The Battle: UFOS: The Fusion Series, #2

By Kelly Roberts

A place is safe until it isn't. While the world is under siege, the Warners have little option but to trust the Makai and do what they must to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roberts Publishing
• Release date: Oct 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781956999037

Kelly Roberts

Kelly Roberts is a hugely experienced children's book author who loves creating nonfiction content that will draw in readers of all abilities.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

W hat did he say? Marcy asked, not sure of what she’d heard.

He said those were the Cavalry and our guys, Peter said, pointing towards the lights Sgt. Carter had just shown him. And then he just left!

Is he coming back?

I don’t think so, Peter kept his eyes on the large screen in front of him. The cities would burn for days to come and the sight of millions of people being lifted towards the ships was sickening, he thought. He never felt so helpless; watching them, knowing there was nothing he could do from where they were at. Even if they were up on the surface, he didn’t know of anything they could do to help. But being on the ocean floor definitely made him feel completely useless.

Marcy stared at the screen, glancing back and forth between the mayhem on Earth’s surface level and, watching the lights flicker in space surrounding Earth. She nodded back towards the lights Peter had just pointed out.

So when he says ‘our guys’ does he mean the Makai? she said, obviously confused.

"No, he said we had guys ‘out there too,’ so I think there’s a whole bunch more they haven’t told us, and, God! I hope he’s right! What a frickin’ mess up there!"

Grandpa walked up behind Marcy and spoke quietly. Marcy, Grandma, and I are going to take the kids back to the room. I think this is distressing them far too much.

Marcy turned around and saw the look of horror on their faces, tears rolling down Cammy’s cheeks. Oh, God! she said. Yes, I’ll go, too, Dad. C’mon, kids, let’s go back to our rooms.

I’m going to stay here for a little while, Peter said. Go, and I’ll clean up the picnic mess.

Okay, thanks hon, she replied. She put her arms around Cammy and Rick as Grandpa did the same with Brandy, walking them quickly out of the area.

Peter and John stood watching the screen as the rest of the group left. Peter studied several squares closely, then noticed a pattern.

Look what they’re doing, he said, pointing to one particular square, the city of London. They’re hitting the top of the buildings every once in a while with their lasers, and then there’s an explosion. The people run out, and they snatch them up as they run out. How else could they get large groups of people to leave the safety of their own homes, then to give them something worse to worry about, like blowing up?

This is bad. Really, really bad, John said. The people don’t stand a chance.

God, I wish there were more Makai or Army guys around here we could get more information from, Peter said. It’s so damn frustrating every time something happens - we’re left to guess on most of it.

Sgt. Carter seemed to be pretty helpful.

Yeah, but then he left again, just as shit hit the fan, Peter said. We need to go clean up our mess. I think it’s going to get pretty nuts around here now.

I wonder how big this base is, John said. And if the Makai are going to be able to bring many of those people down here or not? I can’t imagine trying to rescue those folks in the midst of all the ships fighting it out.

From the looks of it, I don’t think there will be many left TO bring down here. Not if this keeps up much longer. Peter looked around at the crowd, now standing close to the screens and talking to one another about the horrible events on the surface.

The men cleared off all the picnic dishes and threw the rest into the trash. What had been the first day of relaxation for everyone turned into a nightmare. On their way back up to their rooms, Peter stopped.

John, he said, lightly grabbing his brother’s arm. He kept his voice down low. We should go to the synthesizer on our floor, and try to make some guns. There’s probably no one there because they’re all down here.

Why do we need guns?

I just think it would be a good idea to have some on hand, just in case either the Greys or Karolians manage to get down here, Peter said, glancing down the corridor.

You think that’s a good idea to have them around your kids?

Well, what about you guys? You and Sarah could keep them in your room.

Yeah, okay, we can try, John said. I don’t know if those machines can make something that sophisticated.

They walked back to their corridor and passed their rooms until they reached the synthesizer. Most of the people were in front of the large screen on their floor, too, watching the chaos on the surface level. Peter stood under the small dome and visualized what he needed.

