"That's the last of them."
"Stand-by for lift off to the mother ship."
The heavy metal doors of the small ship closed, and it trembled as the thrusters in the back of the ship fired up for take off.
In the passenger area, an aging woman quietly sighed in relief and removed her sunglasses. The young men assisting the passengers didn't recognize her. Her soulful gray-blue eyes looked out the small window of the carrier ship, watching the streets of New York get smaller as she ascended. For months now she had been on the run, thanks to some "inside help" to escape the Mount Inostranka Detention Facility. She and her people had been locked away there for quite some time. But now she was free…and yet felt anything but secure.
However, during that time in detention, she had heard that Earth had some "visitors" that had come suddenly. Their leader promised peace and friendship, but according to some of the fuss she had overheard, it didn't seem as peaceful as people thought it would be.
Silly humans. What have they gotten themselves into?
The woman leaned back in the metal seat. She looked over at some of the other passengers. All of them were adults, no children.
Good, she thought. Children should never be brought along.
The ship started to slow down. Just ahead of them was a looming, metal monster hanging over New York. The V's mother ship, or at least, one of the many that hung above major cities of the world.
She readied herself for her arrival. Time to reunite with a familiar face.
Anna sat proper at her sleek metal desk, facing a window that looked out to the renowned Earth city named "New York City". A devious smile played on her face. For months the humans had welcomed the V's with the assurance of her promises of a better life. She was respected and honored, as if she were one of their own. Just as planned.
However, there WERE those Fifth Column members to think about. Every day, something terrible happened all because of their resistance to her and the V's. They even destroyed her eggs, which she'd hope would bring an end to the terrorist group. Oh, how she despised them! Even though Visitors lacked human emotion, Fifth Column still managed to get under her skin multiple times.
But they couldn't possibly stop her plans. All she needed was time and…
"Pardon me, my Queen."
Anna's thoughts were interrupted. She spun her chair around to face Marcus, her ever so loyal right hand man.
"The latest shipment of Live Aboards arrived, but one in particular wants to see you in person." Marcus said nonchalantly.
Anna was curious. "A reporter?"
"She didn't say, my Queen. She only said she'd like to meet with you for a short while, she doesn't plan to live here."
Interesting. Fifth Column trying to invade us again?
"Alright…but keep security on high alert."
"Yes my Queen." Marcus replied with a curt bow.
The supposed Live Aboard was easy to pick out.
She had no bags or extra clothing. Her old, misty eyes gazed down the hallways, watching as other humans were directed to their living quarters in the technological utopia contained in the ship.
Anna walked up to the strange woman, Marcus behind her, putting on her most hospitable smile.
"Hello," she said with mock friendliness, extending out a hand to shake with the other woman's. "I am Anna."
The reddish-brown haired woman also smiled, but coyly as she responded "Yes, I know you quite well, Anna."
Anna's smile dropped and her cold eyes nearly went wide.
Marcus looked over his Queen's shoulder "Is…something wrong, your Highness?"
"Leave us, if you please, Marcus." The leader said solemnly without turning to him. Marcus hesitated for a second, but left his Queen alone with the human woman.
Anna waited until her assistant was out of earshot, and could only muster a name in her shocked state "Sophia…"
Sophia smirked, in the way a mother would when a child is caught doing something he shouldn't. "Shocked to see me Anna?"
Anna masqueraded her surprise, trying not to look fearful in any way "What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you the same thing."
"I…I thought you died. In that crash decades ago!"
The aged alien shook her head "No, I survived. But for those long decades I've been locked away, along with the others who survived."
Anna didn't know what to say. For years she had heard from her own mother that Sophia, along with others from her species, had crashed on Earth over 60 years ago, thinking that no one could have possibly survived in the cruel climate they landed in. And yet Sophia now stood before her, almost proudly.
"What makes you think humans are so gullible? I've seen what their capable of. They don't trust beings like us. I believe there are quite a few people after you…Fifth Column, is it?"
Each question Sophia asked felt like weights being dropped onto her back. But she can shake those weights off. "They're nothing. We Visitors can handle a few mere humans."
"Oh? But what if they get stronger? What if you start running out of Visitors to hide behind? What then Anna?"
Anna felt the strong urge to strike the older woman. How dare this feeble woman question he superiority!
"I don't know what you're truly planning for the humans, Anna, but let me tell you this: When their faith in someone is dropped, they react quite drastically. Think about it."
Sophia left Anna with her final words as she turned and left the reptilian woman, returning to the carrier charted to fly back to the Peace Ambassador Center.
Marcus, upon seeing Sophia leave, returned to his leader. "My Queen? Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine." Anna said nonchalantly. "Sophia's appearance only…startled me. I didn't expect her to be alive to this day."
And if SHE tries to involve herself in ruining MY plans, she will surely suffer the consequences!