 
For my Mom:

## Keepers of the Blue Planet

## By

## CR Delport

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PUBLISHED BY:

CR Delport at Smashwords

### Cover Art:

www.myebookcover.co.za

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Keepers of the Blue Planet

Copyright © 2015 by CR Delport

Chapter 1

The red sun rose over the horizon, its rays fighting through the ever present dust, ready to bathe the farm in another day of searing heat. The screen door opened with a loud squeak, and a man stepped onto the porch with a mug of coffee in his hand.

Tall, with wide shoulders, he was dressed in faded jeans and a blue checkered shirt. His bright blue eyes sparkled like two crystal-clear swimming pools. Sam rubbed a hand over his short, spiky blond hair.

A few weeks ago, Linda convinced him that short hair would work better in the heat. She was right, it did, but for some reason he missed his shoulder-length locks.

His eyes scanned the surrounding area. In the distance, the earth was dry and barren. The wind whipped up the sand as it blew across the surface of the earth. With no vegetation to keep the sand on the ground, there was a lot of dust in the air.

The dark blue bandana around Sam's neck was not there for decoration. When he was out in the open, he had to wear it to protect his lungs from the dust.

A chicken crowed and Sam smiled at the rooster. "Good morning, Fester."

Against the backdrop of its surroundings, the farm seemed like an oasis in the middle of a desert.

The main house was a solid two-bedroom structure with a raised back porch. The outside of the building needed a fresh coat of paint, but so did the rest of the buildings that were scattered around the farm.

Two things on the property immediately caught the eye. The first was the huge square concrete dam two hundred meters from the main house. Twin wind pumps to the left of the dam stood five meters apart. Their shiny silver rotors turned eagerly in the morning breeze.

The discharge pipe from the left pump fed a huge ten thousand liter tank built on top of a raised platform, while the second pump fed the dam. An overflow pipe from the tank also led into the dam.

The water rippled on the dam as the wind swept over the surface. The second thing that caught the eye was to the right of the dam. Rows and rows of growing tunnels stood in the sun. Their see-through panels let the light onto the plants inside. Two pumping stations next to the dam supplied water for the tunnels.

The first row of tunnels was thirty by twenty meters, and was used for growing vegetables. In the second row, the tunnels were fifty by twenty-five meters, and was used for barley, and had to be cooled to a constant eighteen degrees Celsius. At the far end was the newest and biggest tunnel, a hundred meter squared structure.

This new tunnel was used for the growing of soybeans. Doc Percy was concerned that the town's residents didn't get enough protein in their diet, and it was erected as an experiment. The first harvest was a few days away, and if successful, a second and third tunnel were already planned.

Near the tunnels was a cattle pen. The cow, Daisy, and her four month old calf chewed on the fresh heap of barley straw. Adjacent to the cows was the chicken pen. Sam received four chickens from the settlement at Hot Springs as a gift. George Kingsley built an incubator and started a breeding program. In eight months, their chicken population had swelled to over fifty.

Sam sighed. It was three months since the crazy general from Alexandria attacked the town. In those three months, the people of White River had peace like they never experienced before since the drought started. There were no raiders to worry about, and nobody that strayed near their town.

The only visitor they had was General Ty Sheppard from Chicago, who came to check up on his godchild, Gina Alvarez. Because of her relationship with the scout, Ray Lightfoot, she now made White River her home. Sam was glad about the alliance. Not only did they receive extra much needed provisions, including fuel, but also important information of what happened in the rest of the world.

An ongoing solar storm disrupted Earth's magnetic field, which caused havoc with the weather patterns. The entire world was caught in a drought, and as temperatures went up, the icecaps melted and the oceans rose.

For many, desalination plants along the shoreline provided the only fresh water. There was still water in the Great Lakes, which made the area around the lakes popular, and General Sheppard had his hands full keeping the order. With no government structure left, it was up to him and his military to keep the order.

The town of White River in Arkansas was one of the few places in the central regions that still had water. The town was powered by solar energy, as they lost power from the grid a long time ago. With no phone or television signal, they were cut off from the rest of the world, and relied on information gathered by their scouts, or from what General Sheppard shared with them.

Frank Hurley, who was responsible for the security, still kept up the daily patrols around town and on the farm. With no action for three months, he had his hands full with keeping the squads from getting complacent.

Sam sighed. Since the first moment he woke up under the tree outside of town and realized he had no memory of who he was, or where he came from, he always had something happening around him.

The first attack on the farm. Linda's kidnapping by raiders and her subsequent rescue, in which he almost lost his life. Then they had to deal with the plasma wave and the murderous General from Alexandria.

These last three months, although there was still the drought and the natural elements to deal with, he had something resembling a normal life on the farm. With Linda and Pedro, he had a family.

When they first rescued Pedro from the jail cell in Alexandria, the ten year old boy was withdrawn, suffering from the aftereffects of seeing his parents killed in front of him. Then there was the abuse he had to endure at the hands of General Jacobs. Over the last three months, in the safety of the farm, the boy crept out of his shell and became a child again. He could now play with other children like a normal boy.

The door opened behind him, and a woman in her late twenties stepped out onto the porch. Her jeans hugged her womanly curves, and the light purple T-shirt emphasized her shapely breasts.

Her hair appeared dark brown in the shade, but when she stepped into the sunlight, it exploded in a burst of dark red, glistening in the rays of the sun. Her bright emerald-green eyes sparkled, and she had a slight smile on her full lips.

She walked behind Sam and slipped her arms around his waist. "You are up early. Is everything okay?"

Sam placed his empty mug on the porch rail. "Everything's fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

Linda shook her head. "Don't lie to me. For the past few days you were restless."

Sam smiled. "You know me too well. Sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you, but this is one of those weird feelings I get every now and again."

Linda let go of Sam and took a seat on the wooden bench in the corner. "Do you think it is another plasma wave?"

Sam shrugged. "I have no idea. It is one of those things I know I should remember, but I don't. I have a feeling something is about to happen, but have no idea what."

Sam walked over to the bench and took a seat next to Linda.

She placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Whatever it is, you'll deal with it. You always do."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, I know, but this is one instance where I wish I had more information."

Linda stared off into the distance. "Have you spoken to Doc Percy lately?"

Sam watched as a dust devil rushed across the plain, and then nodded. "I spoke to him yesterday when I was in town. It's been more than a year since I woke up next to that tree. Other than the plasma wave, I have no memories whatsoever. Doc says it can take years, if I regain them at all. We have no idea what kind of trauma caused my memory loss. It might have been so severe that I'll never remember anything."

They discussed the possibility before, and were in agreement that it wouldn't affect how they feel about each other. Sam would do anything to keep Linda safe, and that was one time where he feared that her safety might be at risk, but he kept it to himself.

She noticed the concern in his eyes. "Do you think it's something we should worry about?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, but like you always tell me, I shouldn't worry if I can't do anything about it."

Linda laughed. "You are correct. One thing I can control is how to make coffee. Do you want another cup?"

Sam stood up and pulled Linda into his arms. "That will be wonderful, but first, I need a kiss."

She was eager to oblige and her soft lips melted into his. For a few moments the world and all its problems did not exist.

Linda stepped back with flushed cheeks. "I better get to that coffee."

Sam smiled and watched her disappear through the door. She had a way to alleviate his fears with a simple smile. He bent forward and leaned with his arms on the porch rails.

Maybe because things went so well of late, he was looking for something that wasn't there. When the aroma of the freshly-brewed coffee reached his nose, he followed her into the kitchen.

Sam took a seat at the head of the solid oak table in the middle of the kitchen, while Linda poured coffee from the pot that simmered on the gas stove in the corner. When they were both seated at the table, Pedro walked in.

The ten year old boy rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning, buddy," Sam greeted the boy.

Pedro walked to the table and gave Sam and Linda a hug.

She pulled out a chair next to her. "Do you want breakfast?"

He nodded and his little round face lit up. A few months ago, the brothers Edward and Nathan Sharp, while on a scout mission, found a couple boxes filled with Frosted Flakes. It wasn't enough for the whole town, so they sneaked it out to the farm for Pedro.

A bowl of Frosted Flakes every morning was one of the highlights of Pedro's day. Linda shook some of the cereal into a bowl, and covered it with milk. They collected five liters a day from Daisy, kept one liter for the farm, and sent the rest to town for Andy to use as he saw fit.

In the afternoon, when Pedro got home from school, he got a glass of milk and a sandwich made with barley bread, tomatoes and lettuce. The boy received better treatment than anybody else in town, but everyone knew his past, and because it was Sam and Linda that did most of the spoiling, nobody said a word.

Linda looked over at Sam. "Have you heard from Nick and Jake yet?"

Sam shook his head. "They should be back any day now. This is their first scout mission since the babies were born. I think they're stretching it a bit."

Nick Hartley and Jake Green had been lifelong friends, and were together in the Special Forces. It was no surprise when their wives got pregnant together, and gave birth on the same day. The day the plasma wave struck Earth, and White River was attacked by the general from Alexandria.

Nick and Jake were known as the miracle workers. Whenever someone needed something, they would go out and find it. Sometimes they had to travel half the country to do it, but they always found what they were looking for.

When Linda mentioned that it would take a while to harvest the soybeans by hand, Sam suggested that they find some kind of harvester. After doing some research in the school library, they set off on their quest. That was two days ago.

"Do you have any special plans for today?" Linda asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, why?"

"I would like to visit Fay. We need to make the final arrangements for Friday night's dance," she said.

Sam groaned. Despite his many talents, he found dancing was not one of them. Linda, Janine, and Fay taught him the moves, but he still couldn't keep the rhythm, and often stepped on their toes. The only dance that worked for him was a slow dance with Linda.

For many in White River, the weekly dance was the highlight of the week. It was one of the few forms of entertainment that kept the townspeople from boredom. A four-man band played well enough to provide decent music.

Sam rinsed his empty mug and placed it upside down on the dish rack. "It will give me a chance to catch up with Frank. Maybe he heard some news of what's going on out there."

After Pedro finished his breakfast, he went to get dressed and fetched his school bag. Much to the dismay of the younger kids, Mayor Timothy Ryan insisted they attend school. Although there were only two teachers left in town, they divided the kids into two classes according to age groups.

There was no prescribed syllabus, and apart from history and math, the kids were also taught survival skills. With a population of just over a thousand people, the small town of White River was an oasis in an otherwise deserted southern Arkansas.

As far as the scouts could tell, there were no people around for hundreds of kilometers. The closest settlement to them was at Hot Springs. Moira Addams was the leader and she ran her settlement like an army camp. With three times as many people, Hot Springs was a helpful ally and trading partner to White River.

While Sam waited for Pedro and Linda, he stepped out onto the porch and stared off into the distance. There was nothing but sand and the remains of dead trees to see, but he couldn't shake his uneasy feeling. Something bothered him, but he couldn't put a finger to the source.

When Linda and Pedro emerged from the house, he turned and smiled. The day started out like any other day for the past three months.

Chapter 2

The morning after the dance, Sam and Linda sat on the bench on their porch, each with a cup of coffee, discussing the events of the previous evening.

"I think everything went well last night," Linda said.

Sam grinned. "How's your toes?"

Linda laughed. "Mine are fine. I think you only stepped on them twice. By the time we left, Janine limped home."

Sam shook his head. "I warned her, but she's stubborn. She keeps insisting that I'll become a better dancer the more I practice, but I think the opposite is happening. I'm getting worse. I told her to go slow, but she just wants to dance faster."

Linda sighed. "Yeah, she's always been stubborn, but I think sooner or later she will have to concede that you can't dance."

"I hope it happens before she sustains permanent damage to her feet," Sam added.

Their lighthearted conversation got interrupted by the sound of vehicles turning from the main onto the dirt road leading to the farm.

"That sounds like a big-rig truck," Linda said.

Sam nodded. "It must be Nick and Jake."

A few moments later the procession swung into view. Nick led the convoy in his pickup truck, followed by a big-rig pulling a flatbed trailer. A red and white combine harvester was loaded on the back of the flatbed. Jake and his squad brought up the rear.

They parked in the open area between the house and the dam.

When Nick exited the truck, Sam stepped off the porch. "Glad to see you two found your way back."

Jake pointed at Nick. "It's his fault. He got us lost."

Nick shook his head. "Don't blame me. I followed your instructions."

Sam held up his hands before the blame got out of hand. "What's important is that you found your way before your wives had to send out a search party."

Nick and Jake looked at each other and grinned.

"We've found what we're looking for in a small town north-east of here called Colt. From what we've seen, they were big into soybeans in that region before the drought," Nick said.

"The town itself is plundered, but on a farm just outside the town, we found this beauty in a hidden warehouse," Jake said and pointed to the combine harvester.

"This will work to harvest the soybeans?" Sam asked.

Nick nodded. "I believe so."

They didn't notice the tall lean man in his middle forties that walked over from the direction of the tunnels.

George Kingsley didn't take his eyes off the harvester. "It's not a top of its range combine, but it will work just fine."

Sam smiled satisfied. Before the drought, George had a large cattle ranch on the other side of town. Although he worked mostly with cattle, he grew his own crops to feed the more than a thousand head that he kept on the farm. When the raiders burnt down his farm, he lost all the equipment he had.

Before George started farming, he was an engineer, and it was those skills that helped them on the farm to develop effective growing tunnels, and setup the chicken brooders.

"You know how it works?" Sam asked.

George nodded. "First, the cutter here cuts the soybeans. As the machine drives through the field, the soybeans are pulled into the harvester in the front section or head. Then the soybeans are collected by the rotating reel and cut by the cutter, after which they are fed into the threshing cylinder where the soybeans are separated from the plants. Finally, the cleaning process is completed by using an air blower to blow the muck away from the beans."

Nick flicked Sam with the points of his fingers against his upper arm. "Don't worry. It sounds like he knows how it works."

Sam shrugged. "That's good enough for me."

While George unloaded the harvester, Nick and Jake reported on their trip.

"We didn't encounter a single living soul out that way. If there were people in hiding, they made sure to stay out of sight," Nick said.

Jake nodded. "Apart from the harvester and a few bags of soybeans we found in that small warehouse, there is nothing left out there."

Sam scratched the side of his cheek. "The fact that Hot Springs and we are the only people left in the area is somewhat of a comfort. That means we don't have to worry about anybody else coming to bother us."

"That sounds good to me," Nick said. "I really don't feel like dealing with another General Jacobs."

The ordeal with the general from Alexandria still touched every man, woman, and child in White River. If the plasma wave and Sam's brilliant strategy didn't save them, the entire town would've been wiped out.

A lonely grave a kilometer south of town was evidence that the evil general would never bother them again.

Nick looked at Jake. "We better get back to town before Rachel and Juliet send out that search party. I'm sure Nicky grew at least ten centimeters while we were away."

His chest swelled with pride when he talked about his son. "He's got my looks, so I'm sure he'll be popular with the ladies when he grows up."

Jake snorted. "You better keep your brat away from my princess."

Sam and Linda watched the two friends as they walked to their trucks while arguing about the children. Everyone learned a long time ago not to take the friends too serious. They could be dangerous when the situation demanded it, but there was frequent banter between them.

Sam pointed at the two. "Knowing them, their kids will grow up being the best of friends."

Linda nodded. "They spend so much time together, it's bound to happen."

Two days later, George informed them that the soybeans were ready for harvest. With the newly acquired harvester, the job went smoothly, and a few hours later, the beans were harvested and bagged.

"We didn't do badly for a first harvest," George informed them. "This tunnel produced five tons. I think if I can get more nitrogen into the soil, we can increase the yield to at least seven tons."

Sam whistled. "That's a lot. I'll have a word with Henry Carver. They can start construction on the additional tunnels. Andy will be happy with the extra food source."

"I'm sure the people will appreciate the extra variety too," Linda said.

Andy Dunham was the owner of the local diner. When the town had to start rationing their food supplies, he was put in charge of feeding the entire town. He took over the kitchen and mess hall at the school, and served meals to the townspeople twice a day. He performed miracles with the limited supplies he had to work with.

Sam and Linda sat on the porch as the worker bus left to return the people to town for the day. Pedro sat on the steps of the porch eating the last bit of his sandwich. Their dinner would only be delivered when the evening guard reported for their shift.

Linda glanced at Pedro, and then looked at Sam and smiled.

"What?" Sam asked.

Linda shook her head. "Nothing, I'm just happy. I never thought I would have a family like this."

Sam slipped his arm around Linda. "We do make a good family."

Before he could say anything else, they heard the sound of a fast approaching pickup truck turning off onto the dirt road.

Sam frowned. "Someone's in a heck of a hurry."

He came to his feet and reached for the Henry rifle next to the bench that was never far from his reach.

"It's Carl," Linda said when the dark green pickup truck swung into view. The three people on the back clung to the side of the truck for dear life. Carl Burns stopped in a huff of dust and ignored the scowls from the back as he jumped out of the truck.

His short cropped red hair made his oval-shaped face appear even longer. By the time he exited the vehicle, Sam was at the bottom of the steps.

"Carl, what brings you here in such a hurry?" Sam asked.

The scout leader was a head shorter than Sam. "Frank told me to come get you. Sam, you're not going to believe this. We found something to the south of town. It's unbelievable. It's just standing there, as if it appeared out of nowhere."

Sam held up both his hands. "Easy, Carl. Slow down. What is it?"

Carl pointed in the direction of town. "Ernie Hanson's squad first spotted it when they returned from a scout. It is about ten kilometers south of town near the place where, eh, you had that run in with the raiders."

Carl talked about the place where the raiders ambushed him after they captured Linda. The raiders arranged for a trade, Linda for water, but they double-crossed Sam. In the resulting battle, five raiders were killed, but Sam was wounded and left for dead. After Sam recovered, he rescued Linda and wiped out the raider nest in Dumas.

Sam frowned. "Carl, what are you talking about? Are there a bunch of raiders again?"

Carl shook his head. "No, not raiders. It's something completely different. Sam, I don't know how to explain it. If I tell you, you'll think I'm crazy."

Sam glanced at Linda. "Like this doesn't sound crazy?"

Carl grabbed his head. "Sam, you have to see it for yourself to believe it. Come, I'll take you. Commander Hurley's waiting."

Without another word, Carl turned and jumped back into his truck.

Sam turned to Linda. "We're not going to get a straight answer from him. I suppose we have to go see for ourselves."

Sam, Linda and Pedro got into the dark blue Silverado and followed Carl.

"Do you have any idea what he tried to say?" Linda asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, but I'm sure it's something big to have Carl flustered like that."

They drove to the edge of town before turning onto the road heading south. Nothing changed in the landscape. There were no plants, vegetation or green trees. Everything was barren, only sand and rocks remained. Trees that survived the fires that plagued the area for a while, were scattered, dead skeletons covered in dust.

Due to the wind that whipped up the sand, visibility was restricted to a kilometer at most. They drove over the crest of a hill, and Sam knew from previous experience, that the buildings where he was ambushed lay directly ahead.

When the dim outline of the buildings became clearer, Carl turned right and followed the tracks in the dirt. Frank, Nick, Jake and their squads was parked on top of a slight rise. Sam stopped his truck near them.

"What's all the fuss about?" he asked as he stepped from the vehicle.

Frank Hurley, a military man in his early sixties, pointed into the distance. "That!"

Sam looked past them, and then took a sharp breath. "What on earth is that?"

Five hundred meters from them stood a hundred meter tall three-legged structure, the sun glinting of its shiny metallic outside. Perched on top of the three large legs that pressed deep into the sand was a large oval-shaped object. There appeared to be no visible seams in the entire structure.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Frank answered.

"It looks like a huge bar stool," Nick said.

Jake nodded. "Like something that should be in Texas."

Sam frowned. "Why in Texas?"

Jake and Nick answered together. "Because everything is bigger in Texas."

Sam didn't understand the reference. "Well, I know I don't remember much, but that sure isn't a barstool."

Frank shook his head. "Nope, that's for sure."

"Do you think it is alien?" Linda asked.

Frank shrugged. "It sure appears that way."

Shock played on Linda's face. "What do you think they want?"

"There's only one way to find out. Let's go ask them," Nick said.

"What? You mean go down there to that thing?" Carl asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

Sam nodded. "Let's go have a closer look. Nick and Jake, you're with me. The rest of you stay here."

Nobody argued with Sam. Nick and Jake gripped their M-16s tighter and followed Sam down the slope. They approached the object with caution, but it remained motionless.

Sam stopped in front of it and looked up. "Damn, this thing is tall."

Nick pointed at the object. "It has been here for a good few hours. By now, it should've been covered with dust, but look, nothing. It's as if the sand doesn't stick to it."

Sam stepped around the huge base of one of the legs. "I see no door, window, or any kind of opening."

Nick and Jake walked around the other legs. "Nope, nothing here either," Jake said.

Sam reached out and placed a hand against the side of the structure. It had a soft, velvet feel, but was ice cold to his touch. "Wow, this feels weird."

Using the knuckle of his middle finger, Sam knocked on the structure. "The outside feels soft, but it's a hard, solid metal."

"This thing is ice cold. Maybe it's a giant refrigerator," Nick said.

Jake slapped against the side with the palm of his right hand. "Well, I sure can't find the ice dispenser."

He turned to Nick. "You know what this reminds me off? That liquid metal the cyborg was made out off in the second Terminator movie."

Nick nodded. "It sure does. Let's just hope these guys have better intentions."

Jake cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hello! Anybody in there?"

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"I want to ask them what their intentions are," Jake said.

Sam smiled. "It doesn't look like they're answering."

Nick shook his head. "Will you answer the door if he comes knocking?"

After another five minutes, the trio walked back to the rest of the group, and reported their findings.

Frank glanced at his watch. "It's getting late. Let's head back to town. Carl, you and your squad can keep an eye on it."

Carl shook his head. "I'm not staying near this thing all night. Maybe they're just waiting for it to get dark so we can't see them coming. I don't want to get probed."

Nick and Jake looked at each other and burst out in laughter. "Carl, you've been watching too many sci-fi movies."

"I'm still not staying here," Carl mumbled.

Frank looked at him for a moment with his steely-gray eyes. "You're right, maybe it's too dangerous. We can come back in the morning and then decide what to do."

Chapter 3

Once everyone returned to the safety of town, the group convened in the Command Center. They placed chairs to form a circle around the giant oak table in the middle of the room.

"Anyone want to venture a guess as to what that thing is out there?" Janine asked once everyone was seated.

Before the drought, Linda's sister used to be the sheriff of the town, but stepped down when Frank Hurley took over as security officer.

Being the same height as Linda was where the similarities between the two sisters ended. She had short blonde hair and light blue eyes. Although she had an athletic build, she had none of Linda's womanly curves. Janine's small breasts were barely noticeable under her T-shirt.

The man that stood next to her was only half a head taller and his muscled arms were folded over his barrel chest. Terry Turner served with Nick and Jake in the Special Forces. After he helped rescue Linda from the raiders, Sam offered him and his family of forty people residence in White River. It didn't take long before he fell in love with Janine.

"It's definitely not military," Terry said.

Frank Hurley, an ex-colonel in the Army agreed. "I was privy to some impressive and weird military hardware, but have never seen anything like that."

"I'm telling you, that thing is alien," Nick said.

Jake nodded in agreement with his friend. "It's not from this world. Not even dust sticks to it. That thing stood in the warm sun for most of the day. Its metal hull should've been scalding hot, yet, when we touched it, it was ice cold."

Frank looked at Sam. "What do you think?"

Sam shrugged. "It's odd looking, but I have no idea if it is some kind of spaceship or not."

Nick snorted. "Doesn't help you ask him. You can put a space shuttle out there and he would think its alien."

Sam grinned. "That's true."

Frank shook his head. "Now for the million dollar question. What are they doing here and do they mean us harm?"

"Maybe they're here looking for Sam," Jake said without batting an eyelid.

Sam ignored him. "Well, they let us touch their spaceship. For all we know, it might not even be manned, or aliened, or whatever you want to call it. Even when these two clowns hollered at it, there was no response."

"Maybe they came looking for intelligent life, saw you two, decided there's none here and will be gone by the morning," Linda said.

Jake grabbed his heart. "Et tu, Linda?"

"So what do we do about it?" Terry asked.

"We can take the tanks and blast it to pieces," Frank said.

When General Jacobs from Alexandria attacked the town, they captured his M1A1 Abrams tanks. They swapped two tanks with General Sheppard from Chicago for four Humvees, but still had eighteen functional tanks protecting the town.

Linda threw her arms in the air. "Why do you military types always want to attack everything you don't understand? For all we know, they're here to help."

Sam glanced at Linda and smiled. "I suggest until we know their purpose, we only observe."

Frank nodded. "I will send two squads to set up a temporary camp on that rise where we were earlier. I'll speak to Henry to issue the squads three tents they can use to set up a base."

Before anything else could be decided, the sound of vehicles outside caught their attention.

Janine walked over to the window. "It's Edward and Nathan returning from their scout mission."

The brothers, Edward and Nathan Sharp were both tall, with dark hair and dark brown eyes. Although Edward was a year older than Nathan, it was obvious they were brothers. Some people even thought them to be twins, so strong was the family resemblance.

They walked into the Command Center in such a hurry that they didn't bother to wipe the dust from their clothes. They look at the assembly of people in the room with a puzzled look on their faces.

"Good, you're all here. You never going to believe what we saw near Pine Bluff," Nathan said.

Nick pushed himself away from the table. "Let me guess. It's a hundred meters tall, shiny, and looks like a giant bar stool?"

Edward and Nathan looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion.

"How the hell do you know that?" Edward asked.

Jake pointed in a southern direction. "We have our very own alien spaceship ten kilometers south of here. We were just discussing what to do with it."

Frank Hurley stepped forward. "Wait! Do you want to tell me there are more than one of these things?"

Nathan shrugged. "It appears that way. We didn't go too close as we didn't know if it's hostile or not. There was no movement and it just sat there."

Frank frowned. "So there could be even more of these alien objects out there? Well, this sure changes everything."

Sam shook his head. "Not really. Until we know their intent, we should just observe."

Frank rubbed a hand over his silver-gray hair. "Well, I'm going to send scouts out in all directions to see if we can pinpoint how many of these objects are out there."

In the corner, a couple sat and observed the chatter in silence. The man had dark skin, dark brown eyes and short black hair. When Ray Lightfoot moved, it was with the grace of a cat. He was the town's lead scout, had a reputation for tracking, and could move in complete silence.

The young woman who held on to his arm was a striking beauty. Her shoulder-length dark hair framed her olive-skinned face, and her light, golden-brown eyes were filled with worry. They met Gina Alvarez on a trip to Chicago. She escorted them back to White River, and was instrumental in the town's defense against the general from Alexandria.

She was wounded in the attack, but by the time she recovered, she fell in love with Ray and decided to stay in White River. General Sheppard, the leader in Chicago, was not just her commanding officer. He was also her godfather.

She rose to her feet and approached the group, her shapely breasts pushing against her light-blue T-shirt, and the faded jeans hugging her well-curved hips.

Her soft voice had a hint of huskiness. "Sam, if there are one of these things anywhere near Chicago, we have a problem. The General is one of those military types that you mentioned that will attack first and ask questions later."

Sam looked at Frank. "We have to warn him. Moira too."

Moira Adams ran her outfit in Hot Springs like a military operation, and she too would attack first and worry about the consequences later.

Frank thought for a moment. "You'll have to go to Hot Springs. She won't listen to anybody else. Gina and Ray can go to Chicago. Ernie and Chester can ride escort for them, while you can take Joe and Ben Cross. I suggest you leave at first light."

Frank walked to a cabinet in the corner and pulled out a map of the area. He hung it on the pin-board against the wall. From a desk drawer, he pulled a packet of multi-colored pins.

He found the location of the object just south of town, stuck a pin on the map, and then turned to Edward and Nathan. "Show me the exact location of the object in Pine Bluff."

Edward pointed to an area just north of the city, and Frank marked the position with another pin.

He turned to the group. "If you see one of these things out there, make a note of the exact location, so we can track them on our map here."

While Frank assigned scout duties to the rest of the squad leaders, Sam and Linda returned to Janine's house to make arrangements for their own trip. Pedro was fast asleep on the couch.

Linda ran a light hand through his hair. "Do we take him along?"

Sam stared at the sleeping boy for a moment. "He's got school tomorrow. It might be best if he stays here with Janine. She's on protective detail around town, so she'll always be close."

Linda nodded. Before her abduction, Sam would've gone on this trip alone. But since then, Sam taught her self-defense and how to handle a rifle. He was confident that she could handle herself well in any situation, so she accompanied him everywhere.

It was still dark the following morning when Linda explained to Pedro that he had to stay behind. The boy was not happy about it, but understood.

He walked to Linda and hugged her tight. Since General Jacobs killed his parents, Linda and Sam became his family.

"Please don't stay away too long," the boy pleaded.

Sam ruffled Pedro's hair. "If everything goes according to plan, buddy, we'll be back before nightfall."

After they said their goodbyes, Sam and Linda joined the rest of the departing squads in the clearing opposite the Command Center.

Sam noticed the tanks had been moved, and walked over to Ben Cross. "Where are the tanks?"

Ben Cross was not a tall man, but had broad shoulders. "The Commander moved them to the barricades in case the aliens attacked the town."

Sam shook his head. Frank Hurley was not a trusting man, but that was a quality that made him good at his job.

Andy prepared food parcels for everyone that would be out of town for the day, and once they collected their food and water, they did a final weapons check. As soon as it was light enough, the squads departed.

Knowing there were no raiders left in the area, Sam wasted no time and drove as fast as the thick layer of sand that covered the asphalt road allowed. They made good time and covered the hundred and seventy kilometers to Hot Springs in three hours.

Twenty kilometers from Hot Springs, as they reached the top of a rise, Sam noticed smoke in the distance. A knot formed in his stomach. Did they arrive too late?

They were still too far away to see what transpired, but the distant smoke and sound of explosions indicated an intense battle.

Linda glanced at Sam with fear in her eyes. The whites of his knuckles showed as he gripped the steering wheel. As they got closer, they could see through the dust and smoke. On top of a slight rise, near a clump of buildings, was an object identical to the one they saw near White River.

Sam brought the convoy to a halt two kilometers from the structure.

Linda's hand flew to her mouth. "Sam, what's that?"

He followed her line of sight, and then he saw it. From the base of the object, an opening appeared and two robot-like creatures exited. They stood ten feet tall and were made from the same shiny metal as the objects. Walking on two mechanical-like legs, the creatures moved with slow sure movements.

"If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it," Joe Cross said as he stepped from his truck.

The two machines took up position fifty meters from the main object.

"There are more of those things on the other side," Ben said looking through his binoculars.

"Let me see," Sam said and lifted the glasses to his eyes.

Through the haze, he could see that near each leg of the structure were two creatures deployed. As he watched, a light-blue pickup truck raced around a clump of rocks heading toward the object.

"What are those idiots doing?" Sam asked.

Before he could say anything else, the men on the back of the truck lifted their rifles and started firing on the aliens. The bullets had no impact, and bounced off the mechanical beings.

The creatures lifted their right arms. On the end of their arms, where a hand should be, there was some kind of cylindrical device mounted. The shiny metal of the device changed to a deep orange, and then a bolt fired at the speeding truck.

The ray shot forward like a ball of fire, and caught one of the men in the back of the truck square in the chest. The force of the impact lifted the man from the vehicle, and flung him back ten meters. Where he struck the ground, he lay smoldering, his skin burned to a crisp.

"Oh no!" Linda shouted and buried her head into Sam's shoulder.

He handed the binoculars back to Ben. "I've got to get down there and find Moira. She's going to get everyone killed."

Linda jerked her head and stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you crazy? Those things will kill you."

Sam shook his head. "I don't think so. Look, they only fire when someone shoots at them. I think they're only defending themselves and the object. I have to convince Moira to stop."

Linda knew what Sam said made sense, but she found it difficult to let him go. Finally she nodded. "Be careful."

Sam glanced at Ben and Joe. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

He gripped his rifle and ran down the hill toward the buildings. As he approached the buildings, he saw two guys crouching behind an upturned truck. Their eyes were wild with fear.

Sam touched the nearest guy on the shoulder, which caused him to jump. "Where is Moira?"

He stared at Sam without comprehension, clutching his rifle to his chest.

Sam grabbed him by the shoulders. "Where's Moira? Where's your leader?"

It took a few moments to sink in, and then the man turned his head and nodded toward a section between the buildings. A hundred meters from the nearest mechanical beings, Moira Addams crouched down behind her Jeep. Her dirty face had a smear on her left cheek, and blood dripped from a gash on her right arm.

Sam ran to her position and came to a sliding stop. She jerked around at the sound and her face registered surprise. "Sam! What are you doing here?"

Sam glanced at the alien as it fired on another soldier. "I came to warn you."

"You're a little late for that," she replied.

Sam grabbed her arm. "Moira, you got to stop. Tell your men to fall back."

She shook her head. "And be at the mercy of these things?"

"They will stop if you do. They're only defending the structure," Sam said.

She stared at Sam for a moment. "I can't take that chance."

Across the street a man yelled as he got hit by a blast. The left half of his body that took the brunt of the blast was a black mess. Moira saw him fell, and without hesitation, she jumped up and ran toward her fallen soldier.

Another blast hit close by, causing a vehicle to explode in a huge ball of fire. The impact of the blast threw Sam clear of his hiding place behind the vehicle.

Chapter 4

Sam dropped his rifle and used his arms to brace the impact as his body slammed into the ground. Smoke clouded his vision and the smell of burnt flesh hung heavily in the air. His vision was blurred and the ringing in his ears drowned out all other sounds. It took him a moment to gather his senses and to realize there were more explosions all around him.

He glanced to his left. Through the smoke and flames, he saw Moira crawling on the ground, clutching at her rifle. To his right, a man dropped to his knees and lifted a rocket launcher to his shoulder.

Sam felt the heat of the back blast against the side of his face, and less than a second later, the rocket hit the alien square in the chest in a bright explosion. The wind was quick to clear the smoke. The rocket had no effect against the alien creature. It lifted its right arm, and Sam's ears popped when the weapon fired.

The force of the blast lifted the soldier from the ground and hurled him backward. In mid-air, he burst into flames, but by the time he hit the ground, he was nothing but a smoldering black crisp. Moira roared with anger as she watched another of her soldiers fall.

By now, Sam regained his senses and jumped to his feet. Moira's bloodied left arm dangled by her side. She gripped the rifle with her right hand and lifted it to her hip. She tried to steady her aim as she swung around to face the creature.

Sam jumped forward. "Moira, no!"

In one swift movement, he grabbed the weapon and jerked it from her grasp. Shock registered on Moira's face, and it took Sam a moment to realize her terrified eyes were not fixed on him.

He swung around. Twenty meters from them, the alien creature stood with his weapon aimed at them. The front part of the weapon had a bright orange glow.

Sam flung the rifle to the side and spread his arms in a wide, protective stance in front of the helpless leader of Hot Springs.

"Look, we are not armed. We are not armed!" he shouted at the creature.

For a full five seconds they were frozen in that position. Neither they nor the alien made a movement. Both Moira and Sam were well aware that if the alien fired, it would be the end of them both.

Sam kept his focus on the weapon mounted on the end of the alien's arm. Then the bright orange dimmed and the arm returned to the color of normal shiny metal. Without a sound, the alien creature turned and moved away from them.

Behind him, Sam heard a sigh and Moira dropped to her knees.

Sam stared down at her. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head, unable to answer. Never in her life had she come that close to such a terrifying death.

"Moira, you got to stop your soldiers before they all get killed," Sam said.

She looked at him, but his words didn't register. Sam realized she was still in shock. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet. "Moira! Call your soldiers back. They won't listen to me. You have to call them back."

It took a few shakes before life returned to her eyes. As Sam stepped away from her, she looked around. The area was littered with rubble, burning debris, and scattered dead bodies.

Two more soldiers ran forward, but before they could get into position to fire, she jumped forward. "No! Drop your weapons."

The soldiers stopped and looked at her with puzzled expressions.

"They only fire at you if you shoot at them," she yelled.

The soldiers let go of their weapons as if it suddenly got too hot for them to handle. When the rifles hit the ground they jumped back. Nearby, other soldiers heard her and also dropped their rifles. As word got around, the sound of gunfire ceased.

The men helped their wounded friends to their feet and led them back to a safe distance from the main object. With nobody shooting at them, the creatures took up a defensive position near the entrance to the structure.

Sam and Moira followed the stream of soldiers away from the object. Once they reached a fair distance, Sam stopped and looked back at the war zone.

Moira glanced at Sam. "You saved my life."

Sam shrugged. "It's a pity I didn't get here sooner. What started all this?"

Moira sighed. "I think one of the guys thought it a good idea to take a pot shot at the object. Then these strange looking things came out. Some of the men panicked and started shooting at them, and the next thing I knew we had a war zone out here. No matter what we threw at them, it didn't even make them flinch. Sam, what are these things?"

He glanced at the tall structure. Some of the things that he couldn't remember still had a strange familiarity, but none of this felt familiar. He had no recollection or any connection to these strange objects.

"I have no idea," Sam said.

As they watched, an opening appeared at the base of the legs of the object, and the mechanical creatures turned and entered. Once they were inside, the opening disappeared, and the observers couldn't tell where the doorway was just moments before.

Moira shook her head. "This is just too weird. How are we supposed to deal with something we don't understand?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, but I think leaving them alone for now is a good start. I don't think they mean us any harm."

A look of incredulity crossed Moira's face, and she waved her good arm toward the battle ground. "You could've fooled me."

"If you think about it, you brought this on yourself. If you didn't attack them, this wouldn't have happened," Sam answered in a soft voice.

Moira stared at him for a moment, her rebellious nature threatening to come to the fore. "Yeah, but how was I suppose to know. These things didn't arrive with an instruction manual, and once the shooting started, it was chaos."

They were interrupted by the sound of approaching vehicles. Linda led the convoy and stopped her truck in a cloud of dust.

She jumped out and ran into Sam's arms. "Sam! For a moment I thought you were dead."

He held her tight against him. "It was hairy there for a while, but all is fine now."

Joe stepped from his truck. "When we saw that explosion, we had to hold her back. She wanted to run here, but I grabbed her, and got a kick in the shin for my troubles."

Linda gave a shy smile. "Sorry about that."

"I don't know how we'll ever be able to repay you," Moira said. "You saved a lot of lives today."

Sam looked toward her burnt-out Jeep. "I lost my rifle out there somewhere. If you find it, please hold it for me."

Moira nodded. "I can give you a new M16 with extra ammunition."

Sam shook his head. "No thanks. I'm rather fond of that Henry."

"I'll ask my people to keep a lookout for it," she said.

In the next hour, the people of Hot Springs took stock of their situation. They lost twenty eight soldiers in the attack, and had more than fifty wounded, but didn't even make a scratch on the alien creatures. Moira gathered all her lieutenants, and gave specific instructions that nobody was to shoot at the shiny object.

Sam walked over to the ambulance where they were treating Moira's wounds. "Well, I think our job here is done. I would like to get back to White River before dark."

Moira extended her good hand to Sam. "Thank you for coming. This could've had a much different outcome. If we find your rifle, I'll keep it for you."

Five minutes later, Sam led the convoy back to White River. The destruction caused by the alien creatures, served as a warning. The capabilities of the aliens were now known. For military men like Frank Hurley and General Sheppard, it would be worrying, as it seemed they had no defense against them.

When Sam reached White River, he called a meeting with Frank and the rest of the squad leaders. Once everyone was assembled in the Command Center, Sam shared what happened in Hot Springs.

The news was indeed troubling.

"How do we know these things won't just come out and attack us eventually?" Frank asked.

Sam shook his head. "We don't know, but until we find out more, I suggest we keep our distance."

Over the next few days, returning scout parties reported more sightings of the mysterious objects. When the last scout party returned, there were twenty-three pins on the map in the Command Center.

A pattern emerged. The objects were spaced a hundred kilometers apart. To test their theory, they identified an area close by where they suspect one could be. Sure enough, when the scout returned, he confirmed the presence of the object.

Three days after they left, Ray and Gina returned. They spotted six of the objects on the way to Chicago. Another was positioned just on the outskirts of the city, which had the citizens in a panic.

Luckily, General Sheppard had the good sense not to attack the object. After Sam shared what happened in Hot Springs, Ray and Gina returned to Chicago to share the information with General Sheppard.

A week after the object was first discovered, everything turned back to a resemblance of normal. People got used to the idea that they were no longer alone in the universe, and continued with their lives.

Frank had a guard shift posted to keep an eye on the alien object, but after a few days the squads were reduced from three per shift, to just one.

On the farm, life returned to normal. Now that the excitement of the alien object died down, they got back to the task at hand to feed all the people of White River. The soybean tunnel had been plowed and replanted, while construction started on two extra tunnels. Another batch of chicks hatched, and Pedro was excited. He got to take the chicks to school in a cardboard box to show to the rest of the kids in his class.

The teacher used the opportunity to teach the other kids about how a little chick hatched from an egg and grew into a chicken. Apart from little Elliot Jennings' dog, Caesar, the only other animals left were found on the farm. Most adults spent time on the farm, either as guards or as workers, but very few children ever set foot outside town.

The day after the chick visit, Linda was in the kitchen preparing a sandwich for Pedro when he got home from school. The sound of a fast-approaching pickup truck caught her attention.

She peered through the kitchen window and watched the rooster tail of dust kicked up by the fast moving vehicle. It was Janine. Sam, who was busy at the construction site, also noticed the vehicle. His first thought was of trouble in town.

By the time Janine stopped in a cloud of dust in front of the house, both Sam and Linda came running.

"Pedro has gone missing," Janine said as she jumped out of the truck.

"What?" Linda asked, unable to understand why he would go missing in town where everyone was protected.

Janine waited until Sam and Linda came to a stop. "Reese reported to Frank that three of the kids didn't return to class after the play break. The Commander ordered a search in town, but the boys are nowhere to be found."

Linda's hand flew to her mouth. "Were they abducted?"

Flashbacks of her own abduction raced through her mind.

Sam frowned. "He's a ten year old boy. It is unlikely. He's probably playing somewhere with his friends."

Linda glanced at him, and he noticed the fear in her eyes.

"Let's go," he said, and opened the passenger door of Janine's truck.

On the ride back to town, Linda glanced at Sam with tear-filled eyes. Although Pedro had only been with them for three months, both of them were fond of the boy.

When they stopped in front of the Command Center, a small group of people waited for them. Reese Winters was one of three teachers at the school, and also one of Linda's closest friends.

The slender woman with the short ash-blonde hair was a head shorter than Linda. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I watched them in the playground, but when we returned to class, the three were missing."

