SODIUM:4 Gravity (13 page)

The twin reactors were in place and had been briefly powered up. A battery of 256 coil guns had been mounted and work had begun on the new directional BHD. The new drive would reside in a central core internal to the ship that would allow the pull from the generated black hole to move the ship instantly in any direction. Rumor had also spread of a new pulse gravity gun capable of killing a fighter from 200 kilometers. Our technology was advancing at a rapid pace.

Plans had been launched for the creation of a battleship and a transport that could be used in the future for a planned assault of the alien homeworld. An assault that would not come until the threat of the mega-ship had been neutralized. The thoughts of a return to Alvin were racing through my mind.

When I returned to my quarters the BGS meds had a difficult time lowering my adrenaline levels. I rolled and squirmed on the anti-grav mattress, running scenario after scenario of an Alvin invasion through my head. When sleep finally came my dreams were of combat.

I would fight my way to the inner workings of the alien water city destroying everything in my path. I would float through the walls into the cabins of the humanoid masters and make them beg for mercy as I crushed their throats in my powerful hands. It was a violent dream, but one that I would remember fondly for the rest of my life.

When I awoke in the morning my team had once again been called back to duty. We would be on patrol, keeping the ever watchful eye on the mega-ship and its movements. It had taken its old familiar position of twice the distance from the Earth to the Moon. A swarm of fighters were ever on patrol to give it early warning of any attack.

Our GAF lifted off before I had a chance to say goodbye to Zack. His parents had been welcomed into my grandfather's home where they would receive good care and were welcome company. My dreams of a romance had once again been put on hold.

The tour was soon monotonous and seemingly unending just as the last had been. The constant movements of the mega-ship had made any attempt at a stealth attack unsuccessful. Days, turned into weeks and then months with no activity. After 76 days on station word came of another week of rest and recuperation.

When we touched down at Lake Pleasant I grinned wide as Zack was waiting to greet me in the hangar. It had only been months, but the fighting seemed a thing of the distant past. My time had come and I was eager to get to know the gentleman who stood before me. A date into town was in the works, a date that would soon be interrupted.

I felt a bit awkward as it was to be my first date in years. I had made every attempt to add clothing over my BGS, but none of my old clothes fit. I was now buff and strong. I had square shoulders and a tiny waist. My thighs were powerful as were my forearms. I began to feel more like a hideous monster than a woman.

I sat nervously on the edge of my bed as I waited for the hour of our date. My makeup, hair and nails had been redone several times with each time in succession bringing a feeling of inadequacy, a feeling of being something less than a woman and more of a freak.

My nervousness peaked when a knock came on my door. When it opened I was greeted with a warm smile and a brief hug. The nervousness quickly turned to excitement over the handsome man standing before me. He took my arm and we chatted lightly as we made our way topside. When the elevator door opened there were technicians scurrying about the hangar.

The alien mega-ship was on the move. I signaled Command and was told to enjoy my time off. The aliens had moved to a position behind the Moon where they were less of a threat. If the need arose I would be immediately called.

A local air-cab soon landed and whisked us away for our evening on the town. When we sat down for dinner I quickly became aware of the fact that I was still in the BGS. I had no need of food, nor was I hungry. After an awkward look from several other patrons, Zack broke into a laugh. He too had been nervous about the date and had neglected to take into account that I was in a BGS. As a courtesy I ordered a salad that I mostly just poked and prodded at as he consumed his meal.

From dinner we moved on to a cheesy love story movie and we were both asked to leave when we began to giggle uncontrollably. We ended the evening sitting on a bench in the town square talking endlessly about our childhoods and how we had come to where we were. Zack finally worked up the courage to place his hand gently on my cheek. He then moved in for a kiss, a kiss that I longed for, but which did not happen. The evening was once again interrupted when a warble came over my QE comm. I was being ordered back to duty.

The alien ship had moved down to the Moon's surface hovering only 800 meters above it. Fighters ran patrols as machinery was being set up on the Moon's surface, two kilometers from the great ship. My team was not going into action, but was to be on immediate standby in case the need arose.

My dream date had come to an abrupt end. Zack dropped me at my quarters and with a disappointed look on his face he leaned in for a gentle kiss goodnight. His lips were warm and soft and he left soon after with a smile.

As I walked towards a briefing room I could not help but think about my evening. He was handsome and rugged. His demeanor was one of friendliness and kindness and his sense of humor had me giggling like a school girl. When I rounded the corner into the briefing room my dreamlike state came to an end.

