《Infiltration》
After The End
When you left, the stars went soon after. The end of everything would have been nothing if they hadn¡¯t taken you. But I won¡¯t forget. And I won¡¯t lie down in wait. I will find you, I will make them suffer for every second we were apart.
¡°Five minutes,¡± Kennan said quietly from the forest outside the tent. He had the schedule, and while he was not one of many words, the group treated his speech as gospel. Those who hadn¡¯t were long gone.
I got out of my sleeping bag, and quickly rustled through my backpack for my glasses. I was sick of my mind slowing me down, harboring me with hatred for the Enforcers, rather than a clear head. I unclasped the tent entrance, and covered my eyes as the light of the solid magenta sky burned. This close to a scheduled sweep, and even the best sunglasses we had made it only barely manageable.
To my left, Fern was stomping out a campfire, and to my right Herman had a tarp over his shoulder, on his way to cover any remnants of what Fern left over.
¡°This should¡¯ve been done already,¡± I said, moving to help Herman pull the tarp over the blackened sticks, and smother any smoke that threatened to rise.
¡°Prayer comes first, miss,¡± Herman responded. I didn¡¯t push back on it. It was his source of strength, and I wouldn¡¯t dare take that from him.
¡°Three minutes.¡± Kennan stood holding a ceramic tile, which had something which looked like a star map engraved in it. Kennan was the only one who could decipher it. The schedule. The only reason we were still alive.
Herman and I exchanged a look, and joined the line. I counted thirty of us. Last sweep, there were thirty-two. I didn¡¯t know them before. I didn¡¯t have to. Once we learned how to survive, it became a matter of wanting to survive.
Hatred was useful for that. It was my strength, my purpose, and after everything we lost¡ It was so easy to hate them. Some people couldn¡¯t justify their lives like that, and they found their own way out. It wasn¡¯t giving up, it was their own defiance of how they forced us to go on.
Finally, Kennan¡¯s last call before the sweep came. ¡°One minute.¡±
We looked over the edge, at the water below. It was the only way to avoid detection. I breathed deeply, leading the pack as I plunged myself into the depths. I felt someone else brush against my leg as I forced myself as deep as my body could handle, pushing down and down.
Bubbles raged against my skin as the desperate peddling down of thirty people disturbed the water. My lungs started to burn, but I noticed it was easier this time.
Then it came.
One could not adapt to the sweep. First, the sound. A planet wide ping at both a rumbling bass that shook the crust of the Earth itself, then a higher screeching which shattered glass. The noise that turned cities to shards. Even so far under the water, my eardrums ached.
Next was the light. Like all the stars of the universe which had disappeared on that day condensed and crammed into a single ray. I had my sunglasses on, the makeshift band around the back keeping them tight, and my eyes shut. Yet everything in that moment burned in brilliant terrifying brightness.
Lastly, and worst of all, a measure the water had no effect on, was our minds. The Enforcers spoke to us during the sweeps. They called with lures and promises, images of desecration and beauty and terror. A war so grand that we were imperfections in the bloodspill. They told us we were avoiding our fates, that there was so much more beyond our existence. If only we would just give ourselves up. No words were said, but the meaning was searing.
I swam further down still. I fought and I kept kicking, and when I felt like I couldn''t take another second, I kicked again.
And like nothing had ever happened, it was over.
When we broke the surface, the sky was blue. I swam for the shore, and accepted a hand from Henry, who¡¯d made it out first. A minute later, I did a recount of the numbers. Thirty strong. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t realise I was still holding. We were okay for now.
After the sweeps, I usually tried to keep myself occupied. Letting one¡¯s thoughts wander was too dangerous, especially so after the invasive thoughts that the Enforcers planted.
So when Herman proposed a fishing trip, I gladly obliged. It was our only real source of fresh meat, since the animals on the surface had all succumbed to the first few sweeps. I gave some more slack as I waited impatiently for feedback from the rod. Behind me, Herman was going through the basics with the mute kid, Ollie.
¡°Worms are about as good as we¡¯ll do for bait. The fishies love em¡¯,¡± he said. I looked over, and he had the kid holding a worm, and showed him how to thread it on the hook.
I shook my head at the absurdity of it. Herman and Fern had taught them all how to survive out in the wild. They were both rangers, before. Herman was on the older side, and together with the kid, it looked like a father son fishing trip.
¡°Now Ollie, watch how Ava does it, and then you have a go,¡± Herman announced, tapping me on the back. He then leaned in to whisper, ¡°You alright, miss?¡±
I realised my fist was clenched around the pole. Ollie had no parents anymore. This was his childhood now. In time, this life would be all he knew, the time before a faint dream. They¡¯d taken that from him. I calmed myself and just nodded.
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The line in my hand jerked, and I pulled up. It was a good sized trout. I let myself smile, and handed the pole over to Ollie. ¡°Now, Herman, don¡¯t give credit for that one to the Lord. I worked for that¡±
He laughed. ¡°I know when to keep my trap shut, miss.¡± He looked at the boy. ¡°Now you just put the pole here, and hold it steady, like that. She''ll do the rest.¡±
I gutted the fish while I watched the sun set over the lake. We still had that, at least. All the other stars had vanished but ours. It was the most peaceful afternoon we¡¯d had in a while, and successful, too.
As Ollie reeled in another fish, and I packed up the equipment, a shadow loomed overhead.
¡°Shit,¡± I muttered, dropping to the ground as a ship passed by, leaving the trees shaking violently in its wake. The angular crafts were far less common to see these days.
