Asterion (25 page)

Christine shakes her head. “It’s getting worse too fast.”

Phil shows his frustration. “This is what we get for letting someone else run our lives.”

Sanderson closes the teleconference. “I know each of you have worked long hours and I’m asking you to keep it up. Your efforts will make it possible for us to be free from tyranny and free to determine our own futures. I’ll be in touch.” The screen goes black and the group is sitting in silence. You know it is going to start, but you always hope that it’s still an event that looms on the horizon, but never comes into view.

Taylor breaks the silence. “Well, we have our motivation.” He gets up and leaves the room with Phil and Christine following. They return to their projects.

Asterion spins around in the direction of an explosion. Flaming bottles of liquid arc through the air, hit the ground, creating flaming infernos all around them. Some of the beasts, caught off guard howl as the flames singe their hides. Asterion cries out, “Follow the path of the projectiles to their source. He turns to others and commands, “Circle around and prevent their escape.”

The beasts rush the attackers ripping a few of them apart. Asterion calls out, “Bring me at least one alive.”

They drop two unfortunates in front of Asterion. Clothes tattered and ripped from their handling at the hands of the beasts. From the distance, you can hear the others bellow in celebration as they consume those they killed outright. City residents are shocked and sickened by the sight. Some take video and send them to the mayor and police.

“The mayor, looking at the horror, turns to the chief, “Put out a warning to all citizens. They must not resist. It is of no use and a waste of life. We can’t fight this.”

The chief turns from the video to the mayor. “I’ll do it immediately, before more bloodshed takes place.”

The mayor tries to contact the governor, who has returned home, but all governmental communication is dead.

Asterion marches into the local news agency, “Who is in charge here? I want to make a broadcast to the citizens of this city.

The receptionist passes out and a newsperson nervously shows him to the set. “This way sir.”

There he stands in front of the camera as a reluctant cameraperson adjusts the camera to capture the scene completely. Asterion hands a video recorder to the newsperson, “Get ready to play this when I tell you.”

“Yes sir, I’ll cue it up.”

The newsperson readies the device, “You are on the air.”

“Citizens, by order of your leader, Ira Burnsom, I have taken over the security of this city. Resisting us will only result in your death. There is no law but mine. There is no due process but mine. Don’t test me or you will experience this.” He motions for the video and the unprepared citizens of the city see the horrible images on their monitors of humans, ripped apart and eaten by the beasts as they celebrate their first taste of blood.

Asterion motions for the newsperson to put him back on the screen. “If you don’t want that to happen to you, go to work, quit grumbling and obey my commands.”

Asterion leaves the studio. The newsperson returns the feed to local. He patched the feed to the news station in the capital of the southern province. There the news crew stands stunned in silence over what they witnessed.

CHAPTER 27 - EXODUS

The news crew gathers their composure and the news producer address the team. “Make copies of this and get it to Governor Stanley immediately. We’ll hold off rebroadcast until we get some comments from him and we edit the more graphic content for general broadcast and the full feed for those who can stomach it online.” The team races to copy and send the feed to Stanley’s office.

General Sanderson appears at Stanley’s open door. “Come in General, I have something to show you.” Sanderson enters and faces the monitor with the paused video.

“What have you got?”

“The tipping point,” Stanley presses play and the video plays.

“What is Burnsom’s response to this?”

“He sent them into the city to quell the rebellion. Then he withdrew the human troops from the area. He is obviously trying to crush them while maintaining some distance from the events.”

“Not even brave enough to witness his handiwork first hand. I think diplomacy has run its course. If we attempt to threaten him in any way, he may make the first move. We need the element of surprise if we are going to attempt to rescue the people in the city.”

“Bring them here?”

“Taking the city would overextend us at this point.”

“Rescuing them would probably overextend you also.”

“The rescue will come from another base.”

“Another base?”

“Governor, are you familiar with General Foxx?”

“Lance Foxx. Yes, but how will you convince him?”

“Lance and I go back real far. Academy, combat and we share a mutual concern about the direction Burnsom has taken us.”

“Why didn’t I know about this?”

“He is in a precarious situation. His base is not exactly in friendly territory. He has been skirting the line of doing what is right and what Burnsom desires. I will send this to him. It may be time to consolidate our resources and he has to go through that city to get here.”

“Make it happen. I’ll let the news agency put this on the air. I’ll make my displeasure known, but make no threats or ultimatums. The citizens will be behind us when we act.”

“Good. I’ll start the planning and communicate with Foxx. Governor, I’ll get back to you soon.” With that, Sanderson briskly exits the office and heads back to his headquarters.

Asterion has procured a headquarters by taking over a covered statue of Lincoln sitting in a chair. Tossing the statue to the ground it shatters and he grins in pleasure. Sitting down, he looked like a king on his throne. He calls for the mayor to be brought before him.

Asterion’s troops drag the mayor before him. “What do you want with me?”

“My men need food.”

“The people are already hungry. Hasn’t Burnsom provided for you?”

“Some, but we’ve not enough food for our needs.”

“We have nothing to give.”

“Yes you do. Even if your stores are empty, there is more. Are we clear on this?”

“We will bring the food to you, but the people are already too weak to work and many are starting to get sick from the malnutrition.”

“Tell them, when they quit moving, we’ll just assume they are food.”

“Your cruelty is unmatched by any living or dead.”

“Good. Then there is nothing else you or the people need to know about me.” Looking at the troopers holding the mayor, “Take him back to where you found him.”

