Extinction!

"The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night. a candle burned in the window. From high above the cabin, the alien craft watched and observed. Tchallan's fingers flew across the visual display unit, sliding across frame after frame, until he was satisfied that he was interconnected into the channels of all the homing sensors. He had just alerted all the other watchers across earth, as well as his home world on Xytron. The battle for earth had begun"!

"THE BEACON HAS BEEN ACTIVATED".

With those five words relaying this transmission across time and space, he had doomed one people, while signaling the hope for survival and the continuation of another threatened species. Tchallan could not reply fast enough, he wished that he had more than the four hands that he could conjure for emergencies, unlike the specie that he observed down below with two hands only. Questions begun to be fielded at him like they were bullets erupting from his Chronogun.

"Do the earthlings know what it means"?

"I'm sure they do not".

"Are they a good, kind species"?

"Not particularly, they are selfish and rarely care for anyone but themselves".

"Surely, there are some good ones"!

"Indeed, I have seen a few, but the rotten ones far outnumber the kind ones."

"Is it a justifiable cause based on the behavior of the many"?

"Absolutely. They deserve their fate, they are like cockroaches climbing over one another for survival, without regard for their hive".

"Harsh, but true". Intoned another watcher, considering the mayhem that he had seen on earth.

"Then we will have to eliminate them".

"Prepare for Operation Earth: Extinction"!

Xytronians were not known for their delicacy, sensitivity or subtlety. Rather, they were logic based, deductive, syllogistic beings, and reasoned only as their processes and conclusions deemed mandatory or essential. Beyond that requisite, nothing else mattered.

The final decision being made and transmitted to Tchallan, he slid his display unit to off. "Had he made the right decision", he wondered. How can he just casually condemn an entire species of organisms without even feeling the least bit of remorse. He had observed them for too long, he fancied that their freedom of expression and total disregard for logic was making him rethink his prime objective. He shook his head to clear it and returned to the matter at hand.

Tchallan refocused his attention on the scene unfolding not far from the cabin. There in the clearing surrounded by a copse of trees sat a group of campers. They were joking and trying to scare each other about the history of the cabin. How very wrong they were, these human people sitting around a fire, the fire was crackling, sending sparks and plumes of smoke into the night sky. What did it mean, he wondered, the little fire sticks they each inserted into their eating aperture with whiffs of curious smoke issuing forth like wraiths on the wind. What a curious and whimsical class of organism. He almost envied them.

He knew that they were planning to visit or enter the cabin now that the light burned again.

He could not allow it. It was his job to ensure that no one discovered what was hidden beneath that building. For years he had watched the humans and waited, while across the great expanse of their beautiful fertile world they waged war against each other. Appearing to have no regard for each other, even with free will to choose, they wantonly choose to destroy one another, to destroy the earth and atmosphere surrounding them. All this, while his kind were dying from a crumbling infrastructure and a planet whose echo system could no longer sustain them as a whole. They needed this world whose atmosphere could supplement and replenish his people.

Still, he had observed a great many acts of kindnesses from a small cross section of this species. Maybe if he could have reported more camaraderie, friendship and kindness, the two worlds may have been able to co-exist and strengthen each other. Although the universe is believed to be at least ten billion light years in diameter and contains a vast number of galaxies and still expanding, Tchallan and his fellow Watchers could find no other world which is quite as compatible with his as this Earth is. If all existing matter and space were considered as a whole, filling the Cosmos, this class of being were going against all that is natural in not loving and caring enough to honor the natural design of their purpose for their earth.

Redirecting his Xenocraft, Tchallan flew low, positioning his Chronogun, aiming it at the group. Many years ago he had been forced to vaporize a similar group. They never learn, these creatures, always doing the same thing over and over again. Now there is talk of the cottage being haunted.

Back on Xytron over the years many humans and other species had been taken for experiments to determine if their anatomy could co-exist with Xytronians. Humans alone could. Their were displays of body parts everywhere in their Xytro-Museums.

Light years before the cottage was built, many ships containing homing beacons had been buried around the earth to await the day when the process for transition from their world to this one was completed. To their chagrin and dismay, someone had built a cabin over this, the main ship. It was decided to let it remain until the time had come to begin maintenance of the homing craft. Virtual images had been deployed to rid the cabin of humans. Many virtual assistants were used to maintain and monitor the ship and keep the cabin clear. What the humans called hauntings were virtual images, sophisticated holograms. The candle was virtually activated and would burn until the ship was ready for takeoff.

Tchallan shook himself from his reverie, coming alert suddenly, one human was pointing at the sky.

"Did anyone just see a spaceship"? Ginny was pointing above the cabin.

"How many reefers and beers did you have"?, Shelby slurred her words a little, and everyone giggled.

"I swear!, look, it's parked up there just looking at us".

"Spaceships don't park, dummy, they hover".

"Holy shining", yelled Jack, "there is a ship, look"!

"Why is it hovering like that above the cabin, do you think it's guarding it. That's silly, right".

"It is weird, it's like it's watching us". Maya felt uneasy.

"We should go to the cabin now to see, come on". George jumped to his feet unsteadily. A loud whooshing sound could be heard in the distant sky as they started for the cabin.

Seconds later, a thunderous roar blasted through the trees, knocking everyone off their feet. A second bolt ripped into the two people nearest the trees, blood and gore splattered everywhere, whiffs of smoke rose from where they were last seen. Roar after roar, blast after blast pummeled the tree lines and plastered the landscape with obscene pieces of severed mutilated body parts.

They never stood a chance.

