SODIUM:4 Gravity

by Arseneault, Stephen

  The behemoth moved quickly and within half an hour had reached the waters of Lake Erie. A massive torrent of water now flowed through the trench on its way to Lake Ontario. The destroyer surfaced next, surrounded by a thousand fighters. It was heading up the St. Lawrence towards Ogdensburg. The powerful gravity weapon of the destroyer was soon put into action pushing earth into the great waterway to create a dam.

  Command launched numerous cruise missiles in an attempt to halt the alien progress, but each were knocked from the sky before closing in on our enemy. We were then given orders to head to Boston and then Montreal where another subterranean assault was planned. I was given command of two squads of GAFs to take out the destroyer.

  As the waters flowed into Lake Ontario the lake level began to rise. The streets of Toronto soon began to flood. The fifteen million inhabitants of the city suddenly had to seek higher ground. As we raced into Montreal and turned southwest, the mega-ship and its forces disappeared into the waters of Lake Erie.

  Before our arrival in Montreal the destroyer had finished its handy-work of blocking the St. Lawrence waterway and had returned to the safety of Lake Ontario. We were left with no target. I signaled Command and was told to "sit tight" as they evaluated the situation. I would do nothing of the sort.

  I commanded my two squads of GAFS to start drilling into the earthen dam constructed by the aliens. Our progress would be slow, but we would at least be attempting to do something. With the waters rising in Toronto, our work would be the only relief to be offered.

  The mega-ship and carriers, with their horde of fighters, were soon spotted at St. Ignace, knocking down the spans of the I75 bridge between lower Michigan and Canada, before diving down into the waters of Lake Michigan. My first thoughts were of Zack and his family in Traverse City. I signaled Command and asked for orders to the area... I was denied.

  The destroyer was next into action as it pushed a 20 meter swell of water towards the flooding shoreline of Toronto. The wave was long as the destroyer moved parallel to the shore as it pushed the water forward. Toronto was soon deluged with massive floods going 20 kilometers inland.

  The city and its suburbs soon lay in a lake with only tall buildings jutting up from the murky cold waters. Command again attempted nuclear strikes on the destroyer only to have the alien fighters knock down anything sent their way well before it came within range. The destroyer next surfaced and after using its gravity wave in one long sweep, the tall buildings of Toronto were knocked over and perished into the floods.

  My fears for Traverse City soon came true; a giant swell of water was reported heading down Grand Traverse Bay. I could only hope that Zack was able to move his family to safety. Word next came that the 9,000 fighters accompanying the mega-ship had surfaced and were flying cover as the mega-ship began to move southward in Lake Michigan.

  As the behemoth moved it pushed a 40 meter swell of water towards the shoreline. Within an hour the massive wave had moved as far south as Muskegon where 100,000 skimmers surfaced and followed the wave inland. Grand Rapids was soon overwhelmed and its ongoing history brought to an abrupt end.

  The destroyer departed the Toronto area and began a new campaign to annihilate the shorelines of Lake Erie. Again the fighters circled overhead as cover while the destroyer pushed a massive wall of water inland while moving southwest. Cleveland would be inundated within the hour.

  After sufficiently restoring the flow of the St. Lawrence, Command then ordered my squads into further action. We were to proceed to the shorelines of Lake Erie and then to dive beneath the waters. Our target was the destroyer and the strategy was to move ahead of it and to lie in wait.

  I was sure our progress was being monitored by the aliens and as such I devised a new strategy. We would drill below the lake bottom where we would launch a number of Drillers. After drilling their way through the earth a kilometer beneath the lake bottom they would then surface 50 kilometers in front of our position and begin hunting for the destroyer.

  We dug deep and launched 20 Drillers into the soils below the lake. We then continued forward taking position in front of the advancing destroyer. I was sure we had been detected and that there would be no surprise waiting for the destroyer. I was right. The destroyer stopped short of our position and rose above the surface. It continued to push walls of water towards the shoreline as it moved slowly ahead.

