Chapter 49
Adam left the building and walked back from the line of demarcation. As he got mere steps inside his side of the border, things began to happen in rapid succession.
The allied forces had vastly undercounted the forces massed on the eastern side of the border. Only ten percent of forces were human and transformed Gens and could be easily counted; the balance of the combatants was Gens of the Black Shirts, Gens of the Eighty-One and Gens Collective military in natural state, all with the knowledge and all with the ability to instantly transform. Ninety percent were in natural state and would remain so until called upon to teach an object lesson to humanity.
As well, these Gens were armed and trained in the use of nanite tech weaponry, now reformulated to stun, disable or kill humans. In addition, drones were now deployed, not the small ones with short ranges and tiny payloads, but larger mini jet fighters, fast and lethal. Thousands of remote pilots in Paraiso and around the world were at the helm of these small fighter squadrons; there were many more drones than pilots, so if a drone was lost another was already in the sky and flying on autopilot and was ready to go.
On Adam’s side of the border, an immense dome went up as soon as Adam was a few steps inside his territory. His people could expand out the protective shield from inside the dome wall making their forward progress safe, impenetrable and unstoppable.
At midnight the following day, well before D-Day, the allied bombardment from land and air began, massive armaments shelling each of the twenty basecamps, now domed against attack. The allies moved troops and armaments close to the border, and somewhere in the middle of the night, began moving troops across the border encircling each of the camps from a safe distance while the aerial and ground bombing continued unabated.
By sunrise the next morning, the bombing stopped. It took several hours for the smoke and fires to calm and for a clear picture of the status of the basecamps to emerge. When it did, the news was not good.
For the allies.
When the smoke cleared and the allies were able to use their tech to determine the damage done, they discovered that no damage had been done. The domes erected withstood the pounding and had protected the troops within. Drones attacked targets on both sides of the border as further measures were taken to seal off ports and beachheads, resupply lines and troop reinforcements by land and sea, while unmanned nanotech aircraft swept the skies.
The allies had neither killed, wounded nor disabled the St. James forces within the domes.
Adam launched his counter-attack meticulously as soon as enemy troops were located and numbers fixed on each side of the line of demarcation. The allied troops on the “St. James” side of the line, and surrounding the domes, were immediately attacked by drones. Within hours, the entire allied force surrounding the basecamps were dead or dying in hideous numbers.
Adam informed the allies that barriers had gone up in every port city in Australia and beachhead, and that the men in camps on the western side of the boundary were now penned in with a dome barrier that was not visible to the naked eye. Ships at sea with personnel and material simply ceased to move through the water. Airplanes developed engine issues and had to turn around and head back to base, or were shot down for failure to exit the war zone peacefully.
“Your men and weaponry are now trapped in a confined area and will not be allowed to leave, neither will they be resupplied. I am in the process of s disarming your troops and disabling all weapons systems, communications, and command and control. As soon as you are disarmed, I am sending my troops across the boundary with full advanced weaponry. I will introduce you to the Gens military in natural and transformed state. With your big weapons down, my troops don’t really need weapons, but I thought we’d show off who we are just for the sake of clarity. Your troops might have small arms, but I suggest you instruct your men not to use them. Retaliation will be overwhelming and lethal.”
The nanite tech attack on the allies was unrelenting and devastating. Vehicles were attacked to freeze forces in place, followed by attacks on command and control, communications, fuel and power, and air support. At D-Day minus twenty-four hours found the allied ground forces stuck in place where they were, vehicles, planes and ships unable to move; supplies and heavy weapons were discovered and destroyed. The ruthlessness of the nanite attack, such as it was, was devastating. While thousands of Adam’s forces took part in the tech attack, much more was carried out automatically by computer, hitting pre-determined targets that Adam identified as the allied troops entered Australia and deployed in predictable fashion.
That left the allied troops with hand guns, rifles and other small arms alone; all conventional weaponry. Nonetheless, the allies still thought they had numerical superiority and, even with just small arms, numbers and better training would rule the day.
It was not to be. The allies simply had no idea what they did not know. Arrogance, over-confidence, and thirst for revenge fuelled the allied thinking. They refused to accept that, tactically, they could not win.
***
Adam said, “Asinamayov! I had hoped you were already dead, but I see I am disappointed.”
“You must be content with victory for now, just not over me.”
“Your son?”
“Remotely flying a squadron of mini fighters. Wracking up scores like a video game.”
“A squadron? All at once?”
“Yes. He developed the AI with your team in Paraiso to have his fighters fly in formation and independently target painted allied jets, vehicles and other targets. If he loses one drone, another takes lead.”
“When the skies are cleared, redirect squadrons to go after the cannons and rocket launchers. Our domes are now back under attack, and we need to silence these munitions so we can sweep into main body of troops. We’ll keep their troops penned in under domes, but we haven’t located all their rocket and cannon emplacements which seem to be spread out and dug in away from their main camps. And there are rogue elements, paramilitary groups and stragglers that are roaming free. Some have weapons, some are just happy to be near the fight.”
