‘My friends, praise be’!
Chapter 18 Our Energy
From his vision, VanWest estimates that there are close to 900 Universal spaceships, each containing onboard what must be thousands of Space Soldiers and other Universal personnel. The fleet of the Council, then Grand Council, was not as advanced when they committed the genocide of the Martians over 500 years ago. VanWest surmises that whilst the green energy shield could protect Mars of yesteryear, this could prove a far sterner test. Dr VonHelmann has not shared with him the full size of the EaRA’s fleet - it will need to be substantial to offer any resistance.
VanWest strides over to the BV73 clone manning the SCC-001, ‘The Interrogator told me that there is a cannon on top of the base in Alba Mons. Correct’?
He repeats cannon, Alba Mons. The clone is momentarily puzzled - as if to say why and looks at the green energy shield. But then sees what VanWest sees, their thoughts aligning. The chatter between the clones reach a crescendo and results in one of the older, more inept transporter ships breaking from the pack as it races back to the base in Alba Mons to man the cannon.
‘The Space Army is coming’! The expanding green energy suddenly halts on the holomap. Iris calls out, ‘There’s a large red dot’!
VanWest and his clones know what it is. Zoom! A large concentrated flow of red-light blasts down from Mars’s orbit and smacks into the shield. It shakes and shudders on the holomap, its colour changing from green to yellow. VanWest can visualise what is happening - multiple MLS-Arts have joined together. Somehow, the green energy resists, retreating momentarily before pushing back against the plasma build-up.
‘What’s happening’? A shocked Iris asks.
LeSouris looks equally puzzled, ‘This is crazy’!
VanWest instructs, ‘Use my Quantum Communicator and re-double your efforts to contact Doctor VonHelmann and the EaRA! We need to know when they will get here’. Prompting LeSouris to upload his new hacker program into the communication station.
Iris asks, ‘Where is that transporter going’?
‘There’s a cannon in the base, it may buy us some time’. Deciding not to sugar-coat the situation, ‘But we must prepare for the worst, to engage if they break-through’.
Iris replies, ‘Break-through’?
‘Around 900 ships, the shield may not be able to withstand’.
LeSouris gasps loudly, ‘WHHH-A-A-A-T-T-T’?
VanWest tries to calm them, ‘Our ships may be weaker, but with the clones on our side we will put up a great fight… Their abilities are much more than yours or mine. They see everything, work in unison and can solve any problem in lightning speed’.
LeSouris agrees, ‘Trust in Utopia. It will protect us’.
A message comes through via VanWest’s Quantum Communicator and onto the communication station: EaRA ETA 01:00:00. Iris looks to VanWest, hoping he can confirm if the energy shield can hold this long. But he does not know.
Iris is nevertheless happy for this message, proudly replying, ‘You can count on my papa’! Though there is a little hint of worry in her voice - also not knowing how many ships they come with.
‘Indeed’, VanWest returns a half-smile. Doing his best to conceal his own concern about seeing Dr VonHelmann after what he has learnt.
‘Amazing, Jerseyans, Free Enforcers, NEA-Utopians. Praise be’! LeSouris adds.
Despite the energy shield fighting back, the red plasma of the MLS-Arts continues to build. VanWest instructs, ‘Defensive positions, find natural barriers behind the green energy shield. And ready to engage’.
Iris takes charge of monitoring the holomap, helping to coordinate and look for natural defences; valleys, mountains, volcanoes that the ships can use to protect themselves. Especially for a couple that are unable to camouflage or cloak.
VanWest stresses that they must ‘protect the energy source, fire at any ship that attacks Cydonia’.
‘Yes, if this is Utopia, we must protect’! LeSouris answers.
Unlike Dr VonHelmann, LeSouris does not yearn for ultimate power, only that of a better life and world. One he imagines like that of 20th-century Earth, freer of immoral machines with lands full of green habitation and clean air. Having seen this green energy restore all it passed, he is even more determined to protect it. In it, he sees his dream of Utopia possible. Its importance in this ‘New Beginning’ stretching beyond Dr King’s and the Universal Council’s defeat.
