Chapter 21- "Mark of the Beast" - Part 3

[Kc]

wouldn't an army air base be the first place to look?

get burt/saul down to Los Alamitos Army Airfield and pick up that Chinook thats ready on the airfield now!

LAX was closer to where Burt and Saul were. (Is that verb tense correct?)

[HaveCrowBarWillTravel]

Why would the verb be tense? They should learn to relax.

[Kn1ckerb0cker33]

The real kicker in finding out what kind of Helicopter they are talking about is that it must be used by the US Coast Guard. I still suspect its probably Sikorsky S-61R since that is used by the Coast Guard and its the model of which they based the military version after and they both can hold large numbers of people (according to wikipedia anyway).

Quote Originally Posted by Leedo2502 View Post
For anyone interested I think the Helicopter that's mentioned is the Sikorsky S92. I'm not sure what the Coast Guard designator is but Burt mentioned that it was "Big, one of the bigest that we could have hoped for". Unless anyone else knows better I think that this is the biggest bird that the USCG has... unless it isn't the USCG (cue the suspense music)
You're close, but it's not that one. The exact type will be revealed later. The reason for the echo, is because it's rather large on the inside.

Because of that I still think its a Sikorsky S-61R since a Sikorsky S92 was close and I can only assume that its the same maker.

[Leedo2502]

Leedo,

I'm under the impression that a good number of the mallers have prior military exp. Mr. I Got Puked On knew about a double fed M16, he's a bomb expert and mans their communications.
Scratch on the other hand couldn't tell they were being led into a prime ambush spot despite knowing what "Kill Zone" is.
Durai is obviously running a really tight ship with military precision.. oh crap, i'm using logic again aren't I?

ahem.. moving right along, LOL@ trying to stay off Ra1th's radar! Boy could I have used you in some earlier threads. ROFL!

You know as I was writing that I thought about that some of the Mallers might have some military experince. I'm guessing it's not going to be many though. I am impressed with the orginization that Durai has set up, more gang style than military but still. There could be a few Ex-Military types that the Mallers have "pressed" into service as well. But I agree that they did miss that whole ambush site which shows they don't have the tactics down yet LOL!

And I'm not to eagar to see Ra1th's reaction to me saying that Angel might not be the most top notch super soldier LOL

[Leedo2502]

ahh.. gotcha. gotcha.. That's way out of my lane so i'll leave defer to your exp on that. It sounds like a solid plan

The only thing that I forgot was that you'd need a power source that'd last longer than the regular battery... We set one up in Kosovo that we had to watch (Not operate) and make sure the locals didn't grab any of the radios or generator that they were plugged into.

[Leedo2502]

The MH-53 Pave Low and HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant, are USA/USAF, and the CH-53 Stallion/Super Stallion are USN/USMC, no USCG listed as user.

That's the point I'm making... KC said I was close with the S-92, that's what made me jump to MH-53. And the fact that the USCG and although I may be reading into KC's response I am getting that there are some conspiratorial undertones to the whole thing.

[Kc]

That's the point I'm making... KC said I was close with the S-92, that's what made me jump to MH-53. And the fact that the USCG and although I may be reading into KC's response I am getting that there are some conspiratorial undertones to the whole thing.

Close is a relative term. Someone might be closer. It's not a huge detail, but you'll know it soon enough.

[Hellbringer]

I don't think the chopper is a Chinook. I'm sure Burt or Saul would've called it one if that was what it was.

Watch KC throw us for a loop and have the helicopter be a Puma or a Merlin.

Or even more of a twist... what if a company like Blackwater (now Xe) or something similar was contracted to help with the evacuation and had to slap on USCG markings on their helicopters to help out? It could explain the MP5s encountered at the colony and their shell casings around the bird that Burt and Saul found around the shot up bird.

[HardKor]

Or even more of a twist... what if a company like Blackwater (now Xe) or something similar was contracted to help with the evacuation and had to slap on USCG markings on their helicopters to help out? It could explain the MP5s encountered at the colony and their shell casings around the bird that Burt and Saul found around the shot up bird.

As fast as things went to Hell during the first stages of the outbreak, I have a hard time believing that people would be taking the time to re-paint helicopters. Unless there was some sort of cover up related to the origins of the outbreak.
But I'm more inclined to take the USCG markings at face value and believe that there was a rescue station at LAX similar to the one that was at The Colony early on and things just went to hell. This all is starting to make me wonder where the survivors who were rescued from those stations were taken though. Is there a "safe zone" somewhere where those lucky enough to catch a ride were taken? And if so how will they come into play later on?

[Kn1ckerb0cker33]

But I'm more inclined to take the USCG markings at face value and believe that there was a rescue station at LAX similar to the one that was at The Colony early on and things just went to hell. This all is starting to make me wonder where the survivors who were rescued from those stations were taken though. Is there a "safe zone" somewhere where those lucky enough to catch a ride were taken? And if so how will they come into play later on?

That's probably what happened. The Helicopters from the colony (and possibly anywhere else in the area) were probably evacuating people to LAX where they were probably boarding planes to some safe zone, as you said, that hasn't been discovered by the Tower peeps yet.

Whether or not any survivors from the evacuation are still in the LA area I would find unlikely since LA was pretty much overwhelmed with "zombie activity" and I would doubt that anyone would want to stick around anywhere close, unless something happened on the plane/helicopter they were on and crashed landed somewhere close by or on the outskirts of LA. They'd probably try to get as far away as possible, perhaps a fortified military base somewhere or maybe a Presidential bunker of some sort (a la Independence Day). Who, aside from KC, really knows?

All I know is that these episodes don't come fast enough