Purr
Kaerri's Man. =)
(Game Master note to @Sherwood in spoiler)
(Game Master mood music in spoiler)
About 24 hours ago...
It was another warm and windy Florida afternoon on Eglin ASC base. The sun was high and there were but a handful of clouds in sky as Corporal Mario Zuko worked on his VHT Veritech Hover Tank. The shining twenty foot tall giant stood like a monument to all things mighty and badass as it looked over the A.T.A.C. training grounds.
It was a rare moment among the Myrmidons and supply trucks scattered across the mecha hangars, for there were few people about. Those that were here were busy. Eglin personnel moved with a purpose securing cargo, locking down doors, and making ready for something big. Corporal Zuko might have thought it was something big too - the New York native hardly ever had to deal with tornadoes in his part of the former United States. In Florida, tornadoes were like taxes; they were prices everyone had to pay for living there.
Far to the west in eastern Alabama, a tornado warning was in effect. The warning had gone out over an hour ago and the ever-twirling cone was barreling northeastward toward Florida at a moderate pace. Being a class F-3 tornado, there was civilian traffic fleeing hastily out of Alabama and into Interstate 10 as reported to Eglin ASC base by Tactical Corp. While the tornado was probably no real threat to Eglin, the F-3 had already ripped out trees, mangled homes, and caused considerable damage to all things in its violent path in Alabama. Eglin ASC base was taking no chances.
(Spoiler - Tornado terminology)
Mario had only been assigned to this Veritech Hover Tank this morning and now the lively engine hummed and purred beneath him like a predator ready for blood. As a new recruit to the Army of Southern Cross, it was his very first VHT that was specifically assigned to him. This was not a trainer tank, Myrmidon, or a borrow; it was his. After years of training, finally getting to this point was something of a celebration of a great goal achieved and, for many other tankers at least, a dream come true - to be worthy to pilot your own tank. Today, that dream had come to pass.
As his first VHT, it was always a good idea to check out the vehicle firsthand as the A.T.A.C. philosophy on the subject was "Check your gear - the less complications in battle, the better." This is what Mario was doing when Eglin tower, the tower that dispatched for A.T.A.C. and T.A.S.C. forces, called him on his VHT's radio on the local A.T.A.C. channel.
"Tower to Corporal Zuko, come in."
When he did, an older female voice with a southern accent ordered him, "Mount up and coordinate with Bravo squadron for routine patrol west of Eglin base. They are expecting you. Bravo has reported recent signs of Malcontent activity. Due to the tornado, you are their only backup. But first, you are required to check in with your commanding officer for release. Once we have the green light from him or her, you will be fully authorized to leave post. You copy?"
Mario copied.
For a recruit to check in prior to patrol was standard procedure. During training, he had been told it was a must given his recruit status. Mario looked around but found no A.T.A.C. personnel of any kind, only Eglin grunts and techs tying things down or moving equipment. But as he looked out across the flat grass and concrete roads with their many signs, he spotted a lone M-770 staff hovercar scooting by. Chances were it was military personnel.
Not about to let any big fish out of his net as it were, Mario hopped into his VHT, transformed into transport mode, and left a small dust cloud behind him as he tore after the staff car in hopes that it was someone in A.T.A.C. who could provide him the necessary permission to leave post. As he began to come up alongside the vehicle, sure enough, his luck would hold true - he could see the staff car had A.T.A.C. markings on the glass. The driver of the hovercar had evidently noticed him too. The brake lights came on as the hovercar came to a stop.
Nearly all commanding officers deserving of their own staff car had their own driver. So, Mario might have been surprised to find that when the driver door opened, the fellow who emerged from it was not only wearing an A.T.A.C. battle dress uniform, but it was decorated with a grand share of medals and pins. Alongside those hard-won earnings, Mario noticed, was the insignia of a colonel.
Mario realized then he had just pulled over the second-in-command of all Eglin base - Colonel Sharp.
Mario had never met the man and knew him only by reputation - which was as sterling as sterling gets. A lifelong tanker, Col. Sharp had been a young man in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars commanding both M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles in front-line combat. A Tennessee-born West Point graduate, Sharp rose through the ranks by demonstrating a combination of earnestly getting any job done, providing whatever care his soldiers needed, displaying bravery in combat and out, and always keeping a level of integrity that set the example for all soldiers beneath him. He talked the talk and walked the walk for more than one decade. Having done so, Col. Sharp was wholeheartedly trusted with the fate of Eglin base by even the commander of Eglin ASC, the feared and reviled Brigadier General Steele. Just about everyone else Mario had spoken to on Eglin seemed to trust the colonel, too.
