| Base-Zero |
Tsv-01
Tsv-02
Tsv-03
Tsv-04
Tsv-05
Tsv-06
Tsv-07
Tsv-08 |
Tsv-09 |
| Contents |
Lpnet1
Lpnet2 Lpnet3
Sci-shorts-01
Sci-shorts-02
Sci-shorts-03
Sci-shorts-04
Gallery |
Animation |
| Lpnet2-100 Lpnet2: The 4D Earth War Chapter One: Callisto Colony Two Chapter Two: To Amplexa and Tranqua Chapter Three: Asteroid Mining, Politics, and War Chapter Four: Return to Earth Chapter Five: A Friendly Reunion Chapter Six: The Last Outpost Chapter Seven: Air-strike in the Night Chapter Eight: The Temporal Connection Chapter Nine: The Temporal Intersection Chapter Ten: Reunion with Old Friends Chapter Eleven: Ideals for the Future Chapter Twelve: Stonedancer Grounded |
The 4D Earth War
Chapter 6: The
Last Outpost
We stood in the lounge at the head of the escalator and looked out the window across the campus. He zeroed in on the perimeter in the distance and checked it out carefully. “Supply fell to a minimum,” he said, “after a drought in the Midwest, and demand soared sky-high. A lot of people were hungry and couldn’t wait for the next tri-monthly shipment from the moon. Of course, the wealthy countries and states had plenty of surplus and warehouse, which I don’t doubt, but most of the working class never saw any of it.” He walked to the right corner, and continued the story as I walked with him. “They broke under the strain, lost their patience, and decided to join the rebel states to fight. The rebel states had the support of the Minor League of Third World Nations. After that, country fought country and state fought state. They even dropped a few nukes. One put out the Alaskan Nato base, elsewhere, I’m not certain. I guess we’re lucky we didn’t suffer here. Fall-out line is kind of thin between here and Canada.” He looked into the distance again and surveyed the perimeter. “Texas Nato,” I said, recalling what I’d seen in the Warbird while entering Earth. He heard me and listened. “I got a look on the way in,” I said, “Houston was hit. The old south is covered by fallout, from the middle of Virginia, all the way to Florida, all dark clouds of radiation, waiting for the rain to wash it down. It’s the same thing in Canada, from the tip of Maine to the north pole.” “We’re in a thin line, Ron,” Al said, somewhat gloomily, “So far, we haven’t tasted but a little bit of that fallout radiation, but if the winds change...we could be eating it.” “What’s the chance,” he said, “of a nuclear winter? You got a better look than I did.” “I don’t think,” I admitted, “it’s as bad as all that. The west appeared to be clear. South America was clear. Africa was mostly clear.” “Europe? Asia?” he asked, and began walking to the northern corner of the lounge. “Mixed. Some in the dark, some in the grey, some all clear.” He stopped in the middle, looked out again, and said, “This is the quietest day we’ve had in weeks.” “So,” I said, “it’s been a conventional war ever since the bombs dropped.” “Sure,” he said, “for the most part. I can well imagine that what we’re doing here now is happening in pockets all over the planet.” As he looked to the perimeter, I recalled an interesting correlation with the Martian war of 1060. Actually, it was an internal revolution. Tranqua was not involved; it was an internal power struggle between high tiers of Mars. The correlation was that both of these wars brought the ‘corporate magnates’ to the courts of chaos and violent war. Both marked the end of the industrial factory system. Al walked to the middle of the southern side as I chewed my lip in thought. I recognized the old desk clerk station and almost expected a clerk in red to pop up. Al met with another man in green, and I looked across a field, through buildings, and sited the dark line in the distance. I recalled the Warbird and decided it was time to go get it. Then I recalled that date with Lisa at four. I decided it could wait until later, about five. Al called me over, and introduced me to his second in command. “Ron,” he said, “this is Tony Tanocka. Tony, this is Ron Querzo, just in from the colonies. He’s an old friend and we can count on him for support.” We shook hands. “Quiet out there today,” Tony admitted, and looked at Al. “Good time to scout about.” “Yes,” Al agreed, “I’ll hold the fort then, while you take Seji and two men to the bioscience building. Seji knows what to look for.” Tanocka turned to go and Al reminded him, “Be careful. There may still be rebels holed in somewhere out there.” Tanocka awoke two men from a lounge area, and the three of them went to the sublevel. We stood overlooking the northern side and watched, minutes later, as the group of men drove out of the garage in a jeep and headed east over the field to the science buildings. Al said, dropping the field-scanner, “If we get that laser working, we could establish defensive control over the entire campus in a week. As it is, there are rebels just waiting to surprise us out there, to say nothing of the petty dictators further south." “What’s it like, further south?” I said, “Are the kin-folk still alive?” “Damned if I know,” he admitted. “One thing I do know. If they are alive, they have it bad. All of the major cities and towns, including Springfield, Hartford, and Northampton, suffered heavily. Bombs, explosions, fires, the works. For the past six months, some petty dictator has been marshalling the rebels about like trained killer-dogs. They’re killing everyone except the young women and anyone that’s strong and takes to their side.” “Don’t you know the location of their base?” I asked, thinking now more than ever I needed to get the Warbird. “Nope,” he admitted sourly. “If we had jets in the air, we could pin-point it. About a month ago we checked an air-field and couldn’t find anything but burnt out wrecks. Our main problem is numbers. The rebels outnumber us ten to one.” “You sound desperate,” I said, “I think its time I lent a few extra hands.” He turned, and began walking to the eastern corner, and said, “Alright, Ron. Let’s have it. I didn’t think you came to Earth without a ship. What do you have?” I stopped in the corner and looked out. As I turned to tell him, I noticed a couple of soldiers sleeping in the southeastern corner and spoke quietly. “Al,” I said, “what I am going to tell you is top secret, just between you and me, understand?” “Mums the word,” he said. “This is not the kind of news we want leaking through the cracks,” I insisted, “into the hands of the enemy.” “Gotcha,” he said, “I won’t tell a soul.” “I came in a Warbird,” I said, “and there are 3 windships and six viper shuttles in escort, about a month away.” He grinned and said, “Ron, you old space dog. I knew I could count on you. So where’s the ship? Let’s go get it!” I checked the time. “I told Lisa,” I said, “that I’d meet her at 4.” “Two hours isn’t enough time?” he said, “Where is it, Canada?” “Well,” I decided, “yes, I guess it is.” “Then, we’ll go get it,” he said, “as soon as Tanocka returns. They should be back any minute.” He looked out with the scanner and sited them. |
Chapter Thirteen: Rebels in the Aftermath Chapter Fourteen: Temporal Relativity Chapter Fifteen: The Hand was Forced Chapter Sixteen: Ion Trace to the West Chapter Seventeen: A Warlord and an Evacuation |
| List of Contents
and Chapters with Links |