The Cagliostro Chronicles (19 page)

“That sounds all well and good, Mr. Johnson, but for all we know they could be here right now, and from what I see
, it will take months, perhaps years to ready our fleet of ships for deep space travel,” a senator from Maine replied.

“You are correct sir, it will take years at the earliest to have the new engines installed in our entire fleet. But the few that are on hand and ready to be installed will be our first step in the right direction. You see
, esteemed sirs, we do not need to leave the solar system to defend ourselves, we merely have to be able to fight off any attacker who comes to us, meaning to do us harm as a nation and as a world. I can help in both regards. I can re-arm our ships with the most advanced weaponry we have ever developed and I can continue to have the new magno-disc engines readied for installation on whatever ships you deem ready to go interstellar. But make no mistake gentlemen. The enemy is coming for us, and it is not to shake hands. It is to bury us so deep that the universe will forget it ever heard the word ‘Earth’, or the term ‘human’.”

The work began a
round the clock at every Johnson Aerospace factory across the country as designs were pounded out and refined, allowing the first ships to be refitted. Mark Johnson himself oversaw the first re-fits aboard the Cagliostro, as the Cag flew parts to ships in orbit, where the war ships were flown into the huge hangers attached to the many space stations that orbited the Earth.

The ships would fly into the hangers, doors would seal, force fields would activate and the hangers would flood with oxygen, where technicians would work in space suits, but with their helmets open, ready at an instants notice to close the suits up in case of emergency. Working in zero-g allowed the technicians the ability to handle multi ton units without actually having to deal with the extra equipment necessary to move all that weight.

Meanwhile, ships stationed out near the asteroid belt, as well as satellites past Pluto’s orbit kept a watchful eye on deep space for any sign of an oncoming fleet of enemy vessels.

Aboard the command deck of the Cagliostro
, Mark Johnson stood staring at the view screen with his hands clasped behind his back, his mind deep in somber thought.

“Quarter for your thoughts
, sugar?”

Mark turned towards the voice
, and smiled at Ariel as she slipped in beside him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He in turn wrapped his around hers.

“Just wondering where they are, Ari, as usual
,” he added.

“You sound like you want them to come after us.”

“No, don’t be confused about that. I’d rather they turn around and run as far away from our quadrant of space as possible. But that’s not going to happen. There’s no doubt about it Ariel, they are coming for us. It’s only a matter of when.”

“You sound worried.”

“I am Ari, I am. The Earth has what? Maybe a thousand ships between all the nations upon it? There may be ten times that number coming for us, for all that we know.”

“Do you really believe that?” she asked in almost a whisper, as she turned and stare
d up at him.

“Of course I do. I’d rather be wrong and exaggerate something like the number of heavy ships we’ll be facing then underestimate them. This is not a good situation. If they get to Earth
, our ground forces worldwide should be able to handle them if we can take out the majority of them up here. Unless they simply destroy the planet from space.”

Ariel stared at him
, wide eyed in disbelief, “Are you serious? You think they can crush the planet from orbit? I-I thought you weren’t afraid of their weapons? You said ours were better, didn’t you?”

“From what we saw on our journey across the stars, yes, I believe our weaponry is more advanced.”

“Then why are you saying they could destroy the planet from space? We can’t do that.”

“Actually Ari, we could
. Very easily too. A nuke attached to a quantum singularity generator fired into a planet. The nuke explodes and crushes the planets crust as the singularity generator is triggered upon impact and instantly the planet becomes a black hole and sucks in upon itself. It’s the cosmic death of a world in under two minutes flat.”

“You can do that?”
she asked incredulously.

He shrugged
, “I’ve theoretically been able to do that for the past ten years, actually. It’s a doomsday measure, something I’ll never use, unless the Earth is destroyed. Then I will fly to the home world of who and whatever has done this to us and send every last one of them to hell.” He stared her in the face as he finished his last sentence.

“I had no idea you had worked that all out
,” she murmured.

“It’s not something I talk about. President Scaleia knows I can make it happen. He’s the only person as far as I know.”

