Shane stood by the door to the barracks and looked out across the tarmac, the last sunlight fading. A long row of campfires illuminated the dirty faces of hungry kids leaning over their bowls. He’d helped Steve and his friends bring out large pots and stage them over the fires, and they had thrown just about everything in the fridges and freezers into the pots, making a hodgepodge of different stews. The batch he’d eaten tasted bland, but the starving kids crowded on the tarmac devoured it like manna from heaven.
He heard the door open behind him, and Tracy stepped out. She’d slipped away with Jules an hour ago. It was clear she’d showered. She wore clean black sweats, those issued to them during their training.
“I got this,” she whispered. “Go to her.”
“We’ve started a few more fires to keep them warm,” Shane reported.
“Buildings full?” she asked.
“Yeah. Blankets are gone too,” he replied. “Must be a thousand of them.”
Those who’d finished eating passed off their bowls and huddled around smaller campfires. Many of the kids were already asleep.
“At least they seem to be behaving,” Tracy observed.
“They’ve been as docile as sheep so far, but I reckon their real personalities will show once they’re rested. I expect a very busy day tomorrow.”
Glancing over at the Anunnaki transport, she said, “Looks like they’re still working on it.”
Aside from one who still wore his breastplate, the aliens had shed their red armor. It was more of a burden without power. He knew they were probably even weaker than Jones, Lily, and their clones because they hadn’t endured a lifetime of Earth’s gravity.
“They won’t get it started again,” he said, stifling a yawn. “It seems everything that needs any sort of electricity to operate is useless. I think Greenie has shut it all down.”
“We’re calling it Greenie now?” She chuckled.
“For lack of a better name.” He grinned at her.
They were casual about the new threat—a demeanor earned in battle.
“What are we gonna do with them?” She looked back at the cockpit of the transport.
“Don’t know,” he replied. “But we can’t just off them like Jones did the one in Cairo. That was wrong.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Tracy sounded disappointed.
“How’s Jules?” Shane turned his attention to the barracks.
“She’s asleep,” Tracy replied. “As you should be, so get in there.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll wake Steve in a couple of hours, then I’ll get some more rest.” The tough girl’s tone demanded he let her relieve him. “You’re the only one who hasn’t even had a shower.”
Shane’s eyelids drooped. He might fall asleep on his feet if he didn’t lie down soon. Taking a last glance at the tarmac, he welcomed the thought of a few hours of peace. He put a hand on Tracy’s shoulder and squeezed before entering the building. His sneakers squeaked on the polished concrete floor and he stopped, not wanting to disturb the blissful quiet of the familiar room.
He remembered having concerns when Jones originally assigned them to these barracks, especially with the past conflicts between his team and the others. However, after a few weeks of training, the large, open room had become home sweet home. He’d passed out hard in here quite a few times after an intense day of training, and now the peaceful sounds of the teenagers from his team and the Russians sleeping lulled him toward the rack.
Taking off his shoes, he walked silently towards Kelly’s bunk. Laura sat in a chair next to her. She’d found a glow stick leftover from when they’d done their night training, and it provided just enough light to see by. She looked up and gave him a weary smile.
“Has she stirred?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” Laura replied. “But I think she’ll be alright.”
“You can get some rest now,” he said, sitting on the edge of Kelly’s mattress.
Laura surveyed him for a long moment, appearing to assess him with her nurturing gaze. The rolled-up sleeve of her black sweatshirt exposed the stub of her right arm. Seeming satisfied he was doing as well as could be expected, she stood with a low groan. She scratched the bandage around her arm. The device Dr. Blain gave her to regrow it must’ve stopped working when the power went out.
“Sorry about your arm,” Shane said.
“Whatever,” she said, though her manner let on that it bothered her a great deal. “Least I still have one.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure out how to get the power back, then Dr. Blain will finish healing you.”
“If she’s even alive,” Laura replied. She sat on the lower bunk on the opposite side of the quad. “If they were on that sub and their power went out, wouldn’t they have sunk?”
“Don’t know,” Shane replied distantly.
He hadn’t given much thought to Lily and Dr. Blain, who’d stayed with the sub that had dropped the Americans, the Russians, and Jones off in Charleston. Laura pressed her lips together, concern clear on her face. She seemed to find strength in worrying about everyone else, like it was what kept her going.
“Hopefully, there’ll still be hot water left in the pipes,” she said, pointing toward the bathroom.
Shane nodded. He was so tired he didn’t care about cleaning up. But, with Tracy’s earlier hint and now this, he figured he must look and smell bad.
The hot water was gone, though he was almost too numb with exhaustion to notice. After showering, he found his old toothbrush and brushed his teeth.
Back in his quad, he found clean clothes in his locker. Steve snored loudly in his bunk. Shane didn’t care for once because he knew even that noise couldn’t keep him awake.
Crossing the aisle, he lay down on the edge of the rack next to Kelly. The glow stick’s fading green light made him think of the thing that had shut off the power. Was Greenie watching them now, deciding what to do with them?
Kelly’s face was relaxed, and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. He took her hand in his and brushed the hair away from her cheek. He’d been so afraid he’d never see her again.
“You get rested,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “You get rested, and then you wake up.” His eyes blurred, and he bit his lip to keep the tears back. “I need you, Kelly. Can’t keep it going without you.”
Shane put his arm over her. His face an inch from hers, he listened to her breathing. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Laura was asleep, embarrassed by his upwelling of emotion.
“Nat’s okay. Everyone’s okay, and the Anunnaki seem to have been beaten,” he said in a soft murmur, resting his head against Kelly’s pillow. “When you wake up, we can start rebuilding.”
He watched her eyelids, hoping for some movement that might indicate she was listening.
“I’ll never be separated from you again, that I promise,” he whispered.
His eyes grew heavier. At first, he fought to keep them open, afraid he’d fall asleep and wake up to find her gone, still on the Anunnaki ship so far away from him.
Exhaustion won out, and he sank into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Shane woke with a start, falling off the bunk onto the floor. He grunted and opened his eyes. Kelly sat and turned, putting her feet on the floor between him and the rack. She looked toward him, but her face was expressionless and her eyes unfocused. Her distant gaze made her seem possessed, like her soul was gone and her empty body was being controlled remotely. Her hand snatched his wrist in a lightning-fast motion, and she held on with an iron grip. Startled, he started to jerk away, but then her eyes locked onto his. He froze, his blood turning to ice. It wasn’t her looking at him—something else was inside Kelly.
“We’ve chosen you to decide everyone’s fate, Shane,” she said, her voice monotone.
“What?” He blinked. “Kelly?”
She didn’t respond. Instead, she released him, her eyes closed, and she slumped back onto the bed.