METEOR

METEOR
PART 1: Invasion

I feel old. I thought. Sitting around here didn’t involve much action. Too much respect made the area too peaceful.
Peace. That was what I had worked for the past thirty-seven years. Making sure that the earth was safe from harm. My comrades in arms were still alive, and we sometimes talked of the old days. My wife, Sarai Arra, went with us on those missions of old. Now, all we do is talk.
Even though I liked peace, I felt too inactive. I would try and start a conversation with a stranger, and instantly It was “Yes, sir! No Sir!” I hated being called sir. I was beginning to see what Captain Jack Archer meant when he said “Fighting gets into one’s blood.” I felt it now. With no more evil despots to conquer, no alien invasion to defend against, no terrorist group to hunt down, and no war, I felt depression weighing down on me. When I was on Excelsior, I was frequently engaged against enemy troops. When I came back to Earth, I fought against an alien uprising. And once things were said and done, I was bored. I was so bored it was not funny.
Should I embark to find danger? That was out of the question. I would be in my sixties before I got to a hostile planet, and too old to fight. But until I reached sixty-one, I was still fighting fit.
There were complete and updated files on the entire group. Sometimes I would read the files and wish that I was still in those times. I closed my eyes and remembered…
The first of my missions was coded Akrid Threat. That was where the whole thing started: during the Long War. My first girlfriend was shot down and killed by Akrid fighters while defending a bolt hole so that my group could get out in time. After that had happened I had gone on a fighting rage. Three months later the earth was overrun and invaded by the Akrid. I then became a resistance fighter and met David, Elliot, Luis, and Kat. Together, we fought our way to Reflex Point, the main Akrid hive. In the battle for Reflex Point, we finally won. That was when we formed our group: The Commandos. After that, others joined our group: Mass, Denzel, and Luky.
The next Mission was coded Betrayal. It happened right after the end of the Long War. I had been assigned with my squad and the Commandos to hunt down a rebel alien band that had not acknowledged the treaty’s terms, and had gone on the warpath. My entire squad was wiped out by our own remote missiles, and my men died with the enemy. Except for the Commandos. Luis, seeing the death I had brought, tried to take revenge on me. He joined up with the terrorist group Organization 13. He tried to kill me, but I escaped, and he suffered memory loss for three days. Then, once he regained his memory, he tried to take revenge on me by attacking my mind, trying to make me jealous. Knowing that I was in love with Kat, and that I was planning to propose to her, He claimed that he was going out with Jennifer. I fought him, and won. But that didn’t help me when I needed his help to rescue the rest of the group, who had been kidnapped by a pair of assassins. We were reconciled when I had to save his life (this was as much for my benefit as his: I don’t think I could have escaped from the trap alone), and I found out that his “affair” with Kat was a lie. And he killed the terrorist leader.
Our next mission was coded Midnight Sun. In this, we had sought out an alien-infested planet on which there was a settlement. But this turned out to be a rescue operation, since three members of our group, Mass, Omar, and Denzel were captured. We survived, but when the whole group was captured, David had to face the leader. He is the strongest person I know. I never knew someone who killed an alien cyborg with his bare hands. But our victory was at a bitter price, since there was almost total destruction of the Earth. Only remnants survived, and we helped them to rebuild.
The next mission was coded Commandos. At that time, a group of terrorists had developed a super-weapon that could destroy cities. We had to find out who the enemy was. This time, it was Mass who saved us. I had sent him home because of irresponsible actions, namely sleeping with a girl he didn‘t even know and getting drunk. He came back to rescue us with his tank and a squadron of F-38’s, and we had a hard time getting him to stop talking about it. It seemed to grow more dramatic and fantastical each time he told the story.
Then there was the one coded Exile, and not really worthy of the title “mission”, since it was only a month in duration, unless you count the period of nearly five years I spent on another planet. I had been exiled from earth because I, a military hero, had killed the two people I had been assigned to bodyguard out of revenge for the death of Kat. I was not sentenced to death because either One: they knew I had been in a temporary killing rage; or Two: my status and service to the world. I was exiled to deep space, until I redeemed myself. When I stopped in a space station to refuel and to have some damage from space debris repaired, the station was attacked, and a valuable piece of equipment stolen. I was captured too, and sent to a research station on the planet Excelsior to be held. Had it not been for the warrior Sarai Arra, I would have died. She rescued me, and a relationship was formed between us. Eventually, it turned into love. We married, and returned to Excelsior to stay. We led the fight against the evil aliens that tried to enslave Excelsior.
