by Kumar L
“Then we must evacuate the city,” said defence firmly.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? There are THIRTY MILLION PEOPLE in the city of Mumbai! How can you possibly hope to evacuate them? And where will you take these people?”
“To top it all, we're in the middle of monsoon season, with half the transport system unable to fly in the weather. Not to mention the Ganesh Chaturthi festival that is taking place as we speak,” added his deputy. “Every street corner is filled with celebrating crowds. Even with all the drones and transports, the surface roads will still be choked with the mammoth processions. It'll be a nightmare navigating the city. Every single officer we have is already on the street. There is no way we can organise a successful evacuation.”
“You're convinced that we can't have the military on the streets, we can't evacuate the people and we, of course, have no clue on where the aliens are or how to stop them. Any bright ideas on what we can do instead, besides sitting here twiddling our thumbs?” defence said. He was satisfied to see the deputy turn red in the face.
The Prime Minister raised a hand, and his voice rose above the shouting match, subduing everyone into silence. Quite unlike his usual composed self, he looked genuinely disturbed.
“We have a serious problem, and we also have some of the best people to help us solve it. But, we cannot and must not allow this news to spread. We don't know what the intentions of these aliens are. It's clear that we have two problems to solve, finding these guys and preventing whatever they plan to do. Let's work on concrete actions. Any suggestions?”
“Sir, I respectfully disagree with you,” countered defence. “We have confirmed news that these aliens have sneaked in to cause some destruction. That would mean NBC - nuclear, biological or chemical warfare. Look at it this way,” he said and called up a display of the city. Concentric circles appeared with their epicentre at Dadar area of the megapolis. “Our smallest nuclear device can flatten an area equal to twenty square kilometers, and it can fit in a suitcase. Worst case scenario - ten million will die if it exploded in the centre of Mumbai. Even if these guys have a device half that size, we're still looking at five million deaths and a whole city destroyed. This has not happened in the last two hundred years - not since Hiroshima, and it cannot be allowed to happen again. And what if they release some chemical agent or a biological virus - how do we prevent those from spreading? We need to evacuate and get our people to safety. That was our original plan.”
“I'm well aware of what we had planned Balraj, but circumstances have changed” retorted the PM sharply. “They are too close to Mumbai. Have you considered the upheaval it will cause if it becomes known that there are alien mercenaries on the loose, possibly carrying the weapons whose destructive power is enormous, as you have just put so eloquently? The entire social order will collapse! We'll be staring at complete anarchy - the city will never recover from it. We will never recover from it politically. I’m also worried that if the aliens detect our attempts to evacuate, they may panic and change their schedule, leaving us with even less time.”
The PM got up from his seat in agitation and paced around while every eye in the room followed him. “No, evacuation will not work. And don't forget that the xenophobes will have a field day. We've finally found life in the Universe, and even before we can build bridges, our efforts will be in ruins.” He shook his head in frustration. “No,” he repeated, “we'll never be able to get back into space again. The efforts of centuries will all be in vain. However, if we can capture them we might still get a chance for a peaceful resolution.”
There was silence in the room while people digested the meaning of his words.
“The way I see it, we've only one path left for us - to find and neutralize these aliens. We have some of the best people on the ground. We also have the equipment to back up our teams. Let’s use everything at our disposal. Capture them.”
The home minister whispered to the chief of the NIA, who nodded and spoke up.
“Sir, I understand your concern, and I believe we still have some time to get this done. The aliens may be working to a timetable, or they may be shooting blind. You were right when you said that we don't know what is their exact plan. But it'll be safe to surmise that it involves physical action on the ground. Otherwise, they could've just launched their weapon from the air and escaped by now.” She looked around to see if anyone would dispute her reasoning. When no one spoke up, she continued.
“But I believe that they're in a bit of trouble because of their damaged ship. This gives us a window of opportunity. Let's proceed on the assumption that they have landed close to Mumbai for a reason - perhaps because the city is close to where we started sending out signals to their world twenty years ago. And now they need to reach the main city on their own from wherever they have landed. If they have their transport, it'll show up on our traffic monitoring system immediately, and we can neutralise them. If they do try to make a run for it on foot, then we must remember that they are the ones on alien terrain. This is our planet and our country, and we know how to defend it." At the end of this long speech, she was happy to see that she had the attention of the whole room.
“What do you suggest we do, Madam DG?”
“Sir, I propose we run this operation based out of the NIA office in Mumbai as per our original plan. I'll be personally overseeing the operation. We'll get all available officers into Mumbai and every single military and police asset activated. We know what the aliens look like and we have a rough idea of where they have landed. That's a good place to start. Also, the technical teams can start searching for radiation signatures or unknown chemical agents and viruses. To repeat, our biggest advantage is that we know this planet and these aliens don't. They have no place to hide and no means to reach where they want to go. God willing, I will find them.”
The PM contemplated the statement made by Tej Kaur. The show of bravado notwithstanding, he had to agree with the rationale. The aliens were alone on an unknown planet. While they had the element of surprise, they did not have much else going for them.
