Page Added 07/10/2026

Last Edits 07/10/2026

I wrote this during COVID. I wrote 10 stories that year.

This was 4th after my book, and before I went back to school for College to learn the proper way to write screenplays.

This format was used for a Contest I had entered it in. 

Post Apocalyptic 2.3.1

Act 1

Section 1 (Chapters 1, 2,)

For the intro Regina talks about Charles Darwin’s theory of Survival of the Fittest. She take it into her own words comparing the world to it.

We get to meet her and see her in the present day, being in a Post Apocalyptic state. She is the guardian of a girl and teen boy. They begin to tell stories around the fire pit and explain more of how things came to be as they are.

Scene 1 – Survival of the fittest

·        This is Regina talking having clips of how society is known to be in the early 2000s.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent,

but the one most responsive to change.”

-        Charles Darwin 1809

Regina: “ ‘Survival of the fittest’ is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as reproductive success.¹”

Regina: “Most common throughout the animal kingdom and has been very stable for a few millenniums for humans. For us, it has been the adapting to technology and trends. To follow them or keep up to date. Seems to distinguish many nowadays.”

Regina: “To me, I have learned it is survival of the fittest, fastest, smartest, and cowardice who survive. To survive is to live and to live is to have life. With life, you have lived and without the survival you have no life.² Just like animals we still define ourselves between different variations of social class.”

Regina: At the top, Alphas, is the upper class, or elites as they like to refer to themselves who live life expensively with no cares for anyone other than themselves. Sometimes they can be generous, but still with gain towards themselves. To donate a large sum of money to an organization, means tax free money to write off or place as a business expense. This is the life many wish they could have and often never even aspire to reach it. Just dreaming and wishing isn’t enough. Of course many of them were lucky and did not do much to get where they are, but more of them work hard and continue to in order to maintain that ranking of social class. They tend to influence most of how society is having the resources and time to do so.”

Regina: “Below them is the, Betas and Deltas, the upper middle class. They do not fully live as expensive as the alphas, but do enjoy that life style often. Here is where greed seems to take place more. They want to be higher in ranks and will often penny pinch everything. Less likely to donate to a cause and more likely to purchase something for themselves instead. Often times, these people work below the alphas and help persuade those below them they could be like them if they try to be. However, there are many betas who are against the alphas and do the opposite, but in the end they still are striving for the alpha position. Regaurdless if they believe their beliefs are better or different the mindset is to be better.”

Regina: “We come to the middle child. Lead Warrior, the lower middle class. Often neglected, but also given the freedom to be overlooked on situations the other children in the family would be scolded for. They learn fast by watching those above them succeed and those below them fail. When the situation is flipped, they can feel confused and unsure what to do. Faced with a moment of generosity, they will often reason like, I will give $5, 000 to an organization, but take my family on 3 vacations this year costing that. Most of the time, they follow the flow that is most being filled.”

Regina: “Working class, or warriors and hunters. The name is in the class work! No matter what they do, they are endlessly pushing themselves. Yes, they want to be anywhere above them, but are glad they are not below them. They find peace in staying where they are or going up farther. They always have an opinion against the other ranks and stand up for the healers below them. Given a chance of charity, they often would like to, but have to think about their own families and situations first. They tend to share with others, more willing to throw a party with food and beverages with a smile that everyone has fun, but will be offended by those who become offended thinking that they are not the alphas and should be glad they respect them as healers. Relaxing, is not something that comes often and in this class only groups of people together have gain towards anyone above them.”

Regina: “Finally, at the bottom, we have the poor or healers. Looked at as eyesores in society by many, but also given lack of ability to grow and learn. Society will easily give them money or food, but many of these people make the choice to be lazy. So many say, I’m not going to work at McDonald’s. I’m better than that. Or, I hate school and don’t want to go back. The worst is, Hey, I have diabetes in my twenties thanks to my parents and myself, why should I work or eat right to stabilize it if I can be given free money? At the same time, they are used to having nothing and making nothing last. Many in this class strive and work hard to live each day. Often, they have been forced to these situations from others, mostly from higher up the class. They endure and often do live life as best they can as often as they can. To celebrate a birthday with cake and presents fulfills them over making sure the whole family has cellphones.”

Regina: “Compared to animals, if we were all faced to fend for ourselves, we are not much different. Those used to eating fancy meals multiple times a day will resort to killing those who have not. At the same time, those who are used to not eating full portions are more adapted to the situation when all of society has to. Regaurdless of the class, those dependent on medications, will always fall. Those dependent on materiel needs, will crumble.”

Regina: “I speak of these things, because I have seen them all. From good to bad. In a prosperous society to a constant state of survival. Because of the last few millenniums, humans have missed out on many of the things that created life. When they are taken away in a few short weeks, it causes panic, chaos, death, destruction! When faced with the need to change, many fail.”

Scene 2 – Meet Regina

·        Regina is doing something that is accustomed to her life at this point. Dragging a dead body away that she killed herself. To protect her and others she is in care of. She has some memories run across her mind when passing certain locations.

Present day……

A young female drags a dead body into an empty field and leaves it. She walks along a sidewalk. Behind her is a red barn in the distance. To her right is a field with many bodies scattered throughout. As she passes homes to her left, they seem in disarray. Windows broken, paint withered, lawns unmaintained, a crash into a garage with blood stains around, a few cars knocked over to their sides, and other signs of brutality and invasion. She walked with a blank stare forward without a care. Some cats and dogs had been walking around with her.

The sun was setting and the sky had a pink and purple glow to it. She nears the corner and turns left. She stops and stares for a moment across an intersection with only a block left of sidewalk directly in front of her.

A school could be seen with the same looks as the houses on the block, but half burnt to the ground. She begins to think back, seeing the school abundant and getting upset over the traffic of parents picking up their children.

A memory passes with chaos and people screaming. From there, she can see herself walking farther ahead across the street to the school with lots of guns and weapons on her. The memory changes to seeing people talking to her and a party going on. Finally, the building is set on fire with people screaming and running out.

She looks down at the ground. A dog nudges her hand and she smiles at it whole petting it head.

Regina: “Good dog.”

She speaks and kneels down to praise it. A cat runs up against her knee and she pets it. Soon after, she pets nearly all of the animals around her with a smile and continues to walk forth.

Regina: “Hi. My name's Regina. I'm sure you may be wondering, what happened around here? Or what I am doing? Unfortunately, I had to take more deceased to that field you seen me walk passed. I didn’t have a choice. Looking around…”

Regina looks around and down all four streets of the intersection.

Regina: “You can see this is no longer a happy cookie cutter home neighborhood. Sadly, this is still a peaceful neighborhood. Out of the few hundred homes in this neighborhood, only a dozen people are alive here. There used to be more. One time, after the neighborhood was deserted by nearly everyone, it had been refilled by others. Military roamed every street and society looked prosperous again. That didn’t last long.”

Regina crosses the street and turns left. She looks back and forth at the houses around her on each side of the block.

Regina: “When I moved in, 15 years ago, most of this block was empty and for sale. Not too much time passed and nearly every house was empty. A couple years passed, and they were filled. Just for a few months and they were quickly emptied in one night. Over time, the neighborhood was left to sit as it is.”

Regina stops. A couple dogs run ahead and to the backyard of a home. Regina closes her eyes. In a moment, she raises her hand over her heart as a foam dart strikes the back of her hand.

Regina: “Good…”

Regina walks to the backyard.

Luke: “Drats! How does she do that every time?”

A teenage boy speaks to himself and begins to go down stairs to the backyard as Regina is greeted by a big hug from a child girl.

Scene 3 – Story time

·        Regina begins her tale of what happens all those years ago, before life was in this Post Apocalyptic state to Lucy and Luke. She has guardianship over them.

Lucy: “Will you tell us a story Regina?”

Regina: “Sure. How about we make a fire in the pit. Can you help me build it?”

Lucy: “Yeah! I can do it all by myself! I’m just not old enough to make the fire.”

The girl takes off running to a pile of wood and taking pieces to the pit.

Luke: “You’re so good! How can I ever protect us if I can’t even get you?”

The boy walks out of the house disappointed. Regina walks up to him and raises his chin.

Regina: “If it were anyone but me, you would of succeeded. And if it were anyone but you who shot me, I would of dodged. The sensors are working, that’s good.”

Regina takes a step next to the boy as she turns her body to throw an arm around his shoulder.

Regina: “C' mon! You can start the fire.”

Regina guides them to the pit and helps finish setting up the wood. The boy sparks it up with some paper he set on fire and they all sit around it.

Regina: “What story would you like to here tonight?”

Lucy: “A princess!”

Luke: “No, no, no!”

The boy shakes his head side to side and looks at the girl to his right.

Luke: “Lucy, you know so many.”

He looks at Regina across the fire.

Luke: “How about something real? Maybe, you could tell us…about you? Or about the invasions more? I know you always say another day, but it doesn’t hurt for me to keep asking until that day.”

Rick: “Regina!”

A man’s voice speaks on a walkie talkie. Regina removes it from her leg and acknowledges.

Rick: “I’m on my way back, nearly there. I have news. That trouble we have planned… just be prepared.”

Regina closes her eyes and tilts her head as she leans onto the walkie. She places the radio back on her leg.

Regina: “Well, I guess that time would be best now.”

Lucy: “Regina is a pretty princess!”

The girl becomes bashful and hugs a stuffed animal.

Regina: “Thanks Lucy. But, Luke is right. This is something real. You both know of a lot, but there is so much I haven’t mentioned.”

Regina looks into the fire.

Scene 4 – Young Regina

·        Flashback to 15 years ago of Regina’s experience with the invasion. She is telling the story around a campfire narrating the stories she tells.

Regina: “I guess I’ll go back to summer of 2007. That’s when I first moved here from Pennsylvania. My mom had grew up not to far in Windsor and came back to take care of my grandma.”

Lucy: “Wow! I wasn’t even born yet!”

Luke: “No, and I was in preschool. In another state, I don’t remember which one.”

Luke looks down at the ground.

Luke: “I may never know.”

He looks back up at Regina.

Luke: “Sorry, keep talking.”

Regina: “You’re alright. Honestly, most don’t remember things from that young of an age, but you both are smart! My parents had got divorced.”

Lucy: “Divorced?”

Luke: “That’s where two people who were together leave to be a part.”

Regina: “Yeah. They spent the next few months competing for my love. At times I took advantage of it and most of the time is caused stress on me. But, that was common back then. I went to school, made some friends, and got good grades. Although, I started to fall into a bad crowd. My dad said he didn’t want to be far from me and had moved into a place in Johnstown. A fee miles from us right now. It was a few blocks from my high school and made it easier to fall further in with the bad crowd. When my first winter here passed, I began ditching classes.”

Luke: “Ditching?”

Regina: “Not going, skipping, and doing the wrong thing. A friend would convince me and she would call up her other friends. One day in the earlier spring, her and I were walking back to the school. Sirens could be heard all around. A guy zoomed down the street in his truck and slammed on his brakes. He backed up and rolled down his window to speak to us.”

Civilian: “Hey! You should get up to the high school fast! I’m going there now. You can hop in. There are aliens invading Earth! Everyone has been advised to take shelter! The school is the closest. I used to go there and need to be with my brother.”

Regina: “We politely declined and thanked him for the information. When we got to the school, a teacher was out front.”

Teacher: “We’re going under lockdown. Once you’re in here, you may not leave. The choice is yours weather to come in or go home.”

Regina: “My friend and I decided to go back to our homes. I turned on the TV at my dad’s house to the News. Of course almost every station had been reporting and words scrolling along the bottom. They were showing projections in the sky over the oceans. An alien spoke the same phrase over and over. A translation could not be determined. People began to panic.”

Regina closes her eyes and whispers by the fire.

Regina: “I can’t believe it was over a decade ago. Half my life…”

Luke: “What happened? Is that when you made your first kill and became the bad ass you are!”

Lucy gasps

Lucy: “Ooo, Luke said a bad word"

Regina: “It’s okay Lucy. He’s old enough and compared to back when I was his age, he is very clean with his curiosity. No, that was not when I first had to kill, but wasn’t too far away. My mom began banging on my dad’s door and drug me back home. She insisted I had to be with her and brought my grandma to our home. I went straight to the TV to keep watching what was going on. The next morning, I woke to see on the TV of the catastrophe that occurred in the middle of the night. With the whole world not united, society crumbled fast. We were not prepared. We were not equipped properly. We did not act promptly. Billions died. Millions, by each other. They had footage of a large mothership appearing from the projections in the sky. It launched out hundreds of ships. They began to attack every human they could. Some people escaped to safety, but very few aliens were terminated. They didn’t understand humans or our world fully. In the beginning, doors were a mystery to them. If you managed to run inside some place, you were safe. Driving a car you were not attacked or walking around in a trash can.”

Luke: “The Pickedges were that stupid? It was them, right? For the first attack?”

Regina: “Yes, stupid, they can be. But, deadly so much so. They slaughtered so much of the human race in just a night. A window, they would easily break through if seeing through it. At the same time, they can detach some of their dozen tentacles and replace the human spinal cord with it. This allows them to control the human or many humans at the same time. They say some can resist, but are usually killed instantly by the tentacle’s blade at the end impaling the brain. If you were not along the coast, so many began to flee further inland. Around here, most left for the mountains.”

Luke: “Isn’t that why we’re safe? Being close to the mountains?”

Regina: “Yes and no. Pickegdes do have troubles around high elevated mountains, but it did not stop them from an attacking here, eventually. I will get to that. The Scabs were more annihilating around here.”

Beep, beep

Luke grabs his rifle and Regina halts him.

Regina: “It should be Rick.”

She looks at her watch, it is just passed 9 p.m.

Regina: “Gail should be here soon too.”

Regina looks around at the animals.

Regina: “See how Jaw is the only one alerted? He is on sentry for the pack. He recognizes Rick’s scent. If it were someone unknown, some of the others would be alerted. As for the cats, they pick up vibrations in the ground more than scent and are used to his footsteps.”

The gate opens and an African American male joins them.

Rick: “I thought I smelled a campfire!”

He is greeted by a big hug from Lucy that he kneels down and accepts.

Regina: “Telling stories again?”

Lucy: “Rick, Rick! Did you bring me anything?”

Luke: “Yeah! Regina is finally telling us her full story.”

Rick: “I see.”

Rick reaches into his pocket and pulls out some candy for Lucy and she runs back to her spot around the fire.

Rick: “Are you at the part with me yet?”

Regina: “No! You egocentric glorified jock!”

Regina taunts him and the two smile.

Rick: “Good, that means I have time to go get something. I'll be right back!”

He takes off jogging. Beeps can be heard as he passes by sensors around the area.

Bark, ruff

A dog takes off running. Sensors go off as the dog passes them.

Regina: “There goes Roy. Gail must be nearby.”

Lucy: “Yeah, Roy loves Gail!”

Luke: “How did you and Gail meet? I remember you and him almost got into a fight when we first met you.”

Regina: “I'll get to that. Especially when he is back to be a part of it. First, I want to tell you about what happened around here after the invasion.”

Scene 5 – Crumbling Society

·        Regina tells more of her story. She yells, and takes charge as alpha over her mom.

Regina: “Even though they started along the coasts, people couldn’t cope or cooperate. Within the first week, people stopped going to work. My dad had stopped by my house and suggested I go with him to my grandpa’s in Arizona. I declined and insisted on staying where I was. He gave me a cell phone, I already had one with my mom’s plan, but the teenager I was did not deny it, to increase our chances of being able to talk again and see one another. Later that day, my mom had come home complaining about people’s manners and how the grocery stores were empty. She said she would go a town over tomorrow. I had yelled at her and said, it’s a waste of time. If they are empty closest to here, they will be elsewhere and that she wouldn’t be the only one to venture farther, others already have. My mom and I had always argued and not got along much. As the bratty teenager I was, I took her car keys and locked myself in my room. By the second week, all the stores were completely empty and many had been ransacked or even demolished in some way or form. Some people began to go crazy. Nearly everyone had fled to the mountains that was left. Lots stayed, but barricaded themselves within their homes.”

Scene 6 – Marshmallows

·        Regina and Rick teach Luke and Lucy about s’mores. Gail arrives with the gram crackers and chocolate.

Beep, beep

Beep, beep, beep

Beep

A bag of marshmallows is thrown to the ground by Regina’s foot.

Regina: “Is this a special occasion? I see you found my one of my sweet stashes?”

Rick: “Well, this story deserves dessert and it’s from one of my stashes!”

Rick hands metal sticks to everyone and Regina places marshmallows on them all. The two adults show the kids how to roast there marshmallows. The guy leans into Regina’s ear and whispers.

Rick: “Gail said the mother ship is still on course west towards us. It’s collecting as many as possible within it. We don’t know what they’re doing. So far, anything above 4, 000 feet in elevation is still surviving. But, most of the eastern seaboard has been wiped out completely! The have somehow upgraded their technology. We need to make this time as memorable for these kids as possible. Counts are at less than 500 for our area. These two have it lucky compared to the rest. Thanks to you.”

He nudges Regina and his marshmallow catches fire. He blows it out. The kids laugh.

Lucy: “Eww! It’s all burnt now. You can’t eat that yucky thing!”

Rick: “Aw, Lucy, don’t let appearances full you. It may look burnt to you, but inside…”

He takes a bite.

Rick: “Mmm, gooey and exactly how I like them! I only wish we could have a full s’more.”

Lucy giggles.

Lucy: “I want to try!” Her and the boy both roast their marshmallows the same as Rick's and taste it.

Luke: “It’s not bad, but I liked mine best when it grew like a muffin. Or…what was that thing you told us was growing that time.”

He starts to snap his fingers to think.

Luke: “Mooshrums? Is that it?”

Regina: “Mushrooms. Very good. You’re learning well. Maybe, in a few years, I will go find some for you to try.”

Regina winks at him.

Gail: “Hey! I don’t think so!”

Another man, middle aged, walks around from the side of the house with a few dogs accompanying him.

Lucy: “Gail!”

Lucy stands up fast and runs to him. He picks her up and holds her in his arms.

Gail: “At least not the ones I know Regina is talking about and I want to smack her! But, she’s an adult and can do as she pleases.”

Gail takes a seat with Lucy on his lap as she feeds him a marshmallow. He opened a box with gram crackers and some chocolate bars inside.

Regina: “Relax! I’m clean and teasing. Besides, I feel he needs some sort of rebel stage in his life. It would be a learning experience.”

Regina tosses a marshmallow at him.

Regina: “Of course you know I fear everyone going under the things I have and some experiences may be good if they happen naturally.”

Gail: “Shush! Don’t talk about that. What’s the story tonight?”

Gail looks at Lucy.

Gail: “Princesses? Magic? Magic princesses?”

Lucy: “Regina’s telling her story to us! Like, the whole thing this time!”

Lucy answers and jumps off his lap to roast another marshmallow. Gail glares at Regina.

Rick: “Aw man! I can’t believe we’re going to have some s’mores! I just want one, you kids can have the rest!”

Rick cuts in to ease the tension. He looks at Gail.

Rick: “C' mon, it’s now or maybe never. They deserve to know.”

Regina takes a bite of a s’more.

Scene 7 – Taking charge

·        This is a flashback to the first time Regina killed someone. A woman who tried to set them up with aid if her husband. Her neighbors are thankful and supportive of her actions.

Regina: “The third week was hard and only became worse after. There was a knock on our door.”

Mom, walks to the door. Regina yells down the stairs.

Regina: “Don’t open it!”

The mom opens it for a woman to be standing there sobbing.

Civilian: “Please! Do you have anything to eat? I need to feed my kids. They’re so hungry!”

Regina slams the door shut

Mom: “What is wrong with you Regina! Her children!”

Regina: “I'm a child too!“

The woman made an attempt to open the door and Regina locked it. Fast her stepdad locked the back doors and they shut all the windows on the ground floor. A few times Regina pushed her mom to the ground when she tried to run out with food for the woman.

Regina: “I didn’t understand why the woman at our door wasn’t breaking into the empty homes. Shortly after she left, a man in a truck slowly creeped by in his truck looking around. I took note of the few homes that still housed others. I stayed by the door all day encase the woman came back to us. The next day, I decided to raid all the homes on our block that the woman had walked away from with no contact to others. So many took off to safe zones so fast, they left behind so much. The first home I went into was to the left of my house. When I broke the front window, I seen the back was already busted. So, I left and went across the street. Not only did I collect food, but I took anything I figured may be of use. Kitchen utensils, especially knives, sports equipment and gear, heavy or breakable objects like lamps or vases, pillows and blankets, alcohol both medical and consumption, the occasional movie I hadn’t seen yet or wanted, and pretty much whatever I felt was useful,  tools, paint cans, cleaning supplies, spices, anything in medicine cabinets, sewing supplies, light bulbs, storage items… I filled my garage with a bunch of stuff.”

Regina: “The fourth week, I fell asleep one night by the door when the same woman came by earlier that day. I woke from loud bangs and dogs barking. Not just my own, but around the neighborhood as well. Guns. Something I had been fearing.”

Regina’s stepdad was prepared with a gun if his own.

Stepdad: “I don’t know how accurate I'll be and if it’s that woman… I can’t.”

More gun shots went off and Regina could see a man down the block to the right of thier house across the street. The same who was in that truck! He and the woman pointed across the street and made a mark on a piece of paper. This time, multiple gun shots went off and children screaming. All the noise ceased. Regina watched them go across the street from her. The woman went to the front door and begged, but soon pulled out a gun. The man ran around back and shortly the two were inside and running out. They pointed Regina’s house.

Regina: “Do not open the door! Just be prepared for them the enter.”

Regina took some of her CutCo knives and went out back. She hoped the fence over to the next yard and saw the man come around the back of her house. He began to break the back sliding glass door to the master bedroom, where her grandma was.

Civilian: “Sean!”

The woman shouted with bloody murder. The man quickly ran back around the house. She was bleeding out heavily from two knives in her backside. One penetrated near her heart and the other was through the back of her leg. He opened the front door of Regina’s house and she fired the gun. Directly into the head the bullet impacted. Flesh and brains spewed all over the place. The stepdad puked. The woman looked at Regina as she pulled the knives out of her and she began to crawl away. One of the neighbors from across the street came out limping and covered in blood as he held a wound. He pointed the gun at the woman and ended her life. He fell to the ground and Regina rushed over.

