Free Warzone: Nemesis: A Novel of Mars by Morris Graham Page B

come at us from the back side if we center the back of the post to the crater’s rim. Right above the top of the natural staircase it is an overhanging ledge probably weighing about fifty tons, Earth weight—about eight tons, lunar weight.”
    “I take it we’re not trying to avoid the natural staircase, but exploit it?”
    “Yes, it will cut the line of attack down fifty percent to have our back to the crater, which the Soviets will use for the main thrust of their attack. They will split their forces and try to sneak up through the crater to attack what they think is our unprotected flank.”
    “So we show them we’re not exactly as unprotected as they think.”
    “Yes, I want you to oversee it personally before they get there. The preparations need to be done during the satellite blackout window. Just make sure the bait is very enticing.”
    His XO grinned. “I’ll arrange a surprise for our guests. Sir, this maneuver will also cut off our escape should things go wrong.”
    “We have no escape route. We’re committed to staying with our oxygen, fuel, food, water and shelter. That will all be at our post. Concerning the appearance of cutting off our own escape route, this will make the men fight desperately if they think it is a fight to the death. It is our best hope for survival, but it will appear we’re in desperate straits.”
    His executive officer pondered for a moment.
    “Sir, this is going to be a
bad bear
, isn’t it?”
    “It will be very tight. We came to win the right to stay here, not to retreat. When I was young, I learned a valuable lesson. If you bloody the nose of the school bully, you earn certain rights. I intend to make the siege of our post so painful that it will never be attempted again.”
    “We’ll give ‘em hell, sir.”
    July 14, 1970—Zero Eight Hundred Zulu
    The captain had just started a cup of coffee, cream, no sugar, just how he liked it. It was time to call the colonel. His first mate chose the alias
Bucky
as a joke to complement his captain’s call sign.
    “LT Bucky!”
    “Sir, yes sir!”
    “Find COL Red Fangs. Inform him we’re ready to break orbit and land within the hour.”
    “He was getting a cup of joe and preparing to come here when I last saw him.”
    “Very well.” He should have known he wouldn’t have to summon the colonel. He would have planned on being ready and waiting when they approached their landing zone to build and defend their new post. The captain took note that COL Red Fangs was more relaxed than the last time he saw him. COL Red Fangs approached the bridge with a cup of hot coffee in his hand.
Apparently he does much better in a crisis than in waiting for something to happen
, he thought.
    “Is it time to land, Captain?”
    “Soon, Colonel, we should be on the lunar surface by zero nine hundred. We’ve been listening to all radio transmissions the Soviets are sending back to Earth. It looks like they don’t know we’re here.”
    “Excellent! I want to catch them with their pants down. We need every break we can get.”
    “Aye, sir.” With that, CPT America signaled the rest of the vessels trailing him to prepare to follow him down.
    An oxygen extraction and metal refining plant would be constructed to ensure his men’s survival and give them building materials. Ilmenite, a lunar mineral rich in oxygen, also contained iron and titanium. Rich in oxygen was an understatement. Ilmenite consisted of forty-three percent oxygen. The computer banks of the alien vessel recovered from the Navajo crash site revealed a treasure trove of technological wealth. The most important one for building a self-sufficient post was the formula for processing Ilmenite into iron, titanium and oxygen. The process essentially took a rock crusher, a solar furnace and a little chemical manipulation to turn FeTiO 3 into the pure elements that allowed them to survive. Once the buildings had their air in them, a very efficient carbon dioxide filtration system