All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the Author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Began writing this as a short story and it turned out a bit larger than I originally planned once I began editing. Depending on how the editing goes on the last part it I should have the conclusion posted sometime next week.

The thin older man put down the fishing reel he had been working on and looked up at the clock that hung on the wall above the work bench he sat at. “Bout that time,” mumbling to himself as he stood. Walking out of the workshop slash storeroom in the back of his store, the older man walked around the glass top counter picking up a boonie hat that was lying on top the counter as he passed, walking on past the shelves of fishing supplies toward the solitary wooden door at the front of the store.

The upper half of the door was a single pane of glass, with block letting on the glass that was painted backwards on the glass making it only readable from the other side. Opening the door to exit, the lettering became legible, the top line read, ‘Harkness’s,’ and the second line read, ‘Hook, Line & Sinker.’ Closing the door behind him, the old man walked across the small covered porch angling toward the boat dock thirty yards away.

The dock was a single straight all wooden structure six feet wide that stuck straight out into the lake forty feet or more, large round wooden posts stuck up out of the water holding the heavy wood planks that formed the walking surface of the dock. Only one boat was tied to the dock, an olive drab green flat bottomed boat that was easily half the length of the dock was tied up on the right hand side. At the end of the dock a small child sat, legs dangling off the end of the dock, with a fishing pole.

The old man immediately recognized the small child but then with so few children living in the their town he didn’t need to be one of the super Brainiac scientists that lived there to figure out who the child, dressed in cut off blue jeans, a red and white plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off and a straw hat was. If anything the long golden pig tails that hung down her back where a dead giveaway.

Walking past the boat Jack used as a ferry to transport the residents and the occasional visitor from the dock at the far side of the lake to their small town. “Well if it isn’t Miss Huckleberry Finn!” Jack chuckled at the way the girl was dressed, “having any luck?”

“Hey Captain Jack,” Charlie twisted her head around to see the older man wearing gray trousers, lighter gray short sleeved polo shirt and a camouflaged floppy boonie hat, as she reeled in her line slowly. “Just thought I would sit out here and get a feel for those new lures.”

“Yep, kind of figured you’d be out here, it being Friday and yer momma coming home fer the weekend.” Jack smiled at the young girl that loved fishing as much as he did. He had been told the story of how the Charlie and her mother had come to live here in their small town and knew it to be the truth, but having never met Charlie before the accident he found it difficult to think of her as anything but the cute little tomboy he had met several months ago. “So which lure ya using? I haven’t had time to try any of the new ones yet.”

Charlie finished reeling in her line, then reached down grabbing the line just above the two to three inch long bright red and yellow plastic lure, being careful that the double set of treble hooks stayed clear of herself and the line.

“Dang young’un ya done got those new lures wet ‘fore I even got mine outta the packaging!” Jack chuckled while shaking his head. Not a week after Charlie and her mother had moved to town, Charlie had almost became a permanent fixture in Jack’s sporting goods store. Not long after that Jack found himself paying her to work part time in the store and one of the perks he gave her was that any time the sales reps gave out free samples of fishing gear he would get her one too. The lure she held up was one of those perks they had gotten in early that same day. “I got a feeling that one would work best to draw somethin’ like a bass or pike out of the cattails.”

Charlie sighed, knowing the only way to fish around the cattails was by boat, something that would have been no problem before she had moved to Enchanted Valley . But now with her smaller size and apparent age she couldn’t take the chance of a visitor spotting the five hear old on the lake by herself and calling the authorities.

Seeing the look on the young girls face, Jack grinned, “Ya know it’ll be a good hour or more ‘fore your momma arrives. If we’d jump on the boat and head out now, we’d have time to troll along the cattails all the way up.” Watching her features brighten up while a smile spread across her face Jack laughed, “What’cha waiting on? Make fast that lure and get yer tail onboard!”

Charlie quickly hooked one of the treble hooks into an eyelet of her fishing pole and tightened the line to secure the lure from swinging around and hooking into anything before standing up and taking her fishing pole and tackle box and scrambling onto the large flat bottomed boat Jack used as the ferry.

“Why are we stopping here?” Jerry looked across to his girlfriend who insisted on driving them in her land cruiser.

Erika grinned as she put the vehicle in park and turned off the engine, “We take the boat from here.”

Jerry looked out across the parking lot they were in spotting a wooden dock that protruded off into the lake beside a concrete boat ramp, “What boat? And why can’t we just drive to your house?”

“The man who runs the sporting goods store runs a boat back and forth several times a day for us. And there isn’t any roads that go to town, only some hiking trails.” Erika explained, “And as much as I love hiking, I am not going to walk all the way through the woods carrying everything we brought.”

“How the hell do you get around town with no roads!” Jerry gasped.

“God Jerry don’t be so dramatic,” Erika snickered, “It’s not a big deal, we walk everywhere on campus, and it’s bigger than our little town.” ‘At least the part of it that is above ground,’ Erika thought to herself.

“I just can’t imagine you living out here in the middle of nowhere like this,” Jerry shook his head.

“What’s so hard to imagine about it?” Erika shrugged, “No car horns, alarms or sirens going off in the middle of the night. I don’t need to worry about locking my doors at home and if nothing else, smell the air!” Erika breathed in deeply for emphasis, “It doesn’t smell like freeway and garbage!”

“The nearest Wal-Mart is like two time zones away!”

“It is not!” Erika giggled, “Bellevue has one and that’s only twenty five or so miles from here. And there’s the outlet mall in North Bend.”

“Okay but do you have electricity?” Jerry twisted his head around mockingly looking for power lines.

Erika sighed heavily, “Yes we have electricity, and we have a coffee shop that puts every coffee shop you’ve ever been to or heard about to shame.”

“Now that I’ll have to see to believe,” Jerry chuckled.

They both sat silently for the next several minutes, the only sound to be heard was that of frogs croaking nearby and an occasional bird singing, as they looked out across the lake through the windshield of the SUV.

Looking down at his watch for the third time Jerry broke the silence, “So when is this boat supposed to get here?”

“Oh Jack knows I get here around this time on Fridays, he shouldn’t be too much longer.” Erika responded, “If you’re in that big of a hurry, we can go ahead and take all our things down to the dock.”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Jerry opened his door to get out. “Maybe the old geezer will see us waiting on the dock and hurry the hell up.”

Opening the rear hatch of the Large Toyota SUV Jerry grabbed the backpack he had stuffed all his things into, while Erika pulled out a folded up cart that once unfolded turned into a wire basket with two wheels and a handle to pull it along with. As Erika gently moved the several bags of groceries from the back of the SUV into the cart, Jerry pulled the half full army duffel bag out and placed it over his shoulder.

Charlie grinned up at Jack after dropping the third largemouth she had caught into the live well, “I think I may have a new favorite lure.”

“From the action you’re getting of that thing it just may become my favorite too,” Jack laughed.

Sitting back down in the swivel plastic seat to the left of the outboard motor, Charlie checked her rig and cast out once again as Jack twisted the handle on the outboard motor propelling the boat forward slowly alongside the overgrowth of cattails and watergrass that grew in the shallows along the bank of the lake.

Down at the dock Jerry could see it consisted of more than the one dock beside the boat ramp as another wooden planked walkway led off to his right where several more shorter docks jutted out into the lake a couple of which had small boats with outboard motors tied in place. “What are these boats?” Jerry motioned over to the two smaller boats.

“I think pretty much everyone is town has a small boat or access to one.” Erika answered, “Those belong to some of my neighbors, who probably went shopping or something.”

“Do you have a boat too?”

“No, I’m not very good with them.” Erika explained, “And I don’t want Charlie out on one by herself, so if I really need one, I use one of Jack’s. He has several and Charlie knows where all the keys are kept if Jack isn’t around.”

“You’re sure this guy knows to pick you up?” Jerry sat down the duffle and his back pack on the dock, while looking out across the lake, “The only boats I can see are guys fishing.”

Erika looked out over the lake then pointed toward a boat that was slowly moving along the shore to the south of a large cove, “That looks like Jack’s boat.”

Jerry spotted the boat she was pointing at, and on the other side of the jetty he could see what looked like cabins in the back of the cove. Pointing at the cabins, “That the town?”

“No that’s Camp Riverbend, a scout camp.” Erika raised her hand over her head and began waving at the boat, “Can’t see the town from here because of that peninsula that forms the cove. Home is a few miles up the lake from there.” From where the two stood on the dock they could see someone on the boat stand up and wave back toward them.

“Hey squirt, better start bringing in your line,” Jack instructed as he sat back down in the plastic swivel seat opposite Charlie. “I see your momma over on the dock.

Nodding in answer, Charlie began reeling in her line as Jack twisted the throttle open further and pointed the boat toward the dock. The boat had just begun to speed up when Charlie’s pole jerked downward pulling Charlie forward out of her seat. Releasing the throttle, Jack managed to grab Charlie around the waist with one arm before she went flying off the back of the boat. “Big one!” Charlie almost screamed clutching the fishing pole with all her might while Jack pulled her back down into the seat.

“Well we can’t have the damn thing dragging ya outta the boat. I’d never hear the end of it from your momma,” Jack chuckled as he took off his belt and wrapped it around Charlie’s chest and around the back of the seat, essentially tying Charlie into the chair with it. “There ya go kiddo, no chance of that there gold fish taking ya swimming. Now show it who’s boss and reel that blasted thing in!”

Placing the heavy end of the fishing pole against the seat between her legs, Charlie grabbed the pole as far up above the reel she could with both hands and pulled back forcing the small end of the pole that hung out over the water to slowly rise up away from the water. Once she had the pole up as far as she could, Charlie dropped her right hand down to the reel and began reeling in line as she let the far end of the pole slowly drop back toward the water, repeating this tug and reel several times. Suddenly Charlie felt the line go slack, “It’s trying to run under the boat!” Charlie yelled while reeling in the line as fast as she could, trying unsuccessfully to keep the slack out of her line. Jack was an old hand at this and was already maneuvering the boat so that the fish would pass on Charlie’s side of the boat instead of under it where the line could get snagged and cut.

“Release some of yer drag, so it don’t pop yer line when it goes taught again!” Jack coached.

“Got it!” No sooner than Charlie yelled her acknowledgement the tip of her pole jerked hard back down toward the water and her reel’s drag began to scream as the fish began stripping line off the reel.

“Keep yer pole up and start giving it more drag, let it wear itself out fighting against yer drag.” Charlie was already doing just that when she heard Jack’s coaching.

Moments later everyone got their first glimpse of the fish Charlie had hooked as it jumped straight out of the water thrashing it’s head back and forth trying to dislodge the hook.

Standing on the dock, Jerry couldn’t understand why the boat that Erika said would be their ride suddenly turned around as if it was going to go the opposite direction, “What the hell is that guy doing, can’t he see that we’re standing here waiting on him?”

Erika had a puzzled look on her face when she turned to Jerry, “Umm, Jack really doesn’t have a set schedule and I’m sure he has a good reason for turning around.”

“How can you have a ferry without a schedule? That’s just ludicrious!” Jerry’s anger evident, “Can’t that old man see he has paying passengers waiting? Instead he’s out there ignoring us while he lets some kid fish.”

Both Erika and Jerry saw a very large fish jump up out of the water, throwing its head back and forth. “Holy shit!” jerry coughed.

Erika couldn’t hear Jerry, since just as he turned toward her she had cupped her hands around her mouth and was shouting, “Way to go Charlie! That’s my girl!”

Jerry’s eyes widened when he realized the kid on the boat he was complaining about was her daughter, “That’s Charlie, your daughter Charlie?” Jerry could see a gleam in Erika’s eye and a wide grin on her face as she turned to him and nod emphatically at him.

It was close to a half hour later when the boat carrying Jack and Charlie pulled up to the dock Erika and Jerry had been waiting on. Charlie who had moved to the bow as the boat neared the dock, stood up and jumped over onto the dock before the boat came to a stop, then raced across the wooden planking to wrap her arms around Erika in a hug, “I missed you.”

“It looks like you did,” Erika snickered. “Do you do anything other than fish all week?”

Jack looked over to Erika as he sat down the duffel bag in the boat that Jerry handed him, “She’s been a little angel all week. The couple times she wasn’t in the store helping me, she was over at the coffee shop helping. Business has really picked up with her at my store too, I think half of ‘em come in just to see if they can stump her with a fishing question she can’t answer,” Jack chuckled.

Erika had already knelt down to return the hug Charlie gave her, looked over where Jack stood in the boat, “Charlie, a little angel?” Pushing Charlie out to hold her at arm’s length, Erika looked Charlie in the eye and laughed, “Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?”

As this was going on Jack noticed an older four door sedan slow down as it went past the parking lot, then suddenly speed up as he was watching.

After the trip across the lake, Jack insisted on taking the tiger muskie Charlie had caught over to his shop so it could be weighed and measured and of course taking the required picture of Charlie standing beside her catch as it hung from the scales outside of the store.

It was obvious to Charlie that her mother’s ‘friend’ was annoyed by being forced to take the time to weigh in Charlie’s amazing catch. The way he went form one foot to another, even going as far as asking how much longer this would take. He reminded Charlie of the way a little kid in a car that kept asking, ‘are we there yet?’

“I don’t think it’s a state record, but it’s definitely one of the largest I’ve seen come outta our lake. If it’s okay with y’all I’d like to put this critter on ice and take it over to some friends so they can make a wall mount?” Jack asked, being intentionally vague as to who he would take it to with a man not from their town in their presence.

“I think it would look really cool hanging behind the counter,” Charlie grinned up at Erika.

“I have to say that is one impressive fish you caught,” Jerry smiled at Charlie before quickly glancing up to see how Erika took his compliment toward her daughter. “As big as that thing is, I’m surprised it didn’t drag you out of the boat.”

‘Suck up,’ Charlie grimaced when she saw the way he looked at Erika, hoping the compliment impressed her mother.

“Oh it tried to alright,” Jack chuckled.

“Yeah, Jack had to tie me to the chair,” Charlie giggled.

“What!” Erika gasped.

“It’s not a big deal mom,” Charlie stepped over and leaned against Erika while wrapping her tiny arm around her upper thighs. Looking up at Erika, “It’s the same thing those deep sea sports fishers do as some of those fish are powerful enough to pull a grown man off a boat.” Jack shrugged his shoulders, and then took the large fish off the scales it hung from before opening the door to the store and walking in.

Jerry noticed that the old man had never unlocked the door before entering leaned over to Erika, “You think letting Charlie hang out with this old man is a good idea?”

“Of course, why would you ask that?”

“I think he may be senile or something,” Jerry explained. “I never saw him unlock that door, which means he forgot to lock it when he left.”

Erika held her hand up to her mouth trying to stifle a laugh, “Sorry Jerry I don’t mean to laugh at you. Nobody around here locks their doors.”

“What you’re kidding?”

Erika shook her head, “It’s a small town, everybody knows everybody and you already seen how difficult it is for someone to get here. Think about it, what thief would want to hike six miles or more around a lake to steal something, then carry whatever they stole the six or more miles back.”

“They could come by boat?”

“Only two places to put a boat in are where we parked and the scout camp, both have security cameras.”

Charlie held up the stringer with the three large bass she had caught, “These are getting kind of heavy, can we go home now?” stepping off the store’s front porch.

“You going to leave your fishing pole and tackle box?” Erika motioned toward Charlie’s things.

“Yeah," Charlie nodded. "Got to be here bright and early tomorrow for the customers. I can take care if it in the morning."

Once at home Charlie went straight to the kitchen with the Bass she had caught, while Erika guided Jerry to where he could put his things. Noticing the room seemed quite plain, “Seriously the guestroom?” Jerry asked.

Erika quietly closed the door behind her before stepping over and putting her arms around Jerry’s neck, pulling him into a kiss, “It’s for Charlie’s sake, we want her to get to know you and that won’t happen if she becomes all defensive thinking she needs to start protecting her mother.”

Jerry frowned down at Erika, “But I thought you were going to tell her…”

Erika interrupted him with another kiss, “I am, I haven’t had time. This is something we are going to have to approach her with gently. ”

“Making me sleep in another room isn’t the answer,” Jerry tried to reason with her. “She five and you’re her mother, you should just tell her how things are.”

Erika sighed, “Charlie’s not your typical five year old. She’s like a miniature version of my dad.”

“I know you said your father helped a lot in raising her so you could go to school.”

“He didn’t just help, with how far away college was I only got to see her on weekends and almost not at all in the winter due to the pass.”

“But Erika, the guest room?”

“She goes to bed early.” Erika grinned mischievously at Jerry, “We only need to make it look like you’re down here.” Erika dropped her arms from his neck, taking Jerry by the hands, “Now let’s go find what she’s up to before she thinks something’s wrong.”

Jerry gasped when he walked into the kitchen behind Erika to find Charlie standing on a step stool by the sink with a large knife in her hand cleaning the fish she had brought home, “Oh shit! Charlie what are you doing?” he lunged toward the small child.

Erika grabbed him by the arm before he could reach Charlie, “It’s okay. Charlie’s fine, she’s better at filleting fish than either of us could hope to be.”

“But she’s five years old!”

“Like I said, Charlie isn’t your normal five year old,” Erika snickered.

Charlie twisted her head around to look at Erika, “So I guess your boyfriend is really going to freak when he and I have our little talk?”

Jerry furled his brow, “What talk is that?”

Charlie grinned lopsidedly at Jerry, “The one where I explain the three ‘S’s’ to you.”

Jerry seemed even more confused, “The three ‘S’s’?”

“Yep, Shoot, Shovel and Shut up.” Charlie’s smile while meant to look evil, was over exaggerated and looked extremely cute, “If you ever hurt my mommy, they’ll never find your body.”

“Charlie!” Erika raised her voice.

“She has guns?”

Charlie wiggled her eye brows up and down while giggling.

Erika sighed heavily looking down at the floor.

After a dinner consisting of pan fried bass and seasoned potato wedges Charlie excused herself going upstairs to her room while Jerry helped Erika clean up the kitchen. Erika cuddled with Jerry on the living room couch noce they kitchen was taken care of. The two had been sitting close for around thirty minutes when Erika began to untangle herself from Jerry. At Jerry’s confused look Erika spoke, “Charlie has to be done in the bathroom by now, I’m going to go braid her hair.”
“As independent as she acts, I’m surprised she lets you?”

“Dad taught her how to do a lot of things,” Erika gave Jerry a quick kiss on the lips, “but the girly stuff she only gets when I was home.”

Jerry chucked, “So your little super girl does have a weakness?”

“Oh she can do it herself just fine, but don’t let her know I said that,” Erika giggled. “She knows I love doing it for her so she pretends she can’t when I’m home.”

