The Vanguard Vixen

Death from Above

F360's were the latest stage in Vanguard air technology, an advancement that strengthened their name as the aerial threats of the world.

They were spheres of pure solid titanium on the outside, stretching more than a metre across all sides. On the inside was a layer of lead casing that kept the radiation emitted by the uranium powered engine on the inside. A cube sat beside that engine, also covered in lead, which housed the more technical parts of the machine, the digital setup that allowed for remote control over an unlimited range as long as a signal was being broadcasted. A network of eight steel pipes ran from the engine and ended in eight thrusters on separate critical points around the sphere that allowed it to move in any direction, at any time.

The thrusters were underlaid with gyroscopic sensers that made sure the sphere would never spiral out of control—if any spinning began the thrusters would immediately counteract it and set the jet straight.

Although the  weapons control system was inside the cube, the actual weapons ran along the outer circumference of the sphere. A single machine gun mounted atop the jet and a missile launcher on either side. The underside carried a high resolution camera that was equipped with thermal sensors and night vision capabilities.

The missiles carried by the F360's were a special kind, a result of a covert exchange of a large sum of credits —  five million to be precise,  for blueprints of Prussia's unfinished mini-missile tech from an underpaid military engineer.

The little missiles could fit in the palm of your hand, but they carried enough power to clear an entire floor.

The things money could buy...

The nuclear powered engine was capable of running for six hours straight in maximum use. Eight in medium use and ten while idling.

That was why Turana knew her chances were slim. There was no waiting them out, no outrunning them. Not when they could go almost twice the speed of sound at full tilt. And definitely hiding was not an option. The jets were equipped with smart weapons, (also one of the achievements of the spoken above Prussian engineer in the art of treason) these had the trio of GPS targeting systems to lock onto stationary objects, thermal seekers to locate target heat signatures and the best of all, sonar guidance systems. A smart missile could be locked onto a target's coordinates via satellite, and once fired the sonar guidance systems would emit short bursts of high frequency waves that made sure the missile could navigate its way around objects to reach its target. The heat seekers came in when that target was another jet engine, or maybe a London battle ship or a hidden ice dome in the northern parts of Prussia that carried out nuclear testing.

Either way, these were the ultimate killer machines of the sky. If you didn't put them down first, they would put you away.

Turana yanked the mercenary away from a window as he looked out on the jets laying the dark route to waste. None of their common weapons would work, not on the titanium shells, and there was no way you could hit them with an RPG. They simply spiralled out of the way once you did.

"Get away from the windows," she said. " Are there any EMP's or titanium plated weapons here?"

"No."

Turana shook her head and sighed.

The one time you needed crazy arms dealers to actually have the crazy weapons you wanted they didn't have them. The titanium would shield the inside systems of the jets from one burst, but a set of tactical EMP strikes would be able to put out even an F360.

It was the only thing that would help here. She would have to build one of her own.

"Is there a work station here of some sort, where they make or fix things?" She asked.