by RWK Clark
She grabbed hers and followed him out of the office. In only minutes they were seated in Wells’ office, and Kamryn began to explain what their issue, and the resulting need, was.
“First, Mr. Wells, I want to emphasize that I do not think they can ‘hear’ us, or even read our minds. I think they have been monitoring us via some sort of video recording system.” At this point, she began to write on the tablet. Wells looked a bit panic stricken at all the words flying out of her mouth. She jotted down in layman shorthand about video feed, and what she would need in order to successfully hack into their ships’ system and plant false images to keep them sidetracked.
He read her writings, then looking up at her he asked, “Even if we feed the images, won’t the guys on the ground be able to see what we are doing strategy-wise down here and attempt to fight us?”
“That’s why we feed the images first, way ahead of time, as well as the fake signal. That will halt any ability they have to contact the Oppressors stationed down here, and if they try to rear their ugly heads we can wipe them out. From what the President said, they are as mortal as we are. We just need to get a leg up. Without satellite images being fed to the ships, they will be onto us from the start.”
Wells didn’t hesitate. He picked up his phone and was soon online with Matthew Johnson. The next thing they knew Johnson was in Wells’ office with them, and he was using Wells phone and Kamryn’s notes to communicate what was needed from the defense department and Homeland Security.
Once Johnson hung up the phone he turned to Kamryn. “I am so relieved to think that you thought of this before it was too late. They are going to get us satellite footage, to be used by you as needed, of each effected area, day and night footage. Can you work things out timing wise?”
“Absolutely, but I need to set things up on my end while Josh is mending the code. Both need to be completed and implemented together, or our uprising is going to be a waste of all of our time.”
Johnson nodded. “I think all of us have a very firm grasp on what you are in need of, and why you need to get to work. We will plan on you having things ready to go by the time the code is in working order.” He paused and looked at Kamryn thoughtfully. “I can’t believe you were the true mastermind behind the Ameribank robbery. We never did catch that guy, though we knew who it was.”
“I wish you would have caught him. He stiffed me on my percentage.” She had anger in her eyes when she said it. “But if he would have been square with me I wouldn’t have been here to help with this. I’d have been in the Virgin Islands on the beach somewhere.” She smiled grimly. Everything happens for a reason.
With that the four parted ways, Wells and Johnson remaining in the office while Kam and Josh went back to theirs.
She had caught the mistake by the skin of everyone’s teeth.
Week five, Phase 5 began uneventfully, with the Oppressors herding the second batch of middle to upper class people to take to the facility for testing. At this point hundreds of children who struggled to remain with their mothers and fathers were murdered mercilessly by the invaders, and infants were no longer allowed to remain with mothers. They were extra baggage, and they were being slaughtered by the handfuls.
Many parents were also being killed for trying to protect their children. The number of those dying at the hands of the Oppressors was growing day by day, more and more each day. The number being actually taken to test was becoming less and less in contrast. What was going to happen when they came to those in authority and government workers, the last to be herded?
Josh and Kamryn had no time to consider these facts. She set about working hard on discovering the nature of their video system and learning how to access and control it. She was easily able to hack into their actual signal, and she disguised her presence effectively. Josh worked alongside her to rid his program of any and all bugs.
They did a couple more tests on his program, and the final was successful. Not only were they going to be able to send a false signal to the ship above, they were also going to be able to get it to every ship spanning the planet. Now, the only thing left to do was pinpoint their video system, and this was proving a bit more difficult than Kamryn wanted to admit.
Initially, all she was able to track down were records. Most of them unreadable without interpretation, and that took time. They simply couldn’t risk passing over visual feeds just because they didn’t want to interpret the code patiently. This had to be done. It was frustrating and time-consuming to say the least.
Next, she discovered countless voice records, once again all in the language of the Oppressors. These were bone-chilling. This was not only not the first planet they had carried out their selfish, morbid plans against. This had been going on for millennia, and from what they were able to understand, it would go on forever if someone didn’t stop them.
She continued her search through their databases, discovering that there was one main ‘mother ship’, and this ship was not in the Earth’s atmosphere. It was in space, and it was the source of their signal. While this was invaluable information which would help her block their signal and substitute their own, it didn’t help her at all when it came to tracking down video.
Week six of the invasion focused once more on the middle class, and Superior announced to President Mason that week seven would see the beginning of herding the affluent and upper crust of the world, short the leaders. They anticipated this phase to last a mere two weeks, and they would clean up the escaped ‘scraps’ of the lower and middle class during this time. They were devious and very, very patient.
Kamryn pressed on.
During day three of week six Kamryn was the only one on the computer. Josh was at the cafeteria, and he would go to the gym and shower while she worked. She was learning how he felt when he was so pressured and working alone. She was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. There was one thing she was pleased about. In only a couple of short weeks she had learned enough about the Oppressors’ language and programming systems to only need to call on interpretative services every now and then. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t needed one at all in the last two days.
