SCHIZONAUT

"It's him, sir, that ship is definitely the Pazuzu, nothing else looks like that or moves that fast!"

This became the call to battle stations for more than 10,000 S.T.R.I.L.E. personnel to mobilize their assault, upon one man.

But first the background..

chapter 1

"Survey ship Devotchka designation 8125 foxtrot victor has arrived at planet Gamma Vishnu at timestamp 0321 November 20, 3190." Lieutenant Alicin Singh flashed her smug smile at her co-pilot, "My voice is sexier than Devotchka's, this is historic, it should be marked with the human touch."

"Sexy voice aside, we still need to follow protocol", replied JR Lieutenant Ganon Marxie, 'Okay, standard orbit, probes are deploying, S.T.R.I.L.E. command has been informed of our position. Should we wake the crew?"

"They knew we'd arrive tonight," Alicin waved it off. "Muster is in two hours, if they wanted to be here, they would be here. When i was a junior lieutenant I would be there every time we came upon a new world, so I could say I was one of the first to see it, weren't you?"

"Sure, at first it was exciting," replied Ganon, 'but after a while, a hundred surveys of nothing but dead volcanic hellscapes, where the only thing we can do is tag them and claim mining domain. Over on the other side of the fringe, they're discovering new really amazing planets, you read the journals, yeah?"

"I get it Ganon, the search for ET", Alicin replied, "but there is life out here, come on we found plants on Taurus Theta, that was exciting, wasn't it?"

"Birds on Mu Oculonus, birds! And trees as tall as the sword of the sky!"

"Ganon -" Alicin's sentence was broken up by an alert reading from the surface probe.

'SENTIENT LIFE DETECTED'

'It can't be!' Ganon said as he opened the direct feed from the probe.

The video clearly showed a structure that could not have been made by natural force, an obsidian colored, tesseract-shaped anomaly, that was venting traces of organic gases.

"What is it?" shrieked Alicin, as she grabbed Ganon's hand, 'One of our ships?"

"Can't be, no one has ever been out this far, I'm going to wake the crew", replied Ganon, opening up the intercom channel. "Attention crew of the Devotchka, I'm sorry to disturb your sleep but we have arrived at Gamma Vishnu, and there is something down there!"

chapter 2

The first senior officer to arrive was Captain Katrina Torres, who was half-dressed, and began to put her uniform on, while asking 'What are we looking at, kids?"

"Unknown formation, ma'am" Ganon answered, "could be alien life, probes are still sending back data, this is the video, what do you make of it?"

'Not a S.T.R.I.L.E ship, could be Jovian, but they don't use this configuration that I know of, and if its venting organic gases, it can't be the Quartics or the Qintics, or if it is, there would be no reason.. Take a millikard reading."

"973 millikards, ma'am" answered Alicin.

"That's almost total planetary energy, there's no way a tiny ship or colony like that.. OH NO.." Captain Torres turned pale and fainted before Ganon could catch her.

'Ma'am?" Ganon cried, leaping from his co-pilot seat. "Ma'am?" "Alicin, alert the medical team!"

"We're here," announced Major Baud McMiller, in front of the rest of the crew who had responded to the alert. 'Give her some air, what happened junoir??"

"She fainted sir, i was just showing her the transmission from the probe, and she collapsed" explained Ganon, "maybe it was too exciting..?"

"Ganon, you are relieved. Go with officer Railsback to the infirmary, " spoke Commander Carlos Hernandes in his booming voice, "you will be debriefed later." And with a wave, he was taken away.

Commander Hernandes then squatted next to Lieutenant Singh in her pilot seat. He was an intimidating man, 2.2 meters tall and bore many battle scars. "Lieutenant Singh..."

'Sir," she responded, shakily.

"What did you see here? It was not evidence of alien life, or a crashed quartic ship, WAS IT?"

"An anomolous rock formation, sir?"

"There's a good girl." He motioned the med team to take her away, 'You'll tell medical officer Leland all about it'.

chapter 3

"McMiller, co-pilot seat, Raye on analysis, everyone else out, back to quarters, and make sure Torres is alright." barked his angry orders and sealed the ship's bridge. "It's him, it has to be!"

