The Chronicles of Syra Omnibus

by Carolyn Davidson Hicks

  But Ellead and Ohtron had a chance to show Earth just some things they could do for its inhabitants. Since they always followed orders, they ignored the news coming in from around the world.

  Syra’s desire to fit in and be accepted by Earth and the United States was also always reflected in the thinking and analyzing of her Zhian equipment which she could never call that, they were as real to her as any other Zhian was.

  Ellead flew high above the biggest fire and Captain Wadsworth knew right away the fire was spreading in several directions and would need to be doused out at the same time if at all possible.

  Ohtron was released from the cargo bay so he could fly closer to the flames and once they were put out to make sure they did not start up again.

  Elleads maneuvering nearly made the men sick, but he continued fighting the fires and Ohtron continued giving the captain feedback as he inspected the scene.

  Ohtron swooped down and searched each area close for new startup fires. He then released his bitrons from his underside and they flew even closer and sent back visuals to Ellead and the captain for inspection.

  At one-point poor Tom Hansen was having difficulty because he wanted to be at every lookout on that ship to film and was assured cameras were installed from every possible angle on Ellead.

  All Tom Hansen needed to do was continue to inform the public through his CNN connection of exactly what was happening. He was as good a cameraman as any, but a journalist came through in him and he kept the viewers on the edge of their seats!

  With the bitrons back inside Ohtron, he settled into the cargo bay while Ellead flew the crew back to the fire station. The crew would go over the film and analyze the data Ellead had processed for them. Hopefully, they would get a better idea on who was responsible if nothing else.

  The captain was amazed at how fast Ellead flew from one fire to the next and repeated the same maneuvering. And Ohtron and his bitrons coordinated so well he was thrilled to watch their teamwork.

  With the latest fires out and contained, ground crews were quickly on the scene taking samples of the soil and plants for any chemical residue. Ellead’s film from all angles would help a lot in the investigation into the fires.

  Once Ellead landed, everyone immediately left the ship. All of them were met with many cameras and news crews from every affiliate known to man!

  The men pushed their way through the crowd in order to attend the urgent meeting scheduled for immediately after they returned.

  When Ellead found a clearing, he flew high into the sky and simply disappeared in front of everyone’s eyes and the cameras watching him. He had lifted off so fast, no one knew what direction he flew.

  Moments later, Ellead landed on James Caldirons ranch. With the shields up and him under protection, he turned on the shroud and was invisible to the human eye or camera.

  Ohtron and his bitrons would spend their time performing any maintenance Ellead needed and to resupply anything needed aboard for the success of this mission.

  Since the ranch had over 5,000 acres, there were numerous supplies stashed at different places they had left from the last time they flew the Caldirons and their families to Earth II.

  Meanwhile, back on Earth II information started to appear in the War Room’s telecom system. The data was being sent so fast Syra decided she would wait until it was analyzed before proceeding.

  There would be absolutely no decisions or actions made or taken until Syra knew more. James Caldiron and his son Zach were furious as they got visuals of a dozen men restarting the fires until the point, they knew they would be seen from the flying bitrons, and only then did they flee.

  The information was forwarded on to the Zhian Sphere’s core processing and the report came back in only moments.

  A full report with the names of every one of the 24 men was listed. Each of them had a history of many crimes including setting fires. All of them were registered voters who supported Trevil and were loyal to him.

  A profile was quickly created on each man. His photo along with their criminal records and anything else that could be obtained were compiled.

  Once these profiles were complete, they were sent back to Earth for the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI to analyze and take legal steps to apprehend them.

  Lawson, the director of the FBI, received the data and had warrants for their arrests within hours of receiving the reports. He was highly impressed with the work Earth II had done and so quickly too!

  The director immediately asked for an open channel between his office and Syra. He saw the potential to build his career on the end results of these cases and play a major role in cleaning up the streets.

  Director Lawson was nobody's fool, he knew many of those unsolved murders, robberies and a multitude of other crimes could be solved by having access to the Zhian Sphere’s core systems for analyzing.

  President Cole was proud he’d chosen Lawson, and the Senate had unanimously agreed to his confirmation. He was chosen for the simple fact that not only was he a dedicated law and order man, he also had a passionate side to him. Qualities not found in most men of his stature.

  It was not long before one of the biggest manhunts were underway all across the United States. It would take several months to apprehend each one and film their interrogation.

  When Lawson submitted a few of the videos to Syra, she ran it for him through the Zhian Sphere’s analyzes. She then sent them back to Earth and directly to Lawson!

  He found it shocking that each of these men would prefer prison than to confess to their crimes or even name who was behind their actions. He knew there had to be a mastermind behind the crimes, but none of these men would give a clue who they worked for.

  The analysis and end results of each of them clearly showed fear of someone enormously powerful was in control.

  Lawson knew he would have to rely on evidence against them, there would be no confessions for now.

