by SJ McGarry
"Ready, Captain. Dovell holding and locked."
"Read Dovel1, hold your position. Bango 2, come in."
"Bango 2 unit ready, Captain -holding and locked."
"Read Bango 2. Are you ready Zoomer 3, come in Zoomer 3?"
"Zoomer 3 - holding and locked
"Steady . . . five, four, three, two, one, fire," ordered Abigor.
Massive firepower hurled from the ships' turrets, the outer covering of the bullets contained a poisonous acid. The spaceships hit the meteors dead center and upon impact exploded, shattering into billions of dangerous, swirling particles now saturated with the toxic liquid.
Meteor fragments started their descent towards the Milky Way Galaxy, causing mass static and blocking of all incoming and outgoing communication paths between the two galaxies, leaving planet Earth defenseless. The planet's protective barrier, the ozone layer, weakened from centuries of abuse, now lay isolated and vulnerable to the malevolent evil infused into the Earthlings' minds by the Red Brume.
MULTIPLE SUPERNOVAE lit the heavens brighter than a triple sun at noon. Volcanic, solar flares erupted from the sun, triggered by the magnetic energy built up and released into the atmosphere. The radiation and deadly rays of hot gasses, invisible to the naked eye or telescopes fingered their way towards Earth, poisoning everything in its path.
NELLA AND HER PARENTS watched another VIV as a satellite zoomed in on the southern part of the country Peru. The villagers in the little town of Lima became ill after a massive meteorite made its fiery crash to Earth. Many complained of headaches and vomiting brought on by a strange odor.
Rescue teams and experts dispatched to the scene also came down ill and hospitalized. Boiling water collected in the crater's center and particles of rocks and cinders lie around its perimeter while gas fumes shot up out of the hole left by the impact of the meteor.
PROPHECIES OF OLD FROM the Book of Twenty activated. Carnage and disequilibrium of all living things reared its ugly head, portending the beginning stages of Earth's destruction as tears of acid fell from the heavens.
CHAPTER 18
Global Disasters
Earth 2007 Forward
The Royal Family stared at the frozen, blank screen. Captain Norhann's face came back into view. Deep wrinkles held his sad eyes hostage which could not hide the shock or horror that haunted him. Spiral memory chips from the past poured in, documenting the massive devastation of Earth's animal kingdom, land disappearance, rising oceans, droughts, and starvation. "Show us the next SMCP," Captain Norhann commanded.
“Yes Captain,” Keno replied as he cued up the VIV. The multi-screens came to life in the following sequence.
EARTH YEAR 2007: SMCP
DOWNLOADING
‘For many decades, the government and leaders on Earth denied climate change, but their disbelief came to a swift end.
Across the screen, yearly highlights streamed from 1896 to 2007, Earth-time. Fast-forwarding, screen three showed flood disasters.
It was the year 2007, in Nairobi. Record floods in Africa had affected over one and a half million people, killing at least three hundred.
Little Jaropa, a five-year-old Nairobi boy, screamed as he gathered his last ounce of strength while hanging on tight to a large tree that remained rooted within the raging flood waters. "Mommy, Mommy, where are you, Mommy?" He cried.
The worst floods in three decades have now affected twenty-two countries, displacing hundreds of thousands and raising the risk of waterborne epidemics.’
Keno switched to screen four, which showed the outbreak in Sudan:
‘650,000 people in need of emergency aid for a cholera outbreak that has already caused sixty-eight deaths . . . At least 100,000 more people are affected by the latest wave of flooding in Sudan, destroying homes, food stocks and essential household supplies," the UN said in a statement.’
Screen five showed Uganda:
‘400,000 people waited for relief in the northeastern regions where flooding had complicated aid delivery. The disaster crippled the continent, even as world leaders discussed climate change at the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York.
