The New World Dragon Part II: Dark Earth

By Christopher A. Willson

When the Mond'noir befell the earth, The leaders of the world sought only to protect their wealth and unmitigated power. despotic rule overshadowed law and order and soon these oppressive dictatorial regimes went to war. Chaos ensued.

Humans, held as slaves under the Black Robe’s reign for so many thousands of years, were now prisoners of their own ideologies, each convinced that they were destined to own the earth and all of her resources. consequently, the earth was nearly  destroyed by their greed.

Now, 25 years later, the battle continues. among The remaining humans, there are those who fight for survival but there are also those who are willing sacrifice everything to ensure that the dragons return to the earth and bring balance back to humanity.

This is their story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christopher A. Willson
• Release date: Jan 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781981950522

Book preview

Twenty-Five Years after

Koba's Code

The earth entered into the Mond'noir just as the dragons had foretold. A cavalcade of violent storms ravaged the globe, followed by horrific unprecedented geologic catastrophes. Soon, the world was either on fire, flooded, or frozen. Climate was marked by extremes. A thick mass of clouds formed from the dust, and ash, and smoke, completely blotting out the sun and within two years the north became a frozen wasteland while in the south humans faced the reality of a literal food desert.

Across the globe, despotic rule overshadowed law and order and soon the oppressive dictatorial regimes began to war.  Humans were now prisoners of their own ideologies, caught in the conflict between survival and control. A massive exodus occurred as humans fled into the only remaining habitable regions of the earth, but during the journey, exposure, starvation, and disease took the lives of billions.

Now, nearly twenty-five years after the last of world's civilizations fell, thousands of autonomous drones, originally designed for defense, continued assaulting the planet. There was simply no one left with the authority or the ability to turn them off. Believers in the dragons fought desperately to end the drone assault. They called themselves the Lumiére and they fought for the survival of humanity and they fought for the earth. Now, in the last throws of the conflict, in their most desperate hour, the story of the New World Dragon continues.

This was the time of the Dark Earth.

Chapter One

The Resistance

2044 A.D.

HUDDLED TOGETHER IN the mud filled trenches near what was once the city of Kerrville, Texas, a group of resistance fighters prepared for yet another battle against the dreaded drones. The horrors of war lapped at their boots and seemed to close in around them, every step releasing the smell of death and decay. Success and failure was measured in bodies and lately the number of dead had grown exponentially.

Carter! someone cried out as the whirr of the drone engines grew louder.

I know, I know! I hear them, he replied.

They're c-c-c-coming in f-f-f-fast! another stuttered.

Just hold your positions! Carter ordered. We can't let them pass.

B-b-b-but why are they even at-t-t-tacking us? There's n-n-n-nothing left.

Pull yourself together, Ricky, Carter ordered. And where's your damn helmet, boy?

It's t-t-too big. It kept f-f-falling off, Ricky cried.

Carter quickly scanned the area. He peered over the embankment of the dug out trench as the drone engines grew louder and louder. His eyes struggled to pierce though the eerie mist that hung low to the ground. The smell of charcoal, and ash, and decaying bodies filled his nostrils. He took a deep breath and clambered out of the trench crawling across the disfigured forms until he found what he was looking for. He tugged at a helmet still strapped to the chin of a recently fallen soldier. Freeing it, he returned to the trench, tossed the bloody metal helmet to Ricky and ordered him to put it on.

Cindy, help him with that, Carter ordered.

I swear to Koba, as long as there are people alive anywhere on this planet, the drones will not stop! she said as she secured the helmet and tightened the leather strap under Ricky's chin.

We're all gonna die! a voice cried from the trenches in the rear.

That's not helping, soldier, Carter snarled.

I'm low on ammo! another shouted as he checked his rifle. Then pulling his own helmet down tightly against his brow, he cowered in the muck and closed his eyes.

They's a comin'!

"Of course they're comin', Bob. They never stop comin'!" Cindy derided.

Miles -who was second in command- growled under his breath. Everyone quiet down and watch for the signal.

I can't do this! Bob bawled.

Bob, don't piss me off today or I'll put you on body detail, Carter threatened. Now quiet down. Get your head low and your rifle up.

