Chapter Text
Jack rocked in a chair on the porch of his house, watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon, colouring the sky in shades of scarlet and orange. Another hard day's work had come to an end, and now he could finally relax a little. In his former life he would have celebrated this moment with a couple of cold beers, but now it was an unacceptable luxury. Just like so many other things he was used to.
With a heavy sigh, Jack turned his eyes to his field, where a light breeze rippled the rows of potato haulm. It was a very risky experiment. No one in the community had ever planted summer crops in October, but the climate was changing rapidly, so they all had to adapt to these changes. Last summer, which they barely survived, was incredibly hot and dry, and if the next one is the same or worse, they will have to forget about growing food at that time. The only favorable season will be from fall to spring. So they had no choice.
Many people thought it wouldn't work. The old farmers were horrified at the very thought of it and insisted that the cold weather was coming and the crops would die. But they were all wrong. The year was coming to an end, but there was still no sign of the cold weather and snow. Moreover, the weather became unusually warm just like late spring, and it seemed likely to persist. The grass, scorched by the relentless summer sun, had turned green again, as if nature had forgotten that it was time to hibernate for the winter.
Though the crops took root nicely, he still had to take care of them a lot in these new, unusual conditions to keep them growing well. Yes, the weather became much milder than in summer, but because of the shorter daylight hours the seedlings were not getting enough sun and their growth was worse than usual. Another problem was the rain. Only months ago, Jack and his neighbours had been praying for a few more drops of rain, but now there was too much of it. These almost tropical downpours were sometimes so heavy that they threatened to flood the fields, so Jack had to keep a close eye on the drainage ditches to save the crops from ruin.
And now, the result of his efforts was before him. The crops looked pretty good, so Jack didn't lose hope of getting a harvest. Of course, it would be worse than the summer one, but even a meager harvest is better than starving to death.
The hum of the generator broke the peaceful silence and pulled Jack from his thoughts. He looked up and saw that his neighbours' house and the Christmas tree in their backyard were lit up with twinkling lights. The children and adults gathered around it cheered with delight, as if they had witnessed a wondrous miracle. However, for those who were now living by candlelight, it was definitely an event. Fuel was always in short supply, so they only used generators when absolutely necessary, such as for powering water pumps, but today was a special day, for which an exception could be made.
Christmas Eve.
It wasn't just to entertain the children. After months of chaos, loss, despair, and uncertainty, everyone wanted to forget about everything around them for a while and just enjoy the holiday, like in the good old days. There may have been no more snow, no more pre-holiday hustle and bustle, and no more crowded stores, but Christmas was still Christmas. A magical time when dreams and wishes come true.
Though Jack had long since stopped believing in the magic of Christmas, he too had a cherished wish. And somewhere deep inside, Jack hoped that it would really come true. That one day he would wake up and everything that had happened would turn out to be just a terrible nightmare.
He celebrated last Christmas in very different circumstances. Finally out of a toxic marriage, free of any obligations, he felt as light as he'd ever felt before. He had a small but cozy home, a good job at an auto repair shop, and confidence in the future. And the world was... normal? Jack couldn't find a more accurate word to describe it. The familiar order of things seemed so unshakable that he didn't even think that something could radically change it. If someone had told him then what would happen in a year, he would have just laughed.
There may have been earlier signs that something was wrong, but Jack didn't notice them. He rarely cared about global events, believing that following them was a waste of time and nerves. He was very comfortable living in his own bubble – work, home, hanging out with friends on weekends and during baseball and hockey games, shooting ranges and all that. Only local and sports news really interested him.
When the entire city suddenly lost power in the middle of the workday, Jack didn’t think much of it. Outages had happened before, but they were never an issue for more than a few hours. He was absolutely certain it would be fixed by evening. Shrugging, he started the generator and continued repairing an important client’s car.
But when Jack returned home from work, the power was still out. And even the next morning, all he could do was futilely flick the light switch, cursing the unreliable equipment and the utility company that cut corners on everything.
With each passing day, the situation in Minneapolis grew worse. Such a long power outage brought everyday urban life to a complete collapse. Water supply stopped, sewage systems failed. Internet and TV went offline, and with spotty mobile service, making calls was nearly impossible. The roads, with their dead traffic lights, descended into chaos. Most diners, supermarkets, and stores shut down, fuel and food supplies were rapidly depleted, and shortages were felt quite quickly.
Every night in Minneapolis brought a wave of chaos. Stepping onto the city’s pitch-black streets, a lone passerby was doomed to lose their wallet or even their life. The police were completely overwhelmed by the flood of reports about robberies, looting, vandalism, assaults, and other crimes. Screams, sounds of fighting, gunshots, police sirens, and megaphones became the new soundscape of the night.
Safety was no longer guaranteed, not even at home. The city was overrun with organised armed groups of looters and robbers who didn’t spare even the poorest homes. Jack didn't want to push his luck and barricaded his windows and doors with whatever he could find, turning his house into a fortress. Though a National Guard checkpoint stood just a block away, he barely slept each night, expecting someone to try to break in.
