Suddenly, all the screens turn off as the Tower goes offline. By powering down the Tower, she disconnects the Tower from the Government’s network, sending an alert to the other sectors to disconnect when the Tower does come back online. She believes and hopes this will stop the CBW from spreading and causing further damage.
This network, codenamed Atlas Grid, is a cyber conglomerate that comprises twenty sectors. There are four sectors for each of the five provinces, all monitored by the Tower, which is in Sector One. The Gewerksma thought by shutting down the Tower, they would bring the whole network down. They were sure the CBW would spread fast enough to infect all twenty sectors.
However, the network’s sections can be individually disconnected or turned off. Luis has shut down the entire system, fearing the CBW could re-connect the server. This was a recent security measure added in thanks to Marcus, one that he most certainly won’t regret after today.
As the system shuts down, the CBW becomes trapped, coming close to jumping to the next sector, becoming a prisoner in a dark world. Yet, it quietly waits for the system to reactivate, waits to destroy everything within its domain. While the threat has been stopped, the Tower cannot monitor the situation or initiate military play calls. These responsibilities are being re-assigned to the other nineteen sectors and the Vault, a process that will take a while.
~
Everyone in the lobby jumps at the sound of an explosion. They can see smoke from a distance away, slowly creeping forward. The guards run towards the smoke, hoping to assist their companions.
Then gunshots ring out. The guards turn around and see several armed individuals running in, guns blazing. Many patrons lie on the ground, either dead or hiding as the Gewerksols begin their attack.
Taking defensive positions, the guards open fire. Despite being on par in terms of weapons and training, they are outnumbered. They know that eventually, the enemy will be able to breach their defenses, overpowering them.
In an act of desperation, two guards run back. They each open a hatch containing a wheel. This wheel activates a heavy wall that can be opened or closed. Made of steel, titanium, aluminum, and carbon, these reinforced walls are designed to withstand a nuclear detonation. Usually, the walls can be activated automatically. However, they require an operational network, which has been powered down. A manual option, two wheels, had been installed in the event something like this ever happened. The two guards turn the wheels.
“Get your asses over here now!”
The guards fighting look behind them and see a thick wall separating them. Not wanting to get trapped on the other side, the guards take off, fighting back as they retreat. One guard comes to a stop.
“We have to save the civilians!” he shouts.
“The risk is too great! If they get in here, millions will die! It’s a sacrifice we must accept!”
The guard nods and reluctantly pulls back. He is the last guard to pass the wall as the gap closes. The Gewerksols are rushing forward, hoping to get through. Yet, they are too late as the walls lock into place. No one can get in or out. The only way to communicate is through the secret telegraph system installed, one that has not been touched in over 50 years.
TURMOIL
NOVEMBER 18th, 2060
8:39 A.M.
MOSKOVA
Sirens sound loudly as people run for shelter. Across the Empire, the Gewerksma have launched an all-out assault to topple the government. Their main objective is in Moskova, though small factions of Gewerksols wage war elsewhere to distract the military.
In Moskova, 1.5 million Gewerksols launch their attack, their targets including the Miktsrod and the Tower. They are also occupying businesses as they destroy their machines that have taken their jobs. Their main focus though is the Presidential Palace, as they believe Aaron has taken down the Atlas Grid and thus, has squashed the government’s communications.
Yet, they remain unaware that the cyberattack has come to a grinding halt, and that communications within the other nineteen sectors are still active. Even then, Sector One isn’t fully shut down as the Vault takes over the responsibilities, coordinating with nearby forts. The mishap in Sector One is only a blip with short-term effects, the long term remaining unaffected.
But right now, the Gewerksma have the upper hand as they swarm the nation. Right now, only the police, Brockov, and The Regiment are their opponents. At the Presidential Palace, however, they fight the Red Skulls. They have managed to push through the gated barrier, thanks to the G131 tanks pushing forward. The sudden attack has caught everyone off guard, including the President, who is still within the building.
