Khalon remained flat against the attick board until he could no longer contain himself. He looked over the edge. Nothing. Except the craft, and a twenty-foot drop. "Great..." He scanned the upper attick level with an eye for detail. "No escape. Except for..." A door. A barn door at that. It was halfway in between the wall to his back and the far opposite wall on the adjacent wall. It was open slightly and swayed in the breeze. His eyes traveled over to the nearest rafter... Apparently the attick board was thick enough to bear his own great weight - though being roughly the size of a large human - and so thus the rafters were thick and appeared sturdy and secure. Secure and sturdy. Yes. For an anthrosaur that landed on earth from who knows where.

Khalon attempted to stand up. The board below creaked along with part of the roof and the nearest rafters, but all held soundly. He took another step. Creak. And another. Before he knew it, that far off end was closer than he thought.

An overhanging shredded board hung out from where he stood. His eyes followed. Apparently there was a board running to the attick barn door at one point in time. But sadly it had fallen. The only relief of escape would be that rafter...

"Ok. Only freaking way to get out. Its do or die. I know these humans." A step on the rafter, and a loud creak. Both arms jut out to keep his balance. And suddenly there was talking outside along with the sound of heavy-equipment. "I think."

Khalon tried another step. This time there was no creak. Just a loud crunch, and... half the roof caving in! Suddenly the rafter gave way and snapped like a twig. His eyes went wide and hands flailing for something to grab. He had tumbled backwards so the only thing to grab was that nasty looking broken board. This is going to hurt... And hurt indeed it did. Though both hands made it onto the board and grabbed tightly, splinters thrusted into his bare hands. A grimace and a growl. He looked around him to quickly assess his situation.

The rafter that he was standing on is now on the barn floor. Part of the roof near where the sloped roof met the other sloped edge had been ripped off. He was now at the mercy of this board, and of whomever was outside. Because his only escape away from where the two had left was now obsolete. Well, mebbe not. He peered over his shoulder to the door. A small nailed-to beam rested below the door. It was almost flush with the bottom of the doorframe. Jump? Or die trying?

"Agh!" The splinters piercing his skin caught up with his brain. He tried shifting his position on the board but tha proved fruitless.

"There it is! On the edge up high!"

The death call reached his ears. He looked over in horror to see - that it was just men. Mere men, with armored suits, and high powered automatic weapons. Crash to earth, bad. Freak out kid, not so bad. Get food, good. Men with weapons, bad. Really bad. A weary look. "Oh, don't mind me. Just hanging around." He edged himself out towards the attick board that was not hurtful-looking and evil-splintery. A glance below and a look to the men.

"Surround the building!" A pause. He reached out, hanging from his other arm - though pain shot through it - and successfully grabbed the attick board. "...On the double, Marines."

"Great. Now I get a first-class transport to their lousy govenment themselves, all complete with weapon-wielding men." He quickly looked around again to assess his situation a second time. He was hopelessly outnumbered. A mere pistol against who knows what? And no exit when you are basically surrounded? One part of him told him to Get moving, Khalon! The other said, "I give up! Just get me the heck down!"

Apparently he followed through with the latter.

"Ok. If you'll kindly not give me stupid-faced looks because a freaky creature is talking, get me down. I surrender."

Mixed reactions. Some stern, some dumbfounded, and one... Cocky. A high ranking commander of some sorts. He stood with hands cupped to his mouth.

"Hello!" The dumb treatment: talk slowly, forming words perfectly. "Please do not be alarmed. This is for your safety as well as ours. If you do not try anything quick on us then-"

Khalon swung a foot up on the attick board. The poles supporting it creaked. Within half-way of getting up, he gave the commander a bland look. "Did. You. Hear. What. I. Just. Said?"

The commander-looking man blinked. A cough and clear of throat. "I see you understand our language."

"It's not like your satellites blare all kinds of handy information out into space, you know."

"Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you - if you don't try to hurt us." The commander talked through his taken-back expression. He assumed a commanding tone. "Please come down slowly and keep those hands where we can see 'em."

Khalon finally made it up. He got a good eye of the commander - three stars on shoulders and a dozen or so colored small striped badges on his chest to the left. Green dress suit and a handy three-stared hat. He thought for a moment. "I see. So... your a General?"

A nod. "Yes, I am in command of these Marines. Please make your way to the ladder and come down slowly with your hands where I can see them."

Repeat, repeat repeat. "Alright, alright..." Ducking, he made his way to the ladder and looked over the edge. "Uh. What exactly are you going to do with me, if I ask General... Uh. Whatever your name is."

