We both stand up at the same time. He reaches out his hand and grabs hold of my t-shirt, using it to anchor me to him. I’m pulled to a stop, crashing into Ival before he throws me to the ground, immediately sitting on top of me and punching me hard in the face. I feel dizzy, and by the time my vision begins to clear, I see another one of his fists before it slams into my head again. I shield my face with my arms, but all that does is open up my sides to him.
A sharp jab to my ribs causes me to strike back. I punch him in the face, no doubt hurting my hand worse than any pain I cause him. I try to kick him off me, but he’s too heavy and his weight over my legs is too strong for me to get enough movement. I’m stuck.
When I see the knife in his hand, I know I’m about to die. I always knew death was coming for me, however I did think I’d have more time to live. And I didn’t believe my death would come about in battle, especially not from the hands of my brother.
Since the disaster that happened when my great-grandfather ruled, we’ve taken better precautions. Our people don’t actually engage in any hostile takeovers. It’s why we have the hinema. They do all our dirty work for us. We’ve designed them with the best technology available to us, and they do the rest without us having to lift a finger. They use their strength, inside information and exceptional weaponry to take down what we need them to.
My brother and I have never been close, though no one in my family is. Not even my parents. We all know we have a duty to our people to run our planets so my father is rarely anywhere else other than his workstation. I have only seen him a handful of times in my entire childhood. We’ve been raised to be the perfect soldiers for our people. Not only do we have lessons on our family history and battle strategies, we are also trained much like the human military. As soon as I was able to participate in training, I was given a trainer and every day we ran drills.
I’m incredibly fit, but Ival is even more so. He’s older, and he’s always been more focused than me. It’s almost always the first born son that takes control after the current leader steps down. However, it appears that my father named me as his successor. He’s not only going to shock our people, he’s sending out a clear message that Ival isn’t good enough, which doesn’t make sense.
Ival might be a bit cruel and have a temper, but from what I know of my father, he does, too. Ival is smart and driven, and no one has ever considered that he wouldn’t be leader one day.
Ival grins down at me, actually looking like he’s enjoying this. “I’ll tell them you died honourably, brother. I’ll tell them you deserve to be remembered well in our history.”
I don’t want to die, which is probably why I give one last ditch effort to get away. I hit Ival in the chest several times, hoping to at least wind him. When that doesn’t work, I slam my fist down over his thigh.
Ival just smiles, not moving an inch. I’ve never seen anyone beat him, not even his trainers when he was young could get around him. He has an incredibly high tolerance for pain.
“Ival, please…” I gasp, not seeing his fist until it slams into my face.
Blood fills my mouth, momentarily disorientating me and making me dizzy.
“What’s going on here?” a man’s voice interrupts and then two pairs of arms grab hold of Ival, pulling him off me.
“Let me go!” Ival demands. When they drag him away from me and let go of him, he slips the knife into his back pocket.
“You okay, son?” One of the men, a police officer, steps up to me. His partner grabs hold of Ival again when he tries to get to me.
“Yes.” I look away, trying to sound like a normal human as I attempt to stop the world from spinning.
“If you want to press any charges, we can.” He stares at me, watching me shake my head no. “Good. I don’t really have time for this anyway. You might have been stuck in your own selfish bubble, but our entire city is suffering the aftereffects of an earthquake. You need to walk away from this now.” The man looks back at Ival, who continues to glare at me. “Right. Take off, kid. We’ll keep him here for a while. Go directly home, and try not to get into any more trouble today, okay?”
“Thank you.” I take in the stranger’s kindness. I’ve been seeing more goodness in people since going to the park that first day.
I turn and run, hearing a struggle going on behind me as Ival no doubt tries to follow me. He could take on those two men easily, but I’ve seen the two guns strapped to their sides, and I’m sure Ival has noticed them straight away. Even if he is able to disarm the men, there are too many people surrounding him; it would be dangerous. All he’d need is for a few brave citizens to step in, and he’d either be killed or locked away. He can’t risk it. Besides, we’re meant to be blending in and not drawing attention to ourselves. In fact, with the invasion in motion, we should be getting off this planet. I know that isn’t an option for me anymore, which means I’m in as much trouble as these humans.
I run for several blocks and find a way out of here. A large truck is being loaded with crates full of boxes. The man isn’t paying much attention, mostly keen to chat to the man at the back dock where he’s taking the crates from, tapping the electronic device that is doing all the heavy lifting for him.
Feeling Ival hot on my heels, even though I can’t see him, I sneak into the back of the truck, moving to the very first crate that has been placed and finding a small amount of room between it and the edge of the wall, hunkering down there, leaning against the small cab in front.
I hide there, hoping this is a smart idea, feeling relief when, several minutes later, the truck roars to life. He has only put three more crate loads in the back and there is more room back there, so I spread out and sit on the dirty ground.
