Life After Death

Chapter 13

We got back to the compound in the dark. I had forgotten that sunset comes earlier this late in the year. I pulled into the garage and got out to inspect the damage from the creatures. I counted six fairly large holes in the side of the motorhome and marveled that none of us were hit. One of the missiles had passed clean through both sides. 

“We’re going to get Sharon cleaned up,” Diane told me. 

“Yes, please do,” I said, waving a dismissive hand. 

They giggled as they rushed off to the bathroom. 

I used a flashlight to see if I could determine what sort of missiles had struck the motorhome. I inserted a thin rod to probe one of the holes but was unable to find anything. It was as if the missiles fired at us were not solid. That is odd. What sort of weapon did they use? 

Fortunately, no real damage had been done. I used Bondo to plug the holes and then sat in the driver’s seat to wait on the girls while it dried. 

After quite some time, they emerged giggling and laughing. 

“What took so long?” I asked, and then regretted that I had. 

“We decided to shower too,” Diane said with an ornery grin. 

I got out of the seat. “Good. I’ll fix us a nice supper before we retire for the night.” 

They laughed at me. 

After we got to the main house, I started cooking supper while Diane and Janet showed Sharon around the main house. By the time they came back to the kitchen, I had a steak, potato and cauliflower dinner ready. I also poured glasses of Merlot for them and me. 

I held my glass up. “To our new survivor.” 

Diane and Janet did the same. 

Sharon smiled. “I’m glad that you rescued me. I was running out of food and it was much too frightening to go out anywhere.” 

“Did you see those . . . creatures before we arrived?” I asked. 

Sharon’s face twisted with imagined horror. “Yes and they frightened me so much I hid in the basement.” 

“You know,” I said. “This confirms that the lights that Janet saw over Toronto were UFO’s.” 

“If this is an alien invasion, why don’t they know that we’re still alive?” Janet asked. 

“Maybe they didn’t think that anybody would survive,” Diane said. 

“Unfortunately, they know now,” I said. 

“How are we going to defend against aliens that are intelligent enough to come from some distant star system?” Diane said. 

“That’s a good question, but we have no other choice. We’ll have to defend this place.” 

The screen lit up with George’s image. “You are right, Jack Siefert. Extraterrestrials are responsible for the deaths of everyone, except for you and your friends.” 

They aren’t exactly my friends. I had never seen them before. “Are you suggesting that we were not supposed to survive?” 

“That is a logical premise, Jack Siefert.” 

“If we don’t come up with a feasible defense plan we won’t survive much longer. We need more powerful weapons.” 

“They are available in a storage shed behind the garage.” 

“What sort of weapons?” 

“Rocket propelled grenades.” 

“We’re not trained to use anything like that.” 

“You will learn, Jack Siefert.” 

The screen went blank. 

“Is that this George character you keep talking about?” Sharon asked. 

“Yes, that’s him. His computer brains runs this place.” 

“That’s creepy,” she said, making an appropriate face. 

“Are we going to go check out the weapons he mentioned?” Diane asked. 

“”We’ll check that out when it’s daylight,” I said. “I think that we should keep the blinds in our rooms shut so that we’re not visible from the air.” 

“Aliens intelligent enough to come from another star system will be able to detect us lights or no lights,” Diane said. 

“Yeah, but we don’t have to make it easier for them.” 

“This is crazy,” Sharon said. “Why would aliens waste time and expense to come from so far away just to kill humans?” 

“Maybe they want our planet,” I said. “Maybe their home planet is no longer habitable.” 

“We’re speculating,” Diane said. “The fact that we’re still alive means that the aliens screwed up. What I want to know is why we’re the only survivors.” 

“I’ve been thinking about that,” I said. “We’re all about the same age and the same ethnicity. That would suggest that it’s something in our genes that saved us.” 

“The only thing I have in my genes is my ass,” Janet said, grinning. 

They laughed. 

I frowned. They weren’t taking this dangerous situation seriously enough. How am I going to fight off an alien invasion with three goofy teen girls? I saved their lives and they act as if I’m crazy. Maybe my buddies were right--I’m not comfortable dealing with the opposite sex. In fact, I’m downright terrible at it. 

“We’re going to get some shuteye,” Diane said after standing. “We’ll see you in the morning.” 

Janet and Sharon joined her. 

“Fine,” I said with a mock salute. 

They went upstairs, leaving me to clean up the kitchen. I can see that I’m going to end up doing the chores while they have fun. 

That will change, I told myself. 

Yeah, right.