Raging at the Stars

by Lesley Davis

  “They found the military waiting,” Sofia said.

  “That they did. We wanted their technology, and they were willing to give it to us but not without a price. We offered them shelter but not exposure so they have been hiding out under the sea for years. The sightings that were reported we shot down and ridiculed. They even learned to fly under the radar on our eye in the sky.”

  “The Space Station,” Emory said. “That’s why they never reported seeing this fleet invade. They weren’t coming in from outer space. They’ve been fathoms deep beneath the waves all this time. They were already here.”

  Russom nodded. “Exactly. We used what tech they shared with us, worked on saucers of our own, but the technology on the black triangular ships we wanted even more. So we struck a new deal. The aliens didn’t have a way to go back home. They couldn’t contact their planet because they were too far away. So they wanted us to build a portal, and out of that deal we got to take a giant leap forward in technology.” He sat forward in his chair and eyed them both. “But there was a clause once they realized they were stuck here indefinitely. They wanted their future generations to be able to colonize Earth. They weren’t content with having the sky and the sea, they wanted to live among us. The government wasn’t keen on that idea, but the military wanted the tech so they compromised. The aliens could experiment to see if their DNA was compatible with ours. So we let them abduct people.”

  Sofia knew she shouldn’t be surprised by these revelations. But hearing it coming out of Russom’s mouth so matter-of-fact was horrifying.

  “They were only supposed to take a few, but they got greedy.” He shrugged that off as if it wasn’t important. “But we’re a big planet. When people go missing it’s headlines for a while, but they’re soon forgotten and become yesterday’s news. The aliens didn’t have the equipment they needed to conduct their experiments, but we did. Labs were set up, under our supervision, and while they experimented on us we got to experiment on them. All in the name of science, of course.”

  His smile made Sofia’s skin crawl, and she wondered how long before Emory called him out on it all.

  “For all they gave us, we were still a little slow catching up to their knowledge, so it’s been decades before we started to reach the end of what they started. They gave us the idea for an energy enhancer, and the Hadron Collider took shape. Of course, they didn’t tell us it could also generate worm holes and they were looking to use one to go back to their planet and bring the rest of their civilization here. So we didn’t tell them we were building up a fleet of saucers to counter that and had been using our experiments with their genetics to fashion an army of super soldiers.”

  Emory gasped. “So they are real? Enhanced humans with unmatched strength and a warrior mentality.”

  Russom smiled. “We lost a lot of test subjects along the way, but that’s the way of war.”

  Sofia itched to smack the self-satisfied look off his smug face. He was corrupting everything she had dedicated her life to.

  “We decided that when the worm holes were deemed stable, instead of letting the aliens use them we would. We’d fly through and blow their planet right out of the galaxy. Poetic justice, don’t you agree?” He seemed to take great delight in that. “But they somehow found out we were secretly testing it, and the minute we had the Collider powered up to an even greater energy level, they struck and this battle began.”

  “So why are they still fighting when they destroyed the one thing between you? We’ve reached checkmate, surely?” Sofia said. She saw Emory shift out of the corner of her eye.

  “CERN wasn’t the only place to have a Collider, was it? Just like you had two sets of saucers, there’s another Collider somewhere.” Emory laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “Because it always pays to have a backup.”

  Sofia came to the same realization. “You’ve got one here.”

  Russom looked at them both proudly. “And that’s why you two are Dionysius agents. So smart. We do indeed. Fully operational, cranked up to the max, and ready to be switched on to open up a worm hole. But I want a black craft to transport my saucers and the soldiers so I’ve been holding off fighting back. Besides, the second that machine switches on they’ll know exactly where it is and they’ll strike.”

  “Seems like they already know,” Emory said. “The whole fleet is right above this base just waiting. Something’s given this location away.”

  “How do you know all that?” Russom looked at her suspiciously.

  “I still have ways and means of my own, sir.”

  Sofia wasn’t waiting any longer. “Knowing that they’re above you just waiting to strike, why haven’t you employed the energy beam that’s based here, sir? You could have won this war days ago. You could end it now.”

  “This planet is just small change when you consider the millions of stars out there we can explore with the saucers and the rest of the alien technology we’ve gleaned. What’s planet Earth when we can become masters of the universe?”

  “How about stopping the alien threat on our doorstep first before you take your megalomaniac show on the road?” Emory said.

  “How dare you question my reasoning? Who the hell do you think you are?”

  “I’m the goddamn journalist that Truno was feeding Dionysius information to in order to bring you and your sorry ass agency down. You really should pay more attention to who you try to have thrown in jail for not revealing their source. I was protecting Truno, which is more than you did. You should have recognized my face, but instead you handed me the keys to your secret base and showed me everything I needed to see to have all my suspicions confirmed. You’re a bastard, Russom. You have the blood of innocents flowing from your hands, and I’ll expose you to the world.”

  Russom’s face was turning an angry red. “If you really have had family abducted?” His smile was cruel. “You haven’t seen all that the aliens did in their tests. Your family is probably hanging in a jar somewhere too, used and abused, screaming for you to come to their rescue. But they’ve probably been dead a long time.”

