Trampship Wars 2

by L. D. Roberts

  “Isn’t that the one you took Collins up to orbit in Captain? If I remember right that was would have been the only transport left around the warehous e and e that brought the additional guns and munitions that we don’t need any long er but I am damn glad it brought the platforms.” Shaking his own head, Captain Cook looked around and noticed a side screen showing the transit station floor that had been the front line between the bots and troopers. The elevated tracks leading out to the surrounding towers was very busy. A steady stream of trains were running through the station and out to the surrounding towers packed full of people including the roofs. More people were running down ramps leading along the raised tracks and down leading to the ground and the miles of bicycle and walking paths between towers. "My Godstar. Don't those people realize they don’t have time to walk or even run. They will never make it far enough away to keep debris from killing them." Then he noticed troops trying to stop the ones at the top of the ramps. Trying to get them to at least stay on the bike path running a few feet under the elevated monorail tracks as trains kept leaving the station as more arrived as soon as one pulled out. Some of the leaving trains knocking the people flying off the elevated track to fall to their deaths without slowing down. Panicked people that insisted in running out onto the tracks that had only room for the trains to pass over. No one had time to do the long investigations that would have normally b een done while shutting down the rail line. No one being stupid enough to shut down the lines simply because of stupid people.

  Finely with the fire completely out of control and nearing the bomb, Captain Cook ordered the fire fighters out. Punching up the Command APCC, C omamndant aptain Sounders appeared on her screen. “Captain, pull your men out of the basement. The bombs will be going off any second now.”

  “Everyone is out now Captain except Mr. Collins. The Assault boat is just waiting for him now and they will be off.”

  Captain Cook looked down to the base of the tower on the big screen. That had explained why so many marines had suddenly showed up on the upper tower helping the riot troops. “I don’t see a shuttle at the base Captain. Are you sure it is still their?” She did see quite a few English Guard jeeps and trucks running around grabbing up the people that had ran down the ramps from the building. Running them over to the nearest subway ramp a half mile from the building. Some of the trucks and jeeps going right up to the base. She didn't know shit about tunnels or anything else about ground crap but hopped the entrances it was far enough away for the ones getting into them to survive. She was damn sure that the English trucks and jeeps even if they were lightly armored, did not stand a chance any closer than a mile that but they kept going back for more anyway.

  “Yes Captain it is sitting outside the north torpedo bay behind the main concrete shield stuffed full of troops and hostages waiting for the Commander. The Master Sgt. keeps asking permission to go back in to find the Commander. But the Commander’s suit is registering as fit and capable but still deep inside the basement. At least he is on his way out now. Though he is going damn slow still.”

  “Good; get that shuttle out of and away from the building now. If the Commander can make it out in time he does not need the shuttle to fly to safety. I am not going to risk losing a whole shuttle full of men just because Mr. Collins is taking his time. Now get it out of there now! Fact is… Pull our troops from the upper stories as well. I don’t want to lose any of ours when it goes down. I don't care how many civilians are left. The platforms and their own taxis and trucks can take care of the rest if they have time.”

  The screens were now showing more civilian cars and minivans than taxies and delivery vans dropping down to grab people and rushing away.

  It took a few seconds but the shuttle finely appeared on the screen sliding away from the tower when the whole north east corner seamed to explode in a huge fireball and debris, out away from the building. The rest of the charges followed a fraction of a second close behind.

  The shuttle was engulfed in smoke and flames bringing a gasp and exclamations from several of the operators at the consoles around the command center. Captain Cook held her breath without thinking until she saw the shuttle reemerge from the billowing clouds of smoke streaking away from the building’s base. Then hundreds of specks started flying from the upper stories as the top of the building headed for the ground, picking up speed.

  Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she shook her head. There was no way the Commander could have made it out in time.

