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r hole was the first in the enemy bat outpost line； and their job would have been to report back when something evil this way came。 They heard something； but they weren't sure what it was； were probably waiting until they saw it。 The PLA didn't have night…vision goggles； at least not at this level； Diggs thought。 That was important information。 〃Okay； back it off。〃
〃Right； sir。〃 Williams dumped the close…up of the two grunts； returning to the picture that showed both them and the approaching Brad。 Diggs was sure that Giusti's gunner could see them now。 It was just a question of when he chose to take the first shot； and that was a call for the guy in the field to make； wasn't it？
〃There！〃 The muzzle of the 25…mm chain gun flashed three times； causing the TV screen to flare； and there was a line of the tracers； streaking to the hole…
…and the two grunts were dead； killed by three rounds of high…explosive incendiary…tracer ammunition。 Diggs turned。
〃GUNFIGHTER； mence firing！〃
〃Fire！〃 Colonel Ardan said into his microphone。 Moments later； the ground shook under their feet； and a few seconds after that came the distant sound of thunder； and more than ninety shells started arcing into the air。
Colonel Ardan had ordered a TOT； or time…on…target barrage； on the regimental mand post behind the small pass that the Quarter Horse was driving for。 An American invention from World War II； TOT was designed so that every round fired from the various guns targeted on the single spot on the map would arrive at the same instant； and so deny the people there the chance to dive for cover at the first warning。 In the old days； that had meant laboriously puting the flight time of every single shell； but puters did that now in less time than it took to frame the thought。 This particular mission had fallen to 2nd/6th and its eight…inchers； universally regarded as the most accurate heavy guns in the United States Army。 Two of the shells were mon impact…fused high…explosive； and the other ten were VT。 That stood for 〃variable time；〃 but really meant that in the nose of each shell was a tiny radar transponder set to explode the shell when it was about fifty feet off the ground。 In this way； the fragments lancing away from the exploding shell were not wasted into the ground； but instead made an inverted cone of death about two hundred feet across at its base。 The mon shells would have the effect of making craters； immolating those who might be in individual shelter holes。
Captain Williams switched Marilyn's focus to the enemy mand post。 From a high perspective the thermal cameras even caught the bright dots of the shells racing through the night。 Then the camera zoomed back in on the target。 By Diggs's estimation； all of the shells landed in less than two seconds The effects were horrific。 The six tents there evaporated； and the glowing green stick figures of human beings fell flat and stopped moving。 Some pieces separated from one another； an effect Diggs had never seen。
〃Whoa！〃 Williams observed。 〃Stir…fry。〃
What was it about the Air Force？ General Diggs wondered。 Or maybe it was just the kid's youth。
On the screen； some people were still moving； having miraculously survived the first barrage； but instead of moving around （or of running away； because artillery barrages didn't arrive in groups of only one） they remained at their posts； some looking to the needs of the wounded。 It was courageous； but it doomed most of them to death。 The only one or two people in the regimental mand post who were going to live were the ones who'd pick winning lottery tickets later in life。 If there were going to be as many as two； that is。 The second barrage landed twenty…eight seconds after the first； and then a third thirty…one seconds after that； according to the time display in the upper right corner of the screen。
〃Lord have mercy；〃 Colonel Ardan observed in a whisper。 He'd never in his career seen the effect of fire in this way。 It had always been a distant； detached thing to the cannon…cocker； but now he saw what his guns actually did。
〃Target； cease fire；〃 Diggs said； using tanker…talk for It's dead； you killed it； find another one。 A year before in the sands of Saudi Arabia； he'd watched bat on a puter screen and felt the coldness of war； but this was infinitely worse。 This was like watching a Hollywood special…effects movie； but it wasn't puter…generated animation。 He'd just watched the mand section of an infantry regiment； perhaps forty people； erased from the face of the earth in less than ninety seconds； and they had； after all； been human beings； something this young Air Force captain didn't seem to grasp。 To him it was doubtless some sort of Nintendo game。 Diggs decided that it was probably better to think of it that way。
The two infantry panies on the hilltops north and south of the little pass were clobbered by a full battery each。 The next question was what that would generate。 With the regimental CP down； things might get a little confusing for the divisional mander。 Somebody would hear the noise； and if someone from regiment had been on the phone； the disconnect first of all would make people think； huh； because that was the normal human reaction； even for soldiers in a bat zone； bad phone connections were probably the rule rather than the exception； and they'd probably use phones rather than radios because they were more secure and more reliable…except when shellfire killed the phone and/or cut the lines。 So； the enemy division mander was probably just waking up with a tug on his shoulder； then he'd be a little confused by what he was told。
〃Captain； do we know where the enemy's divisional CP is yet？〃
〃Probably right here； sir。 Not pletely sure； but there's a bunch of trucks。〃
〃Show me on a map。〃
〃Here； sir。〃 The puter screen again。 Diggs had a sudden thought： This young Air Force officer might eat his meals off it。 More to the point； the CP was just in range of his MLRS batteries。 And it had a lot of radio masts。 Yeah； that was where the Chim general was。
〃GUNFIGHTER； I want this hit right now。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 And the mand went out over JTIDS to the 2nd/6th Field Artillery。 The MLRS tracks were already set up awaiting orders； and the target assigned was well within the slewing angle for their launchers。 The range； forty…three kilometers； was just within their capability。 Here also the work was done by puter。 The crewmen trained the weapons on the correct azimuth； locked their suspension systems to stabilize the vehicles； and closed the shutters on their windows to protect against blast and the ingress of the rocket exhaust smoke； which was lethal when breathed。 Then it was just a matter of pushing the red firing button； which happened on mand of the battery mander； and all nine vehicles unleashed their twelve rockets each； about a second apart； every one of which contained 644 grenade…sized submunitions； all targeted on an area the size of three football fields。
The effect of this； Diggs saw three minutes after giving the order； was nearly seventy thousand individual explosions in the target area； and as bad as it had been for the regimental CP； that had been trick or treat pared to this。 Whatev