Fade in -- North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
Cheyenne Mountain Command Center
General Grim walked swiftly down the carpeted hallway
flanked by two high-ranking Colonels who served as his
aides. His mood matched his name. Anyone who dared wake him
in the middle of the night had better have a good reason,
and this one certainly fit the bill. Over the past two days
his facility had tracked an object just beyond the orbit of
Neptune. Normally it would've been impossible to pick up
something so far away if not for the noise it generated.
The object omitted some kind of high-energy static; it's
origin and purpose unknown. In fact the signals weren't
even directed at the Earth. Several of NASA's satellites
currently on their way to other planets had picked up the
noise. The object, whatever it was, remained just on the
outskirts of the solar system, traveling between the orbits
of Neptune and Pluto at what scientists determined was
almost one tenth the speed of light. One thing for sure, it
wasn't from Earth.
NORAD experts studied the signals intensely. Was it a
welcome message from an alien civilization, or a probe
searching for life? The answers were inconclusive. Then 12
hours earlier the object had gone silent, bringing up even
more questions. Had its power failed? Did it crash into an
uncharted asteroid or leave the solar system? There was no
way of knowing, other than sending one of their own
satellites out to search for it...at least a 12 to 20 year
trip depending on which launch method was available. And
with space being so vast, they would have better luck
searching for a needle in a field full of haystacks.
Less than an hour ago the point had become mute. The object
reappeared again, this time in orbit above the earth. The
phone call General Grim had received told him the package
was on the roof. Being an unsecured line, nothing else was
said to indicate the true danger of the situation. The
general dressed quickly, met his two aides outside his car,
and drove like a madman to the base; making the normal 35
minute trip in 28 minutes flat. When he entered the
conference room his men stood, and only sat after he did.
"What's the situation?" the general asked coldly.
"At 23:36 our time, the object reappeared in our orbit
sir," a tall, lanky major stated. "It could've been there
longer. We didn't know it was there until it started
transmitting a signal. Then five minutes ago it made a
maneuver to enter our atmosphere.
"Where is it going?"
"Uncertain, General. We believe somewhere over the
southeastern United States. I've already alerted the bases
in the area. However, it could alter its course and land
somewhere else. We'll know more soon." As if on cue the
major's phone beeped which he quickly answered. A few words
were exchanged before he turned it off. "It changed course
General. The object is now heading north. Best estimate,
it'll come out somewhere over the Dakotas."
"If it lands," someone else interjected. "For all we know
it may keep flying straight to Asia."
"What happens if it's dumping toxic poison into our air as
it does?" an Air Force general brought up. "I recommend we
'intercept' it sir." He stated the word 'intercept' in the
strongest, possible terms.
"We don't even know what we're dealing with," another
general shouted. "Supposing you shot it down and when it
crashes, it releases some kind of gas that's deadly to our
people? We could have a real disaster on our hands. Sir, I
recommend that whatever the object is we monitor it and see
what it does."
"And if it's a bomb," the Air Force general stated coldly.
"More people could be killed by waiting."
"How long before it passes through our atmosphere?" General
Grim asked.
"Ten more minutes sir," one of his men answered. "It's
crossing over the UK now." For once everyone was silent.
"Alert the bases," General Grim ordered calmly. "If the
object does land I want the area secure. No civilians,
media, or pictures, is that clear? Break the cameras if you
have to, but make sure nothing makes the front page. Let's
do our job people. Dismiss."
The majority of the soldiers rushed out the door to their
stations while others remained behind, most of them
generals from other services. They would stay with General
Grim until the crisis was over to offer their opinions. The
General stood and walked over to the coffee pot, motioning
for one of his aides to follow. When they were out of
earshot of everyone else he whispered, "Call Dennis Butz
and tell him to get his ass on a plane. I want him sitting
down in front of me in two hours, is that understood
Colonel Blackstone?"
"Yes sir," the man replied firmly. Without even saluting
the colonel left to follow his order. General Grim grabbed
his mug and poured himself a cup of hot coffee. He needed
it at this time of the morning. The General thought about
his upcoming meeting. He hated Dennis Butz. No, that wasn't
right. The general didn't trust him. Dennis was an alien
trying to fit into his world and doing a lousy job of it.
He was too secretive about his people's past, and General
Grim didn't like being kept in the dark. It made him
believe that the Titan was hiding something. Well this time
he was going to get some answers. For too long he had
pussyfooted around trying to be diplomatic like the
president had requested. The time for diplomacy was over. A
Captain interrupted his thoughts.
"Sir, the object is landing."
"Where?" General Grim asked, suddenly feeling foolish that
he had been standing there for so long daydreaming. What
else had he missed?
"Northern Wisconsin, sir. About 10 miles west of the city
of Ashland, which is located on the Lake Superior
shoreline."
"I thought it was supposed to be coming down in the
Dakota's, Captain!"
"It must have braked coming in, sir. A helo just dropped
Delta force off near the landing site to secure the area.
More reinforcements should be arriving in fifteen minutes.
We have a secure line with the Delta force commander if you
want to talk to him, sir."
"Pipe it down to my phone," the general ordered. He took
his seat while the captain made the arrangements. Less than
30 seconds later the hookup was made. General Grim punched
the speaker button so everyone could hear.
"This is General Grim," he stated formally into the voice
box. "Who am I speaking with?"
"This is Lieutenant-Commander Sims, Delta Force leader,
sir!" There was static on the line, and the captain worked
his controls to clear it up.
"What's your situation, commander?"
"We've found the object, sir. It's some kind of craft made
from what looks like a blue plastic material.
Its...bubbling, sir."
"Bubbling?"
"Yes sir, I repeat, it's bubbling...at least on the
surface. It's about the size of a small car, maybe just a
little bigger. It's shaped like an egg. No signs of exhaust
vents or doors."
"How many men are in your squad, commander?"
"Seven, including myself sir. We weren't expecting to go
out. Most of my men are on a weekend pass."
"Understand, commander," General Grim answered. "I've been
informed re-enforcement's are on the way and should be
there in twelve minutes. Can you keep the area secure until
then?"
"Not a problem, sir. The objected landed in a remote area.
The nearest road or house is more than a mile away. We'll
make sure..."
Suddenly General Grim heard a man screaming in the
background. This was followed by shouts mix with more
screams, and the sound of a rifle being fired. He heard one
man yell for God to save them before going silent. Then
there was nothing.
"We've just lost contact, sir," the captain working the
communications stated.
"YOU THINK!" General Grim screamed furiously. "WHAT THE
FUCK JUST HAPPENED? IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE ATTACKED!"
Quickly the general regained his composure. "Warn the men
going in that the landing zone is hot. Tell them to shoot
to kill, and repeat the order to them - SHOOT TO KILL!"
Fade out...
