Kill It With Fire plot page (invasion rp)

June, 1947.
Roswell, New Mexico.

Unidentified object crash-landed in open field just outside the city. Seems to be piece of a larger object, also unidentified. Technology is unlike anything seen before. Military investigation underway.

Intelligence strictly confidential. To be kept from the public at all costs. All accusations to be denied.

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June, 2011.
Roswell, New Mexico.

They're back.

As it turns out, the crazies were right. All those UFOs weren't just satellites or asteroids or debris. They were drones, exploring earth and gathering information to take back to a little green planet just like ours. The main difference is simple. Theirs is dying. And they don't intend to die with it.

The Weeds, as they've been nicknamed on earth for their green skin, leafy hair, and ability to make their own food from carbon and sunlight, began looking for a new planet to inhabit as soon as their scientists discovered that the planet's core was beginning to cool, something that would eventually freeze the Weeds out like so many plants. They discovered the problem before it was anywhere near critical and so had the luxury of being very careful with their selection.

Earth had all the resources they needed. The amount of carbon already in the atmosphere would be enough to feed the Weeds for a good while, and the native animals and carbon-emitting machines would be enough to sustain them for even longer. The only problem was the potentially resistant human population, but they could be dealt with easily enough. It would even be justified in a way. The humans were only hurting the planet after all, just pumping all that carbon out there to bounce around and destroy the atmosphere whereas the Weeds would use this for sustenance, keeping things clean. Oh yes, Earth was perfect.

Lucky us.

The first stages of the invasion began with Roswell when a drone, one of many, landed on earth with the intent of testing the atmosphere and soil. It took many Earth years for the other drones to return and the Weeds to realize that this one wasn't coming back. Curious, they sent a few more. And when some of those did come back, they were more curious than ever.

It was slow going with the drones because it was always a long trip between planets and there was never a guarantee that they would return, but the Weeds were patient. They wanted to be sure they had found the best place before taking the risk of sending a few Weeds to scope it out in person.

Were they being overly careful? A little too concerned about a few individuals? Not at all. Because with the Weeds, no one is an individual. All of their minds are connected and bound, no matter the distance. They share thoughts, and though most of the everyday emotions can be ignored, when something traumatic happens they all feel it like a sharp pain. If even one Weed was harmed on Earth every Weed back on their home planet would feel the shock and fear of it. That was something none of them wanted.

Eventually, however, they decided that it was safe enough and began sending Weeds in to verify the information the drones had gathered. At that point things sped up rapidly, partly because anything they learned was instantly transferred back home and partly because the humans kind of noticed when space ships landed and plant people came out. The Weeds came in greater numbers to subdue the humans, eliminating any they found. Some fought back, some hid, but most never got the chance.

When the Weeds were ready to start moving in, they set up what they needed to efficiently get rid of the humans. They began by using sound to brainwash people. No one could tell what it was exactly or how it was being transmitted, but at the time, no one really cared. The sound was...it was alluring to say the least. It was like...a sweet, entrancing squeal, that seemed to promise the warmth of love...

What it really promised was death.

People began to follow the sound to what seemed to be the source, travelling miles to converge on certain locations. These were compounds built by the Weeds, compounds that soon filled the air with a sickening smell and black smoke. People waited in line, cut in front of others, pushed and shoved even, to get in. Little did they know they were rushing towards death. Little did they know they were rushing to be burned alive.

And then there were the survivors.

There are a few things the Weeds didn't consider, it seems. For one thing, anyone whose ears were blocked while the sound was being transmitted was saved from its effects. So anyone listening to music or wearing earplugs for whatever reason was safe. Even if they took the earplugs out after the sound began they would only feel a minimal effect and would likely be able to resist.

It seems humans, having individual minds rather than a shared consciousness, have stronger willpower than Weeds. If someone was in a position that would muffle sound (say, in a basement or other underground place or under a thick blanket or pillow) they had a chance of escaping the sound. They weren't spared automatically, but they retained some of their minds once the sound began and the strong-willed were able to fight it off.

The last option for survival was a bit of a stretch. The effects of the sound could be disrupted after a person was already under. A loud, grating noise such as a scream or a metal object falling could serve as a disruption, as could a blow to the head. A disruption alone is not enough to save someone, of course. It only brings them around a little bit, only gives them a little more awareness of their surroundings. For some, however, it's just enough.

But how would someone scream or hit another person while entranced anyway? Well, the brainwashing sound leaves room for some of the personality to show through. Ergo, the violent remain violent and the patient remain patient, which is why some wait in line and others push their way to the front. The Weeds didn't imagine that human personalities would be so varied as theirs are all much the same. Calm, rational, self-sacrificing. That is their nature. Animated, irrational, self-serving. This is ours.

The Weeds know that they have dealt a serious blow to humanity, but they are far from stupid enough to believe that they've gotten rid of all of us. They are on their guard, still patrolling and searching for the remaining humans, but they have also started populating Earth with their own. Their presence here is about one fifth of what our population was before, but ours is so much smaller. Just under a thousand humans scattered across the globe doesn't seem like much in the face of about 1.4 billion aliens with more on the way.

But the survivors are still alive for a reason. They're fighters, and they won't be giving up their planet any time soon. A few small bands have formed, trying to find a way to repel the aliens, but until then they're just trying to stay alive. They steal animal feed (the only processed food available now days) and grow their own when they can, but they're often on the move. If even one human is sighted in an area every Weed within miles will be alerted immediately, which means the rebels have to be ready to run at a moment's notice.

It's not a life many would choose, but then they haven't exactly been given a choice. Even with a thinner coverage of Weeds than there were humans hiding proves difficult, and every day it's the same. Every day you have realize that your world is dead and gone. Every day you have to ask yourself, What am I going to do about it?