BEYOND

Morning Light just stood there with our two Z1M1 robot guardsmen surrounded by earth people watching the little plane’s wheels sink into the mud. The pilots got out, one on each side. Then they lifted the plane until the wheels were out of the mud, with the engine at full throttle they started to run, and at the same time lifting. As the plane gained lift the pilot on the its right side let go and fell off into the mud. The other pilot threw himself at the plane. He didn’t quite make it. He was half in and half out of the aircraft. His legs and body from his waist down was hanging outside in the wind. Suddenly Morning Light screamed, “jump it’s going to hit us.“ One guardsman and all the earth people jumped off the road away from the oncoming aircraft. The people running to get out of the way of the oncoming plane knocked Morning Light, the other guardsman, and my self off of the road toward the oncoming plane. Now this earth pilot was good, as he was able to fly while hanging half out of the aircraft. He made the plane jump into the air but it wasn’t ready to fly yet, so it bounced onto the road and back into the air again. I stopped at a hover about eight inches above the mud, so I could see everything that was happening. The Z1M1 robot guardsman hit face down in the mud. Morning Light ended up setting in the mud, her legs straight out, splatters of mud on her face, and all through her golden hair. Before anyone could do anything here came that plane again. It landed on the road just above us. Everyone just watched as the other pilot climbed up onto the road, then into the right seat and off they went. Now I’ve seen mad crew women and once the spaceship’s Master before but I’ve never seen anyone get as mad and red in the face as our team leader, and she wasn’t even in full heat.

She was so mad that I heard her on the radio saying, “come pick us up I’ll get that son of a bitch if it kills him.“ Not very lady like but she was one very angry princess. All those earthmen and women must have saw our flying saucers, and Morning Light but no one was paying us any attention. They were all talking about the plane and those crazy Air Force pilots. As we got aboard our scout ship she called out, “follow that plane. I want that pilot.“

The small plane landed back at the civilian airport and parked near the hanger from where it had left a few hours ago. Morning Light said, “land me next to the hanger.“ Our pilot complained that every one would know we were a flying saucer. “Just land on the runway and taxi in like a plane and let me off,“ she ordered. “I’ll radio when and were I want to be picked up after I get him.“ I guess she means our new Battle Captain

There was still very little sound. Suddenly we heard someone say, “welcome we are Zorans,” but there was no answer from the Altairons. You could see a five fingered hand in a space glove grab the volunteer who had spoken the greeting. Then it pushed the crew woman it had grabbed back to the one behind it as it reached for another crew woman. Now you could hear the screams and someone calling out, “close the hatch“” but it was to late. Two of the Altairons were already in the airlock. One of Tinwoman’s photo bugs had gotten on the ceiling of the connecting tunnel, and you could see the enemy lining up to grab and pass the screaming naked women back into their spaceship. There was no sign of the political scientist. He must be hiding some where on the Freedom. Then the view changed to the inside of the Altairon spaceship again. It was a room with a flat floor that had a gravity force field that was an open space eighteen feet wide going half way around the ship. In the center of the room was a circler pit four feet in diameter with sides two feet high. One of the larger Altairons seemed to be in charge as he was pouring something like gelatin into the pit until it was at lest ten inches deep. Then he was putting handfuls of something that looked like some type of spice and mixing it with something that looked lake a large spoon. While this was being done there must have been fifteen other Altairons in the room watching. At the same time the volunteer crew women were running around the room trying to talk to the Altairons. No one paid them any attention. Suddenly the one doing the mixing and seasoning of the broth reached out and grabbed one of the running women. He lifted her and pushed her down into the broth. It wasn’t heated but with all her jerking and pulling she couldn’t get lose from the gelatin. Then he grabbed another woman and then another putting them into the pit. “Stop transmitting any sound but keep the pictures going to the guardsmen monitors,” Steve ordered. The large Altairon pushed the last crew woman until she set down in the pit. Then he tore off one of her fingers and started eating it. At the same time he stepped back and other Altarions started to feed. Whenever one volunteer was eaten he would grab another one and put her into the food pit. So far there was no sign of the political scientist. The computer changed the picture on the screen back to the Freedom and two of the Altairons who were searching the American spaceship.