Earth Liberation
Audiobook · Earth Liberation: The Novel (Part I)
Chapter 5
The Ark of Faithful Brood, Periphery of Ancestral Home Retinue
1905 of Second Return to the Nest
The supreme attendant Kestesh was hanging in the air in the middle of the Dodecahedral Hall. The supreme military leader was hanging at a distance from the side that was considered the bottom. They both were staring at the screen rolled out wall-to-wall.
On the screen was Mother Earth, covered by smouldering craters. There was a plume of smoke discharging from each of them. There were hundreds of them only on that frame, which captured only a part of large western peninsula of the largest continent.
"Forgive us, Mother Earth," Kestesh said, expressing sorrow. "We have done it for your welfare...Trusty Shihitz, I hope the nuclear contamination isn’t too deep?"
"It’s too small to be valued, great trusty. During positron attacks radioactive isotopes don’t develop".
The supreme attendant unwrapped his leg fins and slowly floated across the hall, gathering the air with his feet.
"What’s the damage?"
"By estimate, the majority of their industrial, energy and military facilities are destroyed." The adherent was subserviently watching Kestesh. "Our ballistic missile defence has perfectly reflected their attack, though they had more rockets than we expected".
"Have we got anything left?"
"Almost nothing, great trusty. We’ve spent all our strategic explorers and the majority of the anti missiles. So if they launch several new dozens of rockets…"
Kestesh reversed his wings and slowed down in the air. Then he suddenly turned to Shihitz.
"Do you suppose that the tail-less have rockets?"
"We can’t rule that out. They are not weak-minded or inexperienced youngsters, who have spent all their armoury at once. They must have kept something. But they can’t rapidly make new rockets, their industry is destroyed. That’s why they are not going to waste all resources until they are sure that we have nothing to respond with"
"In that case, we are equal." The supreme attendant began to float slowly again. "We haven’t got industry either".
"Exactly, great trusty. That is why it’s high time we land our troops. We need to secure footholds, construct pyramids and produce new weapons".
"What about the pyramids on Mars?"
"The geomagnetic resources of Mars are very poor; this in addition to the fact that the majority of the pyramids when wrong over millions of years. Several years will pass until we arrange the supply of weapon from Mars. And now we can only rely on ourselves. "
"Then I convene the Attendant Host to discuss the item of landing troops," Kestesh said. The supreme military leader blinked yellow indicators, signifying consent. Landing troops was his idea, but both understood that the initiative must come from the leader. "Do you have anything to add?"
"We still lack information about the forces of the tailless, great trusty. I suggest we land troops in two groups. The first one - to the uninhabited south continent for construction of pyramids. The second one - to the most industrially developed regions for final mop-up. The leading wave must consist of the worst fighters on the inferior ships. The plans of the next waves must be adjusted to the results of the first one".
"Thank you, trusty Shihitz". The supreme attendant turned to the screen again. Now it was filled with the blueness of the ocean, covered with fractal patterns of the clouds. The smoke of the fires hadn’t reached this region yet. Nothing indicated that there had been a recent strike or even the existence of civilisation. It seemed that Mother Earth was as virgin and pure as it was millions of years ago, long ago the appearance of chrasters, let alone the tail-less… "That’s what we are going to do."