“Let's get started then. But please hold on to the plans to get soldiers on the streets. We don't want to cause unnecessary panic and oh, Tej, I suggest you get Anara and her team with you to help out. They know the TrueKifs best and may well be able to help you track them down. We'll continue to monitor the situation from here. Other than that - you have a free hand. I'm giving you forty-eight hours to find these aliens and neutralise them. After that - we will evacuate.”
Tej acknowledged her orders and then bent down to whisper to her boss, the home minister. “Sir, I don't need Anara or her team around. They are glorified astronauts, not counter-terrorism experts. I don't need amateurs wasting my time.”
“Get the operation started, Tej and don't worry about Anara. Just keep her in your control room and feed her some crumbs. Now is not the time to confront the PM.”
As some of the people filed out of the room, the PM pulled the home minister aside. “I may have pushed back the defence minister, but he may be right. I want you to get cracking on drawing up contingency city-wide evacuation plans. We may not have forty-eight hours. And don't tell me it cannot be done. Find a way.”
Fifty kilometers from the Mega-city
A bsolute silence reigned on the TrueKif ship. The dust clouds thrown up by the hard landing had settled over the ship - covering it in a shroud. Only the pilot's exceptional flying skills had enabled them to land safely. The rear cameras showed their path of entry; deep gouges torn in the floor of the building. Inside, the occupants shook off the effects of the impact and slowly got up from their seats to look around.
“Location?” growled the pilot.
“We are at 1-8-N-7-3-E in Earth coordinates, inside some metal and concrete structure, approximately two meters underground,” answered the co-pilot as it looked down at the instrument panel. “Atmosphere outside is similar to KifrWyss, and the ambient moisture level is around 70%. Feels like h
ome.”
“Noted. One of our engines is down, but three are in good working condition. No major structural damage except that the landing struts are finished. We might still be able to take off. Check on the other crewmembers and report back, while I get the auto-repair robots deployed.” The pilot was not pleased with the condition of the ship, but it felt happy that they would still have a fighting chance to fulfill the mission. It had done its part; it was all over to Jur and Biw now.
In the rear of the spacecraft, Jur and Biw worked soundlessly, getting ready to start the most challenging part of the mission. Jur set up the transmitter and sent a single coded signal on a wideband. They were supposed to wait for the acknowledgement from their contact on Earth. There was no guarantee of a response, but this provided them with their best chance to navigate to their target through the unknown landscape.
While Jur waited, it donned the Extra Vehicular Activity, EVA, suit designed for working in alien atmospheres. Of course, they could easily survive in the conditions outside on Earth, as indicated by their instruments. But to have advanced this far and be felled by an unknown biological element was not something they could risk. The suit was completely sealed, providing enough air for seventy two hours of continuous operation. The auto-deployed armour would stop most projectiles and even survive some hits from laser weapons. The wholly enclosed helmet would provide a heads-up display (HUD) and allow contact with the TrueKif ship, if required.
Jur hefted the heavy Type-4 plasma and projectile weapon and checked whether it was fully charged and loaded. It looked at the rifle lovingly. The two of them had been constant companions for many years. It loved the balance, range and destructive capabilities the weapon provided.
On the other side of the room, Biw sat alone. There was a second suit Biw could use, but had decided against using it at least for the time being. To hell with PiYena and the plans, I am going in raw. I will look the humans in the eye as I extract my revenge. One side arm for the task would suffice along with the responsibility for the primary device. It was a huge weight on the young shoulders. And then, of course, there was another small matter to be handled – Biw’s personal mission.
Jur turned when the transceiver emitted a sound. It walked up to the transmitter and found their signal had been received and acknowledged. There were another set of coordinates to help them reach the rendezvous point where their ally would meet them. Surprisingly, the Chairman had managed to set up an agent in enemy territory. It must have something to do with the ship that had landed on HuZryss, decided Jur, moving it out of mind. It did not matter how this had been accomplished – as long as it worked. The preparations were complete.
“Are you ready?” Jur asked.
“Yes. But what is the exact plan? Now that our ship is damaged and we don't know where we are exactly. How do we locate the source of the signal - the radio telescope?”
“Nothing changes. The pilot confirmed that we are far from the telescope, but we are close to a big city. We will change the target. The city will be better. Let’s meet the contact person first. Then we decide. Come now.”
The pilot came in just then and nodded at the two mercenaries. It did not grudge the mission assigned to them. Its own plate was full. Their ship had to be kept hidden from search parties and repaired as soon as possible, sufficiently to fly them off the enemy planet. It watched as Jur and Biw downloaded the ship's coordinates on their own devices, loaded up their gear and moved out without exchanging any further words with the crew.
As they left the abandoned building, the engineers set up electromagnetic field emitters to camouflage any emissions from the ship. The ship’s drones were already at work, reforming the damage to the ground. In a few minutes, the place would look undisturbed and pristine to anyone who might come to investigate. It would help them stay hidden for a little more time.
