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The perspective of Lt. Jonathan Grey who found himself synapping into a live fire combat situation was diametrically the opposite from the calm trance of Holden Eckwood. Grey was not meditative, he was highly focused. Grey heard the sounds of the Exo-Suit, but instead of an aria of noise used to focus a meditation, these sounds were relegated into a background of white noise. His ears were trained and attuned to the sounds of equipment working and equipment failing. If the Exo-Suit made an awkward grind, or an unusual buzz, then this sound might be indicating a system failure. If Grey heard a sound like this, then suit noises of the Exo-Suit and its operational status would move to the forefront of Grey’s attention. But right now, the noises are telling him that everything was working normally. Therefore, Lt. Jonathan Grey was fully focused on the battlefield situation that was erupting all around him. Grey was back in the desert, and back in action.
Bounding out of the personnel carrier, Grey landed flat on both feet. He enjoyed a moment of gratification with the feeling of strong working legs supporting his weight. He actively pushed this thought from his mind. It was time to fight; there could be no hesitation.
Lt. Grey triggered the combat communication system that connected him to the squad and took command with a flat emotionless voice saying, “This is Lt Jonathan Grey: I am now in command of this squad.”
Around him Grey could see the tail end of the convoy slowing to a stop. On the open communication line Grey heard only static. The squad had been trained for a seasoned combat veteran to Synap in and take command in a combat situation, but this was the first time that this had happened in a live fire combat situation. Further, the squad did not know him personally. They had trained to work with random veterans. Whoever was on duty that day at the Comm-RAM command center was the commander during their training. The squad waited for further instructions.
Grey knew that the tone of his voice, his tactical movements, and the specific orders he issued over the next few minutes, would decide how the squad accepted his command decisions and ultimately the success of this skirmish. Failure, hesitation, panic could be the end for these young soldiers and his mission.
Grey remained calm. He would be in control and reassuringly comfortable in combat. He had been here before, he knew what to do. His example would lead his squad more than his commands. He ordered his commands by priority giving each squad team a specific task to perform.
Grey spoke in a calm voice, “Alpha, form a perimeter around this vehicle. Bravo, launch the LASO. Charlie, warm up the .55 caliber canon and let them know we are armed and dangerous.”
The priorities were straight-forward. Defense first, this would be established by the men forming a defensive perimeter around their current position. The second priority was information. The final priority was a show of force. The sound of the large .55 caliber canon would give the attackers something to fear, and at the same time encourage his men and the squad in the front of the convoy who are under continued attack.
Grey watched as the squad deployed, carrying out his orders. These soldiers were untested in combat, but they had started to move and this was a good start.
From his vantage point behind the vehicle, Grey could see the last of the convoy stacked up in front his vehicle. The vehicles that comprised the military convoy were used to transport supplies and were driven by remote control. Comm-RAM was shutting these vehicles down and raising their individual vehicle defenses. They looked like a line of desert tortoises all simultaneously pulling in their heads and legs.
Grey’s squad was positioned in the rear of the convoy and another squad was tasked with defending the front. Grey could hear that the forward squad was actively taking fire. It was this nearby firefight that had triggered the syringe of liquefied Somnambutol inside the Exo-Suit of the soldier who had volunteered to for this experiment. Lt. Grey was on duty and standing by at the Comm-RAM command center. When the volunteer was injected with liquefied Somnambutol, Lt. Greye was immediately Synapped into the soldier who had volunteered to let his body be used by an experienced veteran in a combat situation. Grey was there for the same reason they had the LASO and Comm-RAM technologies. Grey was an experienced combat officer, he would give this squad a tactical advantage.
From his position, he could hear the gunfire, but he could not see any fighting. It was all happening out of his line of sight. The line of mechanized convoy vehicles in front of him curved to the left, following around a gradual ridge that rose along the left side of the rough road. Eventually his view of the convoy was obscured by the rise of the ridge.
A loud “THWOOM” sound from the vehicle notified Grey that the LASO sensor cluster had been launched.
