by Paul Ormond
The video feed switched to an image of the President speaking into a camera inside the situation room.
“We want full autonomy regarding the security of the planet’s surface, and we request that our military be outfitted with the Emperor’s technology,” President Edwards said.
“These are reasonable demands. I accept on the condition that you accept my proposal immediately,” Commander Holrathu replied.
“Although it is rather sudden, we will accept these terms on behalf of planet Earth, but we will not allow your forces to make their presence known on the planet. Nothing changes for the civilian population.”
“And there you have it,” Commander Holrathu said as the camera cut back to his face. “President Edwards made a deal to enrich herself while keeping all of you in the dark. Is this the sign of a strong leader? I think it is a clear that the powers that be on this planet cannot be trusted. She has also gone to great lengths to keep you in the dark about the imminent threat this planet faces. The name Mitch Mythic has been mentioned a great deal in the last while. I understand that there was an attempt to convince all of you that the real Mitch Mythic was still on your side and that an imposter would come and attack this planet. But I will stand before you and tell you that this is just another one of President Edwards’ lies. She believed the population of Earth was gullible enough to swallow up her preposterous version of the truth, so that she could use the likeness of Mitch Mythic to her advantage. It has been brought to my attention that this plan has backfired on her in worse ways than she could imagine. Why would she continue to lie to all of you in such a way? She does this to maintain her own power. It is all for selfish gain, just like any other weak minded fool who believes they can dominate others in order to enrich themselves. But this is not the way of the Emperor, brothers and sisters. For our grand and glorious ruler knows that power is not about attaining wealth. True power exists in allowing all around you to prosper and grow. This is the real strength of our Emperor. His love for us knows no bounds and through his great love we can find the strength that exists within ourselves. And now the Emperor is calling out to all of you to join with him and embrace his love. Allow him to guide you past these petty concerns that have consumed your leadership and discover the true nature of yourselves and the Multi-verse. Only through the Emperor can you rise to your highest potential, but do not fear, for no harm will come to you once you allow the Emperor to fill your heart. I am asking all of you to reach out now and call to him, for he is coming, and he approaches with open arms. I am overjoyed to be with you upon his arrival, for there is nothing more beautiful and pure than witnessing an individual embrace the Emperor for the first time. Allowing yourself to be overtaken by the Emperor’s love is no small feat, but the benefits are immediate and everlasting. Once you have aligned yourself with his will, you will be unburdened of the pains you experienced while out of his light. The suffering and uncertainty you experienced while in service to these cruel Overlords will evaporate as you rise up to meet your Emperor. You will discover that the things you once fought for and desired will crumble to dust, for they were nothing more than petty wants and needs. It is time that you all come forth and announce your love for the Emperor, for the time has come for his arrival. But it appears my sermon is about to be interrupted. President Edwards has just made contact with my envoy and would like to speak with me. There are no secrets among us, my brothers and sisters. Let us all hear what she has to say.”
“Commander Holrathu,” President Edwards said after her head came into view next to the massive head of the Commander.
“I hope that you have come to your senses, Madam president,” Holrathu said. “I was just discussing what the Emperor’s new subjects can expect once our glorious leader presents himself to the people of Earth.”
“That sounds wonderful, Commander, but I am afraid there is still much for us to discuss.”
“Is that so? I believe my terms were quite clear, Madam President: your immediate surrender or the destruction of a target of my choice.”
“I understand your demands, Commander, but I’m not sure if you have grasped the scope and scale of what you are about to do.”
“I find that rather curious. What is it that you believe I am overlooking?”
“There are a number of issues that need addressing before we can proceed. I can see from what you have been proposing that you believe the people of Earth will submit to your Emperor with relative ease. But I must inform you that your plan is flawed. The people of Earth have fought over their beliefs since we were able to comprehend reality.”
“That may be so, but arguments of this nature dissolve to nothingness under the light of the Emperor’s love. Surely, there is more to your argument than this. I do not believe you are willing to stand before me and the brave and noble people of Earth to argue with me about belief. For it has already been ascertained that the Emperor’s love is the ultimate level of attainment across the multi-verse.”
“I believe there is something you have overlooked, Commander.”
“That is a laughable suggestion, but I will allow you to continue so that the people may see how much of a fool you actually are.”
“Perhaps I am a fool, but that is precisely why you are wrong about the people of Earth, Commander. We may have our differences, but there is one thing we can all agree upon. No one can come to our planet and tell us what it is that we believe in. Your may feel that Emperor is the one true light, but good luck convincing the folks that live on this rock. We may be wrong about what we believe in, but we will fight to the end defending those beliefs and our way of life.”
“And there you have it, my brothers and sisters. Your great leader has spoke once again. She is willing to sacrifice you in order to maintain the status quo that has enriched her and her kind for so long. This is the very form of tyranny that the Emperor vehemently opposes.”
“Commander Holrathu, your faith in the Emperor will be your undoing. The people of Earth will never abandon their beliefs under your threats. As we speak they are looking to themselves and to their gods to find the courage to stand up to the threat you pose.”