“The torrential rains and floods have ravaged sub-Saharan Africa, and experts believe a result of 'La Niña' weather patterns occurring thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean,” Keno commented, reading the documents that downloaded in the system. “Hardest hit is the poorest countries-to the disasters induced by climate change.”
Fast forward to 2018
Keno continued, “Predictions say that rising sea levels could threaten coastal states on planet Earth and could threaten millions by 2100 forcing Pacific Ocean communities under water. Their satellites show the rise of global warming caused by the results of melting glaciers. Massive cracks in the Antarctica ice shelf regions keep growing and will break free from the continent. Their data says disappearing ice sheets and warmer waters expanding will cause oceans to rise by one meter. Regardless of any future efforts or actions to curb greenhouse gasses, Earth's leading scientists agree it will happen regardless, and it will reshape the world as they know it,” Keno reported as he switched to the VIV screen.
Nella and her parents watched as rising waters wiped out London, New York, Tokyo, Bombay, and vast areas of countries from Great Britain to Bangladesh, disappearing under the rising water. The underground subways in New York City lay submerged swamping big city airports, and major interstate highways, all under water. Storm surges worsened by rising sea levels flooded the waterfront getaways of the rich. Beaches in Texas and Florida ceased to exist, all the result of the melting ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica, which rose sea levels by over fifteen to twenty feet.
Another screen showed the disappearing Alaskan ice shelf and the fulfilled prediction of an ice-free Arctic Ocean in the Earth year 2020-2021.
“I've caught the SMCP, and one of Earth's satellite downloads from a female walrus and her pup up in the Arctic. The system could capture and translate her BC communication. She identified herself as Welma,” noted Keno.
The screen zoomed in on Welma, a female Alaskan walrus, as she basked in the sun upon a thin platform of ice. The image recorded from an earlier satellite view.
BC DOWNLOAD BEGIN:
‘I am exhausted. It took much longer to swim to the familiar feeding grounds because the lowest summer ice cap on record has put the sea ice far north of the outer continental shelf. My pup struggles to keep up and slowed us down, but we both have made it together, and now we need to rest.
Our favorite meal was that of clams, snails, and other bottom dwellers, but since the ice recession, thousands of my walrus friends picked Alaska's rocky beaches as an alternative or spots that are called 'haul-outs' on a remote stretch of Alaskan coastline.
My pup and I need either ice or land to rest. Unlike seals, we cannot swim forever, and we must pause after foraging. Until now, the Walrus Family used the edge of the ice pack like a conveyor belt. The sea ice gave our pups a protected platform on which to rest while the parent’s dives to feed. With the change in weather conditions, all that has changed.
As I contemplated my predicament, the roar of a polar bear interrupted the moment. Survival mode kicked in, and by instinct, I rushed over the ice to a protective standoff acting as a barrier between the bear and my pup. Just as things seemed like they could not get any worse, a horrible sound screeched, shooting a long crack splitting down the middle between where we both stood.
The polar bear now floated on a smaller, rectangular sheet of ice barely broad enough to hold his large, body even though he looked emancipated compared to their average size. I could see he was starving from lack of adequate food no longer found on the northern ice shelf. It separated keeping him separated from the main ice shelf. A terrifying roar reached across the icy wasteland, which caused the small ice shelf to shift, making the polar bear lose his balance, dumping him in the water.
His muscles balked as he tried to swim with all his might, latching on
to larger pieces of ice, but they kept breaking into small sections. Chunks of ice surrounded him, all too small to hold his weight. They prevented him from reaching the larger ice shelves.
To my horror, I watched him shrink from view as he weakened from his desperate fight to save himself, disappearing into the glare of water in the distant horizon.’
Nella and her parents watched as Welma searched for help and let out a screech of pure terror, begging for the strength needed to allow herself, her pup, and her species to survive.
The scene started fading as another VIV appeared showing the predicted problems Earth would face during future years.:
Earth's oceans turning to acid
Sea level rise
Next big wars fought over water
Countries laying claims to diminishing polar caps for rights to oil
Rain forests being cut down and disappearing
Predictions of the demise of all coral reefs within thirty-five years of Earth time.