LASO is another military acronym. LASO stands for “Local Area Sensory and Optical” system. The LASO system, when activated launches a projectile into the air which automatically detonates at apogee spreading hundreds of small sensors into the sky over the battlefield. The sensors once deployed into the sky begin a slow drift back to earth. Each sensor sends information to the LASO command center. The LASO command center, located on the back of the multi-purpose vehicle, is fully integrated with Comm-RAM. LASO uses real time battlefield intelligence, and is combined with updated tactical recommendations from the central military tactical computer. In theory, this combination of real time battlefield intelligence and access to a powerful tactical computer gives Lt. Grey and his squad a strong tactical advantage of the enemy combatants.
The LASO sensors detect terrain, topography, and the presence of any enemy combatants or civilians during their drift to earth. This information is transmitted by the sensors to the LASO command center which combines all of the data together providing the LASO tactical analysis system with a real time overhead snapshot of the battlefield and all participants. Eventually the LASO sensors complete their slow drift to earth. Once the sensors contact the ground, they form a networked sensor array which detects and transmits any nearby movement. These individual sensors can be used for guidance of the .55 Caliber artillery canon mounted to the vehicle, or as an objective for Grey’s combat resources, his men, deployed on the ground.
“Excellent,” Grey thought.
The squad moved and they were taking action. Soon, he would have a battlefield overview on the LASO command console and he could expect the telemetry from the sensors in less than a minute. So far so good.
Right now, Lt. Grey wanted to hear their voices and make sure the men were steady. It was ok to be tense and scared, this was expected; Grey was alert for any indications of panic among the squad members.
Into the Squad Communication system Grey said, “Roll call - by the numbers.”
Grey did not know their names, nor would he be with them long enough to get to know them individually. His command would last until this combat situation was resolved. Once resolved, he would Synap-off and find himself back at the Comm-RAM command center and back in control of his own body. Therefore, the men were trained to respond to him using their assigned designations following a phonetic alphabet which also denoted their rank and status in the squad. Over the squad communication system, Grey heard their responses:
“Alpha, on the perimeter,” It was Fetch. He was excited.
“No enemy in view, Sir,” Fetch said to conclude his report.
“Bravo, on the LASO, Sir,” It was Fontaine, “Initial telemetry coming in now.”
“Charlie on the artillery, Sir; we are locked and loaded.”
Grey could see that the artillery stabilizers that were built into the vehicle had automatically descended from their normally retracted positions. The multi-purpose vehicle had transformed into a large caliber artillery weapon that was now fully stabilized and ready to fire.
Grey issued an order over the Communication system saying, “Fire that weapon soldier.”
The response was a strong and satisfying CRACK, which was followed by a cloud of dust rising off
of the multi-purpose vehicle.
Grey watched the shell arcing over the convoy and into the hills, where maybe there were some enemy combatants, or maybe their supplies. He knew that most likely he just attacked an empty spot on the desert. It was a show of force, nothing more. From this position, they were totally ineffective to bring fire support to the forward squad. Grey would have to move. Once he knew the position of the enemy combatants he could try for a flanking maneuver. Grey started moving. He joined alpha on the perimeter; he was looking for an improved visual on the terrain in front of him and he needed to form a plan of attack.
Three vehicles were visible and stacked up in front of his squad. They obscured Lt. Grey’s view as the road turned to the left following the ridge. At the turn in the road, on the right hand side there was a rocky outcropping that abruptly jutted out of the dry and cracked desert. Together the ridge and the rocky outcropping created a natural divide in the landscape. The convoy was following the rough road, and moving through the narrow pass between ridge and the outcropping, when they were attacked.
The squad communication system crackled and Grey heard,
“Beta here, LASO telemetry is active now Sir. We can see the battlefield.”
Grey returned to the back of the multi-purpose vehicle and opened the command station which was now deployed. On the vid-screen he could see that the overhead display of the local area, and the battlefield feature, were clearly mapped including topography and the location of the convoy vehicles and enemy combatants. Looking at this display confirmed what Grey had already suspected, the combatants had selected this position for an ambush. This was not a chance encounter with a roving enemy patrol.
Grey considered the information for a moment. If this was an ambush, then his squad should also be under fire. The combatants knew that convoys were protected by squads that were deployed to both the front and the rear. This thought was disquieting.
Grey again considered the map of the terrain. The road moved to the left following the rise and then moved past the rocky outcropping that he could see on the right. This is what Grey had observed from his position at the forward perimeter. What the map showed him was that after the left turn, the road turned sharply to the right following the contour of the rocky outcropping.
