Stranded

September 15, 2019

Fort Grenden

Over the past month, Harding felt nothing but anxiety. Whispers and gut feelings gnawed at him, warning him of a calamity in the future. Today, these feelings culminated in his dreams as he shot up from his bed, drenched in sweat. The last thing he remembered was facing a strange, alien beast, which was weird because Harding couldn't remember having an interest in science fiction, nor could he remember seeing this beast anywhere.

He swept aside the surviving memories of the dream as he began his day. Curiously, his first instinct was to look out his window and ensure the portal was functional. He did as his heart commanded and found solace in the fact that the portal was indeed operational. Technicians and scientists surrounded it, continuing their standard analyses and measurements.

With a relieved sigh, General Harding went about his duties before getting dressed. He left his room, aiming for a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. After getting his cup and retreating back to his office, he took a sip. It was then that he realized that something was off: the technicians and scientists outside weren't performing their routine studies. They seemed to be upset, frantic even.

Thoughts ran unopposed throughout his mind, only granting him a reprieve when someone knocked on the door. Harding looked up, worried. "What is it?"

Dr. Tesla walked in, sharing a similarly concerned demeanor. Timidly holding a folder of reports, he cleared his throat before breaking the bad news. "General… the portal flickered again. We believe it to be unstable. I suggest sending a priority message to the President to inform him of a potential space-time rupture. As per protocol, we should start packing up and heading back home."

General Harding sighed. "I thought the portal was supposed to be stable for at least another five or so years?"

Tesla simply shrugged, dumbfounded by the portal's behavior. "Theoretically, yes. But it seems that an external force is accelerating the entity's demise."

"Alright then," Harding said as he picked up a phone. Patching himself through to Fort Grenden's intercom, he issued an emergency order with a heavy heart. "All American personnel, the Lost Contingency is now active. Please relay this information to our other units throughout Gaerra. Maybe one day we'll figure out how the Homagus were able to generate portals, and we can return. For now, let's make sure everyone gets back home safely. Godspeed."

Harding set down the phone and looked at Dr. Tesla. "It was fun while it lasted, I suppose."

"I concur, General. This place is a scientific goldmine. It's such a shame we have to abandon it early, but at least we have most of the data from Site Beta One. It shouldn't take us too long to figure out how to get back here."

"Yeah…" General Harding took another sip from his coffee, eyeing the things he had to pack.

After the first flicker, most of Harding's men took extra precautions to prepare for a speedy evacuation. Equipment was stored in a ready-to-go state or otherwise rigged to explode, should it be impossible to retrieve. Vehicles were set aside for the ferrying of personnel from the numerous stations throughout the continent, and plans were discussed with their local allies, such as the Sonarans.

The most difficult part of the Lost Contingency was the evacuation of off-the-grid personnel, such as operatives working deep within the Eanif Imperium. Without access to vehicles, it would likely take them weeks to get to the portal. Unfortunately, the possibility of not being able to make it in time was a grim reality that now affected everyone.

Hearing an audible pop and fizzle, Harding and Tesla looked out the window. The dimensional warping of the portal was gone, replaced by the natural environment behind the gateway. A few seconds passed — seconds wherein everyone realized that the portal was now gone for good. Unlike the other flickers, which lasted mere picoseconds, this one was permanent.

Harding stared at the empty gateway with wide eyes, feeling his heart drop at the sight. "Dear God…"

——

Eana, Eanif Imperium

"It is done, my emperor," A chorus of cloaked mages said simultaneously.

Emperor Evalion relished the success of his strategy — one brought to life thanks to General Zhukov's cunning mercilessness. Wind howled through the chamber, as if the gods themselves were cheering for the glory of the Eanif Imperium. With the Americans' portal gone, their reinforcements would be cut off and unless the Divinians or Mekkanese intervened, there now remained no obstacles to true Eanish glory. Taking a moment to savor the premature accomplishment of his dreams, Evalion smiled. "General Zhukov, how would you like to rule over the conquered regions as governor?"

