by Lance Powers
***
“But I’m almost there, Garth.” She protested as he had expected. “Look, ninety one percent complete.”
“And how long will the remaining nine percent take?” He asked her.
“Ten hours at least, at most fifteen.” She shrugged.
“We only have four…” He frowned agitatedly. “…before the aliens get here.”
“Are you sure Roberson isn’t up to something again, Garth?”
“I was there, Regina.” He replied. “I saw it with my own eyes, heard it all with my own ears.”
“What if he organized that play with the aliens to fool you?” Regina gave him a doubtful look.
“Impossible.” He shook his head calmly. “He had no idea I could be inside his private office.”
“Hm, that makes sense.” The young scientist had to acknowledge. “And the rebels won’t join you.”
“Can’t say I blame ‘em.” Garth paced around the little room slowly. “Roberson’s offer isn’t exactly something they care for… besides he’s going to step down after this is over.”
“How can you tell?” Regina leaned back on her chair. “Can any of us make him do that? He’s a crook and he’ll always weasel his way out of anything he’s promised.”
“Roberson is a rather clever man.” He said, grudgingly.
“He told me he has the highest IQ after mine.” The brunette gave him a smile.
“So he does, but you, Regina, you are special.”
“Oh, that reminds me, Garth.” Her voice trembled slightly. “What should I make of that kiss before you ran off?”
“Uh, yeah…” A sudden rush of uncertainty overcame him. “I was, worried for you…”
“Is that all?” She pressed, her pretty eyes narrowed at him.
“Yes, I mean… no.”
“Come on, Colonel.” Regina laughed with a hint of trepidation. “You’re a man of much experience… and I’m just starting out.”
“Maybe that’s the reason why this is so awkward.” He sighed, leaning his back to the wall.
“Really? Is there something between us, Garth?”
“I don’t know… I mean, there could be.”
“Yes, I would like that.” Her eyes lit up, warming his heart.
“You would?” He asked, rather timidly. “I mean, there must be some men around your age…”
“There are many men around my age that I know of…” She stood up and walked to him. “…but none of them are like you.”
“Oh, I see.” He looked into her eyes as she stood before him. “So… you are… er…”
“Yes, Garth, I would love to… see where this goes.” The young woman blushed pleasantly.
“Sounds good to me.” He caressed her check and glossy dark hair. “But we have a world changing task to complete before any of that.”
“Yeah, and I need more time.” Her smile made him want to take her in his arms and leap for joy.
“We haven’t got much left.” He exhaled and guided her toward the alien computers. “They’ll be here in about three to four hours, if I can have faith in what Roberson said.”
“That’s the whole point, isn’t it?” She nodded and settled back down to work. “Faith in a weasel like the President. That’s why the rebels left you.”
“We’ve got to get back to the citadel.” Garth told her. “This whole place will be a war zone.”
“Why can’t I still work like I have been so far and you all defend the place like you were doing.”
“Until now we were fighting Earth Gov and we were trumping them because I know how they operate.” Garth said quietly. “I know nothing of these aliens and we can’t take any risks.”
“But all this work and data…” She had a look of regret on her face.
“Isn’t there any where else you can transfer it all to and work from there?”
“Oh, yes… how could I forget?” Her eyes went wide and she smiled in mild embarrassment. “I’ve been transmitting everything to our database back home, to my lab there.”
“Then send over the rest, and let’s go there, Doctor. You can work from home while I get the reception committee ready for our alien visitors.”
“Okay. The transmission will take fifteen minutes in all, and then we can get out of here.” She nodded as she keyed in the commands rapidly. Her fingers flew over them like some sort of buzzing little bird.
“Good job.” He admired her lightning-speed mastery of the alien key commands. “I knew you’re smarter than all the rest put together.”
“I’ve always been.” Her smile lit a furnace in his already warmed heart.
***
A half hour later, he was speeding through the citadel following Regina Scott to her home. Just as Roberson had promised, at least for now, all charges against her had been dropped and her citizen status with all its privileges had been reinstated just as his had. She paused before a doorway and nodded to him.
“This is your house?” He asked, looking around the area.
“My parents’. I have to live with them until I… find a partner.” She replied. Her face blushed a sweet red before she opened the door with her reinstated wrist bar code.
“Regina!” A shrill voice greeted them as they stepped into the house.
“Mom!” The young scientist hugged the short, plump woman before her. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s in the lab.” The woman replied in a pitch quite high. “Honey, come on out, Gina’s home. Oh, we were so worried… all these days, in the news… they said you were a rebel… Oh, my!” She paused, looking at Garth for the first time.
“Mom!” Regina told her with a smile. “This is Colonel Garth Evans.”
“Oh, yes, we’ve heard much about him too.” A man on his sixties walked up to them. “Make yourself at home, Colonel. And thank you for bringing our daughter home.”
“Doctor Scott. Mrs. Scott.” He nodded and shook the man’s hand. “A pleasure meeting you, but I’m afraid, duty calls. I must be on my way to High Command.”
“Before you go, young man.” Mrs. Scott looked at him squarely. “What’s the truth in these absurd charges against our Gina?”
