Machines of the Gods

by William B Lyons

  “Better than expected,” Diamond Jack replied. “Several new weapons have already been made from the blueprints. They are on the shelves and are ready to be tested. I have a few other devices in the trunk of the car. My guys have been trained too.”

  “What about your secret man in the USG? Is he in place yet?”

  “That he is. Agent Steve Miller will serve his purpose. Then, I’ll take care of him as well. The fool will not even see it coming.”

  “I’ve dealt with this man before. He is dangerous and unpredictable. He can’t be trusted by either side. The guy is a loose cannon.”

  “Perhaps, but his compassion for his father will be his undoing. Besides, I can read minds with the device I have. His thoughts are broadcasted to me. Nothing that he can imagine will come as a surprise. Agent Miller and all of the USG are as good as dead already. I can promise you that!”

  “Good, we’ll both get our revenge.”

  Chapter Ten

  Steve frowned in anger as he continued gazing into the computer screen. After accessing scores of files, he’d finally reached the desired information on Diamond Jack Mason. It appeared that the man had told him the truth about everything. Steve even cringed at the monstrous images of this man being tortured for hours on end. Yes, that had all been recorded too. Now, he could understand this man’s extreme anger.

  The cell phone on the table buzzed.

  He looked down and recognized Neil’s number before switching the phone’s monitor on. Neil’s face appeared on the digital screen. “Well, if it isn’t the devil himself. When were you going to tell me about how you tortured a man nearly to death just to get simple information? Then, you forced him to watch his own mother die over and over again. Did you really enjoy pulling the man’s teeth out one by one with pliers? Perhaps you got a thrill out of dropping him in acid and burning off a layer of skin? Tell me, did you get a sexual thrill out of castrating the poor guy? You did some pretty sick stuff to Jack Mason. No wonder he hates you so.”

  Neil shook his head. “I see you’ve been tapping into our secret files.”

  “Yes, I have,” Steve said. “I’ve also made a decision. I’m resigning from this case. I don’t give a damn what happens. You won’t help me, so I won’t help you. That is the situation.”

  “Wait, Steve, don’t make any rash judgments. Just listen to what I have to say.”

  “There is nothing that you can say that will change my mind.”

  “First of all, I’ve changed my mind about using that alien device on your father. We’ll try it as soon as possible. We have a prototype machine here in the complex. However, I must warn you, the results may not be what you wish.”

  “My father will die without that machine. What choice do we have?”

  “Steve, we tried this device on a dog. However, its brain later exploded for no known reason. That wasn’t in any of the computer files. The animal’s brain started growing uncontrollably and mutating. It seems that the alien machine caused a new kind of super-fast growing cancer. I mean, massive tumors developed almost overnight. Moving tentacles grew out of these tumors and wrapped around the animal’s head. Some of its other organs did the same thing. We then made some changes to this device and tried it on a gorilla. We had even more horrifying results there too. We are still tweaking this device. It has not been tried on a human yet for obvious reasons.”

  “We have no choice. My dad is as good as dead without the machine.”

  “There were other failed tests with these alien devices too. We once tried teleporting a frog from one room to another. When the animal reappeared, the results were too horrific to describe. I just want you to be prepared for the possible outcomes.”

  “Okay…” Steve whispered. “I understand the risks.”

  “Also, we had to use force to get information from Jack Mason. He’d hidden one of those cylinders somewhere. You know, the containers that hold the orbs are extremely dangerous when that insolation jelly inside is exposed to air for more than a few seconds. His orb had been packed with that alien insolation jelly too. If it had gone off, thousands of people would have been killed.”

  “I thought that he never got out of the complex?”

  “He didn’t. However, the man had a partner who was tracked down and killed three days after the security breach. With this other guy dead, no one but Jack Mason knew where that cylinder was hidden. It could have stayed disclosed somewhere for years without being found. However, some child could have found it within minutes and opened the thing. If that had happened …..”

  “Okay, I get the message.” Steve looked away for a moment. “But we have to try it.”

  “Steve, we know where this guy is. Your idea with the satellite worked. Over fifty cars have converged around the old General Dynamics plant in Arlington. There is a lot of activity within the building too. Our infra-red sensors have verified this fact.”

  “Be careful, if this guy can read minds, he’ll know that you are coming.”

  “Not likely because lead can shield brainwaves just like it can with radio signals and radiation. The armored vehicles we’ll be using have been coated with a lead-based alloy. Besides, we’ll be using some heavy fire power too. He’ll never know what hit him.”

  “Good luck,” Steve replied. “Tell me about it in the morning.”

  “You’re not coming? We’re on our way now. I thought you’d at least want to meet us there.”

  “No, I’m sitting this one out. I’ll catch all the action on the news tomorrow.”

  “Sure, I’ll see you later.”

  ***

  Neil hung up the phone and turned around to face the seven men in the rear of the armored vehicle. They were already in full combat gear with their weapons loaded. “Okay, guys, we’ll only have one shot at this. Let’s make it count.” The vehicle suddenly lurched forward, swaying slightly, speeding up even more, causing Neil to grip the vehicle’s support bar that ran the length of the AV. He looked at his watch and then out the window at the lights on the freeway. “We should be there in about fifteen minutes. Once we reach the target zone, all of the AV’s in front will engage the enemy directly while we’ll be attacking from the rear. Remember, level everything that moves. Leave no survivors.”

