Part 49
Infestation, Annexation and Consternation
By BobCat
Disclaimer: If fanfictions were outlawed, then all outlaws would be fanfiction. Or something like that.
The surface of the land was dead and barren. It had been laid to waste more thoroughly than any army in mankind's long and colorful history of ruining his environment had ever managed. Salted earth was more likely to allow the flora that had once dominated the land to grow back. For the moment, all that was visible was an emptiness that extended from horizon to horizon, interrupted only by a few hills. All that was audible was the intermittent stirrings of the breeze.
The land itself was a different story. Where once soil had supported a rich and colorful array of creatures of all kinds, the land was in its own way alive. A thick, purple carpet of living tissue covered the landscape. What at first glance seemed to be hills were in fact large, organ-like buildings that fed the creep and in turn gained life from the creep. Still, no life was visible.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light filled the air. After a few seconds of blinding radiance, a red and white hole ripped itself in the very fabric of reality itself. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, a brown haired figure dressed in a blue uniform calmly floated from the hole, landing in a controlled, almost lazy, manner upon the creep. The hole closed behind him.
Phil sighed. He looked at the bottom of his shoe, and started wiping away the purple mass that had bonded to it. "Ugh. Zerg. Had to be Zerg. As if I hadn't had enough trouble with purple things…" At this, Phil did a full body shudder. "Ayeka. That purple haired bimbo! How dare she!" The mere thought of the Juraian princess brought a yellow aura to life around him. The Super Saiyan gave a loud cry, as his aura expanded into a gigantic dome around him, stripping away creep as it grew.
Phil didn't seem to notice that his venting was creating a full-fledged attack. Finally, he let the soap bubble of energy pop, releasing more energy than some nuclear weapons.
Phil panted slightly, even though he hadn't even begun to tap his potential yet. He clenched his fists angrily and began ranting. "It's bad enough that everyone else is after a piece of me! But now uber-bitch is on my case to!"
Behind Phil, an Ultralisk rose from the ground with a speed that belied its bulk. The six legged creature, seeing the threat to its hive cluster brought its forward right foot down on Phil's head.
Or at least it tried to. Phil swiftly brought up a hand, blocking the attack with his spread fingers. Phil was forced up to his ankles in earth before he managed to absorb the shock.
Phil scarcely noticed the Ultralisk. "I mean, first she gives me that blasted Jusenkyo curse, then she suggests we go off and do something unmentionable in a PG-13 fanfiction! Who does she think she is? Am I just her toy, something to alternately torture and fuck? That inbred bitch!" He cupped his free hand and sent a huge bolt of energy into the distance, vaporizing even more of the creep. Phil scarcely noticed the shockwave from his blast, but the Ultralisk struggled to keep its balance. In the end, gravity lost the battle.
A voice in the back of his head said, "Squire, most men would give a king's ransom for the offer thou hast turned aside in a callous manner. Besides, thou art now of noble rank, so thou wouldst do well to hold thy tongue on the matter of inbreeding."
Phil blinked in surprise. The Ultralisk continued struggling to squash this surprisingly persistent bug. "What Wart, you support her!?"
"Good heavens no! 'Tis not proper for one of royal lineage to offer herself in such a manner! I art simply playing the role of the devil's advocate."
Phil finally noticed the alien that was trying to kill him. He blurred out from under the Ultralisk's foot, which smashed into the ground with enough force to chip its hard carapace. It cried out in pain. But, in some small corner of its miniscule mind, it felt a twinge of pride for killing the enemy.
That was when Phil appeared in front of it and kicked it in the face. The impact sent the Ultralisk tumbling through the air, finally landing in a heap a hundred meters away. Phil blurred in next to the creature and grabbed it by one of its tusks. The hardened edge of the tusk, while capable of piercing the hardest armor developed by man, was not up to the task of cutting Phil's hand.
Phil looked the thing in the eye. "Do you know how disgusting that bitch is? DO YOU!? I just wanted a little time to deal with my issues, but noooooo! You damned aliens just had to invade again, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU!!!???"
If Phil had not taken leave of his senses, he would have sworn that the Ultralisk's last groan of pain had been apologetic. As it was, Phil started spinning in midair, giving the creature the ride of its lifetime. Finally, Phil released the Ultralisk, sending it flying over the horizon. As Phil's aura quieted down, he heard an audible thump in the distance as the Ultralisk landed. Phil's hair returned to its normal state and he ran his fingers through it as he let out a relieved sigh.
"O'Connor was right. Nuking Zerg is therapeutic." With a flash and a bang, Phil took off in search of more targets.
*************
"Sir? Are you awake? How are you feeling? Sir?"
Ralph caught these words as he returned slowly to wakefulness. His vision swam for a few moments as his brain pondered what he was looking at. Finally, the blur before him resolved into a strange face. The man looked to be of Hindu descent, with bright, honest eyes. He looked to be in his early thirties, judging by the barest hints of wrinkles about his eyes. The Jedi attempted to lever himself into a sitting position, but thought better of it as the pounding in his head, scarcely noticeable before, decided to announce it's presence.
As the man spoke, his accent was vaguely British. "Please sir, give yourself some time to rest. You've been through quite the adventure, from what I'm told."
Ralph attempted to speak, but stopped his sentence as his throat told him that he hadn't had enough to drink in a good, long while. "Wh-where…?"
