by S. E. Meyer
“Braedon?” Jenny said in a whisper.
“Yes?” he replied softly.
She looked deep into his eyes and saw a surprised, but understanding look. “Kiss me,” she said. Braedon moved closer and kissed her gently. She grabbed Braedon behind his neck and pulled him close, pressing their lips together as they began to kiss passionately. She fell backwards against the wall and Braedon fell into her. A warm wave rippled through her body. Like a tidal wave of bliss, washing against the shore then ebbing through her extremities, tingling her fingers and toes. The rushing wave came over her again as Braedon pressed his body firmly against hers. She felt the humidity between her thighs flow like a warm rush of rapture as Jenny put her lips to Braedon’s ear.
“Can I stay with you tonight?” she pleaded. They continued to kiss as they entered Braedon’s room and closed the door, shuffling towards the bed. They both gave in to the carnal craving running through their veins and pulsing through their loins as they tore each-other's clothes off and fell onto the bed in a twisted knot of feverish flesh. Jenny could feel Braedon’s heart pounding against hers as their bodies became one. She felt all of her senses combine into a harmonious symphony of pleasure. She could taste chocolate, smell fresh vanilla and hear music. “What’s happening? She whispered into his ear. “I’ve never experienced anything like this!”
“It’s how we make love Jen,” Braedon explained in the slightest of whispers. “It’s more than just a physical connection. We make love physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Do you want me to stop?” he quietly asked her.
“No, my God no, don’t stop… it’s incredible,” answered Jenny as she inhaled sharply and gently bit her quivering lower lip. They continued to share each others bodies; with every movement Jenny could feel herself reaching a new plateau of paradise until the very depths of their beings became intertwined with a final explosion of elation.
Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire
There was a sudden flash of blue light in a dark room littered with tables and computer equipment. A pod appeared in the center and within seconds the door flew open as the figure inside quickly exited the rounded capsule. It began surveying the surroundings and then headed for a doorway on the opposite side of the room. It gained speed as it ran through the building, checking each room as it went before moving on to the next, as though it was searching for something, or someone.
“Don’t move a muscle.” Came a voice through the dark. Suddenly there were eight points of red laser lights on the figure’s chest. The figure froze. “Get down, get down! On your knees, and hands behind your head, now!” The voiced screamed through the darkness. “I swear if you even flinch you’ll be a pile of swiss cheese by the time we’re done putting holes in you.” The figure did as it was told and several men wielding automatic weapons were on top of it. throwing it to the ground.
“Lights!” Someone yelled and the room was suddenly illuminated with large spotlights. “What do we have here?” said an athletic man of average build, dressed in jeans and a camouflage jacket, as he walked over to the figure lying face down. He hovered over the motionless body briefly. “Scan him!” the man said, and another, shorter man, in the same dress quickly ran over and placed metal detection wand above the figure’s neck. “Well?” The first man asked.
“Nothing, he’s clean.”
“Well then, not a soldier or a spy. Must be just a plain old thief then.” The man kicked the figure in the ribs. “Do you know what we do with thieves around here? You didn’t see the sign at the gate? Roll him over, let‘s get a look at him.” The man with the wand grabbed the figure and rolled it over. “What are you doing here and how did you get in?”
“I’m looking for my brother.” John replied as he squinted into the bright lights.
“And who might your brother be?”
“James, J, J-Bone, or whatever the hell he’s going by these days.” John replied.
“Well, I guess we’ll see about that. Bind him and get him up. We’ll take him to J and then string him up like the rest of the thieves.” They bound John’s hands behind his back and lifted him to standing position, placing a thick black cloth bag over his head.
“Let’s go.” The man holding his right arm said as they shuffled him out of the room. John was led down several stairs and then helped down a series of ladders before walking several hundred feet. It felt damp wherever they were and John could smell mold in the air. He was led through several doorways and then into a warmer more pleasant smelling room.
“J, we got another one.”
“Why are you wasting my time, you know the rules, you know what we do with trespassers and thieves.” James replied in an irritated tone. John felt relived to hear his brother’s voice and yelled out.
“James!” His shout was answered with a devastating punch to his kidney and John fell to his knees, gasping for air through the pain.
“This one is a little different. I’m sure he’s a liar and is just trying to save his skin, but he’s not chipped. He also knew your real name and says he’s your brother.”
“That’s impossible, my brother is dead. He was taken over a month ago. Hang him on the outside gate with the others,” instructed James.
The guards were about to lift John back to his feet when he yelled out. “Wait James, it’s me John!” The guard standing next to him pulled back his leg preparing to land a blow to John’s head. James got in between them at the last second.
“Wait!” James said as he bent over and pulled the bag off John’s head. “My God John! What the hell? I thought you were dead!” James looked at the guard to his left. “Well what are you waiting for? Get those damn bindings off him and help him up!”
“This is your brother?” Questioned the guard as he lifted John back to his feet and released his hands.
“Yes and what a surprise it is. John, how is this possible, how can you still be alive and back here?” James asked inquisitively.
