THE BEGINING
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The prophecy had been fulfilled; the earth had become uninhabitable. Mankind had abused the gift given to him. It began in the year 2025. In the next five years mankind would face its greatest challenges. Terrorism worldwide had begun to rise. Small countries were being overthrown by anarchist societies. The United States Western Europe and a few other world powers had managed to keep it at bay. That was until an American scientist named Dr. Roland Johansen had perfected the processing of an alternative power supply, known for years, but never able to be harnessed. Cold fusion was finally a reality. This discovery would allow almost unlimited energy supply for the entire world. Cold fusion is based on the principle that all matter contains energy. The bonds that held matter together have tremendous amounts of energy in them. The energy in these bonds however could not be harnessed until Dr. Johansen realized how to separate the bonds. This process was thought to be impossible because the amount of energy needed to successfully separate bonds was much higher than the energy produced from the actual separation. Doctor Johansen realizing this decided to attack the problem with a different method. He began to take energy out of the bond instead of putting it in. His findings were amazing. The bonds began to change there charge both atoms became positive. They pushed each other away releasing this amazing force of energy. The reason this finding had such an impact was that every piece of technology on earth could run for sixty years on one hundred and fifty thousand gallons of heavy sea water approximately equivalent to a Olympic sized swimming pool. The scientific world was in an uproar an end to pollution. They had found an alternative fuel source. Engineers and scientists from all over the world went to work. They began building a machine they nicknamed Firefly. It would be the first fusion powered plant on earth. It was based in Naples Italy. Its supply of raw energy was the Mediterranean Sea. The fusion reactor would take three years to complete and would power all of Europe and one quarter of Africa. For those three years, the world was at peace. The revolutions ceased, people no longer feared terrorist invasions. What they didn't know is what they should have feared, a high powered terrorist group called OSOP organization of oppressed peoples who had planned the ultimate terrorists act. OSOP knew that if cold fusion were a success the countries they had gained control of would be powerful enough to fight back this would be disastrous for them. They set out on an equally arduous task to sabotage the building of Firefly. OSOP managed to get some of their members into high-powered positions on the engineering and scientific teams in charge of all the aspects of the project. As the building continued, OSOP's members took certain precautions to ensure the failure of this project. They sabotaged equipment work plans and even assassinated key members of the work force. None of these had much impact, the project had worldwide cooperation and as a problem arose, a solution was immediately formulated. OSOP was becoming desperate, time was running out. Final construction of the Firefly was well underway. Just when it seemed this miracle of modern science was destined to work, OSOP got the break it needed. Another terrorist organization from the former USSR stepped forward. They were a small group but had something to offer that OSOP couldn't refuse. Seventeen nuclear warheads from the KGB's nuclear archives thought to be destroyed. These warheads were the final step in the destruction of Firefly. The groups wasted no time, in such hasty building of the Firefly some security aspects were overlooked. It was an easy task for the highly placed engineers of OSOP to place the bombs. The firefly was equipped with four floors of reserve oil drums in case the system shut down or experienced technical difficulties. They simply packed up the warheads into fifty-gallon drums and drove them right into the heart of Firefly. The project was going well. Two years and two hundred and thirty days after its start, Firefly was complete. Millions of people showed up for the unveiling of the plant. It was an amazing feat. It stood 137 stories high and two football fields wide at all sides. It was the largest man made structure ever built and had been built in record time. Amongst the spectators at the unveiling were three OSOP pawns, members who would give up their lives for the cause. As President Nelson, the now United States president gave, his speech the members of OSOP did the final checks on the firing circuits of the nuclear warheads. The elected representative from the UN counted down to the turning on of the most advanced technological wonder of the twenty first century. The pawns in time with the count readied themselves for there sacrifice. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. The irony in this tragedy is that if the firing systems on the warheads hadn't had a two-second delay the outcome would have been drastically different. The firefly turned on and in those two seconds filled its two hundred and fifty energy storage cells with pure cold fusion resource. The warheads exploded using the petroleum storage as a catalyst and turning every one of the energy storage cells into a forty-kiloton nuclear explosion. It instantly incinerated one hundred and thirty four million people. The explosion flash boiled the Mediterranean and the shock wave was felt as far away as Chicago and Okinawa. All communications were ceased. The electromagnetic pulse took out the entire worlds communication systems. The blast effectively, technologically transported us back to the Stone Age. For two weeks the holocaust prevailed cut off from communication. We were scared cold and hungry. The skies had grown dark and the dust cloud from the explosion now blanketed the earth. Then right as all had lost hope the television and radio sparked to life. The lights that still worked began to come on and a broadcast was seen across the world. It was the chief engineer on the Firefly project and the cold fusion creator Dr. Roland Johansen who had fallen ill and was forced to watch the ceremony via satellite from the white house in Washington DC. This was a sign a feeling of hope spread through all the survivors of this, the world’s greatest tragedy. The bombs and the nuclear winter that followed had killed more people than every war that had ever taken place. He explained what had happened and that the group responsible and all its members had been caught and put to death. He then explained what we were to do now. This was either a dream or a joke. No one believed the proclamation he made that day. He told us that NASA had been setting up an experimental research colony on the planet Mars. Using cold fusion they had effectively adjusted the Martian climate enough that in biosphere’s we could inhabit the planet. They had found water rich with minerals deep within the Martian crust. They were using this to power the fusion reactor they had there. They still had to build to accommodate the entire remaining population but within three months all remaining people animals and plants that hadn't been exposed to the radiation would be transported