I turned back to the window and tried to concentrate on breathing. I remembered this hippie-dippy teacher I had in basic training. The higher-ups had brought him when some Senator or another made a fuss about stress and PTSD rates in the armed forces. The guy had us sit on meditation pillows and count out our breathing. It was supposed to help us lower our blood pressure and, I don’t know, stop us from blowing an artery or something. I never imagined that crap would come in handy, but I found myself counting the same paces as I had in that class. The feeling slowly returned to my hands and feet and my legs shook as the muscles relaxed.
I opened my eyes again and as I stared at the planet below us, I noticed that the shuttles ascending and descending seemed to be heading to the same place. I couldn’t spot it for sure from where we were, but they appeared to be landing at an island in the South Pacific. I pulled out my tablet and overlaid a map on the Earth. Huh. The ships weren’t going to anywhere in the United States, that was for sure. It looked like they were all making circuits to a U.S. territory in the South Pacific.
“Sir, take a look at this.” I gestured Ka’thak to me and held up the tablet for him. “They’re not even landing in the U.S.”
He took the tablet and shifted it so the other alien could see. “And why is that remotely noteworthy, Lt. Colonel?”
We were back to Lt. Colonel now? Damn it. Great to know I had fucked up even further. I would have to figure out a way to make amends later. Right now we might still have a job to do. We had to at least try.
“It just doesn’t add up, that’s all. According to the data, that island is deserted. There aren’t any major supply depots, no bases, nada.” I swiped at the tablet to show a radar view. “There isn’t anyone even living there. No vehicles, no houses. An empty spit of land in one of the rougher parts of the South Pacific.”
“A secret base? It wouldn’t shock me if the humans had constructed a few during this crisis.” I resisted the urge to look at the captain. His voice was flat and his words clipped. My distrust had clearly been noticed.
“There really isn’t a reason to put one there. There’s no strategic value. The only reason I can think of is that they’re offloading something…instead of onboarding it. Fuck.” I smacked myself in the forehead.
“What is it?”
“I think I know what they’re doing with our people. We need to get down there.”
The two aliens looked dubiously at me. I knew that Ka’thak would be loath to leave sight of the ship. Up here he couldn’t do anything but he could at least he could see what was happening. Down there, who knew what was waiting for us.
“Please,” I implored. “I know you don’t want to leave the ship right now, but I swear to you, our people are not on that ship anymore. They’re taking them planetside. I don’t know if it’s Wright trying to be seen as more humanitarian or if it’s a massive ‘fuck you’ but I know the military mindset. They’ll want to ditch anything that isn’t mission-critical. That includes the living beings they knocked out.”
The aliens’ eyes hardened. The comparison to ship’s cargo no doubt rankled with them. I know that it would piss me off. My ancestors were loaded onto ships like cattle and strapped to the deck in chains. Watching that being done to anybody else was just as repulsive to me. We gathered together and made a plan.
22
Alexandra
I stared blankly into the distance as the alien I had managed to free set about cutting the bonds of as many other aliens as possible before they woke up. Of course, there was no way for him to be that fast and I heard muted growls and screams as some of them came to, still bound. I felt like every ounce of energy had been taken out of me. It felt like my body was just dead weight; a lifeless system supporting an inactive mind. I checked my watch. It had been something like six hours since the invasion of the alien ship began. Six hours during which I hadn’t eaten, slept, or rested, even for a minute. The adrenaline of my capture had worn off and it was hard to even stand, never mind to formulate a plan to make it out of this alive.
Finally, the protesting from my legs became too insistent and I used the trunk of the palm tree I was sitting against to push myself up. The feeling rushed back into my muscles and I winced. Groups of the aliens were up and awake by now but none came to speak to me. I had to think. As I walked along the island I noticed the aliens gathered in groups. They seemed to be coming together in family clusters. Children sat with adults, their heads buried in their caretakers’ torsos as they cried. Their sobs ripped at my soul. Some of the adults looked despondent, their stares mirroring my own. Others were angry, glaring at me over the shoulders of their young. I couldn’t blame them if they held me responsible. It was like that jackass back on the ship said. If I had done my job properly...but the truth was that I had done my job properly. I had dedicated myself to helping those in need, no matter the cost. I didn’t side with the aliens, I sided with my conscience. Fat lot of good that did me now.
I was struck by the emptiness of the land we were stranded on. There wasn’t a single sign of humanity here. No houses, no structures, nothing. Deserted island indeed. Bizarre. The island was smaller than I thought as well. I had managed to circle the entire spit of land in less than an hour. When I returned to the group of aliens, everyone had woken up and I saw some aliens gathering twigs and leaves. Resources to keep us alive through the night? Better than giving up, I supposed. I approached the groups with caution, keeping my eyes down. I wanted to say that I understood how they felt, that I realized what a horrific death we were sentenced to but to do so would have been incredibly arrogant. I had no idea what these people had gone through. To have their civilization end like this...if they wanted to kill me for it, they certainly deserved to. Tears started rolling down my cheeks.
