A Year Underfoot Page 8

  I just pray if that if anyone else is out here they have the sense to lay low.

  November 12th, 2033

  A couple of hours sleep, and a couple of vitamin packs later and I’m back at it once again. Normally, I wouldn’t chance moving during the day, but time is of the essence. I’ve decided to approach the air base from the east and to do so I have to cross both Interstate 5, and State Highway 99, – a two–lane highway running roughly parallel to the interstate north of the air base.

  Once across Interstate 5, I’ll make a wide loop around the northern end of the base and drop along side from there. It’ll add another day and a half to my trip, but it’s the only way I’ll be able to sneak up on the installation.

  I’ll continue east until the sun comes up. I should be able to make good time as the terrain is leveling out and the scrub is becoming a bit sparse.

  Which brings up the next obstacle I’ll be facing, – the lack of obstacles, i.e., no air cover. But, I’m not going to fret about that now, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

  November 13th, 2033

  I’ve got about an hour until sunrise and I’ve decided to call it quits for the night. I’m ten miles north of the air base and two miles east of Interstate 5. I’m taking refuge in a drainage culvert bordering a long forgotten field, and with the skies filling with warbirds, I think it’s best I hang out here a while.

  Come nightfall, I’ll continue east, first crossing Highway 99, and then two miles later I’ll scoot across the interstate as well. In between the two roads, in that lonely two–mile stretch, I will be completely exposed. No air cover whatsoever, no trees, no buildings, – nothing taller than a mileage marker to hide behind. Completely exposed to both the traffic in the air and the traffic on the ground.

  November 15th, 2033

  I had another vision this morning.

  I found myself floating in a strange luminescent cloud. A light mist enveloped me and a gentle wind pushed me along. I felt the sensations of the wind in my hair and the moisture on my body. All my senses were on heightened alert.

  Off in the distance, the alien woman with the jet–black hair stood waiting. Again, she was adorned in flowing white linens, and again, her body radiated a pure white energy. She is, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.

  She beckoned me to come to her. I tried, but I couldn’t move my legs. I was frozen in place. I couldn’t move at all, not my legs, nor my arms.

  Still, she beckoned me forward, her eyes imploring me to come to her, yet, try as I might, I couldn’t break free.

  Thunder clapped in the far off in the distance and the wind began to pick up. The mist around me grew darker and, in short time, I lost sight of her.

  The thunder drew closer and a terrific bolt of lightning shot through the starry sky. An ominous black cloud, much darker and much more menacing than the others, approached my celestial perch and a cold chill ran down my spine. As the menace drew near, I saw the reason for my gathering fear, – poking through the mist I spied the silhouettes of massive bipedal creatures, which I knew could only be Threak troopers.

  As they approached, my fear stood on end. Upon closer inspection, the troopers were dead, – quite dead, and had been for quite some time. They stood at attention, facing me in various states of decomposition. Most were missing limbs, while others stood eviscerated, and a few were burnt beyond recognition. An army of the dead, – dressed out in full, fresh battle–gear, were coming for me, and I couldn’t move a muscle.

  Was I responsible for their deaths?

  As our two worlds collided, they stepped off of their cloud and onto mine. They formed a column and marched toward me three abreast. I continued to struggle, but it was no use.

  Then, telepathically, she spoke to me.

  “You have to believe.”

  Believe, believe what? I pleaded with my legs to move and I looked back up at her as the dead aliens marched toward me.

  Believe, believe what? I don’t understand? A million things shot through my mind. Belief in God? Belief in self? Belief in them? Belief in....

  Then a singular thought came to mind. The only belief that mattered to me, or to anyone else at this point, was the belief that we could defeat them. The belief we could drive them from our planet.

  And, it hit me. It hit me hard.

  I can defeat them, – look at them, they’re dead! Dead soldiers all in a row. They die too! They can be killed. I can defeat them! I can do this! I can do this!

