by KA Hopkins
The most dangerous point in time for your planet is now just before you achieve a regular interstellar voyage capability. Any of the alien races that are aggressive empire builders, like the Draco, will see the Earth as the perfect candidate for a hostile takeover. Your present level of technology enables alien races to covertly use your own leaders and government to carry out the aliens’ wishes, but it is not advanced enough to destroy their prison and mining transports when they show up in Earth orbit.
A few of the Global Elite might argue that the Grays are your allies, secretly assisting with the transfer of alien technology; but the Grays are not so naïve as to actually provide the very technology that can defeat them. Most of the technology provided so far was predominately consumer focused, intended to keep you occupied, and forget about interstellar ships and weapons. Mankind's desire for gadgets allowed the Grays to know exactly what you are up to. The space defenses around Earth reversed engineered from the small amount of interstellar technology provided by the Grays are a waste of effort. They won’t last fifteen minutes against even the weakest alien invasion fleet.
So, don’t kid yourself about aliens having good intentions towards mankind. They want the Earth for themselves, because it’s one of the more highly prized planets in the known universe for the following reasons: seven billion potential slaves/soldiers, the fact that it can accommodate any carbon-based lifeform and its abundant easily accessible raw resources - especially water. These assets will look great on any inter-galactic company balance sheet. You may feel the human race is special and unique, but many alien races see you only as a resource to be exploited. The challenge is to convince the ULIR you are worthy of membership and protection and not a species to be wiped out, quarantined or enslaved.
Going back to your original question: including travel-time and the time it would take to win over enough ULIR delegates to vote for Earth’s independence, you should plan to be away for six to nine months. If – and this is a big if - the ULIR lets you leave.
Another factor to consider is, given the chaos on Earth today, only some of which is being caused by the Draco alliance, it’s hard to predict how stable Earth’s society is going to be for the next eighteen to thirty-six months. I believe you have less than six months to tie up all loose ends and start your journey. If you take much longer, the situation on Earth may change drastically and the aliens could be in control by the time you get back. Sorry boys - you’re in a cosmic Catch-22. No matter what you do, there’s no clear and easy path of action that might not result in deadly harm to many on this planet.”
“What about our families? I asked. “Nine months is a long time, and if events on Earth become unstable, there might not be much to come back to. Will they be safe on Earth while we’re gone, or are they better off with us?”
“The replacement Natasha is more than capable of defeating any human and most alien threats to your family.” Mother said.
“Whether you leave your family behind, or bring them with you on this journey is a choice only you can make. Your family cannot help you to decide; they don’t have the background information to fully understand what’s at risk. You need to make your decision based on logic and fact, not emotions, which I realize is tough. Neither option is ideal.
That being said, I do think your family is better off staying on Earth. Jake, your new body gives you special skills and coping mechanisms, not to mention you have demonstrated a real talent for fighting. You have the physical and mental strength to deal with the voyage, but your family does not. Even if I put them through the same physical and mental trials you have undergone in the past few weeks, without the added advantage of a near super-human body, they are ill-equipped for the journey.
If they were to survive the voyage - when you make the case for Earth in front of the ULIR grand council, aliens hostile to Earth will seek out your potential weaknesses. The fact that you have a family will be used against you. At least on Earth they are more difficult to target. In fact, it would be best for all humanity if they were dead, allowing you to focus one hundred percent on the mission. I could arrange that; it will be quick and painless.”
“Hold up there a minute, Skippy,” I said. I did not disagree with Mother’s reasoning that our families are a point of weakness that could be exploited. While freedom of the human race is a noble cause, one for which I would gladly sacrifice my life, killing my family on behalf of Earth was something I could not make a rational decision about. As much as I wanted to keep my family close, if the ULIR decided to imprison or terminate our delegation, did I want to condemn my family to that fate? At least if they stayed on Earth they could live in relative comfort and peace until the alien invasion became evident. If all our efforts at diplomacy failed, the last thing I wanted was for them to be in the middle of Marc’s favorite diplomatic resolution: “breaking things.”
The truth was, even if I stayed, when the Draco’s plans for Earth’s conquest came to fruition, I could not protect my family; at best I will be enslaved with or die with them. My decision was made - I'll abandon my family to an unknown fate. Words could not describe just how depressed that made me feel.
Chapter 19 - Patriots
Marc joined me for several rounds of drinks to help lift my spirits.
“So, now that it’s decided we’re off to the ULIR, in order to get a bigger ship we need more manpower. Where are we going to find the right guys with the desired skills? More importantly, how are we going to keep the search quiet? I don’t think posting an online wanted ad is going to work.”
