Time Barbarians

by: Dennis R. Humphreys

Dr. Theodore Schoeffer was considered the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Albert Einstein. He made his first splash, two years after obtaining his master's in physics from Berkley. Since then, in his illustrious twenty years career, he had shaken the world of physics with dozens of papers and three popular books. His thinking was revolutionary. He developed a keen interest in studying space and time adopting Einstein's position that time travel was not possible... but that was by the conventional means dictated by his calculations. The force to move any mass in time or space by bending it required exponentially huge amounts of energy and the forces created for such a feat were so destructive as to tear matter apart, something the human body wouldn't take well to. Still, not trying to bend time and space under the present dictates of the scientific community or duplicating a wormhole, or finding one to enter, or worse yet a black hole that would prove destructive... Dr. Schoeffer felt there might be another way. That project started fifteen years ago and what may have been a lifelong exploration appeared to possibly be coming to an end.

Psychologists over time had done studies of the human brain, and what the intense mental exercises subjecting it to, over time, could do. Subjecting children at an early age to progressively more difficult mental computations, a few hours every day for a year actually created new neural networks in the brain that easily made advanced computations within seconds... faster than a computer. Show the subject a multiplication problem of nine digits times nine digits and the child could give you the right answer in. a second.

This may be what happened to the good doctor. He was so dedicated to creating something, working at it, many times for twelve or fourteen hours a day, he awoke one day with the entire plan in his head for creating the machine he needed, after dreaming about it non-stop one night. He got up that morning in a feverish frenzy and began sketching something that was marvelously simple but difficult to construct.

There was expense involved, but not as bad as what most people delving into the concept of time travel thought. His first thought was to hire an associate, someone brilliant with a background in physics that might be a student in the master's program at the college. He had a person in mind... Jennifer Stanley.

He also needed someone familiar with metals and the fabrication of large scale crystals, not in the form of synthetic boules as were being produced industrially but creating a whole new technology to produce them in a crystalline format as opposed to circular constructs with the present process. He found someone an hour away working for a high tech company producing large quartz crystals with a natural crystalline structures for communications. He had spent ten years doing this and was looking at other crystals to produce the same way. Natural crystals or like the ones he grew vibrated at various frequencies and produced energy when subjected to pressure or magnetism. Synthetics didn't do quite the same thing because there was no underlying crystalline structure. He was Spencer 'Rock' Jefferson.

Dr. Scheffer knew with the addition of these two, he would have a good team. Anything else needing to be done could be subbed out.

Money wasn't a problem as his funding was substantial. This was to be part of the project he was being funded for anyway. He had government money, university money and even private funding from both companies and individuals who followed his research. Every time he wrote a paper checks would appear.

A few days later he met with Jennifer and Rock and showed them his sketches after they signed non-disclosures to keep everyone honest.

“These sketches show something beautifully simple. However, growing natural, hexagonal sapphire crystals twelve inches across is a problem. I can do it with quartz but you want sapphire. Is there a reason for that?” Rock asked.

“I need a tremendous output of electrical energy. Quartz will create enough to generate power for the electrical grid but not enough to bend time and space. Sapphire will. So will rubies. Emeralds will create even more, and diamonds the most, but cost would be prohibitive with emeralds and diamonds and technically, there are size limitations as well,” the doctor explained.

“I've grown sapphire crystals in the lab and inch across. We only use them industrially. If they got out, or the process, the value of the naturally mined stones would be nothing because you couldn't differentiate them. Doubling the size from one to two inches would be four times harder. What I could suggest would be growing enough one inch stones to piece together, since they grow in a hexagonal format. They'll do the same thing. We can piece them together and cut them in the one inch thick slabs you need for your titanium wheel. The slabs then can be rounded to fit the openings you have,” Rock told the two of them.

“If that'll work, by all means. Then you can piece them together like a geodesic dome. I suppose you'll have to grind the facet sides of them to get perfect fits and then bind them?” the doctor asked.

“We'll need to employ a jewelry cutter with the correct lapidary equipment to do it. There are jewelry epoxies that are permanent, that they can make the large platters and then file them down and polish them,” Rock told him.

“Do you know of anyone that can do this?” Schoeffer asked.

“I'll find someone,” Rock told him.

“I'll check too. I know some people that belong to the Gem Hunters Society. Maybe they can make a recommendation,” Jennifer suggested.

“I gather you two are on board with the project then?” the doctor asked bit his guests.

“Of course,” replied Rock and Jennifer did as well.

Rock immediately went about growing sapphire crystals in his lab. He took it on as subcontract work which the company he was working for, would do. So he basically rented their facilities for the job and supplied the chemicals required to produce the crystals. It wasn't a fast process like producing industrial boules which required a furnace and a couple of mechanical devises. This used special autoclaves and high temperatures. To produce enough crystals to produce one slab that could be cut and polished for two disks would take two weeks at a time. For twelve of them it would be a total of at least twelve weeks.

In the meantime a twelve foot titanium wheel, one inch thick had to be manufactured. Then twelve, twelve inch, evenly spaced widows had to be cut in it at the perimeter.

The other important part of the puzzle was the ring of magnets that encircled the titanium disk. Rather than use expensive and extremely heavy rare earth magnets, Dr. Schoeffer did the calculations and discovered if they did the winding themselves to create an electromagnet, it would do the same thing. They needed energy to kick start the wheel but once it was in motion, the electricity it produced would allow it to run itself perpetually.

In four months, all the necessary ingredients to the machine were manufactured. Now it was the assembly that was required. The sapphire discs needed to be set into the titanium wheel. The wheel needed to be placed onto its axle where bearings assured it's smooth rotation within the wheel of miles of copper wire wrapped to create a magnetic field with the input of electricity. In another month the entire device was standing in a finished state and the three responsible for it were standing in the room looking at it. The wheel was balanced but at slower speeds. It needed to be tested at the speed it would be run. The wiring had to be disconnected to not inadvertently create the force to create a time and space warp. Once that was done and the necessary balancing performed, the device was ready.

The three scientists were filled with trepidation. It wasn't like they expected bells and whistles or a parade. It either worked or it didn't. Either way it was a point of truth that had to be crossed and the act of doing the crossing was going to be something formidable psychologically. Everyone wanted it to be a success but failure was also a lesson to be learned. But it could be a bittersweet lesson.

They were prepared for a test run but didn't know what to expect? Never having done anything like this before, what would they experience? The doctor had no idea either of how much space would be effected to measure. It was like the atomic bomb dropped in the desert to test. The results were measurable. They knew basically what they would be but until the first test no one really could guess what the measurable results would be. So there was some concern. How large an area would be affected bending time and space?

