Independent Hitmen
13-03-2005, 12:45
Air Force One rolled to a halt next to the VIP terminal at Gillen Air Force Base. The 747-400 was immediately surrounded by Marines from the nearby base, carrying full armour and M16 assault rifles, these were not men to be messed with as they disembarked from their HMMWV’s that had driven with the Presidents aircraft since it had come off the runway and begun to taxi.
As the steps were rolled up to the front left door of the aircraft the distinctive roar of helicopter engines could be heard as a pair of UH-60 Blackhawks hopped over the perimeter fence and came to land not two hundred feet from the aircrafts left wing. Another pair circled above, watchful of the nearby Interstate-4 as well as the coast, not three miles away, well within mortar distance. A pair of Frigates where sitting out on the coast today though, just to warn off that eventuality.
The President walked down the aircraft stairs, and with his Secret Service Detail boarded the first of the two helicopters. More agents and some of the Presidential staff boarded the second chopper whilst the rest boarded cars for a forty minute drive.
The Helicopters lifted off as the cars left the base, and flew along the interstate at 4,000 feet heading for a previously abandoned area of the coast, just out of eye line of the roadway.
During the last five years a massive structure had sprung up and then another inside this one. The President was here to launch the first of the New England Class Aircraft Carriers into the IH fleet. These carriers had been built over a five year period and represented fully a third of the navy’s budget for new craft over that period. However they were thought to be well worth that cost as even now eight tug boats were on their way along the coast from the massive Naval Base at Gillen to help move the carrier out to sea once she had been launched.
As the helicopters approached the giant hangar like building they tilted slightly and headed out to sea, going around the building just in case one of them should suddenly fall out of the sky onto the navies newest $10 billion creation. They could see from the windows as they descended some of the workers who had tirelessly built these carriers. Most of them were present today to receive the Presidents thanks before he flew onto the next similar cavern like structure. Over the next three days he would launch the other four carriers leaving their giant construction pens empty for a few days before the next hull was laid down.
The helicopter was dwarfed by the structure as it landed on one of five pads set around it. Welcoming him were the yard manager as well as the CEO of the PortHaven Shipping group that were building the ships. They would be traveling on to the next structure together afterwards.
After some pleasantries the President was taken in through one of the side doors that the workers used, and them up several flights of stairs until he was virtually level with the flight deck.
On command the TV cameras were switched on and at the same time the giant front doors were opened allowing sunlight into the room that had previously only been artificially lit, for the past three years using one of the carriers nuclear reactors for power. There were cameras set up outside as the massive covers were lifted off the launching ramps, taking five minutes whilst the President made his speech that would be repeated another four times.
With two cameras pointing at him the President seized the Champagne bottle and swung it towards the side of the carrier, shattering it on its first hit. Simultaneously one of the launch officers flicked the switch and the giant carrier started sliding down the ramp, its grey hull shining slightly in the sunlight.
On the deck of the carrier, several hundred men watched as it slid down the ramp, hitting the water with an almighty splash that sent a wave straight towards one of the frigates that had raced down the coast with the tugs. That frigate rocked in the wave, as most of the crew stared in wonder at the newest addition to the surface fleet, now drifting straight out to sea, still pushed by the rear that was finishing its run down the ramp.
The ships reactors were all on, green lights showing in the control room on the bridge that sat next to the CIC near the top of the Island structure that sat to the left of the flight deck as the crew on the frigate looked at it.
Within ten minutes of the ship hitting the water the tug boats were arrayed around it, guiding the massive ship along the deep water channel that the carrier needed to get out to the open sea.
From there it would head East along the coast past Gillen Naval Base, and there picking up the rest of its crew. Its aircraft complement would begin arriving in small numbers the day after that ready for the ships pre-commissioning trials that were scheduled to take just under a month, most of the smaller tests having already been done whilst waiting for the props to be inserted.
Now those giant props began to take power from the reactors via the massive shafts. Men with clipboards and personal radios stood by looking for any kind of stress or problem that could mean that there was a need to head straight for dry dock. However no problems presented themselves and all four props began to turn, one after the other, as the ships Captain arrived on the first chopper to touch the deck.
With this launch, some of the IH’s closest allies, including Dr_Twist, Russian Forces, McLeod03 and Credonia were informed of the new capabilities.
Five hours later, the same was repeated two hundred miles down the coast, with the second ship, New Jersey moving into the ocean to join her sister ship New England.
The next day New Hampshire was launched, and the following day New South Wales and New Hampton both put to sea for the first time.
