Roswell Fanatics

Chapter 7

Entry Hall, Upper Floor Apartments, The Hotel, A Few Minutes Earlier

With deliriously happy looking faces, Max came out of his room with Liz hanging on his arm and both laughing. When the others saw them, they smiled and just shook their heads.

“What?” Liz asked her extended family

“You both have that ‘just got laid’ look. Again.” Maria said

“Excuse me?” Liz asked with wide eyes

“Guys, we see it every day. Granted you seem to have more of a glow today.” Tess said as she looked back and forth between them

“Yeah.” Isabel said, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing much.” Max said as he leaned down and gave his wife a quick peck on her lips

“Nu ah, what’s up?” Maria asked, “Wait…are you…”

“What?” Tess asked

“Pregnant?”

“No.” Liz said

“But Liz and I have decided to try.” Max said

“Well that explains the look.” Laurie said, “At least you know that you can.”

“So, what’s up with you gu…” Liz stopped in mid sentence as their little beeper went off

“The elevator.” Michael said

“Well it’s not me this time.” Laurie said, “The manager?”

“He calls first.” Kyle said

Alex moved to the bank of monitors that showed the feeds from the cameras around the hotel. “Thankfully I finally got around to fitting that camera.” He said before he brought up the feed, “Uh oh.”

There before them were several men who were busy removing the safeties from compact automatic weapons that had clips that looked like they held a lot of bullets. In that moment they all turned to Max.

“Everyone…get ready. You know what to do.” Max said

“Uh, I don’t.” Laurie said, quickly raising her hand

Michael moved over to his sister, “Around the corner there is a fire alarm switch. Duck down behind the chair there, the back has an inch thick plate of metal in it. If you here me calling out to you saying now then press it.”

“Isn’t that the button that incinerates the apartments and collapses the hotel?” Laurie asked

“And gives people enough time to get out.” Max said

Laurie quickly ran over but then stopped and turned back, “Why does the chair have a metal plate in it?”

“To make it bullet proof so we can hide behind it if we needed to.” Alex said

“Oh right…of course.” Laurie said as she headed around the corner and assumed her position.

“Alex?” Max asked

“I don’t think I have time to put in the commands but I’ll try…just go.” Alex said as he ran to his computer and started to type as fast as he could.

The others all moved around their apartments and got ready, all hoped they would get out of this in one piece but they knew that there was a strong chance that before the day was out all that would be left of their new home would be a smouldering pile of ash. As they moved around, each was near one of their secret emergency escape tunnels to the subway beneath them. After a few more seconds Alex heard the ding of the elevator pulling to a halt and the doors opening. It was then that he finished and hit the return key.

*_*_*_*_*_*

The doors opened and the hit men each moved out with masks over their faces and their guns raised high. However, before the last was able to step out, the light in the elevator suddenly turned red. In that second the floor of the car split down the middle and the last man went falling down the floors to his death. His scream caused the others to look back and down the shaft, before this their instincts were on alert. They didn’t expect much of a fight from a bunch of hotel owners but now they were on maximum.

Just then a large metal plate came sliding down and sealed the elevator. It was 3 inches thick, airtight against the edges of the elevator door and treated with a little alien magic to make the material much more dense and as such very difficult to breach. After that little bit of hesitation, their leader gave them hand signals to move on. As they reached a door, he signalled a couple to move in and scout the room but as they did so Alex completed his task.

A similar barrier, effectively breaking the several assailants into smaller groups long before they reached the main area of the apartments, sealed off each room. They tried shooting their way through but soon found out that the resulting ricochet wasn’t worth the risk. It was then that Tess decided to play. Among each group she created phantasms, just a moving shadow that caused the hit men to sharply turn and fire their weapons. She planned on depleting their firepower; the resulting holes in the walls could be fixed later.

Tess was with Liz and through her new powers she was able to envision each room in her mind and the positions of the people within them. When Liz gave Tess the sign, Tess then created a mindwarp in the minds of the two men in the first room. When they were at opposite sides of the room from each other Tess appeared directly between them.

“Hey guys.” She said

Instantly the two men raised their weapons and fired at Tess. Their bullets went flying through the illusion and hit each other. Immediately the door opened and Tess came in and looked at her mindwarp.

“Such a gullible bunch of idiots.” Mindwarp Tess said

“Aren’t they through.” Tess said before she turned to look at Liz, “Should I be concerned that I’m talking to myself.”

“No more than usual.” Liz said as the mindwarp vanished.

“Let’s go.” Tess said when they heard gunfire from down the halls.

*_*_*_*_*_*

In the library, three more men were looking around. This time it was Michael and Kyle’s turn. Kyle may not have had any powers but he certainly wasn’t useless. Their home had been fashioned like Max and the other aliens were, made for concealment and hiding in plain sight. To that end, there were many panels of books that could turn around and hide a person or two behind it. As the men spread out throughout the room, they were being watched.

All of a sudden as one turned his back, Kyle moved out and rushed toward him. From his days on the football team he knew how to tackle a quarterback and this guy wasn’t even close. He slammed him into an opposite panel that rotated and concealed them just as the others turned back to see what the commotion was about. Both raised their guns toward the panel.

“Shoot it.”

Just then Michael moved from his hiding place, “HEY!” he called out

The two turned quickly but in the seconds it took for them to pull the trigger and for the bullets to leave the weapon, Michael raised his hand and there was a blinding flash of light. The force of it impacted each of them and sent the flying against the wall along with their bullets. Quickly Michael moved around and opened the panel that Kyle was behind. He saw Kyle standing there with one of the hit men on the ground with a knife completely embedded in him at where his concealed body armour didn’t protect.

“You okay?” Michael asked

“Robbing banks and assholes I don’t mind. I didn’t think I’d be in a wrestling match for a knife before sticking it in him.” Kyle said

“I know.” Michael said

“I guess you kinda felt this way when you killed Agent Pierce?”

“And then some. But keep this in you’re head, these guys came here to kill you, me, everyone and Tess.”

Kyle looked around, “You know, that does make me feel better.” He said as he moved out of the room, leaving the bodies where they were and headed out through a concealed exit in the library.

*_*_*_*_*_*

While the attackers never got into their private apartments they did get through most of the shared areas. Alex was watching as four others moved through the halls and he worked on his computer. Then they moved into his area and he used the computer to enter commands that flipped the wall panels around. On the side that was now showing was spotless and gleaming mirrors.

Each of the assailants were suddenly surrounded by their own reflections and the image of each mirror was reflected of the others again and again creating an infinity of reflection. Then Alex switched on a light that flashed on and off brightly, each pulsed reflected along the halls and completely disoriented the hit men who could barely see anything before them. Before long they were walking headfirst into the mirrors, only knowing that they were mirrors at the last moment before they could stop themselves.

Soon they were practically tripping over themselves and crawling through the hall. Then it all stopped and Alex concealed the mirrors again. Suddenly glass panels with razor sharp edges came flying out of slots in the walls and connected to the others side. It took precise timing but Alex was able to disarm the ones in the hall…literally. As much as he hated to do something like this the alternative was far worse. The panel shot out and slid through the wrists or forearms of the men causing them to collapse in pain with their hands on the other side of the glass still clutching their weapons.

“Sorry guys, you made a big mistake coming here.” Alex said to them over a speaker before he pressed a button

In the hall, needles extended from holes in the roof and flooded the contained areas with gas taken from the line that fed their gas fires and kitchen hobs. Before long the glass cubicles that contained them filled with the toxic vapour and they were choking. When it was done, Alex opened the areas and activated the air filters to clear the air before a spark ended up igniting the whole thing. If it weren’t for their complete disorientation cause by the pulsing light, they would have been able to think clearly enough to avoid the glass panels closing or even attempt to break them when the gas started filtering in.

It was then that Alex checked the other camera and saw that his wife and her brother were about to be attacked from the remaining attackers who headed up a different corridor.

*_*_*_*_*_*

Max stood beside his sister as the others dealt with their areas. It was then that they saw the men come around the corner of the hall to the lounge that they all shared. The second they were all past a certain point another metal barricade fell into place and sealed them in. Max didn’t want his sister anywhere near this, not while she was pregnant but this was her home and her family and she wasn’t about to abandon either one.

“You really think you’re getting out of here alive?” Max said as everyone else made their way into the room.

“Who the hell are you people?” the leader said

Max just smiled. Instantly the leader fired and was promptly joined by the others but Max raised his hand and a shield formed blocking all incoming fire. Bullets were flying everywhere, being spread over the shield in an attempt to get to everyone but they were all blocked. Those that weren’t riddled the wall with holes. The sight of the green energy wall before them coming out of nowhere caused them to stop firing out of shock and disbelief. Max lowered the shield as Alex entered from the side.

“Alex?”

“Everyone else is dead. It’s just these.” Alex said

“You killed my brother?” one other attacker asked. Instantly he raised his sidearm and a single shot rang out that slipped by Max’s shield before it completely formed. However, it did graze the bullet and caused it to divert slightly.

Alex fell backward as blood started to pour from a hole in his shoulder. In that moment, as she saw her husband bleeding on the floor, Isabel felt something new and raw building up from within her. It was coming like a geyser, boiling up and ready to explode on the surface and she had never felt anything like it. In the room the temperature suddenly dropped a few degrees before light bulbs exploded. Isabel’s body then crackled with power before lightening blasted out from her hands as fire once did with Tess when she tapped into something similar.

The electricity impacted the leader and melted a hole over his chest before it split apart and hit all the others. It disrupted their bodies right down to the molecular level and vaporising the bonds between them. Each of the attacks turned to dust in less than ten seconds but the energy continued throughout all the rooms that were invaded turning everyone to ashes, even their weapons were gone.

“Wow.” Michael said as he looked at her.

“Yeah, remind me not to piss her off.” Kyle said as Max quickly healed Alex’s wound.

In a second he was by his wife, “Are you okay?”

“I think I should be asking you that.” Isabel said

“Well, yeah but that was…wow.” Alex said

“I guess I got fire, you got lightening.” Tess said

“I’ve never felt like that before. Even when you were in a coma and I thought you were dying.” Isabel said to Alex.

Unfortunately her little outburst hadn’t taken care of everyone. There was one in a little notch in the wall who listened and heard everything before a blast of electricity went flying down the hall. The price for their services today was $100,000 a body among their targets and right now he wasn’t only seeing dollar signs, he just wanted to get out alive and the only way that was going to happen was to follow through and kill the targets.

As he darted around the corner with his gun raised he never had the chance to get his job done. The only thing he knew was that someone kicked his hand upward, the jerking movement of his hand resulted in the trigger being pulled and bullets being sprayed into the roof. Everyone turned around and watched as Laurie span around and did a backward side-kick into his gut before she performed a triple punch, two to his chest and the third to his throat that crushed his windpipe. She then leaped up and doing a spinning head kick that snapped his neck. He collapsed to the floor, his eyes shifting back and forth as his brain registered that he was dying and wondering what the hell just happened. Air escaped from his lungs in a vain attempt to get oxygen into him but soon he died.

“What the hell was that?” Michael asked

“5 years of Tae Kwon Do before my aunt and uncle decided I needed some professional help. I never said I was defenceless Michael.” Laurie said

“No shit.” Kyle said as he looked at the body.

“I take it that is everyone?” Max asked

“Yeah, everyone else is…well.” Liz said, “But you do know this isn’t over. These weren’t soldiers…well that guy was ex Special Forces wannabe but they aren’t current military.”

“You saw that?” Max asked

“All of it. They were sent by our friendly neighbourhood crime families.” Liz said

“We’re going to have to get them before they send more.” Max said

Laurie looked at the body she left on the ground, “Why not use the feds?” she asked, “Attempted robbery or kidnapping for ransom. That’s FBI turf and it’s what the bad guys do. We have evidence here, done by self defence, he must have a record somewhere that connects him to these guys.”

“Kendal, we could call him.” Maria suggested

“That’s not good, if they talk about us being the thieves he’s after…” Tess said

“Then Isabel can dreamwalk them and put a block in on those memories.” Maria said

“Okay but we’ll take care of that later. And we should call the police as well, I mean that is what people do when this kind of thing happens. We can influence them to make sure they go the way we need them to as far as making sure that nothing happens to us…legally speaking. Right now…what do we do about that mess?” Max asked as he looked at the lumps of ash

“Hmm, I’ll go get the vacuum cleaner.” Kyle said as he left the room and returned a few minutes later.

“Wait, if we wait to call him it might look bad. We need to do this on the up and up.” Liz said

“Yeah, okay. Maria, he likes you so you make the call.” Max said

“Uh, excuse me?” Michael said

“Relax Spaceboy, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Besides, he’s way too old for my tastes and a little too human. I prefer my men with some other worldliness to them. Luckily there is only two of you and one is already spoken for.” Maria said before she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed her lover.

“So, you’re with me because I’m all that’s left?” Michael asked

Maria gave a look of frustration but knew that Michael was only playing with her, “I’ll be back in a minute.” She said before she headed to find a phone.

Las Vegas, Nevada, 22:00

“Well, here we are. Bright Light City.” Jeff said

“America’s playground.” Jim said, “Why the hell would Max want us to come out here?”

Their cars went driving through the streets, looking for their hotel, which was easy since they were mostly all on the same strip. Soon they were there and watched the waterfall display spurting up out of the ground with a multitude of colours being shown through it. Throughout their drive they always kept to the same speed, never moving more that 10ft away from each other. Jim managed to lift a couple of radios from the storage closet in the Sheriff’s Station and used them to keep in touch with everyone. When they need to pull over all cars did it at the same time and if another vehicle ever pulled between them, they kept talking and overtook it when possible but all the while they hoped it wasn’t military.

After a little while they pulled into the driveway of the hotel and everyone got out. It was then that one of the doormen looked over and immediately walked over. “Mr and Mrs Evans, Mr and Mrs parker…everyone, welcome back to Vegas.”

“You know us?” Philip asked

“We’ve been expecting you and the manager is inside.” He said with a wink and held the door open for them.

Everyone went inside the bustling hotel/casino. People were moving around all over the place, laughing, loosing money, winning a little back and having a good time. They simply made a beeline for reception but before they even got there the manager came out of his office and went to the on duty receptionist.

“I’ll take care of these.” He said to her before coming out from behind the counter

“Ladies, gentlemen. Welcome back to The Sands.”

“Uh, there must be some mistake. We’ve never…”

“Oh of course you have sir, please give your bags to the bellhops and they’ll take them up to your suite.” The Manager said

Each of them handed over their bags to a small squad of bellhops who went to one elevator while the manager took them to another. Once the doors were closed the Manager turned to them.

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” Jeff asked

“I have been programmed to wait for you and brief you.”

“Programmed?” Nancy asked

“An artificial personality implanted by a combination Dreamwalk and Mindwarp by Tess and Isabel. I was activated when you arrived and will terminate when you leave without the original personality being aware of any of this. No memories, nothing. Any attempt to gain information from me will be impossible.”

“Uh, okay.” Jeff said, “What is it you have to tell us?”

“You have been given the presidential suite, you need to rest up and the hotel is fully at your disposal. Order whatever you wish, the bill had already been taken care of. This is just the first step in a chain to ensure that you aren’t followed. In your suite there is a package, it contains maps with routes and locations marked, cash and keys to a car in the private garage as well as a number of fake identification documents. At each location you will switch cars at which point others like me dispose of the old ones and get you to the next ones. If everything goes well you will be at your destination this time in 2 days.”

“What is the destination? Where are our kids?” Jim asked

“That I don’t know. However, they were recently made aware of an immediate threat on you all that resulted in them taking this action. To that end security will maintain a vigil on your floor and if anything happens they will alert you and take you to the vehicles immediately. Down stairs is a people carrier big enough for all of you with supplies in the back.”

Then the elevator stopped and the doors opened to their floor. The manager took them to their suite with the bellhops already leaving after placing their bags inside. They all moved into the room and looked around before the manager left them.

“They mindwarped someone into helping them. What the hell were they thinking?” Diane asked

“I think they’ve probably had to do a lot to stay one step ahead.” Jeff said, “And if it’s going to keep us out of harms way then I think they’re willing to do anything.”

Jim then moved over to the coffee table in the middle of the room and picked up the package left for them. He opened it and blinked at the amount of cash before him upon which rested the maps and keys. “That’s a lot of money.”

“How the hell did they get all that? There has to be at least 5000 bucks there.” Amy said

“It’s certainly enough to cover any eventuality.” Charles said, “Uh, look, it’s late. We’ve been driving all day and we need a break. From the sound of it we’ve got a long way to go.”

“Hey at least the kids put us up in comfort.” Diane said

“I guess they knew we’d need the break.” Philip said

Soon they were all heading off for a shower or a bath before they ordered room service. They needed a good meal and that was what they got but after a little while they all felt that they couldn’t remain awake much longer. All headed off to bed and slept soundly.

Museum of Natural History, New York, Same Time

Kendal and his team had been in the museum all day as they investigated the site. They had gone through every member of staff from custodians to the scientists, mostly. One scientist they couldn’t locate as he wasn’t home and didn’t turn up for work, it was he that reportedly worked often in the basement that they were now going over with a fine tooth comb.

“Wow.” Mitchell said as he came down the stairs into the white room, “I don’t know much about what eggheads like but this lab looks cool.”

“What the hell were they working on down here?” Kendal said

“So far no word from the tech guys but they aren’t too optimistic on the hard drives from the computers. There aren’t even any lab notes around.”

“About that doctor that’s missing?”

“Nothing yet. His speciality is ancient linguistics.”

“And that means?”

“He translates dead languages.”

“Well then he’s got nothing to do with this. Something like that doesn’t set off an EMP that blackout the north east.” Kendal said

“Maybe, but this isn’t a weapons lab or anything to do with development. This place is equipped for research. They were studying something here and someone obviously wanted it, that door is a mess and from the look of it no one was going to get through that in a hurry but someone did.”

“This security system was state of the art.”

“Okay so we’ve got very determined people, it’ll definitely take more that 5 to move that door, who don’t seem to mind setting off a massive and destructive weapon that’s in a place that it shouldn’t be. Being researched by a scientist who shouldn’t be researching it.”

“That’s about the shape of it.”

“We really need to find out what was down here. Let’s start researching all of the good doctor’s associates and colleagues, any business contacts he may have had and any unexpected activity up to…what? 6 years ago?”

“That should do it.” Mitchell said just as Kendal’s phone rang.

He answered the phone and said, “Hello.”

“Hi agent Kendal, it’s Melissa Deltorro here.”

“Ms Deltorro, what can I do for you?”

“Our apartments were broken into tonight, we think they were trying to steal stuff or kidnap one of us but we got the drop on one. He is…uh…dead, they didn’t get anything but they just took off.” Maria told him

“Are you all okay?”

“Oh yeah, we’re fine but a little shaken up. Listen, none of us could think straight after it but I had your card next to my phone so I called you. I…look we have no idea what to do. We’ve called the police and they’re on their way over but I’d prefer if you could take a look.”

“Ok, I’ll be there shortly.” Kendal said before he hung up the phone.

“What’s going on?”

“Remember those people that were suspects in our other case?”

“Yeah, we ruled them out through alibis and other things although some still think they’re involved.”

“Yes well someone just hit them. They have a body and are a little freaked out.”

“I see. Well, I think we’ve got all that we can get from here, you might as well check it out.”

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Lounge, The Hotel, 1 Hour Later

Kendal was shown into the shared lounge in the apartments as police looking around and the coroner zipped up the body in a black body bag. Then he spotted the number of bullet holes everywhere and stopped, “Wow, what the hell happened in here?”

“A bunch of cowboys.” Max said as he came over

“This looks like automatic weapons fire. How did you avoid being hit?”

“We’re paranoid about security so we hid bullet-proof plates in the furniture so we could use them as shields.” Max said

“Nice.” Kendal said as he looked over to the body. He moved over to it and unzipped the bag before it was wheeled away, “What happened to him?”

“Cracked ribs, crushed windpipe and broken neck.” The coroner said

“Ouch.” Kendal said

“Yeah, that was Laur…a.” Max said, quickly thinking to change her name before giving her the real one.

“Laura? I haven’t met her?”

“She’s Marcus’s sister. Showed up a little while ago. Believe me, that girl is full of surprises. She caught this guy and did this to him.”

“I’ll need to speak to her.” Kendal said

“Could that be later? Marcus is a little worried about her.”

“Of course. Nothing is missing?”

“Not that we’ve found.” Max said, “I’ve got the others checking and the police are looking over everything. Oh and one found a matchbook that wasn’t ours.”

“Okay, I’ll check that out. It might have fingerprints on it…you haven’t touched it have you?”

“No.” Max said honestly, when you can move things with your mind taking something out of a pocket and planting it on the floor was very easy.

Kendal then went and checked out the matchbook, “Hmm.”

“Hmm?” Max asked

“I know the club this is from. It’s a front for the Italian mafia in the city. Had any dealing with them?”

“Uh, no. Not that I know of but some people came around about a week ago wondering if I would consider selling the hotel.” Max said, lying through his teeth

Kendal went through everything the police had gathered. Before long it was all heading off to the lab for testing.

“Are you sure you want to do this? I know because of this blackout half of the FBI are in town looking into it.”

“Well I think they have enough agents on it, besides crime still happens. It doesn’t stop just because someone turns out the lights across a quarter of the country.” Kendal said

“Any idea how that happened?” Max asked, keeping his apprehension in check.

“Sorry, I can’t talk about an active case. But between you and me we don’t have a clue. It doesn’t make sense and if it was terrorist attack then their taking their time in taking credit for it.”

“Oh. So an accident?”

“Possibly but we don’t know how. Our labs are working on their computers. Hopefully they’ll give us a clue. Anyway, I’ll see what we can do about this. Uh, how many were there?”

“7 maybe 8. They all suddenly took off for some reason but I guess that guy didn’t get the message. They left and Laura took him by surprise. She didn’t even know what was going on, she came in saw a guy holding a gun on us and…boom, Karate Kid part 3.”

“That’s the one with Hillary Swank isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, well I’ll let you all get rest and I’ll come back in the morning to get Ms Ford’s statement.”

“Thank you agent Kendal. I hope this isn’t too much trouble.”

“Hey, it’s my job.” Kendal said and then left

The Pentagon, Sunrise The Next Morning

“Report.” The general said as he came in again

“Sorry sir, still nothing. We’ve gotten the basic programs back but all data is gone.”

“Listen, I’ve been called to the Whitehouse. I would like to be able to report something.”

“From before the blackout, we’re fairly sure that they are still in the United States. We’re thinking Miami…maybe one of the islands in the Florida Keyes.”

“Florida. Isolated islands connected by the highway, can easily move across each one and use boats if they need to disappear. Okay, thank you. And get that system working again.

Oval Office, The White House, 20 Minutes Later

Traffic was light for a change and made it across the river and into DC quite quickly. At least the blackout had some positive attributes. As soon as possible he was pulling into the White House drive and was escorted into the Commander In-Chief’s office.

“General, thank you for coming.” The president said

“Of course sir.”

“General, this situation with the blackout…”

“Yes Mr President, our research into the subjects suggests that they aren’t responsible for it. They simply lack the power to pull it off and we’ve always know that they were isolated from their technological resources that could do it.”

“Yes but from what I have come to understand there is a concern about a number of these things around the country and in other nations.”

“No sir. Our data is consistent with our previous conclusion that there is only four biologics that have teamed up with 4 human collaborators. They’re location may be in the Florida Keyes.”

Just then the door opened and Kivar came into the room, fully outfitted in his army dress uniform, “General, this is General Ivar. His conclusions suggest otherwise.”

“I don’t understand.”

“General Ivar has been working on this matter for a long time, long before the beginning of your project. In fact his family was involved with the original investigation into the Roswell Encounter. His project has been involved in identifying the origin of the hostiles and the level of infiltration to our world. His findings are greatly disturbing.”

“And those finding are?”

“That there is underway an invasion plan to conquer Earth. At the current time we believe there are a number of government officials that have already been replaced around the world.” Kivar said

“I see. Invasion of the body snatchers.”

“No, we have a sample of a material used in their camouflage. Skin-like, but with the ability to be grown into any shape and appearance that can be worn by these aliens to move freely.” Kivar said

“General, your task was to track these aliens. You have failed but Ivar here has uncovered a grave threat to our world. I am relieving you of your project and placing Ivar in charge. His task is to hunt and eliminate these aliens no matter where they are or who they turn out to be.”

“Sir, I…”

“Save it general. We had a chance to contain the four from Roswell but you thought a sniper in a school would be better than quietly removing them. Now this infiltration has spread god knows how far.” The president said, “Ivar will return with you to the Pentagon and you will bring him up to speed on your work to date. I’m merging the two projects and I want this threat eliminated.”

“At which point, I’m relocating you to the Orion Project. We’re equipping soldiers with highly experimental and advance technology designed to make them unstoppable and to track aliens with in a mile radius. They will be the best of the best and need training in utilising the technology. Most of it has been inspired by tech found in the original Roswell vessel.”

“Yes sir.” The general said

“Sir.” Ivar said with a smile, oh how he loved to play these people. Then they both left and headed back to the Pentagon, Ivar’s new companion was definitely not happy about being transferred at this point but he wasn’t going to go against an order like this.

Library, The Hotel, 09:00

Sitting at Alex’s computer Tess was writing out as much of what she got out of Franks’ mind that would come to her. Much of it was simple but there was just as much that she had to focus on so that she could separate it from her own knowledge. Right now she was working on the little program that Franks wrote that allowed him to control the Internet. As she worked away, Alex hung over her shoulder and looked at everything.

“Uh, Alex.” Tess said as she felt him lean over

Alex was practically drooling at each lone of code that appeared on the screen, “Sorry.” He said as he leaned back but kept a watchful eye

“Thank you.” Tess said as she continued to tap away at the keyboard

“You know, if we had this months ago getting the material we need on politicians for our little blackmail scheme would have been done in an hour.” Alex said

“Yeah, just remember this wont do you much good right now.” Tess said

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It would take a massive amount of bandwidth to get this to work. All that information flowing through a single system…Franks must have a hell of a computer and a phone line as thick as an elephants leg.” Alex said

“At least with the program, anyone with access to Franks system wont be able to block our own broadcast from going out. Now that we know Franks was connected to Kivar in some way, it would make sense that he would have some kind of link to that system and he would definitely not want us to put that information out.”

“Yes, definitely. So, you getting ready for fatherhood?” Tess asked

Alex smiled brightly, “You better believe it, in fact we’ll be getting a delivery soon to help in that regard.”

“Oh?” Tess asked

“It was your idea. We’re getting enough plants, shrubs and one or two trees to turn our little swimming area into quite that garden. The fact we’ve already enclosed the roof in glass makes thing easier. It’ll be a good greenhouse for some of the more tropical plants we’ve chosen.”

“Good. Listen, Alex, you do know that I have no idea how long Isabel’s pregnancy is going to last. Nacedo told me how long it would be for me and Max but for the two of you…”

“Yeah I know. Neither of us knows what to expect from this but I’m going to be right there with her through all of it. Speaking of which, I should get up there now. She’ll be waiting and the delivery shouldn’t be too much longer.” Alex said

“Okay. I’m nearly finished this anyway so you go, I’ll finish this and then I think I’ll join Kyle in the gym.” Tess said

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? You know it never ends up with you exercising…well not the usual kind at any rate.” Alex said

“Why do you think I go in the first place?” Tess said with a wicked smile

“Uh huh.” Alex said, “Well I’ll see you later. You…have fun.”

“Always do.”

Alex smiled and shook his head as he left the room. He checked in with the manager and found that his delivery was right on time. Soon it was all headed up in the freight elevator that was locked down after their furniture was brought up, the never say any use for it after that but it was easily reactivated. Afterward he headed straight up to find his wife.

Swimming Pool, The Roof, 11:00

Isabel and Alex spent their morning planting their new greenery. They had fashioned large flowerbeds and filled them with enriched soil and covered the floor of their roof with it. They left a trail from the door to the pool and maintained a good boundary around it. With Isabel’s powers it was a simple to remove chunks of the flooring and integrate the beds into it. Downstairs, Max and Michael had already worked to strengthen the underlying structure to prevent any possible weakness.

The young couple took great delight in working to plant each item in the soil. Knowing that this would be the place that their child was going to be born and that what they were doing was apart of their heritage, as well as making sure it was the only safe place to do it. After a few hours, over half of the roof was covered and that when Alex looked up to the roof.

“We’re going to need to install some kind of sprinkler system. Otherwise we’d have one hell of a job watering all of this.” Alex said

“Oh…yeah. I never thought about that.” Isabel said, “I’ve been thinking as well, what about some grass or something. I really don’t like the idea of going through this on cold clay tiles.”

“Yeah, that could work.” Alex said as he sat up and rotated his neck and cracking the bones in it.

“You need a break.” Isabel said

“Oh I need a break? You’re the one who should be resting.” Alex said

“I’m not sick Alex. I’m pregnant…with your baby.” Isabel said teasingly.

“Yes you are.” Alex said before leaning over and kissing her lightly

“Hmm, well we have been at this a while. How about we go for a nice swim?” Isabel said as she got up and headed toward the pool.

“Nice idea, but I don’t have my swimmers with me.” Alex said as he put down his trowel and looked over to Isabel

“Neither do I.” Isabel said as she looked over her shoulder at her husband and then pulled the straps of her dress from her shoulders. Alex watched as the light garment fluttered from her body and fell to her feet. It was in that moment that Alex realised that his beloved soul-mate had neglected to put on any underwear this morning.

