New Pangaea Pg 283 -290

Week 44

Day 1

If the Orientals has their say, we are doomed to die this week as its Forty Fourth week, and that is a double four which in Chinese means double death. Ironically, I viewed it as if double death is taken literally, then I am re-born back again. Well, I feel like one actually with the new knowledge of Atlantis and the last week ended with no events to considered as hostile or life threatening.

Even my coffee taste better.

But not when the reports that came in,. Our supplies are getting low and the people are getting anxious. They can’t farm and keep domestic creatures, so they are just idling. My request to Earth Council was given back as ‘to wait for reply’.

The idle mind is a devil workshop. Its bad when the workshop belongs to Seth.

That day was one weird day; the weather was getting from bad to worse; the sky darken and the lightning is striking close here and there. If I am not paranoia, I would say the Gods are upset with me. I can see the creatures running in random directions, and shrieking in high pitches.

‘ALPHA, talk to me. What is happening out there?’

‘If I am not mistaken, you could had pissed off Seth. But that is a myth, so we will stick to facts. Its a mechanical induced storm. My sensors picked up its source on the horizon. This are the coordinates. If you drop that source, you will cleared the storm. You got twenty five minutes before it hit us. I am shutting down to protect my system. Bye.’

I ran out of the unit and raced to the Shuttle. Then I remembered the one thing I need; the Trident. I rushed back for it. I saw Lieutenant Amy and told her to get the shuttle up for me. We were up and flying towards the storm. Or its better known as a mesoscale convective complex. They commonly contain heavy rainfall, wind, hail, lightning and possibly tornadoes. Its commonly develop from the merging of thunderstorms into what is known as a squall line; a squall line is an elongated line of severe thunderstorms. It brings major destruction to the land in its path. This area of cloud only covers over ten miles and the inside of are lightnings bolts and high winds.

ALPHA tell me of the source which I have to find.

‘Can you fly into the storm?’ But Lieutenant Amy shake her head. Then I asked her if she can fly around it. It was my best decision as we sighted the source. Its a massive pyramid on wheels; about a hundred feet high and a base of a hundred fifty base. At the apex of the pyramid tip is a concentrated laser energy directed to the center of the storm. Then I remembered the phased array radar design which we used to detect incoming hostile crafts.

‘There, Lieutenant. Drop me there.’ I pointed to the clearing near the Pyramid. The Lieutenant nodded and flew over there. She hover and I rappel down with my Trident. When I touched the ground, I ran for the Pyramid. Its easy to follow as I was behind it on its track. The darned thing was riding on a fifty heavy threaded large wheels and its guarded by men dressed in toga. They are not carrying spears but Tridents. I saw one of them approach a raptor; the guard just swung the trident on the raptor when it attacked the guard. The raptor was killed instantly when the trident hit its head; causing it to fall and died. 

So much for stealth, I been discovered.

The guards came for me, and their darned tridents does more than slash; it also shoots some cutting energy ahead of it. It slice off the branches and undergrowths. There are four of them and they could be calling in reinforcements.

I don’t have much time, so I stepped out and hit my Trident on the ground. Its sent the guards off their feet and they fell like they are on unsteady legs. I ran towards the nearby fallen trident and tapped it with the Trident. It vibrated and fell apart. I did the same for the balance of the trident. I then raced for the Pyramid again. Its now a hundred feet from me. I hit the ground behind the Pyramid with the Trident and I raised it to direct it at the Pyramid. Initially nothing happened and then everything went wobbly. The Pyramid went into a vibrating block of stones and then it exploded.

The blast took off like a major explosion and I was thrown off my feet.

I blacked off immediately.

I woke up to a sunshine and dusty air, plus an ape looking over me. I turned to look around and saw the other members of his troops near me. Or more like surrounding me as if guarding me or preventing me from running. I got up to sit up and tried to clear the head. The silver black moved back some distance and just stared at me. I looked around one more time,and I saw the four guards all laying on top of each other. This is not good or bad but I am relieved to be alive. I stood up and saw my Trident. I went over to picked it up and looked back at where the pyramid was. There was nothing there now but a stone pile. I turned to look at the apes and they are all already disappearing into the jungle.

But they are no more storms now. But some dark clouds.

And a shuttle is coming low looking for me. A rope dangle from its hold section. That’ my lift back to the city.

So much for my first date with the Serpent Men.