I have no idea where this truck is going or if this is the right decision. I don’t know if I care, either. Those earthquakes are a sign, and now it’s too late to change this planet’s fate. Earth is about to be ours, and if what Ival says is true, the humans will be all killed. That girl that has made me feel strange things, the girl I want more than anything to protect, will be lost to me. Even if Ival is incorrect and our original plan stands, where we will take the humans off Earth and onto Oden, if I don’t make it off Earth, then I’ll never be able to ensure her safety and never get the chance to see her again. It shouldn’t matter to me—I’ve only spoken to her once—but it does matter.
I’m filled with incredible sadness. How can I miss someone I don’t even really know?
***
I hide in the back of that truck for hours, sweating and feeling cramped. We only stop once when I instinctively move to the back of the truck and hide behind the crates of stock. The truck is opened and searched, however I am thankfully not detected. I have no idea where I am or why this truck needs to be searched.
With nothing but my thoughts to distract me, I’ve spent my time trying to figure out a plan and what I should do. Yet, my mind distracts me, recalling the way that girl looked running and how her face lit up when she smiled. I wonder what she is doing right now.
Do they know about the invasion yet? We weren’t supposed to attack for months; there is no way we could have the army that we intended. We’ll have to adjust our strategy, and perhaps instead of taking Earth in one big swoop, we might need to take it out in sections.
If that is the case, that will be a huge mistake. Humans will fight and try to protect what is theirs. Giving them time to arm up and fight will be a problem, however it won’t stop what is happening. It will only prolong the fight, and cause unnecessary pain to innocent humans in the process. Innocent humans like that girl.
When the truck stops for the second time, another lengthy stay which involves the opening of the back door, I know this is the final stop.
The crates begin to be taken out and I manage to sneak out without being seen. It appears the driver is just as chatty at this stop as he was at the other.
We’re in a new city, one I haven’t seen before, so it takes me a while to find out I’m
in Canada now. I’ve managed to enter an entirely new country.
I’ve got nothing on me of any use; no Earth money, no supplies, and no way of contacting home. Ival and I have a spaceship hovering high in the air, invisible and high enough that aircrafts couldn’t accidently fly into it. We need to teleport to get on there, but without a portable monit, which looks similar to a TV remote control and is a device that can teleport me to our spaceship within seconds, I’ll never get back to the safety of that spaceship. I’ll never be able to get onto any spaceship without it.
My one condolence is that, if I’m going to die on this planet, it won’t be death by hinema. They’re programmed to recognize my DNA, so they won’t ever attack someone from our home planet. Perhaps if I can hide out on this planet long enough, then I might be able to wait for Father to come. Then he will be able to put a stop to Ival trying to kill me.
So why do I feel like a coward if I do that?
People crowd around a music store where a large flat screen TV is outside the front, showing a news program. On a loop is footage of the hinema attacking. The panic and fear in the people around me grows, and I feel the shift in attitude and body language. Many people move quickly away while others just stay fixed to the same spot, staring in shock at what the TV is showing over and over again.
While the hinemas look similar to how they always appear, I know they’ve been modified. Previously, brute force and speed have been the key to us taking over planets. Some have been barely populated; most that have had life were an unintelligent species or animals, which were easy to overcome.
Earth is different. These humans look like us. They occasionally act like us. Their weapons are ruthless, and they have experience with war. They’ve fought each other on and off for the life of mankind. We’ve never fought amongst ourselves as people. There have been no huge wars, and we have no crime. We would never have been ready to face Earth without prior knowledge of their defences.
Without knowing it, they’ve been training for this invasion their whole lives, yet we’ve already gotten them beaten. The hinema will be far too advanced now. We might lose a few of them, but our stealth and numbers will put us ahead.
I’m positive, if I could get word out, if I could explain that this planet should be left alone, then they would have to listen to me. We’re not a horrible species, just misguided in this instance.
I walk away, wondering what I should do. I know I should find a place to hide and wait for this to blow over. Ival would have had to leave Earth. He’ll be up on our spaceship until the invasion is over. It’ll be too dangerous otherwise. Our hinemas might not attack us, but that doesn’t mean humans won’t. Even not knowing who we are, we could still get stuck in the crossfire.
Why do I want to head back to Oregon all of sudden? Why do I feel like I should find that girl and ensure her safety? She doesn’t know me, there is no way she’ll listen to me, and I know she’s better off without me. Ival is out for my blood and having her near me will only put her in more danger.
So how do I ignore what I want to do, to do what I must? I’ve never been so split in my emotions.
***
It only takes one more day before the hinemas attack Canada. First the communications are attacked, leaving no chance to get word out to other countries or each other for help. I stay where I am in Vancouver, waiting for the first signs of the hinemas. A small part of me is interested to see how they work during the takeover—I’ve never seen them in action before.
When they land here, they’re as stunning as I expected after seeing them in the short video clip. Huge and strong, I don’t blame the humans for running away from them—they look menacing.
Before, the hinema were hard and jagged, their exterior built to withstand bites and claws from the animals roaming the other planets. Now, they are smooth and mostly impenetrable.
