Synopsis:

Scott was on his way west to meet up with his friends to start a new life in L A. What he came across in the desert after his car broke down would change him forever. He wondered if his friends would recognise him once they finally met again. He didn’t think this was what his friend’s intended when they said, "start a new life."

Chapter Sixty-Nine

In the morning, it was breakfast as normal, as Amelia took over the kitchen, insisting that despite the circus outside, they all needed a hearty breakfast.

The children seemed to race through their food, like there was no tomorrow and as soon as they could be excused, they raced upstairs to get a good look at the latest situation. They watched the helicopters circling overhead, while the others sat around the TV to see what was being shown.

It was now being seen on most channels and the stories being told were as varied as those that were willing to offer an opinion. Some were saying they were the first of an alien invasion, others thought it was an elaborate hoax, while a few were heralding it as the dawn of a new age with having been contacted by Vulcans, which gave everyone in the house a chuckle. Obviously, with little factual information, some were a little eager to make up whatever stories suited them.

Kim had received information from her people in Washington, that the President was demanding answers. Shutting off her communicator, she went over and reconnected the normal phone and removed the anti bugging device. She got a few curious looks as she did so.

"We need to get in touch with the President," was all she told them, seeming pleased with the way things were occurring.

The phone started ringing, the instant it was plugged in. Kim answered it, listened for a second and then started speaking, although it was obvious that the person on the other end hadn’t finished. She demanded to speak to the President, and wasn’t going to be fobbed off to an officer, even if he was a general.

"Look, if you won’t allow him to speak to me, then at least get him to watch the news broadcasts. Tell him we need to talk." Kim shouted slamming the phone down.

"Idiots!"

"Well what did you expect?" laughed Sara. "We are still just primitive humans."

"Not all are," Kim replied, giving her a hug. "Come on, we have a show to put on for our military friends."

With that, Kim told Sara to got get spruced up in something sexy and yet tasteful, while she made a few preparations.

Sara went and changed out of her blouse and jeans and picked out a white outfit that made her look sort of cross between angelic and virginal. She looked like she was going to a party, rather than going to face the cameras and the military might surrounding the house.

Kim tied a fine length of wire that ran from her platinum necklace to one ankle, were it was tied off. It was near invisible as it passed under her dress and down her leg. Kim was similarly wired. Sara asked no questions, when a slightly thicker wire was connected to the one on her ankle and connected to the cube, as she realised she was going to walk outside surrounded in her very own protective force field.

Once connected, Kim told Kevin which button to press, once they were just outside the front door. Sara didn’t feel any different once the field enveloped them both. Kim had changed the field’s property to allow sound to travel through it, so she was able to hear the clicks as the weapons pointing at them were readied.

She felt a little nervous, knowing the world’s attention was focused on her. Kevin, watching the TV inside, was giving her via their mind link, a second by second account of the view from the cameras. Now she knew why Kim was dressed casually, while she was all dolled up. Kim was diverting most of the attention away from herself and more towards Sara.

Kevin said the camera view was only on Kim for a second, before turning to Sara. Her face was filling the screen as they zoomed in closer. Kevin told her that the reporters thought she looked familiar and that there was something about her that belied belief.

Kim and Sara had walked out about ten feet from the house before they stopped. A shouted command, from behind the fence, saw four men in body armour, two with weapons pointed at the house run out at them. Kim put a hand out on Sara’s arm to stop her flinching back, as the four collided with the field surrounding them.

The two with weapons recovered from their tumble as they bounced off the field. They squatted and aimed their weapons uncertainly between the house and the two women. The other two men conferred on their radios, as Sara realised they had been on a recovery sorti, thinking they were hostages that had been released.

"Shoot them," they heard as a panicked order came over the radio, which Sara could hear clearly.

Obviously their status had changed, seeing they were part of those in the house. The two rescuers drew hand weapons and pointed them at the women. The other two did the same. For some reason, Sara was unafraid, knowing that had the shield been down, they wouldn’t shoot at them. She looked at each one in turn, making sure she had eye contact with the men despite the face shields they wore.

