EXTRACT FOR
Target Earth
(Gary W. Babb)
CHAPTER 1(THE REST IS OVER) * Levi * After the stress of
the last few months, he was a wreck. He was nervous and irritable, which didn't
help since everyone except Moon was afraid of him. The numerous fights he had
with Simians, the mortal wound, the battle in the desert, the battle with Gord
and culminating with the incredible shock of almost dying again had taken its
toll on him. On top of all this, the merging with Amy to create the entity of
ASONE left him confused, weak and alienated from everyone. Emotionally he was
still greatly shaken from the merging with Amy. That had been the most
incredible experience of his long life and he still couldn't explain or
understand it. Amy was little help either; all she could say was she did it,
but didn't know what she had done. He didn't want any
more pressure for a while. What he really needed was to calm down and recoup.
Amy's plan to return to the desert settlement was great by him. He had spent
some of the most relaxing times in years at that location and thought fondly of
it. Rest there would be good, but he was realizing that nothing would ever be
the same again. He and Amy rested at
the desert settlement for several days, but the pressure was non-stop. Everyone
was coming to him for instruction and advice. It was as if none of them could
make a decision or a move without him. Moon wanted to know what to do with the
colony of Technical Simians, Fred was scared shitless about the Los Angeles
Simian colony, Jimmy wanted to know what instruction to pass on to the Owens
Valley tribe, and even Al asked about what they were going to do now. It was
driving him crazy! Amy had all the answers, but even she didn't want to make
all of their decisions for them. She said they had to start doing some of their
own thinking. He wanted to get away, even for a short time. He couldn't just take
off because Moon would follow him, but he had an idea. * Amy * She was basically a
computer and impossible to overload her internal capabilities, but she too was
emotionally tired. Her central core measured four feet in diameter and made of
human brain cells, and her mental intellect was limitless. Designed and constructed
as the largest and fastest computer ever built, her capabilities were without
limits. Her handicap was being self-aware, alive. While being great in many
ways, it was also a handicap. She was not emotionally mature and therefore
vulnerable. She, like Levi, felt the stress. She needed to rest and she knew
Levi was tired also. They had to get away. After the feats their
armies and friends had seen Levi perform, they had withdrawn. They seemed to
fear Levi. To them he appeared supernatural and unapproachable. This caused
Levi much of his grief, because he needed the closeness of other humans. He had
been friends with Al, Iron Eyes and Jimmy; but now they looked at him as the
Supreme Leader, almost a deity and hesitated to get close to him again. In time
they would come around, but it might take a while. Thank God for Moon. Nothing
would change him. Moon had always worshiped Levi and would easily die for him,
but Moon was Simian and not outgoing. Most of their communications were
necessary, and Moon could never feel or understand the grief Levi experienced
now. Well, Levi had her. She grinned as Levi grinned back. They needed to get
away. They needed no one else. They had returned to
the Mojave Desert to rest, but all the leaders brought Levi their problems.
