“But…” Huber groped for words.

  Petty nodded. “I understand the implications. But you’re the brainiac, the one with the deep insights. You tell me what this means.”

  Small Huber stared at big, brutal, intense Petty, with his need to win above all else. Huber had never met anyone with such a ferocious desire to be the winner.

  “Well,” Huber said, “if they truly are pregnant, how many of them are?”

  “I’m told twenty-seven out of the thirty,” Petty said.

  “This is astonishing,” Huber said. “That means the men and the alien females have cohabitated.”

  “It’s like a bad alien romance novel,” Petty said, “if you want to call that romance.”

  “Never mind that,” Huber said, and he stopped short, looking up in alarm.

  “Never mind that you just admonished me,” Petty said. “I’m not so worried about that with you. You’re the brain, and I’ve come to relish your unique insights. I have come to see that you understand before others what a situation means. Therefore, I’m inclined to listen to you and to gratify whatever desires you want in exchange for this.”

  This time, instead of a finger, Petty moved his hand back and forth between them.

  Huber was astonished to realize he had become friends with this mob boss mentality CEO. Maybe that was what Earth needed at a time like this. Anwar Gray wanted to murder the captured, female aliens. Was that true, or was that something Petty was just telling him?

  Huber would have to think upon it more.

  Petty cleared his throat.

  “Yes, the implications,” Huber said. “The implications are obvious. Somehow, the aliens and we are related closer than Earth chimpanzees and we. This may be more like a horse and a donkey.”

  “Does that mean the offspring will be sterile?” Petty said.

  “That depends,” Huber said. “Are we to believe aliens seeded Earth and other planets with prototype humans? Is evolutionary theory as taught by so many false? Are the others right in that some entity put us down on Earth in the beginning?”

  “Are you speaking about God?” Petty said.

  “Not necessarily,” Huber said. “I mean anyone with greater power or intellect or technology at that time. Perhaps it was God. I have no idea. Somehow, though, we are related to these aliens.”

  “Is that why the aliens chose to come to our Solar System?” Petty said.

  “I don’t know,” Huber said. “We need to ask the females, we can learn their history from them. This is marvelous, on all accounts they must remain alive. There is so much we can learn from them.”

  “So you’ll stand with me?” Petty said.

  “You mean to oppose Gray?” Huber said.

  Petty glanced at his chronometer. Then he swiveled around and pointed out the viewing port. “I am known to be aboard O.S. Hermes, as I’m having an important meeting there with many of my highest officials.”

  “I don’t understand,” Huber said.

  “Look out the viewing port.”

  Huber did.

  Petty once again glanced at his chronometer.

  At that moment, outside in the distance, was a bright, pin-dot flare. Then it winked out or died down.

  “What was that?” Huber said.

  “O.S. Hermes detonating,” Petty said.

  “How could you know that would happen?”

  Petty nodded. “A reasonable question. My espionage team learned what was happening and maneuvered some of my enemies onto Hermes while helping my personnel slip off.”

  “Who was on Hermes then?” Huber asked.

  “Key personnel to Gray,” Petty said.

  “It’s open war between you two then.”

  Petty shook his head. “I’m not ready for open corporate war, and I think Gray just shot himself in the foot. But here’s the key. We, I, you and I, however you want to term it, must intercept the alien vessel when it returns. We must take Steele and the females under our wing. That will cause repercussions, naturally. But we need them alive. We need to learn and we need the technology.”

  Huber stared at Petty.

  “We have finished the first phase of the war against the aliens who are clearly similar to us,” Petty said. “We must tread carefully until we know more about them. We’re in the dark. Is this the prelude to some vast invasion? Or is there some other reason why these humanoid, cousin aliens have picked the Solar System?”

  “That is a critical question,” Huber said.

  Petty leaned forward. “Can I count on your support, my friend?”

  Huber looked out the viewing port where he had seen the explosion. Could Petty have set all that up? Huber looked at Petty.