It took about four days for the emergency services to deal with the worst consequences of the failures and at least partially restore power supply. But to Jack, it felt like an eternity.
He turned on the TV, hoping to find some reliable information. During those crazy four days, he had heard so many different rumors that his head was spinning. He wanted clear answers about what had happened and what to prepare for.
But Jack quickly realised that things were much worse than he had thought. And it wasn't that the craziest rumor had been confirmed: the blackouts affected not only Minneapolis, but the entire United States and even many other countries around the world, as if someone had flipped one big switch.
He saw that no one understood what was going on.
Politicians, as usual, made a circus out of it. Some of them blamed certain “hostile forces” for what had happened, hinting at foreign cyberattacks, sabotage, and subversion, and did not miss the opportunity to score political points by criticizing their opponents for inaction and failures. Others called on people to keep calm and assured them that the situation was under control, but did it so unconvincingly that even a complete fool would realise it was a lie. Politicians always spout soothing nonsense when they don't know what to say, and Jack was sure that this was exactly the case.
But even eminent scientists and experts, who suddenly became popular guests on talk shows, sat in studios with faces like fish out of water and could only shrug their shoulders. They talked about geomagnetic activity, solar flares, and other obscure things, generously sprinkling difficult-to-pronounce terms, but never explaining anything concrete. Sometimes they disagreed so strongly with their colleagues that they even had heated exchanges on live television.
Well, if even scientists don't know, Jack thought, realizing that the only one he could count on was himself.
Of course, he was far from the only one to whom such a simple revelation came. As soon as the supermarkets reopened, crowds of panicked people rushed to buy everything that could be useful in any way for survival. Food, water, medicine, fuel, batteries, generators, candles – everything sold out faster than they could be brought in, so many stores have imposed limits on the quantity of items per customer.
Prices rose incredibly fast, but the excitement only increased. Lines stretched for entire blocks, sometimes miles. Often people even had to sleep in the open air to keep their place in line. Only thanks to the unusually warm spring weather, which broke all temperature records, these unfortunate people did not suffer from hypothermia at night.
Jack spent several days in such lines, spending all his money while it was still worth something, preparing his Plan B. He was horrified at how quickly people overwhelmed by fear, despair, hatred and frustration lost their humanity. Those who had recently made plans for their lives were now struggling to get a bottle of water or a few canned foods and were ready to fight for them. Any little thing could become a cause of conflict. People shouted, fought, pushed, cursed each other, and sometimes it ended in stabbings or even shootings.
In those days, people were ruled not only by fear, but also by anger. Though the authorities officially announced that the worst effects of the blackout had been eliminated, power, water and goods supply disruptions occurred again and again. People were tired of living in constant tension and uncertainty, and each new problem only fuelled discontent even more.
Small spontaneous demonstrations that began at the beginning of the blackout turned into large-scale protests that spread like wildfire across the country. Tens and hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets and demanded not only the return of normal life, but also firm guarantees that the Great Darkness – as the global blackout was dubbed in the media – would not happen again.
At first, demonstrations remained peaceful. The streets and squares of cities became centers of social life where people exchanged news, shared food and other things, supported each other in every possible way, and hoped that their voices would be heard and things would go back to the way they were. But as the days passed, nothing changed, and that faith melted away. Instead of hope for a quick solution, there was only disappointment, annoyance and anger because of the belated, ineffective and stupid actions of the authorities, especially the federal authorities.
People's patience was exhausted when in LA the police and the National Guard tried to dismantle the barricades and used weapons against demonstrators who tried to prevent them. The footage of the dispersal was stunning to anyone who saw it. In response to this brutality, violent clashes with law enforcement and riots broke out across the country, accompanied by arson, looting and assaults.
Minneapolis was one of the first cities where this madness began. Jack had been smart enough to stay away, but the city was rapidly becoming a trap. All his friends hurried to get away and advised him to do the same, but he still hesitated, putting off his Plan B. He had a feeling that if he did it now, there would be no turning back. He wanted to make sure there was no other way out first before he abandoned everything.
And he was finally convinced of this when the city was once again completely plunged into darkness.
Just two days before, the President had addressed the nation, promising that the blackouts would not happen again and that all those affected would be helped. He also called for the violence to stop, and – to Jack's great surprise – it worked. Perhaps people were so desperate that even the word of a man whom many thought was a liar, a conman and a grifter had an effect, and passions subsided somewhat in anticipation of a light at the end of the tunnel.
But all hopes collapsed when it turned out that nothing was over yet, and a new wave of total blackouts swept across the planet. The riots erupted with renewed vigor, and Jack doubted they would stop anytime soon.
After stuffing all his belongings into the pickup truck, Jack drove to his father's farm in Idaho. It was a small farm in the middle of nowhere, a quiet and peaceful place in a valley near the mountains where he'd spent his entire childhood. Fresh air, farm food, and lots of manual labor he loved to do. He couldn't think of a better place to wait for the federal government to finally pull its head out of its ass and fix all the problems.
