TEMPUS CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
You are ice and fire the touch of you burns my hands like snow.
Amy Lowell
“E1 report to the Retribution, full loadout.”
“I’ll be there soon Cristian” was the reply from the machine.
“Lorelei we are going back to your home earlier than before. I need to capture a Lizard, alive and maybe we can save your friends.”
“Can we do that?”
“Yes and end up with an extra ship in the process.”
“Won’t we end up with two Marys?”
“I don’t plan on going into the cave. I hope to catch them in the warehouse. A warning sweetie I am going to wipe out the other three.”
“Not if I get them first.”
E1, Lorelei and Cristian headed out for the future to the warehouse. They parked E1 in a dark corner and the Retribution they left cloaked.
“Watcher are you sure about the time they arrive?”
“Yes Cristian M2 confirmed.”
“Is there any chance they can take over the Retribution?”
“The only part of the ship that is Lizard is the drive and the shell everything else has been replaced,” said Watcher. “Cristian it’s time.”
With their re-breathers on, they got out of the Retribution. A ship appeared in the spot next to where the Camaro used to be parked. Three Lizards in their natural form exited the ship. Cristian threw a gas grenade into the inside of the ship. Suddenly lasers, lights, and AC/DC Shoot to thrill was blasting out of E1’s sound system. The three Lizards fell to the ground holding their ear holes. E1 lit up all three mini-guns and cut them into pieces too small to be picked with a sponge. The battle was over.
“How did I do Cristian?”
“Superb E1. I don’t think they will be getting up again.”
“I guess that worked Cristian, what about the Lizard in the ship?” Said Lorelei.
“He is having a nap.”
“I have the restraints. How long will he be out?”
“M1 thinks it will be out for ten hours.”
“Watcher how do we get this ship home?”
“We can attach it to the side of the Retribution then I can extend our shields around it.”
“E1 We need to put the Lizard in our ship. Try not to shoot up the ship. If he moves just spin the mini-guns. That should keep him still.”
“Watcher let’s get on the road.”
“Yes, Cristian.”
When he entered the Retribution the Lizard was strapped to the front of E1 over her mini-guns. It had a cloth bag over its head.
“Lorelei this your doing?”
“Yes, Husband we didn’t need any incidents on the trip back. Cristian do we really need to take this thing into our home?”
“I think I can come up with an alternative Sweetie.”
“Watcher take us back to an ice age, a big one.”
“I have a time Cristian and a location. The Cryogenian period to the island of Kalahari.”
When they got there the world looked a lot different. The continents had not drifted apart and the world was white. He pulled the hood off the Lizard and woke him up with a violent love tap from the butt of his shotgun.
“Good morning sunshine welcome to the Earth’s biggest Ice Age. The weather outside is, well it’s really fucking cold.”
“What do you want Wolf?”
“First I wanted you to pay attention to your current position this is E1 and those mini-guns are for you. E1 spin the barrels for the Lizard. 12000 rounds per minute of pure joy and you may want to notice she is ready to roll out the door at any moment. I would assume that you don’t handle cold very well.”
“I won’t tell you anything, Wolf.”
“ Everyone says that. That’s too bad I hear it’s a balmy -100C today with a low expected of -150C oh and tonight there will be a killer frost.”
“Watcher open the door slowly.” He said out loud.
“Wait.”
“Close the door Watcher. Now tell me in 1964 how many Lizards inhabit the earth?”
“If I tell you, what will you do for me?”
“I will give you a warrior’s death, a quick clean kill.”
“There are two hundred and forty-five at our home base”
“In Dulce.”
“How did you know that name?”
“Tell me when in our history did you establish yourselves?”
“We have been here since long before the Mayans and in early Egypt.”
“You worshipped us as Gods. You can find us behind many of your religions.”
“False Gods. What is your agenda?”
“To take over your planet after you warm it up for us.”
“Then why did you scorch it?”
“We didn’t scorch the Earth you did. You thought it was the only way to rid the planet of us. It started with you and your Alliance. We came to kill you so we could save our future food supply.”
“ That doesn’t make sense why wouldn’t you kill me before the planet was scorched. How does it happen Lizard?”
“A few of the members of your Alliance create a weapon that ignites the atmosphere. They claim persecution allows them to build it. By yourself Cristian Wolf you are nothing your people are nothing. We have done this on thousands of worlds. When we find something new we will exterminate your race. And maybe we just want to end you.”
Tell me about your homeworld Lizard?”
“We are only 20 of your light-years away, You call the system Gliese”
“Back to the scorching? Do you have names?”
“I have one name, Nikola Tesla start there.”