"Was he with Preston and Bruce?" Sam asked, referring to Pedro's two friends.

Reese nodded. "Yes, and they're also missing."

Sam turned, stared toward the school and muttered to himself. "What are you up to, Buddy?"

At the bottom of the steps that led into the Command Center, Sam noticed Frank in conversation with a young man. He recognized him as one of the messenger boys.

When Sam approached, Frank turned to him. "Gareth says somebody stole his bicycle."

Sam frowned and turned to Reese. "Does Preston and Bruce have bicycles?"

Reese thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I think so. I've seen them riding a few times around town."

"Is Ray back yet?" Sam asked Frank.

The Commander shook his head. "I don't expect him and Gina back until tomorrow afternoon."

Sam walked back to Janine's truck. "Come, I think I might know what happened to them."

He drove to the southern barricade and stopped outside the checkpoint. "Janine, take a few guys and search that way. Linda and I will check this way. I'm sure we'll find three sets of bicycle tracks here somewhere."

The search the perimeter of town, and three hundred meters from the checkpoint, Sam found the tracks in the dirt. At a point between two lookout stations, there was a dry creek. The boys pushed their bikes to remain out of sight of the guards.

Sam turned to Linda. "Tell the others we found their tracks. Get a truck and come pick me up. I have a good idea where they are headed, but I just need to make sure."

Ten minutes later Janine and Linda pulled up in her pickup truck. Sam found the spot where the boys mounted their bikes and took off in a southerly direction. He stood with his hands on his hips studying the tracks.

Sam walked to the truck shaking his head.

"What is it?" Linda asked.

Sam had a slight smile on his lips. "I know where they went."

Chapter 5

Sam drove to the top of the small rise from where they observed the shiny alien object. Carl Burns and his squad were on duty.

"What brings you out here?" Carl asked as Sam exited the vehicle.

"Pedro and his two friends went missing. I suspect they embarked on an adventure to come see the shiny object. Have you seen them around?" Sam asked as he scanned the area.

Carl shook his head. "No, I haven't. Everything's been quiet here all day."

Sam surveyed the area. Most of it was wide open with few hiding places. Three hundred meters from their position was a small clump of rocks.

"That looks like the most likely hiding place," Sam said.

Sam pointed the rocks out to Janine, and jumped on the back of the truck. When she stopped at the rocks, Sam got down. He walked around to the back and spotted the bicycle tracks.

"They were here," Sam called out to Linda and Janine.

Nathan and Edward provided escort to the search party, and they stepped from their vehicles.

"What was Pedro thinking? He knows how dangerous it is outside of town," Linda said.

"You should be happy about this," Nathan said.

She glared at him. "How do you come to that conclusion?"

Nathan smiled. "After what he's been through in that prison, it's good to see he acts like a normal ten year-old boy. This is the kind of stuff Ed and I pulled all the time."

Linda shook her head, and her voice was sad. "You grew up in a different time."

Sam didn't pay attention to the conversation. His eyes were fixed on the tracks. Three pairs of bicycle tracks and footprints were visible in the soft sand. He crouched down on one knee and touched one of the footprints.

"What's wrong?" Janine asked.

Sam pointed at the tracks. "The wind is already starting to cover these tracks, which means they are a few hours old. If the boys left here a couple of hours ago, they should've been back in town already."

He followed the progress of the bicycle tracks with his eyes. "I'm going after the tracks on foot. Follow me in the truck."

Sam set off on a brisk walk with his rifle slung over his shoulder. The terrain was quite flat, but the area was littered with the remains of burnt-down tree stumps. Janine, in the lead pickup truck, had to navigate the obstacles while Linda kept an eye on Sam's progress, and relayed it to her sister.

After he followed the tracks for two kilometers, Sam stopped. The dirt was scuffed and a few drops of blood were visible.

"What's wrong?" Janine called from the truck.

Sam removed his hat and wiped the sweat away with the back of his hand. "One of the boys hit a rock and took a tumble."

Linda jumped out of the truck and ran to the spot. She saw the drops of blood and her hand flew to her mouth. "Was it Pedro?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't think it was too serious. Although that bicycle was damaged, all three walked away from here."

A kilometer further, Sam stopped on top of a slight raise. In the distance he spotted movement. The three boys were pushing their bikes in the direction of town.

Sam ran to the truck and scooted into the passenger seat next to Linda. "I saw them. They're okay."

Linda sighed. Janine followed Sam's directions, and five minutes later the boys jerked their heads around when they heard the vehicles. The relief in their eyes soon turned to concern when Sam stepped out of the truck.

The front wheel of Preston's bike was buckled from where he struck a rock. His knees and elbows were scraped as the result of his fall. All three boys stared at Sam with big round eyes.

When Pedro spotted Linda as she stepped from the vehicle, he dropped the bicycle and ran to her. "Mommy!" he said, and flung his arms around her neck.

His words caught her by surprise. Up to that point, he called her, Linda. She held him tight in her arms for a moment, and then she put him down.

She held Pedro at arm's length. "What were you boys thinking? You know how dangerous it is out here."

Pedro hung his head. "Preston and Bruce wanted to see the alien spaceship."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "So you stole another boy's bicycle?"

Preston and Bruce answered together. "We only borrowed it!"

Sam stared at them, but the boys couldn't look him in the eye. Their eyes were fixed on the ground, and Preston kicked at a small rock by his feet.

Sam pointed toward the truck. "Load your bicycles on the truck. We can talk about this back in town."

The three boys lifted their bikes onto the truck before they climbed onto the back. They exchanged glances as the truck headed to town. Their adventure came to a disappointing end.

When Janine stopped the truck in front of the Command Center, Preston and Bruce's parents came running. They hugged their children for a moment before the flood of reprimands started.

Sam decided to intervene. "I'm not done with them yet. Boys, follow me."

He didn't wait for an answer and started to climb the steps. At the top, Sam turned around. "I only want to see the boys, parents wait outside."

Linda made for the steps, but Sam placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "That includes you."

She stopped and stared at Sam with a confused look, but wasn't about to argue. Linda sighed and waited at the bottom of the steps with the other worried looking parents.

Frank was behind his desk when Sam entered. Sam gave him a quick rundown of what happened.

Frank glanced at the boys. "What do you intend to do to them?"

Sam sighed. He admired their bravery, but knew he had to set an example.

He took a seat on the corner of the desk, and looked at the three boys who stood in a line next to each other. They had their hands clasped in front of them, and stared at the floor.

"Boys, do you understand why you can't leave town without an escort?" Sam asked.

All three boys nodded, and it was Preston who spoke. "Because of the raiders who could hurt us, but my dad said there are no more raiders in this area. We just wanted to have a look at the alien spaceship."

Sam had to suppress a smile. "I understand, but the rule is that nobody leaves town without an escort. Not even me. If you wanted to go see the spaceship that bad, you should've talked to me or the Commander. We would've organized an escort for you."

Bruce lifted his head. "Really?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, really. If any citizen of this town goes outside the barricades without an escort, they will be punished. You not only risk your own lives, but also the lives of everybody else."

Sam paused for a moment and glanced at Frank. "For your punishment, you will come out to the farm tomorrow after school, and the three of you will clean out the cow shed."

The boys looked at each other, and then Bruce pulled a sour face. "Eeewww, cow pooh!"

Sam glanced at Frank, who hid a smile behind his hand. "Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow. Now take Preston to the hospital so Doc can have a look at those wounds."

Sam watched the three boys hurry out the door before he turned to Frank. "By now, every child in White River knows about the alien object. Most of the adults have seen it through guard duty, but the kids are confined to town. I think it's time we organize a road trip for them before anyone else attempt their own adventure."

Frank nodded. "I'll organize it with their teachers."

He paused for a moment, rubbing the stubble on his chin. "Sam, we're treating this thing like it's a tourist attraction. After the events in Hot Springs, we know how dangerous these things are. What worries me is that we still have no idea what the hell they're doing here."

Sam nodded. "I agree, and have given it some thought. We need to try and establish contact with them. I want to go out there and re-examine that object. Maybe there's a way we can talk to them and find out what they're doing here."

"That's a good idea," Frank said. "Take Nick and Jake with you."

Sam shook his head. "They can ride escort to the base camp, but I want to visit the object alone. I have a hunch that I'll have more luck if I'm alone."

Frank frowned, not liking the idea of Sam by himself at the object, but he trusted Sam's hunches. "Okay, but be careful. At the first sign of trouble, get out of there."

Sam glanced through the window. "It's already late in the day. I'll go out there first thing in the morning."

"Nick and Jake will come fetch you on the farm. I'll meet you at the base camp. This is something I want to see," Frank said.

Back on the farm, when Sam informed Linda of his plan, she stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Why do you always put your own life in danger for this town?"

Sam cupped her face in his hands and planted a gentle kiss. "I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing it for you. Frank's right. We have no idea what's the purpose of these objects. For all we know, it's the first step of an invasion. Although I don't think they mean us any harm, I'll sleep better if I know for sure."

Early the next morning, after Linda saw Pedro off to school, she was dressed and ready to go.

Sam lifted an eyebrow where he sat at the kitchen table when she walked in.

Linda held a finger in the air. "Don't even think of going out there without me."

Sam laughed. "I wouldn't, but I'll have to leave you behind at the base camp. This is something I have to do alone."

For a moment Linda looked like she wanted to argue, but then she sighed. "Okay, at least I can keep an eye on you from there."

Linda shook her head.

"What?" Sam asked.

She shrugged. "This is all so weird. It's not that long ago that I didn't even believe in aliens. Now the man I love wants to go talk to them."

Sam smiled. "This sure is a strange world."

Nick and Jake arrived with the bus that brought the workers for the day. Sam decided to take his own truck, and followed Nick's pickup out of the yard.

It was still early in the day, and the wind had not yet pick up speed. With improved visibility, they spotted the shiny object from far away. Sunlight glinted off the metallic structure, and it looked surreal against the barren surroundings.

"Why does it look more menacing today?" Linda asked.

Sam glanced at her, but didn't answer. The expectation of what he might find had butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. It was not a feeling of fear, but rather anticipation. Despite what he saw in Hot Springs, he still had a feeling that whatever these strange objects were, it meant them no harm.

Chester Fellows and his squad were on duty at the base camp. He had a curious look when the convoy came to a halt behind the army tent.

"Is there something we should be worrying about?" he asked.

Nick slapped him on the shoulder. "Relax. Sam wants a word with the aliens."

Chester frowned. "Oh."

Sam stepped out of the truck and peered at the shiny structure. Sunlight streamed off its surface in all directions.

Linda grabbed his arm and turned him around. "Sam, please be careful down there. You've seen what these things are capable of doing."

Sam waved his empty hands in the air. "I'm not taking any weapons, but don't worry, honey. I'll be careful."

"Someone's coming," Jake said and pointed to a fast approaching trail of dust.

"Must be Frank," Sam said. "He wants to be here."

When Nathan and Edward's vehicles stopped, Frank stepped from Nathan's truck.

He walked over to Sam. "Are you ready?"

Sam nodded, and then hugged Linda. "I'll be back in a moment," he whispered.

She held on tight. "You better be."

When he let her go, she was close to tears. Without another word, he turned and started his walk down the slope.

"Sam, remember, at the first sign of trouble, get out of there," Frank called after him.

Sam lifted his right hand in acknowledgement, but continued walking. Sam walked up to the structure and approached one of the three legs. From the rise, Linda and the rest watched him as he cut a lonely moving figure against the still landscape.

When he reached the structure, Sam walked around the base. Each leg was twenty meters across, and towered into the sky where it formed a seamless connection with the saucer-like section at the top.

Sam touched the metal. Although cold to the touch, the surface felt like velvet. He ran a finger across the surface.

"Not a trace of dust," he mumbled to himself.

He moved to the middle space between the three legs and looked up toward the top. In the shade of object, he could feel the cold air radiating from the structure, and a chill ran down his spine.

Sam cupped his hands over mouth. "Hello?"

His voice sounded hollow and disappeared into the emptiness around him. He waited a few moments, and when nothing happened, he approached one of the legs.

Using his knuckle, he knocked on the structure. "Is anybody home?"

Again, no reply. Sam lifted his hat and scratched his head. A sudden thought struck him. He stepped forward and placed both his hands with his palms down against the structure.

His voice was barely a whisper. "I just want to talk. I mean you no harm."

He heard a soft shoop sound to his right. An opening, the size of a door, appeared to his right. He took a step toward the opening and peered inside, but could see nothing against the black backdrop.

Sam glanced back toward the base camp. The line of people watched him. Frank and Linda had binoculars trained on him, but from their angle they were not able to see the open doorway.

He lifted his left hand and gave a slight wave. Turning his attention back to the object, he took a deep breath, and then stepped into the dark opening.

Chapter 6

Standing just inside the doorway, Sam looked ahead, but everything was pitch-black. Behind him, the opening still remained, but none of the light from outside filtered inside. He stretched out his arms ahead of him, and when he didn't touch anything, he took two slow steps forward.

Sam glanced backward, and his heart jumped. The doorway disappeared. All around him there was nothing but darkness. A sense of panic welled up inside him.

"Hello?" he said. His voice sounded hollow and flat. He expected it to echo, if it was an empty room, but it didn't bounce off anything. In the darkness he had total sensory loss. He couldn't see, hear, smell, or touch anything.

He was about to turn and look for the exit, when a ring of light formed against the wall. It was a narrow band of light that circumvented the empty room and provided bright illumination.

The walls and the floor were made from the same shiny metallic compound as the outside of the object. Sam bent on one knee and touched the floor. It had the same velvet feel to his touch. He stood erect and tilted his head upward. There was no sign of a ceiling. The room stretched upward until it disappeared high above into a dark void.

Sam cupped his hands to his mouth. "Hello, is anybody up there?"

When he received no reply, he looked around the empty room. There was no sign of stairs, or a door to another room.

The next moment Sam took a step back. The voice took him by surprise. "Greetings, son of Arora."

The mechanical sounding voice was all around him. It vibrated through his ears in stereo. Sam was unable to tell if the voice was in his mind, or if he heard it from above. The sound made him feel small, yet, it had a strange familiarity.

"Eh, do you know me? Do you know who I am?" Sam asked, but there was no reply.

"Who are you?" Sam asked again.

"We are known to your kind as the keepers," the voice replied.

Sam frowned. "The keepers? The keepers of what?"

There was a slight pause before the voice replied. "The keepers of planets."

Sam scratched the side of his face. "Okay, so what are you doing here? Did you come to kill the humans on this planet?"

The voice continued in the same flat tone, expressing no emotion. "The humans on this planet always did a good job of killing themselves. They don't need any help from us. If they didn't change their ways, they would have ended destroying themselves, but the planet would had survived, and life would had flourished again. Lucky for them their star intervened and saved the human race."

Sam still didn't understand. "So what now? You are here to finish us off?"

"Son of Arora, we are not here to harm the humans. We are here to save the planet, and all life on it. Our mission is one of peace," the voice said.

Sam thought of the scenes at Hot Springs. "Yet, you didn't hesitate to kill humans."

There was no change in the voice. "Our warriors are trained to protect the conduits."

This confirmed Sam's suspicion that the objects were interlinked. The voice knew about the attack at Hot Springs, and probably everywhere else in the world.

Sam's voice was filled with anger. "Our weapons don't have any effect on these structures, or your warriors. Why use such force against us?"

"Correct, your conventional weapons are useless, but humans are resourceful. It will only be a matter of time before they find something that can harm the warriors and the conduits. Owing to your warning, the majority of the attacks had ceased, and for that we are grateful."

This news took Sam by surprised. The shiny warriors and the objects were not indestructible. They could be destroyed.

Sam shook his head. "I don't understand. We survived the plasma wave without too much damage. Apart from the lack of water, what further threat is there?"

Once again, the voice paused, as if it contemplated whether to share the information. "The star in this solar system had become unstable. If we don't act soon, this planet will be destroyed. It is one of only eight planets in this galaxy that supports life, and we have been tasked to protect these planets and preserve its lives."

Sam frowned. This confirmed his feeling that something bad was still to come. "The threat against this planet, is it worse than the plasma wave, or the current drought?"

The voice didn't hesitate. "It will be much worse. The intensity of the continuing solar activity is about to increase. It will rip the planet's protective shield apart, and will turn it into a wasteland devoid of any life, like what happened to its neighbor a few million years ago. But, you know this, son of Arora. All this information was shared with you."

Sam stared up into the black void. "That may be so, but something happened about a year ago and I lost my memory. I can't remember anything that happened before that."

"That is unfortunate, but you managed to warn the humans against the plasma wave?" the voice asked.

Sam nodded. "Yes, I managed to recall how it was explained to me, but I can't remember by whom, or where."

He paused for a moment. "Do you know who I am and where I came from? Do you know what happened to me?"

The voice didn't reply. Sam threw his hands in the air. He was so close to learning about his past. These creatures knew who he was. They shared information with him before he lost his memory.

"You know who I am, don't you? Why don't you want to tell me?" Sam asked.

"Son of Arora, this is not the time to reunite you with your memories. You have to leave now. The humans outside are about to launch an attack on this conduit," the voice replied.

Sam was about to argue, but then the meaning of the words struck him. "Wait, what? Why would they want to attack this structure? I told them I came here to talk to you. They have no reason to attack."

There was no reply from the voice. Behind him, Sam heard a soft shoop as the doorway appeared. He swore under his breath as he turned toward the opening. He had so many questions that demanded answers. The aliens possessed the answers, but he was out of time.

Why would Frank want to attack the structure? The aliens were no threat. There wasn't even any sign of the alien warriors. Sam glanced back into the room, but the lights had disappeared and the inside was as black as night.

Sam stepped through the opening into the bright sunlight. Inside the object it was cold. He didn't realize how cold until he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. Stepping around the base of the structure, he peered toward the hill where Linda and the rest were waiting.

Sam drew in a sharp breath. "Frank, what the hell are you up to?"

The top of the hill was lined with seventeen, fully armed M1A1 Abrams tanks. Between the tanks, he noticed the four Humvees. Even from that distance, he could hear the roar of the engines. The voice wasn't lying. Frank and the rest were about to attack.

Sam ran forward and waved his arms. "Stop! What the hell are you doing?" He yelled at the top of his voice, but they couldn't hear over the noise of the vehicles.

From the top of a Humvee, Ray pointed toward the object. "Commander, look. It's Sam!"

Frank swung around and looked at the figure that waved his arms, running toward them.

He turned toward the fleet. "Cut the engines!"

A moment later, silence fell over the force. Sam's voice could be heard as he ran up the hill. "For the love of Arora, what the hell are you doing?"

Linda appeared from the tent and ran to meet him. She jumped into his arms, almost knocking him from his feet. "Oh, Sam. Thank goodness. I was so worried."

For a moment, Sam held her tight. Despite the heat, her body was trembling in his arms.

He kissed the top of her head. "I am alright. Nothing serious happened."

She swallowed a sob. "We saw you enter the thing, but when you didn't come out, I expected the worst."

Sam held her at arm's length, and glanced toward the vehicles. "How did Frank manage to get the tanks here so fast?"

Linda frowned. "Sam, we waited and waited, but when you didn't come out, Frank called everyone together. We all decided the best course of action was to attack. We figured at best, you were held hostage. I refused to believe that you were dead."

Confusion played on Sam's face. There was no way they could organize an attack in the short amount of time he was inside the structure. They must've planned this in advance.

Sam's eyes turned to anger. "How long have they been planning this attack?"

Linda took a step back, surprised by the anger in his voice. "We took the decision last night. Sam, this was for you. We came to rescue you. Why are you upset?"

Sam's eyes turned to confusion again. "Linda, I was only inside the object for about twenty minutes. Why would you start to panic after such a short period of time?"

She laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Sam, you were gone for two days."

Sam shook his head. "What? No, that can't be. I was in there for twenty minutes, maybe half an hour at most."

He looked at the tanks that were lined up in a row on the crest of the hill. Sam also realized more than half of all the squads were present. When he entered the object, there were only three squads. Even if they rushed to town, they still couldn't get all the tanks out there that fast.

If he left just five minutes later it would've been too late, and a lot of his friends could've died in the attack. A feeling of guilt ran through him. These people were willing to risk their own lives to save him. Of course, Nick and Jake would argue that he did the same on more than one occasion, but it was hard for him to accept now that the roles were reversed.

Sam saw it, but had a hard time believing. Linda wouldn't lie to him. If she said he was gone for two days, then it was two days, but he found the information difficult to process.

They walked up the hill hand-in-hand. Sam glanced down at Linda and noticed the worry lines around her eyes. The time he was gone took its toll on her.

He pulled her against him. "I'm so sorry, honey. I had no idea. Time must work differently inside the object."

Linda sighed and leaned her head against his arm. "I'm just glad that you're safe. We all expected the worst. Did you learn something?"

Sam nodded. "Yes I did."

Before Sam could say another word, Nick, Jake, and the others rushed forward to greet him.

Nick slapped him on the shoulder. "Good to see you are alive and well. We thought the aliens abducted you."

Jake looked concerned. "Did they probe you?"

Sam jerked his head around. "What? No!"

When he noticed a slight smile form on Jake's lips, he turned to Nick. "I should have a chat with my new friends. Maybe they can organize something for you two."

Nick held up both his hands. "No, we're good."

Linda shook her head. "No, please don't. These two-day chats are not good for my nerves."

Frank stood between two tanks with his hands on his hips. "Did you at least get some information out of them?"

Sam glanced around. All the people, unable to contain their curiosity, formed a circle around him. "Yes, they told me why they're here."

He wanted to wait until they were back in town, but he saw the people's curiosity couldn't wait that long. He shared the details of his trip inside the object, describing every little detail, and relayed his conversation with the mysterious voice.

When he was done, every face stared at him with a look of confusion. They faced many enemies before, but how do you fight something you couldn't see?

Jake had a wide smile on his face. "So, son of Arora, huh?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Really? After all I just said, and that is what you take from it?"

Jake shrugged. "What can I say? My brain is a filter. It only lets the important stuff through."

Linda snorted. "These clowns sure have a different idea of what's important." She tried, but couldn't hide her smile. Everybody was relieved that the tension of the last two days was broken.

Frank ignored the banter. "Do you think we can trust these things?"

Sam shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I don't think they have a reason to lie. If you look at everything that happened so far, it all makes sense."

Frank sighed. "I'm glad this makes sense to you, but if all that is true, then they are our only hope for survival."

Nick frowned. "So, by their own admission, they are not indestructible. If someone is determined enough, they will find something that can cause them hurt. We'll have to do whatever we can to protect them."

Sam agreed. He glanced at Ray and Gina. "When did you get back?"

"We arrived yesterday afternoon, only to learn that you disappeared into the spaceship," Ray said.

Sam laughed. "It's not a spaceship. It's a conduit. Anyway, are you two up for another trip to Chicago? We have to inform General Sheppard of the latest development. He's better equipped to advise how we should deal with the threat against the Keepers."

He looked at Gina. "How did he take the news about the aliens?"

Gina chuckled. "He didn't take it well. He has a hard time wrapping his brain around the concept of extraterrestrials, but he trusts you, and will heed your advice."

Sam nodded. "That's good to hear, because we're going to need his influence to convince the rest of the world that the Keepers are here to help."

Chapter 7

As soon as the darkness of night subsided enough, they left White River. Edward and Nathan joined Nick and Jake to provide escort. Sam chose to drive his own double cab truck. Pedro sat on the back seat sandwiched between Ray and Gina.

The road to Chicago was well travelled the last two weeks. The wind had not yet replaced the sand on the asphalt surface that was dispersed by the previous vehicles' tires, and it enabled them to make good time.

Ray and Gina filled them in on the happenings around Chicago. Like everywhere else, the appearance of the alien objects caused consternation and panic. General Sheppard's first reaction was to attack them before they could attack the city.

They arrived just in time to stop a catastrophe. It took some convincing, but the general believed his goddaughter, and called off his troops. He then used the limited communication at his disposal to inform other military leaders to spread the word about the keepers.

The trip to Chicago was a long drive, and although they didn't have to worry about speed limits, Sam still had to watch his speed. Due to the dirt, the road was still treacherous and slippery in places.

After things were quiet on the back seat for a while, Linda glanced backward. Pedro fell asleep leaning against Gina's shoulder. Ray's right arm stretched across the top of the seat, and his hand rested on her shoulder.

It came as no surprise when the two hooked up. Ray had a crush on her since the first moment he laid eyes on her. When he risked his own life to save hers during the attack on White River, it strengthened their relationship.

Linda stared out of the window, watching the landscape flash past the moving vehicle. Before their parents' accident, Janine and she took frequent trips all over the country with them. The beauty from one state to the next always fascinated her.

Since the drought, all that disappeared. Now it was all the same, a barren landscape with nothing but sand and scattered rocks. Once dense, forest-like areas were reduced to ashes, and only a few charred stumps remained.

It was late afternoon when they reached the military checkpoint at Champaign. The soldier on duty had seen them before.

"You guys spending the night here?" he asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, we have some urgent news for General Sheppard. There's still enough sunlight to make Chicago before nightfall."

As they approached the outlines of the city, they noticed the shiny object in the distance. Although there were hundreds of buildings in the city taller than the alien structure, the shiny metallic construction stood out against the city backdrop as the rays of the setting sun bounced off its metallic surface.

On the way to Chicago, they passed four other objects, but only saw them from a distance. This one they passed within a few hundred meters. It was, like all the others, identical to their own object in White River.

When they pulled into the parking lot at the military headquarters, General Sheppard stood at the entrance of the red brick building, waiting. Word reached him from Champaign that visitors were on their way with important news.

General Sheppard, a man in his early fifties, had short gray hair and a lean, muscled build. His piercing light-blue eyes looked worried.

Gina ran forward and gave her godfather a hug.

"We see you so much these days, it's like you never left," he said in his deep drawl.

She laughed. "I use every opportunity I get to visit because I never know when I'll be able to make it next."

Hearing her laugh relaxed the muscles along his square jaw line. Linda greeted him with a hug and he exchanged handshakes with Sam and Ray.

He ruffled Pedro's hair. "You grow taller every time I see you."

Pedro smiled, but it was forced. The general was Sam's friend, and he knew he could trust him, but his experience with the general in Alexandria that killed his parents, made him leery of men in uniform.

General Ty Sheppard turned to Sam. "What brings you to Chicago?"

Sam glanced in the direction he last saw the object, but it was obscured by the city buildings. "Ty, I found more about our visitors and the purpose for their visit."

The military man frowned. "Well, let's get you folks out of this heat. We can talk in my office."

His office was located on the top floor of the six-story building, and they took the elevator. Sam and Linda glanced at each other with a nervous look in their eyes. They both felt trapped inside. On the outskirts of the city was a power station. General Sheppard kept it running to provide the city with power.

They almost lost it with the plasma wave, but thanks to Sam's warning, it was saved.

Once they were all seated in the air-conditioned office, General Sheppard took a seat on the edge of his desk. "So what's this important news?"

Sam removed his hat and placed it on his lap. "Knowing the aliens won't fire if we don't shoot at them is a comfort, but not knowing their purpose still made me worry."

General Sheppard nodded his agreement but didn't interrupt.

Sam scratched the side of his face. "I decided to try and make contact."

He paused, studying the general's reaction, but there was none. "They let me inside, and I got to talk with them."

That got a reaction. Shock washed over the general's face. "What? How?"

In great detail, Sam told the story of his trip inside the conduit and his conversation with the mysterious voice. The general listened to every word, his mouth hanging open. When Sam finished, the military man stared at him for a moment, processing the new information.

General Sheppard frowned. "Do you believe them?"

Sam shrugged. "I have no reason not to. Besides, if what they say is true, the human race is in serious trouble."

The general walked to the window and stared out into the distance. When he turned around, he looked at Sam. "Our weapons are useless against them. Why are they worried?"

Sam glanced at Linda before he answered. "You'll probably know this better than me, but I've been told we humans have a knack for finding ways to destroy everything. The keepers are also of the opinion that it's only a matter of time before we find something that can hurt them."

General Sheppard sighed. "As sad is it may sound, it's true. We're better at destroying things than preserving them. I'll get on the radio and spread the word. It might take a few days, but the news will soon get around the globe. For the most part, I don't miss the technology, but in instances like these, social media would have been very helpful."

Sam shrugged. "I can't remember, so it doesn't bother me."

The general walked toward the door, but stopped and turned. "I take it you'll be spending the night in Chicago?"

Sam nodded. "We're heading back to White River first thing in the morning."

General Sheppard called one of his aides. "Ensure they have a place to sleep tonight."

The young man jumped to attention. "Yes, sir!"

The aide organized sleeping quarters for their group on the first floor of the same building. Before they went to sleep on the provided cots, they had a meal of barley-bread sandwiches with tomato and lettuce, supplied by Andy.

It was still dark outside when the same aide woke Sam with a gentle shake of his shoulder. The aide jumped back when Sam grabbed for his rifle. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but General Sheppard needs to see you. He says it's urgent."

Sam lay the rifle down and stifled a yawn. "What time is it?"

The aide glanced at his wristwatch. "It's just after three, sir."

Sam frowned and wondered what could be so urgent. "I'll be there in a minute."

Five minutes later, he was dressed and walked into the general's office.

The general pointed at one of the empty chairs. "I informed everybody I could reach within our limited range about your friends and their mission. The others would spread the word further."

Sam nodded. "That's great, so what's the problem?"

General Sheppard stared at Sam for a moment. The man from White River was direct and to the point. He liked that. "I send the message after midnight, because that's when radio reception is at its best. Still, the furthest our radio can reach, is Cleveland. The man in charge there is General Arnie Hammond. He's an old friend. It took some convincing, but he now believes and promised he would spread the message."

Sam didn't move his eyes from the general's face. "That is good news, but I'm sure you didn't wake me up at three o'clock in the morning to tell me that."

The general sighed. "No, we have somewhat of a problem. Do you know where Kentucky is?"

"I have an idea. On our first trip here, Linda pointed at a place where there's a dry river. She said Kentucky is on the other side of that," Sam said.

General Sheppard nodded. "Yes, that would be Kentucky. There's something you have to understand about Kentuckians. Even before the drought, most of them had a wild streak. When law and order failed, they were quick to implement their own kind of law, which is found at the end of a gun barrel."

He took a sip from a water bottle on his table before he continued. "There is a big army base down there called Fort Campbell. When the military pulled out, the citizens were quick to seize the base. Word is they're still there, and they vowed to find a way to destroy these alien objects."

Sam frowned. "Are they really that dangerous?"

The general nodded. "They're just crazy enough to come up with something that could hurt your new friends."

Sam rubbed a hand over his spiky hair. "Do you know anything about this base?"

General Sheppard shook his head. "I've been there a few times, but never stayed long. You are fortunate though that you have three guys in your outfit that knows it well. Nick, Jake and Terry were stationed there."

Well aware that the trio was in the Special Forces, Sam had never asked them where they were stationed. Having no memory and knowledge of the rest of the country, it wouldn't have helped if they did tell him. They only shared some of their stories.

Both men sat in silence for a moment before Sam spoke again. "We have to protect these conduits. I suspect they're all interlinked. Destroying only a few might prevent them from forming the protective shield, which would mean the end of all life on Earth."

General Sheppard's eyes flickered with concern. "Did they tell you they're going to form a shield?"

Sam hesitated for a moment. "Eh, no, not in so many words. From the way they are positioned, I assume that's what they will do."

The general nodded. "That's a logical assumption."

He rubbed his chin, thinking. "It appears these things..."

"Conduits," Sam interrupted.

General Sheppard shrugged. "Okay, these conduits are spaced about a hundred kilometers apart. That means in the vicinity of Fort Campbell, there are at least twelve in direct striking distance, even more if they spread their net wider. That can leave a big hole in the shield, if it would work at all with so many conduits damaged or destroyed."

General Sheppard frowned before he continued. "That's a big area we have to cover, and too many conduits to protect. We need to find a way to communicate with them. If they're interlinked, they can share the movements of an attacking force against them, and let us know what's happening."

Sam held up the index finger of his right hand. "We have a small problem. In order to talk to them, I have to go inside. I don't think we can afford to lose two days every time I visit them. Ty, we have to find another way to talk to them."

General Sheppard had a slight smile. Sam and Linda were the only people he knew that called him by his first name. Even his goddaughter addressed him as, "General."

He shrugged. "I'm open to suggestions."

Sam stared through the open window. It was still dark, but unlike in White River where they kept things dark at night not to attract any unwanted visitors, the city was lit up at night. It did give them some sense of normalcy.

After a while he sighed. "I suppose there's only one way to find out. Is the conduit we saw on our way in the closest?"

The general nodded.

"As soon as it is light enough, I'll take a drive out there," Sam said.

Sam went back to his cot and stretched out on the makeshift bed. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He had his hands folded behind his head and stared at the ceiling, mulling over the conversation he had with the general.

Once again their existence was threatened. Although the Kentuckians were not planning a direct assault on White River, their actions were a threat to every single life form on the planet, and had to be stopped.

Like the evil general from Alexandria, the people at Fort Campbell would not listen to reason, and he would risk his life again to protect that which was most dear to him. Sam glanced at Linda were she was sleeping on the cot next to his.

Pedro had his own cot next to hers, and moved it up to be close to Linda. Sleeping in that unfamiliar place frightened him, and he wanted to be close to her. Sam sighed. He could not remember if he had any other family, but Linda and Pedro was his family, and he was willing to die trying to protect them.

Ever since he realized his feelings for Linda, everything Sam did was with her in mind. When she was abducted, it felt like his tether to this world was cut.

Sam glanced at the window. Outside the sky showed signs of the approaching day. It was time they started to work on a new plan. Sam woke the others, and when they saw his face, they knew something was wrong.

"Sam, what happened?" Linda asked.

He held up a hand. "Let me see if I can get us some coffee, then I'll tell you all what's going on."

Ten minutes later, all twenty-four people in their group formed a circle around Sam with a cup of coffee in hand, and listened to him relaying what he heard from the general.

Chapter 8

Linda was the first to react when Sam finished his story. "What the hell are those people thinking? Don't they realize the danger they're causing?"

Nick growled. "Most of those hillbillies are incapable of thought."

"A lot of them think they were abducted by aliens at one point or another. They probably see this as an opportunity for payback," Jake said.

Gina looked at Jake with a look of disbelief. "You're kidding."

Jake shook his head. "I wish I was, but that's the sad truth. Nick, Terry, and me were stationed at Fort Campbell, and got to know some of the locals quite well. In general, they're good people, but weird as hell."

"What are they still doing there? How are they surviving? Do they have a water source?" Linda asked.

Nick held up his hands. "Hold on. Just because we were stationed there, doesn't mean we have all the answers."

He looked at Jake. "As far as I know there was no spring or anything like that."

Jake was deep in thought. "Remember that story that did the rounds about a secret underground bunker?"

Nick gave a short laugh. "That was an urban legend."

Sam interrupted. "What secret underground bunker?"

Jake glanced sideways at Nick before he answered. "There was this rumor among the soldiers, that at the start of the cold war with the Soviet Union, the military brass ordered a fallout bunker build under the base in case of a nuclear attack. The story was that they constructed an underground structure that could house as much as five thousand people for up to five years or more."

"Fully sustainable?" Sam asked.

Jake nodded. "Yes, seeing that the people would be locked underground for the duration of their stay, it had to be."

The news was worrisome. At the initial news from the general, Sam thought there was a handful of people to deal with, but if there was as much as five thousand people holed up in a bunker at Fort Campbell, that could pose more than a serious threat.

Nick rubbed his chin. "Terry, Jake, and I spent a large portion of our free time in that base searching for this bunker, but we never managed to find it. Eventually we wrote it off as an urban legend."

Sam processed the information, mulling it over in his mind. "There's only one way to find out for sure what's going on there."

He shifts his attention to Ray. "You're going to have to do some snooping around."

Gina interrupted. "What? You sending him out there all alone?"

Sam noted the concern in her voice. "Of course not. Nick and Jake will provide escort, but will wait out of sight while Ray does his snooping."

Gina wanted to protest, but Ray laid a reassuring hand on her arm. "Believe me, I am better at this on my own. Besides, these two are as sneaky as a herd of buffalo. I don't want to get caught, so I'm better off alone."

Ray flashed Nick and Jake a grin when they glared at him.

Sam ignored the banter. "I'll ask the general if he can supply you with extra food. We'll delay our trip back to White River until you return. We need to know what's going on there before we make any decisions on how to tackle this situation."

Sam paused for a moment and looked in turn at Ray, Nick, and Jake. "Don't be heroes. At the first sign of trouble, you get out of there. Remember, this is a reconnaissance scout, nothing more."

"Can I at least accompany the escort?" Gina asked.

Sam agreed, knowing Gina was capable of handling herself in any situation.

While Nick, Jake and the rest prepared for their trip, Sam went back to the general's office. He informed him of their plan.

"Do you have some food you can spare?" Sam asked.

The general nodded, called his aide, and arranged for a week's worth of military field rations. General Ty Sheppard once served as Nick and Jake's commanding officer, and trusted their skill. Of course, he was not happy that his goddaughter would accompany them, but he knew trying to prevent her from going would be futile.

When the aide handed the rations to Nick and Jake, they glanced at each other in disgust.

"I never thought I would see another military field ration ever again," Nick growled.

"Shall I take them back?" the aide asked, his face a picture of innocence.

Jake growled at him and grabbed one of the boxes.

Half an hour later, Sam, Linda, and the general stood in the parking lot and watched the convoy leave.

"What are you planning to do while you wait for their return?"General Sheppard asked.

Sam glanced in the direction of the alien object. "I think before we make any further plans, I need to have a word with our alien friends."

General Sheppard was curious and offered to drive Sam to the alien object. The outskirts of the city were lined with temporary housing. Tents, caravans and RVs were parked on designated marked off areas, and the informal settlement formed a sea of dwellings against the backdrop of the city.

The nearest conduit was less than a kilometer from the last line of temporary housing. When it first appeared, the people closest to it went into a panic, but once word reached them that the aliens meant them no harm, things settled down.

The general stopped the Humvee two hundred meters from the shiny object.

Sam glanced at Linda. "I have no idea how long this will take."

She placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "I'll wait here no matter how long it takes."

He frowned. "Maybe I can find another way to talk to them without entering the conduit."

With Linda and General Sheppard watching from the vehicle, Sam approached the alien object. Like before, he stopped at one of the legs, and placed both his hands against the metal.

"I need to talk to you," he said out aloud.

At once an opening appeared to his right. He stuck his head through the opening, but didn't step inside.

"Can I talk to you from out here? If I step inside the conduit I seem to lose time with the world outside," Sam said.

"Greetings, son of Arora. Yes, the time lapse inside the conduit is different. You can speak from where you stand," the same mechanical voice from before answered.

Sam turned to the waiting vehicle, and gave a thumbs-up to Linda. They noticed when the opening appeared, and saw Sam didn't enter.

"He must be trying to communicate from the outside," Linda remarked.

Sam turned his head and talked through the open doorway. None of the light from outside filtered into the object, and the inside remained dark.The cold that emanated from the object was a welcome relieve from the heat.

He explained about the threat from Fort Campbell, and that he enlisted the help from the general to protect the conduits.

"Your help and understanding is appreciated," the voice said.

Sam removed his hat and let the cool air flow through his hair. "The word will spread all around the world about the importance of the conduits. We will do the best we can, but there's a lot of ground to cover, and we don't have the manpower to guard every single conduit. At our previous discussion, you mentioned that the conduits are interlinked. If we can establish a better way of communication, you can inform us where there's trouble, and then we can send the soldiers to protect the conduit that's under attack."

The voice continued without any change in tone. "That is true, we are interlinked. If one of the conduits comes under attack, everyone around the world knows about it."

The voice paused for a moment. "Son of Arora, I can send you one of our warriors. He'll be in constant contact with us."

Sam nodded. "That will be great, but I wish you would stop calling me Son of Arora. I have no idea what it means. My name is Sam."

For a moment, the voice was quiet, and when it spoke again, it was in the same monotone as before. "We knew you under a different name before."

Sam's heart jumped in his chest. "Will you tell me what it was?"

"I am not allowed. It is against our directive," the voice said.

Sam threw his arms in the air. "Well, I have no idea what my name was before, but now it is Sam, not Son of Arora!"

An uncomfortable silence followed Sam's outburst. Several seconds passed before the monotone voice spoke. "Sam, you still speak with the same fire in your voice. Our warrior will join you soon. We have to upload your language so you will be able to communicate."

Sam was still annoyed. "How soon? Ten minutes in there can be a day out here."

He realized his attitude was rude. "Thank you," he said through the open doorway, but received no response.

After five minutes with no further conversation, Sam turned and headed for the vehicle. Linda and General Sheppard watched the animated conversation, and stepped out of the vehicle to get a better view.

"What was that all about?" Linda asked when Sam was in hearing distance.

Sam shook his head. "I'll tell you later."

He turned to the general. "They're giving us one of their warriors who'll be in constant communication with the mother ship."

General Sheppard frowned at the annoyance in Sam's voice, but knew him better than to ask.

He stared at the alien object. The doorway was still open, but there was no movement.

Ty Sheppard was not a man that was known for his patience. "When will he be here?"

Sam shrugged. "I have no idea. They're teaching him English."

Linda jerked her eyes from the object and settled them on Sam. "Are you serious?"

Sam nodded. "Yes. Apparently their warriors can only speak alien, and in order for us to communicate, they have to learn English."

General Sheppard pointed at the alien structure. "He must be a quick study."

A warrior, like the ones they saw in Hot Springs, stepped through the doorway. The sunlight glinted off his shiny exterior. His long strides were rhythmic as he made his way toward the observing party.

The ten-foot tall alien stopped a few meters from them. During the battle in Hot Springs, Sam didn't have time to have a good look at the warriors. Although this one's outward appearance was the same as the other warriors, it was also different.

"I am unit 442 reporting for duty to the human unit called Sam," the alien announced in the same type of monotone voice that Sam heard from inside the object.

The warriors from Hot Springs were faceless beings, but the creature in front of them had two big, round black eyes. In the middle of his face, his nose was a slight bump with two small holes. His thin lips were camouflaged against the backdrop of his shiny, metallic-looking skin, but was noticeable when he spoke.

Sam stepped forward. "I am Sam."

Before they all assumed the warriors were mechanical robots, but now that they had a close-up view of the creature, they could see that it was a living being that had mechanical attachments. The mechanical parts formed an armor around his smooth skin. At the end of his long, thick arms, they noticed the hands, consisting of a palm and three bulky fingers.

Sam noticed the absence of the weapons he observed in Hot Springs, but would bet the wide, thick wrist band around the creatures arm could transfer into a weapon in an instant.