“Is everyone ready for me to flip the switch?” Dr. Shoeffer asked as he held his hand over the main switch to kick the titanium disk into movement with the initial input of electricity ..

“We're ready,” Jennifer told him. Rock shook his head.

The switch was flipped and the wheel began slowly to rotate but quickly accelerated turning the translucency of the sapphire discs into a circular ring of illuminated blue. As it sped up, it created a higher frequency tone that was a little annoying. It spun and spun until it got to its appropriate speed. There it settled in and began creating sparks that flowed over the wheel, snapping and droning in a continuous, low tone. Suddenly the entire apparatus seemed to becoming transparent and then it was gone.

The three scientists looked at each other, perplexed.

“Where did it go,” Jennifer asked as she went to the spot where it was and proceeded to put her hands out expecting to feel something. But there wasn't anything to feel.

“I guess the unit went to wherever the warp took it,” the doctor replied. “We weren't close enough to be taken with it. Your desk, Jennifer, isn't there any longer, so I surmise that was. Now we know how large an area the system controls”

Jennifer looked and indeed her desk was gone, along with her pocketbook.

“Damn... now I have to replace everything in my pocketbook,” she complained.

“And there's no way of getting the device back?' Rock asked.

“No. I guess the lesson is in the learning. We'll have to create another device and install a way of getting it back here, or one of us goes with it. I don't know what I was thinking but now we now what happened we can take precautions. It'll have to carry a battery pack for the initial energy needed to start it, unless we turn it down so it doesn't keep creating warped space only the power to keep running,” Dr. Schoeffer told them.

“Would more acceleration of the wheel create more power and a greater area affected,” Jennifer asked the doctor.

“I have no idea until we do another test which requires another wheel,” he answered. “I know the voltage we created to make happen what happened.”

“I guess we start over. The other factor now is where did the wheel go? It might have gone someplace without air we can breath, or in conditions we can't survive. We need some kind of life support system, or suit the next time,” Rock surmised.

“Perhaps it would take an area with it that would be a part of earth where someone could survive as long as the wheel ran and you stayed within the perimeter of the space it controlled into its destination. We still don't know that. Jennifer's desk, if she were sitting at it, might be fine for her as long as she remained sitting at it,” Doctor Schoeffer explained.

* * *

The planet's military personnel were alerted and thirty of them descended on the spot dressed for battle with the equipment to fight if needed. Out of the clear, some great device appeared outside of the city. There was what appeared to be a desk and some kind of bag with miscellaneous materials inside. There was a card with a picture and a name on it... Jennifer Stanley, state of California. It was undecipherable to those inspecting the materials because it wasn't in the language they understood or spoke.

“All that I know is this... it's not from this world. We have nothing like it and the language on those materials that came with it are meaningless to us.,” the military leader told the others standing there waiting for instructions.

“What should we do?” the underling asked.

“I'll speak with the president and see what he wishes to do. This could be ordained... a sign for another destination to conquer. We are one world now after out last attack. We've put many to death in the process of creating a better world for the rest of us to share resources where they are limited. Perhaps this expands the possibilities for us. President Xalt, in his magnificence may want to bring scientists in to study this. Perhaps he can use it to enter the world from which it came,” the man expanded.

So General Pach took pictures and his findings to the leader of his world to see what the plan might be.

“Ha! A device, meant to connect somehow to our world. Yes, this gives us another potential conquest for us. We might expand our resources and our wealth taking advantage of this. Get everyone you can... all the greatest minds to study it. See how we can use it. Those that sent this will be sorry because they will become our slaves. We killed over two million of our people necessary to unifying our world. Be prepared to be even more effective General Pach. I appreciate your loyalty. Do what you need to,” the President told his general.

General Pach sent for the greatest minds on his world to look at the device that came to their world. He told them to act quickly to find out how it worked, and to retrace the steps from where it came. He put his troops on alert then, and reminded them, 'protect those of like body, destroy those of different mind.'

* * *

“How's it going?” asked Doctor Schoeffer of his assistant who was helping place the sapphire disks in the titanium wheel.

“Actually, better than before. I guess the first time was a trial run and this time it's going better,” Rock replied. “I think we'll end up shaving a couple of days off our first venture.”

“Good. You know until we actually turn the machine on again and go where it goes, we have no idea how to calibrate it... or even if we can. It could be something that's constantly changing. If it is I'm not sure how we can even use it effectively,” he told his associate.

“I'm sure the military will find it useful in some way,” Jennifer Staley added.

“It's a good thing we have the funding, otherwise we'd be dead in the water,” the doctor told them.

“Can we get some kind of containment suits with air tanks for our next attempt?” Rock asked his superior.

“That's already done. NASA is aware of what we are doing and they're sending us four astronaut suits to use. We'll be ready the next time,” he replied.

“Just a thought... if we have to calibrate this machine and we have no idea at this point how... what happens if we get out there, to wherever, and can't get back because we can't figure out the coordinates?” Rock asked him.

“Speaking scientifically... then we're shit out of luck! No, I designed the system to record it's last coordinates as a basis for everything. There has to be a starting point to go from just like longitudes and latitudes. Once you have that you should be able to back track. When you leave your secondary point, you should also have another set of coordinates. It won't be enough to extrapolate for other trips, but it's a start. We'll get more precise as we make more trips,” he told Rock.

“Can we retrieve the other machine after we get this one operable?” Rock asked

“Only by happenstance, I have no idea what those coordinates are where that machine landed. They're recorded on that machine now wherever it is, with these coordinates as the baseline,” Schoeffer told him.

* * *

“How are things going out here,” President Xalt asked a team of scientists scurrying around the time/space machine. There was a large tent erected over it to study it around the clock and out of the weather.

The lead scientist, Dr. Zaphew Notoria went to entertain the president and brown nose him a bit. President Xalt was known for his outbursts and moments of insanity. If he was angered by something that happened, or what he heard or saw, he was known to pull his presidential sword from its scabbard and take someone's head. His office was decorated with those who angered him as a reminder to others, and as an endearment to him.

“It's quite simple your excellency, actually. Once you give it an initial power boost it will continue to run on its own through whatever the power is it generates. That' s is how it generates its power to travel as well. We just don't know how much power. We don't want to run it at its operable speed and lose it. That may be how it got here on its own,” the scientist informed the president.

“Did you find out anything from where it came?” the president asked.

