5

“What happened in there?” Jason asked me, my arm splayed around his shoulders. “Tony. Talk to me.”

“I…I don’t—” I couldn’t explain to them what I saw or heard.

“Shit. Those things did a number on him.” Seth backed away cautiously.

“Cut it out, dude,” Ryan said. “Not the time to make a joke.”

“I wasn’t making any.”

“How long was I in there?” I managed to ask.

“You were in there for ten minutes,” Amelia answered.

“Longer than that, I bet,” Freddie said.

I looked around. Half of the people had aimed their phones at me, filming, afraid and cautious. The other half avoided me like the plague. The cops and the EMTs were still watching the sphere flying above, transfixed, but two landed their gaze on me with suspicion and started walking toward me. I noticed a few students crouched over the dead, crying and wailing, pulling their friends out of the pile of corpses. Tom, Rachel, and Alonso waded through the crowd carrying duffel bags, glancing at the ascending ball of light before approaching me.

“Staff sergeant. Can you hear me?” Tom dropped down to his knee in front of me with his duffel bag, and I quickly judged by the weight and how it touched the ground that there were weapons inside that bag. I remembered they were going to the gun range. Tom was about a couple of inches shorter than me, with dark red hair, green eyes, and freckles just above his upper cheekbones and on the bridge of his nose. He had a thick dark red beard but kept his short hair high and tight.

“Tony?” Tom called out again.

I nodded. I could still taste the sickly sweet sugar cane of the sphere’s jelly, but it was almost sickening. I felt like I’m going to throw up. I held it in. “Something was…in there…I just gotta think first. Give me room to breathe.”

“Did he say something was in there?” Alonso whispered to Rachel, scratching his thick mustache above his upper lip. Alonso regarded me again, deeply concerned. He had always been a worrier, but I’m still glad to see his face. He had dark skin, short faded black afro hair, and brown eyes.

“No, I heard the same thing,” Rachel said, shooting a wary glance at the departing sphere. She quickly tied her long blonde hair into a ponytail and crouched beside Tom. Rachel started looking for something around my body, her frown deepening. “I don’t see any puncture wounds or injuries at all,” she said. Rachel glanced over the mound of bodies. I knew what she was thinking: I should be dead. I should be one of those people.

With my friends all here, it wasn’t so bad. Perhaps I had dreamed everything? A hallucination from the flashing lights?

The ship will land in one minute, the robot said calmly.

Fuck. I heaved a sigh, a mix of horror and disgust. It wasn’t a hallucination after all. I looked at my friends, but they didn’t hear the robot. It was coming from inside my head.

I am remotely communicating through the nanites in your blood.

That figures.

“We need to get out of here,” Jason said, looking at the approaching cops across the field. He started pulling me toward the ambulance parked near the recreation building. “Hey! We need help over here!” He caught two of the EMTs’ attention; both looked at each other briefly, unsure whether to proceed after they witnessed me walking out of an alien object alive when so many were dead. But they grabbed their gear and jogged toward us.

I shook my head. “No. They’re coming for me.”

“Hey, it’s over now, man. They’re leaving!”

“No.” I pointed a finger up to the sky. “They’re coming for me.”

They looked up. An oblong-shaped spacecraft descended from above, looking like a giant smooth pebble you would find on the riverbank, two hundred feet long and thirty feet high, and painted in gleaming silver. It had no windows nor doors, with a blue flare on its tail where the propulsion engines were, pushing the object toward the field. The wind picked up as it descended, landing at the same spot where the sphere last stood. When it was a hundred feet from the soccer field, the landing gears stuck out and descended gently.

The cops frantically pulled out their guns and pointed at the ship, ready to fire, while the students scrambled to escape. Amelia and Jason tried to pull me away, but I held my ground, shaking them off me.

The spacecraft stopped fifteen feet away from where I stood. It didn’t look like the ships from the news. Those were jagged and rough-looking, with giant crystallines jutting out of them. This ship was metallic smooth with a lovely sheen and almost pleasing to the eyes. I didn’t know exactly where the head or the stern was since this was all alien to me, but it seemed like I was facing its starboard side. A door slid open there, and a ramp extended outward.