The man seemed to anticipate Ralph's question. He spoke in slow, even tones. "You are in a field hospital. I am corporal Bhat, a medic with the 1st Gurkan Armored Infantry Brigade."
Ralph finally summoned the strength to raise his head from his pillow. A quick scan of the room led credence to the man's story. For one thing, Bhat did have the emblem of the international Red Cross on his shirtsleeve. For another, Ralph saw that his cot was only one in a long line of identical units. Some remained empty, but others contained bruised and battered bodies. Above him was a green tarp supported by wooden poles, enough to keep out the elements but little else. Ralph caught the stench of dried blood and less pleasant odors in the air and scarcely avoided vomiting.
The medic placed a hand on Ralph's shoulder, as if sensing his patient's distress. "Easy, my friend. You and your companions should be OK."
Ralph inhaled sharply. The girls! "H-how are they?" Ralph was surprised by his own voice, dry and raspy enough to be unrecognizable.
As he answered, Bhat removed the cap from a bottle of water, anticipating Ralph's need. "Three of them were suffering from a few minor cuts and bruises, plus advanced exhaustion. Much like you, actually. They are still asleep, actually. The other one, Sailor V, was in a very bad state of affairs. Massive blood loss and internal injury… we couldn't have saved her without those new Cellular Regeneration Units that Reed Richards sold to us last year…"
Ralph spat a streamer of water. "Y-you know who she is?" Crap! There goes the whole secret identity bit!
The man whispered to Ralph in a conspiratory tone. "Do not worry, my friend. I do not believe that anyone else recognized her. I lived in London for a few years and saw her in action, back before she moved on to Tokyo. She saved my life, actually. Given the… distinctive style of dress that she and her companions use, it was easy to recognize her."
Ralph sighed in relief. Ah good. It's nice to know that they're all…wait a second. "Ah, excuse me, but how many did you say there were?"
Bhat said, "Why, four. Three in your condition, and another in the CRU tank."
Panicked, Ralph thought back to the last moments of the battle. Not noticing any important clues, Ralph used a Jedi technique that allowed him to go over the memory in the minutest detail.
Ralph thrust his hands towards the onrushing horde of Zerg. "DRAGON SLAVE!" Bright red energy filled his sight, and then there was nothing left of the Zerg save ashes and a few removed limbs. Even as he fell to his knees, Ralph noticed something out of the corner of his eye…
Sailor Mercury being dragged down into the Earth by a Lurker. She called out for help, but before Ralph could blink again, she was gone. Then everything went black.
Ralph's eyes widened. "Aw shit."
********
Ami Mizuno shared Ralph's sentiment whole-heartedly. Her cries of agony reverberated within a Zerg Hatchery somewhere in what had formerly been the outback. Organic wires jutted from her body, connecting her to the wall so that she was spread-eagled a few feet from the floor.
Ami didn't know that her body was being rebuilt on the molecular level. She didn't know that every cell in her body was being systematically modified to optimize her psionic potential. She didn't notice that the blood leaking from the insertion points of the wires was no longer red.
What Ami did know was that every nerve in her body felt as though it was simultaneously being burned, ripped and frozen. She did know that in the unknown amount of time since her capture, she had been in a state of constant pain, pain that didn't go away even when she fell unconscious.
Finally, her raw throat could take no more and simply shut off. The silent look of horror on her face spoke volumes.
Some part of Ami's mind noticed that a sphincter in the wall opened up, admitting an older woman with coppery-green skin and wiry flesh for hair.
Kerrigan calmly walked over to Ami and looked her in the eyes. "Hurts, doesn't it? I know exactly what you are going through. Actually, I suppose it was easier for me; I spent most of my infestation in a trancelike state in a cocoon. But it still hurt like hell."
Ami croaked, "M-monster."
Kerrigan's hand lashed out, roughly grabbing Ami by the face. The pain increased a hundredfold at the contact. "Listen, girl. You should be grateful. I am accelerating you to the peak of your evolutionary potential."
"You won't win."
Kerrigan barked a laugh. "How positively cliché. Of course I'll win. The Zerg are the acme of evolution. What so called natural processes take millions of years to accomplish, the Zerg can bestow in a mere generation. Or, in your case, within a generation. We have swept the galaxy, fighting thousands of species. Some were stronger, others more cunning. In the end, however, the swarm adapted itself and annihilated its enemies. There is not a force on this planet that can destroy me."
Ami clenched her teeth. Softly, too softly for Kerrigan to pick up, she said, "Not a force… THE Force." Another wave of pain hit at that moment. Whether it was a conscious attack on Kerrigan's part or simply part of the process, she would never know. For her own part, Kerrigan laughed as the pained tears ran down Ami's cheeks.
A section of Ami's mind wandered back to the events of the past month or so. She saw a small, green muppet with a cane. He was looking up at her from his perch upon a log as she lifted rocks with her mind. His words came back to her, lucidity somehow cutting through the pain. "Beware of hate. For if ever a Jedi embraces the hate, control their destiny it will. Once the darkness takes over, no hope is there."
Ami glared at Kerrigan with tear-filled eyes. No hope is there already. I'm sorry, Yoda-sensei, but I can't think of anything I hate more than this… beast! She thought of her friends. Had they made it safely from the battle? Were they also hanging from a wall, being remade into the image of the monster? And if they weren't, was there any hope for them at either way? Were they all doomed to serve Kerrigan?
