Story Serious Protection
- Thread starter FMJ
- Start date
FMJ
Technical Senior
I’m not from around here and I’m traveling alone. Please, is there something I should know about?”
“Oh Lord, hon! You honestly didn’t hear about it? It’s on right now! The newsies have been full of it all morning! Seems there was some kind of a massacre out on the interstate last night about a hundred miles south of here. Five cars got cut to pieces and eight folks are dead, some was just kids. Sheriff Browell said it was strange. He said it didn’t look like those folks died in the wreck but afterwards, outside their cars. It’s just terrible, nothing like that has ever happened around here before.
First the newsies said it was the work of some inmates that escaped from a mental hospital last week till somebody else said they had already been caught before this happened. Now they’re talking about some outlaw gang on a rampage. I can’t believe you didn’t hear about it.”
“Wow. No, I didn’t hear a thing. Thanks for the warning, though. I’ll be extra careful. I’ll just be a few minutes in the restroom,” Lizzy said as she turned. Lizzy made a show of checking her reflection in the front window facing Magnus while holding up one finger to signify a short delay and Magnus blinked a driving light to signal understanding.
In the restroom, Lizzy had to hold on to the edge of the sink for a minute till she could stop shaking. She could not get the images out of her mind of the Strax trackers and hunters streaking off into the dark. She knew in her own mind that the Strax had killed those people on the interstate and her thoughts returned again and again to the tense moments in the graveyard when the black killer machine rolled silently towards them. Eight people dead! She could not prevent herself from imagining how the encounter might have gone if the trackers had been able to find Magnus. Lizzy washed her hands and face quickly with cold water and dragged a brush through her hair before hurrying back into the little diner where several people were watching the newscast about the big accident on the interstate with interest.
“Oh Lord, hon! You honestly didn’t hear about it? It’s on right now! The newsies have been full of it all morning! Seems there was some kind of a massacre out on the interstate last night about a hundred miles south of here. Five cars got cut to pieces and eight folks are dead, some was just kids. Sheriff Browell said it was strange. He said it didn’t look like those folks died in the wreck but afterwards, outside their cars. It’s just terrible, nothing like that has ever happened around here before.
First the newsies said it was the work of some inmates that escaped from a mental hospital last week till somebody else said they had already been caught before this happened. Now they’re talking about some outlaw gang on a rampage. I can’t believe you didn’t hear about it.”
“Wow. No, I didn’t hear a thing. Thanks for the warning, though. I’ll be extra careful. I’ll just be a few minutes in the restroom,” Lizzy said as she turned. Lizzy made a show of checking her reflection in the front window facing Magnus while holding up one finger to signify a short delay and Magnus blinked a driving light to signal understanding.
In the restroom, Lizzy had to hold on to the edge of the sink for a minute till she could stop shaking. She could not get the images out of her mind of the Strax trackers and hunters streaking off into the dark. She knew in her own mind that the Strax had killed those people on the interstate and her thoughts returned again and again to the tense moments in the graveyard when the black killer machine rolled silently towards them. Eight people dead! She could not prevent herself from imagining how the encounter might have gone if the trackers had been able to find Magnus. Lizzy washed her hands and face quickly with cold water and dragged a brush through her hair before hurrying back into the little diner where several people were watching the newscast about the big accident on the interstate with interest.
Thanks
Some things Lizzy needs to ask Magnus. Can he monitor local radio and television broadcast? Does he have a portable communicator for Lizzy? How does he rates, offensively and defensively, against each of the Strax and all?
If the Strax cars have similar energy systems, the final confrontation should be in the high desert, little water to be found and less collateral damage.
Some things Lizzy needs to ask Magnus. Can he monitor local radio and television broadcast? Does he have a portable communicator for Lizzy? How does he rates, offensively and defensively, against each of the Strax and all?
If the Strax cars have similar energy systems, the final confrontation should be in the high desert, little water to be found and less collateral damage.
stjwelding
Veteran Member
Thank you FMJ, great story, will be checking for more.
