The Visitors is the tentative name for an unnamed alien species that invaded a world that is populated by mammalian anthropomorphic animals coming out of a global war analogous to Earth during the 1930s. The aliens also are referred to as Lampposts.
Biology[]
The Visitors host two forms: one being a small arachnid form, the size of a turnip with bulbous lamps appended with jointed limbs. These types scuttle and click and shot beams of light that can ignite flesh. The second form is a vast tripedal mechanism with a lamp affixed at its apex making it similar to a "walking lamppost". It's main heat ray is located at the bottom of its lamp head which cannot only burn but vaporize. The Lampposts also can blink at various intervals that when combined to an alien transmitter humming a unique frequency can put people in some sort of trance that enables the aliens to control them. The hum needs to be fully heard in order for people to fall under it, and the light pattern visibly seen. Though it seems that the technique does not affect those with health conditions such as epilepsy and dementia.
Those under the trance cannot be broken free from the influence by force, and requires the destruction of the transmitter though its unknown if their minds can be fully restored as days after a transmitter was destroyed the victims wandered around aimlessly without purpose unable to see or respond to various stimuli.
It's speculated that the smaller form could be a separate entity from the larger one that eventually grows into the second form.
It also hinted that the aliens detect heat and use it to locate their victims. When the mechanism or frames are destroyed, an infernal light separates itself and could be described as the "essence" of the creature which propels itself upward into the sky, presumably to the orbiting alien ships. It also seen in the comics that the aliens do not necessarily need a physical mechanism to travel around, as a wisp of "essence" is seen transmitting itself in the air to reactivate a damaged Lamppost.
History[]
Pre-Invasion[]
So far it is unknown of when the initial plans of the alien's invasion began. Though it has been reported that the aliens had sent an advanced scout ship during at least the 1920s, which crash landed in a foreign land during the Foreign Wars. The government known as the "Other Side" somehow managed to salvage the technology of the aliens, especially developing a crude version of a heat ray weapon. In order to test out the weapon the "Other Side" attacked five enemy ships belonging to England. Most of the crews of on those ships were burned to ash though a few of the sailors were captured by the enemy. Among the survivors was a sea dog officer named Clive Slipaway who witnessed his friends demise, his words of the incident: "Fire doesn't burn this way."
It's unknown how many scouting parties were sent to the planet, but their arrivals were never noticed as nothing more than shooting stars some months prior to the invasion. According to some locals in the countryside the aliens had hidden their landing sites using vegetations that must have taken five years to cover them. Additionally it appears the Visitors had collaborators in their invasion. This was seen in various cities and town where the electric company Glow-Lite was always at the scene of installing the alien lamp posts into the streets.
Beachhead at Lower Crowchurch[]
Clive eventually was repatriated to his country of England after the war, and was later awarded a medal for his service. Traumatized by the war, Clive sought to distance himself from his past and around the 1930s moved to the countryside where he set up his fisherman's tackle shop. There he was welcomed by the solicitor Gilbert Arrant and the local reporter Peter Minks. Clive was invited to the town meeting in preparation of the Annual Fete as a way to help him be introduced to the community and to hopefully allow him to open up on his past.
At local pub, The King's Arms, Clive though reserved about his participation in the upcoming festival was convinced to participate due to the eagerness of a young man name Alph to share his nautical service experience. However the committee meeting was interrupted by local rogue and poacher Fawkes who burst in raving about danger from a star that fell in Hightop Wood last night and how his friend Bodie was burned to death by something. Most of the members of the committee believed he was drunk and dismissed his warning, which served to only aggravate Fawkes and disturb the gathered people. Clive seeing how Fawkes was alarming everyone restrained Fawkes and brought him outside to clear the poacher's head. However after being released Fawkes ran into the woods seeing how no one believed him.
Despite Gilbert and Peter's dismissal of Fawkes claims, Clive believed the fox's words and wanted to go after him as he saw Fawke's fear to be genuine. Gilbert seeing Clive's resolve decided that he and Peter would join him. Their path would take them to the burned cottage of Mrs. Swagger, Alph's aunt, where one of the alien invaders had snuck in and burned the woman to a crisp. Clive at the scene of the firemen battling the fire with his companions recognized the traces of the fire from his past. Clive remembered what Fawkes had said about his friend Bodie being burned, and believe Fawkes had seen what actually did it and it was loose in the forest. Alph distressed at the loss of his aunt joined the trio in order to avenge her.
