THEY CAME Part 17
Since I hadn’t completed what I planned, we fell back into formation. My other self seemed to know where we had to go because before we got too far, she turned the alien hostage’s face back and winked at me. It was the most disturbing expression yet. Those empty eyes with a slight shine winking at me? No thank you.
We continued around the curved hallway, passing several rooms and bridges. When we finally made it to the control room, we came to a stop and the hi-jacked alien motioned me forward. In its guttural English, it asked, “so what exactly do you have in mind?”
I smiled up at it. “We need to go in there and put one of those head devices on you. Then you can run rampant in their systems. Crash their programs and stuff.”
The sparkle in this alien’s eyes grew. “I have just the idea. Follow me and keep your heads down.”
Before we could continue, my sister grabbed my arm. “What is going on? Why is that monster helping us? You know we can’t trust it, right?”
I placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. “I will explain everything once we are out of here. If you trust me, you can trust that one.”
That didn’t seem to pacify her, but she nodded. There was nothing else she could do if she wanted her and her husband to get out of here alive. I knew she trusted me but asking her to trust a situation she didn’t understand might have been too much of a stretch. This was life or death.
We all followed the alien inside to the control room. Not a single creature looked up from whatever it was they were doing. My other self approached one of the aliens sitting at a station with numerous buttons and controls. She tapped it on the shoulder. When it turned to her, she spoke in their language of clicks.
The real alien stood up, taking its head gear off but stared at our alien for a moment. We all held our breath as it turned its gaze to us as well. We were busted. A million scenarios ran through my mind and how we might yet survive. My heart rate rose. This was it. How were we going to fight all the aliens while trying to get out of here?
Just as I was about to take action, the alien nodded at my other self. It walked away slowly but didn’t look back. I let out the breath I had been holding. Our alien took the empty seat and place the device on its head.
It finally hit me how much information we could acquire through this kind of connection. Not the head piece but the one occupying the alien’s mind. Everything that alien maimer knew, we now knew. Once they were in the system, we would know even more.
My sister and brother-in-law nervously looked around at the other aliens. Some began to take notice of the humans in a non-human area. In my silent head, I repeated “work faster” towards the alien on our side. At about the tenth time repeating my mantra, the other aliens began squirming in their seats and clutching at their throats. Their signs of distress grew at each passing second. Some fell to the floor. They weren’t moving.
I looked back at our imprisoned alien. It turned its head sideways so it could see me. “You guys need to go. I’m not done here. Get to the hangers and leave.”
“Then get back in my head. We all leave. No one left behind. Remember?”
“I’ll find you on the ground. Don’t worry. Now go!” One long powerful hand grabbed my arm and pushed.
I still hesitated until my brother-in-law turned me towards him. “You came to save us, let it do what it needs to do. We must leave.”
All I could do was blink. He yanked me and my sister out of the control room. The whole time, I kept my eyes on where my other self worked the controls until we were around the corner. The ship jerked hard. Loud booms came from far away. The ship lurched again shaking me out of my uncertainty.
“Right. This way.” We ran around the corridor until we came to where we had entered with the resistance. Aliens littered the floor everywhere, none of them moving. I yanked the cover off the ducting tunnel.
“Why can’t we take an elevator or stairs?” My sister’s eyes were filled with panic.
“We don’t have an alien anymore to work the controls and I seriously doubt they have stairs.” I hugged her briefly and helped her enter the ducts.
There was no reason to recover the opening, so we pressed forward. After countless twist, turns, and slides downward, we finally came to the room full of strange boxes. That is where we ran into the other group.
Doug had just ushered out an extremely large group of humans when he saw us crawling down from the metal crates. He instantly ran over to me. “I was so worried. I’m glad you made it.” Doug looked behind me where my sister and her husband stood. Walking over, he raised his hand. “Hello. I’m Doug. I have heard so much about you. Happy to have you here.” He stretched out his arm towards the open door. “Shall we?”
“Absolutely.” I grabbed my sister and brother-in-law’s hands and lead them out into the crowded hallway. Sounds of explosions could be heard above us somewhere. Humans walked bunched together filing out into the open hanger area. Some could be seen kicking the dead bodies of aliens here or there.
Doug led us to the closest shuttle. It was jam packed with humans. One of the rebels sat in the pilot seat. Wires fell from the console. When he saw Doug, he gave a thumbs up. Doug shoved us inside. “Go. We won’t be far behind you.”
“Wait. I can help.” I tried to push back out into the hanger, but Doug was having none of that. In my head I was crunching the numbers on how long it would take me to get back to my other self.
He placed a hand on my shoulder. “No. You stay with your family. I will meet up with you back on Earth.”
“But…” I didn’t want to leave yet. I needed her back in my head, but I couldn’t tell anyone that just yet.
“No buts. Go.” He whistled at the pilot. “Take off. Come back for more when you unload.” Doug lightly pushed me back and hit the button, closing the door.
Silence ensued. No one dared talk. Everyone glanced from one scared face to the next. I could read from their expressions that they didn’t believe they were free. They still thought something would happen that put them back in chains or worse.
The shuttle hit the ground with a jolt. The pilot yelled back at everyone, “Sorry folks. It’s my first time driving one of these. When you depart, stay in a group. Don’t wonder off just yet.” He pushed a button and the side door lowered allowing us all to leave.
When both feet hit the ground, it all became real. I turned to my family and hugged them tight. Tears ran down all three faces. I couldn’t believe I found them. I actually found them, and we were together, away from the aliens.
We stayed in each other’s arms as we watched the shuttles fly back and forth. We all had to step into the grass to make room for more and more humans coming from the flaming ship high above. It wouldn’t be long before it would come crashing down into the waiting lake just underneath it.
I was so happy, yet sad. The silence in my head echoed at the loss of my other self. I had my family though. Next step was to free the rest.
We continued to watch until the inevitable happened. The huge craft finally started to fall. All the humans were now on the ground. Doug and the others ushered everyone as far away from the lake as possible. When it hit, a wave rose up and splashed us all but that was it. We were wet, but we were free.
As everyone cheered, I couldn’t help but think of her. She had saved us all. Just then, a soft laugh filled my head. “You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easy, did you?”
