by Scott Shoyer
There was a considerable amount of excitement on all the motherships as they looked at the Earth. They had searched so far and wide and for so long for a place exactly like Earth. Not only did the aliens eagerly anticipate getting off the spaceships on which they’d lived for so long, but they were also eager to meet the new versions of their species that the virus had created. These improved aliens would ensure the survival of their species for eons to come.
The aliens also knew, though, that without the contents of the vials, they would forever be trapped on their ships.
The tests the scout ship had conducted all those years ago showed that Earth was survivable, but there were many naturally occurring viruses and bacteria on the planet that would kill the aliens, with their weakened immune systems, within weeks.
The vials were as essential to their survival as the Earth itself was.
In three hours, the aliens would arrive on Earth and The Convergence would begin.
They were confident the mothership already on Earth would have the vials by then.
4
Entrance of Schoepke Springs
The man arrived at the entrance of Schoepke Springs just in time to see the creatures storm through the gate. There were thousands of these creatures, and they went through the main gate as well as ran around the large stone fence that enclosed the property.
Something was happening. The man felt it in his bones. These weren’t mindless creatures who ran around with no purpose. These highly intelligent creatures were doing something organized, as a group.
The man had no reason to believe that he was in any danger. From the time he’d absorbed the beam of light, the man was seemingly invulnerable to the creatures. They’d never come near him, and he didn’t see why they would start now.
He walked toward the gate as the remaining creatures entered the property.
This was definitely the right place. The man felt it in every bone in his body, in every fiber of his being. He still didn’t know why he was here and what he had to do, but he knew he was in the right place.
He walked through the gate and noticed the few creatures that saw him ran away.
He couldn’t be sure, but the man felt as though his purpose would soon be revealed.
5
West Interstate 79
Five Miles Outside Rockville, Texas
The remaining members of The Council of 36 traveled along the road that would take them to the safety of Schoepke Springs. Of the original thirty-six, there were only seventeen left. Many Council members had never made it to the safety of the Rockville bunker before the initial outbreak. Some just hadn’t believed the invasion would happen so quickly.
The surviving Council members were very happy with the work John Rickard had done. Rickard was the newest and youngest of The Council and had proven to be worth his weight in gold. Rickard had been the one to see through the innocent act of the visiting aliens and had, in fact, been the architect of their deal. He was a shrewd man who wasn’t afraid to make hard decisions, and the work he’d done at the facility at Schoepke Springs was nothing short of brilliant.
Rickard had used his government connections and ties in the intelligence community to work his way into the facility at Schoepke Springs. Once he’d gotten his foot in the door, he’d taken over the entire operation. The Council members knew that if it wasn’t for Rickard, they would all be as dead as the rest of the world.
When they’d gotten the call from Rickard to start heading toward Spicewood, the Rockville bunker had come alive with a new energy. The surviving Council members were about to begin the final leg of the journey toward the new world and their place in it.
Not that the bunker at Rockville had been anything to scoff at. It’d had all the luxuries of home and a similar layout to the bunker in Spicewood. The most spacious area had been the living quarters, followed by a large garage. This garage, though, hadn’t been full of sports cars, luxury cars, or armored vehicles.
In that garage had sat a single vehicle: a large bus reinforced to withstand many various conditions of the end of the world. The vehicle had a reinforced steel exterior, puncture-resistant tires, bulletproof glass, and looked like a miniature version of a Las Vegas hotel foyer on the inside. No matter the situation and no matter the cost, The Council of 36 refused to ever cut corners on comfort and luxury.
The seats were made of genuine pony skin—the softest leather money could buy. The leather was made from the skin of an unborn pony, whereby a miscarriage was induced in a pregnant horse and the pony inside killed in the fetal sac. Impossible to find anywhere in the U.S. and most of Europe, pony skin leather was illegal. But the influence of The Council and their pockets were deep.
