A.L.I.V.E. (The A.L.I.V.E.Series Book 1)

by R. D. Brady

  “Have they found any … ” Maeve swallowed. “Bodies?”

  “Over two dozen humans and another seventeen non-humans, although both those numbers are expected to go up—on both sides.”

  Maeve thought of all the dead she had seen. Those numbers eclipsed the President’s numbers by a wide margin. “Did any escape?”

  The President eyed her and then looked away. “We have people looking into that. At this point, we do not believe that is the case.”

  But you can’t really know that for sure, can you?

  And when dealing with an alien population, who knew what their survival mechanisms would allow them to do? It could allow them to hibernate for years before making their presence known. Or they could head straight for a population. Or take up residence in the desert surrounding the base. The nightmare someone had unleashed on the world was almost unimaginable.

  “Who put out the termination order?”

  The President frowned. “I don’t know for sure, but my suspicions say it is the head of BOSAC, Martin Drummond. I have my people trying to uncover evidence that links him to the situation, but they’ve warned me they may never be able to do so.”

  “How’s that possible?”

  “Whoever initiated the order is well plugged in behind the scenes, and from what I am told, Martin is someone who excels at operating in the shadows. I’m the President, yes, but I’m not omnipotent. And this incident has greatly outlined the limits of both my power and my knowledge.”

  The words hung in the air between them. He was right. There was a whole other government at work, using taxpayer money that the elected officials had no knowledge of. And that secret government was still at work.

  “What about the people in the tunnels? The ones who were shooting at us?”

  “They’ve received medical treatment and are being questioned. So far they all seem to be following the same script—they were simply following orders. Although I’m told one of them, Andy Henning, had a burner cell phone that someone was using to contact him during all of this. My people will track the caller down.”

  I don’t think so. Whoever had been behind this had covered himself or herself well. And like the President said, he or she was extremely well wired in behind the scenes. Maeve wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold. “What will happen to Alvie? To the triplets?”

  The President leaned back. “Well, that is a dilemma, isn’t it? We can’t exactly let them go. Their very existence would cause quite a bit of chaos. And after all, they were created by the United States Government.”

  Maeve crossed her arms across her chest. “I thought the United States had abolished slavery.”

  The President smiled, tipping his chin to acknowledge the point. “We did, but that only applies to humans. There is no mention of aliens in the Constitution. They are not subject to the same rights.”

  “Alvie and the triplets are part human.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “So I’ve heard. But that also makes them a unique case.”

  “So they’re what, property? They don’t deserve to be locked away. They haven’t done anything wrong.”

  The President smiled. “Well, it just so happens I agree with you. And I assume you wish to continue with them.”

  Maeve nodded.

  “I’d like to meet them one day, once my agents have determined that they are safe, of course.”

  “They’re safe,” Maeve said quickly.

  “I believe you. And Alvie seems to have some impressive abilities.”

  Maeve went still. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve seen some of the feeds from 51. I saw him take down that one alien with his hands. Do you know what that was?”

  Maeve swallowed. With everything that had happened, she had forgotten about that. She shook her head. “No. I don’t.”

  “But if anyone could find out, it would be you. He also seems to be able to communicate with some of the other ones. Is that true?”

  “I’m not sure if it’s communication or more that he can sense them, their moods.”

  The president sat back, nodding his head, his hand on his chin, his gaze on Maeve. After a few seconds, Maeve began to feel uncomfortable.

  Finally, the President spoke. “I think the A.L.I.V.E. Project could be beneficial for this country. I think Alvie and his—” The President eyed Maeve. “Clones?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Huh. Well, I think they could all be very helpful.”

  “Helpful with what?”

  “Well, Maeve, you’ve seen quite a bit in just the last few hours. But believe it or not, this is only the tip of the iceberg. And I think you and the clones may be just the thing we need to delve deeper into that iceberg. What do you say?”

  Maeve looked into the President’s eyes and knew that although he had phrased his request as a question, it wasn’t—not really. Either she agreed or she would never see Alvie and the triplets again.

  So she nodded her head, while promising she would do everything in her power to keep Alvie and the triplets safe.

  “Yes.”

  Chapter One Hundred Eighteen

  One Month Later

  Denver, Colorado

  Maeve stepped outside the ranch house and looked at the mountains in the distance. The President had agreed to allow them to live on the ranch. There was a fifteen-mile perimeter around the land, armed with electronic surveillance and human surveillance, and there was a flyby at least a few times a day.

  There were some concerns about satellite access, and if that ever became a problem, Alvie and the triplets would need to be moved to an underground location. But Maeve didn’t think that would be an issue. She’d given them a makeover. Gone were the blue scrubs. Instead they wore kids clothes. And whenever they were outside, they wore baseball caps and sunglasses. From a satellite feed, they’d look like normal kids.

  The world at large, however, remained blissfully unaware of them.

  They were only about an hour from Denver’s airport, and Maeve had a feeling that was the main reason they were here. She had heard rumors on and off about what was happening underneath Denver’s largest airport. Greg had filled her in one day when he and Leslie stopped by to visit. She shook her head. No need to borrow trouble. Besides, she’d accepted the deal knowing that one day, someone would come asking for a favor. And she, along with Alvie and his family, would have to pay up.

