From: timk@tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca (Tim Kuehn)
Subject: Re: UN Patrol: "Hide 'n' Seek" (RE-EDITED)
Organization: TDK Consulting Services
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 15:00:00 GMT

In article <1992Nov5.054812.27319@tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca> timk@tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca (Tim Kuehn) writes:
>
>(A still-growing cast of characters follows this installment. 
> How so many folks got involved in such a little operation is 
> almost beyond me! TDK)

I also can't believe I actuall posted that sloppily edited piece of text.
Serves me right for doing to the whole thing in one shot at 01:00....

Here's the cleaned-up version.

TDK
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Chris Brilson was watching the last of the Black Tiger team make their 
way across the street to an alley near the NightSky when Mi Phong called 
his attention to a form moving in the vehicle.  Chris took a closer 
look and could clearly see someone or something was stirring inside the 
vehicle.

	"Grey Thunder Leader to Black Tiger Leader," said Chris.
	"The objective is not neutralized."

No sooner was Chris's transmission made when a dark, shadowy form emerged 
from the back window of the smouldering Night Sky and darted into a 
nearby alley. With the subect out of line-of-sight, Chris replayed a record 
from his standard personal video logging system.  When it showed a form 
emerging from the vehicle, he froze the display, zoomed in, and enhanced the 
picture.

What he saw was a man who had an uncanny resemblance in appearance to 
their quarry.

Except this man was pitch black.

				=== * * * ===

In Ocule, one of the techs reported:

	"Recalling the operative now."

Special counter-active chemicals were released into Carl Rudke's system. 
Methodically, system by system, he was retreived from his drug-and-computer 
induced rest period, designed to produce the equivalent of eight hours 
sleep in of one.

	"What's going on? Why did you wake me up prematurely?" asked
	 a still-groggy Rudke.

	"A situation's come up and we need your services now," said
	the commander.

	"You realize you're taking a big risk, pulling me out prematurely 
	like this?" asked Carl. "In my present state there's no guarantees 
	what I might do. Under section 3502 subpart D..."

	"I am fully aware of that section," interrupted the commander, 
	"and it's possibilities. I hereby take full responsibility for 
	any consequences."

	"3502D acknowledged," relied Carl a little less groggily. "Let's 
	hope this works out."

				=== * * * ===

Tiger Team - Grey Thunder:

	"Mi-Phong, do you recall any record of a chamelion paint 
	being in existance?" asked Chris.

	"None, sir," answered Mi-Phong.

	"Strange," whispered Chris as he keyed into the command net.

	"Grey Thunder leader to Black Tiger leader."

	"Black Tiger Leader."

	"A target has left the vehicle," said Chris.

	"Acknowledged, sir," replied Vladimir. "Black 4 tracked it. 
	He said it was the darkest black man he'd ever seen"

	"I think that was our target," said Chris.

	"Sir?" asked a puzzled Vladimir.

	"Send Black 2 to the vehicle and check it out," said Chris 
	briskly.  "If the target isn't inside, he's somehow changed 
	color and made his way into the alley beyond your position. 
	He may have some kind of chamelion body-paint he's disguising 
	his appearance with."

	"Acknowledged sir," replied Vladimir.  "Moving out now."

	"Grey Thunder, out."

	"Black Tiger, out."

	"If this guy has developed a chamelion paint and we capture him 
	intact, it'll be worth some extra leave for the entire team," 
	said Chris as he re-interfaced with his intelligent binoculars. 

The light streak on Mi-Phong's face might have been a smile.

				=== * * * ===

	"Engaging systems now," reported Carl.

Instantly status indicators on the monitoring consoles flashed to life
as Carl re-integrated himself into his wide array of monitoring systems.

	"Please give me the last known co-ordinates where the 
	subject vehicle was located," requested Carl.

	"Downloading now," replied a tech.

	"Hmmm..." mused Carl.

Almost immediately various displays began to flash at incredible speed as 
Carl searched through various systems inside the city, initiating program
after program in a search of the inforation he was after. 

In one section of the Ocule bunker Dr. Marlin Sachs, a psychologist who 
specialized in neural/cybernetic interaction nervously watched the displays 
arrayed around him. He'd worked with Carl before, and knew his history like 
the back of his hand. While Carl hadn't displayed the deadly symtoms of 
sleep-induction withdrawl (otherwise known as SIW) yet, he'd never seen 
anyone, even Carl, working at this level of intensely before either.

It was a receipe for disaster.

With a few mental commands, Marlin silently entered and maneuvred around 
Carl's whirling thoughts looking for an indication of SIW, and hoping 
against hope he didn't find it.

				=== * * * ===

	"Narrowing search pattern down," reported Carl. 
	"Integrating and analyzing now."

				=== * * * ===

Black Tiger:

	"Black 2, prepare to move forward," said Vladimir

Immediately Shirley Wu moved in preperation to sneak towards the fitfully 
smouldering NightSky. After making sure the rest of his unit was in place, 
Vladimir gave the command:

	"Now."

Like a fluid shadow, Shirley darted from dark spot to inky blackness, 
taking advantage of every bit of available cover as she made her way 
to the vehicle. After checking to see if the coast was clear, she 
somersaulted out from  a doorway next to a crumpled door of the NightSky. 
Shirely froze and listened intently to make sure there wasn't any respose 
from the vehicle passengers, she reached inside her suit and pulled out 
the fiberscope. After attaching the device to her local interface, she 
pushed the small periscopic head next to the driver's side window, then 
the passenger's compartment.

