Oliver held his hand against the glare. They would be driving into the sunrise. Retreat routes had been chosen and preset for ease of escape. He, the hunter and 2 police got in the little hybrid and waited for the signal.
It was the first time Oliver had had since this nonsense started to stop and think, though only as the ‘quiet before the storm.’ It was not restful thinking. Feverish with hopeful possibilities and far more numerous and likely poor resolutions. He had been on the cusp of a better future and now might throw everything, even his life away. Was this a mistake? Was there a better option he might have missed? Was time not as limited as he feared?
Without electronics they had needed to pull start a generator to charge a battery back to capacity just before starting the car. As long as it kept running it would keep its own battery charged well enough. It would seem something was creating a bizarre continuous EMP effect. Despite the fact that it shouldn't be physically possible by any physics anyone in town knew.
Even without knowing how it was working they did manage to get the car working. It had required running a pull start generator to charge a battery at horrible inefficiency while the battery itself continued to drain. All while in the most soundproofed space they could manage to still have ventilation through. Then get the battery into the car, and start the car before the battery was too drained to do so.
The electricians decided that their next project was getting some jerry-rigged crank radios working next. Not many, just a few so the church would be able to coordinate with one or two groups and hopefully some military personnel when they came. The electricians deemed it unlikely to work with the continuous EMP effect and the possibility of any other jamming effects the invaders might be using, but wanted to try.
An indefinite time later shots rang out. They were starting. The driver, a cop named Michael started the little hybrid and drove out of the garage. He used a soft foot to keep the engine as quiet as possible, and tried to time any acceleration with bursts of fire.
Oliver could only assume he was mostly successful as he only heard one burst of fire from near the garage as they pulled away. That must have meant a successful distraction before they pulled back into cover.
Or that they died. Or rounded a corner before they fired again and now its coming to the sound of our engine. We don’t yet know how good their hearing is.
Turning back to check would only defeat the purpose. They continued onward, ever tense.
Everyone in the car just about jumped when the next gunshots sounded from either side up ahead. Having been signaled to start once they turned onto main street, before rounding a curve in the road.
So far so good. Unless it isn’t.
Despite their frayed nerves they made it out of town without incident, bits of gunfire keeping attention away from them. Still eyes peeled as they left, and still nothing but occasional gunfire.
Oliver jolted as the car came to a halt, eyes darting, looking for where-
“This should still be close enough for you two, right?”
“Ah, yeah, yeah it should be fine. Good luck with the military”
Michael barked a nervous laugh, “convincing the military of an alien invasion should be the easy part. You be careful now, ok?”
His partner nodded sagely in the passenger seat without turning around. “Else you make us look bad. We’ll already have enough paperwork without explaining how we let you run off and get yourself killed.” Then followed up with a gentler, “So no heroics, yeah? Alien monkeys or not.”
Frank, the hunter, just nodded gravely though Oliver nervously chuckled. “Would hate to give you a fate worse than death. Additional paperwork. You’d be well within your rights to kill me again for such an offense”
I’m more nervous than I thought. That was terrible.
The stress made it acceptable though and Michael's partner laughed. “Exactly.”
With those awkward last words they departed.
Eyes ever alert, Oliver followed the hunters steps. Avoiding leaves and other noise obstacles as best they could, the weight of each step distributed for minimum noise as best they could manage. However the need for silence wasn’t as bad as he would have expected.
The various birds of the day were making a terrible racket. Insects were… probably a normal level of noise. Though it was hard to tell over the racket the birds were making.It had been too long since Oliver had stalked through the woods, so he couldn’t quite be sure.
Frank paused and looked at Oliver with a question. “Something’s got the critters in a fuss.”
“Hmm. The EMP effect? Animals act weird during magnetic events. If we are still being jammed, it might be affecting them”
“They also act up in disasters.” Frank replied
The ‘off’ feeling of the woods he didn’t personally know, with dangers he couldn’t truly overcome, deepened to full fledged ominous even as the sun continued to rise.
They didn’t hear much from other animals, although one confused buck did run past them Full speed. Only changing about 45 degrees when it saw them through the shrubbery and decided they should be avoided.
