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

by Douglas Howell

  His death had meaning for it told the rest of those EOD crooks that either they must leave that world or they will be next. They all got the message and didn’t care. They will of course stay but the shadow of Brunner will hang over their heads until they too are next. It will take time for the rest to go down. But none will go down without a fight.

  Darkness Vanquished

  (1)

  The airbase was finally destroyed from the sacrifice of the Renegades. Not one of them survived for all of them was killed. The death of Brunner brought little comfort for the people of that world but at least they did appreciate his courage and his sacrifice. Brunner could not bring any of Lenkov’s forces with him because he knew that they were needed at the laboratory complex and the area immediately surrounding the facility. However, if he did brought them far more people would have gotten killed because, as good as Lenkov’s forces are, they’re not ground forces.

  “Although the factory that was… producing all of… monsters… Hey Bill, do you feel that rumbling? What do you…?” The reporter was saying. She then turned around and saw the Golem in the distance. Her eyes grew wide with dread and fear.

  “The Golem! The Golem is coming!” Some other reporter shouted in both horror and disbelief. It was at that point that the defensive turrets that was sat up starting shooting.

  It was still nighttime and behind the Golem was Ishtar rising. This Golem was understood to have been the factory one. The one who was understood to be capable of producing all sorts of monsters and machines. It was also the one who contained the KEV 74 clone. The apocalypse has now came to this once peaceful world. A thousand foot monstrosity that has no known weaknesses. Not one. What was not known by the people of Golden Hyperion was that practically everyone in the Milky Way galaxy was watching including alien civilizations.

  Everything that everyone had was thrown at the Golem. When something was blasted off the Golem “grabbed” it with it’s nanites and reattach it. EMP bursts were more effective but it would adapt too quickly for the EMP burst to have much of an effect. Everybody could hear it groan and moan through some strange mechanical noise that it would make. And this is despite the sounds of battle just trying to take it down. (As luck would have it the Golem walked slow enough. It appeared that it had trouble in walking.) The scene was just too surreal with air vehicles flying over it dropping explosives. While another air vehicle would drop a EMP bomb upon it. All automatic weapon systems was rigged to blow in case it tried to incorporate it into itself. (But only when the weapon was inside it or attached to it.) Long range artillery (all robotic) would fire non stop.

  “For some godforsaken reason the damn thing just stopped!” A reporter nearly shouted. It was four o’clock in the morning when the Golem finally stopped. But it only stopped for no more than twenty minutes. And then it started to shoot at everyone. But it was not a good shot.

  “The Golem from the airbase had just made it’s debut! We will now try to leave this airspace…” The reporter in the helicopter was saying before the Golem at the airbase shot it down.

  “There are unconfirmed reports that the communicational Golem had just made it’s debut near Lake Russell!” Another reporter, shouting over the noise in the background, mentioned.

  “Are you safe?” The newscaster asked.

  “Come on… let’s get the fuck outta here.” The reporter mentioned to their camera operator forgetting that he is live on TV.

  “We now can confirm that, yes indeed the communicational Golem has made it’s appearance. Also I would like to apologize to the people watching this for me dropping the F-Bomb on our audience. I was just too anxious to get out of there and quite frankly I was scared shi… I was scared out of my mind.” The reporter mentioned.

  “We’re just glad that you are okay. And…” The newscaster was mentioning.

  “Oh my god!” The driver shouted. He then swerved in order to avoid hitting something only to roll the news van over. There was darkness but everyone could still hear the audio. The audio suggested that they were still alive but the camera was damaged.

  “You numnutz get the fuck outta here!” A unknown military voice shouted at the news crew.

  “Oh my god did you see that? He had no left arm.” One of the news crew mentioned.

  “Oh god… I think that I’m going to be sick.” Another news crew mentioned.

  “What’s going on? We can’t see anything here?” The newscaster asked.

  “Not now! It’s headed our way!” The reporter responded.

  There was a loud explosion and everything went silent. It took eight hours before the news room got the confirmation that the news team survived. As strange as it may seem, but apparently the Golem did not like reporters that much. Either that or the news reporters kept on being too close to the action and ending where they shouldn’t.

  “Fucking hell! It’s breaking off pursuit of us!” Viper 33X angrily mentioned.

  “Where is it headed!?” Taylor asked.

  “It looks like it’s heading in the direction of the other Golems!” Wexler mentioned.

  “Fuck! We got to figure out a way to get it to follow us! We got to get it off of this fucking world!” Ramirez nearly shouted.

  “I have an idea.” Jaguar 42R mentioned after five minutes.

  “Go ahead I’m listening.” Vaistll responded.

  “Not too far from here there is an old abandoned airstrip In one of the hangars is an old somewhat broken down Dominator. I know how to pilot it and Viper can act as my gunner.”

  “’Somewhat broken down’?” Taylor asked.

  “Yes sir. But it won’t take too long to fix it.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “How long will it take?” Vaistll asked.

  “A few hours tops. That’s the best answer that I can give.”

  “I don’t know. We can really use the two of you.” Vaistll responded.