A fit fellow in his fifties with large chest and arms, average looks, with an ever-present aura of calm confidence, Col. Sharp put away his glasses and now looked up with silent curiosity to the Veritech Hover Tank thrumming alongside his own vehicle. It was then that Mario realized he was not wearing his helmet. In his haste to track down an officer to get leave from post, he had placed his helmet beside him. There was no mistaking the young, muscular Italian behind the controls of the VHT.
"Hey, son. Where's the fire?"
It was when Mario looked down and met the eyes of his colonel that a very odd thing took place...
(Mood music in spoiler)
(Game Master note for all: Folks, the following is a tribute to games long past... My way of saying it's great to be playing yet again in a sci-fi setting with Sherwood, this time with me at the helm. Before Sherwood, I had never roleplayed in sci-fi. I remember being skeptical. Thanks to our games together with Killfire, I've long since been a believer.
This scene is for Special Agent Captain Sherwood and his colonel, Hiram Sharp. =) )
Just being in each other's presence was enough to tell Mario that something unusual, something noteworthy or special was taking place. As Mario and Sharp looked upon each other, there was suddenly a tremendous amount of familiarity between the two men. Mario knew Sharp to be a man of honor and care, but not by reputation, but instead as if from firsthand experience.
It was a stunning sensation.
Colonel Sharp seemed to be equally flat-footed. As he peered up, he appeared to stare at Mario in a way quite unlike the meeting of strangers but instead like that of old comrades.
There was the unshakable feeling and realization that you had met before. Mario knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could trust Sharp, that he could count on Sharp. No, this did not make them the best of friends, nor did it even give them the slightest insight into each other's current lives (even Sharp's first name was well beyond Mario).
And yet... there was a comfortable sense of familiarity and strange but sure insight into each other's characters, perhaps into each other's hearts, that granted a nigh-permanent sense of ease between the two men. There were simply questions the two did not have to ask; they knew. They simply knew.
A small cloud passed overhead blocking the bright Floridian sun, and for a moment in time, Mario was not Mario but another man. In another uniform. In another time, another place. Sharp still looked like Sharp, but Mario was not always Mario. In the minds of both men, it was as if Mario was under this man's command in another life and that relationship well-suited the both of them.
In their mind's eye, the man Mario was before saluted Colonel Sharp with all that he is. Immediately and wholeheartedly, that salute was returned by the older soldier.
The cloud passed by. The sun beamed down. And once again, there was just Corporal Zuko and Colonel Sharp staring at each other in the present. Just the two of them and this profound feeling they shared.
"Do I... know you from somewhere?"
It was a foolish question. Both men knew the answer without a doubt.
Then the radio on Mario's Veritech Hover Tank crackled to life. Mario heard the voice of Eglin tower once again. "Tower to Corporal Zuko. I say again, come in. Do you read me?" From her urgent tone, it was apparent to Mario that she had been trying to raise him for some time, though neither Mario nor Colonel Sharp seemed to know how long that moment was.
Mario finally responded.
"Have you found a commanding officer yet? Bravo squadron is asking."
Colonel Sharp raised his hand in a manner that gave Mario pause. Colonel Sharp reached for the radio on his hip. Interacting with it, he spoke. "Tower, Zeus Two."
"Go ahead, Zeus Two."
"Bravo Four has the green light with full permissions."
The voice inside the tower seemed pleased. "Oh, thank you, Zeus Two. Bravo Four, you are free to execute previous orders. Godspeed beyond the wire, sweetie."
"Godspeed indeed, Loricatus Defensor," Colonel Sharp told Mario. With a nod of his head, Mario knew he was dismissed, free to embark upon his duty.
*
(Yet more Game Master groove music. =)
A lone M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank with Eglin ASC markings thundered westward across Florida's grassy wilderness and over rolling hills marked with blackened blast craters and charred, ashen trees. Its tracks dug greedily into the earth as the 70-ton American powerhouse cranked along under a sunny sky far to the west of Eglin ASC base. Spray-painted in wide red letters across its 120mm main gun were the words, "Wake Up Call."
