The Enigma Beyond

“Commander Finklebaum, this is General Welling. You are cleared for the incursion. The encrypted land link tests clear so keep the sit-rep info flowing. We are listening. Tell me what you see and make sure the video feed pipes it back for confirmation. Good hunting, Wilbur!”

Commander Finklebaum barked, “Is everybody up, with your EMPs charged?”

One of the soldiers replied, “Commander, the Mobile Array Shock Pulse Electromagnetic Generator with its wide array of dishes is not fully operative! It’s not building to a power level that will allow us a wide EMP spread with enough control to take out a large swarm of I-Drones.”

The commander halted the team. “Check to see if the MASPEG is getting enough dry nitrogen. With the intel we have received, we won’t go into a swarm with only our small EMPs.”

Private Joshua exclaimed, “Success! I adjusted the nitrogen flow to the unit. The MASPEG is now fully charged. Sir, we are a go.”

General Welling responded, “Copy that, team. Finklebaum, you’ve got the ball.”

The team of eight moved quickly but kept alert for any aerial movement until they got to the perimeter gate. No movement was detected, but the video cameras were disabled with short EMP bursts from their handheld devices.

As soon as they were prepared to move through the gate, several sentry-wheeled drones rolled out of their covered positions to challenge the team. Four blasts from the over the shoulder EMP weapons shutdown the drones, and the team quickly moved into the compound towards the sealed gates.

General Welling, watching intently at the video feeds, stated, “Exhibit A, gentlemen. We don’t have automated gate personnel at this facility, never have.”

Commander Finklebaum gave the team a halt sign. Everyone dropped to cover just as a large swarm of I-Drones surfaced up over the horizon traveling straight at them like a gathering tornado.

“Joshua, swat ‘em!”

The MASPEG  pulsed right into the black swarm, and in an instant the terrain was littered with semi-melted I-Drones. The ground was covered as if the season had changed to fall and a large tree dropped all its dead leaves in a pattern. The whole team was on alert. Nothing else came at them, and all was quiet except for the crunching sound made as the troops cautiously walked over the I-Drone carcasses.