Weapon of Atlantis (3 page)

Poseidon shook his head grimly.

“Cell decay accelerates with the higher temperatures,” he replied.

With a few keystrokes, Zeus replicated Poseidon’s previous tests.

“Dammit! I suspected as much,” he groaned disappointingly as he stared at the hologram. He turned to Poseidon and continued, “We need the robust ribosomes we developed on Arae. The larger subunit helps synthesize proteins at a much higher rate.”

Poseidon nodded in understanding.

“So what do we do? This lab is limited in its capacity. It could take a year or more to develop the new organelle.”

“We have little choice,” Zeus responded grimly. “I’ll contact Lord Iamus immediately.”

Zeus rushed off to the communications pod connected to the main lab. He sat down at a table and swiped his hand across the top. Instantly, a hologram materialized before him. He typed in some characters, then waited. Impatiently, he tapped his fingers on the stone surface. A moment later, the image of Lord Iamus appeared.

“Zeus, I was about to contact you. Endorians are now in control of sectors thirty-five through forty-two. They are advancing fast. We can hold them off a while longer, but each day, our number
s are dwindling. We need that compound now. It’s the only weapon that’ll save us,” Lord Iamus said, his voice intense and concerned.

Waiting on Zeus’ replied, he could see disappointment in his eyes. Dread overcame him.

“What is it, Zeus? I can see it on your face. There’s a problem, isn’t there?” Lord Iamus asked in fearful tone.

Zeus nodded reluctantly.

“I’m sorry, my Lord. In our latest analysis, we discovered the new strain of cell broke down above eighty degrees.”

“Eighty degrees? Araean body temperatures far exceed that level,”
Lord Iamus retorted.

Zeus nodded once more in agreement.

“My Lord, I believe Poseidon and I have developed a solution. We’ve created a stronger more robust ribosome over a year ago while still on Arae. I’m certain that once we assimilate it into the new cell structure, it’ll overcome the thermal problem and create a cell that is virtually indestructible.”

Lord Iamus breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s great news. How long before you can create this new ribosome on Earth,?” he asked.

Zeus shook his head.

“I’m sorry, my Lord. With the limited capacity of this lab, it could take longer than a year to reproduce,” he explained.

“A YEAR?”
the King roared angrily. “Impossible. We don’t have a year!”

“My Lord, that’s the reason I’m contacting you. If you can send me the samples I developed on Arae, after they arrive, it would take only a month to analyze and test the new strain.”

Lord Iamus calculated the time in his head.

“Six months
…” he considered aloud. “The cooling season could stall the Endorians for at least that much time.”

He nodded to Zeus approvingly.

“I’ll send them today,” he bellowed sharply.

----- ----- ----- -----

Two months later…

Endorian General Xenos monitored the console in front of him, insuring his position remained undetected as he followed the Araean spacecraft. A month earlier, having intercepted an encrypted transmission from the enemy spacecraft, his sources worked to decode the message. With the Araean ship now on the edge Earth’s atmosphere and the transmission still not deciphered, he prepared his destroyer for attack.

“Acquire
the target. Arm the pulse talons and lock on their engines. I want them alive,” he ordered.

“Yes Sir,”
Commander Malkor responded.

As
Cmdr. Malkor shouted orders to those under his command, Gen. Xenos monitored their actions closely. Focusing on a holographic screen depicting the action to their front, he watched his ship’s sensors hone in on the distant spacecraft. Within seconds, the Araean ship image illuminated and a beacon sounded, indicating the target acquired.

“Fire when able,” Gen Xenos ordered.

“Yes Sir,” Cmdr Malkor responded. He turned to his men and shouted, “I have the controls.”

With
both hands working the firing array, his fingers swept over several buttons. Seconds later, a translucent beam of energy shot from under the ship’s hull. Gen. Xenos watched with anticipation as the hologram monitored the travel of the invisible beam.

“Point nine and closing,” Cmdr Malkor announced.

Gen. Xenos only nodded, keeping his eyes focused on the action.

“Point six,” the
commander called out again.

Those at the bridge of the spacecraft monitored their own screens, insuring the success of the act.

“Point four…  point two.”

He turned to Gen. Xenos and announced, “Target disabled, Sir. Our sensors report the craft is now
drifting by momentum.”

“
Good work, Commander. Full thrust till we’re in range, then activate the magnetic hold,” he ordered, then added, “You have the command. I’ll prepare the boarding party.”

----- ----- ----- -----

Araean Captain Anthis searched his computer screens, seeking an answer to his disabled engines. As he scoured through the varied systems, the reason for their malfunction seemed mysterious.

“Mr. Balfor, we’re there any indications, any strange anomalies before the engines shut down?” he asked, with growing concern.

“No Sir. One minute, they were running, the next they weren’t,” first officer Balfor responded.

Capt.
Anthis shook his head in frustration. He tapped several buttons, trying to restart the craft’s engines.

“Nothing!” he blurted in anger. “What is going on here?”

