Battle- Earth

by Mark Harrison

Felix was now on the shore and was above deck. As soon as the anchor’s hit the ground, he let go of the steering wheel and pulled out his binoculars. That’s when he heard gunfire. The first thing he did was run below deck. He turned his computer on by giving it a whack and pulled up the yacht’s security system. He powered up the sixteen automatic machine guns and two missile canons. He didn’t arm the EMP. If he had to use that, it would fry everything on board, including his computers and any electronic equipment in a quarter mile radius. He didn’t want to do that. Not if he didn’t have to.

  The yacht had a 360º video camera on top of its roof that could zoom in on targets more than four hundred yards away. He used the camera to scan the beach. He needed to know where the gunshots were coming from.

  He couldn’t see anything. He could just hear the gunshots and the bullets hitting the hull of the ship. Who ever was out there knew to stay hidden. They’d probably been watching him for hours as he came to shore. They’d probably seen his machine gun turrets and canons. They’d been planning this.

  Felix bit his lower lip and cursed. This wasn’t going to be easy. He should have been more careful.

  He turned on the camera’s thermal imaging and scanned the beach once more. This time he was able to spot a few red shapes. They had to be human bodies. There were seven of them. They were spread out, lying down, at the top of a grassy ridge twenty yards north of the beach. But there was only one way to be sure that they were the ones attacking his ship. He couldn’t just shoot at anybody. He had to be sure.

  He commandeered the machine gun turrets and aimed below the grassy ridge. He fired. Sand shot up from the beach as the bullets hit. The red shapes in the thermal camera got up. Bingo. They were holding rifles. They were the ones shooting his ship. The hostiles attacking left the ridge and ran to another hiding spot.

  Felix turned the machine guns on to automatic fire mode. Anything that resembled a hostile attacker would face the wrath of the guns. He then walked over to a small weapons chest in his cabin. Inside was a prototype Z-49 assault rifle. While BlueStar was primarily a communications and technology company, it was, from time to time, contracted out by weapons manufacturers to help innovate and design new weapon technology. The Z-49 was meant to be released in the Spring of 2052, months after the invasion began. There were only four prototypes made. It was meant to be the military weapon of the future, capable of firing ninety rounds per minute. It also had a new built in stock stabilizer, which increased your accuracy by over seventy-five percent. No matter how much kickback your gun had, it would compensate. For someone like Felix, it was a godsend. He couldn’t shoot a gun accurately. He’d never trained himself. But that was the premise behind the stock stabilizer. It was meant to make shooting easy. Needless to say, certain organizations were strongly against the technology. Their main concern was that if it ever got into civilian hands, the effects would be devastating. The gun made every one a first-class marksman. Felix understood the pushback. But he had shareholders to worry about. They needed the contract. Plus, if he didn’t design it, someone else would. At least this way, he could ensure that his weapon technolgy was never sold publicly. He picked up the rifle and loaded it. He looked back at his computer monitor. The attackers were still firing their weapons. They seemed to be testing his security from multiple angles around the boat. The yachts machine guns followed the attackers as they moved around the boat but was not accurate enough to take them out. The machine gun turrets weren’t equipped to deal with firing at objects on land. They were designed for the sea, after all.

  Felix had hoped that the machine guns would discourage the attackers from continuing their assault, but they didn’t. Adding to the intensity of the situation, the machine guns would run out of ammo soon. If there was one thing he didn’t have an endless supply of, it was ammo. The only way he was going to take out these attackers was either by the missile canons or his rifle.

  He walked up the steps toward the deck of the ship. He peaked above the railing and took aim through the Z-49 scope. He magnified the zoom. He saw an attacker.

  It was a man, dressed in a brown beanie and long leather jacket. He had a long beard and was holding an E-47, an old school, declassified SpaceForce weapon. They’d been designed during the early 2030s and required an electronic shutter blast to fire. They were the first gun to be completely operated by a computer chip. They were great in that they didn’t have a lot of moving parts. They were terrible in that they required a computer chip to work. An EMP blast would disable it. Worst case scenario, he’d use the EMP. Worst case.

