Mana Pool Snippets - The Days After

Five

Alien Campsite

Temecula, CA

January 20, 2013

The rain slapped against the dropship's hull and windows and for a moment gave Jaruka the illusion of being still on Creos, before he had ever met Benali, despite the view of the valley.

He flopped down onto a cot across from the table, and then ate a rationed energy bar. Neither he nor his clothes had been washed since the relocation; his skindreads were longer and unshaved to look like wooly tree bark.

Jaruka drifted in and out of sleep until sirens broke the sound of the rainfall, indicating that someone was coming toward the ship.

"What now?" Jaruka wondered, he turned on his universal translator and prepared for the worst of his assumptions.

Before Jaruka was off of the cot, someone had banged on the hatch.

"If Deryl, shake his hand. If Mathews, glare at him," Jaruka said as he stood, using the support beam to steady himself.

"Teal, you in there?" Mathews asked through the hull.

"Glare." His plasma pistol he rested on a crate was pocketed in his pants. He opened the hatch, resisting the urge to punch Mathews in the face.

He held an open umbrella, dressed in his usual suit. "I tried calling you. Where's that cellphone Porter gave you?"

Jaruka paused. "That junk tech?" he asked. "I turn it off to not talk to you. What do you want? I need a nap."

"Not me, her. If you had that phone on, you would be ready by now to welcome her, and you better allow her." Mathews motioned towards the black SUVs close to the shield's boundary where armed Marines and umbrella-carrying Secret Service stood guard.

"Who?" Jaruka asked.

Rolling his eyes, Mathews said, "President Winchester. Remember?"

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"Right. Well, she wants to speak with you, personally."

"My day is full."

"She insisted. I wasted an hour to convince her otherwise but that woman never backed down."

"Really?" Jaruka asked. "She came here...to talk."

Although it was difficult for Jaruka to understand English due to his universal translator working on spoken words, he had come across several news articles and had heard about the country's new leader. The article about Winchester taking her oath of office had been a short break from the usual anti-terran and transformation articles.

Mathews said, "I want this over with, without any injuries or threats and you better not backstab me or this country. Give her permission through the shield." Mathews reached into his jacket pocket for a plastic bag. "I have her hair for the device."

Jaruka sighed. "Look, the shield needs blood. Also, I am not in the croging mood to see anybody. Those 'movies' you toot about her kind and aliens never bode well."

"Then join her in the van."

"I'm not going out there, my dreads will swell up. And there's lighting. Ever seen a flaming Halcunac? I'll be bald and burned for weeks." Lightning and thunder roared in the distance. "See? Potential fire hazard you're looking at."

"Teal!" Mathews yelled. "I don't have time for your smartass remarks. Please, I promise this will be short. Do it and it will shut her up."

Jaruka looked back at the SUVs under the dark clouded sky. No doubt there was a sniper or two in the hills. A lightning bolt struck five miles out, and thunder rolled through the land.