WRITING PROMPT: An alien race drops a “care package” for earth, that would jump our technology forward thousands of years. It comes with one message, “The enemy is coming, prepare for war.”

……………………………………….

General Connor stared out the helm of the U.S.S. Freedom, America’s mothership. Ahead of him lay Sector 1 space, which was any part of the space directly above America at any given time.

Sipping his coffee, his usual inner voice rumbled as it always did. It’s a good day to die.

Ahead of him, it was peaceful and serene. But in the next hour, there would be hell. Ever since that spaceship had been deposited on Earth, in the middle of Mississippi, for five years we’ve struggled and pounded as all wars on Earth ceased. America, usually not one to give away technology for free, especially when it involved the military, couldn’t give away the secrets fast enough.

President Donardo had written an immediate order for every country (even China) to receive the blueprints for the technology.

It was not just because of the warning the aliens left behind. The Volgrim are coming. It was mostly because of the countdown timer. A timer was in the initial dropship, showing when their hyperspeed fleet would appear.

5 years, two months, 8 days, and 16 hours.

It mercilessly counted down, and Donardo, always a man of decisive action, gave away the technology for free. "Lemme tell you folks, if we don’t kill these aliens and build a wall of ships, we won’t have a planet to protect anymore."

The first lieutenant approached General Connor on the bridge and saluted. "General, I have received orders from the president. Thanks to the scanning technologies developed by the Vorashii, we’ve determined the exact flashpoint of the Volgrim battle fleet."

Connor nodded. "Thank you, lieutenant. Tell me our orders."

Lieutenant Watters nodded as he brusquely pulled up the paperwork and read the report.

"Our orders are to rendezvous with the Japanese and the Chinese at the flashpoint, command our scouting ships to spread out in a surround formation, and send Korea in the assassin pods when the fleet arrives. They will attach to the hulls of the Volgrim ships, and cut into them, then we take the fight to the inside of their ships."

Connor nodded. "A sound plan. But let’s make a last minute adjustment… how about we let the Chinese take the front? They can take the brunt of the initial attack."

Watters swallowed uncomfortably. "Ah, well General, I mean it is you we’re talking about, but that is ah, not in the orders we-"

Connor held up his hand. "It was a joke, Watters. Don’t take it so seriously. Bring the ship around to the rendezvous point, Freedom will take the lead." He smiled to himself at his minor joke. So easy to make puns with a ship name like that.

"Yes, General. Your orders will be carried out swiftly." Watters saluted, as did Connor, and then he left.

……………………………………….

"General! We’ve taken heavy damage to the main engines! The core is very unstable!" The ship engineer spoke frantically over the comm.

Connor answered the call quickly but calmly. "Mr. Adams, if the core gets too ‘hot’, jettison it. But I want it jettisoned in front of us, do you understand me? Make sure it hits the flagship when it explodes."

"Of course General!! Engineer out!" Adams cut the line in a rush.

The bridge was in chaos. Gunners 1 and 2 frantically entered coordinates to launch nuclear torpedoes at the nearby ships as we trained the gamma lasers on their surveillance systems. If we could at least cripple their visual systems, we could win by having better knowledge of the battlefield.

All around us, the battle was coming to an end. Only three Earthen ships remained, and just two of the Volgrim ships survived. Earth had lost nearly a million soldiers already, and as for the Volgrim? We didn’t know.

Scratch that. The Japanese flagship exploded off the port bow and now it was two VS two. The problem is, the mothership was enormous. It was at least ten times bigger than the U.S.S. Freedom.

The crew on the ship were trying their hardest to fight off the barrage of attacks hitting our hulls, but it was almost over, and we were going to be the losers. Even the experimental and unfinished Dropship at home, large enough to house 5 million citizens, would not be finished for another year. If we lose here, we’re done for good.

Serenity passed over Connor’s face as he realized he had to make a difficult decision and fast. But for him, the decision was easy. He hadn’t realized it at first, but this was the moment he had waited for his entire life.

"Lieutenant Watters. Evacuate all the crew and pass all ship functions to the bridge console. You have three minutes to evacuate, anyone left… god bless their soul."

Watters gaped at the General. "We can still fight sir, if we just-"

Connor held up his hand. "That was an order, Lieutenant." His voice was frosty as he stared the much younger and more idealistic man down. "Prepare the Eagle. We’ll give these alien scum a taste of what it means to attack a planet named after dirt."

Lieutenant Watters stared stonily at the captain, then resigned himself to the order. "Very well, General, I will tell stories of your courage."

Connor nodded. "That would be fine."

……………………………………….

[LIFE SUPPORT AT CRITICAL. ENGINE FAILURE IMMINENT. 15% OF ESCAPE PODS HAVE NOT JETTISONED. THE EAGLE IS READY TO FIRE, GENERAL.]

Connors smiled at the computerized voice. "Thank you, OMEN. In ten seconds, fire."

[COUNTDOWN INITIATED. TEN. NINE. EIGHT.]

So this is how it ends. The Eagle… an experimental weapon designed to overload all power systems at once and fire a mass-driver at the enemy’s own core. It should penetrate everything in its path and cause a full system meltdown.

Connors stared out the ship’s window, as his ship was pelted with the enemy’s full force. All the other ships are gone now. America will have to end this with a single shot heard round the cosmos.

[…FOUR. THREE. TWO… THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, GENERAL.]

Connors smiled. "God bless the fucking USA."