Damn sir. Iza didn't mean nuttin, Bob replied regretting his outburst.

Look out! Cindy cried as she pushed Ricky down into the mud and ducked below the embankment. The first rounds came zipping in, some of them plowed deeply into the mud near the rim of the trench.

That was too close!

Hold your positions. You understand me? We will fight until the very last soldier if we have to, Carter ordered.

Bob looked worried. But what are we fighting for? There's nothing left, he wailed.

There is too something to fight for! Carter shot back.

I'll be damned if I'm gonna let earth be destroyed by a bunch of mindless machines. We have a right to live on this planet; we have a duty to protect this planet. We will NOT stand down. Do you hear me soldiers? We will hold this position and we will give 'em hell.

Yes, Sir! several voices called out in unison.

We will stand against the darkness for our children's children and we hold our ground for the dragons, Carter added passionately. We will fight!

I wish the dragons were here now, a voice cried out.

They are soldier, Carter assured. They are right here, he added proudly, placing his fisted hand over his heart. They fought for us before and today we fight for them. We fight for Koba!

For Koba! the soldiers agreed.

Now ready yourselves, because I won't lie to ya, this is gonna get ugly, Carter finished.

Here they come! Miles cried out.

The growl of drone engines grew louder as the formation came into view and the gray mist swirled around them as the propellers pushed through the dense fog. From the ground below the drones appeared as a swarm of tooth bearing dragons, with dark foreboding eyes peering down on the land looking for their prey. One would of thought the dragons had returned, but not for deliverance as the prophecy foretold, but for complete annihilation.

Concentrate all fire at the lead drone, Carter directed. Wait for Elsa's signal and then get ready to move. The others will soon have our position, Cater explained. Miles, where's Otto? he asked, looking in both directions along the trench.

Right behind you, Sir, Otto called out.

I'm gonna need flares. Follow 'em up every thirty seconds."

They're dragons! a young boy cried out as the first wave emerged from the darkness.

No boy! They're just made to look that way. They're just the same mechanical drones that we beat back in Dallas. Now, ready your damn weapons.

Why can't they just leave us alone? an old man cried out, his arthritic hands shaking as he took cover in the muck of the trench; he closed his eyes as the mud dripped down his face and he spit it from his lips.

We can't let them transmit our location back to the tower. We can't let them return to the conurbation. If they find the bunkers we're all done for! Carter yelled. Whatever it takes, he added. We take them down quickly and with prejudice.

Look out! Miles shouted.

But he was too late. A young boy was hit in the chest. He collapsed into the trench as the barrage of bullets pummeled the ground around him.

Each wave of drones was made up of fifteen heavily armed machines -fully autonomous machines designed to systematically bomb and re-bomb huge swaths of land, destroying everything in their wake. Their target: The earth and all of her species.

The greatest danger came from the types of munitions they carried, which contained defoliants, and poisons, carcinogens, and biologics. As the countries of the world fell, the Black Robes had seized control of the world's massive arsenals and all of their weapon's programs, including the nuclear arsenals. With the nations of the world gone, the secrets of the now defunct powers of the earth were no longer concealed.

Thankfully, the launch codes, those precious digits that authorized the arming and launching sequences of the nuclear weapons, were lost as the leaders of the world fell and the governments toppled. So, for now, the missile silos and the launch pads remained indolent. But there were worse things in the world's arsenals and the Black Robes now deployed them in earnest against the remaining humans.

They are almost in range! Otto called out.

Miles. Get those RPGs locked and loaded, Carter ordered.

My pleasure, Sir, he replied.

Everyone keep down and keep quiet. Wait until I give the order.

Carter watched the hill for Elsa's signal.

Ready yourselves! Otto warned. Gas masks on tight!

In the distance there were two flags, one red and one white. They waved left and right and then both stood upright for a moment before disappearing in the darkness.

Flares now! Carter ordered as the drones let loose another volley of rounds.

Fire! Carter shouted as he discharged a .50-caliber machine gun upon the drones.

Tracers of light filled the dark sky as the other soldiers returned gunfire at the formation. The lead drone was hit but it clumsily maintained its course. Others drones that were hit, fell from the sky but as they struck the earth they exploded in fiery flashes, igniting the ground around them. Soldiers screamed in agony as they were engulfed in the fires. The bodies burned like funeral pyres in the night and the smoke added to the suffocating winter of the already dark earth.

