37º 23’ 56” North, 5º 59’ 36” West
Los Viajeros restaurant, Alameda de Hércules, Seville
Ten minutes earlier…
Luis and his friends were still sheltering in the restaurant, their fear intensifying as the minutes went by. Since Luis had returned with Marta, announcing that the air force had arrived, the battle outside seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.
At first, everyone had shouted with joy and relief, cheering the pilots on to shoot down the horrible spaceships once and for all. But as the minutes passed, the explosions didn’t come to a halt as they had expected. In fact, the opposite was true; the blasts only increased. It started to dawn on them that the nightmare was far from over. By now, the restaurant owner had decided they should block the windows and entrance. They lifted up the tables together and laid them on their sides to cover the windows. Then they barricaded the door with metal bars. It didn’t amount to much, but at least they would be protected from broken glass if there was an explosion nearby.
On the television, the government spokesperson had just confirmed that several fighter jet squadrons were now battling the enemy in the skies above Seville. More squadrons were on their way, including Spanish aircraft and forces from allied countries such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom. The spokesperson had reiterated that civilians should not leave their shelters. All the main roads had been cut off and it would be some time before ground forces arrived to secure them. They flicked through the channels to see if they could find one with a live broadcast showing what was happening in the city. Finally, they switched to the local television channel. The presenter was just announcing that there would now be a link to a rooftop camera on top of the channel’s main offices right in the heart of Seville. Seconds later, Luis and his friends had a full view of the terrible scene unfurling in their home town. The city was dotted with columns of smoke and raging fires. Up above, the evening sky was streaked with the white trails of fighter jets attempting to battle the terrifying smaller spacecraft. And high above it all, that enormous, imposing spaceship…
Luis gently helped Marta into a chair and then joined Eva who flung her arms around him in despair.
“Don’t you dare do that again. Something could have happened to you… I don’t know what I’d do without you…” she sobbed as she stroked the back of his neck.
“It’s OK, Eva… Nothing happened. I’m here, aren’t I? I couldn’t let Marta go out there alone… I’d never have forgiven myself if something had happened to her. Her, or anyone else I know,” Luis had not really been aware of the danger they had been in.
“I know, you idiot. I’m not angry. I know you’ve got a big heart… You always worry about everyone else. It’s one of the reasons I like you so much,” Eva kissed him on the mouth after wiping a tear from her cheek.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. OK? It’ll all be fine… You’ll see,” he hugged her tightly, feeling her so close gave him peace in the midst of chaos.
“Oh no! They just shot down a jet!” Jorge exclaimed.
They rushed over to the television. The camera was focused on the aerial battle and Luis had to admit that things didn’t look good. Whichever way the camera turned; all they could see in every direction were Spanish fighter jets being destroyed by the alien spacecraft. He desperately hoped that none of the pilots he knew were up there with them. Suddenly, a series of huge explosions lit up the sky and the walls of the restaurant shook. The television camera almost fell to the ground but the cameraman managed to grab it in time and turn it back to the source of the blast. The huge spacecraft was engulfed in flames.
“They’ve attacked it! They’ve shot it down!” Lucas shouted ecstatically.
“No, they haven’t… Look! It’s exactly the same,” Santiago sadly corrected him.
“What are those things? They’re invincible…” Clara cried again.
“Hang on a sec…” Jorge pointed, horrified. “Look, the spaceship… It’s moving.”
They looked on in horror as the spaceship fired its devastating cannon, illuminating the sky above the city. The brilliant flash was not only visible on the television; they could see the brightness for themselves through the gaps around the blocked restaurant windows. The entire building trembled.
“Oh my God!” the owner’s wife screamed.
“Where was it firing?” Roberto was unhinged.
“I think it was shooting south, but at what?” Santiago clenched his fists tightly, helpless.
“At whatever caused that big explosion…” Luis closed his eyes, feeling desolate.
“What do you mean? That wasn’t caused by the aeroplanes?” Raquel pulled on his arm.
