Deadly Voyage (Logan Ryvenbark's Saga Book 1)

by Lavina Giamusso

  “I have a scientific branch,” Belen told them, “and my scientists are second to none. If anyone can figure out weapons and technology, they can. I’ve told the Federation that my scientists would be happy to take a look at the Sollral technology. But my request was refused.”

  “Sounds like bureaucrats.” I said.

  “Bring me the underground weapons and my scientists will get them working.”

  “We will. Oh, and any new reports from your scanners about the possible other race on Vega?”

  Suddenly Belen didn’t look so confident. The breezy smile became a frown.

  “We sent probes to the other continent on Vega, but there is little information coming back.” She paused for a moment. “It has been suggested by some of my staff that there is something blocking the probes.”

  “If that’s true, that’s a sign of intelligence.” Rab said. “A sign that some race doesn’t want to be discovered.”

  Belen nodded. “Yes, and that’s worrisome.”

  “Well, as long as they stay in their part of the world and don’t bother us. There’s a rumor that another race is controlling the Molochs, but we have no evidence of that yet. Of course I don’t like surprises. If there is an underground race of aliens…” I growled “it could be a problem. Jaclyn did say that after the first time her race spotted the Molochs, the Aristolans retreated back to their lands. But later they spotted the tall ships that brought the Molochs across the seas. Where did those ships come from? The Molochs don’t have the capability to build them.”

  “True. And if a race is building ships for the Molochs they are clearly antagonistic to the Aristolans. So what other types of things can they build?” Rab asked.

  “Hopefully, we will land on Vega and exit before we have a chance to find out. But if there is another race, I don’t see why they keep hidden. It’s not like anyone would bother them. They appear to be friendly to the Molochs. If, so, they probably did build the ships for them. But Aristolans certainly won’t bother them. Why not come out in the fresh air? We know of a few, but very few, underground races. No men, and few races, were made to live underground.” I said.

  “Maybe they’re a race of hermits. They like to be left alone.” Belen said, giving me a mischievous smile.

  “If they are, that’s fine with me. We’re not going to bother them. Give us two weeks, maybe three, and we will be heading back here. Rab, tell all your squad leaders to keep their eyes open and their ear alert. We have some information about this planet but not nearly enough. We don’t know what we’re getting into.”

  Most military commanders know that you can make the most precise plans before going into battle, but once into battle you sometimes have to throw all those precise plans away.

  The next day I walked down a corridor and saw the sign advertising Fr. Diego’s sermon. I hadn’t even realized it was Sunday. The title of the sermon intrigued me. “How Jesus Waged War.” I decided to drop in. Thought I might learn a few tactics. The chapel looked 80 percent full. Belen and Jaclyn sat in the front row. Many of Belen's soldiers were scattered in the pews. I did a double-take when I spied Rab in an aisle seat. Rab was an atheist. I wondered if he had been talking to Jaclyn, too. A session with her might persuade you to attend church. I eased into the next to the last pew. Blue felt gave the chapel a colorful look. When Fr. Diego walked behind the pulpit the background was a blue stained glass window.

  “My text today will be from Mark 6:14. This begins the tale of the execution of John the Baptist. After the execution Jesus went out to a private place, no doubt grieved by the death of his friend. But people followed him. So instead of being in solitude, he waded into the crowd, healed the sick, drove out demons and performed miracles. John the Baptist, who was Jesus’ cousin, was the only person on Earth who had a hint as to what Jesus’ mission was. The scriptures tell us that the mission of Jesus was hidden in God. And they say that if the powers of darkness had known God’s plan, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. You notice the scriptures do not lay the blame for Jesus’ death on any man or any group of men. While on the cross Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ The scriptures put the blame, and rightly so, on the powers of darkness. The blame also goes to the powers of darkness for the murder of John the Baptist.”

  “So now we see Jesus, who is told that John is dead. If he had wanted to establish an earthly kingdom this was the time to do it. Herod had been pressured before this by his wife to kill John. But he hesitated because John was considered a prophet by the people. In other words, the masses of people respected and admired John. When he was executed, they were ready to rebel. Jesus could have told them to take up swords and clubs and storm Herod’s palace, and they would have done so. Herod was tricked into giving the execution order. He gave an oath and thought he had to go through with it. But Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. So he had no thought whatsoever of storming the palace.

  “But he did counterattack. When the crowds came to Him, although he wanted to be left alone during this time, he helped them. He healed the sick, he drove out demons, he performed miracles. He was counterattacking the powers of darkness. Herod was not his enemy; Satan was his enemy. The apostle Paul tells us that our enemies are not flesh and blood, but principalities, powers and the rulers of darkness in the world.”

