“In Disneyland the Legion declared martial law, took hostages, established a curfew, massacred prisoners, called in air strikes and artillery, and loosed wild vicious Earth animals on the streets.”
“But they won in Disneyland,” argued G.E.
“The Legion will not win in Finisterra,” promised the Emperor of the North. “We have the human pestilence outnumbered and have better leadership. Finisterra will not be a happy place for the human pestilence.”
* * * * *
General Electric and the Emperor of the North decided that a massive explosion was needed to bring down the Finisterra Bridge. Two insurgents, swimming alongside a small raft laden with military-grade explosives, intended to deliver such an explosion. They swam closer to the bridge in total darkness. Even the moon and stars were shrouded by fog. Their plan could not fail.
Corporal Tonelli, on top of the bridge, looked over the railing. He shined a spotlight downward, but could see nothing through the thick fog. Spot was looking over the railing, too. His constant low growl put everyone on edge. Sergeant Green tossed a grenade over the side. It exploded harmlessly in the water.
Suddenly, Spot jumped over the side of the bridge and into the water. The monitor dragon swam like a shark, dorsal fins sticking out of the water. Guided by smell, the dragon swam directly toward the spiders pushing the raft. The first spider was violently pulled under by the dragon’s jaws. His scream could be heard by legionnaires on the bridge. The second spider scrambled to get out of the water. The dragon pulled at his leg. The spider fought through the pain as he pulled himself up on to the raft. His leg snapped off at the joint, causing the spider to lose his balance and fall back into the water. This time he was not so lucky. As the spider grabbed for the raft, Spot easily pulled him under.
* * * * *
Tito was a spider gone crazy. A combination of drugs and alcohol had fried Tito’s brain. Tito had always struggled to fit in, but never quite could. Fired from his mining job at the Singh Mine, Tito felt lost. So when the Emperor of the North found Tito locked up at the county jail and befriended him, and even invited Tito to join the insurgency, Tito felt important. Once more, Tito had purpose and friends in his life. Tito would help his new friends rid New Colorado of the human pestilence.
His insurgent friends sent Tito on an important mission. Tito took another drink. His instructions seemed easy enough. All Tito had to do was drive a car across the Finisterra Bridge. Once on the bridge, Tito would press a button that would kill all the legionnaires guarding the bridge.
The hardest part of the mission was driving the car in his intoxicated state. The drugs and alcohol generously provided by his friend the Emperor of the North were having full effect. His car weaved as it approached the legionnaire checkpoint at the bridge. Tito pressed on the gas, accelerating through a barrier and past the legionnaires. Tito drove wildly as his car passed by and then struck a light pole. Tito was injured by the crash, but could feel no pain. Blood obscured sight in one eye, but he could still see the legionnaires running up to his car. They were yelling in their weird human language that Tito could never hope or want to understand without a translator. As the legionnaires approached, Tito pressed the button and yelled, “Death to the human pestilence!”
As Sergeant Green and Corporal Ceausescu ran up to the crashed car, they saw the spider hold up a device attached to wire. The spider hissed. Sergeant Green pushed Corporal Ceausescu to the side as an explosion knocked them both to the pavement. Sergeant Green lay unconscious. At first there was darkness. Then he could see a bright light getting closer. A pleasant voice called to him. I’m dead, thought Sergeant Green. So this is what it is like. There really is a light at the end of a tunnel that calls us up to Heaven. Well I’ll be damned. Clouds parted. The bright light enveloped Sergeant Green. God spoke to Sergeant Green in a deep voice that seemed to come from everywhere. “Tyrone. I am giving you wings,” said God.
“Lord All Mighty,” said Sergeant Green, marveling at his new wings, testing them and flapping them. I can’t believe I am going to Heaven after all I have done, thought Sergeant Green. He flew up to God. “Do these wings mean I am now an angel?”
“Oh hell no,” said God. “You are a bat!”
