by Wilson Harp
Then two days ago the daily NASA communiqué came. The first line was simply “Abigail Ramirez has passed away after a heart attack.” A follow up personal communiqué about an hour later had provided the details.
Abigail had a sudden and massive coronary while shopping. Her sister Kelsey had come and picked Emily’s girls up at school and told them of their grandmother’s passing. Alex could go home and take care of the girls if needed, and his Aunt Kelsey had requested that if possible.
Due to the nature and secrecy of her work, it was established that Emily Troy was indispensable. She could only send a message to her daughters.
Thus Alex had decided to go home and be with his nieces while his sister finished up her one year assignment.
A tiny chirp on his communicator brought Kyle back to the present.
“The Hedali scout ship is just docking, Alex.”
“Thanks Colonel, I guess I had better say goodbye to Emily and get down there. Did they say who was going to replace me out here?” Alex asked as he shouldered his bag.
“Williams wanted it, but he had a hard time convincing them that he was security. K-man was the best choice, all things considered.”
“He knows there isn’t a range up here, right?”
“Yeah, and he grumbled about that more than you did, Alex,” Kyle laughed. It was good to see Alex get a little of his sense of humor back. Gallows humor is common for a Marine, but Alex had been very tight since he found out his mother had died.
“Well Colonel, until we meet back on earth.” Alex sharply saluted Kyle, and once the salute was returned he turned and walked out of their tiny barrack room.
Kyle looked at the “earth clock” that they had in their room and realized he would not be able to get something to eat before his meeting with Ambassador Thomas. He sighed and headed towards the daily briefing. He knew that routine kept everybody’s head clear in these kinds of missions, and so he reminded himself every day of the importance of these briefings and made sure he had three new random facts to give Ambassador Thomas as part of his presentation.
The door opened and Ambassador Thomas looked up from his small desk.
“Good afternoon Colonel, please have a seat,” Ambassador Thomas said motioning to the chair in front of his desk. “Day 97 is coming to a close.”
Kyle chuckled and sat down.
“Only 3 days from 100, Ambassador, do you think we should celebrate?”
The door opened up and Lon stepped in. “Good afternoon Ambassador Thomas and Colonel Martin.”
Kyle could immediately sense that something was very wrong. The Hedali was jittery and nervous and made an odd squeaking sound as he looked at both of the humans.
“What’s wrong Lon?” Kyle asked without thinking. He saw Ambassador Thomas flinch from the corner of his eye at the possible breach in protocol.
“There has been an incident. There have been some deaths,” Lon said.
Kyle stood up. “Who has been killed Lon?”
“Doctor Emily Troy and Kiltao Bregan,” Lon said turning his head slightly away from Kyle. “Alex Ramirez killed Kiltao Bregan.”
“Why Lon?” Ambassador Thomas asked without so much as a quiver in his voice. “Why did Ramirez kill Kiltao Bregan?”
“From what I gathered, Alex Ramirez walked into the lab just when Kiltao Bregan killed Doctor Emily Troy.”
Kyle’s breath caught in his throat for a second. “Lon, where is Alex?”
“I’m sorry Colonel Martin, but Alex Ramirez has been taken by the Iltia’cor security forces and is being subjected to their trial.”
“What do you mean trial? When will this take place? We need time to get a lawyer here to talk to Alex.”
Lon’s throat was turning a deep blue, which Kyle knew was a sign of great sadness among the Hedali. “The trial is already started Colonel Martin. The Iltia’cor have taken him and have started it already.”
“Lon, what kind of trial is this?”
“They will have six of their security forces beat him until he is dead. I am truly sorry.”
Ambassador Thomas leaned heavily against the wall for support.
“Ambassador, get the rest of our delegation and go to the Hedali ship. We need to get out of here. I’ll go get Alex, I think we just started a war.”
Ambassador Thomas hurried out of the office as Lon bobbed up and down. “No Colonel, the trial has already started. There is no chance to save Alex Ramirez.”
