"On a countdown to zero/Take a ride on the nightmare machine/There ain't gonna be heroes/There ain't gonna be anything" -- Def Leppard, "Gods of War" Operation: Phoenix: Purple Storm Rising by J-Rock, jjr5020@rigel.tamu.edu # Pink Floyd "On The Run" _The Dark Side of The Moon_ J-Rock had just finished putting on his soft battlesuit in P-Chan's Mustang when a strident tone issued forth from his JihadLinker, accompanied by the usual blinking red light. Opening the Linker, he found this message awaiting him: From: tilden@tres.jihad.org To: jrock@tres.jihad.org [Computer auto-CC'd to jfoxglov@tres.jihad.org,praetor@jihad.org] ("Like, have some recursive redundancy," J-Rock thought to himself.) Drop what you're doing, J. BMW's are back. ---begin included message--- Modified BMW's sighted in Continental United States. Last Known Coordinates: Orlando, FL (possibly Universal Studios) ("Shit on a stick! Will I ever hear the last of spongin activity in that town?" J-Rock's recursive side of his thought processes chimed mentally.) Suspected Target: Atlanta, GA Nature of BMW Modifications: Unknown Size of Enemy Force: Unknown Rendevous at Louisville, KT ASAP. ---end included message--- J-Rock slammed the cover closed at maximum force, startling P-Chan. "What's wrong?" she asked. "How fast can you get this thing to B/CS?" he replied. "Don't tell me A&M's being invaded again." "Nope. Atlanta is. We gotta get over there to make sure they don't recreate Sherman's March to the Sea." "But why do we have to head back? Can't we just go straight there?" "We're going to be heading into more Bad Pookie than you have ever faced before. Remember the B*rn*y Mech Warriors you read about in orientation?" "Ouch," was all P-Chan said. "Thought so. We need bigger guns. BIG FUCKING GUNS!" J-Rock said, lapsing into his Dick Derkin impression. "Piglet, this is Furball," came JFox's voice over the radio. "How do you copy? Over." P-Chan opened her mouth to reply, but J-Rock's Crow impression surfaced before he could contain himself: "On a Xerox machine. You?" P-Chan chuckled as she said, "Piglet here, reading you five-by-five, Furball. What's up?" JFox groaned. He had left himself wide open for that "Space Travellers" reference, and he knew it. "J-Rock, did you get the same message as I did?" "That I did." "I tried talking to Owsen about it, but he's taken a WHAP-ASS over there. Tried a couple more times, but he doesn't wanna talk to me. Now all J-Linker messages to him from me bounce!" "He has his reasons, Fox." "The least he could've done was wait for JihadHigh One to get more info!" "JihadHigh One's using most of its power to stay hidden from that alien fleet, or didn't you know?" P-Chan saw where this was going, and said "Dump some hormones, guys! Save it for the enemy!" JFox sighed before continuing. Owsen could be so difficult at times. "Sorry, P-Chan. It's just that I feel that the damn fool's rushing blindly into a trap." Then to J-Rock, he said, "'Dump some hormones?'" "She's been watching 'Demolition Man' again." "Oh." P-Chan's Mustang and Bob's Civic banked left, and kicked in the afterburners for Bryan/College Station. **************************************************************************** A HALF-HOUR LATER (actually, the flight-time took 3 minutes. Finding a place to put down took up the other twenty-seven. -- J-R) The second both cars' wheels touched down, the doors opened to a flurry of activity. The TAMUBGD was short-handed, since most of the Wyldboyz were on Bonfire stack for lack of anything better to do. "What say you, Mongoose?" J-Rock asked as they walked along towards the TAMUBGD offices on the south side of campus. "Ready to go BMW-hunting?" "Cool. But I thought we were going to help Galand," Mongoose replied. "I know it's a shitty thing to do, but I got my orders from the top floor. Besides, he's head of WEDJEE, and you don't reach that height just for perfect attendance." The group reached the Director's Office to find it empty. After all, it was the weekend. J-Rock motioned toward the secretary's phone and said, "Bob, call Don and Tim. The number's in the Rolodex. Advise them of the situation and tell them to get their butts down here. JFox, find Major K'ghan, he's either at stack or in the motor pool." J-Rock drew a breath as JFox left, amazed at how quickly his old squad leader had entered Command Mode. Switching on the terminal, he continued. "Mongoose, get some time in on the BattleMech sim-- scratch that, stay here for a sec. You too, P-Chan." The screen sprang to life, revealing the head and shoulders of a comely blond woman. "Nina, see if you can scrounge up a Warhammer for the Goose." Nina appeared introspective for a moment before saying, "You're in luck, J. There's one ready to roll in Bay 15." "Good. Get that loaded into the 'Mech carrier along with the others." "Got that. You'll be wanting your Marauder as well, I trust?" "Yes, Nina. That'll be all, thank you." The screen went blank as P-Chan regarded J-Rock with a curious expression. "Who was that?" she asked. "That was Nina. Otherwise known as the TAMUBGD's Great Digital Priestess of the Almighty God-Emperor OS." P-Chan remained puzzled until he explained, "She's a majordomo Artifical Computer Intelligence." "Wasn't she