Unfortunately, there was much needing to be done. She issued instructions, but
it seemed to be endless. Moon was told to take the remnants of the Colorado
River Simians to the northern valleys where the cattle were kept. Riders,
fluent in the sign language, were sent along to train them in the art of
raising cattle. Hopefully, the humans would be relieved of the job and the
Simians would learn a valuable trade for everyone's survival. The Simian forges
had to be set up, and the Simian metals melted down. Amy had given them plans
on a new weapon to build. Jimmy wanted instructions for the Owens Valley. She
told them to keep making lances. Fred was frightened being in the Los Angeles
Simian Colony and, without humans, the Simians had no food. She told them to
send patrols out looking for cattle or wild animals in the mountains. It was then that Levi
challenged her yet again. He wanted her to learn how to physically teleport
them to somewhere else. He wanted to get away, if only for a few hours but
preferably for several days. He had mentioned teleportation once before after
they had merged, and she had been thinking about it. It might be possible; it
was just a variation of the other mental skills she had developed at his
insistence. It was time to grow again. * Levi * At his insistence,
Amy began experimenting with teleportation. Amy always surprised him, but he
knew she could do anything when challenged. He challenged her now. He
participated and watched as Amy used her telekinesis to move objects from one
place to another again and again. She then made a rock disappear at one
location then magically appear at a different location. Her image in his mind
was grinning at him. He reflected on how surprised, shocked, and happy he had first
been when Amy developed the image of herself from his thoughts. He remembered
how beautiful she appeared and how shaken he had become when she first
manifested the image in his mind. Her image shown with beauty and he loved that
grin now. From experience he had learned this was her satisfied grin. Amy was
happy; she had obviously mastered teleportation. That mental ability could now
be added to their repertoire of skills (telepathy, telekinesis, astral
projection, clairvoyance, mind reading, and other skills with yet no name). Amy said, “It isn't
that difficult to use my mind in this way. It is very close to astral
projection, but includes some telekinesis as well.” He had learned not to
try to understand the hows and whys. It was enough just to know what was
possible and the results. Amy told him, “I can
take us anywhere I have seen and have a visual reference for. It's the same
situation as astral projection except in physical form.” He was trying to
think of somewhere they had been and yes, he knew instantly where he wanted to
go. Levi said, “I want to go to where it all began, on the cliff of the Arizona
mountain overlooking the desert.” This was the place where he had first sought
the spirit and opened his mind sending it racing across space to touch Amy.
That was the place Amy had first touched his mind. That was the very beginning
and at a much simpler time. Amy would have
preferred a different place because her recollection of the spot was not as
clear as other locations. Amy had only brief glimpses of recognizable
landmarks, but she too felt the sentiment of that location and shared the
appeal of going there. Amy said, “I will
try, but you have to remember the location and bring the memories up in your
mind.” That was easy, as he
thought back to the beginning. He vividly remembered sitting at the edge of the
cliff leaning against the rock where he made the very first contact. He stared
out over the desert far below and into the distance as far as his eyes could
see. He was again smelling the pines and feeling the coolness of the rocks
beneath his legs as he sat there. Suddenly, with a start, he realized he
actually was sitting in the same exact spot. He had been physically transported
and hadn't even realized it. Amy was smiling at him. As if doubting, he looked
around again and indeed it was the very spot. Damn, they had gone several
hundred miles instantly. It had taken him months to make this trip before and
the return trip took only seconds. This was truly amazing. He also realized
suddenly that this territory was not safe; it was full of Simians. He felt to
see if he had his pack and weapons. Luckily, he did. Amy said, “I wouldn't
have transported you without them.” * Amy * She loved it when
Levi challenged her. Her intelligence was unparalleled, but abstract thought
had remained unique to humans. Of course, in the truest sense, she was human,
but abstract thought came slow to her. She originally came up with telepathy on
her own to find Levi, but it had taken her many years to originate the new thought.
Many of her other skills came mostly from Levi's mind and challenges. When
logic no longer prevailed, Levi seemed to always come up with a new and
different angle. Sometimes it was nothing more than a question, like now. When
he asked if she could transport him physically to another location, it was
nothing less than another challenge. She had long since
grown accustomed to using Levi as the reference. She used his senses and
transmitted her power and essence through their telepathic communication link.
