Vimana

by Mainak Dhar

  'This is a fight none of us can be out of.'

  Then there were the Ganas, hundreds of them, standing in neat lines, waiting for Shiva to address them. Brahma may be the leader of the Devas, but when it came to the Ganas, they took their orders only from Shiva. They would bear the brunt of the close combat against the daityas when they did manage to get into Kalki's bastion.

  Tanya was standing right by his side, with Ganesha a few steps behind them. Aaditya slipped his hand into Tanya's and she gripped it tightly. Even though she and Ganesha would be staying back at the base, they were going to play a critical and perhaps decisive role in the battle that was about to come.

  'Today is a day we had all hoped we would never have to see.'

  As Brahma began speaking, everyone, Deva, Gana and human alike, stopped whatever they were doing and listened to him.

  'But perhaps this day was inevitable. Inevitable since the first day one of us broke our faith and set out on a path of tyranny.'

  Aaditya noted that Brahma did not mention Kalki by name, and wondered just how difficult it had been for the senior Deva to order his forces against his own son.

  'You all know what is at stake. Now it is a matter of the very survival of human civilization-a civilization that we were appointed to be guardians of. At various times, all of us have wondered whether they are worth saving at so much risk to ourselves. Perhaps I have too wondered that at times.'

  Both Aaditya and Tanya looked up, surprised at his candour. Brahma continued, looking straight at them. 'But the humans are no different from us. Some of them are evil and deceptive, but many, many more have nothing but good in their hearts, nothing more than a desire to leave their world a better place than when they found it. And that is what unites us.

  'Many of you have seen battles before, so I will not speak to you of marching into battle with valour, since I know all of you will do that. The only thing I will do is remind you that we cannot fail. If we do, everything we have worked for, everything human civilization has achieved will be washed away by the rage of a mad person, my own son. Today we fly and fight to stop him, to erase forever the shame and pain he has brought to all of us. Today we end this conflict once and for all, so that humans and their planet no longer have to bear the burden of our wrongs. Now, go and fight like there is no tomorrow, because there will not be one if we fail.'

  Soon Aaditya was boarding his vimana. He held Tanya, hoping it was not for the last time.

  'If it doesn't. .'

  Aaditya stopped her. 'We will be together. I promise you, whatever happens out there, I will be back, and we will be with each other.''

  He kissed her, then, he turned and got into his cockpit. The Devas were all airborne in moments, only Brahma staying back to guide the drones and Ganesha with Tanya to put their own plan in action. The vimanas and drones were to scatter all over the world, so Kalki would not notice a large concentration of forces, and converge and act when the time was right.

  With the sun just rising over the Himalayas, Aaditya flew his vimana to a holding pattern high over the Middle East. At the base, Tanya and Ganesha had started their plan. The first blow was a touch Tanya had suggested. The website of the People Liberation's Army of China showed a series of articles supposedly written by senior generals saying that the end of the world hysteria was being propagated by the Western media as a way of letting the US gain more control over the world. The Chinese authorities tried to take the articles down, but found they could not. The Americans, of course, took immediate notice. Then came articles on websites of leading newspapers about reports from reliable sources of Chinese nuclear submarines leaving their bases a few days ago fully armed with nuclear tipped missiles. Within a couple of hours, the Internet was abuzz with these reports. There was near panic in the US government. Everybody was going slightly crazy with the hysteria around what was likely to happen the next day, but nobody had anticipated that China would choose this moment to try and settle scores.

  Official US protests and queries were met with vigorous denials by the Chinese, but in a couple of hours, the US got even stronger confirmation when one of their spy satellites picked up a submarine surfacing briefly no more than five hundred kilometres from the US East Coast. Quick analysis showed it to be a Jin class nuclear submarine, with launch tubes for 12 ballistic missiles. If the panicked US authorities thought the Chinese were bluffing, another satellite pass showed one more submarine surfacing near the first sighting. It had been Ganesha playing with the satellite's systems, but to the astonished US operators who saw the pictures, they had no way of knowing otherwise.

