{"id":2413,"date":"2018-03-31T07:14:56","date_gmt":"2018-03-31T12:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=2413"},"modified":"2018-04-07T07:24:52","modified_gmt":"2018-04-07T12:24:52","slug":"master-of-violence-part-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=2413","title":{"rendered":"Master of Violence – Part 9"},"content":{"rendered":"

Master of Violence<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 9<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Angie slowly came to with a headache and groaned slightly.\u00a0 Opening her eyes she looked around seeing sunlight overhead and the sight of trees.\u00a0 Sitting up quickly in a panic was a bad idea as her head felt like it exploded and quickly laid back down.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re awake, good,\u201d a voice said.\u00a0 \u201cI was worried.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angie opened her eyes again to see Jack now over her.\u00a0 She looked at him, then where they were and her mind raced at what might have happened.\u00a0 Had he kidnapped her?\u00a0 What had he done to her?\u00a0 Quickly feeling down she noticed she still had her clothes on, so either he dressed her, or nothing happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d she asked, her voice a bit raspy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d he replied, handing her some water.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s your head?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHurts, what did you do?\u201d she asked, eyeing him and taking a drink of water before handing it back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t remember?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat should I remember?\u201d Angie said, her head still hurting.\u00a0 \u201cI was walking home and you were coming from the opposite direction.\u00a0 Still not over that I didn\u2019t accept your invitation to prom?\u201d<\/p>\n

She noticed him flinch slightly but didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 She wouldn\u2019t be a victim here.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t recall what happened next?\u201d Jack asked.\u00a0 \u201cThe explosions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat explosions,\u201d she said but her voice died off as she seemed to recall something.\u00a0 \u201cLights in the sky?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cSome sort of attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAttack?\u201d Angie stated wondering what Jack had smoked.\u00a0 Who would attack them?<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, not sure who they are,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cShuttles came down after the explosions, or bombardment.\u00a0 I picked you up and headed into the forest.\u00a0 That was almost twenty-four hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been out for twenty-four hours?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, good thing, they swept through the forest looking for survivors,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m used to hiding.\u201d<\/p>\n

She thought he smiled a bit at that.\u00a0 What had happened here?\u00a0 It all sounded so unreal to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat of the city?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t been there, didn\u2019t want to leave you,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cOne of the explosions knocked you out.\u00a0 You hit a tree, I hit the grass instead, skinned my elbow.\u201d<\/p>\n

He held up the elbow and she noticed the scabs and blood on the shirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were lucky, it only seemed to knock you out, probably have a concussion,\u201d Jack stated.\u00a0 \u201cI figure you have it, but don\u2019t know how to actually treat it, other than being cautious and avoiding any more knocks to the head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angie realized she didn\u2019t know how to treat a concussion as well.\u00a0 The one thing she felt grateful for was the fact her headache had lessened a lot allowing her to sit up a bit as Jack moved off a bit to sit close by.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow far away are we?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout an hour\u2019s walking time,\u201d Jack replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn hour?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t want to be too close to the explosions,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the screams, they were awful.\u201d<\/p>\n

She noticed he had a faraway look in his eye as he said that.<\/p>\n

If they really had been attacked then who and why had they done it.\u00a0 How many were left and what would happen to them next?<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what\u2019s your plan?\u201d she asked him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t really have one,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cMy first thought was to get away from the explosions, then away from the invaders.\u00a0 Guess we\u2019ll try to find other survivors and see what is actually going on out there.\u00a0 Someone had to know something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Angie nodded wondering what they might be able to do, if anything.\u00a0 If this was an invasion then the alien race probably held the entire planet.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what do we do for food?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know some hunting, and there\u2019s a stream close by that I used to fish at.\u00a0 Has some good trout from Earth,\u201d Jack replied.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not so good at starting fires.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould this help?\u201d Angie asked, pulling out a lighter.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot going to ask why you\u2019ve got a lighter,\u201d Jack finally said causing Angie\u2019s eyebrows to rise.\u00a0 She figured if anyone had a lighter or something like that it would be Jack and his group.<\/p>\n

