“Why are you following us?”
No response.
“Come to our camp,” Jesse said as she reached out her hand. “We have food and water.”
The girl stepped forward and took Jesse’s hand. They all walked back to the camp.
“She hasn’t said a word,” Jeremy said quietly to Jesse. “She ate like she hadn’t eaten in days.”
“Jeremy, I have an idea,” Jesse whispered. “Can you communicate with her through your thoughts? You can do it with animals. Why not her?”
“I can give it a try,” Jeremy said. He got up and sat down beside the girl. Can you hear me?
The girl’s eyes widened, and she looked from side to side.
Can you hear me? If you can, think your answer.
The girl looked at Jesse and then at Jeremy.
Can you hear me? Jeremy asked again.
Yes. How can I hear you? the girl asked.
I can communicate telepathically, Jeremy said. I can hear your thoughts, and you can hear mine. What’s your name?
Haven, she answered. My name is Haven. I can’t hear, and I can’t speak.
Why are you following us?
I have nowhere to go, Haven responded. When the dome came, it killed my parents. I was at the store, and when I came home, my home was gone and my parents were gone. I’ve been wandering the streets ever since. I’ve watched those creatures come into the city and kill people. You’re the first ones to kill them. I feel safe near you.
Why won’t you talk to us? Jeremy asked.
I’m deaf, and I don’t talk very well. I sign. Can you sign?
No, none of us can sign, Jeremy said. He turned to the others. “She can’t talk very well. She’s deaf and can sign.”
Caroline smiled and began signing. “Do you have any family nearby?”
Tears streamed down Haven’s face as she signed back. “No, all of my family was killed when the dome came down out of the sky. I’m all alone. Can I stay with you?”
“Where we’re going is dangerous,” Caroline signed. “I think you should go into the city. You would be safer if you stay away from us.”
“I’m tougher than I look,” Haven signed. “I know karate, and I can take care of myself. I’ll be following you whether you let me or not. You’re stuck with me.”
Caroline smiled. “This little fireplug is feisty. She says we’re stuck with her.”
Steve shook his head. “No! We can’t take her with us.”
“I agree,” Matt said. “She’ll be a distraction and a liability. When we go into that dome, we need to be focused. With her there, we’ll be distracted.”
Caroline began signing. “We can’t take you into the dome with us. It’s too dangerous. It’s not up for discussion. You can’t go with us.”
Haven watched as Jeremy pulled several blankets out of his small knapsack. He gave her one to lie on, and the team settled in for the night.
~~~
Smalik and General Haflyf entered the throne room.
“Smalik, you’re finally here,” Torron said. “Did you bring the Risen Bugs?”
“Yes, a batch of Risen Bugs has been sent to each of the twelve domes,” Smalik said. “I brought a batch with me here. The Revilos will arrive tomorrow and will be placed in the water as soon as they arrive. They’re being distributed to San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland. Once they’re in place, we’ll have command of the water along the shoreline.”
Two priests brought in a red canister about eighteen inches in diameter and three feet tall. They placed it on a table next to the tent wall.
Smalik continued, “The Risens are here in case the enemy should get through the dome and start to attack our army inside the dome. If this happens, the Risens are programmed to attack any living thing not of Gandoral. They will possess the earthlings. All will become loyal followers and fierce warriors for Torron.”
“This is good,” Torron said as she stepped down from her throne. “Follow me to the control room. I’ll show you how the Mega-Crystal is working.”
A few minutes later, they stood next to the giant crystal ball. The scenes were changing from one dome to the next.
“As you can see, the Locals are filing into the domes as planned,” Drake said. “We’ll easily get two thousand soldiers per dome from the gangs on the streets of the cities. The LA and San Francisco domes will get more.”
“The commanding generals in the domes are reporting a lot of discord between the various gangs,” General Haflyf said. “They may not be the force you’re expecting.”
“That won’t be an issue,” Smalik said. “The other reason for the Risens is to bring them under control. Once they’re all in the domes, we’ll release the Risens, and all the earthlings will be infested and under our total control.”
Chapter 17
Locals
A cool September breeze was blowing in from across the bay.
“Where’s Haven?” Jeremy asked when he woke up.
“She left before we got up this morning,” Jesse said. “I hope she finds a safe place.”
“Yeah, she’s a little spitfire,” Jeremy said. “When she grows up, she’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
Soon they were peeking around the corner of a small building.
“Well, there’s the line going into the dome,” Steve said. “What do we do? Walk up and get in line?”
“That seems like the right approach,” Caroline said as she stepped out and walked toward the line.
“Well, no fear there,” Steve said as he followed.
No one is going to let us into the line, Jeremy thought.
“Wait your turn!” one guy yelled.
Another guy pushed Caroline to the ground and pulled a large hunting knife on her. Steve grabbed his hand, squeezed it until he dropped the knife, and then continued to squeeze it while looking him in the eye. “Do you want me to break your hand?”
