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Description

2028

A mercenary army was in the process of evicting Vicksburg’s residents. Already the electricity had been cut to the small city. They had labeled it a Hollow City. In other words, a city that had neither the wealth nor the population to warrant turning into a megacity. A city that did not generate a net gain to the United States. The inhabitants were supposed to be moved to Megacity West by road, air, or foot. Then the city would be reduced to rubble and scrappers would gouge whatever worth was left in the storied old city. We had all seen this before under a dozen different names, at least now we had the ability to fight back now. Our demonstrations at BigPen and Pittsburgh hadn’t been enough. Even with the greenhouse gasses produced by industrial farming of beef cut so sharply by over 50%. We’d seen video recordings made on phones…How long until the water ran out. It was right there on the river…

“Louie. Come up an at’em boy, The Voice’s come to visit us.” It was old Jon. Shocked I took myself up from my seat at the laptop.

“He’s even got gifts for us.”

Through the carven stone of the tunnels they went. Joined by others until they came to a large cave cut into the shape of a podium. However only a few members. By a few I mean twenty of the Cavern-0 garrison were there.

I almost didn’t see him until he turned his face to address the crowd. It was covered with a featureless white ballistic mask, beneath a black tricorn. Adorned in revolutionary war style garb but all monochromatic beneath the folds of a cape. It must have been sweltering inside that getup. The only colors on him were the red white and blue starry roundel pinned to the side of said tricorn and the chestnut tree brooch closing his cape shut.

“I cannot ask you to attack your own countrymen.” The murmurs went silent. “But these are not your countrymen. I say they are not even human. They are mercenaries fighting to orchestrate a genocide for profit. Those who deny human rights to those weaker than them. Throw away their own human rights. These mercenaries serve those who have carved this country up since the 1800s. The National Guard can’t do anything about this. Neither can the American Army of which I know many of you are familiar with.” The group chuckled. Many of them were veterans of the Twenty Years Wars in the Middle east. Broken and had no place in modern society since they weren’t taught anything else but how to fight and kill, during their time in the military.” I won’t lie they have air cover. But if we do not do something than every man woman and child inside Vicksburg will be dead within a week. So we will act within five days. Those who do not wish to be part of this operation may leave the room with their honor intact.” There was a dull shuffling then. Many people remembered the attack on Bluff City, where the air force had dropped twelve thousand pounds of laser guided ordinance on striking workers. Few people had actually lived through it. Two of those however sat still. A beefy woman named Emma Kingsley, and one twig of a person Ren Creighton.

“These mercenaries have an ammunition barge outside the city. It will be lightly defended when they begin the bombardment of Vicksburg. They will use short ranged thermobaric munitions. So most of their soldiers will be watching the fireworks. He continued grimly. “I know that you have chosen to serve The Order’s will. Their will is that you destroy the mercenary munitions barge. Sink it to the bottom of the Mississippi. Our friends overseas and in the rust belt. Have come up with some interesting devices to help you achieve this. We call them Mantles. Immune to every handheld weapon save for rpgs. But the mercenaries haven’t got any of those.” He continued slyly. “Gentlemen anyone who can ride a bicycle can ride one of these. But there are only five of them here. They won’t be training models. We don’t have that kind of budget. Those who cannot stomach this assignment may leave at their own time. Out of the remaining men our pilots will be chosen.”

Five of us remained chosen for the task out of the twenty. Myself Louie Jean, Old Jon Hawkins, A nonbinary person called Ren Creighton, an engineer named Manuel Vasquez, and a biker called Emma Kingsley.

“Very well, Colonel Beaumont. Show these fine folks to their new post.” The Colonel, a French woman of small stature, and our link to friends overseas. Began to speak as The Voice soon vanished back into the shadows of the cavern.

“Follow me. Do not talk.”

We came to a storage room five boxes were pried open. Inside each of them was a crouching vehicle. Or some sort of armor? No, it had wheels in the front. On what looked like legs. But a hovercraft’s skirt on the back. A heavy backpack sat there with a steel head like visor atop it. It had arms as well, long ones. A number of heavy weapons were on racks on the walls. Mortars, multiple rocket launchers, Javelin missiles, 50.cals, recoilless rifles, and dozens of 30mm cannon. Made from the recycled barrels of GAU autocannons.