“It was still running at a reduced speed when it got here. It still had it's atmosphere from where it came surrounding the device, about a twenty foot circumference. Very similar to ours but with a lot less carbon,” the scientist told him.

“So we could go there without having to where protective suits or carrying atmospheric tanks? And we could fit as many soldiers into that twenty foot circumference to send there?” the president asked building a plan in his head.

Xalt's world had no capability for space travel or any device like this. It didn't need to . It was ruled by a barbarian society that killed masses of people when the population grew close to beyond control or there was too much pressure on resources. It was easier just to eliminate people. Thee wasn't any need to look beyond this world, so space travel was something unneeded. However, now the opportunity that arose was different. There were possibly resources the president could take advantage of and become wealthier in the process, without anyone caring.

“When do you think you'll have this operable to send out an exploratory party?” the leader asked.

“Any day now. Once I'm comfortable how it operates. I'd get a party together to travel, because once we take it to speed it's going to leave this spot. I have a reading on the device from where it came.. Once it leaves here there should be another set of these coordinates. They had intended to man it when it got here, since the coordinates were recorded the way they were to control the device,” he explained. “They just goofed.”

“Ha... is that a scientific term, doctor?” the president joked, which was unlike him, but he was excited about the possibilities and his demeanor was uplifted.

All the way back to the palace the president made plans. They had no abilities for space travel, but their weapons were beyond dispute the best of any arsenal. The guns could disrupt molecular fields accurately at two miles, completely disintegrating an object. Its field could be widened to a ten foot area so anything within its target area of ten feet would be annihilated. They had launchable bombs that could do the same thing, dematerializing anything within a half mile radius. They were programmed bombs to only spread their effect upwards in a hemispherical pattern. That way, the ground was unaffected that it hit. They could be detonated in the air as well, if needed.

There were a series of laser-like weapons they had as well. All weapons were powered by galactic energy, which was continuous and incapable of depletion. All the weapons carried defense mechanisms that created a shield around its carrier to fend off any outside munitions from wounding them.

“General Pach, see how many men and weapons you can take in a single trip with that machine. Dr. Notoria tells me it has a twenty foot radius so I imagine you should be able to send about thirty men out at one time. If it looks good to you you can send someone back with it to get more men. Take as many as you need and stay hidden until you put an army together. If it's worthwhile, we'll plan on taking this world for our own. We can decide what's an convenient number of people to enslave and control and dematerialize the rest,” the leader outlined.

“I'll start putting together a complete group of three hundred then. That should be plenty. We've never had to use more than three hundred before to take over a country, and we've never lost a man in the past thirty years, since we developed our defense shields,” he told the president, and he left the room.

This action would guarantee his long term dependency of the presidency not to speak of his undying friendship. It was at times like this when a superior opportunity presented itself, you didn't question it. You just did it. He was sure the resources alone he'd find, where he was going, would abound. Then there were the potential slaves. Other things that could be used that might even be superior to what they had, might be available. The possibilities were endless. The profits bountiful.

* * *

“We'll be ready in four days, Theo,” Jennifer announced.

“That's good. I do wish we could retrieve the other machine when we take this one out, but it's beyond chance that the machine would take us to the very same point the other one is. The odds are probably astronomical. We could spend a lifetime looking for it,” the doctor told her.

“Don't worry about it. If this works like it's supposed to we won't even give the other machine a thought. Question is, who's going on the trip?” she asked him.

“I would like to go but someone should stay here unless you or Rock don't want to go, then I will. We have four suits. I think we should take a couple of x military with us from the faculty perhaps, if we can get volunteers. Take some weapons with us as well. We don't know what may be waiting on the other side of this trip,” he confided in her.

“You should stay here anyway in case something goes wrong,” she told him.

“Jennifer... what could I do anyway if something went wrong? It isn't like I can go out in my car, pick you up and bring you back here,” he corrected her.

“You're right... that was a stupid thought. If we're gone we're gone. I want to go. I have nothing and no one here to hold me back. I know Rock is dying to go. I'll say something to him to let you know. I'll see about getting a couple of volunteers since time is getting short now,” she mentioned to the doctor.

* * *

“Well General Pach... all you men. This is a glorious day in our history. You are about to embark on a mission never committed before in our history. We have taken over cities and entire countries but never before another world. The spoils of our endeavors are bound to be great based on this machine that came to us unannounced. As president of this world I commend you all to undertaking this exploit on this memorable day and congratulate you all ahead of time for your patriotism. Good luck gentlemen.

With that, all the men saluted the president . Thirty took their positions around the machine, within a perimeter line drawn to designate how far the effects the machine went. There was a few extra feet of safety measured into things so when the machine transported itself, it didn't leave any partial men behind.

Dr. Notoria announced he was ready and all men were to take their positions. The other two hundred seventy men stood ready to be transported as the machine came and went. Ten trips in all would complete the offensive, unless the first group returned deciding there wasn't anything worthwhile there, but that was highly unlikely.

Dr. Notoria went to the switch box his people had built with a device to create the initial surge of power needed to put the machine in motion. Galactic energy created the initial surge of electricity needed. They never had used electricity before, only galactic energy so it took a few days to figure out how to produce it. Once they saw what it was by artificially moving the titanium disk to produce some, the rest was simple.

In less than a minute the disc gained the momentum it needed and the discharges of electricity began playing across the surface of the twelve foot wheel. The men all looked with interest, as the tent behind it disappeared from view and a dark backdrop, with slashes of light appeared. It began revolving into a corkscrew of motion. It was disorienting because it felt like they were moving when in fact, they were still. Suddenly it became brighter and they found themselves in a large room filled with all kinds of apparatus. They had come to land next to a device identical to it and there were three people standing by watching as they saw the machine transporting the soldiers, appear.

Before anything could be said or done, the General barked his orders and the thirty soldiers on board spread through the room and segregated it. Each doorway was guarded by two men. Several stood in front of the windows.

“What's the meaning of this?” yelled Doctor Schoeffer, an inappropriate question. To ask, but at the moment he knew nothing else to yell.

“I am General Pach. I have commandeered this ship you sent us in the name of my planet. I have been sent here to observe your planet,” he told the scientists, choosing his words wisely, to not tip his hand quite yet. Whom am I addressing?”

“I am Dr. Schoeffer. These are my associates... Dr. Stanley and Rock Jefferson,” he answered. We made a mistake sending that machine out,” the doctor told him.

“That's what we thought. It took us a few days to figure out how to operate it since we don't use the same energy source as you do but we finally were able to run it. I wish to know more about your world. How large is this place?” he asked as he wandered over to the window to look outside while he was talking.

