(CREATIVE SECTION LEADER MILES GESTURES TO THE NEW SUPPLY OF LUCAS DRONES).

Miles was beside himself this morning. Literally. He was waving around the new munitions he was stockpiling down on the P3 parking level at the Building. “They only will take up one of the three parking places we have. Plus, the Tomahawks the Chairman sent us have been used. So we have room.”

Sage is one of our Zoomies, which is different than the Zoomers who are still attending school in the Communications Department at George Mason University over in Arlington. She raised a hand for information, since his disorientation was not surprising due to lack of sleep since the shooting started last Sunday.

“Reports today are that the missile that hit the ‘Tactical Operations Command Center’ in Kuwait was big. Two more American bodies were found late yesterday. KIA’s from that attack are now six. The news is blaring that more than a thousand other casualties may be in Iran and the nations around it this morning.”

The group’s sorrow was real but contained in the professional manner the veteran Boomers carry. That news was measured by the repeated emptying of the Flat Yank Coffee Field Service Jug placed in the center of the conference table. And the snacks young Dierdre produces that serve as breakfast were pumping regularly out of the Galley to keep things sustained.

The sausage rolls disappeared quickly and she followed swiftly with two dozen farm-fresh affordable eggs that have returned to the menu since prices went down. She prepared them from a recipe her Mom had used when she was growing up. They seemed like a good wartime snack. The tray she produced was festooned with two dozen merry yellow and white treats sprinkled with paprika and bacon bits. They disappeared quickly.

With breakfast hunger assuaged, she went back to thinking about lunch. “I think we ought to have a menu suggestion to go at the foot of the Dailies,” she said. “It would interest people more than munitions production. I can produce one.”

She looked hopefully at Miles, who had returned from the garage with Sage and was engaged in the discussion of the LUCAS drone weapon system. The Booms and Zooms at the table looked at the slides on the big flat-screen on the North wall. “The weapons news this morning is about logistics, and what has been thrown at Iran. The early reporting was that there were 600 Tomahawk missiles available in the Mid-East for use in this thing. They fired most of them. Production is currently about 60 a year. So, we will be running short on them pretty soon.”

Rocket stood to speak. “The answer is something cheaper. The quick answer was to reverse engineer a weapon the Russians and Iranians have been using for a couple years. Theirs was called the ‘HESA Shahed-136.’ Our copy is called the ‘Low-cost Unmanned Combat Assistance System,’ or LUCAS. Payload is the equivalent of a Hellfire Missile that can penetrate just about any conference room window from sixteen hundred miles away.”

He looked at the big stretch of glass that is the conference room’s East wall. It took a moment for Melissa to get to the cost. “Tomahawks cost about four million bucks apiece. What does a LUCAS cost?”

Miles spoke from tight lips. “$37 Grand apiece. You could launch a hundred of these for every one TLAM in cost. At present capability we are only producing 60 of the Tomahawks every year. They are on a seven-year improvement plan to deliver more, but the President is saying the war will only go on for five weeks or so.”

There was a moment of silence as the Boomers grimaced at the memory of what things had been like when this conflict started 47 years ago. And whether Tomahawk or LUCAS would convince the Iranian people to relax and have a nice parliamentary government.

Rocket waved his hands. “The new LUCAS Drone is being described as a kamikaze weapon since it only goes to the target and destroys itself. It has been employed with great effect by both sides in a new highly technical battle space.”

The Old Salts roused and began grumbling loudly about the criticality of logistic support as a gray wintery-mix of chill moisture sprinkled drops on the window. “But you can see our ‘shock and awe’ campaign for Iran may leave us a little short on inventory here at home.”

“That is why LUCAS is an affordable answer, but it is important to realize we are going to have a target-rich environment here in Northern Virginia as the Spring and Summer festivities begin. It doesn’t look like it this morning, but the Cherry Blossoms down on the Tidal Basin across the River will be out for the annual Spring Festival in two weeks. That’s when the Festival starts on March 18. Then the summer celebration of the 250th Anniversary that will go on across the summer.”

“Along with FIFA world cup’s 100 matches. That could bring an Austin-style event here.” There were some nods around the table.

“That maybe why two legislators in West Virginia have introduced Senate bill 1071 in their state to legalize machine guns for private owners. It might pass, and they are talking about the same thing here.”

“We don’t have time in the Daily to accurately discuss what is flying around,” said Miles with a sigh. “We can get to West V-A later. Traffic cameras in Tehran were reportedly hacked to provide detailed information on the arrival of senior Iranians at the big meeting. The Supreme Leader was going to pump up his people for a major effort against the Little Satan and maybe the Big One. Instead, Tomahawk missiles arrived just as he was getting to the good part.”

“Yeah,” drawled Splash over his coffee mug. “The Defense Minister was one of those blown away. A new one was appointed immediately. He was killed the next day.”

“That would account for some of the news,” said Miles, rising to look at the dense clouds outside. “There are some that have similarities here in Fairfax to the one in Texas.”

“I am glad I am not driving much these days. Even Annadale just south of here is having trouble. This latest one there was ugly.”

Eyes at the table turned in her direction. “What happened?” asked Frank, who had just delivered bagless for the storage locker. Dierdre point to Miles to click the remote for a new slide. He waved in the direction of the screen and a new glowing image appeared:

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