Earth vs Alien

by Ronald D Thompson

  The basement was equipped with advanced technology. The area covered some 1500 square metres, littered with alien hardware captured by the rebels. Engineers and scientists alike were frantically working on cracking the anti-gravity facility of the alien drones whilst trying to conquer the force shield that was so impregnable. Decoding the hieroglyphics was the key – if the rebels could decipher the galactic language they would be well on their way to creating hardware of their own − war machines that might help fight the battle to regain control of their much beloved city.

  A rebel approached Robert; a leader named Zak Lancelot (a surname of his own choosing due to the historical importance of such a prominent knight of the Round Table). As he approached, he held out his right arm. Robert clasped his right hand on Zak’s forearm in the manner that a Roman Centurion might greet a comrade.

  ‘Hey, man, sorry about Ansell,’ said Zak and they hugged. Another warrior lost.

  ‘This is Andre,’ said Robert, ‘a warrior in the making.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Andre,’ greeted Zak. He shouted to a comrade, ‘Say, Mikel, care to show our friend around the complex?’

  ‘Mikel looked around, put his blowtorch down and left the dishevelled drone he was cutting into at the work bench. ‘Sure!’ replied Mikel.

  ‘You’ll be fine with Mikel,’ said Robert reassuringly. ‘Once you’ve had a look around we’ll catch up and have a chat. In the meantime, enjoy the show.’

  The hologram was constantly active; it took centre stage in the basement and news channels dominated. The news; broadcast via a private network called New York State, in defiance at the name change of the city and the destruction of the human architecture which had created the iconic buildings of the old city; influenced the rebels’ movements.

  At present, the dominant headline was the new, improved, time capsule.

  A bulletin announced the transportation of Colonel Alfred Patterson, scheduled for 23rd February 2218, approximately a month away.

  Robert stopped in his tracks.

  ‘What’s the lowdown on this latest transportation, Zak?’ asked Robert.

  ‘Not entirely sure,’ replied Zak.

  ‘Come on, Zak, you guys are on the inside. Why a Colonel? Are the government up to something? There are rumours that we are lodging a case with the Council of the Light to rid us of these damn aliens. Not that it will do any good if you want my opinion.’

  Zak pulled him to one side. ‘Quite, Robert,’ said Zak. ‘You’re right − word has it that they are trying to gather some evidence from within the force field, you know, ‘the incident’. Need proof that the Zaagans acted illegally and started this whole alien war crap.’

  ‘Then why announce it in holovision for God’s sake?’

  ‘That’s the whole idea, Robert. Don’t hide the fact that you have a time capsule. That way the aliens won’t suspect the real reason behind this scheduled time travel. Hell, we normally screw it up anyway and burn people alive in the capsule. As far as the aliens are concerned, this is just light entertainment. We have cleared this travel with the Council of the Light, so the aliens can’t stop it. As far as anyone is concerned, this is just exploratory,’ explained Zak. ‘Look, we work closely with the government, you know that. We keep our ear to the ground and gather intelligence. We have information that the Volkans are winning the argument with the Council of the Light. That means sanctions on humans. That means loss of freedom. We have to do something but it’s hush-hush at the moment, Robert, so not a word. Anyway, you’re in deep trouble, so you need to keep a low profile.’

  ‘Trouble, what trouble?’

  ‘When Ansell dropped his knife, the drone must have seen it,’ said Zak.

  ‘Seen what?’ asked Robert.

  ‘Your gun. Someone in the crowd kicked it away to try to hide the fact that you were armed. We picked it up on our surveillance camera. When you made a run for it one of the drones made its way towards the gun. They will have checked for prints instantly as they’re damn clever at fingerprint recognition even from a distance. They will know it’s your gun, Robert.’

  ‘Shit! What the hell am I gonna do, Zak?’ pleaded Robert.

  ‘I know a surgeon. You’ll need a new image,’ replied Zak.

  ‘How the heck did humans get into this mess, Zak? You know my Granddad used to tell me tales. Can you imagine a world without these aliens, just humans? You know, Zak, if I were in that time capsule I wouldn’t wanna come back!’ said Robert. He looked around at the hologram to catch the tail end of the news bulletin. There it was staring him in the face, an image, a face; it was the face of the Colonel. Robert thought it looked familiar. It was.

