Post by Gundam Revival GM on Nov 13, 2012 20:48:50 GMT -5
Hal arrived back on the bridge alone, Natalya no where to be seen. Razel gave him a look.
“Where’s the woman?” he asked with a slight goading smile.
“She’s staying behind with Emma,” Hal said calmly, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, “are we ready to lift off yet?”
Razel squinted his eyes a bit, then turned to Captain Zetsu, “ready when you are.”
Captain Zetsu flicked a switch for the intercom, “all hands on board, prepare for departure.”
Minutes later the ship was out of the Zero Heaven docking bay, on it’s way towards Earth. The trip was quiet for a while, Hal typing away at his computer and Razel pacing. The two barely spoke, Razel could feel the tension between them.
She must have told him about that night, Razel thought to himself. He finally sat down, leaning on a chair in the bridge with his feet up on a console. Zetsu shot him an annoyed look, aggravated by the disrespect Razel had showed so far. Razel sighed and put his feet on the floor, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
“I’m going for a walk,” Razel said, walking towards the door.
“Wait,” Captain Zetsu said, urgency coloring his voice, “we’ve lost communication with Earth. I can’t get a hold of the Queen or anyone else.”
Razel shot a look at Hal, who nodded back and furiously began typing on his laptop. After a few moments his search was null as Culas appeared on the large com-screen.
“Captain Zetsu,” Culas said, “I am Culas Westin, Vice President of Pax Pacis.” Culas could see both Razel and Hal on his com-screen.
Good, we’ll need them as well, he thought to himself.
“Mr. Westin,” Captain Zetsu addressed Culas, “a pleasure to meet you. What can we do for you?”
Culas’s skin was still pale, and it seemed like he had been sweating. When he spoke his voice was somewhat hoarse, “as you probably already know, communication with Earth has been cutoff. We now know what’s causing this, as well as the disappearance of the Sentries, which I assume is why you’re on your way to Earth now.”
“Correct, we were on our way to help out any way we could,” Zetsu said, in an almost ‘mission review’ sort of way.
“What’s going on Culas?” Razel said, stepping forward. He could see it in Culas’s eyes, the expression on his face, the slight crack in his voice. Something was wrong, something very wrong.
“Just take a look for yourselves, this was taken from Colony L5,” Culas said, almost saddened.
The visual replaced Culas’s face and all eyes squinted from a bright light coming from the screen. Only seconds later, when their eyes adjusted did they see what had everyone in a panic.
Razel swallowed hard.
Hal gasped.
Captain Zetsu’s jaw dropped.
Some of the crew on the bridge began hyperventilating and a few women began to cry.
The image was that of Earth, an orange-red glow emanating on the surface of the atmosphere. The bright light did not come from this. The light emanated from a ship, loosely named, because the ship was, from what Hal could tell, roughly three times the size of Earth itself. The entire ship glowed with a bright white light, almost covering Earth itself. These characteristics were indeed enough to stun anyone into paralysis, but the most startling and jarring aspect of the ship was seen very clearly, the perspective perfectly aligned with this one feature.
On the top of the ship, probably as large as Earth itself, lies flat down a symbol of great importance, something so recognizable that everyone on Earth and the colonies could easily discern what it was: a glowing Christian cross.
From any point on Earth you could see the glowing ship, as well as the cross adorning it, since there was one located on the top and bottom of the massive vessel. People across the globe stare out into the sky, most on their knees in prayer whether religious or not. Within minutes of the arrival of the ship, speculations of the End of Days ran abound, religious leaders saying it was indeed God himself, coming to take his children to Heaven. And the Devil would be next, to take the sinners to Hell.
Amongst the religious banter clouding the airwaves and the masses running to their places of worship for comfort, there were skeptics, most claiming that this was just Vis Vires in an attempt to distract and take advantage, while making a play for Earth itself.
Educated and informed people, I.E. the military and government, were stumped. They didn’t know what to think, and were all in a panic. A half an hour had gone by since the sky turned another color and the ship had appeared, and nothing had yet happened. No military organization made a move, fearing they would bring upon the Earth a force they could not handle. The first action was to get what commanders they had together to discuss these events.
In a com-screen conference all the major players gathered. High Admiral Kofista, President Ralcheister, and Queen Zerium Cabore III stared at each other through the com-screens waiting for the officials from ESUG to arrive. When the officials arrived, they looked exhausted and a bit frazzled. Seven officials appeared on-screen, most older than dust itself. The head official, President of ESUG Jaeven Florenton spoke first, clearing his throat before doing so:
“High Admiral Kofista, what do we know?” he said to everyone, his tone soothing but severe. President Florenton was a highly respected and loved man. At only forty-six years old, Florenton was quite handsome and charming. But right now, he was all business.
“At twelve-hundred and forty-three hours, what we’re classifying ‘the Planet Vessel,’ appeared with almost no warning just outside Earth’s orbit,” Kofista hit a button and a visual of the ship appeared alongside of Earth, “at the same moment an unknown energy field surrounded the planet in an orange glow. As far as we know this barrier’s purpose is two-fold: to keep us in and to jam all out-and-in going transmissions. We’re cut off from anyone outside of Earth.”
“Are any of our sensors picking up anything outside of this barrier?” Florenton questioned.
“Nothing,” Kofista answered, “we cannot get any readings from the barrier or the planet vessel.”
“Continue,” Florenton said waving a hand.
Kofista cleared his throat, annoyed at the interruption, “As for the planet vessel: it seems to be emitting a glow, a light of itself. The effects of this light are unknown to us, but…”
“Let me interrupt, just a moment,” one of the officials spoke, “what about the crosses? Shouldn’t we consider this above anything as a sign of religious aspects? Maybe the light is the light of God.”
Ignorant pious son of a bitch.
Kofista’s lips curled, but he kept his calm, “of course we are considering the crosses, but their existence should not jade us into a false comfort, nor should it prevent us from thinking logically, here. Those crosses could easily be a strategy to keep us from doing anything and everything we will have to do to protect our planet.”
Florenton nodded in agreement, “Kofista is right, the crosses are not the issue, this is a military operation and this meeting was brought together to determine the right course of military action.”
The official who brought up the crosses grimaced, slinking back and into his chair.
“Please,” Florenton nodded to Kofista.
“Since its appearance, the planet vessel has not made a move. No attempt of communication has been made, nor have they shown any sign of hostility. As of right now their motives aren’t apparent.”
Kofista stopped to take a sip of his coffee. It was clear that most of the people taking part in the meeting were quite tired. Queen Zerium stifled a yawn, it being quite un-lady like. President Ralcheister listened patiently, this not being his usual place, but someone had to represent Pax Pacis since Culas could not be contacted. Most of the officials, used to a pampered life, yawned continuously.
“How much of ESS is outside of Earth?” one of the officials asked.
Kofista sighed, “without the forces we have stationed on the colonies, we’re running at about sixty percent, give or take.”
Florenton considered that, “what about Pax Pacis, Mr. Ralcheister?” Florenton never called Ralcheister President, he had a hard time with the title being anything but the title of the leader of ESUG.
“Well,” Ralcheister said, adjusting in his seat, “we’re at about the same.”
Florenton nodded, “and you, Queen Cabore?”
“I’ve only a small ship and a few of my best men out there, Mr. President,” she said.
“Alright, well we are still a match to be reckoned with if they decide to attack,” Florenton said to everyone, thinking somewhat opposite, though, “what I suggest we do now is to continue to try and make contact with the ship while fortifying what defenses we do still have. No sense in attacking something we know nothing about, besides, we don’t know if we can even break through that barrier to mount an offensive. And even if we could,” a grim expression growing on his face, “we have no idea what we’re up against.”
“So you think it might be a force field of some sort?” Culas said, raising an eyebrow curiously.
Hal typed away on his laptop, which was now connected to the Pax Pacis Headquarters’s database on Colony L7. After Culas had contacted the Royal Army ship, everyone aboard agreed that the next course of action should be to meet with Culas on L7. While they made their way to L7, Culas contacted the rest of the Pax Pacis forces, as well as ESS forces on the colonies. Even though Pax Pacis had no governmental attachment, there still were procedures such as this one that had to be followed.
“Well, from the readings we’re getting here,” Hal started, still typing away, “it seems to be the most logical explanation. Though I have no clue what type of energy it is made from, it seems that the intensity of the energy itself could easily incinerate anything that comes in contact with it.”
“And the light that’s emanating from the ship?” Razel chimed in over Hal’s shoulder.
“Completely unknown, though the energy signature seems to be related,” Hal said, pushing his falling glasses up, “I’m trying to get more information, but for some reason the sensors aren’t picking up everything. My best guess, though, is that it’s a force field around the ship as well.”
Culas began to pace around the Headquarters Strategy Room, breathing heavily. Earth had been cut off, completely separated from the rest of the solar system, and he was the highest ranking commander out in space. He would have to organize some kind of attack, and because there was no form of communication with Earth, it would have to be with whatever they have out in space. Culas went to a console where a technician sat.
“Give me a quick run-down on available equipment and personnel,” Culas said, standing to the side of the technician.”
The tech typed away on his keyboard, finding the requested information, “We’re at thirty percent personnel for both Pax Pacis and ESS, twenty percent Mobile Weapon, and only five percent Mobile Fleet.”
Culas cursed under his breath then turned toward Hal and Razel, “you hear him?”
“Unfortunately,” Razel said, sitting down at a seat next to Hal, “though it’s not gonna matter worth a damn if that thing has a force field.”
“Right,” Culas sat across from Hal and Razel, his elbows resting on the round table. He rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.
“I don’t want to sound naïve,” which Hal knew he was about to sound anyway, “but what if they aren’t hostile? They haven’t made any move to attack, nor have they done any damage other than that done to the Sentires.”
Culas thought about that for a moment, “Yes, but assuming they haven’t made contact with Earth yet, and they certain haven’t with us, why else would they cut off Earth from everyone else? Their technology is obviously more advanced than ours…”
As Culas continued, Razel dazed off into his own thoughts, imagining who would have this kind of technology, never seen before by any of their sensors. Razel didn’t even humor the idea that this had anything to do with religion, especially since he had been an Atheist his entire life. Aliens seemed more likely. But the crosses confused him, if they were Aliens how would they know about one of humanity’s greatest symbols?
The crosses… they have to be human.
The large bodied captain read the readout on the screen in front of him. It was only a preliminary scan but what he saw, he liked. For the first time in his life, he smiled. They’d found it, finally. His people were about to get what they’d been looking for longer than he could remember. It was perfect, and it would be theirs.
Finally, we have found you, he thought to himself as the screen reverted back to a view of Earth.
He stood there for a while admiring the view, basking in his own glory. After only a moment of accepting joy, the captain’s face was wiped clean. He then gave the order for an attack to assess the ability of the people inhabiting the planet before a complete and full assault would be ordered.
“Ersatz will be deployed in a matter of seconds, Sire.”
Good, I need to descend to the surface as soon as possible to see for myself if this planet is truly Amantrathea.
“We have incoming!” a sensor tech said, excitedly anxious.
Kofista whipped his head around to see the vid-screen the tech was monitoring, seeing what he feared the most. The planet vessel had begun its attack, this was obvious. First came a rainstorm of some kind of energy from the sky, most of it focused in highly populated areas. This, in the matter of seconds before Kofista could make any orders to him men, devastated the surface of Earth, killing thousands. Kofista was stunned, mouth ajar. He quickly regained his composure, though, when the bombardment ceased and something else emerged from the orange-red cover in the sky, passing though the barrier as if it weren’t even there.
