Beyond the Stars

The Earth Moved - A narrow escape

Utter terror arrived in the middle of the night, catching so many unaware. Lucas and I were among the few survivors, possibly because we weren't actually sleeping at the time. I initially thought he'd discovered some new technique to make me see fireworks and move the earth since the last time he'd stayed overnight. I was sadly mistaken. His panicked gaze darted around my tiny apartment breaking the magic of the moment just as I was about to... Well, you know...

My half-naked attire was momentarily forgotten when bits of ceiling plaster began to rain down on us. Pictures leapt from the walls. The sound was petrifying.

My home is... was on the top floor of the Panas Complex, the tallest building in the city and nestled into the side of Mount Ghatti. I worked as an assistant to Dr. Alex Morrow, possibly the world's leading authority in genetic manipulation, just a couple of floors below. Climbing onto the roof of the complex seemed like the best option. Then a short hop onto the mountain that supported the main structure and we were out of immediate danger of being crushed if the building collapsed.

A miracle, and a good dose of luck, saved us from ending up like so many others on the streets below. The city continued to shudder, sending people screaming amidst the showers of bricks that broke free from various buildings around them.

We clung to the vegetation and watched in horror as the sea rose up in the distance. A wave, that easily reached five hundred feet high, sped at heart-stopping speed right for the city, extinguishing every light in its path. Like the hand of God, it cleared the way of every living creature bar the few who managed to escape to higher ground.

Bright moonlight allowed us to see the giant wave sweep in through the front windows of my apartment and straight out the back with everything I owned. Within minutes, it was all over. The resultant high water level made several islands out of Mount Ghatti's peaks.

Some hours later, after the water level had gone down a little, we realized that most of the complex remained standing. We began our descent down the mountain just as moving lights appeared on the horizon. They moved through the darkness across the still water as a large ship cruised slowly around, searching for survivors.

Virtually silent, the craft hovered above the water, its underside glow reflected in the mirror smooth surface. Eerie searchlights moved back and forth like the eyes of a predator. I'd never seen anything like it before and I couldn't take my eyes from it. Terrified that it wouldn't see us and we'd be stranded here, yet at the same time, I had an undeniable urge to sink back into the thick foliage to hide from its searching gaze. Steeling our strength, we waited in readiness of our imminent discovery and rescue. The pulsating hum of the ship's engines grew louder and I could see small ripples on the water as it drew up alongside the complex.

Call it a sixth sense, but I think right then I knew something was wrong.

Black figures stood in front of a bright hole that appeared in the side of the craft. One of the searchlights swung around to light up the closest helipad, illuminating the figures as they descended supporting a large container. A hollow, metallic thud made me jump when it hit the ground.

It was only once they reached the pad that their colossal size became apparent. Standing next to the cargo bay doors that I knew for a fact to be twenty-two feet high, they stood above the half way markers. And when light glinted from what appeared to be body armour, it showed off the metallic suit's built in weaponry.

Lucas made to move out from the cover of plants. I stopped him with a hand on his arm and a shake of my head. Whatever these things were, they sure as hell weren't human. More machine. That sixth sense warned me to be wary. I mean, who in hell takes that much firepower on a simple search and rescue mission?

"What's wrong, Trix?" Lucas whispered, as he lowered himself back into the rock crevice.

"Shh!" I hushed, a little too late. Somehow they heard him.

Light blinded us. We heard the distinct whirr of weapons arming as the huge figures stood right in front of us, silhouetted by the searchlight. An iron grip caught me around the ankle, hoisted me from our hiding place and carried me upside down into the craft with my purple hair dragging along the floor.

"Lucas!" I yelled, trying to twist around, only to bang my head off the robot's metal knee.

"Right behind you," he called back. "Hey Dude!" he addressed the robot. "Where're you taking us?"

I rolled my eyes when it didn't answer. "They're dumb assed robots, Lucas, not people. I doubt they even have the capability of speech."

"Define: dumb assed?" My captor asked in monotone, swinging me up in front of its face. Red LED eyes flared brightly.

Squealing with the unexpected movement, I stuttered an almost unintelligible, "Oh shit! It means stupid, okay!"

It beeped, swinging its arm back down. My head bounced off the floor and I'm sure I heard it chuckle just before my vision blanked.