"I’m aiming for a snub-nosed .38. That should be small enough, but powerful enough, to hide in my pocket, and if we run into any of them, they wouldn’t see it. He pushed the buttons, but nothing happened. A message appeared on the screen that read NO RESULTS.

He tried again and again, but still no results. John took his turn and tried, but to no avail.

Yeah, I don’t think they’re going to let us make an arsenal, Peter, John snickered.

So why did they let you make a pocket knife if they won’t let us make weapons? Peter asked, searching the machine for any additional information that might let him proceed.

Well, I think there’s a huge difference between me sticking an apple with a three-inch blade,  and you firing off a shot that might hit one of these walls and millions of tons of water and pressure crush us like a bunch of bugs down here, he scoffed. We’re on the bottom of the ocean, dude, it’s like you’re not supposed to shoot a gun in an airplane – think of this like a submarine. You don’t want to shoot in a submarine, either. Not unless you want to die!

I know that, smartass! Peter retorted. You don’t have to be such a turd about it. I wasn’t planning on shooting it down here. They said if we need to evacuate, they’d send us to a base near Las Vegas, which if you remember, happens to be on the surface. So there it would be perfectly safe. I never intended for it to be down here. I just don’t think we’re going to have that many opportunities to try and make a gun without someone seeing us, so that’s why I wanted to at least try it now, while everyone is distracted.

Well, obviously they have restrictions on it ‘cuz we can’t make it, John calmed down.

And by the way, you could easily stick that knife into someone just as much as you could an apple, so it’s a weapon, too. I was just asking why they allow that weapon, but not this one.

Okay, okay, John looked around, suddenly paranoid. Hey, I wonder if they have cameras on these things. You know, like an ATM has? So even if we were able to make ‘em, we might get caught anyway.

Oh, screw it. I don’t know. I just thought it was worth a try. I’m going to go back to the family, Peter patted John on the shoulder as they headed back to their rooms. The kids were pretty shook up. As far as I know, we’re still working on the weapon assembly tomorrow. You guys going?

Yeah, we’ll be there. I think they’ll need a bunch more now. I’m gonna go back and have a drink. That shit on the surface is really bad.

Sounds like a good idea. See you tomorrow, Peter said as he went to his room.

He could hear sobbing as he opened the door. Marcy had her arm around Brandy on one end of the couch, while Grandma held Cammy, and Rick sat on Grandpa’s lap. All three children were crying, and as Peter walked into the room, each of the adults looked up to him with the same look on their faces - that look of futility. But before Peter could say a word, a female voice came over the speaker system.

Attention everyone, the voice said. Please listen carefully. The activity on the surface has taken a more urgent turn, and we ask all who are able to please assist us in the assembly of the weapons and bracelets beginning tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. We ask that anyone aged eighteen and over can assist with the weaponry, and those aged five and above can assist with the bracelets.  We appreciate your help and...

Peter looked at his family and interrupted the message as she gave the room numbers where they would work since they were already aware of the location. He sat down on the coffee table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

I know you kids are upset, he said, looking at all three of them. We are, too. It’s very, very upsetting to see that many people being taken. And I have an idea. Rick, Cammy, I know you guys have been keeping busy with Grandma, but the lady just said you’re old enough that you could help assemble the bracelets. Would you like to help Mom and Brandy do that each day? And maybe you, too, Jan? He looked at Grandma, then back at the kids.

Absolutely! Grandma said. We could do that, right kids?

Yeah, I want to, Rick said, wiping his nose. I don’t feel like seeing any more movies.

Me either, Cammy said. I want to do bracelets with you guys.

Okay, Peter said. I think that would help a lot. And then that way, we’ll all know that we’re doing as much as we can, because all the people the Makai are going to go save are going to go to bases like this one. And they’ll each need a bracelet, so they’re going to need a bunch of them.

Marcy smiled at the kids and said, I think that’s great that they put that message out there to everyone because, like the Bixleys, they hadn’t heard the previous message. So now we’ll probably have a lot more people, especially now that we know the younger kids can help.

