My blood pounded in my ears as I searched frantically for a way out.
Blasting the town off the face of the earth had temporarily halted the assault of human forces on the alien ship, but it wouldn’t be long before the military would regroup. They’d skip the ground forces, knowing now that such an attack was futile. Their next move would be to move straight to the big bombs. Every pilot they could muster would be called in to drop the biggest ordnance we had on this ship. We didn’t have much time.
31
David
Alexandra pressed herself against the metal wall while I tried to keep an eye on the battle. It wasn’t going well for our side. Besides their numerical advantage, Turuk’s soldiers were better rested, better armed, and better prepared. I watched Ka’thak and Turuk fighting across the room. It was an impressive battle. Both aliens faced off without weapons, again relying on their claws and speed to land a blow or open a wound.
Sitting on the sidelines went against everything in my heart. I wanted to throw myself into the fight but these guys were faster than I’d ever been. The aliens’ natural weaponry made them deadly in hand to hand combat. I wouldn’t last long if I got too close.
Turuk managed to whip around in a spinning roundhouse kick that raked his claws across the captain’s front. Ka’thak fell backwards, three gaping wounds in his chest. He clutched at the wounds and fell to one knee while Turuk reared back to land a killing strike.
That broke my resolve to stay still. I ripped my knife from its sheath and ran toward the fight. I blocked Turuk’s claws with the knife, then slashed wildly at him, forcing him back a few steps. I’d managed to get in a few shallow cuts on Turuk’s arm, but now he had my measure and came in at a blur.
Turuk landed a kick squarely in the middle of my chest. I flew backwards, the air rushing from my lungs. I slammed into a navigation platform, head cracking against the metal. I ran my hand through my hair and it came away wet with blood. As I tried to push myself to my elbows the room swam, and I fell back to the floor, too dizzy to stand. Concussion, part of my brain told me. I struggled to pull myself upright. I wasn’t going to die on my knees.
Turuk sauntered over and picked me up by the collar. I swung the knife again, aiming for their neck but he turned his head and snapped at my hand. I managed to twist my hand out of the way before I lost it. He threw me hard against the floor and leaned over me, mouth open, sharp teeth exposed. I pulled my knees into my chest and kicked with all the strength I had. I grinned as I heard a soft whoosh from his lungs.
“Temper, little human!” Turuk crowed. “We wouldn’t want you to die too quickly on us, would we? Not after everything you’ve done to my people! There is so much more we have in store for you.”
I lolled my head to the right and saw the opposition guards had beaten back the captain’s soldiers. Ka’thak was on his knees, held by two of Turuk’s guards.
“Nothing to say?” Turuk laughed, grabbing me by the scruff of my neck like a kitten and forcing my face back toward his, “So much defiance for so very little gain, you pathetic mammal.”
I spat in the alien’s face. “You ain’t begun to see defiant.”
“Enough,” Turuk snarled. He wrapped his fingers around my throat and squeezed. My eyes bugged out, my face purpling as the alien’s fingers tightened. I still had my knife in my hand, and I slashed wildly, opening cuts on his arms and face. Turuk flinched but didn’t drop me. The world was greying out as I lost oxygen.
I knew that I couldn’t win. I wouldn’t even wound him enough to make a difference. It didn’t matter; I’d keep fighting until I was dead and gone. Through this whole ordeal I’d been living on borrowed time. Ever since I launched that missile, my fate was sealed. My entire life had been spent in service of others. I knew the minute I turned eighteen that I was going to join up to defend my country. If I was going to die, the only thing left for me was to fight for the innocents whose lives I had put in danger.
I flailed my arms, pushing my fingers into any sensitive spots I could think of. I managed to graze a nail across Turuk’s eye which made him hiss. He reached underneath the arm that held me and wrenched the knife from my hands. With a casual flick of his wrist Turuk sent the knife sailing into the wall with enough force to bury the tip into the metal.