Alex looked from her feet, up her long legs to her naked butt and then up her back to her eyes. He could see the look of fire in her eyes before she turned to look at the water and then dived in. Alex stood and moved to the edge of the pool and watched the beautiful form of his wife swim through the warm waters. Then she surfaced, her soaked hair was darkened and slicked back over her shoulder.

“You coming in or what slow poke?” Isabel asked

“Hmm. I’ll show you slow.” Alex said as he worked faster than he ever had to remove his clothes.

His t-shirt was off in a heartbeat but he had a little problem with his sneakers. Alex was hopping about and going round in circles trying to get them off. Eventually he did and then off came his pants and briefs. The very second he was as naked as Isabel; he dived into the water and swam over to her. The two of them swam around each other, moving close enough together for their bodies to glide together. They moved around for a little while before the need for air brought them up to the surface.

“Is it me, or is this water a little warmer?” Alex asked

“No, it’s warmer. I raised the temperature, it just seems more comfortable to me. You?”

“I can handle it and it does seem a little better.” Alex said

“Must be some weird pregnancy symptom. I’ve actually started feeling that up here needs to be more humid.”

“Well we’ll take care of that.” Alex said as he caressed her face.

Isabel smiled and darted her eyes down. Instantly she sank beneath the surface, Alex’s eyes went wide as he suddenly felt his dick being taken into Isabel’s mouth. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply as his wife sucked on him and caressed his length with her tongue. Alex knew from experience that Isabel could hold her breath far longer than the average human and that she could spend minutes down there pleasuring him, however she was now breathing for two and he reached out under the water to her face.

Soon Alex was hard and Isabel let him bring her back up to the surface. The two lovers pressed their bodies tightly together and kissed as steam rose from the waters around them. They were hot and through Isabel’s powers it was heating up the water, with each degree higher both relaxed more and more as they sank back under. Their arms were wrapped around each other as their legs intertwined, both floating together in the deep water.

Being completely submerged as their hands glided over each other seemed to make it one long endless caress was the water pressed against them. Isabel felt her breasts press up against Alex’s chest as his hands slid down, one caressed the side of her body while the other moved to her ass and pulled her groin against his so that his erection was squeezed between them. Then the need for air hit them again and the two came back up to the surface, they broke their kiss with a series of smaller but no less erotic ones.

“I love you.” Alex sighed

“I love you too.” Isabel said as they rested their foreheads together before she reached down between them and wrapped her fingers around his cock.

She looked deeply into his eyes as she started to stroke him, making him that little bit harder before he moved his fingers between her legs and started penetrating her slit with them. Both moved their hands and fingers slowly causing their breathing to become heavier and filled with passion. The looks they were giving each other could set the building on fire as the steam from the water was already clouding up the glass of the roof enclosing. They moved as one form through the water to a shallower area where they could stand and when he could, Alex planted his feet firmly on the tiled ground beneath him.

The young couple kissed again and moved their hands from between each other’s legs before Isabel jumped up and wrapped her legs behind her husband’s ass. With her breasts aligned with his face, Alex started kissing her breasts and sucking on her nipples, all the while caressing them with his tongue and nibbling with his teeth. It had Isabel whimpering with pleasure as sparks from her sensitive mounds of flesh were sent throughout her body. Then Alex reached into the tight space between them and got to his dick. Carefully he aimed for his lover’s opening and then Isabel sank down onto his engorged dick.

Both moaned quietly when the head of Alex’s cock slipped inside her but then Alex gave a solid, hard thrust with his hip and soon his entire length was buried up inside Isabel. Alex looked deep into her eyes, the light reflecting from the water’s surface were glistening in them and off her wet body as he caressed her skin. The sensations of Isabel surrounding Alex’s dick caused his knees to turn to jelly but the movements of the water around them kept them steady.

Before long, Isabel was slowly raising and lowering herself on Alex’s dick. Her body was sliding against his but soon the pleasure she was feeling through her body cause her to tilt her head back and arch her back slightly. She continued to move on him, feeling his dick sliding in and out of her warm, tight pussy. Soon the water was rippling around them as their tryst was becoming much more energetic.

Alex held her butt, matching each of thrusts and pushing up into her body. Alex caressed his hands up Isabel’s body to her breasts. One of them cupped the supple flesh while the other continued to move up to her face where she took one of his fingers into her mouth and bit down on it, sucking it slightly. They had formed a wild rhythm, every time Isabel crashed down Alex thrust his hips up.

“Al…Alex…pleaaaaase.” Isabel gasped

“God…ISABEL....” Alex called out as Isabel tightened the grip of her long legs around him, pulling him deeper.

“ARHHHHHHHHH, ALEXXXXXXXX...” Isabel screamed out

“UHHHHHHNNNNNNNN ISABEL...” Alex called out at the same time

“ALEX…PLEASE.” Isabel said

Alex watched as her breasts bobbed before his eyes, shaking back and forth and tormenting Alex. As she kept moving Alex captured one of her breasts with his mouth and began to suck on her nipple while gently flicked it with his tongue.

“Hmmmm…UGHNNNNNN...HNNNNNNN.” Alex mumbled against the flesh of her full breasts.

Every time Isabel pushed down with her hips she clenched the inner muscles of her pussy and released her tight grip as she raised herself up again. Alex glided his hands against the silken skin of her back and reached down to cup her ass. He released her nipple and looked into her sweat-covered face, watching as clumps of hair became stuck to her forehead. Alex let go of one of her ass cheeks and removed the hair from her head as her movements became sharper and more urgent.

Alex knew that she was close to her climax so he reached down with his free hand to play with her clit. He massaged it, squeezed it, anything to see the flush of pleasure in her face as she came apart in his arms.

“OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.” Isabel screamed

“ISABEL, OH JESUS…UGNNNNNNNNNNN.” Alex said at the same time as Isabel as he came deep inside her.

Isabel became limp in his arms and he held her close as she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she remembered the now fading sensations. Alex ran his hand through her hair and rested it on the back of her head. Their lips fused in a wild kiss that lasted for long minutes before Alex pulled out of his love and she unwrapped her legs from around his body. She stood on her own two feet again but was no where need ready to leg the feel of Alex’s body against hers end. Together they just sank into the water and kissed away. Eventually they did get back to their little gardening project. They left the pool and dried themselves off using towels before they redressed themselves. Alex knew he was going to have trouble focussing on his work now that he knew Isabel was without her underwear but she only teased him a little. The two of them worked with their trowels and after a few more hours they had covered the roof area with bright colourful plants from common types to tropical orchids. Trees planted as were a few bushes, everything just to make it look similar to the area of Central Park that Isabel sought out when her instincts took her over and led her out there.

The Pentagon, Noon

The general was showing Kivar around the area of the Pentagon that was now formally his. Although he didn’t know it, he had met his greatest enemy but something did give him a clue. When he was about to meet Kivar to show him around, he went to the vault and retrieved the single alien artefact that they had retrieved to show it to him. It was in his pocket when Kivar showed up and it vibrated silently.

It set him on alert and decided to keep his own council on it for the moment so the device remained in his pocket. The general showed him through everything before bringing him to the hub of activity in the project, the control room that was attempted to be brought back up to operational status.

“What happened in here?” Kivar asked

“We were in the middle of a backup when the blackout hit. It wiped out everything. We’ve reloaded basic operational software but all data to date is lost. We’re attempting recovery now but it’ll take time if it’s possible. I am assured that we’ll have something by the time you take command General Ivar.”

“Excellent. I’m sure some of my contact may have a few recovery methods that might help.” Kivar said, “We’ll need this back up if we’re to track our enemies.”

Then a lieutenant approached, “General Ivar, the Joint Chiefs have requested you on a conference call with the Nallas facility at Groom Lake.”

“Excuse me general.” Kivar said as he went to the phone

It was then that the vibrations of the device in his pocket stopped. He noticed it and looked at the officer before him speaking on the phone. For half an hour there was nothing but then Kivar hung up the phone and returned to the General’s side, the device reactivated. Much later when the tour was over and Kivar was leaving, the general felt the device turn off again and got his most trusted aide and chief scientist into his office.

“You wanted to see us general?”

The general took out the artefact and put it on the table, “Doc, I take it you still don’t know what this thing does?”

“Yes general, we’ve subjected it to every test we can think of but with no results.” The scientist said

“What if I were to tell you that the device activates when in proximity to certain people?”

“Uh…well without further data I would say that the device was set to pick up on the reading from those people like a scanner or life signs monitor. Why?”

“I was going to show this to Ivar when it suddenly started vibrating. I’m sure it was reacting to him.”

“If it was picking up on him and not any other person that has come in contact with it in the past several years then…” the lieutenant said

“Then he might not be who or what he appears to be.” The general said as he looked at his scientist who was nodding

“Lieutenant…start researching Ivar. I want to know everything. And whatever you find, dig deeper and then do it again.”

“Yes general.”

“Dismissed…oh and do not discuss this with anyone at all.”

“Of course general.” Both said before they left and the general just looked at the device. From now one he wasn’t going to be far from it and he wasn’t going to be without a sidearm any time soon.

Bar in the Bronx, 15:00

The leaders of the many crime groups in the city were still here, awaiting word on the success of their hit men. They had left and scheduled this meeting to occur at this time but they had heard nothing from their men or anything on the attack. That wasn’t good news in itself but not have any of them answering their phones. After 30 minutes of not getting any news they were getting nervous and about to leave.

“I think we can take it our attack did not go well.” Provolone said as he grabbed his briefcase

“Next time we should send in triple the amount…I would love to know how they beat our best men.” Krosilev said

Just as they were about to head to the door, it blew up. It was blasted completely off its hinges as a smoke grenade was tossed inside along with some teargas. Several well-armed federal officers in full tactical gear promptly followed that grenade with their faces covered with black face- guards that protected them from the smoke.

“FEDERAL AGENTS – FREEZE!” the team leader yelled

They moved quickly and neutralised their bodyguards without firing a single shot. Of course they ended up with bruised faces as they were knocked out but with the result was that they were all bent over the table as handcuffs were placed on them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Special Agent Kendal of the FBI and you are all under arrest.” Kendal said before turning to the officers, “Read them their rights and get them out of here.”

The Hotel…

“That’s it…he’s got them.” Liz said with her eyes glazed over as she looked to what was happening elsewhere. “I have their location.”

“Show me.” Tess said as she took her hand.

Tess immediately locked onto the men and women that were now under arrest, “I can see them.”

“Okay Tess. Warp away.” Max said

Tess did so. She focused and in seconds she was deep into the minds of the people, she worked her way deeply but soon she found what she was looking for and erased the memories within them of anything to do with their little family.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 8

FBI Field Office, New York, 17:00

The second the Feds brought in their prisoners they were taken to a holding room prior to being taken for their interrogations. Much later and stuck in the interrogation room, Kendal sat across from Provolone with his lawyer sitting right next to him taking notes. They had been in there for hours, going around and around.

“We have the body. Fingerprints and dental said his name was Paul Levine, with a list of priors longer than this room and most of that was through your orders.”

“That’s enough Agent Kendal, my client has never been convicted of anything and if you had anything then you would have brought Mr Provolone in along time ago.” His lawyer said

“Well I don’t deny we’ve had out problems in the past with getting your client behind bars. However, this time we have this.” Kendal said as he slid out the matchbook cover that was in a plastic evidence bag, “The matchbook is from your main business and has your thumbprint on it.”

“Oh please. My client could simply have borrowed it, or it was Mr Provolone’s and he threw it away and then picked up by this Levine. You have nothing.”

“Come on Leo, why’d you attack them?” Kendal asked, “You try to make one of your business arrangements but they said no?”

“Don’t say anything.” The lawyer said

“I think I have to go with my lawyer on this.” Provolone said

“You know, we could go on at this all night. We have eyewitness testimony that there were a number of people who attacked. We have video footage of their entry to the hotel but then for some unknown reason, after riddling their home with bullets, they suddenly left after receiving a message over their radios. Now they haven’t been seen since.” Kendal said

“Yes, that would be because your looking at my various businesses and holdings for people that match that description. However, they aren’t associated with me therefore you aren’t going to see them.” Provolone said, “And if any of my colleagues that you also detained tonight took such actions then I was not involved.”

“Well we’re talking to them right now as well.” Kendal said, “I suppose you wont be ready to tell me about some of their dealings?” Provolone just folded his arms. “Yeah, I thought not. Oh by the way, I have some friends coming from Washington. They would like to speak to you about the case their working on, apparently bringing you in accelerated their plans.”

“Plans?”

“Yes, they are working on using the RICO act for you and most others in New York. They really have a lot of evidence, I guess trying to extort money from a bunch of hotel owners worth millions with Japanese corporate connections kinda raises alarm bells. They’ll be stopping by tomorrow.” Kendal said

“RICO? You’re crazy.” The lawyer said

“Hey, it’s not my case. I’m dealing with the attack on the hotel but to get you off the streets and behind bars for a very long time I would gladly hand over the case. So right now, I’m going to take you to your cell and you can think about what you’re going to tell my friends in the morning.” Kendal said as he stood up and opened the door

A few agents came in and escorted Provolone and his lawyer out and down to his waiting cell. The lawyer left the building and went straight for her office to work on the case. Kendal smiled all the way to his office, he was glad to get this case off his hands since he was more interested in the investigation into the blackout.

Sub-Level 5, The Pentagon, 21:55

Several people were still working, they had swapped over at the shift change and all continued to bring their system back up to speed. The general was standing there along with Kivar and all the while he was staring at the fake general through the corner of his eye. He kept the device on him a few more time just to be sure but it always reacted to Kivar’s presence. He just had to wait on the results of his lieutenant’s check into General Ivar’s background. Soon every screen in the facility lit up and showed radar telemetry from all over the globe.

“Sire, our connection to NORAD has been restored.” One technician said

“About time.” Ivar said just before an indicator lit up and zeroed in on a small spot over the Earth

“What is that?” the general asked

“Sir, Angel detected moving into a high orbit.”

“What?” Both general’s asked. Even Kivar had not been expecting it, he had made his intentions toward Earth very clear to most of the local races and they all knew better than to try and interfere with a race as powerful as the Antarians.

“Can you get visual?” the general asked

“Not yet sir. Our satellites in that area were hit by the blackout. Not enough to completely disable them but they are not receiving signals.”

Then another soldier spoke up, “Sir, flight path his highly erratic. NORAD is reporting…they think they’re picking up explosions on board.”

“Some kind of malfunction?” the general asked

“It’s possible.” Ivar said, no one else would be stupid enough to come here unless they were having problems

High Orbit, 22:00

The alien ship was little more than a cubicle rectangle with the propulsion system on the back. There were no windows, no openings and looked completely seamless. Whatever was inside, it certainly didn’t look like it was intended to get out without help. As it flew over the Earth it shook back and forth before the outer hull started to blast outward. It happened again and again, growing in intensity before the entire vessel exploded in a ball of green fire.

However, one thing did survive. A little pink orb about the size of a beach ball came hurling toward the ground, barely being scratched by the intense inferno of atmospheric friction. It fell down to New York, straight to a flat top roof but it didn’t flatten the building. Instead it impacted off it and went flying off to another one like a basketball where it landed soundly after bouncing up and down a couple of times.

Then out sprouted a couple of little arms and legs while a face appeared on it. It looked around at the strange environment before moving back into a dark corner and shaking. “Zeezu za ba conda.” It said in a cute little high-pitched voice. It didn’t like where it was, it felt alone and he didn’t like the darkness where he was. Then the little ball felt something in the distance and came out of the shadows before jumping up onto the edge of the building.

It closed its eyes tightly and it started to change colour. It became a deep shade of green and then its eyes reopened, from the way we see the world around it the little creature now saw glows of green energy in lots of places around the city but it couldn’t tell what was the strongest concentration or how recent it was. It just knew there was something out there and started to bounce up and down excitedly.

“Zeezu zoi.” It said before landing itself down hard onto the tarred roof. It sent itself flying miles up into the air, shooting off over the city toward the nearest green glow.

Kitchen, Michael/Maria’s Apartment, The Hotel, 08:00 The Next Morning

Maria came out of her bedroom, she was naked save for one of Michael’s dress shirts that barely covered her ass and showed flesh all the way up to her hip. She went straight for the kitchen, after last night’s antics with her lover she needed food to recharge. It wasn’t too much longer that Michael came out wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and he moved straight to Maria and kissed her before seeking out some orange juice from the fridge.

“What got into you last night?” Maria asked

“I have no idea but that was amazing. It was just like I had to be with you. Sorry by the way.” Michael said

“Oh I’m not complaining. You feel like that again you come and find me right away.” Maria said with her back to him as she pulled some bread out of its bag.

“Oh really?” Michael asked

“Oh yeah.” Maria said, widening her eyes as she remembered when Michael woke her by moving on top of her body.

Michael looked over her; he couldn’t help but think at how hot she looked wearing his shirt. He hadn’t stopped feeling what he had felt last night, it had only diminished slightly but as he looked at her he couldn’t resist seeking out pleasure from her flesh and making sure that she was feeling that fire as well. Quickly he grabbed his lover and spun her around at which point he latched his mouth to hers for a white-hot searing kiss. Maria found herself melting against his strong body and not even the tiniest sliver of air was between them. Neither could get enough of the sensations that came with having their bodies pressed so tightly together. As their tongues duelled together they moved around their kitchen, crashing into the cabinets and counters. All the while each impact resulted in something shaking or falling on its side.

Then they broke the kiss and looked into each others flustered faces, “God, Maria, I gotta fuck you.”

Maria slammed her palm against his dick and started massaging it through his boxers, “Then fuck me…as hard as you want.” She whispered

Michael groaned and couldn’t help himself; he kissed her hard and moved her over to their dinning table. Maria soon found herself bent over that table, since the only thing she was wearing was Michael’s shirt nothing needed to come off but Michael did pull up the shirt. He loved looking at her skin and started to probe her pussy with his fingers, causing her to squirm slightly. Michael’s dick was hard just from hearing her whimper and pulled off his boxers enough to let his cock out.

He probed for her opening and when he found it he buried his full length into her. Maria gripped tightly onto the opposite edge of the table and grunted loudly. Michael started to thrust into his girlfriend energetically and it was all Maria could do was brace herself and enjoy the ride…and she most certainly was. Michael rocked his hips back and forth again and again and hard, sending his length into Maria’s hot body to the hilt.

“Fuck me Michael…fuck me…fuck me…fuck me…ughhnnn…fuckkk me.”

“UGHNN…UGHNNNN…” Michael moaned over and over with each deep thrust. Everything was so intense right now that he knew he wouldn’t last for very long. Moments later, Michael slammed hard into her cunt, cried out loudly and shot a load of his cum into Maria’s depths. Then he collapsed forward onto her back as he held her body and as Maria continued to hold onto the table as her quivering pussy contracted around his dick. “Uhnnn…thank you.” He sighed before he peeled off of her and removed himself from within her.

Maria was practically purring as Michael caressed her body and sweat dripped down their faces. “You are very welcome.” She said with a sly smile as she leaned up from the table, however she was far from satisfied and one look down to Michael’s hard dick told him that he would gratefully accept more, “But if you think we’re done, you’re very wrong.” She said as she grabbed hold of the sides of the shirt and ripped it open, sending buttons everywhere and exposing her body. She tossed the garment away before she grabbed her lover, put her ankle behind his and using it to trip him backward to the floor. Michael was taken completely by surprise; he knew she could be aggressive when she wanted to but he hadn’t seen her like this. She hooked her fingers onto his boxers and ripped them down his legs before tossing them to join the shirt she had borrowed from him. After coming once, his dick was softening and that didn’t suit the purpose Maria wanted it for. Quickly she leaned over and grabbed it, aiming his semi-erect length for her mouth and she took him inside.

Her tongue bathed him as her head quickly started to bob back and forth. She was intent on giving him the blowjob of all blowjobs but that was for someday soon, right now it was good to have the practice and she just wanted him fully hard again. Michael groaned and groaned as Maria’s hand soon started to fondle his balls. All Maria had to do was keep doing this and Michael would happily cum again into her mouth. However, before he could, Maria sensed that he was getting close again and let him loose from her mouth. She moved up and kissed him passionately as she scrapped her fingernails down his chest.

Maria leaned up and began kissing him hungrily as she straddled his hips. One hand snaked between them to his length, positioning him and then sitting down quickly, causing both of them to gasp. His hands went to her hips as he began quickly thrusting into her, feeling his second climax so close but that was about the love of his life getting off. He knew from the tightening of her body around his cock that she was almost there too.

“Ughnnnn…yesss…fuck me…ughnnn god baby.” Michael groaned.

He brought one hand up from her hip and put it around her shoulder, anchoring her as he began thrusting harder and faster, breath hissing between his teeth. Maria's nails dug into his chest as she struggled to reach her own impending climax. Michael may have been thrusting up into her body and he was keeping her securely upon him, it didn’t stop her from grinding her hips against his as hard as she could. She was rocking against him, sliding her aching clit against his pubic bone. It made her scream louder but she was no less close to her orgasm.

“UGHnnnn…UGHNNNNN…MMMMMMMM…ICHAEL…UGHHNNNNNN.” Maria screamed

“GHNN...GHNNN…GHNNN…GOD…COME ON MARIA…CUM FOR ME BABY.” Michael groaned.

Dropping his other hand from her hip, he began rubbing at her exposed clit. Suddenly, she stiffened in his arms and then screamed and bucked against him, her body shuddering. “Oh GOD MICHAEL…OH YESS…OH YESS…OH MY GOD YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!”

He held onto her, watching as she soared through her climax, but the continuous tightening of her body around his cock brought him to the attention of his own demanding release. Grasping her hips, he shoved hard into her once, twice, then arched his back as his body released its load with hard pulses that sent shivers through both of their red hot bodies. Finally he settled back against the carpeted floor, wrapping his arms around Maria and holding her tight while she ebbed from her own orgasm.

“That was…” Maria just sighed

“Yeah.” Michael agreed as she felt her body move with each breath.

“So, no idea what got into you?”

“No, but I know exactly what just got into you.” Michael said with a smile and he felt Maria give off a slight laugh. After a few minutes of simply laying together and running their hands slowly over each other, Maria moved off her boyfriend and leaned against the nearby cabinet. They looked at each other as Maria trailed her bare foot up and down his chest and used it to play with his now soft cock. They didn’t move, they just looked at each other with love and utter contentment in their eyes. Before long they stood up and worked together, moving around each other and giving each other gentle caresses as they made their breakfast.

Near Yellowstone National Park, Same Time

It was Nancy’s turn behind the wheel, they took shifts and usually afterward they would take the opportunity to sleep but Nancy followed the directions on the map. She traced her finger to the end of the road where there was a little mark indicating the stop point and stopped the car. She woke everyone up that was sleeping and they all got out. As they looked around them, the only thing they could see was a rundown gas station that looked like no one had been to in years.

“I think I must have made a wrong turn.” Nancy said

“You followed the map?” Jim asked

“Every turn…or I thought I did.” Nancy said

Then the door opened and a man with very few of his teeth remaining and in desperate need of a shave came out. “Well it’s about time you folks stopped by. You’re running a few hours late.”

“Uh, well traffic, you know.” Jeff said

“Yeah, anyway follow me.”

“I take it your another…”

“Programmed personality? Yeah, and as usual with self terminate when you leave.” The man said as he escorted them around the back of the building and into a small workshop area. There they saw a mass hidden beneath a tarp. “Here’s your keys. Get your stuff out of the old one and get in here.”

“What are you going to do with it?” Jeff asked

“I’m gonna torch it. That should take care of anything that would point to you.”

Philip moved over to the lump, grabbed hold of the edge of the tarp and pulled it off. This time it was a small bus with paintwork that indicated it was for tourists. “Well it could be worse I suppose.” He said

Within half an hour their belongings were all moved into the bus and they were driving off. As the gas station shrank in the horizon of the rear view mirror they watched as there was an explosion when their newest contact put a match into the fuel tank of the people carrier. They could only assume that he was okay and was back to his old self. It wouldn’t take much for him to do it safely and be out of the way when the vehicle became a fireball. Besides, they may not have known what their kids had been up to lately but they did know them and they wouldn’t risk the lives of innocents.

“You know, I wonder how the kids will be when we find them.” Diane said

“I think we can just be thankful that if they sent us this amount of cash then their not slumming it.” Charles said

“Yeah but I’ll just be thankful if Michael is behaving himself with my little girl.” Amy said

“Oh please, like they weren’t misbehaving themselves before they left.” Jim said

“AH. Something’s I just don’t need to know and if I do know then I’m perfectly content to be in self denial.” Amy said

“Something tells me you will be forced out of denial pretty soon if we do find them.” Jeff said

“Hey, at least your daughter is married to Max.” Amy said, remember what they had been told in the first letter home along with the only photograph they had been sent of them all standing outside that chapel they were married in.

“Yeah and we’re going to be having words about that.” Nancy said

“It’s not like they’re the only ones to elope. Alex and Isabel are still in the bad books over that one.” Charles said

“Oh hell yeah. But that has been nearly three years now, maybe we should let that slide.” Jim said

“Nah uh, I missed my daughter getting married, like hell that is getting slide. At least she was happy.” Diane said

“Was happy? You don’t think so any more?” Nancy asked

“Who knows? We’ll find out soon enough.” Diane said, “Where to this time?”

Jeff opened the glove compartment and pulled out a new set of maps, “Uh, looks like Alabama.”

“This is one hell of a paper chase Max has us on.” Philip said

“Given what’s at stake I didn’t think they’d make it easy.” Jim said

“Uh, actually I think it might just be that easy.” Amy said as she looked at the map

“What?” Jim asked

“After Vegas, the towns that the maps have us driving through to fill up on gas…” Amy said

“What about them?” Diane asked

“The first letters of each town, it spells out N.E.W.” Amy said

“New. So what?” Jeff asked

“Well we didn’t stop near a town but we did stop near Yellowstone at the last one.”

“New Y…New York?”

“It couldn’t possibly be that easy.” Jim said

“What if it is? What if Max’s route leads us to the same place but he planted this in case we figured it out?” Charles asked

“New York is a pretty big place. Where do we even begin? I mean if we do go there now?” Philip asked

“They wouldn’t have left this to chance. Maybe they’ve marked something in what they’ve left us already as clues.” Jim said

“So do we go?” Diane asked

“I don’t see how we cant. I mean if we’re wrong then Alabama is just a few states south.” Charles said

“Let’s do it.”

Jeff stepped on the gas and increased the speed, this particular road was a single stretch of highway without any exits but they traced their own route to the city. Everyone else in the bus looked through the things left by their kids from Vegas to the gas station, hoping to find something, anything that would lead to their kids.

The Lounge, The Hotel, 11:00

Last night had been extremely pleasurable for everyone, all those with otherworldly blood mixed with a hint of human DNA ended up with their hormones that dealt with sexuality being slightly put out of whack for a few hours before they adapted to the change. That change being a new arrival to the neighbourhood. The police and the Feds had gone; as much as they all hated having them that close they did serve a purpose. They just hoped that Tess and Isabel’s work on the FBI in Washington would keep at least some of their problems behind bars for a very long time. As they once said, being an alien makes it easy to fake things and that included a rather large pile of evidence that was incredibly convincing that was forming molecule by molecule in the evidence lockup. Anyway, the Feds were gone and that left one hell of a clean up job. Out came the tools in case anyone stopped by but they did use the stepladders as the resident aliens waved their hands over the walls to repair the damage from the bullet impacts. There was a lot they had to do so they all separated into groups.

“So Laurie…you like kicking ass?” Maria asked as she and Laurie removed some of the pictures from that wall that had their frames shattered, repairing them was Michael’s job as Max and Isabel removed the bullet holes.

“It’s okay. I mainly did it to keep fit. I was never much into jogging or a gym.” Laurie said, “And there was always something about breaking a wooden block with my foot that got to me.”

“Which probably freaked out your aunt and uncle from time to time.”

“Hmm, yeah. They didn’t like that I could do that if they tried to piss me off I could put my foot through their ribs so they had me medicated when I was sleeping and transferred to that stinking hospital.” Laurie said

“Could you teach me?” Maria asked

“Oh sure. That’ll be easy but you should think about going to a proper class, they’re a little more regulated…safer. Sometimes I don’t know my own strength and when I get upset…let’s just say my issues get the better of me.”

Maria smiled, “I’ll take my chances.”

“Why do you want to learn anyway? To help protect my dear sweet brother?”

“And maybe kick his ass from time to time.” Maria said with a really wicked grin

“Yeah, something’s I definitely don’t need to know what you two get up to.” Laurie said

“What does it mean anyway?” Maria asked

“Hmm?”

“Tae kwon do, what does it mean?” Maria asked

“It’s Korean, it means art of hand and foot.” Laurie said

In another room…

Liz and Tess were working away on the same thing in a room that didn’t have quite so many holes. “So Liz.”

“Yeah?” Liz said

“You really want to have a baby?”

Liz smiled and Tess got her answer as the two worked away.

“Are you scared?” Tess asked

“A little but so long as I’m with Max…”

“But what about the timing, I mean with everything going on right now…Isabel was an accident but to do this deliberately?” Tess asked

“I know, we’ve thought about that. Then we came up with one conclusion. Life sucks, but it goes on. We can’t keep putting our lives on hold because of what’s out there. We’ll protect our kids anyway we have to but we are going to have a family. Besides, that little attack exposed the flaws in our defences. No one is going to get in as far as they did again. Alex is reworking his programs and we’ll be able to lock down the elevator with the touch of a button and seal off the doors. And we can’t let little Alex Junior to be all alone.”

