“I think we are FUBARed.”
“Yes Sir.”
Dinner was served by Chef. The steaks, smothered in caramelized onions, came out on piping hot white china plates.
“If you need anything else, just let me know,” Chef said.
“This looks great; I think we will be fine,” Snap replied.
“I’ll be out later to prepare your bananas foster.”
“I can’t wait.” West said.
Chef walked toward one of the other tables surrounded by four soldiers that had mistakenly ordered the mushroom smothered hamburger.
“Those guys should have ordered the filet mignon,” Snap said with a laugh.
“Yeah, they don’t know what they are missing.” Neal sat up in his chair, “On a serious note, though, during orientation, they warned us that disclosing anything we learn about extraterrestrials is punishable by death. We don’t even get a trial. Does that bother you?” Neal pondered.
“Yes, of course. But that’s not what worries me the most. I’m pretty sure I can keep my mouth shut. What worries me the most is the fact that I know they are keeping a lot of secrets from us. There is no way that they don’t have any idea how many they are, or where they are when they got at least one of them right here on this base,” Snap said.
“We are the only squad here right now? We have been here all day; this place is designed for at least six squads. Have you seen any other soldiers? Plenty of scientists, spooks, techs, but not one combat solider, except us. Where are they?”
“You think they are all in combat, right now?” Snap asked, while chewing a stalk of tender asparagus.
“Could be, for all we know, there could be a full-blown against the Ondagra, and we don’t even know it.” Neal took another bite of his smothered steak.
“So, to what do you attribute all the rapid advancement of technology? Roswell? Or, do you think that aliens have been working with the government to develop the tech?” Snap asked.
“I definitely think alien technology was involved, whether it be crashed saucers or alien intervention, I don’t know. At the very minimum, you have Ater here for a couple of decades helping develop tech.”
“I just get this feeling that there is more to the story, a lot more,” Snap said, as he slowly cut his filet.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Lightning Squad reported to the training room the next morning. Ater was already there when they walked in.
“Good Morning, Ater,” Snap called out from the door, as he entered the large room.
“Gentlemen, we have an exciting day planned for you. Today we will be training on the Fixed-wing Individual Glider Assault System, or FIGAS for short. We will not be in a hologram room or simulation. Today, we will be going up in a plane and jumping without a parachute. Literally,” Ater said eustatically.
The men looked at each other, unsure of what to think.
Before any of them could object, Ater waived his hand, and a three-dimensional holographic image of a FIGAS appeared before the men. The image was an eight-foot-long wing with two small jets attached to the bottom of the wing. There was no fuselage, just a harness system that allowed a man to put it on, like a camper would wear a backpack.
Ater continued, “This fixed wing jet pack will allow you controlled flight to your destination from the plane. Unlike a parachute, which merely allows you to float to the ground, this will allow you to fly, up to 10 miles to your chosen destination. This is far superior to a parachute because the pilot does not have to be as exact in dropping you and you, can fly to better landing zones in a combat situation.”
“The FIGAS offers a one-way trip. It will not take off from the ground. It must be launched from a high point and glide, under power, to its landing zone. The FIGAS does not have its own power source, it attaches to the Modular Micro Fusion Reactor built into your FALOS armor. The guidance systems of the FIGAS are all integrated into the HUD built into the helmet of your FALOS armor.”
“Since we are using the fusion reactor in our FALOS suit to power the jet wing, will we still be able to fire our laser while in flight?” Snap asked.
“Good question. It is true that constant use of the laser places a strain on the fusion reactor. However, our scientists have been able to adjust the laser’s power requirements while in flight. Essentially, the laser will be reduced to 50 kilowatts while in flight, or roughly half power. Still powerful enough to dispatch soft ground forces.”
Snap nodded his head, “That will work.”
“How hard is it to fly?” Williams asked.
“It’s as easy as falling out of an airplane. The jet wing is fully voice-command controlled. Flight data will appear in the HUD. You can use your laser targeting system and flight control systems at the same time. The wing has a built in 3-axis gyro that automatically engages the thrusters to ensure you are upright and stable; all you have to do is adjust for speed and direction.”
After a few hours of training in the hologram room, the men headed to the lockers to put on their FALOS suits. Each man had his own suit that was uniquely fitted to not only his body, but his voice commands. While not being worn, the FALOS armor was able to stand on its own with the weight of the suit being held up by the exoskeleton. The micro modular fusion reactor could go months without being refueled, as the alien technology made it extremely efficient.
Snap stepped up to his FALOS suit, which looked almost like a robot, standing all on its own. It was a completely self-contained unit, the heavy armor resting on the titanium exoskeleton. The suit was designed to anticipate the operator’s movements and assist with lifting heavy loads or executing preprogrammed maneuvers. If the operator wanted to override any preprogrammed functions, there was a voice command feature.
The suit’s natural color was white, but it would automatically change colors to blend in with the environment. If the operator was in the desert, it would change to a sandy color, if in the jungle, to green. The suit had thousands of miniature light-emitting diodes built into the armor that would project an image on the suit. In an urban setting, the suit could project one of hundreds of preprogrammed images, or it could project an image from the local setting. It did not make the operator completely invisible, but it made the operator difficult to see in any environment.
The suit came with a laser rifle that could be attached to the modular micro fusion reactor for non-stop fire power. When the laser was not in use, it would be charging. The laser was capable of firing 200 shots when fully powered. If the power in the laser were depleted in combat, it could be reattached to the fusion reactor and fired without being powered up.
The head up display built into his helmet allowed for communications with his men, headquarters, and other devices. The HUD could track the enemy’s movements, friendlies’ movements, his vital signs, targeting, and power supply, and it could interface with other equipment, like the jet wing.
Equipping the armor took time. First, there was a carbon boride fiber under suit, similar to a diver’s wet suit. This was bullet resistant and would act to control the temperature of his body. Then, the largest part of the suit, a single piece of armor that covered his chest, back, and torso, was called the main unit. The arms and legs attached next, locking into the main unit. The weight of the main unit and helmet were supported by the leg units through a mechanical spine in the back of the suit that held it all together.