by Jay Cannon
“I was in an alley hitting a tennis ball when a strange looking person came in the alley with a gun and looked like she was going to kill a kid. I knocked the gun from the person’s hand and the police came up and chased the person away. That’s when I met Pico. He was starving and I found a way to feed him. He told me about his shaman ball and special powers. He used them to help me think better and healed my mother. An alien tried to kill us once and he used his powers to protect us. The alien came back today and this time Li Xiao showed up and brought us here. That’s my whole story.”
“I guess I should go next since I’m Morgan’s mother. I’m Norma Stewart. I grew up in a decent family in D.C. When I was in high school I met this wonderful man. His name was Billy Davis. I was so in love and I thought we were going to get married and move to New York and sing together. Soon after I got pregnant he disappeared and I never saw him again. My parents threw me out when I decided to keep the baby. I worked whatever jobs I could to keep Morgan in good schools. One day I had a fall at work. I was initially okay, but then the falls continued. I later found out that I had a brain tumor and would probably not live much longer. I was in a coma until this morning. Come to find out that Pico somehow got rid of my tumor and I came out of my coma. I was just sitting in bed talking to Morgan when Li Xiao showed up and here I am.”
“I can go next,” started Pico using telepathy. “Can everyone hear me?” They all nodded. Though Pico did not have a mouth he could use telepathy to communicate with humans once he modified their brains to be able to focus without distraction.
“I grew up on the planet Cerebran. It was a large gas planet millions of light years from here. People there normally communicate using telepathy. I breathe and eat through my skin. We use crystals like this one,” stated Pico pulling it from his abdomen. Denise and Norma gasped. Pico cocked his head to the side confused. “As I was saying, we use crystals like this to amplify our brain waves and thus our mental abilities.”
Pico connected to the crystal and used his ability to lift a nearby car. “I can use the crystal to connect with people’s brains from long distances, heal people and fly among other things.”
“Can you show us how you fly?” Asked Norma.
“Sure,” replied Pico levitating himself and making a quick tour of the parking garage. They all clapped when he was finished.
“On Earth I get nutrients from metal and citrus fruits.”
“That’s why you were carrying those nails and that lemon,” stated Denise.
“Yes, you are right. You were the only person to ever figure out that I was an alien and not an action figure.”
“I am a doctor you know, and trained to be observant of people.”
“I’m glad you noticed, because otherwise I would not have been able to help Morgan’s mother properly.”
“I never did get to thank you Pico,” said Morgan’s mother walking over and giving him a hug. “Thanks for giving me more time with my son even if it may be short lived.”
“You’re welcome,” replied Pico telepathically.
“You know, it really is odd communicating with you like this. Is it a side effect of the treatments you gave me?” She said looking down at Pico.
“Yes, I modified your cells so you could focus better. That helped me communicate with you while you were in the coma. I was learning to become a shaman when the Euclidians attacked our planet. They were stealing our atmosphere and removing our minerals from the ground with their vehicles. The planet’s shaman decided to attack their ship and used their combined power to try and send it into the sun. The Euclidians somehow thwarted the attack and then sent our planet into the sun with the shaman blocked in a cave, as revenge for the attack.”
“I hid in one of the Euclidian mining vehicles to keep from being killed by their aircraft that were flying around and firing on people. When the vehicle went back to their ship I was discovered and imprisoned in one of their cells. When I used my hands to get nutrients from the metal walls of the cell I created holes in the wall large enough to escape. I found my way to their transporter room and hitched a ride with a human that was on her way to Earth. Soon after we arrived a Euclidian security guard found her while she was walking outside and dragged her into an alley. When I tried to get away the guard came after me and that is when Morgan saved me. I stayed with him because I didn’t know what else to do. I was using my shaman stone to help heal his mother when Denise discovered that I was an alien. I was with Denise helping her brother when the alien assassin showed up to kill me. Li Xiao suddenly appeared and saved me and Denise before he could shoot us. It’s unfortunate what happened to her brother. Now here I am hoping I can help Morgan and others survive the attack from the Euclidians.”
“I guess it’s my turn. I’m Doctor Denise Turner. I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan with my older brother Jerome. We had a pretty good childhood and were lucky that our parents could pay for our college. After high school Jerome went to medical school and I followed after him a couple of years later.”
“I went to the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, or CU as we called it, for my undergraduate degree. I simply loved Boulder. It was sunny about three hundred days out of the year. Event with the sun it certainly got cold in the winter, but it was great to see the sun so often. When I lived in Boulder I was enamored by how the people there embraced diversity. They didn’t seem to mind where you came from or what your race was, they were just happy to engage you in stimulating conversation. They were less tolerant of smokers or people who left their Christmas lights up after the beginning of the year though. I miss the sense of community and focus on fitness in Boulder. They also had a lot of great places to eat and drink. I lived in a small apartment on the hill near the Fox Theatre. In the summer I would ride my bike to school and the nearby neighborhood. On the weekends I would ride my bike on the Boulder Creek trail all the way across town without having to worry about traffic lights or cars. In winter I would catch the city bus and go skiing at the Eldora Ski Resort just 30 minutes from town. My favorite place to get a drink was the Rio Grande or Rios as we all called it. They had the most amazing margaritas that I’ve ever drunk.”