  “Ma’am… we are running out of options. We are fixing to face mission failure if we can’t get the Golem to follow us.” Ramirez mentioned.

  “Are you sure that you can get it operational?” Vaistll asked.

  “I’m fairly certain that we can.” Jaguar 42R lied to her.

  “Yeah alright. Go ahead. Let them out.” Vaistll responded. She knew that something was wrong but she didn’t know what.

  Roughly twenty minutes after nine o’clock both Jaguar 42R and Viper 33X made it to the airstrip. By fifteen minutes till eleven o’clock they finally got it working. When everyone saw the old Dominator coming and knowing who’s piloting it, it boosted everyone’s morale. The old Dominator classification S18-PN (unlike the newer ones) were as big as either one of the Golems. What’s more it has on board three low yield torpedoes. (Unfortunately they can be fired upwards and outside a planetary body and not downwards towards the ground.)

  The Dominator S18-PN was pounding the airbase Golem relentlessly. (It appeared to have been the weakest.) At one point it could no longer pull itself together. The other Golems tried to protect it but to little avail. Seeing a great opportunity unfolding, the ground forces open the gates of hell on that one Golem. The whole sky appeared to have lighten up with intense artillery bombardment. It lasted for hours before the Golem was finally destroyed. Nobody could believe it, but it was true. At that point the Golems finally took the Dominator so seriously that it started to become obvious that the last three wanted it destroyed. They will follow it wherever it may go.

  “It finally took the bait! And this time let’s hope its for real!” Coté mentioned loudly.

  After fifteen minutes of pursuit it finally became obvious that yes, it did took the bait. What was left of the first fallen Golem received a heavy dose of EMP bursts, and pretty much anything else that they knew would kill those damn nanites. And then it was watched for several hours to make certain that it would never rise again. When the cleanup crew got there all last remaining traces of those nanites was finally removed and destroyed. Although it was not necessary to have performe
d those actions, no one wanted to take any chances.

  “Those damn things are determined to take us out!” Coté mentioned.

  “Isn’t that what we wanted?” Nakada asked her.

  “It’s a classic chess move. Kill the king.” Wexler added.

  By 20:00 hours they finally made it to where the battle between Ghost Killer and Night Stalker versus Inferno of Terror 154T took place. They stayed there for roughly half an hour being refueled, eating, rearming, and generally taking a break. At 20:50 hours, as they were leaving, the peace and quiet got them to finally hear an emergency beacon from a friendly force, it was coming from a small nearby church. Everybody got out in order to go and investigate. At the altar was the lifeless body of both Ghost Killer and Night Stalker. Both was holding hands and at the podium was a bible that depicted all those who got married in that church. Both of their names where written in it. And written on a piece of paper was the following: “I know that who ever may find this may think of us as monsters. But please understand that we never asked of this fate to be who and what we are in the flesh. We both chose to end our lives in order so that our soul may be set free of this cruel fate.” Laying on top of the piece of paper was a crucifix.

  “Let’s give them a decent burial.” Ellis mentioned with a heavy heart. He was on the verge of tears. Each of them knew that what Ellis was saying was too risky for the Golems was coming. But they all wanted it done. It was the decent thing to do.

  While they were outside burying the bodies of Ghost Killer and Night Stalker they could hear some bird chirping it caused each of them to cry. Despite that, in the distance, they could (if they look up in the direction of their APCs) see the Golems coming.

  “Hold up for one moment.” Wexler mentioned as everyone was getting into their APCs. Nobody said anything even though the Golems was so close that they could hear it.

  “Did it just say what I think that it said?” Coté asked about the Golems.

  “Kronos! Krrrrooonoooos!” One of the Golems said. In the distance, at a safe distance, the media was buzzing around it. They too heard it. And they were televising it – live! Throughout the galaxy!

  “Come on… let’s go!” Wexler shouted as he got back into his APC. He then gave the bible, the note and the crucifix, to Coté.

  At 22:28 hours they could see Wolf Creek in the distance. Up above they could see the Dominator S18-PN blasting the living hell out of each and every one of those damn Golems. Although they could not use the bridge, their APCs were amphibious. Once they got to the southern part of the Vegas style strip they waited and waited for the Golems to catch up.

  “They’re confused! You guys got too far!” Jaguar 42R mentioned.

  “Fucking hell!” Ramirez shouted out of anger.

  “Alright. Let’s go back and get those dumb motherfuckers.” Vaistll responded.

  It was easy for anybody to spot any one of those Golems. All the people of Wolf Creek had to do is to look to the south and spot the glowing sky. It seemed as if the Golems were constantly glowing from the bombardments. As soon as Task Force ZH-3C got back across the river, reinforcements finally got there and was crossing with them.

  Everybody stood their ground trying to protect as many people as they could. It was getting harder to damage any one of the Golems. With each of the Golems being a such poor shot their rounds would go everywhere. The destruction to property, and to life, was growing wildly out of control. Vaistll then got the call that she was dreading.

  “Hey ma’am.” Jaguar 42R was saying.

