"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

                                                           -PKD

• • •

            “Wow,” Daehyun’s breath fogged the spaceship glass he was leaning into, his handsome face was full of wonder, “Wow, come here guys, look!”

            The crew crowded around the viewing window.

            “There she is,” Youngjae whispered softly, his heart ached strangely. “Earth.”

            “Home sweet home,” Zelo gasped as the blue ocean caught the light of the sun, sparkling beautifully.

            “Damn, I miss this place and all the stupid people inhabiting it,” Himchan sighed, and he had to sit down before he started bawling.

            The ship hurtled down, meteor shields shrieking, closer and closer to the target. Clouds spun about the swelling blue and green globe, obscuring mountains and rivers.

            “I didn’t think we would make it back alive,” Jongup his lips, “I thought we would be stuck in Mars forever.” The crew’s face twisted, remembering the lonely and desolate wasteland that was the red planet.

            “Youngjae knows how to repair jets,” Captain Yongguk said. “You can thank him for getting us back home.”

            Turbulence increased and the spaceship rocked. Though the crew knew they should buckle in, none of them wanted to miss this hard earned moment.

            “You know what I’ll do, as soon as we touch ground?” Daehyun yelled over the increasing noise.

            “What?”

            “Eat cheesecake. I’m so damn tired of this food in a tube .”

            Everyone laughed.

            “I want to see people.” Jongup confided, “Loads of people. Tall ones, small ones, smelly, noisy. I don’t care. I want to lose myself in a crowd.”

            “I hear you,” Himchan said, “I’ll go with you to a warm beach somewhere and we can people watch together.”

            “I never though I’d miss civilization this much,” Yongguk said huskily.

            They looked at each other, six men, ragged, feverish, but eyes bright with anticipation.

            “How long?” The captain asked.

            “Another hour,” Youngjae replied, “We’ll be down in an hour.”

• • •

            The spaceship spun into the atmosphere with a shriek. It crashed onto Earth with a mighty bang, throwing the crew onto their backs. A trail was torn in the soil and trees toppled before the nose of the jet finally jammed solidly into the side of a hill.

            Silence.

            Daehyun got up onto his feet unsteadily. His forehead dripped blood from an open cut. 

            “We’re down,” He shouted, searching for his crewmates in the wreckages.

            Youngjae stirred. He groaned, dazedly forced himself up on his knees, briefly noting that his yellow jumpsuit was now torn in places. Daehyun helped him. “Thanks. Are we…?”

            “We’re down. We’re back.”

            The engines were finally silent. Only the sound of dripping coolant liquid was heard.

            Himchan and Yongguk got up slowly. “Is everything alright?” Yongguk inspected the first mate tenderly.

            Youngjae tsked. Papers and instruments were strewn about the cabin. The spaceship was beyond help. The hull along was cracked in at least four places and the viewglass flapped in and out with the wind. His heart squeezed at the state of the ship he had repaired to its former splendour, but at least they were all back on Earth.   

            “Help me please,” Zelo muttered, “I think my ankle is twisted.”

            Yongguk leant down and hoisted their youngest member up to his feet. Himchan went to revive Jongup, who was lying splayed across the floor unconscious, but otherwise was unscathed.

            “We are back,” Daehyun repeated giddily. He still couldn’t believe it.

            “And we are alive!” Youngjae beamed, before frowning with concern, “Do you think the specimens are alright?”

            Yongguk glanced at the lab door. It was buckled and he knew there was no way to force it open to check. “Nevermind, that’s not our problem anymore.”

            Himchan and Jongup unscrewed the port door. The heavy latch fell to the floor and the spaceship swung wide open.

            “Goodness.” For the first time in half a year, the crew breathed in real oxygen and the Earth scent of dirt and trees. There was something so…homey… about it, if you discount the smell of the lingering coolant.

            “Where are we?” Zelo asked as he limped out of the ship. He blinked wildly as the white-hot sunlight hit his face.