The troops return the mayor to his office and stand guard at the entrance to the building. The mayor calls the governor. “Governor, Asterion has demanded all the food in the city for his hungry troops or he will start dining on the citizens again.”

“We have no choice, but to give him what it available. I will procure as much as I can from the other areas of the province so that the burden is not borne solely by the residents of the city.”

“Hurry, we have citizens starving, weak and sick from malnutrition.”

“I’ll mobilize help tonight.”

“Thank you sir, goodnight,” the mayor hangs up the phone letting out a deep breath before retiring to a cot in the emergency command center of the city. “If it was only a dream.”

Asterion almost asleep senses the presence of someone approaching. “Griggs.”

“I hope you are doing well.”

“Well enough.”

“I brought you a new supply of your food. Trent thought you might be getting low.”

“How thoughtful of him,” Asterion sarcastically replied.

Griggs senses the disdain in his voice, but says nothing about it. “Burnsom is pleased with you. He however wants to make sure you understand that wholesale retaliation and random consuming of citizens is frowned upon.”

Asterion laughs, “We will do only what is necessary.”

“Great, we have an understanding. Do you have any specific needs at this time?”

“Food for my troops is our immediate pressing concern as we are running low. We are gathering what we can from the citizens, but there is not much.”

“A convoy is on its way. We can’t press the populace too much. They may find that fighting is preferable to starvation.”

Asterion snorts in frustration and fixes his gaze on Griggs. “Understood.”

“My troops are very lightly armed if at all. We have to be ready if someone decides to get serious.”

“I’m sorry; Burnsom specifically stated that nothing more is to be used against the citizens.”

“He is purposely holding me back.” Asterion snorts in anger at Griggs.

Griggs does not blink. “War is a combination of attack and negotiation. Get the job done with the least effort.”

“That’s the difference between humans and us. We live for it. We hunger and thirst for the opportunity. You want to preserve precious life. Life is neither precious nor valuable to us, we life to fight and fight to live. Unlike you and your politicians, always giving in to end the conflict before one more life is lost.”

“Nice speech, but that does not fly with us. Get used to it. That is how it is and will be. Anything else you need.”

“No.” Asterion turns to watch his troopers.

“Then I will leave you to your task.” Griggs leaves the city to return to Washington.

Sanderson initiates a teleconference with Foxx on an off-band communication channel with newly developed encryption. “Foxx, how are you doing?”

“Great Sandy, but this video you sent me is disturbing.”

“Agreed, we don’t have any other options. We have to implement Operation Reunion as soon as possible, but we have to rescue the citizens of the city.”

“That is a tall task. I can get soldiers in the city with the element of surprise in our favor, but that will only buy us so much time.”

“We can provide air and artillery support directly. Logistics and transportation will be provided along the way at the specified points and air evac for the citizens.”

“I don’t think our body armor will stand up to the claws and pounding those things dish out. We’re certainly not as strong as them so hand-to-hand is out of the question.”

“Your assessment is correct. Mow them down with no mercy and no prisoners. Your troopers will have to fight to the end, as they don’t take prisoners either.

“A gruesome end for a trooper to say the least if they run out of ammo. I’m going to suggest they keep one grenade on them just in case. I’d rather go out taking one of them out than to be ripped to shreds.”

“I wish we had better for our men and women.”

“Me to. I will signal you when we are ready. Good luck and Godspeed.”

“Same to you, Sanderson out.”

Foxx sits down in his office. With a heavy heart, he ponders the weight of the task before him and his soldiers. To turn against one’s government is not a decision made in haste or without careful consideration. With resolve on his face and determination in his stride, he exits and tells his assistant to assemble all personnel at nineteen hundred hours on the parade field.

He gets back on the phone to communications. “Effective immediately, all communication including non-essential systems must be cut off from the outside world. Block all wireless communication.” He contacts base security and orders a lockdown. No one exits or enters without his consent. The base is abuzz with what is taking place and officers field the many questions from concerned soldiers, but offer no real explanation.

Foxx calls his senior staff to the war room. They are speculating about the situation when the General enters the room and they stand at attention in silence. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Operation Reunion is now in effect. Gasps and sighs fill the room. That is not all either. We have to mount a rescue mission to evacuate the citizens of the capital city of the North Central province from the beast soldiers Burnsom has created. South Central will provide support, but we have to drop our soldiers behind lines to surprise them. I will make the announcement at the assembly. After that, we leave immediately. All non-combat personnel must start to pack so we can bug out. You may leave now if that is your area. Combat commanders, stay here with me.”

The officers leave the room hurriedly to set the mission in motion. After they are gone, Foxx displays maps of the city. “Our soldiers must not engage the enemy at close range. We are not yet equipped to deal with them in close combat. Dispatch them with no hesitation and no prisoners. Most are unarmed as they don’t expect any real resistance.” Planning goes on all day as personnel load and pack the gear for the move. Crews ready the combat aircraft. Soldiers go through their last checks. At the appointed time, all personnel are waiting at the parade field.

Fox strides to the podium. “Ladies and Gentlemen of Fort Pershing, please give your attention to the screen. The video of the beast’s attack plays for the group. “This is Burnsom’s solution to dissention in our society. This is not the Constitution we swore to uphold and defend when we became soldiers of this country. This is tyranny at its worst level. The worst thing we can do is not react to it. Someone once said that evil succeeds when good men and women do nothing. Burnsom has thrown the Constitution into the fires of hatred and domination. A fire that will consume us all if we don’t act. We are aligned with the South Central province and we will join up with General Sanderson there”