Oosapeth gave a look, one that suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced that he hadn’t acquired some baggage with this potential deal. ‘Qudor’s been busy whilst you’ve been away. He’s taking territorial advantage and the Drayzaks are running riot. The humans’ fire power is constantly thwarted by Qudor’s electromagnetic pulse. We have been mere observers.’
‘Our problem is the squalors,’ said Dane. ‘The numbers are huge; we can’t transport them through the ice caves. I suggest we accept as much help as the Zaagans are prepared to offer. Use the natural portal in space and strategically drop the squalors in areas Qudor is having the most success. What about the criminals on the space station?’
‘Similar to the squalors. The option of freedom is all they need. My worry is whether either the prison population or the squalors are up for the fight once we let them loose and whether they have the skills to reduce the Drayzak numbers.’
‘To the squalors, this would be one huge death bait game. Their spokesperson, a Zaagan called Anchorax, can orchestrate our orders. He’s following shortly with his newly appointed generals and Omalius, advisor to Elizan.’
‘You’re asking for trouble bringing Elizan to the ice caves. What happens if we manage to rescue Annaluce?’
‘Won’t happen, she’s dead,’ said Dane, who did not want to elaborate on the gory details. Oosapeth picked up on his desire to move swiftly on.
The ice cave rumbled. The second Zaagan contingent had arrived.
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Annaluce was safe for the moment but treading on thin ice. Qudor was volatile and could feed her to his trusted pets the minute she was no longer of use. Dane, at this moment, would think she was dead. Annaluce contemplated the poor female unlucky enough to be her size and build, beheaded then burnt alive or perhaps burnt alive and then beheaded, both options too scary to dwell on. With Qudor Volkan it could well be the latter. She needed to escape, she needed to draw attention and at the moment the plan was dormant.
She was summoned to speak with Qudor, ‘an opportunity’, she thought. One of his henchmen escorted her to the control room of the craft. She looked at the weasel and thought how insignificant he appeared compared with Dane. Somehow, he didn’t look capable; a coward who utilised his monsters to carry out his punishment. Dane didn’t need anyone or anything to do his dirty work for him.
‘We seem to have lost contact with your lover,’ said Qudor.
‘I don’t understand − contact?’
‘We fitted the same device to Dane Vhastek as we had you. Did it whilst you were both strapped to rocks following the crash.’
Annaluce pondered. ‘The same device you removed from the back of my neck whilst he watched,’ said Annaluce in a fashion that suggested Dane had out-thought his enemy.
‘A slip on my part. He’s obviously removed it,’ said Qudor.
‘You know his weakness and yet you are refusing to use it.’
‘Weakness?’ asked Qudor. ‘Enlighten me.’
‘You are speaking to her.’
‘I see, but you are dead, at least in his eyes. In any case at the moment, you only have a reprieve. Tell me, Annaluce, how exactly are you of any use?’
‘Mind games − to catch him off guard. Think about it, emotionally he is drained. He is determined to kill you personally. Play with his mind; demonstrate that you have the upper hand. If you show him that I am still alive he will likely make the same mistake as he did with the crash. His judgement will be marred by emotion,’ said Annaluce.
‘Appease me, Annaluce, why are you informing me of this? Do you want to see your lover die an agonising death?’
‘I have had time to think, Qudor. I have to look after my interests. I am needed in Larquiston. I am looking for a deal. Send me home and I will deliver Dane Vhastek.’
‘Not convincing,’ said Qudor.
‘Then you have a war that will last for many Earth years. Dane is the influence, he is the bond that keeps together the joint forces, looking to defeat you, together.’
‘You think I am that naïve, Annaluce?’ asked Qudor. ‘Send you back home free whilst I await the delivery of your lover? Unlikely. I have a better idea.’
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The second contingent had arrived; the ice caves had never been busier. Oosapeth gave a look of concern; the caves weren’t sufficient to house an unlimited convoy. Elizan was captivated. Earth, the jewel in the crown of planets, offered a new home, a new hope.