“We can’t plan for everything Liz, what happens if we get captured. Do you really want some lab coat working on him or her?” Tess asked, “Oh and my money is on a girl by the way.”

Liz closed her eyes, “No and there is a 50/50 chance that you’ll loose that bet.”

“Not if someone we both know uses that little prophetic ability of hers.” Tess said

“Uh, no. They want to be surprised so I’m not looking.” Liz said

“Hey, why don’t you use it to see if it all works out? You know to see if your kids are in a white room or in here?” Tess asked

“I’ve already tried. It’s too blurry. I think the closer I see the clearer it is but everything can change so the further it is the more blurred it is.”

“Well…that sucks.” Tess said, “So you’re still going to go through with it?”

“All I have to do is do what Max and I have been doing every day for the last year. The only think that changes is us using a rubber.” Liz said

“Really don’t need to hear this.”

“Oh like the fact that you and Kyle had fun in one of the halls last night?”

“You heard that?”

“Tess the whole hotel heard that. You were pretty loud.” Liz said

“Oh…my god.” Tess said, “Actually I didn’t think I was that loud.”

“Tess you’ve got soundproofing in our apartments but not in the halls.”

“Oh yeah I forgot about that. Mind you I did enjoy it.” Tess said

“Sounded like it.” Liz said, “Sounded like it a lot.”

“I think we should just get back to work.” Tess said

Liz smiled, “Lets.”

“20 bucks on yours being a boy.” Tess said

“Tess.” Liz warned

“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” Tess said as she repaired hole after hole.

Somewhere Near the Franks Building, 21:00

The little ball-like alien bounced its way from rooftop to rooftop, following the green energy trails it could see through its enhanced vision to the building. In one of the offices a lone worker stood trying to get tech services on the phone despite the late hour with his back to the window. Then the alien, with its arms and legs extended, rotated clockwise as it floated diagonally from upper left to bottom right.

“Zeezu la bu ka.”

Inside the office, the man looked up and turned around but saw nothing at the window. He simply shook his head, put it down to tiredness and put his attention back to the phone. The alien landed on a nearby roof and promptly bounced back up, flying high up the length of the building to the windows of the room where Franks forced Max and the others to sit and have dinner with him. However, it saw nothing and plummeted back down to Earth.

It headed down to the ground, to a small alley near the building. The alien impacted off one of the walls and quickly started bouncing around like a metal ball on a pinball machine before it thumped down to the ground. Once there it clapped its arms together and giggled excitedly before it looked around. It really didn’t like the dark and this alley was even worse, especially with the stray cats that were staring at it with their eyes gleaming in the night.

It didn’t plan on sticking around and jumped up a few feet where it pulled in its arms and legs before landing on the ground, bouncing off it and hurtling itself up over the buildings. Soon it was on top of the Franks building and looked out over every inch of the city. There were very few places left that it saw the green energy trails. One was a little bit of a distance away but it appeared saturated with the energy and that was its best bet. The alien took a running jump and bounced off the edge where it started flying over the city once more.

The Roof, The Hotel, 20 Minutes Later

Upon the glass pyramid that encased the roof, the alien landed on the smooth surface but had to keep from sliding right off it. Fortunately it could produce a compound on its feet that acted very much like weak glue. It was enough to keep it from heading off to the streets below. However, as the alien changed back to its pink colour it tapped the glass. It could see right though it but couldn’t understand why it couldn’t go through it, as far as it knew there was nothing there that it could see. The little ball looked questioningly at it, it just couldn’t see the glass but he knew it was there, either that or he learned to float in a single spot in the last few minutes.

It looked around and saw no other choice. It closed its eyes and concentrated hard, so much so that its face was clearly showing strain. The alien then started to change colour again but this time it changed to a light blue shade before it vanished in a crackle of blue energy and reappeared a few feet away within the enclosed space. Instantly it returned to its natural pink colour and almost passed out as it fell to the floor through the trees and plants Isabel and Alex planted. It bounced up and down slightly before coming to settle on the ground. Liz and Isabel then came in to their new little garden.

“I’m telling you I heard something.” Liz said

“Liz, this is sealed. If there was even a crack on the glass, our alarm would have gone off.” Isabel said

“I still heard something.” Liz said

“Paranoid.” Isabel teased

“It’s not paranoia if they’re really after you. You of all people know that.” Liz said

“Hmmm.” Isabel grumbled as they looked around, “Look there is nothing here.”

“Zeezu za coia.”

Both girls froze and looked harder, “What was that?”

“No clue.” Liz said

Together they moved over to the area where the sound came from and they spotted some rustling among the leave. The creature slowly opened its eyes and sensed that someone was approaching, it didn’t have much of a choice and darted out of the bushes it was in. The second the two girls saw the pink mass heading toward them, the jumped apart and fell to the ground as the ball instinctively went to the door. Isabel quickly waved her hand and the door slammed shut. When the alien hit it, it bounced away and up to the glass where it bounced from side to side before coming down to the ground.

“Is that…”

“A really non human looking alien ball thing?” Isabel said

“Yeah.” Liz said

“Zeezu lama zu.” It said as it stared at the two girls, instantly it knew that Isabel was also not a local and that Liz certainly wasn’t a typical one. “Zeezu zeebazu.” It said cheerily before quickly jumped into Isabel’s arms.

“Well where did you come from?” Isabel said

“Zeezu hama zelu fa duma.”

“I think we better take him…her…it to the others.” Liz said

“Yeah.” Isabel said.

Liz opened the door and the creature darted down the stairs, bouncing from wall to wall in a zigzag pattern down into the apartments. Isabel and Liz looked at each other before they ran after it.

The Lounge, Immediately Following

Liz and Isabel brought the creature into the lounge and now it was bouncing up and down with everyone just watching it. At the apex of each bounce it flipped backward and having fun. All any of them could do was simply stare at the pink ball as it constantly hummed away melodically with the same words over and over.

“Zeezu za…Zeezu za…Zeezu za.”

“Uhmmm, does anyone have a clue where this thing came from?” Alex asked

They all just shook their heads as it just kept going up and down. “Well wherever it’s from, that planets gravity must be intense. It’s like what we have is nothing to it.” Liz said

“Unless they evolved to bounce like that.” Max said, “I was in bio class as well, remember.”

“Guys, it’s not a Gummi Bear.” Tess said, “Actually it looks more like solid mass of cotton candy.”

“Yeah, yeah but of all the places on Earth he finds his way here?” Michael asked, “Does anyone else think that’s just a little coincidental?”

Just then it stopped bouncing and stared at the group before it, it then leapt up and bounced from Max’s head to Isabel’s, then Tess’s and then Michael’s where he just stayed there looking down with his big eyes as Michael looked up. Maria really wanted to laugh and wished she had a camera on her at that point. Michael’s face was priceless and she was sorry that the event would pass without recording.

“Okay. He tracked down you four.” Alex said

“If it is a he.” Kyle said, “My money is on a she.”

“Why?” Tess asked

“Well…it’s like a total girly shade of pink.” Kyle said

“Someone remind me to kick my fiancé’s ass later.” Tess said

“I’ll do it if you want.” Laurie said

Michael couldn’t wait any longer for the alien to leave his head so he reached up and pulled it off. “Hey Kyle, go long.” He said with a smile

“Hell no. You are not going to play football with the cute little alien.” Tess said as she took it from Michael.

“Zeezu babu?” it said as it listened

Michael looked at the questioning look on its face, “Football…it’s a game.” Michael said, “Here.” Michael went over to the television and switched it on to one of the games that were on that night.

It jumped out of Tess’s arms and toddled up to the screen and watched as one of the players kicked the ball to the goals. “Zeezu zoi.” It said as it watched more and more. Then it toddled off to the middle of the room, constricted a part of its body as though someone just kicked it and instantly it shot off in a blur. It bounced across the room, going from one part to another again and again before it grazed a vase and knocked it off its resting place. Max was able to move quickly and catch the vase before it broke but the alien landed to the floor and rolled to a stop. The alien giggled happily as it clapped his arms together.

Then it did it again, it shot off, bounced around the room and came to a stop and all the while it was having the time of its life. Not one person in the room could help but smile as they watched it but Michael was adamant on showing it a basketball game as soon as one came on.

“Okay, so what do we call this thing? Unless we’re settling on ‘it’.” Liz asked

“How about Ballsy?” Kyle said

“Kyle.” Liz warned

“Zeezu zap.” It said it was definitely having an angry look on its face.

“Listen, it always starts off by saying zeezu so how about that? Zeezu.” Max said

“Zeezu? Weird…I like it.” Liz said

“Zeezu fa ba zoi ka.” It said as it started bouncing up and down again. Then it suddenly stopped and looked around. Zeezu was picking up something, something powerful from a long way beneath its feet.

“What’s it doing?” Laurie asked

“You’re asking me?” Michael said

“Yeah, he doesn’t know what he’s doing half the time.” Maria said

Suddenly Zeezu took off and bounced over the heads of the group and out the nearest door. Everyone took off after it and watched as it bounced down the hall toward the elevator. The doors were closed and they thought they would be able to catch it but as the alien looked at it, they suddenly opened. The actual elevator car was above them so the rest of the shaft was clear. Zeezu bounced into the shaft, turned and gave a little wave, “Zeezu baba.” It said before it fell down the length of the vertical corridor.

Everyone ran up to the opening and watched as the pink ball shrank into the darkness, “There is a live alien running loose in the hotel.” Maria said. They all looked at her, “I mean one that doesn’t look human.”

“If someone sees that thing…” Max said

“Let’s go.” Michael said

With as much speed as they could muster, they all ran to the stairs. That entire floor had been sealed off and strengthened to prevent a breach by explosives but they could easily make a hole in that wall again and head down after it.

To Be Continued…

Well it looks like Evans' 8 is the winner for the chat but since a few are interested in Viral Apocalypse and the others i'll take questions for them...if DAS lets me. Anyway, it's on the 24th Feb 10:30pm GMT which is around 5:30pm EST & 2:30pm PST. See ya then.

Chapter 9

Skin Compound, Beneath Washington D.C., 22:00

In a simple residential area of quite nice houses Kivar had built his compound. As far as anyone knew it was the home of General Ivar but that was just on the surface and Kivar made sure it fit appearances. Inside, press a concealed button on the banister of the stairs and a handprint would appear to those who knew where to look. When entering Kivar pressed his palm to that handprint and instantly the floor before that spot started to descend. It went down for at least 60feet beneath the street level and when it stopped metal doors opened revealing the first wave of Kivar’s colonisation plan.

200 loyal Skins who lived, planed and waited for the last 60 years underground. The ones that lived in Copper Summit were nothing more than cannon fodder. When the time came after his little scheming among the human leaders was complete and the thousands all over the planet were eradicating people, Kivar would let these people out and kill everything else that lived before they made this planet their own. It was only a matter of time. Kivar walked through the massive underground facility to his command centre where he looked over all the data that was coming into his base. Soon his second came in.

“What do you have on that ship earlier?”

“My lord, is was a Class 2 Prison transport from Kelna. They were passing through the system when there was an escape. The resulting damage resulted in the ships destruction.”

“Class 2? That’s over 500 security personnel on top of the ship’s crew. How many were they transporting?”

“One, my lord.”

Kivar looked at him, “One? Who the hell was it, their version of Hitler?”

“Sort of.”

“What do you mean sort of?” Kivar asked

“It’s a Gemod my lord.”

Kivar’s eyes went wide, turned around and slammed his hand on the button that started alarms and sealed all entrances to the compound, “A Gemod?”

“Yes my lord, the Zeva series.”

“Don’t say it’s the Red one, please not the Red one.”

“We don’t know my lord. The government of Kelna isn’t being forthcoming. They rounded them up a while ago and were taking them to separate penal colonies. The ships were all taking different routes, they don’t even know which one was passing through this system. And from what I’ve been told, the yellow one is worse. My lord, there is nothing that can kill a Gemod. Surviving a ship explosion like that would be easy.”

“I know that and the red is completely psychotic. These things decimated 12 planets and they weren’t unified. If all five meet…you’re sure the others are secured?” Kivar said

“As much as I can be my lord.”

“Okay, I want all of our resources to start scanning this planet for any Gemod life signs. I want this thing found, put on a transport and sent as far away from here as possible. We cannot risk having anything as chaotic as a Gemod here…ever.”

Floor 7, The Hotel, Same Time

In the hotel everyone was searching for Zeezu. They had no idea what floor it was on, where it was going or anything but the fact that it was bouncing off the walls. As Max and Liz walked along this floor to try and find the pink ball, they walked passed a junction that lead to another hall. In that moment Zeezu floated passed them, impacted the middle of the hall and went flying down the rest of the hall with a couple of little kids chasing after him and laughing all the while. Max and Liz quickly turned when they heard it and ran after it, “Uh oh.” The both said together

“No, no…it might be okay. They’re little kids; little kids have a hell of an imagination. They’re not going to understand what they’re seeing and if they tell anyone…” Liz said

“They wont believe it.” Max said with a nod. Max took his wife’s hand and together they chased after the alien. After a few minutes they found the kids staring at the floor with their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open.

“Hey kids, what’s going on?” Liz asked

“Pink ball turned blue.” One kid said

“And go byebye.” Another said

“It disappeared?” Max asked

“Uh huh.”

“How it do that?” one little girl asked

Max smiled, “Magic.” He said

“Ohhhhhh.” They all said

“You guys wanna see a magic trick?” Max asked and Liz raised an eyebrow at his comment. All the kids nodded eagerly as Max took one of their hands and waved his own over it. The child’s hand glowed before Max quickly raised his own and created a trail of glimmering lights between the two. All of them clapped and cheered, “Now, you guys know how to keep a secret?”

“Uh huh.” They all said

“Good, now how about we all get you some ice cream?” Max said

“YEAH!!” the all cheered

“Okay, now, we’re going to walk you back to your rooms and we’ll send you up some.” Max said

The kids all took off and Max and Liz followed, “Bribery?” she asked

“Hey it worked.” Max said

“Well don’t think that’ll fly with our kids. One, they’ll be too smart for it and two, I will be very pissed of they get on sugar highs and loose all their teath.”

“Hmm, two good reasons.” Max said. Before long they got them back to their rooms, found out their favourite flavours and called room service. Max told them that it was himself calling and arranged for it all to be charged to him. Once that was taken care of they continued their search for Zeezu.

“You know…we should make this easy.” Liz said

“How?” Max asked

“By practicing my powers.” Liz said and then closed her eyes. Max watched as his beloved focused and worked to see the location of their guest, as she opened her eyes he could see there were traces of energy rippling over her eyes before it suddenly stopped. “The subway…he’s going to the stones.” Liz said before pulling out their radios and calling the others, telling them to head down.

Abandoned Subway Station, Beneath the Hotel, 10 Minutes Later

Zeezu came bouncing in after materialising in one of the escape shafts and bounced his way to the middle of the room. It looked around the room and saw the diamond and the Keystone on opposite sides of the room. It could feel the power emanating from them and it couldn’t help itself. It was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, and like that always turns out well. Zeezu extended its stumpy little legs and toddled over to that spot. Once there, the items started to levitate and then Zeezu itself floated up into the air and rotated around. “Zeezu da ooooo.” It said just as everyone came in and Zeezu gazed upon the inscriptions on the Key Stone.

Before they all stepped into the subway, Max held Liz back and smiled at his wife, “You, are staying back.”

“Max?” Liz asked

“Last time those things were active they did got knows what to you and ended up with you on the floor with a nose bleed that was killing you. You are staying out of range this time.” Max said

Liz just nodded reluctantly as they watched Zeezu suddenly start to change colours from pink, to red, then blue, green, yellow and then pink again. It cycled through them rapidly as there was a massive amount of energy crackling between all three. In its mind Zeezu started to sense the others of its kind, it could feel them out there. The power from the two alien artefacts had enhanced its connection to the other Gemods, it always had the ability to tap into the ability of the others but now it was almost as though they were unified. It was in that second that Zeezu gazed into the diamond before leaping through the air to it and swallowing the crystalline rock.

“Hey!” Michael yelled

“What the hell?” Kyle said

“Zeezu booboo.”

“I guess something’s are universally understood for screw ups.” Tess said

Zeezu looked sadly to the group. Suddenly it turned blue, using the power of the stone it swallowed to enhance what it had and then suddenly it vanished. Everyone came running in, the Key Stone floated harmlessly back down. “Where did he go?” Liz asked

“No clue.” Isabel said

“That ball is out there somewhere…we can’t just let it run around on it’s own.” Kyle said

“Can’t we?” Max asked

“What do you mean?” Kyle asked

“I’m pretty sure that what those army bastards say about us.” Max said

“Maybe but you guys can blend in, disappear. People will notice a pink ball bouncing from street to street.”

“So what do we do? We don’t know where it went, for all we know it could be in China right now.” Tess said

“Urghhhh…This is just frustrating.” Kyle said, “Things were…well okay they weren’t quiet but at least we did have to deal with anything from out there. Your powers gave us an edge over the psychos, crime lords and military. With this…we don’t know where to begin.”

“I hear that.” Michael said

“Okay, lets go. If he comes back, he comes…” Max started but was stopped with the crackle of blue light as Zeezu reappeared. The alien fell to the floor and returned to its natural pink colouring before it closed its eyes. However, before it lost consciousness, it opened its mouth and open poured all of the stones. Zeezu had gathered up all the crystals the group had been taught about from the data recording contained within the Key Stone and brought them back here. Isabel picked up the alien but they had no idea what to do with the stones, with the exception of keeping them away from their human family. They didn’t want them to be adversely affected so they decided to make sure they weren’t close enough to do anything. Max and Michael picked up each gem like stone and decided to keep them in separate places around the hotel; they certainly had enough space. Put them under floorboards, in walls, in safes, they just made sure that no one else knew where they would be hidden.

“Why would he want the stones here?” Michael asked

“I don’t know but until we do I want to make sure these can’t hurt anyone.” Max said

“One of these gave Liz enough of a boost to see anything when she wants to, even the future. Imagine what she could do with a boost from all of these.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want Liz anywhere near these. At some point, she might think it’s the only option but I don’t want her getting hurt.”

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t get them. Hell, these things could affect Maria as well but…eh.”

“But?”

“We are half human, Max. What if these can work on us as well? This could give us all the power we need to end every problem we have.” Michael said

“Yeah, or mutate us into lumps of blistered flesh. We don’t know anything for sure Michael, lets make sure we don’t do something stupid unless we have no other choice.” Max said

“Right.” Michael said

“Anyway, lets go and play with our little pink friend.” Max said

Michael looked at him, “You do realise just how bad that sounded.” He said as both young men walked through the halls.

Kelna Prison Transport 3, Immediately Following

In a distant sector of the galaxy, another of the prison transports was on its way to a penal colony that was nothing more than an asteroid that was hollowed out and sealed off with air filled domes. Security personnel onboard the vessel numbered in the thousands for a population that numbered no more than 50. Ships were a rarity in the system; the only time one came was when they were delivering prisoners and supplies. On this ship, as deep as you could get within it and surrounded on all sides by shielding, bulkheads and countless guards that were heavily armed – all for the one prisoner. This Gemod was red in colour and like its pink counterpart was little more than a ball with arms and legs. However, the look in its eyes was very different. Everything about it just made it look meaner. For most of the voyage it had been asleep, just waiting for any opportunity but then it opened its eyes and looked around. “Neezu caba da Zeezu.” It said before smiling, and it wasn’t a nice looking smile. It sensed Zeezu and through that it felt the others.

Immediately the red ball moved up to the invisible barrier of energy. The alien rammed himself against the field and it sent shock after shock throughout the room. It was designed to paralyse the Gemod, the only problem was that when it was conceived they had no idea that the Gemods had practically tortured themselves to build up a tolerance to it. Neezu kept at it but it didn’t take long for the creature to start directing the energy back to the field to overload it. Every guard on the ship was suddenly alerted and they were all taking positions in the halls by the cell. In seconds the shield collapsed, the guards opened fire and Neezu started bouncing at a rapid speed. It avoided each blast, no matter now fast the alien guards fired and Neezu impacted each one. It kept going, bouncing between them, impacting them again and again. At first to wind them but then it went for their heads before it decided to hit them at full strength. Neezu watched with great delight as each guard was sent flying into the walls with crushed bones and organs. The creature smiled and clapped his arms excitedly after having so much fun as it walked down the halls, doing it again and again, talking them head on and eliminating each group of guards while smashing its way through all of the automated security features. Last time they had been taken unaware and un-unified, this time it wasn’t going to happen and they were going to connect anyway they could. Neezu worked its way up through the levels of the ship, the military pilots weren’t given much of a choice and set the self destruct before evacuating. They didn’t have a clue that the Gemod knew how to shut it off and before long it had control of the ship.

“Neezu pelta naku Zeezu.” It laughed as it went in search of the others, the first would have to be its blue brother. With the ability to travel great distances in the blink of an eye it could track them all far easier. However, the last thing it did before setting course was to launch 5 missiles to the penal colony, blowing up every one of the atmospheric domes and voiding all of the air in the asteroid.

Sub-Level 5, The Pentagon, Dawn

The General was still in his office, cleaning out his office of all personal and classified documents relating to his work took much more time that he previously would have thought. As he put the lid on his third carton, his lieutenant came in with files in hand. “General I have a report on the Fallen Angel yesterday.”

“And?”

“Our team got to the wreckage site in Spain. It was secured before the local authorities got there. There wasn’t anything left but chard metal fragments. Some enough for analysis but no markings or detectible bio-matter, the destruction looked to be fairly complete but we’re examining for any salvageable technology.”

“Pity, I would have liked to be able to walk inside one of those ships just once.” The general said

“There is always the Roswell one.”

“Yeah, if we could get it open but that think is seamless. We haven’t even been able to scratch the surface.”

“We will in time.”

“Maybe, now…what about Ivar?” the general asked

“Not much actually. His background is pretty solid, first in all his classes at the academy. Quickly promoted. Ruthless on the battlefield but knows when to show restraint.”

“There has to be more than that.”

“Well…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve tried to check out as much as I can but because I didn’t get much I started looking into his family. All military for the last 60 years.”

“But?”

“But I haven’t found anything from before ‘47.”

“The Roswell crash. That’s a little coincidental.”

“That and the resemblance between himself, his father and grandfather is remarkable. He looks younger but their appearances when you put the pictures side by side at the same ages, they’re virtually identical.” He said as he opened one file and put the pictures beside each other on the general’s desk.

“Where is he?”

“Don’t know sir, he hasn’t reported in this morning but he isn’t due for at least an hour.”

“Listen, keep this quiet. We have no idea of the true extent of his influence and he instigated the program for mental training of our own people.”

“Yes sir. However, he has instigated several programs. He’s responsible for half our weapons programs. Why would he load us up with advanced tech?”

“I don’t know. But I think its time we start rethinking our work to date.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning we don’t know who the hostiles are anymore. What if Ivar is here to undermine our efforts or to make sure we hunt those targets down because they were his enemies and not ours. Research for our work came from the Roswell data that told us hostiles were on board. What if we’ve gotten ourselves hooked up on the wrong ones?”

“Sir, we can’t start second guessing ourselves.”

“No, no we can’t but we can’t afford to make a potentially lethal mistake.”

“So how do we solve the problem?”

“By completing our mission. We find the aliens we’ve been after, and we terminate if necessary but we get their side of it before we do.”

“How can we believe what they have to say?”

“We can’t.” the general said

“Well, that’ll be a problem sir.”

“Yes lieutenant, it will. Anyway, dismissed. I’ll have to think on this for a while.”

Kyle/Tess’s Bathroom, Their Apartment, 08:30

The recently engaged couple had woken up and despite the overwhelming urge to simply lie in bed all day long they knew they had to get up. They were never big fans of the morning but they had things to do. They slid their way from beneath the warm sheets and as they rubbed the sleep from their eyes, they walked into the bathroom. Kyle would have normally headed straight for the shower but as he filled a sink with cold water to dunk his head in and waken himself up, he heard the sound of Tess filling their bathtub. Kyle turned around and watched as his lover smiled at him as she slipped off her silk negligee.

“Ooh.” Kyle said

“Give you any ideas?” Tess asked. Within a few minutes, Kyle found himself lying back in the luxurious tub that was overflowing with bubbles with Tess leaning back against him. Slowly he rubbed the soap-covered sponge over the front of her body as she practically purred against him. Although he would never admit it to the guys, Kyle loved these baths simply because the hot body of his girlfriend melted against his own but he knew that Michael would be doing a bit of over the top teasing at the fact he was in a bubble bath.

“Hmm, Mr Valenti. Is that your little toy battleship or are you very happy to see me?” Tess said as she felt Kyle swell against her lower back

Kyle smiled as he moved her hand up and cupped a breast; he felt her hard little nipples against his palm, “Very, very happy. Just like you seem to be.”

“Always.” Tess sighed as she rubbed back against his erection

“Ghnnn…Tesss.”

“What, don’t you like it?” Tess asked, feigning innocence

“You are a bad little girl.” Kyle said shaking his head

Tess smiled wickedly, “You better believe it Mr Harding.”

“Uh, last I heard you’ll be the one changing your name…not that it matters given that out of these rooms we use fake ones.”

“Well babe, it matters to us and after all this is the 21st century. Besides I can make you agree to anything.”

“Don’t you dare even think about using that little trick of yours on me.” Kyle said as his hand moved down her body to between her legs were he gently stroked her aching pussy

“Or what?” Tess said, daring him

“Or the next time you get off will be on our wedding night.” Kyle said as he removed his hands from her body, “And I won’t be setting a date soon.”

Tess flipped around in the water so that her chest was pressed against his, “Your mean.” She said with pouting lips

“I know.” Kyle said cheerily

Tess’s expression changed into a smile and relented, “Okay lover boy, you win. But that still leaves one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“This.” Tess said as she wrapped her hand around his dick, “So hard…it must be painful. Permission to come aboard your battleship?”

Kyle smiled as he looked into her smouldering eyes, “Permission granted.” Tess immediately raised herself up and straddled his waist. Kyle watched as she positioned his erection and sank down onto him, fusing their bodies together and both groaning our loud, “Hmmm…yo-ho-ho.” Kyle said

As his hands started to roam over her body, Tess very slowly started to raise and lower herself onto him. Kyle reached up and squeezed both her breasts, watching as her head and long blonde hair fell backward. Her hips writhed on him, causing high ripples in the bath water each time she brought her body up and crashed it back down. Then he released her breasts, he wanted to taste them, to suck on them and make her moan even more than she was just now. Kyle bent his head and took her nipple between his teeth. When he pulled back but didn’t let go, Tess gasped with pleasure and then Kyle did let go and watched the pliant flesh snap back. Then he moved back and licked the nipple, teasing it with his tongue while his hands caressed her ass. He plunged deep into his mate with one firm, smooth stroke. Tess moaned her increasing satisfaction, grinding against his pelvis hard as his cock thrust deep into her. He held her tightly, caressing her body and pushing further inside her tight sex with each downward stroke. Just feeling her around him was almost enough to make him want to cum. Tess gripped her hands on Kyle’s shoulders and thrust down again and again as he thrust up. They begin a slow rhythm that with each passing minute was becoming faster and faster.

“AGHNNNNNNNNN.” Tess screamed with pure bliss.

Then Kyle stopped and lifted her off of him and turned her around. Quickly he positioned her body so that she was on all fours and her hands grabbed onto the edges of the tub. Tess looked over her shoulder and watched as Kyle entered her body again. Soon he was thrusting into her, feeling hot liquid fire encase his dick as he filled up his fiancés pussy.

“Oh god Tess.” Kyle groaned as his thighs slapped against the backs of her legs.

Tess tossed her head back and cried out in a feral growl as she pushed her hips backward into his. Kyle drilled her savagely, overwhelmed by the need to satisfy his own primal appetite. Besides he could feel Tess own uncontrollable desire for him to take her as hard and fast as possible, they would always have time for tender and gentle any time of the week. As his hips pounded against her butt with loud, smacking slaps, the force of his thrusts had her hips buck against him, while water was being sent to the floor. Tess’s body shook and quivered, her breasts rippled back and forth and her hands were gripped tightly onto the edge of the tub. Then she became as still and rigid as a statue, her orgasm was mere seconds away and both knew it; her hips were the only part of her still moving, continuing to work Kyle’s cock inside her.

“AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.” Tess cried out

When Tess came, it was so powerful that Kyle felt as if her muscles would break his cock in two. Her voice was raw with her uninhibited and rampant screams of pleasure. Kyle kept at it, he wasn’t done by a long shot and delighting in making Tess a quivering mass of flesh with multiple orgasms, he kept taking Tess from behind as she lifted her body up against his. She was slightly bent and twisted to allow for Kyle’s access to her slit but it was no less pleasurable as he wrapped his arms around her. They continued to grind against each other; Kyle had cupped one of her firm breasts. His other hand had taken a hold of hers and he guided her hand down to where their bodies were joined. Once there, they could both feel his hard cock sliding in and out of her slick opening.

“Ugnnnn…ugnnnnnnn…ugnnnnnnnnn…Kyle.” Tess gasped

“Feel it Tess…oh god YES.” Kyle said, gritting his teeth

“Faster Kyle…ahhh fuckkk…harder, fuck me harder.” Tess moaned, her need was devastating, clenching Kyle’s cock with every stroke. Kyle’s thrusts within her were merciless, with all the intensity, attraction and love that had grown within them since she came to town. Harder, faster, deeper; Kyle was filling her completely, completing her as she completed him. Their blood was boiling, desperate to seek the final act of their mating, when Kyle spilled his seed into her belly.