To counter their charge, roughly a thousand Red Skulls defend the half-mile rectangular perimeter. Despite their small number, they are more than capable of holding off the Gewerksols. At their disposal is an array of defenses, including pillboxes housing Lapuana machine guns[82], Direct Energy Laser Systems (DELS)[83] designed to stop missiles, and rising barriers to slow vehicles.
This heavy resistance surprises the Gewerksols, keeping them at bay from storming the Presidential Palace. However, they know that their sheer numbers will eventually overpower the Palace’s defenses. The Red Skulls defending are hoping that reinforcements will soon arrive, taking tremendous pressure off them.
“Vault! This is Squawker! Where are our reinforcements??” shouts Hanna as she takes cover behind a pillar, taking heavy fire.
“Squawker. Reinforcements are inbound, ETA 25 minutes,” Scarlet says calmly.
“We don’t have that much time! Those tanks are pounding our position! And DELS hasn’t warmed up yet! We are overwhelmed!”
“Drones are inbound to tear their offense apart, ETA 5 minutes,” Joseph says calmly as well.
“They better take the pressure off! We can’t hold them off forever!”
Joseph and Scarlet look at the multiple screens in the Vault. Across Moskova, they see the Gewerksols fighting the feverish resistance. While this resistance has been helpful, it’ll take the full might of the Red Skulls to crush the Gewerksols. Originally, they were here for a meeting regarding the security of the nation. However, the surprise and sudden attack has thrust them into command mode.
“We got another tank coming in…wait- is that a Kren?”
One of the screens is enlarged by someone. On top of the tank is someone decked out in auburn-colored armor. He stands tall, the sun amplifying his magnificence on the battlefield.
“It must be Indra,” Joseph says with confidence.
“Joseph, we have a problem,” rings a screeching voice in his ear.
“That’s General Fitzcock or Red Devil to you. Go on.”
“It’s the President. He’s refusing to leave his office! He’s in one of his patriotic spells again- Mr. President, put down the gun!”
“No! I must show these unequivocal bastards what we’re made of. The Empire shall not fall, only grow!”
Joseph places his hand on his forehead as he shakes his head in disgust.
“Jeez, god damn it. Okay, who’s going to pull the child from his room?”
Silence strikes the room as everyone’s eyes glide towards Scarlet. It’s embarrassing that their leader, a man in one of the most powerful positions in Zentari, can act like a child at times. They wonder why he can be so defiant to his own security. She rolls her eyes.
“I’ll go get him,” she sighs, succumbing to the peer pressure.
“Good! You get the President and bring him here. I will take care of Indra.”
“But you are going to need help. He’s too powerful.”
“He never was,” Joseph says, smiling as he walks out. “It’s time to test these new Power Suits out.”
Scarlet smirks. She wants to aid Joseph in his fight against Indra, but the President’s safety is just as important. Why can’t Joseph do it? He gets along with the man better than I do. Scarlet and Joseph head to the armory, preparing for the battle that lies ahead.
~
Forts ac
ross the nation have sent hundreds of thousands of Red Skulls into battle. Fort Moskova has already sent the First Lion Guard and Fifth Lightning Cavalry, with the company of the Fourth Red Skull Division. As some of the Empire’s most professional tank operatives, they drive the new Imperial Phantom[84], a four-treaded tank armed with a 150mm railgun, two Lapuana machine guns, and two anti-missile defense systems. Powered by several large lithium-ion batteries, this electric-powered tank has a top speed of 35 MPH, its operational range being 300 miles.
As they approach Moskova, Marcus makes his way to the Phoenix, his personal aircraft. With every step he takes, he is briefed further on the situation, taking in the vast amounts of information. To handle this overbearing burden, he has delegated certain priorities to military officials across the Empire.
For less-concerning matters, forts over a hundred miles away from Moskova must deal with the pockets of Gewerksols attacks. These Red Skulls are tasked with isolating them from town to town, forcing them to surrender. Military forts within a hundred miles of Moskova must devote most to all their resources to liberating Moskova. The strategy is the same except now they must go block by block, ensuring no resistance can be mounted.