Unit 442 didn't move as the humans took in his unique features.

Linda was the first one that spoke. "Eh, Sam, I don't think he will fit in the Humvee."

Sam and General Sheppard looked at Unit 442's bulky ten-foot frame, and then at the Humvee, and realized Linda was right. Sam glanced back toward the city, but it was too far to walk.

"I'll take the Humvee and will fetch a pickup truck," the general said.

Sam fished in his pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and tossed it to the military man. "You can use my truck. It should be strong enough."

They watched the Humvee sped off toward the city. Sam and Linda were very conscious of the alien's presence.

Unsure on what to do, Sam pointed at Linda. "This is Linda."

Unit 442 tilted his head slightly to the left. "Is she your mate?"

The question took him by surprise, but Sam nodded. "Yes, she is my mate."

When Sam glanced at Linda, he noticed that she was blushing.

She regained her composure, and turned her attention to the alien. "Do you have a mate?"

He looked at her with his big, black eyes. "Yes, I have a mate."

Linda wanted to ask him all kinds of question, but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate, so she kept quiet.

The alien tilted his head toward Sam. "The Sam unit looks puzzled."

Sam jerked his head up and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I was just wondering if there were different kind of warriors in your species. The warriors we saw before looked different."

"You mean they looked like this," the warrior said, and lifted his left arm. With his right hand, he gripped the wristband and twisted.

A visor came down and covered the aliens face, giving him a faceless appearance. At the same time, the wristband seemed to unfold into the weapon, and various other pieces of body armor deployed to cover every surface of the alien's body.

The sudden transformation took them both by surprise, and Sam and Linda jumped backward. At once the alien touched his arm again and the armor, visor, and weapon folded back to their resting place.

"Yes, that's what we saw before. I suppose that answers my question," Sam said.

He smiled at Linda. "That was quite a neat trick. He should show that to Nick and Jake."

Linda laughed. "I want to see that."

Sam and Linda spent the next hour, while waiting for General Sheppard's return, getting better acquainted with their new friend. They found that the alien species were not a talkative race, but Unit 442 would answer general questions.

In turn, Unit 442 found the chatty humans interesting. Unlike his facial features that remained expressionless, the humans displayed their emotions on their faces. The humans were the first race he encountered that he could interact with. It would be an interesting experience for both alien and humans.

Chapter 9

The convoy made good time to the Kentucky state line.The raiders that plagued the area at the beginning of the drought had all moved to the coastal and northern areas. Most of the raiders around the Chicago area were either wiped out by General Sheppard's soldiers, or they moved on to easier targets.

The line of vehicles approached the state line near Metropolis. Nick's truck was in the lead, and he stopped near the bridge on the Illinois side.

Nick turned to Ray, who sat in the passenger seat. "Can you see any trouble?"

Since the scout joined their ranks, they relied on his sharp eyes to spot any sign of trouble in situations like these. Ray stepped from the truck and jumped on the back. First, he observed the road surface across the bridge. A thick layer of sand covered the tarmac, indicating that the road hadn't seen any traffic for some time.

Then he swung his gaze to the opposite side of the bridge. The late-afternoon sun was to his right and not in ideal position. He kept staring at the opposite side, looking for any sign of life. When he couldn't spot anything with the naked eye, he looked through the binoculars that he got from Nick.

After ten minutes, Jake got impatient, got out of his truck at the rear of the convoy, and walked forward.

"What's up?" he asked when he reached the front.

Nick stepped from his truck, but didn't switch off the engine in case they had to make a hasty retreat.

He pointed toward the bridge. "This is a good spot for an ambush. Old eagle-eyes here is scanning the other side for trouble."

Jake glanced at Ray. "Do you see anything?"

Ray shook his head. "No, I don't, but it's more than a kilometer to the other side. It's getting late. I suggest we backtrack to those buildings we noticed a few clicks back. In the morning, I can sneak over the bridge while it's still dark and see what's going on at the other end."

Nick stared over the wide, dry riverbed. Although most of the trees on the other side were destroyed by fire, the remaining charred stumps offered enough of a hiding place if somebody wanted to set up an ambush.

He turned to Jake. "I like Ray's plan. Let's find a place to lay over until morning."

They turned around and headed back the way they came. A couple of kilometers down the road was the off-ramp heading to Metropolis. They took the off-ramp, and then crossed a sandy area before Nick steered his truck into the parking lot of a building that was ransacked, but remained intact.

"Oh goody, I always wanted to stay over at a Holiday Inn," Gina said in a mock teenager voice.

Nick grinned. "I aim to please."

She slipped an arm around Ray. "This can be our honeymoon."

The scout blushed, but he didn't protest.

They found a spot around back to hide the vehicles from view and entered the lobby. The once neat area was now covered in a thick layer of dust, and most of the furniture was smashed. The windows had a lot of broken panes, and somebody took an axe to the once majestic main counter.

"Shall we head upstairs and see if the rooms still have usable beds?" one of the men asked.

Nick shook his head. "No, we'll make do here in the lobby. If everybody's upstairs in their own rooms, it would make security much more difficult. Down here, if there's trouble, we'll all know about."

"So much for our honeymoon," Gina mumbled.

Jake bent down and patted the thick carpet. "This is not so bad. It will make for a comfortable base for your bed."

Without further argument, everyone helped to clear an area in the lobby and spread out their sleeping bags. They wanted to get settled and have something to eat before dark. After sun set no light was allowed. While they had a meal from their field rations, Nick set up the guard roster for the night.

"I'll never again complain about Andy's cooking," Jake said as he picked at the food from the ration pack.The rest of the people didn't share his aversion to the rations, and enjoyed the variety from their normal meals they get from Andy.

While in the Special Forces, Nick and Jake spent a lot of time in the field, and had to live off rations like those for months at a time.

Once the meal was done, the guards took up their positions, and the rest slipped into their sleeping bags for the night.

In their corner near the doorway, Gina snuggled against Ray's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Can I go with you in the morning?"

He stared at her head for a few moments, and then kissed the top of her head. "Sure."

One of the guards on duty woke them at 2 am. In an instant, both Ray and Gina were wide awake. They had everything they needed for the scout trip packed and ready to go. They didn't bother with their bedding in the dark. The squad would take care of it for them.

Nick and Jake waited for them outside. They looked at each other with slight smiles when they noticed that Gina would accompany Ray, but didn't say a word. Both were well aware that she was more than a pretty face.

She grew up under the guidance of her godfather, General Ty Sheppard. In Chicago, Sergeant Gina Alvarez had a reputation as one tough soldier.

"Be careful out there. Have a look around, but if there's any sign of trouble, get back to this side of the bridge. We'll be by the bridge at dawn, ready, and waiting for your signal," Nick said.

Gina nodded and threw a salute. In the Special Forces, Nick attained the rank of captain, while Jake and Terry both made sergeant. After ten years in the military, Gina still had an automatic reaction to a rank higher than hers.

Without another word, Ray and Gina took off toward the bridge. Jake offered to drive them closer, but Ray declined. The sound of an engine would be heard from a long way. They settled into an easy jog, making good time to the bridge.

"Are we going to cross the bridge, or rather go through the dry river?" Gina asked.

Ray thought back to Alexandria and the general that laid a minefield in the riverbed. "Let's stick to the bridge. You never know what they might have hidden in the soft sand of the river."

When they reached the bridge, they took a few moments to control their breathing. From where they crouched behind a fallen tree stump, fifty meters from the bridge, Ray peered through the dark for any sign of human presence.

"Do you see anything?" Gina whispered close to his ear.

Ray turned his head. "No I don't, but that doesn't mean there's nobody there. Let's keep our eyes and ears open."

He adjusted his backpack and touched the huge Bowie knife with the white bone handle at his side. Its presence was a comfort. Gripping the Winchester repeater rifle tighter, Ray approached the bridge.

A few steps behind him, Gina followed, holding her M16 rifle at the ready. Both were thankful that the half moon set long before they left the Holliday Inn. Even a sliver of a moon would have made it easier for them to be spotted on the bridge.

Ray stepped onto the bridge. The tarmac surface of the four-lane road was covered with a thick layer of sand. A meter high wall ran through the middle of the road, dividing it into two lanes on each side.

It was this wall that they used for cover. They moved for twenty meters and crouched behind the wall, then stopped, and observed. Gina followed Ray's lead, trusting his instincts and scouting abilities, but was ready with her rifle to protect him at the first sign of trouble.

Their shoes hardly made a sound on the bridge. Gina was reluctant to give up her military boots for the soft-sole sneakers, but she had to admit, for a scout mission it was more suitable than her boots.

As they approached the opposite end of the bridge, their heart rates increased. If somebody waited in ambush, the open area didn't offer much of a hiding place. The bridge was flat, and it was a long drop to the dry riverbed below.

When they crossed under the second steel archway, Ray made his way to the side of the highway. He peered through the space between the concrete slab and the steel rail on top. There were more dead trees on that side of the river, and it offered a perfect hiding place.

He dashed from one side of the road to the other, observing the woods, searching for any sign of human presence. It remained dead still. Even the wind quieted to a slight breeze. Ray and Gina continued until they reached the end of the bridge. Crouching behind the concrete wall, they observed both sides of the road.

The only sound they heard was that of their own breathing. They were past the line of dry and burnt trees along the riverside. They held that position until dawn. In the distance, on the other side of the bridge, the sound of vehicles led by the two motorcycle riders was audible as Nick, Jake, and the rest of the squad made their way toward the bridge.

"Well, what do you think?" Gina asked.

Ray glanced at her. It was now light enough that he could make out the features on her pretty face. "I think it's safe to cross."

Gina was about to rise, when Ray's sharp eyes caught the movement in the trees less than a hundred meters from their position. He reached out and stopped her. She was an experienced combat soldier, and didn't utter a word.

Ray pointed to the trees where he noticed the movement. It was light enough that they could make out the figure. A man dressed in a green checkered shirt made his way toward the bridge through the dead trees.

Glancing back to the other side of the bridge, Ray was relieved to see the convoy had stopped at that end and were waiting for his signal. The person in the trees also heard the sound of the vehicles and was on his way to investigate.

Ray and Gina huddled behind the concrete divider wall, but kept track of the figure's movement. He made his way to the edge of the bridge while clutching his rifle. He peered over the concrete toward the other side of the bridge.

Nick had enough sense to keep the convoy out of direct eye contact, and now that they came to a halt, the sound from the vehicles died down. The curious young man in his early twenties had a bush of wild, dark-brown hair.

When he couldn't locate the source of the sound he heard earlier, he moved a few steps along the bridge to get a better view. This took him past Ray and Gina's position on the other side of the barrier.

Ray scanned the trees from where the young man emerged, but saw no other movement. He handed Gina his rifle, and slid the Bowie knife from its sheath. Alarm filled her eyes, but he gave her a reassuring smile.

With one last glance toward the trees, Ray hopped over the concrete wall, and came up behind the man. The young man was about to turn back, when he became aware of the movement behind him, but he was too late.

Before he even had time to swing his rifle around, Ray jumped forward, and swung his left arm around the man's head, with his hand covering the man's mouth. The knife in his right hand hovered over the man's exposed neck.

"One sound from you and I remove your head from the rest of your body," Ray hissed.

The youths' bewildered brown eyes caught a glimpse of the big knife, and without being asked, he dropped his rifle.

As the weapon clattered to the road, a shout rose out from the trees. "No!"

Ray swung around, and noticed two figures that raced through the trees toward the bridge.

"Please, mister, don't hurt our brother," the man in the lead shouted as he burst through the tree line and onto the bridge.

He resembled the man in Ray's grasp, but was a few years older. They both carried rifles and aimed them at Ray.

"Drop your weapons. If not to save your brother, do it before she drops you," Ray said and nodded his head in Gina's direction.

The men didn't even notice Gina where she crouched behind the wall, but became aware of the M16 rifle trained on them.

"Please don't shoot," the oldest of the three said.

He held up his free hand in surrender while he laid down his rifle. His companion followed suit.

Gina jumped over the wall and collected the rifles. Ray pushed the young man away from him, and caught the rifle that Gina tossed in his direction. The three brothers held their hands high in the air.

"Who are you people," the oldest brother asked.

Ray glanced at Gina before he answered. "It doesn't matter who we are. What matters is who you are and what you are doing here."

"Hey, I asked first," the brother protested.

Ray jutted the rifle forward. "I'm the one with the gun so I ask the questions and you provide the answers."

The oldest brother was about to say something else, but snapped his mouth shut when he saw the menacing look in Ray's eyes.

"Who are you?" Gina asked.

"I'm Noah. These are my brothers, Josh, and Ned," the eldest answered.

Gina nodded. "And what are you doing here?"

Josh, the youngest of the brothers, answered. "We are supposed to keep an eye on the bridge, and let Big Jim know if anybody crosses into Kentucky."

Ray and Gina glanced at each other.

Ray's eyes narrowed. "Who on earth is Big Jim?"

Josh shook his head. The mere thought of the man scared him. He looked at Noah with pleading eyes.

It was clear. The mention of the name, Big Jim, sent fear through the three brothers.

Noah sighed. "Big Jim is the man in charge at Fort Campbell. He promised if we let anybody through without telling him about it, he would kill our entire family."

Chapter 10

Ray glanced back toward the trees. "Who else is out there?"

Alarmed by the menace in Ray's voice, Noah held his hands up in a defensive posture. "Nobody. It's just us out here. The rest of our family is holed up in Paducah, a few kilometers from here."

Satisfied that they told the truth, Ray nodded at Gina. She jumped on top of the divider wall in the middle of the road, and waved her arms.

At the opposite end of the bridge, Jake watched for a signal through his binoculars.

When he saw her waving, he turned to Nick. "That's the sign. We're clear to cross."

Lance and Page, the two motorcycle riders, led the way across the bridge, followed by Nick. Jake's truck brought up the rear. The squad members on the back of the truck were alert and ready to start shooting at the first sign of trouble.

The riders drove past Ray and Gina's position to start scouting ahead. Nick stopped his truck ten meters from the two scouts and the three brothers.

"What do we have here?" Nick asked as he stepped from the vehicle.

Ray waited until Jake joined, and then informed them of what happened.

When the scout finished his story, Nick stared at the three brothers. "How many of you are there?"

Noah's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what to make of this group of people. They didn't seem like raiders, but they were well armed and looked dangerous. Still, they could have killed him and his brothers on the spot, but they didn't.

"There are a few of us," Noah answered, reluctant to give away any information that could put his family at risk.

Nick stared at the oldest brother for a moment. "What's your relationship with this Big Jim?"

The question caught Noah off-guard. "Eh, what do you mean?"

Nick kept the tone of his voice even. "Is he your boss? Do you work for him?"

Noah paled, unsure how to answer the question. If he admitted working for Big Jim, these people might be thinking twice about harming him and his brothers, but if they had a beef with the leader at Fort Campbell, they might just kill them out of spite.

The oldest brother decided to follow his instincts. "We don't work for Big Jim. He found us here. He said he wouldn't harm us if we keep an eye on the bridge, and if we report it to his men stationed in Gilbertsville, he would supply us with food and water."

Nick and Jake glanced at each other.

"Gilbertsville is not that far from here," Jake said.

Nick nodded in agreement. "Only about forty kilometers."

Noah frowned. These were not strangers to the area.

Jake's eyebrows knitted together. "What happens if you don't tell them somebody crossed the bridge?"

Noah swallowed and shrugged. "I don't know. We didn't want to take the chance to find out."

For a moment the two parties stared at each other.

"What now?" Ned asked, almost too scared to find out the answer.

Nick scratched the side of his face, deep in thought. "We don't want to hurt you or your family, but we can't have you running to Big Jim either."

Fear registered on the brothers' faces. Thanks to Big Jim, they never had to deal with raiders before. Their situation was not ideal, but their family and friends survived when others died.

"We haven't seen raiders around here for more than a year. Who are you people, and what do you want?" Noah asked.

Ray looked at Gina and jutted a thumb in Nick and Jake's direction. "I told you that hanging around these two is bad for our image. Now we are mistaken for raiders."

Jake snorted. "I wasn't the one scaring them senseless with that big knife."

Nick grinned at Josh. "Tell me, who's scarier. Them, or us?"

Josh's nervous eyes flicked around. "Eh, you're all scary, but that knife almost made me wet my pants."

Nick held out his hands to Ray. "See!"

A wide grin was Ray's only answer.

For a few moments, Nick stared at the three brothers. Fear and uncertainty edged in their eyes.

Nick sighed. "Lower your hands. We mean you no harm. I'm Nick, and this is Jake, Ray and Gina."

The three brothers slowly lowered their arms, still uncertain of their fate.

"You're not going to kill us?" Josh stammered.

"How old are you?" Nick asked.

Josh glanced at his brothers before answering. "I'm eighteen."

Nick looked the three brothers over. No more than six years separated the oldest and the youngest. "Well, Josh, we're not in the habit of killing people just for fun. However, if you threaten our existence, we won't hesitate to shoot."

Hope sprung into the young man's eyes. "We're no threat to you, mister."

Nick sighed. "Unfortunately, you are."

A bewildered Josh's eyes flicked between his oldest brother and Nick. "Tell him, Noah. We're no threat to them."

Noah frowned. "I have to agree with my brother. We're no threat to you."

The weight of leadership weighed on Nick's shoulders. "You're in cahoots with Big Jim, and he endangers the existence of all humans."

All three brothers stared at him with wide eyes.

"Big Jim might be a bit of a control freak, but he kept this area safe from the raiders. He looks out for his people. With the threat of those alien things, that's not a bad thing," Ned said.

Nick lifted his index finger. "And in that statement lies the problem. You see, what you call these alien things, are actually here to save the planet. Big Jim is out to find a way to destroy the aliens, and without their protection, all of humanity is doomed."

Shock crossed Noah's face. "I don't understand."

Nick spread his arms wide, indicating the surrounding area. "See, all of this is caused by the effects of solar storms from the sun messing with earth's magnetic field. Things are about to get a whole lot worse. These aliens arrived here to save our planet. They will form a shield that will protect us when the magnetic field can't do its job anymore. If Big Jim finds a way to destroy these alien structures, we'll be roasted like toast in an oven."

Noah shook his head. "How do we know you're not just making this up?"

Nick shrugged. "I guess you don't, but can you take the chance that I might be right?"

"So that's why you're here? To stop Big Jim?" Josh asked.

"Ha, he'll crush you like a bug. You need a much bigger army than this small group," Ned added.

"We're not here to fight him. We're just here to have a look around and see what he's planning," Nick answered, reluctant to give too much away.

"Well, then you're wasting your time," Noah said. "You can't get near Fort Campbell. The northern, southern, and western boundaries are covered by dry river beds. The bridges over those rivers that weren't destroyed, are manned by armed guards. You can't cross on foot, because they laid thousands of landmines in the sand of the riverbed. If you happen to make it through alive, Big Jim has lookouts everywhere. He'll know you're coming long before you set foot near his base."

Nick removed his hat and wiped a hand over his short hair. "That poses a real dilemma."

He stared of into the distance where the sun was ready to make an appearance.

After a few moments of deep thought, he turned to Noah. "Who's your leader?"

Noah frowned, confused by the question. "Eh, Big Jim?"

Nick smiled. "No, I mean here in Paducah. Who makes the decisions for your family?"

The oldest brother hesitated. "That would be my uncle, Jacob Trent."

Nick and Jake looked at each other. They served with a Jacob Trent in the Special Forces. Could that be the same guy?

"Can you take us to him?" Nick asked.

The three brothers looked at each other, before Noah nodded toward Josh. "You take them. Ned and I will keep an eye on the bridge."

Josh got in the truck with Nick. Ray and Gina stayed with the two remaining brothers while the convoy headed toward Paducah. The city once boasted a population of more than 25,000 people, but was now a ghost town. What struck Nick and the other members of the convoy, was that all the buildings remained largely intact.

There was no sign of the carnage they saw in every other place that were plundered and pillaged by raiders. This city had few broken windows, no burnt vehicles, and no broken furniture in the streets. Big Jim did a good job of keeping raiders out of that part of Kentucky.

Following Josh's directions, Nick parked the truck in front of a three-story red-brick building. Security bars were fitted in front of the windows, and the main door was steel-reinforced, but other than that the building looked like nothing special.

The heavy steel door creaked open, and a tall, lean man in his late thirties stepped out carrying a double-barrel shotgun. He wore jeans and a pale-blue shirt, and his sleek brown hair was brushed back.

"Josh, what's the meaning of this?" he asked in a heavy, husky voice.

The young man pointed at Nick. "Jacob, these people want to see you."

Jacob Trent let his gaze settle on Nick. At first, he didn't recognize him, but when Nick removed his hat, Jacob's eyes grew wide.

"You! What the hell are you doing here?" Jacob growled.

Nick looked at Jake. "I think he remembers us."

Jacob's eyes were only two slits as he stared at Jake. "You, too! I should shoot you two thieving bastards right here on the spot."

He swung his eyes to Josh. "Why did you bring them here?"

The young man swallowed at the annoyance on his uncle's face. "Sorry, Jacob. They jumped us at the bridge. They have some crazy story about the aliens and insisted on speaking to you."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

Nick nodded. "Yes, it's important. So, are you going to shoot us, or listen to what we have to say?"

Jacob lifted his double-barrel shotgun. "How about I just shoot you a little?"

Several of the men with Nick and Jake took a tighter grip on their weapons, but Jake showed them to relax.

Nick grinned. "How about I promise to return your poker money, will you then listen to what I have to say?"

Jacob snorted. "What use would I have for it now?"

Nick shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you can light a fire with it or something."

Josh's face was puzzled as he looked at Jacob. "You know them?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes, we were in the Special Forces together. They were in a different section though."

"You see, one night we were playing poker, but Jacob's real good and cleaned us out. We were to ship out the next morning and that left us broke. So that night, we snuck into his room and stole our money back. The next morning, by the time he realized the money was gone, we were halfway over the Atlantic," Nick added.

"I can't believe you two are still alive," Jacob said with a smile, and then the old comrades in arms embraced.

Jake glanced at Nick. "Why is that such a surprise to everyone we run into?"

With a quick look at Josh, Jacob turned to Nick. "I hope you didn't scare my nephews?"

Josh touched the spot where Ray's knife pressed against his neck. "No, not too much."

Knowing Nick and Jake's exploits, Jacob doubted that, but he invited everybody inside.

Once they were seated around a big oak table, he turned to Nick. "So what's the story with the aliens?"

Nick relayed everything that Sam learned about the strange shiny objects, and about their trip to Chicago.

"Wait," Jacob interrupted. "General Sheppard's in Chicago?"

"Yes, he's running the show there." Jake answered.

Jacob shook his head. "Wow, this really is a small world."

When Nick finished his story, Jacob stared at him. "If anybody else told me this story, I wouldn't have believed it. Look, Big Jim is no saint, but he has been looking out for us and kept us alive. He's a stubborn man, and once he made up his mind about something, it's almost impossible to convince him otherwise."

"General Sheppard came to the same conclusion. He tried to convince Big Jim that the conduits should be protected, but Big Jim's convinced this is some government ploy, and vowed to find a way to destroy the aliens," Nick said.

Jacob rubbed his chin. "Big Jim's a resourceful man. If he sets his mind to it, he'll find a way."

"Do you think you can talk some sense into him?" Jake asked.

Jacob sighed. "No, he won't listen to me. As far as he's concerned, I'm just one of his minions."

For a moment everyone stared at the middle of the table, deep in thought.

Nick broke the silence. "You sure there's no way we can get to Fort Campbell unnoticed?"

"One man on foot who knows what he's doing, might have chance. Somebody in a vehicle won't get close," Jacob said.

Nick looked at Jake, and grinned. "Lucky for us we have just the right person for the job."

Jake agreed. "If Ray could sneak into Alexandria, I'm sure he can get into Fort Campbell."

Nick stared at Jacob for a moment. "We have to head back to Chicago to report on what's going on down here, but we'll be back in a few days. Can we count on your support?"

Jacob sighed. "I can't make it too obvious as I still have to live here, but I'll give your guy as much help as I can."

Nick stood up and shook hands with Jacob. "I'll have a chat with Sam. Maybe we can improve your situation."

Jacob and Josh escorted the convoy back to the bridge. Nick informed Ray and Gina that they would be headed to Fort Campbell on foot, and they agreed without giving it a second thought. They were given enough provisions to survive a week.

With a final promise from Jacob that he would assist Ray and Gina as best he could, Nick led the convoy across the bridge and toward Chicago. They didn't achieve what they set out to do, but Ray and Gina gave them a chance to gain more information about Big Jim Boyers' operation in Fort Campbell.

They also left Jacob Trent with a slight glimmer of hope for the future. Something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Chapter 11

It was almost noon the following day, when the convoy drove into the parking lot of General Sheppard's offices in Chicago.

The first thing they noticed, was the ten-foot tall shiny alien at the entrance in deep conversation with Sam and Linda.

Nick and Jake exited their vehicles and walked over to the group, curiosity etched on their faces.

"Who's our new friend?" Nick asked.

Sam smiled. "This is Unit 442. He was given to us by the aliens to help communication to the conduits, so I don't have to enter them and lose a few days every time."

He turned to the alien. "These are two of the people I told you about, Nick Hartley, and Jake Green."

"A pleasure to meet you," Nick and Jake said in unison, but keeping their distance, staring at the strange being.

Like Sam, after the encounter at Hot Springs, they were under the impression the ten-foot aliens were mechanical. Without his armor and weapons, and despite his metallic looking skin, he was unmistakably an organic life form.

Unit 442 tilted his head to the side, his large, black eyes fixed on the newcomers, but not familiar with human traditions, he simply stared at Nick and Jake.

Sam look toward the rest of the convoy and frowned. "Where's Ray and Gina?"

"They're still in Paducah," Nick answered without taking his eyes off the alien.

Sam snapped his fingers in front of Nick's face. "Pay attention! What happened?"

Nick swung his gaze to Sam, and was about to start talking, when General Sheppard stepped out of the office building.

"Ah, you're back. Did you learn anything in Kentucky?" the military man asked.

"I was just about to tell Sam what happened. Shall we go inside?" Nick said, unsure if he should speak in front of the alien.

Sam waved a hand in the air. "It's okay. You can speak here. We're all friends."

With a slight frown, Nick continued, and relayed the details of their trip to Kentucky.

"So that's why I decided to leave Ray and Gina there," Nick finished his story.

Sam shook his head. "Is there anybody on this continent you don't know?"

Nick grinned. "Yes, Big Jim."

"What a pity," General Sheppard said.

"Well, if anybody's going to get near Fort Campbell, it will be Ray," Sam said.

General Sheppard looked annoyed. "Did he have to drag Gina with him?"

"He didn't drag her anywhere. She insisted," Jake answered.

"Well, I'm glad he's not out there all alone," Linda said.

Ty Sheppard sighed. "Yes, I know. I'm just worried about her."

Linda placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "We're all worried about them, but Ray will protect her with his life."

"Speaking about worry, I think we better get back to White River, before Frank sends a search party after us. We'll leave at first light," Sam said.

He turned to Unit 442. "Does your species sleep?"

"Yes," the alien answered in his monotone voice. "We require the equivalent of two Earth hours a day to regenerate."

"Only two hours a day?" Nick said. "If I don't get at least six, I'm a real grouch."

"If I knew that was your problem all these years, I would've been feeding you sleeping tablets every night," Jake said with a grin.

Ignoring the banter, Sam turned to Ty. "Is there somewhere we can set up a space for our new friend?"

Ty glanced at the size of the alien. "We have an old delivery bay around back and can set up something there. The double doors are wide and tall enough."

Sam stepped forward, but Linda stopped him. "I'll get him settled in while you make the arrangements for our trip back home."

He hesitated a moment, but then smiled and nodded. He watched as the alien followed Linda around the corner.

"Are you sure we can trust it?" Jake asked.

Sam frowned. "I'm sure HE's more trustworthy than most humans."

Jake raised both his hands. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

After a long, hard stare, Sam nodded. "Linda and I had a nice conversation with him earlier. Although he's forbidden to discuss any direct information about me, and other secrets of the universe, he told us a little bit about his family, and his home planet. It's fascinating stuff."

With that settled, Sam made the arrangements to leave first thing in the morning. All vehicles were checked and fueled for the return trip.

The next morning, before dawn, everyone was packed and ready to go. Linda fixed Unit 442 a comfortable seat in the back of Sam's truck.

Nick watched the alien climb into the back. He fished the keys from the pocket of his jeans, and tossed it to one of his men. "Drive my truck. I'm going to ride in the back with our new friend."

Jake leaned into his truck, and pulled his extra bandana from the dashboard. "Wait, I'm coming along."

With the tall city buildings getting smaller in their rearview mirror, Linda glanced through the back window. "You think it's wise to leave Unit 442 alone with those two?"

Sam looked in the rearview mirror. Unit 442 had his back to them, while Nick and Jake sat with their backs against the tailgate, facing the alien. Bandanas covered their faces against the dust, but they were in animated conversation with Unit 442.

Sam turned his head toward Linda. "It might do them well to bond with him."

The slight worry in the corner of Sam's eye did not escape Linda.

She frowned. "I just hope it will do him well. If I was an alien life form, I wouldn't want to be left alone in their company."

From the recent trips north to Chicago, the road home to White River was not that covered in dirt. Although there was still a lot of sand on the tarmac, the road was visible, and Sam used that to his advantage, and made good time.

They reached White River before nightfall. Chester Fellows and his squad were on duty at the northern barricade when the convoy approached. His eyes stretched wide when he noticed the shiny alien in the back of the truck.

Nick turned to his new friend. "Don't worry about them. They always act this way when they see me."

Sam led the convoy to the clearing opposite the Command Center. News of the alien spread like wildfire through the small town. By the time they dismounted the trucks, a small crowd gathered around the scout party.

As Sam stepped from the truck, he glanced at Unit 442, and did a double-take. The alien had a dark-blue bandana tied around his mouth and nose, courtesy of Jake.

Jake smiled and pulled the bandana down. "If you're not in the dust, you can just pull it down around your neck," he explained to the alien.

The shiny alien stared down at the piece of cloth around his neck. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Oscar," Jake said.

Sam frowned. "Oscar?"

Jake shrugged. "Unit 442 sounds too alien. I think Oscar suits him better."

Linda drew a sharp breath. "But that's his given name."

"No, it's his designation. His actual name is unpronounceable in English, so we decided to name him Oscar," Jake said. "You know, after Oscar the grouch."

Linda put her hands on her hips and glared at Jake. "You named him after a Muppet?"

Jake took a step backward. "Yes, you know, he lives in a metal can, much like our own Oscar here."

"Trust you two to offend our first contact with an alien species," Linda said through clenched teeth.

Nick shook his head. "Oscar's not offended. Besides, you named Sam, and he's happy with the name."

Folding her arms across her chest, Linda lowered her voice. "That's different."

Sam glanced at the alien, who kept a curious eye on the humans. "Does the name Oscar offend you?"

For the first time since they met the strange being, there was a hint of puzzlement on their guest's face. "I have no reason to be offended. I have a human name."

There was a small hint of pride in the alien's monotone voice.

Sam sighed, and looked at the ever growing crowd. "Everybody, this is Oscar, our guest from another planet. He'll be staying with us for a while."

Frank Hurley pushed through the sea of people. "Nothing to see here people. Go back home."

Several men and women groaned in protest. It was not every day you got to be that close to a being from another planet, but after a few choice words from Frank, they obeyed.

Sam introduced Frank to Oscar, and the ex-military man did well to keep his composure. After the introductions, Sam told Frank everything they learned in Chicago, and the subsequent trip to Kentucky.

Frank frowned. "Those Kentuckians can be a handful at the best of times. With a little motivation they can pose a serious problem."

Sam nodded. "Which is why we need to know what they're up to. We'll leave for Kentucky the day after tomorrow. By then, Ray and Gina should have some information."

Frank glanced at Oscar. "What are you planning to with him?"

"We'll take him with us to the farm," Sam said. "We have an empty building with big barn doors where we can fix a place for him to sleep.

Nick and Jake looked disappointed.

"We have to go check on our families. See you later, Oscar," Nick said.

"I just hope those two don't cause an intergalactic incident," Frank mumbled as Nick and Jake walked down the street.

Sam smiled. "With those two it's always a possibility."

"You're back!" an excited, young voice shouted, and Sam turned to see Pedro's excited face.

Sam dropped to one knee, and the boy ran forward and threw his arms around Sam's neck. Next it was Linda's turn, and she held him tight.

"You're squishing me, Mommy," he said in a muffled voice.

She beamed and let him go. He had a huge grin on his face, but it turned to shock when his eyes caught a glimpse of the huge alien. Pedro took one step and hid behind Sam's leg.

"What's that?" he asked with big, round eyes.

Sam laid a reassuring hand on the boy's head. "This is Oscar. The aliens loaned him to us so we can talk to the conduits."

Pedro peeked from behind Sam's leg. "He's a friend?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, he's a friend."

The boy stepped forward and looked up at the tall alien that towered over him. "Hi, I'm Pedro."

Oscar tilted his head to the side, as he did when he found something curious and interesting.

"He doesn't talk much," Sam said.

Linda put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go get your stuff. It's late and we want to get to the farm before dark."

He looked up at her. "Is Oscar coming with us?"

Linda nodded. "Yes, he is."

Pedro grabbed her hand and dragged her along. "Come on, let's go get my stuff already."

Sam and Frank smiled as the two disappeared around the building on their way to Janine's house.

"So, what's the plan for Kentucky?" Frank asked.

Sam lifted his sweat-soaked hat, and ran a hand through his spiky hair. "We'll spend the day on the farm, and then leave first thing the day after tomorrow. Hopefully by the time we reach Paducah, there'll be word from Ray and Gina. If not, we'll wait a day or two."

Frank sighed. "I would've understood if some military men posed a threat to the aliens. They have a history of shooting first and worrying about the consequences later. But these are civilians. Why don't they believe in the threat their actions are causing?"

Sam glanced at the ex-military man. "Because it's the military that told them that by hurting the aliens, it would mean the end of human kind. According to Nick and Jake, these people have a deep distrust in government and the military."

Sadness settled in Frank's eyes. "It seems our history has caught up and came back to haunt us."

Turning to Oscar, Sam pointed at their new acquaintance. "Thank goodness we have friends in the universe that are willing to help us."

Before they could continue their conversation, Pedro ran around the corner. "We can leave now."

Sam smiled and turned to Oscar. "Are you ready to go?"

Without a word, Oscar climbed in the back of the truck. The vehicle groaned under the weight of the alien.

"Can I ride in the back with him?" Pedro asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Sam looked up as Linda approached. She heard the request and shrugged.

Sam rubbed a hand through Pedro's hair. "Sure, but stay seated in the back. I don't want you to fall off and hurt yourself."

Without another word, Pedro climbed into the back, and made himself comfortable opposite the alien. Both boy and alien pulled their bandanas over their noses.

When they reached the western barricade, they found Carl Burns and his squad waiting to escort them to the farm.

Later, after Oscar was settled into the empty barn, Linda curled up against Sam in bed.

"I can't believe there's an alien being from another planet in our barn," Linda said.

Sam stroked her hair. "It's been a strange week."

The following morning, while Sam and Linda inspected everything on the farm, Pedro took great pleasure in showing Oscar around. To their amazement, the alien followed Pedro around like a puppy, and took everything in the boy showed and told him.

Later the afternoon, Sam and Linda sat on the porch enjoying a cup of coffee. Pedro sat on the bottom step, and listened to Oscar telling him about his own planet. The alien was in the middle of a story when he stopped and jerked his head in the direction of town where the nearest conduit was located.

Sam and Linda was seated on the bench, with Linda leaning against him. When Oscar jerked his head around, Sam noticed and sat forward.

After a few moments of silence, Sam got to his feet. "Is something wrong?"

Oscar listened to the voice in his head, and then turned toward the porch. When they first met the alien, they thought he displayed no emotion, but since they spent some time with him, they learned to pick up on the feint differences on his shiny face.

Sam could tell Oscar was worried.

The alien stared at them for a moment. "The humans found a way to hurt us."

Chapter 12

Outside, it was already dark, but the Command Center was well lit, courtesy of a generator out back which they used for emergencies. That occasion did qualify as an emergency.

The moment Oscar informed Sam that the humans in Kentucky found a weapon against the alien structures, they headed to town to share the news with Frank and the rest. Frank called an emergency meeting in the Command Center.

The two big, solid wooden doors of the Command Center were big enough that it allowed Oscar entry. All the squad leaders not on duty, were called to the meeting. Doc Percy and Mayor Ryan were also in attendance. Curious eyes in the room were fixed on the shiny alien that stood motionless next to Sam. Other than Linda, Nick, and Jake that took up position on the other side of Oscar, the rest kept a respectable distance from the alien.

Once everyone was seated, Sam addressed the crowd. "I learned earlier from Oscar here, that Big Jim and his people in Kentucky found a way to hurt the aliens. They loaded some kind of acid in grenade launchers, and fired it from a distance. Once the grenade hit the structure, it splashed the liquid against the hull, causing severe damage to the conduit."

Sam glanced at the look of shock on the faces in the room. "It is only a matter of time before they realize that these grenades can kill the warriors that protect the conduits. If they kill the protectors, then the conduits will be helpless against an assault."

"Damn those idiots," Jake growled.

Doc Percy looked at Oscar. "Did your friends at the conduits pick up any characteristics of the liquid that was used?"

"How an earth would they do that?" Nick asked. "They know nothing about the evil things we humans possess."

Jake was also about to say something, when Oscar spoke. His monotone voice sounded even hollower in the confines of the room. "The substance didn't have a color, but it had a strong, pungent smell. The moment it made contact with the hull, it started to eat into the metal."

Doc Percy frowned. "That sounds like sulfuric acid, but where would they get their hands on that?"

Nick glanced at Jake. "When we were stationed at Fort Campbell, we heard a rumor that there was a building where they stored all kinds of chemicals."

Terry stood up. "It's not a rumor. I saw it with my own eyes. There were tons of the stuff. It was in one of those back storage bunkers. I caught a glimpse of it while on one of our searches for that underground bunker. One of the guards stopped me, but not before I saw what was inside."

"I'm not sure how they would get the acid inside the grenade. You can't just store it in anything. They must have made a special glass capsule," Doc said.

Terry agreed. "If you remove the explosive part of the grenade, and replace it with a thick enough glass capsule, it would be possible."

"There are quite a few people in those parts that can work with glass. Some used to make their own bottles, or some for their friends to store their moonshine. They sure have the expertise required to make the glass capsules," Nick added.

For a moment, everyone in the room was quiet, well aware of the implication of the actions by the Kentuckians.

"How are we going to stop them?" Frank asked.

Sam rubbed a thumb over his chin. "Frank, send someone to Chicago to inform General Sheppard of what's going on. We're going to need all the military help we can get in Kentucky. We'll leave for Paducah first thing in the morning. Keep the tanks on standby and ready to roll on a moment's notice."

Nick got to his feet. "Sam, I'm always ready to fight, but even with twenty tanks and an army behind us, it will be madness to try and attack Fort Campbell. They are well armed and heavily fortified."

Sam shook his head. "I have no intention to attack Big Jim in his own back yard, but we can surround the place and protect the conduits. He might think twice to take us on in open ground."

Jake grinned. "I like how you think."

Sam turned to Terry. "What are the range of those grenade launchers?"

Terry scratched his head. "If they use shoulder-fired launchers, then the maximum range is only about four hundred meters. But if they have an MK19 mounted on a tri-pod, then they can fire grenades from up to two kilometers away."

Sam blinked his eyes a few times. "Do they have one of these MK19s?"

Terry shrugged. "Probably. We used them in training while we were stationed there, so it's only logical to assume they are still there."

Sam sighed. The weight on his shoulders got heavier by the minute.

He turned to Doc. "What can we do if we get into contact with this acid?"

"If you get it on your skin, the best thing to do is to wash it off with water as quick as you can," the doctor answered. "But keep it out of your eyes. If that stuff gets into your eyes, you can kiss your sight goodbye."

Sam nodded. "That's good to know. We should all take extra water and protective glasses."

Chester Fellows and his squad was tasked to deliver Sam's message to Chicago. Nick and Jake would escort Sam and Linda to Paducah.

That evening, Sam and Linda stayed with Janine, while Frank fixed Oscar a space in the corner of the Command Center. Janine agreed to watch over Pedro while they were away.

Sam woke early the following morning, and found Linda curled up in his arm and snuggled against his chest.

He tried to move his arm from under her without disturbing her, but the moment he moved, she woke up.

Linda yawned and stretched. "I wish things can go back to the last three months before the aliens showed up."

Sam smiled. "If you can have that, why not go back all the way before the drought started?"

She slapped a palm against his bare chest. "I didn't know you then, and I wouldn't want to go back to a time when you weren't part of my life."

He pulled her tight against him and kissed her soft lips. "I wouldn't want that either."

She gave him a curious smile. "Not even if it meant you can have your memory back?"

Sam shook his head. "Not even then."

She jumped up and straddled him.

He laughed. "We don't have time for this."

She placed a gentle hand against the side of his face. "There better be time. For all we know, this is the last opportunity we might have."

Fifteen minutes later, they walked into the kitchen, fully dressed. On the corner of the sink, an oil lantern illuminated the room in a soft glow. Janine stood in front of the stove, pulling a pot of freshly brewed coffee from the gas burner.

She looked up as Linda led Sam into the kitchen holding his hand. "You two are just in time for coffee."

When everyone had a mug of steamy coffee in their hands, they took a seat around the kitchen table.

Janine looked at her sister. "You look like you have something on your mind."

Linda sighed and leaned her head against Sam's shoulder. "This might be a dangerous mission. I need to ask you something."

When she paused, Janine prompted her. "What is it?"

Linda glanced into Sam's brilliant blue eyes before she answered. "If anything happens to Sam and me out there, promise me you will take care of Pedro."

Janine sucked in a sharp breath, and Linda's bright emerald-green eyes settled on her concerned face.

"Of course I will take care of him," Janine said. "But nothing is going to happen to you. Sam won't let anyone hurt you."

Linda laughed and kissed Sam's cheek. "That's true, but I feel better knowing that Pedro won't be alone while we're gone."

Janine jumped up and pulled her sister into an embrace. "I don't care how you do it, but you better make sure you come home."

Linda wiped away the tear from her sister's cheek. "I'll try my best."

Janine let Linda go and swung her arms around Sam. "You make sure you bring her back in one piece."

Janine could have insisted that Linda stayed behind, but she knew her sister would have none of it. If she was in Linda's shoes, she wouldn't had stayed behind either.