Day 2

‘Well done, Commander. You averted a major attack by yourself. Oops, you got a call from Code One now; Earth Council’ How did ALPHA know that. Are we connected to him or he to our system. But the panel of the Council appeared on the screen before me now. The news I got was good and bad. The good news they crippled the organization both at the Empire and Federations. The bad news is Task Force IV is on the way here now on EDS Titan. It was hijacked by the captain of EDS Titan, and it already left some time back. Its due here in twenty four hours, with a load of Empire and Federations’ troops.

I love the way the Earth Council played those cards onto me.

‘ALPHA, talk to me on the Serpent Men in their history and details. I need to know more. And please tell me also where can I get a good cup of coffee.’

‘Coffee...... a favourite drink of Doctor Bormann too. He has a stash in his unit, if I can recall from his notes. Some exotic flavor I believed.’

Good coffee and good documentary on serpents is the way to laze on a good afternoon.

It never was meant to be.

‘Commander, you are needed in Command Unit.’ I think they got that down to a fine art of using that phrase.

There are a large group of apes in the yard; and there is the biggie primate there. But there are no youngs and females, only matured blacks and silver ones. They are just waiting for something. I consulted ALPHA.

‘The apes as you called them are actually, the warriors of the Atlantean’s. They are the one who protects the Atlantean’s when they are in danger. I think they want to come in to collect their weapons. You may allowed them in on my good advise.’

‘This is absurd. They gave me a horn to blow and ....’

‘A horn indeed. Its the Horn of Calling as said by the Chief Warrior. She is Atlantean; she was a female, and she commands the warriors. She uses the Horn to call them in, but maybe when you did, it took time for them to come as they been away for a hundred over years. Truly, you are the chosen one.’

‘So if I let them in, would they take what they want and leave.’

‘I don’t know. They used to guard the Dome and the yard as its their duty as warriors. Maybe they will stay but they do cleaned up after they ...you know. And public display is a no no. They were taught those days but this new breeds, I am not sure.’ That makes my day bad.

‘Okay, open the door for them. I will tell the personnels to stay indoor. Commander to Command Unit. All personnels to stay indoor or out of the apes’ way. They are coming in now.’ The main twelve doorways on the Dome opened up and the big apes swarmed in.

‘ALPHA, give me screen view of their whereabouts.’ It showed them moving down the corridor and then they stopped at some wall. Each group is led by a Silverback who will then pressed his palm against the wall. The wall slides back and the apes go in. Later they come out with a metal vest on their chest and helmet which covers half their head over the forehead. They also carry dark Tridents in their hands. They took these and marched out to the yard again.

‘ALPHA, you never told me of this armory?’

‘Well, you did not asked. You did asked me what weapons your people can used; there is none, as those are for the warriors and your people are not warriors. Just like the Atlantean s’, they don’t fight their wars anymore. The warriors do it for them. They realized in the last world; war reduced their numbers and they stopped fighting it. That is also why the city defenses are strictly defensive and not offensive. The warriors are here to protect the people in the city.’

I see now a thousand apes lining up outside the yard with their so called uniform and tridents. Then they started scattering into the last circle into the twelve large rectangle structure which stands independently apart in equal distance surrounding the outer circle.

Then I saw the real threat coming; its the chimps again. And this time they brought in logs as battering rams alongside with the riders on the lizards.

“ALPHA, A45.’

‘Unfortunately, A45 is not able to work for another three more days. Its takes time to move the city up and down, Commander. Its takes time to adjust the hydraulics again to do it. We ain’t that mobile. So the apes will have to suffice.’ I was afraid of that, so I ran for the Shuttle. I saw the Cheng’s and he understood my instructions very well.

In half an hour,we were airborne with Lieutenant Amy flying it again.

‘Aim for the jungle edges. We got to reduce the odds. She gave me the thumbs up while Elder Cheng and myself primed the charges on the remaining phosphorus bombs. We ain;t got many, but we will used them all on the chimps.

‘I got a cluster for you at three o’clock.’ I acknowledged that to the pilot and she flew over them, just as we dropped off two of them primed bombs by hands. They fell on the chimps and wipe out more than a handful of hairs on their back. The Shuttle made several sweeps around the jungle edge and we keep on dropping them like parachutes. The jungle edge is now burning and the chimps are retreating further back.

