by Jay Morris
“Just what exactly do you intend to do out there?”
Amy demanded, her slender five foot two towering over his heavy set, six foot one.
I have to admit that Tucker stuck to his script and didn’t go off message, just like politicians used to do, if they ask the wrong question answer a different one. It wasn’t as much fun as I had hoped and it ended up with Amy storming off looking pretty upset which had not been my intention at all. When she left, Tucker stood and handed me the food and water ruck sack, he shouldered the heavier one with the ammo and spare guns. He looked over at Amy who had her back to him, he turned to me with a goofy expression and shrugged.
We started off at around four in the afternoon and initially we made good time and back tracking cross country I was able to get us almost exactly where we had picked up the kids in less than an hour and a half. That was when I began to notice Tucker was starting to flag. He was breathing hard and sweating harder but to his credit he didn’t complain. We drank a little water and decided to just head down the road from which the two kids had appeared. Have you ever had a feeling that if you do a certain something there will be no going back? Well, that was exactly the way I felt on that unnaturally warm, fall afternoon, and I didn’t like it one bit.
Day 32 continued, Site of Former Free Will Baptist Church
The two Da-Nah repair technicians were confused, what a Physicist from Thomas Jefferson National Lab in Virginia would have recognized as a Niobium Klystron, was laying on the ground at their feet. This one had a large dent in it, formed when a piece of steel girder that had been used as a floor jack in the basement of God’s former residence, was laying on the ground at their feet. When vehicle 6-3 had crushed the building the ground had opened beneath them and before the auto gyros could react, the girder punctured the floor armor of their vehicle and severely damaged the super-conductive drive module. Their repair vehicle was holding it aloft by means of a high arching arm and a remarkably thin cable. Earlier the family assigned to 6-3 had been outside but now had gone back in for nourishment.
The repair technicians had replaced the klystron, re-pressurized the form fitting liquid hydrogen sleeve but were stumped by their inability to correctly target the microwave multi-emitters for more than a few moments. It was frustrating and did not fall within standard protocols at all. Plus 6-3 was far behind its three sister vehicles that had already reached their assigned colonization location.
“Statement-Factual, Pod-Six, Vehicle-Three-Drive-Module-Damage, Analysis-Initial-Incomplete, Permissive-Diagnosis-Predictive (0.65)”
“Permissive-Acknowledged”
“Statement-Predictive, Diagnosis-Alternative-Multiple
:{ Mu-Multi-emitters-Controller-Damaged
Mu-Multi-emitter-Lens-Fractured
Mu-Multi-emitters-Composite :{
Housing-Fractured
Mounts-Damaged}
Klystron-Replacement-Defective}”
”Statement-Emotive-Intolerant, Permissive-Predictive-Multiple-Quantity-Estimates
:{ Mu-Multi-emitter-Lens-Fractured Statement-Factual-Probability (0.0) Factual-Observance
Mu-Multi-emitter-Housing-Fractured Statement-Quantity-Estimation-Probability (0.36)
Mu-Multi-emitter-Mounts-Damaged Statement-Quantity-Estimation-Probability (0.73)
Mu-Multi-emitter-Klystron-Replacement-Defective Statement-Quantity-Estimation-(delta -> zero}”
While the two repair technicians continued their fascinating and lively debate as to the cause of their current drive module malfunctions, the colonization family assigned to 6-3 had finished sustenance and were watching the comm-unit as the directors of each of the local pods reported on their current status. Of utmost interest was the suggested modifications to local flora and fauna, these were displayed as probability simulations. Each and every member could vote as to what they preferred the most, the most popular so far was a modification to Leporidae-Sylvilagus, the cotton-tail rabbit. If successful the new animal would be a docile, vegetarian, six feet high at the shoulder whose natural affinity for the Da-Nah would make them a safe riding mount for even the youngest Da-Nah. Certain species had been targeted for elimination because of their potential for becoming long term rivals for the Da-Nah, specifically ants, bees, termites and squirrels. Of course alternate pollinizers would have to be manufactured to replace the bees. Most Da-Nah preferred to leave Baleen Whales and by extension krill basically untouched except to make them fresh water tolerant since that was the fate of the planetary oceans.
