2021

  He then looked down at the hundreds of thousands of stranded people as he looked thoughtful.

  ‘There is one thing that has occurred to me’ Professor Gregorksi suddenly smiled.

  ‘Yes and what is that, Professor?’ asked Stuart.

  ‘The Migrators currently can’t attack us with their own barrier in the way’ he nodded.

  ‘Blimey that’s right’ smiled Stuart ‘why didn’t I think of that?’

  ‘So what does that mean exactly?’ puzzled Jack.

  ‘It means we may have a short window when all these people will be able to freely move forwards’ smiled Joan.

  ‘Then we’ll need to be able to quickly allow them through if we can, before the Migrators themselves arrive’ nodded Stuart.

  Then he smiled at the old Professor.

  ‘Professor Gregorksi you’re brilliant!’ he told him.

  ‘Not at all young man, it is just you have all been working hard and me, an old man, has more time to think’ he laughed.

  They arrived back at the camp and rested for a short while before reporting for their next planned meeting with General Iram.

  They then reported all the civilians they had spotted.

  ‘Yes, they are already at our door. We can now see them from the defence walls, but they can’t reach us due to the Migrator’s invisible barrier’ explained one of the General’s advisors.

  ‘You can see them?’ puzzled Stuart ‘I didn’t think we could see what was on the other side of the barrier?’

  ‘Well we can see them all right’ replied the General ‘they’re all just trapped there.’

  ‘Then they are all just sitting there waiting to be slaughtered’ commented one military man.

  ‘Then we must move forwards so we can protect them!’ suggested one of the scientists.

  Professor Gregorksi now stood up.

  ‘NO! You must not do that!’ he insisted.

  ‘Why exactly not, Professor?’ asked General Iram.

  ‘Because I believe the Migrators are intelligent and they are deliberately using these people to try to tempt you into moving from your now heavily fortified and well thought out defences, therefore you must not do so. They will be forced to abandon their invisible barrier or more likely, extend it for a period, before they themselves attack us’ relayed the old Professor as he now sat down again.

  ‘Then we’ll have a short window to get possibly over a million people behind our barriers before the Migrators launch their attack on us’ commented General Iram as he stood there deep in thought.

  The General now paced up and down.

  ‘We’ll need horse and carts, hand pulled carts and as many volunteer civilians as possible to quickly open up small gaps in our defence walls and then quickly close them up again, that’s if we have no electricity. Or as many vehicles as possible on stand bye should they all still work. Get this straight though, at no point will any of our troops move from their stations as I believe the Professor is right, that is what they are hoping for’ insisted the General.

  ‘But what if we can’t get all these people through in time?’ asked one concerned looking scientist.

  ‘Then I’m afraid there is nothing more we can do for them’ the General told him very grim faced. ‘The moment the Migrators attack us the openings must be immediately closed or all will be lost.’

  Pretty much everyone looked grim faced now faced with this rather depressing prospect.

  Jack now gave the General their bad news regarding the Migrators starting to grow wings and being led by a new breed of larger, stronger red fighter Migrators.

  ‘My God, if they start to fly they’ll be simply unstoppable!’ commented one NASA scientist in alarm.

  ‘OK, Professor Edwards, we need as accurate a prediction as you can give us, as to when the Migrators will reach our defences’ demanded General Iram.

  ‘Oh, it’s difficult to say, General, as you now know, some of them are bigger and so are also faster’ explained Jack ‘although in Professor Gregorksi’s expert opinion, they won’t be ready to fly for a while yet’ Jack informed him.

  ‘It won’t be long until they are though, that’s why we must stop them here’ added Joan.

  ‘Maybe you should go back again and see just how much they have changed and what kind of distance they have covered since you last saw them?’ suggested a NASA scientist.

  ‘Yes and film it this time to give us a more accurate idea as to just how much bigger these new fighter Migrators really are’ ordered the General.

  ‘OK’ agreed Jack ‘but I’ll need someone to man the camera, now I’m flying this large blimp.’

