“On the contrary, the asteroid belt may be one of the best places to find such a postman Lt. Chu!” Capt. Gorr replied with a certain amount of excitement, as the kernel of an idea started forming in his mind. “Lt. Marcos, I believe it is your line of specialty to keep track of NEOs?”
“That is correct captain. I head the ‘Navigation Hazards’ group on this ship, and one of the tasks we perform is regularly query the mainframe for any imminent hazards on our path. To be honest, it is more of an operational formality laid down by USC, rather than any real hazard that we face in space. The probability of encountering a small object in open space is next to zero.
“However, we do have to take the procedures seriously when we get close to Earth. There are a lot of unaccounted debris that floats close to the orbit of Earth and the Moon. The Navigation Hazards database does have an extensive record of every known NEOs or ‘Near Earth Objects’ for the uninitiated – from rocks a few meters wide to asteroids that are kilometers in size. What information are you looking for captain?” Lt. Svetlana Marcos asked.
“I am looking for a calendar of Meteor showers that is expected to rain down on Earth in the next one year. I believe astronomers make such calendars. More specifically I am looking for something that would move from the Asteroid belt towards the Earth and shower down on the Earth!” Capt. Gorr replied.
There was an expression of understanding on Lt. Marcos’s face and those of other crew members as they finally understood what their captain had in mind. Svetlana’s face though looked disappointed as she replied. “I am afraid I might have to throw a bit of cold water on that idea sir, although I must admit that it is otherwise a good one. The origin of almost all meteor showers is from comets originating way out in the Kuiper belt sir, not from an asteroid in the Asteroid belt. The bigger issue though is this, sir. Almost all the meteors that shower on Earth are pieces of debris that already exist and have been floating the orbit for tens, hundreds or even thousands of years along the path that Earth takes around the sun. Earth simply ploughs into this debris field left by some comet trail. It is extremely rare for a comet to release debris that directly hits Earth.”
“Yes, that may be true, and you know it because we have been studying meteor showers for hundreds of years. What is the chance that the demons know these details about the origin of meteor showers? The demons have been orbiting Earth for just a few years, and all that their computers would have noted would be that Earth regularly gets bombarded with debris floating in space, which forms spectacular meteor showers and occasional meteorite rocks that fall intact on the surface. Does that make sense to you?” Capt. Gorr countered Svetlana’s objection.
“You are perhaps right captain. Unless some demon scientist on board that super ship has been studying the meteor phenomena over earth for the last few years, it is very likely that they won’t suspect debris floating from the Asteroid belt towards Earth… as long as the debris does not take a very unnatural trajectory.” Svetlana concurred.
“You are right on that Svetlana, and I have some ideas on that which I am going to develop along with the engineers. You can be sure, we will need a lot of inputs from you about a plausible trajectory that would not arouse too much suspicion.” Capt. Gorr said, and then turned to his XO Lt. Lt. Göker Terzi. “In the meanwhile, XO I want you to draw up a list of specific geographical locations on Earth, where we can send out mail and hope to be able to reach the people who may be in charge of running affairs on Earth. Keep in mind that if there are still humans on Earth, they may be hiding and fighting a resistance battle. We have to choose locations accordingly, which would get the attention of those resistance leaders.”
“Yes sir, I will get on the task right away, although I know the exact place in my country and hometown Istanbul, which is sure to get the attention of the Turks if they still inhabit that city.” Lt. Terzi replied grimly not being able to contemplate a picture of his beloved city empty of human beings.
–XXX–
Almost three months after the arrival of the Patagonia at Asimov in the asteroid belt, a space rock the size of a house not very far from Asimov started moving. The movement initially was minuscule, not discernible by human eyes. Within a day though, the rock was moving at a fair clip with a trajectory that was slowly spiraling inwards towards the sun. The force exerted to move the huge rock was minuscule in comparison to its mass – just about enough to slide a glass of water over a smooth table top. In space however, even such a small force added up and accumulated into enough momentum to be able to take the rock on an intercept course towards Earth in less than a year.
