We Fight

Elizabeth stood at her office window, her mind a whirlwind threatening to engulf her.

War, SHIT!

Outside, in front of the Council House, the scene resembled the fairs from her children’s school days in California. The air was filled with anticipation, and people were preparing and buzzing with excitement. But for Elizabeth, being the President, the feeling was different. Her heart was burdened, and she wobbled in her confidence for the first time in this journey.

There was a slight footfall behind her. Liz turned as a tear fell down her cheek. General Young was in the doorway carrying the final strategy updates for Mesaland. The President wiped her tears and came to the conference table.

“We are very well prepared here in Mesaland, Madam President.”

The general cleared his throat and laid out his tablet and the flimsy digital sheets. The President looked up at the man. He was as black as night, built like a linebacker. A father of five children, which Liz thought was excessive, at least when she first met him. This aspect of his life, his family, and the responsibility that came with it resonated with Liz as she grew to know him. It was this theme that drove her to meet Charles. When that reproductive mission proved impossible, she searched her heart and agreed to become President, taking on that new level of responsibility, a burden she carried with unwavering dedication.

Until now?

Reginald was quiet but had proven to be very accomplished. When she first met him, he was not very assertive and seemed easily overshadowed in the leadership cluster. Finding that unacceptable, Liz taught him how to put himself out there and, when necessary, be aggressive—something she had found essential to learn.

Liz told the general about how she had navigated being President. A woman could be assertive (as long as you didn’t take it too far) but not aggressive. This couldn’t work for the presidency, though, especially not in the current circumstance, and now it couldn’t work for him in the Armed Services. The social politics of the day were left on Earth, and new ways had to be developed. Their lives depended on it.

Once she gave him permission, Reginald was very willing, which led to the need to include the proper etiquette to accompany it. This ‘proper etiquette’ involved a delicate balance of assertiveness, aggression, and respect—a fine line that Liz had to walk daily. The memory made her chuckle inside.

“That guy you sent me from the Desert Rose Group-Brad? He’s excellent. The knowledge from his tour in Afghanistan is invaluable. I think we have a good strategy. I’ve put him with the civilian units out in Mesaland.”

“I had a feeling we would need him,” Liz nodded.

“First, we are designating four areas in Mesaland,” the General pointed at the first flimsy. “Unit A is in the SW bordered by Magee, Romero, Sage, and La Cholla; Unit B in the SE bordered by Magee, Romero, Sage, that odd side of Mahogany to Sage; Unit C in the NE and bordered by Sage, Romero, Hardy, and the south part of that odd side that turns to Wanda,” Reginald shook his head. “Finally, Unit D in the NW is bordered by Romero, Hardy, La Cholla, and Sage.”

“Good, simple, four sections, easy to remember.”

The General looked up. “Why was that odd side included?”

“Because the northern part was part of Mesaland and the southern part asked us. It worked out well that way,” Liz said.

Pleased by her approval, the General continued, “We’ve taken inventory of the food, water, clothing, blankets, and weapons. Each house has enough for two months.” The President’s eye widened.

The General concentrated on his tablet. It’s excellent that there were two wells in this subdivision. The way this was structured, it was easy to defend, except that odd bit.” Looking up at the President, he said, “We filled in the weapons supply. Brad suggested everyone have at least two on their person. Where there were gaps in availability or skill, some primitive but effective models—bows, spears, and atlatls were provided.”

“Atlatals?”

“Spear throwers. Often forgotten, but very effective. We even came up with some crossbows,” the General smiled. “Of course, there was a necessity for arrowheads, and many were happy to supply what they had and make more,” Reginald shook his head.

“Amazing, Brad even ordered enough for the army units.”

“This is Tohono O’odham country,” Liz said.“

“Oh, yes!” Reginald grinned. “Surveillance drones and cameras are everywhere in all the houses and buildings and turned on. Guards at all entrances to the biome, including the ceiling.”

“Let’s hope that can be lessened on Rhea,” Liz sighed. “Okay. What about the basement bunkers.”

“Ah, yes, very good you insisted on those. Yes, each occupied house will have those individuals that live there unless they choose to go to other basements if they are alone when their partners are on patrol. The abandoned houses each have a unit of soldiers, and the headquarters with Major Callahan is the one on Date Street where Kyle was attacked.”

“Major?”

“Yes, Mesaland is important.”

The President nodded.

“Have you checked their invisibility?”

“Yes, Secretary Howard was working with Antor and Zior. They verified that Mayone’s equipment could not discover any basement or communication transmission. A true ansible, I never thought I’d see that. We can talk to units light years away just like we contacted Earth but much more sophisticated.”

Looking at his tablet, General Young let out some air and continued, “We will start the rounds and guard duty as soon as everyone emerges from the jump. We have two techs monitoring the port entrances, including the ceiling of each dome. Everyone will enter the basement jump seats or the jump seats here in Council House thirty minutes before launch.” Reginald handed Liz a flimsy with the assignments and location of each jump seat.  

“What about the communications in the War Room. Are we connected with the rest of the biomes?”

“South Lake Tahoe in the Forest Biome has communications running to unit members in each basement of the flotilla and the army base outside Columbus, GA, in the Coastal Plain biome. All funneling into the War Room.”

Referring to his tablet, the General continued, “The final prep is starting now. We have connected the Cabinet Room, and all the Secretaries not otherwise accommodated have housing in the old classrooms of the Council House.”

Not exactly ready, Liz said, “Okay, I guess we can set up the jump.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the General nodded.

After the general left, Elizabeth returned to the window, her mind agitated. Her determination to lead her people to victory was unwavering, but she longed to be out there in Mesaland.

After indulging for a moment in the wish, Liz shook her head.

Stop it!

All that was interrupted by a thunderous presence filling the room, “Well, you’ve really got us into it now!”

Liz turned from the window. It was Gene, and he was seething. Gene, a manager at the Desert Rose, was one of the first people she had met in the restaurant and someone who had opened the first business in Mesaland. He seemed grateful when Mesaland had taken them in right before the flotilla liftoff. But now?