Wayne
Wayne
FMJ
Technical Senior
The waitress caught up to her at the door and pressed a paper bag and a bottle of water into her hands.
“It’s just a ham and cheese sandwich, honey. Something for the road. You take care now, okay?” the waitress cautioned with a worried look.
“Thank you, I will,” responded Lizzy sincerely.
She waved goodbye to the waitress as she hurried out the door to find Magnus waiting patiently at the curb. She quickly opened the door and sat down in the pilot’s seat closing her eyes with a sigh of relief.
“We need to leave now.”
Lizzy jumped, “Did you already know what I heard about in there? Was it the Strax that killed those people?”
“I just received information that Strax machines had come into contact with several vehicles but I did not know about casualties, Lizzy.”
“That would have been us if you hadn’t stopped in the graveyard this morning and shut down, wouldn’t it?”
“No, Lizzy. Unlike most other vehicles on the road, I am heavily armed and aware of the Strax threat. I am confident we could prevail against a single Strax pod.”
“Really?”
“Yes, my Lady.”
“Wait, is that what you and I are supposed to do? Can we stop the Strax? Are we supposed to hunt them? Can we make them pay for what they did last night?”
After a moment of silence, Magnus asked, “My Lady hungers for the wild hunt?”
“Magnus, my beautiful blue Cerulean Knight, how about you and I go get even tonight?”
“My Lady, by your command.”
“It’s just a ham and cheese sandwich, honey. Something for the road. You take care now, okay?” the waitress cautioned with a worried look.
“Thank you, I will,” responded Lizzy sincerely.
She waved goodbye to the waitress as she hurried out the door to find Magnus waiting patiently at the curb. She quickly opened the door and sat down in the pilot’s seat closing her eyes with a sigh of relief.
“We need to leave now.”
Lizzy jumped, “Did you already know what I heard about in there? Was it the Strax that killed those people?”
“I just received information that Strax machines had come into contact with several vehicles but I did not know about casualties, Lizzy.”
“That would have been us if you hadn’t stopped in the graveyard this morning and shut down, wouldn’t it?”
“No, Lizzy. Unlike most other vehicles on the road, I am heavily armed and aware of the Strax threat. I am confident we could prevail against a single Strax pod.”
“Really?”
“Yes, my Lady.”
“Wait, is that what you and I are supposed to do? Can we stop the Strax? Are we supposed to hunt them? Can we make them pay for what they did last night?”
After a moment of silence, Magnus asked, “My Lady hungers for the wild hunt?”
“Magnus, my beautiful blue Cerulean Knight, how about you and I go get even tonight?”
“My Lady, by your command.”
FMJ
Technical Senior
(5)
Cerulean Knight M2GNS8 Log Entry # TVS29.12675:
To be fair, the Strax were unaware my pilot and I knew of their plans for invasion and conquest. The military operation we are running on Earth is still covert, so luckily for us, the Strax are not yet acquainted with TVS technology or weapons, let alone the Cerulean Knights. Our first direct engagement will be nothing short of a pre-emptive strike for I have been authorized by my pilot to operate in full weapons free mode. I am ready.
“Magnus, we’ve been cruising for two hours now without a single peep from the Strax. Are you sure they aren’t keeping a low profile after attacking those people last night?” inquired Lizzy with her chin in one hand.
“Lizzy, the Strax are convinced they have far superior weapons and technology. They also believe they have arrived on Earth undetected and can direct lethal operation of their machines against an innocent populace with impunity. They will feel no need to avoid confrontation.”
“Well, where are they then? How do we find them?”
“Perhaps we can lure them out of hiding if we demonstrate an advanced capability.”
“You mean, like reveal ourselves? Is that smart? If they find out about the Cerulean Knights, won’t that be bad?”
“Fear not, my Lady. I shall only reveal some high velocity.”
“Really? How fast are we talking here, Magnus?”
“Faster than the Strax, my Lady, rest assured. Lizzy, please face forward in the pilot’s chair. For this operation, I will need you to wear combat restraints for your own safety. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I guess so. This won’t hurt, will it?”