It was a very difficult road. Jack was avoiding highways and major roads, full of refugees and police checkpoints, and was using mostly detours. GPS didn't work, so he had to use a paper map, follow the signs and ask the locals for directions, just like in the good old days. Still, he got lost a couple of times, driving into some impassable wilderness, though there was a road on the map. Only thanks to his sense of direction did he get back on the right road.
Jack drove as long as he could, stopping only in case of necessity, like to refuel, get a snack or a short nap. He had no doubt that smart asses like him were a prime target for robbers and looters, so getting relaxed was a death sentence. He'd already seen a few burnt-out car wrecks on the roadsides and in the middle of fields, and he wasn't planning to become one of those poor souls.
But luck was on Jack's side. Only once, in South Dakota, he had to get the most out of his pickup truck to throw off the tail of some jerks, but overall the trip was trouble-free. After two days of fighting fatigue, nerves, and miles of country roads, Jack finally reached Green Valley, Idaho.
The town was unusually lively. The last time Jack had been here was five years ago, at his mother's funeral, and it was a depressing sight: a backwater where only a dozen old farmers lived, and most of the farms around were abandoned. But now there were a lot of new people and there was a hurricane of activity everywhere. Green Valley was experiencing a second birth.
After a warm meeting with his father Tom and a short rest, Jack got to work, which was plenty. But besides working on his farm, he also helped his new neighbours who turned out to be very nice people. They were mostly the children and grandchildren of local farmers, neighbours of old Tom, who had also moved here with their families to wait out the global instability, so Jack quickly became a part of the community. Nothing unites like a common trouble.
Jack loved how all the people here tried to help and support each other in any way they could, unlike in Minneapolis. He didn't say no to anyone either and helped rebuild old houses, fix fences, barns, plow overgrown weedy fields and things like that. Jack was so absorbed in this big family atmosphere that he felt good for the first time in a while. No anxiety or nervousness, only peace and tranquility.
Spending his days up to his neck in work, summer came before Jack even knew it. The first half of it was quite hot. There were only three or four days when the sun was covered by clouds and a cool breeze blew across the fields, and when it rained, it was a real gift. But then any sign of clouds was gone, and the sun was blazing again even stronger than before, as if trying to get revenge for its recent defeat.
But that was just the beginning. The truly scorching heat wave hit Idaho in mid-July. It was literally a heat wave: there was almost no wind, and it was easy to see the hot air rippling in waves over the parched, cracked earth. Every breath was torture: the hot, dry air burned the nose and throat like steam from a boiling kettle, so people sometimes had to force themselves to breathe.
The sun now seemed to be not just shining, but burning everything around. Though Jack and the other residents of Green Valley had managed to cover the fields with shade net canopies and prepare the beds for the hot weather just in time, that didn't mean they could now sit back and relax. It was necessary to check the condition of the seedlings, keep a close eye on the moisture level of the beds, and regulate watering every day, spending almost all the time from dawn to dusk in the heat. The farmers went out into the fields looking like mummies, with wet rags wrapped around their heads and wrists to cool their bodies and last a little longer under the blazing sun. But at noon and for a couple of hours after, all work stopped – the heat became so unbearable that being out of the shade was like death even for the most resilient, let alone the elderly. The heat did not spare those who decided to play the hero, punishing them with heatstroke.
But even after sunset the hot weather did not let up. The stifling heat kept people awake, tossing and turning in their beds, covered in sweat from head to toe. Once exhausted, they went on a nighttime pilgrimage to the water tanks to cool off a little. Only those who were tired during the day or who preferred to sleep on the floor, like Jack, slept well. Yes, it wasn't as soft as a bed, but at least it was much cooler.
By autumn, the weather turned much milder. Though the heat still came back sometimes, it wasn't as unbearable as before, and Jack, like everyone else, slowly got used to it. The old folks who had lived in Green Valley all their lives said there had never been a drought like this before, and Jack's father grumbled that “those damn eggheads were right about global warming.” Jack was also skeptical about this, considering it an attempt to make money from environmental projects, but now he has seen it for himself.
To everyone's surprise, the harvest was not as bad as many had expected. Their hard daily work had paid off, and now they had enough food not only to feed themselves and stock up in case of another drought, but also to trade. After such a terrible summer, Jack had no doubt that a large potato tuber would be no less valuable than a gold bar from Fort Knox. And he was damn right – when he and his father went to a neighbouring town to buy something, he learned that the dollar had finally become worthless paper, but a sack of potatoes could be exchanged for fuel, spare parts, ammunition, and other necessary items at a pretty good rate.
Since then, Jack often travelled with old Tom or other neighbours to nearby towns to do a little trading and find out the latest news. However, there wasn't much news, since even the radio was dead, and the only sources of information were other traders and the rare travellers. There were rumors that the drought had affected not only Idaho, but many other states as well; that large cities were half abandoned and in total chaos; that serious conflicts had broken out between states and feds; that the ocean level had risen and flooded many coastal cities, and all that. It was hard to know what was true and what was fake when there was no way to check.