to the planet on specialized space craft nicknamed ARCS. Each arc was capable of transporting 50,000 people per trip. The next three months were hard and many perished. The thoughts of life brought hope and most were determined to survive. There were riots everywhere looting robbing. Everyone was trying to get enough of life’s basic necessities to survive. After the three months had passed the human population of earth was down to six hundred and fifty thousand people. Every family had lost someone but they were still even in the face of eminent peril willing to go on. You never realize how great the will to survive is. People were killing their neighbors and even their family members in order to get enough food to survive. Today all of what was those five years of nightmares is forgotten. The only references being in books and the stories of the old generation. The three months were up but the hardships were not over. Now each person would have to find a way to get to Edwards’s airforce base in white sands NewMexico or Tahnar military installation in southeastern Asia. Great poets and writers have told the tale of the great migration. Imagine the entire population of the world during nuclear winter starved for food having to make there way across the globe to one of two cities designated. As if this wasn't enough hardship, they had to make this trip within one year. This sounds like a reasonable time line to most but the electromagnetic pulse would pull people trying to find there way by compass towards the blast site which was still contaminated and now holding the magnetic charge of polar north. The people who did reach these cities the whole five hundred and twenty eight thousand of them, would have to now deal with comprehensive screenings for diseases such as HIV Hepatitis A and B and the new disease spawned from this disaster ARD (advanced radiation disorder). This new disease was caused by the exposure to radiation through drinking water or contact with the blast site. People were weeded out and put in quarantine zones to die. My mother, my father and my brother and I made it through all of these hardships and were on the first of the ARCS to our new home. The last ARC blasted off on August 26th, 2030, five years after the discovery of cold fusion. In the beginning the biosphere’s worked well and life was beginning to become livable once again. Then the first of our new problems set in. The biosphere’s had been running on heavy water found beneath the Martian surface. After two years, the water level was now dangerously low, The new government decided to run a pipeline four hundred miles to a underground lake estimated to be the size of the lake Michigan. This supply of fusion energy would allow us to live for centuries without worry of its depletion. They recruited boys and men ages 16-29 to go out into this harsh environment and lay this pipeline. The Martian climate was extreme. Two hundred and fifty degrees in the day. Negative one hundred in the dark and an unbreathable atmosphere. One wrong move meant death. These men were called frost troopers by the government. In return for the job, those who survived would be provided with a private living unit since money had no meaning on our new planet. Property was the only possession that had any value. Well lets say this wasn't a real good offer for many men so the government began killing any man who turned down there offer. This on the other hand did work. The men set to work the year was 2032. They worked all day long but the pipelines progress was slow and our water was now getting dangerously low. The scientific advisors estimated we had at the most three more years of water. The men were than commissioned to work at night. This is when our next great problem arose. While working at night men began to disappear without a trace. The diggers on the site had found caves with what seemed to be hieroglyphics on the walls. Just as the events occurred they were dismissed as just careless behavior insisting the men had fallen in ravines, or been blasted by dynamite while they dug the hole for the pipe. Then it happened, a worker, in the two four force, found a little boy with extremely large canines, able to breathe the Martian atmosphere but otherwise very human like. He was taken to the research facility and tested but when he bit one of the scientists it was extremely clear to all what he was. He was what we refer to as a vampire. The ancient myth hadn't been a myth at all we had indeed had vampires and we had been visited by extraterrestrial. What we hadn't realized until now was that these aliens as we called them were indeed vampires. The old government had been destroyed but a scientist one of the elders who had made it through the blast confirmed our suspicions area fifty one and the Rosweld incident had been cover ups for extraterrestrial landings and that the bodies pulled from those ships were VAMPIRES. The government called back the frost troopers and commissioned them as vampire slayers. The pipeline only twenty five miles from completion had been stopped. They were now to spend their days training and a few of the units were sent out to hunt the vampire scum. They all perished with the exception of one man who returned to the biosphere wearing a necklace of vampire teeth he was revered and made to train the troops. He told how he managed to break into their underground stronghold. How hundreds of thousands of them lived off of the nitrogen in the Martian surface see the tales had been correct, vampires did drink blood but they only did this on earth. They needed the blood on earth for the hemoglobin which carried oxygen they didn't need the blood they, needed the oxygen in the blood to survive. On their home planet they were much stronger, pumping nitrogen through their veins. This gave them their very distinctive blue tone. This man was our savior, in a time of such hardship he was a hero. We named our biosphere after him. We called it MECCA. The mans name was Jonathan Meccane. He taught our troops to fight the vampires and designed their weapons. The most basic, not a cross or holy water, or a stake, but an energy cannon, a miniature fusion reactor, which was powerful enough to shatter bones. It had unlimited ammunition for it ran on two drops of water. He and others patrolled the front line and with his help they finished the pipeline. This man was my father. He feared nothing and lived his life only to help others. Without him my family would never have survived the nuclear winter back on earth. We were lucky only my sister Ann and my grandfather had died during those dreadful times. Most people lost everyone they cared about we were the lucky ones. I don't remember much about my father, but the images I can still recall are of him as a brave man and an inspiration to all. He was our hope but one day while out on a patrol with three other men, he was captured by the vampires. They tortured him and tried to get him to tell our secrets. He took all of his knowledge of our home and our strategy to the grave. They eventually tired of him and ripped him limb from limb. They had placed his body parts on five stakes and hung them in front of the Mecca. It was a sad day for the colony. Hope was lost and the future looked very bleak. When daylight came we cut him down and took him to be buried. When