“I don’t think so… The blasts were too powerful to be air-to-air missiles, like the ones the Eurofighters are using. I can only guess that it was caused by cruise missiles, or something similar,” Luis's stomach was knotting.
“But that means…” Santiago began to tremble.
“Yes. That thing is capable of shooting at a frigate that is nearly two hundred miles away. If the missiles were fired by the navy, I mean,” Luis clarified, unable to hide his nervousness.
“So that’s it… We’re doomed,” Lucas said, collapsing into a chair.
“I’m too young to die… There are so many things I still wanted to do…” Marta was in a corner, constantly raising and lowering her head.
“No one’s going to die, don’t be silly,” Sandra approached her.
“OK, let’s try to keep calm… Sit down and have a drink. There’s no point panicking… All we can do is wait. I know it’s hard, but try not to think about the battle. Don’t worry, right now there are plenty of people trying to figure out how to get rid of those things,” Luis couldn't stop thinking about his father and his companions who were still in Morón Air Base.
“I hope you’re right, Luisito,” Eva murmured in his ear.
“Me too, Eva… Me too,” he replied under his breath.
The group of friends decided to heed Luis and sat down at a table to try to take their minds off things. Jorge and Roberto started to crack jokes. Bad ones, admittedly, but with so much tension in the air everyone was grateful for some release and the friends soon broke out into fits of laughter. Raquel and Eva were chatting at the end of the table closest to the restaurant entrance while Luis was sat alone at the far end. Eva had wanted to sit with him, but he had said he needed some space. He wanted to assess the situation. Eva accepted without complaint; she knew Luis too well to argue. Before moving away, she gave him a slow, gentle kiss on the lips that made his entire body shiver. Such was his passion and love for her, he momentarily forgot that they were right in the middle of a war. The magic of the kiss finally broke as she pulled away and walked over to sit with Raquel.
Now alone, Luis was checking his mobile, oblivious to his friends’ jokes and laughter. There was still no phone signal so he couldn’t ring his parents and, as far as he could tell, Tristan hadn’t yet seen his email. There had been no reply, anyway. He desperately hoped that they were safe. His mother must be frantic at being out of touch with him. Luis knew he needed to decide what the group should do next, especially if the situation worsened. Doubt was rapidly creeping into his mind. Would the armed forces really be able to destroy the spacecraft? If they couldn’t, he and his friends couldn’t stay in the restaurant forever. It was becoming increasingly obvious that they needed to find a better place to shelter. It was his responsibility to make sure they were all kept safe. After all, he was the only one with any military training and was vaguely prepared for a crisis like this. Well, as prepared as anyone could be.
An ear-piercing noise suddenly erupted outside, followed by a loud commotion. It instantly grabbed everyone’s attention; the friends exchanged glances of fear and horror. They had heard a similar noise in the video Santiago’s friend had uploaded to the internet. The restaurant owner switched off the television and turned to face them.
“Shhhh… Be quiet. Everyone, stay here. I’m going to see what it is…”
Despite being armed with a steel bar, the owner was evidently nervous. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to his wife before heading to the door. He opened it slightly, ready to peer outside.
“Be careful… Don’t do anything stupid,” she insisted.
Before he had time to look outside, a huge explosion shook the restaurant and the small world inside descended into chaos. Everyone was blown off their feet. Part of the façade crumbled and great slabs from the roof tumbled to the ground, trapping anyone unlucky enough to have been standing underneath. Luis was knocked to one side by the shock wave and banged his head against a column. He lay on his back on the floor, semi-conscious. Blurry images faded in and out of his mind. He could hear cries and wails, pieces of rubble crashing down from the walls. Hot flames were burning somewhere close by. Amid such mayhem he could almost convince himself he was just an observer in a particularly confusing dream. But this was no dream. Luis fought to regain consciousness but his head felt thick and heavy. All he could see were fleeting glimpses, his eyes unable to focus.
