Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 13:51:32 -0300 From: "D. L. Powers" Subject: NEW: "Aliens" Oh, gee, it's been so long since I disclaimed...They're not mine, I guess, I mean, they belong to other people...sorta, kinda...whatever. You know they are only here for our entertainment...right? It's also been a while since I posted, so if I made any mistakes, or offended anyone, I appologize in advance... Anwyay, this story, I couldn't decide which title, I liked better, so I gave it both. Enjoy, and comments are always welcome. "Take me to your Earthlings, Leader" Nick glanced suddenly, angrily, over his shoulder. Someone was following him, and getting away with it too. Every time he looked, he saw nothing, but a busy intersection, or crowded street corner. The particular rhythm that he knew belonged to his shadow, was no where in sight. His suspicions screamed LaCroix, but it wasn't a vampire who stalked him. At least no vampire he knew. No ordinary vampire. Instead of entertaining the thoughts of retracing his steps and tearing the throat out of everyone at the crowded street corner, he tumbled into his car, with absolutely no grace what-so-ever, and drove away as fast as he could in downtown Toronto. Without killing someone, that is. "He suspects." The statement originated from a point in space that was seemingly unoccupied. "We must abort." "Negative, we must continue. The Supreme Lord will not accept failure." The second voice came from a point in space next to the first, and it looked equally unoccupied. "Agreed," came a third opinion. "These blue-planet humanoid creatures are very paranoid. Past expeditions have explained this. They cannot even see us." The first voice remained silent, but the second one continued. "We can track this one with long range laser sensors. Operation Scout 13 will be accomplished as planned." To the quickly sobering old man sitting behind the dumpster, this conversation might have set off major alarms, had it been in english. Or even in some foreign, *earth* language. But the only sounds Ernie Bellmont heard were some strange rattles and creaking noises, like old floorboards being walked on, and little bells being clanged together. He simply sat there, shaking in his cardboard house and waited for the noises to vanish. Nick paced slowly around his living room, carefully watching the wine glass half-full of his preferred cow's blood, as it nearly tipped in one direction, than in the other, thinly coating the whole interior of the glass. Then he quickly swallowed what was left, sensing that someone was approaching. He set the glass in the sink, and realized that it wasn't Schanke or Natalie, or anyone he knew that was coming to pay a visit. But he did recognize them. This was the first time he realized there was more than one. His stalkers had found out where he lived. "Bloody hell," he muttered. Pulling out his gun, he opened the door to the elevator, sending the gun in first, just in case he wasn't losing his mind, and why take chances? No one was there, yet there was a presence. Something flew past his face and he whirled around aiming his gun, first at the motorcycle, the piano, the stereo, the stove... No one was in the room. "Where are you, damnit!" No response, except for the pulse, the one that mocked and taunted him. It was there, but no where in sight. "Who are you?" "Nick, its me...oh, hey, wait, I'm one of the good guys, remember?" Schanke said, holding his hands up slightly. Nick, after hearing his voice so suddenly had spun around and nearly shot his partner. "Schank. I'm sorry, I..." He lowered the gun. "What's the matter, Nick? You were screaming your head off when I got here. I could hear you all the way downstairs. You having a fight with someone? Is it that Janette kid?" He asked this last in a hushed, confidential voice. Nick almost laughed. Schanke was rarely confidential. "No. There's nothing wrong. We'd better get going, we don't want to be late for work." "But..." "Let's just go, Schank," Nick said with a meaning tone. Schanke didn't say a word after that, until they got into the car. "Nick, I don't mean to pry," he began. It's sort of a compulsion for Schanke. There's nothing he can do about it, so he doesn't fight it. He *has* to talk. "Then don't." Nick turned on the radio, and tuned out Schanke. Natalie worked out around Nick. He paced furiously across her office, but she was in the middle of tissue sampling a newcomer to her sanctuary for the dead, and he was beginning to get in her way. Finally, she bumped into him on her way to her bench and spilled liver samples all over the front of his shirt. "Nick, I'm sorry." She said, silencing her laughter before it really started. "But you brought it on yourself. Next time, when you see me with liver, or any other organ, stand back. What are you doing here anyway? If it's to talk, you're not doing a very good job at it. You've been here for ten minutes and all you've said is 'tell me I'm not crazy, Nat', and I already did that." "Nat, I think someone's following me," he blurted. "Following you? How do you know...oh, nevermind. Why would anyone follow you?" "I don't know. I don't even know who it is. I've never felt anything like it. I hear a heartbeat, stronger than any one I ever came in contact with. It's almost like it's not human. But when I look, there's no one there." "Could it be another vampire?" "No. I thought of that. It's too human to be vampire." Natalie nodded, and considered, as she dug around for more liver samples. "Well, Nick, I don't know, maybe you are going crazy." "Thanks." He skulked off into a corner and sighed as she passed by with the sample. "Something happened at the loft, Nat. I...uh, I..." He trailed off. "You what?" She prompted when he stopped, but didn't stop concentrating on her microscope. "It's here. Nat, it's found me again." Natalie heard panic (which she had never before heard) in his voice, and she looked up, only to see the panic on his face. "Nick, what is it?" Now she was concerned. "Someone's here, I have to go." And before she could utter a protest, he was. "Oh fine then," she said to herself, though it was aimed at him, but couldn't get the look of pure fear on his face out of her mind. She picked up the phone and dialled. Nick stretched, reaching out his hand, futilely, for his phone. It chirped mockingly as it was just inches past his hand. The invisible hands, or claws which was a more accurate sensation, actually broke