we opened his hands he had two sets of vampire teeth in each, suggesting he killed them up until the end. My father was given a hero's funeral the entire human population was at one mans funeral I was so proud. I was 17 years old when my father was killed and the hatred I felt for the vampires never left me. I began to take up his work my older brother Danny and I, who was at this time 28, trained the slayers from the knowledge my father had passed on to us. We took his place as the head slayers and continued to reap our vengeance upon them. The vampires regenerated quickly but we found if we pulled out their canines that they lost the ability to feed and would soon die. There teeth were the only parts of there bodies they could not regenerate, the reason why is still not known. The vampire numbers slowly decreased and it seemed we were winning the war. We were wrong. There numbers were becoming low and we had seized a large portion of their nitrogen reserves. They began their first raids on April 13th, 2035. They needed new soldiers for there evil army. In order to transform a person the vampire needed to transfer a poisonous substance, we later identified to be very similar to bone marrow. When a vampire bites a human, he pumps the marrow through a small opening in his canines but there were many ways to contract this disease. Almost every human that made any type of contact with a vampire transformed. The raids continued and forced us to improve our security. We placed a titanium shade around the entire Mecca. This provided two forms of protection. One from the sun during the day and the second from the vampire attacks at night. We had learned from some of the salvaged books that vampires could not stand sun light but this wasn't true. See vampires couldn't stand heat and with the Martian climate being two hundred degrees during the day they adapted to survive at night when the temperature was one hundred degrees below zero. This meant all our work outside of the safety of the Mecca had to be done during the day. The pipeline was guarded at night by the slayers, most of which didn't survive more than a few months. The slayers that had experience fighting the vampires were made generals and given separate living quarters as long as his unit supplied a reasonable amount of vampire teeth each month. As for my brother and I, we were now the elected leaders of our small slayer army consisting of sixteen thousand men women and children who passed the physical fitness requirements. We were greatly outnumbered and every few months the entire vampire army would collect outside the Mecca and attack the shield we had constructed. The sound was maddening; they would go on for hours. It was a terrifying time. If they had gotten through, we would have all perished without specialized suits, as we could not breathe the air. Our entire way of life depended on two feet glass and a titanium shield. The nightwalkers, as the ancients called them, were very strategic and intelligent creatures. They had set up many traps and their strong holds were immensely complex. One day I was out on patrol with a squad of young recruits. We came upon what seemed to be two of our slayers laying face down on the red Martian sand. One of the recruits a boy no older than I ran to the men and turned one of them over. It was a gruesome sight. The vampires had placed a stake into a hydrogen vent and when the recruit pulled the body off of the vent, the stake flew out and speared him through his helmet. The recruits helmet stopped the stake but the airtight seal of his suit had been broken. He clawed at his throat trying to get a breath of air. In confusion he removed his helmet. He held his breath for as long as he could but we could not help him. The nitrogen and hydrogen in the air rushed into his lungs as he attempted to breathe. I will never forget his face as every blood vessel in his body instantly burst. The low gravity on the planet didn't allow the blood to fall. It hovered in mid air like a magician’s trick. That wasn't the only man that I lost that day. We continued on each man fighting off the demons, attempting to remove the thought of what had just occurred. The helplessness in his eyes seared the image into my brain. I still to this day can see it. As we walked on continuing our patrol we came upon a metallic ball resting in the sand. We knew this time not to allow our curiosity to get the better of us. We began to scour over the ball from a respectable distance. One of the men moved it with a stick, still nothing. It looked safe enough, so we approached it. The ball was definitely some type of metal. It shined with colors no human eye had ever seen before. The shape of it seemed to be a perfect sphere. We moved in closer sensing no immediate danger from the newly discovered object. The colors seemed to pull us towards it. Then all to suddenly for anyone to realize, my men began to sink into the sand surrounding the object. That's when we realized the danger of our situation. The ball was swallowed beneath the sand. When it reappeared it was resting atop the head of a creature, the likes of which I had never seen. The creatures’ eyes glowed bright blue that being the image imprinted in my memory. It was as tall as a man was but very slender almost snake like. The creature attacked swiftly like a snake grabbing and swallowing one of my recruits whole in a matter of seconds. We were at the creature’s mercy buried up to our shoulders and totally unable to fight back. The second attack was on a young boy no more than 15 but that was the day he became a man. Realizing his own demise, he grabbed a fusion grenade from his vest and clipped the fuse. He was swallowed whole but the distinctive beeping of the grenade could be heard emanating from the creatures stomach, then in one flash it was over. The creatures body instantly incinerated the blast had killed two others but saved the lives of the remaining eight men. We struggled for hours and finally I managed to free myself and helped the other men from their cement like encasement. It was late and getting dark, we headed back to the Mecca, but on the way another three men fell victim to vampire attacks. It was a horrible day but one of only many we endured. With our newfound information, we designed two new weapons for our arsenal. We designed an inflatable tube, which allowed us to free ourselves from the quick sand, and a helmet cannon so we could defend ourselves even with our arms buried in the sand. We encountered many creatures on our patrols, all of them either digging burrows or dwelling in caves. This explained why none of the Mars lander projects had encountered them. These animals were logged and observed by the scientists. There were many animals discovered but none of them had an impact in our ongoing battle like the Herladons. A recruit whose squad had been killed by the vampires discovered these animals. The recruit wandered the desert for days looking for the Mecca. He had given up hope when he came across a cave. He wearily entered badly dehydrated and very weak, what he found amazed him. It was a heard of Herladons huddling together in the night. He was frozen in fear, here was a beast eight feet high and quite like a horse in stature. It had a woolen coat and very wide feet obviously equipped for walking great distances. It