Just then he felt, rather than heard, menacing, weighty footsteps. Some sort of hefty bulk was approaching. Were those two massive, dark figures standing where the entrance to the restaurant had once been? Whatever they had been, they now vanished. He tried to move his head for a better look. Someone stood up. A girl. He couldn’t quite see who it was. She broke into a run, as if she were fleeing from something. All of sudden, he heard a strange, unfamiliar noise, almost like the crack of a gunshot. A female voice cried out and then someone suddenly hit the ground right in front of him. Her face was barely inches away. Who was it? His eyes refused to accept what they could see. It was Raquel. She lay on her side, dead, her eyes lifeless, her body torn apart by a gaping hole. Luis could see right through her.
Her face was twisted into a disturbing grimace of terror. It was impossible. This couldn’t be happening. Raquel, his closest childhood friend. The girl who had always organised amazing surprise birthday parties. It couldn’t be true. She couldn’t be dead. Not like that.
Darkness returned. Luis tried to move, to crawl away. He had to get out of there but his body wouldn’t respond. There was another cry and someone else dropped to the ground close to the entrance. More heavy footsteps. This time the tread was slightly different, inspiring a fresh wave of fear and dread. Finally, his eyesight cleared again. A figure lay on the floor, moaning. Strange metal boots stood next to it. Hands that ended in claws appeared, seizing the neck of the body that lay prone on the floor. Whoever it was began to scream in desperation. That voice. Luis knew it only too well. No! It wasn’t…? Eva!
He had to reach her, save her, protect her from whatever had her in its clutches. But his body refused to move and his mind swirled with hazy images and sounds. Luis could make out Eva being lifted into the air and screaming in fear. Then he saw that thing. A tall, powerful figure dressed in some kind of black and moss-green armour. He couldn’t quite see its head but it clearly wasn’t human. What was it? Suddenly, a hideous voice barked something in an incomprehensible language that sounded like evil personified. All of a sudden, in one swift movement, the hand grasping Eva around her neck began to squeeze tighter and tighter until her neck snapped in two. Her head lolled lifelessly to one side. Then the creature slammed her battered body against the wall.
Luis’s mind raged with conflicting emotions. This wasn’t possible. Last night he and Eva had been in bed together making love. They had loved each other like never before, both aware that the feelings they shared were ever-lasting. Eva, Eva, Eva, Eva, no…. It couldn’t be true. This had to be a nightmare. What he had just seen couldn’t have happened. Surely, he was going to wake up at any moment? That creature couldn’t have done that to his Eva. No. It was impossible! She couldn’t have died like that, not his beloved. Not her, the first person he had truly loved. Her life couldn’t have ended like that, right in front of him, while he did nothing to save her. Nothing to prevent it. He had sworn to care for her and protect her from harm. And now she…
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Luis screamed in fury, staggering to his feet.
His legs mindlessly transported him towards that dark, loathsome figure. Luis clenched his fists, the nails driving deep into his palms, ready to strike the creature To destroy it. His eyes were hindered by a red curtain of blood that oozed from a head wound. Reaching the enemy, he hurled his right fist at where he imagined its face must be. The strange being easily dodged the blow and swiftly struck him with its hand, flinging him against a wall. It had superhuman strength and the blow almost knocked Luis unconscious. He desperately attempted to stumble to his feet but his strength abandoned him. Blood gushed from his mouth; its metallic taste now familiar. He recognised it from his nightmares. When he had been torn apart by mythological beasts.
The figure loomed over him, a sinister blade in its left hand. Just when it was about to stab Luis in the head, a strange alarm-like sound stopped it in its tracks. The creature glanced at a device that was attached to its waist. It examined Luis again, its features contorting into what he imagined must be a smile. It was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen. Then it grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him up. It clasped him around the neck with its right hand, sinking its merciless claws into his skin. Lifting him from the ground, it transported him out of the ruins of the restaurant.
Luis was unable to speak. Not enough oxygen was reaching his lungs. His life seemed to be gradually ebbing away. Perhaps it was his proximity to death, or a final burst of fury-driven energy, but his senses partially returned, offering him a glimpse of the scene outside. And if he thought Los Viajeros was hell on earth, what he glimpsed outside on the Alameda de Hércules was far worse.