Ten minutes later they said their last goodbyes, and the couple walked hand-in-hand down the street toward the Command Center. It was still an hour before sunrise, and the neighborhood was covered in darkness.

When they were out of earshot, Sam looked down at Linda. "Are you okay?"

Linda sighed and shook her head. "Sam, I'm scared. It seems our fate is in the hands of a mad man, and knowing you, you will do everything in your power to stop him, even if it cost you your life."

Sam gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll do anything to keep you safe."

She grabbed a hold of his arm with both hands. "I know that, but without you, life is not worth living anymore."

He pulled her tight against him. "Then I have to make sure nothing happens to us."

Before anything else could be said, they rounded the corner of the Command Center. The clearing opposite the main building was a bee-hive of activity.

Frank smiled when he saw them. "I was just about to send a search party to look for you."

Sam nodded in greeting. "Are we ready to roll?"

"We're just waiting for you two," Jake said with a grin.

Frank ignored him and looked at Sam. "Be careful out there. I have a bad feeling about this Big Jim character."

Sam shared Frank's uneasiness. "We'll be as careful as we can. At least with the help of Oscar, I feel a bit more at ease."

Nick landed a slap on Sam's shoulder. "Don't worry, Commander, we'll keep him safe."

Before Sam could retaliate, Nick and Jake sprinted to their waiting trucks.

Frank shook his head. "That boy's cheese slipped of its cracker."

Sam smiled. "That might be so, but I'm glad they're on our side."

Five minutes later the convoy snaked through the streets of White River toward the northern barricade. People lining the streets wished them luck and waved them goodbye.

Nick's truck led the convoy, followed by Sam and Linda, the water truck, another pickup truck loaded with supplies and extra fuel, Chester Fellows and his squad, and Jake brought up the rear. Rudy and Page did rider duty on their motorcycles.

Chester would accompany them to the Kentucky border where they would split, and then Chester would head on to Chicago to deliver Sam's message.

Once the convoy cleared the barricade, Nick sped up, while Rudy and Page started scouting ahead. They kept to the road the convoy travelled before. It was not the most direct route to Paducah, but it was one they knew to be safe.

Unlike the trip to Chicago that took two days, Sam intended to make it to Paducah before nightfall. Besides two brief comfort stops, they pushed as hard as the sand-covered roads allowed.

As they approached the crossing over the dry Mississippi river near Cairo, Oscar knocked on the roof of the truck. Sam looked through the back window to see the alien gesturing at something ahead. Sam slowed the pickup, and once Nick noticed that the others were falling behind, he stopped.

Sam pulled up behind the lead vehicle.

Nick got out of the truck. "What's up? We had a comfort stop not an hour ago. Were you sitting on your bladder?"

Sam ignored him and looked at Oscar. The alien had now climbed down, and peered down the road ahead.

"There are two vehicles heading this way at high speed," he said.

Nick jerked his head around and stared into the distance. Dust, kicked up by the swirling wind, blew across the road, but nothing like two racing vehicles would cause.

"How do you know that? Do you have special alien senses?" he asked.

"I am in contact with the nearest conduit, and they are able to track all movement in the area," the alien answered.

Under different circumstances, the news would have been disturbing, but in the current context, it was reassuring to know that nobody would be sneaking up on them.

Sam trusted their new friends, and didn't waste any time with further questions. "There's no place close enough to hide. Let's pull the vehicles in a defensive line."

Five minutes later, the trucks formed a protective wall, and everybody took up a defensive position behind the vehicles. All weapons were ready to fire if the visitors proved to be a threat. In the distance, a rising dust cloud announced the imminent arrival of the approaching vehicles.

Nick, with his rifle pressed against his shoulder over the hood of the truck, glanced at Oscar. The alien hadn't put up his armor, or deployed his weapons.

"Aren't you going to help protect us?" Nick asked.

The alien tilted his head to the side with curiosity edged in his black eyes. "Why would you require protection from your friends?"

Two Humvees swung into view before Nick could answer. When they noticed the blockade, the military vehicles slid to a halt.

Sam recognized the vehicles and lowered his weapon. "It's General Sheppard's people."

He walked around the truck, waving at the occupants of the Humvees. From the front vehicle, a soldier in full battle gear emerged.

"Glad to find you out here, sir, but you nearly gave us a heart attack," the soldier said. "We were just on our way to White River to deliver an urgent message from General Sheppard."

Sam glanced at the insignia on the man's shoulders. "Well, you found us Lieutenant. What's so urgent?"

The soldier pulled a thick, yellow envelope from his battle jacket, and handed it to Sam. "The General has people monitoring the Sun at the Yerkes Observatory, and yesterday they made a startling discovery."

Sam opened the envelope, and looked at a dozen different pictures of the Sun taken through a solar telescope. Each photograph was time-stamped. The series of pictures were taken over a six-week period.

The first eleven pictures didn't tell much, but when Sam looked at the last photograph, his heart jumped into his mouth.

Chapter 13

"What's wrong?" Linda asked as she stepped around the truck.

Sam continued to stare at the photograph in his hands. The first eleven pictures showed the Sun in a normal state with very little activity. The last one though, showed a series of violent eruptions that streaked millions of kilometers into the sky.

"What does this mean?" Sam asked as he looked up at the soldier.

The military man had trouble keeping his emotions under control. "According to the astronomers who took these, this is bad news for Earth and everything on the planet. At the moment we're lucky, as Earth's not in the direct firing line of these outbursts."

Sam frowned. "I sense a 'but' coming."

The soldier nodded. "At the moment, those storms are directed away from Earth, but within the next two weeks, our orbit will take us right into their path."

Linda grabbed hold of Sam's arm. "What does that mean for us?"

The military man shrugged. "I'm not sure, ma'am, but I don't think it is good."

Sam pulled her into a protective embrace. "That would mean the end of all life on this planet. That solar storm will destroy Earth's magnetic field, and without that, the planet would be turned into a wasteland where no life is possible."

Linda paled, and then spoke with a panic-filled voice. "Does that mean we'll all be dead in two weeks?"

Sam glanced at Oscar. The alien had his head tilted at his curious angle as he observed the discussion between the humans.

Kissing the top of Linda's head, Sam pulled her tighter against him. "No. That's why our alien friends are here. They knew this was coming, which was why they sent the conduits, and why we have to protect them at all cost."

Sam let go of Linda, and spoke with urgency in his voice. "Lieutenant, tell General Sheppard we're on our way to Kentucky. I'm going to try and talk to Big Jim, but if he doesn't want to listen, we have to be ready to take action. We're going to need all the help we can get there."

He turned to Chester. "Go back to White River. Tell Frank to bring all the tanks to Paducah. We might not be able to take on Big Jim in Fort Campbell, but we can fight our way through the outer defenses. We just need to get to the conduits within their perimeter and protect them against any attacks."

Sam turned to face the soldier. "Lieutenant, the General should spread the word. If there are any other rogue outfits out there, the conduits must be protected at all cost. They are our only hope of survival."

A few minutes later, the convoy resumed their journey to Paducah. From the moment Linda heard the news, she refused to let go of Sam. Even in the truck, she clung to his arm. The pictures of the Sun were in their yellow envelope on the dashboard.

For a long moment, she stared at the envelope, and then grabbed it, and tossed it into the glove box so it was out of sight.

Sam glanced at her, and noticed the silent tears dripping down her cheeks. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, battling to control her emotions. "I spent most of my life in pursuit of happiness, and now I've found it. Even in these godforsaken conditions, I'm happy, because I have you, and Pedro, and the farm, and we make a difference to people's lives."

Linda paused for a moment, and swallowed back a sob. "Now it seems like the universe is conspiring against me. It wants to take away everything that's precious to me."

At that point, Linda lost all self-control. Raw sobs burst from her chest. Sam didn't try to stop her. Instead, he put an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her against him.

Her tears soaked his shirt, but he didn't care. He loved her more than his own life. Against the power of the Sun, he stood helpless. Knowing there's nothing he could do about the Sun, he turned his focus to something that he could do. Big Jim.

In that moment, Sam vowed to stop the man from Kentucky. He would do whatever it took to keep the woman he loved safe.

"Everything will be alright," Sam said, and squeezed her tighter against him.

She sat up and looked into his face, seeing the determination in his brilliant blue eyes, and in the set of his square jaw. Once more, she pulled strength from him. She wiped the tears from her face.

If there was something to be done, Sam would find a way. By the time they reached the bridge near Paducah, all traces of her tears were gone.

Unlike before, Nick didn't mask their approach to the bridge. He led the convoy onto the four-lane structure that spanned the dry river. Three quarters of the way across, Nick stopped, searching for a sign of the bridge-guards.

The three brothers strolled out of the dry wooded area, and waved them forward.

"Welcome back," Noah said.

Nick introduced the three brothers to Sam, but the youngest brother jumped back before Sam could shake hands with them.

"What is that?" Josh asked with a shaking, pointed finger toward the back of Sam's truck.

Only Oscar's head and shoulders were visible above the cab of the vehicle. At the sound of Josh's voice, Oscar turned his head around to look at the new humans.

Noah and Ned now also noticed the alien, and grabbed for their rifles that were slung over their shoulders.

Nick jumped forward with both his hands stretched out in a cautionary gesture. "Easy, boys. That's just Oscar. He's with us, and a friend. I don't take kindly to people shooting at my friends."

The three brothers lowered their weapons, but still threw nervous glances toward the alien.

"Is there any sign of Ray and Gina yet?" Jake asked to break the tension.

Noah shook his head and answered without taking his eyes off Oscar. "No. When we left this morning they were not back yet."

"Did you guys hear anything from Big Jim while we were gone?" Nick asked.

"No. Normally we only have contact with them when they bring our supplies for the month. We're not due for another week," Ned answered.

The three brothers' eyes were still trained on the alien, and they didn't notice the relief on the visitors' faces. They would rather avoid a confrontation until the reinforcements arrived.

Nick clapped his hands together. "Well, we're off to see Jacob then."

Noah waved a hand in the air. "Go ahead. He said to send you right through when you arrive."

Josh shook his head. "Boy, is Jacob in for a surprise."

As the convoy pulled away, the three brothers still stood on the bridge and stared at the alien with open mouths.

Two kilometers down the road, Nick pulled the lead pickup truck onto the shoulder of the road.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked when he stepped out of the truck.

Nick pointed back toward the bridge. "The reaction of those three made me think. Maybe I should go ahead alone, and prepare Jacob for Oscar's arrival. He was always a little jumpy and has an itchy trigger finger. I'm sure these days it's worse."

Sam glanced at Oscar. They got used to the alien's presence, but strangers' reactions were unpredictable. "That might be a good idea."

Nick flashed a smile. "Give me ten minutes. Jake knows where Jacob's compound is located. I'll meet you there."

Sam watched Nick drove off when Jake arrived.

"What's that all about?" Jake asked.

Sam explained Nick's plan.

Jake snorted. "The sooner these people get over themselves, the better."

They waited ten minutes, and then Jake led the way toward the city of Paducah.

"Apart from the lack of people, it almost looks normal here," Linda remarked as they encountered the undamaged buildings. It was a ghost town, but it had none of the destruction they encountered in any other place they visited since the onset of the drought.

When they stopped in front of the Red-brick building, Nick and Jacob Trent waited outside on the sidewalk. From the second and third floors of the building, curious faces peered through openings to catch a glimpse of the shiny alien in the back of Sam's truck.

Sam stepped out of the vehicle, and joined the two men on the sidewalk. After introductions from Nick, the two leaders shook hands, but like the three brothers earlier, Jacob threw a nervous glance at the alien.

"Any news from our scouts?" Sam asked.

Jacobs shook his head. "No, nothing yet."

Sam had a casual look, but his penetrating blue eyes were fixed on Jacob's face. He always considered himself a good judge of character, and he tried to determine if the man from Paducah could be trusted.

"Did Nick inform you about the purpose of the alien visitors?" Sam asked.

Jacob finally managed to tear his eyes from Oscar, and when he noticed Sam's piercing eyes on him, he tugged at his ear. "Yes, Nick explained that on his previous visit."

"Up until a few hours ago, we were in the dark as to when it would happen." Sam paused a few moments, and noticed the alarm in Jacob's eyes. "We received word of a series of violent solar storms that is happening on the Sun as we speak. It is not directed at Earth at the moment, but we would move into the path of the storms within the next two weeks."

Jacob frowned. "I don't understand. What does that mean?"

"It means that when we enter the path of those storms, the alien structures will deploy the shield to protect all life on earth. If they are unable to form the protective shield, every living thing on Earth will die."

Sam's words hit Jacob like a sledgehammer. The weight of the news made Jacob take a step back.

He blinked his eyes several times in quick succession. "What?"

A bewildered look crossed his face. "We have only two weeks left to live?"

Sam shook his head. "No. We have less than two weeks to stop Big Jim from destroying our only hope of survival."

The words sifted through the fog in Jacob's mind, and the light returned to his eyes. "But what can we do? Big Jim has five thousand well-armed people at his command. We can't go up against that."

"I'm not planning to attack him, but we need to protect the conduits. There are reinforcements on the way," Sam said.

He paused for a moment. "Do you think that Big Jim might listen to reason?"

Jacob frowned. "He's not a man that's easy to scare."

Sam shook his head. "I don't want to scare him. I want to talk to him, face to face. Do you think you can convince him to listen to what I have to say?"

Jacob scratched the side of his face. "I might be able to get him here, but if he'll listen to what you have to say is another story. Big Jim's a stubborn man and follows his own head."

"That's all I ask, a chance to talk to him. If there's a possibility that he might listen and stop his attack on the conduits, then it'll be worth it," Sam said.

Jacob placed his hands on his hips and hung his head. He looked at Sam through his bushy eyebrows. "You know that no matter the outcome, we're done here? Even if you and Big Jim become the best of friends, he won't trust me. Without his support, we're finished."

Sam nodded. "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. You and you're entire group are welcome to come stay with us."

The leader from Paducah gave a long sigh. "We've heard the rumors about the hard life in Chicago, which is why we decided to work with Big Jim. But I suppose that's better than having no life at all."

Sam glanced at Nick. He assumed his friend told Jacob about their town, but he should have known better. Nobody gave away the location of their town without good reason.

"I'm not talking about Chicago," Sam said. "You can come with us to our own little oasis. It might not be much, but it's still a lot better than what you have here."

"And where is this little oasis located?" Jacob asked.

Sam grinned. "In the middle of nowhere where nobody will bother you."

Jacob sighed. He got the message. Sam will only reveal the location of their town if he agreed to help them. Turning his head to stare at his wife that was waiting behind the entrance to their building, Jacob knew he had to make a decision on the spot.

The options raced through his mind, and if he weighed them all together, the choice was clear.

"I won't make it to the outpost at Gilbertsville before nightfall. If I arrive there after dark, those trigger happy fools will pump me full of lead before I can get anywhere near them. I will leave at first light," Jacob said.

Sam nodded. "Do you want me to come along?"

Jacob mulled it over a second, but then decided against it. "It'll be better if I go alone." He pointed at the building. "I would prefer it if my family's not here when Big Jim shows up."

Sam put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Well, then we have to get you packed and moved out before he shows up."

Jacob stepped toward the doorway, but then stopped. "I should explain the situation to my family. Do you mind if I do it alone?"

Sam stared at him for a moment, looking for any sign of deception in the brown eyes that stared back at him, but found none.

Nick and Jake kept their distance while Sam talked with Jacob, but when the Paducah leader stepped through the doors, they joined their friend on the sidewalk.

"Do you think I can trust him?" Sam asked in a low whisper.

"We don't know him all that well, but we all live by the same code. Our word is our honor," Nick replied.

Sam's voice was soft, almost like he talked to himself. "People change."

Jake sighed. "That's true, but I think he realizes he has more to lose if he doesn't help us."

Twenty minutes later Jacob emerged through the doors. "All set. We'll be ready to move by morning."

Sam looked at his troubled face, but didn't push the issue. "Is there a place where we can spend the night?"

Jacob nodded. "There's an old, empty warehouse two blocks from here. You'll be safe there, and out of sight if anybody shows up here unannounced."

Chapter 14

It was still dark in the warehouse when Sam woke from a light sleep. They were used to not using lights after dark, and after spending more than a year peering through the dark of night, his eyes adapted.

Even in the stark darkness of the warehouse, Sam could make out the silhouette of the guard at the door. Linda's rhythmic breathing next to him indicated that she was still in dreamland. Although he couldn't make out her features, he watched her sleep enough times to create an accurate picture in his mind.

Before they settled down the previous night, Sam made a mental note of everyone's position. He slid from the sleeping bag he shared with Linda, and pulled on his boots. When he rose, he reached for the rifle next to him, and made his way to the door.

The guard noticed the movement and lifted his rifle. When he realized who it was, he lowered the weapon. Sam patted the man's shoulder and stepped through the door.

"Is everything alright?" Sam asked when the guard joined him outside.

"It was a quiet night. Nothing moved in this city," the young man on duty answered.

Sam stepped away from the building and swung his eyes to the sky. The colorful display of the Aurora lights showed the continued stress on their planet's already fragile magnetic field.

He ran a hand through his short hair, enjoying the coolness brought by the night. After sunrise, the rapid rise of temperature would soon engulf the land in heat. Toward the east, the bright orange glow announced the imminent arrival of the sun.

Sam walked to the water truck, and filled the plastic cup nearby with the precious liquid. After he took two sips to wet his dry mouth, he poured the rest into his hand and splashed it on his face.

The soft morning breeze cooled the water against his skin. He closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed the tingling sensation. By the time he returned to the warehouse, everyone inside started to stir.

Linda sat up in the sleeping bag, her shoulder-length dark red hair a mess.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Sam greeted.

She groaned. "I need coffee."

Linda leaned over, and pulled a thermos from the nearby picnic basket. It was prepared the previous morning before they left, and had since cooled, but for Linda, even cold coffee was better than none at all.

She poured two cups, and handed one to Sam. After taking two sips, she smacked her lips together. "That's better."

Nick pointed at the thermos. "Is there any of that wakeup juice left?"

Linda shook her head. "I have enough for one more cup. That's for tomorrow morning."

Sam stopped Nick when he opened his mouth to object. "Do you really want to face her when she didn't have her coffee?"

Nick grinned. "No. I'll rather face a herd of angry buffalo."

Before they could say another word, the guard from the door shouted, "Vehicle coming down the road."

Sam downed the last swallow of his coffee, grabbed his rifle, and ran to the door. Nick and Jake took up positions on either side of the open doorway, while Sam peered through a crack. He had a good view down the road.

The hum of the engine indicated the vehicle's location, and when it moved into sight, Sam recognized the driver. "It's Jacob."

He stepped outside to meet their host.

"Good morning," Jacob greeted. "I hope you had a pleasant night."

Sam returned the greeting. "It was uneventful."

Outside the protection of their own town, they never felt at ease.

"I'm on my way to Gilbertsville to send your message to Big Jim. I'll be back by nightfall with an answer, if everything goes according to plan," Jacob said.

Sam nodded. "Let's hope Big Jim's willing to listen."

As he watched the pickup truck disappear down the road, an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. He turned, entered the warehouse, and walked to the back corner where Oscar made himself a space.

The alien sat with his back against the wall, and his hands on his knees, observing the curious behavior of the human's morning rituals.

"You are troubled," Oscar said when Sam stopped in front of him.

Sam nodded. "That guy that just left in the vehicle, are you able to track him?"

Oscar tilted his head to the side. "You don't trust him?"

Sam shook his head. "It's not him. It's the people he's going to talk to that I don't trust. Please keep an eye on him, and especially the people he's going to meet. If they do anything out of the ordinary, I want to know about it."

"I have some other news," Oscar said in his usual monotone voice. "I have been tracking two people on foot throughout the night. They are south-west of here, and are headed to this location. Another group picked up their tracks, and is in pursuit. They will be captured within in an hour."

Sam frowned. "That could be our people. Can we get to them in time?"

"Yes," Oscar replied. "If you hurry, you can get to them before their pursuers do."

Sam turned and shouted. "Jake, bring me a map of this area."

With the urgency in Sam's voice, everyone paused in the middle of their breakfast. Jake dropped his ration pack, reached into the back of his truck, grabbed the map, and ran to Sam and Oscar.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he handed Sam the map.

Sam unrolled it on the ground. "Ray and Gina are in trouble. Oscar, can you show me on this map what their current location is?"

Oscar studied the map, and then put his finger on a point. "They are here."

Sam looked at Jake. "Do you know where that is?"

Jake nodded. "That's just north of Benton."

Nick now also joined the group.

"Where's Rudy and Page?" Sam asked.

"I send them out on patrol around the city," Nick answered.

Sam swore. "There's no time to go look for them. Grab your squads and go. Get to Ray and Gina before Big Jim's people get their hands on them."

Nick frowned. "And leave you and Linda here alone?"

Sam jutted a thumb at the alien. "We have Oscar. Now go!"

Nick and Jake turned and ran for the trucks, shouting orders at their squads along the way. Fifteen seconds later, four pickup trucks sped out of the warehouse and down the street.

Sam turned to Oscar. "Please keep me updated on their progress."

*****

Jake knew the area better than Nick, and took the lead. The initial road was well travelled, but once they left the outskirts of the city and crossed the I-24, the road became a challenge.

A thick layer of sand that had settled on the tar surface made the road slippery and difficult to navigate. In some places the sand was so thick, it was impossible to tell the road from the landscape, so Jake used the wooden poles of the old power lines that ran parallel to the road as a guide.

Their vehicles kicked up a huge rooster tail of dust, but they didn't care. Their aim was to get to their friends before their enemy did. A few kilometers north of Benton, Jake brought his truck to a stop.

Nick pulled up next to him. "What now?"

Jake stepped out of the truck and looked around. "We should be close."

A distant sound caught his attention. "Do you hear that?"

Nick turned the truck's engine off, stepped out, and listened. "That's gunfire!"

Jake pointed in a southerly direction. "It's coming from over there."

They jumped back into the trucks, and sped off in the direction of the gun battle. As they got closer, they could hear the crack of the rifles above the sound of the engines.

As they drove over a small rise, one of the people in the back of Jake's truck hammered on the roof to get his attention. He pointed toward an abandoned house a kilometer away. Two figures crouched behind a brick wall. They took turns to fire at another house across the street, a hundred meters away.

A black SUV was parked next to the house. It had part of its roof cut out, and a machine gun was mounted on top, but nobody manned the gun. Five figures huddled behind the truck, and fired at Ray and Gina.

"I'll get Ray and Gina. You take care of the others," Jake shouted to Nick.

Not wasting any time, Jake made a sharp turn to the right, leaving the road. The two houses where the gun battle took place, was built on a steep slope. The house Ray and Gina used for cover, was located near the top.

Jake drove his truck behind the hill so he wouldn't be visible from the houses. Once he reached the point where the buildings were, he approached from behind and parked the truck behind the house.

His squad spread out and fired on the attackers across the street. Jake dove behind a rock, fifteen meters from Ray and Gina's position. She noticed the movement, and swung her weapon around, ready to fire.

Just in time she recognized Jake, and a smile spread across her face. She tapped Ray on the shoulder and pointed at Jake.

"Where did you come from?" Ray asked, his voice filled with relief.

Jake grinned. "We heard you were in a spot of bother."

He glanced at their hiding position. Both the wall and the house behind them were riddled with bullet holes, courtesy of the mounted machine gun. Pieces of the house fell down as another bullet slammed into the building.

"I never thought I'd be happy to see your ugly face," Ray said. "You arrived just in time. We're out of ammunition."

Across the street, the five men scrambled to their SUV, and took off in a cloud of dust. The moment they noticed the reinforcements with Nick and the rest racing toward their position, their courage evaporated in the wind.

"What a brave lot those are," Jake commented as he rose from behind the rock.

Gina stood up and dusted the dirt from her clothes. "Luckily for us, they are not soldiers. They wasted all the machine gun ammunition on the house."

Jake whistled. "The house sure took a beating."

As if agreeing with him, a portion of the house collapsed in a plume of dust.

"How on earth did you knew where to find us?" Ray asked.

Jake grinned. "We had some help, but I'll tell you about that later. Let's get you two back to Paducah. Sam and Linda are waiting for us."

As Nick joined them, he jumped from the truck and pulled Jake to the side. "Did you tell them about Oscar?"

Jake grinned and shook his head. "No, I didn't want to ruin the surprise."

*****

In Paducah, Sam and Linda listened to the running commentary provided by Oscar. They sighed with relief when Oscar reported that Ray and Gina were safe, and the attackers fled.

Sam's eyes lighted up with alarm. "In all the excitement, I forgot about Jacob."

For a moment, Sam could have sworn he noticed a slight smile from the alien, but with the dim light inside the warehouse, it could have been his eyes playing tricks on him.

"Do not fear, Sam. I have been tracking his every movement. He reached the outpost and delivered your message. Two humans in a vehicle are racing toward Fort Campbell, and I believe your friend is waiting for their return," Oscar said.

"You could keep track of both parties?" Sam asked.

Oscar tilted his head. "The conduits are tracking their movements and feed me the information. I am their mouthpiece."

Sam slapped a hand to his forehead. "Of course. I almost forgot."

Two hours later, Nick led the convoy into Paducah. He stopped in front of the warehouse, jumped out, and ran inside.

He ran over to the alien. "Oscar, my friend, I need your help."

"How can I be of assistance?" Oscar asked.

Nick glanced toward the doors. "I need you to stay out of sight behind this water tanker for a moment. I want to surprise the two people who returned with us."

Oscar found it a curious request, but he did as Nick asked and crouched behind the water tanker. Nick ignored the curious stares from Sam and Linda, but they noticed the little devils that danced in his eyes.

A moment later Ray and Gina entered the warehouse, followed by Jake. As they walked over to them, Nick moved and pulled Sam and Linda in a subtle manner with him, to ensure Ray and Gina had their backs to the water tanker.

"I'm glad to see you two survived. What happened out there?" Sam asked.

Ray ran a hand through his hair. "We made it to Fort Campbell with no problem. They are well fortified there, and heavily armed. Even with all our tanks, it would be suicide to try and attack the place. I also saw Big Jim. He sure lives up to his name. The man is huge, and commands the respect of his people. Nobody dares to cross him."

Gina snorted. "It's more like Dirty Jim. I doubt he had a bath since the drought started. Anyway, after we learned all we could, we decided to head back here. We were careful not to leave any sign of our presence, but once we crossed the river, we thought we were far enough away. A patrol must have picked up on our tracks and followed. We tried to shake them, but they caught up with us. Ray and I can count our lucky stars that those people are not trained soldiers. They wasted all their ammo when they could've pinned us down and surrounded us without any problems."

She looked at Jake. "I'm glad that you showed up when you did. We were just about out of ammunition."

Ray frowned. "That reminds me, how did you know where to find us?"

Without them noticing, Nick sneaked around and led Oscar from behind the tanker.

"We had help from a new friend," Sam said and pointed behind them.

Ray and Gina looked around. Gina stifled a yell and jumped back, grabbing for her rifle. Ray took two quick steps back, tripped over a bedroll on the floor, and landed on his backside. With eyes wide with fear, he retreated by scooting backward on his bum.

It took a moment before Nick and Jake's laughter broke through the barrier in his mind.

"What the hell?" he asked.

Nick gave Jake a high five.

"Oh, revenge is so sweet," Nick said.

Jake reached down and pulled Ray to his feet. "I told you one day we'll get you back for all the times you sneaked up on us."

Chapter 15

Ray listened to Sam's recount of events since he and Gina left Paducah on their scouting mission. The scout kept glancing at the ten-foot tall alien, who listened with interest as Nick and Jake explained the concept of humor.

When Sam finished his account of how Oscar came to be in Paducah, Ray sighed. "Do you think it's a good idea to leave the poor creature in the company of those two?"

Sam shrugged. "It can't do much harm."

Indignation crossed Ray's face. "I'm not so sure of that. Their species will never be the same."

Sam smiled. "Together, they did save your life."

"And those two will never let me live that down," Ray said, but he couldn't hide the slight smile.

He would never admit it to their faces, but he was grateful that his friends showed up when they did, and knew they would never even mention the rescue.

"Is there any way to get undetected to the conduits around Fort Campbell?" Sam asked.

Ray shook his head. "No. Big Jim has everything well covered. You can get a few people through on foot, but vehicles are impossible. The checkpoints are manned and the people are well armed. Bridges that are not guarded, were destroyed. The dry river beds are littered with landmines. The only way to get to the conduits is through the checkpoint near Gilbertsville."

Sam glanced to where Linda sat with her back against the truck fiddling with her ration pack. "Let's hope it won't come to that, but if my talks with Big Jim fail, we won't have much time to act."

With so little time left before the Sun event, sitting around and waiting for Jacob to return tested everyone's patience. It was late in the afternoon when Oscar tilted his head. Nick and Jake were in the middle of an explanation of why Jeff Foxworthy's redneck jokes were funny when Oscar turned and walked away.

For such a tall being, Oscar moved with grace and precision. Sam looked up as the alien approached.

"Your friend received a message and is on his way back here," Oscar said.

Sam nodded. "Thank you, Oscar."

"I also have other news," Oscar continued. "Your people that bring the war machines are close. They will reach the bridge west of here within an hour."

The information that reinforcements were close by, filled Sam with a sense of hope. It was easier to negotiate when you had eighteen tanks at your back. He made arrangements and sent Jake to meet Frank and the rest of their backup.

"Keep everybody on that side of the bridge," Sam instructed. "I don't want Big Jim to get a sniff of our strength until it becomes necessary."

Shortly after Jake left, Jacob pulled up next to the warehouse. Sam waited outside, expecting him. The leader from Paducah had stress lines under his eyes and seemed to have aged overnight.

"Big Jim responded to your request. He agreed to meet you tomorrow morning at the bridge near Gilbertsville," Jacob said.

Sam nodded. "Thanks. If you write down the directions, I'm sure I'll be able to find the place."

Jacob shook his head. "That won't work. He insisted that I escort you to the meeting point."

He paused for a moment. "Sam, the people I talked to didn't say anything, but I could see it in their eyes. Big Jim's not happy with me for setting up this meeting."

Sam placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "I will keep my end of our agreement. Oscar informed me that our reinforcements are close. Before we leave for the meeting tomorrow, I'll have an armed squad escort all your non-fighting people to safety. You and your people are now considered part of our outfit and we will protect you like any other member of our community."

Jacob extended his hand. "Can I introduce you to the rest of your people, sir?"

Sam shook the offered hand and smiled. "I am still just, Sam."

Jacob stared into the brilliant blue eyes that smiled at him. The person behind those eyes instilled confidence. After he received the message from Big Jim, Jacob didn't have high hopes of surviving the meeting.

He was certain that as soon as the meeting was done, Big Jim would have him shot. Of course he wouldn't do it himself. A menial task like that was way beyond Big Jim Boyers, but in that moment in Sam's eyes, Jacob drew strength and hope.

After everything he heard over the past few days, it was easy to lose all hope for the future, but with a man like Sam leading them, they might just have a chance.

Jacob led Sam into the red brick building. In a large open area near the entrance, everyone had assembled the moment they heard the sound of Jacob's truck. A woman in her mid-thirties rushed into Jacob's arms.

After a quick greet, and holding the woman tight against him, Jacob introduced the visitor. "Everyone, I want you to meet our new leader. This is, Sam."

Sam glanced over the curious faces. "I would like to get to know you all better, but at the moment, we don't have time. As per my agreement with Jacob, all the non-fighting people will be escorted to safety. Welcome to our community."

With the help of members from Nick and Jake's squads, the people of Paducah's personal belongings were loaded into the back of two big delivery trucks. Twenty-three people, consisting of women, children, and three elderly men, were loaded into a bus.

Sam and Linda led the convoy across the bridge to the nearby Holiday-Inn where Frank and the rest of the reinforcements waited. There were a lot more people waiting than what Sam expected.

As he stepped out of the truck, Sam noticed the reason for the extra man-power. Moira Addams greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Moira! What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

The leader from Hot Springs was dressed in her usual camouflaged pants and dark-brown tank top. Her long, curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

Her dark skin glistened in the hot sun. "One of my people found your lost rifle, and I thought you would like it back. Frank told me you were out on assignment, and informed me of the latest developments. I figured you could use some help."

"You said we need all the help we can get," Frank added.

Sam smiled. "We sure can."

He introduced Jacob, and explained to Frank the deal he made with the man from Paducah. Frank wasted no time, and arranged for a squad to escort the people to White River.

"Maybe I should go with them to help them get settled," Linda said.

Sam frowned. Ever since her abduction, he always made sure she was close to him, but the situation with Big Jim could get out of hand. This was an opportunity to get her out of harm's way.

He took her hand and pulled her to the side. "Are you sure?"

She placed a gentle hand to the side of his face. "No, but it would give me something to do. The waiting will drive me crazy when you go to meet Big Jim."

He lowered his head and kissed her soft lips. "Be careful."

She smiled. "I should say that to you, but you probably won't listen."

"For you, I will," he answered, and kissed her again.

Ten minutes later, he watched as she boarded the bus and left with the rest of the people bound for White River.

Sam walked over to Oscar. "Please keep an eye on her. If there's any danger anywhere near her, I want to know about it."

Oscar tilted his head. "Where she is going, there is no danger. You are the one that will be in peril."

Sam gave a wry smile. "That may be so, but I'll feel better knowing that you're watching over her."

With that done, Sam called Frank and Moira over and explained his plan to meet with Big Jim in Gilbertsville.

"Are you taking Nick and Jake for escort?" Frank asked.

Sam shook his head. ""No, Jacob and I will be going alone."

"I don't like the sound of that," Frank said.

"Yeah, me neither," Moira added.

Sam looked from one to the other. "I don't have a choice. If I can convince Big Jim to stop his attacks on the conduits without any bloodshed, then it'll be worth it."

Moira's lips were pulled into a scowl. "Men like Big Jim understand only one language, and it comes from the barrel of a gun."

Frank could see no matter what they said, it wouldn't change Sam's mind. "Fine, but at the first sign of trouble I'm bringing everybody to help you."

Sam nodded. Their own force was three hundred people, eighteen tanks, and four Humvees strong. Moira brought another five hundred, well-armed people. If Big Jim wanted a fight, he sure would get one.

"I'll leave Oscar with you. He can give you a report on our movement," Sam said.

Moira threw a suspicious glance at the alien, remembering the destruction her forces suffered in Hot Springs before Sam came to her rescue. "Wouldn't it be more helpful if he goes with you?"

Sam shook his head. "No. If Big Jim knows we're working with the aliens, he will not listen to a word I have to say."

Frank sighed. "At least try and stay alive until we get there."

Sam grinned and glanced at Jacob. Even the man from Paducah felt better knowing he wouldn't be facing Big Jim alone and that help wouldn't be far. On Frank and Moira's insistence, they spend the rest of the afternoon putting a plan together if the talks with Big Jim failed. One way or another, by next nightfall, the conduits would be under their protection.

Before sunrise the following morning, Sam and Jacob climbed into the borrowed old red and white F150 pickup truck. With the possibility of trouble, Sam didn't want to risk his own ride.

With a last word of caution from Frank and Moira, they headed toward Paducah. When they crossed the bridge, the three brothers waved at them.

"Are you ready for this?" Sam asked as they left Paducah behind.

Jacob shook his head. "Not really, but it has to be done."

On Frank's insistence, they were each armed with an M16, and had enough extra ammunition to take on a small army.

They drove a while in silence, and then Jacob pointed to the left. "You can't see it from here, but the town of Gilbertsville is just over that hill. I was born there."

"Oh, so you're not from Paducah?" Sam asked.

Jacob shook his head. "Born and raised in Gilbertsville. My wife's from Paducah. We moved there after we got married."

Sam surveyed the flat area. Once the road was lined with a forest of trees, but only short, black stumps remained. As they rounded a bend in the road, the archways of the bridge ahead were visible.

"The checkpoint is just ahead, before the start of the bridge," Jacob said, as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"At least it's quite open here. There are not too many places for an ambush," Sam said, but regretted his words immediately. Although in the Special Forces, Jacob was not of the same caliber as Nick, Jake, and Terry.

Jacob swallowed. "Do you expect an ambush?"

Sam shrugged. "Not really, but I like to be prepared for anything."

As they approached the checkpoint, Sam noticed it was not an open bridge. Sandbags were stacked across both sides of the road, which left a narrow opening wide enough for one vehicle, obstructed by a heavy, moveable wooden boom.

On both sides of the road, behind the sandbags, a .50 caliber heavy machine gun was mounted on a tripod. Besides the two men manning the machine guns, ten other heavily armed men were visible.

They were all dressed in Jeans, black T-shirts, and wore baseball caps. All the men sported long, shoulder-length hair, long beards, and M16 assault rifles.

Sam frowned. "Don't these people believe in shaving?"

Jacob smiled at the observation. A number of his men sported long beards, while he noticed everyone in Sam's crew was clean-shaven. "Most of Big Jim's people believe water's for drinking, not washing and shaving," he answered.

Sam stopped the truck fifty meters from the barricade. They were on the right side of the four-lane road. To the right of their position was a slight down slope. Several dry tree stumps remained.

Without pointing, Sam spoke through clenched teeth. "If anything goes wrong, make for the trees on the right. They are below the firing line of those machine guns and offer the best cover."

"Won't it be safer behind the truck?" Jacob asked.

Sam shook his head. "Those machine guns will rip through the truck without a problem."

Jacob nodded and took a firmer grip on his rifle.

Sam smiled at Jacob. "Well, time to introduce me to the big, scary Jim."

The fact that Sam displayed no fear, gave Jacob the courage to step out of the vehicle. They met up in front of the vehicle, and then waited.

After ten minutes, there was still no movement.

"What are they waiting for?" Sam asked.

"Big Jim is probably close by. They would've radioed that we are here," Jacob answer.

Sam swung the rifle over his shoulder, and casually leaned back against the front bumper of the truck.

A few moments later he noticed movement on the bridge. A long, black vehicle, escorted by two trucks filled with armed guards, emerged from behind a building.

"What on earth is that?" Sam asked.

Jacob smiled. "Big Jim likes to travel in style. That would be his limousine."

Sam had to stifle a laugh. "You're kidding!"

Jacob sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm not. This leadership business has gone to his head. Even some of his own people mumble behind his back, but they are too afraid to say anything to his face."

The man that stepped out of the vehicle lived up to his name. He was a head taller than Sam, and twice as wide. Unlike the rest of his men, he was dressed in a camouflaged uniform. His shirt barely covered the belly that overhung his pants. On his head, instead of a cap, he wore a bandanna that matched the rest of his outfit. His long hair and beard was neatly brushed and trimmed.

He stepped from behind the barricade and walked toward them, but stopped halfway. Sam noticed the man was unarmed. He handed his rifle to Jacob, and then walked to meet man from Fort Campbell.

When the man spoke, it reminded Sam of rolling thunder. "I'm Jim Boyer. You wanted to see me?"

Chapter 16

Sam stared at Big Jim's face, looking for any sign of welcome, or friendliness, but found none. Instead, the dark-brown eyes had a cruel scowl, and looked down on him as a terrible king would do to one of his minions.

Sam's voice was soft, with no hostility. "I am Sam."

The big man's lips turned into a scowl. "What do you want?"

"I am trying to avert a catastrophe," Sam said.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Big Jim asked.

Sam spread his arms wide and indicated the surrounding area. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but this drought is caused by a series of continuous solar storms. Three months ago, a violent outburst caused a giant plasma wave to hit Earth."

He paused, waiting for a response from the big man, but all Sam got was a narrowing of thick eyebrows.

He continued. "Scientists in Chicago found a more serious outburst of storms from the Sun. Luckily for us earthlings the storms were directed away from Earth. The bad news is that our planet will swing into the direct path of these storms within the next two weeks."

Again Sam paused, waiting for a reaction, but received none.

"Then there was the arrival of these strange alien structures. After a few ferocious battles, we found that if we don't attack them, they left us alone."

A loud snort was the only response from Big Jim.

Sam frowned, but ignored the indignation and continued. "I decided to make contact with them, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, they finally let me in."

Big Jim's eyes stretched wide. "You were inside one of these structures?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, and they informed me of their purpose here. It's not to invade the planet, but to save it. Life harboring planets are quite rare, and it's their mission to protect these planets. If Earth enters the path of those storms, it will destroy our magnetic shield that protects us from harmful cosmic rays, instantly destroying all life as we know it."

A knowing smile spread across Big Jim's face. "Well, it's a good thing we live underground then."

Sam shook his head. "That will not save you. It might delay the outcome for a few seconds, but in the end the result will be the same."

Dark-brown eyes bored into Sam's. "So you're saying we're all going to die?"

Sam couldn't help the slight smile. "No. I am telling you what would've happened if we didn't have help. These keepers of the planets showed up to help us. They will form a protective shield so Earth can ride out the storm, and until our natural magnetic shield is restored."

For a long minute, beside the sound of the sweeping wind, there was absolute silence. The two men's eyes were locked on each other.

Big Jim finally spoke with a low voice, as if he struggled to contain his anger. "Why are you telling me this?"

Sam frowned, and his eyes turned cold. "Because it has come to my attention that you're attempting to damage the alien structures, and I can't allow that. You're putting the future of every living thing on Earth at risk."

Big Jim's eyes narrowed. "Did the government send you?"

That question took Sam by surprise. "What?"

The big man slapped his thigh. "That's it! The government sent you to try and talk me out of the bunker. I knew they would come for me sooner or later."

Sam lifted his arms in exasperation. "What government?"

Big Jim was now on a roll. "The so-called government of the United States of America. This is all just a ploy from them to drive us out of hiding. They want to take our bunker. Well, I have news for you, sonny. They can't have it!"

Of all the possible responses that Sam envisioned, that was not one of them. "The government as you knew it doesn't exist anymore. They were toppled from power when the riots started. There are a few military leaders that control certain sectors, just as you control this sector. I have no interest in your bunker. You can keep it."

Sam sighed. "This is not a time to fight amongst each other. This is a time to work together, so we can all survive this."

Big Jim had made up his mind and shook his head. "For years the aliens have abducted members of our families, and now they're here, and working with the government to take control. Well, sonny boy, you can go back to your masters and tell them that Big Jim Boyers will fight to the end."

Sam couldn't believe his ears. He stared back at Jacob with a look of, 'is this guy for real?', but Jacob shrugged.

When Sam realized that Jim Boyers was deadly serious, his cold, blue eyes bore into the man. "Is there something wrong with you?"

Big Jim shook his head. "No. I have the gift of a clear vision, and can see right through your plans. I will not let you, or the rest of the government, take our bunker."

