Phillipa operated the flight lever in her sky-fighter that she had commandeered from a ground patrol, after her escape from the resistance lair. The Flagships docking bay was in sight as she glided the craft into the mouth and manouvered in for a gentle touchtown in level 14, bay 12.

She had made contact ahead of her arrival and Commander Frank and Sun-Commander Michele met her in the docking bay. Phillipa was immediately talking as she marched down the ramp of her sky-fighter, "I was captured as I said...but it ended in triamph...not just because I escaped them, but because now I know the secret location of their rebel base"

Michele could see that her fellow visitor female had tappered her damaged mask up as best as she could.

Frank walked along side her as the three of them made their way across the busy hangar. He forced on a pleased smile as he spoke, "Well done..."

Michele was eager to get started. She turned to her superior, "we better start planning our attack strategy"

Frank nodded in agreement, "yes we must...come quickly, we need an urgent meeting in the conference room..."

VVV

Frank had to work fast. The World liberation front had recently developed a bacterium toxin that was lethel to his own people. The Bacterium had been found in the remains of a hybrid baby born in LA a few weeks back. But a spy planted in the LA resistance had informed the Visitors, so the network had concocted a fictional story about the toxin red dust being sprayed out into the atmosphere, using military aircraft stolen from abandoned military airfields across the country.

John, the Visitor's supreme commander, had ordered all his best troops - the very best that Pamela had brought along with her - to surround the airbases and stop the attack.

But un-beknown to the aliens, their real attack was to been made via using balloons.

Frank smiled and drove his personal shuttle towards the darkening sky - he had to warn the Washington resistance cell of Phillipa's escape and the up coming attack on their secret headquarters.

VVV

The rebels had awoken early. They had learned a few days ago about releasing the bacteria toxin in the balloons, and Sean Steele and Ross Morrell had picked up their shipment from a food outlet where the red dust was disguised in pots of cream.

The shipment had arrived by truck at sunrise, and now all they had to do was scoop up the dust and fill up kiddies balloons.

This was the job for members of the resistance that weren't necessarily gun happy. Joey Carter was put in charge of a section and he tried to add some cheer to the mundane task and crack a few jokes that even the gloomy Kath Wagner managed to hint a smile - at last there was some hope of winning this thing...

VVV

Toni Morrell screamed the place down when she entered the lab that morning and found the cage empty and that their Visitor prisoner had escaped.

Sean was fuming - Phillipa would alert the her people of the whereabouts of their secret base.

Toni was appalled as she cradled Amy's mutilated body in her arms, "She's dead...that murdered her!"

Sean glanced down to her, "I don't want to sound callous, Toni...but if that gets to her friends - then there will be a whole bunch of us dead too"

Duncan Rendall came running along the vault corridor, gun slung over his shoulder, "Sean! A shuttles landed a few blocks away...Paula's tracking it now"

Toni stood up and gulped, she was glad that her daughter Carla was safely at the smokey mountains camp - if anything happened to her or Ross - at least she was safe...

VVV

Paula Davidson was up on the banks roof, Duncan Rendall was standing next to her as he looked around and saw Sean and Ross come up from the fire-escape.

"Is it them?", Sean was calling out ahead.

Paula focused on the powerful binoculars she was looking through - the empty street below was now not empty.

"there's a Visitor, wait...", she looked back to face Sean, "...it's Frank!"

VVV

In the vaults makeshift conderence room, Frank was talking quickly, "Michele will be leading the attack here - there's no need to move your base - it's today - the balloons need to be released today..."

"It's V-Day!", Paula laughed chewing her gum, everybody gathered around wanting to listen to every word what was going down.

"Once the toxin gets into the atmosphere...the ground troops will start to die off - the bacteria attacks our respiratory systems"

Toni frowned from where she stood with an arm around her husband, "What about you - and your friends - won't they die too?"

Frank shook his head at her, "No...there is an anti-toxin capsule that has been given out to all of us...we should be safe"

Sean came forward through the crowd, "lets hope so - we are gonna need your help more than ever if they start using their laser cannons against us..."

VVV

The Shuttles landed on the green in Maryland. Michele came striding down the ramp and was soon surrounded by her gold helmeted troops.

"Get the blockades set up...all road and access streets are to be completely sealed off"

She turned at the sight of the laser cannon being off loaded from one of the shuttles and smiled, "within a few short hours - the rebels here will be vapourised!"

...

Frank was preparing to leave the bank vault as he came to the exit, he turned to Sean and Ross - Kath Wagner was in earshot.

"...oh, there is something else I need to inform you about...I know I couldn't promise it...but Sam Walker will be rescued from the flagship"

Kath dropped the tray she was holding...

VVV

Joey Walker had slipped away from the vault. He had seen the blockades and knew that the Visitors were preparing for their final assault.

It had taken a few hours, but he hurried up the tree lined street of the familiar clapboard housing. It had been quite awhile since he had been around this neighbourhood.

It seemed deserted...where the hell was everybody or had the meat trucks come around and herded everyone to one of the many human processing plants scattered about the district.

Joey shuddered at the very idea of it - his mom and dad were packed away somewhere aboard the mothership over Washington - would he ever see them again? Sam Walker was going to be rescued but what was going to happen to everybody else?

He looked up to see Caitlin Ryan standing on the steps to her house in front of the sun porch.

"Caitlin! Thank god!", he called running across the deserted street towards her.

Caitlin was surprized to see him - she hadn't seen nothing of Joey for more than six months, "Joey! I thought you went away with your family?", she cried, grasping his arms tightly because she was so pleased to see him.

"No, I joined the resistance people! You know, the World liberation front - It's V-Day Caitlin, you've gotta help us win our planet back from those monsters!"

Caitlin smiled at him, the sun bright on her face, "Joey - I can't...I can't leave Mom...she's..."

Joey peered into the glass and saw Juliet Ryan in her nightgown rocking in a chair with a teddy bear on her lap muttering to herself.

"She's taken this...all so badly...the Visitors I mean...she's had a massive break down and she doesn't know what day it is half the time...and with the hospital's all closed and that...she's only got me..."

Joey smiled at her, "then watch out for the balloons Caitlin...tell your friends, Ben and the others...tell them all to watch out for the balloons!"

Caitlin suddenly frowned at him, "Ben? Aren't you being a little too nice"

Joey shook his head at her as he sat next to her on the low wall near the hedge, "I'm a changed man Caitlin - I was bad to Ben...me and the others for him being what he is...but then everybody  me because my parents were scientists...I was singled out just like he had been...", he looked to the crazy-paving feeling choked, "...my parents who I will never see again..."

Caitlin could see how horrible this was for him, she had become well aware of people vanishing into the night...you only had to look around, half the neighbourhood had disappeared.

She took his hand and looked into his eyes and then kissed him, "Everything will be okay, Joey - you're see - you just wait till we beat this thing...and I will be waiting for you...

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