V: THE WASHINGTON CRISIS (NEW EDITION)

by Markab

Planet Earth has been visited by aliens. But are the Visitors all they appear to sed on the same time-line that was the setting of the original TV mini-series in 1983, this time in the US capital. All rights to V and any characters that appear from the TV series belong to Kenneth Johnson. This Edition takes a new path and goes with the second generation story set twenty years later

8. Chapter 8

-THE FINAL:WAR & PEACE-

CHAPTER ONE

After a night of celebrations and fireworks, the day dawned in a world where the resistance were pushed back into the gutter where most thought it belonged.

The Visitor's Leader had come to Earth. They were going to win the war with their old enemy the Zedti, and the human race, as their friends and saviours were going to help defeat them.

That's what most folk thought. But not all.

Joey Carter laid on his bed at his condo staring at the TV as Kristine Walsh was interviewing Commander Gerald at the TV studios.

"The rally was certainly a success, but it also brings out concerns in people, can I ask you this...are we really safe from this race of insects, because that's what they have been identified with, isn't it?"

Gerald was cross legged in his chair next to Kristine, he smiled at her, "Of course, I am gladly assure you we are ALL safe, this chemical will destroy the Zedti race for good, and the answer to your question is yes, the Zedti are a family of bugs if like..."

Kristine breezed a chuckle, "So it's like calling in pest control?"

Gerald chuckled too, "Yes...a very interesting way of putting it...pest control, just on a universal scale"

Joey grabbed the remote and switched the TV off...he needed to see Caitlin. He grabbed his keys and was out the door.

VVV

On board the Mothership, Commander Frank was in his personal quarters. He was on his private console and was receiving an encrypted message from California. He scanned the screen and nodded to himself. There was much to get done.

Frank left his quarters and made his way to the detention block via the travel tube. Once he reached his destination he made his way up the humid dim lit corridor and put his key in the lock. The lock lit up and chimed, then the door lid aside with a low hum.

Marc jumped up from the bunk, "Frank? What..."

Marc had been confined for days since the wedding, awaiting his fate but nothing seemed to happen until today.

Frank was very coy as he hissed, "We have to be ready"

Marc frowned at him, "What's going on? I thought..."

The commander stopped him, "I have just had a message from Martin, I can't go into detail, but you have to be ready...you'll know when it happens"

"When what happens...?"

Frank released the door, "Armageddon", he said, "Now, it's a big enough ship, go and hide till it's time act and await my signal..."

VVV

Commander Gerald had returned from Washington and was heading into the Cent-com of the Mothership. Rosa was liasoning with the command staff and looked up to him.

"Have all the military units been given the new weaponry?", Gerald asked.

Rosa nodded, "Yes sir...they are all waiting their orders", Rosa then came forward, she hesitated slightly.

Gerald frowned as he sat in his command seat, "What is it...you seen very troubled Rosa"

Rosa took him to one side, "Commander...I am afraid to inform you that Jenna has been found...dead"

Gerald shot her a look. The news knocked him for six, "What? Surely there is some kind of mistake"

"I have received a report, she was found in her quarters earlier lifeless...there is no mistake in this, it is her"

Gerald was in shock as he paced about the cent com. Technicians looked at him in bewilderment.

Rosa went on, "She must have trusted a member of the criminal alliance as her aid, an aid who has cold bloodedly murdered her"

Gerald said nothing, he just stared off.

Rosa touched his arm gently, "I feel for you...I don't think you should be left alone"

Gerald shoved her aside and went to stride to the door. Rosa continued, "I know she was carrying a child...the autopsy"

Gerald swung around in temper as other members of Cent Com staff looked up, "Autopsy? You cut her up?"

Rosa shook her head, "It's normal procedure, as well you know, Commander", she said smartly in an uncaring clinical fashion.

Gerald paused and then ran a hand through his fake hair, he approached her and lowered his voice as the other staff members set back to work, "the child...it was mine"

Rosa acted all surprized at him, "I am sorry to be hearing this news...the child was male you know", she'd thought she'd stick the knife in further.

