„Stooooop!” I shout to microphone, just how crazy tanker Oodball from „ Kelly’s Heroes”, enjoying simple fact that all commanders can hear me very well. I rise my hand.
“Ok guys, park nicely and let no one destroy tents. You Captain Wieteska, you will be so kind to land this scrap in the proper distant, that the fan blows doesn’t ruin our hair.”
Well may who thought that two days ago I will be appointed to command a new create super secret, elite unit of Polish military – The First Independent Reconnaissance Battalion. I have no idea how I deserved this promotion. Well, but I will not look gift horse in a mouth. – Grrrr… I will hate myself in the future for telling this sentence.
But I should start from telling you who I am. I am light colonel Jerzy Grobicki and I am a millionaire and complete idiot. How you asked? I will tell you.
Finally day before yesterday I got a message from my lawyer, that I win the succession and my father legacy (few millions of dollars) are finally my. That day I was finally certain of my decision. – I leaving the army. Of course, nothing goes as I planned. Eh… It is just my luck…
In the morning I was ordered to go immediately to the airport and escort some very important guests for USA. These “guests” turn out to be a squad of marines with a newest baby of uncle Sam. “MDS” – Mobile Defense System, another tens tons of democracy. Fuck this shit. This toy have a job to create some kind of defense power field. And of course our government politely agree to use us as a guinea pig. If I didn’t already feel like in a bad sci-fi movie, it turned out that in command of U.S troops was my old love from days I lived in London.
Captain Nancy Sanchez.
I have no idea, but when I back to general Dreszer my command officer, and he literally pushed command of battalion into my hands, like idiot I agreed. And why the hell we have so much ammunition? It is enough for two…maybe three months of intense warfare. I have no idea how Sawicki put it all on his trucks, but… maybe I don’t want to know.
First lieutenant Sawicki commander of our logistic company. The column of forty-two massive forty tons trucks, eight fuel tanks, motorized repair park, helicopters repair workshop, kitchen and field hospital… and everything under his command. Sawicki is well known as men who find everything you want when you want… many times not entirely in legal way. But I never heard about one single time that his column didn’t came at time or didn’t provide something.
But I can’t complain, last time we didn’t shout very often real ammunition – fucking economical crisis – so now we have as many ammunition as we want.
Well, rest of commander was no better than Sawicki.
First Lieutenant Jakub Borek – commander of infantry company and ten “Rosomak” class armored transporters. Shy as hell, he had a crush on one girl from neighborhood. In general, romantic kind of men, but when he set himself a goal, he always reach it. I had faith in him.
Captain Dariusz Wójcik, that guy had worst job from all of us. He has command of our artillery squadron. That means four “KRAB” class howitzers, four racket launchers BM-21, and two AMOS class mortars. Problem is that captain sow his equipment only in TV before, but Wójcik belong to very old gunners family his grandfather fought during Battle of Warsaw in 1920. Fuck, I never before seen such a military fanatic.
Next on my list was Captain Jan “Johny” Wieteska, he is commander of our four choppers. Madman, he talk with a speed of machinegun bullets. He always has something to say. Johny like his crews were worth their reputation. The biggest drunkers in brigade, but the in every maneuvers they had 10/10 excellent shots. The fly, even with permanent hangover, with great precision.
The next is Captain Wojciech Kurcewicz, real big foot, He has 1’90 meters high and more than 100 kilograms of muscles. How he manage to enter a tank tower, is mystery. He has command of our tank company, armored with PT-91 “Twardy” tanks. I should tell that Wojciech is one of my best friends. He is inteligent, gifted and very ambitious but also eager for a fight.
And finally First lieutenant Karol Stańczak, commander of the scout platoon. He had under him three armored reconnaissance cars BRDM-2, 14 mans and assigned engineers platoon. He was very reticent, stubborn and always goes straight to the point. He has very unique ability to simply vanished into fin air and from nowhere appears 70 kilometers away, take into captivity enemy general and disappear again. How he done this things… nobody knows. There were even a betting, in the brigade, who solve this mystery.
Squad was completed by two lieutenants.
Wacław Grabowski, commander of our antiaircraft battery, (Six of “Szyłka” class units), and Janusz Wojtyński, commander of GROM special unit platoon. Three squads for six operatives each, sniper and Wojtyński himself. He will travel in four Hammers hired for Yankees.
Jumping off from transporter tower, I looked at Corporal Józef Galaś (one of our signalman) who stand at attention.
