Zor felt consciousness returning slowly. It was not exactly like unto awakening from sleep, but more of a prolonged realisation of the facts concerning his situation. He remembered, in sequence, who he was, where he was, and why he was.
It was then that the memories of the past began to parade within his mind; memories of the events leading up to his current situation. They were memories of his planet, Mars, being depleted of its natural resources and gradually being taken over by a race of intelligent insects that bred in such numbers that Zor’s people, the original humanoid inhabitants of the red planet, could not succeed in exterminating them.
Like most men of his race, Zor himself was a tall, finely muscled warrior. In fact, he was a member of the noblest and most exulted class, set to become the Commanding General after a few more years of service. Nevertheless, it was during this period in Zor’s military career that it had happened, the event that changed the future and the destiny of his planet forever.
The decision was made by the Martian government to evacuate the planet and immigrate the entire population to another. Fighting for an already dying world against an host of creeping insects was abandoned for this more expansive undertaking. The Martians had possessed Space travel technology for generations, but it had only up until now been utilised for military purposes. The thought of using it for something else did indeed at first encounter opposition from the proud soldiers of Mars, but this did not last for long. They were used to following orders, and anyway they did not want to show fear at the thought of venturing forth across the reaches of Outer Space.
Several planets were considered for the site of the new Martian colony. Their closest neighbour, the world that would later be known as Earth, was soon dismissed. Although it had large areas of land available, it was known to be inhabited by giant reptiles that would have been far too much of an unnecessary threat to any fledgling colony. The other planets of the Solar System were either uninhabitable or already had advanced civilisations of their own. No, it was decided that New Mars would be elsewhere, and scientists claimed to have discovered a quite suitable planet orbiting an as-yet unnamed star several light years distant. It was to there that the Martian immigrant ships would aim themselves.
The ship of which Zor was given command was one of these, and he and his crew proudly set out on that momentous day. None the less, soon after clearing the atmosphere of Mars, engine trouble was detected, and Zor’s ship found itself trailing behind the rest of the Martian Space Fleet. They radioed to the others to not be concerned, that they would soon fix the problem and catch up, but this was not to be the case.
The repairs had taken longer than had been expected, and the ship had drifted somewhat, finding itself drawn by the gravity of the neighbouring planet mentioned previously. Zor, resplendent in his Martian armour, his features proud and nobly handsome, looked out the view window of the Spaceship at the blue-green world whilst waiting for news of the repairs.
When the news came, it was not good. There had been an undetected engine fire, a fire that had quietly spread throughout the ship. The only hope was to shut the ship completely down for a moment, including the life support systems, in order to reboot the entire control array. Zor then gave the order for this to happen, and that is the last time he remembered speaking before waking up here in this dark chamber. In between, he only remembered, when the lights of the control room blinked off, seeing the previously unknown electrical fire that had reached there -- a fire that, before the rebooting could extinguish it, reached the safety valve protecting the window.
The window burst, and Zor, in that split second before losing consciousness, had felt himself pulled into Space, his body hurtling on a direct course to-wards that same blue-green planet that would one day be known as Earth! …
My name is RUMANOS -- DOCTOR DANIEL RUMANOS, Extraterrestrial Espionage Agent and Intergalactic Man of Mystery. Even though I have the physical appearance of an human being, I am in fact several thousands of years old and do carry within my blood the vastly superior genes of the legendary Aeternusians or “Watchers” of the Daemon-Star ALGOL. Originating ninety-three light years from Earth, we are the most intellectually advanced race in all of the known galaxies, whose technology is so sophisticated it often appears to be “magic” and “miraculous” to lesser beings.
Whilst most Algolites tend to keep to themselves, preferring to live in elitist seclusion from the rest of the Universe and thus merely observing the goings-on of the myriad races of the vast reaches around them, I am an Operative for a secret organisation known as the KOSMIKOS or Cosmic Intervention Department, tasked with maintaining peace and order throughout the farthest reaches of Space and Time. You know, “plausible deniability”, and all of that sort of thing. It is our ongoing mission to defend the weak, the unfortunate, and the innocent from those who would harm or exploit them.
