by J E Grace
“Yes, of course. I’m not going to do anything.” She wondered why they would feel she was a threat to anyone.
The worker gave Jeanette a warm smile as he reached down to undo the straps.
“If you need anything call,” he said as he exited the room.
“Walk with me. We can talk at the same time,” I said as I helped Jeanette down from the bed. She appeared to be a little unsteady on her feet, probably due to the effects of the drug.
“Okay, but where are we going? I’m still not sure about all this. After all, you did kidnap me from my room in the middle of the night.”
“I need to check on something in the control room and thought you might like to look around. You know, maybe get something to eat. You must be starving by now.”
“I am a little hungry, but I’m more interested in knowing just what is going on here.”
“Okay, I owe you that much. Keep it in mind, however, that most of this won’t make sense to you.” I reached over and took her hand in mine as we walked down the corridor.
“A few months ago, I came to work at Interplay. You were also employed there. A lot of strange unexplained events took place, one of which included your kidnapping.”
A confused look came over her face.
“No, not this time. Your prior kidnapping was arranged by Interplay. I don’t know for sure what took place, but the next time I spoke with you, all recollection of Interplay or your team members were erased. You were moved to an undisclosed location. Top officials of Interplay turned up dead. Employees were either missing or killed. It became necessary for me to go into hiding until I could sort things out. I know this is a lot to take in and I probably sound like a lunatic to you, but believe me, I’m telling you the truth.”
He was right; this was a lot to take in. Maybe he had lost it. She didn’t even know him, and she was supposed to take him at his word.
She stopped, leaned back against the cold concrete of the interior wall, and decided that it was just too much to take in right then. She would have to take it one step at a time. Somehow, she knew down deep inside her heart that this man was not any kind of threat.
“Jeanette, are you all right? You look a little pale,” I said as I steadied her on her feet. “Do you need to rest? There is a seating area just up ahead.”
“I’m okay.”
“Come on; I think you really need to rest a minute.”
We walked along the narrow corridor to a large atrium. Just across the room, we could see workers rapidly stacking provisions. I recognized William among them. He glanced my way and gave me a wave. I was getting Jeanette settled into her seat, as he approached us.
“Jeanette, I’m sorry we had to put you in such disturbing circumstances. I guess Davis explained to you that we were only concerned for your safety and really didn’t have any alternative,” said William as he took a seat beside her.
“Where are we?”
“You’re at STRC underground headquarters. We formed this group when it was obvious to us that the government had taken a turn for the worse. Events were happening that were disturbing, and we had to plan for our future. It looks like we were right. You will have a chance to meet everyone this evening when we get together for the meeting. Please join us.”
“Thank you. If Davis is so kind as to help me, I’ll be there.
“You bet.” Nothing could keep me away. Sure, she couldn’t remember the closeness we once had, but right now I would settle for any chance to be near her.
We were about to leave the atrium when an ear-piercing sound blasted throughout the corridor. People appeared from everywhere and rushed to prepare themselves according to the emergency plan. They had rehearsed it for many months, and now the sounds of danger sent a chill through everyone.
We followed William to the control room at a hurried pace. I was worried that Jeanette might not be able to keep up, but I guess the fear had produced a spurt of new energy. She held my hand tightly as I pulled her along. Within seconds, we were both standing in the center of the control room. Workers sat viewing the monitors in disbelief. One by one spacecraft hovered over the compound building entirely surrounding it.
“This is it. Let’s hope this compound can sustain the attack.”
I stood facing the monitors and somehow seemed to see what everyone else had missed. Around each spaceship was a golden ring of bright light. These were not Fallen spaceships. They were Zarion.
“William, don’t panic. Alert everyone that these are not enemy ships. They are here to help us.”
“You heard Davis, cancel the alert for now.”
Buttons were pushed, switches flipped and the alarm winded down to a low hum. For now, things were back to normal, but for how long we wouldn’t know.
Jeanette and I decided to continue on to the kitchen area since the alert was finally over. However, the spaceships were still standing guard outside waiting. It gave me a feeling of immense peace just knowing that they were there.
We finished eating, and I walked Jeanette back to her room. It had been a stressful day for her. There was just too much for one person to digest at one time. I glanced at her and saw that she was smiling at me.
“Gee, what did I do to deserve such a sweet smile?”
“You know, you aren’t such a bad guy. I might just grow to like you a little.”
“That would be all right by me. You’re pretty likable yourself. I think you better get some rest before tonight. It’s going to be an interesting meeting and a chance for you to meet the rest of the group.”
I leaned over the bed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll see you later. Sleep well.”
As I left the room, I glanced back, watching her turn on her side and pull the covers tightly around her. I was glad she was finally starting to trust us. It would make it easier when the final countdown came.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Everyone had crowded into the main meeting hall. Jeanette stared in amazement at all the men, women, and children present. The question of why everyone had taken refuge there still puzzled her.
