Chrisstan
29-05-2005, 11:28
(OOC: I imagine this would be seen on Satelities and other assorted spycraft that may have been around for any particular reason)
Saravan
Southeast Chrisstan
Captain Fu Chun stared resolutely over the double line of soldiers that crouched just ahead of him. The engine of the T-62 idled, the armoured plating vibrating beneath his feet. He chewed on a piece of tobacco, leaning back against the turret of the tank and glanced over his shoulder at the soldier arming the machine gun.
The crowd marched towards them, chanting at the top of their voices. Chun couldn’t hear them at this distance, but he got the general idea of what they were shouting from the red banners and pictures of Pathet Lao. The crowd was like a tide, a blood red surge of people that poured towards the green breakwater of soldiers and armoured vehicles. Several of the protestors began to throw rocks and other assorted materials. The missiles arced towards the lines, most falling short, but some impacting on helmets as soldiers momentarily ducked their heads at incoming objects.
Chun blinked as a rock hit the tank turret, making a hollow clang as it bounced off the 170 mm Armour plating. The Captain leant across and spat the tobacco out onto the floor before jumping down from the tank. He brushed absently at his uniform and motioned to his Sergeant. “Take aim, Sergeant,” he said casually.
The Sergeant nodded and barked out an order to the soldiers. They double line automatically raised their weapons, each man marking a target with their CR-10s. Chun eyed the protestors.
The crowd had paused in its advance, as if unsure of the soldier’s actions. They stood several meters from the line, shouting and chanting slogans, waving banners and flags in a manner as furious as the red material itself. Chun was reaching into his pocket for another length of tobacco when the tank machine gunner yelled for his attention. Chun glanced around and swore, quickly checking his uniform.
The black Hummer that rolled up to the line carried five stars on the front license plate. The two escort vehicles skidded to a halt first, and a Squad of Infantry jumped out and took up positions as the escorted opened the car door and stepped out. Marshall Li glanced either direction and adjusted her cap before walking across to where Chun stood at attention.
“Captain,” she said, saluting the man. Chun returned the gesture smartly. Li looked across at the crowd and sniffed. “Captain, I have orders directly from the President.” She returned her gaze to the lower ranking officer, who was sweating a little. “You are to stand-by and wait for the arrival of our new crowd dispersal methods. You will then-”
She paused, looking behind her as an engine growled towards them. The Olive drab Tanker bounced over a pothole and passed the Hummers, before stopping just in front of them. The driver saluted the Marshall before switching off the engine and climbing down.
Li watched him a moment as he and several of her own escort began working at valves on the back of the tanker before unhooking a large hose. “You will then use this method in a test as to its effectiveness in crowd dispersal,” she continued.
Chun saluted again, and turned away before wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. Gas? What sort of gas? He pondered his a moment before motioning the Sergeant across again. “Tell the men to equip gasmasks.”
The double line took their gasmasks at the Sergeants shout. First one line, then the other strapped them to their faces, each covering the other for those few vulnerable seconds. The crowd had grown quieter now, and a general murmuring was beginning to replace the chants.
Li donned her own mask and checked the wind. It was moving away from them. Good. She signalled to the soldiers working with the tanker pipe, you pulled the length of cylinder across the floor and placed it in front of the Line. The crowd began to shift uneasily.
Li glanced at her watch, and then at the crowd. She waited a few moments. The heat of the sun beat down on the scene. Then, after a moment, a younger protestor threw a missile. Li signalled the Tanker.
The pump began roaring as it went into life and pushed the tanker’s contents down the piping. Blooms of yellow cloud shot from the end of the pipe and began drifting towards the crowd. The people began shouting in alarm and screaming, each trying to move in a different direction. Some of the crowd was pushed towards the military line and directly into the yellowing gas that waved over them. Li watched intently.
People at the front of the crowd began to cough and retch. Panic began spreading like wildfire. Banners were dropped, people pushed, desperate to get out of the way of the clouds. Some people fell to their knees as they clutched their chests and cried, before being trampled by those behind them trying to escape. Presently, some of the crowd broke into a run at the lines. Chun signalled the Sergeant, who yelled the order through his mask.
The Assault rifles echoed like a thousand doors being slammed. Several people fell as they caught themselves in front of the heated lead, and the crowd began running in the opposite direction, back through the yellowing clouds. More fell coughing and crying as they ran, but most of them managed to escape, screaming in terror. Li signalled the tanker crew to switch off the pump. The roaring ceased.
The scene was eerily quiet. The section of town was now deserted, save for those who lay on the floor, either dead from bullet wounds or dying from gas exposure and coughing their guts into the dirt. The yellow gasses floated in the air, drifting lazily east as it began to disperse into the atmosphere. The soldiers on the line were deadly quiet, save for the muffled sounds of sobbing that could be heard from one or two masks.
Li turned and walked back to her vehicle. Once inside, she took off her mask and sat still for a few moments, watching her hands shake uncontrollably. She looked out of the window and stared at the scene before her. Chun was ordering his soldiers to fall in and march back to the garrison. They did so subdued, their masks still in place, as if they had just woken up from a nightmare.
When her hands steadied enough to be practical, she picked up her satellite telephone and dialled the President’s number.
“This is Li,” she said in a slightly forced tone of clarity. “The test was successful.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Official Statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Today, part of our nation came under attack from what we now believe to be Communist insurgents from surrounding Republics. These Terrorists attacked several soldiers on patrol duties, who were forced to return fire. The Insurgents also attempted the use of home-made chemical weapons, which backfired when the wind changed and swept across their own forces. Those who survived are now being given care in one of our nation’s hospitals.