Marc replied, “Preserving Operational Security (OPSec) is the challenge. Thanks to the revelations of Edward Snowden, it is now common knowledge that most, if not all electronic communications in the US and most parts of the world are closely monitored. The best way to escape being monitored by the various National Security agencies, is to carefully use only select forms of electronic communications and meet in person. This means no cars with embedded GPS navigation systems or anything like Onstar monitoring, very limited use of cell phones and using internet cafes for computer access. The guys I have in mind all have experience with OPSec under heavy electronic surveillance, so no one outside the chosen few will get wind of the operation.”
Marc, through some of his old contacts, and by knowing where Special Forces guys hung out after hours, was able to put word on the street of a new highly secret multinational unit being formed under the direct control of the United Nations. Because of the compartmentalized nature of the classified world, no one would ask too many questions when we showed up at the various military bases in civilian clothing, looking for recruits. To help me blend in better, I found a special effects artist who made up a concoction of makeup and silicon prosthetics that, when applied to my skin, did a reasonable job of hiding the green, making it look like I had been badly burnt in a fire. It was by no means a perfect disguise as it did not let me sweat much; but it was easy enough to apply and maintain. Most people try not to stare at burn victims anyway.
Marc’s experience in the Special Forces was invaluable during the recruitment drive. He knew not only what to say, but more importantly how to act with base bureaucrats better known as REMF’s (Rear Echelon Mother Fuckers). He told them only what they needed to hear and nothing more. We gave the local administrators what looked like official orders that were completely fake, yet could pass a cursory background check with higher headquarters. If the local official became too inquisitive and pressed for more details, we gave them the official line, “Code word only,” in military speak “you’re not authorized.” It sounded like bullshit and it was a pretty weak cover story, but this type of activity went on all the time. No one even bothered to check the back story. Pretty scary if you think about it; everyone we encountered was so conditioned not to question authority it was easy to abuse their blind obedience.
As added insurance, Mother downloaded Guide into the national security networks. As sophisticated and secure as Earth intelligence net
works might be for humans with all the firewalls, encryption and monitored access - they were no match for Guide. Guide hacked into NSA and assorted other alphabet Defense and Federal agencies in a few hours. Once inside, Guide monitored all network and phone communications within the various Federal and local agencies, specifically looking for any traffic or warning flags that would give an early indication that some government agency suspected what we were up to.
The actual recruiting of the operators was easier than I had imagined. Marc was very specific about who he chose: United States Marine Recon, Air Force Para Rescue, Delta, Navy SEALS, British SAS, Russian Spestnaz, German GSG, and Canadian Joint Task Force Two. We needed professionals with a wide range of skills and capabilities. He wanted rock solid individuals who could think for themselves, were super fit, and had combat experience. He specifically sought out candidates who had pulled the trigger on armed opponents up close and personal. We stayed well away from anyone who worked for the spook agencies - those guys lied for a living and ignored international law whenever it suited them. They lacked the loyalty we needed from our team members.
Marc opted to tell the Special Forces operators the whole truth. Far from being the mindless killing machines the media sometimes makes Special Forces out to be, most operators have great heads on their shoulders. They would not last in the Special Forces long if they didn’t.
Since we would always be outnumbered by the enemy, we sought out individuals that would thrive under that level of stress. There is no question - operators are brave and extremely capable fighters and sometimes need an ability to “break things.” Kicking doors in and shooting all the bad guys works well when you have superior numbers; but against a numerically superior enemy it’s always better to get in and out unseen. Anytime you engage the enemy in a stand up fight, it should only be as a last resort; it’s far better to sneak away and call in an air strike. Doesn’t matter how tough you are, two thousand pounds of precision guided, high explosive munitions, dropped from a fast-mover aircraft, is a superb “big stick” equalizer.
Our recruiting drive success rate was fantastic, with more than ninety percent of the operators choosing to take the next step. Those that didn’t, received a memory loss drug and forgot everything about the interview. With the initial interviews completed, we had the operators submit their resignations effective immediately and gave each of them five thousand dollars cash, a temporary cover story and seven days in some of the best all-expenses Caribbean destination resorts. The resorts may have been over the top, but there was a very good chance this would be the last carefree R&R any of them will have for a long time. On the seventh day, under the cover story of an evening cruise, we put all of the operators on boats, and picked them up twenty miles offshore in the alien scout ship.
When dealing with experienced operators whose credo is, “actions speak louder than words,” you can talk all you want. A good story is just that - a good story. Depending on your reputation and delivery, you might have some credibility. If you really want to make an impression, show up in your own alien spaceship and park it in geocentric orbit with a panoramic view of Earth. If the spaceship and Earth as a backdrop didn’t do the trick, being green from head to toe and the self-healing hand cutting trick closed the deal for most of them.
In a group of super elite warriors, you had to expect a few hard cases will require a more physical demonstration. It was a lot to take in and required a large leap of faith. Since Mother’s artificial gravity masks most sensation of movement, it’s hard to accept you’re on a space ship, regardless of the vista from the viewing port. Making the scout ship transparent in orbit - although visually pretty cool - still could be simulated, or so they believed. If I had thought it through, it might have been simpler to let Mother turn off the artificial gravity and let them float around a bit. That option could have saved a great deal of pain.
