by Mel Todd
"We need to talk."
Chapter 9 - Bombshells
The fashion and recognition adornments started by McKenna Largo have gone all but viral. Wait times for piercings are upwards of four hours at this point. The gaudier the better is the word of the day. As one shifter put it—"I want you to see me coming a mile away." After looking at her LED flashing neon green earring, we feel her purpose may be achieved. But will it make a difference in the long run? Only time will tell. And that is the one thing Earth seems to be running out of. ~TNN Invasion News
McKenna sighed at the SecDef's words and leaned back against the railing. She could hear Perc and JD talking to each other in the mindspace, as they dealt with their wounds in the house. Cass and Toni were fussing over them and Blair was excited. While normal habit caused them to share spoken words in the space, though they still hadn't figured out how you auto-translated other people's words into the shared space. Wefor just sighed when asked and would launch into a technical explanation that had everyone's eyes glazing over in seconds, except Cass's.
At this point McKenna chalked it up to nanobots and moved on. She was close enough she could easily hear them talking if she focused on it, even through the door and with them in another room. But that took too much effort right now, though she did crank down her hearing a bit.
"About?" her voice wary. The familiar adrenaline drop was hitting and she wanted something to munch on, even if she hadn't expended as many calories.
"Can we trust him?" Burby asked, his voice blunt.
Amusement washed through McKenna. "You realize if his hearing is anything like ours in either form, he can probably hear us clearly out here."
Philip paled a bit and his eyes twitched to the door while Burby rubbed his temples. "Doesn't matter if he can. The question remains the same. Can we trust him?"
"How in the world should I know? I've known him for what, two hours longer than you have? I don't have the slightest idea. But does it really matter?" They had gritted their teeth a bit at her comment, then frowned, looking at her.
"What does that mean?" Philip demanded. He didn't get into her personal space or try to intimidate her, which she both appreciated and it put him a few rungs above General Arnold.
"It means, unless there‘s a ton of plans being made, we don't have a choice."
Silence from both men met her words and she wanted to beat her head against the wall. "Guys, I listen to the news. I've been out there. You, yourself, told me about the trucks and huge food shortages. We’re facing an infrastructure breakdown if we can't get people moving around safely. You heard Rarz talking about them getting the asteroids ready to launch at us and what happened to the last planet."
"How do we know that isn't just a bluff? Something to get us to believe him?"
"One—the person, or whatever, that has been sending us the weird dreams and stuff mentioned they were planning on it. We’re becoming too much effort. But they have another ship coming first. They'll try to load it up before doing anything else. Besides, haven't your scientists or astro guys or whatever mentioned the ships are gathering asteroids from the belt and positioning them around Earth?" They looked at each other and Burby pulled out his phone.
A minute later he started to cuss softly. "She's right. They've spotted them heading back and forth from the belt between Mars and Jupiter with objects. But no one put it together."
McKenna tried to remember when she knew about the asteroids and if she had ever passed it on or even mentioned it to the captain. But the mix of memories, dreams, talking in mindspace, and something Rarz had said all blended and finally she shook her head.
"So bottom line, it doesn't matter. If he is tricking us, why? We’re losing and have nothing to use against asteroids being flung at our planet. Even if humanity isn't absolutely destroyed, what’s left will be pushed back to survival level and we won't have anything we can do about anything."
Philip swallowed hard, and then straightened up a bit more. "Well then. It sounds like we should get to work with our new ally and see how this crazy plan of his might let us strike back." He started to turn to the door and paused. "Sir, why did you ask how many people had already been taken by the Elentrin?"
Burby snorted, running his hand over his head. He needed a shave, McKenna noted. "Because we need to rescue them. If we just blow up the ships with close to a million people on them, the world will crucify us. If we try to rescue them and fail, that’s one thing. But if we don't try at all?" He shrugged. "I'm not sure I could live with that either. But we need to stop them and fast." He looked at McKenna. "How long do we have?"
She shrugged. "Not sure. I think the other ship will be here any day."
Philip paled a bit. "I have to figure out how to launch an attack against ships in orbit around us, with an ally we don't know if we can trust, with a technique we can't quite believe, in less than forty-eight hours?"
Burby gave him a humorless smile. "Adapt, improvise, and overcome. We have people to save. But look on the bright side. If it works, we can destroy these incoming ships before they start loading our people on them. Less collateral damage."
McKenna winced. "Doug?"
He turned to look at her and got a wary look on his face.
"Yes?"
"Just remember. Most of the Kaylid are slaves. They don't have a choice. And if I'm right, Ash loaded Cass with information on how to break or at least override their conditioning. Besides, if how she's described the containment facilities are correct, we won't know who’s from Earth and who’s from elsewhere. They’re mostly stored in Kaylid forms. We need to rescue as many as we can."
Both men just looked at her blankly and she shrugged. "I know. But could you kill sleeping people who have no desire to do anything but to go home if they could? Not saying we shouldn’t fight and kill, just pointing out we’ll be rescuing them regardless because we won't always know if they’re from Earth."
