Circuits of Invasion - Part 1
Humanity was duped. The Earth had put their futures in the hands of the Shay only to find out that they were being judged. The Shay had judged us lacking and had decided to take over.
I awoke the next morning, ears ringing from the concussive blasts the night before. I rose to my feet and stretched my head back and forth. A snap and a pop released pressure. I looked around and saw broken furniture, shattered windows and crumbled walls. I just hoped we were both okay. My throat constricted as I searched through the broken furniture. I panted, hoping not to find what I was afraid that I would find. “Mira!”
I pulled books and shelves free of the pile. I hand lined with scratches and bruises stuck out from beneath the overturned sofa. My breath caught and my heart jumped. I tore through the pile of broken furnishings, hefting the edge of the sofa. My arms and legs burned and my lungs ached with effort.
My wife coughed up a puff of dust and dirt. I pulled her loose and quickly checked her over. She seemed unsteady, but otherwise I saw no major cause for alarm.
Her voice trembled. “What happened?”
I looked through the busted window frame. I ducked to hide as one of their triangular alien platforms zipped by and replied in a hushed tone. “The Shay happened. They attacked through the night.”
Mira sighed. “I knew it was too good to be true.”
I nodded and hugged her. The Shay had come with great promises of peace, knowledge and prosperity. For nearly a year this had been the way. Earth was enjoying immense agricultural gains, medical advancement, and a growing intergalactic knowledge-base from the mutual interactions. It was like the global community had expanded overnight.
“They announced their decision last night on the news, hon. Don’t you remember?”
Mira breathed in, coughed again, and shook her head. “I’m still groggy. Even last night is hazy.”
“They broadcast their message over every social network and communication channel at the same time. I’m not totally clear, but I remember them saying they had made a final judgement and determined us incapable of our own salvation. They told us they would be removing us from the equation.” My shoulders slumped. “Then the ships and platform gliders began doing home sweeps. They are collecting us like animals, but I’m not sure what they are doing to us.”
I waited for Mira to respond, but she just sighed. I continued. “We are no longer safe here, my love.”
Mira climbed over the pile of ceiling tiles and broken chairs. She looked around at the destruction, picking up a small picture of our trip to the zoo. She sighed and scrubbed her eyes with a dirty arm. After a moment she nodded. She wobbled as she followed my lead.
She cleared her throat again to hide the rise in her voice. “Where can we go?”
I snorted. “We can go to Delaware for all I care.”
“What’s in Delaware?”
“Nothing, my love, and that’s why I like it.” I chuckled without amusement and shook my head. “Any place is better than here.”
“Ok, let’s go.”
Steady vibrations of fear ran through my bones and muscles. I inhaled and paused to control my emotions. If I began to cry here, I would just wrap myself up in a ball and sit there. I couldn’t let Mira be my rock, because I needed to be hers. After the staccato vibrations finally eased up, I motioned to the broken wall.
My voice shook and I had to stop and start before I could really get my point across. “We’ll go through there. I think it’s safest to stick to the shadows and alleys where the Shay cannot easily enter.”
Mira nodded. “Ok. I love you.” It sounded as though she needed to say the words, to make sure I knew.
I felt the same way, desperate to not leave the words unspoken amidst the devastation. “I love you too.”
We had to move a few things before we could cross the floor, but once our feet started to move forward, the rest of our bodies pushed us onward towards the streets. I had to split my time between watching our next steps and noises from outside. Glimpses of blue sky peeked through the holes in the ceiling and walls. It seemed to be watching me. I could feel eyes all over, crawling across my skin and breathing on my neck. No mere horror movie could project this type of fear.
Mira and I scrambled over the rubble, grabbing just a few items that we could carry without feeling overburdened. I ended up dropping half of mine before we were through the door anyway, knowing they were just things that would slow us down. I scrubbed tears away and she consoled me with a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m ok,” I reassured her. “It’s just…”
“I know.” Mira was wiping tears away as well, dropping the urn that carried her parents into a corner of the room. “I’m sorry Mom. I’m sorry Dad. It’s just too much weight to carry.”