FreeSpace
Veteran Member
I need more and faster updates on this threat! The response of our nation is my responsibility. I trust you and assign you the position of Intel analyst level 1a with Codename SCOOTER. We need your Intel to Make America Great Again.
Your paygrade will match your new Intel position.
May the Lord be with us.
The Donald.
Your paygrade will match your new Intel position.
May the Lord be with us.
The Donald.
FMJ
Technical Senior
Hmmm, maybe it has something to do with an unlimited fusion reactor feeding energy to 4000 electric traction horsepower? Nah, prolly not. Forget it.
FMJ
Technical Senior
“I will not allow you to be hurt or come to harm, my Lady.”
“Okay, I believe you, Magnus. I’m ready.”
Lizzy’s eyes grew wide as a number of slender silver bands slowly extended from the sides of the pilot’s chair to enclose her body, gradually tightening around her arms, legs and torso to pull her snugly into the soft leather seat like a firm hug. Lastly, a silver shield extended slowly from the headrest to enclose her head and connected solidly to latch into place on the opposite side. Lizzy gasped when the shield interior lit up with tactical and status indicators in a kaleidoscope of colors overlying the green night vision view of the dark road outside. In one corner was a moving overhead view of the road with a blinking blue icon centered on their position.
“Wow! This is great! There’s so much information!” Lizzy exclaimed.
“Now you see what I see, my Lady,” Magnus’ deep voice issued from speakers within the shield. “In combat mode, we are one. Accelerating.”
Even within the sealed cabin and within the confines of the combat restraints, Lizzy could feel the rapidly increasing acceleration push her deeper into the soft pilot’s chair. Objects along the road whipped past in a blur as the instrument readings climbed into unfamiliar areas. The whine of the fusion engine and the roar of air over the windshield climbed to levels she had never heard before as Magnus hurtled down the road in an effort to attract the attention of the Strax.
Lizzy was even more impressed with the tactical display within the shield when she realized her eye movements were being tracked. She only had to look at one of the small displays around the edge of the main display and it would grow to take the place of the main. Lizzy’s attention was drawn to the orbital view screen of the road ahead when it abruptly lit up with a single icon blinking in green.
“What’s that, Magnus?”
“Green means no advanced weapons detected. The heat signature would indicate a civilian vehicle moving at normal speed.”
“Okay, I believe you, Magnus. I’m ready.”
Lizzy’s eyes grew wide as a number of slender silver bands slowly extended from the sides of the pilot’s chair to enclose her body, gradually tightening around her arms, legs and torso to pull her snugly into the soft leather seat like a firm hug. Lastly, a silver shield extended slowly from the headrest to enclose her head and connected solidly to latch into place on the opposite side. Lizzy gasped when the shield interior lit up with tactical and status indicators in a kaleidoscope of colors overlying the green night vision view of the dark road outside. In one corner was a moving overhead view of the road with a blinking blue icon centered on their position.
“Wow! This is great! There’s so much information!” Lizzy exclaimed.
“Now you see what I see, my Lady,” Magnus’ deep voice issued from speakers within the shield. “In combat mode, we are one. Accelerating.”
Even within the sealed cabin and within the confines of the combat restraints, Lizzy could feel the rapidly increasing acceleration push her deeper into the soft pilot’s chair. Objects along the road whipped past in a blur as the instrument readings climbed into unfamiliar areas. The whine of the fusion engine and the roar of air over the windshield climbed to levels she had never heard before as Magnus hurtled down the road in an effort to attract the attention of the Strax.
Lizzy was even more impressed with the tactical display within the shield when she realized her eye movements were being tracked. She only had to look at one of the small displays around the edge of the main display and it would grow to take the place of the main. Lizzy’s attention was drawn to the orbital view screen of the road ahead when it abruptly lit up with a single icon blinking in green.
“What’s that, Magnus?”
