Devrie Spaulding's Blog, page 5

THE FERALS PART 7

“I am sorry it took so long to finally accept you. We can’t just give anyone important tasks until we know for sure they can be trusted. The least amount of moving parts keeps it simple.” Tom crossed his arms over his chest.

“I get it. But I am ready for more. What can I do to help?” Silvy began to pace until Tom placed a hand on her shoulder. It made her jump. She wasn’t used to physical contact from anyone but her mother.

Tom laughed softly.  “Sorry.” It only took a second for him to be serous again. “Do you even know the extent our leaders have gone to in order to keep the Ferals at a distance?”

Silvy wasn’t ready for that question. “I don’t. I do know they can’t help but slander their race on the news. They put them on the front line to use as cannon fodder.”

“It goes way deeper than that.  Those broadcasts aren’t just spreading the news in a negative light. They have subliminal messages hidden in them. We need to stop that with out them knowing we did.”

“How in the hell are we going to do that?” She was having a hard time keeping her voice down. Silvy knew there was something off about the news and why no one was allowed to shut it off. Now it made sense but to alter those messages. Was it even possible?

She stood there thinking for a while. Tom stayed silent and let her sort through her thoughts. She wasn’t afraid. It wasn’t that. She simply didn’t know how to do it. The new building was highly guarded which in itself was strange. There was no choice to be made. She knew she would do it.

“Tell me how to do it.” She faced Tom who smiled again and nodded.

“You won’t do it alone. My contact in the coffee shop will do all the tech work. You will be her eyes as she works. Can you do that?”

“I can.  When do we meet up? Will we need weapons?” She had a million questions but held back.

“Good. She will have the weapons you will use. Nothing that will kill. We refuse to stoop to our leader’s level. It is a simple stun gun also help erase recent memories. Meet her tomorrow night after your shift at the coffee shop. We are happy with how you have handled the messages. No one will suspect the two of you if you leave together.”  Tom scratched the side of his head. “Use your common sense while you do this. Listen to your instincts. They have proven to be correct so far.”

So much was running through Silvy’s head. She was excited and yet worried. Could she do this? She knew she would do it but could she pull it off? She shook the thoughts out of her head. “I will follow her lead. What is her name by the way.”

“Her name is Patricia. Just call her Pat. Now go get some rest. You work too hard as it is.” Tom walked back towards a shed and disappeared into the darkness.

Silvy stood there for a moment as she contemplated what was to happen. She needed to come up with a reason she would be late coming home tomorrow night. It was hard to lie to her mother. She didn’t want to but knew she had to. Her mother was under the news’ spell.

Silvy began to walk her scooter towards the guard shack and stopped. Why wasn’t she under the news’ spell like the rest of the city? Maybe it was because she actually spent time with the Ferals. There was no way to tell.

Her ride home was uneventful, and she didn’t bother to stop at the coffee shop.  Instead, she went home and hugged her mother.

“What’s this about, Silvy?” Her mother held her at arm’s length.

“No reason. Can’t I just hug you for no reason?”

Her mother gazed at her for a moment before nodding. “Of course, dear.  Now eat your dinner. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be home on time tonight.  Lucky for me, you are. Your food is still warm.”

Silvy smiled. “Yup, nothing kept me tonight. I did make a friend, though.”

Her mother stopped from heading to the living room and turned around. “You did? And not one of those horrible Ferals?”

“I did. Her name is Patricia. We are going to go see a movie tomorrow night after work. Will you be ok till I get home?”

“A movie, you say?” She squinted her eyes a little at her daughter. “Yeah, I will be fine.” She turned back towards the living room. “It’s about time you made a friend.”

Step one was taken care of. Her mother believed her. Hopefully everything would go good tomorrow night. Otherwise, she may never see her mother again.

KADE PART 4

“Kade? Kade honey? You come out and talk to Kas.”

Her nannies voice moved through the halls getting dangerously close to Kade’s hiding place. The small heating vent under the main stairway was where Kade went when wanting to be alone. The warm air rushing up from a small opening in the back always seemed to make her feel better as it ran through her hair.

It wasn’t working as fast this time though. Kade tried desperately to control the tears. How could they turn me away like that? And Mordi didn’t even care to show up? It was true they never really got along but she was their sister. It didn’t make any sense.

The thoughts brought on even more sobs, and it seemed like forever before Kade finally cried herself out. She allowed the sounds of hot air racing through the vent to lull her into a numb calm.

Kade thought about everything that happened in a new mind set this time, detailing each event and its resulting effect leading her to where she was now. Sorrow started to be replaced with determination as she sorted it all out. I’m through crying over things I can’t change!

She wiped away the tears and took a deep breath. Things wouldn’t change unless she made them. No one is going to make me feel this way ever again! Slowly stretching her legs out of the tiny cubby hole, Kade prepared herself to enter the world anew.

