Glass Heart: By Kory Rachac (Prologue and Chapter 1)

Glass Heart Kory Rachac 
Illustrator: Jon Spahn

2135
92^nd Divide
Center of Nebraska

          Do you love me? Read the note Tasheia wrote. Jake looked down to his note book with a blood pumping pencil in his hand. Slowly, writing four words. He wrote them down and held the piece of paper up for her to see. More than you think XD, his smile showed more than he felt. His mind was ripped in two, because she was his love and they were separated from each other. He looked down at the foundation of the wall separating them.

         The metal was cold with hot spots telling where the electrical wires were. He looked up with tears falling. Tasheia lost her smile in his tears; she was shocked to see him like that. She wrote down in her papyrus bark, please don’t cry. He wasn't too worried, someday they could be together. He lipped, sorry, through the glass that let them see each other. It was four-twenty-seven the guard comes around about four-thirty.

          The two blew kisses through the glass, Jake stood there for a minute making sure Tasheia made it back without trouble. Even though his sight was blocked, by the building that was behind the wall. He daydreamed about the day this crap would stop, when the Vietnamese could be once again with other people. Like, it was before.

          "Hey kid," Jake heard a voice; he looked up to see the guard standing in the wall, wearing his marine blue uniform. "You’re not supposed to be this close to the Divide!" the guard yelled, looking at Jake really awkward. His hand was raised with a swift stroke pointing to a sign.

          "Can you please read what that sign says, out loud?" The guard rudely instructed, giving Jake a rough time. Jake looked back to a yellow sign, he looked back at the guard and his eyes rolled away. His voice grunted with grief. Jake slowly walked over to the sign kicking stones and metal fragments, in torment. He got to the sign which was neon yellow, with black caution lines.

          "This is the 92nd divide," Jake read, clearing his throat, "this wall was made to prevent the spread of the Máy bị Nghẹt other known as the Choker to American population." Jake read on through emergency precaution and protocol. His eyes were drowned in vocab and instructional say.

          "If any person from this side passes this sign," Jake looked at the guard still standing there with his arms crossed in anger. Jake looked back at the sign with no confusion.

          "If any person from this side passes this sign, they will be arrested and Court-Martialed for breaking the law and the twenty eighth amendment." Jake finished with a big breath, he clapped his hands together. He noticed a group of American civilians surrounded him in wonder. His head was spinning in confusion.

          "What’s the big deal," he asked the guard, with guiltiness in his voice, "it's not like anyone follows this anyway." he stated

          "Actually I do, and my family. You should too. It’s not safe to get to emotionally connected with the Vietnamese, Jake." Rachel's voice echoed through the crowd. Rachel is Jake's American friend, from school; they hang every Tuesday at five O'clock. She’s always wearing that hot pink shirt, with ocean blue skirt.

          "Rachel, let me handle this please," Jake begged, Rachel backed away with her hands up like a prisoner. The crowd started to chant in agreement to Rachel's statement. Jake turned around to see two more guards these men were in tactical black. Jake stood there for a minute and flung his arms up. The crowd around him grew each second he procrastinated. He finally noticed one of the men was holding cuffs.

          “Are you serious," Jake yelled, loud enough for the Vietnamese people to hear. “I’m sorry, that I passed the sign. Can we please just forget about this, it never happened, lips sealed?"…

Chapter 1

          Jake was sitting in his kitchen with disgrace in his face. He heard the tapping of the rain hitting the kitchen window. His ears blocked out the sound of his mom’s anger.

          "I can't believe, you got anywhere near the Divide. It breaks my heart to hear you got arrested." Jake's mom yelled with depth in her voice.

          "Mom stop yelling, for Pete sake I was just arrested for an over exaggeration." Jake argued "and this is my first arrest, and they told me that I wouldn't be Court-Martialed, so it shouldn't go on my record." he tried to stay positive, but with his mother nothing stays positive.

          "But your sixteen Jake, sixteen," she emphasized "Mark he's your son too you should have a say in this conversation."

          "Alright Charlene, Jake me and your mother are very disappointed in you," Jake's dad explained "if you go near the Divide again your FlatPlate will be taken away." Jake's dad got up from his seat in the kitchen, the rain picked up outside.

          Jake's parents are too protective of him, all he thinks of now is Tasheia and when they first met, he has it written down in his FlatPlate…

Today is July 23, 2129

          Today was the most amazing day for me. Today I met a girl named Tasheia, but she's a Vietnamese citizen. it was an odd way of meeting, me and a couple of my friends threw a Frisbee that hit the Divide, I was the one chosen to go get the Frisbee.

