Chapter 5: Home Guard
The huge steel doors rushed open, and Dr. Barnes was face-to-face with the highest ranking members of the United States Military. Generals of the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force were all there, ready to hear what he had to say, as well as assistants and guards, which had scattered throughout the building for security. They had been told that he might have some way to beat the looming threat, and they waited somewhat eagerly to hear his ideas. Dr. Barnes motioned them into the spacious lab.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Please come in. There aren't many seats, but…" the Marine commander cut him off.
"Cut the crap, Doctor, and get to the point. We've all got troops to prepare and plans to make, and we don't feel like sitting around. Got it?"
"Yes, sir. I assure you, your time will not be wasted. If you'll follow me over here," he motioned to the far left corner of the room, to the left of the Gate, "I'll show you the first item on our agenda. This is the first of many devices that will be at your disposal in the coming fight."
"Excuse me, but how are these things going to help?" Asked the Army commander. "From the looks of it, you've only got a few of whatever that is lying around, and we need a hell of a lot more than that."
"I will get to that. Please listen closely, Gentlemen, and all your questions will be answered in due time. The first device I must show you is this Laser Drill. Originally designed for mining application, it may be able to cut through materials 20 times stronger then titanium."
"May?" Asked the Marine commander.
"Yes. You see, we don't actually have a metal that much stronger than titanium, so we can only estimate its power. However, I can say it has penetrated every material we have tried it on, even in multiple layers. Nothing has been able to stop it."
"That's good, but you said it's a drill, right?" Said the Army commander.
"Yes."
"How easy is it to handle, let's say, for the average man? Keep in mind we may be arming civilians if our own forces are not enough."
"I have already planned for that, General. I assure you, weight will not be a problem." Before anyone could say anything, Dr. Barnes picked up the drill, which resembled a steel tube narrowing back to a handle at its rear and with a handle on top, with his left hand. His face showed no signs of exertion, since the object only weighed a little over ten pounds. "As you can see, gentlemen, it is light enough even for an old man like me." He said with a sardonic smile.
"That's nice and all, Doctor, but how powerful is it? I have yet to see a demonstration." Returned the Navy commander.
"That is next. If you will direct your attention to your right on the far wall, you will notice a set of body armor. Watch closely." Dr. Barnes squeezed the firing trigger, and a burst of orange light jumped from the muzzle and impacted the body armor on the left, leaving a one-foot diameter hole clean through the chest plate and back. However, the wall behind it was unscathed, even though it had taken a direct hit from the beam. The Air Force commander was the first to notice this.
"The armor was destroyed, but the wall behind it wasn't even touched. Do you mind explaining this, Doctor?"
"Not at all. This is the next device I wanted to show you. The armor was the strongest that has yet existed, but was easily destroyed by the Laser Drill. In contrast, the wall was merely steel-reinforced concrete and was not harmed. The reason for this is the Shield Array. You'll notice that large box next to the armor. That's the Generator. It creates a field of energy over an area, in this case the lab, for protection. I originally designed it for scientists operating in hostile areas, such as near wildlife or natural phenomenon, but you it can easily be deployed to protect against any kind of energy attack."
"Are you saying that the invader is going to be using such attacks?" Asked the Army commander, "After all, not even the military has any positive intelligence on this thing. If you know something, would you please share it with the rest of us?"
"General, I am merely going on assumptions based on data I have received from S.E.T.I. Its scans revealed that the invader is a cybernetic organism, and holds inside itself many advanced technologies which we hold no knowledge of. All we have been able to figure out is that it is made of an alien metal, and that it knows English." Looks of surprise passed over the faces of the generals and their assistants. The marine general was especially incredulous.
"English! How the hell can this thing be from outside our solar system and still know English?"
"I am not sure, general, but we may find out soon enough. The invader will arrive in two more days." Now the Army general was stunned.