  The hotlines between the two countries were abuzz but when the US President tried to get through to the Chinese Premier, the line dropped suddenly, courtesy Ganesha's hacking of the computerized system.

  It had been a calculated gamble by Ganesha. He wanted the sense of alarm in the US to be enough to generate some action, but at the same time, not so drastic as to trigger actual conflict. As the day wore on, he noted with satisfaction that the plan was working just as he had hoped.

  A US carrier battle group with the aircraft carriers Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and eight other ships was steaming at maximum speed towards the last known sighting of the Chinese submarines-less than twenty kilometres from Kalki's base. The US ships would reach there within the next five or six hours. Yet another battle group with another aircraft carrier was headed there, likely reaching there a few hours later.

  Aaditya and each of the airborne Devas heard Brahma's voice on their headsets, updating them on what was happening. 'With such a powerful battle group practically on top of his base, Kalki will have to react. They are looking for submarines and he can't risk his base being discovered. That will give us the opening we need. You know your holding areas, when I give the order, head for Kalki's base.'

  The Devas had picked up some powerful allies for the coming battle.

  SIXTEEN

  The opening salvo in this historic battle turned out to be a stroke of sheer good fortune for the Devas. They had not really counted on the US forces getting dragged into a shooting match with Kalki's forces. Brahma had just hoped that unnerved by the approaching US battle group, Kalki would send out a couple of vimanas to reconnoiter the group, leaving the sphere that carried the vimanas to the surface exposed.

  As things turned out, the attack on the Asura main hangar had been successful beyond Aaditya's wildest hopes. It had not only given him the opportunity to escape, but had resulted in the death of at least three Asura pilots. That, coupled with the loss of Maya, had left Kalki with only a handful of Asuras. They were waiting for Kalki's order to launch, while the armies of daityas had been massing in the fields below, waiting to be loaded into transport vimanas to take them to their targets according to Kalki's invasion plans.

  Just two hours before the quakes were to be triggered, a US Navy S-3 Viking Anti-submarine aircraft started patrolling the area ahead of the Lincoln task force, trying to ferret out the Chinese submarines lurking in the area. The pilot had been deploying dipping sonars to try and get a fix on the submarines and much to Kalki's growing frustration, had been straying closer and closer to his base. He did not worry about his base being detected, located as it was at the bottom of the ocean, but he had to lower the sphere. He wished Maya had still been around. Then Kalki's attention had been diverted by reports of another carrier battle group closing in from the other direction, when a daitya controlling the defenses mounted on the sphere panicked and sent up a single shot. The beam hit the Viking mid-ship, breaking the aircraft into two and sending it crashing into the ocean.

  That unleashed a beehive of activity in the US forces. The loss of one of their aircraft led the commander to order the launch of two more anti-submarine aircraft, escorted by F/A-18 fighter escorts, while the two Los Angeles class nuclear submarines accompanying the group now streaked towards the last reported location where the Viking had gone down. With discovery of his troops imminent, Kalki's hand
was forced.

  What happened next was played out in detail on the screen before Aaditya as his vimana screamed towards Kalki's base. Brahma had informed all the airborne Devas about the latest happenings, and they were now converging on the scene. Aaditya's screen filled with red dots as Kalki launched no less than a dozen drones and at least three vimanas piloted by Asuras. He watched four green dots representing the US aircraft approaching Kalki's base. The US F/A-18s must have picked up the drones on their radar since they accelerated towards them, trying to protect the slow and lumbering anti-submarine aircraft, while they urgently radioed back to their carrier to ask for reinforcements. They however had no way of picking up the vimanas on their radar, and both fighters fell to a volley of missiles from attackers they did not even know existed. A second later, both Vikings were blotted off Aaditya's display by missiles fired by the drones.

