It was a normal sunny day, when the Keronians came...
The Hinata family was spending the day at the beach on a rare family outing. Natsumi was happily watching her younger brother analyse seaweed that had washed up on the shore. He rambled on about it having something to do with an ancient art of fortune telling and how he would try to use it to predict the locations of extra terrestrials. Aki, their mother, lay on a beach chair reading a novel hoping to be struck by inspiration. Natsumi worked on getting herself a nice tan. After realizing she would never have a chance with bad-boy Saburo she decided she would better herself and focus on enjoying time with her family. Their grandmother was taking a nap in a chair next to Aki.
"Hey mom, when is dad getting back? It shouldn't take this long to drive to the convenience store and back." Natsumi called to her mother who looked at her
watch to check the time.
"It shouldn't be long now, do you guys wanna go meet him up on the road?" Aki suggested as she closed her book and sat up to get out of her chair.
"Oh yeah! I can't wait! Dad promised to pick up the newest edition of my favorite magazine!" Fuyuki ran towards them in excitement.
"Another one of those nerdy alien nonsense rags you call a magazine?" Natsumi said mockingly. As they approached the road they could see their father pulling up in his vehicle.
"Everyone knows there's no such thing as alien-" before Natsumi could finish her sentence a dark shadow was cast over the beach, the waves could be heard moving rapidly as if trying to escape some terrifying force. Their father's vehicle was only a few feet away when a sudden beam of light struck the vehicle causing it to explode leaving nothing but a burning pile of shrapnel.
"Noooooo!" Aki cried and fell to her knees. The rest of their family gasped and cried out in terror. They looked to the sky at the source of the menacing shadow and their father's killer. A large UFO covered the sky, lights shone down and struck the earth again and again more than likely taking the lives of more innocent people. A loud booming voice echoed from a speaker system.
"ATTENTION PEKOPONIAN SCUM! WE ARE THE MIGHTY KERONIAN RACE! SURRENDER NOW OR WE SHALL WIPE OUT 50% OF THIS PATHETIC WORLD'S POPULATION!"
"Pekoponians? Keronians? Aliens? FOR REAL?!" Natsumi yelled in surprise. Fuyuki trembled next to her.
"Normally I'd have said this would be cool, but… I have never in my life wished i had been so wrong!" tears fell from Fuyuki's eyes as he fell to the ground next to his mother, all of his strength leaving his body.
Natsumi looked up at the giant UFO and a small amount of movement caught her eye. A hatch on the bottom of the ship opened up and several small flying platforms descended shooting more lazers into the higher populated areas of the city.
"Wait are those….. FROGS?!" Natsumi proclaimed half in rage over the death of her father, but also half in rage over how ridiculous this had become.
A few of the hover pads came towards their area, a red beam cloaked the ground, searching. As they headed in the Hinata's direction, the red beam covered the ground coming closer and closer. Natsumi considered the idea of trying to escape but when she looked at her mother's broken and soulless form, kneeling next to her brother on the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face. Before Natsumi could even think about making a move the invaders were upon them.
The light scanned the ground and the Hinata's. One of the invaders began to shout.
"PEKOPONIANS DETECTED! PEKOPONIANS DETECTED!" Three hover boards descended towards them, each Keronian brandished a dangerous looking weapon.
"Don't move Pekoponians! We're taking you into custody to be collected, processed, and sold into slavery. Resist and you shall be annihilated." one commanded.
Natsumi could tell they were serious, so for the safety of her family she would go against her every instinct to fight back- for now. The Keronians took the Hinata's to one of their large UFO's along with many others. They were brought aboard and split into two different groups by gender.
"Attention Pekoponian slaves! You will now be cleansed and prepared for processing, please stay in a single file line." A voice echoed across the loudspeakers. Natsumi followed the girls group, doing as they commanded and remaining in a single file line as they were told. Looking towards the front of the line natsumi could see what looked like a conveyer belt that lead to a closed off room. As they progressed along in the line Natsumi could make out the distinct sound of a shower. When it was her turn to enter the room she was quickly greeted by having her clothes disintegrated from her body, before she could react she was doused with hot water. She felt like a car in a car wash because as soon as the water was turned on it stopped, and she was dried with hot air. Natsumi was taken out of the room and into another where she was quickly outfitted with a tight white button up turtle neck, and matching long white slacks.
The line lead back to a large room where all the other captured humans were being held. All of them wore the same simple clothes. Several keronians were flying around on their hover boards going from one human to the next.
"Pekoponians please find your blood-related Pekoponian housing mates, you shall all be catalogued by…. 'family'." The voice faltered for a moment when trying to use the unfamiliar word.
Natsumi, whom had already been near her mother and grandmother, began to look for Fuyuki, the only missing member of their family.
"Fuyuki! Fuyuki where are you?" Natsumi called out, searching for her timid little brother. She found him on the outer edge of the men's side, not quite sure what to do.
"Fuyuki! There you are! Quickly come over here!" Natsumi grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. One of the keronians came over to them and pointed something that resembled a pricing gun at them.
"You there, you and all of your housing mates raise their hands, you will each be marked and kept in the same group." he commanded. Natsumi, Fuyuki, and their grandmother raised their hands, Natsumi had to hold her mother's up for her. The Keronian scanned each of their hands and left a digital number on the back of their hands, the machine beeped three times before he moved on to the next group.
A second Keronian approached, he spoke loudly to the crowded people giving them their next instructions.
"Those of you that have been processed shall move on to the unloading bay to be escorted to the Keronian slave prison on planet Keron! proceed this way!" the Keronian flew off into the direction of a large metal door that opened to allow the masses of people to travel through, it was in the opposite direction that they had come through, making Natsumi feel like home, and everything she ever knew.
-TO BE CONTINUED...-