"What do you mean always know?" Roberts asked, looking at her sharply. She could see the wheels turning in his head and tilted her head back to where they had killed the two Kaylid.
"One of the ones we killed was a reptile or dinosaur-like; leathery skin, no fur with a thicker tail. Not mammal like all Earth shifters that I’ve heard of. But do you really want to take the time to evaluate each Kaylid you find to decide if they are friend or foe? Knowing that our only real foes look like elves from an anime tale?"
"I'm starting to understand why Burby dreads speaking to you. You complicate everything by doing the right thing." He suddenly grinned and tugged down his uniform. "I always wanted to be Heracles, I guess this is one of my legendary tasks. But the clock is ticking and standing here with our thumbs up our asses won't get it done."
Philip pulled open the door and strode into the kitchen. "Laurent. We’re going to need the commanders of the local garrisons. We have multiple bases near here, so we can start pulling in troops. Get someone on the phone and tell them we’re going to need people. Details to follow in a few hours, but prepare for heavy, fast loads. We’re going to need medics and places to put a lot of people." Laurent nodded and pulled out his phone.
"Stadiums." Toni said, her voice quiet. She stood by the front door looking out it, rifle in her hand.
"Excuse me?" Gunny Roberts looked at her, confused.
"Get a stadium. You can get a lot of people in it, both in the seats and the field. Not to mention the tunnels underneath have lots of rooms, some with places that are almost medical quality."
"What she said. Most people never see the underside of the stadiums, but the professional level ones will have the next thing to surgical suites in them. They’re set up to treat lots of injuries and have showers." Perc backed up Toni's comment. "After all, I've been in enough of them."
"Point. Laurent, add that to your list. Now," Philip paused and moved his attention to Rarz. "We need to talk about exactly how this will work."
"You have decided to trust me? Or realized there are no other options
?" Rarz's tone remained gentle but there was an echo of laughter that brushed up against the mindscape.
"Told you he'd be able to hear us." McKenna said as she sank into a recliner. Nam climbed up on top of her, and wrapped her arms around her neck, holding on tight.
Rarz glanced at the little girl and his brows drew together, but before he could say anything Philip started.
"We only have a short amount of time. Between the incoming Elentrin and the asteroids, we need to move fast. The stadiums will help, but we’ll have lots of confused beings to deal with. And doesn't that just feel odd saying." He shook his head and glanced down at his notebook. "But before we can do anything, I need to know exactly what your limitations are. So we can Trojan-Horse inside? How long can you keep it open? How many people, what are our options?"
Rarz tilted his head all the way back looking at the ceiling.
"There is a story from my past of a Drakyn opening a tunnel between two planets and moving an entire people through it. I have personally allowed two or three to go through, but I've never tested how long I can hold it open. But when I have had others go through, I've never noticed a difference. That is an answer I cannot provide, but I would assume it is a long time and many people."
"If it fails or is disrupted, how long to reconnect or make a new tunnel?"
"Less than one of your minutes."
Philip grimaced. "Which, if you are under fire might be an eternity. What are you thinking?"
Rarz paused and half-shrugged. "This is where I need your assistance. We have no strategy training. Most planets we have interacted with are agrarian, peaceful. We have technology, but we have never used it the way your history shows. In many ways you are the most violent race we have ever seen. You kill each other and fight for sport. Even the Elentrin don't see violence as fun, only necessary. The only reason Ash's people knew how to attack was we had warned them generations ago, but they realized the danger too late and attacking ships in space is harder than we had known."
"Yeah. So we’re finding. We make it through this I can promise you every country in the world will be developing a space defense program." Burby's voice was a bit bitter but he shrugged. "What are you thinking, Philip?"
"That we’re probably all going to die." He sighed and looked at his notebook, but it was obvious he wasn't really seeing it. "Get a few good SEAL or Ranger teams together, tight squads that know how to work as a unit. Get in, plant bombs, get out. But that leaves the rescuing part."
"There is another complication." Rarz's voice might have been apologetic, almost. McKenna felt herself brace for what he was about to say, her arms tightening slightly on Nam. "McKenna and her group will need to come with us. This will fail without them."
The words fell like bricks in the room and Philip groaned as he turned to look the shifters.
"No offense, but regardless of the last week, you aren't trained for this. You don't know how to work with a team, and I doubt you have any experience with setting bombs or clearing rooms."
"No offense taken. You're right. That isn't anything we know how to do, though I'll tell you fighting in warrior form is another skill set entirely." She looked at Rarz who almost looked sheepish. "Why do we have to come?"
Toni's bitter laugh was a slap across the face and McKenna glanced at her, surprised.
What is wrong with her? I have to find time to talk to her.
"Isn't it obvious?" Everyone looked at her blankly. "The knowledge we were preloaded with. Cass knows how to get people out of the canisters or tubes or whatever. Without her, all the 'people' you want to rescue will probably get killed by their rescuers." She did air quotes around people as she talked. "Perc already said he knows the ship, that means he knows where to go and where the best spots for the bombs will be. Where to disable and where to destroy things." Her smile twisted and McKenna flinched back. "We need McKenna because of the AI living in her head. I'll lay money it can understand most of the systems faster than we can, not to mention the languages and resources. Then there's me." Her eyes had a haunted look and McKenna didn’t know whether she should close her eyes to block them out or get up and hug her. "I have all the access codes to the various sections of the ship. And I should be able to register myself as a super user. Somehow, he programmed it to recognize me. So yes. You need all of us. And I have to leave my kids. AGAIN!"