Kyle felt a great sense of pity for his Hedali friend. “No Lon, I’m not worried about Alex, but if we get there quick enough we might save some of the Iltia’cor. Please, which way is it?”
Lon stopped and looked at Colonel Martin. He was learning much about humans, but was still not sure how their humor worked. The Colonel seemed sincere, but Alex Ramirez was not as strong or as fast as the Iltia’cor… and yet, he remembered watching his bravery and abilities that first day of contact between their races.
“This way Colonel,” Lon said as he turned and quickly went down the hallway leading to the common areas of the station.
In the common dining area, Kyle saw Hedali, Sortag, and Junniji scientists and staff gathered in small groups not looking around. The Iltia’cor were in one large group talking loudly in their multi-tonal language and making large gestures. When they saw Kyle come into the room, they stopped talking and stood as one facing him. Kyle ignored them and followed the fast walking Lon into the Iltia’cor section of the ship. There were no rules or diplomatic problems going into another race’s private section of the station, but it was generally implied to be impolite if you were not invited.
Kyle didn’t care if he was being impolite at the moment; he had to stop Alex from making a bad situation worse. Two Iltia’cor security guards were looking at a door when Kyle and Lon approached. There was a lot of noise coming from inside.
Lon pointed at the door. “The trial is in there, Colonel Martin.”
“How do I open the door, Lon? I need in there.”
Lon started to push a button on a panel when one of the Iltia’cor guards hit him hard across the face knocking him back into the wall behind Kyle.
Kyle didn’t believe in fighting fair. He didn’t believe in fighting dirty. He believed in walking away from any fight you were in. The guard who hit Lon saw Kyle move, but the second guard didn’t.
Kyle grabbed an arm of the second guard, twisted it behind the alien’s back and then dropped to his knees. The motion and torque pulled the second guard over Kyle and slammed him into the wall.
Kyle popped up back to his feet and delivered a sharp, hard kick to the face of the stunned guard lying on the floor.
As anticipated, the other guard grabbed at Kyle. Kyle was already in motion though, jumping straight up and swinging his head back hard. He felt the pain shoot through his skull and neck as the back of his head made contact with the guard’s face. Kyle dropped forward and kicked back with both legs as his hands made contact with the ground. His kick hit the guard solid in the midsection, where the Iltia’cor’s lungs were if he remembered correctly, and the guard collapsed right in front of the door.
The sounds behind the door had stopped. Kyle scrambled to his feet and pushed the button on the panel. The door slid open and Kyle saw Alex drop the Iltia’cor body. Alex had cuts and bruises all over his arms, neck and face. He was missing a boot and his uniform was half torn off his body. He had a short metal pipe in his hand that was dripping a clear, viscous liquid.
“Colonel, they killed Emily, they just cut her throat.” He limped over to Kyle.
“Let’s go Alex, we have to get to the ship,” Kyle said as he supported Alex.
Lon had regained his feet after the jarring hit to his head and stood looking at the carnage inside the small room. Six Iltia’cor security guards lay dead or seriously injured. Two more lay unconscious in the corridor outside the room and the two humans responsible were having a calm conversation.
“What have we unleashed on the galax
y?” he thought.
“Lon. Lon! We have to go,” Kyle said to the clearly stunned Hedali.
“Colonel Martin, I will go with you on the ship. There are things we need to talk about,” said Lon.
“Very well, let’s go,” Kyle replied.
He helped Alex past the Iltia’cor lying in the corridor and into the elevator that took them to the docking area. Thomas had assembled the rest of the human delegation at the Hedali scout ship.
“Colonel, we are ready to go,” said Thomas looking at Lon.
“Lon says he needs to come with us, Ambassador,” Kyle said as Alex was helped aboard the ship by one of the human scientists. “Do the rest know what happened?”