The convoy was stacked up inside the “S” curve created by the road moving between a ridge on the left, and the rocks on the right. The forward squad was pinned down. They were trapped inside their vehicle and taking fire from enemy combatants entrenched on both sides of the road. The enemy combatant forces were divided evenly across the road ahead of the forward convoy.
“Why were they were only attacking the front squad?” he wondered.
The ridge to his left was open and undefended. As Grey was reviewing the battle map the recommended tactical attack plan from Comm-RAM presented itself on the display with a series of green arrows overlaying the topographical map display. Comm-RAM was suggesting that the squad take their vehicle off of the road and drive up onto the ridge to their left.
Once in position on the ridge, they could then deploy the .55 millimeter canon. From this new position above the battlefield they would gain a clear line of fire onto the enemy who was positioned further up towards the end of the S curve. The tactical suggestion seemed right. In fact, it seemed obvious. By moving the squad onto the top of the ridge, Grey would command a high point that overlooked the entire battlefield. It was highly defensive and at the same time he could bring fire onto the enemy combatants.
As Jonathan Grey considered the tactical plan, his mind flashed back to the last time he followed the tactical advice from Comm-RAM.
Comm-RAM Intel had identified a rarely seen combatant settlement. Grey and his squad were sent to investigate. They approached the encampment in pre-dawn darkness so that the night vision integrated into their Exo-Suits would provide them with an additional tactical advantage. Grey was worried the combatants were hiding nearby. They moved quickly towards the camp because it was not possible to move quietly in the heavy armor of the Exo-Suits. Therefore,it was best to push forward, quickly. As they approached, Grey sensed that something was wrong. The offensive was too easy. The attack plan provided by Comm-RAM was too obvious. The combatants had never left clear evidence of their encampments like this behind before. As the squad drew nearer to the encampment, alarm bells were sounding in Lt. Grey’s mind. The squad should be under fire already, the combatants should have sentries, and they should have lookouts. The combatants would never let them get this close to their encampment without a fight.
Then the explosions started. The mines hidden in the desert sand under the approach to the enemy camp cost Lt. Grey his legs. It also cost him his squad.
The war in the desert was a war of technology vs. Fanaticism. The Alliance forces deployed advanced technology into the battle and the enemy combatants countered with improved use of the local terrain, the natural elements and the indigenous resources.
The fanatic combatants were losing the battles but winning the war. Each combatant killed by Alliance forces became a martyr and the locals would send more men to avenge his death. At the same time, for each Alliance soldier killed, the negative anti-war publicity generated by the overzealous content hungry media reverberated through the alliance countries. News of death in the desert excited an already unhappy civilian population into open protests against an unpopular and seemingly endless military campaign.
Images of flag-draped coffins inspired the alliance populations to openly protest the war. Unless the calculus of war was changed, the result could be easily forecasted.
Alliance politics would eventually force the military leadership to abandon their mission and extract their troops. The fanatic combatants were winning by not losing.
As political pressure mounted, the military leadership continued to look to technology to solve their problem. They deployed the advanced Exo-Suit technology in an attempt to limit the number of casualties among alliance combat troops. The Exo-Suit protected the soldier from direct attacks by covering all vital areas with heavy armor. At the same time, the Exo-Suit protected the soldier from indirect attacks by maintaining an insulated artificial environment. The Exo-Suits successfully calmed the Anti-War protestors, but only for a short time. Once deployed into the desert battlefields, the military quickly learned that the Exo-Suits were not invulnerable. The soldiers who donned the bulky armor became dependent on the servos to move, and the environmental systems for fresh air and temperature management.
Enemy combatants quickly learned to target the Exo-Suits at their weakest points. They would aim for exposed joints and attempt to damage the servos, or they would target the intake vents and cause a massive failure of the pressurization and environmental controls. When one or both of these systems failed, the soldier inside the Exo-Suit would quickly become immobilized by the weight of the armor. Additional Exo-Suit wearing soldiers sent to retrieve their fallen comrades would often suffer from similar attacks. Once the enemy combatants learned how to cause the Exo-Suit systems to fail, the Alliance soldiers would find themselves lying in small clumps across the hot desert battlefield. Once disabled like this, the Exo-Suit was vulnerable to the crudest of weapons. The unfortunate soldier inside the suit had no choice but to lie broiling in the open sun until the enemy combatants arrived. When they arrived, the enemy cracked open the Exo-Suits with knives and hammers as if they were opening the shells of cooked crabs.
