Repopulated Ch. 01

The woman put up no further resistance as the tongue slipped inside her mouth, blocking up her throat. The alien held there for a long moment, the oscillating pattern of its triangular eyes keeping the woman docile.

"What is it doing to her?" whispered Kate, strangely captivated by the glow.

The rest of aliens continue to approach the cordon, lifting their arms as the police yelled at them to stop. When they refused to listen, they began to open fire, bullets pinging off the alien's hard armor plating without doing any visible damage.

The camera became even shakier as the crowd noise rose, bleeped expletives rising into the air. The feed cut out, returning to the concerned face of the anchorman.

"We're getting reports now that hostilities are arising all over the city," he said tersely. "The local authorities are advising that everyone should shelter in place until the national guard can be called in."

He paused, looking grim. "Under no circumstances should you attempt to confront the aliens yourself. You have already seen what they can do. Please, wait until the military arrives to help. Any foolish move you make to greet them could be your last."

He swallowed visibly, and the television flickered, showing stock footage of military jets. "We have been informed that jets have been scrambled to assess and address the ongoing threat," he droned on, keeping up his professional face as he worked to fill the dead air.

Jackie scoffed. "You know what that means, right?" she sighed, gritting her teeth. "They won't arrive in time. This is ground zero, and we're going to be absolutely crawling with aliens in no time at all. We're on our own, and we don't even know whether we're surrounded. "

The lights flickered, and the newscaster disappeared, replaced with a cloud of static. Kate tried another station, but it was the same thing. "Looks like we've lost the feed," she said nervously.

Jackie frowned, retrieving her phone from her pocket. The cover was a sparkly pink, with stickers of cute animals covering the back. "No signal. Do you have a radio?"

"There's one in the back room, let me check," replied Kate, all of the muscles in her body feeling tense.

She was trying to remain calm, but the reality of the situation hammered at her. If this really was an invasion, where would she go? What would she do?

Entering the door behind the bar, she grabbed at the dingy red radio sitting on the back room table. It was an ancient unit, used and abused for years by workers eating their lunches or taking breaks. It still worked, though.

Clicking the switch, she moved through the dial, becoming increasingly concerned as all she received was static. "That's weird. I should be getting something."

Jackie shook her head. "The aliens must be jamming everything. Electronic warfare is used by all modern nations. Why would they be any different? If we can't communicate, we won't be able to fight back effectively."

"Wait, I think I'm picking something up," murmured Kate, slowing down her scan.

An electronic tone came over the radio, beeping at various intervals. "Sounds like morse code," she suggested. "I don't know what it means, though."

"What it means is that people can still talk to each other!" Jackie grinned at her lover. "Take that with us. It might be our only means to find help as the world falls apart around us."

She rested her hands on the counter. "I want to be straight with you. With what we've seen on the TV, we're in the middle of something akin to a zombie apocalypse. It's every person for themselves. We've gotta get out of the firing zone and regroup, find other like minded individuals, and fight back!"

Kate's lips quivered. "I'm not exactly a fighter," she said softly, tucking the radio under her arm. "I'm not like you. Do you think people like me are going to make it?"

"Yes!" said Jackie fiercely, raising her fist. "If only because people like me won't let those bastards harm a single hair on your head!"

Kate chuckled, feeling a little better. "What should we do now?" she asked. "I don't think we can stay here."

"No, we shouldn't. You're coming with me to my ranch. It's north of the city, away from where the aliens landed, and I have enough supplies there to last for a long time. That should give us the time we need to figure out our next steps."

"Alright, then," said Kate, grabbing her purse from the table in the corner. "Let's go."

Jackie furrowed her brow. "There isn't anything you need to do... ya know, to close up shop?"

"Ha, no. If it's the end of the world, I don't owe my boss anything." Walking towards Jackie, she pushed her towards the door. "He was barely paying me enough to care in the first place, and he lives south of the city, too."

"Ah. Then he's right in the middle of all... that," sighed Jackie, crossing over to the front window and squinting out at the green skies. "Damn, that looks odd."