  Chris stood up from the rocking chair. “Morning.”

  Maeve handed him a cup of coffee as he kissed her gently on the lips. “Morning. Where’s our little family?”

  Chris nodded toward the brook. “Their favorite place.”

  The willow tree with the tire swing stood at the edge of the brook, and Maeve glanced over as the sun began to set. She noticed Snap sitting on the swing, Crackle and Pop playing by the water’s edge, with Alvie sitting against the tree, a look of contentment on his face. Their puppy, a black and white retriever mix named Hope, trailed after them, her tail wagging. Hope had been a gift from Uncle John. That visit had brought the four aliens a great deal of joy.

  For Maeve, it had been less enjoyable. John had explained about his and her mother’s history with Martin Drummond. The man had been around since the beginning of the A.L.I.V.E. Project, and Maeve had a feeling she had not seen the last of him, even though no one seemed to have seen him in weeks.

  And even though the last few weeks had been peaceful, Maeve knew it couldn’t last. The government was still playing catch-up with the A.L.I.V.E. Project and the destruction out at 51. But soon they’d come here and want something from all of them. Maeve just hoped they didn’t ask for more than they could give.

  At the brook’s bank, Snap tried to get out of the tire swing, but her foot got caught and she stumbled to the ground. Alvie was at her side in a second. He wiped the dirt off her, leaning his head into hers. Maeve smiled at the sweetness of the scene. Alvie had proven himself an incredibly attentive big brother. Soon, Snap wa
s scampering over to her brothers.

  Chris put his arm around her shoulders. “Ah, they grow up so fast.”

  She laughed. “Actually, these guys don’t.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Must you be so literal?”

  She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. “Yes.”

  Chris held her close. “Well, I guess I can put up with it. But only for the next two decades or so. Then we may have to renegotiate.”

  “Deal.” She wrapped her arms around him, her gaze straying back to the triplets.

  They’re safe, she thought. But the darker, more realistic part of her mind didn’t agree.

  It whispered to her from the dark recesses of her mind.

  For now.

  Chapter One Hundred Nineteen

  Dulce, New Mexico

  It had been an interesting month. Martin had lost his position at BOSAC. But he didn’t really mind that. He considered himself to be retired from that line of work and now on to his second career. The President had agents breathing down his neck trying to find him, but it didn’t matter. Martin had prepared for this day. If he was being honest, he’d longed for it. He’d had enough with government oversight and had squirreled away enough money to finance his work for decades.

  He glanced to the glass wall that took up the back of his office. From his seat at the desk, all he could see were the rock walls of the cavern and the lights rimming it. He stood up and walked over to it, looking down. His lab came into view.

  It had been built in the heart of the mountain, hollowed out decades ago thanks to the United States Government and then forgotten about. Vats with organic material were strewn along the back. Containment units were built into the back walls on the far side.

  But one inmate was sitting quietly at a lab table, his shock collar on as the scientists studied him. The large gray looked up to Martin’s window. And even though the glass was shaded to prevent anyone in the lab from seeing in, Martin had the distinct impression that the gray could see him. For a moment he felt the presence of something in his mind.

  He hit the button on his belt and the presence disappeared at the same time the gray screamed. Other screams rang out from the containment units. Martin smiled. All the collars were linked. When one misbehaved, all were punished.

  His intercom buzzed and with a sigh, he walked to the desk to answer it. "Yes?"

  "Sir, your daughter called. She wanted to know if you were going to be able to make it this weekend."

  Martin frowned. He'd promised to visit her for dinner. He glanced at his monitor. There were still some video feeds he wanted to review. "Tell her I can't make it. The usual response—work, sorry, you know the drill."

  "Yes sir. Flowers?"

  "Yes." He paused. "What about her doctors appointment? That was today."

  "She re-scheduled for tomorrow."

  He frowned. "Send Louis in to make sure she makes the appointment, however he needs to get her there."

  "Yes sir."

  Martin disconnected the call his daughter already slipping from his thoughts. He walked over to the corkboard—his collection of photos and reports from 51. And right in the center was a still photo of Dr. Leander with Garrigan and the four aliens. They had all disappeared. The Secret Service had swooped in and taken them away. Martin had been searching for them, but so far had had no luck. But he knew it was only a matter of time.

  The President had gotten to them, but he was a novice at the game of intrigue. Martin was a master. He’d have the aliens in his custody soon enough. Until then, he had plenty to keep him busy.

  His phone beeped and he picked it up. Hamish’s panicked voice came through. “Sir, there’s been a problem. Someone hacked into the central computer.”

  Martin sprang to his feet. “You assured me that could never happen.”

  “I assured you it couldn’t happen from an external source. This source was internal.”

  Martin seethed. One of his own. “Who?”

  “Hatcher. He was stopped on his way out of the facility. Security has him at the south entrance. They want to know what they should do.”

  “Hold him. I’m coming to them.” Martin strode out of his office and down the long hallway. He paused at the end of the hall. One door was to his right and a hallway extended to his left. He pictured what was behind the door. His greatest creations.

