Incursion

by Kevin McLaughlin

  The garment reminded me of a Greek or Roman toga, designed to drape around the body to cover as much or as little as the wearer wished. I put it on as best I could, folded my uniform, and went back to the weapons station where the leader still sat, staring into the forest, eyes unfocused.

  I recognized that look. The weight of leadership, of someone tasked with making horrible decisions in troubled times. I felt an odd kinship with the creature. It faced the extinction of its people, and here I was, the human responsible for it all, yet it treated me with respect.

  I cleared my throat.

  It turned and observed my attempt at a toga. “Ah. Now you look more like us.” I shrugged, feeling odd with my bare feet and vulnerable skin showing.

  “Are you ready to learn, Lt. Col. Jackson?”

  “Can you tell me something first?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Names are important among humans. I understand you won’t tell me your name, and that’s fine. However, we have genders. Male and female? They’re what we use to differentiate between those who bear our young and those who don’t. Do you have those?”

  “No,” the alien said, “not as such. We differentiate ourselves by dominance. However, much like your species, only certain ones of us can carry children.”

  “Can I call you something other than ‘it’? That’s the only word in our language we have for, well, something gender-less, I guess.”

  “The closest word in your language would be confusing and tiresome for most humans. Though it isn’t entirely accurate, none of us will be offended by ‘he’ or ‘she’.”

  “All right. I figure if I’m going to be among your people, I’d rather not use ‘it.’”

  “Why? After all, were we not an ‘it’ when you launched your missile?”

  I shut my mouth and clenched my jaw. Surely, they understood the concept of following orders. I had seen those fighters put themselves in danger just to protect the primary ship. I wanted to yell it wasn’t my fault, but I could have peeled away. I could have not fired. I could have lied, said that there was a malfunction.

  I turned toward the alien leader. “You have children here. I don’t know what you call them, but you have young here, and those who aren’t warriors. Humans don’t like to kill young people. We generally try not to kill members of a species who care for the young either. Now, I understand I’m your prisoner, and you’ve treated me pretty damn fairly…so I guess what I mean to say is even if some of your people want me dead, I intend to treat you with the same dignity you’ve given me.”

  He nodded. “Let us go outside then. You must keep your eyes downcast. Do not touch anyone who is caring for our young without introduction. I will introduce you as a human, and nothing more. Those who know your identity, or who don’t care, will not harm you while I am with you.”

  “Got it. What about when you aren’t with me?”

  “When I am not with you, it would be advisable to stay out fo the way.”

  We walked through the ship’s corridors and arrived at the doorway I’d come in the day before. He stepped outside and I followed. The crisp air made me shiver and I looked across the camp at the forest, where the first fingers of autumn frost touched the leaves. Then, as instructed, I kept my gaze on the ground.

  The alien leader walked me around the camp, speaking in his native language. A few aliens caring for the young watched me with blank stares. I could tell they were wary, but also trusted their leader.

  Soon, a small gathering of children followed us. They jumped up and down whenever I stopped, hopping on their legs and chirping at me. I smiled at them and opened my arms. I clapped, and they squealed in joy. Then, they glanced and trilled at one another, heads turning back and forth like birds. I clapped again, and they were like popcorn, jumping and squeaking.

  An adult emerged from the gathering crowd and barked at one of the children. He stepped forward and lay a clawed hand on its child, guiding it away, yet they kept his eyes on me the entire time.

  I looked at the leader. “Lower your head,” he said.

  I dipped my head. The alien stopped. He looked at me and grunted, turning and herding his young one away from us. The alien children dispersed, but one alien, a caretaker, came forward.

  “What is your name, human?” she asked.

  “David. Do you have a name I can call you?”

  The alien smiled its predatory smile. “You may call me Ila , if you wish. Come and share my fire, David.” She gestured for me to sit next to her by a fire outside of her tent. I noticed the fabric was unlike the nylon or canvas we use, woven with intricate patterns.

