ALL NOVEL Chapter 120 – Strike Back
2140 June 18th, 2020 CE (10 minutes before missile impact)
San Francisco
Eric sat quietly in the Bradley with apprehension. He didn't quite know how to feel. He felt very safe now that he was back in friendly territory. However, the threat of the ICBM had him worried.
He could hear the “thump, thump” of the Bradley’s 25mm as they performed a fighting retreat. He was hopeful that the NBC system on the Bradley could withstand whatever sort of ICBM that was thrown at them.
The retreat was done in as organized a way as possible. However, since they were in the middle of a massive city, not all vehicles could retreat at the same time. Most of the Humvees left first since the Abrams and Bradleys were slower and better suited to cover the rear. Soon, the Bradleys started retreating too with the Abrams slowly backing whilst still covering their rear.
Most of the vehicles had to navigate the roads of the City College of San Francisco which was narrow. Eric’s Bradley and a few other armored vehicles had resorted to driving over the baseball field and soccer field at Balboa Park, a park directly adjacent to the college. As a few of the tanks moved onto the field, the well kept grass was soon ripped up by the retreating armor.
All this while, the monsters slowly pushed forward despite a wall of lead of all sorts of calibers from Abrams and Bradleys.
2150 June 18th, 2020 CE (Now)
Eric soon heard a shout from presumably the commander of the vehicle. “Cease fire! Cease fire! The monsters have stopped advancing. Continue backing up!”
Just a few seconds later, the same voice was shouting again. “I just got informed that one of the missiles got through. Just in case, get ready for impact!”
Suburbs of Seattle
Across the United States, those that did not mind staying awake late had their eyes glued onto the television. A family of four were watching their television with anxiety.
<<<“We are coming to you with the latest update on the ongoing invasion of San Francisco. We have received confirmation that four out of the five missiles heading for San Francisco have been successfully intercepted. However, one missile is expected to strike the city.
To those who are still in San Francisco, we urge you to prioritize your safety and seek shelter immediately. Take refuge in the basement or the innermost room of the building you are in. It is crucial to distance yourselves from windows and exterior walls. Secure your homes by closing all windows and doors, sealing any gaps, and turning off any ventilation systems to minimize the risk of exposure.
If you begin noticing any suspicious colors or odors in the air, It is of utmost importance to avoid inhaling it. Protect yourself by covering your nose and mouth with a wet cloth or wear a gas mask if available.”>>>
0050 June 18th, 2020 CE
Washington D.C.
The atmosphere in the Situation Room was heavy and thick with concern. Ronell tapped his fingers on the table. “We can only hope to God that that doesn’t have a nuclear warhead or anything else more dangerous.”
Cralson nodded. “Nuclear warheads require a lot of scientific knowledge to build. Based on these creatures, it is more likely that whatever they have on that missile is biological or chemical.”
“If it is chemical or biological, how many civilians will be caught up in it? Are our soldiers protected?”
“Our soldiers should be protected with their NBC equipment. We have also begun issuing gas masks to civilians that are on evacuation buses. The problem now is the surviving civilians that have been unable to be evacuated. We have already begun broadcasting on emergency frequencies in San Francisco and have already informed news channels of the situation. But there isn’t really much else we can do for them”
A couple seconds later
Upper atmosphere above San Francisco
The greenish missile plummeted towards the center of San Francisco at great speeds. It hit then embedded itself into the ground. With the bottom half of the missile jutting out of the ground, a fizz that indicated the release of gas could be heard.
In the middle of San Francisco
Vghg stood next to his second in command, Shgvfdyhc, and told him what was passed down telepathically to all creatures ranked above Regular from the Great Lord. “We are not to advance until the smell killer arrives. Once we smell the smell killer, we can proceed since the humans will be all dying around us.”
Shgvfdyhc nodded. “We rest then. Human have terrifying weapons. Me think good idea wait. Me worry we won’t survive.”
Vghg tilted his head “Does it matter if we survive or don’t survive? Whatever the Great Lord commands us to do, her will be done. Great Lord Wills It!”
“That true. Me see a lot death. Cause me lose core values.”
2213 June 18th, 2020 CE
Near the Outer Limits of San Francisco
The US military had just undergone a massive retreat and were nearing Daly City, a city basically connected to San Francisco. Once they crossed over the line, there won’t be any US forces in San Francisco and it would have been considered completely conquered by the monsters. Eric shouted towards the front of the Bradley. “Hey, Bradley commander, are you sure the ICBM has hit? It should have struck by now but I didn't hear any sort of explosion or seen anything happen at all.”
“The name’s Staff Sergeant Dallas. It is possible that it was non-explosive. Just stay in the vehicle for now. The monsters stopping their advance most definitely has to do something with the missile. We got orders to set up a defensive line at Alemany Boulevard, right outside of Daly City.”
The various military vehicles were soon filling up a wide boulevard and most of the vehicles had stopped there.
In Space
The Minuteman III that was currently in space had already gone through most of its booster stages. The cone cover of the reentry vehicle split open to reveal the smaller cone of the single W87 warhead. The last booster separated from the reentry vehicle. Small thrusters oriented the reentry vehicle towards the earth and made minor adjustments. The conical W87 warhead was soon released from its reentry vehicle base. The W87 warhead started its rapid descent towards a small, blackened island in the Pacific.