Short story: Protected

Protected

To most of the residents and tourists of the sleepy little coastal town, the storm rolling in from the Gulf was only a thunderstorm. The first fluffy white cloud appeared before sunset, far offshore and high in the sky. As the minutes passed, the sky turned violet, pink, and then orange as the sun set, the cloud growing in size, becoming dark, ominous.

This was no storm. This was an invasion.

Jessica Dane stood on the beach, her partners Marcus Allen and Jorge Sanchez by her side watching the approaching storm cloud. Embedded in the cloud was an intergalactic ship carrying the Vordons. Her heart was pounding, but Jessica had trained for this day. For years, the governments of Earth knew the aliens were coming and had prepared. While life continued as normal for the majority of Earth’s population, the Consortium had formed, and a new race of soldier created. Faster, stronger, more intelligent, and possessing skills of comic book superheroes, they were called Lancers, after the powerful photon lance they carried.

Throughout the world, the Lancers stood on beaches and roadways, in the desert and the rainforest awaiting the enemy. As she stood on the white sand beach, Jess knew soon the rest of the planet’s population would know what they knew. Earth was not alone.

She smiled, glancing at her fellow soldiers, the determination on their face mimicking hers. As lightning exploded on the perimeter of the storm, the first of the Vordon fighters emerged from the cloud.  Taking aim, Jess, Marcus, and Jorge, along with the other Lancers stationed on the beach fired their powerful weapons and the fighters fell from the sky. Wave after wave few toward the beach, with the same results.

Earth may not be alone in the universe, but she wasn’t unprotected.

Photo prompt courtesy of Facebook Writing Group, Writers Unite!  No commercial use intended.