“B-but you would have to manufacture everything you need to do this, right? It would take a long time to create, right?” Ariel asked with a growing fear in the pit of her stomach.

“Read my mind Ari, you tell me.”

She looked into his mind and her face went taut with fear. “My God, y-you have everything you need to do this, to destroy a world, right onboard this ship,” she stammered out, in shock.

He nod
ded stoically.

“I have that and a lot more as well
, Ari. These people are coming here for a fight, you heard that alien bastard who was torturing us. This is no joke. They wanted to destroy us before we reached the stars. Now we have. How many of our space ships over the years have they blown up? Does it go back to the 1970’s and the Apollo missions? Or the 1980’s and 2000’s when our shuttles were destroyed? These aliens have been trying to dissuade us from coming to space for years. How many of our people have they killed? Hell, how many have they kidnapped, and replaced with clones or shape shifters? We’ll never know.”

“But Mark, you’d kill an entire world?”

“If they destroyed our world? Yes, I would, in a heartbeat and with no regrets. I’d go to their home world and loose the world buster right down their throats.”

“And what then? Where would we go after that happened?”

“Would it matter what we did at that point?”

“Everything matters!” Ariel bellowed.

“Only if we’re alive, does it matter Ariel, and right now I’m trying to defend our world. I promise you I have no intention of using that weapon, ever, unless as a last resort for our survival or if our world is already destroyed. It is the ultimate final option. While I have no want or desire to use the world buster against any world, or people, it is always on the table.”

“B-but Mark, an entire race! Their children…”

“Is it any less than they would do to us? My God Ari, I have parents that are still alive, as do you, as well as your brothers and sister. What about them? You’d let them just die unavenged?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“What about your sister Cherie’s kids? These bastards mean to kill them as well as everyone else on this planet, because we supposedly frighten them, yet we have done nothing, let me repeat that, nothing, to any of these people. They came to us and attacked, they kidnapped the General, then the President, then they tortured you and me and our entire crew. They killed forty of our people. This is no game. If they fear us, so be it, we’ll show them what fear really is. I don’t need to use the world buster, I have other weapons that will leave lasting impressions on them as well as any allies they may have. It’s time for them to reap what they have sowed.”

She sigh
ed then, and shook her head plaintively, before looking up at Mark again, “Don’t hurt innocents in this war Mark, whatever you do, please.”

“Ariel, I am praying that none of this will come to pass, I am going to do everything I can to stop this, all of this, in its tracks. I don’t want there to be a war with the first alien races we’ve ever met, I’d rather be going out there meeting them with the open hand of friendship, not the clenched fist of destruction. But the problem is
Ari; I may not have a choice. If they come after us, like I’m sure they will, I will respond with everything I can come up with.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“About what Ari?”

“About these aliens. What if they are more advanced than we are in everything they do? Spaceflight, weaponry, everything?  What then?”

“Ari, what do you want me to do? Tell the President the Earth should just surrender to these things? They are more than willing to kill us all, without a second thought. This is the bottom of the ninth with two men out; this is all or nothing for the win, Ari. Seriously I understand your reservations, but as a planet we cannot lie down and just say, ‘Do with us as you will. We mean you no harm.’ That’s just foolishness.”

“You’re right,” s
he whispered as she leaned over and hugged him. He returned the embrace as they stared out the view screen.

The communicator system beeped and Ariel disengaged herself f
rom Mark. She walked over to her desk, touching a control button and instantly Dan Sledge’s voice reverberated across the command deck, “Mark, it’s done. Everything should be one hundred percent operational now.”

“All right Danny, thanks. I’m glad to hear it. Another ace up our sleeves.
Join us on the command deck when you’re ready.”

“I’m on my way boss.” Dan replied.

“What was that about?” Ari asked in wonder.

“Something I added to the Cagliostro as a ‘just in case’ measure.”

“Not another something to destroy a world, I hope.”

“Ariel, stop right there. That conversation is over.”

“I know,” she answered almost fearfully, but with trepidation at the very least.

