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  ‘If these things do go off, the fallout in this area will be such that there will be nothing left! Duck and cover indeed’ scoffed Jack ‘the only reason to duck would be to kiss your arse goodbye’ he added as Stuart just smiled.

  Soon the countdown for the missiles to hit their target area reached its final stages as countries all around the world now began to track the gigantic missiles in alarm, thinking that someone had started ‘World War Three’ by launching a nuclear strike on the United States of America!

  In all major cities around Europe, emergency sirens sounded and people were advised to take cover in basements or anywhere underground they could find!

  In London, people poured down into the vast Underground system just as they had done during ‘The Blitz’ of World War Two. Whilst in Paris, France, people did the same there as they all rushed to take cover in their own Metro system.

  Countries all over the world were now rapidly interrupting their regular television and radio broadcasts to issue a special newsflash!

  Meanwhile, the final countdown continued for the numerous nuclear missiles to actually hit their targets ‘8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3.’

  Jack, Jenny, Stuart and Joan now all held hands as they sat on the ground outside their tent, just praying they were right and the nuclear bombs wouldn’t go off!

  ‘Two, one, ZERO!’

  Aboard the Aircraft Carrier Neil Armstrong and at Camp Lodi as they were now all calling it, the missiles were now being carefully tracked as they all approached their targets!

  Suddenly, they could now see the missiles in Lodi as a series of bright yellow/red glows in the sky.

  ‘THERE THEY ARE!’ someone shouted loudly as he pointed upwards.

  All of a sudden though, the missiles simply disappeared from their view and off everyone’s radar screens as the bright yellow/red glow in the sky disappeared in Camp Lodi altogether.

  Suddenly they could hear a loud series of ‘THUDS!’ coming from somewhere quite close by them and Stuart just smiled at Jenny.

  ‘They haven’t gone off, Jenny’ he uttered.

  ‘Thank God!’ muttered Joan as she and Jack just looked doubly relieved.

  Aboard the Neil Armstrong, they all looked on in dismay.

  ‘We should be able to see the mushroom clouds by now?’ puzzled a sailor.

  Whilst at Camp Lodi, General Iram just shook his head.

  ‘Nothing kills these Migrators, absolutely nothing!’ he uttered as he just shook his head in disappointment. ‘You’d better get me the President on the line again’ he ordered.

  Stuart, Joan, Jenny and Jack meanwhile all stood up and just blew a huge sigh of relief.

  ‘We live to fight another day then’ smiled Jack.

  ‘Yes, but for how long?’ questioned Joan as she looked thoughtful. ‘I mean, if even nuclear weapons can’t kill these things, what can?’

  ‘I think you were right all along, Joan, these really are the ultimate fighting machines’ uttered Stuart ‘their science is way beyond anything we can throw at them.’

  ‘Can nothing really stop these things, Dad?’ asked Jenny, now looking very frightened.

  ‘It certainly looks that way, Jenny’ he nodded honestly as he just held her in his arms.

  ‘Maybe this is just a war mankind can’t win?’ questioned Jack. ‘Let’s face it, these things are just invincible. They leave us without any electricity, any communications, any firearms that work, and so without any of our modern technology and they even somehow prevent our gas powered devices from working close up to them and we haven’t a single clue how they do any of it!’ he shrugged.

  ‘No, there must be a way to stop them somehow’ insisted Stuart.

  ‘I’m not so sure now, Stuart’ pondered Joan ‘maybe nature has just scheduled mankind for extinction?’ she questioned.

  ‘You can’t seriously believe that, Joan?’ replied Stuart just staring at her.

  ‘Let’s be honest here, Stuart’ nodded Joan ‘these creatures may look primitive to us, but the truth is, they are so much more advanced than us’ she concluded. ‘Had they been friendly, I would have enjoyed speaking to them’ she sighed ‘as there is obviously so much we could learn from them.’

  ‘As military tactics go, they are quite brilliant aren’t they’ nodded Jack. ‘I think General O’Dowd secretly admired them for that and I reckon he was right to do so’ he concluded.

  Jack then looked down at Jenny as she looked quite upset.

  ‘Cheer up, Jenny, we’re not finished yet’ he smiled.

  ‘Yes, Jack will defeat them with his bad jokes’ smiled Stuart as he tried to cheer her up.

  In truth though, none of them could see quite how the Migrators could be defeated now.

  ‘We’re all going to die aren’t we?’ uttered Jenny.

  Stuart was a brilliant scientist, but as a parent he was sometimes at a loss what to say to her.

  Joan just looked towards Jack to say something as she just indicated for him to intervene.

  ‘Let me to tell you, young lady’ he told Jenny firmly ‘even in the midst of the worst hell on Earth, you’ll still find something good!’

  ‘You sound like you’ve already fought in a war?’ asked Stuart curiously.

  ‘No, I worked in a factory!’ stated Jack indignantly as Joan just raised her eyebrows and shook her head at him.