I wrapped her tight in my arms and we wept for a few minutes. I cleared my throat and it felt like 50-grit sandpaper when I spoke again. “They would understand. They would not want us to put ourselves in danger for their ashes.”
“I know, but I want them with us.”
I gave her a weak smile and bent down. Cringing, I picked it up and cracked open the corner against the floor. White and black ash filled a large bag that barely fit within the small cube. I took the bag out and showed her with finger measurements. “I’ll just take some out.”
I tore a hole in the bag and dumped most of the mixed ashes to the ground, into a hole in the floorboards, before twisting the bag and tying it closed. Now that it was much emptier, it could be carried on us. I put them in my pocket and Mira whispered a thank you to me. I kissed her and we held each other for a long moment before pushing through the crack in the side wall.
Out the door and down the street we ran. Every noise made us dive towards an empty side street. Every bird that wheeled out of the sky made us hunch over together, thinking it might be one of their ships in the distance. Only when we could tell it was a bird or the wind for certain would we be able to pull ourselves together and continue.
I had to pull up for a breather and to see what the morning light revealed. The old store on the corner was completely intact, but only as a base for the Shay. We could not go there for safety. An entire line of houses in one direction seemed alright until we drew closer and could see the opposite walls cracked open. Dead bodies made me want to cry, even if I didn’t know them or didn’t like them. It made me think of my own weak body.
“Poor thing.” Mira was knelt beside someone she had known from High School. “She had just had a child. She was a good mother and didn’t deserve this.”
I pulled her up and started down the street again. Even though I hated the way things ended up, they had cured my Spina bifida and scoliosis. My knees no longer had ACL damage. Even the arthritic wrist pains were gone. Mira no longer had to worry about her asthma and she was as healthy as she had ever been. I was going to use that to our advantage as we tried to escape.
I whispered into the predawn dark. “Thank you Shay for giving us a chance.”
Mira looked up at me from where she knelt. “What? JJ, why are you thanking them?”
“If it were not for them, we would be unhealthy and unable to attempt an escape at all.”
She responded with a simple circle to her lips. “Oh.”
We zig-zagged through the streets, avoiding the triangular platform gliders and the small glowing orbs that darted between buildings in search of living people. I held Mira’s hand in my own. She gripped mine in return. Her hand felt clammy. Maybe it was my own hand that was sweating like a stuck pig? I didn’t know and didn’t care to think more on it.
We turned down Oak Street and almost ran straight into a group of Shay. I grabbed Mira’s hand and pulled her off her feet as I dove into a nearby doorway. The innards of the building were barely standing, but it gave us an outlet in the shadowy cracks between the walls. We slid carefully between wires and pipes and protruding nails, our now-athletic bodies able to fit in tighter spaces than before. We slowed our breathing and synchronized the pattern.
“Kalind Uhr ach nen dinin gahlos!” One of the Shay was reprimanding the others, his sharp alien accent pouring depth into the words.
We could both understand them, but it still took us listening and interpreting the nuance. The knowledge of their language was passed to Humanity only in trickles. One or both of the faulted Shay had allowed an entire herd of Humans to escape to the outer rise. Once I had the interpretation of the words, I then had to interpret the meaning.
I nudged Mira to get her attention and pursed my lips close to her left ear. “Seems as though they let a group of prisoners escape to the countryside. Maybe they can be of help?”
She tilted her head and nodded.
I looked over at the triad of Shay patrollers and sighed. The aliens were magnificent, tall and sleek with skin as smooth and hard as diamond. The ruby igniting their skin tone was fierce like the setting sun. Rounded muscles flexed in strange ways, but it all looked so… superheroic. The outfits of the guards didn’t help that image either, with the tabards and helms reminiscent of Ancient Greece and Sparta. Flowing capes threw a burgundy cast against nearby concrete fixtures.
I shook myself free of the daze and breathed in clear air. I held my breath and felt the same from Mira. We watched and listened, but could not piece much more together of value. The group broke apart and zipped away on their gliding platforms, each in a different direction.
“The countryside?” My words, even pitched low for Mira alone, sprang forth against the swell of silence.