He started a rant, “There was no need to get into this. We were doing just fine. If you hadn’t killed that BUG, we wouldn’t be gearing up for war! You want our families to go down into those ridiculous basements? Who has basements in Tucson?”

Ridiculous? “I don’t think that’s what caused…” Liz started

“Oh, don’t start that; wars have been caused for much less,” Gene yelled.

He shook his head, “Shouldn’t have come with you. Who are you to lead this group? We’re all gonna be killed.”

“And what, in your appraisal, do you think should be done?” Liz’s voice was steady, filled with sarcasm, and her hackles up.

“You should surrender, that’s what.”

“To whom? There has been – no – contact.”

“Ah, you’re useless; you don’t know what you’re doing!”

He stomped out of the room, causing many to look into the hallway. The sound of his heavy footsteps echoed in the silence. The front door to the Council House slammed shut, the sharp sound reverberating through the building. Luckily, the windows in the front door and along the hallway didn’t break.

Liz sank into the couch, a wave of despair pulling her down. This was the first time she had faced such open hostility and second-guessing.

Christ!

Was it her fault? Could she have prevented this?

Liz shook her head. Few had suspected any malice in that alien race, but the decision to distance themselves with so many secrets made her feel ungrateful. Worse, she held much back from her constituents, making her feel disloyal. And now, the only question left was whether all of it had been enough.

The President stood, walked over to her desk, and buzzed John, the Secretary of Intelligence and Mesaland’s Sherrif.

“Gene sounds wound up. Everyone is wound up now; it’s gonna get even tougher, Liz.”
He agreed, though; it was a red flag.

John paused to think and then looked up with a light in his eyes, “Gene’s in one of my units. Tell you what, I’ll pair him up with Brad,” he added, his voice filled with anticipation, “That should be an eye-opener. Let him get a dose of that reality.”

In the main room of the police station was a hive, vibrating with a low hum. John was the civilian commander of the units, but he somehow managed to keep his office quiet even if the rest of the station wasn’t.

In the central area, with her meticulous attention to detail, Zoe prepared the jump seats for the officers staying for the jump, ensuring both their comfort and security. However, most of those in the Council House would go home to be with family, and the building would soon be quiet.

Christopher, their GP, and Zoe’s husband had moved into Nunu’s house. He had been living at the Council House originally, but with the advent of the Ansible, he was happy to move into a real home, especially if it was with Zoe, so he, too, would be gone.

Zoe hurried her actions. She was determined to have a last dinner with her husband. Zoe seemed hopeful as she finished the setup. However, the tension in the air was almost tangible. This stark contrast to Zoe’s hopeful demeanor only heightened the suspense, making it a complex mix of emotions. It was a part of the culmination of their trip, for better or for worse, and that was impossible to ignore or avoid.

“Thanks, John,” Liz said as she watched Zoe work.

But then turned to face him, “That’s the first real pushback I’ve had. I thought you should know,” Liz sighed, grateful for his help.

The President left the Police Station, her mind already on her personal plans. She, too, had a date to get to.

Liz almost sprinted out of the Council House. Racing in the little cart, she made it home and finally exhaled, feeling the weight of the day lift off her shoulders. Pepper ran up to Liz, wagging her butt wide. Dinner was nearly ready, and Liz could smell the lasagna filling the house. Alina, their new Kitchen, had gone all out. Liz was glad she named the AI regardless of Dylan. Liz was proud of Andrew, though. She knew she and her family probably had a hand in that.

Having stepped into Andrew’s role, Alina had the house running smoothly. Liz knew he had given her advice. That felt good to the President, but Liz still grappled with her duties. She felt a mix of pride and anxiety, knowing that her decisions at the Council House would have a ripple effect on her family and the entire community.

“How is it going at the Council House?” James asked, coming in to greet her.

Almost jumping, Liz purposely bit her lip instead.

“Liz?”

She was unwilling to disparage anyone, but looking at her husband’s face, she poured out her disquiet. It was all too much today, and she felt he should know.

“Yikes.”

“He even said the basements were ridiculous. Oh, James, did I screw this up?”

He gathered Liz into his arms, and Pepper leaned against her leg.

“Don’t let him get you off kilter. You know how to lead, juggle, and learn. It’s in your DNA. Trust your instincts; they’ve kept us alive.”

Pepper seemed to agree that Liz had done well. Giving in, Liz laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

“Mom, let’s eat!” Noah burst into the hallway. Tyler followed behind his twin, cuddling Emma. Samantha walked around her siblings, eager to get to the table. Their innocent faces brought a sense of protection, a reminder of what they were fighting for.

Liz smiled, and the two walked in with their children and hopping dog. Poor Pepper was getting left out of a lot these days, so everyone here together was a treat. Soon, Liz would have Emma strapped to her, and James and these older children would go on patrol. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride at the sight of her family, their strength and resilience. But the looming uncertainty shadowed her.

The time had come; the whole of Mesaland and all the people of the biomes entered their jump seats. This jump would take them right outside the solar system of Rhea to the place where the Hagor were thought to be planning to attack. No one knew what it would be like, and a feeling of impending doom followed them into the couches.

Launching the biomes out of the Earth’s atmosphere had been challenging. You can’t take away inertia, and everyone feels it. Now, the focus was on defense. Most of the biome inhabitants kept a watchful eye all around them and on the monitors. The monsters that could be hiding in the shadows were a very real possibility now. They were told the flight would be easy, but after the lift-off, many were apprehensive.

At the helm in Mesaland, John meticulously called off the households until everyone was accounted for, including the stowaway Sammie and the new corporeal friend Andrew. The button was pushed, and they jumped. It was a moment that seemed like a flash, and the all-clear came. Not fully trusting their senses, the people emerged from the jump seats. They were told it would be instantaneous, but that was hard to believe.

The people found it easy to get out of those seats and stand, but it did take a moment to steady. Amusing mishaps brought some laughter for those who moved too fast, but they soon settled into checking the supplies, gearing up, and saying heartfelt goodbyes to those who would enter the basements. Their readiness was evident in every action.