skin and exposed blood on both sides of his neck. His attackers had jumped him as he exited the coroner's building by the back way. He had made the mistake of pausing before he took flight, but it had been enough for them to catch him. One grabbed his neck, and the other two held his arms. His phone began to ring almost immediately, and he was just turning it off as the three invisible forces acted against him and held him. After a few minutes of confusion; Nick was as human as the next vampire and no one he knew had the power of invisibility; his anger became very apparent, as his eyes glowed an unnatural red, and his fangs extended. He hissed venomously at his attackers, and with some effort, tossed the one at his right hand against the brick wall of the coroner's building. Once he realized they were real, and not figments of his imagination, he felt safer, almost. He grabbed the one in front by what felt like a neck. Natalie slammed the phone down hard, secretly wishing Nick had picked up at the last second. Another moment of hellish waiting, and she grabbed the phone again. "Schanke, it's your dime, talk to me." "Schanke, it's me," Natalie thought frantically about what she was going to say. "Uh, have you seen Nick?" "Not since earlier tonight. Why, has he finally gone around the bend?" "I think that might not be entirely inaccurate. He was here earlier, and then he suddenly ran out. Did he say anything to you?" "Hardly. When I showed up at his place, he was yelling to someone, but I didn't see anyone. He clammed up after I came in, though." "Yelling, well, what-" "Hang on Nat, dispatch is talking to me." Natalie tapped her foot impatiently, straining to hear what was being said in Schanke's car. All she heard was Schanke say he was on his way, and this was an emergency. "Schanke, Nick is in *trouble*." Natalie spoke loudly into the phone so he would hear. "I know, Nat," he had already returned to the phone. "Dispatch told me that there was some sort of disturbance in your neighborhood. In fact, the exact location was behind the coroner's building. I'm on my way. Nat, I don't want you going back there, okay? Nat? Natalie, did you hear me...damn!" Natalie was already half way there. She flung the door open and saw Nick, huddled on the ground some distance from her. At first she thought he was crying, the way he seemed to shake, but then she realized he was choking someone, or something. He leaned over a shadowed thing, and his hands encircled it. It was dark in the alley and she could hardly make out his form. Then, suddenly, Nick arose from the ground, without just cause. No one had touched him, yet he crashed into the other wall, like he'd been tossed. "Nick!" Natalie shouted. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" "Nat...get away from here," was his only reply before his arms flew up and his body followed like some invisible force had him by the hands. On his feet, he struggled with air, and Natalie was frozen in place. He's gone completely out of his skull, she thought. Then, much to her relief, the flash of blue light, as Schanke parked at the end of the alley. He came up beside her, and stared as Nick flailed about, all by himself. "*He's* the disturbance?" He asked, incredulous. "What's wrong with him?" "You're asking me?" They stared for another moment, as Nick seemed to pound the living daylights out of some imaginary demon. Schanke didn't seem to notice the strange tint to his partner's eyes, but it was painfully clear to Natalie. At last Natalie came to her senses and ran forward to help Nick, or at the very least, stop him from hurting himself. Schanke followed. Nick slammed his own personal little enemy into the wall as they approached, holding it by a neck only he could see, so Schanke and Natalie thought. They each took an arm and Natalie jabbed Nick in the side to catch his attention. It worked, to an extent. "Let go of me," he growled, looking at Natalie, not prepared to let the angry glow in his eyes go so soon. He was aware Schanke was there and was forced to let them drag him away from his object of hate. "Nick, do you realize what you are doing?" Natalie pointed to where he was a moment ago, where there was nothing that could so anger an 800 year old vampire, or even a 2000 year old vampire. "I think it's time you took a vacation, Nick," Schanke added, emphatically. Nick looked where Natalie pointed, and soon came to realize that whatever had been there, was not there any more. No more attacks came, the noises they made were silent as well. Even the pulse of their existence was fading. They were fleeing. "Nat," Nick said softly, "Schank, I would appreciate it if this stayed between us." "I may agree to that, Nick, if you were to, say...go see a shrink or something! What was that all about anyway? Geez Nick, what kind of coffee are you dropping..." "Schank," Natalie interrupted him. "Nick just needs a little vacation, not a shrink. Right, Nick?" Nick looked a little confused, but nodded agreement anyway. "You'll have to fill me in sometime, though," she added quietly, out of Schanke's earshot. "The Supreme Lord will not be pleased." An alien form, appeared suddenly, only when no humanoid eye gazed upon them. Two others materialized beside the first one. They had reached the compact scout ship that had brought them here and had taken refuge in it. The first one bore symbols of superior authority, and the other two, were equivalent to what 'blue-planet creatures' would call ensigns. "He did not anticipate the exceptional strength of these blue-planet creatures. Physical prowess was never tested here before. We have misjudged this race. A larger than planned strike force must be implemented." "Agreed," said the superior one. "The resources here are too rich to be passed up, but the strength here is something to be contended with. It seems we have met our equals." **The other two agreed with their commanding officer, and then automatically returned to their respective command stations to prepare for the journey home. "Coordinates have been entered in the main computer. We will have returned to the Sh'Tellis within the next five satellite time configurations. Invasion will occur on schedule." the end...? ------------========================================------------ D. L. Powers | "For God's sake madam, help me. Even your -=-=- | passive support would be appreciated." R1YS@unb.ca | --Petronius ------------========================================------------