Immortal Guardian: Hoast Saga Book 2 (Host Saga)

by Michael Farlow

  Once inside, Barbara and Van stood next to each other while Van shook hands with many of the Carson Group team. When the friendly exchanges were finished, Brice asked the expected question that he clearly was dying to ask. “What new things have you brought this time, Van?”

  “We have something to show you and your team, Brice, but I’m more curious about this news you have. Can we hear that first?”

  “Of course,” Brice said. “I think Barbara has the details.”

  “Thanks, Brice,” said the tall, athletic woman as she moved to the head of the table. She took a glancing look over her shoulder at Van and smiled. “As you are probably aware, ISIS continues to be active in Syria and Iraq. Over a year ago, ISIS forces briefly took control of Iraq’s largest hydroelectric dam on the Tigris River, the seven-hundred-fifty-megawatt Mosul Dam. Their object then was not to destroy the dam but to control the water flow as they do with the Tabaqa Dam in Syria. By creating a water shortage, they hoped to create enough problems that the cities below the dam would capitulate. They were eventually repelled and their strategy defeated. However, intelligence suggests that ISIS will soon attempt to recapture the dam. Experience suggests they will not be able to hold it for very long unless they have another plan. We believe that plan may be a threat to breach the dam and release all two point seven cubic miles of water in the lake, creating a tsunami-like wave of death and destruction. If successful, they will hold Mosul and Baghdad hostage, as well as the entire region between the two cities.

  “As you can see from this diagram, the dam itself is oriented northwest to southeast and is about one point three miles long and a little over forty feet across the top with a twenty-foot-wide roadway from end to end. The slopes on either side are about one point five to one, which expands the base substantially below the waterline, as you can imagine. The water towers and the generation station are in the northwest corner, and a spillway is in the southeast corner.”

  “That’s a big dam,” Van said. “Wouldn’t it be difficult for ISIS to breach?”

  “Good question. Under most circumstances and assuming the dam was well built, it would be difficult. However, not for this dam. Most experts conclude that it is incredibly unstable, having been built on a foundation of gypsum, a soft mineral that dissolves in contact with water. Maintenance is required to plug, or ‘grout,’ new leaks and cracks with a liquefied slurry of cement and other additives twenty-four hours a day, six days a week. A report by the United States Army Corps of Engineers calls this the most dangerous dam in the world. The report further suggested that in a worst-case scenario, a sudden collapse of the dam would flood Mosul under sixty-five feet of water, and Baghdad, a city of seven million people that’s located two hundred eighty-one miles away, to fifteen feet, with an estimated death toll of five hundred thousand. Given sufficient time and enough explosive charges in grouting holes at the base of the downstream side, the dam could easily be made to completely collapse. If that were not enough, the hydroelectric facility apparently contains entrances to a tunnel network inside the dam, which could lead to secondary explosive sites.

  “Unfortunately, neither Iraqi nor Peshmerga forces seem likely to be able to stop a stronger and more concerted attempt by ISIS this time compared to the last failed attempt. It appears that ISIS learned much from their previous assault and will likely act fast to preclude outside intervention, if it would come.

  “As before, we expect that ISIS will place spotters and/or gun emplacements in the high ground on the west side of the dam. These sites can cover the hydroelectric plant, the dam top road, and access to the base of the downstream side of the dam where much of the grouting is taking place. It is probable that they will also attempt to blow the spillway bridge on the east side to prevent reinforcements. The latter attacking forces could come by boat from the west side of the lake.”

  “What are the chances that the US or another country will intervene?” Van asked.

  “Little to none, I’m sorry to say. It would take elite ground forces that the US and others are still not willing to commit. Even the current limited air support can do little without damaging the dam and causing the resultant flood, though they may be able to help with gun emplacements and troops in the open. The interesting or impossible part would be the coordination of ground forces with the attack aircraft. I don’t know how to do that and keep our work covert.”

  “So how are we involved?” asked Van, not seeing why he was hearing this briefing.

  “I can answer that,” replied Dick. “The Carson Group, along with other companies with tactical services, has been asked by the Defense and State Departments if we can help. Covertly, of course. So far there have been no takers.”

  “Why not?” asked Van.

  “ISIS can put a great many people into the field, and individually none of the private companies feel they have the manpower or equipment to face such a large force. Frankly, alone we don’t have that capability either. Unless of course you have an idea or a trick up your sleeve that will make a difference,” Dick said, placing a hand over his mouth to cover what appeared to be a smile.

  “Oh I see, this is a setup to see if Harry and I have one or more new toys to help you make a decision,” Van said, not bothering to hide his smile.

  “Well, yes,” Dick said. “We are asking for your help as part of our partnership. If it can be done, it would be quite important to the Carson Group.”

  “How much time do we have?”

  “Not much,” answered Barbara. “We expect things to happen in a week or less.”

  Via their implant communications and with Dick locked out, Harry said, “Commander, we need to talk for a moment.”

  “Excuse me, all,” Van said. “My partner just gave me a sign he wants to talk.”

  Van and Harry moved to the far corner of the room.

