EARTH'S LAST WAR (CHILDREN OF DESTINY Book 1)

by Glenn Van Dyke

  Steven had let Ashlyn lead the way, her lighter weight creating less damage to the dried, crusty slime—than did Steven’s muscular, heavier frame.

  “Ash, don’t stop, but if you look up, you can see stars ahead.”

  The twinkling rays of hope refreshed their efforts. Five minutes later as Ash neared the top, with one, great shove from Steven, she hefted herself up and over the small ridge that encircled the hole.

  In doing so, Steven had sacrificed several, hard earned steps. Physically exhausted, Steven reached deep inside himself, hoping to tap into the massive stores of adrenaline his mind was capable of releasing. Like a sprinter near the finish line who had saved his final kick, Steven surged ahead, grabbing Ashlyn’s outstretched hand. Ashlyn pulled with everything she had, and together, they flopped onto their backs like landed fish.

  Their energy expended, their lungs aching from exertion, they lay side-by-side in silence.

  “Stand hum’ns!” said a voice behind them. The Igigi patrol had found them. Slowly they turned round to face their captors.

  Suddenly, all of them felt the familiar vibration of an Uttu moving beneath them. The three Grays looked down and found that the sand was churning round their feet. Before they could think to move, they began sinking into the desert floor, swallowed alive. Steven and Ashlyn slowly lowered their hands. In astonishment, they stared at the spot where the patrol had been standing.

  “I think you made a friend!” said Ashlyn.

  Steven smiled. “Maybe. I think the Uttu may have a bit of telepathy. That would explain how they could find the hiding humans on Earth so easily.

  When I was in the tunnel, the Uttu touched my head. I think it learned that I didn’t want to hurt it.”

  “Seems like they aren’t very fond of the Grays,” said Ashlyn, rising to her feet.

  They’d walked for no more than an hour, the sky just beginning to lighten, when they saw a small hill made entirely of jumbled boulders a kilometer ahead. It offered all the shade they could ask for. They spent the day conserving energy, sleeping and talking in the meld.

  Two more days passed where they walked at night, and rested by day. Late night on the second day as they came to a rise—ahead of them was a beautiful oasis.

  Over what must have been tens of thousands of years, the river had carved out a large, inviting pool in the solid rock foundation, thirty meters across. Even in the waning, silvery light of the three, setting moons, its great beauty was enhanced by the white spray from its waterfall that shown like a beacon. The few scattered palms and shrubs were swaying gently to a light breeze.

  As Steven’s pace picked up, hurrying toward it, “Careful Steven. There’s probably Uttu here,” said Ash, worriedly.

  “I don’t think so. Look around, no holes. It’s fresh water,” said Steven. “The Uttu don’t like it. They may be drawn to the moisture initially, but once they find out it’s not salty, they leave.”

  “In that case, last one in is a dirty rotten Gray,” challenged Ash as she darted ahead.

  Unzipping their boots, and dropping their pouched, bandolier belt—they ran, making a mad dash for the inviting water. Dropping their guns at the water’s edge, they dove in, head first.

  They swam and drank until their bellies were full.

  The sand that had been clinging to them for days fell away. Steven was helpless but to watch as Ashlyn splashed water on herself, wiping away the stubborn remnants of sand from her wobbling breasts. Then, dipping herself several times, she rinsed her hair, finally sweeping it back behind her ears.

  When she saw that he was watching her, Ashlyn splashed him teasingly, laughing and almost giggling like a teenage girl, playfully backed away from him, taunting him to catch her.

  Giving chase, he tackled her in the waist deep water. The smile upon his face couldn’t have been wider as he picked her up and threw her kicking and screaming into the deeper, middle. She rose from the water like a mermaid in a seaman’s fantasy, his eyes tracing the trickling streams of water that were running down her shoulders, round her breasts and back into the pond.

  Ashlyn then swam away, toward the waterfall, soon disappearing behind it. They were like kids with their own private swimming hole.

  Through the sheet of water, her hand appeared, and with a single, beckoning middle finger, she called him. No swimming hole had ever held such promise.

