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Battletech meets Jurasic Park
by Demun God |
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Free Worlds League SpaceLines' Monarch-Class DropShip Smooth Sailor
Guaisar, Free Worlds League
8 December 3065
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are approaching Guiasar Spaceport and have clearance for landing. Please make sure all tray-tables and seatbacks are up and locked into position. We hope the flight was enjoyable for you, and also hope that when traveling again, you choose Free Worlds League SpaceLines, thank-you," The Flight attendant's soft voice filtered throughout the First-Class and Regular-Class cabins of the 5,000-ton vessel.
Free Worlds League Military Captain Donovan MacAllister brought his seat to the up-right position as he reached his arms out, stretching to get some feeling back into his arms and changing positions to do likewise to his legs. He smiled inwardly, as he remembered growing up on this world. He'd only been gone eight years. How much could have really changed in that amount of time? With the way technology had sped up the process of development, almost anything was possible.
Well, one thing was for sure; he'd completed his tour of 'voluntary' service to the Silver Hawk Coalition's contribution of defense of the Free Worlds League. The Silver Hawk Coalition was one of approximately twenty provinces that made up the state of known space labeled The Free Worlds League. One of the poorer provinces, the Silver Hawks didn't have much to provide in the mutual defense of the Free Worlds League, so it looked to its citizens to 'volunteer'. The ten worlds that make up the Coalition varied in their 'contribution'. Some planetary governors felt taking skilled citizens away from their planet only lowered overall living standards, so they sent prisoners or other dregs of society. Other governors feel it was their duty to help defend the 350-plus star systems in the FWL, so they sent first-class citizens skilled in military arts.
Donovan was brought out of his reverie as the wheels of the big aerodyne DropShip touched down. For a few minutes, Donovan wondered how man would be, if he hadn't invented the DropShip, or the JumpShip for that matter. JumpShips used a drive system that ripped a hole in time and space, and could be hurled 30 light years' distance. Instead of taking months and months using conventional 'spaceships', to get from Point A to Point B, it took just a few weeks, if not days. The drive systems used in this method made JumpShips too big to land on planets, so man invented DropShips, smaller ships that would be attached to JumpShips. When the JumpShip reached its planetary destination, the DropShip would detach to land on the planet.
The DropShip coming to a stop brought Donovan back to reality. People started getting up to retrieve their belongings from overhead and underseat storage bins, as Donovan attempted to do the same. As he got up, a young woman's elbow slammed into the side of his head.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry!" she said, as she unconsciously brought her hand to her mouth.
Donovan rubbed his head, as the woman started rubbing her elbow. He brushed it off, "S'ok ma'am."
As the woman retrieved her bag, she smiled apologetically, "Again, I'm sorry."
Donovan waved her off; assuring her it was ok. Donovan brushed the whole incident off, as he turned to begin life again, back on the planet he was born and raised on.
He walked through the terminal, looking at the advertisements and other surroundings, all the while following the signs to the baggage claims area. Some of the advertisements offered new products he'd never heard of before. His class-A uniform made him stand out, with the bright white and dark purple of the Free Worlds League colors, but he didn't mind. He was glad to be back.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with other former passengers, the former Captain of the Silver Hawk Coalition's Falcon Regiment waited for his bags to come around. As he waited, he wondered how only two 108-BattleMech Regiments could defend ten worlds, plus assist in the defense of surrounding provinces.
The BattleMech had become 'king of the battlefield' since its invention more than 300 years ago. Most were humanoid in shape, with the only exception being quadruped-Mechs commonly referred to as simply 'quad-Mechs', these walking giants had enough firepower mounted to them to easily level an entire city block to the ground. Donovan shook his head at that thought, actually witnessing it a few times. The awe that these 2- and 3-story machines inspired was always there.