Jerry sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room listening intently for any noise that would tell him Charlie might still be awake. The last noise he had heard was close to forty five minutes ago and had to have been Charlie walking around as the footsteps were too light to be Erika, then a noise that had to have been Charlie dropping a bag of something that spilled out on the floor. Whatever she had spilled sounded light but solid and plentiful, like those little beads his mother used to make bracelets and other jewelry.

As it was approaching eleven pm the though she should be fast asleep, but then he had thought the young girl would have been asleep soon after Erika came back downstairs from brushing and braiding the Charlie’s hair. That hope had gone out the window when not long after Erika had returned downstairs to settle on the couch snuggled against him, he heard the soft haunting music of a violin from upstairs.

He was only slightly surprised when Erika told him that it Charlie playing and not a CD or the radio. What he had seen so far of Charlie, if anything Erika’s warning him that her daughter was very mature and independent for her age was an understatement, being a mature five year old was one thing, but it seemed to him that the small girl was five going on fifty.

It wasn’t just a matter of her acting more mature than her age, it was that Erika played into it so heavily. Jerry hadn’t said anything when Erika and Charlie were cooking but it was obvious that Charlie took charge and Erika followed her every instruction in the kitchen, a completely role reversal of what one would think a mother and daughter in the kitchen would be.

Looking over at the digital clock on the bedside table that read ’10:52PM’ Jerry decided he had waited long enough. Charlie’s violin music had stopped close to an hour ago and he had not heard anyone walking around upstairs for over thirty minutes. Wearing only a pair of jersey shorts he slept in, Jerry quietly got up and left the guest room.

“Give it about an hour after Charlie puts down her violin,” He remembered the grin on Erik’as face when she whispered in his ear before getting up to get ready for bed, “then come upstairs and tuck me in.”

Easing his weight slowly down on each of the thick wooden planks of the cabin’s staircase, Jerry slowly made his way upstairs in his bare feet. Looking down the short but dark hallway Jerry saw two doors, one on each side, stepping into the hall from the stairs he could hear Erika in his thoughts once again, telling her which room was which. His sight focused on the door on the right side Jerry started for the door only a handful of steps away. On his third step Jerry felt excruciating pain from his left foot. So sharp and sudden it caused him to put his right foot down hard and fast as his left foot came up on reflex. Although the pain only moved from one foot to the other as whatever he had stepped on with his left foot, his right foot had found even more of.
Charlie woke to the sound of something large falling to the floor outside her door. Realizing what it was a grin spread across her face. Rolling over so her back was the her closed bedroom door she pretended to be asleep. Noticing the darkness of her room brighten a bit, Charlie twisted her head back over her shoulder to see the hall light seeping in from under her door.

“Oh my god Jerry!” Erika screamed, then knelt down beside the fallen man, “What happened?”
“Careful where you step,” Jerry reached down beside him feeling around on the floor until he found one of the offending devices that he had stepped on before holding it so Erika could see the tiny caltrop of a child’s toy.

Seeing the jack form a jack and ball set in Jerry’s hand Erika took a deep breath before yelling, “Charlie!”

A minute later Charlie’s door swung open. Charlie stood in the doorway rubbing her eyes wearing an adorable capped sleeve pale violet night gown that came all the way down to her ankles to end in a ruffled hem, with several Disney princesses displayed on the front.

“What’s this?” Erika motioned to the jack Jerry held between two fingers while glaring at Charlie.

“I forgot I left them out and went to put them away after you went to bed, but I dropped the bag and they went all over,” Charlie began spinning her tale. “I didn’t want to turn on the light and wake you so I thought since I always wake up before you, I could clean it up in the morning.”

“You want to try that story on someone that believes you?” Erika glared.

Jerry, who had sat up by then on the floor, reached over to Erika taking her arm, “Calm down honey, she’s only a kid, it was an accident. I’ll be fine.”

“Get this picked up before someone else gets hurt,” Erika shot at Charlie as she helped Jerry to his feet and into Erika’s room.”

Charlie let out a heavy sigh as she watched as the door to Erika’s room closed. ‘Well that backfired,’ Charlie thought to herself, ‘ I wanted to piss him off, get him cussing mad not Mom.’ Going back into her own room she grabbed a heavy magnet before going back out in the hall and using it to gather up all the jacks she had scattered out in the hall earlier.

Looking closely at the wooden floor of the hallway to make sure she hadn’t missed any, Charlie turned off the hall light and went back into her room, closing the door behind her. Laying the jack ladened magnet on the corner of dresser in her room, Charlie walked over and climbed up into her bed.

Laying under the covers staring at the ceiling Charlie began dissecting the failure of her little trap to produce the desired outcome. Charlie expected Erika’s first thoughts to be why Jerry was even upstairs near their rooms but it wasn’t. Going over the scene in her mind that she saw after opening her door, Jerry was laying on the floor up on one elbow with one of the jacks in between his fingers. Mom was kneeling beside him, wearing a robe. One Erika’s legs was sticking out of the robe, Charlie took in a long gasp of air when she realized Erika had been wearing sexy black nylons. Charlie could even see the end of the black lace garter that held it up. ‘God I’m so stupid!’ Charlie thought to herself, ‘She was expecting him to come up!’

Erika came out of the bathroom wearing only her robe, tied closed by the belt that went around its waist. Walking over to where Jerry lay in her bed, she kissed him on the lips.

“Morning beautiful,” Jerry opened his eyes and grinned up at the face of Erika hovering above him.

“I’m going to go start us some coffee,” Erika smiled, giving him another kiss before standing up and walking toward the door.

Throwing the covers off his nude body Jerry sat up, “I’ll be down soon as I go to the bathroom and find my shorts.”

After reliving himself Jerry found the shorts he had worn the night before then scurried down to the guest room where all his things were. After getting himself dressed he walked into the kitchen to find Erika sitting down at the table with a half-eaten Belgian waffle covered in butter, sliced strawberries and syrup in front of her on a plate. “You had time to do all this?”
Erika’s mouth full she shook her head then pushed a note toward Jerry that was lying on the table.

Picking up the note Jerry read it,

Mom ,
Sorry about last night, it was really stupid of me to leave those out. Please tell Jerry I’m sorry he got hurt.
Had to get to the store, Saturday is always Jack’s busiest day. Made you coffee and left a peace offering in the oven.
Love,
Charlie

Looking up from the note to Erika, “This is Charlie’s handwriting?”

Erika nodded while cutting off another piece of waffle. “Yes, I found that on the table this morning along with a stack of homemade Belgian waffles in the oven,” motioning at the large stack of waffles on a plate in the center of the table.

“Wow, It’s really hard to believe she is only five.” Jerry sat the note on the table, “Five year old should be working on learning their ABC’s. Apparently Charlie not only knows them she can write in cursive! Is she some kind of child prodigy genius or something?”
“God, don’t let her hear you call her that,” Erika giggled. “We would never live it down!”

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“Like I’ve told you before we came up, Charlie is different. It’s the main reason I’ve been working on getting all the paperwork the state wants so she can be home schooled.” Erika sighed, “Can you imagine how bored she would be in a normal school?”

“So you home school her,” Jerry shrugged as he pulled two waffles off the stack onto the plate in front of him. “Lots of parents are doing that anymore.”

“It’s not that simple, first you have to be certified. Which I have the college credits to do so, but the way the law is written only a parent can do the home schooling! There’s more PHD’s in this town than all the instructors on campus combined, and all of them are willing to help with Charlie’s education but they can’t be the ones that home school her!” Erika slumped down in her chair.

“And of course you can’t be here to home school Charlie and finish your degree,” Jerry nodded his understanding. “Bring Charlie back with us, we can get a bigger place and you can home school her in the evenings after our classes.”

Erika shook her head, “And what would we do with Charlie while we’re both in class… Daycare? May as well send her to school.”

“What about Susie?” Jerry suggested, “She works nights, she could babysit Charlie.”

“Oh yeah, great idea!” Erika rolled her eyes, “Once Charlie found out what she does for a living we would come home to find Charlie tossing dollar bills at her while she practiced.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Oh no! Charlie would do it for the entertainment value she would get from the look on our faces when we walked in.”

“Okay then what about Maggie?”

“She smokes pot,” Erika quickly killed that suggestion. “If Charlie thought she smelled it on her, all hell would break loose.”

“Tracy?” Jerry continued to list friends they knew.

“Tracy? Are you serious?” Erika asked. “We would have to pay Charlie to babysit her.”

“Okay then what about my grams?”

Jerry held the door for Erika to walk into the store. The pair easily spotted Charlie wearing a ball cap with the fishing store’s logo on the front. Charlie’s hair pulled into a pony tail through the hole in the back of the cap, obviously standing on something behind the counter to appear as tall as she was behind the counter. Charlie was counting out change into the hand of a man on the opposite side of the counter. Two boys, the youngest looking about the same age as Charlie stood beside him, the older of the two gathering the paper bag off the counter as his father collected his change.

Looking up at the door Charlie smiled, “Hi Mom!” then a bit less enthusiastically, “Hi Jerry.”

Erika walked toward the counter while Jerry stood holding the door for the man and his sons that were leaving. “I was going to give Jerry a tour of the town, thought you may want to come along?” Erika knew from the look on Charlie’s face that Charlie was going to decline so she added, “Thought we would stop at the coffee shop first and I know how much you love their hot chocolate.”

The thought of the deliciously creamy mugs of hot chocolate they served at the coffee shop brought a wide smile to Charlie’s face. Jumping down off the small step stool she had been standing on to reach the register, Charlie ran over to the opening to the back room and shouted, “Jack, I’m going with Mom down to the coffee shop, you want anything?”

“Whatever Lily wants to send back fer me,” They heard Jack’s voice before he came walking out of the back room. “Darn woman got a knack fer knowing what ya want.”

Looking over at Jack, “I was going to give Jerry a tour of the town, so it might be a bit before we bring Charlie back.”

Jack waved his hand dismissively, “Take yer time, Them waffles Charlie brought with her this morning will hold me over till then,” patting himself on the stomach.

“Those were really good, Thanks Charlie,” Jerry spoke loud enough to be heard from where he was standing between a couple isles looking at some of the fishing gear the store sold.

“I’m just surprised they weren’t chocolate, as much as Charlie loves chocolate,” Erika grinned at Charlie.

“Hey!” Charlie protested with a giggle, “I’m not a total chocoholic!”

“Well I thought they were great Charlie,” Jerry praised. “They reminded me of the French toast the way they tasted.”

“So you ready munchkin?” Erika’s lopsided grin was not lost on Charlie as the three made their way toward the door.

Holding the door for Erika and Charlie, Jerry leaned close to Erika, “Munchkin?”

Grinning back at him Erika quietly explained, “It was a pet name my dad used on me a lot.”

Looking at the buildings and the dirt packed street, the whole town gave him the feeling of being in the old west. The small golf cart vehicles he saw parked near a couple of the buildings were the only thing that gave evidence that he had not stepped through some sort of time warp that dropped him into the 1870’s.

Jerry remembered an old movie where they created a theme park of the old west using robots to act as the townsfolk. Of course in the movie a computer virus had spread causing the robots to malfunction and start killing guests. Looking down the short line of buildings that faced each other to create the small town’s street, Jerry couldn’t help but imagine Yul Brenner stepping out from an alleyway wearing all black with cowboy hat and boots and two six guns strapped to his sides.
Jerry stopped in his tracks after following Erika and Charlie into the coffee shop, the modern amenities inside a startling contrast from the ancient exterior of the building. Small raised areas in the center of the tables offered power, network and USB charging ports for the customers.

When the barista behind the counter saw the three enter, she quickly turned around giving the equipment behind the counter her attention while she began creating drinks. By the time the three walked across to the counter the barista was snapping lids on the paper cups and carrying them to the counter.

Reaching up Charlie picked up the one that had her name written in marker across the coffee sleeve wrapped around the cup. “Thanks Lily!” Charlie grinned wide.

Erika reached down picking up the other two cups, handing Jerry the one with his name on it. Jerry furled his brow at the sight of his name on the cup. “How…”

Charlie looked up at Jerry giggling, “Lily always knows what a customer wants.”

Erika nodded with a broad smile, “try it.”

Gasping after taking a sip, Jerry’s wide eyes showing his surprise, “Holy crap, This is the best cinnamon almond milk macchiato I have ever tasted!”

“Just the way you like it,” Lily smiled from behind the counter.

“But how could she know what I like,” Jerry puzzled. Looking from Erika over to the barista, “How could you know what I like?” Noticing her cat-like ears for the first time Jerry’s eyes grew wider.

“It’s my job to know what my customers like,” Lily’s smile never wavered.

“But I’ve never been here before?”

“It’s not worth worrying about dear, “Erika said after digging a bill out of her purse and lying it on the counter to pay for their drinks. “Let’s go show you the rest of town.”

At the end of the street Erika pointed out the building she referred to as town hall, but explained it was more of a community center that also held their small post office. Off to the side Erika led them to a large gazebo. The very center of the gazebo was open to the large granite rock it was built upon. On this granite slab stood what looked like a large egg shaped quartz crystal close to ten feet in height. The quartz was cloudy and only semi-transparent. In the center of the quartz appeared to be something that could only be explained as a cross between the black knight’s armor and a space suit.

Pointing out the monolith, Erika explained, “This is our one big claim to fame. Everyone calls it the Sentinel.”

Jerry walked around it several times closely examining the statue, “Someone went to a lot of trouble to make this, there are no seams or anything.” Kneeling down he examined where the crystal met the granite. “To do something like this they would have had to carve the base to fit, then turn it on its side and drill out the shape of a man from the bottom like they do with those imitation crystals that have images carved into the inside of them then paint is poured in to fill the void that is left, but to do that with solid quartz… Wow!” Peering into the quartz at the image held inside, “I wish the quartz was clearer so I could see more detail.”

After they left the strange statue Erika suggested they stop by the small market to pick up a few things they needed at the house. Jerry did make a remark about the lack of variety in brands of goods there. Almost all the items the store carried were unbranded generic in plain white packaging. All the white generic boxes and bags also held writing that they were made from recycled materials and or biodegradable and organic.

“What do you both think about some steaks on the grill?” Jerry motioned toward the rear of the store where he thought he spotted the meat counter.

Erika chuckled at the face Charlie made after hearing Jerry’s question, “Charlie won’t eat any of the meat from the store. If you want to do some steaks we’ll have to drive up to North bend.”

“Why’s that?”

“What we sell here is a meat substitute, it’s made form mushrooms.” Erika explained, “There are huge caverns under the town that have huge mushroom farms and other hydroponic gardens. Most everything in the store comes from there.”

“So instead of soy based substitutes, they use mushroom based ones,” Jerry stated. “That’s actually pretty cool.”

“Yeah and Charlie is fine with it except for the meat, she calls it soylent green and won’t touch it.”

“I’m willing to try it,” Jerry continued walking toward the meat counter.

“It’s really hard to tell the difference,’ Erika confided. “If anything it’s more tender.”

“Sure you won’t try one Charlie?” Jerry asked while bent over looking through the selection.
Shaking her head, Charlie grimaced at the thought of eating the fake steaks, “There’s plenty at the house I can eat instead of that stuff.”

As they wandered down the aisles of the market Erika deposited she needed into a wooden basket she had picked up from a stack by the door they had entered. Once she was satisfied that she had found the things she wanted Erika led the trio to a solitary checkout lane that was set a ways away from two normal checkout lanes.

Jerry found the checkout line reminded him of the self-checkouts that had been appearing in stores over the past several years although this one had a small conveyor belt that ran the items through a machine after Erika punched in a code on a touch screen panel on the machine.

Charlie had moved ahead of her mother and Jerry and was putting the items in a canvas bag Erika had had given her. Pulling his wallet from his back pocket Jerry slipped in beside Erika looking for the cash or credit slot in the machine. Not finding either Jerry looked toward Erika for advice, “How do I pay for this?”

“It’s taken care of already,” Erika informed, pointing at the sign above the checkout line that read ‘Residents Only’. “Everyone that lives here has a code to use, putting that in unlocks the register and takes care of everything for us.”

Separating their ways after leaving the market, Erika and Jerry walking home while Charlie stopped by the coffee shop to pick up something for Jack and another hot chocolate for herself.

Charlie got home right after five that evening, quickly changing into a pair of shorts before showing Jerry how to light the grill in their backyard. As Jerry was lighting the grill Charlie went back inside filling a large blue enameled pot three fourths of the way with water that she asked Jerry to carry out and place on the grill.

“What’s the pot for?” he asked.

“While you guys eat your fake steaks, I’m going to have some real food!” Charlie grinned as she picked up a plastic five gallon bucket that contained a small fishing net and began jogging barefooted toward the large creek a little over hundred yards away.

“Damn, we should have never got the steaks!” Jerry heard Erika softly swear behind him.

“Why’s that?” Jerry turned toward her.

“She’s going to go catch some crayfish isn’t she?” Erika pointed to the pot of water on the grill.

“Crayfish? Like they eat in Louisiana and such?”

“Not quite, the ones here are much bigger, almost like little lobsters.” Erika held her hands about six to eight inches apart.

“You’re kidding?”

Erika shook her head, “Hopefully she’ll bring back enough to share. They’re really good.”

Wading slowly into the shallow clear water so as to disturb the bottom as little as possible so the water wouldn’t turn murky, Charlie slowly waded back and forth across the creek looking for crayfish and the places they liked to hide. Finding one then another of the giant crayfish and catching them by slowly lowering the net behind it and then distracting it with her foot. Most would use their tail to flash away backwards into her net, while a few were openly aggressive and stood their ground claws raised in defiance, only to be grabbed up and tossed in the bucket along with the others she had managed to capture.

Charlie saw the man sitting on the back of the lake fishing but paid little attention to him since there were always people out on the lake fishing especially on the weekends. Although she did find it strange that he was bank fishing on this side of the lake since he would have had to hike in six or seven miles to get where he sat. All thoughts about the man fishing were lost when she spotted a really large crayfish half hidden under a flat rock, nor did she notice the large binoculars he brought up often to stare past her at the homes on the small peninsula the town was built on.

Holding the binoculars to his eyes, the man watched the young girl walk back up to the house to the woman he had been watching, chuckling to himself, “Isn’t that nice, the whole family in one place.”

The next morning Charlie came out of the bathroom to find Erika laying a child’s dress on her bed, the same color blue as the calf length dress Erika had on, “If you think I’m wearing that you lost your mind!”

“Charlie, it’s just a dress.”

“Sure and these?” Charlie walked over to the bed picking and holding the socks edged with lace, “are supposed to go with those shoes,” Charlie nodded toward the small pair of shiny black Mary Janes sitting on the floor by the bed.

