Legends of Amacia Return of the Beowulf

Retaliation

Fifteen minutes after Air Force One took off with the US President and his brain trust from Andrews Air Force Base, Dan sat alone in the communications center with a sour expression. Earlier that morning, Brother Paul told him of the angelic visitation and the dire warning Gabriel had left concerning the events that now unfolded around the world. Taking Paul’s warning very seriously, Dan made a point of monitoring the news feeds. To his chagrin and horror, events started playing out just as Gabriel had foretold, starting with the nuclear blast in Washington DC that vaporized the seat of US governmental power along with two-thirds of that government. Paul, Jerry, and Chris were sitting in the communications center with him listening to news feeds when the event took place exactly when Gabriel said it would. This caused serious worry in everyone present, especially when the US President issued his ultimatum to the world.

They thought the President had gone insane, but Dan wasn’t so sure. He saw it as a Hitler-style power grab. Since the expansion of the War on Terror doctrine along with the catastrophic meteor storms and calamitous quakes that had hit America, Dan had seen the President suspend the Rule of Law, the Constitution, and due process. He’d taken direct and complete control of the mechanism of government and military, federalizing the military while implementing martial law and enacting draconian measures to ensure he remained in power permanently. The President now ruled by executive order exclusively with an iron hand. Resistance was not tolerated, and dealt with severely. Punishments for resisting the directives of the President included jailing in concentration camps, and summary public executions by hanging, firing squad, dismemberment, or beheading by guillotine, sword, or axe.

However, the American people violently resisted the draconian totalitarian police state the President implemented in the wake of the natural disasters. Even the moderate progressive democrats and socialist recognized the warning signs, and reluctantly joined with the conservative right in opposing the President. Only the extreme left progressives, socialist, and communists sided with the President, assisting him by attacking and turning in those they saw resisting the President’s agenda. However, they were severely outnumbered by those resisting the Nazi police state of the President. Those who resisted protested violently in the streets, refusing to take the National ID chip, or follow any of the President’s Nazi/communists-style dictates. They demanded their constitutional human rights be restored, along with food, medicine, and proper health care. Many protesters were massacred by federal troops and their bodies left where they fell as a warning against dissent. However, a third of the military and intelligence apparatus rebelled against the President’s action, assisting the American people in a guerilla campaign against the President’s New World Order. They organized the militias and attacked concentration camps, liberating prisoners with increasing brazenness to prevent mass executions proven to have taken place in them. Footage of Nazi/Stalinist-style mass executions, mass graves, and active incinerators burning bodies leaked out, proving the government’s guilt in the atrocities. The rebel elements also struck government facilities in the cities and towns, checkpoints, and convoys transporting people taken as enemies of the state. Full-fledged civil war waged in every state, but was most active in Republican-dominated states.

At the same time, Dan had also witnessed the President launch a full-scale war on North Korea, China, Russia, and the Muslim Alliance in an effort to propagate American hegemony around the world. Korea exploded in war when the US blockade stopped and impounded a freighter carrying food and medicine the international community had given sanction to enter North Korea. The North Koreans retaliated by sinking several ships, including the aircraft carrier Roosevelt, with a barrage of anti-ship missiles in less time than it took the US forces to stop the freighter. At the same time in a coordinated action, they first hit the US military bases in Guam with five thermo-nuclear missiles, wiping out the bases. They then swarmed the DMZ and took South Korea in a matter of hours, annihilating the US bases on the DMZ with nuclear-tipped artillery before they could mobilize. They also pummeled Seoul into rubble with conventional artillery and short-range missiles before sweeping through the city and surrounding country with their troops. The South Korean military folded under the fierce onslaught and fled the advancing North Korean military. That triggered a full-scale bombardment and invasion of North Korea by the US military.

However, by the time of the nuclear incident in Washington DC, the wars were going very badly, especially in Asia with the North Koreans backed by China pushing the invading US forces into the sea on both sides of the peninsula while striking any US warship within range of their missiles. The defending North Koreans were not taking prisoners, killing anything that resembled an American. China, which took Taiwan at the same time the North Koreans retaliated against the blockade, secured the island in record time and attacked any US warship coming to the aid of the old Taiwanese government. Russia also attacked the US Pacific fleet with its own Pacific fleet, defending China and North Korea, forcing the US Navy to pull back into the middle Pacific. All around the world, the nations who had been attacked or bullied by the US saw this as a watershed event, joining with the Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans to push the US and its military presence out of their countries. Yet, the world restrained from attacking the American mainland directly. Instead, they engaged the US military around the world in an effort to degrade the President’s ability to respond militarily. These countries also pulled out of the dollar, choosing to back Russian and Chinese currency that was now backed fully by gold. This sent the dollar into a free fall, finishing off the old economic system the Masters of the Universe in the west had built upon the dollar. Hyperinflation of the dollar reached a million percent, far exceeding the hyperinflation Germany experienced with the rise of Hitler. A $2.50 cent loaf of bread before the meteor storm now cost $25,000. No one short of the multimillionaire and billionaire elites could function inside the tanked US economy. Starvation and famine had set in because of the civil war and the utter collapse of the US domestic economy. A thriving black market had risen amongst the poor who refused to take the US national ID chip, without which no person could operate in the state-run economy.

