by Jenna Payne
"Yes, sir," I said. "We will destroy all of their servers and free their human captives in the process."
"I know you can do it, Officer Taylor," Chief Collins replied. "However, you should know that these human captives that we had heard about are not as human as they used to be."
"What do you mean, sir?" asked Kent.
"They have been genetically engineered to think and act like the Zil aliens. They are powerful and fast and will kill any human without a second thought. So when you encounter them, do not hesitate to shoot and exterminate. Your lives are top priority."
"Yes, sir," Kent said obediently.
As for me, this new bit of information bothered me a lot. "Are we not supposed to save these human captives?"
"As many as we can, yes," Chief Collins said. "But so long as you have not yet destroyed the computers that control them, you should never hesitate to immediately exterminate each and every one that you encounter. A simple wrong move on your part may cost your life."
"Yes, sir," I said in response, trying to imagine what these genetically engineered humans looked like. They had probably been modified to be as enormous and monster-like as the Zil aliens.
The screen flickered and then went black again, leaving us alone once more. But this time, we were not in any mood to get romantic or passionate. We had a mission to accomplish.
We hurriedly put on our space suits and helmets as our spaceship seamlessly rolled into outer space. On the monitor, I could see our ship fast approaching Planet Zil where many of our squad members were already scattered. Since there were very few of the aliens left behind and the humans they had captured were not as many as us, this was bound to be an effortless mission. I had absolutely no clue about the actual surprise that lay ahead.
*****
Planet Zil had similar atmospheric conditions to the earth, which is why it used to be teeming with life too. But a renegade group of evil Zil aliens had attacked about a decade ago with fatal bombs, and took over. They had turned the planet into their headquarters, experimenting over the years to come up with highly advanced weapons that would help them rule over the universe. For a while they had kept silent. But afterward, news of their attacks on various planets came to us. I was already working with the US Space Police by then.
We had been anticipating their assault on the earth for several years now. But they had come and gone very quietly, disguised and undetected. They knew that we had been catching up on their intelligence and developing our own unique and high-tech weaponry.
Only recently, Chief Collins got word that many of the humans who had gone missing over the past years had actually been kidnapped by these evil aliens. It was time to put a stop to it, so we came up with a plan of attack. So far, our plan was being successfully implemented.
"Ready?" Kent whispered to me as we quietly went through the entrance of the main base. It was a compound of modern buildings and laboratories which the Zil aliens had established.
I nodded to him through the visor of my helmet and placed my cutting-edge laser firearm in front of my body. Kent and I were now dressed in our space battle gear made of advanced material that smoothly adapted to our physical movements and protected us from all known bullets and laser beams that could harm us.
"Map," I stated and my voice command instantly made a hologram of the base's map appear in front of me. A blue light outlined our path from where we stood up to our target – the computer lab.
"Let's go," Kent hissed. The map vanished and together we jogged cautiously toward a building on the far left.
There was nobody in sight, but we still moved guardedly. When we reached the metal doors that led to the computer lab, a red light on the ceiling blinded us with a quick flash and a deafening alarm sounded.
Quickly I aimed for the doors with my laser gun, shooting repeatedly. Nothing happened so I grabbed an extraordinary liquefier from my vest and threw it at the metal. Without any sound, it rapidly melted away the solid steel and created a hole large enough for me to climb in.
The siren continued to wail and I heard hard pounding of feet coming from the corner. It was a man in a shiny silver suit and mask, who was about as tall as Kent. We were definitely surprised to see that he seemed very human in form. He was carrying an odd-looking weapon which he pointed at us. He fired, but the laser beam was deflected by our special suits.
"Go on inside," Kent hissed to me as he attempted to shoot back. The opponent was too fast, though.
"Kick their asses," I told him before I climbed into the hole.
Another human-like soldier in the same silver suit was waiting on the other side. He pointed his gun at me, but I swiftly dropped down and rolled away. I ran to take cover behind a steel cabinet as he shot at me continuously. Even though I had seen how our suits had earlier repelled the same laser shots, I didn't want to take any chances. Besides, our suits could only handle so many hits before a tear starts.
"Come out, lady!" a booming male voice said gruffly. It was that soldier who was fast approaching my cover. I was shocked to hear him talk like a real human.
As his footsteps neared, I came out of my hiding place and surprised him with a flying kick that made him whip his head to the side and drop his weapon too. I took the opportunity to grab a tiny explosive and throw it onto him before running away.
I came across two more human-turned-Zil soldiers, whom I was able to shoot on the head. Apparently, they were not wearing any head gear like ours. Or perhaps our specialized laser beams could drill through.
Finally, I reached the area where there were rows of computer servers lined up with blinking lights. I went to work hurriedly, attaching explosives on different strategic locations. When I was almost done, a buzzing sound caught my attention and made me turn to its direction. It was a big computer monitor which flickered with various human names with accompanying photos.
"The human captives who'd been turned into monsters," I observed. I was about to turn away and finish what I was doing when a familiar face flashed on the screen. I didn't catch the name but I knew I couldn't be wrong. It was my beloved husband's picture, with his kind brown eyes seemingly staring at me. However, the photo disappeared in a few seconds and was replaced by another one.