Another silence permeated the field, everyone expecting the aliens to walk out of it. Many already had their phones out, filming this once-in-a-lifetime chance. This was humanity’s first contact. I imagined some grotesque form slithering out and calling for me, but I knew no one was in there.

The previous forerunners are dead, I remembered.

I stepped forward, but Amelia grabbed my wrist. “What the hell are you doing?”

“They’re here for me.”

“What? No way I’m letting you in there, man,” said Alonso.

“It’s hard to explain right now, but I must go.” And if I didn’t do what the robot asked, I would die, and so would millions of others. But I couldn’t get it off my tongue.

“Why?” Jason asked. “And go where?”

“Up there. Look. I can’t believe I am saying this, but I must fly this ship to New York. And they—” I pointed to the enormous V-shaped structure flying in orbit—“want me to fight them.”

“Fight who?” Rachel asked, but he realized who I meant. “Are you saying those are the good aliens?”

“Believes it or not, Rach, yeah.” Well, as good as any. I still had my doubts about who was good yet.

They stared at me like deer in headlights, blinking.

“Are you serious right now?” Jason asked. “Come on. The ambulance is right there. We need to get you to the hospital.”

“Listen for a moment, Tony,” Amelia said. “Have you ever thought that maybe they are lying? Who knows what they want you to do up there.”

“They know who I am, Amelia. There’s a reason they kept me alive and not…them.” I quickly glanced over the pile of bodies. “I don’t have a choice.” And I didn’t want to be wrong. It was so tempting to refuse to become the forerunner, but the consequences were too painful to think about. Either accept the robot’s offer, or billions will die. I didn’t want more blood on my hands.

And what were the chances of another me out there? I might be the only tenable one for the job out of the zero-point-one percent with a viable forerunner gene. Protector of humanity? Yeah, right. What a fucking joke.

“I need to do this,” I said to them. “Please.”

Amelia and Alonso let go of both my wrists. They mulled over the information and whether I was lying, but I couldn’t wait for what they had to say. I could feel the robot getting impatient if they had the capacity. I pivoted my heels and started for the ramp again.

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“Wait!” Jason called out, slithering between Amelia and Alonso, and grabbed my arm. “I’m coming with you,” he said, walking up the ramp.

I extended my arm out to stop him. “No, Jason—”

“I’m not letting you in that ship alone, man. No way. And you can’t convince me otherwise.”

That snapped Amelia out of her thoughts, and she stepped forward next to Jason. “Me, too.”

I shook my head. “I might not survive this, and neither will you.”

“We’ve been through worse in Oman and Libya,” Jason said. “Tell me something new.”

“We got through some of the worst shit, but we did it together, Tony,” Rachel said, walking up from behind. She put her arm around Amelia. “Together, Tony. That’s how we survive.”

“And you may need our help,” Tom said. “No Marine goes alone in war, right? Who knows what you will find up there? You’re like my brother, Tony—my only family. I can’t let you up there by yourself. Semper Fi, remember?”

I didn’t think and looked down at Tom’s right leg and took a second-long scan at his prosthetic. He caught that; there was no hiding it and his face turned from concern into a determined glare as if I would dare tell him he would be a liability. We saved each other’s backs in dozens of missions before Tom’s leg got blown off into smithereens, trying to get my squad and me out of an ambush. I owed that to him, and he knew that. Still, the guilt wormed in, and I should have protected him better. Every step he made was a reminder of my failure.

I let out a small smile. “You want your other fucking leg blown off, too?”

Tom grinned. “You cheeky motherfucker. I’m here to save your legs this time.”

“And besides, I don’t want your daddy to be angry at me for letting you go alone,” Amelia added.

“You’re our squad leader, man,” Tom added. “And you’ve saved our skin a dozen times, so don’t let this fucking leg stop you now. We may be former Marines, but we can still kick ass.”

“And we’ve got guns,” Rachel pointed to her truck parked near the rec building.

I was about to argue when the robot chimed in again. Forerunner, do you authorize these individuals aboard the ship?