That’s when she realized Kas wasn’t calling for her anymore.

Kade poked her head out from under the stairs and was surprised to see Kas sitting patiently on the bottom step. Her big brown eyes looked deeply into Kade’s green. “All better, honey?”

Crawling out from her hiding spot, Kade stood and brushed the dust off her knees. “How long have you been sitting there?”

“Long enough. Figured you’d come out when you were ready.” She stood as well and extended her hand. “Let’s go get some food. I hear they have pudding.”

“Have you always known where I hide?” She had thought her secret place was unknown to everyone but should have guessed Kas would figure it out.

“I have always known. I also know when you go there, you want to be alone. I just got tired of walking around is all.” Her smile warmed Kade’s heart. There was nothing she could hide from that woman and nothing that woman would hide from her. She took Kas’ hand and walked with her to the meal room just around the corner.

Before entering, Kas stopped and looked down. “Now child, you know Kas will always be here for you, right? Don’t you think on those worthless brothers any longer. Kas is your family now.”

Kade smiled back up at her. “I know. They never liked me anyway. Not sure why I expected them to want me with Mom gone.” Her smile wavered but she put it firmly back in place remembering the vow she made to herself. “Come on before the pudding gets warm!” She let go of Kas’ hand and ran to get in line. Pudding made everything better.

Kas came up behind her and leaned down for a hug. “So, what does Kade plan to do now?”

She hugged her back then let go. She stood up straight and said with as much confidence as she could muster, “I’m going to become a healer and stay here. That way I can help others.” Her confidence ebbed a bit so she added, “Do you think I can do that?”

Kas patted her head playfully, “You can do anything you want. I know you would make a great healer.”

That lifted Kade’s spirits greatly causing her to jump around. Tomorrow would be a very good day. Tomorrow she would start her new life.

THEY CAME PART 15

The other me took over right away and I witnessed it all. The maimer first tried to enter my mind. My passenger laughed and shoved it out. The alien staggered backwards as if physically hit. It growled and twisted its features into what I assumed was rage. This one probably didn’t get down to the surface often. We humans tended to piss them off a lot. None of those ever made that face.

It charged me and I easily side stepped causing the alien to crash into the wall behind me. Without hesitation, it reached one of its long arms back to grab me by my shirt. Clearly, my other self wasn’t expecting that. The maimer turned around to face me. It raised its open hand towards my face. All I could think of was maybe touch made their control stronger. Luckily, my other me thought faster. We dropped to the ground using the alien’s weight against it.

It toppled down but before it could land on top of us, we raised both feet and shoved it over our head. It crashed into the railing that led far down into the engines of their ship. The maimer must have hit its head because it lay there for moment before trying to stand again.

My other self whispered in my mind. “Relax more. I want to try something.” Since I didn’t have control of my body yet, I did what I could to relax internally.

A static sound filled my head. The sensation was just like when I would read the other maimer’s mind back at the zoo only stronger. The one in front of me was getting back to its feet causing me to panic. On the outside, however, I appeared calm. My mind ached and then something snapped like a tight rubber band. I was instantly alone in my own head again. It was all I could to stay standing.

The alien in front of me went rigid then relaxed. Its face went slack one moment and then smiled the next. From its own mouth came our English language but a bit more guttural. “How is that for a trick?”

It was my turn to be stunned. I couldn’t even form words. What just happened? The expression written all over my face must have been perfectly clear, though.

The alien laughed. “It’s me. Your other self, as you call me. We sort of did this back at the zoo. I wanted to see if we could do this and look! We did.”

I still couldn’t find the words to say. I was impressed though. Now we had a better way to save my family. I slowly walked up to the now possessed alien and looked it in the eyes. There was a difference. They used to be pure black like a black hole in space, bottomless. Now there was a shine to them.

The alien smiled even more. “Come on. I have a plan. I can access this alien’s memories. This is the right floor, but we need to go around to the right. Stay behind me and act like you are a prisoner.”

I caught on quick to what she wanted to do. It was brilliant. I waited for her to start walking and I fell in behind her. It was strange. That was an understatement. She was really me and she was taking control of the alien in front of me. How much crazier could that be?

We walked for a while. The hallway curved to the right continuously. To the right of us was a wall with doors. To our left was the same but everyone once in a while there was a bridge leading off to some other area. The engines roared below us.

She held her head high as she walked while I looked at the ground. Several other aliens passed us by but none of them asked any questions. Some even lead other humans. I had no clue where they were taking them, but I knew where I was going.  There was no sign of the other resistance group I came with.

We must have come towards the front of their ship because there was double door open wide to our left. As we passed, I looked inside. Consoles lined every wall. Several stood as islands in the middle of the room. A huge window took up the entire front wall. Aliens sat at every possible location. Each had some kind of device hooked to their heads. Probes extended out of the helmet devices and attached to them at what seemed to be random places all over their heads. There was no captain’s chair like you would see in a Star Trek movie or episode, but the beeps and sounds were very similar.

