The New World: UFOS: The Fusion Series, #3

By Kelly Roberts

New life. New beginnings. New threats. The fusion begins...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roberts Publishing
• Release date: Oct 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781956999044

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

As Marcy cleaned her kitchen counter, she turned the news up to hear the status on events. Things had been so hectic, she had trouble keeping track of what day it was, and certainly hadn’t had the time lately to hear what was going on in the city or country around her. She’d only heard tidbits here and there from Peter as he and John came home from work, but she hadn’t ventured into town on her own. It seemed almost dangerous to do so, with so many people returning home after evacuating to numerous bases like her family had to do, or for those who had been abducted, and only now were being delivered back to familiar territory.

She paused for a minute as she listened to the news anchor. ...and the Mayor said it’s going to be a few more weeks before all of the water and electricity are restored. That’s their main focus right now with the summer months approaching. Obviously, folks are wondering when they can get back to their businesses, do the shopping that they need, that sort of thing, he said, but the  Mayor asks for patience and reminds everyone that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we’re not going to be able to rebuild San Diego in a day.

She turned it off and walked into the back of the house to get the kids. It was time for their school studies, which they held at the dining room table, since none of the schools were open yet and wouldn’t be for several more months. They followed her back down the hallway and sat at the table, then opened their books and turned their tablets on.

I’ll be right back, Marcy said, heading out the back door to the work room they’d set up in their backyard. She leaned against the glass door to the small building and smiled at her parents. Looks like you guys got an early start. You want some coffee?

Grandma turned around and reached her hand out to pat Marcy’s. Oh, I’m good, hon, she said. Thank you, though. Grandpa wheeled his chair backwards till he reached her, then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

We got ten cities done already this morning, he said. It’s going like clockwork!

That’s great, Dad! Marcy smiled. Keep up the good work! I’ll see you guys later, but let me know if you need anything.

Marcy’s parents seemed to be the most well-adjusted out of all of them, she thought, after nearly eighteen months of this nightmare. After the Greys and Karolians were chased away, there were so few people returning immediately to help get things restored and ready for families to return. Even though they had to wait an additional three weeks to return, Peter and John were able to come back sooner and help towards restoring the water and power to much of the county. But there was still a tremendous amount of work to get done, and she wondered if life would ever get back to some sort of normalcy.

Her first job was to help the kids get going on their school, then take over for her parents and get the much needed food distributed to cities and towns across the West Coast sector. Sgt. Carter had entrusted the whole family to help with the distribution since it was Peter’s idea to begin with, and still incredibly shorthanded, he relied on them to help on numerous projects. Sarah was ready to begin work on getting the animal food distributed, and now after a month of working at it, they all seemed to glide into their routine easily.

Peter had left for work bright and early that morning, John by his side. Marcy was amazed that with all they had been through, too, they never complained. They just pitched right in and helped with whatever needed to be done, whether that was building the domes, going on raids to rescue people, or now in the rebuilding of their city. She knew he still fought the emotional demons from their capture and all the torture the Karolians subjected them to, but he didn’t speak of it. He always tried to find the bright side of an issue and point it out, or change the energy of it from a negative to a positive.

She sat down at the table and looked over her notes for the kid’s school work. Okay, Cammy, she began. I’ve got two sheets of math and a science page I want you to work on. Rick, I think we’re still missing that page you were going to do on social studies, and Brandy, you’ve got your algebra and your history assignment. Do any of you need help?

No, Mom, Brandy said. Brandy’s daughter, Lilah, sat in the high chair next to her. I still say algebra sucks, and I hate it.

Well, Marcy smiled, I couldn’t do people’s taxes if I didn’t know algebra, and I’m pretty sure you won’t be allowed to fly Makai fighter jets if you don’t know it either. So let that be your incentive, right?

Oh, I’ll do it, Brandy laughed, but it still sucks!

Sarah came through the door, Tess on her hip as she juggled with her bag coming into the dining room. Hey, guys, she said. I just saw the Bixleys out front. They said to tell you hello.

I’m so glad they made it through all of this, Marcy said. You want some coffee?

No, thanks, Sarah said. I’m going to go get started. I connected with a bunch of ranchers up in Montana yesterday, so I want to get their stuff out there to them. One guy was so grateful, he started crying, it was so sad. He’s got over four hundred head of cattle and no feed, so I’m sending him enough for several months.

Thank God for synthesizers, right? Marcy said. And thank God for the Makai for making them!

Hey, Sarah continued, did you hear the new term for our babies floating around? Now they’re calling them Star Children, or Star Child.

