The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (139 page)

  Everything now was left up to Ma Duce and there was no way that they will become the next victim. They were more determined than ever to score their kill. They could tell that Dark Phoenix was near death, so they knew that maybe several more shots will finish her off. Knowing full well that their prey keeps on leading them into a trap, but having no idea as to where they are, Ma Duce sprung another one and it damaged their engines. The ship was wobbling back and forth, left than right, which was causing it to lose it’s ability to lock on to Dark Phoenix.

  “Hey Whitaker! You do realize that they must have space probes monitoring us, right?” Harnett asked him. He was in no mood to hear Whitaker’s response which was in the negative.

  “What!? You got to be shitting me!? Look sir, why don’t you do us all a favor and hunt down those damn probes and destroy them!” Harnett angrily responded after he heard Whitaker’s response.

  “Don’t you dare talk to me that way! I will not tolerate such insubordination! You have your job to do and we have ours!”

  “And just what is your job… sir!?”

  “My crew is trying to fix this damn ship and…!”

  “Well how convenient for you!”

  “I will not tolerate…!”

  “Or what!? What would you do if we just left you to deal with them!? Look sir I don’t mind taking on these fools but not by myself. Please do something.”

  It was at that point that both Whitaker and Harnett made a fateful mistake. They both fell to take into account that very remote possibility that Sayaka would train her crew in her tactics. Yes it is true that Dark Phoenix was monitoring it’s enemies, but not with space probes. As either Joseph and/or Sayaka would have put it, “it’s the value of intellectualizing your opponent.” Maxwell could only do that when he is drunk, hence the fact that he is drinking (not as fast as he normally would). The predator versus the prey and the predator must be smarter than it’s prey if it is to survive. The crew of The Hammer of Doom was trained to think like predator versus prey. They were trained all day long until they drop. They had to listen to heavy metal music during their training for it was a way to unleash the predator within. But rage and pure aggression was not enough for they also had to think. And when they got their job done to the satisfaction of both Joseph and Sayaka they were allowed to celebrate. It’s no wonder that Dark Phoenix can hold it’s ground with four ships and take them all down.

  “Holy fucking shit!” Harnett nearly screamed to the top of lungs. Dark Phoenix did a 180 bow over stern, did a belly roll, went up over the bow of Ma Duce (and taking two shots), and then came full throttled at Black Eagle firing multiple shots.

  As Dark Phoenix passed by it did another 180 bow over stern (and taking two more hits) and then it finally finished off Ma Duce. Although the ship was seriously near death it still came after it’s final prey – Whitaker. As it took multiple shots the gravity within the bridge was finally lost (signifying that it is so close to death that it can no longer take the abuse). Xavier could only look at Maxwell with fear in his eyes as he was drifting upwards because of the lost of gravity.

  “Sir… this is for the crew.” Lanning said to Whitaker as he shot him dead. Without dropping his right arm he then turn and look at the three shots that would finish off Black Eagle.

  Dark Phoenix then started to turn end over end spiraling, what appear to be out of control, firing blindly into space. With the crew of The Hammer of Doom playing the song “The Cyborg Slayers” from the music group Dethklok. Everyone on Golden Hyperion could both hear and see (from the media space probes) Dark Phoenix celebrate their victory. The whole world wanted to celebrate as well for what they would celebrate is their freedom. And they couldn’t believe it. How could they?

  “I can hardly report upon what I’m hearing. I just can’t believe it.” The reporter was informing the people of Golden Hyperion.

  “What’s going on up there?” The reporter asked her friend.

  “As hard as it is to believe… and I don’t say this lightly… but I sincerely believe that we are free. It appears that Dark Phoenix have, despite overwhelming odds, have won the day. We are free. We are free! I can’t believe it! But there is no other way to explain it. The tyranny of our masters is no more! God bless those beautiful boys and girls who gave their lives so that we may be free! The tyranny of the EOD is no more! We are free! Forever more! What a beautiful day it is!” The reporter responded.  His so-called friend could only regurgitate the line that is approve of by the EOD censors.

