Invasive Species Part One Read Free Page A

sight, but within ten feet on either side of him, the floor disappeared as well. “What’s this way?”
    The alien turned and looked down their darkened path. “More beasts, opportunities for death and enhanced chances of failure.”
    “Is there another path we could go?”
    “No.”
     
     

2.       HOSTILITY
     
     
    Melinda thanked him. The being posing as Derek put his arm around her, kissed her. Her tears began to dry as the being said something like, “I’ve just had a really bad day is all.”
    Derek, the real Derek, saw it all and even felt his girlfriend’s lips against his own. But he was trapped behind the eyes of the imposter, unable to move or communicate with Melinda. He was not on Earth anymore. He was on an alien space ship.
     
    “Hey!”
    Derek’s arm stung, he had a bruise from fighting strange beasts on the alien space ship. It hadn’t been the kind of day he could call average. A small, but large headed alien who claimed to be friendly, let go of Derek’s arm.
    “You said pain worked to bring you back.”
    “Yeah, but that still hurts,” Derek said.
    “You have to stay here, we have to get to their communications hub and jam their signal. You can’t offer them any help. You will be able to explain all to your partner only if you stop the invasion.”
    “I didn’t know he was going to tap into me like that. It wasn’t like we were in the middle of an attack, this place is empty.”
    The alien returned to its hurried gait across an electric blue channel, forcing Derek to keep up by jogging. All around were large metallic looking tubes that went up and down for what seemed like infinity. Blue channels of light connected these tubes in almost random patterns, but the friendly alien had warned Derek not to touch them. On occasion, all of Derek’s mandatory training as a special government agent was useless and he had to call upon his youth and play hopscotch. He wasn’t much good at that game then. He preferred the seesaw or the swings, playing tag or pretending to be a warrior battling monsters on a far away planet. Derek wondered if this might be destiny, if his youthful imagination was more the product of preparation and providence.
    “Why me?”
    “What?”
    “Why did they choose me?”
    The alien grunted in a rather unfriendly way. Then begrudgingly said, “You were compatible. Do you recall your dreams?”
    Derek nodded. Even though he was behind the alien, the alien knew and continued.
    “Do you recall dreams that felt like alternate worlds, so close to your own, but there were obvious differences? Like your mother worked for a different company or your father was still only a child?”
    “Yeah, well not those specifically, but weird dreams like I’m still in college only it’s a different college or a class I never took. Very real feeling, and I’m left feeling exhausted when I wake up.”
    “Precisely. Many people have these dreams before the invasion. The invaders cannot simply connect with any human. Human genetics are full of so many errors that keep there from being one simple connection. Most people wake up immediately. They say in their minds this is all a dream, and the connection fails. But people like you can be led around, fed plot and consequence and will stay in that dream state until something from the world outside wakes you. Those with good connections are perfect candidates for replacement. Otherwise the imposter down on Earth would not be able to tap into your mind now to maintain its charade.”
    Derek gasped, “I’ve had those dreams forever.”
    “They have been planning to take your planet forever.”
    They passed through a thin yellow light. Derek hesitated even though he watched the alien pass through with no effect.  He shook his head and stepped forward.
    The alien stopped dead in its tracks, big head turning so fast it almost rolled of its shoulders. “What did you do?”
    “Huh, what? I stepped through the yellow light, just like