“Ugnnnnn…ugnnnnnnnn…Ugnnnnnnn…oh yes…god yes…”

“Oh baby…oh god…Agnnnnn…aghnnnnnn…ughnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn…”

“OHGODOHGODOHGODDDOHGODDDDDDD.”

“OH YESSSSS…SO GOOD…SO GOOOOOOOD.”

“OHHHH…UGNNNNN…UGNNN…UHGNNN…”

“YES…YESSS…YESSSS…”

“OH GOD, OH GOD…YESSSS...”

Tess began to moan his name over and over as his nipples scraped against hers. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Kyle began to thrust against her harder, pushing her closer to her awaiting orgasm. She began to exhale sharply, nonverbal grunts and groans of pleasure began to escape her throat and Kyle began to thrust even harder. They were rocking together, intimately touching each other’s pleasure centres. Desire and lust claimed them as they needed to cum, Kyle was fucking Tess hard and she was fucking him just as vigorously. His exertions were having the desired effect; he felt her pussy tighten around his cock and with a shriek, she came, humping herself hard against him as his body seized and shot his seed into Tess.

“OH GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.” They cried out together, their bodies continued to jerk and ripple against each other. The minute her body relaxed and Kyle could resume stroking her, as he finished shooting, his body became limp and fell backwards into the water and talking Tess with him. Quickly their mouths fused in a red-hot kiss as they rolled around in the water until they were facing each other with their bodies pressed tightly together. Tess promptly wrapped all of her limbs around Kyle, holding him securely in place. Soon they emerged from the bathroom, dried themselves off and dressed. They ate privately in their own dining room and spent a little while together in front of the T.V. before joining the others.

Swimming Pool, The Roof, 09:00

Zeezu had been completely drained after its 2-minute journey around the planet, it simply wasn’t built to use that ability to such an extent and as a result it slept constantly. However, now it was awake and it bounced its way up to the roof. It never expected to land in the water and as a result it rolled around on the surface, unable to sink or move very well. Just then it started moving its legs rapidly. Soon it learned to use them to propel itself. “Zeezu bazu za.” It said is it paddled backwards with its face up

“I think he likes it.” Tess said

“So we’re settling on he?” Liz asked

“Well, we can’t keep calling Zeezu it can we.” Alex said

“I guess not.” Max said, “So how is he?”

“He looks lively enough again.” Isabel said

“Any ideas why he brought us the stones?” Max asked

“No, none.” Liz said

But suddenly the little alien stopped paddling and looked over, “Zeezu ma za coia.”

“Come again?” Kyle asked, “You know we should really work on making some kinda universal translator.”

“See, I knew you’d come round to Star Trek.” Alex said

“Don’t push it.” Kyle said

“Zeezu luka pica.” He said as it scrunched its eyes closed. Everyone looked at the alien and took a step back as he glowed. Zeezu lifted up out of the water and one of the gems that they buried in a flowerbed suddenly glowed brightly enough to be seen through the foot of soil above it. They could only assume that the other stones were reacting similarly. Suddenly Zeezu opened his eyes and a light beamed out from them. At the other end appeared the image of a creature that looked like a human sized cross of a guinea pig and a squirrel wearing some sort of battle armour.

“Greetings. I am Si, head geneticist of the Kelnan High Command and in charge of the Gemod Project. It was I that created the life form now in your presence and who programmed this message into its very DNA to be displayed when enough power has been gathered to access it. The Gemods, Genetically Modified creatures intended to be the vanguard for our defence force. Five were created, each able to come together and unify into one creature – the ultimate soldier. And while they are devastating individually, as a single creature they cannot be stopped. The one before you is intended to be the mind of the creature and give it incredible tactical and strategic ability, the red provides strength and agility, the blue give the creature the ability to move from location to location in less than a second, the green provides increased senses allowing the single Gemod soldier to see and hear more than we do…energy patterns, communications signals and even the ability to see through any object. And the yellow, this gives the creature the soldier to use directed energy attacks.

They were created in a time of great threat to our world and where our armies would fail, they would succeed. It was only after our world was secured that I learned that our leaders had alternate plans for my work. It was their intent to use the Gemod to attack other worlds and so I reworked my design. I took the pink Gemod and altered its genetic coding to remove all aggression, there was plenty in the other 4, and gave it a level of consciousness and a conscience. It was a fail safe to prevent the unified soldier from attacking innocents. I then took the creature to a safe location away from the other four to make sure that the other four did not unify with it. Each other Gemod is capable of a level of chaos never encountered on my world; unfortunately just prior to my integration of this message into the Gemod I have learned that the others escape their holding stations. It is my understanding they seek their fifth brother to unify, I believe they think their combined aggression can overcome my modifications. My world is now in ruins but enough remains to rebuild in time, the Gemods have fled Kelna but already my government seeks me and them to ensure that they never unify. Since this creature is with you I ask that you take care of it. While it is now an innocent due to my work, it is still capable of destroying much if it is provoked. Farewell.”

With that the image faded and Zeezu came falling back to the pool with the stones stopping their glowing. “Uh huh.” Max said

“Well, I guess some people really do have severe issues with their families.” Liz said

“Zeezu labu booboo.” He said

“I’m guessing that if he’s connected to them…” Alex said

“They know where he is.” Isabel finished

“So, our running tally of bad guys now includes multicoloured balls.” Michael said

“Zeezu za la kabu.” Zeezu said angrily

“Well obviously not you. You’re a creampuff, I’m talking about your brothers.” Michael said, “And I’m talking to the creampuff.”

“Zeezu da ceampuf?” he asked curiously

“I’ll show you later.” Michael said

“Zeezu ba do.” He said before bouncing on the water’s surface and up onto Michael’s head again

“Okay, I need to start carrying a camera with me.” Maria said with a very bright smile

Michael reached up and picked the alien off of his head and looked into his face, “Not on the head.”

“Zeezu za.”

“No.” Michael said, shaking his head

“Za.”

“No.”

“Za.” Zeezu said before it rammed into Michael’s chest and bounced away.

“Okay, I’m going to drop him out of a window.” Michael said as he coughed from being winded by the sudden and strong impact. In response, Zeezu bounced around the inside of the glass pyramid again and again as it impacted off every surface before being caught in the branch of a tree where it clapped and laughed.

“Yeah, you know I’m thinking dropping him out a window isn’t going to do much.” Liz said, “And if you think you’re doing it…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Point taken oh great queen.” Michael said with a bow

Liz just looked at him but then her eyes glazed over. “They’re coming.” Liz said

“Who is? The Gemods?” Tess asked

“No…our parents. They’re nearly at the city limits. They’re really coming.” Liz said with a smile

“How long?” Max asked as they all moved closer to her

“A few hours. They followed our path and figured it out but they don’t know where to go.” Liz said

“They will when they see it.” Max said as he took his wife’s hand

“Are they okay?” Isabel asked

“Yes, but they’re worried about us. They want to get here as soon as possible.” Liz said

“That makes all of us.” Maria said, “Oh, I guess we’ve got some beds to make up.”

“We’ll get to that.” Max said, “At least their out of harm’s way as far as the army and Kivar is concerned.”

“Come on, we should get ready. And we should probably work out the best way to tell them how we paid for things before we got this hotel fully up and running.” Tess said

“Oh…uh…yeah. My dad is going to be pissed.” Kyle said

“Ditto.” Isabel and Max said

Liz shook her head and broke herself out of her trance. “It could be worse and they know it. They may not like it but what else were we to do?”

“Something tells me that they may have a suggestion or two.” Max said. Soon they all headed back down the stairs and Zeezu bounced down after them.

Somewhere in the City, Noon

As the sun was at its peak, the parents drive into the city and looked around. They drove through many of the main streets but with the city so bustling it was difficult to see anything. Nothing in what they had been given so far even pointed to a location or even an address. “I have no idea where to go.” Amy said from behind the wheel

“Yeah. Listen, it’s nearly lunchtime. How about we pick this up after we get a bite to eat?” Jeff said

“Yeah I could do with a burger or something.” Philip said

“You are on a diet.” Diane said

“Hmm, this sucks. Are you never going to forget about that?” Philip asked

“Let me see, forget about the fact that you have a cholesterol & blood pressure level higher than Liz’s I.Q. that could very end up giving you a heart attack? No, I don’t think so.” Diane said

“Damn.” Philip said

“I hear that.” Jeff said

“Okay, there is a café up ahead. Lets find a place to park and go there.” Nancy said

Once parked and inside the café, they all ordered lunch and started eating away. “Any idea where we look next?” Charles asked

“If you were on the run from the army, where would you go?” his wife asked

“To the darkest, dingiest part of the city were no one who’s in their right mind goes.” Charles said

“It’s a possibility but in a city this size they really could be anywhere. A motel, a slum…hell they could put themselves up in an apartment building across from army recruitment offices.” Jeff said

“We have to start somewhere.” Diane said

“How about here.” Amy said as she looked at a newspaper advertisement on the back page of a paper on a nearby table. She went and picked it up and brought it over.

“What is it?” Diane asked

“It’s an ad for a nearby hotel. It’s called the Astrum Inculta.” Amy said

“That’s Latin, it means Desert Stars.” Philip said, using what he learned in college.

“Since when do you speak Latin?” Jim asked

“Since high school.” Amy said

“The Desert Stars Hotel. You think it’s them?” Jeff asked

“Well we have people from the stars who lived in a nice desert town.” Amy said

“Max and Isabel know I can read Latin.” Philip said

“Maria knows I do too.” Amy said. Without another word they quickly each of them ate up, finished their coffee and paid their cheque before heading out. They were excited but also afraid at the prospect of seeing their children once more, however, it didn’t stop them going as fast as they could or at least as fast as the speed limit and traffic jams would allow.

Lounge, The Hotel, 13:00

Everyone was sitting, talking and drinking juice as they did their usual daily work in the room. They may have had a manager to deal with most of the hotel’s affairs; it didn’t stop them from wanting to keep their hands on it to keep an eye on everything. Zeezu was off in the corner and doing his usual bouncing up and down. Max was going over the bookings for the next month and double-checking that no one was double booked. “Oh Max, I meant to remind you that the ballroom and dining room is booked for the Simmons wedding reception tomorrow.” Michael said

“That’s fine. I take it the other dining rooms are available for other guests?” Max asked

“Yeah. It’s fine. And Mr Simmons has also invited us to attend to thank us for our hospitality.”

“Let him know we’ll be delighted.” Max said, never wanting to disrespect their wealthy and very friendly hotel guests. He liked Matt Simmons and his daughter; they met at one of the parties they hit. He wasn’t the target but the host of that party was, it was through him that they managed to find some decent staff for their hotel when they were still setting up shop but since then he had many business meetings that he held in the hotel’s conference room.

“Sure.” Michael said

It was within the next few minutes that their parents arrived downstairs. Tess had prepared the staff for their arrival through a mindwarp like the others on their parent’s path. Instantly the manager brought them through the lobby and had a handful of bellboys carry their luggage. The parents were practically treated like royalty as they were shown to the private elevator. The alarm went off in the apartments and by the time the doors opened, the group was standing before their parents. Not one of them could resist and hugged their mothers and fathers. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, although Michael may have been the only exception.

“Oh my god, you all look great.” Diane said

“So do you. I can’t believe you’re all really here.” Liz said

“It may have taken a while but we made it.” Jeff said as he looked at his daughter, she certainly looked much more grown up since the last time he saw her a year and a half ago. Then he blinked as he looked over her shoulder to the pink ball bouncing away. “What the hell is that?”

“That would be Zeezu…he’s new.” Tess said

“Now that’s what I call a head banger.” Jim said

“So, where to begin? What’s new with all of you?” Nancy asked

“Well, Tess and Kyle are getting married.” Max said

“We own this hotel.” Liz said

“I’m pregnant.” Isabel said resulting in the wide eyes of her parents and her husband’s family.

“Kivar’s on Earth, planning to wipe out all life before he invades.” Kyle said

“And something you’re really not going to be happy about…we’re the ones who have been robbing banks lately, but not in the last few months.” Max said

“Then I guess we really do have a lot to talk about.” Jeff said. They showed their parents into the lounge where they ordered food up from room service. Together they sat and talked about everything, from what they did to why they did it. The group didn’t want any questions left and felt it was the best plan to come clean now instead of it getting out later. They talked about everything, the good and the bad and talked well into the night and parents and children got to know each other again. They had accepted that their children had to do much and sacrifice a lot in order to stay alive and free, so long as that was the case then they didn’t care as much as they would have done a couple of years ago.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 10

Dining Room, The Apartments, 13:30

Dumb silence had come over them. After their little splurge of getting it all out at once, they didn’t have a thing to say and their parents were having a slow brain day as they tried to absorb what they had been told. It took a while but eventually they decided to take this into the dinning room and called up room service. Kyle collected the dinning cart from a waiter at the elevator and brought it in.

“So…uh…robbery?” Jim asked, being the Sheriff of Roswell he had to be the one to ask it

“Changing 10s into 100s will one last so long.” Max said, “One of us liked it…even though we got pretty good at it but you don’t want to hear about that. The government took our lives and if they were going to insure the banks then why not let them cover our expenses for a while. That doesn’t sound good but…”

“We used the money as little as possible but moving from motel to motel used up quite a bit.” Liz said

“We kind of suspected that you’d have to do a lot to stay ahead of them.” Jeff said, “We’ve heard of the robberies…of course, now that we know that you’re the ones doing it I guess we’re all just glad that you never hurt anyone.”

“No, we never crossed that line.” Kyle said, “Tess may have given them a few nightmares but nothing they can’t get over. The first time, it was just Michael and Tess.”

“Yeah, we took enough to get us across the border into Mexico.” Tess said

“Why didn’t you stay there? You could have headed anywhere after that, even Rio. You could have headed down as far south as you could.” Nancy asked

“That actually was the plan.” Isabel said, “We thought we were free and clear, resting on a beach and taking in some sun. That was a nice day off.”

“What happened?” Diane asked

“We were on the beach. Max and I were getting some ice-creams for everyone when we saw him. We never knew his name but we recognised his face from Roswell. We hadn’t seen him before that day in Roswell when we left. I saw him on my vision as well. It definitely wasn’t a coincidence and that was when we knew that there wasn’t anywhere on the planet that they wouldn’t go after us. They tracked us there so we figured that if they were going to hunt us then we might as well hide where they wouldn’t suspect us.” Liz said

“Here?” Jim asked, “Surely there are better places.”

“We figured that a city of millions would be a good place to hide out. We used our resources to find this place.” Alex said

“Yeah about that. None of the robberies tally up to the amount you’d need to buy this place.” Philip said

“Yeah, we…eh…we kinda changed a ton of lead into a ton of gold.”

“So basically you conned the original owner.” Amy said

“Oh no, it was gold, just not mined from the ground.” Tess said

“What about these private people you robbed?” Diane asked, “What did they do to deserve that?”

“They backed the FBI Special Unit. We only hit them until the hotel had enough money coming in for us to be self-sufficient. We haven’t robbed anyone in months, that’s over with. The hotel gets us everything we need.” Isabel said

“You know, I seem to remember something on the news about a lead or something to the thieves.” Jim said

“The FBI were getting closer, we mindwarped several people and they hit a bank like we would have…just without our powers. But they were real hardcore criminals to begin with.” Tess said

“And you really think that that makes it okay?” Jeff asked

“Of course its not okay.” Max said, “None of us likes what we’ve had to do but we’ve had to do it to stay alive and safe. If we had other options none of us thought of them.”

“Yes, your right, sorry. I guess none of us thought about how far you’d take things when you need to.” Jeff said

“Actually, if it came to it, we could bring down the government.” Michael said

“Excuse me?” Amy asked as her eyes widened and looked at him.

“We spent a little time gathering a little blackmail material on several officials, senators, congressmen…basically anyone we could think of. If we were ever tracked to here and attacked then all that information would be transmitted over the Internet. It’s the price they pay for their choices.” Alex said

“You’re serious.” Charles asked

“As a heart attack.” Alex said

“Is there actually anyone in the room that has a problem with the current military and government given what they’ve taken from us?” Isabel asked, “We could be at home in Roswell right now, going to college and getting jobs. Now we’re hiding, looking over our shoulders every day and always waiting for them to come for us.” No one could say anything to that; they had wanted to see the people responsible for taking their children away from them suffer for it and if there were politicians responsible then after all the heartache and worry they had suffered then why not.

“So, what about your pregnancy? Boy or girl?” Diane asked

“We don’t know yet. No sonogram or ultrasound pictures. We can’t exactly go to a doctor. Besides, I think it’ll be good to be surprised.” Isabel said

“No, of course not.” Philip said

“And we’ve already been surprised.” Alex said to his wife

“I guess this was the first sign that it was possible. When are you due?” Alex’s mother asked

“That will be another surprise.” Alex said

“If Alex was a hybrid like us, then it would be less than a month.” Tess said, “But since he’s not, it could be a month, 9 months or anywhere in between.”

“Well that’ll make things interesting.” Diane said, “I take it that this means that all of you are capable of…”

“Yes, if we ever decide to.” Liz said, deciding not to them that she and Max were already trying. Best not to add heart attacks to the headaches.

“Now, what about this…Kivar?”

“Yeah, that’s a doozy.” Alex said

They told them everything they knew and even talked about Zeezu’s arrival. The parent’s were scared, they’d never thought that they would have to deal with that problem but were relieved that they were now back with their children. It seemed to alleviate the fear slightly and came to the understanding that if they were going to live through Kivar’s plan then the best place for that was with their kids.

Kelna Prison Transport 2, Approaching Deltara Stasis Penal Colony…

The second transport that carried the blue Gemod was almost at its destination. When dealing with a creature that could teleport the only safe way to contain it would be to simply freeze it in time. Right now the gemod was locked up in a cell that was encased in a field that prevented its teleportation but it would only be a matter of time before he found the right frequency to travel out of it with.

“What is it?” the captain asked as an alarm beeped from another station

“There’s a ship in bound. Its on an intercept course.”

“Identify.” The captain ordered

“Sir…it’s Kelanan…its another transport.”

“There shouldn’t be another one near the colony for another 12 days.”

“Confirmed…Sir, it’s picking up speed. I think it’s going to ram us.”

And it did. Despite the crew attempting to take evasive moves, the red Gemod crashed his vessel into the side of this one. It was a deep penetration, he almost cut through half of it but it was more than enough to get at least one of the airlocks into the other ship. The red ball came bouncing out of it, the mass of his ship practically sealed the wound and prevented any more atmosphere leaving out but it wouldn’t take long before the massive amount of damage caused the vessel to split.

Through half the decks it bounced, searching for his captive brother. However, after 10 minute he got bored. As far as he was concerned the others were patient enough for him, at any rate he started bashing the thick metal walls and crashed through them. He went up, down, across and took out guards when he encountered them. After the impact they were all disorientated with relatively minor injuries, even if they were in their prime they would have been easy prey for him. This just made them fun. Then he found his blue brother, he was nothing more than a crackle of energy bouncing around inside the cell. With each impact it changed it single at which it transmitted itself, hoping to find the right one that would let it out. “Neezu naku ra Teezu.”

Suddenly the energy fell to the ground and reformed into the blue Gemod, “Teezu teba da Neezu.”

Neezu looked around the edges of the cell but it never saw any controls so it just bashed into the side and smashed all the equipment within the wall and the field collapsed. Both little balls laughed their heads off as the Teezu bounced out of the cell.

“Teezu tada.”

“Neezu cadu Zeezu bacu.”

“Teezu zeda da Zeezu. Cada za Beezu de Leezu.”

“Neezu za.”

The two balls moved closer together and extended their arms together. Teezu closed his eyes and let the blue energy travel between himself and his brother before they were both encased in a single mass of blue light that travelled out of the ship. Together they travelled through space and watched as Neezu’s last commands on his ship took effect and it’s engines powered up. Within a minute the ship impacted the penal colony and destroyed the whole thing.

Kelna Prison Transport 4, Approaching the Seluria Penal Colony, Orbiting a Black Hole…

Neezu and Teezu both appeared in the middle of the colony. It was the perfect place to house their green brother. Beezu’s ability to see anything it wanted to was nullified since every form of energy across its visual spectrum was sucked into the black hole and as such it was effectively blind. The guards in the colony constantly watched with tormenting glee as he constantly walked into wall after wall. Instantly Teezu zapped into the cell, took his brothers arm and zipped out before he bashed into another wall. Neezu on the other hand bounced his way into the control room where he smashed everything, including skulls. Before long the whole asteroid that the colony was built within was being sucked into the black hole. Neezu soon found his brother and Teezu transported them all away.

Kelna Prison Transport 1, No Where in Particular…

The three brothers arrived at their final stop before heading off to find their wayward pink brother. They arrived on the transport to find their yellow brother. By the looks of it he was already in the midst of his escape attempt. They found guards running scared with blasts of yellow streaking after them. Leezu suddenly came bouncing around the corner, laughing as he shot wildly from the points of his arms. Then he spotted his brothers and smiled, the three looked him; he’d certainly been put through the hell. There was a scar along it’s entire body and it looked painful, they knew that the only thing that could really hurt them was Leezu’s own energy attacks and assumed that his attacks had been turned back on him resulting in a nasty injury.

“Leezu caba da za.” He said cheerily as he saw his brothers and went rolling along the ground. He didn’t like the heights that came with their bouncing habits.

“Neezu cabu Leezu. Dooba Zeezu.”

Leezu smiled and laughed insanely before all four brothers moved together and joined hands. Teezu used his ability and all of them disappeared only to reappear seconds later on the bridge, each bounced, or rolled for Leezu, around the room and took out all of the crew before sealing off the bridge and opening all airlocks on the ship. All of the crew were sucked into space, leaving the brothers alone with their very own ship that would get them to where they wanted to go. Each brother took a different station around the ship but without their final brother, intelligence wasn’t exactly a high portion of their gene pool. Neezu was by far the smartest in the room but he didn’t know enough to unlock the commands on this ship as he had on the other. His brother’s escape resulted in the bridge crew being alerted and they locked down the controls. From the view screen he watched as his yellow and green brother’s bashed their bodies against the screens or bounced onto the keyboards. Then Leezu started to chomp away on the end of one keyboard.

Neezu looked at Teezu and they shook their heads…well, their bodies. Neezu jumped down and picked up the other end of the keyboard and looked into his brother’s eyes. “Neezu bacu da booboo Leezu.” He said before he threw the keyboard and his brother across the room.

Leezu bounced off the far wall and fell down before releasing the keyboard from his mouth. “Leezu ba booboo.” He said humbly

Soon Neezu had all of them working the controls, smashing randomly in an attempt to unlock everything. They went at it for an hour, bouncing from station to station until eventually they managed to bring up an image of Earth on the screen. “Neezu zaza.” He said happily. Then they worked for another 5 hours but eventually got the engines running. All four laughed with incredible delight as their ship took off across space.

The Lounge, The Apartments, 21:00

Michael came in to the lounge with a large tray covered with a cloth. Everyone was there, including Zeezu as he bounced in the corner with their parents all staring at him.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” Jeff said.

When Michael came over, he placed the tray on the coffee table and called Zeezu over to him. Then he pulled off the cloth and revealed an entire pile of creamy desserts. “Zeezu, this is a creampuff.”

Zeezu sat on Michael’s lap and stared at the item. Michael then ate a little and said, “Mmmmmmm.”

Zeezu came a little closer and sniffed at the creampuff before taking a tentative nibble. Zeezu’s eyes went wide before scoffing down the whole thing. Everyone watched him chew on it before swallowing it and then as he dived over to the tray and gobbled up every last one in a matter of seconds.

“Well so much for sharing.” Maria said

Then suddenly Zeezu went nuts. “Zeezu ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…” The little alien started bouncing all over the room before it started running around the room…half way up the wall. It kept going and going and going until it was little more than a pink streak moving around.

“Wow, that’s one hell of a sugar rush.” Liz said

“Okay, no more sugary treats for the pink ball.” Kyle said

“Yeah, no doubt.” Michael said as he watched. Suddenly he reached out at the right moment and grabbed the alien. However, as he held Zeezu in his hands his little legs were still going like lightening. The vibrations were too much for Michael who had to let go and Zeezu continued to run around.

“Should we be worried?” Tess asked

“Maybe more along the lines of him wearing a path in the wall.” Isabel said, “He’ll probably just need to burn it off.”

“We can’t leave him like this.” Max said

“What do you suggest we do?” Alex asked

“No clue.” Max said as he tried to keep track of the alien

“Yeah, definitely not getting used to this anytime soon.” Jeff said

“Okay, so other topic. Liz…powers?” Nancy asked

“It started when Max healed me but took a long time to come out. Then recently we came across a few things that sort of sped things along.” Liz said

“What sort of things?” Jeff asked

“Stones. Really old stones.” Tess said

“Stones?” Philip asked

“Gem stones, actually they’re crystals from the power core of an alien ship that crashed here thousands of years ago. They have a very unique effect on humans…they…eh…well the stones are responsible for our myths of the ancient gods. They caused mutations in people that sparked their evolution and people thought of them as gods.” Alex said

“And you’ve been exposed to them?”

“Just the diamond but that was enough to cause a severe power boost because I had already been changing. God knows what would happen if I was exposed to the all of them at once.”

“I think god is right on the money.” Maria said, “And that goes the same for all of us.”

“Well maybe not all of us.” Isabel said, “Because we’re from…you know, there is a good chance we’re immune.”

Kelna Prison Transport…

All of the Gemods suddenly stopped and looked at each other. They were linked to their brother in subtle ways, it was manly Zeezu that could tap into them and get their powers but occasionally, just very occasionally, that link went two ways. Now, as a result, the Gemods had a taste in their mouths that was very nice and a single word in their heads. Each bounced over to the ship’s food distributor unit and hit the on switch.

“Ceampuffs.” They all said together

“Food not recognised. Please restate order.” The computer said

“CEAMPUFFS!” the all yelled

“Food not recognised. Please restate order.”

“CEAMPUFFS…CEAMPUFFS…CEAMPUFFS!”

“Food not recognised. Please restate order.” The gemods got very annoyed and bounced against the unit, smashing it into pieces of metal and circuits. Then they bounced off down the hall and went in search of another unit. Each time it resulted in the same outcome, eventually they gave and up returned to the bridge. They came to the conclusion, the only place to get that food was where their brother was and so they increased their speed.

09:00 The Next Morning

As everyone woke up they came back into the lounge to check on Zeezu, they didn’t have much choice in leaving him to zip around the room until he stopped since that no matter what they tried they simply couldn’t get him to even slow down. When they came back they heard the simple thud of a Zeezu bounce and ran into see him lying on the floor with his eyes spinning and looking almost as green as his brother.

“Well I don’t think we’ll be feeding him those creampuffs anymore.” Liz said

“Zeezu da ceampuff?” he said as his eyes focused and got wider

“You really want more after that? You were going for like 12 hours.” Tess said

“Zeeza za.” He said happily

“Well…uh…maybe one now and then.” Max said, “So, where did we all leave off last night?”

“Uh, FBI and those criminal people.” Amy said as they picked up Zeezu and walked to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

“Right.” Max said, “Uh well there was this psycho named Franks. He wanted us to steal the Key Stone to help him find the stones we told you about last night. Because of our financing ideas we made some enemies among the…well lets just call them very good family people. Apparently we were embarrassing them.”

“Franks told them we were responsible and they came to a little arrangement.” Isabel said, “By kidnapping me. It was to make sure everyone would attend a little dinner party he was throwing to make us his little proposition. After we dealt with him, the crime groups decided to take care of us so we took care of them.”

“Tess erased their memories regarding us being the thieves, set up massive amount of evidence for the Feds to run a RICO case and let them deal with our problem.” Kyle said

“Inventive.” Philip said

“So they’re in jail now?” Amy asked

“Yeah, they’ve got a court date set for next week.” Maria said

“Hey, how long has Laurie been around?” Jim asked

“A while now. She found us and stuck around after smacking Michael on the back of his head for not writing.” Isabel said with a smile

“Yeah thanks for reminding me.” Michael said as he rubbed the back of his head, “Hey, where is Laurie this morning anyway?”

“Shopping. You know how she likes to hit the stores early.” Maria said

“Uh huh but on Wednesdays, this is Friday.” Michael said

“Yes but then someone’s birthday is coming up.” Maria said

“Whose?” Michael asked

Everyone blinked, “Yours you dope.” Max said

Michael leaned back and shifted his eyes back and forth as he remembered what month it was, “Well that’s depressing. I completely forgot.”

It took nearly an hour before they finally finished filling their parents in on the last couple of years of their life. When they were done it as a matter of accept and move on to what was next. The simple fact that they were all together again made things easier, the parent’s may be less than enthused about what they’ve had to do but knew that they their choices were limited and they were proud that they manages to stay together & safe.

Swimming Pool, The Roof, 11:00

Later Isabel and Alex decided to fill their parents in on a little more of the unusual quirks of the arrival of their grandchild. They brought them up to the roof and showed them the little garden that they planted. They moved over the grass, between the plants and the trees as they looked over everything.

“This is beautiful.” Diane said

“Well I…we figured that if Junior was going to be born among the trees like on Antar, since these little instincts are a little strong to overcome, why not make it as beautiful as possible.” Isabel said

“You did a very good job. And you did that by yourselves?” Charles asked

“Of course. I never knew we had green thumbs.” Alex said with a smile

“Yeah, you get that from your grandmother.” Charles said, “She was the only one in the family to have any luck without the plants dying after a week.”

“Cool, well I guess that explains that.” Alex said, as he suddenly felt strange. Quickly he turned his head to look at his wife. “Isabel?”

