[scikaiju]

Special Police DekaOps
22

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OP – Alter Bridge – Metalingus
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Major Pierce waited patiently for them to enter the command center. Dan was still on the injured list so it was a little strange not to see him with the others as they lined up. Ace even looked over to empty space he usually occupied. She looked very much aware that she was the one in charge for this one. Pierce hoped she wasn’t dwelling about the first time she was forced to take lead on a mission. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a situation in New Mexico.”

Michelle activated the screen, “Sensors have been picking up some strange reading underground in this area. There is no report of any previous seismic activity or any kind of mining operation now or ever.”

“So what is it then?”, Ace asked.

“We’re not exactly sure,” the Major admitted. “Based on these reading Command thinks it might be this individual,” he nodded to Michelle who pulled up an image of a hefty looking mole-sejin wearing heavy coveralls goggles with lenses that were heavily shaded that covered his eyes. “This is, and I’m not joking here, Blinky. He specializes in the extraction of items that are underground, usually those that belong to somebody else.”

“Is there anything out there that he might be after?”, D.E. asked. “An underground government facility or something?”

“There nothing out there that I can tell,” Michelle answered. “I even hacked a few unofficial government agencies computers and found nothing.” The Major shot her a look. “Won’t happen again, I swear.”

Still looking at her for a moment he turned to them, “At any rate Command wants you to head down there and see if it is Blinky, and if it is find out what he’s after.”

“We should be able to handle this with just the four of us,” Ace assured him.

“We should go with a full squad just in case,” Dan said surprising all of them. “Nobody knows what he’s after and you guys might need the extra fire power.” He walked foreword holding the sling in his hand. “Or at least an extra set of eyes.”

“Captain I have not cleared you for active duty yet,” Rev told him sternly.

“I’m well enough for this one,” he told him. “It’s a simple mission, I won’t be that much of a burden.”

“No offence Cap,” Ace spoke up, “but if things get heavy I don’t want to have to worry about you and your injury in the middle of things.”

“I’m nearly healed,” he argued. “Rev just has me wearing this thing as safety precaution. I don’t really need it.” Dan didn’t see Michelle get next to him until she grabbed his left arm. Without warning she quickly raised it up. He couldn’t stop from grunting in pain and grabbing his arm.

“Nice try Dan,” the Major told him, “But until Rev gives me the ok you’re staying here with the rest of us.”

“Ah Major,” Michelle spoke up, “I agree with Cap’s assessment that a full unit should be deployed for this assignment. And seeing how this is a special situation I volunteer to take his place for this one.”

He nodded, “Dan did say he wanted you in the field more often so you could gel with the rest of the team a little better. And this does look like the perfect opportunity so permission granted.”

“Sorry I had to hurt you like that Dan,” Michelle said as she helped him put the sling back on, “but somebody has to make sure you don’t reinjure yourself.”

Dan rubbed his arm again, “With friends like you who needs enemies?”

“Don’t pout.” She gave him a quick kiss in the cheek, “I’ll bring you back something nice.”

“If there’s nothing else, head out,” Pierce ordered.

“Rodger,” they replied. Ace leaned over to Michelle as the others headed for the ready room, “You just wanted to get out of here didn’t you?”

“Shh,” she joked with a smile. Ace started to look apprehensive as she approached the door.

“Ace,” Dan called out, “remember, what happened with Waven was a fluke. You’re more than capable in handling this.”

With a grateful smile she said, “Thanks Cap,” and headed for the door.

“Ace,” he called out again to stop her, “This mission isn’t a silent op, so if you need an outside opinion on anything don’t hesitate to call in.”

Raising an eyebrow slightly she replied, “Right Cap.”

“Ace,” he said for the third time.

She turned around and went, “If anything happens to Michelle give my heart to God because my ass belongs to you, I got it.”

His eyes going wide as she left the room he quickly said, “I wasn’t going to say that!” The Major started laughing, “I wasn’t going to say that.”

“No but you were thinking it,” he said.

“Stuff it,” he purposely waited a few seconds before adding, “sir.” Pierce continued laughing as he left the room. Not sure what else to do Dan took Michelle’s chair at the consol. “So this is what a fifth wheel feels like.”

***
Ace had to keep reminding herself that Michelle was with then because every time she turned her head she was expecting Cap to be sitting there. The other were doing it too, it was so weird to see somebody else in his chair. “So how is it?”, she ended up asking.

