Earth (Vetrix)

by Bill Bush

  When they called Owen and told him what had happened he canceled his appointments and immediately came to pick them up in the church van. They had covered the windows so no one could see the six aliens riding inside.

  Owen met with Flipper, Josh, and Allison in his office while the rest of the group relaxed and ate pizza in the Youth Center. The pastor listened in astonishment to their adventure.

  ”You can use one of the church vans,” Pastor Rodgers offered, “but where will you go?”

  ”We have to stop Red Fox and the Snaders from attacking Earth,” Josh said.

  ”And tell the world the Gudes want to help and the Snaders are evil,” Allison added.

  ”And get our parents back,” Flipper said.

  ”But first, all of you need to sleep.”

  They agreed.

  After their talk Owen walked the kids over to the Youth Center. Fox and Nicole sat on a couch talking to Dyson who was reclined in a chair. Alya was watching Jake and Chezlor play an intense game of foosball.

  Owen left and came back a few minutes later with the Office Manager, Elizabeth, who had run home to gather enough blankets and pillows for them. It was the middle of the afternoon so Pastor Rodgers hung blankets over the windows to block the sunlight.

  The pastor made sure they had everything they needed then he and Elizabeth left. There weren’t any beds in the Youth Center, but there were couches, chairs, and plenty of room for them to spread out. They were all so tired they quickly found spots to lie down, and talking almost ceased immediately the moment their heads hit the pillows.

  Allison lay quietly and listened. Within just a few minutes she could hear the slow, deep breaths of one person falling asleep after another.

  She thought everyone was asleep until she heard Nicole’s whispered voice. “How are you doing, Allison?”

  Allison took in a couple of deep breaths. “I’m afraid to go to sleep,” she admitted. “How does a Dreamer get a good night’s sleep? I always end up somewhere while I’m dreaming.”

  “I think the key is to focus your mind on sleeping,” Nicole said. “If you concentrate on emptying your mind you will have regular dreams.”

  “Okay,” Allison sighed. “I’ll try.”

  “It will be okay,” Nicole encouraged. “I know you can do this.”

  Allison smiled, slightly, then realized Nicole couldn’t see her and said, “Thanks.”

  “Good night, Allison.”

  “Good night, Nicole.”

  Even though Allison had gotten a little sleep the night before it hadn’t been much. Soon her exhaustion overtook her fear and she drifted off to sleep.

  In those last conscious moments before slumber arrived Allison tried to concentrate on sleeping, but all she could think about was President Charles and the underground Snaders.

  Chapter 23

  Across the landscape dozens of spaceships were parked orderly in rows. The sun was low and the air cold. Allison scanned the mass of bodies. The majority of them had bright red skin. She quickly ducked behind a tree to avoid being seen.

  This must be Camp David.

  The crowd swarmed toward a distant lake. Allison used the trees to remain hidden as she followed.

  As she neared the congregating group she saw several men quickly putting together a stage near the water. Speakers were stacked on the stage and scattered throughout the crowd.

  She overheard several of the Snaders talking. They were miffed that their invasion was called off. Red Fox said he had a better plan that involved the President, but they were not convinced.

  Finally the stage was complete and Allison saw a group walk toward it. They were humans, wearing dark suits. Must be Secret Service. When they arrived at the stage, President Charles and Red Fox walked onto the stage in between two men in dark suits.

  President Charles and Red Fox approached the podium while the two men stood ten feet behind. The two leaders stood side by side for a moment before Red fox stepped forward to address the hushed crowd.

  “Fellow Snaders, today is a great day! After decades of living in exile beneath the Earth’s surface, we are free!

  He paused, like he expected a loud applause. When he didn’t get it he looked miffed, but continued.

  “We left our homes to exact revenge on this planet. Revenge it well deserves. President Charles has shared with me the plan they have for taking over the planet—wiping away all human life. That plan began in effect yesterday when the Gudes were framed for the murders of all the major world leaders.

  “Today, the world finally knows of the existence of aliens, and blames the Gudes for this unexpected attack on the Earth. Soon, all will believe it is the Snaders who are here to help save their planet. In fact, it is the Snaders who are moving into the key positions of leadership and will control the decisions made to protect the people.

  “I know you’re skeptical. You look on stage and don’t see a President, you see a human. ‘Why would a human want to help the Snaders take over Earth and destroy all the humans?’ you ask. Let me tell you, she is not really a human. She is at her core a Snader, with Snader blood, bred and trained all her life for this moment.

  The crowd rumbled with chatter, and Allison could hear enough from those closest to her that they weren’t buying Red Fox’s story. Allison wasn’t sure she was either.

  “I know—many of you can’t believe you see me up on stage standing side by side with a non-Snader. You know me—I wouldn’t believe what I am saying if I was standing out there in your shoes listening. Let me show you the proof.”

  Red Fox stepped to the side of the podium. President Charles looked toward the back of the stage and gave a nod. The curtains in back parted and at least a hundred people walked forward and filled the stage behind President Charles and Red Fox.