  The dead troopers still approached, and I reveled in my newfound belief.

  I will kill you, every last one of you!

  My left leg lurched forward and my right followed suite. With each stutter step, and each declaration of purpose, my stride grew longer and stronger and my balance more sure. A few feet further and I was up to speed, dashing forward to meet the enemy and start exercising my beliefs.

  “I believe.” I said it out loud, in fact, I screamed it.

  As the words left my mouth, the troopers faded away and I awoke once more in the scrub.

  I can do this!

  November 16, 2033

  I arrived at the air base just after dusk, and, as per usual, the base was buzzing with activity. At first glance, all appeared normal, but, upon closer inspection, I discovered that a large holding pen had been staked out in the southeast corner of the facility, and inside–hundreds upon hundreds of people milled about.

  Dan and Maureen are alive and somewhere inside, I can feel it.

  It’s time to get to work.

  November 17th, 2033

  Dark clouds have been rushing in all afternoon and I couldn’t be happier. Rain is on the way, and not a moment too soon. If it’s heavy enough, it’ll drive the Threak indoors.

  Come on nature, give us your worst.

  November 20th, 2033

  When the clouds opened up over the air base, I had to move quickly. I had no doubt the rains would be heavy enough to throw the Threak into lock–down mode and I wanted to take full advantage of that eventuality. Maybe I could get close enough to find a weakness, or maybe I could get a message inside. I didn’t know what to expect, I only knew that I’d come this far and I had to try. My friends were inside.

  I slipped out of the hills and angled toward the southeast corner of the base. I was five hundred yards west of the holding pen when an intense bolt of lightning split the northern skies in front of me. Seconds later, a booming thunderclap shook the valley floor, and I jumped at its ferocity. This was one angry storm and it was heading my way.

  Okay, bring it on.

  A second round of lightning flashed across the sky and another clap of thunder promptly answered back. The brunt of the storm was closing in, and closing in fast. Sheets of rain whipped across the landscape as the wind picked up and a third, much greater display of lightning lit up the night. Above my head, crackling veins of electricity shot down and struck various parts of the alien compound. Even from their onset it looked as if the lightning strikes were drawn to certain sectors of the base, and when the base fell dark and the fence ceased to operate I knew exactly what had happened. The lightning strikes were drawn to the Threak’s portable power cores, and apparently, the two don’t mix. Fire meet gasoline, gasoline, – I give you fire.

  No wonder why the Threak are skittish in the rain.

  With the fences down, the floodgates opened and I stood there laughing like a fool in the rain as the flight to freedom began. Hundreds of people flowed out of the camp, and while most headed south for the nearby low laying hills of the Tehacapi Range, others took their chances by heading back across Interstate 5 and the safety of the coastal range. If Dan and his family were among those who’d escaped, this would be the route they would take, so that’s the way I went, west across the interstate.

  We didn’t know it then, but it would be another two hours before the thunderstorm would let up enough for the Threak to release a contingent of troopers to battle the fires, – and anoth
er full hour until the first of the troop transports were spotted leaving the north entrance of the base.

  By then it was too late. Everyone had cleared the area. It was quite sight to see, and one I know I’ll never forget.

  Thank you Mother Nature.

  November 21st, 2033

  Yesterday’s storm revealed another chink in the Threak armor. They have an unstable and vulnerable power supply. Straight up. I’m sure the power cores work just fine on their planet, and on many others as well, but here, here on Earth, they don’t quite cut it. They can be destroyed by a concentrated electrical blast. We now just have to find a way to devise one. Where’s Tesla when you need him?

  November 22nd, 2033

  Dan Wolfe and his family are alive and well. I got word this morning when I ran into a pair of Ross’ men south of Maricopa. They told me the Wolfe’s had passed through the area early last night and should have arrived safely at Ross’s camp hours ago.

  I nearly broke down and cried on the spot.

