Operation Rescue Locket

Beams of bright white light pierced the blackness, exposing empty streets and abandoned vehicles everywhere they roamed. The alien hovercraft drifting across the sky was always searching for humans. They took anyone caught outside to a processing center. They were very effective at their job. There weren’t many of us left.

I stopped and pressed myself against the wall of the abandoned building I was walking past. I felt my partner do the same. We could hear the distinctive whirring sound of an approaching craft. Suddenly the hovercraft appeared a few blocks away, moving perpendicular to them, its searchlights checking cars and buildings. We weren’t in immediate danger; I looked back and nodded to Miguel; he returned the nod, and we proceeded down the street.

It was slow going, making our way towards the city harbor. This city was, like every other city on earth, deserted. It wasn’t at first. Very little changed right after the invasion. Such as it was. We expected giant alien ships in the sky, having travelled hundreds or thousands of light-years to tell us we come in peace, then try to destroy us or something equally nefarious.

What we got were interdimensional beings who appeared out of nowhere. All over the Earth, simultaneously, the aliens popped into being. They were in giant suits of mechanized armor, vaguely humanoid, but massive and armed with terrifying weapons. Along with the suits of armor on the ground, those hovercraft appeared in the sky. And as soon as they did, we all knew.

Miguel and I jumped through a diner’s broken window and crossed to the open door on the other end. I looked up and saw the top floor of the next building was missing; it looked like they had torn it right off of the building. There was still some damage, of course. The fighting had been brief. By the time the world’s various militaries responded, the aliens were dug in everywhere. The world’s government centers and infrastructure were already in the alien’s possession, and with their superior technology, they conquered the Earth in a few hours.

“It looks active tonight, Lucy. Are you sure about this?” Miguel whispered from behind her.

Not looking back, I responded, “No choice, it’s tonight or never. They’ll grab her in the morning with the rest of the prisoners.”

I felt his eyes on the back of my head. I looked back at his masked face and continued, “She’s my best friend, Miguel. She stuck with me through everything since we were kids. I will not let her get EATEN by the goddamn Shats! Look, you’re right, this is hotter than we expected. If you want to pull out I understand.”

The aliens called themselves the Crishat, or something that sounded like Crishat repeated four times. We just called them the Crishat, or the Shats when we wanted to, well, shat on them.

Even though his black outfit made him blend in with the night, she sawhim shake his head. “No, we’ve got to try, for her and everyone else in there.”

I nodded and looked back out towards the street, my hand going up to my breast pocket where I kept our friendship locket. I could feel its heart shape through the fabric. We found a pair of these red heart lockets at a tourist shop, and we had to have them. It was pure luck I had kept mine, and I never thought I would need it.

When it was open, one half showed my picture, the other half showed Susan’s. It was the only picture I had of her, and I hoped it was enough for someone to point her to Susan when she broke into the holding area they were being kept in.

I could feel time ticking away. If they took Lucy to their home dimension, there was no means to bring her back. That was the genuine horror of it. After taking over, life continued almost as normal. Then we noticed the missing people. The aliens had been taking them from remote areas first, ultimately, they started grabbing people from towns and major cities.

We made demands to have them returned. The Crishat calmly informed us they didn’t meet the demands of their meals, and that we were all to be taken to feed the Crishat Imperium…... literally.

That’s when the fight really started, but it lasted only a little longer than the original invasion. The sad fact was we were too weak to stop them. It didn’t stop us from trying, though, which is why I joined the fight. I would not be food.

Nobody was. Billions gone, everybody else banded together. We were always running, always fighting. Usually losing. There had to be some way to stop the Shats. We just had to survive long enough to find it.

We eventually made it to the holding area. Surrounded by a chain-link fence with barbed wires on the top, it looked like a prison compound despite what the Shats called it. I could see the gate from our hiding spot. There were no guards. Very few escaped, and the aliens seemed rather nonchalant about those that did. Someone would capture again them.

The plan was simple enough, get into the compound, find Lucy and any others, bring them through the gate before the aliens could respond. Between Miguel’s hacking skills and my advanced stealth suit, we should be able to do it.

My partner shifted and took off his backpack. Opening it, he pulled out a small laptop. Soon he was clicking at the keyboard and complaining to himself. “Get ready,” I heard.

I pressed a button on my wrist console and felt a slight vibration in my legs as the suit powered up. Then he whistled, “I’m in! Go!” I dashed down the street, dodging the lights. My suit allowed me to run faster, and I jumped over the fence and barbed wires. I landed and waited, tense. No alarms rang, no visible alerts. Miguel had done his job.

