Planet Wrecker

solved.

TONG: May I speak, Supreme Commander?

HAWTHORNE: (nods)

TONG: The asteroid tonnage en route suggests the cyborgs can outfight the Doom Stars.

MEAD: How did you arrive at this conclusion?

TONG: It is logical given the cyborg armament history on Carme and the number of asteroids or tonnage en route to Earth.

MEAD: These are not known, absolute facts.

TONG: No sir, you are correct. The asteroid tonnage is an estimate. It may be off as much as fifty percent either way. Yet given—

CONE: We must call a truce with the Highborn.

JUBA-RYDER: (stares angrily) Those are seditious words. Supreme Commander, I urge you to enforce your edict of November Third. Anyone suggesting surrender or accommodation with the enemy is to be summarily shot on sight. Your bionic captain could take Cone outside to perform the action.

CONE: With due respect, Director, you are failing to grasp the gravity of the situation. Social Unity is doomed on two fronts. The Highborn are crushing us. Now the cyborgs wish our extinction. There is only one possibility. We must call a truce with the Highborn, attach the Fifth Fleet to the Doom Stars and attack the asteroids. Whatever asteroids fight through them, Earth Defense must destroy with merculite missiles and proton beams.

JUBA-RYDER: I find your words incredible and the idea unsustainable. Surely, you are aware that the Highborn are mass murderers.

CONE: It is better to fight with murderers against those practicing species elimination. The Supreme Commander is correct to tell us that the battle in the Jupiter System points to this truth. The Jovians united with the Highborn and achieved victory over the cyborgs.

CROWFOOT: Will the Highborn see it that way?

HAWTHORNE: That is the question. Specialist Cone speaks too pessimistically concerning the conclusion of our struggle against the Highborn. But I accept the logic of her last statement. If we are to save the Earth, we must unite with the Highborn.

JUBA-RYDER: The genetic supremacists have murdered billions. We cannot possibly trust them.

HAWTHORNE: I never suggested we trust them. It may be that our salvation will occur in the fight against the cyborgs. For instance: what if the cyborgs destroy the Doom Stars for us?

CONE: I doubt the Highborn will sacrifice their warships for Earth, at least, not until all our spaceships are destroyed first.

HAWTHORNE: They aren’t gods.

CONE: Agreed. But they have proven to be our superiors in every endeavor.

HAWTHORNE: Your words now approach sedition, Security Specialist. Curb them at once.

CONE: (nods)

HAWTHORNE: We have little time left. The asteroids move at outrageous speeds. Therefore, I will attempt to open direct communication with Grand Admiral Cassius. Are there any further comments? No? Director, I see your hand. Do you have anything new to add to your previous objections? If not, please do not waste my time with a reiteration of your qualms.

JUBA-RYDER: (lowers her hand and stares at a spot on the conference table)

HAWTHORNE: Good. Then I declare this meeting adjourned.

-36-

Grand Admiral Cassius was aboard the Julius Caesar in near-Earth orbit over the middle of North America. The Doom Star supplied heavy laser fire against a cybertank charge out of Kansas City. The Tenth and Fifteenth FEC Corps together with the Twenty-Third Jump-Jet Division spearheaded a final assault against this stubborn knot of resistance. The cybertank charge no doubt attempted to blunt the FEC offensive.

Kansas City had been the focal point for the middle North American stronghold. During the conquest of the continent, the Highborn had bypassed Kansas City, covering the approaches with secondary units. The strategy had been classic Blitzkrieg, flowing through weak areas to cut-off and isolate the strongholds. Then they’d besieged the strongholds at their leisure.

“Impressive equipment,” said Cassius. He sat in his command shell, examining holoimages of the cybertanks. The one he watched had multiple turrets and independent tracks. It likely weighed well over one hundred tons. The laser beam from the Heavens was red-colored on the holoimage. Unbelievably, the cybertank’s armor withstood the laser for several seconds. It even sprayed a cloud of prismatic crystals over itself.

“Amazing,” said Cassius.

Then the heavy laser that could fire in a coherent beam an easy one million kilometers burned through the prismatic crystals and punched through the reflective and composite armor. Still, the cybertank launched missiles at nearby FEC troops and chugged thousands of rounds of explosive shells. Wisely, the infantry hugged the ground, staying out-of-sight. Several jet-jump flyers weren’t so lucky, but tumbled to the ground as bloody chunks of meat. Then the Doom Star’s primary laser destroyed the cybertank, turning the massive vehicle into a mound of slag.

The other cybertanks had already turned around, and roared back toward their underground bunkers.

“It’s too late for that,” Cassius said. “They should have kept charging, doing what damage they could. Now they will die uselessly. Premen are such fools.”

“Your Excellency,” said tall Scipio. “I’m receiving a strange message from the premen.”

“They wish to surrender, do they?” said Cassius.

“No sir. It isn’t from the resistance forces. Sir,” said Scipio. “This is a direct message from Supreme Commander Hawthorne of Social Unity.”

“Verify that,” said Cassius.

“I already have, sir. All indications are this is Hawthorne. Just a minute, sir,” said Scipio. “His office is sending us a download.”

“Put it into a lone system, unattached to the ship. We don’t want them infecting us with a computer virus.”

“It’s done Your Excellency,” said Scipio.

“What does the file say?”

The tall Highborn—Scipio—studied his board. He was silent for a time, his mannerism indicating absorbed interest. Then his bionic hand smashed against his board as he cursed loudly.

It brought Cassius to his feet. In several strides, he was at Scipio’s station. “Show me the information.”

Scipio turned harsh features toward him. “The war—” He shook his head. “This is beyond reason.”

“Show me,” said Cassius, as he put a powerful hand on one of Scipio’s shoulders, squeezing until the tall Highborn squirmed in probable pain.

Scipio pressed a button and wrenched himself free of the Grand Admiral’s grip. He stood and indicated that Cassius sit in his spot.

Cassius did so, and he began to watch video files concerning the ice-asteroid and the larger asteroid-cluster behind it. He received the information in silence, reading the accompanying text many times faster than a preman could absorb such a quantity data.

“Supreme Commander Hawthorne wishes to speak to you,” Scipio said.

Cassius stared at the tall Highborn. Scipio’s features had turned ashen-colored. The Saturn-originated asteroids, their unnatural speeds, the possibility they were armed as the Jovian moon Carme had been…. The cyborg strategy was obvious. It was ruthless, cold-blooded and brilliant.

With an oath, Cassius surged to his feet. He felt lightheaded. All his plans of Earth conquest—with a violent mental shove, he pushed those plans aside. He was the epitome of Highborn excellence. Quick mental acuity, the ability to shift onto a new strategic axis, those were the marks of Highborn superiority. Hardly aware of what he was doing, Cassius strode to his shell.