Invasion Earth

by David Tienter

  As the fight continued, Rick felt a change in the chemistry of his body. He had been wet and cold, but now a heat burned rough in his chest. Predatory instincts surged through his veins. Before, he had tried to escape or kill the Tonkian cleanly. Now he lowered his head and bit the wildly writhing beast’s throat, ripping out a large chunk of flesh. Rick was surprised by his own strength. He drew his knees up on the creature’s chest and leaned backwards, putting tension on the alien’s arms. Tightening his grip, he began to jerk hard on the Tonkian’s arms. He could feel muscles and tendons begin to tear. The brush of the alien’s breath and the keening of its pain excited him in ways he had not foreseen. He jerked hard on the left arm and felt it break. Standing upright, still holding its right arm, he swung in a half-circle and smashed its head against a tree. Again, he swung and smashed it against the tree. The creature’s body felt mushy, as if he had broken every bone in its body. He pulled his knife then and cut deep into its chest, severing its nerve/spinal center.

  He looked about savagely, trying to find another victim. Rick could feel his heart ready to explode in his chest. Standing several yards away from him, Sic seemed to sense the change in his master. Never had Rick realized the blood lust that lived deep within him. The excitement of battle surged through his veins. He forced himself to sit quietly, waiting for the predatory rush to subside. He watched the body of the Tonkian, astounded at his ability to wreak that much destruction on a living being. He had killed many animals before while hunting, but never in a close-up battle like today.

  Sic gradually relaxed his wariness of Rick and approached him in a submission stance.

  Unwilling to show his family the body of the Tonkian he had ravaged, he hoisted the body of the first Tonkian over his shoulder and returned to the cabin to introduce everyone to their new enemy. The rain had stopped, surprising him, since he’d forgotten it during his blood rush.

  The family gathered around the dead Tonkian. The difference between them was small but distinct. Tonkians had ridged claws on the end of their arms, whereas the half-breed children had fingers. The Tonkian had taloned feet meant to eviscerate enemies; the children had toes. The Tonkian was several feet taller and more than one hundred pounds heavier. This study of the dead body was interesting. Responding to a genetic demand, Rick’s sisters pulled out knives and began to feed on the dead Tonkian.

  Trist put his arm over Rick’s shoulders and drew him outside to talk.

  In the lee of the house, Trist asked him about the fight. He had seen the pale-colored blood on Rick’s clothing and could feel the difference in his son.

  “A second one attacked me, Dad. With Sic’s help, I killed it. It looked so large, I was sure I was dead, but surprisingly, I’m stronger than it was. Maybe it was the adrenalin in me, but I tore one of its arms off and beat the body to pulp against the tree trunk. I didn’t know I could be that brutal.”

  “You’re a predator, son. It’s your heritage. Don’t let it frighten you. Use it when you must, but learn to control it. Are you okay?”

  “Yes, just a little surprised at what lies within me. I really want to go out and hunt down another Tonkian, and this time only take a knife.”

  Trist knew Rick was a warrior born.

  Late in the night, Trist and the late-shift watch began to hear strange noises approaching the cabin. Rick’s encounter with aliens within three miles of the cabin had the caused the family to initiate a twenty-four hour watch.

  Trist had slept restlessly and risen to talk to Susan, the late watch. He had always felt close to Susan, as her personality was similar to Izixebi’s. The forest noises approaching the cabin had spooked her a little, but Trist reassured her. “Its Sam and George. Look at how calm the coyotes are.” The animals had stood, looked into the dark, and lay calmly back down, ignoring the noise.

  “Can’t imagine why they’re making so much noise,“ said Trist.

  “Sounds like they’re bringing in elephants. George was probably feeling a little hungry,” said Susan.

  “Coming in,” Sam sang out. “It’s just us coming back from town.”

  They pushed several logs out of the way and led the horses into the campsite.

  Lifting their stiff front legs with little jumps and huffing at the coyotes, the Morgans refused to settle down, until Sam led them into a corner of the yard away from the pups. Once they were alone and comforting each other, they quieted down.