  One thing for certain, Lawson thought, was that he would get to the bottom of this and find the identity of the Armageddon Executioner one way or the other.

  One brilliant idea Lawson had, and he ran it by Syra through a teleconference, was to send out a report that cameras you can’t see are out there watching everywhere all across the United States.

  The cameras would send back reports to him and he would catch anyone who tried to start any new fires no sooner than when it is started if not before.

  Syra suggested he have Ohtron and his bitrons go out and look for suspicious activity and this way, it would not be too much of a lie and Lawson agreed. No bluff was needed after all.

  From that point on, Ohtron would scout different suspected places from Lawson’s list. On random days and times, he would fly the area in full shroud. No one would ever be the wiser that he was there but him and his bitrons.

  Ohtrons night vision paid off one night when he noticed some suspicious activity at an old abandoned campground. Six men had that whole area rigged and were ready to strike the match!

  The video was sent back to Lawson of the act but then suddenly the feed went dark. From that moment on, it was doubtful those men were ever going to tell what really happened.

  By the time the sheriff and his men arrived, six men were hogtied to a tree, naked! They had been stripped of their clothing and of their pride. All the evidence of them lay in front of each man, gas cans, lighters, matches, maps of the area and in Jeeps so they could flee the area across the rough terrain. They were one big neatly wrapped package just waiting to be picked up by the law.

  When the men were taken into the sheriff’s office, they refused to tell how they had gotten their clothing removed, or how that evidence was left neatly at their feet. They were not about to admit a dozen bitrons had done them in.

  The next day, every news outlet had their photos plastered on the front page with only their crotches blurred out. The best headline Lawson saw was “Pyro’s, Naked and Afraid!”

  When the director had a news
conference that day, he spoke of how more and more of these arrests would come in the near future. He had eyes and ears everywhere!

  That day, a clear message was sent to stop starting fires or you’ll get just as naked and afraid as the last bunch.

  After a month and no new fires, Ellead and Ohtron were called back to Earth II. They had enhanced the security around the ranch and activated power sources that would be sending visuals back to Earth II of most of the live feeds from traffic cameras and anywhere a camera filmed live so Earth II could monitor all major cities across the United States.

  From that point on, Earth II would be able to see everything going on in sports stadiums, hospitals, city streets, anything that put out a live feed was tapped in to.

  It had been so quiet those six months that everyone began to feel relieved. Cleanup from the fires would be years in the making. But the losses of life were the greatest tragedy of all.

  It was a momentous day on Earth II when Ellead and Ohtron returned, but it felt nearly forever while everyone waited on them. They were greeted with many cheers and both went straight for the maintenance team for a do-over!

  The new power system would allow Ellead to return to earth in half the time it took before if not sooner than that. But he needed this new system installed and would need to test it time and time again before returning to Earth.

  The maintenance team got started right away on Ellead and his refit. Things had gone really well, and it was time to test his new speed.

  The first test was not as expected and so they continued to tweak the power source and test again and again until they got it right.

  Ohtron received his upgrade and happily tested it daily. His bitrons were upgraded too, and he often allowed them out of his underside to fly around and show off.

  Everyone on Earth II knew it would be a race against time for Ellead to be ready for a return to Earth before the next crises happened, and so they worked around the clock.

  Syra had a copy of the manifesto and had read it many times over. She believed nothing on that list was in any order. That anything was possible at any time and on any day.

  Syra, James, and Zach paced the floor every day while they watched the engineers test Ellead’s new power systems and also a few other enhancements to help him in his work on Earth.

  Ellead was an explorer by design, but with the upgrades, he had done, plus adding new features made him a state-of-the-art machine.

  However, he was originally designed many eons ago by the engineers back on the planet Zhian before its great exodus.

  When his new power systems were ready, everyone cheered because according to calculations by Zhian Sphere, he could make it to Earth in less than two months. That was a huge difference than before and would certainly give them the edge on the situation in the future.

  The big day came too quick, and no one really wanted to see Ellead go. His work on Earth II was so valuable, but he was needed a lot more on Earth.

  In Ellead’s absence, a new ship would soon be completed well within the year they had hoped it would be. With Ellead testing new technologies, the new ship would have an advantage no doubt.

  With the testing of the new power sources, the new ship, which would be christened Ark Royal, should be able to travel nearly bending time and space! There would be no more long trips to Earth ever again.

  As everyone stood and cheered Ellead, he lifted off with Ohtron in the cargo bay they were gone in a flash. The Zhian Sphere had allowed an opening in the Earth II’s shields for their exit.

  A silence filled the air, and no one could speak. All of Earth II loved Ellead and would long for his return.

  Back on Earth, President Cole knew of all the new enhancements and looked forward to Ellead’s return. There was always something they needed him to do, and they knew the fires would still be burning if it were not for Ellead and Ohtron.

  It had been nearly a year and no new crises which gave most false hope that that manifesto was written by a crazy man who most likely had died or had been killed.

