A/N: ACK! This is the worst chapter yet. I apologize in advance for the crappyness. Next chapter will rock though, I promise!
Legacy: chapter 25
Allie is counting on me, and we're just sitting here… Mary paced in front of the communications truck that Major Pierce and several techs were fervently working to repair, even though it was a futile attempt. Bryan knew just as well as Mary what had knocked out the electrical system. But there was always that fleeting chance beyond all hope that maybe, just maybe, a wrench could undo what the alien craft had done.
But it's pointless; we could cover more ground walking! Mary slowed and glared at the Major, 'No, we wait for the fuel trucks.' Fuel for what? The helicopters are just as dead as this truck.
Bryan's attention strayed from the engine compartment, once again, distracted by Mary's restless pacing, "do you think you could stop? We're already on edge here."
Mary did stop, turned toward Bryan with the most sincere expression he had ever seen anyone fake, and said: "I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"
Bryan chose to ignore her attitude, there was a more important question on his mind: "why do you think they finally showed up? You think they could have been watching us the whole time?"
"It's obvious," Mary turned and started along her path once more, "we failed."
"Failed?"
"Yes. This has all been a test from the beginning. They didn't want to leave Allie until they knew she was safe."
"I think Allie would have told us…"
Mary cut him short: "who said she knew about it?"
Brian shrugged, no use trying to argue, she's already made up her mind…
"Why hasn't Allie told us anything about why she came back?" Mary continued, "There has to be a reason."
Bryan shrugged again and turned back to the engine compartment as Mary continued pacing and theorizing.
"Everything they do is driven by logic and efficiency." Mary unconsciously stopped walking, "why bring her all the way back to this planet? It must be an unimaginable distance. Imagine the cost!"
"Assuming they even have a concept of cost." Bryan added, speaking over his shoulder.
"Right… but the fact remains. They must have some means of power generation. Allie already told me that the craft are only controlled by the mind, not powered by it."
"So, they have some type—" Bryan strained on a rusty bolt, "—of nuclear power… but by a different name."
Mary pondered the idea for a moment, then shook her head, "that's not the point… generating power takes resources, some type of fuel. Why did they bring Allie back here, using a large amount of resources to do so, if it did not serve some higher purpose?"
"Maybe they felt bad for taking her away and they wanted to reunite her with her family…"
"I don't think it's that simple," Mary moved closer to the truck, "Allie is everything to them, an extremely important asset... the culmination of fifty years of work. They would not just drop her off for no reason."
"Well, I haven't heard you come up with any answers yet." Bryan said as he yanked on a snagged battery cable.
"I haven't come up with any answers." Mary said plainly, "but I have some ideas."
"Please, tell," I know there's no way to shut you up otherwise…
"Just think about it," Mary started immediately, "they are a scientific society, so, everything they do must have some logical value… they could need more information about this planet. Or maybe we have some mineral or other substance that they need."
Bryan straightened himself and turned toward Mary, "why would they send Allie for something like that though? Couldn't they just take whatever they need? I don't think we could stop them."
Mary nodded, Bryan was right. This had to be something big… "Maybe they want to be friends… something on a diplomatic scale."
An incredulous grin spread across Bryan's face, but before he could tell Mary why that idea was crazy, the radio on his belt burst back to life with a loud static roar. All the vehicles followed suit, filling the formerly quiet scene with the rumble of multiple large engines.
As the shock subsided, Bryan realized that there was a voice in the static. He jerked the radio out of its holder and answered back. The voice was garbled, but enough of the message got through to get the important information across. Bryan looked toward the roadblock, where the man who had radioed stood. Right beyond that sat a parked news van and its crew, who were trying to cross the barricade by the looks of it.
"Damn! That's not what we need right now…"
"No… " Mary said and started walking toward the journalistic disturbance, "let me handle it."
"…The American people have a right to know what's going on here! At least let us talk to someone in charge." Mary overheard bits of the conversation as she moved closer. The woman doing the talking had short blond hair and a classic TV reporter outfit, rounded out by the microphone with a huge red foam windscreen, the letters "KDLM" written on the side of it.
Local station… Mary thought, at least it's not Fox.
The cameraman wore a ratty old T-shirt and a cap with the same "KDLM" logo emblazoned on the front. And it appeared that the camera was in working order.
I don't care if Allie wants to wait, the people do have a right to know what's happening, to see the truth with their own eyes.
The young soldier who had stopped them spoke: "I'm sorry ma'am, no one is allowed in."
"For what reason?" the reporter demanded. "What could make the Army block this much road for so long… and what were those lights?"
"Sorry, Ma'am. That information is…"
Mary clasp a hand on the mans shoulder and smiled at the news crew, "thank you private, I'll take it from here."
The soldier turned, "it's lieutenant ma'am, and by who's orders?"
"The Majors…" Mary put on a serious face, "you are relieved from guard duty."
Mary smiled shallowly at the man as he tried to remain dignified. Then she turned to the reporter as he walked away. "So, what can I do for you?" Mary asked.
"You can start by answering the question he refused to." The young woman said, then extended her hand as an afterthought and added: "Christina Hart, channel 22 news."
Mary's hopes started to diminish, this girl's young, and new… she'll probably be the first to run if that craft comes anywhere near us.
"First assignment?" Mary probed as she took the offered handshake.
"No," Christina looked puzzled, "why?"
"No reason," Mary shrugged and raised the warning tape, "come on."
Both Christina and her cameraman hesitated, but quickly overcame what little inhibitions they had and rushed under the tape.
Both of them have a careless hunger for a story, Mary thought, maybe this will work after all.
Christina started in with questions before Mary even let go of the tape, "what's all this about miss…"
"Crawford, Mary Crawford, with the NSA." Mary told her, then turned to face the large array of military vehicles that the camera was already documenting "this is about a search."
"What kind of search?" the cameraman spoke with a voice much deeper then Mary would have expected from such a beanpole of a young man.
"A very special little girl was… kidnapped, for lack of a better term. We are trying to find her." Mary started walking toward the communications truck, "follow me."
"I knew it!" Christina shouted, turning back to the cameraman, "didn't I tell you Tony? I knew this was related to the other three kidnappings somehow."
"It is," Mary said, "in a very large way, but we already found the other three children," she pointed over to the helicopters where Jessica and Seth had just returned from the woods. "You followed this group from the site of the third abduction didn't you?" Mary asked.
"I had a feeling it was related… but how did you find the others so fast?"
"They were merely bait, we picked them up along the way."
"Bait? Just what is going on here?"
A deep vibration filled the air all around the group. It grew steadily louder, and louder.
Mary glanced over at Tony and asked: "does that camera work?" He nodded, Mary pointed toward the treetops right off the road, said: "point it over there and don't stop filming." As she spoke, the vibration gave way to an audible pulsating hum.
"What's happening?" Christina asked, but her question did not need an answer.
A large metallic silver colored saucer slid over the treetops as if it were weightless. The bright, multicolored lights created a spectacular light show, but the pure white light was the strongest and it bathed the surrounding area in an eerie glow.
Mary was almost overcome with the beauty of the machine, but she managed to keep a fairly indifferent expression, and said: "this is the biggest story in all of human history, and I have just given you the exclusive."