TIME : December 9, 2016 1:00 P.M. (13:00)
PLACE : M.W.G.D. Headquarters
It started out to be an ordinary day at the headquarters of M.W.G.D. (Milky Way Galaxy Defense). Shawn, the leader of M.W.G.D., and his personal staff had been routinely monitoring the other M.W.G.D. bases for any sign of trouble. A few of the bases reported some minor problems but nothing that required their assistance.
Shawn had just gotten back from a nice quiet lunch with some of his closest friends. An uneventful day was the kind of day he liked best. He was looking forward to catching up on some paperwork that he had to put aside whenever trouble occurred, unfortunately, he never got the chance.
"Shawn!" cried Hank over the intercom. "I've just received a distress call from the planet Austragon. It sounds urgent!"
"I'd like to hear the message," requested Shawn. Hank played the message over the intercom.
"Please, whoever can hear me," begged the voice. "Our city is being attacked. The savages have invaded our city. They're killing anyone they can get their hands on. We can't fight them alone. I don't know how much longer we can hold them off. We need your help. Please come at once!"
After that the message became hard to understand and then suddenly stopped.
"Tell the rest of my staff to meet me in the docking bay in fifteen minutes," ordered Shawn. "They should be prepared for a trip to the planet's surface. I'll contact X and tell him we're headed to Austragon. It sounds like it's too dangerous for you to go to the surface alone. See you in fifteen minutes."
"I'll be there and so will the others," Hank assured him.
TIME : 1:15 P.M. (13:15)
PLACE : The docking bay
Peter, Hank, Linda, Lisa, Mac, and Detrina were ready to go by the time Shawn arrived.
"Execllent," complimented Shawn. "I'm glad to see you're prepared."
"I've looked up what little information there is about Austragon. It is a small planet about half the size of Earth's moon, and the only planet in its solar system. It contains normal plant and animal life but the only intelligent life comes from a colony founded by Austragon Gullsay about twelve years ago. The colony founded only one city on the planet with a population of about ten thousand. Little else is known about them except that they like to keep from themselves. As far as I know this is the first time they've made contact with outsiders since the colony was founded."
"It must be an emergency if they're willing to break their code of silence," Detrina remarked.
"When is X going to arrive?" wondered Lisa.
"He said he'd meet you on the planet," answered Shawn. "We can't afford to wait for him. We have to help the colonists as soon as possible. I have tried to reestablish communication with them but so far there hasn't been any response. We must reestablish contact with them immediately."
"I'll land as close to the city as I can," promised Mac. "and give them all the communication equipment they'll need. "
"Be careful," warned Shawn. "We have no idea who 'the savages' are but I wouldn't be surprised if the Ruler is behind it."
The others waved good bye as the entered the spaceship.
"Keep in touch!" Shawn yelled as they closed the door and prepared for departure.
TIME : 1:30 P.M.
PLACE : The surface of Austragon
Mac landed as close to the city as he possibly could. As promised, X landed beside them a few seconds after they did.
"Do you have any idea what's going on?" asked Peter.
"I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do," replied X. "I have traveled to many different places but this is my first time on Austragon."
"Welcome," said a voice. "My name is Norvic. We've been expecting you."
A man and a woman came toward them. They were both of average height and build and appeared to be in their late thirties. In contrast to the friendly sounding voice they moved as if they were robots.
"Hello, my name is Helsa," greeted the woman. "We have been sent to take you to the city."
"How did you know we were coming?" inquired Peter.
"We spotted you on radar," explained Norvic. "Our equipment may be out of date but it's not that out of date. We'll show you what the savages have done to our city."
"Who are the savages?" wondered Linda.
"Once they were members of our city," began Norvic. "but they had evil ambitions. The tried to take over our city and turn it into a dictatorship. They failed and were sent into exile. Ever since then they have been plotting to kill us all. They won't stop until every single one of us is dead."
"Why didn't you call for help sooner?" questioned Peter.