***
Voice of Linda Anderson - They say to judge someone; you
must first walk a mile in their shoes. When I first came
here, I regarded this town as a prison. In many ways that's
still true, but only if you look at it superficially. Years
later, with the benefit of hindsight, I can now see the
town for what it is; a last attempt to bring peace between
the Titans, the Olympians, and us, the human race. If the
town succeeds, the people imprisoned in Peace River will
finally be free and there will be peace. If it fails, the
resulting war could end the world as we know it. There are
some on all sides of this conflict who have their own
reasons for seeing the project fail.
These are the stories of the men and women who made a
difference during those dark days, and shaped history. It's
also about those who had to face their deepest, darkest
problems and what they gained from conquering them. It's a
place of second chances, hope, and peace. The name of this
town is Andersonville.
***
Andersonville 29 - Terror from the sky
Written by Kelly Davidson
Edited by Geoff
This story dedicated to my kids, who keep me young despite
my age.
Fade in...
A lone soldier led Dennis Butz down the dark path. He had
been briefed, but the people who had done so knew very
little. No one seemed to have any idea of who or what they
were dealing with. If they had come to him before this had
happened, the director could've prepared them. Instead he
had been kept in the dark until now.
'That had to be General Grim's decision,' Dennis thought.
The man was finding fault in everything he did, from his
operation of Andersonville to sitting on the toilet and
taking a dump. Now things between them were going to get
worse. The general would be even more un-trusting of him at
a time when he needed to trust him the most. The next 24
hours would be critical.
As he stepped past the trees into a small field Dennis
spotted the remains of the once beautiful craft, still
bubbling. One man was trying to retrieve a sample of the
metal, but everything he used dissolved. The highly
corrosive acid ate through everything, and Dennis knew by
morning there would be nothing left of the ship.
'Why here?' Dennis wondered. It was cold, and they didn't
like the cold. Was it to set up a base of operations near
the Olympians? That had to be the reason. Rattle their
cages a little.
"The old goat was right," June Herns noted as she walked up
next to Dennis. The director was surprised to see her, and
Juno explained. "I sensed it coming down and used my own
authority to get here. Didn't they tell you I was coming?"
"It seems General Grim wants to keep me in the dark on this
operation," Dennis stated.
"It stood close to here," June told him, looking around. "I
can feel it's slimy presence."
"We'll find it, Juno. All I have to do is convince someone
to give me some men. Let's go."
They headed toward a small, black container that a
helicopter had dropped off just a few minutes before.
Already men were hard at work connecting hookups and
stringing wires to make the command base active. A tall,
muscular sergeant was close by watching the activity and
issuing commands.
"Sergeant, I need to speak to the person in charge."
"That would be General Grim, sir. He's just coming in." The
soldier pointed toward the dark corner of the field, and
Dennis could make out the outline of a helicopter that had
just landed. Moments later a jeep pulled up near the crash
site, and General Grim with two men stepped out to look at
the remains.
"Come on," Dennis told June as he made his way back to
where they had once been. General Grim was talking to one
of his men when they showed up. "General Grim, I need to
speak with you."
The general glared at Dennis for a moment, and then
motioned him to get in the jeep. "This way," he proclaimed.
They drove the one hundred or so yards back to the new
command post while his aides trotted behind. When they
pulled up the Sergeant stepped forward and saluted him
smartly.
"The command post is up and operational, sir," he announced
in a professional tone.
"Very good, Sergeant." General Grim returned the salute and
went inside. Dennis took one more look at the operation
going on around them. There were hundreds of men with guns
around the perimeter, but he doubted if anyone was out
searching for it. Maybe that was a good thing. He went in,
followed by Judge Herns and the General's two aides.
The command post was made up of two different rooms. The
larger of the two held all the maps and communication
equipment, and was manned by three young soldiers. They
wore thick headphones, and were in constant contact with
each platoon leader. One of the solders was talking to the
general, who seemed quite aggravated by what he had to say.
"They'll have the maps here in an hour, sir," the young
corporal was saying.
"Goddamn it, I want them here in thirty minutes - along
with the person who's responsible for supplying you with
the wrong maps. There's a big 'fucking' difference between
Kentucky and Wisconsin and I'm going to point that out to
him."
"Yes sir," the corporal nervously snapped to attention and
then got back on the radio.
"Goddamn idiots," the General swore. "Someone was in too
big of a fucking hurry and gave them the maps for Ashland,
Kentucky."
"Forget the maps," Dennis told him, wondering why generals
cursed so much to get their point across. "I need about
thirty men to go after it."
General Grim eyed Dennis with contempt. "You need? This is
'my' operation, Mr. Butz. Before I give you anything 'you
need' we're going to have a little chat. In here." He
motioned them to the smaller room that served as both a
kitchen and a conference area. There was a metal table
bolted to the floor, along with six comfortable chairs.
Dennis, Juno, and General Grim took a seat while his aides
stood rigidly by the closed door.
"I stopped by the infirmary to see for myself, because I
couldn't believe the reports. Do you know what I saw, Mr.
Butz?"
"I can guess," Dennis replied. "Your men looked like
statues...their skin hard as rock...only your instruments
indicated that they're still alive."
"Like living stone," the general stated in mild horror.
"LIVING STONE!" What they 'fuck' happened to them?"
"General, I don't have time to explain this right now. If
we don't move fast your people will be in grave danger."
"We'll move when I say 'we' move," General Grim stated with
angry impatience. "Six are of my men are...'hell', I don't
know what the fuck to say is wrong with them. I don't know
if they're dead or alive. Another man is missing. So before
I risk any more of my men I want some 'fucking' answers.
What the HELL am I'm dealing with here, Mr. Butz?"
"You say a man is missing, general?" Juno asked in
surprise.
General Grim shot the judge a careful glance. "Yes, Juno,
or do you prefer Judge Herns?" Clearly he wanted it known
that he had no beef with her.
"Perhaps Judge Herns is better, so your men don't
overhear," she replied. "Do you have a profile on the man
who is missing?"
"It's at the base, why?"
"I need to see it, General. It may give us a clue as to how
powerful it is."
"How powerful 'what' is?" General Grim asked firmly. When
neither one answered, he stated, "Look, I'm not doing
anything until I find out what's going on. Now someone
start talking."
The two looked at each other, and Juno nodded. Dennis
cleared his throat and asked, "What do you know about the
Medusa, General?"
The general leaned back in his chair and eyeballed the two.
"Just what I've read from the books you recommended. She
was a woman of great beauty, until one of the Olympians
changed her into an ugly monster. Her hair became snakes,
and it was said that if any man looked at her face they
would be turned to stone."
Dennis smirked. "Such is the authenticity of myths. The
truth is much different. You see Medusa isn't the name of a
person, it's a race. They're a pale, blob-like creature
about the size of a breadbox."
"Sounds like something I scrape off my shoe after I step on
a slug," the general commented dryly.