Now was her chance to stop the madness. She said she was making me more powerful… and the dark side is the easy means of even more power… I might be able to win. But at what cost? She lacked her Mercury Computer, but knew that the evil thing before her possessed more strength than anything she had ever fought before.
Ami stared defiantly at the exiting Queen of Blades, her decision made. If the choice is damning myself, or dooming my friends, then damned shall I be.
**********
Son Gohan looked down upon what had once been a thriving and prosperous coastal town. Now all that remained were the ruined hulks of buildings, interspersed with organ-like mockeries of the structures that had existed before. The ground was covered with the same purple mass that was visible from several miles from the coast.
Personally, Gohan was utterly repulsed by what he saw. However, he knew he couldn't let his own feelings interfere with the mission. Son Gohan was allowed his fears and foibles, but the Great Saiya-Man was a hero, braver than brave, nobler than noble. Utterly perfect, he didn't have to worry about failing his friends in battle or the pressures that his mother put on him. Saiya-Man didn't care about rejection of lovers or the petty hatred of his foes; Saiya-Man rose above it all.
He landed near what had once been the town center, cupping one hand to his mouth. "Hello! Is anyone there? I'm here to help!" As flyovers had not revealed any survivors, he continued his search on foot. "Kaio-shin was right. This is horrible!" Saiya-Man reached out with his senses, attempting to find the Chi signatures of any villagers. His search was proving to be increasingly futile. What was odd was that there were a few spots that almost felt like people; but it was as if they were part of the town itself, which was impossible.
Wasn't it?
"Intruder!"
Saiya-Man spun about at the barked warning. Now I can find out what's behind this! "Who goes…" The word "there" remained unspoken, as he looked in horror at what he saw.
It was Saiya-Man who had entered the town. But it was Son Gohan who gazed upon the monstrosity before him.
Once, it had been a man. However, random coppery-green growths now covered his body, particularly his shoulders and torso. Spikes jutted from his joints without rhyme or reason. But what scared Gohan the most were the thing's eyes. Red, glowing and soulless, they looked upon him with an animalistic, uncomprehending hatred.
While Gohan stood in shock, the infested human ran towards Gohan. "Live for the swarm!" Gohan managed to erect a Chi shield before the thing blew him apart. An explosion that would have leveled a skyscraper shook the few remaining buildings of the town. The structures collapsed as their already weakened structures could finally take no more. Gohan's costume was slightly singed from the blast, but he was uninjured.
Gohan panted, more from fear than from any exhaustion. "What the hell was that!?"
At that moment, they came. Dozens of them. Snakelike creatures with gigantic claws, spitting acid as they closed in upon them.
Once, when Gohan had been younger, Goku had decided that his son had done enough studying for the day. In his normal spontaneous manner, Goku had told Gohan that he could pick any movie he wanted to go to. Of all the movies being shown, Gohan had chosen to see Aliens. The young demi-Saiyan had been scared out of his wits and had had nightmares for weeks. Needless to say, Chichi had given Goku a double-earful over the incident.
The Hydralisks that assaulted Gohan now were undeniably similar to those creatures. Old fears boiled to the surface, triggering a fight or flight reaction in his brain. Gohan was surrounded by a swirling aura of yellow, filled with sparks of blue lightning. "GetawaygetawaygetawayGETAWAY!!!!!!" The aliens paid him no heed, nor did they notice that their acid was being blown away by his aura.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Gohan blasted up from the ground at top speed, stopping a few hundred feet above the town. He began flinging Chi bolts at the ground, scouring the Zerg from the Earth. He continued blasting for several minutes after they were all gone.
Gohan panted. His hair returned to its normal color. "Calm down, Gohan. Stay in control. You're no good to anyone if you panic. Have to help Ralph."
"Hey Gohan!" Gohan was shocked from his reverie by Phil's call. The Physics Policeman floated over next to the surprised demi-Saiyan. "Thought I sensed you over here! Long time no see!"
Gohan's eyes brightened at the familiar face. "Hey buddy! What've you been up to?"
Phil clapped Gohan on the back and rolled his eyes. "Believe me, you don't wanna know. What are you doing down here anyway? Shouldn't you be back in Japan?"
"The Supreme Kai told me that Ralph was in trouble, so here I am. The work of," Gohan posed, "The Great Saiya-Man is never done!" Gohan attempted to keep a straight face, but failed miserably. "Man I can't believe I ever thought that looked cool!"
Phil surveyed the gigantic crater below. He let out a low whistle. "I see you panicked back there."
Gohan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, uh, yeah. Sorry about that."
"No need for sorries. Believe me, I've seen seasoned combat veterans run screaming at the sight of the Zerg." Phil thought about that. "Well, technically, you are a seasoned combat veteran, but you know what I mean."
"Zerg. So that's what they're called." Gohan shuddered. "Ugh. I'm gonna dream about those things for weeks! Those poor people…" Gohan thought of the infested human that had attacked him. That could've been anyone… that guy had hopes and dreams, a life, and now… he's so many free-floating atoms. Gohan angrily clenched his fist. "I'm going to make whoever did this pay!
Phil suddenly pointed towards the horizon. "You'll get your chance sooner than you think. I estimate we've got a hundred Zerg air units on the way. Their Cerebrate must have finally noticed us." Phil thought for a few moments, and then smirked. "Whadaya say, Gohan. Up for a little overkill?" Phil made a few motions with his arms.
