Mitch’s eyes went wide as he drove through the entrance and spotted armed guards scattered throughout the naval base. Peter Estabrook was waiting for him. After exiting the car, he and Deborah separated. She had her own briefings to attend.
Mitch followed Estabrook to the motor pool. As they walked, Estabrook briefed him.
Mitch’s jaw dropped. “Holy mother of God.” It was one thing to hear about the two creatures, and it was an entirely different thing to witness them. Despite himself, he shivered. Real live aliens, here on the base. This wasn’t a Hollywood movie set or some elaborate hoax; this was the real deal.
When Mitch reached the metal chain-link fence, the shorter, more human-looking alien with the wild mustache flew its hover vehicle toward him, stopping near Mitch as it reached the outer edge of the fence. An acrid smell emanated from the vehicle, causing Mitch to cough. He backed away and continued to cough until he was able to breathe regularly again. Mitch stared at the fenced-in area. Not sure if it was a visual trick, it seemed darker inside of the fence than outside.
The alien’s tendrils gripped the fence. Its entire body shook as it shouted at Mitch. While he maintained his position, the alien continued shouting until it appeared to tire out. Too bad he couldn’t communicate with it.
Estabrook continued briefing him, but Mitch had tuned him out as soon as he saw the aliens. He mentioned something about a meeting being held shortly to deal with the situation. They had already been in contact with senior military officials. For now, Mitch had no interest in doing anything other than staring at the aliens.
The second alien approached him. Its eight appendages appeared more like four arms and four legs than spider legs. It was more than double the size of the first alien.
“What are we going to do with you?” Mitch asked.
The mustached alien bobbed its head, its wings continuing to beat. It had to have a more advanced bio-system than a hummingbird, which had to feed constantly in order to maintain its energy as it flapped its wings.
Estabrook tugged at his arm. “Lieutenant Grace, we’re meeting in two minutes regarding the visitation.”
Mitch nodded. He told a guard, “If anything happens, let me know right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What kind of shit did we step into, Pete?” Mitch asked.
“I really don’t know, sir. But I think this will be the day that changes everything.”
“You might be right.”
Upon entering the Quarter Deck, they made a pit stop at the weapons locker, where they each took pistols, just in case. They entered a large conference room. Sitting inside were a number of people including his almost fiancée Deborah. Bewildered expressions and nervous murmurs permeated the room.
“Lieutenant Grace, you are the most senior officer here,” Estabrook said. “Would you like to take the lead?”
Mitch nodded. “Ensign Estabrook, please brief everybody in the room regarding the events that led to the discovery of the two alien subjects.” When he was finished, Mitch thanked him. “Ensign Gomez, can you tell us about the chain of communication regarding today’s events?”
Marisol Gomez, a public affairs officer, nodded. “The chain of command has been followed for this incident. All of the official people, up to and including POTUS, have been made aware of the extraterrestrial presence. An effort has been made to conceal any such knowledge from the press. Admiral Wilson and the Secretary of State are en route to the base.”
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Reconquest: Mother Earth
ActionSEAL Mitch Grace was among the first humans to see the aliens when they landed at the naval base where he was stationed, but like the rest of humanity, he was powerless to stop them. Five years later, Mitch awakens from his coma under the care of...