What he saw was just part of a busy city... cars, buses, and people walking. He looked up and observed a jet as it flew over to land at the airport. Already he had in his mind an invasion would be worthwhile from the little he saw. There was technology and therefore money and resources. The buildings were large and tall and could be seen as far as he could see.

“How many people are on your world?” he asked nonchalantly.

“About six billion,” the doctor reported.

“That's a lot more than my world. We would have never let it grown that large. That's an unmanageable size,” the general commented. “We must do something about that.”

“Do something about it?” Dr. Stanley retorted. “What do you mean by that?”

“Just what I said. If my people are coming here to rule this planet we must bring it into manageable size,” he told her. “Corporeal Voaht... take the device back and start bringing the others. Tell the president this place is worthwhile assimilating.”

“Assimilate?” Rock shouted. “You won't make it three miles before our military picks you off. You haven't enough men for this country's army let alone the world's armies.”

“Rock!” Jennifer cried as she saw the general make a move to unholster the weapon he carried, thinking he was about to silence Rock.

Instead, he aimed it at their microwave they had to heat their coffee as they worked. He pulled the trigger and the oven dissolved before their eyes. He made an adjustment on the handle and then aimed it at the wall and pulled the trigger, placing a ten foot hole there.

“Our weapons all carry a force field so nothing can penetrate the field to hurt its carrier. They run on galactic energy and never run out of ammunition,” he informed Rock. “Do you have anything comparable? And these are just our portable weapons.”

“Well... no, not really,” Rock answered weakly. Having armed men with unlimited ammo, unable to be stopped... that was impressive. You wouldn't even need much of an army to do a lot of damage. Rock could suddenly see how a country could be brought to its knees without much effort. If they had other weapons like these, but long range weapons... who knows?

A few minutes later, the time/space warp machine returned with another thirty passengers. It left again as soon so those disembarked. The room was full now so it was necessary to begin taking over the building. It was easy enough to branch out and take over the entire floor. By the time they had done that, another contingency of soldiers appeared and were dispatched. By the time the hour passed three hundred soldiers had taken over the building, dismantling all communication devices. People were asked to turn over any communication device they had under the threat of being disintegrated, if they were caught using it. They willingly turned their phones over to the aliens.

“Over millennia, people on earth took over weaker nations for their land and resources and it's still going on today. Should another stronger planet be any different? We kind of invited them in accidentally, sending out that time/space machine,” Rock told Jennifer.

“That, why I've always been against letting our fellow scientists broadcast introductions out there to try and communicate with alien planets. You might get opportunists just like us. And then this happens,” she answered.

“At least have an infrastructure in place of some sort to protect the planet. If they had done that when they first started broadcasting from SETI, maybe we could counteract this. This is our fault,” Rock told her.

“Please be quiet you two,” General Pach suggested. “I'll tell you when you can speak and when you can't.”

Once all his soldiers were in place he gave them directions to stay in the building. They would go out later and disrupt the city bringing those protecting the citizens to them.

“We don't need to expend energy or go looking for those that would resist us. We can just stay here and let them come to us. As we destroy the opposition bit by bit, they will continuously send more men and use stronger weapons which we will destroy,” he told them.

“You're going to use this facility as your fort?” Dr. Schoeffer questioned.

“Yes. I am. It seems as good as any place and why weaken my men when we can just stay here and destroy the enemy as we wish,” he responded.

“We are not your enemy,” Schoeffer told him.

“We desire your world that you don't want us to have... I think you qualify as our enemy,” the officer corrected him.

The general sent two of his men to go out and blatantly disrupt things by opening fire on the city's citizens and then return. It would be reported and the authorities would come. This would elicit a stronger response each time as they eliminated each group that came.

The people outside went into a panic. Within a short time police cars appeared. They used bullhorns to ask the men to surrender. One of the alien soldiers responded by firing at a police car. It dissolved quietly along with the two officers standing by it. The rest of the police opened fire, but were immediately disintegrated along with the cars. It was as if they had never been there.

Within minutes several more police cars and a swat team in an armored assault truck appeared. Dr. Schoeffer and his two associates, watched from the window at the spectacle. This time two of the alien soldiers went out into the open. They yelled to the police to stand down and surrender, or they would open fire. They were only goading the police to show their strength and to exhibit their lack of fear for the weapons the police carried.

Two tactical officers had climbed atop the truck and were taking aim at the aliens. They fired in unison, but the bullets had no effect. The only thing they did, was create small, almost imperceptible sparks, as they struck the force field and vaporized. The one soldier fired back and the entire truck, with its men, disappeared before everyone's eyes. The remainder of police responded illogically with a volley of gunfire. What did they think they would achieve? The two aliens fired back casually, without taking any cover. There wasn't anything to fear. In the process, they obliterated any sign of the police ever having been there.

Now the authorities were beat. The only thing they could do, they did... call the governor to bring in the military. By now they realized they were fighting either terrorists with superior technical weapons, or aliens.

In a few hours the national guard were mobilized and armed vehicles were observed moving down the street. Some citizens remained on the street, watching and taking pictures. They were at their own risk being there but were warned to get off the streets by the fifty or so men accompanying the war vehicles.

The vehicles were distributed evenly between the front and back of the building. About thirty men stayed in the front while twenty went to the back. Their commander stayed in front and came into sight with a bullhorn.

“You have innocent people with you in there. If this is going to be a standoff of some sort, please release them. We can negotiate what you want,” he announced. His answer was being dissolved in front of his men. His men opened fire but in turn were readily disintegrated. Heavier weaponry was used to fire into the building then, but their answer was the same. Those in the back of the building, met the same fate. Like the police, nothing was left. It was as if the national guard had never been there.

By now the authorities had visual evidence of the altercation, uploaded via computers, to the military commanders. They knew, without a doubt, they were facing an enemy with superior weaponry...most likely extraterrestrial. The only thing thy could do was fight them with whatever means they had, without the ability to avoid collateral damage.

Now the army descended on the building. They brought mortars, bazookas and even two tanks. It looked like a third world war zone. As the army took positions around the building General Pach deployed fifty of his men to the outside of the building... twenty-five in front and twenty-five in back.

“I want to impress on them that they will not win. Get them to fire at you for awhile...even if you have to open fire first. Let them see there is no use trying to penetrate our force fields. Open fire when they're finished, and destroy them all,” he commanded. “Wait a minute... their officer is getting ready to say something. I want to hear him first.”

There was a Colonel Ivan Parrish leading the men. He, like the others, pleaded that those in the building let the civilians go.