Mira didn’t even pause. “Yeah, let’s go.”
The sun was peeking above the horizon by the time we edged away from the building. My muscles burned, but I pushed onward. I knew it was a mixture of effort and fear that drained my energy so quickly and tensed my body to the breaking point. I looked back many times to reassure myself of Mira’s trailing footfalls. I dodged and darted between the shells of once-inhabited buildings, avoiding watchful eyes that may or may not have been real.
I pulled up at the grocery store near Timothy Street. It used to sell affordable fruits and vegetables, but now smoldered from doused fires. I could hear Mira’s panting breath mirroring my own. We had to rest, otherwise we would wear ourselves out too quickly. It wouldn’t do well to pass out in the middle of the street.
I inhaled short bursts of ashen smoke. “Let’s duck around the corner and rest a bit.”
Mira nodded and started forward.
I heard it before I saw anything. It was the wah-wah hum of the Shay platform engines. That loud? It had to have been very close. I yanked Mira’s hand and dragged her to the ground. She let out the slightest wail of surprise before dropping down. I pointed towards the corner and crooked my finger, pantomiming a flat object wavering in the air. She understood.
My throat was tight. “Inside.”
We dove through the broken wall and squirmed as fast as we could beneath the cover of the toppled shelving units inside the store. It was tight, but at least I could feel the warmth of my wife against me. I held her close and realized I was trembling. I tried to still the shakes, but it was pointless. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run away. Panic grew inside me. My leg shook as it always did when I was anxious.
Mira gave me a pointed look and motioned her chin towards my shaking leg. She pointed into the room. I followed her gesture and almost groaned. The shelves were aquiver, the few jars and boxes moving towards me. I had to get myself under control. Stop it, leg!!
I mouthed silent words. “Sorry. I. Can’t. Help. It.” Then I shrugged, all the while pressing my own hands against my kneecap. Gradually the shaking eased up.
A platform edged into view. The Shay patroller was lined with veiny muscles. Violet eyes pierced the dark shadows. The crinkle of brow and a slight turning in our direction. No! No! Please, no.
Suddenly the behemoth twisted his head upward, eyes closed. He was listening to silent instructions. It only lasted the span of a single breath. It felt like a week. Then, without another look in our direction, the alien vehicle spun three-quarters away and sped off towards the center of town. I could still see the majestic beauty of the Shay silhouetted against the street’s lamplight long seconds after he vanished.
I released the breath that burned inside. I coughed and spluttered. “Breath. Must catch my breath. Those creatures are amazing, even if they’re the scariest enemies that we’ve ever had.”
“Do you think they’ll ever relent?” It sounded as if she expected the answer.
I paused a moment. “Probably not. They seem pretty bent on collecting and destroying all of us.”
Mira glanced around as we climbed to our feet. “It’s probably safer in here than around the corner.”
“I agree. Let’s find a good place deeper inside to sleep. I’ll take the first watch… we’ll only sleep for a short while each.
I was shocked how quickly she fell asleep. She curled herself around me and began to inhale and exhale rhythmically. She was normally the one that was up far into the night, playing some simple games on her iPad while I drifted off quickly. She had been wound up so tight that any relaxation probably made her pass out.
I watched outside as the daylight inched closer. I found myself remembering the early days from late 2018 and throughout the entirety of 2019. Less than a year ago, but so far in the past. I had still been programming software for shipping at that point. The drones from Amazon had not even been implemented across the country at that time. Then we had First Contact. I thought for certain that our own President was going to embarrass us to the point where the Shay hated us. I recall thinking about how he might look to build a giant dome around the entire country.
I was surprised when the Shay just took over. People feared them and there were, of course, multitudes of paranoid war-mongering groups planning attacks. They never happened. The Shay were civil, eloquent, and knowledgeable about our own shortcomings.
I imagine the Human Race was too far inferior for concern.
The Shay Ambassador -- I believe he went by the name Klonid -- was always resplendent in attire. His voice was majestic and calming all at the same time. “We are the Shay.We bring you the wealth of our knowledge and experience throughout the galaxy. You who stand at the precipice of your own future shall flourish and prosper. Learn from us and your global community will shine healthy. Take our words as your salvation for which you stand united with renewed vigor. The collected knowledge of our society shall push away the darkness of ignorance.”