Currently assigned to Earth, I protect its people (both upon their own planet and across the eternal void) from the hideous manipulations of the arch-villain known as Magister Don Wingus and his occult terrorist organisation, Spectral Paranormal; as well as from alien invasions, mad scientists, and indeed all manner of menace. Assisted by my friends -- the beautiful young Hollywood starlet Miss Millie Drake, and our catlike robot known as Kit-10 -- I am the living icon of Algol on this world. I am a Knight of the Eternal Spires. I am the sword of justice from the planet Daemonia. I am the cosmic crusader. I am the stellar swashbuckler.
I am -- THE DAEMON-STAR!!! …
“So this is where we’re supposed to meet the professor?’ enquired Millie Drake as she sat beside me in the car. “It looks kind of deserted.”
“This is the location he gave,” I replied as I turned off the engine. “His private archaeological dig near Rehoboth Beach, Virginia.”
We stepped out of the automobile, my specially modified canary-yellow Edwardian roadster, affectionately known as “Lizzie”, in which we had quickly travelled to this location form our headquarters, and looked across the wide expanse of the field. It was near dusk. I was dressed in my usual finery, including a frilled poet shirt, purple velvet suit, jungle boots, panama hat, and one of my favourite opera capes.
“Professor Noffsinger said he wanted to wait until all the workers had all left for the day,” I explained. “He wants to speak with us privately about some discovery he has made.”
“Well, it must be something really strange for him to call us!” giggled Millie.
The girl is exceedingly beautiful, with luxurious chestnut hair, lovely blue-violet eyes, sun kissed skin, and luscious cherry-red lips. The tight, short, cobalt blue dress she wore only served to highlight the soft curves of her slender adolescent figure.
“Are you detecting anything unusual in the area, Kit-10?” I queried.
“Scanning now, s--,“ replied our mobile personal computer that resembles nothing more or less than a small mechanical cat. “Negative. No unusual broadcast activity.”
(It must be noted here that Kit-10, along with her other feline characteristics, is possessed of the seemingly total disability of being unable to openly show respect to anyone. In fact, the closest she ever comes to it is by referring to me by a slight “s--” sound -- for “sir” -- and to Millie Drake by “m--” -- for “ma’am”.)
I then took the transonic turnscrew (this being an highly advanced scientific device somewhat resembling a writing pen) from the pocket of my jacket and used it to scan the area.
“Is the transonic showing anything?’ asked Millie.
“Nothing in particular,” said I, upon noting the instrument readings. “The dating and origin-of-sediment settings are a bit off, but that is likely the result of the near by dig.”
Just then, we were interrupted by a man’s voice approaching us.
“Doctor Rumanos, I presume,” he said.
We turned and beheld him. He was a somewhat elderly gentleman, fair complexioned and grey-haired. He was clad in casual brown trousers and a short-sleeved shirt.
“You would be Professor Paul Noffsinger of the University of Richmond, hmmm?” I enquired.
“Indeed I am,” he affirmed, shaking my hand. “Thanks for coming out. I’ve heard quite a bit about your particular… expertise, and thought you would be interested in what I think I have discovered.”
“I am always glad to help,” I told him. “This is my friend and highly-valued assistant, Miss Drake, and that is our computer, Kit-10.”
The professor exchanged greetings with Millie and briefly glanced at Kit-10.
“So, my good professor,” I continued, twiddling my frills, “what exactly what about what you have found could require my particular ‘expertise’, as you term it?”
“Well, you see,” he answered, looking a bit embarrassed. “I seem to have uncovered something… from Mars.”
“Interesting, but not unusual,” I told him. “There are numerous meteorites around the planet that contain particles from Mars. It is completely natural, and therefore did not register on our scans as anything usual.”
“What about this?” queried Noffsinger, taking what appeared to be a small scrap of metal from his pocket. “It is one of several found in the dig over there. My chemical analysis shows it to be from Mars, but it appears to be manmade!”