  ‘Well that was hell on Earth for me!’ Jack uttered as they now all began to laugh and shake their heads.

  ‘Well it was!’ Jack added indignantly.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Day Eleven:

  17th January 2021

  News of the Missile

  Strikes Go Global!

  News of the missile strikes were eventually flashed all around the world, as every different country’s satellite tracking systems quickly reported seeing the missiles heading for California. Rumours now quickly began to spread that the United States of America was under attack!

  Unknown to the media however, was that the President had already notified the leaders of as many countries as he could of the pending missile strikes, so as to prevent any talk of a ‘World War Three’ breaking out.

  All around the world, on television and radio though, all other news was completely cancelled as the missile strikes on California dominated the news as all kinds of speculation as to the reason behind them soon began.

  In Washington, hoards of news reporters were now virtually camped outside the Whitehouse as they waited for the President to issue a formal statement. Whilst riot police struggled to maintain public order now as crowds demonstrated not only in Washington, but in cities all around America.

  Many world leaders were now growing impatient as increasing distrust and tensions between different nations soon began to surface. So the President now knew he would have to offer some explanation for what had happened on American soil and do so very quickly.

  A statement was rapidly issued by the Whitehouse asking for everyone to remain calm, as the President would offer a full explanation for the previous day’s events later that afternoon.

  Chapter Twenty

  Day Eleven:

  17th January 2021

  3p.m.

  In The Whitehouse

  Press Room.

  There was uproar upon the President’s appearance upon the podium in the Whitehouse press room, as reporters from various countries all immediately fired questions at him!

  The President though, just held up his hands and appealed for calm.

  He then read out the most historic statement ever made by any American President.

  ‘Ladies and Gentleman of the press, my fellow Americans, and people of the world, I am sad to inform you that mankind is under attack’ he calmly informed them all.

  There were now instant gasps of astonishment all around the press room, as reporters immediately began firing off questions all over aga
in, as the President raised up his hands and appealed for calm again and wouldn’t continue until he obtained it.

  ‘I would like to stress very strongly that America is not under attack from any other nation’ he added quickly in an attempt to defuse any rumours circulating around to the contrary.

  He then pointed to a large television screen that had been set up behind him.

  ‘Ladies and Gentleman, the film I am about to show you is not a hoax, it is the reason why we launched the missiles we did and the real reason California has been without any power now for so long. I would hope the people of America will forgive me for keeping this from them, but it was hoped we could tell them about this crisis, once we had found a solution to it’ explained the President before waving for the very carefully edited film taken from Jack’s airship to be shown to them all.

  The press conference went out live so people all over the world were now glued to their television sets, computers, mobile phones and headsets as they just wondered what the President was about to show them.

  It was night time in many parts of the world, but people had even got up in the middle of the night just to hear what the President would say.

  All around the world people now stopped working to stare at their television screen or stop in the street to listen to their radios or watch the President on their mobile device.

  As the film began, there were now audible gasps of horror all around the Whitehouse press room as the President began to explain;

  ‘Unfortunately, these creatures, we have named the ‘Migrators’ due to their similarity to one of our migrating locusts, has proved completely impervious to anything we have so far thrown at them’ admitted the President. ‘We have been able to kill some of them through old fashioned means, but not enough to win any war against them’ the President now openly admitted. ‘These creatures have technology we simple can’t explain, that renders our electricity, gas, and even igniting any flame impossible. This means all our modern weapons have proven completely useless against them’ explained the President to the room of now completely silent and totally stunned looking reporters.

  ‘I will now take some questions’ the President concluded as there was an explosion of questions now coming from all around the room.

  ‘Is this some kind of joke, Mr President?’ asked one reporter from the New York Times.

  ‘Herbert, I wish it were’ replied the President as he recognised him.

  ‘But where did these creatures come from?’ asked another reporter.

  ‘Truth is, Hank, we don’t know’ admitted the President as he recognised the chief reporter from the USA Today newspaper. ‘They may have come up from bellow the ground or even from outer space. The truth is, we don’t know. All I can tell you is, they are not human, but are more insect like’ he informed them all.

  The President then waved his arm for the next carefully edited close ups of the Migrators showing their sheer numbers, how high they can jump and how fast they can run.

  ‘But what on earth are they?’ asked another stunned looking reporter.

  ‘We are calling them the ‘Migrators’ after an idea pounced upon by General O’Dowd’ explained the President.

  ‘Is General O’Dowd in charge of operations against these creatures?’ asked another reporter.

  The President now seemed to take a deep breath before answering.

  ‘I am sad to tell you that General O’Dowd and an army he put together of tens of thousand of men are all missing in action’ he uttered sadly.

  ‘But what happened to them? Had this something to do with the crude looking weapons recently leaked onto the internet?’ asked another reporter.