“I’m afraid you have gone and dug your own grave, Madam President,” Holrathu said before looking off screen “Prepare to strike the target.”
“And that leads to our next point of discussion,” President Edwards said. “Striking an Earthly target will not do you any favors. But if you insist on making enemies, go right ahead. Destroying anything on the surface of the planet will only drive everyone away from your cause. As we speak, the people of Earth are looking up at you and all they see is a coward hiding in his ship spouting lies about a false god.”
“How dare you call the Emperor false,” Holrathu said. “People of Earth, President Edwards has made her decision, and she has chosen to sacrifice the innocent to protect herself. I urge you now to seek allegiance with the Emperor or perish alongside her. The attack on the target will commence now.”
“Commander, let it be known that this was your greatest mistake,” President Edwards said.
“Do not try to pass this off on me, Madam President,” Commander Holrathu said. “The blood will be on your hands, not mine. You had plenty of opportunities to make a peaceful arrangement but you chose oblivion instead. I will not rest until I raise your severed head before the Emperor.”
“Do as you must, but know that we will never stop resisting. You will not find anyone on this planet willing to prostrate themselves before your Emperor,” President Edwards said. “The weak fools you dragged into this sick game of yours have been eradicated from power. All that remain are Earthlings willing to fight for what is rightfully theirs. We will counter your every move and we will continue to fight until you and every last one of your minions has been cleared from this planet. Your Emperor is not welcome here, and I will see it done if it is my last dying breath.”
“I can arrange that,” Commander Holrathu said. “And now, Madam President, prepare to
see the full strength of the Emperor’s will. Earthlings, I will give you one last chance to abandon your leaders and their heretic ways. Surrender to my army and you will not be harmed, but if any of you stand in my way, you will be destroyed. I am coming for you, President Edwards. I look forward to showing you what the Emperor thinks of those unwilling to accept him into their hearts.”
“It appears you have made a fatal mistake, Commander,” President Edwards said.
“Do not fool yourself, President Edwards,” Holrathu said before an explosion rocked his ship.
“I hope you enjoy my little surprise, Commander. Let the battle for Earth begin,” President Edwards said before she terminated the broadcast.
CHAPTER FORTY
“I STILL CAN’T believe all of this has been sitting under our feet our whole lives,” Darren said before he stepped over a large rock.
“I can’t believe we have to walk this whole thing with our feet when we’ve got these fancy gadgets,” Donnie said.
“We know why we have to do it,” Gareth said from further up ahead. “Complaining about it isn’t helping.”
“It’s not that I’m complaining,” Donnie said. “But we’ve been down here for hours.”
“Yeah, this is taking a while,” Shaundra said.
“Nobody said it was going to be easy,” Candace said while stepping off of a large boulder. “But if it’s too much, you could go back home and plug into DeathWorld until the alien goon squad kicks down your door and sucks your brain out.”
“Yeah, I know,” Donnie said. “I’m all about fighting the brain suckers, but I don’t know if stumbling around in the dark is helping at all.”
“They’re not here to suck our brains,” Gareth said, pushing through the darkness. “They’re here to enslave us. They’re want to use us to build their Emperor’s palace or something.”
“It doesn’t matter why they are here,” Sage said after he paused at the top of a rise. “But they certainly didn’t come here in peace. As we speak, they are preparing to do whatever it is they came here to do, and I intend to put a stop to it.”
“How is taking a bunch of pictures putting a stop to it?” Eric asked.
“It’s like Mitch said, the intel is worth way more than a casualty,” Sage said.
“You know that isn’t Mitch Mythic, right?” Eric said.
“Of course I know that. We’ve already been over this,” Sage said. “It’s easier if you don’t think about it. Everybody stay strong and stick with the mission. We all know that this is totally insane, but we were all crazy enough to go along with it when we first discovered this whole thing while playing DeathWorld. I thought it was nuts then, and I still think it is nuts now, but the truth is, whoever is behind this whole plan was right then and I believe that they are right now. So we need to stick with the plan and have hope. If there is one thing I have learned from all of this, it is this: we’re stronger if we stick together. And that doesn’t just mean us in the cave, it means everybody else, all of humanity, we’re all in this together. We’re not the only ones staring down crazy odds and risking our lives. There are other people out there just like us, doing the exact same thing for the exact same reason: We need to stand up for our planet. It might seem like insurmountable odds, but if we don’t try, then we will surely lose, so everybody stay strong and stick with the mission. This is far from over, and we’re going to need every last drop of strength if we want to see it through.”
“You used strength like three times in a row,” Eric said.
“Does it matter?” Sage said. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. You need to let this whole rivalry thing go, Eric. Nobody gives a damn about what town you’re from anymore, we’ve got more important things to deal with.”
“I actually really like Vanderton,” Gareth said. “I went to camp at Ellsmore lake. I would go there every summer as a kid.”
“Me too,” a girl from Vanderton said. “You’re Gareth, right? I think I remember you.”
“Janelle?” Gareth asked.
