THEM (Book One)

Chapter Two

    It seemed as though the aliens had won the battle. Humanity was a large species that seemed to have nothing going for them. The aliens decimated much of the population. Even before landing, they had managed to do more damage to the world than humans had ever done  themselves. They seemed to think that if they could reduce the human population to remnants in the first barrage, humanity would never recover. 

    Brock could see why they thought this would work. As he drove through wasteland and abandoned parts of cities, he could feel the very real feeling that humanity was on decline. In the first weeks after the barrage, the aliens were aggressive, crushing any semblance of all life in the initial counter attack. They destabilized the military and destroyed all weapons of mass destruction. It was fast and decisive and to them it was like an exterminator getting rid of some pesky hornets. 

    Normally these thoughts would depress Brock, make him feel hopeless, but that was not the case at all. The aliens were overzealous because they thought they had won. They enjoyed hunting for straggler humans for the labor camps. Brock learned that there were castes within the alien race. At first, this took him by surprise. 

    The ones in the area he was in were of a working class. They were not as smart as some of the rest and were easy to defeat and outsmart. Brock could not allow himself to grow too confident because, he still had to stay on his toes. He had the basic map to lead him to where the other survivors were, but even with the truck, it was a long and dangerous journey. He had to keep his supplies and gas up, all the while looking for survivors. So far, he had found none and was growing disheartened.

    It was actually difficult to think of what was left of the landscape considering what it once was. Cities, towns, notable landscape were now mostly abandoned ruins, if not destroyed altogether. He was in coastal California and drove through areas he used to know. He had problems identifying it at first but realized that he soon was heading into the area he used to live. He was home.

    Brock drove his truck through the long streets of the place he used to once consider home. Though it had only been a short time, parts of it seemed alien to him, like the world he was a part of when he lived there was a piece of ancient history. Every time he looked at something and found it familiar, he would notice a change. He looked over to a small gas station. He remembered a good family run restaurant being there. 

    However, as he went by he realized it was now just a pile of rubble. Brock was the kind of person that did not trust easily, did not find comfort easily, and it was hard for him to feel at home in the town again. He barely did before. There was definitely no comfort to be found here now.

"Is anyone out there?" A voice came in over the truck's CB radio. "Are there any survivors out there?" Brock picked up the radio. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

"Is anyone out there?" The voice repeated, indicating it as a recorded and repeated message. "I am a human survivor and we are searching for anyone else out there. We have supplies, food, and shelter at the recreation complex. If there's anyone out there and you need help, please come to us."

    As the message repeated itself again, Brock turned down the volume to think. He knew the place, having been to that recreation complex many times. He spent a year in that high school and flashes of his previous life came to the surface again. It was like he was watching highlights to a movie, one that was different than the one he was currently watching. Brock wondered if the message had been made recently, if they had moved on or the aliens had gotten them and taken them to the labor camps or worse. 

    There was also a chance that it was a trap. Either way, he had to look into it. He had to know. Brock could've just moved on and easy to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. This was what most people did. If he wanted to encourage others to open their hearts and risk themselves to others, it had to start with him. He decided that he would go to the rec center and he would at the very least, take a look.