The noise was deafening, the shock wave crushing. If Cindy hadn’t been flat on the ground, she would have been killed. As it was, she lay stunned for several moments, recovering only when the saucer was a vanishing white dot in the sky. She opened her eyes just as it blinked out of view.
“They got Adam,” she whispered. “They got Watch.”
But they didn’t get Sally. Cindy made her way to her friend, who lay unmoving not far from the remaining saucer. Smoke and tiny fires littered the landscape. Sally had a pulse, and she was breathing. Cindy hobbled to the water and soaked her shirt in it. Then she returned to Sally and squeezed the water onto her friend’s face. Sally opened her eyes with a start.
“That better not be water from the reservoir,” Sally said.
“It is,” Cindy said.
Sally sat up and wiped her face with the back of her arm. “You better pray my face doesn’t turn gray and my hair doesn’t fall out,” she complained. “Or else you’re going to be bobbing for apples tomorrow night in a barrel of reservoir water.”
“They’ve taken Adam and Watch,” Cindy cried.
“Oh, my head hurts.” Sally rubbed her forehead. “What are you talking about?”
“The aliens! Their ship left with Adam and Watch on it!”
Sally was instantly alert. She glanced around. “Why didn’t they take me?”
Cindy held up one of her weapons. “I ambushed a couple of aliens and took their guns. They’re lying over there in the ravine, unconscious.” Cindy paused and gestured to the remaining flying saucer. “Why don’t we drag them back to their ship, wake them up, put a gun to their heads, and demand that they go after Adam and Watch?”
Sally thought for a moment then smiled wickedly.
“Sounds like my kind of plan,” she said.
6
When Adam came to, he was lying on his back. The first thing he felt—besides the floor beneath him—was his headache. He could hear his pulse in his head. It pounded like thunder. Every time his heart beat, it was as if the nerves in his brain squeezed together. He felt so awful he saw no point in even opening his eyes. But he did anyway.
“How are you doing?” Watch asked, sitting beside him. “Got a headache?”
Adam groaned. “Yeah. How did you know?”
“I had the same thing when I woke up. I felt like my skull was about to explode. I think I got zapped by the same gun as you.”
Right then Adam remembered the alien and his nasty weapon. He pulled himself into an upright position. It took a moment before his vision cleared enough for him to see straight. Then he immediately thought he was imagining things.
He was inside an alien craft flying through space. The ship was not large. From where he and Watch sat to the opposite side, where the two aliens stood at an exotic control panel, was only about twenty feet. Except for the controls, the interior was relatively featureless and rather dim. Adam had to squint to see clearly. The floor was covered with a simple tan carpet. The walls were off-white in color. The aliens had obviously not hired an interior decorator when they built their ship. At four spots around the walls was a small circular viewing screen.
Overhead there was a glorious sight. The ceiling appeared to be one huge viewing portal. Adam thought he had seen a lot of stars at the reservoir after the sun had gone down. There had to be a hundred times as many stars visible now. The Milky Way seemed to shimmer with a magical radiance. The unblinking stars seemed to be close enough to touch. He wondered if they had already left the solar system, and asked Watch. Watch shook his head.
“The ship changes orientation every few minutes,” he said. “Not long ago I saw the sun through the ceiling. It’s a lot smaller than we see it from Earth, but it’s still there.”
“Do you know where we’re headed?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. But I’d assume we’re returning to the aliens’ home world.”
“Do you think it’s in our solar system?” Adam asked.
“No. There isn’t another planet in our solar system that can support life. It has to be around another star. It may not even be in our galaxy.”
“Great. What will we do there?” Adam said.
Watch shrugged. “I’m trying not to think about it.”
Adam nodded to the two aliens, who appeared to be ignoring them. “Have they spoken to you?”
“No. They act like I’m not even here. But I’m convinced they’re telepathic. They communicate strictly in silence.”
“Do you think they can read our minds?” Adam asked.
“I’m not sure. If they can, I think they have to concentrate on picking up our thoughts. That’s just an impression I get.”
“How come they haven’t tied us up?” Adam asked.
“We don’t exactly have a lot of places to run away to.”
“You have a point there,” Adam agreed.
“Also, I think one blast of their guns was enough to tell us who’s in charge. Is your head feeling any better?”
Adam rubbed his neck. “Yeah, it’s getting there.”
“The pain goes away pretty quick once you’re awake.”
Adam remembered something. “You know, just before I was shot, one of the aliens was wrestling with Sally. I wonder how she got away.”
“Maybe she didn’t. Maybe she’s on board the other ship.”
“Have you seen it?” Adam asked.
“No. But I assume it isn’t far behind us.”
Adam lowered his voice. “Do you have an escape plan?”
“No.”
“You must have some ideas?”
Watch shook his head. “Neither of us knows how to pilot this ship. We can’t forcibly take it over, even if they gave us half a chance. We’re stuck.”
“But I don’t want to live the rest of my life on an alien planet.”
“The rest of your life might not be that long.”