********
Jur checked the locational device. They would have to walk at least ten kilometers north-west to reach their rendezvous point. A preset signal was sent again and the acknowledgement was received along with coordinates. They were supposed to meet at an old railway station, supposedly unused now. Jur did not know what a ‘railway’ was, but it knew how to read a map. Anyway, help was on the way, and they had two hours to make the distance. Beckoning Biw to keep up, they made their way through the abandoned buildings and overgrown paths. They followed the once wide roads within the complex, through the bushes and weeds, trying to find their way out of the maze of buildings.
Then they came upon a low wall that they hoped marked the boundary of the plant. Following the wall for some distance, they managed to reach a gate hanging on its hinges. Just beyond it was a river with a narrow bridge spanning it. Staying low and sticking to the sides of the bridge they crossed the river and turned westward, occasionally checking the devices to confirm that they were on the right track.
Fifteen minutes later, Jur nearly stumbled over a set of metal rails lying on the ground. It felt them with its four hands. The tracks were completely covered with rust and grass, difficult to see in the low light, but Jur turned on its HUD and was able to make out the rails disappearing in the distance. Now they only had to follow these tracks to get to Panvel station. They set off at a brisk pace needing little guidance, now that the path was clear. Fortunately, the area was quite deserted, especially at this time of the night. They had been lucky thus far, having avoided any signs of civilization. If all went well, they would reach their first destination well in time.
********
The transceiver chirped in his pocket with urgency, but he ignored it. This plan had seemed like a great idea when it was presented to him at first, back at HuZryss. But the months he had spent in the journey back to Earth since that fateful day, had nearly convinced him that he would not be contacted again. He had been muddled, swinging between hope and fear. Between greed and apprehension. He'd almost kissed the promised fortune goodbye. Still, that small glimmer of hope had remained in his heart. It had been reignited by the madcap rush made by Antariksh to return to Earth. His fears had been reawakened, and so had his greed. He did not know what role he was expected to play. His brief had been simple - provide any and all support to whoever reaches out to him from KifrWyss. And don't ask any questions.
Getting his act together had been tougher than he'd expected. He had to find a way to remain undetected while he went about the task. Fortunately, the quarantine on their return had been lifted quite quickly, and he'd been able to go back while he anxiously waited for the next signal.
He was still not sure how he would explain his absence to his mates, but if all went well, he wouldn't be coming back to this place, ever. He meant to disappear once the job was over. Sri Lanka looked like a good idea to lie low for some time while waiting for things to cool down. Then he'd make his way further south. Fiji would be great for him to disappear permanently.
The details of the mission worried him. He wasn't privy to what the TrueKifs expected to achieve, but he was pretty sure it would involve movement from place to place. That would be a challenge. There were very few private vehicles available, now that shared and public transportation was the norm, and each of these could be tracked very easily. He had mulled over this problem for many weeks before deciding that the most straightforward way would also be the safest - he would first take the HyLoop to the city nearest to their landing point and then just hire an autonomous travel pod for the rest of the journey. Hopefully, its anonymity would help hide his visitors. What he needed for all of this to work was money. That was the immediate problem. Lots of untraceable currency.
He pocketed his weapon as he left his room. He wasn't sure it would be needed, but the weight and feel reassured him. After all, this was the tool of his trade. Coming out of the complex, he rapidly made his way down the main road and crossed at a corner. He continued walking for a few hundred meters more. He was not sure how increasing the distance would help him, but it seemed like a good idea.
As he walked, he turned his left wrist over and gestured to bring up his screen. A soft glow told him he was connected to the ComNet, the nationwide communication system. Pressing his finger on the central circle on the screen, he confirmed his identity and first checked if his personal ADID was functional. He then navigated to his finances page, happy to see a healthy balance on his account - the two years in space had earned him a nice sum in back pay. He was, however, aware that the authorities would be immediately able to locate him if he used autopay using ADID. He needed to get cash or an anonymous pay card. His first stop would therefore be an old ‘friend’ who had helped him out once or twice in the past. ‘Friend' was stretching it - Karam was like a leech who would suck his blood dry while wishing him a good day. But he was sure that Karam would know all the tricks. Karam would be his first stop.
Flicking his right hand in the air, he waited for a taxi pod to reach his location and take him to the nearest HyLoop line. In less than a minute, an automated pod landed in front of him. As soon as he'd settled down in the one-man capsule and entered his destination, he pulled out the minute transceiver and opened it. He'd been assured that it would work correctly on Earth and the signal would be untraceable. It seemed to employ some compressed signal packet technology, communicating in bursts while still allowing the two sides to talk normally. He almost immediately received an answer and was not surprised to hear the person speaking in English. He did not know and did not care whether this was due to automatic translation, or whether they actually knew the language. He confirmed that the contact location was unchanged and that he would be there in less than two hours. Then he shut down the device. He could've turned on the privacy mode on his own ComNet, but he needed to leave some crumbs for the police to follow. Only then would he switch it off and disappear into the anonymity of a large city.
As he sat back in the self-adjusting seat, he closed his eyes and started thinking of all the ways he would spend the loot - no more parades, no more drills and no more officers barking orders at him. In his mind he started off on the design of the villa on his private island, and a satisfied smirk formed on his lips.