Invaders
Disclaimer; If I owned it, it'd be a live action series. Not this bit of text out on the net.
Chapter One
The dripping of water was what initially caught his subconscious. For what felt like forever he had been in a black dreamless void. However that sound and it's repetitive nature finally made him seize onto something beyond his own awareness. That eventually gave way to a mental heave as he forced himself out of the deep recesses of slumber. First a twitch of the finger, then a lick of the lips, and finally his eyes opened.
Harsh light met his vision which made him shut his eyes again with a tight squint. It was painful, unexpected, and just what he needed to fully bring back his memory of things. Chaos, fire, screaming, tacos. With a surge the teenager sat up and forced his eyes open. A quick scan around the road side clearing confirmed nothing beyond his own confusion.
"Where did the UFO go?" Dib asked no one in particular. Only the night answered him with the usual sounds of crickets chirping and the far off light pollution of Boston. He stood up without another thought and looked at his wrist watch to see just how long he'd been out. "Six hours?! Oh man. It's a good thing I didn't have any classes today or I'd be in deep trouble!" Dib stated with a sigh of relief. Then he quirked a brow, "Why do I keep spouting exposition like that? Ah well. Who cares, not like anyone is around to hear it."
At the age of nineteen Dilbert Tesla Membrane, or Dib to everyone who even cared to remember he existed, was in his second year of college at Boston University. Before college he had been a shut in from the day he'd been born. His father, the hero of the world, Professor Membrane had developed a severe over protection of his children with the passing of his wife during the throes of childbirth while bringing his little sister into the world. Dib had been content to stay at home, but his sister Gaz managed to get out and thus have more experience with the outside world beyond movies or television. Gradually it caught Dib's interest in hearing her talk about her adventures when she was in a rare talkative mood. So, when he was eighteen he'd enrolled in Boston University. With his credentials as being personally taught by the world's most brilliant scientist it had just been a mere formality to go through the record check to see if he was the sort of student they were looking for.
The Professor hadn't been exactly supportive of the idea but he did relent since Dib wasn't moving out to go to school. Now a year and a half later Dib discovered that the world wasn't as awesome as Gaz made it out to be. There wasn't tons of friends just waiting to meet him. Most people avoided him and almost everyone called him crazy for believing in aliens. He started suspecting that they were right. Until today. Today changed everything in ways that made him both terrified and jubilant.
It happened as Dib was driving from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. He'd been eating some take out from the Local Taco Shell and wanted to go somewhere a bit more scenic than home to surf the internet for conspiracy theories on his laptop. Hey, he was a top notch student and was accepting not everything was some cloak and dagger operation but reading up on theories had become a hobby. He'd just got down scowling about a Bigfoot sighting in Normandy when a blaze of fire bloomed in the night sky. Dib jumped to his feet, staring in awe as the flaming wreckage fell to earth. Quickly he yanked out a pair of binoculars he used to "bird watch" with to get a better look. The over all shape was like a giant oval, rigged hooks that seemed to be landing gears were deployed and he was fairly certain they were not standard issue on any air craft he'd ever seen.
The bubble that outlined an obvious cockpit sold it for his forming suspicions. Either the military had an accident with an experimental plane, or that thing was an actual UFO! Quick as a flash Dib jumped onto his scooter, leaving his meal forgotten as he gunned the little engine to give chase to the screaming meteor. Trees melded into one huge blur as Dib put all of his focus onto the road in front of him, giving the trajectory of the fireball a glance when he felt safe enough to spare it. Pieces were flying off, falling to the forest below over the course of the fall.
It was during that half a second glance that the wreck happened. Dib remembered colliding with something, his scooter bucking beneath him and he went flying into a patch of gravel.
Back in the present Dib's eyes shot open wide and he began to inspect himself. It was like his body was patiently waiting for his mind to catch up with current events before severe pain began to roll in. He touched his forehead and almost immediately blacked out. Heaving an anguished gasp he turned around nearly doubled over to look for his scooter. It wasn't a long search. The vehicle was still back on the side of the road, leaving Dib to thank his lucky stars no one had come along and ran over it during his time unconscious. With pain spreading body wide he pulled it upright to get a good look at himself in the mirror. What he saw did not reassure him.
Both of Dib's nostrils had dried blood running down to his mouth, the left side of his forehead was one huge scrape, the flesh resembling raw hamburger. Thank whoever there was to thank he'd listened to Gaz and wore proper riding gear to protect the rest of him even if he did feel like death warmed over. Now if only he'd worn a helmet as well he might have avoided a possible curve side lobotomy. Speaking of which that reminded him to ask the real question.
Just what did he hit?
With a careful eye Dib began to search for what had taken him off course so decisively. He'd been going over forty he knew that much, so unless it was a brick the unseen obstruction couldn't be in too great a shape. Dib knocked the kickstand down on his scooter so he could at least get whatever it was out of the road to prevent anyone else from having a repeat crash.