It didn¡¯t stop at our camp, but we all knew what it meant. Someone nearby had been found by the Enforcers, and they would be taken. We had a few hours to pack up.
I got to my feet, and rushed to Herman, who was looking into the direction the ship had flown. His expression was dark.
"That way is the East Coast, ain''t it?" he asked.
I nodded. ¡°Thought that region was dead. But they¡¯ll look harder for remnants now.¡±
Ollie tugged on my trousers, and signed annoyance. He was dripping wet, having jumped into the water as soon as the ship came. I ruffled his brown unkempt hair.
We¡¯d have to move at least ten miles to be safe. I looked over the lake, as the orange rays shone back at me, almost taunting. I only hoped that maybe we could cycle back once the Enforcers were done. At least now we had good food for the journey.
We marched well through the night. Fern took the lead. She held the only gun of the group, and we were in bear country. I was right behind, map in one hand, compass in the other.
As far as we could tell, there were two main ways of attracting Enforcer attention. One was to be on the surface during a sweep. It worked to be in a cave, a building or in a tent, but then you went blind or deaf from the scanning. Second was any form of technology. So GPS was unfortunately off the table. I was navigating us towards a decent sized lake, out the way of any city. Cities were death traps with the amount of circling Enforcer crafts.
¡°We need to do a tick check next time we stop. I swear I can feel them biting me all through my pants,¡± Fern said, ¡°How much further is it, anyway?¡±
I consulted the map. ¡°Still a while. There¡¯s a smaller body just beyond those hills. We can stop at the top for a bit, and get some water too. There isn''t a river on this side, so we boil it. That sound alright?"
She grunted in response. I dropped pace a bit, and let myself get caught up by Kennan, who was on the outside of the group. He was odd. There was no other way of saying it. I didn¡¯t know what he was like before, but I knew he was in a city when it happened. When we¡¯d found him in the woods, he¡¯d been wandering aimlessly, almost catatonic, grasping the schedule.
"Hey man. You doing alright? I didn¡¯t see you eat dinner. I¡¯ve got a couple of cereal bars left if you want one," I offered.
He stopped and turned his head toward me, as if considering. He nodded, and I turned my backpack towards him, stopping to let him reach in and grab one. He was always on the edge, and his ears bled regularly.
¡°So,¡± I said, ¡°When does it say the next sweep is?¡±
He stopped and looked down at the stone, and traced a finger over the engravings.
"I think... four days? Not sure," he said, his voice strained, "Maybe three? Or... or five. Sorry. Sorry."
"Okay, man. Don''t worry, you''re doing great," I said, trying to reassure him. He could be hard on himself too. Besides, that was long enough away that it didn¡¯t matter yet. The chart became clearer to read the closer the sweep was anyway. I had no idea how it functioned, or how he could decipher it at all, but I wasn¡¯t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
¡°Hey,¡± Fern called, ¡°Everyone look sharp. Water¡¯s just here, but I¡¯m also seeing footprints in the mud.¡±
Suddenly, she pointed her gun at a point up on the hill between a couple of trees. Everyone froze.
I moved beside her, and followed her gaze. Two girls, no more than sixteen years old. I put a hand on Fern¡¯s gun and lowered it.
¡°Just kids, Fern, and they¡¯re not armed,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to them, see if there¡¯s any others.¡±
Three others came to the front, obviously intent on making contact too. I didn¡¯t argue. The girls didn¡¯t run as we approached, but they did look nervous, skittish. I noticed they were skinny, terrifyingly so.
¡°Hi, we came to get some water. Is that okay?¡± I asked slowly. The last thing I wanted was to scare them even more than they already were.
The girl on the left stepped forward to respond. ¡°Are¡ are you one of them?¡±
I looked at my companions in confusion. It quickly turned to horror as I ran through the possibilities. We hadn¡¯t run across any large groups yet, only stragglers who¡¯d joined us. But we weren¡¯t stupid. There would be people out there who would do anything to survive, even people who took pleasure out of plundering vulnerable people like these girls.
¡°One of them?¡± I asked, as I signaled back to Fern to look out.
¡°They found our camp. There were so many people¡¡± she said, tears suddenly streaming down her face.
A man on my right, Henry, quickly knelt down before the girl and placed an arm on her shoulder.
¡°Who did this? Are they still here?¡± His voice was soft but firm.
The girl sniffed, and nodded. I looked back, and signaled the group danger. They formed a formation we hadn¡¯t really practiced, only discussed. Makeshift knives came out of packs, machetes too. Fern stood in the centre of what now resembled a circle, hunting rifle on a swivel. Herman took the three kids of the group, and ran the opposite direction. They would hide until the area was safe.
Henry and I gently guided the girls back to our circle while we prodded them for more information. They were too shocked to give helpful answers.
¡°How many exactly were there that raided your camp?¡± I asked, loud enough that everyone could immediately understand the situation.
¡°Ten. No¡ twenty.¡± One of them responded.
The other quickly butted in. ¡°But we couldn¡¯t see all of them¡ they were¡ quick¡ and they wore weird suits.¡±
I suddenly had a sinking feeling. ¡°Suits? What do you mean by that?¡±
¡°White ones. Like¡ astronauts, but slimmer.¡±
No.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the girl, horror playing across their faces. At the same time, a blaring siren blasted from above, along with a shadow. The girls¡¯ camp hadn¡¯t been raided by a group of humans. The Enforcers had taken them, and now they¡¯d followed the trail right to us.