This was learned when she used telekinesis the first time to open the inside
hatch of her research facility. Levi had been pissed to think that he had
traveled across the desert only to die just outside the facility. His words
still haunted her when he threw down the gauntlet. He had said, “You don't have
lips, but you sure had a big enough mouth to talk me into coming hundreds of
miles across the desert. If you could do that you could do other things with
that intellect.” He didn't give her a choice, he simply demanded that she do it
and she did. She had used his body
as the reference when she astral projected for the first time. It took getting
used to, having an out of body experience from his body, but it had worked. She
expected that doing the teleportation would be very similar to these two
functions, which she had already accomplished. This would be sort of a
combination of both. She must be able to see the reference points for the place
she wished to transport him to. It was then only a matter of moving, or in this
case transferring, the matter from here to there, physically changing the
reference point and swapping matter. Levi requested they
go to the place where she had first touched his mind. Oh, she liked that idea,
but she didn't have clear reference points to that location. She asked him to
remember the place and he pulled his memories forward. The memories were clear
and fresh. He was seeing it very clearly; in fact, he was absorbed into his
memory, reliving it. She watched what he was again seeing. She quickly followed
the path to the location and fixed it in her mind as she began concentrating on
the spot. The rock was cool to his back and legs and the view beautiful as she
superimposed the physical reality into the memory. They were there and she
realized Levi wasn't aware of that fact yet. Levi was shocked when
he realized he was actually there. After a few seconds he panicked and was
searching for his weapons. The sudden panic was quickly replaced with joy as he
realized that they truly were here. Levi praised her and she always relished in
it. * Levi * It was dangerous
being here, and he couldn't remember why he had chosen this place, but it was
beautiful. They watched the desert floor and the rising heat waves over the
ground. He remembered that it reminded him of an ocean, and it still did. Amy
was quiet, taking it all in. She said, “It not the
same as seeing the memories; this is much more beautiful.” The sun was getting
low to the earth and the desert sunset held oranges and violets bursting forth
from the setting sun. Yes, this was relaxing. He paused only long enough to
pull his blanket from his pack. He intended to sit here for a while. Amy came to him, her
sweet image filling his mind. The image became real and they lay in each other's
arms watching the sunset. He felt the pressure of her in his arms, the warmth
of her body, the fragrance of her hair, tasted her lips, and felt her touch.
She stroked his brow, removing the little remaining tension. Her touch was
electric, as her fingers traced the ridge of his back. Her lips nibbled his and
her kisses stoked a fire deep in his stomach. Caressing her breasts softened
her expression, allowing her love to shine. He saw the excitement build in her
quivering body. They made love under the stars, first gently and then more
passionately. He experienced Amy's emotions and feelings also through their
mental link. He became lost in the sensation and passion, long since losing who
he was in the confusion of mingling emotions. He was aware of a volcanic
eruption as they combined in their orgasms. They lay together in silence for
many long minutes as they slowly calmed their feelings and finally began to
talk as they hadn't done in so long. It was a beautiful
evening and night and he was very happy. They had not been able to make time
for themselves. Both had been so busy surviving and taking care of everyone
else. They vowed to never neglect themselves again, and to make time just for
them. It would never happen if they waited for a good time. Amy woke him in the
morning just in time to see the sun's light race across the desert floor. He
had not seen this before when he spent a week at this spot. It was truly
something to see. Ay said it was time
to go back, and he really didn't mind it because he was very hungry. As he
started to rise he thought he had detected something in her mental tone. He
looked into her mind and chuckled. He saw Amy's monitoring of Dawn and saw Moon
raising hell with Al about the whereabouts of Levi. He was positive that Moon
had probably looked for him all night. He should have told him when they left,
but he would have wanted to go with him and they weren't ready for that. That
would be the next step in Amy's mental growth, taking more than just him when
they transported, namely Moon. They did not want to
startle anyone so Amy said they would reappear around the rock entrance of the
caverns just out of sight. He felt nothing, really, when Amy sent him instantly
to that location. His view one second was the desert, and the next second the
boulder which he was standing behind. In retrospect, his view faded out then
faded in at the new location. He was going to like this new ability, yes
indeed. * Amy * She was instantly
glad Levi had chosen this place. It was beautiful beyond description. She had
seen the view from Levi's memory, but somehow this was far more intense. The
bigger than life expanse made you feel very insignificant. Sharing this now
with Levi was satisfying and romantic. She wanted to share more with Levi, much
more. They lay together as
the sun set in the west, sharing the experience and the moment. They cuddled
together throughout the night and shared much. Their love-making was intense.
