Invasion Averted

Invasion Averted

         It wasn't a day like any other. Sunshine and warmth were overwhelming. Lonely shadows cast on the sidewalk were of no use.

         I marched amongst the many groups of strangers sharing  these very common views and goals. Nobody had an actual destination in mind. The streets were free passages, even the highway was the pedestrians' way.

         Crossing through a large park, over a bridge, enjoying the river's continuous flow, rejoicing in it's own eternal march, we were approaching the last city quarter after which  many miles and long hours on foot were awaiting to reach the next town. Regardless people were ready to march any distance. Including me.

         I brought with me no food, no water, but the will to march was overwhelmingly eliberating. It was what made us feel free. It was the liberation of free movement throughout which we marched forward to wherever we felt was right.

         “... magnifique,” someone exclaimed.

         “Bien sûr!” someone else agreed.

         I turned my head. A cheerful bunch were walking closely behind me for a while now. As I stopped for a second to look around they ended up involuntarily surrounding me and we kept walking.

         “What's this mon frere? You have no provisions?”

         “Apparently not,” was my self embarrassing reply.

         “Do you choose to starve and thirst on this most wonderful day?”

         “Hah! Of course not.”

         “Then join us. Stay with our group. This is one of humanity's most important moments in history, truly the wrong time to suffer deprivation!”

         We went on to the edge of the town, in what seemed to have been few seconds of walking.

         “Are you guys ready?” I asked as the endless fields were stretching before us. “I know I am.”

         “We, we, more than you are and we are not going to walk, that's for sure.”

         “Martin got his personal antigravity train parked on this side of the city. That's why we walked up in this direction.”

         It was a white floating vehicle made of 3 carriages with large compartments.

         By train we were heading off through a so called shortcut, passing forests and lakes over to the next town. It was the day of liberty celebrated within former Canada, celebrating a world without borders, no governments and instead localized social managing institutions that were greatly restricted in their power over the people, with no power whatsoever over the will of the many. Earth had become the people's world for the people!

         We soon approached a military hospital right within the heart of a national park, situated at the edge of the next town. It had always been renowned for its high skilled surgeons.

         “Dupre you can drive the train around the city and park it on the other side. We can meet somewhere in the city, in the middle of the parade,” suggests Martin.

         “Non, I'd be missing trivial bits of the parade. The most crucial happy moments,” protests Dupre.

         Martin smiles and raises his head. “Do you know how to drive a train or do you wish to come with us?” he asked me.

         “I'll come along.”

         “Nobody wants to drive the train to the other side?” asks Martin and the silence followed is broken by Martin himself. “Who's that waving at us?”

         “Someone who got left behind?”





         It turned out the strange fellow's name was Marshall, a strong looking war veteran. He was clueless why he was there and claimed to suffer from amnesia. We assumed he was a patient.

         “Why is the backdoor that leads to the storage room so wide open?”

         “It looks rather desolated. Is there anyone else here? Considering it's a military hospital, maybe you're a staff member or a patient?”

         “No that's not it, I currently belong to some special ops squad. It's secret so I can't tell you more about it.”

         “What, now? When the world is free we still have secrets from eachother?”

         Martin looks in front of himself and shrugs.

         “I guess not, but there's nothing to hide about it, just your average secret ops squad used for security reasons. That's all I can remember about it.

         “This in front of you is a large hall, used as storage for weapons ammunition and whatever other stuff they like to deposit here and no one was guarding it when I arrived.”

         To us the only possible guard was Marshall, which was wandering aimlessly at the back gate of the hospital and had clearly no clue how he even got lost there.

         “Can you give a rough description of what the building is like inside?”

         “Further inside the complex you'll find the research department. Somewhere at the center of it all is the kitchen and the servery if you guys feel hungry. On the right wing there are the hospital corridors and rooms for patients. The left side is a staff only area.”

         “You sure seem to not know much about the building.”

         “Tell me about it.”





         Nobody was downstairs and apparently no way led upstairs aside from locked doors and a seemingly broken lift. So we decided to go outside and scout the area.

         There were some people wandering around aimlessly. Some where dancing in a group, Some were just sitting alone. There was even a group that built a campfire. They weren't responsive at all.

         When we gathered back from the scouting, three were missing from my new found group of acquaintances. Who was missing?

         “Marshall went inside. He said he'll wait in the cafeteria.”

         “I don't trust Marshall.”

         “Me neither. Did you see any strange people wandering aimlessly around?”

         “That's why I don't trust him. He seems to be the only odd guy that can talk.”

         “Dupre went across the park back home he lives in the city ahead.” said Martin.

         “That's fine we'll find out what's going on without him. But that leaves us with Sébastien missing. What's going on?”

