The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Repopulated

A scruffy man wearing a pair of dungarees bellied up to the bar, taking a seat on one of the scuffed round chairs. The faint voice of a professional announcer emanated from a television mounted near the ceiling behind the bar, an excited hush dawning as the local team began to win the tournament game.

“I’ll take a double mocha latte, sweety,” the man drawled, setting his roughened hands on the counter. “And a smile, too.”

Kate squeezed her hands over her apron, trying very hard to remain pleasant. He was going to be one of those customers, and the last time she had sent one packing, she had been reprimanded by the owner.

She couldn’t afford to lose this job, but wasn’t her self respect worth more than that? She gritted her teeth, ready to give him both barrels, when a muscled woman sat down next to him.

The woman tilted her wide brimmed hat to flash Kate a grin, her short, blonde hair spilling out around the edges.

She smiled back, immediately charmed by her lover’s presence. It was just like Jackie to show up when she was most needed.

“One double mocha latte, coming right up,” she chirped, wiping her hands on her apron as she turned away to get a mug.

“Thanks, sugar,” continued the odious man, leaning over the counter as she moved to the espresso machine. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get your number, too.”

She gave him a sharp glance, but Jackie was already bellowing out a loud laugh that filled the cafe. “I’m sorry, sir,” she wheezed, “but she’s not even playing in the same ballpark. She’s not interested.“

The man frowned, his mustache rippling as he cocked a shoulder against the bar top. “Now, how can you know that, little lady?” he asked, oozing arrogance. “Why don’t you let the girl speak for herself?”

Jackie shifted in her seat, moving her duster aside to reveal the magnum revolver strapped to her belt. “I ain’t little, mister,” she said, her soft features creasing in disgust. “I suggest you take that back, and apologize to my lover for bothering her, or we’ll have more than just words.”

His eyes flicked towards her belt, the sneer fading off his face as fear replaced bluster. “Ah, I’m sorry ma’am, I didn’t realize it was like that.“

Turning away from her, he hunched over the bartop, clenching his hands into fists. “I didn’t mean nothing by what I said,” he muttered. “You gotta shoot your shot, or nothing ever happens, ya know?”

Kate finished with the drink, sighing as she set it on the counter in front of him. “Just make sure you’re shooting in the right direction, first. That’ll be five bucks, even.”

He rifled through his pocket, dropping a bill in front of him. Giving her a petulant glare, he removed himself to the far side of the cafe, sipping sullenly on his drink.

Kate gave Jackie a wan smile, resting her hands on the bar top. “You didn’t need to do that, you know. I’m quite capable of defending my own honor.”

“I know you are, little pickle,” chuckled Jackie, “but your foul mouth would have gotten you into trouble again.” She tucked her duster back over her knees to hide her gun belt, the fabric bending over her busty chest. “It’s better if I take the hit instead. If I’m the bad guy, your boss won’t have anything to complain about.”

“He will anyway,” groaned Kate, carefully ignoring the pet name. “Besides, you can’t be here to be my knight in shining armor all the time.“

“Really? Is that what you think of me?” asked Jackie, exaggerating her drawl. She waggled her eyebrows as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m just a regular mounted constable, with a big iron on my hip.”

Kate laughed. “Okay, then, ranger. Now, what will you have?”

“Just an iced tea for me, please,” replied Jackie, her body slumping. “Betsy and Todd are at it again, so I’ve had to separate them. I still have to go back and get them both exercised before I can leave them be.”

“Oh no!” exclaimed Kate, knowing that the drawn expression on her friend’s face was due to her extreme love for the two horses. “Do you think they’ll ever settle down?”

“You bet they will,” smirked Jackie. “Todd’s just feeling frisky, and Betsy ain’t quite in heat. Once their schedules line up, there’s going to be fireworks.“

She leaned forward. “Speaking of which, what does your schedule look like?“

The way Jackie’s expression darkened caused the blood to rush to Kate’s head, making her feel weak in the knees. “This shift is almost over,” she admitted. “I should be free later tonight after I run some chores.”

She set a glass on the counter with a clink, filling it to the brim from an ice cold pitcher. Grabbing a pink straw with an umbrella, she inserted it into the top, tilting it to one side at a jaunty angle.

“Very good,” nodded Jackie. “I’ll hold you to it. I just recently received some new equipment, and I’m eager to try it out with you.”

Kate blushed. She knew exactly what that meant. It was no secret that Jackie was an expert with a rope, and Kate had been tied up by her dominant lover more times than she could remember.

And edged, and teased until she could no longer hold herself together. An unbidden memory rose of their last play session, a tingle of anticipation running up her spine.

“Yes, I’d like that,” she whispered, straightening her spine as she worked to get ahold of herself. “But if we want to do that, it’ll take me longer to get prepared. I won’t be available for dinner. How about nine?”

“That doesn’t bother me any, as long as you’re prepared to spend a good chunk of the night awake,” purred Jackie, running a finger down the side of her drink, tracing a drop of condensation to the base.

Kate shivered, imagining being suspended in a prayer pose, one leg outstretched as she dangled in a perfect position for Jackie to touch her most sensitive places. What would she use this time? The tracing wheel? Or would she mark her in a discreet place with one of her razor sharp hoof knives?

The possibilities were endless, and Jackie had a truly creative mind. Her lover hated chocolate, but there had been that one time where she had applied chocolate pudding all over her breasts and forced Kate to clean it up in one go. Yum.

She ran through the necessary chores in her head. “Okay. Better make it ten, then. I don’t have work tomorrow, so you’ll have plenty of time to practice your artistry.”

“Good,” declared Jackie, discarding the straw and tossing back half her drink. “Be on time. You don’t want to be late.“

She left the remainder of the drink on the counter, swiveling in the chair as she got to her feet, the duster swishing around her lithe back as she let it swing back into place. Damn, she was cool.