He lit a small fire and continued to work until she noticed he placed a fish on a stick to cook.<\/p>\n

\u201cA regular boy scout,\u201d Angie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad forced me into it, never thought I\u2019d actually use of it,\u201d Jack replied.<\/p>\n

Angie fell silent for a few seconds wondering what might happen next.\u00a0 Pulling out her phone she realized she had no service but went ahead and sent a text to her mother in a vain hope it might go though.\u00a0 In a wild reckless thought she also sent one to her uncle, knowing he probably would never get it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes your phone work?\u201d Jack asked causing her to look up in shock.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo service,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, must have knocked out the service towers, or power,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we go down and see what\u2019s happening?\u201d Angie asked watching as he seemed apprehensive about that and made her wonder if he perhaps kidnapped her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can, but we have to be careful,\u201d he finally said.\u00a0 \u201cNot sure what to find, or how much destruction is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo these aliens, what are they?\u201d Angie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever seen anything like them before,\u201d Jack finally said.\u00a0 \u201cAbout our height, green skin, humanoid in shape with a bone mohawk.\u00a0 Not very good at spotting us in the forest though.\u00a0 They also seemed to be caught off guard by the wildlife here.\u201d<\/p>\n

That statement caught Angie off guard.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, saw one group disturb a bee hive.\u00a0 They freaked out,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cIn fact the bees probably saved us from being discovered as they were headed right towards us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did they disturb it?\u201d Angis asked, now trying to figure out how aliens disturbed a beehive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tossed a stone at it, not sure what they were expecting,\u201d Jack said.\u00a0 \u201cThankfully we were far enough away that the bees didn\u2019t disturb us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, I\u2019m allergic to bee stings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t go that direction then,\u201d Jack said, pointing off in a direction she felt sure she\u2019d forget.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we do next?\u201d Angie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to go, we\u2019ll go when it gets dark, beyond that, I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Angie felt unsure if heading out at night was a good idea, as the moon was out and providing their only light.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t even see the glow of the city in the distance, or any lights at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cPower must still be down,\u201d Jack said as they continued on.\u00a0 They had been walking for a while now when he suddenly stopped.<\/p>\n

Angie remained quiet and waited to see what might happen next before they continued moving forward and reaching a road.\u00a0 They looked at it for a moment but saw no cars or anything.\u00a0 In the distance she saw a shimmering light which could be a car, or a building.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, we\u2019ll go this way,\u201d Jack said, moving towards the light.<\/p>\n

They stayed in the bushes and off the road and continued to move forwards when Jack stopped and motioned for her to get down.\u00a0 She crouched and waited before seeing a couple of figures heading down the road.<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t quite make out their features, but while they looked human there were some differences, like the weapons they held as she was able to get a better view of them.\u00a0 Also, they didn\u2019t have any hair, but a bony protrusion like a Mohawk making them look a bit strange.<\/p>\n

Some weird grunts floated on the wind and she wondered if they were speaking to each other.\u00a0 If so they seemed at ease with everything.\u00a0 There was some rustling causing both of them to jump, and they turned on a light to peer at the other side of the road.\u00a0 Even as she watched one had his weapon ready when the light seemed to shine on some fast moving object which Angie realized was a cat.<\/p>\n

The alien took a few shots but missed as the cat ran off into the brush and disappeared.\u00a0 More grunts as the two seemed to calm down and headed down the road again.\u00a0 When they were far enough away they continued on down before coming to a large clearing which Angie finally recognized, the shopping center where she worked.\u00a0 It had been demolished.\u00a0 She had not been expecting that at all.<\/p>\n

