March 21st 2:45 2000 1999 Mountain time. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The city was dark. Its citizens slumbering peacefully at this early hour. There was not a hint of the firestorm to come. The destruction that would originate from the stars.

David Macnamera slept with his wife Marie in their double bed. Dreaming of happy moments and wondrous futures. Their house was silent. They're two children lying in their rooms.

All these dreams were shattered by the visitors... Edmonton was not considered a high priority target and as such had little radar coverage by Xcom forces. It took them 4 hours to arrive, more than enough time for the extermination of the vast bulk of the population.

But this isn't about the city or the war or even the valiant battle between the combined Xcom and Canadian forces and the Aliens. This is about one family's ordeal in trying to survive the experience of an alien terror attack.

March 21st 2:45 2000 1999 Mountain time. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The flare of explosive energy woke David and his wife along with most of the town. It was so brilliant in intensity that any one who was awake to see it was blinded instantly. The few not awakened from the blast or the subsequent sound were quickly startled awake from the sound of long unused air raid sirens going off.

Marie looked to Dave sleepily, "My god what was that?" He returned her stare, his expression quickly changing from sleepiness and confusion to fear. "I think it's an air raid siren! Quickly get the kids. We need to get downstairs!" She looked at him in confusion. "Who could possibly attack Canada? This must be a mistake."

Just then they were all knocked to the ground. The house literally shook from the force of the blast. The UFO battleship, after having destroyed the parliament building and police headquarters, had just struck the local police office with a small anti-matter torpedo. The systematic destruction of the city was already underway.

Both of them shouted out in terror. "Oh my god!" Marie screamed, "was that a nuke?" "No it couldn't be, if it was a nuke we would already be dead. "He grabbed her and pushed her towards the door "We don't have time to talk about this. Get some clothes, get the kids and get downstairs!"

David quickly shoved his bed out the way and grabbed his two hunting rifles out and began to unscramble the combination to the ammunition safe. As he unlatched and opened the safe door, he glanced towards the window. What he saw both amazed and terrified him. The local police department was engulfed in white flames that towered so high he could make them out above the 15 blocks of houses separating them. The glow from the flames illuminated the surrounding buildings, and left spots in front of his eyes. "Holy shit" he said breathlessly... and watched as a police car was blown to pieces by a flash of energy. Terrified, he slowly turned his head to the source of the beam.

It sat there... Hanging in the air.... Its very size making it seem closer than it was... Huge... Pitch black, barely perceptible as more than a whole in the starscape. Sporadically spitting white-hot death down upon the city... The light from plasma streams briefly illuminated multiple landing legs unfolding from the base of the ship... It began to sink slowly to the ground.

Just then another huge explosion rocked through the city. David watched as the few lights that were functioning went out... The entire city was engulfed in darkness. He realized that they just took out the power plant... That they were systematically destroying the city's centers of resistance and communication... and most terrifyingly of all... they were not satisfied with mere destruction from the air. They were paying a personal visit to the population.

His thoughts quickly returned to his family. David ran downstairs to the basement. He gave his wife one of the rifles and a small box of ammunition.

"We have to get to the storage room... We're going to shoot anything that comes through the door," Dave said grimly. "What is happening?" asked Marie in a strained voice. "Remember how a meteorite hit Honolulu?" Dave replied. "Yes! Why?" she answered. "I think the meteorite has just hit us..."

Chapter 1

The Macnamera's sat there in the darkness... waiting, for what they did not know. Nick and Lisa cried softly in the back of the room. Not old enough to truly comprehend what was happening. But screaming louder with fear each time an explosion thundered from above.

Dave turned towards the window. Shielding his eyes from the flashes of the infrequent blasts, "Hon, take a look at this." He said quietly in awe and fear.

His wife stood up and looked through the window beside him. What she saw took their breath away.

The ship had landed. Its now dim surface was alive with searchlights... and small-moving figures could be seen unloading from tubes... hundreds... thousands... ships the size of school buses which they could only guess to be transports flew away off into the distance. There purpose they could only guess to deploy more quickly to surrounding areas. They were trapping the population...

