Gardens of Destruction
CHAPTER 37

The red button, a metaphor for irreversible action, had been pressed. A single verbal command unleashed the missiles. Patterson, in the planning stages of the operation, had decided against the use of nuclear weapons again. Now, he pondered if that was a misstep as General Schwarzer, in his bombastic manner, gave the final order to launch. The missiles were en route, bombers in the sky, the full might of the American military machine churning into motion, ready to rain down inferno upon the invaders.

In the command center, a hushed anticipation hung heavy as the first strike loomed. Intermittent orders cut through the silence, accompanied by the incessant beeping of machines.

“Well, Patterson, are you satisfied?” coughed the State Secretary.

“Satisfied with what, exactly?”

“The operation has finally commenced. Isn’t this what you desired? Or is it that you wish you were at the helm, is that why such gloom shadows you?”

Patterson remained silent, his thoughts a turbulent sea.

“I know you’re displeased, thinking we’re stealing your thunder. So many sleepless nights, planning every detail. Now you’re accusing us of usurping your glory?”

“I haven’t spoken such words. Are you confessing a sense of guilt?” Patterson’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“You had your chance!” the Secretary feigned ignorance of the general’s accusatory tone. “We expected you to manage the situation, but things spiraled. The psychological toll was too high. From a simple asteroid exploration to a nest of… unknowns. Then the incident with the missing child that should never have been here, right? The suicide mission inside... shall I continue? Understand us, we deemed your mental state unfit for continuing command of this crucial operation. And this is the most critical part, we can’t afford an unstable leader. I’m sure the president will acknowledge your enormous contribution to this project; your credit won’t be taken away.”

Patterson was unimpressed by the tirade.

“Why bother explaining?”

“Because I see the strain and misery on your face. I don’t want your reassignment to seem so dire. Consider it a… break.”

“You have no idea what we’re up against, do you?” Patterson’s gaze burned into the Secretary.

“Why assume a few tons of bombs will end it all? What if it fails? Do you have a contingency plan?”

“I won’t entertain your pessimism, General!”

“And the new objects approaching, how will you handle them?”

“After tonight, we’ll have methods, I’m sure!”

“Things aren’t that simple, sir. We know nothing about them, except for the child. She alone knows what lies within.”

“Don’t lecture me, Patterson. I’ve navigated politics and military challenges for years. This thing won’t intimidate me!”

“Time will tell, sir. But don’t be so flippant,” Patterson warned.

At that moment, the cameras captured the first explosion. The missile struck the colossus, erupting in a blinding light that forced the onlookers to shield their eyes.

“It begins,” Patterson muttered under his breath.

Cameras, strategically placed, allowed the battle to be watched in real-time, almost cinematically. One by one, the missiles detonated against the asteroid’s surface at varying heights. The ground trembled under the ferocious impact of the explosions, plaster falling from the ceiling. Even through the screens, the heat of the rockets smashing into the rock seemed palpable, waves of destruction reverberating through the command center.

In the heart of a tempest wrought by human hands, a spectacle of light and sound unfurled, mirroring an opera where destruction took center stage. It was as if an unseen maestro of illumination deftly wove together hues and tones, with each burst of light prompting onlookers to guess the next note in this symphony of chaos. For the military architects of this grand scheme, the unfolding scene was a twisted reward for their endeavors, a perverse cherry atop their deadly confection, the crescendo of their dark symphony.

The State Secretary, a novice to the brutal ballet of warfare, clutched his chair, his attempt to don a mask of indifference crumbling before the veterans’ discerning eyes. His ignorance of the operation’s scale was laid bare, exposing his naivety.

“Does the spectacle unsettle you, sir?” Patterson teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Watch your tone, General. It’s not the spectacle but the cacophony that I find distasteful. I regret not bringing earplugs; I hadn’t anticipated such an assault on the senses,” the Secretary replied, his voice strained, as he gripped his chair tighter, his knuckles whitening.