“By the Triple Star!” I swore whilst taking the scrap from him and briefly scanning it with the transonic device. “This is indeed of Martian origin, and it is indeed ‘manmade’, being the type of alloy used in the hull plating of Spacecraft. It is completely different from the technology of the current insectoid inhabitants of that planet.”
“Daniel,” said Millie Drake, “isn’t there an old legend saying that the planet Mars was ruled by a humanoid race before the insects took over? I remember hearing about it at Daemonia Academy.”
“Yes, quite so,” I affirmed. “The humanoid Martians are said to have left Mars about an hundred millions of years ago, by Earth reckoning. They went forth in search of a ‘New Mars’ in another solar system and were never heard of again.”
“Doctor, I don’t understand all that you’re talking about,” said the professor, “but that ‘hundred million years’ date corresponds to the period of the dig, according to the archaeological strata.”
“Fascinating,” said I. “So if this metal is indeed a scrap of humanoid Martian technology, it could indeed be a part of one of their Spaceships, and…”
I was then interrupted by the sound of Millie Drake screaming. The girl had seen something, something approaching us across the field. Professor Noffsinger and I turned to see it.
What we beheld was in the shape of a man, tall and finely muscled and wearing armour and an helmet. His skin was of the tone of copper, and his features, (including large epicanthic eyes) showed him to be of a noble class. An holster containing an energy firearm was at his side.
“People of Earth,” he announced, his voice strong and clear. “I am Zor of Mars. I have waited long in the darkness, but now I have awakened!”
“My word, Doctor Rumanos,” stammered Professor Noffsinger, “is this for real? Is that… really a Martian?”
“Indeed it is, Professor,” I affirmed. “He has apparently been in some sort of suspended animation until your dig disturbed him.”
“I hear your speech,” returned Zor. “You are wise for an inhabitant of this planet.”
“You shall find I am not exactly… ” I halted. “Please tell us, Zor of Mars, how did you manage to survive? You have been buried here for many millions of Earth years. Your sleep must have been quite deep, hmmm?”
“My ship had trouble with its engine,” explained the Martian. “It was caused by an electrical fire that reached the control bridge and shattered the front view window. This in turn caused the electricity to shoot outwards into Space -- along with me -- and to hold a pocket of atmosphere around the ship. We soon found ourselves crashing into the soil of this planet, and our ship went into sleeper mode, taking us with it, in order to perform repairs.”
“Fascinating,” I pondered. “The electricity worked as a sort of reverse ionisation, holding in the atmosphere and saving your life.”
“Daniel,” said Millie Drake, “does he mean that his entire ship and its crew are also buried here?”
“Yes, they are,” interrupted Zor. “They are awakening now, and we will come forth for the glory of Mars!”
“Well, about that,” said I. “Your planet is now ruled by the insectoid race that arose there. Your people indeed left for a place called New Mars and were never heard from again. Do you have the Spatial coordinates for the solar system for which they were heading?”
“No, I do not,“ admitted the Martian. “That information was only kept on the lead ship, for purposes of security.”
“I understand, but this all seems to put you in a bit of a quandary, hmmm? Worry not, though. I have certain knowledge that could aid you to… ”
“We need no help from non-Martians!” proclaimed Zor, his voice rising in anger. “We are the great warrior race of the Solar System, and I have returned to lead us into new glories!”
“But there are many uninhabited planets out there,” I attempted to explain, “to which you could lead your crew. You could colonise one of them and build a new society for yourselves.”
“No, that will not be! We are Martians and we are dedicated to war! Our government made a mistake in leading us to become colonists. We should have gone forth and conquered the other planets of this System -- and now we shall! We will regain our old home-world! We will create a Martian Military Empire that will then spread across the Galaxy!”
“Oh my gosh, Daniel,’ whispered Millie. “He really means that!”
“Indeed he does,” I sighed. “Typical.”
“We will conquer uncountable worlds across the Universe,” continued Zor of Mars. “We shall become masters of all! We will become rulers of Space -- and we shall begin with this planet -- the one that my thoughts tell me is now known as Earth!”