  By the time he waded out to her, he was desirously, swollen. As he passed through the smooth wall of water, he found Ashlyn crouched, the heavy underswells of her breasts bobbing atop the water.

  His cock was erect, standing upright out of the water. It was swaying—stirring against her sternum.

  The look in Steven’s eyes left no room for doubt, about what he wanted.

  Grabbing the base of his shaft, she swished him back and forth between her breasts, rubbing him against her.

  Steven gasped as she used the head of his shaft to erotically, push her nipples around, bending them over.

  As Ashlyn began slapping him against her breasts, Steven shared his thoughts with her. “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought of doing this Ash, no idea.”

  Smiling, “Oh, yes I do—eighty-two to be exact.”

  As his chest heaved in agreement, his cock swollen with desire—she laid him between her water-slickened breasts. Her hands squished her breasts together, covering him. Locked deep in her tight cleavage, he began to undulate, sliding his shaft between her slippery breasts. The image of the jiggling ripples escaping Ashlyn’s grasp, entranced him.

  He moved slowly—lingering each time the tip of his cock rose into the air and into Ashlyn’s open mouth. Each time she engulfed him, her tongue teased him. It was painfully erotic and powerfully intense.

  It wasn’t long before his need had grown desperate, and he began thrusting faster. Ashlyn’s grip round her breasts tightened, applying more pressure to him. Each rapid thrust ended with him pressed against the hollow of soft skin above her collarbones.

  With a heavy grunt, he thrust hard, exploding all over her neck. With each successive thrust, Ashlyn let him bask, reveling in each release until he was done.

  As a dozen trails of his seed trickled down her neck, falling atop her breasts, her hands gathered it, applying it like it were lotion. She spread it sensually, each caressing stroke from her fingers designed to inflame his passion. The sheen of his seed upon her breasts glistened—her nipples, silky, glossy.

  Steven swallowed—his eyes not wanting to blink.

  Ashlyn’s passions were ablaze, stimulated by the sweet smell of his seed on her skin. Taking the tip of her index finger, she lifted a few drops that had collected atop a nipple, putting them into her mouth—sucking them off with her tongue, she showed him how erotically strong her craving was.

  Lifting him to her lips, she took him inside, where she began to suck.

  With his hands coddling her head; her nose pressed tight to him, he orgasmed, long and hard.

  As her powerful throat muscles continued sucking him, he marveled at the contrast of the cool water pounding against his back, his cock deep in her hot throat. It caused an exhilaration that was unequalled.

  With the suns dropping low on the horizon, their time nearing an end, Ashlyn wanted her own orgasm.

  Lifting her so that she was sitting atop a boulder, she leaned back. Her feet found a spot to rest atop two smooth boulders just below the surface. With her knees spread wide. She reached out and took his hand, guiding it between her thighs. His fingers touched her clit—it hardened in response. Tenderly stroking her, a finger occasionally threatening to go inside her, she grew ready.

  Her hands rose to his shoulders where she pressed him down, silently asking him to kneel.

  With his knees upon the soft sand, he leaned forward. Ashlyn lifted her legs from the water, putting them atop his shoulders.

  As Steven’s tongue found her, with his left hand, he reached up, round the outside of her leg and seized her right breast, tightly. A
shlyn shuddered.

  His tongue lapped her, circled her. He tauntingly licked the insides of her spread lips. Her breathing was heavy, her body jumping to each wagging stroke. With his right hand, he gently took two fingers and began prodding her. She screamed shrilly as he slid them inside.

  To each stroke of his tongue upon her clit, his fingers moving back and forth, inside her, his left hand erotically clasping and unclasping her breast, Ashlyn screamed. He could feel her pulsating muscles at work, encouraging his fingers to go faster.

  Between ragged screams, he found room to squeeze a third finger inside her. In response, her nails dug into his shoulders, pulling his tongue closer, encouraging him to lick her clit, harder.

  She’s so damned tight—how does she fit my cock inside, thought Steven to himself.

  “Faster, harder,” Ash cried.

  With just a few more strokes, suddenly, Ashlyn snapped her head back, her back arched, her stomach tightened, her thighs clamping down hard upon his ears. She screamed long and loud—gasping breaths with soft sighs followed.

