Thumar
Chapter 13: The Storm

The remainder of the day consisted of finalizing CNC’s operational capabilities. Command and Control had been moved from the Kalidar base to the current location under Mt. Kumar. All tests and simulations had been performed and The Shemar was deemed space worthy.

The science teams had improved the functional capability of all three ships with the newest hardware and software, incorporating some of Derak’s latest AI tech. That technology consisted of newly developed flat panel controls and 3D holographic displays, giving them up to date data in real time. Gamar had set his data recorders around Thumar and deployed deep space probes to the edge of the solar system to gather accurate recordings. The science teams took their posts with Gamar leading the operation. CNC came online at ten o’clock in the morning with information flooding in immediately.

Derak returned to The Shemar to perform a final pre-flight check with Jack. The nukes were loaded and wired. General Kamur’s technicians were going over their last checks. They confirmed that the wireless links and timers and triggers were set. Commander Shakur tested remote operation from her station. Commander Shakur and lieutenant commander Murtah would remotely fly The Shemar and trigger the matter anti-matter detonation. The Shemar lost her sleek looks with the addition of the sail generators, which were installed aft on the hull for the mainsail and on the nose for the focusing sail.

She looked like a World War I rotating cylinder block airplane engine from Earth. Her landing pads barely kept the sail generators from scraping the floor. All in all, she looked ungainly, but she passed the flight tests. In space, it wouldn’t matter because there would be no gravity.

Remor, Shesain, and Jack approached Derak.

“Is it going to work?” Remor asked.

“It should,” he answered. “At any rate, it’s our only hope, that and the prayers of your people. If there really are gods, we could use their help right about now.”

“You don’t believe?” Shesain asked.

“My life hasn’t spared me the time to think about such concepts. Perhaps, if this works, I might give it some serious thought.”

“When do we launch?” Jack asked.

“2230 hours. Tonight. I’d better get my flight crew rested. Everyone’s been working very hard to prepare, and we’ve been on edge for days.”

He walked to flight control to check on their progress. “Ariana, Velkar, are we set?”

“Yes, sir. Ready to launch. System checks are nominal. She’s prepared to fly,” said Ariana.

“Good, you two get some sleep and a meal. We launch at 2230. I’ll need you back here at 2100 hours.”

“Yes, sir.” Both of them walked back to their hot food and cots.

Derak looked around and sighed heavily. Would this work? All the simulations confirmed it would. Would they survive? Regardless, The Shemar was ready, and everything that could be done to prepare had been done.

“It’s your turn, Admiral.” Shesain took his arm and gently guided him toward the kitchen. “You haven’t slept more than two hours a night this week. You look haggard.”

“You haven’t slept much yourself,” he responded.

“I need it, too. We’ll catch some sleep after a warm lunch,” she said, leading him away. With the meal finished, they hit the cots at 1200 hours. Derak slept fitfully; uncertainty and dread filled his dreams.

Derak was shaken awake at 1500 hours.

“Admiral, Admiral, we have a significant problem!”

“What? What is it?” he grumbled, trying to force himself through the fog of his fatigue.

“You’re needed at the tracking station, now!”

“This had better be good, Lieutenant.”

A rush of adrenaline spiked in his body as he raced to the tracking station where all was pandemonium.

“Would somebody please tell me what’s going on? And someone get me a big cup of coffee!”

A young ensign ran to the kitchen and returned. “Fresh from the ovens, sir; your coffee and a warm jurgleberry scone, sir.”

“Thank you, Ensign,” he said. He began eating the scone. “What’s going on, Gamar?”

“The MSS has penetrated the Oort cloud and disrupted an asteroid, the size of Mt. Kumar, with two smaller satellites. The smaller satellites are one mile and two miles in diameter. Admiral, they’re headed straight for us. The pulse we’ll generate, with our matter-antimatter detonation, will only repulse the two smaller asteroids, but not the big one.”

“Damn!” Derak exclaimed. “What in the hell are we going to do? Blow them up?”