  Felix’s rifle’s scope must’ve reflected the light off the sun, because the man turned his E-47 rifle and aimed it at Felix and fired.

  Felix ducked below deck. Bullets rang off the outer edge of the yacht. The machine gun turrets directed their fire at the man in the beanie. The man ducked before the machine gun fire hit him.

  Felix paced back and forth. That was too close. He checked the thermal camera. The attackers were all around the ship now and the ammo levels of the turrets was getting low. Whoever these guys were, they weren’t intimidated. It was time to up the level of intensity.

  He put his rifle around his shoulder and typed into his computer, commandeering the missile canons. Each one had three explosive rounds. He took aim with the canons and fired them at the shore, toward a group of three attackers.

  Sand shot up in all directions. He could see the attackers fall backward. He couldn’t confirm that they were dead. If this didn’t discourage them from messing with the yacht, nothing would.

  A few seconds after the canon blast, he heard nothing. No gun fire. Nothing.

  He scanned the area with the thermal camera. Had it worked?

  No, it hadn’t.

  Above a different grassy ridge, two attackers appeared, one of them held a rocket launcher. Before the machine gun turrets could fire, the attacker fired a rocket and then ducked back down.

  The rocket hit the hull of the yacht, knocking everything inside the yacht’s cabin over. Felix fell to the ground from the force of the explosion. Thankfully, the ships hull was made of a special grade titanium and was impenetrable. The explosion just left a big dent in its body. Once he recomposed himself, Felix checked his cabin. His computer had flickered off for a brief second, but it was back on. “Come on,” he said. “Stay with me.” He took hold of the missile canons again and fired two more missiles. Once again, sand shot up in all directions. The gun fire stopped. He waited for the smoke and dust to clear. He scanned the beach with the thermal camera. He spotted three bodies. “Fucking right!” he said. “Don’t mess with me, bitches!” If this didn’t discourage them, nothing would.

  Felix looked at the machine gun turrets ammo levels. They had five percent capacity. They were almost out. If the attackers, figured that out, his chances of survival would diminish significantly. He waited. He wasn’t superstitious, but he didn’t think it would hurt to cross his fingers. He kept scanning the beach with the thermal camera. Damnit. The remaining attackers emerged. This time with more zeal. Killing their friends seemed to strike a nerve. Instead of discouraging them from attacking, it invigorated them.

  The machine gun turrets fired at them and they all ducked back down. Two of them darted to the other side of the beach. The turrets fired and followed the two runners, but stopped firing half way. They were out of ammo.

  All four attackers seemed to realize this. They stood up from where they were hiding, waiting for the turret fire. None came. Felix had three missiles left. He didn’t want to waste them. He would need to wait until the attackers were close before firing again.

  He’d also have to start using his rifle. Fuck, this was not going as planned.

  He took hold of the canons via his computer and waited for the attackers to make their way down the beach toward his yacht.

  Chapter 36

  Rick’s hands were cuffed behind his back. The camp members weren’t welcome. He should have planned for this. He scolded hims
elf. Food was scarce, as was ammunition. This bunker was designed to keep only so many people alive. Adding thirty more people to the ranks would put a strain on food supply. They definitely wouldn’t be welcome.

  He was separated from the rest of the camp and was on the ground in a room with only one light. The floor was hard and his ass was starting to hurt. Two SpaceForce soldiers stood guard by the door leading out of the cell. They ignored all of his questions.

  He closed his eyes and tried to think of a solution. He needed to convince these SpaceForce fools that the camp members could help, but he didn’t know how. For all they knew, the camp members were a bunch of goons. They had, after all, thrown a stick of dynamite at the main entrance to the bunker. The SpaceForce personnel inside didn’t take too kindly to that.

