Alpha Centauri

Twenty - Jaden

Julian and Nizami discuss a plan while I sit on the edge of the roof, taking in our town. I know there's almost nothing we can do. We're fugitives on two planets.

"Anything from Nathan yet?" I ask, interrupting their conversation.

They look at me and shake their heads somberly and continue talking. I try my best to tune them out and forget the situation we're in.

I look down at the lot below us. I see some guy in a trench coat and hooded face stalk by. I watch him exit the lot and continue his way to the other side of town.

Without thinking, I stand and start descending the corroded ladder. I don't realize that it's already almost midnight. But exhaustion hasn't claimed me yet.

"Jaden, what are you doing? Stop!" Julian cries from above, his head appearing at the edge.

Of course, I don't obey. I reach the bottom and jump off, my arms flailing as I drop to the hard concrete. Julian and Nizami race down after me. I dust off my frayed blue jeans and scurry off after the mysterious dude.

"Jade—" Julian begins to say before I tell him to shut up. I motion for them to join me behind a stack of old shipping pallets.

"I saw some creepy-looking dude sneak off in that direction," I whisper.

"I assume you wish to pursue him," Nizami says.

"Damn right I do."

"You think he's one of them?" Julian asks.

"He had an awfully familiar-looking trench coat."

"I do not think it would be wise to follow him. If he's one of the aliens, anything could happen," Nizami argues.

"Yeah, like us killing them. Bastards killed my mom."

Before Nizami can make another asshole comment, I pull my hood over my head for dramatic effect and slip into the alley like a shadow.

I ignore Julian and Nizami's hisses of protest. And soon enough, they're following me. Before long, we catch up with the guy. We're at the edge of town, where buildings and houses have become sparse. We watch him slip into the door of an abandoned warehouse, one that I've heard used to be some old storage unit.

We wait a few minutes to make sure it's safe.

"Okay," Julian says, "who wants to go first?"

I take a sharp breath, place my palm on the splintery door, and push. It creaks open, the darkness of midnight combining with the pitch black of the warehouse.

Suddenly a blinding white light fills the entire building. Dozens of shadows block the light. I hear feet stomping on metal. The light dims, and finally I can see.

One hundred alien scouts come to a halt in front of us.