"Approaching the barrier. Going in!" Alec Archer heard Private Sanders' voice transmission through the speakers. He witnessed thru the cockpit window as a wave of electric current coursed thru the entire exterior fuselage of Sander's flying mecha as it penetrated thru the invisible Earth Barrier---a powerful force field that barricaded the whole of the planet Earth from the alien intruders hovering all around Earth. Light energy flared all over the metal body as it did so.
Sanders has now entered the safe perimeters of Earth.
"Following suit," said Alec as he toggled the switch that activated his own energy shield and also allowing him to penetrate the barrier. He felt the intensity of the vibration that rocked his battleship as he pierced thru the force field. If not for this built-in energy shield that equips all WDF battleships, it would be like catastrophically crashing thru an unbreakable wall. Up to this day, after seven months in the service as a space fighter pilot, this powerful technology still amazes Alec. Well, everything in the WDF does. The WDF's super-advanced warfare technology is astonishment to all new recruits. The knowledge behind all of WDF's technology is beyond their comprehension. It is the knowledge that belonged to the workforce behind the armament laboratories of the WDF. But the knowledge of the barrier system, this much Alec and everyone in the WDF knew, belong only to one person: to Professor Waldo Kinski who is declared missing-news that's recently been broadcasted all over WDF's communication networks.
Alec was thinking, if not for this barrier system, Earth would have been captive to WDF's adversaries a long, long time ago. 'Adversaries'--- that's how he was taught to refer to the alien invaders who, after 10 years of being locked in battle with Earth, remained anonymous.
He could hear the rest of his comrades also announcing their re-entry into Earth's atmosphere after two months of being on space duty.
The Falcon Battalion Unit, a team of 15 space fighter pilots which included Alec, glided across the skies, reaching Alaska in less than half an hour. They flew across snow-capped mountains, eager and fast.
"Ah, we're almost there! Sure glad we're heading base," Alec heard Private Sanders over the intercom. He turned his head to look thru the left porthole of his cockpit. He saw Sanders blonde spiky head with a blue band wrapped around his forehead peeked from the side window. Sanders also looked up at him, smiled and saluted casually. Their ships were now racing beside each other.
"Sure do," Alec responded.
"Our roving mission had been quite boring, don't you think? Not much enemy pods recently. Two months of being suspended in space without much action sucks!"
"You said it," he said. Wish I could kill many of them, he thought wryly.
"Now, it's one month of good life and real food! Ah, miss them!" Private Alfred Garrison butted in, his face appearing in a small monitor on Alec's consoles. "First stop, the gym and the pubs. How about you guys?"
"I'm heading straight to the clinic where the pretty nurses are. I'm sure they missed us all," Sanders beamed.
Alec grinned at that. It would be nice to see the pretty nurses.
The Falcon Battalion Unit, after two months of roving mission in Earth space, is heading back to Sybil Headquarters for a two weeks revitalization period.
Alec leaned back on his seat and exhaled. 'Finally, time to relax,' he thought. Then suddenly something jerked him back upright, his foot crashing onto the brakes and his hand pulling the stop gear. The thrusters underneath his ship flared and it came into a full stop in mid-air. It was something from afar. It came to him like gravity would.
Sander's face came into view on the consoles. "Hey Archer, what are you doing?"
Alec was still and alert as he uttered back. "Sanders, did you feel that?"
"Felt what?"
"An invisible force or energy of some sort..."
Like going through the earth barrier system again.
Sander's raised a brow. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"It's something like...like the 'barrier'."
"Alec, the battle's over. That may just be an after-effect. You know how we could never get used to the feeling of going in and out of the 'barrier'. C'mon, catch up now, you're falling behind," that was Garrison with an explanation.
Alec looked puzzled now. He could not get himself to just dismiss it. He turned to his console monitors to see if his sensors had caught that great radiation of some sort but there was no sign of it.
His commanding officer's stiff face came into view. "Is there any problem, Private Archer? You are falling behind,"
"No sir," replied Alec promptly, realizing that it won't do him any good to say anything further. "I'll catch up,"
"Okay then, hurry up. You are losing the trail," said the commander before disappearing into static in the screen.
But Alec knew something was in the air; something so strange it was disconcerting. It filled his senses; summoning him.
He looked around him, watched as his comrades flew farther and farther away. Then as his head turned to his side, his eyes stopped there, into empty distance. Later he would have to face the consequence of his next action but for now he only had to follow his gut.
He switched into stealth mode, shut down his communication system, shifted his gear and dislodge, oblivious to his team...
The sight of a snowy mountain whose top cap appeared to have been blown off from inside forming some sort of an open crater is what finally halted his aimless pursuit of almost an hour. Amazement held him there. From the look of the dust swirling everywhere, something was up recently; like a geological transformation of sort, he thought.'What had happened here?' he wondered.Slowly, he maneuvered his ship atop the hole and initiated metamorphosis of his spacefighter plane to a two legged manlike structure giant robot-- his mecha suit - one of the abilities of a WDF spacefighter plane.There were lots of mechanical shifting and displacement before this was achieved. This new physical form will comfortably allow him to explore the hollow inside the mountain that the hole unveiled.As his metallic suit stepped onto the ground, he initiated scanning of the area for any biohazards, but there was nothing abnormal and peculiar as his scanners would attests.