A sense of urgency gripped Kate as she spotted movement from down the street to the right. "What's that?" she asked, rushing towards the door.

The bell tinkled as she pushed out onto the street, her heart thudding in her throat as she imagined a squad of aliens advancing on them.

Fortunately, it was a line of police officers instead. Her relief was short lived, however, as they spotted the crowd of people that was being herded towards them. They were carrying signs, some of them advocating surrender to the aliens, while others appeared to want to worship them. Weirdos.

"Keep moving," an officer's voice shouted, muffled by the bullhorn. "The city is to be evacuated, by order of the mayor."

Nervous, Kate moved along the sidewalk away from the crowd. "Uh, I parked that way," she said, pointing past the shuffling people. "If we want to try to use it to get out of here, we're going to get stuck behind all these people."

"My truck's on the back street," offered Jackie. "There might be an opening there."

Kate nodded in assent, the two of them retreating back into the shop. The noises of the crowd rose outside as they crossed towards the other side of the building. She paused in front of the back door. What would they be stepping into?

Her shoulders tensed as she heard a series of gunshots sounding behind her. "What's that?" she asked, her hand on the crash bar.

"It's probably the police?" replied Jackie, her brow creased as she strained to look out the front window. "I can't see anything from here. We have to go."

Worried, Kate pushed open the metal door, darting her head back and forth to look for danger. There was nothing out here in the alley, just a single track road and smelly green dumpsters.

"Where did you say your car was again?" she asked, turning around to address Jackie.

"Watch out!" shouted her friend, pulling her duster free. "Put your hands over your ears!"

Kate did as she was told, turning to face the south side of the alley as Jackie drew her magnum with one swift motion.

The dank air appeared to shimmer as Jackie fired her first shot, the tremendous report rattling her chest. A rippling wave appeared, crackling as it dropped away, revealing the armored alien hidden within.

A set of triangular, blue eyes glowed on its head as it raised its arm, pointing the muzzle end of the bio grenade launcher at Jackie. Her second shot came as quickly as the first, smashing against the side of the gauntlet.

Surprised, the alien staggered back, a long, black tongue dropping from its mouth. A slimy, gray worm plopped onto the ground as the creature tried to regain its bearings, but Jackie was already pulling the trigger a third time.

A large hole opened up in the creature's breastplate, a spurt of green blood decorating the wet pavement. The creature keened, a high pitched cry that cut off in a dreadful croaking sound as it fell to its knees, armored plates smacking against the ground.

Without hesitating, Jackie took another shot, landing a direct hit to the center of the gooey mass that had dropped from the alien's tongue. Its guts exploded over the front of the creature as the slug disintegrated, coloring the corpse a bright red.

"Crap!" exclaimed Kate, heart pounding as she looked for another threat.

All was quiet in the alleyway. Too quiet.

She turned to Jackie, who was already reloading her revolver with a moon clip, tucking the unfired rounds away in a hidden pocket in her duster. "Where did you learn to shoot like that?" she asked, legitimately amazed.

Jackie shook her head and pointed at her ears. "I can't hear shit," she explained, speaking louder than usual. "I didn't want to fumble around for hearing protection, but now I'm paying the price."

She blinked, slipping the pistol back into her belt as Kate tugged on her arm. "I know, I know. Let's head that way."

A uniformed officer darted out of a side alley, pistol drawn. When he spotted the two of them, relief creased his brow. He frowned as he approached the dead alien, keeping his pistol pointed at its chest.

He gave it a little kick to make sure it had expired. Once he was satisfied that the threat had been dealt with, he holstered his pistol, giving her a view of the triple chevron insignia on his shoulder.

"Ben!" exclaimed Kate, relieved as she spotted his familiar, red bearded face. "I suppose I should have expected you here, but I'm still surprised! Can you tell us what's going on?"

He adjusted his hat, gnawing on his lip, his hand hovering over his gun belt. "I was hoping you weren't at work today, Kate," he said, his gruff voice sounding strained. "I didn't want you to get mixed up in all this. I promised your father I'd look after you, though, so I'm going to give you some advice. Get the hell out of here and don't look back."

