02-12-2003, 22:32
The plain was vast and empty of any life, save for a few mice and some insects. The grass was regrowing, and the coming rains were sure to keep it going. But on the edge of this plain lay a steep ridgeline, and what looked like a landslide. It had been like this for a century...
[WARNING! Battle screen detecting rangefinding laser]
[Loading...]
[i]The contact drags me out of what seems like a deep sleep. I feel the systems pinpointing the contact, on Sector 2, my forward lower glacis. I skip a full diagnostics check as my number 1 AP turret swings into action. It has been .2104 seconds since the contact, infrared shows heat sources nearby. My AP turret swings out of this landslide, and hones onto the heat source the laser was eminating from.
It takes .001 seconds for my HyVeloc flechette guns to arm, I forgo the 20mm Railgun's larger powerup sequence. And then...
I stop. Civilian presence, and the laser is a civilian model rangefinder.
"Attention civilians, please leave, this is a battle area."
[i]The group of them, 23 from the heat readings, some inside the 4 Ground Effect Vehicles, seem surprised at my request. Then I realize, I am a talking plate of metal with a large multiweapon turret to them.
"I'm sorry for any fright I may have caused. Please back away."
The pile of rubble seems to quiver and collapse as the massive thing crawls out. It bristles with weapons, most more powerful than the AP turret. The people run away, apparently miners or scavengers.
"Wh-what are you?"
"I am Cybernetic Armored Unit Type 7 Number 442 of the line."
Then it dawns on some of them. They had just uncovered the most powerful ground weapon in the nation.
The CAUT7 was a monster of armor, metal, and guns. Designed by Angkesmarian engineers, it was the product of 50 years of AI ground warfare. Starting out as nothing more than an AI run heavy tank, the CAUs got bigger, rolling fortresses that could lay down a siege as well as defend and attack. This particular model was the Type 7, a 1400 ton monster with 4 sets of 20 foot wide treads to keep it from sinking into the ground. It had 2 sections, the "Direct Fire" and "Indirect Fire". Direct Fire housed 6 AP turrets, 3 200mm Railguns, 6 retractable sensor "arms", and a finlike tower with a laser and sensors. The back was home to 4 more AP turrets, and a 6 section VLS battery.
And it was confused. Unit 442 Of the Line, Patton, did not understand what was going on. He reviewed his memory files.
The Destjech plains moved by as the cameras from the CAUT7 showed the array of GEV and tracked vehicles, with armored infantry in support, moving toward a wall of smoke and fire. They traveled along a ridgleine for cover, as the nearly invisible threads of gray helixes that signaled the firing of a HyVeloc gun traced through the sky. The CAUT7 raised one of it's own AP turrets and fired. The UAV drone circling the area burst into shards of metal as the fire intensified. The CAUT7 linked into it's own UAVs, showing the enemy line.
And then...
Launches were detected, most likely MIRVs from an ICBM. On either sides of the ridgeway, bright flashes followed by mushroom clouds signaled what the CAUT7 had feared- The Kahmeri were using nuclear weapons. In a horror a machine can only feel with a high grade AI, CAUT7 Unit 442 of the Line watched the flanks of the attack dissappear, as overpressure picked up 70 ton tanks like they were child's toys, and sent GEVs screming across the plains like air hockey pucks. A third detonation brought with it EMP that called for temporary shut down, silencing the AI as the collapsing ridgeline embraced the surreally large combat machine.
This scan had taken .9 seconds.
"What is the combat status? How far have the Kahmeri advanced?"
One of the scavengers looked up at the towering armored weapon with a sort of confused grin.
"Mister, the war's been over for 121 years. And you AIs are the only ones left from the fallout."
Of course. There was no way this wildlife could have returned to the area so quickly, and there is no other explanation for the lack of combat.
"Are there any other CAUs left?"
The dirt covered man scratched his head, and looked up at CAUT7, seeing the word "Patton" black lettered on his left glacis.
"Well, uh, Patton, there are 2 more. They're both out of spare parts, so they're sitting back at the capital's main bunkers."
I take this time to think. The nuclear blasts must have been widespread for only 2 CAUs to be left. This nation, if it even is part of the Angkesmar Provinces anymore, must be recovering from a full blown nuclear war. One that took out the Kahmeri as well.
"I require repairs. Diagnostics show armor at 52.3%, major damage to all but 1 VLS cell, but all propulsion systems are go. Pebble bed reactor at 30% capacity. Total ammunition levels at 60%. All sensors working. Communications are down."
Another scavenger stood up.
"Well, that's because there's a whole new comm system. Hell, you've probably figured it's a whole new nation. And it is. This is the Angkesta Republic. We ain't much, but we've got cities, and we're out looking for relics like you. But do you have comm capabilities?"
"Yes."
"Well send out this message to every nation to the world. Tell them we're here, and we need aid. Tell them what happened to us, tell them to come and help."
"Affirmative. Sending."
And with that, the message raced across the world, to every reciever in range, in every frequency Patton could send it in.