  In any case, he was now inside the SpaceForce bunker. The fact that he was under arrest was a minor setback. If he could somehow convince the commander that the camp members could fend for themselves, they’d be alright. If the bunker could provide lodging, the camp members could hunt in the woods. That would, at least, put less of a strain on the bunker’s food supply. Plus, if this was what was left of SpaceForce and if they were working on the counter-attack, then they would want all the help they could get.

  As Rick’s thoughts raced, the door to the cell swung open. A short man walked in. Rick couldn’t tell who he was. He couldn’t see his face. All he could see was the commander insignia on his jacket. This was the guy he’d want to talk to.

  “Commander,” he said.

  “Rick Frost,” said the commander. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I came looking for my dog. I heard you had him.”

  The commander sighed. “Of course you did,” he said. “How the most despised man in SpaceForce ended up here escapes me.”

  Rick laughed and then said, “Well, I heard you guys were working on some counter-attack to take on the aliens. I thought you could use some help. So that’s what I did. I brought you the help.”

  “You thought this was a good idea? Bringing civilians to a military installation?”

  “They need protection,” said Rick. “They’re hardworking people. They can help. Trust me.”

  There was a chair in the center of the room, under the light. The commander sat down. The commander’s face became clear. Fuck. It was Ethan Colridge. Both he and Rick had a long history.

  “For fucks sake,” Rick said. “Ethan?”

  “The one and only.”

  “Who died and made you commander?”

  “Everyone.”

  Rick sighed. Ethan went to SpaceForce academy with him. Ethan was the top of the class. Both Rick and Sam mocked the stout bookworm. They called him all sorts of names and made his life a living hell that first year. They did it because Ethan ratted them out one day they were playing hooky. Then, they forgot about him. Sam joined the SpaceForce soldier core and Rick joined the fighter jet program his dad was developing. When Rick got kicked off the Olympus Mons mission, he found out what Ethan had been up to all those years. Ethan found work as a SpaceForce internal investigation officer. His job was to find and punish SpaceForce personnel who were breaking the rules. Ethan was part of the tribunal that penalized Rick after his actions days before the launch of the mission. They fined Rick and kicked him out of the fighter jet program. They concluded that if he wanted to stay in SpaceForce, it’d have to be as a maintenance clerk. That’s when Rick quit and made his way back to South Dakota. He didn’t have time for Ethan’s bureaucratic bullshit. He didn’t have time for any of the bullshit.

  Looking at Ethan’s face now made his stomach churn. He wanted to punch the little prick. If the world was going to be rebuilt, then they could use a lot less assholes like Ethan. “So everyone died and they put you in charge?” Rick said.

  “Yes,” said Ethan. “Now tell me, what the hell are you doing here.”

  “Like I said, I want my dog and I want you to take the camp members in. I thought that this would be a good place to take them, but maybe not.”

  “We’re not accepting any volunteers at the moment, especially ones that have a history of quitting.”

  That stung. Is that what he thought Rick was, a quitter? “Listen, I know we have a history. I know you don’t like me. I know I made your life hell back in the academy. But there are some good people in my group, some people who need help. If you think I’m a quitter, then fine. Don’t take me in. I don’t even plan on sticking around. Just don’t hold these people back on my behalf.”

  “The old man with the wound is getting medical assistance. Everyone else seemed fine,” said Ethan. “But we can’t take them in.”

  “Fucking shit!” said Rick. “They won’t use your supplies. They’ll feed themselves. Let them stay here. Let them help in some way. “

  Ethan stared at Rick in a cold and calculated manner. He didn’t speak for a few seconds. “I’ll consider it,” Ethan said. “I need to consult with my council. We’ve been hiding in this bunker for five years and we have not been disturbed. There are seventy-six of us in here. The bunker was designed to hold one-hundred people for two years. We’ve been here for five. We don’t have a lot of rations left. Taking on thirty new bodies would be a lot. I don’t think we’ll be able to do it. I can’t make any promises.”

  “They came here to help,” said Rick. “Let them!”

  There wasn’t much more to discuss. Like any good bureaucrat, Ethan needed to consult his team and weigh the options before coming to a conclusion.

