The Craziest Men on the Planet

PresidentMarcos · August 26, 2003, 21:56

The interesting thing about the military is that the senile, paranoid crazies are typically the ones who hold positions of power. This may have something to do with the fact that in order to achieve such high rank, you must stay in the military for a long, long time, and the crazies are the only ones deluded enough to stay in the military for such periods of time. The consequences are usually cataclysmic...

All was quiet on that fateful summer morning, as the sun rose over Grand Forks, Montana. It was the start of a perfect day-there was not the slightest hint of the chaos that was to come...

Slightly north of the main ICBM base at Grand Forks, there was a new mound rising up above the plains. At the top of the mound, there was yet another blast door, similar to those on the Minuteman and MX silos to the south.

The mound housed the results of Project Toggenberg, which itself was the result of the SDI bill pushed through Congress by President Bash the First, helped in no small part by the overthrow of Premier Gorbachef. Gorbachef had managed to escape from the Soviet Union and seek asylum into the US after being rescued by a team of SEALS, but his succesor, a senile maniac named Desadesky, had inflamed international relations, and put disarmament talks back to Square 1. As such, Project Toggenberg was pushed through Congress, and the Toggenberg Strategic Defense Laser was built. The plan would have been perfect, if it wasn't for the insidious ravings of the heads of SAC, CIA, and the newly established Missile Defence Command...

PresidentMarcos · August 28, 2003, 00:02

The high speed Chrysler limousine sped down the Montana highway towards Grand Forks AFB, and the Toggenberg base. Aboard was the President of the United States, and his Secret Service entourage. The limousine sped past after farm, and farm, and farm...

Occasionaly, they would pass by a small town, but those were few and far between. Inside, the President was passing his time talking...

The resason the President was visiting the Toggenberg site was that he was a Democrat. Instead of using an ABM system, the President advocated arms control. This visit would be pivotal in the history of the Toggenberg system. Would it stay...or would it go the way of Safeguard and Sentinel?

PresidentMarcos · August 28, 2003, 15:50

As the Chrysler limousine was speeding toward the Toggenberg ABM base, a very different arrival was occuring halfway across the world, in the cold, snowy wastes of Siberia...

The C-130 arced downward over the frozen Siberian tundra. It was rocked back and forth by the fierce winds. At the rear of the C-130, a large cargo door opened, and three small specks were seen to emerge, and fall...

The C-130 picked up speed and flew away.

On the ground, the three agents were in confusion...

Lt. Collins picked himself up, despite the stinging pain in his lower spine. He rubbed his back to soothe the pain. In any case, the cold would numb it down soon...

He grabbed his partner, Lt. Donaghue, and pulled him up. They walked-no, struggled over to the equipment pack, and opened it. They grabbed their packs and donned them.

"****! This weather is god damm horrible!" Collins yelled.

"WHAT!? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" his partner answered. It was going to be a long, painful day.

Paddy · September 1, 2003, 05:40

Bring it on, I am enjoying this

PresidentMarcos · September 1, 2003, 17:55

(Note: This story is a prequel to Havoc in Zero Gees. Once I am done with this, Zero Gees will have work resumed on it)

As the C-130 dropped off it's cargo of agents, a meeting of sorts was taking place in the Kremlin. The Central Commitee (Desadesky, Kissof, Chernenko, Andropov, and a bunch of other similar gap-toothed idiots) sat down at their tables. Desadesky was at the end as usual, sipping a glass of Stoli, as was everyone else. A few moments later, the whole rotten lot was thoroughly drunk.

Their attendants, seeing this, rushed in and administered a heavy dose of sober pills.

The effect wore off after a few hours. Comrade Desadesky was the first to speak.

"Okay, everyone...The reason I have called a meeting is because there is an issue concerning the nuclear strategic balance. The Americans have gone ahead with an SDI anti-missile laser. The effects could be very destabilizing. Intelligence warns us that the laser is very effective. We will have to build more nukes. I will call a vote."

As everyone at the table was of the same mindset as Comrade Useless Baboon's Arse (Desadesky) the vote was unaniumous. The USSR's defence industry was going to build more nukes. And they would be used in anger.

vovan · September 1, 2003, 18:44

Never mind the lack of feedback here, Marcos. It's just because everybody is so captivated by your story, they can't type.

Keep going with this. While the installments are short, they are pretty good.

PresidentMarcos · September 1, 2003, 19:02

Not bad for an angsty kid, eh?

Paddy · September 1, 2003, 19:28

Not bad at all....

Just curious, Do you Play Multiplayer often?

PresidentMarcos · September 4, 2003, 20:31

Five hundred miles away from Moscow, something was afoul...

A huge transport truck, the kind usually used to transport large ballistic missiles in parades through Red Square, rolled down a dirt road that had been hastily beaten between a huge pine forest. The transport truck negotiated the road until it finally came to a stop in a wide, open clearing. There was nothing to discern this clearing from the others except for the fact that a huge mound had been built, and it rose out of the center of the clearing like a a bruise on the forehead of a person. On top of the mound was a large concrete slab which resembled a manhole lid. As the truck came to a halt, the noise of hydraulics could be heard. The lid turned on a fixed pivot until it opened. Then, a pillar, which looked similar to a telsecope mounting, rose out. The truck raised the container, and drove to the pillar. Then, the container was lowered, until it snapped into position. Then, the container was raised. When it was all finished, it looked rather like the Toggenberg ABM laser.