Regina: “I can’t forget this.”

Neighbor: “Just kill me! I have nothing left without my family and can’t do it myself.”

He was handing his gun to Regina.

Regina: “I didn’t know what to do. Another neighbor of mine had slowly approached. I turned around fast pointing a gun at him.

Neighbor: “I will do it. You have done enough and saved my family and so many left they hadn’t gone to yet.”

Regina walks away. She flinches hearing the gun shot and she slams her front door.

Luke: “Whoa!”

Regina nods.

Gail: “She had to…”

Lucy: “Who stabbed that lady? I'm confused.”

Luke: “It was Regina. She snuck up behind her and quickly rushed around inside the house. Flanking, right!”

Gail: “Yes! Regina has always been good at thinking fast.”

Regina: “Thanks. I say it was all the video games and movies.”

Section 2 (Chapters 2, 3, 4)

Regina continues to tell her story of what happened sitting around the campfire. She had to take charge as alpha against her mom while also unknowingly claiming it with her neighbors. With human against humans, she does what needs to be done to survive. The army takes her during a worldwide draft. She escapes and looses her loved ones during a raid not leaving very many left alive on her block. She is captured again by the army, only this time taken inside Fort Saint Vrain for an experiment led by Doctor Dean Farely and to meet her first Pickedge.

Scene 1 – Needs to be done

·        Flashback, of cleaning up the dead bodies.

Regina: “It became a broken record with people begging at our doors. Always the same story, my kids are hungry, we have sick people, be a humanitarian. Never a, join our cause, make an alliance with us, or a just wanting to know whose around and alive. I didn’t like the bodies piling up. It made it easy to know where we were. At the same time, I knew which homes were still occupied”

Regina took some white sheets, cut them up, and wrote on them.

773 means no harm. Aid me or face me! We are still humans, and I still have good mannerism and want this street cleaned up. It’s drawing too much attention. We are all on our own, but when needed we will need each other.

She attached them to stakes or doors on the remaining homes of the block, like flags, and Ding dong ditched them.

She took a chance and began to pile many bodies into the truck of the first couple who came by. The neighbors each sent someone out to help. Nobody spoke to one another, but when Regina tried to drive away, one of the men intervened. He gestured her out of the vehicle.

Neighbor: “Please, this is man’s work. Not something a young gal like yourself should do. I expect you to continue helping us.”

She let him take the truck. He left it in the field on the next block over.

Scene 2 –  Change

·        Regina is watching the news, 2007, and explains what she saw. A young boy is killing. The block also boards up their homes. Regina takes alpha over her mother more.

Regina: “Some TV stations were still active. News was the only option.”

News: “We don’t have much footage of the invasion at this point. So many have been slaughtered! Not just the aliens, but chaos amongst each other. Be cautious, this is spreading faster than the panic.”

The news shows footage of the people panicking and going against each other as humans.

Regina: “They showed a young boy, about your age Lucy, dragging his mother’s decomposing corpse along the street.”

A man tried to aid the child and was just shot. The reporter became scared when the child aimed it at her.

Kid: “Go away!”

He fired and the camera went static.

Regina: “That’s not something a child should ever have to go through, but it was widespread.”

News: “We advise you! Board up your homes! Cover all windows and doors. Do not open them for anyone! Be prepared for anything hostile.”

Regina: “Between humans was more to fear than the invasion of aliens…

The next day, Regina and her stepdad cut off the porches of their neighbors and boarded up the house. The rest of the block did the same who were left. Some even boarded up empty homes in hopes of decoys.

Regina: “June was a hot month and not even the hottest time of the year. Covering all the windows and doors made it a sweaty summer. Water and power were still running, but the AC drew too much attention. All I could ask myself was, How long we would have these things? Yelling at my mom became a daily thing. If it wasn’t over rationing food it was her trying to un board the house or go out looking for help and to help others. One of the days, I had locked her in the bathroom in the hallway just so she wouldn’t leave.

Scene 3 – Police

·        The police show up at Regina's house.

Regina: “Two months had passed and I had slept in one day. A knock on the door woke me with the dogs barking.”

Regina hears her mom and stepdad talking to a man. She walks down the steps slowly just as he handed my mom a card. I was upset she opened the door and even more upset she was talking to them. Regina peeked out the window at the bottom of the stairs. It was a police officer.

Jason Tope. Officer #14-1 of the Milliken Police Department.

At the end of the front yard and driveway, were other officers and fire fighters with volunteers as well. Regina was just on the other side of the opened front door knowing her mom had it fully open so she couldn’t get by or close it easily.

Jason: “Thank you, mam, for displaying non hostile reactions or displaying needs of assistance immediately. On behalf of the Milliken Police Department, Fire Department, and Mayor, we are notifying you of the safe zones. To the mountains, west, is all a safe zone. Yes, this area has been uninterrupted by the invasion, but we do advise you and anyone else in the household to seek shelter there.”

He looked between the crack of the door at Regina and she returned his look with a gaze of not intimidated and full serious. He looks back at the mom. Regina squeezes herself around the door and the mom tried to hold her back. She forced herself outside.

Regina: “We will not be going anywhere! Leave us be!.”

Jason: “Okay, if you like, we shall place your address of inhabited and non hostile on our watch list. In a situation like this, the only option is to stay or flee. Many have chose to flee. I respect any decision you have and that you notify us if anything useful presents itself to you or ask of our assistance when dire or beneficial. The residents of Milliken are less than a couple hundred as of the moment.”

All the officers, fire fighters, and volunteers lowered their defensive stances. Regina noticed and looked around.

Regina: “We will stay, but I see no harm in you checking in on us or updating us on information if the media and internet cave. My mom answered the door this time…”

She looks back at her glaring.

Regina: “ I can’t help but let my raging teenage hormones rush out here. If you are lying, I will kill all of you!”

Jason: “As you should! But we are not lying. I would say this is what has kept you hear and should be commended.”

Regina: “Do you really think this is all necessary? I believe everyone’s instincts are leading them down whatever it is life has lead them to have DNA evolved for.”

They all aimed guns at her again. She looked around in disgust and then right into Jason’s eyes. While pointing a finger in his face and poking him.

Regina: “Where were you all when this block first began getting raided? Huh? How can you assure me you will be here when it happens again! I'm not stupid! I know it won’t be long before groups start showing up!”

Jason had grabbed her wrist and she pulled it out of his grasp.

Jason: “I'm sorry, we couldn’t be here. Yes, a group is bound to show up. Including…”

She shoved him.

Regina: “People above your pay grade! I know…”

Jason: “The army will be by if the alien attacks continue. They will round up everyone who meets their criteria.”

Jason looked down and grabbed his hands.

Jason: “We can’t help when that time comes.”

Regina: “I know. So just leave! I already enlisted myself by coming out here. My mom would of too.”

She turns around going back into the home and slammed the front door shut as she threw a fit.

Mom: “Calm down! I won’t let the military take you.

Regina: “Yeah right! You couldn’t handle me, what makes you think you could the army? The cops know I'm here and this was a test for them to see what homes to go to in order to cut out as much time possible in their shanghai!”

She went to her room and lingered around upset for a few days.

Like they said, the military had come by. Straight to her she went. Regina held her door shut against two soldiers. The window was busted open and she was quickly knocked out by the back of a gun.

Scene 4 – Army

·        Regina wakes up in an army camp and escapes.

Regina stirs the fire and looks blankly into it.

Gail: “Ya' know, this is when I first met Regina. Not officially. But, I will wait my turn. Keep talking Regina. You’re dynamite!”

Regina: “I woke up in an unknown area. Inside a tent on a cot.”

Regina could hear people shouting, 4-5-6-7-8-9. She stood up fast. Her head was pounding and she grabbed where she was struck. Pain and a memory of being knocked out flashed across her mind. She looked around the area to notice army clothes over her regular ones. A couple others were still knocked out. She attempted to wake them with no luck. Looking outside of the tent stealthy, to see many exercising with soldiers all around she closed the tent flap.

Two soldiers came in fast. The first, Regina grabbed by the neck of his attire and slammed against the ground in front of her as hard as she possibly could. The second drew his gun and she pushed it upwards. Shots went though the tent and drew others attention. With a struggle, she managed to acquire the gun by a knee to the groin. Full of so much anger, she used it to knock the soldier out cold. A few others swarmed in. A bash into a head, a shot into the leg, and simply displaying dominance stopped the next three.

Soldier: “Please!”

The last man coward, along with the next few who ran in dropping to their knees, with arms above their heads and hands cupped around their faces in fear.

Regina: “Tell me where I am. I shouted and pointed the gun. I began to panic from footsteps and an alarm sounding.”

Soldier: “Fort Vrain! Please! Many of us don’t want to be here any more than you do.”

A soldier cowards and lies completely on the ground when she points the gun at him. A 2nd man speaks up.

Soldier: “Honestly! Take me with you if you can escape this place! You were brought here being under the age of 40 and within a 50 mile radius of this place. A draft was sent out worldwide!”

Regina relaxes some

Regina: “Fort Vrain? The Hydroelectricity plant? I thought that was rumors being under military control.”

Soldier: “Yes! Not just Hydroelectricity.”

Soldier: “We’re lucky to have power here. From what we know, we are lucky to be where we are overall of the country. Power, food, protection, whatever we need, it’s here. Just do not harm us. We are only doing as we are told!”

Regina: “Tell me more! As you are told by me, or I will blow holes in all of you! Being asked is one thing, but dragged against my will is another. I don’t live too far from here. Who wants to leave with me?”

She fully lowers an assault rifle to have most join. They tied up the unwilling and knocked out the ones who stood up against them. They walked out of the tent from an outside wall and not the opening.

Regina: “Okay. I see Mr. Hot shot with the whistle there is controlling this bunch. How many groups like this are around?”

They hear soldiers storming into the tent behind them. Regina had four others making an attempt to escape. They scattered around an area with many crates. Stealthily, they took out another dozen soldiers. A locked gate wouldn’t open. They told her who had keys and where the panel was to open it electronically. She crouched around the area and gun shots were fired in front of her as she quickly dodged behind a crate.

General: “Well…what do we have here? A mademoiselle for more than what we anticipated? A child! I could easily end your life right now! But, you could be of much use to us.”

The general spoke as he pointed his gun at her head.

General: “You’re very young and have much skill. Exactly what we need.”

Many soldiers surrounded and the four trying to escape with her were cowering from being caught with her. Regina stood up and spoke directly to the generals face.

Regina: “Then, why are you so desperate for force? Why must you use this much? Do I threaten you? Asking me makes all the difference verses this.”

The general began to question himself. Before he knew it, She slammed a couple smoked bombs to the ground and used flash bombs she had collected to escape. Taking a set of keys off the general, not only did Regina free the ones who asked, but a whole bunch of others followed behind her to freedom.

Regina: “So many had thanked me. It felt good to see the smiles. Very briefly some told me of their stories. There hope of being able to aid loved ones and to make a difference outside of the military in other ways. Anyone under 40 was drug away and leaving elderly and children to fend for themselves. How did that help humanity? I remember taking in account of what I had been through. At the same time, relating to their experiences. The outtake of humanity and its defenses also crossed my mind. To the west of Fort Vrain we had ran toward the mountains. Not to far away, we made our parts and condolences while exchanging some information. They all wanted to know where I was and I just simply said Carriage Drive, Milliken. Hugs were not something I was accustomed to, and didn’t know how to react from the ones I saved. I made my way back home. Of course, my mom was happy to see me, and I not so much of her. All of our cabinets were nearly empty. It was the ninth week of the invasion. The next morning, my mom had made bacon to celebrate my return. It was also the last of our frozen meat. I knew we were running out of supplies, others were too. Especially, cause I was gone for a couple days to not prevent my mom from giving things out to others.”

Scene 5 – Must live

·        Regina manages to avoid a raid that strikes her neighborhood. Unfortunately, her mom, stepdad, grandma, and dog are killed along with some neighbors who were not drug away to the army before or by the raid. She helps one of her neighbors with medical attention.

Regina: “The 10th week wasn’t… wasn’t happy.”

Regina is re opening cabinets in all sorts of homes to find them empty. She was yelling at her mom for giving stuff away to people too. She searches as best she could. When hearing guns fired and screams, Regina runs home!

Regina: “What did I do? I resorted to cowardness…”

Regain cries slightly around the fire.

Regina: “Not one of my finest moments, but in that situation, with so little time to retaliate, I had no choice.”

Regina rushes inside her home panicked. The day went by hearing the same gun fire and screams. Regina’s mom attempted to call Jason with no luck. Regina paced around her home all night. It was quiet. She hoped the raid wasn’t coming back. Her mom refused to think a raid had been there.

It was early in the morning. A few female screams were heard. Regina looks out her window on the 2nd floor to see them dragged out of their homes and tossed into a truck. From both ends of the street trucks full of people were raiding the block. They were taking females, even some young ones not blossomed yet. One stopped in front of Regina's house with the license plate 759-PFM having a columbine breast cancer design. Her door was busted through fast being shot at the hinges.

Regina grabs her hand gun, nearly out of bullets, and fires out her busted window taking out two men who were holding woman capture in the back of a truck. They all take off running for their lives. With no bullets left, Regina crawls out the small window to her roof. She sees more enter her backyard.

Her mom, stepdad, grandmother, and dog didn’t hide. A bullet is heard in. the living room. The second in the kitchen. The third and fourth, in the master bedroom. From where she was on the roof, nobody could see her. When they moved onto the next block, she made her way inside.

In the living room, a bullet had gone through the stepdad. The kitchen, the dog. What little food they had left was gone. The idiots didn’t think to take other items besides food. She walked slowly into the master bedroom, where a bullet had gone through her mom and grandma. At this point, there was nothing she could do. Going to the backyard more shots and screams were on the next block.

Regina walked out to the street to find a woman crying over a shot husbands corpse. The man who shot the woman. Another cry of children could be heard in home. Carefully, she walked into the house to the sobs. Inside, a man laid with a few bullets in him as he attempted to cook a meal with blood gushing out. She quickly ran forth and stopped. He aimed his gun at her and a tear ran from her eye.

Mike: “How? How…”

He fell to the ground.

Regina: “I lost many in this. I’m sorry. The roof…”

She rushed forth and applied pressure to his wounds as he attempted to sit up against a cabinet.

Mike: “They missed my vitals.

Regina: “Kids, bring me towels or blankets and any type of alcohol.”

On the counter was a nice set of knives. Regina grabbed them. The oldest child was a boy, not to far from high school age. She had him to hold his father’s hand.

Regina: “You were lucky not to be dragged away by the army. Here we go! First one!”

She digs a knife into the man’s chest. So much agony and so much screaming. She found the bullet and plopped it out. The sound of metal echoed so loud to me on the floor. More blood spewed out.

Mike: “How did you escape?”

Regina cringed her face as she dumped medical alcohol over the wound. Both the boy and man screamed! I was grabbed by both and screamed too. The young girl started to pull her away from them both.

Mike: “No! Amber! Let her do it!”

Regina: “Luck too…”

She left his wound open and rested his head upon his daughters lap. The second bullet was within his rib cage. More screaming, more blood, and agony from everyone. The man opens the cabinet below the sink and starts to chug a bottle of alcohol to the best of his ability. Regina waits a moment.

Regina: “I had thought about being surgeon in life and watched so many videos in life. One, because they grossed my mom out, but two cause they surpassed what movies and video games displayed.”

Mike: “Keep going!”

The man begged Regina grabbing her wrist and rubbed her cheek with a bloody palm. The last bullet was in his leg.

Regina: “The last one is near an artery. You’re bleeding a lot…”

Mike: “Get my soldering iron and welding tools in the garage.”

Regina found them. Everything was plugged in and set up fast. The last bullet was dug out and quickly she burned the man alive with the tools.

Regina: “The faces of his children…I will never forget. Ones of hope and fear at the same time.”

She tried to stand up after the third bullet was removed and soldered. The man stopped her.

Mike: “Do the others! He coughed blood. If these bleed me out, this will be for nothing.”

He chugged a bunch more alcohol down his throat. Regina soldered the other open wounds. By the end of the last, the man passed out. Both children grasped Regina. She checked the man’s pulse.

Regina: “He's just passed out from pain.”

For hours she did her best to reconcile the kids, even after the son took to aggression towards her. She finished making the dinner the man had started. It was just soup, but the kids said they hadn’t ate in a couple days. When she checked the cabinets, there was nothing else left but a few other cans of soup. The boy wouldn’t let her leave, pointing a gun at Regina, she had to stay until his father woke. Before sunrise the next day, the man finally woke up. She was hunched over on her knees partially sleeping and partially awake. His movements fully woke her. Arms were quickly thrown around the neck by the man. Only for a brief moment and then he fell back to the ground grabbing his wounds.

Mike: “Those bastards! They took everything! My wife… our food… but…”

He looked at Regina as he laid upon the ground with a pale exhausted expression.

Mike: “Not you… we are here for you. Whatever you say. If you can aid us until I am better…I…”

Regina: “I have nothing left, whatever I can give, I will. As long as we all stay untied. No more surprise attacks. The army took me once and I prevailed. I made it back here. We all lost this time, but still won. If my gut is correct, nature will aid us soon. I feel with everyone going to the mountains, wildlife will soon push here. I have a stash too. Sorry for being greedy to you all, but I prepared for the future and these events. It’s not much, but I will give most of it to you and whomever is left on our block. Maybe neighborhood. Rest. I will be back.”

She stood up and he grabbed my ankle.

Mike: “Help me to the couch.”

She promoted him up with his gun in hand towards the door. His children hugged her before she left. When walking out, a woman across the street was staring at her from her porch. She was older. Regina walked up to her.

Tammy: “My daughter was taken and son shot. I have nothing left. But, I saw what you did for that man and what you showed those children. I saw you taken by the army and have no idea how you came back, my grandkids have not make it back here.”

Tammy cocked her gun.

Tammy: “I'm ready for when those assholes come back or any aliens who may invade! My grand daddy taught me how to shoot, god bless his soul, and when you're ready to hunt, I am here. I can not go alone, but tell me where to point and shoot, I will not fail.”

Regina nodded and kept walking back home. Some young children and people her parents age watch her pass by. The next day, all of the kids were taken away by the police.

There were a lot of strays roaming around the neighborhood. Some, Regina had freed from their death when scavenging homes. She took a chance and left a bowl of both cat and dog food outside. The next morning, some animals were snoozing by the bowls. They followed her as she drug the corpses out of her home to the back of her stepdad's truck and out to the field on the next block over. It took all day, but she dug proper burials for them. As she leaned on a shovel, one dog dropped a ground hog by her feet. She praised the dog a lot. Over the next few days, he brought her something each day. Along with the cats and other animals. She would make soup, to fed them plus herself. It took getting used to, but was enough to get by. She would take left overs to each of the remaining neighbors.

Regina: “Scavenged soup.”

Tammy: “Food is food.”

Mike: “Thanks Regina.”

Section 3 (Chapter 5, 6)

Regina is captured by the army again and meets her 1st Pickedge after learning that she has rare blood that Dr. D,  at Fort Saint Vrain, wants to experiment with to aid humanity. Gail tells of his backstory, what happened when the Pickedges first attacked.

Scene 1 – Doctor Dean Farley

·        Regina is drug off by the military again. She learns of having a rare blood and meets her 1st Pickedge face to face. Returned home safely, she meets Sehun.

Regina: “After the twelfth week, or three months, things became scarce. In fact, they became horrid in ways.”

The army returned. Regina was unable to escape and caught off guard. For the second time, she was knocked out, drugged away, and woke up in a different place. Back at Ft. Vrain, but not in the camp. This time, she was inside the facility somewhere. In a secured room, she tried to escape with no luck. The bratty teen she was, flipped off the cameras. As she did that, Regina saw band aids on her arms. Removing them, she could see they drew blood. She was still in her own clothes and not been dressed in a soldiers uniform. A static intercom was heard.

Dr. D: “Well, good afternoon Miss Regina. I’m surprised with how quickly you woke. Don’t worry, we could not get a full vial of your blood from you arm there, but we did get enough. I’m rather intrigued by you. My name is Doctor Dean Farley. I’m head medical and research here at Fort St. Vrain Generating Station of Platteville, Colorado. Yes, I’m sure you have always guessed there is more going on here than just providing power to the nearby cities and towns. However, we are running out of time to concoct proper needs of action for when the Pickedges arrive. The aliens, we have defined them by that name due to their heads having similarities to a guitar pick and their tentacles having sharp edges. In fact, we have a few here. I would appreciate if you could help us out in a little experiment.”

Regina was trapped in that room. The door was locked and cameras were on her. She managed to pull the vent off and crawl through it. Dr. D was not happy. Every exit had guns pointed at her through the vents. She evaded as best possible, and it was not enough in the end. She managed to exit in an area thought to be secluded. Right after she jumped down out of the vent, it was closed over by metal above her. The room went pitch black. She found myself face to face with a Pickedge for the first time.

Red eyes glowed to illuminate the room. Tentacles flailed as she raised her arms to protect her head. With knees partially bent she peeked though her arms to the creature. It had been prevented from attacking. Glass or plastic was between them. Regina took a stance and observed the Pickedge as best possible. Many tentacles with sharp ends repeatedly attacked the barrier. Slight scratches were left behind. She could only watch not knowing what to do. After some time, the Pickedge tired and pulled back. Regina began to raise an arm out to touch the barrier and lights turned on from her side. This only angered the Pickedge and his attack returned with full aggression. A nurse came in with many soldiers pointing guns at her.

Luke: “What did you do? You escaped right?”

Rick and Gail toss more logs onto the fire. Regina looks down at the ground.

Regina: “No.”

Rick begins to rub her back side.

Regina: “There was nowhere to run to. I let the nurse stick a needle in me. A whole vial of blood was not able to be drawn.”

Dean spoke over and intercom.

Dr. D: “Regina! I don’t know if you know the importance of yourself as I do, but there is a reason I need a full vial of blood from you.”

Regina: “Why is that? Tell me!”

Dr. D: “You have rare blood. In fact, it prevents your body from bleeding out and, well, gives yourself a chance to live. If this adaptation is for just survival based on physicalness, or if it traces to your mental capacity, we do not know. Please. We mean you no harm. You have no idea how rare and important you are.”

