A Paradox in Retrograde

by Faherty, John

  Enduring the sonic onslaught the leader among the warriors rallied his men to stand firm and to even advance. Though these beasts were not their human foe, this after all was what was to be expected from a warrior in the rite of combat. Rallying their courage he called them out. "Come now warriors of Nibaru; let us not betray our sacred duty. We shall fight or die trying!" He lifted up his pistol and then leveled it out again toward the mechanoid that stood directly before him. His aim now squarely targeted the head like appendage atop what appeared to be its shoulders. He pulled the trigger. A flash of light momentarily blinded the mechanoid. It was followed closely behind by a crash of thunder and a plume of smoke. This sound and fury repeated a dozen more times in quick succession, filling the adjacent air with a shroud of smoke. Emerging through the smoke the mechanoids lumbered forward. It was immediately plain that some of the projectiles had found there marks while others did not. Though the mechanoids that were severely damaged were stopped literally dead in their tracks, the others not programmed for fear were as determined as ever. The leader called out, "Fall back, reform a line at ten paces and reload your weapons."

  Meanwhile Landaus, Grunhuf and Ibsen through the darkness descended. As they moved Landaus would periodically turn around watching their backs for signs of any unwanted guests. In his vision he watched the silhouette of the sky shrink away in the distance. Then it was gone and there was no light at all. Luckily the mechanoid that led them had no need for lights.The map of the spaceport complex was incorporated as part of his basic programming. They found themselves then following blindly behind a set flashing red lights. Amida had seen fit to program the mechanoid, who though unable to speak, with a set of directional cues by means of its signal lights to communicate. On its rear access panel a set of light emitting diodes formed into simple symbols. As they roved the sounds of the pitched battle, seemingly emanating from every direction echoed through the narrow corridors. The mechanoid it would seem was in direct wireless connection with the others who were now engaging the warriors. On several occasions the directional beacon had flashed a signal to halt as it recalculated a change in direction. By using its internal mapping routines it was able to forge a course around the action. Though this was disconcerting, they knew it did so with good reason. So they followed without question.

  Though the adults among them saw this, they seemed to have confidence in this method, Ibsen did not. In fear, Ibsen held tightly onto his fathers arm, wishing that they were again within the safety of the ship. "Father, why can't we move faster?"

  "I doubt that our metal friend here has more than one speed setting. But don't worry It seems to me as if we are being led around the action. We should be safe for now."

  Grunhuf though committed to the plan gave credence to Ibsen's point. "Landaus, does it not seem as if this has taken us an awfully long time to get here, and we have no idea where that is in relation to the ship? We could be miles out of our way. It seems to me as if we should be moving toward the noise not away from it. Isn't that what you said earlier? Would it not make more sense the warriors wait in ambush in the vicinity of the ship?"

  "It would indeed. What are you proposing?" "Well if we it would seem that our friend here knows both the location of the ship and the battle. He could bringus closer albeit to a more dangerous position, where we could observe first hand what would be our best option. We can't walk around in circles for ever."

  "Well it's worth a try. Mechanoid, do you understand our language? If you do can you signal us some how?" A light again flashed on the screen this time it was green. "That’s good, now Mechanoid would it be possible for you to bring us closer to the ship without bringing us directly into the line of fire, perhaps close enough to observe? The light again blinked green. It then for several more seconds flashed as it presumably recalculated a safe maneuver. The mechanoid suddenly stopped, then made a hundred and eighty degree turn. It started then to walk toward them.

  "Ok, I guess we're going that way now." The sound of the battle had grown louder. They could now hear the guttural cries and the droning alarms from both sides. The sound of gunfire although had seemingly ceased. Now it seemed they were as close as the mechanoid dare take them. For its lights stopped blinking. Landaus again spoke to the mechanoid, "Are we upon the battle?" Its green light again flashed. "Ibsen, be a good boy and stay here while we go take a peak around the corner. Can you do that for me?"