  It might have been him staring back at Robert, ‘hadn’t anyone else noticed?’ thought Robert. ‘Obviously not’ but there it was, the face of Hank Richards. It was the double of the legend. Robert knew his history; his grandfather had photographs, faces etched in Robert’s mind like a brass rubbing. In an instant, Robert’s plan was unveiled in his mind.

  Robert knew his next move. He would tell no one.

  CHAPTER 2

  REVENGE TRAP

  Dane Vhastek was travelling through the portal. The drones, in groups of ten, had been sent, prior to Dane’s entry, to disorientate Qudor’s fleet of craft, acting as gatekeepers at CERN.

  The date was 23rd February 2018.

  Annaluce shut her eyes as they entered the Earth’s atmosphere, fearful that this could be the end. Sweat formed on Dane’s brow. Although he was a warrior and had seen many battles he could not prevent his body reacting in anticipation of the battle ahead; his heart rate increased, his pupils dilated and he had a stern look of absolute focus on his face.

  Annaluce turned to look at her hero − his hair was menacingly beautiful. With the black beads testament to his many victories, she convinced herself that she was in safe hands.

  The sight that greeted them was chaos. A fierce battle was in progress as Dane’s drones went about the business of fending off the aerial attack of Qudor’s gatekeepers at the portal. It was just as Dane had predicted as his drones were giving as much as they got from Qudor’s fleet.

  Annaluce didn’t dare scream − she had been warned. Dane opened fire immediately, a torrent of laser power picked off three drones in quick succession and his craft meandered effortlessly through the carnage in the Earth’s skies. Following immediately were Dane’s fellow warriors.

  The holographic image displayed the enemy drones. Dane activated the electromagnetic force shield instinctively − a few more shots, a few less drones to worry about. Within seconds of the entry through the portal, Dane’s craft picked up an incoming call from James Eaton, translated perfectly, so the message would be understood.

  ‘Dane, only 50 enemy drones detected within your immediate vicinity,’ stated James matter-of-factly, not wasting any time on a formal greeting, merely wanting to assist.

  ‘Got them covered. Any other enemy craft approaching?’ asked Dane.

  ‘A few larger enemy craft on the peripheral. Not an immediate threat though,’ said James observantly.

  ‘This is too easy. I was expecting much more aggressive resistance,’ said Dane.

  ‘The battle has changed. The aerial battle isn’t the worry, Dane. It’s the ground offensive,’ said James. ‘Explain later; just get out of there safely first.’

  Dane’s warriors were picking off Qudor’s drones with ease. The holographic image clearly highlighted the ten larger military craft on the peripheral of this aerial assault, yet no hostile fire, it was almost as if these ships were there to assess the power and size of the enemy fleet.

  ‘Hostile enemy craft spotted,’ said Dane.

  ‘We see them − take your fleet to a higher altitude. If they follow and attack we have craft that can assist.’

  Dane got the message out to his comrades to ascend. He knew that the speed of his craft was superior to Qudor’s. If the enemy was up for the challenge he would attack them from above; a formality
and easy pickings in Dane’s eyes.

  At a distance, the enemy craft did not follow. They were not drones but fully-fledged war craft. They gathered in a formation and began heading away from the portal at CERN.

  Annaluce looked on in awe. Her hero had made light of the attack, the speed and agility with which he handled the craft was a thrill − the adrenaline pumping around her body was electrifying. She was sat with this wonderful beast of a warrior and he was hers, at least that was what she hoped. How she had made the mistake to trust Qudor Volkan was a mystery, but he was paying the price for threatening her, for trying to control and bully his way into her heart.

  For the first time in her life she felt completely safe.

  ‘No appetite for the fight,’ said James. ‘They’re heading south,’ was the message to Dane.

  ‘Antarctica?’ quizzed Dane. ‘Look, I’ll follow them. I’ll take 50 of my fleet with me and the rest will join up with you. We’ll get a clearer picture of what they are up to.’

  ‘It’s not pretty, Dane, they seem to have inflicted Earth with monstrous creatures.’

  Oosapeth was listening in and decided to participate.

