Overtaken: Captive States (Alien Invasion)

by RWK Clark

  Josh spoke. “I say we spend the evening celebrating, what do you say?”

  Kamryn smiled broadly. “I would vehemently agree with you. Would I ever!”

  “Good,” he replied. I have a bottle of wine in my desk which was given to me by Wells when I was hired on. I have never been a wine drinker, but tonight I am. It is supposed to be the best money can buy; they give one to all new hires.”

  They got off the elevator and headed for the office. Kamryn said, “I never got one!”

  “I think they were pretty distracted when they took you on, Kam.” They both laughed. Wasn’t that the truth.

  Once in the office Kamryn got a lusty look on her face. “Josh.”

  He looked at her and recognized her bedroom eyes immediately. It made him smile. “What Kamryn?”

  “I’m going to get a shower. I’d ask you to join me, but we might get an audience. How about you do the same, and then we can grab some food and lock ourselves in here until it’s time to rise? What do you say?”

  “I’d say, ‘Meet you at the cafeteria in twenty minutes’, how does that sound?” Josh responded.

  “Perfect, Big Guy.”

  They both headed back to the elevator and traveled down to the gym where they parted ways to their respective showering areas. Kamryn grabbed two towels, one for her body and one for her hair. She then headed to her locker and gathered her showering supplies: shampoo, body wash, and body sponge.

  Once she was under the stream of steaming water she began to consider where they were now as opposed to when this all began. She was so relieved that things had fallen into line, causing her to fall into her position. It was not about the job; no! It was about the fact that the job she had done could probably be accomplished by only a few people in the world. Had she ever doubted her ability to do it? If she were honest with herself she would have to say yes. Deep inside, where no one went but her, she had many moments of personal doubt. She had only pressed on out of the challenge. She had been determined to overcome her own self-doubt, and that was what had driven her to succeed.

  What could she have done with her life if she had focused that type of thinking properly? Well, it was a question that would remain forever unanswered. The past was gone.

  ∞

  Josh stood in the shower lathering up. The water felt so good that he found himself wishing he could stand there, warm and clean, forever.

  Then he thought about what Kamryn had for him, and he changed his mind fast.

  Kamryn. She had to be the single most amazing woman he had ever met. Sure, she had a past, but man, she could do anything! She was so smart, and from what he knew about her background she shouldn’t be very well-spoken, but she was. She spoke to the President of the United States with all the confidence of one who had been bred to do so, and beautiful!

  He shook his head in an attempt to clear her from his mind. He poured a bit of shampoo in his hand and applied it to his head. She had mentioned showering with him. What a thought! Visions of her body entered his mind: her flat stomach, slender legs, and those amazing breasts!

  “Wow, Josh, focus. That way you can get out of here and have her right in front of you,” he muttered to himself. He couldn’t keep his mind on showering to save his life.

  Finally, he gave up altogether and shut the stream of hot water off. He walked over to the bench that ran along the wall and grabbed his towel. He began drying his hair and then the rest of his body.

  He thought about the lies the Oppressors had consistently told. He thought about the facilities. He thought about the crafts which would transport those who passed the tests to their new home. What if they were only smoke and mirrors used as a weapon to instill false hope and incite cooperation on the part of the human race?

  There was really no point in asking himself these questions. Mason had been right. Now was the time to purposefully believe that the battle was theirs. This was the only way to move forward, fearless and fighting. He set his mind; Kamryn had done it. She had put together everything they needed to move forward and attack not only the Oppressors hovering over Washington, but all the others around the globe as well.

  Once he was dressed he headed for the door to the gym. Kamryn Reynolds, he thought, here I come.

  Chapter 18

  Kamryn stood outside the cafeteria waiting for Josh to arrive. For a man he sure takes a long time in the shower, she thought. Just then the elevator door opened and she watched him emerge. He sure was sexy. She could hardly wait to get him locked back inside the office. As hungry as she was, the hunger for food was nothing compared to her hunger for him.

  Josh finally reached her. “Well, hello Beautiful.” His smile was wide. Just the sight of his perfect teeth brought a grin to her face.

  “Thank you, Gorgeous.” They clasped their hands together and walked into the cafeteria, getting in line behind a couple of others. The place was dead.

  This time they chose celebratory food. Josh selected two steaks that looked a bit warmed over, but they would have to do. Then they opted for baked potatoes and mixed vegetables, and for the first time they chose two pieces of chocolate cake. Even though the food in the cafeteria was no longer as tasty or high-quality as it once was, it looked wonderful to both of them.

  Both of the lovers opted for cold milk to drink. They will have wine soon enough, and besides, they would need it with the cake. They took their seats at a small table in a corner which seated only two. It seemed like a real date to Kamryn. She realized as she opened her napkin that she had never been on a date.

  “Josh,” she began.

  “What’s up?” He was already cutting into his steak. She began to doctor up her baked potato with butter, salt, and sour cream.

  She blushed a bit and put her eyes on her potato. “I’ve never been on a date before.” When he didn’t answer she looked up at him. He was staring at her with soft eyes. She was embarrassed. “Have you?”