"Two days? How are we to prepare? We need time to mobilize our troops, move supplies, position defenses, the list is endless! Besides that, we need to produce all this crap you've shown us if we even want a chance at winning this war. How can we do all this in two days?" Dr. Barnes tried to ease the general's mind.
"These devices have already been produced, here in this facility."
"What? How many?" The Army commander asked.
"Enough to arm and equip one-thousand men."
"One-thousand!? That's it? It's going to take millions of men and then some to stop this thing and you only have a thousand?"
"Listen everyone. I'm going to be honest. The invader must be stopped quickly, when he first arrives. If this does not happen, then all the armies and defense forces in the world won't be able to stop him. Sadly, we may not even be able to win with even these. It must be a small force, trained in urban combat and utilizing this equipment. This force must meet him head-on at his landing zone."
"Where is this landing zone?" Asked the Air Force commander."
"Here. The city of Los Angeles."
"What! How do you know this?"
"S.E.T.I. decoded his message, which stated his landing zone to be here, in plain English."
"How come you knew about this and we didn't?"
"This information was discovered only today and has yet to be relayed to the proper authorities."
"God Damn." Replied the general.
"Gentlemen, we have little time. You must choose one-thousand of your best men and bring them here. They must be deployed in the city limits, with fifty to be deployed in this building."
"Wait, why here?" The Air Force general asked.
"This is going to be your command center, since no other place will be safe for you. As I said before, this entire facility is shielded, from top to bottom. Communications equipment will be moved in, and you will be able to direct the defense of Earth from this very room. In addition, if our defense fails, this place will be the fallback point, the Alamo, the last stand…"
"This is it?" Asked the Navy commander. The Marine commander responded, if a bit angrily.
"Now wait one damned minute! We are the leaders of the United States military. You are nothing but a rinky-dink science boy here to give us some info and some advice. You're not here to order us around and take over command of this operation. Is that clear, Doctor?!" The old leatherneck was screaming now, his face read and sweaty. Veins appeared on his forehead, which Dr. Barnes could see very clearly since the commander was six inches from his face. His own face was simply a thoughtful mask. He even took the erratic step of stroking his beard in a brooding manner. This angered the Marine commander even further, and he began another angry tirade. Dr. Barnes simply turned away and addressed the rest of the generals.
"Gentlemen, the commander here is right. You are in command of the forces of the United States, not me. I am merely a scientist. If you so choose, you can ignore everything I've just told you and go back to your original plan. However, it is my belief that our chances of victory are slim, if they even exist at all. I believe that to win will require a highly unconventional battle plan, involving highly unconventional weapons and tactics. I do not seek power over this operation, nor do I wish to command anyone. My only goal is to see that my ideas and technologies are made available, or possibly even utilized, in the approaching battle. This reminds me, I have one more thing to show you." This time, Dr. Barnes reached into the inside pocket of his lab coat. There he noticed an object that shouldn't have been there, but he reminded himself to take care of it later. What he wanted was next to it. He closed his fingers around it, and pulled it out. It was small and white, with a green piece of glass attached. It looked like half a pair of sunglasses connected to one earphone. Dr. Barnes unfolded it and placed the earphone over his right ear, and he adjusted the small arm so that the green glass piece was focused over his right eye. The generals looked at him strangely, and a couple snickered to themselves. They thought he looked ridiculous.
"Gentlemen, please listen closely. This is perhaps the most important piece of equipment your troops will be carrying."
"Great. So you're saying all of the men we give you are going to look like idiots? What is this, a defense force or a clown brigade? Really, Doctor." The Marine commander responded.
"Don't let appearances deceive you. This is an integral part of the systems that will be deployed in the battle. I call it the Scouter. It is a heads-up display system that will be connected to the soldier's weapons, armor, even body, as well as being linked to all other Scouters. It will allow each individual soldier to monitor the strength and conditions of his weapons, armor, and his own vital signs. It will also be the primary source of communication with his fellow soldiers. However, its primary function is the most important of all. With this device, the soldier will be able to see the weaknesses of the enemy, and gauge his true power.