It gave me an idea, but I didn’t dare talk about it right now. I had to keep up appearances for the moment.  Instead, I focused on how we would do what I was thinking.

Another turn brought us to yet another bridge. We didn’t pass this one by. We made a left and crossed over it. As we did, I looked down to see a machine beyond explanation. There were gears and pullies, solid pieces and some sort of jell that seemed to move throughout the entire thing as if alive.  

On the other side, we came to a single door. There wasn’t another hallway or other rooms, just the one. A white metal pad was attached to the wall right beside the solid door. There were no numbers or keypad, just a flat, clean surface.

The alien with my other self inside, placed their palm on the plate. A white light flashed briefly, and the door cracked open. She pushed it the rest of the way and we both entered. Beyond the door were more stations similar to the room we passed in the hallway. Instead of aliens, there were humans attached to these. Some sat still as if they were dead, staring forward and not blinking. A screen zoomed through shapes and equations. Others had items in front of them and they used tools to build whatever it was supposed to be.

We didn’t see any other aliens in this room. It made sense since there was no place for them to run. These were the smartest people we had on earth, and they couldn’t find a way to escape? It didn’t seem right. Then I took a closer look.  Each human was shackled to their station.  

I searched each face. My sister and brother-in-law weren’t in this room. There was another door several stations down, so we headed to that. Several rooms later, there they were. They sat side by side working on a project together. At least the aliens let them be close to each other.

Tears streamed down my face. Pain ached in my heart. I finally found them.

KADE PART 3

Kade did go before the elders that day. Each one took an instant liking to her despite her rebellious nature. They set a strict schedule of weapons training, magic development and then the basics in learning, which she made a point of missing before realizing how interesting each topic was.

Kade seemed to excel in them all. Coming from a small village where no one learned to read or write, this was an exciting treat and she absorbed it all like a sponge. Every night, a pile of books lay scattered in her room where she fell asleep atop the huge mounds of knowledge.
During magic lessons, Kade was taught how to control the blasts and direct them where she wanted. With deep channeling and control, she was able to create protective shields no one could penetrate, not even the elders. This was an extraordinary gift for someone so young and they made every point to remind her of that.

Weapons were slower going than the rest. She didn’t have much body strength but with the weapons master’s constant pushing, she eventually became proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Swords and such were just too heavy and required way too much concentration for her taste. Kade’s deceptively small size, however, made it easy to send away most of her opponents with bloody noses or long-lasting limps.

Any extra time Kade had was spent either with her growing number of friends, with Kas in the healers’ quarters, or getting into trouble. It was the one thing from her past she just couldn’t quite change. Her curiosity caused most of it. If something piqued her interest, she would investigate it. If there was someplace she wanted to see, it was as if her feet wouldn’t stop until she got there, even if it meant sneaking out of the city. Of course, the punishment for these occurrences didn’t do much good. The elders would give her more homework or exercises to do and that was perfectly fine with her. Kade loved learning and building her body strength. They had quickly learned there was no point in confining Kade to her room because she would be out of it as soon as they shut the door.

So, months passed like this before the day finally came when Kas told Kade they found her two brothers.

“What do you think will happen? Do you think they’ll want me to go home with them?” Kade sat on a wooden chair as Kas brushed out her hair.

“I don’t know child. I feel you would be better off here. You can learn more about controlling that power of yours. Here, hold this.” She handed her the brush and started to weave Kade’s long hair into two side braids. “I got me a glimpse of that oldest brother of yours. I don’t like the feel of ‘im.”

“But they are my brothers. I have to go with them. How can I not? They’re family.”

“You have family here. We may not be blood but that doesn’t mean you’re not as me own child. There, we’re done.” Her dark brown hands patted Kade’s head affectionately. “Stand up child. Let Kas see you.”

Kade jumped up and twirled in a circle. Her green healer’s robes billowed out. Kas insisted she wear them to show her natural ability to care for others. It was a reluctant ability but a strong one. The older woman held out her hand towards Kade. “Let’s be off and see what’s to come.”

Kade placed her tiny hand in her nursemaid’s and looked up. Her large green eyes shimmered with tears. “You can go with me, Kas.”

“Kas has to stay here. This is Kas’ home.” She tugged Kade along down the hall. A flight of stairs later and they were entering the elder’s chamber. The room was filled. Three elders stood in their long flowing robes along a table piled with books, silent as gargoyles.

To her left clustered a collective of guards surrounding one man, her oldest brother. His long black hair trailed down his back in a perfect ponytail. Sharp black eyes peered at Kade in a hardened face. His blacksmith leathers still smelled of fire and oil. She went to run and hug him, but he held out his hand.

