Chapter 11- City of dread

Don kept his thoughts focused only on his wife. He went over every detail of her appearance and character in his head, hoping that he could block any invasion into his thoughts. It had been a diversion tactic, that had allowed escape from the tower. They had been thinking of the tunnels below the city and making their way outside.

The plan had been to find a place in the city to hide. There they would wait until John and Maureen found them.

Now there was one glaring problem with that plan. There was no city. All that was in front of them was a wide open field. He knew that he had experienced shock at the disappearance of the city. It had only been for a second, but that might just be long enough for the occupants of the tower to locate their position. With nothing to hide inside or behind it was going to be very easy to find them.

xxxxxx

The most important question always came first. "Robot can you locate the Jupiter 2", John asked. The lights in the robots head brightened as he began yet another scan. "There are no signs of the Jupiter 2 within my scan radius", the robot reported the bad news.

"Damn", I was hoping they had just moved it to another location in the city. Perhaps they sent it off world instead. "That does leave us with the issue of how to get off this world, " John declared. "I detect no other vessels", the robot added yet more bad news.

"Is there any type of holographic projector present ", Will wanted to know. "The city we visited could have easily been a projection". The robot just shook its head, "there are no signs of any projectors. The only structure I detect upon this world is the tower".

"Alright so how do they make a city appear, then disappear", Maureen mused. Smith shrugged, he was feeling rather low at the moment. A quick look at the faces of Maureen and John revealed an unusual grimness. That made him feel even worse.

Penny contributed her thoughts ,"I remember that time we went to a magic show and that guy made a whole 747 disappear. It is amazing even though you know it is a trick of some type. Illusions, are about our mind believing one thing, and relaying that information to our eyes. " Thus the plane is still there".

"Yeah, but the city is not", Will remarked. "But perhaps the reverse is true, the city was not there to begin with, it was just a trick of the mind". He grinned, it felt good to be able to think clearly again.

Smith stretched his legs, as he felt them cramp. They had been moving continuously for awhile now, from the tunnels to outside where the homes were supposed to be located. There were still several miles of empty field were between them and Don and Judy, who were closer to the tower. It was easy to see the tower, as even in the semi darkness it glowed brightly, like a lighthouse welcoming those in danger. However the tower was the place they wanted to avoid.

"Will has proposed a good workable theory, and if I think more about the reasons why we were shown a fake city, I have to assume it was to make us want to stay. If the beings on this world are not lifeforms, then they don't need comforts like cities, but we do. Perhaps they want to keep us a pets or something", Doctor Smith shivered. Beings who were not living would not be the kindest of masters. He now had no desire to live upon this world. His sense of danger was warning him loudly that it was time to flee for their lives. Which was not what they were doing. He did not want to leave the others and go off on his own though, that would just be stupid.

"I think you are right about making us want to stay", John agreed. "They have tried to make this world look just like our home. Yet a few things have not quite worked out. Those mistakes, are from a species who really has no idea what living is about". As for the pets theory, I think it is more than that".

He meant more sinister, Smith knew. "Can we have a rest", he pleaded. The robot slowed and swivelled his head at Smith. "I detect severe fatigue in all of you. Your bodies are all reacting like you are contracting a virus". For this reason I suggest changing our plan. Why don't I go ahead and rendezvous with the Major and Judy. You should all head back to the tunnels and rest. Perhaps if you find some nourishment there, it might help", the robot suggested.

John wanted the robot with them, if they encountered any of the aliens, even though he may not be of any use. However Don and Judy may just need him the most. He knew that for awhile, the visitors to this world had been safe in the tunnels. Being out in the open was not a wise choice.. "Very well", he agreed. They all turned back toward the tunnel opening.

The robot engaged his motors at their full capacity and sped off toward the city.

"Dad what are we going to do once we encounter the aliens", Will asked nervously.

John was silent, he really had no idea .

xxxxxx

"No", it had been a very definite answer to his intention. Judy's fingernails had dug painfully into his skin, her eyes were wet with tears. "It is the only thing I can think of that might give you a chance Judy", Don told her. Judy shook her head, "Don I want all of us to get off this world. My children are not going to be brought up without a father", her hand tightened around his.

Don was going to try and lead the aliens away from Judy by keeping the belief she was with him firmly in his mind. He would move rapidly away from her and hope the aliens chose to follow him. Hopefully it would give her enough time to be found by the others. Don knew his plan was relying on the fact that the others had not already been captured themselves.

