First Contact Read Free Page B

we had no knowledge that lasers had been developed into such a compact weapon,” advised the Military Intelligence officer. “It appears this new weapon system is in the claws of rogue human pestilence criminal elements. The Legion seeks them, too.”
    “ Lasers could upset the balance of power. We must have the secret to that technology. Put all marines on alert, and call in reinforcements. We will find those lasers, even if we have to invade New Gobi City to do it.”
    “ Risk war?”
    “ The risk of war is far less to fear than the risk of that gangster Czerinski having such a weapon in his grubby little human pestilence paws.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    The Grim Reaper gang liked to hang out in front of McDonald’s on Main Street. They parked their shiny retro muscle cars in a row facing the street, sitting on their hoods, signing and shouting at passersby. However, Reapers scattered when Major Lopez’s armored vehicle slammed into the end car, shoving all the cars aside. Machine gun fire raked the parking lot. Several cars caught fire.
    Corporal Tonelli was the first legionnaire out, unleashing his monitor dragon Spot. Spot immediately severed the foot of a fleeing Reaper, gulping it down shoe and all. A dozen Reapers immediately surrendered, throwing down their weapons and blue powder. Spot ate the powder, too.
    “Listen up, bendahos !” announced Major Lopez, firing a round from his pistol. “Where is Smooth Johnson and that stolen Toyota dune buggy? You’re all mine until I get that Toyota.”
    “ I want to see my lawyer!” answered a Reaper, crawling away with only a bloody stump for a leg. “I will sue for police brutality! I’ll have all your jobs, fucking pigs!”
    Major Lopez stiffened as the other Grim Reapers joined in complaining about the damage to their cars. Lopez shot Stumpy in the head. Drug crazed Spot, smelling more blood, pounced on the corpse in a feeding frenzy. The gore was so horrific, even Major Lopez looked away, crossing himself.
    “We are not the police, we are the Legion!” replied Major Lopez. “We don’t need no stinking badges!”
    “ I love it when Lopez says that,” commented Sergeant Williams, letting out a rebel yell. “We don’t need so stinking badges, y’all!”
    “ You Reapers have been declared enemy combatants!” continued Major Lopez, poking a large jagged combat knife at another gangsta. “Tell me about Smooth and that Toyota, or I will cut off your left testicle and feed it to Spot!”
    Spot lunged violently, wagging his tail, but Corporal Tonelli pulled the hungry dragon back with a choke chain. “Bad Spot, no biscuit!”
    “ You hear me?” threatened Major Lopez. “The real Grim Reaper will visit each and every one of you pathetic wannabes if someone doesn’t talk!”
    “ Smooth’s crib is at the corner of Presley Boulevard and Czerinski Avenue,” answered the closest Reaper. “Please don’t cut me. I can’t roll that way!”
    “ Which house?” pressed Major Lopez. “Don’t be jerking me around!”
    “ Duh, the one with all the stolen cars out front,” answered the snitch. “And another thing, that Toyota is alive, and it ain’t human.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    I personally led the assault on Smooth’s hideout, surrounding the house with tanks and armored cars. I fired warning shots from the machine gun through the front window. A flamethrower from one of the tanks torched several stolen cars in the driveway.
    “ This is Colonel Czerinski of the Foreign Legion! Resistance is futile!”
    “ I give up!” called out a shaky voice inside. “I don’t want no trouble with the Legion!”
    “ Open the garage door real slow, and come out with your hands up!” I ordered on the PA. “One shot from that laser, and we open fire!”
    Legion tanks and armored cars opened fire with cannon and missiles. In moments Smooth ’s crib was nothing but a fiery mushroom cloud rising over New Gobi City. At the height of the barrage, Smooth Johnson escaped