MILDRATAWA

by Nigel Clayton

  “What you have done is of no concern. You see, king; I know of your so called people, I have diamonds and pearls in my possession to buy your people ten times over.”

  “They have been instructed.”

  “No!” He slapped Salama a backhander, his head being forced to the side like that of a rag doll. “They have nothing; do you hear me? Nothing! They will follow me sooner than look at you in the face. You are a living disgrace and a joke to your people. You have nothing to offer; not even by trying your fancy at escalating the trouble on Basbi triad, a feeble tactic.”

  “You have been mislead by the information you have, most of which has been conjured up by you and you alone. How could you explain a simple society as ours trying to deceive the rest of the galaxy, where would we get the necessary transportation; the weapons, the—”

  “Be quiet, king!” Muriphure shook his head in sarcastic disagreement. “You couldn’t afford not to. You are so naive aren’t you, you and your pathetic race. There’s only one use for them and only one use for you. If you want to play games, fine. If by morning you have not come across then you’ll be introduced to the Balai Timit. Both you and your slag of a queen wife.”

  “How dare—”

  “Take them away. They bother me; but I may wish to rape the Queen later – remind me.” They were ushered off in screams of protest. “These people will yield; that I know as a fact.”

  Inside of two hours, the planets Nougstia and Equotor had been cleared of likely resistance by the other warlords. No one had been found, and all was quiet. The report from planet Stia was also pleasing. The small force of earth beings had been found, slaughtered to death, along with only 187 macebearers, a number to be unconcerned with.

  The report read:

  Warlord M.Vetty;

  It pleases us to announce the capture of planet Stia with the loss of only six men. Macebearers surprised one of our smaller forces but paid the consequence. We have since made contact with the leader of this planet, Tam-Bie Tar, and have brought his undivided assistance for much less than originally expected.

  A small force of 21 earthmen was found near the palace gates, but they were already massacred and burnt at the stake on our arrival. A further 187 macebearers were found deceased.

  The number of mercenaries recruited is beyond the number anticipated. We now have in the region of 55,000 macebearers and three cruisers of legion. We number 85,000 all told.

  We await your next command and have commenced to prepare defences as suggested.

  Yours obediently,

  Warlord Luitmat.

  PLANET IRSHSTUP.

  SPACE.

  The battle for Irshstup, unfortunately for the Vertons, was not such a flourishing victory.

  It was well understood that the defences of Irshstup were indeed very strong. It was also understood that no Mildratawa forces of any description were on the planet’s surface. This was why only two divisions of Legion Mercenary – recruited from planet Verton, but not a regular force – were forged ahead to undertake the mission. If anyone was expendable it was the mercenaries, regardless of their nationality.

  The basic requirement was to take hold of the strong points that housed the very core to the robots power source and basic control mechanisms. Destroy these and you held the future of the planet in your fingers.

  Warlord Newtwon had deployed his four cruisers so that his actions could be directed towards these structures of power. What he neglected to realise was that the time it took to deploy the attack craft from the cruisers, was time enough for the planet’s robot police to deploy their own forces against the Verton invasion.

  The ground forces were not of much concern in the original blue prints of the Vertons’ invasion, as the robots manoeuvrability was much slower than their counterparts of the skies. It was also essential that little destruction should be taken out on the land forces, for they were needed for the assault against Basbi Triad – after being refitted with a control mechanism and new order of existence.

  Those of the skies did pose some form of threat. Each was fitted with the capability of piloting the single man spaceships. Each of their hands was made up of sensors that actually interlocked with the ships’ consoles for better accuracy and ease in control. It was now that nearly one hundred spaceships manned by quadrant police had advanced to within firing range of the large Verton cruisers.

  Battle stations could be heard throughout the corridors of the great ships, and attack craft were deployed as quickly as possible, though the logical performance – the thinking patterns and initiative – of the robot was enough to maintain a steady stream of fire upon the belly of the cruisers. This was done in order to destroy the attack craft before they had managed to descend from the large bay doors. This in effect cut off their assault before it could be commenced. In some cases, the robots would purposely ram their craft into the cruiser’ structures once it was evident that too many Vertons were escaping from their mother ship and forming a counter attack upon the robot police of Irshstup.

  Of the four thousand attack craft that were housed in the four cruisers only 2,500 emerged unscathed. A battle cruiser was also lost to the unprecedented, concentrated, firepower attributed by the robots. After forty minutes of battle the last of the opposing police were ripped from space in a flash of brilliant light and shattering metals.

  The remaining Verton attack craft immediately descended towards the planet’s surface, and all were aware that the resistance below wasn’t going to be light. They now moved in packets of five hundred for penetration of the outer atmosphere. Once this had been achieved they were to split again into packets of 100, for small resistance in the form of aircraft was expected – found in the form of some two hundred aircraft delivered from mothballs during the 40-minute conflict in space. The robot delay tactics had worked wonders.