          I found the Frisbee in the bushes near the subway of 4th Ave. It was right next to the Divide, but I also found Tasheia, and right then it was like in the movies, time freezes my surroundings slowed down as the sun's rays brightened. The market was right behind me where my friends were. They were watching me, I'm sure.

          I felt different at that moment, but I dropped it because it was against my parent’s wishes. So I got the Frisbee and left. and that was it, but it didn't stay away. the feeling kept coming back, so i went and met with the girl every day.

       "FlatPlate off," Jake heard the command he turned around to see his mother standing there, "so you met someone at the Divide?" she asked, waiting for an answer.

          "Yes," Jake paused, kind of embarrassed "I still don’t understand, even three years learning about Operation Veedom. What in the world is wrong with these Vietnamese people?" Jake was hesitant to ask. The rain stopped like a faucet.

          "I have a book here, given to me by your uncle, my brother. He was a marine who fought in that war," she held the book up, giving it to Jake "it's not heavy duty something you can read at least." they both chuckled at the joke.

          "The Rides on Tides by J.T Modern, Hmm this feels like a paper report, it's not too heavy, like you said."Jake realized moving the book up in down as he got up. “I’ll read it after dinner."

          Jake looked at his mother, and his mother looked at him and saw only distrust. She couldn't tell if she could trust him anymore. Jake left the room very sudden but left the book on his dresser right by the window showing the alley, And the Divide. The sun began to set and the moon to show, Jake got out of bed once it was three o'clock.

          He slowly put his clothes on; he grabbed his hang-bag which was right by his room’s door leading its way to the front door. His steps were silent as whispers. He stepped out into the cool atmosphere, looking left towards Paul's meat storage, then right to the Divide. He started to run to the Divide.

          "FlatPlate on," Jake whispered, taking his FlatPlate out while running, “play audio file T3CG." His motion was swift as the moon eclipsed over the buildings around him.

Glass Heart(Chapter 2 and Chapter 3)

Chapter 2 Kory Rachac
Illustrator: Jon Spahn

2096

Operation Veedom

Washington D.C

"Commander, we've lost Whiskey Hotel, I repeat we've lost Whiskey Hotel." Lieutenant Braws yelled across the field, as battalions are spread across the lawn of the white house maintaining a good perimeter. The white house has been attacked by Vietnamese forces known as the Vasden. The Vasden have been Americas most wanted terrorist group since the Taliban.

“Give me a Sit-rep, where's Bravo squadron?" the commander asks, as he takes his radio” this is C-Lord Actual attempting to locate Bravo squadron, give me a sit-rep, how copy?" the commander commanded

Static took over the radio as the commander looked at the white house grounds, seeing RP-G's on the second level in the president’s quarters and sentry placements in the Oval Office. His sight was blinded by the mortars impacting the iconic fountain in front of the white house.

"Copy solid, C-Lord actual." came a voice over the radio "Hawkstrike true, it’s a mess we're in right now, we're pinned down, on point -Whiskey…Whiskey." the line went silent for a few seconds "C-Lord actual, we saw the mortar strike hit the P.E.O.C. It’s a hole in the ground, there is nothing left." the line went silent again

The Commander through his radio, He got up with rage, and looked at the location of the iconic fountain, and it was a hole in the ground.

"Commander Modern," lieutenant Braws yelled, holding a radio, "HQ has new sets of orders." he said handing the radio over. The commander ran over and grabbed the radio with force.

"This is C-Lord actual." Commander Modern said loudly so they could hear him

"C-Lord actual, we have reasons to believe the president is still alive. Get your squad together and move to sector Charlie." Overlord ordered, as Commander Modern swung his arm for roundup.

"C-Lord Solid copy, but HQ sector Charlie is in enemy territory and is under heavy fire," the commander said as his squadron grouped up around him "RP-G's on second floor in the president’s quarters and sentry placements in the Oval Office. We would be dead in minutes, how copy?"

The commander heard a big bang on his six; he turned around to see a Black Hawk on fire swirling out of control, right onto their location. "C-Squad move out!" he yelled, trying to get his troops away from the crash zone. He and the squad ran towards the White House. Squads are in trenches across the entire lawn of the white house fighting off the forces inside.

The commander and his squad took cover behind pillars, on the right side of the iconic fountain. "Alright, C-Squadron it looks like sentry units are now in the blue room laying suppressive fire on the front lawn." the commander said, as he pointed to the suppressive points. “So we need to get inside Whiskey Hotel, and get to the P.E.O.C. HQ believes the president is still alive."