"If it is him, what can we do?" asked Raye, "He could destroy us from down there, there is no way we can take him."

"We've found him, Raye, that alone is worth 500q Plazi," replied Hernandes, "do you need anymore proof? Tesseract ship in the outer sectors, who else could it be?"

"Hey let's get out of here," offered McMiller, "if we can see him he can see us, okay? Information leading to the whereabouts its worth 500q, lets take that and go, I'm going to inform S.T.R.I.L.E. command, but then lets go."

'You do that, McMiller', answered Hernades, 'Just a minute while i observe.." The probe sent back video of the ship, unlike any other, a vantablack tesseract-shaped floating bastard of engineering. 'Look at this thing, how does it even.. There are.."

"COMMANDER WE HAVE TO LEAVE NOW' screamed McMiller, "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET AWAY"

They didnt get away. The Devotchka was disintegrated. but they did contact S.T.R.I.L.E. command, too bad they were not alive to collect the bounty.

chapter 4

MISSION - INVESTIGATE DESTRUCTION OF SURVEY SHIP DEVOTCHKA AT PLANET GAMMA VISHNU

DEPLOY S.T.R.I.L.E. SQUADRON 37 FULL ARMAMENT FULL PERSONNEL, SPECIAL MISSION OFFICER OCULON MSTANTRYL ASSIGNED AS ADVISOR.

UTMOST CAUTION ADVISED, UNEXPLORED SYSTEM, POSSIBLE HOSTILE ENTITIES PRESENT.

"It's the fucking Jovians looking to scare us off, that's all", Leiutenant Will Calder assured his platoon. "You know how they are, they move to a new system, want to break the rules of colonization, and we let them get away with it. Those days are over. This time we hit them hard, and make a point."

"READY TO WASTE THOSE CYBORGS, SIR," offered Seargent Peter Mann.

A rousing cheer echoed in the locker room, then a chant. "KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL!"

"LOAISZCU!" Sergeant Mann shouted at the man on the bench who did not join the chant. "ARE YOU NOT UP FOR THIS MISSION?"

"Ready for anything asked of me sarge," replied Junior Seargeant Etterie Loaiszcu, "If i know what that is. Why are they deploying the entire squadron to investigate one ship, and why is Oculon involved in this?"

'It's a fucking unknown presence that destroyed a survey ship and 21 S.T.R.I.L.E. personnel, Loaiszcu!" answered Lieutanant Calder, "whatever, whoever it is needs to be captured or destroyed, THIS IS WHAT WE DO!"

"I'm with the team, Lieutenant, all the way, but if whatever this is vaporized the Devotchka and was reading 973 millikards, it might well take out the whole squadron, and that wont be 21 deaths, it will be 10,000."

"Mission specialist, here," said Mann, condescendingly, "You aren't paid to make decisions, JUNIOR, now you get your ass combat ready, and if you sass the Lieutenant again, i'll have your ass court-martialed."

Lieutenant Calder nodded in approval. "You heard your superior officer, son, better do what he says."

'Yes, sir," replied Loaiszcu.

"The rest of you, show's over, i expect the sergeant's next report to be that everything is ready and no one is questioning orders!" Calder glared at Loaiszcu, "NOW MOVE IT!"

The marines broke up, moving quickly at their tasks, as did Loaiszcu, but Calder put up his hand. 'Not you," Calder said. "Let's talk, my office."

chapter 5

"Sit," Calder ordered. The office was in complete disarray, the only chair was covered in dirty clothes.

"I'll stand," Loaiszcu replied.

"Very well," Calder growled as he began to go through the stacks of printouts that covered his desk.

"I'm guessing the captain doesn't inspect this part of the ship often," obeserved Loaiszcu. "You're searching for the transcript of the mission briefing, no need, I have memorized it."

'You don't think it was the Jovians, do you?' asked Calder.

"I saw the video, I know who it is, and so do you, sir"

Calder shook his head, "We're all gonna die out there aren't we?"

"We have a fighting chance, if we're smart about it, sir, if we listen to Oculon, coordinate the blockade and get these nitwits sorted out, because they will be the first ones killed, and they'll end up getting us killed."