Zhukov kneeled. "I would be glad to do so, Your Excellency."

"Wonderful," Evalion clasped his hands. "Now, let's get to work, shall we?" He turned to face his audience: a group of nobles and high-ranking officers. "After years of planning, and months of adapting to this new American threat, we are now ready to take what is ours! The unification of the Eanif continent will be brought upon by our overwhelming force! Generals, commence the invasion!"

——

Felomia, Ecith Territory

Colonel Sanders sighed at the news of the Lost Contingency. Dozens of logistics personnel rushed around his base, working to organize their retreat back to Fort Grenden. No more than a couple minutes had passed when two more major announcements hit them.

The first major piece of news was that of the portal's permanent dissolution. The broadcast from Fort Grenden hit Sanders' men like a truck, even bringing some to their knees as they realized they were now stranded, untold light years away from home. The only things that kept these men and their respective sanities from falling apart were the possibilities of reverse-engineered Homagus technology and the second announcement.

Timed perfectly with the portal's disappearance, Eanish troops began moving down from the outskirts of the northern forests, giving no time for the stranded Americans to grieve. Immediately, Sanders relayed this news back to Fort Grenden, upon which he received orders to maintain the defense of Felomia. With no home to return to, it was their duty to give themselves a home to defend.

Major Donnager received the news while chatting with Lord Talvin about the interesting character named Formal, the nobleman he met while traveling in the Eanif Imperium. He paused the discussion to listen to his radio, his expression growing more distraught as the broadcast continued. "The portal is… gone? And there's… an Eanish invasion?!"

Lord Talvin gasped at the revelation. "Goodness, so the time has finally come. Pardon me, I shall make preparations with my men and direct them to follow the 'contingency plan' you've educated us on."

Henry nodded as Lord Talvin hurried out of the lobby. He then turned to his friends, analyzing their reactions. They were all silent, speechless at the poor luck that was dished out to them. Kelmithus was impacted the least, but he could see the pity in his eyes, along with concern for his nation, which was likely under attack as well. On the other hand, Ron was impacted the most. With his family still on Earth, he was effectively severed from them, with no way to let them know how he was doing. Dr. Jones and Emma were more hopeful; they knew the potential of the ancient knowledge that was excavated from Site Beta One. Returning home is still a possibility. However, this possibility bore no use for the coming battle; thus, Henry redirected his team's focus toward the defense of Felomia once more.

——

Sonaris, Sonaran Federation

"Your Highness, the Eanish have begun their invasion! The northern cities of Illuma, Suncast, and Littel are currently under siege!" A messenger proclaimed, his voice echoing throughout King Selios' throne room.

King Selios sighed. "It was only a matter of time. I can only be grateful to the Americans for providing us with this information; hopefully knowledge of Eanish weaponry and tactics will help us fend them off. Messenger, send word to Lady Sindis and ask her to contact the Americans. I wish to invoke our defense treaty, but I can see how this may be an issue considering that they no longer have the support of their brethren from the other side of the portal."

"I shall do this at once, Your Highness," the messenger said before departing.

King Selios turned his attention to his advisors and top military personnel. "How do our forces fare against theirs?"

A general answered, "Your Highness, the majority of our forces are deployed up north, in accordance with American warnings and suggestions. We have 150,000 trained warriors split between Illuma, Suncast, and Littel, with another 100,000 available for deployment from the garrisons of nearby cities. We also have a thousand wyverns, but the Eanish seem to have also brought about a thousand of theirs, according to the Americans. Currently, we maintain superiority in numbers: the Eanish have only 60,000 infantrymen and an unknown number of specialized warriors, such as mages and beasts. If they have several Tarasques in their ranks, holding the northern cities may prove difficult."

