Captain Stewart thought for a second then stood up and said, “Let’s not panic. If I were Mother and suddenly an explosion went off in my ship, I’d be racing to figure out what caused it and how to control the situation. Then if one explosion were followed by many more, my mind would be in overdrive, concentrating and yelling orders at everyone. Perhaps his fellow light bulbs will all be in a state of confusion.”
Woods interrupted, “I agree with you Captain, but that doesn’t solve our problem.”
“I was getting to that, Woods. In this state of confusion Mother might not notice another full-scale attack by us on his Collectors. Even if he does notice, he might not bother sending down his fighters because he’ll be too busy trying to save his own ship.”
Woods replied, “Sorry, sir, for interrupting, but again I agree with you. However, is there enough time to do that?”
Captain Stewart said, “Yes, we have enough time thanks to that great mind of yours that keeps covering our ass. Let’s set the best time to launch an all out attack and I’ll get the pilots ready.”
The General said, “Nothing should happen until 1400 hours, and that gives us more than an hour to prepare. I suggest we watch the monitors and, after confirming two blasts, we launch against the Collectors. Hopefully that will be just after 2:00 p.m.”
Again, Woods had questions, “The Collector with the Ion warheads could hit at any minute, shouldn’t you prepare for an immediate launch now?”
The General looked at Captain Stewart and said, “Put everything you’ve got that can fly and shoot on immediate standby. The moment we see any blast on the alien moon, give the order to shoot down as many of the Collectors as possible. Also tell the rest of the world leaders what we are doing and have them do the same.”
All of a sudden, the control room sounded like mass confusion again, but was actually a controlled quickness. Orders were issued to get everything that could fly fueled, armed and ready to fly the second they got the order. The first wave of planes would look for the Collectors, once found, the attack planes would be sent to that location to take the giants down, the last action in a well-revised plan.
At 2:00 p.m., everyone stood in the control room looking from screen to screen. Some people paced back and forth, others stood with their arms folded staring at the screens, everyone looking for a sign. All their well-laid plans to save mankind were in place. This was the eleventh hour, too late for anything else. All they needed was a sign.
By 3:00 p.m., the people that had been pacing were now sitting in the big chairs facing the display screens. The stubborn ones staring with their arms folded hadn’t budged. They were staring at the screens like a heavyweight boxer stares at his opponent just before a fight, ready for battle, a mindset to destroy the enemy.
The 4:00 p.m. hour produced an eerie concern, with everyone sitting in the chairs and watching the screens. Captain Stewart had asked to double-check the connections of the feeds coming in from the observatories. Everything was fine. He had a team up on the tower that was watching through binoculars and they reported nothing. The fact was that nothing was happening.
At 5:00 p.m., depression set in. “Maybe Mother’s Collectors are screened for any debris they might have picked up and are cleansed of anything foreign before they lock onto Mother,” Woods said.
By 6:00 p.m., the anxiety was getting to even the hardened military personnel trained in how to be patient.
Woods reviewed and replayed in his mind every step that was taken, and gave the 7:00 p.m. hour a piece of his mind. General Stormer and Captain Stewart started doubting if the reports their pilots gave about dropping the bombs and confirming attachment had been correct. Sometimes a pilot doesn’t want to look bad and reports erroneous information back to his superiors in an effort to neutralize a bad situation. Maybe the nuclear warheads were not being sucked onto the Collectors as reported after all. Doubts, questions, frustration and anger filled the room. But not a word was said. They just sat there and stared. All were saying in their minds, “Give us a sign, some hope, anything!”
Some thirty minutes later a voice came across the speakerphone, “We have a confirmed detonation on the alien moon!”
In a flash everyone was out of their seats and staring at the screens. Certainly nothing could be seen on the long distance shot being displayed. Their eyes quickly went to the magnified image screen to search for some sort of sign. Nothing!
The General yelled, “Are we getting new data on these screens, Captain?”
“Yes, but the magnification is not enough— Wait— Reports are coming in now…Kitt Peak has seen a small area of the alien moon and what looks like a blast... We are trying to get a replay of what they saw.”
“Great, one small blast that we can’t even see. Maybe this guy just thought he saw something and sounded the alarm.”
Woods replied, “General, maybe he did. Let’s keep an eye on everything in case this is just the start.”
“Woods is right, General,” Jeff said. “I know from looking at pictures from weather satellites, that some times you think you should be able to see something but the magnification is wrong. It takes a while to get used to the size of the object and the size of what was supposed to have happened. One nuclear bomb on the surface of something the size of the alien moon might not be noticeable on these screens.”
Within minutes the replay was run on the large screen and confirmed what Jeff was talking about. The operator at Kitt Peak was watching a close-up view of an area where he could easily see ten Collectors locked onto Mother. As the video on the screen continued he had slowly started to refocus to a larger view of the area. When he clearly showed a field of view of thirty Collectors, he began focusing out a little further. Just as he started bringing the Collectors on the surface into view, everything on the screen went white. Within a few seconds the whiteness cleared and everyone in the room stood in awe as the huge mushroom like cloud began to build. The blast had blown away the thirty Collectors they saw in the previous picture and was spreading outward from the huge hole it left in the center. The fiery red mushroom blast wave continued to spread outward until the entire display screen glowed red. The operator of the telescope couldn’t focus fast enough so the replay of what happened ended with the bright red screen.
