Read Earthbound for Free Online

Others; their home was a million times farther away. But the ships represented a dangerous attitude, as many had feared, and the Others had a plan for that.
    The Others didn’t destroy us all, though that would’ve been simple, but just pulverized the moon, scattering its material more or less evenly inside the former satellite’s orbit, which destroyed the fleet and sent an unambiguous message: stay on Earth. Our glorious leaders opted to ignore that, or defy it, which triggered another pre-ordained response, taking away not only their gift of free energy, but somehow all electrical power as well. Suddenly marooning us in the nineteenth century, surrounded by useless sophisticated hardware. Like flashlights.
    “Someone’s coming,” Snowbird whispered. I couldn’t see anyone.
    “Halt!” Paul shouted from the roof. “Put your hands up.” The binoculars would help him see.
    “I’m not armed,” a scared voice said. A young woman or younger boy.
    “I see her,” Namir said. “Carmen, she’s directly in front of you, maybe thirty feet away. Please leave your weapon and go search her. I have you covered.”
    That does a lot of good, I thought. If something goes wrong, you can shoot in our general direction.
    “I’m over here,” she said. “Over here, over here, over here. I don’t mean anybody any harm.” About halfway there, I could see her, a dark ghost in the dim sky light, dressed in black, her hands pale smudges over her head.
    “Excuse me,” I said idiotically, and patted her the way they did in cop shows fifty and a hundred years ago. She was about my size, but muscular. If she had a weapon on her, it was stuck in a place I was reluctant to touch.
    Her clothing was like satin, and it was a strangely strong erotic experience, caressing a person I’d never seen. Maybe with proper study I could become a lesbian.
    “Okay. So who are you, and what are you doing here? All dressed in black.” Her skin was evidently dark, except for her palms.
    “I’m Alba Larimer. Security officer here at Armstrong. I came to warn you—some people plan to ambush you and take the Martian.”
    “What do they plan to do with her?” Namir asked. He was still behind the truck.
    “They think the Other must be watching us, the one that was on the cube?” The one we knew as Spy. “They think if they threaten to kill her, the Other will show up and make a deal.”
    “That is stupid on so many levels,” Namir said. “But thank you. My name is Namir. Do you know where the ambush would be?”
    “Somewhere between here and the turnoff to Route 17. Probably a building. There are a couple of dozen, unfortunately. You’d probably be better off staying here, if you have guns. Let them approach a defended position.”
    She was talking his language.
    “Hm. How many of them?”
    “Only two were talking. There might have been more outside.”
    “And what is your stake in this?”
    “My job ,” she said, her voice shaking. “No one has relieved me of my responsibilities.”
    I could almost see him nodding, assessing her. “Security. Do you have access to weapons and ammunition?”
    “An assault rifle, a shotgun, and riot gear. In my car’s trunk, I’m afraid. Electronic lock.”
    “We have an electronic crowbar,” Paul said from above. “How far away?”
    “Less than a half mile; I was watching the launch.”
    “What do you think?” Paul said.
    I was not sure what to say, and then Namir answered. “I’ll go with her. Alba, can you find your car in this darkness?”
    “Yes; it’s white. It’s exposed, though, by the side of the road.”
    “Let’s move quickly, then. I’ll get the crowbar.”
    Paul offered to come along as backup, and Namir said no, period. He didn’t have to explain. If she turned out to be a bad guy, we were only risking one man and one weapon. And she didn’t yet know how few people and weapons we had.
    “Is there a central security building,” I asked, “where they keep all the guns