Everywhere she looked the building appeared destroyed.\u00a0 Even as she looked around she noticed a few areas in the wreckage seemed to be lit, as if they were still powered.\u00a0 Moving forward she wanted to see what it might be.\u00a0 \u00a0Jack was cautious she noticed, looking around but moved forward as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that light?\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know,\u201d he replied back.<\/p>\n

They moved forward when Jack suddenly moved back and took Angie with him.\u00a0 Angie remained quiet unsure if the strange aliens were back or not as they moved back into the forest.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, but saw a body, wasn\u2019t pretty,\u201d Jack said to her once they were further away.<\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t sure if she was relieved or not and really didn\u2019t want to encounter a body today.<\/p>\n

Heading back she wondered about everything.\u00a0 \u201cI take it that was an alien?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLooked like it, didn\u2019t seem much of them, but their weapon wasn\u2019t something I\u2019m familiar with,\u201d Jack replied back.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know weapons?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cCollect them, or did, probably a wasted pile of scrape by now,\u201d Jack replied.<\/p>\n

Angie now felt unsure about Jack if he was one of those people.\u00a0 However, something had happened and it did appear an alien race had invaded the planet.\u00a0 Sure, he could have had a couple of his friends dressed up as aliens, but the destruction of an entire building, seemed highly illogical.\u00a0 For now she was tired and wanted to sleep a bit more.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Mark made his way back to his quarters, it had been a long day that much was for sure.\u00a0 Moving in the he quickly looked at the computer, seeing no messages before moving to the bunk and collapsing into it turning off the lights.<\/p>\n

His mind went over everything which happened in the last couple of days.\u00a0 They had lost touch with Sierra, and now they were either preparing for war, or going to meet some more aliens depending on who you spoke to.<\/p>\n

The announcement had been made about what happened, and the news of this Dark race, whoever they were.\u00a0 Mark had no idea even as he tried to close his eyes.\u00a0 He thought he was drifting off when he heard a familiar vibrating sound.\u00a0 Looking in the direction of his phone he realized he forgot to turn it off earlier and it was showing some sort of message came in.<\/p>\n

He wondered who might be texting him now.\u00a0 His friends had been bothering him for a while trying to gain some information, especially once this Dark Race information came out.<\/p>\n

The phone buzzed several more times and he realized if he wanted to get any sleep he\u2019d have to turn it off.<\/p>\n

Getting up he moved over to the phone and went about cancelling the notifications and stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell?\u201d he said seeing a very familiar name.\u00a0 In a rush he pulled up the text.<\/p>\n

Hey Uncle Mark, I\u2019m fine, no idea what happened, in forest.<\/em><\/p>\n

His niece had managed to send him a message from Sierra!<\/p>\n

He raced out of his quarters and headed to the bridge.\u00a0 He passed a few people who seemed to do a double take as he passed, but he ignored them as he raced to the bridge.\u00a0 Arriving he noticed more than a few people staring at him but he moved right to Joaquin who was currently on duty at the communications station.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, sir?\u201d Joaquin asked looking unsure.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you trace a text message from a cell phone?\u201d Mark asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, this text, find out where it came from,\u201d Mark said pushing the phone into Joaquin\u2019s hands and showing him the text waiting until he understood which one.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir?\u201d Hans\u2019 voice said confused by the turn of events.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe message might be from Sierra, my niece,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile he\u2019s doing that, perhaps you can get dressed?\u201d Hans said causing Mark to look down at his underwear.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet to work on it, I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n

End part 9<\/p>\n

Continued in part 10<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Master of Violence by AJ Marks Part 9 Angie slowly came to with a headache and groaned slightly.\u00a0 Opening her eyes she looked around seeing sunlight overhead and the sight of trees.\u00a0 Sitting up quickly in a panic was a bad idea as her head felt like it exploded and quickly laid back down. \u201cYou\u2019re […]
Continue reading…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[3,83,28,5,12],"class_list":["post-2413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-original","tag-aj-marks","tag-master","tag-original","tag-sci-fi","tag-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2413"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2420,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2413\/revisions\/2420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}