Angry Jasper: Thirty-four

Maury’s sleek and polished weapon moved slowly into position high above the planet. The sun, just rising above the long curbed limb of the planet shimmered across the weapon's long cylindrical form. Reports from the weapon were that they were well ahead of schedule. It would be a matter of hours not days as had originally been planned. Even now technicians were running the final series of tests. Maury was pleased with himself. His thoughts ran through all sorts of scenarios, all of which would secure for him a position of supreme power within the Corporation.

“Thing of beauty,” Maury beamed.

Two finely dressed men stood behind Maury. They were pencil thin engineering clones, known as Identicals, because they were absolutely indistinguishable from one another. Their mahogany features were chiseled, their jet black hair combed away from those oversized foreheads in harsh straight lines. The two men shared an odd look. Maury caught it instantly.

“Let me guess, this is where you tell me there’s a problem right?” he grumbled

“There is a problem.”

“I can’t wait,” said Maury. “Okay. Out with it.”

“Well, we sort of…about the weapon, it hasn’t been tested yet.”

“I am to bore a hole right through the crust of that ashtray of a planet and roast all those little rats alive.”

“Well, therein lies the issue,” said one of the Identicals.

“So we went through all of this and the damn think might not…”

“No, it will work.”

“What he’s saying is, it might work too good.”

“The two of you are seriously pissing me off. What do you mean too good?”

“There’s a chance it could, well, blow the planet apart.”

Maury turned back towards the gold and blue ball of Planet Earth drifting in space. At this distance the planet was a magnificent sight. He imagined the earth dissolving into a million pieces. Maury snickered. It turned into a chuckle and then an uproarious laugh. He laughed so damn hard that tears were quickly tumbling down his engorged cheeks, and a little bit of pee stained his trousers. He nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Well, shit, I thought it was going to be something bad!” he turned, squinting at the Identicals. “I want the rebels eradicated. I could care less about the damned planet. Besides, it will be easier to mine in pieces.” He turned back to the planet. His expression was stark and resolute. “Proceed with the operation.”

“Governor,” said the short man, “it would be advisable to move the wheel to a safer distance should the unthinkable…”

Maury swiveled sharply, staring accusingly at the two men. “And how long would that take?”


“We could be at a respectably safe distance in a week to ten days.”

“Ha!” Maury scoffed. “Ten days? The longer that thing sits about the planet the greater chance the rebellion will discover and neutralize it. Out of the question!”

“But Governor…” one of them protested.

“Is this a mutiny, gentlemen?” asked Maury, quite indignant.

“No, no, your honor,” they stammered nervously.

“In that case you have your orders.”

The men started to leave. They paused. “Governor, one more small detail. Our spy on the planet...”

Maury could have cared less about the fellow. This was a war, after all, and war meant casualties. At long last he was close to annihilating the rebellion, and the payoff on that was far greater than the loss of one man.

“His sacrifice will be long remembered,” said Maury, with not the slightest remorse.

When the Identicals had gone Maury fondled himself while pondering the fate of the planet. He almost lamented his lack of sympathy that the Earth might soon be reduced to dust, erasing for all time humanity's first assertions towards the endless universe. Then again, why should he care? He hadn’t been born there. His parents, nor even his grandparents had been born there. He was a child of the stars. So what did he care if the Earth was gone. Would men in the Twenty-first century have lamented if the Olduvai Gorge was bulldozed, strip-mined or covered over simply because some fossil had crawled from that sun-baked ditch? Mankind had always been progressing, pulling away from a planet that was of little consequence any longer, but for its mineral wealth and a throw-back rebellion whose time was at hand. Good riddance, he thought and didn’t give it another thought.