            “An island somewhere. Korea, I think.” Yongguk said, “Nevermind, there will be people here soon to pick us up.”

            A large green field stretched into the horizon on one side. There were mountains in the distance, jutting sharply into the crystal like air. Fifty meters away was a small town road, with one lonely phone booth on the side. Jongup hopped excitedly at the chance to call his family before realizing none of them had change. They had no need for it on the ship.

            “What’s that sound?” Himchan asked.

            “It’s a train,” Yongguk replied. The captain and his crew turned as one to find it chugging along in the distance. They watch transfixed as it traveled across the tracks before disappearing from view. A faint wind rippled the grassy field. Down the town road were a small movie theatre, a café, and a motel.

            “Do you think anyone heard us?” Zelo asked.

            “They must have. The crash was so noisy.”

            “We’ll be greeted like returning warriors!”

            Himchan took a step into the field and flailed, “Holy crap, I’m falling!”

            Yongguk laughed. “That’s just your body getting used to the gravity. We’ve been in space too long.” The captain leaped out of the space ship and made his way towards town. The rest of the crew followed him.

            “Maybe we’ll get free food,” Daehyun said, picking at his tattered uniform, “Do you think we’ll get free food? We deserve it.”

            “We’ll get everything. Keys to the town. A parade. Probably a national holiday named in our honour,” Youngjae smiled a small smile.

            “But the free food.” Daehyun stressed.

            “You are obsessed.” Youngjae told the chief navigator, as the handsome man mouthed cheesecake at him.

            “Look,” Yongguk whispered huskily to Himchan, “There is someone watching us.”

            “They are kids,” Himchan smiled, “Lets go say hi.”

            The six of them wadded through the fresh green grass towards the town children. Two girls and a tall boy on his bicycle.

            “Man it smells like spring,” Zelo whispered, as he limped along the wet Earth, one arm over Jongup’s solid shoulder.

            Jongup computed, “its April the second.”

            They hurried, and the kids stood watching them, silent and unmoving.

            “Hey!” Daehyun shouted, “We are back!”

            “What town is this?” Youngjae asked.

            As they stepped closer Himchan could see that the kids were pale and staring, eyes wide.

            “What’s wrong?” Zelo murmured.

            “It’s probably how beat up we look,” Yongguk said uneasily, looking at their torn clothing and scratched skin. Daehyun was bleeding from a forehead wound and Zelo was limping.

            “Don’t be scared,” Youngjae said, holding his hands out in a sign of peace, “We are back from Mars. The rocket launch last year, that’s us. Remember?”

            The kids stared, ashen, suddenly they turned and fled. The boy abandoned his bike, which fell to the Earth with a clatter. They dashed frantically towards town.

            The crew watched them go with bewilderment.

            “What the hell,” Daehyun whispered, “What’s wrong with us? What’s going on?”

            “It’s our wounds,” Yongguk repeated, uneasy.

            “Something’s wrong.” Youngjae said, shakily. The engineer began to tremble. “There is something terribly wrong.”

            “Stop it!” Zelo shouted anxiously. The young rigger put his hands against his ears to block out Youngjae’s lament.

            “He’s right,” Captain Yongguk said. “That doesn’t help. It’s just that we look like dirty tramps. Come on.” He started after the children, towards the town. “They’ve probably got a special car on the way here. We’ll meet them and they’ll get us out of here.”

            Youngjae and Daehyun glanced at each other. They followed the captain slowly. The others fell in behind.

            Silent, apprehensive, the six made their way across the field and into the town.

• • •

            A woman walking her dog scurried away when she caught sight of them. Some track repair men threw down their shovels and ran, shouting.

             Numbly, the crew watched the entire town flee at their approach.

            “What’s going on?” Jongup asked, baffled.

            The six reached the road and looked down the street. There was a gas station, convenience stores, parked cars, and a hotel. The cars moved slowly down the road and shoppers ambled down the sidewalk leisurely. When the crew emerged from the field, a filling attendant looked up and froze.