  In low tones, Harry said, “Commander, if that dam is allowed to break, it will flood the entire area below it.”

  “Yes, that’s what Dick and the others are concerned about.”

  “I know, Commander. But recall the buried Host site. It is below the dam, and if the dam breaks, it will erode the sand in that area and expose the site.”

  “Shit, I forgot about that,” Van said with a reddening face. “But I’m not excited about getting involved with this whole adventure. Too much risk on our part, and it takes away from the time we need to work on the advances in space we ultimately need to face the Arkon.”

  Then Van was struck by a thought, and his color returned to normal. “You know, Harry, this might be turned into an advantage for us. A fight on the dam could be the distraction we need to dig out the site and empty it.”

  “But, Commander, you just said you didn’t like the idea.”

  “I didn’t like the idea with the Carson Group and us directly involved and devoting our focus to terrorism instead of preparing for the Arkon. But we may not have to do much. We still have a substantial amount of Meier’s money, and we can use some of it to buy some help.” Van paused to consider the idea, then nodded to himself. “Let’s get back to the group.”

  Once reassembled with the others, Van spoke. “Harry and I just talked about this—and the answer is no. ISIS is a problem, but no longer one of our goals.”

  This is not what Dick expected to hear, and it took a moment for him to recover. “How can you say no to this?” he asked. “The lives of thousands are involved.”

  Everyone turned to Van to see his face and hear his answer.

  “I didn’t say we wouldn’t help. What I meant was that Harry and I don’t want to get deeply involved, and we prefer that the Carson Group not take the risk either. However, we can hire the help.”

  “You mean hire mercenaries?” Brice asked incredulously.

  “Yes. And I’ll bet you and the Carson Group could orchestrate that rather quickly.”

  Brice’s brow wrinkled. “We could, but we don’t have that kind of money. Do we, Dick?”

  “Not even close,
” Dick said, crossing his arms and waiting to see how Van meant to get this accomplished.

  “We can arrange the funds through some cash Peter Meier donated. All you have to do is hire the right people and manage the project. I think you guys can do that from here. We might loan you a drone or B1 help if you need it.”

  Brice and Dick exchanged glances. A few moments passed, and finally Brice nodded his head.

  “OK, Van,” Dick said. “Brice will make the right contacts and the necessary arrangements. I’ll let you know the funding details. But I warn you, it will be expensive.”

  “I expect it will, Dick. But now, let’s all adjourn to the hangar.”

  “Wait a minute!” Barbara almost shouted. “What could be a more important goal than the defeat of ISIS and terrorism in general?”

  She wasn’t alone in this thought. Heads nodded all through the room as if in agreement with her question.

  Oh boy, Van thought, why did she have to ask that? I can’t give the actual answer here and now. And when I do tell her, she’ll be mad, especially since what Harry and I have been secretly doing has been going on since she and I met again. I’ve got to face her at some point, but not just yet. In actuality, Van was afraid of Barbara’s reactions when he told her the whole story. He was being something of a coward and digging a hole for himself—and he knew it.

  “That’s a good question, Barbara. And one that I expect many others are asking themselves right now. But neither Harry nor I are ready to address that now. Stellar does a great deal of proprietary work, and all I can say now is that we aren’t ready to answer that question yet. You’ll have to accept that we have our reasons.”

  “And if we don’t?” came a question from someone.

  “Then I’m sorry. But most of you came from the military, which has its classification systems. We have them also in the private sector under the heading of ‘Proprietary.’ And this is one of those proprietary areas. I hope you’ll respect the boundaries just as you did as good soldiers. Now, if there is nothing else, let’s make our way to the hangar. I want you to see that we do extend a great deal of trust to you.”

  Harry preceded Van to the shuttle to don one of the new battle suits retrieved from the Moon.

  Van stopped at the foot of the B1 ramp and began to speak. “Some of us at Stellar have been working to improve the current fighting suits that we and you have been using over the past year. After seeing several of our folks nearly incapacitated when struck at close range with automatic weapons, we decided that more and better armor was needed. That of course added weight to the suits that, under normal conditions, would make them hard to move about in combat. So we added a powered exoskeleton to the system that makes carrying the extra weight almost unnoticeable. Additionally, it adds strength to the user and increases over-the-ground speed dramatically. Come on out, Harry.”

  The group was startled as Harry came out of the B1 wearing one of the suits. Flat-black, the Mk-1 appeared humanoid, but with larger-than-expected arms and legs, as well as torso and head. The suit stood over six and a half feet high and was clearly armored nearly head to toe. The helmet, equally black, bore a barely noticeable faceplate. Around the wrists of each protectively gloved hand were bulges and fittings that were, as yet, a mystery.

  “We call this the Mark One Battle Suit or just Mk-1,” Van began, secretly amused at their reactions. “As you will see, it’s easy to put on and provides ballistic as well as chemical and biological protection. It is powered by more advanced compressed power crystals than are publicly available today, which can power the suit under normal operations for up to thirty-six hours before a recharge is needed.

