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23:02, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

The Piggy Palace.

Posted by helbent4For group 0
Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko
player, 752 posts
RCMP UBC Detachment
Staff Sergeant
Mon 21 May 2012
at 05:23
  • msg #127

Re: The Piggy Palace

Very good! I like the idea of having the new Lt. talking with the locals. Probably some poor peasant out there saw a Canadian panzer for the first time in a long time. If our new boss is smart enough he will be able to get some fresh information and ask some good questions...

Taras gave the thumbs up to Kel and after finding out that good old Robert was out there watching out for them, the burly Ukrainian stood up on his feet for a brief moment giving a deep curtsy for the unseen friend. He made sure that no demolition charges were placed in the bridges.

Kelsey please, make sure that we get confirmation from Alpha element when they resume their trip.

The Staff Sargent looked at his Vostok "Amphibia" wristwatch. Watches issued to the military were marked "ЗАКАЗ МО СССР," meaning "By Order of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR." These models were subject to rigorous quality control and sold exclusively through Voentorg stores, which catered to military personnel with identification only.  After a quick check he started fumbling for a map in order to coordinate the approach.



Staff Sgt. Shevchenko was able to plan for tactical operations since he was a Combat Engineer arms Officer in the Soviet Army. These Engineeres were not part of the engineer-technical service mostly found along the logistic units. Also, other troop branches were performing civilian tasks as sanitation, topo-mapping etc. Something similar to the US Corps of Engineers. For Taras, being so close to the enemy, the term used in the Red Army was "Sapper" rather than "Engineer".

Using multiple and overlapping collection means was a standard practice in reconnaissance and as such Taras decided to "multiply" that effort while doubling the approach from both ground and river. Following also the Soviet principles he was using aggresively the timeliness of the intel provided. Continuity of the recon effort was also paramount to the overall reconstruction program and, regardless of the outcome of the mission, each and every bit of intelligence would be of high value for the Government forces. The Soviets were particularly aware of the need for engineer intelligence to assist a rapid advance of the units. The recce resources of the 62nd MRD. combat engineer battalion included mine detection equipment and the means for detailed bank and bed survey of water obstacles. That's the reason why Taras was using the Zodiac or "Bravo" element.

I can see now in the map where they are! He figured out that the chat with the local wouldn't go for too long as it could happen with a group of them providing different views and opinions. With a pencil he started to delineate the contour of the flooded areas.

Keep on going, Wayne. We will have a few extra minutes to choose a good place to land our sniper team.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:47, Mon 21 May 2012.
Kelsey Sarah Champlain
player, 899 posts
3/RSR - DRI
CF Sergeant
Mon 21 May 2012
at 13:45
  • msg #128

Re: The Piggy Palace

Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko:
Kelsey please, make sure that we get confirmation from Alpha element when they resume their trip.


Kelsey gives a thumbs up and Keys the radio again "Alpha, this is Bravo Two.  Please advise when back on route.  Over.
Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko
player, 753 posts
RCMP UBC Detachment
Staff Sergeant
Mon 21 May 2012
at 18:58
  • msg #129

Re: The Piggy Palace

Thank you, Kelsey. Andy: We are getting close to the objective. See that elevation over there?

Taras pointed Nort towards Mount Burke. Although the Mount itself was located probably too far to effectively cover the area, the closer gentle sloping offered a good vantage point with superb perspective and acceptable concealment. The mountain was a popular destination for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and winter snowmobile trips. Back in the 70's the mountain was the site of a minor ski development.

Wayne! Rememeber that we are going past those bridges and looking for a landing spot for our snipers.

This was the initial approach off the Pitt River and towards the elevated ground. After that they will backtrack and move towards the farm.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:31, Mon 21 May 2012.
William Hawke
player, 24 posts
Royal Marine CSAR
Corporal
Mon 21 May 2012
at 20:13
  • msg #130

Re: The Piggy Palace

Keith Michael Tremblay:
"Hawke, keep a direct eye on the LT. Don't drag out a weapon if you don't see a threat. The old LT had a habit of holding everyone at gunpoint like he was expecting an ambush at any time. That worked out as well as you'd expect."