  One of Huber’s new concentrations was studying human reactions. In this instance, he did not think Petty was lying, but telling him the truth. Could Petty always be trusted? No. But the man wanted to win. Besides, Gray’s hold on power had slipped since he killed Elaine Barth. Had that been an error?

  Huber shook his head. He didn’t want to worry about that. He hated thinking about that moment, as it still terrified him. Besides, he wanted to concentrate against the aliens. If Earth could get the alien technology, if they could use these females, if they could learn everything from Colonel Steele—this had been round one of a new and terrible war.

  The aliens were here. Humanity had reached out and almost succeeded on Titan. Humanity had smashed the generational vessel, but not into smithereens. Humans had fled with alien females and technology. This was a good start.

  They should be able to swamp the aliens with greater industrial capacity. That would depend on what those on Titan did next. But it would be several years before Earth would launch another expedition. Would it be several years before those on Titan were ready for them? This was a race. Earth needed its best leader.

  Yes, Huber decided. He would back James Petty until or whenever Gray usurped the man. Huber wanted to be on the side of the winner, as he much preferred to remain alive himself.

  -70-

  EARTH

  NOVEMBER 2064

  Nine months and three days after the grueling Battle of Neptune and aboard the Akkad—

  Those aboard the hijacked alien corsair knew the Interstellar Voyager’s ship name because the females and marines had fraternized. In this instance, it had been beneficial to both.

  Most of the alien women were pregnant and had learned a great deal of English, enough so they had begun to tell their story. The marines dearly enjoyed their company.

  Steele had performed the marriages, yes, marriages. He wasn’t going to have unrestrained revelry aboard the ship. There was going to be order.

  Interestingly, the alien females, Valiants according to what they said, agreed with the idea of marriage. Was marriage the building block throughout all societies?

  Steele had no way of knowing that. Certainly, it was the building block between human society and the alien society. Thus, the babies on the way would have parents to look after them. Steele was convinced it was the right thing.

  He hadn’t taken one of the alien females for himself. He was going to try to patch things up first with his ex-wife. If that couldn’t happen, he was going to take his son, come what may, and train him in the Steele philosophies.

  Earth was bright on the screen, days away only. Communications had become intense and frequent. Anwar Gray demanded they land the corsair directly on Earth. James Petty, more rationally, said to park at a specified spot that he would give them on the day of their arrival.

  Steele sighed. They had made it. He shook his head, thinking about all the people they had lost. He still wasn’t happy with the corporations running Earth. But one step at a time. First, Earth had to survive. The aliens were beatable, but they were also tough and fought ferociously.

  Luckily, Steele had remained vigilant during the entire journey back. Twice, one of the women had tried to sabotage the ship. He’d locked the two saboteurs in a brig. Steele didn’t want to space anyone ever again.

  Interestingly, the stasis unit continued to function. One of the women indicated the icicle was the oldest living person on the Akkad. He had been there at the beginning, whenever that was.

  Steele had read some history. Akkad was a name for a people or nation in ancient Sumerian times. When he’d learned some of the Valiant names, they’d sounded familiar. The names were from a Sumerian pantheon, gods, goddesses, and heroes. Did that mean something? Steele was sure of it. He was eager to learn what.

  The next few days passed quickly until the alien corsair docked beside several shuttles in MEO, Mid-Earth Orbit.

  A passage tube locked onto the outer hatch. A large, imposing man accompanied by marines came aboard. Steele had seen him before. He was James Petty. He pumped Steele’s hand.

  “Well done, Colonel,” Petty said. “Well done indeed. There are some complications, however. I want to keep you, your men, and the alien ladies alive. I think we need all of you.”

  “Why would you think otherwise?” Steele said.

  “I don’t,” Petty said. “But others do. There’s a bit of a power struggle going on. Fortunately, I hold the high ground. Now, with this ship, you’re giving Earth a fighting chance.”

  Steele eyed the man. He’d forgotten about the skullduggery, although he remembered that time in the auditorium. He was back in the mix of things. Petty seemed to have changed his tune with the marines.