"McMerison." Someone interrrupted him and whispered to him. The whisper sounded urgent, and was emphasised with sharp tones. "No, no no. I'll be find. I think it's fine, just keep a lookout. And get that..." The General looked over to Khalon. Khalon was crouched on one knee at the top of the board. McMerison did not finish his sentence, though the man who approched him nodded and left.

"Ok. General McMerison."

"Yes, that's my name. What's your's?"

Khalon bit his lower lip. To reveal or not to? His eyes wandered about at the gawking soldiers. A government-looking person was watching from a thoughted unsuspected location. He quickly slipped out of view. "Let's just say that... It's good to meet a fellow soldier. I mean, you were one. Right?"

"Correct."

"Alright." Next, the stairs. No use stalling. He turned around and went feet first, grabbing onto the top of the groaning extended metal ladder.

"Hold it, soldier! Slower. Keep those hands above your shoulders on that ladder."

Too fast. Ok, slower. He sighed in frusteration. A glance down... About fifteen or so more feet to go. His pace slackened and he did as told.

The Marines' automatic weapons followed him down. They stayed on him even when he got to the bottom.

Khalon remained where he was. The craft was to his right, latter to his left, and armed Marines and McMerison in front of him. The General spoke. "On behalf of human kind... I greet you and welcome you to earth."

Formalities. Khalon bowed slightly and said, "On behalf of... Uh, my kind I greet you. As well." Yeah, something like that. Hopefully the General missed the eyeroll.

"Where do you come from?"

Khalon blinked. Crash onto earth from Reptilian, not knowing how the heck you got into that craft - unmarked, craft at that - and the first important thing a human asks is where are you from? But he kept his temper down. A sigh and a response came from almost-clenched teeth. "Outer space."

The general nodded slightly and glanced at his men. "We know that, soldier. where specifically?"

Intent eyes stared at him. Khalon looked uncomfortably from the general to a few people suspiciously. One man held an odd type of rifle. The rifle was different from the other mens' and was not clad in black and plastic. It was a shiny metal steel-like color. And the chamber... It was uncocked and the bolt was open. A suspicious vial. And the man suddenly turned and disappeared into the crowd of military men when he noticed the humanoid's eyeing. He narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "Hey! Get back here!" Another step would be made, except a few score of weapons pointed right at him. The General suddenly was grabbed behind the line of soldiers despite meager complaints.

"C'mon men. Steady there. Don't frighten him. He's a soldier, also. Trained and all that..." The General brushed away any wrinkles from grabbing hands and he cleared his throat. Cross armed. "No use hiding it now." A finger tip, and a loud pshhhht! The barrel of the metal gun slinked away once again as the smirking man withdrew. Any distracted soldier made ready his weapon again.

Khalon became angry. His eyes lit up and he growled. "What the heck are you doing?" He ripped out the now empty slim vial from his chest and threw it at the soldiers. "When will you humans get it?"

From somewhere, the sound of a gun fired. Except it wasn't the same airy fire and recoil of the previous gun. Semi-Auto fire. One bullet richoted off of the front faceplate of Khalon's armor. It left a nice dent, and flung and grazed across his arm. He attempted a lunge for behind the craft but tripped over the ladder and fell hard.

General angry-voiced. "Hey! Cut that crap out! It's enough to frighten the thing if you shoot something harmless at 'em." He weeded through the solders and grabbed the apparent disregard out. "YOU solder. Fall back and don't be so trigger happy." A glance around. "That goes for all of you. Just keep a good distance, but not too much. Don't want him doing anything drastic."

"Yeah. Drastic." Khalon resounded with a wave of coughing and rolling. He rolled right into the bottom of the ladder and it came down on the craft. It effectively snapped in two. His eyes went wide and he grappled vainly for where his pistol was. He tilted his head so he could get a look down. "Blastit..." Vision blurred. And finally, blackness.

"...Just make sure he is comfortable."

Voices. Khalon slowly opened his eyes and tried to raise his arm. He couldn't. A metal clasp kept his arm securely to the chair.

"Quick! Get the other one on!"

A stern-faced suited man did as told. After doing so, he glared at the thin lab-coated person. The man stepped into Khalon's blurred but recovering view and thrust a finger at the lab coat man. "I thought you said that the tranq would last longer."

The lab coat man stepped back from the finger. He tucked the clipboard in hand underneath his arm and adjusted his black-framed glasses. A nervous look. "I, uh, I did but... We haven't had it tested on any human this big. I mean-"

Less blurring. Khalon recognized the other man from the barn. His sunglasses were nowhere to be found but the radio was tucked in his ear still. "Yeah whatever it is. Now get out of here."

