Menno shook his head as he watched the streaks of light shoot across the black background, none of them coming anywhere near his ship. “They’re out of control. They don’t know what they’re doing.”
*
“I’m getting dizzy!” Christa moaned.
“Don’t look up,” Alex told her. “Stare at your console. Concentrate on it, not what’s going on around us.”
Henry was torn with indecision. “I just don’t know which one to push!”
Alex didn’t know which button did what, but knew they had to do something. In desperation, he reached across Henry and pressed two buttons. The ship suddenly lurched, and although the stars were still spinning around them, they were shot past the other ship.
*
“Look!” Elizabeth screamed, her heart beating hard in her chest as she watched the spinning ship rush toward her.
Before he could react, Menno watched in stunned surprise as the other ship approached with incredible speed, the flashes of blue light still shooting out in a circular pattern like a beacon. He saw Elizabeth suddenly leap out of her chair, clutching at her chest, her bulging eyes still focused on the other ship. He watched the ship race past them, narrowly missing a collision by only a few feet as the blue light shot out above them. Elizabeth slowly crumpled to the floor.
“Mother!” Menno screamed and leapt from his chair, dashing to Elizabeth and kneeling beside her. Her eyes were wide, her expression reflecting the agony she was feeling.
“My . . . heart!” she gasped.
In helpless frustration, Menno watched Elizabeth jerk spasmodically for a few seconds, then her body went limp and a rush of air escaped from her lungs. “Mother!” he moaned and shook her, though he knew it was useless.
Lewis knelt beside Elizabeth and placed his hand on her neck, searching for a pulse. He looked into Menno’s pleading eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. As he watched, he saw the look in Menno’s eyes transform from hopeful fear to savage rage.
Menno stood and stared out into space, catching a fleeting glimpse of the other spaceship as it raced away. “After them!” he growled at Lewis through clenched teeth, his hands opening and closing into fists at his sides.
Norton stood and looked at the other craft. “They are using a great amount of energy by firing so often. They will deplete the crystals in a short time. I think we should destroy the military base first . . .” Lewis ceased to argue when Menno spun around to face him and clutched the gold cross hanging from his neck. Lewis nodded and quickly returned to his chair. He pressed three buttons on the console, and the stars began racing past around them.
Menno stood staring forward as they slowly gained on the other spaceship. When they were within one mile of each other, he could see the other ship, still spinning and sending out flashes of blue light.
Lewis knew, at this distance, the streaks of blue light would not affect them if one happened to hit, but if they continued to close the distance, they would start feeling the impacts and eventually the streaks of light would damage their ship. He reduced speed until it matched that of the other ship and decreased their altitude to stay below the spears of blue light.
“Begin firing!” Menno ordered tersely.
Lewis knew he would need a lucky shot to hit the damaged area, but did as instructed. He began sending bursts of blue light out at thirty-second intervals to conserve the energy in the crystals.
Menno watched as the streaks of blue light bounced off the mirrored surface of the other ship. “Move closer!” Menno demanded.
Lewis did not argue, and increased their speed. He noticed the streaks of light from the other ship were not traveling as far into space, and knew the ship was losing energy. It was only a matter of minutes before their crystals would be depleted and they would no longer be able to control the ship. He also realized the other ship was losing altitude and continually lowered their craft to stay just below the streaks of blue light.
*
Alex desperately clung to the backs of the two chairs on either side of him to keep his balance as the ship was pounded by blast after blast from Menno’s ship. Every time he tried to look for the other ship, the spinning stars would cause him to become nauseous and he would have to concentrate on the people and objects in front of him until the feeling passed.
The blows from the blue light were increasing in magnitude, causing their ship to lurch forward with increasing severity, and it took all Alex’s strength to hang on. He was so preoccupied with trying to keep from being thrown around the inside, he did not notice that the revolutions of his craft were decreasing.
*
“They are losing power,” Lewis informed Menno and stopped firing.
Menno spun to face his brother, seething with rage and still clutching his gold cross. “Continue to fire!” he screamed.
“Can you not see that the spinning is slowing down and their speed is falling off?” Lewis replied testily, as they rapidly closed the distance between the ships, now only two-hundred-feet away.
“I said fire!” Menno screamed hysterically.
Lewis pressed a button and sent out a single pulse of blue light.
*
The next blow was overwhelming, and Alex was thrown from between the chairs. He accidentally pushed his hand down on the console before crashing into one of the cabinets and sending an eruption of blue sparks cascading into the control room. Polanski and Fielder were viciously hurled from their chairs and slammed into the side of the room as Christa and Henry were driven into their seats and the ship came to an abrupt stop.
*
Menno’s jaw dropped in stunned shock as the ships suddenly accelerated toward each other at an unfathomable rate. They collided with such severity Menno shot through the air and smashed savagely into the wall.
Lewis was hurled forward and was driven, shoulder first, into the cabinet in front of him. The effect of the collision was like two silver hockey pucks colliding, but the damage on Alex’s ship tore into Menno’s, tearing a massive gash through the side and locking them together, spinning radically as they dropped to the ground.