“I wish I could go with you. I don’t like splitting up. Stay aware, please.” Olivia said, sighing. “It’ll be another school day for me, except I will teach my children here and supervise the rest of Mesaland. I don’t think it will be an earnest educational endeavor in general. How could it be?” Olivia said as her thoughts wandered.

Asher and Jude ran up to their father, crying for him to stay.

Looking down, Matt said, “I have to go; I need to protect our home. You two take care of mamma; before you know it, I’ll be back. Be kind to Kitchen.”

Olivia smiled at Matt, “Be kind?”

He shrugged. “Well, I think it’s wise, considering what happened with Dylan,” Matt said, turning to his children again. “Why don’t you think up a name for Kitchen? I think it’s high time for that.”

The two boys were bouncing with excitement, “Any name?”

“Well, something Kitchen, and,” Matt said, pointing at them, “your mother likes.”

With a strong sense of duty but still a bit deflated, they nodded and turned to the stairs leading down to the basement. Their small figures disappeared into the darkness, leaving a perceptible void. Matt’s leaving was a solemn reminder of a parent’s duty.

“It’ll be over soon,” he said, kissing Olivia lightly and walking out their front door, a gloom settling in her heart.



Am I under surveillance?” Gene asked.

He was walking with John and Brad down Sage Street, about to turn into the NE quadrant and finish setting up Unit C. John could smell the creosote. It must have rained last night.

Brad noticed John inhaling the air, “Weather control let out some rain, just a small amount. They didn’t want to disturb the sleep before the fight. Hopefully, it will keep down the dust.”

John nodded. This was the Sonoran Desert, the lushest desert on Earth. The vibrant flowers that had bloomed in response were a gift for the fighters today. Deserts were odd, though a fascinating reminder of nature’s ability to thrive in the most surprising conditions. This was a quality that the Mesaland residents mirrored and would prove their greatest strength.

“Well, you did ruffle some feathers,” John said, answering Gene’s question.

“Why did you get involved with this? Why aren’t you in charge?” Gene asked.

“I’m a cop; that’s all I ever wanted to be. It was a horrible time for law and order when I came on. Did you know she plucked me out of Chicago? I loved that city, but it was time to go. What a hell hole it had become. Liz, though, had really taken Mesaland under her wing. Have you read that Constitution?” John asked.

Gene shook his head.

“The Founding Fathers probably didn’t see that asteroid coming but had provided the basics to structure a free country. Our new one is much like the original but has some upgrades for navigating space travel, aliens, and the necessity of starting a colony. Liz kept us safe on Earth and allowed us to find a way to survive when the whole place started to crash. Without her, Mesaland wouldn’t have made it.”

“Yeah, but why get mixed up with that alien and kill another? Wasn’t that asking for trouble?” Gene asked.

“Trouble? We were neck-deep in trouble. When Zior approached us, most of our population in Mesalnd was over sixty. He helped us solve that problem and found our hope. We wouldn’t have survived more than a few years without that. You have to take what you can,” Brad said, his voice filled with experience and a fierce determination to overcome.

“Mesaland begged Liz to become President. Kill another alien? Gene, we were fending off more than that alien when you came along. Shit, she even took what I taught her and defended your group. What more could you ask of a President?” John said.

“Well, we saw that decline, but…” Gene said.

“But what, we would miraculously find ‘the way’? Come on, we were on the brink of extinction!” Brad said.

John looked down Avocado Street and spotted James tensely conversing with Samantha. Andrew was standing quietly by his side, observing intently.

“Take Andrew. Liz made me mentor that hunk of tin. I didn’t like the whole AI thing, especially with Dylan, but Andrew was different. Let’s go over there.”

“Samantha, this is not a good idea,” James’s voice carried over to them as they approached, the tension obvious.

“Oh, Dad,” Samantha said, hands on her hips.

“No, our lives are all on the line. You can’t be distracted. I know this relationship is blooming, but it’s not a good idea to work on it now. You need to focus on your training and on survival. There will be time for personal matters later,” James advised. His concern for his daughter’s safety evident in his tone.

Samantha started to huff.

“Samantha, you can catch up with Kelly down on Hickory and Coral in Unit B right before La Canada, and Marcos, Kyle’s on Sage Street just past Romero in Unit D,” John said.  “And here’s your rides.”

Two carts with two soldiers each were pulled up. Their job was to escort civilian patrols to their assignments and wander around in between, waiting for the calls. Mesaland couldn’t be too careful, and it kept random movement over the whole area. It was wise to be unpredictable.  

With John’s direction, the two moved to their assigned partners, still somewhat reluctant but obeying their leader.

Andrew started laughing as they watched the teenagers move off. “That was good. I would have tried to argue with them and help them understand, but I can see that would have been a l-o-n-g conversation.”

Gene, taken aback by the robot’s unexpected humor, stared at Andrew in disbelief.

“Yes, that’s teenagers,” John nodded.

“Guess it’s good to be the leader,” Andrew added.

“At times,” John mumbled.

James smiled. “I’m off to Danny’s.”

“Yep, our route is also on Avocado Street,” Andrew laughed.

John started an intense discussion with Andrew and Brad. Gene ended up walking with James.

“Is he always that cheerful?” Gene asked.

“Mostly. Wouldn’t you be if you had been disembodied? Now, he can participate in a whole new way. He went to Earth on a beam of light and performed an operation,” James cupped his hand and whispered to Gene, “They gave him a much better body, which he can’t forget.” Leaning back out, James continued. That guy has been around!”

Gene stared at James and then over to Andrew, who obliged with a bow.

James shrugged, “Oops, forgot about those ears.”

Turning back to Gene, James said, “Heard you got yourself in trouble.”

Frustrated, Gene was mute.

John and his party reached Danny’s, and the Kitchen directed them all back to the camel’s pen. Andrew trailed behind, finishing a conversation with Danny’s Kitchen AI.

John turned to Gene, engaging him again in conversation, “Danny has a fantastic way with these animals. Did you know he was also an astronomer at NASA? I didn’t; I assumed he was just a Mesaland resident when I first came here.”