Everyone stared at her and she whirled to look out the window, her body stiff and tense.
~I'm sorry.~ McKenna whispered in her mind, wanting to cry for her friend, her pack.
Toni's shoulders trembled for a moment, then relaxed.
~Not your fault. It is what it is. If we don't do this, our planet will be destroyed. Then my children will be dead anyhow, so at this point it doesn't matter.~
When she turned back around, her face was set, and McKenna squeezed Nam so hard the little girl protested.
~I know we have disrupted your lives. But truly, we were unable to think of any other way. Ash and I tried once before, but we couldn't get the ones we connected with to believe the dreams or me. They were taken before we could convince anyone. You have come further than anyone the Elentrin have faced before.~
Rarz's voice in the mindscape rolled through like a low thrum and she saw Toni's eyes widen a bit. But before they could end their weird staring contest, Philip spoke.
"I don't know if this will make you feel better, but you just became the most important people on the planet. Which means we’re instantly moving you to a secure facility and we're going to start planning the attack as soon as we can get the pieces together. That means you need to work with teams, learning their tactics, and they need to get to know you." He cast a critical eye at Perc, JD, and Rarz. "And we need to get some equipment that will fit you. While you might be able to do that mental thingy that the SecDef told me about, the rest of the team can't. We’re going to need to go over the schematics and figure out the types of explosives to take. Either way, we need get out of here and soon. We don't have time and I hope you don't need sleep."
McKenna laughed bitterly. "We do, but we need food and have learned to sleep when we can. But we'll figure it out." She stood up and looked around. "Let's pack up and get out of here."
Carina came out from the kitchen, a worried look on her face as she headed upstairs. Toni followed her to get the kids all packed back up. If it took them more than an hour she'd be surprised. McKenna started to put Nam down so she could go help when Rarz stepped over to her. She stopped still holding Nam in her arms.
Philip and Burby were both talking on their phones in rapid-fire orders, trying to make this work while JD and Perc had headed out to start loading up the car. Lawson went with them, his eyes wide and looking a bit freaked.
Welcome to the big leagues. I wish I could go home. Even the media circus and the drug sniffing seemed easier than this. I never thought I'd wish I was back in that place again, being watched twenty-four seven, but at least then I knew exactly what to do. Now I don't have a clue.
"May I speak with you about the child?" He didn't whisper. His voice didn't sound like it could whisper, but he kept it soft and nodded towards the kitchen.
Thoughts and reactions boiled in McKenna's mind, but she nodded and headed into the kitchen, her body on a fine point ready to attack if he so much as made a move towards the little girl. Nam had turned her head watching him, her gaze intent.
"Is she your child?"
"No. But I won't let anything happen to her."
He tilted his head one way then the other. "That is not my intent. She feels different than the rest of you. Have you noticed?"
Feel, what is he talking about?
"Since you haven't touched her, I assume you mean something else when you say feel."
Nam's voice surprised her. "He's funny feeling. He’s all sun and sand and wind. It tickles."
McKenna glanced down at Nam. That wasn't the first comment she'd made that made no sense, but then what did she know about kids? Nam was just a di
fferent child all around.
"Thank you, little one." His scaled lips curved a bit, but didn't expose teeth as his eyes, swirling with colors, moved to look at McKenna. "No, I suppose you would not sense it. It will not matter now, maybe not for years, and it will never matter if the Elentrin are not defeated. But she is special. Only a few rare of my people can taste the colors of the mind. They usually become healers or luminaries. She could be one if she wanted. She has the skills." A large clawed hand reached out and McKenna fought to not pull the child away, but Nam reached out her own hand and traced the claw and fingers that looked like they could kill her with a casual wave.
"Be aware she will be more sensitive than most nestlings. And as she grows she will expand her ability to read and control. I've never heard of a Kaylid developing this, but she has Drakyn in her as do you all."
Wait—what?
Chapter 10 - First Domino
In the five states that have recreational pot sales as legal, every distribution center has sold out. The few people willing to talk all had similar comments. "I have nothing to lose, and if this helps lowered my stress level, why not?" It is interesting to note that while crime has come to a standstill across the board, there has been no attempt by law enforcement to pursue any drug use at this time. And the White House has been unavailable for comment. ~ TNN News
McKenna just looked at him. "We have Drakyn in us?"
"Of course. That is the only reason their nanobots work. At some point our ancestors visited here, bred with your species and time and generations have diffused the effect. But Nam has more than a normal amount. And Toni?" Rarz shrugged. "I always wondered if the Elentrin knew that the only reason their little machines worked was because of our genetic material in their victims. And if ultimately all of this is our fault. Maybe we should have just killed them all that first day."