Of course, not everything was so rosy. Pretty soon, Green Valley, with its food supplies, attracted all kinds of looters and other scumbags. This was expected, so Jack and former Marine Adrian took care of the defence in advance. They trained everyone who could hold a gun in shooting, and also organised watch duty and patrols of the territory. Thanks to this, they repelled marauders several times who tried to sneak into the barns under cover of night.
However, there were more and more looters, and they were often armed. An attack on Green Valley by a more organised and numerous gang seemed to be a matter of time, so many people were talking about how they needed to find better protection as soon as possible. But no one knew where to seek protection when the authorities did not care about it.
As it turned out, Green Valley attracted not only looters, but also those who were interested in its prosperity.
One day, an army jeep arrived in town with armed men in US Army uniforms. When the townspeople, including Jack, gathered around them, their commander announced that they were from the “Idaho militia” and represented the “provisional military government of Idaho.” He said that the former US government had effectively ceased to exist, the country was plunged into chaos and civil war, and the area was swarming with armed gangs. He offered the farmers protection in exchange for the food they grew.
The atmosphere at that moment was very tense. Many believed that this was just a bluff and an attempt to intimidate them and were extremely outraged by such blatant robbery. It all sounded too crazy to be true (though later they found out that it was). And only because Adrian recognised one of his former fellow soldiers as the commander, it was possible to prevent a serious conflict and establish a peaceful dialogue.
It was indeed a fair deal. Yes, now part of the harvest was given to the military as a tax, and the men of Green Valley joined the state militia, becoming something like new militiamen, but Green Valley regained its peace. From that moment on, marauders were no longer seen here, and life gradually returned to normal.
This crazy year was finally coming to an end. Though Jack knew that no miracle would happen in the coming year and that the old world would not return, at least there was now some stability in life, which he had dreamed of since it all began.
Hearing someone's slow footsteps, Jack turned his head toward the guest. It was Adrian who was also admiring the neighbours' holiday decorations.
“Yeah, the guys did a great job,” Adrian said approvingly. “Why don't you and your father join in? Allen and Marge invited everyone! Or come to my place, my girls have cooked a lot of yummy stuff!”
“Dad’s at the Robinsons' today,” Jack replied. "And I'm not really in a festive mood, you know. I don't want to spoil the holiday for people. But thanks for the invitation.”
“Come on, you wouldn't spoil anything. Everyone would be happy to see you,” Adrian said with an encouraging smile, but then a look of concern appeared on his face. “Hey, bro, are you okay? You don't seem like yourself.”
Jack hesitated for a couple of seconds, but then replied:
“Oh, don't mind me,” he waved his hand. "It's just... it's just that today is exactly one year since I thought I had started a new life, but I didn't think it would be like this. Sometimes I look back and can't believe we lived differently before."
“Yeah, this shit took everyone by surprise. Many people still haven't dealt with it,” Adrian sighed, sitting down in another chair nearby. He put his bag down in front of him, and something clinked inside it. “But hey, we'll get through this no matter what happens. Look around, we've already proven that. The most important thing is to stick together and never give up! What do you say?"
“Yes, you're right,” Jack said, smiling slightly. “What's done is done. We need to go on. Screw all this bullshit.”
“I like that spirit better!” said Adrian. “Well, since you don't want to go anywhere’, how about celebrating Christmas right here? I think I have something you really need right now.”
“Really?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “I'm intrigued!”
When Adrian pulled two frosty beer bottles out of his bag and handed him one with a sly grin, Jack gasped in surprise:
“Oh, you!” He twirled the bottle in his hands. It was definitely a new batch, not old stock, judging by the poorly printed label. “But where did you get it?”
“The guys from Nampa have started brewing again,” Adrian replied, opening the bottles. “Not much yet, though. You know, you can’t brew much beer with this damn drought. So consider yourself lucky to get a very limited edition. Merry Christmas, Jack!”
“Merry Christmas,” Jack replied and clinked bottles with him.
He took a few deep gulps. It was delicious and truly worthy of being called a limited edition.
“Well, feel better now?” Adrian asked.
“I guess so,” Jack replied with a smile.
“See! Told ya life is getting better, man!” Adrian took another sip of beer and looked at the potato field. “Oh, yours looks pretty good! Mine isn’t doing so well.”
“My dad said this variety will grow even above the Arctic Circle, but he always says things like that,” Jack said. “We’ll see how it goes. We may need to get a different variety or plant it some other way. There isn’t much sun in winter after all.”
“Yes, but it's worth a try. Those guys from Iraq, well, the ones who started all these farms, they did the same thing thousands of years ago, selecting the best. It seems that now we are those guys.”
“Yes, I suppose we're not far from them now,” Jack replied.
They took their time and prolonged the pleasure until the very last ray of sunlight. Soon, the first stars appeared in the sky, as well as the fast-moving, flickering bluish dots that Jack saw every day.
