by Tim Blagge
“Pops, I’ll see you in a day or two,” I said, disconnected and went back to bed.
“The next morning, Brenda and I had breakfast in our room. I went downstairs and met Jerry, Stella and Rolf in the lobby for our trip to the jail.
“What are we going to do with our prisoner, even if we do get some useable intel from him?” I asked.
“We can’t let him go.” Rolf said. “He would reveal our location to his superiors and we’d be overrun by the enemy in no time. There may be another way if we could locate an ITD machine. That’s the same device we used to infuse the technical information into Pops. I heard that we have done experiments on removing memories. As I understand it, it was useful on people who suffered some sort of emotional trauma. I don’t know how it works exactly but if we can find a device and it works, we could erase the Cromwell’s recent memories and release him without having to kill him.”
“Is it possible to place new memories into his brain?” Jerry asked.
“I was told we have done experiments in that area but the outcome has been inconclusive. Simple factual information like we did with Pops seems to be implantable, but memories surrounding the embedding of fantasy or contrived experiences have had mixed and sometimes odd results.” Rolf answered. “And it’s certainly never been tried on a Cromwell.”
As we made our way to the jail, I couldn’t help but marvel over the little town of Grapsner. The people were friendly, recognized all of us and wished us well.
“I certainly hope none of the citizens reveals anything to the powers in Prossfell right now. If the word gets out, we’ll be crawling with enemy troops,” I said.
“I’ll bet we could get a ground force together and defend ourselves if need be,” Jerry commented in his best ‘tough guy’ voice.
“That would give the Cromwells an excuse to nuke this beautiful town as a reminder that all Veladorians must remain compliant,” I said.
Just as we turned the corner on the way to the jail, a light went off in my head. “Guys and girl, I just got an idea. I not sure it’s even possible. After our information gathering session with our new friend, I’ll explain it to you.”
-Chapter 20-
When we arrived at the jail we were escorted to the Cromwell’s cell. We had agreed to record the encounter on a small device Stella handed me. When the prisoner saw Jerry, a strange look overtook his face. I assumed it was fear after their first encounter in the forest. We had practiced what we would ask the man and Stella began. She spoke in his language.
“What is your name?”
“Sinatral” The Cromwell answered
“Sinatral, what is the Cromwell plan for Velador?” Stella asked.
The answer came back that he didn’t really know that he was only a soldier carrying out orders and knew very little. When Jerry moved forward in a threatening way, the Cromwell’s eyes opened wider, he held his palms up and open, giving a sign of submission and began to tell us more than we ever wanted to know.
“I belong to the Norquant Society. We are trained in tracking and neutralizing enemies of Cromwell. Our first goal was to get as much fissionable material from Velador as possible to supply all our needs on Cromwell. Since Velador has far more supply than they or we need, we first planned to work with your people and do some sort of trade agreement. When our people saw how lush and verdant Velador is, the plan changed.”
“Since our planet is dying, we are going to bring most of our population to Velador and take it over. After we get what we need from your society, we will slowly annihilate you for the vermin you are. You can kill me but your fate is certain!” the Cromwell decreed in a twisted, evil looking face.
Jerry started toward the man but Rolf stepped in his way. “Jerry, this scum isn’t worth killing. Let’s let him rot here for a while. Bill your idea to record the Cromwell’s statement was brilliant. It will go a long way in inspiring our people to keep up the fight. Stella, ask him if he has help from any of our people. He seems to be telling us whatever we ask.”
The answer to Stella’s question was surprising.
“Of course we have help within your government,” the Cromwell answered. “How do you think we know so much about you? Your cowards in Prossfell have told us everything. Why do you think they sent me and my partner to find you? And we are only the first. You are the last line of defense for your planet and have become the highest value target we have on Velador. If you live another month, you’ll be lucky!”
“From whom in Prossfell are you getting your information?” Stella asked.
“I do not know the names, but rest assured they are there and they are helping us.” The soldier answered.
When Jerry moved forward again, Sinatral held his hands up in submission, again raised the volume of his voice and swore that he didn’t know who the informant was in our Government.
“Are there more people coming after us?” Stella asked the next obvious question.
“Our ships are refueling and rearming now. They will be back soon to destroy you all!”
We left the prisoner in his cell and went into the next room to discuss what we’d just heard.
“This guy is either stupid or so overconfident that he’s not afraid to tell us anything,” was Jerry’s first observation.
“Jerry, he may be a little of each but I really think he’s afraid of you.” I offered. “He is attempting to put on a brave aggressive face but in reality he’s terrified. He’s hoping that if he can scare us enough, we won’t hurt him because we will fear retribution from his people.”
“I agree with Bill,” Stella said. “Now Bill what was that idea you had earlier?
“Let’s go back to my room and discuss it but before we leave, let’s show this video to the Constable. It should convince him to keep the information about our prisoner confidential”
We showed the translated video to the constable and the look on his face was a mix of fear and anger. He agreed to report nothing to anyone and we left and went back to the Inn.
As we entered my room, Brenda was in the bathroom, came out and asked how our fact finding mission went. I showed her the video.
