"Stop! Just let me help you!" a female voice yelled behind me.
"Yeah, right…" I thought and increased my speed in response. My alien pursuer was armed and determined to catch me. But I knew the area well and she did not. She could not get a clear shot at me in the complicated, forested terrain and I was confident I could outrun her.
I realized that I was succeeding when I heard her voice fading somewhere far behind me. "Please… come willingly!"
I knew they always said words like that and I wondered whether it ever worked on any human. If anyone ever stopped running and just came along quietly as they demanded. I figured that they must have or even the ever polite Souls would not bother saying it. Some people were just not meant for a life on the run.
I could recall that shortly after the invasion, there were stories of humans turning themselves in to the Souls. Some of them could not handle losing everything and living as fugitives. Many of them hoped to be, in some way, reunited with their loved ones who were already taken. So they would walk into the Seeker stations, praying for mercy from the alien invaders. But regardless of their reasons, there was only one fate awaiting them when they gave in…
The Seekers claimed to treat the willing, non-violent humans better but I was not sure what that meant. Ultimately, even those who chose not to resist had Souls implanted into them, their minds erased.
I was definitely not about to let them do this to me…
The Seeker continued to plead with me to surrender even as she chased me through the forest. I ran about hundred more meters when her voice suddenly stopped – instead, I heard a scream and then silence.
Or so I thought – a moment later, I heard a weak "Help me…" coming somewhere from behind me.
I hid behind one of the trees as I stopped to listen.
"Help me! I fell and I am hurt!" I heard clearly this time.
I considered the situation. It could be a trick… the Seeker trying to lure me into open. But somehow I doubted that. The parasites were generally incapable of lying. And while the Seekers were specially trained to be able to lie and deceive when necessary, pretending to be injured in order to gain an advantage still sounded too much for them.
No. Chances were that the female Seeker really fell somewhere while pursuing me through the dense forest. I knew there was a ravine not far behind me that was easy to miss unless one knew where it was. And while it was still light, the sun was almost gone, making the shadows within the forest longer.
Part of me wanted to ignore her calls and just keep running. It would have been the smart, logical choice. But the pain and the desperation in her voice made my heart ache. I decided to at least take a look at what happened.
Going by her voice I carefully backtracked my way through the forest, taking care to avoid any ambush places she might use in case this was a trick.
I eventually arrived at the edge of the ravine I thought about earlier. I carefully peeked over the edge and saw that the Seeker was down in the ravine, just as I expected. She was sitting with her back against a large rock. With one hand she was clutching her right leg. With her other hand, she was trying to repair her radio which must have been damaged during her fall.
I briefly wondered what happened to her side arm before I saw it lying on top of the hill that led into the ravine. She probably dropped it when she fell down.
I picked it up before I carefully descended into the ravine. I moved slowly, not wanting to end up like my pursuer, with bruises and broken bones.
She finally noticed my presence when I reached the bottom. She saw the pistol I held in my hand and her voice filled with panic.
"No, stay away from me!" she said and tried to back away, hissing in pain as she did. I saw that she had an open fracture of her right shin and that it was bleeding.
It was clear she thought that I was going to kill her and despite the agony of her broken limb, she was trying to crawl away from me on the floor of the ravine.
"Just calm down, alright?!" I told her in a soothing voice. I made sure not to point the pistol in her direction as I approached. "I came to help you…"
"And unlike you, my help does not involve murdering you and putting a parasite in your body…" I thought.
"Can you walk?" I asked, already suspecting the answer. With an injury like that, she was not getting out of the ravine without help. She could perhaps make it with a dose of morphine but I did not see her carrying that. And here in wilderness and without her radio, the only help she was going to get was me.
She shook her head 'No'. "You… wish … to come… quietly?" she asked in shaking voice as she sniffled.
I rolled my eyes and frowned. "Would you stop with that already?!" I said angrily. "I am willing to help you but I am not about to let you put an alien inside my head!"
"It's my… calling," she managed to say over her pain as an explanation. "Help me to… car and I'll… take you for… insertion myself," she pleaded. "It does not hurt…"
Privately, I admired her dedication. Even injured and in tremendous amounts of pain, she was still trying to do her job… too bad her job involved having me killed.
"You know…" I sighed sadly. "… just forget it," I said and turned around to walk away. It was a mistake coming down here. I did not know what I was thinking…
"NO, PLEASE!" she screamed in voice that again made my heart ache. "Don't leave me here! I'll die."
