Earth: Population 2 (Paradise Lost Book 1)

by Aubrie Dionne

  The one on top of the pickup moved forward. I sparked the lighter and touched it to the trickle of gas. The fire spread quickly, and a wall of hot air rose, pushing me back against the building. Flames erupted, and the dark night turned orange red.

  Both Sparkies caught fire, writhing as the flames engulfed their bodies. Coughing, I forced myself up. The sickly sweet smell of burnt flesh gagged me. I scurried around the corner of the building as an explosion shoved me to my feet. I tasted salt and sand in my mouth. Numb and disoriented, I lifted my head. Flames roared behind me, their warmth spreading over my body. Sparkies ran across the yard to the fire.

  Got to get to Gale.

  I dragged myself up and ran toward the ship, staying close to the building to avoid calling any attention to myself. It was easy. The fire had drawn all the Sparkies just like Gale had said.

  The ship sat at the back between two large piles of sand and salt. The front reminded me of a hornet’s face with an oval window on either side of a silver panel. Two thin wings stuck out in a vee.

  Relief poured through me at Gale’s face in one of the windows.

  I ran around to the other side, where the door hovered open.

  Gale sat at the controls, looking very confused, which didn’t bode well.

  I cleared my throat. “How’s that for a distraction?”

  “Get inside!” Gale waved violently. “They’ll be coming back.”

  I slid into the seat, feeling like a grown-up sitting in a Barbie car. The Sparkies were smaller than us, so it would make sense they’d have miniature equipment. Still, squeezing in wasn’t doing much for my self-esteem. Especially when my butt hung over both sides of the seat.

  “A simple thanks would do.” I pulled the door down, and it clicked into place seamlessly with the floor, like an eggshell. I glanced at the controls, and I realized why Gale had freaked out. A complicated control panel with all sorts of strange chicken scratch writing and blue, red, and green lights blinked and flashed.

  Gale ran both hands through his hair, and it stuck up around his panicked face. “I’m not even sure how to turn it on.”

  I touched the smooth surface. “Maybe we should just start pressing things until something works.”

  “I’ve already tried that.” Gale flicked his hand over the controls. “Nothing happens.” He glanced up and his face fell. “Oh no, looks like they’ve picked up on our plan.”

  I didn’t want to look, but I did anyway. A line of Sparkies approached from the fire with slow determination. Their black eyes narrowed. They were pissed.

  No, no, no. Desperation ate away at my nerves. We’d come so far for it to end like this, so close to our goal.

  My hands smoothed over the controls and I started pressing everything I could. Next to my left leg, I located an indent the same size as the rock from the asteroid.

  “That’s it!” I scanned the inside of the ship and found my backpack by Gale’s seat.

  “What’s it?”

  I started pulling everything out and got to the sock at the bottom. Santa’s head smiled back at me with a hole in his red hat where my big toe had poked through. A coworker had given it to my mom before the accident forced her to quit. “The rock.”

  I brought it to the panel and moved the rock around until the shape fit. The writing on the surface lit up with blue energy, and the engines hummed around us like giant microwaves cooking popcorn.

  Gale reached over and cupped my face in his hand. I thought he might kiss me again but, unfortunately, we didn’t have time. “You did it!”

  He turned back to the controls and started pushing buttons. A panel opened by our feet, and a stick rose from the floor. “This must be the altitude control. And here’s the throttle.”

  The Sparkies surrounded us. Footsteps thumped over my head as one of them jumped on the roof. “Just get us off the ground.”

  Another Sparkie stared into the window, its face inches from my own. “Now!”

  “I think this will do it.” Gale pulled back on the stick and, with a jerk, we rose.

  A few Sparkies still clung to the sides. The one on the other side of my window hissed, its spittle leaving gooey marks on the glass.

  “Get us out of here!”

  Gale searched the controls then pressed a blue line and dragged it toward him. The ship flew backward, sending us sprawling against the windows. My forehead would have a red welt in the morning, but at least we’d lost the Sparkies.

  “Whoops. Guess it’s the other way around.” Gale laughed as he climbed back in his seat. He pushed the line away from him, and we darted forward.

