Rise of Aen Read Free Page A

the elevator and stood beside her in silence. He could tell she was nervous about something. “What’s on your mind, Phillips?” he asked, breaking the air of silence.
    “You look at her like you’ve seen her before, but images of her don’t leave the floor she’s on. I just am a little confused about that.”
    “You could say that I first welcomed her to Earth, Phillips, and we’ll just leave it at that. It’s been a long while since I’ve laid eyes on her; just two old friends catching up on old times.”
    “Understood sir. I think,” she replied as the doors opened. “This way to your room.”
    The two walked down the hall, which seemed deserted to him, before coming to their destination, room 405. From her pocket she produced a swipe card and opened the door for him. Taylor noted that his duffle bag was already lying on the bed. As he turned to her, she held out the card to him.
    “This is a master lock key that opens all doors in the building. I’ll get a new one made for you in the morning, but in the meantime you can use mine. I’ll get your ID badge and other security clearances to you at 06:00. Mess hall is on sub-level nine and is open 24/ 7. Is there anything further you need, Sir?”
    “No, thank you Major. I think I’ll wander to the mess and grab a bite before retiring for the day.”
    She left to go about her tasks, and the door closed with Taylor staring blankly at it. His mind was rolling through the daunting task of his new mandate. Phillips was right to question him on it. After all, down deep he was also horrified about kidnapping civilians to further the project. But in a time of war, sacrifices had to be made and even though most couldn’t see it, they were definitely at war! Taylor was hoping that they had enough time to ensure the human race had a fighting chance against a superior foe.
    Bristol County, Massachusetts
    Aaron Foster was an all-around good guy. He helped his neighbors when they needed it, he coached the local kid’s baseball team, and he was one of the most well-respected managers at the bank where he worked. He constantly had a smile on his face—but underneath it all he was torn.
    Aaron wanted his life to mean more in the big picture. For his whole life, he felt he was destined for more than life in suburbia. This nagging want had affected various parts of his life—from work, to his ten-year marriage to his beloved wife. To the outside world, they led the perfect life, but in reality the last few years had been tense. They had grown apart; as their lives in the community grew and prospered, their relationship with each other faltered. Talk of separation surfaced a few years ago, but they both chose to work hard and fix what they had neglected before.
    He believed in love and that it would help them find each other again. The past year had shown his belief to be well worth it, as the two had grown close once more. Krista was the love of his life. She was five foot nine inches of pure energy, with a fiery personality. She had an athletic frame that housed curves to die for. Her hair was dirty blonde and her eyes were hazel, sparkling every time she smiled. Her lips had a slight pout to them and finalized what many remarked to be a model’s face. To him, she was perfect. Krista was his dream girl, his everything, and he was embarrassed that he came so close to not having her in his life.
    Aaron was five foot eleven and not nearly as athletic as Krista, which showed in the emergence of a small belly protruding from his once flat stomach, but he was still in good shape. It was the result of years behind a desk, he always said sarcastically when she poked at him from time to time. He had deep-brown eyes along with his dark brown hair, which was closely cut in a style a little longer than a crew cut. Once in a while he would grow a short beard, but lately too much grey had appeared in it for his liking, so he kept himself clean shaven. Despite being only thirty-two, he