The Ammagan Invasion of Earth: A Chronicle of the Quest to Save Earth from an Alien Invasion Force

by TJ Viola

  Danny couldn’t believe what he had just heard and was momentarily speechless.

  By this time, Crystal had regained her composure. “How is that possible when you have multiple lines of defenses?” she asked. “Surely someone would have sounded an alarm.”

  “We were scheduled to have one of our training exercises today, and it’s evident that the invading force knew of our plans. None of our external defenses were triggered, except for the facility entrance security. An intruder entered the facility and was isolated and immobilized, but unfortunately he brought in some type of radio-controlled detonation device.”

  “Can you show us this device on the monitor?” Danny asked.

  As it came up on the display, Danny turned to Rolo. “Do you know what type of device that is?”

  “Russian-made miniature portable neutron bomb with a capacity of two megatons of TNT, capable of penetrating all levels of the research faculty. Destruction would be complete.”

  “Sergeant Bull, you need to get your men out as quickly as possible. It appears they intend to destroy the entire facility,” Danny urged.

  “We can’t leave. The system is designed for total lockdown, so we all go down with the ship.”

  Danny was still having difficulty understanding how this could have happened when the sergeant received some type of message. Every muscle in his body froze, but somehow, he managed to turn and look at Danny with a will of solid steel. “Danny, get out now! They have given you and Crystal fifteen minutes to surrender or they will detonate the device. Go!”

  “How many in the attack force—how did they overcome your men so fast?”

  “We estimate twenty to twenty-five. They used individual flight suits and sprayed the area with an unknown chemical agent. Before anyone realized it was an actual invasion, the entire compound was immobilized. Now, get out!”

  Rolo and Bounce had been communicating the entire sequence of events to the biosphere.

  “Danny,” Yolan said, “do what he says. There’s no way you can help them. Get out now!”

  They all raced to the emergency exit. As they were riding in the levitation sled, Danny decided he wouldn’t abandon the security crew. “Yolan, I’m going back and turning myself over to the terrorists. I can’t let all these people die.”

  “Danny, you must go! You have a larger mission. Think about the consequences.”

  “Well, then, you and Zeiss had better come up with a plan because I’m going to confront them.”

  Zeiss turned to Titch. “Can they defeat this force?”

  “If Danny allows me freely into his mind and with Rolo and Bounce as a source of energy to draw upon, I think he has a chance. A slight chance.”

  “Eros, what about Crystal?”

  “She has the basic skills. If she stays within the aura field of Danny, and close to the androids, she should be able to defend herself with their help.”

  Zeiss took a few minutes to think over the situation. Surrender or fight, either could lead to disaster. He took one look at Titch and knew the answer.

  “Danny, listen carefully. You need to open your mind enough to let Titch become a part of you. Do you understand? She needs to become you!”

  “I’ll try, Zeiss, but this is going to be a very tense situation.”

  The levitation sled exploded from the exit and Danny brought it to an abrupt halt next to a bank of ATVs equipped with advanced weaponry. He didn’t need to explain what he was planning; Crystal knew, he would never leave with so many in danger. They started racing back to the research center with Danny leading the way, racing toward the unknown, a familiar feeling to them both.

  The security center broke out in cheers as they realized Danny and his team were returning, but just as suddenly, silence blanketed the center as they realized he and his associates were sacrificing themselves to save their lives.

  As the ATVs burst from the forest, they were faced with the stark reality of what had actually happened. There were bodies lying everywhere; the compound was obviously caught off guard. Slamming on the brakes, they each ran to their fallen comrades to see if any were still alive. Fortunately, on closer inspection, everyone was breathing but totally immobilized by some type of temporary nerve gas.

  “Welcome, Danny. Nice of you to join our little get-together.”