“What!” exclaimed Professor Noffsinger. “You… you can’t do that! You can’t take over our planet! It’s… inhuman!”
“We will accept no opposition,” rejoined Zor angrily. “This is how we will deal with all who attempt to oppose us!!”
With this, the Martian -- in one lightning-fast movement -- drew the energy firearm from its holster, aimed it, and fired its blood red death ray directly at us!
The ray hit Professor Noffsinger, quickly doing its disruptive work and leaving the unfortunate man as nothing but a small heap of mangled, grotesquely burnt matter.
“Kit-10!” I called. “Blast the Martian!”
The robotic cat then fired a bolt from her nose laser at Zor. It hit his hand, causing no serious harm to him due to his armour, but causing the gun to fly from his hand and to land several metres away in the tall grass.
Whilst this was happening, Millie and I ran for cover, finding a place where the grass and weeds were high enough to shield us from the Martian’s sight. Kit-10 soon joined us there.
I quickly glimpsed out between the weeds and beheld the Martian, having lost his gun, angrily stomping to-wards our location.
“It is no use!” he shouted. “You will not escape me. I am a warrior of the great military of Mars, and I have many weapons at my disposal.”
“Just stay quiet, Mills,” I whispered to the girl. “It will take him a few moments to find us. Until then we may have him at an advantage.”
“Daniel, I feel something,” said Millie Drake. “Something… in my mind.”
“I feel it as well,” I explained to her. “It is the Martian. Like most Space-faring species, the humanoid Martians have a degree of psychic ability. According to the old accounts, they only utilised these power in time of war, in order to put doubt and consternation in the minds of their enemies. It is a form of mentalist propaganda. Fortunately, our superior Algolite minds should make it possible to block it with concentration.”
We then again heard the Martian’s voice speaking to us.
“Do not continue in this futile attempt to hide from me,” he said. “I shall find you, and I shall destroy you for the glory of Mars!”
By now, we could hear him moving through the grassy field, searching for us.
“It is no use for you,” he resumed. “You cannot escape, just as this planet cannot escape our domination. Even now, our ship is rising and soon we will go forth to conquer this planet!”
Just then, we heard the sound of an engine and, peering over the grass to-wards the site of the archaeological dig just under a kilometre distant, we saw it. It was the Martian ship, spherical in shape, rising up from where it had lain buried for so many ages. It rose up and hovered in the sky, as if already proudly proclaiming its ascendancy above all.
By now Zor was quite close to us, still searching for us through the grass. I could hear his harsh breathing and I decided what had to be done.
“Millie, my dear,” I said, “stay here with Kit-10.”
“Daniel, please be careful,” I heard the lass fervently whisper when she then realised what I was going to do. “Please.”
None the less, I was already in action, hurtling to-wards the Martian with a tackle that resembled that of a champion rugby player. I got him as he was walking, and managed to take the huge brute off his feet. I held fast to him as we rolled across the field. However, he all-to-soon managed to slip out of my grip, and we both quickly rose to our feet.
I then gave my foe a Daemonian kung fu kick to his midsection. I could tell that he could feel it, but his armour, along with his warrior breeding, kept him from being abashed by it. He responded with a punch to my face that almost knocked me unconscious. With an extreme effort, I managed to stay on my feet and return a blow to his face, that being the only exposed section of his person.
As my fight with Zor continued, I was vaguely aware of the Martian Spaceship, which had moved over closer to us. I was then briefly distracted by the thought of this, inadvertently giving the Martian a chance to deliver a blow to my chest that knocked the breath out my me. Before I could recover, I felt the Martian then grasp my throat in a vice-like grip with his armour-gloved hands.
“You are finished,” proclaimed Zor. “You will now die, for the glory of Mars!!”
