TEMPUS CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it.
Clint Eastwood
Mary and the scientists were making the old location in a new time home. Some of them were taking care of the greenhouse a couple more were in the kitchen cleaning up. Mary and Paul were doing weapon maintenance.
“These guns are filthy surprised they didn’t fail in the field. I thought I taught my daughter better than that.” Paul pushed a cleaning cloth through the barrel of his daughter’s assault rifle.
“Look at this Mary, black.”
“Paul take it easy on her look at what she has accomplished in a very short time. M1 told me about how the world was before the Alliance.”
“They almost wiped out the human race Mary.”
“You know they didn’t do it. It was the Reptile bastards that did that.”
“You are right Mary it’s my temper getting the better of me.” Mary held his hand and he calmed down.
“Do Cristian and Lorelei know about us Mary?” asked Paul.
“I am not sure.”
Lorelei and Cristian walked into the cafeteria in time to see them holding hands.
“Cristian Lorelei, Paul and I have been together for a few years.”
“Good life is too short” Mary hugged Lorelei right after she said that.
“Cristian are you okay with this?” asked Mary.
“Let’s see until recently I didn’t know that my mother was really from the future and had me switched at birth to save my life. I found out my father was an Alien and oh yeah I have a gorgeous redheaded Half Alien wife carrying our Alien baby. I time travel and have two Robots one that looks like Alfred the butler and the other looks like Dirty Harry, plus I have two spaceships. I buy and sell real estate in the past and future to finance a rebellion I am leading against Evil Aliens who control the Earth and will try to wipe out humanity in the future.
I almost forgot, Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein are watering tomatoes in my greenhouse. We all live in my secret cave that is filled with more guns and ammo than the sum of all the prepper-survivalists in the world” He took a breath and continued.
“I think I am good with you having someone in your life Mother. I am happy for you.” He meant everything he had just said. “Man could I sell that story to the Enquirer.”
“Gorgeous huh?” Lorelei kissed him for that.
“Man, that cleaning cloth is black. We really need to keep better care of our weapons” said Cristian as he looked at the black cloth.
“That’s what I said Cristian.”
“Well I appreciate the help Paul, it’s been a little hectic.”
“No problem Cristian.”
“Thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter Paul. I could not have done this without her.” He nodded in agreement.
“She has my temper Cristian try not to piss her off.”
“Father” Lorelei huffed at him.
“I am heading for the greenhouse,” said Cristian
“Stephen, Albert.”
“Cristian how does the garden look? I didn’t realize that it was so relaxing, it helps me think.”
“That’s good Albert, the garden has never looked better, and I see you have extra help.”
“Cristian, this is Sara and Peter.”
“Thank you for saving our lives.” Peter, Paul, and Mary he thought to himself.
“Peter, Sara I am glad to have been there, wish I could have done more, maybe I still can,” said Cristian as he had a thought.
Stephen was sitting in a chair reading at the back of the greenhouse. “The light is good in here and the air better Cristian.”
“Stephen I am glad you are comfortable. This is a difficult time for all of us. Enjoy what you can. Where are your glasses?”
“Nanobots I don’t need them anymore. Cristian I thought about my death, no need to fake it. Leave them with the story of a crippled man leaving a tenth-story hotel room locked from the inside and disappearing. The rumours of my ascension or that I have moved to an island with Jim Morrison and Elvis. Or even better that a time-travelling Alien abducted me from my room, will keep me laughing for years.”
“Hey, you came willingly. You could write a sequel to your book, call it Kidnapped Through Time.” They both laughed about it.
“Watcher time to refit the reptile ship add some armaments and whatever improvements you can devise.”
“We are keeping it then Cristian?”
“Yes, Watcher I can probably use a small troop carrier. Have the M’s hose that thing out it still stinks like reptile. While they are there get them to give it a flame paint job.”
“Will do Cristian.”
“Watcher we should all watch a movie tonight.”
“Do you have a suggestion Cristian?”
“How about Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise?”
“At what time Cristian?”
“7:00 PM. In the lecture hall if you could please project it in 2d as it was seen when it was released.”
“No problem Cristian.”
“He went into the cafeteria, there were two he had not met cleaning up the kitchen.”
“I am sorry we haven’t met yet.”
“I am Rebeka and this is my brother Jonathan. Thank you for killing those bastards.”
“Thank you for the help around here, Lorelei has been doing most of the work.”
“We are happy to help any way we can, we will fight if you want us to?”
“I appreciate the offer,” he said as he went back to see how the gun cleaning crew was doing.
“I have both our 50’s cleaned and oiled Husband. Look matching serial numbers. I have cleaned and polished the scopes they are ready to rock. As are our handguns, short swords and our Maker swords. With the M’s help, I attached a sheath onto the back of our long jackets. I have only your shotgun left.”
“You have been a very busy wife, nice job. How will we tell our 50’s apart?”
“On the butt, I painted our names see.”
He leaned over and whispered in her ear “Nice butt sweetie.”
“Thank you” she answered with a wide grin.
“Good I wouldn’t want to grab your sniper rifle by accident.”
“No, you don’t ever want to do that Husband.”
“Sweetie have the M’s fit the 50’s and my shotgun with a silencer. Watcher tells me of a smart bullet that is like a guided missile. Following a laser painted on a target. Maybe we should take some of those and add a laser to the fifties before we leave.”
“Ooh, good idea Husband. Do you have a plan?”