Description

2028

A mercenary army was in the process of evicting Vicksburg’s residents. Already the electricity had been cut to the small city. They had labeled it a Hollow City. In other words, a city that had neither the wealth nor the population to warrant turning into a megacity. A city that did not generate a net gain to the United States. The inhabitants were supposed to be moved to Megacity West by road, air, or foot. Then the city would be reduced to rubble and scrappers would gouge whatever worth was left in the storied old city. We had all seen this before under a dozen different names, at least now we had the ability to fight back now. Our demonstrations at BigPen and Pittsburgh hadn’t been enough. Even with the greenhouse gasses produced by industrial farming of beef cut so sharply by over 50%. We’d seen video recordings made on phones…How long until the water ran out. It was right there on the river…

“Louie. Come up an at’em boy, The Voice’s come to visit us.” It was old Jon. Shocked I took myself up from my seat at the laptop.

“He’s even got gifts for us.”

Through the carven stone of the tunnels they went. Joined by others until they came to a large cave cut into the shape of a podium. However only a few members. By a few I mean twenty of the Cavern-0 garrison were there.

I almost didn’t see him until he turned his face to address the crowd. It was covered with a featureless white ballistic mask, beneath a black tricorn. Adorned in revolutionary war style garb but all monochromatic beneath the folds of a cape. It must have been sweltering inside that getup. The only colors on him were the red white and blue starry roundel pinned to the side of said tricorn and the chestnut tree brooch closing his cape shut.

“I cannot ask you to attack your own countrymen.” The murmurs went silent. “But these are not your countrymen. I say they are not even human. They are mercenaries fighting to orchestrate a genocide for profit. Those who deny human rights to those weaker than them. Throw away their own human rights. These mercenaries serve those who have carved this country up since the 1800s. The National Guard can’t do anything about this. Neither can the American Army of which I know many of you are familiar with.” The group chuckled. Many of them were veterans of the Twenty Years Wars in the Middle east. Broken and had no place in modern society since they weren’t taught anything else but how to fight and kill, during their time in the military.” I won’t lie they have air cover. But if we do not do something than every man woman and child inside Vicksburg will be dead within a week. So we will act within five days. Those who do not wish to be part of this operation may leave the room with their honor intact.” There was a dull shuffling then. Many people remembered the attack on Bluff City, where the air force had dropped twelve thousand pounds of laser guided ordinance on striking workers. Few people had actually lived through it. Two of those however sat still. A beefy woman named Emma Kingsley, and one twig of a person Ren Creighton.

“These mercenaries have an ammunition barge outside the city. It will be lightly defended when they begin the bombardment of Vicksburg. They will use short ranged thermobaric munitions. So most of their soldiers will be watching the fireworks. He continued grimly. “I know that you have chosen to serve The Order’s will. Their will is that you destroy the mercenary munitions barge. Sink it to the bottom of the Mississippi. Our friends overseas and in the rust belt. Have come up with some interesting devices to help you achieve this. We call them Mantles. Immune to every handheld weapon save for rpgs. But the mercenaries haven’t got any of those.” He continued slyly. “Gentlemen anyone who can ride a bicycle can ride one of these. But there are only five of them here. They won’t be training models. We don’t have that kind of budget. Those who cannot stomach this assignment may leave at their own time. Out of the remaining men our pilots will be chosen.”

Five of us remained chosen for the task out of the twenty. Myself Louie Jean, Old Jon Hawkins, A nonbinary person called Ren Creighton, an engineer named Manuel Vasquez, and a biker called Emma Kingsley.

“Very well, Colonel Beaumont. Show these fine folks to their new post.” The Colonel, a French woman of small stature, and our link to friends overseas. Began to speak as The Voice soon vanished back into the shadows of the cavern.

“Follow me. Do not talk.”

We came to a storage room five boxes were pried open. Inside each of them was a crouching vehicle. Or some sort of armor? No, it had wheels in the front. On what looked like legs. But a hovercraft’s skirt on the back. A heavy backpack sat there with a steel head like visor atop it. It had arms as well, long ones. A number of heavy weapons were on racks on the walls. Mortars, multiple rocket launchers, Javelin missiles, 50.cals, recoilless rifles, and dozens of 30mm cannon. Made from the recycled barrels of GAU autocannons.