by T. R. Harris
A phone squawked next to him; it was President Sean McLaren, the immediate successor to Danny Ryan, one of Keller’s closest friends. Ryan had been a great president, unfortunately in office during the time of the Juirean attack on the planet. But McLaren was running a very close second to Ryan. He was strong and decisive and incredibly intelligent, and also headed up the Planetary Governing Council that had been put in place right after the Juirean attack. Keller felt sorry for him, as he heard his worried voice on the phone. It looked as though Sean McLaren was destined to be America’s last President.
“Yes, sir,” Keller said, answering McLaren’s questions. “They are alien in origin, and we have nothing to stop them with. It looks like they know it, too, because they’re being pretty damn nonchalant with their approach.”
“It would be foolish to ask at this point how they did it,” McLaren said. “What people do survive – and there will be many to rebuild the race – we’ll let them answer that question. I’m just glad there are Humans off the planet and in spaceships who will be safe.”
“We can probably still get you aboard a ship and out of harm’s way, Mr. President.”
“Let’s not even go there, Bill. Let’s instead concentrate on sending everything we have up at these bastards.”
“Already underway, sir. But I really recommend we get you to a safe place. Your leadership will—”
Keller jerked the phone away from his ear as he heard a horrible screech blast from it. Then all the lights in the situation room went out briefly, before emergency backups kicked on. All the screens on the walls were filled with static. Admiral Keller was a high-ranking military officer in the nuclear age; he knew exactly what had happened.
EMP! Electronic Magnetic Pulse. The aliens had detonated a nuclear device, more-than-likely a high altitude detonation. Although a fair amount of the Pentagon’s deeper communications and electronics had been hardened against such attacks, Keller also knew that the rest of the country’s infrastructure was not, and that went for most of the world. As the EMP’s from the various explosions spread around the globe, the planet Earth would be cast into a new and literal dark ages. Computers, lights, generators, relays, cellphones and so much more would now be useless. And depending on the number of HEMPs, or High-Altitude Electronic Pulse devices the aliens had detonated, that would determine the extent and severity of the damage. And that was just from the EMP.
So it begins, Keller thought. The beginning of the end….
Chapter 33
RM1 Caleb Cobb had been camped out in the radio shack for almost thirty-six hours. He had napped a little, but adrenalin was now keeping him going. Ever since warning the Earth of the impending attack, there had been a constant stream of incoming and outgoing messages. Sure, there was a four-hour delay, but this type of constant contact made them all feel more attached to their far-distant home.
Caleb queued up the latest message – just a routine update on the latest deployments – and began listening, when suddenly the link went dead. The speaker had been in mid-sentence when it occurred.
Panicked, Caleb quickly ran through his checklist; everything on his end was functioning properly. He replayed the message. Same thing, it just ended abruptly.
Caleb felt a cold shiver rack his body; his breathing grew short and he began to sweat. Vincent Holder, another of the radiomen in the shack at the time, had also heard the message and watched Caleb’s frantic efforts to decipher the problem. But when his senior petty officer looked over at him with wild, panicked eyes, Vincent knew what had happened.
Four hours ago, the planet Earth had been destroyed.
Chapter 34
Admiral William Keller walked calmly to the exit of the situation room within the Complex. With all or most of the electronics knocked out, and only dim red light to illuminate the room, he saw no reason to remain.
He led a parade of fourteen other solemn people out into the wide corridor; some were crying, even the men. Other than the sounds of sobbing, no one said a word. In the hallway, they were joined by more people, moving in zombie-like fashion toward the nearest exit. It took ten minutes before they were able to push open the security doors and step outside to join the hundreds of others who had already left the building.
As he stepped into the late autumn sunshine, he noticed that most of people in the vast Pentagon parking lot were staring upward. He followed their gazes.
There, far up in the sky, was a rapidly expanding circle of yellow and blue – the remnants of a nuclear explosion. Keller frowned; there was something strange about the circle. Others of his team noticed it, too.
The explosion was a distant circle, barely more than a dot in the distant sky. Keller knew that EMP detonations were effective at distances of three to four hundred kilometers, well out into space. But then he thought: why? Why attack with EMP’s when they had a clear path into the atmosphere, where the deadly heat, concussion and radiation from the explosions would be far more devastating? Electronics could be repaired; a radioactive planet not so easily.
Chapter 35
Xuv had not yet been born when the Klin first arrived on the planet the otherworlders would call Glasien-4. Neither were his parents, yet his ancestors of two-back had told the stories. To this day, Xuv and his people still called their world Giel, meaning the Soil of God. The Klin never called it that, which had always been a point of contention to many Gielians, like Xuv.
The tall silver creatures had appeared one day from the sky and proceeded to reassure the natives that they meant them no harm. All they requested from the Gielians was permission to establish a small base from which to carry out their explorations of this part of the galaxy. Giel/Glasien-4, they were told, was very similar to the Klin’s homeworld and they would very much welcome the opportunity to stay.