10 days after Alaska...Lindsey Miles strode across the isle of a courtroom-like auditorium full of black-suited people that make up the elite society of the British Historical Institute - a smorgasbord of well-established archaeologists, anthropologists and historians.She was ushered onto a platform with a microphone stand and found herself facing a sea of hard, sardonic faces she couldn't help but feel as if she is on trial or something. It might very well be, she thought.Her audience, consisting mostly of seniors with gloomy and pale facial expressions, all hushed down from their tête-à-tête. The scent of potpourri mixed with tobacco smoke caught in her nose. Everyone was seated around a table of eight people, against the backdrop of exquisitely designed mahogany wood walls and red carpeted floor.This is the famous lectern hall of the British Archeological Society that has be
The headquarters of the World Defense Federation, Sybil, is known as a rigid military underground base.But Sybil is more than just a military base. It is a complex infrastructure, a whole new metropolis, a world secluded from the world. It is home to thousands of soldiers who have pledge their life to the secrecy and isolation of the military life---the WDF way.And today, the Falcon unit of the WDF is nestled in Sybil after two months duty in space, finally back on Earth ground. Shifts over. The Doraco unit has sub for them up in space.The Sybil gym is abuzz with men and women on their off time in their tight-fitting gym clothes. Alec Archer entered this gym in his military uniform. He just got back from the Commander's office with bad news for himself, thanks to his utter mischief the other day."Hey, where've you been? And why are you in your uniform as if you are ready for another mission?" Sanders called from the jogging machine."I am off t
World Academic Convention (WAC)The outskirts of Canberra, Australian Capital TerritoryThe great monumental glass-covered structure of the glinting Cyrus reflected against the lenses of Alec Archer's dark shades on their approached."Wow! It's amazing!" he declared of the diamond-shaped building that is the size of a football stadium - the great, hot, dry and sandy expansive Australian desert as its backdrop.Alec accelerated the car in excitement."Definitely," Phil calmly remarked beside him. "The Cyrus is built for the prestigious WAC. It should therefore be made extraordinary. To mark the World Government's advocacy of worldwide academic excellence, the venue among other things should emphasize that,"Phil was only reiterating what Alec, and for that matter, everyone on Earth knew. The World Academic Convention, commonly known as the WAC, is an event that happens every four years that exclusively brings together all the to
He couldn't believe his eyes.She appeared at the ship's doorstep like a ray of sunshine. She had an air of freshness about her. Dressed in a long-sleeved, laced neckline orange A-line dress that was under a gray, velvet, waist-length jacket and high-heeled ivory shoes, she walked daintily and effeminately. Her eyes sparkled as she looked about her, a slight tinge of a smile gracing her lips and her eyes.And he stood there, enchanted.The last time he saw her she was dead-to-the-world. Looking at her now, he fell into a trance as he watched her every move, at how she crinkles her nose, how her eyes blinks, how her shoulder-long hair bounces on her shoulders, how her lips smiled.She's the all too familiar girl from Alaska; but this time, she was so full of life and her eyes sparkled with excitement as she paused at the doorstep, looking around. He failed to catch himself giving a small smile...a happy kind of smile.She then began to move away fro
The rooms prepared for the delegates were lavishly ornamented and themed with relaxation and leisure. Despite the serious agenda of the WAC, it was made to feel like a holiday. Alec just learned earlier about the recreation amenities that grazed one of the floors of the airship. Phil shared to him that it's a tactic to highlight the prestige of the WAC and enthuse more achievers. They also learned that the whole airship structure is five-storey soccer stadium huge. Each floors seemed to have appointed purposes; the top floor being the symposium site.Their room is masculine and well equipped. There were two beds and a Visual Comlink for external and internal communication is built-in. These Comlinks are hi-tech but any WDF militiaman would know that it's not hi-tech enough to link up with the sophisticated communication network system of the System.Alec was lying on one of the beds, looking up the ceiling with his hands behind his head. "I didn't tell her who I am, Ph
A stocky, middle-aged woman opened the door from the inside on their third knock on the door that was supposed to be Ava Kinski's.Alec looked at Phil chidingly. "For someone who is hard to miss, she looked absolutely unrecognizably different, Phil."Phil side glanced him with a sharp look then asked the woman. "Sorry to bother you, we thought this is...er... ""Ah you are looking for Miss Ava?" the woman replied gaily, raising her hand above her head to indicate a height. "Tall, beautiful young lady with red hair?"The boys were not sure about 'tall' and 'beautiful' but they nodded anyway."Yes, this is her room. I'm housekeeping. She is not here right now. She literally just stepped out 5 minutes ago. You just missed her. Friends of hers? ""Ah yes - we are old uni friends," Phil said dismissively as they looked at each other; Alec giving him the 'what now?' look."The exhibitions are opening today, this
"We split up from here," Phil instructed as they came upon the entrance to the WAC exhibitions. "You cover the Eastern part and I will cover the other side. If you find her, make sure to give me a buzz immediately. Do not engage unless I tell you to.""Yes, lieutenant,"And they parted ways.The WAC exhibitions is a showcase area where student delegates from each of the different study fields gets to put up a floor booth to share relevant topics or interesting subject matter in their respective fields. Alec could see that many of the students are still in the middle of setting up their booths halfway through the opening of the exhibition. He strode through the Medical studies booths and there was a myriad of fascinating exhibits on new medical technologies, latest discoveries in medicine, etc. Then there was the Political Science area, then the Geology exhibits.No sign of Ava Kinski. Truth be told, he wasn't looking very hard. There were too many distrac