Isabel’s eyes suddenly turned jet black and fell to her knees as her skin started to glow as it had the first night when her instincts took over. Their parents could only watch on as Alex moved to her side but then they watched as her belly started to swell quite a bit. The sudden change within her cause pain and discomfort but all Isabel could do was to hold her abdomen as she felt the unborn child within her go through a growth spurt, and a big one at that.”

Isabel/Alex’s Bedroom, Their Apartment, 10 Minutes Later

Alex quickly called the others and Isabel was carried to her bedroom where Liz started to examine her. As Isabel lay on her bed, Liz looked her over as Alex paced back and forth at the foot of the bed. The strain of what happened had caused Isabel to sweat a little and Tess used a damp cloth to wipe it away but it still left some very nervous people in the room. After a while Liz looked up.

“Well?” Alex asked

“Well, I’m no doctor…obviously.” Liz said

“Liz, it’s okay.” Isabel said

“Well it looks like you’ve jumped four months…maybe 5.” Liz said

“What?” Isabel and Alex both said together

Everyone then looked at Tess, “Hey don’t look at me, I wasn’t expecting this.”

“What were you expecting?” Diane asked

“Actually…I wasn’t expecting anything. Like I said before, hybrid parents equals a month. With you guys it could be anywhere between that and 9 months. The last few weeks have been normal for humans, but now…there really is no way to predict this.” Tess said

“Well it sucks.” Isabel said

“You okay?” Alex asked as he held her hand

“Aside from this bloated feeling, yeah.” Isabel said, “But it hurt when it grew, I mean I’ve never felt anything like that.”

“Well you better get used to it because the best is yet to come.” Diane said

“What?” Isabel asked

“Trust me, you really don’t want to know.” Amy said, “But from the look of it, you’ll be going to find out soon.”

“Okay, this doesn’t suck. It bites.” Isabel said, “You.” She said to Alex, “Are not touching me again.”

Alex just nodded and smiled, “Okay, your wish is my command.” But inside he was saying, {And she hasn’t even gone through childbirth yet.}

“Really?” Isabel asked

“Yeah.” Alex said as he kissed her forehead before moving his hand over to her belly and looked at it. “Everything will be okay. Weird, but okay.”

Ballroom, The Hotel, 15:00

As promised, Max and the others put in an appearance at the wedding reception of their friend’s daughter. Alex and Isabel stayed upstairs with their parents but the others were dressed elegantly and brightly in silk and satin dresses. The first thing they did was to go to the new bride and groom and congratulate the pair and give them their gift. After that they mingled among all the other guests before talking their seats as Kyle went to make sure all the waiting staff were on their toes. The ballroom itself was the most lavish Isabel could think of, she designed it herself. An entire back wall was a mirror; a crystal chandelier hung from the roof in the middle of the room and everything was trimmed with golden paint. Isabel used everything she knew to make sure the room was classy and tasteful without being tacky. Tables and chairs were mahogany wood and the remaining three walls each had intricate murals over it depicting the kind of things seen in medieval tapestries. When he returned, he joined them and sat beside his fiancé as they both looked over to the bride.

“That’ll be you soon.” He whispered in her ear

Tess smiled, “Trying to get me hot again?”

“Like I need to try.” Kyle said

“Juliana looks really beautiful in that dress.” Liz said

“Too bad about her guy there.” Maria said

“Now, now, he may not be the smartest or the nicest guy on the block but she loves him and she’s happy.” Max said

“Oh please, he’s got a dick the size of a log and the bod of a athlete. That’s why she’s happy, she’s bagged the stud of the century.” Maria said, “Besides, she’s got enough brains for both of them and Juliana’s practically the nicest woman on the planet. Hell she’s practically a saint.”

“Quick question. How do you know how big he is?” Michael asked with a raised eyebrow

“Oh well. You see the thing about that is…”

“Isabel dreamwalked them to see what she saw in him.” Tess said

“I think I should be having a chat with my sister.” Max said

“Uh huh.” Liz said, “I asked her to.”

“Oh. So I should be having a chat with you.” Max said

Liz smiled wickedly, “Only if you really want to. Besides, it’ll be Juliana that wears the pants in that family. I was just curious. She’s got money, looks and brains. He’s got about half the amount of money and looks.”

“Only because he’s a star quarterback. If it isn’t made of pig’s skin then he doesn’t know what to do with it…well except for his dick. That, apparently, he can use quite well.” Tess said

“Yeah because she ties him up in bed and takes what she wants for as long as she wants.” Liz said

“Excuse me?” Kyle asked

“I said she was a nice girl, I didn’t say she didn’t know how to be a bad little vixen.” Maria said with a smile

Everyone smiled, “I guess tonight will be really fun for them…well for her.” Kyle said

“Maybe I should tie you up.” Tess said

“I was thinking the exact same thing.” Kyle said

Max and Liz looked at them, they couldn’t help but be aroused at their talking, “Okay, you 2, enough.” Max said

“What’s the matter Max? Getting a little hot under the collar?” Michael said as his hand trailed over his girlfriend’s leg

“Or is it just the thought of knocking up your wife?” Maria asked, “Which reminds me, given what’s happened with Isabel are you sure you two want to go down that road?”

“Well at least we know more about what to expect and it would happen sooner or later even if we did decide to wait.” Max said

“Right.” Liz said, “Besides, it’s a small price to pay for the end result.”

After a little while the music played and drew couples out onto the dance floor. The bride and her new husband danced away to their hearts content, as did many other lovers of all ages. Everyone had a good time but as Max and Liz held each other they looked into their eyes and smiled with a hint of happiness. Liz took her husband’s hand and led him away out of the room.

Concealed Room to the Side of the Ballroom, A Little Later

Max and Liz left the ballroom and moved into a nearby storage closet as the party continued. From there they twisted a coat hanger sticking out from the wall and a door opened. Both quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind them. The room was dark, save for a single glass panel that looked out onto the ballroom. It was behind the mirrored wall and one of those mirrors was 2-way, on one side they could see through but the other people would only see their reflection.

Instantly Max and Liz were all over each other, their lips fused together as Max let his hands roam over the sides of her body. Soon he had her pressed up against the window as she sucked his tongue into her mouth, both rubbing hotly against the other as the party continued on the other side. Max slid his hands down over her body until he got to her waist, quickly he started to pull up the hem of her dress and when it was high enough he sank to his knees. He hooked his fingers around her black lace panties and pulled them down her legs before he tossed them over his shoulder. Max stood back up and span Liz around. One hand stayed on her hip while he used the other to unfasten his pants, all the while his lips were latched onto his wife’s neck and making her gasp for every breath. His pants fell to the floor, one hand moved around to tilt her head around and they kissed furiously while his other hand slipped inside the top of her dress and cupped her breast. Liz could feel Max’s erection pressing into the cleavage of her ass and as his fingers danced over the sensitive mound of flesh, they played with her nipple and made her even hotter to the point that her skin was bright red. Then they broke the kiss.

“You know, I could fuck your ass right here and none of those people would even have a clue.” Max said huskily into her ear

“I do know. But you know we both want that dick of yours where it can do the most good.” Liz said, her hot breath becoming visible on the transparent surface

“Hmm.” Max growled as he slid his hands up and down her smooth arms

“Fuck me Max. Take me now.” Liz breathed out. Max smiled as he took the thin shoulder straps of her dress in his fingers and slowly pulled them down her arms until her chest was completely exposed. Max went in, pressing against her back and pushing her against the panel before them so that her breasts were squeezed tightly on the surface. Max’s lips were practically all over her back before he turned her back around. Their lips locked together as Max’s fingers slid down to between her legs where he stroked her again and again. Liz started to moan gently, they didn’t have to worry, most of these little rooms they built were soundproofed so they could watch without being discovered in case anyone they didn’t like decided to spend time in their hotel. His fingers moved over her, slipping in and out as his thumb gently brushed against her clit. It caused deep throbbing pulses to beat through her body, her back arched and one hand gripped tightly to the corner of the wall where the window looked out on. Gently Max pushed inside her, sending one, then two digits deep into her body again and again. He pressed as much of his body against hers and Liz writhed against him. One of her hands glided over his chest, as she looked him over. Then they kissed again, their tongues met in a frenzied dance. Liz brought one of her legs up and wrapped it around Max’s waist to give his fingers more room to work but she wasn’t content to simply receive the barrage of bliss. Liz wanted his dick buried as deeply inside her as possible and for Max to let loose a torrent of his potent seed. Then, suddenly, Max pulled his fingers away and slowly inched his hard length closer to her slit.

“I want…ughnnn…you to.” Liz said, “Do it Max…ughnnnn…yesss…so goood…fuck me Max.”

“Ghnnn…god, I need you.” Max growled. He simply looked at her with overwhelming desire and smiled. He took hold of both her hands and pinned them above her head as he kissed her again. Their bodies pressed together and they squirmed as Max started to go lower. He kissed her collarbone and then went down to her breasts. He lavished each one with his tongue, sucking on each nipple and teasing with gentle nibbles. He wanted to go lower but he had to release her hands and as he let go she brought them down and started to run her fingers through his hair.

Max wanted her, he needed to be buried deep inside his lover and from what he was feeling Liz wanted to be filled by him just as much. They stared at each other for less than a second before they kissed and Max’s hand caressed her hip under her black dress. With her leg already wrapped around his waist, there was enough space between her legs and Liz crept one hand down and grabbed his dick, she kept him steady as they stared at each other and she sank down onto his hard rod. The second there was contact; they felt a shudder of bliss spark through them, a shudder that grew more delirious with pleasure as the bulbous head of his cock slipped inside followed by each and every inch of his length. They held each other tightly, their foreheads pressed together as Liz wrapped her arms behind his back. Max kept one hand under her ass as the other glided up her side and then her back, he wanted to touch more and never stop but he withdrew his hand and pressed Liz back against the transparent wall.

Gently their hips began to move. Max pulled out and then pushed back in deeply as Liz started to move her hips in a circle. Their hands were going everywhere as they kissed and nipped on each other’s skin. They kept going, moving faster and with more desperate need with each passing moment. Their passion was fuelling their movements and they could feel they could last for hours. Sweat soaked their bodies, in and out with long and deep thrusts, Max moved against Liz and she against him. They were grinding against each other and sending tidal waves of fire through each other’s souls. Liz’s mouth went to work on covering his throat with bites and hungry licks. Their bodies pounded together furiously, giving the panel a strenuous workout to the point that it might start cracking. That would certainly draw the attention of the people gathered to celebrate the wedding, if it happened. They were both very energetic and the two were oblivious to everything except their mutual desire to consume and be consumed by each other, for Max to plant his seed in her and for their next generation to begin. Max felt his orgasm surging even as he felt Liz’s body tensing for her next orgasmic eruption.

“AAAHHH…UGHHH…AGHNNNNN…AGHHNNN MY GOD!” She shrieked wildly as her orgasm overcame her but she kept moving, thrashing against the window. Max felt the vibrations shooting through her body. Liz ground herself furiously against his hard body while at the same time ramming herself uncontrollably against his cock. It was all Max could do to hold on as he grunted and groaned. Her voice was raw with her unbridled screams of pleasure; however, the minute Max could resume stroking her, he kept plunging his cock into her until his cries overwhelmed hers. Then suddenly, Max felt very different. There was something knew inside him sensing something about Liz. He was tuned to her body, he could feel her in ways that he couldn’t even begin to understand and it was fuelling him. Liz watched as her husband’s eyes became as black as the darkest of nights, she could feel it rising with him but not once did it scare her as his skin started to shine with light like Isabel’s had. It was in that second that they knew his own instincts regarding the arrival of their progeny sprang to life and drove him on and on. Max’s dick was erect and penetrating deep into Liz’s core, over and over again he moved inside her body. Their hands glided over their slick bodies and they looked into each other’s eyes. Liz had her legs wrapped around his body as she raised her body up and sank back down, over and over again.

“Oh god…FUUUUUCKKK LIZ.” Max strained out

“Uh…uhhh…Hmmmmm.” Liz moaned, “Max…I…I love you.” Liz said as Max’s cock sawed inside her.

Max moved his hands down to her hip, caressing her skin as she gyrated above him. Liz had her arms loved around her lover’s head, her hands running through his hair, which was quickly soaking up the sweat from his brow. “UGH…LIZZZ…PLEASE.” Max said as she squeezed down on him. He still couldn’t get used to being inside of her, it just felt too incredible, too right and with a sense of belonging that he never felt in his entire life.

“MA…MAXXXXXXXXXX. Do it.” Liz said as her moved movements picked up speed as she climaxed, Max thrusting up into her.

“OH YES, LIZ GOD…YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS.” Max said spurting his seed into her as Liz collapsed into his arms before they fell to the floor. As they lay slumped in each other’s arms, Max’s glowing stopped and his eyes returned to normal. As they looked at each other they both knew something had just drastically changed in their lives, albeit a welcome one. Together they stayed lock together, gently caressing each other before Max’s hand drifted down to her belly. Soon they knew they had to return and redressed themselves, made themselves presentable and went back to the others.

Sub-Level 5, The Pentagon, 15:50 3 Weeks Later

The general was working away behind what would soon be Kivar’s desk unless he did something about it and found out what was really going on. They had gone through every resource he had but found very little additional information that would confirm their suspicions. Aside from the fact that no one had seen the fake general in just under a month had raised some concern but he always maintained contact over video conference calls. However, as he sat in his office, the general came to one of the very few conclusions he could make – with the extent of influence General Ivar had, he couldn’t trust anyone other than the two he already confided in. At any rate he had nearly finished closing down his duties in this facility in preparation for taking up his new role. General Ivar may be an alien but he could only hope that he was a good one here to help. However, if he wasn’t, he needed to know and deal with it. After a little while as he was shredding document after document, one of his sergeants came running in to his office.

“Sergeant, don’t you know how to knock?”

“Sorry general but…”

“And the whole saluting thing? Is that just over with or are we just having a lazy brain day.”

“General…sir, we’ve found the Roswell aliens.”

“What?” the general asked standing up.

“We tracked a series of events. That ship exploding over New York gave me an idea so I focused there. Anyway…we just got them. There is a hotel there; some of the records don’t track. I mean if the feds had our resources they would have spotted it but anyway we have them.”

“Okay, lets do this quietly. I want a team to secure them without too much disruption to the outside. And I want to be there.”

“Already taken care of that. I’ve gotten in contact with General Ivar at his home; he’s activating the Orion Team. They’ll be on route within ten minutes.”

“You informed Ivar?” the general said, getting worried and with good reason

“Yes sir, is that a problem?”

“Perhaps. Redirect that team to here, have them pick me up…I’ll lead the team myself.” The general said

“Yes sir.” The sergeant said before leaving and returning to the control room.

Skin Compound, Beneath Washington D.C., Same Time

Kivar sat back in his chair and smiled as he hung up the phone. He pressed a series of buttons on his chair and activated the subconscious programming that he spent 60 years developing and inserting into soldiers during their training. “Now it starts.” He said

To Be Continued…

Chapter 11

Sub-Level 5, The Pentagon, Immediately Following

The General came walking down the hall at a brisk pace toward his briefing room. Technically this wasn’t his duty anymore but Kivar hadn’t taken over yet and as the most senior officer on site he was in charge. As he walked into the room; there were already people seated around the table, ranking officers from different branches of the military, a part of their science contingent and a few intelligence agents from the CIA. In addition there were large screens above them and each one was filled with a different face from all across the country, they were the people currently in charge of the varying projects that dealt with the alien situation.

“Everyone, sorry for getting you all in so quickly but we have to move fast.” The general said

“You are sure you know their location General?” an admiral said from on of the monitors

“The intelligence backs it up. We have a team being outfitted with their equipment now and will be take off from Fallen Angel as soon as possible. However, given the location of the targets it’s my opinion that a nighttime assault would be best for security purposes. There will be a lot less questions ask if no one sees us take them down.” They all agreed.

“Are they really in a hotel?”

“Yes sir. It looks like they own it. We have over 1000 guests at the time and close to 200 staff. That’s too much collateral damage to let happen if we’re going to do this quietly and cleanly. Since we don’t want the general populace to know about them just yet…”

“Of course. From the file here it looks like they stay mainly to the top three or four floors…instruct our people not to head lower than that unless the aliens run.”

“There is also another thing we should discuss. Our current standing orders are to terminate the aliens. There is the possibility that if we could take at least one alive we could get some valuable information. Their purpose here, any others they know about, maybe even enough to get us a heads up on the technology recovered to date.”

“Leaving any of them alive allows for the possibility of them being discovered.”

“And given what we’ve learned so far, terminating these is only the beginning of our work. General Ivar has managed to determine that there is a level of infiltration all over this planet is higher than we’ve ever considered possible. I have one of his files here that suggests that there are at least three governments that have over 60% of their members being alien and even Congresswoman Whitaker was one…in our own country, through all the checks we have they managed to get one in. God knows how many more.”

“Exactly why we need one alive, to tell us who else before we go entrusting sensitive information to them. For all we know one of us could be one.” The general said

“It isn’t a matter of our orders. For the last 50 years we’ve instigated control programs in our soldiers for this. Terminate the extra terrestrial threat at all costs. That’s what we’ve put in their heads and we made sure that it can’t be so easily overridden.”

“Yes, I know.” The general said

“I am surprised general, you were the one who advocated eliminating them as soon as you discovered that tape of the alien female using her abilities.”

“Before it was just a handful of them with abilities that posed a significant threat that needed to be handled quickly. Now this information suggests they have instigated a successful infiltration of governments around the globe and god knows how many different organisations that could destabilise everything.”

“Very well. I understand that you are going along?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, if you get one alive then get it out before the others get to it. Just in case your orders aren’t obeyed to let it live.”

“Thank you sir, okay. At nightfall the team will take off from the hanger, estimated arrival at the hotel is 10 minutes later. The hotel roof is encased in a glass pyramid but we should be able to break through that in less than 20 seconds with the new little toy that will cut through the surface without anyone knowing before its too late…well unless they’re on the roof to begin with.”

“Lets hope that isn’t the case.”

Within minutes of the meeting breaking up all attended to what they needed to do. They alerted their own commands and had their troops on standby for when the problems all began, it was inevitable that it would. Plan A rarely worked. Soon the general was being driven into Virginia to await the arrival of the assault team.

Farm Field, Somewhere Outside New York City, 19:00

With satellite activity being spotty at best since the blackout, very few noticed the ship that approached the planet. It entered the solar system, flew through the atmosphere and touched down on a field large enough to hand the alien vessel. As everything powered down on it, the hatch opened and out bounced the four Gemods into the high rising corn. As they settled in the field, they looked around at the stalks.

“Neezu ba cu.” He said while tapping one of the stalks, expecting to get a response. These Gemods weren’t exactly the smartest ones made. After not getting a response he simply bounced back over to his green brother. Beezu’s eyes suddenly glazed over and became pearl white. From his perspective everything before them vanished as he saw beyond the physical and saw the energy it was all made up of. Beezu saw the energy tracks in the distance, he could see the leaping arcs from Zeezu’s bounce across the city as well as the energy focal points of the aliens he was currently with.

“Beezu lacu daba Zeezu.” He said smiling. In a second they all bounced away to follow their wayward brother’s tracks.

Kitchen, The Apartments, Same Time

Everyone was getting a little hungry and were all blissfully unaware of what was happening. They had come to their kitchen to make some roast chicken for dinner and while that was in the oven they all moved around each other to get everything else ready. It was then that Liz spotted Zeezu off by himself near the window and looking out as he shivered a little. Then she knew something was up.

“Zeezu?” Liz asked

“Zeezu cadu Neezu, Leezu ak Beezu.”

“Does that mean what I think it means?” Kyle asked

“We’ve got more company coming.” Max coming before looking at his sister’s belly, “In more ways than one.”

“Hey.” Isabel said

“Sorry.” Max said, “Just be glad you haven’t gone through another of those little growth spurts.”

“Uhgh, don’t remind me.” Isabel said, “And when are you going through one?” she asked Liz

“Don’t know. I should have happened before now, but maybe it’s different because I’m human.” Liz said, “Or then it could just happen later.”

“Yes well, have fun when it happens.” Isabel said with a wicked smile to her sister in-law

“Hmm.” Liz said, not looking forward to it at all.

“So what do we do?” Tess asked, “Zee managed to track us down, I think it’ll be easier for them to find him.”

“Zeezu da booboo.” He said solemnly

“Hey, none of that. We’ll keep you safe.” Maria said

“Still we do have one problem.” Michael said

“Just one?” Kyle asked

“Okay more than one but this one…if he’s afraid then they’re here and if they’re here then there are four multicoloured aliens bouncing around out there.” Michael said

“You’d prefer having them here?” Max asked

“No, but not out there where people can see them, and definitely not bouncing their way here.” Michael said

“Well, dinner’s nearly ready. We’ll talk about what we can do afterward.” Liz said, “Oh hey, what’s for desert?”

“Just a few creampuffs.” Tess said before mentally hitting herself for saying it

“Zeeza ta Ceampuffs?” the little alien said as he looked around with a growing smile

“Maybe one.” Michael said, “Later.” Zeezu immediately bounced happily up onto Michael’s head where he stayed and resulted in Michael groaning. “This is nuts.”

“Hey come on, he likes you.” Maria said

“I know, I know. The question is why?” Michael said

“Simple, you’ve both been outsiders.” Tess said

Skin Compound, Beneath Washington D.C., 19:20

In the subterranean base, the Skins were bustling around. Things were getting underway and they wanted to be ready to move when things really got interesting. Kivar had been watching everything, on the screen before him he had a picture of the globe and red light after red light was lighting up as his resources around the planet checked in to confirm their ready status. He knew all to well that the Royal Four and those with them wouldn’t go easily and that there would be a display of power that would undoubtedly cause a level of panic that would bring the desired domino effect. Country after country would fall once the first piece fell and that all depended on his old enemy doing what ever he needed to protect his family, just as Kivar knew he would. Soon he would let his little toy soldiers out to play, hunting human after human as he made them think that they were alien after manipulating certain world leaders to take pre-emptive first strikes against those nations in which he provided evidence that showed alien infiltration. Most of it wasn’t true but he did send a few Skins just to give it the hint of truth to it. It was more than enough as he provided insight again and again that pushed the leaders to the path he wanted them to be on. However today he had another concern that was more than a distraction.

“My lord.”

“Yes Laver?” Kivar said as he tapped away at his control pad

“My lord, our contacts have managed to get some information from Kelna.”

“Ah good, what Gemod was it?” Kivar asked

“I’m afraid we still don’t know that my lord, but it appears as though the situation is much worse.”

“How?”

“3 Weeks ago, on their way to appropriate holding facilities, escaped. They killed the security personnel and in a couple of cases they destroyed the penal colonies. They hijacked the last ship and set a new course.”

“Don’t tell me their on their way here?” Kivar asked

“Actually my lord, based on their last known coordinates they should have arrived by now.”

Kivar moved up from his chair and moved over to the main consol where he slammed his hand down on a big red button. In an instant every single emergency door sealed over the already sealed doors, simultaneously all the air vents and any connection to the outside worlds was cut off and everything went onto internal power. There was no way he was letting a Gemod into his base of operations, it was bad enough that they were out there somewhere and could potentially mess up his peoples colonisation of Earth unless they found away of getting them off this rock. Then he activated the compounds internal communications system, “This is Kivar. The five Gemods from Kelna are on Earth. As of this moment we are completely cut off, I do not want them coming here. I am hereby directing our research department to find away of getting them off of Earth before they disrupt our plans too much. All others; get ready. Zan will be no longer be an issue very soon and this world will fall very quickly. I know many of you would prefer the direct approach and simply use a plaque or something to wipe out the humans but this is the plan we have that will allow us to restart this world in the image of Antar. Soon we will prevail, no more waiting, no more hiding. Earth will be ours and we can set about realigning its time to suit our own needs.”

Then Kivar shut off the system and sat back down, “My lord, the people who created the Gemods haven’t even been able to find an absolute method of containment.”

“I know. But we do have more advances resources than the Kelnans.” Kivar said, “Are out assets in place on the outside?”

“Yes my lord. The human forces are moving into position as we speak and will launch their attack when it’s suitably dark. All undercover Skins will make the assassinations when they receive the order. This world will enter chaos and all troops in here will move out when the missiles start hitting.”

Kivar smiled, “Contact our people on Antar. Tell them Earth awaits them within the fortnight.”

“Uh, my lord. They don’t know what fortnight means, we’ve gotten too used to Earth’s sense of time.”

“Hmm? Oh, right. Uhhh…multiply to temporal quotient, carry the 4.” Kivar said as he worked out the conversion in his head, “Oh, okay, we’ll see them in 5 cycles.”

“I’ll relay your message my lord.”

Project Fallen Angel, Langley, Virginia, 20:00

Although most people didn’t know it, deep beneath Virginia, there was a massive network of caverns that extended for miles. Most of them were in accessible but one section was lined with cement and converted into barracks, a hanger and effectively acted like a nuclear bunker. Right on top of it all, and the building that contained the only way in or out aside for the hanger doors, was the CIA. They had been preparing this place for the last 30 years but was only outfitted when the technological projects provided the equipment.

All the projects were kept separate for security but in the end everything would end up here. All trained soldiers would be transferred here upon the completion of their training and would get all their new weapons, equipment and spend a lot of time here. Now these people were running around as much as the people in the Skin’s base. Each put on their black uniforms, armoured skin-tight spandex-like material that provided unparalleled protection. They had equipment belts filled with small explosive balls that either blasted, gased, electrocuted or just generally caused enough damage to make it impossible for their alien targets to focus their abilities. Along with it came a scanning unit that detected their targets. Then came their guns, faster, stronger and shot more rounds than anything before it. The fired shots close to the speed of sound. Anything they hit, they killed. The last bit of equipment was their transportation. An advanced form of helicopter that carried 8 people, heavily armed but lightweight, manoeuvrable and strong. It also had the added bonus of being completely undetectable by radar thanks to a little salvaged hull lining from crashed alien ships. All those little lights that people saw over a denied Nevada facility were the previous results leading to these vehicles.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve got five minutes to get suited up.” Within 2 minutes everyone was by their assigned helicopters and were getting inside, each one was sharp and alert. “Okay people listen up. We have the targets in a hotel in central New York, top four floors. Unless they go beyond that you are not to go below that, we cannot risk civilians becoming aware of what they don’t need to know. Durst…”

“Yes sir?”

“You have the breach. Use the cutter, the glass will vaporise and create a hole three meters across. From there take out the targets, follow all mandates regarding the threats. We know there are four alien biologics with four human collaborators. Their so called parents disappeared a while ago and we can only assume that they’ve met up. That brings the targets up to 16.” He said before looking at his watch. “Lift off is in 3 minutes. Get ready.”

He slammed his hand against a button on the side of the wall and the lights changed to a dark red. The engines powered up but there was virtually no sound to it as they started hovering above the ground when the propellers picked up enough speed. It was then that the hanger doors opened, the hanger was built into one of the upper levels of the caves so it was a simple matter of the roof of the cave to lower a few feet and to be pulled into the side to create a clear and unobstructed path of the helicopters. In seconds the 5 aircraft lifted off and shot out of the opening, heading out into the night sky and immediately setting course to New York. No one saw anything; no one was there to see anything. With black aircraft with darkened windows and no lights outside of the craft there was simply nothing to see unless they flew in front of a bright light source like the moon, or the lights from city high rise buildings but fortunately they could fly really high over it and descend rapidly over their target. At any rate, they were on their way.

Library, The Hotel, Same Time

Max and Liz were sitting in the library with their parents. It had been three weeks since they knew that they had conceived and they had told the rest of their family but every time they had tried it ended up with stammered statements and the two walked away. However, this time, they swore to themselves that this time they would do it. So they sat down opposite the parents, two against four and even with their powers they felt humbled and incredible overmatched.

“So…eh.” Max mumbled

“You two want to tell us something?” Jeff asked

“Pretty much, yes.” Liz said

“You…getting a divorce?” Nancy asked

“God no.” both said together

“So?” Philip asked

“We…” Max started

“Are…”

“Well, we’re having a baby.” Both said together

“I’m pregnant. Surprise.” Liz said

“Second grandchild on the way.” Max said

Their parents sat there staring at them before Diane actually blinked, “I’m sorry could you say that again?”

Max and Liz just smiled.

“I thought you 2 were being careful?” Nancy asked

“We were, then we decided…not to be.” Liz said

“This was planned?” Jeff asked, “Oh god I’m feeling old right now. I don’t have any grey hairs just now?”

“No more than usual honey.” Nancy said

“And yes, it was planned. We want this.” Max said

“But with everything going on…wait, you mean I do have grey hairs…no, back up, you know the army is after you, Kivar is here and there is a bouncing pink ball in the other room who apparently has a few really mean brothers.” Jeff said

“And with Isabel’s baby on the way, do you really want to increase the problems right now?” Philip said

“We’ve considered all of this and we know there will be problems, there will always be problems but we can’t stop living our lives because of what might happen…even though there is a very real possibility of it happening. We’ve secured this place pretty…”

“Max.” Liz said as she placed her hand on his arm, “Oh god.”

“What?” Diane asked

“Liz?” Max asked, he looked into her eyes, he knew that look and knew that she was in the middle of another vision.

In her mind, Liz could see helicopters quickly approaching their home. They moved over the city and with each inch they covered, the city changed leaving burnt out buildings and corpse-ridden streets. High above them streaks moved across the sky, missiles were flying everywhere yet she could still see the helicopters flying toward them carrying men and women with big guns.

“They’re coming Max. They’re coming right now.” Liz said as a single tear fell down her cheek

Max jumped up, “Get the others, get down to the subway right now. I’ll get Alex and Isabel.”