  They’re alive! They’re alive and well and reunited with Jimmy, no doubt. Good deal.

  Today was a good day!

  November 23rd, 2033

  What a day!

  I arrived at Ross’ camp in the early hours and found Dan felling trees for a small cabin he’s building a few hundred yards to the south of the main camp. He had Jimmy with him and I sat watching the two working together before announcing my presence.

  “Mind if I take a few whacks at it?”

  “Be my guest.” Dan said, handing me the axe.

  “I heard they let you out for good behavior.” I said.

  “Is that what that was?”

  I couldn’t hold it any longer. I set the axe down and gave my friend a big hug.

  “I’m glad you guys made it.” I said.

  “Thanks for bringing Jimmy here.” He responded and we simply nodded our heads up and down in acknowledgment of our good fortune, knowing full well this could have turned out much differently.

  “One helluva storm.” I said and Dan knew exactly where I was going with it.

  “Electricity is not their friend.”

  “Not at all.” I said with a smile. “Not at all.”

  Jimmy picked up the axe and went to work on the pine while Dan and I stepped aside and exchanged notes.

  They’d been captured the morning after I’d left camp. He said the Threak had been paying close attention to the area in the preceding days, but didn’t find it out of the ordinary. They simply hunkered down as they had a dozen times before and settled in to wait the warbirds out. Then, one morning after sunrise a squad of troopers stepped out of the brush, surrounded the camp and, well, that was that. Much to his surprise, instead of killing them on the spot, they were marched out to a clearing where a shuttle stood waiting.

  Upon his arrival at the air base he was separated from his family and the questioning began. I was surprised to hear that my name had come up in the proceedings. Apparently, the Threak know who I am and find me important enough to call me out by name.

  I’m flattered.

  He was questioned about me repeatedly, but he told them he’d never heard of me, had never seen me and had only heard about the shuttle crash second hand.

  Whether or not they believed him, he hadn’t a clue. Another round of interrogation was scheduled for the next day, – one that promised to be less hospitable and more in depth, but the storm intervened and, mercifully, saw that appointment broken.

  Once again, thank you Mother Nature.

  Later in the morning I paid Ross a visit and was happy to see that he’d assembled one of the 2–way radios and had it up and running. Well, almost up and running, he can listen, but he can’t send. He has someone stationed by the receiver at all times and not only have they logged my broadcasts, but those of others as well.

  A network is being born.

  Another good day.

  November 24th, 2033

  I said my goodbyes to everyone last night and headed south for the cabin. With the Threak calling me out by name I figured it’s best to put some distance between myself, and others. Dan and his family are safe and sound, so it’s time for me to move on. Time to get back to work. I have a battleship to get after.

  December 3rd, 2033

  I’m back at the cabin, sipping on a hot cup of coffee and resting my bones. Come sundown I’ll haul the 2–way and one of the batteries up to the ridge and explore the airwaves from there. There’s a high probability the Threak will be listening in, so I’ll broadcast in five minute bursts at the top of the hour and take it from there.

  I doubt anyone will answer me, but, hey, you never know.

  December 4th, 2033

  I have a new companion. A little brown mutt of a dog I call Lucky,–Lucky for making it this far, and Lucky for me having enough food to still remember what a pet is. To tell you the truth the little bugger scared the bejesus out of me when I heard him scratching around under the cabin. Where he came from I haven’t a clue, and I’m paranoid enough to have initially thought he was a Threak probe of some sort, – until I picked him up and felt every bone in his emaciated little frame. He’s no probe, just a starving little mutt, who’s scared like the rest of us, – only he’s on edge for a whole different set of reasons.

  December 5th, 2033

  For the third straight day I lugged the 2–way up to the ridge and took to the airwaves. Today, my perseverance paid off, I finally got an answer. I’ve made contact with a guy using the handle Alpha Omega One, who thanked me for the low–down on the air base and then dropped a bombshell of his own.

