Several days had passed since the assault on the Steve Case Compound for WinAmp-Related Silly Mayhem, and the Oligarchy Army was preparing for a new offensive against AOL's forces. The leaders met once again at their temporary headquarters in southern Virginia.

"I have been informed by Oligarchy Intelligence that AOL is developing a new form of biological weaponry," Brendan began. "We have perhaps a week to take the offensive before they are ready to unleash it. I propose an all-out strike on Dulles itself. It's time to take this to the heart of America Online."

"But won't that make them more likely to use the biological weapons?" asked Col. Schuler of the Netscape Liberation Army.

"There is a risk of that," Brendan said as he swatted a mosquito. "But we cannot sit idly by as AOL continues its tyranny. Only by taking Dulles can we secure victory."

"How do you plan to take it?" General Beck, Brendan's second-in-command, asked.

"We will begin with a long-range artillery unit to bomb AOL's main office. We will then move in with paratroopers, ground infantry (including NLA troops), and Apaches. A group of Bradley tanks will be on standby as a second line of defense. I want to keep non-AOL casualties to a minimum. This will be known as Operation Kick Ass."

At that moment, a senior NCO from Ft. Bragg fell unconscious. A medic checked him out. "He could have passed out from heat exhaustion, but it seems like more than that to me. I'd like to keep him under observation for a while."

A few hours later, the NCO woke up. "Uhnnh... where am I?"

"You're in the aid station of the Army's Virginia Theater HQ."

The man looked puzzled. "The Army has a theater in Virginia? What's playing?"

"Do you remember who you are?" asked Brendan.

"Of course I do. I'm... hey, who am I?"

"Just as I feared," Brendan sighed. "You're Command Sergeant Major William Romero of the 82nd Airborne Division, Oligarchy Army. You have fallen victim to biological warfare from America Online." Brendan picked up his radio. "All stations, this is Sandwich One. Meet at the breifing tent immediately."

"Our plans have changed," Brendan said as another meeting began. "Intell's estimation of a week before AOL unleashes its new weapon has been found to be wrong. I have, of course, officially blamed Matt. The biological weapons have already been released. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is here to describe its effects."

Dr. Honeydew and his assistant, Beaker, stepped up in front of the group. "AOL's new form of biological warfare is completely unlike anything produced previously. They have created a perfectly normal computer virus and programmed it into RNA strands, attacking the computer of the brain. It has similar effects as it would to a PC; rather than wiping the hard drive and crashing the computer, the victim falls unconscious and becomes an amnesiac. Now, we haven't quite discovered how the virus is spreading yet, but we--"

"Meep meep!" cried Beaker as he swatted away several mosquitoes at once.

"My my," Honeydew said. "It is a bit buggy here, isn't it?"

"Wait a second," said Brendan. "I've seen mosquitoes like these before. They're definitely not from Virginia... by the Three Gods of Sandwichmaking... these are Bosnian mosquitoes!!!"

"Why, they do seem to be of the Balkan variety," Honeydew agreed. "Do you think they've been imported?"

"Yes." Brendan squished a nearby mosquito. "I want you to test this mosquito and see if it carries the virus that CSM Romero has."

"Right away," said Dr. Honeydew.

As the meeting adjourned, Brendan approached Gen. Beck. "General, contact our DNRC border observation posts in Bosnia. Arrange for the 1st Mosquito Combat Group to be sent to Virginia."

"Yes, sir."

TO BE CONTINUED.....