Hell-Hammer Express

Escape
By Nathan Carlisle ©2014

The Geiger counters were reading off the chart as the Recon team waded through the steaming water in an attempt to evade capture by the alien forces. The team had been successful in their mission. A mission to bring down one of the monsterous alien command ships that had been parked off the coast of the city for the past year. They had managed to utilize a laser designator on the command ship enabling Allied forces to target it with a tactical nuclear strike, one of the only weapons in Earth's arsenal powerful enough to break through the alien defense shields. Years of struggle had led up to this point and they finally seemed to be getting somewhere in countering the alien threat.

Even though the mission was successful the resulting explosion sent the alien command ship into the nearby ocean causing a small Tsunami to flood the downtown area of the city with boiling and highly radioactive water. The Recon team had expected to meet up with their extraction transport but that changed when it was wiped out by the Tsunami as it washed over the city. The aliens were quick to respond and dispatched various search units to locate the source of the laser designation signal that was detected just before one of their command ships was brought down. The aliens did  locate the Recon team and a vicious firefight ensued. Despite the enthusiasm of the team the commander ordered them to disengage and to fall back. They managed to evade capture and were now seeking alternative means to get clear of the city.

Fortunately one of the team members had grown up in this city and knew of numerous back alleyways and hideouts that they could utilize. This knowledge had proved quite useful  as the team evaded several alien patrols, but they knew that their time and luck was running out. The team had  managed to avoid another alien patrol when they came upon a most welcomed site, the Hell-hammer ACV.

Hell-hammer
 Armored Command Vehicle
Manufacturer: Vortech Arms
Length: 10.44 m
Width: 3.71m
Height: 4.1m
Weight, combat: 14,500 kg
Range: Dependent on model type but can range from 12,000 - 30,000 km
Engines: 4 Herekles independent hub motors, 1 Razorback Gas/Nitro-Methane motor.
Crew: 5, Commander, Driver, Com Officer, 2 gunners.

The team found the Hell-hammer sitting behind a warehouse in the now abandoned industrial sector of the city. It looked as though it had been there for some time, quite possibly since the initial alien invasion four years ago. Despite looking a little rough it looked to be in fair condition. The Recon team knew they needed something to increase their odss of getting out of the city alive and the Hell-hammer Armored Command Vehicle could very well be exactly what they were looking for.

The Hell-hammer ACV was manufactured by Vortech Arms Industry as a highly armored information hub and troop transport initially developed for their Mars based military forces dealing with rebel forces and pirates. The unit was so successful that a manufacturing plant was established on Earth and the Hell-hammer was sold to select corporations and governments around the globe. This particular unit was probably on such a mission years ago during the alien invasion and was most likely part of the defense plans for this industrial sector. There were quite a few signs of combat on the outer hull but since it had 4 layers of armor it could stand up to a fair amount of punishment without loss of integrity. The team approached cautiously not only to avoid detection or possible traps but to guard against any hope that they may harbor that the vehicle would be in operating condition. Even if the vehicle were not in operational condition they could at least get out of the radioactive water that they were wading through for the past few hours, even if only for a moment.

When the team finally reached the Hell-hammer, the lead team member used the hatch beneath the vehicle to access the interior. A few tense moments passed as the watchful Recon team awaited for a response. The lead member who entered the vehicle finally made contact and informed them that the vehicle appeared to be in very good condition and that there was still power. The lead member inside the vehicle began the initial prepping of the on-board systems and engines as the reamaining members guarded the outside from alein patrols. The team's hope seemed to grow as the exterior lights kicked on as the hum of the electric wheel hub motors spooled to life.

All the Hell-hammer's systems seemed to be in almost perfect running order along with a fair amount of supplies and ammunition in storage. The active defense systems were working as designed along with the two quad 7.62 forward and rear facing guns. The top of the Hell-hammer had two Minion turret systems which consisted of a 20mm Gatling gun with two full missile pods that contained a variety of missile types. An armored communications and electronic counter measures pod sat atop the turrets giving the Hell-hammer a massive and domineering presence.

Just as the initial prep of the vehicle was done, an alien drone flew over their position with its distinctive buffeting sound echoeing off of the surrounding buildings. The drone's sensors picked up the energy readings coming off of the Hell-hammer and stopped.

To be continued.... :)