“Not a bad idea.” Dr. Hukar inserted.

Derak turned, and found Remor looking at him.

“We need the clear beams for the detonation,” said Derak.

“I know. We have some nukes that will work,” said Remor.

Derak gave him a long look. “Explain it to me.”

“Let me, Admiral. My name is Dr. Keleg. I’m in charge of that department,” said a female scientist, unfamiliar to Derak. “We have self-drilling nukes with timers that automatically detonate after they reach their assigned depths. The nukes are three hundred megatons each with multi-phasic variance controls.”

“How many will it take for each rock?”

Gamar answered. “Two nukes for the smaller asteroids and eleven for the mountain. The nukes will work for the satellites, as is. But this is a big mountain. It has to be drilled out, first, and then the nukes have to be precisely placed.”

“That makes fifteen nukes. Do we have them now, Remor?”

“Yes. I’ll have general Kamur deliver them.”

“Who’s going to plot the drilling sites and insertion points on the mountain and set the trajectories for the satellites?” Derak asked.

“I will,” said Dr. Keleg.

“You’ve got the nukes, Doctor. I’ll take care of the drilling,” said Derak. “Commander Shakur, you’re in the pilot’s seat.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Velker, you’ve got The Shemar. Get a co-pilot familiar with these controls — fast!”

“Aye, sir. I know just the man.” She rushed off.

“You can’t fly into the middle of that Oort cloud!” Shesain exclaimed. She turned to face him. “It’s too dangerous. You’ll die!”

“Do you have a better idea?” he asked her.

“I – no.” She turned away.

“It has to be done. Remote control can’t drill the holes with the fluctuating magnetic fields.

Besides, we’ve got the dimensional generator working on The Shesain.”

“You can’t!” Shesain almost screamed. She grabbed him, hard, and buried her head in his shoulder.

“Remor, can you take care of Shesain?” asked Derak, troubled.

Remor approached as Derak attempted to reassure Shesain. “I will love you always. What we do now will determine the future of Thumar and everyone you know and love. Help me do what I must — for all of us.”

She looked at him with fear — but, also, resolve — in her eyes. She kissed him and let herself be escorted away by her uncle. Derak watched her leave, knowing that this could be the last time he might see his chimera.

“Let me know when the nukes get here, Commander. We have pre-flight checks to complete,” said Derak, choking out his orders.

“Aye, sir.”

Derak opened fifteen missile tubes in The Shesain’s hull while commander Shakur performed the pre-flight checks. Flight controls were set, and he tested the dimensional generator.

“Where did you go?” asked commander Shakur, in shock, from outside the ship.

“Sorry, just checking the generator,” said Derak. “Are the nukes here yet?”

“They’ll be here in thirty minutes, sir.”

“Good, get in here, and confirm our flight plan. I have to finish the download to the flight computer. The flight plan will get us to the outer edge of the Oort cloud. After that, we’ll be on manual control. What do you prefer, Commander, a stick or touch panel?”

“Stick.”

They started loading the nukes. Dr. Keleg boarded.

“Do you have everything you need for the nukes? Timers, triggers, codes?” Derak asked.

“Aye, sir,” she replied. “Where’s my seat?”

“To the right of commander Shakur, place your hands on the flashing hand pads. Don’t raise them until it’s done. Put the headset on, and match the sensor with your right eye. You’re going to receive some quick instructions.”

“Aye, sir.”

The ground crew signaled that they were locked and loaded. The Shesain’s controls confirmed this.

“Close the iris and secure the ship, Commander,” instructed Derak.

“Aye, sir, the ship is secure.”

“Request permission to launch, Commander.”

“Aye, sir. CNC, this is The Shesain. Requesting permission to launch.”

“Shesain, permission to launch in thirty seconds. Proceed to taxi position.”

“Copy, CNC, proceeding to taxi position.”

“Shesain, launch in fifteen seconds… five, four, three, two, one, launch.”

“Take us out, Commander.”