The group stays in the cover their in, listening to the commanders orders. "I'll lay suppressive fire," a hand was raised, and lieutenant Braws walks up "which will give you guys a chance to get in." the group looks at him in shock "just give me a RPD and a load of C4, I should get their attention really good." a giggle grew among the crowd.

“Adam I can't ask you to do this," the commander said to lieutenant Braws.

“Then don’t," he interrupted, hitting the commanders shoulder " I've got your six, and you guys better have my twelve, or you all are paying me Blood-Scotch when we get back home." the lieutenant switched his weapon out with Major Chzek, and he had the RPD T139. The lieutenant just laid back in the trench, laying suppressive fire for the group.

Chapter 3

2135
92nd divide
Nebraska

Jake heard the leaves swaying with the wind, as the audio file for "The rides on tides" was playing. He was sitting on the roof of Sub JJ , smelling the aroma of subs mastered in perfection. The moon was full on this crisp night; Jake looked at his FlatPlate and saw that it was Two-Forty-Five.

"FlatPlate pause audio file T3CG," Jake waited for it to pause. The view from Sub JJ was straight to the divide, and he could literally jump on top of it.

"Audio file paused." Jake's FlatPlate told him

"FlatPlate off," Jake said with a clear voice "it seems like that lieutenant Braws dude is going to get wrecked." Jake exaggerated as he got up from the roof. The feeling of shingles really didn't impress comfort. Jake rubbed his eyes to stay awake, he looked quick to the divide, he kissed his fingers then held them up. "Goodnight Tasheia.” Jake said then jumped down to the dirt road.

All the roads across the country have been made into dirt, so more vegetation could be grown. Jake looked towards the location of his house, and then looked back to the divide which was fifty meters away. He rolled his eyes, and then dashed to the divide. He took cover behind a building almost ten meters from the divide. He saw light beams hitting the dirt; he observed the patrol line across the top of the divide. And looked at spots where the light didn't hit.

Desperation took over; he jolted to another observation point. “FlatPlate on, volume to level 12, search for dark points in the wall.” Jake told the FlatPlate, his FlatPlate began to scan the area, with a heat sensor, giving the area with least light to stand out.

“Found dark area, over by the main gate.” The FlatPlate said, Jake looked around and then found the main gate. It was to his left just by the bunker, where rumors say soldiers from the U.S seals are hiding so if the Vietnamese try and come over to American soil, they can just take them out, but it’s never been proven. Jake started to jog over there underneath building roof hang overs, trying to stay out of the spotlights sight.

His eye was fixed on the bunker; he didn't want to get caught. He went to the entrance of the bunker to take a look inside, and see if there were any seals inside. He didn't see any people inside. So with curiosity he continued inside to look what was down here, avoiding the no trespassing sign right by the entrance.

“FlatPlate, flashlight,” Jake told the FlatPlate, the FlatPlate turned into a LED cube, giving off light in every direction. Jake looked around the room seeing nothing but crates, looking like a warehouse. He looked to his left, where stood a desk. He placed the FlatPlate on a coaster. He looked at what seemed like transportation files, he tried to see where the transportation was heading.

“Let me think here,” Jake talked to himself out loud; he kept looking at the files. He sees a line on a map he found in a drawer. He figured that it was the divide since every map after the divide was built was implemented with a line, representing the divide, “It looks, like it might go across the divide.” Jake whispers, “who in the world wants to transport anything across the divide?” he asked himself. He keeps looking around until he sees a file that says Vasden on the cover.

Oculus Rift by Ethan Pearson

Oculus Rift                                      By Ethan Pearson

                                                                               

      For any gamers out there, do you wish there was a better in game experience? Well luckily with today's technology there is a way, the amazing Oculus Rift.
     The Oculus rift is a virtual reality head-mounted display* that puts the wearer into a virtual reality. Where ever you move your head, it moves with you! When you lean forward, so does the picture. You're pretty much thrown into a virtual reality that moves with you! Where you look it looks! Imagine the horror games, all you can do is close your eyes. You'd be surprised by how real it looks. Imagine Minecaft, or even Skyrim; those would be insane! In the image in the top right (Jacksepticeye) it is a picture of what a roller coaster would look like!
     The Oculus started out with Palmer Luckey testing out with head mounted displays. He wanted to make a headset that was better than all the others on the market but more inexpensive to buyers. The first game with Oculus Rift capability was Doom 3 (BFG Edition)  in 2012. When the Oculus came out it was a hit! So many people bought it that Facebook got a liking into it. March 25, 2014  was the day Facebook bought Oculus for a whopping 400 million dollars in cash, 1.6 billion dollars in stock and an additional 300 million dollars for meeting special financial targets.  That is an instant 2.3 BILLION dollars, let alone the future of the stock! 
The only versions that have came out were the DK 1 and the DK 2. Oculus is coming out with the consumer version ( the other versions were developer versions )! An even better Oculus Rift, some say it will have the new 4k screen!! 
If you are interested in purchasing one either click on or go to http://www.oculus.com/ but be forewarned it is at least 370$! 