"Not all beings look like you and me, General," Dennis
snapped. "The Medusa are extremely intelligent and can
adapt to almost any environment. Their strength is that
they can blend in, but that is only the beginning of their
powers." The director stopped talking for a moment as if he
were choosing his next words carefully.
"Before we came here, the Medusa were our allies in the war
against the Olympians. You see, the Medusa and Judge Herns
people are natural enemies."
"Why?" General Grim demanded to know.
"I can't tell you," Dennis answered in a defensive tone.
"Oh for crying out loud Dennis," Judge Herns sighed
angrily. "If you won't tell him I will. You see General
Grim, the Medusa adapt to their new environment by becoming
one of native residents. They find a host and take over
their body. That's what happened to your missing man, he's
under the Medusa's control. I'm afraid there's nothing you
can do to save him."
"You mean he's dead?" the general asked in anguish.
"No." Dennis answered for her. He hesitated then added,
"But he might as well be. Once the Medusa is killed your
man will die. He's sort of in a suspended state. He doesn't
know what's going on."
"They're very particular about who they choose," Judge
Herns expounded. "That's why I'm surprise the Medusa chose
a host so quickly. I guess it got lucky."
"I still don't get it? Why does it need a host in the first
place? Will it die if it doesn't?"
"No," Juno shook her head. "What you have to understand
General is that the Medusa are a very paranoid race. They
don't need a host to survive. They do all this to...to
execute the next phase of their strategy."
"And what would that strategy be?" General Grim asked in an
uneasy tone
Dennis answered the question. "It will seek out a mate.
When it finds one, the Medusa will produce slave slugs that
only it can control. The slaves will go out and infect
others, bringing the person under the Medusa's control.
Slowly but surely it will build an army to surround and
protect itself with. A normal Medusa can control seven to
eight thousand beings, but it's not uncommon for some to
have the ability to control ten thousand or more. When the
slaves take over, they read the host's memories and act
like that person. You could talk to one for over an hour
and never know it was a slave."
The jaw on the general's face grew tight. He stared at
Dennis with cold, angry eyes like someone who wanted to
snap his neck. "What about my six men at the infirmary?
What did it do to them?"
That's the other part of the myth," Dennis explained. "The
part about if you looked at Medusa's face you'll turn to
stone. In addition to controlling thousands of individuals,
the Medusa can preserve others in case of an emergency. A
normal Medusa will have up to 3,000 stored and kept close
by. That way if there's a battle and a few thousand are
lost, the Medusa can activate it's reserves without having
to search for replacements."
"You sick, perverted bastard," General Grim cursed. "You
allowed them to do this to our people without protest. You
turned a blind eye to all this while these creatures
enslaved ten thousand or more of my people!"
"Times were different, general," Dennis said impatiently.
"Your people back then were different."
"How 'different' you Titan mother-fucker?" General Grim
raged. "What, we take showers everyday and wear shoes, and
they didn't? We drive cars instead of riding horseback?
What makes us so different - so much fucking better 'today'
that we've earned your protection? Why was it okay to use
and abuse us back then but not now? I want to know why you
think we're so worthy of your help today when it wasn't
offered centuries ago!"
"As I said before, times were different,' Dennis repeated
heatedly. "Look at your own history General Grim. During
World War II the thought of a black man ordering a white
man around in the military was unthinkable. In fact
African-Americans didn't fight in the war until the later
years, and none had any leadership positions over white
soldiers. Most served as cooks or dug graves. Yet sixty
years later you, an African-American man, order and control
the lives of hundred of thousands of men of all colors.
What makes you better than those men who served in the
military back then?"
"We're talking about apple and oranges, Mr. Butz. That
situation was based on bigotry."
"So was ours," Dennis tossed back at him. "The truth is, we
thought of humans as being inferior to us back then. Some
we regarded highly, but most weren't. Unlike you, we didn't
have new generations to replace the old prejudice. We had
to learn and see the errors of our ways. Tell me General
and be honest here, how different would your world be today
if the people in the 1940's were still alive and in charge?
Would you still be standing here talking to me? Would there
be any high-ranking African-American's officers in your
army?"
"No, not likely," the general admitted disgustedly. "Maybe
a few captains - given the privilege of serving coffee or
tea at the meetings. It's the new generations that will
reap the rewards from our efforts."
Dennis nodded. "It's not like that with us. We're the men
from the 1940's. There is no new generation to pass on our
hopes and dreams of a better world. We had to change our
way of thinking, and like humans that doesn't come easy.
Not for us or for the Olympians."
Taking a deep breath, Dennis continued. "When we arrived
there were three Medusa's, but only one had the power to
control humans. Its name was Kilameton, and it took control
of a pretty female from a nearby village. As I said, we
didn't have a high regard for human's back then so we
didn't care what it did. Then the Olympians arrived. You
have a saying - 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend.'
Since the Medusa's fought side by side with us in our past
war, it seemed natural for them to help us again."
"But why you, and not the Olympians? Why are the Medusa's
natural enemies with them?"
"Because General Grim," Juno answered for Dennis, "the
Medusa found us a most compatible host. Some races are
better suited for them than others. On a scale of 1 to 10,
10 being the best, we're a '15', while the Titans are only
a 2 or 3. They came and conquered millions of my people
before we found out what was happening. To fight them, we
first had to find them. So our scientist developed a drug
that would increase our senses to detect a Medusa.
Unfortunately it worked too well. Not only could we detect
them on our planet, but also several light years in space.
To feel them is...it's a very uncomfortable feeling
General, like a nightmare. Worse, the effects were passed
on from generation to generation, in some cases increasing
in intensity.
"Once the Medusa were exposed, it was easy to find and kill
them. That's when they threw their slaves, our own people,
into a war against us. Fifty million Olympians died in that
four-day war, because the slaves had access to the same
weapons. What saved us was that we didn't have to kill all
the slaves. Once the Medusa is killed, it's slaves also
died. After we won the war on our planet, we went after
them in space. That's when the Titan's showed up to help
the Medusa, and we've been fighting ever since."
"That's not entirely true, Juno," Dennis said defensively.
"We attacked you only after we found out what you were
doing to 'our' people."
"It was you who introduced space travel to the Medusa.
That's what brought them to our planet," she snapped back.
"You're responsible in the end for what happened to us - so
we used your people to fight them."
"Like you want to use us now?" Dennis questioned strongly.
"Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. You
and I both know why Judge Jasper doesn't kill my people.
There can only be one reason. Besides, we had no idea what
the Medusa would do after they left the confines of their
world. They weren't paranoid when we first met. And it was
only after your people destroyed an unarmed star liner
carrying a group of Medusa and Titan children, while our
leaders were negotiating an end to the war between you and
the Medusa, that we attacked. Three thousand innocent
people, almost a thousand of which were Titan children that
your intelligence knew were onboard...but your 'brave'
captain took the shot anyway. Of course we attacked - what
would you have done?"
