World War Diberia

[Captain Enema]

Tree Fort

 

"And with that last garbled message, we lost all communication with Grenville," Montessori advised Administrator Carlos Del Fina.

 

"The message didn't say much, video quality is poor, words garbled, mentioned Diberia of all places," added Major General Benito Chavez.

 

"Ok, let me repeat this for clarity, three days ago the Mayor of Grenville sent a garbled message that mentions Diberia. Since then there has been no cell phone communication, no shortwave broadcasts, no emails, no nothing from Grenville. Further point of interest, Grenville on the map shows to be located up in the mountains in an alpine valley and the last census report shows they have about five thousand inhabitants. Am I correct or is my information flawed?" asked Del Fina.

 

"Correct on all points sir, yet you missed a critical piece," the Major General observed.

 

"Remind me then," replied Del Fina.

 

"Grenville is also the site of one of a Diberian Historical center left over from the Zombie plague."

"Not sure what you are getting at and no one really believes those old stories about the Zombie plague anymore do they?" asked Del Fina.

"Sir, my great-grandfather used to tell me how he flew out on a helicopter, one of the last ones from the old Boomtown Defense force that was being overrun by hundreds of thousands of them that hit the base in one massive wave," replied Montessori.

"I thought your great-grandfather was Italian? Weren't the Boomtown people from Asia?" asked Del Fina.

"I didn't say he was with Boomtown, my grandfather immigrated to Brazil as a child from Italy, only to get caught up in the Zombie plagues, and then to become a citizens of the Holy American Empire," replied Montessori.

"No offense to your grandpa, I'm sure he was a very wonderful man, but it sounds like fiction to me, that or the basis of a bad romance," grumbled Del Fina.

"Sir, regardless, a response is needed, someone needs to go investigate," observed the Major General.

"Fine, not sending in the Army though, give me a suggestion," demanded Del Fina.

"National Police Special Tactics Team, they can be on helicopters within a few hours after swapping out their urban gear for something more appropriate, I also encourage having a company of Rangers temporary reassigned to them for support. I can have their flown into a weather observation base farther up the valley," encouraged the Major General as he used his finger to illustrate the location of the weather base.

"I think you are worried about nothing, you know how much complaining I'll get from the Assembly of Governors if this turns out to be a case of Grenville's power grid collapsing or something like that?" asked Del Fina.

"Sir, all transmissions stopped exactly at the same time. ALL transmissions, cell, email, everything. That's an item for concern," Montessori noted as he continued to listen to the conversation and examine the documents containing the facts relating to Grenville and the ongoing situation.

"Fine, send a company of highly trained Rangers to a pissant Weather Station due to the South American version of the Boogeyman," snorted Del Fina.

"Thank you sir!" the Major General responded as he ignored the obvious sarcasm in Del Fina voice. Such things weren't within his nature to respond to, he had the permission needed to begin moving equipment and men, he cared not a jot or tittle for anything else.

Grenville

"Urrrrggggghh, snort, uggggh... growl...."


 

[Captain Enema]

Octavio Mendez, formerly of the Chilean National Police, now took his pay from the government of the Amazon Republic and found himself with the task of organizing a mission well beyond the normal scope of his unit. He examined his orders with care and he jotted down a few careful notes on a pad of paper as he examined a map of Grenville and the region around it. He took careful note of the steep valley walls due to heavy glaciation. Once he has completely outlined an operational plan, or the beginning of one he called a staff meeting and shared the orders for the Amazon Republic's National Police Rapid Response Team. Information was shared, more requested, different maps consulted for comparison, a surveillance flight ordered, and within four hours Octavio Mendez and the staff of the First RRT had their mission planned.

 

Octavio shared the details of the mission with his old comrade Rapheal, of the Arica Campaign and the violent street battle notoriously known as the Battle of Santiago. The two men had served together through some of the tougher missions and events of the sadly transpired Republic of Chile. Rapheal now served as an analyst for the Amazon Republic but quickly convinced Octavio to allow him to come along in a support capacity. Octavio had no qualms about allowing one of his oldest friends to come into possible harms way with him as together they were poetry in motion for the art of controlled violence. Long training had made them like dance partners with a wide range of weapons and deadly situations, which made Octavio somewhat grateful Rapheal was coming along due to an increasing sense of unease with the mission.

 

He wasn't the only who is worried. The overflight by the Air Force brought pictures directly to Major General Benito Chavez's desk showing dead bodies scattered all around the town of Grenville. With this information in hand, the Major General authorized a bit more than the single company of Rangers to begin deploying. With the 120 Rangers a battalion of Air Assault troops are put on alert for a possible deployment. Regional Militia Regiments bordering the Grenville District found themselves being put on alert with orders to host a drill that required all Militia members to report to their depots for training. The Major General also found it proper to send orders for the evacuation of the Atmospheric Research Station that was going to play host to the Ranger Company, which of course brought a howl of complaints due to the problems involved with moving several medium sized dirigibles.

 

While the Major General dealt with those problems, the First RRT drove their Armored Range Rovers up the ramp of an Air Force C-130. The forty armed and trained men are nearly all veterans of the Chilean National Police and Chilean Special Forces. There are a few Amazon Republic Citizens who had been apprenticed to the unit and were allowed to come along on the high risk mission in support roles as drivers, radio operators, and medics. With them a single Ranger Fire Support Team of three men quietly slipped onto the plane and made themselves scarce as they slipped into one of the Range Rovers. Their presence was known to Octavio and he had quietly spread the word to make the three "observers" feel right at home with a Range Rover and a driver all to themselves.

 

Just before the C-130 took off the Major General quietly motioned Rapheal and Octavio to join him on the tarmac. The smell of av gas and sweat drifted around the three as the Major General spoke first and said, "The overflight you ordered brought back some interesting photographs."

 

"Yeah?" asked Octavio.

 

"Dead bodies scattered around Grenville," the Major General replied as he handed over a USB stick to Octavio.

 

"Christo, what's your read on it sir?" asked Rapheal.

 

"No idea, Montessori, bless his silly behind, thinks it might be Zombies. I suspect he's been snorting blow or staying up too late and watching too many b movies," the Major General replied.

 

"Zombies? Like Diberian Zombies?" asked Octavio.

 

"That's what he thinks. I tend to think its run of the mill scum and other assorted filth. None the less, I've put an Air Assault Battalion on alert. There is a Ranger Company being airlifted to an Atmospheric Research base a few hours up the valley. I've alerted the regional Militia Regiments and ordered them to commence drills and training. Those three lazy buggers I sent earlier have all the frequencies and so forth to drop a 155 mm shell through the sun roof of a pimp's Cadillac. Don't be shy about using them, the nearby Militia Regiments have both MLRS and Self Propelled artillery we can scramble along with ground support planes if we absolutely need them."

 

"Aren't you worried about the Assembly having a melt down at such a gratuitous display of military force? You know how they get about the rights of the Cantons and the control the Assembly has over the Federal government," observed Octavio.

 

"Well son, that's why you are going in first and everyone else is merely doing training," the Major General replied.

 

"Oh joy."

 

"Joy indeed, try not to have too much fun."

 

"We won't sir," replied Rapheal who suddenly regretted his decision to tag along with Octavio.