 
# Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Other Works

Forward

Truism

Part One - Ocean City

Chapter Two

Part Two - The Adirondacks

Part Three - The Declination

Afterwords

NOVEMBER SEED

David Nadas
November Seed

Copyright © 2014 by David Nadas

The right of David Nadas to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. Except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted, without written permission from the author. You must not circulate this book in any format.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover design by David Nadas, cover art commissioned by Byron Remple - the King of Zombie Art.

Find out more about the author and upcoming books online at www.davidnadas.com
I want to thank my editor and dear friend, Diana Singer, for being a wonderful inspiration and muse; for without her encouragement this story would not have been told.

A special thanks goes out to Kyle Pollard and the team at Offworlders.com for their trust and support of my work and for allowing me contributing access to their site, where this story began.

Most importantly, to my wife Meredith, who inspires me each and every day.
OTHER BOOKS AVAILABLE:

From Europa With Love: Shuttle Captain Kulcin Black follows a distress signal back to Europa but there is no one there to pick up. However, he is not returning alone.

TO SEE WHAT DAVID IS WORKING ON:

Visit www.davidnadas.com

David is a contributing writer on www.OffWorlders.com, www.Wattpad.com, www.Smashwords.com, www.scribed.com. You can also follow his posts on G+
Phragmites : (Phrag - my - tease):

Every November, in the northeastern part of the US, when the air is crisp and strong gusts sweep against a quilted sky, Phragmites will jettison their seed in one spectacular and wondrous event that can easily be mistaken for the first snow flurries of the season. But their legions are on the move, quietly increasing their ranks.
"Everything must go somewhere - no matter what you do, and no matter what you use, it has to go somewhere. For example, when you burn wood, it doesn't disappear, it turns into smoke which rises into the air, and ash, which falls back down to the earth."

The 2nd of Four Laws of Ecology, formulated by physicist and ecologist, Barry Commoner.

# Part One: Ocean City

#

# Chapter One

#

"Shit!" Matt said, keeping his voice low as he reached blindly into the dark, his fingers bumping along the nightstand until he found the vibrating phone.  He held it up at arm's length to see who was calling, but all he could make out was _Restricted_ and a number he did not recognize. He pressed the hang-up icon and placed the phone back on the nightstand, face down, then slid back under the covers.

Seconds later the phone began to vibrate so he pushed himself up against the headboard and reached for the phone, this time the caller ID indicated NJFG. The office. He swiped the screen and it cast a dim light over the bed, someone at the far end was speaking loudly. He fumbled to lower the volume but couldn't, so he turned away from his wife in hopes of not waking her and brought the phone tight against his ear.

"Matt... Matt! Are you there? I need—"

"Whoa!" Matt cut in, while trying to rub the haze from his eyes. "Derick? Is that you?" now recognizing the voice.

"Of course it's me! Who else would I be?"

"What time is it?"

"I don't know!" Derick responded, seemingly annoyed by the question. "That's not important right now."

Laurie, Matt's wife, began to stir at his side. She was half asleep with her cheek buried into the pillow, her muffled voice sounding like the vocal fry of so many young girls these days. "Who is that?"

Matt pushed the phone into his lap to mute Derick's frantic voice. "It's Jake. From State Farm."

With a faint muffled laugh, "You're such an asshole," she said to her husband. "It's Derick, isn't it?"

"Yeah... It's Derick."

She turned on her side to face him. "Is he okay?"

"He's frantic... I don't know.... why don't you try and go back to sleep." and he returned the phone to his ear, "Derick!" he whispered, "I haven't been listening to a word you said... slow down." He swung his legs over the side of the bed where the crisp November air was dense at his feet. Laurie liked to sleep with the window raised, but always on his side of the bed—the murderer's side as she called it—the side closest to the door. If he wasn't fully awake before, he was now; it was freezing in the room as he pulled the duvet cover up along his shoulders, squinting at his phone, finally able to see the time.

"It's three in the morning Derick! This can't wait a few hours?"

"Matt, you need to get to the President of the United States!" Derick shouted from the far end.

Laurie was half listening and could hear Derick's voice bleeding out into the room. She rose up onto her elbows. "Is it really three?"

Matt pushed the phone back into his lap. "Yes it is, but go back to sleep. I promise, if it's important, I'll wake you." Somewhat content, Laurie sank back beneath the covers with only a tuft of blond hair poking out.

"Derick! Derick!" Matt's harsh whisper silencing him for the moment. "You woke Laurie."

"Tell her I'm sorry," he offered, "but you need to get to the President, Matt, we don't have much time. I checked the weather and..." Matt could hear the rustling of papers through the phone , "we have a day... two at best... it might already be too late."

"Too late for what? What are you talking about? I don't think being a field manager qualifies me to get in touch with the President of the United States, Derick." Then a thought came to him and he had to ask, "Are you stoned?"

"Matt! The Phragmites!" Derick shouted through the phone; the line and everything in the moment went silent.

"Oh Christ," Matt yawned. "You woke me at three in the morning to tell me about your Phragmites alien invasion? Seriously, Derick? It was funny two nights ago, and I'll admit, you almost had me there," Matt whispered, cupping his hand around the phone, "but we were both stoned and it's not funny right now."

"No, no, no. It's not what I thought. It's different," Derick said. "I've got new data. It's more than—"

Matt hit the hang-up icon to disconnect the call. He sat there momentarily with his head down, then threw the phone back onto the nightstand where its jellyfish screensaver rippled a dull green throughout the room. He plucked his feet from the cold and slid back beneath the crisp cotton sheets; his eyes were wide open, his head resting on the palms of his hands behind him. He almost started to laugh thinking back to Friday night when Derick had pulled out a vape and some Mango Krush—medicinal he'd contended—before spinning a tale that Phragmites was not brought into the US from Europe, as early botanists had thought, but was an aggressive alien species spreading along brackish waters of every shoreline in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, working its way inland. Derick's hypothesis was that Phragmites was seeded by an alien probe that had traveled to Earth, its genesis as a resource for an alien civilization.

Matt's phone began to vibrate again. Groaning, he sprang up in time to answer before the second loop. "Derick! I'm up now and so is Laurie. I am going to get dressed and will be there in half an hour. Don't call me back and you better have some fresh coffee for me... I mean that!" and he ended the call before Derick could say another word.

Laurie was sitting with her knees drawn up under the covers. There was concern in her voice. "It's serious, isn't it?"

Matt's chuckle eased her concern. "I can't think of the last time the Fish & Wildlife division of South Jersey was ever serious, but you know when he gets excited like this, my phone will keep ringing until I hear his entire story. I promise to call you if it's anything to worry about. Now please, go back to sleep. There's no reason both of us need to be up right now," he said through a yawn. "You still have four hours, so enjoy it." and he leaned over to place his dry lips against hers. She purred and slid beneath the covers once again, then peeked back with a smile, his screen saver shutting off and plunging them both into darkness.

Sliding once more to the edge of the bed, he threw back the duvet and placed his feet onto the floorboards and stood. They were cold. He was halfway to the bathroom when Laurie called for him to shut the window. He rushed back around the bed, wrestling the window to the sill, as the cast iron weights clanged in their casements.  He could feel the gooseflesh rising on every square inch of his skin as he darted back toward the bathroom, his naked body in full isometrics, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Colder still were the bathroom tiles as he flipped on the light switch and expected to see his breath in the cold air.

✦✦✦

Matt and his wife Laurie lived in a craftsman style bungalow on the south end of Ocean City, NJ, where normally the view every morning of Corson's Inlet would be a welcome site. But with the previous night's freezing rain, like a heavy tablecloth, it had weighted the bayberry branches to the ground and the sound of frozen sand crunching beneath his feet made for an unwelcome walk to his truck. It took some effort to open the frozen door before having to sit on a brittle vinyl seat and start the engine. If he wanted to wait for the water to heat its way through the engine block and warm the cab before leaving his driveway, it would be late morning, so he backed out and drove off.

He headed up West Avenue, hunched forward with knots in his back as the cold air from the vents stabbed at him, but he was grateful the traffic signals in town were now set for winter mode with their amber blinking lights giving him a clear run without having to stop every hundred yards. Ten minutes later he was merging onto the north ramp of the Parkway; there were no taillights to follow and no headlights approaching from the southbound lanes, not even darkness seemed to be up this early and twilight was still some hours away. The jerry-rigged thermometer outside the fly window of his vintage Land Rover read twenty-one degrees, while the heater inside continued to blow cool air causing his breath to fog the windshield.  He passed the sign for Exit 29 and veered off, following the ramp and letting his foot off the gas, the left blinker dimming as he slowed.  At the bottom of the ramp he looked both ways and felt the solitude of the season, then turned left onto May's Landing Road.

A few minutes later he arrived at Somerset Cove Marina, its large rope lined letters were spelled out on a pristine white ornate sign. Hanging beneath, on rusted chains, a tattered board was stenciled with NJ FISH & WILDLIFE. Matt turned onto the gravel road where the tires picked up anything they could to assault the wheel wells; a seemingly final insult to his early morning ride.

From the lab, Derick could see Matt heading toward him, the headlights from his truck bouncing along the ruts and potholes.  Anxious, he placed his mug down and headed out the door.

No sooner had Matt pulled into the parking lot, than Derick yanked open the passenger side door and jumped in. He was rubbing his leathery hands for warmth and he looked terrible, with dark circles under his bloodshot eyes and sparse facial hair under a tangle of dreadlocks with long whiskers on his unshaven chin, giving him an urban Fu Manchu look.

"Dude! You look like shit." Matt said.

"Matt, it's incredible... you have to see what I found... it'll blow your mind!"

"Can we get out of the truck?" Matt said, hunching his shoulders. "I'm freezing."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Derick said staring out the window and nodding to unspoken thoughts bouncing around in his head. With a final nod, he bolted from the passenger side leaving the door wide open for the cold to take his place and he seemed to be back in the lab before Matt could turn off the key and wait for the engine to cough out a few misfires in protest. _What a shame, it was just starting to get warm in here,_ he thought.

Matt grabbed his pack and circled the truck to shut the passenger door then climbed the stairs to the upper deck.  Derick had stacked some fresh cut firewood outside the door and he could smell the burn of oak in the air. He was glad to be inside and see the glow of orange embers behind the sooted glass door of the wood-burning fireplace as he dropped his pack onto the tattered leather couch, where he often sat and sifted through scientific journals related to his field; and for the first time all morning, he was not freezing.

"Fresh ground Sumatra, half & half poured first, coffee second," Derick recited, handing Matt his first cup.

The guilt set in as Matt put things into perspective; he would never want another colleague or be in need of a better friend. They had met years ago, while in college, on an empty street in the north end of Atlantic City. It was a November day much like today, west wind, ebbing tide and shoulder high barrels peeling off the jetty. They had arrived at the same time, not knowing each other, and were racing to pull on their wetsuits when a squad of cop cars flooded the street, the officers jumping out, guns drawn, running toward them. Matt and Derick faced off (reasoning the other was the cause) only to see the officers rush between them and up the stoop into the building, shots firing. They grabbed their boards and coolly walked to the beach like this happened every day, neither willing to show their fear and panic. Along their walk, they learned they were both freshmen at Stockton University, both MARS majors living off-campus in Brigantine, three blocks apart. By the time they hit the water they were the best of friends.

Inside, Derick led Matt to the negative pressure hoods with several glass slides scattered about. "Check this out," he said, ushering Matt to the scope. "I've got a live culture going, but I have no idea what I'm looking at. I'm hoping you've seen this before."

"How long have you been here?" Matt asked, reluctant to surrender the warmth of the mug as he placed it onto the table; his hands were just starting to thaw.

"Oh... I don't know... Saturday morning?" Derick responded, not sure himself.

Matt gestured with a nod, not knowing what to say about that, and peered into the eyepiece. He was confused by what lay before him. Highly magnified were parallel rows of crystalline structures, resembling marine plankton, dinoflagellates, but unlike plankton these structures were replicating with the agility of a 3-D printer, layer by layer. Lifting away from the eyepiece he checked the magnification; the structures were just under 1 mm wide. He returned to the eyepiece and observed the elongated horns of the crystals melding into one another the way images of an Escher drawing interlock. He did not catch it at first, but there was a fine latticework of filaments weaving through the hollow cavities of the crystals. Matt pulled away from the eyepiece.