Dane, the master planner, wasted no time inputting the new resources, an estimate of squalors and Trollozyte prisoners into the war hologram. The expansion of the Drayzak community had also been factored into the equation. The probability of the outcome was the only important factor. The incubation period for growth of a Drayzak was the worry − an estimated 12 weeks. Drayzaks were ruthless capturing donors at will − no human would be safe.
‘Drayzaks will hide but their breeding grounds are forests,’ explained Oosapeth, looking on as the war game computer estimated the Drayzak dominance over the coming weeks.
‘The Drayzaks were dropped by containers,’ said Dane. By now an audience had gathered and were marvelling at his skills as he played the hologram image with ease. ‘Qudor would have each container crammed. The portal journey is instant; they would survive the journey from the portal in Earth’s immediate outer space without fatigue. Several hundred per container, would you say?’
‘Easily,’ agreed Oosapeth.
‘Each major capital city ring-fenced with containers, 30 or so containing 300−500 Drayzaks − 10,000–15,000 in total. They will multiply tenfold within 12 weeks, then tenfold again and so on. The squalors will need to get to work, but if we act fast it is a manageable number−’
‘We need to agree the fee,’ Elizan interrupted. A look of disapproval from Oosapeth.
‘And what exactly might that fee entail?’ asked Oosapeth, already wondering whether the need to enhance their territorial advancement on the ground was a good idea.
‘This is exactly the planet that could see the elite re-housed from Zarduzian. I can see now why my father was so interested in Earth. Both my father and older sister, Annaluce, are dead, which leaves me in a precarious position. I am looking for assurances that once the battle is won that an alliance is formed and that we are assured asylum on Earth. I am only looking for assurances where the citizens within the great walls of Larquiston are concerned,’ requested Elizan, a request that would hopefully include an alliance with Dane, not just in a military capacity but also of a personal nature.
A signal came through which needed de-scrambling.
‘Is this one of your warriors?’ asked Dane of Oosapeth.
‘Impossible. They know the co-ordinates of this ice cave but I don’t recognise this frequency. My warriors wouldn’t send a scrambled message,’ replied Dane.
‘Could it be a human signal, a cry for help, perhaps?’
Dane barked some orders at his key technicians to try to decipher the signal. The advanced technology in the caves soon established that the signal was from an unknown source. That only meant one thing. Dane looked at Oosapeth in despair. ‘Qudor Volkan!’ he said with a raised voice.
The footage was grim. A being, human-like, quite pretty but not a being anyone recognised. Those in the ice caves watched; firstly in amusement that quickly turned to horrifying − a beheading with a laser beam. The setting was certainly on Earth, the executioner Qudor Volkan. The spacecraft in the backdrop, now recognisable to both Dane and Oosapeth, having been in battle, was the craft of the being who, without remorse or emotion, had murdered some young victim in cold blood. Qudor walked up to the headless torso and inexplicably set it alight. His smirk was sickening. His henchmen stood and watched, making no effort to prevent this mindless, savage act, almost as if relieved that they were not the victims themselves. Qudor wrote a message and pinned it to the burnt corpse. First, he held the message up so the recording of the event would clearly sh
ow the words ‘Not so pretty now’.
Stunned silence in the cave. Most didn’t quite understand the meaning of the delivery, of such grotesque footage sent through the airwaves or quite whom it was intended for.
Elizan looked at Dane. He did not return her gaze; his rage was too intense. With her eyes moist and emotions as twisted as a tightly wound elastic band, Elizan knew her older sister had not perished. Annaluce must still be alive, otherwise why send the message? She was carrying Dane’s child and she knew that she was no contest for her older sibling.
This was not the time to announce that she too was possibly in the same state as her sister, as far as an offspring of Dane Vhastek was concerned.
The masterstroke by Dane’s rival had messed with his mind. The war plans would have to be deferred. Dane’s only objective now − to find Annaluce, and Oosapeth, was powerless to try to reason with his ally.
The game had changed and Elizan knew it.