  But he bypassed it and made his way down the hall. After a series of hallways, he reached the end of the building. He stepped out into the cavern and nodded to one of his security team, who quickly opened the door to the waiting SUV. Martin climbed in as the man hustled around to the driver’s side. It took them five minutes to wind through the cavern toward the exit.

  Ahead, a large fence fifty feet tall blocked the exit, barbed wire running through it. A guard post stood on either side of the fence. And right now a small group composed of two security guards and one man on his knees stood on this side of the fence.

  Martin stepped out of the SUV as soon as it stopped. “Stay here,” he ordered his driver, slamming the door.

  He stalked over to the group. “Report.”

  “Sir, the subject had a USB on him when he tried to leave. We detained him and called your office immediately.”

  Martin stared at the man on the ground. Kevin Hatcher—one of his programmers. Kevin’s glasses were gone, his lip was busted, and his right eye had begun to swell. Apparently his security had left a few details out of their report.

  Martin crossed his arms over his chest. “So, Kevin, what exactly were you thinking?”

  Kevin looked up, his chin wobbling, tears in his eyes. “I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t turn a blind eye. It’s wrong.”

  Martin nodded, his voice soft as he pulled his Beretta from its holster. “I understand. Not everyone has the stomach for this kind of work.” He shot once. Kevin’s eyes sprang open, his mouth forming an ‘O’ as he fell to the ground.

  Martin looked at the two men. “The USB?”

  One of the security guards handed it over. “Here you go, sir.”

  Martin pocketed it. “And did you two look at the files on the drive?”

  The men nodded. “Yes, sir. We wanted to be sure it was worth calling to your attention.”

  “Very good. And what files are on here?”

  The men exchanged a look. Martin knew his mild tone had put them at ease. One, the beefier of the two, even smiled. “It’s mainly pictures. Stuff in vats, and I’m not sure what the other ones were.”

  “No files?”

  The beefy one spoke quickly. “There was one. But it didn’t make any sense. It was called Ariana.” He paused. “Isn’t that your daughter’s name?”

  Martin smiled slightly. “So it is.” He pulled the trigger two more times before the men could even breathe. Both collapsed to the ground, the same look of surprise on their faces as on Kevin’s.

  Martin walked back to the car, seething.

  Idiots, all three. He opened the door and his driver looked over. “Anything I can do, sir?”

  “Send a disposal unit.” He paused. “And don’t look at things you shouldn’t.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The driver turned the car around, and Martin had already forgotten the men lying at the tunnel entrance. He had too many other things to focus on. He pictured his daughter. No one was allowed to find out about her. Not until he had everything else lined up. And then, he smiled. And then it would be a very good day indeed.

  FACT OR FICTION?

  At the end of my books, I like to do a section where I discuss what in the novel is fact and what is fiction. For A.L.I.V.E., this section proves to be particularly difficult. There is rumor, there is belief, and there are two sides to each 'fact.' Unfortunately, due to the amount of research, I can't include every fact here. I'll try to hit the bigger facts. And I'll let you know what I played around with and what I left alone. And as always these are in no particular order.

  But first let me say that once you st
art looking into the idea of the reality of aliens and UFOs, the amount of information you find is overwhelming. Both sides of the coin are equally adamant about their position. Having said that, let's see what I found!

  Wright Patterson Air Force Base and UFOs. Wright Patterson Air Force Base is an actual air base just outside Dayton Ohio. It has been the center of UFO rumors since Roswell. The Foreign Technology Division is an actual division that was homed at Wright-Patt and later renamed NASIC. As explained in A.L.I.V.E. it's job is to analyze any and all foreign air technology, usually from foreign countries. However, there are rumors that after Roswell, the alien ship either in its entirety or parts was taken to Wright-Patt for inspection. And there have even been reports by individuals who worked at Wright-Patt, such as June Crain, who testified, usually at the end of their lives that they saw UFO wreckage and in a few cases, alien bodies at Wright Patt.

  Roswell. I don't speak about Roswell except in passing in this novel. Everyone knows the story- a UFO allegedly crashed in Roswell New Mexico. The rancher came out and found an unusual material that seemed unlike any other material. It would not break and even if bent went back to its original shape. And the military put out a press release shortly thereafter claiming they had in fact collected a downed UFO. Then the military changed their mind and said it was a weather balloon. We all know that story. But what I found particularly interesting was how many times the military put out an explanation for the alleged Roswell crash. The last one was in 1995 and said that the Roswell crash was the result of a balloon cluster that was being tested over New Mexico. That's almost fifty years later. Why on earth are they still writing about it? And why would someone mistake balloon material for a metal?

  Phobos 2. Phobos is the name of the moonlet surrounding Mars. In 1988, two Russian probes were sent to investigate the moon. Phobos 1 proceeded without any problems. But Phobos 2 failed as soon as it came in line with the moon. But not before it relayed a picture of something between Phobos and the moon-a narrow cylindrical object. One of the Russian scientists even went as far as to claim that Phobos 2 had been destroyed by the object.