"I'm aware of what he is capable of, junior," said Calder wiping away his sweat with a dirty shirt, then producing a blue inhalant filled with ioscithizine and breathing it in deeply . "So, can you still speak to him, with your mind?"

"Never could, sir, our family left the cooperative in the 2700s. By now all we have is above-average intelligence. It became too dangerous to identify as psion in that time."

"S.T.R.I.L.E. has a non-aggression pact with the psionic cooperative, but not with Cirian Ganetto."

"He operates on his own, sir, none of his actions have been sanctioned by the council."

"What do you know about him?"

"Nothing more than is in the file, he is 216 years old has not aged one day since age 25, in 2999, he killed his own family by flying their ship into a neutron star with his mind, and ever since has been roaming the universe in his tesseract ship that no one can catch, killing and pillaging every instillation and colony for almost 200 years, a hundred million dead at his hands, and the bounty on his head is at least a sextoplaz."

"Closer to a septoplaz, I've heard." replied Calder. "Even the Jovians want his head, but they will never get there in time, we have the nearest base to Gamma Vishnu, and we have the most advanced ship, we can be there in 6 days, the soonest Basalt Sphere could be there is 11 and the Quintics at least 21 days."

"I'll not waste any more of your time, then, sir," Loaiszcu answered, poised to leave.

"Just a minute," Calder interrupted.

"I'm recommending you for field commission. You are more valuable as an officer to this mission."

"I appreciate that sir, and i will not let you down."

chapter 6

Etterie, cleaning out his locker in preparation to move to officers quarters was approached by Sergeant Mann, "Nothing personal about the other day, sir, it's my job to be an asshole to the men, you understand."

"As long as you realize it's now my job to keep you alive, and obedient, even if we use you for cannon fodder, but also be to be an asshole", Etterie extended his hand, Mann shook it. "I do not hold a grudge, Sergeant, we are up against something larger than that."

"Can you tell me?"

"You will be briefed at the proper time."

An announcement rang out on the speaker, "Attention officers of the Hood River, Admiral Rabbit requests a conference in docking bay 5, all commissioned officers are to report at 1100 hours."

"Fifteen minutes?" Etterie's face twisted. "That bay is on the other side of the ship! Gotta run, sergeant, uh, dismissed!"

"Give em hell, sir!" responded Mann as Ensign Loaiszcu dashed away.

chapter 7

Etterie had made it to the bay at 1059:01, by way of speedways. He ran his fingers through his thick hair, and straightened his uniform, in line behind the other officers queueing at the bay entrance.

"Never seen you before, ensign," a beautiful tall female junior lieutenant standing in front of him remarked at Etterie, "your first tour?"

'Ah, no lieutenant, been with the Hood a long time, just got my commission, today, in fact about 25 minutes ago, this is my first officer's meeting, ma'am."

"Sit next to me, I'll walk you through the formalities, ensign.. Loas, Loy," she struggled reading his nametag.

"Lo-was-ku, an old Hunnic name, Lieutenant.. Dyer."

"Let's go see the admiral, then!"

chapter 8

Docking bay 5 had been quickly converted into a conference arena, bleacher seating was quickly arranged at the admiral's order. Never before had all 650 of the Hood River's officers assembled at once. All stood at attention while Admiral Richard Rabbit walked into the middle of the bay.

'At ease," Admiral Rabbit's deep voice commanded, 'That means sit down and listen up." The sound of every officer sitting down in unison echoed across the bay. "Good. Now I know there have been rumors, I am here to confirm them."

Admiral Rabbit opened a projection screen and began to explain. 'These are the last images sent by the Devotchka before it was vaporized by an unknown source. As you can see the markings of this ship and the milikard reading identify it as the Pazuzu."

A collective gasp came from the officers, and a singular voice saying. 'OH GOD NO!"

"OH GOD yes," replied Admiral Rabbit, "this is our mission now, as you can see from the transmission the ship is damaged, and we have to get there before he can repair it and escape again. We are authorized to hit this planet with everything we have to end him once and for all. Captain Black will explain tactical."

"Thank you, Admiral," Black took over, "Recon reveals that Gamma Visnhu is mostly a desert world, with a 12% oxygen 6% methane 82% nitrogen atmosphere, toxic but potentially transmutable. I have configured our long range weapons to burn it to a cinder. S.T.R.I.L.E. command has weighed the cost of terraforming against the cost of ending Ganetto, and there is no question this is the right course of action."