After just a few seconds of searching up the road he came on what he had hit. It was a lump of black, resting on the roadside. Dib frowned, "Why did I hit it if it was on the side of the road all along?" Under the moonlit sky he soon caught telltale signs of glimmering wet. It originated from near the side of the road he'd been traveling on. The teenager paused, feeling his stomach clench in knots. He knew just by the streaky smears that if he had a decent light the blood would be in much sharper relief. With growing worry he hurried over to get a better look at the black lump. Cautiously he approached, if it was a wild animal and still alive Dib really did want to avoid a mauling. When the lump stayed deathly still Dib swallowed and leaned down to touch it. The lump felt odd for an animal. A second later his brain registered it was a trench coat he was touching and his heart flew into his throat in horror. "Oh my God. What have I done?" He whispered, now crouching over the still form to confirm he wasn't just imagining things.
It was a girl. Roughly his age. She was cold, and as immobile as a statue. "Oh God.. Oh God!" Dib fell back onto his behind in disbelief. Instinctively he jammed a hand into his pocket for his cell phone. In a flash it was out. Dib muttered frantic curses as he tried to get the screen light to stay on so he could unlock it and make the call but that had been the one annoying thing about the damned thing. The phone would sometimes be out of sync with the button and he did not need that right now.
Finally! The light stayed on and Dib quickly unlocked his phone. In a flash he'd dialed 911 and at the operator's greeting his words began to tumble out of his mouth. "I need help! There's a-" Something grabbed his hand and yanked it away from his head. Dib froze, eyes wide as saucers on realizing it was an icy cold hand belonging to the girl herself. Her free hand pushed the end call option. With a slow fearful look his gaze panned from his phone down along her arm to meet her face.
Her face was covered in so much blood it was like something out of a horror movie. The wound seemed to come from the girl's hairline since the dark trails separated over her face like a macabre spider web. Most chilling of all was the too alert and deliberate stare she was giving him. "No ambulance." She stated in the most matter of fact English accent Dib had ever heard past the television even.
Certainly he watched the British News Network, thought that some of their accents were almost humorous or cute with some women. Not this one. If anything it made her soft voice crack louder than any whip. Imperious, expecting obedience without so much as a glimmer of doubt.
He could only nod to her order. Then watched as she started to try pushing herself up in numb awe. A pained gasp made Dib snap out of his paralysis. "Oh God-" He fairly leaped to his feet and held his hands out ready for, he wasn't sure what, maybe to catch her if she fell. "You shouldn't move miss. You got hit really bad. Something may be broken."
"Two ribs. Right side. Orbital left socket cracked. Numerous lacerations." She reported, letting her eyes linger on him as she said it. At his inquisitive frown she added, "I had a long time to think about where hurt and how. I'd just gotten into a good doze when you came plodding up. Tell me, if I had died did you think that would have done any good by now? The sun is well set. Lucky for us both I'm so sturdy. Now will you help me up or just gawk like you've never seen blood before?"
"I- I haven't. At least not this much all at once outside of a slasher movie." Dib mumbled before he quickly went to assisting her in standing up. She was much lighter than he'd expected. Dib was by no means muscular, but if she wasn't so injured or a stranger he figured he could have lifted her over his head for a few seconds. She was a lot shorter to. Dib took after his father and was near the six foot mark while the girl had to be at least a foot shorter. "Miss, are you sure you don't want me to call an ambulance. You said it yourself you got broken bones."
"I'm sure. Now if you want to avoid me suing the hell out of you just do me one favor." The girl rasped in a huskier voice once she got to her feet with a stagger. "Give me a lift to my.. home. My uncle can see to my injuries better than any hospital can. Relax he won't kill you." She added at his alarmed look. With her being so much shorter he couldn't see her face but the smirk in her voice left no doubt of what her expression was. "If anything he'd wonder why you didn't back up and finish the job."
Dib didn't know quite how to take that. So without another word he helped her limp over to his scooter and helped her get on. She moved like she was stiff, and now that the adrenaline began to fade Dib realized he wouldn't be running around for the next few days either. Once she was on securely and the scooter was cranked after a few false starts they were off down the road. Albeit at a much more sedate pace. He didn't want to see if he could fit a third person on the tiny machine.
The girl for the most part wrapped her arms around his middle, leaned against him and stayed still. After a few loud directions she fell silent and Dib could almost imagine he was wearing a second backpack. The directions took him quite a drive at such a slow speed and he had to ask directions a couple more times. Until finally the welcome sign to Bay Village came up in his headlight. He slowed down further, checking the street signs for the right turns until finally he reached a brick row house at the end of Berkeley Street just before Chinatown. Dib pulled to a stop, cut the engine and gently roused the lethargic girl by shaking her clenched hands. A minute or so later of achingly climbing off the scooter and helping her limp the rest of the way saw them finally come to the front door. Dib went to knock but the girl twisted the knob and pushed the door open.
Following this cue Dib walked the girl inside where she detached herself to lean heavily against the corridor wall. "Bill! Get out here and help me to my room! We have a guest!" She fairly shrieked in a pitch that would curdle milk and make small animals flee.
