May 4th, 1975

Dawn spilled over the deserts of Oaxaca. Lewis watched, looking for intruders that might find the city. The city of the new species of man, of which he was one of the leaders. They had evolved here, in the deserts. The mosquitoes were a pain, but it was a small price to be paid for global domination in the future.

His lieutenant appeared, Tom Daniels. "Lewis, there is good news to report."

"Such as?"

"We've managed to throw the last Mexican Army patrol off."

"Good. Now they'll never find the city."

Tom disappeared and Lewis resumed his vigil. Hours passed, and he felt himself growing hungry. Still, he kept watch. An assault by the Mexican Army would be the beginning of the end for the fledgling species.

"Good afternoon, Lewis" a female voice said. It was Tom's mother, Mary, come to visit him on his watch over the endless desert. It felt odd, having a relationship with the mother of a close friend and one of your most trusted subordinates, but hell.

"Good afternoon yourself, Mary. How's the rebuilding effort going?"

"Well, ever since we came back 30 years after we had to flee the Mexican Army and their blasted training exercises, we've been rebuilding. The Town Hall is finished, as is the school. We were children then, going to that school."

"Yes. How true."

"How long do you intend to stand up there and watch? The Mexicans really aren't going to attack any time soon, and the city is a fortress."

"Yes, but a concentrated artillery strike would bring down the roof of the caves and kill us all. Being dead will not advance our kind. At least our kind hadn't left Mexico when we fled the first time. Now, we'll rebuild our power, and then take over this planet."

"Such ambition. Why don't you come down and have dinner? Standing up there in the hot sun must've made you terribly hungry."

"Okay, Mary. You've persuaded me."

He and Mary walked down from the observation post, down to the mine-like entrance to the city. Hundreds of tunnels and rooms carved out of the sandstone below the desert, housing over 100,000 individuals. They walked down the stone corridor, towards the main dining area. In the dim light, they got their food and paid for it. Lewis had a ham sandwich, fries and water; Mary the same. It was a self-contained economy down there, factories, gardens and markets.

"So, Mary, how was your day today?"

"Well, I organized the rebuilding of the Northwest and Northeast housing areas. Then, I spruced up the entrances to the city and inspected the weapon stockpiles."

"I stood guard for several hours."

"Why do you bother? I mean with Tom and the others distracting the Mexican Army, you can just hang out down here."

"Yes, but everyone needs sunlight you know."

"Speaking of sunlight, how is Operation Light of the World going?"

"You mean the plan to destroy some of the outlying towns whose residents have been too inquisitive around the city? Why they named it Light of the World is beyond me. So much death."

"I asked how it was going, Lewis."

"Well, we have plenty of guns and ammunition, plus enough soldiers, but we don't have any vehicles for quick movement to and from the towns."

"Relax. Tom and a few of his men stole three trucks. That should be enough to carry the 30 soldiers necessary to destroy a few small hamlets scattered across this wasteland."

"Are they adequately gassed?"

"We have plenty of fuel, so don't worry. We'll burn those towns to dust easily, and then we'll go from there."

"When should the raid be scheduled?"

"Perhaps tomorrow. It's that silly celebration Cinco de Mayo, so they'll be preoccupied and defenseless."

"Excellent, Mary. Ready the troops. It's time to party."

Rio Viejo

"But Lieutenant Perez! People have been disappearing, and later found pumped full of assault weapon rounds! We need military protection for the town!" Mayor Roberto Estman sputtered.

"No, Estman. We need soldiers badly in Chiapas, and we can't waste them on some desert town here. Good day."

"But Lieutenant Perez! The others towns will corroborate my words! They know! They know!"

"Know what?"

"The people of the desert. Mostly gringos. They don't show up often, but when they do, they are surly, dangerous, and they can sense the emotions of others. Some of the people call them Predators, because there are rumors that they hunt men!"

"Yeah, right. Go back and finish your tequila."

"Perez!" the Mayor shouted at his back.

Desert Outside the City

"Are we ready, Tom?" Lewis asked.

"Yes sir. Now why don't we go exterminate the bastards?"

"That's what I was asking! Let's get a move on!"

Tom, Lewis, and several other soldiers of the new species hopped onto trucks and drove off toward Rio Viejo.

Rio Viejo

In the bars and on the streets, dozens of Mexicans were celebrating Cinco de Mayo in revelries of dancing and drinking. Some people were dancing, and others were kissing, and all were having a great time.

Suddenly, guns blazing, the lead jeep of Lewis and his soldiers burst into town, mowing down many people. Lewis threw a Molotov cocktail into a dilapidated wooden building, igniting it. Tom aimed his grenade launcher at the center of town and began destroying buildings and killing great clouds of people.

Robert Lindsey pulled out a grenade launcher and joined the symphony of destruction. Building after building collapsed, crushing their occupants. Within minutes the small town was a ruin. Lewis had his soldier drive the trucks over the collapsed buildings to kill any survivors. Then they spilled great amounts of crude oil onto the rubble, and then they ignited it. With the screams of torment of survivors behind them, they drove off.

