Earth was slowly being ravaged by the war being waged by mankind and the alien menace that had descended from the heavens. In the months following first contact the once one side war was quickly becoming a stalemate due to mankind’s ability to replicate their enemy’s technology. This problem however soon forced the ones humans call Ethereals’ to start studying more than just human biology, but their habits and desires too. It was during an abduction run that they uncovered what they classified to be a data centre, housing human storage systems filled to the brim with knowledge.
It had taken a few weeks of delving into the human psyche before various schemes were set into motion; many however did not bear fruit while others were still in testing. One of the more promising schemes however had just reached the field testing stage and was currently position behind a team of Sectoids assigned to abduct live human test subjects needed for various other experiments. If the new unit was successful in the field the results would lead to the initiation of a plan that could see the fall of mankind.
The night air of the nearly deserted USA neighbourhood was lit only by the moon, the stars and the various neon lights still seeking to cast their brightness across the tar and concrete. Silence now blared out over what was once a busy Fred’s 24 hour gas station and the few low rent apartment buildings huddled around it. The neighbourhood had once been home to many occupants, but now it stood in vast loneliness with only its lifeless objects to hint at a time before the aliens.
The people had attempted to flee to safety on the first nights following the extra-terrestrials initial assault. Many were able to escape the onslaught while some had perished in the hell that had broken loose, others would have chosen death rather than the fate they had been given. To occupy alien stasis tanks was considered a fate far worse than death and the few life forms that still called the vacant buildings home, if only for a night or two, would rather leap into a blazing inferno than be captured..
It was nearing the middle of the night as the Moon inched closer to its peak when the low hum of alien engines started to whisper over the calm and dust encased gas pumps. The persistent hum grew louder and the air pressure kicked up the discarded sheets of papers and various plastic wrappers, tossing the dust and debris in all directions. Soon two watery blue eyes peeked out through the dangerously cracked window belonging to the convenience store attached to the gas station; fear quickly drowned the blue eyes when it gazed upon the floating hunk of metal. It took a couple of moments for the brain attached to the eyes to comprehend the full danger and signals soon raced to the rest of the body.
However the chance for escape had evaporated faster than a block of ice alone in the desert, before the blue eyed teenager could even fully turn to sprint pain squealed from his shoulder. Terrified eyes pulled the head in the direction of the attack, only to find a small grey humanoid brandishing something that looked like a gun in the young man’s direction. Whatever he had been struck with was obviously not lethal, but then again it was far from safe too as thick green sludge spread across his body rapidly before freezing his face in sheer terror.
The remaining Sectoids had fanned out, quickly scurrying about the area surrounding Fred’s gas station to investigate possible human hiding spots. One had scrambled around to the back of the convenience store, only to be painfully introduced to the end of a filthy steel pipe. Unfortunately the older woman’s triumph over the unsuspecting Sectoid was short lived as she quickly found herself petrified in translucent green slime. All compliments of another vile grey humanoid perched upon a blue van that had bulldozed into the rear entrance of the convenience store, blocking off any chance for someone to escape out the back door.
While the Sectoids rummaged through empty cars, overturned trash cans and rain soaked boxes a perfectly hidden object floated quietly past the unused gas pumps. The object continued its course and was soon passing through the door of the store held open by a decayed corpse. Undisturbed it traveled down one short isle until it slipped silently into the dark storeroom at the very back of the store and there it hovered just inside the doorway. Its artificial eyes glared straight ahead in anticipation of fulfilling its primary objective to the best of its abilities.
It had taken a few weeks of delving into the human psyche before various schemes were set into motion; many however did not bear fruit while others were still in testing. One of the more promising schemes however had just reached the field testing stage and was currently position behind a team of Sectoids assigned to abduct live human test subjects needed for various other experiments. If the new unit was successful in the field the results would lead to the initiation of a plan that could see the fall of mankind.
The night air of the nearly deserted USA neighbourhood was lit only by the moon, the stars and the various neon lights still seeking to cast their brightness across the tar and concrete. Silence now blared out over what was once a busy Fred’s 24 hour gas station and the few low rent apartment buildings huddled around it. The neighbourhood had once been home to many occupants, but now it stood in vast loneliness with only its lifeless objects to hint at a time before the aliens.
The people had attempted to flee to safety on the first nights following the extra-terrestrials initial assault. Many were able to escape the onslaught while some had perished in the hell that had broken loose, others would have chosen death rather than the fate they had been given. To occupy alien stasis tanks was considered a fate far worse than death and the few life forms that still called the vacant buildings home, if only for a night or two, would rather leap into a blazing inferno than be captured..
It was nearing the middle of the night as the Moon inched closer to its peak when the low hum of alien engines started to whisper over the calm and dust encased gas pumps. The persistent hum grew louder and the air pressure kicked up the discarded sheets of papers and various plastic wrappers, tossing the dust and debris in all directions. Soon two watery blue eyes peeked out through the dangerously cracked window belonging to the convenience store attached to the gas station; fear quickly drowned the blue eyes when it gazed upon the floating hunk of metal. It took a couple of moments for the brain attached to the eyes to comprehend the full danger and signals soon raced to the rest of the body.
However the chance for escape had evaporated faster than a block of ice alone in the desert, before the blue eyed teenager could even fully turn to sprint pain squealed from his shoulder. Terrified eyes pulled the head in the direction of the attack, only to find a small grey humanoid brandishing something that looked like a gun in the young man’s direction. Whatever he had been struck with was obviously not lethal, but then again it was far from safe too as thick green sludge spread across his body rapidly before freezing his face in sheer terror.
The remaining Sectoids had fanned out, quickly scurrying about the area surrounding Fred’s gas station to investigate possible human hiding spots. One had scrambled around to the back of the convenience store, only to be painfully introduced to the end of a filthy steel pipe. Unfortunately the older woman’s triumph over the unsuspecting Sectoid was short lived as she quickly found herself petrified in translucent green slime. All compliments of another vile grey humanoid perched upon a blue van that had bulldozed into the rear entrance of the convenience store, blocking off any chance for someone to escape out the back door.
While the Sectoids rummaged through empty cars, overturned trash cans and rain soaked boxes a perfectly hidden object floated quietly past the unused gas pumps. The object continued its course and was soon passing through the door of the store held open by a decayed corpse. Undisturbed it traveled down one short isle until it slipped silently into the dark storeroom at the very back of the store and there it hovered just inside the doorway. Its artificial eyes glared straight ahead in anticipation of fulfilling its primary objective to the best of its abilities.