  The line of armored vehicles sped up. In the distance, fires were still burning as scores of people were rioting. Both stores and houses were ablaze. Burned-out cars littered the streets as well. And with only the moon shining through the dense clouds, none of this new military activity was noticeable. Everything was set.

  “Falcon One!” crackled a voice over Neil’s walkie-talkie. “Are you reading me?”

  Neil lifted the receiver to his mouth. “This is Falcon One, and you’re coming in clearly. What’s your current position?”

  “We just lifted off from the base. Our chopper is also on silent mode.”

  “Excellent, just swoop in low and hit them from above when the main action starts. However, await my command. This has to be timed correctly.”

  “Roger, Falcon One.”

  Chapter Eleven

  At 2:05 a.m., Eddie Wexler ran down the empty hallway of the old factory. With sweat dripping down his forehead, he quickly yanked open the door at the end of the hall. He knew that enemy soldiers were on the way. However, he was again shocked at what else he saw in this very room. “Good God!”

  Diamond Jack was stretched out on a bed. As usual, the vibrating helmet was on his head. However, objects were floating about the room as if held up by invisible strings. They included books, staplers, CDs, pens, desks, boxes, and calculators. Behind all of this, the blinds that faced the outside window flapped about as if they were in the middle of a violent storm—even though this window was closed.

  “What the hell?” Eddie blurted.

  Suddenly, everything crashed to the floor. The blinds flew off of the window and
slammed onto the rear wall.

  “How are you doing this?” Eddie whispered in total shock. “It’s freaking impossible…”

  Diamond Jack’s eyes opened, and his face showed complete rage. This man had disrupted his concentration yet again. The alien device was gradually increasing his mind’s ability to do strange and unknown things. However, he needed time to focus without distractions. And that was what seemed to have been an impossible task. “I told you earlier to knock before entering a room!” he yelled, rapidly climbing off of the bed and picking up a baseball bat from the corner. “I should bash out your brains right now. Maybe I’ll just put you in a coma for a few days! What do you think about that?”

  “Wait!” Eddie yelled, backing toward the door. “We have a major problem. The cops are coming. The military is headed this way too. They’ll be here in less than ten minutes.”

  Diamond Jack quickly paused, trying to regroup. He took a couple of deep breaths before lowering the bat. “How do you know this? I’ve detected no brainwaves from anyone.”

  “The spy satellites over the area have picked up several armored vehicles headed this way. They’ve already blocked off sections of I-20 and the surrounding streets leading to here. It’s a good thing that you had this high-tech larm system installed.”

  Jack waved his hand and the video screen above the door snapped on. He could already see tiny images of mini-tanks and other armored vehicles moving in. He then turned back toward Eddie. “Have the men to load all of the completed weapons into the truck. Next, mine this building’s main doors with C-4. Have the foot soldiers to take up positions in the two tower stations at the end of the property. Arm them with the machine guns. Use those new bullets we just manufactured. Finally, prepare my car for a rapid action. You’ll be the driver.”

  “Yes, sir!“ Eddie replied as he left the room and dashed down the hall.

  “I’ll take care of the rest…” Jack whispered to himself as he opened a closet door and gazed at an alien weapon that had yet to be tested. It resembled a machine gun, but it had several rotating barrels that revolved around a larger single barrel in the middle.

  He then lifted this weapon and flicked on a switch located at the top of this thing. The device instantly started humming. “Now, it’s time to see what this baby can really do.”

  Over the next several minutes, four foot soldiers took up positions in the watchtowers while the workers loaded the trucks. The main power to the building was then cut. Darkness would be a factor here. Oh yes, there were also dozens of places to hide in this huge complex. However, hiding was not part of the plan.

  Diamond Jack snapped the last buckle to his bulletproof vest and then gripped the alien weapon tightly before heading down toward the underground garage. “If they want war, I’ll give them a freaking war!” he yelled, holding the weapon above his shoulder. “Yes, bring it on!”

  ***

  In the distance, the fleet of twelve armored vehicles slowly approached the factory from the main road. They were spaced one behind the other in a straight line. The lights were off and there was radio silence. The men in each vehicle were armed with machine guns that used armor-piercing bullets. They also had hand-held bombs and other explosive devices. No chances would be taken this night. If needed, they could also radio for air support.

  Inside of the last vehicle, Agent Neil Stone addressed the foot soldiers who would be entering the main building. “Okay, guys, we might be encountering some stuff no one has ever seen before, but don’t panic because we outnumber them ten to one. The men in the other armored vehicles will be surrounding the place and attacking from the front. This unit will be heading in from the back. Remember, don’t take any chances! Wipe out as many of these animals as you can. This is history in the making, and surprise will be our best weapon.”

  “How do we tell the civilians from the terrorists?” one of the agents asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Neil blurted. “Treat everyone the same. All of the people in there are to be viewed as the enemy. We all know of the potential destructive power of these weapons and their threat to international security. Besides, who is to say that some of this alien stuff may not have already been built and sold to other terrorists. We have to stop these fools now!”