The room was full of scientists and engineers having arguments with Command about what the mega-ship might be doing. Some were suggesting a moon base while others though it may be making repairs. The 14 alien carriers had landed on the Moon's surface making a perimeter about the mega-ship.

I sat with Randy, Raven and Shepard and listened for hours as one scenario after another was presented. When the final idea was thrown on the table the scientists and engineers departed and the tacticians and battle planners entered the room.

The next five hours were spent attempting to plan strategies for each of the scenarios put forth. I wanted to catch a wink with all the information flying about as we were only allowed to observe, but the stimulants from my BGS saw to it that I remained awake and alert.

When the long meeting concluded we were sent back to our quarters to rest. There had been no change in the position of the mega-ship and the activities on the Moon's surface seemed to be at a minimum.

With the great ship stationary, Command had wasted no time in making attempts at a strike. Drillers had been launched by the thousands only to be swept from the area when they came within line of sight of the mega-ship.

Stealth missiles had been launched hugging the Moon's surface moving at only two meters height as they circled around towards the alien encampment. Fighters on patrol annihilated most with the mega-ship knocking down the remaining few with its gravity beam before they could come within range.

Attempts at taking out the patrolling fighters had also been unsuccessful as the mega-ship protected the small craft from a distance. Four GAFs and their crews had been sent to their deaths in attempts to drift in unnoticed. Command's well of ideas soon ran dry.

For five weeks we sat and watched as the alien fleet remained silent. For five weeks our factories were churning out countless Drillers and hundreds of new GAFs. Ground defenses were being updated with a new and improved gravity pulse gun capable of killing a fighter at 50 kilometers.

Cities that had been ravaged by the alien tsunamis were being abandoned, the remaining citizens relocated. Damaged crop fields were being readied for the next year’s plantings. We were making every effort to fortify and rebuild as only through strength would we survive.

I was sitting in a briefing with the same tired ideas and arguments being bandied about when a young scientist was quickly escorted into the room by his superior. He had news.

The alien mega-ship had been busy during its five week stay on the Moon. Busy making use of its gravity beam in a way that only myself and Shepard had seen live. The young scientist was reporting that according to the latest measurements the Moon was now two meters closer to the Earth. The mega-ship was pushing the Moon!

The room went silent for a moment as the realization of exactly what that meant began to sink in. The calm then exploded as everyone began to talk at once while calling superiors to inform them of the new revelations and then asking for instruction. Again, voices rose and arguments ensued.

We had been unsuccessful in all attempts to get to the alien fleet and now it was using a strategy against us that we could not possibly counter. The scientists and engineers soon scurried off to their own meetings to discuss the consequences of a closer Moon.

Command was in chaos for much of the day before word began to trickle in of what may lie ahead for us. As the Moon grew closer it would first begin to affect the tides. Within three months the calculations had tidal waters rising by an additional two meters in many areas. At six months those figures would double.

At nine months the weather would be altered enough to send storms to parts of the world that were normally tepid. Snow would fall in the deep-south as far down as the equator and searing heat would build in the tundra’s of the far north. One estimate predicted the flipping of the Earth's magnetic poles.

At one year major catastrophes would begin to strike as earthquakes would become commonplace. Nowhere on the surface of the planet would be spared from the tug of our new enemy, our own Moon.

With nothing to contribute to the current dilemma I was soon given a week’s pass to return home. I arranged for Zack to join me. His parents had been grateful for the kindness they had received and had attempted to help out on the farm where they could. When we arrived we were greeted with teary eyes.

After an evening spent with the family I stepped out onto the front porch of my grandfather's home and sat in the swing with Zack. As we swung back and forth I looked up at the nearly full Moon and wondered at its beauty. All through history Man had admired it and looked upon it with fondness, but it was now threatening our existence.

The remainder of the week was spent getting to know Zack and his parents and everything I learned I liked. During the day we worked side by side with my father, readying the fields for the eventual spring plantings. Fences were mended and animals fed and cared for. It was a life I had always been fond of, but only now fully appreciated.

When we returned to base at Lake Pleasant my team was once again assigned to patrol duty. We would take up station at 50,000 kilometers distance from the mega-ship and observe for any changes. It was a grueling ten weeks of boredom before returning to Earth for another week of rest.

Again the time was spent with Zack at the farm and again the time was too short and our return to patrol duty prolonged. Six months had soon passed and the Moon grew ever closer. Low lying cities continued to be evacuated and our factories continued to churn out the implements of our defense.