General Pach considered it this time. He didn't care if they were killed or not. Eventually they would be, but perhaps it would display his magnificence by letting the hostages go. Besides, things were escalating and these soldiers were ready to bombard the building with everything they had. They would probably then bring the building down around them but his army would still be standing, unharmed. Maybe they would understand then the futility of their engagement.

The scientists and researchers... everyone in the building were herded out of the building, including two aliens dressed in lab coats. The aliens and earth people looked alike so this wasn't difficult. The general thought it would be smart to have two spies within the group he let go. It might afford him some pertinent information of what was going on outside the building. None of the people there even noticed the two outsiders. They were just happy to get out before things got worse.

Once they were gone, General Pach sent his men out to position themselves. They were asked again by the military to stand down and hand over their weapons. They had until the count of five to do so, or the soldiers would open fire.

At the count of five the army opened fire. Mortars were lobbed and someone fired a bazooka. Amidst the clearing smoke and debris, were a few holes in the building. Bricks and tiles were strewn about the sidewalk outside. However, the aliens stood unaffected. It was then that two air force jet fighters swept in and fired missiles. Increased damage was done to the building but again, the alien insurgents were unaffected. At first, they returned the attack with laughter. The defending soldiers on the ground looked at each other with a look of defeat.

Then the alien soldiers opened fire. It was quiet but more deadly and efficient. The jets took another pass at the aliens as they were wiping out the ground troops. As they approached, one of the soldiers shot at them and they were gone. Within minutes, all the soldiers were gone, with all their weapons and equipment. The only answer again for the U.S. Army was starting over with more soldiers and more arms.

A few hours later, a thousand men were brought to the site, with every imaginable weapon. Jets flew over and around the perimeter, while tanks positioned themselves, and helicopters, heavily armed for combat, appeared. A cavalcade drove up to the building. The limos were lined on either side with escorts. It was the Vice President of the United States.

Her purpose in coming was to see what exactly the aliens wanted... to attempt some kind of negotiation.

As the limos pulled up outside the General looked out of the window.

“I think they have sent some dignitary to speak with us, men. I'm going outside to speak with this woman. I want ten of you outside with me,” the general commanded and so they went outside. The general waited for the woman too come up the steps to the sidewalk where he waited.

She ascended the steps with three men at her sides, and as she got to the top the general spoke.

“I am General Pach of the planet Tiavouz,” he told her as he stood at attention.

“I am Dorothy Parrish, Vice President of the United States of America,” she said giggling to the point she was hard to understand, but the general gave her his full attention so he could comprehend her. “This is more interesting than the southern border where I've never been. Then there's the issue going on right now in Iran. Perhaps if we could send them a mass shipment of Hershey Bars things would quiet a bit.”

The General looked at her without any idea of what she was talking about, and thought to himself, 'if this is what we have here, this planet will be so easy to conquer'.

“Madame, what is so funny? All you do is giggle. This is a serious matter and you and your planet are at serious risk. Why have you come?” he asked her.

“To negotiate of course. That's why I am who I am. I'm a very good negotiator. What do you want?” she asked.

“Your planet,” is all the General said... simply and to the point.

“Yes, but what do you want?” the vice president asked again.

“I think my translator chip isn't working properly,” he said tapping on a small box that wrapped partly around his throat, "testing one... two... three. Yes, it seems to be working... but you aren't. Are you sure you're one of the leaders here on this planet?' he asked.

“Yes I am,” she answered his question with a barrage of giggles,” and a very good one!”

“Do they pay you madame for this?” he asked her. “Never mind. Don't answer. I am asking for your entire planet's surrender. If you have the power to announce that message, then so be it. This can be a peaceful takeover or a violent one. You can see what we can do. I can take over your world with a handful of men easily and you can't stop me. I suggest you talk to whomever you need to talk to, and let me know.”

“Alright then. I think our little negotiation went very well. I am glad you were able to see things my way. I'll be back in touch,” she told him as she turned to go back to her car. The Secret Service men with her just looked at each other and rolled their eyes as they went back to the car.

“Find out where this president operates and how we can get there. We will commandeer transportation to get there. I will take six of you men with me and we will talk to this person directly rather than with one of his flunkies that can only giggle with her own sense of importance,” the general told one of his men. Two of you will stay here and guard the device. I don't want anyone else coming in here from the outside. The rest of you will head to the same place I'll be going to but separately. You will be going there to secure this capital,” the General detailed his plans.

“Sir, may I ask the plan once we get there?” the man asked.

“I need to get rid of most of their governing body so they are unable to strategize. My first rule of thumb will be to dematerialize that obnoxious vice president of theirs, not that she could strategize her way out of a pile of dung. Then we have to begin eliminating their military. We'll take care of this country first as an example,” he told his soldier.

By the next day the general and six of his men were on a commercial airliner headed towards Washington D.C. They had gone to the airport and hijacked one of the planes but kept the passengers onboard, in case the military thought about shooting the jet down. This was one possible way of killing the aliens. Their individual force fields may have saved them from an airborne rocket, but it would not in a fall from such a height.

The other soldiers did likewise, but secured three more planes to make the trip. The president and his cabinet were kept appraised of what was happening and were getting extremely concerned about what the implementation of the general's plan, considering their capabilities and the amount of men coming. The Vice President had debriefed the president what his demand was, as she giggled... he wants to take over the world.

“There's only one thing to do,” remarked General Foresythe. “Since we can't stop that many men with the weapons they have, we need to stop them from being able to go back to their planet to bring more. We have to destroy the device that brought them here.

“We'll still encounter formidable resistance,” answered his associate, Major Henney.

“If there are only a few men at that laboratory watching the device, as I understand there are from one of our people there watching, the general considered, “it's a matter of somehow disarming those men, taking control of the device and sending it back with enough time delayed nukes to radiate their entire planet.”

“But then its the three hundred aliens here we have to deal with,” Major Henney reminded the general.

“We'll deal with them later. We've taken away the success of their mission if they're stuck here. They have no was of getting back,” the General informed his right hand man.

“Unless they force the scientists that created the device to build another,” the major told him, playing devil's advocate.

“That's their only alternative but this buys us time,” the general figured. “Make sure Schoeffer stays away from that lab building and stays hidden.”

“How can we take control of the device, or rather devices. I understand there are two in that lab now. The second one was just finished,” the major asked.

“First, let's head to the base. When we get there we'll solicit the help of two of the most attractive enlisted women as volunteers. It will be for their country and there won't be a shot fired,” the general commented, laughing as he suggested it. The major laughed with him then, realizing what the general had in mind.