The guy shook his head, and Steve let him go. The lines were made up of the lowest of the low. They were the gangs from the streets of cities on the east side of the San Francisco Bay. Most had tattoos and carried guns, knives, and other weapons in their belts. Every one of them looked intimidating. The Alpha-6 team went to the back of the line. Others quickly filed in behind them. It was midmorning by the time the team got to the gate.
Steve wheeled the wheelbarrow up to the gate.
A Torron soldier put up his hand and stopped him from entering. “Only personnel,” the guard said. “No hardware.”
“But I have a wheelbarrow full of weapons. I thought you could use them.” Steve made an impassioned plea.
Two Humongers stepped in the way and pointed their weapons at Steve.
“Put the wheelbarrow over there and then come inside,” the soldier said as he pointed to a large pile of weapons.
Jeremy stepped uncomfortably close to the soldier. Dump the weapons and bring the wheelbarrow in with you, he projected. We can use the wheelbarrow. Let them pass.
The soldier stood in a trance.
Dump the weapons and bring the wheelbarrow in with you. We can use the wheelbarrow. Let them pass.
“Dump the weapons and bring the wheelbarrow in with you,” the soldier said. “We can use the wheelbarrow. Let them pass.” The soldier motioned for the Humongers to let them by.
The ground inside the dome was covered with small black pebbles that had been packed down to a semisolid consistency. They were escorted to a large tent. While on the way, when no one was looking, the wheelbarrow slipped into the ground.
“Look,” Matt said. “We enter this tent here as gang members and exit over there as soldiers in the Torron army.”
“Yeah,” Jack said quietly. “Their uniforms are quite impressive.”
“I don’t recognize the weapons they have,” Caroline said as they entered the tent.
Inside the large tent, they were separated into two groups, male and female. They received uniforms and were directed to dressing areas, whe
re they stripped down and put the uniforms on. Fortunately, the uniforms came with backpacks. The Alliance folded up their knapsacks and stuffed them into the backpacks. Next, they were issued a weapon and told the weapons would be energized at the practice range. They were escorted to their barrack, where they all got back together.
Jeremy pointed to the label on the chest of his uniform. “I guess we’re now members of Locals.”
“Okay, we’re members of the queen’s Locals,” Steve said. “What next?”
“There doesn’t seem to be any restrictions on movement inside the dome,” Caroline said. “I say we spread out and look around. We could meet back here in an hour.”
~~~
I’ll stay with the Alpha-6 team, Haven thought as she skirted the trees and bushes trying to stay out of sight. They’re tough and kind. There are only criminals on the streets today. I’m not sure where they came from, but it’s clear, the Alpha-6 team are the good guys.
She entered her dojo. The weapons were still on the far wall. She put on a leather shoulder harness and pulled the two knives from the center of the display and put them in the harness over her shoulders. She looked in the mirror. She had a determined look on her face and could see the two knives, one over each shoulder. She slipped a knife into her belt and left the dojo, heading back to the dome.
She slipped behind some bushes when she spotted four men standing on the corner. Though she couldn’t hear what they were saying, it was clear from their gesticulations that they were excited.
“We fight for them and they give us land and money?” the first man asked.
“Yes,” the second answered. “We help them take over the world, and they reward us. It’s as simple as that.”
“So in a sense, we’re mercenaries,” a third man said. “An army for hire, so to speak.”
“How do you know they’ll pay up?” a fourth asked.
“Look. They will win. I’ve seen their technology and weapons. There’s a guy named Drake. I met him. He showed us some of the magic they possess. The people on Earth will become our slaves. The question you have to ask yourself is, Which side do you want to be on? Do you want to be a slave or a slave owner? It’s that simple.”
“The other guys should be here any minute now,” the second man said.
Haven shifted position and accidentally stepped on a branch.
“There’s someone in the bushes over there,” the first man said.
Haven came out into the open with a knife at the ready. She turned and moved to keep an eye on the four men.
The men started to laugh. One of them walked up to her. “You’re a little too small to be taken seriously.”
In a quick move, Haven ran around behind the man and leaped onto his back before he knew what hit him. She covered his eyes with her left hand, and with her right, held the knife at the man’s jugular, pressing hard enough to draw blood.
When six Humongers came around the corner of a building, Haven jumped down. The man wiped the blood off his neck and put up his hands, but before he could say anything, one of the Humongers raised his weapon and pointed it at the men. They all put up their hands.
Haven holstered her knife and put up her hands too.
“We’re joining your army,” the first man said. “We’re waiting for a few more of our gang to join us.” He pointed down the street. “Here they come now.”
Five more men joined the group, and the Humongers motioned for them to head for the dome.
When they got within a quarter mile of the entrance to the dome, they came under fire from a military unit. Three of the men went down immediately, but the bullets bounced off the Humongers’ shields. Haven made a mad dash for a nearby bush. Not until the short firefight was over did she notice she had dived into a group of rosebushes and was covered with small bleeding scratches.