  But we still had Drillers advancing towards the destroyer and our programming of them could not have been better. The Drillers came up through the lake bottom and then surfaced directly under the destroyer.

  Eighteen Drillers were immediately destroyed, but two made contact with the ship’s outer walls and soon began their dirty work of eating the great ship from the inside out. The destroyer fell prey to the Drillers and its reign of terror on the citizens of the Great Lakes came to an end. As the green fog spread over the hollowed destroyer it sank into the cold murky waters of Lake Erie.

  The thousand fighters above then turned and headed for the mega-ship. I gave the order and pushed hard on the throttle as we rose quickly to attack the fighters who trailed the pack. Our 14 GAFs then launched all Drillers and began to pick away at the alien horde as the confusion of battle set in.

  We managed to down 16 alien fighters before turning back. A safe distance had to be maintained from the mega-ship or we risked being knocked from the sky. We turned and headed southeast towards Pittsburgh to await new orders.

  The mega-ship then turned its weapon on Detroit. From 250 kilometers it sat and did its dirty work. The Detroit death toll estimates rose quickly towards one million souls with the Windy City being the next to feel the alien wrath.

  With Detroit in ruin the powerful alien gravity weapon turned on Chicago. At the same time the 10,000 alien fighters swarmed down into the suburbs followed by the 100,000 skimmers who had since finished up with Grand Rapids. I cringed as the 50 Defenders who had been parked on the ground in Chicago rose up in an attempt to stop the alien horde. It was suicide.

  From Pittsburgh I received orders to return to Roanoke. The orders were firm as a major counter offensive was in the works. Within minutes we were safely on the ground behind the Appalachians awaiting the call into battle. Our eyes remained glued to the tactical screen.

  The screen soon lit up with more than 50,000 Drillers and another 5,000 stealth cruise missiles. I waited for the wide sweeps of the alien gravity beam to clear the skies of our new offensive. I was stunned at what happened next.

  Huge fireballs erupted simultaneously in Gary, Oak Lawn, Shaumburg and Waukegan. As the giant mushroom clouds rose I knew the cities had been sacrificed in an attempt to stop the alien slaughter. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I thought of the millions of lives that had perished in an instant, taken by our own hand. I opened my mouth to scream, but only silence emerged.

  The massive alien fighter and skimmer fleet had taken a heavy blow. The Drillers and cruise missiles were soon on target to finish what the self-annihilating nukes had begun. Within half an hour of the Chicago apocalypse the alien mega-ship was in retreat. The remaining skimmers had been abandoned while the final horde of 1,200 alien fighters left the atmosphere with the mega-ship.

  Our orders quickly came in and more than 400 Defenders and GAFs descended on the rubble of Chicago while chasing down and destroying the remaining skimmers. As the last skimmer crashed down into a green fog a cheer went up at Command. I could not bring myself to celebrate as I scanned the debris of what only hours before had been a teaming, thriving city of more than four million citizens.

  Before orders came to return to Lake Pleasant I pushed the throttle and flew to Traverse City to inspect the damage. My heart sank as I saw that the mega-ship had swept the flooded remains of the city and surrounding suburbs. Nothing over a meter in height was left standing.

  As the tears filled my eyes I again pushed the throttle and within minutes settled just above the tarmac at home base. As we taxied into the hangar I wiped my eyes. We tou
ched down and powered off the ship. I stood and followed Randy, Raven and Shepard out of the rear hatch.

  I began the long walk towards the elevators with my eyes looking at the floor before someone stepped in front of me. It was Zack! His face told of what I already knew. Much of his family was gone. His life up until joining the corps had been stripped away. The hurt in his eyes was overwhelming.

  I put my arms around him and pulled him close and the tears once again began to flow. After a long embrace he pushed me back gently and then asked me to follow him to the hangar break room. As we turned the corner an elderly woman and man stood. I recognized the resemblance immediately.