                                                                                              This has been Ethan Pearson reporting out!


Photo credz = http://www.capitalotc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Oculus.jpg
and                http://i.ytimg.com/vi/354E5qQH2qo/maxresdefault.jpg

Top 15 Free Online PC games By: BlazinGamer

By: BlazinGamer

Are you a gamer? Then you might love these 15 Online PC games that are free! You might know a lot of these but do you know all of them? These are not of my opinion and description but they are popular based on the players they get. Are you ready, lets go!

15. War Thunder

"One of the hottest F2P (Free to Play) games on PC right now is War Thunder, pretender to World of Tanks’ military crown and a title looking forward to a rosy future alongside Planetside 2 as no-fee trailblazers on PlayStation 4. Armored vehicles, planes, naval fleets, Japan, America, Germany, the kitchen sink: it’s got it all. It’s still in open beta, but this looks to be going places quickly. Fetch."


14. World of Tanks

"In the world of tanks, and such a world evidently exists, World of Tanks is king. No other similar game allows players such scope and depth. If you want to roll around in a metal box blowing people up in blown-up towns, this game is for you. There’s a reason it has 70 million registered users. Or is it 80 million? Who cares? Get to it."


13. DOTA (Defense of the Ancients) 2

"Is LoL better? It matters as much as the colour of your pants. Almost 8 million people played Valve’s MOBA in the last month, meaning it’s nothing if not popular. DOTA 2 features enough competitiveness, prize money and shouting youngsters to induce full-blown hippy cold sweats. Probably not for 40 year-olds, but different strokes, and all that. Give it a try."


12. League of Legends


"Yes, is impenetrable, its community is a bunch of dicks and you need to play for thousands of hours to be any good at it in relative terms, but there’s no question that League of Legends has completely nailed MOBA. If you want to see what’s turning “the kids” on these days, look no further."


11. Star Trek Online

"Getting on with Star Trek in general is an obvious prerequisite to being able to play this, but STO is more than game enough for nothing. The cartoon styling may not be for everyone, and there’s a huge amount of keys to get accustomed to (the combat involves stance-switching), so this may not be the free game you’re looking to grab for a quiet evening after work. It’s got space and land missions and was developed by Cryptic, so if you’ve been around a while you’ll know what to expect. Put it this way: there’s nowhere else to fight the Borg. Get it from Steam."

10.Age of Conan: Unchained

"Conan’s been around since 2008, when it released in a broken mess and was roundly savaged as a result. A lot of the problems have been fixed since then, and this enormous, visually sumptuous game is now available for free. Get it from Steam. The F2P component is very generous, but it’d be worth subbing if you were heavily involved. Check out tiers here."


9. Hawken

"Hawken is a mech shooter that started off with promises of being The Next Big Thing and then sort of wasn’t. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth looking at, however, especially as now it’s available through Steam. It’s a bit “please buy a mech I’ll love you forever,” but someone’s got to get paid, I guess. If you’re finding yourself playing Titanfall just for the robot bit, then you should absolutely download it. It’s good."

8. Star Wars: The Old Republic

"This is one of the most expensive games ever made, and now it’s free. That’s the way it goes, and the biggest winner is you. It isn’t to everyone’s liking, and has been savaged easily as much as it’s been praised, but that it costs nothing is kind of ridiculous. There are many catches to SWTOR’s F2P, however, such as not being able to sprint up to level 10 if you don’t pay (thanks, EA). You can pore over the perks granted to subs here, but, regardless, you should check this out"


7. Neverwinter

"Neverwinter crops up consistently on these lists, usually as a close second only to LOTRO. The D&D MMO is completely free (although it does have something of a reputation for pay-to-win) and features the ability to create your own dungeons. I haven’t personally played it, but if you’re looking for the best current free D&D RPG, this looks to be it. The Curse of Icewind Dale expansion’s just been released, adding a ton of stuff to what seems to be an already epic game. Download from Steam, andgrab a key for some extra content while you’re at it."