“No, Kade. That is not proper.” Even his voice was hard with a cutting edge. “Let me make this quick. If it wasn’t for the head elder, I wouldn’t even be here.”

Kade’s eyes went wide, and a sharp pain stabbed at her chest. “What do you mean, Ter? Where is Mordi?”

“He has business elsewhere and couldn’t be bothered to come. You will stay here. We don’t want to care for you. We cannot. It’s your fault mother is dead! You never listen. Maybe if you would’ve been better, those monsters wouldn’t have come and killed her.”

Gasps rose around the room. The elders made a move forward, but it was Kas who beat them to it. She stormed over to the cruel man and slapped him across the face. “How dare you speak to her that way! She is just a child! Her mother’s death wasn’t her fault. If it was anyone’s it was yours for not being there. It’s the eldest’s responsibility to take care of the family, not the youngest!” She marched back over to Kade who was crying freely with stuttering breaths.

Ter dropped his jaw but quickly regained composure. “It doesn’t matter. This discussion is over. I need to get back to the city and my own family.” He looked back at the elders, “Good luck with that one.” He turned and left the room.

Kade broke free from Kas and ran after her older brother. “Ter! Wait! Don’t leave me! I love you. I’m sorry!” But he was already down the stairs and gone.

THEY CAME PART 14

I looked around at all the people in the shuttle with us. Their eyes were wide with fear. Couldn’t say I blamed them. I was scared too but my determination was overriding it.

The shuttle sped up, angling toward the sky. Since there were no windows, I couldn’t see how far we were from the ground. Finally, at one point, we leveled out and a loud click sounded releasing everyone’s shackles. I guess there was no need for them now that everyone was so far from earth. Now there would be more aliens than humans. Who would try to run away with those odds?

I could feel the shuttle move left and then right. It rose up again but just slightly. Loud clanks and whirring of gears could be heard from outside. A sudden stop jarred us almost out of our seats. We must be in the main ship now.

I looked to Doug and the others. He seemed even more determined than I felt even though this plan was ludicrous. What would they even do to us if we were found out? I doubt any of our group could pull off being smart enough to belong on the ship. I know I couldn’t. My heart pounded in my chest. This was insane. I felt like vomiting.

Doug placed his hand over mine where it sat on my knee, and I instantly calmed down. This had to work. We would make it work. There was no other option.

The wide door slowly lowered with a hiss. Several aliens approached the doorway but didn’t enter. Instead, they motioned with their hands for everyone to follow them. The captive humans stood and did as they were told. We played along and went with them. Doug was ahead of me so he would be able to let us know when to split off from the group.

From the shuttle, we entered an enormous open space. It was filled with hundreds of other shuttles. Countless humans filed out of them guarded by at least two aliens per group. All around stood even more aliens. These apparently were guards. They had heavy armor covering every inch of them and held guns larger than I had ever seen.

They ushered us all towards doors leading from the hanger to the inside. These inside halls were jammed packed with humans bumping into each other. I felt like cattle in pens for slaughter. The aliens left us to move on our own down the hall, so confident in their superiority that we wouldn’t try anything. 

Doug had us move slowly towards the left wall that was farthest away from the hanger side. There were more doors but each one was locked. He motioned to one of our guys and then to a door further ahead. The man sped up slightly and pulled out some kind of device from his back pocket. In seconds, he gave a thumbs up.

We made it to him and the now unlocked door. Checking to make sure the aliens were not looking our way, we all slipped into whatever room lay beyond.  Based off what I gleamed from our maimer back at the zoo, it should have been a storage unit. Lucky for us, it was. 

As soon as we were in and the door closed behind us, lights flared to life. Crates made of some kind of metal filled nearly every inch of the room. There was barely enough space between them to squeeze through.

Doug looked to me. “Ok, you know the way. Lead us there.”

I nodded even though fear filled me. This was really happening. We were here. I was going to be able to save my sister and brother-in-law.

Taking a breath, I looked around. Above one of the crates was a vent. “There. We go up into there. Make sure to keep your minds guarded. Maimers will be scanning for stray thoughts.”

The crates were slick, but they had enough space between the ones stacked on top of them to give us a foot hold. We climbed to the topmost crate. It was so close to the ceiling that we all had to squat down. It was perfect.

One of the men took out a pocketknife and pried open the vent. I was surprised at how quietly he did that. Any loud noise could give us away. It was nerve racking, but patience had to take priority over speed.

Inside the vent was warm, a little too warm.  You would think being out in space, everything would be cold but that was exactly the opposite here. They had an amazing heating system. 

Once we were all inside, the last man resecured the vent just in case an alien came to inspect the storage room. Based on what I saw in the maimer’s head, we followed these ducts as far up as we could get. It was slow going and sweat dripped from all of us. We had to take breaks just to make sure we stayed hydrated. 