Now with the President’s final ultimatum to the world, Dan knew this was the last act of a dying dictator. He knew the rest of the world would not stand still for such an ultimatum. A troubled sigh escaped Dan’s lips as he sat alone wondering whether the Russians and Chinese would attack the US mainland directly before the ultimatum expired to finish off the US. Furthermore, he wondered if the Masters of the Universe themselves would act and remove the President. The thought had occurred to Dan to use Tiamat’s unlimited power to silence the President permanently, but he quickly dismissed it. Brother Paul had pointed out the fall of America was prophesied and couldn’t be stopped. He also reminded Dan that vengeance belonged to the Almighty. Only He could dole out justice and punishment properly on the President and America. Dan agreed with Paul and decided to let the Almighty handle the situation. Right after the President issued his ultimatum, everyone else went back to work and spreading the word about the reckless actions of the US President. As Dan sat alone listening to the chatter of war from the satellite and radio broadcasts, he abruptly shut them off with an angry growl.

“The fucking idiot,” Dan hissed venomously to no one, his voice echoing through the center. “No way are the Masters going to let the President disrupt hundreds of years of planning for their world government. They just can’t let him do it. He’s so dead.”

As Dan spoke, Chris entered with a determined look on his face. “Dan, something is going on in the US mainland,” he declared.

“What is it? Haven’t they been nuked into oblivion yet?” Dan replied grimly, his anger oozing out in his tone. Realizing Chris didn’t deserve his anger, he sighed, saying apologetically, “I’m sorry, Chris. Don’t mind me. It’s just this thing with the President’s ultimatum is sheer insanity. It pisses me off to no end that he thinks he can bully the world into submission with the threat of nuclear war. It’s a moot point because nuclear weapons are already being used in Korea.”

“It’s okay,” Chris said in an understanding tone. “We’re all pissed at the President’s actions. I just come to tell you that we’ve monitored Air Force One taking off from Andrews Air Force Base. The President is airborne now. I suspect he’s flying the coop to save his own ass.”

“I’d say that’s very likely,” Dan agreed. “When did he take off?”

“About twenty minutes ago,” Chris reported. “He was headed in the direction of Bermuda with four fighter escorts and a fuel tanker. It seems the President means to stay off the ground and out of reach of his enemies for the time being.”

“If he thinks that, then he is insane,” Dan declared grimly. “There’s no place on earth or in the air that he can hide from the Masters of the Universe. They have the keys to the orbital ion cannons you know. By the way, does anyone know how many platforms are left? I’m sure the debris from Gabriel’s Hammer has been making short work of everything in orbit.”

“I don’t know,” Chris admitted. “We should definitely check on that with the portal.”

Dan rose deliberately from his chair as he said, “Let’s do that. If there are still any of those things floating around, it could be very bad for a lot of people if the President still has control of them and not the Masters of the Universe. Hannibal told me that the orbital ion cannons have the power to wipe out entire cities if targeted properly.”

“That’s not good,” Chris agreed. “If those satellites are still functional, maybe we should take them out so no one can use them...not the President or the Masters of the Universe. With the chaos out there, we might be able to do it without being noticed.”

“I’m not ruling out anything at this point,” Dan admitted. “Come; let’s see whether those infernal weapons are still in orbit.”

Minutes later, Dan and Chris entered the portal chamber, seeing the portal closing with two men in tattered clothes standing on the platform. Brother Paul and Gerard stood with them, helping them walk while Jerry manned the control panel. Everyone saw Dan and Chris enter. “Thank heavens you’re here,” Paul called out. “These men are in medical distress. We need to take them to the Healer.”

“What in the hell is going on here?” Dan asked irately, his face turning red with anger. “You guys know the rules! No outsiders are permitted here, especially now with World War III raging. One slip and the enemy will know where we are!” He rushed towards the men, his fury evident.

“Calm down,” Jerry called out, “It’s not what you think. They’re not spies. They had the code words Hannibal gave us to identify friend from foe.”

When Dan got close enough to identify the two unknown men, he stopped dead in his tracks with his mouth hanging open, recognizing them. “Daniel Zubriar,” one of the men called out, realizing he needed to identify himself. “It’s been a very long time.”