Population explosion is soaring off the charts, millions dying like flies because of disease and lack of habitat or food.
As the last scene froze in place, another screen showed Captain Norhann as he rose from his chair and addressed Keno.
“Ok, we've seen enough. Send the BC memories from Earth to King Montrobius and the Council at once.”
Keno adjusted the feed, sending everything on the spiral pathways to King Montrobius at Imperial headquarters in Atrore. “It's on its way,” Keno confirmed.
DOWNLOAD STOP
As Nella and her parents looked at each other, the shock and disbelief reflected like mirrors on their faces. They continued watching as Captain Norhann, and his crew gathered closer to the GIS screen to view new communication streaming in by the thousands, from life forms on the spiral pathway from Earth.
CHAPTER 19
Troubled Earth
The SMCP records advanced to news feeds. Birds tried to redirect their migration habits and routes to adjust to warmer winters, disappearing feeding grounds, and shrinking wetlands because of the erratic weather.
Climate change caused threats to all species of migratory fowl under pressure from intrusions such as coastline development. Warming trends drove 30% of known animal groups to extinction (in particular the seasonal birds) as Arctic permafrost and tundra, where many bred, melted.
The rise of sea levels flooded the wetlands where they stop to feed. The deserts expanded, lengthening the distance between rest stops. Medium-sized breeds of shorebirds, like the Bewick swans, and red knots, disappeared.
Other alerts scrolled in banner-style:
As early as 1991: Atmospheric related changes in the behavior of wildlife became clear.
1992: Habitats dwindle.
1993: 'Polar Bears at Risk.' Warm temperatures thin the ice where they hunt, forcing them back to shore without enough food to sustain hibernation.
2006: The Interior Department declares polar bears "Threatened."
Fast forward to 2017: “Scientist say ‘Prelude’ to the sixth mass extinction, which began thousands of years earlier, known as the Holocene extinction, is happening right now proving a clear sign the humans have messed up again. By disrupting the planet’s ecosystem from overhunting, destroyed habitats, polluted waterways, and altering the climate by burning fossil fuels, or natural catastrophes from mother nature or outer-space, predictions warn to wiping at least eighty percent of all species off the planet for good within thousands of years in the future.
The scene faded, and the face of Montrobius filled the hologram. “Zennibar's interference once again prevails,” he stated. Static snow raced across the screen and turned black.
Johan shook his head in disbelief. Tears ran down Queen Megan's cheeks, and Nella's throat constricted as she attempted to process all she viewed from the SMCP downloads from Earth. Her heart started to crumble into a million pieces.
Silence once again consumed the moment.
A sound of someone clearing their throat bounced around the massive room like a boomerang and interrupted the quiet. King Montrobius stood at the entrance to the Imperial conference room.
The King’s larger-than-life form covered by his majestic purple robe wrapped around his immense frame gave a vision of dignity and power. He looked to be almost as tall as her dad, Nella observed. Salt-and-pepper hair suggested many Centaurian rings and knowledge under his belt and his long sporting beard, also peppered with age, challenged anything different.
Montrobius walked over and stood in front of Nella. With gentleness and lifting her chin with his hand, he sent a push of power through their eye contact, which Nella felt a tingling sensation seeping into her body. Silence held the moment, and her stress level and nerve-endings were pulsating above a ten level. Her feet shifted from one to another waiting for him to continue.
"My, how you've grown. We've watched your growing-up years through the spiral Centaurian rings in Utropia. We are all proud of you. The list of your accomplishments in a short ring of time is remarkable.
We, and I speak for all of us, commend you for your loyalty and determination exhibited in such a limited amount in time. You communicate so well with all creatures and critters."