We finally made it to the highest ducting and found a vent to exit from. Again, the guy from before removed it in near silence.  Cool air hit us as soon as we were all out. The sweat quickly dried on our skin. An empty hallway greeted us running left and right.

It took me a moment to remember the path we needed but as soon as I had it our group headed right. Just as we were about to reach a turn in the hallway, a maimer turned the corner. It snarled at us, raising its hands into fists.

I quickly stood in front of everyone. “Go! I got this.” For some reason, the maimer focused solely on me. It allowed the others to run past.

That’s when our battle began.

The Ferals Part 6

The city came into view. Silvy’s heart raced with the possibility of getting caught. Her mind wandered to the Feral families and how they were being treated. The fear vanished. It didn’t matter what happened to her. She had to help them.

The hustle and bustle of people created a sort of chaotic dance all around inside the city. Everyone went about their daily lives with no thought to what was really happening. Silvy swerved in and out of traffic to get to the café where she would meet that woman again. Her curiosity was killing her. She wanted to stop and read what was in the note but decided it was best she didn’t snoop. If they needed her to do more, she would. For now, this would have to be enough.

She parked her scooter in front of the coffee shop and went in. It was crowded as usual but there was one table open. After getting her coffee she navigated the shop and sat down. The woman wasn’t here yet. Silvy knew she couldn’t stay long without getting another earful from her mother.

A light tap on her shoulder caused Silvy to jump. “Mind if I sit here with you? All the other tables are taken.”

Silvy looked up to see the same woman she had talked to before. “Sure. I don’t mind at all.”

The woman set her things down and went to order a drink. When she returned, she took out her old computer and set up all she needed to do whatever it is she did. The same symbol Silvy had seen before was still there. It seemed to shine at her, almost trying to get her attention.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Silvy twisted her napkin in her hands.

“Sure. What’s up?” The woman didn’t even look up from what she was doing.

“What does that symbol mean?”

This caused the woman to stop what she was doing. She looked up at Silvy. Her eyes narrowed. “What symbol?”

Silvy pointed to the one she meant. “That one.”

With her eyes still narrowed, the woman looked between Silvy and the symbol on her laptop. “Don’t ask questions you are not ready to be answered.”

Silvy sat up. “But I am ready. I want to know.”

“No, you don’t. Not yet and not here.”  She went back to typing on her computer.

Disappointed, Silvy reached in and took the note in her hand. She slid it to the woman. “Here’s your grocery list.” Without another word, Silvy stood and left.

Days and then weeks went by like this. It all began to seem like a blur. The most enjoyment Silvy every got was when she interacted with the Ferals. They were kind and giving, not vicious and terrible like the news kept telling everyone. They weren’t mindless killing machines. She was even invited to one of the kits’ birthday parties. Now that was fun.

The news kept blaring about all the death and war going on in the outer circle of our zone. The Ferals were fighting hard to keep the enemy out. They were really good fighters but only because they had to be.

At the end of every week, Silvy would ask both Tom and the woman to give her more to do. Every week they said she wasn’t ready. How could delivering messages help the Ferals?

At the end of month two, she approached Tom again. “Let me do more. Haven’t I proved to you that I am willing to do whatever needs to be done?”

Tom scratched his chin as he looked Silvy over. “You have proven yourself. I think you are finally ready.”

THEY CAME PART 13

“Yeah, there is no loving it.” I wasn’t even sure how he could have expected me to chose that.

Doug laughed so hard he was bent over with his hands on his knees. When he could finally stand up straight, he held his side with one arm. “I didn’t think you would like it.”

“Who would? That is a terrible idea!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “This is insane. It won’t work. We need to get up there undetected. Not… not this!”

“Do you have a better idea?” Doug crossed his arms over his chest. A crooked smiled played on his face.

I didn’t and he knew it. There wasn’t a better way to get up onto that ship. Even the other voice in my head agreed with him. How could that voice agree with him and not me? “Fine. Let’s do this.”

“Good.  Now come on. We need to get everyone ready.” Doug took off towards the main area everyone stayed at. We only needed a few select people. The ones who could withstand the maimers abilities would be going. If they had any kind of technical skills, that would help too. Hopefully, we wouldn’t need any skills other than stealth.

A small man brought a stack of papers to the table our group stood around. He handed them to Doug who placed them before us. With one finger, he ran it down the list on the first page and then the next. By the third, he found what he needed. “There. This is it. They are loading a group of intelligent humans not far from here in three days. That gives us time to pack up what we need and get there.” He looked into the faces of each of us. “Whoever doesn’t want to do this, speak up now.”

No one did. Every person was determined to go and save as many of their own as they could. This wouldn’t be the end of the war, but it would be a good hit from our side. If this worked, we could find a way to take them down the next time.