was obviously a carnivore based on the size of its teeth. They awoke and sniffed around the recruit, determining there next coarse of action. He had lost his weapons in the battle, and the sand had jammed his head cannon so he was at there mercy. They were to his surprise very gentle creatures and quite intelligent. They led him to a drinking hole fed from an underground stream. The water tasted as if had been taken straight from a mountain stream. He drank until his stomach ached. The animals then huddled around him like a mother keeping her baby warm. He fell into a deep slumber, awakening what seemed like days later. He now began to drive the herd. Riding atop one of the beasts in a make shift sattle, he rode for two days. When he reached the Mecca we rushed out to greet him, and receive the odd gift he had brought us. We built stables and the animals seemed to adapt well to the environment. We now created the mounted slayers each was given a Herladon, which he cared for. My brother the great inventor he was, designed side mounted fusion cannons for the Herladons. This was the strategic advantage we needed. We could now venture further from the Mecca than ever before. This began what I refer to as our curious days. We had found a new species, what else was out their maybe just maybe nonhostile intelligent beings lie just over the horizon. We were curious but it would have to wait we were at war, and to send off men would be dangerous. Our supply of soldiers was limited we could not afford anymore loses. With the help of the high counsel, my brother and I formulated strategic battle plans. We also designed armor for the slayers, which we fashioned from titanium; we had mined from the Martian crust. We were ready to fight back. We sent out scouts to determine strategic locations to attack. Finally on December 26th, 2037 we launched our first counter offensive. We attacked the Vampires nitrogen supplies, which the scouts had located; it was a day filled with hope. We lined up outside the Mecca; we did our final checks on all of the gear. We were ready the slayers moving like an unstoppable plague across the baron Martian landscape. They killed every vampire they came across with minimal casualties. We finally reached our destination the nitrogen supplies. I remember looking into the mouth of the cave, so dark and cold and knowing that it was inhabited by mans ultimate foe. My men were brave, raised as warrior’s there lives so hard had made them into heroes, all of them. Without hesitation they marched into the darkness. Only flashlights to guide them, we sought out the nightwalkers in there own environment. At first we walked through unscathed, then a few isolated attacks began. Eventually a small skirmish broke out but as the last vampires lay dying it was quiet very quiet. The silence was eerie we could hear water falling from the caves ceiling. We marched on, eventually a glow could be seen ahead. As we crested a small hill the floor suddenly disappeared. We were staring down into a cathedral like room, atleast two hundred feet below us. The walls were covered with stalactites, which hung like icicles and glowed a dark blue color. Jackpot we had found the mine then we noticed movement on the ground. The ground was moving, I order a man to drop a flare. He stepped forward struck the flare and dropped it from the ledge. All eyes focused on the small light falling towards the abyss. Then suddenly it hit we realized the scale of our findings The floor wasn't moving, it was hundreds of vampires moving around in the darkness. They were gathering their precious food supply. The striking of the flare set off a chain reaction. The vampires, like roaches when the lights came on, scurried to find a hiding spot from the bright object that had just penetrated there realm of night. My men began firing picking off vampires by the dozen. It was chaos the vampires began climbing the walls of the cave in search of an escape. Their building was becoming their tomb. Unable to escape they were dying fast, one vampire made it up to the ledge. A man screamed out don't shoot but it was too late. He knew the vampire it was a friend of his he had met while laying the pipeline. The horror of our act set in; all the missing soldiers had been bitten and left in the cavern to mine till they died. They had built the cave this way to contain them. They as humans merely infected with the vampire disease were used as slaves. We knew the friends we had once known were long gone so with a few words of encouragement the men fought on. We annihilated all of them in a matter of minutes. Almost as a sign as the last were shot the flair burned out, releasing these men from slavery and allowing them to rest in peace. We left with victory in our hands and pain in our hearts. None of the men dared ever speak of what they saw that day. Nevertheless with the exception of a few skirmishes this was our first strategic victory. We arrived home heroes having suffered only minimal loses. Gaining control of their food was important yes, but the real importance of this win was that we now had established a frontline. Men guarded the mine day and night it was a tough job and many perished. Nevertheless they held there ground and morale was high. A brilliant man by the name of Rick Ayala had become a master at formulating immensely complex battle plans that saved many lives. His greatest idea put an end to the monthly raids we had been enduring. The beasts we had encountered we named them groundhogs. They were the ones with the attractive sphere atop their heads. They dug holes in the sand and lie in wait for their prey. We had managed to breed them in captivity and had placed them around the Mecca like a minefield. They fed on the vampires, which unknowingly fell into there cunning traps. We marked their holes with glass pillars, which couldn't be seen at night. Every morning we would find the remains of a couple of unwelcome visitors scattered around the holes. We were now safe and free to actually begin our new lives. It was a renaissance once warriors became artists, actors, poets, and writers. We kept a large army but the safety felt at night allowed our society to grow culturally. They were wonderful times, even my mother looked happy. After the death of my father she had withdrawn and secluded herself from the community. She was now out and about and remarried. I was proud of her she was a strong women with an incredible will to overcome adversity. Even though life was returning to normal, the constant threat did put an end to all crime. No money meant there wasn't any greed. As for crimes against a person we relied on each other to survive we were all family. In short it was peace inside the Mecca and war on the battlefield a common enemy unites people, it’s amazing. The people who didn't fight farmed and raised animals. Every person did there share and we had a retirement plan that put Earth’s to shame. The people that were to old to do manual labor knitted clothes or just sat about and told stories. There was a dark side to these times to; the vampires had found a new nitrogen supply. We had expected this, but we knew they had to use their own kind to do the mining, seeing as how we killed all their slaves. The next attacks casualties, would be from there own race. I look back on my childhood and