"SHUT UP!" General Grim roared. Both Dennis and Juno looked
at him in shock that anyone would dare tell them to be
quiet. "The two of you can fight about this later. Right
now it's 'my' people that are in danger, and I want to know
what the 'fuck' I can do about it! So where do we fit in on
this 'Medusa scale'?
Dennis faulted to gain control of his anger. Old hatred
never died, it was always there, waiting to resurface if
given the chance. No wonder Crius wanted them dead. It had
been a long time since he had felt this way.
"Your race is a seven, at least that's what Kilameton told
me before it was killed."
"How did it die?" General Grim wanted to know.
"That's the last part of the myth," Juno explained. "You
see, we knew where Kilameton was hiding, the problem was
getting close enough to it. Just as we could sense it, it
could sense us. So we staged a battle, to pull it's slaves
away, and sent in a small group of warriors led by one,
brave man."
"Perseus!"
"Correct, General. He was able to sneak up behind the
Medusa and cut off its head. As soon as he did, all its
slaves died. To honor what he did for us, we gave him a
place in the stars."
General Grim shook his head in disbelief. "That's an
incredible story. So why do you suppose this Medusa showed
up?"
The director got a little uncomfortable at the question.
"After we crashed, Kilameton tried to get in contact with
its people. It looks like it may have succeeded. If a
message was sent in the conventional way, it wouldn't have
reached their home planet until recently."
General Grim's anger returned. "Why didn't you tell me
about this years ago?" he demanded to know.
"I had no idea that it succeeded," Dennis countered. "It
tried for years without any luck. I figured it failed."
"You should've told me anyway!" the general bellowed. "You
should have told me about all this, before I sent seven
brave men to their deaths!"
"And you should have told me about the signals from the
spaceship days ago," Dennis shot back. "If you had I could
have told you what was going on and prevented all this."
"Actual General, the six men in your hospital aren't dead,"
Juno interrupted. "Once we kill the Medusa, those men will
return to normal in 24 hours. It's the ones the Medusa will
infect if we don't stop it that are in danger. Once they're
taken over by a slave slug their life's are over."
General Grim nodded. At least there was good news about his
men. All he had to do was find it...and he would find it.
"You say this Medusa is looking for a mate. Since it's
taken a male host, it must be looking for a female."
"Not exactly, General," Dennis interjected. "The Medusa
picks its mate based on the energy aura around the person.
If that happens to be a male, it will simply transform them
into a female of it's choosing."
"What is it about your people and sex changes," the General
grumbled. "Do all races have this ability?"
"We taught them how to do it," Dennis said.
"Of course," General Grim answered sarcastically. "Why
doesn't that surprise me?"
"Changing a person's DNA is rather easy," Judge Herns
jumped in. "They would've found out from us anyway if we
hadn't stopped them."
General Grim stared at Judge Herns respectfully. "Will you
help us, Judge?"
June nodded. "I'll try...but I'll be honest general, my
abilities are limited to only about a mile or so once it's
on the ground. However, there are others in my town who've
been feeling the Medusa's presence for months. I can talk
to them, but I must warn you General Grim. They're not
happy with your country's alliance with the Titans."
"Tell them neither am I!" the General frowned. Dennis
glared at the man. "In the meantime, I'll get you a
helicopter to circle the area and see if you can pick it
up. Even at a good run our man couldn't be more than 5 or 6
miles away. We may get lucky.
"Providing it hasn't been picked up by someone," Dennis
pointed out.
General Grim looked at his watch. "Who would be out at this
time of the night?"
***
The Medusa knew it was in danger. It could feel the
presence of an Olympian close by. Clearing the woods it
came upon a hard, paved path going in both directions. The
Medusa searched the memory of the person who had been
called Robert Sprint to see what its purpose was. The path
was called a road, and it was used by cars to travel on.
The humans traveled from place to place on the ground? The
Medusa concluded this was indeed a strange world.
In the distance something shinny caught it's eye. Two
lights moving toward him in the darkness. Yes, that had to
be a car. He had to stop it, but how. Searching the man's
memory once more, the Medusa came up with a plan.
***
The light-blue Honda crept slowly down the road. Inside the
four teenagers, 2 boys and 2 girls, strained to see
something above the treetops.
"Do you see anything?" the male driver asked.
"Nothing," stated the other boy sitting in the passenger
seat.
"Maybe ET went home," one of the girls in back giggled.
"Then why did all those helicopters suddenly appear?" the
driver asked. "Look, there goes another."
In the distance they could make out a military helicopter
heading toward the area where they had seen the mysterious
object go down. At first they thought it was a meteorite,
but when those helicopters showed up they suspected it was
something much bigger. They drove toward the area, hoping
to get a glimpse of whatever it was. Instead the only
things they saw were bare trees in the winter snow and
those dark-colored helicopters.
"Hi Mike, check it out," the male passenger told the
driver. The teenage driver looked ahead, and spotted a man
stand in the road with his flashlight pointed at them. In
the other hand he held a rifle.
"What the hell is going on?" Mike cursed. He pulled up next
to the soldier who was waving at him to stop and rolled
down the window. "What do you want?"
The soldier peered inside the car and looked at the
occupants. Mike could tell from his uniform that this
soldier was in Special Forces. The soldier waved his gun at
them and ordered, "Get out."
"What?" Mike asked in surprise. "Fuck you! We didn't do
anything wrong."
"Get out," the soldier said more forcefully, and then
pointed his gun at the driver's head.
Mike swallowed hard, and looked over at his friend, Tim.
His eyes were wide, and he looked as scared as Mike did.
The girls were silent for once, too frightened to say
anything. Mike opened the door and slowly got out, followed
by his girlfriend, Nancy. Tim exited on the passenger side,
with his girlfriend Jamie holding on to him for dear life.
"What's going on," she asked in a low, frighten voice.
"Just do as he says babe, everything will be okay," Tim
whispered to her.
The soldier lined them up in a row, and then looked at them
carefully - first Mike followed by the two girls and
then...Tim. He liked what he saw.
"You," he pointed his gun at Tim. "Step away from the
rest."
"Why? I didn't do anything," the teenager protested.
"You have been chosen," the soldier simply stated.
"Chosen? Chosen for what?"
"You will be my mate," the man replied. The four teenagers
looked at him funny.
"Fuck you!" Tim spat. "I'll rather be dead
than...than...SHIT!"
The soldier reached his hand over to pull Tim from the
others. Mike saw his opening and went for it. He lurched
for him, but the soldier's training kicked in and he moved
fast. He brought up his rifle and smacked Mike hard in the
face. The teenager fell to the ground dazed.
"You mother-fucker!" Tim yelled and advanced. The soldier
brought his rifle around and pointed it right in the
teenager's face.