“Good. Now, go pack. When we get there, you won’t be going up with anything. So, whatever you take, it won’t be something you cherish.”

Everyone split up. Within the hour, we were packed and ready to leave. There wouldn’t be any vehicles. We needed to move fast but we also needed to be unseen. Vehicles were noisy. So, we kept to the bushes. Streets were too open. Anytime there was alien activity, we laid low and waited for them to completely pass.

It was hard to watch groups of humans being led by aliens, but this mission wasn’t about them. This mission was bigger than that. It could quite possibly end all of this if things went as we hoped they would. This could give us insight into how to take them down.

At night we slept in shifts. Two hours intervals gave everyone time to sleep or take watch. If we were captured, all of this would be for nothing. By the third day, we crouched in the bushes just outside the landing site for their shuttles.

It was a barren cement platform that must have been a large parking lot at some point. I could barely make out the white lines where cars could line up. Now, aliens used those lines to keep their humans in neat rows for the on coming shuttles.

The stood in shackles with their heads hung low. Tattered clothes barely stayed on their thin bodies. Clearly, the aliens didn’t believe in feeding them on their way here. The humans had scrapes and cuts on their hands, feet, and knees. It contrasted with the clean aliens standing with heads held high in pristine uniforms and glistening metal.

From above, engines sounded. Small dots descended from high in the sky. They grew as they lowered themselves to the earth. Each shuttle’s silver casing glimmered in the sunlight. These didn’t have the mockery of our flags on them as the ones that took my sister and brother-in-law. These were bare of any markings.

They finally settled down on the pavement and shut off their engines. Wide doors lowered to allow entrance. The aliens began boarding their captives. Some fought the aliens but a maimer would always bring them to heal. At one point, however, several prisoners tried to fight in the same group so maimers from other groups had to help out.

When this happened, Doug saw their opportunity and they boarded one of the ships. These shuttles were never fully loaded so they simply took seats and buckled in as if they were part of the herd. No one came to look in and make sure everyone was secured.  The door just closed, and they were on their way to the main ship stationed above Earth.

THE FERALS PART 5

The next day Silvy couldn’t focus on anything other than that symbol. When she had gotten home, her mother wouldn’t leave her alone long enough for her to get on a computer and do a search. Apparently staying out five minutes longer than usual was a crime in her mother’s eyes. Claiming to have met a friend for coffee was an even worse crime.  But it did set the stage for running messages for Tom.

The news broadcasts blasted everywhere as usual. Today’s news was about even more human casualties. They still wouldn’t mention the Ferals deaths. This war had been going on for as long as anyone could remember. Silvy wasn’t even sure anyone remembered why it all started. By law, everyone had to listen to the news constantly. Yet, another unknown fact. There was no music, no other news, just the war news and you could not turn it off. That was a definite crime punishable by death. Not just her mother’s irritated ramblings.

Finally, Silvy was finished delivering her last package of the day. It was already dark again and she now stood by the huge tree. So far, Tom hadn’t shown. Was he supposed to show tonight? She couldn’t remember. If he didn’t appear in five minutes, she would leave and try again the next night.

In reality, she waited another ten minutes before grabbing her scooter and starting to push it away from the tree. She hadn’t made it far when she heard her name.

“Silvy.”

She looked back at the tree, but no one was there. Shadows danced across the open space between the tree and the closest houses. There was no movement anywhere. Then she heard it again.

“Silvy. Over here.”

She followed the sound this time. It was coming from behind a shed just to the side of a far-off home. Silvy set her kick stand and carefully walked in that direction. It sounded like Tom, but it could be a trap. Maybe the guards found out that Tom had approached her about helping the sympathizers. She started to turn and run when Tom emerged from the shadows.

“Wait, Silvy.”

“What took you so long? You scared me nearly to death.” Silvy wanted to leave now but out of spite.

Tom reached out a palm to help calm her. “Hear me out, please. I had to make sure you weren’t being watched or followed. It’s good you were careful. Real good. Impressive really.”

Silvy wasn’t used to compliments and it did the trick. “Ok, fine. What do you need from me?”

He let out a breath. “Thank you. This will help immensely. I need you to get a message to my contact. I believe you already met her.”

“Her, who?” She scrunched up her eyebrows but then shock registered. “The girl at the coffee shop?”

“Yes. The girl at the coffee shop.” He nodded in confirmation.

“Wait. If you can talk to her, and already get messages to her, what do you need me for?”

Tom looked around in the darkness. “We can’t keep communicating the way we are. It’s being monitored and pretty soon they will decode what we are saying. There is just so much technology can hide. We have to go old school now.”

“That’s fair. What do you need me to take to her?”

“Take this letter to her. Do not open it at any time. She will know. And do not let it out of your sight. Take it straight to her.” He made sure to look Silvy in her eyes the entire time.