Sam frowned. "Would you really risk the lives of all your people?"

Big Jim jutted his chin forward. "I would rather see them all dead than under the control of the aliens."

Throwing his hands in the air, Sam looked at the man in disbelief. "You are a special kind of crazy."

"Call me what you want, but I'll do what I have to do to protect my people," Big Jim said.

"If that was true, you would be listening to me right now," Sam answered.

Big Jim stared at Sam for a second. He was used to people cowering and melting under his stare, but this man with the intense blue eyes showed no fear.

"This meeting is over," he said, turned, and walked back to the barricade.

Disappointment washed over Sam. He believed that if he could explain the situation to Big Jim, the man would see reason, and that a lot of unnecessary bloodshed would be avoided, but there was no reasoning with him.

They would now be forced to fight. Since Sam first woke up in White River, he had to do a lot of fighting, but the last three months he experienced peace and tranquility, and he much preferred that.

As Big Jim approached the barricade, he sped up his pace, and barked at the guards. "Kill them!"

Sam snapped out of his musing, and turned to Jacob. "Run for cover!"

Without waiting to see if Jacob moved, he ducked to the side of the road and jumped over the steel barrier as bullets started to whistle past his head. The sand on the slope was loose, and Sam slid down to the bottom.

The twin machine guns at the barricade spewed their deathly rattle, and the bullets slammed into the top of the taller stumps, spraying him with splinters. Sam glanced to his right, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jacob made it to safety.

Ducking behind the tree stumps, he weaved his way toward Jacob.

When Sam reached him, Jacob tossed him his rifle. "Here, I think you need this."

Sam grabbed the weapon, crouched behind a tree stump, and scanned the top of the road for the enemy. A hundred meters from their position, he noticed two heads popped over the barrier, and fired three shots in their direction.

The bullets slammed harmlessly into the barrier, but the heads ducked from view. At the same time, the rattling of the machine guns stopped.

"They must be reloading," Jacob said.

Sam made a mental note, and fired a few more shots in the direction of the barricade to keep the rest of the guards honest. A minute later, the machine guns fired a new volley over their heads.

"Did you bring extra ammunition?" Sam asked.

Jacob shook his head. "No. Our extra ammo is still in the truck."

"Then we can't stay here. We have to make a run for it before they figure out a way to get to us," Sam said.

Two heads popped up behind the barrier again. The two guards stood up, and fired in their direction, but the bullets were nowhere near their mark. Sam took careful aim, and fired. The man on the right clutched his chest, dropped his rifle, and then toppled forward. His limp body fell over the barrier, and then tumbled down the slope.

"That should slow them down," Sam said. "Let's make our way closer to the road. The next time that machine guns stop to reload, we make a run for the truck."

Jacob swallowed, and nodded. They weaved through the trees, and paused at the edge of the tree line at the bottom of the slope. Sam peeked from behind a tree stump, but saw no movement. Bullets continued to whistle through the air over their heads.

"Follow me," Sam said, and started to climb the steep slope.

With the loose sand, it was not an easy task. They looked for anything to give them a firm hold, a root here, and an embedded rock there, it all helped them to make their way to the top of the slope.

As they neared the edge, the sound of the machine guns stopped.

"Now!" Sam said, and crawl over the top. He stood up, and jumped over the barrier. Several bullets struck the ground around him. He didn't bother to take aim, and returned fired from the hip.

Although not accurate, the bullets that slammed into the sandbags had the desired effect, and the guards ducked down. That gave Sam and Jacob an opening, and they sprinted toward the truck that was only a few meters away.

Sam jumped into the cab before the guards behind the barricade could recover. The engine was still running, and he threw the gearlever into reverse. A hard thud sounded and the truck rocked as Jacob dove into the back.

He dropped the clutch, and the truck jumped backward. When he built enough speed, Sam pulled the handbrake and swung the steering wheel hard to the right. The tires skidded on the loose sand on the road, and the truck swung around. Before the vehicle came to a standstill, he had the truck pointed in the opposite direction, threw the gearlever into second gear, and stepped on the gas.

With every second that passed, Sam put distance between them and the barricade. The guards that manned the machine guns saw what happened, and in their haste to reload, fumbled with the ammunition belts. It took them twice as long to get the guns ready to fire again.

The rest of the guards behind the sandbags fired at the fast moving truck, but they were not trained soldiers, and were still rattled by the sudden action, and very few of their bullets struck the intended target.

Just before Sam reached the bend in the road, the guards managed to get the machine guns working again, and fired on the truck, which was now five hundred meters away, and offered a very small target.

Sam followed the road around the bend, and watched the rearview mirror. The moment the arches from the bridge disappeared from sight, he brought the truck to a stop.

Jacob's head popped up from the back. "Why are we stopping?"

Sam stepped from the vehicle and clipped a fresh magazine to the rifle. "By now, Frank and the rest will know what happened and are on their way. We will wait for them, and then take on that barricade with the tanks."

Jacob grinned. "That will teach them to mess with us."

"Let's just check and make sure we are not followed," Sam said, and walked forward, hugging the left shoulder of the road. Once he had a clear view of the bridge, he checked for any sign of pursuit, but there was none. The guards were still in a state of shock. For most of them, it was the first time they were in a gun battle of that nature.

They were used to ganging up on people, and didn't expect such fierce resistance from only two people. It left one man wounded and another dead, and the rest were hesitant to leave the safety of the barricade to chase after the people responsible for that.

Sam glanced back over his shoulder, and pointed at the dust cloud in the distance. "Help should be here soon."

The approaching convoy kicked up a huge plume of sand and dirt. Nick, Jake, and Terry drove the three lead tanks, and they moved as fast as the road allowed. The rest of the convoy had a hard time keeping up.

Frank moved the convoy over the bridge to the near side of Paducah after Sam and Jacob left. The moment Oscar informed them that there was trouble at the meeting, they were up and running to the rescue.

When the three lead tanks stopped at Sam's position, the rest of the vehicles were almost a kilometer behind.

The driver's hatch of the tank swung open, and Nick's head popped out. "Are you okay?"

Sam gave a thumbs-up. "Do you think you can take out that barricade on the bridge?"

Nick's only answer was a grin, and he closed the hatch. The tanks were in radio communication, and Nick informed the others of the plan. The three tanks roared as they moved forward.

"Let's go!" Sam yelled at Jacob, and sprinted for the truck.

Sam followed close behind one of the tanks, using it as a shield. Edward was in the gunner's turret of Nick's tank, and when they were four hundred meters from their target, he informed the others that he had a clear shot.

The three tanks slowed down, while the gunners took aim at the barricade. Bullets from the two machine guns at the bridge, bounced harmlessly of the tank's thick armor. The three main guns of the tanks boomed almost simultaneously.

The targeting systems of the M1A1 Abrams tanks were sophisticated, and gunners that knew their job, rarely missed their target. Three 120mm projectiles hurtled toward the barricade, and a second later, slammed into the thick wall of sandbags with such force, it seemed like a giant hand wiped everything away in its path.

A bright flash, followed by a loud explosion confirmed the hit, and then everything was covered in dust and smoke. By the time they reached the bridge, the wind cleared away the cloud. The remains of the barricade were strewn all over the bridge. Dead bodies of the guards were visible under the rubble. The road across the bridge was cleared.

Chapter 17

The gunner's hatch opened on Nick's tank, and Edward's head popped out. Sam stepped out of his vehicle and stood with his hands on hips, staring at the devastation.

"Will that do?" Edward asked.

Sam sighed. "Yes, but it's unfortunate that it had to come to this."

Edward shrugged. "For some people, violence is the only language they understand."

"It is a miracle humans have survived as long as they have. We seem determined to plot our own demise," Sam answered.

"What's the plan?" Frank asked.

Sam pulled a map from his truck, and spread it out over the hood. He used four extra ammunition clips to keep the map from blowing away in the wind.

He tapped four points on the map. "We need to secure the closest conduits to Fort Campbell as quick as possible."

He looked up at Oscar. "I've marked the position of the conduits on the map where I figured they should be. Is this right?"

The alien glanced at the map. "That is correct."

"Frank, take the one just south of Princeton. Nick, you take the one east of Belton. Jake and Terry, you take the two at Waverly and Nashville. Each take four tanks and divide the available squads equally at every conduit," Sam said.

Frank frowned. "That leaves two tanks unaccounted for?'

Sam nodded. "I will keep two tanks and three squads with me. We will roam and go where needed. For now, we will stay at Princeton as it is the closest conduit to Fort Campbell, and the one most likely to come under attack."

"Where do you want me?" Moira asked.

"Divide your men into the squads, but I want you to stay with Frank. You can coordinate the efforts from Princeton," Sam said.

Moira frowned. "How will we communicate with them?"

Sam looked at Oscar. "Will it be possible?"

The alien titled his head, and for a moment he had a conversation in his mind with the closest conduit.

"Yes," he answered. "Each conduit will avail one warrior to each leader so you can keep in contact."

Nick winked at Jake. "Now we have to teach another one of them aliens."

Sam shook his head. "No please don't. It's enough you corrupted one of them."

Jake grinned. "We had to teach him the finer points of being human."

Sam glanced at Oscar, and this time, it was not his imagination. The alien had a hint of a smile on his seem-less lips. Oscar was a quick study and he took everything in that Nick and Jake told him. Learning the basics from a computer database didn't quite prepare Oscar for human interaction. There was no substitute for the human touch.

Humor was not a concept he was familiar with, but he started to understand. Humans were a more complex species than he had ever encountered before.

Ten minutes later, everybody was divided into one of the five groups, and took off in four different directions. Oscar pointed the way toward the conduit near Princeton from the back of Sam's truck.

It was not difficult to find the hundred meter tall, shiny structure. It stood in the middle of a vast clearing that used to be a grain field.

As they approached the conduit, they noticed the figure waiting in the shade.

Oscar met the alien, and after a brief mental conversation, he introduced the being. "Sam, this is unit 924. He will assist in communication with the other conduits."

Sam introduced Frank and Moira, and had to hide a smile. Unit 924 was mechanical in his responses and movements, very much the same way Oscar was when they first met him.

Sam left the deployment of the protective detail to Frank and Moira, and he pulled Oscar to the side.

"How's Linda doing?" he asked.

Oscar tilted his head to the side. "They are near your settlement, and there is no danger."

Sam smiled. "Thanks. I worry about her."

"I will continue to keep track of her movements, and will monitor the surroundings for any threat to her life," Oscar said.

Sam nodded his thanks. He stood in the shadow of the structure scanning the surrounding area. With the conduit being in an open field, there were no obstructions or hiding places in all directions for at least a thousand meters.

He turned to Oscar. "You will be able to see if anybody's trying to sneak up on us?"

"If anybody moves in the area, I will know about it," Oscar answered.

Sam sighed. That was a small conciliation. No matter what Big Jim had planned, at least they would see it coming.

Sam glanced up at the sky. The usual yellow glow caused by the amount of dust in the air, was replaced by an eerie soft pink glow. Whatever the Sun had planned for them, it would happen in the next few days.

The rest of the afternoon, Oscar provided feedback on the movements of the other squads. Sam plotted their progress on the map. Oscar downloaded constant updates from the conduits, but everybody moved into position without any incident.

The worst part of the operation started. They had to wait for something to happen. Big Jim was aware of the protective detail moving in on the conduits, and he had to make alternate plans of his own.

There was a rumbling among his people as word spread about the men and women protecting the conduits, but he would have none of it. He had his mind made up that the alien structures were there for a sinister reason and nothing anybody said would change his mind.

Linda had reached the safety of White River, and settled the newcomers into their new housing. She made a brief visit to the farm to check on operations, but George Kingsley did a good job managing the farm in their absence. Pedro was happy that she returned, and together they would worry about Sam.

For two days nothing happened. The waiting and sitting around made everyone's nerves on edge. Early on the morning of the third day, Oscar reported that there was movement from Fort Campbell. Two-person scouting parties set out to the four nearest conduits.

Sam called Frank and Moira around the hood of his trunk. The map was spread out, and Oscar pointed from where the two scouts would approach.

"They are probably scouting for the best place to attack," Sam said. "This gives us a window of opportunity. We can stage it so that this site appears the weakest, and when they move to attack here, we can ambush them."

Moira smiled. "For a man who claims to like peace, you're as sly as a fox."

Sam shrugged. "I hate exposing my people to unnecessary risks, and at the moment, we have a huge advantage with advance intel. Why shouldn't we make use of this opportunity?"

"What's your plan?" Frank asked.

Sam pointed toward the town. The outskirts of the town were less than two kilometers away. "We leave two tanks and a few squads out here, and hide the rest of the tanks and the people in town. If the scouts report back to Big Jim that there are only two tanks here, he might decide to launch his attack here. When he comes with this force, we'll be waiting."

Frank nodded. "I like that plan. Simple, but effective."

On the outskirts of the town, there were enough big buildings that they could hide the majority of the force out of sight. The two remaining tanks were positioned at the two legs of the structure that pointed toward Fort Campbell, and they took care to cover their tracks.

The four remaining squads of people had tents pitched between the three legs of the structure.

Two thousand meters south of their position, there was a clump of abandoned farm buildings consisting of a barn, several storage sheds, and two silver silos. These buildings were the target of the scouts from Fort Campbell.

The two men sneaked through a patch of dried trees that escaped the fires, and took up position behind the barn. With the wind whipping across the land stirring up the dust, visibility was poor.

After trying several vantage points, the scouts climbed on top of the twenty meter high silos. Through their binoculars, they noted every armed guard they could see. On a note pad, they made a drawing of the structure and the position of the tanks and the guards.

As per Sam and Frank's instructions, the guards at the conduits acted as normal as possible. Several people walked patrol around the conduit, while others sat around and looked relaxed. Some were visible in the tents, lying on their sleeping bags reading a book.

It was late in the afternoon when the scouts climbed down from the silos, and made their way back retracing their earlier footsteps.

Oscar informed Sam that the scouts were on their way back to Fort Campbell.

Frank turned to Sam. "Do you think they bought it?"

Sam shrugged. "These are not trained soldiers, and hopefully would take what they saw at face value. If that is the case, then I would say they bought it."

Moira overheard the conversation, and joined Frank and Sam. "I don't think we would have to wait long to find out. I'm sure Big Jim looked up at the sky, and knows that time is running out. As soon as all the scouts report back with their findings, he will pick a target and launch his attack."

Sam nodded. "I think you are right. By nightfall he will have his intelligence. He probably already has his attacking force on standby. All that remains is to pick the target."

Oscar tracked the movement of the scouts, and by nightfall, they made their way back to Fort Campbell to report on their findings.

While they waited for news, Sam decided to have a cold dinner from his ration pack. Thanks to Linda, he got addicted to coffee, and on a small gas stove, he heated enough water to fix a cup.

As he stirred in the sugar, Frank walked over. "That smells good."

Sam pointed to the stove and the ingredients. "Only have enough hot water for one. If you want some, you'll have to fix your own."

Frank waved a hand in the air. "Thanks, maybe later. Any news from Fort Campbell."

Sam glanced at their alien friend, who watched with interest as he observed the coffee making ritual. "Oscar says they can't see what the people are up to at Fort Campbell when they are under ground.We'll have to wait until they emerge and see which way they're headed."

Frank took a seat on an old drum, and drew a figure in the dust on the ground.

Sam frowned. "Do you have something on your mind?"

"You know me too well," Frank said with a skewed smile.

The smile slowly disappeared. "I believe you when you say there's a disaster coming. All your predictions were spot on so far. That worries me. Do you really think these aliens can protect us?"

Sam shrugged. "What's the alternative? Should I believe that we don't have a hope in hell and that we're all doomed? That means we all have only a few days left to live."

He shook his head. "I can't believe that. It shouldn't end this way. No, I rather choose to believe that Oscar's people can protect us, which is why we have to protect them."

Frank sighed. "Damn this fool, Big Jim. This is a time when we should all be with our loved ones. Instead, we're out here trying to stop a mad man."

Sam placed a hand on Frank's shoulder. He shared the veteran's frustration. He would much rather be back on the farm with Linda and Pedro. "I think you are out here for the same reason that I am."

Frank's gray eyes displayed a sadness that few people got to see. "We don't trust the safety of the people we care about in the hands of others."

Sam nodded. "Unfortunate, but true. Although I can't remember my past, I want a say in my destiny."

He rose to his feet. "I think it's going to be a hectic day tomorrow. We better get some sleep."

Fifteen minutes later, Sam crawled into his sleeping bag, but sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. When he closed his eyes, Linda occupied his thoughts. Secure in the fact that Oscar would inform him of any movement in the vicinity, he tried to push away the anxious feelings. It was an hour later when he was able to relax enough to drift off into a restless sleep.

When a heavy hand touched his shoulder, he was wide awake. He looked up into the shape of Oscar. Even in the dark, the shiny alien was noticeable.

"They are on the move," Oscar said in his monotone voice.

"Are they headed here?" Sam asked as he sat up.

"It appears that way," Oscar answered.

Sam pressed the button on his wristwatch, and a small light illuminated the time. 3:02 AM.

Ten minutes later, everyone was awake. Frank sent word to the people at the structure, but Unit 924 already alerted them.

"It seems they're planning an attack at first light," Sam said.

"Luckily for us it seems they have little military training," Frank said. "Any commander worth his salt knows a pre-dawn attack is the most effective."

Oscar informed them of the progress of the convoy that headed their way. From his information, they gathered that the attacking force consisted of five hundred, well-armed people.

Their mode of transport were pickup trucks, with six Humvees leading the way. From Oscar's report, they gathered that all the trucks had weapons mounted on tri-pods in the back, but the alien was unable to tell if they were machine guns, or rocket launchers.

Frank swore. "We can't wait until they're in position to find out where the rocket launchers are located. If they use MK19s, those things can fire up to forty grenades a minute. They can cause a lot of damage in a short space of time."

Sam stared at the distant horizon. A rising cloud of dust announced the approach of the attackers. Against his wishes, people would die that day, but they didn't have a choice. They had to fight.

Sam removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We'll have to take them head on."

Frank and Moira looked at each other and nodded. Unlike Sam, they were much more willing to fight. But they knew, when the fighting starts, Sam would be in the lead.

Chapter 18

Sam stood in the command hatch of one of the tanks, and glanced up at the sky. With all the dust in the air, the pink glow had turned yellow. His blue bandana covered his mouth and nose, a gift from Linda.

He lowered his gaze and looked at the scene in front of him. The Six M1A1 Abrams tanks stood in line, thirty meters apart. They formed the front line of their defense. The rest of the convoy was lined up behind the tanks, using them as shields.

They positioned themselves on a slight hill, near the place Big Jim's people marked from which to launch their attack. With Oscar's help, they mapped the most likely route the attackers would use, and produced their own battle plan. They wanted to surprise the convoy as they come over the crest of the hill, they would see the tanks five hundred meters ahead.

Because Sam's force was already in place, there was no dust to give away their position. Sam still held the hope that when they saw what they had to deal with, the attackers would change their mind, turn around, and head home.

But he underestimated Big Jim's influence over his people.

When the attacking convoy approached the crest of the hill, Sam spoke into the mouthpiece of his headset. "Hold your fire. Maybe we can still reason with them."

As the first vehicles crept over the hill, they noticed the tanks, and stopped. For a moment, Sam clung to the belief that they would change their minds. The cloud of dust drifted off on the wind. The land was quiet, but then the .50 caliber machine gun on the left Humvee started barking its message of death.

A deadly spray of bullets slammed into Sam's tank, but ricochet away without causing any damage. Sam ducked into the tank and yanked the hatch shut.

"I think that answers your question," Frank's voice sounded over the radio.

"Target the Humvees," Sam ordered.

The main gun on the six tanks boomed almost as one. The 120mm armor piercing shells tore into the Humvees. A bright flash, followed by a loud explosion, and then dust and smoke filled the air. Two of the vehicles were lifted from the ground by the force of the blast, and flipped onto their roof. The rest of the Humvees burned where they stopped.

The occupants of the vehicles were killed on impact. The sight of the burning Humvees didn't deter the rest of the attackers. Instead, it urged them on. The trucks sped toward their position, and people started shooting from the vehicles.

As soon as the people behind the tanks saw the Humvees go up in smoke, they drove their trucks forward between the tanks, and joined the battle line.

Having Oscar and Unit 942 as part of that battle line would have been helpful, but Sam didn't want to risk exposing them to the acid, and left them guarding the conduit.

From the attackers, an anti-tank rocket fired. The missile streaked through the air and slammed into the side of the tank Moira commanded.

Sam noticed the explosion and shouted into the headset, "Moira, are you okay? Moira! Speak to me damn it!"

But there was no response.

The gunners didn't wait for orders to start firing on the trucks. They readjusted their aim, and fired at will. The pickup trucks had no armor and offered no resistance. Trucks exploded in fireballs, throwing the people in the back in all directions. Most of them were dead before they hit the ground.

From the commander's hatch, Sam had control of the tank's .50 caliber machine gun, and he fired in the direction of their foes. A continued string of bullets ripped through vehicles and flesh without mercy. The battle lasted less than a minute, but the result was devastating.

Only three trucks survived the carnage, and when they turned and headed back the way they came, Sam shouted into the microphone, "Cease fire! Cease fire!"

He threw open the hatch, and waved his arms at the people in the trucks. It took a few seconds for the fighting to stop. When the last shot sounded, Sam lifted himself through the opening of the hatch, and made his way to the back of the tank, where he jumped to the ground.

Smoked poured from the left track of Moira's tank obscuring his view. When he got a clear view he noticed the vehicle remained intact. The hatch opened, and Moira's head popped out. Her eyes darted around, and she uttered a nervous laugh.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked.

She looked at the smoking track. "We got hit by something. We're a little shaken, but everyone's fine. We lost communication."

Sam turned toward the attackers. With his hands on his head, he walked forward to observe the damage. Burning vehicles and broken bodies littered the battlefield.

"What were these people thinking?" Sam said.

From behind, a woman's cry of anguish spun him around. He ran toward the cry, and noticed the frame of a mangled truck. It was littered with bullet holes. It took the brunt of a salvo from one of the .50 caliber machine guns.

The woman turned around when Sam came running. "They killed Fritz!"

Sam stared at the body of the big German. Although nobody in town messed with him, Fritz Schweitzer was well liked. A bullet ripped a hole in his chest, and his lifeless eyes stared out the window.

His driver was also killed, and slumped over the steering wheel.

Sam turned to Frank. "How many people did we lose?"

"We have ten dead, and fourteen wounded," Frank answered.

Sam swore. Moira stormed around a tank, her usual pretty face contorted with anger. Four of the dead fighters were hers.

"We have to go after them and wipe out that nest of scum!" she shouted.

Sam grabbed her by the shoulders. "Moira! Calm down. We can't just rush in after them. It would get more of our people killed."

She knew he was right, but her stubborn streak prevented her from thinking straight.

Before she could say another word, Nick and Jake joined their conversation.

"Sam, there's survivors out there. They are wounded, but alive," Nick said.

"What do you want us to do with them?" Jake asked.

"Just put them out of their misery," Moira spat.

Sam shook his head. "No, we're not monsters. Gather all the wounded and tend to them the best you can."

"But they killed our people," Moira protested.

Sam placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know they did, but they followed the orders of a madman who lied to them, and probably filled their heads with all kinds of crazy stuff. They are us much victims here as we are."

"That's just madness," Moira scowled, but her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Sam and Frank joined Nick and Jake as they moved through the remains of the enemy position. They walked up to a man that rested his back against a wheel that was blown off one of the Humvees. He clutched his shoulder. Blood oozed from a gash in his shoulder.

He stared at the four men with fear in his eyes.

Sam kneeled next to him. "Where is Big Jim?"

The man continued to stare, but didn't answer. Sam leaned forward, and the man cowered backward.

"I am not going to hurt you. Let me see how bad your wound is," Sam said.

The man looked at the figure that towered over him, and then nodded. Sam ripped the shirt away, exposing the wound. A piece of shrapnel was lodged in the man's shoulder.

Sam touched the piece of metal, but the man winced in pain. "I'm Sam. What's your name?"

"I'm Rudi," the man answered through clenched teeth.

"Well, Rudi, we have to stop this bleeding before you bleed to death, but in order to do that, I have to remove this piece of metal," Sam said.

Rudi looked into Sam's eyes. "Big Jim didn't come with us. He stayed behind in Fort Campbell."

Sam ignored the comments of, "typical," from Nick and Jake. He leaned forward, grabbed the piece of metal, and in one swift movement, yanked it from Rudi's shoulder.

The wounded man's eyes widened, then turned over, and slumped unconscious against the wheel. Sam used the man's ripped shirt and tore off a strip. He folded the rest of the shirt in a pad, and pressed it against the wound. Using the strip as a bandage, he wrapped the pad in place.

"He'll live," Sam said as he stood up.

"Have you been taking lessons from Doc?" Nick asked, looking impressed at Sam's handiwork.

Sam grinned. "Let's get to the rest of the wounded."

They moved through the battleground, collecting wounded people, and moved them to the side. Doc Percy stayed in White River, but his two nurses, Fay and Reese, accompanied Sam and the rest in case someone needed medical attention. They didn't expect to be that busy.

When Sam returned to the medical area, Fay walked to him. "We can only do so much with what we have here. Besides our own wounded, there's fifty three others. Some of these people are in bad shape, and if we don't get them to a hospital, they will die."

Sam turned to Nick and Jake. "Go into town and see if you can find something to move these people to White River. Doc can tend to them at the hospital."

The two friends nodded, grabbed some of their squad members, and headed into Princeton. An hour later, they returned with two luxury busses.

"Will these do?" Nick asked.

Sam smiled and turned to Fay and Reese. "Let's get these people loaded."

Fay shook her head. "Doc's going to love you."

Sam shrugged. "He always does."

While Fay and Reese directed the loading of the wounded onto the buses, Nick and Jake organized the bodies of their dead to be loaded into the back of a truck to be transported back to White River.

"What do we do with their dead?" Nick asked.

Sam looked over the battlefield. Some of the bodies were badly burnt and mangled, and the burnt flesh emitted a foul odor. They were fortunate that the wind blew the stench away from them.

"Lay them out to the south of the battlefield. I will give Big Jim a chance to collect his dead," Sam said.

"There are about three hundred bodies out there," Jake protested.

Sam turned his eyes on Jake, and his stern look sent warning signals.

Jake held up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying. We'll get right on it."

On the road back to White River there was no danger, so only half a squad was sent along for escort. As soon as they delivered the wounded at the hospital, they would return.

Sam watched as Nick and Jake directed their squads and laid the bodies of the fallen side-by-side in an open area to the left of the battlefield. It was well away from the conduits, and would allow Big Jim to retrieve the bodies without letting him near the alien structures.

Frank walked up to Sam shaking his head. "So many dead. For what?"

Sam had no answers. He turned and stared at the conduit. The tall alien structure shined in the sunlight, and against the dusty background, looked out of this world, like it was too pure to belong with all that evil.

"I better check in with them," Sam said.

"Take my truck," Frank offered.

Sam drove up to the structure, and noticed Oscar and Unit 942 in the shadow behind the closest leg.

"The people that fled are halfway back to Fort Campbell," Oscar reported as Sam stepped from the truck.

"Are there any other threats in the area?" Sam asked.

"None that we can see," Oscar answered.

"I have other news," he added.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Okay, let's hear it," Sam said when Oscar paused too long.

The alien's face remained expressionless. "Your friends from Chicago had met up with soldiers from other areas, and they secured the next ring of conduits. The message you shared with the people from Chicago had spread around the world and fighting against the conduits and the warriors protecting them had stopped almost everywhere."

"That is good news," Sam said.

Two loud, popping noises caught Sam's attention. He jerked his head around. In the distance, a thin trail of smoke rose from behind a building.

"What's causing that?" Sam asked.

"I can't see. Whatever it is, it is hidden from our view," Oscar answered.

Then Sam noticed the objects being hurled in their direction. Slightly smaller than a man's fist, the grenades hit the ground thirty meters to their right. It exploded in a yellow cloud, spraying their cargo of sulfuric acid in the immediate vicinity.

It took Sam a second to realize what happened. The main attack was a diversion. It allowed two trucks with mounted Mk19 grenade launchers to sneak up undetected from a different direction.

Due to the modified grenades, the launchers couldn't fire their usual load of 60 grenades per minute from the belt-fed system. The operators had to load and fire each grenade by hand.

It took them fifteen seconds to reload and fire the next grenade. They were a kilometer and a half away, and due to the wind, accuracy suffered. Each shot was a guessing game. They would watch where the last grenade exploded, and then adjust their sights.

Sam turned to the aliens. "The conduits are under attack. Take cover!"

The aliens were trained as warriors. Their primary mission was to protect the conduits, and they ignored Sam's instruction. Once they realized the structure was under attack, they morphed into full armor and deployed their main weapons.

They aimed and fired in the direction of the attackers, but at that distance their weapons were ineffective. As another grenade exploded, this time much closer, Sam decided it's time to head for cover.

He ran to the truck with the intention of hunting down the attackers. As he touched the door, a blood-curdling yell sounded. Sam turned in time to see Unit 942 drop to one knee. The remnants of the yellow cloud that surrounded him evaporated into the wind.

Vapor rose from the spot on his left side where the acid made contact with his armor. The alien had no choice but to retract the armor. As the acid touched his skin, it started to boil and eat into his silver-colored flesh.

Sam yanked the door open, grabbed two bottles of water from the passenger seat, and ran to the alien's position.

Chapter 19

Unit 942 was on the ground, squirming in agony. His high-pitched screams echoed through Sam. The intense pain in his head caused him to drop the water bottles and clamp his hands over his ears.

Sam turned to Oscar and shouted, "I can't help him if I can't use my hands."

Oscar hunched down and clamped a hand over Unit 942's mouth. It didn't silence the alien, but it muffled the sound to a more tolerable level. Sam grabbed a bottle, unscrewed the cap, and poured the clear liquid over the spot where the acid burned into the Alien's skin on his upper left arm, and part of his chest.

The water washed the acid from his wounds, bringing immediate relief. Unit 942 stopped his screaming, and Oscar helped him to his feet. Another grenade exploded in close proximity, but due to the direction of the wind, it blew the sulfuric cloud away from them.

"Get inside the conduit," Sam ordered, but both Oscar and Unit 942 ignored him.

He looked up to the structure. "Tell them to take shelter inside, we will handle this."

When there was no response, Sam ran to the structure and slapped his palm hard against the side. "You expect me to trust you, now trust me. We will handle this."

An opening appeared in the structure to Sam's right. Oscar and Unit 942 looked at each other, and then headed for the opening.

Oscar paused in the doorway. "Thank you."

"You can thank me later. Now get inside," Sam answered.

As the opening closed behind them, a grenade struck the structure. The result was the same when the acid touched Unit 942's skin. It started to bubble where the acid splashed over the surface. Sam glanced at the second water bottle, but realized the spot was too high up on the conduit to reach.

When a second grenade struck, Sam turned and ran toward his truck. He jumped into the driver seat, started the vehicle, and took off with spinning wheels in a cloud of dust toward the enemy.When he was five hundred meters away from the attackers' position, he noticed the dust from his left.

Two tanks were racing toward the same target. He was two hundred meters away, when the tanks stopped, aimed, and fired at the attackers' vehicles. Both trucks exploded in a ball of flames.

In the moment before the vehicles exploded, Sam noticed why the aliens couldn't track them. Both trucks were covered by camouflaged nets the same color as the sand. They blended into the background making them invisible to alien radar.

Once Sam was satisfied that the threat was neutralized, he turned the truck around and headed back to the conduit. When he reached the structure, several warriors were outside spraying water from a metallic alien container over the areas that were struck by grenades.

The effect of the acid on the structure was similar to what it did to Unit 942's skin. Where the acid made contact with the hull, the outer layer bubbled and peeled back in places.

When Sam stepped out of his vehicle, Oscar approached.

"Is 942 alright?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Oscar answered. "He is damaged, but with care, will recover."

Sam pointed at the structure. "What about the conduit?"

"It is damaged, but still operational. Your swift action prevented further damage. Sam, although the leaders want to thank you for your assistance, they are troubled as to why they didn't see the attack coming."

Sam reached into the passenger side of his truck, and retrieved a piece of the camo net.

He held it out to the alien. "They covered their vehicles with camouflaged nets."

Oscar rubbed the netting between his fingers. "We have encountered numerous species, and some were quite devious, but humans' capacity for violence and deception rise to a new level."

Sam sighed. That is not a distinction he was proud off. Their first real contact with visitors from another planet didn't make a good first impression.

Oscar handed the netting back. "Now that we know what to expect, we can adjust our scanners and look for it."

A low rumble reached Sam's ears, and he swung around, but it was the rest of their force returning to the conduits.

Oscar stared off into the distance, in the direction of Fort Campbell.

Sam noticed it. "What's wrong?"

The alien looked down at him. "The attackers that escaped reached their destination. Their leader is about to learn what happened here."

"Will they know the outcome of the attack on the conduit?" Sam asked.

Oscar turned his head and looked at the site of the attack where the two trucks were still burning. "Nobody survived that blast. There is no one to report on what happened."

Once the tanks were parked, Nick and Jake joined them.

"What now?" Jake asked.

Sam removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "Now we wait."

With the death of their friends, a somber mood settled over the camp. Nick and Jake collected wood and started a small fire. Several people followed their example. It was a few hours before nightfall, and they made use of the remaining daylight to warm their food and to set up camp for the night. Once darkness came, no lights were allowed.

Sam joined Nick and Jake around the fire. "I thought you were heading back to your squads."

"We're leaving at first light. Oscar will let us know if anything happens before then," Nick answered, but didn't move his eyes from the dancing flames.

The death of Fritz and the others made everyone question their own mortality and purpose.

"Sam, what are we doing here?" Jake asked. "We should be home with our families. In a few days the world might end. Do we really want to be out here when that happens? I don't want my wife and daughter to die alone. I want to be there with them."

The bitter tone in his friend's voice was like a punch in the stomach for Sam. Even in the face of terrible danger, Nick and Jake always found something amusing, but their shoulders slumped. They grieved for their fallen friends.

Sam pointed to where Oscar sat alone against the nearest leg of the conduit. The alien observed with interest the curious mood of the humans. His shiny face, and the big, black eyes were a picture of innocence.

"Do we go home and leave these creatures at the mercy of Big Jim?" Sam asked.

For a moment, Nick stared at Oscar, and then sighed. "If our only encounter with them was that violent first meeting at Hot Springs, I would have said yes. But then we met Oscar, and learned another side of these beings. They might have the technology, but against the cunning nature of humans they are defenseless."

That night Sam could not fall asleep. He lay in his sleeping bag with his hands folded behind his head, staring up at the sky. Even at night, the heavens had a pink glow. Against the brilliant display of color from the aurora, only the brightest stars were visible. A half-moon sat high, but even the earth's companion was bathed in deep pink.

At one stage, while thinking of Linda and Pedro, Sam drifted off, but it was only for a moment, or so did it seem. When he opened his eyes, the sky remained the same. He moved his eyes from the west to the eastern horizon.

There was still no sign of daylight. As he lifted his eyes from the horizon, he spotted it. At first he thought it was part of the aurora, but then he realized it was deep in space. Sam wiped his eyes and pinched himself on the inside of his forearm to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but when he opened his eyes again, it was still there.

He reached for his backpack and retrieved the binoculars. Through the glasses, there was no mistake in what he was seeing.

A thin phenomenon streaked across the heaven like a ribbon blowing in the wind. It emitted all the bright colors of the rainbow. It was like looking at a distant galaxy through a telescope, but this was much closer. Through the binoculars he could see it more clearly, but he could also see it with the naked eye.

Sam reached for Nick, who was fast asleep in his sleeping bag.

"Huh, what is it?" he asked as he sat up in a daze.

"Do you see that, or am I dreaming?" Sam asked and pointed at the ribbon.

Nick looked at the sky, seeing the aurora and the stars, and then his heart skipped a beat. "What on earth is that?"

Sam sighed. "So I am not dreaming."

Jake also stirred. Nick slapped him on the shoulder and pointed into the sky. "Look at that!"

It took a moment to register what his eyes were seeing. Then he grabbed a water bottle, poured some liquid into his hand, and splashed it onto his face. When he was sure he was wide awake, he looked again, but the strange phenomenon in space was still there.

Nick shook his head. "That's not going to help. You're not dreaming. Whatever that is, it is real."

The sound of their voices woke those close to them. A minute later, the entire camp was wide awake and everyone stared and pointed at the sky, and the strange, colorful ribbon visible in deep space.

"That looks like something out of a science fiction movie," Jake said.

"A few weeks ago we said the same about the aliens," Sam reminded him.

He glanced to his left, and noticed Oscar's tall shape also staring at the sky. He walked over to the alien.

"What's that," Sam asked.

Oscar looked down at his human friend. "That is where this planet is headed. That is the edge of the storm."

Sam frowned. "I thought we're not supposed to reach it for another few days. That looks awful close."

"Because of the amount of solar radiation contained in the storm, it is difficult to get an accurate reading," Oscar explained. "As the planet moves closer, the readings from the Leaders get more accurate."

Sam tore his eyes from the ribbon and stared at the alien. "That doesn't sound good. Why do you look so worried?"

The alien tilted his head to his curious angle. "You are very perceptive."

Sam frowned. "You still haven't answered my question."

Oscar turned his eyes to the ribbon in space. He stared at it for a moment before he answered. "That solar storm is much worse than what the Leaders suspected. They are not sure the shield will be strong enough to protect the planet."

Nick and Jake overheard the conversation and stepped closer.

"You are not much for sugarcoating things," Jake said.

Sam glanced at Jake, but then decided to ignore him. He turned his attention back to the alien. "Are you saying that the shield the conduits will produce won't protect us from the rays of the Sun?"

"The shield will protect you from the rays and the solar winds, but it is not strong enough to handle the amount of radiation contained in that storm," Oscar answered.

Every hair on Sam's body stood on end. In the sweltering heat, he was covered with Goosebumps as an icy feeling washed over him. It took a moment for Oscar's words to sink in, and for the three friends to grasp their full meaning.

Nick was the first to find his voice. "Wait! Does that mean we're all going to die in three days?"

Although the tone of Oscar's voice didn't change, his eyes looked troubled. "That is another thing the Leaders got wrong. We are much closer to the storm than their initial information suggested. The radiation masked the readings. The planet will reach the edge of the storm by sunset tomorrow night."

Jake shook his head. "I am starting to lose confidence in these leaders of yours. They are getting a lot of very important things wrong."

Oscar tilted his head, but before he could say something, Sam jumped in. "Don't listen to him. We are grateful you are here. Without your information we would've been left in the dark. At least we know what is about to happen."

Nick looked at Sam with a serious expression on his face. "If the shield is not going to help, and we are all about to die, I would like to spend my last remaining time with my wife and my son."

Jake agreed. "There's nothing left to do here. We might as well go home."

Sam glanced at the damaged conduit. "What about them? We can't just leave the aliens at Big Jim's mercy."

Nick shrugged. "There's nothing they can do. They can leave this doomed planet and save themselves."

Oscar tilted his head. "It is too late for us to leave. There is too much disturbance in the atmosphere around the planet for the conduits' propulsion system to work."

Sam frowned. "But the conduits have a protective shield. You travel through space all the time, so inside you will be fine?"

"This is not normal space radiation. This is a concentrated stream, and not even the conduits can protect us from that. When the planet enters the storm, we will perish with everything else," Oscar said.

"You seem remarkably calm about it," Nick said.

Oscar's eyes narrowed, reflecting a sadness they had never seen before. "There is nothing I can do about it, but it does sadden me that I will not see my family again."

The impact of the alien's words hit them hard. They were not aware of the risk that the aliens took to help them. Instead of fleeing the planet when they still had the chance, they chose to stay and help a race of people, even from some who wanted to destroy them.

Nick slipped an arm around Oscar's waist. "Well my brother from an alien mother, you're not alone here. You are among friends." He turned his attention to Sam. "But I think it is time we go home and spend our last hours with our loved ones."

Sam observed the alien. For a moment, a tear formed in Oscar's left eye, but he blinked twice, and it was gone. He was about to say something, but he stopped, and looked up at the conduit. He listened for a second to the message in his head.

Sam, Nick, and Jake observed him before when he received instructions or messages from the conduit, and didn't interrupt.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked when Oscar lowered his head.

Oscar looked at his human friends. "That human that you call Big Jim is on his way here."

Sam frowned. "Is it another attack?"

"I don't think so," Oscar answered. "The Leaders are of the opinion that he is on his way here to talk."

Chapter 20

The decision had been made. They would go home. Through Oscar, Sam explained to the Leaders of the conduits why he made the decision, and they agreed. The Leaders apologized for their failure, and promised to keep working on a solution. Their own lives were also at risk.

Sam had sent messages to their groups protecting the other conduits and recalled them to Princeton. He had to wait for the arrival of Big Jim anyway. Through the conduits, Sam also informed General Sheppard of the latest developments, and their decision to go home. The general was advised to do the same.

Although they were packed and ready to go, Sam still didn't trust Big Jim. The six tanks were pulled in a defensive line a kilometer from the conduit at Princeton. All the trucks and support vehicles were parked behind the tanks.

The rest of their convoy was on their way back from their positions at the other conduits, but would only arrive about half an hour after the arrival of Big Jim.

"Here they come," Oscar said and pointed to the dust in the distance.

"You sure there is no sign of any hidden attackers trying to sneak up on us again?" Nick asked.

"We added the additional data into our systems, and we can detect no disguised vehicles, or humans," Oscar said.

Nick stared at the alien for a moment, not sure if he was serious, or pulling his leg, but Oscar kept a straight face and stared at the rising dust.

Sam shook his head. "He's getting as bad as you two."

Nick and Jake looked at each other, their faces a picture of innocence, but they didn't say anything because Big Jim's convoy emerged from behind a small hill.

Two black SUVs swung into view.

"What, no limo today?" Jake asked.

"He's probably scared he has to make a quick getaway," Nick remarked.

The vehicles came to a halt fifty meters from their position. Ten people accompanied the man from Fort Campbell, but they remained in the vehicles. Only Big Jim stepped out.

He walked forward and stopped halfway between the trucks and the tanks.

"Keep your eyes wide open," Sam said out of the corner of his mouth to Nick and Jake, and then walked forward to meet Big Jim.

Sam stopped five meters from him, and the two glared at each other.

"I hear you killed a lot of my people," Big Jim said in a slow, heavy voice.

"I gave them the opportunity to turn around, but they didn't. What did you think the outcome would be? You knew we would defend ourselves. Besides, we lost some of our friends too," Sam said, his icy blue eyes boring into Big Jim.