“Satellites,” Adrian muttered. "The guys at HQ said that no one controls them anymore. Not us, not the Russians, not the Chinese. All control centers are down, except maybe some military ones. Can you imagine how much junk we have in orbit? And it's all going to fall on someone's head. I hope it's not us."
Suddenly, several dots separated from the group and began to fall somewhere beyond the horizon.
“See! That's what I was talking about!”
But Jack's attention was drawn to other, very small bluish lights that appeared quite low above the hills in the distance. And they seemed to be getting closer to them.
“Look, what's that?” he pointed with an empty bottle at the glowing thing.
“Where? Hmm... No clue,” Adrian replied when he also saw the lights. “It seems too low for a satellite. Looks like airplane lights.”
“Let's see,” Jack said, reaching for the binoculars on the table.
At first, the thing was too far away, and its outline was hard to see against the dark sky. But when it flew closer and Jack could see it better, his eyes bugged out.
It didn't look like any flying machine Jack had ever seen.
Only its oblong shape resembled an airship, but that was where the similarity to human technology ended. In every other way, it looked as alien as possible. It was some kind of crazy mixture of a science fiction spaceship and an insect. Its entire massive white hull was covered with large round bulging protrusions that resembled segments of protective carapace. Four powerful landing gears hung below, ready to bear the entire weight of the massive craft.
The bluish lights that Jack had spotted from afar turned out to be something like large portholes that looked like insect eyes. But there were also dozens of other smaller lights on the sides and bottom, and they pulsed – perhaps they were engines? It was hard to say. But this craft flew completely silently, even though it was already quite close. So it definitely wasn't some kind of conventional turbines or thrusters, but something much more advanced. Something that humans had never made before.
Jack squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, but the flying machine hadn't gone anywhere and was still moving across the sky. He slowly lowered his binoculars and looked at Adrian in shock.
“I really hope this is just a hallucination from your limited edition beer,” he said, handing him the binoculars. “Take a look at this.”
Adrian snorted in surprise and pressed the binoculars to his eyes. And when he saw what was coming right at them, his jaw dropped in amazement. He jumped to his feet in a moment, as if he had been sitting on a hot frying pan.
“Holy shit!” Adrian exclaimed and ran out onto the lawn, hoping to get a better look at the craft. Jack hurried after him. “Is this thing straight out of Star Wars?”
“I don't know, but it looks very strange,” said Jack. “Like some kind of beetle or something…”
“Doesn't matter what it looks like. Look how huge it is! I'd bet my dick it's a transport ship, a fucking C-5 Intergalaxy! Or a mothership!”
“Yeah...”
They stood silently, mesmerised by this incredible sight. Jack almost forgot how to breathe as his gaze was locked on the soaring giant. Though it was not yet clear who they were and what intentions they had, he felt a growing sense of anxiety about the future that awaited them all. Yes, they didn't start with orbital strikes or something like that, which was definitely a good sign. But at the same time, they arrived without warning, as if it was their own home – it didn't seem like they were seeking peaceful coexistence.
He threw those thoughts away, not wanting to wind himself up even more. He couldn't change anything anyway, even if he wanted to. All he could do was watch and hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Soon the unknown craft approached Green Valley close enough for other residents to notice it. People dropped everything and rushed out of their homes; the celebration was abandoned. Children pointed to the sky and shouted, “Look, it's aliens!” while adults looked up in confusion, not understanding what was happening.
"All right, I'll call HQ and report this, and you keep your eyes on that thing. Watch carefully where it's going!" Adrian said hurriedly, handed Jack the binoculars and ran to the post office where there was an army field phone. The military had installed them in every settlement for emergency communications, and the arrival of a huge unknown flying object was definitely a good enough reason to make a call.
As Jack watched the craft fly silently over his head, his mind was filled with questions. Who they were, those inside? What do they look like? He could only think of the stereotypical aliens from movies, with huge heads and small bodies. But that was all just people's imagination. What was the reality? And who were humans to them? Did they see them as another intelligent civilization or as ants scurrying beneath their feet, unworthy of attention?
So many questions that no one had an answer for.
“What the heck is going on here?” It was his father, back from visiting. “What is this crap?
“I dunno, Dad. Aliens, probably. Maybe Martians,” Jack smiled sarcastically. “Or Venusians. Or Alpha Centaurians. Who would you prefer?
“I would rather they get their space asses out of here, whoever they are,” the old man replied. “We already have enough problems here.”
“Yes, but I'm afraid they have a different opinion on this matter.”
“Who cares? Where are these military guys we pay? We already shot down a saucer in 1947, so what's the problem now? Let them shoot down that bastard if it doesn't fly away. But not over my house!”
Jack sighed heavily, not even trying to explain that it wasn't that simple. He didn't know anyone more stubborn, so it would have been completely pointless.
“Adrian is in contact with them right now,” Jack replied. “Maybe they'll find a way.”