  “Glad one of us is having fun.” I held onto the edges of the seat, wishing these so-called intelligent life forms had enough sense for seat belts.

  We glided in the air, and my stomach somersaulted with each dip in speed. “Can you fly it any smoother?”

  Gale widened his eyes in exasperation. “We’re lucky I can fly this at all.”

  “It’s not like a Cessna, I take it?”

  “Not at all.” Gale pressed a button, and we jerked to the right. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay.” As long as I didn’t lose my dinner. Puking in front of Gale would be more than embarrassing. Especially after he’d just kissed me.

  A beeping alarm went off, and two dots appeared on a chart above our heads.

  “Hold on.” Gale flicked his hands over the controls.

  “Why?” I tightened my grip on the seat.

  “Because we’re being followed.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  HIDE AND SEEK

  I watched the blinking dots move closer to our dot on the screen. “Do something!”

  “I’m trying.” Gale played with the controls. “It’s not like Star Trek where the captain says evasive maneuvers and the ship magically flies away.”

  We dipped then shot up. The world disappeared into blackness and stars as I felt the skin on my cheeks pulling back into a mini facelift. Gale pressed the blue line forward, and we jolted ahead.

  I clutched my stomach. “Wow, that’s some maneuvering.”

  “Maybe I’ll get a call to be on the next Trek movie.” He winked.

  He’d make a pretty handsome captain. “That’ll boost your career.”

  He rolled his eyes. “For sure.”

  We sped ahead, but the dots still hung on our tail. I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask, but I did. “Can you go any faster?”

  “No. I think we’re at the highest speed, which is why they can match us but not gain.” Gale swerved right and left. “I can’t shake them.”

  I moved to the edge and stared down at the houses. It looked like some miniature city in a hobby shop. I remembered how I’d backtracked through my town to lose the Sparkies on my tail. I knew I’d regret this. “Go down into the city, take cover between some buildings, and make a few surprise turns.”

  “I’m not sure I can handle the controls that delicately.”

  I had full faith in him. He’d gotten us this far. How many people could actually fly an alien ship with no training? He was doing freaking awesome. “It’s either that or fly around until we run out of fuel.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “You can do it.”

  “Okay.” Gale pressed a few panels and we dove.

  I never thought I’d get to see Boston, never mind fly through the streets in an alien craft. Gale whizzed over one of the main highways into the city. The buildings rose on either side.

  I checked the screen. The ships had followed us, blinking like two reminders I didn’t want to have.

  “Hold on.” Gale turned down an alleyway. We took a hard right onto a wide avenue with cars parked on either side. The glass buildings around us reflected the ship’s blue lights.

  “Turn off the lights.”

  “Then I won’t be able to see.” Gale swerved onto a side street. Both ships followed with ease.

  I thought of all the places in Boston I’d seen on TV. The Prudential building, the ship yard, Southie,
Boston Garden. Then, the bridge came to mind.

  “Go north.” I pointed out the dashboard.

  “Why?”

  “I have something in mind.”

  Gale barreled his way through the city until the bridge with all the crisscrossing patterns came into view. “There!” I jabbed my finger ahead. “Quickly, before the ships see us. Go down into the tunnel and shut off the lights.”

  Gale flew under scaffolding and over a large truck. He slowed down as we neared the bridge then dove. Hovering over the street, between two trucks, he scanned the controls. “I’m not sure how to turn off the lights.”

  We glowed like a beacon in the darkness. We had seconds, if that, before the ships flew by. They may have already spotted us. I yanked the rock from the control panel, and the ship fell to the ground with a clack.

  “Whoa!” Gale looked at me in surprise. “That’s one way to shut off the lights.”

  “Let’s hope it works.” The rock felt warm against my palm.

  A dim blue light emanated from inside the ship, leaving me enough light to see my hands in front of me. At least we didn’t have to sit in pitch black. Hopefully, it wasn’t strong enough to attract attention.

