Звезда Пандоры

The first of the alien flyers arrived at the shoreline. It hovered just above the water, spindly metal legs unfolding from beneath its cylindrical fuselage. After a moment of hesitation it landed on the broad promenade next to the Celestial Tours quay, the aft section knocking into the wall and demolishing a five-meter length, breaking the long single line of poetry.

“Wait,” Simon’s voice urged them with soft confidence. “We need most of them down first, then we can begin our harassment campaign.”

Mark wondered where Simon had gained so much combat experience; he certainly sounded like he knew what he was talking about. More likely it was all from TSI dramas. He glanced out at the lake again, startled by just how many flyers were now heading their way.

“Ho boy,” David muttered.

Doors had opened on the flyer sitting next to the Celestial Tours quay, allowing aliens to lumber down.

Mark’s personal predictions had faltered at this point. But he certainly hadn’t expected anything quite so… robotic-looking. Maybe they are robots? Watching them spread out, he quickly changed that opinion. They moved fast, heading straight for cover. Within seconds they were infiltrating the buildings that faced the promenade.

Twelve flyers landed along the waterfront. The second wave flew over to circle the town park at the back of the General Hospital before extending their legs and sinking down. Some flyers were heading toward Blackwater Crag and the start of the highway.

“Stand by,” Simon said. “Don’t expect our weapons to penetrate their force fields, aim for maximum disruption around them. And fall back immediately.”

Mark gave Liz a look. She stretched her lips wide, mimicking a smile. “Okay,” she mumbled.

He carefully raised his head above the wall, and brought the laser rifle up. Several aliens were slipping quickly across the open ground of the promenade to the first line of buildings. He suspected Simon was right, his rifle wouldn’t get through that armor. Instead he shifted his aim to the buildings, wondering if he could knock out some of the framework, and collapse the roof.

Somebody else fired. He actually saw the air sparkle around an alien as the energy beam was deflected by its force field. Their response was terrifyingly swift. The Bab’s Kebabs franchise on Swift Street exploded.

Mark ducked down as smoldering fragments spun through the air. “Shit!”

Four of the flyers heading for Blackwater Crag turned sharply and flew back low over the town. Masers lashed down, scoring long lines of fire and vapor across the rooftops.

“Hit them,” someone yelled out of the handheld array. “Hit them. Shoot back.”

Two more buildings exploded, sending broken lengths of framework girders spinning through the air. Composite panels cartwheeled down the street like tumbleweed. Laser shots, ion bolts, and even bullets peppered the buildings along the waterfront. The force fields around two of the overhead flyers flickered briefly with static.

“They’ll slaughter us.”

“Shoot them, kill them all, kill the bastards.”

The air above Mark emitted a sibilant sizzling. A line shimmered faint violet. Flames burst out of every gaping window in the Babylon Garden restaurant behind him.

“Fall back. Get the fuck out of here.”

“No! They’ll see us. Knock down the flyers.”

“Where’s the convoy? Are they clear?”

“Hey, yeah! I got one, I saw a wall fall on it. Oh, shit—”

There must have been twenty buildings burning vigorously now. Three more detonated in quick succession.

“God, no. What have we done?”

“Simon, you motherfucker. This is all your fault.”

“Stay calm. Stay under cover.”

Mark looked at David, who was pressed up hard against the wall. His eyes were closed as he whimpered a prayer.

“You want to make a break for it?” Mark asked Liz.

“Not in the pickup,” she said. “They’ll see that.”

“All right.” He brought the handheld array up. “Carys?”

Liz’s hand closed tight around his upper arm. “I don’t goddamn believe it.”

Mark twisted around, following Liz’s disbelieving stare. “What in God’s name… ?”

Mellanie was walking down the street past the Ables Motors garage, heading toward the waterfront. She kept to the center of the road, avoiding the worst of the debris. Her hair and shoulders were damp from the earlier rain, otherwise she was as perfectly groomed as usual. Dense-packed silver OCtattoos flickered over her face and hands, as if they were her true skin emerging into the light.

“Get down!” Mark screamed at her.

She turned her head and gave him a small sympathetic smile. A nearsubliminal golden fractal pattern spiraled out around her eyes. “Stay there,” she told him calmly. “This isn’t something you can handle.”

“Mellanie!”

She’d gone another five paces when four aliens burst out of Kate’s Knitwear ten meters ahead of her, smashing straight through the remaining aluminum wall panels. Their arms curved around to line up their weapons on her. The motion slowed, then stopped. All four of them stood perfectly still in the middle of the road.