Dan blinked as Chris approached. “Oh, my god,” Dan breathed, his anger having instantly changed to relief and deep concern, “What are you doing here, Hammond? And is that Joe Tara beside you? I thought you two were dead!”

“Yes, it’s me, Dan,” the other man replied, wincing in pain. “It seems reports of our demise are slightly exaggerated. By the way, the Storm plunges all into Shadow, Dan.”

“But the Shadow cannot abide the Light, and is dispersed like the storm by it,” Dan answered, giving the countersign to Hannibal’s code that allowed him to know their friends from their enemies.

“And all answers the Lord without exception,” Hammond declared, giving the final countersign.

“That it does,” Dan declared, now knowing for sure Joe and Hammond were part of Hannibal’s circle of operatives. “Forgive me for being so angry when I first saw you. I didn’t know Hannibal had given you the signs and countersigns to prove who you were.”

“It’s all right,” Joe stated, leaning on Gerard as Dan approached. “I’m just happy that phone thing Hannibal gave us reached you and the guy on the other end knew the code. Had he not immediately answered our call, we’d be dead for sure.”

“What do you mean?” Dan asked, walking up and hugging Joe. “And what kind of shit did you get into this time? Looks like someone tried to kill you. Did they find out you two were Hannibal’s operatives?”

“I don’t know about that, but the President sure turned on us with a vengeance,” Hammond declared, leaning on Brother Paul for support. “He’s gone completely off the deep end.”

“So what else is new?” Dan asked. “What happened to you guys? I thought your cover was intact.”

“It all started when some unknown force completely nullified Super Cyclone Knut,” Hammond stated. “It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. The President had us using HAARP and its sister facilities to create and steer that monster cyclone into the western end of Sumatra to punish the Indonesians for their resistance to the War on Terror and the President’s actions. They believed he was going beyond what was truly necessary and started bucking him.”

Dan’s right eyebrow rose with interest. “I knew that storm wasn’t natural,” he declared, “Please, continue. What did the President do when he found out about the storm’s failure?”

“He went ballistic,” Joe stated. “Hammond was in the meeting with me as representatives of the Black Physics division. He explained what had happened and speculated that the planet itself demolished the storm because we sunk too much energy into it. After all, you can’t push the Earth’s systems that far out of kilter without it pushing back in some manner.”

“That’s true,” Hammond stated. “I was there when the energy spike trashed our system, tripping the breakers on it and burning out some of the weaker circuits. It was a phenomenal surge of energy. In less than a minute, it demolished what had taken us three days to build. By time we made the report, the damage to the HAARP systems had been repaired and the system fortified. When I finally made him understand we couldn’t peg the system off the scale like that again, he ordered another weather attack on Indonesia. However, we weren’t to bomb the storm like we did with Knut. He also ordered the full activation of the SWRI with Damascus and Tehran as the targets. When I warned him of the risks of using the SWRI and urged restraint in its use, he went nuts. I told him the SWRI hadn’t been fully tested and it was still unstable. We just didn’t know what the ramifications of using the weapon at full power would be. We just couldn’t predict how the planet would push back at us. I suspect that’s what nullified the cyclone. We pushed the cyclone too far and the planet pushed back. The SWRI is far more powerful and dangerous than the HAARP system could ever be. Theoretically, SWRI could split and crumble entire continents. I wasn’t about to be held responsible for using such an unproven technology like the SWRI without knowing exactly what it would do to the planet.”

“And you were right to do so,” Dan agreed. “I assume that’s what made you and Joe enemies of the state like me and Hannibal.”

“Bingo,” Joe replied. “Hammond told the President if he used the SWRI in the way he wanted, the consequences would fall entirely on him. We tried to give him other options, such as our orbital ion cannon platforms, but he wouldn’t hear it. He all but called Hammond a traitor to his face, and did call me a traitor when I tried to talk him out of having Hammond erased. We didn’t really know for sure we were marked until after I caught up with General Bob and Hammond near the Lincoln bedroom. It seems Hammond had the good sense to keep a couple of the personal Draconian cloaking devices on him in case something went sour. That’s what saved us. When Bob found out we were going to use the devices to escape, he tried to shoot us. We had to knock him out and we escaped with our Draconian cloaks activated. I must admit Hammond must have known the President was going to try to get rid of us. Otherwise, we would have never gotten out of the White House intact.”

“It’s true,” Hammond declared, “I’d been watching the President closely for some months before this incident and had noticed him becoming very erratic, even paranoid in his behavior. At the end, he actually said he was supposed to rule the world, and not the Russians and Chinese. He became very angry when anything went wrong with his plans, and vowed to find and liquidate anyone who impeded his plans. You and Hannibal are on the top of that list, Dan.”

