The Antares Codex Box Set

by Bob Cooper

  He reached over and brushed the hair off her forehead. She recoiled into a fetal position, uttering a feeble whimper.

  “I don’t want you to die. I know that the feelings you had for me were real. I believe you cared for me. You’re a beautiful woman and have a lot going for you. You’ve been lied to and betrayed your entire life, and I want to help.”

  Before Aidan could say another word, Gretchen mustered all the strength she had left and shot up like a cobra ready to strike.

  “You’re a liar! Just like everyone else! You don’t give a damn about me!”

  “That’s not true. I find you very attractive. You’re beautiful and intelligent and …”

  “Cut the bullshit! You’d just as soon see me dead.”

  “Gretchen, if I weren’t married, I could see us together.”

  She started crying. Aidan signaled for Sandra to come in. Aidan moved over while Sandra cradled her. “You have people who love you. The betrayal ends here.”

  She curled into Sandra, sobbing heavily. “My father doesn’t care about me. He never did. It was always about the Fourth Reich.”

  Sandra didn’t answer but continued to hold her while she cried.

  “We need your help. We need to know what his plans are. What’s he doing in the labs?”

  She continued sobbing, not responding to Aidan.

  “Gretchen. Please help us, or a lot of innocent people are going to die. There’s no doubt in my mind that with the right help, you can become the loving little girl I once knew,” Sandra said.

  Aidan held up a bottle of water. Gretchen took it and downed the entire bottle. “I’ll get you some food,” he said.

  “I’m so sorry for all I did. I don’t want to see anyone hurt.”

  ***

  Aidan left Sandra with Gretchen. The diabolical plan she told made Aidan angry and frightened. Captain Tom was watching the monitor with Dirk, Foster, and Annie when Aidan walked in.

  “Any luck?”

  Aidan told them about the Fourth Reich’s plans for domination.

  “They plan to seize control of New Moon City and declare it their headquarters. From here they plan to make more Replicants and send them to Earth. This is way bigger than anyone suspected,” Aidan said.

  “Sir, the government buildings are officially in the hands of the Fourth Reich,” Foster said, pointing to the monitor.

  Everyone turned their attention and watched as the government employees were led out and taken away in vehicles.

  “I must alert Earth command to the seriousness of this situation,” Captain Tom said.

  “Wait! I have a better idea. My granddaughter can get the federal authorities involved faster than the Citizen Guard.”

  “Then let’s do both. Contact her and tell her what’s happening. I’ll contact my superiors at the Guard,” he said.

  “Thanks to Gretchen, we know where this lab is located. If we could attack …”

  “Excuse me, sir,” the private said, barging in and out of breath. “They’re heading this way. We’re outnumbered!”

  “Where are the kids?” Annie asked.

  “They’re at the medical facility. We have guards posted.”

  “A few guards aren’t going to stop these zombies,” Annie said. “We need to get them safely to Earth.”

  “Foster. Go with Aidan,” Captain Tom said.

  “Dirk. Annie. You should accompany them to make sure they’re safe,” Aidan added.

  Dirk knew they felt he was in the way, but he wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to those kids on the way back.

  “Okay, I can do that.”

  “Foster, take my cruiser. Go down the alley behind the medical facility. I’ll have them meet you by the service elevator. Don’t take them to the spaceport. They have control. I’ll have the mining cargo ship brought to the landing pad by the medical facility,” Captain Tom said.

  Annie looked at the monitor again. They now had the main streets and intersections blocked off. They saw open warfare between the citizens and the Replicants and the Replicants were winning.

  “Private. Round up all Citizen Guard resources and have them meet me in the main hallway fully armed,” Captain Tom said.

  “Yes, sir,” he said, saluting before running off.

  “You guys better leave now,” Captain Tom said.

  They ran to the cruiser and with Annie driving, managed to avoid any confrontations. Carina and Jonathan left the medical facility and got to the cargo ship which had landed at the pad as promised.

  “Quick, get in and let’s get out of here,” Dirk said.

  “I’m going back. Call me when you get back to Earth,” Foster said.

  “Annie jumped up and kissed him.”

  “Please be careful.”

  He held her tight. “I’ll be okay. I love you,” he said, turning to leave.

  “Wait. Dirk, can you fly this ship back to Earth?”

  “Do trailer parks attract tornadoes?”

  27

  Raina was in a committee meeting when she got the call. Dirk explained what was happening on the moon and asked her to inform the federal authorities immediately. She also received first-hand reports from several people working at Acey’s mining company. Since most of the valuable natural resources were found more abundantly on other planets and asteroids, there wasn’t much interest in the moon anymore. Still, it boggled Raina’s mind to think that no one on Earth saw that it would be a good idea to maintain relations with the government of New Moon City. As usual, if there wasn’t money and profit involved, it wasn’t worth the trouble.

  Raina knew that Earth had an Ambassador, but he hardly spent any time on the moon. After trying to contact him several times, she opted to contact Senator Chad Carrington. Excusing herself from the meeting, she called Chad. Dorthea answered.