They followed strange tracks into the forest where they came across Susan Peardew, a writer, shooting a rifle at a small robot spider-like creature. Once she successfully knocked it out, Clive placed in the outhouse for the authorities. While the adults talked about contacting the police by heading to the nearest phone, they lost track of Alph who decided to take revenge into his own hands against the alien. He commandeered Susan's rifle and tried to use it against the dead alien, but to his shock found it to be very much alive. Now freed the alien began skittering towards the boy who vainly tried shooting at it, only to be horrified to find that the rifle was not loaded. Upon hearing the commotion, the adults rushed outside to save Alph, with Gilbert managing to push the boy out of the way of a oncoming heat ray. In doing so, Gilbert sacrificed himself, as the ray burned his face and killed him.
The remaining party then hustled back into the house before the thing could follow them. When it broke inside, Clive urged everyone to sneak out back and head into the woods. But rather than head to the village of Crowchurch, Clive insisted that they head away from the village so that it would not follow and bring danger there. Instead Susan suggested they head to Upper Deeping where they could use a phone to contact the authorities on the menace. Once they group put some distance from the creature, they rested at a tree. While Peter slept, Clive and Susan discussed the possibility of the creature being an alien from the stars.
By morning the group arrived at a grass field with an odd crop circle. They approached to investigate but heard several clicking noises similar to the creature that had been pursuing them, only it was a great deal many more. There were at least three but the group could not see them. They were saved by Fawkes, armed with a hunter's rifle when he shot at the field distracting the creatures and urged them to run to him for safety. The group managed to cross the field without any issues. Fawkes not content to leave the alien and his friends alive, and wishing to avenge Bodie decided to stand his ground as the aliens approached. Together with Clive they managed to kill one of t he creatures, before retreating with the others.
Their troubles were not over as the party arrived at what was left of the hamlet of Upper Deeping. The hamlet was scorched to ashes save for the pub of the Four Horsemen. While the group entered to rest, Peter went to check the rooms to see if there was anyone alive. He found Owen Blatchley who aimed a pistol at him, but seeing that they were friendlies put it down. The cellar man explained that the town was attacked by a creature which used fire to burn everything and he only managed to survive since he was in the basement.
However the pub was attacked by a Lamppost. Clive seeing that they were outmatched ordered everyone to head to the woods. They all managed to escape save for Owen who was caught by the fire of the heat ray, despite Alph attempt to try and carry him, earning him third degree burns on his hands. The Lamppost after burning the woods, assumed he group to be dead and left the area. Clive and Fawkes realizing the serious situation came to a conclusion that they needed to warn the world about the invaders. The two then came with a plan to head to Lower Crowchurch via boats on the river, where they could head to the farm of Squire Umbleton and use his phone and car to start warning the authorities.
Squire was there at his residence, though informed the party that the phone lines were dead for two days. When the group demanded to use his car, Squire took umbrage until he learned from Peter that Gilbert was dead at the hands of the very thing that killed Mrs. Swagger and Upper Deeping. Understanding Squire allowed them to use his car though the Lamppost had found the group. As the group headed to to vehicle, Squire confronted the alien demanding it to leave, only for it to use its heat ray and incinerate him.
Clive managed to start the car and get out of the farm only for the Lamppost to follow them. Upon realizing that it was following, Clive made a U-turn back to the farm as he did not want to risk bringing the alien back to Lower Crowchurch. Remembering that Squire had an agricultural engine, Clive, Peter and Susan worked fast to bring the machine up while Fawkes and Alph worked to distract the Lamppost. After the duo car was destroyed, the alien invader backtracked to the farm, where it was met by Pete riding the engine, crushing it tentacle limbs. Though it lost its limbs, the Lamppost used its smaller limbs to try and attack Peter, only to be met by the gunshots of Clive and Fawkes. To ensure it was dead, Susan threw a bottle of Scotch at it and lit it up.
Military Response by the Government[]
Shorty after the triumphant heroes returned to Lower Crowchurch having informed the villagers and alerted the authorities of the invaders, the military from the capital arrived to quarantine the area. All the villagers were subsequently rounded up from their homes and placed in an interment camp outside the village. As for Clive and his friends they were continuously interrogated by the military intelligence officers. Despite the many interviews and pleas for by Clive and the others that the military needed to turn their attention to locating the landing site of the aliens, the military remained unmoved. Having never faced a foe like this, military paranoia overcame most of the personnel as they suspected that the survivors of the incident were alien impersonators and did not trust them.
The military seeing that they were out of their depth in this situation, called in two experts, two speculative fiction authors: Herbert Runciman and Lewis Cornfelt to consult. Brigadier Winterbottom and Mr. Laidlaw of the Ministry of Defense brought the two men up to speed on the situation. The two were enthused at the prospect that their scientific fantasies had come to life. Clive and his friends though seeing that nowhere was going with their testimonies, decided that they needed to take action into their own hands. They all came to an agreement word of the alien invaders needed to be be spread.