the memories of Earth, my native land that has all but been forgotten. What remains is sadness, a feeling of regret and loss for the simple joys we once possessed, and took for granted. I would fight an entire army to swim in the ocean, or smell freshly cut grass on a bright summer’s day. Joys we once possessed but in our busy day and age never took the time to savor. So as the darkness looms we wonder if the light may break free. In my times of regret for the lose of the precious gifts, bestowed upon us by our creator who or what ever he may be. I search for the joys I have longed for, and yes I do find them in this strange New World. Amongst all the violence and fear I never thought of this place as beautiful. Then one night as I lie in bed staring up through the dome. I began to notice how breath taking the view I had was. It was a strange feeling to me that I was for one moment at peace, looking into the immense sky before me I suddenly realized that this was an incredible place. Even though it lacked some of the familiar beauties of Earth it made up for it in its other aspects. As I looked deeper into the star filled sky before me my mind began to wander. I began to realize there was so much to learn, and suddenly my mind became open to thoughts other than that of war. I don't know the exact point I fell asleep, but for the first time my dreams were not of horrid images of death and despair but of beauty and filled with a warm feeling that just maybe, I had found my home. I awoke the next day with a feeling of inspiration. All along I had been fighting for the preservation of the human race, but things had changed this was my home and nothing would take it from me again. I felt ready to overcome any obstacle. I sent a small group of scientists turned explorers out to investigate this relatively unknown land. I provided them with an armored escort and we bid them farewell and good hunting. When they didn't return three days later we feared the worst but prayed for their safe return. There was a feast that third night which was in their honor, but we decided to hold it anyway despite the fact they were still unaccounted for. Everyone dressed up and we reinstated Halloween. This was our first holiday since we arrived at our new home. We danced around and told stories while the children laughed at our seemingly insane antics. They had no memories of this celebration and were slow to join in. They were finally persuaded when we stuffed there candy bags with mango slices dipped in sugar. It was a memorial occasion and as the festivities lingered on the songs and stories we heard replaced the thoughts of our missing friends. One of my friends his name was Kieran a very Irish lad had even come up with a beer. Concocted from barley oats and potatoes it had a very distinct taste but seemed to do the trick. The sounds of the songs and the hand made instruments filled the main hall of the Mecca. We did not hear them enter. Then suddenly a group of men wandered into the center of the hall a crowd gathered around them. As I pushed my way through I saw to my amazement it was the explorers they had returned. After everyone welcomed them home, they met with my brother Danny and I and a few of the elders to discuss their findings. It seems they hadn't traveled far before the danger began. A full day into there trip they were hit with the first attack. A small militia of vampires killed two of the slayers that were protecting the group. They were forced to run for cover. The slayers held off the attacks for as long as they could, but eventually they all perished. The slayers had sacrificed themselves for the group and while the vampires were held at bay the explorers made a hasty retreat. They crested the top of a dune and noticed a sandstorm, which Mars was notorious for, rolling in from the west. They ran toward it taking their chances with the storm rather than the vampires, which would have meant certain death. They headed into the storm. As the winds began to pick up the sky suddenly blackened. The men forged ahead. Eventually the sand began piercing their suits like needles. It became too much and most of the men collapsed exhausted from fighting a losing battle with the elements. One scientist found the strength to press on it was Doctor Johansen's son Ken. Doctor Johansen himself had ironically been killed by the same illness that saved his life back on earth. His son had obviously inherited his fathers’ strong will and he pressed on into the darkness determined to live. He made it only a short distance and collapsed exhausted and beaten. He felt a sharp pain in his side and when he looked down he noticed a metallic object protruding from the ground. He began to dig frantically and after a few minutes the scale of his finding came to light. He had found a door. With this New Hope he raced back and told the others exhausted and broken the men struggled the few yards to the strange door. After all were safe in a small room protected from the storm thrashing about overhead the men fell into a deep sleep. When they awoke they all thanked Ken for saving them. Looking around in amazement at their discovered sanctuary they realized there was more to this place then they thought. There was another doorway. It had been half covered by the sand and the men went to work digging it open. They entered cautiously into the dark new room. Ken lit a torch and their minds became flooded with the images before them. The walls were covered with hieroglyphic type markings. They brushed away the dirt that had settled on them and began to find small buttons and switches obviously this place was used for more than just shelter. One man found another door. Inside was a long corridor they proceeded down it with caution. Their common sense told them to leave this place, but their curiosity was sparked. As you know the curiosity of a scientist is very overpowering. Throwing their fears to the wind they pressed on. The corridor extended about fifty feet. The walls were covered with more switches and a few hatches, with what seemed to be tools inside of them. As the corridor ended they were confronted with a locked door. Hardly a worthy advisory for a curious scientist. The men built a crude drill from a soil sampler they had with them. They had gotten ahead of themselves. This was not a normal door; it wasn't our technology more than likely it wouldn't operate as one of our doors would. They began searching, feeling for anything that would help them unlock this puzzle. Finally one of the men came across, what resembled a ball bearing, about the size of a human hand. The object had groves around it; horizontal lines that made it seem it could be turned. The men racked their brains still unsure of what was inside that door; they formulated plans on how to gain entry. One man suggested drilling the ball, but when the bit made contact with the object, it shattered instantly. They refused to let this common boundary stand in their way. In desperation one man grabbed the ball. It began to glow and started to spin. Yes their superior intellect had figured out this alien technology. Then all to suddenly a burst of light, the man was thrown ten feet back into the corridor. A doctor ran to his side but when he touched the mans bio suit he was burned. It was too late the mans body temperature had risen enough