Taken by the Aliens

by Anna Lewis

  The couple shared another kiss and Erika wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her wet face into his neck while sobbing quietly. Ulita took her arm and held her while Leonard walked back towards the tunnel with the captain, waving before turning around and disappearing into the bright wash of lights. Hugging her hard, Ulita sat down and rocked Erika gently while she cried.

  “He’s coming back,” Ulita said. “I know it. You two are beyond perfect for each other.”

  “I just wish I could go with him and be at his side. That way, if he doesn’t make it, we both go down together,” Erika said through tears.

  “That’s beautiful,” Constance said from the table. “It sounds like a love story for the history books, a true tale of heroism and bravery.”

  “It really does,” Ulita said.

  “Do you mind if I write that down?” Constance asked. “I’ve been meaning to write a new e-book lately and this makes the perfect story. I’ll change your names, of course.”

  Erika blushed.

  “I don’t mind at all,” she whispered. “But if only it were true.”

  Constance craned her neck to look out the glass window and then turned back to Erika who was sitting on Ulita.

  “We can make it true,” she whispered.

  “How?” Erika asked.

  “Well, there’s a whole table of weapons just outside the door. You could grab one and head up the tunnel. I’m sure it’s easy to open that steel door,” Constance whispered.

  “I’m not sure what the key code is to open that door,” Erika replied. “But I could certainly try to find out.”

  “How would you do that?” Ulita asked as Erika stood and leaned against the back wall.

  “I’ll just have to hack into their system to find the code,” Erika replied. “Cover me.”

  The two women focused on the door and Erika disappeared into her chip, tapping her palm intermittently while trying to sort through public record memory. Typically, the military turned on different chips in the province during emergencies in order to capture round-the-clock information about the events unfolding. Since their world was being invaded, it was the perfect opportunity to capture data from civilians and Erika was able to locate the captain’s recordings. She fast-forwarded through most of them until she found the video of him punching in his key code.

  “8-996-7,” she whispered to herself.

  She snapped a photo of the video and then returned to normal vision with a sly smile.

  “Well, that was quick,” Ulita commented. “What did you do?”

  “That’s for me to know and you to never find out,” Erika replied.

  “Oh, come on! You just did something incredible and I’d love to know how you did it,” Ulita said.

  Erika shook her head.

  “Your superiority must come with a number of privileges because I couldn’t even find some information like that,” Ulita said.

  “It does,” Erika said proudly. “I try not to abuse that.”

  “Well, it’s certainly come in handy more than once, like on the monorail,” Ulita pointed out.

  “You mean when I changed Leonard’s status so he could board with us?” Erika asked.

  “Yeah, that,” Ulita replied. “How did you do that?”

  Erika smiled and Ulita sighed, resting her chin in her hand.

  “Let me guess: you can’t tell,” she said.

  “Claro,” Erika replied. “Wish me luck, amigas.”

  Erika walked to the door and looked around, checking to see if anyone was watching. As the group in the corner focused on the screen, she quickly grabbed two disintegrators from the table and shoved one in her lab coat, sprinting down the tunnel to get to the steel door. She could hear explosions on the other side and began shaking, steadying herself against the wall to catch her breath.

  “Hey, stop!” called a soldier from behind her.

  Squeaking, Erika tapped the key code into the pad and waited anxiously as the door opened.

  “Stop right there!” called another soldier.

  As soon as the door was open, Erika sprinted out into the field and dashed towards the monorail tunnel where she knew she could take cover. She turned to look at the soldiers who had told her to stop, watching as they glanced around and then shut the door.

  She was on her own.

  Behind her in the distance, she could hear the sound of ships hitting the ground and Terramites squealing some kind of dreadful attack cry. It was the most awful screech she had ever heard, causing her ears to ring as the din grew louder. She walked along the edge of the monorail station and up the hill towards town where she might find her beloved. A line of ships were down on the ground, each of them smoldering with bodies strewn about inside. She shivered.

  It was gruesome to see those who had fallen. She hoped none of them were Leonard, the mere thought of losing him causing her to become nauseous. As she crept along the edge of the rubble, she heard zapping in the distance and ran towards the sound, something most people likely wouldn’t have done. Her heart beat fast as she sprinted, legs and arms pumping blood to the source and back through her body. She felt like she was on fire.

  Just beyond the buildings, she found a group of soldiers that included Leonard and dashed towards them, taking out the other disintegrator in order to fire all around them. She shot down a number of Terramites who were charging the group and Leonard’s eyes lit up as he recognized Erika. She flew straight into his arms. He hoisted her up on his shoulders, giving her better leverage to shoot the enemy.

  The lot of them fell to the ground once Leonard began twirling about, the soldiers making sure to cover Erika who was exposed to enemy fire from the back. She giggled maniacally as she shot at the Terramites and squealed when one of them began to charge. Without missing a beat, Leonard disintegrated him. The soldiers all turned around and around, waiting for another hoard to strike.

