“They’re aliens,” Blackstone said. He tried to envision what this all meant. “Did these objects originate in the Saturn System? Well?” he shouted.
“We’re still working on it,” the sensor-officer said by her board.
Blackstone leaned against the map-module and found that he was breathing hard. Total annihilation of everything on Earth—the cyborgs meant to smash the most critical planet to Social Unity and the Highborn. This had to be from the cyborgs. The Highborn could have dropped the former farm habitats on Earth if they’d wished for planetary obliteration.
“Prepare a message for Supreme Commander Hawthorne,” he said.
“We already have,” Kursk said. “What are you going to add?”
Blackstone blinked at the red image on the screen. Had they spotted the asteroid cluster in time? With a start, he began adjusting the controls. There was no telling how little time they had to make the right moves. Weeks from now, the asteroids would approach Earth. If they were going to halt planetary extinction, they had to act now.
-34-
Supreme Commander Hawthorne swam laps in an Olympic-sized pool on the Third Level of New Baghdad. His long arms churned through the water as he fluttered-kicked. Back and forth through the clear water, stroke, stroke, breathe out, turn the head to the side and sip air. He let everything go as he swam through the chlorine-smelling water. The muscles worked and the heart pumped. This was better than stims and allowed him to sleep a solid five hours each night. These days, he couldn’t achieve more. He’d lurch awake in bed, his eyes would snap open and he’d be realize his mind was working over a tactical problem or a strategic conundrum. At that point, it was impossible to get back to sleep.
His fingertips brushed the edge of the pool. He curled his long body, turned and brought his feet around. As he began to push off, he heard a shout. The temptation to keep swimming was strong. This was the one time in the day when his problems slid away. Instead, he stopped and treaded in place. Water ran from his hair and he wiped his eyes.
“Sir,” said Captain Mune, “the cyborgs are trying to obliterate Earth.”
“What?”
Mune began to tell Hawthorne about the asteroids hurtling toward Earth.
-35-
At 8:31 P.M. that same evening, Supreme Commander Hawthorne began an emergency meeting of his Strategic Council. They met in the conference room on Level Three of New Baghdad. Director Juba-Ryder of Egyptian Sector joined Air Marshal Crowfoot of Earth-Air Defense, Security Specialist Cone, Field Marshal Mead of Missile Defense and Field Marshal Baines, Commander-in-Chief of Eurasian Defense.
***
From the Supreme Commander’s biocomp transcriptions, File #12:
The meeting opened with a presentation by Colonel Tong of Space Defense. He spoke in an otherwise silent room. Every eye watched the grainy pictures he presented slide by slide. Even Captain Mune watched, momentarily forgetting his preoccupation with protecting the Supreme Commander. Afterward, there were terse questions. Colonel Tong gave the best estimates. Impact time was predicted as minus forty-three days, a little over six weeks from now. Soon thereafter, the Supreme Commander began to speak.
HAWTHORNE: It is difficult to grasp the magnitude of the situation before us. The historians tell us that once dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Then a comet or possibly a stray asteroid struck the Earth. The Age of the Reptile ended with vast hurricanes as hundreds of species perished in something worse than a nuclear winter.
The Jovian information we received about the cyborg assault there almost two years ago I consider critical. This moon Carme, it shows us the cyborgs attempted this once before.
MEAD: Indeed, this is a catastrophic situation. But I fail to grasp this certainty that the cyborgs initiated the attack.
HAWTHORNE: I consider the proof conclusive, but it doesn’t matter. The asteroids heading at these unnatural speeds for Earth are all that matters. We must deflect or destroy them.
MEAD: Indeed, the dedicated scanning that allowed us to find these anomalies, these so-called asteroids—
TONG: They are asteroids, sir. Some are debris fields. Some are ice like the first asteroid.
MEAD: Please do not interrupt me, Colonel.
JUBA-RYDER: Is there any possibility the Jovians have fabricated this evidence?
HAWTHORNE: I believe the primary evidence originated with the Planetary Union and then from our own Mars Battlefleet.
TONG: That is correct, sir.
JUBA-RYDER: I find it suspicious that this—what are they called again, these Jovian warships?
TONG: Do you mean the Meteor-ship Spartacus?
JUBA-RYDER: Thank you. The meteor-ship’s approach to Mars is very suspicious, seeing as it occurs at the same time as these asteroids.
HAWTHORNE: I believe some of the Spartacus’s scanning data helped the Battlefleet discover the asteroid-cluster. Maybe as important, their sharing of information concerning the cyborg assault on Jupiter gave us reason to scan so thoroughly. I trust the Jovians in this. They fought off the cyborgs and have good reason to fear another attack.
JUBA-RYDER: The Jovians have a treacherous history.
HAWTHORNE: That is inconsequential now. Together with the sharing of information, the donation of the meteor-ship was an act of good faith. Its position may be of use to us.
MEAD: Respectfully, sir, it is too far out for that.
HAWTHORNE: (shakes his head) It isn’t only a matter of distance but of speed. They have built up enough velocity to enter the fight.
MEAD: I don’t understand that reference, sir. What fight?
HAWTHORNE: Weren’t you listening to Colonel Tong’s address? The cyborgs converted Carme to a weapon’s platform. We must assume the cyborgs have employed the same tactic again. My Social Unity Loyalists, this is a grim situation. The evidence is direct and solid. We face extinction on Earth unless we can deflect or destroy these asteroids. I am ordering Commodore Blackstone to head out to engage the asteroids.
MEAD: Colonel, didn’t you say the battleships couldn’t reach them?
TONG: (glances at Hawthorne) I did not say cannot, but they risk annihilation, and it’s doubtful they could stop such a mass.
HAWTHORNE: They must strike the asteroids by launching missiles and using their lasers for long-distance fire. Perhaps as importantly, they will gain critical data on the enemy. There is a negative to this, however. Moving the battleships leaves Mars vulnerable. But at this point, we have no choice and must risk it.
MEAD: What of the Fifth Fleet between Venus and Earth?
HAWTHORNE: This is our last fleet other than the warships at Mars. Fifth Fleet contains two battleships, a missile-ship and some secondary vessels. The warships are reportedly in poor condition and the crews are listless. But they are Social Unity fighters and are armed.
MEAD: Can they intercept the asteroids in time?
TONG: Conditionally, yes.
MEAD: What is the condition?
TONG: The presence of the Julius Caesar and the Genghis Khan in Earth orbit.
HAWTHORNE: (Pauses, and glances at each of the participants in turn) Now we come to the heart of the matter. The cyborgs are attempting to obliterate Earth. The evidence to my mind is conclusive. The cyborgs mean to crush Social Unity and the Highborn. We must face the facts, as grim as they are. If we consider the islands of Earth and the surrounding territorial waters, the Highborn control a greater surface area of the planet than we do. They cannot wish total annihilation here. Otherwise, they could have already rained the drifting habitats onto the planet.
MEAD: (laughs) The Doom Stars can crush the asteroids for us. Why didn’t we see it before? Our problem is solved.