by Barlow,M
Two agents came to see him at noon. “Are you ready, sir?” One of them asked.
Noah closed the report and tossed it on his desk. “No easy way to do this. Let’s get it over and done with.”
He strolled through the hallway to the large office at the end of the hall. He knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Matt’s voice came from the office.
Noah entered. Matt glanced at the two agents behind him before he motioned Noah to take a seat. Noah ignored the chair and examined him for a long while.
Matt pushed away his hologram. “What is it, Noah?”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you betray your country?”
Matt shot to his feet and motioned the agents to leave, but they stood still. His eyes turned red to match the rest of his face. “Have you gone mad?”
Noah motioned the agents. They moved to arrest Matt.
“Stop,” Matt shouted at the agents, his voice every bit as angry as he was. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The agents ignored his protests. One of them grabbed his hands and handcuffed them behind his back.
“You just signed your death certificate.”
“No, I didn’t,” Noah said. “Two months back, I started this investigation.” He walked around the office and sat in Matt’s chair. “We knew we had a mole in our ranks when the news about Shara’s arrival was leaked. With the authorization the Prime Minister gave me, I requested a team to look into ASIO agents and managers who had access to the information.”
Noah grabbed the hologram back. He signed Matt out and logged in with his own credentials. “The infiltration team established contact with their command center. We traced the contact to a small area and started digging. We wanted to see which agent contacted that same area, but we found nothing.”
There were three unread emails. Noah opened the first one. “I figured maybe we’re missing the obvious. The infiltration team was here as soon as Shara arrived. A small time window that left the PM, Jackie, and you as prime suspects.”
Noah opened another email. “It was a tough conversation with the PM, but he agreed to a more thorough investigation that included him. And that’s when I found you. The real you.”
He pushed away the hologram and got to his feet. In two strides, he was in front of Matt. “The one that leaked our most sensitive information. The one that provided our fleet and mobilization information to our enemies, so they knew where to strike and how many troops and vessels to bring to our shores. Our shores, Matt. And you ask me if I’m mad?”
“You’re making a huge mistake,” Mat said, his voice dripping with hate.
Noah inched closer until his face was inches away from Matt’s. “The one who sent our agents location to the triads five years ago. You had my agents killed and had me sanctioned. I’m not making a mistake, and neither will you, not anymore. You’re done.”
He motioned the agents to take Matt away.
Ignoring his struggle, they dragged Matt out of the office.
“You can’t do this,” Matt shouted. “You’ll regret this, Noah. I swear you’ll pay.”
For five years, Noah tried to understand what went wrong. And couldn’t. The guilt ate him. There he was with his wife, close to his son. But, depression sunk deeper in his core every day. Those agents were his son’s age. One of them had a two-year old toddler.
Then Noah got his second chance with this mission. He came to Canberra with two things—the file Matt handed him and the assignment file copy from five years ago. Now it was over. Matt would get what he deserved, and Noah would get his closure.
Or would he?
He’d once called Matt a colleague. A friend. Noah thought he’d be relieved, but the taste of betrayal and disappointment overwhelmed his relief.
At least Noah could focus on the preparations for the imminent attack. Mara and her sisters would soon leave for the US. As the new Director of ASIO, it would be up to him and the rest of the government to take over. To enhance the army, build the ships, and help transform the US army.
*****
Thousands of enhanced soldiers in camouflage uniforms lined up in a tight formation before Mara. Tens of battleships, commanded by Australian officers and pilots, thundered above the soldiers in a show of power and a demonstration of skill in front of the high-ranking army generals and government officials led by the country’s Prime Minister.
“What do you think?” Gabriel asked.
“They’re good. I can’t believe they reached this stage in two months.”
“Do you think it’ll be enough if we keep this rate?”
Mara examined him. He was a good leader, but he was worried. Someone else would be content with what he’d been doing, but Gabriel was more concerned with what he could do. He didn’t need facts or motivation. He needed assurance.
“Your nation will only become stronger,” Mara said “We will keep working with other nations until we have the ships and men we need.”
“I hope so.”
“Don’t worry. I know there is only a handful of us left, but our weapons and technology will give you a clear edge.”
“How many do we need?” Gabriel asked.
“From you, two thousand ships, and quarter a million soldiers.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t answered my question.”
Mara smiled and reached up to hold his shoulder. “Commander, have faith. We have many stops in our journey. I promise you when we’re done, you’ll have thousands of ships, and millions of soldiers.”
Gabriel nodded.
“You’re a capable leader. Keep up the training. Use Alex and Violet. They bear the Mark of Korr.”
A small smile intruded on his otherwise tense features. “What time are you leaving?”
“After sunset. We have an early morning meeting in the US.”
“I’m sure you’ll do a lot of good in there.”
Mara shook his hand, maintaining her smile. “It’s been an honor, Gabriel.”
