The beacon now had control of the communication systems of Scott Air Force Base. What was even better was that the new device, developed by top Gnol scientists, was undetectable. The humans would be completely unaware of the infiltration while the beacon transmitted vital intelligence back through the wormhole to Dorange Gar and his generals.
*****
Koroan’s Palace, Terrest - 5 days later . . .
Now that the savior of the Gnols was back, Dorange Gar was back in his old office within Koroan’s palace. While the office wasn’t as grand as Koroan’s, it was still the envy of many leaders throughout the Gnol Empire. The office was still spacious and had a large window through which Dorange could gaze over the spectacular city of Chast. The floor was oak hardwood, finished to perfection, and three forty-inch monitors lined the wall directly in front the desk. Also, along the walls were two plush leather sofas. A large oak desk rested toward the back of the office in front of the window.
Dorange sat in his leather office chair with his elbows resting on the desk. He was deep in thought, staring at the 3D holographic image that his desk emitted. He moved his hand into the hologram with his forefinger and thumb pinched together. As he spread his finger and thumb apart, the image grew larger. His eyes narrowed as he studied the defenses of Scott Air Force Base.
Just a few days earlier, he had received the intel that the spy, who had infiltrated Adrian Palmer’s inner circle, had successfully implanted the artificial intelligence beacon.
“There you are,” Dorange whispered as he increased the image further.
The hologram was an image that the beacon had transmitted. As a result, Dorange could see every man, woman, and child who inhabited the base. For the past two hours, he had searched for Celeste Chast and her newborn son, and now here she sat, an image frozen of her nursing the child. Adrian had done a good job hiding his precious grandson. Celeste and Calum were hidden deep underground in a room, obviously recognizing the need to protect Calum at all costs.
After finding what he was looking for, Dorange turned off the hologram and leaned back in his chair. Now what to do with this information? he thought. When Dorange had concocted his plan for the domination of Earth after conquering Terrest, he had done it with the knowledge that Koroan Chast was dead. He enjoyed the fact that he was the only Gnol on Terrest with this information, but he knew that it would be short-lived.
After all, Koroan had returned in glory and majesty along with a being of immense power. A being that shook Dorange to his very core and one that he would never dare betray. Now that Macaria, the great goddess of light, had manifested herself, he knew that he wasn’t king anymore. No, he was now a pawn and would do her bidding even if it meant his own demise. Nonetheless, he understood that if he played his cards right, he would be rewarded. Add to the fact that he couldn’t resist his attraction for her glorious beauty. His lust for flesh was almost as insatiable as his lust for power. This gave him the sliver of hope that she would return that lust if he pledged his undying allegiance to her.
Knowing what he had to do, he stood up and left his office. The two guards outside of his door gave their standard salute as he made his way to the elevator. He pushed the button to the top floor. As the doors closed, his stomach fluttered with nervous anticipation. The last time he had any contact with Macaria was on the day of the celebration of their return to Terrest. Since that time, Macaria had isolated herself, making it quite clear that she wanted to be left alone. Her precious savior had not even had contact with her. In addition, the palace’s slaves had worked tirelessly reconstructing her throne room within the top floor of the palace. Now that it was complete, this was where she spent all of her time.
The door opened and Dorange had to cover his eyes from the brightness of the room. The walls were covered entirely in gold. The shining finish of the floor, oak hardwood, reflected the light that scattered throughout the room. As he stepped out of the elevator, his eyes followed the light up to its source. At the top of the room, Macaria sat in a golden throne, cushioned with the finest pillows the Gnol seamstresses could design.
Dorange could only see parts of Macaria’s body. Macaria sat upon her throne, staring out of the crystal panes of glass surrounding her. The placement of crystal glass at the top of the palace was a direct request from Macaria. There, she could sit upon her throne, the source of the light, and gaze out of the windows with a three-hundred-sixty-degree view. The design was also a powerful reminder to the citizens of Chast that their goddess mother had arrived as the light exploded out from the windows to every citizen within miles of the palace.