As the last carrier was launched it was live on IHNN and all the other major news networks, which were also handed copies of the tapes of the other launches and a press statement from the Defence Department, the Navy Office, and the New White House informing the rest of the world of the newest super carriers to be launched.
As the steps were rolled up to the front left door of the aircraft the distinctive roar of helicopter engines could be heard as a pair of UH-60 Blackhawks hopped over the perimeter fence and came to land not two hundred feet from the aircrafts left wing. Another pair circled above, watchful of the nearby Interstate-4 as well as the coast, not three miles away, well within mortar distance. A pair of Frigates where sitting out on the coast today though, just to warn off that eventuality.
The President walked down the aircraft stairs, and with his Secret Service Detail boarded the first of the two helicopters. More agents and some of the Presidential staff boarded the second chopper whilst the rest boarded cars for a forty minute drive.
The Helicopters lifted off as the cars left the base, and flew along the interstate at 4,000 feet heading for a previously abandoned area of the coast, just out of eye line of the roadway.
During the last five years a massive structure had sprung up and then another inside this one. The President was here to launch the first of the New England Class Aircraft Carriers into the IH fleet. These carriers had been built over a five year period and represented fully a third of the navy’s budget for new craft over that period. However they were thought to be well worth that cost as even now eight tug boats were on their way along the coast from the massive Naval Base at Gillen to help move the carrier out to sea once she had been launched.
As the helicopters approached the giant hangar like building they tilted slightly and headed out to sea, going around the building just in case one of them should suddenly fall out of the sky onto the navies newest $10 billion creation. They could see from the windows as they descended some of the workers who had tirelessly built these carriers. Most of them were present today to receive the Presidents thanks before he flew onto the next similar cavern like structure. Over the next three days he would launch the other four carriers leaving their giant construction pens empty for a few days before the next hull was laid down.
The helicopter was dwarfed by the structure as it landed on one of five pads set around it. Welcoming him were the yard manager as well as the CEO of the PortHaven Shipping group that were building the ships. They would be traveling on to the next structure together afterwards.
After some pleasantries the President was taken in through one of the side doors that the workers used, and them up several flights of stairs until he was virtually level with the flight deck.
On command the TV cameras were switched on and at the same time the giant front doors were opened allowing sunlight into the room that had previously only been artificially lit, for the past three years using one of the carriers nuclear reactors for power. There were cameras set up outside as the massive covers were lifted off the launching ramps, taking five minutes whilst the President made his speech that would be repeated another four times.
With two cameras pointing at him the President seized the Champagne bottle and swung it towards the side of the carrier, shattering it on its first hit. Simultaneously one of the launch officers flicked the switch and the giant carrier started sliding down the ramp, its grey hull shining slightly in the sunlight.
On the deck of the carrier, several hundred men watched as it slid down the ramp, hitting the water with an almighty splash that sent a wave straight towards one of the frigates that had raced down the coast with the tugs. That frigate rocked in the wave, as most of the crew stared in wonder at the newest addition to the surface fleet, now drifting straight out to sea, still pushed by the rear that was finishing its run down the ramp.
The ships reactors were all on, green lights showing in the control room on the bridge that sat next to the CIC near the top of the Island structure that sat to the left of the flight deck as the crew on the frigate looked at it.
Within ten minutes of the ship hitting the water the tug boats were arrayed around it, guiding the massive ship along the deep water channel that the carrier needed to get out to the open sea.
From there it would head East along the coast past Gillen Naval Base, and there picking up the rest of its crew. Its aircraft complement would begin arriving in small numbers the day after that ready for the ships pre-commissioning trials that were scheduled to take just under a month, most of the smaller tests having already been done whilst waiting for the props to be inserted.
Now those giant props began to take power from the reactors via the massive shafts. Men with clipboards and personal radios stood by looking for any kind of stress or problem that could mean that there was a need to head straight for dry dock. However no problems presented themselves and all four props began to turn, one after the other, as the ships Captain arrived on the first chopper to touch the deck.
With this launch, some of the IH’s closest allies, including Dr_Twist, Russian Forces, McLeod03 and Credonia were informed of the new capabilities.
Five hours later, the same was repeated two hundred miles down the coast, with the second ship, New Jersey moving into the ocean to join her sister ship New England.
The next day New Hampshire was launched, and the following day New South Wales and New Hampton both put to sea for the first time.
As the last carrier was launched it was live on IHNN and all the other major news networks, which were also handed copies of the tapes of the other launches and a press statement from the Defence Department, the Navy Office, and the New White House informing the rest of the world of the newest super carriers to be launched.