Our last mission is coded Endwar. When news of an alien attack on earth reached Excelsior, Sarai and I returned. Everyone who had ever been a member of the group or had traveled with us or had assisted us was summoned. We had to lead the final war against a combined group of terrorists and aliens. We led the fight as far as their home planet. Before the assault, we each said our goodbyes to the planet we called home. We knew somehow that we wouldn’t make it back. But it was a necessary sacrifice. Only one hundred people followed us. We had told everyone that this battle would most likely result in total annihilation. In a desperate move, hopelessly outnumbered, we fought millions of alien starships. In our old and faithful SJ-59’s, armed with KAL35 EDSW‘s, we scattered and regrouped behind enemy lines, only sixty of us left. By the time we entered the atmosphere, there were only thirty-seven of us. In a suicide move, we fired all of the KAL35’s at the planet. The entire planet exploded, wiping out everything… But in some strange twist of fate, eleven of us survived: David Cruise, Elliot Rivas, Mass Niang, Luis Ayala, Sarai Arra, Luky Romero, Omar Seman, Denzel Santos, Jaxine Ashanta, Talc Starman, and Me: Chris Flight. It was hard, wiping out the rest of the remaining enemy fleet with fireballs and lava waves shooting out into space and staying compact.
After that, we came home.
What was left to do?
Nothing.
The porch shook. I stood up. What was going on? I looked up, and saw a trail of smoke crossing the sky, which I had been seeing for a long while but not really noticed. I went inside, and turned on the TV.
“-and struck in London.” It was a live news broadcast, with a reporter on-site. “the meteor has caused extreme atmospheric disturbance, but only in a small area. It almost seems that the area- wait, there seems to be some type of phenomena occurring over there.” the camera swung over to an area of sky that was dark with storm clouds, and lightning was occurring. But in midair, there was a dark area, so dark that it was almost purple. As I watched, I saw lightning shoot out of it and strike the reporter. She fell, dead. Then, out of the dark purple and black oval, a strange figure leaped. It landed on a civilian, killed them, and then charged toward the cameraman. A policeman shot at, but the bullet seemed to have gone right through it and done no damage at all. Then the camera fell and the broadcast ended.
“What was that thing?” I wondered. “A portal?”
“I don’t know.” my wife Sarai answered.
“Wait.” I exclaimed. “What if it was a portal to another world?!”
“You mean like a portal to another planet?” Sarai asked.
“Not another planet, but another universe, another realm, and another nature. With all of our experience, I know that other dimensions and worlds exist. And if this was a portal to another world, then we have some work cut out for us. These beings from the other world are hostile. I could tell that from the news broadcast, when that thing attacked the civilian. It looks like we are going back to fight again. Our guns aren’t going to be much use; you could see that from when the cop shot at the thing. There was only one person who can arm us for battle against these things.” I answered.
I can’t believe that I was here right now.
Thirty minutes ago, I had arrived at the government office at the pentagon. After explaining the situation and having them give me some information, I was driven to the National Secrets Base in the desert. I was taken to some old artifacts.
“These artifacts,” a gray-haired captain said, “were the only objects we have managed to get our hands on. These come from other worlds.”
There was a varied collection of objects. Some tiny spikes that seemed to be made of some material harder then iron, a long tube filled with a blackish liquid, a bar made of whatever the spikes were made of, a giant piece of strange cloth, and several plates of that same material.
“Captain,” I said carefully, “if you give me these materials and some specialized equipment I can probably have some weapons that can hurt these monsters that came from the portal.”
“Take these artifacts?!?! You must be joking! If these objects are removed from there original state, who knows what can happen?” he cried.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” I said coolly. “Either you give me these artifacts or have the world be overrun by those monsters from the other world!”
“Ill need to clear it with the officials.” he said, grudgingly.
Three days past, and I still had no word from them. I drove up to the base on the fourth day, and they told me that there was still red tape that needed clearing up. I stayed at the base two more days, but then I left, giving them a warning about the monsters.
I arrived home to a scene of destruction.
` The monsters had come.
Why? Why now? When can there be peace? I know that a few days ago I had been wanting to fight, but for the enemy to strike at me like this… No. “Chris, hold on.” I told myself. “these creatures weren’t aiming for you specifically, they just destroy whatever they come to.” But despite all of my reasoning, the hatred for them burst our in a red-hot rage, and I started hammering at the doorframe. Then I broke down, and started crying. Then I fell asleep.
