That morning, on the eighteenth of November, Cameron and Milangelo recounted their tale of alien abduction to the rest of the crew.
"That certainly is quite the tale," said James.
"I'd buy it on blu-ray," said Crock.
"Did that really happen?" asked Persimmon.
James prompted the crew to follow him to their detainment quarters. He noted that this was the first time he had to make use of the space, and explained that last night, they had an unwelcome guest that matched the description of one of the aliens from Cameron and Milangelo's story.
They stood in front of the steel door to Chonk's cell.
"You think you can hold the mighty Chonk?" shouted Chonk.
Patricia, Karnilla, Persimmon, and Crock burst out laughing.
"His voice is ridiculous, but the novelty wears off quickly," said Milangelo.
"After knowing what he's capable of, I don't quite feel like laughing at his voice," said Cameron.
"Speaking of, what happened last night?" asked James.
Cameron and James talked to each other and came to understand the full details of what had happened last night, as did everyone else.
"When I get out of here, I will crush your skulls and take your torsos as trophies!" exclaimed Chonk.
"What should we do about him?" asked Persimmon.
"I have no idea," answered James honestly.
Outside Earth's orbit, the fighter ships of The Million were being loaded with troops from the remaining fleet ship.
Aboard the mothership, Phenos was listening to a report from Two-Seven about the status of the fleet.
"Faulty programming detected in eighty percent of soldiers."
"How did this happen?"
"Malware attack. I traced the source back to the galactic internet for prosthetic organs."
"Okay, who's the wise guy who went shopping for organs?" asked Phenos to his commanders.
"One can never have enough spleens," said Friend.
"Your species doesn't need spleens," said Phenos.
"Don't tell me what I do and don't need!" said Friend, who then bowed his head and left swiftly.
"For future protection, it is recommended that you have the latest system software installed," said Two-Seven.
"Seriously? This whole thing just keeps finding new ways to screw me."
"Sixty-three thousand and four hundred soldiers operating at full-capacity, sir."
"Unbelievable. I only have ten percent of my fighting forces at their full-strength and only half to use, and I haven't even begun the invasion yet."
"Sir, we can always retreat and retry at a later date," said Cindalyn.
"No, Cindalyn. We are moving ahead with the plan."
"This is why I like the captain," said Klokar.
The fleet of three-hundred and seventeen thousand soldiers now occupied three thousand, one hundred and seventy ships, which were ready and waiting to be dispatched upon Phenos' order. Meanwhile, in a kingdom in the Hephaestus Sea, a large mechanical bird had landed to roost in the leftmost tower of a magnificent stone castle.
"Note to self: Avoid flying by giant bird talon," said Amperes.
The bird squawked in response, as if offended by Amperes' statement. Amperes clarified that it felt as if he was on a roller coaster that went forward as fast as it went down, had no end in sight, and had a safety belt that scratched at his torso. The bird squawked again, as if to relay a sort of sarcastic mocking of Amperes' perceived sensitivity.
"Easy girl, he's a plain-speaking simpleton with no tact," said a voice.
"I take it you are Halberd?" asked Bolster.
"Amperes and Bolster. The duo whose incompetence earned them considerable infamy. What brings you to Earth? And what became of your mission to dismantle The Million and capture Phenos and his commanders?"
Amperes took issue with Halberd's accusatory tone and overall statement. He explained that they had been trying to fulfil their mission, but Phenos was especially tough. Halberd then explained that of all the threats to the universe, Phenos was 'little more than a queen bee with a busy hive'.
Halberd invited the two to talk with him in his chamber, to discuss a matter that he felt was urgent. Once there, he asked them why they were calling other androids.
"We were adrift at sea and needed a way back to our target," explained Bolster.
"The three of us are all organic androids, created by The Order for one purpose: peace across the universe."
Halberd shared his theory that the only thing that stands between the androids and their directive is unity.