VanWest encourages LeSouris to come up with some solutions to help them resist, ‘This cannon and a random bunch of ships are not enough. We have to withstand their attacks for close to an hour. Any ideas’?
LeSouris smiles, his usual good humour returning, ‘My friend, ideas I always have’!
‘That I trust’, VanWest smiles back.
The green energy shield impenetrable in the time of the Grand Council begins to retreat towards the church located in 7-77. The BV73 clone on the transporter ship has already returned to the Universal Council’s base and, with some of the younger clones, works hard to break-through the blocked and fortified doors to reach the cannon. Fortunately, there are no hostiles to overcome, the green energy having earlier pulverised any Space Soldier it encountered.
LeSouris joins Iris at the holomap and switches it to battlefield mode, displaying their immediate area of the planet and identifying their 10 ships as blue dots. As the MLS-Arts bombard from above Mars’s orbit, no enemy ships have yet to approach the shield - with no other red dots showing. VanWest knows this will soon change. LeSouris uploads some intel that he has about possible enemy ships that they could encounter: a summary on their vulnerabilities and ‘ideas’ how to counter.
The clones keenly assimilate each piece of information as he does so. However, it includes only information on those ships that the NEA has battled with – mainly from smaller skirmishes. The MLS class ship that the clones found is very recent - the first known engagement of its type coming from Lt. Colonel Indium in Antarctica. LeSouris sets about analysing it thoroughly, but it looks indestructible.
The energy shield continues to contract, with the tip of Alba Mons piercing through it as if it were a needle. Iris informs that ‘several red dots light up the holomap’. A multitude of spaceships now enter Mars’s orbit and commence their assault. The clones ready for a fight, waiting in the hidden, defensive places recommended by Iris.
Zoom! Targeting geolocation 7-77, another red stream of plasma builds up and accelerates at full speed towards the energy shield, the sky exploding. It punches a hole in the shield, deflating like a balloon. It tries to mend, only for another plasma build-up to come. Zoom! Racing into it and pushing it even further back and closer to Cydonia’s surface. The Universal spaceships race for the new breach.
VanWest knows that they must act quickly, and so do the clones. One of the BV73 clones responds first and uncloaks, without notifying he makes a deathly run towards the breach, accelerating towards the largest ship that attempts to pass through the second hole. The clone’s transportation ship is poorly armed, but its defences are strong. His objective is to intercept and sacrifice himself in a collision, in so doing allowing the green energy time to restore. VanWest calls out stop, however, the clone has made his mind up.
Boom! The Universal spaceship fires a series of shots, with more spaceships waiting to enter behind. A second volley firing from the spaceship’s stern finally strikes the clone’s transporter ship. Albeit damaged, it manages to continue forward. VanWest can hear the BV73 saying goodbye before a great noise - kaboom! Fire spreads out and catches the spaceships queuing, inadvertently blowing a couple up. The others bidding a hasty retreat to avoid the same fate.
The shield able to restore the breach - it once again defends Cydonia and the energy source. The pain of the clone’s death reverberates through VanWest’s mind. The grief felt by so many nearly overwhelming. But it gets worse, Iris notices a disturbing development on the holomap. It is now covered by even more red dots, 200 to be precise. The Universal�
�s spaceships are decloaking, having moved into the stratosphere as the green energy shield retreated.
The other clones call on each other to make their own final charge and confront them, but VanWest recommends caution, only 20 minutes remain of this ETA of 01:00:00. So close, this isn’t the time to be irrational and make emotional decisions. Urging calm as the Space Army’s 200 spaceships direct their plasma firepower on the spot where the first hole was. The shield wobbles as it fights to hold firm, but it now starts to contract horizontally and away from Alba Mons.
Now manned by the clones, the cannon readies to engage as the mountain’s protection is about to be completely lost. Via the SCC-001’s BV73 clone and VanWest, Iris points at the holomap and directs the SCC-001 and 3 transporters with the strongest shields to assist the MLS-10 to defend the latest breach. Ordering the other 3 to stay hidden, as a second line of defence. ‘Everyone put your shields to max and brace’!