  "Yes father." Landaus and Grunhuf in the bare light of the mechanoid display made their pistols ready. After a moment they then began to carefully inch their way along the remaining stretch of corridor. At the end of the hall stood a blast door that having long ago broken from its hinges, opened out unto the space port bay. They craned their necks around the edge of the door jamb. Through a veil of smoke filled air there they saw the line of ships that included their own. It appeared that the way had been made clear by the mechanoids, for there upon the floor, dead and dying warriors and the remains of broken mechanoids littered the way. "Grunhuf, go get Ibsen were moving now. This may be our best and only chance."

  "Yes sir." Grunhuf dashed back along the corridor to where they had left Ibsen. He wasted little time for barely a moment later Grunhuf had returned along with Ibsen and the Mechanoid. Grunhuf was slightly out of breath as he spoke, "I've given instructions to the mechanoid that he is to act as ashield for the boy should we find any trouble along the way.

  "Good let's move, Ibsen are you ready?" Landaus waited for a response from his boy. He nodded his head to the affirmative and they were off.

  Xora and Lex had watched for an hour or more as over the course of the struggle the lines of attacking warriors were beaten back again and again. Though not generally equipped for such duties, the Mechanoids had made use of tool repurposed for offensive capability. Amida having made some subtle changes to its programming had given the mechanoids a means to fight. Built into their design was a power transfer and discharge utility through which energy could be remotely transferred on command. Though not designed with the intention for use as a weapon, it was used to great effect. If a mechanoid could withstand the hail of lead long enough to reach a target, it would discharge a bolt of this high energy static electricity. Though not often deadly it had done quite a number on the weakened fighters. Despite the new respect the warriors now held for this weapon poised against them, they continued to come again and again. Each time a warrior came within striking distance, they were repulsed.

  Lex sensed a stirring from the corner of his vision. There from an adjacent corridor three figures followed closely behind by a mechanoid snaked their way toward the ship. Again he called out to Xora, "I see them I think I see them." Xora turned to look and though their image barely discernable she could conclude that it must be them. "I see them, Lex make your waydown to aft access panel and prepare the escape ladder."

  He responded with a mock salute, "Aye Captain." "Stop playing around and do it already." He smiledback at her then proceeded down the ladder. As he slid he did so barley touching a rung. Once there he proceeded to crank the wheel that unsealed and opened the hatchway door. Once it was opened he poked his head out through the opening to make sure there would be no one waiting. Deeming it safe he deployed the external ladder and quickly descended down to the ground. He surveyed the area and it seemed safe enough. Though he could not yet see them coming he knew that they could soon be on his heels. He bent down to the floor where he had earlier left the main charging device. All was seemingly in working order. Looking proudly on his handiwork he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. Happy that the gods of war were satisfied, he proceeded to initiate the final activation. On the digital timer display a set of four zeroes blinked as the mechanism awaited the activation code he had previously set. His fingers struck the key pads in quick succession and the ruby tinted digits were now steadily glowing a shade of emerald. He withdrew his pistol and sat down on a ladder rung. All that they could do now was to wait. The bombs however could not wait forever.
Though they were wired to initiate a five minute timer at engine ignition, they were far too unstable to wait indefinitely. Any stray power surge could set the lot of them sky high at any time. That's why the static weapons of the mechanoids had caused him some bit of anxiety.