He switched over to the team tacnet. "Bravo from Alpha."


"Aye Aye.  Pointing guns at everyone is a bad idea."

With a bored expression on his face, he watched the LT come around front of the vehicle, and plotted in his mind the results of directions available in the event of a problem.
helbent4
GM, 1622 posts
aka Tony
Mon 21 May 2012
at 21:10
  • msg #131

Re: The Piggy Palace

In reply to William Hawke (msg #130):

The area didn't seem to have many promising places for threats to appear. To the front and left (where the LT was talking to the man) was a hedgerow, behind that suburban residential housing. Thermal would pick up anyone behind the hedges, and a sloping rooftop provided little to no cover.

The Coquitlam Alliance Church was to the front right, a solid brick/concrete walled structure with no windows. Someone could move up using the roof but they would be skylighted (silhouetted) as the Yanks would say. Close behind right was another hedge, close behind right was a thickly forested park. Thermal would pick up anyone moving up behind or through either.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms...pn=0.001964,0.003396


River Element: I have some detailed information and descriptions for you so don't get too far ahead. You are still back by Douglas Island, Burke Mtn. is to the north and overlooks the farm site. Please make sure to follow on the map, look for the "boat" icon:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms...pn=0.063322,0.108662
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:33, Mon 21 May 2012.
William Hawke
player, 25 posts
Royal Marine CSAR
Corporal
Tue 22 May 2012
at 13:15
  • msg #132

Re: The Piggy Palace

In reply to helbent4 (msg #1)

William watched the LT and had options of going N, W, E, on the roads, or if everything else was screwed up, he could go south.  The sports pitch gave him a place he could turn around without driving over anyone's daisies.   However his priority was to pick up the LT, or at least provide cover for him, in the event of a problem.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:48, Tue 22 May 2012.
Wayne Lo
player, 8 posts
Tue 22 May 2012
at 13:58
  • msg #133

Re: The Piggy Palace

Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko:
Wayne! Remember that we are going past those bridges and looking for a landing spot for our snipers.


"Aye-aye, Chief!" Wayne calls out over the spray and engine noise.  "Let me know when to pull over!"
helbent4
GM, 1624 posts
aka Tony
Wed 23 May 2012
at 07:18
  • msg #134

Re: The Piggy Palace

In reply to Wayne Lo (msg #133):

The river was full of floating debris, some pretty dangerous. Many trees had been uprooted and washed downriver. There was also a greater number of logs that were once collected into vast rafts that were floated downriver to the pulp and lumber mills near the mouth. The war disrupted this trade and now they littered the banks of the Fraser for hundreds or more kilometres though the province.

Piloting the Zodiac, Wayne had to take it on the slow side or risk hitting something and upsetting them. He turned left into the Pitt River, not too far from the farm. Soon, they saw the rail bridge and the twin Pitt River highway bridge ahead.

They noted with alarm that pretty much the entire area was underwater. The bridges were pretty much the only structures above water, but their approaches on either side were underwater. The rail yards were underwater, the golf course next to the pig farm only had treetops showing.

The pig farm was, presumably, underwater, but it was hard to tell because the site was obscured by drowned trees.

GM Note: Imagine this.... all underwater, with just the bridges and tree tops sticking out of brown water.


Go to the following link, set it to +9m flood depth:


http://flood.firetree.net/?ll=...;z=4&m=9&t=1
Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko
player, 755 posts
RCMP UBC Detachment
Staff Sergeant
Wed 23 May 2012
at 07:36
  • msg #135

Re: The Piggy Palace

Wow! This is amazing...

The spectacle was dantesque. The rising waters completely flooding the area. The bridges were just a speck above the waters yet seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Only the protruding tree tops were giving a reference of where there was once firm ground. Taras continued to outline the map with the new frontiers and trying to find out a workable approach to the objective. The farm was obviously, long time gone under.