They both came to the same conclusion. If they stayed here...they would die. "We have to get out of here!" David said, Quickly reaching down and lifting Lisa up awkwardly holding the rifle in the other.

Marie quickly snatched up Nick. Then slung the rifle over her shoulder. They stuffed their ammo in a duffel bag and quickly climbed the stairway.

David was ex military, and him and his wife we skilled huntsman. They quickly creaped over to there vehicle. Ducking down as ships flew over head...

They were both startled when a vehicle across the road started and began to drive off. Its lights blazing through the darkness.

Both screamed as a plasma bolt struck the roof of the vehicle instantly turning it into a funeral pyre for its occupants. Sending shrapnel in all directions.... No further shots were fired from the massive craft.

"Those were the Larsons" Said Marie softly. "Lets not think about it, there is no way we are going to drive, I guess we are going to have to walk, lets go door to door. We have to tell everybody what's coming." Said David softly....

David and Marie abandoned the vehicle. Both of them taking a child and having them go piggyback. They both set a brisk pace south. Away from the center of town and from the huge monolithic ship that sat there occasionally lashing out on the surrounding buildings.

For the next 3 blocks they knocked on doors telling asking people to continue on. Responses ranged from, no answer, to yells of go away, and even once a near miss with a pistol round the door. Needless to say they left that one rather quickly.

The 20th or so house was different however. A group of family friends lived there named the Stanjucks. The door after repeated hammering and calls was finally answered warily by Peter Stanjuck, the male of the household. He quickly rushed them inside.

Catherine Stanjuck was standing in the living room. Her features twisted with fear. David and Marie instantly got the impression that they had been virtually paralyzed by terror.

"We all have to leave." said David trying to be keep his tone calm. "Who ever or whatever they are, are on their way and we don't want to be here when they arrive."

"I saw the neighbors try to drive off, they were blown to pieces!" said Peter. Ms Stanjuck nodded numbly. "We have to travel on foot" Said David. "We can't its suicide!" Catherine replied with a quavering voice. She was nervously tapping her foot.

"Well if you stay here you will be just as dead. They are unloading troops. Do you want to sit here and die?" Marie yelled at her growing impatient. Know that whatever was out there was growing closer and closer as they argued.

"Hey! Don't yell at my wife like that!" Peter said angrily.

Anger is better then fear at least thought David. Maybe we can get these two going.

"Peter, you can't stay here. Whatever is out there will kill you. You are unarmed and can't fight back; all you can do is keep moving. If you really care for her you will stop fighting with us and get your asses moving!"

Peter inhaled and exhaled slowly... "I am sorry Dave, your right... I am just really scared." He said. His voice a bit more steady then it was before... "Its ok Peter were scared to, just don't freeze ok man?" David said soothingly....

Peter pulled his wife towards the door. "Lets go hon. we don't have anything we need to take anyway"

They looked north to witness small flashes of light in the distance. Weapons were being fired from ground level into houses and buildings. Whatever it was getting closer and quickly.

They all ducked as a transport went roaring over head...

They all took turns carrying the kids. Walking as swiftly as they could without burning out. Resting only for short times... They were outdistancing whatever was pursuing them... and fire from the mother ship was becoming more and more rare.

It had served its purpose it had slowed down civilian travel to a crawl. Destroyed centers of resistance. Destroyed the power generator. All that was left was for the nearly immobile civilian population to be exterminated as an example to others that would fund Xcom.

But in the two hours they walked. The various military organizations began to mobilize... and most importantly Xcom transports were en route... The governments of the world had learned something from the Honolulu fiasco. That a quick response by fighter and tank squadrons were insufficient to defeat an enemy with incredible anti aircraft defenses, and infantry weapons that could potentially destroy a tank in one salvo.

You needed to be in there face. You needed to ambush, out maneuver them. You had to take it room to room. Building to building.

Simply put. You needed large amounts of well-trained infantry. That took time. More time then these people had.

March 21st 4:15 2000 1999 Mountain time. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Occasionally the small group of travelers saw others heading out of town. But mainly the dark streets seemed deserted.

But a horrifying realization came to them all when they reached this point.

They were trapped. A transport had landed in a small park near a large building. Half the building (which turned out to be a hospital) was in flames and the high pitched whine of plasma fire could be heard from within the remainder of the structure.

