Best Intentions
Chapter 16

In spite of violence between nations winding down all across the world, certain areas still erupted in unexpected brutality from time to time. Mark had CJ keep a close eye on the most volatile of these regions.

One of CJ’s surveillance satellites registered an alarm as it detected the launch of two rockets, one after another from the Palestinian controlled Gaza Strip aimed into Israel.

“Mark, there is a problem in the Gaza strip. I have detected a group of Palestinian soldiers launching rockets into Israeli territory.”

“Damn,” Mark swore. “It’s been quiet for months over there! And those aren’t Palestinian soldiers, CJ. They’re terrorists! I had hoped things would stay quiet and we wouldn’t see any more of this crap since Iran stopped supplying them with weapons. There’s going to be trouble ahead, CJ, mark my words. Do you have anything in the area that can stop those launches?”

“Affirmative, Mark. A survey craft equipped with a disruptor cannon is in the area. I will direct it to the site of the missile launches.”

“Put it on the screen, please. I want to have a look at the situation.”

As the ship came into visual contact with the team that was launching the rockets, Mark could see four men setting up another. They also had a truck loaded with at least five more projectiles.

“CJ, quick, use that ship’s disruptors to knock out those men before they can launch another rocket!”

Beams from the transport shot out and the terrorists fell to the ground unconscious. The rocket that they were about to launch fell over as well. It ignited and shot straight into the truck, detonating the remaining weapons with a huge blast. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained. The truck and the men were gone. A smoking crater and scattered pieces of twisted debris and bodies were all that remained.

“No, CJ! How did that happen? This could cause a lot more trouble if anyone learns of our involvement in the deaths of those men. ”

“Scanners do not detect anyone in range to have witnessed the explosion. I am sorry, Mark. The rocket must have been triggered by the fall.”

“Well it’s a lucky break at least that no one saw this. I’d rather keep this accident quiet. The Palestinians might think that we are on the side of the Israeli’s and not neutral. What about the rockets that were launched, did they cause any damage or hurt anyone?”

“Negative, however scans of the area in which they were impacting shows that they were coming closer to a cluster of dwellings and most likely would have hit them with one of the next few launches.”

“Well, I guess those guys got what they deserved. Causing violence brings a violent end. Keep an eye out for any Israeli response to the launches. I’m hoping that they will contact us or the United Nations before doing anything that could start up the entire cycle of violence again, but I doubt it.”

****

As Mark feared, less than a full day later a trio of heavy Israeli defense forces tanks and two armored bulldozers moved to cross the border into the Palestinians territories. He watched the actions on the viewer with disgust.

“Gee, I couldn’t see that coming,” he thought sadly.

“CJ, please patch me into the communications system of the lead tank. The commander of the operation should be in there. Maybe I can head this off before it goes too far.”

“Certainly, Mark. I have their command tactical frequency isolated. Would it not be better to try and contact the Israeli government instead?”

“It would, but I don’t think I have time for that. The tanks are already about to cross the border and may attack at any moment. We will have to try to head this off here and now and deal with the government afterwards.”

“Affirmative, Mark. You now have access to their communications equipment and the translation matrix is online.”

“Thank you, CJ.”

“Attention tank commander,” Mark said. “Please pull your forces back. The situation is under control and there will be no more rockets launched into Israel. I will make sure of that. Yesterday’s attack caused neither damage nor casualties. You’re just going to make the situation worse, please, return to your side of the border and let me handle it.”

“Who is this?” the tank commander asked. “Get off this frequency you are on a restricted military channel!”

“I think you know who this is, commander,” Mark said while watching the vehicle group advance toward the border crossing. “This is Mark Richards, the person trying to stop the violence down there. You running your tanks into Palestinian territory won’t help. Please, turn around and return to your base.”

“Oh, it’s you, with your superior technology and high-handed attitude you think you can just tell everyone what to do. This is our business, so keep out of it!”

“Look, I’m asking you to pull back and let me confer with your government.”

The commander’s voice sounded from the speakers on the command deck. “This is an internal matter of Israeli security.”

“That is completely unacceptable! Your leaders made an agreement to stop the retaliation and give me a chance to broker peace without interference! Nothing like this has happened for months. I’m sure this is just an isolated incident. Please back off.”

