Invasion Day: Short stories from August 11th, 2000, about the day the Vor came to Earth. The event triggered the Colonial Explosion into Space and changed humanity for the next 1000 years. But before that could happen, some Aliens had to get off our lawn.
Logan House Publishing Presents
We Were Heroes
Invasion Day: The Monster
By J.R. Logan
Please Support the Author:
The Brothers.
Doctor Julian von Felt had a dream to combine a super soldier with a super scientist. To create a savior for humanity. A perfect human being to usher in a new age of peace. Julian dared to create a god. An obsession with perfection in body and mind.
To set the plan into motion he married the lovely and youthful Renée Foudre, a Unified Elementalist. an advanced human, a source and manipulator of lightning. They had met while working for the North East Hero Association. A May December romance that had a bit of scandal. Renée dressed in revealing Halloween costumes when working as a Hero. She went by the name of Ampere. And was never taken seriously, until she released a storm of lightning.
Julian altered the first child before birth. Imbued with his own super science intellect, with body enhancements and Renée’s beauty and grace. Their home and lab would be in Virginia on the far side of the James River. The manor house overlooked the city of Newport News. With an extensive plan of homeschooling and farm work. Julian would raise a new man for the salvation of the world.
The midwife handed the child to Renée. His eyes and ears were off set. The right eye too high as was the left ear. A bald patch on the right side of his scalp reflected the over head lights. Otherwise the same golden blond hair and blue eyes of Renée. His hands were two different sizes. The right hand becoming massive and the left with long nimble fingers. The left foot was clubbed. The child when he cried did so, with a stutter.
Regretting that he acted in haste. Julian looked at his son. His wife had suffered through an ordeal. And could see in the asymmetrical and dysgenic boy where he went wrong. They would try again. Then Renée noticed the clinical look in her husbands eyes. She refused to give up the child. Julian relented, they would try again later. But he would not use a good name for this child. The birth certificate would name the boy Claudius Julian von Felt.
Claudius was a good baby, sleeping well, eating well. He laughed at everyone and anything; but he struggled to walk with the deformities. His first word was “Mama.” One of the few words anyone but Renée ever understood.
***
The second attempt five years later resulted in Augustus Antoninus von Felt. Perfect in form. A beautiful child with the dark eyes and hair of his Father. Yet Augustus cried all night, never laughed and seldom smiled. He pinched his mother when feeding. Later he was particular with food and never ate greens. Claudius stayed with his Mother to help as a five year old could.
Julian applied the alterations after Augustus’ first birthday. In his fathers eyes the child became perfection. By age ten Augustus had grown to match Claudius in height. Regular lab test tracked development. Both were two standard devastation higher than average in intelligence. Both had impressive physical strength. Claudius stayed ahead of Augustus because of the five year advantage. The gap between the two narrowed every year.
A voracious reader and diligent student, Claudius studied hard. Augustus never worked harder than he needed. There was a slight variation in testing because Claudius couldn’t speak. Also Augustus had charm and the habit of command, but he bullied the maids and cook. They went through a great number of homeschool tutors. Augustus challenged them on everything. What could have been a supreme intellectual curiosity turned Augustus into an unlikeable prick.
Also the boy lied about everything to everyone. Thinking they were dumb and unimportant. And Augustus got away with it, with everyone but Claudius and Renée. His mother would smile. “Go do it again,” and the chore would be done eventually.
With an attitude of contempt and over played charm, people avoided Augustus. His life fell into a self-created isolation. Only Claudius was there for him, to listen to his thoughts of how the world should be.
***
The world of books gave Claudius an escape from his brother. He had a love of high epic fantasy. But the histories of knights pulled him in deep. Hours spent reading Léon Gautier’s books over and over. Hidden in a pillow fort in the corner of the bedroom. A pot on his head as a helmet. The ‘Ten Commandments of Chivalry’ became burned into his memories. The grounds keeper had made a wooden sword. For years the sword and the pot were always with him.
Claudius dedicated himself to this code. The first commandment of Chivalry. ‘Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches and thou shalt observe all its directions.’ So, Claudius would go to services with Mama on Sundays. Augustus had made excuses. The younger boy never like his life limited by what he viewed as lessor men’s opinions. After going to church without Augustus there to mock him; Claudius tried to sing. The stutter to everyone surprise, but the choir master, didn’t effect his singing. Claudius’ voice was clear and true. His mother knew and that was all Claudius needed. On the way out of the church pennis and nickles on hand were dropped in the poor box. ‘Thou shalt be generous, and give largesse to everyone.’
When given chores, Claudius would help in the kitchen. ‘Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties.’ So he did his chores. That voice in his head never steered him wrong. And Claudius learned when a cook likes you there would be extra meat balls hidden under your spaghetti.
***
One day, Augustus lay on the bed watching the fan turn. “I don’t care about Father’s dreams. There’s no saving humanity. I will have to bend them to my will. To rule them.” Claudius looked up from his book. His brother had been talking like this for weeks now. More talk from Augustus. With a look at his watch Claudius got up to go sweep the lab. Augustus stopped him on the way out of the room.