  The Threak have started harvesting the planet.

  As I write this, a trio of enormous, low–flying craft creep imperceptibly over the Southern Sierras. They operate at tree top level and as they pass overhead, they suck up everything in their path down to depth of ten feet. Once inside, the flora and fauna are separated from the dirt and rock and are funneled into storage vats, while the dirt and rock are spit back to the ground and are left in the massive ship’s wake.

  Just like in the visions.

  Now, how long it takes the Threak to strip a planet remains to be seen, but I’m guessing it can’t be too long, not what with the equipment they’re packing. I know there’s more than just the three harvest vessels working the planet, but exactly how many there may be, I don’t know. If I had to guess, I’d say, hundreds, maybe thousands. Considering they scorched three quarters of the planet during their invasion, I’d say it’ll take them anywhere from five to ten years to steal what’s left.

  It doesn’t leave us much time.

  December 6th, 2033

  I left the cabin before sunrise and dropped into Santa Clarita to rustled up a battery for my radio.

  Simple enough.

  The hike south proved to be uneventful, as did the task of finding a car battery, but my return trip was anything but. When I came within a hundred yards of my new digs, I could hear Lucky barking like mad. Someone, or something was at the cabin.

  I stopped dead in my tracks and hit the deck. If it were troopers, I didn’t want to get any closer, – but if it were people, I had to help. No questions asked. Especially if they are hurt, hungry or hopeless, – that’s just the way it is now. Service above self.

  I kept low and crept forward, snaking my way through the dry underbrush to within twenty feet of the cabin. I was an arm’s length from the cabin when I saw the first of three silhouettes standing in front.

  Three figures, – three, my initial thoughts ran Threak, but these silhouettes stood smaller. They couldn’t be Threak. These figures stood less than six feet tall, of that I was certain. They had to be human, but still, I wasn’t sure, not completely.

  Then one of the figures slumped to the ground.

  The other two immediately dropped to their knees to help, – they were human, – most definitely.

  I pushed my way through the low hanging branches and stepped into the clearing next to the cabin. Wit
h a clear view, I saw that the three people were kids, two boys and a girl, – the oldest, no more than sixteen years old and they all were ill–clothed for the winter.

  I ran to their side. It was one of the boys, the younger of the two, that had fallen and it was clear he was in dire straits.

  “Is he conscious?” I said as I knelt over the kid. He was burning up, his clothes were soaked with sweat and I could feel the fever radiating from his worn, malnourished body.

  “He’s sick.” The girl said and the other boy nodded in agreement and it was plain to see from their near expressionless faces and listless eyes, the pair were in shock and not doing too well themselves.

  I scooped him up and turned for the cabin.

  “Let’s get him inside.”

  Lucky bound out from under the cabin and ran along side the four of us. The older boy opened the cabin door and I set the kid down on the cot. Dirty, disheveled and burning up. He was in bad shape. That was plain to see.

  “Hand me those blankets.” I said to the girl, pointing at the stack of green and gray army issue cot covers piled neatly in the corner.

  She didn’t react at first. Like the boys she was feverish, and suffering from shock as well.

  I grabbed the blankets and wrapped him as best I could. I dipped a cloth in cold water and placed the rag on his forehead. He thrashed from side to side. I held his shoulders in place while the girl, who’d since come to her senses, held the rag to his forehead and whispered.

  “Easy, Caleb. Shhh…, easy.”

  Her words had no visible effect him, but they went a long way in keeping herself calm. I glanced over to the other boy, who was leaning against the north wall, and looking as if he was going to drop to the floor at any second.

  “Do you have him?” I said to the girl and she knew what I meant.

  “His name is Caleb, he’s my little brother, and, yes, I’ve got him, I’ve got him.” She said, keeping him still and pressing the cold compress firmly to his forehead.

  I stood up and caught the other boy, as he slumped to the floor and ushered him across the cabin to a spot where he could lie down.