The other Silver Hawk Regiment being the Gryphon Regiment, these Regiments were not at the top of the technology chain, but the troops and their commanders made due with what they had and could acquire from captured war booty. The two units combined made the Silver Hawk Irregulars. The personnel of these two regiments varied considerably, from those volunteering to avoid prosecution to those who felt they had a duty to serve. Donovan was in the latter. Although, the average soldier only had to serve a 2-year tour, Donovan stayed for eight years. He rose from Lieutenant, Junior Grade, to Lieutenant, Senior Grade, to finally, Captain. He was in command of a company of twelve Mechs in the Falcon's First Battalion. His involvement in conflicts of war were limited to the liberation of the world of Callison, a world that was originally a Silver Hawk Coalition world, before taken by the Federated Commonwealth, another territory of space that was about twice the size of the Free Worlds League.
When the Falcon's Regiment landed on the planet, the units left to defend the captured world retreated, while some hastily-formed FedCom militia units stood their ground. Supplied with equipment from the Federated Commonwealth, most of it top-of-the-line equipment, the militias gave out more resistance than the Falcons expected. Eventually, the skill of the Falcons overcame the technological disadvantage, and they liberated the world back to a Silver Hawk possession.
Donovan recognized his military duffel bag, as it came around the conveyor belt. As he pulled his bag off the belt, he noticed the looks that were being thrown towards him. From disgust to pride, Donovan ignored them, as his smile got bigger, realizing he was coming back to his home town.
Hailing a taxi was easy, as approximately twenty were waiting out front for the big tipper.
"Graham City Central Police Department." He told the driver.
As the taxi drove through the city, familiar sights and sounds forced Donovan into the past. Graham City High School, where he played on the varsity soccer team and helped bring home the league championship, and Calvin and Cobb's Shipping and Storage, his first real job, where he met his future girlfriend. The relationship was short-lived due to what Donovan felt was a patriotic duty to help defend his homeland.
Sorrow crept into the recesses of Donovan's heart as the taxi passed by Crystal Heights Apartment Complex, or what was left of it. The black, charred crumbling walls were the only things that remained. A large memorial plaque on a steel column had been placed in front of the four-story, 160-apartment building. The plaque bore the names of four brave firefighters who had perished in 3057 fire.
Thomas MacAllister's name was third on the plaque that read: In Honor of These Four Brave Men Who Gave Their Lives So Unselfishly So That Others May Live… Donovan sighed dejectedly and wished he could have been here when his father had been killed in the fire seven years ago. Instead he had been fighting to liberate the world of Callison from the Federated Commonwealth.
A fresh wave of sadness engulfed him as he passed the site for the first time. His commander had informed him of his father's tragic passing but regretfully could not allow him to leave due to the conflict with the pro-Davion units that occupied the Silver Hawk world.
Further down the city street, the taxi moved up to the front service gates of the Graham City Police Department's Central Station. A towering figure of over six feet waited patiently, the sun glinting off his polished-silver police badge. Besides the man's badge, nametag, the clip on his pen, and the light-blue stripes at the shoulders, Police-Sergeant-Senior-Grade Raymond Blackstone's uniform was solid black. His black beret tried miserably to hide the graying at his temples.
He and Donovan's father had been friends from younger days. Thomas' passing hit Raymond hard as well. Donovan stepped from the cab. Noticing the giant waiting for him, a smile immediately formed on his face. Blackstone extended his hand in the man's direction, "Welcome back Cap-, I mean Mr. MacAllister," the big Sergeant said, firmly shaking the younger man's hand, while slapping Donovan on the back with the other.
Donovan took the Sergeant's harder-than-usual smack in stride, knowing the 300-pound body-builder really didn't know his own strength. His smile only got bigger as he answered, "Great to be back, Ray."
Donovan bent over to pick up his travel bags, then walked around to the driver's side and tipped the taxi driver that had brought him to his present location. With a nod, the taxi driver drove off.
Donovan's facial expression changed from jovial to sadness, "How was it Ray?"
Raymond's smile faded slowly, "It was a fine burial, Don. Practically the whole city was there. There was honorary news coverage and everything."
Quickly changing the subject, Blackstone smiled again, "I see the stint in the Falcons changed you a bit, eh?" Blackstone took a step back, to take in the athletically muscular shape of the younger man standing in front of him. "When you left, you were nothing but skin and bones."
Donovan chuckled, "Yeah, I was able to grab a work out, here and there."
