Dark Crossing

by Thomas A. Watson

  “Nazis pulled out at 0400 heading east,” Ian said, and the main screen showed the Nazi compound. People were loading UTVs and pickup trucks with haste. Tapping the keyboard, the screen showed the front gate of the compound. The front gate was destroyed, but two box trucks had been pulled across the opening and a bulldozer had pushed dirt up around them.

  Outside the gate, it was stinkers as far as the camera showed them. “Well, that’s a good reason to leave,” Lilly confessed.

  “Ian, replay the exodus,” Lance said.

  “Told you he would notice,” Ian chuckled, and Jennifer lightly tapped his arm as the camera showed the vehicles being loaded. “That’s no more than a hundred people, mainly women and kids.”

  “It worked,” Lance sighed, watching the vehicles pull out and drive away from the camera. “What’s the camp like now?”

  “Don’t know, they blew it up,” Ian said.

  “Who did?” Lance asked.

  “The Nazis,” Ian answered and tapped the keyboard. The main screen showed the main gate an hour after the group had left. Suddenly, the camera shook and shut off. Tapping the keyboard, Ian looked up at the screen showing the gate from further away. One or possibly both of the box trucks exploded. Then, the buildings leading up the valley blew up one at a time, until the guard house blew up and the screen went black.

  “If they couldn’t have the camp, nobody could,” Jennifer said. “Now we only have to worry about the little dicks again.”

  “Number One,” Lance barked, clasping his hands behind his back.

  “Yes, Captain?” Ian answered, sitting up very straight in the chair. At the transformation of the two, Jennifer levitated out of her chair and stepped back from both of them. Then Lilly looked down and saw Allie and Carrie backing away with wide eyes. Suddenly very nervous, Lilly eased back with them.

  “I think it’s time to break the prime directive, Number One,” Lance said, looking at the screen.

  “Should I notify Star Fleet Command, or make a log entry?”

  “Negative,” Lance replied, holding his head up regally. “Put the hostile stronghold up on the main viewer.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” Ian responded, reaching over and pulling an old cellphone out of a drawer. Pulling a cord over, Ian plugged it in where an antenna should have been on the phone. Flipping the bulky phone open, Ian dialed a number. Everyone heard the ringtone and then a click.

  The main screen blinked and showed an image of Pineville from the same knoll Ian, Lance, and Jennifer had visited. In the valley below, they saw the Devil Lords compound, but surrounding it on all three sides was a vast sea of stinkers.

  “No interference, Captain, and Engine Room is reporting full power,” Ian reported, looking up at the screen.

  “Number One, take us to red alert,” Lance commanded, stepping up behind Ian as he pressed the keypad and the camera zoomed in on the compound. Inside was utter chaos. People were on the walls shooting into the sea of stinkers, but it was like fighting the ocean with a broom. “Number One, it looks like the waterways have been compromised, do you concur?”

  Tapping the keypad, Ian looked up as the camera moved and they could see stinkers floating in the water and others being pushed in by the mass of bodies. “I concur, Captain. Hostile’s compound is nearing breach and waterway is compromised. I recommend direct action,” Ian replied, looking up at the screen.

  Taking a deep breath, “Load a full spread of photon torpedoes, Number One, and raise shields,” Lance commanded.

  With a wide grin and punching the keypad, “Photon torpedoes loaded and on standby, Captain,” Ian smirked.

  “For the Federation, Number One,” Lance said with an evil grin.

  “Always for the Federation, Captain.”

  “Fire photon torpedoes!” Lance barked, and Ian pressed the send key.

  “Photon torpedoes away!” Ian shouted, and everyone heard the first ring. “Tracking shows torpedoes on target!”

  “Steady, Number One,” Lance said, grabbing Ian’s shoulder as they heard another ring and then a click.

  On the screen, a huge explosion rocked the east wall of semi-trailers at the road and then another explosion flashed further down the wall. The stinkers were blown up in the air, but the semi-trailers were blown apart and pushed back, creating an opening in the wall.

  On the west wall, two more explosions flashed. The first barely moved the semi-trailer, but the second blew the trailer in half and flipped it over. “Torpedoes were effective. Hostile’s shields are down, Captain,” Ian laughed. “They are taking evasive action.”