The two authors were given permission to begin interviewing the witnesses. Whilst Runicman remained cordial in his interview, the same could not be said of Cornfelt who asked many invasive questions and more out of his curiosity than objective to the threat of the aliens. It became apparent that Mr. Laidlaw was all too forward to the idea that the witnesses were all traitors due to his arrogance and inflexibility. It took the scathing words from Fawkes to convince Runicman that they needed to launch a search of the area to locate the landing site of the aliens. Cornfelt had a sudden surprise that one of the witnesses was in fact his ex-wife Susan, who refused to speak another word after seeing him. Later Cornfelt confessed that his literary success in the science fiction romance genre were in part due to his wife who work most of his novels. With Cornfelt being exposed as a literary fraud, the military had no use for him and interned him with the witnesses.
Brigadier Winterbottom and Runicman then took Fawkes and Alph to guide them to the landing site. Before going Fawkes gave Clive the keys to the padlock to the fence surrounding the house they were interned. At night Clive, Susan and Peter managed to sneak out of the house, only to find Cornfelt awake. Seeing them out and plotting an escape the author pleaded for them to take him with them, But Susan refused, correctly deducing her ex-husband wanted to get out to spread word of the alien invasion for publicity. When Cornfelt threatened to sound the alarm, Clive knocked him out. The trio made their escape though Cornfelt recovered and alerted the guards. To give Susan and Peter a chance to escape, Clive acted as a decoy, causing him to be shot in the shoulder.
Thanks to the distraction, Susan and Peter managed to slip away and grab a car which they planned to use to take them to the nearest town. On the other hand Laidlaw was more than convinced that Slipaway and his friends were under "alien influence". Cornfelt having recovered from the blow by Clive tried to ingratiate himself with Laidlaw, and let him interrogate Clive, pointing out that the government official had no success in speaking with the former naval officer. Meanwhile Clive's wound was patched up by a medic and he was met by Hockside a private who had a friendly rapport with Clive. Hockside expressed disappointment in Clive for forcing them to shoot the decorated veteran. Clive on the other hand was not upset at the soldiers in doing their duty though stated that keeping this secret about the aliens was wrong. Word was passed to Brigadier Winterbottom about the breakout, but rather than return back to pass, Winterbottom, Runicman and and his men pressed forward. He also ordered Sergeant Major Coggles assigned to watch Fawkes and Alph to ensure they did not slip away.
Clive was once again interrogated, with both Laidlaw and Cornfelt pelting him with question on the whereabout of his friends and his directives of his alien masters. The only one willing to listen was Major Helena Upton who was concerned about Clive's warnings of the alien menace. By morning the military force led by Winterbottom arrived at where Fawkes and his friend Bodi found the falling star. To the surprise of Fawkes he found that the area had regrown despite it had been stripped away of foliage by the heat rays of the aliens. There was some doubt from Winterbottom of Fawkes story, until Fawkes located a patch of moss, which turned out to be covering the body of his friend.
Winterbottom confirmed that the body was burned and left to rot for at least two to three weeks. Runicman noting what Fawkes said that the greenery and foliage being unnatural, noticed that a nearby thicket close to the body and deduced that it had been purposely camouflaged. Fawakes with the help of Coggles cut through the thicket, uncovering a metal hatch. Seeing that there was some truth to Fawkes words, the Brigadier ordered his men to ready their weapons and form a perimeter. However wasn't the only surprise they received as Runicman realized that there were other thickets similar to the one that had covered the hatch all around them.
Winterbottom seeing that they were not just dealing with one landing site, then called for reinforcements which would be due to arrive in hours. He and his men stood guard around the sites, much to the disappointment of Runicman as he believed it was imperative that they open one of the capsule and study it, as the number of landing sites was disconcerting and proposed many possibilities as to why the aliens had come to their world. At first the brigadier refused until he man more men on the field to back him, until Alph mused that he believed that the aliens had been coming to the area for years. He pointed out that tanglebriar and snake ivy that covered the older thickets, as proof that the aliens came at least two or three years, as that is the time it took for such thickets to grow that thick, artificially stimulated or not. Now seeing that the situation and the possibility of an alien invasion was close to reality, Winterbottom gave the order to have his men open one of the capsules.