We have to take out that lead drone before it's out of range, Carter ordered. Fire that RPG.

Course set. I have lock!

Fire!

The rocket whirled wildly into the sky. The remaining drones laid down another hail of bullets in a rapid-fire assault. They were slow and clumsy which gave an advantage to the soldiers on the ground. Humans could move and duck for cover, if they were fast enough, where as the drones were set to a course. They were unable to adapt.

The RPG hit a drone just behind the leader and it exploded in a bright fiery orange light, illuminating the ground below. Carter watched as his soldiers fell in great numbers across the battlefield.

Again! Load it up! Carter demanded just before a round struck the side of his face, blowing out his left temple. The bullet traveled thought his eye and he collapsed in the trench. His helmet shattered into pieces, his brains and blood splattered the troops closest to him.

Furious, Ricky stood up from inside the trench, exposing himself to the gunfire. The drone fire struck the ground around him as he took aim and fired his rifle. The recoil knocked him backwards into the muddy water but the shot struck the lead drone in the underbelly near the wing and it careened downward before exploding just a few feet above the ground. The two remaining drones flew past, having expended their munitions.

Medic! Cindy yelled out, Medic! she said, first checking Carter and then two others with superficial wounds.

Fall back! Miles ordered. Fall back to the secondary position! The next wave is inbound!

Two minutes and thirty-eight seconds. That was all that it took. Thirteen drones were destroyed and 116 men and women, boys and girls, some as young as thirteen years old, were wounded or killed. There was no celebration, there was no time; the next wave was incoming, the engines humming loudly in the distance.

Elsa and Charlie must be down. The signal flags are gone.

Here they come again! Otto yelled as they scrambled to recover, pulling munitions and weapons from the dead. They frantically stacked the bodies on the ledges of their trenches like sandbags creating a raised berm. There they waited behind the makeshift walls of the burned and disfigured bodies. The blood of their friends mingled with their own as the putrid smell of death filled their noses -this battle, deep in the throws of war was not triumphant, but rather bewailed and lamented. The war was far from over.

One more time boys and girls. You know the drill. I want the lead drone down, Miles ordered, taking command. A job not assumed with ceremony, but rather accepted in acrimony.

Steady! Cindy called out, her voice carried across the fields. Rally your strength. This is our chance for deliverance, she said powerfully. Fight on, my friends!

For Koba! the voices echoed, fight for the earth!

The drones descended upon them just as before. Human after human fell as the machines spewed bullets and fire and explosions upon the earth. The soldiers fought courageously and although many fell, the drones, one by one, also plummeted from the sky and were eventually defeated. The frequency of the rifle shots lessened and the humming motors of the drones fell silent.

As with all battles in war, the loss of life is never measureable to the cause. Over the years, the soldiers had fended off the drones, but in doing so their numbers had been greatly decreased. The field was now silent except for the moans of the dying men and women who gave all for freedom. This was their sacrifice. Unbeknownst to them at the time, this would be one of the last great battles on the earth. This battle would become a symbol of humanity's resolve. This of course, was little consolation to the dead and the dying strewn about the fields in the blood soaked soils of the dark earth.

Fall back! Miles ordered.

Collect the weapons and the ammo, Cindy added.

We have two days until the next attack. Two days is all we have to regroup. So pull it together because we are not done yet.

Where the hell are Charlie and Elsa? Otto called out.

Was their position hit? Miles asked.

I don't know but they didn't signal the last wave, Otto confirmed.

David, you and Carla head up the ridge and check it out, Mile's ordered.

On it, Sir, David, one of the older soldiers responded as he made his way out of the trench and onto to the open battlefield. Carla, his younger sister, was right behind him.

We have to move out. Catch us up at the bunker! Miles called after them.

Cindy, grab Patty and help the others. We have a lot to do. Get the wounded to the camps, burn the dead. You got it?

Yes, Sir, she said somberly.

Lisa, you and Otto dismantle that lead drone, bring me its hardware and the processor.

Yes, Sir, replied Otto.

Where's Ricky? Miles asked, looking around.

Here s-s-sir.

