by Paul Ormond
“Each icon represents a member of our operation,” Mitch said. “You will be receiving notifications regarding rendezvous points and further operations as they unfold. I suggest you familiarize yourself with the HUD in your panel in order to maximize your effectiveness. A unique ID and password has been assigned to each individual. We must keep this information as secure as possible. If it falls into enemy hands, there is no telling what kind of damage they could do.”
“If it is so dangerous, why are you just handing it out?” Sage asked.
“It is a necessary risk,” Mitch said. “Without a reasonable means of communications we couldn’t possibly co-ordinate our movements.”
“So what do we do next?” Candace asked.
“Upon receiving orders, you will travel to the rendezvous point and meet up with your unit,” Mitch said. “There you will meet your commanding officer who will dispense with further orders.”
“Wait a minute, I thought you said I was in charge?” Sage said.
“I have no control over the delegation of power,” Mitch said. “If you are the commanding officer that information will be available to you in your panel.”
“Are we clear to fire these things up?” Gareth asked.
“I’d suggest moving to a safe location before activating your devices,” Mitch said.
“Yeah, I gotta agree with that,” Shaundra said, getting up from the couch. “I don’t think my dad wants you guys flying around in his living room.”
“Let’s head down to the ravine,” Gareth said. “You got a path down through your backyard.”
“That trail is super dangerous in the dark,” Shaundra said while she opened the door leading out to the wide balcony at the back of her house.
“I think we can handle it,” Sage said, following Shaundra outside.
Stepping onto the deck, he was blinded by a bright light that lit up the sky. As his eyes recovered, he looked to the horizon in shock.
“I think I know where the battle is going to start,” Gareth said after a dozen oval shaped objects came into view overtop of the Kingsford fair grounds.
“I’m getting all kinds of activity on my panel,” Candace said. “Did you guys get these messages?”
“It appears the plan has changed,” Mitch said.
“You think,” Sage said before he crossed his arms over his chest and leaped into the air.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“PEOPLE OF EARTH, it is an honor to speak to you now, in this glorious moment,” Commander Holrathu said through the video screen. “I am Commander Holrathu, I serve at the behest of my Great and Glorious Emperor. It is my duty to lead his forces across the Multi-verse as we bring peace and the light of his rule to all. It is with great pleasure that I inform you of the wonderful news you are about to receive. I understand that my presence before you may come as a shock, but rest assured, you have nothing to fear. As you may have guessed, the multi-verse we all inhabit is far more populated than your scientists would have you believe. Some of you may be terrified of this notion, but it is important for you to accept it as fact. You are in luck in a great many ways, for I come to you as a representative of my Great and Glorious Emperor and Empress and I am pleased to announce to you all that the Earth has been selected by our divine ruler to act as his new home. In the next few days, the Emperor and Empress will be arriving on this planet and you will all have the honor of bowing before their greatness to express your deep gratitude for all that they have provided. It is possible that you may not understand the scope and scale of this situation, but it is important for you to accept that this decision is far beyond your control. The Earth is blessed with the right conditions to bring our lords into being upon the physical plain, and we will stop at nothing to make this so. As we have all witnessed, President Edwards of the United States decided that she disagreed with our plan, and everyone on the planet beheld the consequences of that decision. The Emperor does not wish to turn this planet into a wasteland before he arrives, but we will not tolerate any further aggressions. I am calling all world leaders to meet with me at a predetermined location of their choosing where we can negotiate the surrender of this planet to the Emperor. I am willing to overlook the earlier transgressions, but it must be understood that the Emperor’s decision to inhabit Earth cannot be overturned. If we experience any further resistance, I will be forced to exterminate the local population to make way for our exalted ruler. I should advise you that your nuclear weapons will have no effect on our craft or defenses. If you choose to attack us with these destructive devices, you will only do further harm to yourselves. Our forces have been distributed across the planet at strategic locations to ensure the security of all. I will give your leaders approximately twelve Earth hours to respond to my call for negotiations, or I will strike a population center of my choosing every hour until your leaders come to the negotiation table. I await your word. Glory to the Emperor.”
Sputtering into static, the image of Commander Holrathu faded from the screen as President Edwards leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyelids.
“How many people saw this?” Edwards asked without opening her eyes.
“They hijacked all major airwaves and broadcasts across the planet,” General Broadbet said from across the war room. “They were able to send out their message in the available language suggesting they have some superior translation power as well.”
“I don’t give a damn about their translation power. I’m about to go down in history as the President who sold the Earth to the aliens.”
“You cannot let yourself be hamstrung by prior decisions,” Director Amari said from opposite the older General. “Pulling out of the White House may seem like a catastrophic loss, but our government is still intact and we are safe within this facility for the time being. The enemy does not know of our location, so we can continue ahead with our contingency plan.”
