*****
Richard, equally contented, was on a cruise liner currently enjoying a massage administered by two pretty women. He had arrived at the port to discover a surprise. Blightburn, to show her thanks for him killing the spore-bearing Xtro, had upgraded his accommodation to first class, and he planned to take full advantage of all the luxuries that came with the impressive cabin suite.
After staring at the large breasts straining against the pink uniform worn by the pretty masseur kneading his shoulders, he focused on her face. “I know it’s probably against the rules, but how about living dangerously and join me for a drink tonight?”
Rubbing sweet-scented oil into Richard’s shoulders and back, the woman considered the proposal she had been offered many times by many clients and one she usually refused. He was quite good looking if a bit smarmy. To be able to afford the expensive luxurious suite, her client had to have money and probably lots of it if he could waste it on such frivolities. It would be nice if she could shift some her way. At the very least she would get a nice meal and a few drinks out of it. She smiled at Richard. “Okay. I’ll meet you at eight in the lounge bar.”
Richard smirked and sighed with pleasure. Can life get any better than this? He closed his eyes and lapped up the attention of the two sexy women. Normal life had at last returned.
Turning his head to the sea vista that filled the picture window leading to his private terrace, he noticed something in the sky and gazed up at the aircraft soaring through the heavens.
*****
The co-pilot looked down at the large multi-storied cruise liner they flew over and then turned to look at the meteorite in the hold. “I know we’ve been assured that thing is safe, but it still gives me the creeps after what happened to the last pilots that transported it.
“You worry too much, and I doubt the rumors we’ve heard about alien creatures crawling out of it are true. I mean, how could anything survive traveling thousands or millions of years through space and then the intense heat of its entry through Earth’s atmosphere? It’s impossible.”
Unconvinced, the co-pilot turned his gaze away from the rock. “That’s as maybe, but it still creeps me out.”
“Ignore it. In a few hours, it’ll be someone else’s problem.”
*****
Sitting in the temporary conference room at the airbase, Blightburn had listened to the reports from her teams that had carried out a thorough search of the town and the surrounding area. The Xtro hybrids had been removed from the infected and transported to the nearest hospital for recovery. As Kathryn had thought, for some reason, the six children had not been infected by the hybrids, only the unusual white Xtros. After they had recovered from the effects of the tranquilizers, they, thankfully, like all the other cured infected, had no memories of what had taken place from the moment the Xtros had taken control.
Blightburn was satisfied that their mission, though not without casualties and mishaps, had been successful; the alien threat had been neutralized. She glanced at Colonel Jennet, who, a little disappointed she noticed, had just contacted Command to let them know the Scorched Earth protocol would not be required. “I suggest we leave a few soldiers here for a couple of weeks to keep an eye on things in case we have missed something.”
“I agree,” replied Jennet. “I’ll remain with them, and we’ll do a daily sweep of the town and surrounding forest.”
“Thank you, Tom. I’ll also have a clean-up team remain with you. They have come up with the idea of using the secreted black resin-like substance recovered from the ore processing plant, and that was also at the entrance to the mine. The scientists believe its pungent aroma is used to draw any infected lifeforms to the nest to feed the spore-bearing Xtro in its cocoon. They will place it on a trailer and move it to different locations every couple of days to see if it attracts anything that might still be out there. If anything turns up, they’ll destroy it.”
“Seems like a good plan,” agreed the colonel.
She glanced around the table at the others. “Okay, people. We have a lot of analyzing of our successes and failures to do when we return to base, so we are better prepared for the next alien threat the Earth faces, but on the whole, a job well done. Now it is time to pack up and leave.”
Everyone stood and left the room.
A few hours later, a convoy of vehicles headed out of the airbase and INSECT’s two C-130’s taxied along the runway, turned and took off with a roar of powerful engines.
*****
The townsfolk that had been returned to Devil Falls earlier gazed up at departing aircraft and then slowly drifted away to their homes to continue with their lives.
Kathryn walked along the street with Deputy Rickmeyer. “Well, I’m glad that’s over with. I know we lost a few, but it could have been a lot worst given what we faced.”
“That’s true. Hopefully, aliens will leave us alone in the future now they know we can kick their asses.”
Kathryn smiled. Did the Xtros have asses? “You did well, Jim. You proved yourself worthy to be the next sheriff.”
“Thanks, Kath. Talking of sheriffs, I haven’t seen Cory since back at the roadblock, which seems ages ago after all that’s happened.”
“He wasn’t among the bodies that were recovered, so maybe he took refuge somewhere?”
“More likely he has crept off back to the river to continue fishing. I’ll pop down and take a look later if he doesn't turn up.”
“Well, I’ll catch up with you later, Jim. I need a long bath and an even longer sleep.”
“You know, Kathryn, when Cory finally retires, and I’m sheriff, I’ll need a deputy, and I can’t think of anyone else more suitable after the way you performed tackling the Xtros. Pay’s not great, but its regular money.”
Kathryn considered it for a few moments. “Thanks, Jim. I may just take you up on your offer.” She headed home.
Rickmeyer watched her go. Kathryn was one of the few available single women in town, and she sure is fine-looking. Considering asking her for a date when things got back to normal, if that was even possible, he headed to his office; he had a mighty lot of paperwork to get through.
*****
The airline representative smiled at her customer as she handed him the ticket. “Enjoy your flight, Mr. Lansdale. You can go straight to the boarding gate as they are already loading.”