“Doctor Reeling and Doctor Grant were in the lab area and saw what happened,” Thomas whispered. “It was just like Lon said. Kiltao Bregan walked into the lab, picked up a surgical blade, and cut Doctor Troy’s throat without a word. Ramirez had just stepped into the lab on the other side when it happened.”
Kyle shut and secured the hatch behind him.
“There will be a reckoning over this, Ambassador, but I’m not sure what it will be. One dead human and at least four dead Iltia’cor will not be easily overlooked by either government. We need to find out what Lon is holding back from me and why he needs to come with us.”
Kyle and the Ambassador moved deeper into the crew compartment.
“Hey Alex, are you ok?” Kyle asked as he nodded at K-Man who sat stunned beside Ramirez.
“No Colonel, I am not. Emily is dead! How can I be ok? I think I just started a war. No, they started it by killing my sister!”
“You’re right Alex, they did. Your duty is done for now. You are on leave. I’ll come back in a little bit and we can talk some more.” Kyle looked at Doctor Grant who was stitching up a nasty rip in Alex’s left arm. “How is he physically?”
“Multiple contusions and lacerations, some pretty deep. I think he has a few cracked ribs and his ankle may be fractured… maybe just a bad sprain. He’ll be fine, unless there is an infection I can’t see, but he won’t be feeling well for a good while,” Doctor Grant said.
Kyle saw K-Man handing Doctor Grant a syringe from the med kit. Alex would be out in a few seconds and Kyle could fill K-Man in on what happened later.
“Keep me updated Doc.” Kyle motioned Thomas to follow him up to the bridge.
As they approached the hatch, Kyle slowed to a stop and listened. Lon was speaking fast and soft on the communicator.
Thomas leaned over and whispered. “Lon is disobeying orders. Apparently the Iltia’cor have demanded that we be turned over to them and the Hedali government agrees. Lon has said that he is taking us to Earth and the Earth government can turn us over if they want to.”
Kyle nodded. Pulling the Ambassador back with him, Kyle went back into the crew compartment to wait for Lon.
About ten minutes passed before Lon headed out of the bridge. He saw the two humans waiting for him and took a seat near them.
“Ambassador Thomas and Colonel Martin, there is much sorrow for what has happened to Doctor Troy and Alex Ramirez. My superiors have commanded that I have our ship rendezvous with an Iltia’cor Cruiser and allow them to arrest you and your delegation. I have refused. I have told them that I will be taking you to Earth since we are your hosts on the Station. The Iltia’cor have become infuriated. They are making plans to punish you and your people. I do not think this will change by handing you over to them.”
Both Kyle and Ambassador Thomas sat quiet for a few minutes.
“Lon, how do you think the Iltia’cor will punish us and our people?” Ambassador Thomas asked.
“They will attempt to conquer Earth by force and enslave all humans,” Lon replied.
“For a few dead scientists and soldiers?”
“They have done it before, and for much less,” Lon said calmly. “They have fifteen planets that they control. Five are in the Iltia system. The other ten are of races that have insulted them and they have conquered.”
Kyle sat forward and asked Lon “Why are you doing this? Won’t you get in trouble?”
“When I first met you, Colonel Martin, you seemed to me a person who was used to getting what he wanted because he had the authority to command it. After I have known you for some time I realize that you are a person who is used to getting what he wanted because he knew he was correct in wanting it. Your authority comes from your belief that what you are doing is right.”
“I will be punished, imprisoned even, when I go back to Kortit. If I am right about you and humans as a whole, I will live long enough for my actions to be justified. If I am wrong, I will not have to worry about a life in prison as I will have doomed my world to the Iltia’cor as well.”
Kyle saw Thomas lean back. The time for diplomacy was over and now it was up to Kyle to gather the information that Earth would need to fight back against the Iltia’cor.
“Lon, how will they attack?” Kyle asked.
“They will take out your military first. Then they will land and start enslaving your people in the cities,” Lon said.
“But they know we aren’t affected by mosar based weapons, right?”