“Those have been dropped.” He replied with a quick smile. “Doctor Regina Scott has been on an undercover mission for the government, with me and a few others, including the President.”
“You met the President?” Milton Scott looked awestruck.
“Yes, we did… quite up close and personal.” Regina told her father. “And I’ll tell you all about it, over dinner. Colonel Evans really has to go, so if you’ll excuse him.”
“Yes, please. Sorry to have kept you.” Her father said.
“Do come again when you have time.” Her mother added with a smile.
“I intend to. And thank you.” He told the couple and looked at the young scientist. “Take care, Regina, I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“You too, Colonel.” She gave him another smile with a hint of a blush.
He turned away and walked down the pathway swiftly. Any longer and it would be the harder to do what he had to do. His focus had to be undivided. He had to be the Colonel Garth Evans of legend, the ice cold soldier, the Grim Ghost. Anything less and they would never get a second chance against the invading aliens.
***
The streets were mostly deserted. Earth Gov patrols saw to that by the time he made his way back to High Command. Roberson was already there, along with senior officials of every division, including Hartman Keller of Science, Admiral Orson and General Ballwin from military, and Chief Marshall Delmont Lewis of National Archives. He also spotted Colonel Harkens and Major Danish in the back.
The central command hall looked very different from when he was summoned there almost a week ago to meet the three senior officials who assigned him to this mission, No more was the hall void of any furnishing. Instead every possible square inch was jammed with it and people. Officers and officials of every rank and standing crowded the hall as the
President began to speak.
“Colonel Evans.” Roberson greeted him with a wide smile. “Cometh the hour, cometh the man, so goes the old saying.”
“I am surely not worthy of that, Mister President.” He nodded crisply as he made his way to the center of the packed hall.
“Ah, but you are.” The President raised his hand and waved at all present. “I, President Leland Michel Roberson, hereby declare and appoint Garth Evans here to the high station of Chief of Staff. This is in light of his exemplary performance under cover at great risk of personal harm, including death. Chief Garth Evans hereby stands in control of every offensive and defensive force that we have, until the crisis at hand is dealt with. His word is above all for the time being. Thank you all.”
“Thank you, Mister President.” He nodded as Roberson stepped off the pedestal and walked down, escorted by four bodyguards.
“Save our world, Chief Evans.” Roberson shook his hand before he left the hall. “That is all I ask.”
No small feat, he mused. Especially since Roberson was responsible for it all himself. But come what may, it was the world at stake and this was what he had signed up for all those years ago. Chief of Staff Evans had a nice ring to it. Maybe after all this was over, he would have Roberson booted out of office and retain this position, even with the new President elected.
“Generals, Admirals, Commanders and fellow officers of Earth Gov, I thank you all for your selfless support well in advance.” He addressed everyone. “I guarantee we are going to need it. The alien attack is imminent in less than two hours and we have beefed up defensive positions where we predict the aliens with hit hardest. I have a few strategies and contingency plans to brief you all with in the mean time. If everyone could please focus on the ceiling monitors.”
In the next hour he had briefed all of his plans with everyone there at least three times over. He answered any and all queries and even took in suggestions from those with experience. Everything was in order. The new stealth and firepower enhancements made by Regina and him were already Earth Gov standard issue with his stamp of authority on them. No matter how advanced the aliens were going to be, he was sure that they had what it took to give those invading bastards a fight to remember the human species by.
Thirty minutes to groundfall. The incoming alien ships were already on long range scanners, moving in fast. They didn’t look like much, at least in number, but that could mean they were either totally underprepared, or incredibly invincible. Garth hoped for the former but prepared himself for the latter. Earth Gov war ships cruising the higher altitudes of the atmosphere went into red alert. The first wave of invasion had begun.
“I want a full report, second by second as it happens.” He barked into the comm. link. “Do whatever you can and blow the bastards out of sky before they can land.”
“We’ll give it our all, Chief Evans.” A war ship commander responded, before a series of static bursts ended the connection.
“Eyes on the area.” He yelled at the officers running around in the command center. “I want full visual on what’s going on.”
“The aliens have broken through the dragnet of our ships, Col… Chief Evans.” Harkens replied. “Some of them are coming in for a landing… they’re heading for sector PDZ-18.”
“That’s where we’ve set up the heaviest defenses.” Garth nodded in satisfaction. “Come on, Harkens. You too, Danish. And find Willis, Danvers and Parson. Let’s get to some airships. It’s time to join the party.”
***
The alien spaceships were in formations he had seen before, a looping helix. They had a tight group of seven fighter craft protecting a larger possible gunnery ship. His scanners detected seven of these larger ships, each with its own escort of seven smaller ships. Fifty six in all, in the looping helix formation. Each ship had a blue aura surrounding it from all sides. A shield or force field of some kind. The tech didn’t look that impressive, definitely not when compared to the enhanced gear and tech he and Regina had developed. He could have kissed her now, if she was with him.
“Fifty six hostiles, Chief Evans.” Harkens’ voice sounded in his comm. link. “We’re detected weak spots in their shielding.”
“Go for it, Colonel.” Garth told the other man. “Fire at will, everyone.”