Derak’s final image was of Shesain, tearfully, blowing him a kiss. Her thoughts reached him. “I love you, my chimera-te, come back to me, soon.”

His reverie was interrupted by Dr. Keleg. “What are your orders, sir?”

“Commander, get us there as quickly as possible. Once we pass through the atmosphere, engage the IDMD at the Lagrange point”

“Aye, sir.”

Dr. Keleg finished her lessons halfway to the Oort cloud.

Derak spent the time re-checking all of the coordinates. “CNC, this is The Shesain. Any new uploads?”

“Negative, Shesain. You are current. Have a safe trip.”

“Copy, CNC. We’ll be in touch.”

“Copy, Shesain. Over and out.”

Forty five minutes later. “We’re approaching the Oort cloud, sir. My god, what a mess!” Dr. Keleg cried out.

“Raise full shields. Activate the dimensional generator, Commander.”

“Shields up, generator activated.”

The ship’s lights dimmed slightly for a quick moment, and then came back on, full.

“I feel funny. Like I’m in between something,” said Dr. Keleg.

“You are, doctor,” said Derak. “You’re in between dimensions, and you’re able to directly affect the one you originated from. I’ll explain it on the way back. Stick to the mission.”

“Approaching the Oort cloud, sir,” Commander Shakur reported.

“Turn the vids on, Commander.”

“Vids are on. We’ve got some outrageous readings streaming in. I’m sending them back to CNC, as we get them.”

“Good work, Commander.”

“Ready for manual control,” Commander Shakur said.

“Press the yellow light on the bottom right of your control panel.”

“Stick up,” Shakur reported.

“When you’re ready, press the green light, you‘ll have manual flight after you engage.”

“Ready, sir.”

“Engage, Commander.”

She pressed the light and control was switched to the stick.

“Take us in — CNC, are you seeing this?”

“Copy, Shesain. What an incredible sight!”

They entered the Oort cloud and passed numerous rocks of various sizes, from pea to house-size.

“Good flying, Commander,” said Derak. Just then, a two-hundred foot asteroid floated in front of them, too fast to avoid.

Dr. Keleg screamed, “Admiral!”

“We’re about to replace out how the dimensional generator works. Stay on course, Commander.”

Her knuckles were white as she held the course. They stopped breathing the moment they passed through the meteor as if it were thin air. An audible, collective gasp of relief escaped.

“Shesain, what was that?”

“I’ll explain later, CNC, out.”

“Targets located and locked.”

“Proceed to targets, Commander.”

When they arrived at the coordinates, they were speechless. An asteroid the size of Mt. Kumar loomed before them.

“That must be at least eight miles high,” gasped Dr. Keleg.

“You’re on, Doctor. I’ll need those drilling coordinates.”

“I’m transferring them, now.”

“Received, Doctor. Commander, bring us about. Hold your course.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Set the first hole coordinates, Doctor,” said Derak.

“Target acquired, sir.”

“Fire in the hole.” Derak drilled the first hole to the required depth.

“It didn’t work,” said the doctor.

“Yes it did,” said Derak, correcting her. “Zoom in on your camera.”

She gasped as she saw a precise hole drilled into the rock. It took them one hour to finish drilling the mountain. Then, they set out to mark the satellites. Once they were marked, they moved the ship back to a safe firing range.

“Set missile coordinates. Fire,” ordered Derak.

Dr. Keleg set the coordinates and fired. Fifteen missiles fired at once, each one separating to reach their individual targets.

“I suggest we get out of here,” said Derak. “We have ten minutes until detonation.

Commander, take us out of the cloud and hold our course at Quentana.”

“Yes, sir, course set.”

“Engage.”

They left the cloud faster than they entered it. This time they had no fear as they approached the big asteroid, plowing right through. The explosions were as bright as the sun, sending fragments flying outward at great speeds. They tracked the mountain and found some bad news: One fragment was still on track for Thumar.