Fuck. I steeled myself and shouted, ¡°Run! Split up and run!¡±
Not On Their Terms
A flash of light¨Cthen the world ceased to exist. I had never felt nothing before. The sudden absence of feeling was much worse than any pain. For a few brief moments, I willed myself to move, and I got no response. It was not dark, it was void. The difference couldn¡¯t entirely register in my mind, which was already processing the utter silence. My consciousness was entirely isolated from reality.
Hours, or years, or seconds passed in that state. Time had no meaning without reference.
Then, I was once more. But everything felt off, blurry. It was like I was drugged. Where am I? Am I dead?
A ringing persisted in my ears. Probably not. Vague images of before came to me, but my memory was fractured. Others. There were others with me. Are they okay? I suddenly panicked. I tried to move, and I still couldn¡¯t, but this time I felt something. There was a resistance to the motion. I had a body, but it was restrained.
Okay, calm down. I¡¯m alive. Now where am I?
I strained myself to piece together what had happened. The ship had¡ shit. We¡¯d been taken by the Enforcers. That could mean anything.
Particles drifted at the edge of my vision, like dust, and I blinked rapidly to clear them. I squinted, and I could almost make out something before me. A vaguely humanoid figure, in all white.
One of them.
My anger swelled, rage at these beings who¡¯d destroyed the world, who¡¯d separated me from my husband. If I could just wriggle out of¡ something clicked. My right arm could move. I raised it to my eyes, wiping away a sooty substance I hadn¡¯t even realised was there.
I could see properly now. My body was covered in needles, and I was hanging at an angle from the ceiling. Belts and wires strapped across random parts of my body, restraining me from doing anything. The Enforcer turned to regard me, face obscured under that damned suit.
I mustered up all my strength, and spat at it.
It stared at me for a moment, before the door slid open and it left the room. I hung there, suspended, for a while. Hundreds of questions assaulted my mind, all as pertinent as the last.
The Enforcers spoke to us in their weird way during the sweeps. They talked about how it would be better on the other side. I¡¯d never even considered giving in to them. But we still had no clue what they really were, what they really wanted, why they took everything from us. I¡¯d always assumed it was just a lure to kill us all.
Finally, a pair entered the room. These two were different, unnaturally short, but still clad in the same stark white. One moved directly towards me, whilst the other hovered at the door.
Every inch of my skin burned and the more I concentrated, the more I swore I could feel the holes torn open by the equipment I was hooked up to. How long had it been, living on the surface of the planet evading these fuckers? A year, maybe.
I thought of my husband, who I saw them take in front of me. I¡¯d vowed to get him back. I¡¯d vowed to make them pay. It occurred to me then that he might still be alive. After all, I was alive. For now.
If there was a way I could find him¡
The leading Enforcer reached out, holding something that looked like a small syringe. I waited a moment for him to get close enough, and I swung with my free arm, aiming for its head. To my surprise, it actually landed, and the syringe went flying, the figure staggering back, looking up at me as if surprised.
¡°I¡¯m not a medical experiment,¡± I growled, ¡°And you will not treat me as one.¡±
The Enforcer wavered, but it wouldn¡¯t hesitate for long. The second figure at the door just stood there, unmoving. I strained desperately against the restraints, each movement sending the wires deeper into my skin as I twisted.
A sharp crack echoed as a brittle cable snapped under my struggle. In that instant, a piece of shattered metal clattered from the ceiling¡ªa small, jagged shard that glinted in the harsh light. I caught it instinctively with my free hand. The Enforcer lunged forward, but I now had something to fight back with.
The metal shard sparked against the suit, denting it and drawing a grunt of pain from the being. I felt a surge of satisfaction.
I¡¯ll show you the pain you put us through.
I watched as it stepped back, cautious now. I couldn¡¯t waste a moment. I took the shard to the buckles around my other arm, then started rapidly unplugging all the needles. A moment later, and the lights shifted to a purple hue. An alarm had seemingly been raised. The Enforcers exchanged a glance while I did this, and left the room.
I grimaced as I cut through the last leg straps before the floor embraced me with a thud. I finally properly examined the room they had me captive in.
A cell would be a more apt description. I was hung against the wall on one side, and the door was only a couple meters away on the other. Sterile white ceramics tiled across the floor walls and ceiling. Well, less so with my blood now dripping everywhere. The tubes were everywhere, leading into disorganized clumps. I noticed that etched into the tubing and the tiles was that odd star map like language they used, the same as on the schedule.
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I took a second to pick up the syringe that the Enforcer had dropped, and moved to the door.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t see a mechanism to open it. Instead, I slid my shard into the seam where the door would split apart, and pried as hard as I could. With an intense effort, I cracked it ajar a few inches.
And then, just as I slipped through sideways, a distinctive click sounded behind me, followed by a familiar voice.
¡°Well shit Ava. And here we were trying to rescue you,¡± Fern said.
Fern¡¯s words echoed in the sudden quiet, and for a moment I just froze, half in disbelief. I turned to face the end of a gun barrel. Behind it, five others accompanied the ranger, including Kennan, Herman and Henry.
¡°Is this everyone?¡± I asked with a mix of relief and dread. I had no real memories of the fight that broke out, but by all accounts, we had lost. The only thing that kept anyone safe was that the Enforcer ships had a small hold capacity.
