Last Hope for Earth

by Jaime Mera

  Estabon watched his battle screen, seeing his men start dog fighting with sixty US and British fighters. It was painful for him to watch as exceptional pilots died for their country, half able to eject, with only two of his pilots meeting the same fatal outcome. “Transmit Internal: Target the carriers first, hit their take off points. Squadrons 34 and 35, target the missile cruisers.” Estabon said as he flew up to intercept the aircrafts recently launched off the carriers. “Squadron 5, pull them to the east.” Estabon used his left hand to mark the bogies on the battle screen with red color triangles showing everyone in the 5th Squadron and around them which enemy he was talking about.

  The fleet started firing all they had at the onslaught of hypersonic beeps on their radar umbrella. Estabon soared up intercepting three F-14s. He slowed down to Mach 1.5 entering close combat, pitching and banking, simultaneously firing three air-to-air missiles. The Hawk fighter’s fuselage opened and closed doors with the missiles coming out as if there was a limitless supply of ammunition in the plane. Estabon’s reflexes acted on the US fighter pilot’s reactions and intentions on the fly, along with their own experiences and habits. His accuracy or maybe luck, hit the Tomcats’ wings or rear area allowing some glimmer of time for the pilots to eject.

  Estabon deeply breathed in the forced oxygen. He used his telekinesis to aid his G-force suit to keep blood in this head and chest, and manipulate the controls at the same time. A fourteen-G maneuver took a British pilot by complete surprise as Estabon’s 20mm gun rounds tore through the Harrier’s left wing.

  Estabon heard the chatter of the attack on the ships in his right ear, and air combat in the left ear. A third cockpit speaker monitored the chatter the US pilots were having on their frequencies. With a flip of a switch, rock music disrupted the US and British comms, jamming their command and control. Even with the frequency hopping the unexpected ability of the South Americans to neutralize the fleet’s comms created chaos with ship and aircraft coordination. Eighty-seven US and British aircrafts were shot down with two dozen quickly seeing a ratio of 20:1 against them.

  The US carriers received guided missile impacts from the hypersonic fighters configured with ship munitions. The explosives were very precise, damaging the forward and side launch platforms. Personnel on deck and in the tower rushed to repair the ability to launch Tomcats, but it would take too long to do so. They moved to launch their US Harriers but that seemed futile as the Harriers were definitely no match against the hypersonic Hawk fighters which seemed to be keeping their distance from the sea to air missiles and direct fire weapons. The USS Independence and USS Constellation carriers were still mobile, but it was Estabon and Eduardo’s desire for them to keep the ability to propel themselves against the wind so as to be easier and able to receive any aircraft back on deck.

  The HMS Wales and USS Kittyhawk however, suffered catastrophic damage to their hulls and were quickly sinking. Estabon watched the fifty plus ships smoking, burning or fighting to keep the ocean from swallowing them up. “Transmit internal: All squadrons, pull back.” Estabon slowed to below Mach 1 and circled the fleet three hundred miles out but with at a high altitude.

  With another flip of a switch, the communication jamming stopped. “Transmit All: Admiral Wellington, and all ship skippers, we are disengaging at this time so you can rescue your downed people and tend to your injured and dead. I warned you but you insisted on your course of action to fight for your democracy. I do not fault you for your bravery and duty to your country; but this day will be remembered by many as a tragic loss in the death of brave men and women because of a political agenda. We will send in helicopters to assist you in recovery if you need it; but they’re there mainly to retrieve our own fallen. If you engage the helicopters, we will begin this battle again, and I guarantee you; there will be no ship floating if we come back to fight. Your compliance will be you not firing on the recovery crafts. I wish it were a better meeting Captain Alistair, but may we come to forgive and one day live in peace.” Estabon’s broadcast was sent to all ships to include internal ship intercoms, SOCS and the White House.

  Captain Alistair stood in front of the consoles close to the large windows. He saw the friendly battle damage assessment which included the USS Kansas, a Los Angeles Class attack submarine, now crippled under the water, and eight other submarines in worse condition. Two carriers were doomed to sink and many other ships suffered from fires or loss of power. “Cease Fire, focus on rescue operations, and get me Admiral Wellington.”

  The bridge scrambled to direct the recovery of sailors and aviators, while they hurried to get their helicopters and boats to the critically damaged ships.

  The once beautiful warm waters with a mysterious blue attraction was now a sea plagued by history with scattered modern ship debris, burning fuel and oil spills, instead of iron and wooden wreckage. The battle lasted less than fifteen minutes, leaving a long term scar in everyone’s minds that would take decades to fade.

  ‘President Bush is requesting a cease fire and negotiations on the status of the non-citizens and colonists. There will be no more killing today.’ Eduardo told Estabon with a heavy heart.

  ‘My fuel is running low but I’ll stay in the area for another thirty minutes.’ Estabon replied making sure he didn’t have a hot mic, and closed out Eduardo from his mind. He screamed at the top of his lungs in anger and pain. Hundreds of people died and more were injured once again for misguided reasons and there would be no friendly interaction with the US or Britain for a very long time; which meant his wistful dream of reconnecting with Brenda in the near future was woefully ripped out of his heart.

