Galileo (Battle of the Species) Read Online Free PDF Page A

dad opened the back door.
    Max squeezed his body through the door before it was fully open and rushed down the steps. He jumped on Renn, who groaned when Max’s paws made contact with his sore stomach.
    “Hey, Max,” Renn said, patting the dog and setting his front paws on the ground.
    “Hey, Buddy,” Adam said. “What’ch ya doing?”
    “Oh, just getting the laundry,” Renn replied as if it were no big thing.
    Adam hurried down the steps and felt Renn’s forehead. “Are you delirious? How many fingers am I holding up?”
           “Ha-ha, very funny.”
           “Since when do you volunteer for chores?” Adam asked.
           “Oh, you know…”
           “What’s that smell?” Adam asked.
           Oh, gawd. “What smell?” Renn asked.
           Adam rummaged through the t-shirts Renn had just folded, until making it to the dirty P.E. t-shirt at the bottom. “Awww, Renn,” Adam said, exasperated. “Dirty clothes and clean clothes don’t go in the same pile. I don’t know how many times I’ve told you that.”
           “Do I still get bonus points for folding it?”
           “Not even one, Kiddo,” Adam said, kissing his son on his forehead. “Come on. You can finish later. I’ve got food waiting for you.”
           Renn sighed with relief and made his way towards the house, thankful that the day was over and he was finally home.
     

Chapter 3
    Cascading Portals
     
    Planet: Torres
Galaxy: Messier 87
Federation Date: 6.26.7266
     
    Desh walked beside Kia, in front of a line of Toran soldiers. Wings could be heard fluttering and stretching, while some of the Torans looked longingly towards the sky.
    Before them lay the pile of fresh meat being dragged back to the village. The pile of white Prymin would occasionally get stuck when the brush became too dense or the rocks too rugged. Desh would then wave his hand and lift the kill in the air, drifting it over or around the obstacle. The dragging would then continue in order to conserve Desh’s energy. Though no Mindeerian wanted to admit it, their energy was not limitless and there would come a point when they too would need to eat, drink, and sleep to recharge.
    A rumbling thunder filled the air, as if the solemn gray sky and swollen clouds hadn’t been warning enough that a storm was coming. Kia looked up through the trees and gave a sigh. “I’m going to miss rain,” he said.
    “Yeah?” Desh asked, sniffling. “How about snow? You going to miss runny noses, stiff fingers, and ice clinging to your feathers?”
    Kia smiled. “Give it time, Brother. My dad says years on a dry ship at one temperature will drive you mad. You’ll be missing snow soon enough too.”
    “We’ll see about that,” Desh replied, grinning.
    “Yes we will.”
    They took a few more steps before thumping could be heard in the distance. It seemed to be coming from every direction.
    They all stopped, looking around. The moaning of wood resonated through the forest as wooden bows curved in the hands of the soldiers.
    “What the hell is that?” Kia asked.
    Tig walked up beside Desh, pulling the young Mindeerian closer to him. “I have no idea, but we’re not going to wait to find out,” Tig replied. He glanced behind him, to a soldier whose wings hadn’t endured damage from the night before. He pointed to his eyes, and then pointed towards the distant sound.
    The soldier nodded and took flight.
    Do you hear thoughts, Brother? Kia asked.
    No , Desh projected. Whoever it is must be wearing thought blockers.
    Whoa, that’s not a good sign , Kia replied.
    A deep-gutted roar was heard in the distance and the thumping abruptly stopped.
    The Toran soldier flew back, yelling “Aranea and Eminites!”
    Screeching filled the forest, with the sound of snow crunching under hundreds of feet.
    “Protect the heir!” Tig yelled.
    In one brisk move, the soldiers were