“We know,” Dan replied. “Why do you think we’ve avoided dealing the US government? We’ve been on the hit list for quite some time now.”

“Anyway, many people who crossed him ended up dead under very questionable circumstances,” Hammond declared grimly. “I figured it was only a matter of time before he decided we’d outlived our usefulness. It seems the day we reported about the failure of Knut to hit Sumatra was it.” He sighed, obviously troubled by the incident.

“It takes a lot to make me angry,” Hammond admitted, “But the President’s stubborn refusal to listen to any logic in regards to using the high-energy weapons systems, particularly the SWRI, pissed me off. I disowned it and the President, and walked out of the meeting without being dismissed. Thank god Joe caught up to me and warned me that the President wanted our heads. That was about three months ago. Since then, we’ve been on the move trying to stay one step ahead of them.”

“It seems the Lord was watching out for you two fellas,” Paul commented. “You provided a divine warning about the misuse of that super-technology and then He spirited you away just in time.”

“I agree,” Dan stated, patting Hammond and Joe on their shoulders. “But something bugs me. If you managed to escape the dragnet in the White House and keep ahead of your pursuers, then why did you call us for an extraction? What changed?”

“While we were on the run, we still had friends on the inside,” Joe stated. “They covertly fed us intelligence on the President’s activities. Two days ago, we received word of a planned purge of all remaining resistance within the government. The informant claimed to have access to ultra-top secret documents proving this, but couldn’t get a copy of it. However, he could get us access to it. All we had to do was go to the top-secret military reservation at Sugar Grove West Virginia. Due to its remote nature from the Capitol, it would be easy to get access to it, or so we thought.”

“It was a trap, wasn’t it?” Paul declared soberly.

“Indeed, it was,” Hammond replied grimly, “But it was worth it. Sugar Grove has direct access to the NSA data cores where they store every bit of information they get from their mass surveillance programs. You must understand, those programs didn’t just sop up everything from the general public, but also from every person who holds office, public and private. In that data mine is damning information on everything done by those in power from the President on down. Every illegal, immoral, treasonous act ever committed by these people is stored in those servers to keep them in line. That includes every Executive Order issued and implemented by every President up to the present one. Long story short; we infiltrated the Sugar Grove facility using our Draconian cloaks and gained access to the NSA Data Cores system through Sugar Grove’s data core. There we found a record of Executive Order 99669, along with a recording of him ordering its immediate implementation after apparently killing the Secretary of Defense.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Chris commented, his stomach souring at the news. “Let me guess, the order was to eliminate those resisting him in the government in a very dramatic fashion.”

“You’re quite quick, son,” Joe congratulated. “In a nutshell, that’s indeed what it did. However, it’s far more diabolical than you think. In the order, we discovered that the planned assassination was to be done at the Capitol during a joint session of Congress he called for. The order called for a small portable nuclear weapon on a timer to be placed in the lowest subfloor of the Capitol building just below the main chamber where everyone was to be gathered. The weapon was timed to go off a half hour after everyone arrived and was seated.”

“I knew it!” Dan hissed venomously. “The bastard pulled a Hitler-style burning of the Congress with them inside it to get rid of his enemies.”

“That’s obvious now,” Hammond declared. “He had this planned from the beginning. The rest of the order laid out how he was going to blame the Russians and Chinese for the attack, trying to turn world opinion against them. However, we know it will never work. The President has shown himself to be the very evil he claims to be fighting against with his present actions. No one will ever believe him. While we were there in the database core, we also saw intercepted communications showing the Russians and Chinese moving their ballistic missile subs and navies within striking distance of both US coasts. With them are warships from at least twenty other countries, including India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. This is it for the US. Baring divine intervention, America is toast in a very literal sense. I get the feeling the Russians will nuke the US in a preemptive strike now that the President has delivered his ultimatum.”

“I knew it was bad, but not this bad,” Dan admitted. “Tell me you got the proof.”

Hammond reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive with a wry smile. “What do you take me for, Dan, an idiot?” he asked bluntly. “Of course I did. I didn’t rise to the top of the Black Physics Division of the US military for no reason. On this encrypted flash drive is the proof of the President’s treason to this country and the world. It was very close on the download though. The moment we started downloading the information, it set off the alarms.”

“In fact, the alarms sounded the moment we accessed Executive Order 99669,” Joe clarified. “We suspected the whole thing was a trap, especially when we were able to slip in so easily. Sugar Grove is a black operations hub for the US military and intelligence divisions with lethal security around it. The fact we were able to walk in without seeing any guards or setting off any alarms worried me, so when we entered the data core, I locked the door and kept watch while Hammond performed his magic on the computers. The moment he accessed that Executive Order, the alarms blared. We had three minutes before armed soldiers arrived to kill us. This wasn’t a capture operation, but a liquidation. We were to be killed on sight with extreme prejudice. The President wanted us dead, plain and simple.”