  “The lights are out in town,” said George. “No vehicles are running, people are out walking the roads, everyone is puzzled, and with no cars or trucks running, they’re all short on supplies, and of course, there are no newspapers. They say it’s the worst calamity to ever hit the area.”

  “We ran into a hostile band of Tonkians in town. They were using bows and arrows. There were a lot of rocks flying past us so they might have slings, or they can throw really far. We figure they’ve infiltrated most of the towns near us. Rumors are swirling of Army battles in Texas and California, but no one seemed to be able to confirm that.”

  “Rick killed two aliens a couple of miles east of here,” said Trist. “With them getting this close, we can’t stay here much longer. Now that I have you two back, we need to make plans. By the way, what’s with the horses? ”

  “We found them abandon on the road. They were hitched to a wagon with no one around. They were thirsty and hungry, so we fed them, and brought them along.”

  The next morning, there was a late breakfast, table loaded with food and coffee.

  “War council this morning,” announced Trist. “Today, we will make plans that will affect our lives. I believe our home site has or will be discovered soon. Decisions on our future must be made today. You’ve all noticed there are only eleven of us now. Mary and Ernie left early to begin their new life together. We will miss them, worry about them, and wish them the best in the struggle ahead.” He let out a long “but,” that ended in a sigh, “we have decisions to make on our own lives. You will all have an equal say.”

  They all spoke. Every plan was hammered into strange shapes and there were grim moments. It seemed at times there were nothing but bad choices. By early morning, they left the home site forever.

  RETURN TO DUVAL

  Jake had three good friends. All were neighbors living on the same block. They had known each other for more than twenty years and they’d helped each other over the years. Their children had been friends, had graduated, and moved. All were widowers, a sorrow shared still remained a sorrow, but it strengthened their bond. All four had continued with their daily hunt for the aliens. They usually picked up three or four more townsmen to help with the sweeps and several teenagers blowing trumpets, each day.

  The sweeps produced less than they would have liked, but they consoled themselves every evening with the thought that many had been cleaned from their town and that made everyone safer. Each evening they had a few short libations before they returned to their abodes before full dark to lock themselves in and keep watch with a growing fear. In a big country like this, five to ten defenders stood little chance at winning against an invader. They needed help. Where were the government peace-keepers? Would they arrive before the town simply disappeared?

  Jake understood the dilemma. Safe today meant nothing for tomorrow. Dwindling supplies and lack of reinforcements would be their death knell. He doubted he could convince the town to move to a higher populated area. Seattle must have more supplies and help. Should they attempt the trip, or would they be caught out in the open and wiped out?

  Seated in his recliner with a shotgun across his lap this night, he heard rustling, unsettling noises outside. He walked over to open his shutters. The bright moon-light poured heavily on the backs of animals crowding his back yard. His heart began to race with fear. He relaxed a little when he saw they were deer. He picked up his shotgun and stepped out on the patio. The animals looked at him with curious glances, but didn’t run; they were huddled close, almost as if they gained comfort in their number
s and his presence. They could appear to you as what you expect to see and they would seem harmless, he remembered Sam telling him. Still, he couldn’t force himself to lock his door again. They were probably just deer, but why take the chance? He watched for several long minutes as the deer milled close against his house, breathing rapidly as if they had been chased. They turned as one, looked to the east corner of the yard, and were suddenly gone, following a large buck who raced away at top speed.

  Nothing good is going to happen now, Jake thought as he closed his blinds and sat back in his chair. His gun was fully loaded, and he had two boxes of slugs ready. Well, hell’s bells, no one ever lived forever. He still wished Molly was here. Her death two years before from pancreatic cancer was still difficult to think about. This was a terrible time to be so alone.

  A crashing noise at his window brought him to his feet. A brick lay on his floor amongst the sparkling shattered glass.

  He jumped behind his couch and aimed the shot-gun at the broken window as rocks and arrows began to sail into the room.