6. Planetside 2

"If you’re more far future than flowery fantasy, Planetside 2 is unavoidable. It’s large scale sci-fi combat on gigantic battlefields teeming with players, ships, lasers and death. There’s no charge. The PC version’s success is a blessing for PS4, which will be running it at 1080p soon. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should see what you’re missing."2. Lord of the Rings Online"LOTRO is the best F2P MMO on PC. There’s no question. It’s beautiful, has a range of content that puts it up there with any of its competitors and sports some of the most robust MMO mechanics in existence. It’s free. If you’ve never played an MMO before, or you’re just looking to pretend to be a hobbit for a few hours, there is no excuse whatsoever: get it."

5. Team Fortress 2

"This has to be the greatest F2P shooter ever made. It’s funny, stupid, brilliant and could keep you happy forever. It’s a great, great game. The cartoon style will never get old and the mix of classes and some incredible map design would make it essential even if there was a cover charge. An absolute must. Get it from Steam"


4. World of Warcraft

"WoW is now free up to level 20. There’s a bunch of restrictions in place to free players, but if you’ve never played (really?) then that’s a situation you have to remedy immediately. Whatever you think of WoW, the fact remains it’s a cast iron classic MMO and one of the most content-heavy games ever created. There’s so much to like here. Now it costs you nothing to see it."


3. Hearthstone

"If you haven’t started playing this yet there’s something wrong with you. The Blizzard card battler is available on both PC and iPad, and is far too addictive. The pay element comes in buying cards for your decks, but you can get on just fine without ever having to spend. Get it on PC. Then get it on tablet. Then play it forever. Get it from Blizzard."




And number one is (drum roll)...........................................


1. Path of Exile

"That Path of Exile is free is borderline criminal. You should have to pay for this ARPG. The notoriously gigantic skill tree alone is enough to download it, let alone the depth of the item combination mechanics and the fact it managed to out-Diablo Diablo III with withering ease. Free or not, Path of Exile is a horror masterpiece, and one of the best games currently on PC. You must play it.

Players use slottable skill gems in Path of Exile as in most ARPGs, the difference here being that they level with play and have their own requirements for upgrading. The passive skill tree is immense. Combining gems and skills offers the sort of customization options that could keep you bogged down for years. Path of Exile sometimes feels more like EVE Online than Diablo.

Path of Exile’s story is played out in Acts, and the game is often referred to as the spiritual successor to Diablo II. Players get PvP as well as PvE, and some PvP events can last for months. A current event is an Ambush and Invasion league with prizes and opportunities to contribute to the Child’s Play charity. If you complete all eight challenges in leagues you can win a t-shirt. And who doesn’t want that?

Gameplay itself takes place on a wide variety of environments, from beaches to dungeons to forests. You have six classes to choose from, including the Witch, the Marauder and the Duelist. It’s got dual-gear set-ups, auto-equip and every item – including life and mana flasks – can be enchanted or elevated in rarity using a variety of orbs. It’s ridiculous, honestly. You’ll want to spend money on microtransactions out of guilt.

Path of Exile offers so much for so little. It’s hardcore, but then so are you."

Did you know them all? These are all top 15 Free online PC games but again not in my opinion or description but of the popularity of the players! If you want more or photos here is the site URL. http://www.vg247.com/2014/05/19/best-free-pc-games/

Fun, Safe Things to do on Halloween! Jersie McCormick and Ben Schmidt

                Fun, Safe Things to on Halloween!        By Jersie M.and Ben S.

               So Halloween is coming up, and most of us aren't allowed to trick or treat (sad, right!). For those who don't want to go trick or treating, I have compiled a list from the website Ehow.com of things that you can do on Halloween. 

1. Watch a Horror Movie! (I suggest Child's Play)

2. Chaperone  a child to go trick or treating (and eat their candy later) (Mwahaha)

3. Make Halloween food (mmmmm) 

4. Scare tiny children (not babies or toddlers)  

and lastly... 

5. Stay home and chill. Maybe hand out candy, eat candy, or enjoy Halloween 

 Here is my wonderful list for ma favorite holiday. 