As Jackie exited through the glass door, Kate sighed as she gathered the pleasant future plans around her like a cloak. The odious man from earlier had left, too, so this day was finally looking up.

It was unusual that there weren’t any other customers at this time of day, but she supposed that was a good thing. It would give her a chance to get caught up on her cleaning, making the closing less onerous later on.

She crossed into the back room to retrieve a mop bucket, wheeling it out into the center of the room. Pressing her hands into her sore back, she straightened up as she took a moment to watch the television.

She had been doing a little too much exercising lately. She should dial it down and take some time for herself with a heat pack to see if she could get things back in good working order.

Her brow creased as the babbling announcer on the television broke through her introspection. They weren’t showing the game any longer. Instead, the camera appeared to be pointed at the sky, a strange, green light coloring the lens.

Large, circular disks appeared to be floating off in the distance, looking somewhat like classic UFOs. The sides were thick and silvery white, giving them the overall appearance of ice cream sandwiches. The way the edges rippled made them unsettling, as if they were creating a rift in reality.

She shrugged. They were probably advertising some sort of science fiction miniseries. She’d look it up later, it could be fun to nestle into a couch with Jackie and give it a watch while her hands crept down her lover’s sides... ah, but here she was getting distracted again. This wouldn’t do.

Humming to herself, she pulled the mop from the bucket and placed it in the wringer, making sure to remove as much water as she could before she applied it to the floor. Sneaking the ruffled fabric around the metal tubes where the chairs were mounted to the floor, she took extra care to ensure that all of the dirt and grime were properly scrubbed away. The place would be sparkling clean in no time!

She got lost in the monotony of the job, working her way outwards towards the dining room. She had done that area when she had come in this morning, so that was probably enough for now. She sighed, wringing out the mop a final time.

The shop bell rang, and she looked up, pasting a cheerful smile on her face. “Welcome in!” she declared, the smile fading as she recognized the brash man from earlier.

“Why are you back here?” she asked, gripping the mop firmly in her hands as if it was a weapon.

The man groaned, shuffling along the wooden floor with a halting step, his head tilted forwards. The way his arms moved spasmodically didn’t look natural. Was he a zombie?

No, that was a crazy idea. Things like that didn’t happen in real life. He was just a common criminal!

Raising the mop, she presented the smelly end towards the man, prodding him in the chest. “Stay back!” she shouted, her voice higher pitched than she would have liked. “Or I’ll call the cops!”

This threat didn’t seem to get through to the twitching man, his head rolling back on his shoulders with a wet crack. His eyes were only half open, a sliver of white visible as his eyelids vibrated.

There was something gray and pallid pulsing at his nose, a segmented, transparent body sitting on top of his upper lip. Ugh!

The imminent threat had become too much to ignore. She thrust the business end of the mop into his chest, pushing forward with all her strength.

His body jerked backwards, heels leaving the ground as he lost his balance. The back of his head hit the edge of a wooden table with a sharp crack, his body tumbling into a heap on the floor.

She breathed hard, shuddering as adrenaline pulsed through her veins. That hadn’t just happened, had it? This was unprecedented. A patron had... attacked her?

The bell at the door tinkled again, and she altered her stance, preparing for another attack. Jackie backed up a step, a look of surprise on her face. “Whoa, there, I’m not your enemy.”

Kate shuddered, lowering the mop. “He attacked me,” she said in astonishment, still not quite able to process what had just happened. “Why did he do that?”

“I don’t know, but I can guess,” replied Jackie, her voice hoarse.

She knelt next to the man, flipping him over as she cradled his neck to prevent it from twisting. ”Shit,” she exclaimed, leaning over him. “I think he’s dead.“

“Really?” blubbered Kate, feeling weak. “I didn’t hit him that hard. I just wanted him to get away!”

“He must have hurt himself pretty badly when he fell. Humans can be surprisingly fragile,” said Jackie, sounding preoccupied. “He’s got something strange clasped around his nose. Let me see if I can remove it.”

Kate moved, trying to get a better view of what Jackie was doing. “It looked pretty nasty,” she warned. “Like some kind of gigantic, gray slug.”

“Hmm, there’s a lot of green slime mixed with blood, but I’m not seeing... oh, wait, there it is.” Scooping with her fingernails, she collected a handful of goop, leaning back to give Kate a better view.

Kate’s belly gurgled as she looked over the transparent mass. There was something dark sitting inside, quiescent for the moment. It had a rounded snout and a bulging, segmented body, which coiled around and over itself.

“Looks like a tapeworm, or another one of those parasites you like to gross me out with,” she said, shuddering.

“It does, doesn’t it?” murmured Jackie, prodding the gelatinous puddle with a finger, a fascinated glint in her eyes.

The creature twitched, lifting its eyeless head. She could see two hook-like appendages that sprouted from right below its rounded mouth, which was a writhing mess of spiked teeth.

“We should kill it,” she said immediately, spooked by its appearance. “If there was one of them, there must be more, and it was somehow affecting that guy’s personality. I personally don’t want to be infected with it, whatever it is.“

“Yeah, you’re right,” frowned Jackie. “As much as I’d like to take the time to study it further, we have bigger problems to deal with.”

She shuffled over to the mop bucket and slid the goopy mess into the water with an audible plop. Kate swallowed, relieved as she watched the wriggling creature sink to the bottom, its body going limp as it drowned.

“Bigger problems?” echoed Kate, shaking her head as hysteria gripped her throat. “I have a dead man on the shop floor, and it’s all my fault! I’m getting fired for sure!“

She moaned, dropping the mop to the floor with a clatter as she grabbed at her cheeks in alarm. “Am I going to go to jail for this?”

“I don’t see why you would, it was in self defense,” replied Jackie, “but that’s not what I’m talking about. Look.“

She stood, waving towards the bay windows of the street outside. Kate frowned, but couldn’t figure out what her lover was talking about. There was no traffic, which was unusual for this time of day, and the light was dim, as if overcast.