Yeah, I’m glad they clarified that, Peter said. He looked back at the kids and reached his hand over to pat Brandy’s arm. Things are going to get a little crazy for a while, guys. For whatever reason, the Greys and Karolians really stepped it up. But Sgt. Carter showed me some new ships that are headed this way and he said they were OUR ships. In fact, he said they were ‘the Cavalry.’ Do you know what the Cavalry is?

Yeah, Rick said. It’s the Army guys who ride in and save everyone, right? His eyes were puffy from crying.

Pretty much, Peter smiled. He said they’d be here in a few days. Now, I’m not saying I know what’s going to happen, because I don’t. But I can guess. Right now, we’re pretty much getting our butt kicked up there by the bad aliens. But if the Cavalry is coming, like he said, then he knows something we don’t, because he was calling them that and he was smiling. So that tells me maybe we have some pretty good ships, too, and maybe we can kick some butt, right?

Right, Cammy smiled.

I hope so, Brandy said, picking at her jeans. ’Cuz if we don’t, the Greys are pretty much going to own Earth. I mean, nothing seems to stop them.

Honey, Peter looked straight into her eyes, I want you to remember one thing about us humans. We don’t give up. We don’t run from a fight, even if it’s with aliens. It goes against our nature to run. So it might take time, but one way or another, we’ll win. And we’re lucky to have the Makai here to help us. God, we’re REALLY lucky to be here, right here on this base, and we can help everyone by assembling the stuff we all need.

That’s true, Marcy said, stroking Brandy’s hair.

So instead of feeling helpless, Peter continued, I want you to all think about how important it is to help put the bracelets together and we’ll do our part, okay? And if they need us for something else, we’ll help with that, too. Okay?

They all agreed. Peter smiled and then added, There’s one more thing I want you all to remember and never forget. We are a family and we are strong. We’ve already gone through a lot, just like millions of other people have. And sometimes it’s hard, and sometimes it’s really stressful, but we’re still here. We didn’t cave and we didn’t give up. And we never will. We’ll do whatever we need to and we’ll stay strong, and nothing they do can change that. Okay?

Okay, they said in unison.

Okay, Peter said.

The following morning, they reported to their designated rooms along with John’s group. Marcy looked around and noticed the room for bracelet assembly was packed with people of all ages. She was glad to see so many more had come in to help. She saw Judith Bixley come through the door and waved her over to their table.

Hey, Judith, she said. Do you want to sit with us?

Oh, that’d be great, thank you, she said. I haven’t done these before.

We’ll show you, Grandma said. They’re super easy and go really fast. She showed Judith how to snap the oval into the metal bracelet, then placed it in the bin.

I see you finally got yours, Marcy said, pointing to the bracelet on Judith’s wrist. Did you get your laser pen - thing, too?

Yes, thank you! Sgt. Carter was very helpful, she said. I’m glad to see so many people in here helping.

Yeah, me too, Marcy said. I’m wondering just how big this base is. They’re still bringing people down, so I think they’re going to have to open up more rooms like this pretty soon ‘cuz we’re getting full in here.

As they worked, Ban instructed the group again as newcomers continued to flow in, until finally, there was no room for anyone to sit. A wall was slid open to expose another adjacent room where bins were already waiting on the tables. That room, too, filled up fast.

When the shift ended, the group met in the food court area and they kept their eyes focused on the large screen with the Earth surface events happening in the lower boxes, while the upper screen showed the activity beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Peter and John paid close attention to the cluster of lights Sgt. Carter had identified as ‘our guys’ coming to the rescue. Since their ships still seemed to be so far off, Peter wondered how it was they could be there in just a few days, as Sgt. Carter had said.

Marcy looked around the large room as their group ate dinner. Anyone got a clue how many people are down here now? she asked.

I don’t know, but there’s at least several thousand, Peter said. They keep bringing full ships down here several times a day from along the coast.

Well, just think, John added, this is only one base. They said they’re evacuating folks to all of their bases, and looking at the millions of people on the surface that are being taken by the Greys and Karolians, it makes you wonder how many bases do the Makai have. And is it enough?

