2175 C.E.

XIV: Who Are We Now That You've Seen Us?

GEMMA: Oh my goodness. What happened to you? The police say you started a firefight with police drones! They're saying you were stealing some kind of top secret weapon and planning on using it, and I know that's not true, but when you never came home that night and they showed us all the pictures...

WILLIAM: Mom, it's all right. Yes I was in a gunfight, and yes I did have an alien weapon.

GEMMA: What? But how did you...

WILLIAM: Mom, there was something in the woods that night. I didn't know it at the time but it was one of those black ship aliens.

GEMMA: The Zaha-Katchem? Who just made first contact yesterday?

WILLIAM: Yes. You remember the footprints I found a couple of days ago when we were looking for Cynthia's sister? I tracked those into the woods last night and ran into one. We killed it and stole its gun. Then we were holed up in a cabin and the police attacked us. They shot and killed Brent. Cynthia and I had no choice except to fight back.

GEMMA: Why were they coming after you?

WILLIAM: I don't know. They just showed up at Brent's cabin and started shooting. I'm afraid they might have killed us if we hadn't had the alien laser gun.

GEMMA: Oh my goodness.

WILLIAM: I didn't even know about those aliens until yesterday. A broadcast was playing in the room we were being held in and I caught sight of it.

GEMMA: Well, is it still out there? Could they find the body and tell the Hegemony?

WILLIAM: I think the Hegemony might know. Who called the police? It wasn't either of us. Besides, the body changed after we killed it. They would even believe it's one of those aliens anymore.

GEMMA: What do you mean it changed?

WILLIAM: I mean it suddenly had fur and an extra pair of limbs. I can't explain it further than that.

GEMMA: That doesn't seem possible.

WILLIAM: Believe me, I know.

GEMMA: Listen, Billy, I have to let your Dad talk to you. Stay safe; remember they have to give you your rights.

WILLIAM: The Miranda laws haven't been in place for over a century Mom. Not since China took over the Hegemony.

GEMMA: Billy, I love you. Stay brave.

WILLIAM: I love you too, Mom. Stay safe; I don't like how this is going.

GEMMA: I will.

DAVID: Billy, are you all right?

WILLIAM: I'm fine, Dad. How's Adrian?

DAVID: Oh, he's obsessed with this lightwave anomaly he found in the woods yesterday morning. Worried about you too, but you know how he gets.

WILLIAM: I do know. Tell him to be careful; I was out there last night and I ran into one of those black ship aliens. Zaha-Katchem, right? Anyway, that's how I ended up in here. I think that they may be working with the Hegemony.

DAVID: Is it still out there?

WILLIAM: We killed it, but there might be more.

DAVID: Billy, please give me your word you were acting in self-defense.

WILLIAM: You have it. It attacked us from out of nowhere. We were lucky to survive the night.

DAVID: That's all I needed to hear. Listen, we're going to take care of this one way or another. I've already called Dan's lawyer from the Three Rivers firm. He's a good man and no one knows Hegemony law better than he does. He'll be able to represent you in any court proceedings.