It was also decided that in most of the North American Continent Forests of giant trees such as Redwoods would be created. The Great Plains would be restored and the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Monument Valley would be preserved. Salt lakes’ fate remained uncertain. Every one enjoyed the projections for some of the artificial constructs that would be preserved. The most pleasing was the Eiffel Tower surrounded by rolling hills and a hedge row maze of modified thorn-less roses with red and white blooms eighteen inches across. With all the joy the family unit, father, mother-secondary, three pre-adults and six juveniles did not suspect that something terrible, something merciless, was inexorably coming ever closer.
Day 32 continued, Still the Site of Former Free Will Baptist Church
Tucker and I had crept within 15 yards of the aliens. These were the tall skinny white variety but there was one of those gray ones that appeared on a walkway halfway up the damaged vehicle for a bit then it disappeared in a door that promptly seemed to seal itself back into the vehicle. We watched for twenty minutes, the light was just beginning to fade when I whispered to Tucker, “What do you want to do?” He watched them for a bit then reached down and took my M-9 from its holster, checked it, then took his colt out and checked it. He slid me the scoped lever gun and then whispered “cover me.” He rose then started walking towards the two aliens who had their backs to us and appeared to be engrossed in their work.
Tucker walked quickly towards them, one of them looked calmly over his shoulder as if he were expecting someone else. Let me tell you something, fear is the true universal language and the tall alien expressed himself quite fluently in it. Tucker pressed the 9mm to its forehead and blew the back of its head out, spraying bluish blood and gray brain matter against the hull of the vehicle they were working on. The other alien spun and faced Tucker but as far as I could see made no aggressive motion, he did squawk out a stream of buzzes, hums and clicks as well as a very odd smelling cloud that appeared to shimmer from every pore on his body. Tucker slammed the butt of his colt between its eyes and it dropped like a sack of rocks. Suddenly from the vehicle with the crane on it two of the little gray ones appeared and both started banging sticks on the ground. Each time they did a tremendous spray of multi colored bright light came from the tip like a laser show or giant firework, it was like they were trying to scare him off or blind him; it didn’t work. A tremendous blast from Tuckers Colt made one little guy’s chest explode, the second one dropped his stick and started to run. I shot it with my M-4 between the shoulders and dropped him as well.
The white one on the ground tried to get up, he was scrambling back away from Tucker, and his large eyes grew even bigger, like he was looking at the Devil himself. When he turned over and tried to run Tucker kicked him in the knee and its leg shattered from the impact, pieces of white bone almost bloomed from its leg, I swear pieces of bone actually flew out of him. Tucker glanced over at me with a ‘what-the?’ look. I could see the wheels spinning, he was going to do an experiment, “Oh no” I whispered as he reached down with both hand and tore the things head off, blue blood sprayed all over him, it came out of the corpse as if from a fire hose. He dropped the head, turned to look at me and his expression made me shiver; he was smiling.
I guess the big vehicle was sound proof because no one came out to investigate the gunfire. He waved me over and told me to watch his back but not to follow him in. There was a ramp deployed from the main hatch to ground level from the crane elevated vehi
cle. We had seen them go in and out easily by touching a plate next to it, but it didn’t work for Tucker, so he drew his knife and cut off the headless white aliens’ hand. The door opened easily then.