I turned to look at her and our eyes met. She was crying from the pain and looked like a wounded doe as she pleaded for me to help her.
I remembered why I came down here. She was right. She would die if I left her here.
I tried to tell myself that I would help anyone in this situation, regardless of who they were… but perhaps the plain truth was that I found this woman very attractive, which was unconsciously making me more sympathetic to her plight…
She had blonde hair, symmetrical face, and a body that filled that damned Seeker suit like a charm. In earlier days, back when we humans still had a civilization, she could have been a model. And she looked about my age. At twenty-three years old and on the run, I did not come into contact with girls of my age much.
Combine that with the doe eyes she was giving me and my male instinct was screaming at me to help her. To protect her. A perfect damsel in distress…
I had to forcefully remind myself that she was not just an injured human woman. She was an alien parasite inside the body of a woman. Just a moment ago, she was chasing me, wanting to kill me.
But still – the pain in her eyes, the tears on her face…
I knew right there and then that I was not about to leave her to die.
"You have canister of Sleep on you, right?" I finally asked her, eyeing her utility belt. All Seekers carried those… to incapacitate and capture the wild humans like me.
She nodded.
"Throw it away..." I commanded.
The Seeker reluctantly took the small rectangular object and threw it away on the ground. Then she looked at me hopefully.
"Ok… let's get you out of here," I said as I holstered the pistol behind my belt. I then offered my hand to the Seeker which she reluctantly took and I slowly pulled her up.
She hissed painfully as her injured leg changed position. I draped her right hand over my shoulders, providing her with support in place of her broken limb. We slowly started to move out of the ravine, she limping on one leg with me acting as her crutch.
Fortunately, the place where she pulled over her car before she started chasing me on foot was not far from here. Still, there was no nice road between here and there and I had to scoop her up into my arms several times to get over the difficult parts.
"Thank you… for helping me…" she told me as we slowly moved.
"You are welcome," I said and smiled in response. It was the first sentence to come out of her mouth in which she was not trying to convince me to surrender.
"So what is your name?" I asked her, wanting to carry on with the normal conversation.
"I am… Takes Sunlight from the South…" she told me. "Others call me Takes Sunlight… or just Sunlight."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sunlight," I said politely. "My name is Jacob."
I was about to ask her how she earned her name but she spoke faster.
"Why were you running… away from me, Jacob? I only wished to help you…" Sunlight said as we slowly moved through the forest.
"And we're back to normal…" I thought sadly.
"You want to put a Soul in me…" I told her the plain truth. "I don't want that… I want to remain as I am. Human. Alive."
"But… we don't kill you!" she sounded offended at the mere idea. "We only make you better," she offered what she thought were words of solace.
She was repeating the same kind of arguments as all Seekers did. I wondered whether it was a standard part of their training.
"Hijacking my body and erasing my mind is not making me better," I raised my voice. "That's murder!"
In my anger I made us stumble and she cried out. "Sorry," I immediately said. Regardless of what she was, I did not wish to see her in needless pain.
"It's not like that… we keep the host's memories… they get to live forever in us," Takes Sunlight spoke, still resolute in her opinions. "My host… I can recall… everything she ever experienced! Her feelings, her thoughts…"
Again, I had to admire her tenacity even if it was so hopelessly misplaced.
"So you remember what our lives were like, but that's all it is… a remembering. Our lives are over when one of you comes in! You think you saved my world, but it is just not true. You are destroying us!"
"You're wrong, Jacob," she immediately protested. "Humanity is stronger than ever before! The wars, the famine, the violence… we got rid of all that," Sunlight insisted. "Before we came, you were headed towards total self-annihilation… now your species will continue to exist for countless millennia and more!"
"Please Jacob…. just let us help you… as we helped others of your world," Sunlight pleaded over her pain. "Everything will be well… if you just come with me…"
"A perfect world. And all it cost were our lives and our free will…" I thought sadly as I heard her describe Earth under the rule of Souls.
It was hard for me to argue with the Seeker since what she was saying was technically correct. It was true that humans were more often a pestilence to our own planet than anything else. But what the Souls did was like curing the disease by killing the patient…
I closed my eyes to calm myself. "You know what… forget it," I said in resignation. "I gave up on trying reasoning with you Souls long time ago… let's just get you to your car."