“It’s kind of a long story,” John replied.
James smiled and grabbed his brother pulling him close, hugging him tightly. He slapped him on the back. “Well it doesn’t matter, I am just so glad to see you brother! You can tell me all about it over a drink! Nathan! Go get the last bottle of good stuff, this calls for a celebration!” James led John over to a chair on one side of the room as he dismissed the guards. A man walked in with a bottle of aged scotch and two glasses, setting them down on the small table between the two brothers.
“So tell me everything, it’s been so long since you left,” James said as he took the bottle from the table and poured them each a drink.
“It hasn’t been that long James, only a few days,” John replied with a confused look on his face.
“John, I watched you disappear in one of those damn abduction pods about a month and a half ago.” John’s face went pale and then he laughed.
“Yeah, right, good one. I’m not falling for your jokes today James.”
“I’m being serious John. Where the hell have you been?”
“There’s no way it’s been that long, I swear I was gone for two days!” John argued.
“Well swear all you want, but it won’t do any good,” James replied and took a long drink from his glass.
“Really? I don’t understand. Oh my God Jenny!” He suddenly blurted out. “If it’s really been that long then she must be worried sick not knowing where I am. That is if she’s even alright after the accident.” John was talking more to himself as he watched James drain his glass and quickly refill it. “I never should have left her side.”
“John, where did you go? What happened?”
“James I went to the same place everyone has been disappearing to, I was there and it was amazing!” he took a long pull from the glass in front of him. His eyes flashed with a brief blue spark as he continued. “James, it’s not at all what they say it is. The beings on that planet are not abducting us into slavery and death. They are peaceful and kind. They are t
he ones who are here to save us.”
“That sounds like a lot of bullshit compared to the facts. In fact, you’ve been gone so long how do I know you haven’t been brainwashed by them somehow and sent here to infiltrate my operation. It would explain how you managed to get through our perimeter, which is heavily guarded and well protected with cameras covering every square inch of this place.”
“I can’t really tell you James, but I would have to show you.” John took another long drink and slid his chair up next to James’s.
James raised his hand slightly.” Whoa go easy on that stuff, it’s the last of it.”
“What do you mean?” asked John.
“Things have changed a lot since you left John. Everything is in chaos, no food or water and the government is out to kill anyone who doesn’t have the implant. It’s total anarchy and every man for himself out there. Only reason I have survived this long is because of the network of people I know, and partly thanks to you. I took all your fancy gadgets out of your briefcase after you left. I figured out how to access the information on the disks and I have been creating fake ID chips and implants for people who wish to hide in plain sight. Mostly for the resistance, but I get one hundred pounds of dry goods and one thousand pounds of water for every one of them I make. Of course with those kinds of stockpiles we have a lot of people who want to take it from us.”
“You figured out how to beat the chip and implant system? That’s perfect, that’s exactly why I came directly to you. I was hoping you could help me with something.”
“I would love to help you John, but at this point I still don’t know who’s side you’re on.”
“I’m on the right side, your side, let me show you.” John placed his hand to James’s temple. James immediately stiffened as images ran through his mind, images of John’s visit to Eridu. James was able to see first-hand everything John had experienced. James let out a huge sigh as soon as John pulled his hand away.
“Wow, that is amazing, and quite a trick. Is that something they showed you?”
“Another long story, but I need to know, can you help me? I have to get to Jenny and get her out of there. She has no idea what kind of trouble she’s in. And Frank! I need to get him out of there too. Can you set me up with one of those fake chips?”
“Yes, I have a couple of disks left. I tripled the going rate and was going to wait until someone was desperate enough to pay it, but I can give one to you. They’re yours anyway and you are my brother after all.” James let out a whistle. “I’m glad I didn’t give in to them and get chipped. If what you are telling me is true then once I’m chipped I have no chance of getting up there to safety.”
John held a serious expression and looked into James’s eyes. “No you don’t. And not only that, but the chip puts you in their complete control. Remember when you cut it out of my neck and you said there were strands protruding deeper into the tissue? Those tentacles attach themselves to the base of the brain stem. Everyone that has the implant is being secretly and covertly controlled by the very device that has been promised to save them!” Oh my God, Jenny, John thought again realizing the implications of what he just said. And Frank, their both in more trouble that I realized. The urgent need to help them rushed over John again. “James, I need your help and I need it now!”
“Follow me,” James said. He led John down a passageway to a room with two armed guards out front.
“Where are we?” asked John.
“We’re in the electrical corridors that supply the subway and all of the commercial buildings around here, or used to. We’re actually right under my salvage yard. We were able to find enough generators and diesel fuel before the refineries shut down to keep our critical systems going. Things like the security system, a few computers and a radio communication system,” explained James as they walked.
They entered the guarded room and John noticed four more guards inside. James walked over to the corner and opened a large safe. He pulled out the familiar implant gun and one of the disks along with a RFID chip.
“We have to protect this as heavily as our food, water and fuel supplies.” James sat down next to a small desk where a computer was running. “Okay, so who do you want to be?” he asked.
