First Contact

"I started out fighting Precursor Autonomous War Machine drones on Stelmentra-19. It was a lovely world of carefully tended gardens and fields, of lavish estates, and beautiful vistas.

"Last I heard, it was nothing more than lava and rubble.

"Now, I'm here, fighting dead Terrans.

"It's been a weird war." - Unknown

"You're throwing your life away. There's nothing one person can do to make a difference out there!"

"Yeah, but it's my life to throw away." - Unknown

The red groundcar shuddered as slammed through the lane divider, crossed traffic, then pulled a tight corner to make it across ten lanes and into a tunnel off-ramp. The vehicle was dark red, the lights were a baleful yellow, and it was dented with fist sized dents all over the light alloy body.

Inside, a Welkret by the unlikely name of Marfult stomped on the brakes, pulling the steering yoke to the side, and ducked down.

The shades hit the red painted front end of the luxury sports vehicle and splattered, some of them reforming halfway through the cab of the vehicle.

All of them were screaming.

Marfult felt cold fingers graze his fur and shuddered, holding tight to the short chopping blade in his hand. The mylar he had wrapped around his body was scraped and discolored, here and there were red streaks, black streaks, and whitish-blue streaks.

All of them from the fingers and talons of the shades.

A glance told him that SHr.TeLk.rik hadn't made it. The Hikken was arced back in the seat, his mouth open in a silent scream, his eyes wide, his muscles still locked.

Marfult cursed under his breath as he felt the car slam into the safety barrier. The computer tried to take control, could see, and defaulted into trying to stop the car, completely unaware it was cut off from all the systems by a ripperchip.

Marfult straightened back up, squinting his eyes as the car shuddered around the corner, the safety pressor beams built into the guardrail overcoming the vehicle's inertia.

A glance in the mirror as he straightened out the control yoke told him that his two passengers were gone also.

Well, not physically. Both were contorted, silently screaming, eyes open wide and still looking horrified.

You won't make it, Maree, he heard the voice in his head again. We're all going to die, there's nothing we can do about it.

Passing under the lights that flashed red to warn him he was driving the wrong way up a one way highway, Marfult shook his head quickly, violently, to get the thoughts, the memories, out of his mind.

On the radio the station picked back up as he left the tunnel.

"...out of the cities," the female Vuknaraa was saying, her voice quiet. "Trust me, you don't want to be in the city."

Marfult looked in the rearview mirror. He'd left behind the shades that were chasing him, probably lost at the warning lights.

"Someone's gotta do this," Marfult said to himself, his voice as hushed as the Vuknaraa's. "You said it yourself, someone has to stop the ansible from broadcasting the shades directly into our homes and into our eyes."

The Vuknaraa didn't answer as she just started to quietly read off the list of protections and ways to defend yourself.

He'd heard it all before.

Not in time to save his wife and children, no.

A small part of him blamed the Vuknaraa for that. He knew he shouldn't, that she wasn't even on the radio at that time, that the radio had just been for music and public announcements about daily humdrum. The Vuknaraa had only started broadcasting three days ago, only after nearly a full day of dead air after a few minutes of screaming.

She wasn't to blame for the loss of his family. All of his family. Children. Wife. Parents. Cousins. Uncles. Aunts. Right-hand sisters. All of them.

She held less blame for those losses than he himself was to blame.

But part of him hated her so badly it made his ears ache.

"If you call in, please use voice or text only. I do not answer video calls," the Vuknaraa said softly. She then recited the comlink access code. "You can leave your name and I'll repeat it on-air so that friends and family know you are alive. You can request a song. You can even just let someone hear your voice so that the world knows you were here."

Her voice caught for a second.

"Just to let them know that we were once here."

Marfult nodded even as he swerved around the cars that were scattered across the highway. One of the times he came around the front of the car to see a road clearing/recovery drone just long enough for it to register before he plowed into it, shattering it, breaking the headlights on the car, folding up the front end, and spinning around wildly even as the ass end lifted up off the highway.

The car slammed into the wall then dropped, bouncing slightly on the shocks.

Marfult blinked a few times, wondering where the clicking sound was coming from.

He realized that somehow he'd hit the blinker lever.

Move move move went through his brain as his hand fumbled for the ripperchip still adhered to the dashboard.

It felt sticky, like it was coated with blood, when he pulled it off.

He climbed out of the car, pausing, for just a second, to look at the dead in the car.

"Sorry," he said, then turned and started jogging. Up ahead was another car. Bright red, close enough.

