“I can only imagine,” Sophie said, returning her attention to the girl.
“Breakfast is on the table when you get hungry,” Luke replied, disappearing as quickly as he had emerged.
Sophie considered telling the girl that everything was going to be okay and that she would take her home, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie. Instead, she sat down next to her on the couch. She crossed her legs and allowed herself to relax, sinking into the soft, aged leather.
After a few minutes of silence, the little girl peered out from the safety of her knees with one eye, scanning the room before retreating back inside her fort of limbs.
Sophie stared ahead, watching the girl through her peripheral vision. It was a tactic used on patients with post-traumatic stress disorder that Holly had described to her years ago. She only vaguely remembered the conversation, but she remembered that when a patient’s shock subsided and the adrenaline cleared, they could suffer from a magnitude of different emotions. The best thing to do, Holly had explained, was simply to show a presence. To listen and provide support while the shock subsided.
As the girl slowly pulled her head out from between her knees, Sophie realized that the strategy was working.
“Where are we?” the girl asked softly. Her voice was muffled and scratchy from screaming.
Sophie kept completely still, hardly making eye contact with the girl through even a sidelong glance. “We’re in a safe place. A place with food and people who will protect us.”
The girl surveyed the room again and rested her chin on her knees. She took in a small breath and looked down at the rock floor of the cave.
“Where are the monsters?” she asked, her eyes glued to the ground.
“They’re all gone for now.”
The girl shot her a quick glance from behind a curtain of hair, and for the first time Sophie saw her dark brown eyes. They were bright and full of life, far from the blank stare she had expected. The girl’s change in demeanor was remarkable.
“What’s your name?” Sophie asked.
“Jamie.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jamie. My name is Sophie, and I am a scientist. Those men you saw earlier are soldiers, and are going to protect you.”
“They can’t protect me.”
Sophie paused, not wanting to backtrack on the progress she had made with the girl. “Of course they can, Jamie. They already killed the monsters.”
The girl brought her legs back up to her chest and buried her face back inside them. In a muffled voice she finally replied, “Those were the small monsters.”
* * *
A single bead of sweat crawled down Emanuel’s forehead. The salt stung his dry skin, but he didn’t dare move. After the power went out the temperature had skyrocketed. The air was hot and sticky. It didn’t help that he was crammed into a closet the size of a gym locker. To make things even worse, it stunk of the chemicals that were used to treat Biome 1.
They had, without a doubt, saved his life. He didn’t know why, but the spiderlike creatures had first approached his hiding spot, then suddenly turned away. He wasn’t sure if the chemicals masked his presence, or if they were inimical to the creatures, but for whatever reason, they had lost interest in the storage locker. He watched through a tiny keyhole, still scanning the space for their presence.
But it was empty. The spiders had continued on. Where, he didn’t know, but he guessed Biome 2, where the pond would provide them a plentiful distraction. Emanuel wasn’t going to test his theory, though. He was going to sit tight until the power came back on and Alexia gave him the all clear. Or until Overton showed up with the cavalry.
His thoughts shifted to Sophie. He could only hope she was safe.
I shouldn’t have let her go.
He turned his attention back to the keyhole, scanning the dark chamber outside. It had been over an hour since he’d heard the creatures’ screams and the scratching of their claws. The itch on his forehead was getting more intense.
Satisfied that the creatures were gone, he slowly shifted his body, and risked wiggling his hand free to scratch his dry skin. Instant relief washed over him, but it only lasted a moment. In the distance a hissing sound broke through the silence.
He froze and forced his eye against the keyhole. The noise faded away. Were they back? Had they somehow picked up his scent?
Several minutes passed before the sound returned. It was not the same high-frequency pitch from before. It was something different—something more animalistic.
He blinked rapidly, trying to pick up signs of life through the darkness, but it was futile. Even the emergency lights had been cut.
