Hunter then asked Gordon to use the screen behind them to display the shot of the American rocket still on the launch pad at the secret base out west, the place called Groom Lake. In a bit of cruel humor, someone in the know had painted the words "Love Rocket Number 2" on its fuselage.
Many of the people in the room were unaware of the rocket's existence. But everyone on hand knew the ramifications of attempting a space launch.
That's why a gasp went through the room when Hunter finally said, "And the second thing we do is launch that rocket."
21
The BMK ships arrived In orbit around Rmerlca the next day.
Xirstix himself had led the invasion force in. Having controlled the campaign on France from the comfort of his living quarters — as his superiors had instructed him to do so long ago — he'd quickly grown restless, being so far away from the action. When Planet America launched a spacecraft of its own, it came as a pleasant surprise for him. It meant more money, more glory, more blood for his men. And this time, because BMK was now in a two-world war, Xirstix would run things from the battlefield itself.
The trouble started right away though. Three hundred forty-nine troop shuttles left Moon 39. Twenty-seven didn't make it in.
A strange spacecraft had hit them four times on the three-hour voyage. The mysterious craft would suddenly show up, weave its way through the formation, hitting targets, before blinking out again. They had no idea who was operating the craft and worse, they had no way to shoot back at it. The troop shuttles carried no defensive weapons. Losing twenty-seven ships — and twenty-seven thousand men — was a blow to the invasion force. Not a fatal one. But as there was no way to know where and when the enemy craft was going to show up again, the attacks put everyone in the fleet on edge.
A second blow was received shortly after the invasion force reached America's orbit. There would be no troops coming over from Planet France. Why? Because the same mysterious spacecraft had attacked dozens of targets on that planet as well. In one stroke, the unknown attacker had altered Xirstix's entire battle strategy. No occupation troops could be moved off France. The genocide squads could not get their work started, because the troops they needed for gathering the population together for extermination had to be moved closer to the cities as the attacker had chosen to hit the most isolated outposts of the BMK on France.
So, Attack Force Delta — the force heading for America— would have to go it alone, at least in the beginning.
This infuriated Xirstix. He'd expected a problem-free cruise in toward Planet America, just as the invasion of France had been. He was counting on getting his troops on to the new battlefield in a good frame of mind — they were second-echelon soldiers, the first line was on France — and many had never seen action before. Now, with the mysterious attacks, any hope of a replay of France had been lost.
Who had attacked them? Xirstix was absolutely at a loss for an answer. There was no one else out here except the Home Planets and the sentinel moons, and no one on the prison worlds even knew how to fly. The first indications were that the attacker had come from Planet America, but how could a planet who'd just barely put an elementary rocket into space now have a weapon of such mind-boggling power? And if it was from America, why was it attacking targets on Planet France?
It didn't make sense. But there was no turning back now. Xirstix knew he had to face facts: Nearly half the force he thought he'd be controlling was no longer available. They would be tied up, doing nothing but keeping their heads down, seventeen million miles away.
Xirstix's original plan was to concentrate on Planet America's ten largest cities including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He had planned to do this with the troops of Attack Force Delta. The troops from Planet France he wanted to use in a different way. He'd been expecting two hundred fifty attack craft from Planet France. Each one was to be assigned a smaller city or town on America to land in. This was to be done purely for psychological reasons. It was important in Xirstix's mind that in addition to big battles in the big cities, the countryside had to be frozen, bloodied, paralyzed with fear as well. He wanted it to appear as if the alien invaders were falling from the sky everywhere.
This important part of his strategy was now in jeopardy. Xir-stix couldn't spare the troops of his own force to perform this key tactic; he couldn't cut himself short of soldiers that might actually do some fighting. His psych-war troops were just supposed to frighten the bumpkins and, in a best-case scenario, those bumpkins would simply submit as soon as the invaders showed up and word spread that the invasion of the planet was total and complete.
Now, looking down on Planet America, Xirstix made a fateful decision. He wouldn't send any troops into the countryside. He would use all of his three hundred twenty-two remaining craft to carry out the invasion in the cities alone.
It was clear weather around Planet America when the invasion began. It was just before dawn on the East Coast.
The fiery trails made by the BMK craft across the morning sky could be seen for miles. They caused multiple sonic booms coming in, plus the attack craft themselves had their propulsion units rigged to make as much noise as possible coming through the atmosphere. Once down, the spacecraft were designed to emit strange and eerie sounds, again heightening the frightening aspect of it all.
The first BMK units on the ground were the fleet's shock troops. They wore battle gear that was designed to cause fear and look invincible. Their suits were really part combat uniform, part robotics-assisted devices or RADs. They gave the wearer at least six inches in further height, topped off by a massive battle helmet that gave the illusion of yet another six inches. The battle suit made sizzling, mechanical noises whenever they moved.
The shock troops carried blaster rifles programmed to make heavily amplified noises when fired. Even their ray-gun side arms had been cranked, that is, their beams were brighter, their report louder.
At seven a.m. local time, thirty-two shock troop craft came down in New York City. Xirstix's own personal craft joined them soon after.
The BMK were professional invaders. Though the army based on Moon 39 was serving under very unusual circumstances, their training essentially remained the same. Fight in the big cities, take out key spots, then spread terror in the countryside. It was a formula that had worked for their peers many times across the Fringe. It was the strategy that had worked just two weeks before on Planet France. There was really no reason why it should not work here.
There were a dozen key objectives the BMK shock troops had to secure in New York City. They included the port, the main TV and radio antennae, and every tunnel and bridge leading in or out of Manhattan. If there was to be any fighting, it would take place at these locations. Usually, the first two hours of an invasion were the most violent. Yet, just twenty minutes after the BMK force had set down, these key objectives had already been taken. More troops landed, and within an hour, the city was declared secured. Casualties to the invading forces were zero. In fact, not a shot was even fired.
This was because there had been absolutely no opposition. The city was empty.
Xirstix had found this news so unbelievable, he took a tour of the city south of Central Park. Gliding along in an ornate sky car, nearly a thousand specially trained combat guards surrounding him, he went up and down every street and alley along both rivers and flew to the tops of the tallest buildings. Long robes flowing, wearing full battle dress from head to toe, it took two hours of Xirstix rushing here and there to convince him that the city was indeed deserted.