"I can always find someone else," the Medusa said coldly,
then added, "Follow my instructions and your friends live.
Disobey me, and I kill all of you. Move over to the side of
the road."
Seeing that this man meant business, Tim reluctantly did as
he was told. The soldier looked at the two girls who were
too afraid to move. "Stay there," he commanded them. "If
you run, I will shoot you...then I will shoot your friend."
The two girls whimpered and held on to each other. The
soldier turned back to Tim, and held out his hand. "Take my
hand," he said sternly.
Tim did, and suddenly sparks flew from where they touched.
The soldier held on tight and smiled while Tim and his
friends watched in horror. A glow appeared around Tim's
hand that quickly moved up his arm and engulfed his entire
body. Then he started to change, getting skinnier and
shorter. The soldier pulled back his hand and watched the
fruits of his labor take place.
"What's happening?" Tim cried, as his body began to take on
a more feminine form. His hair turned honey-golden blonde
like his girlfriend, and grew past his shoulders. In fact
other things about him started to change to resemble her,
from her deep, blue eyes to her better than average
breasts. Oddly, other changes resembled Mike's girlfriend,
Nancy. He got her lips, cheeks, nose, and legs. When the
transformation was complete, Tim looked like a cross
between the two girls.
"Oh my GOD!" Jamie screamed hysterically.
"What is it...what's wrong?" Tim asked in a panicky tone.
"You're...he...Tim...you look like a...a...a girl," Jamie
stuttered while holding her hand over her mouth in horror.
"What...NO!" Tim screamed as he ran his hands over his face
and down his breast. Jamie and Nancy weren't the only one's
crying now.
"You need new clothes," the Medusa said in a matter of fact
tone. "I need you to look..." It searched the soldiers
memories for the right word, "'sexy'...so we can
propagate." He turned to the two girls, and pointed his gun
at them. "You two...take off your clothes. Do so or I kill
you."
The girls whimpered, but did as he ordered. They took off
their heavy jackets and the Medusa compared the two. Nancy
was wearing blue jeans and a cotton shirt while Jamie had
worn a short, blue dress. The Medusa searched the memories
of the soldier and found the dress appealing. After the
girls had stripped down to their underwear, something else
the Medusa had to search his memory for, it observed what
they had on. One of the girls was wearing a pair of cotton
panties and a plain bra, while the other wore a silky and
lacier brand. The Medusa pointed its gun at Nancy and said,
"Your underwear...it's very pretty. Take it off and put it
in the pile."
"No...no...please," she whimpered both in fright and shame.
"Do it!" it ordered in a more threatening manner. The girl
obliged, crying as she did. The Medusa was surprised to see
how little courage these humans had. Even his new mate just
stood there whimpering like a whipped pup.
"You will be used later," the Medusa said calmly while
pointing its hand at the two girls. A dart flew from its
fingertip and struck Jamie in the chest. She screamed, but
it was short lived. Her skin suddenly became hard, as a
stone shell grew from the spot where the dart had pierced
her skin. In a few seconds it had encased her entire body.
Nancy saw what happened and screamed loudly and
hysterically. The Medusa pointed his finger at her, unaware
of the new danger. Mike had recovered from the blow and had
seen what had happened to Jamie. Distract by the
transformation, the Medusa failed to see Mike stand. Just
as it was about shoot, the young man jumped on the Medusa
from behind.
"RUN!" he yelled to his girlfriend, as the Medusa struggled
not fall. Nancy didn't need any more encouragement. She ran
for the woods screaming while Tim continued to stand there
in shock. He had just pulled his hand back from inside his
pants. It was gone - all gone. He was...he was. Tim
couldn't even say the word 'girl' to himself.
Mike was strong, but the Medusa had the edge. It was
quickly able to point it's finger at the teenager and
shoot. The young man fell back and turned to stone - a
bewildered expression on his face. The Medusa looked around
for Nancy but she was gone.
"You...you bastard," Tim shouted seeing his friend standing
there like a statue. A helicopter flew by less than a mile
away.
"We will talk about his parents later," the Medusa said,
unaware of what Tim had meant. "You will come with me."
"The fuck I will!" Tim yelled with so much anger that tears
fell from his eyes. "What did you do to my friend?"
The Medusa frowned, and grabbed Tim's hand. "Get in the
car." The young man found himself doing as his captive
suggested without a struggle. The Medusa walked him over to
the passenger side of the car and sat him down. As soon as
his hand was released however, Tim had control over his
body again. He tried to stand up, but this time the Medusa
slapped him hard across the face. Tim cried out in pain.
"You will sit there," he ordered, then slammed the door.
Tim broke down and started crying. His captor got in and
looked at his new mate. "Do not cry young girl. I will make
you the queen of our new world." The Medusa put the car in
gear and drove off.
***
"Down there!" Judge Herns told the pilot. She pointed at
the dark road below.
"I don't see anything," the spotter wearing the night
goggles yelled over the noise of the chopper blades. He
looked closer then said, "Okay, now I do. Take her down."
The pilot dove and in seconds had his bird resting on the
ground. Six soldiers jumped out and scanned the area,
followed by Judge Herns. Immediately the helicopter took
off so it could circle the area looking for trouble. The
soldiers approached two figures in the dark.
"My God," one of them said as he touched the stone face.
"We're too late. They look like kids." The sound of someone
crying made them spin around.
"It's okay," Judge Herns reassured them as she held up her
hand. "This isn't what we're looking for." She approached
the side of the road and stared in the direction of the
crying. She could sense great fear.
"We're not going to hurt you," she told the frightened
child. "We're here to help. Come out please."
"I...I can't," the girl sobbed. "I have no clothes. That
soldier...he took them." Judge Herns could detect shock in
the teenager's tone, and took off her coat.
"You must be cold my child. I'm coming in there with my
jacket. I'm not going to hurt you, Nancy. I only want to
take you to a place of safety."
"How...how did you know my name?" she asked as Judge Herns
approached.
"It's okay, child," Juno replied softly as she wrapped her
heavy coat around the frozen girl. "I'll explain everything
later."
"My...my friends," she started to whimper. "He...he...look
at what..." The girl was in too much shock to finish the
sentence.
"I know, Nancy. I'm going to help your friends, but first
you have to help me. When did this happen?"
"About...ten minutes ago maybe. He has Tim. Tim is now
a...a...giiiiirrrlllll." Nancy started sobbing in
disbelief. Juno held the distressed girl tightly, and
rocked her gently back and forth.
"Shhhhh...it's okay, Nancy. Take a deep breath and try to
focus on my questions. Can you tell me what kind of car
he's driving, and which direction he's going?"
"Blue...Honda. It's my...my car. My father gave it to me. I
was letting Mike drive it. My father told me not too...but
I disobeyed him. When he finds out...when he finds out he
will be so...mad." The girl placed her face against Juno's
chest and started crying uncontrollably.
