Planet Wrecker

-102-

Two Jovian patrol boats headed for Earth. In the first one, Marten sat at the controls with Omi. It was packed within the spaceship.

“Well?” Omi asked.

“The cloud movement is crazy,” Marten said. He scanned Earth with a long-distance telescope. “But the indicators—”

“I have an incoming message,” Nadia said.

“From Earth?” asked Marten.

Surprised, Nadia looked up. “It’s from their Supreme Commander.”

“Put him on,” said Marten. A tired man with hollowed-out eyes appeared on the screen.

“I’m Supreme Commander James Hawthorne of Social Unity. My com-officers tell me that your designation is Jovian.”

“Yes,” said Marten.

“Does the alliance still hold?”

“It does.”

“Good,” said Hawthorne. “It’s time we humans began to truly work together before the Highborn and cyborgs annihilate us.”

“That’s what I think,” said Marten. “But Grand Admiral Cassius might not see it that way.”

“I’m sure you have an interesting story….”

“I’m Force-Leader Marten Kluge.”

Hawthorne nodded curtly. “Well, Force-Leader, I’d like you to rendezvous with our warships. We need to mass what little strength we have. Then you and I need to talk face-to-face.”

Marten chest tightened. Earth, Social Unity—he nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Do you have the coordinates of your warships?”

“I’ll have one of my officers give them to you. I look forward to our meeting.”

“As do I, sir.”

“I would talk more, Force-Leader, but I have much to do. The Earth—” Hawthorne eyes tightened. “It’s time we humans banded together…before we’re extinct.”

“I agree, sir. It’s time we went on the offensive.”

“I like your attitude, Kluge. Do all Jovians think like you?”

“…not yet,” said Marten. “But the war isn’t over.”

“No,” Hawthorne said. “For me, this war has just begun.”