  “So when Satan killed John, Jesus struck back. Where there was sickness, he brought health. Where there was demonic opposition, he brought deliverance. Where there was only darkness, he brought light. He counterattacked. He counterattacked his real enemy, not men of flesh and blood. 'The weapons of our warfare are not carnal', Paul writes. He goes on to describe our spiritual weapons: the helmet of salvation, our breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which Paul tells is the Word of God.”

  Several people seated in the pews nodded their heads. Even Rab looked impressed.

  “Because we live in a fallen universe we are always engaged in spiritual warfare. And now we are proceeding to a planet where there will be fleshly warfare. It is a righteous mission. We are going to save a race from extermination. The anointing of God is on this mission and on every man and women on this mission. We can be assured of His blessing and His protection as we go.”

  Well, that was good to hear, I thought.

  “In Leviticus, as the Israelites went out to battle their enemies, the Lord assured those warriors that they could wield the sword in righteousness and come home and sleep the sleep of the righteous because they were doing the work of the Lord. The same is true with this mission. If you war against evil, you are fighting for God.”

  “Now I want all of you to read Psalm 91 every day. It is the Psalm of protection. It’s not just poetry. It’s not just good prose. Psalm 91 is the promise of God for protection in battle and protection in everyday life. ‘Though a thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand fall at my right hand, but it will not come near me. I will only observe with my eyes to see the punishment of the wicked.' Repeat that Psalm every day. Say it until faith begins to build. Say it until you believe it. There are Bibles in the pews. Please pick one up and turn to Psalm 91. We will say it together to end the service.”

  I had a few Christians in my squad. I had always considered them good men and good soldiers, and I was glad to fight by their side. But, who knew… they might be much more valuable than even I had thought.

  We lined up to shake Fr. Diego’s hand as we filed out. I saw Rab give the priest an enthusiastic handshake and speak to him. I wished I could have heard the conversation, but I was too far away. I wondered what atheist Rab had to say.

  “Excellent sermon, Father.” I said.

  “Thank you, Major. And I want you to know that if you will provide me with a weapon, I will fight with you.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”

  He nodded. “If this is a righteous cause, and it is, then I should join it. In battle as well as in the pulpit.”

/>   “I will see you get a gun, Father.”

  I sat in my office chain-smoking cigars and running every simulation I could think of on the 82-inch screens in my office. There are good reasons why the military runs war games. They keep you sharp, physically and mentally. Computer simulations do the same.

  If the mist proved effective, the Molochs would be stopped in their tracks. They’d drop like flies when they charged through the mountain passes. But if, for whatever reason, the Molochs were immune to the mist…

  The first simulation showed my enemies could overwhelm the pillboxes due to their massive numbers, but would suffer a sixty to sixty-five percent casualty rate. But that left at least 35 percent of their force charging like Huns. But my troops had lasers and automatics and could lay down a withering fire. I did have a few jets with firepalm – liquid fire that could flow like a river while incinerating anything in its path. It could be directed from our headquarters, ensuring it only ignited enemy troops without causing any injuries to our own soldiers.

  The second simulation was intriguing. It worked out well on the computer screens, but I wondered if it would do as well on the rough terrain of Vega. We had Earthmovers. Use them as offensive weapons. The valley between the mountains was about ten miles wide. Have the Earthmovers dig a Grand Canyon hole south of the mountains. If the Molochs somehow made it through the mist, they would tumble three miles down into the earth. Leave them down there or blow them apart with artillery or air power.

  As I bit into my cigar, I gave the plan serious thought. It put another defensive barrier between us and the Molochs. From what I knew of the Earthmovers, they could proceed with incredible speed. It might take them only a couple of days to dig the Grand Canyon defensive line. It would postpone their evacuation trip to the ancient underground cities but if the Molochs were defeated we’d have plenty of time to explore the buried civilizations.

  I shot a message off to Lucas Davenport, the engineer in charge of the evacuation. He could tell me exactly how long digging a Grand Canyon would take. It would take the Earthmovers a lot less time than it did Mother Nature back on Earth.

  I puffed out some smoke and smiled. “I should have thought of that before.” I said aloud. I then sent a message to my three squad leaders and Rab. I planned to bounce the idea off them. One of the primary flaws of human beings is that often they think they know everything, and they view anyone who disagrees with them as an idiot. This is, as Fr. Diego referred to, the sin of pride, the greatest of all sins because it leads to so many more.