*
The force of the collision drove Alex’s ship deep into Menno’s. Now, locked together, the two spinning ships began plummeting toward the ground.
Alex watched the horror as Polanski and Fielder were slammed against the wall beside him. Somehow, the chairs holding Christa and Henry remained mounted to the floor and the backs of their chairs kept them from being thrown against the wall.
The impact with the ground drove Alex to the floor and bounced Christa and Henry out of the seats, tossing them to the floor as well.
*
Bull and Sterns stared helplessly as the two ships collided and then fell through space until they moved into the shadow and the reflection disappeared.
“Where’d they go?” Bull asked.
Sterns shook his head. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter now. I’m sure everyone’s dead.”
Bull faced him, an angry scowl on his face. “The hell, you say! Until I see the bodies, I won’t just write them off.” He glanced at his watch, turned, and strode purposely across the tarmac.
“Where are you going?” Sterns hollered after him.
Bull stopped and turned to face him, his eyes blazing with determination. “To get the helicopter pilot. It’ll be light in two hours. I’m going out there to find out for sure. You coming or not?”
Sterns thought it hopeless and a waste of fuel, but jogged to catch up with him. “They could be anywhere! They’re probably still up in space!”
Bull did not reply as he turned and continued, briskly, across the tarmac, Sterns nearly jogging to keep up.
*
What was left of the ceiling was solid again, and the glow from the lights was beginning to dim as the power in the crystals was nearly depleted. Alex sat up and stared at the motionless bodies of Christa and Henry, and forced himself up onto his hands and knees to crawl over
to Christa. He rolled her over and she opened her eyes. She tried to sit up, but he gently held her down, then he saw a drop of blood splatter against her blouse. He reached up and wiped the blood away as it dripped from his forehead, into his eye, and then smiled reassuringly at her. “Don’t worry. It looks worse than it is. How bad are you hurt?”
Christa looked up at him, shook her head, and then slowly sat up. “A few sore spots, but that’s all.”
Henry sat up and looked around the interior of their ship, amazed it was still somewhat whole. He turned and looked beyond Alex, and could see the interior of the other ship through the gaping hole joining the two ships together. He did a quick assessment of his own body, and other than a slightly sprained wrist, he seemed to be in one piece and not in any pain.
Alex saw the surprised expression on Henry, but the doc pointed behind him. When Alex turned to see what he was pointing at, he saw the interior of Menno’s ship and heard a soft moan from inside. He quickly looked back at Henry. “How you doing, doc?”
Henry pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, and then slowly stood and glanced around the interior of both ships. “To be honest, I am surprised any of us are still alive.” He looked down at Alex and Christa, still on the floor. “You do not look so good, Alex. It appears you have a nasty cut on your head.”
“I’ll be okay.”
Christa quickly looked around the room and saw two bodies on the floor on the opposite side then looked up at Henry. “What about those two?”
Henry quickly made his way across the debris and knelt next to the bodies of Polanski and Fielder to feel for a pulse. He turned to look at Alex and Christa, and slowly shook his head.
They all turned to look when they heard the soft moan coming from the interior of the other spaceship, and Alex helped Christa to her feet before the three of them made their way through the debris into the other craft. The light of the interior was brighter than in their ship, making it easier to see.
Henry was the first one to see the two bodies of a woman and a blond man on the floor. He saw the man try to roll over and quickly knelt beside him to help.
Menno felt two hands grab his shoulder to help him roll over. He looked up at the stranger, and could see the concern in his eyes. Everything had happened so fast he could not remember why he was on the floor. “What are you doing on my ship?” He asked the stranger.
Henry ignored the question. “How badly are you injured? Can you sit up?”
Menno nodded and allow the man to pull him up into a sitting position, but grimaced at the pain in the right side of his abdomen. He looked around the interior and realized what had happened. He looked down, recognized Elizabeth, and remembered she was already dead. His head snapped around frantically as he searched for his brother. When he saw Lewis’s body he tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness forced him to stay seated. He looked up and gave the stranger an imploring stare as he pointed to the body of his brother. “See if he’s still alive!” he pleaded.
Henry nodded, stood back up, and then made his way to the man on the floor. When he knelt down and touched the side of the man’s neck to check for a pulse, the man suddenly bolted upright, panic in his eyes. He placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Just take it easy for a minute. How bad are your injuries?”
Lewis did a quick assessment of his body before he looked up at the stranger. “My contusions appear to be superficial,” he said in a matter of fact tone. “I require your assistance, sir. My left ulna is fractured, rendering the arm useless. Please help me stand up, so I may assess our situation.”
Henry found it difficult to understand how this man could maintain such a cool composure after everything that had happened. “Of course.” he said as he grabbed Lewis’s right arm and helped him to his feet.
Lewis quickly made his way through the debris and knelt beside his brother. “To what degree are your injuries?”
Menno looked at his brother and lightly shook his head, a smirk forming on his lips. “I think my right leg is broken. At least, that’s where I feel the most pain.” He looked up at the dark-haired man and a short woman as they walked over from the other ship. “Were you the one flying my other ship?” The man and woman shook their heads, and he looked at the third person.
