Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 18:29:34 -0500 Reply-To: "Robert A. Gansler" Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Robert A. Gansler" Subject: Rulers of the World (Part 14 of 16) Rulers of the World (Part 14 of 16) A Highlander/War of the Worlds Crossover A ContiNEWity Story * 1995: Blackwood Project Base Wilson had filled in some of the details that Duncan was not privy to, and so the entire story was described to the group assembled in the underground base. "So you were there, in New Jersey, too." Harrison stated. "You were Smith, too." "Yes, I was only in charge of the New Jersey State Militia at that time. Coming over from England, I needed to establish some credentials over here in the States. However, it was fortunate that I had the position. Once again, as the first on the scene, I was in charge of collecting and disseminating all of the information regarding the invasion. The radio broadcast was the key to the plan, but the press releases were important as well to the cover-up. The utter hysteria that the radio broadcast generated was probably my most effective work." "But you only did it twice." Kincaid said "Come now, John. Haven't you been following along? I'm sure Harrison has discussed with you at least on some occasion during your association that very few people remember the invasion of 1953. Whom do you think was responsible for it?" "You were behind that, too." Harrison was shocked. "How did you do it? Who were you?" "I think MacLeod can answer that one." Wilson turned to Duncan. "Do you remember our third meeting?" Duncan's face strained as he tried to collect his thoughts. He focused on aliens, the year 1953, Immortals. He thought of the 1953 movie and then it hit him. "You were there, too, you lousy ..." ** 1953: Outside Los Angeles Duncan drove his black convertible through the mountains outside of Los Angeles. It certainly was scenic country, though it could not compare to the majestic splendor of the Scottish Highlands. Then again, what could hope to match the Highlands' beauty? Duncan took the sharp turns of the road at a very careful speed. One of these days he was going to get the radio fixed. He liked hearing the evolving sound of music that seemed to be becoming popular. Most people did not even realize that something new was upon the American music scene, but Duncan, who had seen numerous musical styles come and go, knew that something big was on the horizon. Duncan's languid pace came to a complete stop around one particular turn. There was an Army soldier standing in front of a wooden barricade. Duncan leaned out the side of the car and asked, "What's going on, soldier?" "Geez, haven't you been listening to the radio, fella? Martians have landed in the valley just past this rise. We already tried to stop them with conventional weapons, but we got nowhere fast. So... " "You don't mean that you're going to use ..." Duncan was horrified. "Yep, we're gonna drop the A-bomb on them Martians. That oughta teach 'em not to mess with the U.S. of A. Anyway, you gotta turn around, pal. Nobody gets by here without clearance." Duncan dutifully turned the car around and drove away. He only drove as far as was necessary to be out of the sight of the soldier. He parked the convertible behind a clump of bushes. Duncan then proceeded to sneak up the mountain to where he figured the valley was to which the soldier referred. After about twenty minutes of trudging up the side of the mountain, Duncan sighted an Army encampment. Duncan scanned the encampment. It looked as if everyone was bracing for the A-bomb drop. He looked up, but he could only hear the sound of an approaching plane. He quickly took cover behind a large boulder as the bomb hurtled through the air. It seemed like the entire world shook when the bomb detonated. The signature mushroom cloud slowly expanded and obscured most of the sky. Winds of tornado-like intensity whipped through the area. Duncan tried to see through the smoke and debris flying around, wanting to know if the bomb was successful in obliterating its target. After a few fateful moments of waiting, he saw a trio of strange machines rising out of the pit, apparently undamaged. It all seemed vaguely familiar to Duncan. He looked now at all of the activity beginning at the army encampment as he descended down into the valley. Inside of a makeshift bunker in the heart of the encampment, the civilians and military were dumbfounded by the Martians' survival. "I suggest you get word to Washington right away," Clayton Forrester demanded. The officer in charge of the operation, General Mann, looked at Forrester sternly, but he knew Forrester was right. His response was interrupted as his danced around when he sensed the presence of a nearby Immortal. "Damn," Mann thought "It just better not be that MacLeod again." He turned to Forrester, "Right. Now get your people out of here." General Mann hurried out of the bunker and hopped into the passenger side of his jeep. His aide already had the engine running. Up on the mountainside, MacLeod detected another Immortal. However, his concerns about that were brushed away as he could see the Martian war machine begin to move out in his general direction. Some sort of field of shimmering energy seemed to be encompassing each of the war machines. They looked to Duncan like something out of those cheesy science-fiction movies that were becoming so popular now, bit there was nothing imaginary about these craft. Duncan decided to leave the other Immortal for the Martians, or at least for another day. He made his way back to the convertible. In