by Chris Hechtl
“Wonderful,” the girl said shaking her head. “So they are here over night, eating our food. I'm sorry boss.” She looked form Jayne to Shane. Jayne's lips puckered a little.
“We'll deal with it. Walt's right. We can't afford layabouts and grasshoppers.” Jayne said. “I'll stomp on that right off.”
“Grasshoppers?” Shane asked, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?”
“The world owes me a living crowd,” Jayne said in disgust. “Remember the nursery story?”
“Um... Vaguely,” he said with a shrug as the lead car pulled up to the gate.
She glanced at it and rubbed her nose. “Story about a grasshopper who plays a fiddle instead of planning for the winter. He's urged to store stuff, make shelter by the ants and the ant queen but refuses. He spends the seasons playing his fiddle, singing and dancing and being a jerk. When winter comes he's left out in the cold.”
“Ouch,” he said amused.
“The goody good Sunday school version has it that the ant queen takes pity on him and lets him into entertain her court.”
“Typical Hollywood, watering down a simple truth,” Shane said in amused disgust.
“You said it,” the girl said. They started to walk to the gate in unison.
The guard glanced at them and Shane waved. He triggered his mike and leaned his head to speak into it. “What's the situation?” he asked.
“They want asylum boss. Tired of not getting things done and hoarding at the warehouse. They want a fresh start,” the guard replied.
“Let them in. Have them pull up right here though,” he said. He turned at the sound of rapid foot falls. Bill and Wayne approach with a couple of men. All were armed, with no nonsense expressions on their faces. He nodded at the show of force.
The lead car pulled up and parked. It was a Prius, something he'd had on the list, so that alone was a mark for them. Electric or at least a hybrid from the look. The driver talked with the passengers and then made a show of coming out with his hands up.
“I've got my family here. We don't want any trouble. I just want to get them somewhere safe,” the guy said. Shane nodded as they approached. Other cars pulled up behind the first. There were a dozen cars of various makes and models in all. About eighty people of various ages piled out after a moment.
“All right folks, if you're looking for a place to spend the night we're not the Econolodge but we're willing to put you up for the night. We'll need to cool your vehicles off now.” He turned to a mechanical team and waved. They came forward with fire hoses.
“Let's head over here,” he said, pointing away from the approaching crew. “This is Jayne the domestic manager, I'm the boss, and this is Bill head of security, and Sheriff Wayne, head of justice and one of our offensive people.”
He turned and smiled at Wayne. “No offense deputy,” he said.
“None taken,” Wayne said poker faced.
“Wayne, Private Hernandez, I and three other people lead offensive platoons daily to go out and clear out buildings and nests. This is an active place folks, to stay here you've got to have a job and be willing to do the job. If you want to sit on your ass and do nothing but bitch you've come to the wrong place,” he said.
“Definitely,” Bill said, emphasizing the point. Shane glanced at him and then nodded.
“Jayne here can set you up with food, a shower, and a change of clothes. Sheila here will get you beds for the night. Tomorrow morning you can decide to move on or work. Your choice. No one's forcing you to be here, no one will make you stay. Its up to you if you want to contribute or not.”
“Like what?” a man asked timidly. “I was a Jack in the box manager,” he said.
“So you've got skills in food and people management,” Jayne said with a nod. “See me later. I've got the two galleys the bakery and we've got six, no eight restaurants. I've got a hole in grave if you want to fill it we'll talk,” she said.
The man blinked in surprise and then glanced at his wife and kids. The wife pulled her daughter closer and nodded.
“See how easy it is?” Shane asked. “If you're willing to work, we've got positions available. If you're willing to fight? Even better. We'll train and outfit you to get some payback folks.” An ugly mutter started up when he said that. A few were nodding, looking eager. A few looked at their friends and family a little timidly.
“Not everyone has the ability to fight. We also need people for other things.”
“What about me man? I drove a truck,” A guy said.