The men paused; they knew in their hearts that this was wrong. They weren’t afraid of the women, but the blonde struck a cord within each of them. They knew instinctively that she was the one, the one that had saved them all. The link that Sara’s gift had forged with everyone on Earth was still there. As one, they lowered their weapons, and then dropped them on the ground. They stood at attention before her and saluted. Sara nodded slightly and they marched away to growing angry shouts.

"Raise your arms up, palms facing the sky, and keep looking up," Kim whispered to Sara.

Sara did as directed, trusting in Kim, but wondering why she was standing there, looking like she was calling something down from above.

As if from nowhere, the sky above was filled with the spectacular view of the Shelke’s main ship. It was stationary, about 100 feet up, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

"Remember my chopper pilot with the movie addiction that saved Cathy’s bacon, way back when?" Kim whispered to her. At her nod, Kim whispered again. "Besides being a Terminator fan, he likes Star Trek. He was particularly taken by the decloaking effect that the Klingon’s used."

Kevin informed Sara that on TV everyone was going nuts. ‘They are shitting themselves,’ he linked to her with a chuckle tingeing his thoughts.

"Lower your arms," Kim directed.

As she lowered her hands, the ship silently descended, its lack of noise, being impressive for something that huge. It stopped 30 feet up, just clearing the trees beneath it.

"Why am I the one that looks like I’m in control of your ship?" Sara whispered to Kim.

"Because you are who you are," Kim answered enigmatically.

"Seeing the President, won’t come to speak with us, we will go speak with him," Kim suddenly shouted, her voice taking on a strange effect that allowed it to be heard to all those assembled nearby.

A bright yellow column of light from the ship beamed down on them, surrounding them and obscuring them from those watching. Then the end of the beam rose back up to the ship, leaving the spot where the two women were standing, empty.

"Wow! What a ride," exclaimed Sara, having felt herself rise up into the ship as if on a high speed elevator.

"He’s showing off again, he probably used monatomic sodium to give that effect," Kim half grumbled.

"Well you said I should conceal the method of transport," the man in question replied, having walked into the bay that the women had been deposited in.

"I’m Simon," he added, introducing himself to Sara with bow and an imaginary doff of his invisible hat.

"I’m Sara, so you used monosodium gloominate to spice up the show?" Sara asked him with a grin, deliberately mispronouncing the food additive, while introducing herself at the same time.

"Ah Sara, there’s pun fairer," he laughed, getting his own back. "Yes, we have to keep some secrets to ourselves, so I thought I’d blind them with theatrics, instead of science."

"Ahem!" Coughed Kim, wanting to interrupt the banter and leave the explanations till later. "Situation?" she asked, while bringing Sara into a different part of the craft.

While Simon filled Kim in with the current activities, Sara watched a large screen that showed the view below. She could see the four men that had dropped their weapons being escorted away, with an irate looking officer berating them as they vanished into a tent set up nearby. She hoped they weren’t in too much trouble, and hoped she could fix things for them, later.

"The President is being moved to the mountain retreat," she heard Simon tell Kim.

"Darn I thought he’d want to meet with us," grumbled Kim, seeing a complication she wasn’t expecting.

"Um, well he didn’t go willingly, apparently, he was going to meet with you, but our guy heard his staff mention something about Independence Day, and then he was bustled off to the chopper. We did manage to attach a transponder to his jacket, so we do know were he is going," Simon mentioned.

"Let’s go…oh, may as well give those below a show as we leave," Kim ordered.

Simon left rubbing his hands together happily. He walked to where some others were gathered and put things into action. Moments later, Sara could see the view below shift, and then blur as they moved rapidly away. It felt odd seeing the movement, but not feeling anything on board. It gave her a moment’s vertigo where she felt like she might stumble. Kim caught her and made her sit down, as Kevin told her of the view of the ship leaving, via their mind link. The pearlescent swirling effect on the ships surface had turned into an actinic blue that made everyone blink with its intense colour. Then the ship just vanished without so much as a whooosh.