The sky began to fill with small ships, fighters of some kind, all about half the size of an MS. They were sleek, shiny, as if they’d never been used before. They were mostly black with grey trimming, shaped almost like a 3-D elongated triangles, fins poking out the bottom. These are the Ersatz. And millions of them were now descending upon Earth.
Kofista barked out his worldwide order: “Get into the sky and take them down!”
Worldwide, MS pilots took off of the ground, headed into the sky to defend their homes, their families, and everything else on Earth. In the dark of night, the Ersatz were damn-near impossible to see, whether this was purposeful or just plain luck, they’d never know. Even with nightvison and their MS’s sensors, a lot of pilots were killed within moments of making contact with the Ersatz. Some of the battle ships stayed in the sky, their large beam cannons wiping out thousands at a time. But they kept coming, like locusts engulfing a field of grass.
On Zero Heaven the mood was somber, most people crying and praying, hoping that their loved one’s were safe on Earth. Redrico was kind enough to give everyone aboard free room and board, but even then he didn’t have enough rooms for everyone. Natalya and Emma, having a suite already due to Hal being in the tournament, sat anxiously in the room. Natalya sat at the computer, staying in contact with Hal via com-screen. He was periodically sending data to her, collaborating in their efforts to figure out anything they could about the massive ship.
“The energy signatures are only slightly different,” Natalya said, reading the data she’d just received. Emma sat on the couch in front of a vid-screen, watching news reports from Colony L-5, curled into a ball with her arms wrapped around her legs which were bent and pressed against her chest. She rocked back and forth slowly.
“I see that, but they’re slight, which means the glow of the ship is most likely a shield just like the one surrounding Earth,” Hal said, typing away on his laptop. After a few moments of back and forth, Hal gasped.
“What?” Natalya asked, seeing the look on Hal’s face.
“They just started their attack,” Hal said vacantly, “my god, there must be millions of those things.”
Natalya took a deep breath, knowing Hal would soon leave to help in the fight for Earth. She wished she could have more confidence in him, but knew that she would always worry for his safety. At that moment Hal sent a streaming video to Natalya. Her eyes went wide as she saw the Earth, covered in orange-red, the ship that was almost three times the size of Earth itself, and millions of fighter ships erupting from it and heading into the impenetrable shield.
“Pin-point where those ships are coming out of the ship,” she heard Culas say to someone in the background, “we need to see if we can get in through the way they’re coming out.”
Natalya and Emma heard a knock at the door, both of their heads turning in its direction. Emma made no movement to answer it, so Natalya stood from her seat and excused herself from Hal. She walked over to the door and peered through the peephole, a flash of black disappearing from her view.
What the…?
She quickly opened the door, turning her head in the direction she thought the person was walking, and there, turning down a hallway to her right, she clearly saw the end of a black cape or cloak escaping her view. She ran over to the hall intersection, but when she turned right there was no one there. Baffled, she walked back to the hotel room’s door. Lying on the lush carpet in front of the door was a data disk, plain and simple. She picked it up and examined it. No label. She closed the door behind her and locked it, feeling the creeps now after the weird encounter.
“W-w-who was it?” Emma stammered, clenching her legs closer.
“Don’t know,” Natalya said, eyeing the disk. By the time she sat down at the computer, Hal was gone, most likely headed to his MS. She inserted the disk into the computer, giving it a moment to load and open. What was encoded on the disk was a simple message with no signature, it read:
Your new enemy utilizes an unknown technology.
It is a metal that conducts a special energy.
Its only weakness is extreme cold.
“Rain an earned lax, vapid us!”
Already in the firefight, Trent jams on the controls of his MS Prophet of Sorrow, nearly colliding with another Ersatz, slashing it with his Linear Scythe as he passed. The fighter exploded a little too close for comfort, sending Prophet hurdling away. Although they were avoiding being hit with his weapons, they also seemed to be trying to kamikaze into him as well.
“Hiro, watch out, these things don’t seem to mind crashing into you to cause some damage,” Trent said, avoiding another and blasting it with a hip shot from his Linear Rifle.
“Figured that out already,” Hiro said, straining his words as he destroyed two more with a couple Linear blasts from his mounted Linear Rifles on each arm. His MS Hiruko twisted and turned in the air, avoiding the small red blasts of energy fired from the Ersatz. The small blasts missed him, but not the ESS Antila behind him.
“We’re losing a lot of pilots,” Hiro said, firing on a group of Ersatz with his Beam Vulcan and Linear Rifles. As soon as he said that, another MS exploded near him.
“I know, I know,” Trent said, his attention elsewhere on a group of Ersatz that had managed to surround him. Prophet’s chest and back open at the same time, expelling missiles in both directions. The Ersatz exploded in a ring of fire around Trent, Prophet. Flying quickly from the spot, Trent easily found more targets above him, which were busy fighting another ESS MS. Trent activated his extending arm, which came out of Prophet’s chest while he aimed his NPL at another. The extending arm rammed into the Ersatz with a force, smashing it in half while he fired the NPL. The NPL blast hit the other and it completely froze, then crumbled almost instantly.
Interesting, Trent thought, firing at another with his NPL. That one too, crumbled.
“NPL a weakness, freeze ‘em!,” Trent said to everyone who could hear him.
In the area, at that moment, anyone who had an NPL began using it, blue lasers flying across the sky into Ersatz. They froze instantly, the extreme cold too much for them. The numbers were finally beginning to dwindle.
In London, Dmitri was busy using his Hologram Projector to confuse the Ersatz, which he found to be a pretty easy task. These things weren’t smart. All around him they flew, usually attacking the hologram doppelganger of his MS, while he took them out using his Linear Lance and Heat Rod. He was in the middle of slashing at a couple of them when Trent popped up on his com-screen.
“Anyone who can hear me, use your NPL’s if you have them, they must be weak to extreme cold.”
Dmitri grimaced, whole lot of good that does me.
He continued his defense of the castle, alongside of pretty much every pilot the Royal Army had. As he fought, he noticed there were some Peacemaker MS’s that had joined the fray, though no sign of ESS. He figured they had the whole Earth to protect, must be quite spread-out.
Agonotheta Letum circled around a group of Ersatz, the hologram on the other side, mimicking the original’s movements. Half of the group attacks Dmitri, the other the hologram. Dmitri made quick work of them, whipping his Heat Rod around wildly. The other group attacking the hologram kept firing, Dmitri shaking his head at the stupidity, then putting them out of their misery with a few missiles from the chest cavity in Letum.
He was getting tired of this, although easy, but repetitive battle. The Ersatz had to be controlled by A.I. There was no doubt of that in his mind. No human pilot was that dumb.
“Hal!” Natalya said to the com-screen as soon as Hal’s face appeared.
“Sorry, Natalya, we had to get…” Hal started, but was interrupted.
“I know, but you have to see this,” she said, sending the message to Hal’s vid-screen. Hal read over the short and simple message.
“Who gave you this?” he questioned skeptically.
“I don’t know,” Natalya said, the black cloth disappearing into the hall still on her mind, “it was just left at the door.” She’d tell him later about what she saw.
“Hmm… well, I don’t know if we can trust an unknown source, but we’ll see soon. We’re almost at the… the… whatever it is.” Hal looked as though he were nervous, Natalya could see that.
“Hal, I did some new tests on the data,” she said, bringing up the results on Hal’s vid-screen, “it looks like this inside information could be accurate.”
Hal studied the data. He agreed with Natalya, this did seem to point the weakness in the direction of extreme and complete cold. Then he got an idea.
“I think I may know a way to get into the ship, possibly even stop it,” he said, almost proud.
“One step ahead of you, Hal” Natalya said, her attention and head facing another screen, “I already contacted them, they’ll be waiting for you.” She smiled.
Hal’s face was unmoving, his focus on the problem at hand all he could manage. There was no smile back.
“I’ll contact you when we have it and are en route to the threat.”
“Love you,” Natalya said, her smile fading.
This time Hal smiled, “Love you as well, Natalya.”
Hal shut down the communication and made contact with Culas, who was in the bridge of the ship they were on.
“Culas, we have to change course,” Hal said, fiddling with something in his MS.
“What? But we have to help with the attack,” Culas said, confused and almost angry.
“And that’s what we’re doing, but we need to go somewhere first to do that,” Hal explained.
“Where?” Culas asked bluntly.
“Solaris One.”
Inside the Pax Pacis Headquarters located on Colony L7 lies the Pax Pacis Maximum Security Prison, where many terrorists and other wrong-doers are spending a long time behind bars paying for their crimes. One of the inmates at this prison is Adon Telaeruse, his hair still perfectly slicked back, wearing an orange coverall with the Pax Pacis symbol and his ID number embroidered on it.
He sat quietly in his cell, alone. His cell was located away from the normal cells, where he could excite the masses and possibly cause a riot. He was good at that, manipulation, and he could pretty much get anyone to do anything, and make it feel like it was their idea as well. Thumbing a book, one from his private collection he convinced Ralcheister to allow him to have in the cell, he couldn’t help but feel something was happening outside of the prison. He noticed an hour ago when the guards suddenly left their positions in front of his cell in quite a rush. Since then, no one had been down his corridor to check on him.
Peculiar, he thought, finishing a chapter and book-marking it.
He stood from his cot and got as close to the bars as he could, looking left and right down each side of the hallway. Nothing. This would be the perfect time to escape, but it was almost impossible for him to do. An inch in front of the bars were another set of bars, these ones horizontal compared to the vertical ones he clung to, and these weren’t typical, they were bars made of beam energy. There was no way for him to escape, even if he could somehow pick the lock, the only way to shut down the beam bars in the control panel down the hall, in a lockbox.
Suddenly, the beam bars fizzled out, actually startling Telaeruse. He jumped back a bit, wondering. He stepped back up to the bars, looking down the hall in the direction of the beam controls. Nothing.
“Someone there? Helllllo?” he said in a lifted tone, almost jokingly. He had a smile on his face, but even he didn’t know why. He just felt as if this would be his chance. He frantically searched for something he could pick the lock with, and then remembered the metal trimming on one of his older books.
Damn shame, he thought as he searched the stacks of books at the backside of the cell. He eventually found it, turning around quickly to see a figure standing on the other side of the bars.
The figure wore all black, except for some silver metal clasps on the cloak that covered his entire body, including the face. Telaeruse was unimpressed by the dramatic entrance.
“Are you here to let me out?” Telaeruse said with a condescending tone.
The man in the black cloak reached a hand from out of nowhere behind his cloak, pushing at the bars holding Telaeruse in. The bars slid open as if they’d never been locked.
Telaeruse cleared his throat, adjusting the collar on the coveralls he’d worn these past months. He dropped the book he was holding back onto the stack and walked toward the man in the black cloak. The man was taller than Telaeruse, but not by too much. Without his lifts he felt short. As he walked past the man he tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but to no avail, the cloak’s hood was too large. It covered all of his face well.
“So who sent you?” Telaeruse asked, walking past the man.
The man was silent for a moment, then, “I sent myself.”
Telaeruse noted the voice. Gruff, yet soft sounding. Not one he recognized, but he’d remember the voice from now on.
“Is that right? And who may you be?” he asked as he turned to walk down the hall.
“No one of importance,” the man said, following Telaeruse.
Telaeruse was getting nowhere with this guy, and he hated it. He wanted information. If he owed someone a favor, he’d like to know the name of the person.