"That's what I was planning on doing," replied Kate, searching for answers in his face. "We're having a hard time figuring out which direction to run to, though. There's a crowd around the front of the store, which is why we're out here, where we encountered this." She raised her hands towards the downed alien.

Ben laid a suspicious eye on Jackie. "I assume she shot it?"

Jackie shrugged, giving him an innocent look. She probably had no idea what the sergeant was saying, or if she did, she was playing dumb.

He shook his head. "It must be a higher caliber than we have access to. Our pistols and shotguns have been pretty much useless." He gritted his teeth, his throat clenching. "Even the rifles in our squad cars seem insufficient. We need more firepower. We're pretty much fighting a rearguard action as we try to get out as many civilians as possible."

He glared at Jackie. "That includes you, cowboy. Come on, you two, I'll lead you back to an open route out of here. If you stay, you're liable to be attacked again."

"Say what?" asked Jackie, her voice still too loud. "I'm an excellent shot, aren't I?" she asked, looking pleased with herself.

Kate grabbed at her arm, tugging her towards the police officer. "We're right behind you," she announced, shooting a final glance at the dead alien, shuddering. "Show us the way."

Ben turned, proceeding in a wide circle around the wet mess on the ground. Kate couldn't stop herself from examining the alien a little closer, trying to get a feel for what they were up against.

Its head was covered with a bony plate, with tiny holes for its triangular, dull blue eyes. A long, dark tongue extended from its mouth, descending to a sharp tip, a black stripe running down the center. It was prehensile, perhaps. She could imagine that being useful for many purposes.

The large slope over the creature's bust pulled her attention to its voluptuous curves. She wondered if the armor plating could be removed, or if that was a permanent fixture on the creature's body.

The bloody hole in the alien's chest was leaking a dark green ichor, and there was a small quiver of movement near the creature's thick thighs. The creature's graying flesh pushed aside, revealing a small, glowing ball of green slime.

It crawled up onto the alien's leg, a red stripe running over the top of its head. There were no obvious eyes, but a glowing core pulsed in its center. A ripple darted over its surface, a pseudopod reaching out to taste the air.

She hurried to catch up with Jackie, not willing to wait around to find out what the hell that thing was. Given what she had seen so far, it might just decide to jam itself up her nose, and then who knew what might happen?

The creature's body slipped from view as they entered a narrow path leading to the street. She had so many questions, and many more were collecting with every passing second. She wanted to know what was going on, damnit!

They hurried up the passageway, slowing down as they reached the road on the other side. Ben held up a hand, curving his neck to look down the street. "Looks clear for now. My boys are covering this area for as long as they can, though I've given them strict orders to retreat if the resistance becomes too rough. Can't afford to have them getting themselves killed in the first wave of the invasion."

Kate moved up next to him, spotting the officers taking cover in entryways and behind garbage cans, seizing any cover they could. They were staring nervously towards the south side of the street, continuously scanning for intruders.

Unfortunately, they didn't have great sight lines, as in this location the center of the intersection contained a small greenspace. Trees and traffic lights surrounded a small hill, making it difficult for them to see what was coming.

This cut both ways, though, as it meant that the invaders wouldn't be able to spot them, either, making their short range weapons more effective.

Kate crossed her arms, feeling uncomfortable. Their presence wasn't making her feel better about the situation, but at least she wasn't alone. Someone here should be able to tell her where to go and what to do.

Jackie shook her head as she took in their forces. "What are you planning, blue boy?" she asked, her words almost a jeer. "You're no army. I guarantee, as soon as those armored bastards show up, you're going to break."

"I know," replied Ben calmly, not taking umbrage. "Our only hope is to slow them down. Make their job harder, more expensive. We know we're expendable, and quite frankly, most of us don't expect to make it out of this alive."

Kate shivered, worried at the finality of his words. It was all well and good to be fatalistic, but dying wasn't the worst thing that could happen to them. She thought back to the strange incident with the man who had attacked her in the cafe, her mind putting this together with the amoeba she had seen crawling over the dead alien.

