The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell

by Douglas Howell

  “Two things about that. Wouldn’t a computer virus cripple them? And how do you know they it was neutralized? Nobody ever infiltrated the factory.”

  “True, but you forget the desire to destroy the facility. Sooner or later they will get in. That’s how I know that it most likely was neutralized. You see, being inside these computers allow both me and Joseph to both see and know things that normally we wouldn’t. The data that we received from that facility, combined with the fact that the Flip Jumpers are located there, told us that neither the Founder nor his wife wanted anybody other than themselves to fill up a void left behind by their lovers tit-for-tat. And as for your first question, no the anti-virus is too strong.”

  “What do you think the outcome will be?”

  “Medusa Pandora is going to be driven bat effing crazy when she finds out that she will die there on that world. And that’s why she will release the Flip Jumpers. When all is said and done, that world will resemble pure hell. I do believe that the Flip Jumpers will be defeated. When word gets out about what occurred there, and it will, people, even within the EOD itself, will finally have enough of it. What we will find there when we get back is no longer relevant. For we will only say our goodbye and to see who made it out alive.”

  (23)

  Task Force ZH-3C finally made it to the main communicational hub with no opposition. They made certain to check to see if the computers had a dirty little trick, but no discernable trick was detected. It didn’t take long for them to realize that something was off. If they thought that they may be walking into a trap, and they check everything, nothing turned up. The so-call “gift of Sayaka” didn’t help to prove or disprove anything. The team could only keep continuing on not knowing that they were fixing to walk into a trap.

  “What was that sound?” Nakada asked everyone.

  “What did it sounded like?” Taylor asked him.

  “Like bubbles moving through oil.” Nakada responded.

  “It might be some machine cooling system.” Wexler added.

  “What computers?” Ellis asked him.

  “No, no. Like some other type of machine.” Wexler responded.

  “The only machines that are around are these computers and those tubes over there.” Ellis responded.

  “Well, maybe those tubes were making those sounds.” Wexler responded again.

  “Those aren’t cooling tubes. And they wouldn’t make a sound either.” Ellis responded again.

  “Then what are they and what function do they serve?” Wexler asked.

  “I don’t know. But I do know that they aren’t no cooling tubes. Nor do they look like they belong here.” Ellis mentioned. It was at that point that everyone (including Ellis) realized that something was too odd to be dismissed.

  “Just what is that gray liquid?” Taylor asked after they all saw a large bubble rise from the bottom and make the sound that Nakada heard when it reached the top.

  “It’s draining through a tube to the lower level.” Martinez added.

  Everyone stood there trying to figure out what that gray liquid was. And every ten seconds the bubble rose to the top and 1,000 milliliters was drained from each tube. Ramirez was at the nearest computer terminal trying to figure out what it was, but to no avail. He didn’t know what to make of it, nothing was helping him to figure it out. But of instead of dropping it and moving on, there was only far more strange sounds coming from below. At one point the tubes started to drain even faster. The computer with access to the communicational array would not allow him any access. In order to compete their mission he had to figure out something. They needed access to the communicational array. This one single array would give them access to the base in general.

  “Oh my God I figured it out.” Ramirez mentioned after several minutes.

  “What?” Taylor asked.

  “Holy shit! What was that!?” Coté almost yelled out. A large sound occurred below them and the floor almost felt like it was about to give way. What’s more the computer to communicational array was obviously malfunctioning.

  “What’s going on Alex? What did you figured out?” Vaistll asked him.

  “I don’t know what the liquid is. But we must have walked into a trap. It’s the only reason why I couldn’t gain access to the communicational array. I’m now afraid that…” Ramirez was saying. He stopped when the gray liquid just suddenly drained causing a constant shaking.

  “What?” Vaistll asked him.

  “That the communicational array within this facility is destroyed and we will have no other choice but to go the communicational array located at the airbase.” Ramirez responded.

  “Do you have…?” Vaistll started to asked him.

  “Ma’am, we need to get the fuck outta here right now!” Ellis shouted at her. And with that, everyone got out as the room was slowly falling into the floor below.

  “It couldn’t hurt to take a look at what was in the room below!” Martinez mentioned.

  “Negative. The sounds back there suggest that whatever was down there is already destroyed. We need to get far enough away and figure out how much damage was done.” Jaguar 42R responded. The noise was getting even louder.

  “Why do we need to know what was in the room below? I think it’s irrelevant.” Ramirez mentioned to Martinez.

  “Because it may give us insight as to what that gray liquid is?” Martinez responded.

  “I agree.” Taylor mentioned.

  The team had to abandoned trying to get to the floor below. The hallway that led to it was destroyed. (The only thing that the map reveal about that area below was nothing special.) For the next twenty to thirty minutes they had to watch as more of the facility was consumed. It was as if though that gray liquid was some sort of black hole sucking the main communicational hub into it. At one point the entire communicational array felled into itself causing an explosion and exposing part of the sky. (It was at this point that both Iverson and Maxwell believed that Task Force ZH-3C completed their mission.) Eight to ten minutes later it was all over.