"Commander," Judge Herns called out. A tall, dark man
approached. "Call General Grim. Tell him to find out what
the license plate number is of a car owned by Nancy
McBride. Then have him issue an APB to all the local law
enforcement agencies and have them set up some roadblocks.
If we're lucky, we might catch it before morning.
"Yes, ma'am," the soldier replied. Quickly he pulled out
his radio and called it in.
***
They searched through the night but it was fruitless. There
were too many back roads in the area, and the Medusa knew
staying on the main road was too dangerous. As the hours
ticked by it became apparent their target had gotten away.
Before sunrise the military was already starting to pull
out. By this time the starship had dissolved into a pile of
ashes that were quickly swept up by the scientists for
study.
"How long have we got?" General Grim asked.
"It'll take a few sexual encounters for the Medusa to get
everything just right," Dennis explained. "The new womb
will have to be modified to support its slugs. Say 12 hours
on the inside, 24 on the out. After that it'll take 48
hours for the slugs to mature. There are usually about 100
slugs in each birth. The Medusa won't be choosy at first.
Anyone who is big and it feels can protect it will do.
After the birth its mate will have to rest at least 24
hours before she can get pregnant again...then the process
will repeat itself."
"Damn!" the general cursed. "We have to stop it before that
happens. Judge Herns, I need you to talk to your people and
get me their help."
"I'll do my best, General. I need to get back to
Andersonville."
"I'll have my helicopter take you."
***
Dennis and I sat in his car outside the home of Vesta, one
of Jupiter's sisters. Like the other houses in this
neighborhood, it was a typical two-story home that was
neither fancy nor shabby. For a long time I had suspected
it was a jumping point from Andersonville to Peace River,
and the fact that Judge Herns had been brought here only
confirmed my suspicions. Dennis was quiet, as if something
heavy was on his mind.
"Anything you want to talk about, Dennis?" I offered,
trying to come to grips with what I had learned. Together
Judge Herns and Dennis had filled me in on what had
happened. Their tone indicated this was a very serious
situation.
The director sighed. "I was just thinking about our past.
So many mistakes, and so many hard feelings because of
them. Maybe I'm a fool for thinking Andersonville will
bring us all together."
"All?" I questioned. "You mean humans too?"
"Yes Linda, humans too. How can you have peace if only two
of the three races are involved? Your people have matured,
I guess in part due to the Olympians. They've slowly but
surely introduced technology into your society to force you
to grow these past hundred years."
"Why did you do it, Dennis? Why did you and your people
prevent us from growing into what we could've become? Why
did you keep us static all these centuries?"
A serious frown crossed his face. "Because the Olympians
don't see you as a mature race like we do, Linda. They have
another agenda, for your people and mine. I know it and
they know I know it, yet the Olympians still deny it. Even
Judge Herns thinks it won't happen now...but she's fooling
herself."
"What do you mean, Dennis? What is it the Olympians want
from us?"
The director pressed his lips together tightly and shook
his head. "Not yet, Linda. In time, but not yet."
"Why, because you don't trust me?" I asked in a tempered
tone.
"Because you still have doubts," he stated frankly. "Deep
inside you keep twisting back and forth between the
Olympians and us as to who the bad people are. Yes, both of
us have committed terrible acts against your people in the
past, so neither can stand out as your knight in shinning
armor. However, my people regret what we did, while the
Olympians continue with their agenda started centuries ago.
Until you accept that, I can't tell you."
"But I do accept that what you just said is the truth," I
told him.
"No you don't," he replied firmly. "I don't blame you for
this...not after what you know."
"So you want me to side with you, is that it Dennis?"
He shook his head sadly. "I want you to understand that the
Olympians are not an evil race in general any more than we
are, but they may not have your people's best intentions in
mind. Even the Medusa is not evil; it's just that its
agenda may not be in the best interest of your people."
"And what is the Medusa's agenda, Dennis?"
"Control," he said with no emotion. "Not for evil, but for
what it thinks will protect your people and theirs. If they
succeed, they'll set up a very pleasant world for everyone,
only they call 'all' the shots. Your people will have no
say in how your world is run. How do you feel about
paradise being controlled by another race, Linda?"
I swallowed hard at the idea. "It doesn't sit well with me,
Dennis."
"I thought it wouldn't," he said quietly.
There was something else that bothered me. "Dennis, does my
government know where Peace River is located?"
"They have a general idea, but the location is a secret to
them. The Olympians are able to hide their town well. Even
with your sophisticated satellites they still can't find
it. A few times search patrols have come close, but the
Olympians were able to trick them into thinking nothing was
there. Your government knows the town is somewhere in the
Dakota's, but not where."
"Why not tell them?"
"What happens if I do, Linda?"
I thought about it. "The president will order the military
to find a way to free those who want to leave."
"Then what?"
"Since Jupiter is not likely to give anyone up, there would
be a war. Many of our soldiers would die, but based on what
I've seen Jupiter can't hold them off forever.
"All true," Dennis agreed. "In the end your military would
prevail, but not until 25,000 or more of your soldiers
perish in the battle, along with the 15,000 citizens in
Peace River."
"What?"
"Think it through, Linda. What will Jupiter's reaction be
when he realizes your military will be victorious and they
have to flee?"
"He'll kill them, won't he?"
"More than likely. You can't use force against the
Olympians and expect to win without taking heavy
casualties. If he leaves, he's going to need an abundance
of power, and most of the people in his town will be
useless to him. Put two and two together, and you get your
answer. Which is why I've never told your people its
location. If I do, their blood will be on my hands."
"The mailman knows."
"Yes, and he's a danger to your people as well as theirs,
Linda. I was hoping Juno wouldn't break your contract with
Jupiter when she picked you up. He needs to be stopped,
before someone higher up discovers where Peace River is and
starts a war that should never be. If...when Andersonville
works out, they'll be freed and no one else will have to
suffer like they have. Unfortunately, too many people want
to see Andersonville closed down for good - General Grim
being one of them." Dennis stopped talking and frowned.
"She's back already."
Judge Herns walked to the car and got in. "The old goat
will help us find the Medusa under one condition."
"What is it?" Dennis asked.
"You have to get your people to agree to help - in
particular Crius."
"Why?" I asked. "That doesn't make sense."
"Yes it does, Linda," Dennis frowned. "Our race has...'had'
a pact with the Medusa to fight the Olympians before we
came here. Our word is everything, even more important than
our own life and Jupiter knows that. He wants us to prove
our commitment to him. He wants to see that peace with his
people is more important than old loyalties."
"He's a clever old goat," June agreed.
"But you don't know if the pact with the Medusa is valid
anymore," I argued.
"We don't know that it isn't," Dennis countered. "Only the
Medusa knows for sure, and unfortunately we can't ask it.