The man looked around, but didn't see what he was looking for. "What did you do with the bodies?"

Sam pointed to a clump of white buildings two kilometers away. "We laid out all the dead in one of those empty sheds. They are out of the sun, and you can collect them there."

He paused for a moment. "There were about fifty survivors, most of them badly injured. We had to take them to our hospital to get medical care."

Big Jim frowned. "You took them prisoner?"

Sam ignored the accusation. "If we didn't attend to them, they would have died. As soon as they are able to, I would've returned them to you."

"Would have?" Big Jim asked with narrowed eyes.

"The situation has changed. I don't know if you looked at the sky lately," Sam said and pointed at the ribbon. Even in daylight it was clearly visible.

"You seem to know what that thing is," Big Jim said.

Sam nodded. "That is the edge of the solar storm I told you about. As the planet moves closer, it will get bigger."

"You still expect me to believe that story?" Big Jim scoffed.

Sam shrugged. "I don't expect you to believe anything, but you are about to find out for yourself."

Big Jim looked around, expecting a play against him, but nobody moved.

Sam shook his head. The man's paranoia seemed to know no limits.

"It is nothing like that," Sam said. "The situation is worse than the aliens thought. Earth will reach the storm by sunset tomorrow night."

"And then they will deploy their protective shield," Big Jim said with a mocking smile.

"I am not going to explain it to you, because you don't believe me, but the aliens just found out that deploying the shield might not work. There's too much solar radiation," Sam said.

"So, after all that hoo-hah, they won't be able to save us?" Big Jim said with a smug look on his face.

Sam nodded. "That's right. By sunset tomorrow, when our planet reaches the storm, there's a good chance we'll all die."

For the first time since Sam met the man from Fort Campbell, Big Jim didn't have the smug look on his face. Worry set in his dark eyes, but he was stubborn.

"Wait! This is another ploy to get me to leave the alien spaceships alone," he stated.

Sam shook his head. "No, it's not, but if that's what you believe, I don't have the time to change your mind."

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Look, Jim, this might very well be our last day. Do you have any family?"

Big Jim frowned. Nobody had addressed him by his name in a long time. Only his wife dared to call him Jim. "Yes. I have a wife and five kids."

Sam nodded. "Although I am not married, I also have people I care for very much. If it so happens that we die tomorrow, I would rather spend my last day with them than fighting with you."

Big Jim stared past Sam at the vehicles. "You're leaving?"

"Like I said, when we received the news, we decided to head back home. We were about to leave when someone saw your dust in the distance," Sam said.

A slight smile formed on Big Jim's lips. "You're leaving the alien ships unprotected?"

Sam shrugged. "They have their own protection."

The smug looked returned to Big Jim's face. "So there will be nobody to stop me from destroying them?"

Sam lifted his arms in exasperation. "If that is how you want to spend your final hours, I won't be here to stop you, but I would advise you to think about this. When the planet enters the storm, they will deploy their shield. Although they know it won't be strong enough, it might give us an extra hour or two."

Big Jim snorted. "What use will that be?"

Sam looked at him for a few moments before he answered. "If I know I'm going to die, I would treasure every extra minute I have with my family."

He glanced at the rest of Big Jim's men. They heard every word of the conversation. They spoke in hushed tones amongst themselves, but Sam could hear that they sounded worried.

"If they know what's coming, why haven't they left yet? Surely they can just fire up their spaceships and head into the opposite direction," Big Jim said with a curious frown.

Sam shook his head. "It is too late for that. The disturbance in the atmosphere will prevent them from breaking free from Earth's gravity. They could lift off, but when they get high enough, their propulsion systems will shut down and they will crash."

He looked at the disbelief on Big Jim's face. "They knew the risk, but were willing to risk their own lives to save ours. Now they will perish with the rest of us."

When Big Jim didn't answer, Sam clapped his hands together. "Listen, we're wasting valuable time. I have to get going. Good luck to you and your people."

The words left Big Jim flustered for a moment, but then he waved a hand in the air, turned, and headed for his vehicle without saying another word. By the time Sam reached his truck, the two black SUVs were on their way back to Fort Campbell.

"Why did you lie to that man?" Oscar asked.

The alien was already seated in the back of the truck in his usual spot. His conduit was back at White River, but the Leaders decided that he would stay with Sam until the end. If there was any change, they could relay the news through him to the humans.

Sam paused with his hand on the door handle. "What lie? Most of what I told him is the truth."

Oscar cocked his head to the side. "You do understand that deploying the shield will have no effect against the radiation? The moment the planet enters the storm, it will be all over."

Sam nodded. "Yes, I do understand that."

He pointed to the conduit. "Once we leave, they will be at the mercy of that crazy man. I saw what the acid did to 942, and don't want to see the rest of your people suffer in their final hours. I hope that if Big Jim believes that the conduits can protect them, even if it is only for a few extra hours, that he will leave them alone."

Humans continued to surprise Oscar.His own race was raised to behave without emotion and irrational thinking, and there was not much difference in behavior from one Argentumling to the next. The inhabitants of Earth were not the same.

Every human they encountered was different, and ranged from violent, to kind hearted, and everything in between.

Oscar lifted his head and stared off in the distance. Three columns of dust headed their way.

He looked at Sam and pointed. "The rest of your friends are almost here."

When the vehicles that guarded the three other conduits joined them, Sam called everyone together.

As they circled around him, he looked at their faces. He had known most of them for only a year and a bit, but everything they experienced together cemented strong friendships. He would go to great lengths to protect them, but now he was the one that had to tell them that they were about to die.

Sam took time to look at each face. The two brothers, Edward and Nathan Sharp were always together. Nick and Jake were lifelong friends. Terry Turner was with them in the Special Forces, and the three shared a special connection. He was also the love interest of Linda's sister.

Gina Alvarez, the god-daughter of General Ty Sheppard from Chicago, stood next to the reason she decided to stay with them, Ray Lightfoot, their scout. His dark skin glistened with sweat in the hot sun.

Frank Hurley, the man they trusted with their security in White River. Moira Adams, the leader from Hot Springs and a trusted ally. Clive Dunlop, whom Sam found living in a cave in dire conditions and invited him and his family to join them in White River. His wife Fay, also became Linda's best friend. Jacob Trent, the man from Paducah who risked everything to help them against Big Jim.

Sam sighed. There was no other way to do what he had to do.

"You probably wondering why I called you all back," he started.

Everyone present noticed the look of sadness in Sam's eyes, and nobody interrupted.

He relayed the news of their impending doom. "Rather than to stay here, I decided that we should be with our families and loved ones. The message was sent to all the other conduits, and they will inform everyone around the world."

Gina buried her face in Ray's shoulder.

He stroked her hair. "If you want to go to Chicago, I'll go with you."

She smiled and touched the side of his face. "That's sweet of you, but the general will have his hands full, and I probably won't see him."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Frank asked.

Sam nodded. "Let's go home."

Everyone made their way to their vehicles. With Sam in the lead, the convoy snaked through the barren landscape. Because Oscar was too big to fit inside the cab and had to ride in the back, Sam was alone in the truck and left with his own thoughts.

His mind drifted to Linda, and he had to restrain himself from not speeding up. He had to keep to a speed that the tanks would not fall behind. As they reached Paducah, he stopped. That is where Moira would split from their group, and head to Hot Springs.

She stopped her truck next to his, and he stepped out to talk to her.

For a moment, the two leaders stood and looked at each other.

Moira glanced at the sky. "Who would have thought that it would end this way?"

She wiped at her eyes. "I haven't cried since I was fifteen, and am not about to start now. Sam, it was a pleasure knowing you."

"The honor is all mine. Good luck," Sam answered, noticing her discomfort.

She pushed her hand forward to shake his, but Sam stepped forward and hugged her tight.

"If by some miracle we survive this, we must all get together for a hell of a party," she said with a sad smile, but couldn't stop the tear that ran down her cheek.

Sam swallowed hard and wiped the tear away with his thumb. "If we see each other again, we shall do just that. Take care."

With those last words, they both turned and headed to their vehicles. With a last wave out the window, Sam led his convoy toward White River.

Along the road to their sleepy little town, there was nothing but hills, dry tree stumps, and dust. Secure in the knowledge that Oscar would inform them if there was any threat in the immediate vicinity, Sam pushed as hard as he dared. Everyone understood the urgency. Time was running out and nobody complained.

The setting sun colored the sky in a deep magenta when they approached White River from the north. There was no way to get word to the people in town to let them know they were on their way, but the huge cloud of dust that the convoy raised, alerted the guards at the northern barricade that someone headed their way.

Maxine Holt was on duty, and sent a motorcycle rider to find out what caused all the dust. Ten minutes later the rider returned.

The young man brought his motorcycle to a sliding halt. "It's Sam and the rest. They're back!"

Chapter 21

When Linda arrived in White River with the wounded, Doc Percy realized there were too many to fit into the two wards of their small hospital, and set up one large general ward in the entrance area.

With the help of some townspeople, the heavy wooden counter was moved, and they carried in all the beds they could find. They didn't have enough beds in the building, but after a request to Henry Carver, the town's equipment master, more beds were delivered to the hospital.

Despite all of Doc's efforts, three of the people succumbed to their wounds, but if it wasn't for his expert care, the number would have been higher.

With only two nurses to assist the doctor, Linda, Janine, and five other women volunteered to help.

Linda was carrying a tray to dish out medicine when Pedro came running through the doors.

"Easy, young man. What's the hurry?" Linda asked.

Pedro's swung his arms in all directions as he tried to catch his breath and talk at the same time. "Mom, Sam and the others are back!"

She glanced at her sister, who was busy taking the blood pressure of a man from Fort Campbell. Linda turned, shoved the tray into the hands of one of the volunteers, and ran out of the hospital with Janine following close behind.

As she and her sister covered the two blocks to the Command Center, they were joined by scores of people running to welcome back their loved ones. When she turned the final corner, her eyes scanned the scene.

In the clearing opposite the Command Center the vehicles pulled in side-by-side. The seventeen tanks and the four Humvees formed the front row, and all the pickup trucks lined up behind them.

It was easy to pick out Sam's truck. He didn't join the formation, but parked his vehicle in the street in front of the building. The dark-blue truck didn't stand out on its own, but with the shiny, ten-foot alien in the back, it was unmistakable.

When Sam stepped out of the truck, he scanned the crowd, looking for Linda. She didn't have time to change out of the maroon nurses scrubs she wore in the hospital, but he recognized her by her bouncing red hair. In the late afternoon sun, her hair glowed as it reflected the sunlight.

She ran forward and leapt into his arms. For a moment, not a word was said. They both had their eyes closed as their bodies each felt the familiar presence of the other.

"Sam! You're back!" Pedro's excited words yanked them out of their own little world.

Sam dropped to one knee, and then Pedro's slender arms circled around his neck.

He kissed the top of the boy's head. "I missed you too, little buddy."

Sam rose to his feet, and kissed Linda while Pedro looked on with a big smile. In that moment, the boy was filled with bliss. His adopted family was together again.

Two women, each with a young child on the hip, rushed past.

"Thank you, Sam!" They cried out as they ran by.

Nick and Jake jumped from their tanks when they saw their wives and rushed to greet them.

Linda turned to Sam. "Is it all done?"

He stared into her bright emerald eyes. "The fight with Big Jim is over."

She frowned. He could not hide the worry in his eyes.

"You're worried," Linda said and pointed at the sky. "It has something to do with that doesn't it?"

Sam glanced into the air. The multi-colored ribbon was now twice the size it had been earlier. Their planet was speeding toward the storm at a staggering hundred and twelve thousand kilometers per hour.

Sam frowned. _How would I know that?_

"What's wrong?" Linda asked when she saw the strange expression on Sam's face.

Sam sighed and pointed at the ribbon. "That's the edge of the solar storm."

"It's pretty," Pedro said.

It is the object of their impending doom, and until that moment, Sam looked at the phenomenon with that in mind. He never considered its beauty. Against the dull pink sky, it displayed every color of the rainbow with an eerie clarity.

Sam smiled and ruffled Pedro's hair. "Yes, it sure is pretty."

Something tugged at Linda's mind. Her intuition was in overdrive. She glanced at where Sam's truck was parked. Oscar had climbed down, and leaned with his back against the truck, observing the human reunion with curiosity.

The sight of the alien should have filled her with assurance, but it didn't.

She turned to Sam. "Why hasn't Oscar returned to his conduit?"

Sam looked down at Pedro. "Oscar missed you. Go say hi to him."

The boy grinned and ran over to the alien.

They watched him go, and then Sam pulled Linda into his arms. "We're in serious trouble."

Linda frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"

Sam glanced around, making sure there was nobody around that could hear what he had to say, but everyone else was occupied welcoming their loved ones home.

In hushed tones, he relayed what Oscar told him. With every word, her eyes grew wider, and when he finished, her hand flew to her mouth. Tears filled her eyes, and then she flung her arms around the love of her life.

For several moments, they stood there in each other's arms. Neither said a word, but their hug was desperate, like they were afraid to let go as they might not get to do it again.

When Linda relaxed her grip, she stared up into Sam's face. "Do the others know?"

Sam nodded. "The inner circle does. I need to tell Mayor Ryan, and then we have to inform the rest of the town."

Linda noticed the burden he carried on his shoulders. His eyes were sad, but there was also anger. Her life was threatened and there was nothing he could do.

Once the excitement of the arrival died down, Sam went to search for the town's mayor. He found Tim Ryan talking to Fritz Schweitzer's widow. When Sam approached, she glanced at him with tear-filled eyes, then turned, and run in the opposite direction to her house.

Sam frowned, but the mayor shook his head. "She doesn't blame you, but she's still very upset."

"That's understandable," Sam said. "Tim, we have to talk."

The mayor looked into Sam's troubled eyes, and then motioned with his finger. "Follow me."

He led Sam and Linda to his office, located in the town hall building next to the Command Center.

Tim eased his big frame into the chair behind his huge oak desk. "What's wrong?"

Sam glanced at Linda, gave her hand a squeeze, and then relayed the story to the mayor. Hearing the tale of their impending doom a second time, didn't make it any easier for Linda. To the mayor's credit, he didn't bat an eye and let Sam finish.

After Sam's last words, the mayor stared at Sam and Linda for a moment. "So this is it then? This is our end?"

"The aliens will continue to work on a possible solution until the last moment, as their lives are as much at stake as ours. But unless they can find something before our planet swings into the path of that storm, yes, that will be the end," Sam said.

Tim shook his head and swore. "I never thought it would end like this."

Sam sighed. "I feel like my life just started."

Linda grabbed his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. A silent tear ran down the side of her face. Sam kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes for a second, drawing strength from her presence.

"What do we do now?" Tim asked.

Sam stared at Tim for a moment. "Someone has to inform the rest of the people."

Tim nodded. "I'm the mayor. I'll do it."

He walked to the door and leaned around the corner. "Alice, we need an urgent town meeting."

Sam and Linda glanced at each other. The mayor's secretary was not in the office when they walked in, but she had the uncanny ability to sense when he arrived, and would be there soon after in case he needed something.

"I'll get right on it," Alice said and rose to her feet.

She had been Mayor Tim Ryan's secretary ever since he took office. When his wife died of cancer ten years ago, she was there to support him. Many people thought they would become an item, but although they were good friends, they kept their relationship professional.

"Alice, just a moment," Tim said as she reached the door.

She turned around. "Yes?"

He walked up to her and ran his eyes up her slender frame. Her long, gray hair was neatly tied in a bun, and her flower-patterned dress seemed to enhance her light-brown eyes.

Tim placed a gentle hand to the side of her face. He bent down and kissed her.

A surprised sob escaped her lips, but she didn't pull away. When he lifted his head, she stared at him with a puzzled look.

He cupped her face with both hands. "I'm so sorry I waited and never said anything, but I love you. I've been in love with you for a very long time."

She smiled at him, unsure of what brought this on.

He kissed her once more. "We have a lot to talk about, but first, I have to address the town."

She nodded. "The town hall's too small. I will have everyone gathered in the park in an hour."

Alice turned and walked out the building with an extra spring in her step.

Tim turned around, and then realized Sam and Linda were still in the room. He grinned like a school boy caught in the act of mischief.

"That was long overdue," he said and took a seat behind his desk. "Now, how are we going to handle this?"

Sam shook his head. "Once everyone knows, I think we should leave it up to them to decide how they want to spend their last day."

The mayor stared at Sam for a moment. "You look remarkably calm considering the situation."

Sam shrugged. "There's nothing I can do to alter what's about to happen. I am not going to spend my last hours feeling sorry for myself."

He gave Linda's hand an extra squeeze and smiled when she looked up at his handsome face.

While they waited for the people to arrive, the mayor directed a few people to move the tanks and the other vehicles to the far side of the park.

Sam and Linda stood on the bottom step of the stairs that led to the Command Center.

She stared at the park that was once covered in luscious green grass, but was now nothing more than a piece of flat land covered by sand. A lone bench stood near the spot where she first saw Sam when he stumbled through the park and collapsed.

"I stood at this very spot when I first saw you," she said.

He looked down at her, and using his thumb, he wiped away the single tear on her cheek.

She pointed at the bench. "Janine and I just returned from lunch at Tony's. We were climbing these stairs when we heard little Elliot's screams. You lay there, so covered in dust, from here I couldn't even tell it was a body."

Sam sighed. "Hard to believe that was more than a year ago. It feels like it was only yesterday, but I'm glad I didn't die that day. At least now I have all these wonderful memories with you."

Linda lay her head on his chest. "Sorry you never found anything about your past. There was always hope that one day you would find out something, but now it looks like you'll never know."

Sam stared off to the west. The sun hung low in the sky. Through the dust, it appeared as nothing more than a hazy, red orb. The ribbon that spelled their demise was still high in the sky, sparkling a brilliant display of colors. It seemed to grow by the minute as their planet sped forward to their doom.

They watched as the area started to fill with people. They arrived in small groups, and the crowd swelled at a steady pace. Once Alice started talking to people, the word quickly spread through town that the mayor had an important announcement to make.

Everybody suspected it had something to do with the solar storm, but most people were still under the impression that the storm would hit in three days, and that the alien shield would protect them.

There was an anxious anticipation among the people. The euphoria of the return to town had worn off, and the people were faced with the reality of their situation. Although nobody said anything, they could sense something was wrong.

An hour after calling Alice into his office, Mayor Tim Ryan stepped out of the town hall building. Wearing his best gray suit, he walked hand-in-hand with Alice. She glanced at him sideways, and noticed he wore the yellow tie that she gave him for his last birthday.

As they rounded the corner, the buzz in the crowd silenced. At the bottom of the steps he gave her hand a squeeze, and then let go.

He paused a moment and looked into Sam's eyes, who gave him a reassuring nod, and then handed him a megaphone. The mayor cut a lonely figure as he climbed to the top of the stairs.

On the flat landing before the entrance to the Command Center, he turned and faced the crowd. For a moment, he stared at the sea of faces in front of him. He knew most of the people all their lives, but even knew every new face that was a recent addition to their numbers.

When he flipped the switch to turn the megaphone on, he noticed his hands were shaking. He paused, took a deep breath, and raised the device.

"Can everyone hear me?" he asked.

He waited until the people at the very back waved their hands to indicate they could. "Some of you already know what I'm about to say. I ask that everybody listen carefully, and please don't interrupt until I am finished. Sam and Frank will answer some questions afterward."

The people of the town always knew their mayor as a person who was honest with them. That time it was no different.

"People, unfortunately, I don't have good news."

Chapter 22

The stunned crowd was slow to disperse. They listened to Mayor Ryan, and if it came from anybody else, they might have thought it was a joke. Several women burst into tears at the news that they were about to die.

That the people remained relatively calm at the news, said much for the town's character. Once the mayor was done talking, Sam and Frank took the stage to answer questions, but there were not many.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Steve Carver asked.

"Our only hope is the aliens," Sam answered. "They will work until the last second to try and find a solution."

A frail old woman in the front raised a wrinkled hand. "When it happens, will it hurt?"

Sam glanced at Frank, but the Commander's eyes pleaded with Sam to provide the answer.

"Nobody can be sure of what would happen, but I suspect it would be over in a flash," Sam said.

The woman smiled. "Well, at least we won't suffer."

Sam and Frank answered a few other minor questions, and with instructions to stay in or near their homes, the crowd was dismissed.

"Do you really think it will be over in a flash?" Frank asked.

Sam shrugged. "I honestly don't know, but it would serve no purpose for them to think it might not be."

Frank nodded. "You're right. If they believe it will be over in an instant, it might offer some level of comfort. No need to make their last hours filled with dread."

Sam stepped down the stairs, and joined Linda at the bottom.

She placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Sam, I want to spend the night on the farm."

When Sam opened his mouth to object, she held up a hand. "You sent everyone to their homes, and that's our home. We can return to town in the morning."

Sam noticed she was on the verge of tears, and that she struggled to hold herself together. He also knew how much the farm meant to her. It was the first place she owned, and for her, with her wild background, it was a huge accomplishment.

"Alright, we can spend the night there. I have a few small things to attend to, but gather Pedro. We can leave in about twenty minutes," Sam said.

She flashed him a sad smile, and turned to head toward Janine's house where Pedro waited.

Sam walked over to talk to Oscar, who waited nearby and watched the proceedings with interest. Only then did he notice that Nick and Jake stayed behind, and leaned against the wall next to the alien.

"Do you need us for anything?" Nick asked.

Sam shook his head. "No. You've done enough this past year. Spend time with your families."

"Shall I organize an escort to take you out to the farm?" Jake asked.

"No need," Sam said. "Oscar will come with us and will alert me if there's any trouble around."

As Nick and Jake turned to head home, Oscar looked at Sam with his head tilted as he did when he found something curious. "Why did you lie to everyone?"

Sam frowned. "Where did I lie?"

"When you said everything will be over in a flash," Oscar answered.

Sam looked bewildered. "Keep your voice down."

He glanced around, but only Nick and Jake were in earshot. They swung around and rushed back.

"I don't understand. Why don't you want everybody to know the truth?" Oscar asked.

"Well, for one, we don't know what the truth is," Sam said.

"I take it you know what will happen when the planet enters the solar storm?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Oscar said. "But I still do not understand why you don't want the people to know what will happen. Isn't it better to know and be prepared?"

Jake shook his head. "I don't know how your species deals with death, but humans don't handle it very well. Most people are scared to die. No matter what our beliefs, it still scares the hell out of us. Most wish for a peaceful death in their sleep where they don't even know it happened."

He paused for a second, and then continued. "When we were in the Special Forces, part of our training was to resist torture. One thing that we learned, was that the anticipation of being hurt was worse than the hurt itself. If people know they were going to die a horrible death, it will make their last hours that much more miserable."

"Do you understand that?" Nick asked.

Oscar's big black eyes moved from one friend to the other, and then nodded. "Yes, I think I understand. It is better for everyone to think they will die a peaceful death, than to know they will perish in a painful, terrible way."

The alien tilted his head as all three men turned as white as sheets.

"Oscar, do you know what's going to happen when we enter the storm?" Nick asked.

The alien stared at three anxious faces for a moment, considering his reply. "Yes. The Leaders ran a simulation and draw a conclusion based on that."

"Well then, tell us what will happen," Jake said.

"Based on what you just told me, it will be better of you don't know," Oscar said.

Sam frowned. "From your reaction, I understand that it won't be pleasant, but as leader of this town, having all the facts might help me make the right decisions."

"Knowing what will happen in this case will not influence the outcome, or change your situation," Oscar said as his head tilted to his curious angle.

Nick threw his hands in the air. "So how about telling us because we're your friends and deserve to know what's about to happen to us."

The alien's monotone voice sounded sad. "Are you sure you want to know? Once I tell you, it is not something you will forget."

Jake stood with his hands on his hips. "We already deduced that Sam's hope for a happy-flash-and-everything's-over event won't happen, so you might as well tell us the truth."

Oscar's shoulders sagged in resignation. "It will not be over in a flash. If we drop into the center of the storm, yes, it would be instantaneous, but we approach from the outskirts. Once we reach the edge of the storm, increase in solar radiation will be gradual."

When Oscar paused, Jake waved a hand in the air in a circular motion. "Spit it out. We haven't got all day."

Like Sam, the alien had learned to ignore some comments from Nick and Jake. "The Leaders estimate that our species would survive for fifteen minutes. Most humans would last about ten minutes, although the weaker ones might succumb earlier from heart failure."

Jake glanced at Nick. "Getting information out of him is like pulling teeth."

He turned his attention back to Oscar. "What will actually happen to us?"

The alien's eyes narrowed. He was still hesitant to share what he knew. After another moment of internal debate, he sighed. "It would be like shoving the planet in an enormous oven. As the temperature rises, every living being will be cooked from the inside out. Your fluids will start to boil and your skin will..."

Nick held up his hands. "Okay, okay, we get the picture. It's going to be very bad."

A slight tremor ran through Sam's body. He shook his shoulders to shake it off. "Are the Leaders still working on a possible solution, or have they given up?"

"As promised, they will continue to work on a solution. They divided into two teams. One team works on improving the shield, while the second team explores other options," Oscar answered.

"However small, at least there's still hope," Sam said.

A block away, Linda walked around the corner holding Pedro's hand. He had a small backpack on his back, while she carried a duffle bag with her necessities. She changed her nurse's scrubs for jeans and a lime-green T-shirt.

Sam turned to Nick and Jake. "Not a word of this to anyone. If it gets out, it will cause widespread panic."

Nick sighed. "Yes, I agree. It won't change a thing to the outcome. By the time they realize what's happening, it won't matter anyway."

Sam nodded. "We'll be back in the morning. Keep an eye on things around here. If anything happens, let me know."

Jake jutted a thumb in Oscar's direction. "If there's trouble, you'll probably know before we do."

Sam turned as he heard Linda's footsteps. "Are you ready to go?"

Linda nodded. "Janine wasn't happy at first with me wanting to spend my last night on the farm, but she understands. I invited her along, but she would rather spend the night alone with Terry."

"Enjoy the evening. We'll see you in the morning," Nick said.

"Thank you," Linda replied. "Sleep well."

Jake shook his head. "I doubt anybody in town will get any sleep tonight."

As the two friends walked away, Pedro glanced at the alien and his face lit up. "Is Oscar coming to the farm with us?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, he is. We better get going. It's getting late and I want to get to the farm before dark."

"Can I ride in the back with Oscar?" Pedro asked.

Sam smiled at the young boy's youthful innocence. "Just stay seated in the back."

Both Sam and Linda knew that Oscar would let no harm come over Pedro. In the short amount of time they knew the alien, he became a trusted friend.

As they watched the alien and the boy climbed into the back of the truck, Sam pulled Linda against him. "Let's go home."

For the first time in a year, Sam and Linda left the sanctuary of the town without a protective escort. The dark-blue pickup truck cut a lonely picture as it made its way down the deserted road covered with dirt and dust.

Linda leaned against Sam's arm, and glanced to the rear of the truck. Pedro sat with his back against the tailgate. A brown bandana covered most of his face to protect his lungs against the dust whipped up by the ever present wind.

For a moment, the scene resembled a sense of normalcy. Linda closed her eyes. She found herself on the back of her father's pickup truck. She was no older than three. Janine, seven at the time, sat next to her, keeping a watchful eye on her baby sister.

Her mother's worried glance through the back window was met with an excited wave. Her father steered the truck through a wooded area in southern Arkansas. At their last pit stop, Linda wanted to ride in the back, and after a few tears, her father agreed as long as Janine rode in the back with her.

It was a quiet road, and on the warm summer's afternoon, he drove slowly while his daughters laughed in the back with widespread arms as they took in the clear, clean country air. That was their last trip together as a family. The next day both their parents were killed in an accident when a drunk driver skipped a stop street and slammed into their truck.

Sam felt the wetness through his shirt, and looked down at Linda. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry it came to this," he said with a soft voice.

She shook her head. "It's not that. I don't know why, but a childhood memory just popped into my head. It was the last trip I took with my parents before they died. I bet they had no idea what was about to happen. Unlike us."

Her voice trailed off and her shoulders shook with emotion as raw sobs burst from her lips.

"I... am... not... ready... to die," she managed to say.

Sam swallowed at the lump in his throat, and had to fight his own tears. He vowed to protect this woman with his life, but there was no protecting her from what was about to happen.

Too soon they pulled into the driveway leading to their home. Linda pulled a handkerchief from her purse and wiped away the tears. She didn't want Pedro to see her like that. She had to be strong for him, just like Sam was for her.

As they pulled into the yard, daylight was fading fast, but Linda took a moment to take in the scene. The small, two-bedroom house looked weathered against the elements. The water in the concrete dam was barely visible, but the two shiny rotors of the wind pumps spun in the breeze, and she could hear the sound as the streams of water from the twin outlet pipes splashed into the dam.

To the right of the dam were the growing tunnels. The three original tunnels were now dwarfed by the rows and rows of additional tunnels they had to build to feed everyone in town. The eight largest tunnels, each the size of a football field, were the ones used to grow barley. Twelve other tunnels held a variety of vegetables.

Between the tunnels and the dam were the cow shed and the chicken coop. Daisy the cow, munched on barley straw while she looked at them curiously with her young calf by her side.

The chickens pecked away. Every now and again one of the hens made a fuzz as the rooster strutted around the coop trying to ambush one of the hens. On the dam, the geese drifted with their six babies. Linda sighed. They were home.

Sam noticed movement by the guardhouse. Harry Shanks was the leader from one of the squads on duty.

Sam stepped forward to meet the squad leader. "Harry, who else is on duty tonight?"

Harry pointed to the other side of the dam. "Peter Roden. He's doing perimeter patrols with his squad."

Sam nodded. "Please do me a favor. Collect Peter, and then go home to your families."

The squad leader looked at Sam with a dumb-founded look on his face. "What? And leave you and Linda here all alone?"

Sam smiled and pointed at Oscar. The alien climbed down from the truck, and Pedro led him to the cow pen. "We're not alone. If anyone comes near the farm, Oscar will alert us."

Harry was still shaking his head. "Sam, if anything happens to you and Linda. Nobody will forgive us."

Sam stared at Harry for a moment. "Have you heard what's about to happen tomorrow?"

Harry sighed. "Yeah, we did. That's just a bummer."

Sam placed a reassuring hand on the squad leader's shoulder. "Then you know it's better to spend the last night with your family. If anything does happen to us out here, it won't matter."

Chapter 23

Inside the compound at Fort Campbell, Big Jim, and several of his lieutenants were gathered around a huge oak table in the middle of the war room. A large map of the area was spread across the table.White pawns from an old chess set marked the position of the alien conduits.

Big Jim waved his hands over the map. "Now that those interfering idiots have left, the aliens are left defenseless. This is our chance to attack."

A tall, well-muscled man scratched his long beard. "But, Jim, I thought that guy said..."

"Do you really believe what that idiot said?" Big Jim interrupted. He glared at the man, but Mark Royce was one man in his outfit that was not intimidated by him. He knew Big Jim since kindergarten, and considered the leader of Fort Campbell a friend. Over the years, he supported most of Big Jim's crazy ideas, but this was one time he didn't agree.

Mark returned the stare. "Although those people have left, I wouldn't exactly call the aliens defenseless. Do you forget that they have their own warriors that shoot those crazy sonic weapons that can incinerate a human?"

"Are you scared?" Big Jim asked with a mocking smile.

Mark frowned. "No, but I think attacking them is pointless. If what that man Sam said is true, I would rather spend my last few hours with my wife and daughter than running around getting killed by aliens."

"Ha! So you are scared, and now you'll use any excuse to hide out here instead," Big Jim scoffed.

"You know me better than that." Mark waved a hand in the air. "You know what, believe what you want. I'm done."

As he walked to the door, Big Jim's menacing voice stopped him in his tracks. "Royce, don't you dare to walk away from me!"

Mark spun around. "Or what? You'll kick us out?"

Big Jim nodded. "I can do that. If you think you're too good for this outfit, you can take your family and leave."

Without another word, Mark turned and left.

Big Jim glared around the room. "Anybody else?"

A short, stocky man with long, blond hair and a half-grown beard lifted his hand. "What if Mark is right?"

"Well, he's not!" Big Jim barked, and pointed at the door. "You're welcome to follow him."

The man lowered his gaze, but mumbled in his beard, "I was just saying. That thing in the sky's getting awfully close."

"Probably an alien illusion to trick us into thinking the world is at an end," Big Jim said. "For all we know, it's something the government cooked up to flush us out."

"And what if it's not?" a woman's voice asked from the door.

Big Jim jerked his head around at the sound of the familiar voice. His wife had a petite frame, and curly, brown locks framed her pretty face. Never in their nine years of marriage did she ever dared to raise her voice to him, or went against his decisions.

"Are you questioning my authority, woman?" he asked in a menacing growl.

She put her hands on her hips and glared back at him. "Nobody's questioning your authority, but I'm starting to doubt your sanity. Have you lost your mind? Mark is your friend. How could you kick him out?"

Big Jim shrugged. "It was his choice, Lilly. Not mine."

She waved a finger at him. "Mark is the brains of this outfit. Without him, you would've never been able to set up all this. His wife is my best friend. If they're going, then I am leaving with them."

Big Jim sneered at her. "Ha! Where will you go?"

Many years of emotional abuse had left her cold, and her stare reflected that. "Anywhere but here. If I'm going to die tomorrow, I want to do it in peace."

She turned and left the room. For a moment, Big Jim stared at the empty doorway. Nobody dared to talk to him like that in a long time, let alone his wife. With anger etched on his face, he stormed after her.

As he exits the war room, he stepped into the assembly hall. Several hundred people gathered there, and in the front, Lilly was talking to Mark and his wife, Wendi. A silence fell over the crowd when they noticed Big Jim's presence.

A large woman dressed in a tank top that was two sizes too small for her stepped forward.

"Did you tell Mark to leave the compound?" she demanded with her hands on her hips.

Big Jim frowned. What was wrong with these people? Have they all gone mad? Since when did they dare to speak to him like that? He was their leader. If it weren't for him, they would have had no place to stay.

Big Jim folded his arms across his barrel chest. "Not that it's any of your concern, but yeah, I did."

For a moment, the woman lowered her gaze under the heavy stare, but then she lifted her head and pushed out her chin. "Big Jim, it's not right that you sent your friend out to die alone out there. In this time, we need to stick together."

Big Jim frowned. "And who says we're going to die tomorrow?"

The woman did a double take. "But, I... eh... I thought that man said..."

"So you would rather believe a total stranger than me, your leader, that had provided for you, and had looked out for you ever since this business with the drought started?" Big Jim said, his voice soft, but with an underlying menace.

The woman lowered her gaze, backing off, but Lilly was not having any of it. Now that she found her voice after years of silence, she made good use of it. "Jim, if that's the case. Will it hurt to wait a day before you resume your attacks against the aliens?"

"What difference will that make?" Big Jim asked.

"Well, then we'll know that man was wrong and you were right. If that's the case, then he probably lied about everything else. I'm sure then that you'll find that you'll have no shortage of men who would be more than willing to attack the aliens," Lilly said.

Big Jim glanced over the crowd. "I'm sure if I say we attack now, every single man in this compound will follow me into battle. Let's see a show of hands. Who will come with me to kill that alien scum once and for all?"

His heavy gaze raked over the crowd, but nobody lifted a hand. Most of the men stared at the ground, unwilling to meet Big Jim's dark brown eyes, which turned almost black from anger.

"Fine!" he shouted. "If this is how you want to repay me for everything I've done for you, that's great." He lifted his hands in the air and dropped them in anger to his side, smacking his legs.

He pointed at Mark. "This is your doing! You and that conniving bitch that calls herself my wife. But I'm going to show you that I'm no monster. You and your family can remain in the compound, but stay the hell out of my way."

He shifted his eyes to the rest of the crowd. "I'm going to launch an attack on that alien spaceships, starting with the one at Princeton. If you can find it in your cowardly bones to help me, I'll be loading in hangar four."

Without another word, he stormed through the hall. The people parted as he approached, leaving him a clear path to the exit. Once he left the room, the people dispersed, but no man rushed to help Big Jim.

Wendi looked at Mark. "You got to go stop him. He's going to get himself killed."

Lilly grabbed Mark's arm. "There's no reasoning with him when he's like this. Let him go."

Mark stared into the eyes of his wife's best friend. He knew the hell that Big Jim put her through over the years, and had to step in a few times to save her from a beating. Any love she felt for the man had disappeared a long time ago.

Years of physical and mental abuse had taken its toll on her. The only reason she stayed with him was because of their five children. Their youngest daughter was only two, and if Lilly left, Jim Boyers would have made sure she never saw her children again.

Mark sighed. "I know, but he's my friend, and I have to try."

Leaving the two women behind, he followed his one-time friend. He found Big Jim in the hangar loading a crate of modified grenades into the back of a Jeep with a mounted MK19 grenade launcher.

Big Jim swung around when he heard the footsteps. Disappointment flooded his face. He had hoped that at least some of the men would feel some loyalty to him and report for attack-the-aliens-duty.

He held up a hand when he noticed Mark. "Save your breath, I don't want to hear it."

"Well, I'm going to say it anyway," Mark replied. "Jim, this is crazy. You're on a suicide mission."

The Big leader gave him a skew smile that didn't reach to his eyes. "Seeing that you think we're going to die anyway tomorrow, I don't see the problem."

"Okay, I get it. This's how you want to go, but did you at least say goodbye to your wife and children?" Mark said.

Big Jim shook his head, and for the first time his eyes showed a hint of sadness. "They're better off without me."

Without another word, Jim Boyers climbed into the Jeep, started the engine, and took off into the night.

Chapter 24

Sam and Linda stood on the porch watching the vehicles drive out of the yard. Harry Shanks and Peter Roden were not happy to leave them alone. It took a demonstration from Oscar blowing up an old oil drum with his sonic weapon to convince them that they were in good hands.

It was the first time they were alone on the farm since George Kingsley's unwelcome visit, and his offer to buy the farm after Sam first fixed the wind pump. His veiled threats led to the guard squads.

Little did they know that the same George would be responsible for several successful expansions on the farm. His engineering skills were handy and he had good ideas. When Sam and Linda were not on the farm, he took over supervising the day-to-day operations.

It was now almost completely dark. Linda walked into the kitchen feeling her way around. Sam shuffled to the cabinet in the corner, and retrieved the oil lamp. It was rarely used, as they had a rule on the farm not to use any light after dark. In the vast expanse of the area, a small light could be seen from far and could attract unwanted visitors.

Sam struck a match, lifted the glass to the oil lantern, and held the flame to the wick. It sputtered to life, and Sam replaced the glass cover into position. The kitchen was engulfed in a soft light. Their shadows danced against the walls.

"I thought no lights were allowed after dark?" Linda asked, with a sad, grateful smile.

Sam shrugged. "It doesn't really matter anymore. Besides, Oscar will warn us if anybody gets close enough to spot the light."

Linda glanced through the kitchen window. Pedro was at the cow pen. With his arms hooked through the top rail, he was in deep conversation with the alien. Daisy eyed the strange, shiny creature suspiciously, but she was comfortable enough in his presence to resume her chewing on the barley straw.

With a deep sigh, Linda placed the kettle on the stove and prepared them each a cup of coffee. Once they each had a steamy mug, they stepped out onto the porch and took a seat on the chairs.

"It's hard to believe that none of this will be here anymore after tomorrow night," Linda said after a few minutes of silence.

Sam squeezed her free hand. "We did a lot of good here."

She glanced at the tunnels. "Yes we did. With the help we got from the townspeople, we managed to keep everyone alive."

Daisy's calf hopped around the pen, trying to get her mother to play, and Pedro's hearty laugh filled the air.

"He brought a lot of light to our lives," Linda said. She smiled, but her voice was filled with sadness.

Sam nodded. "He sure does."

Linda glanced at the sky. "The Aurora looks really bright tonight."

Even against the strange, pink glow of the night sky, the brilliant lights danced in a beautiful display of colors.

He placed his empty mug on the rail and took her hands in his. "Are you okay?"

She stared at the rippling water on the dam, but her tears blurred her vision. Linda lowered her head. She didn't want Pedro to see her crying.

Sam leaned closer and put his arm around her. "I know this is hard to accept, and I feel so powerless. There's nothing I can do to make this better."

Linda laid her head on Sam's shoulder. "It's more than just what's going to happen tomorrow. The whole situation just seems so unfair."

Sam frowned. "Is there something else going on?"

Since Sam's return to town, Linda debated whether to tell him or not. He had so much on his shoulders already. The news would be a hard blow to him. He could die the next day and would not be any wiser, but he deserved to know.

She placed her hands in her lap, and continued to stare at the dam. "This morning I didn't feel well. At first I thought it was just stress, but I kept feeling nauseous. I thought it might have been something I ate, but Doc insisted to have a look at me."

She paused for a moment, but then she couldn't contain herself anymore. Raw sobs burst from her chest, and she flung herself into Sam's arms.

A bewildered look crossed Sam's face, and for a moment, the worry about the end of the world was being overshadowed by the worry for her wellbeing.

He cupped her head in his hand, and held her gently to his shoulder. "Linda, what's wrong? What did Doc say?"

For a moment, she buried her head in his shoulder while her tears soaked his shirt. Then she lifted her head and wiped her eyes.

She looked at him with, puffy, red eyes. "Sam, I'm pregnant."

Her words hit him like a sledgehammer in the stomach. For a brief moment he was unable to breathe. Sam jumped up, walked up to the porch rail, and grabbed hold of the wood to keep him from falling.

He took a few deep breaths and steadied himself before he turned to face Linda. When he turned around, his eyes were filled with tears. Fate had dealt them a cruel blow. He stepped forward, pulled her to her feet, and then wrapped his arms around her.

Sam had no words. Under normal circumstances, there would have been much to say, but in the shadow of what they were about the face, he was left speechless. Nothing he could say would offer any comfort to either of them.

For several minutes they stood in each other's embrace. The only thing they needed at that moment was the closeness of the other. When they finally broke their hug, Sam took her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Linda's lips tasted salty from the wetness of her tears, but Sam didn't mind.

She was the first to speak, her voice small and on the verge of breaking again. "Ever since I was little, I dreamed of having a loving husband with two kids, a boy and a girl, and a cozy little place to stay."

Linda paused a moment to stop herself from crying again. "For the longest time, that dream eluded me. Then I met you, and you changed my world. When Pedro came home with us, it became even more of a reality. For three months, I caught a glimpse of that dream, and it was almost perfect."

She patted her tummy. "This little girl would have completed my dream."

Sam placed a gentle hand on her stomach. "Doc told you it's a girl?"

