by Ira Tabankin
“Kalteck, go with the love of the Creator of All. May he smile on you and may he guide your hand.”
“My friend, thank you. You are always welcome at my home world. If the Earth looks like a lost cause, then take this ship or the secret ship only the two of us know about and come. My people will always welcome a warrior with a heart like yours. The ship’s AI has the codes you’ll need to enter our system.”
“I promise to visit, no matter what happens here.”
“Everett, yes, I will use your original name, please do not sacrifice yourself here. If the battle is lost, then leave before you lose your life. I gave you a rare gift, don’t waste it on a lost cause. Based on the way you’ve aged, you still have so much life ahead of you. The Creator of All doesn’t want his children to sacrifice themselves for lost causes.”
“I have my duty and oath. I swore an oath to defend my country, my Constitution, even though I swore that oath over a hundred years ago, I am bound by that oath for my entire life. I will fight until either we’ve won, driven them off, or I’ve died doing my duty…”
“Everett, please join me…”
“I can’t and you know I can’t. You are needed at your home, I am needed here.”
“I will pray to the Creator of All we will share a beer together again.”
“Me too, go in peace.” Rhett felt his eyes water. If anyone had ever asked me in 1947 what the future would hold, I would never have guessed it would be like this. I lost the love of my life and many times I wish I’d have gone with her. The damn nanites Kalteck gave me are both a curse and a blessing. Last night I looked back at the things we did, Stalin, Kennedy, Nixon, and his damn little wars to teach us. He cost us so many lost lives and we only learned when it was almost too late. I do pray I see my friend again. Rhett’s thoughts were broken by the AI. “Fleet Admiral, the last colony ship has jumped, the first one should return in five hours.”
“How many got off in the first flights?”
“Two hundred thousand got squeezed into the first flight.”
“Not enough, how can we increase the number of people we take off planet?”
“We are looking at using the twenty freighters that brough raw ore from the asteroid belt, they are very rough and not designed to carry humans as cargo…”
“Use them.”
“Admiral, the people in the freighters will be awake, we don’t have any more sleep tubes…”
“Load them, every life we save is important.”
“Yes, sir.
Chapter 26
Rhett used his implant to keep him awake. He feared if he went to his cabin and slept as soon as he laid down and fell asleep the enemy would return. He kept tabs on the repairs to his ships and the spreading of mines and the production of addition of mines and missiles. He smiled to himself when the AI informed him the first commercial freighter had left Earth with fifteen thousand people. Still not enough, we need to move millions not thousands.
The Fleet AI responded to his thoughts, “Fleet Admiral, I am picking up indications of new wormholes opening. These reflect the energy indications of the enemy. I estimate the enemy will return in seconds. I am marking on the chart where they will enter the system.”
Rhett checked the chart and smiled to himself. They couldn’t have selected a better location. We left the broken hulls with energy packs on board, so they’d think these ships were real, they are loaded with antimatter and stuffed with missiles and mines. We took all of the crew off and let the AIs run them. The AIs are programmed to launch their missiles and then ram the enemy ships as they exit their wormholes. I didn’t think they’d be stupid enough to fall for this cheap trick. If the AI is right, they’re going to fall into one of our traps. They’ll learn we humans are experts at the game of war. We’ve been practicing it for thousands of years.
Rhett’s thoughts are interrupted by the Fleet AI, “Fleet Admiral, their wormholes are opening, yet no ships are exiting and the ships you positioned to stop their emergence are launching their missiles into empty wormholes!”
“Huh? How can they open a wormhole and not have any ships in it? How is that possible?”
“I am sorry, I lack sufficient information in order to provide you with an answer.”
“Stop those ships from launching, they’re going to use up all of their missiles for nothing…”
“The order has been given. However, the ships launched 78% of their missiles before we realized they were launching into an empty wormhole.”
“Damn it, they’re catching on to our tricks quicker than I’d hoped.”
“ALERT ALERT, enemy wormhole opening.”
“Locations?” Asked Rhett.
“Southern Earth, sir the missiles we launched are being returned, they’re striking the embarkation centers for the refugees. They’re going to catch three of the freighters and over one hundred thousand people, plus they’re going to destroy the base.”
Rhett quickly saw the massive mushroom clouds forming over Brazil. Damn it. They found out about our back up plan. I wonder what else they know.
“ALERT, ALERT, enemy wormholes are opening, directly behind our missile ships. Three hundred missiles entering our system, targets are our ships at the mouth of their previous wormholes. Rhett helplessly watched his ships being destroyed. Since they were loaded with antimatter, when the enemy missiles struck his ships, they exploded with massive explosions. People on Earth saw flashes which were brighter than the sun, looking at the right place in the sky at the wrong time would produce flash blindness and in many cases retina burns. Rhett cursed to himself.