Marcy stared at her for a moment, trying to register what she was saying, Well, I guess it’s better than ‘hybrid baby.’ And, it makes sense. If one parent is alien and one parent is human, I don’t know, what do you think?

Apparently it’s been a term used by Native Americans for a long time, she said So, I guess if they don’t mind, I don’t. I don’t call them either. I just call them babies.

True.

Sarah left her bag in the corner, and took Tess with her out to the work room where she had a playpen already set up for her. That way she could keep an eye on her, so as not to impose on everyone else, and still get her work done.

She liked her and John’s ‘mini-room,’ as she called it, that they’d made for the backyard. Although it wasn’t a very large cabana, it gave them all the privacy they needed. But she knew if they were going to remain in the San Diego area, instead of going back to Idaho, they should probably find their own place. It was still hard to tell which house was truly vacant, versus, it was only vacant temporarily, as people were still finding their way back home.

After saying hello to Doug and Jan, she settled in at her screen and began setting up the food deliveries for the ranchers. She’d worked at a lot of jobs over her lifetime, but this was the most fulfilling. She knew how desperate they were to feed their livestock and she only wished she could get more out to them quicker. She had managed to get food by the tons delivered to feed stores throughout the West Coast sector already, but she knew some of these ranchers, like the ones she was dealing with today, had no means to get it delivered to them. Some of the ranches were too remote, or the highways were still damaged and trucks couldn’t get through to them.

They’d managed to put up a website for ranchers to send in their needs, and whether it was an emergency or urgent. She was saddened to see how many animals were almost near starvation due to the breakdown of the supply chain. The Greys and Karolians had engaged in a literal ‘scorched Earth’ agenda right before they gave up and went home, but the damage they did was going to take months to repair, or even longer in some areas.

Marcy took a large roast out of the refrigerator and set it on the kitchen counter. She rubbed her spices on it and placed it in a baking pan, then into the oven. She was so relieved that they were now able to add meat to the food distribution, instead of just canned chicken or tuna. People knew enough now to go immediately after the food was dispursed to grab what they needed, and nothing perishable was ever left over.

She looked at the clock, then went to double check on the kids and see if they needed any help with their homework. Bear lay under the table, her large, furry body nudged up against everyone’s feet as she slept. Before she had a chance to talk to the kids, Lilah turned her head towards the front door and pointed, then looked at Brandy and grunted.

Brandy didn’t take her eyes off her computer screen, which seemed to irritate Lilah, causing her to repeat the same actions.

What’s up with that? Marcy asked.

Brandy looked up at Marcy, then at Lilah. What honey? she asked.

Lilah grunted twice more, her little hand pointing towards the door. Stay here, Marcy said. She went to the front door and peered out the large window to the side. Not seeing anyone at her door, she looked out on the street. She could barely see past the overgrown bush in front of the window, but could see a man standing across the street, staring at the house. She watched him for a few moments as he looked up and down the street, as if he was checking to see if anyone was watching him, then stared back at Marcy’s house. After several minutes, he finally left, but Marcy couldn’t see how far down the block he went. She stepped out onto the porch just in time to see him go into one of the houses at the end of the block. So he’s one of my neighbors, who seems to feel the need to stare at my house, she thought.

She locked the front door and went back to the kids. Has anyone seen one of our neighbors staring at the house? she asked.

No, Brandy said. Is that what she was pointing at?

I don’t know, Marcy said, but that was the only thing I saw. Some neighbor from down the block just standing there, staring at our house. Kind of creepy, too. You guys keep an eye out, just in case. I don’t recognize him, so I’m not sure what he’s up to.

Interesting that she was able to know something was out there, though, Brandy said, reaching her hand over to touch Lilah’s cheek. She bent her head down and kissed her on her forehead. Did you see him out there, sweetie? she asked Lilah. But Lilah just looked at her and smiled slightly.

They finished school over the next two hours. Marcy and Brandy switched places with the grandparents so they could start their shift, while the grandparents babysat Lilah and the other kids. Sarah did her portion on and off during the day, taking a break to put Tess down for a nap or to grab a bite to eat. The roast was finally done, and they all sat down to dinner a few minutes after eight o’clock, just as Peter, John and Sgt. Ben Carter came walking through the front door.

I was just about to knock when they pulled into the driveway, Ben said. Thanks for the dinner invitation. I’ll never turn down a good meal!

One of the first things they did after getting settled in was to synthesize a new, and much larger, dining table. Now with Marcy’s family of six, John, Sarah, and Tess, the grandparents and Ben, they needed one.

