Sacrifice:The Shenkar War Read Free Page A

need.”
                  Looks of skepticism crossed several faces, and this time the Japanese Prime Minister was the one to speak up.
                  “ To create such a fleet, you would need hundreds of thousands to millions of tons of minerals. The Earth just doesn’t have those kinds of resources--where would we get such resources?”
                  “ You forget, your solar system has an incredible source: the asteroid belt that separates the planets you call Mars and Jupiter. In a matter of little time, we can create processing plants to mine the asteroids for the materials needed,” spoke the first Grayling.
                  “ However, while the ships are being created, we will need to train your people,” added the second Grayling.
                  “ Yes, our studies of your people have found that you have the incredible ability to absorb and process information. However, even under normal circumstances, to build the fleet and train the personnel necessary to outfit it will take nine months,” spoke the first Grayling.
                  “ But you just said the Shenkar will be here in six months--where does that leave us?” asked Japan’s Prime Minister.
                  “ It will be necessary to slow them down. To do this, you will need to send a ship. We currently have a carrier-class battle cruiser with a full complement of prototype light and heavy fighters. These fighters are not your typical fighter craft. These ships require special pilots--pilots who can only be described as superhuman,” explained the second Grayling.
                  “ Through our nanotechnology, we can enhance some of your people. With this nanotech, your pilots can withstand g-forces that would kill a normal man. Their reaction times will be greater than twenty men, all senses enhanced twenty times over. Unfortunately, it can’t be just any human; it can only be humans who have a certain state of mind,” spoke the first Grayling.
                  “ I have a question,” said the Prime Minister of Japan. “Should we be wasting a battlecruiser in an attempt to slow them down? I mean, if they are so powerful, shouldn’t we hold onto it?”
                  “ The battlecruiser we send will not be engaging directly in combat; only the fighters will be engaging the Shenkar. Once all the pilots have died or done everything they can to slow the Shenkar down, then the battlecruiser will return to Earth to augment the defenses,” said the Meshtrell.
                  “ Okay, that’s settled. I would like to know what you mean by ‘a certain state of mind’?” queried the Russian President.

Jun e 4, 2012, 7:33 a.m. EST
    Manchester, New Hampshire
     
                  The barrel of the .357 Magnum felt cool to Liam as he pressed it against the skin up under his chin. With his finger on the trigger and the hammer locked back, all it would take was the slightest of pressure to end it all. The bullet would rip up through his jaw and into his brain. With his other hand, he held the picture of his dead wife, dead from the bird flu almost two years now. His hand trembled; only slight pressure would end this pain that tormented him every day.
                  Why couldn’t he do it? It should be so easy, just a slight squeeze and bang. All he wanted to do was die. But even for how much Liam wanted it all to end, feeling there was nothing to live for, he couldn’t do it. Not because he was afraid of death--not at all, actually. It was his warped sense of letting down what friends and family he had left. Liam thought wryly, It shouldn’t matter, really. I mean what does it matter what people think of you when you won’t be around to hear it? Well, Liam would know that he had let people down, and knowing that was too much for some odd and unknown reason.