I raced to the dormitory. I had only a pistol and a couple of grenades. The back door had no lock. Stepping in, I saw the building was unoccupied. I couldn’t see any activity or hear anything moving. I walked down the hallway to the front door and peeked through a window next to it, and let out a curse.

The area in front of the dormitory was large. There were more people than we were expecting. There were over a hundred. This was one of the smaller holding areas, and the prisoners were taken to a larger facility for dimensional travel. I couldn’t get all these people out of here unseen.

Now would be the time to declare mission failure and bug out. I turned away from the window, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t leave her there. A little voice inside asked me how I expected to get everyone out.

“Not everyone, just her,” I murmured aloud, eyes seeking Susan.

The voice asked me if I would abandon everyone else just for her.

“Yes, damn it.” I hissed. I felt a deep sense of shame.

The annoying voice inside told me I would burn in hell.

“If that’s the price I pay, then so be it.”

How was I going to make it through that mass of people unnoticed? I couldn’t see her. Then my eyes paused on a teenage boy standing not too far away.

A new plan formed. I crept to the window near him. Fortunately, he was also alone. Risking the noise, I tapped on the window twice.

He perked up. His head swung in my direction. I waved. He saw me. looked back at everyone, then looked at me again. I gestured for him to come closer. He stepped to the window, and I nodded towards the door.

The front door opened as I approached, and he walked in.

I stepped closer, “I can get you out if you help me find someone, will you?”

The kid was trembling, but he nodded.

“Okay. Okay.” reaching into my pocket. I drew out the locket and opened it. I showed him and placed my finger over Lucy’s face. “Find her, bring her here.”

He held his eyes on the picture for a moment, then glanced at me, nodding. He strode back outside. I waited, then it hit me. What if she wasn’t here? Their intel was solid, they had been positive. But what if?

Just as my alarm was about to peak, the boy appeared with Susan in tow! They strolled casually, nobody seemed to notice them going in the dorm.

The boy closed the front door as Susan spoke “Okay, I’m here. Why? oh my god, Lucy!” she flew over and hugged me.

I returned the hug and pulled back “no time, we have to go now.” grabbing her hand.

“You can get us out of here?” she asked.

“Yes, but we have to hurry! My partner has the security disabled but not for long.” I started pulling her towards the door and nodded at the boy, who was behind us.

Susan yanked her hand back. “What about the others?”

I shook my head. “They’d notice. Come on!” I reached for her hand again, but she stepped back.

“No! Lucy! We have to get everyone!” Her gaze softened slightly “thank you for coming for me, but I can’t leave without them, it’s not right.”

I growled and shook my head, “alright! get them behind the building, we’re going out the back gate.”

Susan and the kid went outside. I watched them talk and gesturing behind them. When people started heading towards the dorm, I went to the back. It was clear. I noticed people approaching and stepped to the gate, opening it. They started filing through swiftly.

Susan stepped up next to me. “I still can’t believe it. How did you find me?”

“A smart hacker and this” showing her the heart locket.

“Oh my God, you still have that!” with tears in her eyes, she stepped close and grabbed my face, kissing me. “I love you!” she exclaimed, emotions I couldn’t name shining through her eyes.

“Oh, no.” I said, a hurt look crossed her face, but then she heard it too. That distinctive whirring of a hover engine. We spun and saw a hovercraft appear over the dorm, about 30 feet above us. People started screaming, and the remaining prisoners tried to rush through the gate.

The hovercraft turned, its side door open, an alien was standing there aiming something towards the people. I knew it was a stun weapon. It would take them all out. There was only one chance, one way.

“Here!”, putting the locket in her hand. “Go!” I yelled, pointing at the gate, and ran towards the hovercraft.

“Lucy!” I heard her yell, but I kept running, feeling the power build in my legs as I pulled out a grenade and then the pin. I leaped into the air. The craft was just within range, and I clutched the edge, hanging by one arm. With the other hand, I threw the grenade in.

Too late. The alien turned to me and fired. I fell limp from the hovercraft. I smiled as hovercraft exploded and had time for one last thought as the flames engulfed me.

She loves me.

Susan screamed in denial as her friend disappeared into the flames. No! Not when they found each other! Damn them all! Suddenly she went cold inside, this wasn’t the end. She took the heart locket and placed it around her neck. letting it fall into her shirt. It felt warm against her skin.

A man in another black outfit appeared. “The others have run. Good luck to them. What about you?”

Susan wiped her eyes and replied, “I’m coming with you.”

“Welcome to the fight.”