“A lot more comfortable than Boomer’s chair surprisingly enough,” she answered.

“I don’t see why,” D.E. spoke up, “We all have the same one,”

“It’s possible it’s in my head because it’s his seat,” she theorized.

“A possibility,” Rev agreed.

“I’m not picking up any stray signals to or from the area,” Boomer announced. “If Blinky’s there he’s running silent. And I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

“Onboard sensors are picking that seismic reading again,” Michelle said reading the data off of Dan’s screen. “Something’s there if it’s not Blinky.”

“We’ll find out soon enough, preparing to land and get ready for a hike,” Ace announced. A few minutes later the Machine Shepard touched down and Ace powered down the engines. “Any life signs out there.”

“I am registering something,” Rev replied. “Humaniod, underground that’s all I can tell at the moment. I am having a hard time getting a clear reading.”

“I think I see why,” D.E. said. “I’m getting some kind of stray energy reading, look like it’s underground too.”

Ace looked over to Michelle, “You sure it’s not a government facility or something.”

“Positive,” she answered.

“Right, all right I want this done by the numbers. We find out what the sensors are picking up and take it out if we have too. Rev if we have to go underground I want you to take point with that super hearing of yours.”

“Rodger,” he answered.

“Let’s get going people,” Ace told them as she got up. “The faster we get this done the faster we get to head back and rub it into Cap’s face that we didn’t need him.” Rev looked confused as Boomer and D.E. bumped fist.

Boomer held back a bit as the other headed for the ramp. Checking to make sure nobody was looking he jumped into Cap’s chair, “Hey.”

***
Chatrox waited as patiently as he could by a particularly large hole, the hood of his cloak pulled over his head as far as possible. Despite the fact he was in the middle of nowhere with no one else around he despised being out in the open like this. He was reminded of an ambush he found himself in the middle of back when he was in SPD. And none of the bottom feeders in charge knew where his true allegiance was. But Chatrox didn’t complain, it was one of the few situations where he could cut loose while wearing the badge and not get reprimanded for it. In fact the idiots actually gave him a medal. Still at the time he questioned his own odds at surviving the encounter and was in no rush to repeat the experience.

A cough put him on his guard as he looked at the hole. Moments later Blinky came trudging out of the hole brushing the dirt off of him. With a laser drill rid strapped to his chest he looked at the Agent. Chatrox thought he saw the mole-sejin eyes blink behind those dark shaded goggles. “Well howdy there Agent. What are you doing around these parts?”

“It’s certainly not for the company,” he sneered. “What’s the status of the target?”

“It’s not here.” He answered.

“What?!”, Chatrox felt his cold blood throb in his head. “It has to be here. The coordinates were calculated precisely to this area of this backwater planet.”

“Now I don’t know anything about any fancy calculating but it’s not here.” He produced a data pad from his coverall, “I’ve been over, under and around this spot and outside of some terran bones there ain’t nothing here. If I had my say about thing then I say this was a wild mynock chase.”

Chatrox studied the pad in his hands for a moment. Reaching out he took it and flipped it over and put it back into his hands. “Try reading the map right side up this time around.”

Blinky started rubbing his head, “Well that’s mite embarrassing.”

“We are both getting paid a large amount for finding this item,” the Agent reminded him. “I suggest you do your job a little more competently.”

“And I’ve been doing line of work before you were even hatched son,” Blinky shot back. “Besides I don’t see you strapping a rig on and looking for it.”

“I am only here to provide security,” Chatrox told him, “outside of the finders few I am receiving for the job. Security, might I add, you refuse to take.”

“You mean those fancy robots you whipper snappers are using now a days,” he waved them off. “Those things just get in my way. Besides I don’t trust anything smarter than a toaster. I wouldn’t even be using this contraption,” he patted the rig, “if some of my clients didn’t insist on a hasty delivery. I tell ya kid there’s nothing like breaking through the ground with a shovel and a pick axe.”

“How quaint,” Chatrox snorted. “I don’t care how you do it, just get the job done.” He turned around and faded from sight. Blinky adjusted his goggles as he read the righted map. Walking about five yards to his left he adjusted some of the dials in the rig. A huge laser beam hit the ground while a smaller beam spun around the larger on to assist in “digging” the hole.

***
“Ok we are officially lost,” Boomer said after their current search pattern continued to find nothing. “That’s like the fifth time we passed that rock.”