“OK, so at least tell me why you freed me,” Telaeruse said, walking a few steps in front of the man in black.
“Because, Addy,” the man said, smiling under the safety of his cloak, “you still have much to do.”
Telaeruse stopped suddenly at the mention of his ill-used nickname.
“What’s going on, h…?” he began to ask, turning around. But behind him was only an empty hallway. He only knew of two people that had ever called him by that name: his parents.
The rest of the complex was almost as empty as the corridor where his cell was located, save the downed guards lying on the floor, probably taken down by the cloaked figure.
It’s impossible, he thought, my mother’s been dead for years and my father…
He found his way to the garage where he could get a car, picked out a nice classy black luxury sedan and hotwired the ignition. The car started easily and he drove away calmly, as if nothing had just happened, still thinking about the disappearing man in the black cloak.
Within no time at all the ship Culas, Hal, Razel and pretty much every Pax Pacis pilot left in space was docked at Solaris One. Culas and Razel had been informed by Hal what they were now doing before arriving, and were now accompanying Hal off the ship. The three of them were greeted by a man in a white lab coat, who didn’t look at all happy to see them.
“You know,” he started without a greeting, “Solaris One cannot last a day without the help of the…”
Culas put his hand up, stopping the scientist, “I understand this, Dr. Holstum, but there is a situation I’m sure you’re familiar with and we need it. We will hopefully have it back in no time at all.”
Culas tried his best at diplomacy, but his lack of patience was evident.
“Well, you better, we’ve taken in a lot of people whose homes were on Earth, and if we don’t have it back in twenty-four hours, thirty hours at the most, then all these people will have nowhere to go, and possibly will die.” The scientist had his arms crossed, walking with the three to the other side of the docking bay.
“I understand,” Cuals was growing impatient, “but there’s a lot more lives on Earth that we have to help right now, so get it loaded into the ship.” He cut the last part short with frustration.
“Fine,” Dr. Holstum said, waving some engineers over. On the bed of a large intercolony transport, the piece of equipment, machinery, came closer.
“I hope you’re right about this,” Culas said to his side without looking at Hal.
“I hope our mystery informant is right,” Hal responded.
“Wow, it’s big,” Razel said plainly, admiring the piece of equipment as it is loaded into the ship, “bigger than I remember it being.”
“Well, it has to be,” Hal said soberly, his mind somewhere else. It bugged him, the last part of the message on the data disk. He knew that quote from somewhere, but couldn’t put his finger on it. Something he read somewhere, but for the life of him couldn’t remember what. Hal might have been one of the most intelligent minds when it came to computers and code, but when it came to literature he was as normal as any high school graduate.
Once the massive piece of equipment was loaded into their ship, Culas began walking back to the ship. Hal and Razel stayed there standing for a minute, Hal completely lost by the quote at the end of the message.
“Hey,” Razel said, putting his hand on Hal’s shoulder, “you OK?”
Hal looked at Razel, pushing up his glasses that had slid down his nose. Razel was a good person, he knew that, but even so Hal had a small amount of dislike for him. He hated feeling this way, but who could blame him. His now-girlfriend had slept with him, and he’d never forget that.
“Fine,” Hal said coldly, turning to leave and walking off. Razel’s hand slid off of Hal’s shoulder. Razel stood there for another moment, sighed, thinking about Hal and Natalya.
Yeah, she definitely told him… great…
Ramsi sat in his MS patiently, waiting for his moment to take action. Since they’d picked up Razel and Hal, Ramsi had felt the need to be alone. He had a lot on his mind still, and he needed some time to think before he decided to use the Zero System again. He was afraid he’d see something again, and even more afraid he’d black out and hurt someone.
Kal…
His father entered his thoughts, memories of his father pushing him to be a better pilot, even at the age of four years old, memories of that firefight, his mother. Ramsi clenched his fists and closed his eyes, the images searing into view. He punched his console, momentarily losing some control, then opened his eyes and sighing hard.
I’m ready…
As he says so, he feels the ship and his MS shift slightly.
Must be ready to go finally…
Just then Culas appears on his com-screen, “Ramsi, come to the bridge, we’re gonna talk strategy.”
“Will do, Boss, be there in a sec,” Ramsi said, already shutting down Talex.
Dmitri yawned as Letum swiped its Linear Lance at yet another Ersatz, it blowing up soon after. His patience was getting thin, and he’d run out of ways to destroy them about a half hour ago. Dmitri could see the devastation and chaos around him, but he couldn’t see why. Weren’t these pilots any good?
He jammed down on the controls sending Letum diving strait down, then switched on his Waist Gyro spiraling him into a swarm of Ersatz. As he spun through the group, his Heat Rod snaps and slashes through the crowd, leaving a trail of explosions in Letum’s wake. Straitening himself out, Dmitri levels off Letum and looks for his next victim.
Before he even gets his bearings, five or six Ersatz collide into Letum, covering the MS completely, and keeping it from moving. Dmitri struggled at the controls, trying to shake the fighters off of his MS, but to no avail. Soon, he was at the core of a ball of Ersatz surrounding him, completely paralyzing the movement of Letum.
Damn fighter drones…
Dmitri flipped a switch to charge his Electro Magnetic Repulser, and within half a minute activated it on full power. All the Ersatz that clung to Letum suddenly and violently exploded from the makeshift ball. As they were pushed from Letum’s body, Dmitri targeted each one and sent a barrage of missiles from his chest silo, destroying them all.
Back to work… he thought, activating his hologram projector again.
Trent grunted as an Ersatz collides with Prophet’s side, jerking him about in his cockpit. His shoulder felt bruised from all the jerking around and hitting the sides of the cockpit. This battle seemed to be going no where. They had been able to keep the Ersatz in the sky, away from the surface, but they just kept coming, never letting up.
“Dammit,” Trent said, frustrated and exhausted.
“Hey, little help,” Hiro said as Trent saw Hiruko fly past him, five Ersatz following close behind. Trent quickly had Prophet stick its palm out and freeze two of them with its NPL, then jet off behind the rest. Trent quickly shot down two more with his Linear Rifle on Prophet’s hip, the last one becoming the victim of an NPL shot from Hiruko’s left forearm.
“Thanks, pops,” Hiro said playfully\, smiling.
“What was that all about?” Trent said, somewhat annoyed, “you could have handled them easily.”
“True,” Hiro said, taking a pot-shot at a passing-by Ersatz, “but I was doing some tests. Wanted to try and figure out how they can pass through the barrier above.”
Trent continued slashing away at Ersatz with his Linear Scythe as Hiro explained, “and you find anything?”
“The only thing I found it might be would be a frequency they are emitting,” Hiro said, firing off his Linear Rifles, “problem is, we don’t have the capabilities to copy the exact frequency.”
“So that’s pretty much no help, then,” Trent said, dodging an Ersatz energy projectile and firing a few of his own, destroying a few near by fighters.
“Actually, I have a plan,” Hiro said, a smile forming on his face.
“And what’s that?” Trent said, exasperated.
“THIS!” Hiro said, grabbing onto an Ersatz flying strait up past Hiruko. Hiruko clung to the fighter as it flew strait up, into the clouds. Sensing the MS attached to it, the Ersatz began to change its course away from the barrier surrounding Earth.
“No you don’t,” Hiro said, adjusting Hiruko’s Verniay Wings to compensate for the Ersatz’s thrusters, sending it strait up once again.
“Hiro, what are you doing?” Trent spat as he watched Hiro’s wild ride.
“My guess is if my MS is attached to this thing, then we’ll share the same frequency, and I’ll be able to get through the shield safely.”
“Dammit, Hiro,” Trent said, watching Hiruko and the Ersatz getting closer to the orange-red shield, “fall back, don’t take that kind of risk!”
“No can do, buddy,” Hiro said as they approached the barrier, “I have to at least try.”
“Fall back! That’s an order!” Trent frantically yelled, pounding against the console of Prophet.
“I’m almost there, see you on the…” Hiro’s contact was cut-off suddenly.
Trent watched, seeing there was no explosion. He could see Hiro’s MS still clinging to the Ersatz, them both heading further and further away towards the massive lead ship.
“Damnit, Hiro…” Trent said, trying to decide whether to follow Hiro’s lead or not as he destroys a couple more Ersatz.
“Sire, we are being approached,” the muscular, intimidating captain heard from beside him. A second later a visual of a fleet of starships were closing in on their position appeared on a screen in front of him.
“Nothing to worry about, I’m sure. There’s less of them than on planet. Send out a defense squadron of Ersatz,” the oversized tech heard beside him, “and stop sending them to the planet, I have seen enough of their power. Eventually, they will fall, our resources belittle theirs. We will exhaust them when the time is right, and even our ranks must be filled from this battle.”
The tech nodded and went about his work.
The captain turned his attention to the main viewing screen, where the battle on Earth was being shown. He stood there a moment watching the firefight, and how many Ersatz they were losing.
I will not underestimate them.
“And have our special guest brought to me, we need to talk.”
Razel, Ramsi and Hal step out of the elevator and into the docking bay, where their MS’s lie in wait, one of them looking a bit different. Hal’s MS, Solidus Epsilon, stood in the middle of the others, quite larger than them. On the right arm of the MS rested a large cannon actually larger than the MS itself.
“That’s a big gun,” Razel said almost ignorantly as he looked up and down Solidus.
“It’s the first NPL ever made,” Hal said insightfully, “also the largest.”
“That was created by Aerge DuLarone,” Razel said to know one.
“He was a brilliant man,” Hal said, grabbing his ripcord, “did you know him?”
“We were colleagues at one point,” Razel remembered fuzzily, then walked away from Hal over to his own MS. Ramsi had already parted from the trio, and was already in the cockpit of Talex. As Ramsi began his system check, he hesitated reaching for the Zero System immersion helmet. He shook off the fear he felt and put the helmet on. In the screen viewed from the helmet Ramsi saw code fly by, various system oriented data. He took a deep breath as the system finally activated. Nothing happened. Although he could now see data in the helmet, no black outs or visions occurred. Ramsi exhaled.
So far, so good…
“So we ready to do this?” Razel asked on both Hal’s and Ramsi’s com-screens.
“I am a go,” Ramsi said flatly.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Hal said nervously as he played with the controls, Solidus Epsilon moving the cannon arm around.
“Alright, let’s do this,” Razel said, opening another com-screen, “Culas, give the order.”
From the bridge, Culas gives the order to open the docking bay doors. As the doors open six Peacemakers take point in front of the three custom MS’s. The nine MS’s make their way out into space, where they hit their jets and head off in the direction of the larger-than-planet-sized ship.
Hal opens a new com-screen, punching up the contact information for Natalya. Soon her face replaces the black screen.
“Hal!” she says, excitedly nervous.
“Hello, Natalya,” Hal says, a slight smile creasing his face, “this might be the last time I’ll have to talk to you for a while.”
“I know,” Natalya said, her excitement wipe only leaving nervousness.
“I want you to know I love you, Natalya,” Hal said with all the seriousness in the world.
Natalya’s eyes became moist, a single tear dropping down her cheek, “I love you too.”
“I will see you when we finish this,” Hal said, starring into Natalya’s eyes.
“Be safe,” Natalya managed, more tears emerging.
“I must go,” Hal said, holding back tears himself, “we’re getting close.”
“OK, OK,” Natalya was now holding her face in her hands crying outright.
