Ally or Alien: A Sci-Fi Novel Read Free Page B

pod-poopers with half a recharge.
    Thank tech she had her privacy on, or else everyone would have leaped from their capsules to start another endless protocol debate. eLoom needed to store her energies for the work that truly mattered.
    I.e. deciphering the mysterious object.
    A scientist and explorer of her caliber had no time for petty interpersonal problems. That's why she forced her lips upwards and said,
    "You are right, eVax. We are all working hard. Thank you for reminding me."
    eLoom tried to make it sound sweet, but eVax must have guessed that she was faking it.
    With a half-hearted smile, he said,
    "Good recharge, eLoom."
    "Same to you."
    Finally alone inside the pod, she dimmed the lights till the perfect darkness enveloped her body. The sounds of her surrounding tuned out till only the humming of the life support system remained. 
    Her consciousness offlined. 
    Thousands of thoughts dropped to hundreds, shrunk to dozens, flatlined to only one: what was the object?

6
     
    It was the last thought eLoom would ever have, because neither she, nor anyone else of her crew members, would survive this flight...

7
     
    Over 56 Millions of kilometers away, another race 'learned' about the new life form entering the solar system. 

Planet Earth, the American Commonwealth (AC), Earth, 1210 hours EST, September 15th
     
    The feeds of every authorized AC citizen burned with breaking news. Everyone wanted to know what had happened on Mars. One prominent media channel, the Raptor News Network, offered an exclusive look.
    Fade to: Washington Prime, RNN studios.
    A blonde reporter with bleached teeth and upgraded bosom smiled into cam 2. The spotlight gave her skin a relaxed tan. Yet, the anchor woman's voice sounded intense. Behind her elegant figure, a 3D screen pixelated into existence. 
    "This is Lauryn Miller-Smith, reporting live for Right For You. According to the newest intel from the Space Intelligence Agency, an unknown life form has invaded our solar system. The alien has breached the territory of the Newtype-controlled Mars and destroyed one of their civilian spaceships. The unarmed vessel and its crew were on a scientific mission to discover new asteroids in order to explore the origins of our galaxy."
    The anchor woman intertwined her hands and put up a sad face. No one in the studio doubted her words.
    “Every crew member died in space. Our thoughts go to our distant allies."
    She paused for dramatic effect. A faint melody played in the background, some atmospheric tune from a melancholic war movie. 
    "The intel also states that the explorer ship has crash-landed on the Martian surface area called the Midlands. Experts believe the alien life form has survived the impact.”
    The blonde anchor flipped open a 3D projection with the footage of the Newtype vessel spiraling down the thin atmosphere of the red planet. A trail of glowing debris floated through the layers. The video sample was shown over and over again. 
    Anchor Lauryn continued.
    "We have yet to see footage of the alien itself, but if the crashing cruiser is any indication, we're dealing with a hostile life form that kills humanoids and damages private property with no sense of remorse. The worrying question arises: since the alien has survived the impact on Mars, when will it reach Earth? And more importantly, will it be a danger to the brave citizens of the American Commonwealth? To stay updated on this issue, stay on our channel.”
    She leaned back into her chair and expressed a pro smile that looked as real as her teeth.
    "This is Lauryn Miller-Smith, reporting for Raptor News."
    The skewed 3D letters of the Raptor logo blasted on the screen, followed by a thunderous special effect and ear-hammering sounds. A manly voice roared from the off.
    "Raptor News—if you heard it from us, it must be right."
     
    eQuality Media, located in the SoCal Collective of the AC's West Coast, shared their version of the first alien encounter. Two anchors