“I knew God was a cracker!” yelled Sergeant Green as he tumbled downward through the clouds towards a bright red glow. Sergeant Green could feel the heat as he fell toward Hell. When the pain from the fire became unbearable, Sergeant Green woke from his nightmare only to face the nightmare of reality. Corporal Tonelli was dragging him away from the car fire. Corporal Ceausescu lay off to the side, motionless on the ground.
“Let go of me! I am fine,” said Sergeant Green. “Attend to Elena. Don’t let her just lie there like that!”
After Corporal Tonelli had pulled Sergeant Green safely away from the fire, he rushed to Corporal Ceausescu’s aid. Sergeant Green could not move. He watched helplessly as others attended to the lovely Elena. Then darkness took Sergeant Green again.
* * * * *
The mansion home of Ralph Gobind Singh doubled as a fortress. Berms prevented attack from car bombs. A wall and fence prevented infantry attack. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter and manned checkpoints at the entrance. General Electric and the Emperor of the North watched the comings and goings at Singh’s mansion and discussed how to assault such defenses. They discussed crashing the gates with armored cars and even an attack from the air. Finally they decided to hit Singh as he traveled to his office at the mine.
They watched Singh’s escort convoy as it left the mansion. As the convoy entered town, it slowed at an intersection where an accident slowed traffic. An attractive human female lay in the street bleeding. No police or medical aid crews had arrived yet.
“See what assistance we can render,” radioed Singh to the lead car. “That poor young lady looks badly injured.”
Security officers rushed to help the accident victims. As they approached, the injured lady fired at them with a sub-machine gun. Spiders on the nearby roof tops fired RPGs and automatic arms at the convoy. Roadside bombs exploded under the escort vehicles to the front and rear. Insurgents with armored piercing grenades attacked the convoy vehicles from the side.
Singh watched in disbelief as a spider ran up to his limousine and threw a grenade. The long handled German looking grenade seemed to fly in slow motion directly at Singh. A small white parachute trailed the grenade, stabilizing its journey to the limousine. The top part of the grenade made contact with the armored plating of the limousine and blew a hole in its side. Singh was stunned. He could feel hands pulling him from the limousine, but was powerless to resist. A black cloth bag was placed over Singh’s head as he was hauled away.
* * * * *
The spider insurgent entered City Hall at about noon. He was disappointed to find that the building had other uses besides just government. Today it was being used as a tavern. On other days it was used as a church and a community center. Seeing that most of the tavern patrons were human, he unslung his backpack and left it under a bar stool. The insurgent ordered a beer and gulped it down fast. Then he ordered another beer and walked outside with it, leaving his backpack inside. The bomb went off a couple of minutes later.
Soon the sirens of police and medical aid first responders could be heard. Onlookers and fire department workers rushed to City Hall to help. The Legion responded in an armored car. They must have been close. The insurgent then pulled a remote control device out of a pouch and pressed a button. A massive car bomb explosion in front of City Hall destroyed the building and killed many. The blast left a huge crater where City Hall used to be. The Legion armored car lay on its side. Body parts and flesh were splashed against buildings and cars. Humans cried. Spiders hissed. The Legion began detaining everyone. Roadblocks went up at all intersections, but by then the insurgent was far away.
* * * * *
“Today we will be movie stars,” mused the Emperor of the North. “And you are invited.”
; “I do not want to be in the movies,” replied G.E. He stared at the video equipment and stage props. A banner reading DEATH TO THE HUMAN PESTILENCE hung as a backdrop to the stage setting. “What is all of this?”
“I told you,” said the Emperor of the North. “We are making a movie. Actually, we are broadcasting a movie in about two minutes.”
Insurgents brought in Ralph Singh and sat him on the floor. Singh’s hands were tied behind his back. Singh had two blackened eyes and a broken nose. He was wearing an orange jump suit but no shoes. The Emperor of the North handed G.E. a black mask.
“Put this on,” said the Emperor of the North. “We start the filming the broadcast shortly.”
“I will not wear a mask,” said G.E. “What are you afraid of? Either you are proud of what you are doing or you are ashamed.”