  “What the hell!?” Ellis said when he saw what nobody could believe. All of the combat machines within the factory was rushing towards the main communicational hub. Each and every one of those machines, even the ones who had to stop because they were literally in front of one of the members of Task Force ZH-3C, did not try to engage in combat with the team. They only avoid them and headed to the array. The team was so baffled that they didn’t know what to make of it. Five minutes later they heard explosions and gunfire. They were so perplexed by it that they just stay there for six minutes contemplating what to do next. Had they went and assist the machines when all is said and done the machines would not recognize the help. If they do nothing, then what difference would it make. If they stay and observed the chaos, then they may become apart of the chaos.

  “What the hell is going on back there? Is there something that we missed?” Martinez mentioned. The team was at a crossroads and didn’t know what to do. Should they go back or should they continue on? They could only go back.

  “Who, or what, are they attacking?” Taylor asked when he noticed what the combat machines were attacking appeared to be very large androids.

  “What kind of androids are those? I never seen them before.” Ramirez mentioned.

  “Something is very strange about those androids.” Martinez mentioned.

  “Who cares? They’re doing our dirty work for us.” Coté snarkily mentioned.

  “Maybe so, but they may be an eventual threat. So it doesn’t hurt to sit back and observe them for awhile.” Nakada responded.

  “I agree with Nakada. I wouldn’t want those things at my back when they are obviously holding their ground better than we could.” Ellis added. Everyone could now tell that there was only four of them. It didn’t take long for Coté to say something that, in a way, nobody wanted to answer.

  “There’s four of them. Right?” Coté asked someone.

  “Yeah, that’s right.”
Viper 33X responded.

  “Wasn’t there four tubes in that room that we came from?” Coté asked someone.

  “Yeah, so what’s your point?” Viper 33X asked her.

  “Does anybody find that strange because it’s so coincidental?” Coté asked someone. Five minutes later Martinez said something that got everybody’s hair standing on end.

  “Is it me, or are those androids holding up a little too well?” Martinez asked someone.

  “I hate to say it, but we need to get closer to the action in order to discern more about those androids.” Nakada mentioned. He was right, they knew it, but nobody wanted to admit it.

  “Yeah, alright.” Vaistll reluctantly said.

  “Now I know why they can stand their own ground.” Martinez mentioned. Everyone was watching in absolute disbelief that these androids could, when they are damaged, use the fallen machines as spare parts from that of the nanites within themselves.

  “Oh my god, I can’t believe what I just saw. Did you see that?” Ellis said. He saw one of the androids use the body of a dragon, which was almost perfectly intact, incorporate the fallen dragon into it’s own body and then took to flight.

  “Oh god. I now know what we are dealing with. Some type of Golem.” Ramirez mentioned. He could not even believe it, but it had to be true.

  “Any ideas as to how we could defeat them?” Vaistll asked him.

  “Because at their core we are dealing with nanites, then the only possible solution would be an EMP burst.” Ramirez answered her.

  “This facility doesn’t look like it has anything that could generate an EMP burst large enough that could take them out. Do you have any idea as to how we could compensate for that?” Taylor asked Ramirez. He could already tell what Ramirez will say because on his HUD he could see Ramirez face and it told him what he would say.

  “No sir. We would need to lure them to the airbase and maybe, just maybe, we could use the weapons that are there.” Ramirez responded with a heavy sigh.

  “So now we got to have these damn things shooting at are backs?” Coté mentioned feeling a little bit bewilder by the tactic.

  “If we don’t, then who knows what type of horrors would be released upon this world. We have to do this for the good of all.” Ramirez responded.

  Coté realized that he was right and they all had to do it. They all realized it. From what they could see it is easy to lure them, it is a horse of a different color at surviving. What’s more each one of them now knew that it all comes down to them. They had to contain these “Golems” within the facility, or who knows what new hell will be unleashed. But they all had that strange feeling that at least, even though they’re not responsible for it, the factory is finally no more. For without it there was now no longer any way to use monsters of any sort to threaten the people of that world.

  The Airbase

  (1)

  “Sir the causalities list is just in.” The Senior Crewman mentioned to Captain Maxwell.

  “I guess it wasn’t so bad as I originally thought.”

  “Sir, what are your orders?”

  “Find out the total number of those who want to return home to Andromeda and then inform both me and Captain Iverson.”

  “And the rest?”

  “Simple… preparation for discharge.”

  “Yes sir.” The Senior Crewman responded quite enthusiastically.

  Four hours later everyone saw smoke rising in the distance where the factory is. They all just assumed the obvious and thought that it was finally over. Within that time period Captain Maxwell and most of the critical crew of The Hammer of Doom was onboard Iverson’s ship. The rest was griping with the assigned personnel officer who had no experience in preparing the crew for discharge. Let alone well over several thousand personnel.

  “It’s finally over isn’t it?” Xavier mentioned to Maxwell.

  “Yeah… I sure do hope so.”

  “Don’t be so down Isaac.”

  “Look… it all reminds me of what Lenkov once said. He said that it is never over until the enemy admits defeat. And that appears to be a long way away.”

  “If you don’t’ mind me asking, but what were your losses?”

