Dawn, The Planet by Sam Goldenberg - HTML preview

CHAPTER 24

The Warrior rocket ship snaked rapidly along the curving valley, inches above the trees, as the red sun set. Topmost branches occasionally slapped its long cylindrical underside. Inside, the special attack force of four humans and three Warriors went carefully over the details of their plan of attack.

“You each know what you must do,” the Warrior Pilot concluded. “Once we leave the aircraft, there is no more translation. Are there any questions?”

Ernie looked at Syd, Jeff and Deng Lee who shook their heads. “No, sir, there are no questions.”

The forest ended and the tall grass began. The rocket slowed and slid to the ground, partially hidden by the grass plants which towered over it. The cargo door opened enough to allow them to squeeze out. The four men were each burdened with an explosive charge in a knapsack on his back. All seven were armed with the special weapon.

They raced through the terrain, running in the direction of the city dome, which now and then, they could see glistening in the bright moonlight. They reached the edge of the grass cover. Ahead, in a large open space, cut from the grass plants, lay the Guardian fleet of rocket ships.

“They’re still being serviced,” Ernie whispered. Small vehicles flitted back and forth among the rows of ships.

They stayed in the grass and made a wide detour around the fleet and approached the city from the side. Ahead the grass ended and the city rose large and majestically in front of them. Close to them was the smaller domed building, the source of the city’s energy, and a gun battery manned by Guardians. They stopped and hugged the ground.

Now they had to wait, to stay hidden until the Warrior air attack began. It was hot and humid in the grass cover, and the sweat pored down the faces of the humans. The Warriors appeared unaffected, Syd noted. They seemed to like hot, airless spaces. He thought of the last time he ran through the grass plants when he and Robert were escaping their pursuers. Despite the heavier burden, he had tolerated today’s run much better. He thought of Rebecca. There had hardly been time to say good-bye. Monty was insistent that they prepare quickly and take off — they had to be in position before the attack began. Monty had wanted to join the team, but the group refused. If the plan failed, the humans would need him.

The Warrior Pilot touched Ernie’s shoulder and pointed skyward. Part of the Guardian rocket fleet was rising. They formed into formation and flew off up the valley towards the new camp. The diversionary tactic had began.

The minutes went by. Suddenly, there was a tremendous roar of rocket engines as the main Warrior fleet came around the flank of the far mountain range and dove at the bulk of the Guardian fleet, surprised, and desperately rising to confront the attack. A cacophony of cannon fire and exploding ships filled the air.

The special force leapt from the cover of the grass. Blinding yellow light flashed from the hand-held crown of the Warrior Pilot and eliminated the gun battery near the small domed building. The four men raced to the building. Ernie blew the door open with a blast from the special weapon. They quickly found and descended the spiral staircase that led underground — the opening to the stair designed for the leafy heads of the Guardians and too narrow for the umbrella heads of the Warriors They deposited their explosive charges at the front of the energy unit as they had been instructed to do. Deng Lee wired them together and the four sprinted up the stairs as Deng Lee paid out the fuse cord. He pressed the percussion cap at the top of the stairs. They had less than a minute to clear the area.

The three Warriors were close to the building, firing at anything that moved on the ground. The four men were out of the building, Syd slightly in the lead. Out of the corner of an eye, Jeff saw a movement. “Look out!” he shouted and knocked Syd to the ground. The bolt hit Jeff full in the chest and blew him back. Syd fired, killing the threatening Guardian and turned to help Jeff. Ernie grabbed Syd by the arm. “Don’t stop, run.” Syd resisted, but the Warrior Pilot grasped him by the back of his coveralls and pushed him along. A massive explosion erupted behind them, its force propelling them headlong into the shelter of the grass plants and they lay sprawled on the ground, barely conscious.

Syd staggered to his feet, prepared to run back. Ernie grabbed him by the leg. “It’s too late. You can’t help him.”

Where the energy building had been, there was now a crater. The gun batteries were no longer firing, and the great semi-circular door to the Guardian city swung back on its huge hinges. They looked to where Jeff had fallen. A foot was visible beneath a pile of debris. In front of them, the Warrior Pilot lay dead, his head shaved off by a slab of dome.

“I couldn’t save the Warrior Pilot this time,” Syd said, shaking his head in sorrow. “Both my friends died saving me.”

“Never mind that now. When it’s safe, we’ll come back for the bodies. Lee, you ok?”

Deng Lee grunted. Guardians deserting the useless gun batteries were forming into platoons and firing at the Warrior ships. The Two Warriors and the three men fired simultaneously and the closest platoon was swept away. They moved along just inside the grass cover and fired again at another platoon, annihilating it.

A Warrior pointed upward. A fleet of Warrior ships, coming from the direction of the new camp, swooped low, firing their forward cannons directly into the open door of the city. Explosions rocked the city as volley after volley of shellfire found their target. Through the dome, they could see buildings ablaze. The Guardian city was burning.

Another Warrior fleet arrived, this time from the valley the special force had taken. The Warrior ships attacked the dwindling number of Guardian ships still locked in aerial combat. Rocket ships blew up or spiralled down out of control. Debris rained down all around them.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ernie shouted. They stayed within the grass cover and retreated rapidly away from the city. “Look! The assault troops are landing.”

A squadron of Warrior ships hovered close to the ground, disgorging scores of Warriors who raced towards the city. The two Warriors with them ran off to join their comrades in the final attack. Overhead, the shriek and roar of rocket engines diminished as the last of the Guardian ships fell crashing in flames.

“Hey, one is getting away,” Deng Lee called out.

