AMP- Aftermath

by Brian K. Larson

  Nadine nervously looked back toward the Governor’s mansion and back to J, “Umm, well, you know… Your felonious activities.”

  “Which ones would that be?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. How about drug dealing and pimping for starters?”

  J chuckled as he continued with his electrical bypass, “I was a drug dealer, but never a pimp, Nadine. I think you have me confused with my nefarious business rival, Sly. He was the pimp.”

  “Uh-huh, okay, J, anything you say,” Nadine shrugged.

  J tugged and pulled out a silver metal box. He yanked the wires free, then tossed it out of the Town Car.

  “There! That’s one!”

  “Is there another?”

  “Yes, and it’s a little… harder… to reach!”

  “You better hurry it up,” Kurtis complained from the backseat, “I’m feeling like the aliens will get here soon!”

  Doctor Childress turned to Kurtis, “Relax, Mr. Daniels. It will be exactly five minutes before they begin to give chase.”

  Nadine shot a glare at Doctor Childress, “And how is it you know this? You’re only a clone.”

  The doctor nervously turned to Nadine, “I know, I know. How can I forget breaking my host’s neck! It was Governor McCormick’s call to terminate our hosts.”

  “Well, he’s stuck inside the alien core that left Earth,” Nadine nodded.

  “Can you be sure of that, Nadine?” Doctor Childress fired back.

  “I don’t, but I have to believe that he is. At least I hope that’s the case.”

  J continued reaching and tugging on the second metal box under the car’s dash, “Almost got it!”

  Doctor Childress grew a worried look on his face, “Um, I’m not feelin’ so good, Nadine.”

  Nadine opened her door and shot out of the front passenger seat. She came around to Childress’ door and pulled it open, then she yanked the Doctor from his seat.

  They both fell to the ground. Nadine slammed into the open door. Doctor Childress picked himself off the ground. His arms and legs began emitting a red glow from each of his joints.

  “What’s happening to me?” Doctor Childress panicked as he watched armor begin to grow from his clone traces.

  Nadine jumped into the passenger’s seat and pulled the door shut.

  “You better get us outta here, and fast!”

  Doctor Childress shook and quivered as the amped armor began to cover his body, “Get outta here!” Childress begged, “I’m being taken over!”

  With one hard tug J managed to yank the second box loose and tossed it out of the window.

  “Let’s go!” Nadine shouted.

  J fiddled with two wires at the steering column, “I will! One sec!”

  The two wires sparked together and the engine rumbled to life. J twisted up into the driver’s seat, kicked his legs to the peddles, pulled the column shift into drive and stepped on the gas.

  The car sped off, the driver’s door swung shut, leaving Doctor Childress behind. Kurtis turned to look out the back window, “He’s growing weapons down his arms! Hurry, J!”

  Rail shot riddled the back window as Doctor Childress opened fire, shattering the glass. Kurtis ducked below the seat. Several rounds sped by, uncomfortably close to his head. Nadine ducked low in her seat as rounds began hitting the dashboard.

  J swerved the car back and forth down the mansion’s driveway, making a them difficult target for Doctor Childress.

  J pulled the steering wheel hard right and the car squealed around the corner, “Hang on everyone!” J yelled, “I’m heading to the chopper pad!”

  Nadine looked over to where the helicopter was parked and grew a worried look, “Oh no you’re not!”

  Nadine pointed towards the several tentacled aliens securing the chopper to the launch pad.

  J slammed the wheel to the left, making the tires on the Town Car screeched their protest.

  J masterfully kept control as the car rose up on two wheels and sped away from the Governor’s mansion, “Okay, we head to the turn pike and hope for the best on the expressway at high speeds.”

  Kurtis poked his head above the back seat, “So far, we’re in the clear.”

  “We’re gonna need to amp up if we’re going to make it,” Nadine warned.

  “How we gonna do that?” J protested as he maneuvered the car around the turn pike.

  “Well, even though I’m a clone, I do want to survive. I think I can help us all bring up a self-amp charge.”

