The Fate of Terra Ch. 12

Michael threw his arms out suddenly and shouted over the din, "I've changed my mind." Quiet reigned as he thrust his thumb towards his chest. "I know I'm at least a million times better than any one B'Amuf. It doesn't matter that you want to fight... I'm going to kill them all before you even make it out of your beds."

A wave of roiling displeasure cascaded out from the audience. They wanted a piece of the invaders. "No!" Michael shouted. "You're not hungry enough." He pointed straight into the camera and stated, "I don't see the resolve you need to stand your ground. How do you expect to win if you won't even try?"

The people in the square screamed, clapped, and stamped their defiance, doing all they could to convince him of their willingness to do battle. Michael closed his eyes and let the outcry of thousands of spectators wash over him. It lasted a full ten minutes. The entire world was going crazy as he stood silent, waiting.

Just as quiet had finally returned and people began to wonder if that was it, Michael's eyes flashed open and he told them in a deadly serious voice, "We will fight those that come to subjugate us. We will meet their ships and give them no mercy. We will show the galaxy what it means to face the might of Terra."

He extended an arm in a beseeching gesture. "JOIN ME, and together we'll burn down our enemies and scatter their ashes among the stars." He let his arm fall to his side and turned on his heel, the tails of his overcoat fluttering behind him. He walked off the stage, past the stunned Council members, and descended the stairs that led down from the top of the gate. As he reached the bottom of the steps, the first cheers began to ring out.

By the time he reached his shuttle, the crowd had erupted, the pandemonium spreading throughout the solar system. Michael had left them wanting. They didn't just have hope now, they were 'eager.' He knew he had awakened something in them that had been ingrained in the human race since Cain. Their bloodlust wouldn't be sated by the B'Amuf. He knew future historians would vilify him and condemn his actions today. They would call him a tyrant who incited an entire race to take up arms and kill.

Michael's composed, stoic demeanor lasted until the hatch closed behind him and then he collapsed into a chair, his features crumbling amidst the onslaught of weariness that assaulted him. One look at the pride that shown on Kat's face removed his doubts however, and stopped the weariness from turning to anguish. He didn't care what others thought so long as he still had her approval. The shuttle took off and Kat snuggled into his lap, letting him hold her while she nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck.

As the couple settled into a restful pose that soon saw them asleep, the world exploded into a hive of activity. Gone were the doubts, the depression, the inferiority complex. Humans had regained their pride and they now moved with purpose. They all believed they were unique among the stars. They would overcome any who threatened their existence and God help those who stood in their path.