“I’ve been meaning to ask you about Zheng He.” Iverson was asking Maxwell. Iverson was in the bar drinking.
“Pardon me sir but I need to inform both of you that the water dispenser will take, as I have feared, two-to-three days to fix.” Lieutenant Commander North was informing them. North, although he’s not a drinking man, came in and order a glass a beer because he was thirsty. It was the only thing left to drink on the ship.
“Alright. Thank you. Go on Isaac.” Iverson was saying.
“Please understand that I have to come with you because we are well trusted at Zheng He. Both Lenkov and Omori earned their respect by showing they know enough of their history and culture.” Maxwell mentioned.
“Yeah, both of them knew that Zheng He is a famous Chinese explorer.” North stated through his buzz.
“Do you think this world can handle our departure?” Iverson asked.
“No offensive sir, I didn’t know that you have a death wish.” North responded. He was drinking too much. Or should I say he was “liking” the taste of beer.
“He’s right. Neither one of us has a death wish. Trust me, this world can easily accept our departure.” Maxwell responded. And with that Dark Phoenix left the star system. No other ship will come to that star system until everything was over.
(8)
“Why are you drinking?” Ramirez asked Maria.
“I never had the chance to tell you this but there was a reason why I nearly died so long ago. Omori led me into a trap because I learned something about her.”
“What was it?”
“She kept me as a robot, I guess for the same reason of me learning the truth. Standing here looking at all of these relics to the glory of the Founder’s legacy got me to think more about the reason why she behaved the way in which she did towards me.”
“Which was?”
“Because I learned the truth about their past. I’m not talking about the notion of them being Jason M. Idelle. I’m talking their real past.”
“Which is?”
“As you already know the galaxy is so big that a whole world could be invented and no one would be of the wiser. Neither the places nor the history of either of their birth can be proven through research. Their names are just an alias and. . .”
“You know what I think?”
“No what?” Maria asked him. He then came near and she woke up. But somehow she felt like it was no dream. It was too real. And then when she did the research upon both Lenkov and Omori all the data seemed to be genuine. What got her is the fact that the data appeared like it was a VERM trick.
The Science of Terror
(1)
“Are you avoiding me for some reason?” Ramirez asked Maria.
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, for one thing it’s the way in which you have been behaving. What’s more it is also the way in which you look at me.”
“Well, I’m sorry if you think that I am hiding something. Don’t worry about it. Okay?”
“No Maria it’s not okay. Something is obviously bothering you. Please tell me.”
“Why does it concern you so much?”
“For one thing I love you. And the other reason is that your actions could get us killed. My team included. Please don’t make me choose.”
“I keep on having these dreams that feel so real I swear that they are real memories but they are not. And you are always in them. I believe that you are the. . .”
“That I’m what?”
“The Gatekeeper of. . .” She was saying. She then stopped when he started to come near. She was afraid that it was another one of those type of dreams.
“Your SIN has been corrupted.” He responded after he analyzed her.
“What!? Are you sure!?”
“By the looks of it, it must have come from Dark Core.”
“How can you be so sure!?”
“Don’t forget that I was trained in anti-VERM tactics. I know all of their dirty tricks. It looks like. . . no that can’t be it. Oh shit!”
“What!? What is it!? What did they do to me!?”
“Not to you. . . to this world.”
(2)
Peter J. Mazzinghi, a civilian military overseer for Golden Hyperion, finally arrived at Main Laboratory: Ultra 3X. Although he is infamous with the military, and some have said too much of an aloof at times, they will still take orders from him. Besides he’s too well connected and nobody wants to get into trouble with the higher ups.
“Be advised that I am in no mood for any pettiness let alone cowardliness.” Mazzinghi was saying to those present.
“Sir I don’t think that you have anything to worry about when it comes to cowardliness. My crew and I. . .” Captain DeVore was saying.
“Shut up! Lieutenant Commander Ramirez has brought it to my attention that Dark Core, or most likely Inferno of Terror, is trying to corrupt people’s SIN. And I for one will not tolerate it! Especially your perceived cowardliness!” Mazzinghi was saying.
“Sir none of us was being cowards we were. . .” Captain Easton was saying.
“Yeah I know what each of you were doing. You were running chicken-shit. . .!”
“No sir we weren’t.” Captain Easton interrupted Mazzinghi stated.
“Then how do you explain the fact that you didn’t give Captain Maxwell all the support that he needed!?” Mazzinghi angrily retorted back.
“Sir I make no excuse for my perceived cowardliness.” Captain Easton responded.
“Captain Easton! Captain Irwin! Captain DeVore! You and your people will defend that sector that each of you is at with your life. Now can somebody please tell me why isn’t Captain Levine here?” Mazzinghi angrily ordered them.
“He said that he is re-building up the PDF in case the remnants of both the Necro-Mystics and/or the Wol’ga’con army can be manipulated into fighting for Inferno of Terror.” Commander Ivey stated.
“What!? Somebody better tell me that neither one of them is strongly considering that!” Mazzinghi asked the captains. When no one responded he then said, “Jesus effing Christ! You see. . . this is why I chastised each of you captains for your cowardliness! Consider yourselves lucky that I am not putting it on your permanent record!”
