TTO Episode 1.6

1.6

I recalled once when I was younger running for my life when the ground trembled. It was up in the mountains when I took the hike with some older friends. I was only twelve then and when the ground groaned out in pain, I found myself running from it. Soon I was lost among the trees and everything was a nasty life form of some sort. I ran while screaming for my friends but the vibrations of the ground drowned my voice. It was during the run when I stumbled over an uprooted branch and then found myself flat on the ground. Everything was moving and I screamed out louder.

No one came but a voice sounded in my mind.

“Clear your mind, child. The answer lies before you.” I stopped screaming and looked around. There were evil life forms there and they were calling my name. I wanted to scream but the sound will not come out. I pushed myself up and then looked around. It was still frightening then but there was a glimpse of hope.

It was an open space among the life forms.

I ran for it and saw myself fall.

I fell.

I soon landed on a clump of leaves but the branches were moving. The tree which I fell was uprooted then and it was toppling over. I grabbed out and held a branch but that did not stop the tree falling. It went down and I was thrown off. I found myself in a river with the swift torrent.

I was being swept away by the torrent.

Like then when the frigates launch their fielding of the mines on Edo. It was pure madness but we were under attack by the Federation of the Planets ships. It was initiated by General Hex.

“We are under orders to destroy the planet. The inhabitants of this planet have lent their support to the Order of the Light. With that, we are to demonstrate the punishment for those who oppose the New Order.”

I was shaken off my seat in the Command Base then. I picked myself up and saw the other officers were evacuating the place. I saw some of the equipments were on fire but the most frightening scene was outside when I looked though the wall glass opening. The city was under attack by Stingers.

The Stingers was like a miniaturized frigate with its mounted side cannon on both sides. The cannons could swivel on the ball turret up to 180 degree on either direction. The single seater fighter measured twenty feet in radius screamed across the skies over the city. The fighter was able to maneuver in between the structures with its cannons tearing into the foundations and pillars.

I saw one Stinger ran parallel to a tower with its cannons blazing at the wall structure on level twenty five. The Stinger screamed past the tower on its run and then returned for another pass at level twenty four. On the completion of the second pass, I saw the tower integrity was compromised. It began with a series of creaking noise when the upper levels started cracking on the structure. The subsequent three upper levels gave way and then the tower started to tilt. It was a slight movement and stayed on. The Stinger was not finished with its strafing. It screamed on the third pass and blazed its cannons on the lower levels to cause the foundation to weaken. When the Stinger swerved away in a sharp turn from the tower, its work was done. The tower shaken at its foundation and with the damages to the side, it then began to topple.

I felt it all. That was the middle tower of the Command Base. The white tower collapsed and hit the Southern Tower. Both towers went down and ended up as rubbles on the ground.

Five thousand or more lives’ were lost then.

There was no time to lose then. I ran to the chute system on the wall. I hit the release button and saw the tube chute shot out towards the ground. It was a design for us to evacuate in the case of fire or worse, a collapsing tower. Without hesitation, I opened the escape hatch on the wall and climbed into the chute. It was a free fall at about sixty miles an hour but within the tube, you are safe as long as the tube remains intact. It was a calculated risk and I took it.

I went down and hard.

I prayed harder for a safe landing.

The Gods were away then.

At half way, I felt the lurch in the tube.

It was giving way.

I could not see what was happening out there.

I was trapped inside a tube falling rapidly.

I grabbed my sidearm and fired at the tube lining

It tore apart and I was sent out into the air.

There was no time to handle the situation.

“Daniel!”