  His tongue stopped wiggling, but stayed pressed against her clit. His fingers pushed deep, staying there until he could feel the muscles inside her relaxing, and the grip upon his ears, releasing him.

  “Oh my god—that was sooo amazing!” said Ash, her ragged breath barely able to spit out the words.

  Steven stood, revealing his erection.

  Her passion had inspired his own. All his orgasms of the day, had been between her breasts or inside her throat. He was desirous of having one the traditional way. Ashlyn, who had not yet moved, was sitting atop the rocks, recovering. Seeing his readiness, she spread her legs.

  Steven took a step forward, the sand beneath his feet oozing between his toes. His lips went to the hollow of her neck. With her hard goosebumped, puckered nipples pressing into his chest, his hands went round to her bottom, pulling her to him.

  His cock pushed deep between the lips of her pussy. He could feel her clit against the tip of his shaft. Moving a bit lower, he placed his cock at her entrance and with a single push, he went deep inside her.

  Ash screamed out, loudly.

  Her passion aroused, her muscles began massaging him—but he also knew that this was his moment and she had no needful expectations. Her clawing nails and heated breath upon his neck was all the encouragement he needed.

  Pushing faster, harder, deeper, he began throbbing, building up for his release. Under Ashlyn’s finesse, it came quickly. Thrusting furiously hard—he gushed inside her. Her arms stayed locked round his neck; reassuring him, that it was all right to stay inside, thrusting until he was ready to be done.

  Chapter 19

  Every muscle was aching, constricting painfully and urging him to give up. Novacek had to fight against the banshees that tormented his every thought. His legs were numb, his chest heavy with hypothermia. In the end, it was Martin’s sacrifice, which gave him strength.

  While clinging to a rock to rest, Novacek made the mistake of setting his flashlight down. He’d no sooner let it go, when it rolled off the rock to be lost somewhere in the dark depths.

  He reprimanded himself for being so foolish. Calling out, he made a last desperate attempt to be heard. From somewhere ahead, he heard a faint reply. Unsure if it was his own echoing voice, he called out again, straining to listen. There was an echo, but from somewhere beyond it, he heard a faint reply.

  Letting go of the rock, he floated downstream.

  ***

  With the suns rising, Steven and Ashlyn retrieved their gear, and headed out, continuing southwest.

  They traveled throughout the day, never stopping. They rejoiced over having had their thirst quenched and the many hours of amazing sex. In the early evening, as they took a short break, Ashlyn’s body arched, stiffening. She screamed out, as though she were in mortal pain.

  ***

  “Extract the genetic materials and parts you need, then throw him into the bowl. Be sure he doesn’t die, they don’t taste good when they’re dead.”

  The guard, to whom Enlil had spoken, leaned over, getting very close. When he exhaled, Phillip gagged. The alien’s warm, moist breath stank like rotten seaweed.

  That was the moment when Phillip’s eyes went wide with terror. In the Gray’s hand was a syringe with a long needle. Phillip tried to scream, but couldn’t. “Dad! Please help me!”

  Above him, a machine with a bright light was moving closer.

  “Noooo!” Phillip screamed. “Please, no!”

  The machine settled, resting on his forehead and chin. He heard a high-pitched hum, as in the center of the machine; a three-prong claw came toward him. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see or know what was going to happen.

  Screaming in pain—the claw flared the nostrils of his nose, and inserted something. The pain was intense. Tears dripped from the corners of his eyes. He could feel something moving inside him, burrowing into his brain.

  “I want my Dad!” Again, the stinging pain. He struggled to free his hands, his wrists hurt. Then he felt the sting of a needle as it went into his- “Stop, it hurts!”

  He was afraid as never before and he wet his pants.

  His wide, terror filled eyes caught a blur of movement to his right. He strained to look, but his head was locked in place. A Gray came to the side of the table, carrying a tray of surgical tools.

  “Please, don’t hurt me!”

  Then he heard the noise of a saw, whirring. He trembled, not knowing what was coming.