Black continued 'When the Hood River is in range, we will fire 70 teratons of alpha weapons upon Gamma Vishnu, this should be sufficient to turn the planet to volcanic glass. After this, we will split the ship into its components and surround the planet in a blockade, as a second measure. As a third measure there will be a strike team deployed onto the surface, to make sure there is no trace of Ganetto. I am confident that this team will succeed in our mission. Admiral."

"Thank you captain," responded Admiral Rabbit. "That's the deal, officers of the Hood, you have nothing to be afraid of, assure your units that we will all survive this mission, and rid the galaxy of the most horrible mass murderer in history. There are 10,000 of us against one, the odds are in our favor."

Chapter 9

'I can't believe this", said Lieutenant Dyer to Etterie. "Destroying a whole planet to take out one man. That goes against every contravention S.T.R.I.L.E. officer's training taught me!"

"I've had 30 minutes of training, but I do know, these orders are coming from Oculon himself, there is no way that decision was made lightlyY," responded Etterie. "I know what Cirian is capable of, if we don't glass that planet, he is more than able to kill us all."

"Ten thousand highly trained S.T.R.I.L.E. operatives are no match for one man? I'm sorry, there is no way that is even possible," responded Dyer.

'Cirian Ganetto is not a man, he is an anomoly of evolution, he is what a man will be a million years in the future, and his ship is a psionic amplifier. I only wonder if the Admiral's course of action is enough."

'What do you know that the Admiral doesn't?"

"Think about this, why would he destroy the Devotchka? Because he knew we would send a bigger ship. He needs a bigger ship to repair the Pazuzu. Send a fleet, I will kill them all, take what I need and move on. The Devotchka was useless except as an incident."

"Then it's a trap! We need to..."

"Admiral Rabbit and Oculon are aware, this is why the plan is to rush in with the appearance of investigation but we come in firing. Even so there are too many uncertains."

'So he thinks he is trapping us but really as soon as the planet is in range, we melt it?"

'He cannot be taken alive, he is too dangerous, we have to destroy the entire planet with him on it. And that may not even take him out, we know he could escape a planetary geocide."

"If we get his ship," Dyer began, "we weaken him, he cannot kill without his amplifier, he can but not on a large scale, yeah?"

"His ship is also a sentient living being, they will be near one another, they will defend, if we get him, Pazuzu will still fight. Don't ask me how that is possible."

"Geocide, the only option. How has it come to this?"

Chapter 10

"Attention crew of the Hood River, we are now two hours from our destination, all crew are directed to complete final checks of weapons and craft and report to your command officers, there will not be another pre-engagement check before our arrival," first pilot Aaron Isley announced over the ship-wide channel.

"Ready, marines?" asked now Lieutenant Loaiszcu, "Don't be afraid, we will only see action once the bombardment is complete, and by then, it will just be a formality."

"Something in your voice tells me you don't believe in that, sir," said corporal Liset Danu.

'My voice, you take an offense to?" Loaiszcu grabbed her by the throat, 'YOU THINK IM AFRAID, I AM, YOU SHOULD BE TOO! ALL OF YOU HE COULD KILL YOU WITH A THOUGHT!"

"Lieutenant let her go, please!"

"We're gonna kill him with our nukes!" added another nameless marine.

Etterie released Danu, and gave a stern look to his squadron. "Nothing is ever 100 percent effective. But I am your commanding officer, you are my charges, i will do all in my power to keep you alive, and you must do all in your power to carry out my orders. Will you all commit to me in body and spirit, as i now commit to you?"

A low murmur of 'yes sir' came from the ranks.

"I am not convinced, i know you began your service for a paycheck, but now we must move beyond, we have tracked the most evil mass murderer in history and we will destroy him, you are committed to a cause that will change the course of reality itself, you are a part of history whether you like it or not. HEROES are made on days like today."

"YES SIR", now came louder.

AGAIN!

YES SIR, even louder.

AGAIN!

YES SIR! almost at a defeaning cadence.

"Get to your stations, then. DISMISSED."

Chapter 11

"Planet in range, FIRE"