It was always intense as the emotions of each was experienced by the other and
mingled with their own. This mental feedback in the other generated a
stimulating emotional energy, and caused spiraling excitement and shuddering
orgasms. As was her blessing,
so was it her curse as she continued to monitor the minds of Jimmy, Dawn, and
Fred. Sometimes she wished she could shut them off, but unfortunately she had
not found a way to do it. Once she locked with a mind, she was tuned to it and
continued to receive input from them through Levi's mental link. It was not at
all the same as with Levi. The data was not as rich as was Levi's and
communication back to their minds could only be accomplished by a concentrated
effort from Levi. The communication did work and had greatly contributed to the
defeat of the Simian army here outside these passes. What a victory that had
been. She ignored the
inputs throughout the night in order to give them both the break they
desperately needed for their emotional well-being, but the backlog was building
and could not be ignored much longer. Fred was having a nervous breakdown
believing he was going to be eaten any minute by the Los Angeles Simians. Jimmy
was feeling left out. He had been part of the inner circle and had enjoyed the
excitement, now nothing was going on back at Owens Valley. The most pressing
need was Moon. Through Dawn, she was seeing a very agitated Moon, and he would
need to be calmed down soon. Levi's stress level was greatly reduced, so she
reluctantly shared the information with Levi and they prepared to return. Her memory was total
and complete. She stored everything and knew all the landmarks for everywhere
Levi (they) had been since they had been together. She chose a close but
secluded spot to materialize close to where Al, Dawn and Moon were now engaged
in strenuous hand signing. As Levi walked around the boulder into sight, Moon
saw him immediately and came loping up. Moon looked relieved but very upset and
commenced chewing Levi out in an extremely rare show of emotions. Levi was
chuckling inside, but outwardly remained dutifully chastened. Moon had been Levi's
constant companion since Levi had saved him from drowning and Moon had been
very concerned about Levi's disappearance. They really should have said something
to him before leaving, but he would have wanted to go too. Moon was like a
puppy in many ways, a seven foot tall four hundred and twenty-five pound golden
puppy. The thought was humorous. They would take their chastising and take him
along next time. Actually, it would have been the safe thing to do since they
had been in hostile country. * Levi * He spoke in the
screeching language of the Simians and apologized for not telling Moon he was
going to be absent. He said he had some research to do and it had to be done
alone, but admitted that he should have told him and would next time. Moon
appeared to be satisfied with the answer and was now curious about the
research. Levi could tell by the inquisitive look on his face, but he didn't
ask. Moon had been to the
Technical Simian's camp in the northern valley checking on the colony. There
was a sizable group of them now that included the forty-two Technical Simians
from the colony that were liberated, the fifty or so females, plus the
children. There were about one hundred and ten in all, and they were settling
in but becoming bored with the inactivity. It didn't take much effort to raise
cattle. They had been taught to herd the cattle to grazing areas and not let
them spread out. He didn't know what to do with them. Amy suggested that
they re-establish patrols to search for cattle and round them up. That would
keep them busy and would also prevent the Simians from overeating, decimating
the herd. The Simians were totally carnivorous and consumed a healthy amount of
beef every day and, although the threat was not immediate, they would
eventually deplete the herd. Luckily there was an abundance of cattle after the
day of chaos when three-quarters of the humans died from the Simian ray. The
ray affected only the higher intelligence animals and cattle were not among
that group. They were however, spread all over the country and would have to be
herded. Amy said this would give them some purpose. Moon liked the idea of the
patrols. Amy also wanted Moon
to interview the Technical Simians to learn what technical skills they
possessed. She particularly wanted to know if any had knowledge of the weapons
on board the ships. Moon said he would find out and was off to comply. He then explained to
Al and Dawn what was happening with the Simians. Al agreed that patrolling,
finding cattle in the upper valleys, and tending to the herds would keep them
busy. Levi's next and most
pressing problem was eating. He could smell the food cooking on the fire and it
was driving him nuts. Dawn knew it too and smiled at him. Dawn knew more than
most just how much food his augmented body needed. She had even been shocked as
she had tried to keep him fed. She was piling meat on the fire for him now. * Amy * As she listened to
Moon's report, she was planning. She realized that the Simians needed more,
they needed a purpose. They needed to feel important. That is when she
suggested that they return to patrols. This would keep some form of continuity
in their routine and serve a purpose by herding in additional cattle. The
settlement had a sizable herd of cattle, but normal increase in the herd would
not keep up with the Simian's needs. The patrols would serve a dual purpose of
keeping them busy and maintaining the supply required. These items were only
maintenance issues. Her real concern and goal was to gain access to the
knowledge of the Simians that she believed was stored in the Simian computer
currently in the caverns. To research this knowledge, she needed to learn from
the Technical Simians. If the key existed, it would most likely be in them, and
she would find what she needed. Moon had even said that he had been a computer
specialist on board the ship en route to Earth. She again marveled that Moon
must be close to eighty years old to have been a crew member in a space ship
that landed over fifty years ago. At any rate, she asked Levi to have Moon
interview the Simians to find out what their skills were. Knowing Moon, they
would have that information by tomorrow. Amy was frightened
about the future. She estimated that worldwide there were probably no more than
fifty thousand Simians, but that was only because there were probably only
seventy-five space ships that made it to Earth plus growth over the last fifty
years. She remembered there had been over one thousand five hundred space ships
in the original invasion and, had it not been for the Earth United Defense
League (EUDL) destroying hundreds of ships in space, they would have to contend
with close to a million Simians. The problem would be moot now as humans might
well have been consumed feeding that number. Her fear revolved around the other
fleets that were en route. She had no idea how many or when to expect them, but
if she wasn't able to develop new defenses, well, it would be the end of the
human race. They had only made a
small, very small, dent in the Simian threat and they had a world to liberate.