Regina: “Why the need for hostility? What do you want from me?”

Dr. D: “For starters, tell me your age, something about your physical condition, like sexually active or not, and illnesses.”

Regina: “I am 14, nearly 15.”

Dr. D: “Wow, younger than I anticipated. Do continue.”

Regina: “I would say I’m more healthy now than a few years ago. Still fat for my grade and seen as un appealing by my age. I have never been sexually active and only started my…”

Dr. D: “Please, I’m a doctor and you have no need to be shy.”

Regina: “It was a year ago when I started… started maturing. I'm often sick that time of the month. I don’t see what concern or benefit that is to you.”

She is embarrassed and irritated. A projection starts to play on the wall.

Dr. D: “Interesting. My diagnostics of you were way off and at the same time I respect you more. You have AB+ blood. The rarest blood type. Less than 4% of people have this type of blood³. What also makes this blood type unique is there are no antibodies within your blood. Antibodies are proteins made by your body to attack foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria. Red blood cell antibodies may show up in your blood if you are exposed to red blood cells other than your own⁴. You're a universal recipient and could give blood to anyone. By your physical condition, you are quiet healthy and do not appear to have the weakened immune system. However, it is unknown how puberty will affect this.”

Regina: “So? You want me as a lab rat now?”

Dr. D: “I would like to do more research and continue with some of our experiments. Before we are done for today, I have one more thing to test out. If you could please go on the other side of the metal plate along the ground? You will be aloud to leave free of harm on your own still by the time the sun sets if you cooperate.”

She had no choice but to abide and listen to him. A dozen guns were aimed at her head. She walked across the room and a glass box had rose from the ground and down from the ceiling around her. All the soldiers exited the room and watched through glass viewing into the room. The Pickedge was released on the other side of the glass and began to flail his tentacles around. They moved so fast and were so sharp that the room was being diced and sliced all over. He couldn’t penetrate the glass cage or exterior walls. It locked eyes with Regina and she filled with fear.

Lucy: “What happened! You were okay, right?”

Lucy hugs a nearby cat.

Luke: “Of course she was okay. She's here right now.”

Regina: “His eyes went from neon red to neon blue. I was scared and had no idea what to do.”

A man was dropped down from a hole in the ceiling with cuffs on. He began to scream and begged to be brought back up. The hole was sealed and the Pickedge quickly detached a tentacle to take over the man’s body. Through the spine above the buttocks the tentacle impaled. Very soon, the tentacle replaces the spinal cord of the man and took full control of his body. Blood trailed behind the man as he approached Regina. After so long, she sat on the ground and cried into her knees on the floor hugging the legs with the man attacking the cage.

The Pickedge attempted to escape, but all of the room was metal. A couple hours had gone by and she couldn’t cry no more and just watched the man become beaten up and the Pickedge strategizing with failed attempts. The wall opened up beside her some and the barrier disappeared. Scared and fearful for her life, she scooted back against the wall. Luckily, a gun pointed directly at the Pickedge from the opening. A dart went flying into his head. Caught off guard, the Pickedge quickly attacked her, but passed out with no damage as the wall shut. His eyes flashed between all different colours as he slowly passed out. The creature fell into a sedated state.

The man was staring at Regina and grabbed her by the neck. She slowly began to choke. Kneeing him in the gonads did nothing and he was robust. She started to brush his cheek to reach out to the Pickedge. The man released his grip around her throat. Regina fell to the ground and gasped. Looking at the Pickedge on the ground she could see his eyes rolling around a faint green colour. One of his tentacles detached and flipped around. The man returned to attacking and she reacted by grabbing the tentacle. She threw it and the blade went between the man’s eyes, lodged into his brain. He fell to his knees and then the floor.

Regina: “I thought you needed me for your experiments! What is this? I almost died!”

Dr. D: “Almost, but we needed to see how this played out. That toxin we put into the Pickedge was derived from your blood. However, they still maintain ability to use their controlled humans. It was strange, you have made some sort of connection with it. Could their be something controlling the Pickedges? You may return to your life, for a couple weeks.”

The door opened and soldiers came in to restrain the Pickedge in the metal casings. Regina was escorted back to her home. Front porch status by the military.

Sehun: “Be glad you were able to go home. I…I hope I get to see you again. You’re very pretty… not something I have witnessed often. You make me…”

A solider walked her to the front door and ran off before he finished his sentence.

Lucy: “Was that your many yummy?”

Regina smiles.

Regina: “Yes, Lucy, using my words exactly. That was the first time I encountered Sehun. I was unsure about how I felt after that situation and his words. Yet, I wanted to see him again. My neighbors were glad to see me. At the same time, we needed to do something about food. I looked at the solar panels of my home and thought back to some of the homes I had raided.”

Scene 2 – Indoor Farming

·        Regina sets up some indoor farming after acquiring all the necessary items.

Regina: “The thirteenth week was approaching. I spent most of the time searching through homes. The legalization of marijuana was on the next ballots. Many had already begun growing it within their homes or backyards.”

She found many lights and brought back hard plastic kiddie pools, buckets, and pots. At the same time, many spoiled fruits and vegetables left behind in homes made it easy to find seeds.

Regina: “I really didn’t know how to react to people looking up to me and supporting everything I did, other than to share with them. It frightened me knowing my wrong decision could cost everyone their lives.”

Scene 3 – Gail

·        Gail tells his tale of what happened during the first attack by the Pickedges on humanity.

Regina stops talking and watches the fire blankly in front of her.

Gail: “Ya did good kid! In fact, you always do good. What these two have.”

Gail points at both Luke and Lucy at the same time with two fingers.

Gail: “Because of you… it’s amazing. I met so many who were traumatized by the first attack or undergoing the situations you described on an increased level.”

Rick: “Yeah…when the attack first happened. It…it all went by so fast. Some of it’s hard to think back to now cause certain things just inundate my mind. Or not being able to tell if something happened that time on this day or that day at this time cause it just happened so many times.”

Gail: “I remember that day too. I will never forget it. Not only did I lose loved ones, but I had acquired strength from within to adapt and move on. I hadn’t been back from Iraq for more than a year. I was on the eastern seaboard. Richmond, Virginia. I…”

Gail looks down at the ground and Lucy hugs him. He smiles.

Gail: “I was sleeping. It was nearly dinner time and my wife was in the kitchen cooking. My daughter ran into our room and woke me up. Telling me something was on the TV I needed to see. The projection of the alien in the sky on my TV almost made my heart stop.”

Gail: “Go to your room sweetheart.”

The girl runs off. Before he knew it, they could hear screaming, gun shots, crashing of vehicles, and just chaos outside of their home. From the kitchen the shattering of glass echoed. The bay window was broken through. He began to fire a gun over and over at the Pickedge invading. Gail had cracked the glass casing of the ship and jumped on top. He laid punches after punches until he got through to the head. He detached one of his tentacles from below the ship. They slither like snakes and can launch like spears. His daughter had screamed and ran toward him. As he turned around, his wife was grabbing their daughter with blood dripping out of her back and neck. Another tentacles sliced through his daughters body from the ship as it lifted off the ground tilted, sliding Gail off. All he could do in that moment was stare as his wife leaped toward him. He pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the heart.

Gail: “I love you!”  

He and pushed her away and ran. He ran through everything. The battle. People suffering and dyeing. Right passed people needing help. Ignored any moment where he could have been of aid to others.

Gail: “I ran straight to the closest army base. Fort Lee. Immediately, I was armoured up for combat. We held down that fort for weeks against attacks. We still suffered losses. After a few days of a tentacles replacing a human spinal cord, they no longer bleed. Some could even manage our language”

Some snuck into the base and began to slaughter from within. They found out it was possible for them to hide other tentacles within the body to attack from or convert others to their aid.

Gail: “One day, a breach happened and we had no choice, but to flee. We took all who remained in helicopters and headed to the Rocky Mountains. A year later, is when I was stationed at Quest over there and met all of you. Well, I was at Fort  St. Vrain for a couple months prior. That was when I first met Regina. I'll…I'll let her tell that. But, it’s important for you kids to know what horror the Pickedges can do. That way you don’t freeze or flinch if you encounter them.”

Scene 4 – Rick

·        Rick gives some slight information about his experience and the Pickedges.

A phone vibrates and Regina looks.

Regina: “Right on time. I remember when a phone would go off, it made me so happy and I would respond with T9 so fast."

Lucy: “T9?”

Regina answers the phone and speaks quietly not to interrupt them speaking to Lucy.

Regina: “Yeah. I know. Another pint tomorrow.”

She hangs up the phone.

Gail: “Yeah, it was a way of typing fast on phones. With how things are now, nobody really sends messages that long to need it. You didn’t have to hit 2 three times for a C. You could hit 2-2-8 and it would predict cat. Walkies and calls are more common now. Hell, landlines were going obsolete and are used just as much now.”

Rick: “Yeah, if you get one with a cord. Man! I remember how hard it was for me to convince my folks to get a cordless phone with caller I.D. Seems so pointless now.”

Rick stirs the fire.

Rick: “Shame. I loved my parents. What I wouldn’t do for a good ole holiday feast with my mama, grandma, aunts, sisters, and cousins screaming at me to get out of the kitchen. I don’t really know what happened to any of them, but they were all over the seaboard. I had been out of town with buddies when the attack began. If I hadn’t, I may not be here right now talking with all of you. During our defense, we joined the military and from there we all joined in permanently to help aid humanity. Pickegdes don’t hesitate. They move fast and their tentacles are sharp enough to penetrate through walls and glass. It takes so much to brake their casing to even manage a shot to bring them down. If not, you need heavy blunt force, if you can manage to get close enough without being sliced. During the beginning, my friends and I did rescue operations before we were all stationed places. A couple are still alive at other bases. Honestly, I had been moved to Quest to spy on Regina. Boy, did she give me the slip so much in this neighborhood.”

Regina laughs and Rick looks at her with a hand on his hip shaking his head slightly.

Regina: “Hey! I was paranoid. I was looking out for myself. Anyways, the fifteenth week was quiet. I didn’t leave my house much, but had accumulated nearly every stray animal, possibly in all of the town. They were drawn to me. Anything they brought, went to scavenged soup for them. I didn’t have much of an appetite these days and everyone’s indoor farms were prospering. A few times, the power had been flickering or gone out. I worried over loosing it completely. I contacted my dad and asked him to educate me in all he could over the phone for electrical stuff. At the same time, some internet pages were still active and I got enough information to try and convert my house fully off the grid.

Scene 5 – Jason Tope

·        The cops return, with less numbers, to give information to Regina. They also provide her with glocks and ammo. The army takes her back to Fort Saint Vrain, willingly this time.

Regina: “In the middle of the sixteenth week, I was in my room. What did I see in the distance out my window? Mr. Jason Tope and his team of law enforcement. The numbers were half of the last time we met. I could see the homes they went to in our neighborhood. So many they walked away from with disappointment. At the same time, an army truck was being unloaded at the charter school on the next block over behind me. People had been making their way to it. I decided to test, not only my skill, but that of this Jason guy and the police force. I taped a note that said, hide n' seek. Find me within 200 yards of this spot. – Regina.”

They all raised their weapons when Jason read the note and searched for Regina. After a few minutes searching the home, they began to search the neighboring homes. She was on the roof and sat on the front porch when the opportunity opened up for her to do so unnoticed.

Jason: “Here she is! How? Where?”

Jason was confused and amazed.

Regina: “My secret. No. I’m staying here. I get it. A base is being set up at the school."

Jason: “Yeah. You’re a sharp one. There’s safety in numbers and the only other safe zone in town is at the other school.”

Regina: “There’s also danger with those you don’t know or trust. A person is smart, like me. But, people are dumb, like so many who are no longer here.”

She stood up and crossed her arms.

Regina: “Let me guess, the army will be trying to recruit me again? Or maybe others? I was given a couple weeks by Doctor Dean Farley and was told I am not required to join as long as I help him in exchange for my blood.”

Jason: “I'm sorry. We don’t have any control over what the army does. Or involved with and of the Doctor’s work. We are here to tell about the bases being set up within a 50 mile radius of Fort St. Vrain. They will be cutting off power to anything passed that boundary. No guarantee it will be supplied at all times. Something to with his experiments. What do you mean by, blood?”

Regina: “Don’t worry about it. Like you said, you’re not involved. Just leave me alone!”

She began to walk away.

Jason: “I have a gift for you.”

He handed two glocks for her as a lot of ammo was placed on the porch.

Jason: “Be careful and… the others believe in you.”

Luke: “Are those the ones you keep on you at all times?”

Regina: “Yeah… One, they remind me of a popular video game charter that was once played by a famous actress. Two, these helped me out so much during the Scabs invasion. At the same time, I didn’t have them for what happened next. The couple weeks had gone by and the army showed up to take me to the doctor. No time was given for me to change out of my pajammy jams or grab any weapons. At least, I wasn’t knocked out cold over the head, again.”

Lucy: “Did they do bad things to you?”

Regina: “Not anything I’ve warned you both about. Not this particular time. But, they did change me. I had to fight for my freedom. Physically, mentally, verbally.”

Rick: “But, you won! And continued to do so. You will keep on!”

Rick nudges Regina in encouragement.

Rick: “I was glad I was not stationed there at that moment. I had been sent on some recruiting parties. It wasn’t a good feeling ripping teenagers and men out of their homes. Too many ended up taking their own lives. In front of us or in the bases. I wonder if leaving people where they were or dragging them out is really best for man kind?”

Scene 6 – 3rd time

·        Regina is taken back to see Doctor Farley. She gives him blood and par takes in another experiment.

Regina: “I was blind folded till I was inside some sort of holding area.”

The florescent lighting was humming in the room. Other than that, it was dead silent. A nurse walked in and began to draw blood from her.

Dr. D: “Welcome back Regina. I see you still won’t display a pretty smile for us, but please try to understand how you may change the outcome of the world. We need a pint of your blood. Depending on your state after, you will either be returned home, or undergo a tiny experiment for us first.”

Her arm stopped bleeding and the nurse pricked the other. Soon after, no blood ran from there either. She pricked both the left and right wrists. Regina started to feel faint. The nurse didn’t even have half a pint yet and both stopped bleeding. The nurse pricked her arm again and she flinched and became angry. Behind her, the door was open. She ripped the needle out and ran.

Dr. D: “Please don’t run. We really don’t want to use excessive force. The experiment will go much more smoothly if you just cooperate. There is no where to run, just submit willingly. Please.”

Soldiers began to run at her from all directions. She stopped and looked back. They were all big and muscular. Regina closed her eyes. They took her to a room farther deep in the basement. She was pushed into a pitch black room with the door slammed behind. Two neon glows lit up. She recognized the glows. Slowly, she turns around and gasped in shock while flinching.

Dr. D: “Take a deep breath and relax. Do this little experiment and you will be returned home. Approach the Pickedge.”

It was not in one of its saucers and had been completely wrapped in metal with only his head showing. They gazed into each other’s eyes.

Dr. D: “A Pickedge’s eyes are like cats. Only, they change colour between their moods. Of course this one is angry and displaying red. The last time, you managed to have one express blue, sorrow, and then a soft green. Perhaps you can again, or bring out other emotions?”

Shortly after they were staring she felt the desire to touch it’s face. It did it’s best to move, but had no where to go. The skin was very similar to a snake. Most of them had a dark blueish-coloured skin tone. Other shades of blue, green, black, grey, and white were changing as she brushed the scales down that stood up on his cheeks. His eyes turned a neon green colour. Regina had smiled and began to brush under both sides of his chin like a cat. He made a sound.

Dr. D: “Interesting.”

The doctor spoke on the intercome and a bunch of lights turns on.

Lucy: “What sort of sound?”

Regina: “I believe it was a giggle.”

Regina smiles.

Lucy: “Well, of course! You’re pretty and nice and make lots happy!”

Rick: “Yep!”

Gail nods.

Act 2A

Section 4 (Chapters 7, 8)

Regina par takes in an experiment for Dr. D attempting to communicate with a Pickedge. She meets the civilians at the Quest base. This is where the story first introduces Regina to Luke, Lucy, and Rick. Gail also introduces himself properly to her. The survivors prep for winter.

Scene 1 – Language Barrier

·        Regina tries to speak with a Pickedge and a controlled human by it. She interacts with Gail and runs in Sehun briefly.

A bunch of grunting and odd rawring could be heard. Everyone looks away from the fireplace in its direction.

Gail: “Sounds like another attempt to reach a clan.”

Rick: “Yeah. Failed again. That’s good. But, there are reports of the other side of the mountains having colonies. If they manage to migrate to this side… who knows what will happen.”

Regina: “Yeah…that gland I got, I did put one in a jar with alcohol and sealed it. I'm not sure if it will still work, but we will wait until it’s necessary. The could be communicating with some at Fort Saint Vrain too.”

Gail: “Regina! You would make such a good scientist or doctor of some sort. If all this didn’t happen, I bet you would of thrown your last cap months ago. At the same time, I'm glad of what you have done here for everyone! Even me. I probably would of lost myself a long time ago.”

Regina: “Me too…”

Luke: “Think tomorrow I could try to ride one again?”

Regina: “Sure! Repetition is key. Every time you fail it’s a learning experience.”

Rick: “Just like riding a bike! Hey…I know what I will be looking for tomorrow.”

Lucy: “How far into the story until we get to the Scabs?”

Regina: “Umm…not to far. In fact, where was I?”

Gail: “You were at Ft. St. Vrain a third time. I think this was when I first met you, Regina. Officially.”

Regina: “Right… The Pickedge was secured and the lights turn on. I anticipated another man to be released in.”

This guy did not have any blood dripping from his spine and was also restrained in metal. A ball and chain prevented him from being able to run and tackle her. She stared between the Pickedge and the man.

Regina: “This man was taken control of a couple weeks ago.”

His skin has held and a few times verbal communication was attempted as Regina walked around examining him. It was in the alien language.

Doctor Dean Farley speaks over an intercome.

Dr. D: “Today, I want you to see if you can reach out to the human self, if it still resides somewhere in there, or to the Pickedge again as you did last time. We believe a higher being has some sort of neural receptor to the Pickedges. We are running out of time for this specimen.”

Regina just stood there. A solider entered the room. Gail. He walked over and nudged her forth. The Pickedge began to struggle in place and the man attempted to run and grab her, but she was out of reach. Regina smiled.

Gail: “Then, Regina’s stomach growled. Loud. And I pulled out a protein bar and shoved it in her face.”

Gail: “Eat this! Right now and if I hear your stomach again I will make you eat them until it stops.”

Regina: “Yes!”

She opened the bar. Slowly, she took a bite and began to chew. The Pickedge’s eyes turned pink and two tiny smaller tentacles sprouted from its neck on the sides.

Gail aims his gun.

Dr. D: “These have never been seen before. Be cautious.”

These tentacles didn’t have any metal sharp edges at the end of them. The Pickedge began to tap it’s mouth and making noises. The man started smacking his mouth too and making similar noises. Regina opened another bar and tossed it to the man as Regina walked up to the Pickedge. She broke a piece of the bar off and handed it to the tiny tentacles.

Regina: “Food. This is food. We eat it.”

She took another bite of her's. The man and Pickedge simultaneously ate the bar. Both spat it out.

Man/Pickedge: “Food. Food, Earth. Humans, Dead. Food, Earth.”

The man spoke from the control of the Pickedge.

Dr. D: “The Pickedge has not reacted to any food we have brought it. To our recordings sent to us, nobody has ever seen a Pickedge eat anything.”

Regina pointed to herself.

Regina: “Humans? Food? “

The Pickedge said something in his language. Regina turned to Gail.

Regina: “Maybe we can teach him a simple form of communication. Do you want this bar?”

Gail: “Yes!”

He nods his head yes. Regina hands him the bar for it to be handed back the same way.

Gail: “Do you want this bar?”

Regina: “Yes. Do you want this bar?”

Gail: “No.”

He shoves it toward her shaking his head no and pulls out a knife holding the handle to her.

Gail: “Do you want this?”

Regina: “No.”

She shoves it away from her toward him shaking her head no.

The Pickedge watched.

The repeat this again. Only Gail took a bite of the bar and she got mad. She tries to take it back and he said no and aimed his gun at her. She said please and Gail said yes. Regina walked close to the Pickedge.

Regina: “Food, Earth.”

She gestured between her and Gail.

Regina: “Us.”

Next, she gestured at the Pickedge

Regina: “You Pickedge. Us humans. Humans here on Earth. You, Pickedge.”

She pointed up.

Regina: “Space. Invade and kill us humans.”

Man/Pickedge: “No, food, humans. Food, here, no, us. Us, humans kill, food invade yes. Food, invade yes. Food kill humans. Food, space, us. Pickedge, here. Food, space. Food invade earth us.”

Regina: “Food, invade?”

Man/Pickedge: “Pickedge invade. Humans dead. Food, invade.”

Regina looked at Gail and Dean spoke over the intercome.

Dr. D: “Remove Regina.”

Gail grabbed my arm and escorted me out of the facility. Sehun is outside and Regina approaches him.

Regina: “It's you! May I know your name?:

Sehun: “Maybe next time.”

He ran off joining a troop jogging by.

Scene 2 – Calm before the storm

·        Regina starts to hunt an learns some skills from Tammy of slaughtering animals. She also ends up very sick when her period hits. The people at the school nearby, Knowledge Quest Academy Base, reach out in alliance with her.

Everything was calm for some time. One morning, Regina woke to all the dogs growling. She looked out her window and there was a heard of deer grazing through the un maintained neighborhood lawns. She grabbed a bow and arrows. Looking out her window she searches for the one with the most grey on it. Aiming carefully she takes in a breath and exhales when taking the shot.

Regina: “Bulls eye!”

The heard began to scatter. A loud shot of a gun from the woman down the block took out one. Another was injured in the back and Regina shot it down with another arrow. The herd was gone in seconds. A truck drove passed Regina fast when she approached her 1st shot. It was from the school. They took away the other two. Regina goes up to Tammy.

Tammy: “Don't worry. They apologized. They have fifty mouths to feed over at Quest. Do you know how to de gut your prize?”

The woman helps Regina butcher the deer. There was plenty for their block.