Adrian didn't take long to show up. An old red Chevy pickup truck roared around the corner, cutting through the darkness with its headlights, and screeched to a halt right in front of Jack and his father.
“They're everywhere!” he exclaimed excitedly, jumping out of the car. “Similar things have been spotted over Boise, Idaho Falls, Moscow, and God knows where else! This is a full-scale invasion!”
“Oh shit!” Jack blurted out in frustration. He watched as the craft flew further into the mountains and silently thanked God that they hadn't paid any attention to Green Valley.
“So, are we going to fight those little green men or what?” old Tom asked.
"Well, not right now, sir. Before we do anything, we need to study the enemy, find out their numbers, weapons, and their vulnerabilities. The military is already working on that. But the guys can't be everywhere at once, so I'm going to follow that ship and see what they're going to do. And I could really use some company…” Adrian looked at Jack. “Hey, Jack, what do you say? Looks like I can't count on anyone else right now."
“Just the two of us? Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jack frowned.
“Well, yes, that will be enough for a small reconnaissance mission. We'll just follow where they're going and come right back. We're not going to get involved in anything serious.”
“But what if they land?”
“I don't think they'll do that in the mountains, you know, there's almost nowhere to land such a big ass like this… But even if they somehow do, we won't make contact with them or anything like that. We'll just watch from a safe distance and leave.”
Jack hesitated. It still seemed risky, but he didn't want to leave his friend alone. And he knew that Adrian wouldn't ask for help unless he really needed it.
“Alright, let's roll,” he said, climbing into the pickup truck. “Let’s see how it goes.”
“Hey, so what should I tell the people?” Jack’s father asked.
“Tell them everything will be fine and we’ll be back soon!” Jack shouted, leaning out of the window as Adrian stepped on the gas and the car sped off.
It was like riding an angry bull. Jack knew that Adrian was a speed demon who despised the brakes, but this time he had outdone himself. He drove so fast that the car almost flew over the bumps and rocked from side to side at every turn. If it hadn't been for the seat belt, Jack would hardly have stayed in the seat and would have hit his head on something, vomiting all over the place.
But it was the only way to keep up. While Adrian tried his best to stay on the winding mountain road and not to crash the car into a tree or get stuck in some ditch, Jack kept an eye on the alien visitor, only occasionally looking at the map to give Adrian directions. And yet he almost missed the moment when the craft, which had been flying straight ahead all this time, suddenly began to manoeuvre.
“Hey, wait, they're up to something! Stop!” Jack shouted.
After stopping the car, Adrian and Jack watched as the craft circled the mountains several times, hovered in one spot, then began to descend slowly and finally disappeared behind the ridge.
“What the...?” Adrian muttered. “Give me the map!”
Jack unfolded the worn map and shone his flashlight on it.
“We're around here,” he said, pointing at the map.
“And they're somewhere around here…” Adrian traced his finger across the ridge to the nearest valley.
“Hey, look, it's a Forest Service airstrip!” Jack exclaimed. “Well, I mean, there used to be.”
"Yes, but they flew past so many more suitable places only to land in the middle of mountains and forests on this patch of land?”
“Maybe they want to do it secretly?”
"Then why did they fly right over us and reveal themselves? I'm sure they saw all of us, but they did it anyway. It doesn't make sense. No, there's something else here..." Adrian studied the map a little more. “Hmm, looks like there's a good spot here where we can see everything clearly. Let's take a look at them.”
They set off again, but this time they drove straight ahead, overcoming thickets, fallen trees and snags, boulder fields on the mountain slopes, and even a small creek. When they reached the slope opposite the old airstrip, they moved the car under the cover of trees and continued on foot. Adrian slung his rifle over his shoulder, and Jack took the shotgun, just in case.
Adrian and Jack walked through the forest very carefully, checking every step. It was very easy to twist or break a leg in all these thickets and roots, especially at night. Besides, they didn't know if the aliens were watching this slope, so they spoke very quietly and stepped from toe to heel so as not to accidentally crunch a branch or something else.
“Hey,” Adrian asked. “Maybe you know if there's anything else nearby that might interest them? I just can't figure it out.”
“I dunno. It's completely wild here, nothing but mountains and dense forests for miles around,” Jack replied. “Well, there are also lakes, creeks, and springs if they need water... Hmm, you know, there must be lots of caves and old mines around here too. My father said that gold and other stuff used to be mined in these places, but the mines have been abandoned for a long time. Spelunkers and other crazy people liked to crawl through them.”
“Mh-mmm...” Adrian muttered thoughtfully, then suddenly stopped and turned to face Jack. “Wait a minute, you said ‘caves and mines’?”
“Yes,” Jack said in surprise, then chuckled. “But you don't think they came just for our minerals, do you? That seems a bit petty for those who fly through space.”
“No, that's not the point,” Adrian said. “I mean, they're good shelters from a military point of view. They can easily hide a lot of personnel and equipment there, even from the most heavy air strikes. Damn, if it's really what I think it is, it makes sense! They're being cautious. To be honest, if I were their commander, I would do the same thing."
