The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (114 page)

  Although it was over, the price for the defenders was severe. Maybe a little too severe. There was too much damage to the downtown part of the city, too many people fled with most never returning, the lost of life was too high, and worst of all – both Leon and Claire died defending the command post. (Critically wounded, they both died in each others arms on the rooftop. [Leon was wounded when a Demon Cy-X threw a hand grenade and Claire was wounded when, running to him, a Demon Cy-X shot her with someone’s rifle.]) The city of Aruka was no more and those who came back will not stay for long. And the only good news for everyone on Golden Hyperion was that upon that world – the Demon Cy-Xs are extinct.

(20)

  A rare EOD mass robotic transport fleet has finally reach what they thought was a safety zone. These type of vessels are designed in such a way that they could connect to one another on top, bottom, bow or stern so that they could travel in a 3-D format. This particular group was 4x4x10 and like all other type of this class they were guarded by four destroyers and two cruisers each of which were specially designed for these type of ships. (The humans were on the destroyers and cruisers.)  The EOD had only six of these fleets and not once had they ever lost one. But with this particular fleet someone wanted it destroyed very badly. It’s not like nobody ever tried that before, but this time it’s different. Whoever it is must have had help from within the EOD High Command. Because these robotic transport fleet can travel conjoined, it allows them to extend their shields over each other and therefore create a “super-shield.” And that is the sole reason why none were ever lost. But whoever is orchestrating this attack knew how to by-pass the defensive shielding, and that could only come from within.

  This particular RTF was forced to turn around after they learned the fate of the EOD High Command. The confusion that all of them felt was far more than all of them could ever endure. For what they had within their cargo-hold was beyond top secret and therefore it was more important than their lives. But none of them knew what it was. But whatever it was, someone determined that the monstrosity shall be the only thing within the nightmare of all those who happened to know, by shear chance, what it could possibly be. And what it was, it was the nightmare between the Founder and his wife. The supporters of the Founder’s wife found an ET race and persuaded them to attack the EOD High Command. This was a vain attempt to trick the Founder (or his supporters) to indirectly to reveal the location of the Founder’s wife. But it backfired and the Founder had the entire EOD High Command liquidated. It was the worst lover’s tit-for-tat between the two since the founding of the EOD ever.

  Although this particular RTF wasn’t a partisan of the Founder’s wife (none were [of either one]) it was treated as if it was. Because of the paranoia of the Founder and/or his followers all of the RTF’s were treated as a enemy regardless of which side they were on. Although a classic hallmark of the Founder and his followers, their paranoia pushed everyone within the RTF crew into the arms of those who were rebelling against the Founder and/or his followers. So why would the Founder and/or his followers believe that the RTF’s were a partisan of his wife when historically they are not? Because they are under the auspices of the EOD High Command and the EOD High Command is a partisan of the Founder’s wife.

  RTF’s typically don’t carry anything that could be classified as Top Secret. So why would anybody want to attack one? Why would the EOD go to so much trouble to protect the convoy if it has nothing of value? To answer the first question: there is no reason. It’s not practical given the defenses that are used to protect the convoy. To answer the second question: the RTF represent the transportation hub of the EOD nexus of supply chain within the EOD Command & Control security apparatus. It is obvious why the EOD would try so hard to protect them.

  The attack upon the RTF’s was an orchestrated assault that was ordered by the fulcrum within the EOD Council. The purpose of the assault was to knock out the EOD Command & Control security apparatus in an effort to paralyze the Founder and his supporters from launching a counter offensive in a effort to liquidate all loose ends within the EOD. Namely the Council. Although the fulcrum real aim was to take down the Founder and his wife (including their supporters) so that they could ultimately take over, they seriously underestimated all resistance against the EOD. What’s more, there was a rift between the “young” members of the fulcrum and the old. The old only wanted to go into retirement while the young ones did not. And thus the young ones was far more motivated by revenge and the lost of the opportunities by being a member of the Council than that of the desire to strike a balance within the empire of the EOD.

  Given the miscalculation within the fulcrum concerning all resistance against the EOD, combined with their own arrogance, it’s not surprising that their plan would not go precisely the way in which they planned. What they wanted was to allow the Founder and his wife to eliminate one another or to so badly weaken one another that when the fulcrum decides to take over it would be a breeze. They also seriously overestimated their own power. Thinking that everybody would rally around them as opposed to that it would lead to further rebellion against the EOD. Or that if there were any rebellion that it would be a cake walk in crushing it. That may have been true in the past but those rebellions never occurred after a major civil war. When it became obvious to the fulcrum that the Council will never be able to take over, combined with the Founder’s increasing paranoia, the young guns within the fulcrum became ever the more vindictive.

  The EOD High Command had two parts to it: the lower (which is what that ET race attacked) and the upper. (Neither is given a name nor are they in the same location.) When the Founder had the upper part of EOD High Command liquidated the Council felt threaten because that part of High Command is one rank below the Council. That was primarily the reason why the fulcrum wanted to hurry up and go into retirement. Yes the Founder attempted to blame that ET race (nobody believed him) and to then to declare war upon them, but without the EOD High Command, for the first time in it’s history, the EOD finally lost a war. But what really pissed everyone off is the fact that the Founder consolidated his power and not to rebuild High Command. When the remnants of High Command learned where the Founder’s wife was, and the Founder made no effort to rescue her, and she was turned into Medusa Pandora (what they mistakenly thought was against her wishes), and then she’d died, they decided to use all of their connections to start the first major civil war within the EOD.

