HADRON Emergent

by Stephen Arseneault

  Johnny walked her out onto the ramp. “Keep your head down, OK?”

  Jane smiled as she received an awkward hug from her battlesuited husband. “Always.”

  The shuttle dropped off Johnny, Geerok, and Jenny before stopping at the old Gatwick Airport just outside Crawley, England. Settling behind a clump of trees six hundred meters off the west end of the runway, Mace was quickly off the ramp and into the woods. A short jog had him standing on the end of the runway. A second run left him just short of the former control tower.

  Four Dedrus fighter aircraft formed a line on the tarmac to his left. The sleek black single-occupant vessels had a traditional V-shape, with large swooping pincers protruding from the front. A gun mount sat on a turret just up and behind the cockpit. A pilot sat in the nearest of the craft while what appeared to be two techs stood out on the fuselage. The gun turret spun, aimed up and back, then forward, following the movements of the pilot’s head.

  Mace walked slowly toward the fighter, checking the timer for his alarm. The count was just below a minute. As he closed the distance the language application for his interpreter recognized the Dedrus language and switched.

  The pilot said, “There’s a kink when I turn to the left. A bubble where the aim moves just past my line of sight. The lock circle of the display shows just to the left of my vision circle.”

  One of the techs replied, “Enter four-four-six-one-five and select ‘Set.’”

  The pilot nodded. “Excellent. They overlap now. Is there anything we can do for the initial hesitation?”

  The tech shook his head. “Not with this unit. It’s old. They sent us their junk. The new fighters are all up at the Rigori front.”

  The second tech added, “Think of it as a challenge. You have no opposition in the air. This will require you to work for each kill.”

  The first tech huffed. “Work, he might as well be targeting punder fowl.”

  The pilot said, “They do have ground weapons.”

  The first tech laughed. “Nothing that will penetrate your hull. You’re lucky you weren’t with the reserve infantry that was originally sent. They only had uniforms. The regulars who just came in at least have the old battlesuits. Against the weapons of these Humans their only vulnerability will be the chest right up under the chin. Take a projectile in that area and it bounces right up into the soft pad under the base of the helmet. I’ve seen some of the casualties struck by these weapons. It would be a painful way to die.”

  The second tech said, “And they take no prisoners.”

  The pilot laughed. “Neither do we.”

  The first tech asked, “Have you seen one up close? They’re enormous. And quite strong.”

  The pilot returned a smug look. “I have advanced hand-to-hand training.”

  The second tech laughed. “Won’t do you any good when they crush you in their grip and snap your spine. I’ve been told their reflexes are quite fast.”

  The pilot stated, “I don’t fear them. They are nothing more than brutish, simpleton aliens. And their soft flesh is easily cut.”

  The first tech shook his head. “Big talk coming from a pilot wrapped in an armored Jespun fighter.”

  The pilot sighed. “Had they given us a single Tauntin I could have conquered this entire planet myself.”

  The alarm on Mace’s timer went off. With a single leap he was up on fuselage beside the two techs. The second tech looked down at the sound of boots clunking on the armored wing.

  Mace said, “Welcome to Earth, scumbags.”

  Three sets of eyes stared into empty space. A concussion round from the thunder glove entered the cockpit, crushing the pilot down into his seat and destroying the instruments. A single quick, wide blast flipped the two techs backward off the fighter, their broken bodies flopping down and skidding to a stop on the tarmac. A second round into the fighter’s crushed the remains of the instrument panels down into the depths of the craft.

  Mace hopped down, jogging to the second fighter. A blast toward the cockpit bounced off and up into the air. He adjusted, focusing the energy of the concussion into a point at two meter’s distance. A first shot chipped the transparent material of the cockpit canopy. Another half dozen rounds saw a hole develop. Mace inserted the tip of the glove into the opening and fired. Parts shattered and flew, savaging the interior and turning the glass opaque as debris bounced around inside. He then fired two additional rounds for good measure.