“Subway?” Philip asked

“Our escape route.” Liz said, “Max, Alex put his code in 10 minutes ago. Our little broadcast wont go over the internet until tomorrow morning.”

“I know. But it will.” Max said, “I really liked this place.” He said as he looked around the room

Quickly everyone left the room and went to get the others. Liz took one look out of the window in the direction that they were coming. “Like hell.”

The Roof, 20:30

Alex had been walking with Isabel, without even thinking about it Isabel had headed up to their garden. They walked through the branches of the trees and inhaled the aroma of the flowers. Then, as they were deep through their little oasis of greenery, Max came running up the stairs and entered the area yelling for them both.

“What?” Alex yelled back just as his wife’s skin started to glow brightly, “Isabel?”

Isabel then fell to her knees once more as her brother came closer. Her eyes darkened and Alex moved by her side as her belly swelled a little bit more. Suddenly, all around them the garden started to move as though it was not only alive but aware as well.

“What’s going on?” Max asked

“It’s happening, I think I’m going into labour.” Isabel groaned in a little pain but it was growing.

“Iz, we don’t have time for this. Liz had a vision. They’re coming to attack us now.” Max said

“Not exactly having a choice right now.” Isabel got out before wincing.

Just then a mass of vines spread over the area effectively creating a barrier trapping Alex and Isabel from Max. Max tried to use his powers to remove them but they just regrew, Isabel’s powers were acting on their own and prevented anything from interfering with the birth. “Alex? Isabel?” Max yelled to the barrier

“Isabel. We have to leave.” Alex said as he held her hand

“I can’t stop it Alex. I cant go.” Isabel said holding his hand back

Alex nodded, “MAX, get out of here.”

“I can’t leave you two here.” Max called back

“We can’t move her, a part of her wont let us.” Alex said as he looked down at her, “Go with the other’s, I’ll get her out.”

“Alex!”

“Max, just go. Keep the others safe.” Alex said, “They wont get close to her. I swear I’ll keep her safe, both of them.”

Max nodded. Under normal circumstances there was nothing that could make him leave his sister behind but he couldn’t even get to her and time was short. Max would tear through these vines if he could but he couldn’t, if one came down another would instantly take its place. All Max could do was put his hand up to the barrier and rest his palm against it. On the other side, Isabel felt it and rested her own hand against it. Both siblings could feel the other in their head and Isabel told him to leave. He didn’t have much of a choice so Max left them, hoping that if there was something out in the great beyond that they were watching over his sister, her husband and their new child.
Soon he left and ran down the stairs to the nearest escape chute that went down to their subway station. Alex and Isabel were just with each other, look into each other’s eyes. Isabel had started wearing skirts all the time since her little one’s little growth spurt hit, she didn’t want to take any chances but right now she reached up and pulled down her underwear. All Alex had on him was a pocket knife, he never figured he’d use it to cut his own child’s umbilical cord but then he didn’t have a choice in what was at hand as he watched Isabel lean back and start to groan in pain as her body prepared to let the child out.

Skin Compound…

“Active the programming.” Kivar ordered from his chair and the Skins entered commands into the computers. In less than a second a command was broadcast throughout the planet. Every soldier that had been trained under Kivar’s instigation, from low ranking grunts in the field to medium ranking officers, suddenly blinked their eyes. From that second on, no order was accepted unless it came from Kivar. They would see only what he wanted them to see and no longer cared about anything. They were effectively walking and talking, flesh and blood robots. From now on they would simply see the alien threat everywhere they looked and found themselves unable to question it.

Abandoned Subway Station, Beneath the Hotel, 20:15

From the chutes from their apartments the extended family came sliding down along with Zeezu into their escape route. They came with their backpacks and as they moved into the old station, Michael went to the safe and bundled up the massive amount of cash into a duffle bag. Every time they reached a certain amount in their bank account, they would withdraw five thousand dollars and store them here. By now they had nearly 3 million in the safe – their rainy day money. This time they wouldn’t run out any time soon and it should at least make sure that they didn’t need to end up robbing banks again. Tess arrived a few minutes later with each of the alien stones in her own bag; the last thing they wanted was for them to end up in military hands. They certainly didn’t want them going up in the fire when they set off their system; they had no idea how they would react to a fire like that. They had more than enough camping gear and M.R.Es to last them a while, waiting in the cars they kept at the end of the dark tunnel. Through this derelict network they could get half way across the city quickly.

A little later Max came sliding down. “We have a problem.”

“Where is Alex and Isabel?” Diane asked

“That would be the problem.” Max said, “Isabel went into labour, then all these plants grew around them, I couldn’t get to them…they’re stuck up there.”

“Oh god.” Liz said

“Perfect timing Isabel.” Michael said, “Okay, so we can’t set off the fire…obviously, that would kill them.”

“We can wait a while, but not much.” Liz said, “They’re almost on top of us but…”

“But?” Tess asked

“I don’t know…there is something but I can’t see it. It’s like there’s something blocking it.”

“Okay, uh Kyle, Michael, take everything and put it in the cars and make sure they start. Last thing we need is to be fiddling with them if the army figures out about this place.” Max ordered. Both young men grabbed all the bags and headed off down the rail line to where they parked. Max just looked at the massive keystone before them, there was no where they were getting that out of here so Max covered it in rubble.

“I can’t believe they’re stuck up there.” Maria said

“They’ll be fine.” Laurie said, not hiding her worry very well, “They’ll be very fine.”

“So, just out of curiosity, where are we headed?” Philip asked

“Canada.” Tess said

“Oh great, I can become a Mountie.” Jim said

“Relax, that’s just stop one. From there we head over to the west coast, head south to San Diego, stop by Comicon, let Alex have his fill then through to Mexico. Then we head as far into the Amazon where we can really disappear.” Michael said as he and Kyle came jogging back up the line

“And Kivar?” Jeff asked

Their kids looked at each other, “Okay, maybe we need to modify the plan slightly.” Max said

“How do we deal with him?” Liz asked

“I don’t know if we can.” Max said, “He’s been planning this for decades and god knows what damage has been done already.”

“Okay, I may remember only a little more about Antar than you guys but I do know this, Kivar will not stop until he’s finished his plan and that means wiping out everyone on this planet. There wont be anywhere we can go. He could scan for us or any other surviving groups of humans and do precision bombing on us from orbit. Forget about all those movies about small groups coming together and forming a resistance…anyone who makes a move dies…if there is anyone.”

“Cheerful, uplifting…Thanks.” Maria said while sticking her thumbs up

The Roof, Immediately Following

On a bed of grass, Isabel lay back with her legs spread, sweating and in pain as her baby was on the verge of coming into the world. “It’s okay Isabel, I’m here.”

“Yeah and I want to rip your head off.” Isabel said, clutching the grass with her hands

“Well you seemed to enjoy that night quite a lot.” Alex said with a smile

“UGHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!” she grunted out loud

“Okay, wrong thing to say. I love you.”

“Still the wrong thing…at least right now.” Isabel said with a smile

Just then the lights of the whole hotel went out, “They’re here.” Alex whispered as the emergency lighting came on.

“Al…Alex…oh god, it’s happening now.” Isabel said.

In less than half a minute the head was already out and the look of wonder in Alex’s eyes was unmistakable. In that second they heard the sound of glass breaking. They knew their little pyramid had been breached and heard the sound of boots hitting the ground as the soldiers came flooding through the hole one after the other. They moved in, guns raised and looking around before heading to the door and the stairs beyond. Alex had broken off a twig from one of their trees and gave it to Isabel to bite down on. She bore down on the wood, almost breaking through it as their newest responsibility was pushed out of Isabel. Alex quickly cut the umbilical before slapping the child to induce crying. He could see that the baby had Isabel’s eyes, both deeply black. It was then that he took off his shirt and used it to clean off the baby, “It’s a girl.” Alex said with a happy laugh, “We have a little girl.”

Isabel looked over and couldn’t believe her eyes. The sight of her daughter brought a look of joy to her eyes that Alex hadn’t seen before and neither of them could be happier than right now…now if they just get to the rest of their family. Isabel reached over and Alex handed over their daughter, both simply stared at her but they had to get out and soon. Unfortunately they heard more boots hitting the ground and had to lay low. Most headed down the stairs, however the last two spotted the glow of Isabel’s skin through the greenery. The two of them came running to them with their weapons raised. They had their orders, shoot on sight before they are able to use their powers against them. As they worked cautiously through the trees, Isabel’s body started to regenerate and quickly regenerate her strength. Her glowing was dying down and along with it the protective barricade of vines started to retract. The second it was down the two soldiers were upon them, Alex quickly turned around with his knife pointing to them.

“If you think about harming my family I’ll kill you.” Alex said

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to bring a knife to a gunfight?” one said as he started squeezing the trigger

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!” the general yelled as he approached with his own pistol out and aiming to them. He saw Isabel and recognised her from the tape, even if he didn’t the fact that her eyes were alien black would have been a good clue as to her true origins.

“Sir, our orders are to…”

“I know but they might have information we need.”

“Sorry General, we are to terminate.” They were brainwashed with no other choice. Their minds simply couldn’t even entertain the idea

“Stay the hell back!” Alex yelled

The general looked down at the baby girl and saw her black eyes. Then the baby blinked and her eyes became like Isabel’s usual ones, even to the same shade of colour. Before him was something that shouldn’t exist and raised his gun, he didn’t need Alex or the infant but as far as he was concerned Isabel was the only one he needed to give him the data he needed. The only problem was getting her away from the soldiers who were here to kill them at any cost.

“I’m sorry.” The general said

“What are you apologising to them for?” one soldier asked

“I’m not apologising to them.” The general said before he turned quickly and fired three shots to the heads of the two soldiers. They fell to the ground, blood pouring from the wounds. Then he turned the gun back on them.

“Why?” Isabel asked

“Simple, I need what you might know. They would have killed you unless I killed them and right now I need to know what’s going on.” The general said, “So right now you’re going to tell me everything you know about General Ivar.”

“Like hell we’ll tell you anything.” Alex said

“Oh really. Well then it’s a good thing I don’t need you…or that.” The general said as he aimed his gun at the baby and her father. Then…

*BANG*

The general’s gun went flying from his hand and everyone looked over to see a blonde long-haired girl, about 16 years old and dressing in tight black pants that were low on her waist and wearing an even tighter black top that exposed her midriff and all of her arms while dipping down over her chest. It was as though someone had taken a bikini top and added a bit more fabric around the bottom to cover the girl’s ribs. Around her upper right arm there was a simple black band decorated with the whirlwind symbol. She looked angry, mean and very much like someone not to cross as she aimed her own gun at the general.

“I can’t believe I’ve got to help you.” She said to the general before looking at Alex and then her eyes softened, “Hi daddy.”

To Be Continued…

See you all friday night, 10:30GMT/5:30EST for the Author Chat over at Dreaming Among Stars

Chapter 12

Roof, The Hotel, Immediately Following

The girl stood there, gun ready to fire again if she needed to but her words rang out to Isabel and Alex who could only stare at her and then at their daughter in Isabel’s arms. The General held his hand as pain continued to shoot through it from having his own weapon shot out of it but the look of hatred in the blonde’s eyes was unmistakable and made him wary. He may be highly trained and could probably take the girl but she was obviously a crack shot and could easily blow his brains out if he forced her into it.

As Alex stared at her, there was just something about her. The way she looked, her eyes, there was just too much of her that reminded her of Isabel. “Could you say that again?”

“Hi daddy, as in me saying hello to my dad.” She said and then indicated to the newborn, “Oh by the way, her name is Serena. Don’t go changing it on me, I quite like it.”

“Serena.” Isabel said as she looked down into her daughter’s eyes and knew that she and the girl were one in the same, “You want to tell me how?”

“Aunt Liz, Granolith, need I say more?” Serena said

“Yes.” Alex said

“Absolutely.” Isabel said at the same time

Serena smiled, “Later.”

“You things want to tell me what the hell is going on.” The general said

Serena moved up closer to him and pistol-whipped him, causing a gash on his head as he fell to the floor in pain, “Don’t you dare say a word. I had to grow up without a dad because of you.” She said angrily before kicking the officer in the gut

“Come again?” Alex asked

“He was going to kill you about 20 seconds ago. So, good choice of timing on Aunt Liz’s part.” Serena said

“Serena…” Alex said

“Dad, trust me on this, this piece of…he deserves to die right now. But the only reason you aren’t is because of all the people involved with this you’re the only one who can stop him.” Serena said

“Who?” the general asked

“That guy you’ve got your eye on, Ivar, his real name is Kivar and he is an alien. A sick psycho son of a bitch. You see my mom and the others are the good kind who just wants to live quietly as they can. You screwed that up tonight. He’s already trashed his own planet and wants to make Earth the new home for a select choice of his race. He’s been manipulating everything for a long time and he plans on wiping out every last human being. And you know what, he succeeded. The last human was my aunt who died seconds after sending me back here from a massive nuclear explosion over Roswell.” Serena said, “That made me the last of my family and you better believe that I’m going to put it right.”

Alex helped Isabel stand, her body rapidly regenerating after the birth and soon she was more than strong enough to get out of here. “I think its time we get out of here.”

“Oh its way past time.” Serena said as she quickly turned around and fired her gun again. The bullets travelled and then seconds later the door to the stairs opened and her shots hit two soldiers squarely on their foreheads, killing them instantly before they even knew what happened

“How’d you know they were there?” Isabel asked

Serena didn’t say anything as she turned back to the General and took a knife out of her belt.

“What are you doing?” the general asked

“Cutting the leash.” Serena said, she moved down to her knees and pressed one hard on the general’s chest and preventing him from moving. He couldn’t move, here was this 80 pound 16 year old girl pinning him down to the point that he could feel the strain on his ribs and could swear they were about to crack. Serena extended the blade of her own knife and stabbed it into his upper arm.

“AGHHHH!” he cried out, and even more so as Serena started to slice his arm open

Her parents could only wince as they watched it but then she started to probe with her knife and plucked out a small computer chip. Once it was on the floor, she stood up and smashed it under her heel. “All officers, major and above, have little trackers implanted by Kivar. When he’s finished with you they self destruct…taking out 3 city blocks along with you.”

“And you broke it with your foot?” Alex asked

“The bomb doesn’t activate until after Kivar sends the signal. You can move around freely now…you screw up and I will kill you.” Serena said to the general before smashing the side of his head and knocking him out. She then grabbed his radio, “Man down on the roof, medic needed.” She said before tossing the radio into the pool. “Time to go.”

“Serena.” Alex said

“Later…everything later, right now I need to get you all out alive. Time hasn’t changed enough.” She said as she led them all to the door

As she waved her hand over the lock it melted but she already knew that medics were entering the roof and getting the general out. She could have closed his wound but she owed him a lot of pain. They moved through into their apartments, when they got to the place where Alex had his computer he set up and stopped.

“Wait.” Alex said

“Dad, no time.” Serena said

“There is to make sure.” Alex said as he accessed his computer and worked for a minute before he pushed the whole lot off the desk and made sure it was smashed, “No point in giving them a chance to stop our little message.” He said before moving up to the fire alarm button, the activator of their little booby trap, and he pulled on it. With every employee and every guest, the only thing they ever did was to instil an overwhelming desire to get out and get out safely when the fire alarm went off. Now it was ringing loudly through all floors while their apartments were sealed off preventing their invaders from getting into rest of the hotel and letting everyone else get out.

The four then headed for their escape chute, Isabel held the newborn version of her daughter as she slid down. Alex and Serena followed immediately after.

Abandoned Subway Station, Beneath the Hotel, 5 Minutes Later

The others were waiting and with each passing second they were becoming more and more concerned. They were afraid, knowing that their home was swarming with a whole lot of people with itchy trigger fingers. Then they heard the sound of the fire alarm echoing down the chutes and they knew that it was either Alex or Isabel, they could only hope that it was both of them. Then seconds later Isabel came sliding down and everyone moved around as they saw the baby.

“Oh my god.” Diane said with moist eyes

“Everyone…meet Serena Whitman.” Isabel said just as Alex came sliding down and then they saw someone they didn’t know

Michael instantly raised his hand to strike, thinking that someone had followed them down.

“Michael no!” Alex yelled

“Who is she?” Max asked

“Everyone…meet Serena Whitman.” Isabel said

“Yeah, we’ve done that. Who is she?” Michael asked

“She is Serena.” Alex said

“The 16 year old version of her at any rate. Freshly delivered from 2021, the official end of humanity.” Serena said as she looked at Kyle, “Hey Uncle Kyle, you still got abs.” She said with her thumb up

Kyle focused for a minute, getting his head around the time travel. “Uh, wait, are you saying I get fat in the future?”

“Nah, just cuddly.” Serena said, “Sitting around in Peru, waiting, didn’t give you much time to exercise.”

“I take it things don’t go well?” Laurie asked

“Things go to hell.” Serena said, “But right now we don’t have time for all these hellos, we have to go now.”

Everyone nodded, knowing that the hotel above them was more than likely already burning on the upper floors. Soon the entire building would begin erupting in a huge fireball as the Thermite lined walls caught fire.

“We shouldn’t travel far, not with a newborn.” Nancy said

“Relax, I’ll be fine.” Serena said as they walked to their vehicles. Serena was driving the one with the aliens and their significant others while Jeff was behind the wheel with the others in it. In Max’s car, Zeezu was pressed up against the window looking out with a big smile on his face as he looked at everything around him. It was almost like one of those suction cup dolls.

“Just out of curiosity, who taught you to drive?” Alex asked his daughter

Serena smiled, “No one.” She said before slamming her foot down and sped off down the empty network of rail tracks. She knew just what the panicked looks were on her family’s faces and smiled because of it as the car went driving off from track to track until it reached an access to the storm drains that Max had made earlier when they were first coming up with their escape plan and entered that.

Leaving New York City, 21:00

The long and twisting tunnels had taken up a little time but Serena knew what to do and where to go. She knew every little turn that she needed to take and showed no hesitation in what she was doing. The last thing she saw was her aunt being vaporised by nuclear fire, if it was anything but the granolith she wouldn’t have survived but the alien machine carried out its task and delivered her safe and sound to make sure that it didn’t happen. This was why she existed, but she could only hope that the child in her mother’s arms would have a distinctly different destiny in store for her.

After leaving the storm drains they got onto the main roads, driving fast but within the speed limit to avoid drawing attention from the police. In the distance behind them, they could see an intense red glow and knew that it was their hotel burning down to the ground.

“I really liked that hotel.” Isabel said, “And I was looking forward to raising you there.” She said to her baby

“I wish I was.” Serena said, “But that was never going to happen. I couldn’t get here earlier, if I was I might have been able to take Kivar out before he even knew what was happening.”

“Why couldn’t you?” Liz asked

“Granolith uses biological matter as a lock-on to ensure a person arrives correctly. In other word it only sends people back as far as they have been alive. I arrived when I was born. Anything before that an there is an increased risk of genetic abnormalities.” Serena said

“So, what’s with the guns? I take it that means you don’t have any kick ass powers?” Kyle asked

Serena looked at him in the rear view mirror before going back to looking straight ahead, “You don’t want to know the answer to that.” She said, “Believe me.”

They continued to drive on the highway, heading clear out of the city and hoping that nothing stopped them. However, Serena knew better. As she drove she kept looking at the dashboard clock until after ten minutes she started lowering her window.

Max could see the look in his grown up niece’s face and watched as she reached to her belt and pulled out her gun, “What?” he asked softly

Serena kept looking from straight ahead to her wing mirror, looking behind her until she saw the movement, “HOLD ON!” she called out as she sharply turned the wheel. The car span around as she stuck the gun out of the window and fired two shots.

It was then that they saw one of the advanced helicopters that brought the soldiers to their home. It was on a course that circled the city, watching areas nearby the hotel for anything unusual. They had broken off when the fire alarm was raised, knowing that the fire department would be on route to deal with the blaze and that they could see them. Their position here was an accidental coincidence but everyone in the car knew that since they were so close they could probably detect who was in the cars.

Serena’s shot flew straight and true through the air, before the crew could even realise that there were cars nearby each shot impacted turbines on either side of the aircraft. They exploded in a shower sparks and smoke resulting in every system on board instantly malfunctioning. Under normal circumstances not even armour piercing rounds could do anything to these helicopters but then Serena’s bullets weren’t the normal rounds used today. They were a couple of decades more advanced and shredded the mechanisms of the turbines.

Everyone watched as the helicopter suddenly started spinning around before crashing into the road behind them where it exploded. Serena straightened the wheel and they were heading off again.

“How’d you do that?” Tess asked

“That’s twice. First on the roof, those two soldiers behind the door and now this. Even if we told you, you couldn’t know when to fire. You couldn’t know the right time to do it.” Isabel said

“Yes I could.” Serena said

“How?” Liz asked

“I remember everything.” She said plainly before looking over her shoulder to her younger self, “That reminds me, when your 14 do not let Mike Carter get to second base. He’s a jerk and a looser and you’ll regret it.”

“Who the hell is Mike Carter?” Michael asked

“Something else you don’t want to know but it can wait till we’re safer.” Serena said

“So you can remember everything?” Isabel asked

“From the second I was born. I wont understand a lot of it for a few years but I remember every word said to me, every gesture, every line on every book I read.” Serena said

“You have a photographic memory?” Maria asked

“No. What I have is a photographic memory times 50.” Serena said, “No one understands it.”

For another 20 minutes they drove without further incident, their parents driving close behind them as they finally reached the city limits. It was then that Serena stopped the car. Instantly the four Gemods came bouncing out of the bushes and Zeezu slid under the back seat of the car.

“CEAMPUFFS!” the all yelled, recognising the people before them as aliens and not locals

“Oh uh…we have problems now.” Max said

“Which one was the crazy one?” Tess asked

Serena turned, “Zeezu coi da la mara.” She said perfectly

“Zeezu daba.”

“Da la mara. Neesa.” Serena said as she opened the bag that contained the alien stones and tossed one to the alien ball.

Zeezu looked around and caught the gem. As it started to glow, he turned blue. The power of the stone magnified his abilities. He tapped into his blue brother’s talent and encased the two cars in a similarly coloured energy orb. The other Gemods stared on as they all disappeared in a crackle of energy.

“Neezu da caba?”

“Beezu ta na do.”

They turned to their green brother but couldn’t see anything, no trail to pick up, no sliver of energy to mark their course, they were simply gone. In the cars, everyone felt a little disorientated as they all got out of the car when they saw that the Gemods had suddenly disappeared.

“What happened?” Michael asked

“Zeezu transported us away from them.” Serena said

“To where?” Alex asked

“Texas.” Kyle said as he looked to a nearby road sign. “He sent us clear across the country.”

“And right to where we need to be. Kivar and the army wont be looking for us out here so quickly.” Serena said, “Anyway, mom, little me is going to get hungry any minute now.”

“Oh right…uh…”

“We need a break anyway, you can feed her in the car while we stretch our legs.” Max said

Isabel went back into the car and opened her shirt. Instantly her new daughter latched onto a breast and started to suckle as Isabel held her close to her.

“We should stop by an all night store or something, pick up some diapers and stuff.” Alex said

“Right, that’ll be our next stop.” Serena said, “There should be a town nearby.”

“You not embarrassed or something like that?” Tess asked

“No, she…I…whatever is a baby and that comes with the territory. Besides, they’re my parents. It comes with the territory whether or not I remember it…which unfortunately I do.” Serena said with a strained smile as she picked up her gun and checked the clip. She had a few rounds left but had another clip. She just hoped she didn’t run out, the alternative was not something she liked to do.

“Hey what about Zeezu, how’d you talk to him?”

“I grew up with him nearby remember. I picked up a word or two here and there.” Serena said

After a few more minutes, baby Serena had her fill and everyone was back in the cars and heading off. The out of time girl still drove, she insisted on despite several offers to give her a break. It was then they realised that Serena was leading them somewhere. They didn’t know if it was a place to lay low or a place that could help keep them safe or to stop Kivar but they had to go on faith that Alex’s daughter knew what she was doing.

Oval Office, The White House, Washington D.C., Midnight

“What the hell happened out there?” the president asked angrily as he came around from behind his desk and stared at the general

“It was some sort of trap. The hotel went up in minutes; the temperature exceeded over 2000 degrees Celsius. Most of our men didn’t make it out but all of the hotel guests survived. They had sufficient warning.”

“Then what kind of idiots did we train that doesn’t leave when there’s a fire alarm?”

“They were sealed in. Metal doors sealed off every escape.”

“And the aliens?”

There is was. Choice time for the general, given what he had been told about Ivar from that girl and his dedication to removing the alien threat he had to pick one. He went on that mission to get information and he got a taste. So he made it. “We can’t be sure. There are no bodies left, even among our own men. They’re all ashes. Last report had them being chased through one of the upper floor halls with no way out. They’re dead.” The general said

“You’re sure?”

“Those ones yes, but they might have tipped me to something else. I should go an check on it now.”

“Then go. Keep me informed.”

“Of course Mr President.” The general said before starting to walk out

“Oh by the way, how’s the arm?”

“Hurts like hell sir. That alien cut really deep.”

“And reason why?”

“Not that I know of. I think she just wanted to make sure I remember the price for attacking her family.” The general said

“Something tells me you will.”

“From the look in that girl’s eyes…oh yes sir.”

“From your description of her, she isn’t one of the ones you’ve been tracking.”

“No sir, she is…most definitely something else.” The general said, hearing the girl describe herself as the daughter of the two he held a gun to was odd to say the least, especially given the fact that they were holding their daughter in their arms. Of course he knew of time travel, it had been used in enough times in sci-fi shows but not once did he ever think that it was possible.

“Something you want to tell me?” the president asked as he saw the other man’s eyes fill with something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“No sir, not until I figure out at least some of it.”

The general left, the second he was out of the White House he took out his cell phone and called his aide. He needed to get him to the office for a little chat with their head scientist.

General’s Office, Sub-Level 5, The Pentagon, 00:45

The lieutenant and the doctor both came in yawning to find their C.O. sitting and waiting for them. He was with a pad of paper and pencil, sketching out the face of the girl you’d shot his gun right out of his hand before slicing his arm open.

“Did I wake you?” the general asked

“Just a little bit sir.”

“Couldn’t this have waited till tomorrow, you know, after I’ve dissected some aliens? You know how I’ve been looking forward to that.”

“Yes I know. But we have a very big problem.”

“Like…sir?”

“Like this girl,” The general said as he put the pad down and showed them the face, “told she was the daughter of two of the targets. Right before she told me that General Ivar was indeed what we suspected, an alien called Kivar, but this one led some sort of coup on another planet. Did a lot of damage. According to this Serena, he plans on making our home his, after eliminating every last human.”

“Sir…I…”

“Wait, you haven’t heard the best part yet.” The general said, “She said that one Kivar’s programs was to put implants in certain soldiers. Myself included. She stuck a knife into my arm and cut out some sort of chip. She called it cutting the leash. The chip was for tracking and carried enough of some kind of explosive to make sure that I’m not exactly recognisable from what’s left. Doc, you better check the two of you.”

The doctor pulled out a scanner, a simple device recovered from the Roswell Crash that they managed to pull apart and put together again only to discover is was a medical scanner. From that they were able to produce their own, able to detect differences in what was normal biological readings for a human and what shouldn’t be there. He scanned the body of the lieutenant and then his own. “We’re clean. Nothing unusual anywhere…except, lieutenant you need to cut back on the coffee. Far to much caffeine.”

“Sorry Doc, but its all the late nights keeping me out of bed.”

“And generals.” The doctor said

“Okay, no implants.” The general, “But I’ve got a feeling that Kivar has been doing more with the troops than just implanting some of us.”

Just then another soldier came running in, “General, we’re getting something.”

“Like what?”

“A message, its being broadcast on every frequency over satellites, cable…everything. It started over the Internet but it’s like a virus. It’s spreading into everything connected to a computer.”

Everyone moved out of the office into the main control room of their project to see a blurry and unrecognisable face up on the screen. Surrounding him were flashes of pages of documents, thousands of them appearing again and again. “Hello. My name isn’t important, not much is except for the actions of those in power. This is the price they pay for the actions they’ve taken. All the secrets, the lies, the bodies made to disappear, the black projects and the illegal arms sales…we found them. If this message is being broadcast then certain elements of the government have decided to do the usual and try to kill what they consider problems. That includes every member of my family. It is my hope that we’re out alive, I don’t know but now here’s the price. The images appearing on the screen are documents relating to every member of the government from the president through all branches of the military and the civilian government. We just wanted to live quietly but you didn’t want us to live at all. Just so you know, all these documents come with proof and that is one its way to every news station there is. You like creating a little chaos, well this one is all for you.” Max said before his face disappeared and the screen zoomed in on the pages and started scrolling through it all for everyone to see.

Every project, including their little hunt for aliens was revealed (minus the fact that they were aliens), any politician that suddenly woke up next to a dead body that mysteriously vanished, every clandestine group that dwelled in the shadows were all suddenly out in the light. Everything that Alex dug up was out there being looked over by anyone who was in the newsrooms late. It may be the middle of the night but that didn’t stop the main reporters being called in and before long every accusation and lead was being thoroughly researched. Not one of them dared think that all this dirt had just landed in their laps but not one of them could comprehend the sheer scope of everything their leaders had their fingers in.

“Well, didn’t this just get interesting.” The doctor said

“Something tells me we should have known they would have something set up.” The general said

“I take it we can’t stop anyone from seeing this?” the lieutenant asked. The answer was everyone shaking their heads.