Two hefty figures were waiting for the creature that was bearing him aloft. It appeared to be their leader. Thirty yards away, behind them, was one of the strange alien spacecraft. But this one was different; it was longer and didn’t have any limb-like features or enormous cannons like the ones he had seen on the internet and the news.
The creature stopped in front of the two burly warriors. That must be what they were, from their impressive armour and large weapons. Although they were humanoid in form, they were like nothing he had ever seen before. Their helmets only covered their faces from the nose upwards, exposing mouths packed with sharp fangs. The creature dropped him and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. He had been choking, his lungs about to explode. Luis fell to his knees and began to vomit blood and the small amount of food he had eaten at dinner. All he wanted to do was cry, but no tears would form in his eyes. What the hell did these things want with him?
Cold claws grabbed him around the neck again, raising him into the air. This time he was face to face with the creature in charge. Luis looked his captor up and down. It must have been over six feet tall and was wearing a strange metal armour that was slightly different in design from the other two warriors. More refined, lighter. It had two legs, two arms and two hands like a human being. But one look at the face left no doubt: that thing was definitely not from Earth. Its mouth was huge and set with prominent incisors and it exhaled rank breath that made Luis retch. He barely fought off the nausea, although perhaps vomiting over the bastard would have been a small victory. Slim, elongated ears lay flat against its greenish skull. A small, flattened nose ended in four strange openings that were presumably nostrils and it had two almond-shaped eyes like those of great cat. But the forehead was the most arresting feature of all. There was a strange fold of skin right in the centre. Luis wasn’t sure what it was for, all he knew was that it filled him with terror.
The creature stared at him, amused, like a small child examining a toy before tossing it away. It raised its other hand and held an unidentifiable device in front of him. A laser beamed out of the device and appeared to scan his body. Luis was at a loss. What was happening? The creature scanned him from head to feet, then the laser disappeared and the device emitted a different type of noise. A voice speaking another unknown language that it sounded very different to how his captor had spoken.
The creature stared at him in a combination of disbelief, scorn and satisfaction. It put away the scanner and slightly loosed its grip around his neck. Breathing more easily now, his entire body ached, particularly his jaw and neck. Blood was still oozing from several wounds, but he felt somehow detached from everything, as if it were happening to someone else.
A shout interrupted them. “Stop! Police! Put the boy down immediately!”
“You two… Don’t move or we’ll open fire!” yelled another man.
The creature turned around to see where the voices had come from. Then Luis saw too. Less than twenty yards away, ten policemen armed with pistols and sub-machine guns were pointing their weapons at his captor and the two warriors. Of course… He had forgotten. There was a police station on the Alameda, right next to them. They must have seen the spacecraft land and approached silently to come to his aid. He was saved!
The two warriors started to move but their leader gestured for them to stop.
“We won’t say it again. Release the boy, immediately!” The police officer tried to appear firm, but his voice trembled.
The creature stared at them and its expression twisted into something resembling a smile. It put Luis down but didn’t let go. Then it looked back towards its warriors, or to what lay behind them, and gave a quick nod towards the policemen.
The alien spaceship had been resting on the ground all this time. Suddenly, its engines sprang to life with a great roar and it soared up several feet from the ground in a cloud of dust. It wheeled around to face the policemen and opened out what looked like a cannon. The cannon made an ear-splitting sound before firing off several bursts of plasma beams, blowing up anything misfortunate enough to be in its path.
“Take cover! Fire at will!” The commanding officer jumped to the side while firing his weapon.
His team tried to find shelter but there was nowhere to hide. Several policemen were directly hit and literally blown apart by the blast. Others opened fire against the spacecraft but their bullets were useless; even though it didn’t have a force field, the spaceship’s armour was enough to protect it.
The two warriors raised their weapons and opened fire, joining the massacre. In moments, all that remained of the policemen were ripped-apart bodies and charred limbs. The spaceship stopped firing and returned to the ground. Luis stared at the scene in horror. One of the bodies was moving. It was a policeman; he was still alive. He had lost a leg and was dragging himself along the ground, babbling meaningless words in agony.