And so began the Angkesta Republic's true rebirth, one to be aided by the technologies of old, and hopefully the help of others.
(This is my first RP thingie. Comments please!)
[WARNING! Battle screen detecting rangefinding laser]
[Loading...]
[i]The contact drags me out of what seems like a deep sleep. I feel the systems pinpointing the contact, on Sector 2, my forward lower glacis. I skip a full diagnostics check as my number 1 AP turret swings into action. It has been .2104 seconds since the contact, infrared shows heat sources nearby. My AP turret swings out of this landslide, and hones onto the heat source the laser was eminating from.
It takes .001 seconds for my HyVeloc flechette guns to arm, I forgo the 20mm Railgun's larger powerup sequence. And then...
I stop. Civilian presence, and the laser is a civilian model rangefinder.
"Attention civilians, please leave, this is a battle area."
[i]The group of them, 23 from the heat readings, some inside the 4 Ground Effect Vehicles, seem surprised at my request. Then I realize, I am a talking plate of metal with a large multiweapon turret to them.
"I'm sorry for any fright I may have caused. Please back away."
The pile of rubble seems to quiver and collapse as the massive thing crawls out. It bristles with weapons, most more powerful than the AP turret. The people run away, apparently miners or scavengers.
"Wh-what are you?"
"I am Cybernetic Armored Unit Type 7 Number 442 of the line."
Then it dawns on some of them. They had just uncovered the most powerful ground weapon in the nation.
The CAUT7 was a monster of armor, metal, and guns. Designed by Angkesmarian engineers, it was the product of 50 years of AI ground warfare. Starting out as nothing more than an AI run heavy tank, the CAUs got bigger, rolling fortresses that could lay down a siege as well as defend and attack. This particular model was the Type 7, a 1400 ton monster with 4 sets of 20 foot wide treads to keep it from sinking into the ground. It had 2 sections, the "Direct Fire" and "Indirect Fire". Direct Fire housed 6 AP turrets, 3 200mm Railguns, 6 retractable sensor "arms", and a finlike tower with a laser and sensors. The back was home to 4 more AP turrets, and a 6 section VLS battery.
And it was confused. Unit 442 Of the Line, Patton, did not understand what was going on. He reviewed his memory files.
The Destjech plains moved by as the cameras from the CAUT7 showed the array of GEV and tracked vehicles, with armored infantry in support, moving toward a wall of smoke and fire. They traveled along a ridgleine for cover, as the nearly invisible threads of gray helixes that signaled the firing of a HyVeloc gun traced through the sky. The CAUT7 raised one of it's own AP turrets and fired. The UAV drone circling the area burst into shards of metal as the fire intensified. The CAUT7 linked into it's own UAVs, showing the enemy line.
And then...
Launches were detected, most likely MIRVs from an ICBM. On either sides of the ridgeway, bright flashes followed by mushroom clouds signaled what the CAUT7 had feared- The Kahmeri were using nuclear weapons. In a horror a machine can only feel with a high grade AI, CAUT7 Unit 442 of the Line watched the flanks of the attack dissappear, as overpressure picked up 70 ton tanks like they were child's toys, and sent GEVs screming across the plains like air hockey pucks. A third detonation brought with it EMP that called for temporary shut down, silencing the AI as the collapsing ridgeline embraced the surreally large combat machine.
This scan had taken .9 seconds.
"What is the combat status? How far have the Kahmeri advanced?"
One of the scavengers looked up at the towering armored weapon with a sort of confused grin.
"Mister, the war's been over for 121 years. And you AIs are the only ones left from the fallout."
Of course. There was no way this wildlife could have returned to the area so quickly, and there is no other explanation for the lack of combat.
"Are there any other CAUs left?"
The dirt covered man scratched his head, and looked up at CAUT7, seeing the word "Patton" black lettered on his left glacis.
"Well, uh, Patton, there are 2 more. They're both out of spare parts, so they're sitting back at the capital's main bunkers."
I take this time to think. The nuclear blasts must have been widespread for only 2 CAUs to be left. This nation, if it even is part of the Angkesmar Provinces anymore, must be recovering from a full blown nuclear war. One that took out the Kahmeri as well.
"I require repairs. Diagnostics show armor at 52.3%, major damage to all but 1 VLS cell, but all propulsion systems are go. Pebble bed reactor at 30% capacity. Total ammunition levels at 60%. All sensors working. Communications are down."
Another scavenger stood up.
"Well, that's because there's a whole new comm system. Hell, you've probably figured it's a whole new nation. And it is. This is the Angkesta Republic. We ain't much, but we've got cities, and we're out looking for relics like you. But do you have comm capabilities?"
"Yes."
"Well send out this message to every nation to the world. Tell them we're here, and we need aid. Tell them what happened to us, tell them to come and help."
"Affirmative. Sending."
And with that, the message raced across the world, to every reciever in range, in every frequency Patton could send it in.
And so began the Angkesta Republic's true rebirth, one to be aided by the technologies of old, and hopefully the help of others.
(This is my first RP thingie. Comments please!)