  As Mace hopped to the ground, a contingent of Dedrus soldiers ran his way. He fired repeated rounds into the oncoming squad as he moved toward the third craft. Bodies spun, flew, or slammed backward into the ground. With the thunder glove again adjusted to an impact point, he drilled through the third canopy and destroyed the cockpit.

  Mace jogged toward the fourth fighter, stopping to frown at the unfortunate Dedrus pilot running his way. Standing on the outer hull, he waited for the canopy to open. The pilot hopped in and was followed by a concussion wave that crushed his body and mangled the controls, permanently grounding the fighter.

  Dedrus soldiers began streaming into the area, some taking firing positions while other moved closer to inspect the damaged craft. Five minutes of quiet was followed by sweeping blasts. Bodies flew in every direction as Mace changed positions. The infantry, many in rudimentary battlesuits, were soon backed by ground vehicles not dissimilar to light tanks.

  Mace closed in on the first. Placing his glove tip up to a slotted hole used for the sheltered firing of a laser rifle, Mace fired off a blast into the slot. The vehicle rumbled as debris shot from several other slots on its exterior. A second light tank soon met the same fate. The intense beams from the infantry’s laser rifles were not put to use as no target could be identified.

  After fifteen minutes of mayhem and complete chaos, the Dedrus troops retreated. Mace followed along, running with the pack until they began to regroup behind a former hangar. There he unleashed a new barrage of unforgiving concussion waves. Bodies flew, soldiers screamed and ran in panic. The bulk of the force ran towards a long building that had once been a cargo terminal.

  Two new light tanks rounded a far corner and raced toward the fleeing fighters. Each was dispatched in a manner similar to the first couple. The thunder glove then fell silent for the second time as Mace ran with the fleeing crowd. As he reached the end of the cargo terminal and rounded the corner, he slowed to a stop. There, standing before him was a force of a hundred thousand soldiers, all wearing a more advanced battlesuit than what he had so far encountered. The fleeing troops passed their more well defended comrades.

  As Mace walked closer, one feature became apparent. The advanced fighters were female. Their commanders stood unshaken by the running hordes who had seen quick defeat. In unison, on command, the brigades of Dedrus warriors turned to face the south.

  The nearest Dedrus commander yelled out, “Forward!”

  As the soldiers marched south, Mace moved to the side, out of their way. Circling behind the burned out hulks of what had once been the airport’s fuel farm, he found himself standing in front of a Dedrus transport. A rampway was open with four guards standing at the ready. Mace strolled past without effort, falling in behind two Dedrus officers as they hurried down a hall.

  The higher ranking officer, a major, said, “The attack is similar to those experienced at other cities. We don’t know where the weapons are being fired from. Perhaps they have mastered a localized wormhole.”

  The major scowled, “A what? There’s no such thing. It’s physically impossible. They are governed by the same laws of the universe as we are.”

  The lieutenant replied, “And yet we cannot see them.”

  The major stopped. “There have been several reports stating they can be seen. At least partially. Motion of a weapon coming in from a direction has been reported twice during an assault during a foggy evening, and one other incident involving a light mist of precipitation. What we need is a way to fog an area once their presence is suspected. We th
en watch for movement of the fog.”

  The lieutenant nodded as they continued to walk at a brisk pace. “If such a strategy is accepted by the general, and successful, you would get that promotion you seek. And possibly a choice position on the general’s staff.”

  “Not today,” said Mace.

  The two officers stopped and turned to see who had spoken. A wide blast from his thunder glove bounced their broken bodies off the walls and the floor. Mace walked past the fallen, never-to-be heroes, as he continued toward his destination.

  Around a corner, he followed two officers into a large conference room. A Dedrus general stood in front of a wall display.

  An officer said, “Sorry we are late, General. The personnel transports are all in use. We had to run from the terminal.”

  The general snarled: “Our fighters have been sabotaged! Our security troops trounced. The base, and all who are in this room are being made a mockery of. How are we to take control of this planet if we cannot even secure our base with three hundred thousand men?”