  Explosions in the distance faded and then stopped completely, the air voice of military and enemy ships alike. Erika looked down at the soldiers around her and then patted Leonard’s shoulder, signaling she wanted to get down. Leonard carefully placed her on the ground and smiled.

  “Couldn’t wait, could you?” he asked playfully.

  “No, I wanted to be right next to you,” she replied. “Which is where I feel like I belong.”

  Leonard smiled wide, his eyes sparkling in the dim light coming from the buildings. Leaning into him, Erika peered deep into his eyes and returned the smile, happy to be anywhere as long as she was with him.

  “You’re amazing,” he said. “And I’m glad you came to my side.”

  “I wanted to help. If anything happened to you, I wanted to be within arm’s reach when it happened,” she explained.

  Before they could share a kiss, the captain turned to inform the group that the Terramites had been defeated. Each of them shouted, “Salud!” while raising their disintegrators towards the sky that was still filled with smoke.

  “Victory!” cried one of the soldiers.

  “Let’s head back to the base,” Captain Nyugen instructed.

  He walked over to Erika and Leonard who were still embracing each other and saluted Erika who returned the salute.

  “Great job, señorita,” he said. “You do us honor by joining the battle.”

  “It was my pleasure, sir,” Erika said. “I just wanted to be next to Leonard and help fight off the enemy.”

  The captain nodded and then followed his solders back to the safe base, leaving the happy couple behind who were kissing under the darkened sky. The sun had long since set and they were shrouded in the black night, smoke still creeping along the field around them.

  “This has been the strangest and most emotional day of my life,” Erika said. “I’m just glad we made it through together.”

  “As am I,” Leonard replied. “Let’s get back and get some food. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  Smiling wide, Erika took his hand and led him back to the safe base wh
ere a small banquet was set up on the table. Her chip beeped, alerting her of a news announcement which she tuned into immediately.

  ...officially taken down around 7:32 PM by the Green Province Army. We have General Guye Hardenbrooke on the line to explain what exactly transpired to cause the species to invade earth. General, I understand they came to take over, but why would this species do such a thing?

  For some reason, the Terramites had been in hiding for a number of centuries. Their outer skin made it so that our sensors couldn’t pick up their existence, making it easy for them to sleep through hundreds of years without being detected. When they came out of hiding and found out about our diverse and wonderful earth, they wanted to take a piece of it, so we said no! Our wonderful compadres fought valiantly…

  “That’s quite a story,” Constance commented. “I think I’ll write the whole thing down. It would make a sensational series.”

  “I agree,” Erika said.

  “A story? About this?” Leonard asked.

  “Of course! We need to document what happened, and who better to tell our story than from the perspective of you two love birds?” Constance asked rhetorically.

  “Such a romance belongs in books,” Ulita agreed. “Could you pass me that protein bar?”

  Erika picked up a protein bar and passed it to Ulita who thanked her.

  “I’m not sure,” she said. “Being immortalized in a book is so...so...”

  “Permanent,” Leonard finished.

  Erika nodded.

  “Exactly,” she said.

  “It’s perfect for the two of you,” Constance said.

  The couple looked at each other and smiled, Erika taking Leonard’s hand and kissing his knuckles.

  “I suppose,” she said. “Just don’t use my name.”

  “Done!” Constance said. “Now I can start writing.”

  As Constance zoned out into her head, Ulita munched on a protein bar and Erika reached for a sandwich, her stomach growling loudly.

  “I didn’t realize how much energy I used,” she said. “It’s like I’ve been completely depleted.”

  “I feel the same way. Even with the extended serum, I get extremely tired when my energy is low. The serum only gives me a small boost when I’m on my last 5%,” Leonard explained.

  “I can’t imagine how that feels,” she said.

  “It’s like getting an adrenaline shot and then you sprint for twenty minutes,” he said.

  “That sounds like a rush,” she said.

  “It really is. And it’s definitely worth it until you run out,” Leonard explained.

  “I’m just glad we both made it safely here. What do you think will happen now?” she asked.

  “Well, we’ll have to rebuild,” he replied. “And we might also have to repopulate the earth.”

  “Oh yeah?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” he replied, shimmying close to her.

  Erika giggled.

  “Do you suppose we could start now?” she asked.

  “I’m sure we could manage to do that,” he replied.

  “Captain, do you have any spare rooms here?” Erika asked.

  The captain turned around from the computers and nodded, pointing to the door near the back corner that led to a corridor of rooms.

  “Just find an empty one,” he instructed.

  Erika pulled Leonard towards the door and they located an empty room, shutting the door behind them and locking it. In an instant, he had her pinned against the door, fumbling with the buttons of her jeans in order to yank them off. They were still filthy from the battle, but she didn’t care. The feeling of him pulsing against her petals was incredibly satisfying and she moaned softly in the dark room.

  The barrier of their clothes was quickly removed and Leonard eased himself into her soft portal, causing her to bay and cover her mouth. She giggled and then wrapped her arms around his shoulders, his tongue darting between her lips for her to suck on. He kept a firm grip on her hips as he dove deep into her fields, groaning as she rolled her hips forward to the rhythm he set.

