Tides of Mars (Omnibus Version)

by Ben Winston

  “I am not threatening anyone. I am simply informing all of you of the current situation. After the war has been resolved, we can work out the details of government. But rest assured, I will protect this planet with my life. If I have to, I will even protect it from itself.

  “If any of you believe that now would be a good time to strike out at your neighbors, think again. I do not have time to deal with your petty squabbles right now, so every act of aggression perpetrated by any state against another will be met with immediate, and deadly, consequences.

  “Now, I have about an hour or so that I can answer your questions. I will point out however, that if you wish to communicate with us you may do so through the United Nations. I will not favor any country over the others, nor will I open a private dialogue with any of you. I simply have too much to deal with right now.

  “Highness, the English Prime Minister, Lady Helena Chatsworth, spoke first,” Cole said.

  “Lady Chatsworth, what can I do for you?” Ariel asked.

  “Young Woman, do you honestly expect us to believe this codswallop? How did you get this number?” Lady Chatsworth said.

  “Whether you choose to believe me or not is irrelevant My Lady. I have taken the time to attempt to give you the courtesy of informing you of coming events. I've already told you how to verify if I'm telling the truth or not. Next Question please.”

  “Highness, the Premier of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea; Kim Jong-de.” Cole announced.

  Ariel bowed. “Premier Kim.”

  “This is clearly an attempt by the Americans to undermine the superiority...” Ariel cut him off.

  “Premier Kim. Although I was born in the United States, I do not claim any allegiance to it. The only thing I am attempting to do is impart information to you so you can be prepared for what is coming, that is all. I am not asking you for anything, nor do I want anything from you or the Sovereign people of North Korea. I offer information, nothing more.”

  “Yet you threaten me with military retaliation if we continue our attempt to consolidate our nation. This is unacceptable.” Premier Kim finished.

  “You are invading your brethren to the south, Premier Kim. You are not 'consolidating' anything. If your nation performs any further hostile acts, I will destroy your ability to wage offensive war. That is not to single out your nation, Premier. That is a promise to every nation on Earth as of this moment. You will have twenty-four hours to pull back any forces to a safe distance, but any hostile offensive action will be promptly dealt with. Next question, please.”

  Before the hour was out, Ariel was notified that there had been several fly-bys by US Air Force fighters, as well as several UAVs and UCAVs. There had also been several heavy transport planes sent from Twenty-Nine Palms. While the US did get a turn asking a question, they spent the time informing Ariel of all the laws she had just broken and that she would surrender herself and her weapons as soon the appropriate forces arrived.

  She couldn't help it; she laughed at him. The elected idiot really was living up to his name. She reminded him to caution his troops about the force field and called for the next question. By the time she called a halt, many of the leaders had actually verified the existence of the Divine Light visually and were screaming at her to get her attention.

  She sighed and hung up. I guess the chaos would be starting at the federal level all over the world. A grinning scanner tech at one of the consoles informed her that the old nuclear powered Curiosity rover on Mars had turned and had begun accelerating to the south.

  The only installation on the planet was several hundred miles to the north of where the Rover had been examining rocks. She wondered if she should have someone call NASA and ask them if they wanted a shuttle to run out and pick it up so it could actually watch what was happening, but thought better of it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Imperial Estates; House Parker

  Henderson, Nevada, USA

  Earth (Sol III)

  Sol Sector (Horon A)

  Empire of Stars.

  “You heard me, Captain. No one is to fire at those idiots. However, I do want you to render aid if you can safely do so. However, do not let anyone inside the perimeter,” mKail said clearly.

  “I understand, Milady. They have nothing that can penetrate the shield, but it's still hard to just sit here and watch them attack,” the man on the other end replied.

  “I know, Captain. I'd be tempted as well, but the differences in our forces is so bad that this would be like attacking citizens wielding pitchforks and clubs,” mKail replied.