  Kurtis turned to Nadine before facing back behind to keep watching, “We’re clones, Nadine. We can’t do that.”

  “J is still human and chipped. I can hook us up a three-way cable connect!”

  “Hey, it’s worth a shot,” J said, studying his rear-view mirror, “Don’t look now, but we’ve got company!”

  Kurtis yelped in panic, “Three Vanguard speeder-bikes! Step on it!”

  J floored the Town Car and sped down the northbound express lanes, “We better do something quick! They’ll catch us in a couple minutes!”

  Nadine turned and looked in the rear seat, “Childress’ bag! He’s got cables in there, Give me three and multi-connector!”

  Kurtis unzipped the bag and handed Nadine what she requested as J continued to swerve at a high rate of speed, slipping around the stalled cars that littered the freeway.

  Nadine worked to connect the three ends to the multi-connector and handed one end to Kurtis. Then she tried to plug J in as he swerved the car from one side to the other.

  “Can’t you hold this car still?” Nadine protested as she finally got the connection into J’s jack, then attempted to plug herself in.

  “Well,” J answered, “They’ll have the same obstacles as we have, so that’ll help slow them some.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on that, J,” Kurtis answered, panic grew across his cloned face.

  Nadine finally managed to plug the cord into her jack, “Okay close your eyes and concentrate.”

  “I’m driving, I have to keep mine open!”

  “You do it, Kurtis. With me. J, keep your eyes on the road, but focus on getting away!”

  J continued pulling his car right and then back left. The three vanguard cycles carefully calculated their positions as they tapped into satellite feeds.

  “They’re still gaining,” Nadine protested as she was tossed about in the front seat.

  Kurtis closed his eyes and focused, “I’m reading that they’ve got a live satellite link. That’s how they know where the obstacles are!”

  “C’mon, J! You can do this!”

  “Not while I’m driving, I can’t!”

  J moved his foot from the gas and slammed it onto the brakes. The Town Car screeched into a sideways slide and an abrupt halt.

  J’s eyes glowed green as he exited the car. Facing the approaching Vanguard speeder bikes, he held his arms out in front and closed his eyes. The golden glow enveloped him and the entire car as a wave of energy flew from his hands.

  The powerful wave slammed into the first speeder. He sailed high up into the air and crashed on the hard pavement in front of them.

  Nadine unplugged and exited the car. Her green eyes told them that she succeeded in a self-amp charge. She pointed her hands at one of the stopped cars on the freeway and slid it into the path of another speeder.

  The Vanguard slammed into the car. Debris flew in all directions. One hot engine piece hit a tanker truck, which erupted into a brilliant fireball.

  The fire and black smoke mushroomed up into the air several hundred feet, shaking the nearby ground.

  J focused his attention on the last speeder. Sending another wave of energy, he tried to toss the rider from the bike. Nadine turned and focused her energy wave. Together they pushed him off the bike, sending him down to the pavement. The Vanguard grew protective armor as it slid on its back toward J and Nadine.

  Kurtis opened his door and pointed to the sky, “We’ve got bigger problems!”

  Off in
the distance, they heard the unmistakable beating of helicopter rotors.

  The sliding Vanguard flipped over and crashed headfirst into the burning tanker as the speeder shot through the blast, still heading at them.

  Kurtis and Nadine joined with J in raising a shield just as the rider-less speeder crashed into them. They were pushed backward several feet with the Town Car sliding sideways, its tires screeched their protest.

  Their shield dropped before turning their attention to the new threat.

  “They’re targeting us, J!” Nadine screamed, “We have to do something!”

  “Those three-legged slime jobs took the damn chopper!”

  As they concentrated on the chopper, they failed to notice the cyborg walking through the burning tanker flames.

  J held his arms up, “They’re firing missiles!”

  The new rush of adrenaline supercharged J’s chip, sending a massive power wave. The energy deflected the incoming missile and crashed behind them. Nadine turned as it flew over their heads and erected a shield, protecting them from the blast.

  J’s power wave hit the chopper, sending the machine backward and out of control. The creatures controlling the machine where tossed around inside the chopper before it exploded in a fire ball upon impact.