“I’ve never wished death on anyone, but if I were to do it, this asshole would be at the top of my list,” Brenda said with her fists clenched. “So what do we do now?”
“Bill’s got an idea and we are waiting anxiously to hear what it is,” Stella commented.
“Before I explain my crazy idea, I wonder if we can find a residence for Brenda, Stella and possibly Joanna that’s out of town somewhere. I’m worried that somebody will alert the Cromwells that we are in the vicinity and they will bomb this town.”
“Why don’t we talk to the doctor’s wife?” Stella added. “I’ll bet she’ll know if something is available.”
“Now for my idea and I don’t even know if it’s possible but here goes.” I said trying to build some drama.
“As we’ve discussed in the past, the biggest and probably only threat the Cromwells hold over us is their nuclear arsenal. If we could match that, I believe it would hold them off and they would be trying to negotiate with us instead of planning our demise. If they are going to move their population to Velador, they won’t want to randomly nuke the planet. They may nuke some desert areas or other zones which are difficult to inhabit just to show they have that ability.”
“We all know that Bill, so what do we do about it?” Jerry said with his typical impatience.
“In my recent conversation with Pops, it sounded like he had to set up New Pasadena, do some mining, and process the material before he could build a bomb. He estimated it would take two or three months.”
“Before I go on, let me ask Rolf and Stella a question. You said when we arrived on Velador that we could return to Earth at any time frame we wanted. Is that correct?”
“It is technically,” answered Rolf, “But it’s really complicated. If we change something from an earlier period, it could change everything that is related to that
event and happens subsequently. And all that’s not even guaranteed. The dynamics are not fully understood even by my people so we are extremely cautious when considering using any time manipulation. So why is this relevant?”
“OK, here’s the short version” I began. “While we are waiting for Pops to begin producing our defensive capabilities, we go back to Earth and steal some nukes!”
“I vaguely remember there was a reported theft of nuclear weapons in Russia in 2008. Their government denied it and the world hoped it wasn’t true. What if we were the one’s who did the stealing? Since it’s already an occurrence woven into the fabric of Earth’s time, there would be no repercussions. Genius I think!”
“What if it was someone else that stole the weapons; like some terrorist group on Earth?” Stella questioned. “That could really generate some issues down the road.”
“Maybe not,” I answered. “If we got there first and kept the weapons out of the hands of the bad guys on Earth, that would be good right? We’d save Earth from yet another potential catastrophe.”
“If it is us, who originally went back in time and stole the nukes, we are just fulfilling our destiny. Either way, we keep nukes out of the hands of terrorists if that’s what happened and we help Velador with the deterrent that’s needed. I think it’s worth the risk.”
“Man, your brain is really out of the box this time!” Jerry commented.
“What do you think, Rolf,” Stella asked.
“It’s just crazy enough to work but it would take time to prepare for that kind of mission. We had people on the ground in Russia in 2008 in the event it was one of their people who discovered anti-gravity. Assuming we could go back in time and contact them, they should be able to help us prepare and complete the mission. The first problem is getting one or more of our ships to the Earth jump zone without encountering the Cromwells.” Rolf added.
“You’ve got the sensor evading technology on all your ships. It seems to me that we’d need to outfit a ship or two with some kind of racking to secure the nukes after you get them. Pops could do that in a day. What else do we need to do? Jerry and I could be ready to go back tomorrow.”
“Bill if you and Jerry go back, your age might revert back to 2008 when you were just getting out of high school. When you returned to Velador, I’m not positive you’d return to your current age now,” Rolf commented. “Or you might stay the same age in both places. Previously we’ve seen both scenarios play out.”
“Interesting dilemma,” I mused. “Jerry, you’d be the same age as Joanna. I’d be four years younger than Brenda. That would make her a cougar, right?”
“Very funny, Bill!” Brenda commented. “If I weren’t pregnant, I’d go too. And I’m sure Stella feels the same.”
“While you guys work out the details of your potential mission, Brenda, Joanna and I will visit Mrs. Flibrip and see if she knows where there is a house we can rent out in the countryside.” Stella said. “You’ll need to find transportation to New Pasadena and meet back up with Pops.
“Start the planning process and training the people for the mission to Earth.” Stella added. “It’s a dangerous undertaking and preparation will make all the difference.”
-Chapter 21-
Jerry and I followed Rolf to a building that appeared to house a rental car agency. Since Grapsner was a tourist town, they had what I would describe as an anti-gravity scooter. Rolf explained that they were designed to raise only a little and stay close to the ground. As I looked at one of the units, it was just like one of our motorcycles at home except it had no wheels. It had a padded seat that we would straddle, and double short knobs that protruded from an area near where the handlebars should be. I assumed these knobs controlled to accelerator, brake, and steering because I was able to identify no other controls.
“This looks pretty simple” I said to Jerry and he agreed.
