The Road to Yuma

P.I.T. III, Utah

May, 1996

Hawk entered the lab facility in a lower level of the P.I.T. to see the GI Joe team’s resident inventor Gears standing at a workbench waiting for him. Dressed in stained coveralls, the inventor nonetheless managed to snap to attention and salute. Hawk returned the salute and said, “At ease.”

Resting on the workbench was a small vehicle; it was about three feet square, with large tracked wheels on either side and a turret on the top. Two thick, rigid aerials at the back suggested it was remotely operated, Hawk thought.

“So, what have you got?” the general asked.

“Do you remember the PAC/RATs?” Gears asked.

Hawk thought back, then nodded, “Sure, the programmable robot things we had back in the early ‘80s. One with a flamethrower, one carried four rockets and one armed with machine-guns. I seem to remember they were abandoned after only a few months of use because they were prone to being jammed.”

Gears nodded. “Right, they also had a limited capability; being limited to set patrol routes or extremely short range remote operation. This little monster however is better than them. Using the latest in computer and communications technology, I’ve given this thing a super-encrypted radio link that operates on ultra high frequencies for a much-reduced chance of it being hacked. The hull is made of a new composite of titanium and Kevlar making it resistant to up to 20mm rounds. The tracks can withstand up to a fifty-cal round.”

Hawk held up his hand halting his recitation. “Whoa, hold on. Go back to the control system. What’s the range like and how is it operated?”

“The UHF system is the same as that used by TV sets, whilst it can be blocked by hills or large buildings, it’s got a range of around four to five miles. In fact, part of the control system is a TV camera to relay imagery back to the operator,” Gears explained. He pointed to the camera on the turret. “The camera is strictly visual light, but there’s a FLIR camera here,” he flipped open a small panel, “which is usually covered up to protect it. The operator controls it via a rugged laptop using the keyboard and a small flip-up control stick.”

“You steer this thing like a video game?” Hawk asked.

“Essentially, yes,” Gears answered. “Anyone who’s played… I dunno, a Need For Speed or Test Drive game could easily drive this thing. The control stick is used to steer the turret with a trigger switch on the front for the gun and a thumb switch on the back to fire the grenade launcher. The vehicle’s controlled by standard keys, W to go forward, S to reverse, D to turn right and A to turn left. A couple of other buttons can be used to activate the small lights on the front, the FLIR camera and if needed, can fire out either a single smoke grenade or a flash-bang.”

Hawk moved closer and looked over the vehicle. Mounted on the turret was the recognisable shape of an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Behind the two cameras, were small silos, which Hawk realised were obviously the mounts for the two grenades. At the front of the vehicle’s main hull was a larger, shorter barrel. Behind it partially visible was the rotary drum of a multi-shot grenade launcher.

“Is that a SAW?” he asked, to confirm what he thought.

“Yes, the 7.62mm light machine-gun is the largest weapon it can mount. It could also be fitted with an M16 assault rifle, M40 sniper rifle or the M240 LMG.” Gears indicated a part of the turret. “The ammo is in the turret in a special belt feeder, carrying a total of two hundred rounds. The gun is limited to firing in five-round bursts to both conserve ammo and to mitigate against overheating the barrel.”

Gears moved around the workbench and pointed to the grenade launcher barrel. “MM1 multi-shot grenade launcher. It’s a fixed mount so it fires straight ahead, but it gives the unit that little bit of added firepower, ideal for blowing off doors or clearing an enemy gun-nest or engaging a bunker.” He indicated the hull of the vehicle. “It’s protected by the armoured hull, and is loaded with six rounds.”

“What’s the power plant?” Hawk asked.

“Standard 12 volt car battery. Drives the tracks and provides power to the turret and the cameras. The battery’s readily swappable and has the advantage that it produces minimal heat, considerably lowering the vehicle’s IR signature and it barely makes any noise. Both quite handy for a covert recon platform, right?”

Hawk nodded. “Okay, I take it you want to put it through its paces?”

“Yeah, I heard you had a group of Joes going to Yuma Proving Ground for some training. I want to take this puppy along and test it out.”

Hawk nodded, “Fine, but I’ll be telling the Joes in question to provide a complete report on it. For unbiased opinions.”

Gears nodded. “Fine.”