				=== * * * ===

Ocule Group:

	"I have isolated the area in question," reported Carl.  "No 
	vehicular movement indicated, however there are readings indicative 
	of a small fire in the area, probably from the vehicle or other 
	source. Acoustic and seismic sensors indicate there is some form 
	of stealth activity in the area, possibly corresponding to attack 
	by the enemy or evasion by one or more friendlies. No energy or 
	small-arms discharges detected." 

The commander intently asked:

	"Can you tell if the subjects are still alive?"

A brief pause, then:

	"Not certain at this time," said Carl. "They have not left 
	the area however.  I will provide more information when it 
	comes available."

The intercom fell silent.
	
				=== * * * ===

Grey Thunder:

	"You are certain?" asked Chris.

	"Positive, sir," replied Vladimir. "Images relayed by Black 2 
	indicate that there are two people inside the vehicle passenger 
	compartment, niether of which come close to a match to the target 
	description."

	"He must've escaped down the alleyway," said Chris. "Proceed 
	with caution. There's no telling what else he has up his bag 
	of tricks. Capture him with that chamelion device intact and 
	there may be extended leave in it for your team."

	"Yes, sir!" replied Vladimir.

				=== * * * ===

Vladimir keyed into his local command net.

	"Black Tiger to move forward," said Vladimir. "Black 2, take point.  
	Black 3 and 4, support. Black 1 will follow in reserve. If we get 
	this guy in one piece with his chamelion disguise intact, there's 
	extra leave in it for us."

	"Black 2."

	"Black 3."

	"Black 4."

	"Ok," said Vladimir, "move out."

Almost as one, four shadows detached themselves from their respective 
hiding places around the street and moved to front of the alleyway. Peter 
and Harvey moved to opposite sides of the entrance to the alley and took 
covering positions. When they were in place, Shirley moved up next to 
Peter, then slipped in behind some garbage cans, extended her fiber optic
periscope, and began scanning.

				=== * * * ===

The silence covering the UN Armed Forces base that night was broken by 
the loud blaring of the "move-out" alarm. Instantly the heliborn platoon 
commander was at the communications console taking down his orders. Once 
he had validated the coded orders and put them in a pocket, he moved 
out into the assembly area and bawled to the scurrying soldiers:

    "YOU HEARD THE MAN, NOW LET'S MOVE IT OUT! TODAY, GENTLEMEN, TODAY!" 

On the helipad, a high-pitched whine built up as the engines of four 
assault/transport choppers revved up to speed. The pilots then engaged 
the rotor blades as heavily armed UN troopers climbed into the choppers' 
waiting bellys. Once he was sure they were all loaded, the platoon 
commander climed into the front of his chopper, gave a curt order, and 
the platoon lifted off in formation, grabbed air into the overcast night,
and raced toward the immobilized NightSky.

				=== * * * ===

In Ocule:

	"Helicopters have lifted off from the UN Armed Forces Base
	and are approaching for a helo extract.  ETA five minutes," 
	reported Carl.

	"Acoustic analysis suggests one of the forces are searching
	for some one or some thing."

				=== * * * ===

Dr. Sachs stopped near one area of Carl's lobes which was showing a 
bit of strain from the premature sleep withdrawl. With some computer-
drug assistance, he smoothed the area over. As his worried senses 
watched, the area returned back to normal.

But the operation was just getting going, and Sachs knew there'd be a lot
more situations like it before the night was over.

Sachs resumed his patrol of Carl's mind.

				=== * * * ===

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The (still-growing) cast of characers I write for:

HQ: 					
---
Commander:					Triumverate

OCULE GROUP: 
------------
Matrix-Commando Operative: 			Carl "The Munchkin" Rudke
Commander:					(Un-named)
Remote Monitoring Officers:			Sharon Leacock, Argenton

Neural/Cybernetic Psychological Monitor:	Dr. Marlin Sachs
		
Chief, Photo-Interpretation:			Lieutenant Rich Harris
       Photo-Interpretation:			Nelms, Crofts, Francis 

SHIELD GROUP: 	
-------------
Commander:					Commander Sharon Eccles

Watch Officers: 				Seargent Henry Calder
						Seargent Paul Pryde

Combat Squadrons:				Orange, Blue, Green 


UNITED NATIONS:
---------------
UNIS-CICHQ (United Nations Internal Security-CinC)
HQ, Chief of Ops, Security: Brigadier-General Brian Haessler

WHITE ARROW: 
------------
Tiger Team 
	Grey Thunder:	1: Christopher Brilson (Leader)
			2: Mi Phong (Communications)

	Blue Fang:  	1: Paula Christie (one)
			2: Mark McKinley  (two)

	Red Ocean:	1: Sean Vandemark

	Black Tiger:	1: Vladimir Nerovski	(Squad Leader and Mage)
			2: Shirley Wu
			3: Peter Winonovitch
			4: Harvey Paulson

The above are are all mine. Touch them without my permission and you die. :-) 
At the very least do not use any of them without running it by me first for 
comment. 

Copyright 1992, Timothy D. Kuehn, All Rights Reserved.
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