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Lpnet1 Lpnet2 Lpnet3 Sci-shorts-01 Sci-shorts-02 Sci-shorts-03 Sci-shorts-04 Gallery | Animation |
| Tsv-02-100 The Illusive R-Wing Chapter 1: Treezine Agent Chapter 2: Lisa Chapter 3: Unexpected Visitors Chapter 4: Knowledge is Power Chapter 5: A Piece of Sky Pie Chapter 6: The DGP Governor Chapter 7: Point Kapex, Lunaside Chapter 8: The Scenic Route Chapter 9: The Temspace Refraction Chapter 10: The Age of Aquarius Chapter 11: To Ride the R-Wing Chapter 12: Effects of the Tuniverseo |
Chapter 14. Notch-98 Revisited
It was a mystery to all, including Querzo, how Madkro managed to gain access to the 'Blue-book' and 'blue-spex' on the R-wing. The R-wing was as top-secret as the form of an A-bomb, more so perhaps since so many eyes were distracted away from the R-wing by the mighty power displayed by the A-bomb. The R-wing was illusive, mysterious, and maintained as no more than a myth by the main- stream running out of the Pentagon. But Madkro, the illusive TS variant, had come along and exposed it as a reality, posing quite a hot item to handle for the ASC or Aero-Space Intelligence. How did he get it? This was a mystery that Querzo had to solve, if it had any connection to the tem-vortex he had been entrapped within. If Exo and Xik were involved, and inside, they were the next priority. Querzo was uncertain exactly how to make contact, then he realized it called for even more drastic measures than he first perceived. Amalek was not as slippery and capable of such high-speed maneuvers as an R-wing, but it had the most elusive thing possible; a cloak that rendered it invisible to external sensors. Under the invisibility of the cloak, Querzo and Amalek proceeded to pick off invading R-wing units and gained the Aerospace Corps attention. Amalek's evasiveness was tested to its limits with antigravs, jets, and rockets, as it drained its rays, danced about the upper atmosphere, and blasted away the enemy fleet on the run across the Great Lakes, northwest to Canada. He counted no more than a dozen remaining, turned about, let them go, and returned to the east. As he did so, he got a call from an ASC Ang-unit. "Greetings friend," the Airman said. "This is ASC Ang-unit 12. I think I owe you half a dozen drinks." Querzo grinned shortly, and answered, "Fine, I'm on. Where can we meet?" "You can follow me in," the unit said. "Where are you from?" "Uh, Australia; a special reserve-unit," he said, deciding to not use Canada under the circumstances. "I'm looking for Madkro," he added. "Have you seen him?" "Madkro, sure," the unit said. "He should be there now. You know Mack?" "Yes, we're old friends," Querzo admitted. He followed Ang-unit 12 down to the ground, to the grassy field of a parkway, and the 2 met outside, and shook hands. "So, you're looking for Madkro?" he said. "That's interesting. The thing is, pal, I owe you. But I can't just let you into the base, because it's top-secret, and I don't have the authority. But I can pass on a message to Madkro. It's the least I can do." "Is the base at the 'Notch'?" Querzo said. "Huh?" the man was taken aback. "Hell, you know about the Notch?" He shook his head. "Wow, this is different. Few people know about the Notch. If you don't mind my asking, just who the hell are you anyhow?" Querzo stepped back from the airman and forgave him for his crude manner and language. War was hell, and this guy had seen more than his share by now. "I'm the best ally you have," he decided, looking the man straight in the eye. "Now you can either escort me to the Notch or I'll find another way in." "Do you know the full operative code?" He suddenly inquired, calmed down now. Querzo thought about it. "Notch?" He said, and let his recollection of the parallel files experience a hypersensitive access. "If you don't know the operative code," the guy said, "I'm afraid I'll need to get orders from HQ. That's tricky too, because we're under orders to maintain radio-silence. Nobody can break that rule except the base-commander." "Surely with the enemy on the other side of the planet somewhere, now," Querzo said, "you can make an exception. I assure you, I'm your best ally. With Madkro's help, we can sort out this whole mess." "Really, what's Madkro got to do with it?" "More than you can possibly understand." The guy looked at Querzo with awe and wonder, looked at his bronze and silver ship, and said, "Give me a few minutes. I'll check in for orders." He turned away, walked to his Ang-unit, and went inside. 5 minutes later, the airman returned and said, "It's our lucky day, hot shot, you're in. Panders was over-whelmed by the kills you made for our side. You can follow me in." He returned to his Ang, Querzo returned to Amalek, and they both took to the atmosphere. Ten minutes later, Amalek followed the R-winger into the camouflaged hanger-bay and the mountain cavern base known as 'Notch-98'. The ships settled inside, Querzo greeted the man and Lieutenant-Major Panders, as she stepped into the bay. By this time, however, Madkro had managed to skip outside, headed north, for the campus-bunker, to find Lisa. Querzo had missed him by no more than an hour. -----------------------------------------------
