Gardens of Destruction

General Patterson tossed and turned in bed, caught in a half-awake state where coherent thoughts intermittently gave way to nonsensical dreams filled with jumbled images, sounds, and colors. Rising from bed while darkness still enveloped the outside, he checked the time – it was about five in the morning. Realizing further sleep was futile, Patterson dressed quickly in the dark. He knew the guards outside were pointless; if the savage entities they faced decided to attack, those guards wouldn’t stand a chance.

Staring out the window, watching dawn break, Patterson wished he could wake up to find the colossal structure embedded in the field gone. He sighed, knowing his dreams wouldn’t come true anytime soon. What troubled him most was the child, Valentina. For the first time, he shirked the responsibility weighing on him. Clearly, something was amiss with her, but he found it hard to classify her as an enemy. Pondering Dr. Chu’s last words, he couldn’t believe her prophecy that the child would save humanity. It seemed absurd to trust such a notion. Perhaps it was part of a scheme by those beings to infiltrate and learn human plans. Patterson contemplated a large-scale assault on the object. If only the shield was down, he’d incinerate everything inside.

Should he send the child to a secret laboratory? The thought gave him a headache from the strain. He needed a break, a long one.

His thoughts were interrupted by persistent knocking at his door. Patterson’s heart clenched momentarily – no one would dare disturb him at this early hour without a grave reason.

“General, an urgent report!” came the voice of his secretary.

“I’m coming, just a second,” Patterson replied.

Opening the door, he faced the grim expressions of his subordinates.

“What is it? I assume it’s not good news?”

“Yes, Sir! Another town has been depopulated tonight.”

Patterson felt his heart tighten.

“Tell me everything!” he uttered faintly after a moment of deadly silence, struggling to grasp the gravity of the situation.

“It’s identical to the previous incident, Sir. But this time, there wasn’t even a 911 call. It happened silently. Our patrol found them just now. Today was the scheduled evacuation day.”

Patterson held his head in his hands.

“When will this nightmare end!” he sighed with an icy voice.

“Any survivors?” he asked, regaining composure.

“No, Sir, no known survivors. The teams haven’t reached the site yet, but they haven’t reported any.”

“Clear the area quietly, and let’s not cause a stir in the base, especially not before the operation!”

“As you command, Sir!” The secretary stood at attention and swiftly departed to execute the orders.

Several hours later, General Patterson and Professor Bernstein found themselves engrossed in the chilling footage of the latest attack. In the dimly lit confines of the general’s office, the two men peered over the haunting images.

“Everything appears disturbingly familiar,” Professor Bernstein remarked with a level voice, setting the photographs back into their folder.

“Yes, it seems they operate in a consistent manner. But this time, we might just find out how they arrived, Professor!” Patterson’s eyes met Bernstein’s with a glint of determination.

“Really? How so?” Bernstein’s brows arched in surprise.

“We’ve got footage from a webcam this time,” Patterson revealed, his voice laced with a grim satisfaction.

“Truly? May I see it?” Bernstein’s curiosity was palpable.

“This is still classified, but damn it, what does it matter now when the world’s falling apart!” Patterson exclaimed and swiftly entered the top-secret access code into the computer.

The screen flickered to life, displaying a video of modest quality. Both men leaned in as the footage unfolded before them. They watched, transfixed, as a smaller replica of the colossal object crashed into the ground at the heart of the town. The object opened like an umbrella, revealing a Swiss-cheese-like underside. From these holes emerged an array of bizarre creatures, their descriptions defying words. They dispersed throughout the town, moving with a purpose that was both methodical and terrifying.

The screams of victims soon filled the air, muted by the creatures’ apparent use of some tranquilizing agent. In mere minutes, the town was eerily depopulated, with the attackers carrying the dazed inhabitants back to the spacecraft.

“Like a finely-tuned machine, they are,” Professor Bernstein broke the heavy silence, his voice a mere whisper.

“Watch, it continues,” Patterson urged, his face grim.

The footage went on to display a truly harrowing scene. Several townfolk were laid out on the ground, their faces turned skyward. An unseen object was inserted into their mouths. After completing their grim task, the spacecraft closed and shot upwards into the unknown.

The video ended, and this time Professor Bernstein was slow to comment. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to drain the oxygen from the room, making the air feel increasingly stifling despite the open window.

“Well, Professor, do you have anything to add?” Patterson finally shattered the silence.

