Alien Alliance

Alien Alliance Read Free

Book: Alien Alliance Read Free
Author: Maxine Millar
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was
undetected, astronomers were at full alert as his ship was spotted
and tracked as it passed Mars. Sarah MacDonald watched the awesome
story unfold beginning at nearly midnight on 17 th January when amateur astronomers in Iceland first detected the
object that approached, then braked and went into Earth orbit.
Asleep when the news first broke, she made up for it by almost
living in one of the abandoned buildings of SETI, watching
developments as SETI locked everything they had on the object,
while they and other astronomers, many of them amateurs, watched it
and searched for others.
    Founded in 1984, privately owned, funded by
donations and originally a growing body of scientists and support
staff, SETI, or Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, had
recently had 250 paid staff but went into decline as the finance
yet again dried up around the world. Now, SETI ran with almost all
volunteers. It took millions simply to maintain all the buildings
and equipment, pay the bills and exist. There was little money for
wages.
    Nearly yelling in frustration, Sarah, SETI’s
director, and her Team watched as on 21 st February,
first Germany, then America repelled a landing of probable
Extraterrestrials.
    “Fools, imbeciles! I don’t believe this!
What stupidity and ignorance.” Sarah was nearly hoarse. “Where are
they going now? Thank God they aren’t giving up on us. What speed
are they travelling at?”
    “I can’t calculate it. They’re moving so
fast! We keep losing them,” gasped Alan, her second in command
since he had reluctantly had to take a medical retirement. Sarah
looked at him in concern. He was so breathless these days.
    Everyone was glued to whatever computer
terminal they could get near as they tried to track them. “They’ve
gone over Iceland,” someone called out.
    “Siberia’s spotted them!” yelled Nanelle.
“Heading south!”
    “Japan has them.”
    “Hawaii’s tracking them.”
    “Australia’s got them!”
    “Auckland says they’ve just passed
overhead.”
    “Oakland?!”
    “No, Auckland, New Zealand.”
    “Where’s New Zealand?” someone muttered.
    “Down by Australia,” said Alan. “They’re
slowing. Braking?”
    “They’ve lost them! Where are they?” cried
Nanelle. “Can anyone see them?” she asked on the ‘All Stations’
band.
    “They’ve landed in Christchurch,” said a
shocked voice.
    “Who is this?” asked Alan. “SETI here.”
    “Christchurch here. New Zealand. They’ve
landed at the airport. They’re down.”
    “What’s happening?” said Sarah leaning over
the mike. “SETI here,” she added. So much for protocol—everyone was
forgetting to identify themselves. “Is anyone shooting at
them?”
    An amused male voice answered, “This is New
Zealand. We have stuff-all air force. Our cops aren’t armed except
for stunners. Not a shot was fired. Our air force, what there is of
it, is very wisely staying on the ground. This thing is huge. It’s
covering a quarter of the airport. Oh, and it has anti-gravity. It
landed on legs. No wheels. No jets. It must be anti-gravity. We saw
it come down. Oh, this is the Control Tower here, at the
airport.”
    “SETI here. What’s it look like?” asked
Sarah. “Details please!”
    “It’s a reddish, what? terracotta the women
tell me, irregular sort of roundish rectangular shape with a flat
bottom. It’s got bulges and stuff everywhere all over it. It’s
huge, it’s like a massive cruise liner sitting on the tarmac. No
windows, I can’t see in.”
    Sarah looked over to Alan. “Alan, get on the
phone, book 25 tickets on the next flight to Christchurch, New
Zealand. And let me know what time it leaves. Nanelle, phone till
you get 25 or so that are ready to go. Get them to go straight to
the airport then get Barry to help you, load up the luggage. Load
it all. Bring back the luggage for those who are not going. Oh, and
Nanelle, please book us motel beds. As close to the airport as
possible.”
    Within four

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