"Well, ya look good, kid. Saw a little action, I see." Blackstone nodded torwards the pins on the upper left corner of his dress shirt.
Donovan looked down at his Basic Training Graduation ribbon, Officer Graduate ribbon, red and blue candy-striped Liberation ribbon, with bronze leaf-with ruby, "Yeah, I was there when we retook Callison. The main units took off, but some of the militia units put up a good fight."
"Yeah, we heard all about it." Blackstone let out a chuckle.
Again, changing subjects, Mr. Guiasar 3059, said, "Well, you wanted to see your new place of work as soon as possible, so if you want, after you." the man extended his arm torwards the main police building.
Donovan took a moment to take in the nearby sights. Harry's Used Hovercars was still across the street, while down the road, it seemed Sandalson's Red Carpet Restaurant had been torn down and replaced with some kind of attorney's office. Donovan rolled his eyes, "Great, more of what we don't need."
Donovan walked into the building and looked around. Raymond stood nearby, waiting for a reaction from MacAllister. Some 'unfortunate souls' glanced in their direction, then continued staring at the walls, waiting for the inevitable. A few other police officers were walking, talking, looking through files, or tapping away at one keyboard or another. An older officer walked by, when Blackstone grabbed him by the arm, "Brad, looks who's back!"
Brad turned and blinked, then smiled, extending his hand, "Hey, Donovan!
How's it going?"
"Not to bad, Brad. Yourself?" Donovan replied, shaking the man's hand.
"Can't complain. Sorry about your dad."
"Thanks." Donovan smiled, hoping everyone he met, didn't mention his dad, considering after eight years he still hadn't gotten over his death.
"Well, I gotta get these reports in. I'll catch ya later, Don."
"Sure thing."
When Brad walked away, Blackstone nodded torwards him, "Brad's going for Mech training."
"He's not still a Speeder Patrolman is he?"
"Yep."
"Wow, from Speedercycle to Mech. There's a jump."
Blackstone led the way to continue the tour, walking through a security gate, then turning to the right, "This is our Communications Room. Eight dispatchers on duty at all times."
One of the dispatchers with long blonde hair turned and glanced his way while she spoke into the headpiece used to communicate with police cruisers to respond to incoming calls.
Donovan looked her way briefly and then his blue eyes swept back to her and he frowned. "Sara?"
Raymond stopped near the doorway and turned around when he realized the new lieutenant had stopped and was in the process of staring at one of the dispatchers.
Sara turned her head back around at the sound of her name, but continued to direct a cruiser on her headpiece and stared at Donovan not seeming to recognize him.
"She gets off work in a few hours." Raymond informed him.
Donovan nodded absently and thought how odd it was to see his old girlfriend here after eight years. Apparently she didn't recognize him after all this time. He couldn't blame her; he looked much different than when he had left Graham City all those years past.
"Don?" Raymond repeated.
Donovan snapped his eyes back to his friend and he smiled. Seeing her again was making him recall old feelings he thought he had gotten over. "Yeah, sorry
Ray, what were you saying?"
"I said she gets off in a few hours, you can play catch up then." Ray smiled and slapped him on the back as he lead him out of the area.
Donovan's head turned slightly back in the direction in which he had come and he caught Sara glancing at him before redirecting her full attention to her communications device.
They moved into another small room, which was lined with ten computer screens, and behind them computer data banks, "Our Records Room. Our officers can file stuff that needs to be processed here, as well."
Walking further back into the building, they came to a gated counter, with a small open space for sliding things, such as papers under, "Dan, guess who's back?" Raymond smirked.
Donovan smiled and then frowned when he saw the sour look he received from Sara's father. "Hello Mr. Beecher."
"Donovan." Dan simply nodded and turned his gaze back to Raymond. Raymond sighed and felt the tension. Dan Beecher had been upset with Donovan for the extra six years that somehow got added to the two-year tour of duty. He had to have more than one talk with his daughter, to get her out of her slump.
"Good to see you." Donovan said politely. He knew Dan was upset with him for staying in the military and therefore leaving his daughter behind. Dan grunted an incoherent response and went back to his work without looking back up.
