Orbs II: Stranded Read Free Page B

crackled to life, and Alexia’s holographic avatar flickered over a console in the center of the mess hall. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Doctors, but a pressing matter requires your attention,” she said in her calm voice. Emanuel spun in his chair. “What ya got, Alexia?”
    “Sir, our drone has picked up some unusual activity outside.”
    Sophie stood, groaning from a jolt of pain. “Unusual?”
    “I think it’s best if you go look for yourself . . . and I encourage you to go now,” Alexia said in a voice that sounded almost frightened. Can robots feel fear? Sophie wondered briefly. She shook the thought away and raced out of the mess hall, with Emanuel close behind.
    The sound of their footsteps echoed in the narrow passage as they made their way to the command center (CIC). Sergeant Overton met them at the door. He wore a serious face, more pale than usual, but it was his eyes that caused Sophie to skid to a halt. They were wide and intense.
    What has he seen? What has Alexia found?
    She stood on her toes to get a look at the blurry monitors at the other end of the room, but couldn’t see anything besides the flickering glow the devices emanated.
    “Will you move, please?” she blurted, her voice anxious.
    “I don’t think you want to see this, Sophie,” Overton replied.
    Whatever the drone had relayed to the CIC had turned the battle-hardened sergeant into a silent observer. It was odd not hearing him curse or grumble. Sophie’s curiosity grew. The scientist in her wanted to see, had to see what it was.
    “Excuse me,” Sophie said, edging past the marine.
    “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said as Emanuel followed her.
    Sophie moved up to the monitors and saw the drone had stopped on the edge of a clearing surrounded by a forest of dead trees. Leafless branches swayed in the light breeze, partially obstructing the view.
    To the north the ground fell away and dropped several feet into a dry lakebed. Moving across the cracked dirt was a long line of . . . something.
    Sophie edged closer to the screens. Squinting, she focused on the shapes as one of them let out a blood-curdling—and undeniably human—scream.
    She clapped her hands together when she realized what they were looking at. The drone had found a group of survivors. So why did Overton seem so disturbed?
    When she saw the alien tails of two Sentinels flicking across the dirt, her joy quickly turned to shock. The humans were prisoners, being herded across the lakebed.
    The team watched the monitors in helpless silence.
    A tiny blue dot flickered on the horizon.
    “What’s that?” Emanuel asked. He pointed at the light racing across the skyline toward the clearing.
    “One of their drones,” Overton said.
    The ship stopped over the lakebed, filling the empty basin with its blue light. It was then Sophie could see the prisoners’ faces. Most of them were children, but there were a few adults among the group. To the south, a pack of Spiders broke through the underbrush and scurried across an old playground. One of them climbed to the top of a slide and shrieked into the night.
    The group of humans slowed to a halt. Sounds of terrified, whimpering children filled the CIC. Sophie resisted the urge to cover her ears. Instead, she moved closer to the monitors and watched the Spiders surround the pack of prisoners. It wasn’t hard for her to imaginewhat the aliens would do with them, but somewhere inside her, she still had hope they could be saved. She had to believe it.
    “Is that—” Overton shoved Sophie and Emanuel to the side. “Holy shit! Is that Thompson and Kiel?”
    Sophie squinted. Two men in fatigues moved slowly across the field.
    “Holy shit,” Overton whispered again. The sight shocked him into motion, and he rushed over to the map of Colorado Springs on a nearby desk, unfolding the edges carefully.
    “Thompson? Kiel?” Sophie asked. “Were they part of your team?”
    Overton nodded. “Fucking miracle,” he mumbled