"Oh, I get it. You're working for her, aren't you?" said Amperes.
"We need to get back to Notably Small Island. The Million are going to attempt to invade again," said Bolster.
"I will offer you my assistance. This planet is more useful than it appears. Especially for our directive," said Halberd.
Halberd led them to the mechanical bird's nest, and formally acquainted them with Selma, the Mechanical Falcon. He fitted her with a saddle that appeared to have a small carriage fused to the top of it. It appeared to have been designed specifically for the bird's back, which had a plate that could be removed to reveal a compartment that the saddle could be fastened to.
Amperes and Bolster marvelled at the sight briefly, until it was time for them to step inside the carriage, sit down, and fasten their seatbelts. Selma walked to the designated takeoff location, and Halberd proceeded to lecture the other two on standard procedure; most of which went over their heads.
On the SS Psychic, Brandon Black was sunbathing when he was greeted by James and crew; the former greeting him with a 'good morning'. He thanked them for allowing him to sleep aboard their ship. James asked if he was ready to share his story, and added that he would not judge it for being hard to believe. Brandon said that he would give it some thought.
James accepted that answer, and decided to move on. This mystery is starting to unravel, thought James. Then a thought entered his head, and so he decided he should ask.
"Say, do you know why you were abducted?" asked James to Cameron and Milangelo.
"I think the turquoise-skinned alien with the backwards arms under his regular arms said something about the planet being his, so I'd say invasion."
"If what you say is true, I'm not sure there is much we can do."
"Actually, there might be," said Brandon Black.
"Are you serious?" said Cameron.
"This town was once used to defeat The Million. There may be some weapons that we can make use of."
James asked what he meant by that, and Brandon clarified that he knew of a couple places where he had seen cannons, armour, and other supplies. James asked Brandon to lead the way, as these weapons could prove useful.
"That is, if the invasion happens in this same location..."
"I have a feeling that it is more likely than you might think," said Brandon. Phenos has a death wish, after all, he thought.
As the crew made their way to the town, the trio riding aboard Selma continued toward Notably Small Island. Halberd was looking out of a periscope, keeping an eye on the sky. He noted that if the invasion were to happen today, it would not be far away. He noted that they were halfway there.
Aboard the mothership, Phenos ordered the commencement of the invasion. The fighter ships began to disengage from the fleet ship and head toward the planet's surface.
Brandon, James, Patricia, and Karnilla were at the third of three locations where weapons were stockpiled, after Brandon had shown them to the other two. Crock and Cameron had been trusted with one stockpile, and Milangelo and Persimmon with the other.
"As promised, plenty of firepower to assist in defending ourselves from an alien threat," said Brandon.
"And not a moment too soon," said Patricia, pointing to the sky. As she said this, ships began appearing in the sky.
"You know, I didn't have witnessing an alien invasion on my bucket list, but this is a sight to behold," commented Karnilla.
"Until they start shooting," said Brandon cynically.
The ships continued to appear, until the three thousand, one hundred and seventy ships blanketed the sky above Notably Small Island. From the edges of the Phobos, Halberd could see it unfold from his periscope. He advised Amperes and Bolster to hold on to their seats, and made a whistling noise: a cue for the bird to travel at critical speed.
"I just hope that for all of our sakes, we're not too late."
James and his crew watched in awe from their various positions as the ships assumed their positions in the sky. Then the sky was filled with a large bang.
"What was that?" asked James.
Then another, then another. Soon it became obvious what was happening: several ships were crashing into each other and exploding. Aboard the mothership, Phenos watched it all unfold and became furious. He knew that he was taking a risk, but he had become too stubborn to seek any alternatives.
The ship in the very front of the fleet activated its weapons, and a large machine, likely designed to fire a destructive beam of some description, protruded from the front of the ship. It began to glow at the tip; a blinding yellow.
"Where is it aiming?" asked James.