“Is there any way we can establish Peace with your species?”
“You are just food to us, you don’t make friends with your cattle.”
“Why have you killed us in large numbers why do that?”
“When we need to thin the herd we do it with disease. Do you remember the black death? Ebola, Anthrax, Sars H1N1 EV-D38. We used HIV to get rid of the non-breeders. When disease won’t do there is always war or famine. Sometimes you have to get rid of the culls.”
“I think I have heard enough” He got very close to the Lizard and whispered, “Fucker I will make your species pay that I promise.”
Cristian opened the door and threw the Lizard outside he studied the Lizard for a few seconds and then drew his sword and cut straight down from head to crotch splitting him in two. Then he quickly went back inside.
“Let’s go Home. Lorelei are you okay?”
“Yes Cristian” He knew she wasn’t.
When they got back home Lorelei went to the kitchen after petting the cats and started cooking.
“M2 I brought you another ship. With M1’s help convert it as soon as you can.”
“We will get it done Cristian.”
“Mother we need to talk.”
“What about Son.”
“About the future Mother. I saved your friends but there is a small complication.”
“You and your friends are alive in the future, I assume so are the Makers.”
“You mean that I am there.”
“We didn’t go inside, and they won’t know what happened.”
“I think we need to tell the rest of them.”
“If you think it wise mother.”
“I went back to interrogate a Lizard.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“The Alliance scorches the earth. Tesla is involved.”
“You have to stop him.”
“I will. Lorelei is very shaken up about it.”
“I will talk to her.”
“Thanks, Mother.”
“One more thing they are behind all the diseases throughout our history and I assume most of the wars. E1 have one of the M’s reload you ready for battle.”
“Already done Cristian.”
“How is E2 E3 doing?”
“We are ready for battle Cristian.”
“Excellent E2 guard the back E3 the front.”
“On our way.”
Cristian made his rounds and said hello to everyone. When he was done he went to see his wife in the kitchen. Without saying a word he held her. She struggled at first but he held on. She finally released what was bottled up and the tears flowed. He didn’t say anything to her, he just held her.
“Cristian my friend Nikola is responsible for scorching the Earth he kills everyone. How could he do that?”
“I will stop him and I will stop the Lizards. I promised the Lizard that I would make them pay.”
“We will stop them.” Lorelei made sure he understood.
“We can head out when you are ready Lorelei.”
Her tears started to dry and she looked at her Husband with red and puffy eyes. “Why do you do all of this Cristian?”
“It needs doing and I am the one with the guns” He answered.
“I think the pancakes might be done,” he said looking at the smoke rising from a stove.
“I am afraid we will be having burnt pancakes.”
“I need the extra carbon wife.”
After she had time to get the pancakes off the stove Cristian walked over and said “you have something right here” He reached for her hair and kissed her.
“I will always be here for you Lorelei.”
“Do you promise?”
“I do, with everything I am.”
“Okay then, I will get the pancakes, you get the coffee.”
“Done sweetie.”
In a few minutes, she was out to join him bringing a plate full of pancakes. There was not a burned one anywhere in the pile. Cristian was wise enough not to comment. In a few minutes, they were joined by others. Lorelei started to get up but Cristian put his hand on hers to let her know to stay. Mary saw this and headed for the kitchen to cook for the others.
Lorelei and Cristian enjoyed pancakes, Maple syrup and coffee without thinking about what was coming.
“What are you going to name the new ship Cristian?” Asked Albert who was sitting at the next table with Stephen and a few of the others.
“The Probability.”
“Interesting, not convinced about the theory, I don’t think God plays games of chance. But a good name anyway” Albert said nodding his head.
Stephen lifted his coffee cup raised “to the Probability.”
Everybody in the cafeteria answered coffee cups held high.
Paul stood on a chair with a coffee cup raised. He waited for silence.
“I would like to make a toast to lying, stealing, cheating and drinking.
If you’re going to lie, lie for a friend.
If you’re going to steal, steal a heart.
If you are going to cheat, cheat death.
And if you’re going to drink, drink with me.
Even if we are only drinking coffee and orange juice”
Everyone laughed including Lorelei. It was all about this Cristian thought to himself. We were fighting for these moments for everyone.
“Cristian we need to see Nikola. It’s time” said Lorelei.
“Watcher we will be taking the Retribution? Are the changes I asked for ready?”
“Yes, Cristian.”
“Great let’s fly.”
“E1 report to the Retribution.”
“On my way.”
Lorelei and Cristian headed out of the atmos once more. When the ship was away from the earth, he thought of sailing ships.