“I will remember you when the world is mine. That you didn’t stand in my way. Everyone else will be crushed,” He said. Claudius walked by with a nod. The older boy had a secret. One Augustus and even Father didn’t know. Claudius was a super hero.
***
Claudius the Hero.
It had started last spring. When out at the horse barn. As most of his chores involved keeping things clean. Claudius shoveled out the stalls. One of the mules was stubborn refusing to move. And had to carry the beast outside to get the stall clean. As he set the mule down, A hawk flew in to take a barn cat. A lightning fast mix of fur, feathers and screeching made Claudius’s hair stand on end. The boy hobbled after but soon lost them.
It was the first time Claudius had felt helpless. He went to his mother crying. She listened to his broken stuttering. The only person that could hear what he said. She listened, held him until he stopped crying. When he was done she looked him in his crooked eyes. “Learn from it and find a way Claudius.”
He wiped his eyes to look at her. “OK Mama,” He said. ‘Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.’ He knew.
Claudius hung fishing line to keep the birds off the barn. He made a puppet of a hawk to train the kittens. They learned to hide. Then one day, when the hawk returned the kittens scattered. The hawk fouled it’s wings on the line. Claudius released the bird unharmed. After giving it a stern talking too he let it go. He ran home after that to tell Augustus. But his brother wasn’t home. On the bed lay a book. “Mastery of Falconry.” Claudius looked at the book, dumbstruck.
Then pain flashed behind his eyes. He fell over. More pain than he had ever felt. It passed, his mind raced. Then he felt very good. Realization came that he had manifested as a Super Scientist. Everyone had forgotten Claudius had the potential. Natural genetic memories flowed into his mind like instinct. Advanced calculus and engineering, he understood without cracking a book.
Soon Claudius realized Augustus for what he was. Every conversation rolled around in his head with crystal clear memory. “I will rule them.” Of course Augustus was training hawks. And he hunted with them. “I will rule them.” But in Claudius mind, ‘Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.’ Not to rule but to serve. His brother would never see the world like that. Augustus is a danger to humanity not the savior. It broke Claudius’ heart that his Father had failed again. I will have to be ready.
But Augustus was not ready. Not in the least, He had a day dream about his destiny. Nothing more than that. Nothing for Claudius to plan against. Nothing to be ready for in the future. There could be no plan, his brother didn’t even know the world.
Claudius would need standing and legitimacy. He could stop Augustus without a fight, that would make Mama happy. To be taken seriously Claudius needed to become a hero. It was clear what he needed to do.
In his Fathers study. On the desk was a black book. He wrote down the mailing address for the North East Hero Association. As his Father walked in, Claudius picked up the trashcan from under the desk and walked out to empty it. That earned him a head pat for being a good boy.
***
Every day Claudius went out to get the mail. Waiting every day for the letter He also read his mother’s old hero log books. She had been a working hero before he was born. Then one day the letter arrived. Inside was the application and a check list of documents the Commonwealth of Virginia would need to process the license. And a notice to expect in the mail, The Old Dominion Hero’s Home Correspondence Course. Soon that very book was in his hands.
No one paid attention to Claudius as long as the floors were clean. What he did, what he read, where he went. It was just Claudius. Simple Claudius. And as far as Augustus was concerned stupid Claudius.
No one noticed when Claudius walked into the lab to pull his file. The medical records were copied. And put them back, along with refiling the other work his Father had left out. Then he pulled Augustus' file. He needed to know what his brother could do. And Father kept good records.
Augustus had developed baseline traits within his second year. He was balanced between strength and speed. With a mind that ran three times as fast. The speed was better for talking and thinking things through. Father could more easily combine the speedster elements with the super soldier. Claudius could see the potential, the brilliance of his fathers work. But the failure was in execution.
***
Claudius handed the mail man the application packet personally. A run of extra stamps ran across the top of the envelope to ensure postage. “T-hank y-ou m-ister m-ail m-an.” With everything sent off, the post box vigil continued. In the time spent waiting Claudius tinkered in his Fathers lab to build a brace for his foot. Soon the improvements allowed him to jog. And with a firm footing, he could lift both mules at once.
One day as Claudius walked out to get the mail, his mother returned home early. He was half way to the box when he saw her car pull into the driveway and stop to get the mail. “N-o, N-o, N-o, N-o.” He stood in the drive not knowing what to do. His mind raced. The car stayed at the end of the driveway for a little longer than it should. Run? Hide? No. ‘Thou shalt never lie, and shalt remain faithful to thy pledged word.’
He was going to be a hero. He would walk up to Mama and ask if he got a letter. The car pulled up and she opened the door for him to get in. Claudius looked at the mail in the center consol, a letter was open. As he buckled the seat belt, She handed him an Identity card and leaned over to kiss his forehead.
Claudius held the license, hands shaking. His Class D Hero license. Claudius J. von Felt, Artifactual Human - Super Scientist. On the license letter was written the scroll motto of the North East Hero Associations. ‘Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.’ Claudius recognized the Tenth Commandment of Chivalry. He knew he had done the right thing. Renée held a finger to her lips and winked.
***
“What is this?” Augustus said holding up a red one piece cape and mask. The eyes and ears were off set on a half mask with a half cape sown to the back.