Since there was no point in talking any more with the hard cases, I resorted to a less traditional form of diplomatic persuasion. I took on all comers, in groups of their own choosing. One on one, two on one, five on one - whether in hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, or with guns, it really didn’t matter - the result was the same. The holdouts got cut, ended up bruised with some broken bones and several gunshot wounds. With Mother’s help they would be good as new in a day or so.
Many of the hand-to-hand fighting techniques the Special Forces used were simple, yet devastating to the human anatomy. It is quite different from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). MMA styles and techniques take years of study to master, and above average fitness. The unarmed combat techniques, derived from experts like WE Fairbairn - one of the greatest unarmed experts of the twentieth century - are easier to master and more lethal.
Fairbairn’s ability was so well recognized he became the principal unarmed combat instructor for British Commandos and US marines in World War II. His techniques blended a combination of jiu-jitsu, karate, and Chinese boxing, to build extremely effective attacks and defenses against clubs, knife attacks, pistols and rifles - all of which are banned in MMA. Fairbairn’s all-in fighting techniques allowed middle aged men of average fitness and strength the ability to disarm - and kill if necessary - much larger and stronger opponents.
In the hands of very fit Special Forces operators, Fairbairn’s original techniques were refined to downright nasty fighting movements, optimized to inflict maximum physical trauma or death with a single blow. For very good reason, these Special Forces techniques are not available to the public, so I had nothing to learn from and no prior experience. As a result, I got cut a bunch of times, broke several bones and had a bullet hole in me before I was able to figure out counter moves to their brutal attack styles. The lessons were painful; they actually hurt like hell since no one pulled their blows. Omni assured me there would be no permanent damage, with only minimal scarring and within forty-eight hours I would be one hundred percent functional and almost as good looking.
“Omni please remind me if I ever forget, that as capable as I am, a little bit of practice goes a long way.” I might be a very quick study, but I still needed to study.
“Humility is an excellent quality; there just might be hope for you yet,” was Omni’s reply.
We had successfully recruited our first brothers-in-arms to the cause. In the end, we had a group of one hundred percent believers in the threat to Earth posed by the Draco alliance. With everyone in the room convinced of what we were up against, Marc and I did not try to oversell the righteousness of what we were attempting. Many of the operators already had doubts of their own, as more and more of their missions were about creating chaos and instability to force regime changes within foreign countries, as opposed to getting rid of world class bad guys.
Of late, the western world seemed to be more interested in supporting the causes of the Global Elite, which suppressed and took gross advantage of foreign societies, plundering them of anything worth taking. What Marc and I proposed was an opportunity to make a real change in society, fighting for a better outcome for all humanity, not one political ideology or some corporate cause in pursuit of increased profits. Who would have believed such idealism was still alive and well in the twenty-first century?
I was surprised by how few questions were asked, but like Marc, the operators understood the time constraints and put their unconditional trust in our leadership. Fighting for the benefit of all Earth seemed to be a cause everyone could get behind. The topics of money and reward were never raised, but I had Guide set up financial arrangements similar to that of Marc and myself for everyone.
With the additional help, the voyage to the ULIR did not look like the insurmountable task it once was. It still made me feel extremely uncomfortable that we were going to approach the ULIR central committee and speak on behalf of Earth. What gave us the right to speak on behalf of one hundred ninety plus countries? How were we any better than any oligarchy, if we spoke on behalf of the Earth without the support and buy-in from the people? Omni reassured
me, “These are all valid concerns, but you must remember one thing; if you don’t defeat the aliens currently pacifying Earth, these all become moot points. By the way, you have an enormous advantage over any of the oligarchs.”
“What’s that?” I said.
“Me. I will always be with you and act as your conscience.”
“How is that going to help?”
“You can’t corrupt, or get rid of me.”
Chapter 20 - Taking care of the troops
Our next task was figuring out how to take care of the operators who had placed their faith in our leadership. Like every good secret organization, we needed a secret base, or in our case a bunch of secret bases, as hiding the amount of kit needed to fight the aliens was no triviality.
One of the first rules of setting up a secure base is, while its official secret nature might be masked, you still need to move people and materials in and out at all hours of the day. Any buildings or compound complexes that don’t have street addresses, are surrounded by high walls topped with barbed wire and cameras, just scream “look here, I’m a secret base or a drug lord’s hideout.” For these reasons, office buildings, malls, ports, moving companies and overnight parcel distribution centers are ideal secret bases. Parcel distribution centers are the most desirable as they run around the clock, 365 days a year, have lots of people and space with constant, around the clock deliveries that no one questions. Try to hide the same amount of activity at an abandoned warehouse and the police will be on you in days.