“Can’t I want my little girl to look nice once in a while?”

Rolling her eyes, Charlie looked up at Erika, “I may have bene born at night, but it wasn’t last night. These are church clothes. You said we were going shopping in North Bend.”

“Well we plan on shopping too.”

“I can’t go into a church!”

“And why not?”

“Because,” Charlie tried to think of a reasonable excuse, “I don’t know… lightning will strike or something.”

“Please Charlie, for me?”

Looking into the sad doe eyes Erika made, Charlie sighed, “I thought becoming a girl would make me immune to that look.”

“So you’ll do it?” Erika saw Charlie nod. Bending down she kissed Charlie on the forehead, “Thank you sweetie. It really does mean a lot to me.”

Tossing the towel she had wrapped around her on the floor after Erika had left closing the door behind her, Charlie sat on the bed and began getting dressed. Donning the white cotton panties, then the white camisole, Charlie picked up the dress holding it out in front of her staring at it for some time.

A bird sitting on the tree limb outside her window drew Charlie out of the staring match she was having with the dress. Looking out the window Charlie thought of how easy it would be to throw on a pair of shorts and a shirt and climb out onto the tree limb and slip away, escaping the indignity of putting on the dress. She had used that limb often enough to slip out and get in a few hours of catfishing after Erika had thought she was asleep.

’It would be so easy, but I know how much it would disappoint Mom,’ Looking over at her dresser where she stored the normal clothes she wore, then back to the dress in her hands Charlie sighed heavily while she let her head and shoulders droop down in defeat. Charlie sat for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and begun to dress herself in the clothes Erika had laid out.

Charlie cringed at the, ‘clomp, clomp,’ sound the shoes made on the hardwood floor as she made her way down the short hall toward the stairs. One of the reasons she liked the rubber soled boat shoes she normally wore was how quiet they were. Not that she was the type to sneak around, although she preferred not to sound like a herd of buffalo stomping around.

“You look very…” Charlie cut Erika off before she could finish, “If either of you use the words ‘cute’ or ‘pretty’ I will talk this dress off and feed it to the garbage disposal!”

“I was going to say you look very nice,’ Erika smiled.

“Jerry! Erika! I’m so glad you made it,” Charlie saw the older woman standing beside the large double doors at the top of the short flight of steps that led into the church. As Jerry, Erika and Charlie reached the top of the steps the woman wrapped her arms around Jerry giving him a warm hug, once she released him she did the same for Erika. Releasing Erika the woman looked down at the much smaller Charlie, “And this pretty little angel must be Charlotte.”

“Charlie this is Mrs. Nevers, Jerry’s grandmother,” Erika introduced the woman.

“Hello Mrs. Nevers,” Charlie nodded.

“Oh please,” Mrs. Nevers smiled down at Charlie, “You’re almost family, call me Grams Nevers or just Grammy.” Turning toward Jerry, “Knowing you were coming your grandfather has a special sermon planned and wants you sitting up front with the rest of the family.”

After the services they milled around with Jerry’s family, those that had not met Erika were introduced and everyone was introduced to Charlie, including the Reverend Thomas Nevers, Jerry grandfather, who had walked down to mingle with the family and other parishioners after the services concluded. When Erika mentioned that they had plans on some shopping for Charlie, Barbara, Jerry’s aunt insisted they come over to their place first as she had a lot of things that her daughter Cathy had out grown that she would be glad to give to Charlie. Before leaving to follow Barbara and her family home, everyone was invited to Jerry’s grandparents for a long overdue family get together and dinner.

“Stop! Stop!” Charlie screamed while laughing hysterically.

“Admit it then!” Erika lay half on top of Charlie in the floor of their living room tickling the smaller girl mercilessly.

“Okay, okay,” Charlie gasped for breath, “It wasn’t bad.”

“Wasn’t bad? I’ll show you wasn’t bad!” Erika’s fingers dug into Charlie’s sides with just enough pressure to make the small girl squeal and begin laughing again.

“You’re going to make me pee!” Charlie squealed.

“Did that ever stop your grandfather?” Erika grinned evilly down at Charlie while continuing to tickle her.

“Okay I had fun!” Charlie relented.

“And?”

Charlie looked up into Erika’s eyes, “And wearing dresses is not that bad either.”

Erika raised up off the girl, helping Charlie up to a sitting position as she did, “What about church?”

“Well I didn’t burst into flames going in the door,” Charlie grinned. “But I’m still surprised the sky didn’t darken and the building wasn’t destroyed by earthquakes and lightning.” Looking over where Jerry was sitting on the couch, “You could have warned me that your grandpa was a preacher!”

Jerry shrugged his shoulders, “I grew up with him being the pastor of the church so I really never thought about it.”

“I think it was really nice of Barb giving Charlie so much of Cathy’s old things.” Erika smiled at Charlie, “Don’t you think so dear?”

“Yeah, It was,” Charlie found herself agreeing. “But one box was almost all dresses and skirts. Those won’t ever get used.”

“You have time to grow into many of them and by the time they do fit, you might even like dresses by then. It’s starting to get late, why don’t you head on upstairs and put away the clothes that are still on your bed. That way you have time to shower and your normal evening routine,” Knowing how Charlie loved to sit and play the lively Celtic and bluegrass music on her violin at night before bed.

Charlie nodded then jumped up and began to run barefooted toward the stairs. “Hey don’t forget your shoes!” Erika yelled after her, causing Charlie to go back and grab the Mary Janes she had quickly removed as soon as they had gotten home.

Charlie had finished putting away the things that were laying on her bed and was going through one of the two large boxes packed full of clothes that Jerry’s aunt had given her when she heard Erika scream. Dropping the clothes in her hands Charlie raced out of the open door to her room, her small bare feet almost soundless on the hard wooden floor. Charlie froze at the top of the stairs when she saw a man standing in their living room holding a large military style bayonet. The large bayonet was covered in blood and Jerry lay at the man’s feet, no doubt in Charlie’s mind that he had been stabbed by the man. Erika stood across the room facing the man both hands covering her mouth.

Before the accident Charlie would not have even thought about rushing down and attacking the large man that stood in her home, picking up whatever came to hand on the way down to defend herself and Erika, but then she had been a bit larger than the three and a half feet tall that she now stood. Knowing that racing straight down toward the stranger or her mother would only put herself in peril along with Erika, Charlie slipped quietly back into her room.

At the window in her room, Charlie pulled the screen open and slipped out onto the nearby tree branch climbing out into the tree and down to the ground. Looking close at the nearby houses Charlie could see no lights on, which wasn’t unusual as their neighbors spent most of their time either down in the labs or away giving seminars at universities and hospitals around the country. Knowing the closest person that was likely to be home was Jack Charlie knew she didn’t have the time to get help. Her only hope of saving her mom and Jerry was with herself.

Cursing her small size under her breath, Charlie ran to the small tool shed in their backyard. Swinging the door open she stepped inside, leaving the door open to give her enough light to see in the dark interior. Stepping inside Charlie scanned the various tools inside the shed as she looked for an equalizer to use against the large man.

The double bladed axe hanging from the wall would work, but as much as Charlie wanted to save her mother, using that would kill and even if Charlie would have had no problems using lethal force, the axe was heavy enough that she would only get one chance to swing at him, if she missed with that one chance they were all doomed. Hanging beside the axe was a pick mattock that Charlie grabbed from its hangar. While it was heavier than the axe and possibly a worse weapon with the design of the heavy metal head, it wasn’t the metal head that she wanted.

Holding the pick mattock by the spade bit and pick that protruded from each side, Charlie tapped the bottom of the handle against the concrete floor as quietly as she could several times until the hickory handle slipped loose of the tools head. Armed with the thick wooden handle Charlie crept around to the front of the house. Standing with her back against the door frame Charlie stopped to listen before going inside.

What Charlie heard made her blood boil. While she may have missed much of what he said to Erika at the beginning, it was obvious this was the man that tried to rape Erika and now out of prison he was here for revenge. Peeking around the corner of the door frame Charlie could see Erika was still on the far side of the room and the man had only taken a few steps past where Jerry lay bleeding on the floor.

Erika’s eyes grew wide when she spotted Charlie slip in through the open front door. Charlie, still behind the man wound up the bat like a baseball player before swinging with all her might. The hickory handle caught the attacker in the side of his right knee with a loud bone crunching thwack. Twisting as he fell, the man lashed out with the bayonet. Although expecting a much taller attacker the bayonet passed harmlessly above Charlie head while she wound up for another strike.

Knowing the knife was the greatest threat, Charlie focused on the hand that held it. Before the man hit the ground the pick mattock’s handle was in motion again following the man’s out stretched arm. As his arm met the floor the wooden tool handle met his wrist shattering bone.

“You god damned little bitch!” The man screamed as he reached for Charlie with his good hand, “I’m going to fuck you in front of your fucking mother!”

Swatting his hand away in a back swing Charlie screamed at him, “God damned pervert!” Raising up the pick mattock handle over her head she brought it down hard into his crotch.
Screaming like a girl, his hands flew to his crotch after the blow. But that didn’t stop Charlie would was now seeing red, raining blow after blow directly at his crotch until Erika finally came over stopping her.

Jerry opened his eyes to find himself in what appeared to be a hospital room. Realizing his last memories he tried to sit up, “Erika!” he tried to shout but all that came out was a hoarse whisper.

“I’m right here Jerry,” He felt a hand gently pushing him back down. Turing his head he could see the hand belonged to Erika. She and Charlie both were standing beside the hospital bed he woke up in.

“Are you both okay?” Jerry forced his raspy voice, “What happened?”

“After he stabbed you, Charlie heard me scream,” Erika began. “She slipped out her bedroom window.”

“Good girl,” Jerry grinned at Charlie, who began blushing, “Got help.”

“Not exactly,” Erika stated as Charlie’s face reddened further. “She came at him with an axe handle from behind.”

“What!” Jerry gawked at the small girl, “You could have gotten hurt!”

“She came very close to beating him to death with it.” Erika took a deep breath, “Look there is something things we need to tell you. You lost a lot of blood before we could get help for you.”

Jerry tried to follow where she was going with this, “But I’m okay now?”

“Yes, you’re going to be fine,” Erika informed, “But it was very serious Jerry. The knife went through your heart. They, the blood they had to use to save you, it’s different.”

“Different how?”

“It’s artificial blood.”

“I didn’t know that was possible?” Jerry questioned.

“It isn’t, that’s why we have to let you in on the little secret about our town.” Charlie giggled, “On the bright side mom won’t have a reason to say no the next time you propose.”

“Let he start at the beginning,” Erika sighed.

“You expect me to believe that she used to be your father!” Jerry gasped unbelieving at the story Erika had told her.

“Look at your chest, where he stabbed you,” Charlie grinned.

Jerry held the hospital gown out so he could look at his chest to see no bandages, stitches or even a scar, “How?” Realizing how long it would take for a scar to heal that well if in fact it ever did, “How long have I been in the hospital?”

“Three days,” Charlie grinned.

“You lost a lot of blood dear,” Erika consoled the confused man. “Your heart was destroyed and you had bled out. These people don’t believe in letting anyone die if they can do anything to stop it. The blood they used is made for one of their kind that are part machine.”

“You have little tiny robots now that do the job of blood cells,” Charlie held two fingers very close together for emphasis.

“The good side of this is that the artificial blood also repairs the body,” Erika stated. “Using it they were able to repair your heart and save you.”

“You make these guys sound like aliens or something,” Jerry chuckled nervously.

“Yeah, they really don’t like to be called that. Some have been around since before man walked on two legs,” Charlie chuckled.

“So why tell me all this now?” Jerry looked up at Erika, “It’s not like I’ve seen one open it’s skull up and a little green man get out.”

“Honey you need to know because of your blood.” Erika explained, “You can’t ever let anyone take a sample of it now. While it may look like blood if you get cut, under a microscope it’s obvious that it’s not real blood.”

“So I’m one of you now, an alien?”

“Charlie and I are not aliens,” Erika stated. “Well I’m completely human, you and Charlie are mostly human.”

“That sounds like my que,” Greg came in smiling, winked at Charlie before turning to Jerry, “Hi Jerry, I’m the mad scientist that saved you.”

Jerry looked over at Charlie giggling then back to the man who had just entered the room, “You’re a doctor?”

“I do hope so, or all those degrees hanging in my office have lied to me!” Greg grinned. “You ready to get out of that bed?” He watched as Jerry nodded. “Good because all of us are needed at town hall as soon as we can get over there.”

Walking into the little used building, it was the first time Charlie had ever seen it this crowded, there must have been one hundred and fifty people or more in the hall. At the front of the room on a small stage stood Jack at a podium. When he saw Erika and Charlie being led into the room he tapped the microphone a couple times to get everyone’s attention. “Okay everyone it looks like the last of those that are required to be here have arrived, so let’s get on with this. Charlie, Erika and Jerry y’all need to come on up here with me.”

After giving the three time to get through the crowd and join him Jack turned back to the microphone, “Having been the only one dumb enough to not run back when our little town decided we needed a mayor, and not slick enough to pawn this job off on anyone else yet, I call this meeting to order.” Jack turned to look at the three standing beside him. “Several days ago a man that we have determined to be Franklin Thomas Sykes entered the Moore’s home and attacked those that were there. In the process Mr. Sykes mortally stabbed Mr. Nevers and boasted that he was going to rape both Erika and Charlie. Before he could carry out those threats Charlie intervened with the handle of a garden tool which she used to render Mr. Sykes unconscious and in need of severe medical care.”

Jack knew that most were already aware of the circumstance but by their own rules he had to read everything on the paper laid out on the podium in front of him. “To save Mr. Never’s life we were forced to use treatments that we are not able to allow the outside world to know about yet, which led to us being forced to let Mr. Nevers know the truth about us and our town.”

Jack looked over at Jerry, “We all hope, that you understand the ramifications of the world learning about our technology before it is ready for it? And we hope for everyone’s benefit that you will choose to keep our secret.”

Jerry stepped forward, “I’m still trying to get a grip of everything that has happened but the last thing I would ever do is hurt Erika or Charlie. If I told anyone about this place, they would find out about them too. So even though I am still in the dark about most of this, as long as I don’t discover your planning on taking over the world my lips are sealed.”

“We only do that on Tuesdays!” someone shouted while the crowd roared with laughter at the comment.”

Charlie stepped up beside Jerry tugging at his arm, “It’s a joke.” She explained once he leaned down to hear her over the roar of laughter, “Down in the labs someone wrote ‘take over the world planning session’ on the labs schedule board, they have left it there as a joke.”

“You sure it’s just a joke?” Jerry looked nervously out at the crowd.

“It was signed by Pinky and the Brain,” Charlie smirked.

“Alright, alright people let’s continue so we can get this over with and go home,” Jack looked over at Jerry, “Mr. Never hasn’t had the full tour yet so he isn’t privy to that inside joke. Next point of discussion, what are we going to do with Mr. Sykes?” Turning to the crowd, “He apparently followed Erika and Jerry up from the city and stalked the home waiting on a time to attack. I recognized him from a car that drove by slowly as I loaded the ferry with Erika Friday evening when she returned from school. A few others have come forward stating they saw him hanging around the lake.” Charlie gasped when she realized he was the same man she saw fishing the night before.

Looking toward Charlie, “As you were the one that gave him his injuries, as per our rules you are the one responsible for him,” Jack held a finger up at Charlie when he saw she was going to speak, “But due to your apparent age it would not bode well to have you be the one to do this.” Turning his attention to Erika, “You understand that we cannot take a life. It’s against everything we strive for, but we also cannot allow Mr. Sykes to go back out and harm others. It has been decided that instead of healing his injuries he will be regressed to a small child and given to a family that we can be assured will raise the child into the adult he should have become instead of the monster he turned out to be.”

Okay here’s a little prequel giving some of the past events and history of some of our friendly little aliens that live in Enchanted Valley

And a special shout out for Jerri for her awesome editing powers!

July 3rd 1947

Completing their sweep of the largest continent on the planet’s northern hemisphere, the squat disk shaped craft crossed the small sea toward the second largest continent on the planet. “Program the ship for the most economical sweep of the landmass and continue monitoring our stealth equipment. These creatures may be backwards but they do have craft that are capable of atmospheric flight.”

“Sir, the archives show that their weaponry is far below anything that could cause any issues for our ship,” One of the other two short gray aliens spoke without turning away from the instruments it was monitoring.

“True, but their radio waves have been noticed by the council of five and we do not want any signals to be received about an unknown ship fitting the description of ours reaching the council. We must find the lost unit without the council finding out anything about that unit. It’s the only way our empire will ever be free of the council and their rules.”

The small alien ship had crisscrossed the northern continent several times, working a pattern from west to east and back beginning at the northern icy regions and working south as the crew watched the instrumentation for the treasure they sought. As it passed over the city of Phoenix, the crew had to pay special attention to the aircraft arriving and landing at the busy terrestrial airport located there, actually lowering their altitude to 18,000 feet to keep below the aircraft arriving and leaving and above those in the holding pattern. Crossing over the border into New Mexico the skies were clear at the lower elevation with the exception of one small aircraft, their instruments detected that appeared to be on a straight course from El Paso to Amarillo.

While it looked like their paths would intersect, the small aircraft was several thousand feet above their own altitude, made no signs of seeing them and instruments showed it had no signs of weapons. The crew kept monitoring the smaller aircraft but were unworried about it. At ten miles away the small aircraft began losing altitude and sharply increased airspeed on their instruments.

“Sir, the small aircraft, its changed altitude and speed,” One of the gray bodied aliens turned from its console.

Turning toward the alien, “Did we lose stealth?”

The alien turned back to its console, “No sir… SIR IT'S POWERING UP A PARTICLE CANNON!”

“Evasive, get us out of atmosphere NOW!”

The disk shape craft began to rise at an incredible speed, taking it right through the invisible beam of the weapon concealed in the nose of the 1939 Grumman G-21. The disk immediately became visible two the two men in the twin engine amphibious aircraft as a bright beam of light burst forth from both the top and bottom of the craft, its ascent quickly slowed before it began to descend, increasing speed as it wobbled back toward earth.

“This is impossible!” the commander of the alien ship shouted as everything within their ship went dark, “These creatures do not have the technology.”

“Could the one in that aircraft be part of the lost unit?” The third alien asked. He would receive no answer as no sooner as he posed the question the ship contacted the hard ground.

As the small twin engine aircraft turned back toward the southwest the pilot looked over at the younger man sitting in the cockpit beside him, “Did you really have to shoot it twice?”

The younger man, possibly no more than twenty by his appearance, grinned over at the older man, “Aw come on, it’s not like I get to fire this baby all that much. Anyway, there is no way in hell I was taking the chance of them surviving and trying to take us back.”