“I get it. I get it. Don’t have to get so serious with me. I know it’s top secret and all that. I know what’s at stake. I want to do what I can to help the Ferals. They aren’t the wild beasts they make everyone believe they are.” She was getting very tired of his attitude but new she needed him if she was to make a difference somehow.

“Do you really understand? I am not sure you do?” Tom crossed his arms.

“I spend everyday with them.  So, yeah. I do.” She snatched the letter out of his hand and tucked it in her pants between her skin and the fabric of her jeans.

“Don’t let the guards search you too well. They are allowed to shoot on site if they suspect anything.”

Now that was new to Silvy. She didn’t know that. Apparently, her expression relayed that fact because Tom patted her on her shoulder and then disappeared into the shadows again. “Well, great.”

She walked back to her scooter and started pushing it back to the guard shack. She really didn’t worry too much about being searched. They never did. It was only on the way in that she was searched. The guards didn’t want any weapons given to the Ferals. That is about all they were really worried about.

With her head down, Silvy pushed her bike through the gate. Just as she was almost on the other side, one guard called out to her. “Hey, hold on a second.”

Silvy cringed. She looked back at the guard. “Yeah? What’s up?”

“You’re a little late leaving. Why is that?”

“Oh! One of the mothers had a spill in the kitchen and couldn’t look over the items right away. I had to wait till she could.”

The guard looked her over for a long minute. Silvy had a hard time not squirming under the pressure. All she wanted to do was jump on her scooter and hall ass. That would only get her in trouble. Finally, the guard nodded and said, “very well. On your way.”

Silvy nearly fell to the ground in relief. On shaky legs, she mounted her bike and slowly took off back towards the city and to her first drop off.

KADE PART 2

The sky was a brilliant blue with not a single cloud in the sky. Kade floated on top of the water enjoying its gentle sway. It was turning out to be a wonderful day. Her mother would be mad, but Kade was ok with that. Feeding the animals wasn’t her chore anyway. She closed her eyes relishing the freedom. This was as close to flying as she would get.

Hours passed. Or maybe it was minutes. Kade didn’t care. This was probably the last bit of freedom she would get after going home. Her mother was sure to ground her for years.

Loud noises interrupted her peaceful drifting. A high-pitched scream jarred her, stiffening her body and causing her to sink. When she came above water, more screams followed. The final one sent Kade into a full out run.

“Mom!”

She turned a corner, and her cottage came into view. The door hung loosely by its hinges. Blood stained the earth. A limp hand lay on the ground barely visible from the doorway.

“Mom, no!” Kade threw caution to the wind running to her mother. She didn’t know if the one responsible for this was still here, but she had to find out if her mother was alive.

She grabbed the door and swung it out of the way throwing herself down. Kade slide to her mother’s side smearing dirt and blood all over her.

Her mother’s chest rose and fell in staggered breaths. “Oh, mom. You’re still alive. Thank the goddess. What happened? Tell me what to do to help you?”

A weak hand grasped Kade’s where it lay on her knees. “Kade… I love you. Remember that.”

“No, no, no! Don’t die mommy. Don’t leave me.” But she was already gone.

In the dirt, in her own blood, her mother had written one word… Tylestaes.

Her mother’s body grew cold as Kade sat crying. Once in a while she would call out to her hoping for an answer. It started to grow dark, and the child looked up. Now she noticed how badly her mother had been hurt. There would have been no helping her. She no longer had legs and blood drenched her flowery apron.

“What did this mommy?” Kade knew she couldn’t answer but asked anyway. She finally stood up and wiped her eyes with the end of a long brown sleeve. The burlap tunic she wore was filthy with blood and mud. Her bare feet bled from sliding across the floor. Kade stood dazed not knowing what to do. She had never taken care of herself before. One thing was certain, she had to go into town and see if anyone survived.

The thought terrified her. What if whoever did this was still there? Well then, I’ll be with mommy again. She took a deep breath and headed out her door. Before turning the corner, she looked back. “I’m sorry mommy.”

The sun had completely set by the time she reached the town square. It was pitch black without the aid of the village torches. Why has no one lit them? On closer inspection she got her answer. Bodies and pieces of bodies lay scattered everywhere. Blood-streaked walls and dirt. Kade gagged at the smell of rotting flesh.

Movement from an ally caught her attention. She started to run hoping to find someone alive. A pair of red glowing eyes stopped her in her tracks. A second set rose up from the ground abnormally close to the first.

Kade’s breath came in shallow spurts as the thing came out of the shadows. It crawled on the ground with eight arms and four legs all black as the night around it. Long talons dug in the ground. Blood dripped from two heads filled with dagger teeth.

It came at her, and she stood planted to the spot in fear. More monstrosities peeled away from every corner of the city. They were almost upon her, mere inches from their next meal. Kade’s heart tried to beat out of her chest and escape. Not a single thought could enter her mind. She was frozen.