  “Very good Number One, take out their main power core before they cloak. Fire another full spread,” Lance ordered, and Ian hung up the phone.

  Flipping the phone back open, Ian dialed a number and pressed send. “Torpedoes away, Captain. Should I ask transport to beam the leaders up?” Ian asked.

  “Negative, Number One,” Lance barked, as the barrier across the bridge coming into Pineville exploded. Slowly, the stinkers started pouring in and everyone they could see was running for a building. “Number One, prepare to fire phasers at their bridge, and can you ask Data if he can patch us in?”

  Tapping the keypad, “Data reporting he has hacked into their primary computer,” Ian reported. “All phaser banks charged, and on your command, Captain.”

  The screen blinked and showed the inside of a large room with people running around and screaming. “There is our nemesis, Number One,” Lance scowled. “Do you have a lock on him?”

  “Holy shit, that’s Boss Hog!” Jennifer gasped, looking at a giant of a man in the center of a room she could now tell was a school gymnasium.

  “Ensign!” Lance bellowed, turning to Jennifer. Jennifer and the others jumped at the bark and turned to Lance. “You are endangering combat operations during a red alert! You will stay at your station and perform your duties without comment, or I shall relieve you of command!”

  “Ah… yes, Captain,” Jennifer replied meekly, easing behind Lilly who wanted to move out of the way, but couldn’t move with Jennifer holding her.

  “Captain, I have a lock on their bridge!” Ian cheered. “I recommend a full phaser load.”

  Turning back to the screen and clasping his hands behind his back, Lance stood up straight. “I concur Number One,” Lance said, releasing his hands from behind his back, raising his right hand, and then pointing toward the screen. “Fire!” he snapped, and Ian pushed send one more time.

  At the back of the gym, flames erupted in a flash and everyone fell down as the camera shook. “Almost through to the bridge, Captain,” Ian reported, looking at the screen and another explosion shook the camera and the camera shut off. “Hostile bridge destroyed, Captain!”

  “Show me an orbital view on the main viewer if you please, Number One.”

  With a grin ear to ear, Ian tapped the keypad. “Aye, aye, Captain. On main screen.”

  The screen blinked and showed the area from the knoll, and the school was an inferno. The small gaps in the wall of trailers were now wide openings, with stinkers flowing in like water. “Good work, Number One,” Lance crooned, patting Ian’s shoulder.

  After five minutes, there was no spot of Pineville they could see that wasn’t covered in bodies, and stinkers were still cramming inside. “Captain, I recommend a full blast from our main dish,” Ian offered with a serious tone.

  “Are you certain, Number One? Star Fleet will not like this, as our actions stand now.”

  Speaking in a deep voice, Ian glanced back at Lance. “Yes, Captain. We must destroy their ship, so they cannot join the Borg.”

  “Very well, Number One. Fire on your command, but I shall notify Star Fleet in my logs, it was my order.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” Ian said, turning to the screen. “We have a lock,” Ian paused, then pressed send for the last time on the cellphone. “Firing main dish!”

  At the southwest wall under the hill that stood over Pineville, a line of tanker trai
lers exploded. Jennifer knew that knoll was over a mile and a half away as she watched the camera shake and partially fuzz out for a second from the massive explosion.

  When the image cleared, a huge mushroom cloud was lifting up in the air. The town of Pineville was leveled, and the debris was a flaming inferno. “Very good, Number One. Bring us about and leave a warning beacon in place,” Lance said, and Ian tapped the keypad and closed the phone, unplugging the wire from the phone.

  “Coming about, Captain, and all ties to the surface have been cut,” Ian reported. “Warning beacon has been placed. Recommend we stand down from red alert.”

  “Stand down,” Lance concurred, staring at the screen with a lopsided grin.

  “Stand down from red alert,” Ian barked.

  “Uh, Captain?” Jennifer whispered as she peeked around Lilly at Lance, and he turned around.

  “Yes, Ensign?”

  “Warning beacon?” Jennifer asked timidly.

  Turning around to the screen, “Number One, bring up the warning beacon on subspace frequency for the Ensign,” Lance ordered.