Gene shook his head in response. John could see Gene was paying attention. They gathered around the camel pen, finding Sammie leaning on the fence, watching too. The group saw Danny and Sydney care for the new family. Their interaction with the camels was nothing short of a marvel, didn’t camel’s spit? But beyond that, it was a testament to their unique bond with these creatures.  

“You should see Samantha with the calves; they adore her,” James said.

“Sammie!” Andrew yelled as he came into the backyard.

“Andrew?” Sammie ran toward the robot, her long, blonde hair bouncing with each step. “Have you seen the calves?” she said, eyes sparkling with excitement, and turned, pointing to the pen.

The two miniature camels stood before Momma, who was obviously proud and protective. Their interaction was a beautiful display of their bond, as if they knew what Sammie was saying.

“Oh, they are marvelous. I heard about them, but I’ve been somewhat busy,” Andrew said as they walked to the fence.

“Yeah, kinda wild,” said Sammie as she poked Andrew. “Boy, that must have been scary.”

“Yes, but great! I got a new body there,” he raised his claw of a hand, staring at it. “This body was made to work in a factory. The flexibility of my Earth hands was many degrees better!”

“Well, we should see about an upgrade here,” Sammie said.

“You think so?” Andrew asked.

Sammie’s voice was confident, and Andrew couldn’t help but share in the optimism—something Gene had never thought a robot could feel. Turning from the human and robot’s interaction, Gene looked at the camels.

“Wow, I’ve never seen camels this close. What are you going to do with them, Deputy?” Gene asked.

“Do? Why help them live and live well!” Danny said, spreading his hands wide as the group laughed. It was so Danny.

“Okay,” John said, clearing his throat to ease the interruption. “It’s time to patrol. Sammie, have you been assigned?” His sense of duty was unmistakable, making it easy for everyone to switch to business.

“No, I’ve been helping Zoe coordinate the Cabinet Secretaries’ accommodations. Then I came here to help with the animals,” Sammie said.

“Okay, you go with Sydney and ensure all the animals in Mesaland are secured and protected, especially the large ones,” John said.

“Can I help?” asked Andrew.

“Good idea, take Gene and Brad with you,” John said. “Pick up the animal list of the ansible. I need a quick report for Unit D. James needs to check in with the Major in the army’s house, and Danny and I need to head to the Council House.”

“Yep, as soon as I lock up Agnes and her brood. Everyone is going in the basement; it’s a good thing it’s that big; maybe the peacocks will leave Agnes alone; she’s too busy to deal with them. Hopefully, the birds are ready for that; they soooo like attention,” Danny smirked as he led the camel and her calves away.

“Hey Danny, you should name your AI,” Andrew said as Danny escorted the camels into the house.

Danny looked surprised. “I never thought about it,” he thought, and then said, “Yes, I will.”

“Do you know if Liz made it to the War Room?” James asked John.

“Yes, all strapped up with Emma. Quite a sight, evidently. The modern women,” John laughed.

Marcos grumbled a bit but cheered up when he saw the bustling activity on Dawn. Everyone was excited to be doing something in the WAR. Finally, they could contribute, not just train!

“So, your girlfriend’s Dad caught you?” said Kyle.

“Yeah, but you know he probably was right. We were distracted. I wouldn’t want Samantha to get hurt,” Marcos admitted, his unease evident in his frown and downward gaze.

“I’m glad I’m not patrolling with Kate. It looks like it’s quiet now, but believe me, when you run into a Hagor, it won’t be. They’re fast, and their screech can scare the shit out of you,” Kyle emphasized, his warning carrying the weight of experience.

“You’ve met one, haven’t you?” Marcos said, looking at Kyle.

“A little bit more than met,” Kyle cleared his throat. “Pay attention to the sounds. They make a raspy sound, kind of like cicadas in the summer. We can’t afford to let our guard down, not even for a moment,” Kyle said, no longer playful. “Keep your eyes open and….”

“And your head on a swivel,” Marcos finished the phrase John had pounded into them.  

The President strode into the old Mesaland gym with a baby strapped to her chest. This was no ordinary room but a War Room, a concept she had been determined to bring to life with her unique perspective. Despite being told it was called the Situation Room, she couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment of the 1964 movie Dr. Strangelove. ‘War Room’ did have a good ring to it. Even President Ronald Reagan thought so.

Again, they used this old gym. It was their largest enclosed space. Equipment and people filled most of the outer perimeter, and some tables in the middle. Liz wondered if it would get even bigger on Rhea.

A low hum filled the air. All the curtains were open, and the lights on, making it a busy, if not cheery, scene. The smell of a freshly baked breakfast and hot coffee drew Liz’s attention. On one wall near the entrance to the kitchen, a table was filled with the necessities. Liz nodded. It was a good place to work.

“Well, that jump was anticlimactic,” the President announced with a cheerful face.

“Not supposed to be. Oh, for the Star Trek jump to warp, all those lines and stars,” Howard said, frowning.

Zior stood behind Howard, “It was spectacular if you were outside.”

“I think I’d have liked to have seen it,” Howard grumbled. He held up his hand. “I know, I know. Exterior cameras had to be shut off. There was too much information. I’m going to fix that when this is all over.” He turned to his monitors and started entering data.

“Have you seen it?” Howard asked.

“A bit. We have trouble with overload, too, but it is grand,” Zior answered.

“Great,” Howard turned back to his desk.

In Mesaland, 200 drones and 400 cameras were connected to the monitors. In addition, connections with the other biomes made it necessary to have a row of tables designated for two sides of the room. Howard was assigned with all ten of his techs to keep an eye on all the equipment and, of course, be consulted. The President wondered when some of those cameras could come down and restore the privacy of her neighborhood and the rest of the flotilla. She made a note to make sure of that.