Come here, young man, Miles said, reaching out his hand. Ya did good! he said slapping his oversized helmet. Really brave. Now let's get back to bunker and find you some gear that fits for shit's sake.

Yes, Sir! Ricky responded proudly.

The remaining soldiers rounded up as many as they could. Superficial wounds were treated in the field but there was no triage, no real hospital, so there was no way to care the critically wounded. These unlucky few were shot and their bodies burned. This was a reality of war without resources. This was the reality of the dark earth and the result of the Black Robe's incessant attacks.

Each soldier knew going into battle that they would live and die on the battlefield and yet, proudly, they volunteered for the opportunity to defend their right to life and to stand under the flag of dragons.

The fires burned steadily in the darkness amidst the constant suffocating malaise. The perpetually dark skies, best described as a gray lost world, the winter of all winters, cold and dank was at times, utterly hopeless.

The world of dragons might return someday, but for now, there was nothing for it. It was an awful time for those who survived. The resistance hinged on dedication and sacrifice. The battles took more than lives. For many it shook them deep to their core, while in the hearts of others the battles were just too much to bear. This was the choice for many: either flee or die. Some, losing their will to fight, chose to do both.

CHARLIE, WHERE ARE you going? Elsa demanded as she spied a wide river gulch, cutting through the expansive desert wasteland north of the old town of Kerrville.

I'm leaving! he responded tersely as he marched forward.

But what about the others? What about the drones? We can't just leave them down there.

This war is over! he decreed.

What the hell are you talking about? she asked grabbing his arm.

Don’t! he yelled, jerking back his arm. The anger in his voice took her off guard and she let go.

Charlie, she said, stunned by his aggressive behavior. Talk to me.

He sighed heavily, looking around the burned out landscape. Look at this place, Elsa. What are we even fighting for? Can't you see? It's all gone -it's all been destroyed.

Don't you believe anymore?  Don't you believe in our cause?

I believe that we're doomed, if that's what you mean.

And what about me, Charlie? You're just going to leave? Elsa asked, desperately hoping for a response.

Charlie let out a heavy sigh. This time his voice cracked as he spoke. That’s why I have to go, he muttered, turning away from Elsa. There has to be a safe place, somewhere out there, beyond all of this death and destruction. He paused for a moment and then added regaining his composure, I have find safety and shelter -for us.

For us or for you, Charlie? she responded sharply.

Charlie returned his gaze briefly but then again turned away and descended into the creek bed. Elsa followed. On the other side, at the crest of the opposite ridge, Charlie could see the full extent of the devastation. For miles in all directions, there was nothing but fires and blackened earth, felled trees, and charred brush, burned out buildings of what used to be thriving cities and towns and communities now stood as a symbol of the earth's destruction. He looked up toward the sky as ash fell down on his face.

I'm suffocating. There's no sun, no moon, and no stars in the night sky, Elsa. There isn’t a soft breeze or a cleansing rain and with each passing day, the likelihood of our survival decreases every day. The earth doesn't want us here anymore.

Elsa approached Charlie from behind and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Can't you see? he said, there's nothing left but darkness, and death, and desolation as far as the eye can see.

I see beyond the darkness, Charlie. I see our future.

I see our extinction! Charlie responded harshly.

"Then you don't believe anymore?"

No, he answered stoically. I guess I don't.

Then you'll never find what you're looking for, no matter where you go.

I'll take my chances, he said.

Elsa exhaled forcefully.

I choose to trust in Koba's words, she said. I believe that the dragons will return and that's what gives me strength.

I believe that this world is done, Charlie shot back. I believe that we lost the war a decade ago and now the earth just wants us gone. The Mond'noir will not let us survive.

This isn't about us, Charlie. I would give my life to see the dragons return to this earth, and they will. I have to believe that.

What about the baby, Elsa? Would you sacrifice its life too?

Yes, Elsa responded without hesitation.

Charlie looked at her askance. He then shook his head and walked a few more steps onto the flats on the other side of the gully. His hearth was heavy but he knew what he must do.

Elsa, this is all for not. Why can't you see that? he said turning back to face her.

What choice do we have, Charlie? Koba said...