Herman stepped forward to answer. ¡°No. Most of the others are still on the ground. We decided that a suicide mission shouldn¡¯t involve everyone, even if they volunteered. We found Henry tied up in the last room. Fiora and Diane are still somewhere here.¡± He paused for a second. ¡°Ollie too.¡±
¡°Time,¡± Kennan said, tapping his foot nervously.
¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Fern said, ¡°They don¡¯t die, they just keep coming. There¡¯s a big group a few corridors back.¡±
Henry chucked something at me. My backpack. I pocketed the syringe I''d picked up inside, and pulled out a proper knife. I brushed a smear of blood and grime from my face and grimaced. The taste of metal coated my tongue. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s move.¡±
Apparently, the group had been navigating the ship using the Enforcer inscriptions. Kennan could read them, and he would occasionally point a certain way. We followed without question.
Our path was free of hostiles, and everything felt just slightly off. There were no guards anywhere, despite the alarm being raised. The ship was still grounded. If the Enforcers in the control room decided to fly off with us still inside, we¡¯d be screwed. Another cell passed by empty. We¡¯d found both Diane and Fiora near mine, comatose but breathing. Henry was carrying her across his shoulders.
We approached a fork, and Kennan indicated we should go left. But I could faintly hear a sound that way¨C
I put up a hand and everyone stopped. ¡°Only one pair of footsteps,¡± I whispered.
Fern and Herman stood on either side of the corridor, weapons ready. I nodded, and they both stepped forward, ready to attack.
Instead, a young boy emerged from around the corner. Ollie.
¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± Herman called with relief. He ran to the boy and hugged him. I heard him thanking the Lord under his breath.
Fern was still staring at the end of the corridor. I felt the same suspicion I knew she did. It was all too easy. Ollie cried loudly, sniffling. He tried to sign something, but his hands were shaking and couldn¡¯t.
¡°Exit. Now,¡± I said. I looked at Kennan, who had a strange look on his face. He shook his head before pointing.
We made a run for it, winding through endless corridors. The white ceramic clanked loudly under our feet, betraying any stealth we might have had. Still, no Enforcers showed. After a few minutes, the purple lights gave way to something else. The sky, shining through an open exit hatch.
I had a hundred different thoughts running through my mind at that moment. Every possibility that could¡¯ve gone wrong. What I never expected was that none of them happened. We made it out, jumping the short few feet to the ground from the hatch. I felt the grass beneath my hands, and it was heaven.
I looked back, and saw a single Enforcer staring at us, as we stared at it. We all waited, breaths caught, but it did nothing.
It didn''t follow us.
"We can''t rest," Fern said, breaking the tension, "We need to meet up with the others. Once we do, we can figure out what the fuck just happened."
Burning embers crackled up as the night bore on. It hadn¡¯t taken long to reunite the group, but once we did, we¡¯d spent the next few hours distancing ourselves from the abduction site. Now, we huddled all together around a sizable fire. I subconsciously counted our numbers. Twenty-nine. I hated myself for not even recognising who was missing.
Next to me, Fiora and Diane had their hands on each other''s backs.
¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but it was a high stress environment. Just go through it one more time, please,¡± someone said.
The question was posed towards the two women who¡¯d only woken up a half hour ago. They¡¯d been injected by the syringe I¡¯d narrowly avoided, and had some strange claims.
Fiora answered. ¡°They spoke to us. Properly, not the images they send us during the sweeps, but words. Their language. They told us the injection helped us understand their words. I asked them what they wanted with us. They said that we were warriors, that they needed our strength as theirs.¡±
Diane cut in. ¡°But not before the other voice. And the text. It was like¨C there was something in our eyes, a wall of text. It¡¯s still there, just at the corner. If I think about it¡ Yeah. It appears in front of me, like hieroglyphics that I can for some reason understand.¡±
Ollie jumped up, waving his arms in exasperation. He saw it too, he¡¯d signed. He¡¯d heard them too.
This was all too much. I got up and paced a few steps. Everyone went silent when I did. I didn¡¯t know when it happened, but they looked up to me sometimes. Not always in a fight, we had Fern for that. Not for morality or emotional guidance, not with Herman around. But when a hard choice had to be made. One that no-one else could bear the weight of.
¡°They could¡¯ve captured all of us with ease,¡± I said finally, reasoning aloud. ¡°But they let us escape because we showed that we could fight. That we were willing to fight.¡± I looked to Fiora, who nodded in agreement.
¡°What are you getting at, Ava?¡± Henry asked.
I thought for a moment. ¡°They don¡¯t want us dead. I don¡¯t know about you lot, but it pisses me off that we¡¯re alive on the whim of our oppressors. In fact, I can think of nothing that angers me more. So here is the choice. We can lay low and wait. Try and build ourselves back up, and maybe in a few years, make a stand. If we do that, we lose slowly. A couple people at a time. Or we can go out there and make them regret letting us live.¡±
A log shifted in the fire, letting out a large flame. I heard a couple murmurs, saw a couple nods of assent, one or two people who looked at the floor. Only Fern met my eyes, the same fire in her eyes.
I continued. ¡°Fiora, what did they say about where they took the rest of humanity?¡±
¡°Um¡ a training ground. A different planet, I think. One with monsters and awful things.¡±
¡°So we could grow stronger? And fight for them?¡±
¡°Yes. That¡¯s the end goal.¡±
I shook my head. The exhaustion hit me all at once. I was still covered in scars from the machine, blood soaked my skin. ¡°We will fight. But not on their terms.¡±
I grabbed my backpack, and without consideration for how stupid of an idea this was, pulled out the Enforcer syringe, and injected myself in the neck.
