Prologue

Before this place I have one memory.

I was just a child barely old enough to plow the fields or milk the cows. It was my brother
and I’s day off from working the land, and my older brother Lucas and I were playing
hopscotch. I grabbed a hula-hoop off the ground and lifted it over Lucas’s head so that he
couldn’t have his turn. He chased me with a little giggle and started to tickle me. As we
ran around the court yard in circles giggling and tackling one another to the ground on
occasion, were we would burst out into hysterics. After one such tackle the skies went
dark and we went quiet. We looked at each other in the dimed light not knowing what to
think, and both jumped as Uncle Jacob opened the back door and beckoned us to come
inside. We complied not wanting to get Uncle mad, and we were frightened by the sudden
darkness.
Once inside Aunt Amelia led us to the kitchen, and Uncle left the house after grabbing a
pitch folk in one hand and his coat in the other.
“Were are you going Uncle Jacob?” I said in a sweet naive way.
“To see what’s going on,” he looked out at the darkening sky, “I might go see if Hamish
knows anything about this here sky.”
That was the last we saw him.
“Aunt Amelia, why is the sky dark?” Lucas said looking out the kitchen window with his
head slightly tilted to one side.
“I don’t know son,” she gently stroked his cheek then positioned a lock of golden blonde
hair that had fallen in front of my right eye, “But no matter what it means god will surely
keep us safe.”
If by safe she meant alive yes. If by safe she meant out of harms way she couldn’t have
been further from the truth.
For at that moment a being taller than Uncle Jacob and built like a draft horse broke
down the door that Uncle Jacob had just left through. Its silvery emerald skin reflecting
the little light that remained and making it look that much more intimidating. It had a
protrusion off its head some what similar to the fins of the fish in the lake at old Samuel’s
house and extended fingers, much to long for the size of its hands and with too many
knuckles. It had two set of scarlet eyes with black pupils, one set on the front and the
other on the peripheral. As it turned slightly upon entering the room it revealed that it
had a tail, long to the ground and with a barb on the end like that of a fishing hook. It was
almost lizard like in appearance and spoke with a slight hiss as it told us not to move or it
won’t have any problem with striking us down. It waved a wand like device menacingly.
It spoke something in an alien tongue into a device which it held in its other hand, and
after getting a quick response, just as alien it raised the wand and flicked a switch on the
side.
Then I woke up here. My brother and I try to stay together and watch each others backs,
especially after Aunt Amelia’s death at the hands of one of those vile creatures.
Ever since the invasion me, many of my people and those of other blasphemous notions
have been stuck in this same place with the same alien beings. Nobody knows were we
are or how we got here. Just that this is know life.
Chapter 1

There was a gentle scratching on the floor from my tail touching the metal floor. The
corridor was a purplish colour but seemed to glow in away was spectacular. I walked
around the corner and headed towards the bridge in the centre of the ship. I walked to two
large purple doors and raised my staff; a short silver stick used as a weapon and general
tool. I scan it over a screen on the side and the familiar characteristics of my name
appeared Master Klork San. I walked in to see Commander Klork San Suhu; a great
leader, standing on his bridge and looked at the screen in front of him. In think to myself,
about how close our names are, but it is just how it works. As we age are name changes
and is added to. From the bowels of his ship he could see the bright blue and green orb
that these creatures call Earth. He raises his hand and points to a position to the screen.
Immediately a member of the ships crew started pressing buttons. A purple emblem
appeared over the area were Klork pointed and instantly it turned red. The crew member
then presses a large orange button. The ship shock uncontrollably as three orange streaks
appeared on the screen heading towards the locked on point. The balls of light hit its
mark making three large explosions visible from the ship. Every since the ground
landings, our ships have been shelling human resistance strong holds and we’re slowly
winning. All capture humans were being out into old human structures turned make shift
prisons and were being tested and recorded for future analyses. I walked up to the
commander and smashed my fist onto my amour as hard as I could. It was a sign of
respect on had to be taken seriously.
“Master Klork,” the commander said giving what seemed to be a smile. It was good to
see his respect for me.
“After your last success at the Iarer System, I have a new honor to award you.”
I stood as still as I could, hanging off every word.
“You’ll be in charge of security of the human imprisonment camps, in this district of the
plant.”
He pointed to a section in the top part of the plant.
“It was the area were the most powerful human lived” the commander said.
Wonderful. I thought to myself, guarding duty. How am I supposed to prove myself to the
leader warriors that I was worthy enough to be promoted in the social ranks.
“Yes commander.” I said. “It would be a great honor to complete your task.”
I bowed and turned to leave the bridge.
“Master Klork.” The commander said. “The humans are resisting a lot there.” He drew a
breath. “Crush all who stand in your way.” I nodded and continued on my way. I made it
to the lower hanger with no problems at all. I walked aboard a ship that was bound for the
surface. I entered my seat and closed my eyes. The ship smoothly took of and glided out
of the hanger. I felt the bump as the thruster engines slow accelerated. I was going to be a
long flight.

