Blurred Vision: Seven billion voices about to be silenced Page 4
‘See what?’ James continued, frustrated. ‘What did they want us to see?’
‘Didn’t you see what they were carrying?’ said Mark, raising his defeated voice at them all. The shock in his face dragged his weary features downwards. ‘It was Daniel, they were carrying Daniel – and he was in fucking pieces.’
Tom started shaking again. He suddenly screamed at the top of his voice as the realisation struck what was left of his sanity. He grabbed clumps of his thick hair and began swinging his elbows wildly. James swiftly moved to calm him again. He placed his hand over Tom’s mouth, half stifling the cries as they both fell to the floor, their knees squirming in the grease as they fought one another.
Mark glanced at Hargreaves; his brown eyes swam with an intense seriousness as he stared deep. For the first time the Professor could see the fear etched on the General’s wrinkled face. They each knew what the other was thinking.
‘Why did he think that he could escape?’ asked John as he dropped his gaze. ‘He never stood a chance.’ He pulled the parka jacket’s hood over his head in an effort to mask his obvious distress. ‘Stupid bastard, why didn’t he listen?’
Chapter 2: Forced Hands – Daniel’s Story
THE glowing lights disappeared in an instant. Daniel lay there naked, dazed. He wept, as everything that had happened to him coursed through his mind all at once; it was a lot to take in, he was having trouble comprehending it himself. He climbed unsteadily to his feet, hunching as he embraced his slim torso to keep the cold chill at bay. He looked around to see where he was. A sudden, sharp pain forced his eyes down towards his right hand; a memory flash reminded him of being grabbed and thrown. A steam trail of breath rose into the dark sky as a rough cry left his cracked lips. His vision was hazy due to the tears that were corrupting his eyes. His throat – dry from all the screaming he had done – desperately craved moisture.
He couldn’t stop shaking as a fierce wind shot through his wet hair. Every follicle on his body promptly reacted, standing to attention. The stinging in his hand intensified as the air pierced the deep lacerations that bled profusely. With his left hand he gripped the injured limb in an attempt to stem the blood flow.
The heavy rain pounded the road, reducing the visibility and blanketing the night. Passing cars scared the terrified man into an insane wreck as he spun left, then right; the jarring car horns were a cruel intrusion upon his fragile state, affecting his bearings. He narrowed his sore eyes almost to the point of closure. In the distance he could see several fuzzy yellowy lights advancing. His shivering body froze solid as the fear rocketed through his skinny frame. My God, they’re coming back for me.
As the lights grew closer, so did the rumbling. Daniel silently cried out from his rasping throat, cowering as he shielded his face with goose-pimpled forearms. The lights became brighter, but the noise slowed into a gentle throbbing. Cautiously, he peeled his bare arms away from his quivering face. His eyes squinted at the powerful beams in front of him, forcing his head to turn away in an abrupt manner.
‘Hey, hey! What the hell are you doing, mate… are you alright?’ asked a deep voice from within the lights.
Daniel whimpered as the brightness stung his salty eyes; he focused his vision, straining as he peered through the gaps in his open hand. It was just a man in a car, he was safe. He collapsed onto the freezing tarmac and began to sob. His sanity was almost at breaking point. Suddenly, a high pitched sound – like static interference – drove through his skull. He clasped his head with both hands, desperate to keep out the horrific noise. His nose began to bleed heavily, running thickly down and over his dry, shrivelled lips. He scrambled to his numb feet, grimacing as the noise pierced his crumbling brain.
He looked to the heavens, spinning in a complete circle as he scanned the sky. Amber and white lights pulsed silently from afar. A large, oval-shaped silhouette tilted as it began to carve its way through the darkness. His bloodshot eyes opened wide, and his mouth fell as he began to stutter.
‘Are you okay, do you need an ambulance?’ asked the young blond-haired stranger again.
Daniel raised his shaking left arm and pointed to the sky. ‘Can’t you see it?’ he asked as his finger fixated on the object. ‘Look, there!’ The tears began to race with the blood that trickled down his pale face. ‘No, leave me alone!’
