Caleb eased into
his sleek STAR RUNNER...
BIG RED 3 was unequaled in intergalactic warfare,
capable of warp 3+... GOG warships were no match.
Caleb's reputation was unsurpassed as a strike
pilot ~ however ~ Caleb's success was largely
because of an unseen and inexplicable alliance
with Alpha. Several years prior he had an
experience with a messenger sent by Alpha.
Since the experience, unexplainable
miracles had become a common occurrence... On one
occasion, the navigational stick moved without
Caleb touching it... causing his sleek ship to
narrowly avoid disaster. How do you explain that
to nonbelievers? The hair-raising
"experience" with the unknown
"stranger" was known by one other
person, his mentor, Jess.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Ephysia Main's enemy was an evil society based on
one of the lesser planets ~ Planet GOG.
It was a known fact the inhabitants were
completely influenced and governed by the
philosophy
and teaching from Messy's doctrine. GOG was the
sworn enemy of the spiritually-enlightened
citizens of Ephysia.
Today's mission
was termed "code red." GOG Regulars
were building a strike base on a large, asteroid
which was controlled by GOG REGULARS. The GOG
military complex was maneuvering the rogue
asteroid close enough to Ephysia Main to
allow a strike engineered by Caleb's counterpart.
The
President's Order...
"Make it swift, clean and certain"... Caleb nudged the impulse
stick as he broke away from his
dock at Ephysia Tactical Space Station.
"What a great day for battle!" he
murmured into his communicator as he set the nose
down and quickly attained warp 1 progression...
Speed not
attainable by GOG warships.
Big
Red 3 was cloaked...
While invisible on GOG'S tracking screen, Caleb
was capable of getting dangerously close to the
enemy asteroid... GOG fortress was now in range.
Caleb rammed the thrust lever to "maximum
progression." Before the detection signal
was received by GOG, Big Red was little more than
a
streak, the surprised GOG Regulars, frozen in
terror could do nothing but wait a few agonizing
moments as the enormous fire balls engulfed them,
vaporizing flesh from their bones as the
skeletal remains were left standing. None were
left to see screaming Big Red 3 flash into space.
Just seconds before Caleb had fired two charges.
He didn't see the strike... he was already well
past the target before the vaporization occurred.
"GOOD SHOT!" Caleb shouted to himself!
Had
he failed, the GOG Warriors would have had an
advantage from the flank with their powerful
lasers. Caleb was pure terror to GOG officials...
now there would be an even heavier price on his
head! Knowing this gave reason for a sinister
laugh.
~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mission
completed, now he was on his own time. Caleb
eased his magnificent craft into a leisurely
cruise mode, removed himself from the body molded
command chair that held him secure in
"battle mode". He then set course for
one of the lesser planets of the system... He was
going to see an old friend, the man who had
introduced him to Alpha. While settled back in
his travel chair his mind began to drift... He
thought about all the years he had been a
mercenary for the Ephysian Strike Force, the
money they paid him to execute missions against
their long time enemy, GOG, was never enough.
~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Big Red 3 was
an engineering marvel ~ the craft's nerve-system
and computer was an extension
of Caleb's own brain and nervous system...
engineered and developed ONLY for Caleb and would
perform at 100% for only Caleb. The ship was an
extension of his own body and mind. Because of
a cut back in military spending the Star Runner
was the only craft of its kind. Caleb was awarded
the ship as part of the agreement. Caleb would
fly top priority missions for reward and the Star
Runner would be his private ship. Caleb and BIG
Red was a perfect blend of man and machine! they
interacted as one. Each time they left the
atmosphere of Ephysia Main the ship became
structurally stronger, the heat was so intense
that the ship received a heat treatment each
mission.
The fact that
he was a mercenary was another reason the members
of the Religious Outposts didn't approve of
Caleb. A professed worshiper of Alpha, actually
getting paid to kill! Caleb always
contended that killing GOG Regulars was no sin,
somebody had to do it or they would overthrow
Alpha's chosen people, slaughtering them, or even
worse, enslaving them. He had seen how evil they
were and didn't consider them to be human or
perhaps they were completely human and that's
what Caleb really didn't like... the pure human,
untempered by the spirit of Alpha... or even
worse... the pure human tempered by the spirit of
Mesmerizer... THAT WAS EVIL!
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