“Green means no advanced weapons detected. The heat signature would indicate a civilian vehicle moving at normal speed.”
stjwelding
Veteran Member
WOW!! FMJ great story looking for more when you can.
Wayne
Wayne
FMJ
Technical Senior
As Lizzy watched, the distance between them and the unknown vehicle dwindled. Magnus quickly decelerated to normal speed as the vehicle’s tail lights came into view and passed it on the left. From her all-seeing vantage point within the combat restraint, Lizzy turned as they passed to see an older model passenger car with a woman at the wheel.
“That’s odd,” Lizzy puzzled to herself as the older car’s headlights quickly faded into the distance. “She looked, familiar, somehow.”
“Lizzy, the interstate passes through a small town ahead. I will maintain a normal speed until we are clear to avoid the attention of the local authorities.”
“Wait, let me get this straight. We are trying to attract the attention of the bad guys by going fast, but we can’t let the cops see us do it?”
“That is correct. The Strax will be curious about a high speed vehicle but the local authorities would be alarmed to witness a vehicle traveling in excess of 350 miles per hour within their jurisdiction.”
“Whaaat? We were going 350 miles per hour!?”
“Actually, we held 367 miles per hour for several seconds.”
“Wow, Magnus! That’s unbelievable! How fast can you go?”
“I can sprint up to 525 miles per hour for short periods.”
“So, you were doing, just two thirds of your top end?”
“70 percent.”
“Wow! You’re sure that I’m safe in here though, right?”
“Lizzy, when you are within my combat restraint, there is a very high probability that you would survive without injury even if I were to be destroyed.”
“That’s odd,” Lizzy puzzled to herself as the older car’s headlights quickly faded into the distance. “She looked, familiar, somehow.”
“Lizzy, the interstate passes through a small town ahead. I will maintain a normal speed until we are clear to avoid the attention of the local authorities.”
“Wait, let me get this straight. We are trying to attract the attention of the bad guys by going fast, but we can’t let the cops see us do it?”
“That is correct. The Strax will be curious about a high speed vehicle but the local authorities would be alarmed to witness a vehicle traveling in excess of 350 miles per hour within their jurisdiction.”
“Whaaat? We were going 350 miles per hour!?”
“Actually, we held 367 miles per hour for several seconds.”
“Wow, Magnus! That’s unbelievable! How fast can you go?”
“I can sprint up to 525 miles per hour for short periods.”
“So, you were doing, just two thirds of your top end?”
“70 percent.”
“Wow! You’re sure that I’m safe in here though, right?”
“Lizzy, when you are within my combat restraint, there is a very high probability that you would survive without injury even if I were to be destroyed.”
FMJ
Technical Senior
(6)
Magnus’ precaution of decelerating to a normal speed close to the town turned out to be well founded. Two times, icons appeared in the overhead view display in a steady yellow identified by Magnus as civilian local law enforcement. The yellow light of the target indicated the presence of conventional weapons while the steady part meant they were stationary.
Lizzy giggled wondering what a small town cop might do if a car went through his speed trap at more than 4 times the national speed limit at 3 o’clock in the morning. Other than the wind noise and the scream of Magnus’ fusion engine, they would be hard to see without any lights and moving at over 500 feet per second, unless you knew exactly when to look.
“And what exactly do you find so amusing, my Lady?”
“Oh nothing, it’s just a silly little day dream I have. You see, I was always the kid that got caught by the cops no matter what I did and I have this fantasy about finally being able to get away.”
“By going very fast, my Lady?”
“Oh, yeah. You read my mind, Magnus.”
“A third yellow stationary icon is coming up on tactical. High magnification from orbital verifies identity as local law enforcement. No other targets in the vicinity. Infrared scan indicates a single individual outside the vehicle standing in foliage at the edge of the road.”
“Ha! He’s probably taking a leak!”
"My Lady, by your command.”
“Let’s do this.”
“Accelerating.”
FMJ
Technical Senior
Officer Jensen had taken his law enforcement courses at the community college very seriously. He passed his courses with consistently high marks and felt well prepared for his job with the local police department.