Wayne! There is a green elevation right behind the farm. Keep on going up river until the tree tops dissappear and then turn left. We will make the drop there and then approach the farm location from the North.
helbent4
GM, 1625 posts
aka Tony
Wed 23 May 2012
at 07:59
  • msg #136

Re: The Piggy Palace

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #135):

They passed (barely) under the rail bridge, then the twin Lougheed Highway bridges.

Upriver of the clump of treetops marking the former golf course, they turned left over the flooded area, aiming towards a clump of green woods on slightly higher ground to the north of the farm. Unlike the area around the farm, this was above water. Various trees and rooftops poked above the muddy water.

Then, they saw something quite unexpected.

About halfway there, off to the left, Kel saw something odd where the farm should be. They mostly expected a few roofs of the larger buildings to show above the water, but they could see that the large barn-like structure just off Dominion Rd. appeared to be surrounded by an earthen (dirt) berm. It had been piled up in a square-like form to create, for lack of a better word, a makeshift dyke around the barn.

In other words, someone had created an artificial island on part of the farm, around one of the larger buildings. This building had been, literally, a slaughterhouse. The artificial island was not connected to dry land in any way, there was no bridge or causeway linking it to higher ground:



Imagine the large building at top surrounded by dirt dykes:


This message was last edited by the GM at 08:19, Wed 23 May 2012.
Kelsey Sarah Champlain
player, 900 posts
3/RSR - DRI
CF Sergeant
Wed 23 May 2012
at 14:43
  • msg #137

Re: The Piggy Palace

Kelsey started to scan the compound she could see and surrounds that might have outposts.

"Heads up, on the port side, this place is important to someone, it isn't flooded."

She had a bad feeling about this, for certain.
Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko
player, 756 posts
RCMP UBC Detachment
Staff Sergeant
Thu 24 May 2012
at 06:17
  • msg #138

Re: The Piggy Palace

As soon as the zodiac was under the bridges Taras told Kelsey to report to Alpha element for reference. The impressive earthworks called immediately the attention of the Combat Engineer. Scanning with the binoculars he identified the suspected site and tried to find any form or sign of human activity. The magnification provided by the eight powered optics brought the farm a little bit over 200 meters from the original 1,2 km facilitating the task. No sign of road of bridges communicating the site was found. Some sort of dock was probably to be found on the blind side.

Wayne! Slow down a bit but keep going North! We need to get a good look around and find a drop for the shooters. Andy! Take a look with your scope. You have a trained eye for it!

"Bravo 1" was getting fixed in the objective now but without losing situational awareness. Following the approach route of the Zodiac, Taras calculated that he could recce the South, East and North sides of the farm and have the sniper element to have a better perspective from above before moving in. The maneuver will give them time to get the LAV into position and cover the road and Western side of the farm. While keeping Andy busy and taking turns with the binocs, the ukrainian was also checking his six for any possible threat avoiding "tunnel vision".

Kel, that is some serious work out there. Somebody's been busy around with an excavator. Be ready to report to the Lt. when they start again.
helbent4
GM, 1626 posts
aka Tony
Thu 24 May 2012
at 12:14
  • msg #139

Re: The Piggy Palace

Port Coquitlam:

The boat cruised over the drowned floodplain. There had been some preliminary development here before the war, but that had ceased, leaving mostly empty land. Still, a few houses were underwater, growing more frequent as they moved towards dry land. The motor echoed off the trees and hills, breaking the stillness..

