by Don Cook
So, your plan, simply put, Trudierre’s ethereal voice spoke, is to use both my invasion and the election to legally hand over the Earth to our Empire?
“That’s exactly the idea, Potty” Mephistula/Stanton said with a cackle. “That’s exactly the idea.”
That is a most clever plan. I never would have thought it up myself.
“So, Potty, just hold off the invasion,” Mephistula/Stanton said. “You and your forces will have two extra days to prepare for the invasion to take place on the Earth-calendar date of July 15th.”
Excellent, Trudierre’s voice spoke, then repeated as it faded out with demonic spookiness, Until the Ides of July.... until the Ides of July.... until the Ides of July...
Mephistula/Stanton raised her fist in satanic defiance as she snarled angrily, “THAT PUKE-SPIRITED PIPSQUEAK RESERVIST HAS DEFEATED ME FOR THE LAST TIME! I HAVE YOU NOW, KHRAA-VEH! YOUR GLUTIES AND THE UNIVERSE ARE NOW MINE!”
Mephistula/Stanton was now giddily satisfied that not only would she defeat and terminate her arch enemy Captain Khraa-Veh, and succeed stupendously where Hillary Rodham Clinton had failed. With satanic satisfaction, she let forth a sinister laugh as —
TREED RIVERBANK AREA, THREE-CROSS RANCH
TEXAS, USA
ONE SPLIT-SECOND LATER
Khraa/Astra, still in Mike’s arms, darted back to consciousness, and screamed like a banshee!
“KHRAAVIE!!!” Mike shouted, as he wanted to find out what was the matter.
“I — I — I know w — when T — Trudierre’s forces,” Khraa/Astra said, as her voice shook with fear, “are g — g — going t — t — to in — in — invade Earth!”
“When?!” Mike asked in a panic.
“On the fifteenth, during the convention!” Khraa/Astra said in a quivering voice, “And she intends to use the invasion to weaken your world, use your country’s election to put Mephistula in the Oval Office as Stanton, then legally hand Earth over to … to…”
“I know who” Mike said. “But are you okay?”
Khraa/Astra nodded yes with thankful tenderness.
“Are you sure?” Mike asked again, as Khraa/Astra rapidly nodded yes. “Well, at least we know what to do, and when.”
“Yes,” Khraa/Astra said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
Khraa/Astra walked to her horse and removed her comcorder from the saddlebag.
“Personal log,” Khraa/Astra spoke bravely, “Captain Khraa-Veh ven-Elheem recording, supplementary entry. In a vision-dream I just had, I psychically eavesdropped by accident or by divine prophetic insight on Mephistula and Pot-Trudierre.
“They held a psych-conference of war, and concocted a plot where Alph) Trudierre’s fleet would invade Earth, Bett) the world’s populace would be weakened and demoralized, and Gamm), through legal worldwide consent granted by the dispirited peoples of the planet, Earth would be legally absorbed into the Shrion Empire.
“But thanks to our Lord, we are ready to fight this with an eclectic battle plan that factors in everything we need to know about our enemies and how to defeat them. Leave it to Jesus Christ, Risen Son of the Living God, to give His faithful all the necessary details before He sends them on a mission. End of entry, date-time stamp.”
Chapter 12
CHICAGO 1968 2.0
The brutal zeitgeist (German-Terran for “spirit of the times”) that haunted the Terran city of Chicago in 1968 came to Minneapolis during the political convention through which Mephistula attempted the conquest of Earth through the Oval Office.
Around the planet Earth, the summer of the convention in question was an “atrox aestas” (Latin for “horrible summer.”) Many nations declared martial law that year. India and Pakistan practically ran to the brink of nuclear war. Israel had more armed conflicts on its hands than it normally had to wage (and Israel’s security woes were usually already bad enough.) Both Koreas were practicing military brinksmanship with each other. And because of famine, drought, and economic and other simultaneously-occurring severe crises that befell all of Earth’s democracies, most of their governments stayed in emergency session, suspending all summer recesses. Even Earth’s United Nations had to meet in emergency session for a plethora of crises too severe to put off until it was autumn in New York City.
Like Chicago decades earlier, Minneapolis had become ripe for a similar major traumatic occurrence. Beyond the woes created by the convention itself (where New York Senator Marilyn Madeline Moira Crohn played this crisis’ version of both 1968 Chicago Mayor Richard Joseph Daley and then-US President Lyndon Baines Johnson), all was not well on Earth that summer.