However, as the youngest officer on the force with only six months of experience, he was routinely assigned to the night shift and tonight was exactly like the last fifty nights he had been on duty, only quieter if that were possible.
Only three cars had passed through his speed trap on the interstate since the beginning of his shift and he was bored. When he started to feel drowsy, Officer Jensen would get out of the cruiser and walk giving him the opportunity to stretch and get some fresh air.
As he stood behind a clump of mesquite to relieve himself while looking at the stars, he thought he heard the high pitched whine of some kind of an engine. Since no lights were visible in either direction on the flat featureless stretch of interstate, he scanned the sky for the lights of aircraft. As he walked back to the edge of the empty road, he thought the sound was getting louder, but he still could see no aircraft lights overhead.
“Accelerating to maximum sprint. Contact in 5, 4, 3, . . .”
Lizzy was glued to the tactical screen with a broad grin on her face as she watched the speed readout smoothly rise to hover at 515 miles per hour as the wind roared in her ears.
Officer Jensen could now plainly hear the whine of an engine to the north rapidly rising in volume and he took off his hat to peer into the darkness in confusion.
Literally between one breath and another, something, roared past him on the road and the shock wave generated by its passage sent him tumbling head over heels into the brush beyond the shoulder.
Scratched and bruised, he would later find his cruiser pushed twenty feet sideways into the scrub brush with all the windows shattered.
“Whoa,” Lizzy breathed as Magnus speed took them rapidly away from the scene. “That wasn’t nearly as satisfying as I had imagined it would be. Will he be okay, Magnus?”
“High magnification and infrared scan indicates movement so the probability of his survival is good. He will have sustained a number of minor injuries from his proximity to my shockwave, though.”
“Shoot, I didn’t mean for him to get hurt,” Lizzy admitted remorsefully, “I think, maybe we should be a little more careful about people in the future.”
“A wise decision, my Lady.”
However, as the youngest officer on the force with only six months of experience, he was routinely assigned to the night shift and tonight was exactly like the last fifty nights he had been on duty, only quieter if that were possible.
Only three cars had passed through his speed trap on the interstate since the beginning of his shift and he was bored. When he started to feel drowsy, Officer Jensen would get out of the cruiser and walk giving him the opportunity to stretch and get some fresh air.
As he stood behind a clump of mesquite to relieve himself while looking at the stars, he thought he heard the high pitched whine of some kind of an engine. Since no lights were visible in either direction on the flat featureless stretch of interstate, he scanned the sky for the lights of aircraft. As he walked back to the edge of the empty road, he thought the sound was getting louder, but he still could see no aircraft lights overhead.
“Accelerating to maximum sprint. Contact in 5, 4, 3, . . .”
Lizzy was glued to the tactical screen with a broad grin on her face as she watched the speed readout smoothly rise to hover at 515 miles per hour as the wind roared in her ears.
Officer Jensen could now plainly hear the whine of an engine to the north rapidly rising in volume and he took off his hat to peer into the darkness in confusion.
Literally between one breath and another, something, roared past him on the road and the shock wave generated by its passage sent him tumbling head over heels into the brush beyond the shoulder.
Scratched and bruised, he would later find his cruiser pushed twenty feet sideways into the scrub brush with all the windows shattered.
“Whoa,” Lizzy breathed as Magnus speed took them rapidly away from the scene. “That wasn’t nearly as satisfying as I had imagined it would be. Will he be okay, Magnus?”
“High magnification and infrared scan indicates movement so the probability of his survival is good. He will have sustained a number of minor injuries from his proximity to my shockwave, though.”
“Shoot, I didn’t mean for him to get hurt,” Lizzy admitted remorsefully, “I think, maybe we should be a little more careful about people in the future.”
“A wise decision, my Lady.”