One of the alien children hopped over to me and chirped. I wiped the tears from my face and lifted my gaze to theirs. It hopped once, then twice, and chirped again, tilting its head. It held its arms out and mimed a clap.
“Fuck.” I laughed. “Seriously?”
The child peeped and jumped in the air. A smile broke through my sadness and I clapped weakly. The child chirped happily and jumped in the air. It mimed a clap again and I took a deep breath. The clap echoed through the group, making a few of the adults jump. The children who had been crying looked up from their places I clapped again and they ran over, chirping.
I sat down on a log and rather than clap again, a song that my mother used to sing whenever I was sick or upset sprang to mind. I took a deep breath and sang.
I know of a place where the sun is like gold,
and the cherries bloom forth in the snoooow
and down underneath is the loveliest place
where the four-leaf clovers grow.
One leaf is for faith and one is for hope
and one is for love you knoooow
and God put another one in for luck
if you search you will find where they grow.
I looked up from the gaggle of alien children listening to me and saw that the adults had stopped speaking and were listening. I took another breath.
But you must have faith, and you must have hope.
You must love and be strong, and soooo
If you work, and you wait, you will find the place
where the four-leaf clovers grow.
The kids had stopped jumping and were swaying back and forth in time to the song. When I had finished they opened their mouths and to my astonishment they started chirping little notes, following the melody. I felt a tug at my shirt and looked down to see an alien child staring up at me.
“Miss...Alex?” When did this one learn English? I shook the surprise off. Far stranger things had happened. The child furrowed its brow, struggling to form the words.
“Yes, sweet one?”
“When we go...home?” The child spoke in broken English. I reached down and scooped the little one in my arms. Their parent chuffed but their partner put out a hand to hold them back. I
leaned my head forward to butt it against the child’s and lifted their tiny hand in mine.
“Soon, my little friend, soon.” I embraced the child and set them back down on the ground. They let out a peep and hopped back to their parents. I wasn’t sure if we would, or if home meant the ship or whatever afterlife these people believed in. I hated the idea of lying, but it was the kind thing to do. If I was going to make my peace, the least I could do was provide some comfort. I cautiously approached the child’s parents and they gestured me closer.
“Thank you for singing to her,” the child’s mother said. I nodded.
“May I sit?”
“Of course.”
“Please, tell me your story. If that’s all right.”
The child’s father huffed. “Why, human? Why would you care about us?”
The female glared at him and he was quiet.
She began, “My parents were scientists. My mother chose to study life. She loved everything about biology and cared for every creature great and small. I remember that she used to bring me back...I’m not sure how to translate the word. They were small creatures very similar to your frogs. She used to bring me back ‘frogs’ whenever she came home from an expedition of study in the field. I used to keep them in a little tank and watch them for hours. She taught me that every being is sacred, no matter their form.”
“A great lesson from a brilliant person, I’m sure,” I stated.
“My parents were diplomats,” the male started. “My father was a skilled warrior that left our military in his older years to dedicate himself to negotiating peace. He was arguably singlehandedly responsible for diverting several wars.” He laughed. “At least, he claimed credit for it. In any case, he inspired me to follow in his path. I don’t think we met before this, Doctor, but I’ve spent our time on Earth working with your ambassadors to try and hammer a peace between our peoples.”
A small gathering had formed as we talked. “We only ever wanted a new world for our children,” one alien added, sighing. I didn’t reply. It was not my place to come up with an answer, so I listened. “We worked so hard to escape the supernova. You don’t know what it was like, doctor. People died for this. They sacrificed their homes and so much more. We were faced with terrible choices, just as the humans have been. But unlike your people, we came together for the greater good.”
“We would have helped you find another place for yourselves,” another remarked. “There are so many other civilizations out there, ones you can’t even have imagined. Outside of this savage little planet, people cooperate. There are still wars, and still sorrow, but we cooperate as a whole. Yours has committed crimes the likes of which I could not have imagined. The fact that you and your companion have tried to help us means little.”
“I will never stop trying,” I urged. “We can never stop trying. It is the way of humanity, and the way of your people. As long as we live, we can never give up. Giving up is a fate worse than death.”
“You have noble sentiments,” the alien stated, smiling gently. “But Doctor, I’m afraid that you are...how should I say...grasping at straws? The invading humans have gone, safely aboard their hijacked ship. We are on an island with no food, no water, and no shelter.”
“I will come up with something.” I looked around, half expecting Jackson to step out from behind a tree and laugh at my melodrama. I was running out of speeches. I heard a rumble and looked up to see the grey belly of a shuttle descending toward us. The aliens cried out in alarm. A few started for the trees.
“Stop!” I yelled. “We have to act. Brothers, sisters, we must attack! Here’s what I believe we should do.” I waved them into a tight group and explained my plan.
23
Alexandra
I told the aliens to lay out on the ground once more as if they were still unconscious. The troops would be in such a hurry that it was unlikely they’d notice the bindings missing until it was too late. I sent the children and some of their caretakers to hide. I had a few of the stronger males hide as well. We didn’t have weapons, so I needed soldiers who could attack quickly if we weren’t able to spring into action fast enough.