A blink. "But, I gotta run tests on his blood and-"

Interruption. The man grabbed the clipboard and skimmed over it. His response was knowingly. "No. Remember what happened last time?." A frown. He flipped back to a page. "No wait... You'll come in handy."

The two jumped. 'Whatever it is' spoke. "I'm not getting anything poked into me." Voice slightly drunk-sounding. "Over my dead body."

The man smiled slightly and looked at Khalon. "So it wasn't the farmer man. I guess I'll give him some mercy and extend the deadline for his overdue taxes."

Khalon moved his arms. They were held firmly against large metal cuffs. As for his head, a large neck-bind and other straps out of his view to keep him from thrashing about. At any rate, lucky for him he was sitting upright. Or at least he was. The lab-coated man came over, pressed a button on the floor with foot, and the chair jerked in a laying down position. Khalon tried to wiggled his arm free. It still didn't move at all. Suit-coat man pushed lab-coat aside and pressed another button. His arms drew out from their position. "There. That's better?"

Khalon glared at the man. "Better my foot up your butt." That made the man step back, but his look of indignation continued.

Lab-coat man rolled a tray of tools and such over and offered a slight forced chuckle and smile. "Well, I guess you can add social abilities to that list, Mr. Walker."

"Don't ever call me that." The coated man readjusted his suit coat and looked off towards the door. He was about to speak but was interrupted.

"Ok, Mr. Walker. How about I call you that, or would you like knowing my name as well? Oh wait. You do. I saw you standing in that crowd of military men pleasingly overlooking my hide. I'm sure your heads will like the prize you caught."

Mr. Walker crossed his arms and lab-coat man readied a marked syringe. "Yes, and I'm rather proud of that fact. Do you have something against this?"

"Yes as a matter of fact. Tell me why I am here, and when I can leave?"

Lab-coat man meticulously swabbed the inside of Khalon's elbow with a cotton ball. The smell made Khalon shift his head away as much as possible. "Sorry. It's so you don't get infection."

Mr. Walker strolled to the opposite side of Khalon. "You can't leave."

Lab-coat man looked up from the tools on the small stainless steel table. "But, you can't just keep the creature here. His kind might be looking for him. Though his means of getting here didn't look too advanced."

Mr. Walker kept his gaze on Khalon as he spoke. "They won't."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Walker adverted his gaze. He stuck his hand out for the syringe. "Because. Wouldn't you think they would have left him with more than... A meager map, a worthless pistol, an empty canteen, and what he has on his body?"

The thought never occurred to Khalon. But he remained silent. The syringe was hesitantly place into Mr. Walker's hand and Mr. Walker went to work. "Don't worry. He won't be going anywhere. Because... who would want to find him again?"

Though the needle stung sharply for a brief second, Khalon looked intently at Mr. Walker. "There wasn't anything else with me besides all that junk?"

Mr. Walker quickly withdrew the blood and handed it back to the lab-coat man. "No. Just your ship and that seat. I'm surprised as well, don't worry."

The lab-coat man took the now full syringe and capped the end. He placed it with the other tools. "Ok. Uh. So."

"So what?" Same Mr. Walker's reply. "Yeah yeah. I'll make sure they know about such a good job you did."

Lab-coat man frowned slightly. He just sighed and rolled the cart away. Under his breath he heard a "Just like last time. Nothing as usual."

"What was that? Did I hear you say something?"

Lab-coat man shook his head. "No. Just said I need to... Uh. Mine out as usual. His recollections."

Mr. Walker could had cared less. He was already out the door and gone. The solid click noted a locking mechanicism. Lab-coat man quickly walked over to the door and peered out the small, angular glass window. He then went back to Khalon and stood at his feet. The lab-coat man looked Khalon over and sighed again. "Now I can actually get a good look at you without that creep breathing down my neck." He scratched his balding scalp and adjusted his thick glasses. "You are a remarkable subject... Wow. If I wouldn't know, I would think you were resurrected."

Khalon's vision had returned just about completely. He focused his eyes on the lab-coat man and said, "What?"

Lab-coat man smiled slightly and hurried to Khalon's head. "You know. Uh, resurrected from the ground. Bones and stuff put together."

Khalon's eyes followed the young man around until he could no longer see him in his line of sight. "Oh. No. I'm not from here." A pause. "If. That's what you were wondering."