Gerald nearly took her by the neck but one of the command staff stood from his position, "Sir"

Gerald glared at him, "What is it Dean?"

Dean pointed to the transmission on his flat screen, "It's coming from all frequencies...satellite and digital"

Gerald hurried to his command chair and viewed his own flat screen, Diana the supreme Commander was sitting in a chair and she was smiling at someone unseen, but voice recognition pointed it to that human singer, Emma, the footage was clearly from a hidden camera device from the flagship.

VVV

Caitlin Ryan saw Joey from the window and waved him inside, "Joey quickly you have to see this, I can't believe this!"

Joey ran up the porch and let himself inside and joined her on the couch in front of the TV, "Its started a five minutes ago, I tried calling you"

On screen, Emma the singer asked Diana, "I'll need protection?"

Diana was clear in her answer, "I'm afraid it will soon become very unpleasant here, only the humans closest to the high command will be safe"

VVV

Aboard the Mothership, Gerald was staring at the footage on the screen, he turned to Dean, "This transmission needs to be jammed now!"

Dean and the other technicians in the Cent Com were trying the utmost best but to no avail, the image continued to flood the screens on all stations as Emma asked:

"But why will the Earth become unpleasant, Diana? Is it the water? Is it not coming back?"

Diana looked at for a long moment and then said, "No..."

"There's been a block commander...it's global, everything we try to do to scramble it, something else blocks our efforts", informed Dean.

Gerald looked concerned as he realised the implications of this, "There is going to be hell to pay"

CHAPTER TWO

In George Town Joey turned away from the TV screen, "the truth is out! That Emma chicks done it!"

Caitlin Ryan shook her head, not quite believing it but knew that this was for real, "right from the horses mouth...and if WE are being allowed to see this..."

"Then the whole damned planet has seen it!", cried Joey grabbing her hand.

VVV

Delia tore her eyes away from the TV and looked at her mother, "Mom, what is the meaning of this? What does Diana mean?"

Kristine stood up from her armchair and went to the window, she wrung her hands trying to think on her feet, "Just that...well, the water...she said it's NOT coming back...but surely that must be a mistake...maybe the terrorists have got to her..."

Delia was shaking her head, "No...SHE means it, that footage looked like it was concealed and Diana didn't know she was being filmed...SHE MEANS IT...that god damned terrorist vid was right"

Kristine looked at her in shock, "You've SEEN it?"

Delia nodded, "Yeah...my friend Vanessa left me one after Jake said that his parents were terrorists leaders...I just wanted to see for myself and then I saw it...THEY SAID THEY WERE TAKING OUR WATER! I THOUGHT IT WAS BULLSHIT, BUT IT IS NOT!"

Kristine dropped to the chair and looked away from her. Outside the streets were going mad as an explosion rocked the area and sent the car alarms all over ringing.

VVV

Washington didn't rest easy after that revelation. From Foggy bottom to Petworth, from Capitol hill to Arlington people were jeered up and fuming. The Visitors had been LYING to them.

IY WAS ALL LIES, TWENTY YEARS OF LIES.

It seemed that all the Visitors cared about was some war with another alien race who had long defeated them before.

Through the night things went from bad to mad. Angry citizens from all over the city violently attacked Visitor installations.

Shuttle craft and Visitor cars were fired bombed.

And the rash of disarray continued into the morning.

As the sirens dialled out right across the city, Kristine Walsh didn't bother going to bed. Her mind was in turmoil. She stared at the picture of Michael Donovan in her daughters bedroom. Delia was then at the door way, "Mom it's getting worse out there...", then she spotted the photo in her mothers hand as she turned around, "...oh...you've found it"

Kristine nodded, "Yes...when I found it was missing I just KNEW you must have it"

Delia swallowed and stared at her mother, "It's HIM isn't it?"

"Honey...I really wanted to tell you...", Kristine began.

"Then why didn't you?"

Kristine heard another explosion from a few blocks away, she went to the curtain and peered out, she glanced at her as she spoke, "I wanted to protect you"

Delia shook her head and approached with her finger pointing at her, "Liar...to protect yourself you mean"

Kristine stuttered but failed to answer so Delia carried on, "Having the worlds most wanted man as my father didn't suit your life style, did it?"