“You find yourself on the battlefield now, sir,” Patterson remarked, his laughter thinly veiling his contempt.

The ongoing barrage captivated everyone’s attention, with many unable to tear their eyes away from the monitors, holding their breath as the missiles plunged into the asteroid’s surface. The sudden blare of alarms amidst the cacophony initially went unnoticed, causing a momentary panic among those who feared an attack on the base itself.

A military officer rushed in, his urgent whisper in General Schwarzer’s ear turning the latter’s face a shade reminiscent of a ripe tomato. Schwarzer’s explosive reaction sent the officer scurrying out, and he stormed over to Patterson, fury etched on his features.

“Was this your doing?” Schwarzer bellowed.

Patterson, taken aback, could only respond with bewilderment. The Secretary intervened, seeking clarity amidst the tumult.

“Sir, the child has been abducted from the lab, along with her mother. Cameras suggest Captain Davidson, the sole survivor from the asteroid mission, aided their escape. You orchestrated this, didn’t you?” Schwarzer accused, his finger jabbing in Patterson’s direction.

The Secretary awaited Patterson’s explanation with bated breath.

“Sir, I assure you, I had no hand in their escape. I’m as surprised as you are, though not shocked. Davidson has a penchant for insubordination,” Patterson defended.

“And how do you explain your protégé’s involvement?” the Secretary pressed.

“Protégé? You’re gravely mistaken. Davidson was imposed upon us, despite my objections. Digging a little revealed his true affiliations,” Patterson retorted, hinting at a deeper conspiracy.

“Which are?” the Secretary inquired, tension mounting.

“He’s an Agency man, sir. They couldn’t resist meddling here too,” Patterson revealed, hinting at a tangled web of intrigue.

“And you knew this all along?” the Secretary probed.

Patterson hesitated, his gaze drifting to the ongoing devastation outside.

“Let’s just say I’ve been aware for some time,” he conceded.

“Why wasn’t he removed from his position then?” the Secretary demanded.

“Because, sir, despite everything, he was exceptionally competent. His allegiance mattered little to me as long as he performed his duties. We were, after all, united in a common goal,” Patterson explained, his voice laced with frustration.

Schwarzer, now seething, struggled to contain his rage.

“And why weren’t we informed? He could have been detained by now!” the Secretary argued.

Patterson’s response was a loud, scornful laugh.

“Because you gentlemen were too preoccupied with sidelining me to notice the real issues at hand. Perhaps if you had paid more attention, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

The tension in the room escalated as Patterson’s defiance provoked his counterparts. “Enough, Patterson,” they warned with a stern tone, “this isn’t over. You will be held accountable.” Their gaze then shifted towards Schwarzer, seeking a decisive plan.

Schwarzer, with a note of assurance in his voice, revealed that the vehicle was equipped with a dormant tracking system, aside from the disabled satellite positioning. “Trust me, by dawn, they will be back under our control,” he confidently stated.

A heavy silence ensued, broken only by the State Secretary’s inquiry. “Patterson, what do you suppose the agency wants with the child?”

“The same as you, presumably,” Patterson responded, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. “To dissect her for any alien technology she might unveil. It seems they are intrigued by her prophecies, unlike you.”

The mention of prophecies was met with disdain. “Nonsense. She’s merely spouting gibberish to instill fear. Traumatized from her ordeal within... that entity. We don’t even know if she’s still coherent!”

“It’s hard to say, Sir,” Patterson admitted, his voice a mix of resignation and curiosity. “We won’t know the full extent of what happened to her until she chooses to speak.”

“We’ll make her talk once we have her back,” the Secretary said with a menacing smile, revealing his pearly whites. “We’ve broken much tougher nuts than her.”

At that moment, an operator’s shout pierced the charged atmosphere. “Look at this, my God, I’ve never seen anything like it!” he exclaimed in panic.

Instinctively, everyone crowded around the monitors to see what had caused such an uproar.

“What’s going on? I can’t make heads or tails of it!” Schwarzer grumbled, his frustration evident.