in Gundam 0083?" asked Mongoose as they left for the bay where a Gambit class WarWing was stored. "You're very perceptive, Mongoose," J-Rock replied as he picked up a G-suit from a nearby rack and put it on. "I had wanted somebody from anime, but all the good ones were taken, and I'll be damned if I had to code Minmei or Sharon Apple." He went to another rack, where flight helmets were located, and picked his up. It was silver and black, with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones bulldog on one side, and J's personal symbol (an anthropormorphic weasel playing an electric guitar) on the other. Putting it on, he said, "You better go to the DropShip, Goose. This is a new fighter from the TRES Corps armories, and Tilden gave it to me to test out about a couple of weeks ago. Looks like it gets its first actual combat test today." J-Rock's train of thought was interrupted when P-Chan strode over next to him and grabbed her flight helmet. "What are you doing, P?" he asked. "Flying your wing, that's what," she replied. "Just point me toward the nearest Jagatai and I'll meet you in the air." "There's no need. I've got just the fighter for you to use." With that, J-Rock pulled a tarp off of a white and blue-painted fightercraft. It was slightly smaller than the Gambit, and had about three laser cannons on it. "What is it?" P-Chan asked. "This," J-Rock said, indicating the fighter with a sweep of his hand, "is a Gundam Core Fighter. It has suprisingly good manueverablity, and can merge with another unit we have in the DropShip to create a super BattleMech called a Gundam." "Ok, I guess I'll give it a try," P-Chan said, vaulting into the Core Fighter's cockpit. J-Rock ran to his Gambit and climbed in. # Don Felder "Takin a Ride (on Heavy Metal)" _"Heavy Metal" soundtrack_ Both fighters preflighted in record time, fired their engines, and took off with near anime-like synchronicity. Nina's face appeared on the Gambit's central screen. "J, the DropShip crew estimates takeoff in about ten minutes." "Route them directly to Atlanta, Nina. Me and P-Chan are headed straight for Looavul," J-Rock drawled on the last word, causing both ACI and woman to giggle over the comm-net. Both fighters turned as one and sped off towards Louisville. **************************************************************************** SIX MINUTES AND TWENTY-FOUR SECONDS LATER... P-Chan's voice came over the radio: "Look's like the gang's all here!" The WICCAN radar aboard the Gambit showed another Gambit, and a WHAP-ASS. With a shit-eating grin on his face, J-Rock opened a channel. "So, what are you guys waiting for? J-Rock is ready to roll!!!" he howled in his best Wolfman Jack impression (which wasn't very good). Owsen's face appeared on the left screen. "About damn time you showed up, Admiral!" he said. "Well, boss, I had another mission to break off of, and I'm not so sure that Galand will be ready to forgive me before 1995 is out," J-Rock replied. "So," came a sepulchral voice with accompanying video on the right screen, "we to rip some Spongin?" Shardik had a flair for the dramatic, if nothing else, J-Rock thought. "Hey Shard, how's the wife-- err, life?" Windigo appeared on the center screen. "I prefer the term 'mate', thank you very much." "Mea culpa, Windigo. I'd never even consider leaving you out. As for the Sponge-Stomping, LET'S DO IT!!!!!" Owsen called out "Sponge Whippin' Time!!" before all three screens reverted to their previous states. The four flyers formed on each other and made for Atlanta. **************************************************************************** FIVE MINUTES LATER J-Rock noticed his radar display dissolving into static. He tapped the glass a couple of times, but to no avail. He even smacked the side of the monitor. The result remained the same. "Blind fighting mode, kids," came Owsen's voice. Windigo appeared on the right screen. "They're trying to psych us out. Don't let it bug you." "That's nice and all that they cared to try," J-Rock responded. "Owsen's probably worried about the civvies, hell, we all are. We just don't know where they could be right now." "They should be in the fallout shelters if they know what's good for them," P-Chan added. J-Rock could tell that P-Chan wanted to get it on with those BMW's. Owsen set down near the torch, bringing his thrusters into play in order to light it prematurely. "Let the Games begin," he said. As if on cue, the jamming lifted to reveal thousands of Bimmers (AUTHOR'S NOTE: since I don't feel like typing BMW again -- J-R) surrounding the stadium from a distance. J-Rock breathed, "Fuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccccccckkkkkkkk mmmmmeeeeeeeee........." Windigo gave an explosive shout as J-Rock ran over the weapons systems. Rail guns, photon missile canisters, air-to-ground grenade launchers, shield generator, green board. It was time to conquer and to kick some. "HOLY SHIT!" cried P-Chan. J-Rock snuck a peek at the close-up viewer and immediately wished he hadn't. The Spongins had brought hostages, and arrayed them in front of the Bimmers so that the Jihaddi couldn't shoot the Bimmers without hitting them. "Bastards..." J-Rock subvocalized. To be continued in Operation Phoenix: Free For All!!!