"The babies give you some defence Judy. You are better off without me", Don continued. He was shaking he knew, and his eyes had the annoying tendency to water horribly. That's all it was running eyes.

Don't lie to yourself Don, his mind said firmly. If you leave her now, you will not come back. You know this.

He did.

"They will find me Don", Judy's last argument was said in a deeply strained voice."It is only a matter of time". Let us a least be together, when they do catch us". "My babies only offer so much defence. They will send everyone after us".

Don feared she was right. If their shock at not finding a city had leaked out, then the aliens already knew where they were.

He had just finished that thought, when out of the ground in front of him came Myer. He simply seemed to appear, right out of the air. That meant that his body was not really solid. He was more like a ghost. Don was about to grab Judy and start running when one look behind them stopped him.

More aliens were rising from the ground and they were forming a circle around counted around 150 of them.

It was already too late to run. "Such a good try Major". But consider yourselves caught", Myer crooned.

Don slumped to the ground, he knew he had no chance of fighting off hundreds of aliens. "Alright, I am caught, I will do anything you want. Just let Judy go". It was a plea said on bended knees. Don had never begged for mercy before. It felt appropriate in this instance.

"We cannot". Her babies are our chance", Myer said bluntly. He nodded and three aliens moved forward to clasp Judy's arms . She took one look over at Don ,who shook his head. The message was clear, don't fight, there are too many of them.

"We will take her back to the delivery suite and wait for her babies to be born", Myer stated. "As for you, well..."there was no end to that sentence, but the silence carried heavy menace.

"Why are you doing this to us. All we wanted was a home", Don growled.

"Your kind are destroyed many of us Major. It was only fitting that we do the same", Myer replied. "Many years ago, the first ship came to this world. They were not just explorers, having settlement on their minds. Most of this world is inhospitable, except for the valley. They took one look, and decided to build their cities here, in what was the most peaceful location".

"They did take scans, which would have said no life forms present. But scans do not tell you everything. All they had to use was these", Myer pointed to his eyes. "Instead they ignored what was right in front of them and used their advanced machinery to bore into the rock of this world, making the tunnels. Then they build that monstrosity", Myer flicked his hand toward the tower. "In the process of all this construction, they wiped out several thousand of my kind."

"We could not sit idly back while they continued to expand. So we used the only defence we had. Hmm let me see if I can find a word that describes what we are...It's there in your mind..Ohh you've got lots of rubbish inside your head Major". Myer sounded like he was just having a chat, and slightly teasing him. But there was nothing friendly about this. Don could feel a sharp pain in his head as Myer invaded his mind. He was a captured prisoner, awaiting his fate.

Myer stood over Don, hands on hips, his face was pensive. He knew he had won and it made his voice smug."Symbiotic, no that's not it, as it implies choice, ahh, yes that word is perfect, parasite. We invade the hosts and take over, destroying from the inside. Once the host was dead, we decided to keep their bodies animated, in order to attract more of their kind."We discovered the one thing that made you and others like worth invading, your ability to reproduce."

Myer stepped closer and ran his hand over Don's arm. Don kept his eyes focused on Myers. He was beginning to understand now. Unfortunately he wished he did not.

"It is how you define life", Myer stated, "and something we do not have". Our lives in our natural state are very long, and never vary much. We come from the natural world, it sustains us . Our parasitic nature, was initially something we used only on smaller creatures to add to our life force and to give us an opportunity to experience a different type of existence. These lower life forms were boring. The first settlers to this world were far from boring. Taking over their higher brain functions gave us an amazing new life".

"This body has lasted a long time, as I have drunk the mental energies of many other aliens over the years. I have never wanted a change in shape. The original Myer killed many of our kind, reverting others with his face, is kind of pay back. That is a thought that came from the mind of other aliens. Now I am tiring of this body and yours will make the perfect replacement. " I am sorry you won't get to see your offspring grow to maturity Major", Myer told him.

"When I take over your body and mind completely there will be intense pain followed by numbness. Essentially you will die and I will take over what remains of your brain. That is the unfortunate side effect of our process, it damages the mind. The age of the host affects the degradation ,it is much worse for older hosts. We lose memories, and thus function in a kind of half life. Which is why this", Myer swept his arm around the world," has seemed imperfect to you".