Linda shook her head. "He doesn't need to. I know."

She reached up to his face and pulled his head down. They shared a long, passionate kiss.

"Sam, this is not fair. We deserve more life than this," Linda said, on the verge of tears again.

Sam stared to the west. The ribbon now filled a broad band on the western horizon. About two hours behind the sun, the solar storm was about to set. At least they wouldn't have to look at the reminder of their demise for the rest of the night.

He swung his gaze to the chicken pen. One of the hens cackled up a storm. Pedro knew what it meant, and retrieved the egg it had laid. He showed it to Oscar and lay it in the palm of the alien's huge hand.

Oscar stared at the egg in wonder. It was still warm.

"You have to be careful with it," Pedro said. "Its shell is thin and breaks easily."

Anger rose in Sam, and he had to fight hard to suppress it. These were the people he loved, and there was nothing he could do to protect them. They still had so much life to live. Their fate was now in the hands of an alien race. Until a few weeks ago, most of the people on earth didn't even believe life elsewhere in the universe existed.

Sam heard a strange whistling sound and jerked his head to the left. In the distance, a light streaked toward the sky.

"What the..." Sam said and run down the steps to the middle of the yard. Further to his left, in the far distance, he noticed another light. As he spun in a circle, he saw several more lights.

At the top of the bright, light-blue streak of light was a tiny shiny object. It took Sam a moment to realize it were the conduits lifting off into space.

Up to that moment, Sam clung desperately to the belief that the aliens would find a way to save them, but now it looked like they abandoned them. Sam pivoted around and stared at Oscar.

The alien also stepped into the middle of the yard. His big, black eyes fixed on the lights. For the first time since they met him, Oscar looked bewildered.

"What's the meaning of this?" Sam shouted.

It was clear, Oscar had no idea what happened. For all he knew, his people abandoned him and left him to die on earth. The helpless look on his face told Sam all he needed to know.

"I don't understand," Oscar said. "They didn't communicate anything to me. They would not abandon us unless they had a good reason. The Leaders must have a plan."

Oscar turned and stared in the direction of the nearest conduit located to the south of White River. "The closest conduit had not taken off."

Sam and Linda stared at him dumbfounded, unsure of what just happened.

Oscar tilted his head, trying to communicate with the conduit, but there was no response.

"Is it a deliberate cut in communication?" Sam asked.

For the first time since they met the alien, his face showed fear. "I don't know."

Sam stared at the lights in the sky that got smaller by the second. He turned to Oscar. "You said your home conduit didn't take off?"

"Yes. If it did, we would have noticed. It is much closer than the other ones we see in the distance," Oscar said.

Sam nodded. "Then we have to go see what's up with them."

"Shall Pedro and I stay here?" Linda asked.

Sam shook his head. "No. I'm not leaving you two alone."

As Oscar climbed into the back of the pickup truck, he froze. Sam noticed and stopped with his hand on the door.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm getting something. It is a broken transmission, but they are trying to communicate," Oscar said.

Sam scanned the area, and indicated a small hill nearby. "Let's go to that hill. Maybe your reception will be better up there."

The small rise was only three hundred meters from the farmhouse in the direction of the main road. When Sam stopped on the crest of the hill, Oscar stood upright in the back of the truck to give himself extra height.

He looked down at Sam. "I can hear them clearly now."

Sam watched Oscar listening and communicating with the conduit in his mind. After a few moments, Sam ran out of patience. "What's happening?"

Oscar climbed down from the truck. "The solar storm is interfering with my communication to the conduits. They dispatched two warriors to our location when they lost track of me, but now that they made contact, the warriors will be recalled."

"What about the conduits that launched into space?" Sam asked, unable to contain himself.

"The Leaders are sending those conduits to the moon. They have come up with a possible plan, but need some additional readings that can only be taken from the surface of the moon."

Sam swung his eyes to the east. The three-quarter moon sat low in the sky.

"What's their plan?" he asked.

"I don't know," Oscar answered. "They refuse to share the plan with me until they have something definite, and are sure it will work."

Sam frowned. "Even if they try something and it doesn't work, it's still better than just waiting to die. We know for a fact what's going to happen if they do nothing."

Oscar looked at Sam. "That logic is sound. I will relay your message to The Leaders."

The alien turned his head in the direction of the conduit, and communicated the message. He had to wait a few minutes for a response.

"What's taking so long?" Linda asked.

"I think Sam's message caused a stir among The Leaders, and they formed an urgent council to discuss the possibilities," Oscar replied.

He wanted to say something else, but closed his mouth and concentrated on the message in his head. A few moments later he turned to Sam. "The Leaders agree with your assessment, but cannot reveal their plan until they gathered the much needed information. They will have an answer for you by sunrise."

For a moment, Sam looked like he wanted to argue, but Linda took his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

Sam turned and looked at the farmhouse in the slight hollow below. The light of the lamp still flickered in the kitchen, and the water in the dam shimmered in the moonlight.

He looked down at Linda, and then pulled her into an embrace. "I know you wanted to spend the night here. I would like nothing better, but with Oscar being out of communications range, I think it best if we head back to town."

Linda looked disappointed, but she understood the reasoning.

Oscar noticed the disappointment on her face. "Sam, if you and Linda want to stay for the rest of the night, I will stay here in case any new messages come through, but I don't expect anything until sunrise."

"Yes," Pedro added with excitement. "Oscar and I will camp here for the night."

Linda was about to argue that it was too dangerous, but Sam placed a hand on her shoulder.

He smiled to Oscar. "Thank you for the offer. I will leave my truck here so you have something to sit on. If anything happens, you know where to find us."

He took Linda's hand, and together they strolled down the path toward the farmhouse.

As they walked away, Pedro turned to Oscar and said, "I thought alien spaceships just go whoosh and they are gone."

The alien lowered the tailgate of the truck and took a seat. "Because of Earth's gravity, even our conduits need a lot of thrust to get into space."

They looked up into the air, and watched the streaks that looked like slow-moving shooting stars as they moved into the direction of the moon. Once cleared of Earth's gravity, they would gather speed and reach the moon in less than an hour.

Chapter 25

While Oscar and Pedro kept watch from the hill, Sam and Linda made their way back to the farmhouse. Once alone in the kitchen, Linda stepped into Sam's arms. She didn't say a word, and didn't shed a tear, but needed his closeness.

When she stepped away, she smiled. "I needed that."

Sam nodded and looked around the kitchen. "What do you want to do now?"

She moved closer, placed a hand on his chest, and when he lowered his head, she kissed him with passion. When she pulled away, she noticed the fire in Sam's eyes.

"I want some farewell sex, but first, I want to say goodbye to this place that we built together," Linda said with a shy smile.

Sam bent down and kissed her again, then stepped away, and took two flashlights from the cabinet.

"Shall we start with the tunnels?" he asked.

As they walked down the steps of the porch into the yard, the sound of an engine reached their ears. Sam jerked his head and peered at the hill. From the other side, a glow emerged, and Oscar and Pedro were clearly visible on top of the rise.

"Oscar didn't raise the alarm, which means he knows who's approaching," Sam said.

The lights paused briefly by the two figures on the hill, then raced down the path and stopped in a cloud of dust in the yard.

Nick and Jake jumped from the truck.

"Did you see the lights in the sky? I think the aliens are deserting us," Nick said as he walked around the vehicle.

Sam glanced at Linda. In the heat of the moment, it escaped them to send word of the aliens' actions to town. When the guards at the barricades noticed the lights, they rushed to Frank, and soon the entire town was watching the conduits take off from Earth. Not knowing the plan, everybody assumed the aliens deserted them.

Sam looked up at the sky. The lights were now nothing more than faint, slow moving dots on the way to the moon.

"Sorry, we should've sent word. Linda and I were just taking one last look around the farm before we headed back to town," Sam said.

Jake frowned. "Sam, what's happening? Everybody in town's freaking out, including me."

A wave of guilt washed over Sam. He was so caught up with Linda and the farm, he didn't even think about his friends in town. He told Nick and Jake what Oscar said about the conduits and the possible plan. The worry in the two friends' eyes changed into a glimmer of hope.

"So there's still hope?" Nick asked.

Sam nodded. "Yes. Will you be so kind and tell the rest of the town?"

"Sure." Nick said. "Are you not coming along?"

Sam pointed in the direction of the tunnels. "We'll be there shortly. We're just saying goodbye."

As the truck sped out of the yard, Nick looked at Jake. "Those two don't seem themselves."

Jake grinned. "In case you haven't noticed. The world is about to end. Nobody's themselves at the moment."

Sam waited until the lights of the vehicle disappeared over the rise, and then turned to Linda. "Where were we?"

They turned on their flashlights and walked in the direction of the tunnels. They stopped ten meters before the tunnels, and Linda flashed the light over the structures.

"We've come a long way since we first started," she said with a sad smile.

Sam thought back to that first day when they tested the sprinkler system, and ended up soaked, but she was so happy. For the first few months, those three tunnels were all they had. The fresh vegetables they grew supplemented the town's own food supply, but soon were not enough, and they had to build additional tunnels.

With George Kingsley's engineering skills, the new tunnels were the size of football fields, and dwarfed the three smaller ones. For the past few months, the original tunnels were mostly used for herbs and seedlings.

Something at the entrance to the middle tunnel caught Sam's eye.

"What's that?" Sam said and pointed to a wooden sign that was posted before the entrance. Several paving stones formed a pathway leading to the opening, with a piece of paper pinned to the sign.

Linda pulled the paper from the sign, and caught a glimpse of what the sign said. "Linda's Haven."

She opened the note.

" _To Linda and Sam. Linda mentioned a while back that she always dreamed of having a flower garden. I had to work in secret to keep this from you, but most of the townspeople lent a hand. This is a small token of our appreciation, and to say thank you for everything you two did for the town, and especially for me. George Kingsley."_

Linda stepped forward and moved the piece of sail covering the opening. The sight took her breath away.

George turned the old vegetable tunnel into an oasis. Paving stones formed a path that snaked to the middle of the tunnel, leading to a white-painted wooden gazebo. Four wrought iron chairs stood around a square, white wooden table.

The pathway was lined with roses, lilies, and an assortment of other colorful flowers. To the right were a water feature lined with big rocks and several green, leafy plants. Water tumbled over the rocks and splashed down into the small pond below.

Linda stood in the doorway. She dropped her flashlight, and her hands covered her mouth as she stared in wonder.

"Sam, this is gorgeous," she said when she found her voice. "Where did George find all these plants?"

Sam shook his head. "I have no idea, but you're right. This is wonderful. Who would have thought that cocky rancher we first met had so many hidden talents."

She picked up the flashlight, and strolled down the path, taking in each flower as she passed. Linda stopped at a blood-red rose, and bent down to smell it. She took a deep whiff, and the delightful aroma from the plant filled her soul.

She looked around in amazement. "All of this must have taken months to complete. How did he manage to hide this from us?"

Sam smiled. "George asked me about two months ago, if he could use this tunnel for a special project. I didn't realize this is what he had in mind. Keeping you from here was quite a job."

Linda frowned. She cast her mind back, and it struck her that every time she walked in the direction of this tunnel, someone called her attention to something else. The entire town was in on it, and they all worked together to keep her away.

They reached the gazebo. An oil lantern was placed on each of the six pillars of the structure. Sam took a box of matches from his pocket and lit each lantern, which cast a soft light on their surroundings.

Linda took a seat at the table. "This is incredible. Now all I need is a cup of coffee."

Sam smiled. "That's easily arranged. I'll be back in a second."

Five minutes later, he returned carrying two steaming mugs, handed one to Linda, and took a seat opposite her.

For an hour, they sat and talked in the gazebo like nothing was wrong. They kept the conversation light, and focused mostly on small happenings on the farm over the past year.

Linda sighed. "I wish I had more time to enjoy this. At least I got to see it."

Sam took her hands in his. "My darling, I cannot accept that this is the end. There has to be a way out. The aliens will find a way to save us."

Her smile was sad and didn't quite reach her eyes. "I wish I have your belief. I was never a religious person, and praying won't help now. At least I got to see my own paradise. I could die here."

Sam stared at her for a moment. "I tell you what. We have to return to town, but tomorrow afternoon, if Oscar's people don't come up with a working plan, you, Pedro, and I can return here."

"I would like that," Linda said as another tear ran down her cheek.

Sam stood up, extinguished the lamps, gathered his flashlight, and holding on to Linda's hand, continued their tour. They walked through each tunnel, and then stopped at the dam.

The water glimmered in the moonlight, and on the far side they noticed movement on the water. When Sam shone the light in that direction, six pairs of eyes stared back at him. The Canadian geese and their four babies looked at them wondering why their peace was disturbed.

They looked in on the chicken pen. Most of the chickens roosted on a thin log resting on two pins a meter off the ground. The young chicks were huddled together in one corner.

"Our flock grew nicely," Linda said.

They received four chickens, a rooster and three hens, as a gift from Moira Addams. Thanks to a breeding program set up by George, they now had forty adult chickens and a bunch of chicks.

The last stop was at the cow pen. Daisy and her calf eyed them suspiciously when Sam shone the light on them. Daisy let out a loud moo to show her displeasure for having her sleep interrupted.

"I think that's it," Sam said.

Linda squeezed his hand. "There's only one thing left to do."

Both their heart rates increased, and as they climbed the steps leading to the porch, all thoughts of the end of the world were forgotten for the moment. As they entered the bedroom and stripped down their clothes, their only thoughts were on each other.

Half an hour later, Sam and Linda emerged on the porch. She had an arm wrapped around his middle, and he had an arm resting around her shoulders. They stared at the dam, and the rest of the farm.

For millions of years the rays from the moon illuminated earth's surface, but now, through the dust in the air, and the Aurora that cast a blanket over the earth's atmosphere, the rays no longer shone as bright as they once did.

Linda sighed. "I wish you could have seen the farm before the drought. It was my little paradise. As far as you could see, it was green. When the drought came, things changed so quickly. First it all turned brown, and then the fire came and consumed everything in its path. Not long after that, the wind started to blow non-stop, whipping up the sand until you could hardly see the sky anymore."

She waved a hand toward the heavens. "Sam, you should've seen this sky on a moonless night. It was a blanket of stars. Now you can only see the brightest ones."

Sam gave her shoulders a squeeze and kissed the top of her head.

She turned her head and looked up into his eyes. "Since all this started, you and Pedro are the few good things that happened. If you didn't wander along, most of us would've ended up either dead, or in one of those awful camps around Chicago."

Sam kissed her, and placed a gentle hand to the side of her face.

Running footsteps interrupted their moment.

Sam jerked his head and peered through the darkness. "It sounds like Pedro."

A moment later, the boy stopped at the bottom of the steps. "Sam, Oscar says that there's somebody's racing toward town in a single vehicle."

"Okay, let's go," Sam said, and grabbed his rifle.

The three ran back up the hill where Sam left his truck.

"Do you know who it is?" Sam asked as they approached Oscar.

"The vehicle originated from Chicago, but I do not know who the occupant might be," the alien replied.

"Can I ride with Oscar?" Pedro asked.

Sam placed a hand on Pedro's head. "Not now. We have to get to town in a hurry."

Disappointment washed over the boy's face, but he didn't argue and got into the backseat of the double-cab truck.

Ten minutes later they drove through the barricades. When they approached the Command Center, they noticed a small crowd gathered at the bottom of the steps.

"Looks like something happened," Sam said and parked the truck.

Nick, Jake, and Frank Hurley stood on the flat landing at the top of the stairs.

"What's going on?" Sam asked as he made his way through the crowd.

"Sam!" Nick said. "We were just debating whether to send word to you on the farm or to wait until morning."

"We just returned from the farm, and as we headed back to our homes, we heard gun shots. We ran to investigate, but it was too late," Jake said.

"It's Larry Gardiner," Frank added. "He first shot his two children, and then his wife, before he turned the gun on himself."

The news shocked Sam. He didn't know the team leader well, but Larry was a quiet man who always had a ready smile. "Why?"

Nick and Jake looked at each other before Nick said, "I'm afraid it might be our fault. He might've overheard Jake and I when we discussed what would happen tomorrow night. Larry didn't want his family to suffer through that. To be honest, we were thinking along the same lines. When Larry saw the aliens take off, he must've though all hope was gone."

Sam looked at his friends. "It's not your fault. Did you tell the rest of the town yet what Oscar said?"

Nick shook his head. "No, we didn't have a chance."

"Then I suggest you get to it before more people follow Larry. Grab as many of the other team leaders that you can get and spread the word. The aliens have a plan and there's still hope," Sam said.

As Nick and Jake rushed down the steps and gathered people to spread the news, Frank turned to Sam. "What is their plan?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. Oscar said they will inform us by sunrise. For now, we have something else to attend to. Someone's approaching at high speed from Chicago. Whoever it is should reach the northern barricade in an hour."

"You think they bring news?" Frank asked.

"I don't know, but they left Chicago well before the aliens took off. If it's that urgent, General Sheppard knows to send word through the nearest conduit. No, this is something else," Sam said.

Frank nodded. "It's a good thing I didn't plan to get any sleep tonight."

Chapter 26

Standing at the northern barricade, and with a strong wind tugging at his clothes, Sam stared down the dark road. In the dim light of the moon obscured by dust, and from the little light offered by the Aurora, he could see no further than two hundred meters.

He turned to Ray. "Can you see anything yet?"

Ray shook his head. "This is like driving in a snowstorm. Do you want me to take a motorcycle and check it out?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Sam said and looked at Oscar. "Any sign of the rider?"

The alien peered down the road, and cocked his head to the side as he communicated with the conduits.

After a few moments he turned his head to Sam. "The conduit to the north of here took off for the moon. That leaves a gap in the radar. The rider entered a blind spot, but based on calculations, he should appear over that hill in a matter of minutes."

"I don't know why you asked me here," Ray said and jutted a thumb in Oscar's direction. "He has built-in night vision and can see better than me."

Sam looked at the woman standing by Ray's side. From the look of concern and anticipation in Gina's face, he knew she followed his line of thinking. If General Sheppard needed to send an urgent message, he would've used the conduit system. This meant that the rider carried a personal message from General Sheppard to his goddaughter.

From the moment Sam shared the news that it might be their last day, she had to fight to control her emotions. Ty Sheppard was more to her than just her godfather. He raised her since she was thirteen after her parents were killed in a car accident.

The military man, although married twice, never had children of his own. His second wife left and divorced him three months earlier, but when Ty Sheppard got news that his best friend was killed in the accident, he didn't hesitate to keep his promise.

Gina, at thirteen, was a rebel. General Sheppard raised her the only way he knew, the military way. That caused them to bump heads at least once a day. It took a few years, but after a friend at school committed suicide due to conditions at home, she took a long, hard look at her own life, and realized that she was well cared for, and loved.

When she turned eighteen and finished school, it came as no surprise to anyone that she followed in her godfather's footsteps and started a career in the military. Somewhere in the time before she left school, he became more to her than just her godfather.

In memory of his friend, he would not allow her to call him father. Even as their bond strengthened, she had always addressed him by his rank. Sometimes his work separated them for months, but she understood that it was necessary.

When she was deployed to Iraq, he could have pulled strings to have her stationed somewhere else, but he respected her wishes and let her go. He was never far and always kept an eye on her.

The moment they returned to White River, she regretted not taking Sam up on his offer to go to Chicago. She was torn between her love for Ray, and the need to be close to General Sheppard, but there was a lot going on in Chicago. The general would have had his hands full, and she would only be a distraction.

"I see dust," Oscar announced.

All the humans peered down the road, but couldn't see anything in the dark. The wind blew across them, carrying away any distant sound a vehicle made.

"There!" Ray said and pointed to a hill in the distance.

It took them a few moments to notice, but as the vehicle approached with his headlights on, it lit up the background. Every second that passed, the light behind the hill became brighter, until two headlights exploded into view.

"That's a Humvee," Gina said when she recognized the pattern of the lights.

The driver was in a hurry and the distance between them decreased at a rapid rate. The vehicle left a huge trail of dust in its wake. A few days ago, nobody would have dared to drive like that as there was always the caution not to attract any unwanted attention. Now, it didn't matter.

The vehicle slowed down as it approached the barricade. There was no guard squad on duty, but the small welcoming party kept their weapons at the ready, just in case.

"It's General Sheppard!" Frank exclaimed when the vehicle came to a stop.

The man that stepped from the Humvee, didn't look like a general that commanded the entire survival camp in Chicago. He was a concerned father looking for his daughter.

Gina was in shock. Since they received news of their impending doom, she prepared herself for the fact that she would never see him again. When he stepped out of the vehicle, emotion flooded her.

With tears in her eyes, she ran forward and threw her arms around the man in military uniform. Ty Sheppard gathered her in his arms and closed his eyes. For several moments, nothing else mattered.

"What are you doing here?" Gina asked when they broke apart.

Using his thumbs, Ty wiped the tears from her face. "I had to see you. When I got Sam's message, it struck me that for the first time since you were thirteen, I wasn't close to you. I know you have Ray now and don't need me anymore, but I need you."

Gina shook her head. "Yes, I have Ray, but I will always need you. Sam did offer that I could go to Chicago, but I figured you would have your hands full, so we decided to stay here."

Ty looked up, and for the first time since he stepped out of the vehicle, he noticed the other people. By now, a small curious crowd had formed behind them. He nodded a greeting at Sam, Linda and Frank.

Then he turned his eyes to Ray, who stood a step behind Gina.

He extended his hand. "Thank you for taking such good care of her and making her happy."

Ray gripped the offered hand. "I have big shoes to fill."

"What about the people in Chicago?" Gina asked.

"I left Colonel Pratt in charge with detailed orders. They will manage without me. I suppose, after today, it won't matter anyway."

Sam stepped forward. "That might not be the case yet. There's still hope. Did you see some of the conduits taking off?"

Ty frowned. "Yes. I caught sight of them while I was on the road, but I assumed they abandoned Earth and were headed for the safety of space."

Sam shook his head. "No. According to them, they can't outrun the storm and decided to stick it out with us. They sent a few conduits to the moon to gather data. According to Oscar, they're working on a new plan."

"What is it?" Ty asked.

Sam shrugged. "We don't know yet. By now the conduits should have reached the moon. I don't know how much time they require to gather the information they need, but The Leaders said that they would inform us of their plan by sunrise."

Ty glanced to the east. A soft pink glow announced the imminent arrival of the sun. "That would be about an hour from now. What are they like?"

"Who?" Sam asked.

"The Leaders," Ty said. "You are the only one I know who had direct contact with them."

Sam tugged at his ear. "I never actually met them face-to-face. The two times I entered the conduit, I only spoke to a voice. I asked Oscar about it, but as far as he knows, not even the warriors protecting the conduits had ever laid eyes on one of The Leaders."

Ty frowned. "You mean they follow orders from a voice?"

Sam shrugged. "They have a different culture. I suppose they are not unlike your own soldiers who would follow your orders without question, whether they agree with them or not."

"You are right. There is still so much to learn from each other's cultures here on Earth, let alone aliens from another planet," Ty said.

Sam turned toward Oscar. "Any word from The Leaders yet?"

Oscar tilted his head. "The communication line is open and active, but there is no news yet."

Sam turned to Ty. "I'll let you two catch up. We can all meet at the Command Center in an hour. We should have news by then."

Sam slipped an arm around Linda's waist. "Do you think we will be able to find a cup of coffee at Janine's place?"

Linda smiled. "She knows I am in town, so yes, she'll have a pot brewing."

As they walked toward Janine's house, Oscar fell in behind them. "What's this coffee you keep talking about?"

Sam glanced back. "I thought you're not interested in human stuff?"

"I never said that. I am not used to seeing such colorful foods. On my planet everything is silver or black, including the food," Oscar explained. "As I might come to the end of my life cycle today, I think I should satisfy my curiosity at least once."

Sam glanced at Linda and smiled. "I'm sure Andy can help with food, but we have coffee."

As they walked down the road, Sam glanced to the east. Slowly, the glow of daylight was pushing the blanket of night away. They would have the news about the alien plan soon. The anticipation made Sam nervous, and he didn't like to be nervous.

*****

On a hill, two kilometers south of the conduit stationed at Princeton, Big Jim stood on the hood of his truck. He peered through a pair of binoculars in the direction where the alien structure should be.

At first, he planned to attack during the night, but he couldn't see anything. He realized it would be unwise, and decided to wait until dawn. Although he had a burning desire to hurt the aliens, he didn't want to get too close.

If they became aware of his presence, they might foil his plan before he could fire a single shot.

He adjusted the focus on the binoculars, but it was still too dark. He lowered the device, and noticed his hands trembling in anticipation. Big Jim was alone, and he realized it. There was no one around to listen to his boasting.

For a moment, the thought of being alone scared him. Maybe he should turn around and head back to the compound. He could make up a story how he attacked the aliens and how they fell to his hand. Nobody would know the truth.

Big Jim lowered the glasses to his side. He would know, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Big Jim Boyers is no coward," he whispered to himself.

More determined, he lifted the binoculars once more. The light had improved, but the dust obscured his view. Through the waves of dirt, he caught a glimpse of the shiny alien structure. Even in the dim light of dawn, the conduit appeared bright against the dull background.

Big Jim's pulse quickened. That was the moment he had been waiting for. Before the drought started, he was a motorbike mechanic. Nobody of any significance. Through his huge physical presence, and with Mark Royce at his side, he established himself as the leader of the group at Fort Campbell after the military had moved out.

He would never admit it to Mark's face, but without his friend's influence and organizing skills, he would not have been able to pull it off.

Big Jim climbed from the hood of his vehicle and walked around to the back. He pulled down the dark-green sail that covered the MK-19 grenade launcher that was mounted on the back of the truck.

As he climbed onto the back, the suspension sagged and groaned under the weight of his huge frame. Grabbing one of the three wooden crates, he picked one of the sulfuric acid-loaded shells.

With trembling fingers, he slid the grenade into the firing chamber of the launcher. The sloshing sound of the liquid inside the cartridge excited him. Careful not to set the weapon off by accident, he slid the firing breach into position, and cocked the weapon.

He lined up the sights with the alien structure in the distance, took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger. With a load pop, the weapon fired, and hurled the grenade through the air.

With anxious eyes, Big Jim watched the shell's arc. It fell to the left and five hundred meters short of the target.

He swore, and loaded another cartridge. This time he aimed it thirty meters to the right of the structure, and squeezed the trigger. It exploded in a yellow cloud, but still five hundred meters short.

With a continued string of swear words, Big Jim climbed down the side of the truck. He had to get closer to the target. With anger, he fired up the truck and pushed down on the pedal. All rational thoughts had left his mind.

He drove the pickup truck down the rise past a clump of rocks. In the distance, he noticed a small hill.

"That looks like a good place," he mumbled and steered the truck in that direction.

As he passed two buildings on his right, the road made a slight curve. Twelve shiny alien warriors in full armor, stood in a line, obstructing his path.

Big Jim's heart gave a jump. He underestimated the aliens. He slammed on the brakes, and the vehicle came to a halt thirty meters from the creatures.

For such a big man, Jim Boyers moved surprisingly fast. He jumped onto the back, grabbed a grenade, and jammed it into the weapon. But he was not fast enough.

Twelve warriors lifted their right arms and pointed it at him. As one, their sonic weapons fired. For a split second, Jim watched the sonic waves hurtled toward him, then he saw nothing more.

The force of the blast tore every cell in his body apart. One moment he stood there on the back of the truck, and the next, his body disintegrated into millions of microscopic pieces. The resulting puff of smoke was carried away on the breeze, and with it, the last remains of Jim Boyers.

A second later, the truck exploded in a huge fireball, extinguishing the last human threat to the aliens. The warriors turned, and with long, easy strides, made their way back to the conduit.

Chapter 27

The sun was moments away from showing itself over the horizon as people gathered in front of the Command Center. Oscar stood with his back against the wall, staring off into the distance.

Sam and Linda talked to Frank when Nick and Jake walked around the corner and joined them. Nick glanced at Oscar, but did a double take. The alien had a silly, satisfied grin on his face.

"What's wrong with him?" Nick asked and jutted a thumb in the alien's direction.

Sam smiled. "He was curious about the taste of coffee, so Linda made him a cup."

Jake laughed. "What did you put in that cup? I want some!"

"Nothing," Linda answered. "We did caution him as we had no idea what effect the strange substance might have on his body. As you can see, for their species, it acts as a relaxant."

"Relaxant?" Jake said. "It looks more like he's on drugs."

Nick frowned. "Is he still able to communicate with the conduits?"

"Let's find out," Sam said and walked to Oscar.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

The alien looked at him as if he saw him for the first time. "I feel amazing. All the worries and fears have left my body."

A worried look formed on Sam's face. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing that Oscar was so relaxed. "Any news from The Leaders?"

Oscar looked in the direction of the conduit. "They are busy with final calculations and will be with you in a moment."

"They're coming here?" Jake asked.

Oscar waved a hand in the air. "Don't be silly. The Leaders can't leave the conduit. They will be speaking through me."

Jake's eyes lit up with surprise. "They can do that?"

"Sure," Oscar said. "They use technology that is implanted in every Argentum child."

"That can't be good," Nick said. "Do they monitor your every movement?"

Oscar nodded. "Yes. It is their way of making sure every warrior is in peak condition."

Nick laughed and looked at Sam. "I think you are in trouble. They will know that you drugged Oscar."

Sam gave a nervous laugh. "We didn't drug him. How're we suppose to know that coffee would have that effect on him?"

"If we survive this, I'm inviting him for a beer," Jake said.

Linda clucked her tongue. "Jake Green, you will do no such thing." Her voice was firm, but she couldn't hide a smile.

"If we survive, I think we can all use a beer. Maybe the general can hook us up," Frank said.

Nick looked to the east. The tip of the sun peeked over the horizon. Due to the dust in the air, the sun looked like a giant, red ball.

He pointed in the direction of the rising sun. "We should all appreciate this sunrise. No matter what happens today, it might be the last time we see it."

"Thank you for that, Mister Doom and Gloom," Jake said.

Before Nick could answer, Ty, Gina, and Ray joined their group.

"What have we missed?" Gina asked.

Nick pointed toward Oscar. "Sam and Linda drugged Oscar."

Gina was shocked. "What?"

Linda slapped Nick on the shoulder. "He's talking bull as always. We gave Oscar coffee, but it had an unexpected effect on him."

Gina glanced at Oscar, but the grin had disappeared off his face, and it was replaced by his usual blank expression. "He looks fine to me."

Several eyes turned toward the alien, but he didn't notice. His head was turned toward the conduit situated to the south of town.

When he spoke, his voice was back to his usual monotone, and his face remained without expression. "That human that wanted to destroy all the conduits was just killed."

Sam frowned. "What? Who? Big Jim?"

"Yes," Oscar replied.

"What happened?" Frank asked.

"He decided to launch another attack on the conduit near the town called Princeton. Unknown to him, the conduit tracked his movement, and he was surprised by twelve warriors. Instead of surrendering, he tried to attack them and was destroyed."

Knowing the power of the aliens' weapons, they could picture what happened.

Linda's hand flew to her mouth. "How many people did he have with him?"

"None," Oscar said. "He approached alone in a vehicle armed with one of those acid weapons."

Sam shook his head. "The fool must've gone on a suicide mission. Was any of your people hurt?"

The fact that Sam was concerned about the aliens didn't escape Oscar. "No. They took the man by surprise."

"Well, he had it coming," Jake said.

Before anybody could reply, Oscar stiffened and turned toward the conduit. He listened for a moment to the instructions in his head.

When he turned back toward Sam, he stood erect and tall, like he stood to attention. "Sam, the Leaders are ready to talk."

When Oscar spoke again, it was not in his usual monotone alien voice, but in the deep, hollow voice that Sam heard inside the conduit. "Greetings, Son of Arora."

Sam glanced at Linda. "I wish they would explain what that means."

Jake nudged Nick and whispered, "I think the aliens have captured James Earl Jones."

Nick snickered, but Sam ignored them. He had no idea who it was they referred to, but he knew their comments couldn't be taken seriously.

The voice seemed amused at Sam's reaction. "All in good time, but I expect you will find out soon enough."

Sam waved a hand in the air to dismiss the notion. "We have more important issues at the moment. Did you come up with a plan?"

"We have indeed," the Leader answered. "Under normal circumstances we would not attempt this, but as you pointed out, doing nothing will lead to certain death."

Sam glanced at Nick and Jake, who stared at Oscar with anticipation. Linda moved closer to Sam and grabbed his arm for comfort.

The Leader continued. "There is a method we use in which a large group of conduits work together to create a jump field which enable us to travel from one solar system to another. Using this technology is what allows us to do the work that we do, and it is what brought us here."

Sam frowned. The aliens always had an exit strategy, but they didn't share that information with them. Instead, they led them to believe that they were stranded on Earth with the rest of humanity.

Nick slapped Jake against the shoulder. "I told you they were not stranded here, otherwise how could they have taken off for the moon?"

Oscar still didn't move a muscle.

"If you have that option, why didn't you leave Earth to save yourselves?" Sam asked.

"If we fail our mission, we cannot return home. The embarrassment of being the first planetary rescue mission that failed in over a thousand years would be too much," the Leader said.

"You would rather die here with us than admit to failure? That makes no sense," Linda said.

Frank, Nick, and Jake looked at each other. Being military men, it made sense, but it would have been an ego thing. They were surprised that the Leader admitted that their species also had egos.

When the Leader didn't answer, Sam asked, "So you want to move the planet?"

"Yes," the voice said. "But it is a complicated operation."

Linda's grip on Sam's arm tightened. "You don't think it will work?"

"We know it will work," the Leader answered. "We have relocated planets before with success."

"Then what's the problem?" Frank asked when the voice paused.

"If it were a simple matter of moving the planet, it wouldn't be much of a challenge. The issue is moving the planet while leaving all its life intact," the Leader answered.

Frank frowned. "I don't understand. Are you saying that you can't move the people?"

Sam held up a hand. "Frank, let's not jump to conclusions. Let's give them a chance to explain."

He turned to Oscar. "Please continue."

Without hesitation, the voice continued. "Earth has a special habitat, but it is not unique in the universe. We encountered a planet like this before and we know how it works. Two things are essential to ensure that every living organism survives the transport, Earth's atmosphere, and its moon."

"Why the moon?" Jake asked. "It's a dead piece of rock. There's no life on the moon."

"No, but the moon ensures that there's life on Earth. The moon is directly responsible for the seasons," Sam answered.

"Gmf," Jake snorted. "We have only one season at the moment. I'm not even sure what to call this hot, dry, and windy season."

"Unfortunately the disruption on the earth's magnetic field by the solar storms negated the influence from the moon," Sam said.

'What?" he asked when he noticed the others staring at him.

"Since when did you turn into Professor Sam?" Nick asked.

Sam ignored him and turned to Oscar. "That's why the conduits went to the moon?"

"Yes," the voice answered. "We were unsure if the moon was close enough for what we had to do. Once they were stationed on the surface of the moon, we generated a test field, and it was successful."

Sam frowned. "Then what's the problem?"

There was a slight pause before the voice replied. "We are unsure if all the living organisms will survive the trip through hyper space."

"So we lose a few bugs. What difference will that make?" Jake asked.

Nick slapped him on the shoulder. "That includes us humans."

The color drained from Jake's face. "Oh."

"There is no way we can test if humans will survive the trip," the voice said.

Silence fell over the group as they all stared at Oscar. Sam was the first to react.

He turned to face the others. "Well, okay, so that will be a gamble. It is an unknown, but I think worth the risk. We know what will happen if we stay."

Nick looked at Oscar. "If we don't survive the hyper jump, how will we die?"

The voice was silent for a moment, deliberating the question.

Just when Nick thought the Leader didn't hear or understood the question, the voice answered. "We don't know for certain, but from all we know about hyper travel, death will happen in an instant. You will simply cease to exist."

Jake looked at Nick. "That doesn't sound too bad. We know what will happen with the other alternate. I vote for hyper travel."

Edward and Nathan Sharp stood close by, but stayed in the background. They both stepped forward.

"Me too," they said together.

Sam glanced at Frank, who jutted a thumb at Nick and Jake. "I don't agree with these two often, but today I do."

Sam looked into Linda's eyes. Without even asking, he knew she would agree with whatever decision he made.

He nodded. "I agree. We have to attempt the jump. What do you need from us?"

"There is nothing you can do to help," the voice answered. "There might me a slight jolt when we enter hyperspace, so please ensure all your people are in a safe position when we make the jump."

"Okay then. That's all set. When do you plan to make the jump?" Sam asked.

"We still have a few final calculations to finish, but we don't want to leave it too late. In case the first jump fails, we want to have enough time to make adjustments and attempt a second jump if necessary," the Leader said.

Frank ran a hand through his short, grey hair. "One way or another, let's hope the second attempt won't be necessary. I'm not sure my heart can take a second try."

Sam glanced at his watch. "Sunset is at 17h30. According to the information I received from you, Earth will enter the storm at that time."

"That is correct," the voice answered. "We have adjusted our time to match yours. We will schedule the first attempt for 14h30. That will give us enough time to attempt a second jump if the first fails."

A nervous shiver ran down Sam's spine. "That's cutting it close. I think we'll all be more comfortable if you do it as soon as possible."

After a moment's pause, the voice answered. "We understand your fear, but the disruptions caused by the approaching waves from the storm will aid us into pulling the planet and the moon into a hyper jump."

Sam sighed. "We will be ready by 14h30."

Oscar's shoulders relaxed and he tilted his head to the side, indicating the Leader had released control of him.

His voice returned to normal. "I will stay with you until after the jump."

"Will the message be relayed to the other messengers at the other conduits?" Ty asked.

"Yes," Oscar answered. "They are receiving the message now."

Sam turned to Frank. "We have to inform the people. Will you call them together?"

Frank pointed at the open area across from the Command Center. While they had their conversation with the Leader, the area filled with people. Every man, woman, and child assembled in front of the Command Center, eager to hear the news.

Sam stepped closer to Frank and Ty and kept his voice low so only the immediate people around him could hear. "When we make the jump, everybody should lie down. We will all lose consciousness for a while."

Frank frowned. "How do you know that? I never heard the leader mention anything about that."

Sam shrugged. "I don't know how I know, but I do."

"Oh," Frank said.

Over the past year, he had learned that the enigma that was Sam knew things that nobody else did. Because of his amnesia, he didn't know why, and after a while the people of White River stopped questioning him about it.

Mayor Timothy Ryan stepped forward. "Well, I think it's time to tell the people what will happen today."

He paused for a moment. "Sam, I addressed the town on many issues over the past twenty years, but I think this time you should do it. Today they don't need a politician to speak to them. They need their leader."

Mayor Ryan was just as tall as Sam, but too much beer over the years had taken its toll on his body.

Sam placed a hand on the mayor's shoulder. "Tim, I will talk to them, but to most of these people, you are more than a politician. You are their friend. Will you stand next to me? The sight of you will help to keep them calm."

Tim nodded, and together they walked up the stairs to the top of the landing in front of the Command Center to address the crowd.

Chapter 28

When Sam, speaking through the megaphone, started to relay the message from the Leader to the people of White River, most of the people in the crowd stood with hunched shoulders and a dejected look on their faces.

As Sam continued his message, their expressions changed. They spent the night believing it was their last. Now there was a flicker of hope.

A drowning man will clutch at a straw if it offered hope of survival, and Sam gave them a lot of straw. By the time Sam asked, "Any questions?" men where hugging their kids and kissing their wives. Friends were embracing and slapping each other on the shoulders.

The stark expressions from earlier were replaced by smiling faces. The danger was still real, and they might still die, but there was a glimmer of hope.

Mayor Tim Ryan looked at Sam and smiled. "Once again you are their savior."

Sam shrugged. "I didn't do anything. I'm just the messenger."

Tim shook his head. "Sam, if it weren't for you, we would still be fighting the aliens and would have no clue what's about to happen. If it weren't for you making contact with them, they might have decided that life on this planet wasn't worth saving."

"I agree with that," Ty said as he and Frank joined them on the landing at the top of the steps.

Sam rubbed a hand over his spiky blond hair. The praise made him uncomfortable. He was rescued by a man near the front of the queue raising his hand.

"Yes, Andy?" Sam asked.

The town's cook stepped forward. "I know with everything that's going on, food is the last thing on your mind. Now that there's hope, I'm sure a little celebration is in order. How about I use some of the food and prepare a feast. If it's our last meal, at least we won't die hungry."

Sam glanced at Frank who nodded.

"Andy, that sounds like a great idea," Sam said, and a cheer rose from the crowd. That was the most upbeat they were in weeks.

Sam held his arms high to try and calm the crowd.

"Just keep in mind, after we survive the jump, we still have to eat," Sam said when the noise died down enough that he could speak and be heard.

Andy smiled. "I will keep that in mind. I can have a lunch ready at noon."

"Noon will be fine," Sam said, and another cheer rose from the crowd.

The meeting was over, but most of the people stayed in the clearing discussing the new developments among themselves.

As Sam stepped down the stairs, Linda walked up to him. "Sam, I need to go back to the farm. We need to make sure all the animals are secure. If we all might lose consciousness during the jump, so might they. If the geese are on the dam during the jump and get knocked out, they will drown."

Sam placed a reassuring hand to the side of her face. "Good thinking. I will see if I can get a few people to help us secure the animals."

Ten minutes later, Sam and Linda in their pickup truck, with Oscar and Pedro sitting in the back, led the old, yellow school bus filled with thirty willing volunteers to the farm. The mood on the bus was festive, with everyone joining in a song.

The joyful lyrics rolled over the plain and drifted on the wind. "Old MacDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O. And on his farm he had a cow. With a moo-moo here, and a moo-moo there..."

In the cab of the truck, the singing was clearly heard.

Linda turned to Sam and smiled. "I think they're calling you, Old MacDonald."

Sam returned the smile. "I'm not sure who this Old MacDonald is, but it sounds like he had quite a farm."

Linda looked surprised. "You don't know the song?"

Sam shook his head. "It doesn't sound familiar."

"That's strange," Linda said. "Even most people in the city knows the popular children's song and nursery rhyme."

Sam shrugged. "Maybe I didn't have children, or were locked in a deep, underground bunker doing dodgy research and never heard it. Or maybe I just don't remember, like I don't remember what my name is. I'm pretty sure it wasn't Old MacDonald though."

Linda laughed and hugged Sam's arm. The pleasant sound from the people on the bus continued to wash through the window. Soon they ran out of animals to use, and started to make their own words."

"Old MacDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O. And on his farm he had a wife. With a moan-moan here, and a moan-moan there..."

Linda let go of Sam's arm and sat up straight in her seat. "That's it. I'm going to kill them all!"