High in the sky, a tiny speck climbed vertically, silhouetted by the rising yellow sun. It hit the Winds of Dawn and was swept rapidly out of sight.

Monty tried to calm an anxious Rebecca and Thelma. “All I know at this point is the battle is won and the city taken. I’ve heard nothing from our special force, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

A few minutes later, the radio operator reported: “Human Monty, the Warrior Commander is returning with the special force. There are casualties.”

Alicia joined them, and putting an arm around each woman, paced with them impatiently up and down. A dozen Warrior ships came from the direction of the Guardian city and landed beyond the camp. They ran to the landing field.

“They’re safe,” said Thelma, as Ernie and Syd stepped off the ship. Their joy was short-lived as they saw the blackened body carried out by Deng Lee and a Warrior. Two more Warriors carried out the body of the Warrior Pilot.

“My only Warrior friend and my best human friend are dead,” Syd moaned as he and Rebecca embraced. Rebecca said nothing. Syd was safe. That’s all that mattered.

Thelma touched the blackened face and then rubbed her sooty fingers absentmindedly on her coveralls. “I used to think that dying gloriously in battle was a lot of bullshit that armies put on their recruiting posters. But when it touches you personally, and you’re affected by the battle, it’s a totally different thing.”

The Warrior Commander was last to leave the aircraft. He bowed to Monty, took him by the hand and led the procession to the clearing in front of the camp commander’s office. The translation equipment was set up.

“Thanks to the alliance between humans and Warriors, we have triumphed. The Guardians are defeated, their city and air fleet destroyed. The strategy worked perfectly. We have suffered many casualties, and we will recognize these sacrifices with appropriate ceremony.”

Monty bowed. “Warrior Commander,” he said, “we are proud to have served alongside you and defeated a common enemy. Once the ceremonies are over, there is much unfinished business to attend to.”

“This Warrior has not forgotten. We agreed to your terms, and we shall implement them. As a start, you are no longer slaves, and I put ten of our ships at your disposal.”

Alicia whispered something to Monty and he nodded. “Warrior Commander, I thank you, but there are two immediate issues that I must bring to your attention. One is, our people may wish to return to Planet Earth. Is it possible?”

“It will be very difficult. Only Guardians, using a code known only to them, could activate the machine. The system destructs if an intruder tries without the code. Nevertheless, we will investigate the possibility. What is the second issue?”

“Do we not have to prepare for invasion from your home planet?”

“The news from our home planet is the war is not over but only a small pocket of Guardians remains. There are Guardians on other planet colonies, but there too wars rage. It will be some time before we need fear invasion, if at all.”

The Warrior Commander left shortly afterwards. Monty called all the former slaves together. He looked out over the hundreds congregating before him, many were smiling happily, some still looked worried.

“I’m happy to announce the war is over. The Guardians have been defeated. We are no longer slaves. We’re free. We still have to finalize arrangements with the Warriors, and then we will organize ourselves into a functioning society. Our future is no longer bleak, but will require all our best efforts to make a good life for ourselves and our children. I will visit the farm workers and other camps in the next few days to inform them and to get their cooperation. In the meantime, enjoy a little vacation.”

The Doctor sought out Monty. “Am I still under arrest,” he asked bitterly.

Monty shook his head. “Of course not. You’re as free as the rest of us. We need you. We’ll have to organize a full medical system somehow. You’re the guy to do it. Just give us a chance.”

The Doctor nodded. “I won’t pretend that I’m happy with the turn of events. I prefer returning to Earth if it’s possible, but in the meantime I will cooperate.”

Joshua also took Monty aside. “As my new master, do I keep my position as Overseer?”

Monty looked at him in wonder. “Joshua, you’re a free man. I’m not your master. Right now, you’re on vacation like anybody else. Soon, we’ll get around to organizing ourselves, and it will become clearer what jobs we will have.”

Jeff was buried in the retiree village cemetery. Syd insisted, and the Warrior Commander agreed, that the Warrior Pilot be buried there as well.

Stu Corrigan flew back with them. He helped them celebrate the victory and their freedom. They sang and danced during the twilight hours and well into the sunrise.

The Warrior Commander arrived a few hours later with disturbing news. “Several top ranking Guardians could not be found and apparently had escaped. We searched and found a Guardian ship near the space cave. As we approached, the control cabin in the space cave exploded. At least one Guardian died in the blast. Both space vehicles were gone and the tunnel closed. If you are worried about your planet, there was not enough time to reach it. If Guardians managed to escape, they are somewhere in space.”

The news depressed Monty. He had always harboured the hope that somehow they would capture the space cave and could return to Earth, even though this would present him with a painful quandary.

“I was optimistic that we could get the machine to work,” Monty said. “It seems we will be here for a very long time. Therefore, Warrior Commander, it is important that we settle our arrangements.”

The red sun was high in the sky. Monty and Alicia walked hand in hand along the river bank. They were coming from the clinic. The Doctor had agreed that Alicia was pregnant.

“Monty, I want a wedding, specially now that we’re going to have a baby.”

He looked at her incredulously. “A wedding?”

“Yes, we have to live here, and we want a civilized society. Coupling is fine, we do it on Earth. But I want a proper marriage. And Syd wants one too. And so do Ernie and Thelma. And when Syd explained to Joshua and Emily what a wedding was, they want one too. And our group has another couple who might be interested — Deng Lee and Hilda.”

“How do we do a proper wedding.”

“You asked Thelma and me to inventory the slaves. We found two clergy, one even has a bible. The Doctor has pen and paper so we can prepare our first records.”

Chuckling, he put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. There were so many things yet to do, but for the first time in years, he felt serenely at peace.

THE END