* * *

“So you are President Lance?” General Pach asked as he entered the office of the president and immediately took a seat, leaving the president standing, holding out his had to shake. The president slowly sat back down.

“You are General Pach? From some planet a good distance away,” the president remarked.

“The Vice President filled me in on what your plans are.”

“Oh, you understood her? It must be so difficult to get good help here on your planet if that's who is working with you. Is there something wrong with her mind? She giggles incessantly,” Pach complained.

“I can't speak for the other countries, only for the United States. I can perhaps involve some others in a meeting to discuss your plans,” the president told him.

“Then speak for the United States. That's a start,” he told the leader.

“As long as there's something in it for me I don't have a problem with you taking over this country,” he told the alien.

“How very noble of you. And if I told you we would probably be eliminating probably three quarters of your citizens in the process?” the alien general asked.

“I was attempting to do just that anyway when you men came. Me and some of the boys were trying to use viruses to cull out some of the people. Make things more manageable and leave more for the rest of us,” the president told him matter-of-factly.

“Then you are more like us than I thought,” the alien told him. “I would like a tour of your facility here.

* * *

“Sir these are the two volunteers I found,” Major Henney announced, as he came into the room where the general was seated. “Private Lisa Bonnie and Private Tina Favors... General Forsythe.

“At ease, soldiers. I assume Major Henney has filled you in on the mission and what needs to be done?” the General asked the two women as he paced in front of them. “You both are certainly beautiful women. Are you willing to do this... and anything you need to do for your country?”

“Yes sir!” they both answered in unison .

“We need to act as quickly as possible. I don't know how much time we have. Dress in the sexiest clothes you have. If you don't have any go out and buy some. The army will pay for them. Meet back here at 0500 hours and we'll take you to the building where the two men are you need go seduce... er, ah, negotiate on behalf of this country. We have to get them away from their weapons. We'll outfit you both with transmitters and pinhole video cameras,” he instructed them.

It was a little after six when Major Henney dropped the two volunteers off around the corner of the building where the time/space machines were. They had their instructions and knew what had to be done. They acted drunk as they went around the corner of the block and approached the building. They could see one of the men standing just inside the front door as they began to dangle the bait in front of them.

Major Henney watched from the building across the street, from a window. He had five other men waiting just outside readied to take the aliens. He was able to hear everything as the women worked their way towards the font door. As they stumbled and laughed and fell, helping each other up, Private Bonnie spoke.

“OK the one guy's coming out the door. The other one came to the door and is standing just inside watching,” she told the major through the transmitter as she was pulling Private Favors to her feet.

“Have you ladies been partying?” he asked stupidly.

“If you want call it that,” Private Bonnie replied. “We're just drunk now.”

“It's a little dangerous in your condition to be walking around out there like you are. Why don't you and your friend come inside until you sober up some. My friend and I will take care of you,” he suggested as he waved the other alien outside.

“Ha... I'm sure you will,” answered Private Favors

“Ohl come on in. I'm Jut ga Hamache and this is my friend, Altar ni Lephat. Let us take care of you. What are your names?” he asked.

“I'm Lisa Bonnie. This is my friend, Tina Favors that keeps falling on her ass,” she introduced her.

Hamache came down the steps to help walk Favors up the stairs. His friend Lephat, opened he door for them to let them into the place. The men ushered the women down the hall and into the cafeteria where there were lounge chairs and sofas. Before long the men were making out with the two women and pawing at them.

Henney listened to the antics that were going on as he reported to the general he had on the phone keeping him apprised.

“Unbelievable!” Henney commented.

“It never fails. It doesn't matter what part of the universe you're in... wave a little hootchie in front of a male of any specie and he's gonna have a hard on to deal with,” the general replied, pleased his plan was working.

The major watched a while via the video camera. Both women made sure the view allowed for knowing the location of their weapons. Henney left with the soldiers and went to the doors, quietly entering and moving down the hall. Outside the door Henney waited a few more minutes until the timing was right, watching through the camera.

“Now guys,” he said as they busted though the doors. The soldiers claimed the weapons before the two soldiers could even react, the women were keeping them so busy.

They needed the men alive to interrogate, otherwise Henney would have liked just to kill them. The soldiers surrounded the two while the one placed tie strips around their wrists.

“Take these men back to the base along with Privates Bonnie and Favors. Nice job soldiers. I want to interrogate these men later but keep them locked up and isolated in two different places. No food or water until I say so,” Henney told the soldiers.

The all left Henney there as he placed another call to Frosythe.

“Henney here...” he announced. “Everything went well.”

“We were waiting for your call. General Forsythe filled us in, and the president. We're flying in six nuclear bombs that will be coming to the building where you are. The area needs to be sealed off in one square mile,” he informed Henney.

“I've got two hundred infantries on the way. I'll be sealed off tight within the hour,” he told the voice on the other end of the line.

“Good we'll be there in three,” the man replied.

The area was sealed off and all inhabitants in the area were evacuated. Henney had called in Doctor Schoeffer and his associates to make sure the coordinates were correctly keyed into the new device and the other one readied correctly, The one thing the major didn't want is armed nuclear bombs somehow coming back to this spot. Henny and his men waited. Three flatbed trucks appeared down the street moving slowly towards the laboratory. There was a contingency of armed soldiers marching alongside of the vehicles as they moved. One of the tucks also carried a forklift. He pulled around the back of the building and backed up to the loading dock. As soon as it stopped, the men went to work unchaining the bombs so the forklift could unload each bomb and take it up the freight elevator to the second floor where the time/space devices were located.

Five more times the forklift had to deliver the bombs to the second floor. At the moment they were unarmed but once in place with three on each device, they would be armed and the wireless timer would be set to detonate all six bombs simultaneously. It would be a massive explosion with a tremendous amount of radioactivity produced over a wide area.

“Sir we're ready for your orders,” the man asked Henney.

“Have you double checked the coordinates where these are going to? That includes the second device since it was just finished,” he asked as he went upstairs to the lab room to join Schoeffer and his crew.

“Hello major. Everything is ready. Just waiting for you to give the go ahead,” the doctor told him.

“Sorry we have to destroy your invention but it has to be done,” Henney apologized.

“I understand major. I'm just wondering what to do about the angry aliens we will have left here,” the doctor told him.

“That'll be our next problem. First things first,” the major said as he flipped the switch that set both titanium wheels in motion. Soon electrical discharges crawled across the titanium wheels in serpentine patterns, snapping and crackling in increasing speed and volume until there was nothing. Both devices were on the way.