  An officer replied, “The assault that had been underway has stopped, General. There’s no further sign of attack anywhere on the base. It is believed they have gone.”

  A crewman ran into the door of the room. “Major Shmed and Lieutenant Guthha are dead right out here in the hallway!”

  Nervous looks darted about the room.

  The general banged a fist on the table in front of him. “Someone give me a solution! A promotion for the first officer who has a successful suggestion! And for those of you who don’t have one… expect to soon be mopping cells on a prison barge!”

  Six sets of blank stares were returned.

  The general growled, “Go! Find me something! Anything!”

  The room cleared as the general’s staff hurried off to look for the impossible, a solution to a problem that they only had symptoms of.

  The general turned to look at the display wall. “Such a force and yet we are being pushed around like dolls.”

  Mace said, “I’ve always found that people respond better to positive motivation.”

  The general slowly turned to face a seemingly empty room. “We will find you.”

  “They might… you won’t.”

  A concussion wave slammed the Dedrus general against the display wall. Mace took a seat in the back of the room, waiting to observe the response of the staff members who had departed only moments before. The general’s smashed and crumpled body lay dead on the floor.

  Chapter 20

  *

  “An assassin is here!” remarked the first officer in the room. “Close off the ship! Take us back to orbit! Get us off this beastly planet!”

  Mace stood. Taking aim at the front of the room, he blasted the officers. They scurried away and he sprinted for the door, placing him in a hallway that was beginning to fill with soldiers. After dodging contact with three officers, another sprint took the Ranger to the ship’s bridge. Preparations for liftoff were underway.

  Repeated blasts from the thunder glove killed the bridge crew in chaos. Duty stations were smashed as crewmen were killed or ran about. Seconds later, a squad of soldiers entered the room. Four rounds from the thunder glove saw slammed them against a far wall. Mace made his way back into the hall and back down the ramp to outside, now in the process of closing. With a dive and a roll, he was off the ship and firmly on the ground.

  After several minutes of observation, the invisible invader jogged back toward the cargo terminal. Thousands of battlesuited troops were standing at attention as he passed the terminal and neared the control tower. Crews were still scrambling over the damaged fighter crafts. Rather than adding further chaos, he chose to continue on to the runway and back across the field. He was soon standing behind the clump of trees where he had originally been dropped.

  Four minutes later a ramp came into view, lowered from the shuttle.

  Mace ran aboard. “Get me back to Gellos now!”

  The Targarian captain nodded. “You have news?”

  Mace replied, “There are three hundred thousand assault troops standing in formation at this side of the airfield. Take me back to Gellos. I have an idea of how to eliminate them.”

  Mace looked around. “Where’s Mr. Collins?”

  “He asked to be dropped at the cave. He said to collect him from there if he was needed.”

  A ten minute ride up through the atmosphere was followed with a wormhole out into the middle of nowhere. A second jump followed, taking the shuttle to Gellos.

  Mace got on the comm on the ride down. “Doc, we have loads of those mini-reactors Mr. Collins and his crews captured from the Karthians. I need you to rig me up a dozen of those with holo-projectors and the detonators that will take them supercritical. How long will it take you to get those together for me?”

  Jeff thought for a moment. “Only a dozen? Perhaps an hour. We have the parts at the ready. Are there ships at Earth that require destruction?”

  Mace replied, “Not ships… troops. What kind of blast radius will I get from one of these?”

  Jeff rubbed his chin. “Instant incineration out to fifty meters or so. After that another hundred meters of death followed by another hundred of severe damage.”

  Mace grinned. “Perfect. Get started on those immediately.”

  The second shuttle was lifting off with a load of ammo. Mace gave orders for the pilot to visit each of the rendezvous points to deliver a message to the others. They were to wait for delivery of one to two reactor bombs, which they would place and then detonate. With luck, most of the new troops would never see the battlefield.