"What does that mean?" Asked the Navy commander.
"Allow me to explain. We have no definite data on our enemy. We don't know his offensive or defensive capabilities, his speed, or his damage threshold. In short, we are fighting blind. The Scouters may show our troops some gaps in the invader's defense."
"Well," began the Army commander, "You've made a believer out of me, Doctor. I'm in. I'll chip in five hundred troops for your little experiment."
"I'll second that," said the Navy commander, "I'll give you a hundred SEALs."
"Same here," said the Air Force commander, "I'll send a hundred Special Ops." The Marine commander merely grumbled to himself and looked away. Soon, all eyes were on him. Dr. Barnes broke the stinging silence.
"That's seven hundred troops. You have my gratitude. However, we are still three hundred troops short. Does anyone wish to increase the…"
"The marines will send three hundred soldiers. From Force Recon. Can't let you pussies go it alone, can we?" Applause filled the room. Earth's Home Guard was beginning to take form.
……………………
Catherine was busy doing the dishes when the phone rang. Since she had said goodbye to her husband and only son this morning, she had done nothing but housework. That's what she did most of the time anyway, but today it had taken on a frenzied pace. In the past three hours, she had vacuumed the whole house from top to bottom, cleaned every scrap of dirty laundry that the family owned, washed the floors that couldn't be vacuumed, and cooked a three-course breakfast, which she never even touched. She put it in the refrigerator and proceeded to pull all the dishes, cups and silverware out of the cupboards and drawers and wash them by hand, piece by piece. She had currently completed one-fourth of the job.
It was either this, or sit down and contemplate what horrors might befall her son and husband in the not-so-distant future. For a dedicated mother and wife such as herself, nothing could be more unbearable. So, for this reason, she worked like a manic depressive. To keep the bad thoughts at bay.
Catherine didn't actually hear the phone until the third ring. Her head jerked up, and with lightning speed, she grabbed the earpiece and nearly tore it out of the wall in the process.
"HELLO!?" She answered.
"Honey, it's me. Malcolm."
"MALCOLM! How are you?Are you safe?Has the beast arrived yet?Has the battle started?Did Robbie leave okay?Have you heard from him?Have you…"
"Catherine! Get a hold of yourself. I'm fine, and Robbie got through okay, but I'm not sure about what's happening, since there is no way of communicating with him."
"When are you coming home?"
"Sadly, I won't be coming home for a couple of days. I have many preparations to make here at the lab that will require my constant presence."
"Honey, where will you sleep? What will you eat?"
"There are facilities here at the lab to take care of all my needs, but if you by any chance have some of that beef stir fry left over, I'll send one of my assistants to pick it up."
"Malcolm, this is no time to joke around. What are you going to be doing that requires you to stay so long?"
"Well, remember all those things I told you about that I was working on?"
"The ones you said were non-military?"
"Umm, yes. Well, the military wants them for the defense of Earth."
"You lied to me!?" Dr. Barnes held the phone away from his head as his second angry tirade of the day spewed forth. One of the guards at the desk in the hall asked if everything was all right. Dr. Barnes flashed him a thumbs up and returned to the phone.
"How could you go behind my back and…"
"Honey! For the love of God, stop! I didn't lie to you. These things I made were for strictly civilian or scientific purposes, but when I received word that the invader was coming, I simply found new uses for them. I would never lie to you dear. You know that I love you."
"Okay, you're off the hook this time, but I'm still worried about you."
"I know, but listen closely, because there's something important I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I want you to get some things together, enough for a week, and go to your mother's house in Phoenix."
"What?! Why…"
"Don't ask questions! Just do what I say. Things could get dangerous in the city and anywhere nearby. Call her up, do what you have to, but get there or as far away from Los Angeles as you can today."
"Why are you staying if it's so dangerous? What's happening there?!"