  He screamed viciously as the saw cut into him.

  ***

  “Ash, what’s wrong? Ash?”

  She seemed lost to the terror, to the pain. Her breath was sparse and labored, she shook uncontrollably, her back arched again, racked by pain.

  “Dad, help me!” she screamed out between clenched teeth. Her skin was white. Her eyes dripped tears.

  Steven slapped her face, “Wake up Ash, wake up!” His slap seemed to rouse her slightly, almost bringing her back. Slapping her twice more, as he screamed her name, her distant eyes finally focused on Steven’s face. In her deep, frozen eyes, Steven saw that something was horribly wrong!

  “It’s Phillip, Steven! Enlil has him. They are torturing him.”

  A cold chill raced through Steven. His jaw clenched, and he rose to his feet. “How Ash? How do you know?”

  “I’m not sure! I can hear his screams. He’s calling out to you. He’s in horrible pain, Steven. Horrible!”

  “Ash, there must be some way you can let me see him? I’ve got to see him. I’ve got to.”

  “It’s bad, Steven! Very bad!”

  “Can you?”

  Sitting cross-legged upon the sand, their minds melded. He waited, watching the scene unfold, as Ashlyn’s consciousness reached out, searching through a dark void for Phillip’s mind. From some faraway place as if Phillip were calling to him from across a vast chasm, Steven heard Phillip’s screams. His plaintive, anguished cry tormented Steven’s soul. Steven’s heart was near to bursting.

  “Ash, I need to see him!”

  Her concentration deepened and focused upon a distant, tiny spot of light that stood like the candle of a lighthouse in the surrounding darkness. In a single heartbeat, they raced toward it, entering Phillip’s mind. Steven could now see, hear and feel everything.

  The pain froze him.

  “No! Please, don’t cut—it hurts—it hurts.

  Dad, help me. You can’t be dead, you can’t be! You’ve got to help me, Dad!

  I’ll kill you all! I swear, I’ll kill you! No more cutting, please, no more! Kill me. Just kill me. Kill me.”

  “Ash, there must be something we can do?” With Steven’s words, the meld disintegrated and they were returned to their own surroundings.

  “Ash? There must be something we can do? There has to be!”

  “Perhaps—but you can’t go with me. I can’t support both of us from this distance.” A nod from Steven and she straightened her posture, r
efocusing. In typical Zen fashion, Ashlyn closed her eyes. Her breathing grew deep and her brow furrowed. Within seconds, she was again lost into her netherworld of darkness.

  ***

  “My Dad will kill you all!”

  More pain. More whirring.

  “No don’t-”

  “Phillip, it’s me Ashlyn. I’m here with you. I’m going to help you. I want you to follow my voice. Your father is waiting to see you, just follow my voice.”

  “Dad’s alive?”

  “Yes, he’s alive. He’s here with me. He wants to hold you. Come-on Phillip, follow my voice.”

  “I knew he was alive, I knew it! But Ashlyn, how come I can’t see you?” Again the pain. “My Dad’s going to kill you!”

  “Phillip, we need to leave this place. Keep walking towards my voice. That’s it, come on. You’re almost there.”

  “I think I can see you, Ashlyn. But, where are we?”

  “Come toward my voice. Come into the garden that your Dad and I found. It’s called Eden. We have food and water here, and even a small, warm river if you want to go for a swim. Come-on, follow my voice into the center of the garden. Your Dad is waiting to see you!”

  Ashlyn led his mind into a place where they couldn’t hurt him anymore—a place where he could be free. “That’s right, your Dad and I are waiting for you. Come on Phillip, it’s this way.”

  He followed her into the picture her mind had placed in his subconscious. He followed her into the garden. Its stream begged to be jumped. Its trees asked to be climbed. Most importantly, his father stood waiting, a smile on his face, his arms wide, wanting for a hug. He ran to his father with more joy than he’d ever felt before.

  “Stay here, Phillip. Stay with your father, until I return. Don’t leave the garden, it’s painful outside. You’ll be safe here. Do you see the large wall? It will protect you. The pain can’t come here. Only your father and I can be here with you. No one else but us, all right?”