When they finally reached the observation point Adrian had chosen, on a small ledge covered by bushes and trees, an incredible sight unfolded before them.
Of course, such a massive thing couldn't fit on an airstrip designed only for small planes, but there was plenty of flat ground around it. The landing gear dug right into the forest surrounding the airstrip, and the huge hull of the craft now hung over the whole area. And creatures were coming out of it; a lot of creatures whose alien origin Jack had no doubt about. Though the exit was quite high above the ground, this was not a problem for the aliens, because they were not humanoids or any other alien creatures.
They were beetles. Large, flying beetles.
“Oh, fuck...” Adrian whispered hoarsely when he saw them too.
Jack counted at least three species, but he was no expert.
The first species was the largest. They were something a cross between a giant wasp and a giant grasshopper, with large wings and powerful back legs ready to jump. Their abdomen was pointed at the end, and their shell was completely black, though Jack noticed that sometimes it shimmered with different colours for some reason, just like the Christmas lights on the neighbour's house.
The second species was very similar to the first, but noticeably smaller and with a more rounded abdomen at the end. Perhaps it was the same species, but younger, or perhaps some subspecies; he did not know.
But the third species was very different from the other beetles. Though they were different in shape, Jack thought they belonged to the same species, just with different variations. Some were round like dung beetles, and some were thinner, with mandibles like giant stag beetles. Others were more oval, with long antennae or feelers like giant iridescent cockroaches. Their shells were blue, green, purple, and other colours with a metallic sheen that was clearly visible in the moonlight. They all had one thing in common: their size. They were somewhere between “pointed” and “rounded” in length, but much wider.
The beetles were not only large but also quite strong. They extracted a variety of equipment from within the craft, which was clearly of artificial origin. Jack saw four “pointed” aliens easily pull out a large transparent cylinder and fly away with it somewhere into the mountains. A few more followed shortly after, carrying a bunch of long hoses or tubes, or maybe wires.
They worked together like ants or something, and it seemed like they had their own hierarchy too. The “pointed” beetles clearly stood out from the rest. There were more of them than the others, and they kept slightly apart, as if controlling everything that was happening. Perhaps they were dominant, and all the other species were their servants or pets.
“Houston, we've got fucking problems,” Adrian whispered, photographing the ship and the aliens with an old film camera. “A lot of big fucking problems.”
“Yeah. And it looks like you were right. Well, almost right,” Jack said. “I doubt these buzzers are building cities. More like hives. And now they've found a good place for it. Hello, new neighbors.”
“Fuck those neighbors!”
As Jack continued to watch the aliens landing, he couldn't shake the unpleasant feeling that someone was watching him. He looked around a couple of times but didn't see anyone, so he thought he was just being too nervous.
But when he lowered his binoculars again to rub his tired eyes, he heard a strange sound, almost inaudible against the distant buzzing of the beetles. Even Adrian didn't pay any attention to it, but Jack was worried.
Turning around, he was horrified to see a “pointed” beetle standing very close, just a few yards away from them, looking at them like a parent who had caught their children doing something naughty. And even when Jack spotted it, the alien did not attack or run away, but continued to stare.
“Adrian, you better take a look at this. Turn around, but be careful, no sudden movements,” Jack said, confused.
“What's the ma—FUCK!” Adrian exclaimed when he saw the beetle.
He dropped his rifle from his shoulder in a moment and aimed it at the alien, but Jack stopped him.
“NO, don't do it!” Jack grabbed the rifle barrel and pulled it down.
“Let go, you fool! That thing is going to tear us apart! Look at its claws!”
Up close, the dominant beetle was much more impressive than from a distance. It was about two-thirds the height of a human, or perhaps slightly less. Its claws were indeed quite impressive in size and could easily inflict serious wounds on even a bear, let alone a human. The alien was also quite well protected. Its shell seemed to Jack to be strong enough to withstand several rifle bullets.
“If it wanted to, it would have done it already,” Jack hissed. “And if you shoot, it’ll call its friends, and then we’re definitely screwed. So let’s try to pretend we're cute and cuddly and get out of here, okay? Easy, easy.”
Adrian exhaled loudly and nodded, lowering his weapon. The creature immediately stopped vibrating its wings and straightened up, once again staring at them curiously with its faceted eyes, as if they were strange animals.
Jack kept his eyes on the beetle, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Should they just leave right now? Or would that be perceived as a threat? But then how could they show that they weren't enemies? This was undoubtedly an intelligent species, because no other could have built such crafts and traveled through space, but it was too alien for anything usual to work. It wasn't like these beetles had any concept of writing or language at all.
If the world hadn't gone to hell, there would be a bunch of scientists and specialists here now, and they would definitely find a way, Jack thought. Interstellar diplomacy was definitely not a mission for a farmer and a marine who had been taught to shoot first and ask questions later.