Just then, Peter saw Sgt. Carter with a tray of food looking for a place to sit and waved him over. Peter pulled over a chair and invited him to join the group, which he gladly accepted.

Thanks, he said. I thought I was going to be eating standing up there for a minute. How are you folks doing?

Well, Peter said, and then he pointed to the large screen on the wall, much better than those folks. How’s the evacuations going? You guys seem to be bringing a lot of folks down here, which is good, but God! The scenes up there are just horrific!

Yeah, Sgt. Carter held his food on his fork and put it back down towards his plate so he could answer. Worldwide, as of this afternoon, we were averaging about one million evacuees per day around the world, all being transported to bases like this. He took his bite while he had the chance.

Wow! Marcy said. How many bases are there, anyway?

That, I’m not sure, he said. But I know between the Makai and the Army, we’re building more and more as we speak. We have to. He pointed to the screen with his fork. You can see what the Greys are doing. With the Karolians helping them, they’ve literally started to decimate some of our cities, and the amount of people they’re taking is mindboggling. We’re just trying to stop the bleeding at this point, and we’re barely making a dent.

You said the other night that the Cavalry was coming, Peter said. Our guys, remember? Are there enough of them to make any difference?

Sgt. Carter finished chewing then spoke in a quieter tone. Yeah, I have to be careful how much I share, but I want you guys to know we’re not defeated yet, okay? We actually have a large fleet, or so I’m told, but I don’t know a lot of the details about them. All I know is what I’ve been told, through the grapevine, so to speak. Apparently we’ve had a fleet since the late ‘60s.

Yep! Grandpa huffed. I told you guys!

Dad, shhh, Marcy hushed him before his ‘the-government-is-lying-to-us-about-all-of-this’ rant got started, again. Let him finish.

Well, I don’t really know a lot more than that, Sgt. Carter said. I just know that the Makai and all of our military – heck, every military around the world, in every country – have been flooded with attacks and aggressions from the Greys and Karolians, and we’re outnumbered to a large degree, even WITH the extra Makai that came to help. If it had just remained the Greys we had to deal with, I think we could have put them down by now, but when they called in the Karolians, that changed the numbers. So we called our guys back to come help.

Let’s hope they have some really good weapons on board! John said.

Marcy raised her hand part way to get his attention. I’m sorry, Sergeant. It seems all we do is pepper you with questions.

Oh, not at all! he smiled. You’re not asking me anything I haven’t been asking my superiors. Plus, I know how frustrating it is to want answers and not know who to ask, so go ahead. I’ll answer what I can.

In that case, Peter smiled. How big is this base? We see more and more people coming in, but aren’t we about filled up?

Well, yes and no, Sgt. Carter said, leaning back in his chair. There’re roughly ten floors here now, and yes, they are filling up fast. But...the Makai can build new floors very quickly, and they’ve been adding extra areas over the past two weeks.

How can they build them so quickly? Marcy asked.

Hell, we’re on the ocean floor, Peter quipped. How can they build them down here at all? That’s the real question.

Yeah, I know, Sgt. Carter laughed. Welcome to the new world we live in! I have to pinch myself daily just to make sure I’m not dreaming, some of this stuff is just so crazy! In answer to your question, though, well heck, you guys are in construction, right? You know how long it takes us – us Earthlings, Americans, whatever – to say, build a house. At the minimum, weeks, right?

Right, Peter said. The rest of his group nodded their heads in agreement.

Okay, so the Makai can build something like that in about two days, AND it be ready to move into! Heck, it might not even take them that long. I’ve seen them make rooms on one whole long corridor in one day.

Wow! But how? John asked.

Well, you know those synthesizer things? Sgt. Carter went on. They have a much bigger set of those things in their work area, and they can create walls, dividers, ceilings, furniture, you name it. Everything you’d need, and in a matter of minutes. Then it just takes someone to put them in place. So take this base, for example. They start by making the pieces that make up a hallway, the rooms, and so on. Then they have to excavate the area where they’re going to put it, like right now this base sits on the ocean floor, but at the bottom of a large canyon. The Makai are excavating into the rock and literally digging back towards the coastline so the base will be part in water, and part in...like a cave. They can go as far as they want in that direction, or at least until they run into any fault lines, and then they might have to divert from there. To be honest, I just handle the civilian side of things down here – I’m not involved with all of that construction, but I thought it was pretty fascinating when they were telling me about it.