  It wasn’t long before she was shivering with delight and gripping the skin of his back, leaving little marks where her nails were digging in. Leonard grunted and she bayed – they were close. His hips rocked into her faster, the brutal strength of his passion taking her breath away. Reeling back, she braced herself against the door and squeaked, moans escaping her lips with each gasp. He buckled and tensed up, hot honey filling her to the brim with utter pleasure.

  Panting, Leonard lifted her off the door and carried her over to the cot where they wrapped themselves up in the sheets to calm down from their intense sex session. Erika turned to face him, their noses touching.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I love you, too.”

  ***

  Glasses clinked together and the room was a wash of color, a digital chandelier displaying an array of warm colors. In the midst of people stood Leonard and Erika who were awkwardly holding on to each other. Leonard gripped her hand. She turned and smiled.

  “It’s alright,” she whispered. “You’re fine.”

  Leonard wasn’t used to polite company. His bulky muscles felt like they might burst from his suit at any moment, but Erika’s hand in his made him feel more confident. He watched as Captain Nyugen raised his glass of bubbly and tap it twice, signaling the room to go silent.

  “I’d like to take this time to recognize a number of people in the room who have displayed bravery and strength in the face of adversity,” he stated. “Not only were they not required to act, they did so not expecting anything in return. I call them the Infallible Four because of their dedication to helping save the earth.”

  Leonard turned to look at Ulita and Constance who were standing proudly next to Erika, the three of them dressed in the most elegant of gowns.

  “Would my wonderful, brave friends please step forward?” he asked.

  The four walked towards the center of the dance floor and joined Captain Nyugen who pinned a digital medal to each of them and then shook their hands. When he was finished, he raised his arms and started clapping, signaling the room to do the same. Their applause sounded like a roar and Leonard smiled while joining along. He turned to Erika who was clapping as well, her smile glittering in the dim light of the ballroom.

  He took a deep breath, knelt down, and held out his hand to her. Shock filled her face and a slew of gasps rippled through the room as everyone stopped clapping and waited to see what was about to happen. Ulita began to cry.

  “My darling,” he said. “I have no ring to give you. I haven’t much to give you other than my strength, my protection, and my love. You have proven to me that you value me for more than that. Your love and your affection have proved to me each day that it is genuine, so I want to return that to you by promising you my body and mind forever.”

  Erika was crying, tears streaming down her face as Leonard rubbed her hands and continued to speak.

  “I never thought I would find a love like this in this lifetime, but now I have thanks to you. I want to make you happy forever, for us to make change in the world while raising our own children. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asked.

  Covering her face, she nodded and Leonard stood to give her a kiss. The room roared again, the happy couple twirling about as the band began to play in the background. Ulita and Constance joined in their hug, tears of joy streaming down their faces.

  “Such a lovely ending!” Constance blubbered while holding Erika. “I’m so happy for you!”

  Ulita hugged Erika next, Constance walking over to Leonard to squeeze his hands which caused him to smile. Constance hugged him.

  “You sly fox,” she whispered.

  Leonard winked and walked over to his fiancée who was already beginning to make wedding plans with Ulita. The two looked adorable with their faces lit up, passionately chattering back and forth about flowers, dresses, and other items she would want for the we
dding. It made Leonard smile. After a few moment, a waltz began to play and Leonard took up Erika in his arms as she waved at Ulita.

  Captain Nyugen and his wife joined the couple on the dance floor, spinning and swaying across the shining tile. It was the perfect ending for the day, the couple beyond elated to have each other. Leonard wondered how their children might look, whether they would have their father’s brawn or their mother’s intellect. He hoped it would be a fair combination of the two. He knew they needed more strength in this world as well as more intelligence to push forward. They had come a long way in developing the human race, and they could be the first couple to have a more complete earthling.

  While they danced, Leonard brushed a lock of loose hair behind Erika’s ear and she smiled shyly while looking down. The beautiful brown eyes fluttered and then locked back on his, glittering with joy from the events that had unfolded. She looked tired and happy all the same. The slender jaw and full lips invited him to plant a kiss, so he led her off the dance floor towards the hall where there was no one around.

  Without another word, the two pressed their lips together and kissed for what seemed like an eternity. He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs along her cheeks. She was still crying. A small smile formed and he returned it.

  “Are you happy?” he asked.

  “Of course I am,” she replied. “Why would you ask? Do I not look happy?”

  “You do. I think you are. I was just making sure,” he said. “I just want you to tell me if there is ever a point where I stop making you happy.”

  “Why would you say that?” she asked.

  “Because I want to make sure I’m doing my job,” he replied with a grin.

  She smiled.

  “You’re doing a fantastic job, Leonard,” she said. “I’ve never been happier in my life. I swear.”

  “Nor have I,” he replied. “And I think it’s going to be a great lifetime together.”

  THE END

  = Bonus Book 10 of 11 =