by Mel Todd
Miguel took another deep breath and when his eyes opened, he was all business. McKenna realized she didn't care if she hurt feelings or anything else. At this point she wanted it over with. Wanted to save the day, to go home to Charley and Nam, to see her friends around her laughing. She'd give her own life for that.
"The one thing we haven't done, and I'd like to have us go through a few times, is traveling by portal. I don't want the first time for us to be walking into a dangerous situation." He cleared his throat and his gaze fastened on Rarz, who stood right behind McKenna.
She hadn't realized he was there, but oddly both JD and Perc flanked her, while Cass stood on JD's left and Toni on Perc's right. Leaving Rarz behind her, guarding her back.
Odd. They didn't consider Rarz a threat, or they think the military is more of one.
That felt unsettling and she pushed it away. Fixating on stuff now might get them all killed.
"Rarz. Are you willing, and can you create a portal from here to, oh," he turned looking, "the top of the stadium over there?" He pointed to the top of the stadium, where the paths for the nosebleed seats were located, at least three times the distance in the hangar.
With a tilt of his head Rarz followed Miguel's finger and focused for a minute, his eyes narrowed then bobbed his head. "Yes."
A strange light glowed off to the side of where they were confronting each other, and another way up at the point designated. Faster than she could change her focus from one to the other, they had snapped into existence.
These are much faster than how long it took for that one in the clearing to form. I wonder why?
Another idea to file in her head, but not the right time to follow up on it. But forgetting might have consequences.
~Wefor?~
[Yes?]
~Can you file all these questions for me and remind me if we live through this and kick the Elentrins’ ass?
[Which questions would those be?]
McKenna rattled off the various things that had occurred to her, but she didn't want to sidetrack people, or even waste the energy to worry about them now.
[They have been filed. You will be reminded when there is peace.]
~Ha. That might be asking for a bit much. How about when you think it’s a good time to bring it up.~
[As you say.]
Miguel had been staring at the portal back and forth between them, shook his head, eyes closed. He seemed to be murmuring something to himself, but even if she ramped up her hearing, she could only catch fragmented Mandarin and Spanish in a weird blend that made no sense, even if she felt she should recognize it.
Finally he stopped muttering and looked at the surrounding people. "Everyone who is not in the Alpha, Bravo, or Charlie teams better get back to their damn jobs and quit rubbernecking. We’re planning a sneak attack, people, not putting on a side show." His voice boomed in the air and McKenna was impressed by the volume.
All around them people snapped to attention then scattered in different directions though numerous people kept glancing back at them, and she knew they'd be watched constantly. At this point that had become almost normal.
"Alpha team you first. Civilians included. Walk through and note what it feels like, and how you come out. Do this a few times, then we will run through, our weapons drawn to make sure there aren't any issues with transition." Miguel snapped out the orders, not even glancing at her. McKenna bristled a teeny bit at being called a civilian in that tone but creating more strife wouldn't accomplish anything.
The military personnel braced to attention and with a deep breath Miguel led the way into the portal, Alpha team following. She looked up at the end point of the portal and watched them come out less than a heartbeat after they disappeared.
She glanced at the others and they nodded back at her. McKenna stepped into the portal and once again felt the world disappear.
This time it seemed less disorienting, though she still felt it tug at her as she moved through it. Coming out the other end, the soldiers gathered around looking at Miguel, their eyes wide and faces flushed.
McKenna turned to watch the others as they walked out. Cass had her brows drawn together, fingers twitching as if she typed as she walked out. JD and Perc both looked a bit like they had gotten off a roller coaster, a bit unsteady, but with big grins on their faces. Toni's expression caught her attention though. Greenish gray under her red clay skin and a scowl on her face that would have made both her kids turn tail.
~You okay?~ McKenna asked, not wanting to call attention to her from the others.
~Yes, later.~ Her response was abrupt and she looked off in the distance, avoiding McKenna's glance.
"That was different," Miguel remarked, his voice calm, but McKenna could smell his sweat. "Rarz, can you still hear me?"
Rarz had not followed them through and McKenna peered back down at the playing field where the other end of the portal hung.
"Yes, Chief Miguel." Rarz's calm voice filled her earpiece.
"Good to know going through the portal doesn't kill tech. That would have made this difficult. Next question. Can people go both ways through the portal at the same time?"
"Yes. Though as you will technically be in two different space-time tunnels, neither person will see or be aware of the other person. I can provide the math if you would like."
His voice never faltered, and McKenna wondered how much he even understood humans. He looked so human, but his reactions didn't match exactly.
"Uh, no thanks. Alpha team head back, Bravo come through. Let's see how this works." The men nodded and turned and headed back through. Watching them felt odd as they stepped in and disappeared. Just as the last one entered, someone stepped out of the portal. It felt like they'd exchanged places with the other person.