  Chapter 11

   --- 

  Eve 39

  Presidential Palace, Asuncion, Paraguay

  The historic three story rectangular building with a Spaniard style square tower in the middle was in immaculate condition. A division of 20,000 Soldiers, 450 armor vehicles and hundreds of air assets occupied the city; ensuring the gathering of all South American leaders was secure. Eduardo stood in front of fourteen leaders and key staff addressing their rule in the new South America. “Ladies and Gentlemen, even though you have been chosen to be representatives of your respective countries, the plan we have will take longer to fulfill than it did in Colombia. We were able to reconstruct ninety-five percent of Colombia in four years; but there is a big difference in reconstructing everything for another 350 million people and millions of square miles. All of you have been taught by our telepaths, and as you can imagine we have a limited number of telepaths. Which means you will be the managers of people with fears of uncertainty who have not been screened by the telepaths. Our Soldiers will help greatly in construction of the new cities and security against espionage. But, I’m here to address any issues you are currently facing and information the telepaths did not inform you on since the last time you were screened. So let’s get started and Chile, you’re first.”

  The meeting was long, but very productive as Eduardo was able to address all of the issues and concerns with the help of the telepaths as a cover for Eduardo’s mind reading ability.

  Ramus walked into the meeting; standing next to Estabon in the back of the room. Estabon was uncannily silent as if in deep thought, but Ramus knew better. “I have good news Estabon. Let’s go somewhere else to talk.”

  Estabon turned his body towards him with a skeptical sadness on his face. “Follow me.” Estabon led Ramus outside to the hallway and into one of many offices used in the palace. The office was empty of people as part of security the Soldiers knowing where people should be located at all times in the building.

  “I took it upon myself to put William in charge of monitoring Brenda. He will make sure she is cared for and if you ever want to know about her welfare he will be able to let you know.” Ramus sat on the one of three desks in the office.

  “You put our best deep cover asset to look after her?” Estabon was thrilled but concerned at the same time.

  “I thought to tell y
ou and Eduardo once it was all setup. The world needs both of you, and I can’t stand seeing you in pain because of the situation with Brenda. Please, understand it is my responsibility to keep you motivated and protect you from harm.” Ramus spoke as if he was his father, but it was more than that. The five years they were together was enough for Ramus to be totally devoted to them and onboard with their cause.

  “How is she?” Estabon ecstatically asked.

  ‘She is well and happy.’ Ramus telepathically said and showed him the communiqué with William in Maryland.

  William seemed like a young political analysis with his face covering most of the screen as if he was talking into a cell phone inches from his nose. But Estabon knew it was his satellite laser modulator which had to be small for William to be able to hide it properly when not in use. William was a match to Ramus in telepathic abilities, but he was also a shape shifter which made him the perfect spy. The facial and vocal attributes of William was not his real appearance in the communiqué as he talked about Brenda being happy to start her Master’s degree program. Her studies were going well and she was a star athlete in swimming and tennis. The words gave Estabon a surge of pride and energy in his soul. A tear swelled in his eyes as he hugged Ramus. “Thank you my friend.”

  Even Eduardo stopped his speaking for a moment to reflect on the good news and his brother’s happier mood change.

  Ramus returned the smile as both men returned to the meeting with renewed vigor and hope.

  The reeducation of over 360 million people was time consuming, taking up a busy year. The Colombian military helped greatly in the reconstruction of all the cities, but spent long months to years away from their home country to protect against foreign spies and internal criminals. Four hundred telepaths were dispersed throughout the continent to counter infiltration attempts and monitor critical sites like the mountain fortifications where construction of ninety-two starships was underway.

  Critical jobs performed by people for the society to continue did the normal routine but in time they would be reassigned with more responsibilities. The people with no jobs or prior jobs like sales personnel were drafted and put to work in needed fields such as construction, medical and transportation. It was a major change Colombia had endured for a year before being able to settle into a rhythm, but proven to work at least in a smaller scale.

  Research and development was expanded with the existing scientific centers in the continent. Fiberglass alloys were improved and mass produced to be used in all construction materials from housing to major sections of the starships.

  Superhuman experimentation across the United States and Africa during this period of the early nineties made many superhumans migrate to Australia and join the new regime by Datan Varken. Datan promised a safe haven for superhumans, while negative propaganda made South America out as a dictatorship that would exploit superhumans. Years of breaking down and rebuilding finally came to almost autopilot, giving the Councilmembers an opportunity to focus on the superhuman phenomena and world developments.

  Buenaventura, west-northwest of Cali

  Three Councilmembers and five legion commanders sat around a large circular conference table. The site was in the Buenaventura coastal command center west-northwest of Cali. A naval complex with surface ships built for cargo transport around the continent and to exclusive locations like Japan. The nearby underwater facility was linked to the command center. The command center was a front to keep the underwater facility a secret. The first submergible carriers, battleships and cruisers set the ground work for other facilities, giving them sea dominance even though the world was clueless to their buildup and technology.