Paddy · September 5, 2003, 04:11

ahhhh, you do like to tease

ChrisiusMaximus · September 5, 2003, 13:22

Good stuff with a little dose of intrigue

PresidentMarcos · September 5, 2003, 23:07

Halfway across the globe, the limousine ground to a halt in the Grand Forks AFB parking lot. With a low click, the doors unlocked. Then, they all opened simoultaneously. Out stepped six tuxedoed Secret Service agents, followed by the President, the Vice President, a US Congressman, and several presidential advisors. There was little to discern the President and his entourage from the Secret Service agents other than the fact that the Secret Service agents wore sunglasses.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the President asked, a tone of contempt tinging his Arkansas accent. He pointed to the Toggenberg ABM laser. "So, that's it...I'm dissapointed. I though it was going to be more impressive up close, but now it isn't..."
He turned to his Presidential advisor.
"It looks like a telescope," he said.
"That's because it's derieved from telescope optics," the advisor replied.
"Thank you," replied the President. "Hey, Al! Get some beer from the trunk for everyone!" he yelled.

unscratchedfoot · September 5, 2003, 23:15

hurry up

Paddy · September 6, 2003, 01:07

Quote:

Originally posted by unscratchedfoot
hurry up

yeah well

some more would be good....

vovan · September 6, 2003, 12:23

Yup, yup, waiting for another installment.

Keep them goods coming.

PresidentMarcos · September 10, 2003, 23:34

A few moments later, everyone was in the command center, seated in one of the overstuffed chairs. Everyone except the Secret Service agents was sipping a beer, and a buzz of talk filled the room. Suddenly, the phone rang...
The general picked it up, and immediately, his face went white.
"Mr. President? The Secretary of Defense says the Russians have deployed an ABM laser..."
"Put the ICBM force on full alert, and power up the laser," the President said. "If the Russians are going to attack, then we will retaliate fully and effectively. Send all bombers to failsafe points!"

Off the Alaskan coast, the B-1B bomber Loony Bin had finished aerial refueling. Inside, the crew was relaxing. The pilot, a college student, was reading a copy of Playboy. He was currently fixated on Miss July, when suddenly, the failsafe box began to buzz. The EMW officer, thorughly annoyed, pushed the button, and read the code.
"1298 Charlie Bravo Delta..."
He checked the code binder, until he got to 1298-CBD. It was the order to ready for possible attack...

Paddy · September 10, 2003, 23:47

oh really.... bugger... those bloody Ruskies....

I like lime in mine thanks

Keep up the good work.

PresidentMarcos · September 23, 2003, 21:47

The call to Defcon 3 had gone to all US military forces...including those no one knew about. Area 51 was home to the US hypersonic orbital bomber and fighter fleet. This program had been started when it was discovered the Soviets were working on similar lines. The fighters and bomber were capable of SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit) flight, which was very useful...

The bombers were loaded with standoff nuclear missiles. The fighters were fitted with orbital AAMs. Within moments, the force was in orbit. The ground based SAM force was on full alert.

Everywhere, silo doors opened, revealing the long, slender cone that was the Windpsrint. The Windsprint was based on the old Sprint ABM of the 1960s...but the current Windsprint was designed for a different enemy...the Soviet orbital bomber force. Each Windpsrint silo held 60 missiles. The silo doors was all that appeared of the launching system, which contained of 60 launch containers mounted on a circular track, which they could move on, like a revolver's ammunition magazine. This was a very useful ability, at least theoretically. Whether or not the theories held water was to be tested very soon...

Paddy · September 23, 2003, 22:59

Bring it on...

vovan · September 29, 2003, 20:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Paddy the Scot
Bring it on...

Second that!

I'd love to see another installment of this.

ChrisiusMaximus · September 30, 2003, 12:23

Yes yes I agree c'mon PM lets have some more

PresidentMarcos · October 10, 2003, 16:15

The Dyna-Soar space plane whizzed through the blackness of space, right above the top layer of Earth’s atmosphere. Aboard, a Westinghouse tape recorder was playing a song. The reel to reel tapes spun slowly, the magnetic reader head converting magnetism into sound.
Just over the horizon, an S-IV orbital station hoved into view. The Dyna-Soar and the S-IV closed distance at Mach 5.
“Foxtrot One, we recommend you go for docking…” the S-IV station commander said matter-of-factly over the radio. “Repeat, we recommend you go for docking…”
“Roger that,” replied the Dyna-Soar pilot.
“We recommend you secure cabin pressurization.”
Aboard the Dyna-Soar a tape recorder was playing a song. It was particularly fitting for the meeting.
“Beyond the sea, she’s watching me leave…if I could fly…”
The pilot nudged the control stick until his HUD was centered on the S-IV’s docking port. Bumping the nitrogen thrusters, he aligned the Dyna-Soar correctly. The reticle turned green and chirped once…
“Twenty…ten feet…captured!”
The Dyna-Soar decelerated to the S-IV’s speed, just as the docking bar came into contact with the grabber on the S-IV’s underside. A perfect docking. The pilot of the Dyna-Soar kicked back as the song continued.
“If I could fly…”
The Dyna-Soar and S-IV docked their airlock hatches. A few seconds later, the pressure on both sides equalized, and the spacesuited pilot unbuckled, and kicked downward with his feet. He floated up into the S-IV. A few seconds afterwards, the airlock door closed underneath him. The pilot grabbed a few handles and pulled himself into the rotating artificial gravity block at the tip of the station. Immediately, the centripetal force of the rotating block pulled him down, and freefall was replaced by pseudo-gravity. Ahh, the marvels of modern technology…