Onboard, Sara explained the Independence Day reference to Kim, where in an old movie; an alien spacecraft had blown up the White House.

"Why would they harm a perfect harmless building?" was Kim’s only comment.

"We are there," Simon informed Kim, cutting off Sara’s answer. "The President is 1752 feet below our present position, which puts him 800 feet below ground."

"Good, hold position and keep the stealth mode running. We don’t want to scare him off again. Let me go change and we’ll drop in on the President shortly, Kim ordered.

While Kim changed, Simon explained about the transport tube. Apparently it was able to pass though solid objects, even the shields of the Shelke ships, partly because it was part field and used wormhole technology.

"We transfer people and objects from ship to ship with it, and without the need for spacesuits or airlocks," He explained.

Kim returned in a skin-tight silver, metallic looking outfit that would have showed a freckle, had she had any. It covered her hands and feet and left only her neck and head free. She climbed into silver boots that sported a 4-inch heel and came up just below he knees.

Needless to say, Sara was jealous in a second.

"Where’s my outfit?" she demanded, pouting a little. To which Kim roared with laughter.

"You are the epitome of earthly womanhood, while I get to be the exhibitionist space commander," she giggled. "Hey you can wear this later at home and make Kevin jealous," she winked, seeing Sara take that on board.

"Deal."

Kim had Sara stand next to her, as they prepared to "beam down."

"Close your mouth, or you’ll have your stomach come out of it," warned Kim with a grin, just before they felt the suddenly dropping feeling start.

In a long blink of an eye, they were transported from the ship to deep underground. They found themselves facing the back of President of the United States as he stood facing the urinal, relieving himself.

"Oh boy," muttered Sara, her face turning the colour of beetroot, as the President started to turn towards them.

"Sorry to catch you with your pants down, as it were, Mr President," Kim began, "but we need to talk."

The President gave them a quick startled glance, before resuming the task of making himself decent.

"You’re the two ladies, with the extraterrestrial spacecraft, are you not?" He stated calmly, as he walked over and dutifully washed his hands.

"Yes I am," Kim confirmed, pleased that he at least, had been watching events.

"I’m Sara Conner…no relation," Sara introduced herself, adding the last in a muttered tone.

"I’m aware of who you are, Mrs Conner, what I don’t know, is your involvement in all this," the President replied, having finished drying his hands.

"I’m just a pawn…" Sara started to say, as a man with an overabundance of gold braid on his shoulders, burst in. Seeing the two intruders, he fumbled for his sidearm, while yelling for assistance. Catlike in appearance, Kim swept Sara behind her with an equally feline manner, protecting her from possible harm.

"STOP!" Yelled the President, putting himself in front of the two women.

"But Mr President, these…"

"Can it, general, I knew coming here was a mistake, ladies, come into my office," he said firmly, daring the general, and the other men that now crowded around the doorway to do anything against his direct order.

"Even I can see that this lady is not carrying any concealed weapons," he indicated Kim. "At least none that God didn’t endow her with already," he added with an appreciative chuckle. "I suggest you take a good long look at our other guest," he ordered.

The general first looked at Sara’s body, looking for any threats while admiring it for its appeal. He froze when at last he glanced at her face, and then looked into her eyes. He flushed, and stammered, seeing what the President had already.

"It’s you…I thought it was a dream," he gasped.

"General, it was no dream, I saw her myself, and I believe she single handedly did more to save mankind than all the armies and weaponry on Earth."

"She nearly killed herself doing it," Kim broke in, making them realise the debt they owed Sara. "Even we couldn’t help save her, only her daughter could." Kim finished with a proud look on her face.