In an already crisis-laden year, Minneapolis alone suffered from several spontaneous illegal industrial labor rebellions (referred to by Earthlings as “wildcat strikes”) by labor unions whose members were responsible for landline and cellular telephone service, Internet service, public utilities (including the creation and distribution of electricity), public transit, taxi service and sanitation.
Under normal circumstances, these unions would have faced the wrath of American justice. Witness the American-Terran Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) strike of Earth-year 1981 AD/CE, which resulted in the firing of its illegally-striking membership and the consequential nullifying of their union’s legal certification by then-US President Ronald Reagan. (I shall elaborate further on American actor-turned-President Reagan in my upcoming book, Pattern-Smashers: Political Rulers that Defied Their Realm’s Norms, Volume VIII: The Oddest Alph-Terrans, to be released next year as this book’s Printing Number 1.)
Yet despite the city and state’s attempts to halt these illegal strikes, the strikes continued. The then-sitting US President suspended any action against the strikers because it suited his own militant agenda (and, as it was later learned, at the bizarrely commanding behest of Mephistula/Stanton.) At any rate, Tranxa, the doppelganger-Bonhoeffers, Jefferson, Monique and I, each sorely terrified, headed for the Midwestern urban war zone that was normally relatively peaceful Minneapolis. The dangerously high level of rioting that plagued Minneapolis that summer was previously unheard of in that city’s history. Martial law had to be declared by the Minnesota governor, even though she did so reluctantly. She, like the Mayor of Minneapolis, Stanton’s party, and America’s mainstream media, who collectively did their utmost to put the best pro-Stanton light possible on this turbulent campaign, were still cast by the nation’s populist alt-media (and most Earthpeople) as a latter-day controlling collective Richard Daley. Minneapolis itself that summer was also dubbed “Chicago 1968 2.0...”
Dr. Khraa-Veh ven-Bonhoeffer
Captain, AMKEXPRA
V-S-S-Day #1†: The Battle of the Solar System *
PERSONAL HELIPAD, THREE-CROSS RANCH
TEXAS, USA
10 JULY 8:58 AM CENTRAL TIME
“Blue 1’s been up-fitted — sorry, Earthlings, upgraded to the AF-18VZ standard with a stardrive and various weapons it did not have before” Khraa/Astra said, as she realized her nun-Terran vocabulary faux pas, while she, Mike, his kids, Makarrth and his team, Jim, April, Abby, and several ranch hands stood around the helipad. “I’ve also miniaturized three metal-halide light-crosses that will kill a super-Shrion like Mephistula. I’ll use them in the Exhibit Hall Theater.”
“That’s a pretty strong, bright light for indoor use, Captain” Dr. Goldshtein said. “That kind of light is used for outdoor lighting, like in baseball or football stadiums during night games. Won’t it be too bright and possibly burn some innocent humans?”
“I will use certain precautions to protect bona fide humans and materials in the building from burning just before I hit the switches on these crucifix-lights. But Tranxie-as-me will have peppered Mephistula with garlic powder and some nanobots that will nullify these protective protocols on Satan’s little girl. You know what to do, Tranxie?”
“Yes, Captain” Tranxa said. “A quick ambush interview where I… I believe the Earth-term is ‘bamboozle’
, am I correct?”
“Exactly” Khraa/Astra said. “Astra knew the art of the ambush interview, and you’ve got enough telepathic ability to get past the guards with no hassle.”
“Like the Force in Star Wars,” Glenn said, “you telepaths have power over the weak-minded.”
“In our case, Glenn, it’s the weaker minded” Khraa/Astra said. “Tranxie’s service record shows how during a covert mission against a secret Shrion base, she used her telepathy to get past the security, set the target weapon to self-destruct, got out in time, and saved trillions of lives. And yes, it was a lot like your spy movies. James Bond, the bionic folks, and the Man from U.N.C.L.E. would have been pleased with Tranxie.”
“So would Stock, James Stock,” Jim said, making everyone laugh a little.
“Tranxie,” Khraa/Astra continued, “you, Har, Velbie and two others will be transported along with me and my RV by helicopter back to the spot where Mike, the kids and I were picked up. We’ll then drive back to Minneapolis in my RV to my apartment. Har, you’ll report as Mike at the FBI Minneapolis office.”