Sherriff Lansdale took the ticket and walked away through the busy airport.
The bulge beneath his neck moved as the Alpha squirmed. It was finding it difficult to resist its inbuilt urge to infect the many suitable hosts it passed. It had learned from its host’s memories of an ideal location crammed with millions of humans. Unaware if the second Propagator had been successful in releasing its spores, it needed to succeed next time. The Alpha settled down. It only had a few hours before it had reached its destination. Soon, it would restart the breeding process again.
Arriving at the boarding gate, Sheriff Lansdale glanced up at the flight information sign he passed beneath, NEW YORK, and joined the queue boarding the airplane.
The End.
Coming soon
Hellier – The Kentucky Goblins
More Books by the Author
Hell Ship – The Flying Dutchman
Hell Ships
Horror Island
The Strange Side of Midnight
Ice Rift – 4 book series
Sarcophagus
Solomon’s Treasure – 2 book series
Full details of my books can be found on my website
benhammottbooks.com
XTRO NOTES
The idea for the Xtro alien came from interest in strange fungi, slime molds and parasites. It might surprise you to learn the largest living organism on Earth is not a dinosaur, whale, or giant deep-sea creature. In fact, the world's largest known living organism is an underground fungus that most people wouldn't notice even if it was right beneath their feet. It is calle
d Armillaria solidipes (formerly Armillaria ostoyae) – also called the honey mushroom.
Although most of it is hidden underground, it covers an area of about four-square miles. For a forester, they’re a curse – a lethal parasite which can destroy entire forests. But for some biologists, it’s a very interesting case study – because only recently did scientists learn how big these things can get. The largest reported individual measures 2.4 miles (3.8 km) across and can be found in the Blue Mountains in Oregon. The fungus colony in case is also over 2,400 years old, making it one of the oldest organisms in the world as well.
Most of the year it exists as a network of interjoined underground fungus filaments, called rhizomorphs (root-like structures that look like black shoelaces.) But each fall its fruiting bodies rise above the surface in the form of edible honey mushrooms, suddenly showing the extent of its impressive domain (over 2,385 acres.)
It has a slow growth of just 1 meter per year (on average)
But I digress, the inspiration for the alien in Xtro was based on the slime mold pictured below.
I can easily picture this walking through the forest hunting for things to eat.
To see more images of amazing varieties of slime mold, click this link.
https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-bizarre-collective-consciousness-of-slime-mold-5271790
Note from author.
Thank you for purchasing and reading my book. I hope you found it an enjoyable experience. If so, could you please spread the word and perhaps consider posting a review at your place of purchase, it is the single most powerful thing you can do for me. It raises my visibility and many more people will learn about my books.
As always, thank you for your continued support.
If you would like to be added to my mailing list to receive notifications of my new books, receive limited free advance review copies, send feedback or just to drop me a line, please contact me at: benhammott@gmail.com
Your details will not be shared with anyone and can be removed at any time by contacting me via the above email address requesting your removal.
Details of all my books can be found at benhammottbooks.com
If you have any questions or comments about this book, or any of my other publications, please contact me at benhammott@gmail.com
Ben Hammott
XTRO
CHAPTER 1
Siberian Tundra
CHAPTER 2
Gone Fishing
CHAPTER 3
Batagaika Crater – Siberia
CHAPTER 4
Homeward Bound
CHAPTER 5
Chicken Coop
CHAPTER 6
Infected
CHAPTER 7
Hunting Party
CHAPTER 8
Crash
CHAPTER 9
Aftermath
Chapter 10
The Fox
Chapter 11
The Meteorite
CHAPTER 12
The Copper Mine
CHAPTER 13
The Wolves
CHAPTER 14
Barricade
CHAPTER 15
Ravine
CHAPTER 16
The Bait
CHAPTER 17
The Grizzly
CHAPTER 18
Ambushed
CHAPTER 19
INSECT
CHAPTER 20
Grizzly
CHAPTER 21
Captured
CHAPTER 22
Hook, Line, and Sinker.
CHAPTER 23
The Living Dead
CHAPTER 24
Debriefed
CHAPTER 25
Clean-up Team
CHAPTER 26
Digger Dave
CHAPTER 27
Cocoon
CHAPTER 28
The Pilot
CHAPTER 29
Meteorite
CHAPTER 30
Revelations
CHAPTER 31
Alien Autopsy
CHAPTER 32
Metamorphosis
CHAPTER 33
Airshaft 1
CHAPTER 34
A Possible Cure
CHAPTER 35
Mine Explosives
CHAPTER 36
A New Host
Chapter 37
The Infected Attack
Chapter 38
Airshaft 2
CHAPTER 39
Explosions
CHAPTER 40
Second Drone
Chapter 41
Rick
Chapter 42
Return to Base
CHAPTER 43
Alpha’s New Mission
Chapter 44
Playtime
CHAPTER 45
Evacuation
CHAPTER 46
Eggs
CHAPTER 47
Rescue Mission
CHAPTER 48
Search for the Missing
Chapter 49
The Children
CHAPTER 50
Team Bravo
CHAPTER 51
Checkpoint and Charlie
CHAPTER 52
THE PROPAGATOR
CHAPTER 53
Evicted
CHAPTER 54
Water Tower Battle
CHAPTER 55
Attacked
CHAPTER 56
Richard’s Final Battle
CHAPTER 57
The End
EPILOGUE
More Books by the Author
XTRO NOTES