            After a few seconds, he dropped the hose he was holding and ran darted down the main street, shouting warnings. Cars stopped. Drivers and passengers leaped out and ran. Men and women poured out of the stores and scattered wildly. Around them the humans retreated hastily, leaving the main road deserted and devoid of life after a mere minute.

            “Holy crap,” Yongguk was confused now. No state of downtrodden tramp-ness warranted this sort of response. “What—” The six crossed the street. No one was in sight.

            Dazed and silent, the crew made their way down the road. Nothing stirred. Various things like watering cans and sweeping brooms were abandoned where they lay in the midst of a task.  A car backed away from them. A pale, frightenned face peeked out from an upper storey window. When Zelo caught sight of it, the shutters slammed shut frantically.

            “I don’t understand,” Jongup rubbed his head.

            “Is everyone nuts?” Himchan asked, “Are we in a town of crazies?”

            Yongguk said nothing. His mind was blank. Numb. He was tired, so he sat down on the hot concrete curb, digging in his jacket for a cigarette. There was a café across the street, with coffee still boiling on the counter and hamburgers burning on the skillet. A single green apple rolled slowly down the slopped road, it had slid out of an abandoned shopping bag lying on the sidewalk. Jongup watched its progress without comment.

            “So what now?” Zelo asked, his face twisting as he observed his broken ankle, “What do we do now?”

            “Who knows?”

            “We shouldn’t just—”

            “I don’t know!” Yongguk got up. He strode across the street and into the café. The crew watched him sit at the counter.

            “What is he doing?” Himchan asked.

            “You know him best, why don’t you go ask?” Daehyun prompted.

            Himchan followed Yongguk into the empty café and sat beside him. The captain was flipping through the menu.

            “What are you doing Gukkie?” Himchan asked, tired.

            “I’m waiting to be served.” Was the husky reply.

            “You can’t. There is no one here. They all left.” The first mate put a hand on his captain’s shoulder, and tried to pull him up.

            Yongguk wouldn’t budge from the spot. His face was vacant. He sat passively at the counter, waiting.

            Himchan went back out. “What the hell is wrong with them all?” He asked Youngjae, as if the engineer could compute an answer. Youngjae shrugged, feeling scared.

            A grey and white husky came, sniffing around the five congregated outside the café. From where he stood Daehyun could read the tiny letters spelling ‘Brownie’ engraved on the metal collar tag. He briefly wondered whether dogs were edible, but then recalled that they weren’t. Brownie snarled at the five, yipped and scrambled away.

            “Even the dog hates us,” Jongup sighs, depressed.

            “Faces,” Youngjae whispered.

            “Faces?”

            “Up there. Watching.” Youngjae pointed towards a building far away.

            “They are all hiding from us. Why? Why are they so scared? I don't understand!” Daehyun asked.

            “Something is coming this way.” Zelo said. The five turned eagerly to see two black jeeps, heading down the street towards them.

            “Oh finally. Thank goodness. They are finally here,” Youngjae smiled. Zelo leaned against a building wearily, taking weight off his injured leg.

            The two cars pulled up to the curb and screeched to a stop. Men and women in blue jumpsuits and black rubber boots jumped out.

            “Gee, the space agency’s uniform certainly got uglier while we were away,” Himchan muttered.

            “I’m General Hyosung,” An unsmiling lady with short brown hair and black sunglasses said. There was an edge to her voice. She scanned the five of them intently. “Where is the other one?”

            “Do you mean Captain Yongguk? He’s in here.” Youngjae pointed at the café where the captain’s lonesome back figure faced them.

            “Get him out here.”

            Youngjae went into the café. “Captain, they are here to pick us up. Come on.”

            Yongguk came along with him back to the curb, squinting as his eyes meet the sun, “Who are they Youngjae?” He asked sharply. He didn’t recognize the uniforms or the faces.

            “That’s the six.” Hyosung nodded. She made a curt gesture with her hands and the men moved in. Surrounded, the six crew members were crowded back towards the brick wall of the café.