“I’ll pass the word.”
***
The war raged for three straight days, with allies trying to bring in more men, weapons and supplies. However, the net cast around the allied forces on the ground was tight, and nothing came in or left Australia that was not approved by Adam’s Council of War. On the fifth day, the allies in Australia sued for peace. Adam was not in a generous mood and waited to parlay with the remnants of leadership.
Over one million men and women had already been lost by the Americans, Brits, Israeli’s, Chinese and Russian forces and their allies, while injuries and casualties on Adam’s side were minimal; Adam’s Gens forces were fighting under and protected by their basecamp domes and the nanotech shielding surrounding the Gens warriors as they engaged with allied soldiers in single combat. Hand to hand had been savage, and allied troops fled west as casualties mounted, and the superiority of Adam’s tech and Gens fighting savagery became apparent. The cocoon of safety surrounding the Gens soldiers provided by Paraiso was too much for the human forces fighting out in the open and without any protection of their own.
The tech once used exclusively against the Gens was now turned on humanity. Adam had no long-term desire for death and destruction; he could not carry the fight much past this conflict without causing a backlash resulting in an all-out world war that no one could win. He wanted this war to settle the immediate future and focus minds. After his project was accepted, agreed to and institutionalized, he would relent on his iron grip and distrust of governments, and return to the long-term science project at hand.
Tar approached Adam, now located in the bunker of his Central Command.
“What are your orders? The allied CentCom has surrendered all forces in Australia. Their remaining reserve forces are stopped at the water’s edge, and are trapped on beaches and in cities. New forces were gathering in China, India and the Ame
ricas, but have since dispersed. However, new expeditionary forces commanded by non-NATO generals and outside of this chain of command are now expected to arrive within weeks from various parts of the world, along with aircraft carriers, submarines and additional weaponry. Use of limited nukes is being discussed to bring down the domes.”
Adam looked down at the table and maps strewn out in front of him. “Kill them. Kill them all. Then I want projected routes of all forces being brought to Australia by air and sea. I want ships sunk and planes shot down well before reaching the coastline.”
“They don’t get it, do they?”
“No, they don’t. Once these new forces depart their bases in their home countries, attack those bases with nanite tech and destroy their infrastructure. Then opportunistically target remaining bases and destroy them, troops and material. I want fear to be struck in the hearts of all who think they are in control. I will show them they are not. Not any more.”
“Is this wise, Manti? Should we not stop the carnage and parlay with leadership? It’s always worked for you in the past.”
“No. These human governments will not stop plotting against us unless we bloody them badly now. I don’t want a series of battles; I want this to be the final conflict. The killing goes on until the death toll is beyond comprehension. Then, when they sue for a final and lasting peace, we will be magnanimous in victory.”
“Should we consult Paraiso?”
“No. I’ll take the heat. And contact Hecate and tell her to call on Liara and give her the news. She can take credit for putting the fear of God in humanity; I’m sure this will buff up her rep. I want all human military institutions on their knees and for Liara to witness that she has no more business on this planet. Then, and only then, we shall talk peace.”
“As you wish, Manti.”
“And Tar, dissolve the nukes. Tell Alana to implement my plan to denuclearize the world.”
***
A month later after unimaginable carnage and devastation to allied forces around the world, the allies, the world surrendered. Actually, it was more like gave up and agreed to terms. There was no one to surrender to, and Adam was not interested in governing. He was interested in next steps now that humanity was cowed to listen.
Neither Adam nor his forces took any action in reprisal, and humans for the most part settled down and accepted that a parallel track of co-existence was now the norm. Peace broke out everywhere as humanity waited for something awful to happen, for Adam to go mad with power or for the “terrorists and beasts” to go on a rampage.
Adam and his people stayed in their domed cities, as plans for saving the planet continued to be developed.
The outreach would take years, as humans never trusted Adam or his family; they secretly planned and plotted his demise. They attacked him in the Press and began circulating stories invented to rouse the rabble. Adam sat in Paraiso, coordinating efforts for the implementation of his plan for the future. He paid no attention to Press; but his dogging of him and his family would go on for decades.
There was one more soft-spot, a hole, that needed to be plugged. He would address that soon.
Chapter 50
Adam arrived back home a month after the final surrender by allied forces in Australia and around the world. The death toll had been immense and not everyone in the City thought that Adam needed to poke the world in the eye as hard as he had; however, the human world was just now taking note of the things Adam had to say and the tasks he said lay urgently before them. While Adam may not have thought affirmative support from the masses was possible, his goal had actually been to simply quiet the voices of outrage for long enough to allow for more tangible and useful projects to be implemented and to succeed.
