- Conquest -
"Shit, another ones coming!"
"Hit the deck!" I yelled, grabbing Paul and throwing him behind one of the cars.
The portal storm passed over us, and ground began to vibrate. The overpass ahead of us suddenly started to crumble, dumping cars, concrete, and people into the valley below. We stayed where we were, waiting for some kind of follow-up. When nothing happened, I stood up. Paul followed suit, and we both stared.
The overpass was a no go. The gap was wider than either of us could have jumped, unless we were on the moon. I pulled the map out of my backpack and laid it down on the hood of a car. Tracing the highway we were on, I stopped where we were. Marking it with a red marker, I traced the railroad that ran through the valley below us. It seemed to be a straight shot north, and passed within about twenty miles of Pineville.
I was trying to do the math in my head when Paul slammed into me. I turned to ask him what the hell he was doing, when I saw what he was running from.
A creature was making its way toward us. It was roughly humanoid, except for the massive red eye that dominated its face, the third arm growing from its chest, and its double jointed legs.
I reached for my knife, ready to defend myself if it tried anything.
It got closer, seeming to be taking in its surroundings. When it finally noticed us, it ran over at a pace that seemed completely impossible for something with such a weird build. The knife was up before I knew it.
It skidded to a halt, taking in the situation. Paul was lying on the ground, saying something about how he had told everyone the aliens would invade. I was standing there with my knife in both hands, holding it out like a sword. The creature turned to me, and I felt my heart stop. It was that single eye…
It reached for the knife.
And I lunged at it!
I delivered a straight kick to the creature's chest, my combat boots giving it an extra force. It stumbled back, and then raised its hands. The fear was overwhelming. That single eye…
"Oh no you don't, none of that lightning bullshit!" I yelled, flipping the knife with a grace I didn't know I had. I brought it down in an arch, putting as much force into the stab as I could.
The knife struck home, sinking into the creatures shoulder. I pulled it out and stabbed again.
I kept stabbing until it was lying on the ground, dead. Finally, I slowly stopped, more out of exhaustion then from a desire to stop. I was breathing hard, much more than I should have been. I dropped the knife, and then sat down hard on the road, looking at the creature.
Paul slid next to me, and we sat staring at it for a long time. Finally, he stood up and walked over to it. He slowly nudged it with his boot.
"Dude," he said, "you fucking killed it!"
I just sat there, not responding at first. Finally, when I felt my breathing start to return to normal, I responded.
"I guess I did…"
"You can officially say you met, and killed, an alien!"
That was pretty cool, when I thought about it. I grabbed my knife, and slid it into its sheath. Then I stared down at the creature.
We stood there for at least ten minutes. We had seen these things on the news, sure. And, we had seen them from a distance. But, this was the first one we had seen up close. It was both exhilarating, and terrifying.
Finally, I grabbed the map and motioned to the railroad below us. Delivering a parting kick to the alien, I started walking towards the edge of the road.
"Let's move. That will take us pretty much all the way back home."
"Cool. Let's rock and roll!" Paul said, forking his fingers into horns.
"You are an idiot sometimes…"
"Yeah, it's one of my many charms."
We both laughed at that. Really, we gave almost no thought to the alien. I don't think it had sunk in yet that we had even encountered one. It might have also been the fact that, if we did think about it for too long, we might lose any desire to keep going…
XXX
We followed the railroad for a long time. When evening slowly colored the horizon, we decided to make camp.
"Hope we can get a decent night's sleep…" Paul said, setting his backpack down and pulling out a chocolate bar.
"Doubt it. Those storms have been getting worse ever since that explosion in New Mexico. We'll be lucky if they don't hit us full force until morning."
"Yeah, but we can kill those alien things, so what does it matter?"
"The fact that we killed one, and there are probably thousands, if not millions, appearing all over the earth.
That made us both stop. When you put it like that, one dead alien wasn't that impressive. Not when compared to what the military was probably doing, and they were already losing…
"Jesus…" I breathed out. If the military was already getting beat, and it was going to get worse…
Paul seemed to read my mind.
"We might lose the planet. Humanity just…gone" he said quietly.
At some point, we both lay back and tried to get some rest. However, I don't think either one of us fell asleep for a long time.
XXX
The morning light was barely in the sky when we awoke to a rising shrill noise.
"Portal storm!" We both said, and looked for any cover we could.
