Aliens in the Sky by Christopher Pike Read Free Book Online Page A

in the direction of the planet.
    â€œSee those glittering silver shapes orbiting the planet?” Watch said. “I think each of them is either a space station or a spaceship. This culture must be extremely advanced. Some of them look huge.”
    â€œMaybe they all live in space,” Adam suggested. “Maybe they polluted their planet so bad they can’t live on the ground.”
    â€œThe way the human race is going, that might happen to us,” Watch said.
    â€œIf this alien race doesn’t destroy us first,” Adam said. “I’ve been thinking of the bigger picture. Our lives may not be all that is at stake here. What if they’re preparing a huge invasion of our planet? What if they kidnapped us so they can torture us for what we know?”
    â€œBut we don’t know anything,” Watch said.
    â€œThat’s true, but they wouldn’t know that. For all they know, kids from Spooksville may be the ruling class on planet Earth.”
    â€œWe certainly have seen more weird things than anybody else back home.” Watch continued to stareat the approaching planet, and the silver chain of floating spaceships and space stations. “Your pollution theory might not be farfetched. See that brown murky junk near that coast?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œThat looks like smog to me. Really bad smog. It’s amazing, for all their advanced technology, that they haven’t been able to clean it up.”
    â€œIt’s easier to prevent a spill than to clean one up,” Adam said philosophically. “But personally I don’t care how messed up their world is. I just want to get home and have dinner.”
    â€œTurkey and mashed potatoes would be nice right now,” Watch agreed.
    â€œIs that what your aunt was cooking tonight?” Adam knew Watch didn’t live with either of his parents, or even with his little sister. But he had never asked his friend why the family was not together. The subject seemed too touchy. Watch lowered his head at the question.
    â€œMy aunt never cooks,” he said softly. “I have to prepare all my own food.”
    Adam reached over and patted him on the back. “You can come to my house any time for dinner. You’re always welcome.”
    Watch smiled faintly. “You only tell me that now that your house is billions of miles away.”
    Adam had to chuckle. “Listen, how did you know for sure Sally was bluffing? She acted exactly as if she had a strong hand.”
    â€œThe cards are marked.”
    Adam was shocked. “What? You mean you cheated?”
    â€œSort of.”
    â€œBut that’s terrible. Why play if you’re going to cheat?”
    â€œEven with my glasses, I can’t see people’s expressions as well as you guys can. So I mark the cards just to make it even.”
    â€œHow can you see the marks if you can’t see our faces?”
    â€œYou forget, I was dealing. I do it really just to even the odds.”
    â€œOh,” Adam said. “When you explain it that way, I guess it isn’t really cheating.”
    â€œYou can have your rocks back if you want.”
    â€œThat’s all right. I’m not into rocks.”
    Watch pointed out one of the small viewing screens on the walls. “See that huge cylindrical station? I think that’s our destination. Would youlook at the size of it? The station must be twenty miles long.”
    Watch was right; the alien station was breathtaking in its size and sophistication. It was like a miniature world. And the most amazing thing was that there were thousands of others just like it in orbit.
    The station rotated on its axis. But the flying saucer, as it approached, didn’t try to match the station’s speed—not exactly. It seemed as if they would enter the station from the top, in the center, where there was no obvious movement at all. Before them, a wide black door suddenly materialized. Adam was