“I’m shocked, of course. Who wouldn’t be? This is monstrous. And I was on their side... I thought there was no way we couldn’t come to an understanding...” Bernstein’s voice trailed off, lost in thought.

“Calm down, don’t blame yourself. No one could have predicted this. Believe me, I’m the last person who wants another war, but now it’s inevitable,” Patterson confessed, rubbing his face wearily.

“I wish we could communicate with them, understand what they want,” Bernstein mused, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

“We’ll need to study the child carefully, General. She might just be the key to understanding them,” Bernstein suggested, a spark of hope in his voice.

“We have a serious problem with that, Bernstein!” Patterson said, locking eyes with the professor.

“What do you mean?” Bernstein’s concern was evident.

Patterson pulled out a piece of paper from his desk, already aware of its contents.

“Orders!” he felt compelled to explain.

In the dimly lit confines of his office, General Patterson twirled the paper between his fingers, the weight of its message burdening his thoughts. He placed it back on the desk with a resigned sigh.

“They want the child! The helicopter is already en route. I sent the report last night, and this morning, this arrived!” he said, thumping the paper with a clenched fist.

“Damn it, we won’t have the chance to study her! And... Jana, does she know?” Professor Bernstein asked, concern etching his features.

“Doctor Petroff, she’s not been informed yet. I don’t know how we’ll explain it, but the explicit order is to transfer only the child, without her. We don’t know how the little one will react, we might never get her cooperation!” Patterson responded, his voice strained with uncertainty.

“Jana will be devastated if they take her now!” exclaimed Bernstein, his voice tinged with anger. “They have no right to do this, she’s an American citizen with rights.”

“Forget about rights, Joseph! Nobody can stop them from taking her.”

“Damn the military! Why don’t you call the President?”

“I tried, they refused to connect me, I don’t understand why!” Patterson tapped his fingers nervously.

“Will you give her to them?” Bernstein asked softly.

Patterson rose from his chair and began pacing the room. “I’ve already refused them!”

“Wonderful, you’ve never lacked courage, but this is beyond anything!” Bernstein responded with admiration in his eyes.

“They laughed at me, Bernstein! For the first time in my career, someone has been so insolent with me! They openly stated that my opinion no longer matters, they are coming here.”

“Does this mean the President won’t support you?”

“I don’t know, Professor! He’s never ignored me like this before. He always responds to my urgent calls. Something’s happening there, and while we here are wondering what to do, they in Washington continue with their political games!” Patterson slammed his fist on the table.

Bernstein sighed heavily. “You must reach the President at all costs. If you explain that we’re doing everything possible to deal with... those things, then he might trust you again.”

“I doubt it, my friend!” Patterson replied uncharacteristically. “I don’t believe I can convince him. It would be a miracle if I’m still in my position by the end of the day. And we’re so close to the decisive battle. If it’s true that the shield is gone, then we might succeed in destroying it.”

“Do you think yesterday’s events are related?”

“You don’t know those greedy dogs as well as I do!” Patterson exclaimed. “They’d sell their own mother for money and power! They waited for me to organize the operation and then someone else to reap the laurels by simply pressing the start button!”

“That’s despicable! But knowing what happens in the scientific community, I’m not surprised.”

“Their thirst for glory has blinded them, Joseph! They don’t see the colossal threat we’re facing. Because of their pathetic attempts to lead, they’ll ruin everything we’ve achieved so far, even though it’s not much.”

“It’s hard for me to accept that anyone could take the danger lightly.”

“And why not, in the photos the object doesn’t look that big. Whatever we send them, it all looks like a cheap sci-fi movie, something watched from a distance and not a real threat!” Patterson paced and shouted.

“Calm down, sit down. - Bernstein urged – It might not be as bad as you think. You may just be imagining they’re out to get you. Maybe no one wants to pull the hot potato out of the fire?”

“You’re an idealist, Joseph, that’s why I’ve always had immense respect for you, there are few people like you left in this world. And those fools don’t understand that without scientists like you, we wouldn’t have half of what is now part of our everyday live.”

“Thank you, General, your assessment is very valuable to me, I’m glad to be under your command!”

“Not for long, Bernstein, not for long!” he pointed out the window to the landing helicopter.

“Have they already come for the child?” Bernstein asked, genuinely saddened.

Patterson turned to face him, a slight smile on his face. “Actually, the main target isn’t her, my friend. I am the prey!”