  Reaching over to the HAM radios, Ian turned them up and adjusted the dial. “This is highly unusual, Captain,” Ian sighed. “Giving into an Ensign’s wishes.”

  Stepping out from behind Lilly, “Number One!” Jennifer shouted, and Lance spun around.

  Jennifer shot back behind Lilly, hiding. “Ensign, don’t try my patience!” Lance barked. “Number One is performing duties vital to the operation of the Starship Enterprise! Any further breaches in conduct will result in you seeing the inside of the brig under a forcefield.”

  Only peeking from behind Lilly with one eye, “Sorry, Captain,” Jennifer whined.

  Leaning back and talking over his shoulder, Ian continued adjusting the dial of the radio as he spoke in a low voice. “Captain, the Ensign is like a super hottie and we are seeing each other. I would take it as a personal favor if she didn’t go to the brig.”

  Laughing as he turned back to the screen and looked at the total destruction, Lance clasped Ian’s shoulder. “Very well, Number One,” Lance chuckled.

  “Warning on subspace,” Ian reported and turned the volume up.

  The voice of the Borg Queen came from the radio speakers. “Resistance is futile to all who stand against us. We are one. Lay down your arms and leave this area for all time or join those who came before you. Lethal action against you will be your only recourse. We have never shown pity or remorse, nor will we ever. Your warning has been given. Leave and live another day or stay and die today. If you can hear this, then you are in range of our destruction. The wild ones rule here.” A pause came on and the message repeated.

  “Number One, cut feed,” Lance ordered, and Ian turned off the radio. “Set for warp five to Deep Space Nine.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain. Coordinates set and waiting on your mark,” Ian said, pushing back from control.

  A very satisfied expression filled Lance’s face. “Engage,” he said, and Ian stood up, holding out his hand.

  “I told you it would work,” Ian said in his normal tone as Lance shook his hand.

  “We lugged over two hundred pounds of explosives down that mountain, and swam it across that fucking river?” Lance snapped, also speaking in his normal voice as he released Ian’s hand. “I wanted more than ‘I think we can do it’.”

  Sticking her head out from behind Lilly, “Are we at Star Base yet?” Jennifer asked.

  “You heard the engage order,” Ian laughed.

  Stepping out from behind Lilly, “You two did that in two trips?” Jennifer asked, walking up and hugging Ian.

  “Yep, the first two trips were for scouting. It was too big to do in one night,” Ian answered, hugging her back.

  “I’m ashamed it took us two trips to scout,” Lance admitted, heading for the door. “There were so damn many people there, it was hard as hell to sneak around.”

  As Lance left, Jennifer looked up at Ian and grinned. “Number One, you were very sexy,” she said with a coy grin.

  Ian and Jennifer walked out, and Lilly looked down at the ladybugs. “Why were you two acting so scared?”

  “When they do Star Trek and you interrupt, they take direct action,” Carrie warned, nodding fearfully.

  “Yeah,” Allie agreed. “Last time, I wanted to be Counselor Troy, but they said I was a Romulan and duct-taped me to the wall, saying they put a forcefield around me.”

  “Oh,” Lilly mumbled. “Do you know what they were doing, then?”

  Allie and Carrie looked at each other and then back to Lilly. “No,” they said in unison.

  Not believing that for a second, “Oh, I see,” Lilly nodded. “Prime Directive?” Lilly asked, raising her eyebrows.

  Again, they looked at each other, turned to Lilly, and spoke together, “Disobeying the parents.”

  “Whoa,” Lilly stumbled back into the wall. “You know what they were talking about now?” Lilly asked and they both nodded. “What?”

  Allie pointed at the cellphone Ian had used. “They used a cellphone from here,” Allie told her.

  Chapter 11

  Allie and Carrie walked out of the bunker holding hands with Lilly following. “Ladybugs, I think Lance and Ian haven’t been truthful. I think you have helped them on deeds in the past,” Lilly said and the two stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned around.

  “No we haven’t,” they said together.

  Bending at the waist, Lilly leaned down to them and again, not believing them. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say, and I won’t ask again,” she smiled at them. “Do they do Star Trek a lot?”

  “Kinda, but they change who they are,” Allie explained. “They are usually Data, Worf or Geordi.”