The older man nodded, “Yeah now that we have tasted freedom, there is no way I would go back to that slavery either. I’m sure your mom thinks the same way.”

Noticing that the older man was guiding the aircraft into higher altitude, “We’re not going to land?”

Shaking his head the older man spoke, “Going to be light soon and I don’t want us or the goose seen around the crash.”

“What about the stuff onboard the ship? We can’t let the Army start playing with some of that stuff, who knows what they might find and turn on!”

“Catching us both with an armload of equipment would be even worse.” The older man reasoned, “Their medical science isn’t good enough to tell us apart from them yet, but if they locked us up long enough they would eventually see that we aren’t like them. No best thing we can do is go home and wait for the Army to come clean everything up for us, then once they have it all nice and hidden in some place they don’t think anyone will find, we slip in and remove the dangerous stuff.”

September 12, 1951
Underground facility, Groom Lake, NV

Dr. Henry Kuehn sat in the metal stool with both elbows up on the stainless steel table. His chin resting in both hands as he stared at the strange kite shaped object on the table. His bloodshot eyes, unkempt hair and three day growth of stubble on his face told of the hours he had exhausted trying to determine what the object could be. One side of the object was very smooth and slightly convex, while the other side held a complex concave shape that he and other scientist had determined fit perfectly with the alien’s back that they recovered at the crash site. Although the obvious placement of the object wasn’t the question, the question was what purpose it served.

Running one of the objects through both an X-ray machine and a fluoroscope had only proven the object was made out of a material that was completely invisible to those tests, not impenetrable as the scientists thought would happen but actually not showing up at all, as if the object wasn’t even there. While this was the opposite of what Dr. Kuehn and his colleagues had expected, especially after every means they had tried to cut into one of the objects had failed to even scratch the surface, it did inform them that whatever material the objects were made of did not exist on the periodic table.

Turning toward the sound of the door to his lab opening, Dr Kuehn sighed at the sight of the dark suited man wearing sunglasses that entered. “I’m sorry Mr. Smith, I don’t have anything further to report. Nothing we have tried has given us any clue as to what the devices are used for.”

“That’s quite understandable given the nature of the device, Dr. Kuehn,” Mr. Smith’s face was as expressionless as his monotone voice. “We have decided that the only way to process with testing is to have a volunteer put the device on.”

“Volunteer?” Dr. Kuehn gasped, “Are you mad? We don’t have any idea what the object will do to a human. Who in their right mind would volunteer to do something like that!”

“Leave that to us Doctor, Mr. Jones is currently in the process of interviewing candidates. He should have a suitable volunteer within a few days. While he is doing that I suggest you get some sleep, you look like hell.” Looking over at one of the soldiers standing on each side of the door he had entered, Mr. Smith saw the three chevrons with a single rocker underneath on the sleeve of the soldier carrying a M1928 submachine gun while the other soldier carrying an M2 carbine only had the three chevrons of a Sargent. Thinking about their choice of weapons Mr. Smith called to the lower ranked soldier, “Sergeant, please escort the doctor to his quarters and make sure he isn’t disturbed so that he may get some rest.”

The Sergeant snapped the M2 carbine up as he stood at attention, “Yes, sir!”

“What’s your name son?” Mr. Smith asked the Sergeant.

“Brown, sir,” the Sergeant replied.

“Alright, Sargent Brown, I’m reassigning you to the doctor. You’re his shadow from here on out. Got it?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

September 17, 1951
Underground facility, Groom Lake, NV

Dr. Kuehn looked down at the man lying face down on the table in front of him shirtless. The lack of a tan around the edges of what looked to be a fresh crew cut haircut and the back of the man’s neck led the doctor to believe this man normally kept his hair much longer. If that wasn’t enough to give the doctor the idea that something was wrong with the situation, the terribly done tattoos told the doctor all he needed to know about the volunteer Mr. Smith and his colleague had provided. The way his legs arms and waist were strapped down in leather restraints made the Doctor wonder if he had in fact volunteered or been forced.

Looking up at the other men in the room with him. Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones stood with their usual emotionless expressions on each side of General Collins, “These are prison tattoos!” Dr. Kuehn stated, mainly toward the general.

“Who gives a fuck where I was!” The man on the table turned his head so he could shout at the doctor, “I volunteered! That’s all you need to know, I let you put the thingamajig on my back I get out of the slammer!”

“We don’t know what this will do to you,” The doctor argued. “For all we know it could kill you.”

“Doc, I haven’t had any for going on five years now. It’ll be another twenty five before I get the chance to play back seat bingo.” The convict reasoned, “So the way I see it, twenty five years without is pretty bad, getting out so old that most good looking dollies won’t have anything to do with me is even worse, so I may as well die now.”

“You heard the man, doctor,” Mr. Smith softly spoke, “He knows the risks.”

“But you’re talking about releasing a convicted felon back onto the street!”

“If he survives the object and the tests afterward, yes,” the side of Mr. Smith’s lip curled upward in a way that made the doctor cringe, knowing that Mr. Smith did not plan on this man leaving the base alive.

“Doctor, if you will be so good as to begin,” the General spoke.

With a heavy sigh the doctor turned toward a stainless steel table along the wall behind him where the three identical objects sat. Picking up the closest one by the edges, the doctor brought it over and positioned in over the man’s back before lowering it down and letting go. Almost a full minute passed with no change when suddenly the surface of the hard kite shaped object seemed to melt conforming to the man’s back.

“Oh man, that feels fucking great!” the man moaned, “fuck, that feels good.”

The rest watched as the top and bottom tips of the object began to ooze upward and down slowly covering his spine. The top stopping at the base of his skull while the bottom found its way under the waistband of the trousers the man wore. “Shit, doc, this is better than fucking sex! And I thought nothing was better than sex.” The man moaned and squirmed against the restraints as the object continued whatever it was doing.

“Ummfff!” the man suddenly jerked. “Ugggh! Oh crap! Shit!” the man groaned through gritted teeth, “Get it off! Get it off!” As he began to thrash around as his uncomfortable grunts and groans became screams of pain. His screaming continued as the off gray colored object began to change color, matching his skin tone as it appeared to be absorbed into his body. HIs body began to shake and convulse so violently that he began to rip the leather restraints away from the table finally ending up in the fetal position in the floor beside the table he had been laying on.

They could do nothing but watch as the now unconscious man’s body began to change before their eyes. His waist thinning incredibly fast, the tattoos on his back and arms disappeared. The muscles in his arms, back and chest took on definition that could only be described as what someone would expect to see in a Mr. Universe competition, while his facial features reformed giving him a very handsome look.

September 20, 1951
Enchanted Valley, WA

“Taking off on us already, Cliff?”

Cliff handed the box off to someone inside the rear hatch of the Grumman amphibious plane before turning to the older man walking under the wing toward him. Spotting the air force cap on the man’s head Cliff went to military attention while saluting the man. “I see you still got that old hat, Captain Jack,” Cliff grinned.

“Well had to have somethin’ fer a souvenir, since some jackass lieutenant got my damn plane,” Jack laughed as he walked over placing his hand along the fuselage. “Still hard to believe you were actually able to put the old girl back together.”

“You could say I have an affinity for machinery,” Cliff chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess you do at that,” Jack nodded. “People here in town told me all about your kind. Most of ‘em don’t trust you three cause what you are. But me and you, we flew together during the war… Hell Cliff you saved my life. Even though in doing so you made me something like you with those tiny machines they tell me are in my blood now.”

“If there had been any other way…” Cliff sighed.

Jack placed his hand on Cliff’s shoulder, “I know, you didn’t have any other choice.” Nodding toward the plane, “So you leaving us?”

Cliff shook his head, “Just a little sightseeing trip. Found out about some place called Homey Airport. Funny thing is this airport is located in the middle of a no fly zone in Nevada.”

“You think that they may have the Fruell ship there?”

“The air force made a huge deal out of transporting something to Wright Patterson, we found nothing there so that was decoy. So they have to have it somewhere else probably closer to the original crash site since there were no other large convoys going cross country at the time. It could be this place, if not then I cross it off and keep looking. Either way I’ve got to check, it’s my responsibility, I shot it down.” Cliff sighed, “I know the ship's systems are fried, made sure of that when we took it down, but the particle beam would not have affected any item or system that was not powered on and who knows what they may have had onboard. They figure out how to activate any of those…”

“Ya think there could be anything left that was dangerous?”

Cliff held both his arms out, “They’re the ones that made me and my kind.”

Jack thought back to the day they were shot down so many years ago. The day he had learned the truth about his friend.

July 23, 1943
Solomon Islands

Jack and Cliff had spent most the war running supplies out of Port Moresby to the coast watchers stationed in the Solomon Islands. Usually flying low level fights at night to keep from being spotted by the Japanese. That fateful night they had been spotted by a Japanese convoy. Before they could get out of range of the Japanese naval guns a shell exploded off their port side, ripping the engine apart along with embedding several pieces of shrapnel into Jack sitting in the pilot’s seat. Cliff had managed to bring the plane down, beaching it on a nearby island. That morning was the day Jack found out that his copilot wasn’t human.

As if being shot down wasn’t bad enough, they had apparently crashed on a Japanese held island. Jack found himself in a small cave, his left arm, leg and side bandaged. It hurt to breathe deeply and from the blood he was coughing up, Jack knew he was in bad shape. Looking over he could see Cliff sitting cross legged on the cave floor nearby, “How bad?” Jack managed to get out before coughing up more blood.

Cliff crawled over to Jack, kneeling beside him, “Pretty bad buddy. It looks like you took some shrapnel that went through a lung and got your liver too. Looks like we managed to crash on one of the Nip’s islands and they’re looking for us.”

“Leave me and get yer ass outta here!” Jack covered his mouth, coughing up more blood.

“Jack you’ve been like a brother to me, I’m not leaving you.”

Holding out his hand to show Cliff the bright red blood he had coughed up, “I’m not gonna to make it and I’m not gonna have you sit around and get caught by the nips while you watch me die.”

“I’m not going to let you die Jack.”

“Unless you got a miracle in yer pocket, I don’t think there’s a lot you can do about it.”

“Jack, I got that miracle but it’s something you can’t ever tell anyone about. Anyone ever finds out about this they would hunt us down and lock us up in some government lab as guinea pigs.”

“Whatever ya tell me I’ll be taking to my grave, which I don’t think will be too much longer.”

“Jack I have microscopic machines in my blood.” Cliff reached over to the small first aid kit, picking up the empty morphine syringe he had earlier injected into Jack, “They’re like tiny repair robots, if I inject some into you they should be able to heal you.”

Jack began to laugh which immediately turned into a coughing fit, “Dammit man I’m not stupid, no one can make machines that small. Next thing you’ll be saying is your one of those little green Martians.”

“Close, but it was little gray men are the ones that made the microscopic robots. And they’re from a lot further away than Mars.”

“Sounds like some of that shit you’d read in one of those Yellow papers,” Jack snarked. “But any chance is better than no chance, do what ya got to do.”

Cliff nodded, sticking the syringe into his own arm drawing some of his own blood into the syringe. “I do this, you’ll always have these running around your system making repairs forever.”

“You make it sound like I’ll live forever.”

“Forever is a damn long time buddy.” Cliff grimaced as he jabbed the needle into Jack’s abdomen, “It won’t make you bullet proof either, you can still get yourself killed.”

Looking down at the now empty syringe as Cliff pulled it out Jack joked, “I guess this sort of makes us blood brothers.”

“Yeah, and it’s a good idea not to let doctors take any blood samples from here on out.” Cliff explained, “They may not have the technology to see the machines in your blood, but who knows what they can do in fifty or a hundred years from now.”

September 20, 1951
Enchanted Valley, WA

“I’m going with ya,” Jack grinned over at his friend. “Someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble.”

Cliff shook his head, “Sorry Jack, you might heal fast but you don’t have any of our other abilities.”

“Way I figure, you need a pilot.” Jack’s grin widened, “I’m guessing nearest airport is Las Vegas. How far away from the no fly zone is that?”

“Fifty, maybe seventy five miles to Homey airport.”

“So we skirt along the edge of the no fly zone, you parachute out while I fly on down to Las Vegas where I keep the engines warms just in case,” Jack explained his idea. “That way we can plan for alternate pick-ups in case you find the need to exist the area from another direction.”

“Actually that’s not a bad idea.”

“Yeah, I’ve been known to have one once in a great while,” Jack chuckled.

October 5, 1951
Underground facility, Groom Lake, NV

“Look guys,” The now ex-convict test subject swung his legs up and around so he sat facing the opposite direction on the examination table, “I’m not asking to be let go, even though that was the deal you made, I just want a weekend to myself, you know how it is right?”

“Mr. Tucker, our agreement was that you were released after the testing was completed.” Mr. Jones pointed out, “As you can see the doctor is still in the process of determining everything the object did to you and how it was able to do that.”

“Try to shaft me and I’ll gonna go ape on your ass Mr. Jones.” John Tucker knew he now had the strength and speed to back up his threats, “That goes for you too Smith, if those are even your real names.”

“Mr. Tucker,” Mr. Smith tightened his lips into a thin line, “Your ‘Deal’ was that you are released when the testing is complete. This is non-negotiable.”

“Well I’m making it negotiable!” John stood up from the examination table. “I haven’t see the god damned sunlight since I got here. I’m finding a way to the nearest town. I’m going to get some booze and a babe this weekend if I have to hitchhike my fucking way there! And I’ll step on anyone that gets in my way!”

Smith’s right hand shot up and inside the dark jacket he always wore going for his gun, Jones was a bit slower but was reaching for his also. Smith’s hand came out of his jacket wrapped around the handle of his snub nose .38. Before he could begin to train it on John, John rushed to Smith’s side, grabbing his wrist and twisting himself and Smith’s arm around. The handle of Jones’ M1911 was just visible as Smith’s gun was pointed at Jones’ head and John forced Smith to pull the trigger.

Reaching up with his left hand, Smith gouged his fingers at John’s eyes causing John to let go of his gun hand, “Sergeant get the doctor out of here now!” Smith shouted at sergeant Brown before adding, “And sound the alarm.”

“Come on Doc!” sergeant Brown grabbed Doctor Kuehn by the arm.

“No, no wait!” Dr. Kuehn pulled free of sergeant Brown before scooping up the other two alien objects, that were identical to the one that changed Tucker, from where they were laying on a table near the wall.

“HEY! Where you going with those!” John picked up a chair to throw at the same time as Mr. Smith fired his revolver hitting John in the shoulder as he tried to throw the chair, causing the chair to miss both Dr. Kuehn and the sergeant.

The chair slamming against the wall right above Dr. Kuehn’s head caused him to fumble and drop one of the objects as sergeant Brown pulled him out of the room. “The artifact,” the doctor tried to protest as Brown pulled him down the hall.

“Is no good to you if you’re dead, now move!” No sooner than he had finished the sentence Mr. Smith’s body came flying out into the hallway, slamming against the wall before slumping down to the ground unmoving.

John stepped out in the hall carrying Jones’ .45 in one hand and the alien object the Doctor had dropped, spotting Brown and the doctor at the far end of the hall, “All I want is the alien device doc, drop it and I’ll let the two of you live!”

Pulling Dr. Kuehn around the corner to the right, Brown stopped before leveling his carbine and stepping back out around the corner, “Put down the gun John and I’ll make sure they let you go have a night out on the town. Hell I’ll join you, we can hit all the cat houses!”

“Oh yeah, like a lowly grunt like you can make that happen!” John laughed, “Those two G men made the general shake in his boots, your promises are useless.”

When sergeant Brown saw John begin to raise the .45 toward him, he fired off several rounds at John. He could see John twitch as the bullets hit, but John did not go down.

Dr. Kuehn reached out and pulled the sergeant back around the corner, “You can’t shoot him, his skin acts like a non-Newtonian substance.”

“A what?” Brown began running down the hall alongside the doctor.

“The greater the force applied to his skin, the harder it becomes.”

“Are you telling me he’s god damned bulletproof!” Brown darted through a door on their right, dragging the doctor with him. “Anything in here I can use to fight him?” Seeing the doctor shake his head as Sergeant Brown pulled the door closed and locked it behind them, “Come on we can use the freight elevator to get you out.” Brown began dragging the doctor across what appeared to be a large storeroom.

Reaching the other side of the large storeroom they found the freight elevator was up at the top. Dr. Kuehn looked at the sergeant after the sergeant had hit the button to call the elevator, “He’ll get to us before it gets down here.”

“Not much we can do about that but hope that door slows him down long enough for it to arrive.”

“There’s one thing we can do,” Dr. Kuehn took a deep breath as he held out the alien object. “How do you feel about becoming a real life Captain America?”

“Are you serious?”

“I can’t think of any other way to stop him,” Dr. Kuehn stated. “Not only that but he has the other device, we can’t let him take them and use them to create others like him.”

Sergeant Brown pulled his shirt out from his pants, turning his back to the doctor as he lifted the shirt exposing his bareback, “Do it!”

Dr. Kuehn placed the kite shaped alien object on the sergeant’s back and as soon as it attached said, “Quickly go hide, I’ll try to give you enough time for the change to finish.”

The sound of gunfire in the hallway alerted the doctor that more troops had arrived. Dr. Kuehn wished there was something he could do to stop the deaths of those brave soldiers but he had already done the only thing he could do. The men would probably die fighting against the alien augmented John Tucker, but the doctor tried to think of them giving sergeant Brown the time he needed to become the only thing the doctor could think of that had a chance of stopping Tucker and that was another alien augmented man.

It was at least ten minutes before the gunfire came to a halt and only a few minutes after that the door to the storeroom came completely off its hinges as it flew open. “Doc I know you’re in here. Hand over the device and you can leave.” Dr. Kuehn heard John shout after walking into the storeroom. Dr. Kuehn thought about getting on the elevator and going up, he was close enough that he doubted John could get across the storeroom in time to stop him, but that would have left the sergeant who he knew was probably unconscious from the changes the alien object had forced on his body. If John found him before he woke all hope of stopping John would be lost. No Dr. Kuehn had to give the sergeant the time he needed, he had to stall John any way he could.

Making his way slowly across the storeroom, John finally saw the doctor and walked over stopping about six feet away, “Okay Doc, all these morons shooting at me has really tried my patience, give me the device and I won’t lay a hand on ya. Screw with me and I swear I’ll tear your arm off and beat you to death with it.”

“I, I don’t have it,” The fear plainly evident in Dr. Kuehn’s voice.

“Where is it!” John stomped forward menacingly.

“Sergeant, sergeant Brown took it.”