"General? I want your men pulled away, and immediate reparations for any damage to the property started immediately. Tell the press, that I’ll address the nation, after I get the story from these ladies." The President ordered, as he showed Sara and Kim into an office and closed the door after they entered.

Kim and Sara gave the President an edited version of events, leaving out the original identities of Sara and Julie, and avoiding mentioning the special properties that the cars had. The President listened, making small notes in a pad. When the girls had finished, the President sighed.

"I think that you are leaving a lot out, but I’m willing to avoid pressing you for now, if you’ll answer a few questions of mine." At their nods, he reached into a drawer and pulled out a bracelet. It was a Krin.

"This was recovered from a subject, who fell prey to paranoia and fear, after the woman was seen changing forms. Apparently, this trinket has the power to transform a man into a female. It came into our hands when the woman caught the notice of the FBI. I take it, that this is yours?" He said, handing the bracelet to a startled Kim. "It doesn’t work and couldn’t be opened," he added.

"Is the woman okay," Kim asked, looking at the President.

"Unfortunately not, she was beaten, and is still in a coma at Saint Margaret’s hospital in DC."

Kim reached into her cleavage, to the startlement of the President. Kim pulled out a small communicator that couldn’t have been concealed, despite its small size.

"Null pocket," Kim quickly whispered to Sara’s raised eyebrow. Kim flipped open the lid of her communicator, while the president finished blushing.

"You can’t call out, we are deep underground…" the President started, stopping when it was obvious that hundreds of feet of granite wasn’t going to stop Kim, from getting a response.

Kim placed the Krin back inside her cleavage, leaving no sign of its existence.

"My people have it and will help Diane recover forthwith," Kim informed the President.

"I won’t ask how you did that?" the President sighed, obviously wanting to delve further into that self same cleavage. "I ask a favour, my son… has a problem. I’ve been watching the news and seen an increase of spontaneous sex changes in the children reaching sexual maturity, as well as extra gifts. I take it, that this is due to this Krin that you had our children injected with?" he asked, getting a nod.

"Once children reach the stage where they are sure of their sexuality irrespective of their actual physical sex, the Krin allows them to correct it, should there be a conflict between the two. The extra gifts, should they manifest, appear then too." Kim explained. "Of course, all children we treated, are now telepathic in some degree," she added.

The President stood and paced the room nervously. "My child is transgendered," he got out with difficultly. "Can you help him? At his birth, he had a presidential doctor deliver him. He never had the Krin injected by the Shelke." He finished sadly.

"Are the rest of your family here with you now?" Kim asked, opening her communicator again.

‘Yes, next door in fact, let me call them in," the President answered, using a more mundane form of communication, as he keyed an intercom.

Once Gloria, the first lady and Gary her son, were introduced, things got more cordial. The President asked to be called Gordon instead of his title. Kim resumed her conversation on her communicator, then apologised in advance for what she was about to do.

"This is the only place I could fit a null pocket on this outfit, she lamented, as she reached into her cleavage and withdrew, not one, but three Krin.

"It looks like you had trouble fitting yourself into that outfit, let alone a pocket," Gloria teased, with a little friendly jealousy.

"A wormhole in a pocket?" asked Gary incredulously, having figured it out.

"Your daughter is correct," Kim remarked, making Gary glow, being addressed in the feminine.

"Gary isn’t our daughter yet," corrected Gloria, wondering if the alien female had bad eyesight.

Kim handed out a Krin to each of them. "These have just been specially made for you. With this, Gary can become the female she should have been from the start. The Krin will be keyed to your bodies only, once you wear them. Gordon? If you want to understand your daughter better, you can experience being female yourself."

Kim then went on about the Krin and its abilities, giving them instructions on its uses. Gary was soon no longer a male, as she was very anxious to try it out. And so Heather was born, having already chosen a name for her new self.

"Will I become telepathic?" asked the newly minted Heather.

"Unlike those that had the Krin introduced as babies, becoming telepathic at this stage, is in the lap of the Gods," Kim told her. "You will develop a primary and most likely a secondary gift, either of which could be telepathic in nature."