PresidentMarcos · October 10, 2003, 22:53

Welll...I've spent a week perfecting that...so comment on it. Please!

ChrisiusMaximus · October 11, 2003, 04:22

All your posts as well as this last one are indeed very good, but they are always so short. Please dont take offence its not meant, you see I always feel left hanging when you update and sometimes unsure as to what happened earlier etc. If you go back and read the whole story including this new post it seems to flow better, would it be possible for you to post longer installments ?

Anyways as a whole this story is developing nicely and you have a good feel for building in suspense and intrigue. I like your way of describing the smaller or minute details that we would normally take for granted and it works well with this kind of slow build up and suspense.

Please keep the goods coming

unscratchedfoot · October 11, 2003, 19:34

Your Presidency, it is certainly well-written and very science-fictiony as you intended. Like Chris says, more goods would be appreciated. We are greedy readers and require volume along with our breakfast... I mean stories. You should start to weave it into a story with characters and a plot. I know this sounds lame, but you wanna make a story and not a 1 page documentary about how a machine operates right? Show us what these machines can really do in a big space battle or something or maybe they screw up and cause havoc. So dude, don't go starting any more new threads about new machines and nukes when you can focus on this and turn it into a great story.

Paddy · October 12, 2003, 08:40

excellent work...!

PresidentMarcos · October 13, 2003, 22:29

Premier Desadesky was sitting at the table, a wide, deranged grin on his face. His eyes twinkled with something between lust and excitement. Looking around, he eyed the red telephone on the meeting table. He looked to everyone else - all the other Central Commitee members, then back down to the phone, then up again.
He received a nod from everyone. A second later, everyone's face lit up, and their grins became even wider. Desadesky grabbed the handle of the phone, and lifted it. Putting it to his ear, he stared at the big red button that opened a White House-Kremlin hotline. He pushed it...
Soon, he had a connection to the President of the US.
"Listen, Bill...this is Premier Desadesky on the line. You know full well that ABM laser violates the treaty. If you deactivate yours, we will do the same with ours..."

Meanwhile, in Siberia...

Donaghue and Collins had reached their destination, Plesetk, okay. Plesetsk was the new home of the missile control center that was responsible for activating and launching the Soviet ICBM force...over 100,000 megatons of total yield. Collins and Donaghue had managed to sneak in, and plant C-4 bombs on the control center while the guard shifts were being changed. Now, a helicopter was coming to pick them up...

As the CH-60 hovered overhead, the two men were pulled up. As soon as the CH-60 was a good distance away, Collins pushed the button on the detonator.

"KA-BOOM!"

The C-4 bombs - there were .02 kilotons of force - ripped apart the command center.

In Moscow, Desadesky hung up, just as he received the call. Infuriated, he gave the launch order...

unscratchedfoot · October 14, 2003, 09:16

Isn't the dinosaur gonna have a say in all this?

PresidentMarcos · October 14, 2003, 21:34

Dyna-Soar, it's short for Dynamic Soaring, which is how the thing flies. If you want to know about it, go to http://www.deepcold.com. It's pilot, along with the crew of the B-1, are the story's protagonists! Well, they and the leadership. Also, it's more Dyna-MOWS...that is Dyna-Manned Orbital Weapons System. This one is designed to intercept ICBMs...

USAF Space Corps NCO Arthur Keith was just sitting down in the OC to get a nice beer, when the klaxon sounded. And this was not the beep-beep-beep of any ordinary drill. This was dash-dash-dash. It was for real.
Immediately, Keith's training kicked in. He struggled out of the gravity block and was in his Dyna-MOWS in seconds. Activating the engines, he seperated from the S-IV, and opened the ventral weapons bay, then extended a pod full of missiles, designed to intercept launching ICBMs. Within seconds, thousands of boosters were rising upwards...

Pushing a button, he let loose all 500 high velocity micro missiles. Around him, weapons sattelites and his fellow Dyna-MOWS were launching stand-off nukes and miromissiles as well.

Within a few moments, the Soviet ICBM force was completely dead. But so was the American.

The Soviets had an equivalent network of orbital bombers, fighters, and weapons platforms. Both sides had defeated each other's ICBM strikes. It was now up to the space and atmospheric bombers to decide the outcome of a newly declared World War Three...

ChrisiusMaximus · October 15, 2003, 03:34

Gripping stuff!!, and the delivery seems to have sped up

`well done PM