Gohan caught on. "Am I!?" They floated down to the ground, landing a few feet from each other. As Gohan stretched out his senses, he was surprised to find out that Phil's power level was just as big as his. "You've been training."
"Life is training. Now concentrate!"
As a cloud of batwinged Mutalisks descended upon them, Phil and Gohan moved in perfect unison. "Fuuuuuu… Sion! Ha!" There was a bright flash of white light. The Zerg kept coming. The commanding cerebrate made a note that there was one being where two had been before, but decided that it was an unimportant detail.
Ph'lan smirked and cracked his knuckles. "Nothing like a good old fashioned turkey shoot to make all of life's little problems seem to fly away." He looked down at his vest and poofy pants combo. "Like this awful fusion outfit." Ph'lan attempted to order his symbiote to shift it to a more aesthetically pleasing pattern, but it didn't seem to be working. "Damn Toriyama and his lack of fashion sense. Oh well." With a flash and a bang, the battle was joined.
********
Twenty odd minutes later…
Ralph sat in his bed at the field hospital, attempting to find the missing Senshi of Mercury via the Force. Repeated failures were making him increasingly frustrated. "C'mon. You've gotta be out there somewhere…"
That was when Ralph felt another familiar presence. He reached out, making contact. "Phil? Is that you?"
A stereo voice answered his call. "Oh, heya Ralph. Phil's not in at the moment, but I would be more than happy to answer your call." Ph'lan took a moment off to vaporize a passing Mutalisk. "HA! So anywho, what can I do ya for?"
Ralph blinked. "Um, Ph'lan, where has Phil been the past few days? Y'know, when I kinda needed backup?" The last words were dripping with sarcasm.
Ph'lan didn't notice. "Oh, I decided that I needed a mental health day. Not that I had much to speak of, but I digress. So I spent a day at Wuher's. Boy, was O'Connor mad! Finally managed to talk me into going by saying that vaping a bunch of Zerg would relieve my stress. For once, he was right."
Ralph's eye twitched. "YOU ABANDONED ME TO THE ZERG HORDE BECAUSE YOU FELT LAZY??"
An orderly opened the curtain around Ralph. "Please keep it down in there!" Ralph feebly apologized.
Ph'lan shrugged. "If I'd known you were in such a sticky wicket, I'd have come and given you a hand. Die, you overgrown mosquito!" He casually backhanded another Mutalisk from the sky. "Where were we again?"
Ralph sighed. Fusions. Oi. "There's more. I lost Ami."
"Oh ho, lost one already, did we? And you wonder why I don't let you have a puppy."
Ralph screamed, "Take this seriously, you friggin' moron! I can't find her, and I'm starting to think that she's dead."
Ph'lan went to Super Saiyan and casually blasted the entire swarm from the sky. The aura of yellow collapsed as quickly as it had formed, reverting him to his normal state. "Man, those guys get boring fast. Don't worry Ralph, if there's anyone that can find her, c'est moi." Ph'lan blasted away in a seemingly random direction.
"Ph'lan! You don't even know where she is!"
Ph'lan made a tsking sound. "Show some confidence, Jedi-boy. I've fought these things before. More importantly, I have an idea of how Kerrigan thinks. If she has Ami, she's going to see a big ol' honkin' candidate for the title of 'Mini Me.' I mean, Force and Senshi powers, plus unlocking her psionic potential… heck, she might even be able to give me a good spar. But I doubt it."
"Enough ego already! Just get there!"
Ph'lan laughed. "Oh ye of little faith. If you insist, I can get there immediately. I've known where Kerrigan was for the last hour or so."
"WHAT!? And you didn't do anything about it WHY?"
"Cutting off the serpent's head isn't any fun until you've had a chance to rough up the body a bit. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Senshi to save." Ph'lan put two fingers to his forehead and teleported from sight.
Ralph rubbed his head. He reached over and hit a button near his bed. A woman dressed in white came into view. "Nurse? Can I get some aspirin? I have a serious headache over here."
***********
Elsewhere…
In Universe FC-1, NATO had gone to another level entirely. As opposed to a simple alliance of democratically aligned nations, the powers of Europe had opted that their best option for survival following World War II was to unify into one world spanning empire.
To this day, it remains unknown why older, more feudal means of government had been selected. Parliament and lower political bodies were still elected democratically and judges were appointed by the Parliament, but the executive branch was firmly in the hands of the aristocracy. Perhaps the horrors of the war had convinced the leaders that the common man could not be trusted to run his own affairs. Maybe key politicians had wanted to return to older, more secure days. The reason for this radical backwards shift remains a mystery and has provided fuel for hundreds of books on the subject.
(Of course, we all know the real answer; that a certain Norse Deity had gotten his fingers into the time stream in the proper spots. But let's not spoil the historians' fun by telling them, OK?)
Thus, a room deep beneath Buckingham Palace, known simply as The Den, could run not only the British Commonwealth's military resources, but also all forces throughout the whole of the Empire. The Den was divided into two layers. Below were twin trenches lined with high power computing equipment, through which numerous personal worked tirelessly to give an up to date report of the current fighting. Above, between the trenches was a long table. Along it sat older men and women in a hodgepodge of military uniforms, several from each branch of every major state of the Empire. Some looked over reports, others relayed orders to their respective Field Marshals, but most argued vehemently with their fellows as to how to proceed.
All conversation ceased as a new figure entered the room. As a whole, the generals stood up and formally bowed to the man who was, for all intents and purposes, their king.