A quick tap with the ripperchip unlocked the door. He pulled out the corpse behind the wheel, ignored the car seat used to hold infants, and climbed in. Once he was inside he closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, dropping the ripperchip on the dash. The car went live and he opened his eyes, militantly ignoring the back seat.

The radio was playing children's sing-a-long learning songs and he slapped at it until the Vunkaraa woman returned.

He backed the car up to his car, opening both trunks, and he slowly transferred the contents. He climbed in the back seat of his old car, pulling out what Deerfor had been holding in his dead lap before Marfult had started playing "drag the car along the wall."

He touched Angruk for a second, his fingertips touching the bare scar tissue beneath the fur.

"Sorry, brother," he said softly.

One by one he dragged his dead friends from the wrecked car to the new one.

The car just sat there, purring, as he arranged the littles in the back seat on the laps of his dead friends.

He pulled out the car seat and put the woman he'd pulled out in the back seat, then put the infant in her arms.

"You can come with us," Marfult said softly, reached out and closing her staring eyes.

When he was done he got in.

A quick check of the front seat showed that the little nanoforge was still hard at work in Deerfor's lap.

He grabbed the six-pack of fizzybrew that had been in the trunk, cracked one open, and took the time to pour some of it in each of the screaming jaws of the dead. He stared at the little boy in the back seat.

"I guess you're old enough now, kid," he said.

He poured some in the boy's open mouth, staring into the unblinking eyes of the dead kid.

"Let's go," Marfult said, throwing the car in gear.

Marfult listened to the Vuknaraa as he drove. Twice he slammed into mobs of shades, but they shattered and splattered on the front of the car. Other than that, the only thing he saw that he worried about was a large automated cargo hauler that somehow was jammed up and driving in circles while the engine smoked.

Finally, he reached his destination.

He sat for a long moment.

He looked at where he was had parked the car again.

"Let's have a drink," he said, cracking open another fizzybrew and pouring a little into the dead mouths.

Except for the baby. He just rubbed the baby's furry head.

He got out, popping the hood, and went to work on the power plant. It was easy work, familiar work, and it only took him about ten minutes to complete.

"You'll all like this," he said to the dead in the car when he climbed in.

The Vuknaraa reminded everyone they could call in and he paused.

He fumbled in the dead woman's purse and found a comlink. He disabled video and called.

The Vuknaraa picked up on the second ring and he could hear his own voice when he answered her 'hello?" with one of his own.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Marfult," he said. He took the time to introduce his dead friends.

He looked in the woman's purse and said her name.

He named the baby and the two kids after his own.

"Anything you'd like to say, Marfult?" she asked.

Marfult nodded. "I used to work on vehicles," he said. "You had to be careful of the powerplant, even on the hydrogen engines, but especially with the fusion ones," he said.

The Vuknaraa was quiet.

"I drove to the city. I'm in the basement parking garage of the building where the ansible antenna are located," he said softly.

"I can see that building from the window of my apartment," the Vunkaraa said.

"Well, if you can see that building, I'd advise you to lay on the floor," Marfult said. He looked at the little boy. "Ready, kid?"

"What are you doing?" the Vuknaraa asked.

"I'm lighting a funeral pyre big enough the Gods will notice us again," Marfult said. He lifted his hand up, staring at the device in his hand. He glanced down at where the nanoforge had been constantly creating blocks of plastique and dropping them on the floor.

He knew the trunk was full of bricks of it.

"What?" the Vuknaraa.

"Witness us," Marfult said. He reached back and took the dead woman's hand. "Witness all of us."

He pressed the button on the device.

The building vanished in a 25 kiloton explosion.

------

"Go faster, I wanna see Mommy," his sister said.

Chuptret just nodded.

The radio was playing a happy song now, the voice on the other end of the radio not crying any longer.

"Do you think it will hurt?" Bleevea asked from the back seat. She looked at the dolly of a Pubvian puffie in her lap. "I hope it doesn't hurt."

Chuptret nodded.

"It looks like it hurts when the ghosts get you," Neeba said softly. "It looked like my mommy was screaming when her ghost was pulled out."

Everyone in the car nodded. The car was silent as Chuptret drove it through the darkness, the red tape on the headlights making it hard to see the road.

"Look, it's Mistah Mag.Ruder's truck," Neeba said, pulling her thumb from her mouth. She pointed at the wrecked vehicle.

Chuptret slowed down and his sister Tibble pressed her nose against the window. After a second she sighed.

"They got him," his sister said.

His little brother gave a sob.

