Terror on Arrival: An Apocalyptic Science Fiction Novel

“Bringing her about!” Captain Yaunch yelled to his crew. “Attach the net on my mark!”

Captain Yaunch was positioning his destroyer adjacent to Captain Willow’s destroyer. They had to sail in cohesion with each other to capture the Chauzek. After the Chauzek apprehension, they had to sail to Cape Canaveral to move them to the transport no one has ever seen before.

The sailors were prepped for attachment of the net. They had to secure it correctly, because with the diamond filament in the net, the secure point could be the only weakness. Failure, at this point, was no alternative.

A warrant officer was a trainer of knotting. He secured the net with a buntline hitch, the same as he did on the U.S.S. Riptide, their sister destroyer.

Once the net was secure, both captains had their crew file into their respective destroyers, and they all set sail for open waters.

Captain Yaunch got Captain Willow on the communique. “Head out at 78 degrees, towards the Jamaican Islands. We need to stretch the net about 300 meters, give or take. This should, literally, be likecatching fish in a barrel. We need to heave to six miles out, over.”

“I’ll heave to on your mark, Captain Yaunch, over,” Willow transmitted.

They sailed in formation to the target spot. Everyone was apprehensive, but ready. Those things were about to be abruptly, detained.

“Captain Willow, heave to in ten seconds,” Captain Yaunch transmitted. He counted down, and transmitted again. “three... two... one, mark!”

They both cut the engines consecutively. The military contraption halted at the six mile marker. That was when the waiting game ensued.

“Are you sure we’re in the right area, Captain Yaunch, over?” Captain Willow transmitted to Yaunch.

“Sergeant Doshmononov said their trajectory won’t waive. The only thing between us is water, over.”

“What if a blue whale blocks their path, over?” Willow asked.

“According to Sergeant Doshmononov, they’ll eat that whale like a boneless drumstick, no exaggeration, over,” Yaunch said.

“If they can eat a blue whale as a snack, they need to be stopped, over,” Willow transmitted.

“When they arrive, their journey will be disrupted. Hold on, you’re about to ride the steel gargantuan coaster. I hope you can hold down your lunch, over,” Yaunch warned.

“This destroyer has much more girth than a blue whale. My ensigns will have to tell me when they are captured, over,” Willow transmitted.

It actually took an hour before the festivities started. Captain Willow’s ensigns didn’t need to tell him about the Chauzek’s arrival, the Mack truck sized crashing impact announced them with a fervor-like fanfare.

How could they have the momentum to rock two destroyers as if they were simultaneously hit by torpedoes? With that outrageous strength, they really needed to be stopped!

The sailors were shaken, however, they did their jobs. Two SEAL snipers were on each destroyer. They each had modified, long range harpoon rifles. They were attached to each hitch attaching the net to the destroyers. The two sailors who were in charge of the attachment of the net fashioned those buntline hitches to be slip knots attached to the harpoons. The snipers fired to the other destroyer in succession. It was the Navy’s way of ‘closing the lid’. Each harpoon towed either side of the net to the other ship. The warrant officers re-attached the buntline hitches. That was the Navy’s way of ‘twisting the cap’. There they were bound and captured.

“Are you secure, Captain Willow, over?” Yaunch asked.

“An Ensign just reported to me, we’re ready to rock and roll, over,” Willow transmitted.

“Adjust your heading to 12 degrees. Next stop, Cape Canaveral, over,” Yaunch announced.

“When this crap is over, I’m going to Disneyland, over,” Willow transmitted.

“Do me a favor, and tell Mickey I said hi, over.” Yaunch said.

They began their journey to Cape Canaveral.

“They have them.” Alexi told Jayde. “They are hightailing it to NASA as we speak.”

“We have all of them?” she asked.

“They are communal, like sheep. They belong to their own alien community. Their brains are too small to stray. If they missed any, those strays would still follow the pack,” Alexi explained. “I do not know science, but behavior is something I am good at.”

“You must forgive my concern. I do know the science, and what they could do is shockingly scary,” she said.

“If I speculated on every consequence I have quashed, instead of thinking of them as the next mission, I would lose my mind,” he said.

She raised her hand. “Guilty.”

“Well, the nightmare is almost over,” he said. “They are on the way to NASA to send the Chauzek packing.”

“What if Cheauflux isn’t ready for them? They won’t just be fish out of water, having us waiting for them to suffocate. They’ll turn into hungry alligator-like things. They don’t sleep, and won’t stop. Our hardest substance can’t hold them. They could, literally, shave this planet bald of resources and life. That is why I stay awake at night,” she surmised.

“I thought you trusted your military,” Alexi said. “They will not fail. The Chauzek are not bad guys. They do what they are supposed to do. They are just on a different planet, and do not know what they are not supposed to eat, so they eat everything. They are not evil, they just clean up, thoroughly.”

“Your opinion is noted. Since we don’t have to deal with them anymore, I’ll file your opinion in the ‘rationality’ folder. I have to call, and tell Cheauflux they’re coming.” She reached for the intercom.

The receiver quickly startled them. “Captain Yaunch calling Sergeant Doshmononov, emergency!” Yaunch’s voice blared loudly out of the speaker.

She gave the intercom to Alexi.

“This is Sergeant Doshmononov. What happens to be the emergency?” Alexi asked.

“Those relentless bastards ate through the net! They are heading towards Florida, over!” Captain Yaunch sounded desperately alarmed.

“Your orders are to follow them, and locate their destination. Over!” Alexi was alarmed as well.

“We cannot kill these things! We’re in very deep Sergeant, over!” Captain Yaunch transmitted.

“I will call you with new orders, when I consult my superiors, over,” Alexi said.

“Acknowledged Sergeant Doshmononov, Captain Yaunch out!” Yaunch signed off.

“This is exactly what I was talking about,” Jayde said to Alexi.

“At least they are going towards NASA. Call Cheauflux and tell him they are still coming, except they are just running there,” he said.

“Yes, and I’ll also tell them they’ll be dealing with mutant alligators, with edacious cravings,” she said.

A monkey wrench was thrown into their hemi.