"Way cool," enthused Heather happily.

"Looks like we’ll have to mind our p’s and q’s, if she does," muttered Gordon, with a grin to his wife.

"That’ll keep you on the straight an narrow," Gloria agreed, giving him a wink.

"An honest politician, oh my," blurted Sara, before blushing at her rash utterance in the present company

"I’d like to think I’m one," chuckled the President, while his wife clapped her hands and laughed.

"I like her," Gloria, grinned. "At least she’s honest," she added, giving Sara a hug.

"Okay, let’s get down to business," Gordon interrupted, looking at his watch. "I’ll have to address the nation and probably, most of the world, as well. What are the Shelke’s intentions?" He asked Kim.

Kim outlined a plan, saying that America wasn’t going to get exclusive rights to anything that the Shelke were willing to offer. Some of her ideas would allow better health care and see pollution of the Earth’s resources stop. Clean cold fusion power for all, would help in that area. What surprised the President was her lack of interest in disarming all atomic weapons. When he asked her about it, she smiled.

"We can monitor it far better than you can, and prevent any from being deployed. Besides, humanity is feeling just a little vulnerable, having just come though a major crisis. If we removed them all, fear could cause more damage, once they learn they are not alone in the universe. I think that when your children grow up, they’ll see no need to keep weapons of that nature."

"I can’t wait," sighed Gordon. "What else will you do here?"

"Our role will be to work alongside you, to help mankind grow, without stifling your creativeness. The child needs to finish crawling, before learning to take the next step. In the near future, I see Earth being visited by other races, to share knowledge." Kim explained, "Won’t they be surprised, when they come to congratulate you on defeating the nemesis, once they see you all live on just one planet," she added with a laugh.

"Thank you," Gordon said earnestly, standing and offering Kim his hand. Kim ignored it and with a quick glance at Gloria, hugged the President.

"Of all Earth’s customs, I like this one best," Kim grinned.

"I concur." Agreed the President, as he opened his arms allowing his wife and child to join in on the hug. Sara wasn’t left out for long, as Heather broke the circle to gather her in.

"I have to go," Gordon said reluctantly. "I need to prepare for my address. Do you need an escort out? Or do you just beam up to your spaceship?" he asked Kim with a grin.

"We’ll make our own way out, Mr President, our ship is waiting," Kim answered with a wink.

"You have a ship? Oh I wish I could see it," heather begged.

"Um, may I make a suggestion," Sara asked, getting an idea. "Why not let your daughter come with us, and stay for a few days. I’m sure my daughters would love to show her the ropes, and you’ll probably be tied up with many meetings in the days to come."

Heather jumped excited at this, begging with her parents to allow it. The President shook his head in defeat.

"If my daughter is going, may I come as well?" asked Gloria, getting a look from her husband.

"Sure, no problem," replied Sara, after getting the nod from Kim.

"Look after my family, and promise me that I’ll get to take a jaunt in the spacecraft." Gordon said, giving his wife a kiss.

"You’ll get them back safe and sound," promised Kim, as she spoke into her communicator.

"Four to beam up, Scotty," she said with a laugh, as they were engulfed in the golden glow of the transporter tube.

The President turned and went out to deal with his subordinates, while high up above him; his family was getting a tour in an alien craft.

"And she talks about me being all theatrical, calling me Scotty indeed," complained Simon, trying to look pained.

"Sorry, I couldn’t resist," giggled Kim, as they all walked towards the display monitors.

"Does Heather have any girl’s clothes at home," asked Sara, looking at the tee and shorts of Gary’s that Heather was looking slightly uncomfortable in. Heather’s Krin hadn’t the same powers as Sara’s and had only changed her body. Being larger the tee was more dress like and the shorts had been cinched tighter to her narrower waist.

"She has a few, but I don’t think they’ll fit now, seeing she has shrunk in size," answered her mother.

