Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 09:28:04 -0500 Reply-To: "Robert A. Gansler" Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Robert A. Gansler" Subject: Rulers of the World (Part 5 of 16) Rulers of the World (Part 5 of 16) A Highlander/War of the Worlds Crossover A ContiNEWity Story * 1995: Morthrain Base In a room draped with all sorts of organic-looking machinery, the Morthrain leader, Malzor, and the chief Morthrain scientist, Mana, discussed the current situation. Malzor ranted, "By the Eternal, these human forms are so disgusting. If the Third Wave had not been riddled with such incompetence, we would have never had to transform ourselves into these hideous shapes." "If we had more time on Morthrai, we could have avoided it," Mana retorted. "Speak no more of the old Morthrai, Mana. This planet is Morthrai now!" Malzor responded indignantly. Malzor knew that Mana was the best scientific mind that they had, but, at least in his mind, she did not measure up to his ideal. It had been some time since he had thought about his ideal, his late wife. He decided that it was time to view the past, his past. Malzor went deep into the alien facility to the place in which the Obelisk was stored. He needed affirmation about the righteousness of his cause. He slowly opened the Obelisk and revealed the two crystals inside. Malzor carefully removed the green crystal. "This crystal shows our past with perfect truth," Malzor thought. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The crystal began to glow as Malzor's mind received the images... ** 1945: ((Council Building, Morthrai)) Lord Tallok, draped in robes that signified his position as leader of the Morthrain people, studied the view-screen. There was no doubt among the Morthrain scientific community that the Terrans had developed atomic power. The others around Tallok whispered among themselves about what this could mean for the invasion effort. Lord Tallok announced "I have consulted the Obelisk. Teela will be in command of the Third Wave. An Advocacy will be selected to serve as her second-in-command." Mana, standing close to her father, turned to Malzor "The new magnetic shielding system is ready, although we have not tested it against Earth bacteria. Simulation proves it to be effective. You will have to accelerate your program for crystal production. We will need all the crystal you can generate to power the fleet." Malzor was taken aback by these startling announcements, "Impossible, the depletion will cause an imbalance in our ecosystem." Lord Tallok looked sternly at Malzor, "You will find a way." Malzor was not going to accept this willingly "Lord Tallok, may I speak with you." Lord Tallok accompanied Malzor to a different part of the Council building. Lord Tallok broke the silence, "You are worried about the crystal?" Malzor responded "No, it's Teela. I don't want her to command the invasion. I need her here to help with my work." Lord Tallok offered, "She is our most brilliant scientist. We need her scientific mind to command the fleet. The military aspects of the invasion are a mere formality. We will crush the Earthlings in a matter of days. The real work will be in transforming the planet into something more hospitable to our people. That is why Teela has been chosen. Her background makes her ideal for the task." Malzor countered, "She is my wife!" Lord Tallok tried to provide some consolation to the distraught husband, "It is not easy for me either." "Then don't send her. I need her. We can do great work here on Morthrai. Tallok, the resources needed to power this new invasion wave so soon after the last one will drain us. We need to find a new planet. Earth is too far, and we have failed twice already." "You have a right to your opinion," Lord Tallok said somewhat self-righteously. "It is not opinion; it is fact! I want this tabled at Council." Malzor demanded. Lord Tallok became indignant. "You will abide by my decision." Malzor bowed insincerely and took his leave. Lord Tallok thought deeply about what Malzor had said, but he was sure that Earth could be taken without accelerating the inescapable self-destructive path that Morthrai was on. Malzor returned to his home. His found Teela waiting there for him. She could see the concern on his face, and she went to comfort him. She knew where she he had gone and she knew that there was no point in trying to dissuade Tallok once he had determined a course of action. "You'll be Tallok's successor. You'll lead our people someday. We'll be together and we can share that life ... on Earth." "I'm afraid for you," Malzor said sullenly. "Don't be. I love you." * 1995: Morthrain Base Malzor concentrated on the crystal. The memories that formed in his mind were from eight