“The masks are for security reasons,” said the Emperor of the North. “Of course I am proud of what we did today. This is a great moment for our cause.” The Emperor of the North walked over to the video camera mounted on a tripod. He adjusted the focus until he seemed satisfied.
“You are a professional soldier?” asked Singh. “How did you get mixed up with these murderers? I can tell you are not of their ilk.”
“I am a murderer, too,” said G.E. “Do not think I will save you or feel guilt about your execution.”
“I do not want to die,” said Singh. “But I will not beg for my life. What did I ever do to you?”
Bright lights came on. The video filming started. The broadcast was live over planetary cable TV. The Emperor of the North tossed his mask aside and stood next to Singh. G.E. stood on the other side of Singh.
“Today the North Colorado Liberation Army will execute criminal Ralph Gobind Singh in retaliation for the Disneyland Prison Massacre,” announced the Emperor of the North, reading from a prepared statement. “I am the Emperor of the North. This is General Electric. Together we will drive the human pestilence out of New Colorado. As I speak, the Legion is being slaughtered in the streets of Finisterra. The human pestilence, lead by the criminal Singh, has stolen the riches of New Colorado from its rightful owners. The North Colorado Liberation Army will take back what the human pestilence has stolen and establish an independent country for all spiders. The execution of the criminal Singh will prove our resolve and will set an example for what will happen to human pestilence who stay in the North. Criminal Singh, do you have anything to say before you die? Do you wish to repent for your crimes? Your death will be less painful if you do.”
“Yes, I wish to make a statement,” said Ralph Singh. “To my wife and children, I love you. I will half my fortune to my family. I will the rest of my fortune to Alpha Company First Battalion of the United States Galactic Foreign Legion First Division, Captain Czerinski, commanding officer, when the Legion cuts off the head of the Emperor of the North and runs it up the flag pole in front of City Hall.”
“Get me the sword,” ordered the Emperor of the North, stunned at Singh’s defiance. “The arrogance of the human pestilence has no bounds.”
“We do not have a sword,” replied another insurgent.
“How about my combat knife?” asked G.E. “It is sharp enough to saw through anything.”
“His head must be chopped off,” said the Emperor of the North. “Not sawed off.”
An insurgent handed the Emperor of the North an ax used for chopping firewood. “Will this do?”
“It will have to do,” said the Emperor of the North. An insurgent dragged Singh to his knees and pulled him forward by the hair. The Emperor of the North raised the ax and swung it downward at Singh’s extended neck.
General Electric grabbed the ax handle and deflected the blow. The ax stuck into the wood floor. G.E. then faced the camera to speak.
“The criminal Ralph Singh will be ransomed,” announced G.E. “The leadership of the North Colorado Liberation Army will discuss what that ransom will be and relay it to the Legion and to the Singh Mining Corporation during our next broadcast.” The video was then disconnected.
“You traitor!” accused the Emperor of the North. “You have ruined everything!”
“What is so wrong with our making some money for our efforts?” said G.E., nodding to the other insurgents. They nodded back in agreement. “How much is Singh’s fortune worth?”
“It does not matter,” said the Emperor of the North. “If all we want is money, we are no different than common criminals. Any ransom is nothing compared to what we are fighting for. If we win, we get the entire North. Singh’s fortune is nothing compared to that. Singh’s fortune is nothing compared to our freedom.”
“If we win,” said G.E. “I say we do one thing at a time. We ransom Singh first. That will humiliate the human pestilence and we will get the bonus of making some nice coin on the side. And we can use some of the ransom to help finance the insurgency. The weapons and supplies I gave you from my shuttle won’t last forever. We will need to buy more. And one more thing. If you ever call me a traitor again, I will kill you instantly where you stand. Do I make myself clear?”
The Emperor of the North looked around the room for support. Not seeing any, he asked, “I suppose you would have this ransom business put to a vote?”
“We are not human pestilence. There will be no vote,” said G.E. “I command here. The matter is settled. We ransom Singh. We will discuss for how much later.”
