From Edge of Armageddon - just to keep you going until I get back from holiday:



Cardwell looked at the list that Straker had given him. He looked up; “This is quite a list, Colonel; Air portable, high manoeuvrability, amphibious, capable of transporting troops in platoon strength and heavily armed. If you want amphibious capability, let alone air portability, heavy armour’s not a viable option.”
“Are you saying you can’t help?” asked Straker.
“Not at all,” replied Cardwell, “But this list looks as if it’s been drawn up by someone who’s decided he wants a vehicle to cope with a military threat but is unclear on its exact nature. Perhaps, if you could give me some idea of the nature of the threat…”
“I’m sorry, Doctor.” Apart from a few people who knew just enough to do their jobs, no one but Henderson and Straker knew the whole story. If knowledge of the alien threat became widely known, the consequences could be disastrous:
University research, some years before, had been hurriedly abandoned; the test subjects, hypnotised and conditioned to believe that contact with extra-terrestrials had been made, had exhibited extreme psychotic reactions.
With hindsight, the results should have been predictable, bearing in mind Mankind’s short but bloody history, filled with wars over seemingly minor differences between nations. Those wars had been waged between members of the same species.
  It was clear that widespread panic and chaos would follow disclosure of a real alien threat.
Straker and Henderson had agreed from the outset that no one, but no one could know. It was the safest way – the only way.
Cardwell continued: “In many respects, it seems that what you’re looking for is a cross between a Scorpion and a Stalwart.”
Noticing Straker’s blank look, he stood up; “Perhaps it would be easier if I showed you.”
“Perhaps it would.” Replied Straker.
Twenty minutes later, wearing olive green boiler suits over their clothes, the two men entered one of the enormous sheds at the rear of the site.
On the way, Cardwell pointed out an FV101 Scorpion reconnaissance vehicle as it headed towards the test track. Small and light, the air-portable tracked vehicle, just entering service with the Army and RAF Regiment, was capable of speeds up to seventy miles per hour on good roads. A feat that the local Constabulary had politely asked never to be repeated on the nearby dual carriageway on account of its unsettling effect on other motorists.
Straker had been suitably impressed. Speed of deployment, although not a primary concern, was a factor to be considered. Cardwell opened a small wooden door, let into the main shed door and ushered his guest inside.

The reason it works is because I worked at MVEE for a couple of weeks during 1994

Dr David Cardwell was the real Superintendent of the site during the period of the story.


I work on the principle of not making up stuff if I don't have to. Effectively, I'm producing a Drama Documentary just inserting the UFO Characters into real situations and interacting with real people.

Anyway, I'm closing down for a week, during which I shall hopefully make a dent in the rest of the story

That makes two of us! This is great work!