“What about your rent, Khraavie?” Mike asked worriedly. “Your landlord could have posted a notice of eviction up on your door.”
“I already paid July and August’s rent well in advance, Mike, so it’s all taken care of. And we’ll take care of our future after we win the battle.”
“And if we lose?”
“Have faith in Christ, Mike, and think positive.”
“What about us, Khraavie?” Donny asked Khraa/Astra.
Khraa/Astra kneeled down and said to Donny, “Baby, we’re keeping you, Glenn, and Val here so you guys will be safe. Okay?”
She gave Donny a quick maternal kiss on the cheek, and then stood back up.
“Okay” Donny said. “But who’ll be Glenn and me?”
“That’s where I need two male volunteers to pose as doppelgangers for Glenn and Donny. Volunteers?”
Two male Level-3 Tech-Warrant Officers, tall red-headed Mont-Toccs and darker-skinned, black-haired Yordio-Jorfal, stepped up to volunteer.
“We’ll go” Toccs said. “I’ll be Glenn, and Yordy will pose as Donny.”
“Excellent. Our alliances are forged, battle plans made.”
She turned to Jim and asked, “When can we load the RV onto the trailer?”
“How about after lunch?” Jim said.
“That will be fine” Khraa/Astra told Jim.
“I’ll have the Aircrane ready for flight after dark. Then, once midnight hits, I’ll have you guys airlifted back to the spot where we picked you up.”
“Jim?” Jefferson asked.
“Yes, Mr. ex-President?” Jim answered.
“Monique and I talked about a lot last night, and we decided we’d like to give the people the heads-up about Mephistula on national and international television.”
“Don’t you realize you guys could get killed?!” Khraa/Astra pointed out to Jefferson. “Since you served Mephistula divorce papers, she’ll have death in your eyes for you both.”
“Living doesn’t matter to us much anymore, Khraavie,” Monique said, “but the needs of the rest of the world do. And I’m sure that if Jeff and I say what needs to be said, it will throw our invader candidate, as we Earthlings say, under the bus, and maybe even give you some help in a way none of us can see or expect, but might need badly.”
“I see” Khraa/Astra said. “So, you two want to ride back to Minneapolis with Tranxie, Har, Velbie, Monty, Yordy and me in my RV?”
“That’s what we were hoping” Jefferson said.
“Alright, then. Get your stuff ready, then we’ll go.”
“We’re both ready already” Monique said.
“Okay, then” Khraa/Astra said. “Now Har, Toccs, Velbie, Yordy and Tranxie, I’d like you to each walk up to Mike, Glenn, Val, Donny and me respectively, and stand face-to-face in front of them.”
Har walked up to and stood face-to-face with Mike, and Toccs did likewise with Glenn, as did Velbie with Val, Yordy with Donny, and Tranxa with Khraa/Astra.
“Now, everyone except for Tranxie and me, cross your left wrist over your right, and join your left hand with the other person’s, and your right hand with theirs.”
Each Earthling and non-Earthling in the four transmutation pairs obeyed Khraa/Astra’s instructions, after which Khraa/Astra removed a special bio-transmutation device for the changing of the aliens into their Earthly counterparts from that same bag, and set it on the ground beside her right leg. Khraa/Astra then removed five pairs of special medical cable-connected black headbands from an inconspicuous-looking reusable shopping bag and placed them on the heads of the other pairs. She then walked over to Tranxa, stood face-to-face before her, and each put their hands on the sides of the other’s head, as Tranxa, being a naturally shapeshifting Protean, had no need for artificial technologies to change her physical form.
Khraa/Astra voice-activated the transmutation device by saying, “Transmute, now!”
For 70 seconds, the four headband-connected pairs of people, along with Khraa/Astra and Tranxia, were rapidly enveloped in shining, shimmering opaque light-fields that swiftly alternated between blue and green, in which the non-Earthlings cocooned within them were transformed into their Earthly opposites.
Every Earthling not involved were amazed and awestruck at the alien process of transforming five of their non-Earthly friends into exact doubles of the Bonhoeffers. Once the light-fields quickly faded away, Har was an exact duplicate of Mike, Toccs had become Glenn’s doppelganger, Velbya was a 100 percent spitting image of Val, Yordy had become a drop-dead-ringer for Donny, and Tranxa was absolutely identical to Khraa/Astra.