  ‘Dane, this is Oosapeth. This could be a ploy to draw you away from CERN and split up your fleet. You will become an easier target.’

  ‘We have superior speed. We’ll pick them off before they reach their destination,’ claimed Dane.

  No point arguing with a warrior in full battle mode, so Oosapeth relented. He nodded his head privately in admiration. Assuming he would prevail, he signed off with a final instruction: ‘Join us once the mission is complete.’

  Dane had one eye on the receptor Annaluce had been wearing in her ear, courtesy of Qudor. The enemy had not picked off the drone, carrying the receptor. Dane’s mind was working overtime. Why hadn’t Qudor destroyed that drone? Was Annaluce leading him into a trap? Was this all planned out? ‘He should be concentrating on the battle at hand’, he thought. He resented his weakness.

  The fleet of enemy craft had a head start but Dane estimated to be on top of the enemy within five Earth minutes, courtesy of his on-board hologram. The order for more craft to assist him was administered and, with precision, the others formulated behind Dane in a perfect arrow shape. Dane studied the image; the ten-enemy craft were in view. This should be a formality.

  The change in shape puzzled Dane. The enemy craft suddenly split up, moving in totally different directions, descending rapidly at the same time.

  Dane instructed his comrades.

  ‘Sequence of five. Each group follows one craft. I’m logging it into the visual. The hologram will indicate who the other four are in your group to follow those selected to lead.’

  ‘They’re splitting us, Dane. This is a dangerous manoeuvre. We don’t know what awaits us at ground level,’ said Lucamme, a commander Dane trusted intently.

  ‘Follow orders! Activate your shields! We’ll take them out before they descend,’ replied Dane. Annaluce gave him a look as if she agreed with the argument from his colleague. Dane returned the look and it was clear that his mind was made up. Annaluce was powerless to change it.

  A message came through from Oosapeth.

  ‘Suggest you abort. They are leading you into a trap. The unknown aliens have taken over the major capitals. They cannot win the aerial battle, but they will have the element of surprise at ground level. Repeat − suggest you abort.’

  ‘I’ve got this, Oosapeth!’ insisted Dane. For the second time, as it was in the volcano, Oosapeth had to trust that his ally knew what he was doing, but this time there was doubt.

  Dane knew the unknown source. It wasn’t appropriate to have a discussion with Oosapeth at this moment. He had seen the enemy’s capabilities and so far, he was unimpressed. Qudor was no match but Dane was now emotionally charged. He needed to send out a message to the alien who was a challenge for the affections of Annaluce. Even though she had made it clear he was no threat, Dane needed to eliminate him.

  Dane took four craft with him. They were closing fast on the lead enemy craft. Annaluce clearly worried that her new-found love was acting irrationally and spoke out:

  ‘Dane! Oosapeth is right. This is a trap. Let them return to base. We should join Oosapeth and plan our attack.’

  Before Dane could respond, a barrage of open fire jolted their craft.

  ‘We’re under attack!’ cried Lucamme.

  Dane looked at the hologram. Appearing from nowhere, a thousand feet below were hundreds of enemy craft. Qudor had planned for every eventuality, the possibility that the entry at CERN would lead to a fierce battle led to a decision not to bombard CERN with too many craft. The plan was to split up his posse, stay clear of the portal at CERN for the sole purpose of drawing them away from the portal, to divide the enemy.

  It had worked.

  ‘Dane, get the hell out of there! There are at least a hundred enemy craft. We can detect 20 heading in your direction. You have superior speed, so abort. That’s an order.’

  Dane got an order out to his fleet.

  ‘Split up current formation. Ascend fast! Emit electromagnetic shock. Repeat − emit electromagnetic shock and abort.’

  The fire was fierce. Qudor’s craft were battleships, their fire power far superior to Dane’s. Unless he could ascend and quick, he was in trouble. He should have listened to Oosapeth; emotion was interfering with his judgement and he had been weakened.

  The other craft in Dane’s fleet were ascending. Strangely, there was little challenge from the enemy. The holographic image indicated that the enemy craft, who were previously targeting the others in his fleet, were now heading in Dane’s direction. Enemy craft were both beneath and above him, about 100 craft. He was in trouble.