* * *

President Xalt was able to see the tent from his balcony where the time/space device had landed from Earth. Dr. Notoria and a hundred soldiers were up there waiting for news from the group he had sent to the planet to capture it. So far there was no word.

As he stood there in the light of the rising sun with his wife, a slight breeze blew, chilling the leader and his wife a little.

“What kind of riches do you think we will have when we take over this other planet?” she asked her husband. “I would like to have a few more exotic slaves.”

“You may have whatever you want, my dear,” he promised her as he kissed her and they both looked towards the tent.

Suddenly men began running outside of the tent and yelling, drawing the leader's attention. There was a huge explosion and the brightest of light blinded the leader and his wife immediately. All they were aware of then was the wind and the searing heat, but that was only momentary as everything was incinerated.

* * *

Henney kept his eyes on his watch. He was sure everything went to plan as the detonation time was now past.

“It looks like we succeeded, doctor. Is there any reason to believe otherwise, with the whole-time warp thing? I mean we did only warp space and fifteen minutes was fifteen minutes,” he asked the doctor, "before I call General Foresythe?”

“Oh yes, you're fine. I imagine that was hell of an explosion with six atomic bombs going off in unison.

“General everything went off without a hitch,” the major told him.

“Good. Listen, no one talks about this. I'll advise the president but I don't want this getting back to the General Pach and the aliens right now until we can figure a way to take them. I don't know how they might retaliate. The timing on this has to be right. We've taken away their reason to continue their mission but it'll be easy enough to force Shoeffer to construct another device. This will buy us maybe eight weeks.

“Even if he forces Shoeffer to build another and he goes back, he and all their men will get lethal doses of radiation. It's a shame we can't force them back somehow. That would end this,” the major considered.

“Yeah, well if we could force them back we wouldn't have this dilemma.,” the general said ending the conversation.

* * *

The rest of the general's men flew into Washington D.C. After the general and proceeded to lock the place down. Pach ordered the elimination of the house speaker and congress as his first rule, after the dematerialization of the Vice President. He found her too annoying and senseless in her rhetoric.

All week the aliens went through the politicians, dissolving them as they saw fit. Pach kept the president for the time. He would do as a puppet... a spokesperson on his behalf to other countries. All week the traffic jams were horrendous with people leaving the capital. Everyone expected the worse once word was public. The General proceeded to destroy television and radio stations in an effort to keep the public in the dark. He barked orders to relinquish hold of missile silos to knock out the satellites as well. His men were sent out to monitor the process. People that would not comply were dematerialized but then those that did, once he was finished with them, suffered the same fate.

Other countries shook in fear. None came to the aid of the United States. They looked on in fear as less and less information was getting out on what was happening. Eventually, even the Internet was shut down.

After two weeks General Pach took one man with him and left all the others with implicit instructions of what was expected, and flew back to the laboratory. He needed to report to his leader. Since there wasn't a way to contact him other than a face to face meeting he was forced to go back via the device.

“Where is the unit that brought us here?” the general asked, standing in the lab where it had been, “and where are my two men I left here?” he asked irately.

“Sir, the men are gone that were left behind. I have no idea where they are and there's no one here to ask,” the soldier he had with him commented..

“Get that Schoeffer person. Right away! He may just have to build another one if they can't produce the one we came here in,” the general told him.

But the soldier he had sent out had no idea where to look for the scientist and he was long gone. There weren't any people in the building anymore that might have helped. He searched for three hours and even apprehended a young boy he saw on the street to read various papers and files for him in the lab office hoping he would find contact information for Schoeffer. It didn't help.

“General Pach... I can find nothing on how to contact this Doctor Schoeffer or where he is. I even solicited the aid of a young earth person to help, reading files stored here to maybe find some way,” he told the general nervously. Angering him was not a good thing but surprisingly he took it well.

The general was seething after he was told and paced around the room. Back and forth he marched raising and lowering his head... finally he stopped and raised his head with a smile.

“Who needs President Xalt? We can accomplish the same thing he intended with our little army. The only difference will be who leads the people we keep. Better to be ruler of a world than General of one! I will be the world ruler and you will be one of my army to maintain the world order,” he announced to the soldier standing there awaiting his orders.

“General Forsythe, there's a Dr. Theodore Schoeffer to see you,” the secretary announced to her commanding officer.

“Dr. Schoeffer! Yes, by all mean, send him in,” the general told her. He had tried to locate the doctor but it seemed had gone into hiding and couldn't be found. Under the circumstances he thought he might solicit his help with the alien problem, hopefully before they put him on the dematerialization list where so many had already come and gone.

The doctor came into the general's office carrying a briefcase and some copy books. The doctor found it safer to keep his notes and work in copybooks he could carry with him rather then store it electronically at the mercy of hackers or other technical problems. With his disheveled hair he looked the part of a mad scientist.

“Dr. Schoeffer... it's so good to see you again. I looked for you but couldn't locate you. I thought maybe the aliens had done something to you,” he told the scientist.

“After we sent the bombs to their planet I thought it best to disappear at General Forsythe's suggestion, on the chance they might try and force me to build another device. However, I've been working on a solution to our problem and I think I found something that will work,” he told the general; who was all ears as he watched the scientist spread out a blueprint in front of him on his desk. “It's actually quite simple.”

The general scanned over the blueprint and commented.

“You're suggesting an atomic bomb!” he remarked incredulously, looking at the man like he was half crazed.

“No, not at all. It only looks like it because it's based on the same principle. It utilizes crystal technology like I've been working with all these years. Let me explain. Crystals because of their structure, can produce electricity when subjected to pressure, like something striking them or magnets revolving around them...” he explained.

“Like your device that bends time and space?” the general asked.

“Exactly... I did some testing in a lab I have hidden away and I was able to get some measurable effects. I also took video of the testing. We can develop a weapon just like an atomic bomb with charges set at equidistant spots on the surface of a sphere. An atomic bomb works by simultaneously setting of these charges to exert extreme pressure on the isotope located at the center of the sphere. The implosion causes a chain reaction that results in a a reactive explosion of a nuclear type.

You've seen how my use of crystals and magnets can create large amounts of electricity. I thought, how about making a sphere with charges on the outside, set to explode with a crystal in place of an isotope? Instead of a nuclear explosion it would create and huge electrical explosion. General Pach already told us they used galactic energy and never knew about electricity. I naturally wondered if that was the case, if their force field had the ability of protecting them against electricity. It doesn't. The one weapon you gave me to test could not stop electrocution,” the scientist told the general, who was silently listening, taking everything in as the doctor unveiled what he found.