“It will all be OK,” Hal choked out, then cut the com-screen off. Hal took a minute to compose himself before bringing up Razel and Ramsi back on his com-screen.
“How’s you’re MS holding up, Hal?” Razel queried.
“Running a bit sluggish, but that’s to be expected with the NPL cannon attached,” Hal said, matter-of-factly.
“Just stay between us,” Ramsi said plainly, “and you’ll be fine.”
“What he said,” Razel joked, getting him only glares from the two.
“Alright, well we’re approaching the shining ship, so everyone be prepared…” Razel said, then gets cut-off by a swarm of Ersatz erupting in front of them. The six Peacemakers split-up into three sets of two, taking most of the Ersatz with them. Immediately one Peacemaker explodes, a victim of the Ersatz kamikaze.
“Dammit, lost one already,” Razel said, firing upon the Ersatz with both of his Linear Machine Guns. Ramsi firing his 105mm Gun slower, but with more precise aiming.
“Get your Planet Defensors up!” Razel half-yelled to Hal. Around Solidus Epsilon six pods emerged and floated equally apart, then a beam shield appeared like a bubble.
The three MS’s, Hal’s in the middle being protected by the other two, made their way through the thousands of Ersatz, blasting a path slowly towards the massive glowing ship ahead.
“Ramsi, Hal, we have to clear a path, gotta get Hal close to the ship before he doesn’t have enough energy to fire that thing!”
Ramsi nodded, Talex raising its arm and firing the concealed Buster Rifle within. The blast traveled strait forward, disintegrating everything in its path. As the blast tore through the Ersatz’s ranks, Spera’s missile silos opened up on his shoulders and knees, spreading a barrage of a missile salvo towards the ship, and taking care of any of the fighters left after the Buster Rifle’s clearing. In the distance, they saw as the blast hit the hull of the shining ship, spreading out around the surface like smoke on water.
“Follow my lead,” Razel said, controlling Spera to take Solidus Epsilon’s arm. Ramsi sees this and does the same. Hal recalibrates the Planet Defensors to surround all three of them.
“Now hit it!” Razel yelled excitedly. Both Spera’s and Talex’s jets ignite in a blue flame behind them, sending all three hurtling towards the ship. They fly through the path that has already begun filling up with Ersatz again, hitting lone Ersatz along the way. The Planet Defensors protect the three, while also destroying each Ersatz that it comes in contact with. Before no time they end up mere feet from the ship’s hull, the glowing radiant and abrasive, stinging their eyes before they filter out the light.
Razel and Ramsi take position around Hal, fighting off the Ersatz that have realized how close the enemy was to the hull.
“Do it, Hal” Razel said, getting a bit nervous about how many Ersatz were closing in on them.
“It’s gonna take a minute to warm up,” Hal said, making the needed preparations. He could just start to hear the generators in the NPL begin to charge.
Dammit, Razel thought, his Linear Machine Guns firing into the wall of Ersatz that were approaching. Ramsi fired another Buster Rifle Blast, clearing most of them away, then shot off a missile salvo taking care of some more. Although many of the fighters were destroyed, more came, and in force.
“Dammit, Hal…” Razel said.
“Just a moment more,” Hal said, watching his screen for the OK to fire.
“We don’t have another moment, these things are relentless!” Ramsi said, less than calmly as he slashed at a close Ersatz with his Linear Saber.
Hal’s screen beeped, alerting him to the fully-charged NPL cannon.
“Alright, get back!” Hal said, targeting a spot on the hull and hitting trigger.
A flash of blue combated the white light glow of the ship, the massive NPL firing directly at the ship. Solidus Epsilon held the cannon with both hands, it’s power pushing the MS from the ship. Hal switched on his Verniay Wings to try and keep him stable and the MS stopped moving. The NPL surged and Hal could see the hull beginning to freeze completely. Suddenly the NPL stopped, Hal’s cockpit completely shutting down except for a dull red light.
Oh no, Hal thought, panicking.
Outside, the NPL blast area on the ship’s hull crumbled away, leaving a black hole into the ship. Where the hole was created, the glow stopped, leaving a completely contrasting section of darkness. Spera grabbed Solidus Epsilon by the arm, seeing that its energy levels were dangerously low. Ramsi fires off a last Buster Rifle blast from side to side, wiping out all nearby Ersatz, then grabs Solidus’s other arm. Razel and Ramsi quickly drag the MS into the hole with them, not knowing what lay beyond.
“Dammit!” Hiro pounds on the console in the cockpit of Hiruko, only the dull red glow helping his vision, “start back up, now!”
When Hiruko and the Ersatz phased through the planet shield, Hiro’s cockpit went black. A few seconds later his emergency lights activated and the back-up system kept the life systems active.
“Dammit!” Hiro said again, trying to get his systems back up and running, but failing.
Guess I’m just along for the ride, now…
The Ersatz continued its way toward the glowing ship inhabiting the sky. When the drone approached, a section of the ship opened, the glow ceasing in the open area. The Ersatz flew into the opening where a docking bay was located, landing in the center of the floor.
Hiro felt the Ersatz land, the vibrations reverberating through Hiruko. He could hear the faint rumbling of machinery, slowly getting louder, closer. He grabs for his sword handle, unsheathing it slowly. His heartbeat becomes more rapid and his breathing follows. Like a Tupperware lid being pulled from its container, Hiro’s cockpit door is ripped from its home. Hiro’s eyes squint as his pupils adjust to the light now flooding into the exposed cockpit. Hiro held the sword out in front of him, his eyes still stinging from the unexpected light. He begins to see blurry figures standing in front of him, then his sword is torn from his grasp. He doesn’t hear any of them speak, but soon enough it doesn’t matter.
Hiro’s vision goes black as he’s shot with some type of tazer, the electricity coursing through him and knocking him out into sweet unconsciousness.
As Trent takes down another Ersatz he notices that they had stopped coming through the barrier altogether. The sky began emptying out, the only thing he could see were a few stragglers and Earth’s forces occupying the area.
Finally… wait…
Trent realizes that there were few Ersatz left, and that Hiro was still not answering his com-screen.
Damn kid…
Trent quickly grabbed at a passing Ersatz, Prophet’s hands sliding clean off with no chance at grip. He kicked his MS in gear, blasting up into the dark sky. Trent could see the sun rising far over the horizon as he struggled to catch up with the drone. Within seconds he was at it, Prophet bear-hugging the Ersatz tightly. As if noticing, the Ersatz stopped its propulsion completely, trying to stop from ascending upward. Trent would not have this, jacking up the output of Prophet’s jets and continuing his path.
Suddenly, the Ersatz exploded, Prophet’s arms disintegrating in the blast. Trent quickly got his bearing back, but the damage was done and there was now none of the drones left in the area. He had missed his chance to catch up with Hiro.
Hope you’re OK, kid…
“Sire.”
The large captain turned around to see two of his guards carrying a thin man by his underarms. His body looked as though it had been starved for months, his muscles thin and stringy. Although the thinness of the man was unnerving, he still looked as though he were healthy, no bones showing through his skin. The man was wearing a dirty robe of some sort and nothing else, even his feet bare dragging against the floor.
The captain waved away the guards and they dropped the man to the ground, his head hanging low. The captain walked over to the man, obviously a prisoner, and bent down to his level, as if to whisper in the man’s ear.
The man shot up and stood tall, even taller than the captain himself, at about seven and a half feet. The man looked down at the captain, repeatedly shaking his head ‘no.’ This hundred pound, seven and a half foot tall man was standing up to the captain, a man of great stature and build, easily three hundred pounds of pure muscle. The captain just looked up at the man without flinching, dead staring at the man.
“You will help us reprogram the Ersatz, or you will die. It is as simple as that.”
The prisoner looked down at the captain, still shaking his head.
The captain had had enough, grabbing the man’s neck and slamming him back-first onto the ground.
“Fine, then we’ll kill your daughter, or your son, or any of the others we have imprisoned with you!”
The man didn’t struggle, just began to cry as he’s being held to the floor. The captain let go and walked away from the prisoner, the guards picking him off of the ground like a rag doll. The men carry away the lanky prisoner with ease, knowing where they must take him.
Filthy, unmotivated Vael, the captain thought as he took his spot back in front of the main screen. On the screen a feed from inside the ship was visible. Spera, Talex, and Solidus slowly walked down a dark corridor, lights shining from their floodlights leading the way.
“What should we do about the intruders, Sire, they’re approaching the entrance to the Preserve.” he heard a burly tech say across the bridge.
“Let them enter, we cannot risk our exposure. And besides, once they’re in, they will never be able to get out.”
“Sire,” the captain heard another tech, “we have captured one of their soldiers. What would you have us do with him?”
The captain stood stone faced, weighing options, “throw him in a cell. I’ll be down there to speak with him personally.”
Natalya stared at the blank screen, her face in her hands, tears streaming down her face. Emma left her fetal position to come and comfort her.
“It’ll be OK, Natalya,” she said, her voice unsteady, “Hal can take care of himself.”
“I know,” Natalya said through sobs, “but it’s just how we left each other, me telling him about what happened and being pregnant.”
Emma’s expression was that of shock, the idea of Hal being a father almost bringing her to her knees. She patted Natalya on the back.
“You mean,” Emma asked for confirmation, “you’re going to have Hal’s baby?”
This sent Natalya into a full-blown waterworks display, her eyes gushing with water and long drawn-out sobs followed by gasping of air.
Emma just patted Natalya’s back, silently confused.
Spera and Talex carried Solidus Epsilon through the massive corridors they had broken into through the hull with the now useless NPL cannon.
“Why no welcoming party?” Razel asked Ramsi on his com-screen, “We just broke into this thing and haven’t heard a peep since.”
Ramsi kept his eyes forward, the immersion helmet feeding him data, along with Razel’s face on the com-screen, “Just be thankful we haven’t seen anything, with our little handicap here.” He was referring to Solidus between them, and Hal, who they couldn’t even contact at this point.
“Yeah, I guess,” Razel said, now absently, “you see this?”
“Yeah, up ahead looks like it might open-up,” Ramsi said, seeing a sensor readout in his helmet.
“Hold him, I’ll check it out,” Razel said, controlling Spera to give Solidus over to Talex. Talex braced itself and kept the MS upright. Spera jetted around the bend and immediately halted, Razel’s eyes going wide.
“Wow.”
“What is it,” Ramsi said as Talex picked up pace to catch up with Spera. Ramsi turned the corner and indeed the corridor opened up… into landscape resembling an African savanna, green grass for miles in every direction. It was dark, but a single false moon hung neatly in the simulated sky.
“Wasn’t expecting that,” Razel said strait-faced.
Talex hit its thrusters and flew past Spera, Solidus in tow. Spera gets shoved to the side. Talex flies out a few feet and hovers there. Ramsi’s helmet warns him of something unknown; he whips the head of Talex around to see a normal mountain where he had just come from. No hole.
“Wait, Razel!”
But Ramsi’s warning was too late, Spera had already kicked its Verniay Thrusters in gear and Razel was preparing for a big entrance. Spera flew out of the hole with the gait of a bullet.
“Shit, What?” Razel asked after stopping near Talex.
“Look,” Ramsi said bluntly.
Razel turned Spera around and saw the reason for the warning. Spera hovers over to the mountain, feeling the surface for the place they had just flown from.
Dammit.
“Yeah, even my sensors say it’s a solid mountain,” Ramsi almost sighed out.
“Well, what now?” Razel pondered, more to himself than to Ramsi.