The Kitchen AIs, a crucial part of their defense system, watched their houses and the perimeters outside them. Howard, the Secretary of FTL Travel & Robotics, his ten techs, Zior, Antor, and various scientists around the biomes had thoroughly reviewed all the AIs, including Dylan and Andrew. They had confidently found the changes and differences between the two to explain why they went rogue. Dylan’s change was similar to Andrew’s, but putting human life in danger was the most crucial reason Dylan was unplugged. Andrew had saved a human life, and that precious programming was saved and expanded by Andrew to genuinely care about humans, something absent in Dylan’s code.

Zior was still amazed at how this had happened. He told Elizabeth that human influence was the only difference between Mesaland AIs and the Mayones. Liz, uncertain about the implications of the result, knew the Mayone felt it was a bad result due to the loss of their control. However, with this preferred type of programming added to the AIs, monitoring was improved, protecting their homes and all the precious cargo now hidden in the basements.

The President approached her Operation’s leader. General Harris turned to her, not knowing what she wanted. He looked annoyed at the interruption.

Liz nodded, “As Laozi once said: ‘Why are the people rebellious? Because the rulers interfere too much. Therefore, they are rebellious.”

She leaned over his shoulder and added, “It is your call, General Harris; we are ready.”

The General smiled and returned to his monitor; the President had given him his reigns. Something he wasn’t expecting from a rookie.

“Operation Protect Rhea commences, General Harris, General of the Armies commanding.” General Harris said, starting the Operation.

General Young asked John for a report from Mesaland through the ansible. There would be a concerted effort to keep the whole flotilla in the loop.

Jeff, the original restaurant manager of The Desert Rose, answered first, “Negative sightings in Unit A.”

Matt second, “Negative in Unit B.

James, “Negative in Unit C.”

“Negative in Unit D,” came from Deputy Zoe.

“Confirmed, Negative sightings,” John said.

“Roger, Negative sightings,” General Young said.

Liz sat down next to Reginald, “I think this will be a long day.”

General Young nodded, and as the day waned, the tension in the room became thick. The absence of sightings was the primary cause, like a scene from a horror movie where the monster lurks just out of sight, ready to pounce when the audience least expects it.

The President sat watching the patrols on the monitors. Harold had grown into his role as the Secretary of State, learning much from the experience of dealing with the other biomes, especially with the incidents of Cynthia and Kyle. Harold’s duties were in a foreign policy similar to Earth’s in that parts of their world had come along in the flotilla. Each biome was different, but for a while, at least, they would be all one country. There was no guarantee that everyone would stay with the group on Rhea, and Liz had no vision of what would happen with the humans and the resident Mayone. In the meantime, the Secretary of State had much to do, monitoring the biomes.

Nothing. When does this begin? Liz clutched her hands.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. Concentrate on the present, Mrs. President.

This was truly the worst waiting imaginable. Liz brought up the monitor around her home. She could see her neighbor jump, looking at his dog, and she jumped with him. In front of the man was his German shepherd, who was frozen and looking straight ahead.

“Leave it, it’s just a rabbit,” he said. “Come on, gotta get on patrol.

Liz breathed; it was a false alarm for the neighbor. Unfortunately for her and everyone else in the room, the ring of a flotilla-wide alarm pierced the air as the neighbor turned to enter his house.

Emma stirred, her eyes wide with fear, as she heard the alarm and felt the stress. Liz stroked her daughter’s head, trying to remain calm, but her heart raced. The baby looked up at her mother, and Liz smiled, trying to breathe slowly. Emma seemed to take the hint and did not cry.

“A sighting, we have a sighting,” Tech 1’s voice broke in, shocking everyone in the room.

“Report,” said General Harris.

“One Hagor was sighted in Botswana. It killed a lion,” Tech 1 answered. The noise of automatic gunfire filled the room. Shouting erupted, and one man screamed. “The bullets are floating around them, about two inches from their bodies,” Tech 1 reported,

“They didn’t penetrate. Sounds like some kind of force field.” She finished the report.

“There is no indication of how they got into the biome. This is a preserve, though, and they are trying to figure out if that is relevant.”

“The Hagor ran off and disappeared,” Tech 1 added.

Tech 2 announced, “Sighting in Salem, Oregon, in the Taiga biome. Looks like twenty.” A pause, then, “Ten dead, lots of gunfire, but the bullets didn’t penetrate, yes…” Tech 2 stopped. “Same strange protection.”

“The twenty Hagor ran off and disappeared, too,” Tech 2 said.

“This is a hell of a way to start a battle,” General Young said.

“Fifty Hagor spotted in New York,” Tech 3 said, her voice trembling slightly. “Ten humans dead.”

“Do any of them know where the Hagor went or came in?” General Harris asked.

All the monitor techs checked in with the different biomes, “No, sir,” all ten Techs said in unison.

“This is nuts. Where are they now?” General Harris said.

“Monitors have lost the group; they disappeared,” Howard reported.

“Warnings have been sent to each biome about the Hagor defense, per protocol. The AIs are analyzing the images. Nothing,” said Tech 1.

“We did tell Earth they were cowards,” the President said, which caused General Harris to turn toward her, scowling. “Tech 1, what did you mean, force field?” the President said.

General Harris looked at the President and the Tech, continuing to scowl. One of the side effects of meeting an alien and flying off into space is lots of people are obsessed with science fiction. It looked like he didn’t think it was of any use.

“Uh! Sorry, Ma’am. It reminded me of force fields,” Tech 1 said, lowering her head.

Harris let out his breath and shook his head.

“Okay, go with that. What could you deduce?” the President asked, leaning over the Tech’s shoulder.

“Well, if it is a force field that allows them to hold the bullets, maybe we can use something else to shoot them with? Something that is not made out of the same substance?” Tech 1 said, shrugging.

The words came out quieter as she speculated. “Maybe substitute metal bullets for something not made out of metal?”

“Let’s get some other weapons going,” General Young said. 

General Harris looked at Reginald with his mouth open. Oh, he hadn’t been around Young lately. The General was inputting now.

Tech 1 took in a deep breath and furtively looked around the room. Noticing the Tech’s apprehension, the President touched her shoulder.

“Good observation,”” Liz told her, which allowed the Tech to stop holding her breath.

The President returned to her table and asked Howard, “What could be a good substitute for the metal we are using?”