"Well, good." Miguel gave a smile as he looked at everyone. He almost looked gleeful and McKenna got a bad feeling in the base of her stomach. "Now we can practice our formations. All groups, form up in your designated orders and practice going in the portal and coming out, paying attention to what’s going on around you. I want to see you moving through without issues."
They spent the next hour getting their grouping down. By the time they were done it was automatic for all of them. McKenna responded automatically as Alpha 2A and didn't think about it.
They came out for the last time on the playing field and Miguel called a halt and motioned for all the groups to converge on him. "You guys did good. Now, I want everyone to eat." He cast an eye at the shifters. Even after all the time working together, she could still sense a slight wariness from him, but she didn't care. "If I understand correctly, you guys should really bulk up on food. It's not something I normally suggest, but," he shrugged and let it drop. "Everyone else eat and hit the racks set up for us. We have two hours, then we go. Part of me wants to go now, but food and two hours rest might make the difference and from the last bit of information I received, it looks like they’re waiting for something. So be it. Dismissed."
People fell out, heading towards the food tent and a large tent that you could see cots in through the open flaps.
"Food does sound good," Toni murmured. McKenna nodded and as a group, with Rarz tagging along behind them, they headed to the temporary mess hall.
None of them spoke much as they got trays of food, overloaded with stuff McKenna figured would be edible, if nothing else. They sat there eating with steady seriousness. Cass ate the least, as she hadn't changed much lately.
"This does not taste as good as the food I ate with you previously." Rarz commented, poking at a mac and cheese pile on his plate.
JD laughed. "This is food produced in large quantities. It isn't great, but it isn't horrible either."
"There is that much variation in your foods?" Rarz seemed surprised.
"Sure," Perc said, after a hasty swallow. You could probably be here a hundred years and still not taste all the variations of food."
Rarz scanned their faces as if looking for a joke, but
they all nodded seriously as they finished up eating. In unspoken consent they all headed to the cots and laid down, not expecting to sleep, but rest would be good.
"Alright, everyone up, it’s time to go." Miguel's voice intruded and McKenna realized she had fallen asleep.
~Wefor?~
[It was helpful for all of you to get what rest you could. Your stress levels are elevated and there was no harm in helping you sleep.]
McKenna wanted to snap out, but the AI was right. She felt a bit calmer and less tense for the short nap. Fifteen minutes later, suited up and armed, they stood in the middle of the stadium, with half the people spread out watching them.
"Showtime. Rarz, open the door." Miguel's voice came through their coms and a silver portal to a spaceship appeared in the middle of the field.
Here goes everything.
Chapter 20 - Cloth of Humanity
Reports from other areas of the world only highlight that Earth doesn't know how to handle this type of invasion. With attackers dropping in from the sky there are no borders to defend, no grouping of troops. Small countries like France, Poland, and Argentina are suffering with this strategy. The best we can do right now is hope the attrition of everyone protecting themselves encourages these invaders to flee, sooner rather than later. ~TNN News
He spent the next two days working to connect with his contacts, and to his delight they were as desperate for information about what was going on as he was. But the true joy was a phone call from a captain in the army he'd bought a few drinks for back when this whole shifter thing had started. The man had gotten drunker and drunker that night, while Raymond sipped on a gin and tonic, minus the gin. By the end, he'd taken the man home, exchanging information and copying his military ID, not that Captain Walter Higson had noticed that. But he'd done a few favors for the man, like making the drunk and disorderly charge disappear. Simple enough to do, and it gained the man's loyalty.
"Kennedy, I thought you might like to know this," Higson's voice sounded hushed, and in the background Raymond could make out lots of chatter and moving boots.
"Walter, I assume you are staying safe? That’s the most important thing." Being nice to people made them think you cared. That always amazed him.
"Yeah, they've kept me away from all the good stuff. I haven't even been able to kill any of these vile invaders." The man all but spat out the words.
"Yes. Interesting how they look just like the infected people here on Earth. Makes me wonder what else might have changed besides their appearance."
There was a pause then the other man spoke slowly. "Like what?"
"Oh, just maybe they don't think the same anymore. I mean, we all know a big cat or bear would eat a human. Maybe they might start looking at us as food? Maybe kids might not seem so special to them. You can't imagine they'd still think the same, would you?"
"Huh. You might have a point." Another pause. "But that kinda leads into why I called you. The other day they called us all in. Gave us this song and dance. They have a bunch of them here, including one that looks like some big lizard out of a movie. They say they can attack the ships and get people out. Apparently, people bought it because of some demo at one of the hangars, I got sidetracked into doing stuff, but people just said it was the most effective demonstration they'd ever seen. So they’re starting up this big rescue, but the people leading it are shifters. That famous cop is one of them."
"Her? Again? Dammit," he started to say more, but managed to rein himself in. "Go on."