“It’s just the heat affecting you,” D.E. told him. “Right Rev? Wait I forgot, this is a warm summer night to you right?”

“Indeed it is Terry,” the alien answered. “This type of temperature is similar to my spring.”

“Once again I am not visiting your planet,” Boomer told him.

“Any luck on that life sign reading Rev?”, Ace asked trying to get them back on the mission.

“Nothing positive as of yet Trish,” Rev replied. I am still getting some kind of interference in from the area. It’s keeping me from getting an exact reading.”

“I’m getting it too,” D.E. announced. “I can’t even get an exact lock on the Shepard and I can see where we parked it. It seems to be getting stronger the closer we get to it. I’m still trying to figure out what it is so I can help Rev.”

“Let me have a go,” Michelle said as she turned around and held out a hand. “If I can’t figure it out nobody can.” D.E. handed her the scanner and she worked on it a bit. “I think I have an idea, Rev let me see your scanner.” He complied and she started reworking the settings while occasionally taking a look back at the one in her hand. “That should help out a little. I readjusted the sensitivity level based on the interference. It won’t give us an exact reading but it should narrow down the search.”

“Ah,” Rev proclaimed as he checked the readings, “that is a marked improvement, thank you Michelle.”

“I would have thought of that,” D.E. said, “eventually.”

“I’m sure you would have D.E.,” Michelle assured him, “just trying prove my worth.”

“We told you all along you’re part of this team Michelle,” Ace told her. A few seconds later her License started to beep, “Gee, I wonder who this could be?”

“Took him longer than I thought it would,” Michelle laughed.

“OpsBase to Ops5,” Dan called over the link.

“Michelle’s fine Cap, no need to check in,” Ace told him.

There was a small, short curse only Rev heard before Dan continued, “I think I know what’s out there. I was going over some of the more recent reports and came across one about an Andromeda war cruiser that exploded from a core breach about halfway between Earth and Mars sometime last month. That cruiser was apparently carrying low yield Nova class warheads.”

“Define low yield,” Boomer asked.

“If this report is right we’re talking about a creator the size of New York City.”

“Sounds about right,” D.E. commented.

“I played a hunch and looked over the orbital readings for the past couple of weeks. The SpaceBase marked down what they identified as an asteroid impact close top where you’re located. One of the tech guys around here helped me plot a projection of the asteroids path. And based on what he did it looks like it came from the same area the war cruiser. Nothing concrete but it’s a good chance it’s the same thing.”

D.E. half listened to what Cap was saying as he adjusted something on his scanner. Grinning ear to ear he said, “And we got an exact read out. Nova class warheads emit a unique form of interference that purposely screws with scanners that makes them harder to lock on to and shoot down.”

Michelle looked over at Ace, “That’s why he’s the weapon expert.”

“Cap,” Ace spoke up, “is the warhead active?”

“All the information about this particular warhead is coming up as classified so I’m taking that as a yes.”

“So we have a possible active warhead and an Alienizer trying to dig it up,” Ace stated. “And I thought this day was going to be boring.”

“Listen, all of you be careful,” Dan told them. “OpsBase out.”

Closing her License Ace looked at D.E. and Boomer, “If worse came to worse to you think you…”, she trailed off a bit.

“With Boomer helping me out I’m pretty sure we can do it,” he answered.

“No offence D.E. but I don’t think ‘pretty sure’ is going to be good enough.” He nodded in agreement.

Michelle held Ace back a bit as the boys continued one before saying, “Would Dan be that blunt?”

“I’m not Cap,” she answered, “and he told me not to be him.”

***
Grunting Blinky was pulling the warhead out if the ground. He should have asked that Agent for a trolley or something to get this out of here. Then again he’d probably insist on using those blasted machines. That’s the problem with the young un’ now a days, no taste for some honest work. With one final tug the warhead was cleared from the hole. “Now what did I do with that blasted communicator,” he muttered as he checked his pockets.

“Looking for something?”, a female voice called out. Blinky turned around and saw five individuals dressed in black, four with a colored star on their right shoulder. He focused on the black badges on their chest and gulped. “Blinky, step away from the warhead,” Ace commanded, “and you are under arrest for theft in several sectors.”

“I guess you youngsters got me,” The mole said then quietly hit a switch on the rig. The small laser popped up and started to spin. He swung his body around to create a wide firing arc to make them fall back. “Take that you whipper snappers!”