  Opening her eyes she watched the building collapse down upon itself in seaming slow motion. The top of the tall tower just settle d down as the bottom disintegrated in a rapidly growing, billowing cloud of dust, debris and smoke. The top of the tower gaining speed as it dropped past the last remaining wildly rocking transport and the streams of platforms and marines that continued to belch from its sides as it fell. The upper building structure still in one peace reaching the speed of sound before it disappeared into the rapidly expanding cloud at the bottom.

  The Command center was dead silent as everyone continued to stare at the cloud still billowing and growing up and away from where the building once stood as a guyser geyser of material shot backup strait into the air for several thousand feet and then settled back down to disappear into the growing cloud . Finely Captain Cook asked. “How many were left?”

  Captain Summers took a deep breath. “I estimate only a few thousand by what I could see in the screens of the platforms and the elevated before they blanked out with the explosions. How many of those did not make it onto platforms cars and mini vans that were what was mostly left grabbing people and riot troops and how many did not make it out of the collapsing building we may never now. Nor do I know how many of your marines and bots grabbing civilians on the ground, train station and scattered up through the building managed to get out as it came down. I know several trains were caught in side but they were automated with the engineers taken out before they even went in. I don’t have a clue how many were on them or in the station . But I am sure not as many were left as there could have been.” The Captain looked around. “Ah did Commander Collins make it out in time?”

  Captain Cook took a deep breath. “No, he did not make it out in time. I do not know why he did not come out with the rest.” Slapping the comm in front of her, the C ommandant aptain of marines appeared on the screen. Fighting the urge to scream even though her voice boomed with her face showing her over whelming anger. “Why didn’t Commander Collins come out with the rest of the troops C ommandant a ptain ?” Her words bit the air around her.

  “I do not know Captain. He sent the AI core out and the last of the marines but stayed with the AI controller he had taken off and placed on top of a com pedestal. It sounds like he was interrogating it while he was looking around the cavern from what the last marines to leave said sir.”

  “That a fact C ommandant aptain . I want a full investigation into the matter and how he was left to die after the order was given to evacuate the building and why no one made sure he left. I do believe that was the Master Sargent’s responsibility if I remember duties correctly Captain.”

  “Sir! Commander Collins gave the orders to evacuate the basement and over 3,000 civilian hostages and English troops marines were evacuated in a matter of minute’s sir. In all the confusion sir the Sgt. Major was already in the Shuttle after his third trip when the Commander ordered that no one was to reenter the building. It is hardly the Sargent Maj...”

  “Yes Captain; the Commander should have been the first one out damn it. Somebody's head is going to roll for this fuck up even if it is mine. Hopefully it won’t be the whole ships.” Captain Cook reached down and pushed the comm button off blanking the screen and sat back shaking her head.

  Captain Cook sat beside Captain Summers as they s S tar ed ring at the still growing cloud as it engulfed the nearest buildings and then the next buildings and the estimated 5 million sightseers that had gathered to watch the show. Covering them
in inch thick layer of poisonous ash sending many of them to hospitals from inhaling the dust when they did not even cover their mouths with a clo th. The cloud going beyond the line to and the next row of towers down wind even though the towers averaged a mile apart. Swallowing up the vast parkland between towers like a huge tidal wave across a p ie shaped quarter of the city .

  Turning to Captain Summers , Captain Cook she took an unusually deep drag on her stogy bringing tears to her eyes as she made sure she did not cough up her lungs like they felt. Finally taking in a fresh breath of air. “Well now what Captain? I still need those lifeboats to launch.”

  “And I still need that damn Military AI taken care of and my Admiral rescued. So we are both fucked. But don’t commit suicide just yet Captain. It is still too soon to count casualties. That is one thing this war has taught me is that the dead do come back to life when you least expect it. Especially if you don’t have their body for proof. Our Disaster Relief and War Damage Control agencies, pretty much mothballed since the war ended, are already starting to come back on line with thousands of troops recalled and headed this way shortly. As soon as the dust settles we will start digging up the pile and hope we can find him alive. In that damn suit of armor he can survive for several weeks buried if he survived the collapse."