Meanwhile Major Upton at the military's base at Squire farm tried to befriend Clive, citing that she knew he was a decorated naval officer and a hero. Though Clive admitted he never felt a hero after being awarded a medal. Upton apparently knew more about his service years as she read about him in the military intelligence reports, noting that after his vessel was attacked he was captured and in enemy hands for two years before being released. Him being a harden prisoner was easier to explain why Laidlaw's interrogation had no affect on him. Still it made no matter to him as Clive was still a prisoner and the military was keeping the public in the dark. Their conversation ended when Laidlaw arrived with news of Winterbottom's find and the order for the full military of their forces to the landing sites. After seeing Upton and Clive talk, Laidlaw warned her of being sympathetic with the enemy as she was putting national security at risk. Cornfelt having overheard of the military's movement appealed to Clive to try and convince Laidlaw to bring them to the sit as consultants as he did not want to miss a historic moment in history.
At the landing sites, Winterbottom's men managed to open one of the capsules. The brigadier then brought the author and two of his soldiers to investigate the interior finding that it was warm with power. Within the group were shocked to see that the vessel contained rows of alien lampposts, the same ones as Clive and his friend killed. In the meantime, Coggles kept Fawkes and Alph under guard. Through a tentative cooperation of Clive and Cornfelt, along with the support of Private Hockside and Major Upton, Laidlaw was convinced to bring the two prisoners along.
Inside the capsule, one of Winterbottom's men found a small arachnid type robot which he brought to the brigadier's attention. It came alive and burned the soldier, soon enough the entire Lampposts and machinery inside began to awaken, incinerating the commander and his men. Runicman survived long enough to get out of the vessel to warn the others to run. Most of the soldiers had scattered, leaving Coggles to protect Fawkes and Alph against a Lamppost.
As for Peter and Susan, they managed to arrived at the town of Dorcaster, however noting that the streets were quite empty, Peter remembered that it was Sunday thus the newspaper company would closed until tomorrow. Having no choice but to wait it until morning, the two writers then booked a room at a nearby inn.
The reinforcements led by Laidlaw and Upton were making their way to the landing site, but due to having received no word from Winterbottom on the situation, they were forced to maintain their position midway near the woods, unaware of the impending alien force that was emerging. Some distance away, Coggles attacked the Lamppost with his carbine shells, but it proved ineffective only earning the thing's ire in attacking the soldier, forcing Fawkes to step in to save the man. Being a better shot, Fawkes successfully aimed at the Lampposts glass head, injuring it giving them time to flee. Fawkes and Coggles despite being at the ends of the law agreed tp work together to get Alph home safe. They soon heard clicking from the smaller alien forms, causing the trio to run blindly into the woods.
Their commotion did not go unnoticed, as Clive heard their gunshots distinctly but his concerns were dismissed by Laidlaw as the army's tanks soon arrive to provide heavy artillery support for the upcoming confrontation. Fawkes group managed to stay alive, and ran into a surviving soldier named Compton, but his noise drew attention by the smaller Visitors who immediately attacked him, burning him to cinder. Coggles having enough then threw a grenade at the invaders, letting a loud boom of fire. While it took care of the smaller enemies, the Lamppost was attracted to the noise and soon came after them.
The noise was heard by the reinforcements who then began to be on alert for any hostiles. Cornfelt thinking this was moment where they would meet real aliens, tried to impress everyone that this was a first contact situation and should make it clear to the alien visitors that they needed to show they mean no harm. His suggestion was rebuked by Clive, who stated to shoot on sight, which was wholeheartedly agreed by the generally disagreeable Laidlaw.
Fawkes lead Coggles and Alph to safety, by sacrificing himself to get the Lamppost's attention. Using Coggles's carbine he managed to down the alien, but before he could celebrate his victory, two more Lampposts appeared and avenged their comrade by burning the poacher to dust. By now the woods were on fire before the soldiers waiting outside and they were soon approached by a troop of Lampposts. The soldiers and tanks quickly assembled and targeted the aliens at the orders of Laidlaw and Upton, however even with the artillery, the attacks were ineffective, resulting in the aliens retaliating with heat ray blasts which the soldiers and tanks had no defense against. Cornfelt went mad at seeing the massacre, commenting how his work in science fiction was for naught in that in all his imaginings the reality of alien first contact was just bitter slaughter. The author attempting to escape soon found by the damaged Lamppost that was previously destroyed by Clive and his friends. Trapped between, Cornfelt expressed to the alien of how much of its and his fellows were. It was presumed that Cornfelt met his end. Clive and Upton, having no choice but to escape, were met by Alph in the woods and together they fled into the countryside.