But then, something happened…

THE FERALS PART 4

The last delivery was finally done. Silvy enjoyed the Ferals’ company but twelve-hour days, six days a week really took its toll. She grabbed her scooter and started pushing it towards the gate. It was late and the sun had already set. She could hear all the conversations in each building she passed. Some were in English, but most were in their native Feral tongue.

Her mind went back to her conversation with the one mother. How many other families wouldn’t be whole tonight? The thought tore at her heart.

She was passing the center tree of the compound when someone stepped out from behind its large mass. It wasn’t a Feral as Silvy would have guessed even though curfew had already been called, but a human.

A man with grey hair but a strong build continued to step closer. He held up both hands in a show of harmlessness. “Silvy? Right? Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Silvy took several steps back. She recognized the man. He was the grounds caretaker here. He even lived on site. You wouldn’t know he was an older gentleman other than his grey hair. He continued his approach even though Silvy was now taking a step back for every one of his coming forward.

He finally took the hint and stopped. “I am not here to hurt you. I need your help.” He looked around and waved one hand at all the buildings. “They do, too.”

That caught her attention. All she could think about was helping them. Maybe this man had some ideas. She walked closer so they could talk privately. “You take care of the grounds here, right?”

“Yes. I’m Tom.” He reached a weathered hand towards Silvy. She accepted it and shook his hand.

“What did you mean they need my help? I know it’s obvious from our point of view, but how can that even be accomplished?”

“I know some people that can help us.  I need you to run messages for me if you can. I know you are busy, but it wouldn’t be much out of your way. Please. We have some plans laid out but can’t go forward without more people. People like you.” His eyes never left Silvy’s.

She knew she wanted to help right away but was it really something she could do? Her days were already too long and the price for getting caught doing something like this had three ways to go; life in prison, being sent to the front lines, or death.

Visions of the mother and her kits who would never again see their father or her husband swam in Silvy’s mind. The answer was obvious. “Of course. What messages do you need me to send?”

“That’s a brave girl. Thank you. I will see you here tomorrow at this time with the first message. For now, I need to make some other arrangements, so my contacts know who to expect.” He took Silvy’s hand again but with both of his. “Thank you. Hopefully, we can move forward with your help.”

When he let go, he slipped back into the shadow of the huge tree. Silvy stood there a moment. Thoughts and hopes filled her heart. It thumped hard against her chest. She looked around to make sure she wasn’t being watch and then continued on towards the gate. The more she thought about Tom’s proposal, the happier she became. Silvy kept it in check as she went past the guards though. She didn’t want to show any changes to her emotions in case they got too curious.

Her ride home seemed to fly by as she thought of all the possibilities. The idea of being a spy of sorts was exhilarating but knowing she could possibly help her friends be free of their slavery would be even better. Even if she never saw them again, their freedom would be worth it.

Instead of going straight home, Silvy stopped at a near by coffee house. It was one of her secret pleasures in life. Most of her money went straight to bills, groceries, and medicine for her mother but she allotted just enough to have a coffee at the end of each day.

Silvy went in and ordered her favorite caramel macchiato and found a seat. It was busier than normal for a mid-weeknight. Luckily, there was a table with just one woman sitting at it with her laptop open. Her blonde hair was messy, and several pencils poked out of her hair in random places.

“Mind if I sit here? I just need some down time.”

She looked up briefly and smiled. “Go ahead. I was beginning to think I had cooties.” She giggled but then went back to her work.

They called Silvy’s name. She grabbed her cup and went to sit quietly. There was so much to think about. She was lost in thought until the woman sitting with her spoke up.

“You have the look of someone with a problem.” She pushed her glasses up with her first finger.

“Not a problem but definitely working on a solution.” Silvy knew she couldn’t say anything to a random stranger. There was no telling who would turn you in for simply sympathizing with the Ferals.

“I understand what you mean.” She looked down at her laptop again but seemed frustrated.

“If you don’t mind, what are you working on?” Best to change the subject from herself to the stranger.

“I work in code and the internet. I’m just trying to figure out my solution.” She kept looking at her computer screen but wasn’t typing.

Silvy looked at her outdated computer. “I am surprised you are using a laptop instead of the hologram computers. The head pieces always looked uncomfortable, but it’s easier to think what you want to have in a message rather than typing it out on a keyboard. Searching for things is much faster, too.”

The woman giggled again. “I prefer my privacy. My work is delicate. I wouldn’t want someone stealing my codes. This way I can encrypt what I am doing.”

“All sounds Greek to me. I always wished I had the brain for that stuff. You must be really smart.”

“Nah, I just think outside of the box.” The woman started typing again.

That’s when Silvy noticed a notebook with scribbles and drawings on it. There, in the corner, was the same picture as what the robot had etched onto the wall in that ally.