Before he could think what else the enemy was going to do the alert system again yelled, this time the alert was for over five hundred missiles being shot out of the wormhole towards Earth herself. The AI quickly studied the missile’s courses and announced, “Fleet Admiral, they have targeted Earth’s largest cities.”
“Order the fleet and planetary defense sites to take out as many missiles as possible and does planetary civil defense know?”
“Yes, sir. The planetary civil defense agencies know they have sounded the alarms. We are beginning to take out the missiles. These are a new class. They are able to speed up and slow down. Some are even taking evasive action which is unheard of for a missile…”
“If they’re doing it then it’s not unheard of. Damn them. Send the Piranhas after them.”
“Yes, sir, orders sent, three of the ready squadrons are launching. I had to hold some back in case the enemy fleet comes through a wormhole while we’re chasing the missiles and sir, they are! A new wormhole is opening directly behind us. Ships are beginning to exit the wormhole.”
“Order the fleet to engage the ships, launch the remaining fighters.”
“Sir, another wormhole is opening in front of us, they plan to trap us between two of their fleets. I suggest we jump away from here.”
“AI, if we leave our position, we’re leaving the people of Earth to die. We’re their only defense.”
“Sir, we can always regroup and return…”
“We fight or die here for the Earth. Issue the order, no one leaves, every ship fights to the end. We have to buy our people some time. Maybe we’ll get some help yet.”
“Yes, sir, Message sent.”
Energy beams, lasers, particle beams and missiles filled the space over Earth. Ships’ shields overloaded and flared out of existence leaving their ship to take the pounding on their armored hulls. The human ships were better armored. The enemy ships had better shields. Rhett felt the Lincoln shake and vibrate as she was struck multiple times. “Fleet Admiral, the Lincoln has lost forward shields, I suggest we move away from the battle so we can repair the ship and reset the shield generators.”
“Suggestion denied, continue to fire on the enemy.”
“Sir, we may die…”
“Then let’s show the enemy how well we die. Remember the gladiators who told the Emperor, “we, who are prepared to die, salute you.” Then
they entered into mortal combat. Well, today we’re the modern gladiators. We’re fighting for our people.”
“Fleet Admiral, I’m sure you realize this is a lost battle. According to the records on Kalteck’s ship, no one has ever defeated the enemy. Even Kalteck’s fleet managed to only fight them to a draw. Admiral, you know their ships were more advanced than ours.”
Rhett shook his head, “There’s always a first time. Move us closer to their command ship and tell Admiral Dune to shift all power to the forward shields, he should target their command ship with our main weapon. Their command ship is easy to spot. It’s in the center of their cluster and it has a different stripe on its tail. If we can destroy that ship it might disrupt their attack.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter 27
“ALERT, ALERT! The hull has been breached at sections N01 through N12 and X 23 to X43. Damage control seal the compartments.”
Rhett was almost thrown out of his command chair when the Lincoln shook from a major strike on her. The AI spoke, “Fleet Admiral, the enemy has broken our lines they opened three wormholes. One of them is dropping thousands of rocks on the Earth, the second is disgorging thousands of fighters, and the third is where their capital ships are entering the system. Admiral, I calculate the odds of our victory as less than one tenth of one percent.”
“Don’t tell me the odds. Order the remaining ships to execute plan Beta Gamma.”
The AI formed the image of Kalteck in front of Rhett, “Sir, Beta Gamma will surely destroy most of our ships. Logic mandates we withdraw and regroup until we can build improved ships that can stand up to the enemy.”
“If we withdraw, we will leave Earth defenseless, billions will die and drop the image of Kalteck, that’s a cheap trick and it won’t work.”
“Admiral, billions are dying and more will. We can’t stop the rocks falling on the planet and the rocks are destroying the cities. The rocks are cracking the mantel of the planet allowing the enemy to mine the planet for their plans to terraform Mars back to the way it used to be. I thought they wanted to live on Earth. If they destroy it, how will they live here?”
“Because they don’t want your cities. They’ll build their cities and new society over your debris. You know the fate of your survivors. They’ll be slaves for the enemy. In time they’ll call Kalteck a bringer of their downfall, not just Kalteck, but you too. They’ll curse both of you for losing the war and causing the enslavement of humans.”
“I don’t care what they call me. I care about saving Earth.”
“Admiral, there is no saving Earth. Your once great fleet is down to less than fifty capital ships.”
“How many fighters are still flyable?”
“All fighters or in the fleet?”
“All. Here, on the moon, the asteroids, the hidden base on Jupiter, and any on Earth.”
“There are thirty-eight-thousand-nine hundred and six Piranhas available.”
“Order them to engage their stealth mode and jump into the middle of the enemy’s formation.”
“Admiral, you know how dangerous it is for them to form up and en masse jump into the center of the enemy while they’re still firing.”