“Change standby!”, Ace called out. “Emergency! DekaOps!”

“Emergency! DekaData!”, Michelle joined in.

Each one was surrounded by a digital field as the Dekametal formed around them and created the Dekasuits. “Face on!”, they shouted and the Dekametal formed the helmets around their heads. “Special Police,” Ace said and the lights on their helmets started to flash. Together they said, “DekaOps!”

“Eat dirt!”, Blinky shouted as he waved the laser around.

Rev went for his D-Shooter. “No guns,” Ace told him, “we can’t risk hitting the warhead.” Reaching into her pack she pulled out her D-Rod, “Try to flank him.”

“Easier said than done,” D.E. commented. The next several moments dealt with Blinky using the rig to hold them back. For a mole that big he was pretty fast on the draw, every time one of them saw an opening he quickly closed it. Rev tried to jump over the beam but the mole backed up quickly and nailed him with the beam. His suit sparked from the impact but it help up. D.E. used the moment to roll foreword and jam his D-Knife into the laser’s track forcing it to stop spinning. Ace ran in with her D-Rod glowing and sliced the laser off. Michelle and Boomer rushed in and kicked him back. What they weren’t expecting was Blinky falling back and hitting the warhead. Part of it started blinking and all of them stopped and stared at it.

“Oh shit,” Ace muttered.

“I don’t think that’s good y’all so I’ll be seeing ya,” Blinky announced as he got up and ran out of there.

“Boomer, D.E.,” Ace quickly said.

“We got it,” D.E. told her. “Rev we could use an extra set of hands.”

“Right, Michelle we got the mole,” Ace said as she started running after him.

“You got it,” Michelle replied.

Boomer tossed D.E. a screwdriver and they started on the bolts that held down a panel below the blinking light. “I have never worked on an explosive device before,” Rev told them.

“It’s just like operating on a person,” D.E. informed him. “You got to know where to cut and where not to cut.”

“Except when the patient dies you die with him,” Boomer added.

D.E. glanced up at him, “I wasn’t going to tell him that.”

“My bad,” Boomer said as they took off the panel.

“I am fully aware of the dangers of the situation Terry,” Rev said.

“Well, if it helps you any think of it as you’re our nurse this time around.”

Ace and Michelle had a hard time keeping up with Blinky. Suddenly he whipped round and activated the rig’s big laser. They jumped to the side, neither wanting to test the Dekametal against that. The beam started to sputter and disappeared. “Stupid contraption,’ Blinky said as he started slapping the rig.

“Go!”, Ace yelled as both of them got to their feet and ran in again.

Blinky got the beam working again and Michelle raised her left arm up and ran her finger down the first row of keys on the keypad. “Barrier shield!”, she shouted as she spread her arms wide. The beam from the rig hit the energy shield and Michelle was forced to take several steps back but refused to fall down. Ace ran up behind her, jumped up and leaped off her shoulder. Blinky looked up in surprise as she pulled her D-Shooter and shot the rig several times. The beam died down and the shield faded away. Michelle pulled out her DataLicense and switched it to Judgment, “Target orders.”

“Now what a second darlin’”, Blinky started as the area went dark. A red X and blue circle started flashing between them as the mole was scanned. After a minute the red X shined brightly.

“Eliminate target,” Michelle said. Punching a code she went to a knee as the cyclindars on her back swung up and pointed straight ahead. Ace got her D-Shot ready and stood behind her. Michelle hit the trigger on the cannons, “DataBlast!”

Ace pulled the trigger, “Strikeout!”. Seconds later Blinky was deleted, “Got you.”

“Who needs Dan?”, Michelle said as she raised a hand. Ace looked at her. “After they defuse the warhead, right.”

At that moment D.E. and Boomer were both elbow deep in the guts of the warhead. “I see the detonator,” Boomer announced. After a few seconds he said, “Damn it, I was afraid of that.”

“Did they modify it?”, D.E. asked already knowing the answer.

“Afraid so.”

“That is bad correct?”, Rev asked.

“Just makes it a little more difficult,” D.E. told him. “And Boomer don’t add anything.”

“I don’t have time. D.E. do you recognize what they did to this thing?”. Boomer moved aside slightly so D.E. could get a better look. “Those three circle lights.”

“I see them. Yeah I know what that is. It’s going to be easy if I can reach it.” D.E. reached in and struggled for a few moments, “No good, my hand won’t fit in that opening.”