years later... ** 1953: Council Building, Morthrai Malzor stared out of the window of his home. His projections were correct - the production of crystal had weakened the ecosystem irreparably. The climate was out of control now. The biosphere had become unstable. What was worse was that the current reports indicated that the Third Wave had failed. The magnetic shielding was insufficient to protect the Morthrain soldiers. Now he was only waiting for the inevitable news about his wife. **Mana entered the room and handed him a crystal, "Malzor?" Malzor took the crystal and looked up at her, "Teela?" Mana bowed her head, "Yes, I'm sorry." She turned and left the room. Malzor stared at the crystal. It was the log from Teela's war machine . It showed the initial success of the Third Wave. The Earth was being overrun at a lightning pace. However, once again, the Earth bacteria had beaten them. He saw her last moments as her war machine crashed into a building. He saw the hatch open and her hand reach out as she expired. He burned with rage and knew what he had to do. Malzor marched off to Obelisk room. Lord Tallok stood in front of the icon deep in thought. At the sound of Malzor's approach, he turned to address him. "Our invasion attempt was costly. We pay a price for what we learn." Tallok said with the emotionless tone of a true political official. "What we learn? You drained our planet of energy to satisfy your own vanity. We should have waited for the ecosystem to recover after the last Wave. We should have at least waited and tested the magnetic shielding. You sacrificed the greatest minds we had to that malignant planet. And for what?" Malzor calmed down momentarily. "Mana is finishing the final tests for the process that will enable us to overcome the bacteria that destroyed each Wave. We will genetically re-engineer ourselves to a form that will allow us to exist on the Earth." In his thoughts, he wondered why Mana had not been part of the Third Wave. Was it because she was Tallok's daughter? Malzor shook with anger at Tallok's hypocrisy. Tallok was angered by this surprising information. "I had ordered that program halted. I gave her no such instruction to resume." Malzor sneered, "They are my orders." Tallok shook with rage. "She will stop immediately! You have overstepped your rank!" Malzor retorted, "We must go back and conquer the Earth. Your folly has given us no other option." Tallok pointed at Malzor, "We follow the wishes of the Eternal, not yours!" "Was it his wish for Teela to die like that?" Tallok bellowed, "Enough! There will be no further Waves. The Eternal has decided our fate." Malzor shook his head, "Teela and the others must be avenged." Tallok was becoming enraged. "If you cannot accept this, you will not succeed me!" Malzor laughed, "With what you have done to our world, what makes you think we will survive long enough for you to require a successor? No, Lord Tallok, you have destroyed Morthrai. You have made it necessary to launch a Fourth Wave to capture the Earth. However, your failure makes you unfit to lead." Malzor pulled out a weapon from underneath his cloak and fired it at Tallok. The greenish beam struck Tallok in the head. Tallok screamed as he disintegrated into nothingness.** "As Daltar was removed for his incompetence, so I remove you for yours," Malzor smiled. "Now I will lead." ** 1988: Council Building, Morthrai Mana and Malzor walked through the battered shell of the Council Building. The years of destructive weather had taken their toll upon the building. Mana and Malzor were different now, as were the other occupants of the building. They had shed their Morthrain shapes and looked to be human. A strong wind blew against the western wall, shattering a window and sending the broken shards flying. **"You've destroyed our world." Mana screamed. "We had no choice. The last of the power must be used for escape to Earth; we could not afford to waste any power to discover a new world. The fools who went before us are responsible for this destruction. We had no other options but do drain the biosphere to provide us with the energy for the exodus to Earth." "Collect the others and board the spacecraft." Malzor ordered. "They won't hold us all." Mana objected. Malzor said, "Then choose our best." "I can't," Mana replied. Malzor responded, "You must. If we are to survive, you must. We must only have our best." He held out his new humanoid hands in front of him. "We are a new race. You and I must lead it."** * 1995: Morthrain Base Malzor put down the crystal. Once more he was resolute in his belief about the righteousness of his actions. "This planet will be ours. We will be rulers of this world." =========================================================================