My Father's Universe

by Mitch

  He saw their point and expressed his concern, “All of you can go. If Commander Glenz calls you back to the Aqua, you get back. Understand? And most importantly, we all love you. Oh! And keep your eyes peeled for those mongrel ants.”

  “Dad, we have every intention of coming out of this alive,” reassured Ke`no.

  Te`ro added, “We may be changed and have a better outlook on life when this is over.” All agreed. Nothing had to be said any further.

  Before La`no gave any orders, feeling a little apprehensive, he wiped his forehead, “When the thieving murderers are in range, I will give the order to start the pumps. Be ready for the worst.”

  Kedar looked around again, “Remember, we may encounter some unpredictable elements. We’ll have to deal with them, ready or not. God bless you all.” He gave the thumbs up sign.

  Everyone went to their positions, ready for victory. Kedar had brushed with death so often, he thought he would be used to it. In the excitement, he could not control his trembling and tried forcing a chuckle. Zero hour arrived, the ladies around Careah and him would be facing death for the first time. The smell of perfume spirited from lady to lady, hiding the smelly sweaty air. Nervously whispering, giggling, hiding anxiety, they waited for something to happen that they knew nothing about. All got quiet. It was as if the world stood still. Kedar was waiting in the shadows for the signal, his face burned with excitement and anticipation. What an irony, he thought, looking toward where destruction would be coming from. It will be an act of faith and trust on their part to ruin the plans of the powerful ant kingdom. With a rigid smile, he looked at the ladies. This was the first time they were unnaturally quiet. He hoped one of them would say something.

  There was complete silence all around them, that could mean trouble. With a stern soft voice, above a whisper, he broke the silence, “I feel we’re going to have company very soon. We’ll probably smell them before seeing the war mongrel devils.”

  Tara and her fighter’s voices, quivering, agreed. Tara added, “Yes, you are right, General Kedar.” Everyone giggled. He smiled and wondered if Careah and her ladies felt the same, then said a prayer. Scout ants, unknown to them, were close by.

  It was for just a moment, La`no let his nerves take over his human system. His breathing rate increased, sweaty palms changed to itching palms. He felt a little spasm of fear roll through his body. For the first time, he could feel and smell fear, it definitely was his own. Only a fool would say he wasn’t afraid. His squeamish stomach alerted his attention. With a slow deliberate deep breath, he willed his pulse rate to normal and his stomach relaxed. He wiped his forehead of sweat and held his hand out. It was calm and steady, so he shook a fist in the direction of the oncoming invaders.

  Eyes riveted on the horizon, cold anger in his voice, “Now we go on the offensive.” Pacing back and forth, an insatiable sensation oozed from every pore in his body. Revenge was on his mind as he twisted a piece of rope with a viciousness indicating his hands wanted to be where the action was going to be. “You bauble dinks think you have us defeated. We have a couple of surprises waiting for you.” With a sigh of exasperation, he shifted his position to see more clearly.

  La`no was not in the habit of talking to himself, but who’d care now, “Before the first drop of our blood hits the ground, you will die. You want our blood, you came to the wrong place. We’ll make you wish you were someplace else.” He struggled to control his rage. His face reddened and contorted with anger! The voice coming from within was clear, “You have to control your anger, it can cost you time and bad decisions. But don’t be tender, don’t be kind when fighting an enemy of this nature.” He saw scout ants scouting the whole area. The invading evil force not far behind, coming ever so close. Unruffled, he spoke into his VP, “I want everyone to be vigilant, please come home safely.” He whispered to those holding fire pots and rockets, “Hold it, one minute more, ho…ld it.”

  Careah and Kedar were listening to his voice also, waiting for the word, “go!” Kedar smiled, thinking, “La`no may not know it, but he is the Commander in Chief.”

  La`no solemnly said, "We are on the edge of a new experience, something we never dreamed of: WAR!" Within minutes, several platoons of red devils were making their way up the pass toward the city. Others keeping low, crept along the shadows of the buildings, watching the humans, expecting them to play the game of war by their rules. The belligerent ants entered the city. The waiting was agonizing.

