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Humanitys First and Last Space War（第1页）

Humanity’sFirstandLastSpaceWar

TheacoftheMoonawayfromEarthhadbegun。

TheMoonwashangingintheskyofEarth’sdaysidewhebombsweredetoheflarefromeachexplosiouptheMooninthebluesky，givingittheappearanceofagiantsilvereyefrantikingintheheavefelloheonesidedflashesoftheMoonstillshoofhumanhandiworktothesurfaty-fivethousandmilesbeloalesilvertrailfollowingtheMoon’sbacksidewasnowvisible。ItosedoftherocksblastediheMoon’ssurface。stalledonthepropulsioheMooablastedintospacelikebillowingfloodwaters。ThewavesofrockquicklyfadediahinstrandstrailiurningtowardtheEarth’sotherside，theMooncircumsagorbit。

Humanity’sattention，hosquarelyfothegreatandterribleringthathadappearediheDevourer’sapproaedovertheEarth。TheenormoustidesitsgravitycausedhadalreadydestroyedEarth’scoastalcities。

TheDevourer’saftenginesflashedinacircleofbluelightasitengagedinfinalorbitaladjustmentsonitsapproach。ItevelymatchedtheEarth’sorbitaroundtheSuhesametimeitaligsaxisofrotatioh’s。Haviheseadjustments，iteversoslowlybegaheEarth，readytosurrouwithitshugeringbody。

TheMooiowomthistime，abombhadexplodedwithinitssurfaceeverytwoorthreeseds，resultinginanalmostiotalof2。5millionnuclearexplosions。AsitessedorbitarouheMooionhadforcecircularorbitintoadistiicalshape。AstheMoohefarendofthisellipse，FangsandtheMarshalarrivedonitsfside，awayfromtheexplodingbombs。TheMarshalhadexpresslyihealienemissaryforthiso。

Astheystoodonthelunarplainsurrouers，theyfeltthetremorsfromtheothersideshakedeepbe。ItalmostseemedasiftheysethepowerfulheartbeatofEarth’ssatellite。Ich-blackskybeyond，theDeviantrisbrilliantlight，itshugeshapeinghalfthesky。

&，Marshal-worm，mostexdeed!’Fangsapplauded，hisvoicefullofsincerepraise。‘But，’heued，‘youshouldhurry。Youonlyhaveooaccelerate。TheDevourerEmpireisnotaedtowaitingforothers。Aherquestioiesyoubuiltbelowthesurfaceadecadeagoarestillempty。Whenwilltheirinhabitantsarrive?HoaceshipstransportohousandhumansherefromEarthih?’

‘Wewillbrihemarshalcalmlyreplied。‘WewillbethelasthumanstostandontheMoon。’

&his，FangstwistedhisbodyiheMarshalhadsaid‘We’，meaningthe5，000offidsoldiersofEarth’sspaceforedaperfexoer-coveredlunarplaiofthephalanxasoldierbrandishedablueflag。

‘Look，thisisourpla’sbanner。ontheDevourerEmpire!’theMarshalaly。

Fangsstooddumbfounded，morefusedthansurprised。Immediately，hisbodybegantoreelashewasthrownontohisbackbytheMooatiswaskround，stunnedbeyondanythoughtofmovement。Allaroundhimlunardustkickedupbyhismassivefallslowlybegantodrifttotheground。

Butthedustwasquicklythrownupagain，stirredbymassiveshockwavesreverberatingfromtheothersideoftheMoon。Thesesholefttheentireplainalayerofwhitedust。

FahefrequenuclearexplosiohersideoftheMoonhadabruptlyincreasedseveraltimesbythesharpincreaseofgravity，heferthattheMooionmusthaveincreasedseveraltimesaswell。Rollirievedalargehaerfromapothefrontofhisspacesuit。HebroughtuptheMooaltrajeediately，herealizedthatthistremendousincreaseofacwouldtaketheMoonoutoforbit。TheMoonwouldbreakfreeravityandshootoffintospace。Aflashingredlisshoweditspredictedcourse。

ItwasonacoursewiththeDevourer。

Disghisputerwithoutasedthought，Fangsslowlyrosetohisfeet。Straininghisnesttheexplravity，hepeeredthroughthebillowingcloudsoflunardust。StandinginfrontofhimwasEarth’sarmy，stillupright，stalwartlikestandingstones。

&uryofspiraddegsmumbledunderhisbreath。

TheMarshaljustnoddedi。‘Youhatitistoolate，’hepoigravely。

Faeralongsigh。‘IshouldhaverealizedthatthehumahletelydiffereheEridaheirworldhadevolvedsymbiotically，freeofioruggleforsurvival。Theydidnotevenknoas。’Hehalted，digestingeguideourassessmeh’speople。Youhaveceaselesslybuteahedaythatyouthetrees。Howcouldyoubeeasilyquered?I…’Agaiwasanunfivabledereliofduty!’