  This can be a particularly acute problem if your IQ is 170-plus. If you’re a genius, you do know a lot. But you don’t know it all.

  I flicked a few buttons and ran another simulation. This time with both our lethal mist and a Grand Canyon cemetery bordering the mountains. Jets in the air spraying the canyon with firepalm after the Molochs fell into them. The computer ran the war game. I smiled when I saw the result.

  Fifteen minutes later when they entered my office, Rab, Carmen, Eric, and Steph agreed with me.

  “I like that.” Rab said. “Even if they get through the mist they die in the Canyon cemetery.”

  Stephanie nodded. “I like the way your mind works, Major. I don’t think I would have ever thought of that.”

  “Yes, the major has a devious mind.” Carmen said.

  “I think I would prefer the term ‘shrewd’ or ‘strategic.’”

  “OK, you have a strategic devious mind.”

  “Yes, that’s much better.”

  Rab continued. “Even if, for some reason, it doesn’t work, there’s no downside to the plan. If it doesn’t work there’s just a big hole in the ground. It won’t do us any damage. And if it does work – and I don’t see why it wouldn’t - we’ve got another firewall against the Molochs.”

  “The more firewalls the better.” Eric said. “Unless they have some aerial support, which apparently they don’t, they won’t be able to cross the canyon. If we can keep them at bay until the canyons are dug, then we should be safe and wage a battle with minimal casualties. It’s brilliant, Major.”

  “Let’s don’t call it brilliant until it’s proven to work.” I said.

  Steph paced the floor, fidgeting. The other three sat easily in their chairs.

  “I’ve seen the Earthmovers,” Steph said, “and they look like a half-dozen elephants running in unison. But you want a big hole. How long will it take them to dig it? Back on Earth it took nature a million years or so.”

  I understood her concern. “We hope to shorten that considerably. Davenport is getting back to me on that question. If it takes three months we will need to reconsider. Three days and it’s a viable option.”

  “That’s gonna take longer than three days.” Rab said.

  “OK, a week. Even if it takes a week, the canyon should be ready before the Molochs attack.” I smiled. “It would be nice to fight a war with no casualties on our side.”

  “If you can pull that off, they will put you in the military records books, Major.”

  Chapter 26

  The Tertullan astronomer sat silently reflecting on his calculations, which were disturbing, but not catastrophic. At least not for his planet. He would have to run the figures again and check every variance, double-check every statistic, and have the AI computer double-check his work. AIs had their limitations, but they also had one great advantage. Emotions did not affect their work. They seemed to be very content and did not form friendships or alliances with their human counterparts. Or with other AIs for that matter. They were solitary creations. The robotic equivalent of a hermit. Or perhaps a monk. They were entirely and totally logical.

  The astronomer, whose name was Antekirk, stared into the night sky again. The huge telescope had been built on a mountain on Tertullan so that the lenses were not obscured by clouds or pollution. The planet was almost pollution free. He looked up at the stars and smiled. He found his job not just satisfying, but joyful. There was a beauty and majesty in space. He picked up a glass of Hestle, the rough equivalent of Earth bourbon, and sipped it. He felt a tremor of excitement. If the calculations were correct, there would be some devastation, but he would also be credited with a major discovery. That would enhance his reputation among his colleagues. Some of his academic peers thought he was a bit lazy, that he enjoyed simply staring at stars too much, without doing much actual work. A discovery would show them. They could never level that type of criticism at him again. He glared at the three computer screens in front of him. On one, numbers were whizzing by. On another, this section of the solar system showed on the screen. He sipped the bourbon.

  “Alvin, would you please run all those figures again? Just to make sure.” he said.

  “Certainly. But the same answer will come up. There was no mistake.” the AI said.

  “I believe you. But in science we have to check and double-check, and check again.”

  “Sounds a bit redundant.”

  “It is. But that’s how we prove our theories.”

  Antekirk thought of the old saying, ‘Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.’ It was true. However, AIs did not lie although they figured remarkably well.

  He looked at the blue crescent moon in the sky, a sideways smile. It emitted a light blue glow against the black night. If the figures proved correct, he’d be smiling too.

  This discovery would prompt attention and much praise. He enjoyed the hum of the computers. The sound always comforted him for some reason. Other residents of the planet took solace from a scenic sea locale or a beautiful mountain range. But for him, the hum of computers showed all was right in the world and in his science lab. A wonderful feeling.

  “The calculations are correct. There were no mistakes in the initial study.” the AI reported.

  “Why did we miss it until now?”

  “It’s a ‘black comet’ and the largest one we have seen.”