  The meeting wasn’t in full session with Ramus and four legion commanders still on their way. Several bodyguards in full armor stood by the double door with rifles pointing down and by their side held by a sling. Their gold visors were crafted to withstand intense light to include a nuclear flash and extreme temperatures. The suit likewise was made to keep the Soldier in a controlled environment, and protected from up to 30mm armor piercing munitions. All the joints were constructed to keep any limb from over extending themselves. An elbow or wrist wouldn’t be able to bend backwards or painfully twist should a grenade or blunt object want to harm the wearer. Their dark blue heat absorbing paint was more than decorative but specific to their duties or regions they were operating in.

  The unique device on their person was a thermo energy saber attached to their waists. It looked very much like a light saber in a Star Wars movie, but they were standard issue for the elite Soldiers. The saber handle was a foot long and three inches in diameter, with an end cap. When activated, the end cap extended out with laser beams bouncing back and forth creating eight edges of energy. The center hot core of the antenna used its super strong alloy to assist in inflicting damage to anything it touched. It would only work for five minutes on a full charge, but produced exceptional concentrated heat damage penetrating through dense metals up to diamonds in seconds.

  Twenty-two more guards waited outside the conference room in a lobby like space. These guards held rifles resembling an extension of their armor, smooth beveled edges forming a rectangular shape five inches in diameter up to the muzzle. The lack of an obvious scope meant nothing as their helmets were linked to an internal long scope built into the rifle above the barrel.

  Personnel walking around the center wore mostly padded uniforms, of various colors signifying their branch of service and specialties. But no one wore full body armor with helmets on except for the elite bodyguards who didn’t have the luxury while performing their duties. There were many bodyguards in the building but warranted with each legion commander being in charge of a million personnel; needing protection as much as the Councilmembers.

  “Commanders, I was wondering if we had a change of mission without any relief, how long would it take you to pick-up and move about a thousand miles?” Eduardo asked the present commanders trying to bring up dialogue between the commanders.

  “I will need two months before we can leave the people to fend for themselves.” One of the legion commander responded.

  Before anyone else could say a word, Eduardo, Estabon and one of the telepath guards heard a mental alarm. The three men could see Ramus in the middle of a hallway at the entrance of the complex. A tall black haired woman in an engineering red uniform put a hand on his face. There were conflicting thoughts as Ramus projected what he saw and what the assailant was envisioning according to the telepath, but Eduardo and Estabon were used to seeing many thoughts all at once. The brothers jumped up out of their chairs, alarming everyone else as some of the commanders also stood up or pushed themselves away from the table with wide eyes.

  Ramus’ vision of his body falling sideways and down to the floor made Estabon feel so helpless. Two other people were already on the ground, but it was unknown if they were shot, knocked down by a hand-to-hand weapon or some other means. Their bodies lay motionless next to Ramus as the assailant’s thoughts and memories entered the brother’s minds. Within a few seconds, the realization of the deadly threat in the building was overwhelming. They saw Eve 39 change targets to Eduardo; scanning the area for the conference room; two stories down and through many corridors and walls. But they knew she was not going to follow the floor plan.

  “Everyone get down, give me the saber!” Estabon yelled and jumped towards the east wall left of the guards by the double door. The guard instantly grabbed his saber unlocking it from its magnetic mount and taking a step towards Estabon as he handed the saber to him. Eduardo did likewise but said nothing audibly as the telepathic guard tossed his saber over Estabon. Both brothers activated the sabers. the legion commanders near the brothers diving out of the way. Diego and the commanders on the west side of the room dropped to the ground against the far wall.

  Eduardo held the saber as if in a blocking stance while Estabon swung and held his saber on the opposite side almost interlocking their weapons. Eve 39 materialized
between the brothers as her head from ear to ear was cut by both sabers, decapitating her head from the mouth up. The thoughts of Ramus and Eve 39 disappeared as the Tantalumized android’s body fell to the floor squashing a chair in its path. The hair and head of the android was as solid as her body, falling on her own body and rolled on top of Estabon’s foot. If Estabon didn’t have the armored boots worn by all of the Soldiers, he would’ve suffered multiple fractures.

  Estabon collapsed his saber, and looked at the bewildered commanders and his friend, Diego. “Secure the building and have all telepaths and internal guards report here immediately.”

  ‘Carlos, tell the other telepaths protecting the Councilmembers and legion commanders everything that happened. Tell them how to kill these things without them exploding.’ Eduardo mentally told his telepath; one of three dozen most skilled out of the several hundred in the Federation.

  Eduardo collapsed his saber to its static configuration, and returned it to Carlos, his guard. The guards outside moved all personnel away from the conference room as Carlos opened the double doors. There seemed to be no alarms spoken, but all of the guards heard the alarm over their helmet comms.

  “What the hell is that?” Diego stood up straightening himself seeing the metal exposed from where blood and flesh would normally be expected from a headless woman.