Cascade box set 2, p.56
Cascade Box Set 2, page 56
“And why are you here?”
“First. How is the human that I arrived here with? His vital signs were sub-optimal when I found him.”
“You mean private Hayes? He’s doing well.”
“That is good to hear. He had done a remarkable job tending to his own wounds but it was not enough.” The alien then cocked his head to one side. “You are like Abbey? You are what you call a Cascader?”
The general shifted her weight. “I am. You compatriots do not seem to like Cascaders much?”
“They see them as a threat to my species.”
“But you created us, you and your kind are responsible for the deaths of millions, maybe billions!”
Abbey could sense the general’s anger building. “Umm Elcher was not part of that process.”
The general composed herself. “Why are you here? What can you do to help us?”
“As I have already iterated to this human—” He looked at Raj. “—The Cascaders have a power beyond what they currently are using. If they combine their abilities they can stop the Cascade from proceeding any further on your planet.”
“That’s a problem for tomorrow, but today I’m more interested in not being melted by your friend’s weaponry. How can we stop them?”
“As some of your Cascaders have already demonstrated, they can confuse our neurocircuitry, rendering us unconscious. That combined with your limited technology may stave off immediate extinction.”
Gasps wafted around the room.
“Right…”
“But to completely solve the problem you have, you will have to go further. And that is why I am here.”
“How—”
“But before that, I understand you have another Hulathen here?”
“We do…”
“I must see it at once.”
“Well I don’t know if—”
“You do not seem to understand human called Mitchell. The Hulathen would not be here unless it—”
A siren started wailing.
Mitchell walked to the intercom on the wall, clicking the talk button. “This is Mitchell, what’s going on?”
A few seconds of crackling passed before a voice came from the speaker. “The alien has escaped!”
“Where are the Cascaders? Didn’t they—”
“The Cascader is dead ma’am.”
The general’s head whipped around to face Elcher. “Is this your doing? Part of some larger plan?”
The alien went to reply when Abbey stepped forward. “Elcher is here to help us!”
Mitchell looked at the three nervous looking soldiers who were still pointing their rifles towards Elcher. “Keep him here.” She then went to leave.
“General. I believe the Hulathen has chosen this time to leave its confinement because it knows I’m here and means to kill me. I can help recapture it.”
“How? How can you help?”
Elcher looked down to Abbey. “You need to gather the Cascaders together. I will go with you.”
Abbey looked at the general.
“Okay fine!” Mitchell then looked at the soldiers. “You stay with them.”
“Yes, sir!”
Mitchell then left taking some guards with her.
“Movement in the tunnels will make it harder for the Hulathen to find me, but we must move quickly to where the Cascaders are,” said Elcher.
Abbey nodded and everyone left the chamber, including the alien who had to crouch to fit through the door.
Soon they were running along the corridor which approached the Cascaders living quarters. The sound of automatic gunfire echoed through the metal pipes which were suspended from the ceiling.
Abbey pushed open the double doors holding them open for the alien to duck down and squeeze through. Inside some of the Cascaders got to their feet, while others hid behind their beds and held their kin close to them. Erin walked forward from the back of the room.
He opened his arms wide. “Welcome friend!”
Abbey ran forward. “Elcher says we need to come together to use our abilities to stop the other Hulathen.”
The large alien moved into the room and stood bent over. “You Cascaders must draw close together and with your minds search out the Hulathen that is nearing us, as I speak.”
Erin looked around him. “Quickly now, do as Elcher says. Everyone come here and join hands.”
Men, women and children got up and stood close to each other then reached out and gripped each other’s hands. Abbey did the same although avoided doing so with Erin. Even Clovis at the back of the group did so too.
An explosion rocked the room making the lights in the large room blink. Then came shouts and the clatter of gunfire in the corridor outside.
Elcher turned towards the closed doors, raising his arm. “You must make haste. He is almost here and he means to kill not just myself, but all of you as well.”
Abbey felt those around her. Felt their minds as if her own had expanded. The sounds of the battle just yards away fell to silence and then an intense blue light came into view, but despite its level of luminescence did not hurt her eyes. She could tell that was the other Hulathen. Letting her anger and the emotions of the people around her flow through her, she reached out for the light grasping it within her hand and squeezing. It flickered then went out.
She opened her eyes as did those around her.
Raj who had stood silently witnessing and trying to understand what was happening around him, opened one of the double doors and looked along the silent corridor.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Fiona woke from a dreamless sleep and immediately regretted not turning on her side in her seated position during the night. She grimaced, grabbing her neck as flashes of pain shot up and down her shoulder. She looked over at Zach who was looking at her.
“Morning,” he said.
She stretched her neck from side to side. “Yup. So we didn’t get vaporized then.”
“No.”
“You been outside yet?”
“Had a look when the sun first came up, but couldn’t see any of our space friends.” Also found these. He tossed a candy bar in her lap.