He twisted his body and began running. The extreme pain in his right hand made him contort violently with every awkward step that he took.
The owner of the car looked to the skies, bemused, before switching his focus back to this bizarre man. He watched as Daniel shrank to a tiny speck as he got farther away. He stood motionless with his hand on top of the car door. A slight vibration underneath his feet – and throughout the car – averted his attention momentarily. With a loud pop that sounded like a gunshot, all of the windows of the red Ford hatchback shattered. The stranger instinctively crouched in shock, protecting himself as cubes of glass showered down, bouncing off the tarmac.
The brightly lit shape hummed as it passed over the top of him. A seamless strip of amber lighting ran around the rim of the 100 metre long craft’s base; the colour glowed in panelled sections underneath the dark shadow, its structure distorted by a wispy vapour. More amber lights – small and pitted – adorned its rim in a double circular row. With ease, it began chasing down the naked man.
The stranger stared in disbelief as the lights stopped 250 yards from where he stooped, unable to comprehend the situation. A luminous blue light emanated from the ship, shooting downwards like a lightning bolt as broken screams echoed in the distance. His green eyes looked around to see if anybody else was witnessing the events. He turned back to where the lights were, but they were gone – and so was the distant, naked figure.
Raucous sounds dominated the room. Daniel opened his eyes gingerly; his cloudy vision gradually started to clear. He gazed round, still in a stupor; he began to tremble as the surroundings became familiar.
The faint orange ceiling light gently tried to penetrate the reddish mist that hung heavily in the air. The smell of rotting flesh suddenly made him gag – it was atrocious. He became aware of the aching in his right hand which, he realised had now been poorly bandaged. The blood from the earlier nosebleed had dried and become matted to his dark stubble. Though the coppery odour that wafted uninvitingly up his nostrils was a welcome relief to the other smells around him.
The heaviness in his mind began to disintegrate as he remembered exactly where he was. In a swift effort he leapt forward, forgetting the pain as he grabbed the steel bars that stood solid before him. His worst fears were confirmed – he was back in one of the six-feet cubed cages that occupied the cargo hold of the alien ship.
‘Let me out of here you fucking grey bastards!’ he shouted.
Instantly, the cage rattled hard as two, long leathery-skinned hands gripped the bars above his own white knuckles. He knelt, frightened as the hands were followed by large black stoney eyes. A slit-like mouth flatlined across its oval face as a hot feeling began to intrude on his thoughts.
That’s right human, that’s why you were selected. Your hatred knows no bounds!
The words of the alien echoed around Daniel’s thumping skull. He struggled to understand how the being spoke, especially since its mouth failed to move. He guessed that it was some form of telepathy, that was the only explanation. With that, the alien shook the cage again as though teasing a tied up pet. Daniel fell onto his backside, still unable to stop the shaking. He squirmed in the dirt, kicking out at the bizarre, grubby little insects that shared the confined space with him.
He couldn’t think straight; his brain felt scrambled. Whimpers and cries emanated from the hundreds of cages that lined the cargo hold. He stretched as tall as possible, and stared across the vast space at the perfectly positioned rows of steel. Each row had a two foot drop below the long stretches of the wide metal walkways. It was like a giant warehouse. Startled, he jumped as four Greys walked across the level grat
ing. He crawled back away from the bars. From the shadows he observed quietly, as the seven-feet tall skinny creatures dragged a huge purple mass out from the corridor. A brown vinegar-like substance trailed behind the smooth lump, followed by six extremely long tendrils with black claws attached to them. He struggled to contain his fear, watching as the tendrils snaked through the wet mess that puddled on the walkway as it passed.
A monstrous roar came from an identical cage opposite, 20 feet across the walkway. He moved even closer to the bars, his face pressed hard into them as he peered through the red tinge. A hulking, purple-skinned figure hunched under the roof of its prison. The same tendrils and black claws had wrapped themselves around the steel and were shaking the cube from side to side. Two golden reptilian eyes stared deep into his soul.
