Aliens in the Allagash

by Gary Striker

  Jane strained to keep her composure. Lucy held her close and continued to console her friend.

  “Did they indicate where they were going or for what purpose”, Greer asked?

  “Negative, Sir. They left the observation point in a hurry. We were inundated with increased activity from the Lake area as well as the equipment emplacement. By the way, Sir, the cameras are well camouflaged and have a clear view of the entire lake”.

  “Well done, Staff Sargent. Please join your squad at the relay station. The mission is scheduled to commence within the hour”.

  “Major Greer, are your tactical communication radios operational”, General Thompson asked over the secure SATCOM link?

  “Yes Sir, all equipment including antennas are verified operational”.

  “Your mission code is ‘Operation Thunderbird’, and the target is ‘Point Luck’”, the General informed his mission commander.

  “Very appropriate, sir”!

  “Colonel Harris will commence operations from temporary base Presque Isle in eighteen minutes at 2145 Zulu”.

  “You will activate the visual radio link upon their arrival at the holding area”.

  “Yes Sir”, Major Greer confirmed and acknowledged.

  “Your attack code is ‘Sledgehammer’. The squadron leader is ‘Bad Jack’. Good luck, Major”!

  Within minutes Operation Thunderbird would commence. Jane was sustaining, but unsteady. Cruz and Ming provided what was needed to keep her as steady as possible, when the radio operator was advised that three people had been picked up on a logging road that they were patrolling.

  “Yes sir, we picked up Slattery and Charrette”, the patrol Sargent informed Major Greer. “They were transporting a woman on a stretcher. I have no other details. Sir, we have less than ten minutes to evacuate this area. We are in route to the hospital. I’ll have a report to you soon after arrival”.

  “Thank you, Sargent. On your way in, please insure that anyone you encounter needs to move out in hurry”!

  Jane collapsed into a chair with streams of tears. The Operations Officers along with her close friends couldn’t be happier and everyone offered her a big thumbs-up. It was the kind of morale boost that couldn’t have come at a better time.

  “Thunderbird One to Base Ops”, the radio chattered signifying the mission was in the air.

  “We copy Mad Jack”, the Base radio mission commander replied.

  “We’ll be at the holding fix in two minutes, 200 feet”.

  “Roger, Mad Jack, commence Weapon System Checklist”.

  “Weapon System Checklist complete. All Green”, he reported indicating that all systems for launch and detonation were fully operational and pre-programmed.

  Both radio link cameras came alive as the Air Reserve Technicians adjusted and directed the Point Luck images.

  “Major Greer, we have a lot of activity in and about the lake. There’s something wrong with the lake. It has a hole in it, confirmed on both systems, Sir”.

  “Thunderbird One, holding”.

  “Stand by”.

  “That’s no malfunction, Sargent. Doctor McCall indicated that it could be a significant indicator that their protective fields are down”.

  “Sir, the image is holding. They are very busy. It looks like they are preparing a launch mission”.

  Major Greer was receiving continuous inputs from many sources as he continued to process all information as he called the mission. All personnel were focused and in a state of high anxiety.

  “Mad Jack, you are go for Sledgehammer”, the operations officer commanded after receiving his orders from Major Greer.

  “Roger, Base, Go for Sledgehammer, turning zero-nine-zero. Pedal to the metal, boys”, was the pilots very calm acknowledgement as if he were driving to church on Sunday morning!

  Within seconds, the scream of the attacking aircraft and an enormous sonic boom slammed the Base Camp with a percussive wave that shattered windows at the Striker residence. This was followed with a second wave and boom as additional ordnance was apparently detonated at Point Luck. The observation cameras went blank screen.

  “Base Ops, Thunderbird One. Right down the stovepipe. We anticipate that the Army has issued a mess of shovels. We’re clear and returning home”. The reference was to another inter service rivalry in which the Army was always stuck cleaning up after the Air Force.

  “Yes, General, we delivered the ordnance on target, Sir”, Major Greer relayed to General Thompson.

  “Very good, Major. I want the area sealed until we can evaluate the mission. When do you anticipate going in”?

  “We’d like to review the visible satellite images first, Sir. We should have these after sunrise. I will advise the General of our intentions at that time”.

  “Congratulations on a successful mission, Major. Please advise as soon as possible”.

  “Will do, Sir, and by the way, Slattery and Charrette were picked up on a logging road transporting a woman. I have no further details”.

  “That’s good news, Major. Be sure that nobody goes in to the blast zone until I personally clear it! Do you understand”?

  “Yes, sir! We’ll speak tomorrow”.

  Aliens in the Allagash

  Chapter 28

  Acadian Rose

  Jane was wrought with anticipation that her man had survived the mission. The trip into town was met with one road block where debris from an abandoned house had been scattered over the roadway from the blast. She directed Cruz to another route which cut across a ridge line to the back of Fort Kent. Illumination from the otherwise dark panorama set the tiny village aglow. Lucy commented on the beautiful scene.