And then, they all saw it. From the entity, an indistinct, blob-like mass was ejected, expanding in the air as if alive. This bizarre phenomenon saw the mass intercepting the missiles aimed at the asteroid, absorbing them internally without causing any external damage. Clearly, the adversary possessed a method to detect and neutralize their offensive, deploying this gelatinous barrier against larger missiles while allowing the smaller ones to reach the surface, seemingly causing negligible impact.

It soon became evident that further missile strikes were futile; none could reach their target to inflict significant damage.

“Damn it, cease the missile barrage and deploy the fighters,” Schwarzer ordered. “Target the crevices.”

To Schwarzer’s dismay, the missiles failed to achieve the desired effect. He had secretly hoped for the entity’s destruction with the initial assault.

Patterson glanced at the State Secretary. “Their unpredictability is their greatest weapon. Perhaps it would be wise to halt the operation.”

“You’re out of your mind! This isn’t over, don’t panic!” his counterpart reassured him, though fear lingered in his gaze.

“I’m afraid, Sir,” Patterson confessed, “of what else might emerge from the inside.”

Within minutes, the fighter jets were on the battlefield. Divided into trios, they maneuvered into position to fire. Their objective was clear: to inflict damage within the asteroid through its vast cracks.

Surrounded by numerous aircraft, the asteroid resembled a besieged hive, with the fighters buzzing around, not to protect, but to wound their colossal adversary.

“Look there, Sir!” a coordinator pointed out.

As everyone watched, the entity launched more of its peculiar balloons, attempting to block the path of the fighter jets.

“They think the jets are a different kind of missiles!” someone exclaimed.

Indeed, it seemed the enemy sought to ensnare the jets within these balloons. Yet, the agile fighters easily evaded these traps, continuing their assault. Fires and smoke began to appear from within the entity, signaling that their efforts might finally be yielding results.

“See, General!” the State Secretary exclaimed triumphantly at Patterson. Yet, the dishonorably discharged soldier was taut with apprehension, his fists balled so tight his knuckles turned white, and a trickle of blood seeped from his inadvertently bitten lip. Unaware, he licked the blood away, his gaze unflinchingly fixed on the screens as the infernos within the entity grew fiercer.

Just as the room began to swell with premature celebrations of a looming victory, a harrowing countermeasure was unleashed.

“What in the blazes is that?” gasped the State Secretary, his eyes wide with horror at the monstrosities spewing from the asteroid’s fissures.

The first creatures to emerge were akin to elongated pyramids, tapering into tail-like extensions, inverted with a jaw-like appendage sharpening into a forward spike. Despite their seemingly cumbersome shape, they hovered with an eerie buoyancy, as if swimming through air. Their agility may not have been swift, but they compensated with their lengthy tails. With a precise flick, one of the jets was bisected. Other jets engaged with gunfire and missiles, but to seemingly minimal effect. The creatures merely retreated and lunged again, the pilots desperately dodging their whip-like tails. Those who failed were cleaved in twain.

“Assistance required, I’m hit, brace for my descent...” cries echoed through the radio.

“Evade the ‘worms’!” another pilot bellowed.

Emerging from the depths were beings resembling long, bristly worms, each adorned with a crest featuring a single orifice. Their agility was unmatched, not only pursuing the jets but also bombarding them, as discerned from the frantic radio communications between pilots.

“Beware their projectiles, I repeat, beware their ammunition!”

The command center bore witness as the worms spat out jagged crystals that struck the aircraft and shattered into tiny fragments. The afflicted had no chance for salvation.

Suddenly, another formidable entity joined the fray, resembling a giant thistle with a crystalline-metallic structure, chasing down the fighters. The real threat came from something ejected from a large orifice within the creature. It seemed to expel, rather than shoot, a ring with a precise shape and fringes on the inside. If it aligned with a jet’s trajectory, the ring intercepted its path, and passing through it was a fatal decision for the pilot. The fighter passing through the ring disintegrated into its constituent parts, scattering across the sky.