Could it be him? I wondered, my heart thudding hard and fast. I didn't have time to ponder longer, as a noise nearby made me lash out with my laser gun. Luckily, I'd aimed it right and hit the attacker on the head. He stumbled backward, but quickly regained his balance. I didn't waste any time. I shot him on the head again and he fell back dead on the spot. A pool of human blood spread out on the floor.
I needed to finish the job before more of them came. I placed the rest of the explosives, but Andrew's face flared in my mind unexpectedly. It stopped me from pressing the detonator inside my pocket. Instead, in a moment of insanity, a spark of hope in my heart made me rush to the monitor that was flashing all those names and faces.
There must be some way to reverse the control on humans and to turn them back to how they used to be, rather than just blowing up everything, I thought. These computers may contain potential intelligence information and advanced technology research and reports that can be of some benefit to our future missions and to our own developments back on Earth.
I had no idea how many more enemies were out there, but I was sure Kent was taking care of them. I had some time at least to check out the files on the humans. My fingers expertly manipulated controls on the touchscreen monitor as I tried to search for the control platform. My training on these advanced computers and past years of working with our IT specialists were now coming into play.
I was actually on to something when I felt a bullet hit my back. The pain was minimal because of the protective layer that made the bullet ricochet back to my antagonist. I turned around to shoot back. And just as I did, I saw the bullet hit the side of his mask, causing it to unravel and exposing one side of his face.
"It can't be," I whispered in fear and disbelief.
"Andrew," I uttered, my hands trembling and tears springing to my eyes.
*****
Never hesitate, I recalled Chief Collins emphasizing.
But I never imagined I would come face to face with my husband who was supposed to have died from a rare kind of terminal cancer long ago.
And in that split second that I paused, the man before me had taken the opportunity to inject me with something that caused me to fall into a deep slumber almost immediately after.
I wasn't sure how long I was out cold. But when my eyes fluttered open, I found myself gazing up into the gentle brown eyes that belonged to the man I'd given my life to many years ago – this man who I never thought I'd see again. He looked exactly the same as he had the last time he'd been healthy.
"Who are you?" he demanded in a brusque manner as soon as he saw that I'd waken up. He sneered at me, but I could tell he was very much curious. It was probably why I was still alive.
"I'll tell you if you remove these handcuffs," I told him in a firm voice right after I noticed that I'd been handcuffed to a thin metal post which served as part of a bed's frame. We were in a dimly lit, enclosed room with no windows. Apart from the bed, there was no other furniture. The four walls appeared to be in plain white. At the opposite end of the bed was a small metal door with a modern eye-scanning lock.
As my eyes hastily scanned the surroundings, Andrew watched me intently. "They say you are one of the leaders," he said in a quiet tone laced with revulsion. "I should have killed you."
"Why didn't you?" I retorted. I was trying to put up a brave and strong front despite my weakening resolve. Deep inside, all I wanted was to throw my arms around him and tell him how much I'd missed him. I wanted to reach out and touch his seemingly soft brown hair and the rough stubbles on his chin and upper lip. I wanted to trace his slightly crooked nose and familiar moist lips with my fingers.
He hesitated before speaking. "Why are you communicating such thoughts and emotions?" he asked, ignoring my own question. He looked seriously at a loss.
My eyes widened in astonishment at his question. "You can read my thoughts and sense my emotions?" I inquired.
"A little," he answered. "From your eyes."
"They must have engineered you with that ability…" I trailed off in amazement.
He glowered at me then, the curious, puzzled expression on his face turning into one of anger and confusion. Standing up, he began to pace back and forth wordlessly.
I was the one who broke the tense silence. "You were my husband, Andrew," I declared in a quiet voice, careful not to break down.
He stopped pacing and turned to me. He knelt down, his eyes locking with mine. "You are telling the truth," he said after a while.
"Yes," I murmured, my disbelief melting away and being replaced with anguish at the plight of the person I had once considered my soul mate. "I thought you'd died. Are you aware of what happened?"
He shook his head before getting up again. He leaned back on the wall and folded his muscular arms across his burly chest, probably trying to figure out what to make of my statement and what to do with me.
"Am I in your house? Is this your bedroom?" I asked.
"Yes."
"I can help you, Andrew," I told him. "Please just release me and we can go back to the computer lab and try to find a solution to all this. You can go back to the way you were. You can be completely human again. You don't have to be a slave to the Zils."
"Shut up!" he suddenly bellowed. "Who told you I wanted to go back? I'm not a slave. I'm a soldier. I need to protect this planet from people like you!"
"But why haven't you killed me?" I demanded boldly.
He had no answer. He simply glared at me and bolted out, slamming the door behind him.
I breathed deeply, trying to straighten my thoughts and convince myself that this man was not my husband. He'd been altered too much already and there was nothing I could do to save him. He was now my enemy. I had to plan how to kill him or get out of here, whichever came first.