  “Listen,” said Ethan. “I find it curious that a man who says he’s no hero, is sacrificing his own safety to save a group of survivors. Why do you care so much about them? You’re the asshole from SpaceForce academy that made my life hell. Why the fuck do you care about anyone other than yourself?”

  “Because I rescued them,” said Rick. “I owe them this. I rescued them all from certain death. I can’t let them go without knowing they’ll be alright. Take them in. You know it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. If it wasn’t for me, fuck, you’d have done it already.”

  “I will discuss it with my council,” said Ethan. He got up from his chair and walked to the door.

  “Wait,” said Rick. “At least let me know if you have my dog?”

  “Dog?”

  “Yes,” said Rick. “The man in our group who’d heard about your secret bunker said you’d been travelling with a dog. It sounded a lot like mine. It’s white with black spots. Goes by the name Domino.”

  “Yes,” Ethan said. “We have the dog. I’ll send him down. It’s only fair.” He then turned and spoke to the soldiers guarding the door. “Take Rick to the others.”

  Rick felt he blew it. Had he played his cards wrong? He should have been more apologetic. He laid back on the ground and closed his eyes. He opened them when the two guards approached him to take his handcuffs off. They helped him stand up.

  “Thanks,” Rick said, brushing off his pants.

  The guards said nothing.

  “Talkative types, eh?”

  The guards guided Rick down a long narrow corridor. They took him to where the camp members were being held. They pushed him inside the room with the others. The entire camp was being held in a room no bigger than a classroom. They looked tired and distraught. They wanted answers. Rick didn’t have them.

  “What’s going on?” said Sandra.

  “Yeah,” added Patricia. “Are we allowed to stay?”

  Rick had to tell the truth. He couldn’t keep this from them. “They didn’t like our little stunt with the dynamite.”

  Dirk shrugged.

  “They didn’t like the shotgun blast either,” Rick said.

  Tuck laughed. The idiots were both still drunk.

  “So what now?” asked Sandra.

  “They told me that their supplies are running low. I don’t think we’re welcome here. But…”

  Every one spoke up and started to yell at Rick. Sandra sat on the ground beside Bobby and Claire
and consoled her children. They’d travelled a long way to get here. Rick could tell that she was beginning to think it was all a waste of time. Claire seemed unfazed by the rejection, she sharpened her arrows. Bobby was fiddling with the small object he wore on his neck. It looked funny. It looked like it was lit up from the inside, like it was glowing.

  The door to the holding cell opened. Domino burst into the room followed by Oleksii. Domino jumped up to Rick, who was looking at Bobby’s object.

  Oleksii watched Domino jump on to Rick and felt a little jealous, but immediately forgot about his jealousy when he saw what Bobby was holding. It looked like a part of the alien ship. It looked like one of the energy cubes John had been talking about. He needed to tell John right away.

  Chapter 37

  The Z-49 handled like a charm. It was comfortable, lightweight and, best of all, it made you feel like a fucking bad ass. Felix looked down the scope of the exclusive rifle and fired round after round at the attackers. He’d managed to take out two of them. When the remaining two attackers got close enough to his yacht, he retreated back below deck and grabbed hold of the canon through his computer.

  He looked through the ships thermal camera. The two attackers were fifteen yards away. He fired. Instead of hitting the ground, the missile flew above them and beyond the grassy ridge. He missed.

  He had two more missiles left, but he wouldn’t have time to fire them. The attackers were too close. He walked to the stairs leading above deck and peaked over, his Z-49 in his hand. He could see the hands of the attackers on the side of the boat, they were almost on deck. He looked down his scope and fired a couple shots. He marvelled at the rifles ability to lock on target. His engineers had done a good job. The shots he fired hit the fingers of an attacker, separating them from the hand. The attacker dropped his gun. The other attacker fired at Felix and picked up the gun of his fallen comrade. Felix didn’t have time to think. He ran back to his computer. It was time to engage the decks electrical pulse. He turned it on and waited.