The real Khraa/Astra’s spoke, “Transmuter, end procedure.”
The transmuter switched off on Khraa/Astra’s command, as she spoke to the other nine involved in the transmutation process, “You can let go of each other’s hands.”
Khraa/Astra and Tranxia put their hands to their side, while the persons in each pair released one another’s hands. Khraa/Astra then got up and picked up the shopping bag. She then walked over to the other four pairs, removed their linking headbands and placed them back in the shopping bag before she handed the bag to April.
“Any ill effects?” Khraa/Astra asked.
Everyone involved in the transmutation process shook his or her head no.
“Alright, then, each of us knows what he or she has to do, so is there anything any of you would like to add?”
“I do” Abby said. “Asking for a blessing from the Good Lord.”
“I agree” the real Mike said. “So, everyone…”
Everyone assembled joined hands, as the authentic Mike Bonhoeffer led the group in prayer, “Dear Lord, we thank You for being the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God that You are. We thank You for the fact that it is written in Your Holy Word that the Earth abides forever, and that any references to the so-called end of the world are simply mistranslations in certain versions. And now, Lord, we sure could use Your Almighty Helping Hand on this one.
“We, on Your Earth, still don’t know quite what to make of the alien invaders that threaten us, and I wonder if even Khraavie and her people know, either. But we pray, dear Lord, for Your divine protection over us, and for You to use us to help ensure that Your planet Earth does indeed abide forever… and that Khraavie and I get married. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, on behalf of all humans everywhere in the Universe, everyone here at Three-Cross Ranch said —”
“Amen!” said all present, before they dispersed, and went to work.
“God bless you both” Abby said kindly to the real Mike and Khraa/Astra.
“Thanks, Abby” Khraa/Astra said. “And may He bless you, too.”
“You’re most welcome,” Abby said.
“Having met you, Abby,” Mike said, “I now see how the Lord can truly change a life. I know that once you were on the FBI’s most wanted list. Now look at you.”
>
“I owe it all to Jesus” Abby said, with God-fearing humility. “Excuse me, Mike, but I gotta go do my chores now.”
As Abby walked away, Jefferson told Khraa/Astra, “Your plan had better work.”
“It’s not my plan” Khraa/Astra said. “It’s God’s.”
She then walked over to her RV to prepare it for loading.
ASTRA DOWNEY’S RV
ON I-35 WEST OF BELLE PLAINE, KANSAS, USA
11 JULY 6:59 AM CENTRAL TIME
“Time for another log entry?” Velbya-as-Val asked, using Val’s exact verbal and nonverbal mannerisms, as the real Khraa/Astra drove the RV through the night, The Moody Blues hard-driving rock song “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)” playing from her iPad in a dock beside the driver’s seat.
“Thanks, Velbie” said Khraa/Astra. “It is. Comcorder?”
“Yes, Captain?” spoke the comcorder’s female voice, which was identical to that of Blue 1’s computer.
Khraa/Astra lowered the volume on her iPad and then said, “Begin new log-entry.”
“Yes, Captain” Khraa/Astra’s comcorder readied itself and spoke, “Ready to record, Captain.”
“Thanks. Survival —” Khraa/Astra instantly realized her mistake. “Oops! Did it again! Delete last entry and reset to restart.”
“Last entry deleted, reset for restart.”
“Thanks” Khraa/Astra began. “Personal-log, Captain Khraa-Veh ven-Elheem recording. Am now en route back to Minneapolis for the political convention where Mallory Stanton’s political party, alias that of Mephistula, will practically coronate her as their next candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America. This election, to use Earth’s Anglo-speak, has the makings of the proverbial perfect political storm.
“According to American-Terran news sources that are far less reputable than they were during the 2016 Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton US Presidential contest, there has been rioting in Minneapolis that is several times as brutal and severe as the violence centered around the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago back in 1968 AD/CE. We go back to Astra Downey’s home city, knowing we will likely face violence galore that would even have made the Youth International Party’s Abbot Howard ‘Abbie’ Hoffman rise from his grave, weep until his eyes had shriveled, wail himself into laryngitis that would have permanently silenced him, and gnash his teeth into dust!”