The warriors approached him and looked down at their victim in amusement. Then they turned back to their leader, who gave a nod and an evil smile. The two warriors leaned over the dying man and, without warning, sank their fangs into his neck, ripping out pieces of flesh while blood spurted all around them. They stood up with the meat in their jaws and gulped it down, grunting in satisfaction like animals.
Luis couldn’t bear the sight of it. He vomited the remaining contents of his stomach in a pool of bile. The creature grasping him instantly reacted, shoving him to the ground. Luis curled into the fetal position to protect himself from more blows. Why was this happening to him? Why were they playing with him? He couldn’t erase the image of that poor man being eaten alive from his mind. But he was barely given seconds to grieve.
The leader seized him once again and lifted him up so that Luis’s face was level with its own. It smiled. Luis could barely remain conscious. He had lost a lot of blood and now felt very weak. His side ached painfully. Several ribs had probably been broken when he had been hurled against the wall of the restaurant. A movement caught his eye; the folds of skin in the creature’s forehead were beginning to open. What Luis saw next was so horrific it was like a blow to the gut, knocking the air from his lungs and crushing any last vestiges of hope. He saw a large, round pitch-black eye, a hole that would suck in and devour anything within its reach.
He desperately wanted to close his eyes but instead they tensed and opened wide. Luis felt the veins and arteries in his head swell as an indescribable pain pierced his brain.
“So, you’re the one we’re looking for…” The leader’s cruel voice sounded inside his head. It was speaking in Spanish.
“What…?” Luis tried to articulate words, but the pain had him completely gripped.
“My master will be highly disappointed when I bring you to him. How can a creature as weak and pathetic as you be a great weapon?” That voice was stabbing him like a poisoned dagger.
Every word made Luis’s entire body contort with pain, it was as if he were being submitted to torture. Every inch of his body twisted and recoiled. It felt like the creature was raping and guzzling his mind. He wanted to fight back but was so exhausted, so abandoned. There was no hope left. His friends were dead, the city destroyed. There was no point holding on…
“…but before He sees you, I shall gorge on you to satiate my hunger. I hope your mind is juicier that the weak wrapping around it,” the maleficence of that voice completely terrified him.
Then the great eye turned even blacker and Luis felt as though a thousand fangs were sinking into his brain. Each and every one tore into his flesh, his memories, in an attempt to rip them out and consume them.
“Arrgghhhhh!” He screamed in an inhuman voice as he felt as if someone were trying to tear his soul from his body, his entire essence.
The black eye suddenly turned pale and the tremendous pressure crushing Luis instantly ceased. He stared at his captor, confused. All of a sudden, a thin, green horizontal line appeared on its head. The contorted smile twisted into an expression of disbelief. Moments later, the upper half of its skull fell away and dropped to the ground. Its body remained upright, still clutching onto Luis.
The two warriors stumbled backwards as their heads were pierced by two fleeting plasma beams. They collapsed on the ground; nothing remained above their shoulders. Seconds later, a downward flash sliced the arms of Luis’s tormentor from its body and Luis tumbled to earth in a heap with the two severed limbs. As he hit the ground, another flash cleaved his captor’s body in two, tearing it apart in a shower of greenish blood.
Then he saw it: a slim figure dressed in metallic crimson. It was holding a strange yet elegant sword in its right hand. He couldn’t make out its face or any distinct body parts because it was entirely covered in a strange armour. Its protective covering appeared to be much lighter and more sophisticated than that worn by the leader and warriors. Luis was lost. What was happening? He still had the monster’s hand grasping his neck. Pulling open its fingers and claws to free himself, he tossed the arm aside. Meanwhile, the new figure swiftly crouched down to pick up the device that had hung from the leader’s waist.