Brandy sat Lilah down in her highchair, and as she did, Lilah reached her arm up and pointed towards the door, just as she had earlier. Brandy was busy strapping her in, and didn’t see her do it, but Marcy did. She immediately realized Lilah was sensing someone outside again, and a mental image of the man who had stood across the street and stared at her house flashed in her mind.

Grandma was just coming out of the bathroom when someone knocked on the door. Marcy heard it, but couldn’t get up from her chair fast enough to get to the door before Grandma did. As Grandma opened it, Marcy darted towards the door, just in time to see the same man she’d seen earlier, push her mother hard enough to knock her backwards and down to the ground.

Where is it? the man yelled at Grandma.

Marcy got to him in four strides, and before he could take one more step into the house, she balled her fist and punched him in the face as hard as she could, yelling, You son-of-a-bitch! She heard a loud crack and blood spurted from his nose, all over her tile floor, Grandma’s feet, and down his shirt.

The man stumbled back against the door, and as Marcy jumped in between her mother on the floor and the man, Peter, John, Grandpa, and Ben all rushed to the entryway, trying to manuever past Marcy and Grandma to grab the man and help Grandma up off the floor.

CHAPTER TWO

W hat the hell is going on? Peter demanded. Marcy? Who is this guy?

I don’t know, she said, fuming. He was out front a while ago, just staring at the house.

You broke my nose! the man mumbled. His hand covered his face, the blood trickling through his fingers and onto the floor.

YEAH? WELL YOU PUSHED MY MOM, YOU DUMB BASTARD! Marcy yelled. She checked her Mom quickly, then, Are you okay, Mom?

Yes, Grandma said. Just a little shaky.

Ben was already on the phone with the police. The cops will be here in a couple of minutes, he said.

Peter blocked the door so the man couldn’t leave, just as John manuevered to the other side of him so he couldn’t dart down the hallway. Realizing he was about to be arrested, he tried to talk his way out of the mess he was in. I’m sorry, he said. I got carried away.

Yeah, I’d say so! Peter said. What the hell’s wrong with you, pushing a lady like that?

I just wanted her to move, the man said. You’re the one I came to talk to. I’ve seen what you guys are doing...every day you load up your truck with building stuff, and tools. Where are you getting all this stuff? I need stuff, too! You got a synthesizer, don’t you? And you’re not sharing it!

Marcy shot a look at Ben. This was exactly what she was afraid of, people causing trouble and trying to get their hands on the synthesizer in their backyard.

Ben stepped closer to take responsibility for the problem. We’ve made synthesizers available for everyone to use, he said. There’s one over at the police station, not five minutes from here. You can use that one.

It’s not the same, the man said. Why do they get their own?

Because they’re doing government work, asshole, Ben said sharply. Not that it’s any of your damn business why. Have you had any of that food out there that is free for you to take? He thrust his arm towards the door, pointing in the direction of the food crates half way down the block.

Yeah, why? the man asked, gently feeling the damage done to his nose.

Because if it weren’t for these folks, you wouldn’t have that food, that’s why! So instead of busting through their door and assaulting her mother, why don’t you say thank you instead, and pull your head out of your ass!

Marcy was so proud of Ben and his aggression, but she almost broke a smile at his sudden temper. She’d never seen him angry at all, let alone furious like he was now.

They’re the ones who thought up the whole idea of distributing food! Ben continued. The synthesizer they have is for that, and they’re in charge of sending food out to every city and town for the whole west section of the country! THAT’S what they’re doing with it, not to mention helping to rebuild this county, you dumb ass!

A policeman came to the door, and after several minutes of explaining to him what happened, he led the man away from the house and put him into the squad car and drove off. It took several minutes for everyone to stop talking over one another and begin to calm down. Grandma was not injured, but as she sat down and tried to sip her water, her hand was shaking too much to hold the glass. Grandpa sat down next to her and gently rubbed his hand across her back, trying to calm her. Marcy went to the kitchen and brought out a bottle of rum and poured a small drink for Grandma to sip on. A few minutes passed and she finally stopped shaking, and then began to chuckle. Everyone stopped talking to look at her, wondering if she’d hit her head in her fall.

You okay, Mom? Marcy asked, very confused and concerned. ’Cuz...you’re laughing! What are you laughing at?

I was laughing at the mess you made of his nose! she giggled. I didn’t know you had it in you!

Oh, Marcy said, well, I didn’t think about it, I just saw him push you and that’s what came out.

Has anyone else pulled something like this? Ben asked. Any trouble, other than him? He was worried, not sure if this man told anyone else the synthesizer was there, or if he was simply acting alone.