There was some heat in Kristine's tone, "No it didn't, but..."

Delia didn't let her finish, "You are just as bad as the Visitors...they LIED and you LIED too!"

She turned to leave and Kristine tried to reach out, "Delia wait..."

"No...I not listening to you...all you ever cared about was your self...and that damned book of yours...I see even in that you bad mouth him as well", she then stormed out.

Kristine snatched a copy of the book up from her daughters bedside unit and flicked through it, then threw it to the wall in temper. She felt betrayed.

VVV

At The White House, the explosions and sirens could be heard as The Armstrong's had breakfast on the sun baked patio. They had all seen the footage from California but it seemed Aaron didn't want to discuss it, and the President was reluctant.

As the maid poured the coffee, Lucille stared at her cooked salmon. The words going over and over in her head. THE WATER WASN'T GOING TO BE RETURNED & ONLY THOSE CLOSEST TO THE VISITOR HIGH COMMAND WILL BE SAFE.

What about everybody else?

And now all this anarchy and riots on the streets.

Aaron broke the silence as another explosion rang their ears and smoke poured up to the blue skies above, "After breakfast we need to sort those people out...people cannot just break the law"

Neil nodded, "Yes...we can't afford to upset the fine balance we have...the trouble makers will have to be crushed"

Lucille thought about her father. She could hear the murmur of spoken praise to the Visitors as father and son talked. She had had enough. Her father had been apart of the resistance. Deep down and as much as she had tried to supress it, she always knew he had been. And now he had been taken away and as far as she knew, she'd never see him again.

Sick to the back teeth with it all, and the rage growing from within her, she jumped up and cried, "STOP IT! JUST STOP IT ALREADY!

Everybody looked up to her in shock at the out burst, Aaron tilted his head studying her, "What is it Lucille?"

Gillian Armstrong warily rose a glass to her, "Here here", she concurred.

Neil glared at his wife, "Gillian! How dare you take this blasphemous attitude"

Lucille looked at him in total disgust, "Blasphemous? What are the Visitors? Gods? YOU HEARD IT SAID...FROM DIANA HERSELF! THE DAMNED WATER IS NOT COMING BACK! THEY'VE BEEN SUCKING THE EARTH DRY FOR TWO DECADES AND WE'VE JUST SAT HERE LETTING IT HAPPEN!"

Aaron jumped up and threw his napkin to the table, "That's enough Lucille...I am taking you home!"

Lucille looked at him in utter contempt, "No! I have no more respect for them, in fact I should have done this a long time ago!

With that, she striped out of her blue Teammate uniform, Neil blushed in her near naked sight. Whilst his mother calmly looked on, Aaron couldn't believe the sheer scale of this outrage.

Lucille finally threw her uniform into a heap on the neat lawn and chucked her Teammate accessories with it. She then grabbed her side arm and fired. The bolt of blue erupted the Teammate uniform into a flurry of flames.

She smiled at her handiwork and then walked across the deep green lawn to the gravel drive. Aaron saw red and ran after her, "You damned traitorous bitch"

Aaron continued to pursue her, laser being drawn. Gillian was in a panic.

"Aaron, no! You can't do this!", she cried.

She ran after him, and pulled on his arm. Aaron swung around and shoved his mother onto the soft lawn. He then walked to the car, stony faced with anger, "Seems Jake isn't the only scheming traitor in our ranks, huh Lucille?"

Lucille couldn't get the car to start., she was panicking, she had dropped her laser and couldn't defend herself.

Aaron raised his own weapon to the windshield. There was only hate on his face. Cold eyes staring right at her, full with contempt.

Lucille knew what was going to happen, she closed her eyes...and heard the sound of the laser bolt being fired.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...THUD

Lucille snapped her eyes open and saw Aaron had slumped to the hood of the car and dropped to the White houses gravel drive motionless.