Tammy: “Next time she won’t fire her gun to alert them.

Regina: “It's fine. We aren’t starving and they weren’t as smart as us. They should of followed the herd in the truck to bag more.”

Mike showed up and handed lots of seeds to Regina. He had been venturing outside of Milliken. All the dogs were happy to be given bones to gnaw on from the deer. Regina had been feeling sort of weak after coming back from the fort a couple weeks before hand. The woman had grabbed her chin and looked her in the eyes.

Tammy: “You’re iron deficient! Leave your steaks red.”

The next night, Regina got very sick. She puked and puked and puked all night until she passed out. In the morning her Aunt Flow was present. For the next three days she was weak. Many bruises showed up all over her body. Regina lounged around barely moving at all. Until it passed and she was better then.

By the nineteenth week…

There was another group of deer. Regina only took out one. When she drug it away, an arrow was in her back yard with a note and cell phone taped to it. A few men ran up from behind her and took the deer away. She was not happy and the phone began to ring. She removes the tape and answer it.

Regina: “What do you want? Asking is better than stealing.”

Randy: “My name is Randy. I'm sorry. You’re right. We will ask in the future. But, before you hang up, we would like to invite you to a special celebration tomorrow. It’s a little girl’s third birthday and we want to make it special.”

Lucy: “It was my birthday! I remember! I remember! That’s when we met you! Rick and Gail had shown up that day too!”

Rick: “Yes, I remember early that morning a few of us soldiers had been stationed there. Gail was in charge and I had been ordered to watch Regina closely. You showed up with both of your glocks, a shot gun, a few knives, and somehow some bombs to a three year old’s birthday!”

Rick laughs as Regina gets a tad embarrassed around the fire pit.

Regina: “I was paranoid. I didn’t know the army had people there and I was surprised when I saw Gail. I had to be cautious. A man luring a young lady was not something I was going to submit to.”

Regina had gone into all of her neighbors houses and grabbed a bunch of dolls and toys. She wrapped them all in Christmas paper, being all she could find.

Lucy gets up and runs into the house. She comes out with a stuffed animal and a barbie doll.

Lucy: “I still have some of them. This is Regina! My best friend. I named her after Regina cause I thought she was so pretty and never seen a girl older, but younger than my mommy and everyone.”

Lucy begins to comb the hair of the doll with her hand.

Regina: “Thanks Lucy. If only all could see the world through your eyes.”

Scene 3 – Happy Birthday Lucy!

·        Regina attends Lucy’s birthday party and meets the people at the Quest base.

Randy: “Regina! Right? Please, let’s take a walk. A tour of our dominion here.”

Regina looks around at people trying to enjoy the celebration under the circumstances.

Randy: “I'm in charge here. Not by choice, but by need. I’m ready to act on anything that needs attention. I want to do all I can for as long as I can for all of these people to the best of my ability. I am sorry for stealing the deer. You’re right and we should of asked.”

Regina: “You should chase them down in the truck.”

Randy: “They're not really good shots and they often run between the houses. For some reason the heard always goes down your block.

Regina: “Then have someone just camp out, stop being idiot’s and causing me to dislike you. I don’t want to have to cause you harm or be aggressive. I was being bratty. I walked away from Randy and found Lucy.”

Lucy: “Ooo! Let me tell this part!”

Lucy shouts and stands up for everyone to see her.

Lucy: “I was sitting and playing with my two friends. I saw Regina walking up to me. She was so pretty and I knew she was tough too! She is tougher than the soldiers cause she had more weapons with her. She walked over to me and kneeled down. I like when grown ups do that.”

Regina: “Happy Birthday!”

She handed her a bag full of gifts.

Mom: “Thank you!”

Lucy: “ Thanks so much! This is the bestest!”

Lucy stood up and gave her the biggest hug she possibly could. After, she began tearing paper all over the place. Some other grown ups started laughing. She gave some to the other kids to open up and have. When Regina stood up. The mother hugged her and walked them off.

Mom: “Thank you! I'm so grateful over what you did and that you came here. I don’t really like Randy, but he gets us by. Barely…”

They walk into a classroom where Luke was sitting and leaning on a window as he looked out it.

Luke: “Yep. I was bored. I missed my friends and was sick of living how we were. They wouldn’t ever let me hold a gun either. The only thing I could do is just sit and stare. Everyday became boring so fast.”

Mom: “Luke, honey! This is Regina.”

Luke looks back and waves to them and rushes over to shake her hand. He blushed and was embarrassed when she smiled at him. He was a teen yet and still very young. There were no teenagers or even young adults around anywhere due to the army. Everyone was either a kid, old, or a mother.

Gail: “Regina.”

Luke is startled and they all look at him.

Gail: “Mind if I borrow her? I'd like to actually introduce myself. My name’s Gail. I'm in charge of the soldiers here today. Don’t worry, I'm not here to take you away. Relax. Let’s walk.”

Outside, he took her to a shooting range.

Gail: “How well do you know how to use those?”

Gail had reached down in an attempt to grab a grenade off Regina. She stepped back and smacked his hand.

Gail: “Relax! I know you got that From Fort Saint Vrain. I don’t care. Do you know how to use it? C' mon! Let’s test your skill. Let’s see if you can out rank one of the old men here or a soldier.”

Regina started with the glocks and she was great.

Gail: “Good form, good aim, good breathing.”

Rick was watching and leaning on the wall nearby after hearing  the commotion. When she grabbed the shotty. He had to step him.

Rick: “That’s not a very confident face. If you like, I can help you?”

Regina nods yes. She had no idea how to use it. Rick leans around her and showed her how to properly wield it.

Rick: “Don't worry. I'm just here if the kick sends you back.

The first time, she flinched, but after that she did great! Luke tries to go outside and watch, but was stopped from doing so. He watched from the window.

Gail: “How about a rifle?”

Regina shrugs. He kneels down over some set up blocks and aimed across the park next to a house having targets painted on it in the distance. After, he helped Regina learn how to use one, a laser pointer and scope were attached. When they both stood up, Gail saluted Regina. So did Rick and a few others that had gathered around.

Gail: “Regina! As the highest ranking officer here, I would gladly walk into battle by your side and trust you at my six any day! A loss to the army of your escape, but a gain to these people!

Gail: “Regina blushed and it was adorable.”

Regina: “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Regina ignores him around the fire.

Regina begins to blush over all the praise and walks back into the school. Randy had found her.

Randy: “Regina… we need your help. You’re so young and are the light to those on your block. Can you offer any advice or assistance?

Regina: “I will bring you some gifts in the next few days.”

Nearly everyone spoke her that day. Those living their, the soldiers, and others surviving around the neighborhood. A few were angry and became aggressive.

Civilian: “How are you here! This isn’t fair! All of my children were taken away with my husband by the army! Why didn’t they take you?”

Regina stood her ground.

Regina: “It’s not my fault I'm smarter than the army.”

Civilian: “We oughta drag you to that fort right now!”

A couple threatened Regina and she aimed her glocks at them!

Regina: “Go ahead and try! See these? Look familiar? Gifts, not stolen, from the police department. See these soldiers around here, Gail and I have meet before today. In fact, if you harm me I can guarantee Doctor Dean Farley will be very upset! I know what I’m doing. Just be happy your loved ones are being fed well and standing up for humanity. They have not been sent to war. All are held back for defense and are being prepped for invasion! Everyone needs to be ready! The Pickedge’s are first and not last! I have spoken with one face to face and surely will again soon.”

Rick: “I’m under orders to terminate or relocate anyone interfering or threatening Regina, by order of Doctor Dean Farley, head of research and medical at Fort Saint Vrain.”

They all parted. Other adults told Regina they were scared and asked how she was so calm. She didn’t have an answer for them. Others encouraged and supported her. She became a bit upset when told all the children were instructed to run to her if something happened at Quest. There were less than a dozen here.

Regina: “I had no experience with kids.”

Rick: “You did great! Look how well Luke and Lucy turned out.”

Regina looks down and Rick scoots next to Regina and hugs her from the side.

Rick: “Don’t worry about the ones you couldn’t help or save.”

Regina was offered deer meet and cake at the party. She denied the meat, but couldn't help but eat some cake. They had chickens and some goats at the school. Before the sun went down, she went back home.

Scene 4 – Adapting

·        Regina gives a full pint of blood to Dr. Dean. So weak, Sehun carries her home. She has an unusual dream when she passes out. Then preps for winter.

The twentieth week…

Soldiers came by to take Regina back to Fort Saint Vrain. Dean made her run on a treadmill for twenty minutes. This time, they were able to get a whole pint of blood. She was so weak and could barely stand.

Dr. D: “You’re a bit young to give this much blood and malnourished, but you will be fine.”

Sehun shows up and takes her home. Only this time, he carried her and was drawn to him in a new way she never felt before. Smiling and blushing, but too weak to speak or move much. He laid her in her bed and she passed out.

She had a weird dream that night. Regina dreamt of being in space. About being on Earth with the Pickedges as if through their eyes. The war. At one point, through the eyes of the last man she met being controlled. She saw him with the Pickedge and watched the Pickedge die. People around said it probably starved. Then the guy passed out and the brain was impaled by the tentacle.

Regina woke up frantic wondering if it was a dream or if she was somehow connected to the Pickedge with whatever experiments they were doing. She didn’t get back to sleep that night. Going outside she began to worry. The temperature had dropped a lot in the last few days. Winter was creeping up. She wondered how many sprinkler systems were going to blow and what sort of issues they would have. In a couple weeks, all the water was cut off. Regina had tons of bottles, but that phone rang from Randy.

Randy: “Regina. We need your help. We have no water.”

Regina: “How's the growing equipment holding out?”

She took him a bunch of camping watering purifying systems, with gallons of chlorine, and salt.

Regina: “We have three lakes around the neighborhood and we're near the Platte River. When it snows, make water from that.”

The twenty fifth week…

Regina: “We got our first snowfall. I think it was Halloween week too. I knew this would most likely bring in more raids. I worried over everyone not within the fifty mile radius who didn’t have power.”

A radio she was given from the army went off a few days later from the Fort.

General: “The mountain bases are holding well during the season change. The man roads, for our area 34 up the canyon to Estes is being plowed and scheduled to be maintained as best possible for anyone who is seeking sanctuary their. All are welcome. As far as attacks, the Pickedges have been moving slowly from both the east, south, and west toward us. If they do invade, we advise all to head north into Canada and move as high up in altitude as possible. With the weather conditions… the snow is used to their advantage. Their ships are fueled by water of any type.”

In December…

Regina got really sick again when that time of month came. The soldiers had showed up right at the beginning. Sehun rushed to her fast seeing her laying on the floor and carried her to Fort St. Vrain. Dr. D refused to take any and said to be back in a week.

Act 2A

Section 5 (Chapter 9)

The Pickedges release Scabs to Earth. Regina and others defend themselves as best possible being forced to hold up together at the Quest base.

Scene 1 – Hello Scabs

·        The Scabs are released to Earth by the Pickedges and attack.

Regina: “Christmas week… Everyone got a present that year, but not what they wanted.

Regina stops talking for a moment.

Regina: “Food. We understood what the Pickedge meant.”

Regina was in her living room piled with a bunch of animals around a bon fire.

General: “Pickedges began to attack! I repeat, the Pickedges have begun to attack! Differently this time!”

After the General spoke another person began to repeat about staying clam, prepping yourselves, and tips on various needs.

The Pickedges launched pods all over the world from their mothership. When they opened on the ground by electronic locks a bunch of creatures released and began terrorizing.

Regina: “More killing. More screams and panic. The Scabs as we call them for there skin begin scab like. Very rough and sometimes easy to penetrate if you know where to aim.”

Luke: “Scab vital points, brutal impact to the brain, or enough bullets, fire, or toxins. They are omnivores and are attached to dense foliage. They need a host to breed within and if needed use the males. They attack anything that is to close to their fertilized hosts, but do not have any conflict with the Pickedges or other creatures out of the ordinary from other creatures on Earth. Considered a pack society and the alpha always leads them by a gland within their right back hind shoulder or leg. If you remove it, you will have the whole pack at your command based off  pheromones and dominance. If you are scared and hold this gland, you will be consumed by a delta or beta for the alpha position. Make it bold and presentable to the pack if you overcome of the alpha position.”

Rick: “Yes! Don’t forget, they are very territorial and one pack will attack another. Also, the Pickedges can use their tentacles on them too, but in some cases fail to do so. Their brains are so small, the Pickedge can not rupture it and it causes that particular Scab to become alpha and anything within radius, we think almost any Scab within 100 miles, will come to it’s aid and attack the Pickedges.”

Gail: “Yep. Food. The Scabs are the Pickedges source of food. It is said Earth is a perfect place for the Scabs to thrive in and the Pickedges want it as a sort of farm. At the same time, it was also a way for them to attack the places they had not been able to. They don’t taste too bad, but there flesh doesn’t keep well like Earth animals.”

Regina: “Yeah. My first war. I couldn’t tell you how many I killed. We have our six a few yards over the fences as you know left that I am still Alpha over. Luckily, there aren’t any others on this side of the mountain. For now…”

Regina: “It was night and commotion could be heard throughout the town. Cars, animals, gunshots, and of course screams. The Scabs are like any animal. Heightened smell, hearing, and vision compared to humans. What gave them the advantage was numbers and the unknown. Often when humans are faced with something they don’t know, immediately it’s responded with aggressive reactions. If not, it’s always fear. Very rarely have people needed to rely on their instincts by reacting in seconds or else they die.”

Hoards of cars, especially buses, began flooding the town from out of the mountains where the attacks were strongest. People quickly ran into homes and began boarding them up. Many soldiers took a defense throughout the town of Milliken. Regina could hear the radio transmissions on her walkie from the Fort.

Soldier: “Scabs are heading all over fast from the mountains and tons are heading from the east and north through all the farms. Denver is said to have them maintain stationary with them staying about that area. Troops are making their way through as best possible to eliminate them all over the world.”

Regina: “Most of the people in the Denver area were consumed by these creatures. Not many places to run and too many places to get cornered. A few hours went by and the sounds of the Scabs could be heard numerous heading our direction from not far. We had to fight. They attacked in packs. Lots of people took to being on the roofs, but there was snow and it was easy to slide off. And cold…”

A flare was launched into the sky and lit up the entire town. What felt like hours was just one. Shot after shot, slam after slam people defended themselves. Regina did too. A woman was running through the street with her family and the man was bit and drug off. The woman was surrounded. Regina was too late for her, but managed to help save one child. The woman down the block saved her and others who fled to the block all began to circle around. There were so many dead scabs all over the place. They all ran out of ammo and resorted to melee weapons. The sun began to rise and decided to go to the Quest base. There was plenty of ammo there. Anyone smart enough made their way there or to other bases.

For days, hoards of scabs would come and attack. One day, the largest seen so far came with its pack. He had growths all over his body. Others would have one or two, but this one had dozens of them. Everyone managed to shoot it down and the largest growth had rolled off towards Regina. She walked up to it and kneeled down. As she tried to pick it up, it jumped at her and wrapped around her arm. Many more showed up, but lots were just gathering around Regina not attacking. They ceased fire and she began to walk. When hearing a sound in a backyard she flinched. All the Scabs around her rushed forth and killed another Scab. One of the soldiers drove up and Sehun reached his hand out in assistance to hop in the bed of the truck. No matter where they drove, the Scabs followed.

Along the way, they would find more and either join or be taken down by the ones following Regina. After a couple days, they ran into another large Scab covered in the growths. All the ones following, turned on her and they drove off fast. Shots after shots the alpha did not go down until the use of a grenade. All the Scabs just halted. They didn’t seem to care about anything no more.

Regina: “There patterns of attack became easy to predict.”

A few more days went by and they would suddenly all run off and come back with another large one controlling it.

A month passed and reports said the area was nearly eradicated of them. A day came when Regina was waiting and another large group came with a large alpha leading the way. She hopped onto it’s back and cut off the largest gland she could find and stabbed it in the brain after. They fell to the group and as before, the gland wrapped onto her body and the Scabs followed. This time, they destroyed them all.

Another month passed and they saw nothing, but the occasional stragglers not having interest in humans. They took to being like regular wild animals when not in a pack. They were still killed immediately.

Section 6 (Chapters 10, 11, 12)

Regina meets Dan when at the fort. The doctor has done many experiments with him. She also spends time with Sehun getting to know him and gives blood to the doctor with an experiment with a Scabs behavior. Regina continues to survive as does all. She explains some of the uglier things she had to face and be cautious of.

Scene 1 – Dan

·        Regina has to give more blood to pass out again. This time waking up in the facility still, she meets Dan who has been experimented on by Dr. D.

It was halfway through February, the thirty seventh week of the invasion. Nearly a year had gone by with humanities struggle for life. It had been a couple months and Dean was ready for more of Regina's blood. Like the last time, he made her run on the treadmill. They took another pint of blood and she passed out. When waking, she was on a cot in a room. A humming florescent light that occasionally blinked hung from the ceiling with painted cement brick walls was around the area. As expected, a camera was on her. She flipped it off and stuck out her tongue. There were cookies and juice on a small table nearby. She felt so weak and consumed them fast. A few minutes went by and nothing happened. Carefully, she opened the door of the room. Nobody spoke on the intercome and not any guards were around the area. It was suspicious, but also tasted of free will and freedom. Regina proceeded down the hallway with the same unnoticed attention passing many other doors. Some of which had heavy locks on them. Near the end of the hall, one of the rooms had a door cracked and a beam of red light shun into the hall. Stealthily as possible, she looked into the room. All she could see was the wall and the foot of a bed with someone laid upon it. Taking a chance the door was opened more. Inside was one of the soldiers laying down. He seemed to be to propped up like Snow White to be sleeping.

Dan: “I see yoyo'e a carrier of AB+ blood too. A female. I sense young and most likely beautiful. I will not harm you, but I will also not make eye contact. I fear what I may attempt.”

He sat up from his bed and turned to the side with his feet to touch the ground.

Dan: “Please, you may enter. I do not feel a threat from you and want to get to know you more.”

He stood up and halted her.

Dan: “Wait!”

His eyes opened for a moment to look at the camera and it emitted some electrical activity and powered down.

Dan: “Okay, now you may enter. They can’t see us right now and we have…”

He looked at a clock on the wall with his eyes back shut.

Dan: “Almost an hour before they will check the cameras again. My name is Dan. I’m in my 20s and was drug here last year during the, recruiting, process. I'm not mad. I had nobody left and was nearing death by hunger, but the way I am now…”

He stopped talking and sat down. He reached over to a desk lamp and unscrewed the red bulb to replace it with a blue one. He sighed.

Dan: “That’s better. For now.”

Regina: “How do you know I have AB+ blood?”

Dan: “You wouldn’t be on this floor if not. I sensed a female here on this floor. Do you know what the Pickedges and Scabs have in common? Male dominant societies. Yet, females run them. I am connected with a Pickedge here right now and have some of their powers. There are 1,000 people on this base and I would say less than twenty of them are female. So many have been stationed elsewhere to aid children. I will admit, a part of me wants to slice your throat right now. But, I know that is the Pickedge blood in me. At the same time, I feel the need to breed with you. That would be the Scab blood in me. Both have been injected into my system. The human in me, just craves the conversation.”

Regina: “You have both of their blood within you? I'm sorry. Dean has only taken my blood and I did have some encounters with a Pickedge. But, that was months ago. I don’t know what he wants now. Usually I was returned home. Do you want to escape with me?”

Dan laughs some.

Dan: “I can’t right now, but maybe in time I will. I fear my absence to the ones I am combined with may result in my death. It is odd that the Doctor has only drawn blood from you. I feel it is because you are female. In fact…”

Dan reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out a tiny glass tray.

Dan: “Oh! How sad. He has died.”

A minuscule Pickedge laid dead in a bunch of blood within the tray. Dan tosses it into a nearby trash can.

Dan: “Nevermind. I suppose you should move on. A guard is making rounds and will be hear soon. Your absents has been reported. I do hope we will meet again. 7-3-2-2-6-8 will get you into the labs up above this floor. An elevator awaits you.”

Dan guided Regina to the hall and pointed to the elevator not to far from his door and they opened.

Dan: “Could…could I…Just one…a…hug?”

Regina hugs Dan and could see images of him and everything he had been through. After, Dan turned around and returned to laying on his bed.

Regina made her way into the elevator. To enter the labs, she needed the code for the elevator to take her there.

Lucy: “Did you see ever see Dan again?”

Rick: “Yeah, I don’t think you ever mentioned him before.”

Regina: “Yeah, I did and will. There isn’t much to say about him other than he was being experimented on.”

Rick: “Was?”

Regina: “Yeah. In ways I couldn’t imagine or even explain. Different than what they did with me.”

Luke: “What did they do to you? Anything out of the ordinary like him? Does it still effect you? Is that how you always know when strikes come?”

Regina smiles and continues on with the story.

The doors opened to the elevator and she made her way out. A woman passed by in a nurse’s uniform. Regina followed her into the bathroom and managed to knock her out. She took the scrubs that the nurse wore and a badge. She had no idea where she was going or what she was planning to do. Eventually, she saw Dean. He was inside a lab working with a vial of Regina's blood. It has her name on it. She makes her way into the lab and was looking around. She grabbed a gun that was resting on a table and held it up to the Doctor.

Dr. D: “Regina. My… I wasn’t expecting you here.”

Doctor Farley turns around with his hands up. Other workers began to flee and call for help. Regina didn’t care, her focus was towards Dean.

Dr. D: “You’ve surprised me. If you ask me, you should be leading everyone here. You would accelerate passed all the soldiers if you were to try. However…”

He turned around and picked up a tray with blue liquid inside it and a dropper with blood.

Dr. D: “This is the blood of a Pickedge and this is your blood.”

He drops the blood into the tray. Rapidly, the two combine and create a purple substance. From out of it, a small tiny Pickedge’s face grows and begins to shriek.

Dr. D: “Look at this screen.”

He pointed to a security monitor and to a particular block of Fort St. Vrain. A Pickedge began to wail and express franticness. He points to a screen of the hallway she first walked down to Dan's room.

Dr. D: “This is from your friend.”