"Oh?" Nella replied. Her mind jumbled, and for once in her life, her mouth refused to cooperate leaving her speechless. She couldn't think of anything appropriate to say. Her eyes searched for confirmation from her dad and mom, who both nodded and smiled. She hoped the heated blush on her face would abate. If not, the markings across the bridge of her nose would shimmer.
"Thank you, your Majesty," she responded as she lowered her head.
"Please, call me Montrobius, and drop the entire 'majesty’ and ‘king’ thing."
"Yes, King, I mean, Montrobius," a chuckle escaped as her stress level went down a notch or two.
"Come, let's sit by the fireplace, as we have much to discuss. Captain Norhann of Titan 1 will join us soon."
Nella and her parents followed Montrobius to an alcove where a smaller table with chairs situated around its oval shape for a relaxed setting and discussions. After they sat down, small VIV monitors appeared above the marble table tops so each person could use their GIS for referencing any historical data.
"King Johan," Montrobius began, "We've always been in total alliance on matters about the security of our world Centaurius.
The Royal Family nodded in agreement.
"Your reign in Utropia is one of honor and wisdom, like yours, Queen Megan," Montrobius acknowledged.
Both of Nella's parents lowered their heads in acknowledgment of his compliment.
"In normal circumstances," Montrobius continued, "the council would ask you to gather up your armies and legions and join the fleet of Centaurius and travel to the planet Naphix to get this rather messy affair taken care of as quick as possible.
Johan's head nodded.
"Because of the current conditions, we cannot afford for you to leave your country or Centaurius unguarded because of the immediate threat posed by the Wizard Zennibar and his fleets."
Johan leaned forward and asked, "What is Zennibar plotting now? We've confronted each other in battle many times over every dispute imaginable within the galaxy of Andromeda."
"Yes, the Council is aware of all your victories in keeping Zennibar's personal and greedy ambitions confined to his territory."
An uncomfortable pause took over the somber silence permeating the room. Montrobius chose his next words with care.
“The bad news is, Zennibar contracted the services of Abigor, the Grand Duke of Demons of the Fireworks Galaxy."
The expression on Johan's face spoke volumes.
"With their game plan, it doubles their military forces and presence in size. Plans to spread the demon military forces and dominance to the Milky Way galaxy would add to planet Earth's current self-destructive troubles by starting a full-scale attack. Are you familiar with the Red Brume Prophecy?"
"Not of late, since I read where Grizel containe
d and sealed the entity hundreds of thousands of years ago and could do no harm. There was no reason to investigate further."
"Let me give you some background about its origins and what we are now facing, as it will involve Nella." His face reflected and carried the weight of the seriousness of the situation.
CHAPTER 20
The Red Brume Prophecy
Montrobius raised his hand towards the VIV Hologram screen. An old scholar of their planet appeared, and began giving a historical narration that brought forth the story and legend that all Centaurians had heard of growing up through one time or another during their rings of time:
‘Hundreds of thousands of years ago, during the formation of Centaurius, a wizard far more advanced than any other, named Jarvis, created what he thought was going to be a benevolent and loving being. He called his creation, the Red Brume.
The logic behind his original plan was to send out an ambassador of goodwill to other worlds within neighboring galaxies to help them understand the repercussion of any acts of war or the killing of living beings, and instead teach the conservation of their planet's resources and the sacredness of every life form within their world and galaxy.
Jarvis meant to keep control. Unfortunately, something went wrong. He intended to create a breathing entity, able to think. Unknown to the wizard, something happened in the process restricting it to only function at the lowest cellular level. Unaware, he decided to share the knowledge of his creation with Grizel, the Female Warrior of Old, believing he had found a way to save the Universe.
However, the Red Brume actions proved just the opposite of all Jarvis had hoped it would be. The first defiled act was to turn on its creator. A struggle commenced. The entity invaded and devoured Jarvis' mind, leaving him nothing more than a raving lunatic stripped of his powers or knowledge.