Sam laughed. "I'm starting to like this song."

By the time they turned onto the dirt road that led to the farm, all thoughts of killing the people on the bus had left Linda's mind as she turned her attention to the care of the animals. Everything was as they left it during the night.

Daisy and her calf stood in their pen. The cow appeared nervous, but when she saw Linda, she gave a loud moo.

Linda walked to the pen, and Daisy pushed her head forward. Linda was the only person the cow allowed to touch her. Not even Sam could get close.

"Easy, girl," Linda said as she rubbed a hand over Daisy's large head.

"I think she can sense something is about to happen," Linda said when Sam joined her at the pen.

He stared at the chicken coop, but the chickens pecked away and scratched at the dirt like they always did. On the dam, the two geese kept their babies close.

"How are we going to catch them?" Sam asked and indicated the geese.

"I'll get them," Linda said. "Let's take care of the others first."

She directed the volunteers to dump heaps of extra barley straw in the cow pen. If Daisy and her calf fell unconscious, they would have a soft landing. The chickens were secure in their coop.

The two adult geese trusted Linda and always followed her around the farm. Every morning they would eat barley seeds from her hand. When they spotted Linda, they led their babies down the ramp that George Kingsley constructed so the ducklings could get in and out of the dam.

Linda led the geese to the second chicken coop that was recently completed, but still unoccupied. Without hesitation, the geese followed her inside. Once they were in, Sam closed the door behind them.

She made sure they had enough food and water for the day. Linda placed two watering spouts inside that they used for the chickens. It was large enough to ensure the geese had enough water until the following day, but not big enough for the ducklings to drown in when they fell unconscious and happen to be near the water.

While Linda finished with the animals, Sam took a seat on the edge of the dam. The rotors of the wind pumps turned eagerly in the morning breeze. Two streams of water splashed into the dam.

Sam turned his head and looked east. His heart jumped at the sight. Just above the horizon, the storm ribbon was visible as it started to rise above the horizon. It wasn't just a small ribbon anymore, but covered the entire horizon.

As the Earth turned and the multi-colored ribbon rose higher into the sky, it became clear how close their planet was to the solar storm. Against the hazy background of the dust-filled earth, the ribbon was a spectacle.

"It sure is beautiful," a voice said next to him.

Sam turned his head. George Kingsley stared at the storm in wonder.

"Yeah, it is," Sam said with a sigh.

Before they could get into a philosophical discussion about the storm, Linda joined them at the dam.

"George, I haven't had a chance to thank you yet for my haven. It is breathtaking," she said.

George smiled. "I just wanted to say thank you for what you did for me. After how I treated you when this all started, you could have had me ran out of town, but instead you gave me a second chance."

"And I am glad I did," Linda said and spread her arms wide and waved it toward the rows of greenhouses. "None of this would have been possible without your engineering expertise."

"It was nothing," George said, embarrassed by the praise and kicked at a rock by his feet.

Linda stepped forward and gave George a hug. When she let go, he gave Sam a nervous glance, but Sam was not jealous. He knew there was nothing to be jealous about.

She turned to Sam. "I think we are all done here. The animals should be safe until we return."

Sam leaned forward and pulled Linda into an embrace. He drew strength from her positive attitude. There was no doubt in her mind that they would return the following day to the farm.

Ten minutes later everyone piled back into the bus. The mood was now somber. The sight of the storm ribbon had dampened their spirit. To them, it was a reminder of what they were about to face, and they knew the possibility existed that they might not survive.

With one last look, Linda stared at the caged animals. "Bye, my babies. Mommy will be back tomorrow."

As they pulled out of the yard, Linda placed a hand on Sam's arm. "After we survive the storm tomorrow, we need to get a dog."

Sam nodded. "That's a great idea, but where will we find one?"

"I will ask Nick and Jake. They claim they can find anything," Linda said.

Sam smiled. Since the drought started, Nick and Jake built a reputation as miracle workers. Whatever the town or farm needed, Nick and Jake would find it. It might take them a few days, or sometimes even a few months, but they always delivered. Anything from a bulldozer to a yarn of wool.

In a world where there were no more shops or factories, that was quite a feat. He didn't voice it to Linda, but finding a dog might be beyond their capabilities. When they arrived in town, the guards at the barricade moved the fortified bus that obstructed the entry.

Once through, Sam stopped and stepped out of the vehicle. Chester Fellows was the squad leader on duty.

"Everything quiet?" Sam asked.

Chester nodded. "Yes. Nothing to report."

"Spread the word to the other barricades. Everyone can join for lunch. No need to stand guard today," Sam said.

Chester frowned. "Are you sure? What if somebody surprises us?"

Sam pointed at Oscar in the back of the truck. "He will keep a watchful eye, and will inform us if anybody as much as sneezes in this direction."

"I'll spread the word," Chester said.

While they were busy on the farm, Andy got busy preparing a meal for the one thousand two hundred and twelve people in White River. The assembly hall of White River High couldn't accommodate all the people, so Andy arranged extra tables in the assembly square outside the hall. The square was enclosed by buildings on all four sides, providing protection against the wind and dust.

There were no shortage of volunteers and eager hands carried in the extra tables. Once they were wiped down, each table was covered with a white table cloth. With careful planning, Andy managed to fit a hundred and fifty tables in the assembly hall and the square, with eight seats per table.

By 11h15, the tables were set, and people started to file in for their lunch date. While Andy was busy with last minute preparations in the kitchen, a few volunteers directed the people to their seats. They were seated as they arrived. First the tables in the hall were filled, and then the spaces outside, but everyone got a seat.

Sam and Linda ended up at a table with Janine, Terry, and Nick and Jake with their wives. Both wives had their three month old babies with them. Pedro preferred to sit at the table with the other kids. Ray, Gina, Ty Sheppard, and Frank were seated at a table next to them with Nathan and Edward Sharp and their wives.

A nervous murmur emanated from the crowd as people talked in low voices. At 11h50, helpers walked from the kitchen carrying large, silver catering bowls. Two were placed on each table.

Once the bowls were placed on their table, Nick and Jake couldn't contain their curiosity. They peeked under the lids.

"I don't believe it!" Nick said.

"What is that?" Sam asked as the pleasant aroma from the bowls filled the hall.

Jake licked his lips. "Andy managed to whip up some biscuits and gravy."

"It's normally done for breakfast, but I'm not complaining," Nick said.

At exactly 12h00, Mayor Timothy Ryan took to the stage. He cleared his throat and silence fell over the crowd. "I'm not going to bore you with a long speech. It's a pity it took such an event to bring us all together, but let's enjoy this moment. Before we start, let's bow our heads to say our thanks."

After the blessing, the mayor simply said, "Let's eat."

Everybody enjoyed the food, but there wasn't much conversation. Although they tried to remain optimistic, the weight of the upcoming event weighed heavily on everyone. The alien attempt to move the planet was only two and an half hours away, and it left everyone with a nervous feeling in their stomach.

Nick and Jake didn't let that stop them. There was more than enough biscuits and gravy for everyone, and they were eager for second helpings.

Linda nudged Sam with her elbow. "These two are not taking any chances."

Nick stopped the spoon loaded with sauce in front of his mouth. "My mother warned me about interstellar space jumps. She said that I should never travel on an empty stomach."

Jake grinned. "What he said."

Sam took a bite of the biscuit drowned in sauce. "Wherever we're going, we won't be hungry when we get there."

The idea of the unknown created its own fear. It was visible on every face around every table. Whatever their fate. They would find out in two hours.

Chapter 29

By the time the farewell lunch was completed, it was one hour to the jump. With last instructions to remain in their houses, and that someone would sound the siren, the people of White River were sent home. Sam and Frank agreed it would be best if everyone rode out the jump in the comfort of their homes.

As the people dispersed, family members and friends said their goodbyes. Even casual acquaintances got a goodbye-hug. "See you on the other side," became the most spoken phrase of the day.

The storm ribbon was not a distant ribbon in space anymore, but rather a ripple and now covered almost the entire visible sky. It appeared as if the sky was made out of a colorful liquid moving in waves.

Sam and Linda stood outside the Command Center talking to Frank, Nick and Jake. Pedro and Oscar stood close by, watching the wavy patterns in the sky.

Jake pointed upward. "It's just our luck that this side of the planet faces the storm as we head into it. It's freaky. At least the people in Africa don't have to see this."

Nick shook his head. "I would rather see what's coming."

Frank turned to Sam. "I'll ride out the jump here in the Command Center. I dragged one of the mattresses from the jail to my office. There is enough extra beds if you want to stay here."

Sam glanced at Linda and noticed the alarm in her eyes. They both knew since Frank's wife died a few years ago, that he was alone. They never had any children and he had no other family left in White River. The invitation was out of fear of dying alone.

"Sorry, Frank, but we promised Janine we will be at her house," Sam said. "You are welcome to come along. I'm sure there's more than enough space."

Frank considered it for a moment, but then shook his head. "Nah, I'll just stay here."

Nick and Jake looked at each other before Nick turned his eyes to their Commander. "Nonsense. Nobody should be alone today. Rachel and I have a big living room. Rachel covered the entire area with soft cushions. Jake, Juliet and little Chrissy will also be there. You're coming with us."

For a moment it looked like Frank wanted to argue, but the weight of the situation had taken the fight out of him, and he nodded.

The group set off in the direction of their houses. Nick and Jake had homes next to each other, which was only a few houses over from Janine's. Nick's house was first along the route.

Sam and Linda hugged everyone.

"See you in a couple of hours," Sam said as he hugged Nick.

Jake hugged Linda and pointed to Sam. "Try and keep him out of trouble for a few hours."

With a last, "see you on the other side," Nick, Jake, and Frank went inside.

Sam slipped an arm around Linda's shoulders and glanced at Oscar, who was a curious observer in the human farewells.

"Is everything still on schedule?" Sam asked.

Accessing his build-in communication node, Oscar checked with the nearest conduit before he replied. "Everything is progressing as planned."

Sam glanced at the sky. "It couldn't be soon enough. The sight of that is making me real nervous."

Janine stepped out onto the porch. "I was getting worried. Thought you got lost on your way here."

Linda ran up the steps and hugged her sister. "I told you we'll be here before the jump. Where's Terry?"

Janine pointed to the open doorway. "He's inside making a few last minute preparations."

As everyone made for the door, Oscar looked around, and for a moment he had a lost look on his face. "I'll be out here then."

Janine held open the swing-door. "Nonsense, I fixed you a space inside. I know it will be a tight fit through the door, but it's spacious inside."

Oscar looked at Sam, who pulled up his shoulders. "She's used to getting her way, so you better do as she says."

For a second, Sam thought he saw a slight smile on the alien face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Oscar had to bend down and shuffle through the door side-ways. Once inside, he had to bend down slightly as his head reached the high ceilings.

Janine led them down the short hall, and through the first door on the left. All the furniture were cleared out of the living room, and the entire floor was covered with cushions. In the corner, two double bed mattresses were put down together to cater for Oscar's ten-foot tall frame.

The alien shuffled into the corner, and Pedro was quick to claim the space next to his alien friend. Sam took his shoes off in the hallway, and laid his gun and hat down.

Terry walked in from the kitchen and handed Sam a bottle of water. "Your in-flight refreshments."

Sam and Linda got comfortable on the cushions on the floor next to Pedro and Oscar. Terry and Janine took up the space in the opposite corner.

"This is comfy," Linda said.

"Yeah, nothing to bump my head on if I fall over," Sam said with a grin.

Sam looked through the big living room window, and the smile disappeared. The pink glow of the sky started to turn white, but the bright colors of the storm were still clearly visible.

Linda noticed the direction of Sam's gaze, and took his hand in hers. "We'll be okay."

"I know," he answered, leaned over, and kissed her.

"Eeeewww, gross," Pedro said and covered his eyes.

The next moment, the ground shook, and the entire house rattled. In the kitchen, a pot that used to hang on a hook against the wall clattered to the ground. Linda clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a yell.

Sam jerked his head around and looked at Oscar, trying his best to keep his voice calm. "What was that?"

Oscar tilted his head and listened to the voice from the conduit. "They have begun. The conduits all started their systems and are doing a check to make sure they are all in sync."

"Oh," Linda said and relaxed her hand.

"They are going to deploy the shield in a moment," Oscar said.

Sam frowned. "I thought you said the shield won't work."

"It won't work against the power of the solar storm, but will protect the Earth from normal cosmic radiation during the jump," Oscar answered.

Before Sam could answer, another jerk jolted the house. He looked through the window. The protective shield from the conduits was invisible, but Sam noticed it because it dimmed the solar storm in the background.

It spread across the sky from each conduit until the edges connected and flowed together to form a solid shield.

"It's a pity the shield can't blank out the storm. I hate the sight of it," Linda said, her voice now shaking with fear.

Janine rolled over on the pillows, and buried her head into Terry's chest. He folded his arms around her, holding her in a protective embrace.

Pedro grabbed hold of Linda's free hand. "Mommy, I'm scared."

Linda pulled the boy closer, and cuddled him in the crook of her arm. She didn't say a word, afraid that her voice would betray her and reveal how scared she really was. Pedro snaked his arms around her body, and lay his head on her shoulder.

Sam leaned over and tussled the boy's hair. "Don't worry, everything will be okay."

"Imagine that it's a rollercoaster ride," Terry said.

"I've never been on a rollercoaster," Pedro answered.

Sam placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Me neither. How about when this is all done, we find a rollercoaster and ride it together?"

For a moment, Pedro forgot about his fear and his eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Sam said.

"We can all go. Linda and I love rollercoasters. The faster the better," Janine said. "Linda was about your age when I took her on her first coaster at Kings Island. She was scared at first, but then she didn't want to stop. She rode the coasters over and over."

Linda smiled at the memory. "I wonder where we can find one."

Terry rubbed his chin, then his eyes lit up. "There used to be a nice theme park in Hot Springs."

"I can speak to Moira, maybe we can get it going again," Sam said.

He participated in the conversation, but he kept an eye on what happened outside. In the last few seconds, the pink glow in the sky turned completely white. The storm was now barely visible through the shield.

Along the perimeter of the shield, small lightning sparks formed and danced across the sky. Sam reached through a gap in the pillows, and placed his hand palm down on the floor. A steady vibration was noticeable and increasing in intensity.

Sam turned his head and looked at Oscar. The alien noticed Sam's eyes on him and nodded. They started with the jump. The vibration increased until the windows started to rattle. More lightning sparks formed along the shield.

The white light brightened to the point that it hurt Sam's eyes to look outside.

"Here we go. Everybody lie down," Sam said as calm as possible.

Everyone sagged down on the pillows. Linda kept a firm grip on Sam's hand, while her other arm was still around Pedro.

The world started to swim before their eyes as they got light-headed. Sam could feel himself drifting into unconsciousness. Then there was a sharp jerk, and the white light disappeared.

For a moment Sam thought the jump was done, but then he looked through the window. The shield was still up, but the solar storm was clearly visible.

Sam sat up. For a moment, he felt disoriented, but he cleared his mind and turned his head to Oscar. The alien also sat upright, looking dazed and confused.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

Oscar stared at him with a strange look, and then he realized where he was and what happened. He tilted his head, communicating with the conduit.

After a few seconds, he received the reply. "They lost their sync with the conduits on the moon. If they don't operate in tandem, one of the planets can get lost in space, or the change in gravity can even rip them apart."

"Well, at least you're not sugarcoating things," Terry said looking worried.

The alien looked at Terry and his big, black eyes narrowed, but Sam waved a hand at Terry. "Oscar, don't listen to him."

Sam glanced through the window. The shield swirled above as the outskirts of the solar storm hit it. "Do we have time for another attempt?"

Oscar followed Sam's gaze through the window. "Yes. The Leaders are making adjustments to the jump parameters as we speak. For now the shield will hold, but in about half an hour the storm will be too strong and break through."

Linda gasped, but Sam kept his attention on the alien. "How long will the adjustment take?"

"Eight minutes," Oscar answered without hesitation.

"That's cutting it very close," Terry said.

Sam glanced at him, but he had to agree. That was too close for comfort. If the next attempt failed, there would not be time for a third attempt. It was now or never.

Shouting from outside drifted in through the open front door. Sam and Terry jumped to their feet.

"What now?" Terry asked.

"Let's find out," Sam said and walked toward the door.

When he stepped out onto the porch, he noticed several people standing in front of their homes waving their arms and pointing to the sky.

One would shout to another, "Is it over? Did the jump work?"

"No, it must've failed. The storm is still visible," came the answer.

Nick, Jake and Frank also stood in front of Nick's house when they saw Sam and Terry.

"Hey, Sam! What happened?" Nick asked.

"Nothing," Sam answered stepping into the street. "They're just making a few final adjustments. We're less than ten minutes away from the jump. Get everybody back inside."

"What's going on?" Janine asked from the porch.

Sam turned around. "They're just wondering what happened. Terry, get them back inside. I'll join you in a minute."

"Sam, don't take too long," Linda said.

"I'll be in, in a moment," Sam answered.

With his hands on their shoulders, Terry guided the women back into the house. Sam glanced to the other end of the street. More people stepped out of their homes.

Sam waved his arms. "Get back inside. We're about to jump!"

Shouting could now be heard all over the neighborhood. It took more than five minutes for the message to spread, and slowly people returned inside. Once Sam was satisfied that everybody went in, he turned and head back to join Linda and the others.

He paused at the bottom of the steps leading to the porch, and stared at the sky. The shield took strain. In several places it looked like it buckled under the pressure from the storm.

"You better hurry up," Sam muttered. If the shield broke before they made the jump, it wouldn't matter. They would all be dead.

A sharp jolt jerked him back to reality. The aliens had started the second attempt. The sky turned white and lightning bolts ran along the shield, obscuring the storm from his view.

Sam walked up the steps, but found his legs heavy and difficult to move. It was like running in a dream. He wanted to move but his body didn't obey the commands from his brain. After a struggle, he made it to the top of the steps and stumbled through the front door.

He fell from side-to-side, his shoulders hitting the wall, which kept him from falling over. When he stepped into the doorway of the living room, he felt the pressure in his head. The light was now so bright it hurt his eyes, and he used his hands to feel his way through the door.

For a split second, it seemed like everything around him exploded in a brilliant display of colors. He tried to step forward, but his legs refused to move. Sam could feel his body toppling over, but he was helpless to stop it.

His body hit the floor without a sound, but his head was lucky enough to find the edge of the pillows. The space in the living room contorted and twisted everything out of shape. It was like somebody was pulling and stretching an elastic band, and then it snapped back into place, but nobody was awake to see it. Everyone on the floor was unconscious.

Chapter 30

Sam was the first to stir. He lay on the hardwood floor in the entrance to the living room where he fell. His head and shoulders made it onto the cushions spread all over the room. When he landed, his right arm got trapped under his body.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the white ceiling. Dazed and confused, he wondered what he was doing on the floor. Sam listened, but heard no sound. There was absolute silence.

The groan that escaped from his throat sounded so loud that it startled him. He struggled to a sitting position, but his head was swimming. He tried to steady himself, but his right arm was not working and he toppled over onto his side.

With great effort, he pushed himself upright into a sitting position again. He looked at his numb right arm wondering what was wrong with it. He tried to flex his fingers, but they hardly moved. After a few more tries, he was able to open and close his fingers, and blood rushed back to his arm. He had to keep hard from yelping at the pain as his arm was covered in pins and needles.

After a few moments, mobility returned to his arm. He gazed around the room and realized he wasn't alone. To his left, a man and a woman lay on their backs holding hands. To his right, a young child had his arm draped over a woman.

Sam frowned. Did he know these people and what happened to them? He took a closer look at the woman with the child. Her dark-red hair appeared brown in the light of the room, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew if she stepped into the sunlight, it would look like her head was on fire.

Shaking his head, Sam tried to clear the cobwebs from his mind. He knew that everyone in the room was familiar to him, but he couldn't place them. He struggled to his feet, turned around, and stared at his own reflection in the hallway mirror.

The man that stared back at him was tall with short, spiky blond hair and brilliant blue eyes. With a jerk, he realized that his reflection was a stranger to him. Who was he, and what was he doing in a room full of dead people?

He jerked his head around and stared at the people on the cushions. Were they indeed dead? He stumbled forward to the woman with the child, and placed two fingers against her neck to feel for a pulse.

His hand was shaking too much and he couldn't tell, so he placed his head on her chest. With a sigh of relief he sat up when he heard her rhythmic breathing. He stared at her sun-tanned face.

He should know her. Who was she? Sam placed a gentle hand against the side of her face, but he couldn't explain the emotions that pumped through him. She was someone very special. Then a sharp pain shot through his brain.

"Aaaaawww," he yelled, grabbed his head between his hands, and fell backward on the cushions.

Memories of the past year flooded his mind. The moment he woke up under the dead tree, his long trek through the desert-like landscape to the town of White River. When he woke up in the hospital and stared into the beautiful face of Linda with her bright-green eyes that stole his heart.

How she gave him the name, Sam, and when she took him to her farm when the town turned against him. How he fixed the water on her farm and how, together, they saved the town by providing them with food and water.

The feeling of helplessness when she was captured by raiders, and how he rescued her. The first moment he saw the Aurora and realized the danger they were in. Their fight for survival against the evil general from Alexandria who was determined to destroy their town, and how the boy, Pedro, came into their lives when they rescued him from a jail in Alexandria.

Then their three months of peaceful bliss they spent together, before the arrival of the aliens turned their world upside down once more. The first moment he realized the aliens were there to help them, and their preparation for the arrival of the massive solar storm that would wipe out all life on their planet.

And then the last desperate plan to move their planet to another solar system to get it out of the way of the devastating solar storm to ensure life on Earth would continue.

The pain in his head subsided and Sam opened his eyes. He struggled to his feet, stumbled to the door, and down the steps of the porch. He looked up into the pale-blue sky. There was no sign of the storm.

The jump was successful. He jerked his head toward the eastern horizon. The sun that hung low in the sky looked identical to the one they left behind, but where in the universe were they? Oscar did mention before the jump that they would jump to a different solar system, but in the same galaxy. They were still in the Milky Way.

Sam stopped in his tracks, and slowly turned back to the house. Oscar! The alien was the only one that could provide him with answers, but he didn't see him in the living room.

Now more steady on his feet, Sam walked with long strides up the steps to the porch, through the open front door, and stopped in the doorway to the living room. His eyes didn't deceive him. There was no sign of the alien.

Sam searched the rest of the house, but Oscar was nowhere to be found. Did the aliens leave?

He frowned and looked at his watch. "How long was I unconscious?"

But his mechanical wristwatch stopped working at the moment of the jump. From the position of the sun, he could tell it was early morning, but how long did he sleep?

His stomach gave a loud growl, and he looked down. "Apparently it was quite a while."

Sam made his way back to the living room, and sat down on the pillows next to Linda. He picked a bottle of water from the floor and took a few swallows. It helped his dry throat, but did nothing for his hungry stomach.

He looked down at Linda's peaceful face, and brushed a loose strand of hair from her forehead.

"I am so glad I didn't forget you," he whispered. "But it's time to wake up."

He gently shook her shoulder. "Linda?"

But nothing happened. Then he grabbed her shoulder and shook harder, but still she didn't move. He leaned down and kissed her, but that didn't work either. For a moment, panic swept through him. What if she didn't wake up?

Sam rolled to his knees, grabbed her by the shoulders, and shook hard. "Linda, wake up!"

A soft groan escaped her lips, and then her eyes opened.

Sam sighed and smiled. "There you are. I was getting a little worried."

She sat up, but swayed. Sam reached forward and steadied her.

"Take it easy," he said. "It takes a few minutes for the fog to wear off."

Her lips moved, but only a soft croak emerged from her dry throat. Sam opened the water bottle and held it to her lips.

After a few small sips, she tried again. "Is it over?"

Sam nodded. "Yes. The jump was successful."

Linda looked around the room, and ran a gentle hand over Pedro's head.

"Where's Oscar?" she asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. When I woke up, he was gone."

She took another sip of water. "He left without saying goodbye?"

He stroked her hair. "It appears that way."

"That's a bit rude."

"Their cultural interaction and way of doing things are much different from ours," Sam said.

Linda tried to stand up, but almost toppled over. Sam grabbed her arm, and steadied her on her feet.

"I want to go outside," she said.

He helped her over the pillows, led her out onto porch, and down the stairs.

She stared at the sky. "I sure will not miss the sight of that solar storm."

Sam smiled. "Neither would I."

"Do you think everything would return to normal now?" she asked.

"It might take a while, but I don't see why not. With the solar storm not battering the magnetic shield anymore, weather patterns can normalize," Sam answered.

Linda sighed and hugged Sam. "I sure didn't expect to see blue sky again."

Sam held up his hand. "Do you feel that?"

It took Linda a moment, but then her eyes widened. "There's no wind."

"Yes," Sam said. "Which is why you can see the sky. The view is not obscured by dust."

Linda kissed Sam. "There's hope for the future. Before the jump, I kept hoping, but it seemed almost in vain at times."

Sam laughed. The worry of the last few days lifted from his shoulders and his spirit felt light and ready to soar once more.

"We need to get back to the farm," Linda said. "I'm worried about the animals."

"Let's go check on the others," Sam said, and patted his stomach. "Once everyone is awake, and we had something to eat, we can head out to the farm."

Linda frowned. "How long were we out? My mind says we ate a few hours ago, but my stomach says I haven't eaten in days."

Sam shrugged. "I have no idea. My watch stopped working at the time of the jump. Let's go check on the others, and then we can find something to eat."

When they entered the living room, Terry, Janine, and Pedro started to stir.

Soon after that, Sam heard voices from outside. The rest of the town started to wake. Sam stepped out onto the porch, and noticed Nick and Jake walking toward him. They were still unsteady on their feet, and appeared as if they had too much to drink.

"Hey, Sam," Nick called out when they reached the house.

"We're still alive," Jake said with a satisfied smile.

Sam laughed. "Yes, we are."

Nick steadied himself against the gate post. "I haven't been this woozy since the last time we had a binge at O' Malley's in Little Rock."

"It wears off after a while," Sam said.

Jake pointed at Sam. "You seem alright."

"I've been awake for a while," Sam answered.

Nick pointed at the sky. "Is it over?"

Sam shrugged. "It appears that way."

"What does Oscar say?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," Sam answered. "He was gone when I woke up."

Nick frowned. "Just like that? Without saying goodbye?"

Sam ignored the comment. "When you two feel up to it, drive out to the conduit and see if it's still there. I suspect they're gone, but I want to be sure."

Jake held a thumbs-up in the air. "Will do, as soon as I sober up."

Nick patted his stomach. "And we need to get something to eat. I'm starving."

Linda and Pedro joined Sam, and together they walked down the street toward the Command Center. Everywhere people stumbled out of their homes, still unsteady on their feet, but in high spirits. They were alive, and that was cause for celebration.

As they passed the school, they found Andy carrying a box.

"Glad to see you three are alright, but I can't chat now. I've got to get some food going. Everybody's starving, and if I don't feed them soon, I might have a riot on my hands," the cook said as he rushed passed.

When they entered the Command Center, they found Frank in conversation with Ty, Ray, and Gina.

"Good to see you guys," Gina said and stepped forward to hug them.

"I need to get back to Chicago," Ty said. "There's a lot of work to be done."

"We're heading out to the farm," Sam said. "We need to make sure the animals are alright."

By the time they said their goodbyes, it was almost noon. They got into Sam's truck and headed out to the farm. As they drove into the yard, they were greeted by Daisy and her calf munching away on barley straw.

The impatient geese honked, ready to be let out of the chicken coup. When Linda opened the gate, they wasted no time in leading their chicks to the dam. Sam glanced at the dam, and with shock, noticed the water level dropped to almost half.

"Do you think the pumps are broken?" Linda asked.

Sam stared at the twin wind pumps, which appeared to be intact.

He shook his head. "No, I'm sure they're fine, but they need wind to operate and there's not even a breeze at the moment."

"That's not good," Linda said.

"No, it's not, but it's not the end of the world. George wanted to convert one of the pumps to an electric pump running off solar power for a while. I think now is a good time for him to do that," Sam said.

Sam and Linda inspected the growing tunnels while Pedro fed the chickens. They found all in order, but something puzzled Sam.

"That's odd," he said.

"What?" Linda asked.

Sam pointed at the sprinklers in one of the tunnels that were still dripping. "George has the sprinklers set on a timer, and water the tunnels three times a day."

Linda glanced around the tunnels and nodded. "That's right. So what's the problem?"

Sam rubbed his chin. "I know we have a lot of tunnels, but it would take at least two days to use that much water."

Linda's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me we've been asleep for two days?"

Sam shrugged. "It appears that way."

An hour later, Sam stood on the porch with a cup of coffee in one hand, and a sandwich in the other. The three-day old barley bread tasted stale, but the taste of fresh tomatoes helped.

He stared out over the dam, watching the geese splashing around in the water, happy to be out of their cage. He let his gaze swung over the farm, until he looked east. His heart skipped a beat.

On the horizon, it appeared as if there was a huge, thick column of smoke towering high into the sky. He placed the remainder of the sandwich and his coffee on the porch rail, and ran down the steps to his truck to retrieve his binoculars.

"What's that?" Linda asked. "Is something on fire?"

Staring through the looking glasses, he smiled. "No. I believe it's a cloud."

"A real cloud?" Linda asked.

Then the smile disappeared from Sam's face. What started to rise above the horizon, almost made him drop the binoculars.

Chapter 31

"Wow, a real cloud," Linda said. "I never thought I would ever see one again."

But Sam was not looking at the cloud. Just to the right of the cloud, a planetary body started to rise. Just the top edge was visible. If he didn't use the binoculars, he wouldn't have noticed it.

At first glimpse, he thought it was the moon. He lowered the binoculars and looked straight up searching the sky. He found their moon, half-full, near the western horizon. It survived the jump with them.

He jerked the binoculars to his eyes and took another look at the eastern horizon. The planetary body, like the moon, was only half full, but it was clearly a planet.

Linda continued to talk about the cloud for another minute before she realized that Sam's attention was elsewhere.

She touched his shoulder. "Sam? What's wrong?"

He lowered the binoculars and handed them to Linda. "Look at the horizon just to the right of that cloud."

Linda frowned, but took the looking glasses and raised them to her eyes. The image was slightly blurred, and she turned the adjustment knob on top until the view focused.

She drew a sharp breath. The strange planet had now risen so that a third of it showed above the horizon.

"What the.... What is that?" she asked as she lowered the binoculars.

"It appears to be another planet," Sam said.

As if she didn't believe it the first time, Linda looked again through the binoculars. She stared at it for a good minute. The planet was now visible with the naked eye and half of it showed above the horizon.

"That's huge," Linda said.

"At that position it's difficult to say how big it is, because the curve of the Earth's atmosphere makes it appear bigger," Sam said.

"I know," Linda said, "But it's still bigger than the moon."

They stared at it without saying another word as it continued to rise, until the entire planet was visible above the horizon.

Linda raised the binoculars to her eyes again. "Sam, that's no ordinary planet. That's another earth-like planet."

She handed the looking glasses back to him. "You can see white that appears to be clouds, but there's also a lot of blue that could be water, and then a brown mass that looks like land."

Sam stared at the planet. Linda was right. There was water, land, and clouds. Then something started to stir in the back of his mind. He knew the place. He didn't know how, bit it was strangely familiar.

Sam lowered the binoculars and stared at Linda with a strange, distant expression on his face, like he was in shock.

"Is everything alright? You look like you seen a ghost," Linda said.

Sam stepped back and took a seat on the bottom step of the porch. No, it couldn't be true, but how else would he know it? It would explain a lot, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.

The dazed and confused look on his face scared Linda. "Sam, what's wrong? Talk to me."

She placed her hands on either side of his face, and lifted it so that his brilliant blue eyes stared into hers.

"Talk to me," she repeated.

Sam swallowed. "Linda, I don't know how I know this, but I feel in my bones that it's true."

Linda frowned. Sam's odd behavior frightened her. He was always the strong one, the one she could lean on. Throughout the past year, he was her pillar of strength. The only other time she saw him like that, was the first night they saw the Aurora Borealis from their porch, and Sam realized the danger they were in.

"What is true, Sam?" she asked.

Sam stood up and looked at the planet again. With the naked eye, if it weren't for its round shape, it could have been mistaken for a cloud.

"I know that planet," Sam said as he pointed in its direction.

Linda gave a short laugh. "How could you know that? We are in another solar system. I'm sure nobody on Earth had ever laid eyes on that."

Sam shook his head. "There's fourteen planets in this solar system. Well, fifteen now."

Linda frowned, and tried to steady her trembling hands. "Sam, how do you know that?"

Sam's heart beat wildly in his chest. He removed his hat, and ran a hand through his spiky hair.

Sam pulled her into his arms, and held her for a moment. When he released her, he lowered his head and kissed her with passion. When he lifted his head, he noticed the confusion in her eyes.

Then he swallowed hard, and looked deep into Linda's bright emerald-green eyes. "Linda, that planet is called, Arora, and I think I'm from there."

Linda took a step back. "What? No, that's not possible."

Sam stepped closer, but Linda retreated, holding up both hands in defense. He noticed the fear in her eyes and stepped back.

She shook her head, trying to clear the confusion. "Sam, I don't understand. How is that possible? Why do I even call you, Sam? You probably have some weird alien name."

Sam shrugged. "You gave me the name, and I am proud to use it. It's also the only name I know. I still can't remember anything up to that day that I woke up outside town under the dead tree."

"Then how do you know you're from that planet?" Linda asked.

Sam sighed. "I don't know. It's one of those things that I just know. Like I knew about the plasma bubble, and knew that the aliens were here to help. At least now it makes sense why the Leaders referred to me as, son of Arora. They know I am from there."

Linda took a seat on the bottom of the steps and sat with her head in her hands. This information was hard to process. Then she lifted her head and looked at Sam. He didn't change. He was still the same person, the man that she loved with all her heart. The man whose child she carried in her womb.

"You don't have any weird tentacles, do you?" she asked with a slight smile.

The tension melted from Sam's face. "No, not that I'm aware off. I have no idea why I was chosen, but I think that's why the Keepers sent me to Earth. Arorians are also human, and I had a better chance of explaining the coming danger than some shiny alien. Unfortunately, along the way, something happened that caused me to lose my memory."

"No memory or not, you saved millions of lives, including mine, and everybody in town. At least the Keepers brought us somewhere where we can be among our own kind. This is actually quite exciting," Linda said.

Sam turned and stared at the planet. Arora, his home. No. Sam shook his head. Earth was his home. That was where his heart belonged, and all the people he loved and care for resided.

"I'm done with the chickens," Pedro said, interrupting his thoughts.

Sam tussled the boy's hair. "Thanks buddy."

He turned to Linda. "We have to return to town. By now they probably noticed our new planetary neighbor and might freak out a little."

Linda stood up from the step, and took Sam's hand. "What you told me doesn't change the way I feel about you."

Sam kissed her and smiled. "I'm very happy to hear that."

"Do you think you have family there? A wife and kids maybe?" Linda asked.

Sam shook his head. "Family, maybe. A wife and kids. No."

"How can you be so sure?"

Sam leaned forward and kissed her again. "If I did have a wife and kids, there's no way I would have left them behind."

She stared at him for a moment. What he said was true. He wouldn't have left loved ones behind like that.

"If you have the chance, would you return there?" Linda asked.

Sam placed a gentle hand against her stomach. "You, Pedro, and this baby is my family, and this is my home. Why would I leave all this?"

Linda stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck. "Sam from Arora, I love you with all my heart and soul."

Sam held her tight against him. "Linda from Earth. I love you too."

The trip back to town was done in silence, but Linda did not let go of Sam's arm. Pedro sat on the back seat smiling at their affection.

As they approached the eastern barricade, Chester Fellows and his squad was on duty. Nick and Jake confirmed that the aliens had departed, and Frank reinstated the town's security measures.

When they stopped at the barricade, Chester walked up to the truck, and pointed at the new planet. "Did you guys see that?"

Sam and Linda looked at each other and smiled.

"Yes, we saw it," Sam said.

"Well, it sure caused a stir among everyone in town. You'll find Frank and the others in the Command Center," Chester said.

Sam steered the truck through the opening when the bus that obstructed the way pulled to the side. When they approached the Command Center, a crowd had gathered in the square opposite the building. Several telescopes of all sizes were set up, and people took turns to get a closer view of the planet.

Pedro ran off to find his friends, while Sam and Linda made their way up the steps of the Command Center. Inside, they found everyone gathered around the big table in the center of the room. When they walked through the doors, everyone started to talk at once.

Sam held up his arms. "Yes, we've seen the planet."

He noticed the man standing with Ray and Gina. "I thought you went back to Chicago?"

Ty Sheppard smiled. "I did, but then I got sidetracked by the sight of that planet, and hurried back here. I'll leave for Chicago first thing in the morning."

Sam nodded. "Well, everyone take a seat. I have something to tell you."

Everyone scurried to a seat, eager to hear what Sam had to say. Once they were all seated, Sam shared everything he told Linda about the new planet. Several mouths opened in surprise.

While everybody stared at Sam in stunned silence, Nick smacked his fist in the palm of his other hand. "I knew you had to be an alien. Nobody on Earth has as many skills as you do and is good at everything."

"Do you have green tentacles that sprout from your body and rays that shoot from your eyes?" Jake asked with a big grin.

Even if Sam said yes, he wouldn't care. Sam was his friend.

Sam laughed. "Of course not. I'm just as human as you are."

"What a bummer," Jake answered, looking disappointed.

Several people started asking questions, but Sam held up a hand. "Guys, I still don't remember anything other than from the moment I woke up outside town. Whatever I recall, is more like general knowledge than actual memories."

For a moment, there was silence in the room as they tried to process the new information.

"What do we do now?" Frank asked.

Sam's eyes glided over the room. Everyone was still looking at him for guidance. "We survived a potential extinction level event. We moved into a new neighborhood in the universe and need to gather data about our new surroundings."

"There are a few good astronomers in Chicago. I'll get them on it," Ty said.

Sam nodded, and then paused for a moment before he continued. "The people from that planet have the technology to get here."

"Ah great," Frank said. "Maybe they can help us rebuild our civilization."

Sam shook his head. "They will come here with well wishes and beautiful words, but make no mistake. They are not to be trusted. I don't remember what happened to me, but the people of Arora are governed by a group that call themselves the Elders, and they form the Council that makes all the laws the people have to live by. Although everything looks peaceful and serene on the surface, The Council rule over the people with an iron fist, controlling every aspect of their lives."

Sam paused when he noticed the frowns around the room. "I don't think the Keepers fully realized what they have done when they brought us here. Maybe they thought that because the people from Earth and Arora are both human that we would get along, but the Council will never allow that."

"Why do you say that?" Ty asked.

"Because they can't allow our free thinking to filter down to their citizens. They will take one look at the likes of Nick and Jake, and place this planet under quarantine. Ty, when you return to Chicago, you need to warn the rest of the world. It might take a few months, but the Arorians will come, and we have to be prepared. We are intruders in their back yard."

Sam noticed a few people shifting uncomfortably in their seats. "I think the Keepers knew that we can fend for ourselves, which is why they didn't stick around. We are not helpless. Earth is starting to heal, and soon the rains will come and restore nature to its former glory. While Ty and the rest of the world leaders decide on our future, we carry on living like we have done for the past year. Frank will continue to provide security, while Linda and I will look after the farm and make sure everyone has something to eat."

Sam smiled. "The sky might look different now, but our immediate threat is gone. Like everything else we do, we'll deal with it as it happens."

Half an hour later, final arrangements were made. All guards and patrols were reinstated. The immediate goals were the same as before. Protect the people, the town, and the farm that provided them food and water.

Sam would visit their allies at Hot Springs, and also return to Fort Campbell to assess the current situation there.

With a promise to Ty that he would visit Chicago in a couple of weeks to get an update on the world situation, Sam joined Linda on the top step of the Command Center. Below them, people still queued at the telescopes to get a closer glimpse of Arora. In a few weeks the excitement would die down, and things would return to normal for the little town of White River.

"Where to now?" She asked.

Sam slipped an arm around her waist. "Let's go find Pedro, and then head home. I never got to finish my sandwich, and I'm dying for a cup of your coffee."

Chapter 32

The Chief Elder stared at the twelve Elder Council members seated around the huge, round table in the Council Chamber.

He stood holding a golden staff, and adjusted his white robe. "Do we have any idea where this planet came from?"

A man with white hair and a full white beard raised his hand.

"Yes, Elder Five?" the Chief Elder asked.

Elder Five spoke with a low voice. "We believe it is the work of those troublesome aliens, the Keepers. They must have rescued the planet from destruction, and in their celestial wisdom dumped it here."

"Is this planet inhabited?" the Chief Elder asked.

Another Elder raised his hand.

"Yes, Elder Eight?"

Elder Eight, a tall, bald man spoke in a high, clear voice. "Our long range scanners do detect signs of humanoid life. The planet has huge oceans and several land masses. Although desert-like, our scientists believe that is how they live on that planet. We notice no flying objects and detect no satellites. It is unsure how advanced they are, but by all calculations they seem like a primitive race."

The Chief Elder pointed to another Elder, which appeared the youngest among them. "Elder Eleven, you are Elder of Space Studies and Exploration. How long will it take to put together an expedition to this planet?

Elder Eleven flipped back his long, dark hair. "At least two moon cycles. The last ready shuttle crew departed three rotations ago on a mission to planet Dracon to investigate mining possibilities. We have a shuttle on standby, but no ready crew."

The Chief Elder nodded. "Keep us updated on the progress of the crew. The sooner we know what is happening on that planet, the better."

Elder Five raised his hand again. "What do we tell the citizens?"

"The truth," the Chief Elder said. "The Keepers rescued that planet from destruction in another solar system, but that it is uninhabited and filled with cosmic radiation. You can inform them that we will undertake an exploration expedition in two moon cycles."

The Chief Elder looked around the table. "If that is all, then this Council is dismissed."

All the Elders file out of the room, except Elder Eleven.

He approached the Chief Elder. "Pardon my forwardness, Chief Elder."

The Chief Elder stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. "You have something on your mind, Elder Eleven?"

Elder Eleven nodded. "Jared from Sector 3113. Do you think that is the planet the Keepers sent him too?"

The Chief Elder sighed. "I am sure of it."

"Jared did threaten you before they took him away. He vowed to return to get even for what we did to him," Elder Eleven said.

The Chief Elder stared through the window. "You can accompany the expedition. If Jared survived the trip to that planet, find him and bring him back for execution. We made a mistake with him once. I will not take that chance again."

The End