“Water?” she croaked.
He reached beneath his feet and handed her a small bottle. Taking a gulp she looked behind her at the three men who were sleeping on each other and tried not to laugh. “Times like this I miss having a cell phone to take pictures.”
Zach smiled.
“You want us to explore the area a bit? Or get back on the road?”
“Everyone can take a leak and stretch their legs, but then we need to be on our way. There’s still ten hours of driving ahead of us and I want to be at the outpost before sundown.”
“I wonder if they have gotten anywhere with their alien prisoner…”
“We’ll find out tonight.”
There was a kerfuffle in the back seats as Miles, Michael and Wyatt woke up and discovered how close they were to each other.
Miles looked out the side window at the sky. “They still up there?”
“Not that we know,” said Fiona.
The back door opened and Miles got out, quickly followed by Michael and Wyatt.
After a short break involving stretching and refueling they were back in the Humvee and driving out of the parking lot, with Zach driving. A series of light circular patches on the ground spread out around the junction, started to darken as droplets of rain fell on them.
Soon they were heading southwest on the highway and hours melted away as they passed through Harrisburg, then keeping to highway sixty-eight, skirted the state line, then dropped down into West Virginia on the sixty-four. By time they were approaching Lexington the sun had already been south of the horizon for almost an hour. Stops to avoid E.L.F’s grew more frequent the further south they got and for most in the vehicle it was a relief to see some form of life. The climate grew cooler and the plant life also became more recognizable.
“Good to be back in the south,” said Wyatt.
“I hear that,” said Miles.
“I just want to sleep horizontal,” said Michael taking a rest from his standing position and gingerly feeling his chest.
Since evening had fallen Zach and Fiona had been scanning the sky for any specks of light, but neither found any.
As they left the ring road which encircled Lexington, Zach leaned forward and turned the nob on the Humvee’s radio.
“We’re probably still too far out,” said Fiona.
“I know, but we might pick up the outpost even if we can’t respond.”
He continued to turn the dial while watching the road but only static came back.
“Could they have been attacked?” said Wyatt.
“Man, what’s with the negativity!” said Michael next to him.
“Umm, it’s unlikely,” said Fiona, not really knowing if that was true or not, but she couldn’t face seeing the outpost destroyed like she had seen others.
The final eighty miles went quick and when they drove into the small town north of the outpost, Zach clicked on the radio and picked up the mike. “This is general Felton, from the Boston camp, we—”
“Zach!” Brad’s voice came loud and clear from the Humvee’s radio speaker.
Soon they were driving up the country lane that approached the outpost. Lights from second and third floors of newly constructed buildings glistened above the line of the more secure looking fence. The gates were already open when they arrived at them and looked higher and more substantial than they did before.
They drove along a newly laid road between fresh wooden walls to the brightly lit main building. Brad and some others Zach didn’t recognize were standing outside.
For a moment they all sat inside the Humvee enjoying the welcoming faces outside, any fears they had that the outpost would not be there when they arrived were quickly being forgotten.
“Feels like we were here months ago,” said Fiona.
They all started getting out and Zach and Fiona walked up to Brad over rain soaked wooden planks. Brad briefly but enthusiastically embraced both of them.
“Good to have you back!”
Zach smiled. “Good to be back.” He looked over his shoulder at the mini town that had formed since he was last standing on the same porch.
“Ha, yeah it’s really something. And we’re not done yet!” Brad then looked to his left and the smartly dressed woman with sand coloured hair. “This is Major Hoxted.”
“Brad, I told you, call me Paige.”
Zach smiled and held out his hand, which the major shook.
Brad turned to the warmth and light through the doorway. “Right, let’s get inside. The cooks are just serving dinner and there’s news from Boston.”
*****
Abbey and Elcher stood watching behind a glass partition, in the large infirmary of bunker thirteen. A mass of doctors prodded and examined the body of the other Hulathen.
She looked up at him as he watched emotionless. “Must be strange to see one of your own people like this.”
He looked back down at her. “We do not experience emotions as you humans do. But the word ‘strange’ does hint at what I am feeling. Your doctors should learn as much from his body as they can. It may help slow down your species demise.”
“Umm…” Numerous questions and thoughts rolled around Abbey’s mind, some of which needed to be said.
“Yes?”
“You are here now. Why did you not just come to us before? Why wait until things got so bad? Until the Hulathen started to try to roll back their mistake?”
The alien paused for a moment seemingly weighing up responses. “I had hoped to resolve the issue without direct involvement with your species. As time progressed and it became obvious my kind were only planning to make matters worse I tried to reach out to various Cascaders to try to influence their actions, so that if the Hulathen acted as they now have done, your species would have a chance for survival.”
It wasn’t a completely satisfactory answer for Abbey and she went to talk again, when a noise came from behind them. Mitchell with guards and Bower appeared through some doors.
