Greenies

Chapter 21

Aboard the WSS Nebraska, Mars orbit

September 11, 2146

Major Wilde was once again observing the final flight briefing less than two hours from the scheduled launch time. Admiral Haybecker was explaining to the AA-71 pilots and gunners for the tenth time that no matter what else they blew up in or around New Pittsburgh on the coming strike they were not to touch so much as a hair on the head of the Alexander Industries ammunition plant.

'That plant is a vital part of the WestHem military supply apparatus and its destruction or damage would be catastrophic for us after we liberate this planet.'

None of the flight crews questioned this reversal of their previous orders. They hadn't questioned it even when they'd been advised for the first time that the plant was now off limits. They were too used to abrupt and contradictory changes in their orders by this point. Most, in fact, were starting to wonder if they were ever going to go anywhere or blow anything up.

The scrubbing of the Alexander Industries plant from the frag list had come six hours before, this time not as an order from the Executive Council (although they had not opposed the order) but as an order from Admiral Wesley Brooke, supreme commander of the WestHem navy and, by default, supreme commander of the WestHem marines as well since the marines were technically part of the navy. The official reason for the scrub was the bullshit Haybecker had just spouted about the plant being vital to the military supply apparatus. Though the plant was important it was certainly not vital since there were other Alexander Industries plants on Earth that were capable of picking up the slack — those other plants had, in fact, supplied all of the shells and bullets for Operation Martian Hammer to this point since, of course, their Martian plant was now in Martian hands. No, the real reason had to be more political interference from lobbyists, accountants, and, undoubtedly, Robert Allen Trump II, Alexander Industries' CEO. Though he wasn't powerful enough to directly threaten the Executive Council as the other CEOs had, he did hold most of the joint chiefs of staff and WestHem's top military commanders in his pocket since his corporation was the only one capable of supplying all of the bullets, bombs, and shells the army, navy, and marines required in the numbers that they required. And Trump would want his New Pittsburgh plant to be still standing and operational once the marines liberated that city. If it were operational then it could produce the ordinance needed for the liberation of the rest of Mars without having to worry about shipping it across the solar system. Another military decision made in the name of politics and profit margins.

I should just go join the damn greenies, Wilde thought sourly as Haybecker told his crews that two of the New Pittsburgh rail junctions had been scrubbed as well. This, though he didn't mention it, was because they were within ten kilometers of the Alexander Industries plant and he didn't want to risk that a stray laser shot would accidentally hit it.

Wilde's PC began to buzz. He sighed, completely unsurprised. Neither, apparently, were the pilots or their commanders. The briefing came to a halt as they saw him pull it out and flip it open. Everyone in the room stared in his direction.

'Yes, General?' Wilde said. 'Has there been another change in plans?'

'Why yes,' Browning replied. 'How did you know?'

'It just came to me,' Wilde said.

'I see,' Browning said, looking a little confused. He seemed to shrug it off after a moment. 'Anyway, there has been another minor adjustment to the attack plan. Come to my office right away so I can brief you on it and you can start preparing a new press release for me.'

'Are we standing down the space launches again?' Wilde asked.

'I would rather discuss that in person, Major. We'll go over it when you get to my office.'

'Sir, I've got more than two hundred flight crews in here receiving their final briefing. Should Admiral Haybecker continue this briefing or will the crews need to stand down for a new frag list again?'

Browning pouted a little but answered the question. 'They'll be stood down,' he said. 'The target list will need to be modified again.'

The groan of disgust started near Wilde, by those flight crewmen who could hear his conversation. Within a few seconds it spread throughout the entire room, occasionally interspersed with some rather colorful profanity. Wilde simply muttered a 'yes sir' and flipped his PC shut.

'We're standing down?' Haybecker asked him.

'Yes, sir,' Wilde told him. 'I'll go see what's been modified this time.'

'What's been fucked up you mean,' one of the nearer crewmen said.

'Yeah,' Wilde agreed. 'That about sums it up.'

He left the briefing room a moment later, mumbling to himself about joining the fucking greenies again. At least they let their military leaders make the goddamn military decisions.

'Okay,' he said when he entered Browning's office. 'What kind of atrocity did the suits in Denver lay on us this time?'

Browning was not amused. 'You're getting awfully mouthy with me lately, Wilde,' he said. 'I'll thank you to remember some semblance of military courtesy when addressing me. I am your commanding general after all.'

'Forgive me, sir,' Wilde said without the slightest trace of sincerity. 'So tell me, sir, what are the good folks back in Denver requesting we modify now?'

Browning continued to glare at him for a few moments and then mellowed. 'Well,' he said, 'it seems that Steve Carlson, CEO of AgriCorp, was a bit upset when we changed our targeted city from Eden to New Pittsburgh.'

'Oh no,' Wilde said, shaking his head and looking up at the ceiling.

'Well you can certainly understand his position, can't you?' Browning asked. 'More than thirty percent of AgriCorp's crops are grown in Eden and more than forty percent of their prepared food products are manufactured and packaged in Eden. The price of AgriCorp stock has fallen by more than a third since the greenies seized Mars and there are people going hungry in WestHem because AgriCorp can't get their food there anymore. It's vital that we get those assets and that production and shipping capability back in Carlson's hands. It's for the good of all WestHem.'

'Of course it is,' Wilde said. 'So we're shifting the focus of our attack back to Eden then?'

'Well... yes and no.'

Wilde chewed his upper lip a few times. 'What exactly does that mean, General?'

'The Standard Steel and Corrigan Industries point of view is quite valid as well. The ability to re-take a large portion of our mining and manufacturing base — as well as capturing the terrorist leaders — is deemed to be too important to disregard.'

'So which city are we going to take?' Wilde asked.

'Both,' Browning said with a smirk.

Wilde had thought they couldn't screw up his plan any further than they'd already screwed it. He was wrong about that it seemed. 'Both?' he asked. 'You mean divide up our forces and make two separate landings?'

'Yes,' Browning said. 'It's a stroke of genius really. I'm surprised you didn't think of this initially.'

Wilde knew that the decision was already made, that his pleas and angry outbursts would not change anything. But he had to try! 'General,' he said, 'that is not a brilliant idea. It's a very unwise idea.'

'What's wrong with it? I suggested this compromise myself and the Executive Council heartily agreed with it.'

'Well... instead of an eight to one advantage against a single city we'll have two four to one advantages. That negates the overwhelming numerical superiority that made my initial plan a sure success.'

'So?' Browning said with a shrug. 'It's still a four to one advantage on each front. Have you forgotten that it only takes a three to one advantage to overtake a position?'

'That's not an absolute, sir. It's only a guideline and it only applies to equally matched and equipped forces