  Zack's parents had flown back with him earlier that morning. They had survived with only a small bag of clothing and their Yorkshire terrier named T-Rex. But gone were his Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Gone was their home and gone were their neighbors and friends of many years. Their life in Traverse City lay in ruin. After a brief introduction I called my parents and asked if they would help. Their response was immediate. That afternoon, Zack's parents were in an air-cab heading for eastern Alabama.

  My day was soon filled with debriefings. Command needed every detail, every move and every thought that had run through our minds as the day's battles had ensued. By the time the briefings had ended Zack had been off duty for hours and had retired to his quarters for the evening. I wondered down to the base pub and ordered up a beer.

  The day had been long and I was growing ever weary from the seemingly never ending battles. It was a war with no winners. A billion citizens of Earth had perished and now countless numbers of the enemy. And what of the humanoid creatures, how many were there and why did they hate us so?

  I was soon joined by three technicians who had just come off shift from working on the new prototype ship. After seeing the clearance indicators on my BGS suit they opened up about what would be ready for testing in less than a year, the first of the Brenner Class destroyers.

  The twin reactors were in place and had been briefly powered up. A battery of 256 coil guns had been mounted and work had begun on the new directional BHD. The new drive would reside in a central core internal to the ship that would allow the pull from the generated black hole to move the ship instantly in any direction. Rumor had also spread of a new pulse gravity gun capable of killing a fighter from 200 kilometers. Our technology was advancing at a rapid pace.

  Plans had been launched for the creation of a battleship and a transport that could be used in the future for a planned assault of the alien homeworld. An assault that would not come until the threat of the mega-ship had been neutralized. The thoughts of a return to Alvin were racing through my mind.

  When I returned to my quarters the BGS meds had a difficult time lowering my adrenaline levels. I rolled and squirmed on the anti-grav mattress, running scenario after scenario of an Alvin invasion through my head. When sleep finally came my dreams were of combat.

  I would fight my way to the inner workings of the alien water city destroying everything in my path. I would float through the walls into the cabins of the humanoid masters and make them beg for mercy as I crushed their throats in my powerful hands. It was a violent dream, but one that I would remember fondly for the rest of my life.

  When I awoke in the morning my team had once again been called back to duty. We would be on patrol, keeping the ever watchful eye on the mega-ship and its movements. It had taken its old familiar position of twice the distance from the Earth to the Moon. A swarm of fighters were ever on patrol to give it early warning of any attack.

  Our GAF lifted off before I had a chance to say goodbye to Zack. His parents had been welcomed into my grandfather's home where they would receive good care and were welcome company. My dreams of a romance had once again been put on hold.

  The tour was soon monotonous and seemingly unending just as the last had been. The constant movements of the mega-ship had made any attempt at a stealth attack unsuccessful. Days, turned into weeks and then months with no activity. After 76 days on station word came of another week of rest and recuperation.

  When we touched down at Lake Pleasant I grinned wide as Zack was waiting to greet me in the hangar. It had only been months, but the fighting seemed a thing of the distant past. My time had come and I was eager to get to know the gentleman who stood before me. A date into town was in the works, a date that would soon be interrupted.

  Chapter 13

  I felt a bit awkward as it was to be my first date in years. I had made every attempt to add clothing over my BGS, but none of my old clothes fit. I was now buff and strong. I had square shoulders and a tiny waist. My thighs were powerful as were my forearms. I began to feel more like a hideous monster than a woman.

  I sat nervously on the edge of my bed as I waited for the hour of our date. My makeup, hair and nails had been redone several times with each time in succession bringing a feeling of inadequacy, a feeling of being something less than a woman and more of a freak.

  My nervousness peaked when a knock came on my door. When it opened I was greeted with a warm smile and a brief hug. The nervousness quickly turned to excitement over the handsome man standing before me. He took my arm and we chatted lightly as we made our way topside. When the elevator door opened there were technicians scurrying about the hangar.