“But didn’t they lock you out of the system the moment you tripped the alarm?” Chris asked.

“They tried to,” Hammond stated, “But they forgot that before they recruited me to run their Black Physics division, I was a super class-A hacker. I’m one of the best hackers on the planet. I was able to block them from shutting down the station I was using until they killed the power to that section of the data core. By a stroke of incredible luck, the download finished a half-second before they killed the power and broke into the core.”

“What did you do then?” Gerard asked, fascinated by the account.

“Again, we lucked out,” Joe stated. “It seems they were extremely reluctant to shoot us in the data core. I guess they didn’t want to damage the servers so they sent in a squad of five armed with knives and batons to flush us out. Since Hammond and I once belonged to the Delta Force and Seals, we easily took out the squad and retreated deep into the center of the data core where we called you. Your man’s timing was impeccable. They were closing in when this ball of fire opened in the data core’s wall, becoming a shimmering gateway.” He pointed to Paul and Gerard, declaring, “These guys came through and pulled us to safety just as the soldiers were coming around the corner. I can’t tell whether they saw the gate or not. What was that gate thing and what is this place? It’s eerie and far more advanced than anything either of us has ever seen in the Black Physics Division.”

Dan chuckled warmly. “That it is,” he agreed, “There’s no question about that. Look around you, my friends. What you see is an operational ancient alien machine that is far older than humanity itself.”

“What do you mean ancient alien machine?” Hammond asked, scanning the portal chamber in utter amazement. “Where exactly are we?”

“Why you’re behind the curtain, Hammond,” Dan chimed. “What you see here is why Hannibal and I are on the top of the hit list of not just the President, but also of the Masters of the Universe themselves. Welcome to the portal chamber of Tiamat.”

“Tiamat,” Joe asked in growing astonishment. “Are you saying this is the lost legendary Temple of Tiamat and it really exists?”

“Absolutely,” Dan declared, smiling broadly. “This machine here sits some three thousand feet underground in the middle of miles of alien machinery. It’s just one of many machines in this place that we’ve yet to fully explore. This particular machine is a portal generator that, if I understand it correctly, actually folds space-time itself allowing the operator to open doors to any place in the known universe. The ball of fire and shimmering gate you went through was the manifestation of that technology. We suspect the machinery of this place may be tens or even hundreds of millions of years old. No way is this technology of human origin, though someone did come along at some point and adapt it for human use.”

“Holy smokes,” Joe cried. “You mean this place is really of alien origin?”

“That’s right,” Dan stated. “Face it; humans weren’t the first intelligent species to live on this planet. This place even has an Archive that has an intact record of human history from the beginning. We also have machines that can heal any human ailment, and a core power plant that generates power on a planetary scale. Here we have the ability to broadcast any signal worldwide and not be jammed. Brother Paul’s broadcasts originate here, and so far, the Masters of the Universe haven’t been able to track or silence him. We can even affect the weather from here if we wish. This place is impregnable and completely hidden from the rest of the world by an electromagnetic shield and cloak. We’ve had Indonesian military walk all over the mountain this place is built in and not realized what lay beneath their feet.”

Hammond’s eyes grew wide as a gasp escaped his lips. “Wait a second,” he intruded. “Are you saying this alien machine can manipulate the weather like the HAARP and Woodpecker systems?”

“Believe me, while they were operational, those systems were redundant and incredibly primitive compared to what the machines of this place can do,” Dan explained. “It would not be a stretch to declare we could rule the entire planet from here if we wanted to. This alien complex has just that much power. It’s why we’re on the Masters’ hit list.”

“Incredible,” Joe breathed. “Hold on; it was you who tore super cyclone Knut to pieces, wasn’t it? It had to have been you because the power surge that destroyed that storm was on a planetary level. We estimated the surge to have been at least one hundred million terawatts. Can this place really generate and direct power of that magnitude?”

“Yes,” Dan admitted. “And yes, we were the ones who ended that storm. Fact is we’ve been able to track the energy signatures of every weather and high-energy machine on the planet, including HAARP, the Woodpecker, and even SWRI. When we saw the HAARP signature on the cyclone and what it appeared the US government wanted to do with that storm, we blasted it to smithereens with a high-energy pulse. It’s one of the very few times we physically intervened in a situation. That storm was to be used as a weapon of mass destruction meant to kill millions of people. When we saw it targeting western Sumatra, where we are now, we put an end to it. I’m so sorry it caused the President to turn on you like he did. We didn’t consider the ramifications of that. All we wished was to stop a calamity before it happened.”