William slammed the gavel down, and silence filled the room.
“As you are all aware, we are completely surrounded by some type of alien spacecraft. After consulting with Davis, I trust that they are friendly and mean us no harm. I’ll let him explain it to you.”
I took my queue and made my way up to the front of the room. I stepped up to the podium and took my place next to William.
“Hello, everyone. As most of you know, my name is Davis. Up until about a month ago, I was employed at Interplay. I found it necessary to go into hiding and join the rest of you here due to some disturbing events. What you don’t know, is that as we speak, there is a battle ensuing for control of our Earth.”
A tall, thin, man got up from his seat, cleared his voice, and mustered up the courage to speak, “Davis, what are the ships outside waiting for? Why haven’t they fired on us by now?”
I scanned the crowd and saw the scared look on most of their faces. Children hugged up close to their parents. I was confident that I was dealing with a group terrified by uncertainty.
“This is going to be hard for most of you to believe, but the spaceships outside are actually guarding us. We have nothing to fear from them. It’s the Fallen that want to control Earth.”
I took a deep breath and continued trying to convince this room of uneasy strangers that I had something to say that was of utmost importance to their survival. I could sure use some divine intervention about now. I said a quiet prayer for courage.
“The fight for planet Earth has been going on for some time now. While at Interplay, I ran across a diary with entries relating to the Fallen. That is the first time I even knew of their existence. Some of the personnel at Interplay were involved in the takeover and would stop at nothing to make sure everything went according to their plan. I lost a couple of colleagues who got too close to figuring out what was going on. That’
s when I decided to change my identity and go undercover.”
“Are you trying to tell us that your friends were murdered?” said a very distinguished man sitting close to the podium.
“That’s what I’m saying. Most of you have met, Jeanette. She used to work at Interplay with me, but because of Interplay’s memory wiping techniques, she doesn’t remember. She has learned to trust me, and I’m hoping that you will too. The only way we will survive this is to stay here and rely on the Zarion to protect us.”
Whispers began to fill the room as group members began to talk among themselves.
William stepped down and walked towards where some of them had gathered into a circle.
“Listen, people. I trust Davis with my life, and if he says we have nothing to fear from the Zarion, then I believe him. We have to be strong and band together if we are going to survive.”
I glanced over at Jeanette who was sitting quietly and taking in all the conversations going on around her. She looked frail and tired. It had been a tough time for her. I flashed her a quick smile as I stepped down.
I was about halfway to her seat when a high pitch sound echoed throughout the room. The alarms were going off again.
William yelled out instructions and everyone scattered. Mothers grabbed their children, scooping them up into their arms, as they dashed from the room. I sent Jeanette along with one of the mothers and told her to stay until I came for her. She shook her head in agreement, and I watched as she left the hallway.
I caught up with William just outside the control room. As we entered, I glanced over at the monitors, and the images were frightening. The Zarion ships seemed to ensue in a fierce battle. There were rays of bright lights flashing all around outside the compound. Ships sent their penetrating beams back and forth. Some hit their mark, and others bounced off parts of the rock wall surrounding the compound. The walls of the facility shook, equipment swayed, and then dropped to the floor, just missing one of the controllers.
“Get down everyone. Cover your head. This could get rough.”
William picked up the radio and called the sleeping quarters hoping to catch Paul and get a report on the condition of the rest of the facility.
“Hello, Paul. Are you there?”
William waited for an answer, and when he didn’t get one, he clicked the radio and repeated the command.
“Paul, do you hear me? Come in.”
“Davis, I can’t get an answer. Maybe you better take a couple of men and make sure they’re okay down there.”
“Sure, right away. I’ll call you.”
Tom and Robert scrambled to my side, and we quickly made our way down the dark hallway. The blast had cut out our electrical backup for the lights. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time they had to find their way around the building blind.
Robert quickly felt along the wall and pulled out a couple of lanterns from the supply cabinet. A bright light lit the once darkened hallway, to reveal the body of a woman and a small child lying motionless in the corner next to the cabinet.
“Oh, it’s Eleanor.”
Robert knelt down next to the body of his wife and child. He reached over and felt for a pulse, knowing in his heart that they were gone.
Tom walked away to the corner of the room and keyed the mic on his radio.
“William, come in. Can you hear me?”
Tom waited what seemed like an eternity, and then William’s voice echoed through the receiver.
“Tom. What’s up?”
“We’re just at the end of the hallway. You need to send a couple of men. It’s Robert’s wife and child. They’re dead.”
The mike was silent, and then William cleared his throat and spoke again.
“Go ahead with Davis. Let Robert know that someone else is coming. There may be more casualties. I need that report.”
“Okay. I’ll keep you posted.”
As we continued down the hallway that opened into the sleeping quarters, we could still hear Robert’s loud sobs, as his body rocked back and forth while holding the lifeless body of his child.