  Danny got up from kneeling over a fallen soldier and, as he turned, saw a fearful sight. There were at least two dozen men dressed in lightweight black armor suits all holding a weapon aimed in his direction. Zeiss’s words came back to him; he opened his mind to Titch, totally relaxed his body, and let his aura reach to the sky. A sense of weightlessness overwhelmed his senses, followed by a rush of pure energy as he saw his aura spiraling back to Earth, back into his being. A pathway had opened in his mind for Titch.

  “Our transporter will land shortly. Until then, just stay where you are and no harm will come to anyone,” reassured the leader of the invasion force.

  He didn’t have the physical stature of the men he commanded, but his voice was strong and confident, and his body ready to attack. He reminded Danny of the mountain lion he’d encountered so many years ago, ready to pounce on his prey.

  “Who are you and why are you doing this?”

  Rage was building within Danny, preventing Titch from entering his mind to the depth needed.

  “You might say we are a federation of concerned nations. We can’t allow the United States to use you for their own purposes, especially clandestine ones.”

  Danny now understood. This attack force was made up of members from many different nations worried that he was working on a new innovation, one that would give his country dominance. “Your fears are unfounded and your methods draconian. I suggest you surrender now, before someone gets hurt.”

  “Danny,” said Titch, “I’m very close, but you have to relax more. Visualize our training sessions, the rhythm and balance we achieved; remember the grace and beauty of our motions and the speed of our reflexes.”

  Danny felt her presence and the surge of energy he gathered from Rolo and Bounce. He could see his aura growing in strength. Titch had arrived and he was ready.

  “What is your name?” Danny asked.

  “I’m called Aikido and I don’t like your sense of humor. Surrender is your only option.”

  “I wasn’t being funny, Aikido. Unlike your comrades, you carry no apparent weapon. Are you so confident they can protect you?”

  “What’s happening, Danny? I can feel your aura getting stronger,” Crystal whispered.

  “Stay close to me and focus on the training Eros provided you. Draw on my aura for added protection.”

  Aikido was clearly impatient. “I am my own weapon,” she said, as she removed the black scarf that covered her face. “I have no need for such toys, and neither do they.”

  Danny was momentarily surprised to realize his attacker was female but regained his composure as she ordered her men to put down their weapons and subdue Danny and his team. She wanted them alive and, hopefully, not too badly injured.

  Rolo and Bounce moved slowly away from Danny and Crystal, causing the attack force to spread out. Crystal stayed within the confines of Danny’s aura and could feel her confidence building as the onslaught was about to begin.

  The security personnel watched in awe from their consoles as a mass of black engulfed Danny and the others. It was difficult for them to assimilate what they were witnessing, and, at first, they thought the images were the result of an optical illusion. Every attack, every thrust, every reflexive move was anticipated by Danny and his team, no matter how skilled the attacker. The fighting was fierce and grew more vicious as the terrorists realized they were outmatched. Danny was especially skilled; his body appeared to have infinite flexibility to avoid contact, and the speed of his movements defied imagination as his attackers were repelled as if made of papier-mâché. The same was true of Rolo and Bounce. The only one who struggled was Crystal, but her skill level clearly matched the atta
ckers. It was also apparent to the onlookers that Danny was somehow protecting Crystal, but how did he know when she needed help? It seemed that he was constantly aware of Crystal’s surroundings and delivered critical blows at just the right moment, even when he was preoccupied with defending himself. The fighting lasted only minutes, but to the security team it felt like hours. Finally, the terrorists were unconscious and their weapons gathered by Rolo and Bounce. Only one obstacle remained.

  Aikido was astonished as she witnessed the most amazing display of martial arts she’d ever seen. When her thoughts came back to reality, she realized she was alone and unprotected.

  “Impressive. I commend you and your fellow scientists, but don’t forget, I still have a neutron bomb and I will use it.”

  She said this as she held up a remote-control detonator.

  “You would kill all these people and yourself just to stop my research? Do you even know what we’re working on?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You must be stopped!”

  “Yolan!” Zeiss shouted. “An electromagnetic burst of energy. Tell Rolo and Bounce to emit a high-energy, high-frequency burst of electromagnetic energy to disrupt the detonator.”

