Chapter 5

Davidson rolled through the gates and into Alpha Base. Overnight, the facility had greatly expanded.

Engineers were still extending the taxiways and adding more landing pads, but the initial area was vastly larger than before. Technicians and soldiers were finishing installing the sensors and sentry guns. Davidson's APC pulled up to the main building, stopping just long enough for him to exit before it pulled away and headed to the maintenance shelter. He walked up the short flight of steps and up to the double doors. Inside, engineers and soldiers were adding the final touches to the interior. Wiring and frame work was being man handled into place as he weaved between the workers on his way to the Commo section.

The Commo area was one of the first spaces finished so as to establish a secure link to the fleet and all the survey teams. The sensor technicians were in one corner while the company's commo section had taken the rest of the room. A young, fresh-faced officer walked up to him as he entered the room.

"Captain." Lieutenant Petrovich said as he saluted.

"Lieutenant." Davidson replied as he returned the salute and accepted the report that was handed to him.

"Sir, Colonel McKnight is enroute with the rest of the battalion. He's also bringing in some engineers."

Petrovich glanced at his wrist chrono, "The battalion will be the first unit deployed, followed by the division." He handed another report over, "Total time for the division to make planetfall, constitute, and redeploy, is twelve hours."

Davidson nodded as he absorbed the reports and verbal update. He handed the first report back to Petrovich.

"Good job in getting this set up as quick as you did." He said as he reviewed the second report, which showed the projected landing zones for all of Dodd's military cargo. The dispersal areas encompassed the entire planet, from the equator to the poles. Projections showed that the entire planet would be surveyed within a week. Davidson walked over to his cubicle, Petrovich trailing. Across the room, technicians were assembling the wall screen that would display all the sensor information from the teams. Petrovich put a finger up to his earpiece, listened, and acknowledged.

"Colonel McKnight is on final right now. ETA 2minutes."

Davidson leaned back in his chair, before standing up and moving to the door. Outside the room, the assembly teams had finished the sections all the way to the front doors and were putting the final additions on the walls and floors. Davidson walked out the side door and into the rain. The elevated walkway led to the central landing area, as he approached, he locked his faceplate down to protect the interior helmet systems from the spray of water as the dropship settled in on the pad. The dropship cut its thrusters and dropped the vehicle ramp as well as the rear and side troop ramps. APC's roared off the pad to the staging area as troops disembarked and made their way to the assembly area. Colonel McKnight led the men off the ship, before seeing Davidson and moving off to speak with him. As he approached, Davidson came to attention and snapped off a smart salute.

"Stand down, Tyler." McKnight said as he returned the salute and extended his hand. Both men shook each other's hand before moving off to the operations building.

"Any contact?" McKnight asked.

"Negative contact, so far. One of the platoons came across some fresh rations." McKnight turned his head at that.

"They're chasing it down now." Davidson continued. McKnight was silent as they entered the building. The short walk down the now completed hallway to Davidson's cubicle was silent broken only by the slight squeak sound their boots made. Once the door was closed, McKnight removed his helmet and sat down.

"Fresh rations?" he asked. Davidson handed over the report as he sat down and removed his helmet as well.

"Its all in here." He said as he sat back. "Protein based supplements, but not ours."

McKnight read the report in silence. Finally, he sat back in his chair and tossed the report onto the desk.

"What are your observations of this planet so far?" McKnight asked as he studied Davidson's expression.

"So far, its wet. Rain doesn't let up. Increases at dusk, lessens at dawn. You saw how we had to set up." Davidson paused before continuing.

"Huge cities, all empty. Evidence of a technologically advanced civilization. A ring of old comsats, H/K birds and stage boosters. That tells me there was a major conflict, possibly even global."

McKnight nodded. "Aye- firmative on that." He reached down and removed a micro disc from a utility pocket.

"This is what the intel boys could come up with so far." He handed the disc to Davidson who inserted it into the desktop reader. He paged through the information while McKnight lit up a thin cheroot. Davidson sped read the high points and the end comments before sitting back, taking a deep breath and looking at McKnight.

"You have got to be kidding."

"Nope. That's their finding." McKnight said as he blew smoke rings.

"Kind of sets the entire scenario in a new light."

"It still doesn't answer all the questions. Why only an equatorial deployment on the sats?"

McKnight blew more smoke before answering.

"Apparently, that was the major population zones. Less interference with the magnetic fields at the poles." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

"It gets better. The survivors they moved to McAfee? Get this, the med scans shows that the average IQ is equal to a five to seven year old child."