“Report to Major Storm in the motor pool at oh-nine hundred tomorrow.”

Gears saluted and Hawk left.

The following morning, Gears entered the motor pool before 09:00, pushing the unmanned vehicle on a flat trolley. He found a corner to wait in as the other Joes began to arrive. Finally, Major Storm approached him.

“Gears, I presume?” The Major asked.

The inventor nodded and saluted. Major Storm returned the salute. “Over here,” he added, curtly.

The officer led him over to where several vehicles were waiting to be moved up to the surface level via an elevator. Various Joes were leaning against them, some Gears vaguely recognised.

“This is Rampage,” Storm began, gesturing to a lean, Black guy in a light brown outfit, a ski mask in his hand. “He’s driving the Striker. That’s Side Track, a new Ranger on the team. He’ll ride with Rampage.”

Side Track raised his hand in a brief wave.

“Next we have Cross Country, driving the HAVOC and Heavy Duty, who’ll man the guns.”

Gears nodded, “Hi, guys.” He’d met both men before the Joes had been closed down.

“I’ll be driving the truck, where we’ll have Mirage, Leatherneck and Bazooka.” Mirage was a Joe Gears had yet to meet. He was blonde haired, with goggles on his forehead, wearing camouflage utilities. He was cradling an M249 SAW in his hands. He’d met Bazooka and Leatherneck before.

“Bringing up the rear in the Armadillo, Thunderwing. New tank driver.”

Thunderwing looked vaguely familiar, Gears thought, like they’d met before. He was dressed in green coveralls, with a helmet in his hand. Short brown hair covered his head.

“Alright, get your damn toy on the truck and let’s mount up!” Major Storm said.

Leatherneck and Bazooka helped Gears load the UGV aboard and then took seats near the front of the truck, whilst Mirage watched with interest as Gears opened up the bag carrying the control unit and began running tests.

Gears noticed Mirage’s attention as the truck rumbled forward on to the lift.

“What’s up, Staff Sergeant?” Gears asked.

“Nothing, sir,” Mirage replied. “Just curious about the device, sir.”

“Sit yourself down, Sergeant and I’ll show you how it works. Might even fire up the sim programme and let you take a try.”

Mirage grinned like a child in a toy store and sat down.

Several hours later, the convoy was still wending its way to the Yuma Proving Ground along the back-roads of Arizona as Leatherneck was taking a turn at the simulation programme for the UGV. Mirage had proved adept at the controls and now Leatherneck was taking a turn to prove to Gears anyone could use it.

Suddenly, the Joes in the truck heard the scream of incoming fire.

“Mortars!” yelled Leatherneck and Bazooka in near unison. The truck picked up speed as the explosions sounded somewhere near by.

In the AWE Striker at the front of the convoy, Side Track was holding the dash with one hand and yelling into the radio with the other.

“Taking fire! Taking fire! Mortars left side, on the hill! Incoming fire!” he yelled as another shell arced overhead and detonated in the sandy ground.

“Stop yelling in the radio and return fire!” Rampage ordered. “We’ve got a 40mm gun on the top, use the damn thing!”

Side Track quickly dropped the radio handset and grabbed the small control unit, which allowed the light vehicle’s gun to be used by someone in the seats. The Ranger swivelled the gun around and fired off three return shots in the general direction of the mortar firing points.

The shells exploded among the rocks, seconds later 40mm cannon fire from the Armadillo mini-tank began ripping across the hillside as Thunderwing opened fire.

Suddenly, anti-tank rockets rippled out of four different positions on the hillside, Rampage accelerated before throwing the AWE Striker jeep into a power-slide turn to avoid one of the missiles. Another slammed into the side of the HAVOC, the assault vehicle’s armour absorbing much of the hit, as Cross Country accelerated to try to avoid the third. The fourth missile flashed over Thunderwing’s head, causing the tank driver to reflexively duck as he swerved the tank off the road.

Both Thunderwing and Side Track began firing into the hills, even as Major Storm tried to avoid more anti-tank missiles and mortar shells. One shell hit the road near the truck, causing the officer to swerve, to avoid the detonation. The truck rumbled off the road and back on as the major fought for control. An anti-tank missile struck the HAVOC’s forward articulated tracks. The tank-style treads were shredded by the missile. The HAVOC quickly ground to a halt.

