by J. Kirsch
Q: "But John, wouldn't you say that we've contributed just as much to our independence? The Battle of Seattle? The Battles of Beijing and Shanghai?"
A: "There's no question that you're right, Tanya. We did our part. Perhaps if we hadn't fought so hard for so long, then none of the aliens would have entertained second thoughts about the destructive course their species had chosen. We'll never know."
Chapter 11:
Skye, the Abducted
Even after an alien invasion, some things never change. Being newlyweds, Jobe and I did certain things that newlyweds tend to do. I moaned Jobe's name as we reached ecstasy together, and then I collapsed on him in a sweaty heap. Myla and the others had a tent next door, and I could just imagine the looks we were going to get in the morning.
We were in a refugee camp in northwestern Turkey, and the story of getting to this point was one I hoped to write. Even if my tale wasn't earth-shattering, from a long-term view it was startling. I'd survived one of the most momentous events in human history. Don't count your chickens until they've hatched, Skye. When I wasn't feeling giddy just having two feet on planet Earth, I felt proud that we'd leaned on each other's strength to survive.
And you didn't do all the leaning, Skye. Don't forget that. I'd never forget standing on the bridge of that ship before I had the boldness to approach the alien leader who had rescued us. I knew that he could somehow, some way get us back home to Earth. I'd focused on one frame of thought. Being home. Being in Dad's arms and feeling my cheek against Mom's shoulder. The alien had probed my mind and I think part of him understood.
He had kept us on the ship for over a week while he consolidated his control and fixed damage to the ship. We were put in holding rooms with many other abducted victims, but that had been a relief once we realized that the new aliens in charge didn't mean us harm. Myla, Oliver, Kane, Jobe and I had grown very close, but for so long we'd felt isolated and ashamed as a group. When the five of us lab rats had become twenty, thirty, fifty, and more, then we went from feeling ashamed to having solidarity. Among others who'd experienced what we had, we could feel almost normal.
The friendly Glowing Ones on the mother ship couldn't exactly beam us back to our home addresses. So we just took the ride we were offered, not knowing where we'd end up. The aliens had loaded us onto a transport ship and dropped us off on the Turkish coast.
We now lived in a refugee camp which often smelled of unwashed bodies. The elements brutalized us through the measly fabric of clothes, blankets, and tents, all of them made of poor, mass-produced quality and even then, there weren't enough to go around. The waiting was the worst part...sending out messages, knowing that you were just one among millions trying to get word to a loved one. Hoping you might hear something back, and wondering, when you didn't, if your loved ones were dead.
A note from Mom and Dad finally arrived, the best piece of paper ever made as far as I cared or knew. Jobe had gone to the enormous trouble of acquiring a frame for me to hold my sacred letter by exploiting the refugee camp's thriving black market. I kept it close. Tonight as I snuggled up against Jobe, ignoring the sweat freezing along my arms, I inspected the lacquered frame in the swaying lantern-light. I re-read what was inside it for the trillionth time:
Dear Kitty-Kat. Your mother and I are overjoyed to hear that you are safe and sound. I'm almost too overwhelmed to write. We love you so much. Please share this with your sister if she hasn't received the letter we sent. Tell Myla how much we love and miss her. Details can wait. Just tell us, when are you coming home?
Home. The idea of it had become something bigger. This whole planet we called 'Earth,' maybe that was the best definition of 'home.' Humans, despite a cruel situation, had begun treating each other like family. The war wasn't over yet, and who was to say that this feeling of universal kinship would last any longer than the alien threat? But the very idea that it could exist gave me a feeling of hope, like a girl about to dip her head underneath a waterfall on a scorched afternoon.
Humans might not be the noblest of creatures, but under crisis we had formed a unique alliance, and not just between ourselves. Jobe cocooned me in his warmth as I shifted in bed. I daydreamed, realizing that the face of that alien leader on the mother ship remained deeply etched in my mind. Would we meet again? Curiosity and hope won out over fear, and dreams seemed rimmed with possibility.
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Author's Note:
Thank you for reading my story. Please take a moment to write a review at Smashwords to share thoughts or give it a thumbs up! It's always rewarding to hear from readers. This story would not have been possible without the encouragement of K.G. McAbee, Jerry Nicholls, and many others to whom I'm very grateful.
Please feel free to visit my science fiction/fantasy blog, Starfarers and Knights, for updates on my latest projects.
Also check Smashwords to buy the Omega Station omnibus, a complete collection of science fiction stories by authors K.G. McAbee, J. A. Johnson and (yours truly) J. Kirsch, which chronicle an exciting futuristic world on the edge of known space.
About the Author of Human Insurgency
J. Kirsch lives in the Carolinas with a lovely spouse and a noticeably cute canine. J. has always enjoyed story-telling, perhaps thanks to the two librarians who raised J. on a steady diet of imagination. When not helping others do research, J. can usually be found at the local Barnes & Noble typing up a storm. J.'s adventures into writing and publishing began after completing the NanoWriMo challenge for novel-writing. J. enjoys writing in all genres of fiction, but science fiction and fantasy (often with a good dose of romance) will always be J.'s first loves.
