Chapter 4 - It's Only Temporary

Three Months Later

The hot, rusty car bounced along the highway, surrounded by hundreds of other rusty cars. Regina was driving the old Chevrolet and Daniel was staring out the window, lost in thought. His small, blue duffel bag sat by his feet. It contained everything necessary that he'd need for the next ten weeks of his life, except for clothing. That would be taken care of later.

Quiet filled the car, aside from the roar of the engine, prompting Regina to ask, "Are you nervous, honey?"

Daniel answered with a hesitant "Yes". They bounced down the highway some more, avoiding potholes and finally slowing to a stop at a standstill in traffic. After about an hour of gridlock, they were on their way again.

Five hours later and very little conversation exchanged, the car stopped in a parking spot outside the massive base that lay ahead.

The base was huge, its concrete walls extending for as far as Daniel could see in either direction. The base rose almost 300 meters into the air, all topped with barbed wire.

Daniel was about to step out of the car when another rusty car squealed to a stop into the parking spot next to them, missing by meer inches. Yelling could be heard.

"Now get out!" a voice yelled. This one sounded like a very angry woman.

"Fine!" another voice yelled back, slamming the door as he said it. This voice sounded like a teenager, around Daniel's age. The car rocked as the door slammed back into place and the tires squealed again. The car flew past and back out the gate, narrowly missing three other cars, causing all to lay in their horns.

Daniel looked back and saw the teenager standing in the next parking spot. He was about six feet tall, broad shouldered and had a messy brown mop atop his head. Over his shoulder, he carried a tattered duffel bag. It didn't seem like there was anything the bag. The kid turned and began walking toward the base. Daniel turned back to his mother. Her eyes were misty and on the verge of spilling all the tears she was holding back. She reached out and touched his hair, caressed his face in her hand.

"You look so much like your father." Regina could barely choke out the words. She was filled with pride, yet horror. Pride that her son was following in his father's footsteps, trying to copy his every move that he had left behind. Horror that she was about to sent her only child, her son no less, into the brutality that was known as the Army. Horror that he would be killed as well. Horror that she would be left alone in this cruel world. Despite being 47, the thought of having no one by her side terrified her.

"You are just like your father. So brave, so willing to give...everything, just to fight an evil world." Regina chocked back, unable to say anymore words. Before she was left totally speechless and broke down to tears, she reached over and hugged her son in a tight embrace. She cried into Daniel's shoulder. After a few minutes, she finally broke the hug and said, "I love you, Daniel. Now go before I start crying again." She said that last part out of humor. Daniel got it and gave a little laugh, one last final laugh for his mother.

They hugged again briefly and Daniel exited the car, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. When he was about 100 meters away, he turned back to face the car. His mother was standing beside it, the driver's door still open. She waved at him and he waved back. Then he turned and followed the line of recruits into the massive base.

* * *

The line was huge, stretching for about two kilometers. It was also very slow, slower than the line at the DMV. After standing in the sweltering sun for about two hours, Daniel finally entered into a giant building. It was air conditioned in here. Daniel had a feeling that this was probably his last time feeling A/C for quite some time.

A basket rolled up alongside some recruits a few meters ahead. The bald-headed guy pushing it gave simple instructions: All clothes they were wearing, except underwear, were to go into the basket. A kid behind Daniel asked, "What if we don't have boxers?" The attendant simply told him that he'd be naked for the duration of the sorting period. The kid asked how long that would be. The attendant answered with six hours. The kid sighed and reluctantly began to undress. Daniel was pulling off his socks when the attendant stopped in front of him. His other clothes were already in front of him. He pulled off the last sock, bent over to grab the pile, and placed it into the cart.

Immediately after the attendant had left, he felt a small pain in his butt. He turned to see a kid looking extremely obvious trying to act like he wasn't the culprit. Daniel simply scoffed and turned back around. It wasn't worth beating up a kid for kicking you in the butt. Twenty seconds later, it happened again. Daniel again turned around to see the same kid with the same wasn't me expression. Daniel was starting to get angry. He'd always had a short temper and when it burst it wasn't always a pretty thing. Most bullies backed off when they saw he was mad.

