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."
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