She pressed her lips together. "Whatever you do, don't let those alien slugs get you," she hissed. "They'll do something bad to you. Change you."

Ben touched the brim of his hat. "I'm not planning on it. You should head to safety, or all of our sacrifices will be for nothing."

He paused, a look of fear showing in the back of his eyes. "If I don't make it out of this, tell Janice I love her. I haven't been able to get in touch with all the excitement."

She wanted to tell him that he should do it himself, but she could tell that her words of encouragement would mean little. She didn't even know if she was going to get out of this alive. It seemed like all of their chances were pretty slim.

She took a deep breath. "I know you'll do your best," she said lamely.

Her lips quirked. "I know my father would be proud of you for what you're doing. I know I am."

Ben straightened his back. "That means a lot, but there's no more time for such sentimental thoughts. We'll reminisce when this is all over."

Kate was about to say something else when an intense bolt of green energy seared her eyes, its glow highlighting the officer's back. She gulped as it appeared to grow larger. It was heading straight towards them!

"Get down!" she shouted, dropping to her knees and clutching her hands about her head.

A pulse of bright energy flashed through her eyelids, a concussion rattling her chest. She wheezed as the sound of an explosion assaulted her ears, the world vibrating around her.

As the initial impact faded, a roaring heat radiated over her body. She blinked, trying to understand what had just happened.

The shot had landed just under a police car stationed at the north end of the street, creating a smoking crater in the blacktop. The car had been lifted by the blast, turned over as if by a large hand and pancaked down on top of a cherry red truck. The resulting crush must have punctured a gas tank, as the pile of twisted metal was fully involved, flames roaring out of the interior.

"My truck!" exclaimed Jackie, resting her hands on her knees as she stared in dismay at the burning wreck.

Green lances of pure energy began to sparkle down the street, bouncing off of street signs and shop windows. Alien figures appeared over the hill from the south, their armored bodies rocking back and forth as they advanced into the open.

Slug-like creatures crawled on the ground next to them, interspersed with spherical jelly creatures that looked similar to the one she had spotted between the dead alien's thighs.

She shuddered. One of those things had gotten the man who had attacked her earlier, controlling his mind in some fashion. She didn't relish the idea of having an encounter with one of those.

The cops began to fire back, blasting at the aliens. One of the energy beams lanced through a mailbox, striking a man right in the chest. He cried out as it speared through his vest, blood staining the back of his uniform.

Kate held a hand over her mouth, terrified by how quickly he had been killed. If one of them got hit by a stray shot, they'd be dead.

Ben grabbed her by the shoulder. "Come on, you've got to get to cover!" he bellowed, shoving her towards the other side of the street. "Get in that shop and stay there until this fight is over!"

Kate slowed to a halt as she noticed that Jackie wasn't moving. "My truck," she whispered, blinking back tears. "What have they done to my truck?"

Rage grew in her eyes, and she tossed back her duster, reaching for her gun. "They're going to pay for that! Filthy aliens!"

Kate grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the sidewalk, her nerves tingling as more alien fire zipped past their ears. "This isn't the time!" she shouted. "Forget the damn truck, we're going to get ourselves killed!"

Jackie snarled, but allowed herself to be pulled out of the line of fire. Kate shoved through the swinging door of the shop, tugging her lover inside, where the sound of gunfire was muffled.

The warm air smelled of dust and wood rot, ceiling lights hanging low. A welcome mat was below their feet, a tile floor leading up to the front desk, which was partitioned off from the rest of the shop by hanging blankets.

Lines of old wood furniture had been stacked next to each other, creating aisles through the mess. This probably wasn't up to fire code. Not safe.

Safety was relative these days. She marched up to the front desk, a strange resolve firming in her mind. Usually she liked to stay in the background, but not today. She was going to take charge and get them out of the city before it burned down around their heads!

The plump woman behind the counter made an inquisitive noise as she looked up from the book grasped between pudgy fingers. She set it down, adjusting her thick spectacles to get a good look at them.