  Rolo and Bounce, in a flash, transformed into their android forms and merged together emitting a burst of energy that rippled outward with the speed of sound. Just as Aikido pushed on the detonator, she was thrown to the ground. All electronic devices for miles around ceased to function; the security control room went dark and all electronic information was erased.

  The security crew emerged from the research facility, secured the terrorist group before they regained consciousness, and tried to make their own troops as comfortable as possible while the effects of the nerve gas abated. After assuring the compound was once again secure, Master Sergeant Bull approached Danny.

  “It took a lot of courage for you to return and confront such an overwhelming force. It’s difficult to find the appropriate words to express our gratitude.”

  “Under similar circumstances, I’m confident you and your men would have acted the same.”

  The master sergeant just stood for a moment, looked at each of them, saluted, and turned to leave. After a few steps, he stopped and slowly returned, looking deep in thought. “Tell me, where did you all learn to fight like that? I’ve never seen such a display of agility and sense of presence in all my years of training.”

  Danny was at a loss for words, so Crystal responded. “We have been practicing various forms of martial arts since childhood and worked hard over the years to maintain our physical conditioning and agility. We’re just grateful that our years of training enabled us to fight so well together.”

  “Yes, that’s right, trained together for years,” Danny added. Wanting to change the subject, he asked a leading question. “But tell us, Sergeant, how did you circumvent the lockdown conditions?”

  “Normally, we could only be released by a code sequence entered externally, which naturally would only happen if hostilities had ended. However, it appears that the device detonated by Aikido set off an electromagnetic pulse flash outside the facility and had the effect of destroying our electronic equipment and erasing the memory from our storage devices. Consequently, we were released from lockdown conditions.”

  “So,” Danny continued, “there is no recorded history of the events that unfolded today. How unfortunate. I guess the device in the cabin was a decoy to get us to surrender.”

  While he was conversing with the master sergeant, Danny telepathically instructed Rolo and Bounce to recover and hide the neutron bomb that was still in the entrance chamber.

  Within a few hours, the military base was swarming with Special Forces personnel who took control of the facility and the surrounding area. In a matter of minutes after their arrival, Danny and his team were put under house arrest.

  “House arrest, are you crazy?” Master Sergeant Bull shouted.

  “Sir, I have direct orders from Homeland Security Director Bridge. I’m to escort Danny and his associates to a maximum-security military facility where they will remain under house arrest until this incident is fully investigated.”

  “That is absurd. They all put themselves in great peril to save our lives.”

  “Sorry, sir. I have my orders!”

  The terrorists were interrogated for several days without yielding intelligence of any significance. The most striking information was that ten different United Nations countries, all members of the Security Council, were involved. Clearly, it was a very elite, handpicked military strike force that had access to top-secret information about the research facility and its security procedures.

  Unfortunately, the strike force leader, Aikido, committed suicide the moment she realized her efforts had failed. With her died any information about the origins of the attack or the source of the leaked confidential information. It was clear to the interrogators that the members of the strike force were simply following orders and were provided with as little information as necessary to carry out their mission. The one belief they all shared in common was that Danny O’Malley was a serious threat to their countries’ national security and needed to be stopped.

  Chapter 28

  The Inquiry

  H omeland Security Director Bridge was a staunch supporter of Danny; however, there were powerful political forces in the government aggressively opposed to additional funding for a space weapon.

  “Sorry, Danny, for any inconveniences these past few weeks have caused. It was necessary to show impartiality in conducting the inquiry; otherwise, the investigation would have been taken from my control.”

  “I appreciate your efforts; however, you must understand we’re losing valuable time. It’s imperative we resume our research.”

  “I realize your work is vital to our national interest, and if it were up to me, you would be back in your laboratory. But it’s no longer my decision. It is now up to the National Security Council, which has commissioned a special inquiry scheduled to meet next week on Capitol Hill—you and Crystal are expected to testify.”