  Half of the group were Snaders. The other half consisted of humans and persons with different amounts of the bright red skin, the same bright red skin the Snaders possessed. The crowd began to murmur.

  President Charles stepped to the podium for her turn.

  “What you see is the result of decades of careful planning and cross-breeding. Every person on this stage has Snader blood, including myself. Obviously, we have kept the pure Snaders hidden underground, as you have been. But the half-breeds have been busy infiltrating the American government and society, as well as many other countries.

  “We also have many Gude prisoners hidden away underground. It was some of them we used to frame the Gudes in the recent assassinations. Now, with myself and others in positions of power, we are poised with the trust of the humans to lead them in a direction that will ultimately be their undoing.”

  Finally, there was some applause.

  “I want to welcome you, Snaders who have been living beneath Roswell, to your new home—Earth. I understand Earth has been your home for over sixty years, but beginning today you no longer have to live below ground.

  President Charles turned to face the Snaders behind her.

  “And now that the world knows of the existence of Snaders, you no longer have to live in hiding either.”

  She turned back to face the sea of Snaders, raising her voice.

  “All Snaders will live above ground, wherever they want, and very soon Snaders will rule this planet!”

  The crowd erupted. The cheers were deafening for several minutes. President Charles patiently waited for the crowd to finish celebrating before continuing.

  Allison didn’t hear any more of the speech. Behind her, she heard a familiar voice. “Who are you little girl?”

  She turned and saw Fungus towering over her. She wanted to scream and run, but she reminded herself that he didn’t know who she was, so she needed to remain calm. She tried to think like Anabeth, not like someone who was spying on a foreign species invading her planet.

  “My mom and dad are up on stage. I was bored.”

  Fungus looked skeptical. “It looks like you are hiding.”

  “I am,” Allison said. “I
don’t want my brother to find me.”

  Allison wasn’t sure how her lie was going to go over. She took another look around while Fungus contemplated his options, and for the first time she noticed there were no other kids.

  Finally Fungus said, “Children shouldn’t be running around here. Come with me. I know Red Fox and President Charles. I’ll take you up to your parents.”

  Allison couldn’t tell if Fungus was too stupid to catch on to her deception, or so smart he was going to force her into a situation she would have to admit her lie.

  She followed him through the crowd toward the stage. She thought about making a run for it, but there was nowhere to go, so she stayed beside Fungus. She told herself to remember to ask Nicole how to wake herself up.

  They walked around to the side where several Secret Service men stood between them and the stage.

  Up close the men looked just like Allison had pictured them—dark suits, sunglasses, and scowls on their faces. She figured they couldn’t be happy, knowing that at any minute they may have to give their life trying to protect the President.

  The man that looked the least tense spoke. “Fungus, Sir, we cannot allow children on stage.”

  “Her parents are up there,” Fungus said.

  “I don’t think so,” the man said. “All the children are back at the underground facility. They weren’t allowed to come with their parents.”

  Another lie or two may have helped or delayed them from knowing she was up to something she shouldn’t be, but she panicked and started running toward the lake. She didn’t have a plan, which wouldn’t have mattered. She was probably more likely to see snow in Roswell in July than to escape from the Secret Service at Camp David.

  The dark suits captured her in seconds. They dragged her into a car, threw her in the back with three other guys in suits, and hauled her away. This wasn’t how Allison had imagined her first Limo ride.

  The Secret Service drug her into a building, taking her several stories underground. They locked her in a room by herself. She was thankful they didn’t chain her hands and feet together.

  A couple of hours later the door opened again. Four Secret Service men came into the room, two standing on each side of the door. President Charles and a Snader Allison didn't recognize entered. What made Allison so important that the President herself would visit?

  “I had to see for myself,” President Charles said. “I was told a young girl was running around Camp David unattended. My men have asked everyone here, but no one knows who you are. Do tell me how you got into one of the most secure facilities in the world?”

  Allison decided to shoot straight with her. “I just appeared.”

  The President crossed her arms and scowled at Allison. “Look little girl, you are in a lot of trouble, and you’re only going to make it worse by lying and being defiant.”

  Allison didn’t like the new President at all. She was mad at what the Snaders had done with the assassinations and framing the Gudes, and she was mad at their plan to take over the world. She decided to just let her have it.

  “We know what you’re doing and you’re not going to get away with it. You framed the Gudes for all the assassinations. You’re from Rex and were recently defeated on Vetrix by a kid from Earth. You were stopped there and we are going to stop you here.”

  President Charles looked shocked. Whatever she expected Allison to say, that clearly wasn’t it. “What do you know about Vetrix?”

  “I know the Snaders lost even though they thought they had the Gudes defeated. That’s exactly what is going to happen here on Earth.”

  President Charles laughed. “The faith of a child—so sincere, so simple, so misplaced.”

  The President turned and looked at her Snader companion. “Chili, arrange for her to accompany us on our trip to the Virginia mine tomorrow.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Chili said. The door slammed behind them leaving Allison alone in the cell.

