Heavy Gear

Over the last few days the Techs discovered a problem with the new rocket launcher on Wittmann's Gear. The Gear would refuse to fire it. It would only use the old one on the left shoulder. Even when that one was out of ammo it would not use the new launcher. One seasoned Tech sugested that such an old Neural Net would have trouble adapting to new weaponary. Wittamann would have to wait and see if Sue, his Gear. would eventually decide to accept the weapon. For more bad news it looked like Senior Corporal Arnie Loverdi, who was recovering in Yele after being injured on the Landship, would be consigned to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

23rd Spring

The squad were ordered to escort the archiologist Prof Herbert Leval on a survey mission to the East of Massada. The Prof would be travelling with a guide and two postgrads. He was intending to look for physical evidence relating to a passage from the Khodaveria. The passage spoke of Mamoud and Nathani travelling through the dessert. Some infidels made to attack them but were swallowed whole by the dessert. The Prof was intending to look for the site at which this occured.

The Blue Angels are the most religious regiment in the North. And this mission made the Prof sound like some doubting agnostic/athesist to the squad. Hence in order to make their feelings known, they all suddenly became very blatant about there religious feelings. Gear blessings before the start of the mission were eagerated and on the two day journey to the approximate location of the Prof's site, prayers were said and hymns were sung at every possible moment. The Prof however did not seem uncomfortable with this extreme religous devotion and ignored the hostility of the squad.

26th Spring

On reaching the approximate area everybody prepared to set camp. It turned out they were only about a klick from a group of prospectors on a mining survey mission. The Gears were beginning to run low on fuel so Wittmann and Juno headed up to the prospectors camp to see if any could be purchased. The miners turned out to be from the UMF one of the Northern Leagues. However they were unwilling to part with fuel. Wittmann was forced to travel into the nearest town with Klun and himself in their Gears and the Prof's guide Manuel in the jeep.

It was 50 klicks to Futility which turned out to be a small town on crossroads. A fuel depot was found and after the old guy managed to find the fuel camps on the Gears they were filled up. 3 barrels were also mounted on the Jeep to fuel the Gears back at the camp. Wittmann payed and got a recipt, he also picked up so fresh food and sweets having the girl at the shop mark the receipt down vaguely as 'Supplies'. After their last mayor mission he was tempted to make it out as 'Machine Parts' but was sure his Lieutenant would get the joke.

On their return to the camp they found it in good order a large tent had been set up and the equipment was almost totally prepared. The Prof seemed to enjoy giving his post grads a hard time, they put up with it without objection though. A loud booom was heard coming from the prospector's camp. Wittmann was running for his Gear when he realised it was only echo sounding Gear. The Prof was going to be running similar tests so head over to the miners to see if they could share data. He wouldn't but they agreed not to co-ordinate their tests so as to avoid both setting of charges at the same time. That night they group enjoyed the fresh food. The night passed quietly.

27th Spring The Prof and his Postgrads were busy working, the camp was pretty dull. To see if anything interesting was out there Wittmann took Mouse on a long range sweep around the camp. The only thing they found was a convoy heading along a trail towards Futility. Wittmann radioed in a Hello to the convoy. One Edmundo replied saying he was part of a travelling Cinema. They would be showing Destiny's Gear in Futility that night. He seemed glad to see the army protecting the dessert trails and continued on his way after inviting Wittmann to bring his squad to see the film.

Later that day Mouse on patrol on her own encountered another convoy heading for Futility. She radioed them, but they refused to respond and speeded up to avoid her. Wittmann reckoned his behaviour was suspious and brought his squad into Futility to check out these trouble makers. He found them at the fuel depot. They still refused to answer his questions so he took it on himself to search one of their trucks. It contained nothing suspious. The Town's Sherrif showed up demanding to know what on Earth the Northern Guard were doing so far out of their jurisdction. Wittmann basically ignored her and headed back to camp.

28th Spring

The next day passed quietly until that evening when Edmundo appeared on Sensors heading to show his film at the prospectors camp. Wittmann did not want to be seen to let his squad go to the cinema while on duty so he went on patrol so they could sneak off to the film without him knowning. Mouse and Juno weren't interested. Klun headed off to see it, but Thex was too stupid to cop on. Eventually Wittmann had to give in and tell him to go see the film. Supposedly he loved it, lots of Gears and explosions.

29th Spring

Again the day started quietly except for the occasional boom from the echo sounding equipment. However in the afternoon there was suddenly a massive BOOOM. Apparently the Prof's and Miner's expolosions had happened simultaneously. As the dust settled some miners appeared saying there had been an accident.

The Squad Geared up and headed over to see if they could help out. One of the Miner's work Gears had fallen partly into a narrow but deep hole. The Gear was slowly slipping further in desipte the driver's best attempts to free himself. The Squad's Gear easily pulled the hapless machine free. Prof Leval was getting very excited about the discovery. He ordered his student to fetch a rope so that he could be lowered down.

Once a winch had been set up the Prof was lowered into the hole. The miner's did not seem terrible happy about the Prof taking over someting they found but seemed ready to keep quite for a few minutes out of gratitude. The Prof reported that while the hole looked natural at the top it soon turned out to be a perfect square shaft. It turned out to be a lot deeper the the Prof's rope which was only 20m long. The Prof fetched a longer rope when the miners started to object. The wanted to use the shaft to easily access deep minerals. It took Wittmann to persuade them that any archilogical reamins would be far more valualbe.

With the grudging permission of the Miner's the Prof descended once more. After dropping nearly 65m he landed on a metal grill covering a fan. This completely changed the situation. As far as Wittmann was concerned this was now a military situation. That grill could indicate a Secret Southern or Rover hide out. He ordered the Prof out and after renting cutting equipment from the Miner's sent Thex done to break in. He also reported back to the Captain in HQ.

Thex was lowered down and carefully cut open a hole in the grill. Dropping through his he arrived in a room full of computer equipment. The compturers however were ancient. They appeared to date from when Terranova was colonised. The situation changed back from Military to Archilogical. The Prof went down and together with Thex investigated the find. It turned out to be an science and observation station for the McAllen Network, (its an Network of Underground Rivers throught Terranova). This was a priceless find.

Wittmann informed the Miner's that there was no way in hell they would be doing any mining in the area and that the Prof University would be getting in contact with their government. The miners look sullen then head into Futility to go drinking. Wittmann then went down to the station for a look around himself. The Camp was moved over to beside the shaft and the Prof and Postgrads started to catalogue the find. The Prof had had several zero's added to the end of his funding budget and more researchers and equipment were on their way. Wittmann was informed that a section of Gears and sum infantry were on their way to relieve his squad. With the amount of people this find would attract it would soon be a juicy target for Rovers.

Over the next few days Scientists and News teams started to show up. Most people were interviewed. The Prof refused to leave the station so was interviwed by live video feed. On the 36th the Squad were finely relieved, they would make it back just in time for the Regimental Ball.