“A terrorist rocket attack was made against one of our settlements,” the commander said. “There can be no peace while our citizens are threatened. I have my orders, and my orders say to provide an example of what the cost of attacking our citizens is. We do not back off.”

“Please, give me a chance!” Mark said. “I will get the United Nations to provide more peacekeeping troops to the area and supply better defensive technologies; don’t let the situation get out of hand!”

“I repeat, keep out of this. You do not dictate terms to the Israeli government or our military forces!”

The line went dead as the commander broke off communications and switched frequencies. Mark had CJ match the new frequency but was just ignored as they switched to yet another channel. Matching the frequency for the last time he gave them his final message.

“CJ, I am completely disgusted with the situation down there. Neither side will let go of the decades of hatred and give peace a chance. What I would like to do is just walk away and let them pound each other into the dust.” Mark sighed. “But I’m committed to the protection of civilians. To keep the peace we need to set an example.”

“Affirmative, Mark. Do you wish to utilize the disruptors in the survey ship?”

“No CJ,” Mark said shaking his head sadly, “I think a more physical demonstration will get my point across better. That ship has the new rescue drones on board, right?”

“Affirmative, Mark.”

“I want those tanks destroyed! Can they do that without injuring anyone?”

“Affirmative, those are Israeli Merkava IV tanks. They pose no threat to the drones.”

Communicating with the tank commander once more Mark said, “Ok, commander. If this is what you want then this is what you’ll get. Maybe your leaders will be more willing to talk after this little demonstration. I hope they don’t take the cost of those tanks out of your paycheck!”

There was no response but CJ assured him the message had been received.

“The transport is coming into position now, Mark, and the drones are ready.”

“Ok, CJ. This should be interesting, let ’em go!”

People in the region had become so used to the sight of the observation craft that no one paid any attention to them anymore. They never did anything but watch. Today was going to be different.

The rear-loading hatch opened in the craft overhead and a manlike figure appeared in the opening, stepping out onto the extended ramp. Jumping off and falling the twenty-five meters, it hit the hard-packed earth on its broad feet with a thud that shook the ground. All activity in the square came to a sudden halt as everyone started at the apparition standing in their midst.

Looking like an oversized medieval knight in fully articulated plate armor, the machine was painted a vivid fluorescent orange with United Nations insignia in blue on the center of its chest and back. This smaller version of CJ’s mining machines stood just over three meters tall with broad shoulders, massive arms that hung down to its knee joints and a head that was little more than a low dome with a narrow sensor strip running completely around it. It pulled its feet one by one from the twenty-centimeter deep holes caused by the impact of two thousand kilograms of metal. A second and then a third drone landed beside it. They turned as one to face the Israeli Merkavas just inside the Palestinian side of the border.

The scene reminded Mark of an old west movie gunfight as they faced off in the dusty street.

“Last chance, commander,” Mark said, speaking to them on their latest channel. “Please pull your forces back.”

Mark had to respect the tank commander; he had nerve. He didn’t answer, at least not in words. Without hesitation the turret of his tank rotated bringing the barrel of the 120-millimeter main gun to bear on the closest drone. The second tank did likewise aiming at another drone. The third tank, being behind the others couldn’t fire.

A deafening blast rang out followed by an explosion as the first tank fired a high explosive anti-tank round into the lead drone. A second later it was followed by the shot from tank number two, this time using a sabot penetrator; the sounds of the explosions and impact driving the few remaining people from the edges of the square.

Even before the smoke cleared from the first shots, the drone emerged like a vengeful wraith. Taking three quick steps it made a tremendous leap that covered the remaining fifteen meters. As it landed right in front of the lead tank, the machine brought one arm down hard in a martial arts style blow. The extended fingers sheared straight through the tanks heavy forward armor. Setting its feet, the machine plunged both clawed gauntlets into the armor breach and started to pull its arms outward.

The second drone still had not moved and the clearing smoke revealed it standing in the same spot completely undamaged except for a large patch of gray on the center of it’s chest which covered most of the big UN logo painted there. As the machine moved, the material fell away revealing it to be the remains of the depleted uranium armor piercing round splashed across the center of the machine’s chest, flattened against the undamaged aligned-crystal tungsten tetra-carbide armor.

