Apocalypto

 Apocalypto is my entry for the IBL at Write up Cafe representing Central Team.

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“Do you remember what day is tomorrow?” asked Diana, a mischievous smile on her lips, and playfulness in her almond-shaped eyes.

“30^th June 2779, of course.”

“And…?”

“You won’t let me forget this day even if I want to,” said Ishaan, holding her close and planting a kiss on her forehead. “So? What gift does my beautiful wife want on our 20^th wedding anniversary?”

“Spend the whole day with me, just the two of us” she begged, nestling her head on his shoulder, gently caressing his neck.

He smiled. She knew how to have her way, even after all these years. They sat holding hands thinking of the years gone by.

The loud ringing of the STE (secure terminal equipment) brought them back from their reverie.

This ought to be urgent, Ishaan thought as he hurriedly got up and walked to the secured phone, and inserted his KYP-21 crypto card into the PC slot. His hands shook as he read the roll of paper emerging from it.

Report to HQ immediately. Impending Alien attack. Brief at 11 am at 81K alpha station.

“I have to leave, Di, call you later….bye” he said picking up his coat and rushing to the door.

“Wha…”

But he had left even before she could react.

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“Gentlemen, the Observational Research Facility (ORF) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has spotted a large army of UFO’s hurtling towards the earth at a speed in excess of 186,000 miles an hour, possibly from Mars. We may all wake up to the sights of thousands of crosses, globes, spherical globes and rods flying above the city’s skyline if we do not act NOW.” The Commander-in-chief’s (CIC) booming voice descended like a dark cloud on the faces of his audience. 

Issac Kurzon, the CIC at the ORF on Earth co-coordinating with the ISS was an expert on Alien invasions. He had intercepted 6 such attacks in past 20 years and had successfully led a mission to avert it too. He commanded great respect from his peers all over the world.

The CIC’s from all countries had responded to this clarion call and had pledged their support to the disaster management effort.

“We have confirmation that they are out to destroy us and take over our planet” he continued.  “The landing of the space ships is expected over the Sahara desert, in the African continent, the Sun being an important factor for their survival and action.”

“Do we have any knowledge of the ammunition they carry?” asked the CIC from Antarctica.

“As a matter-of-fact we do,” replied Kurzon. “Our electromagnetic wave mapping has shown that they are likely to be in possession of weapons with a high electromagnetic charge. It might throw the projectile at such a high velocity that the friction heat literally turns the subject "molten”. Once the wave leaves their gun’s magnetic field, the projectile can hit in a straight line, causing destruction equivalent to that caused by a volcano.”

“Can we not stop them from entering Earth? Can we take them out in space?” It was the CIC from China. “We have ample stock of EM Blasters and refraction laser guns which can thwart the attack.”

A round of stifled laughter filled the room.

“Made in China” labels had still not managed to garner the respect that they had lost through years of selling cheaply made Chinese goods.

“Can we be serious please?” thundered Kurzon. The house fell quite like a class of obedient school children.

Ishaan raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“The Mahabharata has references to warfare using incredible weapons of powerful magnitude used in the war, like, high powered lasers and other unknown rays. They also have reference to the use of technologies emitting the most dangerous rays like Gamma rays, etc which have exceptional power to penetrate. The defense is done using “Tesla shield” which could destroy hundreds of incoming weapons and make it impossible to penetrate. It also discharges electrical energy and any incoming physical object which hits the shield is instantly vaporized.”

“Is this a joke, Mr. Ishaan? We are not here to debate if Mahabharata existed or what weapons were used it the war. We are gathered here to fight an impending attack.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Chief, but, we have already managed to re-create these very weapons that I have just described and offer to make them available for the protection of our planet.”

Stunned silence filled the air, before Kurzon announced a break and summoned Ishaan to his private chamber.