King Selios stood up from his throne, radiating defiance and valor. "Those Eanish scum shall not prevail! If necessary, we shall create moats of fire to hold these arrogant conquerors off; we have the knowledge and fuel to do so! Blacksmith Director, what is the progress on the new firearms?"

"Your Highness," a white-bearded man said with a gruff voice. "The new rifles are guaranteed by the Americans to be superior to the Eanish weapons. The first set is ready for shipment, but we will need time to procure the necessary resources for future batches."

"Excellent. Have these weapons shipped to Solst at once! From there, we shall determine the weakest link among the three fortress cities and reinforce it with our new weapons! Now, Grand Admiral Jineron, how does our fleet fare?"

"My King, our member states have all deployed their respective fleets to meet those of the Eanish in battle. However, it is apparent that we have no means of combating their 'ships of the line'. Currently, I've ordered the admirals of the fleets to remove non-essential personnel, since our ships would be nothing more than fodder for the Eanish cannons."

"I understand. Are we really this defenseless against their cannon ships? Can the ballistae not damage them?"

"Yes, but not in any significant manner. Their ships are simply superior in every way to our own."

King Selios gave a concerned look. "Then, why are we sending these men to their deaths?"

"Your Highness, we must make sacrifices in order to prevent the Eanish navy from securing a beachfront. We will try to delay them as long as possible, so that the generals may bolster our coastal defenses."

"I see. May these men be spared from dying in vain."

——

Fort Grenden

"Dear God," Tesla repeated as he saw the portal.

As if God hadn't finished with his tests, a younger officer ran into the room, tablet in hand. Harding looked at it for a split second, pausing and hoping that it wasn't more bad news. He grabbed it and found himself disappointed. "General Harding speaking."

"Sir!" A man said while artillery fire and anti-aircraft missile fire echoed in the background. "Colonel Sanders, Felomia Garrison. The Eanish have just crossed their border and are pushing through the northern forests! We've taken out some advance units so far, but they've got tarasques with their main force. Over 50,000 men plus monsters! We're requesting immediate assistance!" Another thundering boom from an artillery piece sounded off before the transmission concluded.

"Sit tight, Colonel." He looked at the officer, wordlessly asking him to relay his orders once he was done. "We're tasking Dragonslayer Squadron, Wyvernslayer Squadron, and Ghosts One and Two to your position. We're also sending up all available combat units from the checkpoints and supply stations."

"Roger, General." Even through the static of the transmission, Harding could hear the relief in Sanders' voice.

"Oh, why…"

"The universe is cruel, General. If you'll excuse me, I'll work on sifting through the Site Beta One database for any clues on how to recreate a portal."

General Harding nodded and waved him off. As soon as Dr. Tesla exited and rounded the corner, a new person walked in.

"Ambassador Perry, what can I do for you?"

"General, we've received a request from the Sonaran Federation. They're also under attack, and are invoking the defense treaty we have with them."

General Harding sighed. "Alright. I'll take a look at what other forces we have available."

Ambassador Perry nodded and left, leaving General Harding to his own thoughts. As alarms blared, he thought about the grand strategy of the Eanish invasion. Due to the immense mountain range in the middle of the continent, he had only two checkpoints to worry about: Felomia and the northern reaches of the Sonaran Federation. Holding these choke points would make it impossible for the Eanish to make the most of their massively superior numbers, unless they managed to secure a beachhead or traverse through the mountains via some sort of unknown passageway.

The one saving grace he might have is potential assistance from the Divinians or Mekkanese. The rocket launch was well-received by the two factions. Using this as diplomatic leverage, he could potentially have Perry convince them to provide military assistance in exchange for technological secrets. If this was asking for too much, then he would even be satisfied with sanctions and political pressure from the nations. Although strong letters were useless on Earth, he wondered if they could have an effect on the Eanish, who were clearly inferior to the Divinians and Mekkanese.

Overall, things did not look good for his men; the situation was so severe that he even considered the ballistic missiles secretly transported to Fort Grenden. He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts. No, he thought, not yet.