Despite Daniel's size, he was usually picked on. All because he didn't play any sports. Even though he didn't play sports, he looked like someone who did. At six feet tall, he had brown hair and hazel eyes. He wasn't the most stocky kid. He fell in the middle of big, burly athletes that played football and the small, agile cross-country runners. He'd always hated sports. It was just a waste of time, he'd always think. Still, he sometimes went to a football game or a wrestling match out of spite.

The small pain happened for a third time. Daniel almost turned to cream the kid but saw he was next in line. He decided to leave it alone.

He'll go away and I'll never have to deal with him again. It's just a minor inconvenience.

The recruit in front of Daniel moved away, allowing Daniel to step up. The small pain again. The lady there asked for a name, mother and father names and a Social Security number. He told her the information and she handed him a bag.

"Inside of there, you'll find your fatigues. Do not put them on until an officer tells you to do so. Make your way over to room J." Daniel did as he was told, moving over to room J. He had his duffel bag and the brown bag. There was a green light illuminated on a small control panel which Daniel took to mean that he could enter the room. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

He was suddenly blasted with cold air, which caused Daniel's scream to become lodged in his throat. Another blast of air, this one hot. The blasts came from all directions, causing Daniel to shut his eyes to prevent his eyeballs from being blasted out.

A buzz sounded and Daniel opened his eyes. A door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a dark abyss. He stepped out cautiously, watching his every move. Finally, he grew to realize that the floor was solid. He may not have been able to see it but he knew that it was solid. There was a tiny pinhole of light coming from the other side. He began running toward it, his duffel bag banging against his leg, the brown bag bouncing in his hand.

He reached the other side in ten minutes. It was just another doorway with a single light on inside. He stepped in. The door shut behind him. Daniel looked back to see a solid white wall, no evidence of a door ever being there. He looked around. No door was to be found. He dropped his bags, causing the room to reverberate the sound. There was no sound isolating objects in here. The sound just rang until it died out, tired of itself.

Daniel began to hyperventilate. He had never been a fan of small spaces to begin with, but this room with no exit was making him panic. He decided to lie next to his bags, in an attempt to calm himself down. It didn't work. He began to panic, banging on the walls pleading for someone to help him, to let him out. He kept banging and banging until...

* * *

Daniel awoke with a start. He lay on the bed, breathing hard, trying to calm himself of the dream he had just had. Wait. He looked around. This wasn't his room. Where was he? A hiss followed by a pop sounded, scaring the living bejesus out of him. Four suction cup looking things moved away from his head. A person, previously unseen, began to speak.

"US Army, Battalion 57, Brigade 36, Platoon 82. You may now put on your uniform. Exit out that door and find your platoon." The person pointed to a door behind Daniel. He picked up his duffel bag and brown bag and stepped out the door. He stepped out and shook his head. He had no recollection of how he had gotten into that room. He shook his head again and went to find his platoon.

Daniel had just gotten halfway across the yard when the entire building shook violently.

"What the..." Daniel whispered to himself. He was interrupted by a siren, followed by a voice over the intercom system.

"Aliens detected. All persons in the building, please make your way to the underground bunkers." All the soldiers made their way to the east side of the building where at least fifty doors stood. Daniel fell into line with a group of soldiers and marched with them into a bunker. As he entered, the siren behind him died, leaving the only sound to echo through the building being the sound of their boots.

* * *

The pod landed next to the target, shattering the ground around the pod. Breaking the pod wall, Tuipoa got out followed by Gutyju and Vejnero. Tuipoa scanned the area. The robot in the pod behind them spoke up.

"Area clear. No human life forms detected."

Tuipoa stepped toward the building. He nodded and turned back to Gutyju and Vejnero.

"Do it."

He walked back into the pod with his partners, closed the door and blasted back into space.

* * *

It was squished in here. Not as bad as he thought it would be but they were packed in pretty tight. They had been told to keep silent, to listen for any unusual noise. After they had been told that, a slam jolted the building so hard that everyone in Daniel's bunker shifted to one side, causing most to fall over. After they had gotten back on their feet, they heard a small glimpse of something. After that, a roaring sound was heard. The sound got decreasingly quieter. They waiting until the alarm sounded to allow them to go back to training.

The alarm never sounded.