Gillian was holding the laser she had dropped on route to the car. She let the weapon slip from her hands and tears began to flood her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry", she blurted out in between the sobs. Lucille got out the car and cradled her as she dropped to her knees. It was over. And they both looked to the sky as Sky fighters whooshed over head and were heading towards the mothership.

CHAPTER THREE

On the mothership, Gerald was trying to collect and process all the information that was being thrown at him. He paced the Cent Com as a news report from Visitor media told of riots and attacks on Visitor property.

Rosa turned, "Commander we must act...crush them all before it gets out of hand"

Gerald looked irritated as he looked on at the Cent com staff running around in panic at their station trying to gather yet more information.

"It's now that I miss Jenna...she would have got some organisation through to this lot"

Rosa looked at him. She was annoyed how. THAT BITCH, even now THAT BITCH was dead, was still getting all the praise, "Oh? Why do you think that? Because I suppose you have to be organised to be a traitor don't you, to keep up with all the lies"

Gerald shoved a technician out of his way and frowned at her, "What do you mean by that?"

Rosa looked at him, holding his eyes in a cold stare, "Dearly departed Jenna was a traitor"

Gerald laughed it off, "Don't be so ridiculous Rosa...one of those traitors had her killed, you said so yourself"

From the folds of her tunic she he took out and held up a disk, "All the evidence you need is on that...go on, view it...I dare you Commander"

Gerald snatched the disk off her and fed it into the player next to his command chair.

There was an image playing out on the screen. Jenna talking to the traitor Marc in his cell.

"Don't worry, I will not denounce you Jenna...I will die with my secrets and all I know", said Marc sitting on the bunk.

Jenna went to the door and inserted the key. The door slid aside, "Gerald doesn't suspect me, I'll do all I can", she said and left the cell.

Gerald closed his eyes as another scene played out, it told him all he needed to know.

"So...are you going to report me helping to liberate a human from captivity?"

Jenna rose as well and approached the door as it began to slide open, "No...there is something you haven't bothered to ask me, Marc"

Marc blinked, "and what is that?"

She held his eyes on the fresh hold of the dim corridor beyond, "I appose our Great Leader too..."

Rosa turned her attention from the image to face the commander, "You see...SHE was apart of it"

Gerald couldn't believe it...Jenna had been conspiring against her own people...aiding the alliance.

"I was wrong about her", he muttered, still staring at the paused image on the flat screen on the desk.

Rosa gently took him away from the image and smiled up at him, "but it all turned out for the best in the end. It was I who remedied the problem"

Gerald suddenly glared at her, "YOU remedied the problem? How?"

Rosa folded her arms across her chest, "I killed her...It was I who finally put a stop to her treacherous ways"

Gerald could see that pleased smirk all over the scientists face. She was actually enjoying telling him. She stepped forward, "I feel a lot for you Gerald...unfortunately it is only now I can tell you how much a fool you have been"

Gerald was torn over his emotions, "She...she was carrying my seed"

Rosa nodded, "Yes, a male...we found that in our report from the autopsy...you should be pleased that it died with her, because it would have turned out like a traitor like it's mother"

Gerald could see right through her. She really was the biggest viper on this vessel, but not bigger than Diana. But she still had heart of stone.

"You lying bitch! You stand there and tell me this...relishing with the news...you knew this all along and didn't tell me sooner"

Rosa was getting edgy, "I couldn't tell you straight away...and I needed to collect all the evidence, and I've got MORE footage to go through to expose even greater traitors onboard this ship"

Gerald shook his head, "You made me look like a fool and FEEL a fool, you relish the fact you have this over me"

Rosa grabbed his arm, "I feel for you, twenty years of loyalty to you should prove how I feel"

Gerald shoved her to the floor, others in the cent com stopped what they were doing and glanced at one another, "get out of here, you make me sick"

Rosa grabbed his boot, "Please I am yours...YOURS...I'm have no shame over murdering that scheming bitch!"

Gerald's nerves got the better of him, in rage he reached for his side arm and blasted Rosa in the face. She rolled over by the sheer force of the blue bolt as it ripped off her human face exposing what was left of her real face, eyes now missing. As the large pool of green blood collected around her head, he knew that she was no more.