No, Marcy said. He said he’d seen Peter and John loading all their stuff every day, so I have no idea how long he’s been watching the house. But I saw him out there a few hours ago just standing across the street and staring at the house. He didn’t come over or anything, in fact, he went back home. But for him to come back tonight just minutes after they got home, he’s obviously keeping an eye on the house for when you guys come and go. What a creep!

He sounds like a loner, Ben said.

A what? Peter asked.

A loner, Ben continued. That’s what they’re calling some of these folks now that are trying to take whatever they can. They don’t help anyone rebuild, don’t particpate in anything, just take. Some of them have been caught trying to run a black market with some of the food, or they’ll go get some things synthesized at the police station, then turn around and try to sell it to people in a parking lot, or on a street corner, that kind of thing, when the folks could get it free themselves. Most of these guys are just out to make a buck.

Wonderful, Grandma said sarcastically. I suggest we eat dinner while we talk, before it gets too cold. She began to pass the food for everyone to take what they wanted and pass it on.

Do you think he’ll be back? Marcy asked, but directed her question to Ben.

Um, ordinarily, I’d say yes, he said, but after you busted his face up, I kind of doubt it. Plus, he’s on the police radar now, so we’ll see what charges they put on him tonight. It’ll either snap him out of it, or it’ll piss him off even more, so you need to be prepared for that, too.

We don’t have a lock on the synthesizer door, Marcy said. Peter, do you suppose you could put one on there, just in case this guy decides to hop the fence and come use it when we’re asleep or gone?

Yeah, I can do that, he said. I think we should put a couple of cameras up in front and back, too. If he does come back, I’d like proof of it to give it to the police and add to his charges.

Yeah, not a bad idea, Ben said. Not to change the subject, but I have some news for everyone. Since we’ve all been back, my bosses and all the other head honchos have been setting up plans to get things...well, in our country at least...caught up, and ahead of the game on some things.

Like what? John asked. I thought that’s what we were doing with all the rebuilding.

Well, yeah, Ben said. But I’m talking about bigger stuff. One of the things, for example, is the massive expansion of the Space Fleet. They’re going to basically take most of the budget that was initially set aside for regular aircraft and weapons – the stuff we’d use to fight each other – and instead put it towards building more of the Eagle Space Fleet and fighters. And I mean a LOT more ships and weapons, and better, stronger weapons at that.

It’s about time! Grandpa snapped. They should have done that a long time ago, and maybe we wouldn’t have had to go through all this shit for the past year and a half!

I completely agree, Ben said. I think they were more involved with exploration with what ships they had, and not expecting an invasion. Now they know better, and they know this isn’t going to be the only invasion we have.

Shit! What do you mean, not the only one? Marcy asked. Is there someone else coming now, too?

No, no, Ben said quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there is one we know of on the way. They’re assuming that since one, um two species, got together to invade us and partner up, there’s nothing to say we won’t face a similar problem down the road. We have no idea who else the Greys might call upon to come help them if they come back. Or maybe the Karolians don’t want to help the Greys again, but the Greys pull in help from a more aggressive species. These guys, these aliens, must talk to each other and probably spread the word much like we do, so there’s no way to tell who they might brag to, or side with, to come at us again. That’s why one of the projects is going to build more ships, but also to train pilots and fighters, or raiders, much like what you guys were doing before.

Marcy looked at Peter, realizing there was nothing she could say to dissuade him from signing up, if given the chance. Although it was dangerous work to go rescue the abducted, he thrived at it. He smiled at her and knew she wouldn’t try to stop him. They’d already had this conversation, and when it came down to it, he won.

Count me in, John said.

Well, Sarah hesitated, normally I’d say me, too, but now that we have Tess, I can’t just leave her and go off everyday. I’d need to stay here, but maybe there’s something else I could help with.

You can still keep doing the food drops, Ben said. That’s not going to end anytime soon, especially if they start pulling people in from all over the country to build ships. There’s more, though. That’s just one of the projects. Another is the continued work in getting things rebuilt, so John, you and Peter would need to decide if you want to keep doing that, or join the other program. Either of them is full time, so you can’t do both, they won’t let you split your time that way.

Is that all? Marcy asked. She knew Ben well enough by now that she could tell there was more on his mind.

Ben smiled at her. Nope, he laughed. "There’s more. The other project is a shield. Now, that’s not one you guys can help with or do anything about. But all the domes we put up last year, those are mostly destroyed, thanks to the aliens blasting the crap out of