"Dude, I have never seen anything like this. Where did you get these and what's in the petri medium? It looks like blood."

Derick handed Matt a pair of gloves and a mask. "Here, put these on," he said before leading Matt to the other side of the lab and turning to him along the way, "you're right about the medium, it is blood."

That got Matt's attention. At the far end of the lab, Derick presented Matt with a pair of American Bitterns, which were common waterfowl along the estuaries of the east coast. They were each splayed out on dissecting trays, safely under a set of hoods, each bittern displaying a twig-like growth attached at the base of the cranium just below the occipital plate.  Matt looked closely at the twigs and how they curved along the skull before extending upward, like antenna, and at the bifurcation of the twig were small bladders. Derick had carefully cut away one of the skulls to reveal the growth inside and Matt could see there was no mistaking the twig had punctured the cranial cavity from the inside out.

"I see that the cranium is intact," Matt said tapping the area around the base of the twig with surgical tongs. "See right here where the twig comes into contact with the bone? The calcium is fused to it." Matt continued to describe his observations, turning the skull slightly from side to side.  He focused on the other bittern and pushed away the feathers at the base of the twig. "There are no visible bloodstains on the epidermis," he then returned his focus to the dissected specimen, "and I do not see any trauma to the surrounding brain tissue," he added.

"Good catch. I hadn't noticed that." Derick commented. "Clever, keeps the host alive for some time. What do you notice about the tendrils inside?" Derick asked.

Matt could tell Derick already knew the answer, but he answered anyway. "The tendrils originate in the superior sagittal sinus and reach into the motor cortex." Matt replied.

"Exactly. The rest of the tendrils seem to be distributed throughout the cerebellum and optical plate. So, this thing makes its way up the arteries and settles into the sagittal sinus where it begins its gametic life cycle. Whatever this thing is, Matt, it controls the vision, motor skills and reasoning areas of the brain. That is mind blowing."

"What's in the bladders at the bifurcations? The crystals I saw under the scope?" he asked and answered.

"Yeah."

"Where did you get the birds?"

"This is the weird part," Derick began. "I found them together at the end of the dock late Saturday afternoon. I was waiting for the interns to return, from my Phragmites sampling grids, when I saw these two bitterns; one male, one female. At first I thought they were mating, but when I walked toward them I noticed the twigs. Then I thought, 'wow! I discovered a new species.' The closer I got I realized they were not going to fly away, both were barely alive when I stood over them. I went back to the lab and got some gloves and a mask, something just didn't seem right—aside from the twigs—and I was thinking H1N1. They had their bills clamped onto the dock cleat, weird, huh? Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Derick asked.

"Not quite," Matt replied, "but a few years ago I read an abstract about some parasitic fungi sighted in certain ant species." Matt was squinting trying to remember the scientific name of the fungus, "Ophiocordu-something-or-other.... Anyway, the fungus gets ingested by the ants that produces a growth that sprouts from the brain. But the hideous part is, somehow the fungus commands the ant to latch onto a leaf, usually by the time the infected ant returns to the colony. With the ant locked into place, the other ants can't remove it from the colony and the external mycelium of the fungus gets ingested by the other ants and the fungus spreads. This seems closely related to what we are seeing here. Any idea of the vector?"

"Possibly," Derick replied."

"Is this where the Phragmites come in?" Matt reasoned.

"That's what I was trying to tell you on the phone earlier this morning. Here, follow me." and he led Matt to the filtration hood where a field scope and external monitor were set up inside. With his arms in the glove box, Derick placed a dish onto the stage of the scope and set the focus. He stepped back. "Have a look."

Matt leaned in and looked at the monitor display where a magnified view of a single Phragmites plume filled the screen. Each floret of the upper and lower glumes of the seed crest were encased with crystal beads. "You're telling me that inside these beads is the contagion that produced those twigs?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Derick said. "Now look at this one." And he replaced the dish and adjusted the magnification. "This was collected yesterday morning by the interns assigned to my sampling grids."

On the display, Matt could see a highly magnified view of the black dots within the beads. They were geometric in shape, transistor-like.

Derick placed the original dish back onto the tray of the scope. "Look at the seed stems, they're close to releasing. I think we got lucky with the weather these past few days, but we have a day or two at best. They're ready to release and as soon as the weather breaks, off they go... November Seed."

Matt stood upright, arching his back to relieve the stiffness. "What are the chances this thing can jump?"

"To humans?" Derick anticipated. "I am thinking the probability is alarming. You can see by the shapes of those pathogens that they were not created by nature and I can't imagine a pathogen selectively going after only bitterns." Derick stood there, his feet at shoulder width and arms crossed with hands folded neatly under his armpits. A posture Matt knew all too well when Derick was absolutely convinced of something.

"What do you make of the twigs?" Matt asked. "That, like the fungi in those ants I told you about, they remote controlled the bitterns to a metal cleat?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah, that explains the twigs and cleat."

"Any idea why they would want to do that?" Matt asked.

"No," Derick replied scratching the side of his temple, "but it doesn't seem likely they would be waiting for other bitterns... or would they?"

# Chapter Two

#

Seated on a pair red leatherette stools, worn thin at the edges, Matt studied the large marine topographical map of Derick's sampling grids, where several shaded circles intersected. The epicenter of the largest circle appeared to be in one of the tributaries where the Tuckahoe River flowed into the bay.

"Why does this pattern look familiar to me?" Matt noted as he studied the map.

"Promise you won't wig out on me? Derick warned. "I think alien ships landed here."

Matt rolled his eyes.

"See! You just wigged out on me, man." Derick said defensively. "You saw those things! No one has the bioengineering skills to produce something that advanced. Those beads are structurally integrated into the seed's glumes. Christ, even Monsanto can't pull off something like that."

"You're going to have to show me the little green men before I buy into your theory, Derick. I admit, I've never seen anything like this and I've studied a lot of marine pathogens of dinoflagellates, which these seem to resemble, but nothing like this. I need to use the NIRS and run some tests on the crystals. The thing is, the stuff in that petri dish looks inorganic, but what has me confused are the twigs; they're definitely organic, biological, alive, and I have never seen a pathogen that is inorganic, let alone a pathogen life cycle oscillating between the two."

"There you go." Derick surmised. "Alien!".

"Dude, stop with the alien thing..."

Matt returned to the scope and isolated some of the crystals from the petri dish and placed them between a set of salt plates in preparation for the NIRS. After the sample was run he returned to his Mac for the results. "This output makes no sense," he stated. "Is the NIRS working correctly?"

"You're the only one here who knows how to use that thing." Derick replied.

Matt logged into the NJFW site and pulled up the lab's maintenance logs. The NIRS had been recently calibrated with no reported errors on this unit. He retrieved a new set of salt plates and ran a calibration sample of Dichloromethane. The output looked perfect; all the overtones were exactly where they should have been, indicating the NIRS was working correctly. He ran another sample of the crystals and again the graph made no sense. The transmittance and wavelengths were like chicken scratch, except for a large spike in iron.  He sat down, dumbfounded, studying the circles on Derick's map and it came to him, the pattern he was seeing reminded him of bullet holes seen on countless deer-crossing signs along the roads of southern Jersey.  Getting up, he walked to his desk and retrieved a surgical magnet used in removing metal slivers from the eye. The magnet was once his dad's, something Matt remembered his father carrying in his medical kit when he was a kid. Holding the magnet in his hand, it brought back memories of his father having the answers to everything—exactly what Matt needed right now. He walked to the hood and slipped his hand into the glove box, then watched the display as he edged the magnet near the petri dish; the crystals immediately curving toward the magnet. That gave Matt an idea and he ran a sample of the blood from the petri dish through the NIRS.

Not to his surprise, the graph indicated almost no ferrous oxide in the blood. "Do we have metal detectors here?" Matt asked.

"Somewhere, but I haven't seen them in a while." Derick replied. "If we do, I'm not even sure they work. Why?"

Matt placed the magnet onto the map in the center of the largest grid and spun it like a top. "I want to take the skiff out, right here," he said, tapping his finger near the bank of the Tuckahoe. "Did you notice any holes in the ground near the epicenters of your grids?"

Derick had his eyes shut, trying to recall, but not sure if Matt was thinking along the same line. "No, I wasn't looking for any but I see what you're getting at. Landing gear marks? Man, I hadn't thought of that until now!"

"Seriously dude, you need to read something other than sci-fi," Matt joked. "Holes... like in meteorite impact channels. The crystals are magnetized and appear to be extracting the iron from the blood. That may explain why the bitterns were seeking out greater deposits of metal by clamping down on the cleat."

✦✦✦

It was just before sunrise and the horizon along the bay was a parfait of colors, but it was still cold enough for a thin collar of ice to form along the banks of the tributaries.

"I hope no one sees us in these hazmat suits. We look ridiculous!" Matt shouted over the whine of the outboard as their skiff glided full-throttle across the reflective surface.

"We might run into some duck hunters when we head up the Tuckahoe!" Derick shouted back. "They tend to use the Phragmites as a blind!"

Approaching the Tuckahoe, Derick dropped the throttle and the stern wave rode past them into the bank, lifting apart the thin sheets of ice. Matt was eyeing the GPS, until he signaled they were at the epicenter of Derick's largest grid. He lowered the metal detector into the water and they traversed from bank to bank for half an hour with no hint of metal below them.

"Let's try your second grid," Matt suggested and he pulled the detector from the water. They were motoring up the Tuckahoe when a series of shotgun blasts rang out in the distance, but none close enough for concern. When the GPS indicated they were near the center of the second grid, Derick cut the engine and raised it from the shallow water, allowing the bow of the skiff to nudge into the bank. Hopping out, Matt secured the anchor into the black mud and waited for Derick to hand him the second detector and a fiberglass channel marker. They stood on the bank and looked out at the stand of Phragmites that towered before them, like a legion of roman soldiers, each galea crested with a plume of purple. Breathing nervously through their masks they headed into the thrush of reeds.

"Lots of trampled shoots here, Derick."

"The interns," he replied.

"Shit." Matt noted. "Remind me later to check on them when we get back to the lab." They resumed their survey of the area while Matt added samples of the mud from various locations, securing them in the collection vials he had clipped to his thigh.

"I'm not picking up anything," Derick said, sweeping the head of the detector from side to side. "If a meteor came in here recently, we won't see any markings," he added. "The area was flooded from the nor'easter a month ago so any holes would have been filled in with silt." He was about to place the detector down when a sharp loop came through his headset.

"Got something!" and he waved the detector side to side to pinpoint the exact location.

Matt poked the fiberglass channel marker into the mud until he hit an object just below the surface. "Bingo!" he said, kneeling down. He carefully cut through the rhizomes of the Phragmites and lifted the core sample and turned it over. Tangled beneath the rhizomes was an old metal beer can.

"So much for that." Matt said, as he bagged the cutout and labeled it with its GPS coordinates. "Let's move to the next one."

Over the course of an hour they still had nothing but continued to collect mud samples and Phragmites plumes before heading back to dock.

✦✦✦

It was only one hour after sunrise and it already felt like they had put in a full day's work as they placed the collection vials and bags under the hoods and started the process of cataloging. An hour later, they were prepping new slides for analysis. The NIRS data of the soil samples indicated methane and other organics; nothing looked out of the ordinary. However, the plumes they collected from the Phragmites seemed swollen with black beads and the seedlings were on the brink of release.

"Not good." Matt said, letting out a full cheek of air in frustration. "There's nothing in the mud, so the contagion doesn't appear to be coming up through the ground."

"Yeah. The forecast for tomorrow is not good either." Derick added as he read from NOAA's national weather site. "Mostly sunny skies are expected over south eastern New Jersey. Winds southeasterly, 13 to 22 mph with higher gusts. Temperatures in the low to mid forties. Matt, these are perfect conditions. The seeds would have lifted off today had it not been for the light west breeze. But tomorrow's the day."

"What if this thing can jump to any living organism?" Matt questioned.

"I think we ought to call this in." Derick offered, much more rational than he had been earlier in the morning.

"And say what to Andy?" Matt asked. "That we've got a couple of twigs sticking out the heads of a pair of bitterns and we have traced the vector to an alien spore symbiotically living on Phragmites that turns their hosts into zombies that seek out metal in hopes of erecting an antenna to contact their buddies in space? Oh, and we think the alien spores can jump to humans," Matt said sarcastically. "Is that the call we want to make?"