If we agree to Jupiter's request, we could be breaking an
agreement that dates back thousands of years.
"Dennis, we need the Olympians help. If the Medusa
succeeds, everything will be lost. Surely Jupiter can see
the danger in all this."
"There is only one Medusa, Linda," Judge Herns explained.
"At best, about 15,000 people will be infected. The danger
doesn't come until more of them arrive, which wouldn't be
for a while. Jupiter will deal with the Medusa before that
happens."
"And thousands of my people will die while he waits."
"Yes, I'm afraid that's so, Linda. I tried my best, but his
mind was set. Frankly, I can understand his thinking."
"I'll talk to Crius," Dennis said while starting the car.
We drove around the block, and parked in front of a
smaller, single story home. "Wait here, Linda." I noticed
that he didn't say anything to Juno, who didn't attempt to
get out of the car. I guess that was a given.
***
"Welcome brother," Crius said as one of his assistants let
Dennis in. He spied Juno in the car and frowned. "She's not
coming in, is she?"
"She knows better, Crius." Dennis took a seat. "I'll get
right to the point, Crius. I'm in trouble and need your
help."
"What sort of trouble, brother?"
"A Medusa."
A thin smile appeared on Crius lips. "I would say we're not
the ones who have trouble, brother. It's our Olympian
masters who should be worried."
"It's our problem too, Crius. This Medusa threatens the
peace we have built with them."
"Peace!" Crius spat like it had left a bad taste in his
mouth. "Where was this 'peace' when they ambushed my
assistant, Leo? Have they returned him as a sign of this
'peace' you talk about, brother? I don't see him with you."
"Leo committed a crime against their people, Crius. Under
the terms of the treaty I signed, they had a right to go
after him once he left Andersonville. Besides, this visit
isn't about Leo. They want our help."
"And what do our Olympian 'masters' want us to do," Crius
sneered.
"Help us track down the Medusa. Reason with it if we can,
but destroy it if we must."
"Destroy? Have you forgotten the pact we signed with them?"
"I haven't."
"Then you know I can't help you. We have an alliance with
these people."
"We don't know that."
"Until you prove otherwise I'm going to assume that we do,"
Crius stated firmly. "I will not help you or anyone else
hunt down the adversary of our enemy."
"How many times do I have to say this, Crius...the
Olympians are 'not' our enemy!"
"A matter of opinion, brother. I will not help."
"Crius, please," Dennis begged. "I've never asked you for
anything before, but I'm asking now. You owe me."
"You ask too much," he replied firmly. "I will not hunt
down my allies. They represent the biggest advantage we
have over the Olympians. Look at our history my brother. It
shows that the only way there can be a peace between the
Olympians and us is if we have control over them. I will
not give up our advantage."
"And the humans, Crius? What happens to them?"
The Titan God shrugged his shoulders. "They will grow to
like their new situation. Those who the Medusa's take over
all do in time."
"Crius, please help..."
"NO!" he stated strongly. "You should be ashamed of
yourself for even approaching me with such a suggestion,
Rhea. Go now! I will not discuss this with you any more."
The old god quickly stood and exited the room, leaving
Dennis to ponder if there was hope for his friend. He left
the house frowning, and got in the car.
"He didn't go for it, did he," Juno stated the obvious.
"No," Dennis answered. "Is there any chance Jupiter will
change his mind?"
"None," she replied.
"Then we're screwed," Dennis said.
"You're wrong, Dennis," I pointed out. "It's the human race
that's screwed." For once Dennis and Judge Herns had
nothing to say.
***
"We'll almost there," the Medusa told its new mate while
pulling over the car. They had been driving for almost 17
hours, but strangely the Medusa wasn't tired. The
excitement of being in a new world was keeping it going.
Except for stops to get gas and use the bathroom, the
Medusa hadn't felt safe enough to rest until now. "You need
to change, so you will feel more comfortable."
"I'm comfortable in my own clothes," Tim said. He still
couldn't believe what had happened to him. He was a girl, a
real girl. He had the long hair, the firm breasts, and the
vagina to prove it. But inside he wasn't a girl...inside he
was a young man screaming to get out.
The Medusa frowned. "How could you be comfortable in
clothes meant for the male species?"
"Male species? Girls wear blue jeans and tee-shirts all the
time," Tim yelled. "What planet are you from?" The question
had been asked sarcastically, but the Medusa didn't know
that.
"We come from many worlds," it said.
"Wait! You're a...a...a fucking alien?"
"Alien?" The Medusa searched the memory of his host and
found the meaning. "Yes, a visitor from another world, that
would be me."
"I'm getting the hell out of here!" the teenager said. Tim
tried to open the door, but the Medusa stopped him.
"I warned you not to do that," it said and sent a wave of
energy raging through Tim's body. The result caused the
teenager to scream in pain.
"That was a mild punishment," the Medusa explained. "I can
increase the pain so you will feel the effects for days.
You will obey me, or I will punish you again. Do you want
me to do that?"
"No, I don't," Tim sniffed and now scared shitless. What
else was this thing going to do to him?
"Neither do I," the Medusa replied. "I don't like hurting
others...it's not in my nature. I only do this to keep you
in line, but I don't want to. Don't force me to do things I
don't want to do, little girl."
"I'm not...I'm not a girl."
A smile appeared on the Medusa's face. "Yes, you are my
mate...a very pretty one. I can feel this man's...feelings
for you."
"Oh no, please," Tim begged. "Please don't do that to me."
"It's okay, little girl. We need to get you dressed and
think up a name for you."
"My name is 'Tim'."
The Medusa did some more searching and frowned. "Tim is a
male name. You need a name that better suits your female
species. Fortunately I have found suitable names in my
host's memory for both of us. I will be called Ken...and
you will be...Barbie. They must be popular with your people
in some way. This person gave a statue set to his niece
last year for...a birthday."
"No, not Barbie. Call me Tammy or Kim. The thought of being
named after a doll is...is too humiliating."
The Medusa shook its head. "This host is excited by the
thought of making love to Barbie. He also has other images,
of you wearing exciting clothes. Short skirts,
high...heels." The Medusa hesitated for a moment as it
tried to clear up the thoughts. "Pink and lacy baby doll
nighties made of nylon with feather trim. Lacy French..."
"Enough!" Tim yelled, tears forming in his eyes. "I don't
want to hear anymore."
Tim's reaction caused the Medusa to be confused. "I would
think you would want to know...to help improve your own
feelings for the joining of our bodies. I am
getting...what's the word...horny thinking about it."
"Well I'm not so leave me the 'fuck' alone. Don't you
understand; I'm not a girl! I don't want to wear sexy pink
lingerie and screw you."
"But I made you a girl," the Medusa replied totally
perplexed. "I made sure of that."
"My mind is still male though."
"Oh, well I am afraid I can do nothing with your thoughts.