“They seem just as confused as they do frightened” Oliver commented
They found occasional bird bodies, with increasing frequency and species as they continued closer towards the portal. Some even still alive from their confusion induced Gaia kamikaze.
Oliver felt his gut wrench as they came across the first few. Necks, or wings snapped, in pain, and crying out and trying to run or fly away. Less from them and more in general sense until they got closer and created panic which would cause them to worsen their injuries further.
He looked around before deciding on a nearby rock, and with a heavy heart crushing the head. The ground was too soft, and didn’t allow for a quick end. He turned the rock on edge and gave an even faster jab, before dropping the rock. They didn’t have time to handle all of them. Even without any real hesitation this had taken too long, and would create the kind of noise that might draw attention instead of only covering their movement.
Fucking pointless suffering, and all I can do is effectively nothing, and the cost is too much.
Frank seemed understanding, but reprimanded him softly even as they continued on. “Ain’t got the time to deal with all the little birdies.”
“I know,” he replied, similarly quiet in solemnity and stealth, “but it helps . . . scale things, keep things in perspective. Symbolic where practicality falls short.”
Frank shook his head.“Hmm, best not to think about it too much.”
He gave a single huff of laughter. “No chance of that.”
“Mmm,” came the reply.
They continued through the woods, at a faster clip since the wildlife was making enough white noise to cover their movements. They cut a little closer when they approached the corner of town closest to the portal. Their attempt to save time nearly cost them however, as they walked up on an ape sentry.
It had been still, though still easily visible due to its color. However it started moving shortly afterwards, patrolling around town watching. Oliver and Frank crept away and swung back wide around the corner while it watched the streets and buildings.
They slowed not long after that. Frank was sure they were getting close to where the portal was, and there was sure to be some kind of watch around it. They wouldn’t last long if the apes spotted them instead of vice versa.
Oliver and Frank slowed to a metaphorical crawl as they finally came close. Oliver felt a sickly ominous sensation sinking into his body. Like he was being watched. He looked away, then back, testing the feeling. No, not quite like being watched. Close though, with the same kind of localizeable directionality to the sensation. A kind of ‘bad thing’ is right >HERE< feeling.
Silently, he touched Frank’s shoulder, who looked even more on edge than Oliver felt. Frank startled, hard, and shot him a fierce glare.
Oliver returned an apologetic frown, then pointed in the direction of interest, made a ‘feel’ gesture (like when warming hands by a fire) touched his brow, then repeated the ‘feel’ gesture.
There. Feel. Head. Feel.
Frank gave him a confused look, so Oliver whispered, “You don't feel that? That ominous . . . thing over there?”
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
Frank shook his head, paused, and then gave a hesitant nod. “I feel something ominous. Not really a direction exactly. Is it, whatever it is,their portal, do you think?"
“Either the portal itself, or something close to it.”
Tempting as it was to come straight in behind the portal, they instead came in off to one side, where they should be able to signal officers and volunteers for a distraction before they move in.
They nosed around until they found a spot with a longer line of sight between the brush below and the foliage above than most. A portion of the sightline was even a game trail, kept clear by years of animals traveling from place to place. This would mean they could close the distance without much trouble or noise when needed.
Once they were able to observe the invasion site they settled in for a bit to watch for potentially hidden enemies, and keep an eye out for watchers from town they could signal for distraction.
The apes remained focused primarily on the portal and town, especially because the police and volunteers were poking their heads out from time to time. It didn’t take long to unobtrusively catch the eye of one looking for them. One was on the roof and had a good angle to look down at them without Oliver or Frank needing to potentially reveal themselves to the apes.
A brief period of pantomiming later (should have thought about this and established signals beforehand) the lookouts and Oliver had confirmed five Apes around the portal and one nearby on the other side of the portal. Continued observation yielded no new information, so after some self psyching on Oliver and Frank's part, they signaled to start the distraction.
Firing started. The Apes largely went after the distraction team with the exception of the two ‘priest-like’ ones and what Oliver assumed was the leader of the invading team. It seemed a safe assumption based on the way it grunted and directed them. Also its size being just noticeably larger.
