I don’t know how long it has been since the alien species invaded our planet, besieging us on all planes, cut off from the rest of the republic. Only now had we learnt that there were indeed other lifeforms out there, and that we were not alone… The ships that ones lit the night sky in furious firefights had dimed months ago and surely those who could flee had done so already.

There was little hope in stopping their endless hordes smashing at our meagre defences like endless waves in the ocean softening a rock until it was completely smooth. The only comfort to be had was that my city was not completely overrun yet and the barricades still held, perhaps also the grey woollen coat I wore was comforting. Recently our force had reclaimed an old cannery where stocks of food raised our spirits, thankfully the Richardsson microbe had made canned foodstuff last more than a hundred years when properly stored, if the barricades held then so could we.

On patrol I couldn’t help but to smile as the sun glared through the tall slate buildings, there was life on the streets and small state vendors had opened to exchange coupons for cans of food. The old park near the city centre had been ploughed and small fields carried potatoes and carrots, perhaps reminiscent of a crisis in ancient history. The old hydroponics museum was also being refurbished to again become functional. I was quite thankful to live in the founders’ cradle where all the old technology and structures remained from the first settlers. It was as if for a moment that we were those founders walking in a strange new world.

On the way past a vendor I exchanged two of my coupons for a large can of some sort of meat stew, surely my mates at the eastern outpost would be pleased to see what I brought lunch. The night would be long and the five of us could only afford a small meal.

The night sky was filled with sporadic stars for a colony so far away in our galaxy, we were fortunate enough to see a handful of lights in the otherwise pitch-black sky.

The calm was however broken as sirens wailed and the nixie tubes began counting lifeforms. Gunfire spewed down from a balcony on the third floor above us, raining down upon the alien beasts that made their way to break through the barricade. Our guns left little else than sludge after ripping through the brutes, but they kept coming. I stumbled from my post with my rifle in hand hastily looking around me with a shocked expression, in what felt like seconds they had climbed over the wall. From behind rubble and slate screens pulled down from buildings we fired our rifles, again and again, throwing away magazine after magazine. After what felt like an eternity I reach down on my belt, but there is nothing there. My face grew pale and I looked down the narrow street, they were still coming.

From behind ran our officer with a makeshift sword made from a sharpened piece of steel screaming “Forward! Death to the alien invaders!”

Charging closely behind from the slate and rubble barriers were my friends and planetary militia, with bayonet in hand or using their rifles as clubs. For a moment I doubt as the alien brutes brushed them aside like ragdolls, the shock of seeing the last of my kind being swept aside I could hardly move. But I was rudely awakened as I made eye contact with whatever was looking at me and I took held of my rifle harder than I ever had before and I charge. To my last breath I found solace that at least I had been at the forefront protecting my species from this new existential threat.