“Sir there is no way that we can stop them from landing. Dark Phoenix rightfully left because it was near death.” Captain Brunner mentioned.
“Why in the hell would those ET idiots do it!? What’s the point!?” Mazzinghi angrily asked them. He just couldn’t believe that they could be that suicidal.
“Sir it’s not the people rather it is just the army. I guess they have nothing to fight for or to live for. They’re going extinct and. . .” Captain Peterson was informing him.
“Well they’re sure not helping themselves by being that stupid.” Mazzinghi interrupted him. In a way he understood but it made him grateful to be a civilian.
“Sir. . . I know what you are going to ask next and most likely we will be dealing with more than four regiments.” Captain Wilcox added.
“Enough. I get it. We’re fucked.” Mazzinghi responded.
“Your orders sir?” Commander Ivey asked.
“They want a kill-fest than let’s give them one.” Mazzinghi responded.
(3)
“Where’s the captain?” Ellis asked Ramirez.
“She’s getting drunk.”
“Do you think that it’s true that they will send a couple of regiments?”
“Come with me Thomas. . . let’s get drunk. For I for one don’t wish to think of things like that. I think Omori is right.”
“About what?”
“There will be a lot more suffering upon this world. Inferno of Terror is desperate so yes he’ll make certain that this world bleeds for his death.”
“So what does Mazzinghi wants with our team?”
“Nothing. He doesn’t care what we do so long as we fight. Just take a look at who is willing to defend this facility.” Ramirez stated. He then hande
d him the duty roster with a few names highlighted.
On the roster were the names of; Senior Chief Warrant Officer Olivia Porter who once did time in a military prison for murder and is now being transferred over to the penal colony on Oasis, Caleb Hackett a serial killer being transferred to Golden Hyperion to await his execution, Chief Petty Officer Jaime Alvarez who was the Hammer of Doom weapon specialist who had the attitude that he would literally die than to reveal anything about a mission if you are not in the need-to-know basis, Chief Petty Officer Patrick Eckersley always have the look that he seen too much combat even though he never did. His file is kept “Top Secret By Order Of DEAD,” and finally Ensign Karl Russell who should have already achieve the rank of Senior Ensign if it wasn’t for his near contemptuous attitude towards the life and death of, not only his life, but also those under his chain of command.
“Jesus! Is he insane or what!?” Ellis stated out of shock.
“That’s who he wants to fight.”
“What. . . five psychopaths!?”
“Apparently.”
“What good, other than needless death, can come out of this!?”
“I don’t know. What do you think we should do?”
“We got five psychopaths who are so dangerous they had to be either transferred, or stationed on, the Hammer of Doom. Shit far sir, if Mazzinghi wants a kill-fest than that is what he is going to get.”
“So what do you think we should do Thomas?” Ramirez asked him after he took a long slip of his drink.
“I think we should take on that underground facility with that super-weapon.” Ellis said after he took a long slip off his drink.
“You know that is suicidal. We don’t have anywhere near the numbers to do that.”
“Sir I would rather take my chances than to be here. I seriously think that we would be in a combat friendly area instead of here. Did you know that a torpedo is missing from the Hammer of Doom?” Ellis mentioned through his buzz.
“No I did not know that. Any ideas as to what happen to it?”
“Yeah. Of course. It has to be the madman Ensign Karl Russell.”
“Why him?” Ramirez asked his long time friend.
“He has access to them including the duty roster of the dropships.”
“So let me get this straight, he slipped one through during the confusion of the ship basically being abandoned?”
“Yes sir. You got it.”
“What was the yield?”
“What difference does it make? But given the size of the dropship I would have to say it could have been something greater than a 25 megaton.”
“Jesus effing Christ! I can see your point about calling him a madman.”
“So what do you want to do sir?”
“You talk to the team and I talk with the captain and Taylor and let’s go take on the facility.” Ramirez responded after he finished his drink.
(4)
“You see. . . this is what I’m talking about! This team, this so-call group of losers, is more brave than their Skotadian counter-parts. What a shame that has befallen upon the good people of this world when their self-professed enemies are more braver than those who are sworn to defend them!” Mazzinghi informed the press.
“I just have one question for the captain. What is your name again?” The reporter was asking Vaistll. Before she could respond Mazzinghi jumped in.
“Her name is the same as her team. . . number 1! Now I’m certain they wouldn’t mind answering your questions. . . but they have a job to do.” Mazzinghi stated. Calling this loser team number 1 really got under the skin of the Skotadian defenders. And now they wanted blood which is what Mazzinghi wanted.
(5)
“Here they come. My people coming to their death. As if all that we went through wasn’t good enough for they want more loss of blood and treasure. We are finished as species. So end my race.” Vaistll stated when she saw in the distance two regiments of her people land and prepared to rush to their deaths.