Robert, who had been peeing at the edge of the trees turned to look in horror as a blast from Tchallan's chronogun erupted inches from his feet, he didn't have time to zip his fly and tidy himself, but no one noticed, they had suddenly become sober and were running for their lives. He ran while securing his manhood as best he could.

Only two of them made it to the cover of the woods.

"They are all dead", Maya wailed. "What is happening"?

"I don't know, but let's run for the cabin, maybe we will be safe there, if that thing is guarding it, it won't destroy it".

Agreeing with Robert's logic, Maya raced closely behind him. Luckily for them the attention of the craft was redirected to the arrival of military looking helicopters, the satellites must have registered movements in space or maybe the seismic strength of the blasts had registered at NASA, or the USGS, JMA and the Military bases. Whoever was responsible, someone was doing something. Huge craters were visible where the blasts had occurred. The craters were so deep they must have registered as earthquakes or something, Maya was a Geologist, she was sure that was why the choppers had got here so fast. Weaving and skirting around the craters while keeping low, they managed to make it to the cabin, thankfully the door was not locked. Slamming the door shut behind them, they both collapsed on the floor trying to catch their breaths.

Finally able to breathe normally, they arose and looked around. It struck them immediately that they were not in an ordinary cabin. In fact they were not in a cabin at all, this was more like an elaborate and alien looking craft, instinctively they grabbed hold of each other's hands, furtively looking around for hostile alien lifeforms.

The entire interior of the ship was covered with virtual images, the screen displays were way more futuristic than they could ever have imagined. It showed the world in snaps and images. Everywhere there was terror, horror and destruction.

The world was burning!

Rushing to the window showing the now virtual candle, Robert and Maya peered out as far as they could see. There were just blackened landscape and charred earth, with greyish achromatic smoke rising as far as they could see. Turning back to the screens, they watched as the complete and total decimation of their home world unfolded while they stood helplessly by and could do nothing.

The beacons across earth had all been activated.

Death had been summoned.

All over Earth the relevant authorities deployed all the fire power and the entire might of their military, emergency response, national and international defense systems and more to protects it's people. They called on the greatest minds to find a solution. They were too late. The Xytronians had planned and strategized for a long time. Every possibility had been integrated and factored into their equation for ultimate and optimum success. They had left no room for error.

One by one countries fell. A thorough mapping of the earth had been done. As each region succumbed to the black burning death, a screen powered down. Robert and Maya stood in silent awe, helpless and dumbstruck at the great speed at which life as they knew it was disappearing before their eyes. Screen after screen went black as they watched, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia, all destroyed.

It took only one day!

Earth was no more!

Tears were streaming down Maya's cheeks, Robert was gripping her hand so hard it had gone numb. She did not even notice it at first, finally he let go and turned to look at her, they hugged and comforted each other.

"We are in North America, why are we still alive, are we still alive"? Maya wasn't sure.

"Are we the only humans to be spared from death because of this ship"? Robert mused to himself.

Maya, wondering the same thing, sat down on the nearest well arched chair and asked of no one in particular, the question posed to whatever was out there for them now.

"What do we do now"?

Shrugging his shoulders and feeling a deep sense of loss, Robert suddenly realized that the virtual attendants were no longer activated. The candle had gone out. They were totally alone with the ship. They began a tentative tour of the craft. The control room was located. No buttons, no controls, only a tiny hologram of a female-like form and a plant symbol upon the wall facing the only two seats available.

"Hello", Maya hoped for a response.

After a series of blips and static, a voice responded.

"I am Voxia"

The figure on the wall lit up. "Adjusting to your language". She said in a calm soothing voice. They discovered that the ship was equipped with everything to start a new life anywhere they wanted to go. The plant symbol held plans and secrets that would revitalize and replenish the earth in record time. This could change their lives in unimaginable ways. Yes, they would survive and thrive, maybe even encounter other souls who were saved, and one day they would reclaim the home that had been lost.

Tchallan reported the survival of the two to his superiors. He was told to annihilate them. He decided to disobey a direct order for once in his life. He would let them go free. A little bit of the fun and free will of the humans had interacted with his stiff rigor of Xytronian doctrine. Tchallan would watch them and determine over time how resourceful and enterprising they could be towards their own survival.

One day, if he were still alive, he would dearly regret that decision. But for now, the two will learn and adapt, preparing for redemption.

~ ~ ~ ~

Luchia, turning the knob on her small radio to maximum, suddenly blasted it on, breaking the silence that ensued after the end of her story.

Everyone jumped to their feet cursing and swearing, the suspense of the last hour or so finally breaking.

"Luchia, what the hell"!

"It's not funny Luchia, not funny at all"! Joey snorted in embarrassment.

"It kinda is, a little bit though, right"?

"Ok, who is ready to go to the cabin"?

"What? no, not tonight".

"I don't think so".

"Um, tired, wanna sleep".

"Are you crazy, nope"!

"Maybe in the morning".

"Come on, don't be such 'scaredy cats', it was just a story"!

"Luchia, the world just ended because a group of campers discovered a cabin with a candle in the window. Do you really want a repeat of that"?

"Did you forget the alien probing and the body parts on display, ugh"? David shuddered.

"And fire raining down from the sky, from a Chronogun, that was actually kinda cool". Chan was thinking of his video game.

"What are the odds of that happening"! Suzie laughed nervously.

In the end she finally shamed them into going to the cabin. En masse they opened the door and entered, none willing to be dubbed the coward, thirteen went in and none came back out that night.

That was a week ago today.

N.A.