| From: | justinf@****.caltech.edu (Justin Fang) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | More maxim/Amazonia stuff[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[M |
| Date: | Mon, 11 Mar 1996 21:25:03 -0800 |
appear to be extremely upset...
+++++begin newsclip.turner-network.57-03-12.02:01:54
The familiar form of Michael Novacek, complete with chic raincoat and hand-held
microphone, fills the view. Behind him are the lights of a large city, icy
points without the slightest twinkle. Michael's breath congeals as he
speaks. "Good evening. It's now after midnight here in La Paz, on the third
day after the globe was _rocked_ by a wave of terrorism aimed at Maxim, one of
the world's most prominent second-tier arms and aerospace corporations. Data
continues to be scare about the Maxim bases in Cambodia and Cairo, where
rumors of heavy casualties and nuclear contamination are caught up in a
bureaucratic _maelstrom_ that no news agency has _yet_ been able to unravel. I
myself was en route to Cambodia when military forces turned us away with
threats of shooting us out of the sky. So goes the "freedom of the press."
HOWEVER," he exclaims, his serious expression rent with the beginnings of a
grin, "through _extreme_ perseverance and professionalism, _not_ to mention
the _painstaking_ and considerate assistance of the Amazonian government, we
are now able to bring you _exclusive_ footage of the destruction wrought here
in La Paz. The Amazonian government has just finished clearing the footage,
taken by our _expert_ cameramen using a remotely-piloted drone, and we now
present it to you."
The view changes to a camera floating roughly 2.5 meters above the ground. It
drifts forward at a moderate speed, following a two-lane road flanked on either
side by dense tropical vegetation. The amount of light suggests afternoon.
Immediately ahead is a cluster of armored personell carriers, grim-looking
troops in hardshell armor complementing the obvious heavy weapons protruding
from their vehicles. Behind them is the remains of what might be a large
guardpost, rubble covering everything but a cleared swath down the middle. The
drone continues forward through the gap, its camera zooming in briefly to
record the stoic face of one of the soldiers for posterity. The road beyond
the gate opens out into a large cleared complex, buildings of varying sizes
spread across the bottom of a small caldera. Various military vehicles, both
terrestrial and airborne, dot the space between buildings, troops either busy
about some errand or else standing guard with their armor and gyromounted
weapons. The camera follows a straight course from the guardhouse towards
a large crater strewn with debris and crawling with soldiers. "This," says
Michael's disembodied voice, "is the remains of the warehouse where the
nuclear material was being stored. As you can see, the structure was
completely destroyed. Another warehouse [the camera pans off to the left]
met a similar fate, though its contents were apparently innocuous. Several
other sites in the compound were damaged as well; the Amazonian government says
these were anti-aircraft weapons installations. According to intelligence
reports and the testimony of eye-witnesses, some sort of aircraft were
responsible for the majority of the damage, although noone was able to confirm
a definite sighting of them. Several drones _were_ spotted by witnesses, and
the wreckage of a few of them is being analyzed to determine their origin."
The drone has now passed the warehouses and is nearing a small cluster of
buildings, several showing some signs of damage. "According to estimates,
the attackers employed an assortment of ECM, bomblets, air-to-air weapons, and
several varieties of air-to-ground weapons. Several of the targets, such as
the warehouses, were struck by structure-piercing high-explosive munitions,
while other targets, such as the remains of the security communications
facility you see now, were impacted with area-fragmentary weapons. Several
companies, as well as selected national militaries, manufacture such weapons,
and Amazonia has _yet_ to pinpoint the manufacturer of the weapons used here."
While Michael continues talking, the drone circles the buildings and begins
heading back for the guardhouse, its camera turning aside to zoom in on an
imposing arachnoid shape perched impassively next to one of the craters. It
stands at least four meters above the ground, measuring nearly six meters in
length. Several gun barrels protrude from its massive bulk, including one
immense appendage that can be nothing but a rotary assault cannon. "What
you're seeing now is one of Amazonia's Urban Combat Platforms, a vehicle we're
told is only reserved for _very_ special occasions. Like the other military
hardware and personell here on base, it won't go away until the diplomatic
crisis with Maxim is resolved and the fate of the base decided. All the
Maxim personell from the base have now left the country, and should be safely
back with their families and coworkers."
The view changes back to Michael, who is being pelted by the first drops of a
tropical shower. "As the media tries to make inroads into the situations in
Cairo and Cambodia, we will continue to bring you information from the scene
here in La Paz. This is Michael Novacek, reporting."
+++++end newsclip.turner-network.57-03-12.02:01:54
]<<<<<
-- Fisher <02:19:19 / 03-12-57>
Fisher Data Systems