The fiery chaos persisted as the jets fired and retreated in waves, new ones taking the place of the fallen. The comms were filled with screams of agony and despair. The grotesque entities, as if torn from a book of modernist art, filled the space around the asteroid, pursuing the fighters. With each passing minute, their numbers dwindled. The strange flying creatures seemed to sustain minimal damage from the aircraft’s weapons, merely being delayed before returning to the fray. The few that were downed did little to bolster the pilots’ confidence.

“Cease the operation at once!” Patterson bellowed, leaping from his seat.

“Sit down immediately, we’re making progress,” the State Secretary countered sharply, then commanded, “Deploy the tanks... and the infantry in their wake.”

Foam formed at the former chief’s mouth in rage: “You are madmen, halt this madness! Look at the jets we’ve lost, and now you wish to sacrifice lives?”

“General Patterson, sit down. You no longer command here!”

“Stop this, I tell you,” the disgraced officer fumed, “a massacre awaits!”

“I can no longer tolerate these shrieks, security!” the State Secretary shouted.

Two guards immediately responded to his call, reluctantly undertaking the task. They preferred to witness the unfolding battle and felt uneasy escorting their former general away.

As the tanks and infantry advanced toward the asteroid, unleashing a barrage of firepower, a horde of grotesque creatures began to emerge once again. Among them was a beast that had nearly claimed Captain Davidson’s life, trivializing the tanks as if they were mere toys. With its spider-like limbs, it clambered upon them, rending them apart with ease before moving on to its next victim.

A creature slithering across the ground bore nostril-like appendages on its back, which spewed a gelatinous substance onto the tanks. This strange gel corroded everything in seconds, including the soldiers inside. Those who managed to escape the tanks were not spared, as the substance seemed to cling and consume them with terrifying speed.

Despite the relentless gunfire, the defenders of the asteroid seemed inexhaustible. New monstrosities continuously poured forth, and the soldiers kept firing, only to watch their comrades fall one by one under the onslaught.

Then came the entities no soldier wished to encounter – transformed animals and humans. Emerging from the cracks, they joined the fray. Some were agile, while others dragged themselves aimlessly. Each bore weapons, ranging from swords and spears to oddly curved blades challenging to wield. The more agile ones charged at the soldiers with a disregard for their own lives. Some were felled yet rose again, undeterred, continuing their relentless assault. Amidst the chaos, they managed to reach and impale a soldier before moving on to the next. Some wielded paralyzing whips, their strange devices embedding into the skin and freezing the soldiers in place, only to be mercilessly killed thereafter.

General Schwarzer stood in stunned silence, struggling to comprehend the carnage before him, let alone issue any commands. No one was prepared for such fierce resistance, and the possibility of even more terrifying alien species lurking within remained unknown. All he could hear were the screams following the shattering of crystals and the thousands of shards embedding into human flesh.

He couldn’t believe that the seemingly easy triumph wouldn’t materialize that night. Everything had appeared perfectly planned, yet these creatures proved difficult to kill. Only the soldiers’ bravery had prevented a total rout. Finally, Schwarzer made the call.

“We’re halting the operation, pull back, cover the retreat of the infantry.”

The State Secretary was visibly displeased, his expression conveying his frustration at the aborted mission.

“Have I misjudged you, Schwarzer? You assured me of an easy victory. With the entire might of our army, we can’t even take down one asteroid,” he rebuked.

“Sir, with all due respect, we cannot send our men to certain death. Look at the hordes of abominations pouring out!”

The view on the screens was horrifying. A surge of indescribable beings was emerging from the asteroid’s depths, charging into battle and steamrolling everything in their path. The battle was lost. Schwarzer dared to speak out.

“Sir, I believe it’s wise to evacuate the base. It’s no longer safe here.”

***

The Others were coming. The Garden heard, saw, understood. They sought to destroy. Sorrow, grief, agony! They did not comprehend. The Transformed would tend to it, but would they? They knew not, yet awaited the light!

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