* * *
When you meet someone new in this place you can’t be sure that they will be here
tomorrow. The aliens above might take them and perform all kinds of horrible
experiments on them or they might get lost in the network of tunnels below.
I met a girl; she had blonde hair and was my own age. She was abducted and put in this
gruesome excuse of a prison two years after us. She didn’t have any other family so Aunt
Amelia took Harmony in and she became mine and Lucas’ sister.

Blinding light makes all of the prisoners shield their eyes and turn away. Once my eyes
adjust to the light I can see the silhouette of one of those ‘lizard-men’ standing there with
a wand searching the crowd for a suitable candidate for their next experiment.
They normally won’t chose children younger than ten and that puts us well and truly of
the age to be taken. And none of use wants that after seeing Aunt Amelia die two years
ago when she formed gills on her neck and lost the ability to breathe air after she was
taken and returned to us a few days later.
The three of us, Lucas, Harmony and I, all stay together as we slowly head to the back
end of the room were the tunnels are. Lucas and I know our way around the upper tunnels
after years of exploring them as kids, and we showed Harmony most of them, and she
was able to memorize them after only seeing them once. As we make our way without
making eye contact with the aliens searching thru the crowds’ one of them cuts us of at
the entrance to the tunnels.
It seizes her, makes two hiss-bark noises, hefts her under his arm and marches out of our
prison taking the other aliens with it. We try to chase her as she is screaming and kicking
and biting her capture. To make his job easier he zaps her with his wand as we’ve seen
done so many times before. As we launch ourselves off the metal shell that appeared to
once have been some kind of vehicle, we land on the aliens with Harmony’ back and try
to pry her limp body out with our hands. The huge alien shrugs us off and turns around
still holding Mony and zaps Lucas whilst he is still in midair and a second after I hit the
ground I’m also rendered unconscious.

I wake up still groggy, everything around me is spinning and I’m seeing too much of
everything. I look to my left and see three or four Lorenzo’s sitting at my side. Lorenzo is
the oldest man in this prison. He keeps to himself most of the time in a secret room in the
tunnels. He has hid here ever since he was experimented on, he is one of only a few who
survived experimentation and is now an outcast even among the other prisoners. Ever
since experimentation he has had an amazing ability to sense other people’s feelings,
emotions and sometime thoughts; this made other people uneasy thus him hiding in the
tunnels.
“What, what’s happening?” I look around for an answer, “Why am I here?”
“It’s okay Nathaniel, just relax, you and your brother are fine,” he gives a reassuring
smile as he lowers my head back down to the bunk I’m on.
“Lucas is alright but what about Harmony?” I say looking around for any sign of either of
them, finally noticing Lucas asleep on the other side of the room.
“Where is Harmony?” I lower my voice almost to a whisper. Then all of the sudden my
mind clicks into place, and the realization hits me. The lizard-men took her up top for
experimentation. All I manage is a faint, “Oh no.”
 * * *

