“They even tried flashing lights,” Jessica added as she looked at additional information on a data screen. “There was no response to anything.”
“Now what?” asked Drake, folding his arms across his chest as he looked over at Mason. “Do we just let them sit there?”
“There are reports of riots breaking out in several cities,” Jessica continued as she listened to a number of media feeds that were coming in over several of her screens. Her eyes took on a frightened look. “There is panic buying going on, with people stocking up on food, water, and other essentials. All the stock exchanges across the world have been closed down to prevent panic selling from devastating the markets.”
“It’s only going to get worse the longer the aliens go without communicating,” commented Drake, shaking his head.
“Pamela,” one of the other communications specialists broke in. “The communications shuttle is being ordered to back off to one hundred kilometers as a safety precaution. They don’t want the aliens to feel the shuttle is a threat.”
“The shuttle,” laughed Drake, arching his eyebrows. “I suspect the aliens don’t consider the shuttle to be a threat at all. They are just ignoring it like everything else.”
“I just wish we knew what those smaller craft are up to,” spoke Mason, worriedly. He had a bad feeling about all of this and those small craft concerned him. What were they doing down on Earth, and why couldn’t they be detected?
-
One of the small alien ships was flying low over the ground in the United States as it scanned the cities and towns below. The crew of the ship knew it was invisible to any of the primitive detection technology available to this world. It was dark below, and none of the sleeping populace knew what was flying above them. Finally, the crew found what they were seeking. The ship slowly circled as its powerful computers confirmed that they had found what they had been sent to retrieve.
The ship slowed and came to a stop five thousand meters above its intended target. Several small hatches opened, and powerful paralyzing beams shot out and played over the area below, knocking all forms of life unconscious. Once the crew of the alien ship was satisfied that all life forms below had been rendered helpless, the ship landed. It was time now to complete the primary part of their mission.
Airlocks opened and ramps descended to the ground. The crew emerged and began spreading out across the small military base. They were dressed in dark suits of combat armor and stood nearly ten feet tall. Only a few were armed, as they expected no resistance due to the paralyzing beams. They began loading hundreds of unconscious Humans into the ship. They carried them into the ship two or three at a time since the suits of battle armor gave the wearers nearly superhuman strength. The small craft could hold over one thousand of the targeted Humans they had been sent to find. Once they were finished, they would return to the command ship, unload their unconscious Human cargo, and come back for more.
-
Mason had finally gone to his sister’s home to eat. There had been no further developments with the alien ship; it remained in orbit around the Earth and was still not communicating. Luna City had reported that they had spotted several of the smaller ships return and then later leave again. This made Mason nervous; he wondered what they could be up to. Drake and Pamela were still in the Control Center and would contact him if anything new developed.
“What’s going on, Mason?” Susan asked as she placed the food on the table. She was deeply concerned about the alien ship.
News about it was on all of the media stations, and the fact that her husband had gone off to one of his mining ventures didn’t help. She was concerned about Michael’s safety and didn’t know what she would do if something happened to him.
“No one knows,” Mason replied as Susan sat down across from him. “The aliens are not communicating, so everyone is still in the dark as to why they’re here.”
The two children had eaten earlier and gone over to a neighbors to play. Mason and his sister were very close, and she worked several hours a day at the main office reviewing the contracts that Mason managed to get signed. She had several business degrees and enjoyed working during the day while the kids were gone to school.
“I wish Michael were here,” she said as she began eating her salad. She didn’t have much of an appetite. “I don’t like him being gone while something like this is occurring.”
“The alien ship is at Earth,” Mason responded as he buttered a roll. His sister was an excellent cook, just as their mother had been. “We’ve cut off our communications with everyone except an occasional tight beam message to Luna City and Holbrook Station. The aliens may not even know that we’re out here.”
“I hope not,” Susan replied as she reached for the salad dressing. “I spoke with Larcy earlier, and she’s really frightened. Drake’s parents came over to stay with her until he can come home.”
“Drake was afraid this would frighten Larcy,” Mason responded as he took a bite of his roll. “So far the aliens are not communicating even though Luna City has reported seeing a number of small craft leave the larger ship, go to Earth, and then return only to leave for Earth again. Drake is still in the Control Center with Pamela. He should be going home in another hour or two if nothing new develops.”
Susan stopped eating her salad and gazed across the table at Mason. “Why?” she asked, looking perplexed with her eyes focusing on her brother. “What are they up to? It almost sounds as if they’re hunting for something.”
“I thought about that also,” confessed Mason, still feeling uneasy about the situation. “But I doubt if that’s the case, and if it is, why don’t they just tell us? If they need something, I’m sure the world governments would be willing to help.”
“Is it true the ship is armed?” Susan asked in a lower voice. She had heard about this on the news earlier. One of the media stations had shown pictures of what looked like weapon turrets on the alien’s ship.
Mason hesitated, but he knew there was no point in keeping that fact a secret from his sister. “Yes, it’s armed. Pretty heavily from the information that Luna City has sent us.”
“What about Holbrook Station?” Susan asked with growing concern in her eyes. “What are they doing?”
Susan was concerned because her brother-in-law was in charge of the large station where their cargo ships docked and unloaded their cargo for distribution to Earth. There were also nearly six hundred crewmembers on the space station as well.
“I’ve ordered the station to do nothing,” answered Mason, knowing Susan was concerned and why. “I’ve stopped all traffic to and from the station as well as ordered all of our ships currently in transit to Holbrook to turn around and return here until we know more about what’s going on.”
Susan nodded as she resumed eating her salad. It sounded to her as if Mason had done everything he could. “You don’t think they will come here, do you?”
“I don’t know,” Mason replied evenly, not wanting to frighten his sister any more than she already was. “I’ve locked everything down and placed security guards at the main airlocks. If they do come, they will have a hard time getting in.”
Mason had already wondered what he would do if the aliens were to show up at Vesta. He knew it might be wise to make a brief broadcast to the people in Smithfield telling them there was no reason to panic and to let them know that they were monitoring the situation at Earth.
Mason finished eating his meal and then spent some time talking to his sister before telling her good night and heading back to the Control Center. He would make a short announcement to the people in Smithfield, and then if nothing was occurring with the aliens he was going to turn in for the night. He had a feeling the next few days were going to be hectic, and he might not get a lot of sleep.
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The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict Page 36