In the distance, we could see a faint light and moved slowly towards it. We were almost to the area that housed all our supplies. As we approached, we could see the group of women, and children huddled together in the center of the room. They had pulled mattresses and whatever else they could into a pile and were all snuggled beneath them terrified. A small child spotted us and started crying. The mother clutched her to her side trying to comfort her.
I scanned the room looking for Jeanette. She was in a far corner of the room holding onto the leg of the bed. I walked over talking to her while trying to pry her fingers loose.
“Jeanette, come on let go. It’s okay. I’m here now.”
Another powerful blast hit and the whole building shook again throwing me into Jeanette. I grabbed her and held on, shielding her with my body.
“Come on, we have to get out of here,” said Tom as he pulled some of the people to their feet. Children let out high-pitched screams and sobbed as they were ushered from the room by their parents. Everyone scrambled to their feet, fighting to keep their balance while exiting the room.
Jeanette and I were the last ones out, and I grabbed the lantern Tom had left for us. As we stepped over the debris from the blast, I could see the rest of the people running as fast as they could down the hallway towards the bomb shelter. STRC had made up a particular room with extra thick walls for just that purpose.
~
Back in the control room, William tried to watch the monitors and did so with high concentration. He anxiously waited for a call from Tom regarding the rest of the compound. Evacuation of the rest of the people to the bomb shelter was inevitable. It was their only chance for survival.
William, unable to contain the apprehension any longer, keyed the mic. “Tom, come in. What’s going on down there?” Another blast hit. “Tom, can you hear me?”
“I’m here. Boy, this is a mess. I’ve evacuated all the women and children to the bomb shelter. How are things there?”
“Not good. We have to get out of here. I don’t know if we can withstand another blast or not. Put Davis on.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Clear an area in the bomb shelter for one monitor. We have to be able to see what’s coming at us. The battle is still going on. I can’t tell who’s winning.”
“Be careful. We’ve already had a few more casualties.”
“See you in a few.”
I handed the radio to Tom and wasted no time clearing the table in an area of the shelter. All the wiring had already been run so getting hooked up wouldn’t be a problem. I hoped it would be soon. I needed to know what was going on outside. If this was the end, I wanted to be able to tell everyone the whole story about who I really was.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Outside, the earth was becoming desolate very quickly. The Fallen had obliterated all of Washington D. C. and the surrounding area, and all of the population left above ground had died. The smell of burning flesh as it smoldered filled the air with its nauseous fumes and penetrating rays exploded all around.
The giant flying ships with blinding white and yellow light came at those left above ground from all directions. The airport terminal was the first to go. Those on board the jetliners, watched out the windows in awe, as their families on the ground became vaporized never knowing what hit them. Then, the passengers on board the planes met their end in a fiery explosion, when the beams of the Fallen hit their mark.
The next target was the communication centers for the entire planet. All telephone systems went dead. People were immediately cut off from everyone and everything they knew. Television stations were unable to broadcast any warnings, and the radio towers had been hit with a blast that knocked out the satellites in orbit. Astronauts would continue to float uncontrollably in space, before eventually being burnt up in the atmosphere.
The railway systems were inoperable due to the tra
cks no longer being there. People ran from smoking train cars screaming, and those remaining were killed instantly in a blast of fire.
It seemed as though the Fallen were winning their campaign to not only take over Earth but to demolish it. Then they would begin their re-seeding operation. A new colony of slaves would be created and used in whatever cruel way they chose.
Around the planet, the Fallen spaceships were completing their missions. All major cities no longer existed. All that was left was to set up headquarters in the once Washington D. C., which now would be called Bergodas.
The Fallen rationed all supplies to keep control over what inadequate food supplies there were. Water was scarce, and consumption of it caused a new strain of sickness from which there was no cure, just unbearable torment from which they prayed for death to come.
Lucius was the ruler of Earth. His face was a maze of scars acquired from previous battles, and one look in your direction was enough to make your pulse race and your breath quicken.
His head was oval shaped, and he had deep-set eyes encased in slits, from which a penetrating beam of energy vaporized his victims. His skin was covered with layer upon layer of green translucent material, changing color depending upon the light source, and the rage that dwelt within him. His mouth was round and filled with many razor-sharp teeth.
He had strength unmatched only by his enormous size, that made him tower over most of his adversaries, and his name was known throughout the planetary system.
The Fallen had destroyed their planet, and in search of a replacement, they had been observing Earth for quite some time. There had been reports of alien spacecraft sightings, but they were dismissed as the ramblings of lunatics. The Fallen had been discreet in their observations, and when the planet was unaware, they went in for the kill.
~
Everyone had been evacuated to the shelter, and we were now able to monitor the battle ensuing outside. The building rocked and swayed, just as the heavy steel door was secured in place.
