eyes.
“We’re under attack.”
“Hank and Sally can handle it. I already killed most of them.”
“It’s the second wave.”
He slowly sat up; memories of his tour of the universe piercing his mind like a hot dagger. He’d seen so much that the news of the second wave hardly affected him.
He mumbled, “There are millions of intelligent species out there. What’s so special about us that we should be saved?”
Watson grabbed his arm and said, “Snap out of it. We need you. We should be saved because we don’t deserve to be exterminated.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Get up, dammit. People are dying.”
He thought about saying he didn’t care, but he was starting to come to his senses. He did care. He cared a lot, in fact. Just because he’d seen amazing things didn’t mean his world was any less spectacular.
He sat up and sniffed. “Where are they?”
“Can’t you hear? They’re outside. They’re swarming the base.”
Jack shook his foggy head. And then, bit by bit, the sounds of chaos came to his ears. He heard screams and the sounds of gunshot reports. It sounded like the mountain was coming down all around him.
He felt his empathic sense rise up but he was able to subdue it before it took over. He was glad for that small reprieve. He didn’t want to feel the despair of the men and women dying outside.
Watson helped him dress and then led him by the hand out of the room. He followed after the Commander like a drowsy puppy.
Jack knew his role in all of this. He was Watson’s weapon. The realization that he was being manipulated would have angered him except that he wanted to be the weapon. In fact, he was glad Watson appreciated his abilities. Or did he? He was confused still. Incoherent thoughts crowded out the sensible ones.
His legs were weak beneath him and his breath came in quick gasps. He felt discombobulated, like a head on a leash being dragged from one place to the next. All he really wanted to do now was to go back to sleep, maybe for an hour or better yet, years. Wouldn’t it just be easier to let the Greys win? All of this fighting was exhausting.
And then Sally ran up to him, bloody and crying.
That was all he needed to see to get in the moment. Someone had hurt her. The anger swelled in him to breaking point and he shrugged Watson off.
He felt his body for the first time since waking up. It felt stronger than before, like it had been tempered by fire.
Sally said, “Oh, thank God you’re awake. We’re being overrun.”
She hugged him tight. Her body shook from fear and adrenaline.
Jack rubbed his eyes and said, “Well, let’s go and kill some Greys.”
Watson nodded but Sally shook her head. She said, “You don’t understand. There are thousands of them out there. You’ll never beat them all. You need to get us out of here.”
Jack looked to Watson for confirmation.
He said, “She’s right. We might be better off escaping if you don’t think you can defeat them.”
Jack said incredulously, “You overestimate my powers. I can’t kill thousands of them.”
“Then we should run.”
“Where’s my mom?”
“She’s fine. I’ll send for her.”
“Gather everyone together and I’ll teleport us out of here. Once we regroup, we’ll take the fight to them but on our terms.”
Escape
When Watson returned and said, “This is it,” referring to the small group of soldiers as the only survivors, it nearly broke Jack’s heart. The Greys had had a field day. But the important thing was that Hank, Sally, Watson, and his mom were there. Those were the people he cared about and they’d all survived against all odds. The six additional soldiers were just a cherry on top.
Sally said, “Everyone needs to grab a hold of him.”
They all reached in but nothing happened. Jack wouldn’t do it.
The silence became deafening as they waited in rapt anticipation.
Jack said, “Let me try it by myself first. I’m a bit worried I might teleport us
“We’re under attack.”
“Hank and Sally can handle it. I already killed most of them.”
“It’s the second wave.”
He slowly sat up; memories of his tour of the universe piercing his mind like a hot dagger. He’d seen so much that the news of the second wave hardly affected him.
He mumbled, “There are millions of intelligent species out there. What’s so special about us that we should be saved?”
Watson grabbed his arm and said, “Snap out of it. We need you. We should be saved because we don’t deserve to be exterminated.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Get up, dammit. People are dying.”
He thought about saying he didn’t care, but he was starting to come to his senses. He did care. He cared a lot, in fact. Just because he’d seen amazing things didn’t mean his world was any less spectacular.
He sat up and sniffed. “Where are they?”
“Can’t you hear? They’re outside. They’re swarming the base.”
Jack shook his foggy head. And then, bit by bit, the sounds of chaos came to his ears. He heard screams and the sounds of gunshot reports. It sounded like the mountain was coming down all around him.
He felt his empathic sense rise up but he was able to subdue it before it took over. He was glad for that small reprieve. He didn’t want to feel the despair of the men and women dying outside.
Watson helped him dress and then led him by the hand out of the room. He followed after the Commander like a drowsy puppy.
Jack knew his role in all of this. He was Watson’s weapon. The realization that he was being manipulated would have angered him except that he wanted to be the weapon. In fact, he was glad Watson appreciated his abilities. Or did he? He was confused still. Incoherent thoughts crowded out the sensible ones.
His legs were weak beneath him and his breath came in quick gasps. He felt discombobulated, like a head on a leash being dragged from one place to the next. All he really wanted to do now was to go back to sleep, maybe for an hour or better yet, years. Wouldn’t it just be easier to let the Greys win? All of this fighting was exhausting.
And then Sally ran up to him, bloody and crying.
That was all he needed to see to get in the moment. Someone had hurt her. The anger swelled in him to breaking point and he shrugged Watson off.
He felt his body for the first time since waking up. It felt stronger than before, like it had been tempered by fire.
Sally said, “Oh, thank God you’re awake. We’re being overrun.”
She hugged him tight. Her body shook from fear and adrenaline.
Jack rubbed his eyes and said, “Well, let’s go and kill some Greys.”
Watson nodded but Sally shook her head. She said, “You don’t understand. There are thousands of them out there. You’ll never beat them all. You need to get us out of here.”
Jack looked to Watson for confirmation.
He said, “She’s right. We might be better off escaping if you don’t think you can defeat them.”
Jack said incredulously, “You overestimate my powers. I can’t kill thousands of them.”
“Then we should run.”
“Where’s my mom?”
“She’s fine. I’ll send for her.”
“Gather everyone together and I’ll teleport us out of here. Once we regroup, we’ll take the fight to them but on our terms.”
Escape
When Watson returned and said, “This is it,” referring to the small group of soldiers as the only survivors, it nearly broke Jack’s heart. The Greys had had a field day. But the important thing was that Hank, Sally, Watson, and his mom were there. Those were the people he cared about and they’d all survived against all odds. The six additional soldiers were just a cherry on top.
Sally said, “Everyone needs to grab a hold of him.”
They all reached in but nothing happened. Jack wouldn’t do it.
The silence became deafening as they waited in rapt anticipation.
Jack said, “Let me try it by myself first. I’m a bit worried I might teleport us
Similar Books
