The Embryo of the Star

by Elberto V Badon

  “Sir, we’re ready to ignite the Beta capsule’s rocket,” the computer engineer announced.

  “Do it swiftly, gentlemen,” the commander replied.

  All of a sudden the Beta capsule’s nozzle released a tremendous amount of energy while the Stargeon’s crew was anxiously watching the computer screen.

  “C’mon, baby, thrust it forward," Sergeant Major Bendanill said.

  Their eyes grew wider when the spheroid started to move slowly along its axis. They couldn’t utter any word; their hearts were pounding fast. Then someone broke down in tears, “It’s great! . . . We’ve made it!” and hoisted a pair of fists. The crew was very jubilant upon seeing the Alpha and Beta capsules’ bizarre performance.

  “It’s just the first stage, gentlemen,” cautioned the commander. “We will see if we can convert the spheroid’s spinning into a sheer energy to propel it fast.”

  “Sir, once the spheroid can escape the blazing quagmire, then we will let the dog clutch do its job," the computer engineer explained. The spheroid had been transformed into a brilliant lamp in space by the outpouring flood of gamma rays, X rays, and other kinds of radiation rays.

  The revolving fireballs had bloomed and slowly flushed out in different direction while its flames slowly were fading.

  “What a magnificent firework display in outer space!” the computer engineer remarked, while monitoring the spheroid’s former nesting haven’s collapse.

  “Commander Cedric Krispov, do you read me? Over,” asked the alien lady.

  “Yeah, I read you loud and clear, my fair lady,” the commander responded.

  “Commander Krispov, your boys did a magnificent job! . . . Please extend our congratulations to them. They’re very fantastic!”

  “Thank you for the compliment, my fair lady. We owe our success to you,” the commander acknowledged.

  “We’re just doing our share, Commander, to save the legendary planet; we wish the Earth’s fastest recovery. Commander Krispov, maybe we’re no longer necessary in this operation; we wish to see your planet soon, Commander Krispov.”

  “You’re welcome any time, my fair lady, including your crews if they wish,” replied the commander.

  The aliens parted ways after a few minutes of talking. Still the alien’s identity remained an unsolved jigsaw puzzle to the commander and to some of his crew members. The commander gave the crew their due rest. The jubilant crew then rushed to the bar and got beer and spirits.

  “Cheers! To our success!” somebody exulted.

  Then everyone in the bar hoisted their cups.

  “Long live the Earth!” everybody chorused.

  “Let’s give a cheer to the imperial champion! Our Grand Duke! Let’s give a big hand to His Excellency, Col. Cedric Krispov‘.”

  The crew welcomed the announcement and deafening sound reverberated in the mess hall. “Bottoms up for the next emperor of the Earth!” someone shouted. Everyone in the bar was rejoicing except the two space fighters who remained cold in the corner.

  “Hey! . . . What’s wrong, guys?” the commander asked Major Bendanill and Lieutenant Stonehill. “Am I not qualified for the emperorship, gentlemen?”

  “You're very much qualified, Commander; there’s no question about that,” the sergeant major replied. “But you must remember that in every mandated political position available there must be somebody to compete with.”

  The commander smiled and said, “You're right; so far there’s nobody else on the Earth that can match my credentials. Maybe it’s only Professor Kalavich I consider my formidable rival, but I 've nothing to worry about, because he made it clear to me once that he won’t seek any higher position of the land, and the rest in the field are my whipping boys," the commander boasted.

  “Commander, if everything works according to plan and the day of the political melee comes, you can expect me to nominate a surprise unbeatable candidate whose name shall shake everybody," the sergeant major said.

  “You have a poker face, Sergeant Major. You’ve surprised me. Yep, you’re free to choose whomever you prefer, Sergeant Major, I 've no regrets . . . that is, if you can produce someone.” Everybody in the bar shifted their topic to the political race on Earth.

  “Sir, the alien lady is on the line,” the communication operator called up.

  The commander then took the mobile intercom. “Hey, my fair lady, what can I do for you?”

  “Sorry, Commander, to interfere in your affairs. I'll just want to remind you that you’re behind schedule . . . time is drawing near.”