  A Tonkian looked into the window long enough for Jake to pull the trigger and the smashed head sailed backward out of view.

  He heard another shotgun blast from outside and off to his left. Dave, they must be attacking Dave also. More gunfire erupted outside, and he went out to his yard to join his neighbors in beating back a band of at least twenty Tonkians.

  Dave, Ted, and Joe stood side by side with him, cutting hard into the numbers of the aliens, but they were fast and much ammo was burned.

  Joe went down hard with a long arrow buried deep in his chest, and the three remaining defenders retreated to Jake’s house, still firing as fast as they could find a target.

  “Moonlight’s hard to shoot by,” said Jake. “Let’s see them try to get in here.”

  He turned his lantern on high and watched the windows with his friends. Shit, he thought, at least I won’t die alone. Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned to see Joe walk into the room from the kitchen.

  “Help me,” he said. “I have a pain, help me.”

  The arrow remained deep in his chest, his face was stark white, and his eyes were unfocused. He walked slowly but steadily at Jake. His hands seemed to pull at the arrow, reaching out to grasp the end of the shaft. He was within two yards of Jake when a shotgun roared and Joe fell to the floor. They could see it was actually a Tonkian.

  “Bastards are getting smart at trying to fool us,” said Ted. “I knew Joe was dead and it couldn’t really have been him.”

  “Get that door secured!” Jake shouted, rushing to shut the kitchen opening.

  Suddenly, it went all quiet. No arrows, no rocks, no movement. They must be getting ready to rush us, thought Jake. Into the stillness came loud blasts of whistles. A flurry of actively pushed its way across his yard and porch.

  Then stillness. The three men stood as terror filled them and they breathed deeply trying to dispel the dread that gripped them.

  A knock on the door.

  “Jake? Jake, you okay?” came a voice. “This is Sam. I think we have them all dead out here.”

  Dave went to open the door, but Jake grabbed him.

  “Where you from, Sam?”

  “Me and George are from up the road at Tindale. We’re the Keister brothers. The ones who killed the counter lady. We brought back your shotguns.”

  “Okay, okay,” Jake said and opened the door. “Come on in.”

  Sam and George entered with two young girls.

  “Nice to see you, Jake. Meet my two sisters, Susan and Jinjer. Hope you don’t mind the dogs. They’ll warn us if there is something alive out there.”

  “Always nice to meet two lovely young ladies, and I love your dogs.”

  “We can talk. Got some things to plan with you,” said Sam.

  “Talk all you want, crappola, you saved our bacon. Hey, you hungry? How about we get some sandwiches and coffee? Can’t remember ever being so hungry. Do you remember my neighbors, Dave and Ted?”

  “I’m a little hungry,” said Sam, “but I’m thinking steak. How about the rest of you?”

  “Hell yeah,” replied Dave. “Steak for me.”

  Sam carried the dead Tonkian outside and came back ten minutes later with seven large steaks. Not bloody. He went through to the kitchen, and a short time later returned with a platter of charred meat. Jake followed him, carrying a pot of coffee and a platter of bread and meat.

  “One of them had broken through the window in there. It really had me fooled, looking like Joe. Thanks for carrying it outside.”

  “And now,” said Sam, “it’s back. At least part of it, nothing better than Tonkian steak.”

  Ted, Dave, and Jake were a little reticent, but after a small taste, jumped into the delicious meal.

  “We ain’t cannibals, cause they ain’t human.”

  Eating, relaxing in the warmth of safety and friendship restored everyone’s spirits.

  Sam was the one who began. “Jake, Dave, Ted, you three know us and we thought you would be the ones to approach here in Duval.

  “My family had decided to fight back. We don’t want to be hogs waiting for slaughter, we want to form a militia that can attack and kill them.

  “My father has left for Texas or California with the rest of our family to join up with the Army. If we let the aliens get too deep into society here in the Northwest, it may be impossible to drive them out later.