The middle aged man walked to his seat at the end of the table. He was dressed in a crisp white uniform, which displayed far fewer medals and campaign ribbons than he had earned in a long and distinguished career. A flowing cape of red and white adorned his shoulders and extended down to the small of his back. He moved with a businesslike stride that wasted no movement. Short black hair with graying sideburns looked as if it was unused to anything besides a crew cut, extending only an inch or so from his scalp. His blue eyes seemed to stare straight into the soul of whoever caught his gaze.
Flanking him on either side was a man dressed in an archaic red uniform with a tall, black hat. They matched their sovereign's stride, holding pikes in a perfect ready position. The ancient weapons that the Yeomen of the Guard held were deceiving, however. Either weapon was forged of an adamantium alloy and had a pulse laser cannon built under the blade's tip.
Only the ruler of the European Union warranted such protection.
Peter Davion, General of the Armies of said Union sat down. The lower personnel scrambled to match their monarch. His strong, baritone voice commanded them to be at ease.
Peter rubbed his temples a moment. When crowned as regent, he had expected to hold his post for a single month. However, it had taken nearly a year for an heir to be found, some youngster named Philip. Peter had thought his troubles over, until he had found out that the future King had apparently taken another year to discretely tour his future domain.
Peter hated being in charge of the Empire. The daily dances of political intruiges and the difficulty of balancing dozens of different factions… it wasn't what he had been trained for. The alien invasion, while a horrible event, at least brought events into his preferred arena. He halted his reverie. "What is the status of the invasion?"
A woman from one of France's African colonies cleared her throat. "Your majesty, Australia has never been of any strategic importance. Thus, our forces in the region were somewhat… limited." She stopped for a moment, as if considering the most diplomatic way of saying that ground forces in the region had been annihilated.
Peter barked, "Get on with it!"
The general nodded. "On the continent were the Australian Colonial Militia and the 52nd Highlanders. A few survivors of the latter are trickling in at our outposts, but we aren't expecting to hear from the militia."
Peter angrily clenched a fist. Such a waste… "What do we have in the area?"
A red haired man with large muttonchops answered. "Your highness, we have managed to deploy a few regiments from India. Mostly the Gurkas, and we made sure to send those who had been upgraded."
Peter considered this. The Gurkas hailed from Nepal, and were by and large the most feared and respected infantry on the planet. Their seemingly innate skill, combined with the prototype battle armor developed by Stark International, made them a force to be respected. "What other assets are en route?"
An auburn haired man said, "Sir, the Robotech Defense Force is moving en masse to protect the civilians we've managed to evacuate and stymie the spread of the aliens."
Peter said, "That raises another question. What are these things? Can they be reasoned with? Where are they from? How far have they gotten?"
The woman from before said, "They are insectoid creatures, presumably not of this Earth. They seem to operate in a hive mentality, and the soldiers do not seem to value their own lives in the slightest. Various attempts at radio communication have not been answered, assuming they have the capacity to answer them. We cannot place their origin at this time." She nodded to an aide, who quickly tapped a few buttons on her PDA. Suddenly, the table itself shifted into a map of Oceania. All but a few spots of mainland Australia were an angry red color, with a few lonely green dots near Sydney and other southern reaches. North of Australia were mostly blue islands, signifying neutral nations. A few of them were green, and an increasing number of both were the red color. "Sir, at this point Australia itself is a loss. Our forces are moving along the northern edge of the continent in an attempt to cut their lines of supply for their northward pushes, but at this point it seems to be a futile gesture. They aren't slowing down."
Peter glowered at the map, as if hoping that his glare would strike down the invaders. "Our options?"
A fourth general, a white haired man with a shaggy mustache, said gravely, "Sir, at this point the only viable solution is a full fledged nuclear strike."
The auburn haired man shot up. "What? Are you mad!? Nuke our own Empire!?"
The fourth man looked Peter straight in the eye. "Sir, it is as she said. Australia cannot be saved. We can only exterminate these aliens so that Earth itself does not join her."
The red head said, "If we call in everything, and use the Gurkas to make a beachhead…"
The white haired man laughed. "What, and leave our German border naked before the Soviets? And what if the Yanks feel like adding more land in accordance with their so-called 'manifest destiny?' And I'm not even mentioning the Chinese!"
Auburn hair said, "Sir, there have to be other solutions! Don't give in to this old fool's knee-jerk reaction!"
"Old fool? Why you…"
Peter ignored the squabbling, weighing the options before him. After a few moments of deliberation, he slammed his fists down on the table. "Silence! This argument does us no good!" All speaking halted immediately. Peter pointed to the white haired man. "How long would it take us to ready a nuclear strike?"
"Roughly ten minutes, sir. It would take another twenty for the ICBM's to reach Australia from our silos in France."
Peter sighed. So much for being in familiar territory. "Order all troops to evacuate. Instruct them to take as many refugees as they can transport. The Gurkas are to move immediately to halt the alien push towards Asia. All others are to move to protect the refugees. They have one hour before we begin the countdown."
The red haired man exclaimed, "Your highness, you cannot be serious!"
Peter's frustration boiled over. "You think I like this? You think that if I had any other options, I would willingly nuke our own soil? I have never been more serious in my life! You have your orders, so carry them out!" As a whole, the generals stood and swiftly made their way out the door.
