“Why Adam? It’s very biblical. I wouldn’t have expected an intelligent... whatever you are... to go for that name.” Helm inquired about the name choice.
“In my research on your internet Adam represents the first name given to a human, it is a very common name, non-threatening, and easily understood because of its significance to humans. Those factors make it right name for me. Would you like me to choose a different name?” Adam replied.
“No, Adam is perfect for you!” Omega added. “Adam, did you also download the reason we are here?”
“I only downloaded data to learn the language. Would you like me to download the purpose of your visit?” Adam asked.
“No, I can just tell you. We are about to head to war with half of the human race. Actually, on second thought, why don’t you go ahead and download what has happened since my last visit. It might be a lot faster. Let me know when you are caught up.” Omega changed his mind about having to explain to Adam the circumstances that led them to this place.
“I am caught up.” Adam replied without delay.
“That was fast. Wonder how much processing power Adam has. If only I could understand your technology.” Helm wondered out loud.
“It is in the best interest of your world not to understand the secrets of an advanced civilization. Your civilization is not ready for that type of leap forward. In my assessment that will only expedite the extinction of the human race. I believe that is what we are attempting to prevent?” Adam explained.
“Yeah. I can see that. We are hungry for power and lack all self-control. Let’s stick to saving us from ourselves,” Helm added.
“We need your help to protect the city from any harm. I can attack the Alliance to get them to submit but I can't do that and protect the city.” Omega explained the conundrum.
“You are very attached to the humans in this city. It will make you unhappy if any harm came to them. The city is your home. It was intended for you to find a home on this planet and bond with its people,” Adam explained. “I will protect this city. I need to understand what types of attacks Alliance is capable of?”
“I can help with that. Since you can already access the internet it should speed things up. Oh, just a suggestion. Don’t spend too much time on it. It may drive you crazy,” Helm added.
“I don’t think it is possible but I will take your advice,” Adam replied.
“I can take it from here. I will need Sol’s weapons expertise,” Helm told Omega.
“I will send him over.” As Omega left Helm to get Adam ready to protect the city.
Within a day they were able help Adam understand the weapons capabilities of Allied nations and develop a defense strategy. The roof of the secured hanger where Adam was parked was made retractable in anticipation of a day like this.
Adam was ready for lift off for the first time since it brought Omega to Earth. Adam lifted off the ground and started hovering a few feet above the ground. Sol pulled the lever to open the roof as Adam waited in the air. As soon as the roof was fully open Adam lifted straight up into the air and flew up a few thousand feet. Once it was high enough in the air it stabilized and parked itself into one spot. They had only seen Omega do something like this before.
Meanwhile on one of the US Navy ships in the Mediterranean Sea. “Our radars are noticing something above the city. We have not been able to identify the object. We know it’s not Omega. It’s in the air but not moving but it’s definitely not a chopper either.” The radar operator informed the commanding the officer.
“Where did I come from? What direction?” The commander inquired.
“I didn’t come from any direction,” the operator explained.
“What does that mean? It is impossible. They don’t have an airbase in the city. Omega is the only thing that can fly in that city.” The commander looked perplexed, “Could it be a drone?”
“It’s far too big for it to be a drone either,” the operator confirmed.
“Call it in and keep an eye on it. Try to figure out what it could be,” the commander ordered.
“Yes Sir!” The operator acknowledged.
A few minutes later on the phone with Alliance Command Center. “Sir, we have located an unidentified flying object in the sky over Mersin.” The commander explained to a room full of senior military leader from Allied nations.
“Where did it come from? We need to determine which country is sending in support.” US Secretary of Defense asked.
“Sir, came from Mersin and it is too large to be a drone or a chopper,” the commander replied.
“That’s nonsense. We were told they don’t have an airbase or planes… Oh fuck... It can’t be!!” British Secretary of State of Defense John Watkinson had the realization.
“What? What is it?” US Secretary of Defense David Wolf asked.
“It’s his ship. It’s the fucking alien spaceship. The alien spaceship is in the air,” Watkinson replied.
“I didn’t think that could fly. It has been inactive since Omega arrived.” Minister of Armed Forces Laurent Fabius inquired.
“Not anymore. We have no idea what it is capable of. Those sneaky bastards!!” US Secretary of Defense Wolf responded angrily. “What is it trying to do?” he asked the commander.
“Nothing at this point Sir. It seems to be hovering over the city,” the commander replied.
“Thank you for the update Commander. Keep an eye on at all times and let us know if you see any activity,” Wolf ordered.
“Yes Sir!” The commander acknowledged the order and he ended the call.
“This wild card throws off our plans. We need to reassess our strategy.” Watkinson and the rest had not accounted for this variable.
“Agree.” Fabius added with rest of the room nodded in agreement.
Chapter 13
“Are we ready?” Commander of USS Freedom II inquired over the com from his office on the ship.
“We are ready. The coordinates are locked and weapons are loaded. Just waiting for the launch codes Sir.” Marine Officer confirmed.