"Which is why we need your offspring. Even though their brains and bodies are developed, they are still maturing. We will have the opportunity to make a passive take over, to be there in their minds and to bend those mind to our will. Then eventually ,when they are mature enough, your twins will be the parents of our new evolved race. We will have your, minds and bodies but retain parts of our old selves, our long life. It will be incredible." Myer's face lit up with a beaming smile.

Don was still on his knees. His legs had suddenly refused to function any more. It was because he was totally terrified. In his mind he saw a race with no moral grounding. They could expand beyond this world and become a threat to other planets and people. He closed his eyes then refusing to look upon Myer any longer. Apart from the probing of his mind, he felt no intense invasion. He wished Myer would just get it over with instead of taunting him.

"Step back from them", that voice was very familiar, as was the buzz of electricity, Don could hear in the air.

So that was why Myer had held off. He opened his eyes. There in all his glory stood the robot, his clawed hands crackling with thousands of volts. The lights in his domed head, shone brightly with an amber light, illuminating the ground for several miles.

Don wanted to have some hope , but he doubted that an electrical charge with have any effect on these things. "Ah so you are the mechanised creature, they were thinking about. You have no hope of stopping us. We are immune to the effects of any types of currents. Our desire to stop them activating you, was simply because, your sensors would alert the others to the fact we are not a life form". We preferred them not to know our nature, until it was too late to fight".

"Now we are taking Judy West back to the tower. Don West is being absorbed, right here, right now. You can watch", Myer remarked calmly.

For a reply the robot shot out a bolt of electricity, directly at Myer. It engulfed his body, making it sparkle brightly for several seconds. If he'd been human, he would have fallen to the ground ,dead at that moment.

"Ooh it tingles and I like it", Myer teased, as he watched the voltage flit over his body. "Increasing voltage", the robot replied. The next bolt of electricity sizzled through the air to engulf about 50 of the aliens.

Don hurriedly stood up and made his way over to Judy's side. She had moved away from the aliens that had been holding her. They were currently sparkling with the light from the severe electrical shock.

"At least he's keeping them busy", Don stated. "Run that way", the robot told them, pointing his claw, far into the distance.

Don did not move. "They can come up out of the ground", he told the robot. "We would not get very far, before we were overwhelmed.'

The robot had never met an enemy who was not affected by his electrical charge. These aliens, just seemed to soak it up. His visual sensor could clearly see people. Yet his other sensors detected no life signs. The bodies, seemed to just be casings, for something else. He could sense the fear of Major Donald West and that was a surprise. The Major was the one who was often least affected by the terrifying things they had met upon their voyage. A quick scan of Judy West, revealed one reason for his terror, she was in labour. At the moment the birth was not imminent meaning which was at least one good thing.

The robot considered his options. It was obvious the Major and his wife were in mortal danger. Thus he had to take extreme measures. "I will increase the voltage to maximum intensity. You must get yourselves as far away from here as quickly as possible".

Don nodded, he was not going to argue anymore. Taking Judy by the hand he stepped passed the sparkling form of Myer. Then without looking back, he and Judy broke into a jog.

The robot threw the strongest charge he could make at the aliens. It was the type of power that could have melted the Jupiter 2 into a puddle of ooze. This charge had never been used on anything before as it was a last resort measure.

What happened was an intense lightning storm. The charge blasted across the air, sizzling as it went. Everything in its path was engulfed. Grass beneath the aliens feet caught fire, with the flames licking upward. Smoke filled the air . Soon the glare from the fire was so bright that it blinded the robots sensors. He did not wait around to see how effective the charge had been. Engaging his motor he sped after Don and Judy.

"Quickly climb onto my legs and wrap your arms around my torso, I will take you back to the others", he told the exhausted couple.

Don looked over his shoulder. The light had dissipated. He could see no sign of the aliens. The robots charge had worked. He and Judy grabbed hold of the robot, wrapping their arms around them and interlocked them. They sped off.

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John slapped the torch in his hand hard. The flickering stopped and the beam of light steadied. The batteries were dying, and he could not stop that process. Eventually they would be left in the darkness.

Above his head, a long line of lights reminded him of the fact, there was once a lot of power down here."We should see if we can find a generator, or something, powering those lights will be beneficial".

Smith just grunted, his stomach was reminding him loudly that he had not eaten for awhile. A through search of two of the alcoves had not yielded any edible food stuffs. He licked his dry lips, the lack of water was also a concern.

He plonked himself down on an old chair and sighed loudly. "I wonder how long they did survive down here", he grumbled.