“Yes, Colonel Martin, they have older weapons that they still use for… primitive races. Mosar based weapons are expensive to use, they consume much energy. There are other energy weapons that they use as well. You have started working with them I believe.”
“Lasers? High burst energy weapons that burn?”
“Yes, I believe you call them lasers. They also have some supplies of weapons that use nuclear fission, but they haven’t used them in over a hundred years.”
“Good, hopefully most of their nukes have gone inert if they haven’t kept them up. With luck, they won’t think of them. Ambassador, we will need to make a list of people to start contacting as soon as we get a com link set up. Lon, you have been very helpful, your personal risk will hopefully save many human lives. Thank you.”
“You are welcome Colonel Martin, I know you have much work to do and I need to explain to the crew that they will not be held responsible for my actions.”
Chapter 9
10 January 2043
“Yes General, the report I sent you is real. It is not a joke. The timetable has been clarified within the last hour. We are looking at the invasion fleet nearing earth within forty hours. Yes. That is correct. No, we recommend that you abandon your military bases and heavy equipment. Yes… well… I know. We think they will bombard the military bases from orbit before landing near our cities. I know, but you can check your reports and see that we are doing the same. Thank you. Good luck to you to.”
Kyle switched off the phone and rubbed his eyes.
“Do you think he will do it Colonel?” Major Kitch asked.
“I’m not sure Kitch, I hope so. General Moseved seemed to believe me, but whether he can convince the High Command in time will be the bigger question.” Kyle yawned and looked at the clock. “Looks like we are within the forty hour mark. Have you heard back from Langley yet? We need to have dependents moved from our installations within four hours.”
“Yes sir, everything looks to be good except for a glitch near Aviano. Apparently the local government is worried about why we are moving our people off the base. I guess the info hasn’t filtered down to that level yet,” Kitch said without looking up from her display.
“Ambassador Thomas will be breaking in on all networks in a few minutes, I guess they’ll learn with everyone else. Well, speak of the devil.” Kyle picked up the remote and turned the sound up on the TV panel on the wall. A news anchor was introducing Ambassador Thomas as he approached the podium at the UN.
“James Thomas is a former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Great Britain and China. He is President emeritus of the Council of Foreign Relations and was the key negotiator for the U.S. in the settlement of the Indian war. He has called for an emergency broadcast, and he is speaking…”
“Thank you Secretary General,
Ambassadors, members of the media, the people of the U.S. and the people of the world. A little over a year ago, the U.S. received communications from an alien race.” Thomas had to stop for a few seconds to quiet down the questions being shouted to him.
“Please, please, all of your questions will be answered, but it is vitally important that we get this information out to you. Due to circumstances beyond what we have time to explain at present, another alien race has declared war on us.”
At this point the cacophony was overwhelming. Even Kitch looked up from her screen. She looked at the pandemonium on the screen and then over at Kyle. “Looks like they are taking it pretty well, Colonel,” she said as she poured another cup of coffee.
“That they are, Kitch, that they are.”
A few minutes passed before Thomas was able to be heard clearly again. In fact he was shouting.
“Yes, we have a plan! Yes, we are trying to get information out! Here is the long and short of it, a race called the Iltia’cor have decided to invade Earth and enslave humanity. But we won’t go down! We will fight them where they land and drive them back to the stars. But we don’t have a lot of time. They will be here in less than two days and we need to prepare. Each government has been given information that will help them. The U.S. military will aid in any way we can. But as much as we must fight as a world, we must fight as individual nations, as individual cities, as individual families and as individual people.”
“Each of us, individually, has a stake in this. Each of us, individually, can make a difference. If you see an Iltia’cor come into your village, into your neighborhood, into your home, you need to make sure that he will not kill you, your children or your neighbors. We will not be conquered and we will not be taken!”
Hastily thrown together graphics started filling the screen as the media scrambled to be the first to put up the newly disseminated information.