"I didn’t shrink here," laughed Heather cheekily, as she cupped her breasts.

"Heather!" Gloria remonstrated, looking skyward in supplication.

"Don’t worry, after a few days with the girls, she’ll be acting just like them, I guarantee," laughed Sara.

After being suitable impressed by the ride to the condo, the four of them rejoined the others, after transporting directly into the lounge. Introductions soon lead to celebrations. Heather was taken in tow to the bedroom, where Becky, Maggie and Cathleen took charge of her first makeover.

Sara checked outside and Kevin filled her in on the details, as she saw people working on the damaged fence line. There were still a few police in evidence, mainly keeping the curious from being a nuisance.

"When you left, it was like someone had poured petrol on an ant’s nest," Kevin laughed. "You must have worked fast; because it wasn’t long after that the army at least started pulling out."

"Well when you catch the President in the toilet with his pants down, the hard parts over," giggled Sara.

"Oh! Tell me more," Kevin demanded, trying to act outraged and failing.

Sara did more than just tell him; she let him access her memories so he could ‘see’ what had happened, as if he’d been there in person.

"This Diane that was in a coma, is she okay?" He asked, after reviewing the events.

"Yes, Kim followed that up on the way back. Diane is fine, but they moved her away from her old neighbourhood and relocated her here on the west coast."

"Knowing Kim, she’ll probably end up with a mansion with oodles of money, a job and a boyfriend," Kevin guessed

Sara just smiled, knowing it was probable true, with Kim’s casual regard for wealth.

"But there’s more," they both quipped in unison, giggling at the next unspoken line.

They went back inside as Julie called to say that the President was on TV.

"The long awaited answer to, ‘are we alone in the universe?’ Has finally been answered," he was saying, as Sara and Kevin came into the lounge.

They watched as the President gave a brief rundown of the information Kim had given him. She showed a close-up view of Sara’s face, obviously taken by a covert camera in his underground office. The shot was a particularly good one, and filled the screen, while the President’s voice explained Sara’s part in the Nemesis’s destruction.

The President finished his speech with the news that Shelke ships would visit every country around the globe, bringing hope for a peaceful and prosperous future.

Later that evening, after Cathy, Cindy and Jenna had walked or started the drive home, Sara and Kevin were sitting on the balcony, waving the last rays of twilight bathe the sky in red and purple hues. They cuddled together as the temperature dipped, happy to be alone together without the girls around. They were upstairs picking out sleepwear for Heather, while Gloria chatted with Amelia. They waved to William and Julie, as the pair walked down to the beach for a late swim.

Sara and Kevin were having a mental conversation, not wanting to spoil the serenity of the moment with voices.

‘It seems odd the way things worked out in the end,’ Kevin mused.

‘Like it was preordained?’ Sara thought back.

‘Yeah, like there was a guiding influence, looking over our shoulder,’ answered Kevin, giving her a hug.

'God works in mysterious ways,’ was Sara’s answer.

‘She sure does,’ Kevin replied, earning him a grin from his love.

‘Do you think it’s all over?’ Sara thought to her husband, while wondering to herself if she could give up the excitement and just become a normal ordinary housewife.

‘You may be a housewife, but you’d never be ordinary to me,’ Kevin thought back, having caught her musings. He hugged her and looked up at the stars that were beginning to twinkle. ‘All over…? No, it’s just the beginning,’ he added, giving her a kiss.

The end.

Once again, I’d like to thank those that have supported me, during the time that I’ve been writing this story. I left the end open, so you the reader can dream the rest of it. If anyone wants to take up from where I’ve left off, or wants to write a story using this as a basis, to launch a new thread, of someone who got her/his Krin from the Shelke and her new adventures, feel free, as long as it doesn’t conflict with this story. If someone wants to take this story further using my characters, please contact me at [email protected].

Have a happy life everyone.

  

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 © 2005 by Prudence Walker. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of the copyright holder.