  “Yeah, I know. Plenty of them are going to get hurt too. But, Her Highness did warn them. We also had maintenance post signs on the outside of the fence warning of the danger. However, I do have to admit, I am impressed with these Terran’s. From what I've seen so far, they're very disciplined, and professional. I was going to ask you if there was a way we could get the Colonel back down here to talk to them before the stupidity begins.”

  “I'll ask, but don't hold your breath. How soon do you think it'll be before they start shooting?” mKail asked.

  “I honestly couldn't tell you, Milady. I don't know enough about their doctrine,” the Captain replied. “We were going to dress Condel up so they could tell she was a medic and send her out to talk to them. She understands their language better than the rest of us.”

  “Hmm, that might be a good idea, but I don't want her put into a position where she can be captured or fired on. She if she can at least delay them until I can get someone else down here,” mKail said.

  “Can-do Milady. We'll get right on it.”

  “Command out,” mKail said, and turned to one of the techs. “Reese, can you get me Colonel Janis?”

  “Yes, Milady,” the tech replied. In seconds, she turned back. “I have the Colonel for you, Milady.”

  “Thank you, Reese. Colonel, Captain Br'aset asked if there would be a way for you to come down here and talk to the Marines that are surrounding the estate?”

  “Ariel just dumped a ton of work on us up here, but you know, I think that might actually be helpful. Do you know who's in command of the Earth forces?” Luke asked.

  “We've been monitoring their communications, and from what we can tell, the overall commander is a General Neil McCallister. However, the person on the ground out here is a Colonel James Grady. Do you recognize either of them?”

  “Jim Grady! You've got to be kidding me! He's from my old unit! He's one of the guys I was going to be looking up anyway. As for the honcho, I've met the General a few times, and he seemed like a nice enough guy; maybe I can reason with them. Tell, Br'aset to try to keep them talking, and I'll catch the next shuttle down. Hold it, Br'aset doesn't speak English; who's he got doing the talking?”

  “The Medic, Condel. He said she's the only one that can speak with them fluently.”

  “She's a good choice. Just don't let her put herself at risk. Please have her ask the Marines to pass a message to their Colonel that Luke Janis would like to talk to him, and that I'm on the way,” Luke said.

  “Okay, see ya soon. Uh, will Ariel or Bri'tell be back soon?” mKail asked.

  Luke could be heard chuckling. “I think so, but I don't know, Sweetheart. I do know both of them miss you and wish you were with them. Even Cr'ale asked about you.”

  “Huh! I must be in trouble again. Well, they can't hang me until my duty shift is over. We'll be expecting you, Colonel,” mKail said.

  “Somehow, I don't think you'll mind the kind of trouble Ariel and Bri'tell have for you. See you soon, Sweetheart. Be safe down there,” Luke said making mKail blush again.

  She had just gotten the blush under control when Reese told her that she'd gotten the Captain back for her. Once she'd relayed the orders to the captain, mKail took a seat and sipped her tea. This was going to be a long day.

  “You heard all that, right?” Br'aset asked.

  “Yes Sir. So, I should just walk up to the edge of the for
ce shield and holler at one of them, right?” Condel asked. “I still think I could get a better response if I wear one of those bikini things some of the women use for swimming.”

  Br'aset chuckled. “Oh, I have no doubt. But that isn't the image we want to project here. Just go out there, get their attention, and try to pass the message on for the Colonel. The longer we can keep them talking, the longer it'll be before they start shooting.”

  Condel nodded. “I understand. I'll do my best, Sir.”

  “Be sure to keep an eye on the heat. You're going to have your helmet off a lot, and I don't want to have to drag you back here!” Br'aset said as she made sure the armband with the red cross on it was in place, put her helmet under one arm, slung her pulse rifle, and began the hundred yard walk to the edge of the shield.

  “Condel!” Br'aset called, and she turned around. “Leave the rifle, you shouldn't need it, and you still have your sidearm.”

  “Ell-tee!” one of the grunts yelled. When the man spun around, the man pointed. Across the hot desert floor someone could be seen walking towards them from the wall surrounding their objective. It was impossible to see what he was wearing because of heat distortion, but it glinted and shone like shiny medieval armor.