When we finally got on the road to her car, I carefully sat her down next to it. By this point, I was afraid the Seeker would get difficult again and try to take me down perhaps, but her injury was getting worse and she did not have the strength. I had to practically carry her last part of the way and I was worried about her.
"You can call help from here?" I asked her and Sunlight nodded. "Yes, thank you… you should stay here… wait until they come," she did not miss an opportunity.
By 'they', I knew she meant her fellow Seekers. Even after our conversation, she still insisted I let her take me into custody, claiming it was best for me.
"You must come with me, Jacob…" she said earlier. I rather harshly retorted that I was saving her life and that it would be nice of her to stop trying to capture me.
"I am Seeker, Jacob…" Sunlight then replied. "You are human… it is my calling to take you in. I am sorry if that scares you… there is no other way."
Fortunately for me, she was in no position to enforce her duty and she knew it…
In a form of karmic punishment perhaps, Sunlight loudly hissed at her last sentence as the pain from her broken leg reminded itself. I could see it in her eyes that she was now barely holding it together… and her wound was still bleeding.
I was not comfortable leaving her here like this, helpless and suffering.
"Actually… you have a first aid kit here?" I gestured at the car.
"Yes… in the trunk…" she said, gasping again. It was getting worse by the minute.
I nodded and went to open the back of Sunlight's car. It was not locked and I immediately saw the plastic box with a red cross painted on it. I took it and went back to her. But before that, I've decided to ditch the pistol on the other side of the car. I did not think she was going to try anything but I was not taking any chances…
Hand-to-hand, I was confident I could handle her. While the Seekers were specially trained to use guns in defense, physical martial arts were too violent for them to even consider learning. One on one, most human refugees could take down a lone unarmed Seeker simply because a human was able to imagine a level of violence and let's face it, evilness, that a Soul could not.
But that did not mean the Seekers were not dangerous! In fact, in real life confrontations, it was generally the human who went down. The strength of the Seekers was in their numbers, their weapons, and their cans of Sleep gas. Right now, the woman suffering on the other side of the car had neither of those.
And lastly, without sounding too chauvinistic, I knew that I was clearly the physically stronger of the two of us. From our journey through the forest, I knew that Seeker Sunlight was a fit woman but I was a human male in my prime…
So it was with those thoughts that I came back to her to do something many would consider foolhardy.
I found her lying where I left her, now barely conscious. I knelled down at her injured leg. The sleeve of her pants was already saturated with blood. I took out a pocket knife to cut the fabric.
She saw the knife and started to wriggle. "I am not going to hurt you. Just need to get to the wound…" I calmed her.
"I want to watch…" Sunlight whispered back, trying to sit up and failing.
"She does not trust me…" I thought.
I finally helped her to move so she could sit with her back pressed against the side of her car before I returned to the wound.
I cut the sleeve of her trousers, exposing the injured chin. I could see the bone protruding and wondered how she was still talking. Obviously, the parasites were tougher than they looked.
I opened the first aid kit. When I first saw its content, I moved it further away from her – there was another canister of Sleep in there and I was not about to risk her using it on me.
I briefly considered using the Sleep on her but I dismissed the idea. I had no idea what the effect of it might be on someone in her condition. It would be a real shame to accidentally kill her now after dragging her all the way through the forest.
Besides, even though I knew first aid and a thing or two about the Souls' magical drugs, I was no doctor (or healer, as they termed it) and so it was good to have her awake to give me pointers in case I was unsure what to do.
I took out Clean, No-pain, and Heal and returned to her leg.
"You know… how?" she asked me, looking at the alien medicine. "Yes, don't worry…" I answered.
I first took the No-pain and sprayed it on the bleeding wound. She moaned with relieve almost instantly – the pain she felt must have been horrible. Then I took the Clean and applied it on the wound and surrounding skin to prevent infection.
Then came the tricky part.
I took hold of her leg and forcibly pushed to return the fractured bone into its position as best as possible. Normally, I would have given her a stick to bite onto but the "No-pain" made sure she did not feel any of my gruesome actions, even if she was still scared.
Finally, I took the last spray and applied generous amount of "Heal" onto the wound.
I watched as the substance magically sealed her skin and mended shattered bone underneath. At the end, the injury was still apparent but it looked at least weeks older if not more.
"There…better?" I asked her as I combed her blonde hair, looking for signs of head trauma. She had many other injuries from the fall – bruises and cuts. But as far as I could see, nothing life threatening. It could wait to be treated by her regular Healer.