         Confused, with great unrest we decided to go back inside to the cafeteria and grab a bite. Within the cafeteria room there was no sign of Marshall.

         A woman aged about 40, blond hair with strains of black and dark brown eyes, was sitting at one of the tables. With a rounded face and clear wrinkles. She introduced herself as Helen.

         “An epidemic spread within the hospital turning everyone crazy. I'm currently trying to find an antidote.”

         “I have doctor degree in chemo-biology and could perhaps help by giving a quick hand before the military reinforcements arrive,” said Juliet anxiously.

         “That's a great idea,” said Helen.

         “How come you didn't get infected?” asked Martin.

         “Safety precautions. I'm very strict.”

         She continued telling us that on the third floor, on the left wing we would find empty beds with fresh bedsheets. They are always the cleanest since they are for private patients and all sort of very important sponsors.

         We introduced ourselves to the lady and when my turn came surprised stares emerged.

         “Sawyer Pierrot, romance best seller author of the year.”

         “My latest work however, was a revolutionary novel about an abstract concept of human society reshaping and why a certain state although seemingly unstable and less productive would yield a much better future in the long run. It was about a fully militarized world with strong population control.

         “It's about a member of the high senate; robust and full of manly charm. Being bored with riches he gets tired of living, as a result he even tries out many new orientations and falls for the eloquent ideals of the dictator. Before their romance reaches the peak, they decide it would be best for humanity to go out with a blast and rejoice within their glorious death. For nevermore do they live, but forevermore their passionate desire to go out with effective firework performance won't ever be forgotten, look at them great shadows of humanity. Apex within destruction will mean victory and full control of chaos itself, we will feel liberated. End of citation.”

         “That's not about satanic pedophiles, is it?”

         “No …”

         “But how do you differentiate between them and the satanic pedophiles who are rumored to have infiltrated high places within the ruling class, so that the readers won't misinterpret your characters as extremely wicked?”

         “Well they aren't really wicked. My characters do have their own high standard code of morals and values, which follow very strict and elevated principles.”

         We talked a bit more and went to check on Marshall. Juliet remained with Helen



.

         Marshall was within the storage room of the weapon deposit, lying down on the floor holding his knees with a mad stare. Confused, he shook back and fort.

         We told him who had found.

         “I don't trust Helen. How come she's the only one sane?” asked Marshall. “If anything she must have spread the virus.”

         “So why didn't you turn crazy?”

         “I must have avoided the infection. I'm sure I was sent with a special task force to eliminate a treat or investigate what happened since all communications broke down. We can't afford to loose a military hospital and just leave a base tend itself.”

         “Let's go upstairs and catch some sleep maybe you'll remember what happened when you recover.”





         Within his slumbering Marshall had a dream. A dream of the past. His squad scouted the hospital grounds to find out why all communications were lost. He had found  some strange people with big droids around a small campfire.

         “We are what you call aliens,” they said, while they were apparently scanning him. “Are you human?” they asked.

         “Yes.”

         His head was slammed into the ground by one of the big droids, crushing his head. The brain and bones were splattered over the grass.

         Sweating Marshall awakes breathing heavily.

         “I know what happened. Listen to me!” He spoke of his dream he just had and told us we have to arm ourselves to defend against the aliens, droids and other gibberish.

         Nonetheless, he convinced us that someone within the hospital was clearly mad and for our own sakes we are better off armed.





         When Juliet regained consciousness, she noticed she noticed lab equipment around her. Helen approached with a needle and as Juliet tried to dodge she noticed she was strapped to a chair.

         “Your movement is restricted so I can examine you.”

         “What for?” asks Juliet surprised.

         “I'm trying to find more vulnerabilities within the human body.”

         “You're a psychopath!?!”

         “I am researching easier ways to kill human vermin and I'm not from Earth.”

         Juliet stared in disbelief.

         “It seems your body is too weak for further research. Well then, time to die.” Helen pulled a lever.





         We followed Marshall outside through the front exist of the hospital, leaving behind two bodies with damaged skulls that revealed a grey metallic brain. The desperate shouts of the two individuals with spaced out looks were still haunting us. “You can't go that way,” they said. “Stop, you can't go that way!” were their last words.

         In the early morning we went out to hunt for crazed people and hopefully find Sébastien or his dead body. Marshall kept insisting there must be some aliens and droids around that we have to kill.

         Nearing a river we went on top of a dam and there we suddenly got approached by lots of people and some tall grey metallic figures. Marshall pointed the gun on at them.

         “Marshall order all troops to gather and gun down these men. They are of no use.”

         Marshall's eyes started glowing a full blue. He could  now see in full light spectra.

         “What are you waiting for Marshall? Shoot that thing,” we yelled as we gunned down few of attackers.