Yeah, that seemed weird. Wasn’t it supposed to be a sunny day? And why was the light that was getting through tinged a sickly green?

“Jackie?” she asked slowly. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I was hoping you would tell me. Weren’t you watching the news?” She pointed at the television up on the wall, where a sweating anchor was sitting at a news table, looking pale.

“No,” replied Kate. “That’s on all the time, so I usually don’t pay any attention. It’s just background noise.”

She shuffled around behind the bar, locating the remote and bumping up the volume a couple of notches. “Let’s find out what they have to say.”

“This afternoon, our world may never be the same,” the man in a suit proclaimed, nervously adjusting his blue tie. “It is clear that we are not alone in this universe. All that remains is to find out whether they are friend or foe. To help us come to that determination, let’s go to our reporter on the ground. Joe? What are you seeing and experiencing?”

The screen buzzed, going to picture in picture as they suddenly got a view of a man near the outskirts of town, dressed in an intentionally folksy plaid shirt. “They’ve landed, John, but nobody has been allowed to go near,” the newscaster said in a droning voice, his face pallid.

“Everyone’s excited to meet them, but the police force has set up a blockade. We’re waiting for someone with higher authority to arrive so that they can send out a delegation.”

“Has there been any activity on the ground?” asked the anchor, leaning forward over his desk. “As you know, we’re all excited to see what they look like.”

“I’m aware, John, but there’s been remarkably little activity from this sector for some time. They’re just... sitting there. Here, let me move so that I can show you.“

He backed away, and the cameraman zoomed in on one of the wedge shaped spaceships. “You can see the glowing light spiraling around the exterior, but otherwise, nothing. It’s almost as though they don’t want to say hello.“

“Hold on,” muttered the news anchor, staring off at someone to the side. All color drained from his face. “We now have confirmation that there have been aliens spotted at the south side of the city!”

He swallowed heavily. “They appear to be bearing weapons, and have attacked the police barricade! We have some images from there now!”

The screen swapped to shaky camera footage in a thin, portrait format. The user was breathing hard, doing his best to keep the picture steady. “Look, a ramp is coming down!” he declared, a reverential tone in his voice. “Come, bless us, aliens! Take us away from our meaningless jobs so that we may serve you!”

A beam of light lanced down at a forty five degree angle from the top of the saucer, making it hard to see much. A flash washed out the camera lens, after which a squad of ten armored figures appeared.

The resolution was too bad to provide any definition, but they appeared to be wearing helmets in the shape of wide teardrops, their bulky, metallic legs marching in unison as they approached.

The police officers ordered the crowd back with loudspeakers, but they were too excited to be contained. A woman carrying a hand written sign slipped through the hastily constructed concrete barriers, running down the street towards the aliens.

Stopping in front of them, she got down on her knees and began to praise them with an apparent religious fervor. The alien in the lead raised an arm and the crowd went silent, everyone spotting the round muzzle mounted above the creature’s fist.

A blob of organic matter spurted from the end, the orb expanding in the air to encompass the kneeling woman. She barely had time to cry out before it wrapped around her like a net, gushing against her limbs in a sticky mess. She tried to stand up, but her legs were glued to the ground.

As the other aliens approached, Kate was able to spot a few more details. There appeared to be something organic nestled around their throats, with large, flesh colored holes opening around the sides. The donut shaped tubes inflated with each step, as though the creatures were breathing through them.

Their helmets appeared to be attached to their heads, with no seams or means of taking them off. There were no openings to reveal any eyes or ears, giving them a distinctly inhuman appearance.

The edges of their armor plating looked like the shells of a crustacean, each of them possessing different colorations that tinged the spiked edges. Orange and red seemed to be common, making her think of lobsters, but they didn’t appear to have any claws.

Underneath, they seemed more humanoid than she had expected, with curved bumps in their armor plating over their breasts, and what looked like gigantic codpieces over their privates. Given their shape and size, they appeared to be packing. Had they taken their cue from medieval armor, or were they pretending to be something they weren’t?

These possibly intersexual characteristics threw her for a loop, reminding her that these creatures were indeed, not of this world. How did they mate with all of that armor plating in the way? She had to admit that her curiosity was running rampant.

Curiosity soon turned to horror as a shimmering, purple field sparkled around the feet of the aliens, revealing a large mass of slug-like creatures crawling along the ground near their feet. “Do those look similar to the slug we found in that man’s nose?” she asked, feeling sick.

“You bet,” replied Jackie, her voice strained. “I don’t think I want to see what’s going to happen next.”

One of the aliens slowed to a halt in front of the entrapped woman, looming over her body as she looked up in abject terror. Three triangular, blue dots glowed in the center of the alien’s face, transfixing the woman with a regularly pulsing pattern. Her resistance appeared to fade as the alien’s face moved in closer, a dark, black tongue appearing below its armor plated head.

The woman put up no further resistance as the tongue slipped inside her mouth, blocking up her throat. The alien held there for a long moment, the oscillating pattern of its triangular eyes keeping the woman docile.

“What is it doing to her?” whispered Kate, strangely captivated by the glow.

The rest of aliens continue to approach the cordon, lifting their arms as the police yelled at them to stop. When they refused to listen, they began to open fire, bullets pinging off the alien’s hard armor plating without doing any visible damage.

The camera became even shakier as the crowd noise rose, bleeped expletives rising into the air. The feed cut out, returning to the concerned face of the anchorman.

“We’re getting reports now that hostilities are arising all over the city,” he said tersely. “The local authorities are advising that everyone should shelter in place until the national guard can be called in.”

He paused, looking grim. “Under no circumstances should you attempt to confront the aliens yourself. You have already seen what they can do. Please, wait until the military arrives to help. Any foolish move you make to greet them could be your last.”