The doors of the maglovator opened and Red, Eddie and Dan walked in looking grim
.

“Everything okay with you three?”

“See for yourself, Boss.” Red replied as he sat down behind his console and punched a button, revealing a new image across the command deck viewer. Mark’s breath caught as he looked in wonder at what was displayed before him. Ariel slid up next to him nervously and gripped his hand.

“It’s really th
e end of the world, isn’t it?” she asked in a hushed breath.

“Not if I can help it
,” Mark replied grimly with a steadfast resolve that snapped them all out of their momentary fear.

“That’s a lot of ships
,” Red offered.

“It doesn’t matter, no matter what it takes, we’re going to win this war and protect our world.”

They all continued to stare as the sub-space feed they were viewing from a satellite out near Pluto showed thousands of ships, all large and heavily armed heading toward Earth. Then when most had passed the small world on the solar systems fringe, a burst of energy flared from one of the ships directed at the satellite they were viewing through, and almost instantly the view screen went decidedly dead.

“Battle stations!” Mark
shouted, as he punched a button on his virtual console, immediately causing a klaxon to sound across the ship.

Throughout the Cagliostro
, people scurried and ran to places they needed to be. No one was off duty now. The entire ship was moving and alive.

Mark pointed to Ariel who immediately put him through to the ships interior communicat
ion system.

“This is Mark Johnson,”
he began, “I don’t have to tell any of you what we’re up against here, you already know. We’re fighting for our survival, and judging by what was just detected coming for us, it’s a vastly superior force. There may be five times as many ships in that fleet as we have. But we have a few surprises on our side. I’m hoping; no make that praying, they are enough. I suggest you pray as well. We all may be needing it today.” He pointed at Ariel and the system shut down.

“All right Ari, put me through to General Abruzzi’s ship.”

“Okay Mark you’re on,” she nodded in reply.

“General
,” Mark began.

“Captain Johnson. How goes it aboard the Cagliostro?”

“We’re as prepared as we’re going to be, General.”

“As we are across the rest of the fleet, Captain.”

“Has the plan I suggested proven satisfactory?”

“Yes Captain, it has
. The fleet is moving into position, or I should say positions as we speak. Let’s just pray this all works.”

“I’m ahead of you there sir.” Mark replied stoically.

“Very good Johnson, let’s move out then, shall we? The asteroid belt awaits. Fall in behind the ‘Titan’ until we get to position.”

“We’re on your four
O’Clock, sir.” Mark answered and then the comm went silent as first the war ship ‘Titan’, Abruzzi’s ship, powered up its just installed magno-disc engines and disappeared in a burst of light followed closely by the Cagliostro and then nearly two hundred other ships blinked away behind them in elongated flashes of light.

Five minutes later
, approximately two hundred ships of war exited hyper-warp and spread out amongst the three hundred that were already there.

“Lots
of ships here, Mark,” Red commented.

“These ships don’t have hyper-warp tech, Red.” Mark replied, “They began moving here
before we left for that little dirt world Duddas, where we picked the real General up.”

“Why? How’d anyone know to position ‘em here?” Dan asked in surprise.

“The president and I worked that out before we left. Even while those ships were chasing us, this group was heading here, to lie in wait.”

“So they were that group we
made that end run through on our way back to earth?”

“Some of them were. Others were on their way.” Mark shrugged
as he answered in reply.

“This is gettin’ better an’ better
.” Dan shook his head in disbelief.

“Relax big guy
, we need to be totally focused on this.”

“I am boss, count on that.”

“Always have, Danny.”

“Gentlemen, we are here and moving into position.” General Abruzzi’s voice announced over the ships comm.

“God speed, General,” Mark offered.

“And to you as well…Captain Johnson.”

Mark smiled at this. But that did not change the butterflies in his stomach as he watched two disparate images on their view screen. One showed the ships of Earth lining up approximately a mile apart behind the asteroid field. The other was one beamed to everyone from deep space surveillance satellites between Jupiter and the asteroid field.