Daniel began laughing hysterically as the madness skipped hand in hand with his snapping sanity. ‘You look like something out of Sesame Street!’ he mocked, pointing to the outraged beast.
The aliens slid the purple mass into a dank corner of the cargo hold. Its bulk exhaled slightly as the low light cast a minimal shadow onto the wall. It was still alive, though barely. One of the Greys bent down and loomed over the body. Its slender four-fingered hands crawled spider-like over the torso, before engulfing the dying beast’s massive head. With a hard twist, the alien completely removed the head from the thick muscular neck. Brown liquid spat outwards; the spurt slowed to a steady stream, blending into a single line that seeped down the dangling muscles. The Grey casually tossed the severed head onto the lifeless body.
Daniel gazed into the corpse’s still open eyes. A lump rose in his already strained throat. He turned to the caged monster who wailed opposite him. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said as his grin had now disappeared. It didn’t matter what planet you were from, death was still a loss – in any language.
The empty cage next to his began to automatically rise from its two foot drop. It stopped with a loud clatter as it sat flush with the walkway. A naked human man slid across the flooring as he was thrown in with force. The man was difficult to identify; he looked almost Neanderthal in appearance with his long black hair and beard. The wild look in his blue eyes told their own story as he scrambled for cover behind the bars. He was strewn with blood that ran from the many wounds that covered his malnourished body. He began screaming hysterically as the cage door slammed shut. Daniel knew that the man’s spirit was already broken as the cage began lowering back down into the drop.
‘Who are you, how long have you been here?’ asked Daniel as the cage hit the flooring. He was desperate for some form of companionship, some answers. ‘Who are you?’ There was silence. Finally he got a response as the crazed eyes connected with his own.
‘Davidé … mon nom est Davidé,’ said the man as he pointed to Daniel’s bandaged hand.
Daniel dropped his tired head in despair. The only other human I have seen here and he’s from France! He may as well be from another planet – I can’t speak fucking French!
Davidé sat in the dirt, rocking back and forth. He looked at Daniel before crying maniacally. Daniel was becoming frustrated with the Frenchman. He pushed the side of his face back up against the bars, as though trying to squeeze his head through them.
‘Why did they hurt my hand, but make such an effort to keep me?’ he said as his skin pressed against the steel. ‘DO – YOU – UNDERSTAND – ME?’
Davidé stared blankly as the tears fell from his worn face; his soul just wasn’t there anymore.
Daniel sighed, discouraged. It was like trying to make a small child understand him. He placed his mouth through the gap in between the bars. ‘GOD DAMN YOU, LET ME OUT!’ he raged as his hands rattled the cage violently.
He could feel the absurdity of his actions as the pain soared. The disruption caused many of the other captives to become as enraged as he was. It sounded like a chaotic zoo as the shouts and cries spread across the air. He attempted to calm himself, watching as a blue scaly arm protruded from another cage. Staring right, across the opposite line, he followed the rough fingers that caused the mist to trail off in broken circles as they felt for freedom.
Glancing upwards, he could see the Greys walking up and down the metal walkways. Through the tinge he could see their feet, right up to their waists, as they walked from row to row, acting as security, observing the madness. He imagined their large heads hovering above the haze, and the menacing stare that came from those empty black eyes. He thought of how scared he was each time they strode past his cage, wondering if they were coming for him. He shivered at the mental images.
The blue three-fingered hand grabbed at one of the Greys as it passed. The alien stooped and looked down at the flailing limb, death emanating from its every fibre. It produced a short silver pencil-like device; its finger stretched over the line of tiny buttons that ran down the gadget’s shiny surface. A luminous green laser shot out from the end of the thin metallic object. Daniel watched in horror as the light stream sliced the appendage clean off, like a knife through butter. A mustard-coloured liquid poured from the wound, dropping in heavy lumps onto the walkway. The creature let out a mighty wail that shot around the slimy walls. Daniel immediately released his grip from the bars, and quietly returned to the corner of his prison.