  I sat first and the alien squatted nearby. “Our children think you are strange, David,” Ila said. “They have seen humans in holos, but they have not seen one in the flesh. They talk of how your arms and legs are awkward and odd, and they laugh because they say your teeth are small. They ask us how it is possible you can eat with such small teeth.”

  Two children watched us and chittered a few feet away. When I looked over at them, they trilled and blinked.

  “Tell them that they look strange to me, too, but I think we can be friends.”

  She did so, and one of the young aliens came cautiously to hunker in front of me. One held out it’s hand, and I copied the gesture. It reached out with one finger and tapped my palm with a small claw, running away after it did so.

  I guffawed and several aliens jumped, even the adults. I gestured for the little one to come back, and Ila said something to it. It sidled toward me and I held out both palms this time. I stared at the small creature and waited.

  “Boo!”

  The young alien squeaked and ran, staying away this time. It cowered behind another caregiver, its small tail quivering.

  “They don’t know what happened, do they?” I asked Ila.

  “They only know the ship crashed, and they know there are humans here, but we have not told them humans caused the crash. They are young. They do not need to know such things.”

  I nodded and glanced into the fire. “I understand. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” I peered at Ila. “I’m sorry for my part in all this. I was wrong.” Ila blinked her large eyes and seemed to nod in acceptance of my apology.

  “Our warriors undergo difficult tasks. Very difficult. Sometimes they can be unpleasant. Yet, they too know what it means to follow orders, to have to fight and perhaps kill because our leaders tell them to. My mate is a warrior. I understand that warriors are are sometimes conflicted about the tasks they are asked to carry out. I am among the lucky. I did not lose my loved ones in the crash.” She poked at the fire and watched as the flames leapt higher.. “Be careful, David. There are those here who want to see you slain. They will do much to see you dead. They will use your body as an example for the rest of the humans.”

  The alien leader, who had listened quietly all this time, came forward. “Come, Lt. Col. Jackson. We must go.”

  I stood and smiled. “Thank you for your kindness, Ila.”

  She nodded her head, and I was led back to my cell.

  21

  Alexandra

  “Shit, it’s blocked!”

  I startled awake to a man’s voice just outside the swing doors to the kitchen.

  “Daddy, I’m hungry!” A little girl’s voice joined the man’s.

  “I know baby, just give me a minute, okay? Daddy’s going to get you some food as quick as he can.” The man kept cursing, his voice getting more frantic as he couldn’t force the doors open. “What the hell is blocking this?”

  I stood up and grabbed the knife I had kept with me throughout the night. I thought about the helmet but if these people had any kind of gun, it wouldn’t do me a whole lot of good.

  “Hey out there!” I shouted.

  “Is someone there? Please, help us! I have a little girl with me, I need to get her food and water. Please, open the doors!”

  “I’ll help you, but I need you to do something for me first,” I called. �
�You have a weapon on you?”

  There was no immediate answer.

  “I can only help you out if I know that I’m gonna walk out of here, friend,” I said.

  “I have a handgun. I grabbed it out of our safe when we left the house.”

  “Okay. What’s your name?”

  “Samuel. Sam. My daughter’s name is Ella.”

  “Okay Sam, I need you to do me a favor. My name is Alex. I’m in here armed, and I don’t want to scare your little girl. I also don’t want her to see anything nasty, so go ahead and slide that gun under the swinging doors, all right? I’ll empty the cartridge and slide it right back to you. Understand?”

  Again, Sam hesitated. “Why should I believe you? You could shoot us while we waited. Maybe I should just kill you first.” I heard the little girl squeak, and her father shushed her.

  “You see the counter out there, right? Slide that gun under the door and then take your girl in front of it. If I were going to shoot you, a bullet won’t pass through all the wall and tile. I know you have no way of making sure that I’m going to do what I say I’ll do but you’re gonna have to trust me. Please, do it for Ella.”