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On the Road, Heading South West, 01:30

They were still driving on the roads. Heading long into the night down dark roads and all through it Serena had been pretty quite…both of them. The baby just rested in her mother’s arms, looking at the world as it passed her by as her older self kept behind the wheel and taking note of every road sign they passed.

“Okay Serena, time to talk.” Max said, needing to hear something from his niece.

“What do you want to hear?” she asked

“Well…how about everything, from the start.” Alex said

“Okay, I was born, dad was shot twice through the heart. Mom got pissed and vaporised the general before she got me out. That about cover it?” Serena asked

“Uh, little more please.” Maria asked

Serena took a deep breath, “Okay, we travelled a lot. Headed off to that little cabin for a while. It was nice but hell broke loose soon after. Kivar let loose, the president declared marshal law and troops were everywhere. If it wasn’t for dads message they would have blamed it on terrorists or something but from that moment on people knew aliens existed. They did what normal people do. They panicked. Not that it mattered. Troops were everywhere taking out people, just ordinary people but they believed they were aliens. When that started we got to the Oregon coastline, grabbed a boat and headed south to Peru. We lived there for years; we couldn’t do anything to Kivar. We moved around the Amazon found a few local tribes to put us up, I did the whole Tarzan thing, swinging from tree to tree on vines. It was a nice way to grow up…fun.”

“Tarzan, don’t you mean Jane?” Kyle asked

Serena looked over her shoulder at her uncle and gave him a look that made him sit back in his seat. “I was about 6 when it started. Missiles were launched everywhere, Kivar modified the nukes, made each blast take out a 500 mile circle and anything beyond that up to 1000 miles…you didn’t want to be a survivor. Soldiers didn’t make them suffer long. They were deployed everywhere. No other government actually thought they’d go as far as they did until they did it but there was a few people prepared. Eventually we got into a bunker. Maybe 3 to 4000 a piece and there were only 5 in South America, a few others dotted around the planet. Then Kivar made himself public and let his people out to play. They tracked human populations down to the last. When people found out who we were they made us leave. Usually before Kivar got to them but the result was still the same. By the time I was 15 you were all dead except for Aunt Liz and mom. That was when we got a message from some friends. It was the last thing they were working on and sent it to us so we made a plan. We made our way to New Mexico and the Granolith, mom died on the rock, shot by the last soldier tracking us. He died seconds later…painfully. Kivar knew what happened and launched a nuke. Aunt Liz finished in time to send be back but I still watched her get vaporised and then I arrived here. That’s my life, how was yours?” Serena said

“Serena…I?” Isabel said

“Mom, don’t, it’s okay. I’m here to change it, I just hope I can.” Serena said

“Where are we going anywhere?” Alex asked

“Not far, not far now.” Serena said

Road Side Diner, 02:10

Serena pulled off the road at a 24-hr diner and was followed by the other car. Everyone looked at her as she pulled off the seatbelt and stepped out. They all got out as Serena stretched and cracked her neck before turning away from the windows of the diner before she checked the ammo in her gun.

“Serena. We are not robbing this place.” Alex said

Serena smiled, “Remind you of good old times? Relax dad. This is just break time. I’m just not taking chances on being caught short.” She said as she put her weapon away

Soon they were inside and ordering a large quantity of coffee. They all needed a little jolt and falling asleep on the road wasn’t a good thing to happen. They got some food, spent a little time in the restroom and took the time to let themselves loosen up for a while. However it gave them all the time for the new grandparents, aunts and uncles to have a chance to give baby Serena a proper hello. All were dotting over the baby as Isabel smiled down at her and holding a little rattle over her that she picked up a few weeks ago. She couldn’t believe that her baby was actually here and couldn’t love her more.

Across the room, teenage Serena was sitting back against a table with her arms crossed and smiling as she looked over at her family. It had been a long while since she had seen them all together and happy. In that moment her determination to succeed in her little mission increased ten fold, that little girl deserved a much better life than she ever had. She wanted her family like that forever and not running for their lives or looking over their shoulders every single day. She was going to get this job done.

“Hey.” Alex said as he sat next to her.

“Hi dad.” Serena said

“You know, I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to hearing you say that.” Alex said

“Well you better get used to it cause she’ll be saying it for many years.” Serena said, indicating to her younger self

“But not you?”

“No. When I’ve done enough to change history significantly I’ll simply vanish. Cease to exist.”

“You’re kidding right?”

“No, well not exactly. Me as I am will cease to exist but there will be another me, that little girl over there will live an entirely different life. She’ll be around. Just do me a favour and let the girl wear this outfit from time to time, she is totally hot after all.”

“Serena, not once will my little girl be wearing anything like that.” Alex said

Serena smiled, “That’s my daddy…but she will be and we can only hope that there will be a stud in her life.”

“Serena, oh so not happening. Not in my lifetime.”

“Dad, you’re already supposed to be dead.” Serena said

“Ah but my dear, I’m not.” Alex said, “Serena…I am so proud of you for coming back and risking this.”

Serena gave a pained smile, “It wasn’t much of a choice. I wanted more.”

“More?”

“Of you. The only memory I have of you is the look of love when you first saw me.”

“How could you know that?” Alex asked

“I remember everything, remember. We tried to understand it, even got into the ruins of an old hospital and aunt Liz did a CAT scan. That just caused more questions.”

“Like?”

“Like my brain is almost perfect, nearly completely flawless. The only thing they could compare it to was a dolphin’s brain. Made me feel really special. Anyway, there isn’t a detail I can’t remember…or a nightmare I can’t forget. Not that I have anything but the one.”

“One?”

“My very next memory…you being shot. Every night I always see it, over and over again. At least she wont.” Serena said

“Oh god.”

“I guess you can imagine the effect that would have on the mind of a little girl.”

“Actually…no, I don’t think I could even get close to imagining that.” Alex said

“Well like I said, she wont have to go through that. Not if I finish this right.” Serena said

“You will. I have a feeling.” Alex said, “So what about your little cousins?” It was then he spotted a tear falling from her face. “Serena?”

“Aunt Liz gave birth…will give birth in about 3 weeks. We were running, stuck in a place up north. It was 30 below, I barely survived. Malcolm didn’t. Aunt Liz and Uncle Max were never the same after they lost him. The others…were caught, you all fought like hell to get them out. Aunt Tess died the first time. I was the only one that…I felt it you know. Each time one of them died I could feel it inside me. It was just cold. One after the other for a whole week. When it was over…”

“What?” Alex asked

“That was when I felt my power.”

“What power?”

“Once we were surrounded, they came for us that very night…I must have killed 30 of them that night. With one breath I ended all of theirs.”

“How?” Alex asked

“Remember when uncle Kyle asked about my powers and I said he didn’t want to know.”

“Yes.”

“I wasn’t kidding. None of you want to know the details of what I did that night to those people.”

“Serena, I’m your father and getting a clue on how to help that little baby over there when she goes through it.”

“Dad, let me put it this way. I have this little fantasy about Kivar where I strap him up to a tree, slice open his chest, cut out his heart and before he dies make him chew on it. That would be merciful. I would not put Kivar through what I did that night.” Serena stressed as she looked into her dad’s eyes as she tried to get the point across.

“Okay, I wont ask again.” Alex said

“Thank you, but I have a feeling that the more I try to avoid it the sooner it’s going to rear its ugly head.” Serena said before looking over to herself, “She won’t use it, she won’t ever need to.”

Women’s Restroom, The Diner…

Michael and Maria had been feeling it all night, they were tense, agitated and in desperate need of some relief. It wasn’t exactly the first time they would have sneaked off to be together but with everything hitting the fan it made them feel a little weird, but that still didn’t make them want to stop. As they came into the bathroom, they were all over each other as Michael’s hand fumbled to lock the door. When it was his attention was full back on his lover whose body was firmly pressed against his own.

As the two kissed, a kiss that was filled with the desperation of loosing themselves in each other, they fell around the room and crashed into just about every surface there was. Michael ran his hands over her, moving his fingers through her hair before moving down her body before caressing her breasts through her sweater and then down to her hips. His touch made her moan as it always did but her own hands weren’t idle. She moved her hands over her chest before placing one firmly over the front of his jeans and started to massage him.

“God, I want you.” Maria said huskily between kisses. Michael smiled as he pushed her away slightly, the look he gave her made her hot and the two of them moved around each other before Maria rushed at her lover and pinned him against the wall. Michael watched as she simply lowered herself to her knees before him and as she started to undo his jeans he closed his eyes in anticipation of feeling her mouth on him again.

Michael bit hard on his lip as she engulfed his cock in one swift motion of her head. He choked back a shout as she began to work her mouth up and down his throbbing tool. Holding his cock by the base, she pulled it toward her and licked around his head, looking up at him eagerly. She knew what to do for him; Maria had more than enough practice in making Michael beg her for more and more. The steady licks against the bulbous head of his cock had him standing up on his tiptoes. She was rolling his cock around in her hand, squeezing hard on his shaft as she slowly pumped his length. The head of his prick was swollen and red; she was taking so long with teasing him, he knew that when he finally did come, he was going to simply erupt.

Maria slid the point of her tongue beneath his gland, tickling the ridge of the flesh. Michael was biting so hard on his lip, he was afraid he was going to draw blood but he didn’t care just so long as his girl didn’t stop. Then she opened her mouth and slid down his cock, allowing Michael a chance to breathe. It couldn’t feel anymore good than it did right now, but when she concentrated just on his tip, it felt like his entire body was about to explode. Michael was fighting hard to keep his groans in check, the rest of their family was but 15 feet away in another room but in here there wasn’t much in the way of their usual reliable soundproofing. However, he did find there to be an incredible thrill of doing this here.

After a few more minutes, no longer was Maria teasing him. Now she was completely fucking him with her mouth, moving her head back and forth rapidly and enjoying every single second of it and knowing that as soon as she finished he’d make her feel the same. Michael’s hips were bucking forward into her mouth but she kept with him. Michael felt the cum boiling in his balls; he gripped the sides of her head tightly but not so as to hurt her and he bit down on the inside of his cheek. Maria took Michael as deep as she could, knowing there was nothing else to do with his seed but swallow it, the two of them never left a mess and they didn’t know who else was going to walk into this room after them. With continues grunts of pleasure from him and slurping noises from her, his hips bucked against her face as his balls emptied themselves down his girlfriend’s throat.

“Oh dear god.” Michael panted as he slumped down the wall to the floor as Maria released his dick, “You are…you are really getting good at that.”

Maria smiled with a glint in her eye like the cat that got the canary as she licked her lips, she always loved the taste of him and could suck on him all day long but she preferred that dick of his firmly lodged inside her tight pussy. However, Michael was going to make her wait for that. As he looked into her eyes, Michael leapt forward like a cat pouncing and put Maria onto her back. Michael kissed her, tasting himself on her lips before he moved down and scraped his teeth along the skin of her neck. His hands moved up to her sweater, found the bottom of it and slide them under to roam freely over her soft skin.

She arched her back the closer his teasing hands got to her bra-encased breasts. As his hands covered them and she felt his nipples burn through to his palms, she arched her back as much as possible. Michael eagerly took the opportunity to pull her sweater up over her head and toss it close to the door. Instantly his lips were on the exposed parts of her breasts, making her body shiver in delight before he started to kiss his way down her body. He lingered over her belly button for a while; making her jaw shake up and down before she bit on her lip, Maria couldn’t help but let her eyes roll around and then up into her head.

When he finished there he went lower and reached up her skirt. With a single fluid movement Michael yanked off her panties before he picked her up and placed her on the sink counter along one of the walls in the room. Michael manoeuvred Maria so that her legs hung over the side of the counter. When he knelt on the floor, he was able to drape her limbs over his shoulders and she gave a happy growl of anticipation. Michael picked up her heated scent and it fuelled his own lusts but as much as he wanted to drive his hard dick into her body, he wanted to play with her a little while, caressing her all over, kissing her here and nibbling there, his tongue wetting her everywhere until Maria writhed on the counter without a single care of what was going on. Maria’s fingers dug into the plastic surface as he lavished her responsive inner thighs with the softest of strokes. She squirmed delightfully as he petted her hot, eager sex. When he thought Maria had reached the limits of her patience, Michael dipped in close for a taste of her thick sweetness with his tongue.

“Aahhh!” Maria sighed with purest pleasure as Michael lapped at her moist, pink folds. He took great care with her, he didn’t just want to pleasure her as he licked her pussy, he wanted to make sure every quivering inch sent thrills through heart the touch of his tongue. Maria’s moans continued to escalate as she pressed his head deeper with her right hand. The left wandered the length of her trembling body, caressing her breasts, sliding through her golden tresses, brushing her cheek before one of her fingers dipped into her mouth then leaving a glistening trail as she skimmed it back down to her heaving bosom. Her powerful legs locked across his back, holding him securely to her. As he concentrated his tongue on her swollen, throbbing clit, he could feel her muscles coiling and tensing around him. Her moans peaked into keening cries as she tossed her head back and forth fitfully yet she was careful not to scream too loudly.

“Y…your fingers…use your f…fingers...” she gasped out in her frenzied need. Michael obliged and slipped two digits deeply into her trembling depths. It was then Maria felt it and grabbed a pack of paper handkerchiefs, the first thing at hand, and stuffed it into her mouth to bite down on it. It was the only way to make sure the people out there didn’t hear her as she climaxed with such primal intensity. She bore down on his fingers hard, making it all but impossible for him to move even to the slightest degree within her, but his tongue continued to drive her from one peak to a second smaller explosion and another, and another, and another. Over and over he kept her going as she held on for dear life. Michael lapped at Maria’s flowing juices until her body began to relax and fall back onto the counter.

“Sweet…fuck baby, now that was good.” Maria said

Michael stood and smiled at her, her muffled moans brought life to his dick and made it hard. He was filled with animalist need that couldn’t be relieved until he was deep inside her welcoming body. The two lovers looked at each other, in that second they couldn’t have moved fast enough as Maria reached behind her to unclasp her bra and let her sweat covered breasts loose. At the same time, Michael pulled off his shirt as he let his jeans fall to his floor. Maria didn’t bother taking off her skirt; Michael had all the access he needed, hell with her legs spread so widely for him he had more than he needed. Michael looked around the room, typical rest rooms had exactly what he was looking for and he hit the side of the machine and let one fall out. Michael picked it up, tore open the foil wrapped and rolled the condom over the entire length of his erection.

Her heavy-lidded eyes and smoky gaze smouldered with her burning desires, her pulse was racing from what he did to her body and knew it would only get faster and she would get hotter from the second he was inside her. Her tongue slid out to travel around her lips and teeth hungrily. A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as her body rocked to the primal beat and pleasure sang through her veins. Maria was ready and Michael knew it, he could see it with every subtle movement her body made. She reached out for Michael’s stiff pole and pulled him between her legs to her slit until the swollen length barely touched her the lips of her pussy. Her lusty gaze held his attention as he sank his throbbing cock into her, inch by torturously slow inch.

“Ohhhggggggg godddddd.” he groaned in sheer ecstasy as Maria’s tight folds had all but enveloped his prick. Her eyes had fluttered shut in absolute bliss as the two bodies became one. She had taken him nearly all the way in but then; then with a hoarse cry, Michael slammed the rest of the way, driving himself in to the balls, hard and deep. Maria’s eyes snapped open as she gasped from the suddenness of his manoeuvre but she loved every single last second of it.

“That’s it Maria.” he encouraged as she began circling her hips, feeling her pussy gripped his rod tighter and tighter. As she settled into a steady rhythm, Michael reached up to play with her enticing nipples. A firm pinch had Maria sucking in a sharp breath as she arched her chest forward for more of his touch.

“Oh yes, Michael, play with my tits, ughmmmmmmmm.” she demanded and locked her legs behind his back. In response Michael bucked his hips and leaned forward, her breasts brushed his lips. She needed to steady herself, with one hand she grabbed the faucet of a sink and with the other she grabbed the edge of the counter. All the while he greedily sucked one taut bud into his mouth and bathed it with his tongue. Maria’s moans were deep and rich with passion as he suckled on that one nipple Michael then received a flash. He’d never felt anything like that sensation other than when he first took a key from the Sheriff’s office but all he saw was a baby suckling on the same breast he was. It lasted but a second and didn’t know if it was simply a desire from the both of them or a point in the future but it made Michael thrust just that little bit harder. The sounds of Maria’s pleasure drove him on; he wanted to make her moan and scream in absolute delight, so he decided to add a little extra and sent his fingers sought out her clit.

“Ah…aghhhh…ummmmmmmaghgggggg!" she squeaked as he slowly circled his finger over her swollen button. Her hips slammed down against his in a greater frenzy. As Maria was going wild below him, Michael pulled into a fierce hug and pressed their bodies together. Her mouth was so inviting that he couldn’t resist the urge to have another taste and kissed her again. As his tongue invaded her eager opening, Maria clung to him with desperate strength as he thrust into her hard yet at a steady pace that caused them both to moan together.

“Yes…yess…yesss!” she growled as she reached for his face and pulled him to her again for another savage kiss. Maria’s hips met his each and every thrust as he drove his cock deeper into her eager sex, making her body become a torrential firestorm. She finally broke off the kiss as her cresting orgasm had her gasping incoherently in ecstatic joy. “YES…UGNNN…YESS…YESSSSS…OH GOD! Michael…AGHHHHH…YESSSSS…GOD…GODDD…YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!” Her eyes beamed up at him with gratitude, as her orgasm grew closer with each passing moment. Suddenly, Maria’s body arched up off the counter and she snapped forward wildly as her orgasm hit with explosive force. She was completely overwhelmed by the molten pleasure surging through her veins. However, as she smiled up at Michael with sparking eyes he realised that he hadn’t cum yet but was damned close from the look of strain in his face.

“Come on, Michael.” she encouraged even as she reached around for a double handful of his tightly clenched, sweat-slick cheeks. “Give me all you got. Let it go…ughnnn.”

“Oh yeah.” he groaned over and over. “Ughnnnn…UGHNNNNN…so good Baby…UGHNNNNNN.” he drove on and on, filling her pussy with his strong cock and drilling her hard as his own ecstatic cries burst out in a deep, thankful shout as he filled his condom with his hot seed. Even after the last of the orgasmic spasms subsided, the two continued to rock together. It was as if Maria didn’t want to let him go and she didn’t, she just wanted to keep feeling him against her. Somewhere in the back of their minds there was the fear that this would be their last time together and as much as they denied it, there was that possibility. Soon Michael eased out of her and his lover reached out to remove the condom from him before she threw it in the trash. Michael used his powers to incinerate it – no evidence. Not for the benefit of the others but just in case someone knew what it was and got a load of pure alien DNA. Soon both dressed and left the room.

Main Dining Area, 02:30

Michael and Maria came slinking back in, both somewhat more relaxed than when they headed off. Amy just shook her head; no way was she going to say something about this. Michael made her daughter happy and so long as that was the case she was happy as a clam. At any rate her attention, like that of the others, was drawn to the television in the high corner of the room.

“What’s going on?” Maria asked

“Your little Internet broadcast has made the news…big time.” Jim said

“Well that’s what we wanted.” Michael said as the image of the news anchor appeared on the screen

“There is still no response from any of the named parties on any of the accusations but all evidence received appears to be incontrovertible at the present time.”

“Yes that would be because they would be asleep.” Serena yelled over, “Reporters.”

“…Much of the illegal relations to several groups is already causing widespread outcry. Families of victims also named are demanding immediate investigations and arrests. However, the most sensational revelation, the existence of extra terrestrial intelligence and the existence of a military organisation with the sole purpose of hunting down landed or crashed alien life forms…”

Alex may have erased mostly everything to do with them but he still felt the people deserved to know what the truth about aliens, manipulated over the decades or not. As the report continued, they sat and watched as spontaneous protests sprouted up. It may have been late night but there were people awake and they woke up others and on it went. “So what happens now?” Alex asked his daughter

“Last time, by dawn the front doors of all those little houses will be ripped open. Any politician that was mentioned was thrown out onto the streets. Chaos was everywhere, Secret Service was among those utilised for mind control, they didn’t abandon their posts but they were out numbered. 200 to 1. The White House, Congress and the Senate were stormed within a week. Small time councillors, mayors, local leaders from small towns. People that people knew well, they were put up in the interim but the president still held full control over the military from a bunker beneath a mountain in Virginia. He played right into Kivar’s hands. This was an attempted Civil War that was put down before it gained momentum. The military killed thousands.”

“Thousands…we did that?” Isabel asked

“No, they did that. The signal gave them an excuse. However, this time its different.”

“How?” Max asked

“Because that dick general is still alive this time around and he knows the truth. One of the things we did before I came back was go through all the records. Of all the people, he was the one in the best position to stop it all. That’s why I didn’t kill him despite really, really wanting to.” Serena said before moving over to her younger self, “I’ve not had the best life, I’ve had to do a lot that…you wont have to so don’t want down my path. If you ever pick up a gun your dad is really going to get pissed and I will really get mad.” She told her

“So what do we do now?” Alex asked, “Where to?”

“Now, we do this.” Serena said as she pulled out her gun and aimed at the woman behind the counter

“SERENA!” Isabel yelled

“Please don’t hurt me.” The woman said as she held up her hands

“Relax.” Serena said, “Aloras matalari simal Antar.”

The woman blinked and stared at the girl, “Who are you?”

“Open it now or my first shot will be enough to make the second very messy in here…or should I saw dusty.” Serena said

“She’s a Skin?” Max asked. The woman looked at the group, not one was someone she recognised as part of her own contingent. However, from where that girl was aiming her weapon, the physics dictated that the force would spin her around enough for a clear shot at the seal at the base of her spine. She knew the others would be watching so she reached down under the counter and hit the switch. Instantly several square feet of floor decorated with squares suddenly vanished and revealed a column of stairs heading down under the structure.

“Move.” Serena said to the woman and she came out from behind the counter and headed off down the stairs.

Serena followed and the others came in close behind, leading them under the diner to a large metal door with a keypad. Serena just walked up to it and entered the code like she had done it a hundred times before. The door opened and Serena pushed the woman inside before following her. Inside Max and the others were greeted by the sight of a massive complex of which they were only on a balcony overlooking it all with a column of stairs leading down into the large enclosed space. However, several people of varying ages who each held weapons in the palm of their hands instantly surrounded them. Each weapon had a surface that looked crystalline and were more advanced than anything they had seen before. Serena instantly raised her gun as though she’d been expecting it and as she loosened her grip on her own weapon, it dangled from her finger and one of the people took it from her. The young woman just smiled at the one who took her gun before their leader approached.

“Okay, who are you people and how’d you know about this place?” he asked

“Good to see you too Lyrus.” Serena said

“How’d you…?” he stopped when he looked into Serena’s eyes and saw her indicating to the people behind her. He was one of the few people who knew the faces of the people chosen to be genetic donors to Zan, Rath, Vilandra and Ava’s human forms and when he saw Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess he looked at them. “By the…you’re the Royal Four.” In a second he dropped to his knees and then so did everyone else in the room except for the new arrivals.

“Uh, Serena?” Max said

“Yes Uncle Max?”

“What’s going on?” Max asked

“Uh, well to put it simply…Viva la résistance.” Serena said with a smile and French accent.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 13

Resistance H.Q, Beneath the Diner, Texas, 02:40am

The group was being taking deeper into the compound, down the stairs and across walkways that overlooked the extensive, metal encased cavern. Everywhere they went, Skins stopped what they were doing and looked at them as they passed. As Max and the others looked around, they saw that most of the compound was simply wide open, with the varying levels being used for different things. The west wall was littered with openings that led into the living quarters while the northern and eastern were lined with equipment including a massive stock of incubator tubes that grew the next generation of husks. The southern was simply a collection of steps and metal grating walkways for people to make their way up and down the structure. Soon they arrived at a small enclosed off area that was effectively a private office.

“So who are you people? Last I heard Skins worked for Kivar.” Max said

“Yes well when Kivar found out your people had managed to get you out on a transport bound for Earth, he had to act fast. Kivar didn’t check his crew manifest, enough of Zan and Rath loyalists sneaked on board…mostly Rath’s.” the resistance leader said

“Come again?” Michael asked

“Come on Uncle Mike, Courtney told you about this years ago.” Serena said

“Rath was a great soldier and a very impressive general. Soldiers of Antar knew that when they went into battle with him, he’d do his best to get them out alive. We believed that a civil war with Kivar was inevitable and that Rath should be the one to lead us.”

“I take it that means you’re a Rath guy?” Michael asked

“It means I serve you in all things as Courtney did. Unfortunately her undercover duties with Kivar’s people were discovered but she sacrificed herself in order to protect not only you and the location of the Granolith but the location of this place and other undercover operatives.”

“The only problem with you being so devoted to Uncle Mike is that Rath and Zan were best friends since childhood. Neither wanted the power but it was Zan’s by birth and that was enough for Rath. Only you chumps wouldn’t accept that. You kept going on and on and on. You were like a broken record, even Ava and Vilandra used to get pissed off at it. But right now, you really need to get over yourselves and accept that Zan was the king and as Max is Zan, he is the king.” Serena said

“Okay, how could you know that?” Tess asked

“You remembered…eventually. And gave me the memory in case something happened, and it did. You just wanted to make sure that someone remembered what really happened.” Serena said

“Excuse me, but who are you?” the leader asked

“Me, oh I’m the daughter of him and her.” Serena said, while pointing to her parents, “That would make me princess Serena, Torias. Remember it.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Simple, she that little baby there, that’s me. I travelled back through time and once upon a time you taught me how to use that.” Serena said as she pointed to her gun in the hands of another Skin. “I’ll want that back by the way.”

“Serena, why’d you bring us here?” Max asked

“Simple. This is going to be the only safe place to be for a while. Right now there is a little chaos out there but the truth of the matter is that if we’re going to take down Kivar you’re going to need an army.” Serena said, “Even if they did surrender last time around.”

“We would never surrender.” Torias said angrily.

“Oh, is that so.” Serena said as she pulled off her armband and placed it on the table. She pressed a small part on the back and the symbol on it glowed before projecting a hologram up above it. It focused into the shape of several images, each of ruined cities, burning buildings and charred skeletons before it moved to a news report.

“It is confirmed now, the alien rebellion movement called Starlight Fury had surrendered. Over 500 have been killed, only 5 remain but they have now surrendered to the alien forces of Kivar. Starlight rose when Kivar made himself public after successfully launching attacks to all nations on the globe…eliminating nearly 3 billion, all US soldiers under his control through years of manipulation suddenly dropped dead from aneurisms and were replaced by his own invasion force. Their leader Torias, died protecting a young girl being hunted by Kivar himself. She got away, back to her family who then fled. Not much is known. This will no doubt be our last broadcast, the last line of defence is gone, the alien forces are everywhere. We can only hope that this record survives and that in some way human beings survive as well. It is anticipated that surviving human groups will be killed within the month, Kivar’s people are already on their way…” The image them filled with static and cut out.

“Right there was when Kivar’s people blew up the studio.” Serena said

“You were the girl I died to save?” Torias asked

“Yeah. Thanks by the way.” Serena said before yawning

“Okay, you need some sleep.” Alex said

“Oh that part will happen eventually.”

“No, now.” Isabel said

“Five more minutes…please.” Serena asked with pleading eyes

“I though we wouldn’t go through this for a few more years.” Alex said to his wife

“Actually I think we could all do with some sleep.” Isabel said

“Yeah but seriously, I’ve got a lot of work to do before I get some sleep.” Serena said, “These guys need to be briefed on a lot. Especially about Zeezu’s brothers.”

“Yeah, you never did tell us what they would be up to.” Maria said

“Well for a while there wasn’t a bakery in any city that was safe. They really got a taste for creampuffs…it was really weird. Anyway when they ran out they started tearing up everything. They never got close to Zeezu but they didn’t need him to cause massive amounts of kick ass on Kivar’s forces. At any rate, Kivar launched a nuke at them that slowed them down a little. Eventually he used a containment field, locked them up and set off a massive volcanic eruption. Toasted the little guys right up.” Serena said before looking at a quivering Zeezu, “Oh relax you were fine. When we came to Roswell to get the Granolith, you stayed safe down in the rainforest.”

Zeezu stopped and smiled before bouncing over to her. Serena patted the little ball on the head.

“Uh…is that a Gemod?” Torias asked

“Yes and he’s a nice little creampuff scoffing monster so no hurting.” Tess said, staring down the resistance leader

“You know there is still something else we haven’t dealt with.” Max said, “Antar is still dying. What exactly is going to happen if we manage to deal with Kivar?”

“There is nothing we can for the planet itself but our people have a sizable fleet of ships. The entire population can live on board those vessels for a long time if necessary. There aren’t many planets like Antar but there are some. We’ll find one.” Torias said

“So Earth isn’t on the menu?” Isabel asked

“No. Kivar may be willing to wipe out an entire race to survive but we’re not. There are certain laws we’re bound by…Kivar as well but not many races know about Earth. You fortunate to be located in a fairly remote sector of the galaxy.”

“Define remote.” Liz asked

“You’re the only sentient species within a hundred or so light years.” Torias said, “You’ll have some pretty boring times when your race does eventually reach territory beyond your solar system. But, you said you had some things to brief us on.”

“Yeah. Lets get going.” Serena said as she picked up her armband and hit varying sequences of buttons on the back. Holograms of every battle fought by the resistance displayed before them along with topographical maps and troop deployments. Serena went over everything she had been taught so that the resistance at least had a chance, the last time they failed because they weren’t the only ones to put an undercover Skin in the ranks of the other side.