Nobody could respond to what she said. In some small way they were grateful to have left the kill-fest zone. They, what was left of Task Force ZH-3C, Jaguar 42R, Viper 33X, and Maria Sadowayj, were deeply relieved to be on this suicidal mission. Nero-Mystics’ army are a force to be reckon with. And the Wol’ga’cons? Just ask the captain. She will tell you that the Hive have made her people too hard to their own losses. Extinction is the pathway towards victory according to these two armies.
“We will now assault the automatic defensives for you.” Commander Ivey informed the team as they got close to the facility.
“Thank you dark mistress and Godspeed.” The pilot responded.
Commander Ivey and crew, attack the defensives without mercy. Ivey, along with a full third of the crew, lost their lives trying to take the position. None of them wanted to go out like a punk. They will die like the brave Skotadians that they are.
“Here they come!” Ramirez yelled out when he saw the defensive robots.
“I got them!” A pilot yelled back. Within a span of five minutes the pilot was shot down and chose to crashed into a group of robots defenders.
“Irrelevant! Enemy using inferior tactics!” The robot commander stated out loud. It was then killed by Ellis.
“I secured an access port!” Nakada mentioned.
“I’m on it!” Maria yelled back.
“No wait!” Ramirez yelled at her.
“What’s up?” Maria asked him.
“You must use anti-VERM tactics here.” Ramirez responded before he jack-in.
“We’re fixing to be overrun here!” Ellis yelled out of desperation.
“Covering you!” The pilot responded. Three minutes later she was shot down and the team had no more air support.
“We will take up defensive position at the down helicopter!” Jaguar 42R yelled out. He was with Martinez and Coté.
“I need cover or we will die!” Martinez yelled out.
“I got you!” Coté yelled back.
“We need support!” Jaguar 42R responded when their situation became desperate.
“We all do! Now hold your ground!” Taylor ordered him. He was seriously under too much pressure with only Viper 33X to protect him.
Although the team was near death, through the luck of their skill they managed to hold their ground. It was indeed a miracle that they survived and hold the outside grounds. But before they could go into the facility they had one more thing that they had to do.
“Burial detail on guard!” Ramirez stated with a sadness in his heart.
“They gave their lives so that others will be free. God rest their souls.” Vaistll stated in a prayer for the dead.
Having secured the grounds they could then send for the burial robots. Waiting for them, as well as the JOTS to arrive, they past the time by thinking of what is to come and the lives that was lost for that moment in time.
(6)
“Oh my god! Did you see that!?” Coté stated out of shock when she caught the bright light out of the corner of her eye. She then turned and saw the mushroom cloud in the distance.
“Was that at the lab complex?” Nakada asked someone.
“No, it was much further south.” Wexler responded.
“Now I’m glad that we’ve left that place. That lab of horrors.” Coté mentioned.
“Yeah. Out of the place that gave us the science of terror and. . . Hey sir, just what are we going into again?” Nakada mentioned.
“Ask me again when we leave.” Ramirez responded.
And So It Begins
(1)
“And so it begins. . .” Ensign First Class Valeria Grumett stated after she saw the four regiments coming after the lab complex.
“Ma’am. . . your orders!” A fellow crewman asked her.
“If Mazzinghi wants a kill-fest then I guess we have to put these poor dumb sons-of-bitches out of their misery.”
“Why not use propaganda? You know drop letters on them?” The crewman asked her.
> “If it would have worked then somebody would have use it. Besides the Necro-Mystics use drugs upon their people. So no, I don’t think it would work.”
“Ma’am, look!” The crewman motioned for her to look at Caleb Hackett. He ran to man the plasma cannon and had a field day shooting away at the enemy until an artillery shell landed near him. He then ran to pilot a dropship. (That was when the crewman told her to look.) But because he was an amateur he was quickly shot down and crashed into an enemy’s APC killing all on board.
“Shit. It’s the peace that spells our doom.” Valeria said under her breath. The dual-ET army stopped their assault and Valeria knew why.
“Why do you say that?” The crewman asked her.
“They’re going to regroup and to rethink. It’s going to get harder on us all.” Grumett responded. Now more than ever she wished that she listen to her fiancé and married him. If she did then she would have never been sent there. (She would have been transferred over to one of the ships stationed at Roscadia.)
(2)
Ensign Karl Russell with a detachment of 213 personnel finally outflanked the dual-ET army. He was not detected by that army nor did they realize that anything or anyone was there. Russell and his detachment was not ordered there, he just up and left with them. When Grumett found out she didn’t care. What’s the point she would have said if anyone would ask her. It’s not like they would. Why would they? Everyone is just trying to survive the best way that they can.
Russell was sitting up booby traps all over the place that he could. He wanted chaos on both the rear and the right flank but not the left. (That was not necessary because of the river that was there.) Once he gave the signal to attack, and the enemy took the bait, he got what he wanted. He was a force multiplier and the enemy was caught off guard. He attack, he lured them, he killed them. He kept the pressure going without mercy. Keep up or get left behind. And those who get left behind then it will become kill or be kill for the enemy will not take prisoners. All day long and way into the night, both him and his forces kept on going. It only ended when the enemy finally killed them all. It was Russell who died last. But it wasn’t easy to kill him for he saved the best booby trap for last.
2288: The Skotadian Experiment Page 37