He dropped some of Dan’s blood into the tray and the same thing happened. Another Pickedge sprouted. Regina lowered the gun and reached for the tray with her blood. She held it in her hand and the tiny Pickedge had displayed purple and white eyes towards her. What was a giggle, would be purple, but the white would be accompanied by wails and shrieks. The Pickedge on the screen began to display the emotions like the first one she encountered when brushing it’s face.

Dr. D: “As you can see, we have defined separate bloodlines within their race;  as we do humans. Somehow, they can pick up on their young. We are unsure how they breed. All the ones we have created, die. Starvation. However, the full grown Pickedges have been more agile now that we can feed them Scabs. Must be their main food source. But for a youngling, they do not take to it. Just like humans.”

Regina kissed the tiny Pickedge on the head. He leaned into it and Dean began writing notes down. Then, he took the tray from her and handed it to a nurse.

Dr. D: “Take this youngling to the adult and see if it will be a able to sustain it.”

Regina: “I don’t think they ever successfully raised one to a full grown state. I was never exposed to another infant Pickedge after that moment.”

Lucy: “Aww! I want to see a baby Pickedge. I don’t care if they’re bad, it just sounds cute. Baby anything’s are always cute.”

Dr. D: “Regina may leave.”

He speaks into a walkie.

Dr. D.: “I will see you in another fifty days.”

Scene 2 – Sehun

·        Regina and Sehun start getting to know one another. She celebrates his birthday.

Sehun took her home. Only this time, the two were able to chat back and forth. Regina stops and smiles turning around on her front porch.

Regina: “You said…”

Sehun: “Sehun. Call me Sehun.”

He holds his hand out for a shake a bit nervous. The two flinch slightly when touching each other’s hands, but smile in relief and happiness.

Soldier: “Hurry up soldier!”

Sehun and Regina both are startled by the soldier in the vehicle smacking the side of it calling Sehun back. He kisses the back if Regina’s hand and steps back slowly until the tips of their fingers break a part from each other.

Gail: “Good lad! And I know he pokes around here often and you disappear.”

Gail winks at Regina.

He came back the next day. They went for a walk around the block and got to know one another more.

Sehun: “Yeah. My 18th birthday is coming up. But, birthday s are nothing now.”

Regina: “Oh wow. Mine passed months ago. I would say I'm about 15½ now.”

Sehun: “Isn’t it lonely? I mean, living on your own through all this? Why don’t you stay at the Quest base at the school?”

Regina: “I'm better off alone. I will be fine.”

Regina: “Every so often, he would stop by. He always makes me happy. He even became the one to take me to the doctor after that point.”

Rick: “He still does! I would say we’ll see him very soon… and for some reason you sometimes are gone multiple days. Right…”

Rick says with a taunting friendly manner.

Regina: “Anyways. For his birthday, by the next time I was taken in, I had a cake prepared for him at my house when he picked me up. He was so happy and the face he made…”

Regina bites her lip and shakes her head some.

Regina: “Well, it's a feeling I will never forget and will always have for him. I can only expect you all to have this in the future.”

Scene 3 – Test

·        Regina encounters a Scab at the fort for the doctor to take notes and reading on. She also spends more time with Sehun.

This time, Regina didn’t pass out and they got another pint of her blood. She was rubbing her arm around where the needle was and Dean began to speak on the loud speaker.

Dr. D: “Regina, I have an experiment I would like you to par take in.”

She did as he asked, not because of the soldiers around, but curiosity. Regina was escorted to the room where she met the first Pickedge. This time, a Scab was in there. He was chained up like a dog. Dean didn’t say nothing and just left her in the room. Minutes passed, so she took her own initiative with instincts. Getting as close as she could to the Scab, she could not touch it. It would only make an attempt to bite or slash. It’s teeth and talons were exposed.

Regina: “Where’s the alpha?

Dr. D: “Around… I suppose you have dealt with enough of these to know it is under one.”

Regina: “How many glands does it have exposed?”

Dr. D: “Only 1. Our 1st did have many.”

Regina: “I can control a pack.”

Dr. D: “Yes, I’m aware of this. We're not ready to do experiments relating to that, just yet.”

Regina: “What is it you want!”

Dr. D: “It was just a test to see how you would react. The scab was less aggressive toward you than others. Probably because you are a young female. Others cowered, sought to kill the creature, but you remained calm and was the first to attempt to pet it.”

Regina: “If there’s no Alpha, the are harmless. Like dogs. Your Alpha doesn’t seem to be affecting any outside of the base.”

Dr. D: “We have developed a device around the Alpha’s gland to keep its signal from projecting very far. Anyways…”

A soldier came in and a wall opened. It was the Alpha. Quickly it ran and the other Scab tried to too. The soldier shot it down and Regina walked over and ripped the gland off its body. As before, it attached itself to her and the Scab became friendly. She was able to pet it. She even crawled onto its back and rode it around the area it was chained up in. The solider seemed confused. When she began to laugh, the Scab displayed positive responses.

Dr. D: “Cease this horseplay! Even if you have to kill the beast.

Regina was upset that Dean was stopping her fun. When the soldier came close to her, the Scab killed him with one bite. Took his head clean off.

Regina: “It took a long time for me to forgive myself over that. It was unexpected. The doctor of course didn’t care. He just sent another solider in and I had walked away from the Scab willingly.

Dr. D: “Remove the gland or shoot it if you must.”

The gland wouldn't come off. It was shot off her. At the same time, right before it came off, Regina could see through the eyes of many other Scabs within the base. Even Dan at the very end. He was somehow able to say hi to her. She was sent home and happy to be with Sehun.

To thank her for his cake he stuck around till the next day. They had lots of fun. We always have fun. But, as a solider he had to go back to the Fort or risk being terminated.

Scene 4 –  year later

·        After a year of the world facing aliens, the neighborhood Regina resided in is taken over by the military to have many survivors moved into the homes around her.

A couple of raids had came through. One was early in the morning and Regina had killed almost a dozen men. Deserters of a boot camp. After the Scabs attacked, many people had fled to our area. The 50 mile radius around Fort Saint Vrain. More bodies to haul off to the field. At the same time, Randy had been leaving Regina alone and getting aid from others occupying the neighborhood now.

Regina: “The winter was tough. Nobody looked forward to the hot months. But, it was nice to have the water turned back on. It was hard to believe a whole year had gone by…”

Jason Tope came around. Sehun happened to answer the door.

Jason: “Oh, I was expecting a young lady.”

Regina walks over.

Regina: “It officer Tope.”

Jason: “ I guess. Jason is just fine. The military is in charge of all law. I'm merely informing you that they will be filling in all these homes with survivors. Seeing as the mountains were over run and there is power here.”

Regina wasn’t happy.

Sehun: “Why are you upset?”

Regina: “Cause I have to go collect my caches. I don’t exactly want the military marching passed my home every day either.”

It was upsetting for her to see all the people who were not drug against there will to join the military. But, she put up with it and at times enjoyed not being the only one her age. She stayed within her home most of the time.

By the end of summer most of that end of the neighborhood was filled with people.

Regina: “It was odd to adjust again being woken up by kids playing tag in the street and not be paranoid of the screams.”

Luke: “Yeah! I remember that time. I was starting to not be so unhappy. I was aloud to go outside and had made friends too! I miss them, but I know they’re well off.”

Regina: “Any time I did leave my house, I always had some one following me.”

Regina leans towards Rick.

Rick: “I was just fallowing orders. You and I both know that day when you were glad. Even though she would somehow always loose me, that one day…well, I saved her and like she always says, a girl can’t let her guard down in these times.”

Regina: “I know… that wasn’t the only time. But, being saved by you was much better than what happened at the Fort around that same time.”

Gail: “Maybe you should just skip that part.”

Luke: “What! Why?”

Rick: “They’re old enough and know.”

Lucy: “Yeah, I'm a big kid now!”

Scene 5 – The ugly side

·        Regina ends up killing a man in Fort Saint Vrain who tries to rape her. When she returns home, Rick is constantly following her, as ordered to, and she has lots of notes from various people.

Regina: “It was near my 16th birthday. It’s September 2nd, and this was the last week of August. Almost a year and a half after the first invasion. I'm sure you can guess who brought me a cake. He actually had some flowers too.”

Regina smiles and blushes.

Rick: “I'm sure there was more, but go on ahead to being at Fort Saint Vrain.”

Rick smiles at Regina.

Regina: “They had came less than fifty days and after my blood was last drawn. I passed out.”

Regina awoke in the holding room. The door was not locked, as before, and she was excited to see Dan. She didn’t make it to his door. Regina was grabbed. Her mouth was covered so she couldn’t be heard screaming and she was still weak from the blood drawn. She tried to resist. Being grabbed by her hair she pulled into a room fast. A man pushed her onto a table and she kicked him. This only made him angry and he back handed her across the face. So hard, she fell to the ground. He presented himself to her, by pulling down his pants and put his weight on her. She saw a nearby pen that fell to the ground and grabbed it. In the blink of an eye, it was stabbed into the man's neck. Quickly, she grabbed others and repeated. He pulled out his gun and shot her four times before he gasped for air spewing blood all over the place. Her right arm went completely dead weight from three of the bullets and one was lodged into her shoulder. The guy was still gasping for air and grabbed his throat. The gun fell and she picked it up. The man’s pants were around his ankles and she shot him. Starting from below, to his chest, and up to the brain with what was left in the clip. Soldiers came pouring into the room. Weapons were raised at her and all she did was glare into the camera. Dean ordered them all to stand down. Sehun rushed over and hugged her tightly.

Regina is staring through the fire at Lucy and Luke.

Regina: “There’s a difference between wants and desires based on mutual actions and forcing yourself to gain them against one’s will. I wish I could say this was the worst life had to offer, but it’s not. I was lucky and so many in the world have not been and can’t mentally grasp some situations. They happened before the invasions too...”

Luke: “Yeah…mom told us. She was a victim and was in a worse situation than you described. That’s also why you show aggression towards any visitors we have here. Something I wish I could do to. Well, not being so sweaty.”

Gail: “Don’t worry over it Luke. You being sweaty is more of an age thing than lack of being able.”

Regina was taken to Dr. Dean Farley right away. He removed all the bullets. She was carried by Sehun and had lost herself some fighting blacking out.

Regina: “There’s no pain being in his arms.”

Regina: “During surgery, I passed out and woke laying in my bed with a few different notes. A love note, doctors orders, Jason, Randy, the neighbors, and one I still don’t know who it came from. There was this drawing too and some gifts!”

Lucy: “That was my drawing! I made it just for you! It’s special! When mommy told me you were hurt.”

Lucy hugs her doll.

Regina: “Yes. And it did help me so much. Thank you!”

Regina: “With everyone filling up the neighborhood again, there was no need for me to be on guard at all times. Plus, Rick was constantly checking in on me.”

Rick: “Hey! It was my orders to keep on eye on you and I did just that. After the first close call and then you getting lucky, I couldn’t handle the idea of it happening again. We went around to every house on a daily basis checking on folks in this neighborhood. But… even with a cast on, you still managed to loose me at times.”

Regina: “Yeah... I’m good with the element of surprise and not being seen or followed. Randy had wanted my help. They rounded up tons of solar panels to put on homes. Not everyone was able to have them, but Fort St. Vrain Generating station announced there would be no power for some time soon. Once again, Randy managed to upset me and make me want to smack my face. His inability to think and plan really made me question how he survived this long and lead others. Survival of the fittest, fastest, and cowardice is how I see it. Clearly in this area I was an alpha. Maybe even the alpha! Not something I was able to comprehend or flaunted charge of, but instinctively it was felt. I guided some people to rig up one house as best I could remember and told them to do the rest themselves.”

Reguna was in pain and the medications made her nauseous and sometimes sick. She just wanted to lay down and do nothing.

She was happy walking through the neighborhood with it active again. More so than before the invasions. She felt like a young kid again. Children were out riding bikes, having fun with games, and sports. Lawns were being mowed as people would be standing around talking to each other. The school was actually a place for learning again. The classes were small, but it was something. Regina would go there too. She didn’t want to be a high school drop out, but all they could really do was give her books. In the area, her age group wasn’t common, and many considered her to be smarter than them. She would help some of the children. Often by simply teaching them how to use the resources around them. Opening a dictionary when you don’t know what a word is or need an explanation. Opening up other books to help learn a math problem or science experiment. Thesaurus’ for reading and other useful books were all available. There was a knock on Regina’s door one day.

Luke: “What about the note? The one you don’t know who left it? What did it say?”

Regina stands up and enters the house. Very soon, she returns and has a letter that has been printed out from a computer. She reads aloud:

Regina: “Dear Regina, I understand you are undergoing research at Fort Saint Vrain Generating Station, I will not tell. But know this, Doctor Dean Farley is selfish and does not respect the life of his subjects. Do not let him underestimate you. Or use you for that manner. I’m surprised he allows you to leave to and from you home, while, others are not permitted to do this. He must have something in store for you. At the same time, you are living right above something…well, something is all I will say. You’re in the middle and very soon you may have some insight. I feel they can’t continue with certain tasks without engaging in your area. Only recently was I permitted to regain a somewhat normal life and able to leave the base to a home everyday. I have been watching your footage at the Fort and have experimented with your blood personally. You’re different. Yes, we have others, but seeing as the doctor does not treat you as others, it raises my suspicions. We may or may not have contact. But if it happens, know that I will take your side and be ready to aid you if I’m given the dilemma of choosing sides. Who knows? You may be lifting us to new heights…”

She hands the note to Luke.

Regina: There is nothing else. It’s been nine years and I’m still not sure who sent this to me. I feel probably a scientist had a soldier leave it with me that day.”

Scene 6 – House Call

·        The doctor shows up at Regina’s house to remove her cast and send her away with Sehun for a week. His people tear up her home some to build a device connecting to a room below the home in a tunnel.

Regina sits down around the fire.

Luke: “So, who was at the door?”

Regina: “It was Doctor Dean Farley.”

Lucy: “Gasp! He was nice, right? Why did he come to the house?”

Regina: “Well, he was here to remove my cast and I was of course surprised and upset.”

Dr. D: “Don’t worry about your Man Yummy, he is close by. I’ve made sure not to have him stationed away from the Fort. I do admire young love and do believe it’s important to keep things like that afloat in our crumbled society.”

Dean began to walk around Regina's living room without her officially inviting him in. He pulled out some sort of device that had different tiny bulbs of colours on it. Most were green and lit up. When he neared the kitchen it began to make a sound and the red bulb began to blink.

Dr. D: “Ah…just as suspected. Regina, not only do you benefit mankind by allowing me to experiment with your blood, but you happen to live in an important location. I can’t tell you why, but I feel you may eventually find out. There will be a team of scientists and soldier’s here soon. You can’t be present for this. It may take up to a week to fully accomplish. But, I assure you it’s only to benefit humanity’s survival. Come sit and let me remove your cast. Ah…your gentlemen caller is here.”

Dean looks at the open doorway and Sehun was standing within it with a big smile and not in a soldiers uniform.

Dr. D: “Go. Do whatever it is you feel like doing, but…”

Dean looks at them both sternly.

Dr. D: “Be safe. Don’t do anything stupid and please don’t go to any of the cities.”

Sehun promts his arm out and Regina grabbed it. The two walk off.

Many people arrived at Regina’s home. They tore up the floor boards between the kitchen and living room and also broke through the cement in the basement and garage up to the attic. A hole was drilled in both locations to below the surface. A room was encased  by metal with all sorts of machinery. A lot of it was very advance and unknown looking.

General: “Did you activate the chip?”

Dr. D: “I did. The moment she left with the cast weeks ago.”

He pulled out a GPS device that has a map with a dot showing the location of a tracker.

Dr. D: “It should work. As long as she doesn’t know, we will always know where she is.”

General: “Good. Reports show there is a combined force of Pickedge and Scab heading this way from the South East. Not sure if my men will be able to hold them off after I sent out an army to eliminate the Scabs in the mountains and cities. If we’re lucky, our plan will work and if more lucky the Pickedges will loose mobility at our altitude and fall back as they have elsewhere. It does seem they too are making advances in their technology. A whole city has been modeled on the eastern coast by their build. If only we could figure out there ability to transform water into fuel and materials as they have. What a discovery that will be for us when we figure it out!”

Act 2B

Section 7 (Chapters 12, 13)

Regina learns of the tracker inside her and removes it. The aliens attack again. The story now is at present day, with a few flashbacks at this point. We learn more of the Doctor’s experiments. Luke and Lucy are shown the day Regina took guardianship of them. Regina and Sehun get mushy with their love.

Scene 1 – Anti tracking

·        Sehun and Regina acquire a metal detector to help find the tracker to be removed.

Around the fire Lucy interrupts.

Lucy: “What’s below the house?”

Regina: “There’s a tunnel beneath us. It connects to Fort Saint Vrain Generating Station, to the Missile Site just north of here in Greeley, another leads to Denver, ,one to the mountains, and other homes like ours. Some inhabited, but many are not. A lot of them have collapsed or are too dangerous to travel through.”

Sehun and Regina make their way to the Budweiser Event center. She had no intention of leaving a tracker inside her body. Little did the General and Doctor know that she had a baby monitor active behind some furniture in that room. Her and Sehun heard everything. They went to the event center to look for a metal detector. It wasn’t easy, but they managed to gain one. The entire place was deserted. At first… While walking through one of the halls around the entrance to the seating, a pack of Scabs had smelled and heard them. With the empty building there running echoed up fast behind. Sehun began to fire his gun and she halted him. Regina grabbed his arm and the two began to run. Theh made it down to the event level and out a back door. From the next building a large roar was heard from a Scab.

Regina: “Yes! That’s what we want.”

A huge scab rushed out toward them and many around the area began to enclose.

Regina: “The glands! Shoot off the glands, but don’t damage the large one, I got that one.”

Regina shot it off and all the Scabs ceased their running. She runs forward and grabs the gland. It attached to her arm and the large Scab leaned forth with a bite. When there mouth is open it makes it easy to shoot out their brains. She fell to the ground and took control of the pack. There must of been a hundred of them. She led them all into one of the buildings and shut it closed. Sehun and Regina drove away and she shot off the gland.

Ragina: “Nobody’s ever gone back there, but we could only assume what happened when being denied food and water. I didn’t want to go back home with a wound, so I waited to remove the tracker. Making sure the doctor wasn’t around to notice.”

Sehun and Regina were relaxing at a park, it was a nice warm day in November, it reached the 60s, and they were ambushed by the military. Sehun had to return to his duties and she allowed to go back home. There were now two soldiers in her home, guarding a trap door in the living room. Metal casings were around two areas in the house where they had placed machinery and a large antenna was on top of the house with a satellite. She disliked loosing her privacy.

Scene 2 – Attacks

·        The aliens attack strong again.

Christmas week was another gift of terror. Reports announced the arrival of the combined alien invasion and for everyone to seek shelter. The Pickedges could not travel through metal and many were advised to sit in their vehicles armed inside garages. Regina’s house was covered with metal all around it. The soldiers refused others shelter within and advised to go to Quest that had rooms lined with metal.

Just after the screams and shouts began to holler, Regina’s entire house began to shake from below. She looked out the window to see homes being invaded with devastation everywhere. A rocket was launched from the Missile Site ten miles north of her location. The satellite on her home positioned itself toward it and the antenna began to react. Regina could hardly stand from the shaking. Sehun came rushing in and grabbed her hand. They ran out of her house just in time to leap into the backyard as a electromagnetic pulse emitted from the antenna throughout the area. An explosion occurred inside the house from one of the machines set up and another from the Knowledge Quest Academy School. Others went off within the 50 miles radius of Ft. ST. Vrain. Everything powered down to the homes and sparks were flying around the satellite locations. Soldiers began to use extinguishers to stop any flames from igniting. The school went up in flames fast. All the Pickedges dropped to the ground in their saucers and could not operate them. Many took to controlling the Scabs and people with their tentacles.

Regina found herself in the middle of a war again. The Pickedges were forced to evacuate their saucers and it made it easier to eliminate them. They focused on this area and fled others to aid here. They are just as deadly outside of their ships. With their metal bladed tentacles, they wail them around real fast and it causes bullets to bounce off. If you were lucky it only took a shot or two for them to go down once passed their defenses. A Scab being controlled by a Pickedge, that was the most difficult. The tentacle would create a metal helmet around their brains making it difficult to take them down.

Luke: “I remember. They looked cool, but I don’t like to think back to that night.”

Luke looks down with sadness.

Lucy: “That’s the night mommy died… I remember too.”

Lucy hugs her brother.

Gail: “Regina saved my life that night. I drove up in an Humvee and picked her and Sehun up. Those two used the M2 Browning guns so well together as a team. It was too late for so many.”

An alpha Scab under control of a Pickedge had tackled them. Gail threw a grenade in it’s mouth. The tentacle controlling it leaped out of the Scab towards Gail. Regina had dove right in front of it and it stabbed right through her abdomen. It didn’t try to replace her spine and still tried to grab Gail. He sliced it with his knife and Sehun pulled it out of her as Gail continued to demolish it. The Scab had dropped dead and all the one fallowing left to another Alpha in the area.

Regina was bleeding bad and Gail checked her wound. It didn’t hit any vitals. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. Rick came running in.

Luke: “Why did it not try to take you over?”

Regina: “The tracker. I had it on me. Somehow it sets off a frequency that makes Pickedges think I'm one of them, unless they physically see me.”

Rick and Sehun carry Regina to the back of the Humvee and continued to repel the attack. Gail was driving and Sehun used a the M3 Browning. Rick cleaned Regina’s wound, stopped the bleeding, bandaged her up, and gave her a shot of adrenaline. Regina takes to it very well. She sat up fast and grabbed Rick's gun and went ballistic on those damn aliens. Her reflexes, aiming, senses, physical combat, everything about her was superhuman! Only twenty to thirty minutes passed and she took off running. The aliens were all dealt with and she just ran and ran. To Fort Vrain, back to Milliken, to the Missile Site, back to Milliken, and then just around the area until she collapsed!

Rick: “What’s the mile time at right now? Under two minutes? Superhuman!”

Regina: “Yeah, I don’t remember much but I do remember running. Of course waking up with Sehun leaning forward on my bed as he sat in a chair was nice. But, being bandaged up again was not fun. It wasn’t the last time I faced major wounds either. May not be the last either.”

