power wave that sent them flying through the open door. Their bodies slammed against the wall with enough force to get their attention, but not to hurt them. Short of reading their brains, it was the best way to reveal their intentions.
Alex shot to his feet and leaned over to check on Mark. “You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mark said through gritted teeth. “That was uncalled for. We’re unarmed.”
Alex stretched his hand to help him up. “It’s a test, stay calm.”
Shara smiled and landed on the floor. Her eyes dimmed, and she lowered her hand.
“Come with us. We don’t mean harm,” Alex said.
Before she answered, Phil barged into the room. “What did you do?”
Mark scowled. “We crushed our bones against your bathroom wall to show her we mean business.”
“Did you hurt her?” Phil asked.
Alex intervened before Mark launched another verbal attack. “We’re not trying to hurt her, mate. We need to find out why she is here.”
Okay, that was enough, she could trust them. “It’s okay, Phil. I will leave with them.”
Phil’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“I’ll be fine.”
He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before he strode toward her to give her a hug. “Ok, take care of yourself.”
“You, too.”
“Our airship is at the airport,” Alex said.
“Mine is faster.” Shara said and led them to the park next to the river where she left her ship. She stopped at the edge of the river and deactivated the cloaking device.
The small ship appeared above the water and hovered forward until it landed on the grass next to her. A door in the front of the ship opened upward, and she walked through it. Shara sat down in one of the two front seats. The two agents stood outside where they were. She motioned them to get into the ship. Alex sat down on the front seat to her right while Mark took the back seat.
Shara tapped the ship’s wall and activated the navigation panel. The ship’s navigation computer had downloaded the world maps from a satellite. She waved her hand on the panel until Canberra showed up, then the ASIO building. She started the engine and leaned back in her seat. Metal straps fastened around her chest and thighs.
The ship ascended a kilometer in the air before it traveled forward, picking up speed every second. Shara glanced at Alex. The speed overwhelmed him. He clung to his seat—his back straight and his hands clasped the sides of his seat.
Shara looked ahead. “It might be uncomfortable, but you’ll be fine.”
A minute or two later, the ship decelerated at the same rate it sped up earlier. Alex’s head almost slammed against the navigation panel as he leaned forward. The ship landed in front of the ASIO building. The door opened. Shara exited, and the two of them stumbled behind her. The ship took off above the building before it vanished.
Shara hovered forward to the entrance and made her way inside. An old man rushed to meet her with a handful of agents.
With a polite smile on his face, he stretched his hand forward. “Thank you for coming, I’m Noah.”
She stopped and studied him for a second. Was he the boss? He wasn’t as tall as Alex. His hair was short and curly, and some of it was gray. And he was overweight.
“I’m Shara.”
“Welcome to Australia. We have an area in the building set up for you.”
*****
Alissara
December 21, 2030
Alissara ignored the cold draft from the open window. She leaned back on the couch and stretched her legs above the small coffee table. She’d taken off her boots. The sharp edge of the wooden table dug into her flesh. Alissara ignored it and waved her hand to swipe another web page as she’d been doing for the past two hours.
Every time she swiped a web page, the tablet seemed to take its last breaths and inch closer to end of life. The short breaks every fifteen minutes were no help. Still, Alissara learned about Egypt’s history, religions, and culture. She learned about Earth’s
Alex shot to his feet and leaned over to check on Mark. “You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mark said through gritted teeth. “That was uncalled for. We’re unarmed.”
Alex stretched his hand to help him up. “It’s a test, stay calm.”
Shara smiled and landed on the floor. Her eyes dimmed, and she lowered her hand.
“Come with us. We don’t mean harm,” Alex said.
Before she answered, Phil barged into the room. “What did you do?”
Mark scowled. “We crushed our bones against your bathroom wall to show her we mean business.”
“Did you hurt her?” Phil asked.
Alex intervened before Mark launched another verbal attack. “We’re not trying to hurt her, mate. We need to find out why she is here.”
Okay, that was enough, she could trust them. “It’s okay, Phil. I will leave with them.”
Phil’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“I’ll be fine.”
He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before he strode toward her to give her a hug. “Ok, take care of yourself.”
“You, too.”
“Our airship is at the airport,” Alex said.
“Mine is faster.” Shara said and led them to the park next to the river where she left her ship. She stopped at the edge of the river and deactivated the cloaking device.
The small ship appeared above the water and hovered forward until it landed on the grass next to her. A door in the front of the ship opened upward, and she walked through it. Shara sat down in one of the two front seats. The two agents stood outside where they were. She motioned them to get into the ship. Alex sat down on the front seat to her right while Mark took the back seat.
Shara tapped the ship’s wall and activated the navigation panel. The ship’s navigation computer had downloaded the world maps from a satellite. She waved her hand on the panel until Canberra showed up, then the ASIO building. She started the engine and leaned back in her seat. Metal straps fastened around her chest and thighs.
The ship ascended a kilometer in the air before it traveled forward, picking up speed every second. Shara glanced at Alex. The speed overwhelmed him. He clung to his seat—his back straight and his hands clasped the sides of his seat.
Shara looked ahead. “It might be uncomfortable, but you’ll be fine.”
A minute or two later, the ship decelerated at the same rate it sped up earlier. Alex’s head almost slammed against the navigation panel as he leaned forward. The ship landed in front of the ASIO building. The door opened. Shara exited, and the two of them stumbled behind her. The ship took off above the building before it vanished.
Shara hovered forward to the entrance and made her way inside. An old man rushed to meet her with a handful of agents.
With a polite smile on his face, he stretched his hand forward. “Thank you for coming, I’m Noah.”
She stopped and studied him for a second. Was he the boss? He wasn’t as tall as Alex. His hair was short and curly, and some of it was gray. And he was overweight.
“I’m Shara.”
“Welcome to Australia. We have an area in the building set up for you.”
*****
Alissara
December 21, 2030
Alissara ignored the cold draft from the open window. She leaned back on the couch and stretched her legs above the small coffee table. She’d taken off her boots. The sharp edge of the wooden table dug into her flesh. Alissara ignored it and waved her hand to swipe another web page as she’d been doing for the past two hours.
Every time she swiped a web page, the tablet seemed to take its last breaths and inch closer to end of life. The short breaks every fifteen minutes were no help. Still, Alissara learned about Egypt’s history, religions, and culture. She learned about Earth’s
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