  The people believed that whoever was helping him had moved on, and that is what they believed right until the first explosion!

  A notice had been placed in every newspaper in three east coast states that explosives were placed in 12 random buildings, three or four per state, and were scheduled to go off at random times.

  The notice also stated that if any aliens or alien technology tries to stop the explosions, even more, would die! No specifics were given, but it was signed, The Armageddon Executioner.

  Book two

  CHAPTER two

  A few days earlier, the first explosion had been set off in a new building that was to have its grand opening in just a few short days. Many believed it was target practice for whoever wired the building. It was a total mess, but no lives were lost, this time.

  Meanwhile, Ohtron had arrived at the Caldiron Ranch from Earth II in only 6 weeks of travel time. His recent upgrades had sped up his travel speed amongst a number of other abilities. He was now awaiting orders from Lawson, the director of the FBI.

  Meanwhile, the news got out fast that Ellead was back on Earth and he had brought Ohtron and his bitrons with him. There were factions in the United States that did not want any alien ship on American soil and was attempting to search the Caldiron Ranch.

  More and more radical groups began trying to trespass on the ranch to search for anything from another world, and they were ready to destroy whatever they found.

  Most trespassers gave up when they realized their electrical systems in their vehicle fried as soon as they approached the property lines.

  When approached by foot, they were chased away by various means depending on the situation. Usually, some believed they were just hallucinations but never seemed to realize that was part of the security systems meant to deter invaders.

  But some said these trespassers were making claims that were just too unbelievable. Of six men, each saw a different enemy approach him, and none could explain exactly why they ran away like madmen.

  It was at that point President Cole ordered the military to guard the Caldiron Ranch and to keep out trespassers. With Syra’s blessings, they would be allowed to stay on the property and all around it if necessary, although she felt they were truly not needed.

  Ellead and Ohtron lowered the protective shield at the main gate just long enough to allow the military access to the property.

  It was decided that by having the presence of the military; it helped mask the fact that the property was already highly protected by an alien technology from the planet Zhian.

  The ranch was private property and was owned by a natural born American citizen, and the president was not about to let this get out of control.

  Having the military on the property was more of a facade, but their presence would deter any unusual activity.

  The military sat up a barrier around the 5,000 acres and it soon became a military base and was the most protected piece of property anyone had ever seen. Some newspapers had even stated it had more protection than the gold at Fort Knox.

  This protection by the military caused many to believe there was something of value on the property, and a daily battle to protect it was caused by the military’s very presence there.

  The military had set up air surveillance over the property too, but that was truly not needed. It was mostly done to deter attempts to enter the land by air.

  Ellead and Ohtron had already turned on the full security system and had any structures and anything else in full shroud. From the sky, it appeared to just be empty of any structures at all.

  The last thing the president wanted, was for that ranch to become a battleground just because James Caldiron had married a woman from an alien world, and they had once lived there.

  By now, everyone was well aware that not only was Syra an alien, but she brought with her upon landing on Earth, 48 aliens and twice that number in robots. And not only that but an alien ship with ton
s of technologies and crystals to power just about anything. The replicators were the most sought after because there was no 3D printer that could complete with its capabilities.

  Many were only interested in the alien technologies, and most would give anything or kill anyone to have access to it.

  In a few remote areas around the perimeter of the ranch, some groups had started to dig tunnels, so they could get on the property and not been seen.

  It wasn’t long before the governor of Nevada had to take action against those trying different ways to get access to the ranch. Anyone caught trying to trespass would get double time in jail and he made it clear he would lock them up and throw away the keys!

  Things were a little too quiet for Director Lawson, so he asked Ohtron and his bitrons to make daily flyovers on at least a dozen large buildings he believed could be on the Armageddon Executioners target list.

  He relied on Ohtrons speed, but also his ability to shroud himself, and to scan through walls and any substance to see what’s inside it.

  Ohtron scanned 12 large buildings ranging from banks, two pharmaceutical companies to high-rise apartment buildings from the list given to him by Lawson.

  One apartment building caught Ohtron’s attention in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. When he scanned it, it had an unusual amount of suspicious wiring in the support beams on all four sides of the building.

  This was a reason to be concerned because if it were wired to blow up that would most likely be where the explosives would be located.

  Ohtron notified Lawson to advise him of his findings. All other buildings came back negative, but those cities and buildings would remain on the watch list.

  When Lawson ran a maintenance background check on the building, he discovered that six months earlier the owner of the building had recently started a renovation project. The building was scheduled for a grand re-opening in only a few days.

  The FBI went into action immediately trying to figure out if they should attempt to remove the devices already in place and reschedule the re-opening in order to have more time or what.

  Unfortunately, time was running out and there was no other choice but to move forward. It was decided to place Ellead on the top of the building and Ohtron in the center of the first floor so those they could not stop from entering the building could be quickly escorted to the roof and loaded inside Ellead for safety.