Michael Somersby
Minister for Internal Affairs
Saravan
Southeast Chrisstan
Captain Fu Chun stared resolutely over the double line of soldiers that crouched just ahead of him. The engine of the T-62 idled, the armoured plating vibrating beneath his feet. He chewed on a piece of tobacco, leaning back against the turret of the tank and glanced over his shoulder at the soldier arming the machine gun.
The crowd marched towards them, chanting at the top of their voices. Chun couldn’t hear them at this distance, but he got the general idea of what they were shouting from the red banners and pictures of Pathet Lao. The crowd was like a tide, a blood red surge of people that poured towards the green breakwater of soldiers and armoured vehicles. Several of the protestors began to throw rocks and other assorted materials. The missiles arced towards the lines, most falling short, but some impacting on helmets as soldiers momentarily ducked their heads at incoming objects.
Chun blinked as a rock hit the tank turret, making a hollow clang as it bounced off the 170 mm Armour plating. The Captain leant across and spat the tobacco out onto the floor before jumping down from the tank. He brushed absently at his uniform and motioned to his Sergeant. “Take aim, Sergeant,” he said casually.
The Sergeant nodded and barked out an order to the soldiers. They double line automatically raised their weapons, each man marking a target with their CR-10s. Chun eyed the protestors.
The crowd had paused in its advance, as if unsure of the soldier’s actions. They stood several meters from the line, shouting and chanting slogans, waving banners and flags in a manner as furious as the red material itself. Chun was reaching into his pocket for another length of tobacco when the tank machine gunner yelled for his attention. Chun glanced around and swore, quickly checking his uniform.
The black Hummer that rolled up to the line carried five stars on the front license plate. The two escort vehicles skidded to a halt first, and a Squad of Infantry jumped out and took up positions as the escorted opened the car door and stepped out. Marshall Li glanced either direction and adjusted her cap before walking across to where Chun stood at attention.
“Captain,” she said, saluting the man. Chun returned the gesture smartly. Li looked across at the crowd and sniffed. “Captain, I have orders directly from the President.” She returned her gaze to the lower ranking officer, who was sweating a little. “You are to stand-by and wait for the arrival of our new crowd dispersal methods. You will then-”
She paused, looking behind her as an engine growled towards them. The Olive drab Tanker bounced over a pothole and passed the Hummers, before stopping just in front of them. The driver saluted the Marshall before switching off the engine and climbing down.
Li watched him a moment as he and several of her own escort began working at valves on the back of the tanker before unhooking a large hose. “You will then use this method in a test as to its effectiveness in crowd dispersal,” she continued.
Chun saluted again, and turned away before wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. Gas? What sort of gas? He pondered his a moment before motioning the Sergeant across again. “Tell the men to equip gasmasks.”
The double line took their gasmasks at the Sergeants shout. First one line, then the other strapped them to their faces, each covering the other for those few vulnerable seconds. The crowd had grown quieter now, and a general murmuring was beginning to replace the chants.
Li donned her own mask and checked the wind. It was moving away from them. Good. She signalled to the soldiers working with the tanker pipe, you pulled the length of cylinder across the floor and placed it in front of the Line. The crowd began to shift uneasily.
Li glanced at her watch, and then at the crowd. She waited a few moments. The heat of the sun beat down on the scene. Then, after a moment, a younger protestor threw a missile. Li signalled the Tanker.
The pump began roaring as it went into life and pushed the tanker’s contents down the piping. Blooms of yellow cloud shot from the end of the pipe and began drifting towards the crowd. The people began shouting in alarm and screaming, each trying to move in a different direction. Some of the crowd was pushed towards the military line and directly into the yellowing gas that waved over them. Li watched intently.
People at the front of the crowd began to cough and retch. Panic began spreading like wildfire. Banners were dropped, people pushed, desperate to get out of the way of the clouds. Some people fell to their knees as they clutched their chests and cried, before being trampled by those behind them trying to escape. Presently, some of the crowd broke into a run at the lines. Chun signalled the Sergeant, who yelled the order through his mask.
The Assault rifles echoed like a thousand doors being slammed. Several people fell as they caught themselves in front of the heated lead, and the crowd began running in the opposite direction, back through the yellowing clouds. More fell coughing and crying as they ran, but most of them managed to escape, screaming in terror. Li signalled the tanker crew to switch off the pump. The roaring ceased.
The scene was eerily quiet. The section of town was now deserted, save for those who lay on the floor, either dead from bullet wounds or dying from gas exposure and coughing their guts into the dirt. The yellow gasses floated in the air, drifting lazily east as it began to disperse into the atmosphere. The soldiers on the line were deadly quiet, save for the muffled sounds of sobbing that could be heard from one or two masks.
Li turned and walked back to her vehicle. Once inside, she took off her mask and sat still for a few moments, watching her hands shake uncontrollably. She looked out of the window and stared at the scene before her. Chun was ordering his soldiers to fall in and march back to the garrison. They did so subdued, their masks still in place, as if they had just woken up from a nightmare.
When her hands steadied enough to be practical, she picked up her satellite telephone and dialled the President’s number.
“This is Li,” she said in a slightly forced tone of clarity. “The test was successful.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Official Statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Today, part of our nation came under attack from what we now believe to be Communist insurgents from surrounding Republics. These Terrorists attacked several soldiers on patrol duties, who were forced to return fire. The Insurgents also attempted the use of home-made chemical weapons, which backfired when the wind changed and swept across their own forces. Those who survived are now being given care in one of our nation’s hospitals.
Michael Somersby
Minister for Internal Affairs