While the escapees were busy, Colonel Viljoen was close to his destination.
The UFO Research Dept was now in charge of the investigation. They would have liked nothing better than to pull the oak tree out by its roots. The tree could then be carted back to Darwin for investigation. However, this was impossible due to the Greens who had arrived once the alien contact had been broadcast.. The investigation re Alien Occupation Underof Oak Tree was thus being held on site in situ.
A mobile tent had been set up beside the tree.
A sign announced: “GAS MAINS LEAK. STAY CLEAR.”
Colonel Viljoen arrived. His jeep screeched to a stop.
The Colonel walked inside a tent which had been erected close to the oak tree. The troopers trapped inside the alien object stood frozen inside a glass like column. Col Viljoen looked at them somberly then He greeted the chief scientist of the UFO Group, Dr Sebastian Doddles. Unfortunately, that worthy boffin was unable to report a breakthrough. “We have been unable to penetrate a strange alien barrier inside the tree,” he said. “We have used every available type of device but we can't get in!”
He indicated what looked like the outline of a small door incised in the trunk of the tree. “We believe this is the entry to an alien staircase.”
Colonel Viljoen: “That is correct. An alien stood right there! He summoned a robot who shot our men. They closed a door and vanished down below.””
He looked sadly at the strange transparent artifact standing in the garden. It was holding four trooper in stasis. He continued: “We have been unable to corner the aliens! We have seen them but…they are armed with incredible weapons! A number ofTwelve crewmen have now been rendered permanently unfit for duty!”
Dr Doddle: “I see! Colonel! Would you recount the events which lead to these unfortunate losses?”
“Certainly! The UFO Group was alerted by a phone call from the resident of this house. We were investiagating when a massive hole opened over there…” he waved at the open golf course..”and a saucer flew into the hole, which than closed! Later, an alien appeared and a robot joined him. They shot these four unfortunate men! Both vanished and radar then spotted movement on some kind of underground railway. We used a chopper to track something moving at high speed underground. It stopped at by an alert near the Yea railway station. When our ground patrol vehicle arrived at that site they reported severalan aliens. Video showed a young boy with big ears and some kind of Star Wars sword! Then one The alien attacked the patrol vehicle with what appeared to be his an alien sword. He melted the laser gun, stripped off all the paint and left the crew mad and unfit for duty! Then the alien vanished. The railway line had been doctored to hide the fact that the aliens were using ground transport, some kind of railway vehicle, We sent another crew up the line to investigate. There was one report: alien in sight! Then there was some kind of incident and the vehicle travelled out of control,stripped of paint, glowing purple with the crew totally mad. It was finally stopped at Flinders Street after travelling at least 100 k. There was one other incident in which a train waiting at Lilydale station
Suddenly it apparently acquired two figures sitting in a locked rear carriage. The police broke in at Ringwood and shot the two figures. They turned out to be inflatable dummies. We thought recently that we had spotted the alien train via a satellite image but the train never arrived at Yea station. There is now no physical trace of the aliens.”
“No physical trace??? That is not quite true, Colonel!” said Dr Doddle. “They left us an alien calling card! A card made of unknown materials!”
He produced the card dropped by Jake.Alaric at the site of the Underground Prison Complex.
Colonel Viljoen looked at the card as realization dawned.
“A calling card just like this, Dr Doddle!” he said, producing a matching card from his breast pocket. “They have not vanished! The aliens must be hiding somewhere on the Mansfield railway line! Somewhere near Yea!”
He raced back to his jeep and pulled out his mobile phone as the vehicle screeched away. He dialed a number which was answered after a short delay.
Colonel Viljoen: “Sergeant Sarah! This is Viljoen! Report!”
“Sir! We had a call from HQ about a rail car. They said a crew had left a railcar at this station.There is no car here! The crew are all blind drunk! The rail vehicle has gone. It has vanished!”
Colonel Viljoen: “Gone, Sergeant, I left you and a full platoon of men on guard. What have you been doing? Drinking in the pub?”
Sergeant Sarah: “No, sir! The delivery crew have been drinking at the pub!””
Colonel Viljoen: “The delivery crew! Arrest them immediately! I am on my way! Viljoen out!”
Colonel Viljoen sat in his jeep fuming as his vehicle proceeded towards Yea at breakneck speed. The aliens had almost certainly used some kind of device to steal the rail vehicle! And…as the officer in charge, he would face a courts martial! Suddenly he had a brighter thought.
The aliens were trapped! They were now attempting to escape in a rail vehicle
Probably to a rendezvous with a mother ship…. But now he knew the aliens could make their vehicle it vanish. They had some kind of device. But they could not make it progress without rails to run on! It would not run overland! The vehicle had no road wheels so they could not go off the track!!! The aliens must either turn back or go on to Mansfield. They were trapped!”
Colonel Viljoen dialed a new number. “Corporal Barry! This is Colonel Viljoen. Send a spare troop carrier to Yea at the double! Then send a detail to set up an ambush at Cheviot station on the Mansfield line! Remove the rails! Set up explosives around the ambush site.”
“Yes, sir!” said Corporal Barry.
Colonel Viljoen studied his rail map and then phoned Cpl Barry again. “Send half your troops to Yarck, further east on the same line. Set up a second interception. Find a site where a derailment will do maximum damage!. Place explosives around the site! The aliens may double back down the line.They are invisible. We must ensure they are blown to bits!”
Corporal Barry: “Did you say that they are invisible, Sir?”
Colonel Viljoen: “Yes! That is what I said, Corporal. They are invisible and inaudible. They have some kind of alien device. They've left Yea station right under our (expletive deleted) noses. I will proceed up the line towards Mansfield using the troop carrier. The aliens are probably fleeing towards Mansfield but I want to cut the line in both directions in case they double back. I intend to flush them out. Stand by for action!”
Corporal Barry: “Yes, sir!”
The conversation was recorded by CLEO.
The Colonel headed back to Yea, telling his driver to move like a bat out of hell
Authors note: Police records reveal that cameras actually photographed a speeding vehicle at a number of points along the road to Yea. In theory, Colonel Viljoen's driver should have lost his license, accrued 23,642 demerit points and faced a long term in prison! Yet no arrest has ever been made. And according to government records, a vehicle with the number plate UFO 1 does not exist.
Jake X (1) Multiverse Fugitive Page 11