They could also see that the fighting was not confined to the building. Whatever was doing this had already been here. A police officer lay face down. His left side blown away and the whole instantly cauterized by the passing of the super heated plasma....

All of them stood mute. Staring down at the body. What they did not know is that this was this was happening all over the city. Police officers that survived the initial bombardment. Were fighting against a threat they could hardly comprehend. They were out numbered. Out gunned... frankly out classed, and were dying. The aliens had deployed in a pattern from which civilians would always have to pass through an area of alien occupation in order to escape from the forces sweeping in behind them.

Peter reached down and picked up the police officers pistol. It was hot to the touch. "What are we going to do now?" he said quietly. Resigned to his fate.

"We are going to fight them is what we are going to do" Said David defiantly." FIGHT THAT!" said Catherine loudly her voice all too loud in the darkness. She pointed down at the body of the poor police officer. The children began to cry again.

"Yes, we will kill it and just keep on going. We need to get past these things. I don't know what is taking the RCAF so long. But if we can last long enough. We can escape." David continued.

They all turned towards the sound of something crashing to the ground.... A dark figure moved in the night.

David and Marie both put their rifles to there shoulders... and Peter and Catherine quickly took the now once again crying children and attempted to silence them.

"Hey you there, identify yourself," David said in a yell whisper.

A shriek of plasma fire erupted from the dark figure, illuminating its snake like features. The shot missed David by a foot. But he could feel the incredible heat of his passing nearly blistering his exposed skin.

David and Marie dropped to the ground, firing round after round into the figure that could barely been seen in the darkness. Peter fired his handgun and dodged behind a parked car on the side of the road.

The figure was struck several times. Jerking with the impact. It seemed hardly affected by the rounds and continued to move forward with an inhuman slithering motion, it fired again and again its shots sending gouts of melted asphalt flying into the air. David and Marie rolled desperately aside in an attempt to avoid the incredible destructive power of its weapon.

Peter emptied an entire clip into the thing screaming his head off in terror all the while. Then falling back down behind the vehicle as plasma rounds nearly took of his head. His screaming taking on a higher pitch as the near miss started his jacket sleeve on fire...

This respite gave David and Marie time to again open fire. The emptied there clips and watched with relief as the thing slumped to the ground. Sliding slowly to the side.

Peter had quickly pulled of his jacket and was standing beside the car, grimacing in pain. David and Marie after waiting a few seconds to make sure the "thing" they shot stayed down then ran over to check Peter's wound.

"How bad is it" David said... Peter grimaced in pain "I won't be doing much with this arm for awhile, I think it's a deep one." Marie and David looked at each other grimly. "Those things are fucking tough. We have to go for head shots, that's what took it down." Dave mumered. Peter looked back at his wife. Who was trying to calm the two crying children. She was not far from hysteria herself. "Ill go calm them down." Said Peter slightly embarrassed. "You go get a good look at what the hell that thing is!"

The two of them quickly walked up to the slumped body. It lay on its side. It its orange snakelike skin was pierced in multiple locations these holes were bleeding green viscous fluid they could only guess was blood. Its large reptilian face had been pierced by a single bullet and its brain was splattered behind it.

They store down and realized why its gait seemed so unnatural. In place of legs. It had a long thick tail that tapered down to a point... it looked perhaps 200 pounds.

Its weapon that lay beside it was like nothing either of them had seen. It was large thick and lacked anything like a barrel; the material it was made of had a bronzish tinge like nothing either of them had ever seen. The large boxy shape had a small read out on the side with unintelligible script blinking on it.

Dave reached down and lifted it. His 180 pound frame having difficulty with the weight...

"Ugh! This is as heavy as it looks" David grunted as he lifted it to his shoulder, his hand fumbling at the oversized trigger. "Let's test fire it"

David pointed towards a parked car 50 meters away and pulled the trigger. He closed his eyes in expectation of a flash of light and perhaps an explosion.

Nothing happened.

Marie looked at him quizzically. "What the hell! That thing nearly killed us and know it won't fire a shot!" "Hmmm, maybe its out of ammo?" David said, not really believing it.