I know Tucker had told me to stay outside but to quote the old adage ‘he isn’t the boss of me’. Inside, the first floor had no rooms, there were computer work tables and almost every square inch except for a single path down the middle was filled with large, pale gray, black, and almond colored containers. In the back was a gentle slope up to the second floor. From its placement, I figured the engine or whatever the thing was the aliens were working on was under the ramp. We went up the ramp to the second floor a single archway defined another door. The hand opened it. Tucker still had my M-9 out so when the door silently opened he walked into a lounge of sorts with what I assumed to be couches built into the vehicle. Inside was what I can only assume was a family of the white ones watching TV. Tucker started shooting. I was frozen, as I watched him. He was methodical, shooting them in descending order according to size except for one middle sized female who tried to escape into another room, he shot her just as she reached the door and she fell through the entry keeping it open. When he drew the Colt there were only two left; a wounded small male and a tiny infant so small I would have been surprised it could walk unassisted. The older of the two was emitting shimmering clouds of a rather pleasant odor, and humming, clicking and buzzing away. I had the feeling he was begging for the baby one’s life. This was proven when it held the baby out to Tucker. Tucker looked at him and then said with a venom like hatred dripping from his lips. “This is OUR WORLD!” He raised the Colt and the infant blew apart in a cloud of blue mist and white body parts. The wounded one emitted what I was sure was a scream of disbelief and horror. Tucker used his boot to push it to the ground, he put all his weight on its chest and it made a sickening crunch as the bones shattered and the creature died.
He pulled his boot from its chest with a sucking sound that almost made me wretch. There was silence for a moment then we heard scrambling up ahead. We both ran through the entry way Tucker in pursuit, me wanting to get out of that charnel house, the bluish blood ankle deep. When we reached about half way down the length we saw two gray ones exiting the vehicle. By the time we got to the wrap around “porch” they had jumped to the ground and were moving with surprising speed into the forest. Tucker took the scoped, big bore rifle from me, sighted in on the lead one and fired. The blast never failed to startle me and the impact of the 405 grain, 45-70 round literally blew one of the gray guys apart. Its arms and one leg were actually torn from its body, the same bluish blood painting the ground. The other gray one froze and slowly turned to meet its fate, it stood shock still, I could see a wet spot appear on its robes as it wet itself. Tucker sighted on the last one, but suddenly lowered the rifle and made a sweeping motion with his hand. The gray one looked puzzled the same way a dog does when it no longer has any clue what you are doing. But then like a flash the gray one disappeared into the growing darkness.
We hurriedly searched the rest of the rooms, some were technical, and others were sleeping and more like living areas than anything else. One room was quite Spartan with two small sleeping platforms, an integrated chest that contained several gray robes, clearly for the gray ones. Tucker was looking for something but as his searched proved unsuccessful he grew more and more agitated.
“What are we looking for?” I finally asked.
“Something flammable” he answered.
I left him searching the various containers and I went over to the smaller vehicle, in addition to the crane there were many other devices in addition to two luxurious sleeping rooms and one smaller room for the grays. A combination control room and sitting area completed the layout. As he started to leave he noticed that one device had a tip that looked like an oversized set of needle nosed pliers. He looked out and saw Tucker angrily leaving the far larger vehicle. I called him over and showed him the machine. He seemed to grow more excited and he forced the panels covering the devices internals. Finally Tucker exclaimed
“This will do.”
He kept messing around with some fittings finally figuring out that they worked like an oversized Chinese finger puzzle. He grunted and pulled a six foot long cylinder out of the vehicle, dragged it over to what we thought was the open engine compartment. I helped him lift one end, place it in the chamber, then lifting the other end we slide it as far in as we could. He worked the connector and suddenly my eyes started to water as alcohol like fumes sprayed out of the cylinder.
“Let’s go John!” he yelled.
He didn’t have to ask again, I wanted to get far away from this awful place. We ran until we crested a nearby hill, perhaps a hundred yards away. We slid to our stomachs, he crawled up to the ridge, he checked the lever gun, satisfied he looked through the scope and a moment later fired. The round ricocheted away, he wiped his brow and his eyes. He fired again and missed again.
“Damn it” he muttered, “John will you try?”
I knew he was embarrassed that even with a scope he couldn’t hit what he was aiming at. He offered the 45-70 but I shook it away, the .308 was nearly too much for me and that thing scared me. I sighted down the barrel and clicking it to three-round burst I pull the trigger. I am not sure when it exploded but sometime between round one and three the cylinder exploded into flame. The engine or whatever acted as one was still running as the flames licked around it. Suddenly we both heard a whining sound that steadily grew louder and louder, almost deafening.
