Lambda Testing Complex - 2315 hours
"I am drawing in the line of departure, labelled Victory. Confirm." Levarge traced his finger over the monitor in the Hydra-C, leaving a flashing red line behind. He typed in Victory on the keyboard, and the line went live on the screen. Green lights began to appear down the right side as the other vehicles confirms.
"All green," he said into the throat mike. "I am drawing in the line of fire, labelled Volcano. Confirm." He went through the same motions. On the screen, a topo map showed the ridgeline Task Force Hawk now was sitting on. Down below, a small (fake) town marked as Krasnovia was waiting. The map showed ten friendly vehicles, not including his own, arranged around. Each vehicle had a matching status indicator. They all glowed green. Another status display, labelled RR, blinked yellow.
Levarge popped the top, looked around, confirmed for himself that MAGIC WALL and reality were in agreement. Again into the throat mike: "Ready to move out. Departure in 120." A countdown appeared on the display.
Levarge felt the energy building up in him, even though it was a test. Right about now, time-on-target artillery would be pounding the town, disorienting the enemy, as the countdown continued. A small beep. "Engage."
Four Gorgon IIs, four Hydras, two Hydra-Assaults, their 30mm cannons sniffing the air, and Levarge's Hydra-Command poured off the hillside, the Gorgons in the lead in line formation, the Hydras in a looser group behind them. In realtime, Levarge could monitor the positions on the map. He kept up a steady stream of commands.
"Golf Two, slow down, too far ahead. Hotel Alpha One, keep the pace. Hotel Three, stay left, rough ground."
His mind was spinning around the tactical possiblities.
Have to train the troops without this stuff. It won't always work. Have to train the commanders - me - to not micromanage. I'm not God. He stuck his head out of the hatch again to watch the task force move forward at full speed.
But I might as well be.
The Gorgons reached the firing line, stopped hull-down. "I am designating target Joe. Fire at will." He tapped on the houses on his map, and heard the roar of the Gorgons. He popped back out in time to see four shells slam into the side of the house, which seemed to implode and then explode, tiles and beams scattering about like children's blocks.
"We are receiving fire all along the line," he intoned into the mic, and he swept his finger across the frontage of the town. "Fire at will." The air filled with the boom of the Gorgons and the pop-pop-pop of the Hydra-As 30mm cannons. He let this chorus of devils continue for a minute.
"Hold fire! Switch to smoke. Hotels One through Four, move on my mark." The roars continued, but the explosions stopped. Loud puffing noises followed, smoke billowing.
Levarge switched to the RR button, smiled.
Beautiful. Zeus on high. "Enemy movement near the church. Gorgon one and two move in, secure the square, Hotels and Hotel Alphas move in after the Gorgons, dismount, secure the church." His war dogs leapt off the firing line, into the burning town, and Marcus Levarge climbed out on top of his Hydra-C.
The vehicles disappeared into the smoke.
And I would have lost command control now, he thought,
in the old electronic battlefield. He ducked back in, watched it all unroll on the video screen, and couldn't restrain his smile.
Report to the Minister
Sir: Hydras, Hydra-As and Hydra-Cs performed well on the battlefield. MAGIC WALL and RANGE RUNNER performing perfectly. Intend to roll out MAGIC WALL as Argus system in all vehicles. Need production numbers for Hydras.
/s/Levarge
