“Hey babe!” Laura said as she barged into Connor''s dorm room and laughed when he turned his head toward her and all she could see was the virtual reality headset that covered the upper part of his face.
“Hello adventurer.” Was all that he said before turning back to the front and pressing the joysticks forward.
“Don’t you think maybe you should be getting dressed? We have to leave in like 45 minutes.” She said, setting down a bag of fast food.
“Can’t I just wear this? It’s dark in the theater, nobody will even notice.”
“You could but I wouldn’t recommended it, its starting to rain. Here.” She said and threw a pair of pants at his head which he expertly caught in one hand.
“You know the camera turns on when something is about to hit me.” He said before noticing the middle finger she was holding up at him. "Nice one.” He nodded.
As they ate, Connor looked at his lovely girlfriend and wondered how he had been so lucky to find such a patient and kind beauty like her. She was a ten in his eyes and far out of his league. She could have almost anyone, but she chose him. He was also loving and kind toward most people but at times he could be an immature man-child. He loved comic books and video games and really anything inside of the realm of nerdism. He had found that most people that you meet while pursuing those interests are also very accepting. He had decided early on that they were his people.
“Alright lets hit it, I just got a message from Rich and Sheila. They''re already waiting for us. Hopefully they saved us a couple of seats.” Connor said, and quickly slipped on his boots and Spider-Man hoodie.
Laura laughed “Okay Okay, lets go. I can’t wait to see if they survive the evil villain, uh”
“The Stalker.”
“Right, Stalker.”
“The Stalker.”
"The Stalker" She said with an eye roll.
The theater was only a few miles away from campus, as most things were. The city had built itself around the college, knowing that it would be a massive source of income and it was there to stay. Connor jogged up to the ticket booth but always-on-time Rich had already bought their tickets and was nervously waving for them to hurry up.
“Thanks man, I got lost in VR, thank god for Laura. She found me and fed me.” Connor said, hustling toward screen 12.
“Again?” Rich asked, looking back at the girls and shaking his head. “You know your dad would kick your ass and put you to work if I told him what you’ve been doing with your time.”
“Yeah he probably would, so don’t tell him. He has enough farm hands, he doesn’t need me anymore.” Connor said.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
“He doesn’t have to pay you though, he just has to not kick your ass and you consider yourself compensated.” Rich replied.
“True.” Connor said, holding the doors for the ladies and following behind them.
They settled into the back row, as was tradition, and after the previews they dawned their 3d glasses for the main event.
"Babe, are you sure I can stay at the farm this weekend? I want to meet your parents, but I know how busy they are."
"Yeah, it''ll be fine."
"Did you ask?"
The low lights in the theater flickered and then went off for a few seconds before returning to light up the aisles and emergency exit. Connor looked over at Laura and raised his eyebrows as the screen, too, flickered before coming back up and showing a man in jet black body armor.
“Ohh he’s new.” Connor whispered and Rich nodded his agreement.
““My name is one that you would not understand or be able to say. You will refer to me as Fleet Lord Skald. A name that I have chosen from the history of your...other world. Our world. We have come to harvest what belongs to us."
The speech continued to the end followed by more flickering and the beginning credits for The Stalker.
“Wait, what was that? That was weird.” Sheila said and shifted in her seat.
“Yeah, I don’t know, maybe that was a preview for another movie. I don’t think he was from the comics.” Rich said and put his arm rest down to accommodate his 48 ounce soda.
After the movie was over Sheila had suggested going out for a late dinner at the Vista Line Grill where she used to work. It was open 24 hours and had decent food but the best part was that they would sometimes serve 19-20 year olds a beer or two, so long as the waitress knew you.
“Hey look, it wasn’t just in our movie, my dad said it came up on the TV too.” Rich said, flipping his phone around to show a video taken from his dad’s recliner. It was the same dark figure with gray skin, shoving what looked like a tiny metal worm into his ear.
“Well shit, it must be a prank or something. Hackers maybe.” Connor said.
“It looked so real though, like their makeup and everything. That guy even blinked his eyes.” Laura pointed out, taking the phone from Rich and rewinding the video a few times. “Look, you can even see his nostrils flair, like that’s his real nose.”
“Maybe they just found some ugly bastard and painted him gray.” Said Rich
“I don’t know. Lets just watch the movie and get home. It will probably be on the news tomorrow if it’s some kind of prank. Laura said and handed the phone back to him.
<hr>
The old farmhouse still looked the same as it had when he left for college nearly a year ago. The weeds were higher and encroaching on his mothers flower beds which stretched around the picturesque front deck. It stretched across the front of the house on both sides of the door and gave anyone who sat there a perfect view of the main wheat fields and the four hundred yard long dirt and gravel driveway from the main road. It was late, nearly 11:30pm, but they had been expecting him so the door was unlocked and Conner lead the way through the dark kitchen to the extra bedroom that his older sister had once owned, it had become a guest bedroom and also a place to store boxes full of junk.
"You can sleep here." He whispered and threw dozens of garments with hangers off to the side. "Sorry it smells weird."
Laura laughed quietly "You didn''t answer my question earlier, did you ask them?"
"I''ll ask tomorrow." Conner said and stuck out his tongue as he leaned in and kissed her goodnight.
Several things happened while Connor slept off the late night in his small Childhood bed. The sound of a warning from the television went unheard. Military bases all around the world were coming alive with activity. Fighter jets were being fueled and strapped with their full compliment of missiles. Soldiers were roused from their dreams and told to gear up and be on alert. The president of New Vista was rushed into a waiting chopper and taken to an unknown location, and a wall of brave defenders from every space navy stood firm in the face of an overwhelming fleet, though not a soul aboard those ships felt anything but fear.