"Just use the excuse that it's above our pay grade and dump it on Andy," Derick replied. "But I do like your theory of the twigs acting as antenna.... That makes sense."

"Dude, you are like no help with this alien thing. Knowing Andy, he's not even in the office yet, so can you put together some images of your slides and the bittern dissections and save them to the [N] drive in the temp directory for me? I'll start drafting the write-up and analysis and email it off to Andy."

Forty-five minutes later the phone rang. "Nice photoshopping." Andy said, his tobacco voice rasping through the speakerphone. "Write up was good too." His laugh transitioning into a ragged cough. Matt was not sure how to start.

"Andy, you might want to come down here and bring someone from the CDC with you. It's no joke, Derick found something here." Matt paused, searching for the right words. "Hate to say this Andy, but it's possibly extraterrestrial." He could hear Andy trying to gain control of his amused cough. "You know me, Andy. I'm the straight guy in the act here. The contagion jumped. The crystals in slide 3A are lithotropic, extracting the ferrous iron from the blood. We can't quite put all the pieces together right now but it might explain why the bitterns were locked onto the dock cleat, as if searching out greater deposits of iron; for what reason we have no idea."

Andy was quiet. "God help you if you're pulling my leg, Matt." he said much more seriously. "If I get down there, and drag the CDC gal with me, and this is your nut-job idea of a surprise retirement party." Which got Andy to thinking. "It's not that Matt, is it?"

"No, it's not, Andy. I'm serious. We might not have much time on this one. Derick predicts the Phragmites are going to release their seed within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours." He has only been off a day in the last three years. There was no sound on the other end of the phone. "Andy... are you there?"

"Yeah. I'll be there within the hour," he said and let out a slow breath... "Who else have you called about the party, Matt? My wife, kids, neighbors?"

"Andy, this is no joke." Matt promised, and the far end of the phone clicked off.

✦✦✦

An hour after the call, Andy walked in, taking up most of the doorway. He was not a fat guy, just big, standing at six-six, a former center for Stanford. His girth obliterated the CDC scientist behind him.

Derick jumped up from his chair. "Surprise! Come on out everyone!" he shouted turning away from Andy and waving his arms as if to usher out the guests from the back hallway.  Andy instinctively half dropped into a defensive position, his eyes pivoting, leaving the attractive Indian CDC scientist behind him who was clutching her iPad like she'd just received the snap. Matt turned to Derick in disbelief.

"What?" Derick said with a Cheshire grin only he could get away with. "You didn't think that was funny?" he said with his arms out and palms up.

Andy was relieved not to see family and friends pouring out of the back room in a cloud of confetti and balloons. "Lugo!" Andy said, hiking up his suspenders. "The one thing I am looking forward to in my retirement is not having to deal with you any more."

Derick huffed, "I promise to call you every day to make sure you have everything you need, Andy. Hot soup, spare batteries for your TV remote and a subscription to Field & Stream." his sarcasm not winning Andy over.

"This is Asha." Andy announced almost forgetting she was behind him. Matt shook Asha's hand and introduced himself. She was buxom, more than pretty and her skin was the color of mocha.

Derick slid in front of Matt. He brushed back his dreadlocks behind his ears to appear a bit more presentable, "Derick Lugo. Pleasure to meet you." He said hanging onto her hand maybe a second too long.

"I understand you have something unusual to show us." Asha said in lilted English, the ends of each word clipped. She was all business.

"Ah yes." Derick responded, letting go. "Over here." And he led Andy and Asha through the observations and dissections of the bitterns.

Forty minutes later, Andy was plopped down on one of the stools. He knew the research Derick and Matt had put together was first rate, well documented, a safe pair of hands as it was known in the trade. The main focus was on the vector and the timing of release looked imminent. While Andy was on his cell phone to Trenton, Asha looked highly concerned after her call to Atlanta, her singsong voice had been a series of tangled sentences.

"Gentlemen." Asha began after clearing her throat. "We have a serious situation on hand here." Something Derick and Matt already knew. "I took my superior through your observations and data. We have a case reported from Staten Island, New York. A human infection was reported, similar in description, but we have not yet confirmed it is linked to these findings."

Andy sat there, trying to assess the latest developments, his eyes thoughtful. He took a deep breath. "Asha. Would you mind staying behind to give Matt and Derick a hand to identify the origin? He took Matt aside. "Matt, I'll need a few samples for the folks in Trenton. Then I will need to brief the Governor on this."

After Andy left, Derick walked Asha through their analysis once more. If anything, it seemed to cement their hypothesis that the contagion was indeed extraterrestrial, with the link to Phragmites as being phase one of the dispersal system.

As Asha sat down at the table looking over the paperwork, Derick could see she was nervous. He tried to make small talk, something he was not good at, but he got her to talk about herself. He learned she was originally from Bangalore, India, and came to the States to attend Princeton for her Ph.D studies in Biochemistry. He was also pleased to learn she was single.

Matt's cell phone rang. It was Laurie calling from her car on her way to work. "Good morning," she said. "How's the President?"

Matt was silent, trying to grasp the situation and put it into context for her.

"Matt? You there?"

"Yes... sorry," he answered. "Things are not so good at the moment." He let out a breath. "Derick discovered something, rather serious."

"Like how serious,"Laurie asked. "Like there are no more fish and wildlife and you guys are out of a job?" still not sure if Matt was pulling her leg or not.

"Like in potential pandemic."

"Pandemic? You're serious, aren't you? Laurie asked. "Are you talking about H1N1 or something like that?" Laurie guessed.

"No. Something much more..." and he paused not sure how to state it." Derick found these two bitterns with twigs growing out of them. It turned them into zombies." The phone was silent.

"Laurie, you there?"

"Yes. I really thought you were kidding until you mentioned the twigs. I'm heading into work early today to fill in for Cindi. She cut her hand and can't make it in until later, but she told me a really weird story. Yesterday, a woman came into the pharmacy and asked Craig, the pharmacist on duty, what he suggested for removing a small twig she found stuck into her scalp. She doesn't remember slipping or falling or how she got it. Anyway, Craig looked at it and said it was deeply embedded. He had one of the cashiers take the woman to OC Medical. Then, when the cashier got her to OC, he had a hard time getting the women to let go of the car door handle. He had to pry her fingers from it. That's weird, right?"

Matt was alarmed by her story. "Laurie, do not go to work. Come straight here."

"Matt, I can't. Who's going to cover? It's only Cindi or me at the moment and Cindi can't use her hand. Craig left for vacation after work yesterday."

Matt jumped up from his chair. "I'm dead serious, Laurie! You can't go there. This thing we are dealing with—I can't go into detail but the CDC is all over this. The pharmacy could be a hot zone. I don't want you there."

Matt, I can't just bail on them—"

He cut her off, "Laurie!" Drawing the attention of Asha and Derick, "You need to get here, now!"

Matt, you're scaring me."

"Good!" He said slightly relieved. "Now promise me you'll come directly here. Call work from your car and tell them you have an emergency; and don't get caught up in the guilt, this is nothing to joke about, especially if what Cindi reported is connected.  Tell them to close the store and send everyone home. Call Cindi and tell her not to go near the pharmacy but have her call the hospital and find out where that woman is. If she's still there, tell them to treat her as highly contagious and report to the CDC."

"Matt?" she was stuttering, "I... How am I—"

"Laurie, don't worry, just promise me you will come directly here. Turn off the outside vents and do not stop anywhere or open your window for anything or anyone. Do you promise me you will do that!"

"I... I'm—"

Promise me, Laurie!"

"I promise."

"Good. Now get here quickly. I've got to deal with a few things right now. I love you," Matt said and hung up.

✦✦✦

After the call from Laurie, Matt placed his phone on the counter and sat down, then with his eyes closed and elbows on the table he began to massage his temples. "We might have a confirmed human jump, Asha," he said looking up at her. "That was my wife on the phone. She told me a woman had come into the Pharmacy yesterday, where she works, with a twig sticking out of her head. The woman was taken to OC Medical by the cashier and the pharmacist who treated her has left for vacation." He continued to massage his temples and let out a deep sigh, trying to remember everything Laurie had told him.  Then remembering back to the early morning, "We also had a few interns from Stockton in the Phragmites fields conducting some sampling of the Phragmites fields along the Tuckahoe. Derick has their contact information." Then, thinking aloud, "I hope they didn't have classes this morning."

"If your wife came in contact—" Asha began to say before Matt cut her off.

"Fortunately, my wife was off for the weekend," Matt said finishing her thoughts. He could see Asha was relieved knowing both Matt and his wife had not come into contact and that Matt was not a potential carrier of the contagion while sitting in front of her.

For the next thirty minutes, Asha gathered information for her field office in Trenton about the pharmacy, the personnel and the names and addresses of the students from Stockton who interned here at the lab. In the meantime, Derick and Matt sat at the table and checked over their work looking for more clues.

"We should see how widespread this thing is," Matt said. "What other fields are nearby?"

"There's the one large stand along Mays Landing Road, a little ways up by the boatyard."

They heard footsteps coming up the stairs and when the door opened, Laurie stepped in and quickly approached Matt who was on his feet. She dropped her pocketbook to the floor and threw her arms around him. Matt returned the gesture, relieved she was safely in his arms.

"You don't know how glad I am that you called me from the car." he said, the thoughts running through his mind had she not done that.

"You can thank Derick for that," she said and turned to Derick, who was standing there with his hands in his pockets while rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Derick, sorry," Laurie apologized, pulling away from Matt and approaching Derick. "Thanks for waking me this morning." Laurie whispered for only Derick to hear, and placing her hands on his cheeks. "Nice Fu Manchu."

Asha had been on the phone and her laptop when Laurie arrived. She stood up and introduced herself to Laurie, then returned to her iPad. Laurie looked to Matt with raised eyebrows. Matt returned the gesture, which drew a response from Laurie that it was OK for her to notice Asha's curves, but not him.

"Derick," Asha said. "Could we go to a nearby Phragmites field where I could see these spores for myself? We will need to wear the hazmat suits. The spores appear to be of a very small particle droplet nuclei that can quickly become aerosol. It is most likely they can be breathed in."

"Good idea," Derick said. He would have said yes to anything she asked. "Would you mind helping me with the gear?"

✦✦✦

Dressed in hazmat suits, Derick led Asha stepped out the front door and began to descend the staircase. Derick was carrying a bright yellow hazard box and Asha had one hand on the railing while the other was holding an orange sampling kit. Around her neck was a large digital SLR camera  To someone watching, they might have looked like a reenactment of the landing on the moon. When they approached his rusted Bronco, Derick had to get in on the the passenger-side and open the driver door from the inside, then slide out and walk around to get in.  He knew he was not impressing her when it took some effort of pumping his foot on the gas peddle to get it going, the engine starting up after a few misfires before all eight cylinders kicked in.

After leaving the parking lot he turned onto Mays Landing Road and it wasn't long before they came upon a small patch of Phragmites clustered around a utility pole; the stuff grew anywhere that other plants did not. It was invasive, with its lattice of roots and shoots making it difficult to uproot. Derick stopped the truck and they bagged and labeled some samples, then sealed them into a hazard box in the back of his truck and drove off.

While Asha was preoccupied with her iPad, Derick had slowed to a stop in the middle of the road. Asha looked up to see some people along a fence. They were grouped together in lines of two: some of them were without shoes, others dressed in nightgowns and sleepwear, and one person was fully dressed in hunting gear. All were clinging to one another, the front two of each line standing and clutching onto the cyclone fence. Derick shift the truck into neutral and leaned forward. Even from this distance, all appeared to have the telltale twigs reaching up and over their heads. He and Asha were startled when another person came from behind a parked car and clasped onto the last person in the far row, then settled onto his knees and stared off in the distance.

Asha gasped beside him. She was pressed into her seat, her gloved hand clutching the console. "We should go see if they are ok," she finally managed to say.

"They don't look too good." Derick said and he pressed down the lock on his side and instructed Asha to do the same before shifting into gear. He rolled forward until they were within twenty yards of the fence, the nose of his Bronco pointing outward in case a quick exit was needed. "Let me get a closer look," he said. "You stay here." He could see through her visor that Asha was focused on the scene outside. She seemed to be okay with his suggestion of staying put. "I'll be right back." He said and unlocked his door.