He swallowed visibly, and the television flickered, showing stock footage of military jets. “We have been informed that jets have been scrambled to assess and address the ongoing threat,” he droned on, keeping up his professional face as he worked to fill the dead air.

Jackie scoffed. “You know what that means, right?” she sighed, gritting her teeth. “They won’t arrive in time. This is ground zero, and we’re going to be absolutely crawling with aliens in no time at all. We’re on our own, and we don’t even know whether we’re surrounded. ”

The lights flickered, and the newscaster disappeared, replaced with a cloud of static. Kate tried another station, but it was the same thing. “Looks like we’ve lost the feed,” she said nervously.

Jackie frowned, retrieving her phone from her pocket. The cover was a sparkly pink, with stickers of cute animals covering the back. “No signal. Do you have a radio?”

“There’s one in the back room, let me check,” replied Kate, all of the muscles in her body feeling tense.

She was trying to remain calm, but the reality of the situation hammered at her. If this really was an invasion, where would she go? What would she do?

Entering the door behind the bar, she grabbed at the dingy red radio sitting on the back room table. It was an ancient unit, used and abused for years by workers eating their lunches or taking breaks. It still worked, though.

Clicking the switch, she moved through the dial, becoming increasingly concerned as all she received was static. “That’s weird. I should be getting something.“

Jackie shook her head. “The aliens must be jamming everything. Electronic warfare is used by all modern nations. Why would they be any different? If we can’t communicate, we won’t be able to fight back effectively.”

“Wait, I think I’m picking something up,” murmured Kate, slowing down her scan.

An electronic tone came over the radio, beeping at various intervals. “Sounds like morse code,” she suggested. “I don’t know what it means, though.”

“What it means is that people can still talk to each other!” Jackie grinned at her lover. “Take that with us. It might be our only means to find help as the world falls apart around us.”

She rested her hands on the counter. “I want to be straight with you. With what we’ve seen on the TV, we’re in the middle of something akin to a zombie apocalypse. It’s every person for themselves. We’ve gotta get out of the firing zone and regroup, find other like minded individuals, and fight back!”

Kate’s lips quivered. “I’m not exactly a fighter,” she said softly, tucking the radio under her arm. “I’m not like you. Do you think people like me are going to make it?”

“Yes!” said Jackie fiercely, raising her fist. “If only because people like me won’t let those bastards harm a single hair on your head!“

Kate chuckled, feeling a little better. “What should we do now?” she asked. “I don’t think we can stay here.”

“No, we shouldn’t. You’re coming with me to my ranch. It’s north of the city, away from where the aliens landed, and I have enough supplies there to last for a long time. That should give us the time we need to figure out our next steps.”

“Alright, then,” said Kate, grabbing her purse from the table in the corner. “Let’s go.”

Jackie furrowed her brow. “There isn’t anything you need to do... ya know, to close up shop?”

“Ha, no. If it’s the end of the world, I don’t owe my boss anything.” Walking towards Jackie, she pushed her towards the door. “He was barely paying me enough to care in the first place, and he lives south of the city, too.“

“Ah. Then he’s right in the middle of all... that,” sighed Jackie, crossing over to the front window and squinting out at the green skies. “Damn, that looks odd.“

A sense of urgency gripped Kate as she spotted movement from down the street to the right. “What’s that?” she asked, rushing towards the door.

The bell tinkled as she pushed out onto the street, her heart thudding in her throat as she imagined a squad of aliens advancing on them.

Fortunately, it was a line of police officers instead. Her relief was short lived, however, as they spotted the crowd of people that was being herded towards them. They were carrying signs, some of them advocating surrender to the aliens, while others appeared to want to worship them. Weirdos.

“Keep moving,” an officer’s voice shouted, muffled by the bullhorn. “The city is to be evacuated, by order of the mayor.”

Nervous, Kate moved along the sidewalk away from the crowd. “Uh, I parked that way,” she said, pointing past the shuffling people. “If we want to try to use it to get out of here, we’re going to get stuck behind all these people.“

“My truck’s on the back street,” offered Jackie. “There might be an opening there.”

Kate nodded in assent, the two of them retreating back into the shop. The noises of the crowd rose outside as they crossed towards the other side of the building. She paused in front of the back door. What would they be stepping into?

Her shoulders tensed as she heard a series of gunshots sounding behind her. “What’s that?” she asked, her hand on the crash bar.

“It’s probably the police?” replied Jackie, her brow creased as she strained to look out the front window. “I can’t see anything from here. We have to go.”

Worried, Kate pushed open the metal door, darting her head back and forth to look for danger. There was nothing out here in the alley, just a single track road and smelly green dumpsters.

“Where did you say your car was again?” she asked, turning around to address Jackie.

“Watch out!” shouted her friend, pulling her duster free. “Put your hands over your ears!”

Kate did as she was told, turning to face the south side of the alley as Jackie drew her magnum with one swift motion.

The dank air appeared to shimmer as Jackie fired her first shot, the tremendous report rattling her chest. A rippling wave appeared, crackling as it dropped away, revealing the armored alien hidden within.

A set of triangular, blue eyes glowed on its head as it raised its arm, pointing the muzzle end of the bio grenade launcher at Jackie. Her second shot came as quickly as the first, smashing against the side of the gauntlet.

Surprised, the alien staggered back, a long, black tongue dropping from its mouth. A slimy, gray worm plopped onto the ground as the creature tried to regain its bearings, but Jackie was already pulling the trigger a third time.

A large hole opened up in the creature’s breastplate, a spurt of green blood decorating the wet pavement. The creature keened, a high pitched cry that cut off in a dreadful croaking sound as it fell to its knees, armored plates smacking against the ground.

Without hesitating, Jackie took another shot, landing a direct hit to the center of the gooey mass that had dropped from the alien’s tongue. Its guts exploded over the front of the creature as the slug disintegrated, coloring the corpse a bright red.

“Crap!” exclaimed Kate, heart pounding as she looked for another threat.