There were two different bars in the bus, all stocked with only the most expensive alcohol, and the return air filter system was so strong that cigar smoke was whisked out of the bus as fast as it left the lungs of whomever smoked them.
The remaining seventeen members of The Council basked in the luxury of their surroundings with the satisfaction that they’d each earned their ticket to the new world that was about to be born. The sacrifices they had all made, the lives they had all given up. Most Council members had never taken a spouse because it was easier to leave everything behind when all you had to be concerned about was oneself.
The gravity of their deal with the aliens had never crossed their minds. Each Council member knew that anyone would make the exact same deal they did if given the chance. They sat in their ultra-soft seats, sipping their $156,760 per bottle 1858 Cuvée Léonie cognac, and smoking their $1,150 Gurkha Black Dragon cigars.
The remaining seventeen Council members were so involved and impressed with themselves that they didn’t notice the large mothership that hovered above them.
“Uh, Mr. Tenken!” the driver of the bus called out, “I think you should take a look at this!”
Mr. Tenken had come from a wealthy family that prided itself on being able to trace its lineage back to the Mayflower. The man had inherited his family’s wealth and taken over his father’s legacy. Tenken’s father had influenced presidents, kings, sultans, and other royalty for decades, and he smiled knowing the influence he held in The Council of 36 was something his father could’ve only dreamed of.
“What is it, James?” Tenken asked the driver as he walked toward the front of the bus.
James said nothing and just looked out the windshield.
Tenken laughed.
“Oh that?” Tenken asked. “That’s nothing to be worried about.” Tenken then turned to face the back of the bus. “Gentlemen, it seems our friends have sent us an escort to guide us back to Schoepke Springs.”
The remaining Council members laughed, drank their expensive cognac, and never saw the pulse of light that shot out of the bottom of the mothership and vaporized their bus.
Chapter Fourteen
1
Schoepke Springs Property
The fifty-caliber machine guns angrily barked and spit their venom. Cheryl and Stefan each took control of the large weapons and sprayed the aliens around them. Most of their shots hit the aliens in the torso, but once in a while, the gunners landed a lucky bullet in the creature’s head and eyes.
“Holy shit!” Cheryl screamed to no one in particular. “They’re all over the place!”
“And they just keep coming,” Stefan added.
“We gotta do something!” Steele yelled over the noise of the fifty caliber.
Josef threw the armored truck into reverse. The truck lurched back as the huge wheels rolled over the bodies of aliens around it. Josef drove the truck away from their destination of the garage entrance and disappeared down the path.
“Josef!” Wilder yelled over the vehicle’s communications. “Where the hell are you going you son of a bitch?”
“He… he just left us here?” Riker asked.
Before Wilder could answer, they heard the rumble of the other Wisent armored vehicle as it came down the path.
Josef was still behind the wheel and drove past the other truck and got in front of it. Before Josef’s truck stopped, they all heard the roar of the fifty-caliber machine guns bark back to life.
“I’ll be damned,” Wilder said to no one in particular. “He backs the truck up so the fifties could clear a path for us to the garage.” Then Wilder spoke into the comms. “Josef, you old fox. Remind me to kiss you when I see you.”
“Let’s not celebrate quite yet,” Josef said. “We’re still pinned down here pretty good, but I figured we may as well try and clear a path back to the garage.”
“Keep at it,” Wilder said.
Not able to sit still any longer, Steele grabbed his automatic shotgun with the drum magazine and without hesitating, opened the hatch on the roof above him. He jumped onto the roof and was immediately greeted by two aliens. He shot each creature point blank in the chests, with two rounds from the weapon, and watched as they were thrown off the top of the truck.
“Are they all fucking crazy in that truck?” Riker asked as he watched Steele emerge on the top of the truck.
“Pretty much,” said Wilder. “It is what’s kept us alive all this time.”
“Josef,” Wilder yelled into the mouthpiece, “you still have the detonator to blow the entire facility, right?”
“Of course,” Josef responded.
