When They Come

Alex tackled a sentry and was swift in taking him down. She used her laser phone to take down a few more guards and nodded at her work. Alex’s head snapped towards Addir’s sudden cry and saw he was in Xevon’s clutches.

He seemed to be talking to him, making guilt and doubt slither in his mind. Alex screwed up her face and lunged at Xevon, kicking Addir away from him.

“Don’t say a word to him,” Alex growled.

“You’re not the commander of me,” Xevon snarled. “The traitor needs his punishment and I’m here to deliver it. The sentence for insubordination is death. He shall not escape it,”

“Oh, I think he will,” Alex snapped. “You were a fool to ever pair with Cassandra. Did you ever think that she has a low immune system?”

Xevon’s face went pale.

“Yes,” Alex smirked. “If you were to pair with another, you might have survived your punishment. But the immune system of Cassandra is weak. She got sick every flu season. And it won’t be enough for what’s coming. You dug your grave,”

“I’ll just have to kill you and I won’t have to lay in it,” Xevon sneered.

“No!” Addir yelled and tackled Xevon. He punched Xevon several times in the face. “You will not harm her. Not as long as there is breath in me!!”

“Then I’ll just have to—“

But Xevon didn’t finish. Alex shot a laser beam at him with a flat stare. Addir looked at her incredulously.

“The dialogue was getting too long,” Alex answered the silent question. “If this was a book, I think the narrator would even get bored,”

Alex and Addir turned to the control board near the electric ball and Addir turned to his sister.

“The controls are simple enough. You go and initiate the self-destruct system and we’ll have about five minutes to evacuate. I’ll get John and then lead us to the nearest escape pod.” Addir called over the pandemonium.

Alex nodded and dashed, vaulting and ducking the Saimiens that rushed her. She made it to the console and looked over the buttons. They were in the Saimien language, but she could read the words. Surprisingly. She wasn’t complaining.

There was a a combination she had to type in before the self-destruct button popped up and she quickly punched it in. Her mind was racing as she saw the blue button rise from some unknown pocket in the console and Alex looked up to try and find Addir and John.

“Oh, Alex!” A voice called over the rest.

Everything went silent and Alex turned her head and gasped. Onol had John by the collar of his suit, hologram off, as he struggled to escape her grip.

“Looking for someone?” Onol crooned.

“Onol,” Alex said, dropping her hologram and staring at the overlord. “Put. Him. Down.”

“And why should I do that?” Onol replied, waving the boy above the ground. “He looks tasty. He wouldn’t be so bad as a victory dinner,”

“Oh my gosh! You Saimiens are so arrogant!” Alex cried, rolling her eyes.

“Either that or you’re too hopeful,” Onol snapped back. “Now, step away from the console, and you’ll be able to whiteness your planet’s destruction,”

Alex looked to Addir who was a few feet away. Then to the Saimiens who had nervous looks on their faces. Then to John who had a pleading in his eyes. Those eyes begged her to do as she said. So that’d he’d be ok.

But if Alex didn’t press the button, it’d all be over. Alex looked to Onol and gave her a serious look. A flame kindled in her eyes and her hand still hovered over the button. She was on the brink of the abyss. Either way, things could go south.

“Well,” Alex began, catching everyone’s breath. She locked eyes with the overlord. “No,” Her hand smashed the button and everything came crashing down.

Sharp, shooting pain, splintered through her. Alex cried out in agony and sank to her knees. All the Saimiens shrieked and spasmed then dropped to the floor in a matter of heartbeats, dead.

Alex barely saw what happened. Barely heard the countdown before the whole ship was blown to bits, barely saw the flashing of red lights because of the agony ripping through every cell in her body. It felt like knives piercing her skin, poison in her veins, everything ablaze in a flame that could not be put out.

She felt a hand under her arm, pulling her up and through the black spots in her eyes, Alex could see John, lugging her and Addir along, panic twisting his features.

Alex couldn’t let him do it on his own. Bringing herself to her most awareness, Alex hobbled along with him.

“Addir!” She breathed. “The escape pod!”

Addir squinted open his eyes and swayed. “Through that door,” He pointed to a side door.

The trio inched their way to the door as the timer counted down. Alex could have sworn she saw Xevon lifeless on the floor and Cassandra limping out a side door as they made it to the escape pod door. That was a guess in assuming that Cassandra’s weak immune system would kill Xevon, but it surprised her that Cassandra still stood.

Thirty seconds were on the clock as the door slid open, revealing a pod just large enough to fit them. Alex sat down on one of the side seats as she weakly watched John struggle with the Saimien control pad. He couldn’t read the blue button labeled ‘eject’.

He let out a panicked roar as he scanned the pad. Alex couldn’t let herself watch, so she reached through the pain and slammed her hand on the button. The door snapped shut and the pod gave a lurch. It dropped from the ship, exposing them to the bright sunshine, making Alex’s stomach rise to her throat.

Before she blacked out, she could she a flash of brilliant light envelope the ship and disappear in it.