a matter of minutes, he was back at the convertible. The engine purred as he turned the keys in the ignition. He eased the car out onto the road, put it in gear, and sped off. He figured that he could put a great deal of distance between him and the Martians. Out of habit, Duncan checked in the rear-view mirror. He knew that there could be no one behind him because of the barricade. What he saw in the mirror took his breath away. The war machines were bearing down on him. He popped into fifth gear and put the pedal to the medal, but they were still gaining on him. As the convertible came into the Martians' range, they commenced firing. Duncan turned the wheel hard from side to side in evasive maneuvers. The car swerved from side to side, avoiding the energy blasts for the moment. One of the misses happened to strike the mountainside in front of Duncan's fleeing vehicle. A landslide of rocks came barreling down the mountainside and buried the car in rubble. The war machines paid Duncan no more heed and proceeded past the pile of boulders and continued on their way to Los Angeles. After a few hours, General Mann received reports that the Martians had moved out from the landing site and were closing in on Los Angeles. Mann decided to head back to landing site to see what, if anything, could be learned from the cylindrical transport vehicle that brought the war machines. He assembled a small squad of technicians and they drove back to the site. A mile and a half from the site, they found their way blocked by an enormous pile of boulders that covered the entire road. Mann ordered the small caravan of jeeps to stop. He was about to issue some orders when he sensed the presence of a nearby Immortal. Collecting himself, he shouted, "All right, men. Make it to the site on foot. I'll remain here." The soldiers did not think to question the orders so they grabbed their equipment and started climbing up the mountainside. Once they were out of sight, Mann walked around the area until he was certain that the Immortal in question was underneath the boulders. He took out a winch and some related equipment from the jeep. He fastened on end of a cable around a boulder and the other end to the jeep. He did this to more boulders in turn and began to unearth the convertible. After about ten minutes of effort, Duncan was free. "I'm Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod," Duncan gasped. "You have my thanks but you'll not have my head." "I'm General Mann, United States Army. What are you doing here?" Mann responded. "I'm not here to fight, man." Duncan continued to struggle for breath. "The Martians ... they shot out the side of the (huff) mountain and (huff) buried me." Duncan composed himself. "Are they really Martians? They look like something out of one of those new science-fiction movies." "Yes, they're Martians." Mann replied sternly. "What did you see?" "I saw the A-bomb get dropped on them and they flew away unscathed." Mann turned away and thought to himself, "Damn. This isn't good. I can't have MacLeod remembering _this_ invasion. But how do I cover up this one?" Then the inspiration struck him, and once again MacLeod had provided it - a science-fiction movie. "Look, MacLeod. I have something to show you." Mann pulled a pocketwatch from out of his uniform. "You're feeling sleepy, very sleepy..." Duncan was still somewhat dazed from all of the boulders hitting him on the head and soon fell under Mann's hypnotic command. "You will forget, MacLeod. You will forget everything you saw here." Mann cleared the rest of the boulders away from the convertible. He seated Duncan in the car and told him to drive away. As Duncan drove away, Mann dialed up his field telephone. "Lieutenant, get me that screenwriter friend of yours?" The voice on the other end replied, "Sir?" Mann hollered into the phone "The screenwriter. Screen - write - er?!?" "Oh, you mean Barre Lyndon? But why, sir, if I may ask? We're in the middle of a military operation, aren't me?" "Don't question my orders? I've got a doozy of a script idea for him. A definite blockbuster, one guaranteed to have a tremendous impact upon the viewing audience. "Right away, sir." was the reply. * 1995: Blackwood Project Base "You don't look anything like General Mann!" Kincaid and Duncan objected in stereo. "Being involved in top-secret military affairs for centuries, one gets to know a little bit about disguise." Wilson grinned "But if you were General Mann, then ..." Harrison continued. "Yes, Harrison. We met long before you came to my office at the Pentagon..." ** 1953: Outside Los Angeles A number of press reporters were gathered in front of city hall. They were jostling to get closer to the military figure standing up inside an Army jeep. The subordinate officer at the wheel of the vehicle seemed to be annoyed with the impromptu press conference. \\"General Mann, there are reports that there are alien survivors in the contaminated area," a reporter stated. "Those reports are unconfirmed at this time. The only aliens we know of are dead. However, that does not rule out the possibility of survivors." General Mann continued, "Our immediate goal is to clean up the last of the contaminated areas. We also want to get our hands on one of the alien warships. We're very anxious to learn their technology." General Mann added mentally, "But we'll never use it, if I have my way." Another reporter asked, "How long will the devastated area be sealed off?" "The area will remain under army control until we're absolutely sure it's safe. In fact, we haven't completed all our inspections yet." A female reporter