Panic gripped him. Suddenly he felt completely alone. Was he the only one of his team left? Had the spiders killed Saafi, Holly, Timothy, and Owen?
His stomach lurched at the thought. He blinked again, straining to see into the darkness. For several minutes he sat in the cramped closet, his lungs filling with the stench of chemicals. Just when he thought the sound was gone, it erupted again, even louder than before.
Screech!
Emanuel tasted bile in the back of his throat. Never in his entire life had he been so sick with fear.
The sound grew louder. It didn’t sound like the spiders. There was no scratching this time.
A faint blue glow illuminated the glass door separating the chamber from the cleansing rooms, about fifty meters from his hiding spot. He narrowed his eyes to focus on the glass, stilling his breath.
Inside the chamber something was moving—something big.
With every passing second the blue glow grew brighter and the sound amplified. Suddenly, a new noise rang out, followed by a loud bang.
Pressed against the glass was a face, devoid of humanity. A tongue exploded out of the creature’s mouth and began licking the door violently, leaving slimy trails of blue goo against the glass.
Emanuel wanted to pull away, terrified the thing might be able to sense him, but a combination of curiosity and fear kept him glued to the sight. He still couldn’t see anything but its face. The rest of the chamber had filled with a white mist that rose beneath the creature, camouflaging its body.
And then the face retreated and disappeared into the mist. The creature’s glow pulsated within the chamber, turning the white mist blue, beautiful yet terrifying.
Crack!
The piercing sound forced Emanuel against the back of the small storage area. His chest heaved and his heart raced within the confines of his rib cage. He began to panic, unable to get control of his labored breathing.
It took him a few minutes to regain his composure. Slowly he inched his way back to the keyhole. Staring in his direction was a nine-foot-tall monstrosity. Its skin was translucent, like the spiders’, with blue veins crawling throughout the length of its body. The bottom half of the creature, as far as Emanuel could tell, consisted of two beefy legs and a slender tail ridged with spikes that connected to a massive torso. The upper half of its body was humanoid, with a thick chest, two muscular arms, a thin neck, and round face. But it was far from human. The creature’s skull was lined with the same spikes as its tail, and in the center of its face was a single socket crammed with two small, reptilian eyes.
Emanuel waited, petrified, for several minutes. Finally, he took in a deep breath.
Whatever the thing was, it appeared to be intelligent. Perhaps he had just seen one of the more sophisticated Organics. He guessed the spiders were not the top of the Organic food chain, that there was another species behind the invasion. He forced his face against the keyhole one more time. Staring back at him from a meter away were two small, malevolent eyes. They blinked, and he let out a blood-curdling scream.
* * *
Sophie stood on the rooftop, watching the sunrise split the horizon in two. The clearest sky she had ever seen surrounded them in all directions. It was cap
tivating and chilling at the same time. Zero cloud cover meant the Organics had already removed enough of the Earth’s surface moisture that the water cycle had been broken. She was no meteorologist, but she knew enough about weather patterns to know the Earth was dying.
“What’s that?” Overton asked from the corner of the roof. He took a step toward the railing and looked out across the Colorado Springs skyline through his scope.
Sophie strolled over to him, squinting into the sun to get a better look.
“Looks sort of like rain, but without the clouds. Here take a look,” he said, handing her a pair of binoculars.
“That’s not rain. Those are the remains of people from the orbs that are being beamed up to a collection ship far above the atmosphere. You can’t see it, but trust me, it’s there,” Luke said from the stairway.
Overton narrowed his eyes. “How do you know all of this?”
“The ships have been in orbit since they invaded a few days ago. We didn’t know about it until it was too late. They must have some sort of cloaking technology. I don’t know,” he said shrugging. “All I know is that when they finally emerged on invasion day, our weapons systems were already dead from the magnetic disturbance. With the click of one button, the Organics unleashed a shockwave that effectively shut down most of our technological advances from the past millennium.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. If what Luke was saying was true, then it was far worse than she had imagined. It was possible the government was completely gone. Sure, there would be other survivors in bunkers across the world, people like Luke who had survived the initial attack, but without jets, tanks, and nukes to fight back with, they would be eliminated one by one. Extermination was no longer just a worst-case scenario; it was quickly becoming a reality.
