Delta Team Mission Prep: Operation Zeus Boy

[Cassie Granger 0]

Delta Team Mission Prep: Operation Zeus Boy

Cassie Granger with Kal Matheson

 

<Takes place just after the last sim.>

 

The world of SpecOps is pretty close-knit. They become family, and for some much more than family. Having been through hell and back - in basic training, extended training, and combat missions - they realize that not all brothers are blood and in the brotherhood there is an attitude that can only be understood by someone who has been there, done that. It's intense, and it often needs tempering, decompression, a bringing back to the reality they knew before they joined.

 

For that reason the atmosphere in the SpecOps complex of Marine Central, no matter what the posting, can be pretty relaxed. Well, as relaxed as you can be in SpecOps; everything's relative. On Challenger, outside the complex was spit and polish; inside was sit back and share the bond, relax into your normal routine until the mission came up and the pendulum swung back to intense.

 

Cassie's entrance to Delta Team's briefing room went pretty much unnoticed. Shedding her uniform for fatigues blended her into the background as she wandered on the periphery of the group, aiming for a the small table at the far end of the room. The team kicked back, acquainting themselves with their newest, Kal Matheson, who seemed to have made a good impression. Moa caught sight of Cass. His nod passed down the line to Souter, and when it got to Kal - low man on the totem - Kal snapped to attention.

 

The rest of the team turned toward the table. They were focused but stayed relaxed and seated, smirks and snickers at Kal scattered among them.

 

Cass dropped a bag from her shoulder and began to unload an impressive array of padds and mission specific equipment. Until the snickers started.

 

She looked up... straightened up... tossed the last padd on the table and dropped the shoulder bag to the floor as she took a command posture. A respectful nod to Kal and an, "As you were," relaxed him before she ran her eyes expectantly over rest of Delta.

 

They scrambled to attention, their expressions sobered, eyes front.

 

"Welcome to Delta team, Gunnery Sergeant Matheson," she said, her eyes drilling the rest of the team. "I see you've become acquainted already, so I'll dispense with that, but it's nice to know someone knows protocol around here."

 

Jack O'Neill's mouth opened to respond, snapping her eyes to him instantly. "Don't _even_ think about it, O'Neill."

It clamped shut as he returned to eyes front.

 

A long minute of letting it sink in ended with a bemused, "Okay, ladies. You've had your fun with the gunny; I've had mine with you. Time to get a move on.

 

"Delta team's pretty casual in here, Matheson," she said as she arranged her things and chair movement subsided. "Brass comes in - captain or exoh, Admiral Rawlings, or... heaven help us... Sector Commandant Jeorsey," there was a collective cough, "we'll snap to. Otherwise I want everyone's mind on the mission and nothing else. So relax," she waved a hand at the group, "settle in, and enjoy the ride." She smiled, nodding him into his chair.

 

"Moa, Kal is taking point on this," she continued. "There's something else you need to concentrate on; we'll get to that." A click lit the wall monitor behind her and she dropped into a chair.

 

"As of this moment we are on Operation Zeus Boy. Main* is Zeus. Kal is Zeus One, on down the line. Everything will be uploaded to your personal slates but we're going over the details so we're all on the same page. I don't have to tell you how important this mission is, the dangers involved, or the possibility of big-time fireworks if we're detected. Every mission is pretty much like that, but throw in a temporal displacement and all bets are off. Prime Directive, Temporal Police, the whole nine yards.

 

"As per Commander Murphy's brief, Intel has word of a potential terrorist attack on the Apollo 11 mission of 1969. We're going to ignore the 'potential' part and prepare for a full terrorist attack.

 

'For those of you who slept through Earth History 101, Apollo 11 put the first humans from earth on the moon. We'll be operating from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Johnson Space Center in Houston using a shuttle between. We're on a short timeline; there's no mockup available, so memorize the territory as well as your personal AOR.*

 

"Number of operatives is unknown, estimated to be about a dozen, species and genders unknown, their objective and motive - all unknown. We are assuming highly professional, and as the commander put it 'state-of-the-art' technology. You will have mission specific technology, but do not depend on it." she glanced aside, "O'Neill's going to fill you in. Jack?"

 

"Right," he said as he pushed himself to a stand and moved toward the table where the remote activated a display of the information as he spoke. "Standard ocular membranes* will have identification information uploaded. Every person who is supposed to be on site will be readily identifiable; others will be red flagged.

 

"This does not mean everyone in your line of sight will be identified as NASA. Their own security will be tight so we've uploaded IDs of all era military, law enforcement, and DSS* personnel, anyone who might be undercover working the Apollo 11 mission. Be sure it's inserted in your non-dominant eye. I'd call for questions, but when the implant is inserted after this briefing will be a better time." He looked to Cass for verification.

 

"Sounds good to me. Thank you, Staff." Cassie's attention turned back to the team.

 

"All but myself and Tasha will be assigned to security, your profiles and fake backgrounds have already been uploaded to NASA's computers; pretty easy to do given their level of tech. "This is a covert op. We are going in sterile,* so take care of it.