The City

There was celebration in the taverns carved into the rock. The other members of the new species toasted Lewis and Tom, the leaders of the assault. It seemed that another raid was in order, against some other nearby town.

Tom's mother approached Lewis, and kissed him. "Great job Lewis!" she said appreciatively.

"Thanks, Mary. Now why don't we plan another attack on the weaklings."

Ruins of Rio Viejo

"That damned idiot Estman was right" Lieutenant Perez said. "Perhaps there really are some mob of killers hiding out in the desert somewhere."

"We found tire tracks leading out into the desert," Private Jose Rivera said. "Shall we follow them?"

"Yes" Lieutenant Perez said. "Only we're going to need more tanks, troops, and weapons. It seems our new enemies are going to be tough nuts to crack."

The City

Lewis watched the desert soon after nightfall, watching for Mexican troops. Since Tom and he had wiped out the population of the town so thoroughly, he assumed that the Mexicans would not know where to look.

Mary walked up onto the observation platform where Lewis stood his vigil. "Why don't you come down? Its much nicer down there."

"We must be especially cautious from now into the foreseeable future. The Mexicans could find us and attack."

Mary kissed him. "Come on" she said. "It'll be fun."

Lewis kissed her back. "Yes, but who'll watch the desert?"

"Someone will."

They continued to kiss sliding down to the floor of the observation post when the mortar hit. Something exploded nearby, destroying an aboveground storage facility. They looked up. On the horizon were 12 tanks, 15 trucks, and 20 APCs. Closer to them were dozens of soldiers, armed with M-16s and grenade launchers. Some were firing mortars on the city.

"Get the troops" Lewis yelled to Mary, drawing a fully automatic Uzi pistol. "We've been found!"

Mary rushed down to the catacombs beneath the earth, to rally the soldiers.

Lewis turned toward the soldiers, hosing them with ammunition. Dozens fell, bloodied and screaming, others silent. Still others redirected their fire at him. Lewis began tossing grenades at them, wiping out huge swaths of their lines.

Lewis saw Robert Lindsey charged, guns blazing, towards the Mexicans. He was hit seven times by bullets but didn't fall, continuing in his orgies of destruction. A grenade to the head ended his life, but he took 20 Mexicans down with him.

Tom ascended the battlement upon which Lewis stood, firing grenades at the Mexicans. Still, they kept coming, and the tanks began firing, destroying the aboveground portions of the city. One shell hit the tower on which Tom and Lewis were fighting, and it swayed dangerously. They hopped down, and ran for the tunnels.

A grenade went off nearby, peppering them with shrapnel. Tom took a hit to the side of his head, producing a bloody yet superficial wound. Tom retaliated by firing a grenade in the direction of the Mexicans.

Tom and Lewis entered the main body of the city to be caught in a wave of wounded refugees. It seemed the Mexicans had collapsed the rocky ceiling above the Commons area of the city and were inside the city itself, slaughtering the populace.

They were swept by the crowd out of the city and into the desert. Tom caught a brief glimpse of his mother and others, but then a grenade went off, and he lost sight of them.

A missile hit part of the desert that served as the roof of the city, collapsing it. The Mexicans resumed their attacks, destroying the city. Fortunately for the members of the new species however, they were distracted by the task of destroying the city and didn't attack the fleeing horde.

They ran for hours, and regrouped in a small ravine. There, Lewis spoke to the greatly reduced crowd.

"We must leave this place, for the Mexicans will hunt us down and destroy us. If we are to survive, then we must go to every country in the world, to spread ourselves out. Once we are great enough, we shall defeat the humans that have oppressed us, and REIGN IN THE KINGDOM OF MAN!"

The crowd cheered. "Now go! Some of us may have to stay, to rebuild our city, but we must spread over the world. And when we rule, this shall be a day of remembrance for our fallen brothers, the Day of the Diaspora!"

As they left in multiple directions, Lewis took Tom aside. "Gather some of the soldiers. We need to begin the crusade against those who hunt us. If we head for Los Angeles, we can build an army of us and those of our kind who may have evolved there."

"Agreed" Tom said, walking out to search for allies.

Lewis sighed. We are about to embark on a great crusade, he mused.

July 21st, 1998

Tom stood at the entrance to the ruined City during a howling wind-and-sand storm. The sky was gray in combination of overcast and whipping fog. His head was hung, mourning for his friends and neighbors who died here more than 20 years ago.

Much had happened in the past year; Lewis and the full force of his clan had attacked them, and Ed, Peterson, and Attwood were killed. Thankfully Sloan had survived, but was devastated by Ed's death. She was back in LA; he was in this depressing waste.

Only one thing. Lewis had escaped the carnage, and was still running around loose somewhere. Without the Whitney team and himself to stop him, who would?

"Good afternoon, Tom" a silky voice said. He turned; it was Lewis.

"Don't bother me Lewis."

"I didn't come to bother you, Tom. I came to pay respects to the dead. Why fight now? Almost all we know and love are dead; we had our battle, why fight again."

"Awfully philosophical for a man who tried to overthrow the United States government."

"Oh shut up," Lewis said, voice heavy with loss.

"Fine" Tom said.

They stood at the grave of so many for a long time.