Preparation
ERROR. LOCATION TRACKER MISSING.
ERROR. HEALTH TRACKER MISSING.
ERROR. SERVER CONNECTION DISRUPTED, SERVER PROXIMITY REQUIRED.
WELCOME MERCENARY. YOU HAVE BEEN CONTRACTED FOR YOUR [PERSEVERANCE] AND [ADAPTABILITY] AS A SPECIES. THE PAYMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED AS [PLANET RELOCATION].
PLEASE LOCATE YOUR NEAREST OFFICE TO UNDERGO CLASS SPECIALISATION.
I sat up and rubbed my temples. The words appeared in front of my eyes, and I understood them as if they were written in English. I glanced around, and everyone was staring down at me. I¡¯d fallen down hard, and they¡¯d placed my pack under my head. Looking up at the sky, a little bit of light shone back, indicating it had been at least a few hours.
I coughed before speaking. My throat burned with dryness. ¡°Water¡ please.¡±
I didn¡¯t feel too different. If I concentrated on the thought, then the Enforcer text would disappear. If I willed it back, then it was there again. Someone passed me a water bottle, which I gratefully chugged.
¡°That was stupid,¡± Fern said. She helped me to my feet, and steadied me as I leaned on her. She was a couple inches taller than me, and more muscular. She grinned. ¡°What¡¯d you find out?¡±
I repeated the message I saw, and the group started muttering amongst themselves. Herman spoke up first.
¡°Location tracker missing is encouraging,¡± he said slowly, as if trying to convince himself. He then looked at Fiora and Diane in question.
¡°We got the same. I assume that would¡¯ve come later,¡± Diane answered. Ollie signed to the same effect.
Henry chimed in. ¡°The ¡®office¡¯ they¡¯re talking about is gonna be wherever they¡¯re taking the kidnapped ones. Gotta be where the servers are too. Makes that injection a bit pointless if we can¡¯t access their resources.¡±
I grimaced. He was right. The plan, or the vague idea I¡¯d had was based on what Fiora had been told by the Enforcers onboard the ship. Apparently, we would be granted a way of growing stronger unnaturally quickly if we worked for them. They spun stories of humans lifting cars, or sniping enemy combatants from tens of miles away. I had hoped the syringe itself was the key to that.
I picked up the empty syringe from where it lay in the grass and tossed it into the flames. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s one real option. It¡¯s not gonna be easy,¡± I said, watching the flames rise. ¡°But first, sleep on it. We¡¯re all too tired for this. Tomorrow, I want to start preparing properly.¡±
With that, the group fell into murmurs. I looked at Kennan, who was sitting on an overturned log by himself on the outside. He was staring intently at the schedule. I moved next to him. He flinched, and I placed a hand on his shoulder.
¡°You¡¯ve seen this the whole time, haven¡¯t you?¡± I asked, voice soft. ¡°You were in Washington D.C during the first sweep. You never said what happened.¡±
He didn¡¯t respond for a few seconds. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ I didn¡¯t know.¡±
¡°Know what?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know if it was real. I thought you¡¯d think I was crazy.¡±
I looked at the schedule, which had changed. The sweeping patterns now had a few layers above it, as if projected on top. Here, words shifted back and forth, times and dates appearing for a moment then disappearing. Even now, I couldn¡¯t decipher any real meaning from it.
¡°I was out camping with my husband, when¨Cyou know. We¡¯d barely recovered from the sweep, and a ship landed nearby. He, being the idiot he is, ran to check it out. He called for peace. The look on his face, it was like giddiness. To be the one to make first contact.¡± I paused for a second, reminding myself to breathe.
Kennan looked at me, but not in the eyes. I was thankful for that this time. ¡°I let him go. I ran the other way. All this time I assumed¡ And I can¡¯t imagine. I can¡¯t possibly imagine what it was like for you, in a goddamned city. I don¡¯t need to know what you did¨Cwhat they made you do to get out of there. It¡¯s fine if we¡¯re crazy. It¡¯s safer to question our reality than accept that what they did to us is okay.¡±
He was still for a moment, and I realised I was shaking. He handed me the schedule. The texture was coarse, not sharp. It felt like a piece of sandstone worn by erosion.
¡°Two days,¡± he said, pointing at a few converging dates. ¡°I am in. We make them pay.¡±
The next morning, we broke camp at first light. The air was cold and bitter but not one of us complained. There was too much to do.
Two days until the next sweep. If we wanted a foothold in their technology, that was our way in. Not everyone was on board to attack; as it stood, about half the group was with me. The rest would help us prepare, but in the end, they would stay here.
Henry was leading a team of five setting up contingency measures. All manner of traps would be placed in the clearing where we''d confront them. They also designated fallback points, in case things went south. We had no idea whether the Enforcer¡¯s leniency from last time would hold, and we didn¡¯t intend to test it.
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I had marked out four locations on my map within walking distance. Two hunter¡¯s lodges, a firewatch tower, and a highway full of abandoned cars. I was hopeful that we would be able to find at least one more gun. A team of three was on the way to each one. I was with Fern and Diane on the way to the tower.
I spent the time walking in an almost meditative state, prodding at the Enforcer script at the edge of my vision. There was something to it, a vague understanding. It hummed at me as I willed it to respond. It took an hour of pressing at its limits before the text rearranged itself.