He looked up to the gawping technicians around him, "Shows over...GET BACK TO YOUR STATIONS"

Dean nodded and and returned to his station the others followed suit as Gerald casually stepped over Rosa's carcass and returned to his seat.

VVV

Delia Walsh hurried up the street. Chaos was everywhere. Teammates were in fights with normal people to gain some control, police had turned against their Visitor masters and she witnessed one Visitor trooper being dowsed in gasoline and set on fire.

She passed the college and saw a flurry of angry people rip down the Visitor banners that hung from the front and and collectively teared them into shreds.

She then saw Jake Mckenna looking on with a hint of a smile on his face. He turned and spotted her. She ran over to him, "Jake! Please...wait up"

Jake stood his ground from where he stood ahead of a burnt out shuttle craft, "Delia look, if you..."

Delia quickly put a finger to his lips, "Don't say it...I'm sorry for what I said"

Jake frowned at her, "You said you were going to denounce me...Delia, I can't ignore the fact that MY parents were resistance leaders"

She shook her head, "No...nor can I"

Jake looked puzzled, "What...?"

"It's a long story, but lets just say we have a lot in common"

He took her hands into his and both looked at one another as the continuing chaos erupted around them.

VVV

It was like coming out of a disturbed sleep. A voice...an echo that grew louder and louder and clearer and clearer.

For Corey Feldmann it felt like he was being urged out from a slumber he had been forced into, like a dark veil wrapped tight, suffucating the life out of you, but now it was being loosened and removed. The dark shadows became light shadows.

But the voice. He didn't recognise it. Just that it was female, and her instructions were clear.

"this is the voice of the resistance, you will disregard all previous instructions you have received, you will soon be freed from your capsules, we are going to take full control of all the motherships..."

And inside his capsule, Corey opened his eyes.

The lid surged open and Corey strode out, all around him the confused rumble of voices as others stumbled out from their prisons. The whole cavern of the capsule storage chamber was alive with wide awake humans with only one instruction.

They must take over the Mothership.

CHAPTER FOUR

In the corridor Frank stood and watched as the flurry of humans bundled out of Capsule storage. The klaxon sounded out all over the ship. Frank backed away and headed down the humid corridor and was lost in the masses that invaded the corridor, he with the company of troops at the crossroads, "have you had orders from the cent com?"

The captain stood forward, "Yes...we must stop this outrage"

Frank looked at him, "and are you?"

"No...we only take orders from you..."

Frank smiled.

VVV

In space a streak of bright light came forth from the lead warship of the Zedti fleet that was hiding behind Saturn.

It and many others in the same fashion flared out and headed towards the Earth.

VVV

At the same time, Frank and his loyal troops had amassed the Cent Com of the Washington ship. Gerald arose from his seat at an instant of their arrival.

"What is the meaning of this!"

Frank stepped forward, "I have taken complete control of this vessel"

Gerald ruffled his blonde locks, "Oh? On whose order...I wasn't aware of this, you should be in the corridors exterminating those creatures that have escaped Capsule Storage..."

"It's all apart of the resistance plan...just when you thought they were beaten, they strike when we least expected it,", informed Frank, nodding towards the screen with the amassing humans lead by Corey Feldmann fighting the Visitor troops in the corridors all over the ship.

Gerald swallowed and stepped forward to the screens, "The humans have little chance of getting off this vessel, this changes nothing!"

Dean turned his head from his station, "Sir...we have been given orders to vacate the planet if we can to out manouver a pending strike from a Zedti warship...", he wasn't sure whom to aim this request to, but it was Frank who responded without looking at him.

"Make preparations...tell the sky-fighter squadrons to board now or they will get left behind"

Gerald saw red, "I am in charge here! This is my ship...but now, I am beginning to understand...", he faced up to Frank, "...you are a filthy traitor...a traitor to our great leaders mission!"

Frank laughed at him, "has it really taken twenty long years for you to figure it all out Gerald..."

Gerald turned to the troops, "guards, arrest him!"

They didn't move.

"Guards! Arrest him now!"