  “Dorthea?”

  “Yes, Raina. Chad is tied up for the moment. Can I help you?”

  “Yes. There is an uprising going on in New Moon City.”

  She explained the details and the seriousness of the situation. There was silence while Dorthea figured how to spin this for the maximum media exposure.

  “Okay. I’ll have the Senator alert the President and contact Federated Earth Defense Headquarters. You need to be ready within the hour to discuss this with the President and the media,” she said, in a cheerful tone, as if this was good news.

  “You make this sound like it’s a good thing that’s happening,” Raina said, perturbed.

  “Raina, my dear. It is you who is bringing this incident to light. You should get the credit for it. We’re going to need all the good press we can get.”

  Raina didn’t like to play these games, but agreed it would be something she had to do if she was going to run for President. “Okay, I’ll be ready,” she said.

  “What’s the status of Carina and Jonathan?” Dorthea asked.

  “They were rescued and on their way home.”

  “More great news. We can weave the human-interest side of this story to the media.”

  ***

  Dirk had no problems piloting the ship back to Earth. Carina and Jonathan sat on the bridge watching Dirk handle the controls. He was back in his element. Annie was asleep in the back.

  “Did I tell you about the time Gramps and I went out to explore the rings of Saturn, and I got to fly the ship?”

  Jonathan looked at her in amazement. “No.”

  Carina told him the story. She also told him about Dirk’s exploits as a Starship Captain for the Academy. Dirk beamed at hearing the stories again which seemed like eons ago. Closing his eyes, he thought back to when Acey was young. Raising her while teaching at the Academy had been difficult, but she turned out to be a fine young woman. He looked at Carina, Jonathan, and Annie and decided that the world was in good hands. A wrinkled smile formed across his lips. Then he broke out into a hearty laugh that woke Annie up and caught everyone by surprise.

  “Gramps. You all right?” Carina asked.
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  “I’ve never been better in my entire life.”

  ***

  Aidan handed out what little armament they had to the Citizen Guard forces. They were limited to small tactical weapons.

  “What’s the status with the government buildings,” Captain Tom asked.

  A security guard at the building answered. “The buildings are completely overrun. They’re holding at least fifty hostages. I managed to escape, along with my family. They’re everywhere!”

  “The President has been alerted. We should have Federated Earth Defenses up here soon. For now, keep safe.”

  Turning to Aidan and his staff, Captain Tom said, “They’ve taken the government buildings and the spaceport. They have hostages. Now they’re coming for us.”

  “Shall we take up positions on the …”

  “No, Sargent. There is nothing here of value that demands risking our lives. Besides, we’re way outnumbered.”

  “We have to do something,” he shot back.

  “And we will. Take your men to the government buildings, but keep out of sight. You need to be our eyes and ears when the Earth forces get here.”

  “Private, lead your team to the media outlet and give them protection.”

  “Too late, sir. They were overrun a few minutes ago and signed off the air,” another private said.

  “Damn! Then get communications equipment from our building. We’ll set up a command center someplace away from here.”

  With only a handful of Guards remaining, Captain Tom led the caravan of four armored vehicles out of the area. Aidan looked back as the Replicants marched into Guard HQ.

  “Sir, they have the roads blocked ahead,” the lead vehicle reported.

  Captain Tom cursed and grabbed the steering wheel, trying to think of a way out of this situation.

  “If we make it up to the surface, we can hide in any of the temporary shelters that the workers used when building the city,” Aidan proposed.

  “Do they still function?” Foster asked.

  Captain Tom watched as the Replicants noticed them and began running towards them. “I guess we have no choice,” he said, wheeling the vehicle down a side street. “Head to the surface road. I have the codes that will open the airlocks,” he announced to the other vehicles.

  ***

  Hillary, Billy, and Acey waited for the cargo ship to land. The media was there to capture the moment the kids stepped off the ship. The local Guard unit had furnished a large transport vehicle which was waiting for them by the landing pad. As soon as the ship landed, they were whisked away.

  Carina fell into Hillary’s arms as they sped away. Billy wrapped his arms around both of them and said nothing as the tearful reunion continued on their way to Guard Headquarters. Annie sat close to Acey and watched the emotion-packed scene unfold. Dirk sat back, content that the kids were safe, and that he had a part to play in their rescue. Jonathan watched as his Carina was smothered with love.

  “Hi, Jonathan. My name is Acey Carter. I’m good friends of the Bayberrys. I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you,” she said.

  “Thanks. It’s so good to be out of that place. I didn’t think we would …”

  Carina broke loose and jumped over Hillary to sit by Jonathan.

  “If it wasn’t for Jonathan, I wouldn’t be here,” she said, wiping the tears from her face. “He saved my life.”

  “I’m so grateful for what you’ve done. I will never forget,” Billy said.

  “It was nothing, really,” Jonathan said, becoming embarrassed by all the attention.

  Acey turned her attention to Dirk who was visibly tired. She kissed him. “You crazy old goat. What am I going to do with you?”

