Pete(7)‘Intervention Plan’ (Young adult; adventure/sci-fi)
February 10th 2008 02:54
FOUR
'Terminate'
A race of aliens known as Borgz, ancient foe of the Daxian, had been watching their enemy's illegal intervention from an Elion-class star-cruiser in the 49th Quadrant. The star-cruiser sat cloaked and invisible except for the mercurial-like shimmer of defence-shields, visible from close range but by then too late to escape its deadly pulsar-cannon fire.These fierce beings are shape-shifters, possessing the ability to take on any biological form in the known universe. The Borgz have had warriors in human form on Earth for the past 100 years, their purpose being to discover and plot Earth's rich diamond deposits.
The Borgz natural form is humanoid, with two arm-like appendages at the shoulder and two at the hip. Skin is the texture of hard Earth rubber, and exudes a protective-slime poisonous to all but their kind. Large oval shaped head holds a devil-like face with sharp, protruding teeth and black eyes. Their other ability is titan-like speed and strength, giving Borgz the reputation as the most fearsome race ever to traverse the stars.
Borgz warrior, Septo Zan, plotting diamond deposits in a place earthlings call Australia, was given the priority assignment: assimilate the dog agent placed there and extract all Daxian data from its brain. Then create a massive rock-fall, a disaster that will destroy the town and any incriminating evidence left behind—a simple, yet effective plan.
The Borgz travelled across Earth in small, bullet-shaped transport-ships called Milarz, using the same cloaking-shields that so effectively concealed their star-cruisers. Septo Zan hovered above the town of Wombarra just two nasecs (minutes) after receiving the assignment, landing his craft at the base of the same rock-ridge he would bring crashing down with a sonic-disruptor when the assignment is complete.
Promptly setting-up his surface scanning equipment under the cover of lantana bush, it wasn’t long before Septo Zan had located the agent, ironically made easier due to the Daxian signature the dog now radiated. He already had devised how he would bring about the agent's demise: take the form of an Earth animal called a rabbit, favoured prey of dogs, then lure the agent into the mine shafts, where using a stun-laser render it unconscious, ready for examination.
It was late-afternoon Earth-time when Septo Zan tore-off the protective wires on a shaft used to vent explosive gases, and entered the mine.
Bluey raced into the front yard of home, where he sat panting and waited for his master to catch-up.
Tomas wasn’t far behind. With his face bright red from the heat and exertion, he ran into the yard thinking: ‘it's one thing to run down the hill with your wetsuit on, another all together to run back up’. He dropped his board on the lawn, and bent over breathing heavily. "What the heck was that all about?" he asked Bluey.
Bluey let out a “whine” and lay on the ground, covering his eyes with his front paws. He didn't know what it was about, only that something bad was down in those mine shafts.
Tomas laughed at his dog lying there like that; it surely was a day of strange antics for Bluey. "Alright mate," he said resignedly. "I'm going to get out of this sweat-suit and have a shower. I'll bring your tucker out later."
Bluey watched his master enter the house, then trotted round to the backyard. He thought of going to his kennel—one of those new blue plastic ones with a front window and two separate rooms—but decided on the back verandah instead. For reasons of escape—from what he didn't know—he wanted open space around him, so he curled up next to the back door instead in a watchful doze.
The process of conditioning the Daxians used on their agents allowed for a triggered release of information, imperative for the secrecy of the mission. At this stage, Bluey knew only that he was not a normal dog any more, that he had some secret function to perform, and a strange mind-map appeared when he needed to find someone or something. He had no idea the mind-map could be activated as a danger-sensing device just by thinking it. Hence, he had no idea a Borgz shape-shifter was stalking him.
Inside the house, Tomas finished showering and dressed in his rugby shorts and a plain blue t-shirt. He left his wetsuit in the bathtub to drain, then headed for the kitchen to make Bluey some dinner. His mother, Lynn, still dressed in her red and white work uniform, long blond hair tied in a neat bun, stood staring at the television when Tomas walked through the lounge room. "Hi mum," he said.
His mother held a finger to her lips, "ssshh." She pointed at the television and held her arm out for him to come and watch.
Tomas gave his mother a hug, then turned to see what it was about. The screen showed a shot of the artic ice cap, followed by a graphic showing how much the ice had retreated due to global warming. Then cut to a reporter in a newsroom:
"Scientists have predicted this decrease in polar ice since holes in the ozone layer were first discovered. They now predict major climate-change, a direct result of the temperature rise. We're already seeing an increase in the severity of typhoons and hurricanes that have struck both Japan, and the US….”
"Ah, there always going on about it," Tomas said with feigned indifference, slipping from his mother's arm and heading for the kitchen. In truth, the state of the world worried him and he'd rather not think about it.
Outside on the verandah Bluey was now sitting-up alert, looking about the yard. He just had the strange feeling he was being watched, and was about to go and investigate when Tomas came to the back door holding his bowl full of food.
"Here you go mate, this should make you feel better."
Neither Tomas nor Bluey could see the small brown rabbit watching them from the long grass on the other side of the back fence.
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