Frank came forward, "Gerald, we are all members of the alliance against our leaders mission on this ship...well, the majority of us...you see, ever since I got here, I have been rearranging your staff...exchanging them for more and more of my followers...now...finally...you are out-numbered"

Seething with anger, Gerald went to attack Frank but a guard raised his laser-rifle and blasted him straight in the chest.

Gerald's eyes went so wide, his fake eyeballs slipped out leaving him to focus on Frank with his own snake like eyes with contempt, before falling to his knees and rolled on to his side, green liquid oozed from his mouth, his reptile tongue flickered out and went still.

Frank stood over him and tilted his head and smiled. He then looked up to Dean, "Once everybody is back aboard, we leave the planet, this ship cannot withstand a strike from a Zedti war head"

Dean nervously nodded.

VVV

From no where it came. A bright white out sending people to their knees in the streets all over Washington and beyond. Then the explosion hit and as everybody gathered their sight again they all looked to the thunder in the skies. The Mothership had been struck by something. Black smoke poured out of the damaged side, Suddenly it blew out and a debris of fire rained down all over Washington.

Caitlin Ryan stood in the street in George Town gazing up at the spectacle. She heard shouts and cries and police sirens all around her as the rain of fire came down, Joey, who had been standing on the porch sprinted towards her and knocked her to the sidewalk and covered her body with his own body.

"Joey what just happened?", she cried.

Joey risked a look up to the sky as the fire debris eased, "Armageddon", he whispered.

He stood and pulled Caitlin to her feet, both looked around them bewildered as some houses had caught fire from the debris. There was more shouts and cries.

"It's the end isn't it? Maybe These Zedti people need to destroy the Earth to win their war with the Visitors", muttered Caitlin as they both went sat sat in the porch. He put an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, "I don't want to die Joey...we have fought for freedom for so long for and it ends like this?"

Joey swallowed down. He didn't know what to say. Another explosion rocked the area. A police car sped up the street. More and more people were running in the same direction. He stood up and extended his hand, "Come in...lets see where everybody's heading"

VVV

On the stricken Mothership, klaxon and alarms were deafening. Frank turned to Dean, "What's our status now?"

Dean looked up, "Extensive damage, beyond our modest auto repair circuits can cope with. We are starting to lose power all over the ship as our systems fail, and of course the rioting humans in the corridors are not helping matters"

Frank went and sat in the command chair, "We better move it while we can...move the ship out over the Atlantic desert...at least there if we vaporise, we won't take the city along with us"

Dean nodded.

CHAPTER FIVE

The crowds gathered in Memorial park. Away from the chaos and the fires. Jake Mckenna and Delia Walsh stood near the Lincoln memorial, watching on like everybody else as the Washington mothership moved eastward with black smoke pouring out of the underbelly of the gigantic vessel.

Thunder and a blue electric charge zig zagged across the sky as the yet another beam of light whited out the area. Jake and Delia went to their knees as did everybody else and when they could see again the Mothership had tilted on it's axis to the extend they looked on at the belly of the craft as it headed to the ground.

Frank, general of the alliance against the leader, clutched the arm rests of his chair as smoke poured out from all the consoles. He looked on as both bodies of Gerald and Rosa slid across the floor of the cent com and landed on top of one another against what had been the wall but now the floor.

An explosion rocked from above and Frank could only look up to see an abyss of fire and heat and a feeling of falling and then nothing at all.

As the the light halo'ed from the stricken behemoth, smaller shuttle vessels fled the scene, and as the mothership touched ground zero in Delaware, the population that ran for their lives in Washington, in Maryland, and Virginia and beyond were blinded again as the ship started to vaporise from the ground up.

As Caitlin Ryan and Joey Carter ran for their lives hand in hand, both were thrown to the walk as some of the buildings nearby shook and crumbled from their foundations like victims of an earth tremor.

In Memorial park the asp crackled down the middle and broke into two and came crashing down. People fled in terror as the rush of the shockwave hit and went through them, sending more structures into collapse.

Joey continued to shield Caitlin with his body. Jake and Delia were on the move again, running hand in hand down the littered neighbourhood passing over turned police cars burning and people hanging from the damaged buildings in a street that resembled a war zone.

