Episode 65. At the Gates of the Kremlin
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Wednesday, August 7, 2024 - 18:42
- Location
-
- Earth
- Russia
- Moscow
- Red Square
- Shuttle Herbie 53 (Alpha Unit)
- Timeline
- Schak'Irra Timeline
- Previously
-
After the fragile victory against the alien vessel and the arrival of the Andorian Tarsi, the crew of the Enterprise learns that their reality may have been altered by temporal contamination. As NATO plans the reconquest of Earth, Admiral Michaux gives Rodriguez a secret mission: infiltrate and neutralize the Kremlin. Agnes assembles a squad made up of Tarsi, Colonel Gomard, Eros Vitos, and elite soldiers. Six shuttles leave the Enterprise for Moscow, but a storm of missiles shoots down two craft. The survivors land on the ruins of Red Square, ready to continue their mission whatever the cost.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank | Species | Original Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agnes V. Rodriguez | NATO / Special Fleet | Captain | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Tarsi | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Commander | Andorian | Prime Timeline |
| Robert Gomard | NATO / Army | Colonel | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Eros Vitos | NATO / Special Fleet | Ensign | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Charlie Unit | NATO / Army | Support Unit | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Delta Unit | NATO / Army | Assault Unit | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Foxtrot Unit | NATO / Army | Recon Unit | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
Manifest
| USS Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Captain | Agnes V. Rodriguez |
| First Officer | Angie Chen |
| Pilot | Eric Corda |
| Communications | Emilie Flores |
| Operations | Charlene Savea |
| Tactical | Eric Corda Charlene Savea |
| Science | Manu |
| Advanced Weapons | Eros Vitos |
| Sickbay | Victor S. Calpel |
| Advisor/Consultant | Manu |
| Custodian | Manu |
| Passengers | Tarsi (Confidential) Robert Gomard and his squad |
| Ground Teams |
Alpha Unit: Robert Gomard, Agnes V. Rodriguez, Eros Vitos, Tarsi, 5 soldiers Charlie Unit: 9 soldiers Delta Unit: 9 soldiers Foxtrot Unit: 9 soldiers |
TL;DR
The survivors land in Moscow on an atomized Red Square. Agnes, Tarsi, Gomard, and Vitos organize the scan of Moscow's underground, discovering a gigantic subterranean network sheltering nearly one million survivors. After finding an access point partially cleared by Foxtrot Unit, the team plunges into the metro tunnel, erects a defensive energy dome, then forces open the bunker entrance: the infiltration of the Kremlin can finally begin.
Story
Our four surviving shuttles land on Red Square.
Not a single building remains standing. Only ruins as far as the eye can see, in an apocalyptic landscape.
The least one can say is that the Alliance did not miss its retaliation.
Now we move on to the next stage of the special operation: locating the entrances to the Kremlin bunker.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Have the shuttles begin scanning the area with their scanners.
Cmdr. Tarsi
Agnes, we will need to wait a few minutes before the first data reaches me.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
As soon as you have it, show it to Robert.
Ens. Eros Vitos (Weapons Engineer)
Say...
I know I am kind of the fifth wheel here, but what is the plan?
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
First, we get in. Step one.
Step two, we take control of the command center.
Step three, we blow it up.
And finally... last step, we get the hell out of there.
Ens. Eros Vitos (Weapons Engineer)
And the resistance?
What do we do with prisoners?
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
We shoot anything that moves.
We only capture the leaders, if we find any.
Cmdr. Tarsi
Colonel...
Your brute-force tactic is a little simplistic.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Why is that, dear Smurfette?
Cmdr. Tarsi
Look at the scan data, Colonel.
The entire Moscow underground is the bunker.
It is an immense network of galleries we will have to cross before reaching the central block, where your target probably is.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Good grief...
It is a real Swiss cheese.
There must be hundreds of thousands of people inside.
Have you identified any entrances?
Cmdr. Tarsi
Approximately, and given the size, I would say there are at least one million people.
As for the entrances, most are on the surface... buried under rubble.
Ens. Eros Vitos (Weapons Engineer)
Captain, we would need days to clear them with the only Crabos we have left.
Especially since it was damaged during the confrontation with the S-300s.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Charlie Unit is carrying out the repairs.