  By now, the US fleet commander was apoplectic with rage, having lost five aircraft without even getting the chance to get a shot in. He was bewildered as to where enemy aircraft had just appeared from, seemingly out of the middle of the ocean, but now eliminating this threat was on the top of his mind.

  'The drones are cloned on the Sukhoi and the F-22. With their pilots, the US fighters should be able to hold their own against them. But even three vimanas will wipe out a squadron of human fighters without any effort. We need to take out the Asuras first, and then some of us can stay back to help against the drones. The attack team will need to go into Kalki's base as soon as we spot an opening. We have less than an hour to go.'

  Indra's plan was sound, though Aaditya knew that many human pilots would surely die, flying into a conflict that they had little idea about. Something struck him. 'Brahma, the moment we enter the fight….'

  Brahma anticipated what he was about to say. 'Yes, the moment we enter the fight, our existence ceases to be a secret. Ganesha is already taking care of that. Explanations and introductions can come later, but for now, we just need to ensure that we and the humans do not get in each other's way.'

  At that moment, a message of historic proportions suddenly appeared on the command screen of every US warship in the vicinity. 'We are coming to help and are on your side. Do not attempt to fire on us. Your radars will not pick us up, but if any of your pilots sees us, know that we come to fight by your side.'

  Aaditya could only wonder what the US officers must have made of this message, but he imagined that they, like him, were too preoccupied with trying to survive the fight than wondering about the implications of the revelation they had just witnessed.

  Aaditya was now just a few dozen kilometres away. He watched his display fill with dots as one of the US carriers launched a brace of additional fighters to join the fight and the second carrier launched a squadron of fighters to help out the Lincoln. The third carrier was still some distance away, but the US forces were throwing everything they had into this battle.

  Indra had assumed command. Aaditya heard his voice boom over his headset.

  'Launch astras!'

  More than ten thousand years after they had last clashed on such a scale, an all-out war between the Devas and Asuras had once again erupted. And once again, the fate of mankind hung in the balance.

  ***

  The Devas had closed to no less than fifty kilometres before they fired. Indra had told them they needed to make every shot count and moreover, give Kalki as little warning as possible. Aaditya fired two astras, targeting one of the Asura vimanas that was now rocketing towards the US fighters and he saw blurs of blue on his peripheral vision as the other Devas fired as well. He gnashed his teeth in frustration as the Asura pilot intercepted one of his astras and rolled out the way of the other. However, one Asura had fallen to the first volley as the Devas now joined the drones and remaining Asuras in a swirling, massive dogfight.

  Aaditya and the Devas were patched into the American pilots' communication system. Several of them shouted 'Fox 3', as they launched their long-range AMRAAM missiles at the drones that were now rapidly filling up their radar screens. Aaditya heard one or two of them whoop in triumph as a couple of drones disappeared. But they had no idea of the vimanas that were lurking in between the drones, invisible to their radars. He watched the Asuras launch a volley that took down four American fighters. They had to take down the Asura vimanas before they made mincemeat of the American fighters. Aaditya zoomed in closer, seeing a drone come at him from his right. He swiveled his head to lock in on it, and sent a burst from his vajra. The beam caught the Sukhoi drone near its cockpit, and it disintegrated in a flash. Aaditya rolled out of the way of a missile that had been headed his way and when he came upright, he saw that his assailant was now headed straight for him. Good, he wouldn't have to go looking for the Asuras. Now that they knew the Devas had joined the battle, they were making a beeline for the vimanas.

  The Asura fired two more missiles, and Aaditya intercepted both with his astras, but did not have time to fire back before the saucer shaped vimana passed him. Aaditya took his vimana through a sharp turn. The Asura was trying to turn towards him so that he could fire again. Aaditya fired an astra at point blank range, watching the saucer as it glowed red-hot for an instant before it disappeared in a flash of intense light.

  'There's a saucer on my back. I can't get him off!'