“If yours won’t fit than my definitely won’t,” Boomer told him. “Rev your hands are pretty small compared to ours you give it a go.”

“I don’t know…,” he began.

“I’ll walk you through it,” D.E. assured him. “The middle light is the main part from the look of things.”

“It is,” Boomer agreed using a mirror. “I’m not seeing any wires connecting the other two.

“See if you can reach in Rev.”

Rev cautiously put his hand in, “I am touching the light.”

“Good, now do exactly like I say. Take a hold of the middle light and slowly and gently pull it out.” Rev nodded began to pull. After three inches of it was exposed D.E. said, “Stop. Now twist it ninety degrees counter clockwise. Now slowly push it back in.” It went in with a click that made them all flinch.

Boomer announced, “The light stopped blinking and we’re still here. And Rev just defused his first bomb.”

“A rush and a half ain’t it buddy?”, D.E. asked.

“Quite exhilarating,” Rev answered, “and quite nerve racking. “

“Now we can celebrate,” Ace said after they watched the whole thing in silence. The boys watched as the girls high fived each other.

“This was some experience,” D.E. said to Boomer.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “But it might be something we need to practice every once in a while, just in case.” Both of them looked at Ace.

Putting a hand on her hip she said, “We are not keeping the warhead.”

“The Major let me keep the repeater,” D.E. argued.

“The repeater isn’t going to blow up the base,” she shot back.

***
Michelle came out of her quarters to find Dan waiting for her in the hallway, “How long have you been standing out here?”

“Not long,” he said. “Want to go get some dinner?”

“Love too,” she said as she took his good arm. “I just have to know, what made you think to look at the reports?”

“Honestly, I was bored out of my mind,” he answered and made her laugh. “I don’t know how you do it every time we go out on a mission.”

“It helps when I think of the tight outfit my boyfriend ends up wearing,” she said with a wicked smile.

“Hey now, keep it clean,” he told her. “Speaking of reports, I read in Ace’s you had a slight disagreement with her command style.”

“It wasn’t a disagreement,” she corrected him. “I just didn’t think she should have said that in front of D.E.. Do you think it’s going to be a problem between them?”

“I already talked to both of them about it,” Dan said, “and he had no problem with it. He told me she was just voicing what was already going through his head.”

“Would you have said anything?”, she asked.

“Me personally, no, but I’ll be honest with you. I know D.E. and Boomer a two of the best, but when I read the words Nova class warhead I had a few doubts pop in. And I’m not going to say anything more to Ace about it either. She has her command style and I have mine.”

“It just seemed off to me,” Michelle admitted.

“It something you better get used to when you go out on more missions,” Dan told her. “Especially when Ace is the one in command. Speaking of more missions,” Dan said with a hint of a smile as they walked into the cafeteria. The Major, Ace, D.E, Boomer and Rev all looked like they were waiting for them.

“What’s going on?”, Michelle asked.

“Dan and myself had a very interesting conversation while you were gone,” The Major said. “And just to be fair I decided to include these four in that discussion. Dan if you would do the honors.”

“Michelle,” he started as he stood in front of her, “we have told you almost from the beginning that you are part of this team. And we decided that it was about time we made that official. Ace,” she came foreword and revealed the white star she was hiding behind her back.

“You don’t have to do this,” Michelle said stunned.

“Oh yes we did,” Boomer said grinning.

“Special situations or not you are one of us,” Ace told her, “it’s about time you started looking the part.”

“I for one say it’s about time,” D.E. agreed.

“Congratulations Michelle,” Rev added with a nod.

“You’re in it deep now,” Dan told her, “and there’s no way to get out of it.” Michelle hugged him suddenly, “Watch the arm.”

“Sorry,” she said as she stepped back. Dan took her lab coat as Ace pinned the star on her right sleeve. Dan gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then she said, “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say it’s party time,” Pierce said. “We didn’t set all of this up for nothing.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Ace said as she grabbed a beer. Dan quickly took it out of her hand, “Hey!”

“You’re not even twenty-one yet,” he informed her. Then he opened the can for himself.

“Oh come one.”

Michelle looked at the star on her arm still stunned. She’s been part of this since the beginning and never complained. But right now she felt like she really was one of the team, and she hasn’t been prouder of anything in her life.


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ED – Evanescence – Whisper
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