All was quiet in the alleyway. Too quiet.

She turned to Jackie, who was already reloading her revolver with a moon clip, tucking the unfired rounds away in a hidden pocket in her duster. “Where did you learn to shoot like that?” she asked, legitimately amazed.

Jackie shook her head and pointed at her ears. “I can’t hear shit,” she explained, speaking louder than usual. “I didn’t want to fumble around for hearing protection, but now I’m paying the price.“

She blinked, slipping the pistol back into her belt as Kate tugged on her arm. “I know, I know. Let’s head that way.”

A uniformed officer darted out of a side alley, pistol drawn. When he spotted the two of them, relief creased his brow. He frowned as he approached the dead alien, keeping his pistol pointed at its chest.

He gave it a little kick to make sure it had expired. Once he was satisfied that the threat had been dealt with, he holstered his pistol, giving her a view of the triple chevron insignia on his shoulder.

“Ben!” exclaimed Kate, relieved as she spotted his familiar, red bearded face. “I suppose I should have expected you here, but I’m still surprised! Can you tell us what’s going on?”

He adjusted his hat, gnawing on his lip, his hand hovering over his gun belt. “I was hoping you weren’t at work today, Kate,” he said, his gruff voice sounding strained. “I didn’t want you to get mixed up in all this. I promised your father I’d look after you, though, so I’m going to give you some advice. Get the hell out of here and don’t look back.”

“That’s what I was planning on doing,” replied Kate, searching for answers in his face. “We’re having a hard time figuring out which direction to run to, though. There’s a crowd around the front of the store, which is why we’re out here, where we encountered this.” She raised her hands towards the downed alien.

Ben laid a suspicious eye on Jackie. “I assume she shot it?”

Jackie shrugged, giving him an innocent look. She probably had no idea what the sergeant was saying, or if she did, she was playing dumb.

He shook his head. “It must be a higher caliber than we have access to. Our pistols and shotguns have been pretty much useless.” He gritted his teeth, his throat clenching. “Even the rifles in our squad cars seem insufficient. We need more firepower. We’re pretty much fighting a rearguard action as we try to get out as many civilians as possible.“

He glared at Jackie. “That includes you, cowboy. Come on, you two, I’ll lead you back to an open route out of here. If you stay, you’re liable to be attacked again.”

“Say what?” asked Jackie, her voice still too loud. “I’m an excellent shot, aren’t I?” she asked, looking pleased with herself.

Kate grabbed at her arm, tugging her towards the police officer. “We’re right behind you,” she announced, shooting a final glance at the dead alien, shuddering. “Show us the way.”

Ben turned, proceeding in a wide circle around the wet mess on the ground. Kate couldn’t stop herself from examining the alien a little closer, trying to get a feel for what they were up against.

Its head was covered with a bony plate, with tiny holes for its triangular, dull blue eyes. A long, dark tongue extended from its mouth, descending to a sharp tip, a black stripe running down the center. It was prehensile, perhaps. She could imagine that being useful for many purposes.

The large slope over the creature’s bust pulled her attention to its voluptuous curves. She wondered if the armor plating could be removed, or if that was a permanent fixture on the creature’s body.

The bloody hole in the alien’s chest was leaking a dark green ichor, and there was a small quiver of movement near the creature’s thick thighs. The creature’s graying flesh pushed aside, revealing a small, glowing ball of green slime.

It crawled up onto the alien’s leg, a red stripe running over the top of its head. There were no obvious eyes, but a glowing core pulsed in its center. A ripple darted over its surface, a pseudopod reaching out to taste the air.

She hurried to catch up with Jackie, not willing to wait around to find out what the hell that thing was. Given what she had seen so far, it might just decide to jam itself up her nose, and then who knew what might happen?

The creature’s body slipped from view as they entered a narrow path leading to the street. She had so many questions, and many more were collecting with every passing second. She wanted to know what was going on, damnit!

They hurried up the passageway, slowing down as they reached the road on the other side. Ben held up a hand, curving his neck to look down the street. “Looks clear for now. My boys are covering this area for as long as they can, though I’ve given them strict orders to retreat if the resistance becomes too rough. Can’t afford to have them getting themselves killed in the first wave of the invasion.”

Kate moved up next to him, spotting the officers taking cover in entryways and behind garbage cans, seizing any cover they could. They were staring nervously towards the south side of the street, continuously scanning for intruders.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have great sight lines, as in this location the center of the intersection contained a small greenspace. Trees and traffic lights surrounded a small hill, making it difficult for them to see what was coming.

This cut both ways, though, as it meant that the invaders wouldn’t be able to spot them, either, making their short range weapons more effective.

Kate crossed her arms, feeling uncomfortable. Their presence wasn’t making her feel better about the situation, but at least she wasn’t alone. Someone here should be able to tell her where to go and what to do.

Jackie shook her head as she took in their forces. “What are you planning, blue boy?” she asked, her words almost a jeer. “You’re no army. I guarantee, as soon as those armored bastards show up, you’re going to break.“

“I know,” replied Ben calmly, not taking umbrage. “Our only hope is to slow them down. Make their job harder, more expensive. We know we’re expendable, and quite frankly, most of us don’t expect to make it out of this alive.“

Kate shivered, worried at the finality of his words. It was all well and good to be fatalistic, but dying wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to them. She thought back to the strange incident with the man who had attacked her in the cafe, her mind putting this together with the amoeba she had seen crawling over the dead alien.

She pressed her lips together. “Whatever you do, don’t let those alien slugs get you,” she hissed. “They’ll do something bad to you. Change you.“

Ben touched the brim of his hat. “I’m not planning on it. You should head to safety, or all of our sacrifices will be for nothing.”

He paused, a look of fear showing in the back of his eyes. “If I don’t make it out of this, tell Janice I love her. I haven’t been able to get in touch with all the excitement.”