“First we should get Hal out of his Mobile Suit,” Ramsi started, placing Solidus on the ground.
“Right.”
“Where’s the woman?” he asked with a slight goading smile.
“She’s staying behind with Emma,” Hal said calmly, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, “are we ready to lift off yet?”
Razel squinted his eyes a bit, then turned to Captain Zetsu, “ready when you are.”
Captain Zetsu flicked a switch for the intercom, “all hands on board, prepare for departure.”
Minutes later the ship was out of the Zero Heaven docking bay, on it’s way towards Earth. The trip was quiet for a while, Hal typing away at his computer and Razel pacing. The two barely spoke, Razel could feel the tension between them.
She must have told him about that night, Razel thought to himself. He finally sat down, leaning on a chair in the bridge with his feet up on a console. Zetsu shot him an annoyed look, aggravated by the disrespect Razel had showed so far. Razel sighed and put his feet on the floor, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
“I’m going for a walk,” Razel said, walking towards the door.
“Wait,” Captain Zetsu said, urgency coloring his voice, “we’ve lost communication with Earth. I can’t get a hold of the Queen or anyone else.”
Razel shot a look at Hal, who nodded back and furiously began typing on his laptop. After a few moments his search was null as Culas appeared on the large com-screen.
“Captain Zetsu,” Culas said, “I am Culas Westin, Vice President of Pax Pacis.” Culas could see both Razel and Hal on his com-screen.
Good, we’ll need them as well, he thought to himself.
“Mr. Westin,” Captain Zetsu addressed Culas, “a pleasure to meet you. What can we do for you?”
Culas’s skin was still pale, and it seemed like he had been sweating. When he spoke his voice was somewhat hoarse, “as you probably already know, communication with Earth has been cutoff. We now know what’s causing this, as well as the disappearance of the Sentries, which I assume is why you’re on your way to Earth now.”
“Correct, we were on our way to help out any way we could,” Zetsu said, in an almost ‘mission review’ sort of way.
“What’s going on Culas?” Razel said, stepping forward. He could see it in Culas’s eyes, the expression on his face, the slight crack in his voice. Something was wrong, something very wrong.
“Just take a look for yourselves, this was taken from Colony L5,” Culas said, almost saddened.
The visual replaced Culas’s face and all eyes squinted from a bright light coming from the screen. Only seconds later, when their eyes adjusted did they see what had everyone in a panic.
Razel swallowed hard.
Hal gasped.
Captain Zetsu’s jaw dropped.
Some of the crew on the bridge began hyperventilating and a few women began to cry.
The image was that of Earth, an orange-red glow emanating on the surface of the atmosphere. The bright light did not come from this. The light emanated from a ship, loosely named, because the ship was, from what Hal could tell, roughly three times the size of Earth itself. The entire ship glowed with a bright white light, almost covering Earth itself. These characteristics were indeed enough to stun anyone into paralysis, but the most startling and jarring aspect of the ship was seen very clearly, the perspective perfectly aligned with this one feature.
On the top of the ship, probably as large as Earth itself, lies flat down a symbol of great importance, something so recognizable that everyone on Earth and the colonies could easily discern what it was: a glowing Christian cross.
From any point on Earth you could see the glowing ship, as well as the cross adorning it, since there was one located on the top and bottom of the massive vessel. People across the globe stare out into the sky, most on their knees in prayer whether religious or not. Within minutes of the arrival of the ship, speculations of the End of Days ran abound, religious leaders saying it was indeed God himself, coming to take his children to Heaven. And the Devil would be next, to take the sinners to Hell.
Amongst the religious banter clouding the airwaves and the masses running to their places of worship for comfort, there were skeptics, most claiming that this was just Vis Vires in an attempt to distract and take advantage, while making a play for Earth itself.
Educated and informed people, I.E. the military and government, were stumped. They didn’t know what to think, and were all in a panic. A half an hour had gone by since the sky turned another color and the ship had appeared, and nothing had yet happened. No military organization made a move, fearing they would bring upon the Earth a force they could not handle. The first action was to get what commanders they had together to discuss these events.
In a com-screen conference all the major players gathered. High Admiral Kofista, President Ralcheister, and Queen Zerium Cabore III stared at each other through the com-screens waiting for the officials from ESUG to arrive. When the officials arrived, they looked exhausted and a bit frazzled. Seven officials appeared on-screen, most older than dust itself. The head official, President of ESUG Jaeven Florenton spoke first, clearing his throat before doing so:
“High Admiral Kofista, what do we know?” he said to everyone, his tone soothing but severe. President Florenton was a highly respected and loved man. At only forty-six years old, Florenton was quite handsome and charming. But right now, he was all business.
“At twelve-hundred and forty-three hours, what we’re classifying ‘the Planet Vessel,’ appeared with almost no warning just outside Earth’s orbit,” Kofista hit a button and a visual of the ship appeared alongside of Earth, “at the same moment an unknown energy field surrounded the planet in an orange glow. As far as we know this barrier’s purpose is two-fold: to keep us in and to jam all out-and-in going transmissions. We’re cut off from anyone outside of Earth.”
“Are any of our sensors picking up anything outside of this barrier?” Florenton questioned.
“Nothing,” Kofista answered, “we cannot get any readings from the barrier or the planet vessel.”
“Continue,” Florenton said waving a hand.
Kofista cleared his throat, annoyed at the interruption, “As for the planet vessel: it seems to be emitting a glow, a light of itself. The effects of this light are unknown to us, but…”
“Let me interrupt, just a moment,” one of the officials spoke, “what about the crosses? Shouldn’t we consider this above anything as a sign of religious aspects? Maybe the light is the light of God.”
Ignorant pious son of a bitch.
Kofista’s lips curled, but he kept his calm, “of course we are considering the crosses, but their existence should not jade us into a false comfort, nor should it prevent us from thinking logically, here. Those crosses could easily be a strategy to keep us from doing anything and everything we will have to do to protect our planet.”
Florenton nodded in agreement, “Kofista is right, the crosses are not the issue, this is a military operation and this meeting was brought together to determine the right course of military action.”
The official who brought up the crosses grimaced, slinking back and into his chair.
“Please,” Florenton nodded to Kofista.
“Since its appearance, the planet vessel has not made a move. No attempt of communication has been made, nor have they shown any sign of hostility. As of right now their motives aren’t apparent.”
Kofista stopped to take a sip of his coffee. It was clear that most of the people taking part in the meeting were quite tired. Queen Zerium stifled a yawn, it being quite un-lady like. President Ralcheister listened patiently, this not being his usual place, but someone had to represent Pax Pacis since Culas could not be contacted. Most of the officials, used to a pampered life, yawned continuously.
“How much of ESS is outside of Earth?” one of the officials asked.
Kofista sighed, “without the forces we have stationed on the colonies, we’re running at about sixty percent, give or take.”
Florenton considered that, “what about Pax Pacis, Mr. Ralcheister?” Florenton never called Ralcheister President, he had a hard time with the title being anything but the title of the leader of ESUG.
“Well,” Ralcheister said, adjusting in his seat, “we’re at about the same.”
Florenton nodded, “and you, Queen Cabore?”
“I’ve only a small ship and a few of my best men out there, Mr. President,” she said.
“Alright, well we are still a match to be reckoned with if they decide to attack,” Florenton said to everyone, thinking somewhat opposite, though, “what I suggest we do now is to continue to try and make contact with the ship while fortifying what defenses we do still have. No sense in attacking something we know nothing about, besides, we don’t know if we can even break through that barrier to mount an offensive. And even if we could,” a grim expression growing on his face, “we have no idea what we’re up against.”
“So you think it might be a force field of some sort?” Culas said, raising an eyebrow curiously.
Hal typed away on his laptop, which was now connected to the Pax Pacis Headquarters’s database on Colony L7. After Culas had contacted the Royal Army ship, everyone aboard agreed that the next course of action should be to meet with Culas on L7. While they made their way to L7, Culas contacted the rest of the Pax Pacis forces, as well as ESS forces on the colonies. Even though Pax Pacis had no governmental attachment, there still were procedures such as this one that had to be followed.
“Well, from the readings we’re getting here,” Hal started, still typing away, “it seems to be the most logical explanation. Though I have no clue what type of energy it is made from, it seems that the intensity of the energy itself could easily incinerate anything that comes in contact with it.”
“And the light that’s emanating from the ship?” Razel chimed in over Hal’s shoulder.
“Completely unknown, though the energy signature seems to be related,” Hal said, pushing his falling glasses up, “I’m trying to get more information, but for some reason the sensors aren’t picking up everything. My best guess, though, is that it’s a force field around the ship as well.”
Culas began to pace around the Headquarters Strategy Room, breathing heavily. Earth had been cut off, completely separated from the rest of the solar system, and he was the highest ranking commander out in space. He would have to organize some kind of attack, and because there was no form of communication with Earth, it would have to be with whatever they have out in space. Culas went to a console where a technician sat.
“Give me a quick run-down on available equipment and personnel,” Culas said, standing to the side of the technician.”
The tech typed away on his keyboard, finding the requested information, “We’re at thirty percent personnel for both Pax Pacis and ESS, twenty percent Mobile Weapon, and only five percent Mobile Fleet.”
Culas cursed under his breath then turned toward Hal and Razel, “you hear him?”
“Unfortunately,” Razel said, sitting down at a seat next to Hal, “though it’s not gonna matter worth a damn if that thing has a force field.”
“Right,” Culas sat across from Hal and Razel, his elbows resting on the round table. He rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.
“I don’t want to sound naïve,” which Hal knew he was about to sound anyway, “but what if they aren’t hostile? They haven’t made any move to attack, nor have they done any damage other than that done to the Sentires.”
Culas thought about that for a moment, “Yes, but assuming they haven’t made contact with Earth yet, and they certain haven’t with us, why else would they cut off Earth from everyone else? Their technology is obviously more advanced than ours…”
As Culas continued, Razel dazed off into his own thoughts, imagining who would have this kind of technology, never seen before by any of their sensors. Razel didn’t even humor the idea that this had anything to do with religion, especially since he had been an Atheist his entire life. Aliens seemed more likely. But the crosses confused him, if they were Aliens how would they know about one of humanity’s greatest symbols?
The crosses… they have to be human.
The large bodied captain read the readout on the screen in front of him. It was only a preliminary scan but what he saw, he liked. For the first time in his life, he smiled. They’d found it, finally. His people were about to get what they’d been looking for longer than he could remember. It was perfect, and it would be theirs.
Finally, we have found you, he thought to himself as the screen reverted back to a view of Earth.
He stood there for a while admiring the view, basking in his own glory. After only a moment of accepting joy, the captain’s face was wiped clean. He then gave the order for an attack to assess the ability of the people inhabiting the planet before a complete and full assault would be ordered.
“Ersatz will be deployed in a matter of seconds, Sire.”
Good, I need to descend to the surface as soon as possible to see for myself if this planet is truly Amantrathea.
“We have incoming!” a sensor tech said, excitedly anxious.
Kofista whipped his head around to see the vid-screen the tech was monitoring, seeing what he feared the most. The planet vessel had begun its attack, this was obvious. First came a rainstorm of some kind of energy from the sky, most of it focused in highly populated areas. This, in the matter of seconds before Kofista could make any orders to him men, devastated the surface of Earth, killing thousands. Kofista was stunned, mouth ajar. He quickly regained his composure, though, when the bombardment ceased and something else emerged from the orange-red cover in the sky, passing though the barrier as if it weren’t even there.