Not taking his eyes away from the five people clasped to each other, he popped open the door open and stepped out. Walking along the shoulder of the road, he looked around, making sure no one was going to charge out from the brush. He approached the five and leaned over trying to get a better look at their faces, noting that their mouths, ears and noses were dusted with a gray powder. He grabbed onto the chain-link and gave it a good shake. Their bodies moved slightly back and forth, but there was no reaction. All appeared alive, zombie-like, the same as the bitterns. He stepped forward and could see their expressionless faces, all focused in the same direction. Derick followed their gaze but saw nothing himself. The woman in the nightgown had both hands clasped tightly around the steel pole that anchored the fence into the ground while the others were tucked in closely, their raw hands clasping onto the person before them. Derick heard his truck door open and saw Asha stepping out with a tackle box of sampling equipment in one hand and a camera case in the other. Behind her was an SUV traveling rapidly and weaving toward them.

"Asha!" he yelled out, and began to sprint toward her. "Look out behind you!" His voice was muffled behind the plexiglas of his hooded visor and she could not make out what he was saying. As the SUV barreled toward them, Derick grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her hard enough that she dropped the tackle box and camera case in place, as he pulled away in time before the SUV careened into the back of his Bronco and it exploded into flames. The SUV and Bronco spun off the shoulder and came to a sudden stop in the chain-link fence.

They were both flat on the tarmac with Derick on his back and Asha on top of him. The accident happened so fast, Asha had no idea what had just happened. She glimpsed out the side of her visor to see the five bodies lifting off the ground but holding on as they came down in a tangled mess, managing to keep their focus on some distant location.  She looked back at Derick, her face in shock.

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you ok?" he asked, their visors bumping up against one another. She did not move, as he looked into her large brown eyes. "Asha!" he said more calmly, giving her a slight shake of her shoulders. She came around and quickly rolled over onto her back, her gloved palms flat on the pavement. Derick sprang up onto his feet, pulling Asha up with him. She was reluctant to let go of him.

"That was close, are you ok?" Derick asked, trying to bring her back into the moment.

"I'm... I'm ok. You saved my life, Derick." Asha said looking into his mask.

"You saved your own life and it's a good thing you didn't stay in the truck," he remarked with a smile, an attempt to lighten up the situation.

They heard a banging and looked in the direction of the burning vehicles. There was another loud bang and the driver's side door of the SUV kicked open. Bloodied, a man stepped out and started walking toward the others, falling onto one knee then into a crawl, grasping both red hands onto the last woman in the line. What happened next was alarming, the last two people of each line reached out and clasped forearms, forming a ladder rung between them. Derick could see Asha was clearly disturbed by this, so looping his arm around her shoulder he turned her away from the scene as she buried her mask into his crest and began to shake.

"What's happening here?"

Derick tried to comfort her by placing his other arm around her. As he was leading her away from the screen behind them, a white truck appeared in the distance, heading their way. Derick stopped, and Asha looked up.

"Oh my God! Not again!" she shouted, clutching onto Derick's arm.

"It's ok, Asha. It's Matt." Derick assured her.

Matt pulled over and jumped out of his truck. He and Laurie were also in hazmat suits. "What happened over there?" Matt asked, looking beyond them at the billowing black smoke and fire that had spread to the Phragmites field behind the boat yard. The wind was blowing away from them as a flurry of seeds rocketed upward into the sky.

"I hope the heat is enough to kill those things," Derick said looking back, "but I get the feeling it's only aiding their flight."

"I'm thinking the same thing," Matt said. "Come on, let's get you two out of here."

Matt removed a canister from the back of his Land Rover and sprayed them down with a chemical bath used for contaminant exposure. They peeled off their suits and traded them for some lighter Tyvek and filter masks until they were all safely in the truck. Laurie sat in back with Asha while Derick rode shotgun.

"Where to now?" Derick asked. "This thing is unwinding much faster than I thought possible."

"We head north, to the camp. Are you okay with that?" he asked Derick.

"Sure."

"Asha?" Matt asked looking in his rearview mirror at her. "Is there anywhere you need to be, or anyone you need to call?"

Asha shook her head 'no' and Laurie reached out to clasp her hand, giving it a slight squeeze to say everything was going to be okay.

"What's the latest on this?" Derick asked.

"More reports. Lots more up north around Carlstadt, behind the stadium. They found twenty employees clinging onto one of those electrical transformers behind a warehouse. Apparently they had been like that for about a day, they were in lines of two—"

"Some holding onto each other's arms like rungs on a ladder," Derick cut in.

"How did you know that?" Matt asked.

"We just saw that happen here. I have no idea why they did that, but that antenna idea of yours seems logical."

"There's more to this," Matt continued. "The twenty they found were like husks. From what Andy told me, one of the officers on the scene told him over the phone that the string of bodies were precisely aligned, but in some weird, twisting portrayal of a helix. He went on to tell Andy that their skin had transformed into a light shell, their bodies were hollow and covered in a gray powder."

"Seriously?" Derick stated.

"Yeah, but I haven't been able to reach Andy since. His voicemail is so full that I can't even leave a message. I tried texting and emailing him and got a 502 back; inbox has exceeded limit. Must be a clusterfuck going on in Trenton."

"Oh God." said Derick, as if forgetting something. "The Meadowlands. The concentration of Phragmites in the Raritan valley is far more massive than almost anywhere on the east coast. There are millions of people surrounding that zone. This thing is alien Matt. I'm right about this."

"I believe that, now."

"Back there," Derick said, looking sideways at Asha and trying to keep his voice low. "There were only six bodies," he mouthed. "There are 23 million people in the tri-state area. What would that look like?"

"I can't imagine that right now," Matt replied "I just want to get out of here."

"Any PSA's from the state or national level?" Derick asked.

"Good point." Matt turned on his Sirius radio to talk news and pressed scan. They caught a broadcast that sounded official, but no mention of any public safety announcements. "We told all our friends and family in the area to get out. Cindi, Ed, their daughter Jen and their dog are heading up to the camp. They will call and let us know if the routes are okay. I had them head west into PA and head north from there. I don't think the turnpike is a good choice right now."

"What's in the back of the truck?" Derick asked, noticing the boxes obliterating the back window.

"Lots of supplies: bottled water, canned food, and a box of the Tyvek gloves, boots and tape. We also drove to the pharmacy and stocked up on some major drugs. Not that we think Tamiflu or Cipro will help, but who knows. It can't hurt."

# Part Two: The Adirondacks

#

# Chapter Three

#

It was dark when they pulled onto Fish Creek Road in Upper Saranac Lake, NY. Matt followed some tire tracks in the light snow leading toward the camp. The camp was left to Laurie by her parents, along with a small trust for the upkeep; Laurie and Matt would not have been able to afford this place on his salary or her modest income as a pharmacist. They used it year round, typically spending a week or two in August to escape the Jersey shore crowds in full swing. Derick had been there many times and would disappear for days on end in a kayak he stored there, chasing after some illusive amphibian species.

Laurie's parents had purchased the camp in the seventies, not knowing the adjacent camp to theirs would one day become the famous resort now known as _The Point_. When they found out, they had appropriately named their camp, _Beside The Point_. However, there was nothing camp-like about it and all the homes along the water were called camps. These camps were typically grand, five plus bedrooms, each with en suite bathrooms and multiple fireplaces, and multiple out buildings. It was not uncommon that only the boathouses could be seen from the water. Although their camp had been modernized like many in the area, it retained much of its original twentieth century design with appointments throughout the home made by local artisans.

They passed the turn-off to the local Fish & Wildlife post on the same road as the camp, which could provide Matt, Derick, and Asha access to equipment that might come in handy. About a half mile further, Matt pulled into the top of the driveway that sloped down to the front entrance and they could see the lights of the camp were already on. They were relieved to know that Cindi, Ed, their daughter Jen and dog Oscar had arrived safely.  He settled in behind Ed's SUV and shut off the engine but the pistons continued to fire before its death rattle stop.

"I need to fix that," Matt reminded himself.

"This view never gets old," Derick said, looking up through the windshield at the towering pines and clumps of white birch. "These are some nice digs to sit out a pandemic in," he added. "You sure married up, dude!"

Laurie reached between the seats and flicked Derick's ear, gaining a laugh from Asha who had been quiet for most of the trip.

Matt was the first to open his door and step out. Despite the cold air, there was no wind and it felt refreshing. The others soon followed and for the first time in hours, they did not fear inhaling fresh air.

"Why don't you two go on in. We got this," Matt said to Laurie and Asha. "Derick and I will start to unload the truck." As the girls were walking toward the house, Matt called out. "Hey, and send Ed out to help us."

"And tell him to bring along a few beers," Derick added.  They walked to the back of the truck and began to unload some of the supplies. "I forget how beautiful this place is," Derick commented, looking around at the attention to detail of the porch railing with its stripped tree branches and large flagstone masonry set beneath it.

"I know the feeling." Matt said, admiring the house with its eyebrow window dormers, stone fireplaces and cedar shake roof. "At times I pinch myself to make sure it's not all a dream. Come on, help me unload. We might be here for a while."

The front door opened and Oscar came bounding out, his tail as thick and hard as a billy club, knocking over the stacks of water and boxes they had unloaded.

"Ed, you have got to do something about Oscar's tail, man. I get bruises on my shins every time he sees me."

"Oscar!" Ed called out. "Come on, boy!" Oscar eagerly padded back into the warmth of the house. "Hey guys," Ed said handing Matt and Derick a beer. "No problems getting here?"

Matt glanced at Derick before answering him. "We'll tell you about it when we get inside." How about you, any problems along the way?

"No problems with the routes you gave me. It got a little squirrelly on route 50. We saw a lot of flashing lights near Corbin, so I took route 46. Not much traffic after that. Pretty quiet this time of year especially on a weekday."

Did you see anything unusual along the way?" Derick asked Ed, giving Matt a sideways glance.

"Unusual? Like what?" Ed asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"How's Cindi's hand?" Matt asked, changing the subject,

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Ed replied. "She was opening a can of dog food this morning, for Oscar, and the can opener broke. So she decided a chef knife would work instead." Both Matt and Derick winced.  I was up early and out walking Oscar when it happened. "Three stitches in her thumb, that she stitched herself. Can you believe that?"

"Yes," Derick chuckled. "Yes, I can see Cindi doing that—she's fearless."

"Have you seen anything on the news?" Matt asked.

"The President is speaking at 9 o'clock. Special Report." Ed said.

That can't be good." Derick said looking at his watch. "We have about ten minutes before he comes on."

"Alrighty, then. Let's get this stuff into the garage." Matt prompted, and they drained their beers.

✦✦✦

When Matt, Derick and Ed entered the living room, Laurie announced that the president was about to start. There was a warm glow in the fireplace and Cindi invited Matt and Ed to sit on each side of her on the couch. Derick had already claimed the rug in front, where Oscar, tail wagging, padded over to him for some love and attention.

"Incoming!" Derick joked, covering his head with his arms, as Oscar's tail battered his side and he jokingly groaned as if in a ring, taking punches.

"Come here, Oscar," Asha offered in sympathy. "I'll show you someone loves you." Oscar, realizing he was not going to get any attention from Derick, padded over to Asha who leaned down to rub his ears and received a heap of licks on her face in return.

"There's Andy, " Derick called out, "Check it out! He's to the left of the screen in the back"

"No wonder we couldn't reach him," Matt added, and he sat on the end of the couch near Cindi. "How's the hand?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would be," she answered, holding up the bandage for inspection. "I managed not to cut any tendons."

"Ed told us you sutured it yourself; that is so badass," Matt praised. "

"I didn't feel like going to Shore Memorial and sit around. Besides, you can learn anything on YouTube, these days." That got a laugh from Matt.

"Here he comes," said Ed, as they watched the President walk down the hall to the podium.  He did not have his usual swagger and his hair seemed more grey than usual. He looked rested, but expressionless.

"Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans." Then he stopped, looked down at the podium, both hands holding onto the sides for support. He shook his head slightly as if what was set before him, a script, was not going to work here. Not this night. Not ever again. More slowly this time, with his hands forming a steeple below his chin, he continued.

