Crystal Conquest by Doug J. Cooper

Author:Doug J. Cooper
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-11-12T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

“Track that on visual,” Sid called to Lucy. His intuition told him that the white glob of energy from the Kardish vessel was destined for Lunar Base.

Lenny helped Lucy interpret Sid’s vague command, and a vivid three-dimensional image of the quivering mass projected forward of the ops bench. The image, showing the glob’s path and destination, transitioned Sid’s intuition into certainty. His mouth went dry as his heart filled with dread.

“Impact in ten seconds,” said Lenny, studying the displays around him.

“Why hasn’t the defense array engaged?” Sid asked, though neither Lenny nor Lucy understood his question. A freakish alien weapon targeted the woman he loved, his three comrades, and a thousand other souls. He moved his hands back and forth on the armrests as his mind scrambled for ideas, yet he couldn’t think of any way to protect the base or stop the assault. He did the only thing he could. He watched.

As the glowing mass closed on Lunar Base, it began to stretch, morphing into a luminous white sheet. The expanse of energy aligned itself from corner to corner and edge to edge, and lay down across the surface of the base like a formfitting cover.

Tucked into place, the sheet pulsed and then erupted. They watched in silence as a violent explosion engulfed Lunar Base, forcing a dense fountain of moondust upward. With no atmosphere and weak gravity, the dust climbed like a pillar, forming an impenetrable cloud above the remains of the human colony.

Sid stared at the massive cloud and imagined the devastation beneath. His mind swirled, honing his anguish and fury into a perfect rage. This was the second time in as many years his personal world had been shattered by Kardish aggression.

Before sorrow could complicate his certainty, he promised himself a personal, likely final, mission. He would deliver a vengeance of annihilation and accept nothing less. And to the extent possible, his retribution would include as much physical and emotional pain as he could deliver to every Kardish inhabitant on that vessel.

“Do you hear any chatter from Lunar Base?” Sid asked.

Criss remained silent, and Lenny sat unmoving, staring at the pillar of dust.

After seeing what happened to Lunar Base, Sid toyed with the idea that Criss was dead or disabled. “Len,” he barked.

Lenny shook his head. “Holy hell. I was playing a game. Is this real or are you toying with me?”

Sid needed him fully engaged and giving his all. “Look at me.”

Lenny swiveled slowly in his chair. From his white face, Sid thought he looked like he might puke. He tried to recall the “let’s get out there and win” locker-room speeches he’d heard years ago.

“This is something like a sim game, Len. You use the same skills and decision processes. Dig deep and organize your strategy.” Sid nodded the whole time he spoke, and Lenny started to nod along with him. “People are depending on us. We need to play hard and play for keeps.”

Lenny turned forward, and his animation increased as he reengaged with the ops bench.

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