A couple of old soldiers rode atop their aged olive-drab battle machine, their massive guns at the ready. They were grinning as they rumbled along. The gray-haired crew could hardly hear a thing over the growling of the engine and the turning of those great treads across the battlefield, but their eyes were as sharp as ever.
From behind them came a powerhouse of a different kind driven by Corporal Mario Zuko; the kind that blasted along and above the earth without touching it. Powered by roaring hover propulsion systems, this ground combat vehicle raced along at nearly 100 miles per hour, far faster than the Abrams ever could, kicking up long trails of dust and small bits of debris. Gleams of red and gold shone off that lightweight alloy and ceramic armor upon which the insignia of the Eglin Army of the Southern Cross Base was emblazoned:
(Spoiler contains this custom-made insignia for the Army of the Southern Cross)
As the young tanker passed the old, there was the opportunity to be the first to salute the pair on the Abrams MBT. If performed, that salute was proudly returned as the Abrams crew watched and waved as the Veritech Hover Tank patrol shot past them in transport mode towards a fate unknown.
*
Not long afterward, Mario found himself listening in on different channels. Having a recently-trained military education in communications, this was something comm specialists did in an effort to gain additional information or perhaps a different perspective from whomever might be transmitting in the area. Given the coming of the tornado, there was no shortage of weather-related and civilian traffic. Yet, as he neared the coordinates where he was supposed to rendezvous with Bravo squadron, he neither saw nor heard any sign of them. Their channel was silent. However... he did hear this on the Tactical Corp channel...
The male voice made every attempt to sound calm and controlled: "Calling Army of the Southern Cross. Any units in the area. Tactical Corp engineering convoy escorting civilian convoy in distress. Location is I-10 eastbound, just past mile marker 25, 5 miles east of Escambia Bay Bridge. Patrol of 6 Malcontent foot soldiers have ambushed convoy from forest south of highway. Malcontents have blockaded the highway east of us. We are trapped and taking fire. Someone, anyone, help us! Please respond!"
Mario knew Interstate 10 was but a short distance away. A moment of examining his maps gave him his position - about 10 miles away east of the given location. Interstate 10 was a six-lane highway often bordered by long stretches of forests and rivers. Most of it was still intact and as such, it was a common route for civilian and military traffic to use. Especially when running from tornadoes.
Alone and in the wilderness well beyond Eglin ASC base, Mario had a decision to make:
1. Attempt again to contact Bravo squadron on the A.T.A.C channel (that channel has been quiet thus far).
2. Respond to Tactical Corp. (if only to let them know they have been heard or come to their rescue alone).
3. Approach Interstate 10 and take a look at the state of the highway in his area (Mario has no experience along this stretch; he knows that using it eastbound will take him straight back to Eglin ASC base).
4. (And because one of these options has to be ridiculous or just plain wrong) Say heck with the Tactical Corp, civilians, and Bravo squadron all and instead take the new VHT for a joyride and use the tornado as an excuse to get out of trouble later! Wooo!
5. Anything else Mario can think of.
For this intro only, Mario is wearing his A.T.A.C. megasuit and forearm shield. He is currently not wearing his helmet. He has on his person 1 standard issue LAR-10 laser rifle with 3 magazines along with a survival pack in his backpack.
Also, note that I have put a higher-than-usual number of spoilers filled with information and music here. =)
Also, note that I have put a higher-than-usual number of spoilers filled with information and music here. =)
(Game Master mood music in spoiler)
"Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride) by Don Felder from the Heavy Metal Motion Picture Soundtrack
It's hard to think about A.T.A.C. and tanks and not think "Heavy Metal." After all, what is a tank but heavy metal full of rock and roll? =)
Lyrics:
"Won't you take a ride, ride, ride
On heavy metal
It's the only way that you can travel
Down that road
Satisfied, fied, fied
On heavy metal
Baby won't you ride
Ride it until it explodes
Heavy Metal
My oh my how this lady can fly
Once she starts rollin' to leave you
You know you just can't lose the way she moves
You wait for her to finally release you
It's not a big surprise to feel your temperature rise
You've gotta get your redline fever
'Cause there is just on cure that they know for sure
You just become a heavy metal believer"
It's hard to think about A.T.A.C. and tanks and not think "Heavy Metal." After all, what is a tank but heavy metal full of rock and roll? =)
Lyrics:
"Won't you take a ride, ride, ride
On heavy metal
It's the only way that you can travel
Down that road
Satisfied, fied, fied
On heavy metal
Baby won't you ride
Ride it until it explodes
Heavy Metal
My oh my how this lady can fly
Once she starts rollin' to leave you
You know you just can't lose the way she moves
You wait for her to finally release you
It's not a big surprise to feel your temperature rise
You've gotta get your redline fever
'Cause there is just on cure that they know for sure
You just become a heavy metal believer"
About 24 hours ago...
