LINX

Consequences

Chapter 18

It was late in the day, the stars blistering out of the morning sky and making their appearance along the night sky. The sun had almost settled, the last of it's rays lighting up the sky. The redness of the sun keeping still some light in the day.

Enjoying the view of the setting behind a dark tinted window was the man who held the highest degree of power in this alpine empire controlled planet. He was infamously called General Linx.

Seated on a custom handmade teak armchair of a dying trend behind a large Oakwood desk, he gazed across the room taking some time off from his long days work of pushing papers.

Times were really tough mainly because their ultra weapon, the planetary destroyer , codenamed - Eclipse cannon was on it's last stages of testing. It was based on technology that was atleast two centuries from now.

The original blueprint of this weapon was all from him. It's origin and it's end both in his brain. He doesn't remember how it is there or what his life was before the military. He remembers glimpses of some events recorded, of things that archives don't mention of ever having happened.

He cannot justify of all the intel in his head and neither can any of the top notch scientists working under him. But when something as important as putting an end to this race of universal dominion till the end of eternity is on the line, why go after your personal agenda, when countless lives can be saved.

His view of the sun was disrupted when the door to his office was opened by his secretary - Lisa.

She peaked inside and asked the general whether she could allow the scouts inside. Usually for all purposes a call from her desk would suffice but this knock always gave the personal touch that he ought to hear the reason she needs to convey. And this as she said was of the highest importance.

Since the primary tests of the planetary cannon - Eclipse on the planet Khaos , tensions have been on the rise. Confederation has dispatched the Echelon fleet comprising of 40 alpha grade carriers, these being the biggest of ships in terms of troops and fighters it was carrying .

The fleet was placed a few million miles away from Zymen whilst maintaining their eyes on the planet and waiting for the command to storm the planet as soon as the confederation government gives the command.

The only reason the command has not come through is because the confederation government has diversity, lot's of races all moulded into one form of government. It is true that many different ideologies make a people supportive government but it also leads to delay in decisions.

The general in order to keep the planet free from all intruders had launched the pulse planes, new next generation flight technologies running on fusion energy and maintaining a constant speed of about Mach 20 allowed them to circulate the entire planet in less than half an hour though there were blind spots but still their surveillance technology could predict any unexplained movement down to the last leaf. It was technology far ahead of it's time , unmanned surveillance that gave fast and reliable results.

The general himself was never a patron of the technology that he himself from the blueprint imprinted in his mind had given . Even though it was state of the art, he always felt it could be fooled. Computers no matter how fancy they got , in the end were creations from higher thinkers like man.

So, as a failsafe he sent out multiple groups of men out who would survey the reports from the pulse jets. They collected soil samples from sites of reported activities such as plane crashes, attack on Alpine personnel from wild animals or unexplained forces such as foreign intruders or tribals.

But since the planet was militarized the tribals had been evicted but some who stayed back sometimes rise up in protest.

But , the site they inspected was very unusual. In the ruins of their science facility was a high ranking officer. A legend, who had refused the post of a major because he believed he could protect the general by staying in the field. Surveying the land and cleaning up everything that posed a threat to the empire. He hadn't sworn his allegiance to anyone other than the general.

The general it seems was a close friend of this soldier long before the army.

The scouts entered the general's cabin and after a salute stood at attention.

One of them placed the disk on the general's desk and took a step back. The general extended his arm and tapped on the disk. The disk gave out a hologram in it's green glaze and showed few images.

The images sent a shiver down the general's spine. Very few things are there that have the capability of doing that.

The general immediately dismissed the scouts. He picked up the intercom. Lisa tapped in. She asked whom he wished to speak to, the line was transferred to the war ministry.

" Seal the cathedral, initiate Coleman code. Deploy all troops available, tighten security, begin final phase testing for Project Eclipse. Assemble the security council, call in for an emergency meeting." the general said on the line and hung up.

The hologram was still beaming, there were pictures of a standard transportation cylindrical vessel with the confederation symbol of blazing torch on it's side. Next were the images of Lucifer lying down all burned and parched on the floor. His closest friend and the most talented, brave soldier he had ever met was dead and if the ones who have come through that vessel are the ones that killed Lucifer, then he knew for sure that they had to gear up for the worst.

" Frost, I need you to go guard the Consulate ruins. They took out Cole, we have to avenge his death!"

" With pleasure, general. Cole shall be avenged." said the supersoldier - Frost.

Frost got up from the sofa in the right dark corner of the general's office and walked out of the office.

The general had always known they were coming but there was something really strange that they had already arrived. His vision showed his doom and not his prosperity. Something he could not predict as to why?

" Welcome brother, I have been expecting you." blurted the general, a smirk escaping the side of his lips.