Peter sighed. "Where is Philip? I cannot do this much longer."
*********
At this point, Ami Mizuno was scarcely recognizable. Her blue hair remained unchanged, but the skin across her entire body was now a sick, coppery color. Her eyes had been replaced by soulless yellow orbs that glowed in the darkness of the hatchery. From her back sprouted a pair of scythe like blades that mirrored Kerrigan's. A few hard patches of carapace had grown in such a way to protect her vitals and provide for basic modesty.
Amazingly, Ami continued to struggle against her bonds, despite long hours of pain and suffering. Her plan to unlock the powers of the Dark Side continued, but it was odd. She had been using her anger to increase her reserves, which given her genetically altered structure were incredible. Yet, it didn't feel like she was handing herself over to some great evil. Perhaps that is why Yoda warned us. Maybe the Dark Side works its ways because it doesn't feel wrong.
"Naw, it's just that the Force is less black and white than Yoda would have you believe."
"Who's there?" Ami glanced around the darkened room. Her improved night vision caught sight of two figures. She squinted. "Phil?"
Phil let a yellow glow surround one hand, revealing his identity. "That's my name, don't wear it out. Anyway, you don't feel like your giving yourself to the darkness because you aren't. You see, you're planning to save help your friends with the dark power, so your good intentions are stopping the corruption."
"How did you know what I was thinking!?"
"You aren't being very subtle about this. You obviously aren't used to being psychic; you're projecting your thoughts for miles around. I'm surprised that Ralph couldn't find you." Phil finally looked her over. "My God. What have they done to you?"
Gohan shuddered. He glanced away from what had once been Ami Mizuno and saw that the air around Phil was glowing. "Phil, watch it!"
It was too late, as the Psionic Storm attack burned his body with electricity even as the psychic energy scrambled his mind. Phil collapsed to the ground, twitching.
Gohan whirled around, powering up in preparation of another strike. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"If you insist." Gohan was treated to a similar attack. Much to Kerrigan's dismay, however, the hybrid stayed on his feet. The Queen of Blades stepped from the shadows, a creature from Gohan's worst nightmares. This time, he managed to keep his cool, even as the blue electricity dissipated.
Kerrigan glowered at Gohan. "I recognize the other, but who are you?"
"I am Saiya-Man, the instrument of vengeance for the innocents you've slaughtered today!" He blasted toward Kerrigan, preparing to knock her head from her body.
She ducked under him. Gohan's eyes grew in size as he bounced off of the wall. What the… she isn't fast enough to do that! It's like she knew I was coming…
Kerrigan laughed. "Oh, I knew you were coming all right. I can see right into your pathetic little mind, Gohan."
Growling, Gohan leapt up from the ground at shot towards her again. This time, she spat a streamer of thick, green liquid into Gohan's face. He cried out in surpise, missing his intended target entirely. He slammed face first into living wall of the hatchery, and Kerrigan applied more of the sticky green substance. Gohan struggled against it, but it stretched with every attempt at freeing himself.
Kerrigan continued laughing. "I hope you enjoy my Ensnare. Struggle all you like, it won't do you any good."
Kerrigan's laughter halted as a blade tore into the soft tissue of her lower back. She staggered under the force of the blow, and then spun about. "Who dares…" She found herself facing Ami, whose claws were held at the ready. "You? How did you get…" She heard a familiar 'VOOOSH-HUMMMMMM' from behind. "Loose. Oh. I see." Off to the side, Gohan went Super Saiyan, sending green goop flying in all directions. She backed into a corner, attempting to find a way out of her current situation. On some instinctive level, she called her swarm to her. But she knew they would arrive too late. Time to play my trump card.
*********
"The Brain to Skull One. The Brain to Skull One. Come in Skull One."
Roy Fokker danced his nimble Veritech fighter around gouts of purple acid spewed by a C-shaped alien. He reached up and pressed a switch on his panel, and the fighter grew arms and legs. Now guided more by the neural impulses picked up by his "thinking cap" than by any switch or lever, the Guardian leveled its gattling gun at the Devourer and sent a hail of depleted uranium death into the alien's side. With a loud screech, the black alien fell to the ground in two pieces.
Suddenly, Roy's radar screamed a warning as two new threats appeared on his scanners. Roy quickly found the source of the trouble and spat a few rounds from his spine-mounted lasers at a pair of the smaller, kamikaze Scourge, blowing them both from the sky.
The sky momentarily clear, Roy spoke, the speech activated technology automatically connecting him to The Brain, the ground control for Skull Team. "This is Skull One. Come in, Brain."
"Skull One, we need air support! Some kind of alien bombers are making runs on the refugee boats. They can't take much more of this."
Roy said, "Acknowledged, Brain." He pressed few dials on his control panel, brining up his squadron's tactical frequency as he switched back to the faster Veritech mode. "This is Skull One. Skull Team, move out to coordinates Oh-three-two-niner with all possible speed." His squadmates responded in affirmatives, although there were fewer voices than he would have liked. Damn bugs.
Of course, Roy knew that he was better off than most of the Royal Air Force. A few years prior, a massive spacecraft of unknown origin, known as the Super Dimensional Fortress, or SDF-1 for short, had crashed into Macross island, a minor possession of France. The European government had immediately claimed the craft and gone to work on it. However, even the best that the Empire could offer had difficulty cracking most of the secrets of the craft.