The lab-coat man quickly began to sketch Khalon. He moved around Khalon in swift movements with clipboard and pencil in hands. "Oh yes." Sketch, sketch. "Where are you from?"

"Space."

"Well." Chuckle. "That's apparently what you told that General."

"What's his name again?"

"General McMerison. Credit going to him for finding you, really. That Walker won't get any if he tried for his life..." A soft snort. "Or at least I hope. Gah. I hate that Walker."

Khalon hmmmed. "I could see why. He seems a bit uptight." He looked at him. "Don't you think so?"

The man continued sketching for a moment. But suddenly stopped. He let out a quick laugh. Khalon blinked. "Yes?"

"Oh. Uh. Yeah. It's just..." He looked over the sketch momentarily and set it on the tray. "I can do that later. It's just that... I dunno. I've always loved archeology. I wanted to go into that but the government pulled me in here."

"Oh. They cheapskates?"

The man hehed. "Kinda. Well, I guess so - in a way. They got me on hacking. So if it wasn't for them I'd be serving time out there."

"Hacking? Then why are you poking away at some alien creature and not trying to help those gizzards keep their leaks up tight?"

"Well, somehow some plan for me got dropped and I was just brushed aside into the lab." He bit his lower lip and continued after a moment. "Why you want to know?"

Khalon attempted a shrug, but failed. The bonds had him tight. "Sometimes. It's better getting to know someone then getting them to be their. Uh. Enemy. If you know what I mean."

He shook his head. "No, I don't really know but I'll take your word for it." A suspicious look. "And, by wanting to get to know me you want to get out I take it?"

"You're a good guesser."

"Guessing does come in handy with very foreign objects." He sighed and fingered the clipboard. "So. Where in space are you from?"

Khalon remained silent. Lab-coat man prodded again. "Uh. Where are you-"

"I know what you said."

He back off and nodded. "Uh. Ok." He gestured towards the door. "I think I'd better get to my testing before Walker gets back."

"Alright."

The lab-coated man went back to the clipboard. He flipped a few pages over and wrote something. "So. Uh. You come back to me on that question?"

A pause. "Uh. What question?"

"Where are you from?" He taps the clipboard. "I gotta know that. 'Original destination of subject/object."

Khalon frowned. "Ok. I give up. Only if you get me out of here. I have to get away from this place."

"That's going to be impossible, I'm afraid." He shook his head and set the clipboard down again. "But..."

"But what?"

"It might be possible. If I get the right clearance I can bring you to the morgue and get you out there. There's a backdoor to that place but it's always locked. Only person I know has the key is Walker. But snowball's chance in hell I'll get that key."

Khalon responded immediately. "You got any tranquilizer?"

The lab-coat man looked over to the counter. Three vials of pinkish liquid rested on there. "Yeah, why?" He quickly looked back. "No. I can't do it. I'll be kicked for sure, and that Walker sure knows how to get what he wants. I'll be shut up for good."

Khalon sighed. "So there's no other way?"

"No. Can't go out the front door obviously because they're so uptight about searching. A disguise won't help. And all the emergency exits are locked and monitored. And the halls... They're monitored like you wouldn't believe. Except for the hallway right outside here and..."

The lab-coat man didn't respond for a moment. Khalon tried to 'help' him finish the sentence. "And what? Why isn't the hallway -" He glanced around. "And this room not monitored? Or unless your glasses are tapped."

He slipped off his glasses and shrugged. "No." He put them back on. "This area isn't monitored because they don't want any tapes to work their way to the outside. Could be disastrous. If someone gets hold of a tape of... You, for instance. The United State's sanity in general would go under."

Khalon pulled on the restraints on his arm. "Hey. At least it could be an excuse for you to get out of here. Mebbe start some grass-roots movement to get you out of here? Wait no. The government would sure to put a cork in you."

He shrugged. "Well, whatever. Only way is through Walker really. And he'll pointedly become suspicious from the start."

"Not if we use force. From what I've seen subordinates like to cower under pressure."

The lab-coat man looked at him confusedly. "Well. Uh. I just can't help it, see..."

"No. Not you." He pulled at the restraints. His tendons and muscles bulged. "You see, these restraints are getting slightly... Chafing."

He took a step back and raised his hands. "No. No, I can't do it. How would I even know you wouldn't eat me?"

"Why would I eat the only possibly way out of here?"

He nodded. "Well. Yeah." He relaxed slightly. But only slightly. "But I can't do it."

"What've you got to lose besides your... Uh. Earthship?"

"...What?"

"You're screwed either way. It's either be cooped up here for the rest of your life or bust out of this overcrowded joint."