  The missile explosion blew apart the cyborg behind them, reducing it down to the alien matter.

  J gave a sigh, “C’mon, let’s keep moving outta here. We’ve got to reach Seattle and find the Saratoga,” glancing between Kurtis and Nadine, “Are we good?”

  Nadine got back into her front seat and closed the door, “Yeah, like I said, I want to survive. I’m a changed clone. You can trust me.”

  “Yeah, but can I trust him?” J asked, pointing at Kurtis.

  “Hey! I want to survive this too!”

  “Okay,” J pointed to the car, “Get in.”

  The three drove off toward Seattle, leaving the alien infestation behind.

  “How long will it take us to get there?”

  “About an hour or so,” J answered.

  Nadine placed her hand on J’s arm, “J, you don’t have to worry about us, okay? I’m not going to turn on you. Look, Xat left us behind. My circuits now fully understand that he never intended to bring us along. We were used.”

  “So,” J asked, turning to Nadine and then back to the road, “What made Doctor Childress turn Vanguard and not you two?”

  “I really don’t have an answer for that, J.”

  “I don’t think he intended to change either, but he did. How can I be certain you’ll not change like him?”

  “I think it’s partly due to the Keeper subroutine. Kurtis and myself must have been exposed to the programming.”

  “So, just as with the Keeper subroutine, it will choose a target cyborg, the Vanguard program has learned to choose a target as well?”

  “That makes the most sense,” Kurtis added from the backseat.

  “Well, let’s just hope you aren’t chosen by the Vanguard once we arrive in Seattle.”

  “Yeah, you’d be pretty screwed if we did change, huh?”

  “Never you mind, Kurtis!” J spat. “Just keep to yourself, or you’ll be pretty screwed.”

  “Oh yeah, whattya gonna do? Punch me or something?”

  “No, I’ll give you a new hole in your head!”

  “Oh…” Kurtis slumped low in his seat, “Jeez, I can’t catch a break with anyone!”

  Nadine turned in her seat, “Kurtis, you have to learn when to keep your trap shut, is all. M’kay, can we work on that?”

  “Fine! Fine, I’m staying quiet! I can take a hint!” Kurtis said, folding his arms across his chest.

  The alien matter slowly moved together and grew from the pavement in the form of Doctor Childress. After his body was finished forming, he tapped a headset, “They got away, Sir… yes… I understand that my circuits are not operating at optimal performance… It is good to hear from you, Governor… yes, the new Vanguard programming worked on my circuits… no, unfortunately, the Nadine and Kurtis clones were not close enough to the field. Once they come in contact with one of our active accelerator stations, the programming will take them as well… yes, I have every confidence that it will… yes, Governor, I will work on your new clone body. Once the sphere ship returns for Jenny, I can pull you from the Core… very well, Governor, I shall wait for your arrival. In the meantime, I will assemble a task force to eliminate any remaining Freedom Fighters in the downtown sector… yes… of course… we will be ready to receive the gate device to our home world… I will be in touch to update you of our progress…”

  Doctor Childress closed his eyes and grew another speeder-bike before flying back toward the Governor’s mansion.

  Chapter 3

  Transport Ship

  En Route to Seattle

  January 17, 2068 11:50

  Bennie sat next to Jen, his right hand holding hers with his left arm around her waist. They were harnessed to the two most forward seats. The pilot house hatch was open. Colonel Tom Griffin flew the transport from the pilot seat. Major Preston took the copilot right seat and navigated course changes to Griffin.

  Trudy Sasaki tended to General McKenzie who lay on the deck of the transport. Titus ‘Snaggletooth’ Booth, smiling through his two missing teeth, assisted Trudy keeping her self-amp charge up. The glow danced from their amp circuits to heal the incision on the General’s chest. Trudy had operated to remove the shrapnel from his chest left by their last encounter with the fleeing alien sphere.

  Beverly poked her head into the pilot house, “How much sooner, Tom?”

