Mark McGinnis - The Simpleton

“I think that’ll do it, Jackie,” Cuddy said, stepping away from the wall.

“You’re welcome,” she said.

“I guess I’m not a very good shot,” he said

“Good thing I am… thanks to my dad.” Staring down at the weapon in her hands, she added, “This is beyond cool. I’m keeping it.”

“Fine with me—keep it. Come on, let’s go see how the AI orb is doing.” He headed toward the alien spacecraft, stopping only long enough to pick up another plasma weapon that had been dropped next to the corner of the house.

“Want me to show you how to use that?” Jackie asked, still three strides back.

Cuddy didn’t bother to answer. Reaching the top of the drive, he now had a far better vantage point. Of the Howsh invasion, the first word that came to mind was battlefield . No less than eight Howsh fur-balls lay sprawled on the road, at various locations. Adding also to the body count were those slain in and around the house—tallying up to an even dozen. With still no sign of the AI orb, Cuddy ran to the first smoldering police vehicle. Black smoke still spiraled into the air from the four charred tires. Peering into the glassless window frame, there was little left to see—both bucket-seat frames, with their blackened coil springs, showed no signs of incinerated bodies. But Cuddy wasn’t sure if even skeletal remains could endure the kind of blaze that took place here. He next moved on to inspect the SUV, Officer Plumkin’s vehicle, and found the same thing. Nothing in the car’s ruins—no skeletal body in the driver’s seat.

He looked back to see Jackie collecting Howsh weapons. She’d mounted them into a pile by the side of the road and was adding another to the top.

Cuddy asked, “Any sign of the AI orb?” After first doing a cursory glance around, she replied, “Nope.”

He could see she was feeling pretty pleased with herself. Cocky , while he was still dealing with feelings of some remorse and guilt. He knew it was illogical. The aliens came here to kill Tow—as well as them. He stared up at the top of the gangway.

“Cuddy!” Momma shouted, heading their way. She’d changed her clothes and was wearing tennis shoes. Meeting her halfway, he could see she was upset. “What is it? What happened?”

“On TV… we’re being attacked!” She looked at Cuddy and then Jackie. What she had learned was reflected by the shock on her face.

Cuddy gestured toward the spacecraft. “By them?”

“Yes by them… Washington, D.C.… New York. And other places I don’t remember, all over the world. Two alien ships are firing their weapons… turning cities into rubble. Many thousands have been killed so far. It’s horrible…” she sobbed, wiping away the tears on her cheeks with her fingers. Jackie put her arms around her, pulling her close for a hug.

Maybe that explains why the military didn’t show up here , Cuddy mused. The whole world was on the brink of disaster. For the first time, Momma noticed the carnage around them. She looked over at Cuddy. She looked impressed.

“This wasn’t me, Momma. I found out soon enough I’m a terrible shot.”

She turned to Jackie. “You did…”

“No… well, just those two, lying outside by the house. But hey, you killed one too…”

Momma shrugged and nodded.

“Look, Momma… best you go back to the house now, okay?” Taking another quick look around, Momma headed back down the drive. Cuddy waited until she disappeared into the house.

“So, are we going to go in there?” Jackie asked.

“Yeah… I have to, my brother might be in there. You don’t have to come…”

“No… I’ll be right behind you,” she said, raising the plasma rifle to emphasize the point.

Cuddy headed up the ramp—his weapon poised to shoot anything with fur. Entering the quasi-circular compartment, he started to gag.

“Ugh… it’s so foul! This area reeks… smells like shit,” Jackie said, expressing the obvious.

While his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he slowed his pace. Jackie, right behind him added, “It’s like a damn cave in here.” His brow now furrowing, Cuddy glanced back at her and whispered, “Shhhhh!”

They followed a narrow, but tall-ceilinged passageway. On either side, the bulkheads were covered with what looked like streaks of grease. Cuddy thought of the contrast between this filthy environment and the meticulously clean Evermore . Noises were heard ahead when they reached a stairway with four, wide open grated treads. “Watch your step… something brown’s on that bottom one.”

Jackie mumbled something undecipherable.

Reaching the top step, Cuddy was presented with three options—three different corridors—and he chose the one on the right. They passed a series of closed hatchways—three on one side, two on the other. The noises were getting louder, coming from the same direction they were headed. Cuddy raised the barrel of his weapon, prepared to shoot if necessary, then stood still to listen. The noises were actually voices—and he understood what was being said.

“Screw you, Perkins… if I wanted advice, it wouldn’t be from a lowlife, redneck hillbilly like you…”

Cuddly glanced back at Jackie. She said, “I think I know that voice. That’s Tony Bone.” They slowly approached what he figured was the ship’s primary corridor. Twice as wide as the one they were now in, it formed a T-junction. He peered around the corner, to the left. All clear . Then, looking to the right, his breath caught in his chest. The AI orb was lying down on the deck. Several blackened scorch marks made it clear what had happened. One of the orb’s articulating arms was outstretched, while its other one was awkwardly curled underneath. As quietly as possible, Cuddy stepped closer and, kneeling next to it, found several tiny lights still blinking. Carefully, he took hold of the extended arm and lifted the orb up from the deck. Rising up, he held the orb an arm’s length away.

“Is it… dead?” Jackie asked.

All of a sudden, Cuddy’s mind was filled with a slew of bright flashes—incongruent images. Unbalanced, he swayed back and forth, as Jackie helped to steady him, looking concerned. It was as if his mind had been hijacked. He realized he was seeing through the eyes… eye … of the AI orb! He watched its two articulating arms—both extended out in front—fire continuous, bright-blue energy bolts. And he realized he was viewing earlier events that transpired outside on the road, when the orb was beneath the ship. Cuddy inwardly watched the orb’s battle with the Howsh. The speed in which the orb maneuvered—dodging this way and that—was breathtaking. He felt nauseous trying to track the course of those events. One by one enemy Howsh were vanquished. Cuddy watched as the orb moved up the ramp and into the bowels of the ship. Unknowingly, he and Jackie had followed the same route inside as the orb. And then, apparently, the orb met its match. Cuddy watched as a Howsh alien came into view, wearing a red sash. Worn on a diagonal, the sash crossed from shoulder to the opposite hip. The alien didn’t move like the others. He was fast; seemed to instinctively know where and how to move to avoid the orb’s plasma fire. He fired his weapon at the orb only once. And then, just as suddenly, Cuddy’s inner visions ceased and he found himself gazing into Jackie’s concerned eyes.

“Where did you go?” she asked.

Cuddy still had ahold of the orb’s outstretched articulating arm. He lifted it higher and noticed, at the sphere’s apex—within the concave circular section—the aperture still emanated faint blue light. He held it up like a dead chicken, letting it sway back and forth under its own weight.