"We like to think of ourselves as an independent colony, capable of solving our own problems," continued Norvic. "We have been too stubborn to ask for help until we realized things were beyond our control. Now it may be too late."
"That may explain why you waited so long before calling for help admitted Peter. "but that still doesn't explain why you didn't respond when we tried to contact you."
"The savages destroyed all our communication equipment," Helsa told them sadly. "We thought that no one heard our message until you came."
"Let me see your communication equipment," requested X. "Perhaps I can repair it for you."
"Wonderful!" exclaimed Norvic. "Thanks to you our city is saved! I'm sure the savages will be no match for you."
TIME : 2:00 P.M. (14:00)
PLACE : Inside the city
Norvic and Helsa introduced them to the people of the city who treated them like heroes Everywhere they went people were cheering and giving them small gifts expressing their gratitude. Every single one of them without exception were friendly but their movements were more like those machines would make than humans.
"Their movements are so mechanical," whispered Lisa. "It's like their not human. It gives me the creeps."
"It's as if we're inside a city of robots," agreed Peter.
"They don't seem so bad," argued Mac. "Besides we can't be in a city of robots. Robot wouldn't give us such a warm reaction."
Norvic and Helsa led the others to their smashed communicator. X examined the wreckage Whoever destroyed the communicator wanted to make sure the colonists couldn't repair it.
"Can you fix it?" Helsa inquired eagerly.
"Yes," replied X after a long pause. "but it will take some time. I have the spare parts necessary to repair it inside my ship."
"I'll go with you," insisted Helsa. "If the savages know you're here they'll try to kill you too. You'll need somebody to protect you."
"While you're going to get supplies, I'll show the others the damage the savages have done to our city," stated Norvic. "I have never seen such malice in another living thing before. They will pay for what they have done to us!"
The others hardly noticed when X and Helsa left. They were too busy looking at the ruins of what had once been somebody's home. The house had been burned to the ground. All that remained was a pile of ashes and a few pieces of the foundation. Next to that was another house that had been smashed full of holes.
Inside everything from furniture to personal possessions had been smashed into tiny pieces.
"Fortunately, the two families that owned these homes were able to escape," Norvic told them. "If they had been inside when the savages arrived they would have been brutally murdered. I have no bodies to show you, but there is nothing worse to look at than the bodies of their victims. The savages kill without remorse. Any human qualities they once had have long sense disappeared. Recently their attacks have become more frequent and more severe. The only way to stop them is to find out where they live and attack them while they are sleeping."
"That is why we need you. We have tried to find their hideout, but they've always managed to give us the slip. Perhaps you will have better luck."
"What do the savages want from you?" inquired Hank.
"They have no demands," sighed Norvic. "All they want is our destruction. We have tried to reason with them but they are beyond reason. All they can think about is death and destruction."
"Before the savages can attack you again, they'll have to get by us," declared Mac.
"That is what I want to hear," smiled Norvic. "Austragon will be glad you've decided to help us. I will take you to see him. He doesn't normally like visitors, but I'm sure he'll make an exception in your case. I will take you to see him one at a time. Who would like to go first?"
"I would," said Mac. "I'm looking forward to meeting your leader."
"Good, come with me," commanded Norvic. "The rest of you can wait here until I return I won't be gone long."
"What if the savages attack while we're gone?" questioned Mac.
"The savages always attack in the morning," Norvic assured him. "They never attack at night or in the afternoon. That is why we have to find them before dawn tomorrow. We were able to drive them of f this time, but next time we may not be so lucky."
Mac and Norvic walked brisky to a large building in the center of the city. The building was much more extravagant looking than the structures surrounding it. It was only about the size of a large house. but its walls were made out of solid metal. The savages couldn't burn or smash it no matter how hard they tried.
Norvic slowly pulled open the door open it was large and heavy like the door to a safe. The building was really a gigantic vault only instead of using it to protect their valuables they used it to protect their leader.
