State of Vietnam

[Kevin Kingswell]

Vietnam had been silent towards the outside world for a very long time now, instead the ruling government who were under the sway of different corporations had focused on strip mining the nation's land for resources to build more and more industry and war machines, many of the later going directly to corporation private security forces rather than the military. Therefore it was little surprise when the corporations over threw the government and tried to set themselves up in power instead, Unfortunately no single corporation could agree to work with another and fighting broke out, which had the end result of leaving most of the nation a ruined and environmentally destroyed wreck. Damage and pollution had rendered the atmosphere in the nation almost toxic to human, animal and plant life and the people were forced to take shelter in special facilities code named "Arks" for protection. 

 

Even with the nation reduced to this state the corporations refused to end their wars with each other, time and time again workers were offered high paying bonuses to work out in the toxic wastes in massive mining complexes while fighting between the various security forces continued all around them. Powerless to stand up for themselves and reliant on the corporations for food, water and other supplies the situation seemed hopeless for the common people.

 

Then in stepped the Line Ark organisation, declaring that a line had to be drawn against the reliance on the Arks and that the people had to look towards repairing the land this organisation declared open war on the Corporations and their security forces. Now the nation of Vietnam has devolved into a massive open state of war as the corps continue to fight each other to the bitter end while Line Ark attempts to free the people as best as they can. Both sides have a lot at stake and only time will tell which side will emerge supreme.  

[Kevin Kingswell]

Raven stood in the cupola of his personal battle tank, a modified ex-American M1A2 Abrams it had been updated with anti-missile countermeasures, thicker armour a more powerful engine and a thermal camouflage system. In addition it mounted a small caliber coaxial chain gun rather than the usual machine gun purely because he preferred it that way. Looking through his binoculars he caught sight of the Omar Science convoy making its way along the road across from his concealed position and a grim smile crossed his face as he thought of the destruction to soon commence. 

 

The informants data had been spot on, three armoured cars and a single light recon tank for escort, they were not expecting trouble just as the information had said. Putting away his binoculars Raven dropped into the confines of his tank where even more evidence of modifications were seen, the whole tank was crewed only by himself everything being run by a self contained and powered computer system. Even if Raven himself was killed the tank could still operate without him but he always preferred to drive and fight with the tank personally.

 

Gripping the controls tightly he brought the engine up to full throttle and roared out from the tank's hiding position, the camouflage netting covering ti being torn away as the tank leaped forward. With the thermal cover fully active it took a full twenty seconds for the Omar protection forces to spot the incoming threat and by then Raven had sighted his sights over the light tank and a gentle squeeze of the trigger sent an APDS shell across the space between them and straight into the enemy tank just below the turret. The resulting explosion tore the other tank's turret clean off, and Raven ignored it as it spiraled through the air instead bringing his cannon around to fire on and destroy the nearest armoured car. 

 

Not expecting the attack and panicking as the realization they couldn't harm the enemy tank the surviving escorts fled from the battlefield as fast as their engines would take them. The drivers of the two Omar transport trucks wisely chose to halt their vehicles and run from the cabins towards the nearest pieces of cover. Raven let them go as he switched on his radio.

 

"Fiona targets have been halted, enemy escorts neutralized. Send in the recovery team".

 

"Roger that, recovery team is heading to your location now. ETA five minutes. Stand by and provide protection. Over" replied the female voice of Raven's personal coordinator, who unlike his fellow Line Ark comrades was given special privileges due to his superior skills.  

 

"Understood, will comply" he replied without emotion before settling in and taking up a guard position, five minutes later two twin rotor helicopters turned up and set about securing the cargo from within the transports. The process was short and sweet and soon enough the helicopters flew away with their cargo, leaving Raven to back up and destroy both transports with a single HE shell each and a short burst of chain gun fire. His job done Raven turned his tank about and headed back for Line Ark territory before a response team from Omar Sciences could arrive.