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Where Legal Eagles Dare: An Opco Boone Adventure: Difference between revisions
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Where Legal Eagles Dare: An Opco Boone Adventure (view source)
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{{a|opcoboone|}}{{smallcaps|As a blood-red sun}} dipped to the rim of the world, they watched the procession thunder across the desert, a mile below. An eighteen-wheeler Double-O battle-truck flanked by a pair of [[COO]] picket-class gunships hurtled along a dirt track. The track snaked away for ten flat miles through desiccated scrubland towards a low-lying, dusty settlement. | {{a|opcoboone|}}{{smallcaps|As a blood-red sun}} dipped to the rim of the world, they watched the procession thunder across the desert, a mile below. An eighteen-wheeler Double-O battle-truck flanked by a pair of [[COO]] picket-class gunships hurtled along a dirt track. The track snaked away for ten flat miles through desiccated scrubland towards a low-lying, dusty settlement. | ||
<div style="text-indent: 20px; margin: 0; padding:0;"> | <div style="text-indent: 20px; margin: 0; padding:0;">The watchers stood on an arête, 4,000 metres above the plain. The tallest of them was shrouded in a billowing canopy. The outriders either side of him straddled dirt bikes. | ||
The watchers | The three watchers took it all in. They scanned the Settlement. Aside from a curlicue of smoke, tainted pink in the dying sunset, rising from its central boilerplate processing complex all was quiet. The seven gaunt baffle-towers that ringed the citadel at equidistant points remained dark. ''But for how much longer?'' They exchanged glances. They ''knew''. | ||
Dusk drew in. Presently, the baffle-towers flashed coordinated pulses of light: ''three long, three short, three long''. | |||
The tall one pointed and said, “That’s it. That’s the signal. It is time.” | |||
The | The towers fell dark again. | ||
“Are you ''sure'', Opco?” said the left-hand rider. | “Are you ''sure'', Opco?” said the left-hand rider. | ||
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The right-hand rider spoke: “But, boss, that’s “dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash”.” | The right-hand rider spoke: “But, boss, that’s “dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash”.” | ||
“Right.” | “Right, George.” | ||
“But that says, “O. S. O”.” | “But that says, “O. S. O”.” | ||
“It’s | “It’s a typo, I should think.” | ||
“Wait! Look!” | |||
The towers were re-energising and beamed out some more. this time the message was longer. ''Dot-dot-dash-dot—dash—dot-dash—dash-dash-dash—dash-dot-dot''. | |||
George rifled through her code book. Her brow furrowed. | |||
“What is it, G?” | |||
“It’s — um — well this is odd. ''[[For the avoidance of doubt|F—T—A—O—D]]''” | |||
“What can it mean? It’s gibberish, Commander!” | |||
“Oh, for heaven’s ''sake'',” muttered Boone. “We’ll be here all day. You two had better get on with it.” | |||
The two outriders kicked over their motors, gunned their engines and cleared the peak: one went left, one right. They scrambled down the scree. | The two outriders kicked over their motors, gunned their engines and cleared the peak: one went left, one right. They scrambled down the scree. | ||
Still on the ridge, Eagle Squadron Commander [[Opco Boone]], LL.B, stepped towards the cliff-edge. | Still on the ridge, Eagle Squadron Commander [[Opco Boone]], LL.B, stepped towards the cliff-edge. | ||
{{divider}} | {{divider}} | ||