The sky began to fill with small ships, fighters of some kind, all about half the size of an MS. They were sleek, shiny, as if they’d never been used before. They were mostly black with grey trimming, shaped almost like a 3-D elongated triangles, fins poking out the bottom. These are the Ersatz. And millions of them were now descending upon Earth.
Kofista barked out his worldwide order: “Get into the sky and take them down!”
Worldwide, MS pilots took off of the ground, headed into the sky to defend their homes, their families, and everything else on Earth. In the dark of night, the Ersatz were damn-near impossible to see, whether this was purposeful or just plain luck, they’d never know. Even with nightvison and their MS’s sensors, a lot of pilots were killed within moments of making contact with the Ersatz. Some of the battle ships stayed in the sky, their large beam cannons wiping out thousands at a time. But they kept coming, like locusts engulfing a field of grass.
On Zero Heaven the mood was somber, most people crying and praying, hoping that their loved one’s were safe on Earth. Redrico was kind enough to give everyone aboard free room and board, but even then he didn’t have enough rooms for everyone. Natalya and Emma, having a suite already due to Hal being in the tournament, sat anxiously in the room. Natalya sat at the computer, staying in contact with Hal via com-screen. He was periodically sending data to her, collaborating in their efforts to figure out anything they could about the massive ship.
“The energy signatures are only slightly different,” Natalya said, reading the data she’d just received. Emma sat on the couch in front of a vid-screen, watching news reports from Colony L-5, curled into a ball with her arms wrapped around her legs which were bent and pressed against her chest. She rocked back and forth slowly.
“I see that, but they’re slight, which means the glow of the ship is most likely a shield just like the one surrounding Earth,” Hal said, typing away on his laptop. After a few moments of back and forth, Hal gasped.
“What?” Natalya asked, seeing the look on Hal’s face.
“They just started their attack,” Hal said vacantly, “my god, there must be millions of those things.”
Natalya took a deep breath, knowing Hal would soon leave to help in the fight for Earth. She wished she could have more confidence in him, but knew that she would always worry for his safety. At that moment Hal sent a streaming video to Natalya. Her eyes went wide as she saw the Earth, covered in orange-red, the ship that was almost three times the size of Earth itself, and millions of fighter ships erupting from it and heading into the impenetrable shield.
“Pin-point where those ships are coming out of the ship,” she heard Culas say to someone in the background, “we need to see if we can get in through the way they’re coming out.”
Natalya and Emma heard a knock at the door, both of their heads turning in its direction. Emma made no movement to answer it, so Natalya stood from her seat and excused herself from Hal. She walked over to the door and peered through the peephole, a flash of black disappearing from her view.
What the…?
She quickly opened the door, turning her head in the direction she thought the person was walking, and there, turning down a hallway to her right, she clearly saw the end of a black cape or cloak escaping her view. She ran over to the hall intersection, but when she turned right there was no one there. Baffled, she walked back to the hotel room’s door. Lying on the lush carpet in front of the door was a data disk, plain and simple. She picked it up and examined it. No label. She closed the door behind her and locked it, feeling the creeps now after the weird encounter.
“W-w-who was it?” Emma stammered, clenching her legs closer.
“Don’t know,” Natalya said, eyeing the disk. By the time she sat down at the computer, Hal was gone, most likely headed to his MS. She inserted the disk into the computer, giving it a moment to load and open. What was encoded on the disk was a simple message with no signature, it read:
Your new enemy utilizes an unknown technology.
It is a metal that conducts a special energy.
Its only weakness is extreme cold.
“Rain an earned lax, vapid us!”
Already in the firefight, Trent jams on the controls of his MS Prophet of Sorrow, nearly colliding with another Ersatz, slashing it with his Linear Scythe as he passed. The fighter exploded a little too close for comfort, sending Prophet hurdling away. Although they were avoiding being hit with his weapons, they also seemed to be trying to kamikaze into him as well.
“Hiro, watch out, these things don’t seem to mind crashing into you to cause some damage,” Trent said, avoiding another and blasting it with a hip shot from his Linear Rifle.
“Figured that out already,” Hiro said, straining his words as he destroyed two more with a couple Linear blasts from his mounted Linear Rifles on each arm. His MS Hiruko twisted and turned in the air, avoiding the small red blasts of energy fired from the Ersatz. The small blasts missed him, but not the ESS Antila behind him.
“We’re losing a lot of pilots,” Hiro said, firing on a group of Ersatz with his Beam Vulcan and Linear Rifles. As soon as he said that, another MS exploded near him.
“I know, I know,” Trent said, his attention elsewhere on a group of Ersatz that had managed to surround him. Prophet’s chest and back open at the same time, expelling missiles in both directions. The Ersatz exploded in a ring of fire around Trent, Prophet. Flying quickly from the spot, Trent easily found more targets above him, which were busy fighting another ESS MS. Trent activated his extending arm, which came out of Prophet’s chest while he aimed his NPL at another. The extending arm rammed into the Ersatz with a force, smashing it in half while he fired the NPL. The NPL blast hit the other and it completely froze, then crumbled almost instantly.
Interesting, Trent thought, firing at another with his NPL. That one too, crumbled.
“NPL a weakness, freeze ‘em!,” Trent said to everyone who could hear him.
In the area, at that moment, anyone who had an NPL began using it, blue lasers flying across the sky into Ersatz. They froze instantly, the extreme cold too much for them. The numbers were finally beginning to dwindle.
In London, Dmitri was busy using his Hologram Projector to confuse the Ersatz, which he found to be a pretty easy task. These things weren’t smart. All around him they flew, usually attacking the hologram doppelganger of his MS, while he took them out using his Linear Lance and Heat Rod. He was in the middle of slashing at a couple of them when Trent popped up on his com-screen.
“Anyone who can hear me, use your NPL’s if you have them, they must be weak to extreme cold.”
Dmitri grimaced, whole lot of good that does me.
He continued his defense of the castle, alongside of pretty much every pilot the Royal Army had. As he fought, he noticed there were some Peacemaker MS’s that had joined the fray, though no sign of ESS. He figured they had the whole Earth to protect, must be quite spread-out.
Agonotheta Letum circled around a group of Ersatz, the hologram on the other side, mimicking the original’s movements. Half of the group attacks Dmitri, the other the hologram. Dmitri made quick work of them, whipping his Heat Rod around wildly. The other group attacking the hologram kept firing, Dmitri shaking his head at the stupidity, then putting them out of their misery with a few missiles from the chest cavity in Letum.
He was getting tired of this, although easy, but repetitive battle. The Ersatz had to be controlled by A.I. There was no doubt of that in his mind. No human pilot was that dumb.
“Hal!” Natalya said to the com-screen as soon as Hal’s face appeared.
“Sorry, Natalya, we had to get…” Hal started, but was interrupted.
“I know, but you have to see this,” she said, sending the message to Hal’s vid-screen. Hal read over the short and simple message.
“Who gave you this?” he questioned skeptically.
“I don’t know,” Natalya said, the black cloth disappearing into the hall still on her mind, “it was just left at the door.” She’d tell him later about what she saw.
“Hmm… well, I don’t know if we can trust an unknown source, but we’ll see soon. We’re almost at the… the… whatever it is.” Hal looked as though he were nervous, Natalya could see that.
“Hal, I did some new tests on the data,” she said, bringing up the results on Hal’s vid-screen, “it looks like this inside information could be accurate.”
Hal studied the data. He agreed with Natalya, this did seem to point the weakness in the direction of extreme and complete cold. Then he got an idea.
“I think I may know a way to get into the ship, possibly even stop it,” he said, almost proud.
“One step ahead of you, Hal” Natalya said, her attention and head facing another screen, “I already contacted them, they’ll be waiting for you.” She smiled.
Hal’s face was unmoving, his focus on the problem at hand all he could manage. There was no smile back.
“I’ll contact you when we have it and are en route to the threat.”
“Love you,” Natalya said, her smile fading.
This time Hal smiled, “Love you as well, Natalya.”
Hal shut down the communication and made contact with Culas, who was in the bridge of the ship they were on.
“Culas, we have to change course,” Hal said, fiddling with something in his MS.
“What? But we have to help with the attack,” Culas said, confused and almost angry.
“And that’s what we’re doing, but we need to go somewhere first to do that,” Hal explained.
“Where?” Culas asked bluntly.
“Solaris One.”
Inside the Pax Pacis Headquarters located on Colony L7 lies the Pax Pacis Maximum Security Prison, where many terrorists and other wrong-doers are spending a long time behind bars paying for their crimes. One of the inmates at this prison is Adon Telaeruse, his hair still perfectly slicked back, wearing an orange coverall with the Pax Pacis symbol and his ID number embroidered on it.
He sat quietly in his cell, alone. His cell was located away from the normal cells, where he could excite the masses and possibly cause a riot. He was good at that, manipulation, and he could pretty much get anyone to do anything, and make it feel like it was their idea as well. Thumbing a book, one from his private collection he convinced Ralcheister to allow him to have in the cell, he couldn’t help but feel something was happening outside of the prison. He noticed an hour ago when the guards suddenly left their positions in front of his cell in quite a rush. Since then, no one had been down his corridor to check on him.
Peculiar, he thought, finishing a chapter and book-marking it.
He stood from his cot and got as close to the bars as he could, looking left and right down each side of the hallway. Nothing. This would be the perfect time to escape, but it was almost impossible for him to do. An inch in front of the bars were another set of bars, these ones horizontal compared to the vertical ones he clung to, and these weren’t typical, they were bars made of beam energy. There was no way for him to escape, even if he could somehow pick the lock, the only way to shut down the beam bars in the control panel down the hall, in a lockbox.
Suddenly, the beam bars fizzled out, actually startling Telaeruse. He jumped back a bit, wondering. He stepped back up to the bars, looking down the hall in the direction of the beam controls. Nothing.
“Someone there? Helllllo?” he said in a lifted tone, almost jokingly. He had a smile on his face, but even he didn’t know why. He just felt as if this would be his chance. He frantically searched for something he could pick the lock with, and then remembered the metal trimming on one of his older books.
Damn shame, he thought as he searched the stacks of books at the backside of the cell. He eventually found it, turning around quickly to see a figure standing on the other side of the bars.
The figure wore all black, except for some silver metal clasps on the cloak that covered his entire body, including the face. Telaeruse was unimpressed by the dramatic entrance.
“Are you here to let me out?” Telaeruse said with a condescending tone.
The man in the black cloak reached a hand from out of nowhere behind his cloak, pushing at the bars holding Telaeruse in. The bars slid open as if they’d never been locked.
Telaeruse cleared his throat, adjusting the collar on the coveralls he’d worn these past months. He dropped the book he was holding back onto the stack and walked toward the man in the black cloak. The man was taller than Telaeruse, but not by too much. Without his lifts he felt short. As he walked past the man he tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but to no avail, the cloak’s hood was too large. It covered all of his face well.
“So who sent you?” Telaeruse asked, walking past the man.
The man was silent for a moment, then, “I sent myself.”
Telaeruse noted the voice. Gruff, yet soft sounding. Not one he recognized, but he’d remember the voice from now on.
“Is that right? And who may you be?” he asked as he turned to walk down the hall.
“No one of importance,” the man said, following Telaeruse.
Telaeruse was getting nowhere with this guy, and he hated it. He wanted information. If he owed someone a favor, he’d like to know the name of the person.
“OK, so at least tell me why you freed me,” Telaeruse said, walking a few steps in front of the man in black.