FMJ
Technical Senior
In the days that followed, Officer Jensen would deliver as concise a report of the incident as he was able to recall. He would then be taken aside by a staff sergeant who would suggest he revise his report to take full responsibility for the roll-over accident of his cruiser caused by his falling asleep at the wheel or be indefinitely relieved of duty. After an official inquiry, Officer Jensen was subsequently issued another police cruiser and has since become an exemplary member of the force. During the few times that Officer Jensen would privately discuss the incident, he would say, “I don’t know what it was, but it was blue.”
stjwelding
Veteran Member
FMJ great story thanks for more.
Wayne
Wayne
FMJ
Technical Senior
(7)
Despite Officer Jensen’s unfortunate accident, Magnus’ demonstration did have the effect of arousing the attention of the Strax machines, although perhaps not in the way they had intended.
The image on the tactical display was confusing. The multiple solid green icons made it appear as if several stationary vehicles were parked at odd angles over a considerable length of roadway, but high magnification only revealed scattered debris.
Magnus urged a cautious approach but Lizzie was curious and oddly drawn to the scene.
Scanning the debris field as he decelerated and quickly pulled to the shoulder, Magnus’ night vision and tactical displays identified the pieces of torn bright metal to be the remains of a civilian passenger vehicle.
“I don’t understand. Could these pieces have fallen off of a truck going to a steel mill, Magnus?” Lizzie asked confused.
“Be careful, Lizzy. You may not be safe here.”
The memory of Magnus saying those exact same words at a rest stop where he tried to warn her of danger froze Lizzy in the act of reaching for the cabin door release.
“What’s wrong, Magnus? What do you see?”
“Lizzy, there appear to be human remains amongst the debris.”
“Show me, Magnus. I think I need to see who it is.”
“But, my Lady...” Magnus pleaded.
“I have to know, I..I must know.” Lizzy stated flatly.
“Very well, my Lady. I will take you to the greatest concentration.”
The cabin door release seemed to almost resist her efforts to actuate the mechanism and it did operate more slowly than usual, but presently she found herself outside at the edge of the roadway facing an oddly shaped lump bathed in the powerful lights contained within Magnus’ forward cowling. Despite the bright lights, the damage was so severe, the destruction so total that Lizzie was almost unable to identify it as the remains of a human being.
Although only the head and the armless upper torso were still there, Lizzie readily recognized the hair and the shredded uniform as belonging to the waitress who had been so kind and concerned about her safety at the little diner she had stopped at for breakfast.
The personal reality of the sight of the horrible death of someone she had known caused her senses to reel. The dizziness led predictably to nausea as she retched and lost the contents of her stomach. She covered her mouth with her hand as sobs racked her thin frame and she openly grieved for the poor woman as she knelt on the cold asphalt shoulder of the dark roadway.
stjwelding
Veteran Member
Thanks FMJ, it looks like Lizzy is going to go on the offensive and attack the Strax.
Wayne
Wayne
FMJ
Technical Senior
(8)
Pete McCready, the proprietor of Pop’s Garage and “Pop” to all the locals was taking a well deserved break in the heavy wooden rocker in the shade of the canopy with his favorite ice cold grape soda.
A dry heat in the low hundreds for days on end with almost no wind had combined to make conditions in northern Nevada truly special with a Red Flag Warning issued for the threat of fire from dry lightning strikes.
Performing maintenance on vehicles that came in for service would ordinarily be difficult without the aid of the huge swamp cooler on the roof; but today Pop had started before dawn and finished the scheduled work in the cooler hours of the morning.
Pop liked to drill down through the huge news file past the coupons, advertisements and weather to see the classified ads with an interactive selective search engine. Within the realm of his criteria, the search engine would retrieve ads for items that were becoming harder to find.
These ads would be stored in files arranged by relevance and price that he could review later.
Today, however, the newsies were using the delay feature that prevented the viewer from navigating away from the headline for the maximum legal ten seconds they were allowed.
The breathless newsie related the story of the on-going investigation of a second horrific crash on the interstate highway under mysterious circumstances resulting in the death of the motorist while showing a video clip of the road covered with shredded metal debris.
Pop played the clip over again and froze the video to zoom in on the size and the peculiar diamond shape of several of the metal fragments.