Coquitlam/Mariner Hill:

Hawke and Tremblay waited in the idling LAV as LT. Stone talked to the civvie. The civvie seemed to be pretty excited about something, pointing the subdivision behind him, hidden by the hedges.
Andrew Montgomery McRae
player, 428 posts
1/CAR - DRI
Master Sniper (Sergeant)
Thu 24 May 2012
at 14:55
  • msg #140

Re: The Piggy Palace

Andy used his scope to scan the area around the farm buildings. He hoped that the place was deserted but if there were people there they'd better be ready to accept that the Law had returned to this part of Canada.
Kelsey Sarah Champlain
player, 901 posts
3/RSR - DRI
CF Sergeant
Thu 24 May 2012
at 16:01
  • msg #141

Re: The Piggy Palace

"Radioing details on that will tip our hand if they have a way to listen, Taras."
Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko
player, 757 posts
RCMP UBC Detachment
Staff Sergeant
Thu 24 May 2012
at 17:06
  • msg #142

Re: The Piggy Palace

The LAV III presence will be revealing enough but wait until we get a word back from the Lt.
Kelsey Sarah Champlain
player, 902 posts
3/RSR - DRI
CF Sergeant
Thu 24 May 2012
at 18:27
  • msg #143

Re: The Piggy Palace

"Understood.  Standing by and scanning my arc."

She pauses for a few seconds.

"Or I could use Wayne's scrambled handset and contact the spoonful on radio 2, secure and scrambled."

She looks to Wayne a moment.

"Let me borrow your radio, Wayne."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:59, Fri 25 May 2012.
helbent4
GM, 1630 posts
aka Tony
Sat 26 May 2012
at 08:47
  • msg #144

Re: The Piggy Palace

Mariner Hill, Coquitlam

Birds tweeted in the morning sun, but dark clouds were moving in over the mountains.

Meanwhile a few kilometres away and uphill, things were getting strange.

In the LAV's driver seat, Hawke was checking specifically in the LT's direction while Stone talked to the local resident. This made sense as he didn't have a 360 degree view. Up in the turret, Tremblay was using the commander's thermal sight to scan all the other directions, as he could see through the foliage into the park and behind the hedgerow. The Kodiak's idling engine throbbed in the quiet intersection.

The LT began to weave on his feet, as if he was dizzy. After a few seconds, the civilian grew visibly concerned and put a hand out to steady Stone, Stone batted it away but lost his balance, collapsing to his knees, then forward on his hands. The civilian started to wave to the LAV.

"Hey! Hey! Your friend, I think he's in trouble! I didn't do nothin', he just keeled over! He looks out of it!"

The civilian knelt down and started asking, "hey, buddy, you all right? Say something..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:53, Sat 26 May 2012.
Keith Michael Tremblay
NPC, 131 posts
Former USMC Infantry
Sergeant
Sat 26 May 2012
at 08:54
  • msg #145

Re: The Piggy Palace

LAV Turret

Tremblay stood up, out of the Commander's hatch.

"Fuck! There's nothing out there on the scope, you hear a shot? I didn't hear anything. I thought Stone was starting to doze off a bit on the way over but I just wasn't sure."

"Okay, let's keep it cool. Drive over and park. Get out, do your thing. I'll cover you from in here. Let's not assume the civvie had anything to do with it."


He checked the LT's direction, then looked around. Still nothing.

Birds still tweeted in the morning sunlight.
Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko
player, 758 posts
RCMP UBC Detachment
Staff Sergeant
Sat 26 May 2012
at 09:25
  • msg #146

Re: The Piggy Palace

The zodiac was now moving to the western shore describing a left arc away from the original current of the Pitt river. The first dwellings partially submerged were approaching fast as the inflatable boat would get rid of the strong downriver currents.

Look! Here is a little friend!



This message was last edited by the player at 09:29, Sat 26 May 2012.
William Hawke
player, 26 posts
Royal Marine CSAR
Corporal
Sat 26 May 2012
at 15:23
  • msg #147

Re: The Piggy Palace

In reply to helbent4 (msg #144):

Hawke puts the LAV in gear and drives over to where the LT lay on the ground, driving just past him enough so that when he exits the rear of the vehicle, the door opens right where the LT is laying.  Parking, he gets up and heads out the rear of the vehicle.