Bryce who was one of the doctors near the carcass looked up as the group entered the other part of the room. He pulled his medical mask down and opened the door in the partition, walking up to the general.
Before he could speak, she put her hand up. “Before you start, it’s definitely dead, right?”
“Ummm—”
“His consciousness is no longer capable of controlling this vessel, general,” said Elcher.
She looked up. “Boy you aliens really do like to talk in riddles. Is he dead?”
Elcher nodded.
“Good. Go ahead doctor.”
Bryce looked up at Elcher. “With the help of Elcher we have been able to take a blood sample from the other Hulathen and have found that there is indeed a genetic link between them and the Cascaders, and perhaps everything that has been affected by the Cascade on this planet. And—”
“And now we have Hulathen blood we should be able to create a toxin, which just targets the Hulathen,” said Raj joining them from the other part of the room. “With Elcher’s help.”
Mitchell looked up at the tall alien. “You’re okay with that?”
“The Hulathen will not stop what they are doing unless they are made to stop.”
“Okay then.” She looked at the doctors. “Make it happen.” She looked at Elcher and Abbey. “I’ll leave you to it.” She then left.
The doctors moved back beyond the partition, leaving Bower, Abbey and the alien watching through the glass.
Bower looked at the impressive piece of tech that was attached to Elcher's right wrist and hand, remembering the damage similar devices did a few nights before. “How about you show me how that thing works?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Brad, Major Hoxted, Zach, Fiona and the others sat around a large dinner table. Empty plates lay in front of them while the sound of the gasoline generators hummed outside. Zach with added details from Fiona and the others had spent the last hour retelling the events of the previous few days, including the strange light which tried to find them just twelve hours before.
Brad shook his head while he sipped a beer. “If it’s not one thing it’s another.” Just as they sat down to eat he filled the newcomers in with the news from Boston, of the appearance of Elcher.
“We need to get back to the camp near Austin,” said Zach. “There’s a lot we need to do and prepare for.”
“Trow has already started bolstering the bunkers they do have, but obviously there’s not enough capacity for the millions or so souls that live there,” said Brad.
“Yup, a whole lot of digging needs to be done,” said Fiona her words slightly slurring. She giggled to herself. “They spent all the past year building up, when they should have been digging down.” She looked around herself. “Where are the rest of the beers?”
“We got a few more crates in one of the sheds, I’ll have it brought in,” said Brad.
Zach pushed a jug of water towards her. “Maybe switch to this for a while.”
She pushed it away and scrunched her face up. “Sheesh Zach, you sound like my dad.”
Paige cleared her throat. “So, do you think we are a target here for the Hulathen?” she said to Zach.
“I think everywhere is, but you haven’t seen any lights in the sky?”
“Not sure if you saw the dome on your way in, but it’s a pretty late generation radar dish we have in there, spinning twenty-four seven. Takes a lot of power but I’m thinking now it’s worth it. Nothing has shown up on our monitors downstairs,” said Brad.
“Presuming they show up on those things,” said Michael.
“If they’re physical objects and I think they are, then they should show up.”
“So we’ll have warning before they come and zap all of us, great,” said Fiona uneasily getting to her feet. “I’m going to find this mythholl… I’m going for the beer.”
“I could do with some air as well,” said Miles. They both left with Fiona pushing Miles away when he attempted to help her walk.
“Your friend is quite something,” said Paige.
“She’s been through a lot,” said Zach.
“We all have.”
“Yeah… I don’t think we are specifically a target here. They seem to be hoovering up E.L.F’s and killing or capturing Cascaders where they can. If there’s a pattern beyond that, I’m not seeing it yet. Having one of them helping us could be what turns things our way.”
Outside in the night air, Fiona walked haphazardly across the damp mud towards the closest shed she could see. Miles walked close by, ready to jump in and catch her in case she fell.
“It’s good to see old friends,” he said.
She threw him a look as if he had just uttered something in a language she did not understand.
“Brad?”
“Oh yeah, sure.” She banged up against the wooden door to the small shed and fiddled longer than she needed to with a latch, which she eventually flipped upwards. She pushed the door open and staggered forward, swearing when she walked into one of the first crates.
Miles pulled on a small string and a light came on above them.
She swung around looking at him. “You’re not going to hit on me are you?”
He scoffed. “No!… no, I just wanted some air.”
She turned back to the crates, wrestling with the wooden lid. “Good, because there’s someone—” She froze and started gently shaking.
Miles walked forward a few steps. “Are you—”
She sniffed and wiped her face. “I’m fine! Help me get this damn lid off.”
Back inside the seats around the table were empty and most had gone to their bedrooms in the large house.
Zach sat on a chair inside Brad’s room, having taken him up on the offer of a nightcap.
The older man walked to a drawer unit and unlocked the top drawer. “One of the downsides to having all these people here, is I have to keep the good stuff under lock and key.”
Zach smiled. “Abbey would be excited to see how this place is developing.”