         Soon we realized Marshall wasn't really who he thought he was and we were surrounded by brainwashed humans or rather brain-replaced humans?

         “They are all under our control. Only the memories and experience of battle were left for our beneficial purposes. We've already begun descending the world into chaos,” said Helen and turned to Sawyer. “We even inspired you to write your latest masterpiece, Sawyer.”

         “How and wha ...”

         Everyone was shot down.





         As Dupre went outside after a good night's sleep, he found all streets empty and void of people.

         Above, military jet fighters were shooting through the sky.





         Time reversed and the world repeated itself. For you see, some aliens just don't understand nor expect time paradoxes, regardless of how advanced and smart they are. Highly advanced technology can make one overconfident as they feel fully in control.

         They had overlooked something very important. They went into the past when they needed to change their future, but once the time came for their former selves to go into the past and change it, the motivation to do so wasn't there anymore.

         My book is written once more, but with less chapters and less content and so it had a lesser impact on the world.

         Everyone meets up in the hospital. Again. Kill few aliens. Eventually we're defeated through holographic trickery.

         Dupre wakes up in shock as jets were bombing the town over a minor international dispute. However, they bombed for the sake of depopulation.





         The world repeats. Again. A hundred times? A million times? Nobody understood the persisting deja-vu sensation.

I was influenced  to write, but I never even bothered writing the book. I thought about it. It's garbage. The world is stupid enough already why make it dumber?

         As I met up again with Martin and his friends, we talked about our dreams and premonitions. It felt as we knew eachother for millennia and yet I only knew them for few minutes.





         Once we reached the hospital we fully armed ourselves and went into a full out fight against the alien, droids. We expected them.

         Armed with gun and sickle, we go and slash through the enemy groups.  After so many reruns we even were able to tell holograms apart from reality. The mysterious suit wearing guy was clearly one.

         Flashbacks popped up at every corner, helping us to dodge all threats.

         Did our synapses change to suffer these changes in our minds? Would they need to change so we could get these vivid memories? Anxious feelings. Emotions related to bloodshed and horror we were about to go through.





         Although the alien spaceship was holographically protected and somewhat impenetrable since it could hide all defensive systems and robots within it. Martin found a way to disarm it through the use of massive amounts of grenades. It wasn't a moment filled with pride, but it was a desperate act of survival. He had a bomb attached to himself and ran close to detonate it.

         His body deeply hurt. Blood gushed out of his mouth, while he dropped on his knees and still with a smile, while rivulets of blood poured out of his mouth, he exclaimed.

         “You don't know the boundaries of human evil.”

         “Why wouldn't we?”

         “You didn't come close to reach the very depths of it. It has none.” Martin suicide bombed. No moment for surprise was granted.





         The spaceship's system was down. Inside, a room with just walls cluttered with bits and pieces of junk and aliens attempting to fix their ship via terminals.

         “It's not within our nature to kill, but we do what we must,” exclaims Helen.

         “You don't have what it takes. Natural born predators are far better adapted!”

         “Oh so now you're proud of your nature?”

         “Why wouldn't we be if it helps us defend ourselves against your hypocrite civilized species?” asked Sébastien. “What's your problem anyway? Why are you invading us?”

         “You are the ones who started this conflict by destroying our planet,” retorted the alien.

         “What the hell are you talking about. We can barely go to Mars and return. We can't travel any long distances in space.”

         “Not yet. But what you did, did happen sometime in the future. Shortly after making contact, one day you've decided to just eliminate us all. This ship is our species' last hope to stop the massacre!”

         It then all came together and the long years of struggle we lived within the same day finally made sense.

         “The incomprehensible blur of deja vu is now gone. Now it all makes sense. Have you never thought of time paradoxes?”

         “What?”

         “You're hopeless. We have even more reasons to kill your kind when we meet it. You've just sealed your fates. We eliminated all threats from you.”

         “You take so much pride in your military power. But all your cruelties and weapons are the antithesis of civilisation! You will self destruct eventually!” shouted the alien. “We are living beings just like you, we also have the right live!”

         “It seems in this miserable universe you don't have the right to live. Nobody does. You have to strive for it and earn it”

         The remaining aliens were shot.

         “You are nothing but animals,” were the alien's last words.

         “That may be. But on our world this animal is responsible for the most deaths every year. Who the fuck do you think you are messing with you amateur?” grunted Dupre at the motionless alien corpse, incapable of accepting the final parting words.





         The world continued its liberty celebration. Me, Dupre, Juliet and Sébastien knew  the unavoidable day would come when our kind would once again commit massive genocide. Not a great feeling, but we felt relieved our kind was saved. We served our purpose.

         In the end, the alien invasion was averted, but for them aliens, the one that had yet to come was unavoidable.