“Fine. We need drivers and mechanics. Talk to Walt over there or Dave.”
“And me?” a bigger Mexican man said, raising a hand. “I did yard work,” he said looking uncertain.
“No problem. If you want to work in the greenhouses and planting area that's fine. If you want to do other things, that's fine too. We're expanding folks. We're taking back this city. Our city. Our home,” he said looking them over slowly, from left to right and then back. “Fix that in your minds. We're taking this place back one building, one block, one area at a time. We're not giving up, we're not going to curl up and die. We're going to keep plugging.”
“Easy for you to say, you've got the gun and the training,” a guy muttered. A few around him poked him to shut up. He glared. “Its true!” he said waving his hands.
“I've got weapons that's true. This shotgun I brought from home. Others we've picked up. We're making more. If you worked in manufacturing talk to Walt and Jesse about that. We've got people working in workshops here and in the other bases. If you've got experience in school, we've got teachers and a school in place,” he said.
“School?” A woman asked surprised. He nodded. “Do you have a daycare?” she asked, hefting a toddler. He nodded again.
“And we've got a hospital,” he said indicating the JC Penny's behind him. “We've turned that into a hospital for people until we can take back the medical clinics around us. We've got some equipment, and we'll need volunteers to help get more and help set them up.”
“Scavenging?” a man asked. “But the creatures...” he said. A woman near him started to shake, rocking back and forth trembling. He noted it and put his arms around her. “We had a close call,” he said after a moment as others turned to look at them. “Bad. We lost a... a friend,” he said as the woman cried.
“Which is why we've got the platoons sweeping ahead of the harvest teams. They clear a building the best they can then the harvest people move in and strip everything we need, and quite a bit we just store for now. When they are done the building is marked or bulldozed or razed on the spot,” Wayne explained.
“We do our best to clear a building but there are no guarantees. We've had a few close calls so its volunteer work only,” Shane said. “Hardhats, armor if we've got it, weapons, and guards of course,” he said smiling a little. Jayne shot him an amused raised eye. He caught it for a moment and then turned back to the crowd. Jen and Jayne weren't going to let him live down that close call with the falling beam any time soon. It was just as well.
“Look folks, we're burning daylight so let’s get sorted out and get under cover. Jayne if you will?” he asked turning to her. She nodded.
“Okay folks, if you'll form two groups we'll get you sorted out. Sheila will lead one group. We'll need your names and skills so we can put you to work. I'll take my group to the showers to get cleaned up while she takes hers for ID cards and food and then we'll switch. I'll alert the people on duty to expect more,” she said glancing his way. He nodded.
“If you've got electronics experience see Gabriel after dinner. If you've got weapons experience see Kyle, Ross, or Hernandez. Anyone with skills in law or security see Deputy Wayne,” Shane said as the people filed past. They murmured thanks as they moved on toward the door.
He glanced at the crews hosing the vehicles down. One guy had a portable infrared thermometer out. He checked and gave a thumbs up. Shane nodded in response. Good. Fortunately the people hadn't driven ver
y far so the vehicles hadn't gotten very hot. He was also glad Walt had stationed a street cleaner truck nearby to suck up as much water as possible. Good.
“Think this'll work out,” Wayne asked as the people moved on out of hearing.
“It'd better,” Bill said. “Sorry lot. I hate to be the one to say it but Walt's right. No free rides. We don't have the room or the resources. Everyone's got to pull their own weight,” he said.
“Easier said than done,” Shane said but nodded. “We'll get it done. Wayne, if Jayne reports any problem people let me know. We'll give them one chance to mend their ways.”
“Works with me,” Wayne said nodding. “Perimeter?” he asked.
“You take the North side, I'll take this side. Bill...”
“Eastern side. Great, long walk,” he said sighing and looking that way. He took his hat off, beat it against his thigh for a moment and then moved off. Shane watched him go and snorted.
“Longer for me,” Wayne said grumbling.