She wanted to tell him that he should do it himself, but she could tell that her words of encouragement would mean little. She didn’t even know if she was going to get out of this alive. It seemed like all of their chances were pretty slim.

She took a deep breath. “I know you’ll do your best,” she said lamely.

Her lips quirked. “I know my father would be proud of you for what you’re doing. I know I am.“

Ben straightened his back. “That means a lot, but there’s no more time for such sentimental thoughts. We’ll reminisce when this is all over.”

Kate was about to say something else when an intense bolt of green energy seared her eyes, its glow highlighting the officer’s back. She gulped as it appeared to grow larger. It was heading straight towards them!

“Get down!” she shouted, dropping to her knees and clutching her hands about her head.

A pulse of bright energy flashed through her eyelids, a concussion rattling her chest. She wheezed as the sound of an explosion assaulted her ears, the world vibrating around her.

As the initial impact faded, a roaring heat radiated over her body. She blinked, trying to understand what had just happened.

The shot had landed just under a police car stationed at the north end of the street, creating a smoking crater in the blacktop. The car had been lifted by the blast, turned over as if by a large hand and pancaked down on top of a cherry red truck. The resulting crush must have punctured a gas tank, as the pile of twisted metal was fully involved, flames roaring out of the interior.

“My truck!” exclaimed Jackie, resting her hands on her knees as she stared in dismay at the burning wreck.

Green lances of pure energy began to sparkle down the street, bouncing off of street signs and shop windows. Alien figures appeared over the hill from the south, their armored bodies rocking back and forth as they advanced into the open.

Slug-like creatures crawled on the ground next to them, interspersed with spherical jelly creatures that looked similar to the one she had spotted between the dead alien’s thighs.

She shuddered. One of those things had gotten the man who had attacked her earlier, controlling his mind in some fashion. She didn’t relish the idea of having an encounter with one of those.

The cops began to fire back, blasting at the aliens. One of the energy beams lanced through a mailbox, striking a man right in the chest. He cried out as it speared through his vest, blood staining the back of his uniform.

Kate held a hand over her mouth, terrified by how quickly he had been killed. If one of them got hit by a stray shot, they’d be dead.

Ben grabbed her by the shoulder. “Come on, you’ve got to get to cover!” he bellowed, shoving her towards the other side of the street. “Get in that shop and stay there until this fight is over!“

Kate slowed to a halt as she noticed that Jackie wasn’t moving. “My truck,” she whispered, blinking back tears. “What have they done to my truck?”

Rage grew in her eyes, and she tossed back her duster, reaching for her gun. “They’re going to pay for that! Filthy aliens!”

Kate grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the sidewalk, her nerves tingling as more alien fire zipped past their ears. “This isn’t the time!” she shouted. “Forget the damn truck, we’re going to get ourselves killed!”

Jackie snarled, but allowed herself to be pulled out of the line of fire. Kate shoved through the swinging door of the shop, tugging her lover inside, where the sound of gunfire was muffled.

The warm air smelled of dust and wood rot, ceiling lights hanging low. A welcome mat was below their feet, a tile floor leading up to the front desk, which was partitioned off from the rest of the shop by hanging blankets.

Lines of old wood furniture had been stacked next to each other, creating aisles through the mess. This probably wasn’t up to fire code. Not safe.

Safety was relative these days. She marched up to the front desk, a strange resolve firming in her mind. Usually she liked to stay in the background, but not today. She was going to take charge and get them out of the city before it burned down around their heads!

The plump woman behind the counter made an inquisitive noise as she looked up from the book grasped between pudgy fingers. She set it down, adjusting her thick spectacles to get a good look at them.

“Two young women coming to visit Auntie Doris? How delightful!”

She hopped off her chair, setting her book on the counter. “What are you two planning on doing? Outfitting a new apartment? Are you moving in together?”

She leaned forward, her frazzled bubblegum pink hair dangling from under a woolen cap. Playing with her scarf, she chewed at her lumpy lip. “Don’t tell me—you’re looking for a sex swing.“

Kate frowned at the woman, but Jackie broke into a hysterical laugh. “If you could only see yourself!” she exclaimed, pressing her hands against the edge of the table.

“No, Auntie, not this time,” said Kate firmly, ignoring her lover. “We need another way out. And you should probably come with us.”

“Running from the police?” asked Doris, screwing up her eyes. “I’m not sure I can support that kind of indecency.“

“You know her?” asked Kate, frowning. “No, I don’t want to know. This probably has something to do with where you sourced your kinky furniture, and while I admit I’m rather curious, we have a more pressing problem to deal with.“

She folded her hands together, leaning over the counter with urgency. “Haven’t you heard? The aliens are invading. The city’s a warzone, and we’re right in the middle of it.”

She paused, hearing the sound of popping gunshots from right outside the store.

“Oh, no, everything is fine, dearie,” replied Doris, her thick jowls wobbling as she shot them both a guileless smile. “If you don’t see anything you like out here, just let me know. I might have it in the back.”

Kate froze. There was something about this woman that was bothering her, and it had taken her up until now to figure out why.

She probably used her homespun appearance and familiar vernacular regularly to put patrons at ease, but there was something behind how she held her body that was telling. She was stressed, as if she didn’t believe a word she was saying.

“Do you usually wear a scarf indoors?” asked Kate abruptly. “It’s hotter than usual, and you’re dressed like it’s the middle of winter.”

The woman’s jaw dropped open, her eyes sparking with outrage. She adjusted the scarf. “What does my attire have to do with anything?” She lifted an arm. “If you’re going to criticize me, you might as well leave, the same way you came in!”

“Nice book,” grunted Jackie, sliding around the counter and picking it up. “Why were you reading it upside down?”

The woman screwed up her face, clenching her hands into fists. “Stop touching my stuff!” she growled, her eyes going terribly wide.