That is, until the Empire had granted an exclusive contract to Stark International, well known for their expertise in robotics and other applicable sciences. Within a year of the venture, the inner workings of SDF-1 had been sufficiently understood to produce the transforming Veritechs that made the heart of the Robotech Defense Force. The scuttlebutt that Roy had heard said that the fortress itself would be ready for flight within another year or so.
Roy was forced from his reverie as his scanners picked up numerous enemies. "Brain, Skull Team has sighted the bogies. Moving to intercept." Roy accelerated towards the aliens.
Floating in midair with no apparent means of support, the crablike Guardians spat globules of green acid at the defenseless transports below. Of nearly ten thousand refugees, only half that remained after the Guardian's initial attack.
Roy centered one of the Guardians in his sights and let fly with a pair of Stinger missiles. The warheads detonated against the Guardian's carapace, sending chunks of carapace in all directions. Roy was about to select another target when he realized that the creature had somehow survived the direct hit.
One of Roy's wingmates finished it off with another volley of missiles, but Roy didn't notice. He was too busy sending a stream of bullets into another Guardian. Suddenly, something occurred to Roy. Hey, they aren't returning fire at all…maybe they can only hit ground targets? Roy gave another Guardian a steady glare. Not so fun to be on the receiving end, eh?
It didn't take very long for the defenseless Zerg to be swept from the sky. Roy called up the Brain's frequency. "Skull One to The Brain. We've dealt with the threat. Awaiting next assignment."
"Negative, Skull One. Fall back to the Odin for repair and refuel."
"What? The Brain, we still have another half hour of flight time."
"Skull One, the enemy is withdrawing wholesale. I'd say we've won this one. Return to carrier Odin."
Roy blinked a few times, but decided not to fight the order. "Skull Team, return home. Looks like we've won this round." Roy had his doubts about the war, but decided that a good hot meal would improve his attitude a bit.
************
Kerrigan smashed through a wall of the Hatchery as though it was paper. The battered and bruised Queen of Blades staggered to her feet, clutching the stump of her slowly regenerating arm.
Ami, the new Princess of Blades, calmly stepped through the opening, Phil following closely after. A blue aura of lightning surrounded her as she shot another bolt into her "creator." Kerrigan cried out from the pain and fell to the ground. As she did, Gohan blasted his own door and walked in.
Phil calmly walked over and put his foot on Kerrigan's neck. She cried out again as Phil increased the weight. "Ah, I remember the good old days when you could actually give me a good fight. Amazing what a few months can do, isn't it?" He further increased the pressure. "And it wasn't overly bright giving Ami here a big old powerup without making sure you could control her."
Kerrigan coughed up green blood. It pooled around her face in a rather gory display. "A mistake I shall not make again."
Phil's right arm was sheathed in a bright yellow aura. "What makes you think there's going to even be an again?"
"Simple… if you kill me… kiss southeast Asia goodbye."
Phil blinked. "Come again?"
"New mutation… a virus… I based it on the Creep. If I die, several hundred cocoons of Airborne Creep in the South Pacific let loose their contents. Anyone who inhales it will either be Infested or die. The cloud will extend up to… what do you primitives call it in this century? Ah yes, China. So I'd suggest you get off of my neck, lest you slip."
With a grimace on his face, Phil complied. Damn it! Why is it that everyone I fight ends up with the lives of innocents as their playthings?
Squire, if that were not the case thou wouldst not fight them at all.
Shaddap, Wart! This is no time to be logical! Io, any thoughts?
Grossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgross…
Arthur whistled. She hath not dealt well with Ayeka's proposal, hath she?
Apparently. Now Wart, any suggestions?
Well Squire, this art a terrible stalemate. Thy own power alone could annihilate the vile beasts, but at a terrible cost in lives. Now then, I do have a plan. Grant her a parcel of land, which thou shalt renege all claim to. Meanwhile, thou shalt collect these Dragon Balls which I hath heard tale of in Valhalla. Once thou hast them in thy possession, vaporize the wench and wish those who hath been slain by the disease back to life.
Nice plan, Wart. One problem; the Airborne Creep is a disease, and Shen Long can't wish back those killed by "natural causes."
Then thou must simply wish this "Airborne Creep" to a location where it can do nobody harm and then vaporize the wench.
Phil nodded in appreciation. Very nice. But isn't this a bit unchivalrous?
Chivalry hath more flexibility than thou credit it with. If thy opponent is not Christian, then thou hath no obligation to use said code. Suddenly, Arthur had a flash of insight. Squire, that wench can peer into the hearts of men! She hath likely heard my entire plan!
Way ahead of you, Wart. I put Io up front to provide us some interference.
Kerrigan managed to lever herself into a sitting position. "Well? What do you say?"
Phil mentally booted Io out of the way. "Tell you what; I'll grant you the use of the northern half of the continent for two years. Before that time is up, you must find a new homeworld for your brood, remove the Airborne Creep and move all Zerg to said homeworld."
Ami screamed, "You're giving this monster half a continent?! After what she's done? I'll kill her myself!" Ami attempted the charge another bolt of Force lightning, but Phil used his own Force talents to deflect the bolt.
Kerrigan spat. "You, sir, insult me. The Zerg shall remain wherever the Creep extends for no less than a century."
Phil laughed. "Yeah right! Look, I'll give you the whole continent for fifteen years, with the same restrictions as before."
Kerrigan considered the proposal and nodded. "I can agree to that. Now leave before I change my mind."