The Crabos only has five legs left, but it can still handle its claws.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Have your men do their best, Robert.
Tarsi... the other red dots deeper down, are those entrances too?
Cmdr. Tarsi
Yes.
To reach them, we will need to use the sewers... or the metro.
Ens. Eros Vitos (Weapons Engineer)
Yuck...
Don't tell me we are going to swim through Russian excrement?!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Hmm...
That may be a solution.
We have to choose a point close to the central block that also allows us to evacuate quickly with the shuttles.
Cmdr. Tarsi
In that case, the metro tunnels are wide enough for us to slip inside.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
All right.
I will send Delta and Foxtrot Units for a visual reconnaissance of the network access points.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Good idea, Robert.
Also tell them to fly low.
We are not safe from residual anti-air defenses.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Hey, Agnes...
Instead of giving flying lessons, take care of our infiltration equipment.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Eros, start unpacking and distributing the gear.
Ens. Eros Vitos (Weapons Engineer)
Aye, Captain.
Time passes.
The scanners run, again and again, while everyone busies themselves with their task.
Tarsi's holographic maps grow denser, more complex, without ever offering an obvious solution.
I eventually step away from the tactical table and move closer to the shuttle window.
Red Square is unrecognizable...
No more paving stones, no more monuments, no more landmarks.
Only a field of smoking ruins, where dust and ash form a thick haze.
A symbol reduced to a carcass.
I wonder how many people are hiding beneath our feet.
How many are waiting.
How many know that the surface no longer exists, and above all... how many will see us coming.
Then, after long minutes of silence, the radio crackles.
Delta Unit
This is Delta Unit.
Do you read us, Alpha Unit?
We flew over the east and south metro entrances.
They are completely obstructed.
We are returning to Red Square.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Roger that, Delta Unit.
Cmdr. Tarsi
I hope Foxtrot has better luck.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Hello Foxtrot, this is Alpha.
Where are you with your search?
Foxtrot Unit
This is Foxtrot... [static]
We entered through... [static] ...the west access.
The entrance is partially... [static]
We are transmitting the coordinates.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Hold your position, Foxtrot.
We are coming to you.
Cmdr. Tarsi
I see the location transmitted by Foxtrot.
It is a direct access point, but with many branches.
It would be easy to get lost in there.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
We take the risk.
Agnes, take off and join them.
I will ask the other units to follow us.
And so the shuttles from Charlie and Delta Units escort us to the coordinates transmitted by Foxtrot.
Despite the narrowness of the railway tunnel, we manage to slip inside.
A few dozen meters before one of the entrances identified by Tarsi, Foxtrot Unit's shuttle is sitting on the rails, facing a mound of rubble blocking the passage.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Ah, shit.
A few rocks are not going to stop us.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Hello Charlie Unit!
Deploy the Crabos and clear the passage.
Charlie Unit
This is Charlie Unit.
Roger that, Alpha Unit.
Cmdr. Tarsi
The entrance is not far.
We can reach it on foot.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Yes.
We will go in with Delta and Foxtrot.
Charlie Unit will stay here to cover our rear while continuing to clear the way.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Eros, deploy a triple-action energy dome...
And an environmental drone.
Ens. Eros Vitos (Weapons Engineer)
What configurations should I program for the dome?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Biological and chemical agents.
Kinetic weapons.
Anti-intrusion force field.
What do you think, Robert?
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Is there not a disintegration option?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
It is up to you.
After all, it is your equipment... and your operation.
Cmdr. Tarsi
If I may, the force field knocks intruders out for many hours.
There is no reason to disintegrate them.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Sure, Miss Vinea!
Then they will wake up and hit us from behind!
Let me remind you that there are only thirty-six of us left...
And that we have a million Russians facing us!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
That is enough, both of you.
What we are about to do is not pretty, but we have no choice.
The priority is the success of the mission.
Enough discussion.
We get out of the shuttle.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Hello Delta and Foxtrot Units.
Exit your shuttles and deploy!
The infiltration operation begins.
Colonel Gomard coordinates the maneuvers with precision, giving clear and concise orders to his soldiers.
The members of the commando deploy around the armored door, positioning themselves methodically, ready to act at the slightest signal.
After about ten minutes of preparation, the massive bunker door finally gives way.
It opens slowly, revealing a deep and silent darkness.