  ‘How did they know to follow me?’ Dane asked out loud.

  ‘Dane, call your fleet back to assist. You can’t win this battle on your own. Repeat − call your fleet back!’ shouted Oosapeth. Dane instinctively knew he was right. Why had he not listened to Oosapeth in the first place?

  The battle was playing out. James Eaton and Oosapeth both watched the action unfolding intently. Dane’s ship had been the target all along. The enemy’s game plan was playing out, it was clear for all to see. Somehow, however, they knew which craft was Dane’s.

  Dane’s ship was surrounded, so much so that you could not distinguish it.

  He disappeared from view.

  CHAPTER 3

  STAVE’S MISSION

  Commander Lucas entered the engineers’ room adjoining the time capsule deployment area. The alarm had sounded and the perpetrators were trying to head out of the building, but the shutters had fenced them in.

  Joining Commander Lucas were three heavily armed guards. The time capsule had gone and the shutters that sealed in the capsule were now slowly rising. The time capsule engineer, Samuel Parker, was visibly shaken; his engineer colleagues lay slumped, dead, shot in the head at close range.

  Parker stared at the date − 23rd February 2018. The destination − Area 51, Nevada.

  ‘Get medical assistance. Now!’ barked the Commander. A guard ran out and the other two simply froze on the spot at the death carnage. ‘What in God’s name?’ uttered Lucas under his breath. ‘Apprehend whoever did this. Now! What are you waiting for? Move!’ were the instructions to the two dumbfounded guards.

  A riotous brawl of activity within the base was panic driven. A loud alarm issuing instruction to evacuate the building did little to ease tensions. The Colonel looked at Samuel and, realising his traumatic state, he urged him to sit down whilst medical assistance arrived. The 3D vision in the engineers’ room told its own story; the destination had been deliberately altered, something had gone horribly wrong. Either an impostor had entered the time capsule or Colonel Alfred Patterson was a fake.

  A message came through to Commander Lucas. Each commander or solider was equipped with standardised transmitters, surgically inserted into the inner ear, complete with a virtual visor, activated by
voice recognition.

  ‘Killers apprehended, Sir,’ was the message from one of the Commander’s guards.

  ‘Any casualties?’ asked the Commander.

  ‘Negative. Protective shield activated in time. Both culprits have been stunned and are comatose.’

  The guards’ protective gear included a force shield activator, technology provided by the dominating alien presence, a trade-off for a compliant human police force.

  ‘Do we have retina recognition?’

  ‘One is a known rebel, Sir. The other identified as Andre Burscalli. The file states a minor altercation about a month ago. He escaped the Death Guards with Robert Stave.’

  The Commander requested visual files − his virtual visor emulated a circular band, a halo-like contraption, a fitting placed over the head sitting 40 millimetres above the ear. The file showed data on the two suspects, a facial visual and a complete history of their past.

  The medics arrived; Samuel was escorted out of the room still traumatised.

  ‘Cuff them both. Arrange transportation to the military base. Keep this under wraps. That’s an order.’ The cuffs in 2218 were electronically operated. A magnetic field formed a containment ring around the victims’ hands. Surprisingly, the term ‘to cuff’ was still adhered to in 2218.

  ‘Understood,’ said the guard.

  ‘Call Senator Adams,’ said Commander Lucas into his virtual visor. Voice recognition activated the call.

  ‘Commander Lucas, what can I do for you?’ asked the senator.

  ‘When do we expect the visit from the Council of the Light, senator?’

  ‘Tomorrow, February 24th at precisely 12pm noon, Commander. They will need the full data on Colonel Patterson’s time travel as standard procedure. Why?’

  ‘We have a problem.’

  ‘Don’t tell me we’ve incinerated the Colonel?’

  ‘No, it’s worse, senator.’

  *******************************

  Andre awoke. Feeling groggy and a bit bruised from the shock administered by the guards at the Time Capsule Centre, he tried to collect his thoughts. The image of the two dead engineers haunted him. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to go, they were meant to stun all but one engineer, ensure Robert’s destination and date of time travel was changed, then escape. It all seemed so simple; an operation of this sort was something the rebels were used to – they never failed, allegedly. Now he found himself tied to a chair, in a dark room, alone.