“You’re encouraging,” Adam complained.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t imagine how we’re going to get out of this. Unless the aliens decide to take us back home. But I don’t think that’s likely. Not after they went to so much trouble to kidnap us.”
“Did they stun you as soon as you went in the ship?”
“No. Only when I tried to leave.” Watch nodded as if impressed. “They’ve got pretty cool guns. I wonder under what scientific principle they work.”
Just then a circular door appeared in the center of the floor, and a small alien riding a narrow elevator appeared. He could have been a kid, although as far as Adam knew he might be ten thousand years old. Like the others, he had a huge head, but his large black eyes didn’t seem as cold. He stared at them for a moment and then walked over to them. He bowed slightly as he stopped near their feet. He couldn’t have been more than two feet tall.
“Hello,” Adam said flatly. “What’s your name? Or do you just have a number?”
To Adam’s immense surprise, a reply immediately formed in his mind. It was not a thought of his own. The texture and clarity of it was much sharper. It was almost as if a miniature being had crawled inside his brain and shouted something out loud. The unspoken words definitely came from the creature in front of them.
“My name is a combination of syllables and numbers. I am Ekweel2. Who are you?”
Adam had to take a deep breath. The reply had startled yet also pleased him. He had not been looking forward to spending the rest of his days with mute aliens.
“I’m Adam, and this is my friend Watch.”
The alien continued to stare at him with his flat eyes. His face showed no emotion.
“What is your number?”
“We don’t have numbers where we come from,” Adam said.
“What is your rating, then?”
“We don’t have ratings either.” Adam added, “But I’ll be in seventh grade next year. Hopefully.”
“I don’t think they have junior high where we’re heading,” Watch muttered.
The alien glance
d at Watch.
“What is junior high?”
“It’s a type of school,” Adam said. “It means you’re too old to play with toys, but not old enough to drive a car.”
“What is a car? A vehicle of transportation?”
“Yes,” Adam said. “We have them where I live.” He nodded to the other two aliens, who continued to ignore them. “How are you related to those two guys?”
“They are teachers. This is an educational trip for me.”
Adam spoke bitterly. “Are they teaching you how to kidnap innocent people?”
The alien hesitated. For a moment the skin around his mouth seemed to wrinkle. He glanced at the aliens behind him and then back at them.
“Explain the word kidnap?”
“It means we have been taken against our wills,” Adam said. “Your teachers knocked us out with their weapons. I was dragged unconscious aboard this ship. Didn’t you see any of this happen?”
Again the alien paused. He seemed to be thinking.
“No. I was told to stay below after we landed.”
“But you believe our story, don’t you?” Adam asked. For he sensed that the little alien did not approve of what had been done. Once more the alien took a moment before answering.
“You do not appear to be lying.”
“We’re telling you what happened,” Watch said. “We were attacked by your people.”
“You are not hurt.”
“But we are being held captive,” Watch said. “We want to go home.”
“We are going home.”
“We want to go to our home,” Adam said. “Back to where we were picked up.” He paused. “Can you help us?”
The little alien lowered his head. “I am just a student. I am not in charge here.”
“But maybe you could talk to your teachers,” Adam said. “Explain to them that we are upset.”
The little alien glanced over his shoulder. “They would not listen.”
Adam was curious. “Are they listening to us now?”
The little alien closed his eyes briefly. This was the first time they had seen his eyelids. They were faintly translucent, pretty weird looking. When he opened his eyes again, Adam thought he saw a faint spark in those black depths.
“No. They are not listening. They do not care about you two. Also, among my people, the young are better telepaths. My telepathic range is twice theirs.”
“That’s interesting,” Adam said. “I thought it would have been the other way around. Why are kids better at picking up and sending thought?”
“We have less stress.”
“We seem to be picking up speed,” Watch said. “But even going this fast, I don’t see how we’re going to reach your home planet in the next century. Can you explain how this craft works?”
“This ship first accelerates to near light speed. Then we convert our momentum to pure energy and use the power to jump through hyperspace. We can only make such a jump far from the gravitational pull of your sun.”
“Can we cross many light-years in a single hyperjump?” Watch asked.
The alien hesitated as if for once he did not understand the question. “Yes. We can travel any distance, if it is necessary.”
“What does all this mean?” Adam asked Watch.
“That we’re in serious trouble,” Watch replied. “If we don’t reverse our course before the hyperjump, I doubt we’ll ever get home.”
“When do we jump through hyperspace?” Adam asked the little alien.
The alien consulted a small instrument fastened to his wrist. “Fifteen of your minutes.”
Adam was aghast. “That’s so soon.” He tried to keep his voice steady, yet he spoke with passion. “Do you care about us? Can you help us escape?”
The little alien may have tried to smile then because the tan flesh around his tiny narrow mouth creased. He probably shouldn’t have bothered. His expression looked anything but friendly. But Adam sensed his good intentions.
“I care that your free will may have been violated. That is against the laws of our people. I do not understand how our teachers could have committed such a violation.”
“You should point that out to them,” Watch suggested.
But the alien repeated his earlier comment. “They would not listen.”