Every since landing on this horrible plant, I have been doing nothing but basic
duties. Sure our experiments are vital but these tasks are getting me no where in my quest
to climb the ladder. Every day involves me going into the prisons and tunnels to find
another subject for our technicians work. They have been failing but every day they get
closer to finding a cure. But in my days here I have been intrigued by some of these
humans. This is the first time I’ve encountered humans but some show real honour and
bravery. The ones who have intrigued me the most was a trio of young humans, two
males and a female. I was walking among the human compounds and tunnel system,
searching for the next subject for testing. I was searching thru the crowds when I spotted
them; they seem to be avoiding eye contact. I pushed my way through the mass of people
and walked up to the girl, drawing my staff just in case. Using my free arm, I picked the
subject and placed her under my free arm.
“This one will do” I said to my comrades.
The female resisted and started kicking and at one point bit me, the wound is still sore
from the wound and my scales are stained with my green blood. The female became
uncontrollable so I gave her a shock with my staff; it was harmless shock and rendered
her unconscious. The two males fought twice as hard as the female did. Once again I
delivered a shock to the two and they both dropped to the ground and didn’t get up for
some time.

I took the subject and placed her in a pod in side the supply station. The pod was a sleek
purple tear drop shape pod used for transporting subjects to test facilities outside the
planets atmosphere. The subject was locked in and I typed in her details, I didn’t know
her name and I didn’t care but from now on she would be knows as subject 106.B. I hit a
button on the stations control panel. A beam of light formed around the pod and started to
suck it up slowly out of the supply station. As soon as it was out side the station it speeds
up to a high speed, out of the atmosphere into our testing facility in the plants orbit. I turn
around and made my way out of the supply station, it was just a normal day for me but I
had a feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time he saw those young humans.

I walked into my quarters and sat in a chair, my tail annoyed me while I was trying to get
comfortable. After acquiring something to eat from the dispenser I turned the chair to
face my large window, I could see the bright green of the planets forests and the black
patches where trees once stood. A vast ocean could be seen through the descending
landscape. A statue outside my window was missing it head and his arms. All human
structures were burning and destroyed. A civilization destroyed and enslaved from the
safety of space. This was no way to fight a battle; it was not honorary at all. There was a
beeping noise coming from a screen. I walk over to the consol and press a button. A
technician appeared on the screen.
“Yes, what do you want?” I said to the tech.
“Sir, we’ve had a brake through with a subject” the technician replied.
“What is its case number?” I asked, ready to write it down.
“Its case number is 106.B.” After he said this, I immediately turn off the screen and I left
my quarters. I hate being right
 * * *

I lay there silent, not moving, and afraid that one noise, even breathing, will alert them
to my being awake. My head is tilted to the side slightly. I open my eyes just a fraction,
just the slightest amount allowing me to see what is in the room beyond. It takes my eyes
only a second to adjust to the faint light. As things focus, table full of strange looking
tools and implements, a strange chair with a notch out of the back and Earth; or a least it
looks like the Earth in all the pictures I saw as a kid, somewhat mutilated but Earth. That
means that all this time we have been home, not on some godforsaken alien world.
I hope Nat and Lucas are alright. They are, somehow I know that they are.
I can see everything in a new light. Things are different, everything makes sense.

The door opens; the compressed air cylinders push the latches which flicks the notch that
allows the door to open with a hiss. I don’t know how I know this but I do.
A large alien, even by their standards, strides into the room. It checks a few display
panels still not realizing I’m awake. It turns my direction, starring at me absent mindedly
as if contemplating something. It looks up in the direction of the door and gives a loud
hissing sound, then looks at me again this time studying me closely. Another one of those
horrid aliens’ storms into the room, in more of a cranky mood then the rest of them, could
have sworn that wasn’t possible.
The first alien realizes that I’m awake and jumps backward knocking lots of alien objects
onto the floor with its huge tail and massive arms.
This is my chance. I jump up of the work bench and make a run for the door. Halfway
there I am struck down, but not by a wand. The second alien has smacked me in the back
with its tail. As I fall to the ground I cry out in agony, or at least I tried to but no sound
came.

* * *

“But what if she doesn’t come back?” I say tears springing to my eyes again. “It’s
already been four days and still no sign of her.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Lorenzo smiles slightly. “She’ll be back, she’ll be okay.”
“Not every body survives the treatments you know,” Lucas snaps at the old man, “Just
because you survived doesn’t mean everyone else will.”
Lorenzo looks at Lucas with a look of being incredibly hurt by what Lucas just said and
angry that he said it.
“If you’re going to be like that, boy, you are welcome to leave.” It was less an offer and
more a hurry up and get out of my sight.
“Fine, maybe I will then,” Lucas stood up and stormed from the room, nothing else to
add.
“I’m terribly sorry Lorenzo,” I venture, “And thank you one hundred times over for all
the help you have given us the last few days.”
I stand and make my way to the entrance, once in the hall beyond I turn to the old man
sitting on the bed I had slept on for the last few days, “He’s just upset about Mony. He
does hold you in high regards and didn’t mean any of the things he said”
With that I turn and leave, I have to find Lucas. At the moment, he’s all I’ve got.