  “Naw, it’s alright. I didn’t mind you asking. When I first arrived in this sector I had 9,833 personnel under my command. Before I received the duty roster for today I already knew that 1,803 was already discharged. And just earlier I finally received the causalities list which stated 694 wounded and 322 killed in action. I now have only 7,014 under my command. And, onboard this ship, I have 224 of my people with me.”

  “Well they’re in good hands.”

  “I know. Your people are in good hands.” Maxwell said with a smile and a great deal of confidence. Of course Iverson knew what he was implying but didn’t want to push the matter.

  Iverson started to feel like he is in the presence of a rock star when it comes to Maxwell’s crew. He wasn’t the only one. The crew of The Hammer of Doom’s confidence at times could be so great that it gave the false impression of supreme arrogance. They wasted no time in helping the crew with their duties. It was as if though that the only thing that could demoralize them is not serving on a combat ready ship. Their confidence started to rub off on Iverson’s crew.

  (2)

  “What the fuck!?” Ramirez was pissed as shit. No, not at those under his chain of command, but with those damn Golems. They won’t take the bait.

  “That better be a mother fucking glitch!” Coté yelled out. She kept on shooting at them and they kept on ignoring her.

  “Really. I’m not up for this fucking shit!” Wexler added.

  Those Golems were getting on everybody’s nerves. Those Golems both did, and didn’t, attack the team. And nobody could explain the behavior of the Golems. Glitch or no glitch they shouldn’t behave in the way in which they are. No one could explain it.

  “Listen up all of you! I hate to break this to you… but one of the Golems is staying behind.” Jaguar 42R mentioned.

  “What!? You gotta be shittin’ me!” Ramirez yelled back out of frustration.

  “I wished I was sir. But that’s the way that it is.”

  “Fine! Then we should collect Intel on that son-of-bitch!” The old Ramirez was starting to come back. The one from when he served in the EOD Special Forces.

  “What do you recommend sir?” Martinez asked.

  “Stay behind. Discerned their actions. Exploit their weaknesses. Kill them all.” Ramirez responded.

  “I need help with cover.” Martinez responded.

  “I’m on it!” Both Jaguar 42R and Viper 33X almost responded simultaneously.

  The team knew that Ramirez is right, but it may get more of them killed. It increased their stress and frustration in dealing with these damn Golems. They finally started to understand why Sayaka hated computers and computer programmers so much. It’s not knowing that is causing them to see what Sayaka always knew. Martinez, Jaguar 42R and Viper 33X had to be left behind in order for it to be determine by Martinez rather or not the Golem did, or didn’t, have a glitch. So why didn’t they just try to kill it? Because the Golems could use their surroundings to benefit itself. What’s more it also had support droids. Throw a hand grenade, blow the Golem apart, even if it losses an arm or a leg, and it will use the metal off of any equipment that wasn’t damage as a new part. Even if it has to become even larger and thus taller. Besides, the team did thought about destroying it earlier, but they quickly learn that the Golems can grow even taller and stronger. (When they first noticed it, it was only ten feet high. Then they watch it grow [as it was fighting the defensive machines] to forty to fifty feet high. So it was not like the team could just rush it and destroy it. Each Golems had weapons that it collected off of the fallen battle machines. It’s defensive machines (the ones that protect the individual Golem) was a combination of both the battle-droid, spider-bot and a dragon.

  “Hey sir, can I have a private chat with you?” Coté asked Ellis
over the secure channel.

  “This better be good.”

  “It is sir. Or further more I wouldn’t be asking.”

  “Alright, go ahead.”

  “Without Martinez and the other two, then how can we complete our mission? We need them. Don’t get me wrong sir, I understand why they stayed behind. And I support the call. But how do we know rather or not the Golems are going by a pre-set program route or that they are smart enough to make the decision of the real threat that we pose to them.”

  “Your point being?”

  “How do we know that we are not walking into a indirect form of a trap?” Coté asked him. Ellis had no comment. How could he respond?

  (3)

  “Get him! Get that damn son-of-a-bitch… now!” The Warrant Officer yelled at the crew of the APC. They were chasing a bus loaded with infected people as it was heading towards a large city. Those in the bus had weapons and both sides were shooting at one another with very little effect. What they did not know was that they were dealing with the last infected people upon that world.

  “I’m hit!” The gunner yelled out. He was manning the 50 cal. and although he was hit in the shoulder, he kept on going. Within ten seconds later he managed to pop the right rear tire. It actually made it far harder for those in the bus to shoot back.

  “We got ‘em!” The gunner shouted out when a round went into the front of the bus, hit the driver, and caused the bus to veer off and went into a ditch. The APC crew quickly got out, ran up to the bus, and threw some hand grenades. Any of the infected who tried to escape was quickly gunned down. The crew then torched everything. But it only convinced others that the infection was not over.

  (4)

  “Captain Iverson… this is Captain Wilcox… we have a major crisis on our hands. Our ETA is at least two hours.” The captain mentioned. Luis Wilcox is the captain of Ma Duce which is one of the ships of the robotic fleet that Iverson was once a part of.