The room full of insurgents cheered and fired their weapons into the air. The Emperor of the North agreed to ransom Singh. When he did so, the Emperor of the North also allowed General Electric to seize control as the Supreme Commander of the insurgency.
* * * * *
Sergeant Green woke up in a hospital bed. A Purple Heart had been pinned to his pillow. He looked over to the next bed. Elena lay there smiling back at him. Thank God.
“It’s about time you woke up,” said Corporal Ceausescu. “How many Purple Hearts do you have now? You get to wear a cluster.”
“That’s what this whole military operation consists of,” said Sergeant Green. “One big cluster.”
“Watch your mouth,” said Lieutenant Lopez, in the next bed. “I’m in charge of this cluster.”
“What are you doing here?” asked Sergeant Green. “I didn’t think officers got their hands dirty by leading the troops into combat anymore. Have you been slumming again or did the insurgency blow up your office?”
“Private Washington wrecked the armored car,” said Lieutenant Lopez. “You know he doesn’t even have a driver’s license? He tipped the armored car over right in front of City Hall.”
“How did that happen?” asked Corporal Ceausescu. “”Was he hurt?”
“Washington is fine,” said Lieutenant Lopez. “He breaks a leg or arm, and he doesn’t even bleed much. He just grows one back.”
“When do we get out of here?” asked Sergeant Green. “Other than every part of my body hurting, I feel fine.”
“The Doc says we have concussions and broken ribs,” advised Corporal Ceausescu. “After all the steroids they’re giving us, we’ll be out sometime tomorrow.”
“Good. I’ll be asleep until tomorrow,” commented Sergeant Green. “Don’t wake me unless it’s the end of the world about to happen, or if I’m getting sex.”
“Shut up,” said Corporal Ceausescu. “You get nothing until you can grow back limbs like Private Washington.”
“I’m not missing anything, am I?” asked Sergeant Green, checking himself. “I really am glad to see you are okay. You looked dead the last time I saw you.”
“Blah, blah, blah,” said Corporal Ceausescu.
“Can I ask you something personal?” asked Sergeant Green.
“Don’t get all mushy on me,” said Corporal Ceausescu. “Not in front of a room full of legionnaires.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to say something mushy,” said Sergeant Green. “When you were knocked out by the blast, did you see a bright light?”
“Are you asking me if I had a
near death experience?” Corporal Ceausescu laughed. “Of course not. There is no such thing.”
“I just wondered,” said Sergeant Green. “Actually, I’m relieved.”
“I had a strange dream, though,” said Corporal Ceausescu. “I dreamed God gave me beautiful white wings and I flew to Heaven. But I woke up here.”
“No, no, no!” yelled Sergeant Green. “What kind of shit is this?”
“You don’t like my dream?” asked Corporal Ceausescu, put off. “Or you don’t like the hospital?”
“Neither,” said Sergeant Green. “Wake me when the war is over. Next time, keep your dreams to yourself!”
“Don’t worry! I will!”
* * * * *
The spider wrecker driver pulled the Legion’s armored car back onto its wheels and treads. The vehicle rocked back and forth as the dust settled.
“Do you want me to tow your pretty armored car back to my shop for repairs and a paint job?” asked the wrecker driver. “I can hammer out those dents. I have a great new auto care facility in East Finisterra. Will payment be cash or credit card?”
“We will drive it as is,” I said. “The dents give it character.”
“Yes, sir, the customer is always right,” said the wrecker driver. “Anything for the Legion. I really appreciate how you boys lay your life on the line for us, fighting the insurgency and all. And I really appreciate the Legion paying for my new shop.”
“Screw you,” I said. “The money for your new shop came off my card. I’m going broke fighting the insurgency. No one seems to appreciate that!”
“I love the Legion,” insisted the wrecker driver. “Just keep that loco Lopez out of East Finisterra. We are running out of buildings he hasn’t shot up yet.”
America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 2: Reenlistment Page 11