  At that moment in time people wanted to believe that it was all over, boy did they ever wanted to believe it, but they were just too cynical about their situation. All of their hopes rested upon Task Force ZH-3C contacting someone on the outside. They just wanted to hear the good news that it was all over and they could go about living their lives in peace. But as each hour passed by and no one heard not one single word from Task Force ZH-3C the people of Golden Hyperion started to fear the worst. It didn’t take long for their hopes to be dashed.

(13)

  “You know that we are taking a huge risk by being here.” Lieutenant General Byrne mentioned to the rest of Lenkov’s contacts. All of them secretly found their way to Andromeda and they couldn’t have done it at a worst time. They all knew that it would be perceived as highly suspicious if anybody were to find out that all of them went there. Especially knowing full well that the possibility of a civil war looms on the horizon.

  “You’re right. But the Founder has more important things to worry about.” Colonel “Brown Dust” Durante responded.

  “I thought that you were getting married. To your mistress if I’m not mistaken. And now you are here with us instead of her. How charming.” Commodore Bonfacio said with a smile.

  “How long do you think that it will take for them, the Founder’s forces that is, to figure out that we are here?” Major General Labrune asked someone.

  “Normally it won’t take them that long. But as for now… who can guess. Everybody will be under the ever watchful eye of the EOD security auspices. We are all suspects.” Vice Admiral Kennett said. They all knew that he was right.

  “Before we get too far in this particular discussion we should also take into account the fact that it appears that the EOD has something special for the people of Golden Hyperion.” Central Command Officer: District Commander D’Esporito mentioned.

  “Why do you say that for?” Commodore Bonfacio asked him.

  “For a long time we the CCO was kept in the dark about the true significance of the so-call factory there. A certain conversation with the Logistical Art Commander told us that a huge amount of state’s resources, and I mean enough to build a city that could theoretically hold at least a million people, was sent to that world. The secrecy involved is the sole reason why there are no cities and/or small villages near the site. All small towns are fifty miles from the site whereas medium size cities are at a minimum of seventy-five miles. The only large scale city is one hundred and fifteen miles from the site. As each of you already knows, as hyper efficient that the EOD is, their behavior upon that world is extremely, I don’t use that word lightly, it is extremely bizarre.” D’Esporito responded.

  “No fleet was sent there to quell any possible rebellion. I have served under three commanders as we were preparing for the remote possibility of, not a rebellion, but rather the remote chance that the EOD would lose the fight. In those three cases I gave my services to the defeat of the locals. However, more often than not, the EOD won the day. So I find it highly unusual for the EOD to act as if though they have already won. Consistently, despite overwhelming odds, those who chooses to rebel against the EOD have always lost the day. And still the EOD acts like it has already won. They, the EOD that is, have always acted as if nothing is certain. Not even their victory.” Colonel “Brown Dust” Durante responded. They all started to think about what he’d said.

  They all realized that something must be at the factory for there was no other explanation as to the strange behavior on the part of the EOD. But neither one of them had any idea as to what could be there. All they knew was that something massive was being hidden there. They had to figure out what it could possibly be.

  “We are all that is left of the Skotadi (Greek for darkness). We were founded on January 1, 1930 after the stock market crash. That created, not only the Great Depression, but also led to World War 2. Our purpose for existing was simply put: to be the guardians of western civilization. We thought, tragically is a much better word to use, that the so-call Founder would assist us in our mission. The EOD was our era not or his or that of his wife. For we are the reminder that goodness comes from darkness. Hence the dark ages bought about the Renaissance and then the Modern Ages. We have lived under this tyrant for almost three hundred years and now… And now we stand here talking about what? The tactics of this monster? Make no mistake that like all monsters before, the only way to understand the tactics is one of that of the most bestial part of human nature. We must be firm within our mission! Or did we forget what is was? Or suppose to be? It is within my opinion that we may make a horrendous mistake if we don’t as a collective force realize that this civil war is our greatest opportunity to achieve a long held dream of ours: Europa ad infinitum. That the greatest civilization of them all can only come from a western one! And we must be that! For we are here and they are not! We call this world Andromeda but I call it Skotadi! Let us build our civilization here. Upon this world! For that is how we honor our beloved ancestors! No more darkness! Only light. And the only light that I see is one that permit our beloved western civilization to grow! The thoughts! The honor! The glory! Of who we are shall not, no never, shall be infringed upon! We are the defenders of western civilization! We must stand firm or we will never stand at all! Let’s us…, I beg of you... let us build our civilization here! Upon this world!  For we must defend our honor! What say you!? Can we not… achieve our dream?” Major General Labrune mentioned.