In the face of negative publicity associated with the failure of the Exo-Suits, The Alliance forces led by the charismatic but controversial General Mueller, powered back with additional advances in tactical control systems. There seemed to be no limit to the ingenuity of the weapons manufacturers who courted General Mueller. There also seemed to be no end to Mueller’s appetite for new technology that he would quickly test and then fast-track into combat.
General Mueller was confident that
with the proper battlefield intelligence and technology, the Alliance forces would outsmart the enemy combatants. In addition to the Exo-Suit, military systems were designed and deployed to give the commanders in the desert more information and lift the fog of battle. Mueller wanted his squad leaders to have a tactical advantage during the firefight. The LASO and other similar remote sensing systems were deployed, and for a while this was effective.
Eventually, however, the enemy combatants learned to counter these new tactical technologies. The combatants countered by using mundane, even crude, tactics and resources. They learned to go underground where the sensors could not detect them. They augmented natural cave systems with hand-dug tunnels to create a human powered network of communication, supply, and mobilization.
Additionally, the fanatical enemy combatants learned to pick their battles wisely. They would wait until the Alliance forces were in an area where the sensors would be blinded by sandstorm or rock formations. Slowly the Alliance casualties began to rise again, frustrating the efforts of General Mueller, and fueling the vocal anti-war protests across the Alliance home front.
Looking at the battle map, provided by the slowly drifting LASO sensors, Lt. Jonathan Grey felt misgivings. The green arrows displayed on the vid-screen clearly indicated the attack strategy recommendation from Comm-RAM. The military intelligence system was suggesting that the squad move to a tactically superior position on the ridge and then deploy a fire team under cover of the .55MM canon. The blinking green lights and arrows nagged at him. It was too easy, it was too obvious. Grey remembered following the strategy from Comm-RAM into the enemy combatant encampment. He did not want to blindly follow this strategy. His instincts were against it.
Grey clicked on the console to request an alternative attack plan. The system considered for a moment, and then responded with a variation on the same option. The green arrows showed a re-positioning of the vehicle on top of the ridge. The displacement and approach by the fire team was from a new direction.
Grey considered this. He then completely disregarding the recommended tactical plan suggested by Comm-RAM. Instead he would simply abandon the canon here and move the squad up along the now stationary convoy vehicles and in between the ridge and rocks. It would be messy. They would be fighting and displacing all along the way. The squad would be advancing along the convoy in a confined zone of fire, with limited support from the canon. As he thought about this plan a message appeared on the vid-screen. It was encoded which meant it was from General Mueller, who was observing from the remote command room.
The message was brief, “Attack Now.”
No choice now. Lt. Grey was a career soldier and this was combat. He would follow direct orders without question and without delay.
Lt. Grey issued the necessary squad commands in priority sequence, and with the same steady monotone, saying, “Alpha, displace and set a new defensive perimeter on top of the ridge. Beta, move this vehicle to the top of the ridge behind the perimeter setup by Alpha. Charlie, hold your fire until we are in position, and then target the enemy positions.”
The squad responded quickly. As the multi-purpose vehicle moved out of the stalled convoy and up onto the ridge, Grey considered the landscape in front of him. He could see the line of trucks going into the S curve. The heat from the mid-day desert sun radiating off of the tan and olive painted trucks, creating visible ripples in the air, rising up into a cloudless blue sky. Riding upon the twisting updrafts were ragged wing carrion eaters. Buzzards, or vultures were spinning in circles above the desert. Lt. Grey recognized them. These birds were attracted to the sounds of battle.
Grey followed the outline of the terrain with his gaze. Looking up onto the ridge, across the divide, and then onto the top of the nearby rocky outcropping. Up on the rocks, Grey could see wind stirred dust devils that swirled and twisted into thin columns of sand. The dust devils danced along the rocks, spiraling upwards towards the circling birds.
What is walking among us? What cooks our meals and cleans our houses? What cares for our children? What strange creatures are these? What new race is born?”
-Hans Hoobler