“It’s all right,” Hammond replied, smiling wryly. “You did what I’m sure Hannibal would have done. Besides, I knew they’d eventually turn on us. After all, we’re just expendable assets to people like the President. When they got what they wanted out of us, they’d just kill us to keep their secrets secret. I’m happy and extremely relieved to have escaped them with my life. So, are you sure this place is secure?”

“From the outside, yes,” Dan stated.

“What do you mean?” Joe asked. “Is there a hole in your internal security?”

“In a way,” Dan stated, “You must understand that this place is vast on a scale you can’t comprehend. We’re still exploring it and have encountered some things down here in that exploration that defy imagination; things that are far worse than the Masters of the Universe.”

“I don’t understand,” Joe stated in a perplexed tone. “What things?”

“Imagine for a moment a spider the size of a large bull capable of moving faster than a cheetah,” Dan stated, “Or a scorpion of similar size, or bats the size of and Andean condors? How about honeybees larger than the largest bell hornets we know of? This is a place of myth and wonder, infested with many creatures, some bizarre, and many right down deadly. Fortunately, we’ve been able to secure a sizeable chunk of it.”

“Get real,” Hammond scoffed. “You must be joking. No spiders that I know of get the size of bulls.”

“Oh, no?” Dan questioned, raising an eyebrow. “How do you know? This place is far older than humanity. Who is to say what creatures evolved in the darkness of this place after its original builders abandoned it?”

“Hold up, Hammond,” Joe interrupted. “I must admit that I’m questioning what you’re saying, Dan. However, as I look around at this place, I must admit it makes me question many things I thought were true. I assume you have a way to prove what you say about the giant bugs, don’t you?”

Dan patted Joe on the arm. “I sure do,” he stated categorically, “If you will be patient, we’ll bring you up to speed on what’s going on here. However, first, I need to check to see if any of the orbital ion cannon platforms survived the debris from Gabriel’s Hammer.”

“I think some of them did,” Hammond volunteered. “But I can’t be sure at this point. I haven’t had access to the system since the President turned on us. Oh, forgive me for scoffing at your claim about the giant spiders and scorpions. It just seemed so ridiculous that I just blurted out my first thoughts.”

“It’s quite all right,” Dan chimed, patting Hammond on the shoulder. “Shit, I probably would have done the same thing had I been in your position. Think nothing of it. Come on, guys. Let’s go find out what’s happening with the ion cannons. If they’re still operational, we may want to do something about them since the President has gone loony in the head.” He led Joe, Hammond, Brother Paul, and Gerard over to the portal control panel where Jerry stood monitoring the hologram.

As they approached the control console, Jerry called out, “Something’s happening here. The portal is registering a power surge from orbit.”

“Where is it coming from?” Dan asked as everyone gathered around the console. Joe and Hammond looked on in wonder at the alien console with a very realistic hologram of the planet hovering over the strange grapefruit-sized crystal protruding from the console.

Jerry’s hands danced over the controls, focusing the portal hologram on an ominous-looking satellite orbiting over the North Atlantic. It lay in the midst of a swarm of rock fragments left over from the latest filament of debris from Gabriel’s Hammer. “It’s coming from here,” he stated. “It looks like some sort of weapons satellite, Dan. I’ve never seen a satellite like this before.”

“I have,” Hammond declared in an awed tone. “That’s one of the twelve orbiting ion cannons. You say this machine is registering a power surge coming from it?”

“Yes, you can see the power surge right here on this monitor,” Jerry stated, pointing to a screen on the console itself. “The power level is rising dramatically now. If this satellite is one of the ion cannons Hannibal talked about, does that mean they’re fixing to fire it?”

“Most likely,” Hammond stated grimly. “It takes about three minutes to build up sufficient charge in the satellite to fire it.”

A terrible thought hit Dan, and he gave voice to it. “Quick Jerry, where is Air Force One?” he asked urgently.

“You don’t suppose they’re going to shoot down the President, do you?” Chris asked with a quiver in his voice.

“I’d say that’s a very high likelihood,” Joe stated, watching with a mixture of horror and satisfaction. “It really doesn’t matter who kills him as long as he is dealt with. That man went off the reservation long ago and should have been removed back then.”

“They’re cruising at forty-five thousand feet three hundred miles east of Bermuda,” Jerry reported. “I see four fighter escorts and a tanker flying in formation around Air Force One. It seems they’re turning back towards Bermuda now.”

“Can you tell if the satellite is locking on?” Hammond asked urgently, eager to learn how the portal machinery worked.