"This way." Raymond smiled to ease the tension and led him through another security gate/metal detector to the detention area, "We have twenty cells for your hard-core types, two general rooms for your petty-stuff, and one smaller room to hold juveniles."
Donovan's mind was still focused on Dan. From his ranking he could tell that he had been promoted sometime since he had been gone, to Sergeant-Senior-Grade, same rank as Raymond.
Noticing Donovan's mind not in the same room, Blackstone stated, "He was injured in a hovercar chase, that's why he was limping. He has been in the Evidence Room for a few years now." Raymond said when he saw the look of confusion as to why Dan would be relegated there, pass across Donovan's face as they walked through the detention area.
Donovan nodded and ran his hand through his short-cropped black hair. He had missed a lot being gone so many years.
"How do you feel going from Captain to Lieutenant?" Raymond slapped his back heartily.
Donovan lurched slightly forward and chuckled at the large man's strength.
"It's going to be awkward."
"I think you'll do fine. This city is going to be a lot safer now that Police Lieutenant Donovan MacAllister is here." Raymond chuckled.
Blackstone then turned him around, and headed down another hallway, stopping between a set of stairs and an elevator, "Stairs or elevator?"
"Elevator."
As the two stepped out onto the second floor, Blackstone spoke, "This is basically the officers' floor." He then pointed down the hallway, "On your left is a full kitchen, on your right is a full laundry room. At the end of the hall, is a small recreation room. Halfway up, on opposite sides is the males and females locker rooms. Males' is on the right, remember that."
Donovan smirked.
"Come on, I'll show you the garage."
Donovan followed the big man back out, to the rear of the building. Walking outside, the garage was separated from the back of the main police building by the department's parking lot. Donovan estimated that there were approximately twenty cruisers lined up, mostly of the wheeled variant. A few Speedercycles lay tilted to one side, leaning against their old kickstands. Off to the left, Donovan saw a fenced-in area topped with spiraling barbed wire. Through the wire fencing, he could see two old Harasser Hovercraft parked next to a Hezter Wheeled Assault Gun. All three were painted in police colors with the Harassers' missile turrets and the Hetzer's top-armor topped with a half-red, half-blue light bar.
Blackstone, seeing him eyeing the vehicles, said, "We bought those at a military auction. Our 'special purpose' units. We only bring those out, when enemy Mechs are in the area."
"Or if the badguys have bigger guns than you." Donovan joked.
"That too. But, those aren't what your looking for," Blackstone smiled, as they made their way to a building that looked to be at least four stories high.
"Let's go. Your ride awaits."
As the two walked through an access door, the immediate smell of coolant, oil, and lubricants assailed their noses. Donovan took in a deep breath, "Ah, I love that smell."
As he looked around, he noticed the bay was smaller than a normal military one, but the five humanoid-looking machines nestled into metallic holding cocoons were still just as awesome. The behemoths stood close to three stories in height, bristling with armor and firepower. He immediately recognized all of the designs.
Staring at an old Free Worlds League variant of the standard HBK-4G Hunchback, Donovan was all too familiar with the huge box-shaped heavy autocannon perched on the 50-ton Mech's right shoulder. One shot from that cannon could down all but the heaviest of Mechs.
"That's Sergeant Frank Harrison's Mech. He patrols the West Side. There isn't a building on this planet that Frank can't walk through." Blackstone laughed, speaking of the familiar use of a Hunchback, smashing through a building to catch any enemy Mech off-guard on the other side.
Donovan chuckled, as he moved to the next BattleMech-turned-police-Mech. A bird-legged, 40-ton CDA-3M Cicada. Donovan wondered how two such flimsy-looking pieces of machinery could hold up 40 tons of weight. Blackstone nodded to the Cicada's leg, "As you can see from the stenciling on the side there, this is Officer Randall Beaseley's Mech. He patrols the South Side. No fleeing suspects have been successful, since Randy was put in the 'pit of that Cicada. Most criminals are limited to high-speed ground vehicles. You should see their faces, when Randy flanks them, then comes around, and steps out in front of them. One warning shot from his lasers, is all it takes."