It showed ships streaking towards Earth, leaping into hyper-warp once more as they crossed into the solar system. A veritable herd of ships, filling the space before the camera on the satellite with their immense numbers.

“This isn’t lookin’ too cool,” Eddie DiGenovese spoke aloud.

“Stay frosty
, soldier.” Mark replied.

“Hey boss, I stopped bein’ a soldier years ago
,” the black haired man replied, “I liked bein’ one then, and I liked doing my job.”

“You were good at it DiGenovese, that’s why I hired you. It sure as hell wasn’t for your personality.” Mark smirked.

“They’re starting to spread out,” Red announced.

“Visual.” Mark commanded. Instantly the view screen image changed and one of the satellites on the other side of the asteroid field broadcast its feed directly to the Cag as well as every other ship in the fleet.

“Ariel, get the General back on the horn please.”

“Aye, aye sir.” She replied while adding a mocking salute
to her response.

“I see somebody got over her nervousness.”

She sighed, “Looks can be deceiving.”

“Don’t worry
honey; I’m as nervous as the next guy.”

“How come you ain’t showin’ it?” Dan asked.

“You know me Danny, on the outside cool as a cucumber. On the inside, well a little less cool.”

“Just not by much
,” Eddie quipped, and everyone had a laugh. It was a laugh filled with anxiety, but a laugh nonetheless.

Ariel raised her hand and stopped everyone then. She turned toward Mark as she began to speak again, “I’m receiving a signal from…them
,” she stated enigmatically.

“Video or just audio?”

“Video, Mark.”

“Let’s see it.”

The screen blinked before them and suddenly there was a yellow skinned alien with dark black eyes seated in a captain’s chair aboard the bridge of a very militaristic looking ship. It was not bright and gleaming like the Cagliostro’s command deck. It was dark with deep blues, blacks and maroons overrun with cables and wires running everywhere in sight. The yellow skinned aliens wide set, jet black eyes stared straight ahead with his hands clasped before him almost regally, as if he thought very highly of himself. He had a flat face, his nose was virtually non-existent. He appeared relaxed. He had no hair present anywhere on his skull. Not his face, nor his head. He looked straight into the camera and began to speak.

“People of Earth. Surrender your
world and your lives to the Agalum. We have come for you. You have been judged and found wanting. We are the fist of the Agalum and have been sent to claim your lives and world. Surrender peacefully, and you will be treated fairly. Resist, and we will obliterate you.”

Immediately in reply the Cagliostro’s view screen split in two as General Abruzzi was now seen sitting aboard the Titan’s command deck. Abruzzi snarled his reply, “If you want this world and its inhabitants you better prepare yourselves for a long, drawn out conflict
, mister. If you know anything about us you know we don’t give up without a fight, and isn’t that what has you all afraid of us to begin with? Our ability to fight? You should turn around right now and head back to whatever swamp you crawled out of, son. I guarantee you’ll wish you had when this is all over, if you survive at all.”

The alien smirked, showing rows of glistening yellow teeth, “Ah
, General Abruzzi, I had heard you were a tough man from your inquisitors. No matter though, when this is over you will kneel at my feet and beg for death.”

Abruzzi squinted his eyes as he stared at the alien on the screen across from him, letting the air hang silent and dead for a long moment before he replied, “Try your damnedest, alien. I’m going to show you the error
of everything your people did to me and my world the past God only knows how many years. As my grandfather used to say, you pompous jackass, bring it!”

Abruzzi immediately had the connection cut, leaving the alien to fill the Cagliostro’s screen fully. Mark motioned to Ariel and she cut their view of
the alien ships bridge as well.

“Did you see the bridge on that thing? It looked like it was held together with bailing wire an’ bubble gum
,” Danny commented.

“Don’t underestimate them, any of you. We really have no idea what we’re up against. For all we know
, they could obliterate us instantly,” Mark admonished.

“Hey Mr. Cheery, give it a rest for now, we ain’t beaten yet
,” Dan replied.

“The Titan is moving
,” Red advised.

Abruzzi’s ship placed itself before all the rest, on the Earth side of the asteroid belt.