So, she continued to plug away, preparing passable satellite footage for each and every city around the globe which were overshadowed by the enemy’s ships. She used footage only from specific periods of the day so the shadow of their ships could be simulated. By day five of week six Kamryn had a fully prepared stock of mock video footage to feed into their system, once she was able to track it down specifically, that is.
With week six drawing to a close, and the affluent preparing to be herded, Josh and Kamryn worked harder than ever. He mostly acted as her ‘gofer’. Whatever she needed he fetched, just as she had done when he was busy writing code. The arrangement worked well, and the stress Kamryn experienced only a week or two ago seemed to have dissipated into the abyss of her busyness.
“How is it going with tracking down their video?” Josh asked her in a low voice. He had learned not to loudly distract her; it would mean complete loss of her train of thought.
She sat back and let out a breath, stretching as she did. “There are only a few more signals to break down, and it has to be one of them. To be honest, I don’t think the one I’m working on now is it, but with each failure we are that much closer to success. Once I find it we can get things rolling. We have only a couple of weeks to act before it is our turn to go for testing.” She turned her chair around to face him, palms flat on her thighs. “I’m confident. I just don’t like pushing the envelope so much, you know?”
Josh nodded. “I have faith in you though, Kam.”
“I know you do. It’s very motivating, having someone believe in you. Not that I never had it before, but never in such a positive light. It’s energizing.” She smiled at him.
“I think we should take a half-hour to go get a bite to eat, you know, get some nourishment,” Josh told her. “What do you say?”
“As long as it’s only ab
out a half-hour. I’m so close now that slowing down is not an option, and our time frame is pushing me pretty hard as well.” She stood and willingly followed him out of the office.
They reached the cafeteria and got in line behind three other employees, each looking completely exhausted and haggard. They shuffled forward pushing their trays like zombies focused only on potential brains.
“I wonder if we look that rough…” Kamryn told Josh. “Would we even recognize it if we did? I haven’t seen my own reflection in two days, which reminds me: I need a shower desperately.”
“Take one when we are finished eating if you like,” he replied.
Kam shook her head. “Not an option. Not today, anyway. I want to at least finish breaking down the feed I’m reading right now and get a leg up on the next before the day is out.”
Josh chose a cheeseburger and soggy fries. He was sick to death of salad, and the last two he had were wilted and browning. He had noticed that what once had been wonderful food options here had slowly but surely become very poor. Regardless, he was in the mood for something with flavor rather than loads of nutrients.
Kamryn had the same line of thinking. She chose two small cardboard containers of chicken fingers and two containers of French fries. Aside from the potatoes, neither had any vegetables on their plates. Josh was surprised at her options. For a girl with a past he had always admired her food choices. Now he admired her even more for going off the deep end with fat and calories. She certainly needed it. She was skin and bones.
They sat with their food after gathering condiments, and they began to inhale the sustenance, neither speaking. The only sounds coming from their table were their breathing and chewing. It was a peaceful, comfortable feeling for both of them.
They left the eatery feeling fat, sassy, and rejuvenated. “I’m going to the gym and showers. You hitting the ‘books’ again?” Josh spoke as he walked her to the elevators.
“Yep. You know it. Can’t back down now,” she replied. At the elevator she smiled at him, and he planted a kiss firmly on her lips.
“I’ll see you soon, okay? Good luck, Kam.”
Her grin broadened. “I’d tell you to break a leg, except you’re going to the gym. Have a good workout and shower.”
They parted ways, Kam getting on the elevator and Josh heading down the hall in the direction opposite the cafeteria. She watched him walk away until the doors closed.
She thought about Josh’s family. Four days ago he had attempted to call them, with no response. He had also tried a number of other family members in an effort to get information, but to no avail. They both knew what that meant, but to come unglued over it was pointless. He shed minimal tears, but pain still filled his eyes. In typical male fashion he pressed on. She had held him, and found as she comforted him that she was thinking of her own family, the family of long ago. She felt no pain or grief at the thought of anyone from her past being herded, and this made her feel a bit guilty, if not selfish.
Back in the office she hit her tasks hard, and within an hour she had come to the solid conclusion that the latest signal she was breaking down had nothing to do with the video feed she was attempting to pinpoint. There were three remaining that she could detect, and she picked one at random to attack. After calling reception for a stiff pot of coffee she began the deciphering process.
Josh returned shortly after she began, his dark curly hair wet and unruly. He looked refreshed, to say the least. Both of them had begun keeping their clothes in lockers downstairs so they didn’t have to haul things back and forth just to shower. Besides, laundry facilities were located on the same floor as the gym, and it made everything easier on them both.
She barely turned her attention from her computer when he returned, and he did his best not to distract her from her work. Rather, he grabbed his smartphone and began reading one of the many books he had downloaded onto it, but hadn’t read before. There were a number of them. He wondered why he hadn’t taken the time to read more before this all happened. So much in life they had all taken for granted! The thought, and the feelings it produced, were indeed bittersweet.