I studied their eager faces. They were scared, hell, I am too, but then I realized I wouldn’t be able to talk them out of it. Who knew what the voice might do if I barred them from entering, and they did it anyway? I glanced at the pile of bodies again, and for a split second, I pictured Amelia, Jason, Rachel, and Tom among them. The cops were still distracted by the ship, but they were slowly approaching the bow, and one even extended a hand out to touch its surface. Another cop beside him swatted his hand away.

“What about you, Alonso?” Jason asked.

Alonso regarded the ship behind me, then caught my eye. He was reticent, listening intently from behind, far from his annoying chatty self. He could tell I would not back down from entering the alien ship. Heaving a sigh, he said, “Shit. What’s the fucking suicide mission, pendejo?”

“Are you sure?” I asked one last time.

“We want to,” Jason chimed in. “You need us.”

I closed my eyes. Alright, robot, they agreed, I said. I breathed out through my nose. “But don’t touch anything until I tell you to.”

“Yes, staff sergeant,” they said in unison.

Authorization granted, the robot said.

They nodded. I caught Amelia and Jason holding hands, reassuring each other, and at that moment, I regretted even allowing them to come. Did I just send them to their deaths? How many ships did this robot have? What if this was all a trick?

I walked toward the ship with the others in tow but noticed Freddie and Ryan trailing behind. I turned around. “You two better stay down here.”

“With respect, staff sergeant, I was thinking of getting a ride outta here, and that one looks big enough for all of us,” Freddie said. “And along the way, I want to tear a limb or two from our new visitors, if they have one, you know? I live in Brooklyn, Tony. Those bastards attacked my city. I don’t think I have to ask you why I have to come with.”

I sighed. “Fine, but the same rules apply to you.”

“Copy that,” Freddie answered. He gestured for Ryan and Seth to follow him, but only Seth stepped back, studying the ship warily. Freddie gave him another glare before Seth crumpled from the pressure and slowly stepped forward. A smile crept on Freddie’s lips.

Them, too, I said.

Personnel authorized.

One cop finally pried his gaze away from the spacecraft and caught us walking up the ship’s ramp. “Hey! Don’t go in there! Stop!” He shouted, red-faced, but I ignored him. He grabbed two of his men and started heading toward us, hands on their holsters, ready to shoot if the ship did anything hostile against us. “Those damn kids are crazy!”

When we reached the upper landing, the cops stopped midway, afraid to go further, but they continued yelling for us to return.

The door slid down shut; The noise outside quickly snuffed out. The cop’s yelling ceased.

We stood in a bare room with dark charcoal walls and no windows, chairs, tables, or equipment. Next to the walls were recessed floor lights illuminating the space dimly. The ship’s smell reminded me of my dad’s auto repair shop during a busy day.

“I just now realized I am so underdressed for this shit,” Jason mumbled.

Jason Navarro studied the deck nervously, fidgeting on the hem of his blue tank top. He wore boardwalk shorts, a pair of tennis shoes, and a small backpack slung behind him. He was only an inch or two taller than Amelia, but his short stature allowed him to pack more muscle, making him look formidable. Tom and Alonso wore the same garments under the LA spring heat, but the deck was below the sixties. Chilly.

“We’ll be fine,” Tom said, shivering a little. He unslung his backpack, took out a gray hoodie, and put it on.

“I highly doubt that,” Rachel said. “But what else is new?”

Alonso rolled his eyes. “Okay, am I the only motherfucker who’s a bit creeped out?”

“You’re not the only one,” I said.

I head toward the lone door ahead, which slid aside when I got close, revealing another bare room, except this one was much smaller. A lone chair stood behind a moon-shaped dashboard that looked similar to what one might find in a plane or a helicopter’s cockpit.

“Er, do you want me to fly this thing?” I asked.

The others gave me a curious look.

“There is no need,” the robot spoke, reverberating across the ship. Amelia gasped and grabbed Jason’s arm while he stood rigid. Tom and Alonso raised their fists. Seth almost looked like he was about to book it.