Back at Dorcaster, Peter and Susan left the inn to inform the post of the alien invasion. Though they had some reservation that their warning may not be believed they nevertheless wanted to try to sound the alarm. It proved to be futile as when the walked out on the streets, they took a gander at the lampposts that lined the city. The alien machines were perfectly disguised as common lighting fixtures, perhaps had been installed days or months in advanced. The two friends now seeing the dangerous situation they were in then slowly returned to their stolen car, but just as they were leaving Dorcaster, they spotted plumes of smoke in the distance.
Alien Invasion[]
The Lampposts in Dorcaster soon dropped the ruse of being simple lighting posts, and began to immediately attacking the civilians. The military was soon deployed to hold the line as they began evacuating residents out of the town via the train station. Peter and Susan having run out of gas were forced to hold out in Dorcaster with the rest of the panicking civilians. Susan questioning the plans for evacuation learned from a commander that the children were being sent first out to the countryside. Knowing that the alien invaders were already there, Susan tried to beg the commander to halt the order as it was not safe, but she was ignored and shooed away.
Still trapped and not wanting to give up, Susan saw a familiar face in the streets of Dorcaster, Fawkes. She approached the man who was refilling a truck, but found that it was not Fawkes but only a lookalike named Jakes. Jakes not amused that he was mistaken for someone else tried to turn Susan away, though the woman had need of his truck. It was Jakes plan to take his vehicle and hide away until the invasion blew over, though Susan pointed out that he would survive as this war was nothing like the world faced. She offered to pay him at a handsome fee for his services by transporting her and Peter to the countryside where she had connections to the military authorities there. Seeing the opportunity was lucrative Jakes accepted.
On the way to countryside Peter thought the idea was bad as they had no assurances that the military would pay what Jakes was owed. In addition Peter was suspicious of Jakes as he was a spiv, one who dealt in black market and contraband. Susan though was determined to catch up the the train containing the children to prevent them from heading straight into enemy territory. Plus she was confident that now that the aliens were not conducting their invasion, the military blokes like Laidlaw would be willing to listen to them. Once they were in Crowchurch they could reunite with Clive and the others.
Their vehicle stopped as Jakes saw smoke up ahead and did not want to approach any further. Susan and Peter though headed towards the smoke leaving Jakes the option to go without them if he was too afraid. The smoke as it turned out was from the train, as it had stopped due to the tracks in front it had been ripped up. The duo soon spotted three Lampposts heading towards the train, and rushed to get the passengers out. Susan opened one of the train cars and urged the children to hurry into the forest. Initially they were hesitant to trust the woman, and soon the train master approached them demanding them to leave until they pointed to the approaching aliens. Seeing the danger the train master ordered the children to follow Susan and Peter while he got as many passengers off the cars. It proved in vain as no sooner did the car full of children empty and hide in the forest, the Lamppost aimed their heat rays to destroy the train. Jakes as it happened had went to follow Susan and Peter armed with a shotgun, only to be met by the fleeing children, and the urging of two adults to get back into the truck and start the engine.
As for Clive, Upton and Alphy, they found themselves hiding in a cluster of rocks in the open, watching as curls of smoke appear out yonder, indicating the invasions targets of destruction in the other counties. Having no plan, Clive was despondent at their hopeless situation and bleak future. This caused Upton to take the veteran aside for a minute in order to get him to stop thinking so pessimistic in front of Alphy as she had hopes that they could eventually fight back against the invaders. When a trio of Lampposts were spotted in the distance, the group decided to retreat for more cover.
On the road, Upton struck up a conversation with Clive about his service in the Foreign Wars. Clive at this point believed that the wars then were nothing compared to what they were facing, to the contrary Upton believed they may play a vital role. Before she could elaborate Alphy, spotted a farm nearby. They found the place to be abandoned, most likely due to the evacuation order, but found canned food and were able to rest for awhile.
While Alph slept, Clive asked Upton on what she meant that previous war played a part for the current events. Upton revealed that he had been privy to Clive's capture after he ship was sank in the war. She disclosed that the fire that he survived was not natural, but in fact possibly the reversed engineered weapon of the aliens that was used by the other side. Upton even surmised that is how Clive managed to stay alive during the invasion of the aliens at Crowchurch as he instinctively recognized their heat rays the very same weapons he escape those years ago. In regards why this was significant, Upton revealed that England at the time of the war had been working on a weapon to counter the heat ray via a top secret project known as Ambledown House. Though after the armistice the project was forgotten and possibly put in storage. It was the major's belief that the abandoned project could be their world's salvation and it was imperative that they return to Lower Crowchurch to inform Laidlaw about it as he might know the current research's whereabouts.