“Hey, um... hello?” Jack broke the tense silence, plucking up his courage. He forced a smile, hoping that smiling would not be interpreted as a declaration of war by the beetles. “We're Earthlings, we're humans. We don't want to hurt you. We just wanted to take a look at you and leave.”
“Do you really think it understands English?” Adrian muttered quietly.
“Any better ideas? I’m open to suggestions,” Jack replied, keeping eye contact with the beetle.
The alien, of course, did not respond, instead just tilting its triangular head to one side. Jack did not even hope that it would understand anything, but he just did what his intuition told him to do.
“We're going to leave right now. We won't bother you anymore,” Jack continued.
The beetle tilted its head to the other side and suddenly raised its abdomen higher. Blue stripes mixed with black ones ran across its dark shell. It was the same thing he had seen through the binoculars.
“What does that mean?” Adrian asked.
“No clue. Maybe that's how they communicate? Maybe it’s ‘yes,’ or maybe it’s ‘go fuck yourself.’ Well, let’s go with the first one.”
Jack slowly crouched down and lifted the shotgun by its strap, holding it so that the weapon did not look threatening. Then he took a step to the side, and then another, and another, walking around the alien. Adrian followed him, keeping his eyes on the beetle.
The beetle kept its eyes on them too, always facing them. Some colourful stripes ran across its shell again, but now there were green and purple ones in addition to the blue ones.
And then it suddenly chittered loudly, rubbing its mouthparts together, making them both jump. Though it didn't sound threatening, Jack still felt a chill run down his spine.
“Let's go before it changes its mind,” said Adrian, pulling him by the hand.
They slowly but surely retreated further and further into the forest. The beetle tilted its head and chittered again, but somehow differently: this time the sound was higher and more ringing. And then, apparently losing interest in them, it spread its powerful wings and flew away with a loud buzzing sound, back to its craft.
Jack and Adrian froze for a moment, listening to the sounds around them. But soon they realised that the beetle would not return and that no one was going to chase them. Jack exhaled loudly, as if releasing all the tension that had built up inside him. He hadn't been this nervous since he left the dying city.
After the arrival of God knows how many aliens, Jack was sure that they would soon attack humans. He couldn't think of a single reason why the beetles wouldn't take advantage of their obvious superiority over humans and colonise the entire planet, exterminating humanity or enslaving them.
But to his great surprise, the aliens never attacked. After that day, they didn't show themselves at all and never made contact with humans, preferring a secluded life away from everyone. The only reminder that this was not a dream and that they were still here were their ships, which appeared from time to time high in the sky. Now they were as commonplace as aeroplanes and satellites had been before.
Day after day passed, and it seemed that life had returned to normal. People were busy with their routines and hoping that there would be enough room on the planet for everyone and that they would continue to live in peace and harmony with the aliens, though separately.
And so it was, for the most part. But some strange things were happening that nobody paid much attention to at first.
Every so often, people would go missing in one town or another. They were searched for weeks, but despite all efforts, no one was ever found. There were no signs at all. The military increased patrols and imposed a curfew, but it didn't help. The missing person notices kept piling up, and each one spread fear among the people.
One day it happened in Green Valley too. Adrian's neighbour Jim, as usual, rode his bike to the neighbouring town in the morning, but did not return even by evening. The whole town mobilised to search for him. They looked everywhere around Green Valley and neighbouring Collins, and Jack and Adrian even returned to the airstrip where the aliens had landed. But it was all in vain. The poor guy seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
Everyone in Green Valley was shocked. Some people were so scared that they refused to go outside, afraid of being abducted. But that wasn't an option. Everyone had to work on their farms, otherwise the community would starve to death. So they agreed to keep a close eye on each other during the day and not to go anywhere alone. They also resumed night watches, which they had almost forgotten about since the military took over their protection. It was not much, but it was all they could do.
But people were disappearing not only one by one, but even in whole groups.
In the spring, the military was supposed to come and collect their share of the winter harvest, but on the appointed day, no one showed up. Their commander, Colonel Sandler, was incredibly punctual, so Adrian immediately suspected something was wrong. He tried to call them, but no one answered. Then he personally went to the military headquarters to avoid misunderstandings, but soon returned looking extremely scared, something Jack had never seen before.
“What happened?” Jack asked when he met him.
“There's no one there,” Adrian replied. “The HQ is completely empty, not a soul in sight. And the whole place around it too. It's a complete mess, as if someone attacked them.”
“What? No way!” Jack exclaimed. ”So… so what are we going to do now?”
“I don't know. We should try to contact those who might have survived, but it seems that now we are on our own again. But don't tell anyone yet, okay? We don't need any panic here,” Adrian sighed heavily. “What the hell is going on?”
“I wish I knew too.”
Things were getting worse and worse, but Jack didn't give up, no matter what. He had to sow the fields and prepare them for the summer heat, so he was busy from dawn to dusk. He couldn't let the other people down.
And when one night Jack went to bed after a hard day's work, he had no idea that it would be his last night in Green Valley. The next time he opened his eyes, he would be in a completely different place.