  “Thank you very much, my fair lady, for the reminder.”

  Everybody heard the alien lady’s revelation. The commander then put aside his political hallucination and ordered his crew to check all equipment and mechanisms of the Sturgeon.

  “We cannot allow any further delay, gentlemen. Please go back to your posts.”

  XVII

  Extreme Unction

  The Martian monarch was very upset by the turnaround of the IPO to withdraw their support for the Martian cause. All the IPO military advisers and space fighters had left the Martian capital.

  “Those lousy people there [IPO] have succumbed to the Earthling’s blackmail! ” Emir Ammaron yelled striking his fist on his desk. “But the Earthling forgot that we could destroy them by ourselves. We’ve already the deadliest atom bombs the Earthling feared most. It’s time to start the invasion, gentlemen.”

  Spacecraft had taken off from the Martian capital of Green Meadow, which did not escape from the Earth’s giant infrared telescope. “Your Excellency, the Martians are coming!” announced the observatory station on the Earth’s moon. The emperor then ordered the Earth’s Atmospheric Defense Command to repel for any Martian attack. Then heavy fighting occurred. After several hours of intense fighting, the Martian boys gained the upper hand and radioed Mars to send the spaceship’s missile launchers toward the Earth’s moon to neutralize the Earth’s Forward Defense Command.

  Emir Ammaron had sent a warning to the emperor to reconsider his decision-otherwise the Earthlings in the end would suffer the consequences-but the emperor didn’t bend an inch, which angered the emir more.

  “Shit! Until now the Earthlings didn’t want to evacuate their ill-fated planet! Fire one sparrow missile at once!”

  The Privy Council and the emperor were desperately awaiting word from the expedition.

  The Martian emir appeared again on the live broadcast and said, “Emperor Bent Skovllunde, it’s high time now to let your high priest say the extreme unction.”

  Everybody in the imperial hall remained silent for several minutes. The emperor broke the silence saying, “Our time has come to an end, gentlemen. . .. At any moment the Martian Omega bombs shall destroy this planet. We’ve got a few missiles left in our stockpile. There’s no way to initiate a counterattack, our military experts said. Our planet is now vulnerable to the Martian major offensive.”

  The reverend wanted to raise the morale of the emperor and the Privy Council. “Gentlemen, let’s have faith in the Almighty Creator. He will not let our planet fall down.”

  “Let’s face the reality, Rev’rend; don’t rely too much on your imaginary God! Whether you like it or not, this planet is bound for destruction! The Martian missiles are on their way. Can your God save us from the sword of Damocles?”

  “Yep! He has emphasized over and over, that whoever is in trouble should call His name. It was clearly written that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

  “Your Highness, a Martian sparrow missile has sneaked in!” the spy satellite warned.

  “There’s no way to save this planet and our people. We will be very lucky if we survive the massive attack of their powerful nuclear bombs," the concerned emperor warned.

  . All of them were very much worried at their hopeless situation. A warning signal had echoed throughout the city of Sargasso. The people rushed immediately to the newly built Starshield. The first Martian missile to shake
the Earth had a magnitude of intensity of XI on the modified Mercalli intensity scale; its epicenter was in the Atlantic Ocean. It inflicted heavy damage to civil works structures in the city.

  “Are our people OK?” the emperor asked.

  “Everybody is safe here, Your Excellency."

  “This is just the beginning . . . the worst has yet to come!” the worried emperor said.

  “So, what now, Rev'rend? Where is your God now? Can He afford to let you and your blind followers suffer further miseries?” a lawmaker harangued.

  “You wicked . . . don't try to trick my faith! This is just to remind everybody that our chance for survival is in our heart! Our love and strong faith in Him are what are needed in this hour of dread . . . unless you change, everybody here will end up in the sea of fire! As long as we knock on the door, it will be opened to welcome us into His kingdom.”

  The reverend’s sermon was interrupted by an announcement from the Observatory Station: “Sir, somebody away from the solar system has knowledge regarding the fate of the Stargeon.”