Oliver and Frank moved in a rushed crouch, caught between rushing forwards and remaining undetected as long as possible.
The priests were watching the orb and portal closely, while giving each other running commentary. The portal watcher was especially talkative.
Higher ranked? Or just calling out adjustments? Maybe Both?
Whatever the case, the leading priest was the first one to notice them. It bellowed sentences of some sort before charging them. Leaving the ?apprentice? to maintain whatever was necessary for the portal.
Oliver called out “Dodge right! Keep its attention”
He himself ducked behind trees on the left in an attempt to circle around. But even with trees limiting the (High Priest?) Frank was not able to get any distance from it. Oliver pulled his .357 and shot it in the back just as Frank dove to avoid the ape's opening swing.
Even surprised by the bee-sting of a slug it wasn’t slowed down and easily smashed the few juvenile trees between them. Ready to smash Frank. It must have taken masochistic pleasure in Frank’s predicament as the follow through didn’t take place. Only the lingering threat for a moment. Long enough for Oliver to line up a shot on its oversized legs. He aimed for the inside of the knee.
In his haste he must have pulled high and left. The Ape grunted and its knee buckling almost imperceptibly as it instinctively swiped its hand to bat away the unseen attacker. It glanced down and back at the minor wound in its thigh, then further to Oliver. The gunshot seemed to ring in the still air for but a moment. Then the ape turned to him and growled a bone clattering base rumble.
In the moments preceding his guaranteed death, Oliver's thoughts bounced between two things. How very dead he was, and the comparison he'd been making from the start; stories of boar too thick-skulled to be harmed by small caliber from any angle but one… He shot for the right eye.
Everything was so slow, and far too fast. The round flew at the apes face a little off target. The Ape seemed to shift its gaze and head slightly to look at it, taking it slightly more off target and then the round slammed into the outer edge of the eye and began to shrapnel on the orbital bone. The Apes hand smashed over its eye as it rolled away.
Oliver went deaf as the loudest sound he’d heard tore through the woods. A screaming howl of pain and raw anger.
He ran for the orb and watched as the acolyte looking ape was stunned by the scream of the larger ape and the human running at it. The Acolyte looked between the two again. The scream died to an angry roar.
Oliver glanced behind himself and saw it getting back to its feet and chasing a hand still covering the one eye and the good eye peeking between the fingers.
Looking back ahead the acolyte seemed to have decided it should stop him and was moving to do so.
He raised the gun at it without slowing. Sprinting as he was he wasn’t even sure he would be able to hit it except at point blank. Accuracy would be non-existent. But he held it as evenly as he could while running at the ape ready to jump on him.
The acolyte started to look unsure.
He yelled, or at least he thought he did but his ears were still ringing.
The acolyte ape seemed largely unfazed, and prepared to tackle him. Oliver aimed vaguely at its head and fired a round. Then immediately slid low as it blinked and blindly tackled where he had been running a moment before.
He got back up and started running towards the orb again. As he started moving again he felt his muscles beginning to protest in earnest. The stress and fear trying to lock his muscles even as adrenaline tried to keep him moving was playing absolute havoc. All his movements were far too sluggish. Dread started to seep in even as he continued. He was so dead.
The acolyte recovered and charged back at him. He looked back just in time to see the high priest shoulder the acolyte out of the way. About to leap on him. Looking ahead he was almost at the orb, but he wouldn’t even make it that far.
Serenity fell over him.
Oh. I'm just dead now. Knew this wouldn’t work, but had to try. I'm sorry Brittany, Presh, everyone.
In the back of his mind he registered that one of the ‘background’ shots of the folk from town was suddenly much louder again. Thus far they had been growing increasingly sparse and quieter, as the folk retreated into buildings and side streets. Mazing their way around town and drawing the rest of the apes away from here. But this one was like the first volley, pointed in his direction.
It didn’t do anything of course except to get the priest to slow briefly to swipe/scratch at the sight of the annoyance before it swiped low at Oliver. Then another shot, more from the side. Frank.