  Raising her right eyebrow, “Have they ever let you play?” Lilly asked.

  Looking at each other and then turning back, “No,” they said together. Smiling, Lilly knew that was a lie.

  “You know what I think?” Lilly asked, standing up and the girls shook their heads. “I think when they act like Star Trek, they are doing or planning a bad deed. One that could get them in serious trouble, and they can say they never did it and can believe it.”

  The ladybugs mouths fell open, staring at Lilly. “Uh-ah,” Allie said, shaking her head.

  Smiling at the two, Lilly reached over and rubbed their cheeks. “Thank you,” Lilly said softly.

  “We didn’t say anything,” Carrie mumbled.

  “You named the away team,” Lilly beamed, walking around them. “Most of their deeds are done on site, not directed from the bridge.”

  Taking off after Lilly, Allie and Carrie ran past her on the stairs but then stopped in front of her, turning around. At the same height as Lilly’s face, “You’re wrong,” Allie teased.

  “They weren’t Star Trek at the Nazis,” Carrie grinned.

  Leaning forward, Lilly kissed each one on the tip of the nose and then looked at both of them. “They weren’t going to get in trouble, they didn’t need Star Trek,” Lilly whispered and both girls quit smiling. Realizing now just how much the ladybugs knew did bring a little more fear of them, but Lilly saw a little more into Lance’s world. And Lilly had to admit to herself, she really liked it.

  Moving to walk around the ladybugs, Allie grabbed Lilly’s arm. “Don’t say nothing,” Allie whined with pleading eyes. “I don’t want to be put in the forcefield again.”

  “Me, either,” Carrie said in a tiny voice.

  “Ladybugs, I’ll break their forcefields,” Lilly growled.

  “Jennifer tried last Christmas and got thrown into the void of space,” Carrie said, and Lilly cocked her head, clearly confused. “They threw her into the swimming pool.”

  Nodding with wide eyes, “Lance wanted to transport her. Hold her down and tickle her till she peed her pants and take pictures,” Allie explained. “But he was Data, and Ian was Number One so he was outranked.”

  “Jennifer didn’t know she was interfering with a dee
d, did she?” Lilly asked, and Allie froze to think the question over before slowly shaking her head. “They mess with my ladybugs, and I’ll be the admiral.”

  “Really?” Allie beamed.

  Not smiling, Carrie whined, “Please don’t tell. The forcefield really hurts coming off.”

  With the picture building rapidly, Lilly pinched Carrie’s cheek. “The forcefields, I think, are used when a deed has been discovered.” Watching both girls’ eyes get wide and mouths gape, Lilly smiled. “I think, sometimes they let you know or even help, but don’t tell you what’s going on. But you two, being ladybugs, can hide. When you hide, maybe, just maybe, you hear something and figure it out.”

  Holding her little chin up defiantly, “We’ve never told,” Allie sneered.

  Smiling at the two, Lilly nodded. “Yeah, and that in itself is amazing. Like I said, you two are just a younger version of what’s upstairs.”

  “Huh?” Carrie asked.

  “Come on, we need to start,” Lilly said, pushing them up the stairs and trying not to laugh.

  Walking into the kitchen, Lance handed Lilly a cup of coffee. “Thank you,” she said, as Lance opened the door.

  “Need to get the workout over with,” Lance said, and Lilly nodded.

  Walking out, Jennifer looked up at Ian and he shook his head ‘no’ and Jennifer stuck her tongue out. “Lance,” Jennifer called out, and glanced over at the completed Battle Bot. “Heath’s wife, Robin, said they would move. Can we set up one of the power stations for these Battle Bots at their place?”

  Turning around, “I told them I would build them one, but we need these bots for out there,” Lance said.

  “Lance, after the haul of metal we got, we can make ten more, and we already have the stuff for the power stations,” Jennifer said. “Oh, well, not the acid, but Ian can make that in a few days.”

  “Seven more,” Lance corrected.

  Groaning, “Lance, power? Electricity? How many times have you and Ian said, ‘without it, life is a hundred times harder’?” Jennifer told him. “We need this group to make it, if for no other reason than to help us. I’m tired of you two working your asses into the ground.”