  ***

  Back within the factory, several men continued loading machine parts and other equipment into the truck. Eddie drove a black convertible out into the basement garage that faced the main street above and waited.

  Just outside, while crouched beside a car in the complex’s parking lot, Diamond Jack peered through the scope of the alien weapon. The highlighted green image of the first mini- tank—that was still over a mile away—came into sharp focus. Yes, revenge would be so sweet. Before, they’d not taken him seriously. Even after working in this organization for seven years, they’d not allowed him to save his own mother’s life. Secondly, they’d tortured and punished him for trying to do it himself. Finally, they had locked him in a dark hole to rot away forever. For all of these things, the USB would begin paying now. He then grinned, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.

  The weapon jerked, a blinding beam of white light blew from the central barrel of this thing, and a high-pitched roar pierced through the night. There was a loud explosion in the distance as the first armored vehicle was instantly blasted into a dozen pieces. Bits of its glowing metal flew high into the air before falling back onto the road and starting a large inferno.

  Diamond Jack smiled and zeroed in on the next target. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” he yelled. This weapon was even more powerful than expected, he realized. Nothing was getting close without being blown to pieces. For once, he had the upper hand and was going to use it to the fullest. “I can’t wait to mass produce this baby!”

  ***

  A wall of fire engulfed the area around the destroyed tank. The growing smoke cloud made it almost impossible to see anything beyond the inferno. Furthermore, the heat generated by this mechanized hell also threatened to ignite the gas tanks of the other vehicles.

  From the rear vehicle, Neil gazed through the windshield and saw nothing but the burning wreckage of the first armored vehicle ahead. It had literally been blasted to bits by something. Then, suddenly, another bolt of energy shot from somewhere up ahead and hit the second steel vehicle. It too was instantly blasted into flaming pieces. Then, the third tank met a similar fate. All of the remaining vehicles stopped advancing as a thundering shockwave blew several of them sideways.

  “What is happening?” yelled a young agent after he gazed through the bulletproof window of the rear vehicle. “How can we be hit by enemy fire at this great distance? We’re almost a mile away.”

  “Quiet!” Neil yelled. He then snatched up his walkie-talkie. “Get out of your vehicles! Abandon the AVs and advance on foot! Spread out and attack from both sides at once. Do it now!”

  ***

  From the parking lot, Diamond Jack smiled and lowered his weapon. A major point had been made. This thing had ten settings, and he’d used only the first one. Oh yes, the fun was just starting. He then stood and ran back toward the garage where his car was waiting. “Let’s see if they are stupid enough to chase me,” he whispered to himself. “Yes, let’s see.”

  ***

  “Spread out wide!” Neil screamed into his walkie-talkie. “Attack the towers first. Hit them with everything you have! Go for the lights. Put those suckers in the dark and then use your night-vision goggles!”

  Several men leaped from the remaining armored vehicles and dashed toward the old assembly plant. They were already spreading out in a wide arc pattern, around the flames, hoping to gain distance before they were roasted alive themselves. Twenty of them, combat ready with AK-47s and other automatic weapons, moved closer. Luckily, they’d come dressed in fire-resistant clothes. At least, they were shielded for a little while.

 
Gunfire suddenly erupted from the towers ahead. The distant roar of several automatic weapons thundered into the darkness. Bullets ripped through the body armor of the approaching men as if they’d worn plastic, then deflected off of the concrete road. Dozens more shots instantly peppered the area, ripping through flesh and bone.

  Several officers immediately fell, and two more screamed in agony as they slumped over as well. Blood spattered across the road and on some of the other stunned men. Up ahead, mussel flashes could be seen coming from both of the towers as the enemy gunmen zeroed in on their targets. Other officers hit the ground and started crawling for cover behind shrubbery that outlined this place. Still more yelled in pain as they were struck in the arms and legs.

  “Pull back!” Neil screamed into his walkie-talkie. “Take cover behind the vehicles and stay down! It’s a freaking ambush!”

  The remaining officers dashed behind the other armored vehicles and stayed low, hoping to somehow survive this. With bullets streaming by at such a steady rate, it was almost impossible to avoid being hit. By staying completely flat on the ground, some of them did managed to keep from being killed.

  Satisfied that the attack against them was in full retreat, the hidden gunmen in the towers then targeted the remaining armored vehicles, trying to drive the men back out into the open. Bullets bounced off of these mini- tanks like hailstones. Sparks were flying as the deafening pinging sounds steadily grew louder. Up ahead, more gunmen fired their automatic weapons from crouched positions behind other cars in the parking lot. Gunfire then erupted from within the building itself, blowing through windows and screen doors.

  Neil squatted down behind the last RV and whipped out his walkie-talkie. “Hey, Ricky, get that bazooka ready. Take out the towers before all of our men are cut to pieces.”

  “I copy you,” crackled a voice on the other end of the transmission. “However, we’re still too far out. I’ll try to get closer, but with that death ray they’ve got, I can’t promise anything. Besides, what kind of guns do they have that can hit us at this great distance?”