"I need to talk to Madkro," Querzo said. "I also intend to make a high-atmosphere orbital-scan for the enemy base, as soon as possible, before they regroup." "Right, well," Panders said, "Madkro's skipped out somehow, but I think I know where he's gone." "Where?" "First, if you don't mind," she said. "Could you answer one or two questions?" "Sure," Querzo said. "Where did Australia come by a vehicle more elusive than the R-wing?" He shook his head neutrally, "Oh, that's too top-secret. I don't know myself." Nice dissembling. "This war's getting stranger all the time," she decided, and found a seat in the service office. He followed her in and sat down. "First, we saw only half a dozen ships, and then suddenly, the skies were full of them, as if they'd teleported from deep-space or something, out of thin air." "Really?" Querzo admitted with intrigue. "Perhaps they were cloaked? But no, that doesn't quite figure, because they never used the cloaks after, even as a means of escape. It doesn't make sense." "I agree," she said. "Don't get me wrong, Querzo, you are a real life-saver, but before you came, I thought for sure we were all goners." "I understand," Querzo admitted. "Now, I promise I shall continue to ally my services to your side, as soon as I've seen Madkro and made the orbital-scan." She sighed, checked the time, shrugged, stood up and agreed. "Okay. He's gone to the Northern bunker." He followed her out, shook her hand briefly, and returned to Amalek. Minutes later, he was out into the open atmosphere, flying over the mountains, northward. -----------------------------------------------
Madkro drove quickly in the covered jeep along the pock-marked, cratered roadway north. The sun was setting to the west, on his left, and there were no street-lights working, so he was racing with the dusk, to beat the nightfall. The enemy ships had left craters everywhere, and scarcely a structure was left remaining. But now, they were gone. He wasn't sure why, unless they were done for the day, needed refueling, more ammo, etc... So now it was all clear, he was free from lasers overhead, and he concentrated on avoiding the craters along the roadway. At times, the craters covered too much of the road and he had to drive around, over sidewalks, grassland, and shrubbery. He knew exactly where he was going, he'd been along the road several times in the past. All he had to do was drive straight along the road north for 15 km, and it went right to the campus grounds. The bunker was located at the very center of the campus, at the base of the Recreation center and a hotel tower for guests. The tower would probably not be inhabited, under the circumstances, but the bunker, 90% of which was underground, covered by heavy mounds of dirt, would be crowded and full. As one of the safest shelters from a war, it was their final refuge within the present madness. He reached it in about 40 minutes, due to obstructions such as the remnants of cars, trucks, and more craters all about the town as he entered. He stopped at the edge of the campus, and looked across it to the tower. It was almost completely demolished. As the sun's last rays slipped away, he picked up the CB radio-unit handle, and adjusted the setting of the dial. "Bunker, this is Catch-98," he said into the handle. "Is anyone receiving? I repeat, this is Catch-98, is anyone receiving?" He waited 15 seconds, and an answer came. "Hello, we receive," someone said. "Who's this?" "This is Madkro. I want to come in," he said. "Is Lisa...?” "Madkro?" the voice said. "Did you say Madkro?" "Yes, about Lisa," he said. "Yes, she's here," the voice said. "I'll have to get clearance." Madkro didn't wait for clearance. When he heard the guy say Lisa was there, he lost control, put the jeep in gear, and floored it, straight along the fragmented roadway, for the bunker. Before the road ended, he took the jeep off it and speeded across the cratered campus lawn. Before anyone could fix the spotlights on him, the jeep was whipping around the end of the recreation center, and gunning down the slope of pavement to the entrance. Madkro slammed the brakes on, missed hitting the wall by inches, hopped out, and ran for the doors. Like opposite charges, they met, inside the bunker, in the large, darkening hallway. Lisa had gotten word and got pulled by the same over-powering force of attraction, as it compelled Madkro to her. They embraced in the dim hallway, as the night fell upon the devastated land. 'Wow!' Thought Madkro, as he warmed to her embrace, 'Whatever happened it had some fantastic effects!' |
Chapters
13-end
Chapter 13: The State of the Earth War Chapter 14: Notch-98 Revisited Chpater 15: Climatic Changes Chapter 16: R-Winger Down Chapter 17: The Fascist Fake Chapter 18: The New Age |