Once on the ground, he does a quick assessment of the officer.  He has weak, thready, even, regular, pulses in both of his wrists, and William grabs him and carries him into the back of the LAV.

"C'mon." he says to the civilian.  "I don't know what's going on, but I don't think you want to stand around out there."

The officer's skin is cool and dry, but it's warm enough out that he should be moist under his armor, and it's not.  He starts in with a baseline set of vitals, BP, pulse, pulse oximitry, and respirations.  The officer's vitals are depressed, but not life threatening.

"Tremblay, we may need to scrub the mission.  The LT needs more than we've got here and I can't take care of him and drive at the same time."
Kelsey Sarah Champlain
player, 905 posts
3/RSR - DRI
CF Sergeant
Sat 26 May 2012
at 17:29
  • msg #148

Re: The Piggy Palace

Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko:
The zodiac was now moving to the western shore describing a left arc away from the original current of the Pitt river. The first dwellings partially submerged were approaching fast as the inflatable boat would get rid of the strong downriver currents.

Look! Here is a little friend!




"If she's still there when we are on our way out can we keep her?"
helbent4
GM, 1631 posts
aka Tony
Sat 26 May 2012
at 18:02
  • msg #149

Re: The Piggy Palace

In reply to William Hawke (msg #147):

Looking around as if Hawke knew something he didn't the civilian replied, "Okay, you guys come talk to me when you can. I'm just back there. My name is Dave Polliti, I live at the end of Signal Court. I'll leave the Diablos alone, unless they come to my house."

Stone seemed to be responding. He mumbled to Hawke, "uh... so tired... gotta. Wait. Tell Tremblay. Command LAV."


Hawke
William Hawke
player, 27 posts
Royal Marine CSAR
Corporal
Sun 27 May 2012
at 02:05
  • msg #150

Re: The Piggy Palace

helbent4:
In reply to William Hawke (msg #147):

Looking around as if Hawke knew something he didn't the civilian replied, "Okay, you guys come talk to me when you can. I'm just back there. My name is Dave Polliti, I live at the end of Signal Court. I'll leave the Diablos alone, unless they come to my house."


"Nice to meet you, Dave.  I'm William.  I don't know what's going on.  I couldn't hear you talking to the CO over the engine.  C'mon in the back of the rig, so I can work on him while I'm talking to you.  What seems to be the issue?  I don't find any holes, so this isn't looking like enemy action."  While he's talking he's running his hands over the LT's body and checks his pupils.  The pupils are round, regular, and reactive to light.

quote:
Stone seemed to be responding. He mumbled to Hawke, "uh... so tired... gotta. Wait. Tell Tremblay. Command LAV."


Hopefully, Dave follows him.  William digs in his bag and pulls out an IV set, with a 20 gauge needle set, and puts the tourniquet on the LT's right arm, right over his fatigues.  William is hoping that Dave will explain what he had already explained to the LT.

"No problem, Lefftenant.  There'll be a little pinch here."
William slides the needle into the vein, and there's a flash[1].  He hangs the bag and taps the lock at the top.

Once the IV is secured, he looks up into the cupola.  "Tremblay, Lefftenant says you're in charge.  I've got an IV in and he's about as comfortable as he's going to get on the floor of the LAV.  I can do more, but we  need to sort out what we're going to do next."


Hawke

[1]  "Flash."  Not a flash of light, but a back pressure of blood into the catheter's connection, which demonstrates that he's got a good stick.
Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko
player, 759 posts
RCMP UBC Detachment
Staff Sergeant
Sun 27 May 2012
at 03:18
  • msg #151

Re: The Piggy Palace

I guess it will be up to her, Kelsey. I don't have any problem with that!

Dogs, if properly trained and cared for, could become a tremendous asset for a small recce patrol. The idea of inducting a K-9 unit in the force was for long contemplated by Shevchenko but never come to fruition. Somehow Kelsey's reaction fueled the sentiment and Taras was more than willing to adopt a new member that could bring to bear her own skills and local knowledge of the environment.
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