Frank’s shot hit the shoulder near the eye already ruined by shrapnel. The priest flinched mid swipe, covering its face with the spare hand while the swiping hand, already low to prevent ducking, was brought lower by the flinch and gouged into the earth, even as Oliver leapt up to avoid it.
It was a pathetic, unprepared leap mid run. Barely a hop. The priest's thumb nicked his foot, even slowed as it was by all the soil and sent him sprawling. Still he had somehow made it to the orb and he grabbed for it, as much to steady himself at this point as to actually take it.
Unfortunately the pole that held the orb had an odd warped claw design that held the orb and stopped him fast. Wary of the priest he shoved once more before he would cir--
The soil and roots holding the pole gave out. Exactly how and when he least expected, leaving him sprawling to the ground.
He heard the air whirl, felt pain as claws cleaved into his back sending him even harder into the ground. The orb smashed into a knob of root sticking up giving off a dull thud. The portal made the oddly familiar sound portals always make in sci-fi. A metaphysical wind ‘whooshing’ noise.
He cried out.
He got to his feet, quick as he could, scrambling away from the priest, one hand still on the pole sliding up to just behind the orb as he spun around. The priest wasn’t looking at him though. Instead there was a look of shock as it stared at the portal. Drawn by its stare, he looked as well, sidestepping to be angled less off to one side.
It no longer showed the horde on the other side preparing to move through. It now showed a blur then snapped into focus of a desolate landscape. Flat brown-ish grey as far as the eye could see tinted like blood from the red sun just above the horizon, it blurred again, then into focus as a Purpled landscape of crystals and..obsidian?
The priest began a growl of frustration and fury. Slowly building in intensity. Oliver looked back to see eyes promising death and doom.
He spun the pole point towards the priest, and backed towards the portal. Then thought better of having it swiped or yanked out of his hand and twirled the pole to be -valuable orb first- in front of him like a shield.
He glanced back at the portal. If anything it was shifting even faster now, which did not bode well for his chances of coming out intact, or somewhere that was potentially even survivable should he manage to come out the other end intact. And there was a limit to how long he could avoid being mangled by the priest. Already he was near his limits.
A kind of grinding buzz caught his attention and he glanced down at the orb as he took another step back to buy the luxury of time to do so. There was a gaping rent where it had smashed against the root. Spinning glowing stuff going on inside, the main mechanism spinning inside slightly grating against the torn casing every revolution and stirring the glowing sparkles into puffing out of the tear.
That's probably my last chance to live, killing me with some kind of weird radiation. Great I’ll have an ironic death if I make it out of this.
As he stepped back the portal sound changed to a more…stable metaphysical whirl as opposed to the sort of oscillating tone it had before. A glance showed it wasn’t changing, yet. The pole tip poked into the portal. Holding the door open?
The… place on the other side looked like a scorched desert. He pulled the pole out of the portal and it started changing again. During all this he had positioned himself almost 45° from the angle the priest was relative to the portal, faced perpendicular to the opening. He took this chance to look at the priest with his eyes without moving his head. It had paused mystified and hesitant, though with a calculating edge that likely wouldn’t last long.
He watched with increasing urgency as the portal snapped from one landscape to another, every second feeling like a mile closer to his inevitable death. Just as he thought he had waited too long, and allowed ‘good enough’ slip by too many times as ‘probably not survivable,’ and the priest looked ready to force an outcome, a green forestscape greeted him.
He jammed the pole into the portal, and took the shuffle half-step necessary to be just on the edge to step, rather than optimal diving distance, and gave the priest a questioning look.
The priest responded with a panicked step and swiped towards him, so he lept through, flipping the pole as he went so that it lagged behind him slightly. Everything stretched to an impossible degree. Sideways ceased existing somehow and it belatedly occurred to him that he should keep count. One M- just in time to suddenly be on the other side with the pole sticking into the portal, the priest only just ending its swipe.
He pulled the pole the rest of the way through and the portal collapsed. He spun to assess his surroundings and his foot caught just as he was mid turn landing him face first into the ground