The chair began a slow descent to the floor and then turned so Macaria could face her audience. The bright light illuminating from the chair faded, and Dorange was able to get a good view of the new goddess of the Gnol Empire. She was absolutely exquisite with flawless skin. A white silk dress hung loosely over her tantalizing figure. Her eyes sparkled the brightest blue he had ever seen, and the glimmer in those eyes told Dorange that she knew exactly what he was thinking. “You have found the child?” she asked.
Dorange dropped to one knee in reverence to her and bowed his head. “Yes, your Highness,” he replied, raising his eyes to meet hers.
“And what of the gold plate?”
A slow grin of victory spread along Dorange’s lips as he stood. “I know exactly where it is.”
“You have done well, Dorange, and I am pleased you were willing to share this information with me,” Macaria said, returning his smile. She then clicked the comlink on the armrest of her throne. “Koroan . . .”
After a short pause, Koroan’s deep, bellowing voice came over the speaker. “Yes, my Queen.”
“How long until our forces are battle ready?”
“Now that we have rid the planet of the rebel infestation—”
“Thanks to Dorange, of course,” Macaria interrupted.
Pride swelled within Dorange’s heart. He reveled in the fact that Macaria lavished him with pleasantries and, at the same time, treated Koroan with contempt. He also understood, however, that the pleasantries wouldn’t last and that Macaria was most likely manipulating him. For what purpose? He didn’t care.
“Our forces can be mobilized, and new battleships constructed within one year,” Koroan continued with bitterness in his voice.
Macaria paused for a few moments. “Good. In a year from now, my servants, we will conquer Earth with a full invasion, finally freeing my master, the true god of this galaxy.”
*****
Scott Air Force Base, Missouri, Earth . . .
Despite his religious upbringing, Eli Jacobson stood on the tarmac of Scott Air Force Base cursing out loud. General Chris Peterson stood nearby, ignoring his tirade. After feeling somewhat relieved of his frustration, he took a deep breath. This isn’t good, he thought.
The two men continued to stand in silence as the blades of a Blackhawk helicopter cut through the air. The pounding of the blades grew louder and louder, settling above its destination on the tarmac. It hovered for a few seconds and then landed softly on the blacktop. Wind gusts from the blades blasted Eli and Chris, forcing each man to shield his eyes. Through squinted eyes, Eli watched his team and the security detail assigned to them exit the helicopter. Jennifer, his assistant, was the first to approach him.
“Did you find anything?” Eli asked.
Jennifer, obviously frustrated as well, shook her head. “No. We had just set up camp and were beginning our investigation when everything went bad.”
“How bad is it?”
Captain Smith, coming up behind Jennifer, responded first, “Not good, Professor. The drug cartels have taken over the Mexican government, not that that was hard to do. But they are creating havoc down there, murdering innocent people if they don’t do what they want and enslaving the rest.”
Eli cursed again, turning his attention to General Peterson. “Can a team be sent down there to secure the site?”
Chris, knowing the import
ance of finding the plate as well, shook his head in disappointment. “I’ve advised the president of the situation. He agrees that the site needs to be secured, but the Gnol attack decimated our forces. Add to that the threat of other nations possibly invading the country in all the chaos. We simply don’t have the manpower.”
“Doesn’t the president realize how important it is to find this plate? I mean . . . the destiny of the entire galaxy rests on this ancient relic. The invasion of the United States pales in comparison.”
“I agree, Eli, but you have to look at the situation from a military point of view. Do we put at risk what little we have left of the greatest nation on Earth over the assumption of an imminent Gnol attack? Adrian has even said that a Gnol attack isn’t very likely. With the death of Koroan Chast, and the supposed death of Dorange Gar, the Gnol leadership isn’t stable, making it highly unlikely the Gnols would even consider another invasion. Besides, with both men dead, and the gold plate of Terrest left on Gnolom with Koroan’s rotting corpse, what Gnol would even know of the remaining plates, let alone what they have the potential to do?”
Chris’s argument made sense, but like John, Eli believed a Gnol attack was inevitable despite the evidence. The argument just didn’t sit well with him. “Then let me go alone,” he demanded.
“Can’t do it,” Chris said.