I am sure you will adjust in time. Perhaps if you got into
the...what do you call it? Aww yes, the spirit of the
enterprise, you would like it. Now, you must change so we
can get a room. You will take off your old clothes and put
on your new ones so you will look the part."
"No!" Tim stated defiantly and clenched his jaw tight.
"I could punish you," the Medusa mused. "No, I have a
better idea."
It grabbed Tim's left hand, and suddenly the young man
found himself picking up the clothes from the back seat
with his right hand. His mind seemed detached from the rest
of his body, for nothing he did could stop his hand from
doing what the alien had ordered. The Medusa guided him out
the door, making sure it never let go of him.
"Now Barbie, get out of your old clothes and into your new
ones," it said in a chilling fashion.
Tim tried to prevent this from happening, but found he
didn't have any control over what he was doing. With his
right hand, he removed his shoes and socks, and slid out of
his pants and underwear. When Tim started to take his shirt
off, the Medusa switch hands so he could get his left arm
out. It stared at Barbie's chest in admiration.
"Stop...staring at me," Tim squealed, sounding like the
frighten schoolgirl he had become.
"Get used to it," Ken replied. "We're going to be seeing
each other naked quite a lot from this point on. Now finish
up before someone drives by."
Tim pulled the lacy panties over his waist and fastened the
bra the way he had seen Jamie do it after they had been
fooling around. He slid the blue and white dress that once
belonged to his girlfriend over his body. It fit much to
his horror, like a glove. Without a second thought, he slid
his feet into the brown sandals as if it were the natural
thing to do. The Medusa admired Tim's new look.
"Much better," the Medusa smiled, moving one hand lovingly
through Tim's long hair. "You look like the perfect little
girl that you are. I noticed some jewelry in their purses.
You can find what you like and put it on while I drive.
Maybe some makeup too, and ribbons in your hair. Yes, I
like the thought of ribbons in your hair. Get back in the
car."
The Medusa got in first and slid over, never once letting
go of Tim's hand. Tim did the same and closed the car door.
His new clothes felt funny, and he twisted his butt and
pulled on his short dress to make it cover more of his
exposed legs. It didn't help. When Tim's new unwanted lover
told him to finish getting ready he refused. However, the
threat of being punished was enough for the teenager to do
as he was told. He placed a necklace that had belonged to
Nancy around his neck. Then he searched both purses for
ribbons, and used a couple of them to tie his hair into
ponytails. They weren't very good and Tim was sure they
wouldn't stay. He simply had no experience being a girl. He
lightly added some lipstick and touched up his cheeks with
some blush. He cringed at just how a little bit made him
look even more feminine and attractive.
They pulled up to an old log cabin surround by trees. It
was a place where the soldier had been before with his wife
while they were trying to get pregnant. It seemed like the
natural place to go for what the Medusa had in mind.
"I hope we have enough of your money." The Medusa pulled
out a wad of cash it had found while searching the purses.
"You will come with me, and I will control what you say.
Please do not try to fight me, Barbie. If you do I will
punish you, and neither of us wants that. Now, be a good
little girl and come with me."
The Medusa stepped out of the car and pulled Tim with him.
Holding onto one hand, they entered the lobby together. An
older gentleman in his sixties greeted them with a smile.
"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked.
"We require a room with a bed...a cabin," Ken replied
clumsily. "My new mate and I are on...our honeymoon."
The manager looked the young woman over, who didn't appear
to be any older than 16. She gave him a nervous smile. "How
long?" he asked.
"About two weeks. We want a secluded cabin. My mate and I
are going to be making plenty of noise." Ken flashed the
manager a knowing smile that the older gentleman didn't
return. He sensed there was something wrong with this
picture. The man was dressed in a camouflaged uniform as if
he had just come off a mission. As for the girl, there was
no way she could be of legal age.
"Just the two of you?" he asked, noticing that the man had
a wedding ring but the girl didn't.
"Yes. How much will that be?
"It's the off season, the cabins are only $95 a night. Will
that be cash or charge?"
"Cash," Ken said as he counted out the money, most of bills
in fives and ones.
"If you're going to stay for two weeks you need to pay for
it in advance," the manager insisted. "That will be $1,330
plus tax." The Medusa knew it didn't have that kind of
money.
"Look Mac, the rest of my money is in my car and
I'm...we're kind of in a hurry if you know what I mean. My
mate is still a virgin...and she can't wait to have me turn
her into the whore she is. I'll pay for tonight and give
you the rest tomorrow." The manager noticed the young girl
fidgeting and looking embarrassed at what had been said. It
was more than the old man could stand.
"Don't you have any respect for women, mister?" he snapped.
"You don't talk about them like that, especially your
wife...if she is your 'wife'."
"What do you mean by that?" the Medusa asked suspiciously.
"I mean she doesn't look 18 to me. Miss, is everything
alright?"
"She's fine," Ken insisted.
"I asked her," the manager growled.
"Tell him, Barbie. Tell him everything is fine."
"Everything is fine," she repeated like a parrot.
The manager didn't think it was, but unless she said
otherwise there wasn't anything he could do. He pushed a
small card toward the soldier. "Fill out the information
and sign at the bottom. That'll be $100.70. If you plan to
say longer I'll need the rest of the money by noon
tomorrow. I'll give you cabin 14. There's another
honeymooning couple in cabin 16 just so you know. Maybe you
can hook up with them later on."
The manager watched the soldier fill out the form and then
leave with the girl in tow. She looked back at him as they
left, giving him an almost pathetic smile as if something
were wrong. The manager shook his head. What was this world
coming to?
***
The cabin was sweet. It had a large, furnished living room
with a small kitchen off to one side. A stone fireplace sat
in the wall that was shared by both the living room and
bedroom. A hot tub big enough for two people was just
outside the back door. Ken picked up his new bride and
carried her in. On the way to the bedroom he dumped his
backpack on a chair
"I'm so horny, I can't wait," Ken smiled evilly as he set
his new bride down on the queen-size bed. Now free from its
grasp, Tim was able to speak freely.
"Get away from me you...you alien monster!" He started
backing up toward the head of the bed and ran into the
wall. Ken followed, smiling.
"I'm not a monster, Barbie...not unless you want me to be.
He grabbed him by both hands and forced him down. Tim found
his resistance fading away. "Soon you and I will be joined,
and our great work will begin. This is indeed an historic
night, my love. Think of it...the dawn of a new age for
your people begins tonight. We will create an army to do
our bidding, and then I can signal the others to follow.
Come now; let's not wait. Remove your articles of clothing
so we can be one!"
The Medusa released one of his hands and lifted the dress
off. Tim closed his eyes as if this were a bad dream and
pressed himself tightly against the mattress. He felt his
dress being maneuvered off, followed by his bra and
panties. He wanted to scream, but something prevented him
from doing so. At least the room was dark, reducing his
embarrassment of being naked i