The Tale of the Blood Diamond

by Laveen, Tiana

  “The man who just left, Zarkstormian soldiers, is what you should aspire to be. Xzion is what being a true Zarkstormian leader, Warrior and Intellect is all about. There is no one like him…and I doubt there will ever be another, again…”

  ****

  Jayme pondered over the last words said to her before Cxeza disappeared into the night. She’d given her important information, but along with that was a warning to stay inside of her home and try to relax.

  Yeah, right…

  Zarkstormians seemed to have little sense of human urgency.

  She sat at her kitchen table, holding a mug of hot coffee. Once she was asked by a friend, ‘If it were the end of the world, what would you do?’

  Jayme had immediately responded, ‘Spend it with the ones I love…’

  An angry, bitter smile formed on her lips. She shook her head.

  “The two people I love most ain’t here…” she said aloud.

  She couldn’t call her parents, her girlfriends, her fellow officers; not even her brother and tell them the cold, hard truth. He’d already proven what his next move would be should she come at him like that again. Most people weren’t aware there was even a problem, let alone that it could be the end of the world. The senseless murders from the ‘renegade’ cult had stopped and several people had been arrested, accused of being ringleaders of the whole twisted, tall tale. They had nothing to do with it, but they’d done their own share of murdering and looting, so they were going to prison all the same.

  She looked down into the dark brown liquid, the heat from it caressing her tear streaked face. Suddenly, she shoved the coffee mug away, causing a hot mess and got to her feet. She stormed to the arsenal room of her home and mindlessly shoved her gun and a shit-load of bullets into her pockets.

  “If I’m going to die, I’m going to die blazin’…”

  ****

  “Xzion!” Cxeza’s voice was urgent. Dead Yuledrakes wrapped in odd clothing surrounded her as she examined the damned thing in front of her. She hated to admit it, but felt clueless. All of those years in Warrior military school did not prepare her for such a sight. “It’s not attached to a plane or flying device, it’s actually supposed to be launched, just as you and Aton suggested. It was covered under debris and brush. It’s torpedo shaped, just like the one from Cympas. There is a compartment on the side that I don’t understand; it has a triangular shaped dial.”

  “What is your educated guess about the moderator? Is it as we suspected?”

  “I believe so. There are two chambers on the side, and from the looks of it, and the scent of the air around it, I am surmising the moderators are graphite and heavy water. This one, according to the intelligence I’ve received, is different from the other three that have just been successfully disengaged and destroyed, so even with that, it appears to be three times larger and has a reserve for uranium. ”

  “Fine. I’ve dealt with these before, on a smaller scale of course. The problem, Cxeza, is that they are more than likely several different circuits all going to the same spot. If you disengage the wrong one, it could lead to another detonator that wasn’t even programmed until that action took place. The Yuledrakes are known for these sorts of tricks of the trade. I need to observe and take a close look at what they’ve done. You being close to it is not a hazard based on what you’ve shared. Regardless, be careful. Don’t touch anything. I’m almost there.”

  “Xzion, one more thing… They’ve been around.” She looked cautiously over her shoulder and gripped her automatic gun. “I’ve wasted valuable time killing them when I could have been studying this thing a bit closer, had more information for you.” The heat from her eye still sent waves of electricity throughout her entire frame. It was red hot to the touch, from extended use. She’d have to start shooting soon.

  “But they’ve hesitated in launching this one and the third one was disengaged by troop H7A, two minutes before our current contact. We can use this to our advantage. Stay strong, Cxeza.”

  “I felt it was odd they hadn’t launched or ignited, either. We beat them to the other sites, however. I was hoping it was just a lucky break.”