The commander walks over to the cabinet behind him and pulls out a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet that he was saving for a special occasion. His second in command was in the office with him. “Might be our last drink so let’s make it special,” as he poured two glasses of the special whiskey.
“God save us all,” as the commander handed his second in command a glass. “If this doesn’t work you know what is coming our way.”
“I have already said my goodbyes. I am not getting taken alive. If this doesn’t work I have a loaded pistol. I am not ending up in a pit of fire,” the second in command replied.
“I am not going down without a fight. I am fighting the good fight till my last breath. After this I am heading straight to God’s kingdom and suicide just ain’t gonna cut it,” The commander added as he looked up towards the ceiling.
“We seem to be going up against a God who is trying to create a better home for all the creatures. Are you sure we are on the right side?” The second in commander inquired.
“He is no God. If anything, he is Satan forcing us to submit to his will. He will not win. Satan will not create his kingdom as long as I am alive,” the commander replied.
“A lot of people might not agree with that. He is as close to God as we have ever seen. He fits the description of God from stories across many cultures. What if his believers are right? And we are the bad guys? You know better than me what happens when Gods gets angry. God has punished us over and over for not living by his rules. We are about to attack him and his people. If we fail again I don’t even want to imagine what he will do.” The second in command tried to theologically make sense of the situation.
“Are you scared? You sound scared because it seems like you are trying to justify him as something that he is not. God made us in his image. So, if he was “God” he would look like us. As far as I can see he looks a lot like a demon from hell and I plan on sending him back where
he came from,” the commander replied. “God is on our side. We will win. We will destroy this demonic alien and his ship.”
“We are in too deep at this point so I hope you are right. If not, cheers to our last drink.” The second in command raised his glass.
Meanwhile in the Alliance Command Center final strategic discussions were going on.
“Are we really ready to move forward with the nuclear attack?” Fabius asked. “Even if we win a nuclear war what will be left of the planet? What’s our prize? A world dying from radiation poisoning.”
“What choice do we have? It didn’t seem like he was in the mood to negotiate with us. We can let our people die or we can fight back. I say we fight back with all we got. There will be plenty of opportunity to rebuild the planet after we win,” US Secretary of Defense Wolf replied angrily.
“That’s all great if we win. We have no idea that even nuclear weapons can kill him. All this might do is make him even more angry. Have we considered the consequences of failing? His allies will use this as an excuse to commit genocide of our people. If this fails our entire population might get wiped from existence. The risk is too high. We can’t just launch an all-out nuclear attack without knowing that it will work.” Brazilian Minister of Defense Fernanado Doria raised valid concerns.
“We can look at a targeted nuclear strike on his city. We won’t be giving nations supporting him a reason to get involved in this war. Our goal is to eliminate Omega. If this works we win and avoid World War III. If it doesn’t at least we are not starting an all-out war with other nuclear powers. I mean, we will still have to deal with Omega’s wrath but at least we won’t be fighting on all fronts. He is still an individual; unstoppable and extremely destructive individual but still an individual. It is easier to focus on one target than getting attacked by 30-plus nations hell bent on eliminating you.” Canadian Minister of National Defense Michelle May explained her thinking.
“I would support that approach. Our fight is not with humans. It’s with Omega. If he is dead things will go back to the way they used to be,” Watkinson added.
“I second that,” Fabius agreed.
“I also agree,” Doria also voiced.
There was agreement on the approach to do a targeted nuclear strike on the city of Mersin.
Back on USS Freedom II.
A knock in the commanding officer’s chamber.
“Sir. Command would like to talk to you on secure channel,” the naval officer.
“Thank you. Come in and close the door behind you,” The commander instructed.
“I guess it’s time,” the second in command added and the commander picked up the secure line.
“Commander of USS Freedom II at your service. We are locked on target and waiting for instructions to launch Sir.” The commander addresses the Alliance Command Center.
“You have orders to launch W110 on Mersin at 0700 hours. Command will provide launch codes. You are instructed to open the secure channel with Command at 0650hours. Tactical support will be coordinating with you on the mission. Good luck Commander!!” US Secretary of Defense Wolf provided instructions for a nuclear attack on Mersin.
“Yes Sir!” The commander ended the call with those words.
“And so it begins,” the second in command said as they walk out of the chambers. They were in for a long night.
Next morning at 0500 hours on USS Freedom II.
“Hey, I wanted to call you and tell you that I love you.” The commander called his wife.
“I love you too,” his wife replied.
“Are the kids around?” the commander asked.
“Yes, they are playing. Do you want me to get them?” His wife inquired.
“In a minute. I need to talk to you first.” The commander just wanted to talk to his wife first.
“Its time isn’t it?” His wife seemed concerned.
“Yes. I wanted to say goodbye in case the mission fails. I need you to pack up light and leave town with the kids. Get as far away from the city as you can. If we fail big cities won’t be safe.” The commander instructed his wife.