Lucille Armstrong was covered in dust in her bra and panties and struggled up the street. She was cut and bruised as well. She had tried the metro, but the entrance had been completely blocked by rubble. She gasped at the sight of the walking wounded and bodies that lay strewn up the walk. She looked towards the burning fires of the once mothership thinking of her father that had died aboard it, and tears ran down her dust caked cheeks.

Joey and Caitlin were now on their feet. They looked towards Capitol hill and saw the brilliant white capitol dome was in once piece against the angry red skies, they headed towards the crowds that gathered in the green parks. Freda Wallis and half-breed Sally were there with others looking worse for wear from their flight from the city. And everybody looked up to see a Visitor transporter shuttle approach from the red sky and people scattered as the craft gently came to rest on the green grass.

Everybody's hearts were in their mouths as the doors opened like a mouth with a hum and the ramp extended for the sheer relief to wash over them as humans ran from the craft.

And somehow, bewildered Lucille saw her father standing in front of her, dressed in the very same morning suit he was wearing when he vanished.

Corey Feldmann came forward and gathered up his daughter into a hug. Caitlin looked on as Marc came to stand on the ramp. He had piloted the only survivors of the motherships capsule storage he could save. Caitlin's hand slipped out of Joey's and she ran to Marc who outstretched his arms and drew her in for a tight hug. Joey could only look on and watch on.

VVV

The twenty year reign of the Visitors was over. All over the planet, Visitor motherships had been captured by those that had been entombed in capsule storage.

The Visitors high command including their Leader had been captured aboard the flagship. The Visitor and Teammate armies down on the surface had no choice but to lay down their arms, for the anger of the lied to human race was now a force to be reckoned with.

Joey Carter sat on his couch of his run down condo the TV was on with the Worlds new media on board Diana's flagship in California.

As the camera's rolled, the primary resistance leaders had been joined by the UN Secretary General and the leader of the Zedti people, Ayden.

Caitlin Ryan watched the same footage from her mothers house in George town. She having been aboard a mothership recognised that the setting was in one of the huge hangers onboard one of the vast vessels.

The UN Secretary General's face was on the screen in front of a set of microphones:

"My fellow citizens of Earth, a great storm has passed..."

Joey listen as he handed his address to the watching world to Juliet Parish, who spoke of thanks and that the Visitor high command would be put to trial over crimes against humanity.

She even pleaded with those Government leaders that had been placed in Capsule storage for all these years to come forward to help ease the pressures of unrest. The Visitors had been humanities overlords for so long, there was nobody left who had the qualities of running a country, let alone a planet.

Although Ayden of the Zedti race said they would stay and help foresee the changes to take place...

Washington DC was a real mess. Most structures had received some king of damage when the mothership vaporised in Delaware.

Caitlin walked up the street that was littered with burnt out cars and boarded up windows. She came to a fire escape that went up to the old set of condos. She saw him on the platform above leaning on the rail, "Hey you!", she called'

Joey spotted her and ran down the iron steps of the fire escape and fronted her on the walk, "Caitlin?"

She frowned, "Why have you been avoiding me these last few weeks?"

Joey swallowed, "I though you and Marc...you wanted to be with him...that reptile"

Caitlin rolled her eyes, "but I love you both"

"But you have to choose!"

Caitlin looked astounded and shook her head, "Why do I? This is a whole new world, this is the new order of things, why do I have to choose when I can have both of you"

Marc, dressed in a checkered shirt and jeans came forward and she looped her arm into his, and she looped the other arm into Joeys, they began to walk, "Lets take a walk..."

Suddenly there was shouts and cries. People in the street pointed upward, and Caitlin got goose bumps because because it reminded of her that day twenty years ago when she first saw the mothership cruise in over DC. But this time the shadow that swallowed them this time was another vessel. A vessel that looked hundred times over more alien and bizarre than the Visitors ships ever were.

A Vast thing that looked organic than anything else, like a honeycomb. It cruised in over the Capitol hill Dome and the White House that was now free of the Visitor flag on it's mast.