to heat the corridor of the ship. They left him where he lay and sat down to think up a new plan. Long ago on Earth witnessing this horror would have an effect on a person, but with all the hardship we had endured seeing one man die was only a cause for a moments pause. Yes that's it, Ken screamed, you see this is a vampire ship. A logical deduction seeing as how there were the only other form of intelligent life encountered so far. Not to mention the fact that the ship strangely resembled the UFO's reportedly sited on Earth. He had formed a hypothesis. The ball was temperature sensitive; the hand of a vampire would be much colder than that of a warm blooded being such as a human. Ok now how do we duplicate the temperature of a vampire hand? Of course his spare nitrogen tank. In liquid form it was used to keep the men cool during the blistering Martian days. Its temperature might be good enough to trick the sensor. Ken put liquid nitrogen onto the glove of his suit and grabbed the ball. He was stuck his glove now frozen around the ball if this didn't work he would share his companions fate. Again the ball began to turn and it now glowed a darker color. The door disintegrated. This technology amazed the men a solid object had just disappeared right in front of them. There amazement was short lived the room they had accessed now caught there attention. They entered lighting another flair they saw they had reached what they believed to be a control room. They searched the room for any clues to reinforce their theory that this was a vampire ship. Ken came upon a bubble like structure encased in the wall. After prying it open his doubts were put to rest. Inside were the preserved remains of a women, human no doubt. Judging by her clothing she had been abducted from Earth many years earlier. After rummaging through her pockets, and finding her driver’s license, our suspicions were confirmed. Her name was Allison Keely she was born in 1969 and seemed to be in her early twenties. As Ken searched the body for others objects of interest another man yelled look over here. It was another bubble, this one already open, with a mans decomposed remains propped up sitting against the wall. In his hand was a tape recorder, it was dust covered but looked in pretty good shape. Leave it to Sony to make a product that outlasts the user. Ken picked up the recorder and rewinded the tape. Just as the tape finished rewinding it snapped. These men were true professionals but that didn't stop the four letter words from flying after this disappointment. It was late and the men were exhausted. They took turns watching the door and one by one drifted into a deep sleep. The next morning they awoke slightly refreshed. They collected there samples put away the tape and were leaving the ship when Steve Vrabel, another scientist accidentally hit a switch. Suddenly the ship sparked to life. The buttons and switches lit up. It had power amazing all this time and it still worked. Then just as the power came on a hologram appeared it seemed to be the ships log. The man we saw was a vampire, an elder. In the background the man and the women we found could be seen moving in their bubbles. The elder vampire seemed distressed. We did not know what to make of it. We packed up, repaired our suits and headed for home. That’s our story sir. I was amazed at what I had heard. I asked well where’s the tape and ken pulled it from his pack and handed it to me. One of my men respooled it and we were ready to hear words that hadn't been uttered in fifty years. The scientists exhausted from their adventure, were nodding of in the safety of the Mecca. They awoke instantly as the tape began to play. A mans voice could be heard, muffled by background noise like the sounds of heavy machinery running. After filtering a few of the sounds we were able to clear up the tape. We listened again it was a man, an American. He said my name is Vincent Kessler and this is my journal. I am 29 years old and a writer, when I become famous this will be used to write my autobiography. We listened on but the remainder of the tape included daily reminders and a step by step guide to his normal day. We were all losing hope as I flipped to side B the mood of his voice drastically changed. My name is Vincent Kessler my wife Shannon Kessler and I have been kidnapped. I don't know what these people want or who they are but we need help. Then silence it seems this Vincent man was continuing his log day by day. Ok day two of this saga I can see my wife across the room she gives me a thumbs up it seems she is ok. I am getting really pissed who are these people what do they want why aren’t they talking to us. I just sit all day in this glass tube as they hold us here against our will. Well I've just realized these people aren't human. They let me out today and when the tube opened I attacked one of them. When I hit him his nose bled blue liquid instead of blood. I am confused WHATS HAPPENING TO US!!!!!, the window in the front all I see is stars and planets, where are we, are these aliens. I need some answers but they don't speak in any language I know. Well we have landed, we hit hard yesterday the impact killed most of these fucks!!!. My wife is dead. Then a long eerie silence, I looked around the room and my brothers’ mouth was open wide as well as the explorers. I was about to speak but I was interrupted when the tape started up again. I don't have much time food supply is low and I think I am going to be dead soon so I’ll make this quick. I don't know where we are but if someone hears this and there human they better listen up. Most of these bastards were killed on impact but one survived. I have broken free from that glass tomb and as I was about to kill the last of these animals he said wait. IN ENGLISH!!. All along atleast he could understand me. I interrogated him and he told me the story. A while back one of these things, which we would call vampires somehow, impregnated a women. Her name was Madam Renée Kessler my great grandmother. It had been foreseen that a Kessler child would destroy them. In the past they had attempted to seek out and destroy every generation in the
Kessler blood line. They had failed. Either from women taking there husbands names or just being unable to locate them some Kesslers had survived. The vampires had been planning to conquer Earth. They knew they would fail unless the Kesslers had all been killed. My wife and I were thought to be the last but I know this to be false. I think that now they realize this to. I don't think they will attack until they know we are all dead. If any human ever hears this be prepared because they will come eventually. Just as he uttered those final words the tape ran out. The room was silent we had just heard an omen and we bowed our heads in memory of this brave man. Kessler, I searched the flight records in the arcs. Nope no Kesslers had been aboard any of the transports from Earth. It was a dead end but I still get chills when I remember what that man said. If it weren’t for this Madam Kessler today we would all be vampires. It was just another day for me, I was sitting in my office reading over each generals status reports. Then a knock at my door. Come in, A man walked in, he looked to be in his thirties. He wasn’t a very large man but seemed the type that demanded respect.