The commander of the first tank ordered his machine into full reverse and the tracked juggernaut made every attempt to respond. It managed to move itself and the unwanted parasite half a meter before the drone’s feet dug in and the tracks began to spin uselessly. The turret rotated clanging the barrel against the giant’s head blister to no effect while machine gun rounds sparked off the torso.

CJ’s mining drones, even though dwarfed by the mass of the battle tank were deceptive. They had a humanoid shape, but in fact had more in common structurally with insects. The heavily armored exoskeleton protected powerful artificial muscles composed of electro active polymers, which drove the mechanism. These muscles were affixed to hard points inside the shell giving them tremendous leverage.

Drones were capable of lifting several hundred times their own mass. The machines could in fact apply so much power that force-governors were required to prevent the machines from utilizing the full potential strength of those muscles and destroying themselves. This limitation however was only in the degree of strength that could be exercised, not the fact.

A deep groan came from the body of the tank followed by a tremendous rending screech as the heavy armor at the front of the sixty-five ton tank was ripped in half. The commander and his three crewmen scrambled out the rear hatch and ran for the border. The smoking engine fell to the ground as fuel and hydraulic fluids gushed out like blood from a disemboweled animal.

“God CJ,” Mark said shocked. “I had no idea that the drones were that strong!”

The second drone raced across the square, lowering its shoulder and slamming into the second tank, slewing it around forty-five degrees. Reaching up and grasping the barrel of the cannon near its base, it crushed the tube as it pushed the turret up out of the rotation ring. The blue beam of a molecular cutter lanced out from the sensor strip, slicing down through the right hand drive assembly. The body of the tank dropped and the entire track assembly fell over, the cut edges of the armor as smooth and bright as mirrors.

“CJ, be careful,” Mark yelled. “There are still people inside the tank!”

“Affirmative, Mark,” CJ reassured him. “Infrasonic scanners have pinpointed the location of all crewmembers inside the hull. No danger of human casualties exists.”

When the tank crew practically fell out the rear escape hatch and followed the commander running back across the border, the truth of CJ’s statement was proven.

“I’m sorry, CJ. I know that you’re being careful. Guess I’m just on edge with all this nonsense.”

“No apology is necessary Mark; I understand your concern for the preservation of human life.”

Mark continued to watch as the drones used cutting beams to reduce both tanks to piles of scrap metal. Mark didn’t worry about the possibility of an ammunition explosion, as the molecular cutters did not generate any heat. In less than a minute all that remained of the two were piles of steel and ceramic scrap.

The crew of the third tank, having observed the fate of the others, reversed the machine at full speed. Stopping briefly when it crashed into one of the abandoned bulldozers, Mark saw the barrel of its main gun start to move.

“CJ, that tank crew is panicking, have one of the drones destroy his guns; I don’t want him firing wildly.”

“Affirmative, Mark, activating drone number three.”

A pinpoint energy beam from the third drone lanced out to slice the machine guns in half and cut off the barrel of the tank’s cannon. It fell down, bouncing on the hull with a clang and rolling off onto the road. The tank itself retreated from the field after tearing the shovel blade off the bulldozer and freeing itself.

“Excellent work, CJ!”

“Thank you, Mark. The drones proved themselves effective in an unfamiliar role.”

“I’ll say they did!” Mark agreed and was shocked to realize that the entire battle had taken less than two minutes from the first shot. He had CJ move the three giants together into a triangular formation facing outwards and put in standby mode. The red glowing optical scanners however remained active.

“CJ, please give me a loudspeaker in one of the drones and translate into Palestinian. I hope I can get through to them without a similar demonstration.”

“Attention, Palestinian citizens. Please don’t take this as a sign that I am on your side. I’m doing what is necessary to keep the peace. You must police your own people and stop the launching of rockets and suicide bombing attempts. Both you and the Israelis will need to work together for a chance of a lasting peace. My patience has limits; please take what happened today as a warning to you as well. I am tired of the violence and will take whatever steps I feel are necessary to stop it. My three friends will remain as a reminder.”

“CJ, let’s send copies of the confrontation to the Israeli and Palestinian governments. Also send it to the United Nations with a recommendation to send more peacekeeping troops to the region.” Mark thought about it for a minute. “Send a copy to the United States government as well, please include my final statement.”

“Affirmative, Mark,” CJ replied, “immediately.”

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