It was another warm and windy Florida afternoon on Eglin ASC base. The sun was high and there were but a handful of clouds in sky as Corporal Mario Zuko worked on his VHT Veritech Hover Tank. The shining twenty foot tall giant stood like a monument to all things mighty and badass as it looked over the A.T.A.C. training grounds.
It was a rare moment among the Myrmidons and supply trucks scattered across the mecha hangars, for there were few people about. Those that were here were busy. Eglin personnel moved with a purpose securing cargo, locking down doors, and making ready for something big. Corporal Zuko might have thought it was something big too - the New York native hardly ever had to deal with tornadoes in his part of the former United States. In Florida, tornadoes were like taxes; they were prices everyone had to pay for living there.
Far to the west in eastern Alabama, a tornado warning was in effect. The warning had gone out over an hour ago and the ever-twirling cone was barreling northeastward toward Florida at a moderate pace. Being a class F-3 tornado, there was civilian traffic fleeing hastily out of Alabama and into Interstate 10 as reported to Eglin ASC base by Tactical Corp. While the tornado was probably no real threat to Eglin, the F-3 had already ripped out trees, mangled homes, and caused considerable damage to all things in its violent path in Alabama. Eglin ASC base was taking no chances.
(Spoiler - Tornado terminology)
Tornadoes are classified into five categories, F-0 through F-5. F-0 tornadoes are the mildest. F-5 tornadoes are the most dangerous (and the rarest).
F-0 40-72 mph, Light damage, chimney damage, tree branches broken
F-1 73-112 mph, Moderate damage, mobile homes pushed off foundation or flipped over
F-2 113-157 mph, Considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted
F-3 158-205 mph, Severe damage, roofs and walls torn down, trains overturned, cars thrown around
F-4 207-260 mph, Devastating damage, well-constructed walls leveled
F-5 261-318 mph, Violent damage, homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters.
Information credit: Enchantedlearning.com
F-0 40-72 mph, Light damage, chimney damage, tree branches broken
F-1 73-112 mph, Moderate damage, mobile homes pushed off foundation or flipped over
F-2 113-157 mph, Considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted
F-3 158-205 mph, Severe damage, roofs and walls torn down, trains overturned, cars thrown around
F-4 207-260 mph, Devastating damage, well-constructed walls leveled
F-5 261-318 mph, Violent damage, homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters.
Information credit: Enchantedlearning.com
Mario had only been assigned to this Veritech Hover Tank this morning and now the lively engine hummed and purred beneath him like a predator ready for blood. As a new recruit to the Army of Southern Cross, it was his very first VHT that was specifically assigned to him. This was not a trainer tank, Myrmidon, or a borrow; it was his. After years of training, finally getting to this point was something of a celebration of a great goal achieved and, for many other tankers at least, a dream come true - to be worthy to pilot your own tank. Today, that dream had come to pass.
As his first VHT, it was always a good idea to check out the vehicle firsthand as the A.T.A.C. philosophy on the subject was "Check your gear - the less complications in battle, the better." This is what Mario was doing when Eglin tower, the tower that dispatched for A.T.A.C. and T.A.S.C. forces, called him on his VHT's radio on the local A.T.A.C. channel.
"Tower to Corporal Zuko, come in."
When he did, an older female voice with a southern accent ordered him, "Mount up and coordinate with Bravo squadron for routine patrol west of Eglin base. They are expecting you. Bravo has reported recent signs of Malcontent activity. Due to the tornado, you are their only backup. But first, you are required to check in with your commanding officer for release. Once we have the green light from him or her, you will be fully authorized to leave post. You copy?"
Mario copied.
For a recruit to check in prior to patrol was standard procedure. During training, he had been told it was a must given his recruit status. Mario looked around but found no A.T.A.C. personnel of any kind, only Eglin grunts and techs tying things down or moving equipment. But as he looked out across the flat grass and concrete roads with their many signs, he spotted a lone M-770 staff hovercar scooting by. Chances were it was military personnel.