  ‘We’ll do that!’ both Joan and Stuart volunteered.

  ‘No, we need you two to keep working as advisors to all our officers on the correct angles and positions of all our guns all along the front line’ ordered General Iram.

  ‘But I’ll still need someone experienced at using a professional cine camera or failing that at flying a blimp’ insisted Jack.

  ‘I can do that, Monsieur!’ a voice suddenly piped up.

  ‘Let him through’ ordered the General.

  ‘My Name’s Andre Monroe’ he introduced himself.

  ‘And you’re used to handling a professional film camera?’ asked the General.

  ‘No, Monsieur’ he replied.

  ‘Then why the hell have you volunteered?’ asked General Iram impatiently.

  ‘I have piloted an airship or a ‘blimp’ as you Americans call it’ smiled the Frenchman.

  ‘Well that would help out a lot, as I’ve filmed any number of times, so I don’t mind doing that’ Jack explained ‘but what type of airship was it you piloted, Andre?’

  ‘Just short journey pleasure craft, for tourists, Monsieur, here in the USA, Florida’ explained the Frenchman.

  ‘But this is a huge airship designed by NASA’ replied Jack looking a bit doubtful that he could really man it.

  ‘But the principle is the same is it not, Monsieur? It matters little how big or small the craft is’ Andre insisted.

  ‘Well, as long as you’re sure you can handle it?’ smiled Jack.

  ‘Yes, Monsieur’ smiled Andre.

  ‘Right, that’s settled then!’ ruled the General. ‘Get going you two, film these things and bring me back as accurate a time when they will arrive here at our defences as you can!’

  After they had all left the meeting room, Jack introduced Andre to Stuart, Jenny and Joan before he and Andre went off to the airship with a small accompaniment of troops.

  Andre soon picked up the controls of new airship and Jack was very pleased with his progress.

  The new engines had also proved super efficient enabling the airship to go at a super fast pace.

  ‘I might use these engines all the time, well that’s if we ever get through this’ smiled Jack. ‘They run just on air’ he laughed ‘the cheapest fuel ever invented!’

  ‘Don’t tell the government, Monsieur or they’ll tax it!’ commented Andre as they both laughed.

  Soon they had reached Los Angeles itself.

  It didn’t take long to find the new larger Migrators as they were now pouring through the city at a quite an alarming rate!

  ‘My goodness, Jack, they’re fast! Really fast!’ commented Andre as he looked quite alarmed ‘and their numbers’ he added in shock.

  ‘I know it’s a shock just seeing them for the first time isn’t it’ nodded Jack as he continued filming away.

  The speed at which the new Migrators ran was truly shocking and there seemed to be millions of them now as they turned the whole landscape an ominous blood red colour.

  ‘The colour, Jack, it’s almost as if it was ‘by design’ to be ‘blood red’ and so as threatening and intimidating to their enemies as possible’ suggested Andre as Jack promptly agreed.

  ‘Everything about these creature
s seems to be designed specifically for battle or warfare’ he nodded.

  The Migrators seemed to be spreading so quickly through the built up areas of Los Angeles, that viewed from the air they resembled tomato ketchup spilling from of a knocked over bottle.

  The tall buildings of L.A. soon became blood red themselves as the huge creatures just clung onto the walls and even the glass of windows.

  ‘Holy crap!’ uttered Jack ‘look at their front pinchers, why they’re almost like that of a praying mantis only they’re much, much bigger, and also miles faster!’

  ‘OHHH!’ suddenly cried Andre in panic as one of the large red Migrators leapt up at them from the top of a tall building!

  ‘Have we enough film now, Monsieur?’ he asked in panic.

  ‘I reckon so, we should be able to calculate how far they’ve travelled from this’ smiled Jack as Andre promptly turned the airship around and looked decidedly relieved to be heading back again.

  ‘It is far worse than I ever imagined, Monsieur’ commented Andre as he looked very shocked ‘can we really stop them, Jack?’

  ‘Honestly?’ smiled Jack.