  ‘In a word yes’ replied the President as there were now even more audible gasps of amazement. ‘These creatures are somehow able to prevent our electricity from working and any flame from igniting, consequently our missiles simply impacted upon the ground, our guns and weapons simply don’t work and all our experiments with chemical, germ, gas, or even insecticidal type weapons and all other options have all so far failed us’ admitted the President. ‘The large missiles I know many countries tracked from around the world were a last resort at destroying these creatures, but they too failed’ the President explained. ‘They simply all impacted upon the ground. The only way we have found to kill these creatures, is with a mechanically powered device that fires huge reinforced steel tipped arrows, but we can’t fire enough to defeat them it would seem’ explained the President ‘due to their sheer weight of numbers.’

  ‘But then, how can we defend ourselves against them?’ a very scared looking female reporter inquired.

  ‘The truth is we can’t’ admitted the President. ‘We captured one creature alive, but as we soon discovered, even when dead, no electrically operated piece of equipment works in their presence. So we soon found any proper examination impossible, as we cannot run tests on any equipment anywhere near any part of their body, or any blood that has seeped from it either’ explained the President.

  ‘Can we stop them then?’ queried another reporter.

  ‘Not yet’ admitted the President ‘we are experimenting on other equipment right now, but there is no guarantee anything we invent will ever work against them.’

  ‘But how big are these things?’ another question came in.

  ‘They vary, a bit like us, some though are over seven feet tall, but the average is over six feet’ explained the President.

  ‘But where are they now? Can they spread all over North America?’ asked another reporter, looking very alarmed.

  ‘There is no question they couldn’t cover the entire Earth if we cannot stop them here’ the President told them honestly, to now loud gasps of shock!

  ‘Gentleman and Ladies, I’m sorry to tell you this, but this is not just America’s problem, for if they conquer here, they will then look to move elsewhere. Therefore I am appealing for all the nations of the world to set aside their grievances to find a solution that will defeat these creatures!’

  All the reporters now looked deeply shocked as they all began to fire in questions all over again.

  ‘Is it really that bad?’ asked another reporter.

  ‘Yes, John, I’m afraid it is’ the President informed a reporter he knew from the Times newspaper in London.

  ‘But we’ve seen no evidence of these things, so how can you expect us all to believe you?’ asked one reporter from the BBC looking rather sceptical.

  ‘We will soon show you another film in private that will convince you’ explained the President.

  ‘Why in private?’ asked the reporter.

  ‘Because it is not suitable for public viewing’ explained the President.

  ‘But what are you doing to try and get civilians out of the affected area?’ asked another reporter.

  ‘I’m afraid the Migrators have some sort of invisible fence both hiding their presence from anyone outside, but also disintegrating anything trying to leave’ the President explained.

  ‘Does that include people?’ asked another reporter.

  ‘I think we have to believe so’ nodded the President. ‘Certainly, no one sent into the area such as the electrical engineers from the outset because of the power cuts, have so far reappeared again outside.’

  ‘What’s happened to these people trapped in the area where they are then? Have they all been killed?’ asked another quite stunned looking reporter.

  ‘The truth is, we don’t know’ the President shook his head.

  ‘Then people are all trapped inside that area with all these creatures?’ someone else asked incredulously looking very shocked.

  ‘Yes’ admitted the President as everyone gasped in horror. ‘This is why General O’Dowd bravely led his army inside and why, when that strategy failed, we even resorted to launching nuclear missile strikes against these things’ explained the President ‘but nothing seems to work against th
e Migrators’ he openly admitted.

  The President then seemed to take a big deep breath.

  ‘I feel it is my duty to inform you all that one of the nuclear devices developed a fault and actually fell some fifty miles outside the dead zone area. It unfortunately demolished a house, but there were no casualties.’

  There was an absolute explosion of complaints and questions now, as the President held up his hands to calm everyone down once again.

  ‘Everyone is safe, there is no fear of any nuclear fallout’ the President quickly explained.

  ‘But how can that be?’ someone immediately asked.

  ‘It would seem that the Migrators can even defuse our nuclear warheads outside their own dead zone area. It demonstrates clearly they want the Earth ‘intact’ and free from any nuclear fallout. Our experts have collected the remains of the missile now. It has been made safe in a way we cannot yet even comprehend’ the President explained. ‘We have invited scientists over from as many countries as we could to examine all the evidence we have, even those from countries we have previously had conflict with. As you see Gentleman, this is not just America’s problem, it is the entire world’s problem’ the President insisted seriously.

  ‘But you say this is the world’s problem, but really it’s only America’s problem at the moment?’ queried a foreign television reporter.

  The President now sighed heavily.

  ‘We have taken advice from the leading expert on insects Professor Gregorksi and it is his opinion that these insect like creatures will soon develop wings and that will put every country in the world very quickly in danger’ the President assured her.

  All the journalists were now very shocked indeed and there was now considerable disquiet in the room.

  ‘Then soon, no one will be safe from these things?’ uttered another reporter as they all began to look very shocked.

  ‘That is why we are asking all the countries of the world to forget our differences and instead come together to try and defeat these creatures. America, Ladies and Gentleman, is only the first battlefield. We must defeat them here, before they can spread all around the world!’