Assisting them in their fight is The Regiment. With a member base of 30 million that comprises former Red Skulls, police, and civilians called Corps, they are ten times larger than the Gewerksma. To finance the organization, The Regiment has a contract with the government, wherein they provide intelligence and defense of the nation in exchange for immunity against certain laws.
This alliance has been on shaky grounds lately, however. When the Golden Civics took power in 2055, they enforced the laws at hand, arresting several members for various crimes. This angered the Commander, who has held back some information, weakening the intelligence community’s efforts to protect the nation. Some of that information included rumors of a possible attack by the Gewerksma, reports that held little merit to them. Despite this shaky relationship, they continue to work together as they try to take down the Gewerksma.
“Supreme Commander. Look at this,” says Tim as he shoves his tablet into Marcus’ face.
His tablet shows Donin and Sadara in the armory. They grab their Tarantula 50[85], a .50-caliber sniper rifle that can hold ten rounds. Having learned that the Gewerksma have attacked the nation, they see this as an opportunity to avenge Albric’s death. The pain in their hearts still reverberates in them, devastation they hope to erase with each bullet they fire.
“Only personnel assigned their duties can leave. Keep tabs on them for me, I don’t want them recklessly going out into battle.”
“Yes, Supreme Commander.”
Marcus senses vengeance runs high in them. He knows revenge won’t bring back Albric, nor will it satisfy them. In fact, it will only bring them greater misery and guilt for the lives they’ll take from others. However, that’s something he can’t teach them, something they must learn for themselves.
~
“Captain Williams! Can you get this bird in the air?” asks Sadara as she approaches the pilot.
“Negative, Sergeant, I have no orders assigned to me yet. No fly no go.”
Captain Chalres[86] Williams, aka Sparrow-One, is a tall slim black man with curly black hair. He is in his mid-thirties and has light brown eyes and a temp fade look. Having taken an interest in aviation at a young age, Chalres would fulfill his dream by joining the Airforce as a helicopter pilot. He flies the Imperial Outskirt[87], an electric-powered stealth helicopter with twin propulsion thrusters that give it a speed of 200 mph, its operational range being 320 miles. There are variants of this copter, although the most common have two 7.62x51mm miniguns and can carry twelve soldiers.
Sadara walks up to Chalres, trying to stare him down.
“Then I’ll give you orders,” she says aggressively. “We have been ordered to provide overwatch for a segment of the city. It is vital that we get there as soon as possible.”
“What?” Donin says, confused, shocked that she would lie.
Chalres looks at Donin. He senses that Sadara is lying to him. He looks at her, giving her a smirk.
“Sadara, based on Donin’s reaction, I think you’re lyin-”
Sadara reaches with both her hands and grabs his collar, pulling him towards her. The force she pulls out takes his breath away as he gasps for air.
“We don’t got time for this! We need to get out there right now! The lives of millions are at stake here!”
Damn it, Donin! Her grip tightens. She can’t believe he is questioning her, challenging her lie. Right now, the anger inside her is on fire, ready to be unleashed onto the Gewerksma. She has no time for someone holding back her vengeance.
“So, are you going to take us, or am I going to have to fly this bird myself?”
Chalres stares at her, unsure what to say. He still believes she is lying, looking for an excuse to head towards the action. His silence irks Sadara and she pushes him away.
“Fine then, I’ll do it myself.”
She walks towards the helicopter, opening the door as she hops into the cockpit. She presses the start button, warming up the engines. Chalres stares at her, astonished she would even dare jump in.
“Hey! Get out of there! Do you even know how to fly?”
He takes a step forward before turning towards Donin, wondering why he’s doing nothing.
“That’s my sister for you. I try not to get in her way when she is angry.”
Donin approaches him and leans into his ear.
“And I would probably listen to her too. She’s got more balls than the two of us combined.”