The alien spacecraft now sprang to life. Barely seconds had passed since the new figure had launched its attack. The spaceship’s engines whirred into action and it began to rise from the ground. Luis tried to move. He had to flee. He didn’t want to die like those policemen… But the figure threw itself on top of him and covered his body with its own, just as the spacecraft found its balance and opened out its cannon, pointing it towards them. Luis heard the deafening noise the weapon had made shortly before firing at the policemen. At that moment, a plasma bolt shot down from the sky without warning and struck the spacecraft. It was blown apart in a violent explosion. Luis felt the impact of the shock wave and searing heat of the flames, but the figure unflinchingly protected him, shielding him from the blast and fire. When the clouds of smoke cleared, all that remained was a vast crater where the spacecraft had once been. Its remains were scattered for hundreds of yards around. Some sections had been flung against nearby buildings, leaving a trail of fire and destruction in their wake.
The figure stood up, turned and started to gesture towards the far end of the Alameda. Luis raised himself up on his hands. He attempted to stand, moving by instinct alone, no longer aware of his actions or surroundings. His mind simply couldn’t take any more. It had reached its limit; his subconscious was momentarily in charge.
Time seemed to grind to a halt. Suddenly everything around him came into focus. The sky was lit up by plasma beams, tracer projectiles and missiles that rocketed through the air and detonated in wild explosions. The Alameda, once a tree-lined avenue, was now a series of raging fires. A building opposite him shuddered beneath the impact of a fighter jet that had just crashed into it. The sound of the blasts and screams was muffled inside his head. People were trying to flee from their shelters and damaged homes now that the spacecraft had exploded. He saw everyone and everything; he saw nothing. He heard everyone and everything; he heard nothing. Luis was in a complete daze. Just then, the slim figure once again appeared before him. A new spacecraft landed on the street behind it, close to the crater left by the blast. It was very different in shape to the others he had seen: long and thin with stylised lines and a clearly discernible cockpit. Although it didn’t have wings, it did have something resembling a cannon on its front. It also had a something in the middle of the roof that reminded him of a gun turret, like those found on Second World War bombers. When it landed, a side door opened. Several figures emerged. They were also slim and dressed in metallic armour like the figure that was standing next to him.
The first figure now approached him, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet, gesturing for him to accompany it. Luis didn’t make the slightest move. He was paralysed, incapable of thinking or saying anything. Trembling, the ruins of Los Viajeros and the bodies of his best friend and the woman he loved still lay close by. He should go back to her. To Eva.
The figure shook him vigorously to convey the urgency of the situation. Luis remained indifferent.
“Das venir Kargaer Zoran!” A female voice exclaimed, melodic but authoritarian at the same time.
Luis didn’t recognise the language, but it reminded him of the sound made by the scanning device.
“Das venir Kargaer Zoran!” the voice repeated desperately.
Luis still didn’t move. His body no longer responded to his commands. And even if he could force it into action, was it really a good idea to follow that thing, being or whatever the hell it was?
There was a commotion to one side; two more figures had just appeared after leaping down from the roof of a nearby building. They were wielding lengthy weapons in their hands and, on arriving, commented something to the one that was next to Luis. He couldn’t understand a word of what was said.
The first figure shrugged and then unexpectedly whipped around to land a heavy blow in his stomach. Luis’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Collapsing to the ground, darkness once again overwhelmed him.
Santiago had come round just moments before, jerked awake by the huge explosion that had shaken the remains of the building. Crawling along on his hands and knees, he couldn’t believe his eyes when he stumbled across Eva’s body. At first, he had tried to rouse her, but quickly realised why her head was lolling loosely on her shoulders. The shock reduced him to tears. How could she be dead? The world had gone completely mad. Then he heard a strange noise, a voice speaking an unknown language. Santiago crawled onwards, heading towards one of the gaps in the wall. He had to see what was happening. He moved slowly, hampered by a severe leg wound. He could see the bone poking through the wound. It didn’t look good. It didn’t matter; he felt completely numb.
When he reached the opening, he peered out and caught a brief glimpse of several figures pushing someone into another kind of spaceship. It was different to the ones he had seen on the television. Suddenly, the spacecraft soared up into the air and sped away just as a second spaceship appeared. This one was identical to the vehicle he had seen in his friend’s video. It started to fire plasma beams at the first. The last thing he saw before collapsing with exhaustion was both spacecraft vanishing upwards into the sky.