Quarantined Planet by John Allen Pace Read Free Book Online Page A

okay?”
    “I don’t know,” she says, trying to catch her breath and tucking that swoop of hair behind an ear. “Everything hurts.”
    “Anything hurt more than anything else?”
    “No, I’m okay, Nix…I think. I think I’m okay.”
    He puts his arms around her. “How many crash landings can this boat take? I mean there has to be a limit…”
    “Shh, s hh. Engines are off. We’re going to be out of air soon.”

Chapter Seventeen
    A jagged chunk of stone finds its way through the hole in Gaea’s protective rock-stopping grid. It strikes the world’s serene sky and splinters into several smaller pieces.
    A large crowd gathered outside Center Saucer pauses to watch the meteorites arc across the sky. Jacques, the city’s reporter is a scruffy, unshaven man holding a handmade notepad. He’s perched atop the ramp at its main hatch and crouches to confer with another note-toting guy. They exchange pieces of paper.
    Jacques addresses everyone as the other man disappears inside the ship. “Question was, ‘Has there been any communication with Sephora ?’ The answer is, ‘No.’ Next question...”
    Inside the saucer, an agitated and ragged bunch fill Carver’s sparsely furnished office.
    Among them is Ailee Durand, an attractive French girl Chloe’s age. Carver and McKenna face the excited gathering, and both are visibly shaken. As he speaks, the governor is aware it won’t take much for this impromptu meeting to get out of control. “Everyone, stay calm, please. Ailee?”
    “If something, how do I say…bad happened, will the aliens send another ship?” she asks with a French accent, prompting some shushes from the crowd.
    “We have no way of knowing right now if another ship is coming.”
    A member of the crowd jumps in. “Are we in danger of losing more of the protective grid?” Before Carver can answer, there is a sudden barrage of questions.
    “I’ve heard it’s near collapse. Is that true?”
    “Have they abandoned us?”
    “The Protopods aren’t working. Is there another plan for growing food?”
    Carver’s Irish strongman puts his hands up for attention. “One at a time.”
    “No, that’s not true,” Carver answers, falling behind, “I don’t know…”
    The man with a notepad pushes his way into the room and begins putting questions and answers on paper .
    Ailee waves a hand. “Governor? Governor Carver?”
    McKenna, trying to get control, has little success. “Everyone, quiet! There will be order.” A slight hush comes over the group.
    “Governor… is this the end of us?”
    Carver takes a deep breath before answering, “Ailee, I have great faith that your friend Chloe and the rest will return safely with our anti-matter cells and more food.”
    The gathering erupts.

Chapter Eighteen
    Under stormy electric clouds filled with floating jellyfish creatures, Sephora rests powerless on a bed of downed trees.
    A thin layer of smoke fills the poorly lit flight deck. Jane attends to Tivis, who sits upright with a bandaged forehead. Chloe and Nix huddle near Gordon, who presses button after button, hoping for some sign of life from his ship. “Nix, Tivis, get in back,” he orders. “We’ll re-fire the engines directly.”
    “I’m through taking orders from you.” Tivis stands up, holding his head, unsteady and in obvious pain. Both men stand face-to-face inches apart.
    “For the team, yeah?”
    “You better get us out of this, Gordon, or you’ll be the first to asphyxiate.”
    “Come on, big boy.”
    “No, stop this,” Jane says. Nix and Chloe back up.
    Tivis clenches both fists and then wavers and falls backwards. Gordon attempts to catch him, but he’s not fast enough. The injured black man collapses. Jane springs to his aid.
    “Toffee-nosed git.” Gordon sighs. “Fix him, Jane. Then join us in back.”
    Soon after, Gordon, Nix, Chloe, and Michael, the supply ship’s translator, are in Sephora’s engine room. It’s a snug compartment dominated by the anti-matter