asked the next question, "There seems to be more than a possibility that the army has a group of them surrounded. Can you comment on that?" General Mann frowned, "I can't answer that question at this time ..." The reporter interrupted the General before he could finish his answer, "Well, we have heard a great deal about radiation, General. Is it ...?" Now it was Mann's turn to interrupt her, "There is no cause for fear. The perimeter of the contaminated area is under guard and radiation levels are constantly being monitored." A different reporter now spoke up, "Why are the press being kept away from the area, General? What is it the you don't want us to find out?" Mann thought about saying "Very many things, you simpleton," but instead said, "You'll be advised when it's safe to proceed into the are." He made a quick motion to the driver and the jeep pulled away from the crowd and drove off to the army command post.// A few hours later, a soldier came up to the doorway of a khaki-colored tent "General, we have prisoners. They were caught driving in the restricted area." "Great, just what I need, trespassers," the old military men inside of the tent replied. He was on the telephone so he put it down momentarily and told the soldier. "All right, soldier, bring them in." General Mann picked up the phone again. "Now listen. I want all of the records and reports that the Pacific Institute of Science and Technology have on the Martians ... Don't give me any objections. This area is still under martial law and I want those reports. Have them on my desk by 1500 hours or I'll put you in the stockade and have someone who can follow orders do the job. And find Dr. Forrester for me, pronto. An another thing, make sure that Barre Lyndon is brought to my office first thing tomorrow morning." He slammed the phone down as the soldier brought in Harrison Blackwood, John Kincaid, and the reporter Miranda Watson. What the two alien fighters saw was a proud military man with slicked-back white hair smoking a pipe. Blackwood figured that this general was way out of his league when it came to dealing with aliens. The General felt he knew all about these aliens, or so he thought. General Mann put down his pipe and turned to face the prisoners that the guard had just brought in. He recognized the woman as one of the reporters at the press conference, he had no idea who the bearded man was, but the other one was Duncan MacLeod. "Damn it," Mann thought. "The hypnotism must not have worked this time! He's probably come for me." Mann glanced around the tent until his eyes came to rest on where he had his sword hidden. It was inside an equipment pack in the corner of the tent. Mann figured he could make it there, even if MacLeod made a move, despite the mortals around. Slowly, Mann gathered his thoughts "No, it can't be MacLeod. I don't feel the Sensation, but it's the most authentic-looking double he had ever seen." He was relieved that it was not MacLeod. If his hypnotism did not take, it could mean disaster for all of General Mann's plans. \\Harrison broke the silence, "General, you've got to listen to me. An enemy agent has just gone through your checkpoint." Kincaid added, "He's an alien." Mann burst out, "What the hell do you take me for? I've seen dead Martians, thousands of 'em. Not one of them resembled a human being." "Well, not were we're from," Kincaid offered. Mann put his hands on his hips, "Oh really? And where's that?" Harrison was not sure if it was the right idea to tell him, but he did anyway, "From the future." Mann laughed hard. It was one of the most ridiculous things he had heard in his immortal life. Harrison tried to convince the General and pointed at his gun that rested on a table, "Look at that weapon. Technology for that has not been invented it." He grabbed his shirt, "Look at these clothes." He took Kincaid's arm and rolled back his sleeve, displaying Kincaid's watch, "Look at this wristwatch - digital, computerized." Mann looked at Miranda, "What about you? Are you from the future, too?" Miranda responded defiantly, "Miranda Watson, City Sun-Mirror, and you're violating the First Amendment by holding us like this." Mann was becoming incensed, "Miss Watson, you're under martial law here, and right now the First Amendment is the last thing on my list. You've been arrested in a highly sensitive area with these two lunatics claiming to be from the future and carrying weapons I never saw before." Harrison interjected, "If you would call Dr. Clayton Forrester, he can clean this whole thing up. You haven't got much time." Kincaid stated, "We had twelve hours to get this guy and now ten of them are gone." Mann was somewhat surprised by Harrison's comment. "He knows of Forrester?" he thought. "But we haven't released any information about his involvement. Ahh, I know what these two 'madmen' are." "I think you're Soviet agents with a highly creative story, some fake ID, and a couple of exotic guns." Mann concluded. Kincaid erupted, "Look, I know this sounds ridiculous." He got in Mann's face, "But damn it, why don't you give us a chance to prove it to you?" Mann was unmoved. He motioned to the guard, "Put the cuffs on them and get them out of here. Hold them for interrogation."