  A sentry squad had met them and subsequently cleared travel to the hospital. A light snow had begun falling as they found a parking space near the main entrance. Jane knew the desk clerk, of course, and after a minute of local event banter, was directed to the third floor to meet her fiancée. When the trio entered the patient room, Jane stood motionless and frozen in position. Steve and Cheyenne were standing over a bed with big grins as Jane said nothing.

  “Hi honey, what’s for supper…, I mean dinner”, Steve asked with his abnormal flamboyance in high gear?

  “If you guys ever pull such a stupid stunt again…”, Jane began as she got cut off by Cruz.

  “Marie”, Cruz shouted as he rushed to her bedside, “Can you hear me”?

  Cruz stared at Steve and Cheyenne in disbelief. The sight of his sister was more than overwhelming. Jane directed her attention to Marie and then back to the two bad boys.

  “He made me do it”, Steve said as he pointed to Cheyenne. Both had wall-to-wall smiles but reserved a bit of celebration for the reality facing them.

  “Major Greer reported that you guys had carried somebody out. That was all”, Cruz said with the most confused expression that Steve had ever seen on his boss’s face.

  “The doctor will be back in a few minutes with X-Rays and other test results”, Steve informed the group, “Marie’s not doing well”.

  The doctor informed the group that Marie had an invasive implant similar to other affected patients that she had recently seen, including Bob’s nephew, Clayton. She explained that the implant was biologically active and had infused itself within the brain. Surgery was not an option.

  “There is still an outside chance that we may be able to communicate with those things”, Steve mentioned as a last ditch effort. “We can have Darren transmit an image of the X-Ray as he did with Marie’s photo. After today, they may be open to a bargaining chip. It’s at least worth a try”.

  Cruz stated that they had to be realistic. Everything that could be done for Marie was being done.

  “I’m not ready to give up on Marie, as long as there is a chance, no matter how slim”, Steve said tenaciously.

  Cruz knew better than to argue with Steve in his current state of mind, especially when he could be right!

  “Ok”, the doctor agreed. “Let me get you the X-Ray
image file”.

  Darren and his colleagues looked ragged, unshaven, and stressed to the limits as Steve and his group made their way through the rubble of the Police Department’s main entrance.

  Darren had his own observation;

  “Ya’all look like a pile of cow manure on the way to the fertilizer factory”.

  Steve chose to bypass the rhetoric and stick to business.

  “Are you still able to talk to this thing”, Steve asked the three scientists?

  “We can’t shut the damn thing up”, Dennis said with an irritation to his voice.

  “Ever since the blast, massive amounts of data have been sent and received by our visitor”, Liam explained, “We’re not sure what his plans are, but if he decides to go home, there’s not much that we’ll be able to do about it, short of getting ourselves killed.

  “What happened to his eye, the lens”, Cheyenne asked?

  “It repaired itself in a few hours, a total transplant”, Darren answered with a deep chasm of disbelief.

  “Are you saying that these things are still alive”, Steve asked in disbelief”

  “Well, somebody’s talking to him”, Liam assured the group.

  Steve explained the plan that Marie’s life was dependent on. Although little hope was evident, they agreed it was at least worth a try. Darren programmed the image file of Marie’s X-Ray. The transmitted digital photo was being sent endlessly. He alternated the existing photo of Marie with her X-Ray in the hopes that the creature may understand the correlation.

  The ride back to Eagle Lake was filled with anxiety, disbelief, and hope. Cruz had all but accepted the fact that his sister was gone.

  Jane tried to change the subject.

  “It’s much easier to see the moose when the ground is snow covered”, she said.

  “I haven’t seen anything move since I got here”, Steve observed, “not even a bird”.

  “It’s been very strange’, Cruz agreed.

  “I think it’s time for a Fireball”, Lucy suggested, referring to her toxic elixir!

  “No arguments from me”, Cruz agreed as Jane looked forward to her introduction of the Oriental potion.

  They stopped at the base camp staging area to find it vacant except for Jane’s car, which Cruz drove the rest of the way to Eagle Lake.

  Steve and Cruz attended to the woodstove duties as Lucy broke out her version of Oriental fire water. In no time the house became warm and comfortable as the friends gathered for evening cocktails.

  Steve had his own version of the day’s activities as Cruz still had not accepted the fact that Marie was still among them. They gathered around the rustic kitchen table that Lucy had spread with appetizers and snacks.

  “We hit them with the baddest shit that the military could deliver, and they’re still talking to Cheyenne’s friend”, Steve asked in disbelief?

  “We’ll know more in the morning after the satellite images are reviewed”, Cruz added”, but I don’t think the battle is over yet”.

  The conversation shifted to life back home in Los Angeles and Steve’s new acquisitions. Lucy showed off her bracelet and gave Cruz a big hug in exchange for one of Fong’s Fireballs. Jane almost choked at the first sip that brought a laugh from those who knew what to expect.

  “This must be what that bomb was loaded with”, Jane gasped as she turned crimson with eyes bulging.

  “Good, isn’t it”, Lucy asked while Jane was still gagging from the after effects?