His reading genres of choice were typically horror or science fiction, but those seemed like such tasteless options now. There was one book by an author who was known for self-help and improvement. His uncle had recommended it, and he had downloaded it to appease the man, never really intending to read it. Now it seemed pointless, but he felt compelled. Who knew? Maybe he would learn something and actually live long enough to apply it to his life.
He read for two hours straight, completely engrossed in the material, and finally he pulled his eyes from the screen of his phone. He had nearly read himself into a trance! He needed to get the blood flowing again. He stood to stretch, and that was when he took notice of Kamryn. She was fast asleep, sitting in her desk chair, head and shoulders slumped over her keyboard. He smiled and watched her sleep for a moment. She was exhausted, but he had gotten to know her well enough to be aware that if he woke her to lie down she would refuse. Instead, he gently picked her up from the chair, cradling her in his arms, and he laid her on the couch. He covered her with a blanket. She didn’t stir.
Josh lay down on the floor next to her after lowering the office lights. She would be mad at him for not waking her, but the fact was that they were both worthless if not properly rested. He smiled to himself. She was adorable. She was beautiful, and if even for a very, very short time, she was his. He continued to smile as he set the alarm on his cell phone.
Within minutes he, too, was sleeping soundly.
∞
Day one of week seven saw the beginning of the herding for the affluent, and the continued searching on the part of the Oppressors for those who had managed to slip between their fingers. The number of people who had managed to go into hiding was amazing. Each day the enemy found scores of them all over the world, and it was anticipated that this would continue.
President Mason had met with Superior and his men yet again, this time to discuss their progress.
“As you know, we are nearing the completion of our Process. Your people have been very cooperative, at least, considering it is not the nature of the life force to surrender freedom,” Superior began. “This is the seventh week of the herding process, and we anticipate it will take two to three weeks to complete. At the end of that time all levels of your governing authorities will be expected to surrender to the testing and facilities.”
Mason nodded, his stomach roiling violently with fear and apprehension. What really took place in those ‘facilities’? He thought he really didn’t want to know, nor did he want to find out.
The truth of the matter was that the Oppressors had been honest. Testing was being conducted, and the strong would indeed be transported to a different planet to sustain the life of the human race. A number of flying crafts had been brought to the planet’s surface, from where he was not sure. Their purpose was to transport those permitted to live, and some had already been taken there.
Mason asked, “Regarding the crafts, I was wondering if your men are flying us? If not, how will we navigate and operate them to get safely to our destination?”
“Very good inquiry, and the fact that you ask makes me believe you are accepting the need to cooperate. I shall answer. They are programmed for self-flight, and your course is already ‘known’ by the craft,” Superior replied.
He continued. “Since we are nearing the end of our time together it is essential that your remaining people put up as little resistance as possible. They will find the entire Process much easier if they cooperate, as you have found. You all have an opportunity to continue life, just not on the planet of your birth.”
Mason was done talking to him, but there was no point in acting like an ass. He continued to stand, listen, and nod compliantly, even offering a nod or tight-lipped smile now and then. Superior’s reptilian eyes bore into him constantly, making him uncomfortable, but he refused to give away his discomfort.
“So, week seven begins, and gathering the escapees continues. As I said, two to three weeks, President Mason, and you and the rest of the remaining people will begin their testing. This predicament is nearly over for all of us.” He paused. “Emotion is not something we feel strongly, but we do experience it. Know that this has never been pleasant for us, at any time, under any circumstances.”
Mason nodded once again. He highly doubted that it bothered the leader much, but if he felt he needed to reassure the Head of State, then Mason would kiss his ass and let him. He knew they had a plan, no matter how vague, in the works. He only hoped it came together completely soon.
Very soon.
The meeting had ended with Superior joining his lackeys, and Mason rejoining his. They discussed the words spoken, and considered their own positions. They had a very short time to pull their plan completely together. If they did not, some would have to hide from the Oppressors in order to execute the plan and try to save humanity.
President Mason knew that his people at the Pentagon, including those two computer kids, were working non-stop. He received regular updates as to their progress, and he was fully aware that it was a process. Patience was their greatest strength at this time; it was certainly not the enemy. They all knew who the enemy truly was.
He looked up at his men. “Miles, contact Matthew Johnson at the Pentagon and get the latest word. The fact is, all we can do is bide our time.” James nodded and stood, dialing his cell as he walked away from the men so he could have his conversation.
Mason began to wrap things up. “If ever we needed God, gentlemen, now is the time.”
Chapter 16
Week Seven, Day Two
Kamryn was on a roll, and she knew it. She was plugging away at deciphering the second-to-last signal, and while it had been looking pretty grim, she was sure this was the video feed. As the old adage goes, what you are looking for is usually in the last place you look. Fortunately, it was second to last.