  “Director, any delay is a matter of world security, not just national security.”

  “Danny, I agree, but I encourage you not to get melodramatic, especially in front of the inquiry panel. Senator Cooper will tear you to shreds and you’ll be lucky to get Social Security, let alone millions for research!”

  “Did you say Senator Cooper? Is he from Wyoming?”

  “That’s right, Congressman Anthony Cooper. He is leading the inquiry, and I might add, he doesn’t speak kindly of you. The fact that he has been so outspoken could be in your favor, since it’s obvious he is not impartial.”

  Danny’s heart sank; Tony, after all these years, was still trying to stand in his way.

  The day of the hearing arrived, but Danny had mixed feelings. He wasn’t looking forward to any more abuse from Tony; however, he was anxious to return to his research and this was just another barrier he needed to breach. The years hadn’t healed the childhood scars inflicted by Tony, and, as in the past, his first reaction was to fight back. Now, however, he was wiser and more confident.

  “Mr. O’Malley,” bellowed Senator Cooper as he wiped his brow and pushed his massive structure away from the dais. “Are you telling this committee we should continue to fund your research even though half of the civilized world considers you a threat?”

  “Senator, allow me to remind you that members of the UN Security Council took such extraordinary steps to stop my work not because they perceive me as a threat but because they perceive the US government as a threat for refusing to divulge the nature of my research and to share the results.”

  “So, you’re telling us, Mr. O’Malley, the world fears your creations?”

  “No, Senator. I’m saying the world fears what the United States might do with my creations.”

  “My understanding is your top-secret research involves developing a space weapon. Now, tell us, sir, do we need a space weapon? Are you a
fraid of little green men?”

  There was quite a bit of laughter generated in the meeting room from this last comment, but one man, sitting in the recesses of a dark corner, wasn’t laughing.

  “They say you invented cold fusion, which was supposed to transform mankind and eliminate poverty by providing a limitless source of cheap energy. Well, let’s examine what really happened: all the oil-producing countries had their economies plunged into chaos, terrorism has reached new heights, and the greenhouse effect is still expanding exponentially. Now, tell us, Mr. O’Malley, what do you think your space weapon will do for mankind?”

  “Senator Cooper, I will not apologize for inventing cold fusion. Much good has been derived and, as with any technological paradigm shift, economies and societies need to adjust. It’s not science that is evil, Congressman. It’s up to mankind to use science for good or evil.”

  Finally, another panel member spoke up.

  “Senator Cooper, by the tone of your questions, it appears you’ve had dealings with Commander O’Malley in the past. It might be appropriate for you to make your biases known to your colleagues before we proceed any further.”

  “I believe it’s unlikely Mr. O’Malley discovered cold fusion, since he has been known to be a liar and a cheat. His father helped him through school and he’s probably the real inventor of cold fusion. In my opinion, Mr. O’Malley is a fake and all funding for his ‘space weapon’ should be denied.”

  Danny sat in stunned silence. Tony was about to undo everything they had achieved and he felt helpless to stop him. The images of total destruction from the Ammagan invasion returned to his thoughts; he had to find a way to counteract Tony’s accusations. As he became aware of his surroundings again, he heard Tony’s booming voice call for Mrs. Fitzgerald.

  “Mrs. Fitzgerald was Mr. O’Malley’s mathematics teacher and director of the now famous science fair; I’m confident she can corroborate my suspicions.”

  Mrs. Fitzgerald came forward and swore to provide accurate information to the best of her ability. Danny thought she had aged considerably over the past sixteen years, which was accented by a loss of weight and stooped posture. Her facial features were drawn with sunken eye sockets and a beak-like nose. All Danny could think about was if she had a mole on the end of her nose, she would make a perfect witch. In fact, Mrs. Fitzgerald had aged gracefully and Danny’s mind was playing tricks on him by recalling images of how he viewed her in his youth.