‘Let us trust’! LeSouris gulps. He uploads everything he has figured out on the MLS class, in particular its shield strength and speed. But he is still to figure out any weakness. The clones’ ships number so few, many so much weaker, there is still hope. The clones are top-notch fighters and fliers. But 20 minutes is a long-time to withstand.
With the first hole widening, a group of spaceships try to pass through. Boom! The BV73 clone in the MLS ship fires to push them back, packing the firepower of at least five SCC ships its first volley destroys 4 standard class spaceships in quick succession. VanWest closes his eyes, he can see Four-Star General Vladimir’s attention diverted to a force coming to Mars. He orders Lt. Colonel Indium, who leads 200 standard class spaceships now attacking, to destroy the shield before they arrive. The Lt. Colonel himself hanging back in his MLS class ship to direct.
LeSouris’s intelligence is helping, the BV73 clone in the MLS-10 can pick out the weaknesses in their defences. But there are too many attacking, now 15 race to break-through and reach Cydonia. With the shield pushed further back, the cannon comes into action - boom. The spaceships are surprised, trying to manoeuvre out of the way, many are hit with their shields unable to defend against this powerful weapon. Kaboom! The sky explodes violently as a chain reaction spreads all way from the thermosphere to the mesosphere. The cannon built for planetary defence proves very effective, and its capture a massive blow for the Space Army - the Interrogator’s information very valuable. The Space Army having not anticipated its use by the skilful clones.
Meanwhile, the SCC-001 and transporters come to support the MLS-10 against the incoming 15 spaceships. The MLS-10 and SCC-001 able to destroy several, but two of the BV73s’ transporter ships are struck and destroyed. Their deaths echoing through the clones as well as VanWest’s mind. At the cost of three dead BV73 clones, they have successfully managed to block their path. With the cannon drawing attention away, the green energy replenishes, and the hole shrinks again, slicing into pieces the remaining spaceships attacking Cydonia.
Of the 200 red dots, only 100 remain. The cannon fire does not relent, a second volley of blasts destroys more spaceships unable to retreat fast enough. Lt. Colonel Indium himself just about managing to escape in his MLS-5. His shields able to withstand.
Iris calls triumphantly to VanWest and LeSouris, ‘We did it’!
However, for VanWest and LeSouris, there is a note of caution. They realise all the spaceships destroyed were of standard class. These weren’t the Space Army’s best ships - the MLS and SCC classes.
VanWest knows well the Space Army’s guile, he surmises ‘a second wave imminent’. The energy shield continues to expand back out, turning green once again, with the remainder of the clone ships regrouping underneath. The mysterious technology so advanced, it can read their Martian minds to differentiate friend from foe. LeSouris returns to evaluating the MLS class for possible weaknesses.
In addition to the MLS-10 and SCC-001, 5 clone transporters have survived with 3 destroyed. The clone fleet is now as follows:
- 5 spaceships - bygone era transporters
- MLS-10 (MajorLaser series) - prototype for latest and most advanced class
- SCC-001 (SuperCivil class) - prototype for Elite transporters
VanWest checks on Iris, ‘My sweet, how are you feeling’?
‘Managing but the EaRA… Should they not be here by now’? Iris asks.
VanWest looks over to LeSouris, but there is nothing on the communication station and his Quantum Communicator. He replies to her, trying to reassure, ‘Soon, do not worry’.
But as he speaks, the holomap lights up red once more, this time with 700 dots! The Space Army races into the magnetosphere, taking advantage of the still replenishing energy shield. They had all hoped for good news next - but the ETA has passed. Alas, the battle reaches its second phase. At its centre is the MLS-20 of Four-star General Vladimir, guarded by Lt. Colonel Indium’s MLS-5.
LeSouris asks, ‘VanWest that MLS you think General Vladimir’?
VanWest nods, he has seen his coming. They target this time the cannon on Alba Mons - no shield protects it anymore. Zoom! Before VanWest and the clones can react, the plasma accumulates and jolts down in a thunderous clap, smacking into the mountain and the cannon. Its reinforced metallic shell melts, turning an intense and bright red. Firing off its last couple of volleys, the cannon manages to destroy 85 ships before it is destroyed completely.
