It was 17:15pm, they were stuck on the I-91 highway. Hot, irritated and glazed with sweat. It had been a beautiful day with clear blue skies, a bright sun loomed, and of course, that sweet summer air… hours ago that was. Now, they crawled under a fiery, ash-filled sky, torn as if it was assaulted by a hundred unwanted guests. Noah drove on.
Inside the car next to him was a woman who lied unconscious with dried blood that had ran down her face. He was dressed in a light blue linen shirt, navy blue tie, black trousers; ripped and covered in soot. The woman wore a checkered shirt, blue jeans; also torn and sooted. Both appeared to be in their mid-thirties.
“Sergeant, what can you tell us?” An interviewer asked on the radio.
“We know that our weapons do jack-shit to their shields! Fuck, our infantry have a better chance at killing a few of them. Their armour is tough but with a dozen well-placed shots it can crack”
“How about you sir, anything?”
“Err, yes, well I believe we are dealing with a sort of extraction process here. My colleagues and I noticed that the two alien forces are attempting to take control of Earth for its resources, primarily deuterium….”
Kzzzzzzzz, weeeeeewooooooo
“……And….key-ships over our deuterium facilities. As we all know, deuterium serves as our fuel for warp capability……”
Kzzzz weeeewoooo kzzzzz
HONK HONK!!!
“Come on, fucking MOOOVE!!” Bellowed a man, not on the radio.
A car sidled up alongside his, and a man he did not expect to see was at its wheel.
“Noah…whe-hmmm”
“Shh, just rest Sarah”
Noah regarded the man dressed in a white shirt, black suit, red tie and sunglasses. Even he was surprised to see him again, although less on Noah’s part, and it was hours ago since they last saw each other.
—
11:11am was the time on his watch, in Times Square, New York. A beautiful morning with that familiar sweet air of summer and the daily roar of traffic that rustled through the concrete (and steel) jungle. A host-man on a mounted screen in the Square (amongst many others, the place embellished by neon lights and holograms, it made it out as a futuristic extravaganza), announced an invasion. The man’s face was sullen accompanied with slumped shoulders; like the whole world weighed upon them. Charon station was the first to go. Saturn and Titan, Jupiter’s colonies, Ceres’s mining facility, Mars….then above, a cascade of strange vessels tore through Earth’s atmosphere. The host-man said to go home, stay safe, wait for instructions- then the signal was cut. Did one of the astronauts from Charon station tamper with the alien object found near the Kuiper Belt all those years ago? Was it the cause?
Alien sounds boomed, exotic weapons were unleashed, explosions frustrated the air and fear festered inside the hearts of mankind, panic ensued.
“Can you take me back?”, Noah asked his personal driver who drove him to work; the man dressed in a white shirt, black suit, red tie and sunglasses.
“You’re on your own bud…I’m outta here”, that was it, after three years of being his driver- a complete flip.
Noah brought out his inhaler, bit down hard and breathed, it alleviated that crunch in his chest. The man then legged it down streets and swerved round corners, right back into the skyscraper that held his and Sarah’s apartment. By the time he was half-way from the building’s entrance, lasers were fired; ones that seared through New York as if it were made out of paper.
The elevators had failed so it was the dreaded stairs that no one really likes to take, unless you have claustrophobia, motion sickness or generally hate elevators for just existing. It felt like hours to reach the 24th floor. Noah charged at the apartment door, broke it off its hinges, even splintered the wood in places.
“SARAAAH!!”
He found her sprawled across the ground with blood that had gushed from her head. She still breathed, thank god. Their TV was on and showed major cities in ruin; Washington D.C., London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Beijing and more.
People were on a riot, military forces were engaged with the enemy, two opposing alien factions fought, consequently, this had sandwiched Humanity on its celestial ball. Utter destruction on a system-wide scale, was this the end?
He carried her down the set of stairs, out the building and through a blown-out street. Noah evaded the collapse of their complex amongst many others. The tower that was once their home, fell, crumbled and shattered.
