Bluebird Chapter 12

Bluebird Chapter 12

An Ongoing Story by Selomon

[Bluebird is an ongoing sci-fi fantasy story. Read Chapter 1 HERE]

The hour went by very slowly. A few times I thought the clock on the wall stopped moving. But it was just my impatient curiosity deceiving me. I nibbled on my food to distract myself from how impatient I was being.

I got up as nonchalantly as I could and put the empty box in the trash next to the doors. It was dark outside. There were bright flood lights all around the perimeter. Some others were spread out around the grounds, but it seemed most people were still in the mess hall. 

It took me a while before I found the lady. I nearly gave up after walking around for thirty minutes. There was a small slice of shadow from the flood lights that she was under. It was easy to miss. The only reason I saw her was because she threw a few small rocks my way to get my attention.

“Hey. I wasn’t sure I’d find you,” I said to her once I got into the shade. 
“That’s why I sit here. When they drug me into this place and sat me down in General Braddock’s office, I noticed a tablet. Something happened outside and an alarm sounded. When the General got up to look out the window, I stuffed the tablet in the back of my shirt. That night, I looked and looked until I found this spot.”
“So you hid the tablet here?” I asked her.
“Yes,” she replied, pulling it out. 
“Why would you show me this already? You just met me,” I replied to her.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Just have a feeling like you’re going to help me. Help us all,” she said.
“How?” I asked. 
“That will become clear in time. But for now, I have some information I dug up on this tablet that I need to get to someone. We need to find a way to get out of here and find them.”

That sent a sinking feeling into my stomach. I looked around. There were armed guards, a large fence with barbed wire around the entire grounds. I didn’t even know this person and they were asking me to help them escape. It was too much. 

“Whoa. Now that sounds like a risky plan. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I can’t just agree to put myself in danger for this,” I finally told her. 

She tapped on the tablet and it lit up. She pulled a small box out from underneath a rock and plugged it into the tablet’s charging port. She tapped it a few more times and it turned the brightness all the way down so it was barely noticeable.

“Here,” she said, handing it to me. 

There were multiple folders on the screen. One of them said, ‘Bluebird’. She told me to open it. When I did, a report came up on the screen.

Staff Message Division

Incoming Classified Message

To: CIA, FBI, DOD,  DOJ, WASH DC, USSS, USAF, USN, USMC, USO, USNG, AA, US, UN, BAFF, ALL APPLICABLE PARTIES

10 Jul  2021

PROJECT BLUEBIRD is now moving forward with phase one. Initialize all forces and begin to set the stage. This will be a 36 month mobilization process with phase two beginning 15 Aug 2026.

All reports are TOP SECRET. Clearance only with TOP SECURITY access.

I looked away from the screen to see her face staring back at me. She expected me to know what it meant. I was still confused. 

“I don’t understand,” I said.
“Look at the date for phase two,” she replied.
“August fifteenth?”
“Yea. Do you even know what today is?” she asked me.

Since that first explosion in the city, I had not thought about what day it was or what the date was. I guess when my life is in danger, I don’t think about things like that.

“No. Sorry, I was literally running for my life,” I replied.
“No offense meant. But today is August 17th, 2024. Two days ago, is when the first attack happened. The same date they’ve been preparing two years for,” she said.
“So, what does that mean? They knew it was going to happen or what?” I asked. 

“Not only that,” She began. “There were reports online that showed the military moving forces away from the major attack points. They set up these camps around each city a few weeks before we got hit. Not a single alien ship has gone close to a camp either. Why do you think that is?” 

My head started spinning. I gave the tablet back to her and put my face into my hands. If what she thought was true, then this very well could be a prison.

[Read chapter 13 HERE]