Operation Indigo Sky

by Lawrence Ambrose

  That left more than a little chill. It seemed that President Morgan had granted himself license to continue martial law indefinitely. My warm and fuzzy feelings about the glorious future of mankind retreated. As long as the "alien menace" remained – or was suspected to remain – all the massive fixtures of the present national security state would remain in place. Fuck.

  I switched off the TV and stepped outside, shading my eyes against the sun sparkling on the pool. I supposed it had to be drained or covered up before winter set in. Guilt flared as I imagined Lilith swimming her laps, her long legs and slim, muscular arms gorgeously carving the water. Now she spent most of her time in a ten by fifteen foot cell. Since the detention center had filled up with aliens – mostly aliens, I assumed – things weren't so laissez-faire there. They locked the cells between eating and recreation hours, and heavily armed guards made regular rounds. "Boots on the ground," as Colonel Collins had called it.

  I hadn't been allowed to talk to Professor Killian or Lilith before leaving, and I had a lot of questions for them. For one thing, did they have political leaders in place all over the world prepared to seize power? The news stated that a few members of Congress had been arrested and that all federal agencies were purging their ranks of extraterrestrials based in part on mandatory blood tests.

  Colonel Collins promised me a chance to visit Lilith at least when it had been properly cleared, and assured me that the "good professor and his daughter" would be with them for the indefinite future. They were illegal aliens and enemy combatants. Talk about checking off all the indefinite detention boxes.

  I slid the treasury check out of the folder and ogled it once again. Guilt and curiosity took a backseat as I envisioned my glorious future. What a blast it would be to show up at Sonja Hanson's doorstep asking to look at houses, this time able to afford a dozen of her best offerings without blinking an eye. I imagined the expression on her pretty face – and then other images burst in my head of the night we'd spent together.

  Down boy, as Robert Dole would've said. Sonja would still be smarting from my lies. Or would she? Nothing like a few million and hot sex to pave over past disagreements.

  Or, alternatively, I could head up to Seattle and look up Janine. I sensed some promising possibilities with her which might be cool to explore. We never really had a chance as things were.

  Or I could just travel around the planet, take in the sights, and enjoy the New World Order up close and personal.

  I slipped the check back into the envelope. Maybe later today I'd go looking for a bank in Boulder. Watching the account person's eyes widen when I handed her the check ought to be priceless.

  I MADE a difficult decision over the next week. As much as I wanted to take the easy path, my masochistic conscience compelled me to choose the prolonged pain in the ass choice instead. So now, three weeks later, I was driving cross-country to see the woman I'd perhaps foolishly elected to pin my romantic hopes upon. It would be a surprise visit, so who knew how that would go. I'd see soon enough.

  Three checkpoints and three retinal scans later, Colorado Resettlement Facility 3451-A née Denver Special Waste Processing Plant loomed ahead on the bright late-November day. Some sick part of me actually got a lump in my throat. The more sane part was nervous as hell. Weeks of pestering Colonel Collins about a proposed visit finally paid off. He'd told me confidentially that only my status as an American Hero – heck, an international hero/man of mystery! – had made that possible. The government was still crafting policy regarding visits to earthling detainees. According to Colonel Collins, no provisions for visiting "off-worlders" were yet in place.

  I was beeped in through the main entrance. The guards knew me, but I was subjected to a search and quick Xray before continuing on under escort. I had wanted to surprise Lilith with the kinds of gifts prisoners hunger for: alcohol, books, and expensive chocolates, but alas, I was permitted only the one small box in my hand.

  Lilith was in her cell. Her shocked expression told me that my former captors had kept my visit a secret. The bars rolled open and I entered. The guards withdrew.

  "Hayden," Lilith rasped, her eyes wide with wonder. "How did you get in here? They told us any contact with the 'human' prisoners wouldn't be allowed."

  "I'm not a prisoner." I moved toward her, longing to make contact, but reining myself in. She was looking confused enough as it was.

  "When did they release you?"

  "A few weeks ago. It's taken this long to get permission to visit."

  "Where are you staying?"

  "At your place." I wasn't eager to bring up the deed transfer.

  "And they let you visit me?"

  "Yeah." I didn't want to say any more than that, but if we were to have a future, however improbable that was, I needed to come clean. "Turns out I'm something of a hero."

  Lilith started to ask a question but then – quick study that she was – closed her mouth. The eagerness and glowing happiness in her face flickered and faded like a short-circuiting neon light. Or maybe a newlywed who just learned the groom had three wives.

  "You betrayed us," she said.

  I hadn't really thought this through, despite the weeks of mulling over our meeting. I guessed I didn't want to face this moment.

  "It was what I saw one day," I said. "A door was open in one room – just for a second – and I glimpsed what looked like a war map with the U.S. front and center. That was the moment I knew I had to do something, even if I didn't admit it to myself at that moment."

  Lilith stared at me. Her full lips drooped, and her eyes misted.

  "I'm an American, Lilith," I said. "First and foremost. Second, I'm a human being. If I hadn't acted, I would've betrayed my country and my people."

  "Amerika uber alles? Over truth, justice, freedom, the value of life?"