"There has to be supplies somewhere, Maureen stated. "Yeah well we have miles of tunnels to choose from", Smith muttered.

He looked toward the nearby exit, where the brightening light, spoke of another morning. Spying another familiar light he smiled, "well here comes something to help solve our problems", he remarked.

The robot sped into the tunnels, with two familiar and rather pale people clinging onto him. Maureen rushed forward to help her daughter down . John went to Don's aid.

The robot slumped down, his arms dangling, "I have only ten percent power remaining", he informed them.

John was holding onto a trembling Don West. One look at his face, shifted John into near terror mode. "The aliens are hostile John", Don told him. "They are parasites, who are living in host bodies. They want ours as the next hosts".Trying to hurt them does not work, they seem immune to any type of physical assault. We need to get off this world now. Let's go to the Jupiter 2".

When Don went to move past him, John grabbed hold of him tightly. His fingers were going to leave imprints on Don's skin, but that hardly mattered. He had to tell him the awful news, "the ships gone Don", John stated.

"Gone", Don felt his legs buckle again. John's grip intensified, and it hurt. Don did not try and shake him off, the pain reminded him that he was still alive. "They really have trapped us then", Don whispered.

John could hear his breathing intensifying, Don was beginning to hyperventilate. "It won't be long until they come after us John. They can simply rise out of the ground. "I am surprised they are not here now trying to take us over".

Don looked around him wildly.

John was trying to force down his own rising panic. There was no advantage in giving into hysteria. He had to calm Don down. "Many years ago people lived down here safely Don, maybe there was a reason for that".

Don walked over to the walls and put his hand upon the surface. He was trying to get himself back in emotional balance. To let go of fear. It was not that easy. Focusing on Johns question did help.

"This is man made", he said as he rubbed his fingers over the walls. "Yes", John replied calmly. Don was still breathing hard, but part of the terror was fading. "Myer said they came from the natural world. All those years ago, many of his kind were killed when the settlers made these tunnels". So perhaps their power is limited down here". I doubt though that we are totally safe".

"What are their kind Don", John asked. He was hoping that knowledge might be the key to keeping them safe. "Myer did not actually say. There was something about their existence being 'right in front of our eyes".

"All we see are people", Maureen remarked. She had Judy's hand firmly in her own. "They are not people", Judy stuttered. She held her stomach protectively. "I had not planned on giving birth underground, but it might come to that", she said shakily.

John tried not to start hyperventilating himself at that statement. Be practical, and don't sound worried, he told himself. "Well having the lights on will help. "Robot can you detect any power sources".

"Yessssss, the robots voice sounded croaky, he could hardly power his verbal systems. "There is a panel, in the next tunnelllll".

"Lead the way", John instructed the robot.

The machine already had its arms dangling down. It looked like it was slowly dying.

Will hurried to the robots side and grabbed hold of one of its claws. He had been so delighted the robot was back with them. Only now he was facing losing him again. "I will not let this happen again", he said to his friend.

They found the dust covered panel in one of the alcoves. The robot used its dying power to open the panel.

Inside John could clearly see there had been massive damage done to alot of the wiring. "The air filters are still functioning, however the lighting is beyond repair". the robot informed them

"That does not look like an accident", Smith remarked as he stared at the mess of wiring. "No it does not", John remarked. "So they did it then", Don whispered, "one disadvantage of having a body is that you can see it coming. In darkness though, they could take people unaware".

Nobody replied to that comment.

"At least you can recharge your systems robot", Will suggested.

The robot had to inform them of something significant, "If I do that, I will compromise the air filtration system. It will only be able to support your lives for a few days at the most".

"I doubt we have a few days", Don said soberly.

John ignored that comment, it was despair talking. He wanted to have hope. But he faced another hard decision. This time he was not going to make it alone. "What do you think", he asked, "recharge the robot or take a few days extra life".

"May be that is not the question", Judy stated . "How do we beat them, that is what we should be asking".I refuse to believe that there is no way out of this situation. My babies have protected Don and I so far. I know they cannot do that for all of us. There has to be another defence. All we need to do is find it".

"If we keep the robot functioning we will have extra brain power on our side. He cannot be influenced by mind control", Maureen added.

"True", John said. "So what's the vote", he asked. "Those in favour of restoring the robot".

As he watched every hand went up, though Smith seemed to waver at one point.

"Recharge yourself robot, we have work to do", John stated. "We are not going to surrender".