"The invader is coming to Earth in two days. He will be landing in Los Angeles."
"Oh my God…"
"That's why it is imperative that you leave. I'm warning you now because in one hour, the military will issue a general order for all civilians to leave the city. When that happens, there will be a panic, and you won't be able to get out for a long time." Catherine went to say something, but Dr. Barnes was talking to someone else next to him.
"Honey, I have to go. They need me now."
"Off to save the world, too?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Don't get yourself killed, do you hear me?"
"I won't. You stay safe as well, dear. I don't think I could live without you." "I love you, Malcolm."
"I love you, too, Catherine." Reluctantly, they both hung up their phones, each wondering if they would ever see the other again.
…………
"Dr. Barnes, the troops are assembling. Are you ready to go?" Called a corporal standing in the doorway of his lab. Malcolm did not respond immediately, but instead packed some papers and notes into his briefcase. He then looked up and responded.
"I am now. Is the chopper waiting?"
"Yes, sir. Ready to go, sir."
"Alright. Listen, you don't have to call me 'sir' I'm not even in the military. Just call me 'Doctor.' Okay?"
"Yes, si…Doctor."
"Good. Let's go." The corporal led Malcolm to an elevator which then took them to the top of the FutureTech building, where a huey sat waiting to deliver them to a secret staging ground underneath the city. Here, Malcolm would give begin to train his defense force, codenamed Zero Division (as in Ground Zero), in the special equipment they would be using.
The chopper began to rise into the skies and head toward the city of Los Angeles, and Malcolm was given a bird's-eye view of what was happening in the streets below. Just half an hour ago, the military had announced its order for the city to be evacuated, as well as a proclamation of martial law. Now, chaos reigned.
As the chopper approached the city, its occupants saw that every street and thoroughfare throughout the metropolitan area was jammed with people, as well as vehicles of every type. Trucks and buses, all the way down to cars, motorcycles, and even bicycles clogged the lanes from curb to curb and up on the sidewalk on both sides. Even through the armor of the military transport, Malcolm could hear the roaring din of sound, the roar of panic suffusing the air. Through the bulletproof glass, he saw the violence begin to spread. Fights began between enraged motorists. Police tried to direct the now stagnant flow of traffic, and then tried to subdue those who wouldn't comply. Looters broke into homes that they assumed were empty, only to find them occupied, and that the occupants would willingly respond with sometimes lethal force. Already, several bodies littered the sidewalks, the police unable or to busy too do anything about it. The people of Los Angeles knew that something dangerous was on its way, and all they could think about was survival. The pilot's voice came over the intercom.
"Dr. Barnes, we're setting down now. Prepare for landing." Malcolm quickly made sure his seatbelt was secure, and the chopper made a landing on the rooftop of a low-rise building on the other side of the city. The building looked like a simple warehouse or business, but it hid the secret underground assembly point and training facility for Zero Division. Thankfully, Malcolm was far enough away from the city to be spared the up-close-and-personal view of the carnage.
Two guards approached Malcolm and the corporal as they stepped out from under the chopper's whirring blades. The first one offered to take Malcolm's briefcase, but he declined. The two guards then escorted the scientist and corporal to the waiting elevator. They stepped inside, and the elevator brought them down to the basement level.
The door opened to an awesome sight. Malcolm found himself in a small room, about the size of a large classroom, overlooking a large expanse. It was then that he got his first glimpse of the force that would lead the defense of Earth. Spread below him, one-thousand strong, were the men and women of Zero Division.
They were all engaged in different activities, such as cleaning weapons, dusting uniforms, checking equipment, or just carousing, but when Malcolm stepped to the window, they all snapped to attention. There was a clatter of equipment quickly and roughly being put down, the rustling of clothes, and the sound of throats being cleared. When it was all over, all one thousand men and women raised stood at perfect attention, hands raised in silent salute. The saviors of Earth now looked to Doctor Malcolm Barnes to lead them to victory.