  The largest Verton attack craft carried 40 men. The plan was to deploy the troops under cover given by the escorting three man ships and then engage the power structures. From here they would force their way into the buildings by foot, turning the power source off from within – without any major damage being forced upon the structures, if at all possible. Many of the three man ships were lost during this bout of conflict, even before troops could be deployed upon the ground. A further five hundred ships had been lost, the pilots of the Irshstuptian aircraft being much superior – these operating off logical performance instead of a thought process as that of the Verton brain. The eye was quicker than the hand and the robot’s reflexes quicker than the flapping of a humming bird’s wings.

  The process continued as the Verton ground troops finally approached the now strong fortifications of the power structures. With air support in hand, the planet’s police were finally brought to a standstill, the reactors to the logical thought process of all robots turned off. Securing the newly won ground now became an easy task, for no more Irshstuptian resistance was met by the Verton forces – for the remainder of the population lay protected in the shelters below the surface of the planet.

  It would be a few days before order could be maintained and their overall losses known, though after a quick reorganisation of troops on the ground a report was structured as requested by Vetty. Newtwon looked down into the palm of his hand, his eyes falling nervously upon the paper he’d been handed. The estimate read:

  On Hand Deficient

  Cruisers 3 1

  Manpower 12,500 27,500

  Attack Craft 2,000 2,000

  PLANET EARTH.

  GOLFO DE FONSECA.

  Doug and Anthony sat upon a rock formation next to an inlet of water that was bordered by El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It was late afternoon on the ninth day and the sea breeze was a refreshing change against that of the heat that became a distinct distraction to Doug’s thoughts. The texture of the moisture, off-scented by the surrounding sea salt, was also quite uncomfortable, though the monk was still able to maintain his posture of meditative rest. Anthony was more than
capable of reading his friends thoughts, but held back on the suggestion that Doug should concentrate more on his inner self – he was sure that Doug would want to try his hand at a higher level of meditation without interruption, as he’d done many years before when he was sent to work upon the Great Scrolls of Prehistory.

  Although Anthony’s deep thoughts were longing for home, he well knew that his present task was far more important than his own well-being and had to be carried out to the best of his ability. His heart felt the pain too, for the first time in his life, of the homesickness one suffers when away from a place they love with their entire heart, body, and soul. Or that feeling that drives you to madness, when you know you’ve done something wrong and can’t make it right: A simple lie is just as profound. Even the joints of his body seemed to be screaming out in displeasure as he looked out upon the crashing waves that harboured many a structure of marine life.

  If Anthony’s meditation proved that the harbour was suitable for his friends, then the dolphins he was about to summon would be brought into the nearby water haven. So here he was, blocking out his surrounds and living on the edge of consciousness, feeling the very existence of the water, the inlet, its creatures, and the other remnants of life within.

  It had only been a little over two months since his last in-depth commune with these creatures, but it seemed like an eternity. The journey too was upsetting as he soon realised that another of his vows had been broken: The vow of walking meditation, and the breaking of his personal promise to the Scroll Master himself. But in reflection it seemed permissible to excuse himself from these restrictions in life. He well knew that the sooner he returned to the monastery, the better, and his work could be continued with the last months of life on Earth consumed carrying out his sole responsibility, by himself.

  The area that they chose to contact the dolphins was very important. Their immediate surrounds gave them protection from detection and permitted the transfer of his message from one dolphin to the next across the entire Pacific Ocean. With good fortune and promising weather the message would reach all corners of the Pacific, and tomorrow they could put witness to the actual congregation of an overwhelming number of dolphins into the one region.

  From here only a short swim to the mouth of the channel of Nicaragua would ensure that the dolphin’s energy could be saved for the more important task that lay ahead. It certainly appeared that more than enough time was allowed for the most necessary of plans to be carried out; after all, without these creatures there would be no plan. But why did Brother Anthony need so much time? Was he unsure of himself? Doug could only watch as Brother Anthony sat in silence, all muscles relaxed but in complete control of his body’s position – erect. The index finger of each hand rest upon his thumb of the same. His eyes were closed lightly; this was evident as they could be seen to tremble slightly. His legs remained folded, interwoven you might say, a most uncomfortable looking position; but Doug remembered well of the crossing of legs in meditation. He wondered now: ‘Should I try to join the monk in meditation?’ He decided against it.

  Anthony was travelling his inner self, surely, the flies around his face didn’t irritate him; his body must be empty. Anthony was letting himself journey though, into a state of free mind and spirit, allowing the inner self of his soul to travel its wondrous track through the structures of life and death, journeying to the place where he had journeyed many times before. He could control his entire body from here; slow his heart beat; sift off pain; and even levitate if he so desired. He saw all of his arteries, all in good repair; his lungs and heart free from any cancers; his bones free from disease, and his body in supreme condition.

  He meditated even further now, passing out of his body through the peak of his head, reaching for the heavens above. He travelled ever so far and it took so long. To the planets of the solar system, Mars and Jupiter, continuing on through their very crusts, through the gases of the atmosphere to which only a spirit could taste. If Doug were watching carefully enough he would see Anthony smacking his lips with his tongue, his expression showing that of distaste.