            “Wait!” Daehyun cried thickly. His head was spinning, “What—what’s happening?” 

            The uniformed men had weapons. Nozzles, hoses and tanks were taken out of the vans by some while others flanked them. The fell in on the six.

            “Please! What is it?” Youngjae asked desperately. Tears rolled down his face. “Will you please tell us what’s going on?”

            The soldiers standing by, and it was now clear that these men and women were soldiers, wielded their machine guns and removed the safety.

            “For god’s sake, tell us what we did! What’s happening?” Himchan demanded anxiously, as the crew of the ship frightfully backed away from the soldier and their weapons, right into a wall.

            Suddenly hope flickered in Zelo’s mind. “They don’t know what we are! They think we are invaders.” He addressed General Hyosung calmly, though there was a gun pointed at his face. “We are the crew from the Mars expedition from last October. We have returned. We’re back. I’m Zelo. Our captain is Bang Yongguk. Remember?” His voice trailed off as the soldiers did not stop their advance. The weapons came up, muzzles, hoses, and nozzles directed at them.

            “We’re back! It’s us!” Jongup insisted. “We are the Earth-Mars expedition, come back!” The young explorer backed into the cold hard brick.

            General Hyosung’s face was expressionless. “That sounds fine.” She said coldly, “Except the ship crashed and blew up when upon entering Mars’ atmosphere. None of the crew survived. We know this because we sent a robot scavenging team and brought back the bodies of the crew—all six of them.”

            The soldiers fired. Blazing napalm sprayed towards the six figures, who were slow to move out of the way. They ignited. The soldiers saw their clothing catch fire, and then the sight was cut off as a huge flame engulfed the six thrashing bodies. They could no longer see them, but they could hear them. It was not something any of them enjoyed hearing, but they stood rooted to the spot, watching and waiting with their fingers on the trigger, in case one escaped the deadly inferno.

• • •

            General Hyosung kicked at the charred remains with her boot. “I can’t be sure,” She said, “Perhaps there are only five here…but I did not see any of them get away. They didn’t have the time or the mindset.” At the pressure of her foot, a fragment of the dark ash broke away, bubbling and steaming.

            Her companion Jieun was shocked. New at this job, she could not believe what she just saw the napalm do. “I—” she squeaked, and cleared . “I think I’ll go sit in the car.” She stumbled away from Hyosung.

            “It’s not over for sure yet.” Hyosung scanned the horizon, and then she saw the younger woman’s face. “But yes, why don’t you go sit down.”

            As the pretty woman walked towards the car, people began filtering out of the building and their hiding places. Faces peeked eagerly and apprehensively out of windows.

            “Yes!” A boy shouted excited, “You got ‘em! You got the outer space spies!”

            People took out their cell phones and snapped pictures. A woman who worked for the news was chattering quickly into her headset. The curious people appeared from all sides and formed a semi circle around the indiscriminate mass of charred remains.

            “, that smells,” A man gasped.

            Her hands trembling, Jieun opened the door to the black sedan and tucked herself into the driver seat. She brushed the ash shakily from her uniform and locked the doors. The radio was buzzing and she turned it off. At the entrance to the café, the blue uniformed soldiers remained, conferring with each other. Presently, they broke up in to groups. A number of them started off at a trot, down the street, while other disappeared into the alleyway beside the café. Jieun watched them go with a wince. What a nightmare. A sudden knock startle her like a rabbit. She whirled around, catching sight of the commander outside the car, tapping.

            “Feeling better?” Hyosung asked as Jieun rolled down the window.

            “Much better,” Jieun lied. “So this is what…the twenty-second time?”

            “Twenty-third. Every couple of weeks…the same names, the same faces, the same men. I can’t tell you that you’ll get used to it. But at least it won’t surprise you after a while.”