“Which way did he go!” John yelled

One of Dr. Kuehn’s doctorates was in psychology and he knew all about those small tells people inadvertently shown in their body language. Glancing over to his left, the opposite direction Brown had ran, Dr. Kuehn hoped John was observant enough to catch his eye movement and fall for his deceit. “I, I’m not sure which way he went.”

“Doc you’re going to have to get better at lying than that if you ever want to trick a con man like me,” John laughed. “Still I like you so I’m not going to hurt you.” John turned to the direction the doctor had glanced and began looking around for places the sergeant could hide as he walked in that direction.

“Come on Brown,” John spoke loudly as he walked in between several stacked crates, “you’ve been okay toward me, so I’ll treat you just like you’ve treated me. Give me what I want and you can walk away just like the good doc.”

Off to the doctor’s right came a sound of crates shifting. Looking over Dr. Kuehn was startled to see instead of Sergeant Brown, a lithe young woman stagger out from between the crates wearing an olive drab soldier’s shirt that was at least three sizes too big for her. Her long blond hair was a mess and the oversized shirt seemed to be the only clothing she had on as she padded out onto the concrete floor with an M2 carbine in her hand. “I may not have what you want Tucker, but I can damn sure give you what you deserve!”

“Who the fuck are you?” John walked out from between the rows of crates he was in.

“Johnny boy, I’m your worst nightmare,” The woman raised the carbine to her shoulder taking aim at the man across the storeroom. “A woman that can fight back!”

John flinched when the bullet hit him across the bridge of his nose causing his eyes to water. Rubbing the tears from his eyes he began cursing, ‘You stupid bitch! You think that is going to stop me?

“Nope, just wanted to make sure I had your full undivided attention,” she began walking slowly toward John, rife still against her shoulder aimed at him.

Dr. Kuehn gasped when he saw the name ‘BROWN’ embroidered above the breast pocket and sergeant’s stripes on the arm of the shirt.

“Arrgghhh!” John screamed and ran toward the woman.

Waiting until he had built up a good head of steam, the young blond lowered her aim to his pelvic area where his left leg pivoted and squeezed off several bursts of full auto into the area which caused his skin to lock up hard stopping his leg from moving causing John to fall face first to the hard concrete floor. Before John could recover, she dropped the carbine and ran over to him. Grabbing him by the arm she threw him across the storeroom into the wall. Shoving the large crates out of his way as he got back to his feet John looked strangely at the smaller woman.

“Surprise, surprise,” She giggled, “You’re not the only strong one around here anymore.”

“Brown?”

“Oh did I finally knock some sense into that thick skull of yours?”

“You’re a chick?”

“Yeah well at least I’m not stupid.”

“I’ll rip your head off!” John growled.

“Bring it on shit for brains,” Brown smiled wickedly, “I know your weaknesses.”

Looking into her eyes John knew she wasn’t bluffing. Also knowing while she looked like a normal gal, this was still Sergeant Brown, a man trained in hand to hand fighting, not the street brawling that John knew. John could also tell that she was doing her best to get under his skin, and unfortunately John knew it was working. Realizing he needed to get out before she was able to provoke him further, John made a dash for the elevator shaft, grabbing the alien object on his way.

Seeing Tucker race up the open elevator shaft, Brown went over to check on the doctor, “You alright doc?”

“Go, go after him!” Dr. Kuehn stuttered, “You can’t let him get away with the object.”

“Slow down doc,” Brown knelt down beside where the doc had slid down against the wall where he was now sitting on the floor. “We’re in the middle of the desert fifty miles from nowhere and he’s on foot, we got time. I was bluffing when I told him I knew his weaknesses, but if I’m going to stop him I really do need to know if he does have any.”

And once again thanks to Jerri for her awesome editing!

October 5, 1951
Overlooking Homey Airport, Groom Lake, NV

“I think they know we’re here,” Cliff’s wife, Traci whispered from where they were watching the secret installation in the valley below them.

“I don’t think so Mom,” Their son Bobby looked over at his parents, “See all the soldiers are running toward that building, looks like something happened inside.”

“Bobby’s right,” Cliff whispered, “I say we move up our time table and go in under the confusion.”

“I agree,” all three heard Jack over their internal communication channel, “Sounds like someone threw some smelly stuff into a propeller blade, you can’t ask for a better time to sneak in.”

“Okay lets move,” Cliff began to stand, “Keep adaptive camo up, let's try to get in and out without being noticed.” The three proceeded slowly down the hillside so they wouldn’t disturb the loose rocks and cause any small rock slides that could give them away.

Almost down to the floor of the valley Traci whispered over their comms, “I’m picking up an emergency Fruell signal.”

“I see it too,” Cliff responded, “It’s coming from the hangar those men ran into.”

“It can’t be the ship, we destroyed its systems,” Bobby added.

Before they could contemplate what could be giving off the signal a shirtless man ran out of a side door of the hangar and took off running north behind the row of buildings in plain sight of the three that had descended down the mountain behind the buildings. “He’s got a survival pack!” Bobby voiced over their comms.

“He’s apparently activated one, why would he hang on to another?” Traci questioned.

“Human and doesn’t know what he has?” Bobby guessed.

“Doesn’t matter,” Cliff veered off in the direction the man had ran, picking up speed as he did while Traci and Bobby followed, “We have to turn that damn signal off.”

Unfortunately the three were not the only ones that saw the direction the man fled as three jeeps also followed in hot pursuit across the dried up lake bed, the passenger in both lead jeeps firing rifles at the running man. Seeing they had company Cliff spoke into their comms, “Bobby, stay with the man, Traci and I will see about slowing down the competition.” Cliff and Traci angled their path so they would intercept the group of jeeps while Bobby continued after the man.

“Bobby be careful,” Traci added, “we don’t know if he has any control or access to the offensive systems,”

“Yes Mom,” Bobby replied.

Cliff watched as Traci ran up beside the nearest jeep, “Careful we don’t want to hurt them, just slow them down.”

“I know,” Traci replied as she grabbed the side of the jeep with her right hand, “I’m going to flatten a rear tire, then hang on long enough so they don’t lose control while it slows down.” Leaning down a blade appeared above her left wrist that she used to puncture the sidewall of the tire retracting back into her arm before grabbing the jeep with both hands to keep it from fishtailing out of control as it began slowing.

As the tire started to come apart, pieces of it flying off the rim, the soldier sitting in the small backseat saw one larger piece of the rubber tire fly up and stop in midair as if it hit something. Peering closely at the piece of rubber hanging there in the air before it just as suddenly whipped away behind the slowing jeep the soldier thought the air looked strange there, it looked almost as something was there but whatever it was blended so well into the background that it was invisible. Reaching out where the piece of the tire had stopped he could feel something soft and rounded under some kind of invisible cloth. Gently squeezing the rounded invisible object, he suddenly felt an invisible hand slap his face causing him to jerk his hand back. Reaching out once again as the jeep came to a stop whatever was beside their jeep was now gone.

Cliff, having deciding on an alternate means of stopping the jeep he had caught up to, grabbed the rear bumper flipped around so his back was on the ground and using his hands crawled partway under the jeep as it dragged him along. Moments later the jeep lurched as if it had hit a large bump and a bent piece of steel pipe came flying out from under its side causing the jeep to immediately begin slowing down.

Releasing his grip on the rear axle, Cliff let go of the jeep letting it coast to a stop beyond him. Skidding to a stop himself he picked up a baseball sized rock while coming up on one knee, hurling the rock at the grill of the third jeep with enough power that it punctured the radiator and damaged the front of the engine causing it to cough and stop running in a cloud of steam.

Having disabled the jeeps the two raced off in the direction Bobby and the unknown man ran. “Really? You ripped out the drive shaft?” Traci shook her head as she ran up beside Cliff.

“I thought three jeeps all getting flat tires at the same time just might be a bit too much of a coincidence.” Cliff grinned over at his wife, “And a drive shaft coming out like that could easily kick up a rock or two. Giving plausible explanations.”

“I thought you liked those stories they came up with about gremlins getting into the machinery during the war to explain how things stopped working or began working better than they should have?”

“Those stories sucked,” Cliff huffed. “They blamed gremlins on everything that didn’t work and rarely on the stuff when it worked better than it should have.”

“Well one soldier is going to have a story to tell in the jeep that I stopped,” Traci chuckled, “He grabbed my breast and without thinking I slapped him.”

“You know I could have lived without hearing about some guy feeling up my mom,” Bobby laughed over the comm channel.

“You still tailing him Bobby?” Realizing she had said that over an open comm channel changed the subject.

“Yes ma’am.” Bobby replied, Go north northwest across the dry lake then straight north up through the center of the valley. Also he’s slowing down, I think the heat is getting to him.” Bobby relayed over the comms, “Figure he’s going to start looking for a rabbit hole soon if he isn’t already looking for some place to get out of the sun.”

“Stay on him but stay away, we are on our way,” Traci ordered.

October 5, 1951
Underground facility, Groom Lake, NV

Guiding the doctor by the arm, Sergeant brown got the two of them on the elevator and using the barrel of the carbine she had in her left hand to extend her reach and push the ‘up’ button on the freight elevator. It took several minutes for the elevator to reach the top, a slatted metal fence that surrounded the elevator shaft lowering into the floor as it came to a stop inside the large hangar.

Sergeant Brown, having always used the elevator or stairs located in the office building to access the lower levels, had heard rumors that they had a flying saucer but found that seeing it up close was another matter altogether. The silvery disk must have been at least fifty feet across and lay at an angle due to its rounded bottom. The lowest side of the edge of the saucer high enough where a man could have to stoop down to walk under it, while the opposite side edge sat a good fifteen to twenty feet above the floor. Under the saucer scaffolding had been installed to hold the saucer from see-sawing back and forth and allow access to a large jagged hole that could be seen in the underside of the saucer.

“Holy shit!” The girl gasped, “You actually got one! You shot down a foo fighter!”

Several soldiers turned to look at the newcomers, some tending to those that had tried to stop John after he emerged from the elevator shaft. Two picked up carbines where they had laid them on the floor to help with the wounded then approached Dr. Kuehn and sergeant Brown with their carbines at ready. “Doc what are you doing bringing this pom-pom girl in here and why is she wearing the Sarge’s shirt?”

“It’s a long story corporal, one that I am sure will end up classified,” Dr. Kuehn replied. “What you need to know is that she is our best hope of capturing that mad man that came through here.”

“Have you lost your marbles Doc?” The corporal’s eyes widened, “That guy took out half my squad as he ran past us! Ain’t no way I’m letting you send some girl anywhere near that maniac. And even if I would let you the hangar’s on lock down, we’re locked in.”

The corporal watched as the girl walked over to one of the heavy metal side doors. He saw her try the door handle while pushing her shoulder against the door before she stood back and kicked the door with her barefoot. The door flew open with such force that it tore the lower and middle of the three hinges that attached it to the door frame completely apart, leaving the door hanging at an odd angle from its top most hinges.

The girl turned to find most of the soldiers that witnessed what she had done, were staring slack jawed at her now. Looking over at the corporal Brown asked, “Corporal you got a radio around here somewhere?”

“Yes, yes miss, I mean ma’am,” the corporal stuttered.

“Get on it and let everyone know I’m a friendly so I don’t get shot okay?” Looking over toward the doctor, “I’ll bring him back or bring him down, one or the other.”

“I would prefer you bring him back, but I realize he may not give you that option,” Dr. Kuehn nodded.

October 5, 1951
Canyon north of Homey Airport, Groom Lake, NV

Several minutes after leaving the dry lake bed and entering the canyon Traci came to a stop, “There’s another signal now.”

Cliff stopping just ahead of his wife turned back toward her, “Yes, I see it too. It’s back at that airfield.”

~Bobby?~ Traci sent over their comms.

~Yeah Mom, I’m still watching him,~ figuring Traci was checking in with him. ~He found a shady place to crawl into and get out of the sun. I doubt he moves till the sun sets.~

~No, we don’t want to have to chase him down again. Keep an eye on him but don’t do anything unless he starts moving again, we have to get that beacon turned off. Your father and I will hold back and take care of this one. That way they do not get the chance to team up if they’re hostile.~

Cliff took a position standing in the mouth of the canyon while Traci concealed herself along the canyon wall ahead of Cliff, but where she would end up behind the new target when Cliff confronted it.

“I can see her.” Cliff spoke softly as he watched the young raven haired woman race barefooted across the dry lake bed at what would have been an incredible speed for a human.

~She?~ Bobby asked over their comms. ~So this guy has a commander with him?~

~I’m sure they are human that somehow activated the packs,~ Traci replied. ~She’s half naked, only wearing an oversized shirt.~

~Damn!~ Bobby swore, ~And I’m stuck out here where I can’t see that!~

~Robert Douglas Ward!~ Traci scolded over the comms, which led to chuckling heard over the comms from both Cliff and Jack.

As the smaller figure of the girl grew closer to the edge of the dry lake Cliff turned off his adaptive camo to make himself visible to the woman, although he did leave his exo-suit engaged but shifted the exterior color to white. Knowing that most thought of the color white as good might give him a better chance of talking to this person before he was forced to subdue her and turn off the beacon. Cliff even went as far as to have the exo-suit display an American flag on his left chest while willing his helmet to go away. Not 100 yards away he saw the woman veer toward him and bring the carbine she had in her hand in front of her to hold it with both hands.

As she got closer she began to slow, finally walking the last few yards to stop roughly twenty feet away from Cliff. Twisting the carbine around so the barrel pointed toward Cliff she spoke loud and with as much authority as her feminine voice could muster, “Who are you and what are you doing out here?”

“Believe it or not, I’m one of the good guys.” Cliff began, “I’ve been looking for that ship your bosses have down there since I shot it down back in forty seven.”

“You shot down that foo fighter?”

“So you’ve seen it?” Cliff asked.

“Not till today, when I started to chase down that jackass that went on a rampage because they wouldn’t let him out to go watch dancing girls,” Brown eyed Cliff nervously. “What kind of weapon can put that big of a hole through a foo fighter?”

“The weapon didn’t make the hole. It turned off the containment field of the ship’s power generator. The unconfined power of the generator made the hole.” Cliff explained, “But the problem we have now is that you and your friend put on the items that changed both of you. They are like a survival kit for the Fruell. Makes them look like the natives of the planet they happen to be on. Problem is they are for emergencies and send out a distress signal like the ones you and your friend are sending out right now.”

“This all sounds too much like Buck Rogers to me and if I wasn’t standing here looking like this now I would probably shoot you rather than listen to any more, but I’ve seen too much to say you’re lying.” Brown sighed, “Although Tucker isn’t my friend. He’s a convict those G men in charge brought in to put on one of those damn things to see what it would do.”

“Even more reason to catch up to him after we’ve turned off your distress beacon.”

“How do we do that?”

“I’ll take care of that,” Brown felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck that felt like someone holding a red hot poker to the back of her neck right as an invisible hand jerked the carbine out of her hands. “Try not to move, I know it’s painful but it must be done, you do not want to invite the Fruell to this planet.” A moment later Brown felt the needle pull out of her neck but the burning continued and felt like it was migrating up into the back of her head. Stumbling from the pain, she felt the invisible hands grab hold to steady her. “It will take a few minutes but the burning will stop.”

“What, what did you do to me?” Brown reached up to cover the back of her neck with her own hand.

“It will turn off the signal you are sending,” Traci who had allowed herself to become visible so it wouldn’t seem so awkward for the young girl, as she led her over to a large rock, helping her to sit on what little shade it offered, “The microscopic robots in your bloodstream from the device you put on are fighting the ones I injected into you. Once the ones I gave you reach the core they will take over the core forcing the system to stop fighting them and to turn off the beacon’s broadcast.”

“So these tiny machines, they are what made me look like this?” Brown saw the woman nod. Thinking to herself that if the changes she received did come from some kind of tiny alien machines maybe since this woman seemed to have some kind of control over these tiny machines, she could make them do other things. Looking up at the mysterious woman, “So you told your machines to tell the machines inside me to stop sending that radio signal?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that but yes.”

“Can you tell them to put me back the way I was?”

“That’s a lot more complicated than what I know how to do,” seeing the young woman’s shoulders slump forward Traci continued to explain, “But we have some friends that may be able to help. That’s if you’re willing to come with us?”

“Considering that no one will believe I’m really me, I guess staying a soldier is out. You think your friends can help?”

“I promise you that if they can’t, then no one on earth can.”

“That’s not very reassuring.”

“Sorry,” Traci apologized, “I didn’t mean it to sound that way. It’s just that these friends, their technology is more advanced than anything you’ve seen before.”

“You forget I’ve seen your foo fighter.”

“Not ours, that’s a Fruell ship. Most of the technology the Fruell have come from other races they have enslaved over the centuries. Even the weapons they are so proud of are inferior to all the other races of the council. The Fruell just have a lot more of them and massive numbers of slaves to send out to fight for them.”

“You sound like you don’t like these Fruell?”

“My family, we were slaves of the Fruell.” Traci sighed, “We slaughtered other races for them. The microscopic robots in us were programed so that we had no choice but to obey.”

“How’d you get away?”

Knowing the best thing she could do was convince this young woman that Traci and her family were in fact on her side she told how they came to be on Earth, “Our ship’s system were damaged, the three of us were still in our pods and the ships damaged systems rewrote some of our programming, enough so that when we came out of the pods after the crash, the Fruell no longer controlled us.”

“You’d think someone would have seen your ship crash and tell someone.” Brown reasoned, “Even if it was covered up like they did in Roswell.”

“It was, but everyone thought it was a hoax spread by the local newspaper to try to keep their small town from becoming a ghost town.”

“I’m sure I would have read or heard about it if that were true?”

“It happened long before you were born,” Traci explained. “We crashed outside of Aurora, Texas in 1897.”

Brown gasped, “That was over fifty years ago! You can’t be that old?”

“We, and that includes you since you have the same machines in our body, do not age like humans.” Traci made sure the girl knew she was included in the group, “Another thing those tiny machines do, is keep your body repaired so that we do not appear to age. You will live a very long life if you do not remove the Fruell machines.”

“How long?”

“Honestly I don’t know, but I would expect you will live several hundred years, maybe more.”

“Holy cow!” Brown’s eyes widened, “Think of what this could do for people!”

“We have.” Traci sighed, “We are still yet trapped on this single planet. What do you think would happen if everyone lived for four or five hundred years or more? No one dying of old age or other natural causes? The overpopulation and food shortages that would come from that?”

“But what if we gave it to only select people?” Brown asked, “People that would use their extra time to help other, like doctors and scientists?”

Traci shook her head, “Who would choose who receives it and who doesn’t? What would people do that were not allowed to get it once they found out about it?”