‘Shut up! Shut up!’ he shouted as he placed his trembling hands over his ears. The animalistic noises had begun to take their toll. The cage juddered as it began to rise from its drop. He closed his eyes tight and began to sing aloud: ‘God save our gracious Queen, long live our noble Queen –’
His arms dropped slowly from his head as he opened his eyes, terrified. One of the grey creatures was bent down, staring straight at him. The alien cocked its curious head to one side. Daniel could see that it was flanked either side by two more of its comrades. It waved its hand in a nonchalant, dismissive manner. A dark grey miniature triangle – the size of a 20 pence piece – glowed with red lines. Twang! The sharp sound of unlocking steel shook his senses. The cage door sprung open with a jolt from its DNA-operated lock. The creature stepped back, allowing the two others to step inside the cage. They crouched down as they crawled into the filthy, claustrophobic space, giving Daniel no room to manoeuvre.
‘No, no, no, no!’ he cried, shuffling backwards until his body met with the cold hard bars. He tried kicking at the outstretched gangly limbs thrusting towards him. It was futile as a tight pressure gripped both his arms and ankles. ‘What are you doing to me, I demand to know what you are doing to me!’ He screamed out as their hands clamped around his bones. They began to drag him through the dirt, and out of his prison.
The two aliens held Daniel by each wrist. They pulled him viciously through the bodily fluids that were covering the walkway grating. His bare heels slid through the trailing innards that came from across the universe. As he lay on his back, gliding through the grim mess, he stared at the steel prisons that he passed. One after the other, a different bizarre creature from some distant world looked back at him. They, like himself, were prisoners of whatever this was. Some sat quietly, gazing emptily into the air. Others spoke strange languages as they tried to reason with their abductors. He even heard other human voices begging for their freedom. Some lay wounded, moaning loudly, their pain unbearable. Most lay dead in heaps of limbs and putrid rotting flesh.
A continuous line of blurred orange light and uninterrupted steel passed overhead until the Greys stopped. Daniel flopped his sweaty head backwards, watching as the extraterrestrial flicked its hand across the larger, yet otherwise identical triangular sensor. A solid grey door screeched open with speed. The area that they entered was deathly quiet. There was no mist as the white light illuminated the hexagonal-shaped room. He looked from left to right, panicking as he was lifted onto an extremely long rectangular table. He inhaled sharply as the cold metallic surface touched his bare flesh. The sensation sent the hairs on his body into shivery overdrive.
The room had a sterilised smell – an almost bleach-like quality
about it. He squinted hard at the white light overhead; it hung like a piece of string, slowly lowering itself with a mechanical whirring. He tried to move his arms to protect his face from the hot glow, but he couldn’t – he was paralysed.
He began breathing erratically. The three creatures moved back from the table as a series of holes opened within its surface. A fourth being bent over him and looked directly into his eyes. The monotone voice that followed, spiked his brain… This is going to hurt.
Moist fingers grasped Daniel’s sweaty head, turning it with a sadistic purpose to the right. A trail of saliva trickled from the corner of his half open mouth, and dribbled down his white cheek. His chest felt like it was going to explode as he watched the lead alien cruelly rip the soiled bandages from his wounded hand. The smell that greeted him made his face contort in disgust. He managed to raise his head and stare at his hand. Lumps of yellow pus had thickened around his fingers, sticking them together. His raw hand thumped with an excruciating stinging pain. His heart sank – he knew that his hand was badly infected.
Two instruments – similar to the pencil devices, but larger – were held aloft. Loud piercing sounds shot from the vibrating tools, followed by red glows. The alien looked at Daniel again. This time we will hurt you properly! The words bounced around his head like a thousand rubber balls as the lasers went to work, drilling through the non-anaesthetised limb; the stench of burning flesh overpowered the air amidst a downpour of sparks.
Daniel’s agonised scream reverberated through the corridor, beating the walls like invisible fists as the lasers entered his bones. His body jerked with each deeper penetration. A blackness descended around the room; it shrouded the aliens, blurring their heads into fuzzy silhouettes. His nose began to bleed again, joining the saliva in a gooey thickness. His eyes rolled backwards into his head as his body started to convulse. He passed out from the pain…