Before they could go any further, Clive saw an approaching Lamppost from a window and ushered everyone outside to a vacant car. The alien invader destroyed the farm and seeing the escaping natives pursued the group to the forest. Clive managed to reach the forest where the group laid low whilst the Lamppost began to set it on fire. The trio were safe due to being some distance from the conflagration and the alien assuming they had burned soon left the area. Now with a mission, Clive decided that the group would return to Lower Crowchurch to do something worthwhile. The trio then continue to travel back to the town via the car, they were stopped by a military unit under the command of a belligerent man named General Barker, once a lowly private who had been newly promoted to the self-declared District Commissioner Laidlaw, who had survived his ordeal with the alien invaders. However he was no confined to a wheelchair and half his face burned away, and in continuous pain which was only alleviated by his supply morphine. Despite his medical issues Laidlaw refused to all anyone other than he to be in charge as power had gone to his addle head and saw himself as the only recognized source of law and order in the aftermath of the invasion.
Under the pretense of security and maintaining order, Laidlaw instituted martial law to enforce his will only any survivors he came across. For Clive, Upton and Alph they were seen as traitors, especially Upton for abandoning her post. When Upton tried to reason with him about a possible solution to their crisis, mentioning Ambledown House, he became all more suspicious as he was aware of the project's existence. However such knowledge should not have been told to lowly civilians like Clive and Alph and accused Upton for espionage and treason. Though it already proved what Laidlaw confirmed as he found physical evidence of Upton's that indicated that she was a spy for the foreign powers and had been reporting to her handlers overseas before the start of the invasion. Laidlaw then decided to order a firing squad for the three of them.
The trio were escorted to the church that was being used as a stockade, under the guard of Hockside. Hockside being more sympathetic to Clive and his friends, heard Clive's appeal to speak with Laidlaw to listen to them or at least consider Ambledown House as a solution, framing the idea to be the mad burecrat's way to glory and fame. While Hockside agreed to talk to his superior, Clive and Upton talked, with the latter admitting her parents were nationals fo teh foreign powers during the previous war and she was recruited to spy on the current country she was in. She admitted her homeland having reversed engineered the technology used by the aliens, and everything she spoke of in finding a weapon to fight back was true. With the current crisis, Upton believed all national barriers were pointless and insisted that they work together. Alas Clive felt betrayed ay hearing this admission and refused to speak on the matter any further.
Susan, Peter and Jakes arrived at the outskirts of Crowchurch to find the area a fortress. Having seen Clive and her friend being taken into the town, Susan cautioned everyone from going in. Jakes believed the area to be too dangerous as the military currently looked not to be friendly types, though Susan wanted to save her friend. Peter advised against any quick decision and believed they could wait until morning to decide. However while he and Jakes were watching the children, Susan slipped away to sneak into Crowchurch, but found herself in a field with signposts of a minefield. No sooner did she leave, General Barker and his men captured the two adults and children.
Hockside after much faltering words of encouragement managed to convince Laidlaw of Clive and Upton’s idea of using the top secret project of Ambledown House. The District Commissioner though only brought Clive and Upton with him to the location where the project was last held. Alph on the other hand would be kept at Lower Crowchurch as a hostage. Laidlaw accompanied the two prisoners with three soldiers including Hockside, and left General Barker in charge of the town.
Peter, Jakes and the children were taken in as prisoners, and put under guard. Coggles upon seeing Jakes nearly mistaken him for Fawkes, which confused Peter until the soldier sadly informed the reporter of the poacher demise. Susan who had been struggling crawling through the mine field was found and captured by Barker who revealed that there were no mines and the signs were more of a deterrent, which of course was useless to the aliens given they doubtful could read English.
On the way towards Ambledown House, Laidlaw’s convoy had to pause to avoid detection of a trio of Lampposts. Hockside wanted to warn a nearby survivor camp about the danger but his concern was ignore by Laidlaw who insisted they continue their journey, saying it was part of the bigger picture.
Susan was brought to the church and was happily reunited with her friends. The female writer was informed by Alph that Clive and Upton were taking Laidlaw to a place where hopefully they could find a weapon to defeat the aliens. To the surprise of many Jakes told his comrades that what Clive and Upton were searching for was no longer there. The black marketeer knew some details of Ambledown House, in that it had existed some decades before his time. However the government had pull the plug on the operation some years ago. The head of the project Professor Ambrose Pimpleton had refused to give up and so turned to Jakes in supplying him scientific equipment to continue his work. Jakes believed that Pimpleton was probably still at his home when the invasion started. Though the group now knew where hope may lie, they still had to deal with the issue of being imprisoned. Alph though appealed to Coggles to help them escape, urging him it what Jakes would have done. Feeling indebt to the poacher and not wanting to disappoint Alph, Coggles helped the group escape the camp, throwing himself in their lot.