“Forgive me for feeling a little hopeless, Sandra,” President Edwards said after she turned to face her intelligence director. “I’m just not all that excited about having to crawl out of the hole I’m hiding to go and beg that metallic lunatic for forgiveness and submit to his will. I do not want to have any more blood on my hands.”
“We still have the other card to play,” General Broadbet said.
“I do not see how that could make a difference now. Do you not see these massive ships holding the planet hostage? They made short work of the White House just a few hours ago. Imagine what they could do to New York.”
“We can expect to take some civilian casualties in this type of situation, but if we make any further concessions to these invading forces, we can kiss any chance of turning this situation around goodbye,” General Broadbet said.
“So it’s suicide or submission,” Edwards said while scanning the room.
“Those are two extremes of a wide spectrum, Madam President,” Dr. Nelson said before he stood from his chair opposite the president. “From what we can gather from our past experiences with military adventurism, it is possible to understand just how difficult it is to contain a hostile population in an occupied territory. The extremist groups we have attempted to eradicate over the past several decades have proven to be almost impossible to eliminate.”
“Isn’t that even more degrading? I’ve been driven out of my own house and forced to hide like a rat in a hole, and now your are trying to tell me that I should start fighting like a terrorist,” Edwards said.
“That isn’t what I am implying in any way,” Dr. Nelson said while he paced along the desk. “We must take stock of our situation and apply the correct strategy. It is obvious that we cannot match their large cannons, but a guerrilla approach could serve us well.”
“I agree with the Doctor, Madam President,” General Broadbet said. “It has been my experience that these tactics are highly effective in most situations. If we employ a planet wide tactical retreat, it is possible we could retain the majority of our forces and live to fight another day.”
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“But how and when will we possibly fight another day?” Edwards asked. “Their guns are bigger than ours, and if I don’t surrender Commander Holrathu is going to start blowing up entire cities.”
“The Grand Army,” Dr. Nelson said.
“What?” Edwards asked.
“Napoleon’s grand army was defeated by the Russians using similar tactics,” Dr. Nelson said. “The Grand Army was the largest military force ever assembled, and Napoleon led it on a conquest of Russia in 1812. Instead of fighting the advancing army head on, the Russians retreated using their famous scorched earth policy. After arriving in Moscow, Napoleon thought the Czar would come to the negotiating table, but Alexander refused to sue for peace. As the Russian winter set in, Napoleon’s forces were defeated in a series of battles as they attempted to flee Russia. Many consider it one of the greatest defeats in military history.”
“I’m not sure if the winter on earth will be enough to deter Holrathu and his forces,” Edwards said. “last I checked it was the middle of summer, and I’ve only got twelve hours to figure out what the hell we are supposed to do.”
“I think you are misunderstanding me,” Dr. Nelson said. “Napoleon’s defeat is only one example of a large army being defeated. If we fall back, an opportunity will present itself. There is still the other option to consider.”
“I’ve talked at length with our asset about the situation, but I am reluctant to enter into a deal with such people,” Edwards said. “Are we sure that they can be trusted? How do we know they haven’t already made a deal of their own?”
“I find it highly unlikely that an extremist group with their ideals would side with the enemy,” Director Amari said. “From what I have gathered on this group, they would be the least likely to enter into negotiations at this time.”
“Least likely doesn’t mean much given the circumstances,” Edwards said before the image of O’Dell Grimes appeared on the screen. “We all know what this lunatic is capable of. He’s an anarchist at best. Guys like him only want one thing: notoriety.”
“But the mandate of their group is to resist tyranny,” Director Amari said. “If they actually have the members they boasted about, discarding their allegiance would cripple our efforts.”
“I know what the situation is,” Edwards said. “I just don’t like it. But I don’t see much of a choice. Bring in the asset and lets see what he has to say about all of this.”
“Bring in the prisoner,” General Broadbet said after pressing a button on the panel in front of him.
After a few moments of silence within the war room, a door swung open to the left. Two guards led Gerald Tobero into the room and sat him at a chair opposite the President.
“Lieutenant Tobero, I believe you are familiar with the people present in this room,” Edwards said before placing her elbows on the table.
“I am, indeed,” Gerald said without expression.
“And I am sure you are aware of the latest events concerning our new friends.”
“Commander Holrathu is not one to mince words. It appears that you face an ultimatum.”
“That may be true, but we are examining some alternatives. In your experience with these Masters, what would you say is there greatest weakness?”
“Arrogance, without a doubt; much like any other conquering army, they are convinced of their superiority, and this makes them vulnerable to covert actions.”
“You’re not the first person to voice this opinion to me today. But tell me more about your allegiance with the Cell. Do you think we should trust the future of our nation to such a group?”