  Emory shot out of her seat to go for him, but Sofia held her back.

  “General, shoot the ships down,” she said.

  “Not until I get what I want. Dionysius will be a force to be reckoned with across the galaxy.” He smiled at Sofia. “You know how to pilot the saucers. I imagine you could fly the bigger ship with ease. Take your place at my side, Martinez. You’re meant for greater things.”

  “But the threat outside—”

  “There’s a bigger threat I need you to eliminate for me.” He directed his gaze at Emory. “Silence her and the secrets all stay in this room. I’ve already processed the paperwork for your rise up the ranks. You’ll be succeeding me as head here. Wield the Damocles sword, Sofia. Be a mighty warrior and strike that first blow for Dionysius.” He barked out his order. “Kill her!”

  Sofia removed her gun from her holster and pointed it at Emory’s head. Her hand was steady as her finger touched the trigger. She could see Emory trembling, but Emory’s eyes never moved from looking straight into Sofia’s.

  Sofia didn’t hesitate.

  “May the sword strike you down,” she said, then turned swiftly and fired.

  The bullet struck Russom right between the eyes. He never even had the chance to register his surprise. The back of his head exploded. It splattered brain matter all over his seat and the pristine wall behind him. He collapsed and ended up sprawled in his chair. A thin pool of blood trickled down his face, marking its path like a tear.

  Sofia stood and saw what she had done. She barely heard the sigh of relief from Emory beside her.

  “Would it be wrong of me to say I love you after you’ve just shot a man in front of me?” Emory wrapped her arms around Sofia’s stiff frame.

  “Maybe.”

  “I’ll save it for later then. Are you going to be in much trouble for assassinating your superior?”

  “Probably.” Sofia’s m
ind was awhirl with what she’d just done.

  “I’ll tell them it was suicide.”

  Sofia roused enough to look at Emory’s earnest face.

  “History is full of ‘assisted’ suicides when they wanted to keep certain mouths shut for good.”

  Sofia had to smile at the all too knowledgeable look Emory wore. “You’re never going to stop, are you?”

  “As long as the world keeps turning there will always be truths being hidden. That’s what I’m here for, to uncover them and set them free. I have my own agency’s agenda to follow.”

  Her words galvanized Sofia into action. She picked up Russom’s phone and waited for someone to answer. “This is Captain Martinez. General Russom has ordered the immediate entry of General Ulrich onto the base. He’s expected here within minutes. He’ll have his driver with him. Please have them report directly to me at Hangar Five.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Right away.”

  “Don’t keep them waiting at security either. Their presence could save us all.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Sofia slipped the radio out of her pocket and called out to Ulrich. “Get here as fast as you can, sir. We have need of your services.” She put the radio back and only then looked at Emory who was staring at Russom.

  “You know he’s just one in a long line of military and government officials who will want to use this new Collider to conquer outer space,” Emory said.

  Sofia nodded. “I’m going to need more bullets.”

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Before they left the room, Sofia ransacked Russom’s desk. She pulled out the hidden laptop and handed it to Emory.

  “That’s for Dink to play with.” She rummaged through the dead man’s pockets and pulled out a set of keys. It was a little disconcerting to be searching the body of her former boss without being even a little bit squeamish about it.

  “Can we get out of this room, please? I’m worried someone might have heard.”

  Sofia jangled the keys at Emory. “I needed these to lock the door behind us.” She brushed past Emory and opened the door. She quickly scanned the corridor for anyone in earshot. “Come on. It’s clear.”

  Emory limped out and Sofia locked the door. They hurried back to Sofia’s office, opening it up with Sofia’s spare set of keys, and there they found Dink busily tapping away at the desk.

  “Emory!” He sounded so relieved. Then he looked at Sofia. “Sofia, is that blood on you?”

  Sofia looked down at the splatters of red covering her fatigues. She quickly checked herself out in a small mirror to make sure her face was clean.

  “Russom wanted her to kill me,” Emory told him. “He wouldn’t use the death ray and was talking like a mad man.”

  “So I shot him,” Sofia said bluntly. “We didn’t have time to play his game. The planet has been held hostage for too long.” She checked her watch. “Ulrich will be here any second. Dink, have you managed to get his codes working?”

  Dink shook his head. “I’ve been trying to crack the new codes.” His eyes lit up when Sofia handed him the new machine. “Tell me this is Russom’s.”

  “Can you find what you need if it is?”

  “Yes, I know exactly where to look now.” He pulled out a USB stick. “I just need to recalibrate the search parameters on this then I can program the Spybot to search for Russom’s personal code hidden in his own machine.”

  The radio on Sofia’s side crackled and she answered it. “Where are you?”

  “We’re at the gate.”

  “On my way.” Sofia dug out extra bullets from her desk drawer and pocketed a spare gun. “Emory, are you staying here?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m not missing anything that happens next.”

  Dink lowered the lid on the laptop. “I’m ready too. The Spybot is doing all the hard work for me now.” He slipped off the chair and tucked the laptop under his arm.

