Reporting for Duty

Log Title: Reporting for Duty

Characters: Tele-Viper 911, Major Bludd, and Interrogator

Location: People's Republic of Cobra Unity - Crown City - Helipad

Date: 2 - 6 - 2012

TP:

Summary: Tele-Viper 911 reports for her latest duty assignment, the humanitarian mission to Africa, and learns a secret!

 LOG BEGINS  A purple-clad, female Tele-Viper walks up to the Helipad, carrying two large cases. One is obviously heavy, and a few wires can be seen poking out of it, while the other is much lighter, and only seems to be bulky. Both her arms are half covered in band-aids, showing that she has received all of her innoculations, as is required for personnel assigned to any of the missions heading to flood ravaged parts of the world.

She looks around for her assigned Anaconda, and frowns as she reads the numbers. "Baroness said 564... Where is that... Ahh, there it is." She moves over towards that particular Anaconda, only to be stopped three times by Vipers, asking to see her Identification.

"Make sure the troops' food and water supplies are stored /separately/, now." Major Bludd's voice drifts across the helipad as he walks out from behind Anaconda 564. He takes a final drag from a cigarette and drops it to the tarmac, crushing it out with the toe of his boot. He looks up to see the Tele-Viper making her way through the last of the Viper security checks and inclines his head in acknowledgement of her presence.

Tele-Viper 911 finally clears security, and moves to her assigned Anaconda, and looks for the man in charge. Considering only one person in the employ of Cobra looks quite like the Major, she sets her bags down, and comes to attention, "Major Bludd, Tele-Viper 911, reporting for duty to Africa, as your Senior Communications Technician, and Internet Specialist."

Major Bludd nods to the Tele-Viper. In preparation for the trip to Africa, he's foregone his typical bulky armour and helmet in favour of jungle camos, a Kevlar vest, and a black beret. "We'll be getting underway soon," he tells her. "Better get your stuff stowed."

Tele-Viper 911 relaxes a little, and nods, "I am having more Comm gear sent up from the Palace. I'd like to ensure that no matter what we run into, that Communications won't be an issue. I have already established some dedicated secure lines, voice, video, and internet chat, in the Palace Computer systems, that all I have to do is plug into, once we are on station, that no one short of... *maybe* G.I. Joe's Hacker, or Dial-Tone, could decrypt fast enough to get any real time intel from." As she speaks, she picks up her gear, and places it on the pile of stuff that is to be loaded by the Viper Crew that is working on it, with an admonishment of, "Break it, and I will make sure your iPods only play Opera for the rest of your lives." She than turns to Major Bludd, again. "I'd like to recommend we try to take over a broadcasting facility as one of our early targets, so we can begin to broadcast to the locals. I am sure I can boost the signal enough that we will be able to reach most of the Central African area, with the proper Power Generator."

Major Bludd nods as the Tele-Viper speaks. "Very good," he replies, smiling as she admonishes the Vipers. "Takeover of a local broadcast facility is part of the overall plan," he says. "The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation's primary facility was flooded, according to the intel I have, but most of its equipment was spared from damage." He inclines his head toward the cases the Tele-Viper brought along. "Seems it was kept in nice watertight cases like yours. Don't think they have the station up and running yet though." He smiles. "You and the other Tele-Vipers can help with that, I expect."

Tele-Viper 911 nods, "If we can not, the Techno-Vipers will just have to build us new parts. Shouldn't take too long to see if the facility will meet our needs... the biggest problem will be supplying the power." She looks thoughtful, "Is the Power Plant still operating in Freetown? If we can draw from that, without causing too much of a blackout in the city..."

Major Bludd shakes his head. "Most of Freetown was flooded out at the height of the flooding. We'll need to rebuild the power infrastructure. That's why most of our troops are of the combat engineer sort. But we can hand out transistor radios and broadcast to the people in the refugee area while we work on that."

Tele-Viper 911 arches an eyebrow, but says nothing at the mention of "transistor radios'. "I see, Sir."

"There's quite a lot of work to be done," Bludd adds. "That's why we're going, y'see. With our help, things'll be up an' running again in no time. But in the meantime, it's pretty primitive. Also bringing along quite the contingent of Medi-Vipers," he adds. "Up t'date on yer shots, I presume."

Tele-Viper 911 shivers, slightly, "I feel like a pin cushion. I didn't know you could stick a needle in someone that many times, and still be helping them."

Major Bludd chuckles. "Believe me, you'll be glad for it once we hit Africa. There're a lot of nasty diseases out there, most of 'em more rampant than ever, what with the flooding. We need everyone at the top of their game on this tour."

Tele-Viper 911 nods, "Oh, I am thankful for them, Sir... My arms are sore, however, and we won't mention other parts of my anatomy." She pointedly does not rub her posterior. She than glances at the Anaconda, "Are we bringing along cures for the population? Or are we hoping the American CDC will respond instead?"

"We're bringing as many medical supplies as we can," Bludd says. "I don't know how much coverage we'll get, but we've gotta start somewhere."