            “I don’t see any differences between them and us,” Jieun said, “It was just like burning up six human beings. The screams…”

            “No.” Hyosung opened the car door and got into the passenger seat, beside Jieun. “That’s the point. They only looked exactly like human beings. It is their intent. You know what really happened to Jongup, Himchan, Youngjae and Daehyun, and Zelo—”

            “I know,” Jieun closed her eyes, “But I can’t get over that somebody or something out there saw their spaceship go down. Saw them die and investigated the bodies before we could. I can’t believe that they would use the image of our old team mates, getting everything just right from the personality down to the voice, before sending them to Earth. Only for us to murder them. I just don't understand.”

            Silence.

            “What do you think they want?” Jieun asked.

            Hyosung’s lip set into a line. “I don’t know. I can’t tell you.”

            “Is there anything else we can do with them?”

            Hyosung laughed dryly, “We don’t know anything about the imitations, other than this: they are sent to Earth again and again. What is their goal? To sneak past us?” Her face turned despairing, “Are they crazy? Do they think that everyone on the planet are named Yongguk and Jongup and Daehyun and Zelo? That’s what really depresses me…Maybe the only reason they have not invaded Earth yet is that they don’t understand we’re individuals. Imagine how much worse it would be if they sent something else. Not one of those poor miserable six who died on Mars—something else we couldn’t know was an imitation…”

            “So…”

            “It’s a blessing that these are the six we have to kill. Everytime.”

            A female soldier with long brown hair in a ponytail waved at the two from outside the sedan. Hyosung leaned out to talk with her.

            “There are only five,” Zinger whispered, her lips nervously, “Sunhwa could only count five remains. One must have got away; they think they saw him. He’s hurt and not moving very fast. We are going to go after him now.”

            “I’ll go with you,” Hyosung stepped out of the van, taking the safety off her gun. She turned to Jieun, “You stay here and keep your eyes open.” The two strode off into the alleyway with the rest of the soldiers, black rubber boots squeaking against the concrete.

            Jieun leant back into the seat and locked all the doors. The van felt stuffy, so she opened one window slightly. She rested her head on her arm, thinking. Imitations…everyone’s terrified. But…

            Had anyone really tried to reach them? To make contact?

            Two policemen in navy appeared, controlling the crowd, moving the curious people out of the way. A third army van appeared and soldiers jumped out. They wore real army fatigues, not the blue jumpsuit and black rubber boots meant to protect human skin from napalm. One of the men walked away from the unit and approached her car.

            “Do you have your radio on?” He asked gruffly.

            “No,” Jieun said, and snapped it back on.

            “If you see one, you know how to kill it right?”

            “Yes,” she said.

            The soldier nodded and went on to join his group.

            If it was up to me, Jieun thought, what would I do? Would I try to find out what they want? Whatever they are, they look so human, sound so human…act so human. They must feel like humans. Would they become humans, given time?

            A figured detached itself from the crowd of people. The shape moved uncertainly towards her. It stopped, shook its head, staggered and caught itself. The figure took on a stance like the people near it, turning away from Jieun, but it was too late.

            She recognized the face. She’s been trained to.

            The six were engrained in her mind after months of shooting at stationary targets in their likeness. This one had somehow discarded its torn yellow jumpsuit for a pair of clean slacks and a shirt, but its fingers were singed and there were dried tracks of tears on its cheeks. The crowd around the figure paid it no mind, but Jieun watched it carefully.

            This exact one had a baby face, really. Big eyes, soft hair. Something vulnerable about the way it stood, huddled and bewildered as it considered all of its companions, dead and reduced to a pile of ash. Jieun knew it was the engineer. According to the personality file she was given, it was a bit sensitive. 

            If it starts crying, Jieun thought, I am going to lose it.

           But the figure didn’t cry. It just stood in place, numb and dazed. Jieun would have been content with simply observing it, if it did not suddenly turn and look at her.

           She backed into the seat as the figure approached the van. She raised her pistol and aimed at the stomach. That’s where she’s been taught to fire. On the practice range she shot at chart after chart. Right in the midsection…bisecting it. Like a bug.

