Warzone: Nemesis: A Novel of Mars (9 page)

My plans were interrupted by
the visit
. The government had various different covert ops that sometimes recruited, so the visit was no surprise. What did surprise me was they wouldn’t tell me what I would be joining. Once they found out my loyalty to our country was absolute and I had no conflicting commitments, they made me an offer.

I signed up for a military outfit without even being told its name, with whom or where we would be fighting. I was sent to a top-secret training center. I had no idea what I was training for, and the training was more grueling than anything I’d ever experienced. The drill instructors pushed us beyond our limits and back again. The only encouragement the instructors would offer us was we’d be actively fighting the best the Soviet military had to offer. That was enough for me. I sucked it up and made it to the end.

Graduation came, and I was finally to learn of my mission. We were to leave on a space vessel to start a post on the moon, where I’d be actively fighting Soviet pilots flying hovertanks. The gloves were off, and the cold war wasn’t cold anymore. The contest between the superpowers had begun. I had a choice; I could leave now, or stay and fight. I was born for this. Communism is a disease that threatens liberty around the world. I accepted my commission. I chose to stay and fight for freedom—it is my destiny.

CPT Paul Smith died during the Soviet offensive on Eagle 1 post on Luna; July 13, 1970.

LOG ENTRY: April 5, 1969

1LT Vitaliy Grigorovich, SCA

I was a member of the Soviet Air Force when I was chosen. It was a great honor to be selected, but it was even a greater honor to pass training. Only five percent of the trainees were selected. Although my father was not told what unit I was fighting in, he was very proud when my commander told him I would be serving in the Soviet Union’s most elite fighting force. Later I learned I would be serving in space, fighting the hated Americans. The Americans want to spread their poisonous system of government and force it on us. Our society is orderly. Gangsters do not run free on our streets carrying guns. Criminals are not let loose on society over legal technicalities, to repeat their crimes by preying on the innocent. Our leaders do not amass wealth and live like czars, like the rich Americans, while the rest of the world starves. It is for the common good and Soviet motherland I fight until every last American is destroyed from among the cosmos. Then we can bring the war back home and finish the job there. Only then will there be security for the Soviet peoples.

Soon it will be evident how corrupt and worthless their democracy is. There is no greater honor for me than to fight for justice and the Soviet peoples.

All Power to the Soviets!

An American sniper on Mars killed MAJ Vitaliy Grigorovich; August 5, 1971.

THE FALL OF EAGLE 1

“COL Wycoff, please sit down,” said GEN Colson, motioning to the seat before his desk.

The colonel sat down in the chair directly in front of the general’s heavy oak desk. COL Wycoff eyed the map behind the general’s desk of the far side of the moon with markings indicating the American and Soviet posts near the D’Alembert and Fabry craters.

“Colonel, there’s been a change of plans. You won’t be leading your landing force on Mars to set up a post there.” The Americans had hoarded the precious alloy-x material for the last six years to help build next post on Mars.

“Sir, am I being relieved of my command?”

“Nothing like that, read this.” The general handed him a printed copy of the commander’s log from Luna.

COL Wycoff accepted the white paper printout and started to read…

Eagle 1 Post: Black Dogs Battalion

Luna; July 10, 1970

Commander’s log, COL Darrel Cavender

The fighting with the Soviets over the last three months has shifted the balance of power to the Soviets. It began after we sent the lion’s share of our alloy-x reclamation to Earth to provide the material to set up the Mars post. We didn’t have reserves of the precious material and we started to lose ground with a slight loss of two ships in a skirmish. The Soviets were able to hold the battlefield and recover the alloy-x scrap. Each time we met them in battle, they had greater fleet strength, and each time they became bolder in battle. When it was clear that their fleet strength was superior, their strategy was to shut down our alloy-x reclamation. We were unable to defend our scavenger crews and the alloy-x supply dried up.

At this writing, we have only five offensive units left. We can’t send scavenger teams out to harvest any alloy-x because we can’t defend them. Our defensive grid was already partially dismantled to recycle for building tanks. I estimate the Soviets will bring their artillery and all of their offensive units soon to begin the siege of our post. ASDC command has informed me that reinforcements won’t be ready to deploy here for at least four days. With no hope of reinforcements, we will fight to the last man. Sidearms and rifles have been issued to noncombatant personnel, including the mess crew.