Vasquez had been right all along: Adam would make more friends helping the poor and middle classes by distributing new tech to improve lives, than in threatening death and destruction. The world was uneasy, but Adam assured the world that Australia would not have been necessary, had their leaders just listened. Governments and big industry had their reasons for what they were attempting; however, their differing agendas had nothing to do with peace, progress or resolving humanities greatest challenges. All he wanted now was peace and to be allowed to move his projects for peace and stability forward. There was much work still to be done, and not all threats were, as yet, resolved.
Adam had received bad news a upon his return, and he had not had time to think about what to do. There had been so much background noise and chaos: The UN debacle, pre- and post-death planning and the war. It was common knowledge that Adam’s family was given to severe criticism of Adam’s ideas and plans; his enemies were emboldened.
While the chaos raged within and around the leadership of Paraiso in real time, the scientists and techs working on all projects began a robust debate over continued work for Adam. Most did not believe what he said, and were certain that the abilities he had, or had spoken of, were no more than advanced technology in action. If so, the rest of his story was pure BS and that meant that the IP in Paraiso was still in play.
The senior staff said that the UN, the war and future conflict were never part of the bargain, especially since they had no idea whether they had taken part in it without their knowledge or consent. The Chief technologists all argued that this situation was not one they had signed up for. Even the existence of other sentient beings co-habiting the planet with humans was not proof of any other of Adam’s assertions. And the fact that the major democracies on the planet unanimously, except for Canada, agreed that Adam and his people were terrorists meant that they too might be targeted now, or in the future, as terrorists.
Enoch Riley, the Head of all Lab projects, said, “It’s time to go. Once this is sorted, our lives are back to normal and all threats are gone, we can return. But for now, I feel unsafe in this compound and, while I have done nothing wrong legally yet that I know of, I’d feel safer and less anxious if I was back home in America where I belong. I’m leaving, even if I need to hike out. Adam can’t hold us, not if we want to leave. We go, or we go on strike.”
“This is treason,” a woman’s voice said from the back of the conference room. “You’re a liar and you know it. You’re planning to leave and take Adam’s tech with you. In fact, you’re all talking about stealing various segments of the IP we’ve developed. I have no idea why you thought I’d side with you, but you did, and you foolishly told me what was up. Now I’m going to tell Adam. You’ll never get away with this.”
The man nodded his head to men standing in the doorway, who immediately swept in to surround the woman.
“Take her to the holding cells in back with her other colleagues who rejected our offer.”
He looked at her, a snarl of disgust forming on his otherwise normal collegial expression of bonhomie. “I thought you were brighter than this, Doctor. Academically prepared, an amazing talent and so perceptive. But utterly lacking in common sense. We have one chance to move, to break free while the chaos reigns and we have a plausible reason to go. It’s now or never. It’s up to us to even the odds for America.”
***
“What’s up, Hana? If you’re not talking to me then something is wrong, and it must mean you know more than you’re telling. Are you going to talk to me, or leaving me dangling?”
“There isn’t much I can say that will change what you’re going to hear. This won’t be easy; it concerns recent events, and just about everyone close to us outside of family and colleagues. The City, and most all of the tech community are up in arms with either the outing at the UN, the subsequent Tour and the war.
“We, your family and friends, knew your plan and believed in it; we still do. We understood that the UN did not go well; we did not think, any more than you did, that humans would believe what you said just because you said it. As to the war, some here in the City think what you did was excessive. They believe that war and the threat of death is not the right path; people must want to cooperate with us for your pl
an to work. And many here seem to not want to listen; right now, this is all about blame. And Paraiso and the world seem to have dropped that squarely on your head. Some here in Paraiso think you outed everyone and got nothing but war and death in return. If there’s no turnabout in human attitude, we’re toast anyway. The UN and the war seemed to unify humanity in opposition, not make them more pliable. They doubt the treaties signed were sincere. They think when humanity regroups, if they have your tech and the DL Main, they will have the means to fight back. Like it or not, more than half the world thinks you’re a high-tech terrorist.”
“So, not popular?”
“You are not popular because of the doubt raised. They are pissed that things went so poorly; they blame you for the lack of consult on the key matters once again, and for lack of consulting generally. Ditto the Councils and some in the military. A great many are doubting this entire episode. Most claim to have not seen a shred of evidence that any of your mythical creatures exist.”
“Even on TV?”
“Special effects.”
“How about you?”
Hana paused, not expecting that question.
“I think there are two things that explain how I feel. First, yours is the only judgment I trust and therefore if what we have done recently, in your mind, was correct, then so do I. I don’t think I’m in a position to know or judge; that’s your job. You have gotten us this far, are faced with certain death, and yet you still care more for those you’ve never met than for your own life. The rest of us are here to back you up. We don’t need to understand what your plan is in all its details; only one can command. So, I don’t have an opinion, and no matter what happened or is going to happen, that belief will not change. Second, I love you, I am your wife, and that too will never change either. I will not second guess your reasoning and your strategy. 20/20 hindsight is perfect, and your detractors simply have no idea what they are talking about. I am not in that group. I am blessed with you and will be your rock, if that is what you need.”
Resolution Page 106