“This ship is automated,” the robot continued. “Given the short allotted timeframe, I made a basic schematic of a spacefaring vessel for safe transportation with the ideal atmospheric conditions for your species. You are safe within these walls if you take the necessary precautions.”

“What about the sphere?”

“The sphere’s purpose is not for transportation.”

“Oh? What was its purpose then?”

“It is an unmanned probe for survey and exploration.”

And he used it to murder seven million people.

“Since we are in a hurry, I have only made one seat for the forerunner. I did not expect a crew, but I can arrange some seating for your passengers. This will take a moment. The flight instruments are for your convenience, forerunner.”

“I don’t even know how to work these things. I haven’t flown a plane before.”

“I have created the standard flight instruments used for travel globally. I can relay the flight deck’s altitude, airspeed, artificial horizon, compass, and meteorological conditions. You are capable of flying this ship if you wish. I have uploaded the necessary training to your brain. Please wait until the transfer is complete, which won’t take a moment.”

I stared at the rows of controls along the flight instrument panels. I recognized one or two of them, the airspeed and the turn coordinator, but then, like a trickling river behind my back, I began to understand how to read them, not just what they were, and even why I needed them in the first place. I sat on the chair, flicking buttons along the dashboard, double-checking that everything should read zero before I started my ascent. Amelia and Jason stared at me, dumbfounded.

“Tony, who’s that?” Amelia interrupted.

“Oh? That’s the one I’m talking to inside the sphere. It’s complicated.”

“Are they the aliens?” Freddie asked.

“Kind of? He’s some sort of robot that they made for me. Virtual Intelligence.”

“Made for you?”

“Like I said: it’s complicated.”

Rachel shuddered and ran a finger on the console. “Right. Complicated.”

I could tell through everyone’s expression they were debating which one was worse to fight. Both were equally formidable, capable of killing us in one go. Heck, all this robot got to do was take control of this ship and fly us into a mountain. Boom. Dead.

I won’t do that, forerunner. I am under your command. I have no reason to terminate you.

I made a mental note about him, reading my thoughts unannounced.

I looked at the console again, but then I felt other things. As if the ship was speaking to me in whispers, sometimes telling me whether it was safe to move, but it recognized other “lifeforms” getting too close to the ship, and they felt threatened. It must be the cops and their guns, I thought. There were no windows, and I couldn’t see what was happening outside. Did the cops still try to get in?

Once I thought of it, the walls shifted. Over half were covered by hundreds of millions of nanites, crawling along the wall like swarming black ants, concentrating on a mound before us. The nanites hollowed out a gaping rectangular hole, exposing the room to the outside. A gust of wind rushed in. I yelped, thinking we were now exposed to the vacuum of space, but we were still on the field: eleven police cars, three SWAT armored vehicles, and three fire trucks parked on them. Two news vans peeked out from a crowd of students stood just beyond a yellow taped barrier closer to the recreation building. Cameras trained on us.

The SWAT team and the police aimed their weapons at the opening, where it revealed the cabin. Some had their jaws hanging, some trembling, while others were mesmerized.

I put my hands up. The others did the same, stepping behind the chair for cover. “Wait! Don’t shoot! It’s us!” I shouted.

Luckily, the cops hesitated, but I was still uneasy being at the end of the barrel. The nanites did not care. They began an elaborate dance along the wide hole, creating a hotchpotch of a giant spider web in seconds. We watched in fascination, even those who stood outside. Some cops lowered their guns, moving closer to this mechanical, transparent web.

I didn’t dare make a move. “What are you doing?” I asked the robot under my breath.

“I am making a tempered alumina-silicate glass pane for an observation window upon your request. I am diverting extra materials brought on this ship to make one. It still requires more raw materials, but the nanites can manufacture them at the last minute. Force field generators will keep the cabin intact. However, shield integrity is now at eighty-three percent.”

The nanites completed their window construction, and a soft pop echoed inside my ears. I had to yawn just to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. “Cabin pressurization at one hundred percent,” the robot said. The ambient sound from the outside abruptly stopped. I could only hear my friends’ nervous breathing from behind me.

“We can now safely depart,” the robot announced.