  So, there would be no misunderstanding, La`no spoke into his VP loud and clear. “The bloody rogues are coming like robots, hypnotized, eyes piercing. Just a few…few more seconds, just…a…few….” Lifting his VP to his mouth, he yelled, “Now, Eli!”

  "Start the pumps!" Eli gave the order. The pumps pushed the oil and gasohol mixture oozing out of the ground, confusing the first horde of crude tyrant ants. Never in ants’ history had this happened. Eli had all pumps and valves turned off.

  The Water engineer instructed while reading the instruments, “Close every valve, otherwise the whole place would blow to kingdom come. I will make sure the order is completed before La`no gives the orders to start the fires.” At first, the crazed ants were in a catatonic state, nothing had occupied their mind but victory. As the oil mixture hit them, they froze, nothing moved, with a wicked gaze, they looked around, not knowing what to do.

  There was complete silence for a few seconds. Jets of liquid hit the sulfur causing it to glisten phosphorescently. The mixture acted as it was supposed to, turning into an acrid choking odor, and began to cloud their red eyes. The dull foggy air turned into a gray clammy mist, hanging thickly over the horde. The greasy oily shine was impossible to ignore, turning the sudden silence into a scene of wild confusion. Several legions with spears screamed with rage, slammed their spears into the oil sludge, and stepped back to give it another jab. As the oil spray hit their eyes, it removed all thoughts of killing and stopped their advancing. Their immoral behavior turned to fear and malice. Thousands tried wiping their stinging faces with claws, rolled on the ground hoping the black, sticky oily muck would come off their bodies. Without a doubt, it made it worse. The oil compound mixed with mud, glued the devilish beasts to the spot.

  It was something to see, ants going completely wild, screaming, shaking clawed fists and foaming profusely at the mouth. The fire ants’ thorax arched in convulsive movements, wings refused to lift, while others stumbling in a blind rage, groaning hysterically, looking around, not grasping what was happening to them. They had no means to fight this new enemy, nor would the horrible fire be kind to them. From the command center, La`no yelled, “Praise the Lord, let the fire fall from heaven. Go men, go. If need be, we’ll burn the entire place.” Men and their wives, even teenagers, by hundreds of thousands, stepped into the open, all rockets shot out, wobbling at first, straightened out, and burst into balls of fire. Others heaved clay pots, some had slings sending pots out further. The barrels rolled downhill, water carried flaming fuel to those leading the attack.

  The fire brigade had lances ready for any that got through the piled-up debris. What a sight. An army of ladies, men, each with a homemade weapon. It didn’t take long till the fire brigade could hear shouts of rage, followed by a thundering crack, and then the screams of rage turned to terror. Well-trained invading blue ants jumped, crawled over struts, and wooden makeshift barricades flanking the cities. The enhanced oil was working better than expected, as it smoldered a few seconds before turning into an inferno, loving the diet of oil and gasohol. Fingers of orange and red flames leaped violently like greedy hands trying to grab more. Raging fires became hungry beasts, devouring all that was near, relentlessly searching for more to quench their hunger and thirst.

  Angry sparks leaped at anything to ignite them into a savage flame. The ferocious inferno began to brag, racing from house to house, into large buildings, from block to block, gulping the liquid diet, gorging desserts of wild meat. Immense belches of violently twisting columns of white smo
ke rushed upward, forming yellowish brown clouds. Showers of dirty soot rained down making breathing unbearable. Clean breathable air was scarce as hen’s teeth. In the distance, La`no could hear the echoing booms and swishes of explosions. At the far end of the city, explosions erupted into a shower of sparks. A wave of blueish-green thick smoke with searing heat removed all life and bellowed its victory.

  Careah’s Platoon

  Careah, in Dinghy AP54, shooting as fast as her lady squad handed fiery cat-tails to her, gave the victory sign. Hungry flames reached out, moving nearly at the speed of sound. A large platoon of savage sand ants screamed angrily at what life had dealt them, it was a dishonor to die before a battle began. Several fast-moving, giant, double-headed red cerberus ants outran the rest. Because of their size and strength, they imagined themselves being sub-human. Their leaders reminded them, because they warred with the war gods, they were favored, making them the meanest fighters in the world. The leading ants, boasting with inflated pride while marching, climbing over a wall, nearing the city, strengthened their desire to charge and ravage everything in sight. Careah’s senses on alert, she breathed in the familiar smell she had smelled before, death. Sector by sector, she scanned the shadows each building made, not wanting any to escape their fate.