Heavy Duty didn’t hesitate to throw himself out of the open gunner’s seat atop the vehicle and scramble off the vehicle as three more rockets hit the immobilised HAVOC. Cross Country quickly opened the canopy, which had starred with the impact of shrapnel, and scrambled free. Both Joes ducked behind the bulk of the vehicle as automatic weapons fire began to rain down on the HAVOC.

“I think we really ought to reconsider using the HAVOC,” Heavy Duty said to Cross Country in a remarkably calm voice. “The main armament doesn’t traverse, the gunner is incredibly exposed to hostile fire and the canopy is frankly a bullet magnet.”

Cross Country’s face flushed, he was very attached to the big hunk of iron, but then he seemed to calm down. He shrugged, “There was talk the Mean Dog was supposed to be the replacement, but the damn thing was plagued with problems with the articulation system. There was also talk of replacing it with the Persuader, with the laser cannon replaced by a conventional gun.” He shook his head. “Neither idea ever happened.”

Thunderwing continued to lay down fire at every firing point he could, but there fact was, he was running low on ammo and there were too many positions. He instead steered the Armadillo across to the HAVOC, slipping behind it.

“Get on the back,” he ordered Heady Duty and Cross Country. “Let’s get out of here!”

Before the three could move out, the Striker took a near-hit and was flipped over, before gunfire shredded the truck’s forward wheels.

Thunderwing hunkered down in the Armadillo’s cockpit. “Major, you copy?” he radioed. “The HAVOC and Striker are immobilised and you’ve lost your left front wheel.”

“I read you, Lieutenant,” Major Storm answered. “What’s your status?”

“Low on ammo, taken two hits to my armour, but still running. I’m positioned behind the HAVOC, with Heavy Duty and Cross Country.”

There was a brief pause.

“I just ordered Mirage to radio for help,” Major Storm said after a moment. “''We’re being jammed. Short-range radio only.”''

Seconds later, Bazooka and Mirage scrambled out the right side of the truck. Mirage, carrying his M249 SAW, looked angry. Bazooka had his Carl Gustav recoilless rifle over his shoulder and a small bag of reloads.

Mirage took up a firing position and began laying down suppression fire. Seconds later, Leatherneck leaped from the back of the truck, carrying a medical kit, before scurrying across to the AWE Striker. As Leatherneck ran, Bazooka fired his Carl Gustav toward a group of rocks where several muzzle flashes could be seen.

The Marine reached the Striker, which was leaning to the right on its side. Side Track and Rampage were sitting next to the jeep. The Ranger was holding his M4 carbine, whilst Rampage was holding his Colt pistol in his hands. Leatherneck dropped next to them. Rampage had pulled off his balaclava, Leatherneck noticed. A gash decorated his forehead.

“You need a dressing on that,” he commented. Leatherneck opened the med kit and pulled one out.

“Any help on the way?” Side Track asked. “Our radio was totalled.”

Leatherneck shook his head as he applied the dressing. “No, we’re being jammed. We’ve got short-range radio and nothing else.” He looked Rampage over, “Any other injuries?” he asked.

“Bruises and scrapes,” Rampage answered. “Nothing some painkillers couldn’t help.”

Leatherneck frowned before looking in the kit. “Haven’t got any, so suck it up and Ranger on,” he said. Side Track sniggered as the Marine turned to him. “What about you?”

“I’m a bit bruised and I’ve got a headache,” he replied. “I’ll live.”

“Bet your ass you will.” Leatherneck grabbed the med kit and looked toward Bazooka. Catching the anti-tank specialist’s eye, he nodded.

Bazooka fired another recoilless rifle round as Mirage began firing again, then Leatherneck sprinted back to the truck.

“Guy’s got a great bedside manner, don’t he?” Side Track said sarcastically.

“What do you expect from a jarhead?” Rampage answered. “Besides, you’re the one trained as medic. You ought to have patched me up.”

Side Track glowered back, “The med kit was destroyed, remember?”

Back at the truck, Leatherneck told Major Storm the other two Joes were fine. The Major had managed to scramble from the truck’s cab safely.

Major Storm frowned. “They’ve got us immobilised, but they’re being selective about firing at the truck… I wonder if they know about the UGV?”