  There was a scraping sound as the gun slid under the doors. I picked it up. I didn’t have the first clue about guns, but I had to make sure I wasn’t about to get shot for a cheese danish. The only thing I knew for certain was that you should avoid the business end. I searched for some way to release the magazine but I couldn’t find it. I laughed.

  “Sam, you’re gonna have to do me one more favor,” I said.

  “What now?”

  “I don’t know the first thing about guns, handguns especially. Could you tell me how to unload this thing?”

  He laughed, then told me how to get the magazine out of the gun. I stood up to the window at the pass with the empty gun in my hands and slid it open.

  “Sam, stand up for me, okay?” I heard him whisper to his daughter to stay down, that dad would be all right. My heart ached for these people. Things were bad enough for me, I hadn’t thought of what the rest of the world was going through. I imagined a father and daughter having everything in their lives shut off, no power, no information. No idea if they were being attacked. Sam had to be one hell of a dad to keep his kid calm.

  Sam stood and I opened the window to show him the empty gun. I saw him visibly relax.

  “Head back to that door for me.” I slid the empty gun under the door. I then pushed aside the detritus I had used to barricade myself in and opened the doors. Sam stood in front of Ella, his hand keeping her behind him. I put the knife I had down on the floor and kicked it away from me. I stepped forward with my hand extended. “It’s nice to meet you, Sam.”

  He shook my hand and I turned to address Ella. “Let’s get you some food, does that sound good?” The girl nodded her head emphatically. “There’s pastries and some snack foods over there. Water in the box next to it. We have a gas griddle, but I haven’t tried to work it yet.”

  Ella shot from behind her father, sprinted to the box of pastries, and ripped one open. “Chocolate croissant, my favorite!”

  “Go easy, honey.” Sam cautioned her.

  “I expect you’re not feeling too great yourself,” I said. “Get something to eat and drink and then we can talk.”

  Sam cast a wary look at me but joined his daughter. While they ate, I gathered some kindling I’d set out last night and lit it. The morning was clear and cool, and the warmth from the fire did as much to restore us as the food and water did. I stood and listened to the silence accompanied by the rustling and crackling of pastry packages.

  I fetched a bottled water and a juice box from a crate and handed the drinks to them. “Hey Ella,” I said, “is it okay with you if your daddy and I talk for a little while?”

  She nodded, mouth full of her second croissant.

  “You all right with that?” I said to him.

  “Sure.” Sam nodded. He had Ella take a croissant and her juice box to another table which she did without question.

  “Thank you,” he said quietly. “We were out all night, trying to find someone who could tell us what’s going on. We had to leave our house. It wasn’t safe. We thought we could get a car and drive to my mom’s but no cars are working. Do you know what’s going on? Are we under attack? Has a nuclear bomb gone off? God, if one has…” He glanced at Ella as she sucked her juice from a straw. “How did you get here anyway?”

  I leaned back in my chair and let out a breath. “It’s a long story. I don’t even know where to start.”

  “Do you know what these ships that have been flying over us are? Some of them look like military helicopters and others, well, I don’t know what the other ones were. We were lucky enough to get a radio working for a bit, but I could only listen. Some people were saying aliens? That’s got to be bullshit, right? They’re covering up for something bigger.”

  I rubbed my forehead and smoothed some loose strands of hair back. I’m sure I looked a mess. I was tired and sore, covered in filth. I’m sure I stank. “Sam, I…I can’t explain it all right now. Heck, I don’t even understand a lot of it myself. I can tell you I was with a military unit and we were investigating the events that started all this. I got separated from my escorts. I’m a civilian consultant. A social worker. I ended up here same as you. I was hungry and looking for somewhere safe.”

  “You were with the military? What the hell is happening?”

  I looked over my shoulder at Ella, and she waved at us.

