The very elderly, who remembered the worst
days of the Collapse, felt their spirits quail within them.
It was a time such as the world had never seen before. In the years to
come it became known as The Day the Earth Stood Still. No one knew
where to flee, how to flee, or even if fleeing could do any good. After
a time the panic quieted down to a heartless agonizing despair, and a
heavy, dark spirit fell over the planet.
"Crass, Lather, Bolcher! Get your men and go! The Earthmen have
launched their detection equipment!" Lurton Zimbardo was giving orders
over the intercom from the control center of his asteroid. Moments
earlier the pirate leader had received a message which informed him of
the launch time of Earth's freighters and other details of Earth's
defense plan.
"There are seven freighters accompanied by twelve Space Command
warships! Each of you take five ships. Find the convoy and destroy the
freighters! At all cost, destroy the freighters!"
Zimbardo slammed down the communicator and watched his men scurry for
their ships. At the speed they could travel, they should be able to
intercept the convoy in about a week-a full day before optimal site for
deployment of the microwave probes. Zimbardo had little doubt of the
outcome of the encounter. Earth had no idea that the plans were known
to him, and the pirate ships were invisible to their radar.
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