“Can you blow sections of the facility up individually, or is it just one big fireworks display?” Wilder asked.
Josef smiled as he realized what Wilder was thinking. “I can blow it all up together or in sections,” Josef said, “and I think I know where you’re going with this.”
“At least one of us does,” Wilder yelled back. “I’m just making this shit up as we go. We’re going to make our way to you. Over.”
As the conversation ended, Josef saw Steele’s hand reaching in the cab as it searched for another drum magazine. Josef grabbed it and handed it to the man.
Josef took a deep breath and knew Steele needed back up. He grabbed the M4 carbine he took from the armory and prepared himself to join the battle. He already wore the tactical vest that Wilder gave him. The pockets were full of back-up magazines and a combat-grade machete. In the pocket by his chest was the detonator. He looked forward to using it.
“Okay, everyone!” Wilder yelled. “We need to join the others in the truck in front of us. If you get a clear shot at their eyes, take it, but otherwise the goal is to keep those fuckers back. We need to cut a path back to the facility and get to the garage.”
Everyone nodded and checked their weapons.
“What’s the plan?” Teagan asked.
“We climb through here,” Wilder said as he began to unlock the hatch to the roof. “We pair up and fight back-to-back and make sure none of those bastards sneaks up behind any of us.”
Wilder slapped a full magazine into his AK-47 and continued. “The teams will be Riker and Jennie, Howard and Teagan, and myself and Kimberly. Remember: stand back-to-back and don’t let anything that’s not human on top of the vehicles.”
Wilder climbed through the hatch first. The others heard the loud noise from his weapon and saw aliens rain down around the truck. Wilder appeared at the hatch and reached down.
“Hurry, hurry!” Wilder yelled.
Teagan grabbed Wilder’s hand and quickly climbed through the hatch. She protected Wilder’s back with cover fire as he helped the others through the hatch.
“Okay,” Wilder said as he kicked an alien in the face as it attempted to scale the side of the armored vehicle. “Let’s pair up and start making our way to the other truck.”
Riker and Jennie stood with their backs pressed together and shot anything that moved. They slowly made their way down the length of the vehicle. Riker timed it so they both didn’t run out of ammo at the same time.
“Nice shooting!” Riker yelled to Jennie. “Keep doing the controlled bursts.” One of the alien’s clawed hands landed next to Riker’s boot. It pulled itself up and Riker shot it twice through the left eye.
Jennie slapped a full magazine into her carbine just as an alien jumped on the roof of the vehicle from a nearby tree. She raised the gun and pulled the trigger and watched as the first bullet tore into the creature’s chest. When she pulled the trigger again, nothing happened.
Her gun had jammed.
Jennie stood there and looked at the creature as time seemed to stop.
Riker heard Jennie’s gun jam and started to turn around, but he was too slow. Jennie may have frozen at the situation, but the alien took advantage of Jennie’s hesitation and ran to her.
The alien reached her in two steps and punched its clawed fist through Jennie’s chest.
The alien removed its fist, wrapped one claw around her throat, and used its other clawed hand to pick her up by the crotch. She felt its claws tear into her throat and through the fabric of her pants as it lifted her up. The creature clenched its hand around her throat until her mouth bubbled with blood.
Riker swung around and shot the alien underneath the chin four times with the Sig Sauer. The creature threw the dead body of Jennie at him as it fell off the roof of the armored vehicle. Her body landed at Riker’s feet, her dead eyes looking up to him as if asking why he hadn’t helped her.
Two more aliens appeared on the top of the truck and Riker raced toward them.
*
Wilder and Kimberly pressed hard against each other’s backs and blew away one alien after another. The loud noise from Wilder’s AK-47 was music to her ears. As long as she heard it, she knew Wilder was still behind her.
An alien jumped out of a nearby tree and landed on the roof in front of Kimberly. She aimed the shotgun at its head and shot the alien in the face. She hoped enough of the buckshot had found its way into its eyes and killed it. The alien fell back over the edge of the bus.