When I awoke, rage burned deep inside me. But instead of the burning, uncontrollable anger of the day before, in its place was a cold, deadly fury. These creatures would pay. I began to methodically search the house for any signs that would put me on their track. From what I could tell, Sarai had put up a great fight, but she was taken in the end. Also, Luky, Omar, Denzel, Jaxine, Talc, and Elliot were also taken. That left David, Mass, and Luis unaccounted for. I could only hope that they were alive.
I got a good idea of what these beings looked like when I saw a strange indent in the wall. Evidently, David had thrown the being into the wall, and it had left a mark. The beings seemed to have tentacles for arms and legs. Then I notice a different mark on the opposite wall. This mark was more recent. It was like a small human with shorter arms and legs and with a big head with antennas.
Then I saw one.
It had been hiding in the closet, and I identified it as one of the second group. It was all black, with big, exactly circular, yellow eyes, and it moved on three of its four limbs. It was badly injured, and it stumbled as it made its way towards me.
I sent it flying with a karate kick. Then I ran out the door and raced away on my motorcycle. I was definitely breaking the speed limit. In an hour I was at the base, and I walked right up to the captain in charge of the artifacts.
“Give me the artifacts and the equipment I require.” I demanded. “Now.”
‘You can’t just barge in here like this!” he protested, surprised. “This is government property!”
I got in his face. “Whatever these monsters are, they are far more powerful then you can imagine! They have captured seven of my ten men, and if you don’t give me those artifacts right now what do you think will happen when they reach here?!”
That got through to him. I got the artifacts, and the equipment I needed.
I had the cloth made into a jumpsuit for me. I had the spikes modeled into bullets (there were about 20,000,000 of the spikes). I had the plates of metal made into armor for me, and I had the bar of hard material made into a cutting edge for my sword.
Bring it on.
I strode on, into the dark ruined city.
PART 2: GaTe “H”
Three weeks later…
The Earth was overrun.
I had joined with a group of fighters at the one place that was still under human control: an army outpost on the outskirts of London. It was also close to the main portal.
“Lieutenant Flight!”
I looked up. A short man with graying hair barked as me. Commander Haze. “It’s your first time to go into town.”
“Fine.” I muttered. “Who is my support?”
“Corporal Natasha Thansi.”
“Just my luck to get a woman for support.” I thought. “when do we leave?” I asked.
“You leave ASAP.” the commander said as he left.
I changed into my battle armor. I had been given the rank “Guardian”. I got to wear some of the most imposing armor on Earth. I wielded my sword.
Natasha had pale white skin, and black hair. She too was a Guardian. That is, she wore armor like mine and wielded a sword. We were to go down into the tunnels and search out a particularly nasty monster who had been preying on our fighters for the past few raids.
“so, you’re the ‘famous’ commando leader Chris Flight.” Natasha said. “you don’t seem so tough.”
“you just keep telling yourself that.” I said sarcastically.
On this occasion, I carried my switchlense laser handgun that I somehow still had from when I first became a commando. I could send laser, flame, magma, ice, water, gel, or liquid metal shooting out of it.
Out of nowhere a monster leaped at us. In a few deft movements, I had lopped off its head, arms and legs, and sliced it in half, killing it.
Natasha stared at me with new respect. “Nice kill.”
Without a word, I turned quickly to Natasha and fired off a stream of laser bursts. The monster that had been sneaking up behind her fell slain. I turned with a slash of my sword, killing the monster behind me. I vaulted over a monster and stabbed it through the skull. Then I strafed two monsters with magma. They died. I turned. Natasha had killed two monsters. The rest fled.
I flipped up my visor.
“still telling yourself I’m not so tough?” I asked.
“all right, I was wrong.” she said. Then a claw came out of nowhere, snatched me up, and I found myself being dragged across the tunnel wall by a giant monster with huge bat-like wings. My laser fell from my grasp. Then I saw Natasha grab my laser and fire off a stream of flame into the monster’s eyes. The monster dropped me. I stood side by side with Natasha, bracing for the monster’s counter-attack.
But the counter attack never came. The monster exploded in a flash of plasma, and a big, heavily muscled man stepped forward.
“Hey Chris.”
My eyes widened. “David!”
“yeah, its me.” he said, shouldering his plasma launcher. “I’ve been hiding in here for days, watching the demon movements.”
“Well Natasha, looks like you get to go home alone. Tell the commander that I am staying here because of… complications in our successfully completed mission.”
“The commander won’t like this, Lieutenant.”
“I’ll sort this out when I get back, Corporal. Now go: that’s an order!”
TO BE CONTINUED...