  “Not on your life. As my mate would say, there are no such things as coincidences. Knowing Jatorn like I do, and understanding the bomb in place, this one has the potential to blow up the entire planet all by itself. He didn’t want them to waste time on the other coordinates since his plan backfired, and he was so certain I was bringing my child to him in exchange for the bombs being disengaged. He had no idea our cure was contingent upon my child. If he had, he would’ve planned this differently, seeing as we’d never sacrifice our entire race for him to have a new play thing in the form of my son. He should’ve listened to Vex…Anyway, he sent his troops all to the one in Russia they planted. That is why you are seeing so much Yuledrake activity. Work it to your advantage…

  “Their leader is dead. They are running lawless, and clinging to a chance to still come out ahead. Their desperation will play right into my hand. They also know they can’t get off the planet in time before this one explodes. They aren’t exactly eager to follow the dead man’s wishes; that would be a suicide mission and remember, Yuledrakes look out for themselves, and themselves only. This isn’t how this was supposed to go, it was to be done remotely, but that’s all over now. Zahar and you not only killed their leader, we killed their entire team of technicians and engineers.”

  Oh my goodness, he’s right…

  “More are gathering again across the mountain, but they aren’t coming forward just yet.”

  “They wouldn’t be standing around there, vulnerable to attack, if they had intentions to launch right away… They are plotting, working on demands or some plan of extortion. I’ve dealt with them far too long to not understand the nature of this beast.”

  “All I know for certain is that I have to disengage this damn thing so that they have no leverage at all! It’s driving me crazy, but I look at this Xzion, and it is perplexing. I am stumped! I’d turn it off, destroy it, but I don’t know how.” She tried to not sound so flustered, but was certain she’d flopped. “Please, talk me through it. I can do it if you talk me through it!”

  “We don’t have time for that, too many things could go wrong and it requires more physical force than you may have, despite your best efforts. It has to be elevated off the ground, rested evenly, and one tip, even one tiny centimeter, in the wrong direction could be disastrous.”

  She exhaled deeply as thoughts of Jayme ran through her mind. She promised herself she’d protect her sister-in-law, and she didn’t want to fail. She’d never be able to look her parents or Aton in the face if she did fall flat and, worst of all, she’d never be able to forgive herself for letting little Zachary down.

  “Listen to me, I need you to lead them away. I need you to send word back to Baltimore, to the Zarkstormian troops under your command that are still at Maryland base, to prepare for early departure. You said earlier that the Lyalts are working with us, versus against us. That will work just fine. Lead them towards the Lyalts.”

  “But they—”

  “Just do it! Trust me on this!”

  Xzion disconnected the call, leaving Cxeza standing there with three Zarkstormian soldiers by her side. They looked off into the hills of the mountains in Russia, and saw tiny moving specks as more and more Yuledrakes descended the area. She lowered her head, contemplated, then set her narrowed eyes on the prize. Every fiber of her being prepared to go into the deepest trenches of battle. She leisurely nodded her head, then pointed to each of them. The three men charged to their positions, moving away from the bomb, lest they blow the damned thing up from the series of actions to come. The hills brightened in crimson light, and they waited patiently for the fuckers to draw near. Taking her phone in her grip, the wind whipping past her face like a cold belt, she felt nothing anymore as she made possibly the last call of her life…

  “Report to station HJ95. Form a squad. Lead to Lyalt territor
y. Inform Bosi of situation. Report to Zarkstorm immediately after drop off.” She disconnected the call, looked casually over her shoulder at her trio of Zarkstormian soldiers and nodded. The silvery blood bath poured, and the epic, treacherous slaughter launched…

  ****

  Jayme was certain of one thing as she stood on the icicle-covered rooftop looking down into the dark, stinking alleyway: she no longer liked the color silver. Seven dead Yuledrakes lay stinking in their own juices as the hours wore on. Her gun was still hot and her temper massaged when they’d spotted her and charged a wee bit sooner than she was ready. Lucky for her, she worked best under pressure and at least, in this moment, she was receiving her dying wish. They were resilient little fuckers, and their fangs were something that only the Devil himself could appreciate. The night had turned unseasonably cold, as if the mouth of the North pole had opened, and exhaled on all of D.C. The evening had started with a dull warmth, but that was now just a distant memory. Ice was forming everywhere, and at times, she’d lost her footing. Despite all of that, she was in a prime location.