Meanwhile Laidlaw and his convoy reached the site of Ambledown House, but found it abandoned and empty. Worse a Lamppost had approached the area. Laidlaw having decided Clive and Upton outlived their usefulness ordered his men to force the two outside to draw attention so that he and the soldiers could escape. Hockside shocked at this would have no part of it, and instead aimed his weapon at Laidlaw, holding him at hostage, whilst Clive and Upton managed to get to the machine guns on the convoy cars and take down the Lamppost. The trio then left Laidlaw and his soldiers, warning him not to come after them and do his job in protecting survivors.
On the road, the trio came across Susan and her group and were reunited. Together they shared information, especially on their knowledge of Professor Ambrose Pimpleton. Jakes brought the refugees to Pimpleton's mansion, in the backwoods of the countryside which he called World's End.
The party soon met Professor Ambrose, an eccentric absent-minded scientist who was busy developing his device. However out of his many tests the device only worked two times. Just as the group settled into the mansion, Hockside spotted military trucks belonging to Laidlaw and his men. The District Commissioner not taking the mercy given to him, by Upton and Clive, sought to stamp out the threat to his authority and claim Professor Ambrose’s research for himself.
Knowing they were outgunned, Clive attempted a parley, but was shot while bearing a white flag, causing a shootout between the two groups. Peter attempted to lead the children out the back, but was horrified to see that the commotion had attracted the attention of the alien walkers, forcing him and the children back inside. General Barker and his men then turned their attention to the aliens, but were soundlessly eliminated with the rest fleeing to the woods. Laidlaw alone and vulnerable refused to be cowed and demanded to aliens to get off his planet before being burned to a crisp.
Pimpleton wasting no time had the refugees help him set up his equipment with haste. On the first try the weapon had no effect, but on the second attempt, the device emitting a wave-like sound that affected the Lamppost, destroying the glass panes and extinguishing the wisps of energy contained within.
Later on the refugee began settling in the mansion, finally having shelter, food and a weapon to protect themselves. Clive having recovered from being shoot, then renamed their new home, Wild's End, posting a sign at the gates, welcoming any other survivors sanctuary if they ever came.
Resistance[]
Alas other communities were not so fortunate. In the early days of the invasion, towns and cities which the Visitors Lampposts had been secretly installed as part of a moderation of public lighting came alive and began burning its occupants. One such community was the coastal town of Gullstone Harbour. In a matter of a month, the aliens assaulted the natives with their heat rays. The violence though was only to pacify the native populace. Soon enough the aliens brought a most insidious transmitter that emitted a hypnotic sound, making those who listened to it, suggestive to its influence. In combination with the flashing light of the Lampposts, the aliens could hypnotize the people to do their bidding.
Bernie Pye the local town reporter was the only one to have escaped the lull of the aliens' transmitter being deaf in one ear. To survive she stayed hidden and kept to herself. The Merry Beet, captained by Skipper and crewed by his daughter-in-law Flo, his grandson Eddie, Roddy and his two sea hands Howie and Stevie arrived back to port to find the town deserted. The crew having being absent since the invasion due to being out at sea, were confused at why the harbour town was abandoned. Seeking answers the younger member of the crew Eddie, Howie and Stevie rushed to look for their parents, causing Skipper to go after them.
Meanwhile Flo Roddy checked the local newspaper shop to determine what exactly happened, only to note that the press stopped printing news a month ago. They were met by Bernie armed with a shotgun, who saved the pair from a clicking spider and urged them to flee before the building was burned to the ground by the aliens.
The group then regrouped with Skipper and an unconscious Eddie who informed everyone that Stevie was taken by the aliens along with the other townsfolk, all under a trance, while Howie was killed by a Lamppost when he fled. Once they were safe at the lighthouse, where Bernie camped out, they were brought to speed on everything that transpired since they were away. Given the Skipper and Eddie were not hypnotized by the aliens, it was deduced it was because the hypnosis did not affect those with mental health issues like dementia epilepsy.
Despite having those with disabilities, Roddy believed that the remaining survivors were duty bound to drive the aliens out or at least get a warning to the other counties. Bernie though doubted that their small group could do much or that there was anyone to call for help. Still the group, taking precautions, by wearing blow torch glasses and sticking wax in their ears, proceeded to head toward where the aliens were directing their thralls. It turned out to be the local quarry, which was repurposed to cutting rocks by the enslaved townspeople to building a giant tower. For what purpose, the survivors soon discovered a giant lamp, which they deduced would be placed atop the tower, and be used to centralize control over the townsfolk and even spread their mind-control over miles.