CHAPTER 30
STAVE IN 2018
The portal amplifier was a sight to behold. Robert Stave marvelled at its magnificence. Far more impressive in real life than any of the historic memorabilia 2218 had to offer. With the amplifier effectively banned by the Council of the Light following a manoeuvre by Oosapeth that almost destroyed Earth during the great alien wars, all the Trollozytes’ portal amplifiers had been confiscated. Robert knew the codes and he also knew that Qudor was desperate to utilise all at his disposal to win the battle for Earth − the home planet of his ancestors.
The Drayzaks for the moment were secured at least and enough of a distance from Robert not to be a threat.
The amplifier stood proud on the ice, part of the pool of craft that Qudor had control over. In reality, he wasn’t too sure what to do with all the human war craft. The amplifier stood out, its hieroglyphics signifying the far superior intelligence than the inventory of the human’s primitive technology − the F16s or stealth bombers. The array of craft stood idle, the prisoners sectioned and an eerie silence encapsulated the arena where the craft lay, frozen, glistening on the ice, the sun low in the sky leaving a long blue ominous shadow.
The Olympianas’ craft surrounded the captured idle warplanes, with the amplifier the centrepiece. Qudor had marched Robert to the jewel in the crown, accompanied by at least a dozen of his warriors and, of course, his trusted pets. Thankfully they were enough distance away not to seem an immediate threat to Robert’s very existence.
Robert had rehearsed this part of his plan should he succeed in exiting the base at Area 51, that hopefully he would not perish with the journey, as did some of the brave humans who had been captured by the very being he was now trying to extinguish from his past in order to change the future.
Robert walked at a modest pace for there was no communication. Qudor’s henchmen followed in military formation, their shadows long, Qudor at the helm, keen to extract the information from his captive, which he believed would end the conflict swiftly.
The craft was vast compared to the military hardware the humans had to offer. As they approached the door to the craft its underbelly opened − clearly the Olympianas had figured out how to enter the craft. Robert turned his head in acknowledgement, designed only to give his adversary the illusion that he was impressed. In reality, the vast technological advancements of 2218, following a 200-year war gathered from the many alien races occupying Earth, meant that Robert by far had the upper hand. He could handle any of the impressive selection of hardware on the ice, including Qudor’s fleet.
Robert’s mind raced. Complete with his translator, a primitive version of those available in 2218, he was ready to carry out the first part of his plan. He must have been sleep induced for some days − enough time for events to unfold and to ensure that his checkmate move might save his life; long enough at least for Qudor to believe that Robert could be useful and for Robert to dispense of the one being who destroyed Earth’s future in 2218.
The entourage approached the magnificent ship. Robert entered first.
The base of the ship housed the mechanism that could stretch portals; stretch them enough to transport planets. This was some of the most advanced technology in the universe and this piece of kit belonged exclusively to the Trollozytes − Oosapeth the orchestrator.
The plutonium fused Z1845X was at the ready. Robert had acquired it for it was lodged in the survival kit at the breast of his space suit, suitably disguised in a package marked as ‘Gauze’ and hidden amongst the other items, as a fail-safe, a tablet version, albeit diminished in strength but available as a back-up. On the one hand, Robert was prepared to die for the cause. His life in 2218 was irrelevant. On the other hand, he might escape unscathed, though it would take some ingenious manoeuvring, particularly as Qudor was unpredictable.
‘I lose patience very easily,’ stated Qudor, expecting a swift resolve to the issue of the codes.
‘This is tricky. It doesn’t happen in a matter of seconds,’ replied Robert.
‘I lose my patience very easily,’ repeated Qudor, emphasising the point.
‘Then you don’t get the codes!’
Qudor was desperate. Anything that might give him an edge on Dane Vhastek, enough of an advantage to kill off the opposition quickly, was welcomed. Qudor was much shorter than Robert had expected, yet he walked proudly, confidently, his white hair distinguishing him from the other warriors, his air of menace reminding the enemy that he wasn’t afraid − of course, his trusted pets always added to the tension.