  The Privy Council was up on their feet upon hearing this news.

  “This is emperor Bent Skovllunde of the Earth. What can I do for you?”

  “Good day, Your Royal Highness. This is the time to make your people rejoice! The Stargeon has successfully conquered the brilliant spheroid; it’s now heading towards Earth. Congratulations."

  “Hello! Hello! Who are you?”

  “Sir, it has disappeared . . . the voiced came from very far.”

  “It was a female, wasn't it?”

  “Sir, we tried to feed her voice to the computer; the computer has replied that it has no such voice ever stored in the Stargeon’s data base.”

  “She could not be a prankster,” someone said. “Otherwise she would have no knowledge regarding the secrecy of the Stargeon's mission."

  “Yes, this message has arrived in the nick of time. Our men fighting there needed this very badly to bolster their fighting spirit,” the emperor emphasized.

  Meanwhile in the Martian capital the emir was very much amused by the early feedback of their campaign to eliminate Earth. “You see! . . . The Earthlings are now disorganized. They don’t know what to do. They thought that I was just bluffing! And now, sorry Mother Planet, only one shall exist, either Mars or Earth. . .. eject the final salvo!"

  When the Earthling space fighters learned about the successful journey of the Stargeon, they fought vigorously, but this was not enough to turn the tide of the war, because some of their major war materials had been wiped out in the second wave of the attack and their formidable defenses had collapsed.

  “Major Andrew, the Martian Omega missile is approaching the Earth,” warned the Observatory Station.

  The Earth Atmospheric Defense Commander then ordered his reserved space fighters to destroy the incoming Omega missile. The space fighters then engaged the escorts of the feared bomb. The space fighters were helpless to destroy the feared atom bomb. The ultimate bomb was still intact; it had successfully withstood the Earthlings’ laser attack, unlike the other types of bombs that the Earthlings had no difficulty terminating.

  “Sir, the Omega bomb is highly insulated. We can no longer overstep it . . . our antimissile defense system has been knocked out,” the Space fighters’ team leader reported.

  A hundred missiles zoomed toward the Earth, but this didn’t escape the Kuralian space eyes.

  “Gosh! . . . The Martians have launched a hundred missiles towards the Earth!" Lady Khinna exclaimed.

  “Oh, my God! They must not do that!” Mark was angered. “Let's go to the Martian metropolis at once!”

  Then the Kuralian fighters zoomed towards Mars and discovered that the Martian space was heavily fortified.

  “Kural Two from Kural One. Order back to back in pairs and tilt at twelve o’clock! Martian fighters ahead! Over.”

  The Martian space eyes noticed their intrusion.

  “His Excellency, an alien formation is approaching our line of defense! They ignored our warning!"

  “Damn it! Destroy them! Maybe they’re Earthling recruits!” the emir speculated.

  “MS One, this is CV! Destroy those invaders!" General Vittoki ordered.

  “CV, this is MS One. The invaders are gettin’ in!”

  “MS One, this is GVC, you mean you gave access to them?”

  “No, CV. Our lasers are backfiring to our spaceships! . . . it has boomeranged. Their spaceships are shielded with reflectors! They didn’t even fire a single shot! We lost twenty spaceships! Please advise. Over.”

  “His Excellency, the alien invaders have penetrated our line of defense."

  “What?! General, you mean our forces have failed to repel the invaders?"

  “Precisely, His Excellency. We lost twenty spaceships while the enemy lost nothing."

  “And now it’s very clear, they’re Earthling enforcers; they must pay dearly for this! We must employ the diplomatic strategy; let's welcome the visitors! Let them in . . . and no further shooting, is that clear?”

  The General carried the order of the emir.

  “MS One, this is CV. Let those aliens get in, Over."

  The Kuralians entered the Martian atmosphere and were escorted by the Martian fighters to the Green Meadow space strip. The control tower attracted the attention of the unwanted visitors.

  ” To our distinguished guests, you’re welcome to our planet, the planet of gentle people. All of you please disembark from your spaceships. His Excellency, the great emir of Mars, is expecting all of you in the Palladium Court. You’re all invited for dinner.”