“Damn, we can’t let anyone know about this can we? Hell I can’t go back either can I?” Brown began to realize the depth of the situation.

“We won’t stop you if that is what you wish to do.”

“If I did go back I’m betting I would end up a guinea pig stuck in some lab.” Realizing that he, no she had no no money or place to go, she couldn’t even go back to her parents as they would never believe she was their son, “Crap! What’ll I do? Where can I go now?”

“Our friends can help there too, don’t worry.”

Brown sighed heavily, “Okay say I’m convinced you’re the good guys, what the next step?”

“Once that burning has gone away, we go disable the signal on that volunteer convict.” Traci grinned, “Then we go back to the base and make sure there isn’t anything else left on the ship that can cause any more problems.”

Before more could be said Traci heard Bobby over the coms, ~Mom if you're done chatting, I have a problem here.~

~On my way!~ Cliff responded, ~Traci follow with your new friend once you can.~

Traci pursed her lip at Brown, who was staring at the spot Cliff had just suddenly faded into nothing before her eyes, “How long has it been since you and that man put on the devices?”

“What?” Brown realized Traci was speaking to her, “Um, I put it on right after he escaped. He’s had it on for a few weeks.”

~He’s discovered his camouflage,~ Traci spoke over the comm, ~Use caution as we don’t know how much else he has discovered.~ Speaking aloud while leaving her comm open, “How’s the burning? Can you move yet?”

“Almost gone.”

“Good. Our friend has begun learning some the abilities he now has.” Traci held out her hand to help Brown get up, “We need to get him before he becomes more of a threat.”

The three had spread out, Cliff taking the left side, while Bobby took the far right of the valley, leaving Traci and her new friend coming up the middle of the valley. “Maybe I should have thought more about this, I feel like a worm dangling off a hook,” Brown stated, hoping Traci who had turned on her camouflage and disappeared was still beside her like she promised.

“Don’t talk so loud,” Brown heard Traci whisper in her ear, “If he realizes anyone is with you he won’t think he has the upper hand.”

“You’d think they would have made some way for you guys to see each other when you’re invisible?” Brown spoke softly so that only Traci would hear him.

“They did,” Traci whispered back, “Normally I could see Cliff and Bobby, but like your friend has done, we have turned that off so he can’t see us.”

Knowing it was pointless to tell her again that Tucker was not her friend, Brown continued walking down the wide valley keeping his eyes and ears peeled for anything that might alert her to Tucker’s presence. She never got any warning as not ten minutes later she felt a heavy blow to the side of her head.

Rising up on one elbow Brown shook her head to clear the cobwebs. Several yards in front of her she could see dust being kicked up and hear the sounds of a fight. Assuming Traci had found some way of engaging Tucker, it had to be the two fighting that she could hear but not see. Noticing her carbine laying several feet to her left, Brown scrambled over on her hands and knees to retrieve her weapon. Rising up to a kneeling position with the carbine against her shoulder, pointed in the direction of the fight Brown thought about how ineffective the weapon had been against Tucker, but having nothing else she continued to aim toward the sounds with hope that somehow the ineffective carbine could make a difference.

Brown heard a thud and saw some dust get kicked up as the sounds of the fight stopped. Having no idea who had triumphed Brown held her carbine ready, finger on the trigger. “You already know that gun won’t do you any good!” She heard Tucker laugh, “Throw it down and come with me. You have to have figured out by now they will lock us both up like lab rats for the rest of our lives if you take me back.” Tucker faded into view, “That’s right honey, you’re just like me now. You’ll be locked up in a cage right next to mine.”

“I’m nothing like you!” Brown took aim at Tucker’s head and pulled the trigger, the bullet deflecting harmlessly off his forehead.

“Did getting turned into a dame make you stupid like one to!” Tucker shouted, “We are fucking gods among these piss ants!” Throwing his head back in laughter.

Noticing that Tucker was missing a tooth since the last time she had seen him surprised her, skin so tough that bullets bounced off but Traci had somehow knocked one of his teeth out. Getting an idea Brown took careful aim at the exposed roof of his mouth and squeezed the trigger. As the loud report of the rifle echoed down the canyon, Tucker fell backwards landing with a thud on the hard bare canyon floor.

Brown watched closely for any movement from Tucker, finding none she stood and walked slowly over to his body, keeping the carbine trained on him as she did. Standing over him she looked into his lifeless eyes, “Not so bullet proof on the inside! Should’ve kept your mouth shut.”

Cliff was the first to arrive, spotting Tucker on the ground unmoving he looked over at his wife, who had dropped her camouflage and was once again visible in the mottled light brown not quite cat suit coveralls that Brown had seen her wearing before. “You alright?”

“Took some damage to my spine,” Traci answered. “Going to need a few hours before I’m one hundred percent again.”

~Bobby, need you to scout us out a place to lay low for a few hours,~ Cliff relayed over their comms.

Moments later Bobby appeared, pointing back in the direction he had come from, “Saw some small caves back up that way, one of those should work. Get us out of the sun and out of sight while they search. There’s a couple I think we can conceal the entrance easily enough.”

“Good, you lead, I’ll carry your mother.” Looking over at Brown, “You got a first name?”

“Pat.”

“Okay Pat, can you break off some of that rabbitbrush and follow us, wiping out our any footprints we leave?”

“Um, rabbitbrush?” Brown repeated looking around at the scrub brush around them.

“Scraggly bushes with the yellow flowers,” Cliff explained.

“What about Tucker’s body?” Brown asked while crouching beside one of the plants Cliff had pointed out.

“Soldier from the base will be looking for both of you,” Cliff stated. “Letting them find him will lessen their search.”

“But they will still be looking for me.”

“Yes,” Cliff raised an eyebrow, “Would be the best chance you have of going back if that’s what you want?”

Brown sighed then nodded, “Tucker may have been a criminal but he was right, they will want to study me. I’d never be able to live a normal life again.”

“True, if you go with us we can set you up with a new identity, some place no one knows about your past,” Traci smiled at her.

“Or she could stay with us,” Bobby quickly put in. “Um, I mean she is kind of one of us now and who better to help her learn how to control the abilities she has?”

Traci paused to examine her son’s sudden eagerness in keeping the girl around. How his eyes followed Brown while he was squeezing his left hand down at his side. Glancing over at Brown she could see the girl was clueless of Bobby’s attraction to her. Glancing back over to Bobby, “That decision would be up to Pat, but I do see how it could be beneficial for her.”

“I’m definitely going with you guys,” Brown stated after breaking the bush off near the ground. “What happens after, I don’t know. We’ll just have to take it as it comes.”

“Well then, if you’re sure about that,” Traci smiled warmly at Brown, “I have an idea that may let us complete the mission and get us out of here without causing any more casualties.”

October 5, 1951
Hour and a half later in the Canyon north of Homey Airport, Groom Lake, NV

“Over there!” The soldier sitting in the passenger side of the jeep pointed ahead to their left.

The driver veered their Jeep in that direction, “Damn! She looks like one of them pin up gals. You think that’s the gal we’re supposed to be looking for?”

“How many other black haired dames you think we’re gonna find out here Pete?”

“Yeah, just hard to believe that a gal with looks like that is the one the Doc sent out after that nut job that tore up the place.”

“Maybe with how pretty she is, she could calm the jackass down or something?”

As the Jeep pulled up to a stop Brown walked over to meet it, “Any of you guys happen to bring a canteen of water with you?” Both men scrambled to be the first one to hand her their canteen. Taking the canteen from the driver Brown unscrewed the lid and turned it up gulping down over half its contents as the two men sat staring at her. “Thanks,” Brown handed the canteen back to the driver. “You can radio in and tell them to call off the search, I got him.”

“You got who ma’am?” The passenger was first to respond.

Brown didn’t know how much these soldier knew of what really happened and unsure of what to tell them she stated, “That guy that snuck in and tried to sabotage everything.” Brown turned and walked over to the boulder she had been sitting by using the shade it provided until the jeep had arrived. Going out of sight around the boulder, she quickly returned with Tucker’s body draped over her right shoulder and her carbine in her left hand. Walking back over to the jeep she laid the body out across the hood before walking around and hopping into the back seat.

“Shit!” she jumped up as her bare bottom touched the dark sun heated seat of the jeep. Quickly brushing the over sized shirt under her to to sit on, she sat back down. Seeing both soldiers twisting around to look at her, “Sorry, the seat was pretty hot.”

“Um. Yes ma’am,” the driver nodded then turned to put the jeep in gear and head back toward base.

With the carbine laid across her lap, Brown help her knees together and used both hands to hold the hem of the shirt down so the wind didn’t pick it up and give the soldiers a view of parts of her new body that even she had not really seen yet.

The soldier in the passenger seat had radioed in on their way back, which Brown guessed caused the mass of men standing outside the main headquarters to be standing outside waiting on them. One man began pushing his way through the crowd that Brown recognized, Colonel Egan. ‘Of all the officers that could get here first it had to be him,’ Brown thought to herself.

Brown along with most of the men stationed at Homey airfield cringed at the sight of the overweight balding man. Colonel Egan was in Brown’s mind the head pencil pusher of the base. In charge of supply and personnel the man seemed to live for his paperwork and would quite literally deny a request for not having all your “T’s” crossed or “I’s” dotted. Brown thought back to the day the man had ripped up a request he had put in for a weekend furlough because he had not used her middle initial in her signature when he signed the form.

“What’s this?” Colonel Egan, out of breath from the short trip from the office door to the jeep, saw the body lying across the hood of the jeep. Pointing at two soldiers, “You and you, get a stretcher so this man can be taken to the infirmary!”

“No need to rush boys, he’s dead,” Brown stood up in the back of the jeep. The soldier in the passenger seat jumped out of the jeep and offered a hand to Brown to help her out of the jeep.

Colonel Egan jaw dropped at the sight of Brown, rolling his tongue back into his mouth he shouted, “Who is this woman, why is she wearing Sergeant Brown’s shirt and what is she doing on my base!”

“She works for me Colonel,” Mr. Smith pushed his way through the crowd followed by Doctor Kuehn. “As to why she is wearing the Sergeant’s shirt, he loaned it to her.” Mr. Smith, his left arm in a sling strode up to the Colonel before continuing, “Now as for the rest of your questions. First, let me make one thing perfectly clear, this is MY BASE, not your’s. Second what she is doing here is above your pay grade and has never been or ever will be any of your damn business.” Getting right up in the colonel’s face, “Now if you want to remain on MY BASE I suggest you get back to your desk and push some papers around or whatever it is you do.”

Turning around in a huff, the colonel walked back toward the office building. Mr. Smith called several soldiers by name, ordering them to get the body off the jeep and where he wanted it taken. Turning back toward Brown, “I take it that you were unable to bring him back alive?”

Brown shook her head, “He gave me no choice.”

“Okay, You’re with me and the doctor,” Mr. Smith turned and began walking away. Brown quickly fell in step behind him and Doctor Kuehn as two large soldiers struggled to pick up Tucker’s body from the hood of the jeep. Once they were in the elevator that took them the several stories underground to the lab areas Mr. Smith spoke, “Alright, Kuehn filled me in on what happened to you and why. What I want to know is what happened out there and how did you stop him?”

Brown began filling him in on everything that happened after she left the base in pursuit of Tucker leaving out anything about her new friends and how Tucker had discovered he could become invisible. Brown finished her report as they were entering the lab she had spent so much time with the doctor in. “Any chance of finding me some clothes Doc? This is kind of breezy if you know what I mean,” waving her hands down to display the now dirt and blood encrusted shirt.

“Yes, yes,” Doctor Kuehn looked over at Brown, “I’ll call Martha she should be able to find something more appropriate for you to wear.” Walking over to the phone hanging on the wall he picked up the receiver then paused to look back toward Brown, “Um, what do we call you now? We can’t go round calling you Sergeant Brown anymore.”

“Betty,” Mr. Smith answered. “Lots of Betty’s around very common everyday name.”

Crossing her arms under her breasts, Brown frowned at Mr. Smith, “Yeah, almost as common as Smith is.”

October 5, 1951
Underground facility, Groom Lake, NV

After a well needed and appreciated shower Brown, or Betty as Smith had insisted her new name to be, had a bit of a problem with the clothes that Martha had provided. The bra came very close to being thrown in a corner until Martha realizing that Betty had never worn one before provided directions for Betty to get it on comfortably or at least as comfortably as a bra could be worn. The dress on the other hand Betty found completely out of the question and insisted on trousers and a shirt. Martha had found both that were close to Betty’s size and with a belt fitted although baggy and the trouser legs had to be bloused up into the boots they found her so much that the trouser legs still came halfway down the boots toward the floor. The one good thing the Betty found with her new condition was when Smith had tried to barge into the room while she was getting dressed, the elderly Martha had quickly pushed him back out into the hallway closing the door behind her. Betty could hear Martha through the thick wooden door reading Mr. Smith the riot act.

Once Martha returned to the room, she lead Betty, with Smith close on their heels, back down to Dr. Kuehn’s lab area. After sitting through all of the tests the doctor did with Tucker Betty should have been ready for what she went through for the next two hours, but watching all this done to someone else she found was quite a different experience when going through it yourself. Getting dressed once again Betty thought about all the tests the doctor had put her though, it was time consuming and a few of them very embarrassing, but she did have a better grasp of what she could do now. ‘Charles Atlas eat your heart out!’ flexing her arm in the classic strong man from, breaking down in giggles at the sight of her complete lack of visible muscles.

“Everything okay in there?” She heard Martha outside the door.

Having completed redressing Betty walked over opening the door to find Martha standing in front of it, “Yes, I guess I just found my situation a little funny.”

Martha grinned, “Which situation would that be honey the pretty woman dressed in men's trousers or the pretty woman who used to be a man?” Seeing Betty’s eyes grow wide Martha reached out to gently place her hand on Betty’s arm, “Don’t worry honey, I think Henry, I mean Doctor Kuehn, Mr. Smith and I are the only ones that know.”

Seeing that Martha did appear sympathetic towards her Betty smiled, “Thanks, I think the less that know the better.”

“If it makes you feel any better, the story that Mr. Smith has been telling is that Sergeant Brown died when that uncouth brute started attacking.” Martha changed the subject, “So do tell, what was it that you found funny?”

Remembering what she had done brought a grin to her own face, “I was kind of comparing myself to Charles Atlas, you know with the strength I have now, and tried to make a muscle,” Demonstrating by raising her arm in the classic arm strength pose.

Martha covered her mouth with her hand as she snickered, “Yes that is sort of funny when you think about it. Although you will need to be careful and not let others see how strong you are.”

“Yeah, that or carry a can of spinach around with me to explain it.”

“For some reason I can’t imagine you as that little sailor guy.” Martha giggled, “Although I think you would be a real head turner in a nice navy blue sailor dress with white piping.”

“That’s all I need is men staring at me.”

“Honey with your looks a man would have to be blind not to look.” Martha smiled warmly, “What do you say, let’s go and get some dinner?”

Entering the main lab area they could see both Mr. Smith and Dr. Kuehn had left while Betty was getting dressed. Walking across the lab, Martha opened the main door to leave to find two soldiers barring their way. “Excuse us gentlemen,” Martha attempted to walk past but they did not move.

“Sorry ma’am we’ve orders that Miss Brown is not the leave the lab area.”

“Well I need to leave and I am not going to leave a young woman by herself here in the presence of two young men. You wouldn’t wish her reputation to become tarnished would you?”

“No ma’am,” the soldier replied.

“Then please move aside.”

“Sorry ma’am we can’t do that,” The other soldier answered.

“Oh poppycock!” Martha exclaimed. “Either move out of our way or Miss Brown will be forced to move you.”

Both soldiers found the threat of the smaller woman being able to move them funny, one even had to stifle a laugh while the other joked, “I’d like to see her try.”

Martha sidestepped out of the way while grinning at Betty, “Betty would you please move these two gentlemen out of our way so we can go to the mess hall? Be careful dear, we don’t want to hurt them.” Walking up to the two, Betty gripped the wide webbed belt each one wore their sidearm on and lifted them off their feet. Taking a few steps out into the hall she gently put them back down, the doorway now clear for them to leave.

Martha felt the look on both men’s faces was priceless. She couldn’t determine if it was astonishment, fear, shock or a mixture of all three. Walking out of the room and up to the men, “Now if anyone comes looking for us, we are going to the mess hall and then to the women’s barracks.”

“How? What? How did she do that?” One soldier stammered.

Martha look at the two with an evil grin, “I’ve seen those comic books you boys are so fond of reading, I’m sure you can figure it out. Just remember what goes on at this base is top secret.”

As Martha and Betty walked down the hall the first soldier whispered to his partner, “Shit, she’s like Superman’s little sister or something.”

“Naw, Superman was the only survivor from his planet, she’s more like Wonder Woman.”

“Whoever or whatever she is,” the first replied, “I saw nothing!”

October 5, 1951
Homey airbase, Groom Lake, NV

The women’s barracks was nothing like the open bay barracks the men used with its rows of bunk beds and footlockers the men had. The building had eight rooms that held two single beds, a two each of a standing wardrobe, vanity, and dresser one for each of the two occupants. While the women’s barracks did have a single community bathroom at the back of the building, there were shower stalls giving the women some modesty instead of the open bay showers in the men’s barracks. And of course the long metal urinal trough in the men’s barracks was not mimicked either as it was unnecessary.

Once in the shower stall with the warm water cascading down her body in ways she was not accustomed to the events of the day caught up with her. Betty leaned forward with a heavy sigh resting her forehead against the wall under the shower head.
Opening her eyes Betty stared down at her breasts watching the way the water ran across her large nipples. Reaching up with her right hand, Betty cupped her left breast while thinking to herself, ‘The first ones I get to touch and their my own.’

Grabbing the bar of soap and the cloth Martha had given her, Betty began washing the sand and sweat from her body. She quickly discovered that trying to scrub her new body like she had in the past was not a good idea. Betty found her skin was much more sensitive than it was when she was a man. Working on her breasts she found her nipples were even more sensitive, immediately tightening and sticking out giving her a strange but similar feeling that felt very much like when she was still a man and got an erection, but now in the wrong place.

Trying to ignore the feelings Betty continued to wash herself, reminding herself that the base had a limited water supply and she should hurry while praying this was a temporary condition, she would find a way to turn back to her normal self, if not she would learn to live with it. ‘It isn’t like I’m a weak little girl,’ Betty thought back to her fight with Tucker. ‘No, I’m stronger now than I ever was, hell I’m probably stronger than Charles Atlas now.’ Betty giggled at the thought of arm wrestling Charles Atlas while she turned off the water and began drying herself off with a towel.