This one was five thousand feet wide, too large for the pulse to stop. Derak contacted CNC for confirmation. They came back with the same data. After surviving the matter-antimatter detonation pulse, the asteroid fragment measured five hundred feet wide, large enough to cause considerable damage. It was decided that they would wait until it passed through, and, then, guide it to hit the frozen southern sea. They set course and maintained a synchronous orbit around the first planet in the solar system, Celeb. Their orbit was to be maintained until after the detonation.

“CNC, maintaining a synchronous orbit around Celeb. Ready The Shemar for launch,” said Derak.

“Copy, Shesain. The Shemar will launch in thirty minutes and detonate in seven hours. Hold your position until you’re cleared for asteroid intercept.”

“Copy, CNC. Shesain out.”

Back at CNC, the room erupted in applause at the asteroid’s reduction. It settled down fast as The Shemar prepared for launch. The remote flight team was ready, and the decks were cleared. The ship remotely launched and was in position in one hour.

Five hours before detonation, the nanobots started building the main sail. After three hours, the completed sail became electrically charged. The focusing sail was built in one hour, receiving its charge. The nukes inside The Shemar started their timers, and the clear beams followed.

The primary clear beam ignited, and the clear beam gun, mounted to the outside of the hull, fired a calculated variance beam into the first, causing a matter anti-matter explosion. The full blast hit the focusing sail, sending it back to the main sail. The blast spread out onto the main sail, directing the force toward the incoming MSS, before disintegrating the sails and the scout ship.

The Shesain was notified five minutes before the matter-antimatter detonation. The front viewports were made opaque, and full shields were raised. The Shesain’s crew started the countdown at thirty seconds. They would have no idea if the detonation worked until a call from

CNC confirmed the explosion. The crew prayed it would work.

The third planet, Shantar, was gone. The fourth, Onbur, had anything above the flat ground stripped away. All that was left of the fifth planet, Metar the gas giant was its core. The last planet, Quentana, was ground zero, the point where the MSS and the matter-antimatter detonation waves collided.

Quentana disappeared in a blinding, brilliant flash of light. The GRB and the main force of the combined energy of the two converging energy fields pushed most of the MSS’s shockwave out and away from the inner Thumarian solar system, but not all of it.

Thumar’s magnetosphere received a temporary boost, causing an aurora display never seen before or after.

The Shesain received confirmation from CNC and was told to stay safely in place. Those remaining on Thumar hunkered down in underground shelters, waiting for the storm to pass. The asteroid had been reduced to five hundred feet wide, and its trajectory adjusted itself to fall into the frozen southern ocean.

Thirty minutes later, 12.5 percent of the original MSS met the augmented magnetosphere of Thumar, pushing it, flexing towards the sun. It gave, but held. The MSS brought with it an endless supply of small meteorites and one hundred fifty to two hundred mile-per-hour winds that reached the planet’s surface, causing considerable damage. The big meteor had not, yet, hit the frozen sea. Seven minutes after reacting with the magnetosphere, 5.5 percent of the MSS passed through Thumar’s atmosphere.

Clouds were either dispersed or pushed to the sun side of the planet. Red, orange, and green aurora filled the skies. Secondary and tertiary colors combined to form continuous swirling eddies, changing colors and shapes in a kaleidoscopic display. This co-mingled with the compressed cloud banks on the sun side of the planet, creating an even more vast show of color and shape. The vids, recording the sight for posterity, would later reveal the wondrously beautiful, yet deadly, cosmic imagery.

Asteroid remnants penetrated the atmosphere, anywhere from pea-size to the size of an air car. The smallest ones disintegrated, upon entry, into the atmosphere. Bolide-magnitude light trails competed with the-ever changing aurora; fireworks filled the sky. Larger asteroids entered the atmosphere, lighting up the skies like miniature suns. Fireballs fell like rain before striking the planet. The sound of uncountable explosions reverberated. Craters dotted the landscape.

Fires started anywhere where combustible materials — crops, orchards, vineyards, forests, and scrubland — were prevalent. Fires raged planet-wide, and animals ran for their lives, driven by smoke, flames, and heat. Massive wildfires fueled by mega hurricane-force winds completely wiped out Lelayla’s continental farmlands and prairies.