~~~
Jeremy walked up to the practice range. He looked carefully at his weapon. It looked like it had three separate functions. It had a scope and could shoot like a rifle. The rifle barrel on top was clearly made for large bullets, maybe .45 caliber. The second barrel in the middle, one inch in diameter, looked a lot like a shotgun barrel. Under that on the bottom and mounted at the front of the rifle was a small box, one-inch square and about four inches long. A small tube connected the box to the butt of the rifle. The weapon was black and only weighed about eight pounds.
Standing at the entrance to the practice range was a mean-looking man with the physique of a body builder, his biceps almost too big to fit under his shirt. He had a tattoo of a snake around his neck with the head coming out on his right cheek. He wore a gold earring in his left ear, and his head was shaved bald.
“Have you been assigned to practice on the range?” the man asked.
“Ah, no, not yet,” Jeremy said. “I just got here.”
“Where are you from?”
“Ah, Walnut Creek Crips. You?”
“Oakland Sevens,” the man said. “These weapons are awesome. I’ve been told we get to keep them once the battles are over.”
“It won’t take long, will it?” Jeremy was fishing.
“With these weapons and the shield for protection . . . no, it won’t take long. We’ll bring the United States to its knees and then the world.”
“I like the snake,” Jeremy said as he walked away. I had one just like it.
After watching the weapons in action, Jeremy returned to the meeting place. Once they had all gathered together, they gave reports on what they had learned.
“I was at the practice range and saw our weapons in action,” Jeremy began. “The rifle section of the weapon with the scope operates like a high-powered rifle. The second section, the one in the middle, fires one-inch blue balls that explode upon impact. The explosions are quite spectacular and quite destructive. The small box on the bottom shot out what they called laser arrows. They were short bursts of red laser-like beams that acted like arrows, sinking into the target, even into steel plating.”
“That sounds like a game changer,” Jack said. He held up his weapon. “If every enemy soldier carries one of these, they’ll be hard to beat. Did you get a chance to see the ammo?”
“No, they hand it out when a soldier enters the practice range,” Jeremy answered.
“I went out to the runways,” Jesse said. “Every other square foot under the dome is covered with tents and equipment, but the runways are completely clear. I’m sure there’s a reason.”
“At the far northeast section of the dome at the water’s edge,” Steve said, “there are rows and rows of armored vehicles. They have heavy tracks that go along the ground and then rise up high enough that if the vehicle gets turned over, it can continue to move. In the front and rear, there’s a set of grinding wheels.”
“Are there any cannons or guns on board?” Caroline asked.
“No, it looks like a tunneling machine,” Steve answered. “It didn’t look like there was a driver—no windshield or cockpit. What about you, Matt?”
“I think I found the armory. All the weapons and ammo coming in from the portal are streaming into three large tents to the west, at the shoreline.”
“I saw the portal up close,” Jack said. “Everything is flowing in and being distributed in an organized way. Those vehicles you saw, Steve, look like they’re self-propelled and come right out of the portal, and they head over to where you saw them parked.”
“I went to the center of the dome,” Caroline said. “It’s at the south end of the runways. There’s a wall around the facility, and I couldn’t see inside. There’s a small pale blue dome over the facility, similar to the large dome. coming out of the top of the small dome is a tall tower, maybe ten stories high. Every now and then a laser beam shoots out at targets on the outside of the large dome. Above that is a shaft that sticks up about ten feet. A dark blue light is shooting up to the top of the large dome. I believe it’s the power source for the large dome. If we can take that out, maybe the shield over the dome will f
all.”
They heard a loud crowd yelling in the distance and carefully went out of their barrack to see what was going on. They blended into the Locals without an issue.
The crowd was forming close to the facility Caroline had found at the south end of the runways. A large platform had been erected, and a dozen or so Locals soldiers were standing with their hands tied behind their backs. At the far right was a Humonger with one of the standard weapons in his hands pointed at the line of men. Beside him was one of Torron’s priests. He wore a brown robe with a red sash and the hood up. Nothing could be seen under the hood except two glowing red eyes.
The priest began to speak to the crowd. The crowd went silent.
“You’ve been recruited by Drake, the son of our queen, Queen Torron of Gandoral,” the priest said. “You’ve been promised great wealth and great power over the people in this country. We knew when we recruited you that some of you wouldn’t bend to our way of doing things, so we will now demonstrate what happens when you decide not to obey our commands to the letter. Among these men are some of your leaders. They’ve decided to take matters into their own hands. We have a zero tolerance policy here. No second chances. We need absolute loyalty and absolute obedience. No exceptions.” The priest nodded to the Humonger.
The Humonger pulled the trigger on the laser. With a simple sweep, it shot out a series of laser arrows, enough to hit each soldier on the platform with a half dozen.
Two men raised their voices in protest. The Humonger turned and swiped the laser in their direction, killing the protesters and half a dozen men standing nearby.
“As I said, zero tolerance,” the priest said. “No exceptions.”
“Whoa, that was pretty harsh,” Jack said as they walked back to their barrack.
Chapter 18
Revilo & Oar-7
Two distinct sounds came from the direction of the portal, one a high-pitched whir, the other a low-pitched gurgling sound. The team hurried toward the portal to see what was making the noise. They rounded the last tent and stopped in their tracks.
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