Countercheck
03-02-2006, 16:26
OOC: First post in NS for a while, but for those of you have been around for a while, I'm Chardonay, The Audubon Ballroom, and Verdant Archipelago. I'm not looking for other people to join in this thread, but if your sensible, come on in! If no one joins in, I'll be just as happy =) Except Azazia. Azazia should join, definately, and Prae and Sarz and Macabees, and SS, and Masspwnage and all the others who know me are invited, if they want to. Unless they're being silly. In which case they can't join=)
IC
General Hugh Fitzwilliam of the Verdant Archipelago Union Armed Forces (ret) rested his hands on his protruding belly and peered out through his monocle at the cluster of islands from the observation deck of his BZ-2 (disarmed) naval patrol zeppelin. The four large islands were gorgeous, a beautiful pacific archipelago surrounded by a number of smaller islands, teaming with life. There had obviously been a great deal of volcanic activity around here, but the volcanoes were now extinct, and the solidified magma had broken down and been coved with layer after layer of plant matter, until the entire island group was covered with a thick, fertile layer of loam, and area between the islands was clogged with soft silt and mud. He smiled jovially and turned to the short, elderly man next to him. “Exactly as promised, Dr. Schäfer. A fine piece of real-estate. You may proceed.”
“You do not wish perhaps to visit and see with your own eyes, General?” Dr. Schäfer’s English was excellent, with only a faint hint of a Saxburger accent.
“My dear Professor, I would hardly have arranged for all of this,” Fitzwilliam waved his hand at the windows, indicating the small fleet of vessels and airships floating in the lee of the islands, “if I hadn’t been perfectly willing to accept your recommendation. I’ll land on the islands soon enough, once we have a base-camp set up.”
Schäfer shrugged, pressed a button on the side of the wall, and leaned towards a microphone. “Communications, this is Schäfer speaking. Signal to the fleet that they are to proceed with Steps One and Two.”
A line of ships… old freighters and trawlers, an obsolete and badly damaged cruiser, and some blocky vessels made of concrete began steaming slowly towards the mouth of the channel between two of the main islands, while other ships steamed around to the other channels. Simultaniously, a long cigar shaped zeppelin, a SZ-3 engineering zep, ripped through the air towards the beach. As it flew over the beach, a long, oblong object dropped out of it’s cargo-hold and deployed a parachute. It flew a little further and dropped another one. And another one. And another. The wind blew the first one out off the beach a little, and Dr. Schäfer scowled, but it made the effects all the more spectacular. Just as the large object was about to touch down, it detonated, digging an enormous cavity in the water, and spraying sand for hundreds of meters. Then the second one touched down on the edge of the forest, and sent up a fountain of splinters and smoke. Clouds of the tropical birds that took to the sky after the first explosion were cut down in the hail of wood fragments. And then the next detonated, and the next. The zeppelin had turned around by now and was making a second pass, scattering hundreds of tiny bomblets from a hopper behind the gondola. Wherever they touched there was fire, burning a swath through the jungle.
Fitzwilliam frowned a little. “This isn’t the Verdant Archipelago, you know. I’m not sure that was entirely necessary.”
“Perhaps not,” Schäfer shrugged unapologetically. “But if this was the Archipelago, you can be sure those would have been neutron bombs, not merely explosive slurry containers and incendiaries, and we would have had a battleship to perform suppressive fire once we landed. If it was excessive, at least it was fast. The old ways still work best.”
The airship had completed its second pass, and was lowering a basket as it glided towards the first line of ships. The ships had taken station in a line astern formation across the mouth of the channel, had lashed themselves together, and deployed anchors. The zeppelin hovered over the first vessel, and Fitzwilliam watched as the crew of the ship climbed into the basket and were winched aboard. Then the next crew, then the next. The airship lifted and proceeded to evacuate the crews from the ships in the other lines. The intercom crackled, “All personnel present and accounted for.”
Schäfer nodded, even though the person on the other end couldn’t see him. “Very well, execute Steps Three and Four.”
A ripple expanded around all the ships, and they began sinking low as scuttling charges blew open their hulls. The water wasn’t terribly deep, however, and most barely had their decks awash before they crunched to a halt on the coral. One of the vessels broke free of its lashings and began sliding out of position. Schäfer scowled and made a note to plug the gap, but Fitzwilliam was philosophical. If they had tried this in the Archipelago, there would have already been casualties.
Six black zodiacs shot out of tiny remainder of the fleet (only a destroyer and a surplus assault ship), and began making their way to a sheltered lagoon, while the assault vessel followed, picking its way through the coral reefs towards the shore. Once or twice it shuddered as it scraped coral, and Fitzwilliam raised an eyebrow at Schäfer, who looked a little embarrassed. “It looked like there was a wider path through the coral. We’ll dredge one."
Fitzwilliam smiled understandingly and turned to make his way to the head. “There’s time yet. Plenty of time.”