"Well, I was thinking. What if that isn't what they really want to do? I'm not good enough to be on any of the teams, but they’re treating these shifters differently. So they've got us all here at this stadium, and I mean tons of military personnel. They have all these tents set up to handle a huge influx of people. There was a huge shouting match one of the females had with one of the team leads. That lead woman, the cougar one, laid into him. I couldn't see what he said, but you know damn well if any human had done that, they would have run laps for a week. Instead he backed down and I think he fucking apologized. What is this world coming to that a man like that apologized to a damn woman?"
"You mean an animal, don't you?" Raymond said mildly, his tone coaxing. "Sounds like she lost control. That is just what an animal does. No logic, just blind instinct."
"Hell, probably worse than that. I've had good hunting dogs, but you get upset and they can be dangerous. Huh. Maybe I'm glad I ain't going on their big spaceship rescue. But I did hear something worrisome, a whisper, not a fact." His voice had dropped, and Raymond closed his eyes to focus on the voice.
"Oh, what would that be?"
"They mentioned something about asteroids and them being lobbed at Earth. Now I've seen some disaster movies, and it doesn't sound like it would turn out well for us, no matter where it hits. I kinda hope they stop it, but I wouldn't mind if most of them died as glorious heroes."
Raymond narrowed his eyes and thought then shrugged. If that happened, he couldn't do anything to stop it, but he could make sure the survivors came home a world that didn't want them anymore.
"That wouldn’t be a bad option. I'll remember this bit of information Higson, but keep your head down. Our country needs men like you, and don't be afraid to let me know if anything else strange is going on."
"Will do, and damn right the country needs people like both of us—ready to stand up for what we know is right."
Raymond smirked as he hung up. Then his smile faded and he leaned back in his office chair, thinking carefully. While this might start a small bit of dissent in the military, he would need a lot of dissent at all levels. That meant getting politicians and the medical establishment on his side, playing off their fears about the ability to change. He'd done a little back at the emergence of the shifters, but more really to test the waters and he'd seen then, things were tilting too much to the 'very cool' attitude. But now? With hundreds of thousands dead? He could make it seem like they were at the root cause of all of this. Emails were required, multiple emails that he needed to tweak and send correctly to various people and countries. If he included only the US, it would be too off balance. He had contacts in the countries that mattered. People who would see what he was doing and support it. China no longer mattered, though whipping up hate for shifters there would be easy, and a good thing to do as soon as the invaders moved on. China would never be a home for shifters again. Smirking, he pulled up email and started to craft messages to people who could control the leaders of the world with subtle whispers. As he crafted his messages, he saw a ping on several systems.
Frowning, he opened and followed the alert threads. Annoyance wormed through him as he realized someone had been checking up on him, and it was way too specific. Keeping his house silent except the click of his keys on the keyboard, Raymond backtracked the research. He paid a very exclusive agency to be aware of anything that involved him, and this had all the hallmarks of an investigation. One that might end his career.
A name appeared. Sarah Buroky. The name struck a bell, but not enough that he could pin it down, so he kept digging and authorized the agency to research this person and why they were interested in him. It amazed him how many things kept running during the wake of an alien invasion. The name finally popped up as a key member of an internal ethics board.
Well that won't work. I'll need to make sure she, and anyone else involved, can't cause any more problems.
Another few minutes of digging pulled up her wife, a lieutenant in the police department. Having the police involved added a layer of complication to the investigation. He'd wait another few days before putting some money and the information into a drop account. There were a few morally ambiguous people that didn't mind doing dirty work for him and they were easier to control than the military. The military involved much more work and given the lack of success in the previous endeavor, it probably hadn't been worth it. But for now, the invasion was still going strong, and this gave him precious time. While all the fo
cus was on the idiots running around, he could get people looking at things the right way. Raymond smirked as he typed. This is where his true skill set shined, being able to convince people of what to believe when they didn't know it themselves.
This just proves that true humans are the future, we are the strength. If those unfortunates can't push off the animal shackles, they should be treated like livestock or enemies.
He sneered. The animal form was nothing to be proud of. It was something to hide in the back of your closet, and never pay attention to, and hope it would never be mentioned in polite company.
But that being said, he needed to make sure that moods changed, and to place the blame on those really at fault—the diseased humans. A few carefully worded emails to the people who drove policy in the government would start it. It took him an hour to point out that while people with AIDs were protected, it didn't mean they should be free to work in environments where they might bleed on others. There was now proof that the animal nature would come out, and you don't want unreliable people in important positions. He just dropped hints and asked questions, leading them to idea.
Right now though, time would be his enemy and his friend. There were no meetings, and everyone was craving information and the storm on social media made him smile. Logging in with a few of his anonymous accounts he had purposefully set up to create viral comments, and pointing the blame. Then he responded with his other accounts to fan the fire.
It took two hours before the first one went viral and he had to restrain himself from whooping in excitement. Step one done. He'd have to keep feeding and fanning it over the next week, but by the time the aliens were chased away, the mood of the US, if not the world, may have shifted.
That meant he needed to focus on the other groups, older and in many ways more powerful people. People liked to laugh but AARP had more power than most groups did. The truism was, if you weren't a member yet—you would be.