*****
I bent my head forward, trying hard for my teeth to grip the top pocket of my black vest. When I finally got to open it, there was nothing there. He'd removed all weapons and devices from my suit. I had no choice but to wait for him to come back and then somehow convince him to take off my handcuffs.
I didn't have to wait long. He entered the room after a short while, carrying a bowl of soup.
"Thank God you're back," I exclaimed. "Andrew, please… just please remove these handcuffs. I promise not to run."
"No," was his curt reply. With a blank expression on his face, he sat down on the floor beside me. "You can't fool me."
I decided to stay silent and work on calming myself down and thinking up ways on how I could possibly persuade him. I had to gain his trust first, and in a genuine way. Or else, he would be able to read my thoughts and emotions and see through me.
"Eat," he commanded as he handed over a spoonful of the soup.
I wanted to refuse, but my growling stomach won out. I sniffed it first, though, before opening my mouth and letting him feed me. The warm, thick substance seemed to calm my nerves and make me think better. Yes, I definitely needed to keep my energy up.
Suddenly, a memory from our past unexpectedly flashed in my head. We were newly married, but I'd been working so hard that I'd gone home one night feeling feverish. Andrew had instantly whipped up chicken soup for me, fed me, and tucked me into bed. He'd always treated me like a princess. He'd loved me so very much it hurt to remember.
And now here he was, inches away, very much alive. But he was not my husband anymore. I had to keep reminding myself that no matter how he looked so much like my Andrew, he was a different man now. I couldn't let this get to me if I wanted to make it out of here.
My heart felt so heavy. I blinked back my tears and looked away.
"You're full?" the Andrew beside me questioned brusquely. I didn't answer. Then I heard him put the bowl down on the floor.
Suddenly, an idea hit me. I turned to face him, my green eyes glistening with tears. Surprised, he looked at me in the eye. At that very moment, I brought back to the surface all those wonderful memories of him that I'd buried deep, deep down.
In particular, my mind lingered on one precious reminiscence – our wedding day. We’d had it on a secluded beach at sunrise. I'd walked down the aisle barefoot, holding a lovely bouquet of fresh wildflowers in vibrant hues, as the hem of my flowy, Grecian white dress gently swished around my ankles. I could still recall how he'd looked so handsome in a white button-down with rolled-up sleeves and casual khakis, his wide smile radiating like the rising sun in the background. As the sound of placid waves collided with the sandy shore and a beautiful montage of colors stretched across the sky, we exchanged vows and promised to support and love each other for eternity.
I watched carefully as the scornful look on Andrew's face softened and was replaced by a look of uncertainty and bewilderment.
"You saw it?" I asked in a soft voice, my eyes not leaving his.
He did not respond, but I could tell that he'd seen everything and knew that this was a real memory. He put one hand into the pocket of his silver suit and brought out my necklace with the heart locket. He opened it and took out my wedding ring. His eyes narrowed as he inspected it. Then to my surprise, he took out another ring that looked exactly like mine.
"You've kept it?" I said in a trembling voice.
"I never understood why I felt I always had to carry it around," he muttered in a puzzled tone. "They took it away but I sneaked into the storage room and got it back… It had somehow… given me strength and protection all these years…"
I nodded, my heart constricting. I knew then that my Andrew was still in there. I had to make him win over whatever alterations in his genes have been m
ade. "It's the same reason I've always worn mine too," I told him.
For a few seconds, his brown eyes and facial muscles relaxed and a hint of recognition came across his features as he gazed at me.
"My name is Tasha," I gently said. "We met in the local library. I was doing some research for my thesis while your nose was buried in your laptop. You had this enormous dream of creating some sort of advanced software for global businesses. I kept sneezing, which had annoyed you enough that you looked up and took notice of me for the first time. That was the beginning of our story."
Andrew kept silent, his lips pursed in a straight line. He seemed to be concentrating on something. I held my breath as I waited for his reaction.
Frowning, his eyes suddenly clouded over. He grumbled, "Go to sleep." Then I watched him get up on his feet and heedlessly strip down to his boxers. Despite my disappointment, I couldn't contain my quickening heartbeat. I found myself shamelessly eyeing his broad chest with all the tiny chestnut-brown hairs that used to tickle my cheek as I lay my head on his bare torso after making love.
At that moment, I averted my eyes, not wanting to allow myself to want him like that again. I shook my head in an effort to evade these thoughts. Good thing he couldn't sense and see my thoughts when he wasn't staring into my eyes.
A few hours later, I groggily woke up. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep. Now wide awake, I was stunned to discover that my handcuffs had been detached and now my arms fell to my sides limply. They felt quite numb because of having been forced to stay in a single position for a long time.
I stretched my arms and legs, trying to make my blood circulate once more. At the same time, I squinted in the dark. There was no light on except for the flickering red light on the metal door's eye scanner.
When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw that I was all by myself. I stood up and examined the sophisticated digital lock. There was no way I could get out of here. I didn’t see how I could destroy the lock with what little I had in the room, and even if I could, it would be sure to alert security. At this point, my only hope was to try confusing or distracting my abductor.