Path:
geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!ne
ws.idt.net!nyd.news.ans.net!newsfeeds.ans.net!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!newsrelay.i
astate.edu!news.iastate.edu!alexbell
From: alexbell@iastate.edu (Alex Hibbs)
Newsgroups: alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die
Subject: Operation Home Front: Clouds on the Horizon
Date: 13 Nov 1998 20:12:50 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
Lines: 111
Message-ID: <72i3s2$eto$1@news.iastate.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: isua1.iastate.edu
X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.1 (NOV)
Xref: geraldo.cc.utexas.edu alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die:72761

Operation Homefront: Clouds on the Horizon
Author: Trooper Charcharadon, Doberman Empire

        Trooper Charcharadon was worried.  He had no rational reasons
for this, and he had told himself just that several times over the past
few hours.  The quiet, nagging,twisting feeling persisted.  Every time
he tried to nail down what the problem really was, it would skitter away
into the harder to reach portions of his subconscious like some
malicious bar of soap in the loo.  The end result of all this was that
Charcharadon had a real monster of a headache.  The sort that starts
right where the back of the skull and the neck meet and then shoots
through the frontal lobe to smolder right above the eyes.
        He actually didn't notice it for quite some time.  His first
clue was the fact that he was now completely alone in the lab.  As
Charcharadon preoccupied and in pain was something those around him came
to know and dread, everyone had conveniently found somewhere else to be
urgently required.  So as the sense of solitude finally worked its way
to his attention, Charcharadon looked up from work that he really wasn't
focused on anyway and came to the realization that he was spinning his
wheels.
        Sitting a few seconds in revelation, he finally muttered, "Sod
it all, anyway," and headed off in search of solutions to his problems:
aspirin, a stiff drink, and a bit of a lie-down.

        Fifteen minutes later, lying on his back in semidarkness while
staring at the ice in the tumbler and listening to something quiet and
unobtrusive, the problem finally consented to show itself in public.
The circumspect deviousness of the whole situation was disturbing him.
In all his experience with The Cause[tm], the tactics of the opposition
had always been about as subtle as a sledge hammer.  Granted, they did
occasionally have the sense to hide in the shadows and try to whack you
while you weren't looking, but the essential straightforwardness was
still there.  Easy to write off as a side effect of the intelligence of
those involved, but also somewhat of an unspoken understanding between
the two sides.  You fight your battles and may the best man win, as it
were.
        This time, however, things were coming in at a different angle.
If the interrogations he had performed were to be trusted, this was a
private project, some sort of hidden conspiracy inside the enemy ranks.
Granted, the Evil Purple One was still dead and someone had to be
running things in the meantime, but the clandestine nature of what had
been uncovered pointed to a long range plan which had been steadily
implemented over a long time in order to avoid detection.  The Jihad had
stumbled in on it in the last moments and was frantically scrambling to
locate the spider at the center of this particular web.
        A quick command and the display in the room sprang to life, the
computer affecting a direct link to Legion of Doom monitoring stations
tuned in on the recently detected network of communications signals
which seemed to be tied to the Array.  Even correlating data over
several hours of observation revealed only a faint tracery of lines
circling the globe.
        "Almost just like a spider web..."
        That's when Charcharadon suddenly sat bolt upright, almost
spilling his drink, barking orders at a rate the computer systems had
difficulty keeping up with.

        Much later, Charcharadon had reassembled several of his people
to use as a sounding board.  They were relieved to see that the moody
fit of the previous day was over, and that Charcharadon carried a
palpable air of excitement around with him.  Before anyone could ask, he
launched into his argument.
        "The entirety of our efforts so far has been to locate the
spider in the web through backtracking.  As we all know, this is not
being very successful.  The whole operation is so compartmentalized that
I'm amazed we've found out as much as we have.  The whole thing is smart
and well thought out.  At this point, in order to prevent us from
stopping them, they simply have to push up the time table.
        "We can't possibly stop all the Array elements in time, so they
are forcing us to look for their command and control in order to shut
the whole thing down.  The way they've got it set up, that will be an
arduous and time consuming process.  And the longer it takes us, the
more likely that they will realize we are on to them and speed things
up.  So barring an act of mercy from a particularly forgiving deity,
we're in trouble."
        "So tell us something we don't already know," chimed Davis.
        "Well, since you asked...." Charcharadon presented his evidence.
"Since the enemy is forcing us down a path of his own choosing, we have
to do the unexpected.  Go after the Array hard and fast."
        "No way.  There are literally thousands of elements across the
globe that we know of already."
        "Yes, but as far as I can tell from all the information we,
TRES, and the Legion have gathered, they are acting as repeater
stations.  Wherever their central generator is, the spongification
signal will eventually die off without the elements.  So if we take out
the right elements in the right places, the whole thing starts falling
apart."  He illustrated with a computer model.
        "Will this actually work?" an excited voice asked.^C
        "On a mass scale?  I don't think so.  However, the opposition
doesn't necessarily know this, and a systematic attack may force their
hand, cause them to make a few mistakes which we can capitalize upon.
Also, we may be able to create some null zones in the Array, from which
a counterattack can be mounted.  Just in case everything goes badly."
        "Quite the optimist, huh, boss?"
        There wasn't time for Charcharadon to answer that question,
because at that moment a courier entered and handed him some official
documents.  He read them through thoroughly before satisfying the
curiosity of the others regarding their contents.
        "That miracle I spoke of earlier has just occurred.  They think
they've found the main generator in Kansas.  I've been ordered there to
begin the assembly of a strike force.  It is to be ready by the time
Warrior Persephone and Lt. Commander Keith arrive to take command.
Someone go arrange a ride for me.  Davis, I want you to take everything
I've shown you here and put it to the Fleet Commander.  See if they can
knock out a circle of Array elements around the Kansas site, just in
case we screw the pooch and can't stop it in time.  Always nice to have
a little security."

To be continued in "Summer Lightning"...