  ‘Just between you and me’ nodded the Frenchman.

  ‘I don’t think we stand a chance, Andre’ Jack admitted with a sad look on his face ‘but don’t tell anyone I said that will you?’

  ‘I think you are right my friend’ agreed Andre.

  ‘We have no choice but to make a stand though’ commented Jack ‘at least, we have to try.’

  ‘Yes of course’ agreed Andre ‘they have still not begun to fly, maybe that will help us?’

  ‘Yes, you have a point there and seeing them climb up the sides of those tall buildings, I reckon we should put grease or some kind of oil all down the sides of our barricades’ pondered Jack.

  ‘There’s no way we can beat these things is there, Jack’ smiled Andre.

  ‘I don’t know, Andre, maybe something will help us’ he shrugged. ‘Still, I’d rather go down fighting any day’ commented Jack defiantly.

  ‘LIBERTY! FRATERNITY!’ suddenly shouted Andre as he waved a fist in the air and made Jack laugh.

  ‘VIVE LA FRANCE!’ added Jack.

  Then he looked thoughtful.

  ‘Perhaps the French could send then all to the guillotine?’ and Andre just looked at him and then burst out laughing!

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Day Twenty Three:

  29th January 2021

  Nogales

  International Airport,

  Sonora, Mexico.

  Tom and Alec meanwhile, along with the two men from the Vatican had no trouble flying into America. They could have had an entire plane to themselves if they wished.

  Everyone sensible was now flying out of America, not flying towards it! Planes were only flying out there at all to fly people away from America and the airlines could almost name any price they liked for those journeys now.

  Tom, Alec and the two Vatican men soon found themselves landing at Orlando International Airport to a scene of total chaos, as hoards of panicking people were attempting to board any plane they could now that could take them away from the area.

  Armed guards were everywhere as they tried to maintain some form of law and order, but they were struggling to cope with the crowds of desperate people now determined to escape just about anyway they could!

  As Alec and Tom soon discovered, no one was now willing to fly them anywhere near the dead zone.

  With war quickly brewing up in the area, everyone was trying to get as far away from there as they could.

  In the end, the best the two Vatican men could do was to persuade the owner of a cargo plane to fly them to Nogales International Airport in Sonora, Mexico and it cost them a small fortune even for that.

  ‘This is strictly a one way journey you hear?’ the pilot insisted ‘because I ain’t waiting around there to bring you back again!’ he told them bluntly.

  The cargo plane was a very rude awakening after the nice wide seats and luxury service they had received in the empty plane ride from Italy.

  This plane hadn’t even any seats for them to sit on for starters. All four of them were just left sitting on the floor of the ancient propeller driven cargo plane as it just threw them all around as they tried to hang on!

  ‘Christ, this is rough on my arse!’ commented Alec at one point whilst Tom just smiled back at him.

  ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he handed us all a parachute next’ laughed Tom.

  ‘Shsss, shut up, Tom, you’ll give him ideas’ commented Alec.

  The plane finally reached Nogales International Airport in Sonora, Mexico, which was where the two Vatican men handed the two teenage boys both a wad of dollar notes.

  ‘In case you need some money’ one of them explained.

  ‘What? Are you not coming with us then?’ asked Alec.

  ‘No, I’m afraid this is a far as we can go’ explained the second Vatican man. ‘Bless you both and may we wish you all God’s protection and love.’

  ‘Thank you’ replied Tom politely and he shook him by the hand, but when he shook the second man’s hand he put his other hand over his.

  ‘I will pray for you, Tom’ he told him sincerely.

  ‘Thank you’ Tom replied.

  ‘GET OFF THE PLANE WILL YOU!’ the pilot now shouted loudly, even though he hadn’t even fully landed. ‘JUST OPEN THE DOOR AND LEAVE, NOW!’ he screamed.

  ‘Come on, Alec, I guess we’ll just have to jump for it’ smiled Tom.

  ‘Are you sure?’ panicked Alec as one of the Vatican men just opened up the door for them, as Alec just stared at the ground just moving swiftly passed them!