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The Sahara desert had turned into a battlefield of sorts overnight. Radiation-proof camps had been hurriedly erected and ammunition had started being transported from India. The armies wore protective shields and waited with baited breaths for the aliens to descend.

Kurzon had sent 4 rocketships to the ISS and they carried a huge stock of the weapons too. The ISS had been beaming signals of the UFO’s nearness to earth every minute.

It was 5.30am when the message came through.

“One hour to impact”

The beads of perspiration could be seen on everyone’s forehead despite the coolness of the breeze. The army atop the ISS had been prepared for the attack. Tesla shields had been placed suitably to defend the Martian attack. Every hand carried either a Gamma-ray gun or a high density electromagnetic gun all held in army like precision.

“Are we ready, Peter?” asked Kurzon to his chief commander on the ISS.

“Yessssir…” came back Peter’s voice.

“15 seconds to impact”

“10…9….8…”

In spite of their preparedness, they stood speechless as they saw a huge swarm of crosses, circular objects, cylindrical ones speed towards them. It almost looked like a swarm of locusts.

“Shoot” Kurzon’s voice boomed over the microphone.

The firing began almost instantaneously and that took the Martians by surprise. The first batch of about 50 UFO’s had become red and igneous.

“There’s no atmosphere to cause it to catch fire and reduce it to ashes” reasoned Kurzon, looking at the puzzled faces of his contingent. “They are nevertheless destroyed.”

“Whoooo…” a roar of enthusiastic fighters cheered for themselves.

The Martians retaliated, firing back at the ISS. One shot hit the chamber attached to the spacewalk, smashing it to pieces and causing the Station to tremble.

A bolt of raw adrenalin shot through Peter’s veins. He jerked his rifle to his shoulder, clenched his teeth, sighted on the incoming UFO’s and kept squeezing the trigger, “Die, you bloody Martian, die!”

His team screamed in unison “Die…Martians Die!” and madly focused on the red and green beams flying about in their direction. The Gamma rays grazed through; tearing another batch of 50 UFO’s in their wake. Suddenly a roaring wave of light that seemed like a huge flash of lightening struck the ISS and it disintegrated, destroying the station and the contingent completely.

Kurzon’s face went white with trepidation. He hoped his calculations of their projectile had been correct. He picked up his microphone and bellowed into it, “ISS destroyed, Martians expected to land at Sahara in 60 seconds. Prepare for attack.”

A loud roar rose like a wave on the hot sands of the Sahara. The Martians were more alert this time and their firing began even before the descent happened. They were on a killing spree and their targets immediately turned to smoke.

Ishaan watched the frightful spectacle unfold before his eyes even as he kept firing shot after shot. The defeated UFO’s crashed down into the Earth spiraling into pillars of smoke and ash. The contingent of his own army had been consumed in the attack and his men had been reduced to cinders in a matter of seconds. There were burnt men everywhere. The fight had been going on for more than 2 hours now and the earthlings looked defeated. The Martians looked in control even though they had lost a great number of their UFO’s. Newer ones kept attacking the now depleted army contingent.

Ishaan decided to make one last call to Diana before a shot killed him too.

“Diana, my love, happy anniversary.”

“Turn around sweetheart”

Was that Diana…? Here…?

 “What in the world are you doing here?” he was shocked to see her in the middle of this huge battle field completely suited for defense. 

“All that later. First you need to take the mothership down, because it has the power to keep launching more and more UFO’s.”

“How will I know which is the mothership? They all look the same.”

“That one”, she said, aiming her laser cannon at a distant magnificent black spear-like giant cruiser in direct line of the Sun.

The giant cruiser burst into a huge ball of flame and exploded with a loud bang.

Ishaan, Diana, Kurzon and the whole team kept shooting at the rest of the UFO’s till the skies were clear.

Exhausted, Ishaan rested his head on Diana’s lap.

“How did you..? he began.

“I came with the first Martian ship that ever landed on Earth. And then…. I fell in love with you and this beautiful planet.”

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