“What made you leave?” Asked Morgan.
“I wanted to be closer to home, which is Michigan. I received my doctorate from the University of Michigan and took time to go home once a month to visit my sick aunt. However, when I got married my husband and I moved to D.C. where I got a job at a local hospital. We spent our honeymoon in Boulder staying at the St. Julien Hotel and Spa. I got a massage there every morning and my new husband and I spent the evenings holding hands and walking along Pearl Street Mall picking a new place to eat dinner each night. I loved that man dearly. He was later killed in a traffic accident and I never remarried. That last thing I remember saying to him was, ‘Goodbye Max.’”
“I decided to stay in D.C and one day Norma became one of my patients,” said Denise grabbing her hand. “I got to know Morgan from his frequent visits. One day he came in with what looked to be a doll. Sorry, action figure,” stated Denise after seeing Morgan cringe. “After examining Pico I determined that he was alive. Pico revealed himself to me and showed me wondrous things that he could do with his mind while healing Norma. Selfishly I asked him to help my brother who was a heroin addict. We were in his hospital room when Li Xiao showed up and teleported us here. I have no idea what is in store for me next. I can only suppose that the world will always need a good doctor.”
“How do we know that the new world that is left after the alien invasion is a world worth living?” Asked Morgan’s mother.
“It’s still a bit too early to know,” responded Denise. “I’m hoping that Pico and Li Xiao can use their power’s to help ensure that we can rebuild a new world better than the previous one.”
***
“It’s happening,” stated Pico.
“What’s happening?” Asked Morgan.
“They’re taking people,” said Pico pulling out
his shaman stone.
“From the apartment?” Asked Denise.
“From the city. They’re all gone. I can sense the extinguishing of thought all across the city in waves. There are whispers of people below ground that weren’t taken, but they are few and far between. They aren’t using ships. It’s as if people are just vanishing into thin air.”
“Is there anything we can do to save people? Can you teleport them down here?” Asked Norma.
“It’s already too late. I’m reaching out for hundreds of miles and there’s basically no one out there to save.”
***
In another part of DC, Uan had returned to his apartment with Calvin. Betty and Dominique were sitting in the living room wondering what happened to the electricity.
“The invasion of your planet has started,” stated Uan. “One of the first things we do is disrupt all electronics on a planet. That is why you have no electricity.”
“When will it come back on?” Asked Dominique.
“Probably never.”
“How are we supposed to survive without electricity?”
“You do not need electricity to survive. There is still plenty of food and water.”
“The food is not going to last long once everyone starts stripping the stores bare.”
“I’m sure we will be fine,” stated Uan not revealing what else happens during the invasion.
“What happens once it gets dark?” Asked Betty.
“Don’t worry. I have flashlights and candles for when it gets dark,” stated Calvin.
“The one thing you must do is stay inside this apartment for the next day. I do not want any of you to be affected by the invasion,” warned Uan.
“What does that mean?” Asked Betty.
“Just do what I say,” replied Uan walking off to the kitchen.
Chapter 16
Saying Goodbye to Earth
Once the Euclidian finished going across the Earth and collecting people, major cities across the globe became ghost towns. Cities that were once bustling with activity lay silent. Not just from the lack of people, but lack of electricity and vehicles.
Tokyo, Moscow, London, Beijing, Rome, Istanbul, Cairo, New York and Mexico City were all empty except for a few hundred people here and there that managed to escape the eyes of the Euclidian ships and teleport operators by being in basements, subways or just plain lucky.
A day after the Euclidian ships had finished their removal of the Earth’s citizenry, people were still afraid to leave their homes or offices for fear that whatever took all the people would return and get them. Everyone feared it was aliens or evil spirits. Though it was dark at night, especially in windowless apartments, no one dare light a candle or use a flashlight, which escaped the effects of the EMP due to their simplicity. Julie sat in her apartment in downtown Austin shaking with fear at every sound. She was one of the lucky ones along with her friend Patty who was visiting from San Diego.
“Patty, you can’t imagine what I have been going through the past two days. It was so hot I couldn’t stand it, but I didn’t dare open a window. I was just sitting there enjoying the late evening sun on the fire escape when everyone started disappearing. A shadow passed over the city and everything went quiet. First the people were gone and then the cars disappeared. What could make that happen? When the electricity got disrupted I thought it was just due to the summer heat. After the people disappeared I thought a government experiment had gone awry. I got on my bike and rode to the water. I saw no one the entire way and when I got to the water I saw the most enormous ship floating over the water and I knew it had to be alien. A couple of aliens were standing on the shore observing it. I just freaked out and rode my bike straight home. I was so afraid they had gotten you as well.”