His smile widened. “The honor was all mine.”
She glanced at the airships in the sky before she lowered her gaze to the soldiers beneath them. They strengthened every day. Perhaps they’d become a mighty army if they had time. And they do. After what she’d seen them achieve in two months, she could only imagine what would become of them in two years.
*****
Washington D.C.
April 5, 2031
Washington D.C.
Between the dome and monument, Mara sat down on top of the steps at midday. She watched the sun rise above the busy square and the tall Washington monument ahead. Tourists and locals walked around, taking pictures, laughing, and pointing. But not at her.
Why would they? She wore normal clothes. ‘Make-up’ covered the green color of her skin—courtesy of the CIA. She kept her hands in her pockets to avoid drawing attention. That, and it was freezing.
“They sure love meetings on Earth.”
Shara shrugged and pointed at the monument. “Over five-hundred-foot tall memorial to honor the memory of one man. Can you believe it?”
“It’s as bad as the monstrous statue of grandmother Kaya in the Capital Gardens.”
Shara frowned. “What do you mean?”
“We glorified our past leaders, too.”
“This is about Mother, isn’t it?”
Mara’s swung around to face her. “Things were black and white. Now, I don’t know.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Shara said, a mischievous smile on her face. “But you’re overthinking this. In less than two years, they’ll be here to take over this world. We must stop them.”
“I suppose.”
“Do you think what they pledged is enough?”
Mara gazed at the monument to hide her contempt. “I don’t know. We don’t know how many of their ships survived. Although I’m certain it’s more than what both countries can deliver in two years.”<
br />
“A million soldiers?”
“It’s the most they can devote without raising suspicion,” Mara said. “They don’t want to alarm their people.”
“Manakaris bombs and missiles are not quiet. How long do they think they can contain this?”
“I understand what they’re trying to do. Would you rather live in crippling fear for two years or live a normal life and face the results, eventually? At least they get to enjoy whatever time they have left?”
Shara pressed her lips and looked at the steps beneath her. “I’d rather not know.”
The thought of this planet falling to the Manakaris’ forces was depressing, as depressing as being defeated twice. Shara had a point. Humans needed to do more.
“You realize Earth has other powerful nations,” Shara said.
“Yes, but they don’t play nice with each other.” Mara tilted her head to face Shara. Her eyes were dim. “I suggested this to mother when she landed, but she thought sticking to one side was best. She feared if we armed everyone, they’d turn on each other after the invasion.”
“I suppose.”
The wrinkled nose, wide eyes, and pressed lips said Shara didn’t share the Queen’s view. Neither did Mara. She’d rather announce their existence to the world. Convince them to devote their resources to prepare for the war. But she’d respect her mother’s wishes, at least until she recovered from her illness.
Mara craned her head to follow a large group of tourists. A large family with many children and few adults that struggled to control the little ones.
“Don’t worry. We can visit other countries if mother changes her mind.”
Shara smiled. “Where do you wish to go?”
“Egypt.”
“Egypt?”
Mara forced a smile on her face. “Yes, I hear they have a bad painting of mother.”
Shara laughed. “Alissara told me. A stick figure.”
“She had it coming for lying to us.”
Before Shara commented, Alissara approached—she’d been going around the monument in circles.
“What are you two going on about?”
Mara smiled. “Stick figures.”
Shara glared at her. “No, Egypt.”
Alissara’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, I love Egypt, they have monuments older than we are, tasty food, and this thing called Shisha, and you smoke it with tea, and—”
Shara interrupted her. “Breathe.”
“Breathe what?”
“That’s what they say here to stop people from getting carried away.”
Mara waved her hand to stop them from bickering. “We can go after we’re done here.”
Alissara raised her brows. “Wait a minute, that was too easy.”
“Can’t you just be happy?”
“The last time we agreed on something, our mother almost died. What are you two scheming now?”
Mara exchanged looks with Shara. Her features now serious. “This army isn’t enough.”
Alissara’s excitement faded. She sat down next to Mara. “I know.”
Mara fell silent. Her sisters, too. Humans couldn’t conceive the danger. The most they’d done was sending small ships to space within their planetary system. How could they devote their resources to confront an enemy, they couldn’t conceive? Still, a part of her wished they’d do more. Enough worlds had been destroyed.
She tore her eyes off the stairs to look at her sisters. “Ok, we’ll go to Egypt, but first, let’s make sure the American army is as strong as it can be.”
Even with the Australian’s help, it would take time. It’d take months to enhance soldiers and build battleships.
“Is Nevada nice?” Alissara asked.
Mara smiled. “Yes, it has snow, beer, and casinos. I’ll show you when we get there.”
Alissara laughed. “Breathe!”
Mara chuckled. They had a lot to do, but they could still enjoy themselves in the process. After all, they had two years to live.