SERVER CONNECTION DISRUPTED. SYSTEM UNABLE TO PROCESS ADVANCEMENT.
I exhaled sharply. Whatever power there was, Henry was right, we couldn¡¯t access it from here.
The sound of our boots squelching through muddy land brought me back to reality. Ahead, atop a mild hill, the firewatch tower loomed, its silhouette piercing into the morning gray sky. It looked abandoned, but I couldn¡¯t be sure.
Fern took point as we approached, moving with the same cautious efficiency she always did. I wondered for a moment as I watched if she had some military background behind her time as a forest ranger. Diane and I flanked, stepping lightly on the damp earth.
As we reached the base of the tower, I scanned the area. No signs of recent activity. No footprints in the dirt. No movement up top. Just an old structure standing alone in the wilderness.
¡°Fern, stay down here and keep watch. Diane and I will loot whatever¡¯s left,¡± I said.
Fern nodded after a second, coming to the same conclusion that I had.
The wooden stairs groaned as we climbed. Though paranoia was second nature nowadays, I told myself the feeling of unease I had was unwarranted. Inside, the tower was a mess. Papers scattered across the floor, a chair overturned, a radio broken with its parts strewn across the deck. And then there was the smell. It was so overpowering I almost lost that morning''s breakfast.
¡°Jesus Christ. Jesus fucking Christ,¡± Diane gasped. I followed her gaze.
¡°Oh,¡± was all I could manage.
In the corner of the room, behind an overturned shelving cabinet, was a rotting corpse. A patch of crimson outlined the head. I took a deep breath and tried to appear confident.
¡°Diane, would you go down and tell Fern the situation? I¡¯ll join you in a second.¡± I could see she was on the verge of tears. She needed to leave, but she would never ask.
¡°S-sure.¡±
I walked to the body and knelt next to him, forcing myself to breathe through my mouth. One hand still latched onto the end of a shotgun.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t know your name, but you were strong. Stronger than most. You defied them, and for that, you will forever live on.¡±
I grabbed the gun, strapped it across my shoulder and quickly scavenged the rest of the space. In it, I found a stash of canned food and a few boxes of shotgun shells.
When I came back down to the bottom of the tower, I saw Diane sitting at the bottom of the hill, knees up to her face. Fern walked up to meet me.
¡°You alright?¡± she asked.
I handed her the shotgun instead of answering.
Fern regarded me harshly but sighed, inspecting it with quick, practiced movements. ¡°Benelli Nova. Pump-action, 12 gauge. Surprisingly clean, given the¡ circumstances.¡±
She checked the chamber and slung the shotgun over her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve got what we came for. I¡¯ll teach you to carry it tomorrow.¡±
I nodded. Down the hill, Diane had stopped crying. She looked back up at the pair of us, fire in her reddened eyes, before reaching us quickly.
¡°Teach me,¡± she said. ¡°Teach me how to use it. Ava can fight already, I need that to level the playing field. But let me have it, and I will fucking take them all down.¡±
Fern smiled at the woman. ¡°You¡¯ll have it when we get back and I¡¯ve cleaned it out.¡±
By the time we made it back to camp, the others had returned as well. The highway team had found a handgun in a glovebox and a smattering of other supplies. The lodges had been stripped bare.
That evening, we got back to planning. We didn¡¯t mention the dead fire lookout to anyone else.
The next day was colder than before. Clouds gathered overhead, a heavy, suffocating gray pressing down on the landscape. It felt like an omen that none of us dared address.
Fern started Diane on basic shotgun drills as promised, her voice sharp and instructive. Diane was a fast learner. I watched from a distance, turning my attention back to Henry¡¯s traps.
The pitfalls were done. Covered with branches and leaves, they were deep enough to break a leg, maybe worse. Concealed bear traps were also scattered around. We spent a while going over the locations so we wouldn¡¯t fall victim. For the Enforcers, it would slow them down a while. We knew from experience that they refused to die, so that was unfortunately all we could do.
¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t look so grim, miss.¡± Herman¡¯s voice came from my side. I turned to face him.
¡°It wouldn¡¯t be right to be cheerful at a time like this.¡±
¡°No, but perhaps that simmering fury could be replaced with a little hope. Some faith.¡±
I sighed, not willing to engage that argument. ¡°Are you joining the assault, Herman? There¡¯s a pistol unclaimed. I¡¯d trust you to shoot it.¡±
A few raindrops started to fall, slowly tickling my skin. Herman gestured towards the other side of the clearing. There, Ollie was sitting, sharpening a wooden spear. ¡°That kid, bless his heart, is going to try and fight. I can¡¯t say it¡¯s not his right. But I can be scared for him, if not his life then what effect this new world will have on him.¡±
He was right, of course. Ollie was a mess when we found him a few months back, wandering through the woods. We¡¯d learnt sign language¨Cor a small enough version of it to even talk to him. His parents were likely taken, although he never said. This wasn¡¯t a life a kid should live.
Herman continued. ¡°I won¡¯t use a gun on a person, alien or not. I will not kill a living soul. But I also won¡¯t allow Ollie to go on alone.¡±
¡°He wouldn¡¯t be alone¨C¡±
¡°Ava. You are doing what you think is right. But when it comes to it, you will turn a blind eye and let Ollie become a weapon. So yes, miss. I will come with you.¡±
A lump formed in my throat as I rebuked the accusation in my head. Of course I wouldn¡¯t. So why couldn¡¯t I say that out loud?
