Mission Briefing

[Joe Manning 0]

At 0917 hours on November the 3rd, 2389, all hell broke loose in the Goldrock mining colony's security station. Computer terminals showing sensor images of the settlement and the canyons began to flicker and blur. Audio speakers relaying reports from security personnel in the field and complaints from colonists about failing comm devices were broken by static. Initially the local engineers suggested that a massive malfunction of the mining equipment was generating an energy field that was disrupting signals throughout the colony. Security Chief Petrov could not afford to be so optimistic.

 

Efforts were already in motion to switch the colony's communications to the emergency land-based network. Not the quickest method of keeping in touch with the patrolling officers, but more reliable than remote signals. Hoverbike patrols were moving about the colony to make proximity scans and keep a visual lookout. The petty complaints of the colonists would have to be ignored for now. Petrov suspected foul play, and with a major shipment going out in just three days, the timing of this could not be worse.

 

"We have a report, sir," Sergeant Grant announced. He was sitting at one of the stations that was receiving messages from the land lines. Petrov stood from his desk and weaved his way through terminals where technicians were frantically trying to boost signals. "Patrol group 4 has tapped into the underground network from inside the canyons ... "

 

"The canyons?" Petrov asked in his thick Russian accent. "What is going on down there?"

 

"They managed to pick up a blip on their scanners and made to pursue," Grant stopped to listen to the officer on the other end of the line. "They have since received visual confirmation of the blip. It is a ... wheeled vehicle of some sort. It appears to be heavily armed. Like ... a tank."

 

Petrov reached for the flask of vodka at the side of his belt. "It is going to be a long day."

 

"One of the bikes had to stop to relay this report," Grant continued. "The other three are pursuing the vehicle. It appeared to be closing on the main entrance of the mines. By now, they are probably inside ... "

 

"Inform the reporting officer to continue patrolling the area," Petrov instructed and drew a quick sip from his flask. "A single tank cannot be disrupting all of our sensors and communications. We must track down the source of the disturbances. Since we cannot make contact with the subspace network, we are going to have to handle this ourselves."

 

Petrov took another sip from his flask and looked at the large map of the colony displayed on the front wall of the security station. The lines of the canyons danced and merged erratically with the streets of the settlement and electronic blips were appearing and disappearing everywhere. They were blinded, and Petrov hated the feeling of not knowing what was happening in his colony.

 

"Get me a bike," he said. "I am going to join the patrols."