Alpha Rising by G.L. Douglas Read Free Book Online Page A

want
to test the lake water for potability.” Bach searched the rubble
for a water test kit and, after finding it, crouched beside G.R.
and spoke confidentially, “In all your biological studies, have you
ever encountered a phenomenon where water’s so still it looks like
black glass?”
    G.R. shook his head. “You’re saying the lake
is totally motionless?”
    “ It was, until I tossed in
a handful of sand.”
    “ And…?”
    “ It sank straight down with
a gurgling stream. But then came a churning or heaving in that area
of the water, followed by the whole lake transforming into what
looked like a caldron of hissing bubbles that seemed
hungry.”
    “ Hungry?”
    “ Don’t know how else to
describe it—like they wanted to attack something.”
    G.R. raised his Neanderthal-looking brows.
“Hmmm, varying densities could bring unusual movements, but
bubbles? It could contain microorganisms, or something crazy like
astral piranhas. Throw in something edible, like food crumbs. See
what happens before you touch it. If the only problem is the
bubbles, it might be a simple technicality due to difference in
gravity or atmospheric pressure. But the black—I don’t know.”
    Lynch blurted out from the cockpit,
“Something just appeared in a control panel gauge. A man’s face,
three-dimensional, with eerie eyes that seemed to look straight
into my mind. His tongue flashed, like silver metal. I tried to
reach ‘n’ touch the image, but my arm and hand hurt.” Everyone
stared as Lynch continued without emotion. “It seemed to be
projected from somewhere beyond. And I ain’t crazy, but it spoke
’n’ said, ‘Welcome,’ then faded away.”
    Deni looked at Lynch with enlarged eyes,
rested her fists on her hips and rocked her head back and forth.
“You saw a face in the control panel with eyes that tried to
control you? And it spoke English? You’re still in shock.” She
backed away. “That’s normal after G-LOC.”
    “ I’m not in shock,” Lynch
snapped. “I was compelled to look, but sensed evil. What if it was
Satan?”
    “ You didn’t see Satan!”
Deni stated. “There’s a logical explanation for whatever it
was.”
    “ He was real. I tried to
touch him.”
    Bach got that sinking feeling he gets when
his data panels crash. His silent exhalation formed the words, “Oh,
God,” and he tuned out the rest of the conversation, wondering how
many hypnotic, copper-eyed, extraterrestrials they were up against.
One? Two? More?
    Kaz scurried to Bach and rambled nonstop,
sounding like an old cassette tape played at fast-forward. “I’ve
got a feeling that something bad’s going to happen. Like on earth
when someone says that a spaceship came down and the aliens took
them aboard and did bad or weird things to them. What if they stick
needles in our navels?”
    G.R. spoke up. “First of all Kaz, we’re the
aliens. And second, Lynch told us that the face said, ‘Welcome.’
That’s not scary.”
    Bach tucked the test kit under his arm and
headed to the ramp with dried space food clenched in his fist.
“Goin’ to do the water analysis.” He cast a final wary eye at Lynch
who sat staring at the control panel. “Hey, Lynch, call me if you
see the face again. I’ll check it out.”
     
     
    *****
     
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
     
    With Bach’s statement ringing in his ears,
Lynch wasn’t about to have his authority undermined, and he was
angry that his crewmates gave no credence to the worrisome face he
believed was Satan. Determined to recoup his leadership status, the
commander barked at Deni, “Get busy. See if you can get something
operational. Raise someone or something on the comm links.”
    She limped to the cockpit. “It’s all
damaged, Lynch. You don’t think….”
    “ Do it.”
    Using energy from the functioning power
cell, Deni tweaked the electronics and got a damaged component to
kick on with erratic squeals and flashes of light. But a louder,
more powerful whine ripped their attention