“Cut through the mall. I'll take this area. Meet you in security when we're done,” Shane said. “I'll tell Jayne we'll have a meeting in an hour or two and see what she brings.”
“Right,” Wayne said nodding. “See you then,” he said moving off.
...*...*...*...*...
“We're not getting anywhere,” Yasmine said shaking her head. She watched the UAV fly over the cars and to the warehouse, flying right over the sign on the side of the building. They spotted a guy on the roof. He got up and took aim at the UAV so the pilot steered it away hastily.
“Not at all friendly,” the pilot said. “Fly the friendly skies,” he muttered wiggling the stick to jink the craft in a hasty avoidance maneuver.
“You're clear,” a guard said as the plane flew around and over the air base. It got about ten yards before someone over there in a chewed up hummer blasted it from the sky.
“Shit!” the pilot snarled, pounding on the car near them. “What the hell did they do that for?” he demanded angrily.
“No idea, but we better scoot,” Yasmine said, nervously looking at no nonsense military personnel looking the area over from the border.
“They need to work on their target acquisition,” the pilot said still fuming. “Damn it I loved that plane! I had it all dialed in and everything! Why'd they have to go and do that for?” he yelled turning to look. He waved at the soldiers. “What the fuck man!” he bellowed.
One guy turned and gave him the finger then turned back to kick the wreckage. Yasmine shook her head, seeing the pilot's face turning redder and redder with rage.
“Its not worth getting shot over, come on, we'll find another way,” she said resting a restraining arm on him before he went off the deep end totally. They loaded up on the bikes and took off back to base.
...*...*...*...*...
Jill grunted and waved to Jen as she walked by. “What?” she asked turning. She was tired, more tired than she had been in a long damn time.
“You've got to see this,” Jill said, coming over. Jen looked at the phone in her hand and frowned.
“Another net vid? Seeing someone torn apart isn't on my wish list today. Or any day for that matter Jill.”
Jill didn't look up. She turned so Jen could see and hear it. “Seriously,” she said, hitting pause and then scrolling the rewind back to the beginning. “Gabe's been setting up our net connection. We're the biggest civilian cluster in SoCal now. Bigger than LA and San Diego if you can believe it. Some egghead sent this.”
“Really?” Jen asked. She looked down to see a Gremlin chained in a lexan box. The lights were dimmed or they were using night vision. Interesting she had to admit. “What? Where?” she asked.
“Egg heads. Scientist. Something about intelligence experiments,” Jill explained pressing play. They watched as the Gremlin threw a tantrum in the box, tugging on its chain. They had a chain attaching its collar to a ring bolted to the concrete floor. Jen frowned but Jill nudged her. “Hang on; its going to get more interesting in a sec... right about... here.” The scientists added a box Jen recognized as a primate intelligence test. To get at the food within the alien had to manipulate different concepts. She'd seen it used with primates, parrots, and dolphins. The creature stared at the box for a while. It wrinkled its nose as it sniffed. It could smell the meat inside.
The camera panned to a scientist who gulped and then sat at a table with an identical box. The woman shivered a little under the alien's intent gaze but she gathered her nerve and took to the box. She manipulated the levers, tapped the side a few times, and used the tool chained to the side as the final key to rotate something inside the box to unlock the final puzzle and release the treat. She picked up the piece of what looked like beef jerky and popped into her mouth.
The alien stared at her and then the box, then the box in front of it. Carefully it reached out and touched it, then grasped the tool. “Thumb, yes, grasping,” Jen muttered. She watched as the alien went through the exact same motions as the scientist ending up with the treat at the end. It sniffed at it for a moment before it popped it into its mouth.
“Okay primate level,” someone off camera whispered. The alien turned and growled, then took the box and threw it violently at the clear window. It cracked the window and shattered the box. The scientists jumped back in surprise.
“Shoot me that video,” Jen said. “Any any links you've got with it.”