Overton coughed and jammed a cigarette between his dry lips. “How do we fight them?”
Luke laughed. “Typical soldier. I’m sorry, Sergeant, but we don’t fight them. We hide and hope they leave without taking every ounce of water.”
“Negative. That’s not happening,” Overton fired back. “I’ve killed almost a dozen of them already. They’re weak. Once you bring down their shields, this thing we call a gun”—Overton shouldered his rifle and smiled—“turns them into dirty martinis.”
“So you’ve seen the worms and the spiders, I take it? Odd creatures. No way in hell they’re the intelligent ones, though. From what I’ve seen, they act like bugs. The spiders are the worker bees, tracking down water, weaving anyone or anything with a certain water weight into those orbs. Then the worms harvest the glowing prison cells and deliver the H2O to the ships above with one giant belch,” he said pointing at the clear sky.
Luke’s smile faded as he watched another ray of turquoise light race up into the sky. He strolled across the metal rooftop, his boots clanking until he stood only a few steps from Overton. “I’m no Marine. I can’t shoot, and I surely wouldn’t know how to handle myself in battle. I don’t know military strategy either, but what I do know is this—” Luke paused and surveyed the skyline. “I know history. It was just a matter of time before our civilization collapsed. Look at what happened to the Roman Empire, the people of Easter Island, the Mayans, and the Native American tribes. They were all virtually wiped out. Either by an invading enemy, disease, or loss of resources.”
“But they weren’t completely wiped out,” Sophie interjected.
Luke smiled. “No, but they weren’t fighting against a far superior species either. If you think about it this way, all three of the extermination factors in the demise of those cultures are present in this invasion. Consider this,” he said, looking back over the railing. “We have an amazingly intelligent invading species. Any survivors will have to battle diseases due to lack of sanitary conditions, and the few who remain after that will have to contend with the loss of our most precious resource: water.”
Overton brought his rifle back down to waist level, and joined Luke in surveying the skyline. He wasn’t a history buff, but he knew enough to know the man was right. He shook his head and began the journey back to the bunker.
“Where are you going, Sergeant?” Luke asked.
“I’m going to gather my men and supplies. We’re heading back to the Biosphere within the hour. You’re welcome to come with,” he said, disappearing down the stairs.
Luke looked like he had just been hit in the gut. He watched Sophie, who still stood at the edge of the roof, transfixed by the sporadic rays of blue shooting out of Colorado Springs. He studied her for a moment before making his way to the staircase. He had to stop Overton; he couldn’t let them leave. No one was going anywhere.
CHAPTER 20
FINLEY, Bouma, gear up. We’re heading out ASAP,” Overton shouted, the words echoing through the cave.
A pair of footsteps rang out from the metal stairs behind him, and moments later he felt the grip of a hand on his injured shoulder. He grimaced. “Hands off,” he growled.
“Sergeant Overton, you’re making a big mistake,” Luke said. “Your facility is more than likely already compromised. Besides, you’re all welcome to stay here. I have supplies, and my magnetic device will prevent them from ever finding us. We should wait out the invasion and reemerge when they leave,” he insisted. “We need each other. With your NTC training, and my resources, this could be the safest place on Earth.”
Overton pulled his bicep free from the man’s grip. “Reemerge to what? To a world without water? No, I’m not risking that. I’m leading my men back to the Biosphere, where the rest of our team is. I made a promise, and I’m not the type of man to go back on my word. You’re welcome to come with and bring your little magnet toy. ”
Luke laughed. “I don’t suppose I could change your mind?” He looked at Sophie and held her eye for a second. She walked over to Overton and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Marine.