  By now the human trio and the mechanoid that had shadowed them had made their way about half way across the space port hanger floor. They had managed so far to avoid any of the hostile parties whose battle had seemed to roam at will about them. Landaus through the half-light spied the distinctive markings of their ship. He urgently called out to Grunhuf and Ibsen to make their way. "There I see it. It's the fifth one on that aisle. We must make our way there directly. Let's go move. They steppedout from their hiding place and crossed the exposed aisle way. As Ibsen walked, he did so as closely to the mechanoid as was possible. There they found themselves for the first time exposed. Landaus and Grunhuf had not to this point needed to fire ashot from their pistols, so both of them had two shots each ready to go. Suddenly a bolt of static lightning arched across space around them as defensive fire from the mechanoid was deployed into their general vicinity. They could not immediately see the reason for it. They took cover from the barrage as best they could behind the mechanoid. It soon became evident why the storm had come their way. Then in surprise, a lone warrior seemingly emerging from the thin air had thrown himself directly into their path. The mechanoid began to raise his arms to make ready the production of a static discharge. Landaus without taking his eye of his assailant gestured for the mechanoid to stand down. Before he could blink an eye the creature had begun at great speed to close the distance between them. With steady hand and nerve of steel Landaus pivoted his back foot and lowered his weapon squarely to the height of the warrior's midsection. Landaus needing this shot to count would wait for the very last moment to pull the trigger. His resolve stiffened as he could almost feel the hot breath of his enemy on his face. Time seemed to slow to a glacier's pace as he waited for that moment. In that instant the hammer struck down and the warrior's momentum was equalized, and cancelled, blown back by a plume fire and lead. The shot had killed the warrior before he even had a chance to fall down. Landaus called out to Grunhuf, "get him to the ship, Ill cover you!" As fast as the mechanoid could move they made their way to their ship. Landaus covering the escape threw the spent pistol to the ground and removed the other on from his belt. He cocked back the hammer and was again ready to fire. There was perhaps fifty yards remaining between themselves and the ship's aft access hatch. Again as if from midair, this time a pair had begun to close the gap. Time was in short supply and Landaus did not have the luxury to wait. He had only one shot left. It would have to be on target if hehoped to survive the onslaught. He hurriedly got into a stanceraised his arm and fired. Again his aim was true and he found hismark at twenty paces. In a veil of smoke the warrior immediately tumbled to the floor. The other however was as determined as ever and was quickly gaining. Landaus with a liquid movement made ready his saber. Holding his sword above him in a two handed stance, he drew a deep breath that he knew might be his last. In this kind of defensive position, he held aslight leg up on his challenger. If his timing was right and his strike was sure he could easily deflect his opponent's energy to his own advantage. There was no more time to think and it would have done him no good to do so. His years of training had tuned his reflexes to react. With his sword poised to deliver a downward strike his assailant speedily approached. So overpowered was he by his bloodlust that he bellowed out a guttural cry into the darkness. Landaus ignoring these incongruent sounds counted only his attackers downward footsteps. His subconscious mind coolly calculated the variables as he prepared his own counterstrike. He waited the millisecond it took for him to begin his downward thrust. With immaculate timing in a single lightning stroke, Landaus brought his blade down deflecting that of his opponent while delivering in a slashing motion a blow across the seam in his opponent's armor. In an instant it was over; for by his lightning move the warrior’s torso was cut most savagely. In a spray of gore he was undone.

  A mere second later Grunhuf and Ibsen had already begun to make their way up the ladder. A waiting Lex had watched as the Colonel's fancy blade work found its mark. There the warriors had fallen in quick succession. Finally Landaus himself reached the hatchway and ordered Lex up the ladder first. Before he went up himself, he gave one last instruction to the mechanoid, "I don't know if it's even appropriate to thank you. Whether or not you are merely a machine, I do not know, but, thank you just the same. The mechanoid nodded his head seemingly in recognition. "One last thing, you and the other robots need to get yourselves out of here. It's going to blow as soon as we blast out of here. Do you understand me?" Again the mechanoid nodded his head." He then disappeared up into the ship.

  Landaus retracted the external ladder and closed down tight the access hatchway door. He began to make his way up the ladder and out of the air lock. He was now riding a high of adrenaline so intense that he had not noticed until he had made it halfway up the ladder that he had sustained a serious wound in the fighting. Reaching the top of the ladder he said. "Corporal, seal the air locks and prepare the detonation device. We are blasting out of here in thirty seconds."

  "Aye, Colonel."