Stop! Charlie yelled as he took a step toward her. Just stop, he demanded raising his hand, palm out. Koba this and Koba that, he said through gritted teeth, disgusted as he clinched his fist and lowered his hand. I'm done defending this myth and watching everyone around me die. Look at this earth, he said, this time motioning with his other hand to the destruction. The earth forsakes us. There are no dragons and there never were.

What about sacrifice? This is what we are here for, to protect this earth. You used to believe this. What changed?

That's what I'm saying, Elsa. Those dragon laws everyone stands behind, they're all bullshit! Charlie barked as a foul look overtook his face. Nothing but made up words, he added. Just another religion -promises made and promises broken. When do we get those things in return? he asked. When will we receive deliverance? We are not granted any peace; we have been shown nothing but death. The world we once knew has fallen into complete darkness and the civilizations of the world are all gone. There's nothing left to fight for.

I fight for the dragons and the future of humanity, Elsa said proudly. Sacrifice, Charlie. Not just for a few but for all of human kind, for all species, and for the earth itself. That's what I fight for.

Charlie laughed cynically. That is such crap, Elsa. Dragons and Black Robes. It's all a big fairytale. They don't even exist. They never did. This war is not the result of some deceptive history nor is it a prophecy.

How can you say that? Elsa asked, shocked by the turn in his beliefs.

Elsa, humans did all of this, he said, again motioning to the landscape. We did this to ourselves. We allowed the powers of this world to control us, they exploited people and the earth, and then as payment for all of our hard work, when times got tough, they destroyed us. We bought into their greed and their war and they took us along with it. Humans have raped this planet for centuries and now there's was nothing left. There is no providence from dragons. There is no future for us, these are just fanciful illusions.

But the Black Robe's drones, Elsa argued.

Who do you think built the drones? They are preprogramed machines built to launch and destroy on a schedule! Charlie exclaimed as removed his pack. His voice trembled as he ranted. Artificial Intelligence! he said angrily. The scientists and the engineers created these machines and now they don't know when-to-stop! he called out into the darkness. They will continue to destroy our world long after we're gone.

Charlie, I fight for our future, for our unborn child. Whatever that future is, I fight because I believe that there is still good in this world. I believe that our sacrifices today will bring balance back to the earth. Don't you remember, Charlie? We talked about this.

But it's all a lie, Charlie retorted. All of it. We were all duped. The world was just fine before Koba's precious code.

"The world was not fine! Elsa shot back. There was corruption, and violence, and war in almost every country. Koba gave us a ray of hope."

Hope?

Yes, hope! Elsa shot back.

Charlie shook his head. The look in his eyes was that of wariness and doubt and it held him fast. Nothing is accomplished with hope, he scoffed.

Elsa looked around and then she sat down on the bumper of a broken down truck, which was mostly buried in the mud on the edge of the field.

Do you know what I did before all of this happened, Charlie?

I don't care, Elsa, he muttered turning away.

I was an artist, she continued anyway. I taught classes at the university in Dallas. Hundreds of students each semester came to my classes. Not because of a desire for beauty or understanding mind you. They didn't come for knowledge or an interest in history. Elsa paused briefly as she thought about it. No. They came to my class because they needed an easy credit. That was it. And that was my life. Teaching students about the greatest creative minds in the world and how they shaped us, and brought beauty, and romance, and vivacity to an otherwise mundane existence, Elsa said. And all along, they were just watching the clock and playing games on their smart phones, Elsa jeered.

I don't want to hear your story, Elsa.  

Well, you will damn it! she snarled. "We agreed to live in the moment not in the past. Well, this is it, Charlie Eagle Feather. This is the moment. So you will listen to me. This is the moment because there may not be another, and if you are leaving anyway, then I deserve at least a few minutes of your precious time." Elsa was red in the face. Charlie had never seen her this angry before, not even on the battlefield.

Charlie nodded and she continued to rant.

My father, Elsa continued, he was an accountant. He crunched numbers for a living. He found loopholes and tax shelters for wealthy people, laundering their money and protecting their assets. That's what he did. All justified by words like career, and status, and financial security.

Elsa, Charlie tried to interject.

No! she said forcefully. You will listen to me! If you want to leave then leave. But you're going to listen to me. You owe me that much.