  “Go ahead.” Vaistll responded.

  “Do you really think that it is wise to let these damn things off of this world?”

  “Well we don’t have much of a choice, now do we?”

  “So what about the lost of life outside this world?”

  “It would be the upper echelons of the EOD.”

  “Not necessarily.”

  “Explain.”

  “Look at this world for instance. How many could have been considered ‘the upper echelons of the EOD’ as opposed to the rest?”

  “I don’t like the way in which this conversion is going.”

  “Why not? Does it have something to do with me and Viper being the reincarnation of a Vikyyard? For if that is the case then for the good of the people you should let us go.”

  “What are you two… suicidal!?” Vaistll almost shouted.

  “Ma’am like you, we are just trying to do our job and keep people alive. Even if it means our death.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “I can’t allow it.” Vaistll said almost under her breath.

  “Ma’am, you don’t have much of a choice. Over and out.” Jaguar 42R responded.

  “Jaguar!? Viper!? Respond!” Vaistll called out. All she got was the code that said that both of them disconnected the helmet-com from the communicational system. It brought her to tears and she sent a message to them saying that she’ll miss them.

  At 23:10 hours the most intense part of the battle began as everyone was trying to stop the Golems from crossing the river into Wolf Creek. Although they were forbidden, the civilians came out to help saying that it was their town and that they will defend it. Eleven minutes into the battle each one of the APCs that Task Force ZH-3C was in was badly damaged. They then struggled to get back across the river. Vaistll at one point (after she just crossed the river) look up and was watching the Dominator S18-PN with the hope that they will not sacrifice themselves. But she also didn’t want to dishonor their memory nor their sacrifice should they do that.

  “Let’s get to the monorail!” Taylor shouted out.

  (2)

  “Hey Wilcox. Where are you?” Captain Peterson asked.

  “Where do you think?” Wilcox responded.

  “Look… I don’t think that we should let these damn things off of this world.”

  “So what… we should just let them kill everyone?”

  “You know if we could destroy… (static).” Captain Peterson was saying. Something happened to his communicational link to Wilcox.

  “Say again. I lost you.”

  “I was saying that if we could destroy them that truly would be spectacular.”

  “For whom?”

  “What do you mean? It would be spectacular for us all. Everybody upon this world.”

  “I think that you need to get your head examined.”

  “You know this world may still have some old torpedoes laying around. Or there may be some left over from Dark Phoenix’s victory.”

  “Naw, I think it’s a long shot. We need you here.”

  “I think that we should try it. Look, what if we could pull it off? What then?”

  “So you’re just doing this for fame and attention?”

  “Maybe so. But you got to admit it, it truly would be awesome to pull it off. Now think about it. We, me and you, stopped the EOD or should I say the EOD greatest weapon that they could ever conceived of, right here upon this world. Why let someone else get the credit?”

  “Look, I’m tired and…”

  “Of what? Or should I say of whom? The media perchance? Don’t worry about them. You let me take care of that. Okay?”

  “And what if there are no torpedoes? What then?”

  “Then at least we can say that we tried. I do believe that the people of this world would forgive us of at least trying. Come on. What do you say?” Captain Peterson mentioned. Wilcox wanted to give in but he truly wasn’t certain that it would work. What else could he do but to give in? At least then he could say that he tried.

  “Yeah alight. On your head so be it.” Wilcox responded.

  “’On my head’?” Captain Peterson asked.

  “With the media.”

  “Are you still upset about your poor performance in front of the media?”

  “I don’t won’t to talk about it.”

  “You know, we all went through what you went through. So don’t worry about it.”

  The two of them had that conver
sion roughly 94 minutes after the Golem retook the bait. It wasn’t until 03:18 hours that Peterson returned with only three old torpedoes. Unfortunately each one was a low yield measured in the kilotons. The Golems by that time was already leaving Wolf Creek and was still following Task Force ZH-3C onboard the monorail. The team was asleep throughout the journey that led them back to where it all began. After Peterson gave the torpedoes to Wilcox he then left and started to scour the area around Ishtar for any torpedoes that may have been left. He also sent a urgent communiqué to Maxwell for the location of any possible torpedoes that may have been left behind. It took almost twelve hours before he, got the return message, found one single torpedo, and was able to return back to Wilcox with the torpedo.

  (3)

  “Why are you here?” Dr. Costa asked La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o. He was on the bridge which is something that he hardly ever does. Nobody had any real reason to go there.

  “I just got an urgent communiqué from a Captain Peterson on Golden Hyperion concerning that they need help from something called a ‘Golem’.”

  “Captain Peterson? What happen to Lenkov, Omori and The Hammer of Doom?”

  “Here read this.” La’jyn’eu Ikkry’o responded.

  “Oh my god. Oh my god! I don’t believe it.” Dr. Costa was too shocked to take it all in.

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Sure you do. You always have.”

  “At top speed it will take us almost four days just to get there. If Task Force ZH-3C achieves their objectives then the Golems may very well be in orbit. We can then lose this ship.”