Jerry scanned the monitors and declared, “Yes, I can see the satellite is sending out what appears to be lasers targeting the aircraft. It’s definitely locking on to all five of the aircraft. Dan, shouldn’t we do something to stop this?”

“No,” Dan stated bluntly. “We mustn’t interfere, not this time. The President is getting what he deserves. Let the Masters of the Universe deal with him.”

“Dan is right,” Paul agreed grimly, realizing he was about to see mass murder with an orbiting ion cannon. “The Lord has sealed the President’s fate. All we can do is watch and pray there aren’t any innocents with him.”

No sooner than Brother Paul had spoken, the orbiting ion cannon platform fired five distinct shots in less than ten seconds. Each shot hit its target, disintegrating it in spectacular balls of fire. Pieces of Air Force One and its escorts no larger than a car tire rained into the North Atlantic east of Bermuda, scattering over a hundred mile radius in the abyssal plains east of the Bermuda Rise. The force and heat of the explosions vaporized all life on Air Force One and its escorts. The wreckage that did hit the water sank in two and a half to three miles of ocean, precluding any salvage or recovery operations. When communications with Air Force One abruptly ceased, it sent what was left of the US Government into a panic. At the same moment, the Russian and Chinese fleets attained pre-attack positions off the coasts, holding position as a full-scale jamming operation commenced; something the portal machinery instantly registered.

Several moments of silence followed the assassination of what was left of the US governmental leadership. The brutal attack stunned everyone. Dan finally found his tongue, shaking off the shock. “As much as I’d like to say good riddance to bad rubbish, I can’t help but to think this really is the end for the US,” he declared. “I pray for all the innocents who are going to die now from the Russian and Chinese invasions. The portal is now reading a large jamming field coming from the enemy fleets off the coasts. They must be ready to strike. God help the innocents left in the US. They’re in the Lord’s hands now. I pray He protects and sustains His people in that hell.”

“He will,” Paul reassured. “Even though it appears the Masters of the Universe took out the President, they did it because the Lord willed it. The President mocked and defied the Lord of Heaven one time too many. He can only take so much. Now his wrath is on the US.”

“But what about the ion cannon?” Gerard asked. “Shouldn’t we disable it so the Masters can’t use it again? You know they’re going to use it again. They can’t help themselves.”

Before Dan could reply, a swarm of asteroids the size of Volkswagen Beetles plowed into the orbital ion cannon platform, completely destroying it and sending its wreckage into the atmosphere over the Atlantic. “Whoa,” Jerry breathed. “A bunch of debris from Gabriel’s Hammer just took out the platform. I guess we don’t need to do anything now.”

“It seems the Lord wants us to keep our hands off this situation,” Paul commented. “I think we should do just that. Our greatest asset is our ability to remain hidden from those rascals.”

“Paul is right,” Dan agreed, “But I must admit, it was both horrifying and satisfying to see justice delivered on the President for all the evil he’s caused everyone. It shows me the Lord still rules all things, even in this chaos.”

“Amen,” Jerry agreed.

“But shouldn’t we at least do a sweep to see if there are any more of those platforms still around?” Chris suggested urgently. “We don’t know for sure how many of those things they put up there.”

“The US military has twelve orbital ion platforms,” Hammond reported. “I know this for a fact.”

“In that case, let’s make a sweep for them,” Dan ordered. “Hammond, do you happen to know where they were orbiting?”

“Of course,” Hammond stated. “I was in charge of the Black Physics Division you know. If you scan on 666 hertz, you should be able to detect them if they’re still operational. This machine can do that, can’t it?”

“Absolutely,” Dan stated, taking over from Jerry, who handed him the remote earpiece for the portal. “We can find a single microbe in the bottom of the Mariana Trench with this machine. Finding those weapons platforms should be no trouble, especially since you gave us the frequency.” Dan set the portal machinery to scanning for the weapons platforms. After a few moments with the hologram racing from place to place in orbit around the planet, Dan declared, “The portal is getting only residual signals from eleven more locations around the planet, but can’t find any intact platforms, only wreckage. It seems the debris from Gabriel’s Hammer has destroyed them all. We’ve cut a break on that. Now we don’t have to worry about the Masters of the Universe engaging those weapons.”

“That’s a relief off my mind,” Joe declared with a sigh. “But I can’t help but think the US mainland is going to get it now. We know the Russian and Chinese navies were moving to striking distance and are now jamming all communications.”