  We waited in silence. I had the urge to bite my nails, but I tightened my fists instead. I realized I held my breath, and breathed in and out slowly, hearing my pulse throb in my head.

  Gale reached over and took my hand. I squeezed his, drawing strength from his touch.

  Several minutes passed. Gale whispered, “I think we lost them.”

  “Maybe we should stay here the rest of the night, just in case.”

  “I planned on it.” His stomach gurgled. “You don’t happen to have any food in your backpack of wonders, do you?”

  “As a matter of fact….” I dug through all the junk and handed him a granola bar. I took another one for myself. Dawn approached, and I hadn’t eaten all of my SpaghettiOs again.

  Gale ripped it open and stuffed his mouth. “You never cease to surprise me, Julie.”

  I looked away as my cheeks burned. “Working at the grocery store, I think about food a lot.”

  “You think about a lot of things. I mean, I never would have thought to come here. Or to ‘commandeer’ one of these ships.”

  I laughed, a little nervous he’d picked up on the fact I’d used Jay Dovetail’s favorite word. But, he didn’t say anything.

  Gale climbed down from his seat and crawled to the back of the ship where storage containers lined the walls. “Think I’ll get a little shut-eye.”

  “Oh, okay.” I sat in my seat, playing with the granola wrapper in my lap. What do I do? Where should I go? I guess I’d stay here and keep watch. But my head already sagged. I yawned. How could I sleep in a chair meant for a small, boney butt?

  “Want to join me?”

  I froze. What was he asking? To sleep together in the back of the ship? When I thought about it, us sleeping next to each other here wasn’t much different than sleeping in the living room together. Although, this ship was much smaller, and, with those containers on either side, there wouldn’t be much room in between us.

  Goose bumps had formed on my arms and legs. This would be one long, cold night sitting in the copilot’s seat.

  What was I afraid of? We weren’t dating. He wasn’t asking to have sex. The truth was, I could trust him, but I couldn’t trust myself.

  I shook my head. “One of us should keep watch.”

  “Nah.” Gale waved his hand. “We’re deep enough in the tunnel. Besides, I’ve activated the motion detectors. The ship will let us know if anyone comes close.”

  I frowned skeptically. “You figured out how to do that?”

  He smiled, but it was sad. “You have so little faith in me.”

  Was he alluding to something else besides the controls? That I didn’t trust him to sleep beside me? A certainty rose up inside me, spreading over my arms and legs. I trusted him with my life, and if that wasn’t enough, my heart as well.

  “All right.” I climbed down and crawled in back. I lay on my side, facing him. Only a few inches separated us. My pulse quickened. I had to pinch myself to make sure this was all still real.

  He touched my face. “You’re cold. Come here.” He brought his arm around me and pulled me close to him.

  I melted into his embrace, smelling his now-familiar heady scent. My head rested perfectly on his shoulder. I would have felt complete, except that Mom was still out there missing along with everyone else in the world.

  I listened to his heartbeat and the sound of his breathing. “Who do you miss the most?”

  Gale sighed. “You really want to know?”

  I tensed. Why? Did he have a girlfriend he hadn’t mentioned? Maybe I shouldn’t have been jealous before, but, after that kiss, after being in his arms, I couldn’t help myself. He began to feel more and more like mine. “Yes, I want to know.”

  “Missy.”

  I pulled away. “Who’s Missy?”

  Gale smirked. “Is that jealousy in your eyes?”

  “No,” I lied, looking away. Despite my better judgment, anger sparked inside me. “Maybe you should have told me about her before. I had no idea—” I moved away to stand. No way was I sleeping with him in the back. I wasn’t some home-wrecking, boyfriend-stealing floozy.

  Gale grabbed my arm. “Missy’s my German Shepherd.”

  His words sank in, and relief hit me. I’d been hoodwinked. “You asswipe!” I hit him, trying to get away, but he wouldn’t let me go.

  “Come on, Julie. I didn’t mean to upset you.” As serious as he sounded, Gale couldn’t seem to wipe the smirk off his face.

  “You wanted to see if I got jealous. That’s what you wanted.” I yanked my hand away.