“Well… how about wood? Simple material found in weapons of the past. That is way different matter from metal,” Howard said.

Reginald brightened up. Elizabeth saw the spark, “Go for

it, Reginald,” she said.

General Young turned to John, “We need those wooden weapons. Can you get them out? Particularly the bows, arrows, and spears?”

“You bet,” John said.

Leaning in to speak into his ansible, John contacted his people, “The Hagor have some kind of shield holding the bullets when they’re shot. The metal may be the factor. Get those wood weapons distributed. Everyone needs at least one. Units report progress.”

Seconds agonizingly ticked by. There were more sightings in Mesaland and around the flotilla. Anyone that confronted the enemy died, and then the enemy disappeared.

The Mesaland unit leaders checked in as they hustled to the weapons caches. John had the wooden alternatives stashed around each unit’s quadrant. The Mesaland units were buzzing, with the civilian soldiers grabbing the wood weapons and preparing for the impending battle. Major Callahan was given enough guns, at least one for each soldier. Before this advent, the Major had scoffed at using them. John hoped this would be a good omen, switching to more primitive weapons with which the Hagor may have had no experience.

“All personnel supplied,” John reported to General Harris and Young.

This was all new territory; it wasn’t Earth. John pondered that as he listened to the other biomes through the ansible. Unfortunately, the biomes did not feel such a move was necessary when they outfitted their defense and had not prepared for it; after all, they had a lot of guns, and guns were king and modern. Harris could now see the wisdom of what Young had suggested: getting extra ready.

There was a storm of chatter across the other biomes as they tried to round up some alternatives to catch up. Botswana and other biomes with native populations did a good job finding the old-type weapons. These groups were proud of their past and, in some cases, used them even in the present. There were primitive populations that had agreed or actually asked to come along with the human flotilla. The ‘modern’ biomes were at a loss, stuck in the modern sensibilities of defense they knew on the Earth. Many had never made do hunting for their food.

Madie was picking up some teaching material for Olivia from Date Street in NE Mesaland. She emerged from Karen’s house, the second administrator of schooling and jumped into the cart with one civilian, Aaron, and a soldier. These were her escorts to Olivia’s bunker. They traveled along Sage Street into Unit D.

The engineers and Mayone scientists had managed that crude version of the ansible to speak to Earth. With work, the original ansible was perfected, and every unit, bunker, building, and cart had at least one fully functioning one, a stark reminder of their lack of progress or perhaps interest on Earth. Now the ansibles were blaring out sitings of Hagor in other biomes. Madie’s heart was beating hard, trying to jump out of her chest. She wanted to get to Olivia as soon as possible.

Coming up on the house, the soldier jumped out to check, and Aaron held Madie back. When the soldier called all clear, Madie jumped out, her escort, Aaron trailing behind. Madie walked through the front door and straight to the bunker’s stairwell. As quickly as Madie got in, Aaron went back outside. He wasn’t teaching today and felt guilty, but survival came first.

“Shit, did you hear all that chatter?” Madie asked, breathless.

“Yes, the messages are coming in from all over the flotilla. They still don’t know where the Bugs are coming from,” Olivia said.

The children, Asher and Jude, watched both women with wide, excited eyes, welcoming the adventure. The adults weren’t so careful with their words now.

A large thump shook the bunker, and Madie dropped her books.

“What was that? What could possibly do that? Olivia asked.

The two women looked at each other as they grasped what it could be. Madie ran to the ansible and opened the network.

“Liz, I think they’re coming through the soil; something hit a corner of Olivia’s bunker. They’re coming through the soil,” Madie yelled.

“Madie? Oh!” Liz’s voice came through the speaker.

The next sound was an alarm blasting through Mesaland. The women could hear the response of their report all over the flotilla.

“My escorts are out front,” Madie said. “One of them is Aaron.” She was sick with guilt if they were in trouble.

“Kitchen,” Madie said looking up at the ceiling where all residents looked to their AIs.

“It’s Athena now,” Asher blurted out.

“Hush, now,” Olivia said.

Asher blew out air in frustration but otherwise kept quiet.

“From the soldiers in front of the house, Hagor is coming from the ground,” Madie said, praying they hadn’t emerged yet.

“Yes, ma’am,” said Athena.

General Young’s voice broke in, saying, “The bullets are not penetrating the Hagor, some sort of force field. Get to the wooden weapons if you can. We think it’s metal from the bullets they are repelling. I repeat, the bullets are not penetrating. Be aware they are cowards; use it if you can.”

A moment later, an answer came: “Yes, General Young.” Aaron answered.

Then, they could hear a lot of snarling and then cussing. Next, some rustling and banging, the cart starting and running into something.

“The soldier partner is down; I rammed the cart into the bugs. They ran off!” shouted Aaron.

“Condition of the man down,” asked General Young.

“Sir, he’s slashed somewhat, but getting up,” was the response.

They could hear the conversation between the two men as the injured soldier stood up.

“Good job, Aaron, you probably saved his life,” John said.

Back in the bunker, Olivia said to Madie, “Well, they know now. God, they come out of the ground!”

Over the ansible, General Harris could be heard saying, “Even now, they run away. What kind of mercenaries are these?”

“It is strange but useful,” the President said. “Maybe there aren’t so many.”

Both Generals turned to the President, eyes wide open. Yes!

General Young and Unit leader John spoke together over the ansible, reiterating the message to all the flotillas: “The number of Hagor could be lower than it seems. They are coming up through the ground and then disappearing.”

Now, the War Room was appropriately active. People were running around, shouting.

Why did I hope for this? Liz guiltily asked herself.

Emma broke the trance and started to fuss. Before Liz could check, Karen appeared; Liz forgot she was coordinating the classroom bunkers from her: “Let me take her; it’s probably time to eat.”

Grateful, Liz removed Emma from the pack and handed her over. “You’re a lifesaver,” she said.

There was a lot of chatter, but the unit pairs were progressing.  

“I got one with my spear. Wow, it really upset the buggers. The bug is on the ground, and they are trying to pick it up,” said Zoe.

