OPERATION BLACKBERRY

Page 3

Lt Colonel Killgore's initial Operational Order for OP Blackberry

Initial unloading of equipment by the Scientific Historical Investigation Team on Wood's Asteroid:

FLASH MESSAGE

STARDATE : 3198.186:0348

TO: MARINE FORCE ON WOOD'S ASTEROID

FROM: ESS AGAMEMNON CONCEN

RE: OP BLACKBERRY

THE ESS AGAMEMNON HAS RECEIVED AN URGENT OPERATIONAL ORDER TO RETURN TO THE FLEET IMMEDIATELY, DUE TO A SIGIFICANT REPORT FROM OPERATION WILD GOOSE.

OP BLACKBERRY IS TO CONTINUE, SENIOR MARINE OFFICER PRESENT TO HAVE MISCOM OF MILITARY FORCES INVOLVED.

AGAMEMNON IS ACCELERATING AWAY AT 1.5g WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

GOOD LUCK. WE WILL RETURN.

CAPTAIN RACKHAM

Schematic of the explored sction of the Forerunner site on Wood's Asteroid

Report from Professor Catherine Peabody on the initial study of the Wood's Asteroid Site

Zipped bitmap floorplan of the entire site (less sealed sections) as excavated and explored by the SHI Teams and Marines from 130th Earther Marine Regiment

JOLLY SECRET

Lt-Cdr Wilma Ecchs

Logs Log Entries: Operation Blackberry

3198.178 Arrival at Wood's Asteroid site and clearance of system by pacifiers. Disembarked Logs Team and B Group marines from Aggie. Discussion with archaeologists continues.

3198.179 Unloading complete. Cargo vessels placed on skywatch alert.

3198.180 Setting up of Marine Base (Quick Reaction Force) at fissure codenamed 'Carthage'. Construction of gate/door systems at dig site ) codenamed 'Rome'.

3198.180-82 Detailed investigations of accessible parts of alien structures. Vestibule area dust cleared. First alien script discovered. Three door mechanisms discovered, coded ForeRunner Artefact Numbers #1 - #3. All left in situ.

3198.183 Digging to bypass door FAN #3 to enter chambers below. Enrty team made up of Lt Rockford and Squad B4, elements of Logs team including self, plus science team led by Peabody. Discovery of FAN#4, apparently potentially mobile object, metallic, mass 280kg, dimensions 3.5m high, 2.1m diameter. Unpowered. This object was removed by the Logs team under my supervision and packed in a Navy type 7 cargo pod with alkaton packing material.

3198.184 FAN#7 (same as FAN#4) and FAN#5 and FAN#6 (metallic robots, mass 180kg, 1.7m high) removed and packed. Other unknown machinery examined and photographed. Biological samples taken by science team. Major Sainsbury and 'A' Group move to provide backup from Rome.

3198.185 Aggie departs. Major Howland in command. Self, Senior Naval Officer present. I give orders for enhanced skywatch by remaining vessels.

3198.186 Examination begins of 'Holo' area. This continues over next three days while large numbers of alien inscriptions deciphered. Lt Rockford and Science Team withdraw from Holo area.

3198.189 Control Room entered. First Contact with entity known as 'Major Domo'. Teams withdrawn from the alien complex (apparently known as 'Peaceful Base') back to Vestibule area.

3198.190 'Back Door' shaft opened up, codename 'Syracuse'. Communication with 'Major Domo' continued.

Comments to date by Lt-Cdr Ecchs

This intelligence has access to technology well in advance of human tech despite its apparent great age. It must be treated with respect. If it shares a cultural ancestry with the 'exterminator' machines it may be a source of intelligence which will give us an advantage over them. As it is a source of high technology, it may give the Imperium an edge over other powers which we may of may not choose to share.

Above all, this machine (if that is what it is) is dangerous. If it is indeed an AI, it may react in a similar way to the BUMA machines once it realises our nature. My opinion is that it should be deactivated (with extreme prejudice if necessary) as soon as practicable.