  A squad of copperhead army ants crouched behind a cement wall like soldiers under siege. Cold stone eyes darting about, claws clenched, looking for an attack that would be to their advantage. Sinister voices low, buzzing, lungs chugging, the horde went into a squatting position, ready to pounce on the next victims. Domestic and wild animals stirred restlessly, sensing the alien intruders. Hearing angry roars unfamiliar set their nerves working overtime. It took only one loud, ferocious cry for the jittery animals to stampede out of harm’s way. The fields of Hi-Why-O trembled beneath the treads of the frightened confused animals. Millions and millions of crazed copperhead ants rushed headlong into the city, smelling putrid blood, seeing fellow ant bodies twisted, covered with sludge, and others lying and groaning. The death call didn’t faze the weakest of the horde. A column of special forces moved forward, mouth open, flashing fangs and barbed teeth, but recoiled before the steaming hot oil mixture. Their piercing red eyes saw nothing but flames as they shuddered, clinging to gather, and marched only for a short distance. The largest leader, who took his master’s name, LUCIFER, for his own, let out one last blood-curdling cry, a cross between a sordid laugh and a curse, then slumped down, thumbing his nose, and collapsed to the oil-soaked burning ground. A new leader took over immediately. Looking around, his scorched anger matched his scorched ugly face. He growled at his own kind, mad at the world. Never had he ever been in a ferocious battle as this one.

  Most deserted their ranks for the first time in their history. This retreat was not strategically planned, it was in disorder that ended before it got much of a start. Many met heaps of burning flesh, bodies still moving, trying to do their best to dig down and cover up with the burning mess. Constant blistering heat and flames reached out affectionately, embracing what they loved most, oil-soaked grass. Eyes, barely slits now, had trouble seeing as they rushed into the bright flames.

  Won remarked, “Crispy critters?”

  Careah answered, “Gruesome way of describing it, but it’s accurate.”

  One thing about fire: it never tires or gets exhausted as long it has something to lay flame to. This one loved torching something that had no defense. The Dipteran ants faces became a mask of putrid hate, then panic. They tried to avoid the hot liquid, but in doing so, the hungry grabbing flames dissolved their wings. Many cried out, face colored and twisted with pain, and reached up as if trying to kill. Another enraged hoard snarled as the flame came toward them. Their features were ugly, dark, mud color, and piercing yellow eyes. They moved like a stalking cat. They joined up with a group of cerberus ants. All were mummified into statues, tears rolling down their cheeks, and then vaporized. They were approaching another battle scene a few seconds later, it turned into a wild, confused scene. One that had to be sorted out without debating. Multicolor thick smoke and broiling flames were visible for miles.

  Suddenly, smoke and flames disappeared, the whole area became white, and the mysterious whiteness was whiter than daylight. An object streaked overhead. It was as if missiles crisscrossed the man-made sky. A high building next to the Dinghy burst into raging flames, forcing it to evacuate its unwelcome occupants who neglected to pay rent. Thick, dirty, black, acrid, choking smoke bellowing across the scene created a banner hiding its flawless work. Crackling, peppery flames could be heard but not seen. Agonizing screams from these ants were not famous for producing echoes that were bouncing from building to buildings. It was as if someone or something made the black, acrid smoke lift to take a peek at what was burning.

  A shadow deep in the gloomy background moved silently. Careah studied the area with care, missing nothing, every rock, every bush, and every ledge, anything that could hide the enemy. She paused and listened, heard no sound, detected no movement, only the cracking flames spitting sparks. Suddenly, screams followed by strange sounds came again, as though one was running on a boardwalk, then stopped. Careah and her lady warriors held their breath. Nothing moved in the fire except flames. Without warning, a crazy looking ant, having a head of a Condor and red piercing eyes, jumped over a wall like a deer. Arrows and torches filled the hot air. It flipped and crashed headfirst, less than a few feet from the Dinghy. Bo`nay, Del`o, and Su`lay leaped from the Dinghy and slammed three more torches on it. As they got back in the Dinghy, the Condor ant exploded into a fireball and dissolved into thin air. Confusion was written on the ladies faces. This one was for the science books; or any book. Won blurted out, “I wholeheartedly believe in an eye for an eye, but this is something else!”