  "I wouldn't say that. Truth and justice is part of the American way. It should be, at least."

  "No, Hayden. Those are our values, not yours."

  "Even if that's true, how could I have known that since you never explained what was happening to me?"

  Lilith clenched her fist and glared at me, panting in a low growl as if getting ready to charge. "But you know now."

  "No. I don't. I know what you believe, but how do I know it's true? How do you know it's true? We both were raised to believe certain things. I know you and your father believe them. That doesn't make them true, does it?"

  She gave me a scornful smile. "The population of our colony is about the same as Norway's. And our culture is based on truthfulness. We are more advanced both technologically and culturally than you are."

  "Yet we handed you your asses."

  Her smile contracted. "It was those damn A.I.s. The same ones your nerd princess was working on, I bet. Without them, everything would be different."

  "I know. Funny thing – they were called Hunter Killer Artificial Intelligence."

  "God. Figures." She tossed her hair and glared at me. "No one even seems to know what they look like."

  "Think 'Transformers,' but smaller. About the size of a tank but ellipsoid-shaped, with various appendages, heavily armored, weapons up the wazoo – including mini-guns, lasers, microwave projectors, grenades, flamethrowers, and even backpack nukes – lightning fast on ground or in the air. And they could think!" I shook my head as I recalled Colonel Collins' description. I didn't especially like thinking about those things. "Once they were inside your colony, your people didn't stand a chance."

  Lilith turned away, rubbing her shoulders. Several seconds passed.

  "My point," she said in a muted voice, "is that we don't have the layers of organizations and culture that you have. We can't hide corruption and criminal acts the way you do." She shook her head with disgust. "Your ability to create lies and make people believe them – that's what defeated us in the end."

  "I seem to recall you being a bit deceptive yourselves."

  "But it doesn't come natural to my people. I hated having to lie to you." />
  "You said your colony had about the population of Norway. How many of your people are here on Earth?"

  "I don't know. None of us do." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you attempting to gain information from me for your government?"

  "I'm sure it knows all this stuff and a lot more. This is for me, Lilith." She snorted, but didn't argue the point. "What are your people like in the colony, by the way? Do they look as much like us as you do? All I know is they had some strange, Egyptian-sounding names."

  "They look somewhat Middle Eastern. They're somewhat stronger and more athletic on average from adapting to a more massive home planet." She shrugged. "We're a basically a homogenous species – no different races as you have. We used genetic samples from Earth to create variety for the different regions here."

  "How did you get samples from Earth?"

  "We abducted people and transported them back to the colony. Our smaller craft have jump drives, unlike the colony ship."

  "That's why it took a while to get here."

  "Yes. They've been traveling for generations. We were seeded here by smaller craft about one hundred and fifty years ago."

  I set my box down on the room's sole table – a card table –questions forming a logjam in my head.

  "All your government's talk of 'aliens' is a scare-tactic," said Lilith. "We have a common genetic heritage. We're just as human as you are. Some of you are descended from us. We were here long before your history began, had advanced civilizations before there were cavemen. We started on Mars, and left there when the planet lost its atmosphere. Some of us came here, some of us went elsewhere."

  "What happened to your people who came here? You must've been a lot more advanced than humans were at that time."

  "Your world periodically experiences a world-wide catastrophe from a passing planetary mass. We didn't know about it at the time. We seem to have bad luck with planets." She gave me a pained smile. "It destroyed our civilization here – except for those who got away. They are my ancestors."

  "Sounds like the Nibiru myth."

  "Some myths are based in reality."

  "Shit. Right now I'm glad I read science fiction." I forced my fingers through my hair. "So it's true. We have met the enemy and he really is us."

  A smile broke through Lilith's glum expression. "Who knew the universe could be so ironic?"

  "Well, if God does exist he must have a perverse sense of humor."

  Lilith laughed quietly. She nodded to the card table. "What's in the box?"

  I opened it and lifted out a single red rose in a small vase.

  "I wanted to bring more," I said. "This is all they'd allow for now."

  Lilith approached the flower with halting steps, staring at it as if she were in a trance. She drew the rose from the vase and breathed it in. She closed her eyes, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

  "I could bring a daisy next time if you'd prefer," I said.

  She sprang, wrapping her arms around me. Before I could react, her lips locked onto mine. I was simultaneously blown away and incredibly turned on and also wincing from the rose thorns digging into my back. She pulled away, her forehead furrowed with concern.

  "Did I do that right? I've never kissed a man that way before."

  "Not bad." I grinned. "But we should probably practice more."

  "Ha." Her smile retreated. She gazed up into my eyes with spooky solemnity. "God, you're such a dork. Not to mention a filthy human."

  We kissed again. She really wasn't in need of much practice. Our lips melted together. The cot across the room was starting to look maddeningly inviting, even with all the cameras and the men no doubt leering behind those cameras.

  "What about your rules?" I asked. "You know, maintaining your bloodlines?"

  "Fuck our bloodlines. I'd say it's time we branched out more, genetically speaking."

  I smiled. "I like the sound of that."

  "They may not let me out for a while." Her warm breath tingled in my ear. "Are you planning to visit me again?"

  "I might," I said. "If you promise not to call me a filthy human."