Sarah became his priority now, not their parents or anyone else. When she wakes, he knows he has to tell her. If it was to be the case, that if he chose their parents, then he’ll have to head for Philadelphia for hers and Pittsburgh for his. He turned his phone off so that no distractions set them off course. Twelve calls: Mum, Dad, Toby, Eve, Alex, Sarah. Somehow (miraculously) he discovered an intact car with its key’s still in the ignition. He snatched a shot from his inhaler, then placed Sarah and himself into the vehicle. Noah slammed down the peddles and zoomed away to their planned destination…Boston.
—
Noah gave him the bird…
BOOM!
The guy’s vehicle lifted in a blaze and crashed down into a heap of flaming metal. Alien fighters soared by and fired haphazardly. Least it had budged the traffic, not by much however, so Noah had to think of another way.
“Take route 44, we’re already in Hartford. Take that route up to Putnam, then from there to Providence city…possibly go onto the 295 then the 95 into Boston”
Sounded like a plan in his mind, he slammed pedal down and roared. People honked in unison in the hope to move others out the way, alternatively, some got out their cars and flailed in horror. Whereas a few followed Noah on his detour whilst another group imitated, instead they went their own way; as if he was the first to execute the idea. Noah wheeled over vast-stretched fields, through fences, crushed bushes and probably a pheasant or two as well. The gas gauge crept close to empty, concerned, he decided to stop at a station for a top up.
It took a couple hours, yet they made it to one just outside of Providence. Abandoned, no one was in sight. The station, called Hydro, still held fuel. Noah topped up gladly which didn’t bother him for at all. Certainly lucky in not having to pay due to the situation, and for someone who had a personal driver, even if he had to pay that driver…financially he’ll still be well-off. Though in regards to a man or woman who drove from work, an hours or so journey with their own vehicle. Minimum wage. Typical nine to five. Today would have been their lucky day in saving a buck.
Inside he grabbed what food and drink he could. Surprised it wasn’t looted completely, an extra set of bucks saved in this case. In the room behind the counter Noah found a first aid kit.
“Perfect”
The car door on Sarah’s side was pulled open and Noah ducked in, unscrewed a bottle of water and supplied her with a steady stream. Then wrapped a bandage round her head, before that however, he poured a little water over the dried blood that had trickled down earlier.
“Their you go Sarah, you’re cleaned up a bit”
Noah leaned against the car, took a quickie with his inhaler, got a sandwich out to eat and then watched the red, black, broken sky. Smoke wafted from afar, beyond foliage, it was Providence. He couldn’t see the city, however, he imagined it to be in the same state as all other cities; broken and on fire. Somewhere to the east he saw a collection of debris fall through the sky. Took a bite out of that sandwich, then chugged some water. In the west a group of ships battled. Noah just watched for a few more minutes.
Bunker-11
The place they’re heading for. Loads of these bunkers were made years ago in accordance to a document cemented by the Continental President of America at the time. Noah and Sarah signed up. Its purpose; for when an imminent attack of dangerous proportions the people have a place to go for shelter. The rest of the world followed this decree. These bunkers and the real intentions behind them weren’t for a man-made attack, although it could serve that role. No, their real intentions were to protect a select population from any extra-terrestrial invasions, to ensure their survival and in turn help establish an environment where a new generation can be reproduced. Ever since mankind expanded throughout the Solar System — it became a hot topic.
Both Noah and Sarah received a designated bunker and a personalized entry code. Bunker-11 lied in Boston. The last crumbs of bread in his mouth were finished off, then he hopped back into the car and drove.
—
The car’s back wheel had been punctured four hours ago. Now, a starry sky peered through the dark clouds of smoke and ash. Not a great view of the stars, sadly, they were only a glimmer. Though it was something good to behold. They had broken down due to something on the road, glass, metal, unchecked tread depth??? Whatever it was it had put them behind, fortunately for them, Boston was not far. Noah and Sarah had walked from a small town known as Norwood…took them three to four hours to get into the city. Noah searched for a workable vehicle, he found none, yet in the shops around he picked out a portion of food and drink that had remained untouched; their wasn’t lot as it had been heavily looted. Not like the gas station gifted by God.