"My fellow Americans. Citizens of the world." He was off script and looking directly into the cameras. "Today, I bring you news. Unfathomable news." He placed his hand briefly over his mouth, searching his soul for the right words. "It was almost seventy-three years ago that Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his Day of Infamy speech. On that day, Roosevelt announced that America would be forced to enter into war against another nation. But unlike that day, today—our nation and every nation on Earth," his head moving from side to side in his classic style, "has entered into another war. A war against an invisible enemy. An enemy this world has never seen the likes of." There was a gasp from the press corps.

"Hold on now, hold on." he continued. "Very early this morning, a discovery was made by two research field scientists in southern New Jersey."

"Dude! That's us!" shouted Derick who sat up and leaned in for a fist bump from Matt.

"Shhh." said Laurie.

"A rapidly spreading bio-contagion has become airborne and is traveling among the seeds of native grasses common along the coast and throughout the world. These grasses are called, Phrag-mites."

"Why do so many people get that wrong," Derick pointed out. "It's pronounced Phrag-mi-tease!"

The President continued. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in conjunction with the World Health Organization have determined that this contagion appears to be extraterrestrial in nature," holding up his palm in advance to ward off questions. "I have been in contact with the British Prime Minister and we are continuing to reach out to other world leaders. Our Military is standing by and we are working with leading medical research institutions around the world to combat this contagion." The camera flashes erupted once more with white house reporters shouting out questions and advancing toward the podium. The President could hardly be heard over the eruption as the Secret Service stepped forward to block them.

"Are the Russians behind this?" shouted a reporter.

"No." The President responded.

"I heard the Chinese and North Korea are blaming the US and Israel for this! someone shouted out.

The President continued. "It's true that the Chinese, North Koreans and some Middle Eastern nations are pointing fingers at the United States and Israel. They have accusing us of co-developing a military grade virus. North Korea's Prime Minister has stated he believes the International Space Station is involved in this release."

Another shout came from the crowd. "With the increased frequency of military launches from Wallops Island lately, is there truth to that, Mr. President?"

"We want the truth!" another voice shouted, causing a stir of rapid-fire questions and flashes.

"People! Settle down... settle down, now." the President said, more swagger and command in his voice. "In answer to your question: no, there is no truth to that." and he directed his tone to the wider audience, looking directly into the cameras.  "For now, I advise everyone to stay inside your homes and tape any gaps in doors and windows. Wear masks if you have them, but do not..." and he emphasized with his chin raised and finger wagging, "do not rush out to buy masks if you do not already have them. By going outside, you risk the danger of exposure. If you are in your cars listening to this broadcast, keep your windows up, shut off your vents and get to a safe place and stay there. Our National Guard and military will be front and center. Keep your TV and radios turned on and look for emergency broadcast and public address announcements on your cell phones. Do not panic. This great nation will not go down without a good fight, but to win, we must band together. I will now turn this over to our Director of the Center for Disease Control, Washington bureau, Dr. Rene Powell, who will provide greater detail. Thank you."

The calls for 'Mr. President' were deafening and it took a minute to quiet everyone as Dr. Powell stepped up to the podium and adjusted the microphone height for his small stature.

"Thank you, Mr. President. Our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, has identified the carrier of this contagion, but its origin is unknown at this time. However, theories that the contagion is being delivered by meteorite are realistic and are being looked into. We do not know how long the contagion has existed here on Earth, but at the rate of propagation and dispersal, we believe it has been present for several years and has been lying dormant."

"That is so not true!" Derick shouted. "I've been studying the propagation of _Phragmites australis_ for over ten years now and have never seen this until this past week. They are holding something back."

"The initial vector of dispersal has been identified as Phrag-mites, a common, aggressively spreading reed—"

"Phrag-mites!" Derick repeated, disgusted. "Did any of these guys study latin?"

Dr. Powell continued, "...along the marshlands in every state and country throughout the world. This species of reed releases its seed in a timed event, with all seeds releasing in a matter of hours. Among field biologists who study this plant, the event is known as November Seed. In cooler climates, it can appear like the first snow flurries of the season. Our latest findings show that the contagion is highly infectious and has a gestation period of less than 24 hours after coming in contact with the human skin. When someone becomes infected, a distinctive twig-like growth will protrude from the back of the head. Internally, the contagion spreads into the brain, where it gains control of motor skills, setting them on a course which, as of yet, we do not understand. What we do know is that the infected individuals will seek out concentrations of metal, collectively, forming a distinctive cluster. At this point, the individuals remain alive, but in a zombie-like state. There is nothing to fear from these individuals except the continued spread of infection in the form of a gray powder. If you see anyone infected, stay clear, they will not harm you. We also know that those infected, will face toward a certain declination in the sky, but again, we have yet to determine why. The infected have a high concentration of ferrous oxide, iron, in their body and become magnetic in nature, setting off an electrical field concentrating toward the declination."

The shouting started with one clear question rising above all others. "Have we been contacted by an alien race?" The room went silent. Dr. Powell was speechless and turned to the panel behind him. From the ranks, Secretary of Defense, Jordan Carter, stepped forward to the lectern, allowing Dr. Powell to step aside to evade the question.

"Thank you Dr. Powell." he said adjusting the microphone upwards. "Mr. President... " he acknowledged before answering the last question. "No, we have not been contacted by extraterrestrials."

The same reporter shouting, "But do you expect to be?" The press had their recorders stretched before them while cameras began to fire in rapid sucession.

Carter held up his palm to shield the blind of flashes. "We do not want to jump to conclusions. Until we have additional, concrete information, we ask you to treat this as a terrestrial contagion. It has been the president's wish to be frank, truthful, and when we know more about how this contagion spreads, where it came from and how to contain it, we will let the world know. We understand this is not a time to withhold information and for the first time, the government will leak information before even Mr. Snowden does." which drew nervous laughter from the gallery.

Without announcement, the presidential address cut back to its regular program, mid scene of a Mike and Molly episode with canned laughter in the background. The situation became surreal to everyone in the room.

✦✦✦

"What the fuck!" Derick shot out.

Cindi gave him a stern look as she placed her hands over her daughter's ears. "Derick! We have children here."

"Oops, sorry." Derick said apologetically and could see Jen grinning with laughter from above her iPad.

Jen spoke up. "Hey, on SnapChat, they're calling the infected people, 'Twigs.' and she turned her iPad to show them an short video clip of someone filming the twigs clinging to a traffic light pole.

Everyone had been so preoccupied by the President's speech that they forgot about checking social media. The adults took out their smartphones, while Jen continued to view the posts until Cindi reached over and shut off her daughter's iPad.

"I don't think you should be looking at those," her mother said.

"But Mom!" she protested. "I'm the one who thought of checking here, first!"

"I know, but I don't want you to see those." Cindi looked to Ed for support.

"Yes, your mother is right. Time to get ready for bed, kiddo."

"But Mom! I'm not tired."

"Do as your father says and I'll come up and tuck you in." She gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead, "Now off you go."

Jen got up from the couch and started to walk away but her mother garnered her attention with a commanding cough. Hunching her shoulders, Jen returned to give everyone a kiss and hug before heading upstairs with Oscar at her heels.

"Nice breeding." Matt said elbowing Cindi after Jen left the room.

"Who do you think taught me that?" Cindi said, focusing her attention on Laurie.

"No! Don't stack the dishes!" Ed chimed in after catching his wife's reference to Laurie's Etiquette.

"Mable, Mable, get your elbows off the table." Derick added.

"Would someone pass me a serviette please," Cindi rounding out the jabs in a haughty accent, everyone laughing but Laurie.

"Sure. Pick on poor Laurie. You can laugh all you want." and she reached for the stem of her wine glass and tapped the base three times on the coffee table. Matt immediately knew she needed a refill and left for the kitchen, returning with her chardonnay. Everyone in the room watched this unfold and almost simultaneously, tapped their glasses or bottles three times on the table.  Matt took their orders.

✦✦✦

After they had settled in, the room was silent with the exception of the TV in the background. They were scouring social media for updates on the pandemic. Derick was channel surfing for news stations on the TV but found only the occasional station showing static images of the streets of New York, which were under quarantine. No one was willing to risk their lives for cellphone footage or even selfies. The news being broadcast was mostly from their studios, and from only by a few stations. The speed at which the contagion was spreading seemed unworldly.

Some time had passed and the atmosphere in the room seemed far removed from the reports around the world. They felt safe here among close friends and family until an emergency crawl and series of beeps came from the TV and rippled through all their smart devices.

The President was speaking again, this time from a podium, as his family was boarding Marine One in the background.

"My fellow Americans. Citizens of the world. Approximately forty minutes ago, the North Koreans launched three intercontinental ballistic missiles at our International Space Station, claiming the release of this contagion was orchestrated by the United States and Israel. Our attempts to persuade them to the contrary fell upon deaf ears. Both the U.S. and Russia were unsuccessful at intercepting one of the three missiles. All aboard the Space Station, including three Russians, two Americans and one Japanese astronaut have been killed. Russia, in retaliation, was about to launch a counterattack of tactical nuclear warheads targeting Pyongyang and the Tonghae Satellite launching grounds in North Korea, but we managed to delay that counterattack. However, should North Korea or any rogue nation exhibit further aggression, Russia and the United States have agreed to retaliate, with extreme prejudice. I promise you, there will be accountability for this atrocity, but our primary focus at this time is to deal with this contagion. As President of the United States, I speak the truth to the world that this was not a military operation of any kind. The attack on the International Space Station is unforgivable. Innocent lives and invaluable resources have been lost. This was the act of a paranoid and cowardly government." As the President was speaking, an aide leaned into his ear and whispered. There was a look of shock on the President's face and the TV went dark.

Asha, who had been half listening while focusing on her tablet, spoke up. "They discovered something at the declination. Well, not exactly. More like what is not there. I am seeing posts from my astronomer circles on g+. They have been focusing their telescopes on the area of the sky where the Twigs have aligned. Multiple posts are coming in. They can no longer see stars that should be there, just emptiness."

While Derick got up off the floor to squeeze between Cindi and Asha, Matt stood up and began to collect some empty plates from the coffee table while signaling Laurie to join him in the kitchen.

✦✦✦

"Laurie. We're in deep shit here, but I'm glad we're pretty isolated. Things are going to get bad in a hurry and I'm sorry I mocked all those people on doomsday preppers and thought your dad was crazy with all—" and he stopped himself from saying anything further.

"What about Bill?" she asked. "What does my father have to do with preppers?"

"Nothing. It was a joke we had between us. I'll tell you later. I can't believe this is really happening. First thing in the morning, I'll head out with Derick and Ed to pick up some supplies from wherever we can, but I have a bad feeling we are going to be affected, even this far out, and when things get bad, there will be looters."

"I wonder what's going on at The Point?" Laurie asked. "I can't imagine the help sticking around for their guests. I wonder if anyone is even still there?"

"Good point, no pun intended," said Matt. Laurie was shaking her head at his ill-timed sense of humor, but she was grateful he still had one to keep her calm. "We're okay on the water," he continued, "the lake will dry out before our well does. Food could be a problem though, we don't have much in the house. You and the girls should try a little fishing tomorrow, off the dock. I had good luck there with brookies in the spring, but I have never tried for them this time of year. If you do catch anything, we can freeze or dry them."

"I'm scared, Matt."

"Me too," he said reaching out and pulling her close. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." They stood there at the kitchen counter, looking at each other and feeling helpless

"Come on, let's see what's going on," Matt said and he led his wife back into the family room.

"Looks like all hell is breaking loose." Derick said, leaning in close to Asha. "There are Twigs being reported all over New York, New Jersey and up and down the coast. Washington looks like a war zone. It's chaos. The military has a lock down on anyone coming in or out of the Metro area. Europe looks the same. They have already turned back dozens of ferries in New York Harbor using water cannons and the Coast Guard rammed one of the ferries, capsizing it. People are in the water and the Coast Guard is throwing life vests out and telling them to swim back to shore. There are images of Twigs all over the internet holding onto almost every light pole as well as a few bronze monuments near Columbus Circle. It's happening so fast."

"Hey, all." Matt spoke up. "It's been a long day and we'll need to be up early in the morning. Derick, Ed, we'll head out at daybreak to pick up what we can. The girls will try their luck at fishing. Take the shortwaves with you in case the cell towers go out. Try and get some sleep, everyone. We'll need it for the morning."