“I can’t use my real name. Why don’t we use your name? That way I can stay under the radar and so can you if everyone thinks you are chipped and in the system.”
“I like the way you think,” James replied as he connected the disk to a homemade plug connected to several loose wires running into the back of the computer. John watched the screen as James loaded all of the necessary software and ID information onto the small disk. He then did the same to the RF chip. When he was done he looked at John. “Alright, are you ready to get this in?” John nodded and they headed into an adjacent room that was set up for surgery, with an exam table and equipment.
“I hope this goes a little better than last time John.” James said as he motioned him to lie down on the table. James loaded the disk into the gun and held it to the back of John’s neck. He flinched slightly as the implant lodged under his skin.
“Now for the trickier part.” James said as he grabbed a scalpel and the tiny RF chip. This one we'll have to do manually.”
James made a tiny cut into the middle of John’s palm, after injecting it with a numbing agent, and slid the small RFID chip into the incision. He then covered it with a bandage and looked up at John. “There, that’s it. So what is your plan now?”
“Thank you James, really. I don’t know how I can repay you, but there’s no way I could do what I have to do without this. The first thing I need to do is find Jenny and Frank and get them out of there.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“I just need to be able to get down there. What I need to do is get to the nearest evacuation center and get down below. I’ll pretend to just be another refugee, and once I’m underground, I should be able to find one of their elevators. From there I’ll head straight to Jenny and Frank, get them the hell out of there, and bring them back here. Are you sure this implant and chip will work? Is it foolproof?”
“Hey now, your going to hurt my feelings. I’m the guy that dropped out of MIT remember?“ He smiled at John as he helped him off the exam table. “It will work perfectly.”
John hopped off the table and hugged his brother again. “Well, wish me luck, I have a feeling I am going to need it.”
James made arrangements to drive John as close to the nearest evacuation center as they dared without compromising themselves. The military heavily patrolled the area immediately around the center, which meant John had to walk the rest of the way. He only made it about ten blocks when he was stopped by a military patrol.
“Freeze, right there!” Yelled a soldier. John knelt down and put his hands up. The soldiers quickly swarmed him and got out a scanning device. The guard waved it over the back of his neck.
“Clear!” The soldier yelled and then asked John to slowly stand up. He put a small tablet in front of John and asked him to place his hand on it. John did and after several seconds a red light lit up on the side of the tablet making John panic. Maybe it’s not so foolproof after all. He thought. The guard waved over two more soldiers and they ran the scanner again. The seconds seemed to tick by in slow motion, taking an eternity, and John could feel a bead of sweat run down his forehead.
“You seem a little nervous, your heart rate is through the roof,” the guard said eyeing John suspiciously. He slapped the scanner several times and then yelled over to someone inside the vehicle they were driving. The soldier turned back to face John. “Don’t worry, I’ve been having trouble with this thing all day.”
Another guard came over and handed the first one a different tablet. John placed his hand on it and this time it only took a few seconds for a green light to come on. He could see his picture on the screen along with James’s name and phony address. “There we are. So where are you heading James? You know you are not allowed out
of your home unless you’re heading to the evacuation center.”
“Um, yes sir, that is exactly where I am heading,” John replied as confidently as he could.
“Why did you wait so long?” John froze for a second and then quickly formulated a lie.
“I was trying to take care of my family sir. My wife was sick and couldn’t travel, but I couldn’t save her, she’s gone. I have nothing left here and I hope I can start a new life underground.”
There was a pause as the guard considered John’s excuse. “Well hop in, we’ll take you to the center,” he finally answered. They didn’t have to drive very far and the soldier in the front passenger seat seemed friendly and kept talking to John as they drove. “It‘s a good thing you came when you did. We are just about to clear this whole area and close it down. Haven’t seen hardly any evacuees over the last few days. We’re sending down two more groups today and then that’s it, we’re moving out to help with New York. Only ones left here now are criminals.” They stopped in front of a large gate and a guard in a small guard shack opened it for them. They made their way through the evacuation center grounds and John took in the scene. The center was heavily guarded and well fortified with fencing, razor wire, and armed guard towers every twenty-five feet. It looked to John more like a prison than an evacuation center. There was hardly anyone in front of the large gate that led to the elevators, which would bring them underground. The soldiers drove John right up to the scanning booth and he got out and headed in the direction of the elevators.
“Yep just head right on over there and they’ll take care of you,” the friendly soldier said and then yelled to one of the soldiers at the booth.
“Hey, we’re going to do one more perimeter check and then call it good. I want to get out of here. You might as well start sending them down.”
“Yes sir, sergeant sir,” the soldier in the booth replied. John was directed into the booth where his neck and hand were scanned again. A soldier then took his hand and poked the tip of his finger with a needle and took a drop of blood. He placed the blood into a machine and waited. John wasn’t sure what was going on, but he hoped they didn’t have a DNA database that might match him and blow his cover. A green light came on in the booth and the man that took his blood yelled over his shoulder.