  An American pilot was being pursued by an Asura. Aaditya calibrated which fighter had made the emission and took his vimana to the scene of the chase, climbing high so that he could swoop down for his attack pass. He looked down in admiration as the American pilot weaved and turned, avoiding one burst after another from the saucer that was right behind him. As skilled a pilot as he obviously was, Aaditya knew that the American was living on borrowed time unless someone took the vimana off his back.

  Aaditya took his vimana into a near vertical dive, focused on nothing else but the red dot he saw on his display. As he got closer, he could see the saucer clearly before him. The Asura at the controls must have been so frustrated by his inability to shoot down this American pilot that he never even knew what hit him. Two astras slammed into him as he and his vimana were vaporized.

  Aaditya pulled alongside the F/A-18, slowing down so that the American pilot could see who had just come to his rescue. He gave the pilot a `thumbs up' sign and then peeled off.

  This battle was however far from over.

  The other Devas had made good progress as well, and the number of red dots on his display had thinned to a handful of drones. There were no Asura vimanas to be seen. Either they were all gone, or else Kalki was holding back the few that he may yet have left.

  The Americans were shooting down drones at a steady rate, though Aaditya did see several American fighters go down as well. Shiva and Durga were staying close to Aaditya, but Indra and Vishnu were cutting a swath through the drones.

  Another battle was being waged under the seas as well. Two American submarines had tried to penetrate Kalki's base, and Ganesha had already sent all the Devas a message that both had been sunk.

  All the Devas now regrouped above the battle. Indra spoke for all of them. 'Kalki will now unleash all his drones. There may be dozens, or even hundreds of them. We will hold them as best as we can. The Americans know they're in an all out war, and they will be getting reinforcements. Aaditya, you know what you have to do when that does happen.'

  Aaditya knew only too well. He found his stomach tightening as he contemplated what he had to do soon.

  On the ocean surface the familiar sphere was emerging from the water. A gap opened in its surface and drone after drone flew out of it, looking like a swarm of locusts. The Devas wasted no time. Astras slammed into the drones, incinerating many of them before they had even reached level flight. Aaditya fired a couple himself, but then focused on his own mission. As the only one who had been inside Kalki's lair, it was critical that he make it inside, and find out Kalki's command centre. He dove towards the sphere, drones still emerging from its opening. Shiva was on his right and Durga on
his left, sweeping aside any drones that tried to attack him. Narada was right before him. It had been an incredibly risky mission, but Narada had insisted on flying it, arguing he was not as good in aerial combat as the other Devas and wanted to make himself as useful as possible.

  Narada fired two astras, destroying a drone at point blank range, but then his vimana seemed to be wobble as beams reached out from the sphere. There was no apparent damage, but Narada's vimana seemed to slow down as the descent into the sphere continued.

  Aaditya was now barely a hundred feet above the waves. Narada's vimana took another hit from a beam from the sphere, but he kept on going. The beams from the sphere were now reaching out at Aaditya too, and he flinched at a near miss. He was close enough to see the small gun ports on the sphere's surface that were firing and saw one swivel towards him. He was too close and going too fast to abort his run, so Aaditya prepared himself for the inevitable.

  Just then, Narada maneuvered his vimana right in front of Aaditya. The beam from the sphere hit him near his tail, nearly splicing off the vimana into half. Aaditya watched in horror as Narada's vimana spiraled towards the ocean and impacted the water. But the sacrifice had given him the opportunity he needed. He was now headed straight into the opening on the surface of the sphere, which was rapidly filling the screen in front of him. Kalki must have released all his drones; they were now coming out in trickles of one or two. With Aaditya barely fifty feet away, the opening on the sphere begin to slide shut. He willed his vimana to go even faster. Just then a drone shot out. Without conscious thought, Aaditya destroyed it and then flew his vimana straight through the debris.

  He felt the pitter-patter of the fragments of the destroyed drone hit his vimana, sounding like a hailstorm. He turned his vimana steeply to one side, and guided it through the opening moments before it slammed shut. Shiva and Durga were right behind him. He could hear Shiva's voice in his ears.