  He said nothing, but smiled at her.

  “Norma is waiting for you at the house. I’ll take you there,” Acey said.

  The vehicle pulled into the Guard building where a contingent of Guards stood to escort them into the facility. A young private opened the door and hustled Jonathan and Carina away as a Sergeant quickly explained what was happening.

  “I’m sorry, but we must find out everything they know. Things are deteriorating fast in New Moon City, so we have to act quickly.”

  At those words, Annie gave out a gasp. Pulling out her com link, she called Aidan. Pick up Dad, please. There was no answer.

  ***

  Chad held the door open as Raina entered the security vehicle for the short ride to the White House.

  “I have the video they sent me. Has the President been briefed?” Raina asked.

  “He was briefed this morning and was working with the generals to come up with a plan of action. He plans to use your video during the press conference.”

  The footage was raw and unedited, capturing the diabolical nature of the Fourth Reich. When they arrived, the White House was crawling with military personnel. The address would take place in the oval office. Raina and the Senator would field questions, along with the General of Federated Earth Defenses, in the West Wing. They sat in the Press Corps Room waiting for the President’s address to start. General Fredrick Hotailing leaned over to the Senator. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to include Raina Welch? She’s young and looks out of place.”

  “Don’t let her youth fool you. She has the ear of the younger generation, and it would do you good to be associated with someone of her stature.”

  The monitors lit up, and the room lights dimmed.

  “My fellow citizens. I am here to tell you about disturbing circumstances taking place in New Moon City. As you know, the sovereign world of the Moon was granted independence and its citizens, both human and alien, have governed there for decades. It was our policy to let the cultures evolve there without any interference from Earth. But a sinister cult called the Fourth Reich has hatched a plot to take over New Moon City. They have created what are called Replicants, who are programmed to carry out the wishes of the Fourth Reich. If this term is not familiar to you, you will find historical references to the Third Reich by exploring the Holocaust Museums and other literature about the Nazi party and their goal of world domination. A so-called Aryan Nation consisting of only fair-skinned, blond, blue-eyed humans were decreed the only people worthy to rule. The Fourth Reich has the same goals in mind. Not only do they plan to overtake New Moon City and set it up as their capitol city and base of operations, but they plan on invading Earth with these Replicants that they can manufacture in great quantities.”

  As the President continued to speak, Dorthea came into the Press Room. “I’ve loaded the footage. I suggest before you get too far into answering questions, you show the video,” she said to them. “Good luck.”

  “So, to conclude, it is my intention not only to thwart any attack from the Fourth Reich but to destroy their base of operations. In the Press Room, I have asked Senators Chad Carrington, Raina Welch, and General Frederick Hotaling to take questions from the press. I will keep you informed as usual. For now, take care, and God bless.”

  Lights illuminated the table in the Pressroom. “Ready in five,” shouted the cameraman.

  Raina leaned forward with her hands folded as she waited for the millions of viewers to tune in. The cameraman signaled to Chad that they were on the air. He began by introducing Raina and the General and giving more background on the Replicants, including the science of how they were created.

  “We have a shocking video that shows what is occurring in New Moon City.”

  The video exploded on to the monitors, showing hundreds of identical Replicants goose-stepping up the steps of the government buildings complex. The few Citizen Guards were no match for the heavily-armed and physically stronger Replicants. The unedited video showed the slaughter of at least fifty Guards defending the buildings. Blood and gore covered the street and the main entrance. The scene shifted to several major roads being blocked and citizens being beaten when they attempted to get through. The last scene was of the Citizen Guard HQ being overrun and the Nazi flag being secured from t
he second story window.

  Raina gasped thinking of Aidan and Foster. The General leaned into her. “Are you okay?”

  “Not really. I have loved ones up there that we haven’t heard from.”

  “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to bring them back safely,” he said in a reassuring tone.

  Raina smiled at him. The camera turned to her. Remembering what Dorthea told her, she began to speak.

  “After seeing these horrific scenes, there is no doubt that we will deal with this atrocity. The General can speak to that shortly. But before we take your questions, I would like to say that Senator Carrington and I are committed to working together to get at the root causes for allowing this cult to flourish and also passing legislation so this can never happen again. Even though he and I come from different political parties, we recognize the need to transcend political affiliations and deal with this head-on. Why me and not some other Senator, you might ask? I know firsthand what these groups can do. They subvert our young people and get them to do their evil work. I know because I once belonged to one of these groups. It wasn’t too long ago when a group who called themselves the ‘Earthers’ were around preaching hatred towards alien cultures that we had come in contact with. I was a member of that organization. But through the persistence and love of my family and friends, I was able to see them for what the ‘Earthers’ were – narrow-minded, bigoted, and hateful people.”

  Dorthea watched and was delighted how Raina handled the situation. Raina’s involvement in the ‘Earthers’ would become a major issue for her run for President, so better to get it out there and put a positive spin on it.

  “And now, we will open it up for questions,” Raina concluded.