“I need to reload!” Kimberly shouted over her shoulder to Wilder. She stopped moving and loaded the shotgun shells into the weapon. She fumbled with the last shell in her hand as she saw the clawed hand of an alien grab onto the side of the truck and pull itself up. The adrenaline in her system prevented her from being able to steady her hands. As she looked down at the shotgun, she felt a hand press down on her neck. Kimberly closed her eyes and prayed for a fast death, but instead heard the roar from Wilder’s gun.
The hand that’d pushed her down belonged to Wilder, and as she fell to the roof of the truck, she saw the alien’s clawed hand explode. The alien fell, but was instantly replaced with two more creatures. Wilder continued to shoot at the aliens in front of him, but didn’t hear the creature that approached him from behind.
“Wilder!” Kimberly shouted. “Six o’clock!”
Wilder turned with the speed of the alien that was coming after him. The creature swiped its claws across his chest and instantly drew blood. Wilder’s tactical vest hung off one shoulder and pulled him off balance. Before he could steady himself, Kimberly shot at the alien and its head exploded.
“Thanks!” Wilder yelled over. “Nice shooting!”
“Right back at you!” Kimberly said as she replaced the spent cartridges with new shells. “Are you okay?”
Wilder looked down at the blood-soaked shirt and pulled it away from his chest. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “The bleeding has already stopping.”
Wilder looked towards the front of the truck. Howard and Teagan were surrounded. Howard’s hands shook and he couldn’t get any accuracy with his gun. Teagan shot at the creatures around her with short bursts, but every time she blasted an alien from the roof, it seemed like two more replaced it.
“Start making your way towards us!” Wilder shouted to Teagan.
*
“Howard, I know you’re scared,” Teagan said, “we all are, but I need you to start making your way down to the others.”
Howard nodded and fired the carbine at the nearest creature, missing it by a good six inches.
“I need you to focus, Ho
ward,” Teagan said more sternly. “Focus on the aliens in front of us. I want you to breathe out every time you pull the trigger. Do you hear me, Howard?”
“Yeah, yeah! I hear ya!” Howard yelled as he again missed the alien in front of him.
“Then do it!” Teagan shouted. She knew he was scared and had no military or any kind of combat training, but if she didn’t get him to listen to her, they would both be dead in seconds.
Howard looked as though he’d just been slapped, but took Teagan’s words to heart. He aimed the carbine at the nearest creature and breathed out as he pulled the trigger. The round hit the alien in the center of the chest. He fired twice more and knocked the alien backward.
“I got it!” Howard yelled. “I got it!”
“Keep shooting,” was all Teagan could say.
She looked down the length of the armored vehicle and saw Riker was about to jump onto the roof of the other vehicle. The fifty-caliber guns were only quiet long enough to reload with a fresh belts of ammo.
Howard moved down the truck at a quicker pace, and when Teagan went to take a step, an alien reached through the hatch and grabbed her around the ankle. Teagan fell and hit her head against the armored roof. She almost blacked out, but knew if she did, that she’d never wake up again.
Howard was focused on getting to the other end of the truck and hadn’t realized she had fallen. She forced herself to look at the hatch and saw the alien pulling itself through. It grabbed her around the thigh and its claws dug into the meat of her leg.
Teagan screamed in pain as she felt the thing’s claws scrape across the bone.
Howard looked back when he heard her scream and aimed the rifle at the alien.
“No!” screamed Riker as he ran down the length of the truck toward Teagan. “Lower your rifle… you’ll shoot her.” Riker grabbed the Beretta from the holster on his hip and shot at the alien as it continued to claw Teagan.
Teagan clung to consciousness as she watched Riker empty the magazine into the alien’s chest. He then threw the gun at it and grabbed his Sig Sauer and held it like a baseball bat. He slammed the butt of the rifle into the side of the creature’s head. The alien fell back down into the cab of the Wisent armored vehicle.