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IC
General Hugh Fitzwilliam of the Verdant Archipelago Union Armed Forces (ret) rested his hands on his protruding belly and peered out through his monocle at the cluster of islands from the observation deck of his BZ-2 (disarmed) naval patrol zeppelin. The four large islands were gorgeous, a beautiful pacific archipelago surrounded by a number of smaller islands, teaming with life. There had obviously been a great deal of volcanic activity around here, but the volcanoes were now extinct, and the solidified magma had broken down and been coved with layer after layer of plant matter, until the entire island group was covered with a thick, fertile layer of loam, and area between the islands was clogged with soft silt and mud. He smiled jovially and turned to the short, elderly man next to him. “Exactly as promised, Dr. Schäfer. A fine piece of real-estate. You may proceed.”
“You do not wish perhaps to visit and see with your own eyes, General?” Dr. Schäfer’s English was excellent, with only a faint hint of a Saxburger accent.
“My dear Professor, I would hardly have arranged for all of this,” Fitzwilliam waved his hand at the windows, indicating the small fleet of vessels and airships floating in the lee of the islands, “if I hadn’t been perfectly willing to accept your recommendation. I’ll land on the islands soon enough, once we have a base-camp set up.”
Schäfer shrugged, pressed a button on the side of the wall, and leaned towards a microphone. “Communications, this is Schäfer speaking. Signal to the fleet that they are to proceed with Steps One and Two.”
A line of ships… old freighters and trawlers, an obsolete and badly damaged cruiser, and some blocky vessels made of concrete began steaming slowly towards the mouth of the channel between two of the main islands, while other ships steamed around to the other channels. Simultaniously, a long cigar shaped zeppelin, a SZ-3 engineering zep, ripped through the air towards the beach. As it flew over the beach, a long, oblong object dropped out of it’s cargo-hold and deployed a parachute. It flew a little further and dropped another one. And another one. And another. The wind blew the first one out off the beach a little, and Dr. Schäfer scowled, but it made the effects all the more spectacular. Just as the large object was about to touch down, it detonated, digging an enormous cavity in the water, and spraying sand for hundreds of meters. Then the second one touched down on the edge of the forest, and sent up a fountain of splinters and smoke. Clouds of the tropical birds that took to the sky after the first explosion were cut down in the hail of wood fragments. And then the next detonated, and the next. The zeppelin had turned around by now and was making a second pass, scattering hundreds of tiny bomblets from a hopper behind the gondola. Wherever they touched there was fire, burning a swath through the jungle.
Fitzwilliam frowned a little. “This isn’t the Verdant Archipelago, you know. I’m not sure that was entirely necessary.”
“Perhaps not,” Schäfer shrugged unapologetically. “But if this was the Archipelago, you can be sure those would have been neutron bombs, not merely explosive slurry containers and incendiaries, and we would have had a battleship to perform suppressive fire once we landed. If it was excessive, at least it was fast. The old ways still work best.”
The airship had completed its second pass, and was lowering a basket as it glided towards the first line of ships. The ships had taken station in a line astern formation across the mouth of the channel, had lashed themselves together, and deployed anchors. The zeppelin hovered over the first vessel, and Fitzwilliam watched as the crew of the ship climbed into the basket and were winched aboard. Then the next crew, then the next. The airship lifted and proceeded to evacuate the crews from the ships in the other lines. The intercom crackled, “All personnel present and accounted for.”
Schäfer nodded, even though the person on the other end couldn’t see him. “Very well, execute Steps Three and Four.”
A ripple expanded around all the ships, and they began sinking low as scuttling charges blew open their hulls. The water wasn’t terribly deep, however, and most barely had their decks awash before they crunched to a halt on the coral. One of the vessels broke free of its lashings and began sliding out of position. Schäfer scowled and made a note to plug the gap, but Fitzwilliam was philosophical. If they had tried this in the Archipelago, there would have already been casualties.
Six black zodiacs shot out of tiny remainder of the fleet (only a destroyer and a surplus assault ship), and began making their way to a sheltered lagoon, while the assault vessel followed, picking its way through the coral reefs towards the shore. Once or twice it shuddered as it scraped coral, and Fitzwilliam raised an eyebrow at Schäfer, who looked a little embarrassed. “It looked like there was a wider path through the coral. We’ll dredge one."
Fitzwilliam smiled understandingly and turned to make his way to the head. “There’s time yet. Plenty of time.”
Advertisement
Countercheck Ltd. wants YOU! We want your skills, your knowledge. We need people from all walks of life, with all skills and abilities. Come make your new life with Countercheck Ltd.
While all applicants are welcome, we are specifically in search of:
-Biologists with experience in microbiology, genetics, pharmacology, entomology, and agriculture.
-Chemists with experience in materials science, pharmacology, and high energy chemistry.
-Physicists with a specific focus on high energy physics, electronics, and mechanics.
-Computer Scientists of all types.
-Experimental and practical psychologists, with particular emphasis on behavioral conditioning, animal psychology, and pharmacology.
-Engineers of all types.
-Technologists, particularly experienced lab techs.
-People with security experience, especially former police and military and those with experience with prisoner handling, from ALL BRANCHES!
-Trauma surgeons and other doctors.
-Construction workers
-Plumbers
-Sailors
And more! So don’t hesitate, and send in your application to:
Countercheck Ltd.
579 Fish Street
M3C8T0
Jacksonburg
Verdant Archipelago.