“Because, Addy,” the man said, smiling under the safety of his cloak, “you still have much to do.”
Telaeruse stopped suddenly at the mention of his ill-used nickname.
“What’s going on, h…?” he began to ask, turning around. But behind him was only an empty hallway. He only knew of two people that had ever called him by that name: his parents.
The rest of the complex was almost as empty as the corridor where his cell was located, save the downed guards lying on the floor, probably taken down by the cloaked figure.
It’s impossible, he thought, my mother’s been dead for years and my father…
He found his way to the garage where he could get a car, picked out a nice classy black luxury sedan and hotwired the ignition. The car started easily and he drove away calmly, as if nothing had just happened, still thinking about the disappearing man in the black cloak.
Within no time at all the ship Culas, Hal, Razel and pretty much every Pax Pacis pilot left in space was docked at Solaris One. Culas and Razel had been informed by Hal what they were now doing before arriving, and were now accompanying Hal off the ship. The three of them were greeted by a man in a white lab coat, who didn’t look at all happy to see them.
“You know,” he started without a greeting, “Solaris One cannot last a day without the help of the…”
Culas put his hand up, stopping the scientist, “I understand this, Dr. Holstum, but there is a situation I’m sure you’re familiar with and we need it. We will hopefully have it back in no time at all.”
Culas tried his best at diplomacy, but his lack of patience was evident.
“Well, you better, we’ve taken in a lot of people whose homes were on Earth, and if we don’t have it back in twenty-four hours, thirty hours at the most, then all these people will have nowhere to go, and possibly will die.” The scientist had his arms crossed, walking with the three to the other side of the docking bay.
“I understand,” Cuals was growing impatient, “but there’s a lot more lives on Earth that we have to help right now, so get it loaded into the ship.” He cut the last part short with frustration.
“Fine,” Dr. Holstum said, waving some engineers over. On the bed of a large intercolony transport, the piece of equipment, machinery, came closer.
“I hope you’re right about this,” Culas said to his side without looking at Hal.
“I hope our mystery informant is right,” Hal responded.
“Wow, it’s big,” Razel said plainly, admiring the piece of equipment as it is loaded into the ship, “bigger than I remember it being.”
“Well, it has to be,” Hal said soberly, his mind somewhere else. It bugged him, the last part of the message on the data disk. He knew that quote from somewhere, but couldn’t put his finger on it. Something he read somewhere, but for the life of him couldn’t remember what. Hal might have been one of the most intelligent minds when it came to computers and code, but when it came to literature he was as normal as any high school graduate.
Once the massive piece of equipment was loaded into their ship, Culas began walking back to the ship. Hal and Razel stayed there standing for a minute, Hal completely lost by the quote at the end of the message.
“Hey,” Razel said, putting his hand on Hal’s shoulder, “you OK?”
Hal looked at Razel, pushing up his glasses that had slid down his nose. Razel was a good person, he knew that, but even so Hal had a small amount of dislike for him. He hated feeling this way, but who could blame him. His now-girlfriend had slept with him, and he’d never forget that.
“Fine,” Hal said coldly, turning to leave and walking off. Razel’s hand slid off of Hal’s shoulder. Razel stood there for another moment, sighed, thinking about Hal and Natalya.
Yeah, she definitely told him… great…
Ramsi sat in his MS patiently, waiting for his moment to take action. Since they’d picked up Razel and Hal, Ramsi had felt the need to be alone. He had a lot on his mind still, and he needed some time to think before he decided to use the Zero System again. He was afraid he’d see something again, and even more afraid he’d black out and hurt someone.
Kal…
His father entered his thoughts, memories of his father pushing him to be a better pilot, even at the age of four years old, memories of that firefight, his mother. Ramsi clenched his fists and closed his eyes, the images searing into view. He punched his console, momentarily losing some control, then opened his eyes and sighing hard.
I’m ready…
As he says so, he feels the ship and his MS shift slightly.
Must be ready to go finally…
Just then Culas appears on his com-screen, “Ramsi, come to the bridge, we’re gonna talk strategy.”
“Will do, Boss, be there in a sec,” Ramsi said, already shutting down Talex.
Dmitri yawned as Letum swiped its Linear Lance at yet another Ersatz, it blowing up soon after. His patience was getting thin, and he’d run out of ways to destroy them about a half hour ago. Dmitri could see the devastation and chaos around him, but he couldn’t see why. Weren’t these pilots any good?
He jammed down on the controls sending Letum diving strait down, then switched on his Waist Gyro spiraling him into a swarm of Ersatz. As he spun through the group, his Heat Rod snaps and slashes through the crowd, leaving a trail of explosions in Letum’s wake. Straitening himself out, Dmitri levels off Letum and looks for his next victim.
Before he even gets his bearings, five or six Ersatz collide into Letum, covering the MS completely, and keeping it from moving. Dmitri struggled at the controls, trying to shake the fighters off of his MS, but to no avail. Soon, he was at the core of a ball of Ersatz surrounding him, completely paralyzing the movement of Letum.
Damn fighter drones…
Dmitri flipped a switch to charge his Electro Magnetic Repulser, and within half a minute activated it on full power. All the Ersatz that clung to Letum suddenly and violently exploded from the makeshift ball. As they were pushed from Letum’s body, Dmitri targeted each one and sent a barrage of missiles from his chest silo, destroying them all.
Back to work… he thought, activating his hologram projector again.
Trent grunted as an Ersatz collides with Prophet’s side, jerking him about in his cockpit. His shoulder felt bruised from all the jerking around and hitting the sides of the cockpit. This battle seemed to be going no where. They had been able to keep the Ersatz in the sky, away from the surface, but they just kept coming, never letting up.
“Dammit,” Trent said, frustrated and exhausted.
“Hey, little help,” Hiro said as Trent saw Hiruko fly past him, five Ersatz following close behind. Trent quickly had Prophet stick its palm out and freeze two of them with its NPL, then jet off behind the rest. Trent quickly shot down two more with his Linear Rifle on Prophet’s hip, the last one becoming the victim of an NPL shot from Hiruko’s left forearm.
“Thanks, pops,” Hiro said playfully\, smiling.
“What was that all about?” Trent said, somewhat annoyed, “you could have handled them easily.”
“True,” Hiro said, taking a pot-shot at a passing-by Ersatz, “but I was doing some tests. Wanted to try and figure out how they can pass through the barrier above.”
Trent continued slashing away at Ersatz with his Linear Scythe as Hiro explained, “and you find anything?”
“The only thing I found it might be would be a frequency they are emitting,” Hiro said, firing off his Linear Rifles, “problem is, we don’t have the capabilities to copy the exact frequency.”
“So that’s pretty much no help, then,” Trent said, dodging an Ersatz energy projectile and firing a few of his own, destroying a few near by fighters.
“Actually, I have a plan,” Hiro said, a smile forming on his face.
“And what’s that?” Trent said, exasperated.
“THIS!” Hiro said, grabbing onto an Ersatz flying strait up past Hiruko. Hiruko clung to the fighter as it flew strait up, into the clouds. Sensing the MS attached to it, the Ersatz began to change its course away from the barrier surrounding Earth.
“No you don’t,” Hiro said, adjusting Hiruko’s Verniay Wings to compensate for the Ersatz’s thrusters, sending it strait up once again.
“Hiro, what are you doing?” Trent spat as he watched Hiro’s wild ride.
“My guess is if my MS is attached to this thing, then we’ll share the same frequency, and I’ll be able to get through the shield safely.”
“Dammit, Hiro,” Trent said, watching Hiruko and the Ersatz getting closer to the orange-red shield, “fall back, don’t take that kind of risk!”
“No can do, buddy,” Hiro said as they approached the barrier, “I have to at least try.”
“Fall back! That’s an order!” Trent frantically yelled, pounding against the console of Prophet.
“I’m almost there, see you on the…” Hiro’s contact was cut-off suddenly.
Trent watched, seeing there was no explosion. He could see Hiro’s MS still clinging to the Ersatz, them both heading further and further away towards the massive lead ship.
“Damnit, Hiro…” Trent said, trying to decide whether to follow Hiro’s lead or not as he destroys a couple more Ersatz.
“Sire, we are being approached,” the muscular, intimidating captain heard from beside him. A second later a visual of a fleet of starships were closing in on their position appeared on a screen in front of him.
“Nothing to worry about, I’m sure. There’s less of them than on planet. Send out a defense squadron of Ersatz,” the oversized tech heard beside him, “and stop sending them to the planet, I have seen enough of their power. Eventually, they will fall, our resources belittle theirs. We will exhaust them when the time is right, and even our ranks must be filled from this battle.”
The tech nodded and went about his work.
The captain turned his attention to the main viewing screen, where the battle on Earth was being shown. He stood there a moment watching the firefight, and how many Ersatz they were losing.
I will not underestimate them.
“And have our special guest brought to me, we need to talk.”
Razel, Ramsi and Hal step out of the elevator and into the docking bay, where their MS’s lie in wait, one of them looking a bit different. Hal’s MS, Solidus Epsilon, stood in the middle of the others, quite larger than them. On the right arm of the MS rested a large cannon actually larger than the MS itself.
“That’s a big gun,” Razel said almost ignorantly as he looked up and down Solidus.
“It’s the first NPL ever made,” Hal said insightfully, “also the largest.”
“That was created by Aerge DuLarone,” Razel said to know one.
“He was a brilliant man,” Hal said, grabbing his ripcord, “did you know him?”
“We were colleagues at one point,” Razel remembered fuzzily, then walked away from Hal over to his own MS. Ramsi had already parted from the trio, and was already in the cockpit of Talex. As Ramsi began his system check, he hesitated reaching for the Zero System immersion helmet. He shook off the fear he felt and put the helmet on. In the screen viewed from the helmet Ramsi saw code fly by, various system oriented data. He took a deep breath as the system finally activated. Nothing happened. Although he could now see data in the helmet, no black outs or visions occurred. Ramsi exhaled.
So far, so good…
“So we ready to do this?” Razel asked on both Hal’s and Ramsi’s com-screens.
“I am a go,” Ramsi said flatly.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Hal said nervously as he played with the controls, Solidus Epsilon moving the cannon arm around.
“Alright, let’s do this,” Razel said, opening another com-screen, “Culas, give the order.”
From the bridge, Culas gives the order to open the docking bay doors. As the doors open six Peacemakers take point in front of the three custom MS’s. The nine MS’s make their way out into space, where they hit their jets and head off in the direction of the larger-than-planet-sized ship.
Hal opens a new com-screen, punching up the contact information for Natalya. Soon her face replaces the black screen.
“Hal!” she says, excitedly nervous.
“Hello, Natalya,” Hal says, a slight smile creasing his face, “this might be the last time I’ll have to talk to you for a while.”
“I know,” Natalya said, her excitement wipe only leaving nervousness.
“I want you to know I love you, Natalya,” Hal said with all the seriousness in the world.
Natalya’s eyes became moist, a single tear dropping down her cheek, “I love you too.”
“I will see you when we finish this,” Hal said, starring into Natalya’s eyes.
“Be safe,” Natalya managed, more tears emerging.
“I must go,” Hal said, holding back tears himself, “we’re getting close.”
“OK, OK,” Natalya was now holding her face in her hands crying outright.
“It will all be OK,” Hal choked out, then cut the com-screen off. Hal took a minute to compose himself before bringing up Razel and Ramsi back on his com-screen.