Inside the portal amplifier the tension also rose. Robert had studied this craft. The history books had provided adequate information and, despite the craft being banned throughout the universe, Robert at this present moment had the upper hand on the enemy.
The base of the craft determined the functionality; a complicated, intricate piece of machinery resembling a cross between the magnificence of a fine watch enlarged a hundredfold with that of the most complicated computerised screens NASA could only imagine. Robert looked on in awe. Seeing the portal amplifier for him would be like travelling back to circa 1776 to see James Watt’s first steam engine, whilst living in 2018.
The portal amplifier was the brainchild of the Trollozytes who discovered the phenomena accidentally. The discovery of natural portals strewn around the galaxy, our galaxy the Milky Way, saw the vast expansion of travel via intelligent life. Discovering natural portals led to the scientific study of the phenomena. The portal amplifier, as it became known, was originally designed to study natural portals by emitting electromagnetic waves that could be measured. Widening the field of waves could determine how much went through the portal, in effect, disappearing, and how much passed by the portal, thus enabling the portal’s size to be measured accurately, thus slowly mapping out portals in the galaxy. Portal travel had become commonplace and, with that, complacency crept in. Oosapeth on a mission to plot more portals had inadvertently decided not to bother measuring the portal but to travel through and seek the destination at the other side. Most portals were large enough to allow safe passage of spacecraft. He hadn’t yet encountered a portal too small for his craft, but on this occasion the portal was much smaller. The craft rumbled and shook violently, exerting tremendous pressure on the outside of the craft. A malfunction instigated the ship’s electromagnetic pulse at its most powerful, the craft somehow remaining stationary at the centre of the portal. A whirlwind of colour surrounded the craft, an effect similar to a Catherine wheel on Bonfire Night. A strange sight was evident as the crew members observed their demise from the viewing gallery. The Catherine wheel grew in size. The portal expanded. Thus, the portal amplifier was born, developed and perfected to such a degree that the size of a portal could be as large as a planet or as small as a pinhole − this was considered the most powerful weapon in the universe.
‘The codes,’ insisted Qudor.
‘First we need to reset the machinery.’
Qudor gave a look, a look that suggested he would not be taken for a fool.
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‘I don’t know if this craft has been set properly. It has been captured by Daxzus, dropped off in the desert near Area 51 and, for all we know, an attempt may have been made, albeit unsuccessfully, to access the amplifier. The safest thing to do is to reset the craft,’ explained Robert.
‘And you know how to do that?’ asked Qudor.
‘I do,’ replied Robert as he walked alone towards the machinery, disappearing amongst the cogs, a metre thick by three high, cylindrical, of different colours – blue, pink, yellow – each hollow, transferring data throughout this impossibly complicated machine.
The Z1845X was secured in an area out of view from those accompanying Robert in the craft. Robert returned.
The clear screen, a metre wide, lit up as Robert placed his palm over the centre.
‘I will reveal the code out loud,’ Robert said almost arrogantly. Qudor insisted his second in command record the numbers.
‘Seven – three − seven − three.’ Robert paused as if the code was challenging. In essence, this code was only intended to kick-start the craft, similar to cranking a car with a starting handle. He continued: ‘Nine − five − one − six − seven − three – seven − three.’
The craft came to life with an array of gadgets emerging from the hull, the machinery started to move. Those watching turned around to marvel at the majestic complexity of a far superior technology by gazing at each other, shaking heads and raising arms. Qudor stood resolutely and nodded. The smirk did little to disguise the deviousness of his intentions.
‘A demonstration,’ requested Qudor.
‘Do you realise the power of this device?’ asked Robert. ‘In 2218 this machine is outlawed because of its power − a threat to the very existence of civilised life.’
‘I insist,’ demanded Qudor. The codes were of no use unless he knew how to operate this magnificent beast.
‘In the immediate future, Oosapeth will commission a space station called Colony 7. It will be instrumental in your downfall.’ A somewhat exaggerated lie but Robert had the advantage that Qudor could not question him. ‘He will use the portal near Earth. I believe you are familiar with that portal.’
Earth vs Alien Page 21