           There was an expression of pain and confusion on its vulnerable face. The expression deepened as it realized what Jieun was about to do. It stopped, facing her, and made no moves to escape. Jieun realized that it had been severely burned. Even if it wanted to, it probably would not survive.

           “I have to,” she pleaded.

            It stared at her, and opened its mouth.

           “Hurry,” it whispered softly, “It hurts.”

            The gunshot was startling. Jieun felt a wave of vertigo as she watched the figure with the baby face collapse onto the cement.

            What I did was wrong, she thought, dizzyingly looking at the crumpled, helpless shape. I fired because I was afraid. But I had to even if it wasn’t right. It came here to infiltrate Earth. It’s wrong to imitate a human, especially one who died. We’ve been told—we have to believe, that they are evil and plotting. That they are inhuman and will never be anything more than that.

            Thank god it’s finally over, she thought.

            Then she remembered it wasn’t.

• • •

• • •

            It was a warm day in July.

           The ship landed with a roar, tearing the earth and toppling trees. It ploughed into a field, across a fence and fell into a ravine and stopped.

           Silence.

           Daehyun got unsteadily to his feet. His shoulder was hurt. He shook his head dazed, and went to search for his crewmates in the wreckages.

          “We’re down,” he said, voice rising in awe, “We’re finally down!”

          “Help me,” Youngjae said, he was under a piece of equipment which Daehyun shouldered out of the way. The two got up and Youngjae brushed the dust off his ripped yellow jumpsuit.

          Captain Yongguk and Himchan got up shakily to observe the damage. The ship seemed beyond repair.

          Zelo sat up and wiped the blood dripping down his neck. His scalp somehow got cut in the crash. That didn’t matter though, they were finally home.

          “Is everything okay?” The captain asked.

           Youngjae tsked as he observed the papers and equipment scattered across the floor. The ship was in shambles and the specimen door was smashed. “I think we lost the specimens.”

          “That’s not our problem anymore.” Himchan made his way to the hatch, unscrewing the bolts with trembling fingers.

          “We’re back,” Jongup grinned.

          “I can’t believe it. It doesn’t seem possible,” Daehyun took in a deep breath as real oxygen flooded into the cabin.

          “Someone should get the camera,” Zelo said. Jongup rummaged through the wreckages until he found a dented black box.

          “It’s slightly banged up,” The helmsman said, “But maybe it’ll still work.”

          “We need to take a picture of all six of us, outside.” Himchan said, “Everyone squeeze in!” The man tugged the protesting captain into a big hug and beckoned at the rest of the members.

           Jongup put the camera on a self timer and balanced it precariously on the open port door. He scrambled out to join the others.

          “Say ‘we’re home!’” Zelo said, excitedly. A chorus of voices joined him.

           The six tattered crew stooped by their smashed spaceship as the camera clicked. They suddenly fell silent, gazing across the green countryside as the wind gently rippled the grass.

           “God I miss this place,” Yongguk said huskily, a strange squeeze in his heart.

           “And all of its annoying people,” Himchan agreed.

           “And all the food,” Daehyun added. Youngjae laughed at him. 

            The six glanced at each other, eyes shining.

           “We’re back!” Jongup cried joyously, “We’ve finally come back!” 

• • •

AN: Don't kill me please.

(I promised some of you a Daejae story with sassy Himchan and an actual happy ending, but thats actually the next story not this one sodon'tkillmeplease)

I think I will leave it off here, but if I get enough comments that want me to continue, I might write more. The mystery will be revealed and there will eventually be some sort of closure. Also ships. SHIPSHIPSHIPSHIPSHIPS

As always, if you leave me a comment, I will love you and pull you into a big baby reunion hug, and we can spazz about b.a.p. together. I like to know where I need to improve  and I love hearing criticisms or to just spazz about b.a.p with you. Either is fine. Also I feel kind of mean, because it seems like the poor bap boys suffers unfortunate demises in all my stories. T-T If this story does not continue, here is what happened at the end: Hyosung kills them all. T-T