THEM (Book One)

Chapter Four

    The captain was named Willis. He was a high ranking official in the military and one of the last ranking soldiers left. With him, he brought the personnel he needed and took control of the base. Harris seemed to know him and followed him without question. As much as it was a shake up to the status quo, Brock was glad to have someone who seemed to be in the know, in charge. Once the runway was cleared and the supplies were stowed, Willis gathered everyone.

"Things are much worse than you could have thought," Willis began as he approached the impromptu stage. "They're building some kind of machine and that's what's making the weather so unpredictable. We have collected piles of data using weather stations that predate most of our births. At first, we couldn't figure out what they were doing but it seems they're terraforming."

"Terraforming?" Shane asked with a quizzical tone. "You mean like making our world more like their own?"

Willis nodded. "Precisely. We have put together a force to hit it, destroy it or at least shut it down but that leads to another problem. There's a large group of aliens on their way here and once they're set up, they will attack. We don't have the forces to hit it and to defend this base. Intel shows the aliens in this force are controlled by a central alien. A queen if you will."

"I've seen the aliens seem to move as part of a unit," Brock commented. "When I went around near L.A., it seemed they moved in groups and it was like ants. They tried to control some of us, and their first instinct was to make, like, a hive."

"You're correct in your assessment," Willis said as he waved an arm and his men came forward. They took inventory of the supplies, distributing some of it, stockpiling the rest. The team talked briefly of their skills and how they might help in the defense of the bunker.

"You do have some ordinance and we brought some with us," Willis commented. "Do you have anything more concrete to offer?"

"I have knowledge," Brock replied. "I am pretty good at fighting them. Give me some weapons and a rifle and I might be able to pick off this queen for you."

Willis nodded. "Knowledge is worth a lot here and we live on long-shots out here."

"I would imagine there are very few of the queens," Shane added. "I talked to a guy a month back who said he saw one. They were bigger and pale white. Usually kept to the back."

"Interesting," Willis said with a grin. "We have weapons and enough for a hunting party. We let the others do what they're doing and maybe we can lure it out."

"I can do it," Brock offered. "I'm really good at eluding them and if I can stay ahead of the hunting party when they engage the aliens, I can take out the queen."

"That is far too dangerous for a civilian," Harris added.

"We don't have a lot of soldiers left," Willis commented. "Any men or women with bravery and skills are worth their weight in gold. It's harsh out there. The aliens are not only changing things, they are transplanting parts of their world. It is an unprecedented situation out there. I have taken stock of the people gathered, some were soldiers but most are workers and civilians. We all are people that proved able to survive beyond simple trained warriors. I need someone who has some skill and a lot of luck. I knew that no matter the tactic, no matter who I picked, they would be sent a world filled with cunning aliens and the monsters they brought with them. We have this plan, one that is reckless and put all the danger upon our own shoulders."

"We could coordinate the attack to coincide with when the others hit the base," Shane suggested. "That way they won't know how to react."

"As a distraction?" Harris asked.