As otherworlders with advanced technology and knowledge of things beyond Giel, the natives gladly welcomed the aliens, hoping they would soon begin to share with them the wonders of their advancements. But that never came to be, at least not to any significant degree. There had been only minimal exchange of information, and most of that came after the intelligent Gielians began to piece together the workings of the technology they witnessed.
Rather than share with the natives of Giel all the wonders that the universe had to offer, the Klin simply used their planet as a galactic rest stop.
However, the Klin did introduce the natives of Giel to the Kracori.
These massive beasts outnumbered the Klin a hundred-to-one at the vast island base the Gielians had donated to the aliens. In fact, Xuv and many of his associates rarely saw a Klin in person, either on the base or out in the world. The Kracori were far more prevalent.
Xuv had no particular problem with the Klin, or the Kracori for that matter. He was actually one of the few Gielians to find work on the Island. He was an electronics expert, and as such, also knew more about alien technology than just about anyone else on his planet.
And so it came as a surprise to him when suddenly even the occasional Klin disappeared altogether, never to be seen again. He, and others like him, had made inquiries with the Kracori, who rudely informed them that the Klin were no longer in charge of the Island. From here on out, they would deal exclusively with the Kracori.
Three months ago, the Kracori had begun a drawdown of their forces at the base, until now only about fifty or so remained. Those left were highly skilled technicians in the process of prepping a small number of the flying disks for some unknown mission. They had enlisted the assistance of Xuv for the job, along with a few of his associates. That had been okay with Xuv; it meant more pay for him, as well as better acceptance from the remaining Kracori on the Island.
But then the Klin had contacted Xuv directly.
It had been four weeks earlier, and Xuv had been in his residence when the communication came through his terminal. The Gielians had fairly advanced planetary communications at the time, even without the help of the Klin. Yet what startled Xuv the mos
t – other than the fact that a Klin was facing him on the screen – was that this offworlder knew his name, his family and where he worked. He had no idea he had even been noticed.
“Greetings Master Xuv,” the Klin had said in a serious tone, his face appearing sad. “I am Suneso of the Klin. The message I bring you will be very disturbing. If you wish to send your mate Zees out of the room, it might be recommended.”
Xuv had done so and then returned to the screen. “Why are you contacting me, Suneso? I am not a diplomat or involved in any trade missions.”
“We understand that, but you are in a unique position to assist not only the Klin, but your entire race as well.”
“Please explain yourself. I do not wish to become involved in anything that can bring harm to my family.”
“That is the very reason we Klin are contacting you. I will explain, but first I must digress. Do you recall a horrific accident that occurred on one of your transport lines about six months past? It left thirty-five children dead, if I recall.”
“Yes, I remember; we all do. It was the worst loss of life among our children in over twenty years.” Children were at the center of Gielian life, even more so than the welfare of the adults.
The Klin nodded, his face still carrying the sad expression. “I regret I have to do this, but I must. I will now play a series of vids for you, Xuv. They will be disturbing, but it is necessary that you see them.”
The image of the Klin was replaced with a vid from a media crew at the scene of the deadly crash. The transport carrying the children had collided with a fuel truck and then burst into flames. Most of the children had been burned beyond recognition. Xuv found the vid to be sickening, yet he had seen it at least a dozen times before.
The next vid showed the burned bodies of the children in a sterile, metal-lined examining room, probably that of the medical officials who had assumed control over the bodies. From the angle of the vid, this was apparently from a security monitor within the room. Most of the bodies were covered with white cloth, yet a few still lay uncovered on cold-looking metal tables. There was no audio associated with the vid, yet it showed a couple of technicians moving about the room, each with grim looks on their faces.
The scene flickered, and Xuv could see that it was the same room and taken from the same security monitor, but now with fewer lights on and no technicians present. And then there was a movement from under the camera position – as three gray Kracori walked into the room.
Xuv was confused. What are Kracori doing in the medical examination room?
Mesmerized, Xuv leaned in a little closer to the screen.
The Kracori walked up to several of the bodies and pulled the covers away. They appeared to be laughing and enjoying themselves, right in the middle of such incredible loss and tragedy.
Then one of the Kracori reached over to a body and pulled a small, charred arm from the corpse. Xuv almost vomited; he finally did so when the Kracori lifted the tiny arm to his mouth and took a generous bit of the dead child’s flesh.
Xuv was sweating and weak, with spittle drooling from his mouth when the next vid appeared. It was also from a surveillance camera, yet this one showed a banquet hall, with a long table trailing off to the other end of the room; around it sat a dozen boisterous Kracori, laughing, drinking, celebrating. Xuv nearly fainted when he realized that lining the center of the table and filling the plates of the Kracori, were the burned remains of four of the children from the accident – and the Kracori were feasting on them!
To his salvation, the screen mercifully switched back to the image of the Klin, conveying a look of extreme sadness. “I am hoping you have found the behavior of the Kracori as appalling as we do.”
“Of course! How could I not? But why are you showing me this?”