Eli clenched his jaw in anger before offering another alternative. “Then send Skip and me down there with Jake and Celeste. With their abilities, they can hold off any trouble.”
“I suggested that alternative to the president,” Chris replied with annoyance creeping into his voice, “but John suggested that we don’t put Jake or Celeste in danger. Their number one responsibility is to protect their child.”
Eli dipped his head in defeat. After a long pause, he looked back at Chris. “Okay, then. How long do we wait?”
Chris signed heavily, an indication that he too was frustrated. “At least a year.”
CHAPTER 10: INVASION
Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands - 8 months later . . .
2,100 nautical miles southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii rests a chain of twenty-nine atolls and five larger islands known as the Marshall Islands. During World War II, the islands were a significant strategic point for both the Japanese and the United States militaries. Is was also on one of these atolls, Kwajalein, where the Japanese housed one of the most brutal POW camps during the war. After the war, Kwajalein eventually became a U.S. Naval station. In 1999, the base was renamed the Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site.
Kwajalein is actually one of the world’s largest coral atolls surrounding the world’s largest lagoon, not only making it a strategic military site but one of the most beautiful places in the world. And it was here on this string of islands where Adrian Palmer and his family were sent, hidden from the world and any prying Gnol eyes that might be monitoring the planet. Kwajalein was one of the few American military installations that had not been hit during the Gnol invasion. What was more, the base could sustain a living population of 2,500 people complete with a school and housing, as well as medical and dental facilities.
At the present time, however, there were only twenty-six people inhabiting the base, including Adrian, Anyta, Kylee, Bantyr, Lexis, Ariauna, Nichelle, and Sage Merrok. Jake and Celeste were there as well, protecting Calum. All of them were under the protection of fifteen marines. Under John’s recommendation, they were moved from Scott Air Force Base to the Reagan Test site four months ago. Eli Jacobson and his team, along with Skip, were given the okay from President Thompson to begin their search for Earth’s gold plate at Teotihuacan a month ago. Soon, Adrian and Sage would join them. But for now, they were living in a tropical paradise, enjoying all of the fruits that paradise life could offer.
Adrian smiled, leaning his head back against the cushioned headrest of the rocking chair. He pushed the chair back and forth, the smells of tropical life infusing his senses. The rush of waves crashing lightly into the white sand just a few feet outside of Jake and Celeste’s bungalow soothed his nerves. Everything was perfect. For the first time in a long time, he was at peace. No war. No concerns. He was home. His family was safe, and he couldn’t have been more grateful.
Calum giggled, reaching his tiny hand up toward his grandfather’s lip, something he always did to Adrian. A smile, bigger than one he could ever remember giving, spread along his face. He bit down playfully onto his grandson’s plump index finger. Calum cackled with laughter. Besides Bantyr, not Jake, Adrian was the only other person that could get Calum to giggle like this. Not that Calum didn’t like his father; he adored Jake and would reach for him whenever he was around. But his Uncle Bantyr and Grandpa were his playing buddies.
“You’ve got to get some sleep,” Adrian said, tucking the baby’s blue blanket tighter around him.
Calum just looked at his grandfather with glimmering, big blue eyes, smiling. Calum was eight months old now and had grown quite a bit, weighing in at 19 pounds and measuring 32 inches, which was significantly large for a baby of that age. But Calum Palmer was no ordinary baby, and everyone knew it.
With every ounce of his being, Adrian believed Calum to be the chosen one that had been foretold amongst the Terrestrian and Gnol people. Calum had even connected telepathically with Adrian on several occasions. Despite the evidence, however, there were still some that didn’t quite believe that he was the chosen one. Nichelle was one of those not convinced, which was one of the wedges being driven between her and Celeste. After all, Calum bled red, not the glowing gold-white blood that ran though his parents’ veins. This was particularly puzzling because the Terrestrian doctors had determined that Celeste conceived Calum after she and Jake were transfigured. She had lost the child that was alive within her womb upon her death. How could two transfigured beings conceive a child with mortal flaws? Nichelle had asked at one time.