On their way out, Laurie turned to Asha and Derick. "Asha, there is a room upstairs at the end of the hall for you. "Derick, you have your usual room, off the kitchen. Good night, all."

"Yes, it's getting late." Cindi added.

"You're not going to make me hug everyone, are you?" said Ed to his wife, everyone getting in a final smile.

Derick and Asha remained downstairs in the family room continuing to monitor the posts coming out. There was no good news and all of it was the worst-case zombie apocalypse, without the flesh-eating part.

✦✦✦

It was still dark when Matt awoke; he was lying on his back and gazing upward. "How long have you been awake?" Matt asked, not having to look over toward Laurie, but knowing she too was wide awake.

"I never got to sleep and heard every chime from the clock downstairs," she replied.  "I can't believe this is really happening. I thought I would just go to sleep and when I woke up, everything would be as it was."

"Yeah. It's hard to believe what's happened in the last twenty-four hours. Especially being up here. Seems like a movie we all found ourselves in. So surreal."

They were both lying in the stillness with enough starlight filtering through the window to cast a faint glow around them. The heat from the fireplace downstairs had made its way up and felt good. Laurie rolled over and straddled Matt, the sheets slipping down along her back, the ambient light enough that he could see her above him. She was wearing an old muscle tee of his that she had cut into a tank top that hung low and offered plenty. Neither was wearing anything else. Matt reached up under her top and she began to move. He peeled up the shirt and lifted it above her breasts.

"So perfect they could fit into a martini glass." He said, leaning up on his arms. She looked beautiful and he wanted to remember this moment forever. For however long forever was going to be.

✦✦✦

When Matt had finished making the coffee, Laurie entered the kitchen, her blond hair slick after a shower. She stood on her toes to kiss him, then holding him tight she pressed her cheek against his chest.

"Have you checked the news?" She asked, both anxious and reluctant to hear of civilization's further decline.

"No. Not yet."

"I'll go turn on the television and see if it's working." Laurie offered, and walked through the dining room and opened the French doors into the family room. The embers were still glowing in the fireplace and it felt warm and cozy. Laurie was about to flip on the lights when she noticed Derick on the couch. He had pulled up the ottoman for his feet and was asleep with a laptop on the armrest and his head leaning back on the cushions. Asha was lying on her side with her head on a pillow in his lap. Derick must have found a quilt from the chest and had tucked it in around her. They looked peaceful and so together as a couple.  She quietly closed the doors and retreated to the kitchen.

"Anything on?" Matt asked while pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I don't know. Derick and Asha are asleep in there. They never made it to their rooms."

"They are sleeping together? Got to hand it to him."

"Pig." Laurie said, slapping him on the arm. "Derick is sitting there on the couch, in his clothes and Asha is sleeping with her head in his lap, clothes on, thank you. Looks like they were up late."

Matt knew not to fix her coffee. she was particular about that, like a chemist getting the right amount of half & half and Splenda, shaking the packets and tearing the tops three at a time, then sipping between careful additions until it was the perfect color and sweetness. He never got tired of her ritual.

"What?" she said catching his stare.

"Nothing," he commented, adding this scene to his memories.

"Morning." Derick said with a yawn as he walked into the kitchen, stretching his arms over his head.

"Dude, I thought you looked like shit yesterday morning but today wins the prize." Matt said and reached into the cabinet, taking out another mug and pouring him a cup of black coffee.

"He's right, Derick. There are clean towels in your bathroom. Go shower."

"And you might want to shave," Matt added.

Derick reached up to his chin and stroked his partial facial hair. At 42, he looked youthful. His skin was was taut and there was not a line on his face or an ounce of fat around his waist. "I don't know. I think Asha sort of digs it." and he shuffled past them into the back hallway, coffee in hand while grabbing a banana on the way.

Matt looked over to Laurie. Her eyes were glassy and tears began to flow.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked.

"Nothing. It's just that I can tell Derick really likes her and he's never met anyone. I can see it in his eyes, and now this... this..." And she began to cry. Matt put down his mug and taking the cup from her hand, placed it on the counter.

Shhhh... Come on now. It's not that terrible... I mean aside from the end of the world thing going on...." She looked up at him with a smile catching the tears. "Besides," he said, "no matter what happens, we are all together and as for Derick, well, _better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all._ Isn't that what they say?"

"But it's so unfair... It sucks!" she said, wiping her eyes and releasing his hold. "By the way, it's ' _Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all_ '. I'm okay. I just feel sorry for Derick. I hope nothing happens and we get through this. I really like her."

"Good morning," Asha said from behind Laurie as she raised her arms up and yawned. She had taken off her blouse and was in an army green sleeveless tee shirt, tight fitting across her chest.

Laurie looked back at Matt, who was raising his eyebrows. "Asha, would you like some coffee?" Matt offered.

"If you have tea, I would prefer that instead." Asha replied. "We were up so late, watching the news. The television was in and out for most of the night, but there is a lot happening on the veb. These Twigs. They are not harmful, but they are highly contagious. The gray powder is a concentrated form of the crystals that can become aerosol. That is why it is spreading so rapidly." Asha went on to update them about the reports of the CDC and WHO. It was a global pandemic with no cure in sight. The national guard were sent into cities to burn the Twigs, but burning them were met with resistance by mobs trying to protect the Twigs.

"There is now real evidence that something is out there, stationary, inside geosynchronous orbit. There are multiples of these around the planet, not just one. From what the astronomers can tell, these objects are three dimensional, geometric in shape and appear to be a rip in space. Our government has acknowledged this. No contact has been established. Every observatory around the world is trying to determine if there is a signal coming from these holes in space. So far they have not found anything."

The teapot began to whistle and that got Asha off the subject. "What would you like in your tea, Asha?" Laurie asked.

"Just some lemon, please."

"Will lemon juice be okay?" Laurie apologized. "I'm afraid that's all we have here."

"That is more than perfect." Asha said with a smile. "I use that too. Saves time having to squeeze all those lemons."

Derick walked out from the hallway with a towel draped around his waist and his dreads up in another.  His light brown skin brought out the chiseled definition of his chest and six-pack and Laurie noticed he had shaved his face.

Laurie saw the gaze between Derick and Asha. "Matt, you must have some spare clothes for Derick. I'll wash his later.

"Sure, follow me." Matt said and led Derick up the stairs.

Asha was peeking at Derick in his towel.

✦✦✦

Everyone was up and dressed. They were seated around the farm table passing around the eggs and bacon while Oscar paid close attention to anything that might drop to the floor.  Through the dining room windows they could see the sun was rising over the lake and a light cover of snow had fallen the night before giving everything a pureness to the start of a beautiful day, until a series of shotgun blasts rang out, followed by distant screams.

Matt and Derick jumped up, their chairs sliding back along the planked floors.

"Everyone, down!" Matt called out. "Derick, follow me." And he led Derick to the mudroom off the kitchen and pulled open a small landscape oil painting on hinges to reveal a combination lock countersunk into the wall. Matt calmly dialed the combination, then pulled up a latch, revealing a hidden door in the walnut paneling. As he opened it, a light turned on automatically as they entered the chamber.

"Whoa!" Derick said taking it all in. The walls were stocked with shotguns and ammunition, some of the firearms did not look legal. A display of fully automatic rifles was the main attraction, with a white Bushmaster arc in the center of them all. In the corner stood a bench with mounted ammo loading mills and a shortwave ham radio on a shelf above that.

Matt could read Derick's mind. "Yeah, Laurie's old man was a bit of a prepper. Go figure."

"Bill? A prepper? I'll be damned."

"It used to bother me knowing it was all right here. He showed me this room one day while Laurie and her mom were in town for lunch and groceries. We had only been married a couple of years then. For three hours, he gave me an instructional lecture on every piece, where it was made, by whom, how to use it, maintain, and what color coded drawers the ammo was stored in. He had me memorize the combination and quizzed me on everything over the years until I got it right. After we left the room that day, he said to me, 'I Hope you never need to use any of it. But if you do, use it and protect my daughter.' He shut the door and that was the last time he ever brought me there. This is the first time I've been back. Neither Laurie nor her mom knew this room existed. Laurie still doesn't. She would freak if she knew these were in the house, and more so of the hidden identity of her dad."

Derick reached for the Moss modified over-and-under .12 gauge with laser spotter and a sash of cartridges, the blue cartridges being solid stock. Matt removed a FN Five-seven semi-automatic pistol and a semi-automatic Bushmaster ACR combat rifle from the wall then shut the gun room door behind him but left it unlocked.

Returning to the dining room, Matt handed Ed the FN Five-Seven. "Ed, here," and he demonstrated how to pop the magazine out and back in, before loading a fresh round into the chamber. Ed looked like he was gripping the head of a rattlesnake when Matt handed it to him.

"Matt, where did you get those?" Laurie questioned.

"Remember the story I was going to tell you about your dad? Well, your dad was a prepper and I'll fill you in later but right now I need all of you to stay put. Derick and I are going to scout around a bit."

"Matt you can't go out there!"

"Laurie, we're just going to look. It might only be hunters."

"It sounded like the shots came from The Point," Derick reasoned. Before he and Derick left the room, Matt instructed everyone to lock the doors and not to open them for anyone, no matter what.

"You hear from anyone other than from Derick or me, you fire through the door, Ed."

"Matt!" Laurie cried out.

"Laurie, we'll be OK. I promise we won't use these unless we have no other choice. You know me, you're much more at ease killing flies than I am. Trust me."

✦✦✦

Matt led Derick out the side porch where they crossed the backyard through the trees and entered the garage. Inside, Matt removed a couple of the white Tyvek suits and masks they had brought with them.

"Put these on. It will help us blend into the birch and snow and who knows about the air quality." They exited the back of the garage and followed the deer trail along the water toward the Point. Ahead were The Point's private cottages and they settled in around a clutch of white birch.,

"No tracks and the nearby branches are still holding snow," Derick observed.  "So no one has been here in awhile.

Matt was grateful of Derick's hunting and tracking skills. Not only had Derick thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, he had ventured into many a sleeping bear's den to perform husbandry on black bear while attaching tracking tags; he was crazy to do things like that, but that sort of crazy just might save them. They eased their way closer to the first cottage and within view of The Point. At the base of the lobby steps face down in the snow was a body with blood splatter and steam rising from it. Matt flipped the safety off on his Bushmaster as Derick chambered a solid round into the lower barrel of his Moss.

They heard a series of shots from inside the lodge and more screams. In the driveway was an early model Ford pickup, raised high on lifts to compensate for its oversized tires. They could see someone dressed in camo standing on the far side of the truck and holding a rifle.

"Looks like locals," Matt said. "I think they figured The Point would have supplies."

"I'm thinking the same thing." Derick replied. Another two figures came out through the front, each with a large duffel slung over their shoulder, one carrying a sawed-off shotgun, the other with pistol in hand.

Matt started to raise the Bushmaster when Derick placed his hand on the barrel for him to lower it. "Let's not get into a gun battle here.

Yeah, you're right," Matt said. "Hopefully they'll just leave."

"That's not what I had in mind. I'd be worried about them coming back," Derick stated. "They already killed at least one person and they had to notice our cars in the drive way when they drove past.  The houses around here will be easy picking for them. Trust me, I hunt with these types all the time and now that they got their first taste of blood, the others will get easier."

"I hope that's not coming from experience," Matt said in jest. Derick had not taken his eyes away from the guy at the truck, nor replied to Matt's remark. "What's our plan?" Matt asked.

"I think we can ambush them by the road. We can take out the truck. We don't need to kill anyone but we can take their guns and show them we mean business. They won't fuck with us after they see our gear."

"We have to be crazy, but I get it," Matt said, blowing out a quick breath from behind his mask.

"Follow me." Derick said, as he moved out in front of Matt. They ducked behind the string of cottages and made their way to the road.

"I'll stay here behind this oak," Derick said, laying out his plan. "You cross over and up the other side to that outcropping. That will give us both good coverage and you a better vantage point. As soon as you hear me plug the grill of the truck, take out the right side tires, and then level your sites on the windshield. I'll talk them out of the truck. If you see them trying to get out too quickly, rake the backside, Ok?" Derick was looking at his best friend, whose eyes were wide open. "It'll be okay," Derick assured him.  They'll be feeling a bit cocky after a kill and won't expect anything. Trust me, they'll shit their pants at the site of us." and he huffed. "They might even think we're the aliens behind this when they see these suits." He patted Matt on the shoulder and sent him on his way.