“Are you serious? Doctor, you're a life saver. This is unbelievable. This doesn't even represent much of an effort to construct based on this. Let me see your video. Do you have a smaller prototype to demo for me and some of the other military?” he asked.

After seeing the video the doctor had recorded his lab experiment with, the general was beyond excitement. He needed to get several other key people to the lab and see another prototype discharged. There could be no mistakes and it would have to be a unanimous decision without the Commander-in-Chief since he was under the thumb of General Pach, and his loyalty to the country was a little suspect.

By the next day eight officials were assembled at the sequestered laboratory of the doctors, in the mountains. They stood outside of the building, a distance away from the one foot sphere. They also wore rubber boots and rubber parkas for the experiment, just in case. Several measuring devices were around the bomb and birds were also placed around it in cages. A few video cameras were set in place to record the outcome of the test.

Unceremoniously, the doctor had General Forsythe flip the switch to detonate the electro-bomb. The surrounding detonators exploded as one, and as the sphere seemed to shrink inwards, suddenly massive amounts of electricity were expelled from the center for around six seconds. They looked like a collection of small lightening bolts shooting from a single source. It met with incredible reception from the men who were there.

All the birds were electrocuted in an area of about a hundred feet from the center of the sphere.

“But will it work with their force fields on?” the general asked.

“It was on. I made a remote control device to turn it on and off just like the soldiers had. There was a control on it where you could expand your area of protection to one hundred fifty feet. I set it for one hundred feet. The electrical discharge is likely more effective further out, it's just it was contained,” the doctor informed all the military present.

They military reviewed several times the video taken and looked at the doctor's written reports.

“So a bomb of about three feet will electrify anything within a thousand feet of it?” the general asked him.

“”Yes, based on the detonation of the smaller devices. It could actually be larger but until we actually test it we don't know for sure. Do we have the time?” he asked.

“Well, that's what I was thinking... we don't. This Pach guy is an egotist and since he's taken over this country and decided he was going to rule the world instead of his president back on his own planet, he's been strutting around here like some phenomena. He wants to have a show of power by having a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. All his men will be marching behind him plus some other ass kissers that are building floats for the event. He plans on having this in three days,” the general was explaining.

“Not a problem. Ive already built a fiberglass sphere and I have the detonators to install in it. The eight inch quartz crystal in the center is already in place,” he told the general.

“From what I understand a sapphire crystal will create more of an impact,” he imparted to the doctor.

“Yes, but without testing, I'm afraid it could cause a shift in time and space like my device they used to get here. Let's not compound our problem<” the doctor suggested.

“No..., no we don't need to do that, the general declared. “We need to get your bomb to where it will discharge into his army with the greatest effect. The best place will probably be the float that will be with them but we need to get the ass kissers away from it and put our own people in place so they don't rat us out if they see it,” he suggested.

“What will happen to other people within the thousand foot perimeter when this explodes?” General Finehold of the marines asked.

“Oh they will be electrocuted without the proper attire but then that would alert everyone something was going to happen. In fact anything electrical within that area and a little beyond will be burned out... transformers and the like unless you alert the electric company to turn things off just before detonation. Anything running at the time, like cars will probably experience something like an EMP,” he told the military representatives.

“Who cares about the ass kissers, they deserve what they get but there will be collateral damage of innocent people that we can't do anything about without raising suspicion,” the air force spoke.

“That's how it is in war. They've already killed a few million of us. This might kill a couple thousand, but this will also end it,” General Forsythe mentioned.

“Oh we will get flack for it, no doubt. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. We won't win either way,” General Finehold commented.

“I don't even want to alert the electric company. Damages and repairs are just part of the scenario. The fewer people know about this the better. I'm for minimizing the risk and replacing the people on the float with our own. They're going to be all dressed up and acting looney. Get people that look as close to them physically as you can. Dressed up and with makeup I don't think the aliens will tell the difference. They have a hard time differentiating between us anyway... and they look just like us!” Forsythe went on telling them all.

“We'll be killing our people,” Finehold mentioned.

“No give them rubber boots and the like and tell them to ground themselves at the right time,” he suggested.

“Just a thought, has anyone tested the enemy's boots to make sure they're not insulated naturally against an electrical discharge?” a colonel from the National Guard asked.

They all looked at each other like he just said something in a foreign language.

“Bring me one of the two men in confinement,” Forsythe ordered. “Right away. We need to put him through the test to see if he survives. That'll give us a true reading. The material in his boots doesn't likely react like rubber, but without testing we won't know what its properties are and we don't have time,” Forsythe demanded.

It was later in the day one of the aliens was brought into position and tied to a pole within range of the remote controlled weapon that could create the force field.

Another experiment was set up and the group awaited impatiently for the results. If this failed they would be looking for another solution.

Foresythe stepped to the controls and flipped the switch after Schoeffer turned on the force field. There was detonation. For one brief second the alien soldier seemed to struggle and then he stopped any movement, as his head fell forward on his chest. The test seemed cruel, but in light of the people already murdered, it was necessary.

It was the day of the parade. The electro-bomb was mounted in the middle of the float where the general would be riding. There was a throne built there where he would be sitting, waving at the on-lookers. There wasn't an indication how large the crowds might be yet, but the fewer the better.

As the parade prepared to start, General Forsythe watched from a rooftop. He laughed with the other military personnel that had been with him at the lab in the mountains, at the small crowd that was assembled on the street. It didn't seem to daunt the general's sense of omnipotence.

“His arrogance will be his undoing,” said the general as he watched the parade start. So far advanced and something simple like electricity will destroy them.”

He looked at his watch, waiting for the best time to set off the bomb with the least amount of collateral damage. The he gave the order to the doctor.

“Do it,” he said simply, without remorse, without second guessing.

They watched from the rooftop as they heard the the detonator explode, and then the float seemed to come alive as bolts of electricity emerged from its center. Flames burst out as the entire float ignited. All those on it and around it fell down. In one large circle both the alien army and the capital's citizens lay still. Pigeons dropped from the air dead. Nothing survived in that one thousand foot radius. The little traffic there was came to a halt. The retaliation was a success.

“Well gentlemen, we have another weapon to add to our arsenal. Just think of it... so effective without destroying the land or making it unusable,” Forsythe told everyone.

“And we have one good weapon left they used to dematerialize things. Our scientists can reverse engineer that to use to our advantage!” Finehold brought to everyone's attention.