I remembered so many different speeches that were worded as such, with an odd blend of formality and casual conversation. The Shay as a species exuded vapors of charisma, if you ask me. They were awe-inspiring.
Within a week of their arrival our scientists had learned ways to replicate food supplies to eradicate famine and hunger. Homes were designed that could be built and moved without effort. Homelessness was gone. Two months after that first contact brought about the medical miracles of an advanced race. Devices and tools were developed that could mend the body and mind.
My spinal deformities were gone within six months, the ACL damage was repaired so that I could run again, and the replicated food was synthesized to burn the optimal calories and provide the best nutrition for each person. I had never been fit or athletic and I found myself to be both in a short matter of time. Mira no longer had asthma and her weight was shed just as fast.
We, as the Human Race, began to trust the Shay with everything. We even allowed them into our government. Most weapons were destroyed and the Shay even globalized our economic structure. We no longer used currency in any shape as the concept only fueled Humanity’s selfish behaviors and hostility towards others.
Not making money was pretty odd, but when food could be replicated as we were shown, then money is only a mark of power. Shay appeared to be as close to Utopian as I could imagine.
I yawned and stifled it with the back of my hand. I was so exhausted. I had to let Mira get more sleep though, so I refocused on those memories.
I remembered all of it as clear as anything in my mind, which is not a surprise since we were taught to harness our subconscious minds and were enhanced with memory implants for querying and sorting and storing. I could now flip through folders in my mind to recall events. Far easier than struggling to find moments in a jumble of hazy concepts and poorly-managed information inside the brain.
I shook off the dreary eyes, wiped out the mucus, and rocked to keep myself awake. The sun was well up over the horizon now and only wisps of drifting smoke broke the serenity and boredom of the view outside. Holed up like we were with utter silence as the backdrop, it was that deep silence that scared me. At any moment a Shay patroller could come along and decide that they might have seen or smelled something to give away our presence.
The Shay, at the end, had just decided we were incapable of sustaining our growth. They saw our innate hatred and hostility, I think, and determined that we were a lost cause that needed to be snuffed out of existence rather than self-destruct.
I sighed. “I can’t say I blame them.”
“Huh?” Mira’s eyes fluttered open. For a moment she seemed her old self, ready to take on the challenges of the day. Then her brow creased and she drew in a sharp breath. “It wasn’t a dream.”
I shook my head in answer and watched her features twist into a mask of dread. But, being her, she sat up, bolted herself into position, and smoothed her grimace. “Go to sleep.”
I gave a faint smile. “I love you, my wife, always and forever.”
She returned her own approximation of a smile. “I love you, too. Always and forever. Sleep now my JJ.”
I crashed. I don’t know how long it took, but I was instantly immersed in a nightmare that mirrored reality. I guess that’s how scared I was. The nightmare was not as ferocious, though. Reality was so scary that even my nightmare was a step up.
I awoke to my own thoughts and a hand shaking my body. “Boy were we wrong.”
Mira tilted her head slightly. “What?”
“Oh, sorry, I was responding to the dream. I was dreaming of… this.” I motioned to the store and the outside world and to us. My arms shrugged the entire time.
She nodded. “I think it’s time for us to get going. It must be about lunch by now. I’m hungry.”
I looked around. The grocery store now filled our needs from the fruits and vegetables that utilized the Shay agricultural advancements. Food storage wasn’t even needed because farms were able to cultivate produce in one-eighth the time, which meant that stores never ran out.
All we had to do was grab up some of the food stuffs from the shelves. We ate our fill, our bodies told us when to stop, and the metabolizers inside the food gave us no more or less than what we needed. It was nice, though, that they could do all of this without sacrificing the flavor.
_We sat close to each other and prayed for safe travels, knowing what might lay at the end of it all. We rose as soon as our bodies were balanced, loading two canvas sacks with food and drinks in case we did not encounter another store or res