Derick stayed low and could see the pickup making the bend through the trees. He stood up with his back against the trunk of the oak, his Moss ready in his hand with the safety off. He listened to the driver's nervous foot on the gas as it got closer and closer, then stepping out, he braced himself sideways to reduce his exposure, and leveled the Moss to the grill then fired. The recoil of the solid slug was hefty, much greater than he anticipated. The slug slammed into the grill and sounded like a wrench being thrown into a turbine, grinding the engine to a halt. Derick kept the Moss leveled at the tinted windshield and began to move forward when the burst of Matt's automatic erupted, the first burst falling short and kicking up snow. The second longer burst shredded the front right tire and raked along the truck's chrome running board, sparks flying, the tracers guiding Matt to the rear right tire and the truck listed abruptly on its side. In the dead silence of its aftermath, Derick flipped his mask onto his head and shouted.

"Out of the truck! Now! I want to see your hands in the air! We see any guns and we light the world on fire, you fucks! Out of the truck, now!"

It was quiet, except for the pulsing sound of blood rushing into their ears. The passenger side door fell open.

"Don't shoot! I'm coming out!"

Derick could see a boot edging out from the passenger side door and touch the ground, then another. It was the guy in the camo. He stepped out with his hands up. There was some arguing in the truck and the guy in the camo was nervously looking back into the cab, then to Derick who had a bead on the guy's chest.

The guy looked down at the red dot and couldn't take his eyes off of it. "Don't shoot, man. I'm not armed." He stood outside the passenger door while the two inside continued to argue.

"Put your hands behind your head and kneel down in front of the truck!" Derick shouted.  The guy in camo was frozen in place. "Do it!" Derick shouted again.

The guy moved cautiously in front and bent down on one knee. "Don't kill me, man. Please."

"Both knees!" Derick shouted and leveled the Moss at him. The guy dropped onto the other knee and Derick returned his attention to the cab. "You two in the truck. Get the fuck out now!" he shouted.

Matt was focused on the movement in the truck, the site of his Bushmaster centered on the windshield. The driver's side door opened quickly and a hand holding a pistol in the air came out at the same time a rifle barrel pointed from the passenger side at Matt.

"Drop the gun! Drop the gun!" shouted Derick. The pistol was leveled at him and a shot rang out.

All hell broke loose as Matt pumped his finger on the trigger as fast as he could and the windshield exploded before him; Derick pumping round after round into the cab, the guy on his knees dove face first onto the ground as glass and shrapnel rained down.

Matt let go of the trigger when he heard a dry click and looked down at the hot empty shells sizzling into the snow.  There was no movement or sound other than the ringing in his ears, it was dead silent. Derick had circled the driver's side, the end of his smoking barrel prying open the door. That's when Matt saw a rope of deep crimson dripping from the cab and coiling onto the white of the road. Derick let the door shut and dropped the Moss to his side. He signaled for Matt to come down.

"

✦✦✦

That didn't go so well," Matt said. They were standing apart; the guy in the camo on the ground between them, his hands behind his head and nose in the snow.

Derick tapped the barrel of his Moss on the guy's elbow. "Come on... get up."

"You're not going to kill me, are you? It wasn't me. I didn't kill no one. It was Stu. I told him I didn't want anything to do with it. I wasn't gonna kill no one.... Stu was insist'n they were twigs—"

"Shut the fuck up." Derick said, remorse in his voice. "Get up." The guy unlatched his trembling hands and slowly got to his knees then stood as the pebbles of broken glass fell from his jacket. "Start walking and don't turn around. Turn around and I'll fucking blow your head off. You tell every one of your friends that if they think they can come up here and murder innocent people they'll have to deal with us!" Derick looked crazed. "Those helpless souls you killed didn't deserve that!" There was spittle coming out of his mouth and his eyes looked wild. "You tell them this is just a trial run. We own this fucking mountain!" Derick screamed out, his Moss raised above his head. The guy took off running in baby steps, trying not to slide on the snow-covered road and it was clear that he pissed his pants.

"Derick. What are we going to do about this?" Matt asked, turning toward the truck and watching the slick of blood pooling on the ground.

"Nothing. We leave it. As is. A warning."

"We can't just leave everything like this! What if the cops come out here?"

"Then they find them."

"Derick. They can trace our tracks back to the camp."

"They aren't coming up here, Matt." Derick said facing his friend. "They aren't coming anywhere near here and if they do, they won't be arresting anyone. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever."

"I hope you're right about that." Matt remarked and they started to walk down the road toward camp.

# Part Three: The Declination

#

# Chapter Four

#

Matt pulled out the short-range radio he forgot he had on him. "The girls and Ed have to be totally freaked out with all that shooting." Matt said. He held the radio to his ear and pressed held in the talk button. "This is Matt. We're OK and heading back. Over."

"MATT!" Laurie's voice was frantic. "What happened out there? There was so much gunfire!"

"A lot. I'll tell you everything when we get back. Over." And he let go of the talk button.

"I killed them, Derick," Matt said.

"They killed themselves," Derick assured him, placing his hand on Matt's shoulder. "They had the option not to come out shooting, and they chose the wrong option."

"Why would they do that?" Matt said. "Why? All they had to do was leave the guns in the truck and get out."

"You can't blame yourself, Matt. They did the math and maybe they know more than we do—that no one gets out alive and we did what they couldn't do for themselves."

They walked back in silence, it was peaceful, but eerily quiet. No birds, no deer, no raccoon tracks in the fresh snow. _Maybe they know something too_ , Matt thought.

Arriving back at the camp, Matt pressed the talk button on his radio. "We're just outside and coming in."

The the door swung open with Ed standing at point with pistol in hand.

Laurie pushed past Ed, "Matt!" was all she could manage, as if the chance would never again be there for her. Behind Ed were Asha, Cindi and Jen, with Oscar squeezing out among everyone, tail wagging and a greeting filled with joy.

"Oh geez," said Derick retreating behind Matt as Oscar now had his game plan and pranced around Matt toward Derick. "My shins can't take another beating." It was what the moment needed, a laugh to push away what had just happened. To forget about the bodies in the truck or those lost to the contagion. Looking up, the sky was cobalt blue and strung with contrails high above, oblivious to the life being extinguished beneath it.

✦✦✦

Back inside, Matt and Derick recounted the events at The Point and explained the cache of weaponry to Laurie, who was shocked that her father had this secret. As they stood around the kitchen island, carving off pieces of cheese and drinking coffee and tea explaining everything, their deeds would have seemed barbaric, unforgivable, but the instinct to survive trumps all, and collectively, they felt justified in their actions.

"I think we should stay put for a while," Matt said. "I'm not sure how safe anything is out on the water either, especially because there's no cover out there."

"Derick, I never thought I would say these two things," Laurie said, "but I am so grateful for you in our lives." And lifting up on her toes, kissed him on the cheek.

"What's the second?" He asked, feeling a bit nervous while scratching he base of his neck.

"Laurie looked up and placed both palms on his cheeks. "That I actually let you convince me to store that venison in the garage freezer."

"Oh my God," said Matt. "I forgot all about that."

"What is venison?" Asha asked.

"Deer meat!" Jen shouted.

Matt always knew Derick was the guy you wanted around in a life and death situation. He just never thought that day would come. Ironically, there were guns involved on that first day they met and hopefully this would not be the last. For the remainder of the afternoon, Matt checked out the backup generators and levels of propane in the holding tanks as Derick and Ed collected some fallen trees nearby and chopped them into firewood. The girls took inventory of the cabinets in the kitchen and discovered a cache of dried food in the garage guesthouse. All in all, they could survive for quite a few months on what they had; with the lakes not yet frozen solid, they could still catch some small fish off the dock.

The sun was getting low and would be setting over the mountains soon. Everyone was in the family room. Cell reception had disappeared along with internet and television.

Then they saw and heard it: the flicker of a desk light and the low rumble of the generator off the mudroom kicking on. Matt asked everyone to check all lights in the bedrooms to make sure there was no unnecessary use of electricity and to unplug all cell phone and iPad chargers. They swept the house and met back in the family room.

"The generator will only run when the draw is greater than what the solar inverters produce. The panels on the roof should cover us during the day. We'll need the generator at night to keep the food cold and pump water from the well, but that should be minimal. Try not to use the hot water unless you have to. All the suites have their own tankless hot water heaters, so the draw there should be small. We have enough wood to keep us warm."

"Has anyone seen Oscar?" Cindi asked.

"I let him out back earlier," Ed replied. I'll go check." and he walked into the kitchen and opened the back door. "Oscar!" he called out followed by a sharp whistle. "Here boy!" He returned to the family room. "He's not out there."

"Could he be up in Jen's room with the door shut?" Cindi asked.

"I'll go check." Jen eagerly volunteered, and she scampered out of the room and past the kitchen to the back staircase, even though the main staircase was closer. Any excuse for her to tread up the narrow wooden steps that twisted around like a secret passage. She returned to the family room, winded. "He's not upstairs."

"I'm sure he's outside somewhere. " Cindi said. "'I'll check the front door, he could be sitting there waiting to get in." She returned without Oscar.

"I'll check outside again," Ed offered.

"I'll go with you," Derick added, grabbing the Moss on the way out. He could tell Ed was relieved, as were Cindi and Laurie. Ed was the stereotypical computer geek that could get lost in his own driveway, but could hack into any corporate network, as well as play a mean ukulele. The sky was still bright and the low sun was filtering through the trees as Ed and Derick stood outside.

"Oscar!" Ed called out. "Come on, boy!"

"Ed, I'll check the garage and guest house in case he got locked in there. You okay to check down by the dock?"

"Sure. No problem," he replied and headed down the path, nine mm in hand. On his way to the garage, Derick was looking in the snow for tracks but could not see any dog prints. If fact, there were no prints of any sort. As he approached the back door to the garage, he heard the faint call from Ed.

"Derick! Derick! I found him!"

It was more frantic then Derick cared to hear as he sprinted back through the yard and down the path, scaling the rocks until he reached the bottom of the trail where it opened up onto the dock. He could see Ed on the other side of the boathouse, standing with his back toward him.

"Ed?"

Ed half turned. There were tears running down his face, his hair a mess, as he rubbed his mouth repeatedly with his forearm. As Ed stepped aside, Derick could see Oscar at the end of the dock, his jaws clamped firmly onto the oversized boat cleat that Laurie's father had salvaged from the Coast Guard station. From the back of Oscar's head, Derick could make out the twig and his heart sank in his chest. He walked over to Ed and placed a hand on his shoulder as he looked down at Oscar and could hear the slow deep breaths beneath his shaggy coat. He was still alive, a sigh now and then, his eyes focused on the distance.

"Yesterday morning," Ed began. "Before we knew anything, I took Oscar down to the end of the street by the bay like I always do. He loved to run in and out of the reeds. That's where he got it. Isn't it, Derick?" Ed looked up. "Oh God!" He said, running his hand through his hair, checking the back of his head. "I don't want anything to happen to Cindi or Jen. Oh please God," and he began to sob, "it's my fault. It's all my fault."

"Ed... Come on... You said it yourself, you walked him before anyone knew there was a problem. It's not your fault."

Ed was trembling and dropped the pistol onto the dock. He was holding in the pain as he looked down at Oscar once more. "Derick. You know how this will end."

"Yes... I do." Derick replied, knowing very well that it was game over, for all of them.

"Please God. Don't do this!" Ed cried out, tilting his head upward.

Derick placed his arm around Ed's shoulders. "Ed, there's nothing you or I can do here. We need to go back to the house. Come on. Take a few deep breaths. You need to be strong about this, for Cindi and for Jen. Hold them, Ed. Tell them you love them." All Derick could think of was how Oscar had padded over to Asha and was licking her face and now he was going to lose her. "Come on." Derick said. "Take a deep breath. It will be important for them to see you strong, in control." Ed was nodding, still looking down in despair. He blinked clear his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"That's good," encouraged Derick. "For now, let's not say anything about Oscar. No need to panic everyone. I'll tell Matt. He's much more..." and he placed his fist up to his mouth searching for the right words and stifling his own dreaded thoughts, "he's much more diplomatic at this than I would ever be." They headed back to the house.