*****
General David Harris received Mara and her sisters in Area 51—an ideal location to start the enhancement process.
The large underground complex contained an adequate manufacturing facility. Vast desert surrounded them and provided the privacy they required. The nearest city was Reno, which was hundreds of kilometers away.
Since Mara had visited the complex before, she skipped the tour. She needed to figure out what she had to do with David. This operation was much bigger than the one in Australia. There were a hundred thousand soldiers in five nearby bases, and ten thousand in Area 51. And Mara had to enhance and train every one of them.
“We have a lot to do and not enough time.”
David nodded. “Whatever you need.”
“Have you installed the chairs?”
Mara shipped a hundred chairs to the US a week ago and requested trained Australian soldiers to supervise the enhancement process around the clock. Americans were manufacturing another hundred chairs. Enough to enhance a million soldiers a year.
“Yes,” David said.
“And the Australian operators?”
“Just landed. They’ll be ready in an hour.”
“The reactor?”
“Ready to go.”
“So am I, let’s get started,” Mara said, and followed him to the reconditioning hall.
They used the atomic reactor on the base as a primary source of power. Shara assured her it would be enough to power the chairs and the manufacturing facility. If it wasn’t, they’d get what they needed from the power grid.
Inside the hall, the crystal chairs lined up in ten rows of ten. They seemed in good working order, but Mara didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Mara removed her cape, threw it in the corner of the room, and picked up a small device that hung from her belt. She sat down behind the first chair and took off the base cover and connected her device to the chair.
After a few seconds, the device chirped and disconnected itself, indicating the chair was functional. Mara moved to the next one.
“Should I get the operators?” David asked.
“No, but if the tour is done, tell Alissara I need her help,” Mara said, and repeated the process for the next chair. “Line up a hundred soldiers outside for the first wave.”
David nodded and left to gather the soldiers.
Examining the chairs took a few minutes. When she finished, she could hear the soldiers, talking outside. Mara hovered to the door and motioned them to enter the hall.
“Sit in the chairs, relax, and be patient—there is a hundred of you and one of me.”
“Alissara to the rescue.” With a booming laugh, her younger sister’s voice came from outside the hall.
“As usual,” Mara said, smiling.
Together, they secured the soldiers in the chairs and checked their vitals. Then Mara started the enhancement process.
An officer walked into the hall. “Mara, I’m Nick, and I’m here to help. If you need anything, let me know.”
Mara gave him a friendly smile. “Good, please prepare the next wave. A hundred soldiers. Send them in as soon as the first wave leaves.”
The officer nodded and exited the hall.
“You know what I find interesting?” Alissara asked.
“What?”
“The rejection percentage has been less than one percent.”
“They do intense screening before they admit soldiers in the army. I imagine the percentage will increase if they roll it out to the general population.” She looked at the soldiers. Their hands were shaking. Their foreheads glistened with sweat.
“I’m excited to see what will become of this world, once they’re enhanced.”
“I’m too,” Mara said. “By the way where is Shara?”
“Forget Shara. She found the Manakari’s ship.”
Mara frowned. “We’re lucky if we see her before the invasion.”
*****
Crudely dissected and timeworn, the small ship
was damaged beyond repair. The silver metal had rusted. The crash had shattered the shield on top and crushed a wing. Shara was certain the ship was for surveillance ship. The engine was far more advanced than she thought of the Manakari’s technology two centuries ago. Not surprising, considering how the Korrans underestimated them every step of the way.
“Strange, it’s two hundred years old,” Shara said. She couldn’t conceal the surprise in her voice.
Mike Rivers slipped his hands into his pockets. “Why is that strange?”
She continued to examine the ship. Strange, because they had captured it a hundred years ago. Before that, this ship had monitored them for a hundred years.
“We were monitoring them around that time.”
“And?”
“We thought they rode horses,” she said.
His eyes widened. “Strange is an understatement then.”
She couldn’t agree more. They used a sophisticated technology for the engine, and the power source had rivaled those produced on Korr. The implications were serious. The Manakaris could be traveling faster through space, and they could have more powerful ships and weapons.
Shara worked on the ship for hours. Mike left and came back a handful of times. She sat down in the rough and leathery front seat and focused her efforts on the ship’s computer. Finally, she heard a loud beep and the navigation system started. The panel lit up, and the blue interface appeared.
When she cracked the security layers and accessed the system information, surprises rolled in. There were four crew members—not two. One was in a cylinder in the small alcove behind her. Another was in Western Australia. Two were unaccounted for, and one of them was a high-ranking commander. He must’ve led the surveillance mission. And they must find him.
Mike walked in after midday. His eyes widened when he noticed the ship was functioning.
“There are two more Manakaris,” Shara said.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, Mara was correct. The Mothership was destroyed in Siberia, forty years before you captured this one. Four Manakaris survived the explosion and escaped aboard this ship.”