“Rush the bugs, get them to run. We may have a captive,” John said.  

The smartest thing she ever did in this whole thing was hire him. But then the battle—the desperate struggle to protect the flotillas—worsened.    

Through one of the patrols of Unit B in the SE, there was a shout, “Sydney is down, Samantha is being surrounded. She’s trying to get her bow out enough to shoot, but they are too close. We’re on Dreamweaver Circle, where it meets Dawn Drive.”

Marcos heard the urgent call from his position in the NW quadrant on the Sage Street border.  

“I’ve gotta go,” Marcos said to Kyle.

“Yeah, let’s go; they need backup. John, we are close. We’re going to give backup to Sydney and Samantha,” Kyle said into the Ansible.

“Okay, two other pairs are coming. Be careful,” John answered.

Marcos and Kyle ran, their adrenaline pumping as they flew towards the source of the shots. They were in a residential area, going through the yards, when they reached Daydreamer Circle and saw the commotion.

Five of them were buzzing and closing in on Samantha. Sydney lay on the ground near her. She clutched her bow and tried to help Sydney. They were doing some kind of ritual, tightening their circle.

“Go around the back of Samantha and the bugs; cause some havoc, throw stuff. I’ll be in front of her,” Marcos said.

Marcos was a good shot with a gun, but he’d heard that was useless now. He had a spear, but he wasn’t good enough with that. So, he got on the ground, steadied his hands, and started shooting down the branches of a Palo Verde with his gun, getting as many shots off as possible. The branches fell on top of the monsters, just what he wanted. It disrupted the creature’s dance. Seeing Marcos’s success, Kyle hit some Ocotillo and let branches hit one Hagor on its side. It screamed.

Yeah, I would too; ocotilla are nasty, thought Kyle.

The result was three Hagor ran off, but the remaining two seemed mad, buzzing that horrid sound. They finally started to charge Samantha.

Liz hung onto every sound coming from the scene. She heard the gunfire and felt this might be the dark future she was dreading, but she stood up and listened.

“NO!” Marcos yelled as they got up and charged the remaining two.

It seemed the Hagor had never seen a crazed human. Clearly not liking the look, they, too, took off. Humans poured into the scene from every angle, but it was all over. Samantha was on the ground, and some blood could be seen pooling around her back. They had hurt her.

“I was worse!” said Kyle as the two men approached her.

Marcos looked at Kyle, wondering what kind of statement was that? Samantha looked horrible to him.

“She’s got a good chance.” When Marcos didn’t move, he yelled, “Take her to the hospital, Marcos. GO!

Before the words were out of Kyle’s mouth, Marcos had carefully picked her up and ran faster than he had ever run.

Liz considered abandoning all this and running to the hospital, feeling her mother’s instinct.

No, I can’t; duty poured through her body. She was also the mother of this flotilla.

“Liz, I am almost at the hospital,” James’ voice rang out in the War Room, breathy as he ran.

When had he left the War Room?

Relief spread through her body. Emma could feel the tension lessen and cooed.

“Daddy’s coming,” It was like launch day.

“Kyle, get back up to Unit D; the last set of bugs has disappeared again, and that area is low on units. Hook up with Brian on Ashbrook and Coral,” Zoe said.

Kyle raced back to the NW quadrant up Date Street, planning to cut through from Avocado. Just before he reached James’ house on Avocado, he was in an urgent situation, running into a menacing group of ten Hagor.

Zoe was right. Am I lucky or what? I found the bastards! God, ten? It was all surreal for Kyle, deja vu but worse.

Sammie had yelled a warning to Andrew. Andrew, Gene, and Brad were back away, closer to Danny’s house on Avocado. She and Sydney could see Kyle’s attack from down the street, holding the reins of two spooked horses about halfway from Danny’s to James’ house. No wonder the horses were acting up—they were sensing predators!

“Kyle’s surrounded. It’s a big group of Hagor! We need help!” Brad said into the ansible.  

As they joined Sammie, Gene witnessed a breathtaking sight. With unwavering bravery, Kate sprinted up Avocado Street, her crossbow poised, her long braid bouncing off her back and outpacing them all. She would reach Kyle before anyone.

“What on earth is she up to?” Gene muttered, his face a mask of disbelief as he observed Kate’s seemingly crazy feat. “She should wait for the experts!”

Brad turned to Gene, saying, “She’s doing what John taught her. Gene, no one can stand up to those Hagor, mano a mano, but you can use what skills you have. There is no waiting in an attack.”

“But she can’t…” Gene started.

“She’s our most skilled arbalist. That’s why she’s carrying that crossbow,” Brad retorted, his frustration with Gene’s skepticism evident. When Gene glared at him, Brad clarified, “A crossbow shooter, Gene.”

“Okay,” Gene said, his surprise evident in his voice. “Didn’t know she had any experience.”

Kate swiftly got to the scene, her eyes locked on the enemy and her husband. Kate knew she didn’t have much time. She didn’t falter, not even briefly, as she navigated over all the obstacles: needled catci, rocks, and whatever was in the way. When satisfied, Kate stopped, loaded her crossbow, took a shot, and brought down a Hagor.

“Holy hell, it worked,” Andrew cheered.

Andrew informed the War Room using his built-in ansible,” Kate’s wooden bolt worked; a Hagor is down! It looks like the arrowhead damage is worse than the bullets. Amazing.”

A cheer went out over the anisble; they now had a weapon.

Kate’s expertise with the crossbow was a sight to behold, each shot bringing down a monster with precision. Though smaller and lighter than a man might use, the crossbow seemed to be an extension of her, designed specifically for her lethal skills. As the last Hagor fell, Kate caught her breath and hurried to Kyle. Their embrace was a testament to their survival.

“Are you Okay?” Kate asked, her voice filled with relief.

“I’m fine now, but that was… intense,” Kyle managed, trying to slow his heartbeat. He had stood frozen, trying not to engage the creatures, but seeing his wife taking down the monsters was a surprise, to say the least. After all, he was the one with experience.

“I practice,” Kate said, shrugging her shoulders, reminding him of her nagging about that subject.