// The guard escorted the trio out of the tent. Mann wiped some sweat from his brow. It had been a string of trying days for him. Now was the hard part; now he had to begin the cover-up. First he needed a good puff of his pipe. However, he was interrupted once again by a soldier's voice outside his tent. "Sir, someone from the FBI is here to see you." Mann put the files that he had just taken out back into the briefcase. "Send him in." A man in a dark suit, black tie, black-rimmed glasses and a hat walked into the tent. He looked like the stereotypical G-Man to Mann. What Mann did not know was that it was Malzor, the Morthrain leader, in disguise and in the past. Malzor was under orders from the Eternal to try to save some of the remnants of the Third Wave. He wondered why the Eternal would not allow him to try to save Teela. "I'm a busy man. What do you want?" "I'm Agent MacGruder, FBI. General, we have reason to believe that there are Soviet agents in the area." \\"Oh really? Well, I just found them and had them locked up. If the FBI knew that there were Soviet agents in this area, they should have told me from the start." "That information was on a need-to-know basis." Malzor replied nonchalantly. "Oh, is that right?" Mann had no stomach for this. MacGruder seemed to be unconcerned about Mann's exasperation. "Now, let's get on with what I came here for." He pointed to a map that sat on a metal table, "An alien war machine landed in this area. I want to be taken there right now." Malzor indicated an area circled in red on the map. Mann was astonished by the arrogance of the agent, "Oh you do? Well, let me tell you how it is, Mr. MacGruder. Only those with top-security clearance can go beyond the inner checkpoint. That means the President of the United States and me." Malzor applied to nerve pinch to the General's neck and Mann fell to the floor. Malzor took out a mind-control device and inserted it into Mann's ear. The device crawled in and Mann screamed in agony. Mann was aware of what was going on around him, but he was not in control of his own body. He wondered what was going on. Who was this MacGruder? He had heard nothing about mind-control devices being used by the FBI, and he was privy to just about all top-secret technology. Mann got up with a glazed look on his face. Malzor smiled and led Mann out of the tent. They walked to the jeep and Malzor seated himself on the passenger side. Mann took the wheel and started the jeep. He swung the jeep around and headed for the area that Malzor had indicated. When they reached the area, Mann stopped the jeep and turned off the ignition. Malzor got out of the jeep and ordered Mann, "You will remain here as a sentry, General. You will not no one pass." Malzor walked towards a wrecked barn. There was a disabled war machine that had crashed into the farm house. He stopped momentarily and raised his hand. Mann could hear Malzor make some high-pitched noise. Malzor proceeded into the barn// Mann remained on guard as per his orders, but his thoughts were able to deduce what was going on here. The 'lunatics' were right, there was an alien agent in human form here - it was MacGruder! But how? Was there an other invasion in the future? Mann was shaken from his thoughts by an involuntary reflex. His ears had picked up the sounds of an approaching vehicle, and his body had gotten out of his jeep and began firing on it. \\ The other jeep skidded to a stop and two figures tumbled out of it. One returned Mann's fire and the other one went ... Where did he go? Mann could not see the second man. Mann continued to fire on the figure crouched behind the jeep when he heard the click of a gun above him to the right. Mann looked up to see Kincaid perched on a hill with a rifle pointed at him. "Drop it, General." Mann brought his gun to bear on Kincaid but too late. Kincaid fired a round mercifully into Mann's knees. Mann dropped the gun and dropped to the ground. Kincaid ran down the hill and stood over Mann. Harrison hurried over from the other jeep to join Kincaid. "Leave him," Harrison decided as he took Mann's weapon. The two of them cautiously entered the barn.// Mann could feel his knees healing, albeit slowly. He could also feel his Immortal body rejecting the presence of the alien mind-control device. He would be fit soon and he would find out what was going on here. When his body was his own again, Mann carefully got to his feet. His knee had been wounded quite severely, but it had healed completely now. Mann dug out a revolver from underneath the driver's seat in the jeep and made his way into the barn. While he was recovering, he had heard a great deal of gunfire and then a very strange noise. Cautiously, he crept through the barn, looking and listening for any sign of humans or Martians. A putrid stench then assaulted his nose. He was sure that it could not be anything human that produced this horrible odor. He took out a handkerchief and covered his nose and mouth. He opened the door to one of the stalls and saw a number of Martians - all dead, all shot to pieces. He investigated the rest of the stalls and found the same gory scene. There was no sign of Blackwood or Kincaid or even the 'FBI man' MacGruder. He raced back outside and found that the jeep was still there. He started it up and drove around the barn a few times. There was no sign of any of the three. Where could they have gone? * 1995: Blackwood Project Base "Now I know where, or should I say when, you and Kincaid went, Harrison." Wilson said. "So you've known about us since 1953?" Suzanne asked. "Yes, but I didn't believe the tale that Harrison spun back then. It wasn't until I met with you and him in my office that I knew that he had been telling the truth. If only I had believed sooner ..." Bob G. EPRI HVAC&R Center rgansler@facstaff.wisc.edu http://www.engr.wisc.edu/~gansler/ "Reality - a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." =========================================================================