Even though Ival has warned me, I’m still surprised when I see humans shooting uselessly at one of the hinemas, and instead of the hinemas sending them away like they were meant to, it fires out what looks like a ball of fire except, when it impacts the humans, they are disintegrated in seconds.
What was that?
My panic rises when they begin attacking humans that aren’t violently engaging in a fight with them. A woman is running away when something different—a red, glowing bullet—shoots out and hits her in the back of the head. She drops to the ground dead.
I disappear from the confusing scene, down a nearby alleyway, jumping the small fence halfway down and coming out on the next street. I watch a family huddling outside a shop, remaining in place, as a hinema moves over to them. Fear and shock prevent them from trying to run or fight back. Instead of killing them, this hinema holds out a monit. A bright light hits the family before they disappear.
Relief courses through me. They’re not here to kill everyone; they’re taking humans as well. No doubt some are being sent back to Oden, like what was originally planned. There is still a chance that girl will be safe.
The relief doesn’t sit with me long. That same hinema who has just sent away that family also shoots a man running at it, a crazy and wild look on his face and a knife in his hands. He doesn’t make it very close to the hinema before he’s killed for his bravery.
The mystery girl that I can’t get out of my head, she is a fighter. From our one brief encounter I know this.
I’m tall, fit and some might say scary. Many people here have calm or happy expressions on their face as if that is their neutral look, as if they naturally find smiling as easy as breathing. I don’t. I believe I naturally have a blank look on my face. At worst, to me, I may appear contemplative, but I get the feeling that people view me as annoyed, maybe even angry. I get stares from strangers when I pass them. I’ve even seen some people crossing the street to get away from me.
When that girl realised I was following her at the park, she didn’t run faster to get away; she waited until she had the advantage, hid, and then knocked me down. She confronted me and wasn’t once afraid of me.
No, she will fight the hinema and most likely she’ll be killed for her effort.
The hinema steps away from the dead man. I watch it glance down the street and towards where I am standing. A young girl runs down the road as a woman—her mother perhaps—screams for her to come back. The girl can’t be taller than my knee, and she is sobbing in fear. She’s racing towards the same man who is lying dead on the ground from the attack. Her movement gets the attention of the hinema and it aims a weapon at the small girl.
The hinema isn’t able to understand who it’s attacking. It doesn’t differentiate between female or male, child or adult. Right now, it sees a human trying to get away, and I’ve already seen what happens to those humans.
Without further thought, I run after the small child, grabbing hold of her just as she is fired at. I manage to move her out of the way of the attack, but not before several bullets lodge into my back. Luckily, my argu protects me. What it can’t stop is the strong current that pulses through the air. We’re both lifted off our feet and the girl cries as we fall to the ground several feet away from where we began. The few abandoned cars surrounding us are moved from the force and the glass from the windows smashes around us. I land awkwardly on my shoulder and the small girl scrapes her face along the ground.
“Run,” I gasp, pushing the small girl towards her mother. Thankfully, she doesn’t argue.
To ensure she makes it there safely and isn’t shot at again, I stand in the line of sight of the hinema. I’m not afraid, not even when another one joins the first hinema, standing next to the first. I imagine they are scanning me, seeing the chip lodged in my own neck that gives me not only the ability to know many earth languages, but also information imbedded about my own planet. It is a way of identifying me and protecting me. They will know I’m part of the leader’s family, and I won’t be harmed. The question is, can I get them to back off? I’ve never tried communicating with a hinema before. I’m not s
ure anyone has in person. The only way we usually communicate with them is through their information portals.
I begin to call out in my language, not caring if anyone hears me. I doubt anyone is hanging around, watching and listening. Besides, this planet is already under attack, hearing an alien language won’t give them any warning now. It won’t alert them to danger, not anymore.
I barely get two words out, though, before one of them raises its weapon and aims for me. The other follows suit.
Why are they aiming for me?
I look behind me and notice the girl has made it to her mother. I watch their backs retreating into a nearby building. There is no one else behind me and there is no reason for them to have their weapons pointed in this direction.
“What are you—?” I begin to ask them, but when they fire at me, I fall to the ground, managing to avoid the ball of flame that shoots over me. Its intense heat burns my lungs as I take in a breath from shock.
I roll on the ground, hearing the vibration of their movements as they step towards me. I manage to get behind a car before it is shot at and catches on fire. I scatter back a few steps as it disintegrates, and I lose my shield.
There is nothing I can hide behind now and no way for me to make it into the safety of any surrounding buildings. My argu might protect me, but it only covers my chest; it won’t save me from a shot to the head or that fireball.
I close my eyes, realising I’m about to be killed, and there is no way I can stop it.
A loud explosion causes my eyes to fly open. One of the hinema flings backwards, clean off its feet as it flies through the air. In the middle of its body, there is now a giant hole. When it lands, it stays down, broken and lifeless.
Earth (The Invasion Trilogy Book 1) Page 5