  Her voice was soft and shy, and he took notice right away.

  “You know, Kam, I took a girl to prom in high school. That’s it. To be honest, I have always been a bit of a nerd. I guess I can attribute my lack of a love life to that fact,” he replied. “I was never ashamed of that, and neither should you be.”

  She gave him a smile, and her eyes thanked him.

  “Maybe we could consider this a ‘date’”, she said.

  Josh made eye contact with her and firmly stated, “It already was in my own mind.”

  The both laughed and began eating. Even if this was their last free night on Earth alive, they wouldn’t have wanted to spend it any other way.

  By the time they had cleared their plates Kamryn wasn’t even sure she had room for the cake. “I insist,” Josh said. “What kind of date refuses to eat dessert with her man?”

  “Certainly not me,” Kamryn replied. “Gimme that fork. I’ll show you the right way to eat a piece of chocolate cake.” She cut of a massive chunk of the gooey concoction and shoved it haphazardly into her mouth, getting frosting in both corners. Josh laughed. She was adorable.

  But the cake did look amazing, and before he started in he picked up the small paper plate it was on and took a big whiff. Before he knew what was happening Kamryn gave the bottom of the plate a gentle slap. His nose hit the frosting, and a large glob of it remained there when he pulled the plate away.

  “You little sneak! Wait until we get back to the office!” They both began laughing. It couldn’t have been more perfect if the Oppressors had never arrived.

  In another ten minutes they were done, and they sat rubbing their tummies with satisfaction. It was nearly ten-thirty.

  “Kam, I’m going to get us a couple of paper cups for the wine from up front. Meet you by the elevator?” He stood in expectation.

  She nodded and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “See you there,” she replied.

  Kamryn didn’t even make it to the elevator before Josh was by her side. All the way back to the office they played and laughed like
kids. The reality of the Oppressors and the future of the planet were the furthest things from their minds.

  ∞

  Superior was seated in his chair in the ship hovering over Washington, DC. To his right was Secondary, and Subordinate was at attention on his left. Neither was sitting; they were not permitted to. When you were in the presence of one in command there was to be no relaxing of any kind. It was not acceptable. This strict form of discipline was conducive to control, as many of Earth’s people had learned the hard way in the facilities.

  Literally millions had been taken for testing to this point, and only a small fraction had been chosen for transport. It did not burden Superior’s conscious in the slightest. This was how it had been done for the entire history of his planet and its people.

  An American who worked for this government had come to him with information in hopes of sparing his own life. He had made them aware that he knew of a plan for the humans to overthrow the Oppressors. He could not give him details, but it was indeed in place. While they were able to monitor the humans with cameras, and access their computers, Superior was certain they were missing something. This Mason, their leader, was far too cooperative in these last days. An underhanded plot did not surprise him at all.

  Superior had told his minions to take the spy to the nearest facility for safe-keeping. He assured the traitor he would not have to undergo testing, but when he spoke to his minions alone he ordered that the vermin be rushed through. “And see to it he fails.” Disloyalty was the greatest sign of weakness to any life form. The man had taken a written education test, informed he had failed, and was immediately terminated.

  Now Superior sat in his chair, elbows on the arm rests, fingers in a steeple-shape supporting his chin. He had contacted Mason and they had met, and it was at that point he informed them of his intent to herd the government personnel and all in authority the following day. They would not wait another week to complete the Process. The whole of the Oppressors could not risk it. Who knew what these insects were capable of?

  He turned to Secondary, and in their native tongue he spoke. “Can you theorize what they may be scheming?” He refused to let even the most minute amount of concern be heard in his voice.

  Secondary made eye contact with his leader. “I do not see how it could be anything more than elementary, a childish attempt to escape their fate. They are nowhere near as advanced as our peoples! What can they possibly do to stop the Process?”

  Now Subordinate spoke. “We have no idea what they are capable of, and we all know it! All we have done is observe them since we arrived, and at that not closely. We chose this planet based on its resources and the fact that they are remarkably similar to ourselves. We are foolish to think mutiny is not a real possibility!” His voice was riddled with anxiety because he knew he was right.

  So did the leader.

  With that Superior stood, and with one lightning-fast motion he retrieved his weapon from the holster at his thigh and blasted a hole in Subordinate that nearly took out his torso entirely. The underling fell to the ground like a bag full of dirt.

  Superior replaced his weapon and calmly took his seat without batting an eye. Secondary shifted his stance nervously.

  “If I may speak, I believe that regardless of what they have conjured up, you have made the decision to act in sufficient time. Things will go smoothly, Leader, watch and see,” he said.

  Superior ran the palm of his hand over his forehead, past his receding hairline, and down the length of his long blonde hair.

  “For your sake, Secondary, I hope you are correct. Otherwise, you will be next. Get out of my sight.”

