Chapter 9: Dreadful News

The soldiers were riled. "Who will be in the 25% that gets left behind?" they all asked. "Just where are the other 75% of us going to go?"

"Anyone who can't get to an available shuttle will have to be left behind. We'll head to the coordinates of the planet found by the exploratory shuttle we blew up the other day. Those are the only options we have, and if the plans work, we will return home" Formate said.

Another question was asked, "Will the general allow these plans to follow through?"

"That’s not for you to worry about, you have your orders" Formate concluded.

The orders and plans Formate had given were harsh. He knew that saying 75% of the entire planet could be evacuated was being a bit generous. Formate wasn’t sure of the exact number, but it was less, much less. Thousands of shuttles had been built in many years since the last alien threat, but they wouldn’t be enough. Worst of all Formate didn't think the General would approve his evacuation plans if the planet needed to be evacuated.

------------

Back at the Cryo Lab

"Lunch time" Sando yelled to the research team.

"Give us a few more minutes" Coro yelled back.

Blackie was no longer the smartest in the small group of students he was with. He wasn’t a scientist, but he had basic knowledge of how to run most of the things in the lab. Coro had been educating him on more complex features of cryogenics. Blackie’s natural insight was unique and very helpful to the more logical and scientific minds of the researchers.

"No, you’ll have your lunches now. We’ve got to keep a stricter schedule so we can all keep up." Sando was starting to take his work a little more seriously trying to keep his mind off of the recent event of the alien attack.

Coro, Brush, Hush, and the rest of Blackie's team left for the lunchroom. Blackie and Sando stayed behind in the lab.

"Aren't you going with them?" Sando asked Blackie.

"Got my lunch right here" Blackie replied.

Sando was still perplexed "Don't you want to eat your lunch with the others?"

"Well, I kinda like the lab . . . and I don’t really like to be around Gridy" Blackie stated.

Sando smiled. "Very well, I’ll have my lunch up here with you. What have you been able to find out about the alien?"

"Well, I’ve already told you it was a cyborg. It also has what appears to be some kind of massive database connected to its organic brain. I’m going to try to analyze it when we don’t have as much work to around here." Blackie then smiled. "And we have a lot of work to do around here."

------------

At the military base, Formate reported to the General.

"Report the situation Sgt. Formate" ordered the General.

"As you know General, the aliens are highly dangerous. They’ll be here in less than two weeks according to satellite transmissions, and they are far too numerous for us. If so much as one ship lands, there will be thousands upon thousands of casualties. I’ve come here asking you to break the vow to never use the fleet carriers again" Formate asked.

"Break the vow? I don’t think I could ever do a thing like that. We can’t risk another incident like the one we had the first time we used those ships" answered the General.

"I know it’s a long shot, but it may be the only chance we have. We have no idea if our current or developmental weapons will be powerful enough to take the alien fleet down. These creatures are unlike anything we have ever seen before. I already have a staff finalizing the plans and shuttle constructions" Formate said to finish off his report.

"I’m sorry, but no. We’ve dealt with alien attacks before and we’ve always been able to handle them" the General told him.

Formate was angry. "Just like the Diavotech incident?"

The General roared: "That is enough Sgt., you are dismissed."

After being dismissed by General Hakkar, Formate reported to his troops. He informed them that the general didn’t approve of his plans, and faith would be placed into the hands of their weapon systems. However, he still wanted his plans to be put into motion and ordered his troops to continue their work.