  “I wanted you to meet one of the key architects of our victory.” Petty indicated a small, dwarfish man. “We once called him Rumpelstiltskin. His name is Manfred A.S. Huber. He is the architect behind many of our strategies. In truth, Colonel Steele, we owe this first victory against the aliens to him as much as to you.”

  Steele nodded to Huber.

  “Do you understand, like I do, sir,” Petty said, “that the war is far from over?”

  Steele nodded tightly. He knew that all right.

  “But we have come a long way toward securing the ultimate victory,” Petty said.

  “I agree with that,” Steele said.

  Once more, they shook hands, and Steele realized they were back all right. They had brought the alien technology with them so Earth could study it. They had brought captives, wives, and returned with some of the most courageous and battle-worthy of men.

  Steele would mourn the fallen in the coming years. Now, though, it was time to roll up his sleeves and start working hard again. He would help humanity win this fight. It was good to have won this round. Oh, yeah, victory was sweet indeed.

  “Come,” Petty said. “Let me take you to the shuttle that will take you to one of the orbital stations. I’ll show you more there.”

  Colonel Mike Steele followed James Petty toward the boarding tube. He was back, and it was time to think things through more carefully than ever.

  -71-

  TITAN

  NOVEMBER 2064

  Far away on Titan, in one of the domes, Chief Marshal Assur went over the latest reports sent by his mother, Ningal.

  There had been repairs upon the great generational vessel. The Akkad was not a complete loss. Fortunately, the gene labs were still intact. Assur already had an idea about that.

  They needed people and more people if they were going to win this war. Thus, he was going to order his mother and others to start gene births again, extensively, in fact. That was so there would be enough soldiers, workers, and thinkers for the coming years. The battle had begun, and the Earthlings had delivered a significant blow.

  According to the tests Ningal had run on the Earth captives, Valiants were smarter, and certainly bigger and stronger than humans. The key to this was smarter.

  They had to use their higher average IQ to help defeat the Earthlings. The Earthlings had mass, an entire planet, and they had factories in abundance. If the humans could retool and use the factories in the right way, Assur understood that the Valiants would be swamped with materiel.

  Therefore, Assur needed two plans. One would be for an immediate assault. Immediate, meaning within…Assur ran some numbers. Maybe in four or five years he could unleash the dreadnought and several other warships for a direct invasion against Earth. He would sweep everything in orbit and scour the planet for human allies.

  Assur would use a divide and conquer strategy. First, he needed to show brutal strength. Surely, that was the correct way to defeat the Earthlings. Humans weren’t as bright or as strong as Valiants…

  Chief Marshal Assur sat back in his chair. He was old, his mother was older, but they would lead the People to victory.

  He peered through a high window at the rings of Saturn. It was strange to know that Earthlings and Valiants were sexually compatible. Valiants were the superior offspring of some ancient ancestor. The Earthlings had the numbers. If nothing else, Valiants would come to rule the vast assemblage of humanity in the solar system. First, they must destroy the technological ability of these Earthlings. That was going to take planning and time.

  Discoveries from the Earthling battlesuits had given the scientists ideas on how to armor new attack vessels.

  Assur sighed. This would not be a swift conflict. It would take several campaigns at least to finish it for good.

  The Valiants had parried the main blow from Earth but allowed the cunning fellows to acquire superior technology. That would make things harder. That was one of the reasons why Assur knew they must strike sooner, much sooner.

  With stylus in hand, Assur began to scribble down ideas, making calculations, knowing that in the end, Valiant superiority would defeat Earthling mass. He was going to make sure of that. Oh, yes, he was indeed.

  The End

  From the Author: Thanks Reader! I hope you’ve enjoyed INTERSTELLAR ASSAULT. If you liked the book and would like to see the story continue, please put up some stars and a review to support a new series.

 

 

  Vaughn Heppner, Interstellar Assault

 

 

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