Escape 3: Defeat the Aliens Read Online Free PDF

the four other ships in their fleet. Their range was close to 10,000 miles, the same as his ship lasers. While one of their moon-bound ships had turned back and tried to find the EMF-invisible Collector ship, it had lacked detectors. Even if the Slinkeroo ship had possessed a neutrino detector, the three ships recently launched by the walking snake people lacked any laser weapons. No doubt that would change in view of the arrival of a Collector ship. These people were no tech laggards. While they had not visited the other worlds of their system, Bill’s ship sensors had documented a world with moderate tech and a high level of communications and broadcast energy integration. He felt they would be a fine addition to the NATO of the Stars that was Chester’s presidential assignment.
    Their greeter turned right down a wide hallway, then stopped before a tall triangular door that filled the end of the hallway. A narrow lightning bolt shot out and hit a red dot. With barely a whisper the metal entry door slid to one side. Before them stretched a giant room. It looked as large as the UN General Assembly chamber in New York. Like that place, this one held several hundred bench seats, all of them empty. To one side lay a half circle of bench seats. Seven Slinkeroo occupied seven seats. Intense yellow-white light shone down on them, causing the rest of the chamber to look dim. A Slinkeroo at one end of the arc left his bench and moved towards them.
    Jane stepped forward, her pace quickening as the two Slinkeroo beside her moved faster. “Hello. I am Jane Yamaguchi, of the human people, from planet Earth. It is an honor to meet this world’s leaders.”
    As the hissing of his wife’s translated words ended, he and the others stopped. Before them stood a Slinkeroo whose black skin showed streaks of gray. Some of the other walking snakes who rested atop bench seats also showed gray, though two of them looked nearly as black as Time Marker. The one standing before them spoke.
    “My clan knows me as Hungry Learner,” hissed low the standing Slinkeroo. “This council elected me to serve as Prime Elder. Elder Jane Yamaguchi, we thank you for your warning about the captive-taking starship that hovered above our world.” Deep blue eyes blinked slowly. “We tried to destroy the craft but it moved beyond the range of our anti-comet lasers. Perhaps you can share with us information on how to build spacecraft that will protect our world in the future?”
    “We will do just that,” Jane said. She gestured to the side, to where Chester had joined her. “This is Chester Richardson, a combat leader on our world and the person appointed by my nation’s leader to negotiate agreements with you and with other star people. We are ready to discuss your needs and share our information on the slave-taking behavior of the Buyer society.” She paused, then gestured behind her to where Bill stood, his nerves tense as he tried to see in every direction. “Behind me stands my husband, my life partner. Bill MacCarthy is also well trained in combat. He has used the weapons of my ship to fight other Collector ships. And he has helped free Captives held on a nearby Market world.”
    The yellow glow that framed the Prime Elder grew larger. “We welcome you, your negotiator and your life partner. But especially we welcome the return of Time Marker! Come close to me, young one.”
    With a scurrying of his clawed feet, their Engines Chief hurried forward to lay his head alongside the head of the Prime Elder. The yellow electrical glow of each joined together, just as had happened earlier with their greeter. They shared a common glow for long moments. Then the older Slinkeroo stepped to one side with a low sigh.
    “Young one, your glow carries the sign you recently made a Death Strike,” he hissed. “How did it happen?”
    Time Marker, whose long back was perhaps two feet above the metal floor, hunched down a bit, then straightened his stubby legs.