“Umm, don’t you mean-”
“Don’t even go there… just listen to her, okay?”
Chalres looks at him sternly, flabbergasted that Donin agrees with her. He does not like being told what to do. He follows orders from the top and only the top. He would not be bullied into flying these two miscreants.
Donin walks over to the helicopter and gets in. He and Sadara wait patiently inside, hoping that the man will cave to their pressure. They don’t know how to fly a helicopter, but they’ll just teach themselves.
Sadara grabs the joystick in the cockpit as she presses another button. The engines hum as the propulsion comes to life. Slowly, they go from a horizontal to a vertical direction.
Chalres looks on with incredulity. They’re actually going to try to fly this thing. What do I do? He looks around, hoping someone is nearby to help. Yet, he sees no one. Then the helicopter slowly lifts off the ground, climbing slowly. Chalres shakes his head. He fears that they’ll kill themselves, something he couldn’t live with. He sighs, succumbing to the pressure.
“Bloody hell, wait!”
Chalres runs towards the helicopter. Hearing his voice, Sadara lowers the aircraft to the ground. He runs to the pilot side and opens the door.
“Where are we going?”
Sadara smiles as she climbs to the back of the helicopter. Chalres jumps in as he examines the integrity of the aircraft. He sees everything is fine and eases back the joystick up as the aircraft ascends into the air.
“Head to Moskova. I’ll tell you what to do when we get there,” Sadara says with joy.
Chalres sighs again. He knows he doesn’t have clearance to leave. He can bullshit his way, but traffic control is given the orders before he receives them. This defiant act he’s performing will likely get him court-martialed, putting an end to his career. Marcus watches the scene unfold, amazed by their determination.
“Sparrow-One, what are you doing? You don’t have clearance to take off.”
“I just received orders. Requesting permission to take off.”
“Negative Sparrow-One, we haven’t received any orders for your departure. You do not have clearance to take off.”
The shrill voice rings in his ears. Chalres doesn’t want to do it, but he believes Sadara will push him out and take over if he refuses to continue. The helicopter climbs higher as the propulsion
engines turn horizontally.
“Sparrow-One, you do not have clearance! Put that bird on the ground now!”
The air traffic controller is fuming. She wonders how anyone could deny her orders, let alone those of the Supreme Commander himself.
“Let them proceed,” Marcus says calmly over the comms, aware they are going to leave with or without his permission. “All other unauthorized aircraft except the Phoenix, however, are to remain grounded until further notice. Prep Phoenix for takeoff. I will meet them there.”
ASSAULT
NOVEMBER 18th, 2060
10:08 A.M.
MOSKOVA
Gadget is sound asleep. After days of trying to figure out how to conquer the CBW, he has finally succeeded. Through countless failures, he never wavered or surrendered, always approaching the situation differently. However, this brought tremendous stress on him, fatigue that has destroyed his mind and body, causing him to pass out. Despite the alarms going off, he doesn’t stir, his snores masking the sirens.
As he snoozes, a young man runs through the doors. He has received a message from Tim to look for Gadget, to find him as soon as possible. According to him, it is urgent to find him as soon as possible. The man isn’t sure why they need to find him, but whatever the reason, it must have something to do with the Gewerksma uprising.
He spots Gadget lying face down on his desk, snoring loudly. Drool leaks from his mouth, a disgusting sight to see. He walks over to him and bends down into his ear.
“Hey, wake up, Staff Sergeant,” he says delicately.
Gadget doesn’t move as he snores loudly. The man is amazed that he can sleep through these obnoxious sounds, something he himself couldn’t do. Realizing his voice hasn’t awakened him, the man gently shakes him a bit. Again, he doesn’t move. Annoyed, he drastically shakes the man.
“Wake up!”
Gadget lifts his head up. His body jumps at the violent shaking, jerking him back. He falls back from his seat, hitting his head on the floor. If he wasn’t awake already, he is now.
Zurkerx- The Empire Shall Grow Page 23