After the shower in the women's quarters, Betty finally gave into Martha’s arguments on Betty wearing a dress instead of trousers. The greatest selling point was that it would allow her to fit in better since none of the few women that did work on the base wore anything but skirts and dresses when outside of their small barracks.

Martha had given Betty a room with a girl that looked to be around the same age as Betty, Susie was what Betty would have called typical cheerleader material, Blond hair, bubbly personality, always happy and quite talkative. Not that Betty thought she wasn’t intelligent, to even think about working at Homey you had to be above average intelligence and really good at keeping your mouth shut. Susie didn’t seem to be very good at the latter, but then during the hour and a half that she talked she never said anything about the base or what she did there. It was all about where she was from, her three brothers and one sister and her father’s distillery back in Kentucky and how her father wasn’t pleased with her at going off and choosing a career in medicine instead of finding a husband and becoming a good wife.

When Susie finished her life story she leaned forward from where she sat on the edge of her bed. When Betty didn’t start to offer anything of her background she prodded until Betty gave in telling Susie the truth but leaving out anything about Betty being born a boy. “I grew up in a cabin bout a whole day’s walk from town up in the mountains of North Carolina. My dad made liquor too, but it wasn’t the legal kind like your dad makes, my dad made moonshine. Dad didn’t talk much about it but from what mom told me when I got older it was the only way he could make any money to keep food and stuff on the table. Mom and I both really wanted to get me out of there as my dad and uncle already had me hauling their liquor in an old truck my uncle had and we both knew that soon or later I’d get caught so when I was seventeen my mom and I went down to town and I signed up for the military.”

“Oh my god,” Susie exclaimed, “You’re seventeen?”

Betty shook her head, while stretching the truth a bit since she no longer looked her real age either, “That was a few years ago.”

“So you’re what twenty one now?” Susie giggled, “You make me feel like an old maid.”

“I will be next month,” Betty thought that was as good of an age as any to tell people. “And how can I make you feel old, you don’t look any older than me?”

“Oh sweetie, I love you said that, but I’m almost thirty. That’s why my daddy is so pissed, at my age and unmarried folks back home would think of me as a spinster.”

“Why haven’t you married?”

“I guess I’m still looking for my knight in shiny armor.” Susie giggled again then leaned further forward and spoke softly, “Although there is this one guy here that makes my heart flutter whenever I see him. Have you seen Sergeant Brown? He is so dreamy isn’t he? And he’s always so serious and has that gun with him wherever he goes, kind of like that gun you got leaning against the wall. Now that’s a man I would love to get to know better, but he’s so intimidating I’ve been afraid to even say hi.”

Betty tried to hide her shock at hearing this from Susie. Brown had seen the woman many times in the past but never knew her name or how she felt about him. And while Susie may be a few years older, she was in Betty’s mind jaw dropping gorgeous and looked nowhere near as old as she said she was. “I’ve seen him a couple times,” Betty lied, “I guess he is kind of nice looking.”

It was near ten at night when Susie got up and began disrobing in front of Betty removing everything but her panties. Trying not to stare Betty did the same, removing only her dress and quickly pulling the cotton nightgown Martha had provided her over her head. Susie tilted her head at Betty, “You sleep in your bra? Whenever I do that I end up tossing and turning all night.”

Betty just nodded her head, not knowing if it was right or wrong to leave it on, but with what she had planned she didn’t want to have to fumble around trying to put it back on in the dark after Susie fell asleep. Sometime later after she felt sure Susie was fast asleep Betty quietly climbed out of bed and put the dress back on. She had just began to climb out the window with her boots in hand when Susie rolled over startling her, “So who’s the mystery man?” Susie whispered.

“God dammit, you scared the life out of me!” Betty whispered, “I thought you were asleep.”

“I’m a light sleeper,” Susie grinned in the dimly lit room. “So who is he? Is he cute?”

“I’m not sneaking out to meet a guy.”

“And I’m the queen of England,” Susie snickered.

“Really I’m not,” Betty pulled her leg back inside, propped the carbine against the wall and knelt beside Susie’s bed. “This is hard to explain, but I got to get inside that building with all the guards.”

Susie’s eyes went wide, “No one’s allowed in there, Martha warned us all that they had orders to shoot to kill if anyone even tried.”

“Susie they have a flying saucer from another world in there.”

Susie rose up in the bed, “I’m going to go get Martha, you’ve been out in the sun too long.”

“Wait!” Betty grabbed Susie’s arm, “Remember this morning down in the lab area, I saw you there when Tucker went crazy and was attacking everyone. Sergeant Brown and Doctor Kuehn ran into the area you were working in and started evacuating everyone.”

“Wait a minute you weren’t there I would have noticed you.”

“I’m getting to that,” Betty continued, “ Brown was holding one of those things recovered from the flying saucer, a weird square looking dark gray almost black thing. That thing he was holding changes people. Tucker volunteered to put one on and it changed him so much he looked like someone else before he went all berserk. He came after the doc and me because he wanted the other one we had.”

“Wait Sergeant Brown had it, not you!”

“Tucker cornered us and I put it on hoping it would give me the super strength the one he put on gave him so that I could fight him.”

“You mean the sergeant put it on?”

“It changed me, I’m Sergeant Brown or at least I was,” Betty whispered. “But now I’ve got to make sure there is nothing else left on the flying saucer that could cause even more trouble, who knows what else is there, maybe something in that thing that could destroy the world if someone sneezed on it wrong.” Betty spent the next twenty minutes convincing Susie she wasn’t crazy.

“Alright I’m going with you,” Susie stated.

“No!”

“Why because I’m a woman?” Susie grinned, “Look in the mirror lately? Look if you want to get in there without the guards seeing you, you need me.”

“Why is that?”

“I’ve got something you don’t have.” Susie looked closely at Betty, “I take that back you’ve got it too but you don’t how to use it yet.”

“What’s that?”

“Your looks sweetie,” Susie climbed out of bed grinning. “I may not be as pretty as you sweetie but I can make sure the guards have something other than watching that building on their mind for a few minutes.” Pulling the cotton nightgown off over her head Susie stood there her hands on her hips wearing nothing but panties in front of Betty. “From that expression I believe you really were a guy.” Susie giggled at the look on Betty’s face, “Close your mouth sweetie you’re going to catch flies.”

“Sorry,” Betty looked away from Susie’s bare breasts.

“We are so used to seeing our own, women don’t look that hard at another woman's breasts even if we are envious of how the other woman looks,” Susie explained her thoughts. “A man of course would have been drooling and stepping on his tongue. Now you on the other hand, you didn’t look envious or lustful, you look more shocked than anything.”

“This is just so weird,” Betty tried to explain, “my mind is screaming, ‘beautiful naked woman!’ and it doesn’t make me feel like I think it should and that scares me.”

“Why’s that sweetie?”

“Because I’m afraid it means I may like men now.”

“I think it would be weird if you didn’t start to like men now.” Susie saw Betty sigh and nod.

Once Susie was dressed she saw Betty begin to crawl out the window, “You do remember there is a front door? No one is going to say anything about two girls that couldn’t sleep so they went out for a walk in the cooler night air.” Grabbing her purse Susie walked over to the door opening it. And leave the gun, it would look weird to the guards to see a gal carrying one of their guns.” Betty leaned the carbine back against the wall by the window before following Susie out the door.

As they neared the hangar Betty quietly walked off between two buildings while Susie continued strolling toward the hangar. As Susie approached the nearest guard she began fumbling around in her purse, eventually producing a pack of cigarettes. Placing one of the cigarettes between her lips Susie put the pack back in her purse and continued fumbling around in her purse pretending not to notice the guard she was approaching.

“Ma’am, you need to turn around, this area is restricted!” Susie feigned being startled by the soldier.

“Oh darn,” Looking up from her purse with the sexiest smile she could muster, “I could have sworn I grabbed a box of matches before I left our room.”

“Ma’am you really shouldn’t be out here,” The other soldier standing a few feet away from the first stated.

“I know, but my new roommate she can’t stand the smell of cigarettes and with how hot it’s been I couldn’t sleep.” Picking at the collar of her blouse to draw attention to the fact that she had left a couple of extra buttons undone giving the boys a bit more cleavage to see than would normally be proper, “Would either of you to good looking gentlemen happen to have a light?”

‘Wow,’ Betty thought as she slipped quietly behind the distracted guards and into the hangar, ‘she is good, those guys are so distracted I think I could drive a tank through here and they wouldn’t notice.’ This late at night the interior of the hangar was deserted making it was a simple matter of climbing the scaffolding to go inside the large hole in the saucer. Making her way toward what she thought would be the center of the saucer Betty found it strange how easily she could see inside the dead alien spacecraft. Looking around she could see the string of electrical wires the scientists had strung along that held the electrical lights they had used to illuminate the dark interior. But those lights were off now, Betty could find no other source of light to explain how she was able to see in what should have been pitch darkness. All thoughts of how this was possible fled from Betty’s mind when she thought she heard a voice.

Crouching down, Betty crept forward slowly as quietly as she could, trying to determine where the person was that she heard. Several minutes later and closer to the center of the saucer she heard another voice this time much more clearly and one she clearly recognized. Peering around the portal into the next room and not seeing anyone Betty whispered, “Tracy is that you?”

~Brown~ Tracy replied over the comm.

“How’d you get in the saucer already?”

~I’m not in the ship,~ Traci replied. ~You’re on our comm channel, your comm has become operational.~

“Comm what?” Betty spoke.

~Think of it like a two way radio,~ Bobby joined the conversation on the comm.

“But how are we talking? I don’t have anything like that.”

~Our micros give us the ability. Easiest way to explain it is those I injected you with know our channel and connected you with us.~ Traci didn’t tell her that the injection also allowed Traci to track Brown. While it was something Traci didn’t like doing, in the event that Brown ran off on a killing spree being able to track and stop her overrode any reservations Traci may have had about it.

“So now I have a walkie-talkie in my head?” Betty’s eyes grew wide at the thought of always being able to hear them and they her, “Um, so does it have an off switch or something?”

~Yes, we’ll teach you how but not now,~ Traci answered. ~Wouldn’t want you to accidentally switch it off right now.~

“So can you just hear what I’m saying or are you like reading my mind?”

~We can’t hear what you say, we can only hear what you project to us. So no we can’t read your mind.~

Realizing what Traci was saying Betty tried to think what she wanted to say without talking, ~can you still hear me?~

~Yes of course,~ Traci answered.

~Okay so I can talk to you without actually talking,~ Betty was beginning to get the hang of it.

~Wouldn’t be a good form of communication if we had to stand around talking to ourselves all the time,~ Bobby chuckled over his comm.

~Yeah I was starting to feel pretty stupid talking to the walls inside this saucer.~

~Have you seen anything that looks like it may have power?~ Cliff asked.

~No, nothing so far.~ Betty turned slowly viewing everything in the room she was in, ~No lights anywhere, which is weird because I can see fine.~

~The micros give us enhanced night vision,~ Traci acknowledged.

~Heads up guys,~ Bobby changed the subject, ~we got one guard on the west side, one behind it on the north and three in front. One of the three is female and looks like a non-combatant.~

~The girl is Susie,~ Betty added, ~She distracted those two while I slipped in.~

~Skylights up top we can use to go in,~ Bobby informed.

A short time later the three were standing inside the ship alongside Betty. “Where’s the alien backpack thing?” Becky noticed that none of the three had the last of the devices that had changed both her and Tucker.

“With the army crawling around also looking for it, I wasn’t able to grab it,” Bobby shrugged.

“What if the army finds it?” Becky began pacing back and forth across the Alien ship’s control room, “They’ll end up putting it on someone else, we can’t let that happen!”

“If Cliff and Bobby couldn’t find it, I am sure it is well hidden.” Traci added, “Hopefully well enough that the army will not find it before we can come back.”

“The important thing is it is out anyone’s hand that would try to use it,” Cliff nodded. “For all we know that guy sat a half ton rock on top of it when he hid it. Bobby and I can’t go out there turning over every large rock looking for it while the army’s out there looking for it too.”

“But what if they do find it?” Becky argued.

“We’ll have to take that chance.” Traci warned, “Getting caught looking for it would be worse.”

Cliff and Traci had begun checking the consoles and terminals in the room. Traci looked up from the one she was checking to see Bobby standing there looking at Betty. “Bobby!” Traci said loud enough to break his captivation of Betty, “Why don’t you and Betty check out the other passageways while we do this?”

“Good idea Mom,” Bobby beamed, “Let’s check this one first.” Bobby pointed toward the opening behind Betty. Once a little way
s down the passageway Bobby smiled over at Betty, “Your name’s Betty? It suits you, I mean it’s a pretty name and you’re really pretty.”

Traci, still in the control room, whispered to Cliff, “I believe your our is infatuated with her.”

“What?” Cliff looked up from the console he was inspecting.

“Haven’t you noticed the way Bobby’s been looking at her?”

“Who?”

“Betty.”

“Who’s Betty?”

“Have you heard a thing anyone’s said since we came into the ship?”

“Sorry but I’ve been concentrating on making sure this thing is dead. Can’t believe Bobby was just standing there, he knew what to do once we came onboard.”

“Yes, it was like something else had his full undivided attention,” Traci smirked.

“Yeah he was just standing there staring at the girl…” Cliff’s eyes widened in recognition.

“She looks a lot like Ruth,” Traci whispered while her thoughts wandered back to their past. Ruth was a young widow at the time that had helped them after the crash. She and Bobby had found an attraction for one another that grew until Bobby had asked her to marry him. Ruth, the only human they had confided in telling the truth of who and what they were, refused to marry Bobby. Her refusal was not because she did not love him, her reason was quite the opposite she loved him with all her heart and soul, but Ruth also knew that Bobby would not age, at least not like she would. Ruth did not wish the man she loved so much to be forced to sit and watch her grow old and die. Although her pleas that he move on fell on deaf ears as Bobby refused to leave her side, later posing as her son as the difference in their apparent ages became greater. After Ruth’s funeral Bobby had disappeared for over a decade before reuniting with Traci and Cliff, who had in the meantime discovered there were others like themselves stranded on Earth living in a small town in Washington state. Of course discovering there was a place that held the technology that could have saved Ruth led Bobby back into another bout of dark depression that he remained in until several years after the trio had moved to a small farm outside of El Paso. Traci’s thoughts were interrupted when Cliff signaled for her to follow him into the other passageway that Bobby and Betty had not taken.

In the passageway he and Betty had been exploring Bobby tried to concentrate on his job as he and Betty progressed through each room in the short passageway but found it difficult and found himself glancing over at Betty often. She looked so much like what he remembered of his beloved Ruth when she was young. ‘Not exactly like Ruth,’ Bobby thought to himself. Knowing that Ruth’s hair, which she normally kept up in a bun was much longer than Betty’s, nor was it as dark as Betty’s. In the sunlight it was easy to see that Ruth’s hair was a dark brown, while Betty’s hair was so black that it almost seemed to have a bluish tint when he first saw her out in the desert. Betty’s facial was a bit different than he remembered of Ruth’s also, but then Ruth had been fifty seven when she died twenty years ago so he memories of Ruth’s youth were quite old.

~Bobby, we found something,~ Cliff’s voice came over their comms. ~I need you and Brown to meet us in the other passageway.~

~We’ve not finished here,~ Bobby sent back.

~Doesn’t matter,~ Cliff responded. ~We have to destroy this ship.~

October 5, 1951
Inside Captured Alien ship, Groom Lake, NV

Rushing over Bobby found Cliff and Traci in a small room in the other passageway discussing what they had found. Looking at the back wall of the small room Bobby gasped when he spotted the item that had them so concerned, “A sentinel!”

“What’s a sentinel?” Betty spotted the sole object in the room that put her in mind of a suit of medieval armor.

“It’s a Fruell battle suit,” Traci answered.

Walking over to get a closer look at the armor Betty stated, “So it’s an alien suit of armor. Why would you need to destroy the ship because of this? Why can’t one of you put it on and walk out with it?”

“It’s also armed with weapons way beyond the technology of this world. They have built in safeguards that keep their slave races from opening one,” Traci reached over placing her palm on a round plate on the chest of the armor to demonstrate.

“So we destroy it. We need some dynamite or something to do that don’t we?” Betty asked.

“We found a black star container in the damaged section, we can use that to blow the ship.” Traci replied.

“What is a black star and how big of a blast will it make?” Betty nervously asked.

“It’s what a star becomes when it collapses in on itself becoming so small and dense with so much gravity that even light can no longer escape.”

“As for the size of the explosion, we’ll have to find a way to evacuate this base,” Traci sighed. “I doubt even the underground areas will survive the explosion.”

“Is that the only way?” Betty asked, “Isn’t there some way we can get this out of here without blowing up the base?”

Cliff stated, “This sentinel was probably the ship’s commanders, only she would be able to operate it. Only thing we can do is destroy it.”

Something that Cliff said triggered something in the back of Betty’s mind. While she couldn’t place her finger on what it was he said but it gave her an idea. More of a hunch than an idea but something she wanted, no not wanted, needed to try. Stepping quickly over to the armored suit before her new friends could try to stop her, Betty placed her hand in the same spot that Traci had shown her. Seeing that nothing happened Betty sighed as she turned around shrugging her shoulders at her three companions, “It was worth a try.” Although none of the three were looking at Betty when she turned around, they were all staring past her at the sentinel.

“I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!” Cliff exclaimed.

Turning back around to see whatever it was they were looking at, Betty saw the large dark man shaped armor had a soft blue glow coming out of what appeared to be seams that were slowly widening along its torso, arms and legs. “Is it opening?” Betty glanced back to the others.

“I always thought it used a genetic lock, apparently it must be the micros.” Traci grinned at Betty, “And my dear, you have Fruell commander micros in your system.”

“Your chariot awaits,” Bobby waved his hand in a sweeping motion at the sentinel, which had opened to reveal a human shaped area inside it.

“What?” Betty’s eyes grew wide, “I can’t drive that thing! One of you do it.”

“We can’t, it won’t respond to us,” Cliff stated. “You have to do it.”

“Don’t worry,” Traci confided, “Once you’re sealed inside, it will feel like an extension of your own body.”

Feeling that Traci would not lie to her, Betty backed up to the opening and stepped into it before pulling herself into the cavity inside. Once positioned inside the large beast of a machine Betty looked at her friends, “Okay what now?”

“Think about closing,” Cliff suggested.

Bobby quickly added, “Do the same thing to open it to get out.”

The three watched as the armor panels closed encapsulating Betty inside the powered armor. Seconds later both hands of the huge sentinel came up in front of its smooth faceplate rotating and making various finger movements. The sentinel looked over where the three stood and with Betty’s voice spoke, “Wow, these feel like my real hands.”