It bought some time before they came in again with a nastier attitude. They just charged in with their shrieks and screeching of their war cries. These creatures can climb fast as we should had learned earlier. There are on the ledge now but they are met by a hail of shots from the colonists and military personnels who has taken position on top of the structures. It did not hold them the attack back but it bought some numbers down. Then the apes came out to defend the colonists. Its a David versus Goliath fight, but this time Goliath is more deadly. They swing their Trident on the chimps or tap it to released the sonar wave which will sweep the chimps off their feet within a distance of fifty feet. But soon the battle was to be a close fist cuffs or in this case grappling holds. The apes with their mightier strength will grab a chimp by its limbs and swing them off like a broken toy. But the numbers of the chimps can overwhelm even the mightier as they jump on the bigger primates to force it down on the ground. This is where the shooters come to help with well placed shots. But they are not spared either with the chimps attacking their positions.

By then I had come down by the rope from the Shuttle and ran to the battle front. I swung my Trident in front and it created a cleared path for me. I saw a troop of chimps about to attack three of the warriors ape, so I swung the Trident towards them releasing a strong vibration that shook them off their feet. The apes saw my action and took advantage of it. They jumped onto the shaken chimps and attacked it.

I saw a group of apes being crowded by a bigger troops of chimps with spears. I did not realized it but I swung my Trident across the moat of water and released a geyser of water on the chimps and apes. It broke the circle but it gave the apes the opportunity to fight back.

It was then I saw Corin standing there. She is dressed in the red Tunic and holding a spear which is longer. She is surrounded by five chimps of burly sizes, and Corin is directing the attack. She saw me and she raised her spear towards me. The chimps around her starts to run towards me. I hit the ground with the Trident to shake the flooring towards her and her advancing chimps.  The ground opened up in cracks and the chimps were either thrown off their balance or jumping in fright. Then I swung my Trident from the left to the right to create a sonar wave against them. They flew off the ledge into the jungle before it. On seeing their leader fall, the chimps sounded the alarm and ran off over the ledge. One tried to help Corin up but he was shot in the head. I turned to see Pedro lowering his PH900. Pedro is bleeding on his head and legs but he can still limp towards me. We walked up to Corin who was laying down on the ground holding her right leg.

‘Kill me. Or I would of you.’

It was not me but Pedro who used his rifle butt to knock her unconscious. He then motioned for the nearby colonists to carry the chimp back to the Dome.  I looked around me and I see some standing apes who are covered in blood. Some of those bloods are theirs and some of the enemies, but they lost not a few but quite a number of their peers. Everywhere was chimps or apes laying in pain or without life, There is the occasional human bodies among those chimps, but hardly any are alive or can be saved.

Sixty five dead with seventy wounded, of which eight will probably not make it. That is only the casualties which we have among the humans. The large Silver back survived but he did not report his casualties. They just dragged the bodies off and threw the chimps and apes alike over the ledge. We can hear the scavengers coming to take their picks.

‘Corin, who are you exactly?’ That was my question to Corin and assisted by ALPHA, I got to know the truth.

She was who she claimed to be earlier but with a twist. She is of the Royal Court, and she holds the rank of an equivalent to a Princess. But she is no healer, but a warrior Princess. She led the first column to hunt for predators and was hurt in the attack. She deceived us to know who are we. She heard of the Atlantean’ from the tales but she had to see it for herself. The chimps did not come to attack us. It was to rescue her. Tano is responsible for her safety and he aims to rescue her. When she went back to her side, she assumed command and decided to attack the Fed’s as she viewed them as threat to her people more. But the Fed’s hit them badly, so she asked for reinforcement. There was no fifth column as claimed by her, but its her personal column. Its called the Fifth Column. When she saw the City, she wanted it to prove her position to take over the throne as Queen of the Jungle.

She also told us of that she saw the Lizard Men as in her words; they have agreed to work together to capture the city. She will attack the city while they sneak in. They only want the items of value, and not the city.

‘ALPHA, find out where the Serpents are? And what do they want?’

‘Section Nine Twelve. Twenty of them. They override the security alerts.’

‘There are six of them at the doorway.’ I acknowledged the guards at the door as told to me by Pedro. Pedro may be injured but he is not going to left out of this attack. My team consists of the Jessies’. Nixon and Pedro. Everyone is armed with a PH925 or PH900 but I am holding the Trident. I motioned tot he team to take them down, while I take two myself with the Trident. I tap the Trident and aimed it at the two nearest to me. Its sonar wave hit them back against the wall, knocking them unconscious. Four well placed shots dropped the rest. We rushed to the doorway and I saw ten of them so called Serpent Heads there holding three containers among them.

‘Put it down, Guys.’ But the ten did not really understand my words, as they did put it down but reached for their tridents. The four members of my team shot them down with precision. Sixteen down but four are missing.