We would have to bet on the soldiers having their hands too full with prisoners to be carrying many weapons. If they came lightly armed and armored, the aliens’ speed and claws would kill them quickly. Getting the non-combatants out of the line of fire was necessary. No matter how this turned out, we were going to take pretty heavy casualties. I watched as those I sent into hiding said their goodbyes to their loved ones, friends, and even perfect strangers. They acted as one. I envied that. The common bond that I had wished to see so badly in my species would never exist as it did with these people. It was a beautiful thing to behold.
The plan was this: when the shuttle landed, I would play the angry damsel in distress. Easy enough, I was feeling pretty damn angry. I hoped that the soldiers would be lulled into a false sense of security by the single unarmed woman. My job was to be the bait. Once the soldiers were busy listening to my bitching, teeth and claws to the rescue. Or so I hoped. If things went south, the good news was that I wouldn’t be waiting around to suffocate.
I found a rock and sat down, waiting for the shuttle to land. Once it had touched down a hatch opened and a squad of human soldiers climbed out the back. Heavily armed. Not good. A couple of them fanned out and set guard positions—had their commander warned them that some of the aliens would have woken up by now? Maybe they’re just looking for a little target practice, Jackson’s voice sounded in my head. That probably wasn’t far off the mark.
I waited until the first batch of aliens was being wheeled from the shuttle.
“Hey!” I shouted, waving my hands in the air. “Hey, over here!” The squad stopped what they were doing and swung their weapons toward me. I put my hands up. “Whoa, hold on! I’m not armed!” A couple of the soldiers lowered their guns, but not by much. Two kept them trained on me. “Easy fellas,” I said. “I’m just a girl, okay? Where do you think I’m gonna keep a gun in this outfit?” At that, a couple of the men slowly smiled and gave me the once over. I guess I didn’t look too roughed up if they were checking me out. “You’re going to get me a link to President Wright, and you’re going to do it as fast as you can, little men, because this is fucking bullshit!”
The guys who had ogled me smiled more and one elbowed his buddy. “Check this out, boys! Lizard girl here thinks that she can tell us what to do!” he shouted to his comrades. I narrowed my eyes and stalked toward him. I jabbed a finger into his chest and his eyes widened.
“You have no idea who I am, do you?” I hissed, bringing my face close to his.
“Yeah, I know who you are,” he spat. “You're a fucking traitor and now you’re getting what you deserve. You’ll die a slow death with the rest of these disgusting creatures and rot in the sand before the sun’s rays fry your bones.”
I grabbed the soldier by his vest and whipped my hand across his face. Behind me the rest of his squad shouted and I felt two sets of hands grab me by the arms and pull me backward. I fought them, scuffling my feet in the sand, trying to make it look like I was going to go after their man again. The ploy worked. A senior officer appeared behind the soldier who had been taunting me. Even better, she was a woman.
“Ma’am, I’m going to ask you to kindly stop trying to beat the crap out of my soldier. If you won’t, I’m afraid that there won’t be too much I can do for you. Now,” she said, toying with the pistol strapped to her waist, “do you think we can have this conversation in a more civilized manner?”
“You tell your men to shut the hell up, and sure, I can see that happening.”
The officer motioned for her soldiers to back away and continue their work. She extended her hand to me but I didn’t take it.
“Corporal Lansing,” she said.
“Dr. Alexandra King,” I replied. “Head of the White House’s alien-human liaison program and personal advisor to President Wright. You going to get me a
phone, Corporal, or are we going to sit here chatting about the weather all day?”
The woman laughed and smiled a crooked grin. “I know perfectly well who you are, Doctor. I’m hoping that we can work something out. You’re here unarmed and while your,” she slid her eyes toward her soldier, “conversational skills may leave something to be desired, you have made no moves toward trying to harm me or my men. I’m happy to see if there’s a way for us to help each other.”
“You do? That’s fantastic. Now!”
The aliens leapt from their hiding places and slashed into the soldiers from behind. The corporal shoved me to the ground and swung around firing a hail of bullets into the aliens attacking. They fell to the ground, dead, but the soldiers were rushed by the second line of attacking aliens who had jumped up to take their places. I didn’t bother turning back to see how the aliens fared. I could hear the shuttle’s engines starting up above the din and sprinted toward the open door of the shuttle’s hatch, which was closing fast. I slid through the dirt and swiped a gun laying next to a dead human soldier before tripping into the back to the shuttle.
I looked up and saw that the shuttle was empty except for two pilots sitting in the cockpit. They started and stood up. I didn’t think, I just pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. The pilot dropped to the floor, gasping like a fish as he drowned in his own blood. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and turned, pressing the muzzle of the gun into the other pilot’s chest. “Shut the ship down,” I snarled. “Now.” He nodded emphatically and flew through the sequence to shut down the engines. I gestured with the gun. “Open the door and get the fuck out. Drop your weapons and your armor. Go!” The pilot hesitated for a moment and then ran. Straight into a group of very angry aliens. One kicked the pilot to the ground and used one of the handcuffs the soldiers brought with them to bind him. They hauled him to his feet and threw him in the back of the ship.
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