A casual observation of the rock would have missed the tiny amount of propulsion being applied to the rock. It would seem that the rock was moving without guidance and with whatever momentum it already had due to whatever random interactions it may have had with other rocks in the past. In reality the rock was being course corrected, guided and propelled at all times.
Embedded deep inside the rock was a reaction less drive taken from a spy drone kept in the holds of the Patagonia. Reaction less drives not just do away with expelling reaction mass. They don’t even need to be placed external to a ship – or a rock in this case! Since a reaction less drive is not pushing reaction mass away into space, but pushing against the very fabric of SpaceTime, they can be embedded deep inside a ship or a rock and work just fine! The tiny push of a small reaction less drive was perfectly appropriate for the purpose. Any more push from an engine propelling the rock would have made its trajectory conspicuous and suspicious. The reaction less drive inexorably pushed and guided the rock towards planet Earth, with the help of passive sensors installed on the surface of the rock.
When the rock finally hit the atmosphere of Earth, it was timed such that it would be over the largest landmass on Earth – Eurasia. The rock heated up on entry into the atmosphere, and was helpfully broken up by a tiny amount of explosive embedded deep within the rock. This led to the scattering of large chunks of rock, all the way from central Europe to western China. A few of the chunks released from the rock were special. On being released from the rock, they lit up their own propulsion rockets and deployed wings out of their cylindrical bodies. Each one of them then headed towards their own pre-programmed destination.
This last act of the chunks of rock did not go unnoticed. Despite the hopes of the crew of the Patagonia, the lighting up of the rockets released from the rock was not masked by the re-entry heat and the breakup of the rock from the sensitive sensors of the satellites deployed by the demons over Earth. The computer on board the Hunting Shell Ravenous flagged the anomalous behavior and brought it to the notice of the Master of Watch on board the ship. Since the anomalous objects were already inside the Earth’s atmosphere, they could not be easily shot down from space. Instead the landing sites of the objects were tracked, and investigation parties were dispatched to all the landing locations.
Chapter 5
The Battle of Bosporus
2197
Old city of Istanbul
“Where the hell is the Tajik Brigade?! Those Greeks are getting hammered! We need to open up a flank to relieve pressure on the Greeks.” Chinggis shouted at the top of his voice to make himself heard over the rumbling sound of the nearby collapsing building.
That building collapse itself would have trapped or killed over ten Greeks from the Sparta Regiment. The Sparta regiment had been formed by surviving Greek soldiers and some Bulgarian and Macedonian stragglers. The Sparta regiment was all that was left of the Greek forces manning the borders between Greece and Turkey. It wasn’t truly a regiment sized fighting force. The Sparta regiment barely had four hundred fighters, but they were almost all professional soldiers. Chinggis valued their fighting skills and professionalism, unlike the Tajik Brigade which was basically a rabble of zealots who had ridden on horsebacks across central Asia, looking for adventure.
“The Tajik brigade had taken the opportunity to offer Namaz in the Sulemani mosque, my Sayy
id. Whatever is left of the ruins of the Sulemani mosque that is. The Tajiks have been eager to visit the famous mosques in the city from the time they arrived here.” Chinggis’s aide informed him.
“Well get those bunch of zealots on the radio, and tell them that if they are so eager to meet their Maker, then rather than wasting time in praying they should come here and fight the demons. That is the most sure shot way for them to reach their Maker quickly.” Chinggis bristled in anger. He was fed up with these undisciplined militia gathering from across the region.
If he had any other option, he would have kicked all of them out of the battle theater. Unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury. There were never enough human fighters willing to make an assault on the demons, and he had to work with what he had. A rabble of zealots had their uses, if used in the correct place and the right circumstances. Chinggis had exactly the right use of the Tajik brigade in mind, if only he could get those fighters to behave even slightly like an organized fighting force.