When a security leak to the Soviets compromised the personal information of many of my men’s families, the Soviets used the threat of harming them to break our morale. I recommend to ASDC Command that all personnel who serve on frontier posts use call signs only.

COL Darrel Cavender

Black Dogs Battalion, Luna

A dark shadow crept over the colonel’s face as he digested the report. The idea that they were losing because of the alloy-x freighters he was packing for his post on Mars cut him to the quick. He could do the math. They weren’t ready and wouldn’t make it there in time to defend Eagle 1. COL Wycoff put down the paper.

“What are your orders, sir?”

“How soon can your team be ready to leave for Luna?”

“One week, sir.”

“You have three days. Even so, Eagle 1 may have fallen before you get there. You’ll direct your landing team to reinforce Eagle 1 on Luna. If the post has fallen by the time you get there, dig in and establish a new post. I cannot stress enough the importance of this mission. There is no more alloy-x to supply another team should you fail, and failure is not an option. If Eagle 1 has fallen, you must establish your landing zone at Landau Crater, which will give you ample time to dig in and build a post before you have visitors. The distance between the Soviet post at the Fabry Crater and the Landau Crater is 3,933 kilometers. Make the landing zone at the beginning of their satellite blackout window to gain an additional hour and fifty minutes before the Soviets know you’ve landed. You never know when the extra time may be critical. Speed in setting up your recycler, defensive grid, artillery, armory, and factory is imperative. If you can’t raise anyone alive on radio at Eagle 1 when you arrive, don’t attempt to go there. Any questions?”

“None, sir.”

“Here is the file on your mission,” he said as he handed him a file stuffed with documents. “There will be only a small window for you to construct your post and get prepared to defend her. Once the Soviet satellite blackout is over, you have approximately thirty-nine hours before all of the tanks the Soviets possess will come knocking at your door, followed by their artillery pieces approximately three days later. You must have your defensive grid in place, and enough tanks built by the time the Soviet tanks get there to hold them off. You must have your own artillery constructed before theirs arrives.”

“Understood, sir.”

“I believe COL Cavender was right. From now on, all personnel on these frontier posts will be referred to by call signs only. What will yours be?”

COL Wycoff thought a moment, and then showed his teeth. “Red Fangs, sir.”

“Very good. Launch time has been moved up to three days from now, at seventeen hundred hours.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rising to his feet, the general shook COL Wycoff’s hand and wished him luck. He had every confidence in COL Red Fangs as he was now called. He was a hard charger and had filled his team with hard chargers and the best technical people he could find.

The Americans worked around the clock to ready the expedition of sixteen ships for the trip to Luna. They would sleep on the sixteen hour trip, then hit the ground running and work sixteen hour days until the Soviets arrived. The men had endured grueling training to learn how to function with little sleep or food when the need called for it. It was time for their training to pay off.

COL Red Fangs couldn’t bring all of his personnel on the first trip. His priority, on the first trip, was to transport vital equipment and supplies. The equipment included electronic and surveillance equipment, the recycler, heavy equipment for the oxygen extraction and steel mill, meager medical equipment and supplies for a sick bay, food, water and fuel.

His personnel would be his command staff, the construction crew, one doctor, one clergyman who was cross-trained as a nurse, a few support staff, and three shifts of tactical operation technicians. All but five of the pilots of the transport freighters were also his combat pilots. CPT America, who had the lead ship, the pilots of the two fuel tankers and the two water tankers weren’t part of his crew. His pilots who would remain were all cross-trained to work in the oxygen extraction and steel mill or the factory they would construct to build artillery pieces, work and combat vessels. The construction process used a lot of fuel and water, so as soon as one water or fuel tanker was empty, they flew back for a refill at top speed. His construction crew was cross-trained as his artillery battery. More personnel, food, supplies, and equipment would be would be arriving with each vessel returning. One small vessel was left behind for shuttling any emergency spare parts for equipment breakdowns. It was faster and lighter and could make the trip from Earth to Luna in only twelve hours. A total of one hundred and twenty men would be on the first trip. His construction battalion was ready to lift off.

July 13, 1970—Seventeen Hundred Zulu

“Colonel, all preflight checks are complete. All systems are go: all cargo loaded and accounted for, and all personnel ready to embark,” reported his executive officer LTC Judgment Day.