“I was at the museum and one of the workers there told me there were some ancient Indian artifacts in the basement and encouraged me to just go and look at them by myself. You know how I love the stuff and I just sort of got lost in all the stuff I found. When the lights went off I was completely disoriented, but not afraid. It took me a while to find the stairs and make it to the ground floor. When I got there no one could be found. That sort of startled me since I expected to see employees there to help visitors get to safety. I found my way outside and that‘s when I knew something was gravely wrong. No people, no cars, I felt like I was on some movie lot. Since I am not from here and I was so far away it took me a while to make it back to your apartment.”
“I’m just glad you made it back. I was so afraid I was the only one left.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t stay. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m going to try to get back to my family in San Diego. Maybe this incident is isolated or my family got lucky and was spared. Either way I need to get back to them. You should come with me.”
“My family is here and I need to try and find them, though I am still very much afraid.”
Patty left this afternoon and now I sit alone in the dark sweating, waiting for them to come for me. Somehow during the day I feel safe, but at night my courage slips away and I’m just afraid. I’m certain that the aliens have been in my building. I could hear their quiet footsteps. I just sit here afraid to move. I’ve barely eaten, I don’t sleep and I haven’t flushed my toilet since Patty left. I wish I could go back to just worrying about keeping my low-wage job or not getting herpes from some cute guy at the bar.
***
The next morning in Uan’s apartment Calvin makes an interesting discovery.
“Uan, where is everybody?” Asked Calvin looking out the window. “The streets are completely empty. I mean there is no one anywhere. There aren’t even any cars out there.”
“They have all been taken to our ships for processing.”
“What do you mean processing? Like for food?”
“No, we do not eat sentient beings. They are placed in large rooms for transport. We sometimes need to adjust the air, temperature and food to keep the captives alive. We also make an inventory of each person. Size, height, strength, looks and so on.”
“What happens next?”
“They are sold on the open market to whoever will buy them. Some rich person might buy two as museum pieces or a company may purchase a million or more to help clear or cultivate a new planet. Many will be used for mining. Just like in the early days on your planet. The stronger civilizations conquered the weaker ones. And to the victors go the spoils.”
“So what happens to us?”
“I go back to my ship and you stay here to live out your lives.”
“What kind of life is it going to be when we have no utilities, no means for creating goods and all of our vehicles are gone? How many people are even left here to rebuild our planet?”
“Why are you complaining? There is plenty of food in your stores and in the meantime, learn to grow more. There are probably still about a hundred million people left scattered across your planet, which solves your overcrowding problem.”
“I would rather be in overcrowded conditions than on an empty planet with inoperable technology.”
“I can help you all find a safe place to stay on the planet with plenty of food and water. I can even get you some special weapons to help you protect yourselves.”
“I can’t believe you risked your life to save me and now you’re going to abandon me. Why can’t I go with you,” said Betty with pleading in her voice.
“There is no room for you on my ship and the life is not as pleasant as you might think.”
“You mean to tell me that you placed around six billion people on your ship, but you don’t have room for me?”
“You do not want to be in those crowded cells. They are smelly and uncomfortable. In the end you could end up as a slave on a hostile planet.”
“For an advanced creature you don’t know much about love,” piped up Dominique.
“What love?” Replied Uan.
“Betty you dummy,” stated Calvin.
Uan pursed his lips and took
a long look at Betty. Betty had tears in her eyes as she looked longingly at Uan. Her lips quivered and she shook her head as she began to plead with Uan.
“Why can’t I come with you? Is there someone else in your life or is it just shameful to be around a species that is from a conquered planet?” Betty demanded.
“I can be with anyone I choose, but I have never had a mate before,” replied Uan.
“You’re a virgin?” Asked Calvin startled.
“No you fool. I have taken several women and probably have offspring. Our species does not form relationships the way you do.”
“You can say that again. He almost killed me when I hugged him and thanked him for saving my life.”
“I was not familiar with your customs at the time,” replied Uan angrily.
“If you are so emotionless tell me why you risked your life saving me?” Asked Betty.
“I have taken many women, but I have never been taken by a woman before. It touched me. I did not want anyone to hurt you.”
“But you are going to hurt me now by leaving me in this desolate place without you.”
“I cannot take you with me.”
“Then stay. Stay with me.”
“I cannot. This is not my life.”
“Then kill me. You’re good at that. You might as well have left me with Boudreau. At least he treated me better than you.”
“I could always send you back, but he is probably no longer there.”
“You bastard!” Stated Betty lunging at Uan. She knocked him on the floor and started swinging violently at his head.
“Kill me you bastard. Go ahead and kill me!” Betty shouted frantically.
Uan knocked her to the side like a rag doll and stood up. Betty got to her feet and came at him again. Uan grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up against the wall. He pulled out his spear and held it in the air bracing to slit her throat.