✦✦✦

Derick opened the door to the mudroom and stepped in, shaking the snow from his boots. "You ready, Ed?"

"No," Ed nodded, "not really."

They stepped into the kitchen where Matt, Laurie and Asha were standing around the center island. "Any luck?" Laurie asked, popping a grape into her mouth.

Derick responded before Ed had any chance to falter. "No, but I'm sure wherever he is, he'll remember who feeds him," gaining a coarse laugh from Ed. But it was the laugh from Asha that pierced his heart. "Matt, can you help me with the generator outside," Derick asked. "Sounds like a loose bolt," and he glanced at Ed, not saying anything, and knowing that he would work this out with Matt.

"Sure. Let me grab my coat and toolbox," and he led Derick outside then turned around to see Derick standing there with his hands in his pockets looking into his best friend's eyes.

"It's not about the generator, is it?" Matt asked. I can see it in your eyes. If it's about the truck thing, I'm ok with it—"

"Matt. We found Oscar. He's down by the dock... He's a Twig, Matt." and he said aloud what he knew his friend was thinking. "That's not good news. All of us have had close contact with Oscar, and each other."

Matt looked visibly ill. He dropped the toolbox to the ground and placed his hand over his mouth. He was at a loss for words and was shaking his head with his eyes closed tight. "Laurie," he muttered, and walked inside, leaving Derick where he was. A minute later, Asha stepped out into the cold air with only her tee shirt for warmth. There were tears in her eyes. She stood on the porch stoop and as Derick started toward her she leapt into his arms, kissing him passionately. He peeled off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, then reached for her hand and led her inside. Matt and Laurie were not there as he led Asha through the kitchen and into his room.

Inside, she threw herself at him once again, backing him into the pine-slatted door and closing it tightly. Still kissing her, he raised her off the floor and walked her to his bed, gently laying her down. Like lovers separated for years, they tore at each other's clothes. Derick on his back, his shoulders up against the headboard, as he watched her peel off her tee shirt and unhook the clasp of her bra and toss it to the side. The lighting splashed upon her golden skin, intensifying her beauty, and he lay motionless watching her mount and guide him into her, never taking his eyes away from her own. She leaned down and moved toward his lips, her breasts brushing against his chest as she kissed him gently, her tears rolling onto his cheek.

✦✦✦

It was dark when Derick and Asha entered the family room. Jen lay with her head in her mother's lap as she stroked her daughter's hair, while Ed sat at the other end of the couch, defeated. Matt stood by the fire, beer in hand, iron poker dangling from the other as Laurie rested her head against his shoulder, both her hands clasped around Matt's arm. It felt and looked like a room for the condemned.

Derick coughed to announce their entrance and the room seemed to go from pause to play; Matt was stirring the wood that sent sparks up the chimney, Ed stood up and asked if anyone needed a drink, Cindi suggested putting on some music with Jen offering her iPhone's playlist, and Laurie facing Derick and Asha, her eyes glassed over with tears and feeling genuinely happy for having everyone around her who she loved.

Matt addressed the elephant in the room. There was no avoiding it. "I think we shouldn't interfere," he said, then pausing to see if anyone had an objection "We don't know what happens in the process." It was getting too difficult a subject to address.

"Are we going to turn into Twigs?" Jen asked, the pitch of her voice innocent.

Cindi started to answer, ready to convince her daughter that no such thing was going to happen, but reached down and kissed her forehead. "Mommy and daddy love you and we will always be together. I promise."

"Will Oscar be with us too?" asked Jen, her child-like eyes looking up at her mother.

Cindi could not hold back the tears. "Yes, honey, Oscar too." This comforted Jen, who closed her eyes as her mother smoothed out her hair. She looked so peaceful with the steady rise and fall of her tiny chest, so fragile. That's when Cindi felt it, a slight bump on the back of her daughter's scalp and she gasped. Ed rushed over and sat next to his wife and reached down gently, feeling around his daughter's head beneath her hair. He stood up quickly and began to pace, then walked out toward the kitchen, the burden of guilt too much to endure. Derick saw this and followed Ed out to the kitchen.

"Ed, you can't blame yourself for this. Be strong for Jen and Cindi. They need you now more than ever."

"Derick, I can't. I can't watch this happen to Jen, Cindi... any of us!"

"Ed. We'll make sure she's comfortable and we'll stay with her."

Ed realizing Matt was right, swallowed his thoughts and returned to the family room and sat by his wife and daughter. In a matter of hours, the bump had grown into the ornate twig seen on every Internet page before the Internet went down for good. The twigs seemed as unique as fingerprints, never two the same. When Jen awoke, she looked beyond the faces of her mother and father and sat up. Her head moved from side to side as if honing in on something specific, then standing, she headed toward the door. Cindi grabbed and held Jen in her arms, crying out in pain. Jen did not fight her mother but kept trying to look over her shoulder at the door as if being called.

"Oh God!" Cindi cried out, sobbing uncontrollably. "I won't let her go! I can't!"

Laurie reached into the blanket chest and removed a quilt that her mother had draped over her as a child when she fell asleep on the couch. She placed it around Jen's shoulders, while Matt reached his arms gently around Cindi, resting his hands upon hers.

"We have to let her go." Matt whispered to her. "We don't know what happens if we stop her. We'll stay with her, I promise, through it all. She will not be in any pain."

"I can't let her go, Matt! I can't!" She was on the verge of hysterics.

"Matt's right, Cindi," Ed said, stepping up. We can't stop her, but we can all be together." Ed grabbed some coats and blankets as Matt eased Cindi's arms away from her daughter.

"No! No, no, no, I can't!" Cindi broke down as any mother would, having to watch a child surrender their life. She began to wail as Matt eased her away. Ed's eyes were rimmed in red, but he seemed to have reached acceptance. Laurie and Asha surrounded Cindi and held her.

Jen, now free, began to walk with purpose toward the door, the quilt draped around her shoulders. The twig above her head, like a crown of thorns, guiding her beyond what anyone could see.

Matt held the flashlight ahead of Jen while Derick cleared a path through the snow. She walked down the trail to the dock as if she were walking in her sleep. Ed and Cindi were behind Jen with Laurie and Asha following. Jen's face took on a vacant expression of calm as the procession led to the edge of the dock where Oscar lay still. The sliver of a moon and the brightness of the Milky Way above were enough for all to see clearly. Jen approached Oscar and sat with her knees tucked beneath her side. Her final act was to reach out to the cleat and grip it tightly, as Cindi cried out, blind with tears, Jen raised her eyes toward the declination and was content.

It was a peaceful scene filled with sorrow. Cindi and Ed wanted to stay, so Matt and Derick pulled some Adirondack chairs from the boathouse and placed them beside Jen and Oscar. It was cold, but the air was still and the water took on a primordial calm. Not a ripple, not even the sound of loons in the night. They all decided to stay, so Laurie and Asha went back to the house and collected sleeping bags and more blankets, while Matt and Derick pulled out two more double lounge chairs and a small mushroom heater, placing it near everyone, giving enough warmth to take the edge off the night.

✦✦✦

Matt awoke in the predawn light, still wrapped warmly in his sleeping bag and blankets with Laurie at his side. The mushroom heater had extinguished and the chairs around him were empty.

"Laurie," Matt whispered into her ear and he nudged her gently.

She stirred, then her eyes sprang open, the reality flooding into her. She was relieved to still be alive, that her husband was beside her.

"Matt," Laurie said. She yawned and placed her hand over her mouth and stretched out her legs in the sleeping bag and she ruffled her hair.

"Laurie, they're gone."

She pushed up on her forearms to see the chairs. They were empty, and beyond them at the edge of the dock, were Cindi and Ed, Derick and Asha, who were aligned in pairs behind Oscar and Jen, She sank down with her head resting upon Matt's chest.

"Matt?"

"Yeah."

"What do you think happens?"

"I don't know," Matt replied.

"I'm afraid, Matt. I don't want to die like this."

Matt did not have an answer for her. All he could do was squeeze her a little tighter. Laurie reached up with her fingers to twirl his hair, a habit of hers when they watched movies at home on the couch. Matt's eyes began to blur. He would miss that about her, about their life together. He never imagined not being with her and she felt the same. She reached around his head to pull him tight, and breathed in sharply.

Matt placed his hand over hers. Slowly he edged along her fingers to his scalp where he felt a slight bump. He tilted his forehead down to hers and looked into her hazel eyes. "I'm sorry, " he whispered and kissed her forehead.

Laurie reached up with both hands around his neck and held him for a moment. "It's ok. I have one too." Laurie took his hand in hers and guided it to the back of her head. Her twig was already an inch or two long. "I just didn't have the courage to tell you."

"Do we have to always do everything together?" Matt said, which got a sobbing laugh from Laurie. They kissed.

"When the time comes," Laurie said, "promise me you will be with me."

"You know I will." Matt said, the tears running down his cheeks. "I love you so much," and he kissed her passionately. They sat bundled in blankets and watched the sun rise over the lake. Their hands clasped together. It was as if the entire Earth had stopped moving. No birds chirping. No breeze through the pines above them. No ripples on the lake. They seemed to be the last living souls on Earth.

✦✦✦

"I can feel it, Matt," Laurie said calmly. "It's like seeing everything yet seeing nothing." Her speech was starting to slur. "I... l... lov... ew.... " And her grasp relaxed in Matt's hand. He had been watching her. The twig above her head was ornately branched and the early morning light was refracting through the crystals, giving it a life and beauty of its own. She sat up, still looking straight ahead and then swung her legs off the side of the chair, and stood. Her head moved slightly from side to side, setting her bearing as Matt stood beside her. He was not sure she could hear him, but he said it anyway.

"Laurie. I will never stop loving you." He stayed a few steps in front of her, moving the chairs out of her way. She stood briefly behind Asha, then kneeled down on the dock she placed her hands firmly along Asha's sides and looked up to the declination and she was gone from him. A shell.

Matt took a blanket and draped it over his shoulders. He sat in a lotus position behind Derick, facing Laurie. It wasn't long before he felt what Laurie started to describe. A warming from within and no sense of the cold around him, then a tingling started behind his eyes, and, not remembering when he crossed the threshold, he felt something. It was textural from all directions, without sight, sound, or smell. It was something else entirely, something infinite, the knowledge of others around him.

✦✦✦

_Laurie?_

_ Yes ,Matt._

_ Am I dreaming?_

_ No,_ Laurie streamed.

_We're moving, aren't we?_ Matt streamed, _through space and time._

_Yes. There are so many others_ , she streamed, her thoughts mingling with his own.

_Derick? Asha? Cindi? Ed? Jen? Oscar?_

_Yes_ , streamed Laurie. _They are ahead of us._

He could perceive the image of Earth, shrinking in size as they moved at great speeds away from it. There was something else, a sudden impact from a colossal asteroid sending out a seismic shockwave enveloping the entire planet, debris radiating into space, destruction on a global scale.

_Did you see that, Laurie? Did that really just happen?_

_Yes. We all saw it._

_Where are we going?_ Matt streamed.

_A place, far from here_ , she streamed, sharing images with Matt that had been shared with her.

I _t's beautiful... Why?_ Matt streamed.

_In time,_ Laurie streamed. _In time. We have much to learn from them._

The end?

**Afterwords** :

I hope you enjoyed reading this novella as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would love to hear your feedback and will answer your questions, so please take the time to write a quick review and let me know what you thought of it. I am getting requests to continue November Seed, and From Europa With Love so your reviews are very important and serve to keep me going.  Thank you again and I hope to keep your interest in future reads. You can monitor what I'm up to by visiting www.davidnadas.com

**Why I wrote November Seed:**

Growing up at the Jersey shore, I would run for hours along the estuaries in the tall thrush of Phragmites. I suppose it was the same for kids in the Midwest running through fields of corn. What I remember most about those times were the Phragmites plumes in late fall, when running through them left us covered in white. The seeds were everywhere: in our hair, mouths, and clinging to our clothes. As a student of Marine Biology at Stockton College in South Jersey, I began to appreciate the ecosystem surrounding these remarkable plants. They are resilient to say the least, bothering few because they thrive in soil not suited for anything else. One day, my wife and I were driving through upstate NY into the Adirondacks where this story ends, and all along the highways were patches of Phragmites in places I did not expect to see them growing. Now having read November Seed, you know what they are, and you will see, they are everywhere.