  Mace walked into the science lab. “We need help desperately, Doc. The new troops won’t be the easy pickings we’ve been dealing with. The uniformed troops are like their second tier of reserves. They have what are supposed to be the policing jobs. These new troops are fighters, battlesuits and all. I suspect our AR’s are gonna lose a lot of their effectiveness. Any ideas of what we might do?”

  Jeff took a deep breath as he contemplated the situation. “If you could bring us one of those suits, we could evaluate how best to defeat them.”

  Mace scowled at himself. “I could have brought you half a dozen. Wasn’t thinking. Will have to be next trip.”

  A Targarian officer came over the comm to Jeff. “Sir, the assembly of the reactor units has begun. Where would you like them delivered?”

  “To the shuttle in the docking bay,” Mace replied. “When can I expect them to be ready?”

  The officer replied, “The assembly is quite simple. I would expect to have them delivered to the shuttle in the next ten minutes.”

  Mace raised his eyebrows. “Wow, that’s much faster than I expected. Move them there as soon as you can. And load them aboard when you get there. I’m on my way back.”

  A comm came in from Jordan Crawford. “Just leaving status: I’ve taken down an additional one hundred fifty ships. As soon as the first few light up, the others begin to run. Most of my time is being spent in pursuit. Clearing them out is going to take a while.”

  “Just keep at it,” said Mace. “And don’t take risks. Slow and steady will do the job. We need to preserve that ship. How’s the temperature of that circuit holding up?”

  Jordan passed the data over the comm. “We’re using it so sparsely at the moment the temperature doesn’t appear to be an issue. We have plenty of time for cooling down between uses.”

  “Are the EM ships in place yet?” Mace asked.

  Jordan nodded. “They are. All five are emitting those electromagnetic storms. In five days the first five Dedrus colonies are gonna get walloped. Mr. Montak and the others are in control, and unless a ship happens across them they shouldn’t be in any danger. This will not be a good time to be a Dedrus citizen, Mr. Hardy. From what my scans have shown of their infrastructure, this is gonna hit them hard.”

  Mace returned a nod. “Keep us informed, Mr. Crawford. And stay safe.”

  The shuttle was loaded a
nd lifted off. Four extra Targarian crewmen had come along to assist with placing the reactor-bombs. Ten minutes later, they were hovering a kilometer above Gatwick airfield.

  Mace said, “We need to place one halfway between the cargo terminal and that north terminal. And the other between the north and south terminals.”

  The lead Targarian replied, “This northwest parking lot is obscured with trees. Perhaps we set down there and carry one to the first destination?”

  Mace nodded. “Perfect. We can bring it right down this road and drop it in the grassy area in the middle of that tarmac. We just have to avoid any Dedrus who are marching around.”

  The Targarian pointed at a display. “I would also suggest a drop behind this section of the south terminal. That should leave a clear path out to the center here.”

  Mace smiled. “Have you done this before?”

  The Targarian returned a confused look.

  Mace laughed. “Relax. It was meant as a compliment. Both suggestions are excellent.”

  Mace turned to the pilot. “Take us down here to the parking lot. We’ll lay that one out first.”

  The shuttle settled, hovering just above the grassy center of a roundabout. Three of the Targarians assisted Mace as they carried the bulky reactor past the fuel farm to its final resting place. Nearly a minute of pause was taken as a brigade of Dedrus soldiers marched past. With the reactor placed, the team hurried back to the shuttle.

  The shuttle lifted and quickly settled behind the southernmost terminal building.

  The Targarian pilot said. “Sir, the troops here are beginning to board the transport. I would suggest you may want to hurry.”

  Mace nodded. “You heard him. Let’s roll. We can’t let that ship get in the air.”

  Mace fussed at himself. “I should have disabled that ship while I had the chance.”

  The team moved the reactor-bomb down the ramp and hurried toward the open tarmac between the two main terminals. The six hundred meter jaunt from their touchdown point seemed to take an eternity.

  Mace grumbled. “Can’t we go any faster?”