Tele-Viper 911 nods, slightly, and than glances around, "Well, sir, if you need anything, you know who to call. I can normally get anything I need from supply. The clerks in SUpply like the fact that I can find them any music or movie, free for them... They keep me well stocked in anything I might need."

Major Bludd smiles. "Ah, you make yourself useful and people will return the favour." He sobers somewhat. "It's going to be rough out there," he says. "We're only staying in each country long enough to get things set up. I'll be leaving teams of Techno- and Tele-Vipers behind in each nation, but I'll be moving ahead to start on the next one. And as Comms XO, I'll need you with me. We have pre-fab shelters, but it's nothing like we have here." He waves a hand at the palace in the background.

Tele-Viper 911 blinks, "Comm XO?" This is a new one on her, as no one had informed her. She glances around, "I'll be happy to go where you tell me to go... but are you sure you have the right Tele-Viper?"

Major Bludd frowns slightly and pulls a small tablet computer from a pouch on his belt. "Tele-Viper Nine One One..." he reads, swiping and tapping through a couple screens until he gets the one he's after. "Yeah, says here 'Communications XO'." He looks up from the computer, raising an eyebrow at her. "You didn't know?"

Tele-Viper 911 reads the tablet's screen, and than pulls up the Tele-Viper roster on her own iPad, and it says nothing, "Must be a Command Level only notice, Sir...." She shrugs, "I won't fail you, Sir." Her cheeks are enflammed, but her shoulders are squared, and her voice, confident. She begins to wonder if she is going to get to change her uniform, and have a real code name, like Tele-Viper 742, Wiretap, did, when she was bucked upstairs...

Major Bludd relocks the tablet's screen and replaces it in his belt pouch. "Congratulations," he says. "And you'd best not," he adds, smiling.

Interrogator enters the Helipad area and begins looking around for Major Bludd.

Major Bludd stands near Anaconda 564, talking with a Tele-Viper.

Tele-Viper 911 looks thoughtful, nodding almost absently at the Major's words. She frowns, "Sir, if there is no power to the Broadcasting station, we are going to need to supply one hell of a lot of power..." She pauses, "In Afghanistan, when we needed power, we used Generators, back in the Soviet Army. We'll need some huge generators of that model to supply power to a broadcasting station, either that, or we'll have to set up a mobile broadcasting station, with less electrical needs. Something we can run off the Anaconda's Generators."

Tele-Viper 911 adds, "Or use alternative fuel sources on more modern generators."

Interrogator sees the Major and approaches him and the Tele-Viper, saluting when he gets close.

"We'll be bringing generators," Bludd informs the Tele-Viper, "for immediate, vital-needs use only at first. The Techno-Vipers will be working to rebuild the power systems. It'll be a gradual increase in capability, I expect. In the meantime we'll only have power to broadcast to a local area." He notices Interrogator approaching and nods in acknowledgement to him.

Tele-Viper 911 nods slightly, "That will limit our ability to get our message out." She pauses, than grins, "Unless you allow me to boost the signal from the Anaconda... And we broadcast on a channel no one else uses, on the AM Dial. Same principle as the Clear-Channel Stations in the United States. I could get good Coverage on MOST of the African Continenent...."

Interrogator lowers his arm and says, "I suppose I will mostly be delivering supplies in Africa."

"Patience," Bludd advises the Tele-Viper. He pauses to fish a cigarette out of one of his ammo pouches, sticks it in the corner of his mouth, and lights it. "Look, Sierra Leone, for starters, ain't the most technologically advanced place on the planet. And the floodwaters destroyed most of what they did have. It'll take time to rebuild things. The West isn't gonna suddenly drop in and help these people, so we've got time. We start small, depend on word of mouth, as well as the chemicals in the refugee food and water supplies, and grow it out from there." He looks over at Interrogator, frowning. "You'll be working with the Tele-Vipers to provide subliminal messages in the radio broadcasts," he informs him. "We've got Vipers to run the supplies about. You're the psych expert. That's why you're on this mission."

Interrogator says, "Typhoid works quickly if the drug will be ready by then. I will be ready to do so."

"The drugs are already in the supplies, Interrogator," Bludd replies.

Interrogator says, "That is good. Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Major Bludd frowns. "Just do yer job when yer asked to," he says. "Y'do know what that is, yeh?"

Interrogator says, "Yes, Sir. I am to provide the subliminal messages for the Tele-Vipers to broadcast."

Major Bludd puffs on his cigarette. "Good." He exhales smoke. "Sometimes I wonder."

Interrogator says, "I will begin work on the messages as soon as this meeting is over."

"We're about ready to mount up and head out," Bludd says. "You'll have to do 'em enroute, or once we get there."

Interrogator says, "I will do them enroute then."

"Fine." Bludd drops the remainder of his cigarette to the tarmac and crushes it out. "We leave in an hour."

Interrogator says, "I will be ready."

Major Bludd climbs into the Anaconda without another word.