“Well, as cold as it sounds, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Paul stated. “America is under the Lord’s wrath for its sin and rebellion. Now we’re seeing that wrath being poured out. It can’t be stopped now. The die has been cast, and time has come for America to pay the piper for turning its back on the Lord. All we can do is sit back and watch. We’ve done all we can. I’ve warned the Lord’s remnant in America many times, including just a few hours ago, to keep their heads down and remain in the place the Lord wants them. They alone will survive this apocalypse, just as Lot and Noah did because they followed the Lord’s prompting. The rest of those poor doomed souls will perish in the fires to come. Revelation 18 details the fall and punishment of Mystery Babylon the Great in one day and hour. Look well, my brothers, for that prophecy is being fulfilled before your eyes. America is Mystery Babylon the Great. America is the only nation to have forced every nation and people to partake in its fornications, sorcery, and abominations. The Lord will not be mocked. Today, you see the hand of the Lord as it destroys Mystery Babylon, so be of good cheer and look up. It will not be long before our Lord Jesus returns in the clouds as He promised.” Paul’s declaration had a stunning effect on those present when they realized it was the truth.

“Holy smokes,” Hammond breathed. “I never realized what was happening until now. This really is prophecy coming true. Oh, man, am I glad you guys pulled us out when you did.”

“Me too,” Joe agreed wholeheartedly. “I’m the first to admit that I know practically nothing about biblical prophecy. But I remember that section in Revelation about Mystery Babylon, and wow! It’s stunning how accurately the Apostle John wrote about America and its fall. And when you pulled us out just as everything blew, it makes me a believer again. Only God Himself could have had everything come together like this. There’s no other explanation. It’s beyond coincidence.”

“That it is,” Dan agreed, “The Lord was certainly working for you and Hammond this day. Frankly, I’m stunned and humbled that the Mystery Babylon prophecy in Revelations is actually coming true before my eyes. I hoped I wouldn’t have to see it, but I rarely get what I want so I just praise the Lord for his mercy. I also pray He will keep His people safe as He purges that wicked land.”

“He will,” Paul stated categorically. “Just remember the book of Daniel and the story of the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the golden image Nebuchadnezzar made. They were thrown into the fiery furnace fired seven times hotter than ever before and they came out unscathed because they believed in the Lord. The remnant of America is in the same position. If they don’t believe in the Lord with all their heart and soul, they will perish. But I have faith in them and the Lord. He will stand with them in the furnace just as he did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and they will come forth alive and purified of all sin. After all, the Lord promised not to destroy the righteous with the wicked. He also promised to shorten the days. Otherwise, the Enemy would destroy all flesh. I chose to believe His word. You would be wise to do the same.”

“I do believe now,” Joe stated. “Just by being in the place and seeing what we’ve just seen using this miraculous piece of alien hardware, I believe. But I must admit that we’re seriously behind the eight ball when it comes to this place and what’s really going on. By the way, do you know what’s become of Hannibal? We expected to see him when we called. Where is he?”

“He’s in the caverns of Amacia up to his neck in a war with the demon-possessed Emperor of that cursed land,” Dan stated. “As for his present whereabouts, we don’t know for sure, but I can assure you he’s alive.”

“You’re kidding,” Hammond replied in astonishment, “You mean Amacia really exists?”

“It’s as real as this place,” Dan insisted, seeing both Joe and Hammond weakening. “Come; I’ll tell you all about it and this place but first, I can see you two need to visit our Healer. It’ll fix what ails you, I assure you. After all, I broke my back during the early exploration of this place and it fixed it perfectly. I have no residual effects from it.”

“You broke your back?” Joe asked, now becoming numb with astonishment.

“Yep,” Dan stated, handing the remote back to Jerry. “Keep monitoring things, Jerry. I want to know if anything happens.”

“Yes, sir,” Jerry stated, putting the remote back in his ear. “I’ll keep watch.”

Dan patted Jerry on the shoulder saying, “Good man.” Turning to Joe and Hammond, he said, “Let’s go. We’ll take the golf cart to the Healer.” He pointed to the golf carts sitting near the portal chamber exit.

“Is this place that big?” Hammond asked as Brother Paul helped him walk to the golf cart.

“As I said, this place is immense by any sane definition,” Dan stated, helping Joe walk. “We’ll give you the ten cent tour after we get you patched up and something in your bellies. I’m betting you’re pretty tired and hungry right about now.”

“Hungry, no,” Joe admitted, “Tired, immensely. Only the adrenaline rush from coming here through that alien portal thing has kept me on my feet.”

“Me too,” Hammond agreed as the group reached the golf cart and stepped aboard.

Dan got behind the wheel, saying, “Well, the Healer will remedy that too. Trust me; you’re going to see an entirely different view of reality here, and see history as it really is. Consider this going to the next level in relation to what you were doing. You’re going to see some really far out technology here that I will admit I still have trouble understanding.”

“I can’t wait,” Hammond answered with a deep sigh, relieved to be off his feet.

“Just relax,” Dan stated as he drove them out of the portal chamber. “We’ll get you up to speed in no time.”