  ‘GET OFF MY PLANE! OR I’M TAKING YOU BOTH BACK AGAIN!’ now shouted the pilot and Alec and Tom just nodded their thanks to the Vatican men again, before they both grabbed their bags and then just leapt from the moving plane!

  With that, the two Vatican men immediately swung the plane’s door shut, just in time as some people came running over to try and see if they could board it!

  ‘Couldn’t we just rescue some of these people?’ queried one of the Vatican men.

  ‘No way!’ refused the pilot firmly ‘there are organised criminal gangs now hijacking planes and selling off tickets to the highest bidder’ he explained. ‘It’s all right for the big airline companies as they have armed guards on board and a locked door between the pilot and the passengers. I have neither so we’re leaving!’ insisted the pilot.

  He was true to his word too as no sooner had Alec and Tom jumped clear did he have his plane headed straight back down the runway again as it quickly lifted off the tarmac as several people finally gave up chasing after it!

  The two teenage boys meanwhile were now left to somehow cope on their own.

  ‘Blimey, Tom, the bloody fixes you get me into’ smiled Alec as he just dusted himself down.

  ‘Are you all right?’ asked Tom as he picked up his now slightly damaged bag.

  ‘Yeah, I’m all right’ nodded Alec ‘but I wouldn’t recommend that airline.’

  ‘No, me neither!’ chuckled Tom.

  They both now looked over towards the airport building and shook their heads in dismay.

  It was literally heaving with life as people pushed and shoved one another hoping to catch the next plane out.

  ‘This is just completely mad, Tom, I don’t even know what we’re doing here’ Alec shrugged.

  ‘You’d rather be back adding up figures at work then?’ suggested Tom and Alec thought about it for a moment.

  ‘Na, I wouldn’t quite go that far’ he laughed ‘this is a bit of an adventure after all.’

  ‘More than a bit I’d say’ smiled Tom.

  ‘Look on the bright side, I doubt if anyone’s going to bother us at the customs desk’ smiled Alec as they made their way towards the airport terminal.

 
Inside the terminal building it was a scene of complete pandemonium as it seemed the whole world and his wife wanted to just escape from the area, not just on a particular plane, but simply any plane and just about any destination would do!

  ‘I think the word ‘Terminal’ on this building now describes it well’ commented Alec as the only way they could even find their way inside the building was over the empty and now completely stationary baggage carousels.

  Once inside the main building the noise and clamour was simply deafening as people pushed and shoved each other to try and get further ahead of the queue. There were sporadic fights breaking out as people tried to push in front of each other and people were not just on their own either as they seemed to want to take every possession they owned with them, including televisions, rugs, birds in cages, dogs, goats, sheep and just about any other thing you could possibly imagine!

  ‘I think they’re trying to take everything other than the kitchen sink with them!’ commented Tom as they struggled to fight their way through the mass crowds of panicking people.

  The heaving throng were so tightly pushed together it was very difficult for Tom and Alec to even push their way out of the terminal building.

  ‘Seeing all these people trying to leave is making me rather nervous’ commented Alec, as they finally managed to squeeze their way out of the crush of bodies to finally reach the outside.

  ‘You’ll be all right’ smiled Tom calmly.

  ‘I feel better being free of that place’ commented Alec ‘it’s simply crazy in there.’

  ‘People are scared, Alec’ Tom Commented.

  ‘Yeah’ pondered Alec ‘so why aren’t we?’

  ‘Oh stop whinging, we’re on holiday!’ smiled Tom as he just had to laugh at Alec’s expression.

  ‘Yeah, it looks like the usual holiday destination I end up on with you’ he replied sarcastically.

  ‘Oh stop moaning, it’s free isn’t it?’ smiled Tom.

  ‘It bloody needs to be’ commented Alec.

  They then spent the best part of half an hour trying to get someone to take them to San Diego, several times almost getting run over in the process as people were even resorting to hijacking cars to escape the area at this late stage.