“Lucas, Lucas, where are you?” I wander through the main section of the prison, scouring
every nook and cranny looking for my brother, like an eagle looking for its prey.
An old Amish woman by the name of Carline grabbed my arm, “I saw young Lucas ‘bout
a few minutes ago pass right trough here heading the same way as you be going right
now.”
“Thank you mother Carline, your help is most dearly welcome.” I head in the direction
indicated.

It is late; most people are asleep or are trying to sleep. But I’m still searching for my
brother. I come around a bend in the tunnel I have just started down, only to find my
brother lying on the ground sobbing.
“Everything will be set right brother,” I put my hand on his back, “God will protect
Harmony for she is not in the wrong.”
He looks up the dirt on his face streaked from crying.
“Let us pray.”

* * *

My ride to the orbital research center was same as always, rough and uncomfortable.
This planet’s atmosphere was full of gases and emissions from years of humans abusing
the air, making it harder for our pods to make it through. But I did make it through the
atmosphere in one piece, one battered piece. I looked through the window of my pod and
I can see the research centre and a few of our ships orbiting around the planet. The pod
made a clean and smooth entrance into the center through a port in its side. The pod
stopped on the main floor of the facility. There was a hiss as the pod opened and a clack
as I put my left foot on the metal floors.

I made my way through the corridors and headed towards the door to section B. The door
opened as I walked towards it and I strode into the section. This part of the facility was
used for the more special cases found during the sampling of the humans. The hall was
lined with glass pods, each on with a case file engraved on the front with the
corresponding human inside. They all were in an induced comma preventing them from
panicking or resisting. At the end of the hall was another metal door with a tech standing
in front.
“Commander” the tech said placing his fist to his chest and bowing. “Sorry for disturbing
you and thanks for coming at such short notice”
“What do have to show me” I said, I had no time for small talk.
“Yes commander.” the tech said while he straitened himself up “While examining case
106.B, we discovered a slight defect in the human’s DNA.” He drew a portable device
from his belt and turned it on. A 3D image of a human DNA strand appeared from the
device. It zoomed in a showed a slight change in the DNA.
“What does this mean?” I said to the technician
“Sir” he said with the sound of disbelief in his voice “This could be the answer.”
I stood for a second contemplating what he had just said. Could there really be a cure?
“Show me the human, quickly” I growled. The tech made a quick turn and started
pressing buttons on the door’s control panel. The door opened with a hiss and the tech
entered. I just stood still and watched him. The tech looked at the display and pressed a
few buttons. He looked to a part of the room that was out of sight. The tech looked over
at me.
“It’s asleep, commander, you may come in.”
I stride in and stare at the technician.
“I do not need your permission to walk around my own station.” I snarled.
I look over to the bed where the human is laying, it is motionless and quite. It’s hard to
think how this small human might be able to save a race as powerful as us. Suddenly the
tech’s face turned a pale green and had a steady gaze at the bed. Then as if he had broken
free from a chain he stumbled backwards.
“The human.” he babbled “It’s …it’s awake.” He continued stepping back until he hit the
table. Instruments and testing equipment fell to the ground. I turned to the tech.
“Calm yourself, you fool” I growled. “It’s only a human.” My gaze was fully focused on
the terrified technician but out of the corner of my eye I spotted movement. I turned my
head to spot the human making a run for it. There was no time to draw my staff so I span
around using my tail as a weapon. The human was fast but I was faster. My tail caught it
in the back, dropping the human to the ground. I examined the trembling ball on the floor
and assumed that it wouldn’t get up soon. I turned to the technician who was picking up
one of the dropped items.
“If the human escapes again” I say with an unrelenting gaze. “You will be held
responsible.”
I pushed past the tech and left the section.

* * *