Brad came up and slapped her on the back with a broad grin. “That was great, Kate.”

Kate rolled her eyes. She had often hunted with her grandpa, and these Hagor were no more fierce than any bear she had shot on a hunting trip with him.

Everyone cheered at the dramatic rescue by Marcos and Kate. There was quite a lot of killing in the other biomes, but some primitive techniques showed progress everywhere.

Liz escaped to the empty Cabinet Room. Notification had come in that Samantha was in surgery, but it wasn’t as bad as Kyle’s previous assault. It was serious, though.

Liz looked down at her precious daughter, her heart filled with relief. James had returned and could help her with the obligation of having more babies, giving her this inspiration and being there for Samantha. Emma seemed to sense what her mother needed and didn’t seem to mind being in the midst of this turmoil. Overwhelmed, Liz could relax once James was with Samantha and she had some privacy.

However, she was terrified of what it meant to be a parent in this fight. She almost envied the women who held their children in the basements but realized it wasn’t for her.

“I guess momma’s born for this job, just like daddy says.”

Sitting to gather her strength, Liz started strategizing what step to take next, feeling the weight of it all.  

“Liz,” a voice called the President back, and she turned to see Cynthia.

“Hi!” Liz said, trying to speak evenly to someone other than Emma.

“Something has come up.”

“What?” What now?

“I’m so sorry,” Cynthia’s voice trembled with distress as she delivered the news.

Elizabeth’s face dropped.

“Oh, no, Samantha is doing well…” Cynthia shook her head.

“No, something else,” she said, hanging her head. “This is about Zior. I like him so much. I was so angry when we found out what Dylan was doing. After, though, Zior was so kind, he seemed to understand. But now…” she stopped.

Liz stood up. “What, is Zior hurt?”

“Zoe and I went to get him in his trailer out back. He wasn’t there.”

“That’s not unusual,” Liz shook her head.

“No, but something was. Zior had the ansible, a Mayone one, in his room. He was listening to it, I think.”

“Well, that could be explained,” Liz said but knew Zior should have told her and all of them he still had it.

“There were papers. I can’t read Mayone well, but Zoe is pretty good.”

“Yes, since that stuff with her grandmother, she and Andrew worked hard on the translations. Why?”

“Lord, Liz, he was giving them updates on our forces.”

Crap

Liz sat down, put her head in her hands, then raised her head. Liz stood up and walked out of the room, turning first to signal Cynthia to follow her back to the War Room.

“After all this time, why would he do that?” General Harris asked, his voice echoing with shock and disbelief, the weight of the situation heavy in the air.

General Young came over, looking pale, “You’re sure?”

Cynthia nodded.

“Well, I’m glad we kept all those secrets. I never thought they would be necessary,” Reginald said. “Double check on the ansibles. We need to find Zior.”  

“Yes, let’s find him. Codes go out to all units; find Zior. And be careful with any Mayone,” General Harris said, his voice tinged with urgency and tension. Everyone looked at the General, shocked he had included all the little grey people.

How can we survive ’til now and end up being betrayed? My dear friend, Liz, clutched her child.

A voice came over the ansible, “Zior is out here,” Brad said.

General Harris spoke, “Brad, what is going on with Zior?”

“I don’t know, he’s getting in our way,” Brad answered.

“Take out Zior,” General Harris said.

“Yes, sir,” Brad said.

Voices were yelling, warning, “Danny, no, don’t,”

Then they heard a scuffle, and a shot rang out. Not a gunshot, but something else.

“Zior is down. He got between Danny and the shooter. Hell, it’s a Mayone, I think, an outside Mayone. Shit! There are two,” Brad said. “The Hagor seemed frozen, shocked by it. The Mayone shot Zior!”

Some gunfire erupted, which the humans in the War Room were familiar with. You could hear people screaming. In addition, something else was heard; another kind of shot like the one that brought down Zior.

“Danny is down, a Hagor is dragging Zior back behind a tree, and it looks like it’s trying for the barn. The Mayones are running back towards La Canada. The Hagor with Zior sees us. It has put up Its hands. Holy! It’s surrendering,” Brad said. “What do you want me to do?”

The President looked at General Harris.

General Harris nodded, “Bring the Hagor into the Council House well subdued. Get the Deputy into the hospital at Council House.”

“Four more Hagor have surrendered. Take them to Council House, too?” Brad asked.

“No, too much like a trap. Wait there. I’ll call Major Callahan to send out a squad. Bring in Zior, too.”

“He and Danny are dead,” said Brad.

“What?” Liz said.

“Yes, Danny was shredded by the Hagor, but when Zior was shot by the Mayone contingent, they seemed surprised. The Hagor that surrounded Kyle then started to move Zior, and the other three bugs surrendered, too,” said Brad.

“Let me talk to the Hagor,” Andrew’s odd, tinny voice came into the War Room.

“What? Why? Can’t we just kill them?” the President asked.

Most of the room was looking at her with that sentence.

“Liz, we need information,” Reginald said.

“But they’re so…” Liz started.

“Yes, but there may be more than that.” General Harris smiled and said, “It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy.”

Liz looked at him, thinking he had lost it. How could she possibly love a Hagor?

Then she stopped and realized the wisdom.

Ah! Sun Tzu. Of course.

“Because Andrew is the best at translation, and he’ll get to the truth,” said Cynthia from behind her.

Sitting down, Liz nodded her head. “Yes, things are happening too fast; something is way off,” the President said, her voice filled with shock and disbelief at the unfolding events. Emma started to cry.

“Take the Hagor prisoner to the interrogation room. Get Zoe for an additional interpreter.” the President ordered.

Nodding, she turned, walked out of the War Room, straight to her office, and shut the door.

Reality gripped her, and she fell to her knees. How could Zior do this? What was going on with the Hagor? Emma stopped crying and looked up at her mother.

“We’ll figure this out,” Liz shuddered, her voice trembling with determination. “For you and all the Human Flotilla. We have to.”

End of Chapter 13 Leaving Home

© June 2025 All Rights Reserved JM Strasser