“I don’t know a great deal about their inner workings, but I played a large part in tracking down their leader O’Dell Grimes a number of years ago. From what I understand, their first priority is the freedom of the human race from the shackles of authoritarian control. Therefore, in my opinion, if you were looking for an ally on Earth, I would look no further. It appears they have gone to great length to equip a civilian force planet wide with the weapons necessary to engage the Masters in combat. I do not know of any other nation with these capabilities.”
“You said allies on Earth, are their other allies available to us off planet?”
“The two greatest allies we could ask for are currently off world, but they are Earthlings and I know for a fact that the Masters are afraid of them.”
“You are referring to Mitch Mythic and SoHee Moon?”
“That is correct.”
“But they aren’t here, and we have no idea if they live, or if they will be returning anytime soon.”
“According to the plan, they were to head to an unknown location where they would attempt to dismantle or disrupt the Masters’ power source.”
“And if they are unable to disrupt this power source?”
“If they fail in their mission, we would be on our own.”
“But there are others that you encountered and aided on your journey?”
“That’s right. I know of one other world currently engaged in combat with the Masters, but I am not sure how they could be of any help at this time. The situation on their planet is similar to ours.”
“I see. Then we only have two options: submit or fight.”
“That’s putting it bluntly, but I would agree with you.”
“Do you think we stand a chance?”
“If we pool all our resources together and engage the enemy as you suggested, we stand a chance.”
“What do you know about the Emperor?”
“I have heard him mentioned many times, but I have never laid eyes on him.”
“Commander Holrathu says his arrival on Earth is imminent. He calls it a transcendence of some kind. Is this some kind of religious ceremony?”
“As far as I can tell, the Masters rely on technology for all of their operations, and the Emperor is the energy that powers their operation.”
“So if they had a weak spot it would have to do with the Emperor?”
“It’s possible, but I don’t know enough about it to say for sure.”
“What can you say for sure?”
“I am certain that if we don’t fight back, our fate will be sealed.”
“Do you think I can trust the Cell?”
“In this situation I would be reluctant to trust anyone, but we are much stronger united than divided.”
“How easily can you make contact with your companions?”
“If you return my equipment, it can be easily done.”
“Hand him his stuff,” Edwards said to the guards.
Reaching into a large bag, the guard to the right handed Gerald a bag filled with his suit and clothing.
Rummaging through the equipment, Gerald found the device he had taken from the ship on Jarkadu and placed it into his pocket.
“If you’ll let me power up, I can make the call now,” he said without standing up.
“You may, but don’t get any ideas,” Edwards said.
“I have no intention of blasting my way out here, Madam President.”
“I get that, but you must understand the need for caution.”
“I do. Would you like me to make the call?”
“You may proceed.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, an aura overcame Gerald as he stepped out of his chair. He bumped his fists together, and a panel appeared before him. With a few deft gestures, he summoned a video screen and pressed a button. After a few moments, the face of a gaunt, blond-haired young man appeared before him.
“Gerald, we thought we lost you. Did you manage to break free?” Gaelin asked.
“Not in the slightest,” Gerald said without cracking a smile. “I’m going to need you to put O’Dell on the line.”
“O’Dell? What are you talking about?”
“There’s somebody that would like to speak to him, somebody important.”
“Uh, ok, hang on. Things are a bit nuts here.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit nuts all over these days. Ge
t him on the line now.” Gerald said while Gaelin moved across the room.
“Can we get this on the big screen?” President Edwards said.
“I can project it out there,” Gerald said, expanding the image out over the war room table.
As the feed came into a focus, a gray-haired man with a mustache stepped into the frame and adjusted his black sunglasses.
“You got me on the line,” O’Dell said. “This better be important.”
“O’Dell Grimes,” President Edwards said.
“Who is this?” O’Dell said, peering into the screen.
“Don’t you remember me? I’m the one who prosecuted you,” Edwards said.
“How could I forget?” O’Dell said. “Federal Prosecutor Jackylin Edwards, you deserve to rot in hell.”
“Actually, it’s President Jackylin Edwards now,” the president said.
“Not anymore,” O’Dell said with a laugh. “It looks like they blew up your house.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time somebody burned down the White House, but we all know what happened after that.”
“I’m certain you didn’t call me up to discuss the War of 1812.”
“No, I did not.”
“Then what is it that you want?”
“You know damn well why I am calling. There is no reason to play any of your mind games.”
“You wanted to call to say you are sorry. I get it, and I forgive you for locking me away in a hole for nearly a decade, but I just want you to come out and admit that I was right. Big tech must be stopped.”
“You threatened the security of the United States and worked in conjunction with enemy operatives in an act of terrorism. I do not regret my course of action in prosecuting your case in the least, but you are correct, I will not be bullied by a bunch of goons with fancy weapons. So let’s get your petty grievances out of the way and figure out how we can put an end to all of this.”
“Before I agree to anything, I want a full pardon for my crimes.”
“So you admit that you committed a crime?”