Not about to let any big fish out of his net as it were, Mario hopped into his VHT, transformed into transport mode, and left a small dust cloud behind him as he tore after the staff car in hopes that it was someone in A.T.A.C. who could provide him the necessary permission to leave post. As he began to come up alongside the vehicle, sure enough, his luck would hold true - he could see the staff car had A.T.A.C. markings on the glass. The driver of the hovercar had evidently noticed him too. The brake lights came on as the hovercar came to a stop.
Nearly all commanding officers deserving of their own staff car had their own driver. So, Mario might have been surprised to find that when the driver door opened, the fellow who emerged from it was not only wearing an A.T.A.C. battle dress uniform, but it was decorated with a grand share of medals and pins. Alongside those hard-won earnings, Mario noticed, was the insignia of a colonel.
Mario realized then he had just pulled over the second-in-command of all Eglin base - Colonel Sharp.
Mario had never met the man and knew him only by reputation - which was as sterling as sterling gets. A lifelong tanker, Col. Sharp had been a young man in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars commanding both M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles in front-line combat. A Tennessee-born West Point graduate, Sharp rose through the ranks by demonstrating a combination of earnestly getting any job done, providing whatever care his soldiers needed, displaying bravery in combat and out, and always keeping a level of integrity that set the example for all soldiers beneath him. He talked the talk and walked the walk for more than one decade. Having done so, Col. Sharp was wholeheartedly trusted with the fate of Eglin base by even the commander of Eglin ASC, the feared and reviled Brigadier General Steele. Just about everyone else Mario had spoken to on Eglin seemed to trust the colonel, too.
A fit fellow in his fifties with large chest and arms, average looks, with an ever-present aura of calm confidence, Col. Sharp put away his glasses and now looked up with silent curiosity to the Veritech Hover Tank thrumming alongside his own vehicle. It was then that Mario realized he was not wearing his helmet. In his haste to track down an officer to get leave from post, he had placed his helmet beside him. There was no mistaking the young, muscular Italian behind the controls of the VHT.
"Hey, son. Where's the fire?"
It was when Mario looked down and met the eyes of his colonel that a very odd thing took place...
(Mood music in spoiler)
"Some Other Time" by The Alan Parsons Project
Partial lyrics:
"Could it be that somebody else is looking into my mind?
Some other place
Somewhere
Some other time"
Partial lyrics:
"Could it be that somebody else is looking into my mind?
Some other place
Somewhere
Some other time"
(Game Master note for all: Folks, the following is a tribute to games long past... My way of saying it's great to be playing yet again in a sci-fi setting with Sherwood, this time with me at the helm. Before Sherwood, I had never roleplayed in sci-fi. I remember being skeptical. Thanks to our games together with Killfire, I've long since been a believer.
This scene is for Special Agent Captain Sherwood and his colonel, Hiram Sharp. =) )
Just being in each other's presence was enough to tell Mario that something unusual, something noteworthy or special was taking place. As Mario and Sharp looked upon each other, there was suddenly a tremendous amount of familiarity between the two men. Mario knew Sharp to be a man of honor and care, but not by reputation, but instead as if from firsthand experience.
It was a stunning sensation.
Colonel Sharp seemed to be equally flat-footed. As he peered up, he appeared to stare at Mario in a way quite unlike the meeting of strangers but instead like that of old comrades.
There was the unshakable feeling and realization that you had met before. Mario knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could trust Sharp, that he could count on Sharp. No, this did not make them the best of friends, nor did it even give them the slightest insight into each other's current lives (even Sharp's first name was well beyond Mario).
And yet... there was a comfortable sense of familiarity and strange but sure insight into each other's characters, perhaps into each other's hearts, that granted a nigh-permanent sense of ease between the two men. There were simply questions the two did not have to ask; they knew. They simply knew.
A small cloud passed overhead blocking the bright Floridian sun, and for a moment in time, Mario was not Mario but another man. In another uniform. In another time, another place. Sharp still looked like Sharp, but Mario was not always Mario. In the minds of both men, it was as if Mario was under this man's command in another life and that relationship well-suited the both of them.
In their mind's eye, the man Mario was before saluted Colonel Sharp with all that he is. Immediately and wholeheartedly, that salute was returned by the older soldier.
The cloud passed by. The sun beamed down. And once again, there was just Corporal Zuko and Colonel Sharp staring at each other in the present. Just the two of them and this profound feeling they shared.