Sarah also asked the inevitable question of where their parents were. Desperate to lie, to say; “They’re in Bunker-11, waiting for us”, or some other bunker. Safe and sound. Nevertheless, he told her the truth, that, he didn’t go for them. Noah explained how long it would have took and that they’re most likely dead. Said she is his priority. Obviously this did not stop the cry that loomed on the verge of her eyes.
An alien saucer hovered high over the city, above the coast. He was sure it was doing something with the ocean, referring back to what that man had explained on the radio. Noah also knew their was a deuterium facility in Boston, indeed, aliens would be all over that like druggies would be for crack. This facility wasn’t in their path however. It was a straight shot for the bunker, somewhere near the Massachusetts State House.
Sarah had started to walk better about an hour ago, the past few before then she could barely manage, still dazed and dehydrated. Though with a bit more fluid and food in her system she came around. Noah had began to find it difficult with the ash-fall, forced him to use his inhaler more often.
The pair wandered down twisted streets, foggy alleyways, shattered homes and a quiet, ruined mall where bodies laid in the hundreds. Sarah saw a child’s severed arm with one of its fingers stretched out, as if he or she had pointed at the horror that ensnared them. An unsettling sensation within her stomach became overwhelming.
HEEERRRGHHH!
“Ok, ok, this way Sarah, don’t look at it, here”
He handed her a bottle of water, she took a giant swig of it. Satiated, they carried further on. Together they froze at the exit to a sound of crushed glass.
“Was that you?”
“N-no”, replied Sarah.
It couldn’t have been, otherwise the sound would have came from below their feet, not behind. Noah knew that though, so did Sarah. The two stared back and discovered a tall, armoured, humanoid figure with a metre long tail. Its head tilted to regard the man and woman. Before an ounce of adrenaline had riled them up, a flurry of green plasma blasted out from its guns. Now, adrenalized, they bolted out onto the streets. In the pursuit the pair flailed about.
HAHAHAHAAA!
The alien laughed, it fucking laughed!
Another round of hot plasma bolts sizzled by. Noah and Sarah evaded them to the best of their ability yet one grazed Sarah’s legs. She slammed onto the ground and Noah followed in an attempt to avert her fall; it failed.
“ARRGHH…FUCK……”
“Sarah, you alright!?”
Noah tried to help her, unfortunately, she could not give much back; doused in agony, she gritted her teeth as the plasma cauterized deeper. In the distance the alien done more of its hysterical laughter, thrilled from causing such pain, and quenching a sadistic fetish of a sorts. Noah’s lungs tightened, made him wrench for air and his inhaler. His hands dived into every pocket, ultimately, they couldn’t find it.
“Shit, where is it?!” he panicked, so much so that he had a fit.
A shadow arose over them along with a speck of blinding green light. The alien’s aim was set. Sarah reached for his hand in their last moments alive.
HA HA HAAAA!
“HEY!”
The alien, confused, spun around to find a prey that has eluded death throughout most of the day, the lone soldier it has been after.
BRRRRRATATATATATA!
A shower of bullets dinged off the aliens armour, it fired back, missed, fired again. The soldier scurried for cover, returned fire. Nothing. His next couple of shots landed perfectly, its suit penetrated. One had lodged itself through the alien’s visor. The creature bled whilst it struggled for air. Like Noah, thank God for Sarah, she held his inhaler in her hand. Nonetheless, he had an advantage; the man was born for this air. Even if it may burden those lungs from time to time, this was home. That alien had no luxury here.
“Come on, breeaathe!”
The soldier gave a final shot to the alien’s head (you never fucking know), then gave it a kick to see if it was gone for certain (again). A yellowy, lizard-like eye glared out the broken visor.
“Are you two okay?”, the soldier asked.
“We are now…thank you so much for helping”
“Here for the bunker?”
“Yes, we have our codes, sir”
“Ok, name’s Jenkins. I’ll take you there”
All three pressed forward into the city, quiet, they did their best to hide in the shadows and remained unseen.