As months passed Command tried many new strategies against our foe with no success. The Moon crept ever closer and the tides rose. The weather then began to take drastic turns as the world, thermohaline ocean circulation patterns, began to slow. Random snows were soon seen in the tropics and heat waves across the northern areas of permafrost.

A massive earthquake in Xi'an central China killed hundreds of thousands and left millions homeless. Rumors were rampant of the San Andreas being the next to go. The lives of the people of the world were in turmoil, but they somehow kept going to work, turning out new ships and weapons. We would not go down easy.

After our return to base and before I left my quarters for the ship I had a knock on my door. It was Zack. He came in and we embraced in a long passionate kiss. He then dropped to his knee and pulled a small black box from his pocket. It was a ring. Without hesitation I said yes and he slipped it onto my finger with his steady hand.

He rose to receive another long passionate kiss. He then told me of his new decision. He had joined the BGS Marines and would be leaving for his initial training within the week. He was a man’s-man and as such did not like being behind the scenes when fighting was taking place.

Support at all levels during wartime was critical and as such every duty station required someone to man it. Zack felt his skills would be better suited to fighting on the front lines. He had the physical conditioning, the weapons knowledge and a strong will, he only lacked the final training.

News then came of earthquake rumbles in Alabama. I decided it was time to act. I could no longer sit idly by observing while my loved one’s lives were in peril. I signaled Command and suggested that they allow my team to drill through the Moon and then drift up into the great alien craft. After a day of planning we were given the go-ahead.

As I sat in my quarters with Zack a warble on my QE comm told me it was time to go. I rose, gave him a long kiss and then looked back longingly as I slowly made my way down the hall towards the elevators. As I looked down at my finger I realized that I now had another reason to rid the world of our alien enemy... a reason to return and live and to grow old.

I met Randy, Raven and Shepard in the hangar and gave them the news of my betrothal. The congratulations were short as we were soon strapped into our chairs and powering up our GAF. When we lifted off I had a renewed feeling of fight. I had a feeling of being in control which I had not had for months, a feeling of being able to finally do something to bring an end to the madness that tormented our daily lives.

I plugged in the waypoints provided by Command and pushed the throttle full. Within seconds we approached the Moon and slowed to a speed where our shields would keep up with the drilling. Within two hours we were ten kilometers from our target.

At eight kilometers, Raven took note of something we had not counted on. The alien gravity wave penetrated deep within the rock of the Moon and the effectiveness of our shields began to drop. At five kilometers the shields reached 85%, at four kilometers 96%. We dare not go further.

We turned and moved back through the tunnel we had drilled on the way in. When the shield effectiveness had dropped to 15% I brought our GAF to a stop. I signaled Command and told them of our problem. I then asked for time to evaluate and was granted whatever I needed.

I had Shepard run the calculations for a full-on attack through the hole at just above light speed. Our shields would hold if only traveling through the Moon for the final four kilometers. They would not hold against the alien gravity beam.

We sat for most of the day in our tunnel through the Moon trying to find a way through the gravity field. Shepard worked feverishly at her calculations, but each attempt told a familiar story. We would need our shielding increased by a factor of 100 to have a shot at making it through. Our technology was not ready.

Randy then hatched a hair-brained scheme of his own. He wanted to know if it would be possible to remove a fusion reactor from the ship and to couple it into our BGS suits. Shepard rolled her eyes but was intrigued enough to run the numbers.

Several minutes later she began to nod as she worked, transposing formulas and assembling schematics on her holo-display. After half an hour she sat back in her chair and stared hard at her screen. Prolonged minutes of silence only made the tension grow before she turned and told us of her findings.

We would have to remove two of our reactors and couple them to a makeshift harness that she would construct from our supplies. She would then attach fused connections, binding the outputs of the two reactors together into one power tether. We would each attach the tether to our power belts through a hollowed-out power cell.

We would have to remove our food packs to make room for the new power coupler as our full power cells would still be needed once we got inside the mega-ship. With our BGS suits and filters we still had the ability to survive without food for several weeks. It was a risk we were willing to take.

I asked Shepard about other risks and rewards and she started with the later. The power supplied through the tether should be sufficient to keep our BGS shielding high enough to penetrate the spread-out alien gravity beam. The risk was that the reactors would cycle out of control and we would perish in a bright ball of Sodium fury.

I asked how long before it would be ready for me to try and I was told we would all be going. It would take the combined pulls of our fist BHDs to move the reactors through the final four kilometers of Moon rock. Our progress would be slow as we would have to hollow out rock with our BHDs making a tunnel nearly two meters wide.