  The alien mega-ship was on the move. I signaled Command and was told to enjoy my time off. The aliens had moved to a position behind the Moon where they were less of a threat. If the need arose I would be immediately called.

  A local air-cab soon landed and whisked us away for our evening on the town. When we sat down for dinner I quickly became aware of the fact that I was still in the BGS. I had no need of food, nor was I hungry. After an awkward look from several other patrons, Zack broke into a laugh. He too had been nervous about the date and had neglected to take into account that I was in a BGS. As a courtesy I ordered a salad that I mostly just poked and prodded at as he consumed his meal.

  From dinner we moved on to a cheesy love story movie and we were both asked to leave when we began to giggle uncontrollably. We ended the evening sitting on a bench in the town square talking endlessly about our childhoods and how we had come to where we were. Zack finally worked up the courage to place his hand gently on my cheek. He then moved in for a kiss, a kiss that I longed for, but which did not happen. The evening was once again interrupted when a warble came over my QE comm. I was being ordered back to duty.

  The alien ship had moved down to the Moon's surface hovering only 800 meters above it. Fighters ran patrols as machinery was being set up on the Moon's surface, two kilometers from the great ship. My team was not going into action, but was to be on immediate standby in case the need arose.

  My dream date had come to an abrupt end. Zack dropped me at my quarters and with a disappointed look on his face he leaned in for a gentle kiss goodnight. His lips were warm and soft and he left soon after with a smile.

  As I walked towards a briefing room I could not help but think about my evening. He was handsome and rugged. His demeanor was one of friendliness and kindness and his sense of humor had me giggling like a school girl. When I rounded the corner into the briefing room my dreamlike state came to an end.

  The room was full of scientists and engineers having arguments with Command about what the mega-ship might be doing. Some were suggesting a moon base while others though it may be making repairs. The 14 alien carriers had landed on the Moon's surface making a perimeter about the mega-ship.

  I sat with Randy, Raven and Shepard and listened for hours as one scenario after another was presented. When the final idea was thrown on the table the scientists and engineers departed and the tacticians and battle planners entered the room.

  The next five hours were spent attempting to plan strategies for each of the scenarios put forth. I wanted to catch a wink with all the information flying about as we were only allowed to observe, but the stimulants from my BGS saw to it that I remained awake and alert.

&nb
sp; When the long meeting concluded we were sent back to our quarters to rest. There had been no change in the position of the mega-ship and the activities on the Moon's surface seemed to be at a minimum.

  With the great ship stationary, Command had wasted no time in making attempts at a strike. Drillers had been launched by the thousands only to be swept from the area when they came within line of sight of the mega-ship.

  Stealth missiles had been launched hugging the Moon's surface moving at only two meters height as they circled around towards the alien encampment. Fighters on patrol annihilated most with the mega-ship knocking down the remaining few with its gravity beam before they could come within range.

  Attempts at taking out the patrolling fighters had also been unsuccessful as the mega-ship protected the small craft from a distance. Four GAFs and their crews had been sent to their deaths in attempts to drift in unnoticed. Command's well of ideas soon ran dry.

  For five weeks we sat and watched as the alien fleet remained silent. For five weeks our factories were churning out countless Drillers and hundreds of new GAFs. Ground defenses were being updated with a new and improved gravity pulse gun capable of killing a fighter at 50 kilometers.

  Cities that had been ravaged by the alien tsunamis were being abandoned, the remaining citizens relocated. Damaged crop fields were being readied for the next year’s plantings. We were making every effort to fortify and rebuild as only through strength would we survive.

  I was sitting in a briefing with the same tired ideas and arguments being bandied about when a young scientist was quickly escorted into the room by his superior. He had news.

  The alien mega-ship had been busy during its five week stay on the Moon. Busy making use of its gravity beam in a way that only myself and Shepard had seen live. The young scientist was reporting that according to the latest measurements the Moon was now two meters closer to the Earth. The mega-ship was pushing the Moon!