“We each will use one of these scooters.” Rolf said after he came out of the office. “We have to follow the roads since they are not designed to fly high above the terrain,” Rolf explained. “They are fun to ride but a little tricky if you are used to having wheels on the ground. They don’t turn very fast and you’ll need to lean into the curves in the road. You’ll get the hang of it in no time. You’ve both ridden motorcycles before haven’t you?”
“Not me,” I said. “I always drove my Saturn so I do understand the ‘tricky driving’ concept.”
“I rode one in the Army once,” Jerry added. “I ended up with a broken arm so I am not an expert either.”
“I believe using these vehicles to get to New Pasadena will make us less visible to the Cromwells and if they do see us, we’ll look like tourists out for a drive on a sunny day,” Rolf continued, “so I’ll take the lead and go slow until you get used to how the scooters handle.”
After Rolf explained the operating controls to us, we cautiously began our journey.
“Follow me men.” Rolf instructed and we headed out toward New Pasadena.
After a rainy night, the sun was out and it was a beautiful day. It was spring time on Velador and the fields were awash with colorful wildflowers, the air was fresh and the streams were flowing. The scenery was amazing.
Rolf led slowly at first giving us a chance to get used to the machine and also an opportunity to view the landscape. This was a forested part of the planet adding to the area’s alpine feel. The higher oxygen content on Velador seemed to give me an increased positive feeling. I couldn’t shake the notion that our victory against the Cromwells was just a matter of time.
During our hour’s ride and after Jerry and my skill level improved enough, Rolf slowly increased the speed to the maximum of the scooter - about eighty miles per hour I estimated. As we pulled up to the entrance to New Pasadena, armed Veladorian soldiers aimed their rifles at us until one of the men recognized Jerry.
“General Smith, welcome.” The man said as he held out his hand for another clumsy handshake. “We’ve never met in person but we all know what you look like. My name is Bronsifarntim.”
“Bronsifarntim ‘bok’ Harry” Jerry said. “Harry, is Pops or CEO Blosh here?”
“They are both inside,” Harry answered. “Shall I take you to them?”
“We know the way,” Rolf answered.
We parked our scooters near the entrance and proceeded to walk down the long path and stairs to the interior of the mine. When we got to the main cavern, I saw Pops talking to some of his engineers and they were discussing the layout of the incoming machinery. I looked in the direction of the freight elevator and saw a row of machinery lined up waiting to be placed in position.
When Pops saw us he came up, gave us all a hug and proceeded to deliver an update on his progress. “We are ready to begin positioning the machinery now.” Pops began “We have been transporting the equipment at night to avoid the Cromwells seeing us. We’ve equipped all our heavy transport vehicles with a sensor evading device so at night we are electronically invisible to them.”
“How long will it be before you are up and running here?” I asked.
“We should have limited production in about a week and the full production of our fighter ships should begin a week later.” Pops answered.
“Where do we stand on the production of nukes? I asked.
That will take longer,” Pops answered. “I’ve got some of my engineers evaluating the condition of that equipment. I’ll know more by tomorrow. So Bill, Grandma and I are a little annoyed that you worked so hard on making us a Great Grandparents.”
“Well Pops, you can add that fact to the twisted bucket containing the strange life of Bill Burton the third and I swear it wasn’t part of my grand plan either.”
“I figured that Bill, but I am happy for you,” Pops added.
“Blosh, have you heard anything from Prossfell or what’s going on with the Cromwells?” I asked.
“I talked to Chancellor ‘B’ two days ago. He told me to turn myself over to the Cromwells. If I did, he g
uaranteed that no harm would come to me.” Blosh explained. “I told him that after I took care of the burial of my wife and other matters; that I would surrender. I am trying to buy time while we improve our defense capabilities and organize our forces.”
“Were there any repercussions from our airship combat encounter?” Pops asked.
“Chancellor ‘B’ never mentioned that, probably because he knew I wasn’t involved at that time. From what I could glean from the newscasts I saw, the Cromwells are furious and say they will find the perpetrators and administer the appropriate punishment.” Blosh explained.
“Sounds like just the regular garbage we get from our government and most of the cop shows at home,” Jerry commented.
“I think the Cromwells are serious,” Blosh continued. “But reading between the lines I’d say that their capabilities right now are not as strong as they want us to believe.”
“That was my take on the way this entire invasion scenario is playing out.” I added. “They come here, bomb some critical facilities and then most of their forces leave and go home. I think they are working on a small amount of fuel and must go home and reload. They are hoping their meager supplies will last until they can begin mining on Velador. That is what we must stop at all costs. If they get all the fuel they need before we are ready to confront them, we’re in big trouble!”
“How do we keep the fact that New Pasadena exists away from the Cromwells?” I asked.
“That’s a tough question,” answered Blosh. “All it will take is the slip of one tongue and the Cromwells will be on us. For now though, since most of their resources have gone back to their home planet, we should be alright.
“CEO Blosh, is there a way to get a message transmitted worldwide?” I asked. “We recorded our interrogation with our first and only Cromwell prisoner and I think you’ll find it fascinating and unfortunately horrifying.”
“That’s right; Rolf did tell me he had a Cromwell prisoner.” Blosh said.