Hello, he said, my name is tom turner.
The minute he opened his mouth I could tell he was very Irish.What can I do for you, I replied?
You are going to put me in charge of your general’s sir.
I began to laugh. You want to be my head general?
The man obviously annoyed. There is no want in me sir, I will be ye head general.
Ok who does this man think he is Paten? Well my friend it takes years of training just to become a general never mind the head general. What qualifications do you have? I asked.
To this day the mans response still gets a rise from me. None sir, none at all.
Ok, I said. So why should you get the job over much more qualified people?
Och, Sir I mean no disrespect but there is no man as qualified as I.
I don’t know why, maybe it was his will or maybe his confidence but I decided to give him a shot.
Ok friend you’ve got the job but this is only a trial so don’t let me down.
Yes sir, and one more thing.
What nerve what could he possibly want now. Yes what’s that. I asked.
Would it be too much to ask, for you to join me for dinner tonight Sir?
I was very busy but could use a break, I’d be glad to, I replied.
We headed towards the mess hall. I was still laughing, thinking of what I had just done. Still something about this man told me I had made the right choice. We got our food and sat down, it was quiet at first neither of us said a word. Once I had finished my meal I pushed my plate out in front of me. I leaned back and lit a flience. These were known as cigarettes on Earth. As I sat there, relaxing after my meal, Tom began to speak. Yea man smoke um if ya got em. This man had two personalities, one very serious and the other childish and somewhat playful. This made me even more curious about him.
So why do you think you’d be such a great general, I asked?
Cause my father was.
Was what?
A general, Tom said
Your father was a general?
Yup that he was.
Well no offense Tom but that doesn’t make you very qualified.
Sir. Tom Said, my father trained me for thirteen years I was bred to be great.
Well, we’ll see about that.
Och, enough with the business how about a bit of the drink, eeh.
I knew there was work to be done but I agreed. Alright but just one.
I found out that day that one drink with an Irishman quickly turns into twelve.
The next thing I knew it was morning. Oh my head what the hell happened. I stretched and looked around the room. Where the hell am I, this isn’t my room. I heard a voice. It’s my room. Oh god who was this girl lying next to me? I jumped out of the bed.
Who are you and why am I in your bed, I asked.
She looked pissed. Huh you don’t remember anything.
Oh god what did I do, I was a little embarrassed.
Then in walks Tom, breakfast anyone.
No Tom, but you could tell me what happened last night.
Relax man. Tom replied calmly, this is Jessica.
Hey tom. I think we already met. I said as I smiled at Jessica
No man you got it all wrong.
What do ya mean?
Tom explained what happened. We drank a little to much last night.
No shit Tom, I interrupted.
Will you shut up and let me finish.
I agreed.
The bar closed so we came back here to hang out. We drank some more and you got sick. Tom cringed his face, I mean really frigen sick man. I was real drunk; I didn’t know what to do. So I woke up my sister and my roommate Jessica. She works at the infirmary; she’s a nurse. I thought you were dead man you were really fucked up. She put you in her bed and stayed up with you all night to make sure you were ok.
My faced turned red, So we didn’t, you know, do anything.
She looked at me and smiled, I’m not that kinda girl.
I got out of bed and we all sat down for breakfast. I was embarrassed but nevertheless relieved. We all sat in silence. You could tell everyone was straining not to laugh, that was until Tom asked if the lovebirds would like seconds. We couldn’t stand it any longer. Tom’s sister Ann laughed so hard she spit her orange juice all over the table. We all joined in and for the next fifteen minutes we laughed uncontrollably. When the laughing finally died down something strange happened. I found myself staring uncontrollably at Jessica. I hadn’t noticed how beautiful she was. Her hair was dark blond cut to her shoulders, and her eyes were green and looked so inviting. I couldn’t help myself. Tom noticing my obvious interest in Jessica, suggested that we all go out to dinner that evening. We all agreed and I gave Tom a small nod to show my appreciation. You see life in the Mecca wasn’t always bad, there were some good times, not too many but occasionally. I walked home with a huge smile on my face, then I began to worry, This beautiful girl she may not want me she might think I’m a jerk. No, I’m Joe Meccane, I’m a hero. I think I’m gonna be sick. I ran to the bathroom just in time, well there goes breakfast. That whole day all I could think of was Jessica, it was as if nothing else mattered. The vampires could wait, lord knows they’d still be there tomorrow. I didn’t get any work done. I rushed home and got ready an hour before I was to meet them. Tom and I had decided to take his sister and Jessica to Bert’s. It was the best restaurant in town, well it was the only restaurant in town. I walked the two miles to Bert’s, all the while thinking only of seeing Jessica again. I arrived twenty minutes early. I sat on the steps and smoked a flience. I leaned down to tie my shoe, when I felt a hand gently tap my shoulder. It was Jessica, My jaw hung open gawking at her, she had low cut evening dress and she somehow looked more beautiful then I remembered.
I attempted to speak, ha how are you.
I’m fine you look great, she said.
So do you, I replied trying not to gawk.