  Sofia was impressed. Emory was right, she was very glad Dink was on their side. “Come on. You won’t be safe in here, and Ulrich will need your help.”

  Before ushering them out the building, Sofia purposely set off the evacuation alarm. The strident noise of the announcement echoed through the base. Then she herded Emory and Dink out and across the base to where a car was pulling in.

  A young man got out to open the passenger door. Sofia recognized him as Eric, the general’s grandson and designated driver. General Samuel Ulrich, the deposed Dionysius head, stepped out of the car. He was an old man now, well into his eighties, tall, and gaunt with age. He looked over at her and his bright smile surprised her. He brushed off the young man’s helping hand and made his way over to them with surprising speed considering his use of a cane.

  “Captain Martinez? You’re even more beautiful in person than over that Skype thing.”

  “Thank you, General.” Sofia liked the twinkle in his otherwise cloudy eyes.

  “So, enough with the formalities.” Ulrich immediately took charge. “You know as well as I do, my rank means nothing after Russom worked so hard to discredit me. That young buck sold us all out to the infernal alien agenda.” He slipped his arm through Sofia’s. “If I’d have been as strong as you I’d have used that damn beam they stole from Tesla years ago.” He looked around. “Where is that bastard Russom anyway? I expected to find him glowering at me.”

  “He’s…indisposed at the moment,” Sofia said. “Where is the energy beam’s command center, sir? We need to get to it quickly.”

  “You want me and Dink here to man the machine?” He looked down at Dink. “Funny, given your reputation, I expected you to be bigger.”

  Dink grinned at him, taking no offence. “I’ve got it where it counts, Sam. So let’s both go prove our worth.”

  Ulrich nodded. “There’s a second underground facility here, out behind Hangar Nine.” He began leading the way. “The on button and everything else needed to activate the energy beam is on the first level. Then there are two more levels below that, and then something even bigger was being planned for the fourth. I never got to see that. Russom had me removed because I was already making waves about the liberties the aliens and the men in high places were taking with my agency.”

  “You were in charge of Dionysius?” Emory asked, keeping the same limping pace as Ulrich.

  “I was, and I wanted those damn aliens cleared out, but that went against everything Dionysius was created for.” He frowned at Emory’s gait. “What happened to you?”

  “I hurt my leg falling out of a saucer’s abduction beam while shooting it down with a rocket.”

  Ulrich’s eyebrows rose. “You and I are definitely talking about that after all this.”

  Behind Hangar 9 stood a small nondescript building. A card swipe machine was on the door. Ulrich’s old pass no longer worked. Sofia tried hers, but it didn’t open the door either. “Damn it. I never found a keycard on Russom. I bet he had it in a safe somewhere because the bastard had no intention of using it.” So she took another from her pocket and stared at Emory while she ran it through the reader. The door popped open.

  “Thank you, Jessica Sanders, wherever you may be.” Sofia gave Dink possession of the card. She handed her spare gun to Ulrich. “Don’t let anyone get in your way.”

  “No one is stopping me this time around. You don’t often get second chances to put something right.” He handed Eric his cane and set off down the steps. Dink followed after them.

  Emory looked at Sofia. “Now what?”

  “Now we prep the saucers for flight and take the fight to them.”

  *

  Emory watched spellbound as Sofia rallied her airmen. She’d never seen Sofia so authoritative. It was quite the turn-on, she had to admit.

  “The mission I’m asking you to undertake is unsanctioned by the government and unauthorized by the military. I’m asking you to bring those saucers down. Use the ships here for what they were made for: to fight our enemies. The whole alien fleet is above us, drawn here because the
y know we have something here that they both fear and want. They’re not getting it on my watch. Russom has put me in charge of this mission. Take to the skies. Let’s go get our planet back.”

  Emory waited to see if anyone would hang back and question Sofia’s orders. No one did. They believed in her that much that they would follow her lead anywhere. Emory knew that feeling well enough. She watched them run to the saucers.

  Emory sidled up behind Sofia. “You are way too sexy when you put your captain’s voice on.” She pressed a swift kiss on Sofia’s neck. “So, is that it? We have the boys on the beam and your boys and girls ready to fly.”

  “I just need you to stay here while I do the last thing alone.”

  Emory grabbed Sofia’s arm before she left. “We’re in this together.”

  Sofia nodded. “We are, but there’s a lot of steps that I need to run down and you’ll only hinder me trying to keep up. Stay here, please. Watch the skies for me.” Sofia kissed her. “I have my own theory to test.”

  Emory watched her go then watched as the saucers prepared to take flight. Looking at them closely, Emory could see the difference between these and the aliens’ ships. These saucers were air force blue and not as shiny as the alien crafts. She hoped that made a difference when they were all up in the sky fighting. She limped outside and turned her gaze toward the clouds. She rubbed at her arms.

  I know you’re there. I can feel all of you. You lost your planet and I’m sorry for that, but we can’t lose ours too because of it. There’s been enough raging on both sides for too many years now. It has to stop and, though we’re just a few, we’re going to do our damnedest to bring stability back to this planet. We have enough trouble keeping the peace amongst ourselves without alien intervention.