Scene 3 – No longer human

·        In the present they face an attack by humans controlled by Pickedges. We see one of Dr. D's experiments.

Regina stands up fast near the fire alerted. She draws both of her glocks and runs out of the back yard.

Beep, beep

A sensor goes off and the kids run inside as Rick and Gail take posts in front of the house. Luke aimed a rifle out a window and Lucy kept an eye out around the back of the house. The dogs began to whimper and hide along with the other animals. A flock of birds was heard squawking over the house heading Southeast. Regina stops in the middle of the street to see a group of people standing at the end of the block. The moon was bright and shining the area. She knew right away these were not humans.

They began to charge her and she began to shoot. Slowly, she would take a step back one foot behind the other. Dozens more came and she began to gallop backward to the house. Rick and Gail assisted her. In minutes dead bodies blanketed the streets. Regina began to run up to each one and cut or rip out tentacles. Into a nearby car with keys inside it she had set up she tossed the tentacles and took off driving. They had no interest in attacking her due to the tracker chip’s frequency and squirmed around the car like snakes.

Doctor Dean Farley is prepping for surgery. He has a young man unconscious strapped into a vertical backless table. After the Dr. preps himself fully, he sets up his instruments on a table with wheels that he locks in place to not move.

Dr. D: “How much time do we have?”

Nurse: “I would say about two and a half minutes.”

Dr. D: “Good! I’m ready now and will take my breather before we start.”

Dean closes his eyes and holds his hands, with palms up and open, near his waist. He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. He breaths in for two seconds strong. Holds it for three seconds and exhales for four seconds. He continued to do this for a minute and then just stood with his eyes closed breathing normal. The man wakes up and begins to scream and panic.

Man: “Where am I! What is this place? The…the…aliens! Ahhhggg!”

The man squirms and attempts to break himself free with no luck.

Dr. D: “I'm sorry young man, but you have been selected for a little experiment of mine. This is going to hurt.”

Another nurse brings in a long metal tube. Dean removes one of the ends in front of the lumbar as the nurse holds it in place. A tentacle shoots out and impacts the man. Before it could fully penetrate, the doctor grabbed it with help of the other nurse and sliced the remaining part off. Quickly, he was handed another tentacle that looked like cow intestine and metal combined. He cauterized the alien tentacle together with his artificially made one. They released it and the tentacle proceeded into the man’s body. He screamed and flinched forward as this happened. A camera was positioned in front and back of the man to record this moment. Around the man's rib cage, spikes impacted between each rib bone; nine on each side. Luckily, the restraints he was in exposed the center torso part of his body and did not get lodged into the equipment. The man screamed for some minutes and then stopped. His eyes turned colours and pupils shifted to resemble a Pickedge.

Dr. D: “What’s your name!”

Man: “I…I… ahhhggg!”

The man screams and his eyes shift colours until he passes out. Soon after, the tentacle impacts the brain of the man; killing him instantly.

The doctor sighs.

Dr. D: “We will have to try again. I will need to slice open the end blade of a tentacle and figure out what part takes control of the brain and place that in my own artificial blade. Or find some way to eliminate the signal it boosts. I can’t figure out why Regina’s tracker works and it doesn’t for others.”

Dean speaks into the camera. After he walks to his tray of surgical tools and begins to dissect the man’s spine. The tentacle is still showing life and leaps across the room to one of the nurses. This time, it had detached itself from the artificial part and impacted through the throat of the woman. She fell to her knees and began to clench her throat. The blood stopped spewing as a metal coat capped her entire neck, shoulders, heart, back of head, and brain. The face was still visible, but the forehead was also covered. The doctor stabbed her with a needle and she passed out fast. The other nurse helped him replace the man in the table with the nurse.

Dr. D: “Bring me an X-ray machine.”

Dean quickly made a full evaluation of the woman’s body. He took heavy notes with the camera and in a notebook.

Regina was driving fast. She drove straight to Ft. St. Vrain. Immediately after stopping her door was opened and she leaped out with her arms around Sehun as he picked her up and spun her around. The two kissed and two other soldiers began to remove the tentacles. A solider came over and scanned Regina’s shoulder. His device read her tracker and reacted to a nearby device that was emitting a similar signal leaving the tentacles harmless. She was free to leave. Sehun and her held hands walking back to Milliken. Upon their arrival, Gail and Rick had greeted them both with relief. Luke and Lucy had fallen asleep and were in their beds.

Sehun had explained to her about the movement of the aliens and how the systems were not ready to repel another attack. Everyone was worried over what would happen the next couple days.

Scene 4 – Guardianship

·        Regina takes guardianship of Lucy and Luke. In the present day they all enjoy breakfast. Sehun is called away and prepped for something big to happen soon.

The next morning, Regina had made breakfast for everyone, Sehun, Luke, Lucy, Rick, Gail, and the animals. Bacon, eggs over medium, toast with cinnamon sugar, milk, and even some waffles. Everyone was happy and enjoying this moment.

Luke: “So, I was thinking about when you took us in. It was a day after your adrenaline rush. We knocked on your door. You weren’t really happy.”

Luke explains to Regina how their mom had placed he and Lucy in a trunk of a car and sacrificed her life to save them from a Pickedge that entered their home through the walls. They watched her be sliced to pieces through a crack opened in the trunk. With the car being metal, the Pickedge couldn’t sense them and moved on. Luke and Lucy cried for a long time.”

Regina: “Yes. I remember. You weren’t exactly happy either. What you were like, 10. I think? An early sprouted, full of anger, and sadness preteen. Lucy, just ran straight into my arms. I had no idea how to react. I never had much interactions with children. But, her and I got along well at first. You…you were more difficult. It bothered me that you wouldn’t talk at all. I would ask you something and all you would do is shrug or shake your head. But, I understood.”

Regina smiles at Luke who smiles back at her.

Lucy: “I was sad to see mommy die and have her gone. But, at the same time I love you Regina! You’re the bestest ever! You always play games with me, you make yummy meals like this for us as often as possible, and teach me so much! Plus, your hugs are so…so…I don’t even know to describe them, but I like them very much and always look forward to them everyday. Actually!”

Lucy gets off her chair and runs to Regina next to her and squeezes her very hard. Regina wraps her arms around and comforts her.

Lucy: “There like magic hugs!”

Lucy returns to her chair and continues eating.

Regina: “I was nervous when a few days passed and I had been radioed about my next blood transfusion. I had to explain to you two about what was going to happen. I had had no intention of either of you being relinquished to the military or placed elsewhere and fought for you both. I did eventually reach out to you and spark a bit if life within you.”

Luke: “You gave me a gun! You taught me how to use it! No one would ever let me do that before!”

Regina: “You still get that same smile when the chance to use one comes up or the subject. Yet, sometimes I see and sense fear over it when I leave you here alone still. That’s normal. You have great aim and have done well in a few situations in the past. When I returned after that blood draw, you even hugged me very tightly.”

Luke: “I was only 10! It was scary to be left alone for a day after that invasion!”

Luke defends himself and everyone chuckles.

Regina: “Yes. I know. I was worried too over both of you. I didn’t understand why.”

Dr. D: “You seem different Regina. Was the attack that impacting this time? Or is it something else? Sehun? Hmmm? Whatever it may be, I commend this maturity you are displaying.”

He knew of her adopting Luke and Lucy and placed an order to keep them with her unharmed by the military. They had repaired all the machinery within the home and set it up for another attack. It took months before the underground area was ready. Regina continued to help Luke sharpen his shooting skills. In the manner of protection, Luke had shot Sehun one night.

Sehun: “Argh.”

Regina: “Sehun!”

Luke: “I did it! I got him. Don’t go out their he didn’t seem hurt enough.

Regina runs outside to Sehun on the ground. She rests him over her lap and he had unbuttoned his top and Regina pulled out the bullet lodged in his bullet proof vest.

Regina: “Sehun…”

Luke: “You know him? Opps. I'm sorry!”

Luke drops to his knees in shame.

Sehun: “Good shot kid. Don’t worry over it.”

Sehun holds up a thumbs up to him alright sitting up.

Regina: “I should of told you about us and him coming. Sehun, this is Luke, and Lucy is inside. Luke, this is Sehun. I’m in charge of them now.”

Sehun: “Don’t you mean we?”

Sehun stands up fast helping Luke up and placing an arm around his shoulder back to the house intentionally leaving Regina to think over the commitment in his words spoken

Sehun: “I do worry about coming over in the night and having him take me out in one shot now!”

Everyone laughs again.

Sehun: “The years, I feel they have gone by so fast and I find it hard to believe it has been over a decade since all this started. A time when eating was a rare thing to do and now, we are privileged enough to do so regularly almost like the times before this… I remember a time when a large pack of Scabs had made their way here and I was deployed here to help.”

It made Sehun real happy to see Regina with an arm around Lucy by one arm and a gun in the other and all of you, Luke, Gail, Rick, aiding her in the battle.

Sehun: “I had been sent out throughout the state for extermination and rescue operations often. Areas with hundreds of people would fall, but somehow Regina seems to hold a foot. I just wish I could stay here all the time. Anytime I’m sent out, I worry over not being able to see Regina again.”

Sehun grabs Regina’s hand and looks at her as she blushes form taking a giant bite of waffle at that moment. She grasps his hand back and the two look at one another.

Sehun: “I worry every time she is brought in for a blood transfusion. I feel…I feel…we should all just leave this place right now!”

Everyone pauses and stares at him.

Regina: “I can’t… I know Dean has something in store for me soon, but it must be done. If it helps humanity, I must do my part. I will always love you, all of you, and that will never change.”

Beeeep, beeeep , beeeep

Regina stands up fast and takes off running. Rick and Gail take posts on the ground floor of the house and Luke protects Lucy on the 2nd floor looking out the window with a sniper rifle. Luke watches Regina run fast down the block out of his scope. She turns the block and around a few corners. Heading down a dirt road nearing pavement where Regina is running, dirt can be seen thrown up along the road. It was the military and a large semi truck with covered items in the flat bed of it. Regina watches through binoculars and they head past the neighborhood to the road that connected to the reach Fort Saint Vrain Generating Station. That is exactly where they headed. Rick and Gail listen in on the radios to find nothing explaining what’s going on. Regina was accompanied by Sehun and the two spent the whole together before he was called back to the facility. The two kiss and after take a step back from one another.

Regina grabs his hands between there chests and speaks in a soft slight whisper of a voice.

Regina: “You worry over me, but I worry over you just as much and all the time. I wish we could just stay together forever!”

The two kiss more.

As Sehun returned to the fort, he was quickly equipped with heavy weapons and armour. Everyone was prepared for the attack nearing and given orders if given a certain notice he could flee from the place forever. Everyone was given that freedom over the next few days. With the attack nearing and experiments almost being successful, the time to either save humanity was reaching or it was nearing its end.

Section 8 (Chapter 14, 15)

Regina chats with Luke about what is in the tunnels beneath the house, how she obtained her heightened abilities, and she is receiving signals from the Pickedge mothership directing her against Dr. D after an experiment he had her do.

Scene 1 – The Tunnels

·        Regina chats with Luke about what is below the house in the tunnels beneath them.

Regina is sitting outside near the un lit fire pit. She has her left leg prompt up and is hugging the other with her head rested on the knee. She is staring blankly at the ground thinking heavily. Images flash through her mind of the countless times she has had her blood drawn. She closes her eyes and clenches her face. An image flashes through her mind of the many Pickedges she had been in contact with. Regina opens her eyes and relaxes her feet on the ground. As she sits up straights, she looks up into the sky and watches the clouds moving. Luke was watching her from inside the house at the back door. He walks over to Regina slowly.

Regina: “Hi, Luke.”

Luke: “Hey. May I sit out here with you?”

Regina: “Of course.”

Regina looks at Luke.

Regina: “You don’t have to ask.”

Luke: “You seemed… really focused and I didn’t want to interrupt. Can…can I ask you something?”

Regina: “Sure!”

Luke: “Your eyes. Is that something the doctor did to you? They’re really pretty when your in direct sunlight. They look like their glowing and sort of like a cat or a Scabs. Or that gemstone you showed my before, ember.”

Regina giggles.

Regina: “Amber. Thank you, Luke. No. He didn’t do this to me. It’s just my genetics. The pigments in my iris and my body having low amounts of…of…mela…I will have to get back to you on what it’s called.”

Luke: “What sort of things did the Doctor do to you. I mean, you have explained your senses being heightened and that’s how you always react so fast to things. How did that happen?”

Regina: “You know I give him a pint of my blood about every 50 days and you know occasionally I do par take in some of his experiments. There was this one time, I woke up in a holding room and the chip was vibrating very gently.”

Regina pulls it out of her pocket and shows it to Luke.

Regina: “I would tape it to my shoulder where it was supposed to be, and to this day Dean has no idea it’s not within my body. It hurt so bad to remove. Even with tons of pain killers, it was right next to the nerve on my shoulder.”

Regina hits the nerve with a knife and her whole body flung forward.

Sehun: “Regina, just leave it alone. Please! I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

She managed to pop out the chip and stopped the wound from bleeding.

Regina pulls her shirt to the side and shows Luke the scar.

Regina: “So, this chip was vibrating. I knew I was on camera and didn’t want them to know I had it removed.”

Regina stood up holding her shoulder and began to walk out of the room. The vibration became stronger. She went down the hall and it became less. She walked back to her room and it began to resonate strong again. She took the elevator down a floor and it was the same, not strong near the elevator, but more so in other areas. Going down as far as she could to find herself in a conspicuous room, there was a table, with a chair, some crates, and of course a camera.

Regina: “Why a camera in here?”

She began to move the crates around to find a hatch. When opened it housed a ladder. Regina grabbed an assault rifle having a flashlight attachment and made her way into the dark passage.”

Luke: “The tunnels? Like what the equipment around here is connected to?”

Regina: “Yes. They reach all the way to the mountains and go far to the south, east, and north. Most of it was dirt and structured like a mine, but there was a lot of metal throughout.”

Regina found herself looking at arrows attached to stakes with the cardinal directions. What caught her interest was the north. Below it had more arrows with Missile, Regina, and some other names.

Luke: “I know you followed the arrows with your name on them.”

Regina: “Exactly. The chip began vibrating more and more as I approached.”

After a few miles, Regina found herself at a metal door that she pressed her ear up against to hear voices coming from the other side. They became louder and she turned off her light and leaned up against the wall where the door would open. A group of scientists exited. She made my way inside the room. Everywhere was covered in metal and electrical equipment or computers. She was drawn to one monitor in particular. The living room of her home next to cameras on her roof.

A red glow began to illuminate the room. The chip was vibrating so much and she looked to the side where the glow was being emitted. A Pickedge was connected to the machinery by many wires and metal. It couldn’t move anything but it’s head. Glass was separating them and there was the camera pointed at the Pickedge. She covered the camera with a piece of paper that she folded down and rested upon it. Regina pulls out the chip and showed it to the Pickedge. His eyes turned yellow and then blue. The tentacles popped out from around it’s neck and it slowly rubbed his cheek with them. The eyes turned green and the chip somehow connected them telepathically. Regina was shown images of herself through the eyes of the first Pickedge she encountered.

Regina: “I was shown much of space, their home worlds, and…things never seen or I can’t explain cause it’s out of this world. Ever since that day, for some reason all of my senses have just been highly heightened.”

Luke: “Is it the chip?”

Regina: “No. Cause I don’t need it on me to have the heightened senses. This actually came from the Pickedge I first encountered and does react whenever some are nearby. If they don’t see me, they go unaware of me being a human. It has come in handy so many times. You know that.”

Luke: “Okay. So, how were you caught that time?”

Regina walked out of the room to the tunnel and floodlights were quickly aimed at her along with multiple weapons. Dean walked up to her and gave her a hug.”

Regina: “I was a bit confused.”

Dr. D: “Regina.”

Dean begins to pat her on the back while hugging her and rocking side to aide some.

Dr. D: “You’ve become more than just a lab rat to me. I think of you more like a daughter. Your ability to think and go about your own ways reminds me so much of myself. What is this?”

Regina pulls away.

Regina: “Your little tracking device is what led me here. Why did you put it inside me?”

Dr. D: “No need to be alarmed, but it’s actually a Pickedge device, with some of my own customization to it. Odd…yours seems to be reacting to our friend in their, but some of my others have not been or ever.”

Dean begins to rub his chin and glares to the side thinking.

Dr. D: “I have to review my notes on yours, it was the first one I made and was done differently. Did anything happen when you were in there?”

Regina: “I did see myself through the eyes of the first one you had me encounter. In there his eyes shifted between a few different colours. Is that linked with their moods?”

Dean grabs Regina by the shoulders and looks her in the eyes.

Dr. D: “I know your keeping some sort of secret, but for now that’s fine cause father and daughters do tend to do that and I will find out eventually. For now, I want you to go home and get some rest.”

He rubbed below Regina’s eyes.

Dr. D: “I’m sending you home with your man yummy and some fresh meat. Your lacking iron and need to keep your strength up. The next time we meet, I will have something for you to par take in before we draw blood. Run along!”

He pushes her into Sehun's arms and the two begin to walk off. Dean walks into the room and examines the Pickedge. He removes the glass barrier and approaches. A knife is pulled out and a tentacles is removed from it. It falls to the ground and begins to flail around. Dean has a chip too that does not cause the tentacle to react to him and it slithers fast to a solider. After the soldier is taken control off, he is quickly sedated and drug off towards the Missile site by soldiers.

Sehun: “Are you okay?”

Sehun stops Regina in the tunnel as she stares blankly. He taps her.

Sehun: “Regina?”

Regina: “What?”

Regina shakes her head.

Regina: “I just…I just was thinking.”

Regina actually saw through the eyes of the soldier who was taken control of and could see some of his memories. He used to have a wife and kids, until the invasion happened. After, Regina could see into the room where the Pickedge was through its eyes.

Sehun: “What were you thinking about?”

Regina smiles.

Regina: “A lot of things, but right now…”

She looks at Sehun and raises and eyebrow.

Regina: “We are alone, just us, in this dark tunnel.”

Sehun grabs her writs and takes off running back to Fort Vrain. Another soldier was waiting to greet them and both just zoomed passed. A truck was loaded with supplies and Sehun pulled the driver out as Regina hopped through the passenger door. The two drove off fast back to Regina’s home in Milliken.

Scene 2 – Alpha

·        Regina tells Luke of her boot camp experience.

Regina adores Luke’s inquisitiveness and willingness to listen.

Luke: “What happened the next time you went in?”

Regina: “I was put through a boot camp.”

Regina was forced to run an obstacle course. A few times alone, and then with Sehun. Of course it came down to her against a group of soldiers after. That really motivated her. She was around 18 at the time and still had a bratty teenage attitude. Plus, being a girl up against the boys pushed her to out due them. She wasn’t last, but wasn’t first.

Soldier: “Sorry babe! But, you can’t keep up with the big dawgs!”

A soldier gloats and staic is heard over the intercome before tbe doctor spoke.

Dr. D: “Regina, you did excellent! After ruining that course a dozen times, I figured you to be last.”

Regina smirked at the soldier and walked into Fort Saint Vrain Generating Station with Sehun. Her chip began to vibrate. She was scanned by a device and it caused the vibrations to stop. A scientist attempted to look at her shoulder underneath the shirt and she retaliated. The hand was smacked away fast and a knee was lodged into his gut. Guns were aimed at her and Sehun stood between her and them.

Scientist: “I need to see your chip.”

Dr. D: “It’s fine. Let her pass. Her’s can’t be seen anyways, it’s too deep. Regina! Please, come here to me in the lab. I have need of your assistance.”

Dean spoke over the intercome. Regina and Sehun look at one another relived. They go to the labs and a scab was dissected all over the place with labels of what could be identified or what they were choosing to identify things as. The doctor was still digging around inside the creature and had pulled out an unusual looking organ. It looked very similar to the external glands the alphas have; only more gooey and squishy.

Dr. D: “Come! Don’t be shy. This is what the glands looks like on the alphas before seeping out externally. It seems they are all equipped with the ability to be Alpha. It seems they react to certain pheromones and it doesn’t matter if they are Scabs, human, or any other creature for that matter. You’ve always seemed to be a suitable alpha towards them and my reason behind the obstacle course was to pump your pheromones. Not right now, but if you do have to run for us to get a pint before you leave today I will then require some of your sweat. Of course, I did notice how your abilities changed today between you alone on the course, with Sehun, and being in a pack. In the future, I would also like your sweat being from a lover’s form, fear, aggression, a hot flash, and whatever else I think of to see how the pheromones differ and react. For now, I want you to hold this. As you can see it has not attached itself to my being.”

Regina was holding Sehun’s hand with the right arm and reached out with the left. She didn’t even touch the gland and it leapt out to her arm. A part of it dug through her elbow and veins popped out throughout the whole arm.

Dean looks at a computer monitor viewing a pack of Scabs. Regina began to scream and fell to her knees squeezing both of her hands.

Sehun: “It hurt. A lot! With how tight she was squeezing my hand and seeing her in pain with the uncertainty of what was happening.”

Sehun cuts in and walks over to Regina. He takes a seat next to her.

A giant scab had formed all around her elbow and the gland had shifted to it’s more common state when being on the outside of a Scab’s body. All the Scabs on the monitor began riling up.

Regina: “Hey! You didn’t set off the sensor.”

Sehun: “I didn’t go past them, I was down below. They cleared out the tunnel from the Missile site to Fort Vrain. But, it’s still demolished everywhere else.”

Sehun and Regina place their foreheads together and begin holding hands.

Regain: “Okay, go ahead and tell this part. I want to hear you talk. I think Rick and Lucy will be back soon from the farm.”

Regina rests her head on Sehun’s shoulder and closes her eyes as she hugs his arm.

Sehun: “Regina was stabbed with a needle to help ease the pain and her veins to relax.

Luke: “Is that what that scar is from? On your elbow? That gland? You said it scabbed around it? I sort of remember you having a bandage on their at one time, but it was so long ago.”

Sehun: “Yeah. It was really gnarly to see. Dean did surgically remove it later, but what happened after she calmed down was unexpected.”

Regina’s shoulder began to vibrate and the entire facility began to shake as if an earth quake was happening.