"Gohan, make us an exit." Gohan, surprised and disgusted by the whole incident, automatically obeyed the order, blasting a hole through the Hatchery's various levels. Phil picked up the protesting Ami in a well supported hold and flew away. Gohan followed shortly after, if only to find out what the hell Phil was thinking.
Gohan voiced his concerns as they flew towards what Phil could feel as the nearest human settlement. Phil waved away his comrade's concerns. "It's all a big double cross. It won't be much longer than a year before she's gone."
Ami looked at her hand, flexing the inhuman appendage. She shuddered in horror. "And what about me? Did you stop to think about that!?"
"Have you tried changing back?"
Ami blinked. "Huh?"
Phil smirked. "Focus on your normal self. I have a feeling that since Kerrigan hadn't finished her work yet, your form should still be somewhat malleable."
Ami concentrated for a few moments, willing her body to change. She opened one sickly yellow eye and sighed dejectedly. "Nothing."
Gohan piped up. "Say, you Senshi have a transformation, right? It's not like you're just putting on a costume or something. You guys feel different when your in Sailor mode."
Ami nodded and asked, "And your point is?"
"Were you in your transformed state when Kerrigan did… this to you?" Ami nodded again. "Then try changing back the way you would from your Sailor Mercury state."
Ami focused her energy in the proper way, and was rewarded as she reverted to her normal state in a flash of ribbons. She looked down at herself an gave a war woop. "Woo hoo! I'm me again! Gohan, if you weren't Usagi's future husband, and we weren't several thousand feet above the ground moving at mach three, I'd kiss you!"
Phil raised a single eyebrow at his companion. "You sure seem to know a lot about Silver Millennium Transformations."
Gohan sweatdropped. "Uh, er, well, I've been around people transforming for most of my life. You pick up on it after a while. Heh heh." Please, please, PLEASE don't ask about my secret stash of Sailor Moon manga…
Fortunately for Gohan, Phil seemed content with the answer given. "Well then, all's well that ends well, right?"
Gohan suddenly caught a glimmer of motion some distance away. He squinted slightly and saw a pair of metal devices heading their way. "Hey Phil, do those planes look funny to you?"
"Eh?" Phil shifted his hold on Ami and pulled out a pair of binoculars. He set the device to maximum magnification. "Ah hell! ICBM's!"
Ami elbowed Phil playfully. "What's that about everything ending well?"
"Shut up or so help me, I'll drop you!"
************
Much, much, MUCH later…
Phil, Ralph and Ecks were in a lounge at Physics Police HQ, sprawled out over a trio of couches.
Ralph panted. "Man, am I beat! What a day!"
Ecks nodded. "You said it."
Phil glared at his subordinate. "What are you talking about? YOU WERE ON A THREE DAY PASS TO VISIT YOUR MOM!"
Ecks said, "Well, that's tough too! She has this weird idea in her head that I'm an old maid since I'm older than eighteen and haven't given her any grandchildren! You have no idea how many ways there are to work the phrase, 'Where are my grandchildren?' into casual conversation!"
Ralph decided to change the subject. "Say Phil, how did you manage to convince the Europeans to accept your informal, verbal and totally unverifiable treaty anyway?"
"I just told them that I had a secret plan that was guaranteed to work, and promised that I'd take the throne in a week or so. Believe me, that guy they got to be regent was perfect for his job."
Ecks said, "What do you mean?"
Phil responded, "He doesn't want it. Those are really the only people who should have power. I think he would have gone along with it even if I hadn't had a backup plan. He was that desperate." A thought suddenly occurred to Phil. "Say Ralph, how did you explain away the Sailor Senshi disappearing for more than a month?"
Ralph was idly playing with his neuralizer. "Let's just say that the Memory Master rode again."
**********
Meanwhile…
"So Usagi, how was the six week Grammar Rodeo in Ontario?"
**********
Physics Police HQ…
Phil cursed as the intercom buzzed. "Will Special Unit Five please report to the Transporter Room immediately."
Phil sighed. Phil looked straight at you. That's right, you, the reader. "Well, everything was wrapped up in a nice, neat little package. Of course BobCat had to pull something. What did you expect, a romantic interlude with Kione?" Phil considered this. "Not that I would mind that, of course…"
(BobCat: Phil! Fourth wall up!)
Phil sighed. "Whatever." He, Ralph and Ecks jogged out the door and to the transporter room. Phil turned to his companions. "You guys can handle this one, right?"
Ralph blinked. "Huh!?"
"I mean, how much trouble could this guy be? I'll be barhopping once we get there. I really need some time off."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Ecks, whoever this guy is, there's no way he's a match for either of you!" There was a sudden peal of ominous thunder. "Man, I wish Thor would lay off the special effects…"
End Part 49
Author's Notes: Joe Mello, you asked for 80's Anime and Mecha, you GOT 80's Anime and mecha.
Another note: Yes, Roy Fokker was technically American. However, FC-1 is such a tangled mish-mash that anything is possible.
Next time begins the secret project I've been hinting about. The Physics Police goes where it has never gone before when the creative juices of BobCat and Ash the Wanderer combine. [flaktrap: God help us.]
Physics Policeman die.
An indescribable evil is unleashed.
Those thought dead return to plague the living.
SU5 learns that there are real fanfictions.
Phil gets the raw deal as never before.
BobCat attempts to write angst.
And the Physics Police will never be the same again