Kate shrugged internally, not impressed at her rage. It was surprising how much of her usual meekness had evaporated when the situation became life or death. She was already beginning to accept this, understanding implicitly that the morals of polite society would vanish in a world where everyone was greedily looking for a way to survive.

Stepping up to the woman, she grabbed her scarf, giving it a firm tug. The purple mosaic fabric unraveled, drifting to the floor.

Kate gasped as she noticed the fat, slug-like organism wrapped around the woman’s neck. It was a gelatinous gray in color, with streaks of variegated purple running over the surface. Several half moon indentations were aligned down the center in a strip under her chin, moving up and down slowly as the organism wobbled.

Four large holes puckered open over the back of the woman’s neck, giving her a glimpse of the reddish interior. It appeared to be breathing.

“You’re infested,” hissed Kate, taking a step back.

She bumped into a table behind her, unexpectedly rattling an ugly, orange lampshade. A noise of surprise escaped her lips as Jackie swiped at the woman’s woolen cap, snatching it off her head.

A green, fleshy amoeba sat on her forehead, pulsing gently as the red stripe over the top rippled. As she watched, it squeezed itself down, a glowing blue liquid being squirted into the woman’s skull.

Doris sighed, arching her neck as her eyes gleamed a matching blue color. “Why did you have to do that?” she asked, her voice booming with a tenor overtone. “Now this will be much harder for you.“

The slug around her throat flexed, and she burped, tilting her neck. She didn’t appear to be in any hurry to attack them, her lips smacking as she took a long swallow.

“How long have you been theirs?” asked Jackie, looking fierce. “You were wearing the same outfit when I saw you a week ago.“

The woman’s face flushed, greenish veins tracing over her cheeks, just under the surface of her skin. Kate flinched, but she simply folded her arms and backed up to the counter so that she could keep them both within view.

“What does it matter?” she pointed out, the slug around her throat wobbling every time she spoke. “We are here. Our mission was successful.”

“And what mission was that?” asked Kate, holding onto the table as fear tingled down her spine.

The woman burped, the sound being expelled from the open holes in her neck. Jackie held her nose, disgust on her face as she retreated, her hand suspiciously close to her gun.

Kate took a whiff, immediately regretting her curiosity when the scent of iron mixed with burnt rubber hit her nostrils. What the heck had the aliens done to the woman’s body chemistry?

Doris paused as she adjusted the slug’s body, giving the two of them a cagey look. “When one is planning an invasion, it is only sensible to send in an advance force to ensure that the proper hard targets have been marked for capture and submission.”

“An antique shop owner?” said Jackie incredulously. “Why would they bother recruiting you?”

The woman’s eyes hooded, the blue glow fading as the organism sitting on top of her head began to inflate, a single, baleful eye winking open. Kate trembled, getting the sense that it wasn’t really the woman speaking. Rather, it was the tenebrous intelligence of this creature that was working her body like a puppet.

“Why wouldn’t we?” the woman responded, confidence bleeding through her plump lips. “Whoever would notice one such as me wandering about, watching people day after day. Prying out details about their daily lives, sending them home with companions to help them to understand their new role under our hierarchy?“

Kate swallowed, seeing the plan as it might have unfolded. An unsuspecting couple, bringing home an old piece of furniture, containing an alien organism secreted inside. A slug, hiding itself behind a drawer front, waiting for the command to sneak its way out and assault the unsuspecting humans in the dead of night. Like Jackie!

Stunned at this thought, she looked at her friend and lover, narrowing her eyes as she tried to locate any trace of alien influence in her gaze.

She looked just the same as always, with an enticingly curvy bust barely hidden under a white t-shirt, supported by a hidden leather bustier. The friendly creases around her eyes were missing, but that was understandable given the current circumstances.

She seemed just as sharp as ever. She couldn’t have been compromised.

“Like an infectious disease,” nodded Jackie. “Smart. But why are you telling us all this? An intelligent alien like you must know that revealing your plans in a long, rambling monologue would give us time to put together an escape plan. We’re smart that way.”

The woman’s fat belly wobbled as she laughed, the amoeba’s eye snapping shut as its body squeezed another dose of the blue substance into the woman’s skull. Her eyes glowed again, pinned on Jackie. “What makes you think that any of you are going to escape? I’m telling you all this precisely because it doesn’t matter. Our mission is complete. Those who must be converted, have been converted, and everyone else is already within our net. It is only a matter of time.“

Her unsettling words fluttered against an obstinant sense of rebellion within Kate. She wanted to tell the woman that the military would come to shut them down, to destroy all that they were plotting, but she couldn’t.

Even if they were, that wouldn’t help them right here and now. She pursed her lips, considering whether she should tell Jackie to simply plug the woman and move on, but the alien seemed rather talkative, and the gunshots outside seemed to be slowing down. Someone must be winning the battle, and she was rather hopeful that it was their side who would be the victors.

“Okay, so you’re invading,” said Kate sourly, setting aside her resentment at the fact that her kinky fun life had been entirely upended by their attack. “What do you want? Are you trying to absorb our world into some kind of intergalactic empire? Removing the native population so that you can replace it with your own? Or does the earth contain some form of natural resource you’re trying to exploit?”

The woman wheezed, clutching at her chest. “A veritable list of all the standard science fiction tropes!”

The green organism on her head swelled, pulsing with the blue liquid stored inside. She sighed, air whistling from around her neck. “I suppose there is a kernel of truth contained within most of those suggested plots, but none of what we want is quite that simple to explain.“

“It would be more than my life is worth to reveal such things to you, however. Not until you have been brought in hand. Fresh material can be so uppity sometimes.” Her eyes fluttered as she gave them a slow wink. “We all have our parts to play within the great game.“

This was pointless. This thing was only going to talk in generalities until their time ran out. It was becoming obvious that it was waiting for something to happen, and the longer they waited, the more dangerous the situation became.

