Chapter 7

The invaders brought in a new trick. They had disassembled small aircraft and brought them through the portals and reassembled them. They tried to use them to attack the natives after The Ancient One and his companions had taken out the defensive batteries. But The Ancient One and his companions made quick work of them. In moments they were all on the ground, burning hulks. The natives destroyed the atmosphere transferring machinery and the shield generators. The natives turned them on and began to compress them. The circle of alien atmosphere grew smaller and smaller. The invaders began to retreat through the portals.
The Ancient One readied the four charges on his belt. He didn't have any dichronium, but the charges he'd prepared would destroy a portal if he put it in the right place. He shot through one of the portals and emerged in the invader's world. What he saw there shocked him! The invaders had built bleachers around their portals and they were filled with thousands of children! There was no way The Ancient One could take out the portals without killing hundreds of them!
He barely hesitated for a moment, however, but swung in and in rapid succession hurled his bombs, then shot back through the remaining portal. He left total devastation behind him. In the world he was defending four of the invader's portals exploded, killing those trying to flee through it. The Ancient One signaled the others and they withdrew. They continued to shrink the invader's space until only a small area was left. The Ancient One went through the shields. The invaders were still evacuating some of their wounded, their dead simply lay about, discarded. The invader's leader approached The Ancient One.
"What kind of a being are you?" he screamed, "You killed thousands of our children, slaughtered them! You killed thousands of the sacred ones for these things! You are insane! You are completely insane!"
"You forced me to choose," The Ancient One answered, "between your children and the children of this world. You were the invaders. You were the destroyers. I chose to protect the innocent. It is your fault, not mine. NOW we can help you strengthen your shields so your world will be viable for many more years, giving you time to evacuate and make the world these people offer you your home. As long as you live in peace you will not be bothered. But if you bother everybody else, we will exterminate...that simple! I am giving you a chance for life. All you have to do is respect other life."
"NO!" the invader's leader screamed, "NEVER! You have shed the sacred blood, you have injured the sacred people. We will regroup, we will rebuild, we will return with even more powerful weapons. We will take this world. The superior WILL rule it!"
The Ancient One sighed and touched the final bomb on his side. He shook his head and started to walk off. One of the other invaders cried, "No! Wait!" The Ancient One stopped and turned back. The invader put his pistol up to the side of his leader's head and fired it. Most of his leader's head disappeared, and his body slumped to the ground. The invader holstered his weapon. "We concede!" he snapped. "We are beaten. He told us your cultural upbringing would not permit you to harm our children. He said they would be an effective shield. Such an error is unacceptable. Such a misjudgment made him unworthy to lead. I am taking his place. You have shown your power, and you have shown your wrath. If these people welcome us, if they will give us this world, then we will forever be grateful. From this day forth their enemies shall be our enemies, their friends shall be our friends. Please, do not attack again. We will only stabilize enough of this area to give us working space. Tell us how to modify our shields."
"We'll monitor you for forty-eight hours," The Ancient One answered, "if we see you fulfilling your promise we will bring you the plans for the shield generators. But be warned. Any treachery will be met with overwhelming force."
The invader stared for a moment. "You mean you could use more force than you did?" he asked.
The Ancient One smiled. "We barely touched our capability," he answered. "We barely began to use our power!"
"May The Great God forgive our arrogance!" the invader answered. "He has shown us our folly. He has put us in our place. Please! Before you leave give us your knowledge. Tell us your philosophy."
"I think that could be arranged!" The Ancient One promised. He headed back outside the shields and the others greeted him. "They changed leaders," The Ancient One announced. "They're going to cooperate now. They'll accept the new world."
"Good!" the professor sighed, "Good! Let us clean up this area, replant it, before the rains come and wash everything away."
"We'll put the shields back over it for awhile," The Ancient One offered, "until the grass and trees are reestablished so the soil won't be eroded."
"Good!" the professor answered, "Good!"
The Ancient One turned to Durga. "I'm gonna go get one of the invader's computers," he instructed, "I want you to type our people's history into it and everything we've done so far at home."
"Gladly!" Durga answered, "But wont I have to learn their language?"
The Ancient One smiled and took a little book from his pocket, handing it to Durga. "The wisdom of The Great Leader," Durga muttered. Opening the book she began to thumb through it. "This is English!" she muttered, "But I recognize this! It's the teachings of Chairman Mao."

Page 11

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