The Mark of Job

[Cmdr JFarrington 0]

The Mark of Job

 

As Manticore slipped into orbit, the planet looming on the viewscreen looked more like Vulcan than Earth, except that Vulcan was not so desolate. Deep chasms from orbital strafing and craters pitted the landscape. Verdant forests, rolling plains, and bustling cities had become barren wastelands torn by tornadic winds reminiscent of a nuclear winter. But here was no nuclear winter. There had been no nuclear blast, but something far worse, the likes of which had never been experienced by or from any known species in the galaxy.

 

And just how many species were left was in question, but Jami wasn’t about to go there. They only knew that Manticore and the super-weapon she carried was the only thing standing between Earth’s survival and total annihilation.

 

Alice Springs, Australia, was a shining jewel of an oasis by Australian standards. Now she was the only jewel, the last outpost remaining, and an oasis by any standard. Nestled in the center of the Australian continent, Starfleet had chosen it to build a keep, a bastion of last resort. Buried beneath the sun-baked surface lay Starfleet’s secure command center, one that would withstand the most powerful attack envisioned. And they had met the test; they were the remnants of the Federation on Earth, possibly in the entire quadrant.

 

When Manticore first arrived 16 days ago, communications with the surface were nil but for one Extremely Low Frequency band signal, sporadic and weak. ELF band communication, used by the military until the early 22nd century, came as somewhat of a surprise, though a welcome one. It meant that someone might have survived, and that the chances the survivors were military were strong, though uncertain. That it came from Alice Springs was encouraging.

 

“This is C&C, transmit Secure ID.”

 

Silence fell. Heads snapped. It took a few moments before Atragon responded.

 

“This is Manticore. Stand by for code.”

 

“Manticore, your SID is confirmed. Who am I speaking with?”

 

“This is Admiral Atragon-9, what happened here and who are you?”

 

“Commander Pruitt, in charge of the Secure C&C base here in Alice Springs.”

 

A familiar name, confirmed by Manticore’s voice verification system.

 

“We had no warning and no defense,” continued Pruitt. “Suddenly the sensors detected a massive asteroid field coming at us from all directions. We destroyed thousands of those damn rocks, but they just kept coming at us. It was all over in less than a day. No communications, no ransom, no demands or threats, just... destruction.They were just this cloud of rocks, but they had been driven here - we have no doubt. This wasn't a random act.”

 

… and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. [Job 1:19]

 

Atragon finally broke a stunned silence. “Commander, do you need us to bring your team aboard?”

 

“No, Admiral. We are relatively unharmed here, but we are some of the lucky few, as far as we can tell. Our power sources are at a minimum for now, but we do need your help with a mission. We have a secret base on Distare-27 that has been developing a new weapons system. We think the attackers may not be done with us and this weapon is our best hope of protecting what is left of the planet.”

 

What is left of the planet. But what use was it to preserve that which already seemed dead? And yet, here they were, USSManticore, to their knowledge the only starship left, bearing a weapon beyond imagining to defeat an enemy beyond imagining, one that could command the very substance of space to pummel a planet into submission.

 

I only am escaped....

 

Footsteps echoed in the sparse bay of the command center as they hastened toward Commander Pruitt’s command complex. Desperation and anxiety visible in the expressions of the few remaining Federation personnel cast an almost palpable mantle, and Jami wondered if those few might be the only ones remaining on the planet. Suddenly Atragon’s private words made sense.

 

“We cannot stay here. If we get into a shooting war with... whoever... we can't sit still. We have to move, to bob and weave, take evasive actions. What happens if we get a clear line of sight for a shot and the weapon works too well? We may wipe out the enemy that came to destroy Earth and destroy Earth ourselves. That cannot be allowed to happen.

 

“We will not sit here and wait... wait for an enemy that may not come back... wait for someone who could come back with something we cannot defeat with this terrible weapon... wait for someone who could make us slip up and become the worst villains in history.

 

“We must take fight to the enemy.”

 

...and succeed. Or die trying, leaving earth and the rest of the system defenseless.

 

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

~Job 3:25