  He raised his binocs to look, and sure enough, there was someone walking out to them. He was a she, however. She didn't appear to be armed and was wearing the armband of a medic. She was also carrying something under one arm, but he couldn't tell what it was yet.

  “RAMERES!” the Lieutenant called.

  “Sir?” the medic said from behind him. He'd forgotten the pretty Hispanic woman was there.

  “For some odd reason, their medic is walking out here. Go on out there and see what she wants. Leave your weapon though, she looks unarmed,” the Ell-tee said. “Don't worry, we'll cover you. Set your squad radio to VOX (voice operated transmit) and we'll listen in.”

  The shorter woman looked out across the desert. Opening a cooler, she grabbed two cold bottles of water. “It's hot out there Sir.”

  The Ell-tee nodded. “That it is, carry on, Marine.”

  “Hoorah!” Rameres said as she shifted the Radio over, then replaced her helmet. She also pulled on her Red Cross arm band. When she was twenty feet away, she said. “Radio check.”

  “Loud and clear, Charlie. We got ya covered,” her squad leader replied. “Thompson, keep your scope on the inbound. Prescott keep an eye Charlie, if she looks like she's in trouble, sound off, but do not fire!”

  The Lieutenant nodded silent approval of the sergeant’s orders, and watched both women through the binocs. He had to remind himself many times that the cute ass he was watching was attached to one of his Marines.

  To take his mind off of the Corporal's posterior, he focused on the other woman. He immediately noticed the size difference and wondered if he should have sent someone else. Rameres stood about five feet one inch, while the armored woman had to be at least six-five! Damn! Who are these people!

  He noticed that the big woman had stopped and was waiting for her shorter counterpart while she was smiling in a friendly manner.

  “Holy shit, Sarge! The inbound is a fuckin' Amazon!”

  “Can the bullshit, Thompson. Just keep an eye on her, you can ask for a date later!”

  “Aye, Aye, Sir!”

  Rameres was close enough now that the big woman spoke.

  “Hello, my name is Tech-Lieutenant Condal, and I am a Medic in the Terran Marines. Please stop there. Between us is an invisible barrier that could hurt you if you walk into it,” Condel said.

  “Hi, I'm Corporal Charlene Rameres, United States Marines and I am our unit's medic,” Rameres replied after she stopped. “My Lieutenant sent me out here to find out what you wanted.”

  “Well, the first is to ask you to pass along a message to Colonel Grady that Luke Janis would like to talk to him here. Colonel Janis isn't here yet, but he's on the way, so it'll be a little bit,” Condel said.

  “Okay, the message is passed. My Lieutenant is listening to the conversation as well,” Rameres replied. “Was there something else, Ma'am?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to warn all of you about the force field. I know you can't see it, but it's there. Do you see this line?” Condel said and pointed to a thin line in the sand between them that seemed to stretch out in both direction away from them.

  “Yeah, I see it.” Rameres said.

  “That's the boundary. Try taking a few steps back, and throw a rock at me. You'll see what I mean.”

  She did as she was asked, and sure enough, the rock bounced off of something and hit the ground a few feet away. “Holy shit! How'd you do that?”

  “Our technology is far more advanced than yours. I wanted to show you this because once you attack, the bullets from your guns will most likely bounce off and injure or kill your own Marines. We just don't want to see anyone get hurt,” Condel said. “I am also to inquire, on my Princess' request, to see if there is anything you need. Do you have plenty of water? We'll order a truckload from town for you if you need it.”

  Without waiting for the Ell-tee to say anything, Rameres took the initiative. “No Ma'am, we're good, but thanks for the offer. Speaking of which, it is hot out here, would you like one of these before they get warm?” She pulled out the two bottles of water.

  “I'd really appreciate it, Corporal, but my armor still has a reserve I can drink. If we're out here very long though, you might need it. I doubt your superiors would let you drink anything I'd give you,” Condel replied. “Do you guys know why you're out here in this heat?”