“Shoot her,” Kate said bluntly. “We’ve gotten all we’re going to get. Ugly bastard.“

Jackie grabbed the book off the counter and smacked the amoeba on the woman’s head without hesitation. Kate flinched as the organism squished, a side wall bursting open as the blue fluid inside spurted out onto the woman’s forehead.

Her eyes rolled up and she fell backwards, slumping onto the floor. “That’s... one way of solving the problem,” muttered Kate, shuddering as the blue fluid collected into a puddle.

It looked like pus, and she definitely wasn’t going to examine that closer. Ugh.

The sudden silence in the shop was oppressive. She looked around with a leery eye, trying to spot whether more of the alien organisms were trying to sneak up from them, hidden in the furniture.

No, everything appeared clear, as far as she could see. There was always the possibility that the curtains were hiding more invaders, however. She didn’t feel safe.

“Let’s leave,” she shivered, stepping towards the door. “If there’s one infiltrator here, there could be more.”

“Agreed,” replied Jackie, drawing her pistol. “They could be all over this city. We can’t trust anyone.“

They turned to exit the shop, and the door swung inwards, sergeant Ben stumbling inside. Blood soaked the front of his uniform, and he groaned, clutching at his chest.

“He has an alien on his head!” shouted Jackie, raising her pistol.

In a brief moment, Kate saw the situation in stark relief. Jackie’s lips were drawn back, but she appeared reluctant to shoot. A swollen amoeba sat on top of Ben’s head like a sack of pus, wobbling as it gripped onto the side of his skull. Ben’s eyes were white, spittle slobbering from his lips as his legs churned forward, the gun missing from his belt.

“Don’t do it!” cried Kate, jumping forward to press Jackie’s arm down before she could pull the trigger. “He’s not himself!”

Gritting her teeth, Jackie lifted a booted foot and planted it on the officer’s chest, pushing him back. The man moaned, falling over onto his side.

Gasping, Kate dropped to her knees, frantically searching for a way to remove the creature. It couldn’t be! Not Ben! She couldn’t afford to lose him, too! Not like her father!

Cradling his head between her knees, she lifted it up, examining the creature. She hadn’t wanted to touch the one on the shopkeeper’s head, but this was different. She was determined to save him, if she could.

Wrapping her hands around the pulsating edges of the organism, she probed at the edges, trying to figure out a way to separate it cleanly from a shock of his red hair.

It wasn’t working. However she tugged at it, the body yielded, the translucent surface glowing a deeper green, but its flesh remained securely attached. The edge was somehow glued to his skin, an oozing white substance wrapped up with his hair.

She used more force, distorting the red stripe that ran over the top. Its baleful eye popped open, watching her efforts with disdain. She refused to let its yellow glare discourage her efforts, but all she could seem to manage was pulling out some of the strands of hair. The creature’s body remained secure, attached with a clamping force that was beyond her strength to remove.

“Move back,” ordered Jackie, “and I’ll put a hole in it!”

“Is that your solution?” asked Kate, hysteria in her voice. “To shoot everything?”

“It’s worked pretty well so far,” she grunted. “Stand aside. I want to see if these alien bastards pop off if they’re punctured with a bullet.”

Kate lifted her hands. ”No! You have no idea what it will do to him! Maybe we should examine the shopkeeper first—we don’t know what it’s done to his brain. It might kill him!“

The amoeba within Kate’s hands squeezed down to the size of a dehydrated fruit, injecting its contents into the sergeant’s skull. His eyes snapped open, the glowing blue fluid boiling within. “I wouldn’t recommend that,” he growled, his voice familiar, yet not at the same time.

“You wouldn’t want to lobotomize your friend, now would you? It’s not as though you humans have much extra brain matter to spare as it is.” His lips curled into a cruel sneer.

Kate choked down her dismay. “It’s not going to help us, anyway!” she declared. “Look at him! He’s so weak, he can barely put up a fight!”

Jackie hesitated, a range of emotions flying across her face. She finally groaned, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. “I’m going to regret this,” she sighed, putting her pistol away. “But it’s not because of anything this alien says. I trust you.“

That made Kate feel good, but it didn’t solve their dilemma. “If that’s the case, then trust me further. I think we should take him with us. He’s our only link to understanding the alien invasion.”

Jackie frowned. “That sounds like a terrible idea, borne out of misplaced sympathy for who he used to be. Who is he to you?“

Kate flinched, getting back on her feet. “I didn’t tell you about this earlier, because it was deeply personal, but screw it. It seems like the end of the world, and I owe you an explanation.”

Uncomfortable, she braced herself for the explanation. It wouldn’t be easy to re-live, but Jackie deserved to know the truth. “You know that my mother died when I was a child? At the time, my father was busy, too. Too busy. That’s probably why he ended up working himself to death before I was sixteen. Unfortunately, that left him little time to pay attention to me.“

She gestured at Ben. “Enter Ben and his wife, Janice. The two of them were good friends of my father, and practically raised me. When they found out that I was a lesbian, they didn’t cast me out. They’re good people.”

She crossed her arms, stiffening her back. “They never deserted me when I needed their help. That’s why I can’t desert him now, no matter what happens!”

“Very admirable,” chuckled the Ben thing. “But... it’s rather too late to save anyone now.“

The air in the shop rippled, a line of green static trickling down like a waterfall in front of the wooden furniture. Several of the armored aliens appeared from within the curtain of shadows, their gauntlets pointed directly at Kate and Jackie.

Jackie raised her hands, giving Kate an annoyed glare. “You should have let me shoot him from the start.”

Turning away from Kate, she raised her hands as Ben shuddered to his knees, retrieving the gun from her belt. “We can’t have any of that,” he murmured, handing the gun to one of the armored aliens standing next to the fallen shopkeeper. “Since the two of you are so curious, why don’t you come with us? You’ll find your answers there.“

Kate sent Jackie a beseeching stare, but her lover looked away. There would be no solace there. There would be no foolhardy plan, no way out this time. They were well and truly captured.