It was Marc who broke the silence, "The Zedti", he stated in his alien vibrating voice.

Joey looked at him, "but Ayden said that they were on our side, right?"

Marc clutched Caitlin tight like he was protecting her, "Careful for what you wish for..."

For Michael Donovan it had been the third one he had seen. On in LA, one in New York and now here in the nations capital. He drove the SUV down the George Town street that was littered with piles of cut up streets, boarded up windows and a burnt out shuttle craft that was slowly being stripped away for scrap.

As he put his foot to the brake, he saw her. Kristine Walsh. She was stood on the porch of her near mansion. Their eyes locked as he parked and got out.

Michael rubbed his grey beard and approached the porch step and swallowed, "Hello Kristine..."

Kristine looked down at him and her eyes began to well up, "Mike...when I found out you were alive, I couldn't believe it"

Mike nodded, "It's been a long time...", he raised his hand for her to see a copy of her book in his grasp. There was a bitter chuckle, "...you always said you'd get a book out of it"

Kristine nodded. It wasn't her book he'd come about, she knew that.

"So why didn't you tell me about..."

Kristine ran forward to him, "Mike the very last time I saw you was up on Diana's ship when a door slid across shutting you out of my life forever..."

Michael tilted his head, "You could have found me...you should have told me"

"I thought about it...but...then I was told you had died in London and that was that..."

Michael glared at her, "That's no excuse, she would have been turned 4 by then..."

They were in interrupted by Delia stepping out the front door. Michael stared up to her and pretty much didn't know what to say.

She was the same looking down at him.

Kristine looked at them both, "Well...", she breezed like this was no real big deal, "I'll leave you two to it"

She went to go inside as her daughter turned to speak, but Kristine cut her off, "He's here isn't he...but don't count on him...he doesn't stick around for long", with that said, she glanced at Mike and went inside.

Michael chuckled nervously, "She don't change much..."

Delia swallowed, "I don't know what to say...I don't know you...all I know is...is that I was swanning around living like a princess and you were..."

Mike laughed, "I've never had a daughter before and I'd would expect you to live like a princess if I had anything to do with it..."

It didn't lessen the quilt, "So, what now?...Where do we go from here?", she asked.

Mike exhaled, "I don't know...lets go for a drive...get to know each-other for a start"

He went to the car and opened the door for her. Delia shook her head and went and got in, "Do you like donuts?"

"Love them"

"That's a start..."

Michael fired up the engine and they were on their way up the street. Kristine watched them from the the window sadly, and then was gone.

VVV

Some time later, as the remaining captured Motherships released their compressed waters to a dried out Earth, President Armstrong was a survivor. He had been supressed from doing his job for so long it was now time to take charge...the resistance had asked for help with the start up of Government, that was he...not the ceremonial puppet that the Visitors had created where it looked like he was in league with the Visitors and was an active traitor to his own people.

The time had come to do his job for real...he had no time to dwell on his private loss as he was whisked by helicopter from the White House to the studios to rebuild a crumbled society.

And, trying to redeem herself in her actions over the passed twenty years, Kristine Walsh put herself forward and was part of the news crew that covered Neil's big speech to the nation. The journalist smiled to herself, and looked around to her news team, she had been sucked into the aliens power struggle, she had played a big part in transversing all this to the nation's populace through the TV...but now she had a chance to put her wrongs to rights - and who knows, she may still have a good career out ahead her.

Everybody sat in their own homes. For some of them it was the first time in years. And they all did what they did that very first night, twenty long years ago.

Sat in front of the their TV sets.

But this time, not watching man's first contact with extra-terrestrials from far off Sirius, but listening to the Presidents big speech.

"I have a hope for a better future...now that we have a future...over these long years, what the Visitors tried to destroy we will rebuild...but, as for the ones who are lost, who were taken...or were killed...in their thousands...then there will be a two minute silence. Two minutes to reflect...it may not be very long, but if we had a minute for every human being that has been murdered by the Visitors...then we would never utter a word again...

...Now...before the new dawn...let us prayer..."

END

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