  “Our orders are classified, Ma'am. I couldn't tell you even if I knew,” Rameres said.

  “Please, call me Condel. My rank is for medical purposes only. In this situation, you actually outrank me.”

  Charlie grinned. “If that's the case, then my Ell-tee said to tell you that you're under arrest, and you're to return with me to our lines.”

  Condel laughed. “Sorry, I can't do that, but I'm sure he already knew that. Truth be told, none of us, my unit and I that is, have broken any laws, with the exception of perhaps entering the country illegally, but since we were invited here, I don't think that would stand up in court.”

  “Where are you from? I don't think I recognize your accent,” Charlie asked.

  “That would be difficult to explain, and I don't think your superiors would want me to tell you that; at least not yet.” Condel said.

  Charlie nodded. “I can understand that. But you said your unit was the Terran Marines, and that armor looks more like a suit of armor from an old video game than anything else.”

  Condel laughed. “I know the one. Our own Fleet Master Chief was insufferable for a week when he saw that!”

  Rameres frowned. “Fleet? What fleet? We're in the middle of the desert.”

  Condel slapped her forehead. “Damn it! Sorry, just forget I said it, okay?”

  They had to pause while a flight of two F-22 Raptors flew over at low altitude. Once they passed, Rameres looked at her new friend. “Look, why are you really out here. I'm certain you didn't come out here just to shoot the shit with me, right?”

  Condel shook her head. “No, I'm trying to keep talking, to buy time for Colonel Janis to get here to talk to your Colonel Grady. For the most part, we are all on the same team here. Misunderstandings occur between allied forces all the time, and we are simply trying to keep this one from hurting anyone.”

  “Okay, so you guys are fuckin' aliens, and you're trying to keep us dumb humans from hurting ourselves by shooting at you. That about right?” Charlie asked.

  Condel, getting a little bored with the young woman's attitude, nodded. “Yeah, that's the long and short of it. Except no one said you were dumb, and all of us are human. So if you would, please drop the fucking attitude, and let's just talk, okay?”

  Rameres was about to tell this blond fruitcake where to go in her flying saucer when she suddenly stood up straight. “Yes Sir!” she said, then turned back to
Condel. “Lieutenant Condel, Colonel Grady has arrived and would like to know where the hell Major Janis is.”

  Condel nodded to her once, then keyed up her own mic. “Captain, any idea where the Colonel is? The man he asked to see has arrived and would like an answer.”

  A very loud sonic boom was heard overhead, and both women looked up. Neither of them could see the craft, but the F-22's had suddenly gotten very aggressive. They'd turned and made their own sonic booms as they went to full after-burners to intercept the craft they'd just detected.

  “Never mind, Sir. I think I just got my answer,” Condel said, then looked back at Rameres. “I would say it won't be long now, Corporal. One other thing to consider.” Condel bent down and picked up a small rock. She tossed it to Rameres without a problem, and the young women caught it. “The force field you don't believe in, is only one way.”

  Rameres, showing that she was on the ball nodded toward the sky. “If it's one way, and it's still up, how's that going to get in?”

  “That would require an explanation in physics that I don't think either of us would understand.” Condel saw three more men depart the Marine lines, and begin walking toward them. “I think we're going to get company,” she said and nodded.

  Charlie turned and looked back at her lines. “Yep, looks like. I sure hope the guy that requested this meeting has his shit wired, or it’s gonna get ugly pretty quick. The Colonel doesn't suffer bullshit very well.”

  “Neither does Colonel Janis. Since I'm sure he can hear us, the Colonel said he knew your Colonel as well as his superior, General McCallister. Look before this gets official, I'll try to get permission to let the rest of you grunts in on what's really going on out here, I don't know how that'll fly with your Commanders, but the answer's always no until you ask,” Condel replied.

  “Good luck with that. We're Marines, Ma'am, we're not paid to think,” Charlie said grinning, she was distracted by the craft that was landing behind Condel. “What the fuck is that?”