“You think remote areas would be any safer? I have been watching the news. If Alliance fails they will come for all of us. Maybe they will go after cities first but it won’t stop there. They want all us dead. I will just be delaying the inevitable. I would rather die in our house then on the run.” She conveyed her wish with a lot of pain in her voice.
“Don’t say that. Lord will watch over us. He has a plan for all of us. This will pass.” The commander tried to sound hopeful.
“I will pray that you succeed so it doesn’t come to that. If all else fails we will meet again in his kingdom my love.” His wife tried to uplift her husband before the big mission, “Do you want to talk to the kids?”
“No, let them play. If this is the end I want them to be able to enjoy their innocence for the remainder of time we have left.” The commander said his goodbyes, “I have to go. I love you. Tell the kids I love them.”
“I love you honey. I will pray for you. May Lord be with you in battle!” She wished.
“Amen!” As the commander hung up the phone.
0655 hours. Sun had just come up and the crew was in doing their final checks for the missile launch.
“Is everything ready?” US Secretary of Defense Wolf at the Command Center.
“Yes, Sir. All the checks been completed. We are waiting on the launch codes,” the commander replied.
“Get ready to receive the codes from the President.” US Secretary of Defense patched in the President on the United States.
“Commander, this is the President of United States. How are you guys doing?” US President James Bosworth came on the line.
“Very well, Mr. President. It is an honor to serve you,” the commander replied.
“It has been an honor to have brave men and woman like you serve and protect our great nation. Now we are asking you to do the same for the rest of the world. This is the greatest moment in our history. Not just for the Unites States but for the world. The fate of humanity depends on it and I can’t think of anyone braver to shoulder this burden.” President Bosworth’s words uplifted the morale of the crew.
“We are honored and humbled by your kind words Mr. President. We are ready to fight the good fight.” Commander replied with pride in his voice
“Are you ready to receive the codes?” President Bosworth inquired.
“Yes, Mr. President,” the commander confirmed.
President Bosworth jumped on a secure line with the Secretary of Defense Wolf to provide the Gold codes.
“Good luck and God bless you!!” Mr. President spoke the final words as the missile countdown started.
“9… 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... Launch,” the officer counted down the launch.
Everyone held their breath at the central command and on the USS Freedom II as the missile went in the air.
“Bogie is in the air. Impact in two minutes and 18 seconds. Officer will take over from here and provide updates on impact.” The commander handed the mic to the officer.
At the city, the alarms went off. Helm had set up his own missile detection system to monitor any attacks on the city.
“We have a bogie heading our way. Impact in about one minute 41 seconds, Sir,” Helm’s team updated him on the status.
“Ok. Well hopefully Adam can handle this or we have one more minute to live.” Helm was being cheeky but the staff didn’t seem amused.
“Call in Sol so he can get Adam ready to respond.” Helm instructed.
“Sol, It’s time! We have a bogie in the air. Impact in one minute 27 seconds,” Helm updated Sol.
“Is it nuclear?” Sol inquired.
“That’s a safe bet,” Helm responded.
“Adam, did you hear all that?” Sol asked.
“Yes, and I am able to track it based on my training. Would you like me to eliminate the projectile?” Adam asked for confirmation.
“
Yes please. This is carrying a nuclear warhead. You remember how to handle this type of missile?” Sol asked.
“I do. I can eliminate the target now,” Adam replied.
“Yes. Please do so before it gets too close to the city,” Sol confirmed.
The ship turned towards the direction of the missile to line its weapons for a response.
“Sir. I see some movement at the ship.” A voice in the background yelled to the Commander of USS Freedom II.
“What ship?” The commander asked.
The officer responded in a panicked voice, “The alien ship. It’s turning towards the bogie.”
No one knew how to respond to that statement.
“How far is the bogie from the target?” the commander inquired.
“One 57 seconds, Sir” the officer replied.
“What is going on Commander?” US Secretary of Defense Wolf inquired as he could sense the panic in commander’s voice.
“Sir, the alien ship is aligning itself in the direction of the bogie.” The commander provided the update.
“Perfect. Just fucking Prefect!” Wolf sounded extremely frustrated. The sentiment was shared by everyone at the Alliance Command Center.
“Officer, count us down to impact,” the commander instructed the officer through the mic. “Keep an eye on the ship and update us if you see anything else.”
Adam locked on the target and fired a beam at the missile that blew up the missile instantly upon impact.
“Sir, our bogie is gone,” the officer updated the commander.
“Commander, we need confirmation. Did we fail?” asked US Secretary of Defense Wolf.
“We are confirming, Sir,” the commander replied.
“Our bogie is no longer showing up on the radar. We witnessed an impact at the bogie’s current location before it disappeared from the radar. That indicates that our bogie was shot down,” the officer provided confirmation.
“Sir, we have lost the bogie. It was taken out by the alien ship.” The commander provided confirmation to the Command Center.
“What was below the area? Will there be any casualties on the surface?” Wolf inquired.
Hero Falls Kingdom Rises Page 15