Luke: “Wait! I do remember this. I remember the earthquake. It was so scary cause Regina was gone and Lucy and I were here all alone. There was an attack shortly after. I'm not sure what happened cause we hid in the trunk of a car again.”

A mothership had lost camouflage and the entire ship shut down. It crashed into a corn field. They were caught off guard. Left and right Pickedges poured out of the ship not in their smaller ships. With so many close together, their tentacles made it nearly impossible to get a bullet passed. Regina had became angry and all the Scabs had reacted. She had closed her eyes for hundreds of them to bust out of the ship and begin attacking the Pickedges under her control.

Soldier: “Doctor! Doctor! Why aren’t our defenses counteracting this!”

Many question over radio frequencies. The electricity begins to flicker on and off throughout the fort.

Regina could see through the eyes of each Scab that accepted her as alpha. She could also see through the eyes of some Pickedges. With the Scabs attacking from behind the Pickedge army the military was able to flank them when their backsides were toward them. Of all the attacks, this was the most successful for humanity and probably least amount of casualties.

Regina began puking and her eyes rolled back in her head. The chip was vibrating a bunch and the gland began to grow around her arm. She was being  connected telepathically with a Pickedge. The head Pickedge looked through her entire brain and calls out to her. Regina could see many Pickedge inside the mothership, and within a moments flash an explosion was set off. Regina regains consciousness in the lab and falls forward into Sehun’s arms. All the Scabs on the screen were suddenly dead and the gland on her arm popped. The doctor began to remove it and bandaged her up.

Regina: “I think I saw their mothership…”

Dr. D: “Most likely. And the death of all the Scabs is die to a frequency they can send out through the controlled alphas. They may have used your chip to send that frequency out.”

Regina was sweating a ton and the doctor was collecting it with droppers into a vial. Her blood wasn’t drawn that day, but she did feel weak. Nature did its thing. She was so sick and fatigued over the next few days.

Beep, Beep

Regina: “Here comes Rick and Lucy.”

Regina begins to stare blankly.

Sehun: “Uh, oh. What is it?”

Sehun stands up with his gun in hand.

Beep, Beep

Regina: “It’s another car.”

Regina picks up her walkie and phones Rick.

Regina: “Rick, Rick! Who’s following you?”

Rick: “What? I didn’t… oh sh…”

The frequency cuts out to white noise. Regina and Sehun both take off running and tires squealing could be heard with a loud crash. At the end of the block Rick was running fast with Lucy in his arms. There was a man covered in glass running behind them under Pickedge control. Regina began to clench her head from one trying to reach out to her telepathically. The man was quickly shot down and Regina passed out. 

Rick: “They learned how to drive cars now? Why is there only one? This isn’t good at all. We need to get everyone inside. I’ll go ahead and get a hold of Gail. He was going to scout the mountains today, so I’m not sure if I will reach him. There may be more around or in their way.”

Section 9 (Chapter 16)

Regina finds Dan to help her communicate with the Pickedges. Dr. D is now the enemy.

Scene 1- Dan now

Rick runs Lucy to the house. As Sehun picks up Regina in his arms, she opened her eyes and gasped for air.

Regina: “I saw it. The mothership that’s been nearby. I also saw…”

She hugs Sehun tightly and he kneels on the ground to hug her back.

Regina: “Dean…he's…he's…done something. The Pickedges I think they’re asking for my help. That was a warning for us to bunker down. I'm not to go give blood this week. This one knows English and wishes to speak with me again. I don’t know if it’s a trap or what, but they don’t want me to see Dean again.”

Sehun: “You and I both know if you don’t show up he will send out every soldier to bring you in. After Dan escaped…”

Regina: “Dan! That’s it! We need to go find him! He can help me communicate with the mothership! I know I’m the only one left with AB+ blood that hasn’t been a victim to the experiments. I think I know of a way to find Dan easily too, I know he’s around town somewhere. Will you drive me? I need to get that tentacle first!”

Regina runs off and meets up with Sehun in a truck that has metal around almost all the windows. Regina holds onto a tentacle and holds it in the air while in the bed of the truck. When they reach a certain neighborhood, Regina jumps out and holds her chip between her hand and the tentacle. It begins to vibrate and the tentacle takes off like a snake along the ground. Regina follows it onto the Mad Russian golf course in Milliken to find Dan floating in a pond. The tentacle attaches itself to the body of Dan.

Dan: “Hello, Regina. I am very glad you are hear. Not so much that you caused me to gain another unwanted limb, but I can sense your distress.”

Regina watches Dan floating arounarounpond with many tentacles attached throughout his body. He has his eyes shut and arms spread out. She thinks back to times they had conversed in the past.

Dan: “Oh! I do remember that day. The 1st time I had actually visually viewed you. Shall we reminisce?”

Dan speaks and both he and Regina connect telepathically.

Dan: “You were so young then… as was I. So hard to remember details like that. The doctor was always so lenient towards you. It made many of us jealous, of course you and I are the only survivors. Will we both continue to do so?”

Regina: “I've always wanted to be your friend. I always sensed something between us. I hadn’t seen you in over a year. I did seek you out anytime I was at the fort. As usual, you were in your room changing the light bulb colours to your mood.”

Dan: “Not my mood, but the similar colour does ease me to portray what I am forced to feel. I do miss that… I wish I could do so right now. It is tempting to go back just for that comfort.”

Regina: “Similar colour? Like, the Pickedge’s mood that you’re connected to?”

Dan: “Yes! You are on the higher end of intellect for humans, even if the world has been in a Post Apocalyptic state for some time now. With the last 2.3 years being close to extinction. I have always wondered, how it is I can sense you? Doctor Dean? And some of the other subjects that have passed from experiments? Well, I know the answer, but why is it you are different?”

Dan opens his eyes. Regina’s chip begins vibrating as she holds it out for him to see within her palm.

Dan: “Will you show it to me?”

Dan sets himself upright and approaches Regina. He closes his eyes and the vibrating stops. Dan hovers his hands over it and opens one eye.

Dan: “Interesting…”

Regina can see through a Pickedge’s eyes inside the facility somewhere. Dan clasps his hands around her's and the chip. It begins to vibrate more and he closes his eyes.

Regina can see through the eyes of another Pickedge moving down an unknown metal hallway. It approaches a wall and maneuvers through it with ease. She realizes she’s on the mother ship. The Pickedge continues throughout the space ship. Eventually, it winds up in the center of the ship and has gathered with many others. One is connected to the ship in the center of the room and connects with the rest telepathically. Regina and Dan are shown the facility and witness Doctor Dean Farley accomplishing his own artificially altered tentacle successfully taking control of a human. They see this Pickedge loose all of it’s limbs and eventually cut open. Their vision transfers to one of the humans in the room under control and they see the chip Regina has is actually a part of a Pickedge’s heart. The memory jumps ahead, and shows a chip exactly like Regina’s replace the one Dr. Farley had within himself, only its surfaced on top of his skin instead deep within. The doctor is seen given one of his altered tentacles to be impacted into his back. Spikes grow out of all his rib cages and metal around parts of his face and shoulders. He is laughing maniacally and uses one of the controlled humans to terminate the soldiers in the room. A nurse drop to her knees while raising their hands above their heads filled with fear cowering. The doctor takes her life and after forces the other humans to pass out sleeping.

Regina and Dan are taken back to within the mother ship and are lifted off the ground by a beam. The Pickedge they are viewing through is brought in front of the one connected to the ship. The head Pickedge reaches out a tentacle and rubs its face. Regina begins to flinch and Dan squeezes her hands more as sweat is dripping from him profusely. He falls to his knees in the edge of the pond. Regina sees a ghostly projection of herself show up between them on the ship. Words are spoken in their language she does not understand and sees in her mind.

Dan: “The good one! Worthy of a mothership. Radiates and intimidates. In the billions we have terminated, those of purity have been spared. Only a few hundred thousand could compare to you, but only you have ever shown us difference. As a mothership leader, we can see through all of our followers. Images of you touching a fallen one was sent to all mother ships immediately.”

Dan translates. They are shown the day nearly 15 years ago when Regina first pet the first Pickedge she ever encountered.

Dan/Pickedge: “Not one other human has ever made that connection with us. Before the invasion, all scouts were imprisoned and dissected or experimented with. If warm open arms and a face of compassion had been first shown, things may have been different. If you can destroy this doctor  we may leave the remaining of your race alone in hopes they could learn of your beliefs. I can make you appear for the world to see as we have in warning to you before. Unknowing, our language was un translatable to you resulting in a mass massacre amongst your race. We see the largest land mass on your planet is covered in ice. It is more than large enough for us to feast upon on with Scabs. We would only have to remove all the ice. Resulting in flooding of the coasts around the world, but at the moment, they are completely uninhabited. Your mountains do not exist on any of our home worlds. Your planet has a layer around it that we can easily restore to help maintain climate as it is too. Please…”

One of Dan's tentacles shifts its end to a clamp and grabs Regina’s temples.

Regina: “Regina. My name is Regina.”

Regina’s face can be seen projected throughout many of the skies around the planet.

Regina: “I did make a connection once with one of your people. Pickegdes, I am sorry for you. As for humanity, I am sorry for them. The wrong sort of people are always in charge. Yes, humans first reactions are always fear, panic, and aggression. Your first scouts, did not deserve what our governments did to them. Your decision on the human race as a whole should not of been based on that. You have asked me a favour and you will leave humanity alone, with the agreement to melt our ice caps and continue to ranch Scabs there. I don’t see any other chance for us, but I do see a chance for us to be united.”

Regina chuckles.

Regina: “Your skin feels like a snake, but the reaction I got was that of a cat. If only a kind traditional American could have welcomed you with a calm stern handshake, possibly with a hug, maybe a kiss on the cheek, a bow, or whatever the various customs for greetings are around our planet. Things could have been different. Over the last decade, I have been a part of various experiments. I am only 28 years of age, and lived through everything. I have seen the pros and cons of both you, Pickedges, the Scabs which is your main source of food, I have seen your home worlds, I have seen the good and bad of humanity. My decision is uncertain at the moment. Right now, I am full of fear. Fear of my life. Fear of the outcome, whether in my favour or…his. Fear of humans having grudges and wanting revenge. I am able to connect to you right now through a chip that had been implanted in me, I now know it is a part of your heart. You have been reading on my heart. Just by touch, you are able to read my thoughts, sense my emotions, and do so much. Someone else, is nearly more Pickedge now do to experiments of him... A part of me doesn’t want to stop talking, because you have shown me he will no longer live after this. You showed me the passing of the Pickedge he was bonded with and given me foresight of what my fate could be. I worry, he is going to try and make me like him. You fear him. I fear him too. I fear he may not be the only one. There is no time. He is on his way too me. I have to leave!”

Regina opens her eyes and grabs Dan before he falls to the ground. She drags him out of the water and rests his arms on his own chest. She kisses his cheek as he closes his eyes.

Scene 2 – Ready

·        Regina is ready to face the true enemy. The enemy of they enemy is thy friend; proverb.

Regina takes off running to Sehun. They make their way back to her house and Regina gets fully locked and loaded.

Rick: “Regina…”

Rick makes an attempt to stop Regina and she shrugs him off rushing out of the house stopping.

Regina: “You all have to stay here or go hide. The doctor is no longer human and he’s coming for me. I will let him find me.”

Regina looks around at everyone.

Gail: “Regina!”

Gail comes running into the house.

Regina: “I have to Gail. I have to alone.”

Regina pulls out an unknown device and presses a button. It put everyone in the room in zero gravity and she takes off running. Regina gets to the end of the block to find a controlled human. She approaches slowly and reaches her hand out. The human does not attack the gesture and leads her away. Before they could get to far, an metal spike impacts the spinal cord of the human and is taken control of by Dean Farley who approaches.

Dr. D: “Regina, Regina, Regina. Why did it have to come to this. Seeing as you are armed to maximum capacity and you didn't notify me right away, I can see what your decision is.”

The doctor speaks through the controlled man and quickly lunges at Regina for her to shoot him down.

Regina: “I haven’t made my decision, but either way you will either try to kill me or the Pickedges will. Can’t you sense them? They are right above us as we speak. Camouflaged. Just waiting for the right moment.”

Dr. D: “Ha, aha, ha, ah! You think I will foolishly look up from the stupid accusation so you can attack or run away? Regina, I seriously though you were smarter than that.”

Regina: “I would say you’re the stupid one. How thoroughly did you test your new self? You seem to be part Pickedge now, are you flawed as them?”

Regina pulls out a hand made gun and quickly shoots it at Dr. D. All the car alarms begin to sound from and EMP and the doctor falls to the ground unable to move. Regina takes off running fast. As Dean lies on the ground, above him he can see the outline show of a mothership above him temporarily. Regina has planned for all sorts of outcomes and situations. A couple miles away, she runs to a back yard that has a pack of Scabs. She mounts one and as it rears the alpha gland grows fast and she removes it. The Scab dies and she quickly mounts another to lead them away. She knows the doctor will find her from the tracker and that is exactly what she wants right now.

Rick: “Regina!”

Rick is fidgeting with the anti gravity device.

Rick: “How…why? She is so stubborn!”

He manages to turn off the device and a group of soldiers exit from the tunnel below. Rick reactivates the anti gravity.

Rick: “Man! This thing is cool!”

He pulls Lucy and Luke outside and tells them to go to the back up base handing Luke keys to one of the armoured Humvees. Luke smiles largely and grabs his sisters hand. They take off fast. Rick walks back in and pulls Gail and Sehun out of the anti gravity field. Rick walks back in and ties all the soldiers together. He returns the gravity to normal and Sehun points a gun at the other soldiers as Gail pulls out a syringe.

Gail: “Okay boys! I'm Gail, I used to be a high ranking officer, but learned a long time ago that Dean was bad. This syringe will make you part Scab, if you choose to aid us, you will be fine. Any struggles or knives pulled out, and this goes in you.”

Soldier: “We have to! He's chipped us all!”

Rick shoots out the camera on the device in the living room.

Rick: “We can remove those, whose first?”

He pulls out a medical box.

Act 3

Section 10 (Chapter 17)

Regina is now being hunted by Dr. D and exposes the chip as not inside her. She tosses it away and hides from him and the military. She has a flashback to an experiment when after she acquired some objects.

Scene 1 – Good and Bad

·        Dr. D attacks Regina. She exposes her chip and ditches it.

Regina is checking the back end of a SUV she has had stocked for some time. She had many set up around the area within the 50 mile radius Fort Saint Vrain Generating Station. She pulls out her chip and holds it out in her palm. The light that is usually blue, is red. When that happens she knows she is being tracked. Regina enters the vehicle and drives west toward the mountains. She reaches the edge of Milliken when her vehicle is turned over and slides off the road into the ditch alongside of a railroad track. Regina crawls out of the wreck and quickly pulls out her trusty glocks.

Dr. D: “Regina!”

Dean jumps off a military tank he was riding upon. The barrel of the tank was aimed right at Regina. She smiles and walks to the center of the road. The mountains are behind her and the sun has begun to set. Many colours fill the sky.

Dr. D: “I’ll give you one last chance to join me. By my side, not as a daughter figure, but as my spouse. Exactly what I had been planning from the beginning.”

He reaches his hand out toward her standing on the road about 30ft away. The wind picks up and a tumble weed crosses between them. Regina looks at her crashed vehicle to her left and then the tumble weed crossing in front of her. After, she slowly looks up at Doctor Dean Farley, the tank, and a group of soldiers aiming weapons at her.

Dr. D: “I can see you managed to acquire much from my base. It explains so much that has gone passed me with no explanation.”

Regina pulls out the chip from a pocket. Many straps surrounded her torso, legs, and arms with equipment and weapons.

Regina: “Do you know why this has helped me and will be your doom?”

Dr. D: “What? How!”

Regina: “I removed it right after you implanted in me. I know it came from the Pickedge you first had me encounter. Also, they can see us through these and warned me of your actions!”

Regina dives to the ground flat and leaps again into the pit she crashed in as the tank fired at her. Regina pulls out her EMP gun and sets it off. The doctor is quickly paralyzed. The strength was not good enough for the tank and soldiers. She manages to dodge the tank going back and forth between the ditches along both sides of the road. Many of the soldiers had not fired due to confusion and just willingly wanting to be over with the war. A couple hundred feet, Regina manages to pass through a stationary train. A fire is launched from the tank and knocks it over. Regina continues to run. Before the end of the train approached, on its side now, she is still able to open one of the carts and head inside. She knows, Dean will track her soon, but manages to run back after the soldiers pass her. Dean is still lying on the ground. Regina walks up to him frozen on the pavement.

Regina: “Why? What is it you plan to accomplish? You can’t take out all of them.”

Dean is able to move his arm and rolls over onto his back from his stomach. He pulls out a small computer and sends a signal out from his body.

Dr. D: “Foolish girl!”

Regina begins to squirm and have difficulty standing upright. Something is being admitted from the chip and she tosses it across the road into the nearby field and takes off running. Dean can not manage to stand, yet, and Regina runs back into the town of Milliken. To a nearby gas station she finds herself cowering and thinking over what to do next with what to expect next.

Dr. D: “I need all reinforcements to my location! Immediately! And my green research team here!”

Dean manages to call in his army and before they arrive a bunch of controlled humans, by his tentacles, appear. Dean takes a stance and looks back at the town of Milliken.

Dr. D: “Find her!”

Dean points and all the controlled humans take off running.

Dr. D: “I should of taken your life a long time ago.”

He walks into the nearby field and picks up the tracker. Within his hand, he demolishes the chip.

Dr. D: “You are now dead to me!”

The doctor walks toward the town.

Regina beings searching through the entire gas station. Gail, Rick, and her had not prepared this one. Regina stops and sits on the ground with her knees bent and back against a counter. She thinks of the back up base, but doesn’t want to go there due to the safety of Luke and Lucy. She thinks of the nearby elementary school, and knows they did not prep it or the church across the street. Another home with a satellite connected to rockets crossed her mind. Regina quickly and stealthily made her way there.

Regina: “Sehun…”

She whispered at one point when swiftly climbing a fence into a backyard to avoid soldiers that turned onto the block.

Regina: “I’m sorry… If I could be with you right now…”

She covers her mouth and listens as the tank passes by. Unsure what to do, she closes her eyes.

Scene 2 – Items

·        We are shown another experiment and Regina acquiring some items from Dr. D.

A memory flashes through her mind.

Years ago…

Regina is walking through the lab at the fort, where the doctor spent most of his time. She passes by baby Pickedges born from blood, not of her own, Scabs retained in place or attached to machinery, Pickedges, lots of unknown devices, and experiments going on. Some by people and others left unattended. She approaches the Doctor.

Dr. D: “Regina! Today, your blood will go directly into a couple experiments I have set up and some into a vial.”

He removes some sheets over a Pickedge and a Scab. There’s a chair for Regina to sit in between them. She has noticed there are no cameras set up within this room, and only recording devices. Dean hugs her and walks her to the chair after with an arm around her.

Dr. D: “Don’t worry, no harm will come to you.”

Regina: “Are you sure? I would feel better it Sehun was here.”

Dr. D: “I know, but due to my poor planning he is unavailable. I simply want to see the reaction of a blood transfusion does to each of the creatures.”

Dean picks up a K-bar and slashes the Pickedge and Scab. Both begin to wail and Regina closes her eyes hearing their pain. After a few minutes, he throws powder on the Scab and seals up the wound with a needle. Many minutes pass and he continues to dice tentacles and slice the Pickedge. Eventually, he pulls out a heated blade and cauterized the Pickedge. Right after, he begins to draw blood from Regina into the Pickedge and Scab. The Scab reacts aggressively and attempts to retaliate with no luck from within the restraints it’s in. The Pickedge, simply closed its eyes. Regina passes out shortly after.

Regina: “Where am I? What is this?”

Regina looks down at what would normally be her hands and is now a bunch of tentacles. She finds herself within a Pickedge’s mind. She can see herself roaming through a nearby town she was familiar with.

Regina: “This…this is Windsor. I remember when this happened. Listening on the radios. It didn’t end well.”

Regina sees multiple situations of people taking a defensive approach to her. The images jump across many humans reacting the same way over and over resulting in death by her as a Pickedge. Eventually, Regina sees the sky turn grey. A large tornado forms and takes out the entire town, people, and Pickedges attacking. Regina was shown the alien's confusion over the weather phenomena. After, Regina was shown exactly what he saw that day. Dark storm clouds in the north, strong winds, and baseball sized hail beginning to fall from the sky. Not to much time passes, and cows could be heard mooing in frantic. Cows began to fall from the sky and splat all over the place. So many cattle ranchers and dairy farms surrounded Regina’s area to be free roaming after the invasion began. Those left safe, it was easy food. Regina feels an electrical pulse go throughout her body from the chip and wakes up.

Dr. D: “Regina! You’re almost done. This is phenomenal you were able to regain consciousness.”

Regina looks at the Pickedge who seems to be glaring at her and then at the Scab, which slowly closes his eyes and dies.

Dr. D: “Damn! One a failure and one to research father.”

Dean walks over to Regina and removes the needle connected to the Scab. He places a cotton ball over where the needle impacted and after a band aid. From there, he removes the needles going to the vial. As he does this, his motion slows down tremendously and Regina looks back at the Pickedge. His eyes went from red to blue then white. Regina looked around the room and certain objects began to glow. Regina took note of them, and looked back at the doctor as he returned to regular motion. Finally, the needle between her and Pickedge was removed. Regina stood up. After a few steps she stopped and looked at a table with one of the objects she had been shown.

Dr. D: “Is there a problem? Regina?”

Dean turned around to look at Regina hunched over the table.

Regina: “Cold. I'm cold. That’s all. I…I…”

Dr. D: “Not a problem.”

Dean removes his lab coat and places it around Regina. It had many pockets within the inside of the coat and outside. The door opens to the lab and Sehun rushes in.

Dr. D: “There. Run along!”

The doctor pats Regina on her back as Sehun rushes over to embrace Regina.

Dr. D: “You’re in good hands now, and I have work to do.”

The doctor returned to the Pickedge to take samples from it’s body.

Sehun: “Regina!”

Sehun whispers loudly to her, while wrapping his around her.

Regina: “Just help me.”

She whispers an loudly says

Regina: “Home. Back home, so you can comfort me!”

