[dragoon500ly]

“Bloody Hell!”

Zack Overstreet looks up from his letter at the sound of Amanda’s curse. He nodded, Bloody Hell indeed!

“Okay People! We need to get geared up and exit this chamber, and see what gear has been left to us! Peter, get a quick medical check anybody feeling unusual, tell the Doc! Let’s get a move on!!”

It takes roughly thirty minutes for Peter to finish his quick medical check, he reports to Zack.

“Boss, looks like everyone is suffering from extended cyrogenic sickness, we all need to rehydration and energy bars as quickly as we can. Nobody is reporting anything unusual, but I’d like time to do a more detailed check once we access to the rest of our gear. You’ll note the blue tinge to everybody’s skin, that’s after effects from the thermo-gel, we will need to heat some water and take a bath to get the rest of it off.”

“Thanks Peter, better grab your web gear, I’m opening the hatch to the main chamber.”

As Peter grabs his web gear, Zack turns to Doug Holloway.

“Doug, grab one of the shotguns, Amanda you get the other and load up. I’ll open the hatch when you two are ready.”

The two teammates grab one of the SPAS-12 shotguns and a box of shells and quickly slip eight rounds of buckshot and pump the action. A quick nod to Zack and he swipes his MPID card through the door lock and hits the ‘Open’ button.

With a groan of hydraulics, the hatch swings open to the left and Doug peers around the jam, sweeping the chamber with the muzzle of his shotgun.

“Clear!”

Amanda steps lightly past Doug and moves up to the table resting a few feet from the hatch and sweeps the right side of the chamber.

“Clear Right!”

Doug trots behind her and moves up to the bulk of one of the team’s support vehicles, he glances inside the open side door and notes that all hatches are open, then slips to the far side and peers around.

“Clear Left!”

Zack steps out, holstering his Hi-Power and calls over his shoulder.

“Alright people, let’s get moving! We need the ammo stores opened up and start loading the gear as soon as the drivers get their vehicles started. Move! Victor! Your with me.”

With that Zack turns to the bolthole computer and swipes his MPID and activates the display…

As Zack activates the display, his eye catches the date/time display on the bottom left of the screen.

<0237 October 28, 2148>
“What the hell?”

Victor stares at the date and then meets Zack’s eyes. He then reaches down to the keyboard and brings up the communications log.

<0945 March 23, 1988: System on line.>

There then follows a series of system checks with a check message from Prime Base every six months. Then…

<1325 September 1st, 1996: ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! Shockwave detected on sensors. Possible nuclear strike.>

<1345 September 1st, 1996: Incoming message from Prime Base, ID confirmed. ALERT! Multiple nuclear strikes detected within US. President has ordered nuclear attacks against USSR, PRC and PRNK. Project Protocol 15 in effect. All MP bases into lockdown, and wait further orders. God Speed.>

There then follows a further chain of system checks and the six month check from Prime Base. Until…

<0140 July 17 2003: Incoming message from Prime Base, ID confirmed. ALERT! Prime Base under attack by unk group with bio weapons. Prime Base has Fallen, repeat, Prime Base has fallen. Project Protocol 23 in effect. Sigma Base to be recalled accordingly, all other MP bases to remain in freeze.>

From that date there are only the normal system checks until…

<0043 October 28, 2148: Incoming message received from Prime Base, ID confirmed. Recall signal for CSCR34. Recall protocol initiated. Assume assigned mission.>

Zack nods, “So roughly two hours to run the recall process and here we are. About 150 years after we are supposed to be awakened.”

Victor replies, “But we have a Prime base has fallen message from 2003, and then a recall from Prime in 2148, what gives?”

“I don’t know,” Zack replied, “Sigma Base should be using its own protocols, Protocol 23 should have wiped the computers at Prime Base completely. And the combined group hasn’t been recalled either.”

Victor shakes his head as he looks at the computer. He studied the screen for a moment, then turned away from it for a second. Rios never had much affinity with technology, but thankfully the Project had provided them someone who did.

"Ramón, ven aquí hermano. ¿Esto está roto o qué?" he said in Spanish to Romeo 355's driver/computer expert. [Translation: Ramon, come here brother. Is this thing broken or what?]

While Valdez checked the system, Victor discussed the situation with Overstreet and the others.

"Doug's right. We've got to be extra careful. For all we know, Prime Base never got to scrub their computers and someone else sent the recall. Or maybe another team from Sigma or something finally Prime Base back online... after more than a century..." Victor gulped a bit after saying the last part.

"Anyway, whatever's happened, it's not according to plan, and El Hefe didn't see it coming." El Hefe was how Rios referred to Bruce Edwin Morrow. Victor then looked toward Overstreet.

"Concur with helping locals and making our way to north. If it's really late October, we won't be able to help much with planting at this point, but we can help a few communities ride out the winter." Victor quickly realized that he was still thinking in terms of waking up 5-10 years after the nuclear war.
"Of course that assumes people are still struggling. Maybe they all have jet cars now. After 150 years, who knows?"

Ramon taps Victor on the his shoulder, “The computer checks out okay.” He turns back to the display, “My God! One hundred and fifty years!”

Zack turns and looks over the main chamber, already crates of ammo and gear are being stored on the V-150s…”Listen up people! Team meeting at the table in ten minutes!”

Peter steps up to Zack and Victor, ““TL, Number One. As I reported, I am seeing symptoms of long term cryogenic suspension. The computer logs confirm this. We all need water, electrolytes, food and a good bath to get rid of the blue ooze.”