"Don't cry!" Chuptret yelled, turning around and smacking his little brother. "DON'T CRY!" He turned back to driving. "Don't cry."

His brother nodded, lifting his chin.

"How much further?" Chuptret asked, squinting out the windshield.

His little brother, Heptret, looked at the datapad. "Thirteen miles," he was quiet for a second. "Lo-jak says that daddy's car is a mile ahead."

"We'll make it further," Chuptret said.

"Are you going to slow down?" his sister asked.

Chuptret shook his head. "No. Daddy would want us to keep driving. We have to do this."

All five of the car's occupants nodded, some clenching their jaws, others balling their hands up into fists.

All of them trying to look brave.

"There's daddy's car."

Chuptret slowed down.

"There's daddy. He's on the road," his sister said softly. "They got him and Uncle Krev both."

Chuptret stopped.

His brother and Tibble stood watch while they moved The Thing that was not a toy from Daddy's pocket and the other stuff from the car to the one they'd 'borrowed' from Aunt Pevni. Bleevea and Tibble watched for shades while they moved the stuff.

For a second Chuptret almost went over to look at his daddy, but he changed his mind.

They got in the car without a word and Chuptret put it in drive.

Wanting to get away from the daddy he couldn't bear to look at, Chuptret sped up, glancing in the rear-view mirror to check on his brother. His sister was quietly sobbing but Chuptret saw his little brother was just staring grimly at him in the mirror.

The two brothers locked eyes and nodded slightly to each other.

"Think Aunt Pevni knows we're gone yet?" Tibble asked.

"Maybe," Chuptret. He looked at his brother. "Did you leave a note."

His little brother nodded.

His little sister Bleevea bent over slightly, cuddling the doll she had carried since the shades had taken Momma and Reedlee, their baby baby sister. "I want to see Mommy."

"Soon," Chuptret said. He looked in the mirror. "You know your part?"

She nodded, her little face serious. "I do."

Chuptret glanced at the passenger seat. Neeba was still sucking her thumb. He looked at the back seat. His brother was looking out the window. Tibble was on the other side of Bleevea, looking out her window. The stuff they'd put on the window wasn't too bad, it didn't made it too hard to see through, but it wasn't as good as smart windows, just had a weird silver sheen.

My-Liar point five Mike & Ron's Numimu ox-hide didn't let screaming things through like the smart windows did.

Chuptret glanced at everyone again.

They were only a few miles from where they had to go. He using the steering yoke controls to steer, using the cruise control to speed up or slow down. He was barely tall enough that if he stood on the brakes the car would stop and he could see over the dashboard.

It was only a few miles.

He looked at them again.

His brother looked at him for a long moment. "Can I use the food forge?"

Chuptret nodded.

The food forge hissed and Heptret started passing out cold cans. All of them had the stylized logo on them and the angry lizard hissing.

"That's for grownups," Bleevea said.

"They drink it in the Tri-Vee when they do stuff like this," Heptret said softly.

"I think we should," Chuptret said. He cracked the can open. It said "Three Day Old Circus Popcorn & Used Sweat Band" on it. The can chirped "oh boy did you make a mistake, kid" and played a little jingle.

It burned on the way down. It tasted terrible. The bubbles made his nose hurt. He started to cough, then held it back.

Heptret held out a pack of Treana'ad smoke sticks and everyone took one. It was hard to light them, and they all coughed and hacked.

Tibble looked like she wanted to throw up but gave a death's head grin, took a long drink off of her "Old Dog Bed Blanket & Summer Pumpkin" drink.

"We're almost there," Neeba said softly. "I can see the lights."

"I'm scared," Tibble said softly. She took another long drink, gulping at the drink. "I'm scared," she said softly again.

Heptret hugged her. "So am I."

"I wish my Daddy had been able to do it," Neeba said softly. She looked at Chuptret. "I wish your Daddy or Uncle Krev had been able to do it."

Chuptret nodded. "So do I."

The car took the off ramp smoothly, heading toward the field of blinking lights.

"Look," Bleevea said.

In the field of blinking lights sat tanks and light armored vehicles. Their lights were still on, burning steadily. The hovercraft were mostly grounded. A few were still lifted off the ground, usually stuck against one of the massive dish supports. Here and there some wandered around in a random pattern, bouncing off of stuff.

"Uncle Ninxmi is out there somewhere," Bleevea said.

"So is Aunt Crexak," Tibble said softly. She took a drag off of the Treana'ad smoke stick and another gulp off of the drink. "They didn't make it."