  Jane cozied up to Steve who put his finger to her lips.

  “That’s the biggest dumbass, most stupid looking grin I ever saw”, Jane said as she settled back without further comment.

  “Ya See, Cruz”, Steve began, “you just have to know how to train them”.

  Jane was all but fused to Steve and happy that her friends were enjoying the moment.

  The Fireballs had immediate effect as everyone succumbed to the debilitating effects that they had to offer. Light snow could be seen falling through the lights from the Fiddleheads Restaurant as Cruz stared out the window and got philosophical. He was totally out of character, obviously driven by Marie’s presence.

  “Like Claude Rains said to Bogey in Casablanca, ‘this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship’”!

  Steve awoke to find Jane M.I.A. as usual, but the conversation and kitchen sounds were very agreeable. He noted that it was well past daylight, in fact after nine A.M. on the desk clock. The morning was ‘feeling good’ as he made his way downstairs.

  “We’ll, good afternoon”, Jane welcomed her man as everyone was also trying to shake cobwebs after a good night’s sleep, for a change!

  The coffee ritual was not optional this morning, since the impact of Fong’s Fireballs had lasting effects. Jane and Lucy began the breakfast preparation as Steve’s familiar extraterrestrial dial tone sounded.

  “Hello Dave, it’s amazing how you are able to make a call when we can’t dial somebody in the same town”.

  “It’s the D.S.N. system, Steve, we can call anybody on the planet”.

  Colonel Dave Harris did not call to discuss the military telephone system, part of the Defense Switched Network. His news was rather disheartening as he explained to his friend.

  “Check out the first SATCOM picture I just sent you. The entire lake perimeter for over a mile is leveled. The damage goes out for another four or five miles. But look closely at the alien base camp. It was hardly touched. Only the transport access at the center of the lake suffered any damage and it looks minor”.

  “What are you saying Dave”?

  “This photo was analyzed by the Space Exploration boys along with several other images. It didn’t take them long to file a report”.

  “It sounds like we’re in trouble, Dave”.

  “That could be true. Your alien encampment is part of their global network. We noticed that physical changes at one camp will be emulated by the others. The analysts also feel that the explosive power was redirected, which would explain the extensive damage to the wilderness area”.

  “But how is that possible? That little firecracker present they received has sixty times the destructive capability of our most massive five-hundred pound bunker buster”.

  “That would be a question for Darren. And while you’re contemplating that one, take a look at the second photo”.

  “It looks like part of a…freight train”, Steve said with a pause, “and it’s at the bottom of the lake. I’m totally confused”.

  “There’s more to go along with these, but the destructive trend is disconcerting. Plus, the agency that monitors air quality, pollutants, and solar trends is very concerned”.

  “Now what”, Steve asked?

  “It’s no secret that man has influenced undesirable changes in the atmosphere. However, in your area, the oxygen concentration, or ‘density altitude’, is the same as if you were at five thousand feet”. Similar trends, more or less, exist near all of the other alien sites”.

  “That would explain the tired feeling and shortness of breath”, Steve said as he analyzed his own condition.

  “Dave, if I’m reading you right, our alien friends didn’t need more than a Band-Aid to fix a few scratches and are more than capable of knocking the crap out of us”?

  “That’s nearly right, Steve. That alien bastard we tangled with in your jail cell can do anything it wants and there’s nothing we can do about it. We have a meeting with Darren and his friends this afternoon. We’re bringing in a select community of research scientists to see if they can put their heads together for some answers”.

  The breakfast crew stared at each other while trying to digest the ominous news. Everyone was contemplating a question that nobody wanted to discuss.

  “I’m going to impose on your friend, Dave Harris”, Cruz stated, “I need to make a business call”.

  “That won’t be an imposition”, Steve assured his boss, “You’ll need a D.S.N. security access code to dial before your number, is all�
�.

  “I want to discuss the impending future of the business with Mr. ‘O’. I believe that Lucy and I will be needing to get back soon. As for Marie, she’s in better hands than I can give her. I’ll contact the bike shop and ask them to release the motorcycle to you. It’s yours. That ought to clean up the odds and ends around here. And one more thing, here’s a little help with the wedding plans”, Cruz said as he handed Jane an envelope.

  “Go ahead, open it” Cruz insisted as Jane was obviously very curious.

  Jane read the note aloud as Lucy and Steve paid full attention.

  “To the most cherished and loyal friends that anyone could ever have the good fortune of knowing. Signed Cruz Benavidas”, Jane read with an apprehension of uncertainty. She unfolded the enclosed bank check and almost fainted as Lucy steadied her in her chair.

  “Oh, no, Steve, no, we can’t do this. Talk to him! This is out of the question! Maybe a blender or a toaster, but not this. Oh my God, we’re not that kind of people”, Jane said in exasperation as she handed the check to Steve.

  “Cruz, I didn’t do anything for the money”, Steve said, “Yes, it started out that way, but things changed fast! I didn’t drag Marie out of the woods for a bonus. Because of you, I met Santa’s Elf”.