“Mama,” Claudius said.
Renée had made the mask when Claudius passed the Class B Exam. She had taken him out on patrols. With the excuse “Now that the boys were older. I want to get back in the job.” But She kept Claudius’s identity secret. At home no one noticed Claudius was gone and it was fun.
Augustus threw the cape and cowl at him as he walked out of the room. “You can’t be a Hero. You can’t even talk.” Claudius let him leave with the parting shot. Picked up the mask shoving it in his pocket. He would have to be more careful. Augustus now knew his secret even if he didn’t believe or understand. The thought of, “Am I over thinking this?” came and went. “No.” Augustus was more intelligent, only lazy. He never read a book twice, never challenged himself. Claudius started to think he would spend more time stopping Augustus’ failed attempts of world takeover. Then the bombardment started.
From the windows of the manor house, Newport News could be seen far off. Contrails streaked from over the Atlantic. Claudius thought it was a nuclear attack. He watched in fascination as the streaks came down with impact flashes in the city. No, to many to be nuclear. Not fast enough. No city shattering booms. The super scientist in him was disappointed. The hero was relieved. It was a kinetic attack from orbit. Smoke climbed up from the center of town. Augustus stood next to Claudius. “How dare they attack my city.” But Claudius’s thoughts were elsewhere.
The Correspondence Course had a chapter on the League of Science and Alien invasion. Heroes were to shelter in place and defend what they could, save who they could. Until you figured out what the Aliens could do. Claudius needed to check the radio teletype.
Augustus never read policy, he planed to dictate policy later. In fact he was over joyed. He followed Claudius into the study. “You know Claudius this is an opportunity.” But in Claudius's mind came ‘Thou shalt make war against the infidel.’ No Claudius thought. In this case ‘the Alien, without cessation and without mercy.’ Claudius didn’t know if he was ready to go that far. But what had to be done, at least in a grand-view was clear. And the teletype confirmed it. He pulled the page off the line printer. ‘Full Activation.’ The cable was handed to his father as the man walked into the room with Renée.
***
Claudius stood next to Mama. His Father assembled a zap-gun on the desk. “Where are they at?” Renée said. August looked out the window.
The power supply snapped into place and the zap-gun hummed with an electric charge. “A mile or so out. We’re getting whatever missed the city.”
Renée looked at her watch. “I’m going to take a bath let me know when they get here.” Claudius raised an eye brow. He gave father a look of, what is she doing?
Father waved the concern away.
As Renée walked out Augustus stood before his Father’s desk. “Father. We don’t need crude zap-guns. Let me talk with them, get them on our side. This can be negotiated,” Augustus said.
“No Augustus,” Julian said. “Take the maids and the cook down to the lab basement. Wait there. Claudius check the doors and come back here.”
The two boys walked out of the study. As the door closed. “What is Father thinking? Now is our chance. These are Aliens from space.”
Claudius walked away from his brother. He had a job to do. Going to the back of the house. He checked each door and window. As he finished the parlor, Claudius saw Augustus at the front door. A maid tried to pull the boy away. The heavy doors opened. The thing in the doorway was big, like the mule in the barn. Long twisted spike covered mandibles. Not, but close to an ant. The half dozen behind the first were all dysgenic. Not well formed, grown fast. Claudius instinctively understood it was sloppy work.
“Augustus!” The maid screamed.
The creature lunged in. Augustus coward behind the maid. She was grabbed. And her body thrashed in the mandibles. ‘Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy’. Claudius ran to grabbed the jaws locked on the maids waist. His hands were cut deep buy the spiked jaws. With a stuttering grunt he pulled the jaws apart and she dropped to the floor. An azure beam from over his shoulder incinerated the ant and two more behind. Julian, zap-gun in hand, grabbed Augustus dragging him along. They fled to the kitchen. Claudius followed, he carried half the maid.
“Its not my fault. It’s not my fault,” Augustus cried moving to a corner away from the bloody mess. Claudius set the body down closing the eyes.
Julian looked at his son in the corner. “What have I done?” The grand experiment, the great work was a failure. A clap of thunder echoed in the house. Electricity flashed on every piece of metal fixture. Mother had gotten angry. Claudius pulled the mask from his pocket. They should never have run. Should have stood their ground in their home. He would be faithful to the code.
Julian watched Claudius slip the mask over his face.“Claudius what are you doing?”
Claudius the Hero walked out of the kitchen to face the swarm. “H-elp Mama.” He would follow the code.
***
The End.
Gautier, Léon (1891). Chivalry. translated by Henry Frith. G. Routledge and sons , limited. ISBN .
Wikipedia contributors, "Chivalry," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chivalry&oldid=1186777496 (accessed November 26, 2023).
Logan House Publishing is an independent digital publisher and a gateway to Hero and Adventure Fiction.
AI Art work provided by Dream Studio
Cover graphic designed with Scribus and Gimp
Short stories can be read at Logan House Publishing
Logan House Publishing Audio is available on Youtube
And Logan House Publishing Podcast
Thank you for reading
Copyright 2023 Logan House Publishing
All Rights Reserved