The pain was overwhelming. My broken ribs made every breath burn. I gasped for air as consciousness started to slip away. Through my fuzzy vision I saw Alexandra appear next to us with something in her hands. It looked metallic, the lights glinted off of it. She said something I could barely hear and then blackness stole me away.
32
Alexandra
I stayed hidden behind the wall throughout the battle. There was nothing I could do to help and if I moved, I would only get myself killed. Or worse, I’d distract Jackson or one of Ka’thak’s soldiers and get them killed. A screen displayed what could only be a countdown as the cannon charged up for another strike. The numbers were an alien script I couldn’t read, but the meaning was plan enough. That timer ticked away the lives of millions.
The captain might be able to stop the cannon from firing, but it was still on its knees, the gouges on its chest bleeding, two soldiers pinning its arms. It struggled against its captors, but was held fast. I thought about reaching for the gun that Jackson had dropped when he rushed in to fight Turuk, but it was just out of reach. I’d have to leave my hiding spot to pick it up. Even if I could grab it undetected, I would only be able to take out one or two soldiers before they killed me.
The prime minister lay on the floor, blood pooling underneath its still form. Its body was still twitching, fingers and toes jumping but the eyes stared forward, dull. Dead.
Turuk held Jackson aloft by his throat. Its muscles twitched, alien strength squeezing the life out of the pilot. He had managed to slash dozens of small wounds into its arms, but Turuk ignored the injuries. It was toying with him, prolonging his death. I could see the strength leaving his body as he dangled. His hands eventually fell slack.
The immediacy of my own end was clear. To my surprise, I didn’t know what to do. Talking my way out of trouble was my strong spot. Convincing others to see my point of view was my strength. Now there was no talking, no diplomacy, no manipulation that could save me.
It was time to act or die.
The fog clouding my mind cleared. Time slowed to a crawl. I thought of Sam and Ella, now probably dead, murdered by this monster who threatened both our worlds. I saw Ella’s grimy face, wide with a smile as she downed her chocolate croissants. I thought of the little girl who had put a brave face on for her father and her trust in me, a complete stranger. The little girl who had been through hell and loved her dad so much. She should have had an entire life ahead of her.
I thought of the thousands who had died in an instant, and the millions more that would die if I didn’t do something.
The enemy soldiers were wrapped up in watching their captives and their leader. Their victory was guaranteed. This was the defining moment of their new empire.
Ka’thak stared straight ahead. I saw its gaze flicker toward the gun that still lay on the floor and then to me. It shook its head, pleading with me to stay where I was. It was probably right. I barely knew how to fire a human weapon. What were the odds I could figure out an alien one in time? The thought of my adventure just getting a simple magazine out of a pistol brought a sad smile to my lips.
The pistol. I reached back under my coat. It was still there, tucked into my waistband. I’d forgotten all about it. I might not know how to fire the massive alien rifles, but I could manage a human handgun.
My first step brought me out from behind my cover. I was in the open, but at first everyone’s attention remained on Turuk and Jackson. On my second step, a few of Turuk’s soldiers glanced my way, but they paid me no mind. I was just a helpless human ‘meat sack’, after all. Harmless as a fly. I kept walking.
With my third step, I reached back and withdrew the gun. Again, none of the a
liens seemed to register the motion as a threat. I had no claws. Their idea of a gun was something large and bulky.
A last pair of steps brought me within spitting distance of Turuk. Now I had the attention of its guards. They rose and started toward me, but they were way too late.
My breaths were even. My eyes felt sharp. The world was in technicolor.
Turuk looked up. Its eyes met mine.
“For Ella,” I said. My voice was just loud enough to carry to its ears.
The pistol’s report was like thunder in comparison. The gun jerked when I fired. I brought the muzzle back into line with Turuk’s face and squeezed the trigger again. Turuk dropped Jackson and reeled back under the impacts. It crashed against the floor, screaming.
I kept shooting it in the head until the gun clicked empty. Even then I pulled the trigger a few more times, more out of reflex than real thought.