“We need to do a couple of things.”

“First, with your permission, I will run the external environment checks. We REALLY need to know what we might be dealing with out there.”

"Second, I suggest that we need to exit the bolt hole, and find a place to set up a temporary camp. Hopefully, there is water nearby that we can purify and use. That will let us eat, drink and other wise repair the damage we have all been exposed to.”

“Third, If any one start feeling woozy, or disoriented, they must SIT DOWN! That is a medical order.”

“Then get someone to find me ASAP. I read the reports of the first cryo volunteers that reported these symptoms. I NEED to know this so that I can help you.”

Zach, shakes his head. “One more thing! Thanks Peter, Don’t forget that the external sensors are keyed to the periscope, lets hold for a couple of hours and get settled into the vehicles, that will give every a chance to eat something other than a protein bar! As far as the camp goes, we need to do a security check of the area before we can take a break, but according to the maps, the Pacolet River is about a mile and a half north, we can stop there for an early morning break and catch a bath. That’s the best we can do for know.”

Doug replies:

"Zach did you want Amanda and me to get into our contact kits, go through the personal exit, do a "Married Couple"'s recon out to 300-500 meters in each cardinal point to get an initial assessment of the area?"

“Let’s hold for the team meeting, then I’ll want you and Roger to conduct the reconnaissance with Amanda on overwatch with her sniper rifle. Its 0240 hours, we need to finish prepping and loading the vehicles and get ready to exit the bolthole, according to the almanac, this time of year, daylight is about 0520 or so, so you three will exit at 0430 and get set up. No further out than 500 meters and make your sweep counter-clockwise, Ok?” Zach replies.

After being told of the computer logs and the present time, Doug contributes this to the conversation:

"Between 1996 and 2003 PB might have activated teams in their area, in 2001, and were engaged with hostile forces intent on capturing or destroying PB. We don't know how much of the project was destroyed or how much intel from PB the hostile forces could acquire after it fell.”

“We need to be very cautious, especially in meeting other MP teams. After 150 years the distribution base outside Charolette really isn't important anymore. The pre-war norms that we were used to seeing might not apply anymore. For all we know there might be some sort of government dictator in control of what used to be the US.”

“Because of the unknown situation, the potential that forces hostile to the Project could still be around I do not think we should get on the radio and blast a signal to PB asking questions or confirming our wakeup call. Let them try to raise us on the radio, come and explain it to us. With the proper codes and prefixes to assure us that the Project is in control of PB. Until then I say we follow basic MP directives of helping locals and work our way to Asheville, the closest large city in the area, in order to assess the situation.”

“Now, everybody here should remember that Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrain were the first two people to walk on the moon. Everybody here should know that it was the Challenger shuttle that blew up minutes off the pad. As an team inside cue to distress or falsehood in a social situation that we might encounter we mis-state our known facts to notify other members without being explicit. The one man that was a Mercury astronaut and landed on the Moon was Alan Sheppard. We can use his name a sentry challenge and answer.”

“Zach, all I'm saying is that we be damn careful because we might be all that remains of the Morrow Project."

Zach leans forward on the bench,

“All good points Doug, but that facility held equipment and supplies that were preloaded for the supply bases, we will need to ascertain if anything is still usable at some point. We will need at least an eyeball into Charlotte and then check the area between there and Lake Norman. Since the lake was the primary source of water for the city, there is a good chance that refugees may have moved into the area.”

“Moving towards Asheville will take us across the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which means we better hope the Interstates and State Road networks are passable, or we do a lot of secondary road travelling, and after 150 years, I’m expecting that the major roads are going to be in poor shape, and the secondary roads in even worse condition. Still, the idea has merit. Comments?”

Amanda flips over the map, “From our current location, the closest towns are Mountain Page, Saluda and Melrose, North Carolina. Let’s hold off on the long term plans for now and check out those three towns for information or we can head towards Landrum, South Carolina, these are all small cities or towns with a max of 3,200 population according the census info we have. We stand a greater chance of running into survivors in these smaller towns.”

Zach taps his fingers in a slow rhythm on the table,

“For now, I believe the best course of action is to check out the smaller towns in our area first. If we make contact with any people, depending on the information we gather, then we can make the decision to head for Asheville or Charlotte. My own thoughts are to head for Charlotte, that will place us roughly in the center of our resupply caches. Moving towards the smaller towns will also take us over Melrose Mountain, at 2,640 feet it’s the second highest peak in the area and it will overlook a good route into Melrose. I want to drop a radio relay station there as the first part of a
commo network. It will also give us a fair overview of the Pacolet River Valley between Melrose and Tryon and let us get a look into Columbus. Seems to give us the most bang for our buck.”

Zach looks over at Danny Chin,

“Danny what’s the status on the vehicles?”

Danny looks up from his laptop,

“All three V-150s are generating power, we’ve got them greased up and the crew-served mounted. We’re still loading ammunition and gear, call it another forty minutes or so and they will be ready!”

Zach stands up,

“All Right! Everybody make sure you are drinking these energy drinks and that you’ve eaten at least one protein bar. Order of march will be Romeo Five Five, then Five Six with Five Four as trail. Victor I want you as lead for now, because your armament is better suited for forested terrain. We will not crack the vehicle hatch until the recon patrol gives an all-clear. Doug, as far as passwords go, let’s keep it simple, we’ll go with eleven for now.”

"Let's finish loading the gear people!"