  Studying the screen on the table in front of her she looked up at Captain Cook. "You take your crew home and lick your wounds and pray if you are so inclined. It could take a month to find out for sure if he is still alive under that mess but we will find him dead or alive. So go home. You have a lot of wounded to take care of by the looks of what I have seen. With all the medical equipment we dumped on your ship over the last few days you may as well take them home and use it.” She flicked her screen through several pages and then. “Yes, transport numbered 5 using your list, is a medical transport with a full surgery and hospital in the additional top deck added to that class. Three others 2, 7 and 10 have the additional deck as well with one a Command and Control Center with full flag accommodations and the other 2 extended out to 500 feet with the upper equipment platform on the cargo deck made into permanent berthing for troops. I won’t expect those 4 back at the warehouse until after you have taken care of your crew Captain. They are plenty large to carry all the shuttles and APC’s.” Taking a breath as she frowned at Captain Cook. “You have put enough orbital time on the shuttles as it is. I don’t want you wearing out the shielding before they are sold.” Looking up at Captain Cook. “Your Command APCC is on it’s way back now to pick you up. I will comm you as soon as I get any word on what we find or don’t find in what is left of the building. I won’t make you return the battle suits and equipment until after I obtain confirmation of the Commander’s death.” Turning around to lo ok at Captain Cook. “I f inally took the time to give the contract a good read while I was waiting for your troops to finish preparations and I can’t believe I signed it. I underestimated Mr. Collins. He changed the wording of a few seemingly unimportant paragraphs to get everything he wanted for as long as he wanted them. But he made one little slip. W ith him dead , you get fucked Captain Cook.”

  The screen finely switched to an overhead multi wavelength view from the orbiting sensor torpedoes , of a devastated land of debris piled up clear out to and around the bases of the surrounding buildings with hot spots and whole wall sections scattered throughout. Pieces of the fallen building were even highlighted sticking out of the surrounding towers a mile away. Shaking her head sadly as she starred at the main large wall screen and the large crater in the center from the thousands of tons of sway weights that had impacted the ground well above the speed of sound that created a huge explosion s all by themselves that also created a thousand yard diameter, two hundred yard high ring of earth around the three hundred yard deep crater burying everything out to the surrounding buildings. The thousand s ton weights embedded in soled bed rock a thousand feet below the rubble that had dropped back in to fill part of the crater.

  “I am sorry Captain Summers but nothing could have lived through that and I expect you to honor the contract and deliver the lifeboats which do not depend on Mr. Collins being alive so we can get the hell off this godstar forsaken planet and I hope we never have to see this bud ball again .” Captain Cook’s lips She sneered around her stogy, Captain Cook walked out of the Command center .

  slamming the hatch behind her as a tear came to her eyes.

  Then to the empty passageway. “I was just starting to like that dam n boy. Reminded me of me when I was his age.” But then she realized that the death of the boy probably meant the death of the Queen.

  Chapter 22: Getting rid of a piece of junk suit ---------------- 315

  The Command APCC slipped into the back of the transport boat two hours later. The deck was packed with equipment and marines. Turning to the C ommandant aptain of Marines as the APCC settled onto the deck. “I thought you said that you distributed the marines between the 4 transports Captain Summers gave us?”

  C ommandant aptain Sounders of the marines looked out the APCC’s bridge ports. “Yes sir , looks about right to me with our share of the Ships Patrol and all the new recruits Collins you had us bring along. The two troop transports actually have more troops in them than we do even though all the casualties are on this Transport since this boat is the medical boat equipped to take care of them. The Bots are just making it look like we have more troops. Espeacially Especially with our share all of those that have joined us that were the AI’s in the tower. Thank Godstar the buddy bots were able to take over control of the remote bots when Commander Collins AI stopped transmitting. ”

  The Commandant of marines smiled at Captain Cook. “Buddy bots that have their own bots. ” Chuckling as he shook his head. “ Though we are already packing the extra bots into storage containers we were going to use for the bot buddi es. Which mean s the bot buddies will have to stay out and active with their marines. ” Taking a look around the hold. “ Thank Godstar Collins got us a truck load of spar brains for the bots we had. We should have enough to equip most of those we captured if we can find a use for them . ” The Marine Commandant frowned. “I am going to miss the kid. He was one hell of a marine.”