“Agalum.” Mark murmured.

“What Mark?” Eddie asked.

“He said they were called the ‘Agalum’ what does that mean? Who was called that? His race in particular? Or the entirety of all the races involved in this little group of thugs? Or maybe the race that runs the whole show?”

“We’ll have to ask them after we kick their asses
,” Ariel offered with a grin.

“
After we kick their asses Ari, you can be the first to ask that question of every one of them, just do it as painfully as possible. We owe them that much.”

She nodded with a smile
, and turned back to her control console.

“Dan, bring us into position.”

“Will do, boss.” the big navigator and pilot answered.

“Battle stations people, this time it’s for real
,” Mark announced, leaning forward in his seat.

The ‘Cagliostro’ swept to the right of the ‘Titan’ spreading about two miles between them before coming to a halt and holding position. Other ships in the fleet did likewise,
following down the line in either direction on the earth-side of the asteroid belt.

“Now what?” Red asked.

“Now the fun begins,” Mark replied as he nodded to Ari, who immediately queued up the comm system, leading to the General’s face appearing on the main viewer.

“We’re ready
, General.”

“Okay Johnson, let’s get this show on the road, then.”

Across the depths of space the two fleets stared at each other, the earth fleet was made up of men who were walking a razor’s edge of fear and trepidation, but the alien fleet? Who knew? They were an unknown quantity. Were they as afraid as the humans fighting for their own lives? Or were they simply emotionless killers carrying out their orders? No one knew. Not Mark Johnson, not General Abruzzi.

Suddenly the Titan coughed a burst of energy from its forward most
guns that streaked across space, between free-floating asteroids and exploded against the hull of the alien command ship. The blast was potent; it shifted the Agalum war ship in space, actually moving it from the impact, knocking it aside as if it was in slow motion. But by that time all the ships on either side of it began firing, sending blasts through the asteroid field at their enemies. Space was lit up like a city at night with flashes of light and the corresponding explosions. The breadth and scope of it all was intimidating. For the first time in human history, the people of Earth were at war with someone other than themselves.

“Shields holding up okay?” Mark asked as the ship rocked seemingly to the sound of thunder as each blast it received was felt throughout its stout hull.

“Yeah, all good so far,” Red replied.

“Eddie, try to actually hit something
,” Mark jibed his weapons officer.

“I’ve hit everythin’ I shot at boss.” The marksman replied through grit
ted teeth. His HUD holding steadily before his eyes as he fired again and again.

“That’s one hell of a lot of ships
,” Red remarked quietly.

“No kidding
,” Mark replied stoically. “Time for phase two.”

He pointed again at Ari, who immediately opened a channel to the Titan, “General phase two is a go, sir?”

“That it is Mr. Johnson that it is. Initiating phase two on my command…Initiate!” The elder warrior announced authoritatively as the earth ships began to back away from the asteroid belt while firing. Instantly the alien marauders followed them into the belt itself.

“How are we doing?” Mark asked Red.

“We’ve lost two ships so far, and twenty two others are damaged appreciably. On their side we’ve taken out about forty of their ships. But there are so damned many of them, by my calculations they will overrun and overwhelm us.”

Mark grinned wolfishly, “Not by mine
, Red.”

Mark stabbed at a button on his virtual console
and the asteroid belt lit up with a blinding flash of light so bright everyone covered their eyes just before the view screen automatically dimmed to filter out the harsh light.

“What the hell?” Eddie asked in surprise.

“Eddie shut up and lock and load. Full attack on anything that comes through that hell!”

Dan turned back and looked at Mark smiling, “You sly fox, you mined the asteroid belt.”

“Bingo Mr. Sledge.” Mark replied with a slight grin.

***

All throughout the asteroid belt, explosions reverberated as asteroids from the size of pebbles to the size of whole states collided with the enemy vessels with catastrophic results. Explosions, silent but for the lack of oxygen to carry that sound, lit the star scape brightly. Ships were crushed, sending plumes of ionized debris upward, downward and to both sides of every ship that was caught between the massive asteroids in horrific collisions.