Towns and villages fared no better. Meteorites rained on any building that wasn’t destroyed or burned. Major cities were better protected from the fires, but couldn’t withstand the barrage of meteorites. Big and small buildings collapsed or were punctured with numerous holes. Shenmar’s main temple miraculously survived. Buildings and military bases, critical to Thumars governing structure, were shielded, and these were only lightly damaged and still functional.

Finally, the meteorite storms passed, leaving a ravaged land with fires burning on every continent. The frozen poles fared the best because the ice was too thick to completely penetrate. Tiny lakes formed where meteorites impacted, then froze over again, trapping the rocks. The winds died down within five hours. Debris was everywhere, from small pieces of structures to multi-ton stones that had been flung through the air like pebbles. Uprooted trees littered the landscape, some buried deep into large buildings with only the roots showing.

The five hundred foot asteroid struck the southern frozen sea sending a mushroom cloud rising miles into the atmosphere. The blast was deafening. Numerous earthquakes followed that could be felt at CNC under Mt. Kumar.

The first heat wave from the collision melted the frozen ocean, wiping out the inner rocky ring of the archipelagos. Nothing remained. The second, outer ring fell to the same fate, with only rock rising out of the ocean three feet high. The third, outermost ring was stripped bare of anything that wasn’t rock.

The second shock blast finished off where the first began; both traveled at the speed of sound across the ocean. The southern facing coastlands of the main continents were far enough away from the first two shock waves to sustain significant damage. Then, the tsunami came, a wall of water one hundred feet high and traveling at over seven hundred miles-per-hour. The entire southern continental coastlines were forever changed.

The water retreated from the beaches, and then resurged, hitting the coast again, the shallow ocean floor driving the swells higher. Nothing could stop its driving force. The waves traveled miles inland, laying waste to anything still standing. When the waves retreated, miles of bare rock were exposed. Three successive waves followed. The tsunami stripped everything down to dirt and sand. Northern beaches and coastlines that were far enough away from the blast crater were spared. Aftershocks were felt for weeks.

It took a month for the atmosphere to clear enough to breathe without masks. Rains came and put out the remaining fires, and the southern sea began to freeze anew. One-third of Thumar was a wasteland; it would recover in time, but it would never be the same. The ships and the orbiting space docks also took a beating, but survived.

The Shesain stayed in its alternate dimension until it was cleared to return. Upon return, the

ship arrived at the space docks for a quick meeting with emergency responders. Ships were dispatched to assess the damage including The Shesain. The crewmembers were heartbroken as they recorded vids, documenting the destruction, to bring back to Mt. Kumar.

The bay doors opened, and commander Shakur backed the Shesain in for a landing. A cheering crowd waited. The iris opened, and as the crew emerged, wearing expressions of shock and grief, the cheering stopped. Derak stepped out onto the hangar floor, took three steps, and stopped. Shesain rushed to him and enfolded him in her embrace. She felt relief, but she also sensed something was terribly wrong.

“What is it, Derak?” Remor asked.

Derak woodenly handed Remor the memory crystal. Shesain led him to a quiet corner. He buried his head in her shoulder and wept.

Remor went to the console and inserted the crystal for playback. As the scenes unfolded, he collapsed in his chair, shocked beyond compare.

“Put it on the big screen,” someone called out in attendance.

Gamar pressed the control, leaning back as he put his head in his hands. He appeared to be on the verge of breaking down.

Shenar ran to Remor’s side. “What is it? What’s wrong?” Her eyes grew wide at the images on the screen, and her mouth started trembling. The destruction unfolded before the crowd, and even grown men cried. The recording played to a horrified audience. When it was over, the mourning commenced. Dinner that evening was a quiet affair. Conversation was sparse, and appetites were non-existent. Crewmembers remained at their stations, monitoring and sharing data with the space docks. The preparations for recovery and rebuilding had already begun.