Chapter 14: A candle is lit.
Date June 24, 2055, 0315 MST
Jedi couldn't sleep. BETH had told him repeatedly the last few days that even though his body was limitless on power, his psyche wouldn't last forever. But he couldn't keep from his mind the battle with 002. He was in no way ready for that again. He would be outweaponed, outstrengthed, and maybe even outmaneuvered. There was no way he could defeat her, not the way he was, and there was no way that he could be improved. The way he was now was the way he was going to be forever.
"That's not true. Additional weapons can be added. That is the purpose of only installing weapons in the left arm. The other limbs can be reconstructed into just about anything you wish. I thought about sending the nanobots to begin the construction on some ideas to counteract 002's abilities, but I didn't think that it would be right just to pop out and tell you that you have additional abilities." BETH appeared before him. She had taken on the form of a woman to comfort Jedi these last few days. The world had been hit so hard, that even the strongest of people were now being broken down. Morale was at a low throughout the base. There were now only about 30 million people left on the planet. That was down dramatically from the 15 billion just a week before.
"Really. Hmm, I am going to have to keep that in mind. I don't know about what we can do about 002 for now. Redding is supposed to tell me about the positioning of the Dortde fleet in orbit. Maybe there will be someway for me to get up there and take away their artillery. Besides, I don't even know what kind of weapon that 002 was trying to kill me with."
"It was an antimatter beam. Not very logical when it comes to the power drain it causes, but very effective as you saw. As you know any matter that comes into contact with antimatter instantly causes an explosion as part of Einstein's E=Mc squared. Where all of the energy is...."
"I took physics BETH, I know about Einstein and his theories. Do you think it would be possible to create a weapon that would be effective using antimatter? Maybe not as much as 002, but more focused, more productive."
"Quite possible. I will start the nanobots to see if they can come up with anything. Now why don't you get some rest."
"One last thing. How did the nanobots figure out everything? I mean they were there on the moon with only my body and that capsule for fifty years. There was no outside interaction, so how did they figure out what to do?"
"Simple, I was there the whole time. I got you ready for battle. The biggest accomplishment was making the accelerators able to go as fast as they could. We were beginning to look into some kind of space flight mechanism when you were found, so we all shut down and looked dumb for the first sensor sweeps of you."
"Oh... so that....is how...." Jedi drifted to sleep. BETH began to think to herself.
This guy really is something. Here I am stuck in his head, and he treats me as an equal, not the prisoner that I really am. It's sad what they really wanted to do to him. Thankfully for the people of the Earth, the moon got in the capsule's path. Otherwise, there would be no people left on this planet right now. They would have been killed by both Androids 001, and 002. Well, I had better get started on those weapons. I want it ready for when he wakes up.
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Ten hours later
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"Jedi! Jedi! Are you in there? The General wants you in the main lounge. Sir?" A young woman with captain's bars on either side of her neck opened the door, hoping to see that Jedi had stepped out, and that she wasn't barging in on someone asleep. Well, what she found was surprising.
In the middle of the room sat Jedi. And the rest of the room was bare. There hadn't been much in there to begin with; a bed, a small computer, and some pictures, but even now all of those were gone. Jedi was still asleep.
"Sir. General Redding wants to see you." She kneeled down and began to shake Jedi. No response. Seeing as how the briefing was important, she took the initiative. She brought back a leg and threw it forward, the blow landing on the one spot that will wake up any man. "WAKE UP!"
Clink
"Huh? Oh, Captain. Nice to see you, did I wander off somewhere, or am I still in my room?"
"Sir, I have been trying to get you up for the last five minutes. General Redding is wanting to talk to you in the main lounge."
"Oh, well I had better get up and get going, huh?" He remarked with a grin on his face as he stood up. "Besides, I have to tell him about the young captain that just barged into my room, and tried in vain to kick me." He sat there for an instant, and then looked down at himself. "Um, hate to ask you this, but can you turn around a second while I get some clothes on?"
When she turned back around, where there had stood the well-sculpted naked body of Col. Rilet now stood with him in full uniform.
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"You wanted to see me?" Jedi sat across from the older man in the front corner of the lounge.
"Yes Jedi. I want to ask you something. How do you feel about going into space all on your own, and taking out the main ship?"
"I had thought about doing it on my own. Why they haven't taken out this base already is beyond me. The Dortde have pretty much taken everything in the world. The only humans left on Earth are those left in Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern Nevada. Even then, whenever we try to mount a counterassault, they use their space ships to take them apart. Besides, I doubt that I could do it. You said yourself that every ship in the Space Force was used and destroyed in Project Lunar. I don't have any way to get up there on my own, well, not yet anyway. Me and BETH are cooking a few surprises for the next time I meet 002."
"Yes, very true. All of what you said is very true. What's unfortunate is that Avocado, our provisional government place, is now practically on the front lines. Wait. You said that BETH and you were cooking something. What is it?"
"Let's just say, that when 002 shows her face around, she'll be greeted with a bang. The same goes for the Dortde should they try anything stupid."
"Hmm, be careful with your cockiness, there is no room for it now. Anyway I think that you will be impressed with what we have in store. Here at this base we have a special ship. Only carries one person. I want that person to be you. It will take you up, where you will have to get to the enemy ship on your own, and bring you back. All while it is not visible to the enemy! I want you to take out the lead ship. The ship where all of the others are controlled. If we strike there, then you hit a few other key ships. We can mount a final assault with our other secret weapon. Hidden on the moon are several thousand old-fashioned ICBM's. But with a major twist, the warheads are zero-point singularities. Instantly destroying their target, getting past their shields and all. Jedi, you don't have to accept this, but if you do, we can get rid of every Dortde in orbit. Giving us equal opportunity on the ground."
"You've got to be kidding me. All this time you were able to fire on those ships, but you didn't?"
"No. We can't fire on those ships for two reasons. One, we can't get any kind of signal out through all of the radio clutter that is jamming the frequencies from the lead ship. Two, and sadly this is the worst of all. Their ships are equal to us in firepower, and so are their ground troops, but their ship shielding is something that we have never seen. It takes the energy we put out, and recycles it. Truly amazing. The only way we were able to destroy the few ships was to overpower their shielding by self-destructing our ships. It was really sad that battle."
"General, I think that if that is the only way we can try it. I trust you. I will try to begin looking into some way of getting past their shielding. Did you manage to get any kind of readings on what those shields were made of? Any kind of advanced sensor readings of their ships? Anything could help. I would also like someone who can understand all of the mumbo jumbo that all I just asked about. I was taking calculus and Advanced Physics when I was in high school, but that was fifty years ago. I am betting that what was thought of as theory back then has been fact for a long time here."
"Jedi, you are either the bravest person I have ever seen, or you are just plain stupid. Oh! By the way, I got the results from your scans when you got back. It does appear that there are no organic parts to you. In that sense, you are an android. But let me tell you this, you have shown me to be more man than anyone here. "
That was the conversation that was heard over the loudspeakers of the base. From all parts, people began to cheer. They now were hopeful. Messages telling of what was to happen were sent to all parts of the remaining free world. Back in Jedi's room, the young captain showed up with a candle and a match. "Sir, I read in your file that yesterday was your birthday, but you were resting and no one wanted to disturb you, so here. Happy Birthday!"
Jedi grinned as the candle was lit. He enjoyed having someone treat him as a person. An android doesn't have birthdays, only humans do. He was mentally tired, but he figured that it was worth being tired, if he brought happiness to even one person. But little did he know that within an hour every single person remaining out of the 30 million people were happy and celebrating.
But they weren't the only ones that were planning their final assault.
