The first of the seven freighters had docked in Ashdod soon after eight-thirty the previous evening and by nine o'clock a hundred of the transport version LIMO's had started airlifting large containers to scores of locations around Israel. The ATS (Atomic Turbine Ship) Goldmine had fully unloaded its cargo by just before midnight, all this time the northern dock was being cleared of shipping so that the other six ships could dock as one unit. Under military authorisation the entire northern dock was given over to the ships and a security barrier had been set up around the perimeter. Through the night the transports had flown in and out of the dock, lifting containers and technical teams to their appropriate locations. By eleven AM all the ships had been off loaded and four ships had set sail back into the Mediterranean Sea, on the other three, guns, missile launchers and energy weapons had magically appeared on their decks.
Below deck in one of the ships Rick Pickles now sat before a bevy of soft-screens and communications equipment. In this cabin, that had once been the crew's games room, were some twenty or so other personnel, all setting up the already installed electronic modules. Above their heads on the ships superstructure more technicians were busy erecting scanners, antenna and dish-aerials. This ship, as well as the other two, were owned by the Pickles Corporation, and the ATS Global Monarch had been adopted as the flag-ship of the little fleet. Satellite pictures were already coming in from the Pickles Corporation communications satellite. The satellite was one of four, launched back in the twenties by one of the space planes that Rick Pickles has developed for commercial uses that never really materialised. All four satellites could be moved in their geosynchronous orbit, to view whatever part of the globe he wanted. PICSAT 2 had just arrived on station over the eastern border of Israel, and was now being programmed to monitor and detect both atmospheric and low orbit air traffic.
As the morning had worn on, one by one the microwave projectors were coming on line. These projectors would, by tonight, create a defensive curtain that only authorised vehicles would be allowed to penetrate. All air traffic from midnight on would need a transponder code from Pickles Corporation in order to cross into or out of Israeli territory. The code would then be recognised by PICSTAT 2, which would momentarily drop a small section of the microwave curtain. The second function of the projectors was to project EMP pulses toward any approaching air traffic that did not present a valid code, or presented a plain and current threat. Also coming on line were the more accurate and deadly energy weapons, these were upgraded and redeveloped laser projectors that used the same technology as Rick's very effective ring. The big difference was that these energy projectors were powered by suit-case sized fusion reactors, originally developed to provide cheap energy for the third world. Next week the mobile units will arrive.
Jim entered his office and seated himself at his desk as he switched on his desk-Com, he tapped the key-pad and opened a connection to Heidi Goldbloom.
“Hello Jim,” Heidi said as the connection opened, “how are you?”
“Well, thank you, I'm just calling about tomorrow; I appreciate your invitation, but are things safe, Carol is quite worried about me attending?”
“What do you want Jim, the official line or a personal view,” the PM asked.
“At this point I think I would prefer your personal view.”
“Honestly, I would not come within a hundred miles of Jerusalem,” Heidi said, “but you never heard that from me. Do you wish to give me your official apologies Jim?”
“I think I do, in that case, thank you for your candour,” said Jim.
“No problem, Israel owes you Jim, have a happy holiday, and say the same to Carol and the family.”
“And to you and yours, Heidi,” concluded Jim.