the next hummer. But every man in the squad was just as deadly, and just as lucky. If the trip through the Door proved successful, he almost pitied the medieval men that would rise against them, and some would, of that he had no illusions. From firsthand experience he knew that human beings rarely rolled over without a fight…usually a good fight.
“Nothing so far,” Moore heard Captain Gardner report from above, “rough terrain ahead for you boys on the ground, though it appears to be worse to the northeast. It’s going to get bumpy.”
“Roger,” Moore said. They could live with a few bumps. “Stay overhead, ceiling your discretion.”
“Yes Sir,” Gardener answered, and began to circle higher and higher overhead.
“I now have visibility up to ten miles, no major structures of any kind; no sign of people at all...switching to infra-red. Nothing, no sign of life.”
On the ground the hummers were moving along at a surprisingly good clip, and only occasionally had to reroute to avoid troublesome rock formations or steep gullies. The Humvee could handle almost anything; it’s durability legendary. Occasionally they stirred up some indigenous wildlife, including a few deer which escaped Gardner’s overhead sweeps, and they’d only gone about five miles when they accidentally hit a rabbit.
“I see a road! I see a road!” Gardner yelled excitedly over the radio while the hummers were stopped. Moore insisted they retrieve the carcass of the rabbit, after all food was food and he was pretty sure grocery stores were now a thing of the past…or rather, the future.
“Tell us about it, Captain,” General Peebles ordered with dead calm, while others around him exploded with excitement.
“Yes Sir. Sorry Sir,” Gardner answered. “It’s more a wagon trail than a road really, two dirt ruts with a grassy hump in the middle, but it’s definitely a road of the times and not a game trail.”
“Holy shit,” someone behind Peebles said, but the General didn’t turn around to see who spoke. Surrounding the command table with the General were Colonel Lemay, Major Thane, Dr. Rice and Lee Robertson, but most of the camp was now crowded around the tent; those in the very back donned their helmets and monitored the broadcast through the built in radios.
“It’s located about four miles due south of Sergeant Moore’s last position. I’m at about two hundred feet and getting a good look now.”
“Captain, return to a safe altitude immediately, circle and wait for the Sergeant’s party to arrive at your position,” Peebles ordered.
“Yes Sir, climbing now,” Gardner replied though it took every ounce of his will power not to shoot off and follow the road. Instead he climbed higher still, circling his position and magnifying his surroundings as much as he dared.
“I have you,” Moore reported, finally spotting the Bot in the distance. “ETA six minutes...”
“Roger,” Gardner said still climbing. He spotted the reconnaissance group below and to the north and then he glanced back along the road that ran to the southwest. “Magnify ten times,” he ordered his helmet and the surrounding scene grew instantly closer.
“Mother of God...” he suddenly blurted. On his view screen he could make out a small group of low, squat buildings in the distance. “I’ve got buildings, maybe five miles...hold on…targeting,” he reported and began to aim a targeting laser the plane was equipped with to get an exact reading for artillery or rockets. A targeting laser was not standard equipment for a Bot, but they were added shortly before the cross over.
Behind the General, the mood grew apprehensive as the news began to sink in.
“We did it! We did it...we’ve really gone back in time,” he heard someone shout with a hoot of unabashed joy. The General felt his own knees go weak as his spirit soared, but outwardly he remained calm and in control.
“Target 5.3 miles southwest of my position,” Gardner said
“Nothing so far,” Moore heard Captain Gardner report from above, “rough terrain ahead for you boys on the ground, though it appears to be worse to the northeast. It’s going to get bumpy.”
“Roger,” Moore said. They could live with a few bumps. “Stay overhead, ceiling your discretion.”
“Yes Sir,” Gardener answered, and began to circle higher and higher overhead.
“I now have visibility up to ten miles, no major structures of any kind; no sign of people at all...switching to infra-red. Nothing, no sign of life.”
On the ground the hummers were moving along at a surprisingly good clip, and only occasionally had to reroute to avoid troublesome rock formations or steep gullies. The Humvee could handle almost anything; it’s durability legendary. Occasionally they stirred up some indigenous wildlife, including a few deer which escaped Gardner’s overhead sweeps, and they’d only gone about five miles when they accidentally hit a rabbit.
“I see a road! I see a road!” Gardner yelled excitedly over the radio while the hummers were stopped. Moore insisted they retrieve the carcass of the rabbit, after all food was food and he was pretty sure grocery stores were now a thing of the past…or rather, the future.
“Tell us about it, Captain,” General Peebles ordered with dead calm, while others around him exploded with excitement.
“Yes Sir. Sorry Sir,” Gardner answered. “It’s more a wagon trail than a road really, two dirt ruts with a grassy hump in the middle, but it’s definitely a road of the times and not a game trail.”
“Holy shit,” someone behind Peebles said, but the General didn’t turn around to see who spoke. Surrounding the command table with the General were Colonel Lemay, Major Thane, Dr. Rice and Lee Robertson, but most of the camp was now crowded around the tent; those in the very back donned their helmets and monitored the broadcast through the built in radios.
“It’s located about four miles due south of Sergeant Moore’s last position. I’m at about two hundred feet and getting a good look now.”
“Captain, return to a safe altitude immediately, circle and wait for the Sergeant’s party to arrive at your position,” Peebles ordered.
“Yes Sir, climbing now,” Gardner replied though it took every ounce of his will power not to shoot off and follow the road. Instead he climbed higher still, circling his position and magnifying his surroundings as much as he dared.
“I have you,” Moore reported, finally spotting the Bot in the distance. “ETA six minutes...”
“Roger,” Gardner said still climbing. He spotted the reconnaissance group below and to the north and then he glanced back along the road that ran to the southwest. “Magnify ten times,” he ordered his helmet and the surrounding scene grew instantly closer.
“Mother of God...” he suddenly blurted. On his view screen he could make out a small group of low, squat buildings in the distance. “I’ve got buildings, maybe five miles...hold on…targeting,” he reported and began to aim a targeting laser the plane was equipped with to get an exact reading for artillery or rockets. A targeting laser was not standard equipment for a Bot, but they were added shortly before the cross over.
Behind the General, the mood grew apprehensive as the news began to sink in.
“We did it! We did it...we’ve really gone back in time,” he heard someone shout with a hoot of unabashed joy. The General felt his own knees go weak as his spirit soared, but outwardly he remained calm and in control.
“Target 5.3 miles southwest of my position,” Gardner said
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