Report by Lt Rockford, Squad B4

When I was in the so-called 'Holo' area I did not see anything out of the ordinary. It looked like ordinary walls and suchlike. I did see some minor battle damage. I have been told the area was a big mock-up which was able to fool our armour's sensors which gives me the creeps. Commander Ecchs proved this to me by showing me how to run a combat robot non-tac into a wall which didn't show on its sensors, weird. If this alien can deceive our suits, it's well dangerous man.

Medical Report 3198.191

Major Howland has been injured in a rock-fall in Zone One of the site.

He was inspecting the routes for possible defensive movements in the event of a combat within the site, and failed to notice some shifting rocky material, which, although moving slowly in the asteroid's microgravity, managed to pin him to the ground and cause head injuries.

He is currently unfit for duty until further notice.

The next most senior officer is Lt Cdr Ecchs, followed by Acting Major Sainsbury.

Who is in command for now?

Technical Report:

Group B HQ Squad Combat Robot 'A019871' has developed a hydraulics fault in the lower lumbar endosystem. It is unfit for operations until repaired.

Thank You For Your Cooperation

JIM-9000

3198.191: The following message is received by everyone on or very near Wood's Asteroid on all comm channels.

ATTENTION LOCAL ENTITIES KNOWN AS HUMAN.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

DO YOU HAVE SPARE PARTS FOR RADIO TRANSMITTERS WITHIN YOUR EQUIPMENT?

DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN MAJORDOMO UNIT?

I remain.

MAJORDOMO

JIM-9000 says >The next most senior officer is Lt Cdr Ecchs, followed by Acting MajorSainsbury. Who is in command for now?

N.B.There follows a meeting between Ecchs and Sainsbury. One of them has left the radio open so you can listen in if you want. If you think this is unethical, don't read on.

S. Come in, Wilma, I may call you Wilma?

X. Yeah, sure, Timbo. Hey, you certainly have got this pressure tent looking nice. I've never seen so many varieties of herb tea in a survival dome before.

S. Thanks, I do try to keep it welcoming. Look at the bowl of soft fruit over here, help yourself. And do loosen that tight space armour.

X. Okay.

S. Err, that's loose enough I think. >gulp< Err, now where was I?

X. Soft fruit, nice and juicy.

S. Err, yes.

X. Poor old Howland getting another wound stripe. What with all those, plus his Blue Colonel's stripes, he's going to look like some kind of exotic zebra.

S. Great shame, terrible luck. Just proves even in microgravity a million tonnes of rock has a lot of inertia. The problem here is Chain of Command, Wilma.

X. How do you see the problem?

S. Well, ordinarily, you're next in the Chain.

X. And so what's the problem?

S. The Captain's orders on 185. He said, and I quote 'SENIOR MARINE OFFICER PRESENT IS TO HAVE MISCOM OF MILITARY FORCES INVOLVED' unquote.

With Howland 'hors de combat', that's me. I am now Senior Marine Officer. I think the Captain's order has altered the Chain of Command for this Mission. Notice he didn't say 'MAJOR HOWLAND' to command - so he meant the Chain to exclude the Navy, sorry.

X. Hmm, I see. So if you fall, the command goes to the Lance-Majors, and then Lieutenants and so on?

S. I can't see any other way of interpreting it, Wilma. I've drafted an announcement to this effect. Herb tea?

X. No thanks, Timbo, I've got some schematics to CADCAM if you'll excuse me. I'll take a bottle of this raspberry vinegar, though, if you can spare it?

[The communication link breaks.]

From Lt Cdr Ecchs:

Major Howland needed a plan, er now Sainsbury needs it.

What we need, I submit, is close co-operation between Navy and Scientists. So I recommend the setting up of a Bipartisan Exploration Asteroid Recovery System (BEARS) to co-ordinate each Scientific/Historical Investigation Team (SHIT) in its work inside WOODS asteroid.

Do other officers support the idea that we institute a control system of BEARS/SHIT in the WOODS? This is likely, I contend, to increase the frequency of SHIT hitting FAN (ForeRunner Artefact#.)

It would be helpful for Professor Peabody to tell us about then application of Principles of Planetological Exploration (POPE) to this matter.

Ecchs

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