Being on the lighter side of the weight scale, the Cicada was known more for its speed, than firepower. Whatever it couldn't fight against, it usually was able to escape from.
Donovan simply nodded, as he waved to a tech touching up the dark-purple and white paint job of the police department's colors.
The pair moved to the most humanoid-looking of the bunch, a 30-ton SDR-7M Spider, "Likewise, with Officer Crystal Robinson's Mech. No fleeing suspects have been successful. She patrols the North Side."
Donovan again nodded as he took in the info of what was shaping up to be his new command.
The two then approached a Mech that dwarfed the other three: a 70-ton GLT-5M Guillotine. An old Star League design revived when the Gray Death Legion Mercenary Unit had found and distributed rediscovered technology.
"And here we have……"
"Sergeant James Sheraton's Guillotine." A man in his mid 30's came out from behind the left leg of the metal monster, wiping his hands on a grease-stained rag.
Donovan extended his hand, "Glad to meet you Sergeant."
Sheraton glanced at the man's hand, then said, "So you're the new Lieutenant, eh?"
"Sergeant Sheraton, he is your new commanding officer. It would be wise to show a little respect." Blackstone cut in.
"You're the same rank as I, Sergeant, so stuff it."
"OK, there's no need for this." Donovan intervened, stepping in between the two police officers, holding out his hands. He could see the hostility coming off of Sergeant Sheraton in waves.
"Well, Lieutenant, I have work to do on my Mech." With that, he abruptly turned and walked back to the Guillotine.
The two walked over to the remaining Police Mech in the Mech Bay, "What crawled up his butt?" Donovan asked, watching Sheraton step onto a platform, which raised him up to his Mech's knee. He then reopened a maintenance access panel and started tinkering with the Mech's internal knee joint.
"Well, he was commander of the Mech Division, before you came back. He feels his bump to XO, is an unwarranted demotion."
"How long has he been on the force?"
"About five years."
"What did he do before that?"
"He was in the Gryphons. 'Got the boot for punching his CO's lights out."
Donovan's eyebrows raised, "He punched his commanding officer, and all he got was kicked out?"
Blackstone nodded his head, like he had already had this conversation a few times.
"Wow, he could have been court-martialed and sent up the river."
" It's true, but let me tell you right now, if you have any problems, it will be with Sheraton. He's his own boss. The only reason he sticks around here is 'cause the pay is good and the risks are low. He's also the only one that can beat me in the Annual Fisticuffs Games. He's a black-belt in about five different martial arts. He could be making millions in some back-alley fight ring, but the another reason he stays here, is because if criminals give him a hard time during apprehension, he just beats the crap out of them, and its basically legal. All he has to say, is he was defending himself."
Donovan made a mental note to keep an eye on Sergeant James Sheraton, his new XO. He then turned and focused on the biggest monstrosity in the Mech bay, an 85-ton STK-5M Stalker. The assault Mech had a fresh coat of police colors and a brand-new blue/red light bar had been fixed across the top of the cockpit, signifying he was now part of the Graham City Police Department. The Mech had been awarded to him, for his actions on liberating Callison from the Federated Commonwealth. He was now the owner of close to eight million C-bills worth of machinery. No matter how many times one look at a BattleMech, the awe was still there.
"Well, that's the station. I'm sure you want to relax and rest up from your trip."
"Yeah that would be good. A Monarch is comfortable, but nothing beats an actual bed on a non-moving object."
"Hey, one last question, are you ready for the big swear-in tomorrow?" Ray asked him seriously.
As the two walked back out, a cruiser was about to pass by. Blackstone raised his hand up, signaling the cruiser to stop.
"As ready as I will ever be." Donovan responded.
Raymond faced the cruiser that had stopped, "Monica, this is Lieutenant Donovan MacAllister, new CO of the Mech Division. He just arrived, and doesn't
have a ride yet. Can you give him a ride to the Duval Apartment Complex?"
"Sure," the young woman replied.
"Thanks, Blackstone smiled, as he shook hands with Donovan again, "Great to have ya' back again, Don. I'll see ya tomorrow."
"Sure thing, Ray." |
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