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

away.
    Lynch leapt to his feet and hovered over
Deni’s shoulder.
    “ I don’t know what that
is!” She flipped switches and turned dials with an uneasy huff.
“It’s not us.”
    As the ear-numbing sound intensified, the
startled crewmates bounced nervous glances off each other’s faces
and looked from viewports and windows. Within seconds, the sheer
power of approaching engines shook the three-piece earthship as if
it were a pocket-sized toy.
     
    #
     
    Bach tried to make it back to the ship, but
vibrations from the incoming craft spawned a waterspout that lifted
him from his feet and plunged him into the lake. He struggled to
swim from the bubbling whirlpool, but couldn’t tell up from down.
Thrashing about helplessly, he felt himself funneling farther
downward, and at one point thought he was going to black out. When
the incoming ship’s engines powered down for landing, the turbulent
water calmed a little and he shot upwards. But before he reached
the surface his head hit something hard. An involuntary gasp filled
his nostrils with a burning, acrid odor. His face was above the
water, but he couldn’t see. He swam forward for a few yards, but
again hit something solid. Then he realized that he was in an air
space under the giant boulder. He felt around for a way out, and
tried diving down, but the ship’s idling engines, or something in
the powerful mechanics, produced an unnatural pressurization that
held him in the air space.
     
    #
     
    Lynch, Deni, Kaz and G.R. had nowhere to
hide in the earthship as the thunderous assault of the incoming
engines wound down to a pulsating purr just beyond the AstroLab’s
open door. Deni yelled to Kaz. “Close the ramp!”
    “ Hurry,” G.R.
added.
    Kaz rushed to aft ship and grabbed the
crank. She couldn’t miss seeing the crimson-colored,
boomerang-shaped spacecraft parked just thirty yards away with its
engines idling and crisscrossing red laser beams slashing across
the barren terrain from thin rectangular windows in its midsection.
Trembling, she whispered, “Lynch saw Satan,” and then she couldn’t
move.
    “ Kaz!” Deni yelled. “Take a
breath and crank!”
    Kaz jerked in response and murmured,
“Breath! Okay!” She tightened her grip on the crank and lopped it
end-over-end with such force her body bounced up and down. The
weighty door rose an excruciating half-inch with each turn. She
cranked harder, until her hands burned and arms ached as if they
were pulling from their sockets. Grunting and groaning with teeth
gnashed, she shrieked in frustration at having the ramp only two
feet off the ground.
    A door slid open on the metallic red
spaceship’s near side and five dark figures stepped out, single
file. As the aliens approached the AstroLab, Kaz’s legs started to
buckle, but it wasn’t from exhaustion. The astral life forms looked
like men on Earth; two blond-haired, two dark-haired—one
considerably taller than the others—and one with curly black hair
and brown skin. Brilliant blue jumpsuits clung to every muscle of
their well-defined bodies, and yellow utility belts at their waists
held eight unidentifiable devices. Burnished silver greaves, like
those worn by Grecian warriors, sheathed their legs from knee to
ankle.
    Kaz held the crank but
forgot to turn it. She could only stare. The five burly men looked
like Superman minus the big S and red cape. As they neared the ship, the
shorter, dark-haired man jogged a few yards forward and hopped onto
the ramp. Kaz snapped back and frantically turned the crank. The
stranger neared with a smile and saluted with what looked like a
Boy Scout salute. He stepped inside. “Welcome to Jenesis.” He moved
Kaz’s hands from the crank and reversed it to lower the ramp. His
colleagues came aboard talking to each other in English.
    The aliens assessed the other earthlings who
were injured and too shocked to do anything but stare. Wasting no
time, the two blond-haired men headed to the airlock leading to