Ramadan, Chinggis’s aide returned from the radio after a few minutes. “My Sayyid, the Tajiks are on their way and ask for deployment instructions.”
Chinggis took Ramadan to a map taped on the wall and pointed on it. “You see these two streets running all the way from the water up towards Ayasofya? Those are the two streets that the demons are taking. I suspect their target is the same as ours - the landing site. The Greeks happened to be stationed in that sector, and they have defended it well so far. I am afraid though, that they will not be able to hold on for too long. There are just too many of the demons for the Greeks to handle. I am afraid that the Greeks would be overwhelmed soon. The demons are not taking the bait for their usual hunting games that these demons so love to play. So, our usual tricks are not working.
“I think that the demons are under orders to secure the landing site and prevent us from going anywhere near it. That is why, I think, they have dispensed with all the subtle tactics that they usually employ while hunting us. This time they are simply blasting their way towards the landing site. You know the labyrinthine streets of Istanbul, the Tajiks don’t. So, you will have to guide and direct them. You will guide the Tajik brigade to these two streets, which will lead them through here, and open up on the two streets that the demons are advancing on.” Chinggis pointed the path on the map with his fingers.
“The Tajiks should emerge at the flanks of the advancing demons, almost to their rear. That should provide enough distraction to slow down the advance of the demons and provide some relief to the Greeks. Those Tajiks are brawlers, not a disciplined fighting force, but that is perfect for the objective. Ask the Tajiks to stay on their horses and make a mounted charge on the demons. They will be able to inject enough chaos on the scene for the Greeks to pick off a few of the demons from a distance.” Chinggis concluded.
“I beg your forgiveness in advance for my impudence, my Sayyid. It is not my place to tell you anything about battle tactics, but I am forced to say this…” Ramadan hesitated, but saw the encouraging look on the face of Chinggis and dared to continue. “It is just this… that horses don’t charge very well on those steep slopes of the old city, paved with cobble stones. They slip, and they panic, and cannot build up speed.” Ramadan winced half expecting to be blasted for trying to teach tactics to this legend of a general.
“You are right Ramadan, it is not your place to teach me tactics.” Chinggis replied and Ramadan’s face fell. “It is your duty! If this old warhorse starts getting rusty, it is for young Turks like you to pick up the slack and tell it like it is.” Chinggis smiled broadly, seeing the relief in Ramadan’s face. “Normally you would be right. However, these aren’t normal times are they, Ramadan? I don’t expect the Tajiks to be very effective, and to be honest, just between you and me, I am using them as cannon fodder. I want them to go mounted on their horse, not because it will make them any more effective, it will probably hinder them from moving around nimbly. I want their horses to present a target to the demons.
“So far the demons on those streets have resisted the urge to go on a hunt and pursued their objective with a sharp focus. These demons have hunted enough humans. Hunting humans in no longer a novelty to them. I am hoping that when they see a new animal, one which most of the demons out here haven’t seen before, and that new animal has a lethal human sitting on it, presenting a challenging hunting target to them, then at least some of the less experienced or less disciplined demons may not be able to resist the urge to chase them for a hunt. We need to give Mehmet as much time and as best a chance of reaching the landing site before the demons as we possibly can.” Chinggis explained.
“I understand the importance of the mission, my Sayyid. I will not fail you.” Ramadan replied.
“Ramadan, you are only a guide to the Tajiks, please remember that. Do not, and I repeat, do not enter the fight along with them. That is an order. You are to lead them through those streets and then head back before they begin their assault. This is a suicide mission, and I am not ready to lose you. I want to be able to meet the gaze of your father, the next time I meet him. Is that clear, soldier?” Chinggis asked sternly.
It was Ramadan’s father who had given him the honorific of the ‘Sayyid’, which in Arabic referred to a respected and honored leader. Ramadan’s family were Arabic. They were immigrants from Syria, who had fled a particularly vicious and tyrannical despot at the turn of the twenty first century, when that country had descended into decades of strife, chaos and civil war.