Which was nothing at all. The railroad was a great thing to follow, but there was nothing for us to hide behind.
"Lay as flat as you can!" I heard Paul yell. Nodding, I lay down.
The storm ripped down the valley the railroad occupied. Already, I could tell this one was worse than before, and that was saying something.
It ripped past us, uprooting trees as it went. I began to feel myself getting tugged along with it, and tried to dig into the ground as far as I could. Finally, it passed, its shrill whistle slowly fading.
I finally raised my head when I couldn't hear it anymore, and looked around.
Everything seemed fine. Fallen trees aside, it looked like a pretty normal forest.
Then I looked for Paul.
He was gone.
XXX
I scrambled to my feet, hoping that I had just missed him.
He was gone.
At least, that's what I thought until I heard moaning from off to my right. Running over, I found my friend lying on the ground, his leg bent at an angle that was not normal.
"Jesus!" He screamed.
I just sat there, not sure what to do. I knew that we would have to make a splint for it, but…
How do you just do what needs to be done when you're friend looks like that?
Finally, I just looked to him.
"Jesus, you got messed up bad…" I said, not sure what else to say.
"Yeah, no shit Sherlock! Help me!"
I looked around and found what I was looking for. Two large, strong sticks were lying pretty close by. I grabbed them, and then ripped the boot laces out of Paul's boot. That got a nice 'Fuck you', but I worked as fast as I could.
"Alright man, I need you to be tough. This is gonna hurt…"
"Wha…Shit!"
I grabbed his leg and moved it back to the position I thought it should roughly occupy. Grabbing the sticks, I held them against his leg and tied the boot laces around them. I tied them as tight as I thought I could without cutting off circulation.
We sat there for a while, Paul doing his best not to pass out from the pain.
Finally, when he seemed to be okay, I offered my hand.
"Come on, we gotta move" I said, hoisting him up to a standing position.
"With my leg like this?" He asked, whimpering slightly.
"Yeah. The faster we get home, the faster we can get it looked at by someone who didn't learn first aid by watching TV and playing games."
"Fuck, my life is in the hands of an idiot…"
"Yeah, well this idiot is going to have to carry you're crippled ass, so I would be nice. Wrap you're arm around my shoulder."
He latched on, and we started off. We were moving a lot slower than we could have, but I didn't want to push it. Last thing I needed was for him to lose that leg because I was impatient.
XXX
It was deep into the night when we finally made camp. Gingerly, I set Paul down next to a decent sized rock.
"I'm going to go grab some wood for a fire" I said, already looking for a place to get up the bank of the valley.
"You're just going to leave me here?" He asked, clearly panicking.
That had me worried. He didn't normally panic in stressful situations. Maybe it was just the broken leg…
Or it might be a fever setting in…
"Look," I said, trying to be as comforting as possible, "I need to get some decent sized stuff to burn. I'll be gone for a few minutes and come back as quickly as I can. I'm not leaving you anywhere."
That seemed to calm him, although he was still on edge.
"All right, fine," he said, adjusting himself to be more comfortable, "but you better not fall and break your leg too…"
With a shake of my head, I clambered up the bank. I looked back when I got to the top, then set off into the woods.
XXX
I turned back after what I had what I felt would be enough fire wood for the night. It was difficult finding my way back in the dark, but I didn't want to risk using my flashlight. I had no idea what might be roaming the woods with me. Those portals had let loose all kinds of shit onto earth.
I almost fell into the valley where I had left Paul. In the dark, the ground had a funny way of blending so that it concealed any holes or ravines that might exist. Finally, I threw the firewood down, and slid down toward our makeshift camp.
I grabbed the wood and walked up to Paul's dormant form. It was so dark; I could only barely make him out.
"Hey man, I'm back!" I said, trying to sound as joyful as possible.
He didn't move.
"Look, don't be pissed at me. I'll get the fire going, then we can eat something.
Still nothing.
I was getting annoyed at this point.
"Don't pull that two year old 'I'm not talking to you' bullshit."
He just lay there.
Now I was worried.
I tugged my flashlight off my belt. Flicking the switch had zero effect. Smacking it produced the light.
Then Paul got up.
He staggered towards me. My light shone off the slick surface of the thing that was on his head. His hands were covered in blood, the bone starting to poke through the tips of his fingers.
I backed up, and fell over the wood I had been carrying.