“Okay,” Jen said with a nod. “Scary?”
“That they are that smart right out of the egg? Yes. Very scary. These things are getting smarter I bet. Smart, cunning, and violent, not a good combination. We need to find out how smart. Hopefully there is a plateau they will reach soon.”
“Yeah, something sent them here. I wonder if its this thing's species,” Jill said.
“God I hope not. These things are cunning but vicious. Get me that link and CC a copy to my husband. He pointed out that they can use tools, I'll see if we can send that link to whoever uploaded this.”
“Okay,” Jill said with a nod.
“And Jill, thanks. Sorry for not listening,” Jen said rubbing at her hair tiredly.
“You’re worn out. I can't blame you for not wanting to hear more bad news,” Jill said with a look.
“It doesn't mean I don't need to hear it anyway. It just means I'm tired and may not process it right. I'll figure it out. Thanks,” she said with a pat on the shoulder. Jill patted her hand and then looked back as she walked off. Jill gave her a smile and a shooing motion.
When she had left she paused thinking hard. Yes she hoped that the Gremlins weren't smart enough to send the aliens into space. But then again... oh shit. If they were this bad and if there was something else... something smarter? Did she really want that??? She shivered for a full minute at the thought. It took a minute to get the trembling under control.
Chapter 30
Two uneventful days passed before Shane was woken by a terrified kid. He got up and got dressed. The kid just shook his head when he asked what was going on.
“Sparks said to get you. Something on the radio. Bad.”
“Okay.”
“Sir, she said to run sir.” The kid looked scared.
“Pass.” He wasn't going to run. Not when he was tired. And he didn't want to start a panic. If people saw him running they'd freak.
“What's going on?” Jen asked sleepily.
He'd gone down early since it had been a rough day and had clouded up in the mid afternoon, forcing the teams in early. From the look of the skylights it wasn't quite dark out yet. Close. He checked the clock on his phone. No, he thought pursing his lips. Not quite dark yet. Close though.
“Got an emergency. I'll handle it dear. Try to get some rest,” he said. He kissed her on the cheek and then nodded to the kid. They took off at a trot for the radio shack.
...*...*...*...*...
“We're being overrun!” a panicked voice said over the intercom speakers. Shane looked up and scowled.
�
�What the hell?” he demanded and then keyed his mike. “What the hell's going on?” People were babbling. Others were grabbing weapons. A few kids started weeping. Shane waved to shut them up.
“Ah, sorry sir, um, we ah hit the wrong switch,” the radio woman on duty said.
“Well you just scared the hell out of everyone. There is a panic going on.” He held up his hands as people started to head to the nearest exit.
“Listen to me!” he bellowed. People around him stopped. “Listen to me!” He climbed up on the light fixture so he could be seen. “False alarm people. The people in the radio room can't figure out there ass from their elbow and hit the wrong switch. Pass that on! Go back to what you were doing while I chew their ass!”
A few people looked around and then sheepishly went back to work. He scowled at some of the muttering and black looks as he climbed down. “What the hell were you thinking?” he snarled over the radio. He could see people hesitantly poking their heads out of the dorms. A few were armed and a few looked shaky. Not a good sign.
“Sorry sir, its um...”
“Did you even think about what you did? I've got people in a near panic here. Make an announcement over the intercom letting them know its a false alarm. Better yet I'll do it.” He turned and headed for the radio room. He heard a click on the radio then nothing.
People waved at him, asking questions but he waved it off. “False alarm folks, just a noob, go back to what you were doing,” he said turning this way and that as he walked. He made it to the radio room without being stopped and yanked the door open.
“What the hell was that? The intercom?? What were you doing?
Were you even thinking!” He demanded.
The girl shrank back and started to tear up. He snarled scowling, pacing back and forth. He finally went back to the intercom and hit the switch. “Listen up, false alarm. Calm down people and go back to what you were doing or back to bed. That is all,” he said.