Caluscaria wrote:
ARN Otto, Command Action Center
There is a 30% of 1,2-metre diameter chunks and a 5% of 0,3-metre diameter ones. The rest of them have a diameter smaller than 0,07 metres.
The computer array begins to plot the massive number of large chunks and indicates where each may fall with a deadly red dot warning anyone who is on the network where danger is coming. It is best that the tactical computer can do at the moment. Though it does begin to figure out where the small groups own defensive weapons can be brought to reduce risk to the taskforce.
Probability distribution maps show a likely single source of the ejection force and a complex network of heat-resistant caves through which lava flows, uprooting rocky chunks from them in the process. The trajectory, velocity and size of the ejecta yields information about their density, most of them matching obsidian, basalt and other known volcanic rocks; however there is an unclassified material with a high specific heat capacity forming chunks with a diameter about 0,3 metres.
Gates swears as the numbers come in..."God damn this island wants people dead...how in the hell are people supposed to survive trying to doge basalt the size of beach balls? And the lava maps are going to be useless...there are so many unmapped lava tubes on this island it basaltic swiss cheese."
He sighs, this is going to be a nasty, deadly day.
"Sir, we have authorization to set up the redoubt at location Alpha. Sir we have authorization to well...carte blance..."
"Good...authorize shipping out T-1 and T-4 with the engineering teams to start on that...send T-2, and T-3 to penetrate strait to the city proper and start evacuating our people..."
"Authorizing shipment of T-1 and T-4 to point Alpha with engineering teams T-2, and T-3 to head to city...from Alpha, sir?"
"Yes, yes...good idea yeoman..."
"Oh and call up the welding shop we need to see what we can scrounge together and fabricate some heavy duty supports against those death rocks that are going to be incoming soon....and fast."
"Aye, Aye sir..."
Eastern Beach: The 'Alconian' Beach
The chief of the beach watched as a line of marines and locals brought in casualties and loaded them on board while the local fauna seems to hold back at the tree line like a building army. Obviously the birds and creatures who could swim were doing so, just going around the small bastion of water hoses but the rest seemed to be building up.
Four centuries of living with Kalatchian wildlife did not a stupid boys and girls make.
"Chief, I don't like the looks of things...we're under siege here..." one boatman bemoaned. The Chief nodded, "This is taking longer than I want too...where the hell are all these damn wounded in bound?"
He looks over at the impromptu shelter being built down the beach. Many locals have appeared and taken shelter at the finished end as his folks continue to work at building the other end.
City of Caluscaria
The local nurses recognize Doctor Shelly's instructions as the same type of the ones Doctor Rafaella or any other doctor would give them, and they start doing as they are told. Transporting the injured is hard, though; even those on a wheeled bed have to suffer the deficiently paved streets in the city and dodge the falling chunks.
The nurses watch most of the Alconian Marines hump off with their charges. Most are carried in litters, sometimes nothing more than a former tarpaulin wrapped around some sticks. Some carry their wounded off on their backs, fireman style...the danger of being killed by massive falling death balls far out weighing additional injuries.
Unlike the nurses, "Do no harm" has been replaced by "get them to safety, so there is a life to save..."
A few Alconian doctors help the nurses and also cajol local able bodied people to help get the wounded to move down the trail to the beach. They seem to be running as a tag team between the injured helping the nurses maneuver their charges through the piss poor city 'streets'. A couple of taken significant blows to their body from plunging 'fire' but they gamely press on...
Doctor Shelley and a couple of corpsmen have pulled the last few patients into the lee of a rather hefty mud brick wall and used the logs and other thick material to create a lean-to shelter against the projectiles that are falling to the ground.
"Ma'm...we have a message from the CAC...they are sending in a lobster to get us out..."
"Thank god, all we have to do then is hold till they get here..."
Boat LCH-5-22
The ride for the wisest and the rest of the passengers headed to Caluscaria has not been pleasant. The standard Super Otter landing craft is designed for marine landings. It can be sedate at 20 knots and float over the ocean and low ground with little difficulty. When it starts to cross the swells of the ocean at 35 knots it tends to still be a bit 'bouncy'.
Besides the crew, who are trained in this, Quinn also seems to be unaffected. Or what can be made out of what he is saying. He has remained on the upper deck (in what would be a gun well if this was a military operation, talking on a cell phone and now had his camera out and playing across the quickly approaching beach.