33
Alexandra
Jackson pushed himself up from the floor and came to stand beside me. He placed his hands on the pistol and pushed the muzzle towards the floor.
“Easy. You’re OK.”
Ka’thak’s soldiers took the opportunity my distraction gave to rise up against their captors. Turuk’s guards were shocked, in disarray, and were quickly overwhelmed. Ka’thak broke from the group and ran toward the control panel where the countdown was nearly at zero. It keyed in a series of commands and the countdown stopped.
“Enough!” it bellowed. Every alien in the room stopped moving. “Lay down your weapons and you will be spared. On your knees. Now.”
The soldiers complied. What choice did they have? It was over.
“You,” Ka’thak said, gesturing to two of its soldiers, “Go and alert the rest of the warriors. We are taking over the ship until order can be restored.”
The aliens were quick to obey. The remaining soldiers kept their weapons trained on the enemy troops, most of whom had the good sense to keep their heads and gazes lowered. I sat where I’d fallen, dumbstruck at what I had done. I dropped the gun to the floor and my hands started to shake. The rush of adrenaline wore off in a rush. My legs shook so hard I thought I’d collapse.
Jackson was in worse shape than I was. He groaned and leaned back against the wall before sliding to the floor. That jerked me back to reality. I rushed to his side. “Help me up,” Jackson said. “The human forces. We have to tell them the threat is over. They’ll be sending bombers next.”
I nodded and turned to the alien captain. “Ka’thak, I need a radio. Now.”
Ka’thak nodded and went to a console, turning dials on the thing. Jackson leaned on my shoulder. He weighed a ton, but with my help he was able to reach the radio station.
“USAF Command, come in. USAF Command, come in. This is Lt. Colonel David Jackson. Please respond. Over.” Static burst from the speaker.
“USAF Command, this is Lt. Colonel David Jackson. The threat is over. I repeat, the threat has been neutralized. Come in. We have civilians here in need of medical assistance. Over.”
I stood a few feet away as he tried to raise the human military forces. The command center was a mess. Soldiers’ bodies littered the floor. Turuk’s still form lay where it had fallen, blue blood splattering the walls and floor around it. I turned away from the sight, unable to reconcile what I’d done with the person I’d thought I was.
Static blasted again from the radio speaker, but this time a voice broke through the noise. “Jac-on. Forces-you-bombers. Say-your last.”
“Hello?” Jackson said. “Call off the dogs, soldier. We’ve got it under control here.”
“Jackson? Am I hearing you correctly?” the voice asked. “We have bombers inbound. Are you asking me to call off the attack?”
“Call it off!” Jackson shouted into the radio. “We have civilians here. The bad guys are dead.”
The soldier on the other side of the radio said something to someone too far away from the transmitter to hear. “Colonel I really wanna believe you, but I need something more to go on. They wiped out an entire brigade task force a short while ago, so we’re pulling out all the best toys. If you want me to abort, you need to give me a solid reason.”
“Call off the goddamned planes you idiots!” I shouted. “Bad guys are dead! We need some fucking evac here! There are wounded and this isn’t the time for your dick measuring contest to take priority!”
The soldier on the other end of the radio was silent. Then another voice spoke. “Little Miss Know-it-All? That you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Oladeru. Congratulations. I didn’t get in the way. Send me some soldiers so I can get these people some help.”
Oladeru snorted. “Hang tight, Jackson. You keep that smart-ass doctor from punching me in the face when we get there and there’s a promotion in it for you.”
“No promises, sir,” Jackson said.
Then he slumped to the floor, whatever energy that had been keeping him upright completely spent. I went to him and tried my best to assess the damage.
The blood from his head wound covered most of his face and his eyes were unfocused. Even worse, I had a feeling he’d broken something major. Each breath came as a gasp and he sounded like a fish out of water. His eyes briefly focused on mine, then closed.
“Someone help!” I called out.