“Sir, Endorian destroyer, point five away and closing fast,” first officer Balfor shouted, frantically.

“Blast!”
Capt. Anthis cursed aloud. “They knocked out our propulsion and weapons system.”

“Sir, point three,”
first officer Balfor shouted once more.

Capt.
Anthis studied his computer screens. He watched the Endorian ship approaching rapidly.

“Close all airlocks. Lock them securely,” he responded in desperation. “That’ll buy us some time.”

He turned to his communications officer and shouted, “Get me the Zalon Outpost, Now!”

As the officer worked his controls,
Capt. Anthis shouted to first officer Balfor, “Eradicate everything: all materials, all cultures.”

“Yes Sir,” he responded.

“Sir, I’ve raised the Zalon Outpost,” the communications officer shouted.

“Good work. Bring them up on screen,” he directed.

In seconds, Zeus’ face appeared on the large computer screen at the head of the command bridge. His demeanor seemed excited, and carried a look of anticipation.

“
Good to see you, Capt. Anthis. We’ve been waiting on your arrival… impatiently, I might add,” he stated in light hearted tone. “I trust your voyage has been uneventful.”

“Zeus, we’re under attack!”
Capt. Anthis blurted loudly. “We’re about to be boarded by an Endorian destroyer. We’ll try to hold them off as long as we can, but I’m afraid Zalon has been compromised. It’s only a matter of time before they locate and destroy the base. You must evacuate immediately.”

“Oh No!” Zeus shouted back in
horror. “How much time do we have?”

“
Minutes only, Sir,” Capt. Anthis shouted, anxiously.

Zeus’ mind raced frantically
. He could see the intensity in Capt. Anthis’ face. Suddenly, the screen went blank and the captain was gone. Zeus stared momentarily in disbelief, then sprang to action.

“Poseidon!” Zeus shouted from across the lab, “The Endorians will be here shortly. Sound the alarm. Evacuate immediately!”

“Endorians? How? Where?” Posiedon shouted back, the reality of Zeus’ words still not registering.

“I’ll explain later. Sound the alarm. We have only minutes to evacuate.
I’ll transfer the data to the transport,” Zeus responded, now rushing to a vacant computer.

Poseidon hurried to a wall and flipped open a cover concealing a large button. He slammed his hand against it. Instantly, lights began to flash and alarms sounded. He pressed another button under the cover and shouted into a flush-mounted microphone.

“Attention, all personnel! Endorians are attacking. Evacuate immediately,” he shouted, his tone controlled but panicked. “Repeat: Evacuate Immediately!”

As Zeus typed frantically into his computer, Poseido
n rushed to his own and began the sequence to destroy all data.

Suddenly,
they felt a shudder. Then another. Zeus glanced to his brother. His eyes relayed his fears.

“We’re too late. They’re here!” Poseidon shouted.

“Hurry, to the transport!” he yelled back.

Zeus ran to the main control unit and pulled his crystal scepter. Instantly, all power ceased and the lights went dark. He rotated his hand slightly, illuminating the scepter’s shaft, providing enough light to see. Insta
ntly, the two rushed to an open doorway that led to their waiting vehicle. As they stepped inside the transport, Zeus inserted the point of the scepter into the diamond-shaped hole and squeezed the handle. All lights illuminated.

Looking up through the cockpit windows, the two stared at the Endorian destroyer that loomed menacingly above the outpost.
They could see a lighted beam that shined from a lower weapons platform.

“They’re using pulse energy. They’re killing everyone inside,” Poseidon shouted in horror.

“I know. They must have intercepted our transmissions. They won’t destroy this place until they have all our research,” Zeus responded, rushing to powering up the craft.

As Poseidon ran his hand over several switches, the door to the transport closed. Zeus moved the controls and inched
back from the docking station. In seconds, their movement was detected. The Endorian ship angled their weapon toward the transport. Zeus and Poseidon cried out in pain as a pulse of energy shot through their bodies.

“Zeus, they’re killing us. Get us out of here,” Poseidon groaned through clenched teeth.

“I’m trying,” Zeus responded, struggling to overcome his agony. “I can barely move my hands.”

Poseidon launched his body clumsily forward and threw an arm at Zeus’ control hand. With little strength remaining, he placed his hand on Zeus’ and pulled back. Instantly, the craft lurched rearward out of the path of the Endorian weapon. The
brief moment of relief was all they needed. Zeus moved the controls aggressively and ascended rapidly from the dark depths of the ocean’s floor.

----- ----- ----- -----

“They’re getting away,” Gen. Xenos shouted from the control bridge of the Endorian destroyer. “Redirect your the pulse.”

“Yes my Lord,”
Cmdr. Malkor replied.

Quickly, he directed his men to lock onto the fast moving transport. Before they could react, they watched the small craft maneuver erratically
, darting from side to side.

“He
’s taking evasive maneuvers, Sir,” the control’s officer shouted.

“Track him… and fire,”
Cmdr. Malkor demanded.

“I’m trying, Sir,” the officer responded
, his eyes darting from screen to controls and back again.