“Yes sweetie it’s Saturday and we are taking a night off. I have a movie planned.”
Fresh buttered popcorn and drinks were brought out for the movie. Everyone attended an even dozen if Watcher was counted in. At the end of the movie, there wasn’t a dry eye. Save the M’s and Watcher who didn’t have tears ducts. He was sure they would have if they could have. Forrest Gump had not really been filmed yet. Watcher had brought it back from the future.
Cristian looked at Lorelei, Mary, Paul and the others. He thought about the holidays. They were coming soon. He had hoped there would be a Christmas here. It had been so long since he had one. He wondered about the children he had raised, wondered where they were. He wondered if they were happy. He would find them after the battle, if he survived, even if they were not his biologically.
Turning his thoughts to the fight ahead he needed to come up with a way to invade a heavily armed base and eliminate every living being inside. He knew there were human collaborators inside probably trained military. Humans turned against their own kind. They were the enemy no matter what species they were. His first reaction was to kill them all.
The question was asked, “Are there more movies?”
“Yes did you want to pick?”
He heard Star Trek and then he heard Star Wars.
Oh oh, this might be a problem. Then he heard First Star Trek One then Star Wars Six. That worked.
“Watcher give them what they ask for.”
“Already queuing up.”
“Watcher why do I not have direct contact with the M’s?”
“No one has ever requested it?”
“Now I have.”
“Done.”
“M1 communication test.”
“5by5 Cristian.”
“M2?”
“5by5.”
“Thanks, Watcher, thanks 1 and 2.”
In the cafeteria, Cristian sat down with a pencil and paper and started to sketch out a design. It was a tracked vehicle small enough to fit through a door and manoeuvrable enough to go up and down stairs. Controlled by an operator with a shielded minigun upfront. Extra guns and ammo in holders on the sides and the rear. Two fold-out metal shields to protect people walking behind and at the sides. Flame throwers at 45 and 90-degree angles at the front to keep flanked attackers at bay. 1000 watts of led lights including infrared. Advanced camera system with a flexible camera with the ability to look around corners.
Add a kick-ass 2000 watt music system enough to pump out 150 DB of hard rock enough to make any Lizard deaf. It had to fit in the captured reptile ship for travelling.
“M1 and M2 could you meet me in the cafeteria”
“Right away Cristian.”
“I need something built. I call it the Exterminator. Here are my preliminary drawings.”
“Cristian looking at your design we could fit an array of small rockets upfront and a rear-facing array as well. Maybe add grenade launchers upfront for smoke. We can save time by picking up the equipment in the future. The mini-guns, rockets and flame-throwers could be found at the same time. The shields we can handle with materials here. We also need to shield the electronics with a Faraday cage so that energy weapons fire or an EMP won’t disable it” Said M1.
“We will have to turn the door in the reptile ship into a ramp. You will need a shopping list we can prepare one for you” said M2.
“Great I will take one of you with me when I go. I know a man who knows a man, that can get us what we need.”
When the movies were done the scientists wandered into the cafeteria to see the M’s and Cristian working on something. Soon everybody was looking over the drawings including Stephen and Albert.
“The manifesto Cristian.” Albert reminded him of the second article. The scientist stopped and looked at Cristian.
“Albert I think scorching the Earth and eating and experimenting on its peoples would be considered persecution enough.”
“Quite right Cristian” answered Albert. Soon he was making suggestions. The scientists worked all night on the Exterminator. In the morning there was a completed set of blueprints. It didn’t remind him much of his design.
Stephen was the team leader for the scientists, who were very excited about the project. It was their way to contribute to the fight. The features and armament were explained to Cristian one at a time. The best of all the sound system. It would emit a high-frequency debilitating sound.
“I had something slightly different in mind in addition to your sound generator. Lorelei I will need you to move out of the cafeteria for a few minutes.”
“Watcher access the sound system and play a minute or so of the following AC/DC playlist at 125 db.
1. SHOOT TO THRILL Crank it
At first, the scientists held their ears, followed by a lot of toe-tapping. Cristian was sure he saw Albert’s wild hair flying as he headbanged. He looked around and he could see that they were ready to dance.
“Okay, Watcher I think they got the idea.”
“Cristian what was that music? It was invigorating and wonderful. Do you have any more?”
“That Albert was AC/DC some fighting music, we call that Classic Rock.”
Lorelei walked back in when the music was done “Husband I approve.”
“AC/DC it is Cristian.”
“I have a bigger playlist in mind. Zeppelin, Sabbath, Skynrd not to forget ZZ TOP” Send all the music forward of the Exterminator we need to protect the baby.”
“I think I can supplement her armour to deaden the noise and add extra protection for the baby,” Mary said.
“Good Mother.”
“Why are you taking Lorelei, Cristian?” Asked Paul.
“She is the best fighter we have Paul, do you think you could stop her?”
“That ain’t gonna happen. They pissed me off now it’s time for payback and payback is a red-headed Bitch with a gun.” Lorelei gave a look that made everyone in the room a little afraid, for the Lizards.
“Sweetie save a little of that for the fight.”
“Oops, my bad.”
“Cristian we would like to build three exterminators. One for each of the doors and one for battle.”
“I think that’s a good idea some protection when we are away,” said Lorelei.
From that day forward classic rock could be heard playing in the background. Albert could found most days headbanging in the greenhouse where the music seemed a lot louder. He was sure that it made the plants happier.