“Who do you figure it is?” Mirage asked, having ducked back behind the truck.

The officer shrugged. “Could be Cobra, could be some mercenaries. I don’t know.” He turned to the other Joes, “Anyone got any ideas on how to take out the jamming gear and get us some air support?”

Gears stuck his hand up, like a kid in class. “I can use the UGV, Major. I could take out the jammer and some of the mortar teams.”

The others looked at him sceptically. Then Mirage said, “It ought to be doable, sir.”

Major Storm looked at Mirage. Before the officer could say anything, Mirage went on, “I tried the geek’s simulator out, sir. It should be easy for him to do what he’s saying, if we give him a bit of coaching.”

“The ‘Geek’, sergeant?” Gears interrupted. “Might I remind you, I am a Captain.”

“Sir, sorry, sir.” Mirage looked suitably chastened. The Joes might be loose with discipline, Major Storm conceded inwardly, but there was certainly no excusing that.

Gears climbed up on the truck’s wheel, grabbed the UGV’s controller and hauled it out. He quickly reset it to control of the unit, instead of the simulator. Then he fired up the UGV. The vehicle was virtually silent as it moved forward to the tailgate. Leatherneck opened the back of the truck carefully, avoiding several shots toward him.

The UGV moved forward and dropped off the truck, before Gears sent it speeding away. A few rounds pinged off its armour before it rolled off the tarmac road and on to the scrub ground.

At the controls, Mirage and Major Storm watched over Gears’ shoulders as he kept the UGV driving up the hillside, swivelling the turret around as he went to scan the area. Gears hit the control that activated the FLIR camera. The infrared camera would help spot targets, even though it was daytime. The drone’s targeting system was next to be switched on, which put a red square around any heat sources it detected.

Gears steered toward a large cluster of heat signatures behind a large pile of rocks. Sure enough, behind the rocks were four gunmen. Each wore a black jump suit, grey boots, and black gloves. Their heads were hidden behind a gold helmet and a blue facemask. A light-anti-tank weapon lay abandoned nearby, whilst two of the gunmen were fussing over a light machine-gun.

“Who are they?” Mirage whispered, despite the fact they couldn’t hear him.

Major Storm was silent as he leaned closer to the screen. “Looks like they’re Black Dragons,” he finally said. “A mercenary outfit that Action Force and the Oktober Guard have reported clashing with.” He looked at Gears, “Smoke ‘em.”

Gears flicked off the safety and used the UGV’s SAW to shoot the two gunmen at the machine-gun first. Then, as one of the others turned, he swivelled the turret and fired another five-round burst. The fourth gunman managed to get off a burst of automatic fire from his sub-machine gun, before the final burst took him out.

“Move out, quick,” Major Storm said to Gears. “Before the others come looking.”

Gears nodded and sped the UGV away from the dead gunmen. The UGV moved fairly quickly, but Gears was considering the fact he’d just killed four men. He felt oddly unconcerned. He didn’t know if it was because he’d done it at a remove, through the drone or what, but he didn’t feel happy, sad, angry or anything. He decided he’d have to talk to some of the others about it later.

The UGV approached another large boulder. Here, the visual-light camera showed another pair of Black Dragon gunmen. They were using assault rifles with telescopic sights attached. Gears quickly fired on them before moving onward, climbing the drone higher up the hill. Here he came across a group of scrub bushes that hid a mortar position. Three Black Dragons were positioned with the mortar. Gears fired the first of his six grenades into the firing point. Shrapnel pinged off the UGV, but the gunmen were dead and the mortar tube was wrecked.

Gears worked his way back across the hill; a large boulder and several bushes were soon revealed to conceal the Black Dragons’ command post. Six Black Dragons were there, one with a backpack radio next to him and another device he was adjusting. Four were looking at a diagram drawn in the dirt by the sixth. Major Storm decided he was the commander.

“Take them out. Keep him alive if you can,” Major Storm ordered.

Gears opened fire, quickly swivelling the turret to put a five-round burst through each of the four gunmen peering at the diagram. He lowered the turret’s aim and fired at the commander, hitting him in the legs. The radio operator had now leaped to his feet. Gears swivelled the turret as he opened fire with a sidearm at the UGV. Another five-round burst dropped him to the ground. Ignoring the leader of the Black Dragons, who had pulled out his own sidearm and was firing it futilely at the UGV, Gears swivelled the turret and fired ten rounds into the electronic device the radio operator had been adjusting. He fired another burst into the radio set.