"Do I... know you from somewhere?"
It was a foolish question. Both men knew the answer without a doubt.
Then the radio on Mario's Veritech Hover Tank crackled to life. Mario heard the voice of Eglin tower once again. "Tower to Corporal Zuko. I say again, come in. Do you read me?" From her urgent tone, it was apparent to Mario that she had been trying to raise him for some time, though neither Mario nor Colonel Sharp seemed to know how long that moment was.
Mario finally responded.
"Have you found a commanding officer yet? Bravo squadron is asking."
Colonel Sharp raised his hand in a manner that gave Mario pause. Colonel Sharp reached for the radio on his hip. Interacting with it, he spoke. "Tower, Zeus Two."
"Go ahead, Zeus Two."
"Bravo Four has the green light with full permissions."
The voice inside the tower seemed pleased. "Oh, thank you, Zeus Two. Bravo Four, you are free to execute previous orders. Godspeed beyond the wire, sweetie."
"Godspeed indeed, Loricatus Defensor," Colonel Sharp told Mario. With a nod of his head, Mario knew he was dismissed, free to embark upon his duty.
*
"Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" by Joe Satriani (instrumental)
Because Joe Satriani is cool like that. =)
Because Joe Satriani is cool like that. =)
A lone M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank with Eglin ASC markings thundered westward across Florida's grassy wilderness and over rolling hills marked with blackened blast craters and charred, ashen trees. Its tracks dug greedily into the earth as the 70-ton American powerhouse cranked along under a sunny sky far to the west of Eglin ASC base. Spray-painted in wide red letters across its 120mm main gun were the words, "Wake Up Call."
A couple of old soldiers rode atop their aged olive-drab battle machine, their massive guns at the ready. They were grinning as they rumbled along. The gray-haired crew could hardly hear a thing over the growling of the engine and the turning of those great treads across the battlefield, but their eyes were as sharp as ever.
From behind them came a powerhouse of a different kind driven by Corporal Mario Zuko; the kind that blasted along and above the earth without touching it. Powered by roaring hover propulsion systems, this ground combat vehicle raced along at nearly 100 miles per hour, far faster than the Abrams ever could, kicking up long trails of dust and small bits of debris. Gleams of red and gold shone off that lightweight alloy and ceramic armor upon which the insignia of the Eglin Army of the Southern Cross Base was emblazoned:
(Spoiler contains this custom-made insignia for the Army of the Southern Cross)
(The Latin across the top banner says Loricatus Defensors = "Armored Defenders.")
(Image credit: Maxconnor.deviantart.com)
(Image credit: Maxconnor.deviantart.com)
As the young tanker passed the old, there was the opportunity to be the first to salute the pair on the Abrams MBT. If performed, that salute was proudly returned as the Abrams crew watched and waved as the Veritech Hover Tank patrol shot past them in transport mode towards a fate unknown.
*
The male voice made every attempt to sound calm and controlled: "Calling Army of the Southern Cross. Any units in the area. Tactical Corp engineering convoy escorting civilian convoy in distress. Location is I-10 eastbound, just past mile marker 25, 5 miles east of Escambia Bay Bridge. Patrol of 6 Malcontent foot soldiers have ambushed convoy from forest south of highway. Malcontents have blockaded the highway east of us. We are trapped and taking fire. Someone, anyone, help us! Please respond!"
Mario knew Interstate 10 was but a short distance away. A moment of examining his maps gave him his position - about 10 miles away east of the given location. Interstate 10 was a six-lane highway often bordered by long stretches of forests and rivers. Most of it was still intact and as such, it was a common route for civilian and military traffic to use. Especially when running from tornadoes.
Alone and in the wilderness well beyond Eglin ASC base, Mario had a decision to make:
1. Attempt again to contact Bravo squadron on the A.T.A.C channel (that channel has been quiet thus far).
2. Respond to Tactical Corp. (if only to let them know they have been heard or come to their rescue alone).
3. Approach Interstate 10 and take a look at the state of the highway in his area (Mario has no experience along this stretch; he knows that using it eastbound will take him straight back to Eglin ASC base).
4. (And because one of these options has to be ridiculous or just plain wrong) Say heck with the Tactical Corp, civilians, and Bravo squadron all and instead take the new VHT for a joyride and use the tornado as an excuse to get out of trouble later! Wooo!
5. Anything else Mario can think of.
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