Fortunately, the answer to that question did not have an answer, as it was shot out of the sky. Cameron had aimed and fired the laser cannon at the ship.
"Holy shit, it's a laser cannon. I had no idea it was a laser cannon," said Cameron.
"Quite the show, boy," said Crock. "Say, does this thing have enough ammo to take down the whole fleet?"
"Not bloody likely, but I'm not going down without a fight!"
Some ships continued to deviate from expected behaviour, as they crashed into each other or spiralled out of control. At the point that Phenos had realised what had happened to the ship at the front, they had already lost one thousand other ships.
"Alright, let's give 'em hell!" shouted James.
At that moment, Selma swooped in and landed atop the clock tower. Her wings transformed into gatling guns and began shooting lasers rapidly into the air; gunning down at least one hundred additional ships.
"Did we have a giant mechanical bird?" asked Crock.
From inside the carriage, Amperes announced his presence. "Fear not, humans, we are here to help!"
"Any objections?" asked Brandon.
"Help is help," replied James.
The fight continued, and in its current form, consisted of a giant mechanical falcon and its three riders and a crew of seven and an angler – armed with ancient weapons that once drove off the invading force – on one side. On the other, a fleet of ships whose numbers dwindled due to constant attacks and self-sabotage. James and his crew began to gain confidence in themselves as it seemed that they were on the winning side.
However, Brandon knew it, Cameron felt it, and Phenos was sure of it: it was not going to be that easy.
"Switch invasion tactics! Abandon ships and parachute onto the island! It's time to overpower them!" said Phenos.
This switch of tactics was not without its flaws, however, as all of the remaining defective soldiers failed to make formations or activate their parachutes. In addition, one hundred and thirty four ships that had housed perfectly functional soldiers had been lost. The fighting force was at a total of fifty thousand.
James realised that they would have to resort to physical defence, as the destructive power of the cannons may pose a threat to their own safety. Amperes realised what was about to happen and suggested to the other androids that they get out of the carriage and start fighting hand-to-hand.
Halberd pulled knives out of his forearms and smiled as if to show that he agreed. The three of them stepped out of the carriage, and Halberd thanked Selma for her participation, and asked her to wait somewhere safe for his signal.
On the roof on the clock tower, Amperes was contemplating how exactly he would get down, while Bolster assumed a crane position, and then jumped off to the ground below.
"Your friend there has the right idea, but I thought five stories was enough to break your legs," said Halberd.
"Not his legs. That's his special skill."
"Why exactly The Order gave us all special skills, I'll never know," said Halberd. "Say, what was yours, again?"
"Computational genius with limited electrical manipulation."
"Oh, right. And I, the great Halberd, famed for his exploits, am known for mechanical ingenuity and being able to produce weapons from my body."
As Amperes and Halberd discussed the best method to reach the ground, James called his crew members over walkie-talkie, and told them to meet him in the centre of the town.
Crock, Cameron, Milangelo, and Persimmon gathered any weapons or gear they thought might come in handy and met James, Patricia, Karnilla, and Brandon in the town's centre.
Cameron pointed out that he could not sense any unique thoughts coming from the soldiers, and noted that it might be a good thing, given the number of soldiers there were.
"So, how exactly are we going to fight them off?" asked Patricia. "None of us can even count how many there are..."
"If I may take the lead..." suggested Crock, looking at James. After seeing James nod, Crock broke their formation, and took a defensive stance. "Five-strength? That's pretty good, but here's something you may not have been taught.
"Seven-strength: Base establishment." Crock paused to collect himself. He grunted with effort, and then said, "Four-strength: Multiplier establishment. Result: Twenty-Eight-strength. Special attack: Pistol of the Mind."
Crock sped around mowing down thousands of the soldiers, barely visible to the naked eye. James watched in awe. So this is the strength of someone who has survived the Terminus, he thought. He then informed his crew that they should be ready for a fight, as he could see that there were more soldiers coming at them from all angles.