UN Special Forces Vietnam Forward Research Base

[dakota]

"Rock, are you sure you're up to this?" Khris couldn't help but sound concerned. " I know you've made some headway with your training, but this is different. "

[albatross]

Rock looks at Kris, hesitates then says, "I'm ready Kris. I can bring it down."

Tiger looks back at Rock and Kris, ignoring Vessel for a moment. She turns back to Vessel, turning her back on Rock once more. She nods, "How long until he'll be in position?"

Vessel considers, "He'll sortie shortly and meet the demon half way. He'll have to stop to rest, so he'll meet it in a little more than thirty hours."

Tiger says, "I'll take the first shift in the command center. Lt. White will take over in eight hours. The UN command can watch him sleep and the travel after he rests. I'll return with two hours left until they meet."

She turns to leave, already reaching for her phone to send some messages.

[shiivster]

'Tiger? . . .before you leave you and Rock need to know one thing. the Demon only turned AFTER Rock got the shield up and going. i'll have to double check, but i'm thinking that maybe it sensed the field . . . and surprise may not be on your total side Rock. don't be stupid kid. come back alive . . . or else. got it?'

*that said, she'll step back and head off after the scientists with her hands in the back pocket and clearly once again in deep thought

[albatross]

Tiger stops to think about that for a moment, then keeps walking. When she gets to the command center she plots a course for Rock that isn't precisely straight at the demon. It will take him past it. She wants to test Jeckle's theory.

[dakota]

"JC usually is, which means you are also going to be bait Rock, don't try anything funny, and listen to what command tells you." Khris said, patting the team's trainee on the shoulder. "Freelancing will get you killed."

He looked at Tiger," I'll sit in on the UN command's shift, just in case they try anything stupid while you and White try to get some rest."

[albatross]

Rock and the huge robot are lifted to the surface in one of the giant elevators in the seperate section with the other machines.

Back in the science section, the Vietnamese troops oversee operation of the frieght elevator and the bank of personnel elevators. They leave the loading to the scientists and their assistants, but they insist each trip to the surface be a full elevator.

The labs are chaos with scientists arguing over which equipment should go first.

The three remaining robots are lifted to the surface with the Gates Foundation team as pilots and they begin plodding towards the sea where huge ships await to transport them.

Tiger sits in the command center for eight hours, drilling Rock on his tripping tactics. She arranges for two retrieval teams. Bel arrives and Tiger gives her more instructions. Roan, Marv, Heckle, Akane, Bel and Dante are given instructions to watch over Peacemaker and Dancer in shifts and to inform Tiger immediately of any contact, even by the UN base commander.

After Tiger's shift Lt. White takes over and calmly oversees Rock marching the robot towards the demon for another eight hours. At the end of his shift, he waits for Kris to arrive. He sends Jeckle a text: got the scientists sorted out yet?

[dakota]

Khris was sure to arrive early, glancing around as he walked over to White, " Things going okay so far?"

[shiivster]

*takes a deep breath and then BLOWS on her whistle. once she's shocked them all into silence, she simply states "Get your sections packed now. I'LL decide who goes first. you come to me and start *****ing about the order . . i'll leave your entire section for last . . . got it? . . . now PACK. them army boys ain't gonna wait forever'

*she watches them stand about with loose jaws and claps her hands and makes shooing motions. before answering her text. 'wonderful weather down here. its all full of happiness and rainbows. had to yell, but i got my point made . . . i hope'

[albatross]

White nods to Khris. He shows him around the command center. Set up like NASA mission control, consoles are spread out with technicians and analysts hunched over screens. Most of the stattions are for monitoring, research even.

But up near the front, before a huge bank of screens are the combat technicians: radar, life support, shield monitoring, communications and several screens and analysts who monitor the demons. One of the demons is on the bottom of the Pacific moving towards the Americas. One is crossing the mountians and jungle of Vietnam, and another is demolishing a remote village in the desert in China. The village was evacuated of course. Millions of displaced refugees crowd Austrailia, Alaska and Russia.

Rock has settled down to sleep. Apparently there is some mental fatigue associated with operating the giant. Rock of course wanted to keep going, but White and Tiger adamant that he be rested for the battle. White tells Khris that the technicians change every few hours on a staggered rotation so they aren't all coming in and out at once.

[albatross]

The scientists might have an unlimited reserve of bickering, but yelling at them provides enough of a shock that they start to shut up and work.

Even so, Jeckle only has to look at the elevator to realize that three days is not enough time to move every piece of equipment and every experiment to the surface without disturbing them.

Eventually the UN Commander, who is also the lead scientist, shows up and starts a kind of triage where the most promising and cutting edge experiments are shuttled to the surface and those experiments barely begun or of the more practical variety are left behind.

[dakota]

"All right, I can handle this then." Khris said with a nod. " Go get some rest, I think we're going to need it as much as Rock will." He glanced at the monitors. " Stupid question. They're all concerned one of the demons turned this way and Rock's gone out to meet it, right? So what have the other two been doing while we've been focused on the one?"

[albatross]

Lt. White studied the map detailing the paths all three demons were taking on a large screen. "The other two are unchanged. Only the closest one is moving towards us. Out of range for the others? Or are they communicating somehow?" All the arrayed sensors had detected no communications, but White would mention it to Jeckle anyways.

[dakota]

" Taking them on one at a time is easier anyways, if there is such a thing." Khris replied. " Go grab some rest, or check on Jeckle." He smirked," I can tell you're getting sweet on her anyways and worry about her."

[albatross]

White nods to Khris, "I'll tell Jeckle that only one demon responded." He wanders off to find Jeckle in the chaos of all the equipment and experiments being moved.

Tiger shows up at the command center about a half an hour early. She makes her way through stopping at each technician's station to speak with all of them. Last she stops in front of Khris. "Any changes?" Rock is awake and moving again. A couple hours from the target.

[dakota]

Khris motioned to the monitors. " What you see is what you get." He yawned before adding," and you should still be in bed. You know I would have called if there was any change"