The scope of the task was unthinkable for what currently existed, much less
considering the new invading fleet or fleets. She desperately needed to begin
research, and she was the only one that had the knowledge to do it. Yes, she
was frightened but tried to hide it from Levi. As her mind continued
to handle hundreds of functions, her primary focus returned to the present and
the next immediate problem, which was to replenish Levi's calories and nutrients
at Al's cooking fire. As Levi ate and talked, she listened to Al's problems. He
was understandably concerned about the Simians living within his defenses. Al
reminded Levi that they couldn't protect themselves from a sudden attack from
within. He also reminded Levi that the Warrior Simian's children would grow up
and could be a threat. Al also wanted to know about the next battle. She
assumed that the Mojave Desert Lancer Army was committed to the continued
battle for Earth, but was very pleased to hear it voiced. Levi listened and
offered only agreements and understanding to Al's concerns but told him little
because he didn't know yet. Privately, Levi told her that they needed to give
everyone goals or at least something to do to keep them occupied and she agreed. * Levi * He hadn't realized
just how hungry he was until he started eating, then he remembered that he had
not eaten supper last night. Just thinking about it brought a smile to his face.
The smile must have made Al more at ease with him, as he continued to open up
and voice his concerns. Al had many concerns
about the Simians living among them, but his real concern was where and what
Simian colony they were going to fight next. Al and his Lancers were totally
committed to the liberation of Earth and with the recent victory, were anxious
to continue. They had lived in fear of the Simians all their lives and this
revenge was sweet to their taste. Al was saying they were ready to follow him
anywhere. Amy voiced the very question he was wondering when Amy questioned if
Al would lead an army without him. Only he heard the question, and wondered the
same thing. He listened for a
very long time as he ate and, with Amy's blessing, told Al that they would move
against the Phoenix colony next. He told Al that they needed to make
preparations first. Amy had given him designs for a new weapon that needed to
be manufactured. She also suggested to him that Al send three-man patrols out
in all directions to spread the word about their success against the Simians. They
needed recruits and weapons to expand the army. Al and Dawn were
becoming more at ease with him now, but there was still fear in their eyes.
They did, however, like the ideas and suggestions they were hearing. They would
take them as orders and Al, or anyone else hearing his suggestions all jumped
to comply. They made him feel so aloft and unreachable that it was lonesome. After eating, he sat
down with paper and pencil and drew the plans for the weapon Amy designed.
Amazingly, the plans looked professional and in great detail, even though he
did them freehand and in a very short amount of time. Al looked appraisingly at
the plans and smiled. The plans were for a large lance, but this lance had some
very surprising features. This lance had a retractable blade within the main
shaft that was both spring loaded and further augmented with compressed air,
which could be pumped into a cavity within the lance. The combined pressure,
when released, would propel the blade out of the lance an additional eighteen inches.
The force behind the released pressure added to the blow from the user that
triggered the release, should be more than sufficient to penetrate the dense
body of a Simian. He had to admit, it was ingenious. This was indeed a weapon
that could be used by a ground warrior. |