As soon as the door was opened a brilliant light appeared, a light that had been unable to penetrate the outside until that time yet it seemed brighter than the sun. A few seconds later it disappeared as suddenly and mysteriously as it had appeared. A few seconds after that it appeared again shining as brightly as ever.
"What is that pulsating light?" inquired Mac. "Where is it coming from?"
"The light radiates from the diamond of Austragon," answered Norvic. "I'll show it to you. Follow me."
As they got closer, the diamond shined even more brightly than before. At last he saw the diamond itself. It was about the size of a human and glowed a pure white. It was the only source of light in the room yet they could see each other as if they were in broad daylight. The diamond continued to glow brightly for a few seconds than dimly for a few seconds than brightly again. Mac could feel the pulsations of the diamond and felt compelled to take a closer look.
The diamond was suspended in the air so the bottom of it was at about eye level. Mac was less than ten centimeters away from it staring at the pulsating light.
"Go ahead. Touch it," encouraged Norvic. "It won't hurt anything."
Mac put his hand on the diamond. The diamond stopped glowing except for the small portion that his hand was touching which glowed brightly and steadily. Mac put his hand in a different place with the same result. Then Mac put both hands on the diamond. The diamond began to pulsate again. Mac felt compelled to watch the pulsating light. He was unable to take his eyes away from it.
TIME : 3:00 P.M. (15:00)
PLACE : Still inside the city
X and Helsa returned to find Peter, Hank, Linda, Lisa and Detrina waiting between the two destroyed houses.
"Hi, we're back," announced X. "Where is Mac and Norvic and what are you doing here all by yourselves?"
"Norvic took Mac to see Austragon," Peter replied. "We were told to wait here until he returned."
"That wasn't very considerate of him," remarked X. "He could have at last sent somebody to look after you."
"You must understand that Norvic gets nervous when he goes to see Austragon," explained Helsa. "Sometimes he forgets things. I'll try to make it up to you."
"That won't be necessary," X assured her. "They've been treated far worse. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to the others in private."
"I don't mind," smiled Helsa. "Take your time. Call me when you need me."
Helsa walked about fifty meters away. She smiled and waved at them whenever they looke in her direction.
"She seems a little too friendly," commented Peter. "Friendly or not, Helsa and Norvic haven't been telling us the whole truth," X informed them. "When I examined their communicator that they said was destroyed by the savages. It was destroyed several days ago so how could they have sent a distress call only a few hours ago. It doesn't make sense."
"Have you noticed how they all move like machines?" wondered Peter.
"Yes I have," X replied. "It's as if their movements are not their own."
"Do you think someone in the city is secretly working for the savages?" asked Linda.
"I wish it were that easy to explain," sighed X. "Something is not quite right about everyone we've met. Norvic wanted Mac to be alone for one reason or another. Whatever the reason, it can't be a good one."
"What are you going to do?" inquired Lisa.
"For the time being I'm going to repair their communicator then find the savages," answered X. "I'm not ready to let them know we suspect them of anything. We can't as long as they have Mac. Keep acting as you normally would until we find Mac. After that we'll decide what to do."
The group walked over to where Helsa stood waiting for them. A short time later Norvic returned, alone.
"Where is Mac?" demanded X.
"Austragon wanted to talk to him a while longer," explained Norvic. "He'll be with you in a few minutes. Who would like to see Austragon next?"
"We need to repair your communicator and locate the savages," stated X.
"There will be time for formalities later. We'll start our work as soon as Mac returns."
"All right," said Norvic with obvious disappointment. "I'll tell Austragon you'll see him later."
"If you change your minds Austragon will be willing to see you at any time," added Helsa.
"Why won't Austragon come to see us?" questioned Peter.
"Austragon fears for his life," replied Helsa. "The savages make threats on his life every day. He has to stay inside his home at all times. It is the only place where he is safe."
"Austragon thanks us for our help against the savages and promises to reward us if we succeed," announced Mac.
He walked towards them appearing as mechanical as the inhabitants of the city.
Copyright MCMXCII, MCMXCIX