  “They’re still figuring that out. The best thing for you to do is take Ella someplace safe. I’ll help you load up supplies and see if I can get you something to light your way with. Do you have anywhere you can go?”

  He pursed his lips, thinking. “Ella’s school was a fallout shelter back in the ‘80s. We can try there, maybe hole up for a little while, then head north, I guess. I’d like to make sure those weird ships stop flying all over before we move.”

  “That’s good. There might be other…” I stopped myself from saying ‘survivors.’ “Other people waiting at the school too. When you get there, maybe you can spread my advice. Can you help me answer a few questions of my own?”

  Sam nodded.

  “Where am I? What’s been going on over the past twenty-four hours?”

  “Plainfield. About halfway between Albany and Springfield, Massachusetts. Those weird ships have been flying back and forth all over and there’s a big plume of smoke off to the northeast. Most folks have left, or they’re hiding. I was hoping someone would come for us, rescue workers, soldiers, or something. But with the power out and the ships and no word, I got freaked out. It’s been so hard to be cool and explain things to her. I’m trying to make it like a game, you know? But things seem pretty bad.”

  I nodded, unsure what else to tell him. There was no reason for me to make it worse with what I already knew.

  Sam called Ella over and she snuggled into his arms. She couldn’t have been more than five or six years old. “Hey, sweetie, how are you doing now? Better?”

  “Better.” Sam hugged his daughter close.

  “Daddy, I’m sleepy.” She hid her face in the crook of his neck.

  “She can sleep back in the kitchen where I was. You and I can gather food, water and anything else we can find that might be useful.”

  He nodded and stood, picking her up into his arms. “Okay, baby, I’m gonna bundle you up back there for a little bit while Ms. Alex and I get us some supplies together. Sound good?”

  “Yeah, Daddy.”

  I helped Sam gather up some tablecloths and we set up a makeshift bed for Ella. He tucked her in and despite the hard floor she was asleep almost as soon as her head hit my pillow of folded aprons.

  Sam and I spent some time putting together water and food. We smashed open a snack machine with a fire extinguisher and carried as much as fit into our arms back to the dining room.

  “What’s your plan, Alex? You know you can come with us to the sc
hool. It’d be safer for you than going it alone.”

  “I really need to find my way back. I have information they need.”

  “I get it. I guess we’ll rest at the school a couple days, then try to head to my buddy’s cabin an hour north of here—if we can find a working car. If he’s there or not, I know the cabin has supplies. They usually kit the place out to last the winter.”

  “That sounds like a good plan. After Ella’s had a little sleep, we can try to find some working cars.”

  We kept combing through the diner and discovered another candle, a good amount of semi or non-perishable food, crates of water, and even a teddy bear in the manager’s office—maybe they had a child they brought to work sometimes. I felt sure the owner of the bear wouldn’t mind if we borrowed it for Ella.

  We lined up our supplies in the dining area. The sun was high and it was warmer outside. Sam went to wake Ella from her nap. The little girl protested, twisting this way and that to avoid being picked up. Sam scooped her up in his arms and sang to her, “Oh piranha, you are a friend of mine. I like to feed you little Ellas all the time!”

  Ella opened her eyes and giggled. “No piranha!”

  I smiled and felt tears prick the corners of my eyes. It was a relief to see something normal even though I knew things were going to get worse. Sam and I pushed the supplies to the door, the lock now broken from when he had pried his way in earlier. We left the supplies hidden behind one of the tables and set out to find an operable vehicle.

  We opened a mechanic shop garage with some leverage from a plank of wood. We found three cars, one jacked high in the air, the other two parked. Sam found several keys on the wall and through trial and error, we matched them to their respective vehicles. Unfortunately, they were all post-2010- computer-run, needing electric starters. I frowned.

  “Police station?” Sam said.

  “What?”

  “The police station. They’ve got to have some vehicles without a computer in them. There was a push to modernize the cruisers a few years back, but our chief is an old-fashioned guy. He liked things the way they were.”