A faint pattering sound drew Dib's attention to the carpet beneath the girl and it was then he realized she was bleeding even under her clothes. At the steady drop of blood from one limp arm soiling the carpet attested. That finally snapped Dib out of his obedient stupor and he straightened. "Look miss I got you home but we really need to get you to a hospital- you could bleed to death!" He exclaimed, and for emphasis pointed at the carpet when she shot him a tolerant look. "Seriously! When your uncle sees you-"
Noise could be heard from what was presumably the den. A moment later a middle aged man appeared in the doorway to Dib's left. "Tak? You actually brought home a guest? You feeling sick?" He asked, exuding an unflappable demeanor. He was a little taller than Dib, dressed in a casual beige shirt and khaki slacks with house slippers. "Should I alert the media or do something else?"
Then he took in the girl bleeding on his floor and heaved a sigh, "You know that's going to leave a stain right?"
Needless to say Dib was left speechless at the underwhelming reaction the man had to seeing his niece looking like she was at death's door. What was more she seemed to be just as nonchalant, intentionally flicking more droplets onto the floor. "Are you two insane?! She's bleeding to death! Why are you not calling emergency services?!"
Finally the uncle looked at him with a perked brow. Then he exchanged a quick look with the girl. "So I take it he hasn't seen a lot of blood before."
"Don't know. He's the one that ran me over and got me like this. I have no prior knowledge of him." She replied with the same indifference toward her condition.
"You seem to have a knack for doing that you know. Meeting people after they almost turn you into hamburger." Bill quipped before stooping down so she could throw an arm over his neck for support. "When are you going to realize if you want to make a friend all you have to do is say hello and then see what they're interested in? It isn't that difficult I promise." Gingerly they went down the hallway making waspish replies to one another. Which left Dib to awkwardly stand there wondering how they could be so casual about the entire event.
While they were doing whatever it was they did after a near fatal meeting with a scooter Dib took to staring at the blood on the carpet. Dark stains made a dotted line for the course the pair took but he did not follow it. Rather, something about the blood made him contemplate longer than he really should have. Hard to describe really but even with it being a dark splotch Dib just didn't think it looked quite right. He shot a quick glance down the hall.
Both were still occupied in what he presumed was the girl's room. After a second longer hesitation Dib stooped down to press a finger against the largest damp spot, pushing hard. Once he felt the wetness coat the pad of his finger he stood upright and started to turn the finger so he could look at it.
"Hey there kiddo."
Dib jumped back in alarm, arms flying up to defend him and a shrill yelp escaped his mouth. Bill raised a brow at the behavior but otherwise stayed completely still until Dib settled down. "Yeah, so anyway I got her settled in. Thanks for bringing her home. Honestly I dunno what she was doing that far away. I was told it was just gonna be a light stroll."
"Is she going to be alright?" Dib asked now that his attention was soley on the man before him. "Um, and second being as I did hit her with a scooter going forty am I in a lot of trouble? I'm sure my dad would arrange a nice out of court settlement and pay for any medical bills.." Dib did not know that, but it at least sounded good out loud. This way he would at least look apologetic.
"What? Oh no. Don't worry about legal action or anything. I was an army doctor for a few years back when I was closer to your age. I've given her a sedative once it was clear she wasn't suffering a concussion. Did a quick look and aside from the ribs there's only so much I can do right now." The reason was left unspoken but made quite clear when Bill inclined his head slightly at Dib. However he was still smiling. "Tak gets hurt pretty often so this isn't anything an IV drip and a few pain killers can't cure."
"She gets hurt often? So her coming home like this is a regular thing?" Dib asked, storing that information for later.
"Yeah. Like I said, nothing out of the ordinary except that I wished she would be more careful." The older man stated rather frankly. Dib knew a goodbye when he heard one. It was the same abrupt tone people in the halls used when he started to linger too long, fascinated that he was actually socializing.
"Err, right. So anyway I gotta go now. Hope she has a speedy recovery and that she can forgive me for running her over." Dib muttered and left the house without a look back.
The trip back home was an uneventful one other than his body further stiffening from sitting still on his scooter for so long. Soon enough and not too late to have his dad start worrying Dib made it to the neighborhood of Mission Hill without too much to preoccupy his mind. By that point however he was hobbling in like a geriatric fresh off of a seven mile run after two years of sitting around. He called out to let his father know he was home before starting to struggle his way up the stairs and collapsed in his bed. That was the last thing Dib was aware of.
Waking up was the most miserable experience of his entire life. Dib opened his eyes but that was the only part of him that would move without a concentrated effort. Belatedly he remembered his Social Studies class was at ten. Then in a movement that had him hissing in pain he rolled over to stare at the clock on his bedside table. Relief flooded through him. It was six, he still had another four hours before he needed to drag his aching body out. Dib settled back in and let himself lay still for a while, taking inventory of his various hurts, which were more like one gigantic spike of pain. What ultimately helped was to just focus on his breathing. The way his lungs filled then shrunk when the air left them. Dib got so wrapped up in that self observation he actually made himself dizzy from the intake of air.
Another glance at the clock confirmed he had only an hour or so to get ready and make it on time finally prodded Dib out of bed.