Skin Compound, Beneath Washington D.C, Same Time

Kivar sat in his chair as he listened to the reports coming out of New York. His own people had been nearby and watched as the hotel collapsed in on itself and burned to the ground.

“Are you sure they are dead?” Kivar asked

“As sure as we can be my lord. We watched those that evacuated, none of them resembled the faces of the Royal Four.”

“A pity. I would have liked to have Vilandra back in my bed. Very well, if you discover anything more report it too me immediately.”

“Of course my lord.”

Kivar then left the room and began walking through the compound. He watched as his own soldiers began to arm themselves, some were in their training section practicing their combat skills without restraint or concern for their sparring partners. Kivar had them train as though it was real, as though their lives were on the line. He looked on as they dripped blood and smiled, he was going to bring hell to Earth that they had never encountered.

“My lord.” Said one Skin as he approached

“Yes?”

“The human government will quickly loose control of this situation. Can we rely on them to take the path we need them to?”

“Their military will still be under control. They can use that to further our ends.”

“How so?”

“Simple, we simply tell them the truth. The alien infiltration of their own nation is far more extensive than they first believed. It’ll put their soldiers on the streets quickly to keep order and eliminate those they think are threats. Remind me to thank Zan if it turns out he is alive.”

“Yes my lord. I also have to tell you that our modifications to their nuclear arsenal is complete. Launch can begin at your command.”

“Excellent. Now…who to target first? So many choices…” Kivar pondered, “Have the president ready his military, it’s time he send them to cleanse the other nations and make sure they have cameras with them. I want to watch the fun as it happens, same with the ones he sends out here in this country. It’ll be interesting. What of the Granolith?”

“Still no location yet my lord. We know one of the loyalists got it away from the ship but he couldn’t have gotten far with it yet every scan of the region around the crash site has revealed nothing.”

“Do I need to remind you that we need that machine to realigned Earth’s temporal field and to modify the atmosphere?”

“No my lord, we will have it secured before your people arrive.”

“Do not disappoint me.” Kivar said

Private Room, Resistance H.Q., Texas, 06:00

Isabel had put baby Serena to bed in a room provided by the resistance. A crib wasn’t exactly standard military issue but they quickly were able to put one together for the infant. Now she was looking down at the baby and simply smiled as her daughter slept. Isabel slowly rocked the crib to and fro, rarely did she take her eyes off of Serena but then the teenage version came in.

“Hi mom.”

“Hey. Done with the briefing?” Isabel asked

“Yeah, they know everything I do about their future score card. Hopefully they’ll do better this time around.” Serena said, “You know…I was actually pretty cute.”

“Yes you are.” Isabel said with a smile, “So, do you think you’ve changed enough?”

“I don’t know, I guess I will know when I disappear but whether or not its better I guess we can only hope.” Serena said

“You’ve spent a lot of time with your dad since you got back.” Isabel said

“I never got to know him growing up, I guess I’m making up for lost time.” Serena said

“So what did I do all your life?”

“You kept me safe…always loved me no matter what. After dad died you taught me everything, how to control my powers, change my nail polish colour which was really useful from time to time. Oh and there were times when we’d get away from everything and just go to this spot on the Amazon…free from piranhas, there was nothing around for miles and we’d sit together and you’d share your memories of dad with me.”

“Really?” Isabel asked

“Yeah…well minus the sex stuff. I really didn’t want to know about that. Anyway, you showed me your first date, that time you dreamwalked him…everything.” Serena said

“Sounds like we were pretty close.”

“We were. We got to do all the things you wanted to do with grandma…actually a little more since I knew about the whole alien thing from day one. More than a few times a little of you crept in as well. It was incredible…feeling your love for me and you felt mine for you.” Serena said

“Maybe you can connect with me some time and show me.” Isabel said

“No.” Serena said quickly, “Sorry but you get to have a fresh slate with her. I don’t want anything getting in the way of that. Something’s you really don’t want to know about.”

“Like this power thing you told Alex about?” Isabel asked

“Yeah. I really wish he didn’t tell you.”

“Well he’s your dad and he’s concerned.”

“Don’t you just love that?” Serena said, “Still wish he didn’t tell you.”

“Serena, in case you didn’t know, I shot out bolts of lightening that vaporised a dozen people once.”

“Mom, they died quick and they didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?”

“Become a part of you.”

“What?” Isabel asked

“I absorbed…well I guess you can call it their souls. Their power became mine and with each one I got stronger. I can feel them inside me everyday and it’s not just my memories of that night. They are…here.” Serena said as she put her hand over her heart, “And they won’t leave. Believe me, I’ve tried…so have you.”

“Well then we wont let that happen to her.” Isabel said as she looked down at the baby, “Things can be different now, for everyone but especially you.”

“I’m sure she’s looking forward to it.” Serena said as she leaned over the crib before yawning again, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really do need to sleep.”

“Make sure you do young lady.” Isabel said with a smile, making her daughter smile as well.

“You as well. You’re all going to have a busy time ahead of us if we’re going to do anything but run and die all over again.” Serena said

“Did your dad tell you how proud of you we are?”

“Oh yeah, but don’t let that stop you from saying it. I just love being praised all the time.” Serena said

“I see we have an ego as well.” Isabel said

“Nah, I just have a really massive load of brain power and I know how to use it.” Serena said before she kissed her mother’s forehead and headed off to her own bed.

Tactical Centre, Resistance H.Q., 11:00

After a few hours worth of sleep, which they found difficult to get to with everything going on and racing through their minds, they all came into the main area of this compound, which was simply a table that had a holographic surface to display all the information. Max and Michael were already there going over everything as was Serena who kept her distance but stayed close to see the data.

“Okay, so thanks to Serena’s information we know that our plans so far don’t do anything useful.” Torias said

“Not quite. If anything you did show people out there that not all aliens are bad, and certainly not all Antarians.” Serena said, “Look, the only way to win this thing is take out Kivar.”

“Assassins from the ruling houses have been trying that for 10 years before he took action on Antar. No one has gotten close enough and those that have were discovered before they could do anything. We are talking the best of the best. Every time Kivar proved himself to be better with an instinctual talent for finding the dangers near him.” Torias said

“Well I didn’t say it would be easy. Correcting the manipulations he did won’t be done over night but cut off the head and well, his work stops.” Serena said

“There has to be a way to shut him down at least.” Tess asked

“His access is very extensive. He has alias’s on top of alias’s and he can get into any system he wants to. What he taught Franks made sure that he’d get what he needed through Earth’s technological limitations.”

“Okay, so he’s everywhere. Can we overload his computers, take out his base’s communications…something?” Isabel asked

“No, we’ve been here a long time trying to keep his activities to a minimum but we’ve failed. Before we knew what was happening his equipment was secured in every respect. Hell if it wasn’t for Dupree Enterprises we could at least have basic taps into his network.”

That was when Laurie and the others all looked up, “Excuse me?” She asked, “What was that?”

“Dupree Enterprises, Kivar cant put all he needed together by himself. He put out contracts to build some of it. Dupree Enterprises put together circuit components of weapons, computers, servers, actually their work is in most of his gear to help run it all and secure it. He was actually very impressed with their work which his why he went to them. If we could just get a look at their schematics we might find a way to get around it, unfortunately their security is incredibly tight for us to get around with our limited technology we were able to get out before we left the ship. And before you ask about our powers, we’re soldiers. Our powers are manly offensive in nature, we’re bred to be that way.”

“Well isn’t this the biggest coincidence on the planet.” Laurie said

“I’m sorry?” Torias asked

“Laurie Dupree; pleased to meet you.” Laurie said as she stuck out her hand for a handshake

Sub-Level 5, The Pentagon, Noon

The general stood in his command centre and watched on as screen after screen filled with news reports of protests forming and every government building across the country. Every report brought something new and from the moment people started waking up to the news of Max’s broadcast they sat to watch every accusation that was promptly followed by the evidence. From there people went out and a whirlwind of chaos stormed over the government. The people may have known things were happening, but they could easily choose to ignore it however when the proof of it all hit them smack in the face all at once they simply went with what they knew – they went with anger.

“General…”

“Yes lieutenant, I can see it.”

“Sir, even half the police force is refusing to work out of protest. Some are even in those crowds.”

“With what they are now aware of, I don’t blame them.” The general said, “That broadcast is destabilising everything.”

“We’ve got reports from all bases that their security is now tripled. And there is a mob gathering outside the pentagon.”

“I guess they don’t like some of our more darker black ops.” The general said

“General, given what we now know, the president is more than likely to declare martial law. If our troops go on the streets with their mental programming as is, then that alien could have them do anything.”

“It’ll take at least a year to undo those programming projects and what they’ve done to the soldiers. We don’t have that kind of time.”

“Yes sir, but…”

“Lieutenant, people in power have a nasty habit of doing what they can to stay that way. There isn’t a politician out there that wont do the same and the president is one of them. More than a few times have legitimate leaders turned to dictators to stay where they were. Those people out there are angry, confused, they now know where all the bodies are buried…literally. Who is responsible for what death, what war and what lie. If this continues it could very well lead to a complete breakdown of our government and another civil war…that is if other countries don’t decide to take a chunk out of us first.”

“That alien from Roswell, he must have known what would happen. He could have planned this.”

“No, well not the full results. It’s more than likely that they put this together simply to punish us for us trying to eliminate them. After all he did say it, they just wanted to live quietly.”

“And they expected us to believe that?”

“I don’t see why not. They never did anything except defend themselves from outside threats, they tried to keep their lives quiet until we found them and went in. That was my mistake. My misjudgement and I will pay for that. But in doing so they did let us know about Ivar…Kivar. How many troops can we confirm that haven’t gone through complete programming?”

“Including you, me and the doc…three. There are at least 300 in training but haven’t gone to programming yet.”

“Can they fire a gun and shoot straight?”

“More or less.”

“Then they’ll do. Have them all shipped to a base near Washington. It doesn’t matter which just have them close by. Put it through as a request for additional security in the event of the President needing more troops on the streets.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. We’re probably going to need them. And if we find out where this alien is hold up then we’re going to need to go in quickly. Have them armed with the weapons for our special project troops as well as standard P-90’s and side arms. They’re rookies…they’ll need an edge. In the meantime, I need to find a way to contact the Roswell aliens. If they are telling the truth and I have a really bad feeling that they are, then they are the good guys that might just get us through this thing alive.”

“What if they wont…because of what we did?”

“Then we’re screwed. But I think they will, Kivar appears to be much of a threat to them as to us. Also they have developed strong bonds with certain humans. If they are in danger from him them it’s a safe bet they’ll do what they need to do to protect them.”

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Tactical Centre, Resistance H.Q., Texas, Same Time

Laurie sat by the table, being stared down by several Skins as they waited for her to tell them what she knew. Michael was right beside her and making sure that the Skins weren’t being too imposing, not that she needed help in the self-defence department.

“When I got control of the company from my aunt and uncle, I found out that we’d taken up quite a few military contracts. We were among the best in the business for hi-tech. Computers, aircraft equipment…granddad would be proud.” Laurie said

“Contract that ended up being for Kivar?” Max asked

Laurie nodded, “Apparently. We were approached for integrative technologies, putting controls in that would operate multiple functions on multiple items. Weapons, aircraft, what ever had computer control chips…my aunt and uncle thought it would be good for business to take weapons manufacture up. When I got in charge I looked at everything so that I knew what I was doing, it turned out that the tech guys needed base line schematics for the intended objects for their own designs. To make sure that everything could be tied in together correctly. The information we were sent…they were way more advanced than anything I’d ever seen for any company in the world. It caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up just from looking at the blueprints. So I arranged for a slight modification to the systems that were coming out of my company. Integrated into the design I put receivers. When the right codes are transmitted the device would simply become inactive, unique codes for each item but there is a master code that would shut everything down once it was received. I don’t like people having that kind of power without checks in it. I never figured on it being Kivar but that would make sense. To make all of this they would need to contract it out.”

“My sister ladies and gentlemen.” Michael said proudly

“Where is it?” Torias asked

“On a disc, in my office.” Laurie said, “It’s in a safe hidden at the back of the one everyone knows about. You can’t find it unless you know what you’re looking for and I wanted the disc to be out of the way in case I was wrong.”

“Looks like we’re going back to robberies.” Max said “We could end this inside of a week. Assuming we can get inside Kivar’s bunker, he wont come out until he’s ready.” Tess said

“Serena, you didn’t know about this disc?” Alex asked

“No. In the past we were just running. Coming across the resistance was an accident and Dupree Enterprises never came up. By then it was too late to do anything connected to it.” Serena said

“It never came up?” Isabel asked

“Well its not like the only company to have contracts with the government for its toys. But for future reference aunt Laurie, shut down codes…tell your time travelling niece about them before she goes back. You know just in case I screw this up and she has to come back and finish it.” Serena said while pointing to her younger self.

What none of them noticed was the presence of a single Skin, off to the side and just listening to everything. He was simple there, just like a mass of other Skins but as the others continued talking and coming up with a plan to get in and get those codes, he slipped out.

Skin Compound, Beneath Washington D.C., Immediately Following

“My lord, one of our undercovers is checking in, priority one emergency transmission for your attention.”

Kivar nodded and pressed the button on his chair, “Report.”

“My lord, this is Talri. The Royal Four are here, with the rebels to your rule.”

“You’re sure?” Kivar said

“Yes my lord, they arrived with their human family as well as a Gemod.”

“Well, well, well. I guess I might be able to have some fun after all.” Kivar said

“Shall I do anything?”

“No, now I will take care of this myself.”

“My lord, there is also the matter of some kind of code.”

“Code, what code?” Kivar asked

“It is installed as part of our equipment obtained from Dupree Enterprises. There is a code that will shut down all functions. They know about it and will probably go to secure it themselves.”

“WHAT?” Kivar said angrily, “Well who thought those human idiots would be so clever…or those loyalists to actually be able to try and get those codes.”

“Will I terminate this facility my lord?”

“No, keep an eye on them. I will deal with those traitors soon but I will take care of the Royal Four and that code even sooner. Just watch them.”

“Yes my lord.”

Kivar then shut off the channel and turned to his engineers, “Do any of you want to tell me how it’s possible for primitive technology to be put into our systems that could shut us down and not one of you knew it?”

“My lord, there was simply no way to…AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” the chief engineer collapsed to his knees in pain as he clutched his head. All Kivar did was stare at him, focusing in on a small point in his brain and now the underling was doubling over in excorticating pain. It took a minute before he was face down on the floor, unable to move yet still screaming.

Kivar walked up to him and slammed the heal of his foot down on his back, he cracked the seal and the engineer burst into a cloud of dust. “No, no excuses just find the problem and remove it. Preferably before we start the last war these people will ever know.”

“Immediately my lord.” All the remaining engineers said before getting to work.

Husk Production Sector, Resistance H.Q…

“Yes my lord.” The Skin said as he put away his communications device.

Just as he turned around he caught a brief glimpse of Serena before her fist went crashing into his face and he fell to the floor. “Tell him enough?” she asked before slicing a knife into his husk just under his arm. Serena knew that spot was a weakness in the husks, a point that if a knife was lodged inside it would effectively disrupt the mechanisms of the alien suit and paralyse the alien inside. In seconds he was being dragged out and tossed over the edge of the balcony. The alien fell down the three floors to the floor beneath before Serena joined him.

“Serena, what’s going on?” Max asked

“I always knew there was a spy in the resistance, I just didn’t know who it was.” Serena said

“What?” Torias asked before looking down at the frozen Skin

“I caught him upstairs hiding among your husk tubes. He sent a message to Kivar with this.” Serena said before pulling out his communicator and handing it over.

“This is why we lost all those engagements you showed us. Kivar knew every move we were going to make.” Torias said

“And now Kivar knows everything about you being alive and that code.” Serena said

All through their talking, no one paid any attention to the spy who focused his telekinetic abilities on the blade embedded in his husk.

“Then we need to move before he can.” Max said, “Kyle, Tess go upstairs and get the car ready. Empty it of anything we don’t need, just keep our usual heist equipment.”

“Right.” Kyle said as he took his fiancé’s hand and both headed up their car

“What do we do about him?” Liz asked about the spy

“I’ll take care of him.” Torias said. Just then the knife went flying out of the spy and he was instantly able to move again. Before anyone knew what was happening, he was up and running to the stairs. Skins went flying everywhere as he used his powers to tear them out of his path. Serena didn’t even think, she didn’t have to as she grabbed her gun from Torias’s belt and let off a single round that flew through the air to the husk seal on the back of the Skin. The area around him suddenly was filled with his dust as he died and became nothing.

“Well that saves a bit of effort later.” Serena said

“I really did a good job of teaching you that didn’t I?” Torias said

“Yep.” Serena said as she put her gun away

“But now we wont be able to find out if that guy knew where Kivar’s base is.” Maria said

“That’s not necessary.” Serena said

“Oh?” Michael asked

“Aunt Liz knows.” Serena said

“I do?”

“Well not yet, but you will. It was in one of your visions, you just need to clear through all the mess.” Serena said

“And you know this how? You said you didn’t know where Kivar’s base was. Surely I would have told you before I sent you back.” Liz said

“You did but you didn’t. You started to realise it was in your head but you were never able to focus in on it. With everyone here and safe, they will be able to help you. In my time most of the family was dead when you started to understand it.” Serena said

“Okay, well that’s job one when we get back from tonight’s little break in.” Max said, “But right now we’ve got work to do. Laurie…security?”

“Heavy. The company keeps all its plans in the main building at Houston. Industrial espionage is a problem and I have the slight problem of making sure I hired the best I could get to cover security.” Laurie said

“Normally hiring the best isn’t a problem.” Maria said

“It is now that we’re trying to steal something. It’s not like I can just walk in and out with it.” Laurie said

“Why not?” Max asked, “You do own the company after all.”

“Everyone is searched before they go in and when they leave. Strict rules…no one leaves with anything they didn’t bring. No matter who it is.” Laurie said

“But you can get us inside.” Michael asked

“Oh hell, that’s the easy part.” Laurie said, “Getting the disk out, unless I drop it out the window and hope it doesn’t break…”

“Well we’ll think of something.” Max said

Back of the Diner, 13:20

Kyle and Tess came up and started unloading their car and storing it in the back room of the diner. Among the things they took with them were a few of the tools they used for getting into places before robbing them blind.

“You know. I liked not doing this anymore.” Tess said

“Me too. Nice simple life of sitting back, taking it easy and watching over the hotel.” Kyle said

“And having wild, passionate, uncontrollable sex.”

“That too.” Kyle said, “But we’re not stopping that are we?”

“Oh no. Just so long as you still plan on marrying me.”

“That is a most definite yes.” Kyle said

“Too bad it wont be soon.” Tess said

“You never know, Kivar might be in Vegas and we can make a pit stop to get hitched.”

“Oh my, you’re ever so romantic my dear.” Tess said with a hint of sarcasm

“Yeah, I know.” Kyle said disappointedly, “But no matter what the day is, that night I will spend making you cum over and over again.”

“Hmm, nice. But why wait?” Tess said before smiling teasingly at him and opening the back door at which point she slid in to the backseat.

“Here? Now?” Kyle asked with surprised eyes.

“Roads are empty, no ones at the diner…all nice and safe for a little of your favourite work. And you’re very good at it.” Tess said seductively

Kyle could only growl as he slipped inside after her, “You know, you’re right.”

“I am.”

“And we are both very good at this, and you are my precious girl…bought and paid for.” Kyle said playfully as he took her hand and kissed the engagement ring he gave her

“So I’m just your little whore?” Tess asked as he started kissing her neck and throat, “Your slave?”

“Na uh, I’m your slave.” Kyle said huskily as he looked into her eyes.

“Oh I like that.”

“I thought you might.”

“But then maybe I like playing the little innocent schoolgirl…which a couple of years ago I was.”

“Not so innocent.” Kyle said, “I took take of that remember”

“What about the princess, locked in a room waiting for her knight to come and pleasure her endlessly to the heights of carnal ecstasy.” Tess said

“What about the wanton slut wanting to get fucked by her fiancé?”

Tess smiled, “It’s worked for us so far. Come here.” She said

He moved closer, not that there wasn’t much room in the back of the car but then they didn’t need much room. Kyle felt her skin and instinctively wrapped his arms around her as they continued to kiss. The next thing he knew was Tess grabbing his t-shirt and ripping it down the middle and exposed his chest. Her tongue went into his mouth and she licked the underside of his. Kyle had no idea what was going on, all that he did know what they he could feel her heartbeat as he held her. As the kiss stopped, Kyle looked at Tess as she breathed hard. Her body pressed up against his before she backed away. Tess took his hands in hers and brought them up to her breasts, Kyle looked to where his hands were and then looked into Tess’s eyes before he gently squeezed. He watched as her eyes closed in pleasure and then he started to circle her nipples with his fingers through the fabric. Tess groaned and flipped Kyle around so that his back was on the car seat before she straddled his waist.

She kissed him hard as she lay on top of him. Her hands ran over his chest as she ground herself against his jeans, Tess could feel his cock getting harder and knew that he must be feeling very uncomfortable. Tess leaned up from him and lifted her top off, revealing to her lover that she hadn’t been wearing a bra. Then he reached down under her skirt and worked her panties down her legs. Kyle didn’t even think about it as his hands shot to his jeans and quickly undid them. His eyes never left her body as he lifted his hips and started to push his pants down his legs. His hard dick strained and bounced a little as it was freed. When the stiff denim was by his ankles he kicked off his sneakers and then off came his jeans after which he pulled off what remained of his t-shirt.

Tess was back on top of him in seconds. Kyle’s hands glided smoothly over her skin as they kissed again, his dick pressed up against her belly. Slowly his hands moved down, inching their way to her ass. As they squeezed her butt, Tess opened her eyes and looked into Kyle’s. Then he flipped them over and Kyle became nested between her legs. Kyle kissed her, their tongues duelled as his hips gave gentle humps as his dick sought out her opening. They kissed again, making love with their mouths as they gave gentle touches and caresses to each other until it was time. They spent hours stimulating each others erogenous zones, making their mate hum with need. Gently, Kyle rolled Tess onto her back and spread her legs wide before resting himself between them. They paused for a minute, savouring the moment as Tess felt Kyle poke into her most sensitive region. As Kyle held himself up on his arms, Tess ran her hands up and down then before he slid deep inside her.

“Ugmmmmmmmmm.” Tess sighed

“Unnnnnnnnn.” Kyle groaned, straining to keep his eyes open so he could look at his future wife. Slowly Kyle withdrew from Tess but stopped just short of completely leaving her body. Then, just as slowly, he sank back inside her. Once again he slowly pulled back and then pushed back, over and over he slid in and out of Tess. Tess circled her hips, meeting Kyle thrust for thrust. As pleasure began to build in her body, Tess’s head tilted backward but she never lost the gaze of her thrusting mate. She wrapped her legs around Kyle’s waist and her back arched, pressing her upper body into his hard chest.

“Oh Kyle.”

“Tess…oh Tess.”

“UGHNNNNN YESSSS KYLE.”

“OH MY GOD TESS.”

The couple continued to grind against each other, making love to each other and fulfilling a burning need within them both. Without saying anything, she wrapped her legs around him and flipped him over so that she was riding him. She ground her hips into his, as she took him. Her hands moved over his and then she placed them exactly where she wanted them to be. His fingers played lightly with her nipples, and then he leaned up and tentatively touched each one with his tongue.

“Kyle.” Tess gasped as she held his head to her breasts.

Then Kyle flipped them over again, he looked deep into her eyes and pulled her body closer. Tess began to writhe beneath him. Tentatively he moved his hands down to her breasts and squeezed, the moan she gave encouraged him further. He took each red nipple between his fingers and gently pinched – she arched her back, pushing her fingers through her blond hair he moaned loud enough to wake the dead.

“OH GOD KY…LE. I NEED YOU…I WANT YOU SO…UGHHH…MUCH.” Tess cried

“TESSSSSSS…I…UGHHHH GOD, FEELS SO GOOD. UGNNNN…OH GODDDDDDD.” Kyle groaned

“ARGHHHHHHHHHH…UHN, UGNN, UGNNN, OH YES…UGNNNNNNN.” Tess screamed

“TESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…UGNNNNNNNNNN…GODDDDDDDDD.” Kyle yelled

With three final long, deep thrusts Kyle pushed his dick as far into her as he could and kept himself there, shooting his hot white seed into her body. They climaxed at the same time and Tess’s shuddered and shook. She felt her mate’s seed splash against her inner walls as he continued to shoot inside her over and over. Kyle lowered his arms so that he was lying on top of her. Their skin was touching as much as possible; neither on wanted the contact to end as they kissed again. Kyle was still inside her and before exhaustion claimed them, he rolled onto his back and Tess lay on him. Neither moved for long minutes as they held each other. After a while they heard people coming and quickly made themselves presentable, Tess repaired Kyle’s shirt and as everyone came up none knew what had just happened.

On the Road, Heading to Houston, Texas, 16:00

As much as it pained them to do so, Alex and Isabel left their baby daughter with their own parents who were staying at the resistance H.Q. Neither of the new parents liked being apart from her but they weren’t going to take her on this job and besides, technically she was going with them as her future self was sitting in the back seat. Serena was checking on her gun, making sure that it was working properly but mostly everyone was as silent as they could be. They wanted their heads in the game and it was difficult enough knowing what they had caused elsewhere in the country.

Serena’s head office was in Houston and the roads were deserted, everyone else had other things on their minds instead of driving between cities. The lonely car drove down the Texan highway. Serena didn’t know what was to come here, this wasn’t in her past but all she could do was be prepared for what ever came. Unfortunately for them, about 45 miles outside of their destination, Liz suddenly reached over and put her hand on Max’s arm who was driving that the time.

“What?” he asked

“There’s…something.” Liz said, “It up ahead.”

“Do we stop?” Michael asked

“No.” Liz said as her vision started to clear up, “Drive…floor it.” Max didn’t need to be told twice and slammed his foot down onto the accelerator. The car took off down the road but in less than 10 minutes Max started looking up and down from the road before him to the accelerated. He noted that his speed was decreasing.

“What is it?” Isabel asked

“We’re slowing down…I haven’t touched the brakes, we’ve still got over 3 quarters in the tank but…” Max said

“Uh oh.” Serena said

“What?” Liz asked

“It’s them.” Serena said just as the deceleration took its toll and the car pulled to a stop.

All of a sudden people in varying styles of dress came over the ridgelines of the hills and looked down upon the car. Everyone in the car watched as they started coming closer and closer and they knew that they were Skins. Fifty now approached them, getting closer with each step. Michael knew that they couldn’t do anything from inside the car, he watched as Max lifted and dropped his foot again and again on the gas but to no avail. Quickly he stepped out much to the shock of his family.

“Michael!” Maria yelled

“He’s right, we’re not getting out of here.” Tess said, “Not without getting rid of them.”

Everyone reluctantly got out of the car; the last one was Serena whose mind was in turmoil. She knew that her family didn’t yet have the power to deal with this many Skins. It would be a few more years before they learned to fully tap into their most destructive abilities at will. As much as she didn’t want to ever do this again, choice wasn’t much of an option.

“I’ll take care of this.” Serena said. Everyone turned back and saw the teenage girl glowing. It was as though white fire was flowing over her entire form. The Skins soon reached the road and were meters away when they stopped to watch Serena come closer to them. Each hand their hands up, ready to strike. “You know in my time, when I first felt my power…the Skins started calling me Cathin Nar; The Death Bringer.” Serena said to the Skins before looking at one in particular she recognised, “I remember you from before. You took the longest to die…I’m wondering how long you’ll take now.”

Almost immediately when she said it, Serena opened her mouth as wide as she could. In that second the Skins acted as though they were chocking and gasping for breath. Wave after wave was emitted from Serena over the area of the Skins. Then a few of them started to raise their hands to look at them, they had felt tingles but now they were watching as their fingers started to wither and decay before it spread across their hands. All of a sudden rippling energy started to flow from them to Serena as the decay started to cover their whole bodies. It went on and on, Serena’s body stopped glowing but life was continually being sucked out of each Skin. Their husks were rapidly becoming dried up, desiccated and hideous masses of flesh but it was only a reflection of what was happening to the alien inside. They were going through the same thing and gasping greatly just for one pure breath. Then the flow of energy stopped flowing from them and Serena walked forward to them, looking over each one.

None of them could move more than a finger but when they tried, it simply broke off and turned to dust. It sent a massive wave of pain through their bodies and they cried out with the most god-awful shrieks Max and the others had ever heard in their lives. As more bits broke off them the screams got worse. They were still aware of it all, their brains were intact but the bodies were going. It took minutes more from them to die, their bodies wracked with pain and through it all Serena felt them inside her watching it all happen before they were pushed to a deep dark corner of her soul where they became a part of her. The winds blew in, Serena then used her powers to make it stronger to almost gale force and all the dust blew away into the horizon leaving the road cleared. Alex and Isabel both saw massive pain in their daughter’s eyes before the girl couldn’t hold it in any more and she fell to the asphalt, bringing up the contents of her stomach onto the road. It was just like the first time she did it and knew just as then that she would never get used to that. Her parents were by her side in a second and held her for a second.

“Serena?” Alex asked

“I’ll be okay.” Serena said as she felt her mother’s hand stroking the back of her long hair. It took a few more minutes but soon she was back on her feet and heading back to the car, “ Let’s get this over with.” She said as she got back inside. The rest of her family didn’t say anything; they knew there was nothing they could say to make her feel better. They were concerned for her and wanted to do what they could for her but there were other things to do. Judging from what they’d seen from their niece so far, she wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her work. To her there wasn’t anything more important than making sure the future was changed for the better.

To Be Continued…