  Chameleon ants, with red stained fangs vibrating, horns above their ears pointed forward, scrambled in disarray and tried to regroup. The only order was rowdy confused order. Without a verbal command, the chameleon ants charged, closing in almost as fast as they moved forward. Without a sound, the unexpected happened. Out of nowhere, fire emitting blue flames, no, it was more like ghostly flames, fell on the chameleon ants. Careah and her crew watched a scene out of the house of horrors.

  A myriad of sparks flashed colors like a rainbow and burst into heat dissolving flames. The chameleon ants joined the shimmering heat waves where demons and devils do their devil-like dance upon blistering white sand that looked like boiling water in the distance. This mirage was more than an optical illusion, it proved to be disastrous for the enemy. Won quipped, “That’s an illusion worth seeing.” In the haze, a large giant chameleon ant opened its mouth as though to let loose a great shout, but all that gushed out was gusty foul air.

  Suddenly there was a sickening crunch, followed by groans and shrill cries in the ranks ahead. Score another one for Careah and her squad. The next horde, picking up pace, surged forward. In the rear, Tormentor Specialists sensing a growing panic pushed in behind. A nightmare could not be more freighting. Two violent explosions in a deluge oil pit put an abrupt end to a million blatant ants that looked like muted gorillas coming in the opposite direction. The heavy air brought an overpowering scent, burning flesh, then death, sickening those in the Dinghy.

  A hot cat-tail whizzed through a refrigerant plant bottom window. A loud explosion blew the building off the foundation and into the next block, shaking rattled buildings and covering the Dinghy with soot. The man-made sky was illuminated from horizon to horizon with blue flames. Blue flames, proud having a higher temperature and unbearable to be near, rent the air with a roaring angry inferno. Three more explosions came as hot cat-tails touched down and detonations sent shockwaves through the atmosphere, skimming the man-made sky. Exploding flames overhead jammed into each other wiping out all communications. Wingless ants pretending to be daredevils put on an air show falling into inviting flames. Weird screams sent terrified ants retreating. Some in catatonic state tried to commit suicide. There was no
need, the inferno did it for them.

  Won thought her mind was playing tricks on her, seeing ants turn bright blue before they dissolved. Careah and the other ladies saw it too and confirmed what she had seen. The heat generated a roaring wind, lapping oxygen as it streaked toward the vast inferno. It made the whole area dark and gloomy. The firestorm swept from end to end, helping a pall of smoke rapture upward, choking for its pleasure. The wind roared like a howling cyclone gone crazy, daring anything to come into the heart of the wicked inferno to stop it. Hi-Why-Z was not a place to be at that moment.

  These Tormentor Specialists’ lives were short-lived as they exist no more. It had to happen, the racy fire and blushing wind fall in love, the two get engaged, then under pressure, get married and go hand in hand on the most expensive honeymoon ever recorded. Its scintillating, lustrous wedding dress is angry pillars of fire rising to the man-made sky, painting it black and dirty gray. It is insane, totally insane, consuming everything, leaving only ashes. Flames never die; they just burn away. It’s not picky, everything is a favorite, satisfying its lust. Startled cries of alarm echoing from vicious rugged creatures perched on roof tops are eliminated or taken for a burnt sacrifice. The wind and flame know the honeymoon will soon be over and have to get divorced. But not before they send their offspring of little flames out on their own, hunting their own hot or cold smörgåsbord, physical material to devour. There’s never a traitor, even when its blazing angry flame is condemned.

  Careah and her platoon went by vineyards dressed in shoulder-high vines ready for harvest. Grape arbors galore. The fruit was covered by dazzling sprays of green front. Bramble bushes full of rich fruit: blackberry, raspberry, gooseberry, blueberry, and dewberries; the whole area was known as Solomon’s Vineyards. The fire had not reached E-vo’s Brandy Winery when they arrived. Careah said, “I know what a winery is. What’s brandy?”