“You got that and a side of fries, boss.” He heard Captain Willis whoop. “I love Take Out.”
The sixteen sleek two-man fighter crafts in Earth Gov colors dived down to intercept the incoming alien charge. These alien spaceships had already destroyed the first line of Earth Gov defense ships to come in for a landing. But the advanced ships that Garth and his crew operated were nothing like the ones the aliens took a cakewalk through. And he was more than ready to show them the difference.
“Ready to engage, Chief.” His young pilot told him and Garth set his target-sight on the first of the seven large ships. He missed Eileen Icelander suddenly. And even though that young woman was a few spokes short of a wheel, her flying skills were unmatched, as was her zeal.
A volley of red hot plasma-cannon fire burst out from the ships quadric-turrets, engulfing the alien craft and its seven little escorts. Their shielding evaporated and the outer shells began to glow red hot and then imploded inward before crashing to the ground. He had wiped out eight of their ships with a single volley of plasma fire. These aliens were not so tough after all.
“Great shot, Chief.” He heard Kimberly Danish yell as her ship sped past his. “But leave some for us, boss.”
“Yeah, at that rate, Chief, we’ll be back at base for coffee and donuts before sundown.” Harkens laughed over the comm.
“Eight down, forty eight to go, people.” He said calmly “Let’s focus back on the targets.”
The other alien ships took evasive measures, ducking and weaving, and still moving like a swarm, as if all of them had one single consciousness. And maybe they did. That would make it harder, or even easier to deal with, depending on the perspective.
“Surround them.” He barked over the comm. “And box them all in.”
The Earth Gov ships gave chase, hard and fast. The ground zipped below in a blur; the sky above was a swirl of pink and white, with slashing shades or red and gray. The resonating sound of plasma fire echoed all around them. Waves and waves of immolating flames washed over the clustered alien crafts. Their shields began to go from blue to green and then purple before dissolving under the heat. Then the metal hulls turned molten red, before the ships caved in, as if a vacuum sucked them inward before hitting the ground and going very still. The six larger spaceships and their forty two smaller escort ships lay smoking on the smarting ground.
“Hell! That was easy.” Harkens said as his ship swooped over the carnage.
“Almost too easy.” Garth replied. “As if these ships were sent in as cannon fodder.”
“For what reason, Chief?” Danish asked over the comm.
“A decoy.” He said calmly, though he felt the hairs of his neck rising. “To lead us away from their main objective.”
“You’re right, Chief.” Willis said. “Sector PDZ-18 is under heavy attack… almost overrun.”
“We’re so there.” Major Danish yelled. “Let’s fry up some alien seconds.”
“Yes, Major, but be ready, everyone.” Garth cautioned. “These decoys were soft targets; the next lot won’t be like this.”
“No matter, Chief.” Harkens replied. “We’re sending them back to hell.”
Garth nodded silently at his pilot to speed off. The enhanced fighter craft went into stealth mode, bending light particles around it with as much ease as he would his own exo suit. Only his own team could see each other, as their coding aligned them. But he didn’t know how advanced the alien tech was and he maintained their shielding at maximum.
They flew over the region in a few minutes. Most of the Earth Gov defenses had been compromised. The alien craft here were of a different design and not connected into the hive-like formation of the firs
t wave. This must be a different class or level of their kind, he figured. A possible elite class and that would perhaps put the new enhancements of their ships to the test. A good thing. He would know if their efforts upgrading the tech were worth the time or not.
“Engage hostiles.” He called into the comm. “Full speed and weapons hot, maximum strength.”
The Earth Gov fighters dived in, keeping to a tight formation. The quadric cannons pouring hellish fire down on the defensive positions the aliens had set up around the cave, the sleek fighters raised hell. The aliens had taken the core command center and it would be only a matter of minutes before they could engineer it back into their control. And then that would spell doom for every living thing on New Earth One.
The perimeter ships of the alien defenses were hardier than the decoy ships. Their shields repelled the firepower being emptied on them by Earth Gov plasma-cannons. Fighting the twenty four defense ships would take too much time. Time enough to allow the aliens to take control of their core command center and destroy all human life on the planet.
He closed his eyes and exhaled, heavily. He knew what Leland Roberson would say. Blow the place to hell, would be the President’s executive order. And Regina? She would want the place intact, with the hope that the alien forces would be overcome in time. But that window was getting narrower with every passing second. He opened his cold grey eyes, keeping them narrowed at the target site. He knew what he had to do, even though he didn’t like it. Garth Evans slowly removed his helmet and held the comm. link up to his tightened lips.
“This is Chief of Staff Garth Evans; I am executing the President’s contingency order.” He said in a calm and serene voice. “DROP THE BALL!”
Chapter Nine
“NAR-SD-1013 Regina Lauren Scott. All access granted.” She loudly read off the screen on the console monitor in her lab at home. “Too little too late.”
“Yet better than never.” Her father said with a deep sigh. “We still have a fighting chance with all this data from the alien core controller.”
“You knew Roberson from your early youth, Dad?” She asked him suddenly. “Was he always so greedy?”
