Enlightenment [Book 2: SEKTOR V Trilogy]

Chapter 9: Danger Cave Redux

Chapter 9: Danger Cave Redux

"OK, Stevenson," Commander Rusty Hiilger called out, "you can shut the Chair down for now. Krieger is through and he is the last."

Hiilger, a tall lanky man of Nordic descent in his early thirties, sat at his rather cramped, makeshift desk in Jukebox Cave, which had been set up as an operational mini-headquarters. He'd been in this future world for only 2 ½ hours and already knew he'd seen enough. His teams, all outfitted in radiation suits prior to arrival, had started reporting back to him. His in-situ surveillance team and his jet pack team, with the ability to canvas the farthest from the caves, both reported the same tale of a global-scale nuclear holocaust.

Hiilger's primary objective was simple. In as much detail as possible, document what was happening this eleven months into the future. So far, the only mission objective he was able to unequivocally unravel was when the event occurred. The sensors they'd pre-deployed in the surrounding area all stopped transmitting data exactly 26 days, 21 hours, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds before their arrival. The question of who or what party was directly responsible for the annihilation remained a mystery.

Now he had to dot the evidence i's and cross the full extent of the devastation t's. With his IT team setting up the communication infrastructure necessary, he hoped to access whatever remained above-planet in either geosynchronous or polar orbit. There was little doubt that whoever did this wiped out a good chunk of that observational capability. Nevertheless, it was still possible that some satellites remained. He and his team planned to use those technological dregs to document Earth's overall condition. Hopefully, that effort would also include an accurate global assessment of just how many Humans survived. Orbital assets could help identify what regions of the planet were most adversely affected and also be used to locate areas of viable farmland and stores of potable water.

One of Hiilger's teams would use ballistic resources that the Underground had pre-deployed at both caves months earlier. These converted missiles would sample in-situ air and sea conditions across the planet and also collect high-resolution infrared and visible imagery necessary to accurately assess continental-scale conditions in sufficient detail. He knew these data would not create a complete picture, but they would provide critical information about a future world that they currently knew very little about.

Looking up from his desk, Hiilger watched as Stanley and Edward Dial entered Danger Cave.

"So much for being retired, eh, Stanley?" quipped Hiilger.

Stanley didn't look amused but did manage to make an overly enthusiastic, militaristic salute. "Stanley and Edward Dial, reporting back as requested, sir!" he said with an insincere smile.

Hiilger decided to end the silliness that he'd started. "I read your preliminary on-site report, Dial. Do you, your son or anyone else from the ground team have anything else to add at this time?"

Hiilger was speaking to Stanley, but Edward replied.

"I think what you already have sums it up, Commander. Soil and air samples are indicative of a recent thermonuclear exchange. To get additional, more detailed insights, I think we'll have to rely on our Institute scientists back home. This is a rural site, but combining results from our water, air, and soil samples with reports from our upper air team, it appears that major cities in Nevada and Utah have been severely impacted."

Dial Jr. couldn't have summed it up any better, thought Hiilger. The kid's pretty sharp. Sharper than his dad, that's for sure.

"OK then, Dials, please work on tomorrow's survey plans with the ground team and send me your final daily report in four hours."