What neither of them knew was the weapon had a handprint security system in which people who are not encoded into its memory are not recognized as valid firer. It simply would refuse to fire unless another snakeman held it.

Both of them heard a small noise coming from the body. That is when they both realized they hadn't noticed another piece of equipment the alien was carrying... a small black headset. Partially broken hung from the alien's head. It was emitting a symbilant hissing noise... it was not random like static.

They both recognized it for what it was. A communicator... and who ever was on the other end was probably wondering why the SOB laying there with his brains spread out across the ground wasn't responding.

They looked at each other, then at the drop ship only a few blocks away. Already they could see signs of movement in the lights emitting from its sides.

"Time to go."

Chapter 2

The group was caught in a dilemma, to there north were the extermination parties that they had been working so hard to avoid and to the south Aliens were coming to investigate the silence of there fallen soldier. They could not run, and they could not effectively hide.

That left them with one choice. Fight.

David quickly moved into a crouch and indicated to the rest of the group that they should follow suit. Marie crept slowly to the abandoned house of to there left and David crept right and laid down beside a parked car.

Catherine at a loss in terms of what she should do followed Marie into the building with the children, and moved towards the back of the house out of the line of fire.

Peter cradling his arm sat behind a car parked beside David's.

All they could do is wait; they saw the slithering movements of three troopers, moving quickly for such large creatures. They in a Y shaped formation the third covering the first two about 20 meters back in order to avoid ambush.

Marie slowly opened a window; She knew the first shot must count and for the sake of their lives could not miss. The ambush had to be perfect. One of these things had the potential firepower to kill all of them. Never mind two or three.

David was thinking similar thoughts as he aimed at the rear target. He noticed it had a harness with small alien emblems on it. Probably denoting rank.

"NOW!" David screamed.

To shots wrung out. Striking their targets.

One fell dead. The commander with incredible reactions had turned towards David. The shot rather then striking his head. Hit his shoulder. Luckily the impact thew off its aim so rather then its plasma bolts blowing David's head from his body the shots hit the building behind him. Spraying debris back into the street.

David leapt back from the vehicle falling to the ground. "GO. GO. GO! He screamed at Peter as he crawled for cover. He knew that once the surprise wore off. The cover of the vehicle wouldn't last long.

Marie desperately tried to line up the 2nd soldier, who, with slightly slower reactions was turning to fire upon her husband as well.

Peter dove after David cursing in pain at the jostling of his burn wound.

Both snakemen opened fire on the vehicle. Flipping it upside down with the force of their combined firepower and nearly crushing David and his friend.

Marie took a shot and struck the back of the snake man soldier. It shrieked with pain and turned and saturated the front of the building with fire. Marie laid down and covered her head as the entire world came crashing down around her. Pieces of drywall and glass pinned her to the ground.

David to busy to realize her situation desperately ducked and weaved as the plasma fire tore through the bottom of the vehicle and punched out through the roof. The air was instantly super heated around both of them making it desperately hard to breathe as they crawled away.

The aliens tired of this exercise and the commander made a sharp hissing sound at his wounded comrade. The wounded soldier handed his commander a small silver ball. The alien flipped a switch and tossed it over the vehicle.

David saw it come soaring in. He knew what ever it was. I could not be friendly.

He kicked the silvery orb in mid air desperately trying to distance himself from it, and by one of those one in a million chances sent it flying back just barely clearing the vehicle.

Both snakemen made high pitched hissing noises and began to slither away from the car. But it was too late.

The blast was enormous. The car was sent flipping upwards over David and Peter who were both laying on the ground. The vehicle imbedded itself within the house wall. Peter and David being hit by the remainder of the shock wave not blocked by the vehicle. Sent David and Peter skidding after it.

Marie was unburied. Her cover toppling off from off of her. Saving her life from the fiery explosion.

Nothing was left of the snakemen. Their equipment had disintegrated within the small antimatter explosion and nothing beyond some traces of blood were to be seen anyway. For the most part they had been vaporized by the massive energy release.

Every one groaned in pain and exhaustion. Catherine walked out and helped Marie get up. Peter and David rose unsteadily to there own feet. Their breaths had been knocked out of them and fatigue was evident in both their faces.