As the room cheered the success of one explosion, the speakerphone announced what they were hoping to hear. “We have confirmation of a second nuclear explosion on the surface.”
A report came in to the control room that another telescope operator that had refocused where the first bomb had gone off seen the second explosion happened very close to the first. “Look, you can see it on the screen!” declared the General.
Everyone looked at where the General was pointing. There on the display screen that had the greatest magnification of the alien moon, a very small black spot appeared near the top left of Mother. The CIA Director watched and commented, “The pattern we noticed of the returning Collectors was always on the left side. They must fill in all the empty docking areas before the left side of Mother is exposed to the sun. That would mean they all dock pretty close together along the backside and the sun line. Maybe that’s why the explosions happened in the same area.”
The General looked over at Captain Stewart and said, “I think it’s time to put a stop to the Collectors.”
“I agree, sir.
“Captain Stewart to all personnel— We have a go on Operation Take Down, code letters Sally, Harry, Oscar, Oscar, Tango. Repeat, Captain Stewart to all personnel, we have a go on Operation Take Down, code letters Sally, Harry, Oscar, Oscar, Tango.” The message was also sent to all world leaders, informing them it was time to launch.
After the message went out, the disarm code was sent to all radio towers, who immediately sent out low frequency waves to turn off any bombs on Collectors near Earth.
Nothing happened for what seemed like an eternity. Then ten minutes later the announcement was made that the third explosion had gone off, then
a forth. General Stormer called his spotters and asked if they had noticed anything that the telescopes might not be picking up. “It’s still daylight, sir, and we can’t really see anything different than before the bombs went off. It’ll be dark soon, and maybe that can aid us in our search.”
Captain Stewart put his hand on the General’s shoulder and said, “Be patient, the plan is working, only four bombs have gone off and you know as well as I do that’s not going to do much to an object the size of the alien moon. The spotter planes are all in the air and reports of sightings are coming in. Our fighters and helicopters are now airborne and in route to take those Collectors down.”
The General said, “That’s good news, but let’s hope everything keeps going according to the plan.”
For the next four hours everyone sat and listened while reports came in of a few Collectors being confirmed as shot down, but no new explosions on the alien moon. The fifth nuclear bomb hadn’t gone off yet and at this rate it didn’t look as though it was going to happen.
At 2300 hours, 11:00 p.m. EST, General Stormer said, “It has been almost four hours since the last bomb went off. It also has been over an hour since we even saw a Collector. Mother must be on to us and somehow is stopping any further detonations. Furthermore I believe he has moved his Collectors out of our reach so no more can be shot down. It would seem the mission is failing.”
No one wanted to hear that, but deep down inside they were also starting to believe the same thing. Woods, the Blue Book expert who had ideas, vision and explanations beyond anyone else, was not giving up, however. “Sir, the bombs were dropped on Collectors that might have been here anywhere from just arriving to three full days. Plus we dropped bombs for two days. We have no idea when those bombs should go off. Maybe we just hit a batch of Collectors that weren’t due to head home for awhile.”
“You’re right of course, Woods. The trouble is four went off then nothing. At the same time the Collectors seem to have left. That seems too coincidental to me.
“I think Mother knows what we did and somehow stopped the other bombs from going off. Plus he has pulled his Collectors away from Earth. This means he doesn’t need to continue supercharging the atmosphere anymore because he’s done enough for it to annihilate us in one or two more days. He knows he has won and he’s just going to sit up there and wait until we’re all dead.”
The conversation was interrupted by the speakerphone. It was the spotters up on the tower. “General, there is no change in the color, movement or new blasts that we can see on the alien moon. It’s been like this for hours. One thing we do notice is the sky is gleaming red. It’s like a huge fire is burning way off in the distance and we can see the glow reflected in the sky. Anything new down there?”
“No, nothing new, thanks for your report. Keep us informed if anything changes.”
Remembering Jeff’s words, “If you see green, blue then red, well simply put, we’re dead.” Agent Woods looked at General Stormer and said, “Sir, you may be right but I’m not giving up hope just yet.”
Two hours later still nothing had happened. Woods stood up and said to the General, “I guess we can’t do anything more here. Do you mind if I go out and take a walk?”
The General could tell from the sound of his fellow Blue Book partner’s voice that he was dejected and beginning to lose faith in the mission. Woods asked Donemore if she wanted to go outside with him. “Anything would be better then sitting here watching nothing happen,” she said.
Jeff and Janet came along.
When the four reached the surface from deep down inside the control room and walked outside, if was like a breath of fresh air. The night sky glowed red and the two moons in the sky were absolutely stunning.
As they slowly walked along looking upward, Jeff said, “You guys have been great to work with, really great. Don’t get down on yourselves if this is our last day. You did a great job and gave the world a chance when no one thought we had any. It’s like a bittersweet ending. At least we had a short time together.”