  ***

  Flipper stepped outside and his body involuntarily shivered from the brisk evening air. His short-sleeved t-shirt did not provide much warmth. He didn't like wearing long sleeves so he suffered as long as he could when winter approached.

  The exhausted group had only been asleep a few hours. Flipper knew this was his best chance to get away without someone waking up and catching him. He was nervous about giving himself up, but he had to do what he could to save his dad. Besides, there was no reason they should all get captured when Finn and Damien came for him.

  The nearly full moon gave him a good view of the church and he was confident no one followed. He put several hundred yards between him and the church.

  He pulled out his phone and dialed seven-six-two-three-three-seven-seven-eight-five-three. After a couple of rings he heard the voice that he didn’t think he would ever be able to forget, even though he had only heard it twice.

  Finn answered. “Are you ready to give yourself up?”

  ”Only in exchange for my dad.”

  ”We'll bring him.”

  Flipper exhaled. “Where do you want me to meet you?”

  Chapter 24

  Eric couldn’t believe what he just witnessed. Dozens of spaceships landed at Camp David, with thousands of Snaders pouring out of them. He watched as President Charles addressed the group, then sat in on a private meeting between the President, Red Fox and several other Snader leaders.

  In the back of his van he uploaded his recorded audio of the President’s speech to the Snaders onto his website. Oh, how he wished he had video of what he just witnessed! But never mind, the audio would be enough to blow peoples’ minds.

  Once the audio was uploaded he sped back to Washington D.C. As he drove he thought about all he had seen and heard in the last twenty-four hours. He couldn’t wait for the other scientists to hear his audio. They would have to admit that he has been right all these years. He couldn't wait to rub it in their faces.

  After the speech he overheard the President tell Red Fox about the underground facility where aliens have been living and planning their takeover of the world. He had to be there when President Charles gave Red Fox a tour of the facility. If half of what she said was true, it would be even more amazing than what he had already witnessed.

  When he arrived at his home, he followed the driveway around to the back. He opened the gate with an automatic opener, then closed it behind him. Behind the house was a ten-foot privacy fence that enclosed three thousand square feet of asphalt pavement. He pressed another button on his opener and a small section of the pavement slowly dropped, creating a ramp.

  He drove his van down the ramp and closed it behind him. Inside his mini parking garage he had another van similar to the one he was driving except it was white. He had a twenty-year old pickup he used to haul supplies, and three nearly identical 1966 Mustang GT Convertibles. He also had spare parts lying around for use in his various experiments.

  He parked the van and hooked it up to a battery charger. Eric had used the same technology that ran his recorder to develop a special battery to run his vehicles. Once the battery was charged he could drive the van using fuel only as a backup. He could drive for two thousand miles, or forty-eight hours, whichever came first. He wanted to market the technology, but his boss was against it—told him the timing wasn’t right and to keep working on extending the life of the battery.

  He followed an underground tunnel until he reached the door to the basement of his house. He had the parking garage built about fifty yards away from the house so he could experiment with fuels and other toxic chemicals. He had a strong ventilation system and filters in the mini garage, plus he could open the roof if he needed.

  The first thing Eric did when he got back into the house was to check his e-mails. He was thrilled to see all of the responses to his recording—that is, until he read them. Most of the comments were negative, accusing him of forging the audio.

  “That doesn’t sound like President Charles.”

  “That is a
horrible impersonator.”

  “It’s those purple aliens that attacked us!”

  But he had proof. What more could they want? Surely some of them would see through the Snaders lies because of his audio.

  Oh well, he didn’t have time for them now. He had to prepare.

  Eric spent the next couple of hours gathering supplies and hauling them to his van. The distance from his house to the garage made sense when he worked with highly toxic chemicals, but at the moment it made for a lot of extra work. He knew he should appreciate the opportunity to get some exercise, but physical activity was extremely low on his interest list.

  With his van full, he did a final walk-thru to make sure he had everything he might need for the next few days. He fed the twenty mice he currently had on hand. He always kept mice for experiments, and sometimes kept other small animals in the house too. He knew it might be a while before he could return and there was a good chance the mice wouldn't survive. What a waste of good lab tools.

  Eric heard several vehicles screech to a stop outside his house. He pulled out his cell phone and looked at the feed from his outside security cameras. He saw several men in suits alight from the limousines. They all had weapons.

  He dove behind a stack of boxes containing lab supplies and fumbled in his pocket for the invisibility bracelet. He got it on just as the door burst open. His living room flooded with men. He removed his clothes just in time to be undetected when one of the Snaders took a peek behind the boxes.

  The men dispersed throughout the house. After hearing “Clear” shouted several times from different directions the men returned to the living room.

  Eric stood naked and invisible in his living room with seven men and two Snaders. They had the exits covered. He'd have to wait them out. He had made his way to an empty corner, as far away as he could get from the men, which only gave him about four feet of space.

  “No one here, Sir,” One of them men said to a Snader who appeared to be in charge.

  The Snader responded, “I just got word they are still trying to get his website shut down. Even if they do, there are probably so many copies of the audio by now it’s going to be virtually impossible to contain the information.”