  The minion left his presence immediately, leaving the leader of their people to contemplate. While he could not conceive any plan which would succeed against the process his heart knew that Subordinate was the honest one. He hadn’t died for his honesty; he died for the tone he had used in responding. That would not be tolerated, and neither would mutiny on the part of these filthy creatures. If they had to use great force they would wipe out the entire planet in one shot. It was that simple, and it would not be the first time they have had to handle it that way, either. So what if they lost Earth’s resources? Didn’t these idiots know they were lucky to be chosen? There were literally thousands of similar planets in this one little universe. It would be as easy as choosing another and beginning the Process again.

  He didn’t mind. It was honestly all sport, which entertained him thoroughly.

  Chapter 19

  At four-fifteen the next morning, Kamryn and Josh lay on the floor of their office, green Army-issue wool blankets covering their naked bodies. Empty paper cups, which had contained the Shiraz they had drained, lay tipped over on the floor next to them. They were not sleeping; they were wide awake, the reality of the Oppressors and of the day heavy on their sobering minds.

  “Well, today is the day, supposedly. I wonder when they will come,” Josh began.

  Kamryn let out a sigh. She could honestly say she really wasn’t petrified with fear anymore. Rather, she found herself sick with sadness and anger. She knew that when they came, she and Josh would be separated. She was also bleakly aware that she would likely never see him again, and these were the thoughts that sparked her emotions. They had only just found each other, and the fact that they would soon be ripped apart seemed downright criminal. In fact, it was.

  “I won’t give up without a fight, no matter when they come. The time doesn’t matter, Josh. They are coming.” She stood, the blanket wrapped around her, and walked to her desk to call reception for coffee. Josh began to get dressed, and she followed suit.

  Ten minutes later, fully clothed, they were pouring coffee into cups and slurping it with passion. They needed to clear the haze the wine had left in their brains as quickly as possible, and coffee was the answer. At least two cups apiece, probably more, would be needed.

  At four-fifty the two left their office for the meeting with Wells and the others. The plan was for Kamryn to first hack into the video system aboard the ships. She would then begin to stream the false video feeds which she had engineered into the system, making it appear that their cameras were still picking up footage consistently. This must be done individually to each and every ship surrounding the planet, because they had their own separate footage. Once the feeds were in place she would send a block between the primary ship, located deeper in space, and the other ships. This must be done at the precise moment she sends up a dummy signal to operate the computers. If there is any system failure on any of the ships it would be detected immediately, giving away the entire scheme. Once this step was complete, troops would storm onto the scene, both on the ground and in the air. That step was in the hands of the men in charge. She found herself concerned with foreign cities. Were they cooperating fully with their armed forces? She had to assume that they were; without their cooperation there was absolutely no point in proceeding. Surely the President and his men knew that.

  They got off the elevator to see Sharon the secretary dozing a bit at her desk. She had dark circles around her eyes, and it was obvious she had lost a good bit of weight during this ordeal, just as Kamryn had. The Oppressors and the situation they brought with them had taken a major toll on the entire planet.

  They approached the desk quietly, not wanting to startle the woman. Softly, Josh said, “Sharon, we are here for the meeting.”

  Her head jerked upward, and she immediately turned red with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I must have nodded off for a second. Of course. The others are already here. There is coffee waiting inside. Go ahead.” She smiled a bit and turned to her computer screen quickly to diffuse her humiliation.

  “Thank you,” Josh replied. He turned to Kamryn and smiled as he took her hand, guiding her to the office. He knocked twice and waited to hear the okay before entering.

  Wells was at his desk, with the other men seated in a semi-circle around him in their usual positions. Only Josh’s and Kamryn’s seats wer
e empty, waiting cold for them to warm them up.

  “Good morning, you two. Thank you for always being so prompt. It is appreciated now more than ever,” began Wells. “As you can see, we are all up and ready to go at ‘em. Coffee?” He gestured to the rolling stand near the door, equipped with everything needed for a steep, hot cup of java. They headed to it before even considering taking a seat.

  After a few moments they made themselves comfortable, and the President began the conversation. “Kamryn, we know you have a technological plan of action. Can you give us a quick run down again? We all need to be on the same page at all times if this is to succeed.”

  Kamryn covered the plan briefly. Upload false video feed one ship at a time, beginning with the one hovering over Washington. Then block their ‘mother’ signal while simultaneously putting out their own false one; this was the sensitive step, and she made sure they understood that clearly. It would only be after these steps that forces could advance.

  “I assume you have the cooperation of overseas and foreign governments? I mean, they will have their troops and planes prepared, correct?” While this was not her problem she felt compelled to ask.

  Mason replied, “Absolutely, and they all have them underground, keeping them safe and sound until you give the go ahead. Kamryn, we have troops to fight for us, but this is essentially in your hands. It is important that you are fully aware of that. Are you?”

  She was still, considering what he said. She hadn’t thought of that fact, but that didn’t change the truth. This was literally all riding on her. Her stomach fluttered violently, and goosebumps broke out on her skin. “Yes, sir, I am.”

  Josh reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. He had gotten to know her well, and he recognized nervousness in her eyes. She looked over at him, and he smiled and nodded in return. Then he turned to the men. “I can reassure you, Kamryn is not only fully aware of the level of responsibility she currently has, but she is also completely ready, capable of getting the job done right.”