  By now Xora had made it down from the observation platform. There she found Landaus in his command chair clutching tightly onto his lower left arm. The sleeve of his uniform was torn and soaked in his own blood. Rivulets of which had already to run down to form a puddle down below. Assessing the situation Xora appointed herself ship's doctor. Her first order of business was give immediate care to his open wound. "Take off your belt. I'll need to make a tourniquet of it."

  "What are you doing, we have an emergency here?" Landaus protested. "I have had basic medical training, and if we don't stop that bleeding soon you will pass out. Who then will fly this plane out of here?"

  "Let me get this ship into orbit and then you can perform what ever surgery on me if you like" By now she had the belt off and around his upper arm. "Alright I'll treat you later at least let me set this tourniquet." He responded with a nod and then she said in warning, "hold your breath this might hurt a bit." He did not make a sound but rather displayed a horrible grimace as she tightened the leather knot around his arm. The bleeding had stopped for the moment and said he said, "Are you quite satisfied doctor. I would like to get us out of here now thank you."

  She nodded to the affirmative and gave a sarcastic "you're welcome." The small crew by now had prepared themselves fortakeoff. Because of the innate instability of the explosivecharges, the ship would need to accelerate out of the launch bayin a hurry, much faster than would have ordinarily been justified. With the ship still in its upright position the rockets were primed and the launch vector coordinates were loaded into the ship's navigation computer. To avoid what had happened on their previous launch Landaus was careful this time to set the ships computer for an auto negotiated orbital insertion. All that was left now was the launch command. "Commencing launch in five, four, three, two, one and Ignition" In an explosion of incandescent power the primary fusion rocket fired. A great plume of plasma vented from the exhaust port with tremendous force. In an instant the crew was pushed heavily into their flight chairs as the ship cleared out of the bay and into the open sky. The static cloud that now had fully permeated the landing bay had by now as Lex had feared reached the main trigger mechanism of the explosive devices. Virtually at the simultaneous moment a series of explosions began to cut a swath of destruction clear through the underground hanger. As the force of the blast spread outward, one by one like dominos the mighty ships fell. From above the hanger's super structure had become unstable and massive pieces of the crumbling ceiling above began to rain down onto the spaceport floor. In the ensuing maelstrom of fire and debris the vast majority of the kingdoms ships were destroyed, thrown aside like children's toys.

  Some miles away back at the palace, Aaralaat and his military leaders stood in his
throne room before a map that represented the whole of the Earth. It was from here that his war would be conducted. Confident that his plans were flawless he was startled from his work by a thundering sound. He and his generals quickly made their way from their secure lair to the nearest window they could find. Looking out into the distance, what they saw there confounded them. For rising up into the air a lone rocket blasted high into the evening sky. It was followed quickly by a staccato sound of muffled explosions emanating from the vicinity of the spaceport. There then within the rockets plume theywitnessed a towering column smoke and debris begin to rise. Though Aaralaat could not have at that time guessed it, sometime would pass before any major assault could again be undertaken.

  Chapter 15

  There in the twenty second century of the Common Era arose the highest level of technology the human race had until that point ever enjoyed. If one were alive in that era one would quite naturally see themselves as a beneficiary of a line of progressive ascendency stretching all the way back to the Bronze Age. There was little about their universe that could not be rigorously quantified and classified. However there were hidden realms cloaked even to them. It was to these seemingly out of reach places that their greatest minds would endeavor to explore as a last frontier.

  In the highlands that overlooked the restless Atlantic, a city had been built to replace its namesake, lost to the sea many decades before. Since its inception, many a gleaming structure and monument had risen. The silhouette of which was itself a testament to their new found mastery over nature. Presiding over this new city, the Trans Continental stood as the tallest building in New Manhattan. Clad in glass and steel, never had a truer symbol of prosperity and achievement been built. Itwas to this prestigious location that the citizens looked to, as a sentinel of progress. And upon its occupants were bestowed the accolades. It was quite natural then that there in a corner suite near the top, resided the offices and laboratories of Doctor Robert Amida.