Fort Wallace, and what happened there.

[arthurdent]

This is a backstory I dreamt up some time back: It concerns events at a special training base, named Fort Wallace, at which the military, including the Joes, can engage in war games against real opponents using vehicles, weapons, and tactics, of any military force of the world. It is the home base of Team Lookingglass, which can perfectly copy any fighting force in the world: Russian, middle east, asian, even Cobra... and what happened the one and only time Cobra tried to infiltrate and take over the base.

The small Cobra fighting force waited just outside the fenced perimeter of Fort Wallace. Major Bludd and ten cobras silently waited as their televiper patiently listened in to the radio traffic coming from the base. The televiper finally reported "It's confirmed. The joe forces will be arriving tomorrow noon for their war games. Right now they're preparing their forces for it." "Like what?", asked major bludd: The televiper replied "There are lots of references to prepping their cobra vehicles for the mock battles and changing out their uniforms ... " "Then it will be easy to get in and take over the base", said Major Bludd, "They'll all think we are just another group of playactors, until we commandeer the main control room, open the main doors, call in the rest of our troops, and take over. And when GI Joe gets here tomorrow, they'll be put up against OUR real troops, and they'll never leave alive.", and laughed. The other troops laughed and nodded with him. "Now," Major Bludd finished, "let's go." and they all headed towards the fence: It only took a moment to open the bottom post support link of the fence, slide underneath it, then replace the link. Silently they headed for the base.

The outer fence wasn't electrified... but motion sensors in the posts themselves picked up the unusual movement, which triggered hidden cameras to scan the area, and spotted the group of cobras. And of course, notify the base.

"Only ten cobras?" asked General Stone. "More than likely an advance scout.", commented Colonel Stance, "We must locate their main force: It has to be close." "Then we have to take out the scout group quietly,", replied Major Thom, "Then signal their larger force into a trap." "Way ahead of you," replied their computer expert, file named Max, "Accessing sattillite and infrared... Ahhh, found them, one hill over under camoflage tarps. One full division of troops... twenty hiss tanks... and ten support vehicles." "And what do we do about the scouts?", asked General Stone. Colonel Stance smiled then said, "I'd like to introduce some of them to Burke and Hare...". General Stone laughed and said, "then I'll treat some others to Him...." Major Thom added "And I'll tell them the story of the three little pigs." All three smiled at each other, then all three laughed together.

End Pt 1

[arthurdent]

As the cobra scouts quietly made their way towards the base, preparations were being done by Lookingglass to recieve their visitors... Major Bludd spotted a door in an otherwise featureless wall, and it was quick work to go around its' security system and open it... They slipped in quietly then shut and reactivated the door, which instantly alerted the command staff. "You have your orders," Major Bludd whispered to the rest of the scouts, "we must take over the base command room, the power room, and commandeer the main garage so we can open the doors to the main force. There must be NO damage to the base or the joes will be onto us." The ten cobras nodded and split up into three groups, Major Bludd leading one group. In the command room, the three watched the cobras split up and go in three separate directions: Major Thom said, "I'll take the group going to the west wing." Colonel Stance nodded and said, "This group is going directly towards the simulators... I'll take them." And General Stone laughed and stated, "Good... I want Major Bludd. Signal the rest of the team... We are going to have extra guests for the concert."

The team of cobras entered a single long straight corridor... "Over there.", one said, pointing at a arrow that said "Command Room": They followed it, and were mystified when it led to another broad corridor with widely spaced multiple doors. The first door had a sign that said "Main Command Room"... but the next door had a sign that said "Pit Command Room", followed by "Tanker Bridge", "Power Room", "Carrier Command", "General MCC", and many, many others. "What is this place?", one scout whispered. Another of the scouts opened a door labeled "Mobile Command Base": It led to a large room which was made to look like it was outdoors on the edge of a forest... In the middle stood a large tent and several jeeps. When they went inside the tent, they found a large table, laptop computers, and screens. A quick check showed none were working, and the jeeps were engineless mockups of jeeps. "It's a simulation.", one cobra said, "Of a battlefield command post. They must use it for training." "Then the other rooms are", continued a third cobra, "mockups as well... We still have to find the REAL command room!" They looked at it for a moment longer, then left the room. As they surveyed the numerous doors, they heard two sounds coming towards them: The squeak squeak of wheels and somebody singing. Behind them a man, dressed in a cobra uniform, was wheeling a large cart in their direction. They stared in surprize at him...And when he saw them he said, "Newbies, huh?". The cobra scouts stammered out "Yeh-Yes." The man shook his head and said "It's easy to get lost here. It took me two weeks to learn the layout. I'm Fred, from maintenance. " Fred looked at them and said "Those uniforms and weapons look really good. I was issued THIS one three days ago.", indicating what he was wearing, "No weapons yet. Not until the Joes show up. Where were you heading?" "We- we were", said one of the cobras, "told to report to the main command room. We haven't found it yet." "That's my second stop... You want to follow me?", the man said. "Yes, we do.", the cobras replied. "Then let's go.", Fred said, "But our first stop is at The Crown And Scepter... The things they do to their Tellys and beer mugs are incredible. Come on.". and went past them, leading the way. The cobra scouts silently followed him, each one wondering where he was taking them.

[Trooper618]

interesting. I like it so far!

[arthurdent]

As the group moved squeakily through the corridor, Fred was singing a familar rock song, "Major Tom". After two more turns and corridors, Fred stopped in front of a door labled "Crown and Scepter": "Have you ever been here before?", Fred asked the cobras. One of them said, "No. We haven't." Fred replied, "Okay then... Don't freak out by what's inside." and pushed through the door with his cart.

Immediately inside, the Cobras just stopped and stared in surprize around them... Around them were people, lots of people, and tables, chairs, and a bar serving beer. A waitress passed close by them, carrying a tray of food. Several men stood in a corner throwing darts at a dartboard. The waitress stopped at a table and asked "O'key, hoo 'ad the Bubble an Squeak?" One of the men at the table replied "R'i here." She handed him the plate of food: "Toad In A 'ole?", she asked: "Tha's me", replied another man. "Th'n your'e th' Bangers and Mash", addressing the third man as she placed the plate of food in front of him. Then she turned and left the table as the three men began eating and talking with each other. Fred looked at the stunned cobras, then said in a low voice,"This is one of the culture simulation rooms. An english pub. We have all kinds ranging from pub to french restaurant to open markets and from countries all over the world. They're used to train undercover agents to blend in perfectly with the locals." "The- Then there are undercover agents in there right now?" asked a cobra. "Yes", Fred replied, "learning how to fit in. The lingo, the customs , everything. So they won't give themselves away."