  “It has similar stealth capabilities as your existing suits but better, as well as an improved heads-up display on the inner visor for communications and situational awareness. It also has an air-filtration system that can create a self-contained system when selected. Finally, it has a heating and cooling system that will maintain normal body temperature in most environments, and an integrated stunner.”

  Nobody moved. Nobody said a word.

  “Well, I did expect a few questions. Cat got your tongues?” asked Van.

  “This is real?” asked Ross incredulously.

  “Yes, it is. Want to try one on? We have a bunch to give you.”

  Suddenly there was a rush as Brice’s teams each tried to be first at trying on a new suit or claim one for themselves.

  “Hold on, hold on. There is plenty of time, and we are not going to take them away from you. As before, however, these are proprietary devices—or, as you would say, ‘top secret.’ Also, as you would say, if you tell anybody, we will have to shoot you.”

  Brice and his team surrounded Harry, who had taken off his helmet and was explaining the details of the suit. Meanwhile, Van, Dick, and Barbara moved back into the briefing room.

  “Well you did it again, Van. Brice and his team will play with these for a long time. They might even be of use in the Mosul project,” Dick said with a broad grin.

  “Yes, they could. But as you said, it would likely take more people than we have. And I’m not ready to start arming the world’s mercenaries with these things. No, it’s best we keep control of them for now. But the better Brice’s team is with them, the better they’ll be overall. If the past is any indicator, the suits will be important to us all at some point down the road.”

  As Van was ending the conversation with Dick, he saw Barbara motioning for his attention and walked to her.

  “You weren’t going to leave without saying good-bye were you?” she said, smiling and reaching for his hand.

  To Van she seemed to have forgotten the hard questions in the briefing. “No, of course not. I just couldn’t get away from Brice and Dick.” He gave her a smile of his own, feeling the warmth of her hand. For some reason, just holding her hand in the past had always been like a breath of fresh air. Just as it was now.

  “Do you have time for a walk outside?” Barbara asked.

  “You read my mind.”

  The two strode hand in hand out one of the side doors. The night breeze was just enough to carry the smell of the nearby trees and freshly mown grass as they walked along the stone pathway that went around the building. There were no clouds, and the half-moon made Barbara’s face seem angelic to Van.

  “I know I said some harsh things in the meeting, but I hope you know that I wasn’t pushing for you to go on the mission,” said Barbara, looking up at him as they walked.

  “Well I’m not wild about the whole project, but it’s important to Dick. If I agree to play, it will be at a safe distance.”

  “Good.” Barbara reached with her free hand to hold his arm. “You’ve been doing too much over the past year, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. Besides, I want to spend more time with you, and it’s hard when you’re moving around as much as you have. Any chance that will slow down?”

  Van reflected on how he’d gotten here, on how he hadn’t wanted to become what he had. His introversion made it hard to relate to people, even Barbara, but he knew he had to be more open. “I want it too, Barbara. It was never in my simple life plan to be doing the things I have recently. But life seems to have a plan all its own.”

  “I know. But at least that plan has brought us together again.”

  They both stopped walking and briefly looked at each other before they kissed. Then they started walking again, hand in hand. Looking up at the night sky and summoning up courage, Van said, “Have you ever wondered if there was life out there among all of those stars?”

  “Where did that come from?” asked Barbara, smiling up at him as they walked.

  And just as he was about to tell Barbara the story of the Host, Brice’s voice boomed out. “Van, are you out here? We need you back in the briefing room.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Dieter Hellman was not yet done with the tasks assigned to him by Rendon. About the time of the delivery of the first spacecraft to Brazaero and before the fir
st engine test, he had flown from Germany to the Philippines and was now in Surigao City, located at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island and the capital of the province of Surigao del Norte.

  Here, with the help of the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC), a small company was formed called Surigao Fuels to join the competition to produce the deuterium-tritium fuel needed by the new fusion engines. Initially it was thought that the deep waters of the 869-mile-long Philippine Trench might be a prime site from which to draw natural deuterium. The short time frame posed by the global challenge to be first, however, required Surigao Fuels to revert to the traditional processing of water in addition to the careful formation of tritium from lithium. To date they had been successful in setting up the required processing systems and were on the edge of producing their first pellets.

  Normally, the safest way to produce tritium was in heavy-water-moderated reactors, as opposed to conventional nuclear reactors. Even so, the production amounts were quite small. The process that had been revealed to the world just a few weeks ago, however, improved the yields by several orders of magnitude and introduced new processes and safety protocols. But the overall process was not without risk of both violent reaction and radiation if all safety precautions were not followed.

  As he had done in Germany, Dieter took a few days to seek out help in completing his plans. But unlike with the German project, he did not approach company technicians. Instead, he spent some time in the city looking over the various protesters who had gathered in the small town to protest yet another attempt by the government to dabble in a dangerous nuclear activity.

  The major group was the Association for a Nuclear-Free Philippines. It was groups like this one that successfully protested the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which never went operational. But Dieter didn’t have time for protesters to do their thing. He needed more action to meet Frederico’s near-term needs.

  In a local café, Dieter found what he was looking for. A heated argument was going on at a table in the back. A young man seemed to be impatient with the association’s progress and was being mollified by the older man at the table.