  She could see practically the whole area from up there on top of the roof of the old coat factory in Anacostia. For once in this whole ordeal, she felt in control again, in charge. Sometimes however, seeing more of something was not necessarily pleasing. Something was moving about. She could feel it, so much so, the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. Her naked eye failed her, but her sixth sense did not. What was most disturbing however were dark shadows that continued to pass; shadows with no master, no owner to the damn things, as if they were an entity within themselves…

  She didn’t know what they were or what they wanted, and as fast as her heart was beating, her body didn’t want to stay and find out. But… she couldn’t just bail. She slumped down, peering over the edge of the building. In the distance, she distinctly heard a slithering sound, like that of a snake making its deadly path through a bed of wet leaves. Everywhere she turned, she saw nothing.

  Where is that coming from?

  She got to her feet. Placing her gun in front of herself, she turned slowly in three-hundred and sixty degree circles, her eyes and ears fully alert. The streetlights illuminated half the dank area, but the other half was eaten by a dark mass, the shadow of a nearby building that stood a couple stories higher. Jayme continued to canvas the area. Whatever it was still hovered there, waiting. The noise suddenly stopped, and in that half-second of silence, her thoughts immediately jumped to how she now hated fucking alleys, too! That was where these terrestrial secret battles and wars were held, or the bowels of places where no one in their right mind dared to step foot in, let alone dwell inside. Xzion had clued her in real quick of the alien activity since the beginning of time on her planet. Aliens were rarely spotted, and there was a reason for that — because they understood their own nature, and human nature, too. It was best to never allow a human being to see you, even while in disguise. They took care of their work, their activities of torture, their research and mayhem, and went along their way.

  Well, maybe I was wrong. I may have spooked myself…could’ve been just an animal…

  The half moon seemed to smile down on her as she held onto a glimmer of hope that maybe, by some slight chance, she would survive this and kiss her husband and child again. Just maybe, God heard her prayer, and just maybe, she’d wake up from this the following day and it would be over. She danced the line of skeptic and believer on a daily basis, but the loud scraping sound of a rusty gate down below made her push her spiritual beliefs aside, and stand at the feet of the tangible. Now, ‘it’ had her full attention. The oddest thing occurred…it sounded as if someone, or possibly some thing, was climbing the building. Step after step after step, it came closer and closer, the scratchy noises like multiple long nails along a crude chunk of rough brick.

  Jayme stood back and focused. Her lips partially ajar, she sucked in all the air she could muster and waited for whatever it was to reveal itself. She didn’t have to wait long…

  One long, skeletal hand came over the side of the roof, gripping it tight, and then the other. Before she could make heads or tails of the towering beast, she screamed out in horror once she realized who’d come to pay her a visit…another damned Morphitian! But this was no ordinary Morphitian. It was far worse than the one she’d blasted away in the discomfort of her master suite, as if that were visually possible. This one was larger, and the stench that came off of its body almost bowled her over. The rankness reminded her of death boiling in some pot, covered in the bowels of something rancid and disease ridden. His half naked physique was covered in tattered, loose clothing and his eyes looked like windows to Hell itself.

  “Greetings, Officer Jayme Khrome,” it spoke. Its mouth parted and a thick curtain of gray saliva clung from the top of its black, rubbery toad like lips. Vermin crawled out from between its jagged teeth and across its lengthy, pasty tongue. Jayme fought the nausea that had suddenly taken over as the fear inside of her grew at an exponential rate. She didn’t have the special weapon for the beast on her person! No laser gun, no grenade… How could she be so foolish and careless as to leave them behind? She’d left the house in a huff with only one enemy on her mind — the Yuledrakes — and now here she stood, facing her greatest fear. Per Xzion’s instruction, she kept that special ‘treat’ by the side of her bed, and it had saved her life that fateful night. Morphitians were hard to kill any other way… so she now knew one thing above all others: she was good as dead.

