Heartbeat Away from Death

Chapter 10

(A/N: Moodboard by randomestfandoms-ocs)

"What do you think it's for?"

Tom looked from his eldest son to the structure before them. In his hands, he held a camera, and it allowed him to get a better look at what they were dealing with. A massive structure – so large that it surpassed the height of what remained of the skyscrapers in the dilapidated city. It almost looked like it was reaching back up into space. Even from the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the city, the scale of the thing took Grace's breath away. It stood above the ruins, four metal legs holding it up and four girder-like steel arms sticking out in each direction. It looked like steel, at least, or some kind of metal Grace thought as she peered through the scope of a sniper rifle to see closer. She couldn't begin to understand how the aliens had put this together, but then, that's why Weaver was here instead of Dai.

"Whatever it is, it's not impenetrable," murmured the captain, looking through his binoculars. "They're using basic construction techniques. Earth materials. Steel rebar, concrete, copper wire."

"It's like what the harnessed kids were going after, that scrap metal," said Hal.

Grace felt her muscles tense, thinking about all those child-slaves harvesting all those materials for the aliens to use against them. Children like her brother. He helped make this against his will.

"Bastards might be from outer space, but their engineering is strictly architecture 101," said Weaver.

"Get close enough, we can kill 'em."

"The sooner, the better," muttered Grace, above the creaks and groans of the metal structure in the distance.

"Hey, dad." Hal nudged his father and pointed out towards a bridge where some skitters were working. "Look at that south base right there. See where the Skitters are?"

Tom looked through his camera. Grace brought the scope back up to her eye. Three skitters. At first, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but then the skitters seemed distracted by something.

"I think I see somebody with them," explained Hal. "To the right."

Grace almost dropped the scope from her fingers, a gasp caught in her throat. Two very tall, slender creatures emerged into view, surprising all of them.

"What is that?" asked Tom.

The new aliens appeared more human-like than the skitters. Two legs. Two arms. However, the arms were much longer than a human's, reaching down past the knee. Their skin appeared a greeny silver, and when they turned around, Grace could just make out small, frowning features on their long, curved heads.

"What the hell?" she heard Weaver try to contain his shock.

Grace's lips parted as the skitters appeared to be bowing to the other aliens. "I don't understand," she said. "Are they...in charge of the skitters?"

"I don't know," admitted Tom. He began taking photographs with his camera.

Her heart began pounding when she heard airships swooping above them. They all ducked. But the ships seemed to pass at great speed without noticing them, leaving the blue sky at peace again.

"That was close," breathed Weaver, a hand on his cap. "Let's get back to the bikes."

They walked through the city, grey even though the sun was out. Grace trudged through bits of wet newspaper and garbage, kicking away empty cans whilst staring at abandoned vehicles left in the road. One, a bus, stood right in the centre. She wondered where it had been going when its passengers left it, what their destination was before the aliens came down and ruined whatever plans they had. She barely heard Weaver reminiscing, something about Allston and knowing the neighbourhood from before the invasion.