  Colonel Griffin turned the ship’s controls to a new heading as he glanced over to Preston and Beverly, “Less than thirty minutes. I’m taking us out over the ocean,” he glanced over to Preston once more, “Plot us a course to enter Seattle north and west from Neah Bay. The smoke from the city is making visibility impossible to approach from the south.”

  Major Preston pressed several controls on his touchscreen, “Comin’ your way, General. It’s the same as we’ve seen everywhere up the coast from Mexico.”

  “Destruction on a scale I can’t even begin to describe,” Griffin said with a shake of his head.

  “Sending the course changes now,” Preston reported, “Our new ETA to Seattle is fifteen minutes.”

  Griffin followed Preston’s course changes taking the transport over Neah Bay out by the coast and then east through the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

  “Port Angeles airport should be coming up on our right soon,” Griffin said.

  Major Preston nodded, “Yes. Yes, I see the airstrip…”

  “How’s it looking down there?”

  Preston studied the ground as Griffin rotated the ship fifteen degrees on its axis to give his copilot a better view, “Hang on, team. Seeing anything now?”

  Beverly braced herself in the doorway as Preston studied the ground. “We’re in luck, Griff. The runway is intact and there doesn’t seem like there’s too much damage.”

  No, not much at all, Tom!” Beverly added.

  “Hey some good news, everyone,” Griffin said over the ship’s comm system. He leveled the ship and turned it back on course “Looks like we might have a new fallback position. We’ll come back and check it out once we meet up with Hargrove and his team.”

  Bennie looked down on his sleeping Jen, “Any word from them? Do they know we’re coming?”

  “Yes, they know,” Major Preston answered, “I just radioed them to tell them we’re now ten minutes out.”

  “Great! How’s my Uncle Calvin?”

  “He didn’t say much. He had to run.”

  General McKenzie opened his eyes and rose up onto his elbows, “What’s going on, Major? What’s our situation, son?”

  Trudy helped the General to a seat and strapped him in, “You’re almost healed now, General,” Trudy said as her amp charge faded.

  General McKenzie rubbed his chest, “Yes, and I thank you, Trudy. Thank you to
everyone. You’ve done an awesome job. Let’s get on the ground in Seattle and find out what’s going on down there!”

  “Yes, Sir,” Major Preston nodded as he gave the final course correction over to Griffin, “We should be in visual range in two minutes. We’re over Stanwood now and heading south. Final ETA is five minutes.”

  “It’s not looking good at all, General,” Griffin added, “There are pockets of destruction everywhere. The freeways are all clogged with disabled cars for miles into the city. The Navy Base in Oak Harbor is gone… just a crater left behind where the alien sphere used to be.”

  “What about Fort Casey?” The General asked?”

  “The bluffs are still there, so the underground base should be there too,” Preston answered.

  Bennie gently shook Jenny awake, “What do you think is going on with Hargrove? Come on, Jen. We’re almost there now, wake up.”

  Jenny’s eyes flickered open. She rose upright before checking her straps, “Ye-yeah, okay… I’m awake now. Exhausted, but awake.”

  “He sounded a bit frantic,” Preston answered, “My guess is they’ll need our help as soon as we land.”

  “Okay,” Griffin nodded, “There’s the city… or what’s left of it.”

  Everyone gazed out the windows from their seats, gasping at the city destruction and smoke that roiled up from the burning and collapsed buildings.

  “Visibility through this smoke is nearly zero,” Griffin said, struggling with the transport controls. “As we get closer, you’ll need to give me some solid readings on these buildings so we don’t end up burning embers among these ruins!”

  “Affirmative on that, Sir!” Major Preston replied, “I’m getting the position of the Saratoga. Plotting rendezvous course.”

  “How bad is the ship?” General McKenzie asked

  “She’s in one piece… Hargrove did a water landing and came up onto Westlake a couple blocks, but she’s whole, Sir.”

  “Remind me to give him a medal, will ya?”

  “It was his pilot, Captain Hodges, that did the landing, Sir.”

  “Just the same, Hargrove was in command. They both should get medals, then,” General McKenzie nodded.