“We have people back at the Biosphere. We’ve got to go back,” she said sternly.
“Very well,” Luke replied.
“Thanks for your hospitality,” Overton said. He finished packing his bag and turned to see Luke had vanished.
Fuck. Just what I needed.
“Men, keep an eye on him,” Overton said. “I don’t trust him. Something tells me he isn’t quite right in the head.”
Sophie hovered over the couch, trying to get Jamie’s attention with a warm smile. She wasn’t sure if the girl was asleep or just hiding her face between her legs, but time was running out. The Marines were ready to move, and there was no way Sophie was going to leave the girl behind with Luke, even if the journey outside was risky.
“Jamie, I know you’re scared, but we have to go now. There is a safer place for us. A place where there is a boy your age. His name is Owen.”
The girl peeked one eye from between her knees. “Do I have to go outside?”
“Only for a little while. And I promise I’ll be by your side the entire way,” Sophie insisted. “Can you be brave like Owen?”
Jamie’s eyes widened. With one swift movement, she nodded and jumped off the couch. “I bet I’m faster than he is, too,” she said.
Sophie smiled. Kids never ceased to amaze her—their resiliency, their competitiveness with each other, and their innocence. She watched Jamie run toward Overton and Bouma as the unmistakable click of a gun’s safety rang out behind them.
“No one’s going anywhere,” a voice said from the entry to the bunker.
Overton didn’t need to turn to see Luke standing in the doorway, the machine gun leveled at his back. He’d had a feeling the man was close to losing it but even the veteran Marine had underestimated the man’s intentions.
“You can’t go out there. You won’t survive,” he said tonelessly.
Luke’s voice reminded Overton of Alexia’s—robotic and calm and unwavering. He watched Bouma pull his hand from his backpack and slowly reach for
his sidearm. Overton shook his head and caught the corporal’s eye. “No,” he mouthed before turning to face Luke.
“You don’t want to do this, Mr. Williard,” he said, his hands raised.
“Drop the formalities. This isn’t open for discussion. Now put your weapons on the table and take a seat on the couch.”
“What are we now, your hostages? Are you going to keep us here forever?” Overton asked, his face turning red with anger.
Sophie watched from a distance, frozen. She motioned for Jamie to come back, and moments later she felt the girl’s arms around her waist.
“You will stay as long as those things are outside,” Luke replied. “Now, where’s that private? Finster? Finley?” he asked, scanning the room with his machine gun.
In the second Luke turned his head, Overton unbuttoned the holster to his .45, spun, and fired off two shots. One punched a neat hole in Luke’s leg, while the other severed his firing hand at the wrist. The man’s legs folded underneath him and a spray of bloody mist shot into the air.
Sophie reached down to cover Jamie’s eyes. She struggled to see what was happening and pulled free of Sophie’s grasp. Jamie screamed, watching Luke flop around on the rocky floor like a fish fighting to get back into water.
Sophie grabbed Jamie and forced the girl’s face against her side. “What did you do, Sergeant?” she yelled.
Finley rushed into the room, his rifle drawn. “Holy shit!”
* * *
The brilliant afternoon sun reflected off Finley’s silver visor. Overton tinted his own visor and took to his stomach to survey the area with his scope. The box on his HUD blinked free of contacts, and with a quick motion of his hand, the team advanced up the hill. Hitting the tree line, they fanned out, with Finley taking point and Bouma hugging their six.
Sophie stumbled on a loose rock and felt Jamie’s grip tighten around her armored neck.
“Go back to sleep,” Sophie whispered.
Jamie responded by squeezing her even tighter. The meds Overton had given her were sedatives meant for adults. They had slipped one in a glass of water moments before they left Luke’s bunker. In only a few minutes the pill took effect, just the right amount of time for Sophie and Bouma to retrieve the magnetic device from its hardened case on the roof. Now the meds were wearing off, and Sophie didn’t know how much longer the girl would stay drowsy and quiet.
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