Janet started sobbing, which triggered off Donemore. As the two girls cried, both of the men tried to comfort them. They all stopped walking as Janet hugged Jeff and said, “I feel the same way. When I first saw you at the airport, I remembered how good looking you were and how I had missed you since we met after Hurricane Andrew. If it weren’t for Mother, we would not have found our true feelings for each other. But now that alien thing is taking you away from me.”
26
IN THE CONTROL ROOM, HOPE TOOK A GIANT STEP forward as the speakerphone echoed, “Confirmation! The fifth detonation!”
The General jumped to his feet and raced to the screens. He couldn’t see anything different but his heart was pounding. “Maybe Mother missed one or may be Woods was right.”
The speakerphone answered his question, “Number six just went off! Now seven, eight and nine!”
Now everyone was staring at the display screens. They didn’t have to look hard this time. On the magnified screen they noticed one corner of Mother separating from the main body. The General yelled, “That sonofagun Woods was right again! Where is he?”
Captain Stewart replied, “They all went outside.”
“Tell them to look skyward!”
“We can’t, sir, all cell phones are down from the static in the atmosphere.”
“Then send some men up to find them and tell them the good news, for chrissakes!”
Woods had his arm around Donemore, trying to offer comfort and a growing concern for her care. He took her face in his hands and looked directly into her eyes and said, “We have worked a long time as partners and I think our work has kept us close, but not until the other day when you kissed me did I realize how—
Before he could finish, Jeff yelled, “Holy shit! Look at Mother!”
They all looked skyward at the alien moon and saw a section separate from Mother and float helplessly adrift. They could also see a large dark area further down Mother’s side.
Woods yelled, “It’s working. The bombs being brought back by the Collectors are going off! Mother is breaking apart!”
When Captain Stewart’s men finally found the group, they were all jumping up and down like a bunch of kids cheering on their college football team. One of the men touched Woods on the shoulder and said, “The General wanted you to know that the bombs were going off, but I can see you know that.”
Woods asked, “Are any Collectors being shot down?”
“Don’t know, sir. All I was told was to tell you to look skyward.”
“Thanks. Tell the General we’re going to stay up here awhile and enjoy the sight. We’ll be down soon.”
The men returned to the control room and relayed the message. “Thanks. I don’t blame them.”
Over the next three hours, General Stormer watched three more small pieces of Mother break off and float out into the darkness of space. Mother was not going to take over Earth, that becoming clearer by the minute. The very Collectors originally stated by E-1 to be no threat to Earth would end up destroying the invader’s plans. But the General didn’t have carte blanche reason to celebrate. His pilots were not finding many Collectors to shoot down. It was becoming clear that both mankind and the aliens were going to die. Knowing this, the General announced, “I’m going outside and see what this looks like.”
It was now 5:00 a.m. and still dark outside. The General found Woods and the rest standing and holding hands quietly, looking up at the show being put on in the sky. He walked over to the group and put his hand on Woods’ shoulder. “Congratulations, guys, at least E-1 won’t be conquering our planet or any others. I’d love to see that neon light bulb now. I bet he’s glowing like the sign in front of the Las Vegas Hilton and wondering how us stupid humans managed to get nuclear bombs aboard his magic carpet.”
They all laughed and looked skyward again. As they did so, Woods stated, “What a beautiful sight. When we first noticed the separation of one section of Mother we
were excited. Then for the past few hours, we have watched sections being blown out into the darkness of space. There are six different sections moving away from Mother as we speak. Add the red sky and our natural moon and you have a sight you’ll be telling your grandchildren about, and forever.”
The General said, “You’re right about the beauty of seeing your enemy destroyed and the actual visual effects in the night sky. You’re wrong about telling your grandchildren!”
The whole group looked away from the terrestrial event and at the General and said as one voice, “What do you mean?”
The General frowned and stated the facts. “Mother is breaking up and I assume no longer a threat. But we can’t find very many Collectors to shoot down. This means the atmosphere is still collapsing and as long as we can’t find the Collectors, we can’t stop the inevitable. Even if we did, look up at the sky very carefully.”
Besides the main body, there were seven distinct pieces of Mother that had blown away. They were blasted off Mother and heading out in all directions. It suddenly became obvious what the General was talking about. Some of the huge pieces were headed toward Earth.
Donemore said, “So if the atmosphere doesn’t kill us in the next few days, a piece of Mother will?”
“Exactly,” the general said. “We both lost, but at least Mother will not win.”
Woods said, “Have you checked with NASA to see how much time we have left?”
The General said, “No I haven’t. If death is immutable, I don’t need to know the minute. Why don’t you guys head home and enjoy whatever time you have left. I can’t see anything changing.”
Everyone looked at one another then looked at the shattered alien moon again. Another piece had blown away. There now were eight pieces of Mother floating outward from the splintering alien moon. They took some comfort in knowing that the aliens were dying and it was because of good old human ingenuity. But they also knew they were going to die and there was nothing they could do about it.
BAD RAIN: A SCI-FICTION THRILLER Page 27