VanWest hears those inside the mountain, the BV73 and the younger clones rushing to retreat, deeper into the base. Their howls of pain so acute, many incinerated before they can get out of the cannon’s chamber. The transporter stationed nearby destroyed next. The other clones want to help, but VanWest stops them - leaving the energy shield would mean certain death.
VanWest hides a lone tear as he goes over to look through the viewing portal, a distressed Iris staring at him, wondering what they should do next - it looks hopeless. So sad for the clone’s suffering, their fierce defence may have all been in vain. The plasma build-up targets the green energy shield next, turning it yellow once more and pushing it back.
VanWest closes his eyes to focus, through the darkness, he sees many ships entering the magnetosphere. Long Jerseyan cargo ships, many battle-scarred. Next Enforcer patrolships and NEA battleships, spirally and pointy. But then he sees the face of Dr King, who shouts angrily to ‘fire at Mad Newton’. A huge explosion following.
His Quantum Communicator activates as he reopens his eyes, and the ship’s communication station displays a new message: Revised ETA 00:00:01.
Their delay has cost many clones their lives, but at least the EaRA has made it. The red-light and plasma build-up ceasing, the Space Army’s attention is diverted to that above. VanWest is perplexed but not saddened by what he has foreseen of Dr VonHelmann in this new vision. He tells his clones to not react to his coming - let fate decide. For if they are divided, they will not be able to overcome their formidable enemy, Dr King and the Universal Council.
Chapter 19 Red versus Blue
The Universal spaceships make a strategic withdrawal as they plan how to counter the arrival of the EaRA’s fleet. Those on the SCC-001 gather around as a communication comes through from the Jerseyan warlord Method A, her wrinkled face broadcasted through the communication station and onto the holomap.
She greets them warmly, from inside Sista Pees’s up-armoured cargo ship, ‘Hey dawgz, we here to save you, kill King. Universal going down’!
‘Praise be! My friend, welcome to the fight’! LeSouris hails.
Still annoyed by their treatment in Gambler’s Den, Iris decides to put it behind her and move forward. Greeting her next, as does VanWest, ‘Welcome’!
‘Good to see you fine skinned thangs’! Method A gives them a shaka sign of respect. Looking at LeSouris with a slightly confused look, ‘Sour, your neck’?
‘You not hear, I’m sexy Jerseyan now’, LeSouris jokes.
‘Aye’! Method A replies sarcastically. ‘Gs’s work’?
LeSouris face turns sorrowfu
l, ‘Yes, Gs and his contact Sista Cee’.
‘What happened’? Method A asks.
‘Gs die brave death, help us to base’, LeSouris replies. Thinking it best to omit that under torture he revealed the trio’s location at Sista Cee’s office.
VanWest does the same, ‘Gs helped us. He’s a hero. Schuurman is gone, the Commissioner and the Interrogator all with his help’.
‘Many peeps, cousin Method Bee killed. We gonna get revenge on Soldiers. Kill them all’, Method A replies.
‘We also’, Iris replies.
Method A asks next, ‘That bluish-green stuff? Who pilots your ships’?
Iris finds it hard to give a clear answer to her questions, not understanding it well enough to explain, ‘The energy shield, the ships, they are… well… of VanWest’!
The BV73 clone introduces himself with a bow, drawing a smile from an intrigued Method A. Seeing the resemblance, she asks, ‘Ah, you VanWest son, aye’?
Before VanWest can reply, LeSouris jumps in. Knowing Method A best, he decides against clarifying, ‘My word, you have no idea! VanWest have many, many sons’!
VanWest returns an awkward smile.
‘Respect dawg! Impressive’! Method A replies. In New Jerseyan culture, having a lot of children is revered. With the radiation poisoning of the 21st and 22nd century, many humans, as well as Jerseyans, became infertile. Those able to procreate were essential to their survival and the eventual evolution of the new homo sapiens, which some derogatorily refer to as the ‘Jerseyan mutants’.
Method A continues, on the way to Mars, ‘some crazy cyborg ships fight us. Space heated’!
Iris updates on their own situation, ‘Four-star General Vladimir leads over 550 spaceships, many of the most advanced class. We had help of a defensive cannon on Mars and the energy shield, but they destroyed the cannon’.
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