I tried to back away, but he was on top of me. I could feel him start ripping at my clothes, trying to get at me.
"Get off me!" I yelled, throwing all my strength into getting him off me.
He stumbled back, then came right back at me. I pulled my knife from its sheath.
"Don't make me do this man! I can help you!"
The only response was a moan.
He came at me again. We both fell to the ground, my knife landing a couple of feet away. I tried to crawl away, to get to the only defense I had.
But he was clawing at me again. I could feel the bone ripping into my flesh. The knife was back in my hand at that point. And then something seemed to snap in me.
I stabbed out. I didn't care what I hit, so long as it got me away from this…thing. I stabbed and then started to back away slowly, only able to see what my small flashlight illuminated.
He came on, oblivious to the damage I had done. He reached out, his claws ready to sink into me.
Then I tackled him. I drove the knife down into the crab creature on his head. I had meant to only stab far enough to kill it, hoping I might somehow save my friend. But once I started, I couldn't stop stabbing it. I finally slowed, breathing heavily.
I left the knife there, not wanting to touch it. I crawled away, tears starting to flow. What had I done?
I collapsed backward, sobbing. It was the only thing I could do. I had not just lost one of my best friends, but had been the one that killed him! If I hadn't been so arrogant and left him alone… If I had just been faster getting back…
I didn't know what to do. I just felt lost. Where was I going to go? What was I supposed to do?
In the end, I curled up into a ball and fell asleep. Sometimes, sleep is the only place to go.
XXX
I awoke to the sound of rotor blades. They were far off, or at least they seemed to be. I slowly rose to a sitting position, looking around in bewilderment. Where was I?
Then I remembered the events of the previous night. I looked to the prone form in front of me. I felt like I should cry, or do something. But nothing came, and I just sat there.
Suddenly, the rotors got closer. I could tell the general direction they were coming from, but didn't see the source. It slowly got farther away, and I relaxed slightly. After giving myself a few more minutes, I shuffled over to where my friend's body lay. I grabbed his pack from where he had left it, and then moved away as fast as I could.
I stood up at that point, intent on leaving as fast as possible. But when I turned back, I knew I couldn't just leave him like that. And I still needed my knife…
I grabbed the jacket from his bag and laid it over him. I grabbed my knife, trying not to think about the force I had to use to pull it out. When I finally had it, I wiped the blade on the same jacket I had covered him with, and then pulled it over his head.
I stood there for a brief moment, saying a prayer to a god I had stopped believing in a long time ago. Nodding to the body, I said the only thing that came to mind:
"You were a hell of a guy man. I was lucky to know you…"
With a final nod towards the body, I started walking down the tracks. I looked back once, and then forced myself to keep looking forward.
XXX
I don't know how long I was walking. A few days? That sounds right, but time can get funny when you're alone. I didn't have a watch; it had broken when I had hit the ground at some point. For a miracle, I hadn't seen a single alien. Since that night…
No! I couldn't let myself think about that. If I did, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to move forward.
Or that I might go insane…
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. When the tracks began to bend to the left, I climbed the bank and started off into the woods. Checking my map, I saw that, if I kept this pace, I would be home before nightfall. Well, that might have been optimism on my part. Definitely before midnight…
XXX
The town was dark as I approached the outskirts. For a place that had the highway as a main street, I was surprised. Then I remembered the state the world was in. Lights probably weren't a big priority way out here, away from the major population centers…
My house was close to the edge of town. I approached it slowly, and as quietly as I could manage. I drew my knife out, not sure if I was ready to face what might be inside. Would I be able to kill my own family if I had to?
Not that stealth lasted very long. I tripped on the last step on the deck, falling forward. My knife stuck into the boards, and I was left feeling like a complete idiot.
"How could I forget there were five steps instead of fours?" I asked, slowly getting up.
The door flew open, the muzzle of a shotgun in my face. I could see the gleam of my dad's bolt action rifle in the background.
"What do you…Jack?" I heard a familiar voice say, before a hand reached down.
"Jesus," I said, taking it, "does a man have to risk getting shot to come home?"
My friend Jon stood before me. His hair was longer than I remembered, and he had a new scar above his eye, but it was him. We shook hands, and then hugged each other. When you haven't seen each other in a while, you make an exception to the normal way of dealing with people.
He motioned me inside. The door closed behind us, his dad locking it. I looked at what was left of the living room I had helped my mom paint just last summer.