He forced a laugh and stopped suddenly. "Your not serious. Right? You mean, take me with you?"

He sighed and remained silent for a quick moment. "That's the only way I see it. Besides, I'm a dead-Reptilion for just showing myself to humans."

"Reptilian?"

Khalon shut his eyes suddenly. Hard. "Crap. And also a really dead-creature for just revealing where I am from."

"Well. Uh. Why wouldn't you-"

"Because. Your satellites aren't the quietest things in the universe. I'm a wanted man to begin with, and probably for the reason that I'm here."

"And that would be?"

"I don't know."

The lab-coat man nodded and looked out the door. "Well. I wouldn't mind leaving. I've never really liked it here."

"You've got it good here, trust me. From where I'm from a world not all hell-bent on itself is a pleasure."

"Well. Whatever but, we'd better work fast because-"

"Because what?"

A third voice. Walker's. He had entered unsuspectedly due to the lab-coat's man's current distraction and Khalon's meager field of vision due to the restraints. Walker shut the door firmly and entered the room. "I see that you've befriended the creature."

The lab-coat man jumped. "I-I." Stutter, stammer. "I was just, uh, checking on, uh." He scrambled to pick up the clipboard but was quickly knocked on his feet. "Gah!"

Walker withdrew his gun and cocked it. "You were what?"

Khalon, meanwhile, was working on the restraint on his arm. He pulled violently on it once, twice, and a third time. The third time the metal-braced straps flew apart and he got his arm free.

Walker, distracted. "Hey!" He went from the sprawled lab-coat man to Khalon and pressed the barrel up against his temple. "You. Stop. You realize your life is at the tip of my fingers? I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Do what?" Before Walker had the time to answer, he was stabbed with an adrenaline-sized vial and needle of the tranq in the back. Walker's eyes bugged and he dropped the gun in a recoil response and reached for the vial. It was just so that he couldn't reach it. "You're going to pay for that McMerison!"

Khalon blinked. Though a present possible life-threatening situation presented itself, he spoke out while feeling the head-brace. He got his other arm out. "Your the General's son?"

McMerison, Jr. grabbed the pistol and looked at it with a feared expression. He finally snapped out of it and pointed it at Walker. "I've always wanted to do that to him." He looked over. Hurried explanation. "Yeah, yeah. Illegitimate son. My legal name is Simone Peterson. Real is Simon. Or at least what I'm called in the hacker world."

Walker was already feeling the effects of the overdose. He tried to get to his feet despite the large objects sticking out of his back, but failed. He fell and mumbled. "I gwar... See. Uh... Can't. Get up."

Khalon got the head strap off. Now his waist. "Gosh I hate these things."

Simon tossed him a sheathed blade. It was resting on a table across from the chair-type table. "Here's your knife."

Khalon caught it and unsheathed it. He took a look at it before working on the leather. "What? How did you get it?"

Walker went quiet and silent. He did not move. Simon bent down and began to search Walker after setting the gun aside. "Your stuff was deposited in here with you. Objects that came with subjects do not leave where the object is locked up."

Khalon got the waist straps off. He now worked on the leg straps. "So. Before we bust out of here before anyone finds out, you remember if any foreign objects are stashed in this room that could be of use - by some alien not from here?"

Simon shrugged. "I dunno." He pulled out a wallet and searched it. "Good. Credit card and social security card. Heh. Always been told not to carry those things. Hackers can get vital information and eventually money-"

Khalon got one leg free. The serrated blade worked well despite the chips. "Vital information. You mean get to some mainframe or something or get some file that can get us clearance for information?"

Simon stood up. He looked oddly at Khalon. "Uh, mebbe but why?"

Khalon got his last leg free. He slipped the knife into the sheath and slipped the sheath into his boot. Rubbing his hands and feet, he got up off of the table, though slightly wobbly. "Erase any evidence that I've been here so people higher up than human government can't figure out that I've been here."

"I can look into that. But now we might want to get moving..." Footsteps sounded out the door. And then it dawned on Simon. "His receiver!"

Khalon blinked. "What?"

Simon looked uneasily at the large, powerful-looking creature. "Uh. Yeah. His radio."

Khalon bent down and tore open Walker's shirt. Buttons flew. And the radio... He found that the wire went down his side to a small black carry-along receiver in his inner coat pocket. He ripped it out and put the receiver against the side of his head. Where his 'ear' is, of course. He quickly stood up and said, "Yeah. Everything's all right. Just checking on... Uh. The subject and Simon."