Anita lunges for the main server and a stack of battery packs. She throws a duffle bag over to Eduardo: “Grab the security server and the motion gloves.” She heads to the front of the truck and pulls out the navigation controls then returns to the back where Eduardo is already clearing the floor.
The sound of a double blade helicopter flies in from the north announcing the arrival of their requested assistance, but Anita and Eduardo continue with the Echo 2 Fox evacuation procedure, just in case. In less than a minute, they are through the trap door and into the secret underground barrack.
Eduardo flicks a switch and the light reveals an escape tube into a room filled with electronics— the brain of the mobile data centre they just abandoned. Anita immediately plugs in all the equipment they took from their converted army truck and in no time they have eyes and ears to what is happening across the entire solar farm. She then enters a few codes into the navigation box she pulled from the truck and she’s ready for some remote-control fun.
Although a single solar farm the size of France planted smack in the middle of the Sahara can harness enough of the sun’s energy to meet the power needs of the entire planet, the United Nations has been a catalyst to ensure that a global chokehold on energy as had occurred during the oil crisis of the 70s does not recur.
As such, rather than a monopoly of a handful of key players in the solar industry, each company is limited in its MegaWatt capacity and strict international anti-merger laws are in place. Not only does this approach distribute the wealth across nations, it also serves to mitigate the exposure to unplanned outages, one of which is in fact what Eduardo and Anita are up against today— piracy.
Above ground, the helicopter lands near the ghost truck. A dozen heavily armed masked men and a few women surround the vehicle and point their weapons at it. This was not what Eduardo had ordered. As suspected, the chopper has been highjacked.
The terrorists wait for the command to board the SahaSun truck a little too long as heavy steel shutters slide down over the few small windows and the electric engine turns on. The commander orders his troupe of bandits to open fire but the shells just bounce off the chassis.
Small holes appear all along the hood of the truck and start riddling the ground with bullets as a warning. The assailants immediately disperse as the vehicle heads for the failed sensors on the west side of the complex.
“Why don’t you just run them over,” Eduardo states coldly.
Anita smiles at him mischievously: “I have other plans for them.”
She walks to a shelf unit against the wall and returns with a strong box. Inside, she reveals a secret computer which she hooks into the master mirror array controller. Eduardo focuses on speeding their mini-tanker towards the oncoming enemy UV convoy on the west flank.
Once Anita enters all the appropriate passwords, the entire room of monitors turns on with eye level footage from the hidden cameras on every solar array. They now can record everything and hear everything that is happening above them. Eduardo shifts his attention around the room, in complete awe.
Anita shrugs: “Sorry friend. It was on a need-to-know basis.” She grabs a wireless ear piece from inside her bra and clips it on. “Tank in position and ready to rock ‘n roll, Morpheus.” She turns to wink at Eduardo: “Call signs are my favourite part of the job.”
“Who are you?”
“Right now, I’m your best friend.” She points to the monitor at the top left. “Let the games begin.”
From the secret computer, Anita enters a few codes that starts the entire mirror array rotating away from the steam tower. Then she slips on the motion gloves and targets one array controller at a time, starting with the one nearest the approaching UVs.
Zap! The first truck’s engine overheats and stalls.
Zap! The front tires of the next two UVs blow out.
For the next 3 UVs, Anita aims at the upholstery and the vehicles catch fire. The pirates jump out and roll themselves in the sand.
“Four more to go and then Tapiwa,” she grins. The bandits vacate their vehicles just before she blows the gas tanks. She then blows up all the remaining vehicles and targets Tapiwa who has managed to break into the west hole in the perimeter while she was busy with the convoy.
Eduardo sits back in amusement. He is quite enjoying the spectacle. “Can all the mirrors be repositioned this way?” he asks.
“Pretty much so. And the more I focus on one point, the hotter it gets as you know.”
The paint on Tapiwa’s Land Rover “mysteriously” starts to peel. He throws his weapon then himself out of the truck and starts running for the helicopter.
“Anita! The chopper!” Eduardo points to the satellite feed. The blades are starting up but Anita is already one step ahead.
“And now…a little striptease.” She aims for Tapiwa’s belt and burns a slice through it as he runs. His pants fall down and he stumbles flat onto his face. He frantically kicks them off and starts running butt naked towards the chopper.
Anita hands Eduardo a keyboard. “When I say ‘Zap’ press that button right there.” She then focuses the mirror array at the fleeing mercenary. “I’ve always wanted to express myself artistically.” She uses the laser beam as her paint brush while he sprints for the helicopter, hopping and yelping in pain. Just as he is about to reach his only hope for escape, Anita yells:
“Zap!”
Eduardo presses the button and the chopper engine explodes. Tapiwa is back on the ground, face down and unconscious.
A sun with a smiley face magically bubbles up from the skin on his butt. Anita cocks her head and grimaces: “Oh well, I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon.” They both laugh as the S.W.A.T. team arrives to clean up the mess.
The sun will shine another day.