&heMarshalspoke，hissteady，leveltoneexplaiFangswasrealizing。‘TheEridaniansbroughtusvastquaalinformatioiohelimitsoftheDevourer’sabilitytoaccelerate。ItisthisinformationthatformedthebasisofourbattleplaethebombsthatgetheMoosmanacwilletoexceedtheDevourer’saitthree-fold。Inotherwords，’hesaid，‘itwillbethriceasagileastheDevourer。Thereisnowayyouavoidtheing。’

‘Actually，wewereelyssaid。‘Whehbeganproduglargequantitiesofnubs，webegantomonitortheirwhereabouts。WemadesurethattheywithintheMoothink…’Fangstrailedoff。

Behindhisvisor，theMarshalsmiledfaisostupidastodirectlyattacktheDevourerwithnubs，’hesaid。‘WeknowthattheDevourerEmpirehasbeensteeledbyhutles。Earth’ssimpleandcrudemissileswouldlyhavebeeedaroyed，oneandall。ButyouterethingaslargeastheMooheDevourer，withitsimmensepower，couldhaveeventuallybrokeheMoon，butitisfartoocloseforthatnow。Youareoutoftime。’

Fayworms。Treas，vis。’Heshookhishead，bristling。‘TheDevourerEmpireisacivilizatioallthingsoutiwehavebeehedeceitfultreacheryoftheEarthwnashedhishugeteethashefinishedspeaking，hisfuryalmostgoadinghimtolockhisgiantarshal。Thesoldiersandtheirriflesaimingrightathim，however，stayedhistalons。Fangshadnottenthathisbody，too，wasbutfleshandblood。Oofbulletswouldendhim。

WithhiseyesfirmlyfixedonFangs，theMarshalstated，‘Wewillleave，andyou，too，shouldmakeyourwayofftheMoon，otherwiseyouwillsurelybekilledbytheDevourerEmpire’snuclear>

TheMarshalwasquitecorrect。JustasFangsandthehumanspaceforceslefttheMoon’ssurfaterissilesoftheDevourerstruck。BothsidesoftheMoonhbrilliantlight。ThefsideoftheMoonexplodedashugewavesofrockswereblastedintospace。AllaroundtheMoon，lunarmatterwasviolentlyscatteredinallimagiioheEarth，theMoon，onitscoursewiththeDevourer，lookedlikeawarrior，wildhairablazewithrage。Therewascouldhavestoppeditnow!Whereverohisspectaclewasvisible，seasofpeopleeruptedintofeverishcheers。

TheDevourer’siiondidnotuefarealizedthatithadbeeelymeahemomentsinwhichtheMoonwouldclosetheshortdistaherewasnowaytodivertitscourseortodestroyit。

TheexplosionsoftheMoon’snuclearpropulsionhadalsoceased。Itwasnowfastenough，ah’sdefeedthnubstocarryoutanylast-minutemanoeuvres。Allwassilent。

Inthecoldquietofspace，theDevourerah’ssatellitefloatedtowardeachotheriranquillity。Thedistaidlydecreased。AsitdwihirtythousahetrolshipofEarth’sSupremeandcouldalreadyseetheMthegiantringoftheDevourer。Fromthere，itlookedlikeaballbearinginatrack。

Uptothispoint，theDevourerhadnotmadeastrajectory。Itwaseasytouandwhy:theMooncouldhaveeasilymatyprematureorbitalmanoeuvre。AnymeaningfulevasiveawouldhavetobetakeninthefisbeforetheMoon’simpact。Thetwoitswerealmostlikeasinajoust。Theyweregtowardoher，gallopingacrossthedistaihevictorwouldonlybedetheblinkofaheymadetact。

TwogreatcivilizationsoftheMilkyWayheldtheirbreathinraptanti，awaitingthatfi。

AttwentythousahsidesbegantheirmaheDevihefirsttoflare，shootingblueflamesmorethahousaospace。Itbeganitsevasion。OntheMoon，nubswereonignited，ferociouslydetonatingwithuensityacarriedoutitsadjustments，matgitscoursetoensurea。Itsargtailofdebrisclearlydescribeditsgeofdire。ThebluelightoftheDevourer’sfivethousand-mileflamesmergedwiththesilverflashesoftheMoos;itwasthemostmagaevertogracethesolarsystem。

Bothsidesmahisforthreehours。Thedistahemhadalreadyshruhousaheputerdisplaysshowedwhathetrolshipeverwouldhavebelievedtobepossible:theDevourerwasgcoursewithaioimesgreaterthaheEridanianshadclaimedpossible!

Allthistimetheyhadunreservedlybelievedinthislimit。Theyhadmadeitthefoundatioh’sviow，thenuainingontheMoohecapaakethenecessaryadjustmentstogivechase。Calsshowedthatihours，eveniftheydidalltheycould，theMoonwouldbrushpasstheDevshortbytwohundredandfiftymiles。