Gears then sped the UGV away from the command post, leaving the Black Dragon leader on the ground. If he didn’t bleed to death, the Joes could collect him later.

Major Storm immediately began trying to contact the PIT on his radio as the UGV sped toward the next group of bushes. Gears drew the UGV to a halt and scanned around with the infrared camera.

“Looks like a machine-gun nest,” Mirage commented. Gears steered the UGV around the bushes and quickly began firing before the Black Dragons could react.

Sure enough, a large Russian-made light-machine gun lay on the ground, the barrel removed, another next to the rest of the weapon.

“Looks like they were swapping barrels,” Mirage said. Which, Gears thought, even he could work out.

Gears sped the UGV on.

“Hold up, Gears,” Major Storm said. Gears glanced up at him, before steering the UGV into the shadow of a boulder.

“I just got word from Hawk, they’re deploying a Tomahawk to drop off reinforcements and an Apache to provide close-air support.” Major Storm glanced down at the screen. “Any sign of MANPADS?” he asked.

Gears frowned, looking at Mirage. “Man-portable air defence systems,” the machine-gunner translated, before turning to Major Storm. “No, sir, not so far.”

Major Storm went back to his radio conversation as Gears steered the UGV around the boulder and headed toward another cluster of bushes. Here he found several Black Dragons with assault rifles. He opened fire, cutting them down.

Several minutes later, as Gears continued to steer the UGV across the hillside, the heavy thunder of rotors could be heard. Leatherneck and Mirage looked around the truck to see the Tomahawk and Apache approaching.

As Gears had the UGV approach a boulder at the top of the hill, two Black Dragons stepped around it, raising FIM-92 Stinger missile launchers.

“Shoot them!” Mirage snapped. Gears quickly flipped to the grenade launcher and fired, just as the Black Dragon on the left fired his Stinger. The grenade killed the two gunmen.

Gears looked to his left to see the missile streak across the sky, before the two helicopters peeled off, firing flares. The missile missed and detonated harmlessly away from either helicopter.

In the Apache cockpit, Updraft armed the gun under the nose of the helicopter and swivelled it toward the missile’s launch point.

“Got them targeted?” Major Altitude, the pilot, asked.

“Nope,” Updraft replied. “No visual on them.”

The helicopter sped toward the hillside as the Tomahawk set down next to the road. Updraft was scanning the hillside with the day TV camera built into the Apache’s nose.

“No targets. Switching to infra-red.”

He scanned the hillside again. “Something moving,” he commented. “Small and fast-moving. Not a person.”

He hit the radio, “Storm, this is Apache. I have visual on an unidentified object moving fast down the hill, unable to ID.”

“Apache, Storm, that’s the Unmanned Ground Vehicle. Do not fire on the UGV. It’s friendly.”

Updraft frowned at the reply. “What the heck’s an Unmanned Ground Vehicle?” he asked Major Altitude.

“Some new toy that Gears is testing,” the pilot replied.

On the ground, the Joes formed teams and headed up the hill, Duke leading one team and Stalker the second.

Duke led Beach Head, Mirage, Roadblock and Leatherneck up the side of the hill, moving carefully around each boulder and clump of bushes. At the other end of the hill, Stalker was leading Recoil, Rock’n’Roll, Jarhead and Alpha Dog. Stalker’s team found the command post and the still-bleeding leader. Jarhead punched him, knocking him out, before Recoil dragged the leader over his shoulder and the team headed back down the hill.

With the threat apparently gone, Major Altitude headed back to the PIT, as a second Tomahawk arrived, dropping off Med-Alert and Stretcher. Rampage and the unconscious Black Dragon leader were loaded aboard and airlifted out as the rest of the Joes awaited Army recovery vehicles to collect the shot-up truck, AWE Striker and the HAVOC. Gears loaded the UGV aboard the first Tomahawk and headed back to the PIT, along with Side Track and Leatherneck as his escorts.

When they arrived, Hawk admitted to Gears the UGV was worth pursuing, but the Black Dragons were a bigger concern.