"We will," Chuptret said. He swallowed the last of the can of liquid and tossed it on the floorboards.

"Do you think my Momma's waiting for me?" Neeba asked as the car sped down the road, toward the huge field of blinking lights.

"We'll find out," Chuptret said. He slowed the car. "Does anyone want to not go?"

Everyone shook their head.

Chuptret gave a tight smile.

"Do you still love me?" His brother asked, silent tears on his face.

Chuptret nodded.

The car went to stop, to slow down, at the gate.

Slapping the emergency override, Chuptret stood on the accelerator and pushed the yoke forward.

The barrier shattered.

Robots immediately took to the air, chasing the car, flashing lights, the sirens howling.

"Daddy said the little blue building in the middle!" Neeba yelled.

There was a tearing sound and the back window exploded.

So did Tibble.

One minute she was there, the next second her upper body was chunky salsa and all over the inside the car.

Everyone screamed.

"I SEE IT!" Neeba called out.

Chuptret yanked the yoke, driving under the massive dishes.

The robot made the noise again and the trunk of the car ripped apart, debris spraying everywhere.

Neeba made a sound.

Chuptret looked over.

Neeba looked at him. Her thumb was still in her mouth.

Her arm was severed at the shoulder.

Chuptret looked back at the building.

It was closer.

Neeba's mouth opened, her thumb slid from her mouth.

Her arm fell on the floorboards.

Chuptret yanked the controls like he had seen in the vids and the car shifted smoothly.

Neeba wailed in pain, shock, and confusion as the ripping sound sounded out again. Dirt fountained up from the ground just to the side of the car.

The blue building was coming up.

Chuptret stomped on the accelerator, weaving through the small parking lot surrounding the blue building. They went by the green building and robots swarmed out of it. He jinked around a hovertank that slowly slid across the tarmac, showering sparks, a bloated and rotted Lanaktallan corpse hanging out of one of the hatches. The car ran over dead bodies that littered the tarmac around the blue building, slammed against several parked cars, and barely avoided colliding with another tank.

The tanks suddenly began firing the guns that adorned it, raking the robots out of the air.

Biting down and clenching his jaw, Chuptret stomped the brakes and the car slid to a stop only a foot or so from the crash barriers that surrounded the building.

The robots overshot, banking smoothly.

"GET OUT!" Heptret yelled, yanking over the door and following his own advice.

Chuptret yanked open the door, crawling out.

Neeba was sunk into the bliss, her body flooded with her species's version of dopamine and endorphins. She opened the door and walked out, heading toward the big dishes.

"NEEBA!" Chuptret yelled, staying low as he ran for the crash barriers and ducked behind them.

Heptret and Bleevea followed.

A handful of robots swooped down.

One moved to right in front of Neeba, who was still staggering.

The trio saw the red scanning laser pan over Neeba. Two of the robots immediately sounded off the sirens, only the pattern was different.

"Go," Chuptret said, slapping his sister's backside.

They ran for the building, jumping over the dead bodies or running around them.

The tanks were still fighting the robots. The robots were still following Neeba, who had her thumb in her mouth and was starting to stagger. The robots were ordering her to sit down, wait for emergency services.

The trio knew that the emergency services weren't coming.

The door was half open and Chuptret watched as his sister and brother squeezed in.

He stayed ducked down behind the blockade for a long moment, then ran for the car.

Out in the field, Neeba had gone down on her knees. There were a dozen robots around her.

Chuptret hated them suddenly. Hated them more than he hated the shades.

There was the high pitched crack of gunfire from inside the building.

He knew, right there, that the 'easy way', as daddy had put it, had failed.

The lights still blinked on the massive field of dishes.

He climbed into the car, keeping low, and looked on the floor boards. The control Tibble had been holding was down on the floorboards, along with a chunk of her flesh he couldn't identify and didn't try.

His brother came staggering out of the building, holding onto the dolly that Bleevae had been holding with one hand and his stomach with the other. He was crying, looking around. He saw Chuptret and staggered over, crying.

The robots lifted up from where Neeba had gone face first onto the grass, racing toward him.

Chuptret caught his brother.

"Robot," was all he coughed before he closed his eyes and went limp.

Chuptret held his brother close as the robots stopped and one started scanning him.

He had never understood it in the Tri-Vee shows when the humans or the Telkans said it.

He understood it now, down on one knee next to the car, holding his brother's limp body, .

"Witness me," he told the robot, lifting his hand.

The lights on the robots went red.

He pressed the button.

White light took it all away.