The Human Insurgency by J. Kirsch Read Free Book Online Page A

that."
     
    Q: "John, there are many experts who believe
that the aliens, ruthless as they are, have not used their full
firepower on us. That they've held back. Do you think this is
true?"
     
    A: "Tanya, let's look at the facts. The
reports I saw showed that the Invaders came at us with nearly 100
carrier-sized ships and probably tens of thousands of fighters, not
to mention transports and the troops they've already put on the
ground. Now look at what we were able to do. The victories in
China, in the Middle East, some promising defensive triumphs in the
U.S. Look at the string of fortress towns the Americans were able
to build along the Colorado Rockies. Even the British are rallying
with an insurgency against the Invaders, who have gone from
occupying 90% of England to a mere fraction of that.
    "Given the Invader's technology though, given how
useless most of our conventional weapons have proved to be against
them, the question that most of my listeners have asked me is
'Why?' Why didn't they simply wipe us out?'"
     
    Q: "So do you claim to know the full answer to
that question?"
     
    A: "Surprisingly enough, I think I do. I think
that the aliens abducted some of us and had an inkling for what we
are capable of, wanting to study us, maybe even cultivate us as
slaves or subordinates. I think they knew that if they tried to
take us by raw force we would launch our nuclear weapons and make
this world uninhabitable before we'd give it up. So instead they
practiced a strategy of attrition. They thought they could grind us
down, make us think we were going to survive...like a toad being
slowly cooked...until it was too late and they had conquered."
     
    Q: "So, in a way John, you're saying that they
underestimated the resilience of the human race?"
     
    A: John shakes his head . "I'm not going
to go that far, Tanya. We're not out of the woods at this point.
Look at South America, Africa, big chunks of the Middle East, not
to mention eastern Russia. They still have ground forces, they're
still a threat. We have a lot of work to do before we can safely
call this planet 'home' again."
     
    Q: "That may be true, John, but if I may, I'd
like to play back the broadcast I did yesterday, and get your
perspective on it."
     
    A: "Sure, go ahead."
     
    The big screen behind them shows Tanya Westenridge
reporting. A huge crowd, tens of thousands, waves flags and chants
slogans in Tiananmen Square.
    "This is Tanya Westenridge reporting live from
Beijing, China. It is official. We have confirmed what no one
thought was possible. Of the four huge mother ships orbiting our
planet, two of them have changed course, one has been destroyed,
and the last appears to be in full retreat."
    "Residents in more than half a dozen countries have
claimed that abducted people are returning to their homes. It's
been hard to piece together anything definite, but our sources seem
to confirm that two, I repeat, two of the mother ships are in
rebellion against their own kind. These rebel mother ships
initiated hostilities with the other invading ships."
    "One hostile mother ship has been badly damaged and
seems to no longer have any propulsion ability whatsoever. The
remaining hostile mother ship appears to be heading away from
Earth's orbit. All across the globe we have seen jubilation. The
remaining carrier fleets have drawn back even as some Invader
forces still remain active on the ground. All signs though, as of
this moment, point toward hope. Toward an actual future. As you can
see, the crowd behind me is celebrating V-Day in China..."
     
    Q: "Do you think that the worst is behind us,
John?"
     
    A: John smiles ruefully, wagging his finger
at the reporter. "You know, Tanya, reporters are good at
goading people like me into saying stupid things. I'm going to take
a pass on that question. I will say this, however; we have a long,
long way to go. We have an entirely new species with whom we have
no idea how to interact. If the aliens in those two rebel