Most of the furniture was gone. It had been busted up and nailed over the windows. I nodded to the rest of John's family, glad to see that his brother and sister, as well as his mom, had made it.
I sat down in a chair John offered me. Normally, I would have played the polite host, but I was exhausted. I leaned back, allowing the chair to tip onto its back legs. At some point, I must have fallen asleep, because I didn't remember anything after that.
XXX
I was standing on a road, cars whizzing by on both sides. I put out an arm, only to have it pass right through them. I gazed around. It all looked…familiar…
Someone was standing next to me. Paul! He looked fine, and smiled that cocky grin he had when I looked at him. Then the scenery shifted.
We were in a valley, a railroad running down the middle. The sky was growing dark. Paul looked worn; he had a crude splint on his leg. He set a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to look at him.
I stumbled back, and he grabbed me with his other hand. His head was covered in blood, a hole in his forehead. He pulled me down, and got close enough that I could see through it.
"Why did you do it?" he asked, sounding angry and scared.
"Wha…" I tried to say something, anything.
"WHY DID YOU KILL ME?!" He screamed, raising his clawed hands and bringing them down, digging into my chest. Blood flowed from my mouth.
XXX
I awoke with a start. The light was just drifting in through the boarded up front window. With a harsh sigh, I rubbed a shaking hand across my face. I tried to banish the nightmare from my memory…
That image of Paul would not leave me. Probably never would.
With another sigh, I rose from the chair I had fallen asleep in. Making sure not to wake anyone, I walked out onto the back deck.
Mist hung in the air. Giving the yard an almost dream like quality. I knew that, when the sun finally peak out, it would be warm and muggy. But, for now, it was cool.
John came out behind me. Closing the door, he walked over and leaned against the deck rail. Sipping something out of a cup, he motioned towards the field.
"Seems like nothing has changed, am I right?"
"Yeah" I breathed out, still trying to clear the dream from my mind.
John noticed, and then got a serious look on his face. From someone who had always seemed to have a joke ready, it was uncomfortable to see.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Paul's gone." I looked toward where the sun would be.
"What happened?"
"One of those crab things got him while I was gathering fire wood. I had to…" I pointed to my head, and then made a slicing gesture.
"Jesus…"
I just stayed silent, not really sure what else to say.
The sun rose higher in the sky. It was probably around ten when John's dad burst out of the house.
"Get in here! You might want to see this!" He said running back inside.
We looked at each other. Shrugging, we headed in.
XXX
The news, if it could even still be called that, was giving a million reports on what was happening. They kept showing footage of a meeting of what was left of the United Nations. The name "Dr. Breen" came up often. He was the former admin of the Black Mesa facility, and was adamant that humanity try to make contact with whoever had sent those massive spires here, which had stayed closed throughout the panic filled week and a half.
When he finally did enter, however, the spires lit up. Suddenly, humanity's battered military forces had a new enemy on their hands. With shock, we watched large tripods, like something out of 'War of the Worlds' stomp through city streets. They destroyed everything they came across.
Apparently, Los Angeles was the site of a massive counter attack attempt, including a group of specialists who had somehow been involved with whatever happened at Black Mesa. The details were sketchy, but nothing was speaking of any human victories. We were losing before, and now we were being annihilated. Even if the military were in top form, I doubt they would have lasted very long. Our enemy was more advanced than us.
Those thoughts came later. For now, I was focused on the screen. We were terrified of the images coming from Chicago, where the military had already abandoned the city to the attackers. They seemed to be trying to use artillery fire to take them out, but the news feed suddenly went dead.
Finally, after only seven hours, it was over. Dr. Breen emerged from the citadel, and negotiated humanities surrender to the "Universal Union". Occupation would begin immediately, and every human should cooperate with our new "benefactors". Breen was saying something about this being a new golden age for humanity when I turned the TV off. After that, everyone sort of drifted off to their own part of the house. Finally, we all managed to fall asleep. I felt completely drained.
We had lost…
XXX
When the first light of morning peeked through the boarded up windows, and I still wasn't asleep, I got up from where I was laying. Taking the road map out, I started looking over places I could go. I had to leave civilization behind, or I would get rounded up when the occupation forces rolled through…
I would leave. Go north. Maybe find a cabin up in Canada, and live the rest of my life in peace. I would talk to the others when they got up. I could only hope they would agree to come with me…