“I know, but it’s all we have left. Issue the orders.”
“Admiral, if we lose the fighters, we’ll…”
“I know what we’ll lose. Issue the order. The Earth is dying, and we need to break up their attack.”
“Yes, sir. Squadrons responding in the affirmative, eight minutes until they form into the box shape and are able to jump. We should pull the remaining capital ships back.”
“I want the fleet to launch everything we have a moment before the Piranhas exit the wormhole.”
The Lincoln rocked again from strikes on her hull. “Alert, alert, front shields down to 14%.”
“Alert, alert, Admiral Dune is injured…”
Rhett spoke, “Attention, this is Fleet Admiral McIntire. I am assuming command of the Lincoln. Move the ship to the coordinates I have input to the nav system. When we exit the wormhole, fire every weapon we have.”
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Thirty thousand Piranha fighters formed into a giant egg shape, there were five thousand special ships which were designed to open the wormhole. These ships took up their positions around the egg shape. When all of the small deadly craft were in place, they engaged their wormhole drives. A large wormhole formed near Jupiter and the fighters flew into the wormhole. When all were in, the wormhole closed and reopened over earth. The fighters began firing their weapons as soon as the wormhole opened over Earth.
As soon the Lincoln’s AI reported the wormhole was about to open, Rhett ordered his handful of ships to open fire. The enemy’s three hundred ships were surprised when the fighters emerged in their midst and the Earth capital ships opened fire with the mass drivers and plasma weapons. The enemy ships’ shields quickly overloaded from the excess energy they were absorbing. When the shields failed, the human weapons began striking the enemy’s hulls, burning, and punching through the armor and hulls.
Enemy ships began dying, as did the fighters from the enemy’s massed point defense which took their toll on the Piranhas. The small fighters blew through the enemy’s formation. When they exited and circled the moon, only eight thousand had survived the attack. The good news was their brutal attack combined with Rhett’s had caused the enemy to withdraw again after losing over one hundred ships.
The Lincoln’s doctor bent over Rhett who had been knocked out of his command chair. In fact, the chair was laying on its side sparking from the many broken cables. The admiral’s bridge was in shambles. All of the monitors had been shattered and only one of the crew who had been on duty in the bridge was unharmed.
Rhett shook his head to clear his mind. He looked up at the doctor whose white lab coat was already covered in different crew member’s blood. “Doc, don’t worry about me…”
“Admiral, you both of your legs are broken, as is your right arm when the chair fell on it. Your right lung has been punctured by one of your broken ribs and I also think you have a concussion.”
“Doc, my body will heal itself. Please look after the others.”
“Admiral…”
“Doc, I have medical nanites inside of me, they’ll repair the damage. How is the ship?”
“Badly hurt but still here. The enemy left after the fighters and we hit them.”
“Okay, here’s what I want you to do. Lay me out on my back and leave me alone. Don’t even touch me.”
“You don’t understand. If I lay you on your back you could drown in your own fluids and you’ll be in horrible pain from your broken legs…”
“Doc, I don’t feel pain. The nanites have blocked my pain receptors. Please trust me. I’ve been hurt before. Just help me lay on my back and leave me alone. Treat the others.”
“Admiral…”
“Damn it, that’s an order and don’t give me any of this I can’t order the ship’s doctor around. I’m the god damned Fleet Admiral, just trust me. Why do you think I look so young? Do you know how old I really am?”
“No, your scans say you’re between 35 and 40.”
“Ha! I’m over one hundred and thirty. Now just help me get on my back. I know what I’m doing. I need to help the nanites.”
“If you say so.”
The doctor was amazed the admiral didn’t scream from the pain. He wondered if the rumors about the Fleet Admiral were true. Had be really been altered by the alien?
Four hours later Rhett sat up and flexed his arms and legs. He shook his head and stood to look at the destroyed flag bridge. He checked his implant to ask the ship’s AI how badly the ship had been damaged.
Rhett reviewed the data, which was bad. One of the antimatter reactors and one of the nuclear reactors were off line. The nuclear reactor had been breached. Its core was ejected from the ship. From the crew of nine thousand, only one thousand were unharmed. Rhett shook his head. He had only three damaged Monitors an
d five heavily damaged Battleships, all of the Cruisers and Destroyers had been destroyed. Rhett next checked the conditions on Earth. They shocked him. The rocks had set off the “ring of fire” and hundreds of volcanoes had erupted. A massive earthquake had broken California and Alaska apart. Massive tidal waves had erased many of the smaller islands in the Pacific. The waves had washed over the Hawaiian Islands, killing over 68% of the island’s population.
Japan suffered even worse. Its early warning systems had been knocked out and she had suffered two earthquakes that measured 8.2 and 8.8 just before the waves washed over the island. The waves rolled across the Pacific destroying almost everything they touched.