God! That’s just amazing, Marcy said. So they can just keep expanding as they need?

Yeah, pretty much, Sgt. Carter said. Plus with the smaller synthesizers, we can manufacture or produce whatever we need down here, you know, food, clothing, all that stuff. Which explains how they were able to keep hidden from all of us for so darn long!

Well, hidden from the general population, you mean, Grandpa piped in. But apparently they were already working with at least our government, and probably a lot more around the world.

Sgt. Carter nodded in agreement.

Do you work on all the floors here? Grandma asked, trying to ward Grandpa off his subject.

No, no, he said. I’m assigned pretty much just to this floor, which is enough, believe me. I do want to give you folks a head’s up, though. Since we have so many coming down here each day, we’re going to start giving instructions on a regular basis about the weapons and bracelets, not only the need for volunteers, but also in how to use them. We want to make sure folks are ready to use the bracelets without hesitation in case of an emergency, you know, if we had to evacuate or something. And, how to use the weapons effectively.

Wait, Marcy said, why would we need to evacuate? I thought we were pretty safe down here?

Oh, we are, Sgt. Carter said. "Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we will evacuate. But with all things, we need to make sure everyone is versed on what to do in case we have a problem. Right now, we’re dealing with the Greys and Karolians, but that’s not to say they won’t call someone else in. I mean, we have no way of telling. And we do have some kind of a shield around this base, and all the other bases, but there’s always a chance they could penetrate that shield. I mean, it’s not likely, but we have to think of all possibilities, so we have evacuation plans in case we need them."

Brandy shot a look at Marcy, her eyebrows furrowed as she realized she wasn’t as safe as she thought she was. Sgt. Carter noticed and spoke up quickly.

Don’t worry, ma’am, he said. I know what you folks have been through, and if I ever thought there was a problem we couldn’t handle down here, I’ll come find you and make sure you’re safe, okay? I don’t want you worrying about it. I’m just letting you know of the announcements we got coming up so you hear it from me first and don’t panic when you hear them. They’re kind of like going on a cruise and they make you do the drill with life jackets, just so you know what to do in case you need ‘em. See?

Okay, Brandy said slowly, not convinced at all.

CHAPTER TWO

The Warners and their group continued to work on the bracelets and weapons for the next three days, disturbed nightly at the dinner table of the ongoing chaos they saw on the large screen. Cities continued to burn and unconscious bodies lifted into the air by enemy ships, with occasional battles by the Makai, as they tried to intervene and snatch the helpless victims from the enemy’s grasp.

A strange quiet fell over the crowd in this undersea refuge. Many felt guilt for being in a protected environment, while they watched millions more taken in the skies above. Unable to change the events on the land surface, the residents of the base took on a subdued acceptance that there wasn’t much to be done about it. Soon, some occupants began to complain that there wasn’t enough entertainment, schooling for their children, or activities to occupy their time. After the pressure began to build, Sgt. Carter sought out the Warners at dinner to ask their help.

Thanks for meeting with me, Sgt. Carter said, nodding to the entire group.

Gosh, no need to thank us, Peter smiled. You’re one of the family! You look bothered, though, what’s up?

Sgt. Carter pushed his plate aside. You guys have seen the screen, the abductions going on. He looked over at the large screen and nodded his head towards it. People are starting to get really frustrated because we’re all down here, safe, and we can see what’s going on up there. And there’s nothing we can do about all that up there.

Right, Peter said. It’s hard to watch, but the good part is, you guys are bringing a lot of those folks down here after you rescue them.

Yeah, but the complaint I’m hearing most is that there’s no structure down here, you know, school, entertainment, that kind of thing. Personally, I don’t think they’re bored. I think they’re stressed, and that’s the way it’s coming out. It’s a typical pattern, and the next step is usually worse.

"Well, I have