  “We think if we help out the other towns around here, then approach Seattle, we can form a force large enough to hold our own against the Tonk’s. We can then move south and crush the aliens between us and the Army. Sitting and quietly waiting to die just doesn’t seem like a grand plan for people of action.”

  “Do you think we could do that?” asked Jake.

  “We have to. You understand that the aliens are here to exterminate us. They mean to be the dominant race. There will be no peaceful co-existence. Our survival will depend on our defeating them.”

  Jake looked at Dave and then at Ted. They both nodded back at him. “We’re with you to the very end. Now what?”

  “We approached you, Jake, because you’re well respected here in town. You have to be the leader. The people look up to you. You’re going to have to make speeches and get people to join us. You’ll need to appoint leaders and develop a militia. We’ll be here to help with anything we can, but the heavy weight will be borne by you and your two friends.”

  “I’ve never been in a position of leadership before,” said Jake.

  “It’s time you started. You have the ability. Take the job, Jake, and let us get on with the planning,” said George.

  “I’m your man. I’ll do all I can. We find a better guy, we’ll let him take over.”

  “We all know you can handle it, Jake,” said Sam. “Just needed you to know it too. We have to talk about something else now. We need to discuss my family. You know George, my sisters, and me. We also have a father, and nine more brothers and sisters. We’re half earthmen, half Tonkian.”

  “Like that’s some big surprise,” said Jake. “I’ve known you weren’t who you said from the start. If you were, the counter woman would have killed you. And you knew things no one else knew. And those dogs of yours, you think I don’t know the difference between a dog and a coyote? We ain’t idgits you know. Coyotes are never tame. You had to be different to have them traveling with you. Ted, Dave, and me talked about what the hell you two are, many times.”

  “Yeah, suppose it was kind of obvious. Still, we’re glad you trusted us. We think you should know what we really look like before we go further. Don’t feel like we can have secrets amongst the seven of us. This is just for here and for now, do not tell anyone else, or our lives will be forfeited.” With that, they removed all images from the minds of the three men.

  The appearance of four large green creatures sitting in the room with them startled the men.

  “I understand this is quite a jump, bu
t you have to know we’re not Tonkians. First of all, we’re shorter, the other visible difference is, our hands have fingers, not claws, and we have toes, not talons.”

  Dave and Ted had moved to the back of the room with their shotguns at the ready, when Jake spoke.

  “You’ve saved our lives, you’re the one source of help we’ve had and I will always think of you as family.”

  He rose and walked over to hug all four.

  “Ted, Dave, get over here and get acquainted with our new family members.”

  After another pot of coffee, several hours of talk, the development of some plans for tomorrow, and the appearance of the four soon bothered the men no more.

  “We’re going to revert to our human shapes now. All secrets have been revealed and we’ll be stronger going on.”

  TRIST’S JOURNEY

  Trist had his family packed up and was heading south the next morning. The Morgans had no problem pulling the wagon loaded with weapons, supplies, and family. The children walked or ran near the wagon frequently, ranging out for game or searching for supplies. The land they were passing through was desolate. No people anywhere. An eerie quiet had settled over the land. On the sixth day, Trist was approached by Cal. Cal was the most sensitive to surrounding life among the children. “I can sense the abundance of life near us,” he said. “I think was should stop to look over the route ahead before we travel further.”

  Trist sent out Cal, Dean, and Cheri act as scouts. They quickly left the wagon and raced far ahead. They were alerted by reflecting light from the dark clouds. At the top of a bluff they looked down on a camp of Tonkians. Cal made a rough estimate of five thousand aliens set up in a village with rough shelters. At the center of the village was a fenced enclosure that held at least that many humans.

  “Damn,” said Trist, “I just don’t see anything we can do to help. At best we could act as a diversion, but pushed too hard, the Tonkians would slaughter them. We can’t out-run them. Can’t fight that many. Best option I can see is to continue on to help the Army defeat them. Maybe we can make it back in time to save some of them.” With heavy hearts they journeyed on.