“I’m sure you are aware, Xuv, that the Kracori have recently turned against the Klin and purged us from Glai—I mean Giel. Up until that time, we had been their restraints when it came to your kind.” The Klin paused, a deep moment of silence that drew Xuv in closer to the screen. Then he spoke: “The Kracori intend to use your race for food, Xuv, unless you do something to stop them.”
It took the Gielian several moments to recover from the Klin’s last statement. “Food? They intend to eat us?” His words came out in a sharp staccato.
“I’m afraid so.”
“Why … how do we prevent this?”
“That is the purpose of this communication,” said the Klin. “You, Xuv, must lead a revolt against the Kracori before they can bring in reinforcements.”
“But we can’t revolt. How can we? They are like you, advanced otherworlders.”
“You must, Xuv. You have intimate knowledge of the Island. Also, there are presently only forty-eight Kracori on the planet. That will not last long, unless you act.”
“And what’s to prevent them from coming back, with more forces?”
The Klin actually cracked a small smile. “We have allies in the region – a race of beings called Humans. They are superior to the Kracori and will be able to protect you. However, this is another reason why I have contacted you personally.” He paused again before continuing. “As we speak, the Kracori are planning an attack upon the homeworld of the Humans. The beasts are soon to have delivered to Giel, a cache of nuclear devices which they intend to send against the Humans. You must prevent this from happening.”
“How?”
“You will soon be assisting the Kracori with the assimilation of the weapons aboard their attack ships. You have been working on these vessels for the past few weeks, is this correct?”
“I have been helping in the preparation of ten ships. I do not know their purpose.”
“Now you do. Xuv, you can prevent this attack by placing a diverter on the triggering device of one of the bombs on each of the ships. Once you have, then as the bombs are armed, there will be a timed detonation long before the Kracori can make good on their strike.”
“I am proficient in basic Gielian electronics, but not with advanced Klin or Kracori technology. I cannot do this.”
Again the sly smile from the Klin. “I will soon be transmitting instructions on how to construct such a trigger bypass. These will be fairly simple devices, serving only one basic purpose. You will need to construct and place ten of them in the Kracori ships. You can do this, Xuv. We have confidence in your abilities.”
“Suppose I do, what about this revolt you want me to lead?”
“All you need to do is show the same series of vids to a number of your associates, namely those who work on the Island with you. There are many more Gielians working on the Island now, as a large number of the normal Kracori contingent have left. You will find allies. But you must be cautious. The Kracori are fierce and accomplished warriors. If they learn of your plans, it could be dangerous.” The Klin smiled again. “You will have the element of surprise on your side, Xuv. The Kracori will not be expecting any such attack, and we Klin have research that confirms the Gielians do possess weapons which can kill Kracori.”
It was Xuv’s turn to pause. He looked down at his feet for several moments, trying to erase the image of the Kracori beasts feasting on the bodies of Gielian young. He knew his companions would have a similar reaction to the vids. He would indeed find his allies – if he chose to do this.
But what choice did he have? He thought of his own children, and also of his mate. If the Kracori did come to Giel – and use the natives as a food source – then they would all be vulnerable, and not just the children. They could all end up on the Kracori banquet table.
“I will do it,” he said finally.
The Klin simply nodded. “We were hoping you would, Xuv. You were our only hope. With your decision today, you have not only saved your own race, but also the Humans. Your selfless act will be remembered throughout time. Now I will transmit the plans for the trigger bypass.”
Xuv now stood at the closed door of the base communications center and surveyed his handiwork. There were
five Kracori in the room with him, each with a series of deep, bloody gashes coursing across their backs. Two of the now-dead Kracori nearly had their heads severed when the olip-whip had struck them higher up than the others. The strong smell of ozone still lingered in the air from the intense electric charge of the whip, still held firmly in Xuv’s right hand.
His presence in the comm center had not been unusual, yet the weapon he carried in with him three minutes earlier surely was. Xuv’s attack was only one of a dozen such assassinations taking place simultaneously across the Island. He had no doubt that by now not a single living Kracori remained on the planet Giel.
The olip-whip had flung Kracori blood all around the room, including the walls and ceiling. Xuv didn’t care. All he could see when he looked at the dead Kracori was that one horrid image where the beast had ripped the tiny arm from the dead child’s body and eaten it. Well, nevermore, at least not here on Giel!
There was a large timer on the wall in front of him, now speckled with Kracori blood. Xuv knew the device showed the time until the strike upon the Human homeworld. The timer continued to click off, and Xuv smiled. He knew that five minutes before, ten nuclear detonations had occurred somewhere in a far-off star system – ten explosions about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.
Chapter 36
Admiral William Keller continued to stare into the sky until the last remnants of the distance explosion had dissipated. He waited, as did all the others, for a follow-up burst of blinding light, an indicator of a nuclear blast within the atmosphere. He was sure D.C. would be one of the Kracori’s primary targets, even though their stated purpose was to irradiate the planet rather than destroy strategic targets. But still he waited.