To add to Nichelle’s reservations, Calum was physically weak, often coming down with a myriad of human diseases. In fact, when they first arrived in the Marshall Islands, Calum became very ill with pneumonia and nearly died. The illness weakened him so much so that he was still not able to regain the motor control a normal eight-month-old baby would exhibit. He still could not crawl because of his lack of strength, yet another argument against his prophesied destiny.
Despite the lack of physical strength, Calum did exhibit extraordinary mental capabilities. Like Adrian, Jake and Celeste had telepathically connected with their son, creating an unbreakable bond.
Calum coughed, pulling Adrian out of his thoughts. Adrian looked down into his grandson’s eyes. They were growing heavy now. After playing all morning, he was finally becoming drowsy. Calum pulled his right thumb to his mouth and began sucking, a habit that his mother didn’t approve of, but one that Jake and Adrian found adorable.
Pulling the toddler tighter to his chest, Adrian looked up and out of the dimly lit bungalow window. He could see Jake and Celeste frolicking about in their bathing suits in the crystal blue lagoon. Adrian’s beautiful wife, Anyta, lay nearby on a towel reading, of all things, a medical journal. Bantyr was also in the lagoon, tormenting Lexis and Kylee. Ariauna, Nichelle, and Sage were somewhere nearby. Everything was perfect. He couldn’t have imagined it better.
As he continued to rock back and forth, smiling at his family, it hit him. This was the vision he beheld when he discovered Dorange Gar’s true identity. In addition, it was the only time he had ever been able to tap into any kind of Gnol abilities when he battled Dorange. Was this vision of him rocking his grandson the source of that power? If it was, then there was no question that Calum Palmer was indeed the one who would unite two worlds and two peoples.
*****
In orbit above Earth . . .
“Are you sure their satellites won’t detect us?”
Koroan turned his chagrin toward Macaria. Standing next to him dressed in her leather battle suit that she had worn on Gnolom, she continued to stare at the giant view
screen directly in front of them. The image was absolutely breathtaking. An arching horizon of Earth fell into view, its blue oceans and green and brown land speckled with white and gray clouds mesmerized her. Trying to control his thoughts, Koroan couldn’t help but wonder about his new queen. In some ways, he reminded her of a child getting used to its new body. She marveled at the simplest things, such as taste, sight, smell, and, best of all, touch. “Yes, my Queen,” he replied, turning his attention back to the picturesque scene before him.
Macaria continued to stare in amazement in silence for a few more minutes, obviously failing to perceive Koroan’s thoughts. Within the past eight months as they prepared for a second invasion of Earth and to Koroan’s relief, Macaria treated him better and with a little more respect. She was pleased with the fact that Koroan was able to unite his entire empire into one cause, thus shortening the time of their planned invasion.
Within just seven months, the Gnols were able to construct thousands of new battleships and cruisers, packed with even more fighters and soldiers. This time, the invasion of Earth wouldn’t fail. Unlike the first invasion, Koroan could now throw the entire might of the Gnol Empire at the planet of his most hated enemies. What surprised Koroan even more was Dorange’s willingness to conquer Earth, despite his ties to the planet. As a result, he and Dorange were able to rebuild some of the trust they had before he found out who Dorange Gar really was.
Adding to Koroan’s pleasure was the fact that he now stood in another prized command ship, the Raqel II. The new ship was designed almost exactly as the first. The one difference were the four powerful hyperspace engines that powered the ship. Designed from the knowledge of wormholes that Koroan’s scientists learned how to replicate in the lab, the Raqel II was the only ship in the Gnol fleet capable of producing its own wormhole for interstellar travel. Koroan no longer had to rely upon a hypothesized wormhole orbiting a planet. He and Macaria now had their own. The only problem was that the galaxy needed to be mapped accurately so that his precious new ship wouldn’t collide with an asteroid, a planet, or a star. This was one of the several reasons they needed to find Earth’s gold plate and to retrieve Gnolom’s as well. Combined with the gold plate of Terrest, Macaria speculated that a star map could be created, mapping out the entire galaxy.
Worlds Without End: The Prophecy (Book 3) Page 19
