Lost in Magadan: Extraterrestrials on Earth

A closer look at the ground revealed tall buildings, factories, residential areas, warehouse districts, an airport, and a large lake. Mike navigated the large cargo plane toward the airport. The voice confirmed he was cleared for landing. The C-17 glided along the 3,000-foot-long smooth runway to a stop. Mike saw three people quickly walking toward the plane. He squinted to make out their features. There were two very large soldiers wearing body armor, Mike knew them to be Ondagra, the third person was much smaller, a woman.

Could it be Nikita? Was she here to greet him? Would she be happy that he was able to deliver this precious cargo?

As they approached, Mike’s heart summersaulted as he saw that it was Nakita. He smiled. Everything was going to be okay. It was all worth it. He lowered the ramp so she could board. The two soldiers stayed back at the foot of the ramp. Mike ran to her and threw his arms around her.

“Thank you for being here. I’m so relieved to see you,” Mike whispered.

Nakita returned the hug, but pushed him away after a few seconds.

Nakita stepped back and asked, “Remember that time you shot me in Virginia?”

Mike stuttered, “Yes, but I was forced to do that. Please don’t hold that against me. Look what I have done for you. I did all of this for you. I killed my own people. I killed Americans. I stole this cargo.”

Nakita smiled. “I’m a spy. That’s what I do. The Ondagra thank you for your service.”

Mike looked down at her right hand and saw a DE pistol.

“You are going to shoot me? After all we have been through? Are you kidding me? This is how it ends? Listen, you don’t have to do this.”

Still smiling, she said, “I know, Mike. I asked to do this.” Nikita leveled the pistol at his chest, and said, “Consider us even.”

The flash of light seared through his chest, burning flesh and sucking the air out of his lungs. He clutched his chest with both hands, staggered backwards, stumbled over some boxes and tumbled to the metal grating. He started shaking uncontrollably. The last thing he heard before darkness washed over him was Nikita yelling, “We need a medical team up here ASAP.”

As he faded into oblivion, his last thought was, “Why would they need a medical team?”

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

It had been a week since Snap and Furier had been extracted from Siberia with the help of an American AG Fighter. The rescue went smoothly; it seemed like the Russians were too busy taking inventory of their newly found prize to even mount a search for the survivors of the fallen shuttle. There had been several debriefings since they returned. Top brass seemed very interested in the Russian soldier’s battle armor. Snap was surprised that they didn’t really ask that much about the Ondagra’s capabilities; he guessed they were already familiar with those.

Snap sat alone in a conference room, several hundred feet below Dugway Proving Ground. He knew he was to meet with a VIP, but he wasn’t sure who it would be. In walked General Benjamin Paxton, and with him a very distinguished looking Air Force General that Snap did not recognize at first.

General Paxton said, “At ease, Major Slade.”

Snap stood to meet the Generals.

“This is General Stone Byrd of Space Command,” General Paxton announced.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Sir. We spoke a few times during the operation,” Snap said.

“No. It’s an honor to meet you, Major Slade. You and your men really saved the day by recovering so much of the Element 115.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Snap said. Snap had a million questions about the Moon Base, space aliens, and interstellar politics; but, he knew better than to ask. There was good chance he already knew more than he should.

“Major, I think it’s time we read you in on a few things.” The General paused and then emphasized, “highly classified things.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Let’s have a seat,” General Byrd said, as he pointed to the chairs at one end of the conference room table.

General Paxton started, “So, you already know there are two different species of aliens here on Earth, you have meet them both. You know that we have extensive diplomatic and strategic relations with the Vitahicians. The Russians have longstanding ties with the Ondagra, and there is a form of cold war going on between us.”

“Yes Sir,” Snap said.

General Stone Byrd interjected, “The problem, son, is that we, the humans, are the low man on the totem pole, so to speak. If either of these technologically advanced races were to suddenly decide that they don’t need humans anymore, well, let’s just say we would not have any meaningful way of defending ourselves.”

“I thought both the Ondagra and Vitahicians prefer to control through diplomacy and political power?” Sap interrupted.