Two of Ka’thak’s soldiers rushed over. They rolled Jackson onto his side and used a large piece of cloth to lift him up. Moments later they were rushing him off into the bowels of the ship. Where were they taking him?
I followed. They took Jackson to the infirmary where they lay the pilot on a strange-looking bed with an array of devices hanging over it. The alien medics shooed me away as they went to work. One of them closed a curtain, cutting off my view of what was going on.
Another medic came to my side. “You’re wounded. Come, I will help you.”
“I am?” I hadn’t even noticed that I was bleeding. Now that it had been pointed out, the shallow cuts which covered my arms stung like hell. It rubbed some kind of green goo on the injuries. Whatever it was took the sting away immediately.
Once it was done cleaning up my wounds, it hurried off. Probably helping someone else. The infirmary was filling up with aliens who’d been hurt during the coup. I found a quiet corner to park myself. Before long, exhaustion overtook me. I closed my eyes and rested.
I must have fallen asleep there, because sometime later one of the alien medics was gently prodding my shoulder to wake me.
“Your friend is awake,” it said.
“Thanks. May I see him?”
“Of course.”
It led me to Jackson’s bedside. He still looked like death warmed over, but they’d cleaned up most of the blood. He was awake, his eyes open and focused on what was around him again. It was a good start.
“You look like shit,” he coughed.
“You should talk,” I said.
He laughed, then winced and held his side. “Ugh. Don’t make me laugh.”
A rustling from behind me shifted my attention. It was Ka’Thak, coming through the curtains. It paused and then approached the bed. “How is he?”
“He’ll live,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve gotten the word out to my people that the threat has passed. The new order of things hasn’t been established yet, but it would seem that most of my people who followed Turuk have had a change of heart. The ones who have not will be swiftly dealt with. Are you hurt?”
“Not badly. I’m sure this is going to feel like hell in a day or two but right now I’m doing all right.”
“Can he walk?” The captain gestured to Jackson.
“He can hear you just fine,” Jackson said. “Yes. I can walk, but I’ll need some help.” Two medics rushed forward to help him rise, but he waved them away and held out his hand to me. “Doc, you think you could give me a hand here? I don’t want any of these guys thinking I look like I’m hurt. If we walk out together it’ll look like I’m helping you, not the other
way around.”
“Men. Always worried about their image.” I helped him up, taking his arm in mine.
“Come with me, if you would.” Ka’thak said. The alien captain led us slowly down corridors in the ship, pausing whenever David needed to catch his breath, and brought us to a main hall where I was surprised to see a massive gathering of aliens. It looked like half the refugees were here, young aliens and old all mixed together.
Soldiers stood in discreet points of the hall, armor still on and weapons still in their hands. The immediate threat might be over, but Ka’thak wasn’t taking any chances. I felt like that was a wise decision.
When we turned the corner, the hall erupted. Every being present broke into a deafening display, feet pounding on the floor, heads tilted back in exaltation. The captain motioned for silence.
“Gathered! We are here to celebrate the overcoming of the one who sought to destroy our people, and the people of this planet. Through the bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers, and the guidance and courage of these humans, our people will survive. We owe them our gratitude and our cooperation. Together we will find a way for both our species to endure the effects of this supernova.”
The assembled adult aliens bent a knee and lowered their heads. They stayed so for a moment and stood again. It was then that they started coming out of the crowd. Aliens of all ages, draped in the cloth-like garments I had come to associate with the non-soldiers, came forward, their arms laden with herbs, objects, jewelry, food, and more.
I stepped back to let them lay their gifts at Jackson’s feet, but to my surprise, they started to lay them at mine. One of the alien children hopped forward and held out a string of blue beads arranged in a necklace. I crouched to be level with its eyes and took the necklace, smiling. It chirped twice and hopped away. The gifts kept coming in what seemed like an endless stream and for the first time since the entire ordeal began, I felt hope. Things were far from over, but there was a path forward. There was a future for humanity.
Incursion Page 14