  The outer regions of time and space were reached and he paced through these like a whirlwind, information on all of life ever evolved, screaming out in pain and pleasure, letting go its message to those who could travel this way – in the world of spirits. All nature of being was here, every creature in the galaxy; some never even seen before, by anyone; except those that could travel this deep into the heavens. To be able to see life before it was born and those whose death had been a shock to themselves, feeling their bodies with their hands; up and down, wandering if they were disfigured or not and what was next to come in this, their spiritual existence. Anthony knew, but didn’t stop to say. He travelled even deeper, hour upon hour.

  It was getting late and the moon sat high above. He had now just begun to meet with the end of the voyage when the Galactic Plane of light came into focus. Streaks of light flash past his consciousness in all shades and likenesses of brilliant hue and mosaic. He knew that the time had nearly arrived. Just there, at the far reaches of the galaxy sat the minds to souls whom had reached the highest form of intelligence and suffering, of clairvoyance and understanding, all aspects to life and death, of all creatures, great and small. But this was as far as he was yet permitted. To travel further he must have to join with death, and to have been warranted the gift of an understanding to the self – and whilst in an animation of death, to have reached the ultimate in understanding, to have a hold on all bearing to what he did not yet understand.

  Still within the confines of his body – so to speak – he met with the outer regions of all creativity – not too far from the boundaries of Siest. A few hours more and his meditation had brought forward the reward. The conversation with dolphin had commenced, their free spirit which burdened no pressures, of any description, had met with his; and confusion reigned, for this was a sign that all dolphin were dead – or held the understanding of self.

  Within seconds (after so long) a hundred dolphins realised with whom they were mind melding, an old friend, and within minutes, a thousand more. The transfer of acceptance was relayed through all minds, easier now than what it had ever been before. If only they’d realised, they would have allowed him a quicker response. The dolphins replied by setting off immediately towards the voice that called out to them, calling out to all dolphins, collectively; communicating. They needed no reason to force themselves upon a voyage of a thousand, or even two thousand kilometres. Many realised it would be futile, as they could never make the distance in time; but that was no reason not to try. There is no force where quest resides. Even just to swim in the bay from which Anthony spoke seemed appealing enough.

  Doug looked down at his watch. His impatience didn’t show. He knew that Brother Anthony must have been successful, or he would have moved to another location to try again, to quit the first position. To quit. ‘Would he quit if unsuccessful?’

  His watch read 2:00 AM. They’d been here ten hours now. The fight against El Pasadora was to commence in about 27 hours.

  His patience was finally rewarded as Brother Anthony slowly came out of his meditative state and looked up to him with a smile.

  “You succeeded?”

  “The first time with so many. Did you doubt me?”

  “I’m not sure. I see no dolphins in the water.”

  “They rest near the shores of Nicaragua. They feed and rest as we speak. These waters don’t hold the large-scale numbers of fish required in easing their pangs of hunger, so I informed them to travel elsewhere. I’ve never spoken with so many before, normally I can communicate with small pods of dolphin, but nothing like this, that is to say, as well as being conscious of persons and happenings about me in the same moment.”

  “How many?”

  “At present we have one hundred and fifty three.”

  “An accurate number.”

  “Accurate mind control.”

  “How many by tomorrow?
In say twenty seven hours?”

  “Maybe four hundred, maybe a thousand; maybe more. The trip could be hazardous for some of the younger ones. We cannot expect parents to leave a weaker relative behind, unprotected and alone.”

  “This is certainly marvellous news.”

  “What do we do now?”

  “We’ll travel to and board the Nemo, a submarine. From there we’ll finalise our preparation and rest.”

  “Rest is something I could certainly do with at present.”

  Without another word they moved to the waiting shuttle. The morrow would reveal more.

  PLANET EQUATIA.

  THE JUNGLE.

  Back on Equatia the oncoming assault was plainly seen by Tiny Ballow. He hadn’t sooner arrived back from his task of contacting planet Stia as directed by his commander John Younge when he was informed to take the shuttle and meet with the commander of the 2,000 strong army of macebearers near a training ground five kilometres to the north. If the Queen was correct then they still had an outside chance for survival and John’s message to the shuttle was lucky enough to escape the Verton ear.

  The meeting with Mintou Ati – the commander of the 2,000 strong force of macebearers – went smoothly and plans for the oncoming training with the new weapons aboard the shuttle was greeted with great aspiration. The basin in which they now sat in commune was a superb area for such tasks, and caves around the immediate area could comfortably house the 2,000 warriors and protect against any prevailing winds. The 50 metre high cliff completely surrounded them and only one entry point was evident, this faced towards the south.

  As they talked about their plans, the assault into their planet’s airspace was witnessed. No time at all was wasted in taking cover in the caves and throwing camouflage over the white shuttle that sat in the open. It was a long time before they felt it safe to emerge from the safety of the caves and went about plans for a possible counter attack.