Can you even commence to realise and to comprehend the extreme terror, forsooth the unmitigated and unsanctioned horror of this situation, my dear friends and most loyal readers? I was well nigh unconscious, being throttled by the huge hands of the Martian warrior known as Zor. Kit-10 was well out of range with her nose laser, and in any event she knew that I would want her to protect my beloved Millie at all costs. At the same time, the Martian ship was approaching us, that mighty Space-going warship that contained an entire battalion of alien soldiers, war-crazed combatants that intended to conquer the planet Earth and to subject it to their rule, for the revived glory of their ancient warrior race! I knew that I not only had to win my fight with Zor, but that I then had to somehow succeed in stopping that Spaceship and its crew -- I in absolute sooth had to succeed in stopping them, in halting their warlike advance upon the unsuspecting world, for I knew that otherwise Earth and indeed the entire human race were absolutely doomed!
Just before the blackness of unconsciousness managed to overcome me, I succeeded in slipping my foot behind Zor’s ankle and yanking hard, this causing him to stumble backwards and to lose his grip. He soon recovered and began rushing forwards to-wards me. I then gave him a roundhouse kick to the chest. It only knocked him back slightly, but the resultant blow of my movement having violently come into contact with his forward motion sent me flying across the field, to land amongst the grass a few metres distant from my opponent.
From the ground, I could see that the Spaceship was now almost directly over us. It rode proudly through the sky, its systems restored and prepared for their mission of conquering the planet, a mission that would undoubtedly result in the death of untold millions of innocent people -- a mission I must somehow manage to stop!
I started to return to my feet when I noticed something in the grass. It was Zor’s energy firearm that he had lost earlier. I quickly grabbed it and stood up, aiming and shooting at the approaching Martian with a blast of the gun’s red death ray.
The ray hit Zor and, within moments, had succeeded in reducing him to what amounted to a small clump of mangled and charred flesh.
I barely had time to catch my breath from this confrontation when I realised something; something horrible and terrifying. For at that very moment, the Martian Spaceship was hovering directly above me, looming in the sky on that momentous Virginia evening.
I looked up and beheld the alien ship, the very vessel that, if left unchecked, would bring chaos, death, and horrid domination to the as-yet unsuspecting people of Earth. The plans of the Martians had to be defeated; the ship had to be destroyed. Nevertheless, the question remained: How?
Then it suddenly occurred to me.
“Of course,” I said. “The engine problem.”
I put Zor’s gun in the pocket of my jacket -- it would be no help against the much larger and well-armoured Spaceship -- in stead retrieving the transonic turnscrew, then aiming the device directly at the ship and activating a certain setting. At first, the Martian ship stood still, continuing to hang there threateningly in the sky. But then, within a few seconds the Martian Spaceship had become covered with a sort of electrical fire. It quaked and rolled, and then -- with a sound like unto a thousand thunders -- it exploded, the resultant conflagration quickly eliminating any vestige of its existence.
Millie Drake and Kit-10 then came out from behind the hiding place, the girl then running into my arms.
“Oh Daniel, I was so worried,” cried the girl. “I thought the Martian would kill you! I should have known you would beat him!”
“All is well now, my love,” I assured her. “The Martian plot to conquer Earth is no more, and the planet is once again safe from invasion. Zor’s energy gun will make an interesting addition to our collection of alien artefacts back at headquarters, hmmm?’”
“Daniel, how did you do it?” enquired Millie. “How did you cause the Martian Spaceship to explode?”
“I realised that the electrical fire that had originally damaged their ship had to be caused by a faulty polarisation tube,” I explained. “They would have fixed it by a sort of rewiring, hmmm? Nevertheless, the faulty component would have still been there. I just used the transonic to remotely reactivate it, and as it was no longer connected to their engine, they could not stop it from immediately spreading throughout the ship, with the resultant destruction.”
“Daniel,” said Millie, “do you think that the other humanoid Martians -- I mean the ones who left for New Mars -- do you think any of them could have survived?”
“It is possible,” I pondered. “Yes, it is quite possible. They are certainly an hearty lot, hmmm? If so, hopefully they have learned the ways of peace, and have left the horrors of war behind them.”
***** DANIEL RUMANOS AND MILLIE DRAKE SHALL RETURN