  The monster bowed at the waist, as if thanking her for a hearty applause. “My name is Vex, and you took something quite precious from me. So now, I’m going to take everything from you. I’ve come to feast, and you are the only thing on my menu…”

  ****

  Xzion stepped over severed flesh and stomped on top of bodies. If he had time, he would’ve gloated. His sister was a beast, and his respect for her towered higher as he surveyed the dead fuckers in her wake. She was gone, no doubt completing the next part of the task, and here he was, under a red sky, the air so cold it made him feel as if he were enjoying an ice bath for old time’s sake. He didn’t miss that there was a diamond mine in the not too far distance.

  He turned towards the bomb. It had been created with the stellar precision he’d anticipated, but despite its fancy presentation, it was still just what it was — an atomic bomb with the power to destroy all in its path, as well as to blow the face off of the entire human world. He stooped low to the damned thing, and his core thumped like a marching band in Hell. He hadn’t had the heart to tell his sister, but he already knew that the damned thing was on a timer…

  Something she’d said made it crystal clear: There is a compartment on the side that I don’t understand; it has a triangular shaped dial…

  There was no need to get her upset, and besides, he needed her to do what she did best: annihilate. Regardless of the species, Xzion figured he was slightly sexist, especially based on his observations of the similarities of Earthling women and Zarkstormian women. Though both were quite beautiful, Zarkstormian women a bit less flawed in aesthetic appearance and rarely having weight challenges, the internal system was where the similarities lay. Women, though equally intelligent to their male counterpart and just as good in battle, could be a bit high-strung, and he didn’t want the poor woman distracted. He knew she cared a great deal, regardless of the fact she never said it and rarely showed it.

  “You did real good, sis,” he whispered.

  He grunted as he gripped the back of the thing and, with all of his strength, scooted it higher. Carefully, he slid it over, his hands glossing over the thing as if it were pottery. Sweat trickled down the side of his face until he found the code box. His fingers moved quickly, his breath hitched as he watched the numbers flying frantically on the now exposed timer box. He knew someone out there had a remote to turn the damned thing off, but maybe they were dead as well. It didn’t matter anymore; right here and now, he was in this alone. The continuous swe
at trickles that made their way down to his trembling lips reminded him every second, on the second, that chances were high his blood would sprinkle all over Russia as his final testament.

  Jayme…Zachary…

  He kept them steady in his thoughts, his incentive to not sink into despair. The complicated formula of the thing blew him away. Nothing was where it should be, just as he suspected as well. But math was universal, and so was science until you put those same principles in foreign environments. That was when things changed, and that was exactly what happened here. Though constructed similarly to a man-made atomic bomb, there were extra nuisances, a system in place so that with every disengaged area that Xzion disconnected and stopped, there was another, and yet another back-up.

  “Fuck!”

  He dug his fingertips into another smaller black box. Sparks flew as his flesh singed.

  Zachary…Jayme…

  He said their names over and over in his mind and pressed on. He glared over the intricate pieces, dissecting the shit, looking deep behind layers and layers of wires and outlets and yes, booby-traps. Finally, he reached the smallest area, the last one, and for fear that the damn thing would roll over and crush him, he got to his feet and raced to the other side.

  “Oh my God…”

  There was yet another box by the one to disengage, and he then realized, it was a set-up. By outward appearances, they looked alike, but one of them would destroy all of his hard work and force him to start the process all over again. Choosing the right one would cease it all, render the damned thing useless. Slumping to his knees, his fingers bleeding, he wiped the sweat out of his eyes with the back of his hand and examined them closely.

  This was nothing like the American movies or bomb detonation; it more resembled things he’d learned in his intensive training. There was no magic wire here to snap so it would all be over, the day saved. No, this was far messier, riskier…a fucking nightmare. He kept studying it closer and closer, and also understood that even if there were two of these motherfuckers, and thank goodness there weren’t, they undoubtedly would not be exactly alike. No bombs were; they favored siblings — all different in their own way, only this was a special stork delivery no one wanted…