Regina grabs a device on the table and place it within her pocket. After, she guides them throughout the room and acquires the other objects shown to her. They are easily hidden on her person and Sehun’s. They make it out of the facility.

Regina opens her eyes too find herself clear of the soldiers hunting her down and proceeds onto the destination she had set.

Section 11 (Chapter 18)

Regina is taken to the mothership and altered. She is ready to battle with Dean. Everyone takes part in this.

Scene 1- What?

·        Rick and Gail search for Regina. She is taken to the mothership by a device and Pickedge where they alter her.

Gail: “Okay troops, let’s find Regina. You have your orders from me and if Regina is harmed, I will end your life myself! Now…Move!”

Gail fiercely directed the soldiers who took their side against the doctor. The rest were knocked out and locked down below in the tunnels. They knew they would wake up shortly, but the only way out for them would be to fallow the tunnels or stay put.

Rick: “Luke! Lucy! Are you alright! Have you heard from Regina?”

Luke: “We're fine. You’re the 1st to contact us.”

Rick and Gail split up. The troops were ordered to go undercover with the belief they were still aiding the doctor.

Regina makes it to the other satellite stations set up in a home with solar panels. She is unsure what to expect, and knocks on the door with caution. There is no answer. As she makes her way inside, she quickly realizes what happened. During one of the attacks, this place went up in flames and was not extinguished. The entire back of the home was exposed to the outdoors by a crumbled wall and ashy floor. Regina finds the hatch to the tunnels and makes her way into the control room for this area. She was angry to find no cameras set up for this place at all. Inside the room was machinery unpowered. The Pickedge hooked up to it was nearly all withered. To the touch of a tentacle, shriveled and dry, it fell to the ground like a leaf in Autumn. Soon after, the rest of the carcass fell to the ground.

Regina: “Cough, cough, cough.”

Much of it turned to a cloud of dust and the metal clinked. Regina uses her hand to push air moving the dust away. Kneeling down, she searches the dust to find a piece, similar looking to the chip she had, part of the heart. It electrocutes her! She flinches back, falls on her butt, and drops the piece. When she sits back up to grab it a few other pieces begin to glow with it. Like a puzzle, Regina places them all together and they form an unusual item. It’s sort of like a brass knuckle or handle of a shovel. The glowing stops. Regina takes a stand and exits the room. She makes her way back to her home to find many of the passed out soldiers within the tunnel and the hatch sealed. Instead, Regina enters the control room. The cameras are quickly destroyed by bullets. The Pickedge’s eyes glow blue and the item in her hand begins to vibrate. She releases the Pickedge from its restraints and holds the item out to it. The control room door is opened by the soldiers.

Soldier: “Sir! Sir! She’s here! I repeat Regina is at her tunnel control room!”

Before Regina could turn around to retaliate, the Pickedge grabbed her item and teleported them both to the mothership. Regina face plants the ground feeling extremely queasy and dizzy. Her body feels numb and her arms shake as she attempts to push herself up to a stand. A tentacle grabs her chin and raises it up to look into its eyes. Golden coloured they began to illuminate. Regina’s body began to feel warm and euphoric. As she continues to rise, she is interrupted by six punctures within her rib cage from behind. Back to the ground she fell with blood spilling the ground. Unable to move Regina rolls over into the fetal position and closes her eyes.

Scene 2 – Siblings

·        Luke takes charge of a pack of Scabs and Lucy learns to drive.

Luke listens to the soldier’s radios and contacts Rick and Gail on another.

Luke: “Gail! Rick! Come in! I heard them say Regina was in the control room below our house and that she…she disappeared! With a Pickedge!”

Rick: “What? How? Where did they go?”

Gail: “All we can do is put our belief in her. Let’s regroup. Luke, come back to the house and take the southern entrance. Drive slow, like slower than a school zone to not raises suspicion. Are you two in gear?”

Luke: “Y…yes! We are. Lucy’s uniform is a bit big, but I will put some pillows down to raise her in the car and sunglasses for both of us. Weapons, and I stocked up on food and water. We will head out now.”

Luke and Lucy enter the Humvee and proceed back to the house. They take a back road through a bunch of trees and alongside the Platte River heading west.

Lucy: “Luke! Luke!”

Lucy tugs on his sleeve and points out into the woodland area.

Lucy: “Look! Look!”

They can see a pack of Scabs just hanging around. Nearby was the alpha. Luke stops the vehicle and gets out.

Lucy: “Luke! What are you doing! Stay here!”

Luke: “We’re going to need all the help we can get. Stay inside this.”

He slams the door shut and hopes in the back. He stares and examines over the M 134 mini gun. After he looks at the MK 19 grenade launcher. Both mounted, armed, and ready for use. Luke grabs the grenade launcher first. Hesitant at first with it within his hands he soon grips it firmly and takes a good stance. He aims it next to the alpha and away from the rest of the pack. Luke fires a grenade and quickly takes control of the mini gun. The alpha falls over and the Scabs begin to rush. Firing, his aim is off at first and the gun has a lot of power, more than he was used to.

Lucy: “I can help too!”

Lucy takes the wheel of the Humvee and begins to drive with the help of an ice scraper. She turns the wheel and drives it down into the ditch.

Luke: “Lucy!”

Luke shouts with annoyance trying to adapt to shooting while moving. He manages to shoot down the alpha and Lucy pulls them out of the ditch back onto the road.

Lucy: “Driving is fun! Why do only grown ups and big kids do this? I’m doing great!”

She hits a sign and Luke ducts as it passes over. The Scabs all stop.

Luke: “Lucy!”

Luke pounds on the back and points to the left.

Luke: “Get over! Over!”

She drives them back into the ditch and hits a tree. It was small enough to be knocked over and the Humvee begins to teeter totter over it.

Luke: “More gas!”

Luke jumps off and attempts to open the door. This made Lucy angry and she floors the pedal back onto the road.

Luke: “Keep going!”

Luke gestures her forward and runs off into the woods to the dead alpha. The Scabs are following the Humvee. As soon as Luke reached for the gland it leapt toward him and wrapped around his forearm.

Luke: “Cool!”

The Scabs walk to Luke. Lucy stops the vehicle and let’s her brother reenter.

Luke: “Good job Lucy!”

He holds his arm up for a high five and she accepts it.

Luke: “Let’s Go!”

Luke floors the Humvee away with all the Scabs following, knowing the military would be there soon.

Lucy: “Ew! Is that what a gland looks like? Does that make you alpha!”

Boom!

Gail: “What was that?”

Gail looks in the direction of the explosion that Luke set off by the grenade launcher and leads a group of soldiers to the area. Rick is unsure where the explosion came from and only heard it. He has been having issues moving around by himself and Dean is in his area. The doctor has dozens of controlled soldiers with him and an unusual, T-Shirt launcher. He has been using it to launch tentacles at people. Many of the troops have divided to seek out Regina for aid and avoiding being captured by the doctor.

Scene 3 – Altered

·        Regina has been given a new look and power to take on Dr. D. Everyone is involved with this battle.

Regina opens her eyes to find herself laughing hysterically. Everything was blacked out at first and slowly she regained her vision. As things became more clear, she stops laughing, and face plants the ground. This time she stands without a problem. Looking around, there are many Pickedge. The mothership leader projects images of Dean and then some of explosions. She nods her head.

Regina: “Okay!”

A wire is touched to her shoulder on a metal plate where her chip used to be. A new one was in place and an electrical current fills her body. After, all her senses heighten and metal and alien skin like membranes raise behind her.

Regina: “Wings?”

Regina looks over her body to find all sorts of metal around her in areas and her weapons in metal sheaths. The floor opens below her feet and she begins to fall.

Dr. D: “Regina…”

Dean mumbles with a low raspy voice. He looks into the sky as the mothership becomes visible to the eyes and darkens the area. Regina is falling through the sky with trouble. A group of Pickedge surround her and gesture tentacles to flap. She concentrates and manages to fly. She stumbles and begins to fall again, but lands safely. She lands north of the lake north of her home on the road. In the distance, soldiers begin to surround from all directions. The Pickedge surround Regina in a circle. Bullets began to fire and were easily repelled.

Dr. D:  “Regina! Halt fire!”

Regina: “Hello, Doctor! Did I miss my appointment! Can we reschedule?”

Regina steps out and Dean walks out from the soldiers.

Dr. D: “Of course. I’m available right now. Sadly, there will be no fallow up.”

He begins to grin.

Dr. D: “In fact, I'm afraid you must visit me alone.”

He pulls out his EMP gun, altered to unknown states, and fires. Regina hobbles and looks back at wailing Pickedges. There eyes all change red and they begin to attack Regina. Her newly added wings grow tentacles themselves and block the oncoming ones toward her. She begins to panic some.

Boom, boom, boom!

Luke launches grenades near everyone and the Scabs under his control begin to attack soldiers all over the place from the east. To the west, Rick uses the anti gravity gun and his own weapons to attack. Gail and his group start to attack from within the center. Dean has some sort of force field around him to block oncoming attacks. More launch from the mother ship and Regina takes the open chance of the doctor firing his EMP at them to fire her own at him. It manages to knock out his field. She is still dodging controlled Pickedge and soldiers. Her gun takes some time to charge up and she knows her battery will only allow one or two more EMP pulses. The mothership sends out it’s own pulse to regain its own Pickedges. The ship lowers in atmosphere and begins to shake from side to side from the elevation. One of the aliens hooks a metal clamp around Regina’s head and her image can be seen throughout the sky around the world.

Regina: “Please! Doctor Dean Farley must be stopped! Can’t you see he has focused all of his attention on me instead of the aliens. He only wishes to use them for his own gain. For control! For power! He is who must be stopped and no more innocent lives will be lost! Soldiers! I ask of you, cease fire against the aliens, both Scabs and Pickedge and they will do the same. Right now, they just want Doctor Dean Farley gone.”

Images begins to show of Dean. His arm is covered in metal and forms a long blade at the end. He slices at Regina and his eyes turn red. The dozens of controlled humans eyes begin to glow red as well and storm at Regina. He sets off another pulse that changes all the Pickedges within the area. The mother ship begins to move east away from the area and Regina fires her EMP gun to counteract the control of some of the Pickedges. She begins to run as they attempt to regain their comrades. Tentacles are begin launched at Regina. She begins to dive, roll, and do her best to avoid them. They begin to slither and she runs.

A bunch leap at her and she jumps up. She gets higher and higher off the ground. Taking flight to the air, she rushes to Dean and tackles him. The two roll along the ground and she begins to fire her glocks at him. His field is still down and many bullets enter his body. Blood begins to drip, but he stabs himself with a needle. Soon, all the wounds scab over like skin of the Scabs. His field regains power and Regina rushes away inti the crowd to see where everyone stands.

A plane drops a crate that exploded when hitting the ground full of Scabs and a few semi trucks show up to release more by control of the doctor. Luke's pack screams and his gland erupts. Gail and Rick jump on the back of his Humvee and use the guns moving toward Regina. Many of the soldiers began to run away in forfeit while many others were quickly taken down. The Pickedge begin to aid in help of humanity with help of the mothership abducting the Scabs.

Regina was wrestling with Dean for his EMP gun after a tackle by him. The spikes on his sides were very similar to ones she now has. She manages to use her tentacles to hold him down and take the battery from his gun to replace hers. A direct EMP is sent to him and he lies on the ground unable to move. The large gland that had grown from his back was her focus. By the time it exploded, he managed to stand and force Regina away.

Dr. D: “You’re running out of options and I’m just getting started.”

Regina: “We shall see.”

Dean smiles and pulls out a radio and laser pen. Regina begins to fly away as fast as possible and the doctor runs keeping up with her. The Scabs all halted and the soldiers began to watch and examine them up close along with the Pickedges. Some of them even began to touch them and the Pickedges began to connect with them as they had with Regina’s first contact. A helicopter hovers over the area.

Sehun: “Regina!”

Sehun is in the chopper with a group of soldiers that begin to fire different weapons at Dean. He stops and suddenly disappears. Regina flies up to the chopper and kisses Sehun. After, she flies high into the sky. A beam shoots from the mothership to Regina. It shows her where Dean is. He was using there teleporting equipment and only went a few hundred feet and is teleported to him directly. His controlled humans that were left were waiting there. When Regina got close, a laser red dot aimed on her and a group of air force planes quickly zoomed by launching heat seeking missiles at her. They made a direct hit.

Section 12 (Chapter 19)

The doctor mutates himself with multiple serums and becomes a gigantic monster! The Pickedge team up with humans to defeat him.

Scene 1 – Air strike

·        Regina is targeted by air strikes and looses most of her new form. She continues to fight against the doctor with her friends.

Regina encases herself by the wing like membranes and metals from her back. She is launched into a house and bursts through the ceiling. Most of her membranes have perished and she is laying on her back. She opens her eyes with her head tilted to the side next to a skeleton with a bullet in the brain and a gun near the hand. She sits up and nods. The house is burst into from all the windows by the controlled humans. She pulled out her assault rifle and begins to eliminate them all. Left and right they came, she dodges and turns around to attack the ones coming from behind down the hall. She runs out of ammo and jumps behind the couch to reload. Back to firing she went. One by one they all dropped to the ground. Regina makes her way outside. She can not find the doctor anywhere.

Sehun: “Regina!”

He points from the chopper. She closes her eyes and listens. Dean is calling in another air strike. Regina begins to run and finds him. He is on the other side of a fence. She fires another EMP and pulls out her rifle again, unloading it through the fence.

Dr. D: “Nice try!”

Dean leapt and landed behind Regina.

Dr. D: “Looks to me you’re almost human again.”

He stabs a k-bar knife through her rib with ease and Sehun fires multiple bullets through his head with a sniper rifle. It regrows and his head becomes very abnormal with a Scab like face. Regina steps away from him and the K-bar comes out. Metal grows around her side to replace the damaged flesh. She and Sehun continue to fire over and over. The next air strike neared and the chopper took off. It aimed for Regina again and she threw one of her knives at Dean. The missiles all missed, but sent her flying with loss of hearing. Smoke filled the area and Regina was clueless what to do. She runs. Not knowing where Dean was, she just runs and runs. A Humvee drives onto the block. Lucy and Luke inside with Gail and Rick on the guns. She is happy to see them and takes Rick’s hand up onto the back.

Scene 2 – Fin

·        The final battle.

The chopper returns and guides them to a nearby corn field.

Gail: “Regina! What should we do?”

Regina: “We need to get the air strike to hit him or somehow get them on our side.”

Sehun: “Regina!”

Sehun shouts over a radio on Rick's belt.

Regina: “Sehun!”

She takes the radio from Rick.

Regina: “Can’t you talk to the air force some how? Do you have a laser guided system of any sort? Or something!”

Sehun: “No. The soldiers in those planes are under his control and a separate pay grade than us. He reported you falsely as the enemy shortly before this started. But, I have an idea. Your house is still active. We may be able to activate it's satellite, who knows what it will do. It may affect you and it definitely will all the Aliens.”

Regina: “We can’t hurt them. But, it gives me an idea. Stay with the Humvee. All of you, stay back.”

Regina stops talking and jumps out of the Humvee.

Sehun: “Regina!”

Sehun shouts over the radio and out the chopper.

Rick: “Look!”

He points.

Gail: “Brace yourself everyone, we will give him all we got. Let her do her thing!”

The sun is almost fully gone. Dean’s entire body begins to shift all over. His nails grow a foot long and turn into claws from his appendages. His hips widen and back end drop lower to the ground. His body becomes very much Scab like. The spikes from his ribs pop out farther and grow tentacles with edged blades at the ends. His neck stretches and face takes the shape of a guitar pick. Many syringes could be seen inserted around his body. Slowly, he grew to be 100 foot tall as his torso shifted to be more Pickedge like. Scales grow over most of the Scabs and stick up with the Scab between them like caulk in tiles.

Gail: “I had a nightmare about this, half Pickedge and half Scab.”

Rick: “Me too, only it was the other way with the Scab on top and Pickedge ship on bottom.”

Sehun: “I don’t think the air strike will attack Regina no more with that large of a target. Get on the radios to other bases around the world! I need to help her somehow!”

Sehun drops a rope and repels down.

Dr. D: “Regina! You should join me by my side!”

The mutated alien hybrid Doctor lowers its head to Regina’s face. She smiles.

Dr. D: “Are you accepting my…”

She tosses a fire grenade into his mouth. He gasps for air as his mouth reacts to the chemicals and freezes some. Using tentacles to break away the ice he regains his momentum.

Dr. D: “Re-Ginaaa!”

He can be heard for miles and a gland forms on his back side. Scabs begin hauling in from all directions from all over. The reports can be heard on all radio frequencies from military to survivors. He chases down Regina while slashing his giant tentacles, as wide as cars, down toward her. Luke drives behind the mutated Dean for Gail and Rick to attack. Regina is picked up in an anti gravity beam and pulled away from an attack just in time. All of the Pickedge and soldiers had came forth to aid in her survival. They mostly worked on keeping the Scabs back. Another headset was placed on Regina’s head.

Regina: “Please! You have attacked me, twice, with air force. This is the result of it!”

Regina’s face can be seen in the sky again and then a projection of the giant monster.

Regina: “You can see man and alien have learned to work together with one another. We have three options. Work together. Either, the Pickedge have to leave and we set off all the remaining antennas and satellites on the prepped rocket to focus solely on him and hope that is enough. Two, we all leave and let the Pickedge neutralize this entire area, with us not likely having time to escape it and risking the chance of erupting all the volcanoes within the Rocky Mountains. Or we can all just die! I know what I will be doing. I have made friends in high places I could say. Always leave them on a joke right?”

The images disappear. Dean sends off his own signal that deactivates all the small ships of the Pickedges. Regina hits the ground and is quickly picked up by Pickedge out of their ships. The mother ship sets off another signal that causes his gland to burst. A new one grows in place almost instantly, larger than before. The doctor wails louder. It causes everyone to loose hearing for a bit. A new batch of Pickedge were launched and begin to pick up all the soldiers in anti gravity beams. They are all re located to Fort Saint Vrain Generating Station or places with satellites and or antennas having bomb shelters or tunnels. They begin to prep the rocket and all machinery linked with it at the Missile Site in Greeley. Dean easily crumbles through houses as the Humvee makes it’s way to Regina’s house with no ammo left. Everyone takes shelter and the mothership flies into space above the ozone after collecting all of its species.

Regina: “Deaaan!”

Regina is standing out in the middle of the park near the Knowledge Quest Academy school and base in her neighborhood. She has some alien devices with her to help her relocate out of the way from attacks by teleport, a special gun to repeal other attacks, and belt with a force field. Upset, the mutated Doctor sends out another pulse that manages to knock out her weapons. A smaller tentacle forms from below his neck and he leans forward grabbing Regina. He is cold. Just like the Scabs. The ground shakes and the Rocket is launched from the North. Dean looks into the sky, drops Regina to stand up, and tries to knock the rocket out of the sky. She runs as fast as possible to the school.

Sehun: “Regina!”

Sehun is standing in the doorway with the laser pointer and radio Dean had been using before from the air strikes. He has the laser’s button taped down and pointed right at the doctor propped up with junk. Regina tackles him and they take shelter inside. Most of the building has burned to the ground and the hatch to the tunnels is not accessible from being melted  She unhooked her shielding belt and stretched it to go around both of them. They hold one another in the moonlight as all the antennas and satellites go off with the Rocket. Immediately after, all sorts of napalm and missiles were launched right into the monster.

The effects wiped out the entire town of Milliken. The giant mutated Doctor Dean Farley had scared away any animals that hadn’t ran from the beginning of the battle. All soldiers and survivors had made their way into the tunnels or bomb shelters or fled early on enough.

Soldier: “Whao!”

An air force man speaks from within his plane.

Soldier: “That enemy is vaporized!”

A large puddle of liquid remained on the annihilated ground.

Scene 3 - Epilogue

·        Regina and Sehun survived too! Teleported to the mothership in space.

Right before the explosion struck, Regina and Sehun were teleported onto the mothership. They were able to witness the entire explosion. She leaned into his shoulder with a hand in his chest and back while he held her. Images show on the ship of the Pickedge being drawn away from the surface of the entire planet. The pool of liquidity ooze left from the mutant Dr. Dean Farely was left soaking where the town if Milliken used to be. The mothership hovers over and many Pickedge disperse to clean it up. The leader of the ship approaches Regina and places a mental clamp on her forehead to be seen throughout the sky. The Pickedge point to the Ice Caps. The belt has been remove from her.

Regina: "People of Earth, The Alien war has ended. It took over a decade, but humanity may once pick up from where it left off. Due to inaccurate interpretations of humans from the common, not so kind, of the planet and cultural differences, we have shown them otherwise. We have been given a second chance and gained some powerful allies. I ask everyone to seek safety inland across the world. Yes, many coasts were wiped out, but some do remain. In a couple days, I will say 3 and will maintain that demand, the ice caps with be melted. It will cause an increase if levels to the ocean, but I have been shown of the community that will prosper from it. The Pickedge intend to rejuvenate our ozone and will also absorb much if the melted ice to craft their place on our largest continent of the planet while also helping us rebuild. Please, please give them a chance, as they are to us. You seen what awful things humans can do and not once have they experimented or mutated themselves from human DNA or other life forms. They just seek a place for their food to live after s star bursting crumbling many Scab planets. Peace of mind and peace with all is now present!”

Regina is knocked out by golden eyes again. Upon waking up, Sehun is smiling at her. She smiles back and looks at the leader of the mothership and it holds up three tentacles. After, Regina and Sehun are teleported back to the earth's surface. Regina is back to her human form, with the heightened senses still. The sun has began rise colouring the sky around The Rocky Mountains of Colourful Colorado. Many shades of pink, purple, orange, grey, and blue decorate the sky with white clouds. Sehun kneels down and grabs Regina's left hand, as the two gaze deeply and infatuated into each other's eyes as he pulls out a small box.

Regina's speech continues to repeat often over the next 3 days. After so long of walking, Luke drives the Humvee up to them with Lucy, Rick, and Gail. They all hug Regina and congratulate the happy couple. Rick pulls out a large book. Around the world, everyone feels a sense of contentment and relief at peace over the events that have just occurred.

Rick: “You may now kiss the bride!”

Sehun and Regina have eloped and kiss!