—
Noah, Sarah and Jenkins made it to the Massachusetts State House building and into an area where hundreds, possibly thousands of people, were gathered. People that have waited to get their turn, ones who actually received codes, whereas, others lingered just to get in. To Noah, it seemed a lot of people had made their own way to this place throughout the day. Soldiers were lined up at Bunker-11s gate, armed with barricades and mounted weapons, ready to mow down any immediate retaliation. They possessed floodlights that lit the vicinity. At the very least, it gave them a good view on everyone. When the time struck at five to eleven, rain was set loose, not a light one either. This one came down hard.
Jenkins took them through the bustling mass of men, women and children. Like a premium ticket they sliced through the crowd, locked eyes with the soldier who sat at a table, interested by Jenkins appearance, perhaps a little suspicious too.
“NEXT!”
“Private Jenkins, sir. My division was killed and I’ve been hunted ever since”
“Still being tracked?”
“It has been dealt with. I found these two making their way here…they have ID”
Sarah got her phone out and found the designated code.
“I got it sir, it is…1100011 dash M A…Bunker-11”, she handed it over for him to see. He checked the system.
“It’s verified”
“Yes!”
Then the soldier, Jenkins and Sarah looked over too Noah. He took Sarah’s hands into his own, gazed at them and simply smiled at her. Looked softly into those blue eyes. That tightness began to surface again, a subtle anxiety; he knew where his inhaler was this time. An itch to check the time came about. The glass on his watch was cracked yet the cogs and hands still functioned perfectly.
11:11pm
The hands inside the watch then spasmed, froze in place, as if something ceased its function altogether with a snap of a finger.
“Noah the man’s waiting”
“Sarah…I just want to say…that these years have been greatest of my life….”, a stutter clutched at his throat. Her eyes teared up. Jenkins bowed his head when he realized what Noah had done for Sarah, sad…yet beautiful.
“Whatever we’re going to get, if its a boy I would like to name him Phoenix…if its a girl…Hope sounds like a good one”, he said.
The two embraced, she clung onto him hard, and he hugged harder. Sarah gripped at his hair, arms…placed her hands upon his chest. Shook her head in disarray. Noah nodded over to Jenkins. The soldier understood, steadily, Noah moved away; Jenkins etched forward.
“No, no, no…NOOOO!!”
“I love you Sarah…”
She wailed and wrangled as Jenkins caught and dragged her away towards Bunker-11. Heartbroken from not being told, that this was not Noah’s designated bunker and that he did this for her. For their unborn child. They were his priority and now that was no longer the case, sure, a bunker was designated to him although thats miles away from here. It would have been locked down, if not already, before his arrival. They were lucky for this one too still be open.
“HEY! Why can’t we go in? It’s not FAAAIIR!!”, a man screamed to the top of his lungs.
With lungs being mentioned, Noah’s tightened further, he could sense it. As the bunker’s gate closed with Sarah and Jenkins inside, safe, a loud noise made a presence…
VOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Bright lights illuminated the place as aliens closed in and opened fire, the soldiers responded in kind. Civilians were slain and dropped like dominoes around Noah. It was slaughter. Eventually the breathing fits kicked in, as well as a sudden shock that paralyzed him.
Noah smacked the ground and lied there, helpless. He looked up to flashes of thunder as well as rain that pelted down onto those worn eyes of his…eyes that have seen enough for a day, for years, an age even. Alien forces overshadowed his body, killed the soldiers and began a siege upon the bunker. Lights gently descended from above, through the dark clouds…lights Noah has not seen before. They were a fierce orange. A gargantuan hull of a starship beset his gaze. Two beings magically beamed on either side of him, armoured and armed, their faces hidden; they opened fire onto the aliens who’d laid siege. More of these beings followed suit. Were they here too help? Why now?? The alien object, was it used by someone, or itself a sentient that had merely hid itself, called out for them???
One of these beings knelt too examine the man, did nothing, then carried on as he doesn’t exist. Noah’s sight wavered, stretched, faded and now the last strips of air leave his mouth.
Back to the Nav-System