Chapter Thirteen: Transmutation — Part 1

On Antans, many sentient minds awaited what could well turn out to be the battle of a lifetime. If anything went wrong, Susan knew, a great deal of human and natives alike could be killed, and the planet itself damaged beyond repair. The Antansi, human and native alike, scurried about their tasks, their thoughts and words humming through the super charged air as one ship after another was brought down to the surface. The air was alive with energy, sizzling and gusting as the Antansi collective consciousness guided tons of spacecraft to the surface. The entire planet seemed to resonate with raw power as cold plasma played off of trees and people and Antansi, adding a macabre sparkle to the marsh. Devon issued orders to everybody within his range of listening, plasma clinging harmlessly to his hair.

Stabilize the left field; we have to get them to ground in one piece. Susan wants them to know they’re not in danger, so bring them down gently. Remember to hit them with another disabling pulse at the halfway point. We want to make sure that none of their computers are on line. Don’t lose track of the right field for the left, okay, now it’s starting to come together nicely.

Ignoring Devon’s frustration, Susan organized a greeting party for the flagship, preparing for a resistance force of at least ten thousand troops. The second pulse hit the atmosphere, sending liquid fire out in all directions. Susan’s hair stood up on end, then flattened back out, spreading out in all directions before dropping slowly back into place. Her hair, cut to an inch above her neck, fluffed out one more time before settling. While trying to get the tingling sensation off of her own body, C’rona briefed Susan on their success, her palpi working incessantly as she telepathed. We’ve disabled their computers, and undoubtedly singed their palpi. The flagship has its crew awake, but it hasn’t activated what troops are on board.

We’ve got our two thousand troops watching closely. Whatever happens, C’rona, the Antansi have to stay out of sight. Susan returned her thoughts to the human populace.

All right, people, let’s get ready here. Try not to kill anybody, but let’s get them disarmed and exposed as quickly as possible.

Robert jumped up into the branches next to her. “I don’t see any movement below.”

“They’re probably trying to get their computers back up. Just wait. We need them to feel like they might have a fighting chance. If they feel as trapped as they are, this could turn into a blood bath.” Susan leaned back against the trunk of a tree, finding it difficult to follow her own advice.

* * *

Enforcer Alpha worked for nearly two hours solid, trying to salvage the medical stations, get computers up on line, and organizing what few hand held weapons remained into piles by the door. The computers and medical equipment proved useless. What screens hadn’t blown up completely were still, for the most part, smoldering wickedly from within. The computers leading to the monitors were charred from the circuit boards out, in some cases, tiny flames jumped and sputtered through vents in their casings. Pieces of glass and plastic littered the ground everywhere, and the ship, though physically intact, looked like a small bomb had gone off in its interior. Charles was covered in debris, and the Captain cussed and shouted slurs against humanity, against mindless brutality, and against a number of other impossible or improbable acts.

“All our computers are out, and the ship has absolutely no power in reserve. Even if we had weapons, we’d have no way to charge them. That last EM pulse shattered every crystal – only the cryochambers were spared. It’s like they knew the resonant frequency of every computer, and hit us with the frequencies that would destroy only those systems they wanted off line. What the hell are we supposed to do now?”

“We abandon ship, of course.” Enforcer Alpha strapped his environmental suit on.

Regus followed him to the airlock, set inconveniently at the opposite end of the ship. The airlock fell away, and the Captain and Enforcer stepped as a team into wet, stagnant miasma. Sealing the airlock behind him, Charles’ warrior senses were screaming for him to be on his guard.

“There’s a lot of something around us.” Charles said. “We are definitely being watched.”

Susan spoke up, from about fifteen feet over his head. “Yes Sir. You are completely surrounded, and under constant supervision. I’m Susan MacAnderly, Leader of the Tribe of Kimwe, local representative of Humanity. It has come to our attention that you brought soldiers and planet killing weapons to Antans, the name of the planet on which we stand. Might I ask who you are and why you feel you have the authority to engage in acts of war?”

“I’m Enforcer Alpha, sent from The Authority to sterilize this world. I’ve been sent here to ensure that three Class One citizens were terminated and aren’t working for the Resistance Class. Devon Thomson, Julia Judith, and Stanley Myers.”

“And to think we got together and held this wonderful welcome party, just for you.” Julia giggled from the underbrush.

“Sorry, can’t let you have them. They’re citizens of this world. If you would please remove your masks it would make our lives ever so much easier.” Susan said.

“Let me see you first.” Charles said, thinking that his watchers were fully suited up survivors of a plague.

“Funny, I can see you just fine.” Susan teased.

This brought a decent amount of giggles from an invisible crowd. Enforcer Alpha readied his pistol, knowing that it would be just about worthless in such inclement conditions. He kept it holstered, but ready.

“All right, I’ll let you see me.” Susan dropped from the branch, landing on all fours out of his sight. She walked up to him, standing just within his reach. “Feel better now?”

Enforcer Alpha’s wrist moved, and his knife launched itself at Susan. The blade flew as a deadly blur that flowed in a rapid spin toward Susan. Susan caught the flat of the blade with her index finger and thumb before it could bury itself in her throat. She smiled wickedly, stepping out of his reach.

“Think smarter. You’ve got about two thousand people who want to kill you for that.” Robert warned, dropping into sight near the Captain.

“Your ‘people’ must be cleansed.” Enforcer Alpha would have spat, but the mask in front of his face made such actions pointless.

His own knife shot back at him through the mist. The blade sparked savagely as it slammed into his helmet, ripping past his ear. The sharp edge caught his breather tubes, tearing them open. It cleaved a chunk out of his helmet as well. After leaving a paper-thin slit across his left ear, it hit a tree and stuck there, buried to the hilt. Regus made a run for the ship, but had to contend with Robert, who looked terribly frightening to him. Regus threw his fist straight for Robert’s face. Robert caught it, surprised at the man’s strength. That first punch had knocked him back a bit.

Focusing his own strength and will, Robert matched it and surpassed it, crushing the man’s fist in his grip. Shaking off the pain, the Commander reached for his dagger with his remaining good hand, slashing out in wide swipes intended to slash and gash Robert’s face, belly, and chest. Robert slid above and forward of the blade, and with a well-aimed kick to the Commander’s mask, ended any resistance from the man. Pieces of mask went everywhere, and Robert ran back into the mist, leaving Commander Regus alone in a state of desperation and misery. The air smelled like poison to the Commander, as he considered the condition of the man who had just bested him in a fight. Mingling with the aroma of decay, he smelled his own fear and sweat, and the combination was positively staggering. He somehow managed to drift back to his companion. Blood streamed down his face.

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