 

"Moa, you're in charge of high value targets. They're the most obvious focus for terrorists, but we all know terrorists seldom go for the obvious. Still, as security personnel, that is most likely where you will be stationed." She waved a hand in his direction and the Maori warrior nodded.

 

"HVTs* are..." the screen behind Cass lit up with images of men who had long since passed into history. "Mission Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Lt. Col. Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Col. 'Buzz' Aldrin. They are to be protected at all costs.

 

"Backup crew are just as important: James Lovell, William Anders, and Fred Haise. Study them, know them, watch their movements if they come into your AOR but do not approach. Ocular implants will transmit any red flags to Challenger's computers and inform you via ear comm. Standard frequencies for team and mission communications with an ear on NASA security frequencies as well. Questions?"

 

"Not at the moment, ma'am," replied Moa, looking up from the padd where he had just jotted a note.

 

"We'll have a few hours of practice before beam-down," she continued, "you'll probably have a few things to iron out.

 

"Rules of engagement...." Cass paused to pick up a padd and breeze through it for the correct segment.

 

"This is a protect, defend, and apprehend mission. Non-lethal force may be used when one or more of the following conditions are met:

1) the NASA security personnel in your AOR so authorize you to do so,

2) you are ordered by a confirmed superior officer in your AOR to do so,

3) it is evident that a confirmed non-terrorist in your AOR is under threat of force and there is no regular NASA security personnel to assist that person,

4) you are informed by USS Challenger mission operations that the subject in view is a confirmed terrorist and you are ordered to apprehend."

She stopped reading and looked up. "Tasha will fill you in on the method of non-lethal apprehension.

 

"Lethal force may be used only when authorized by NASA security personnel whose clearance is confirmed by your ocular implant... or when it is confirmed by USS Challenger mission operations that the subject is a terrorist... and you observe that the subject is clearly threatening lethal force against a confirmed non-terrorist." She looked up. "Clear?"

 

It was evident they were not happy, but they signaled a collective, "Clear."

 

"Tasha, your turn."

 

The tall Apache descendant stood and took a second to retrieve two objects from her vest pocket. "Non-lethal apprehension will be achieved by this." She held up a two-inch injectable vial of clear liquid. "Pressed against any exposed skin, it will knock out in five seconds. Pressed against the body through thin fabric and it'll take a little longer. You've all used it before. Don't scratch yourself."

 

The other hand held a thumbnail sized thin disk with a yellow tab hanging from the center. "Beamup will be by standard emergency evacuation tag. Pull the tab to alert Main, stick it to the subject, and they're gone." She sat after receiving nods from the entire team.

 

Cass continued from there. "Hector, your explosives and mechanical expertise gives us a leg up on the rocket booster and its payload. You'll be keeping an eye out for tampering, anything that might cause the mission to go down the way our predecessor, the space shuttle Challenger, did." He gave a sharp nod and she pressed on.

 

"Souter, you and Daniels will be on overwatch* imbedded with NASA security. Tech camo."

 

"Roger that, Cap."

 

"Kal, you're our swickie.* In addition to your security duties with Gunny Gleason you'll be handling a Cessna FanJet 500 Citation in case we shuttle between Johnson and Kennedy. I believe Challenger's helmsman, Lt. Reed, will be as well. Think you can handle it?"

 

"Roger that, ma'am. If it flies, I got it."

 

"Weapons Chief will issue vintage projectile sidearms and rifles. Spend what extra time you might have reacquainting yourselves with 'em. Questions?"

 

Souter's flicked stylus caught her eye. And he wasn't hiding his playful grin very well. "Danny?"

 

"Uh... yeah, Cap. You said all but you and the doc will be in security. Uh... what's up with that?"

 

Cass eyed him a beat, then pursed her lips to his smirk. "Okay, Danny," she said, leaning back in her chair, "you know as well as I do that women weren't allowed in security teams back then. This will probably be the first... and last time... you'll see T and me in cotton skirts, makeup, and heels." Her own playful grin held a challenging twist as a casual finger-point emphasized, "Just remember, payback's a...."

 

Souter's grin broadened behind his hand and his eyes continued to sparkle with his somewhat exaggerated, "Yes, ma'am."

 

"Okay. Distress phrase is 'my mother always said that.' Mission prep in ten. Let's do this."

 

=====================

*Main - the center of operations, in this case, USS Challenger. Main Actual would be Captain Ja'Lale.

*AOR - Area of Responsibility

*DSS - Diplomatic Security Service - the elite of the U.S. Secret Service

*HVT - High Value Target

*sterile: without anything that can identify you as someone else - watches, pictures, totems, etc.

*ocular membranes: contact lenses, now in the development stage, that use nanotechnology to gather data from items in the wearer's field of vision and generate an image of information within the wearer's field of vision.

*overwatch - sniper terminology for watching movements from outside the perimeter, standard operating procedure for high value target protection.

*swickie: nickname for "swick" the pronunciation of the acronym SWCC: Special Warfare Combat Craft crewman.