Invasive Species Part One Read Online Free

in an intra-office email about re-directing the traffic from cities in such a manner to stop vehicles that could be used later by important people leap frogging their way out of the plagued cities. Derek even saw where they were drafting legislation for Detroit’s automakers to implement a specific technology for public safety.
    But how does one really plan for an alien invasion? Secret space shuttle? Underground lairs? Giant laser beams?
    Derek stopped walking for a moment. Almost all thought drained from his mind as he stared ahead. The blackness before him was speckled with radiant snowflakes, frozen in time. His steps drew him closer, his heart racing as he finally believed it.
    He was in outer space.
    He didn’t know how many humans had actually left earth, but he was one of them now—an astronaut.
    The walls around the opening suddenly vibrated with blood red light. The vibrations came from behind Derek as well. His heart already raced from the sight of the stars. His adrenaline was ready. He turned and saw a lanky creature. Arms dragged at the elbows, fingers playing piano or something on the floor while the long legs stood above Derek’s head and the torso leaned forward with a large gaping mouth like a piranha.
    Such a thing did not need to exist in the beauty of space. Derek forgot about his pain, made fists like they might offer him a chance, and then stood there waiting for the fight to start. The creature wasted no time. It spun, its arms helicoptering at Derek. He fell over trying to dodge, found the strength in his legs to roll away.
    The creature stopped spinning its arms. It dropped its lengthy forearms flat on the ground, and then swung its body feet first. Derek didn’t have the energy or the thought to dodge it. He hit the force field separating him from the infinity of space. The field suspended him for much longer than gravity would have recommended. He slid down as the creature wound up for another attack. Something seemed obvious in the creature’s build. Its chest was thin set; the translucency of its flesh was like a tan plastic grocery bag, inflating and deflating. Derek thought he could tear through it with his bare hands, no problem.
    His feet settled on the ground. The helicopter attack swirled in towards his head. He ducked, and jutting forward he reached the unguarded chest. It wasn’t paper thin, but Derek had experienced piecrusts with more vigor. Blackberry filling plopped out from the wound, followed by cherry afterbirth.  It smelled like Cajun spices and ash.
    The warmth that followed removed the awful smell. It felt better than before. It felt like the bones in Derek’s body had been crooked before and now they were straight. He felt healed.
     
    Derek worked his way further through the spaceship. Something about the hallways looked familiar to him as if he’d walked in a circle. He reached a closed doorway. He might’ve continued down the corridor if he hadn’t been interested in how it was opened. In that moment of wonder he heard something that glued him to that door.
    He heard English.
    “Where am I?” A female voice demanded.
    Someone answered in a calmer and more muffled tone. It almost sounded familiar. Derek tried to press his ear against the door to hear it better.
    “No, you tell me where I am!” she said.
    The door swished open.
    Derek stumbled inward towards a beautiful naked young woman and a rather familiar bigheaded alien.
    The alien held clothing similar to what it had first handed Derek, though it wasn’t handing it to the woman. Its mouth was gaping at Derek, unable to process another explanation for the confused redhead.
    “Hey, bub. Did you miss me? I beat those stupid little ball things and I beat a really lanky stick monster. I thought you had my back?”
    “Who’s this man?” the woman asked.
    “Derek Vogt.” Derek said, “Did this guy tell you there’s an alien invasion happening on earth and only we can stop it?”
    “I hadn’t gotten to