistake with a nuclear bomber or interceptor craft, I would've been fireworks.
_The pod landed in brushland. In it, I found a new hand-terminal and survival supplies.
_Eh
_Time to go...
28.11.07
6: 79-02-62
_Found a good place last night and chose sleep. But the low battery alert on the jammer I've been using woke me up. Every time I'm not alert for danger I jam my own constant frequency so as to not be tracked.
_Where was I?
_Under guard at the camp - right.
_And so, under the guise of working diligently on assessing the complete troop strength I secretly planned my escape...
_It was easy to use the maps for such a thing. Aerial photographs with real-time troop markers and posts. Our amazing software even logs guard paths. And because I was working at the top, the codes to display secret sensors and intelligence officers were provided.
_Boy, do I wish I hadn't lost that hand-terminal!
_After about an hour, my plans were complete. My path led to the motorpool, were I would use codes supplied in the software to take a LCRV (Light Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle) to the transport docks. Once there it would be more codes, then into an interplanetary jumpship.
_All I needed was a distraction...
_The software allows troop movements to be pre-planned, timed, and saved; then executed at the push of a button. The problem was that I had no business using that function while simply adding up the complete Force forces on the planet. So a simple computer upgrade that required a restart of the hand-terminal allowed me to quickly slide the bug onto my memory drive, still plugged into the terminal. I started the software again as soon as possible, re-entering the secure functions and began making a troop movement file.
_completechaos.tmf
_As the filename suggests, vectors directed units to move away from my path, vacate buildings, and march right through each other in very tight areas. Random distresses in various other ends of the planet drew attention away from the mayhem surrounding me.
_I saved and executed the file.
_Whistles and sirens blared immediately. I flicked the bug off my drive and packed everything away, then crouched behind the tent flap.
_Looking up at my captor, one could define shock. All around him was dust and noise. I waited for a few more tense seconds. The sound of motors and treads rose swiftly above the din. Out of the miry air raced a clutch of half tracks! (I found these waiting for removal, there are no swamps here... requisition officers, you can't live with 'em - and certainly not without them!).
_The guard dove away from their path, landing face-down in the fine dirt. By the time he deemed it safe to look up and back at the inflatable I had disappeared into the brown.
_LCRVs are glorified dirt-bikes, like the ones used back home, except with advanced electronics and the best mechanics imaginable. Faster than the top cc circuits. It was only five minutes since the commands went out, and I was already about to enter the transport docks.
_Please excuse me while I take some time to review my survival, evasion, and recovery...
_Where was I?
_Under guard at the camp - right.
_And so, under the guise of working diligently on assessing the complete troop strength I secretly planned my escape...
_It was easy to use the maps for such a thing. Aerial photographs with real-time troop markers and posts. Our amazing software even logs guard paths. And because I was working at the top, the codes to display secret sensors and intelligence officers were provided.
_Boy, do I wish I hadn't lost that hand-terminal!
_After about an hour, my plans were complete. My path led to the motorpool, were I would use codes supplied in the software to take a LCRV (Light Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle) to the transport docks. Once there it would be more codes, then into an interplanetary jumpship.
_All I needed was a distraction...
_The software allows troop movements to be pre-planned, timed, and saved; then executed at the push of a button. The problem was that I had no business using that function while simply adding up the complete Force forces on the planet. So a simple computer upgrade that required a restart of the hand-terminal allowed me to quickly slide the bug onto my memory drive, still plugged into the terminal. I started the software again as soon as possible, re-entering the secure functions and began making a troop movement file.
_completechaos.tmf
_As the filename suggests, vectors directed units to move away from my path, vacate buildings, and march right through each other in very tight areas. Random distresses in various other ends of the planet drew attention away from the mayhem surrounding me.
_I saved and executed the file.
_Whistles and sirens blared immediately. I flicked the bug off my drive and packed everything away, then crouched behind the tent flap.
_Looking up at my captor, one could define shock. All around him was dust and noise. I waited for a few more tense seconds. The sound of motors and treads rose swiftly above the din. Out of the miry air raced a clutch of half tracks! (I found these waiting for removal, there are no swamps here... requisition officers, you can't live with 'em - and certainly not without them!).
_The guard dove away from their path, landing face-down in the fine dirt. By the time he deemed it safe to look up and back at the inflatable I had disappeared into the brown.
_LCRVs are glorified dirt-bikes, like the ones used back home, except with advanced electronics and the best mechanics imaginable. Faster than the top cc circuits. It was only five minutes since the commands went out, and I was already about to enter the transport docks.
_Please excuse me while I take some time to review my survival, evasion, and recovery...
26.11.07
5: 79-02-62
_My old hand-terminal was crushed three days after that last transmission.
_This one is much better, but I still lost some important topographical data. It would be helpful since I am on the run.
_Two days after that post, I was sent to Force General .Mir's briefing bunker. He asked me to describe what I thought of the current situation.
_"Do you want my honest opinion, sir?"
_"I'm sure that you are very good at lying... But yes, give me your assessment of my strength."
_(What would you do? He let his whole garrison fall into disarray. True - it was going to do this anyway; yet I'm sure he could have attempted control.)
_I paused, thinking, for too long. He mused, "What if we were to keep this planet to ourselves?"
_"Pardon me, what?"
_"I am asking you the question: 'If I were to separate from the Force, would I be able to hold this planet?' -As its singular authority."
_"May I have time to gather my thoughts and estimates, please? - Sir."
_"I have all the time in the world. Aid, escort him to my guest tent and keep him guarded. No transmissions."
_"I need some contact to fully evaluate, may I have a tapped line?"
_"Yes, then. Dismissed."
_The aid walked me across the bustling camp to a large inflatable accommodation next to the Force General's. I entered and he posted a guard with a jammer at the entrance. The aid soon returned with a case and affixed a bug to my hand-terminal.
_But not before I stuffed as much vital data as I could into my personal memory drive.
_Shoot, its about time to move. I'll finish later.
_This one is much better, but I still lost some important topographical data. It would be helpful since I am on the run.
_Two days after that post, I was sent to Force General .Mir's briefing bunker. He asked me to describe what I thought of the current situation.
_"Do you want my honest opinion, sir?"
_"I'm sure that you are very good at lying... But yes, give me your assessment of my strength."
_(What would you do? He let his whole garrison fall into disarray. True - it was going to do this anyway; yet I'm sure he could have attempted control.)
_I paused, thinking, for too long. He mused, "What if we were to keep this planet to ourselves?"
_"Pardon me, what?"
_"I am asking you the question: 'If I were to separate from the Force, would I be able to hold this planet?' -As its singular authority."
_"May I have time to gather my thoughts and estimates, please? - Sir."
_"I have all the time in the world. Aid, escort him to my guest tent and keep him guarded. No transmissions."
_"I need some contact to fully evaluate, may I have a tapped line?"
_"Yes, then. Dismissed."
_The aid walked me across the bustling camp to a large inflatable accommodation next to the Force General's. I entered and he posted a guard with a jammer at the entrance. The aid soon returned with a case and affixed a bug to my hand-terminal.
_But not before I stuffed as much vital data as I could into my personal memory drive.
_Shoot, its about time to move. I'll finish later.
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