“ Let the commander refuel their units. Tomorrow we will not waste our time. In the same time the Kitchen prepare a meal.”
When Corporal marched off, I looked above, the skies was cloudy, it looked like we would have a storm soon. Our base was localized on a military zone near Olesno town. Around us had grown a beautiful pine forest. Tanks leave a transport ramps, and with transporters, mortars, racket launchers and with rest of heavy units lined in a row.
Four Mi 24D HIND class choppers enter a air, over the clearing and our camp , so low that I almost lost my helmet to immediately with great grace land in designated area. Of course Wieteska must revenge for my previous comment. Our choppers were probably the most modernize version which technical’s can done. Armored with American GAU-12 artillery sets, caliber 25 millimeters and adapted to carry SideWinder missiles.
Crews work near their units, refuel or placed their belongs in the tents. I heard footsteps behind me as somehow I know it’s Nancy.
“How yours journey Captain?” I asked.
“Good” It was just a normal conversation between two allies officers right?
“ We right now getting ready to test IVIS and MDS’s shield.”
Yes another military technological marvel. IVIS is a system design to establish communication with soldiers and to monitor status of every heavy unit in battalion.
“ I would like to all soldiers, were inside the camp. My mans will, mark with yellow markers zone which no one can cross.” She said.
“To the all units, in any minutes we will start tests of IVIS and protection shield. From now all soldiers are staying inside the camp. No one I repeat No one has a permission to leave outside a yellow markers. How copy?” I ordered
Listing confirmation from commanders I quickly turn around and entered the command vehicle.
In front of computers sat Galaś and Corporal Cypruś. I stood behind them, Nancy stood next to me ( I even could smell of her perfume for a awhile… focus! ), behind us stood the main IT Rick Holden and next to him Kurcewicz and major Łapicki Chief of the General Staff.
“Galaś turn it on” I said, looking on Nancy.
Corporal click on computer window. On screen appear a color map, central point of it was our camp. Dozens of dots was located on map, I needed few minutes to realized that dots in real are symbols of tanks, transporters and choppers. Galaś click once more on one of symbols. In front of our eyes open a window showing us type of vehicle, how many ammunition has onboard, fuel level, and dozens another parameters. The next click I we seen visual of one of cameras set into this unit.
“It is fantastic” I said, nodding with approval “ It looks like computer game”
“Game creators would kill for this algorithm.” Said Holden.
“Is Position applied using GPS?” I asked.
“ Not only.” Answer Holden “ System is dual, GPS not work everywhere especially in deep forest or mountains. That is why every unit has mounted digital communication transmitter and simple positioner.
“Great military “Matrix” ”I smiled “ Command officer known, when corporal from third squad sneezed, can tell coordinates of this sneeze, and chemical composition of discharge. Just Great”
“You get used to it.” Said Nancy.
“ To corporal from third squad?” I said sarcastically.
Nancy take it as offence.
“ Ehh… I just don’t like when technology is more important then I.” I said.
In this time laud thunder rang out. We were so focus on IVIS test that we didn’t seen upcoming storm. Drops of rain began to beat the armor of command vehicle.
We quickly ran into MDS. In meantime big 20 meters long antenna fed out from machine. All technicians were already seated at their computers working with focus. Antenna finished trip up and several laser beam shout from it, connecting with markers like spokes of big umbrella.
Holden looked at Nancy, and she nodded.
Holden turn on a small switch. Quick shiver, like a electric spark, went through my body. On a screen of computer to outline of MDS, laser beams and markers and added a blue image of dome. It looked amazing, but I realized that I am excited of computer animation.
“Shall we look outside?” I asked.
It still raining, but transparent dome of forcefield shield us from simple rain. Drops hit a dome to immediately evaporate with white flash. It was like a fireworks show.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But nobody realized that outside a field in forest stood a strange creature. It looks like horse but has wings and horn on top of head. Her red main flew on a wing but didn’t get wet from storm. Her body was covered by wait fur, except of hip where was a strange symbol inkwell and quill.
“ I am sorry General Dreszer, but this soldiers are needed elsewhere.” She said more to herself.
Then her horn start glowing with light blue aura.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a loud bang. Last thing I remember was, blinding white light on a top of antenna. I felt a strong but painless hit, my vision clouded. I felt like I collapses into a bottomless abyss, I get terrible headache – hit a ground - and lost consciousness.