                                HAPPY HALLOWEEN! :-)

image at https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjK3wQH6h2UAV5085QfgUpkdCaEOv43lPVOykedZ-Ioi3aV7oIrwEmfOtF6tF0KYGgQis7a4kNgsYSorL13KMl1Ig5dbA-xJ-_jD8VaYWLwqcCjI4jXcdPxxm4XuzGJErnH3MW1qbEdEZurbij2WJ_z-MrYAqvBJeXku6fTh_Tu3gYODkjqgQ=

Walks and Activities on Anti-Bullying Day

Upper Left Corner- Ms.Klien
Upper Middle- Two Seventh Grader During Activities
Upper Right Corner-6th Graders (Manasa and Aditi)
Bottom Left Corner- 7th Graders (Dhwani and Joy) holding poster
Middle Bottom- 7th graders hugging their 6th grade teacher, Mr.Neu
Bottom Right- 7th Grader (Gautham) shying away from camera
Middle Picture- Ryan smiling during the walk

The Demon in the Dark

The Demon in the Dark 

By: Caitlin Frounfelter

The lights flicker on and off. The fear creeping into my body with every millisecond passing. Is it here? I wonder. The legendary monster that only comes out when the lights turn off. It is said it only comes fourth when the lights turn off in this place. The gateway to the devil. The people who own this place NEVER turn the lights off, because when they do, the demon comes and the people die. 

Turning my head in the darkness, I see red eyes that seem as if looking into my soul. A growl erupts from its mouth filled with pointed teeth.  Blood drips from its mouth and it takes the slightest step towards me, as if it sees my fear. With every step the demon takes I take two back. I don't want to die! I feel my breath get caught in my throat once I hit the wall.Snarling, the demon keeps coming. And I feel something sharp in my chest, but when I feel for blood, I feel nothing.

Back to the point, I AM GOING TO DIE! I AM GOING TO DIE! 

Whoever kills me is gonna use the matches in my pocket to burn my body, they'll never know I died! 

Wait.....

I HAVE MATCHES.

HOLY CRAP.

Fumbling for a match in my jean pocket, I light it and I can finally see the room. The demon disappears at the first sign of light. Thank God. Frantically looking around, I see a body. It has blood flowing freely from it's neck where a huge gash is. Examining the body up and down, I see other gashes similar to the one on the neck all over the poor soul. Something keeps nagging at me from the back of my mind. 

Have I seen this person before?

I walk around the pools of blood and the misshapen body to try and identify them.

It's me.

I see me.

I'm dead.

Happy Halloween Shakopee West Jr High

Pictures found around Shakopee, taken by Kayta Herring.

Abducted ||

Abducted

IN WHICH BRAVERY, ROMANCE, AND OF COURSE, ALIENS, MEET.

        Chapter 1        

  My best friend went flying up in the air, screaming loudly. The alien motherships blasted towards us, plucking innocent people off the streets into a black hole that is the alien civilization. I prayed that I wouldn't be abducted too, who knows what they would do to me? But today wasn’t my lucky day, for the ghastly light shone itself on me. I was lifted up into the air, telling myself that it was just a dream, I would wake up in a few minutes. As I got closer to the UFO, the light got brighter, and brighter, and brighter, until I finally got all the way up. As I got in, I saw these, well, these things that I soon realized were the dreaded aliens. I hadn’t believed such creatures could make these spaceships, let alone even exist.I couldn't have been more wrong.
When I rose all the way in, I gazed around the high-tech room. About 70 other people were locked away in cages, and more coming. Who knew that a creature like this could be so, oh, I don’t know… genius? Everyone had always told me that we, humans, were the smartest living things on earth. Well, actually that is true; these things were from some planet far away.

I turned and studied the horrid aliens. They weren't very horrid at all, actually. They had round, stout, scarlet bodies and cream-colored stripes, with two arms and two legs. Their spherical faces were unusual, with only their eyes. Two of them came to me and dragged me to my own cage. One of them stared in at me with big, emerald eyes that looked determined and almost happy. It squawked at me, and the others joined in, chirping happily to each other. Suddenly, a lady dressed in a suit came through a door in the corner. 
“Congratulations,” she boomed, her voice echoing around the room. “You humans have been chosen to assist planet Castia during our war. We hope you can help us through this deadly time.” She crouched next to one of the aliens and, while stroking the top of its round head, spoke to it softly. The alien replied with a low whistle. That woman looked so serious it was almost scary. I decided I would help, because if I didn't, what would they do to me? 
She stood and looked at each of us, talking about what an honor it is to be chosen. When she looked at me, she stopped for a millisecond and smiled slightly before continuing. There was something familiar about her, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it. 

To be continued...