  After the civil war was over the old guard within the fulcrum left. It is at that point that the young guns decided to plan for the second civil war. But they however, will not be the leaders of that civil war since they will go into retirement. That civil war between the Founder and the Council turned out to be the most brutal devastating war in the entire EOD history. It effectually broke the EOD. Did the Founder rebuild the Council after his victory? Of course not. Why would he? By that point in time his paranoia driven him into complete insanity. It also made the final civil war inevitable and that civil war finally defeated the Founder. With the death of the Founder, the lost of both the Council and High Command, external pressure from all of it’s enemies looking for some payback, there was nothing to stop the EOD from fracturing into many splinter groups all vying for supremacy. It effectually meant the death of the EOD.

  Any celebrations were short lived given the power vacuum that develop in the aftermath of the fall of the EOD. Worse still was the fact that humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction. For all the evil and darkness of the EOD it did the dirty work and help humanity to survive for the EOD never wanted the human race to go extinct, it just wanted to exist in the shadow and control the human race. It’s the primary reason why they never allow there to be a robotic take over. And so with the fall of the EOD humanity must look to another to save it from those who desire to drive the human race into extinction. So who would it turn to?

  The RTF that turned away from the EOD High Command had to go to Golden Hyperion since, not only is The Hammer of Doom there, but also because it’s nearer. And what it was carrying would allow the people of Golden Hyperion a fighting chance to become a major power. But winning over the crew will not be easy since the crews of the RTF’s are chosen for the their hyper loyalties more than their skills. And they would arrive at the worst possible time.

(21)

  “Sir, the situation at Aruka has been resolved. It also appears that the Demon Cy-Xs have been wiped out of existence.” Captain Maxwell informed Solaris.

  “What about The Hammer of Doom?”

  “The ship is at 28% operational.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Engineering is trying to fix a glitch in long range sensors. Those sensors are implying that something massive is headed our way, but it can’t tell what it is or where it came from.”

  “How long will it take to get here?”

  “Roughly three days. No more than five days at the max.”

  “How long will it take to fix the sensors?”

  “Fifty hours.”

  “Alright, keep me posted.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Captain.” Solaris called out to him as Maxwell was almost out the door.

  “Yes sir?”

  “I think that I may need to return back to the ship. I’m starting to think that there could be a glitch somewhere within my system that prevents me from separating back into Lenkov and Omori. What’s more, I’m starting to lose control of my nanites.” Solaris was sitting behind a desk and he raised his right hand which looked like it was melting.

  “When are you planning on returning back to the ship?”

  “I may have to do it immediately if this persist.”

  “Understood sir.”

  A hour and eighteen minutes later Solaris left for the The Hammer of Doom. It was obvious to all who saw him leaving what Captain Maxwell knew. Once he returned he downloaded both Lenkov and Omori into the ship’s main frame computer. That was a first for both Lenkov and Omori. Never before had they did anything like that. Their reason was simple: they did not want to give up the pleasure of the flesh. Once they were “inside” the ship’s computers they started to fall in love with the thought of being in there. At first it was too overwhelming to both of them. Although the ship’s computers were not at peak performance, the part that was gave both of them both data and sensor “overload.” They, for the first twenty-six hours, felt like they didn’t exist. They always knew something like that would occur, and it was an logical excuse why they didn’t attempt it before, but they also knew that they could have done it stages. Now they don’t have a choice nor could they do it in stages. After they came to they spent the next twelve-and-a-half hours enjoying the sensors/communications classifying them as their “eyes and ears.” They became intoxicated with this new life, this new existence.

  Since it took five-and-a-half hours to download themselves into the ship’s computers that meant that there was eighty minutes left before the ship’s long range sensors were up and running. And that is when they realize that a RTF was heading their way. And then they realized that it will arrive in the next 5.4 hours. Without delay they started to assist the crew in repairing the ship. Omori worked upon the computers (she actually was able to redesign the software rendering software obsolete) and Lenkov worked upon the tactical analysis to assist in the eventuality that the RTF will not come in peace. But when their work was done there was only twenty-one minutes left before the RTF would arrive. By this point in time the ground forces also learned of a new threat – the soulless beast.

  One hundred and five minutes after the RTF arrived Lenkov finally figured out why both him and Omori couldn’t separate – it was too simple for it was their love of each other. It then only took Omori four minutes and thirty-eight seconds to figure out why they were losing control over their nanites – stress. She was then able to redesign the nanites so that wouldn’t happen again. Both of them then set about to redesign the ship in an effort to make it more efficient. Their work was able to allow the ship to function at 100% efficiency with 20% less crew. But all of that redesigning had one single drawback – they had to get to Andromeda before they could create those changes. In order to do that they had to triumph at Golden Hyperion. And that meant dealing with the legacy of Captain Dawson and the RTF who, despite their feelings, was still loyal to the EOD. It will indeed take a lot of effort the get them to switch sides. And part of that effort is the lives lost.

(22)

  “This is Captain Iverson of the RTF Group Tactical SC-15. It is imperative that I speak immediately to Fleet Captain Lenkov. This is considered a priority one message for his eyes only.” Iverson stated on the inter-ship intercom. He’d tried to reach them using the normal method but he received an error message stating that there was a problem in The Hammer of Doom communications.

  “Captain Iverson, this is Captain Maxwell and Fleet Captain Lenkov is incapacitated. And just what is a RTF Group Tactical doing in this sector?” Maxwell knew that the words “Group Tactical” had no real meaning. It was just a fancy way to say that they are carrying something important.

  “Understood Captain Maxwell. What is the nature of his injuries? I was under the impression that he is an experimental cyborg. And to answer your question, we had no other choice but to come here. We were under attack by unknown forces.”