Chapter_34
Jules threw his space suit and gravity wings to the side. Still goading Alex, he yelled again, “You and all your petty friends are trapped!”
He then adjusted his leather sports jacket and grabbed a compact rail gun from one of its pockets. Jules understood that Alex was a formidable foe and to proceed without precaution would be a foolish endeavor.
The entrance to the cave began to blur as the quantum disruptors Alex threw out of the doorway activated.
“Hold your advance,” Jules announced to all the remaining WOGs. “This area is booby-trapped.” He touched the auricular chip in his ear. “I want the immediate vicinity thoroughly scoured by one of our scouts for any undesirables. Use the utmost of caution.”
“As always,” a voice responded in the chip. “Consider it done.”
Two WOGs still donning their spacesuits grabbed a pole attached to each of their legs. In unison, they threw them towards the door. A thin dome-shaped haze engulfed the area upon sticking in the ground. Green dots began to appear, spotting the landscape in front of the entrance along with four more in a semicircular distance from its opening.
As the two WOGs assessed the situation, Jules reconnoitered the area. Smiling at the site of Alex’s prized stratoskimmer in flames and the charred remains of her pilot in its front seat, he felt great joy to see his foe’s means of escape neutralized. Jules could not help but recall how the ship was once a gift to Alexander by his late uncle Albert Rosenberg.
What would my dear old uncle think of his gift now? He laughed to himself.
However, as he gazed upon the dead WOGs all around the surrounding area, his favorable mood came to an abrupt halt. Their mangled and distorted bodies revealed that many died upon impact while the sizzling corpses of others depicted an equally painful demise.
Alexander will not get away this time, Jules promised himself.
“Colonel?” Jules asked. “How many WOGs have touched down and are still operational?”
“Twenty-five, sir,” he responded, “including myself and the two scouts.”
“Very well,” Jules responded. “I want sixteen of your men to surround the mound in order to make sure there are no surreptitious means of escape. I then want you along with four other WOGs to guard the door. When it is safe to enter the dome, I will personally take the remaining four to root out the pests inside.”
The earth rumbled and shook, forcing Jules to speak louder for his orders to be heard.
“If I may suggest,” the colonel offered. “How about I lead these men into the mound while you safely board the striker craft? This whole place is not safe, and you are too important to be lost if this area collapses.”
“My dear boy,” Jules scoffed. “One thing I’ve learned in my life is that if something critical needs to be done with perfection, then I must do it myself. Alexander is my responsibility.”
“Yes, sir,” the colonel responded without further argument.
A loud explosion tore in half the WOG closest to the door. The other scout standing nearest to him fell backwards from the concussion.
“Report,” Jules insisted.
The scout on the ground slowly got to his knees. Because of the precariousness of the situation, protocol had it that he needed to remain unattended and alone until a safe distance from any undesirable anti-personnel weapons.
“The ionizing dome must have missed one of the MAIs located on the ground,” the scout responded, still shaken up by the blast. “I’m not sure if the quantum disruptors concealed the device or if the MAI itself was designed to evade our detection equipment.”
“Alexander,” Jules said to himself.
The scout then slowly crawled back towards a group of WOGs who helped him to his feet. The man then said, “Mr. Windsor, I will have to neutralize the area before a single person sets foot anywhere near its entrance.”
“Can’t you just blast those damn quantum disruptors and MAIs,” Jules insisted.
“No, sir,” the scout responded. “Blasting the quantum disruptors could potentially create a deadly subatomic distortion, killing every living thing within a quarter mile radius.”
“Confirmed,” the colonel agreed. “The distortion would alter the basic quantum structure of all living matter, ensuring a gruelingly painful death.”
Jules shook his head and threw his pistol on the ground. Imbeciles, he thought. I’m completely surrounded by imbeciles. “And how long, pray tell, will this ordeal take? It’s not like Mother Nature will simply roll over and let us take our own bloody time.”
“The effect of the disruptors will most likely last another few minutes,” the scout responded. “The ionizing dome’s electromagnetic field will quickly short circuit their power source. In the meantime, I will pulse the area in front of the mound with an additional subatomic destabilizing field. It will help ensure all undesirables are neutralized.”
“Then let’s not waste any more of our precious time” Jules said. “Begin immediately.”
Jules turned in disgust and looked out at the hellish environment. He could feel the earth move under his feet. Yet, his mounting frustration made the crust’s rumblings pale in comparison with what was brewing inside of him. Jules watched the smoke bellow out of the volcanoes as plumes of lava blasted into the air. In the far distance, the earth gave way and collapsed into the imposing sea.
What a wonderful new world I will create out of the ruins of the old one, Jules fathomed, watching the impending destruction with great expectation.
“Sir,” the colonel interrupted after a few minutes. “Quantum disruptors are powered down and all undesirables have been neutralized. You may enter the dome at your convenience.”
Jules turned and picked up his compact rail gun off the crusty ground. With it held tightly in his hand, he reveled at the thought of finally ridding himself of Alexander. “Let’s go,” he shouted. “Assemble!”
After barking out Jules’ orders to his men, the colonel, three WOGS, and the scout ran to the dome’s entrance with their rail cannons poised at eye level, aiming towards the door.
Jules walked over to the entrance. Two WOGs immediately stood in front of him while another two positioned themselves behind. Each holding their rifle-like rail gun pointed towards the sky, they were ready for the assault.
Jules looked ahead while raising his pistol up to his chest. “On a count of three we move half pace. One, two, three.”
The five marched into the dome’s entrance, each now with their weapon pointed in different directions in order to maximize their killing radius.
“Eyes open, soldiers,” Jules said as they approached the looming light at the end of the tunnel. “Shoot anything that moves.”
As the tunnel began to widen, Jules ordered, “Full march!”
Their pace quickened as they exited the tunnel and entered the vast domed room. Halted by the massive staircase’s banister, they stopped to assess the situation. Moving their guns in all directions, Jules and his men searched the area for any immediate threats.
“Twelve o’clock!” shouted one of the WOGs.
They all instinctively pointed their weapons forward and pulled the triggers. However, the electromagnetic field in the area nullified the effect of their guns, making them completely useless.
Jules pulled the trigger on his weapon a few more times before giving the stand down order. “Holster your weapons,” he said. “They will be useless in here.”
The WOG in the front pointed to a turning obelisk in the far distance. “Sir, movement dead ahead.”
“Let us—” Jules began to say.
An ear-piercing smash curtained his statement as a large, sparkling crystal mounted on the wall above them crashed directly onto an unsuspecting WOG, electrocuting him in the process. He fell to the ground on impact as his uniform sizzled and his body burned. Death was instantaneous.
The crystal’s shimmering shards momentarily blinded the rest of them in a blaze of searing light. The heat it produced felt as if it would boil them alive.
Alexander! Jules surmised as his eyes watered in pain.