  We fought for a while, pulling and pushing against each other, and then settled down with laughter. He pulled me close again.

  For a moment, I’d forgotten where we were, but reality snuck back in as I watched the lights blink in the cockpit. “Do you think we’ll find them?”

  Gale smoothed my hair over my ear and nuzzled my cheek. “With you, anything’s possible.”

  July 7, 2013, 10:05 a.m.

  Day 13

  I woke up to dim sunlight trickling through the front windows of the alien ship. I’d fallen asleep in Gale’s arms. It had been the most peaceful, comforting rest I’ve ever had. Gale still slept, his chin resting in my hair. I didn’t want to break the moment, but we needed to get back to the producer’s home where the electric fence kept us safe.

  “Gale.” I pulled myself up into a sitting position. “Time to go.”

  “W-what?” He never woke up well, and I found his grogginess lovable. Jay Dovetail sprang awake with his sword in hand. Guess that’s why they call it movie magic.

  “We have to get back before they find us.”

  He rubbed his eyes, looking around the ship as if he didn’t remember. “Right. What time is it?”

  I checked my watch. “Ten o’clock. We slept in.”

  “We sure did.” He pulled himself up. “Guess this alien ship is more comfortable than it looks.” He winked at me and climbed into the pilot’s seat. “Still have that rock?”

  “You bet.” Trying to act all normal about how we’d just cuddled together all night, I dug in my backpack for the rock. I climbed into my seat and stuck it in the control panel. The ship hummed to life.

  Gale smiled with amusement. “So you didn’t break it.”

  “Break it? I saved our butts.”

  He chuckled, reminding me of when Jay Dovetail pulled a prank on Ironleg, his first mate. “Calm down, Julie. It was just a joke.”

  He pressed something on the panel, and the stick came up from the floor. I tightened my grip on the seat. Here we go again…I was never a big fan of roller coasters, Turkish Twists, or even merry-go-rounds that went above five miles an hour.

  He pulled the control back, and the ship teetered back and forth as it hovered off the ground.

&nb
sp; “Let’s see if I can remember how to fly this thing.”

  I opened my mouth to remind him he’d just flown it last night, and I stopped in my tracks. He was joking again, and I wasn’t falling for the bait this time. “Take us away, Captain.”

  Gale raised his eyebrows at my own attempt at humor and pressed the blue light forward.

  We surged ahead, dodging the other cars in the tunnel. Sparks flew as he nicked the left wing on the side. I held on tighter. “Watch out!”

  “Hey, I’m trying my best. It’s not like I actually passed out of flight school.” In a few seconds, the sun shone down on us, and the waters of the bay glimmered on our right. If it wasn’t for the wreck of cars on the road and Gale’s precarious flight techniques, I could pretend we were taking a joy ride of the big city.

  I watched the tall buildings shimmer in all their glory. A wave of melancholy hit me as I thought of everything humanity had achieved, just to be wiped out by some electromagnetic mass annihilation. And for what? So the Sparkies could harvest the ocean?

  I turned around and looked at the shiny storage containers in the back. “What do you suppose is in those?”

  Gale shrugged. “One thing’s for sure. When we get back, we’re opening them.”

  We landed on the cultured lawn right in front of the statue of Michelangelo’s David with his manly nakedness right at eye level. I tried not to stare. Why a naked statue made me uncomfortable in Gale’s presence, I had no idea.

  We opened the hatches and the cool morning air smelled so fresh after being in that small ship all night. I stepped onto the lawn and breathed, spreading my arms to the sun.

  “I’d say it’s a step up from the Jaguar, wouldn’t you?” Gale rolled one of the storage containers on the lawn.

  “You sure you want to open that? I mean, it could have hazardous waste, or acid.”

  Gale raised an eyebrow. “Or it could give us a clue about who we’re dealing with.”

  If I could learn any more about saving Mom, then the risk was worth it. “All right.”

  I helped Gale unfasten small latches around the lid. Gale pried the top off, and he fell back with the force. I caught him and helped him stay upright as he dropped the lid on the ground. We’d backed away too far to see inside.