All the time I worked on her injury, Sunlight studied me with her big blue eyes tinged with silver. It was clear that she was the enemy but I still cared about her wellbeing. As I helped her, the immense relieve and gratitude in her eyes was intoxicating and making me proud.
"Thank you!" the blonde Seeker woman declared, rubbing her leg as she rested. "I'd swear you were a Healer! I don't know how I can ever repay you…"
She was positively beaming at me and I could not help but smile at her in return. I could almost forget who she was… almost.
"You can start by NOT chasing me or inserting an alien in my head…" I said only half jokingly.
Perhaps that was a wrong thing to say. Not because the Souls had trouble understanding sarcasm but because it again reminded her who I was and what she was supposed to do here.
"You are a kind man… you don't deserve to live like this. Please… just surrender to me," Sunlight said even as she rested after the treatment. "Let me take you to the city... I'll remain with you until the insertion, I promise… I can even do it myself if you wish… no one is going to hurt you, Jacob. You have my word."
Our eyes met and I had no doubt about the sincerity of her offer. I smiled at her bitterly. She was talking about murdering me and still managed to make it sound charming and tempting. For a split second, I considered what it would be like to do as she asked…
I long suspected that I would not be able to evade our alien overlords forever. Sooner or later, I would make a mistake and they'd capture me. Nobody can run forever. So why not just surrender to this woman and get it over with? I could already imagine the beautiful smile that'd be on Sunlight's face if I just did as she asked.
But the truth was that I was not ready to accept this fate, even if it seemed inevitable in the long-run…
"I am sorry, miss… but I'll have to pass on that offer. I am a human and I wish to stay the way I am… and now I must be gone," I said and was about to stand up to leave.
"There is nothing I can say to change your mind? I-" the Seeker looked like she was about to try and persuade me again but then she just nodded in understanding.
"I-… I understand… it is who you are, isn't it?" she said as if to herself. She seemed deep in thought for a moment… but then, instead of more speeches, she threw her arms around me, catching me before I could stand up from her.
At first I thought she was attacking me but then… she pressed her lips against mine and kissed me.
"Sunlight?" I gasped, totally taken by surprise even though it was not at all unpleasant.
The Seeker looked like she was surprised at her actions herself but then her gaze turned determined.
"You were so kind to me, Jacob… I just want… I need you to…" she fought with the words but her nimble hands on my body made it clear what it was that she wanted from me…
I knew I should have just extricated myself from her hold and walked away. But I was attracted to her the moment I saw her. So, against my better judgment, I deepened the kiss and let her pull me down to the ground with her.
Being on the run was not as glamorous and romantic as it sounded and it has been to long since I've been with someone like this. I lost myself in the feeling. I had not planned for or expected this but if this was the way she wanted to show me her gratitude for saving her life then I was fine with that.
Sunlight's hands roamed my body and I did the same, feeling her generous curves. I was just searching for a way to remove her black seeker uniform when she abruptly broke the kiss.
I smiled at her breathless and she smiled back at me but then her expression turned strangely serious. She wrapped her legs around my midsection – normally a welcome intimate gesture but I had a feeling she did not mean it like that.
"I can't let you go, Jacob. I am so sorry…" she told me in soft kind voice before it turned cold and professional. "This is the last chance I am giving you…" she said in strong but not unkind voice. "Surrender to me peacefully… come quietly and willingly and you'll be treated well…" her silver eyes bore into mine, reminding me what she was.
I raised my eyebrow at her and she added. "… resist and I'll do what I have to."
I realized that I've been a fool. When she kissed me, it temporarily overrode my reason and caution and I embraced the illusion. But in reality, there was no beautiful blonde girl in my arms, passionately kissing me. Instead, an alien inside her was controlling everything that happened.
"Was she seducing me into surrendering?!" I thought. "Could the Seekers be that devious?"
I did not want to believe she was still onto this. I had my hand cupping her breast over the clothes and I desperately wanted to continue where we left off.
But I let go.
I found her painfully attractive but I was not a horny teenager anymore. If she foolishly hoped to use this encounter as a way of making me surrender to her, it would be best to leave now and save us both the embarrassment…
I decided that I was leaving right now and I started to push away from her body hold.
"I told you. There is no way I…"
I did not get to finish my sentence as at that moment, I felt some liquid being sprayed into my face. I've fallen limb, mouth open in surprise but Seeker Sunlight caught me in her arms.
"There, it's over now..." she said and gently lowered me to the ground.