But they had to go on. To stop fighting meant merciless death.

David spoke haltingly to the others. "We have to keep going... if we go back were dead for sure."

"I want a look at that transport." Said Peter in reply.

"NO! It's too dangerous, what can we possibly gain?" said Catherine.

Marie chose to speak up. "I for one intend to learn everything about these things I can. Especially if we can somehow figure out how to fly the damn thing!

Catherine seeing David nod knew she was outvoted.

"Well I don't want to get close to those things...." She lifted the children. "This seems to be all I can do anyway."

None of her friends had time to console her on her usefulness. The death squads were getting closer, and who knew how long it would be until the aliens responded to the loss of there most recent squad.

Marie and David slapped in a fresh clip and began to creep forward. Peter following behind. The pistol held in his good hand. Catherine followed a "safe" distance back. Not wanting to be caught in a firefight.

David and Marie reached the boxy shape of the transport and leaned up against its side. There seemed to be no windows except those at the front of the craft and the rear had been opened. Assumable to allow aliens to unload swiftly.

Peter followed closely behind. David waited until he was beside him and made a silent countdown with his hands.

3... 2... 1...

All three turned around the corner simultaneously ready to fire at any living thing in the interior.

The transport was barren for the first 15 meters. Beyond this was panel after panel of electronics gear. No buttons could be seen on them. But 3D holographic displays were hovering above them. Showing maps of Edmonton an the local area, The monolithic ship in the center of the city, and what seemed like a status report of the ship.

There were two snakemen back to back. Their hands were placed on small plates that were raised slightly from the controls. The fact that they were staring intently at the displays and the constant hiss of alien communications covered the sound of David's, Marie's and Peter's footsteps had allowed them to come this close with out attracting the aliens attention.

Peter, David and Marie walked up to the two aliens their guns trained on their targets. The aliens remained so concentrated on there work that they didn't notice the humans until the barrels were firmly placed against the sides of there heads.

"You make one damn sudden move and you die fuckheads. Now put your hands on your head" Said David. The aliens, although not being able to understand the words, could understand his intentions clearly.

Both snakemen complied and placed their hands on their heads. "Peter take my spot here, I want to see if I can make anything of these controls." Peter moved up and placed his pistol on the snakemans neck.

David pulled away and looked at the screens. He couldn't understand the writing but inspection of several of the maps proved interesting. It showed small holographic figures on the citywide map, and to scale maps of the surrounding area with snakemen fighting against police and desperate civilians.

He could see a strong hold of humans a few miles to the south. He recognized it has a famous drug house "fortress" aliens had ringed it and criminals used their weapons on deserving targets for the first time. Police could be seen fighting side by side with them. He could see that despite their co-operation they would not be able to hold. Icons that obviously denoted heavy weapons were moving slowly closer as he watched.

Pictures of stupidity and selfishness contrasted this valiant battle as looters rapped and looted on the outskirts of the city. Sealing their very doom with there unwillingness to flee.

Pictures of horror as the squads of snakemen and their tanks rooted out and killed families that had barricaded themselves rather then fleeing. David flinched as he saw a man and woman fleeing and being cut down by a small circular tank analogue that hovered 5 feet of the ground.

Fires still raged through out the city. Remnants of the bombardment that had destroyed the police stations and other centers of resistance.

The ones great downtown core of Edmonton burning, buildings toppling to the ground. Flames sweeping the near by river valley and the once beautiful botanical gardens smashed beyond all recognition.

David could hear the screams in his mind. He watched as the city that he had lived his entire life in died. Punching kicking, fighting to the last breath. But dying, there was nothing he could do, and his heart filled with rage... and with hate.

But... if there after all this horror there remained any doubt about the fate of the alien captives it was ended when they saw the horrific display of what was happening inside the hospital. The snakemen had killed all the security guards, and were now displaying their carnivorous tendencies upon the wounded women and children. He screamed aloud in rage when he saw what had happened in the maternity ward.

Crying, he turned to his two compatriots his eyes burning with a nearly insane gleam. "Kill them"

Two shots rang out. They didn't even flinch when the blood splattered upon them.