Herman patted me on the back, then walked to go talk to Kennan. The rain was in full effect now. I shook myself off, trying to forget the conversation entirely. I needed to be ready to fight. The clearing was ready, and the sweep was in a few hours.
I called out for everyone to gather around me, and go through every little detail one last time.
The Infiltration
The rain still hadn¡¯t let up. If anything, it had gotten worse. A relentless downpour drenched the clearing, turning dirt to mud and making every step an effort. The sky had a purple tint to it now, as it always did before the sweep. It reflected off the puddles in the ground and the drops of water in the air, washing everything in its glow.
I stood dead center in the centre of the field. Fifty or so metres away, the ten joining me in the assault stood over a small body of water, ready to jump. If it was just me who was caught in the sweep, then they¡¯d only send one ship. Everyone else had left a few hours ago. Fiora was in charge of that group.
A low hum filled the air. I clenched my fists in preparation. I had ear protectors on, I had a blindfold. It didn¡¯t matter.
My eardrums collapsed and I screamed out in pain as the soundwave tore through me. The world lurched¡ªlight bending, gravity almost shifting. The rain seemed to pause midair. I fell to my knees but the sensation didn¡¯t relent. Magenta light seared through my eyelids, before giving way to the images in my mind. This time, they sent one thing.
A universe in flames.
And then, the ship appeared. I couldn¡¯t hear it approach, but I felt the wind on my skin and the leaves rustle all around.
It descended faster than I thought possible. Sleek and predatory, its white frame cut through the sky like a blade. It hovered just above me for a moment, before descending to my side. Brilliant light overpowered the sky, and suddenly all I could witness was the Enforcer ship.
I forced myself to my feet, coughing up blood from the force on all my internals. I started counting. One minute until the others would charge.
The side of the ship hissed open, and two Enforcers stepped out. Their armor gleamed under the glow of the ship, those faceless helmets somehow scanning me with malice.
The nearest one cocked its head before stepping forward and speaking. Its voice was grating, like stones crushing against each other. ¡°Mercenary. You are marked incorrectly.¡±
Just as it raised its arm towards me, which I knew from experience would fire a dart and knock me out completely, a flash of light erupted from the bushes opposite me.
Fern¡¯s rifle slammed into the back of the Enforcer¡¯s head, sending it stumbling. A second shot from Diane punched into its chest, kicking it into the mud. I ran at the other one, just as Herman¡¯s full weight hit the already off balance Enforcer. It caught its foot in a snare and tripped head first into a pitfall.
My long jagged hunting knife sparkled in the rain as I sprinted.
I watched the arm of my target. The Enforcer¡¯s finger split open¨Ca dart shot forward. I dove to the side, the whir of metal passing my shoulder. I slipped and ate mud, but smiled as a sequence of gunshots knocked the Enforcer down. I recovered quick enough to slash at the knees and shoulders of the armoured suit, before signaling to the others.
Henry, Fern and Herman joined me as we each took a leg and heaved the figure into the small lake that they¡¯d had to jump into.
I¡¯d regained enough of my hearing then to recognise the mechanical hissing that came from the ship.
¡°Down!¡± I shouted.
We hit the ground. A turret blast shrieked overhead, close enough to burn. Pain flared across my seared skin¡ªI bit down a yelp. They had decided that we were no longer worth the effort. They were shooting to kill now.
¡°Ten seconds until the next shot!¡± Henry called. ¡°Fallback point B!¡±
We ran desperately to a spot behind a large boulder. I saw from the corner of my eyes the Enforcer that had been pushed into the pit trap climb out, and crack his neck back into place. Our part was done, and I could only hope we¡¯d stalled long enough.
Another crack came as the air ignited nearby. I winced as a plasma charge evaporated half of our protective rock. Down by the lake, the other Enforcer emerged from the water, like a monster.
¡°We have to go help. They should¡¯ve shut that down by now,¡± Fern said. She was remarkably calm.
I shook my head. ¡°We¡¯d never make it in time.¡±
Herman sighed. I saw he had a long line of blood running down one arm. I didn¡¯t know where it came from, but it didn¡¯t look good. He leaned against the boulder, and fell into a silent prayer.
And then, just as I was about to tell everyone to cut our losses and run, I heard the engines of the ship hum. I exchanged a look with Fern and we both grinned. The next turret shot didn¡¯t target us. Instead, we peeked around our cover to see the pitted Enforcer combust. A gaping hole replaced its chest.
Kennan you glorious genius.
We ran towards the ship, where the entrance still glowed, now a beacon of safety. I paused as I saw a group of three Enforcers on the ramp. Diane and Treve stood at the top, steadily pumping shots into the chest of each one, sending them flying back. I nodded at Fern, who put her rifle up and helped the effort.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Once they were out of the way, we made our way in. I locked eyes with one of the Enforcers on the ground, whose immaculate white suit was now coated in mud. His helmet had a strange visor on it. It looked directly at me and spoke.
¡°I told them,¡± it said, ¡°That you are pests, not soldiers.¡±
We can be both, I thought. A second later, the ramp slid up behind us, and the door closed.
My stomach lurched as the ship lifted up into the air. We had done it. We had actually fucking done it.
The hum of the ship settled into a low, steady drone as we climbed higher into the sky. I braced myself against the wall, limbs still buzzing with leftover adrenaline. Around me, the others were catching their breath too. Fern reloaded her rifle with steady hands, Diane pressed a cloth to the side of her face, and Henry hunched over, his hands on his knees, silent.