Just then Tom appeared dressed in a tuxedo, accompanied by his sister. We all went into the restaurant and were seated very quickly. We had a great meal and everything was going good. The other thing the Mecca was besides dangerous was boring, there was no nightlife at all. So we all went back to Tom’s house and played cards. We were all having a great time, although Jessica and I staring at each other made every game quite long. It was getting late and Tom invited me to stay on the couch. I of course agreed I may not be the world’s smartest man but I’m no moron. Tom offered me a drink and I laughed and said only one. Of course one turned to three and before long we had all fallen into a drunken slumber on the couch. I awoke to the beautiful site of Jessica lying next to me. I got up and made breakfast, it was the least I could after these peoples hospitality. We all ate together, it was great but today was a new day and I had work to do. I told Tom to meet me at the barracks by twelve o’clock. I bid farewell to Ann and kissed Jessica on the cheek. I walked out the door into the sunlight of a beautiful day, everything looks so much better when you’re in love. As planned Tom met me at the barracks. I introduced him to the men; finally after all of his bragging I would see what he could really do. The men stood at attention, trying to figure out what the deal was with Tom. He walked through the barracks, staring down each man in turn. He stopped at a young recruit who was shaking.
Do I scare you boy?
Yes I mean no sir.
Obviously a trick question should you fear the head general or be fearless altogether.
The boy looked into Tom’s eyes waiting repercussion from his answer.
Tom finally spoke, you men will fear nothing but you will all respect me is that understood?
(All the men in unison) YES SIR!!!.
That’s good, Tom pleased with himself lets out a smile.
Now I want to see what you are made of, out to the pit.
Tom’s orders set off an immediate reaction each man running towards the pit, which was the nickname of our training course.
Tom began barking orders at the men, The last man who finishes this course will not eat tonight, is that understood.
Yes sir, the men replied.
I sat back in awe as the men worked harder than I’ve ever seen them before.
The men finished, all except a stout boy who waddled in way after the pack. Tom got into his face.
Boy do you know why you finished last?
Yes sir its because I’m fat.
No boy, Its because your team left you behind.
The men looked at Tom with awe.
In this army no man gets left behind is that understood?
Yes Sir.
That’s better. Now only he eats tonight, Tom said pointing to the stout boy, who was doubled over gasping for air from his run.
Tom yells to the men as he leaves. Now tomorrow we do it again.
I was amazed the men weren’t mad or discouraged they were looking forward to doing it right the next day. Tom was amazing his knack for leadership was uncanny. I myself was inspired. Tom got the job and I knew I had made the right decision. Tom and I were in my office discussing some strategies Rick Ayala had come up with.
When my brother Danny burst through the door, what’s up with the men?
I told Danny, It’s our new head general he had some effect on them huh?
Damn straight, Danny replied in his vulgar way.
Is this him?
Yes Danny it is, this is Tom Turner, Tom this is my brother Danny.
Danny and Tom shook hands and with that union I knew we were well on our way to ridding ourselves of those vampires. With Danny’s brute force and courage on the battlefield, mixed with Tom’s leadership, and my sense of strategy. Those vampires were in serious risk of extinction. I was in my glory everything was going my way, my army was in great shape the Mecca was flourishing and I was in love. I found out more good news later that day. Tom told me that Jessica was crazy about me, lets say I was more than overjoyed to hear this. Her and I were meant to be I could feel it whenever I saw her. I fell asleep that night and instantly began to dream. I was on a huge battlefield with my brother and Tom, we were fighting the entire vampire army and we were destroying them. We were victorious and wanted to celebrate. We returned to the Mecca and witnessed a horrid site. The Mecca our home it was totally engulfed in flames. I heard screams coming from inside, then I saw Jessica against the glass. I awoke covered in sweat with Danny at my side.
Are you all right, he asked?
Yeah I had a horrible nightmare.
I thought you were sick man you scared the shit outta me.
No I’m fine now it was just a dream. Or was it, I wondered if it was just a nightmare or maybe just maybe a premonition a vision of the future. The thought of that made my insides turn and I couldn’t stand even thinking of it. I took a long shower and tried to forget. Three weeks past and I had all but forgotten my dream. It was my 19th birthday and the whole Mecca turned out for my party. Jessica and I had become exclusive and were even considering marriage. Tom, Danny and I had become inseperable, My life was looking up. My party was tremendous, music dancing the whole nine yards. I was glad everyone enjoyed it lord knows they needed to have some fun. I felt like a kid again. I received so many gifts I thought I would be opening them for years. I must say I was overwelmed and honored at the same time. These people had become like family to me and I was touched at their show of gratitude towards me. We had perfected our techniques of alcohol production that led to some interesting conversation. The old men were getting shitfaced and telling stories about Earth and there adventures upon it. One man there, unbenounced to me was a Russian spy. The man told of his spying days and how he was in constant fear of recognition by the US authorities. He wasn’t exactly James Bond but his live was nevertheless exciting. Another man Italian in origin told an interesting story about the years he spent in Africa. This was very interesting because most of Africa’s history had been lost after the explosion. The Italian told stories of his big game hunting and the safari’s he went on annually. The Mecca was filled with ethnic diversity, this made for some interesting debates and stories. Although I believe all politicians should be shot I laughed when I saw a Russian and an American politician drinking and bullshitting together. The two of them communicating in any form on Earth would have resulted in death but here it was common place. My party lasted all night and when it died down in the mourning I was sad it was over. If only the elected assholes back on Earth had communicated like we had that night, wars and violence would not have been necessary. I retired back to my quarters with my stomach bursting with cake and my mind echoing with the stories and the songs of night gone by. The second I felt the comfort that only your own bed can provide my eyes closed and I was out. As I slept I had no premonition of what the upcoming day had in store for me. I awoke with a classic hangover, headache, dry mouth and a stomach pain that could have made a grown man cry. I ran to the bathroom and got rid of the pain from both ends. I drank about a gallon of water took a shower and I was good as new. I walked down the street to Tom’s house and had breakfast as usual. Jessica was still living there but she planned on moving in with me very soon. I barely touched my food and after we all finished I kissed Jessica goodbye and Tom and I headed for the barracks.
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