  “What here on this world?” Vice Admiral Kennett asked him.

  “He sounded like he’s trying to be our leader.” Commodore Bonfacio said with a smile.

  “That’s not what I’m trying to become.” Major General Labrune responded.

  “Great speech nevertheless.” Rear Admiral Mizuguchi mentioned.

  “Really. We would need a good leader to run things.” Lieutenant General Byrne added.

  “What do you think sir?” Colonel “Brown Dust” Durante asked D’Esporito.

  “We do need a leader, but only after we win. There are no guarantees with this world especially not knowing how big this civil war will be. In all likelihood the Founder will win. His paranoia will drive the Council into starting the second civil war. Yes I do believe that he will win that war too. Even if we waited to the end of that war and both plan and strategize it still will not be enough. We need to strike in such a way that the Founder will stay focused upon something of extreme value that he will defend by any means necessary.” D’Esporito responded.

  “Does anybody have any ideas as to what it could be, that could possibly have that sort of value?” Rear Admiral Mizuguchi asked someone.

  “I don’t think any one of us does.” Commodore Bonfacio responded.

  “The factory on Golden Hyperion. If Task Force ZH-3C had truly achieve all of their objectives than we should have already have heard from them. The activity that has been reported there suggested that something big is going on there. It almost appears to be a major battle. Between what or whom is not yet known. I studied both the video and the high resolution photographs and both strongly suggest that the cloning vats are destroyed. So we know that it is no longer producing monsters. Now we know, or so we think, that not even the EOD is crazy enough to be manufacturing the Flip Jumpers. But what if we are wrong? What if Medusa Pandora let them out? Regardless, the people of that world is dealing, or will deal with, mindless machines that can’t be reprogrammed.” Durante mentioned.

  “Is there any possibility that she is controlling them? They are designed for that.” Mizuguchi asked Durante.

  “No. She is not a nanomorph. Only a nanomorph can control them.” Durante responded.

  “You know it might make sense that they are there. There was a very strange rumor within my staff that suggested that the EOD is using resources to build a starship on Golden Hyperion’s surface. I just took it as idle gossip and dismissed it. If it is true, than it would be truly apocalyptic that they should even exist. For that would be their impact upon their enemy. It is their Golem attribute that guarantees that a war of biblical proportions is what it would take to destroy them. They would need a enemy and they will need Kronos.” D’Esporito responded.

  “Why Kronos?” Commodore Bonfacio asked him.

  “As you already know, Kronos was created near the beginning of the new Millennium. Ever since then nobody was ever capable of breaking it. How many lives were lost to get the little data that was collected so far? And what does everybody knows about it? It is our most ultra sensitive code? They figured that part out very quickly. No, what they learned was that it has multiple code groups. Twenty six to be exact. Everything is randomized. It has a keystone that has to be known and to know what correct code group to use. And the most deadly part of them all for code breakers, Kronos also uses junk. Worthless useless bogus things! All there to drive them nuts! And the kicker? A phrase could be place in there multiple times but what is it? Junk perhaps? A substitution for a certain code group? Or maybe it’s both. Oh wait… It is both. Imagine that. If that’s not beautiful enough, Kronos also has the quote-ability-end quote to tell someone all substitutions within itself that it itself, has made. The catch? You got to know the base substitution that was selected for the entire code groups. And the greatest insult to injury of them all? It’s also a virus! And the only way to turn off the virus? What’s the base code group, substitution for each code group again? Human ingenuity at it’s finest. It broke them all. Lieutenant Commander Ramirez is there at that factory. He would recognize Kronos. If he is smart enough to download it into the Golem, or at least to trick it into doing that, there would come a point in time that the Golem would see Kronos as a threat. The threat is great enough to defeat the Golem. Or so the Golem might quote-think-end quote. So who would it then go after?” D’Esporito responded.