  Captain Cook looked at the marine Commandant as her lips tightened up. Then to change the subject she said . “ The other transports still carrying refugees, not carrying Marines will start boosting back to the English base after they finish unloading at the refugee s centers in the surrounding cities. Even with only 3 4 0 or 50 crewmen on each boat, they should have the refugees cleaned out and be leaving shortly. The English are providing transport for the crews back to the Queen when they land at their main base on the other side of the planet sir . I w as hoping she would just let us ditch most of the transports in place and we could pick up the crews on this end. I thought we would have plenty of room with the marines but now I am not so sure. ” Taking the cold stogy out from between her lips . “How long before your troops are ready to lift?” Captain Cook already knew the procedure but needed something to keep he r mind off the looming precipice that could keep them grounded if Captain Summers did not come through with the life rafts and whatever else they needed .

  “ Well C aptain , it looks like most of the other transport s S ome should beat us back to the queen by several hours. These 4 Transport boats will take another hour at least to get the equipment checked, tied down and the troops mustered so we don’t leave anyone behind and in their flight seats before we can launch.”

  Captain Cook si ghed. She was hoping the Com mandant would have been in a hurry to leav e as well.

  “How are the wounded doing Sounders?”

  “I was just getting ready to go up and see Captain.”

  The transport’s Commander (the Queens First Officer) met them as they walked off the APCC. Captain Cook looked around at all the Marine s working on equipment instead of tying them down and shook her head. “Ok Sounders, I guise it is going to take an hour to get this bucket ready to lift. Shal
l we go up and see how the wounded are doing. I still have not seen a casualty report.”

  A Sargent standing next to the APCC’s ramp asked. “Any word on Commander Collins Sir?”

  Turning to fac e the Sgt. with a frown, staring at him for a second as she fought down the sorrow flood ing over her at the reminder. Taking a puff on her stogie to buy time she finally barked. “Sorry Sgt. No word yet but it is going to take a while to find his body in that mess.” Then continued towered the midship’s elevator hatch that emptied into the Sickbay Hospital on the upper deck. A dozen times she was asked about Commander Collins before she reached the elevator and a Dozen times she repeated shorter parts of her answer getting a little more exasperated with each until the last one she simply barked, “NO!” no . . Each time getting a little more exasperated .” Finely ignoring the last couple of inquiries. requests. T T hen reaching the Hospital deck the questions started all over again sometimes before she could even ask how the marine was doing. Her answer finely degenerated down to a simple nothing yet. She finely had to leave when a marine coming out of surgery, still half groggy, decided that it was time to get up and go looking for the Commander .

  Captain Cook finished her walk through the Hospital tight lipped trying not to lose her patience with the patients. Marine C ommandant aptain Sounders having excused himself to return to the equipment deck after talking to the Doctors then making a quick walk through . The Captain watched the Marine Captain leave , wondering why he was suddenly in a hurry and had continued around the wards feeling duty bound to personally check on as many of the wounded as she could even though their constant questions about the Commander forced her to continually bite her tongue and did her best to simply spend a few minutes with each of the patients . Listening patiently to each of the Doctors making the rounds with her, explaining the problems of their patients . R r elieved when they did not ask about the Commander as well. But s he finely had to leave the boats huge Sickbay hospital when a marine coming out of surgery, still half groggy , decided that it was time to get up and go looking for the Commander . Everyone in earshot tried to follow before the nurses and doctors got them back to their beds .