“DOWN!!” Tucker yelled.
His voice was barely audible over the sound from the engine. Suddenly the largest explosion I had ever heard shook the earth were laying on. I had my hands over my head but I looked up anyway, the tail end of the great white, whale-sized vehicle rose high in the air, its nose dug into the ground. The cable attaching it to the other vehicle held and the smaller vehicle was pulled over and onto the roof of the larger one. Suddenly a secondary explosion from the engine area, ignited a fire in the crane vehicle, a second whining from that one soon followed and it too exploded. Only the living compartments on the second floor seemed to survive. Flames reached hundreds of feet into the air and smaller explosions continued to rock the area.
“Come on Tucker let’s get out of here” I said.
He stared at the fires not making a move to leave.
“Tucker!” I yelled.
He stepped backwards two steps then turned to me and headed towards me. He was covered in dirt, oily black grease and blue blood and gray flesh. Something was written on his face, something terrible, I was afraid for the first time in a long time and I wanted to cry.
We silently jogged back through the forest, we expected to hear sirens or see space ships overhead streaking to the scene but there was nothing. I looked over my shoulder and could still see the inferno rising high into the sky. Whatever we had done sure made a big fire. It was nearly 10 p.m. when we reached the highway and started to head towards the visitor center. I had to know something,
“Tucker? Why did you let the gray one go?” I asked.
He didn’t stop walking and he seemed to consider it,
“I don’t know.” He said quietly, then added “first I told myself it was psychological warfare but to tell the truth I just don’t know why. I just don’t think those little guys started this war, they seem to be, I don’t know, servants?”
I thought about it, I didn’t really know if he was right or not but I wasn’t unhappy with letting the little guy go. The image of the baby white one exploding filled my mind with fresh horror once more. How Tucker could do that then show mercy to the pudgy gray one made my head hurt. I wondered if I could ever forget the sight of Tucker slaughtering that family. I prayed that I would, but in the back of my mind Billy Driscols voice whispered to me, “no way Jose”.
It didn’t take long for us to see the outline of the info-center. It was pitch black, except for the distant glow of the still burning al
ien vehicles that caused pile flashes of yellowish light to dance across the tops of the tallest trees. I flashed ‘shave and a haircut’ signal with a little halogen mag-light I carried. The ‘two-bit’ signal came from the roof and we started towards the entrance. Karen opened the door, stepping back when Tucker entered. She said Mrs. West was on the roof, everyone else was asleep in the storage room. She watched Tucker lay his weapons on one of the many counters, slip out of his pack, and drink nearly a full ½ liter bottle of water in one drink. Karen looked at me confused by the dark blue stains that nearly covered his body. I moved my hand as if I were patting the air, telling her ‘not now’. Tucker muttered that he was going to clean up and went into the mens room. As soon as he was gone Karen wrapped her arms around me, something was wrong, I could tell.
“Johnny, I didn’t want to say this in front of Tucker but Amy and the Deputy, they are in the office in the back.”
She didn’t finish but I didn’t need her to. Amy had finally reached Tucker, finally had made him turn into a real live boy instead of a wounded, pathetic psychotic.
“Shit” I said.
We held each other and I told her what covered Tucker, what was on my boots.
“Shit” she whispered.
We talked quietly, I gave her enough details, but left out the worst of it. I realized Tucker had been gone a long time, I held Karen’s hand I led her to the mens room door, I pushed it open, I could hear water running and something else; deep, quiet sobbing.
I said “Tucker?” but there was no answer.
I saw his flash light in one of the sinks, light refracting crazily the white ceramic bowl, there was a trickle of water from the sink next to it. Karen spoke next,
”Mr. Tucker? Are you okay?”
The room smelled terrible, a strange smell like rotten eggs. Tucker spoke at last, urgency in his voice
“Don’t, don’t come in!”
Too late we stepped in and looked towards his voice. My stomached clenched and I had to swallow vomit back down, Karen gasped and for a moment she buried her face in the crook of my neck, she stifled a scream before she regained her control’