Seeing that this was a threat, Eddie realized that they needed to blow the structure and transmitter up. As for how he believed that the Quarry's explosives to do the job. However as they approached the shack where the explosives were kept the group were nearly ambushed by small clicking spiders. They managed to escape, but lamented that their task to free their fellows failed, however Eddie believed that they could acquire another source of explosives from Old Thom, a retired navy serviceman who specialized in bomb disposal and a friend to the lad. Eddie believed Thom may still be alive, as he was blind from his service in the navy, and immune to the mind control of the Visitors. Skipper pointed out that even with the explosives, they would still have to contend with the Lampposts, so as a distraction he proposed a group of them repair the lighthouse as its light seemed to annoy the aliens.
Roddy and Eddie then left to head to Thom's place out in the woods. Sure enough the old serviceman was still alive, wondering where Eddie had been. Upon hearing that the country had been invaded Thom was all more eager to held, despite it being an alien invasion, which he accepted with little problem. Old Thom hearing that they needed to destroy the tower that the aliens were building they showed the two young men a unexploded sea mine.
The mine was carefully brought back near the lighthouse. Skipper and Bernie planned to stay behind to turn on the lighthouse at night in order to draw the Lampposts away from the quarry. While Flo led the rest to take the sea mine to the tower. Skipper and Bernie did their part and left the lighthouse and watched in horror as the Lampposts brutally tore the structure down,
Flo and the others managed to make their way to the quarry where they found that those under the hypnotic spell of the aliens were disoriented due to the interfering light of the lighthouse. Just as they approached the tower, a Lamppost appeared having been left behind to guard the site. Flo and Roddy seeing that they had to get the thing away from the tower, acted as bait using a flare gun to distract the Lamppost.
When Eddie and Thom entered the bowels of the tower, Thom revealed that the sea mine had no detonator for it to go off. So instead he volunteered to stay behind to set it off, and urged Eddie to run. When the Lamppost returned to the tower and found Thom near the sea mine, it attempted to remove him using its tentacles, Thom though blind used the force of the tentacles to have it pull not just him but the stabilizing blocks keeping the sea mine stable on the truck it was on. Once it fell the mine exploded, taking the tower down, and also causing all the lights in the Visitors to explode and go out.
Alas victory was not clear as Skipper and Bernie revealed that there were many more towers out in the countryside. What they destroyed was only one of many. Not only that, many of the townsfolk had still yet to come out of their trance and many more were still lost in the wilderness wandering about. There was some depression among the victors that there was no hope to fight against the invaders. However after Skipper began tinkering with his radio, he caught a transmission from Wild's End, offering shelter and hope for survivors.
Culture[]
Not much is revealed about the aliens and their society. Their landings on the planets they invade appear to leave strange crop circles, though for what purpose could only be guessed.
From what little a speculative author gathered, the motivations of the aliens coming to Earth displayed systematic planning which either could indicate invasion, colonization or mass migration. It was noted that the interiors of their vessels lack any art of writing, which is speculated to be that the aliens did not use writing to communicate or that most of their technology was automated.
The aliens seem to have very little understanding of the biology of the inhabitants of the planet they invaded. Those that they enslaved via their mind-inducing light and transmitter are worked to death without regard to their physical limitations, such as hunger, shelter, etc. Those who die are discarded by the aliens, left to rot.
Strangely the aliens seem to take great offense to artificial light sources such as a harbor lighthouse. Not just due to it being capable of interfering with their mind control technique, but there was a noted sense of severe hatred toward the device as a trio of Lampposts quickly dismantled one with extreme prejudice, by tearing it down asunder and igniting it with their heat rays.
Sources[]
- Wild's End Issue 001 (2014)
- Wild's End Issue 002 (2014)
- Wild's End Issue 003 (2014)
- Wild's End Issue 004 (2014)
- Wild's End Issue 005 (2014)
- Wild's End Issue 006 (2014)
- Wild's End: The Enemy Within Issue 001 (2015)
- Wild's End: The Enemy Within Issue 002 (2015)
- Wild's End: The Enemy Within Issue 003 (2015)
- Wild's End: The Enemy Within Issue 004 (2015)
- Wild's End: The Enemy Within Issue 005 (2015)
- Wild's End: The Enemy Within Issue 006 (2015)
- Wild's End: Journey's End (2018)
- Wild's End Issue 001 (2023)
- Wild's End Issue 002 (2023)
- Wild's End Issue 003 (2023)
- Wild's End Issue 004 (2023)
- Wild's End Issue 005 (2023)
- Wild's End Issue 006 (2023)