Adam was sympathetic. “Adults don’t listen to kids on your world either? It’s the same where we come from. We have plenty of smart things to say but we’re not even allowed to vote for president of our country.” Adam paused. He spoke in a whisper. “Do you know how to fly this ship?”
“Yes.”
“Can you help us escape?” Adam asked again, not wanting to push the guy but worried about the upcoming jump. “We really have to get home. My mother’s already made me dinner by now. She’ll be wondering where I am.”
The little alien seemed to understand.
“I have a mother as well. She is nice to me.” The alien glanced once more at his companions. He seemed lost in thought, or perhaps he was confused. He sent them a final mental communication. “I will have to consider the situation.”
The alien turned and stepped to where the others stood. They acknowledged his arrival with a slight nod of their two fat heads, but if they communicated with the little guy Adam and Watch didn’t hear it, with their ears or their minds. Adam continued to fret about the upcoming hyperjump.
“What do you know about hyperspace?” he asked Watch.
Watch shrugged. “Our scientists only have theories that it exists. But it sounds like this ship is capable of sliding into a shortcut through space. That’s what hyperspace must be. This ship uses the energy of its tremendous speed to open the door to the shortcut.”
“Then we have to brake somehow,” Adam said.
“You can throw one of your shoes at the control panel, but I don’t think that will do the trick,” Watch said. “It will probably just get you shot again. And this time they might not have their guns on stun.”
Adam started to stand. “I’m tired of sitting here doing nothing. I’d rather go down fighting.”
Watch grabbed his arm. “We have to be patient. The little guy clearly wants to help us. Let’s give him a chance.”
Adam reluctantly sat back down. “I’ll give him ten minutes, that’s all.”
But Adam didn’t have to wait that long. Five minutes later the other flying saucer suddenly appeared. They saw it through the transparent ceiling. It swooped dangerously close, glowing brightly, and as it did an angry burst of green light struck the ceiling. For a moment Adam and Watch were blinded. Their own flying saucer shook violently as the lights dimmed more. Adam thought he smelled smoke.
The two aliens at the controls gestured excitedly, although they didn’t say a word. They probably couldn’t speak if they wanted to. Yet they had radio communications. Adam and Watch knew that for a fact a minute later when they heard Sally’s voice come through the hidden speakers.
“This is Captain Sara Wilcox and Lieutenant Cindy Makey of the Starship UFO. We demand your complete and unconditional surrender. You have two Earth minutes to comply. Failure to do so will result in your immediate and total destruction.”
Adam and Watch looked at each other in amazement.
7
A board Starship UFO—the ship’s title as well as their respective ranks had been Sally’s idea—Cindy wondered if Sally had pushed it too far. Behind them, against the far wall, the two aliens huddled together as if afraid. Cindy worried that they knew something their human enemies did not.
“Maybe we should negotiate a trade of prisoners,” Cindy said.
“This is interstellar war,” Sally said, her finger on the firing button. “I don’t negotiate.”
“But if you blow up their ship, you’ll kill Adam and Watch,” Cindy pointed out.
Sally removed her finger from the firing button. They had figured out how to work the weapons—and navigate the vessel—on the journey out from the sun. Of course the aliens had gi
ven them a few practical hints when Sally held the guns to their heads. Sally was showing the aliens no mercy. She was constantly yelling at them and threatening to boot them out into space, where they would surely die. Cindy did not approve of the cruelty, even though the aliens would probably have killed them if given the chance.
“I know that,” Sally said. “But I have to bluff with conviction. If I don’t, Adam and Watch will never escape.”
“You don’t know that for sure. A gentle approach might be better.”
Sally shook her head. “Look who we’re dealing with. These aliens land on our planet and immediately whip out their guns and kidnap our friends. We have to meet force with force. It’s the only way.”
“Did it ever occur to you that the aliens in the other ship have a thousand times more experience in interstellar combat than we do? What if they blow us out of the sky?”
Sally nodded. “I thought of that. That’s why I hit them hard first. I’m hoping we’ve already disabled their weapons system.”
Cindy pointed to the large viewing screen above. “You better pray as well as hope. They’re coming around. And from the green glow around their perimeter, it looks like they’re getting their weapons ready.”
Sally spun on the aliens with a gun in her hand. “How do we raise our shields?” she demanded.
The aliens looked at each other with their huge insect eyes. They shook their heads slightly. They trembled as they did so, and hugged each other close. They had earlier communicated telepathically, but now they seemed too scared to send a clear thought.
“I think they’re saying we don’t have any shields,” Cindy said.
“We have to have shields!” Sally shouted. “This is a spaceship. They always have shields in the movies.”
A hard blast, thick as a fist, struck their ship. Sally and Cindy went flying and hit the floor. For a moment their lights failed and they were plunged into total darkness. It was terrifying; they could have been floating in empty space without a ship around them. Fortunately an emergency system came on, flooding the interior with a sober red light. Sally and Cindy crawled to their knees. Cindy felt a twinge in her right ankle. In all the excitement she had almost forgotten she was still injured.