  “Something fishy going on, Mark. Shall we let all our men disembark?” Lady Khinna asked.

  “We’ve got no alternative but to bite their bait. We must persuade Emir Ammaron to stop the destruction of the Earth. To refuse his offer might lead to unfavorable consequences. So let’s not offend them.”

  Mark and the Kuralians left their spaceships. They entered the Martian metropolis. In the foreground their eyes focused on the towering minaret of the Islamic mosque atop the reddish rocky hills. The Martian edifices were engulfed within an oasis of natural beauty; green plants had sprung up around them. The buildings were influenced by intricate Arabic architectural design. Fronting the palladium was a fifty-foot-tall golden statue of Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology. The emir was seated on a golden throne with an elevated dais. In the forefront was a cavernous pool with thick clear glass walls and filled twelve feet deep. The emir was surrounded by seductive topless women. In the pool, about ten beautiful nude ladies gracefully performed the star variation of aquatic exercises with ease.

  “What evil forces brought you here, strangers?" the emir asked while sipping a cup of wine.

  “Good day, Your Excellency. . .. In the name of the peaceful kingdom of Kuralus and its peace-loving citizens, we bring you peace. Please accept our apology for entering your sacred territory. We have no other intention but to offer our friendship,” Lady Khinna opened.

  “Friendship? Hmm . . . how do you come to know our planet, lady? There are many planets that needs your friendship,” the bearded leader replied.

  “Your Excellency, your name has echoed as far as our galaxy. You’re noted as a great monarch. Your planet has advanced agricultural technology. Your farmers have successfully developed the vast Martian desert and transformed it into a prosperous land."

  “Thank you very much for the compliments, young lady. We’ve so many friends . . . but once we’re already fully associated with them they become our worst enemies. Like the Earthlings, they’re gettin’ closer to our planet. That’s how they became our worst enemy!”

  “Your Excellency, the Earthlings have got the magnificent solution to save the Earth. Colonel Krispov’s expedition has successfully snatched the radiant spheroid to energize the Earth, so that it will maintain its orbit in the solar system.”

  “Who are you, young boy? I don’t understand what the hell you're talking about! I
don’t want to waste my time with young dreamers!”

  “I’m Mark Gouch, an Earthling, Your Excellency.”

  “An Earthling. So you come to invade our planet! My assumption was right. Your combined forces have destroyed twenty of my spaceships! Congratulations for a job well done; it’s very commendable." The emir laughed. “You’ll be compensated for that.”

  “No! Your Excellency! We didn’t shoot your spaceships. Believe us, we came for peace and to beg you to give the Earthlings ample time to save the Earth,” Lady Khinna tried to soften their host.

  “I don’t trust any one of you. I've already given them enough time to evacuate! So enough is enough! Their situation is hopeless! Supermen are not yet born that can stop our planets’ collision!” The emir made a signal to his aide. “Seal them!!”

  The three-foot-thick transparent glass suddenly sealed them on all sides, reinforced with stainless-steel mesh wires in the inner face. Meanwhile, the Martian sentries brought in a muscular man about six feet tall wearing only a piece of cloth on his private parts and a red headband.

  “What good news brought you here, Kubinak?" the emir asked. “Or are you a Mercurian messenger from the gods?"

  “Your Excellency, my people are in dire needs of more water. Instead of half a liter, they want to have one and a half liters more as a daily requirement per individual in order to increase our strength and stamina in tilling the lands, and furthermore, we also need additional food supplies.”

  “Kubinak, your demands are unacceptable! My mistresses need more water in the pool for their daily bath. Do you know how much energy is needed to extract water from the polar cap?” the emir asked. “There.” He pointed to the pool. “You can drink it all after my mistresses’ finish.”

  “My people are all eager to work in the hot fields, but if you won’t meet our demands . . . we’d rather prepare for death than further suffers from starvation and oppression!”

  The emir was offended and came closer to the young former emir’s son. “You wanna challenge me, you fool?!” The ruthless ruler then slapped Kubinak’s face, dropping the handcuffed captives into the pool. The nude women were very delighted.