The streaks of mud we dragged in looked wrong against the unnaturally clean white tiles underfoot. I took a deep breath. I was hit by a memory of the last time I¡¯d been in here, and the pain that had brought.
¡°You know, I thought that would be harder,¡± Treve said. He holstered his handgun at his belt. I didn¡¯t know the young man well, but he¡¯d volunteered quickly after I¡¯d explained my plan. He was short with striking blonde hair, though the way he carried himself made him look bigger than he was.
Henry grunted. ¡°Sure you did. Personally, six months of running didn¡¯t quite prepare me for the fighting.¡±
From around the corner, Ollie appeared. I saw his wooden spear had snapped in half, and he was carrying the sharp end like a dagger. He pointed with it back the way he came.
¡°Okay let¡¯s move people. We¡¯re not out of it yet,¡± I said.
Ollie led us down the corridors. Every couple metres, I¡¯d see an engraved tile, and the meaning would spell itself in my vision if I focused on it. These ones were simple direction signposts, and I understood now how the group had navigated when they¡¯d broken in to free me. We walked until we came to the bridge.
It was a small space, relative to the size of the ship itself. The nine of us barely fit. Three chairs populated the bridge against a curved wall, with magenta glowing slate boards before them. In the centre seat, Kennan sat cross legged, eyes constantly buzzing about before him.
I stepped to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, good shit back there man. Are you flying this thing?¡±
He didn¡¯t look at me when he responded. His voice sounded incredibly strained. ¡°No¡ Autopilot now. Kind of. Turret¡ Ollie shot. I just¡ showed how.¡±
Herman was by the side. He¡¯d brought a medkit in his backpack, and was instructing Diane on how to wrap a bandage around his own arm. He¡¯d been caught pretty bad by the first plasma bolt. Upon hearing Kennan¡¯s stuttered explanation, he gave me a harsh look. Ollie was doing his best not to look too smug.
¡°What about the others?¡± Fern called from an adjacent hallway. She was taking it upon herself to sweep the empty hallways for any lingering Enforcer. ¡°Do we have the capacity?¡±
¡°No. Not yet,¡± I said. We still hadn¡¯t done the riskiest part of the plan yet, which was to fly the ship to the Enforcer training ground planet. ¡°We come back for them when we¡¯re strong enough to protect them. Fiora¡¯s competent. She¡¯ll keep them hidden. Kennan, do you know if we¡¯re being tracked?¡±
¡°Fighting it still¡¡± he replied curtly. I looked at the alien text that floated before his face. A hundred different passages shifted and rearranged themselves, and it was impossible for me to even read one of them.
Behind me, Ollie tugged on my trousers and signed a simple message. Just let him work.
Fair enough, I thought. I paced back and forth for a couple minutes. Fern appeared then, and without a word, emptied her pack onto the floor of the bridge. A circular container about the size of my head rolled out, and I saw the glint of about a dozen syringes.
I clenched my jaw. This was another big gamble. ¡°Good. Now, as a reminder. You will be out for a couple hours. Take the serum, and you¡¯ll understand their language. Once we¡¯re in range, it should allow us to easily use their systems. Kennan, Ollie, Diane and I have already been subject to it, and we¡¯re fine. But naturally, this is completely¨C¡±
Fern cut me off. ¡°This isn¡¯t optional. Look at Kennan over there, he¡¯s unlocked something you haven¡¯t figured out. We need to be able to keep up.¡± She lay down on the floor, and in a swift motion, stabbed herself in the neck.
Treve stepped forward. ¡°She¡¯s right. Maybe it¡¯s an issue of capability.¡± He went unconscious with a grin.
¡°If I may,¡± Herman said from against the wall. ¡°Would someone be so kind as to do it for me?¡± Diane took a syringe, and administered it for him.
¡°Fuck, couldn¡¯t someone at least hesitate a little?¡± Henry muttered. His pace was pale, but his eyes were determined nonetheless. ¡°Making me look bad over here. Diane, I¡¯m gonna close my eyes. Don¡¯t give me a warning, I don¡¯t want time to regret this.¡±
And like that, half the group was out. I eyed Kennan carefully. I had no idea what he was really doing there, but I needed some indication if it was going to be a problem or not.
I spent the time waiting for an update helping Diane tend to Herman¡¯s burns. We worked silently and efficiently.
Finally, Kennan spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re going to the planet. They call it the Palaistra¡ bad translation, I think.¡±
¡°And the Enforcers? Are we being followed?¡± I asked urgently.
¡°No. They believe this ship was destroyed¨CI cut off the link. I had to disable¡ a lot.¡±
My brain was sluggish. Too much had happened recently and I hadn¡¯t had a break. But hearing those words, that we were out of danger for the first time¡ well since the invasion. It was possibly the happiest I could allow myself to feel.
¡°Kennan. Can I hug you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
Diane chimed in. ¡°Can I?¡±
He paused. Kennan didn¡¯t smile, but, unless my tired eyes were playing tricks on me, I might have caught movement at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Only Ollie.¡±
I swayed slightly, reminding myself to stay on my feet. We weren¡¯t out of danger¡ªthe real battle had just begun. But now, we chose when and where to fight. The Palaistra had most of humanity on it, subservient to the Enforcers. My husband.
Ross, I am coming to get you. And the universe will not stand in my way.