“How’s you’re MS holding up, Hal?” Razel queried.
“Running a bit sluggish, but that’s to be expected with the NPL cannon attached,” Hal said, matter-of-factly.
“Just stay between us,” Ramsi said plainly, “and you’ll be fine.”
“What he said,” Razel joked, getting him only glares from the two.
“Alright, well we’re approaching the shining ship, so everyone be prepared…” Razel said, then gets cut-off by a swarm of Ersatz erupting in front of them. The six Peacemakers split-up into three sets of two, taking most of the Ersatz with them. Immediately one Peacemaker explodes, a victim of the Ersatz kamikaze.
“Dammit, lost one already,” Razel said, firing upon the Ersatz with both of his Linear Machine Guns. Ramsi firing his 105mm Gun slower, but with more precise aiming.
“Get your Planet Defensors up!” Razel half-yelled to Hal. Around Solidus Epsilon six pods emerged and floated equally apart, then a beam shield appeared like a bubble.
The three MS’s, Hal’s in the middle being protected by the other two, made their way through the thousands of Ersatz, blasting a path slowly towards the massive glowing ship ahead.
“Ramsi, Hal, we have to clear a path, gotta get Hal close to the ship before he doesn’t have enough energy to fire that thing!”
Ramsi nodded, Talex raising its arm and firing the concealed Buster Rifle within. The blast traveled strait forward, disintegrating everything in its path. As the blast tore through the Ersatz’s ranks, Spera’s missile silos opened up on his shoulders and knees, spreading a barrage of a missile salvo towards the ship, and taking care of any of the fighters left after the Buster Rifle’s clearing. In the distance, they saw as the blast hit the hull of the shining ship, spreading out around the surface like smoke on water.
“Follow my lead,” Razel said, controlling Spera to take Solidus Epsilon’s arm. Ramsi sees this and does the same. Hal recalibrates the Planet Defensors to surround all three of them.
“Now hit it!” Razel yelled excitedly. Both Spera’s and Talex’s jets ignite in a blue flame behind them, sending all three hurtling towards the ship. They fly through the path that has already begun filling up with Ersatz again, hitting lone Ersatz along the way. The Planet Defensors protect the three, while also destroying each Ersatz that it comes in contact with. Before no time they end up mere feet from the ship’s hull, the glowing radiant and abrasive, stinging their eyes before they filter out the light.
Razel and Ramsi take position around Hal, fighting off the Ersatz that have realized how close the enemy was to the hull.
“Do it, Hal” Razel said, getting a bit nervous about how many Ersatz were closing in on them.
“It’s gonna take a minute to warm up,” Hal said, making the needed preparations. He could just start to hear the generators in the NPL begin to charge.
Dammit, Razel thought, his Linear Machine Guns firing into the wall of Ersatz that were approaching. Ramsi fired another Buster Rifle Blast, clearing most of them away, then shot off a missile salvo taking care of some more. Although many of the fighters were destroyed, more came, and in force.
“Dammit, Hal…” Razel said.
“Just a moment more,” Hal said, watching his screen for the OK to fire.
“We don’t have another moment, these things are relentless!” Ramsi said, less than calmly as he slashed at a close Ersatz with his Linear Saber.
Hal’s screen beeped, alerting him to the fully-charged NPL cannon.
“Alright, get back!” Hal said, targeting a spot on the hull and hitting trigger.
A flash of blue combated the white light glow of the ship, the massive NPL firing directly at the ship. Solidus Epsilon held the cannon with both hands, it’s power pushing the MS from the ship. Hal switched on his Verniay Wings to try and keep him stable and the MS stopped moving. The NPL surged and Hal could see the hull beginning to freeze completely. Suddenly the NPL stopped, Hal’s cockpit completely shutting down except for a dull red light.
Oh no, Hal thought, panicking.
Outside, the NPL blast area on the ship’s hull crumbled away, leaving a black hole into the ship. Where the hole was created, the glow stopped, leaving a completely contrasting section of darkness. Spera grabbed Solidus Epsilon by the arm, seeing that its energy levels were dangerously low. Ramsi fires off a last Buster Rifle blast from side to side, wiping out all nearby Ersatz, then grabs Solidus’s other arm. Razel and Ramsi quickly drag the MS into the hole with them, not knowing what lay beyond.
“Dammit!” Hiro pounds on the console in the cockpit of Hiruko, only the dull red glow helping his vision, “start back up, now!”
When Hiruko and the Ersatz phased through the planet shield, Hiro’s cockpit went black. A few seconds later his emergency lights activated and the back-up system kept the life systems active.
“Dammit!” Hiro said again, trying to get his systems back up and running, but failing.
Guess I’m just along for the ride, now…
The Ersatz continued its way toward the glowing ship inhabiting the sky. When the drone approached, a section of the ship opened, the glow ceasing in the open area. The Ersatz flew into the opening where a docking bay was located, landing in the center of the floor.
Hiro felt the Ersatz land, the vibrations reverberating through Hiruko. He could hear the faint rumbling of machinery, slowly getting louder, closer. He grabs for his sword handle, unsheathing it slowly. His heartbeat becomes more rapid and his breathing follows. Like a Tupperware lid being pulled from its container, Hiro’s cockpit door is ripped from its home. Hiro’s eyes squint as his pupils adjust to the light now flooding into the exposed cockpit. Hiro held the sword out in front of him, his eyes still stinging from the unexpected light. He begins to see blurry figures standing in front of him, then his sword is torn from his grasp. He doesn’t hear any of them speak, but soon enough it doesn’t matter.
Hiro’s vision goes black as he’s shot with some type of tazer, the electricity coursing through him and knocking him out into sweet unconsciousness.
As Trent takes down another Ersatz he notices that they had stopped coming through the barrier altogether. The sky began emptying out, the only thing he could see were a few stragglers and Earth’s forces occupying the area.
Finally… wait…
Trent realizes that there were few Ersatz left, and that Hiro was still not answering his com-screen.
Damn kid…
Trent quickly grabbed at a passing Ersatz, Prophet’s hands sliding clean off with no chance at grip. He kicked his MS in gear, blasting up into the dark sky. Trent could see the sun rising far over the horizon as he struggled to catch up with the drone. Within seconds he was at it, Prophet bear-hugging the Ersatz tightly. As if noticing, the Ersatz stopped its propulsion completely, trying to stop from ascending upward. Trent would not have this, jacking up the output of Prophet’s jets and continuing his path.
Suddenly, the Ersatz exploded, Prophet’s arms disintegrating in the blast. Trent quickly got his bearing back, but the damage was done and there was now none of the drones left in the area. He had missed his chance to catch up with Hiro.
Hope you’re OK, kid…
“Sire.”
The large captain turned around to see two of his guards carrying a thin man by his underarms. His body looked as though it had been starved for months, his muscles thin and stringy. Although the thinness of the man was unnerving, he still looked as though he were healthy, no bones showing through his skin. The man was wearing a dirty robe of some sort and nothing else, even his feet bare dragging against the floor.
The captain waved away the guards and they dropped the man to the ground, his head hanging low. The captain walked over to the man, obviously a prisoner, and bent down to his level, as if to whisper in the man’s ear.
The man shot up and stood tall, even taller than the captain himself, at about seven and a half feet. The man looked down at the captain, repeatedly shaking his head ‘no.’ This hundred pound, seven and a half foot tall man was standing up to the captain, a man of great stature and build, easily three hundred pounds of pure muscle. The captain just looked up at the man without flinching, dead staring at the man.
“You will help us reprogram the Ersatz, or you will die. It is as simple as that.”
The prisoner looked down at the captain, still shaking his head.
The captain had had enough, grabbing the man’s neck and slamming him back-first onto the ground.
“Fine, then we’ll kill your daughter, or your son, or any of the others we have imprisoned with you!”
The man didn’t struggle, just began to cry as he’s being held to the floor. The captain let go and walked away from the prisoner, the guards picking him off of the ground like a rag doll. The men carry away the lanky prisoner with ease, knowing where they must take him.
Filthy, unmotivated Vael, the captain thought as he took his spot back in front of the main screen. On the screen a feed from inside the ship was visible. Spera, Talex, and Solidus slowly walked down a dark corridor, lights shining from their floodlights leading the way.
“What should we do about the intruders, Sire, they’re approaching the entrance to the Preserve.” he heard a burly tech say across the bridge.
“Let them enter, we cannot risk our exposure. And besides, once they’re in, they will never be able to get out.”
“Sire,” the captain heard another tech, “we have captured one of their soldiers. What would you have us do with him?”
The captain stood stone faced, weighing options, “throw him in a cell. I’ll be down there to speak with him personally.”
Natalya stared at the blank screen, her face in her hands, tears streaming down her face. Emma left her fetal position to come and comfort her.
“It’ll be OK, Natalya,” she said, her voice unsteady, “Hal can take care of himself.”
“I know,” Natalya said through sobs, “but it’s just how we left each other, me telling him about what happened and being pregnant.”
Emma’s expression was that of shock, the idea of Hal being a father almost bringing her to her knees. She patted Natalya on the back.
“You mean,” Emma asked for confirmation, “you’re going to have Hal’s baby?”
This sent Natalya into a full-blown waterworks display, her eyes gushing with water and long drawn-out sobs followed by gasping of air.
Emma just patted Natalya’s back, silently confused.
Spera and Talex carried Solidus Epsilon through the massive corridors they had broken into through the hull with the now useless NPL cannon.
“Why no welcoming party?” Razel asked Ramsi on his com-screen, “We just broke into this thing and haven’t heard a peep since.”
Ramsi kept his eyes forward, the immersion helmet feeding him data, along with Razel’s face on the com-screen, “Just be thankful we haven’t seen anything, with our little handicap here.” He was referring to Solidus between them, and Hal, who they couldn’t even contact at this point.
“Yeah, I guess,” Razel said, now absently, “you see this?”
“Yeah, up ahead looks like it might open-up,” Ramsi said, seeing a sensor readout in his helmet.
“Hold him, I’ll check it out,” Razel said, controlling Spera to give Solidus over to Talex. Talex braced itself and kept the MS upright. Spera jetted around the bend and immediately halted, Razel’s eyes going wide.
“Wow.”
“What is it,” Ramsi said as Talex picked up pace to catch up with Spera. Ramsi turned the corner and indeed the corridor opened up… into landscape resembling an African savanna, green grass for miles in every direction. It was dark, but a single false moon hung neatly in the simulated sky.
“Wasn’t expecting that,” Razel said strait-faced.
Talex hit its thrusters and flew past Spera, Solidus in tow. Spera gets shoved to the side. Talex flies out a few feet and hovers there. Ramsi’s helmet warns him of something unknown; he whips the head of Talex around to see a normal mountain where he had just come from. No hole.
“Wait, Razel!”
But Ramsi’s warning was too late, Spera had already kicked its Verniay Thrusters in gear and Razel was preparing for a big entrance. Spera flew out of the hole with the gait of a bullet.
“Shit, What?” Razel asked after stopping near Talex.
“Look,” Ramsi said bluntly.
Razel turned Spera around and saw the reason for the warning. Spera hovers over to the mountain, feeling the surface for the place they had just flown from.
Dammit.
“Yeah, even my sensors say it’s a solid mountain,” Ramsi almost sighed out.
“Well, what now?” Razel pondered, more to himself than to Ramsi.
“First we should get Hal out of his Mobile Suit,” Ramsi started, placing Solidus on the ground.
“Right.”