Reaping the Whirlwind

Posted on Fri May 17th, 2024 @ 11:53pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Jonathan Grayson

Mission: Man & Machine
Location: Planet

Jon and Deanna had made good time. It had taken them only 17 minutes to traverse the 2 mile distance, despite being burdened with the EB suits and the equipment they had to lug. They were positioned in a small grove of trees in what was the only semi-green spot in the valley. Much of the ground around them was scorched a dark black from nuclear detonations no doubt, and the grove of trees they were using for cover somehow had survived it all. Deanna was sensing something odd, but she couldn't make it out. It felt like a lifeform, but more like an animal versus a sentient life form. It was nearby, but she couldn't determine where. She tried to shake it from her mind, trying to focus on the task at hand. In the visible distance was the target, the primary complex of the machines, where this Skynet was supposed to dwell, if cybernetic creatures had a place they actually dwelled. She began to set up the equipment as Jon contact the captain to notify them of their arrival.

Jon scanned the area with a pair of binoculars. There was nothing moving anywhere he looked. The area was dead; the small grove of trees where he and Deanna were hidden was the only area alive. He looked over to Deanna and knew she was bugged by something she was no doubt sensing. He raised the binoculars again to look at the target. It was a large, sprawling complex, low to the ground. no more than two stories high. A drab, battleship gray color if he remembered the color right. He leaned back. This felt odd, they had encountered no resistance along the way. They had sighted no machines. Looking at the complex, he saw a several 'sentry' machines posted around the complex but no other activity.

"You okay Deanna, he asked his companion and friend as she set up the equipment so they could contact the Washington and let the captain know they were in place.

Deanna finished setting up the equipment as Jon scanned the area. As he asked her what was wrong, she reached for her tricorder and began scanning the area. "I am sensing a lifeform, not exactly a sentient creature, more of an animal, but it is intelligent, enough that you might consider it at the least trainable, and it is very near and quite aware of us. It is like it has a limited telepathic ability. I've encountered other creatures with psionic ability on a handful of worlds. It is a rare ability, just as rare as it is found amongst humanoids. I'll get past it in a moment, just an odd sensation." She looked at her tricorder, "Well, that explains the lack of action around here." She looked to Jon, "They have developed a primitive shield grid, something akin to what most races use when they first develop energy weapons. I am reading a low-grade polarization field. It'll keep the bugs out like a grade-A bug zapper, but it won't stop our torpedoes. You can let the captain know that they definitely have subterranean levels to this complex. Part of it is heavily shielded, definitely a prime candidate spot for the tricobalt torpedo. You should be able to let the captain know we are condition green and ready to light this place up. I'm sure the other attack wings are eagerly waiting to, um, what was it the admiral used to say..." she thought for a moment before her thought coming to the forefront, "right, light this candle."

Jon was instantly alert as Deanna mentioned another lifeform in the area and nearby. "This lifeform you are sensing Deanna, is it hostile? Do we need to worry about it" He asked as he looked to see if he could spot anything, but the area looked clear.

"Alright let me contact the captain." He thought of using some catchy call but thought better of it. "Grayson to Washington, we are in position. You can launch attack when ready. Be advised target has primitive shield system and is multi-level. Recommend you use tricobalt devices on target."

=^=Understood Commander. Receiving target coordinates. Prepare for incoming fire. =^= Shran replied. He looked back at Ayana, "Lock coordinates and fire photons and tricobalt torpedoes when ready." Looking back to Ops, "Contact the shuttles, they are clear to make their runs."

On the surface Deanna waited for Jon to be done with his talk with the captain before answering his question. "Regarding the lifeform, no, I don't believe it to be hostile, at least not towards us. I sense it capable if it wanted, but it seems docile, content, as if we aren't worth the effort to engage. But it nearby. I only wish I could pinpoint it." She looked up at the sky and saw red flashes streaking down towards their area, "It would appear the party is about to begin" she said with a smile as she ducked down into a defensive position behind one of the trees.

"We can look into the lifeform you sense in more depth after the bombing runs." Jon replied as he looked up at Deanna's comment. "So, it would appear Deanna." Jon answered and like Deanna took a defensive position behind a tree.

The torpedoes streaked downward and then suddenly, the somewhat calm area was filled with a cacophony of sound as the torpedoes impacted the target areas and unleashed their destructive capabilities. A sudden gale for gust of wind seemed to streak past them as the fiery light from the explosions began to overtake their position momentarily. It was at this moment that Deanna was truly grateful she had installed the portable shield generators, because she doubted they would survive this situation without them. As things began to wind down, she looked over at Jon and saw he appeared to be alright, then looked up towards where everything had happened and saw the destructive remnants, and then realized that all of that was just from the initial volley.

After the explosion, the winds and the flying debris, Jon raised his binoculars and surveyed the target/blast area. He was rewarded with a view of smoldering debris and a crater that had smoke wafting up from it. "Site is destroyed, Advise the captain need another saturation volley is needed to make sure site is completely destroyed."

Deanna pointed upward, "It would appear that either the captain already ordered a second volley, or Ayana got a little trigger happy. And I don't think all of those are mere photons. That one has a white trail. I would guess that is the tricobalt weapon that was prepared. 350 megaton yield. Impact in 5 seconds." Deanna once again ducked behind the tree and hoped that everything went according to plan. If so, the Washington should be entering the atmosphere at this very moment to finish off the remnants of the machines with a massive phaser barrage, not that it was much comfort with the torpedoes about to impact their targets.

The photons hit the target area first, detonating in a similar manner upon impact as the first volley. The difference this time came when the tricobalt device impacted its target, a sort of buried chamber that had been triple reinforced, presumably to protect against bunker busters. For a split second, just before detonation, Deanna registered something new on her tricorder readings, chronometric particles. She could do nothing as the device detonated, destroying the area and momentarily opening a small rift in subspace. This however had an unforeseen side effect, it increased the detonation shockwave by a full order of magnitude. A massive shockwave and blast ring expanded in all directions, dirt and debris was flung into the sky and looked like a tsunami wave crashing down and it buried Jon and Deanna.


TBC