“Yes the sentinel integrates with your micros to become part of you,” Cliff explained.

Suddenly the sentinel went stiff and the panels opened exposing Betty once more. “Thank god!” Betty gasped, trying to catch her breath while pressing her own hand into her stomach.

“You alright?” True concern showing on Bobby face as he stepped over placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, just needed to make sure I could get of that thing.” Betty let out a huge breath then looked at Cliff, “When you said it would become part of me, I was afraid I would be stuck in it like the thing that changed me.”

Bobby smiled at Betty, “Well now that you know you can get in and out of the sentinel when you wish, are you ready to close it up and get out of here?”

Still nervous, Betty smiled thinly nodding her head. Once Bobby removed his hand she willed the armor to close around her once again.

Traci was the first to reach the floor of the hangar after climbing down the scaffolding from behind her she heard a female voice, “So did you find what you were looking for?” Spinning around in the direction of the voice to find a blond haired woman standing there.

“You, you’re not Betty?” The blonde’s eyes went wide.

“Susie what are you doing here?” The blond heard Betty above them. Looking up Susie could make out three figures in the darkness climbing down.

“I came to help,” Susie looked at the three as they finished climbing down, trying to figure out which one was Betty but even in the dark hangar she could tell all were too tall to be Betty. “Where’s Betty? And who are all of you?”

“They’re friends,” Susie heard the voice of Betty coming from the tallest of the group.

“Betty?” Susie peered at the tall dark figure.

“Yes it’s me.” Betty spoke, “Don’t flip or anything, I’m in the alien armor.”

“Holy cow!” Susie stared as she walked over to get a better look, “You’re really inside that thing?”

“How’d you get in? What about the guards?”

Susie giggled then pulled a couple of syringes from her purse that she held out for display, “Last I saw of them one was chasing imaginary butterflies and the other was peacefully sleeping.”

“What?” Betty’s voice rose in pitch, “What’ll you do when they wake up?”

Susie bowed her head down toward the ground, “I… well I was kind of hoping to go with you, after I free my father.”

“Your father?” Betty asked.

“Yes, my father.” Susie explained, “My real name isn’t Susie, it's Greta, Greta Kuehn. Doctor Kuehn is my father and they won’t allow him to leave the base.”

“He’s a prisoner?” Cliff asked.

Susie, or Greta as that was what she said her real name was, could feel that being totally honest with Betty’s friends may be the only way to get their help, “My father was one of the scientists that were forced to work for the Nazis during the war. When the Americans came they offered to take us both to the United States where he would be allowed to work for the government, but they have not been much better than how the Nazis treated him and haven’t allowed him to leave this base for the past five years.”

“Is this true?” Cliff looked toward the taller armored Betty.

“Few weeks ago that Smith guy did change me to following the Doctor around,” Betty began. “At first I figured it was for his protection but some of the things Smith ordered me to do started to seem a bit strange especially when he began debriefing me every night on where the doctor when throughout the day.”

“Sounds to me like Miss Kuehn is telling the truth,” Tracie stated.

Cliff looked toward Bobby, “You get the doctor and head directly toward the rendezvous point while Brown, your mother and I see if we can gather enough supplied for them to make it there.”

“I should get the doctor,” Betty interrupted, “I know the layout down there.”

“I have a car in Crystal springs,” Greta added.

Traci shook her head, “That’s the nearest town, it’s the first place they would look for us.”

“And we have something better than a car,” Cliff grinned. “We have an airplane.”

“But this is a no fly zone, they’ll shoot us down!” Greta gasped.

Traci turned to Greta, “That’s why you and your father will need plenty of water. With you with us it may take us three days to walk to where it’s safe for the plane to pick us up.”

Slipping back out of the hangar the group quietly made their way around the numerous buildings. As they passed the women’s barracks Betty reached into the open window of her and Greta’s room, retrieving the carbine that had been her best friend and ally for so many years.

Once they were far enough away from the base that they no longer had to worry about being heard, Betty carried Greta piggy back style while Cliff did the same with the doctor allowing the group to move at a faster pace than would have been possible if the two had been left to walk. Staci and Bobby brought up the rear carrying the makeshift supplies they had managed to commandeer while Bobby and Greta located Greta’s father and brought him back. As the sky grew lighter in anticipation of the rising sun Bobby ran ahead to scout for a cave or large rocky overhang where they could rest and sleep hidden from the blistering heat of the sun and any search planes the military might send out once they realize several of their people are missing.

Bobby managed to find a small cave, its entrance was small requiring everyone to crawl in on their hands and knees although it opened up quickly into a much larger cavern. While the ceiling was not quite high enough for everyone to stand completely upright it was enough that they were able to get up off their hands and knees after entering. Betty had the most difficulty of all inside the seven foot tall alien suit of armor. Crawling further back into the cave out of the way Betty laid down on her back and thought of the suit opening so she could get out.

Doctor Kuehn gasped when he saw the black armor open and Betty climb out in the dim light of the cave, “Unbelievable! You my dear are unbelievable.” Doctor Kuehn smiled at Betty, “Would it be possible for me to use it?”

“Sorry doc,” Cliff interrupted, “None of us can use it but her.”

“Why is that?” Doctor Kuehn turned to look over where Cliff sat against the cave wall.

Cliff explained about the microscopic machines they had and how the device they had put on Sergeant Brown was akin to a survival device that would change the wearer into a very realistic impersonation of the race it was set to mimic. “So you three have put on these devices too?” Doctor Kuehn interrupted.

“No,” Traci took over, “We were genetically engineered differently as slaves to the Fruell, we could only use those items that the Fruell created for us to use. We never knew any race but the Fruell could put the device on that changed Betty. Our best guess is since it was set to mimic human genetics it reacted when a human to put it on.”

“So why is Betty the only one who can use that robot armor?” Doctor Kuehn quizzed.

“Best we can reason out is that since the microscopic machines that changed the Sergeant were designed to be used by Fruell and not one of their slave races, the sentinel armor recognizes her as a Fruell,” Traci clarified.

“I would really love to meet one of these Fruell one day,” Doctor Kuehn stated.

“Doctor please believe me when I say this,” Traci grimaced, “The last thing you want is to meet a living Fruell.”

“The Fruell make the Nazis look like boy scouts,” Cliff added.

Bobby interrupted their discussion as he began passing out large metal cups that he filled with water from the jerry can that had been appropriated before they left the base.

“We should all find comfortable spots and try to get some rest, we’ll be moving out soon as the sun starts to set,” Bobby stated as everyone began handing him back the empty cups.

October 8, 1951 7:46AM
Somewhere northwest of Groom Lake, NV

Cliff and Jack had been in contact over their comms for close to an hour before the sun began peeking over the mountains to their east. Stopping at the edge of another of the numerous dry lake beds that dotted the barren landscape, Cliff turned toward his companions while letting go of Doctor Kuehn’s legs so he could get down from where Cliff had been carrying him on his back. “Where’re here,” Cliff grinned, “Our ride is about fifteen minutes out.”

It was closer to twenty five minutes when they spotted a small gray dot in the sky to the north flying low, almost seeing to scrape the distant mountain peaks. Crossing above the last of the peaks, the plane dipped down into the valley flying no more than fifty feet above the dry lake bed. As the plane closed the distance Betty could make out that it looked a lot like one of the twin engine sea planes the Navy used during the war. Two large wheels lowered down out of recesses in the fuselage under the wings as the aircraft lost altitude and speed until the two wheels touched the sunbaked dry lake bed. Continuing to lose speed, the tail of the aircraft lowered down until it rested on a much smaller wheel that had lowered down out of the bottom rear of the fuselage when the two larger main wheels had lowered. The aircraft continued to slow as it continued toward the group, Around fifty feet from the group with the aircraft now slowed to the point of a person’s walk, the port engine powered up faster and the aircraft pivoted on its starboard front wheel to turn and face the direction it had come from before both engines powered down to an idle and it stopped.

A small side door swung open right before the top of the opening swung upward and inward creating a larger opening as the group walked toward the amphibious aircraft. Betty saw a thin man lean down and hang a metal framework of steps out of the bottom of the opening. From the gray hair Betty figured this man had to be at least fifty to sixty years old. “Fer y’all that don’t know me, I’m Capt’n Jack, welcome aboard. Betty you first, That way we can get you out of that tin can you’re in,” Jack motioned as he backed up out of the opening so she could climb into the aircraft. Once Betty climbed in he directed her towards the front of the aircraft, up past six seats that sat three on each side by the long rectangular windows on each side of the aircraft and into an oval hatchway into the cockpit. Each side of this area of course had the pilot and copilot's seats along with the controls, gauges and instruments they needed to fly the aircraft duplicated in front of each of the two seats. The bottom lip of the center section of the instrument panel thinned upward causing the bottom of the instrument panel to have almost an arched look to it. Under this arch was another hatch, smaller than the entrance hatch but still large enough for someone to crawl through easily.

Opening the hatch, Jack back out of the way, “Should be enough room fer ya to lie down and get out of that tin can you’re in.”

Seeing there were a couple of steps down into the compartment, Betty turned around and crawled down into the room feet first. Once inside the small compartment Betty saw that it was probably near eight or nine feet in length. Along the right side it had two small bunks, one above the other, made out of canvas stretched across metal tubing. The left side of the compartment held various machinery, most of which she had no idea what function they served. What she found the strangest was the coil of rope hanging on the wall attached to a boat anchor. Although after thinking about it this was an amphibious airplane capable of landing in the water so having one did make sense even though it felt out of place. The compartment narrowed sharply away from the door as it was in the nose of the aircraft so Betty lay down in the floor with her head near the door, her feet stretching toward the narrow end before sending the thought command to open the suit of armor, allowing her to climb out of it.

Climbing back out of the forward compartment, through the cockpit into the main section of the aircraft, Betty found Jack passing out bottles of water. “There’s more in the cooler in the back,” handing one to her Betty as she sat down in one of the empty seats.

After looking at the label on the large glass bottle Betty looked up at Jack, “Mineral water?”

Already back in the cockpit, Jack twisted in the seat he was in to look back at Betty, “Figured y’all would want something cold and wet. I’m surprised I could find that. It’s not like a lot of people want to pay for something you can get for free out of your kitchen sink.”

“I must say that I am very glad to have this cold water after our trek,” Doctor Kuehn raised the quart glass bottle while voicing his gratitude.

Cliff stopped, turning around at the opening to the cockpit, “The seats recline, latrine is through that door,” pointing at another hatch type door with rounded bottom and top like the opening to the cockpit. “We got about three hour flight where we’ll be stopping for fuel, stretch our legs and grab some food before we take off for home.”

October 8, 1951 11:04AM
Lake Tahoe, California Nevada border

The sound of the flaps lowering at the same time the engine pitch changed woke Betty. Bringing her seat back upright from where she had reclined it before falling asleep, Betty looked out the window. Seeing water below them that was quickly getting closer made her gasp, but then she remembered the aircraft was amphibious and built to land in the water. Betty watched as they came closer to the water below them until the sound of the aircraft became the sound of a boat’s hull cutting through the water. Looking around at her new friends, those that were still asleep were awakened when the aircraft landed in the water. Ten minutes later Jack and Cliff had maneuvered the aircraft to an empty dock and shut down its twin engines. While Cliff, Jack and Bobby tied the aircraft off to the dock, Tracy pulled Betty and Greta into the forward compartment where Jack and told Betty to store the sentinel suit.

In the forward compartment Traci came up with clean skirts and blouses for all three women, who were luckily close enough to the same size to borrow some of the clothes she had stored on the aircraft. Once the three had clean clothing they took turns in the small bathroom in the rear of the aircraft to give themselves a sponge bath and change, once presentable Traci led the girls out of the aircraft onto the dock.

Looking around there was no sign of Cliff and bobby, Jack had found a shady spot to sit under the wing on one of the large wooden pilings that supported the dock with a fishing pole in one hand, its line trailing down into the water between the aircraft and the dock. Believing the area looked familiar, Traci gave jack a questioning look, “Tahoe?”

Jack nodded with a grin, “Cliff send Bobby down to grocery to pick up some things while he went to arrange the refuel.”

“We’re going to walk down to the marina’s cafe to grab some lunch. Care to join us?” Traci invited.

“Naw, think I’ll sit and keep this old girl company,” Jack nodded toward the airplane. “Wouldn’t want anyone nosing around that thing it the forward cabin either.”

“Sure the reason’s not that fishing pole in your hand?” Traci rolled her eyes.

“Well figured this was as good a way to kill some time as any while I guard the plane,” Jack grinned.

“Want us to bring you back anything?”

“Nope,” Jack’s grin widened as he reached down picking up a bottle of beer he had sitting on the dock. “Got everything I need right here.” Holding the beer out so the women could see it before he took a long drink from the bottle. As the women turned and began walking toward land Jack raised his voice to be heard, “Now don’t y’all go filling up on that stuff at the diner or y’all miss out on tasting my famous beer battered fish when ya get back.”

Realizing the plane had no kitchen area Betty stopped and turned around, “How are you going to cook em?”

Throwing his head back toward the hatch that led into the aircraft, “Got me one of those fancy Coleman camp stoves in the aft compartment cooking ‘em won’t be a problem.”

The marina had a small bar that was more of a cafe that served alcohol than a normal bar, but then this was lake Tahoe and even though they were in Tahoe City and not the areas to the north where the casinos were located but with the fact that the lake did not freeze over in the winter and the casinos and skiing the whole area was quickly becoming a vacation area for the well to do. Sitting at a table where they had a good view of the docks Traci ordered three iced teas and three chef’s salads for everyone.

Betty leaned over to Traci whispering, “Really, Thanks for the meal but a salad?”

Talking low enough so that only Betty and Greta could hear, “One of the things you’re going to have to get used to now that you’ve changed. You need to eat like a other women when in public.”

Greta leaned in, “I haven’t had a decent salad in some time and you might find that you don’t need as much to fill you up as you used to.”

“I’m suddenly hoping Jack catches a lot of fish,” Betty giggled.

When the food arrived Betty tried to mimic the way Traci and Greta were eating with small bites and taking her time. At one point she remembered the rattlesnake Bobby had killed and cooked for them on their last day in the desert and how it tasted. Looking up at her two new friends, “You know I think that pieces of that rattlesnake Bobby cooked would have gone really well with this.”

Greta shuddered as she remembered the meal, “While I’m glad we were able to eat something other than those horrible C-Rations we had with us, I thought it tasted quite gamy and nothing like chicken.”

While they ate they saw the fuel truck arrive and then depart so when they finished their salads Traci waved the waitress over to settle their bill. “It’s been taken care of by the gentleman at the bar,” The waitress motioned to a lone man sitting at the bar wearing black trousers a white short sleeved shirt and a straw fedora.

Looking at her friends as she stood up from her chair, “ladies I think we should go thank him for his kindness.”

Walking over to the bar with Traci in the lead Traci stepped up beside the gentleman, “Excuse me sir. My friends and I wanted to thank you for paying for lunch.”

Turning around with a wide smile to face the women, “It was my pleasure.”

Greta’s mouth fell open and eyes widened, immediately recognizing the man once he had turned to face them. “You, you’re Frank Sinatra!” she gasped.

Guilty as charged ma’am,” Reaching up with one hand to the brim of his hand to pull it down slightly then back up. “I was wondering if you ladies might know who you chartered that aircraft from. My friends and I could use the services of a seaplane and pilot from time to time.”

“Sorry it’s not chartered,” Traci stated. “It’s ours or I should say my husband's, he flew it in the war.”

“I’m surprised the government sold it to him?”

“They didn’t.” Traci explained, “It was crash landed on some island during the war. After the war my husband went back and repaired the plane good enough to fly it out of there to a place where he could make better repairs. It took us close two years to go there and bring it home.”

Frank shook his head, “That’s a long time to be away from your family.” Traci came close to correcting him and telling him that she and Bobby had gone with Cliff but thought best to leave out that out of the conversation.

“So I’m guessing you’re on vacation with your lovely sisters?” motioning at Betty and Greta.

“We just stopped for gas,” Deciding that leaving him thinking they were sisters added to the story they had agreed upon. “We’re on our way home from LA.”

“Oh and where is home if you don’t mind me asking?”

“A little town east of Seattle up in the mountains called Enchanted Valley. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it, no one has,” Traci answered. Glancing over her shoulder at the dock, “I’m sorry but we really need to get going. I’m sure my husband is anxious to get back in the air. Thank you once again for buying our lunch Mr. Sinatra.”

October 8, 1951 6:28PM
Enchanted Valley, WA

Betty climbed down out of the plane onto the sandy beach wearing the sentinel armor once again. “This way,” Jack motioned at the large dark robotic suit. Betty followed Jack to what Betty thought of as a large tool shed or small barn. Jack opened one of the double doors and held it motioning Betty to go in, “We can store the suit here for now.”

Betty walked inside then turned around facing the door before keying the suit to open and release her. Before down stepping out of the suit she couldn’t help but think about how secure the armored suit against anyone trying to steal or tamper with it. Hopping down the ground she turned to watch as the armor closed back up, when she heard, ~Temporal stasis initialized.~ Followed by some strange noises. No sooner had those words echoed in her head an opaque substance began forming on the armor and expanding outward several feet in all directions around the armor.

“What did you do?” Jack gasped.

“I don’t know,” Betty stood staring at the opaque cocoon that had formed around the armor.

From behind both of them they heard Cliff, “Well I guess that’s one way of making sure it don’t go anywhere.”

“What happened?” Betty turned around to see cliff standing behind Jack.

“It’s a stasis field,” Cliff informed.

“It said something about stasis,” Betty relayed what she had heard. “Temporal stasis was the word.”

“Did it tell you anything else?” Cliff quizzed.

“Um yeah but it sounded really weird some kind of low growl followed by a clicking noise.” Betty relayed before asking, “What was it?”

“I’m guessing that was the timer telling you how long before the stasis could be removed. Sentinels have tremendous firepower in a small mobile package, thus some real serious security to keep them from being reversed engineered by other races.”

“Okay so after the council figures out what to do with it we get a forklift,” Jack chuckled.

Cliff shook his head, “Till its timer counts down you couldn’t move it will an A bomb.”

“Any guess as to how long that timer is?” Jack asked.

“I’m only guessing, but since it was designed to keep the sentinel from falling into enemy hands they would want it to remain in stasis for the remainder of whatever war they were fighting so I would guess at least five years and possibly up to fifteen years. Then of course only Betty or one of the Fruell can take it out of stasis once the timer has run down.”

“Or if we find the other survival pack and another human volunteers to put it on,” Traci added after walking up in the middle of the conversation.

“So what do we do with it?” jack asked.

“Nothing we can do but leave it there,” Cliff shrugged.