‘ALPHA, four more missing.’

‘The Core. Eight Eleven.’ The Core is the power room for the city. Its where the liquid crystals are kept and used to generate the city’s power. It will take twenty minutes to get there.

‘ALPHA, how can I get there fast?’

Next thing I know, I was at the Core and facing me.

‘What the .....’ But I had to stop these clowns now. I tap the Trident and raised it on them. But nothing happened. Darned thing does not work now.

‘ALPHA.....’

‘There is a energy dampener in the Core Area. You got to fight it out the old way. Good luck.’ I looked at the four burly Serpent Men. They are holding their tridents like a blade staff. Pole fighting ain’t my best but I will try.

The one on my right came with a raised trident and I blocked it with my Trident and did a in swing with my right hand. The blunt end of the Trident staff hit him on the left ribs causing him to dropped back. But by then the one was swinging at me on my left so I had to block it with the Trident staff. When I did it, I used the leverage to lash out with my right leg on a side kick to the guy standing before me. Then I stepped forth and swing the Trident staff again in an upwards thrust on the guy who used his scythe on me. That staff got him on his left shoulder and also dropped him backwards. Not there is the fourth guy who has swung down his scythe almost taking my head if not for my reaction. I stepped back two strides back to assess my situation. Three contacts but they are all standing there. So not very good odds.

Then I remember my K2 on my right leg. I reached down for it and drew that out. Maybe it will work here. They are encircling me now, and moved further back to prevent from flanking me. But there is the wall and its my limit.

‘Pedro’ I shouted and the four of them glanced at the doorway, and I threw my K2 onto the nearest chap. It got him in the chest and deep. He fell down holding the K2 hilt in his chest. ‘Sorry, guys. I was mistaken.’

Three to one now.

And they are not buying any more diversion.

‘Shoot them.’

They did not turned to look but who cares. The three shots came in from the PH925 took their brains to the front lobe. They fell down but I have a new problem.

‘How can you shoot inside the Core? Damage diagnostics running now.’ The lights in the place went read like in alert.  I ran out before the door closed.

‘What happened?’ Pedro was looking at me.

‘That is the Core. Its has a dampener on energy releases weapons but not a metal projectile which is not really energy source. But your bullets could had penetrated the head and lodged somewhere inside the Core panels. So we prayed nothing happened.’

‘System restored. Commander, the projectile did not caused damages which we cannot repaired. It did hit the panels but it did not damage the circuits or containment. The damages are only cosmetic. But please do not released anymore non-energy weapon into or onto the Core.’ That was ALPHA reassuring us.

Day 3

‘I examined the bodies and they are humans. Healthy ones too.’ Doctor Bashir has completed his autopsy on the dead. ‘But they are identical in looks and DNA. They in my book could be clones or magical four siblings with the same looks and built.’

So its back to ALPHA.

We know that the Serpent Men are former or still Atlantean s’. The fact they can waltz into the Core makes me more nervous. But I learned more of them though. The chimps were not cloned by the Atlantean’s as they are not in the same time line as the Dinosaurs. They were created by the splinter group because they were looking to push forward the evolution of man just as some of the creatures which we see displaced in this land. The apes were an exceptional as the Atlantean’s needed warriors that they could control and between the chimps and apes, the apes were more easier to control and teach. But the splinter group went ahead with the chimps, evolving them to become near man.

But they could be back now since the city has been revived.

If the splinter group are back, then the Atlantean’s could be back or on their way.

‘Commander, you are needed in the Command Unit.’

‘EDS Titan has just hailed us. They want to land their Shuttles in the city.’ I looked at all of them who was on strict ration disbursements. And the new supplies are on the shuttles. I picked up the comms and gave my reply.

‘EDS Titan. You are not allowed to land. Repeat. Do not land.’ Like Poseidon, I can be nasty at times. And mad.

ALPHA, I need to know more. So you better be telling me more than I know. Read my mind and talk to me.

Day 7

I delayed them for the three days as I needed to know more and I needed them together; the Organization, Serpent Men and their chimp warriors. Now I have them all on the New Pangaea. The Organization has landed despite my order but they landed to the west of the city. If anyone asked me why didn’t they just blast the EDS Titan into debris. But I remember that ALPHA told me that the Atlantis went on defensive since the last departure from the previous warring world. And the EDS Titan does have weapons but it may not be shooting as they want to contact the Atlantean’s.

So maybe forty four is not such a bad number after all.