“I understand, my Sayyid. I will do as you order. I was wondering though about the chances of Mehmet, my Sayyid. The demons are keeping a strict watch from the skies on the landing site. They have blown away anyone who has tried to approach it so far. What makes you so confident that Mehmet will succeed where, so many others have failed?” Ramadan asked.
“This is Istanbul, young Ramadan. This is our city, not the demons’. We have been fighting, hiding and squirreling away in this city for over two thousand years. There are many more ways to reach any place in Istanbul than meets the eye.” Chinggis replied with a twinkle in his eyes.
–XXX–
Mehmet’s eyes were blurry with the sweat that fell into his eyes from his brows. He couldn’t believe how hot it was out here. It would be hard to believe that just fifty feet above, the air was so cold that he would be shivering in the November chill. No one had told him about this – how much heat human excrement generates as it slowly decomposes. When he had entered the tunnel, he had been dreading the stench. He had been given oxygen masks because the air inside a sewage drain can quickly turn poisonous. Methane and carbon dioxide build up is common inside sewage drains, which can quickly knock out a human and kill them in short order. His oxygen mask was meant to protect him against that danger.
He had also been warned that the oxygen mask cannot fully keep out the stench and the foul odor of a sewage drain. The smell of human excrement always finds a way to creep inside the mask and into the nostrils. He and his companions had been warned that it would be a really bad idea to throw up inside their masks. If they couldn’t help it, then they were to take off their masks momentarily and throw up. A few minutes of breathing the foul air would not be fatal to them. What no one had warned them against was the heat.
He had gotten used to wading through the slushy water, and forced himself constantly not to remember that the slushy water was full of human shit. His guide ahead held up his hand to signal the party to halt. He pulled out a stethoscope, the kind used by doctors, held it to the wall of the drain and listened intently for almost fifteen seconds. Satisfied with whatever he heard, he motioned the party forward, but kept motioning his right hand towards the wall and the ceiling. He then pointed his flashlight at a point close to the ceiling on the wall, and Mehmet noticed an opening. It was more of a hole, a place where the ceiling seemed to have caved in.
One of the fighters came forwards and lifted their guide up. The guide got a grip of the edge of the hole, and th
e fighter gave him a push. The guide could scramble up into the hole. The guide in turn, held his hand out and helped the others climb up the hole. There was a drastic change in temperature. The air was still damp, but cold here and the foul stench of human excrement had vanished! They were now inside an underground aquifer – one of the hundreds that dotted the old city of Istanbul. Many of the aquifers were natural, which had been enhanced by the residents of the city during the course of its two millennia of continuous habitation, others were completely man made, like the famous Basilica Cistern, towards which they were heading.
This particular aquifer was originally a natural one, Mehmet was told, and was just a minor water storage tunnel less than a hundred meters long, nothing spectacular. It was probably as old as the city, and was most likely expanded and repaired over the centuries before it was abandoned and went into disuse in the last few centuries. From here, they would exit out of a well into the ruined courtyard of an old house, which had been destroyed in the fighting. From there on, they would scamper inside the ruined house to locate an escape tunnel, which was probably built by some Roman nobleman as a means of escape in case of a restive citizenry rising in rebellion. That escape tunnel would lead them to another house, which had been a minor museum before the alien invasion, and now was just another ruined old building. That would lead them to another underground water cistern.
That underground water cistern, in turn would lead them to a passage that was famous in history. It was the underground escape passage used by emperor Justinian himself to escape from the wrath of the ordinary people. The ordinary Roman people in turn had taken out their anger on the old church under which that passage was built, by burning it down to the ground. That had led emperor Justinian to try and appease the citizenry by building the most marvelous and largest domed structure ever built till that date, and was to stay so for another thousand years till the renaissance – the Ayasofya. It was also the destination of Mehmet.
Game Reserve: Earth (Shaitan Wars Book 5) Page 10