“That’s right,” Janelle said.
“Now, that we’ve got the speeches and the reunions over, let’s get back on track,” Candace said. “How much further, Sage?”
“Can’t tell, but I’m guessing that we’ve got to be close,” Sage said, turning toward the tunnel. “Some of this is starting to look familiar.”
“It all looks the same to me,” Eric said. “It seems like we’ve been going around in circles.”
“It all looks the same because it’s a bunch of rocks,” Donnie said.
“We just need to keep moving,” Sage said.
“You’re right, this is starting to look familiar,” Candace said, catching up with Sage.
“Yeah, I think there is an opening up ahead and if I’m right, we should be on top of it,” Sage said while he looked ahead.
“Before we get too close, let’s make sure everyone is on the same page,” Candace said. “We’re close. From now on out, we need to keep the chatter to a minimum. We didn’t come this far to get busted. From what I remember, up next is a short cave that will lead us into a wide cavern. Once we get in there, we need to spread out and get as much coverage of this place as we can. It’s a big space, but it’s super bright, so we’ll have to do all we can to avoid being detected.”
“How do these cloaks work?” Eric asked.
“It’s in your panel,” Candace said. “Actually, it’s probably a good time to cloak now. We don’t know if there is any security or surveillance up ahead, but I’m guessing there probably will be.”
“I’d agree with that,” Gareth said. “I think we cloak now before anything happens.”
“Let’s do it, but we better be sure that we’re in the right spot,” Darren said. “That Mitch hologram said the cloak will drain our power.”
“In and out,” Sage said. “Nobody gets spotted. Once we have eyes on the target, we get a few shots and then split. Let’s make two teams. Each team will have a couple people taking shots and a couple look outs. Stay in cover and get some shots.”
“I think we should leave someone to watch the exit,” Gareth said. “We don’t want to get cut off.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Sage said. “Donnie, keep the door open. We’ll make two teams. Eric, leave one guy with Donnie at the exit, and take your crew to the left. Candace, Shaundra and I will go with Gareth and Darren to the right. Get what we need and get out.”
“I’ll leave Kevin with Donnie at the entrance,” Eric said. “Janelle and Karen are on pics. Steve and I will keep watch. Do we meet back here when we’re done?”
“If we get out clean, this will be the spot,” Sage said. “But if anything goes wrong, we all cut and run. This is not the time for heroics.”
“Where do we go if they chase us?” Shaundra asked.
“Where ever you can,” Candace said. “But just stick with me, and we’ll be fine.”
“If there is nothing else, then it’s time to move,” Sage said, bringing up his panel. “Activating my cloak now.”
“I can’t believe we’re doing this again,” Darren said while a dark aura encased his body.
“Believe it. This is real, and this is happening. Stay focused on what you are doing, and don’t let fear get in the way,” Sage said from behind his translucent veil. “It’s time. Everybody knows what they’ve got to do. Meet back here after you’ve gotten what you need and let’s go about it as quietly as possible.”
Stepping into another rubble strewn cavern, Sage spotted an illuminated passageway about one hundred feet ahead. He dropped down behind a rock and pointed in the direction of the light as his companions took cover.
After checking in all directions, Sage dashed across the short distance and dove inside the cave before turning back to indicate that the passage was clear.
Making his way into the darkness, his eyes adjusted to the light and Sage made out the narrow gap that gave access to the immense cavern beyond. A flood of memories ru
shed over him as he recalled standing in the same spot over a year ago while Mitch had gone ahead to scout the path.
He brushed aside his memories and looked over his shoulder to find his friends looking back at him through the dark. Pointing at Donnie, he indicated the opening and gestured that he should keep a lookout at the gap before nodding to Candace. He caught Eric’s attention with his other hand and he pointed to the right before bringing his finger to his lips.
Turning to the opening, he crouched down and scurried toward a large rock protruding from the edge. He dropped into cover and peered over a sharp edge. Gasping in awe, he was overwhelmed by the sight that greeted him from below.
An enormous structure had been resurrected around a wide beam blasting out of the ground. Several cylindrical levels rose toward a peak, forming a tight circumference around the beam. Rising out of the lower levels, a pair of angled metallic arms came together over the beam, forming a single point crackling with energy.
As he attempted to comprehend what he was taking in, he felt Candace scramble to his side.
“Don’t say a word,” Sage said, looking over his shoulder to spot the cloaked figures of Eric and his friends creeping past them to the right.
Candace nodded her head in understanding before gesturing to the left as Gareth and Shaundra crouched down at the rear.
Careful not to make a sound, Sage pushed himself to his feet and took several short steps along the ledge before he came to a narrow passage. He glanced over his shoulder to Candace and made a photo gesture with his hands.
While Candace prepared herself to take the shot, Sage felt motion to his left, and he spotted a vehicle in the distance. Grabbing Candace by the arm, he pulled her down before the flying contraption neared.
Holding his breath, Sage felt his body tense as the machine passed by. The guards kept their eyes straight ahead and didn’t seem to notice the cloaked figures clinging to the ledge.