Beyond Armageddon V: Fusion Read Online Free PDF

presented an array of communications gear and data banks. A display of exotic weapons—including a Civil War era sword that once belonged to General ‘Stonewall’ McAllister—garnished a small stretch of wall. Its blade glinted silver with a hint of fading crimson.
    “Rick,” General Fink called through the open bulkhead that led toward the pointy cockpit, “we’re cleared to go.”
    Rick Hauser—Trevor’s personal pilot for years—did not listen to General Fink. Instead, the blond-haired man with glasses walked into the passenger compartment with a red face and gasped, “Sir, it’s the Phillipan. She’s here!”
    “What? Hoth is supposed to be up in Denver!”
    Unlike Casey, Trevor did not question the reason but, instead, grasped on to one last offered straw. He hurried to the communications array where a technician sat.
    “Get the Phillipan on the horn. Rick, how far out is she?”
    “Five minutes.”
    Trevor turned to Fink and ordered, “Contact the ground commanders. Order a full retreat.”
    “Sir?”
    “Casey—the Phillipan can bail us out. She can fight a holding action.”
    “One dreadnought? Hold off Voggoth’s whole army?”
    While victory remained impossible, this last chance at survival infused Trevor with new enthusiasm.
    “I gave you an order. Get on it. And find a way to get in touch with Rhodes.”
    Casey gulped and sought a second communications port.
    “Sir, I’ve got General Hoth,” the comm officer presented Trevor with a headset.
    “Hoth, can you read me?”
    “Yes, sir. The Denver army was a decoy. I think they loaded up everything on you.”
    “That’s right. Good thinking for high-tailing it here. But you may wish you hadn’t.”
    “What do you need, Trevor?”
    “I need you to pull our asses out of a bad spot, General. They caught us by surprise. They caught me by surprise. Our forces are committed. No reserves; nothing that could put up a rear guard action. We can’t win this fight and we can’t get out of it, either. I need you to hold the line while the army—well, while the ground forces escape.”
    No reply immediately came. No doubt Hoth soaked in the full meaning. And as General Hoth had done all his life, he accepted the order without question.
    “Understood, sir.”
    No words of bravado. No quote for the history books.
    Casey Fink interrupted, “The forward armor units are fully engaged. I’m still trying to raise Rhodes. I have this feeling his communications are being jammed.”
    Trevor nodded then returned his attention to the Phillipan.
    “Good luck, General. To you and your crew.”
    “To you too, Trevor. We’ll buy you as much time as we can.”
     
    The massive air ship pivoted slowly like a sumo wrestler stomping into position for a big strike. Below—in the shadow of the mighty flying beast—the armored spearhead of Trevor’s attack force switched gears from forward to reverse. Ahead at the mouth of the mountain pass, the first of the two advancing Leviathan’s stood straight and tall to skyscraper height.
    Twin blasts of energy fired from the Phillipan’s bow. They burned the flesh of Voggoth’s ungodly war machine like a laser scalpel slicing across a patient. Thousands of gallons of puss-like yellow bile sprayed out. But the beast did not fall.
    A new wave of the hideous Spooks birthed from the mist-covered valley screamed up through the swirling storm clouds, arched across the heavens as bolts of lightning flashed and thunder boomed, then plunged into the upper deck of the dreadnought.
    Anti-air Gatling guns fired defensive volleys. A dozen—two dozen—nearly three dozen of the vile missiles fell apart. But nearly the same number crashed into the target. Explosions peppered the flight deck and cracked the closed hangar doors. More pummeled the tower to aft, shaking Hoth onboard his bridge and giving life to flash fires and hull breaches.
    In addition to the ship’s main batteries, a swarm of smaller gun ports to the underside