“I was the one trying to figure things out.” Henry answered. “I had no idea what I was doing. It was an accident.”
Menno nodded up at Henry. “That much was apparent.” He looked over at the man and woman. “I’m Menno Simons, and this is my brother, Lewis Norton.” He looked down beside him. “This woman was my adoptive mother, Elizabeth.” He looked up again. “So, who are you and what were you doing on that ship?”
Alex looked down at Menno and shook his head. “So you’re the one who started all this. I’m Alex Cave, and this is Christa Avery. I’m a geology instructor, and she’s a scientist working for the All Alaska Company. We discovered one of your crystals on a tanker and we were trying to figure out what it was. Now we know it’s a new energy source. What I want to know is why you’re doing this.”
Menno stared at them for a moment. “I wanted to make a point. Your crude fossil fuel burning machines will destroy this world. My kind tried to save this planet once before, and I was trying to save it once again.”
Alex, Christa, and Henry, glanced at each other with questioning expressions, and then Alex asked the question for all of them. “What do you mean, ‘your’ kind?”
Menno looked over and smiled up at his brother, and then smiled up at Alex. “This was one of our planets millions of years ago, but we were forced to leave by a cataclysmic event. An accident, if you will.” He continued to stare into Alex’s eyes. “That’s all I have to say for the moment.”
*
Colonel Sterns refused to authorize the helicopter search until daylight. Bull was furious, but Sterns’ argument was justified by the lack of fuel for the helicopter. He knew the chances of finding the spaceship would be difficult enough during the daylight, and nearly impossible to do by night. Bull sighed deeply to release his frustration, and then looked at Sterns and nodded. “Can you send an airplane out to look for them first?”
Sterns nodded. “I’ll start setting everything in motion. Don’t worry, we’ll find them tomorrow morning. I’ve already been in contact with Mr. Donner, and he agreed to give me whatever I need. Now it’s time for me to do my job.”
* * *
Chapter 39
CRASH SITE. SEVENTY MILES SOUTH- EAST OF AREA 51:
Menno’s ship had the least amount of damage, so everyone took refuge inside from the cold desert air. Alex agreed not to press Menno further for information, but Henry would not relent. He was excited to find out everything he could about this ship and how everything worked. Menno remained silent with his arms folded across his chest as he leaned back in a chair and closed his eyes, trying to hide the pain in his abdomen. The constant badgering for information by Henry was getting on his nerves and he wished he had the strength to shut the man up. Permanently, if he had his way.
Lewis could see the anger building in his brother’s expression. The instant he saw Menno reach for his cross, he stood and gently took Henry by the arm and led him outside the wreckage. Alex noticed, wondering what Lewis was up to, and followed them out. He stepped in front of Lewis. “What’s going on?”
“I would prefer you did not press my brother further. His temper is extremely short. I’ll answer what I can. Please continue, Doctor Heinz.”
“I have heard you can make this ship disappear. How is that possible? The greatest minds on our planet have tried to solve the question and, I do not mind telling you, I have racked my brain over it several times since I heard about your ship.”
“Basically, it is the manipulation of frequency. All matter oscillates at its own frequency. By the careful mixture of various elements, two of which do not exist on this planet, one can manipulate certain materials, causing them to resonate at frequencies which cannot be seen by the human eye
or the type of radar used by the military.”
Henry was finding it difficult to grasp the concept that he was talking to someone not born on this planet. “What about converting the oil? How do you make the powder?”
“It is a difficult process, Doctor Heinz.”
The men looked west as the indigo sky changed to orange and then blue as the sun rose over the horizon. They could hear an aircraft in the distance, and the sound was gradually getting louder. They scanned the sky and the sound seemed to change direction and increased in volume, and then they saw the sunlight reflecting off a single-engine aircraft coming their way.
Henry turned and ran back into the ships. “There is a plane coming. We need something to make a signal. Matches, flashlights, anything at all.” He spun around when he heard a voice behind him, and looked at Lewis, standing just outside the opening.
“That will not be necessary, Doctor Heinz. The aircraft is coming directly toward us. Now we must wait.”
*
Bull paced back and forth across the grey tiled floor while he listened to the voice of the pilot searching for the spaceships. Bull stopped pacing and listened to Sterns talk to the pilot.
“I’m flying over them, right now,” the pilot was explaining. “It’s a mess down there. The wreckage looks like two silver disks attached to each other. What the hell are they?”
“Never mind about that.” Sterns told him. “What about bodies? Do you see any bodies near the wreckage?”
“Yeah, it looks like two people standing outside. Wait a minute. I can see a woman and a man with gray hair walking out of the wreckage. They’re waving at me, so they must be all right. Here’s the coordinates.”
Sterns jotted down the information, and then turned and handed the note to Bull. “Take it to the helicopter pilot and tell them you’re cleared. I’ll call and have two medical technicians ride with you. Just remember, we don’t have a lot of fuel left, so try to get in and out as soon as possible.”
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 29