Of course several people have been cornered by a couple members of the crew who hand out backpacks. In each one is a tablet connected to a radio pack and a large battery. They show them how to turn it on and off, how to navigate around the map screen and what all of the little dots, triangles, and crosses actually mean on the screen. It is enough to distract them from the 'bouncy' ride.
The Eastern Beach
The hovercraft arrives at the eastern beach with little fan fare just the sound of engines spooling back and the hump of dropping over waves decreasing. The gangway suddenly drops exposing the beaches of Caluscaria awash in half open boxes of supplies being raided by Alconian sailors and marines who are fabricating a long shelter.
"All ashore going a shore someone calls out'
As the gangway comes down a large man with a cigar puffing away out of his mouth stomps down and starts giving order. "Boson I want this thing to pull back twenty yards from shore and hold position. I am sending the rest these wounded back to the Otto and letting these damn trash pumps keep the local fauna at bay..."
As the Caluscarian's exit the hovercraft he turns to them and points with his cigar at a group of large flying creatures he's had his eye on. Their screeching is inhuman and he doesn't like the look of them at all...
"Someone want to tell me what those are..."
ARN Otto
As LCH-5-15 maneuvers into the Otto's boat bay and stops on the floating dock. The sounds of heavy equipment moving can be heard throughout the loading space. The Alconians seem to take no real notice of it but there appear to be large, military style vehicles moving down onto landing craft.
Instead the sound of piping can be heard as a group of marines suddenly come to attention and salute. "Pendant 21 and Otto are aboard..." They salute and the Alconian Officers likewise salute.
The Lieutenant and the Captain stride away, leading the Doctor and scientist through a door and into a ship ladder rising up to some decks above. A few moments the pair of officers them both to a doorway that is flanked by an armed marine. The Marine salutes the two officers and they return it.
"Sir?"
"Doctor Raffalla, and Professor Cuaridim are local advisors. They will be carded and tagged later."
"Aye, aye Sir"
The Marine types into the keypad on the other side of the door. There is a buzz and it opens. The Captain lets the pair step through the door and into the darkness beyond. It actually isn't darkness but low light. The sound of fans and electronics are humming.
As the Captain enters everyone suddenly stands again at attention. "At ease...no time for honorifics we are in response time people..." He calls out and then turns to Gates.
"What have we got?"
"Currently the ship is fine but the tactical situation has turned to sh**...we're looking at ballistics of basalt and obsidian that Sulimain wishes he had at Budapest...damn things are one point two meters in diameter and there is a hell of a lot of them sir..."
"Has the array estimated if there is going to be enough force to send those death balls out here?"
"Not sure as of yet...but we can expect a hell of a lot of casualties and fatalities when those balls start hitting somewhere with some population density."
"Have we waved off the inbounds?"
"Aye sir..we are talking to the international avionics groups about setting up a no-fly zone around here to prevent any air traffic incidents."
"Alright...I saw you authorized the engineers..."
As they discuss this the Lieutenant points the Doctor and Professor to sit down at two folding seats around a large table showing a map of the taskforce and the island.
************
Advisor Favador gets a different 'tour' of the Otto. The admiral right after returning the salute begins to walk and talk with a female officer looking at a screen. Their discussion is hushed too low for Favador to overhear but they look back at him a couple of times.
A ride up another cargo elevator and then several confusing turns around the ship corders leaves him standing in a room with a table a massive desk and several comfortable chairs. Across one wall are several monitors that are turned on as they enter the space. These begin to show both situational maps of the task force as well as several screens of news feeds from around the world.
The marine guard closes the door behind the small group. Admiral Keller moves behind the desk and sits down. "Take a pew man...we're going to have to be dealing with the international press and the international diplomats...So can you tell me is your island trying to run us off?...or is it just been trying to exterminate you lot? Cause this eruption may just take the international winner for most deadly ejecta ever...you got rocks over three feet in diameter being dropped on you..."
****KCN****
Anchor: Good day everyone, breaking news from the 1000 Islands and the nation of Caluscaria. Once again Caluscaria is facing destruction at the hands of its volcano...'Lands Mouth'.
<A scene of the island's volcano erupting is seen and it states live as it slightly jogs as the hovercraft bounces across the waves at the speed it is approaching the island.>
"More details soon when we will have a KCN exclusive with a Thunderbay reporter currently in Caluscaria."
<Scene change back to Anchor>
"Next up, Next Generation Mattresses...are really as good as claimed? or are they just an expensive fad?...brought to you by Thermomaster maker of the Thermometer Superior Mattress...Quality you can count on."
