Alien vs. Alien

her head. “Their minds are like Bellie’s.”
    “Great, they’ll love you and want to kill me. Well, we knew that last part already.”
    “Not what I mean. They’re more . . . sentient than Bellie is, but they feel much more like she does.”
    “So, they’re birds?”
    “Birdlike. Like the Canus Majorians are doglike or the Feliniads are catlike.” He went back, still holding Bellie, and put his hand over Christopher’s again. “They’re . . . worried?”
    “Worried about what?”
    Jeff shook his head. “I can’t tell. But they don’t feel angry or bloodthirsty or anything like that.”
    “Desperate but not serious?” Hey, it was playing, and again seemed helpful. I’d never have guessed that Adam Ant was going to be my go-to guy for a major space invasion, but I never argued with serendipity. And Jeff’s kisses did drive me delirious, even if I didn’t have time for them at this moment.
    He managed a chuckle. “I suppose. Some are more excited, some are frightened. They’re running the same gamut of emotions as we do or the different races from Alpha Centauri do. They’re closer to the Reptilians than to us or any of the rest of the Alpha Centauri species, but they feel familiar enough. At least, I think so.”
    “Christopher, find the ship that has LaRue and Ronaldo in it.” He nodded and started touching each ship. William and Jennifer went to assist, as did Jeremy. Didn’t know if he and Jennifer routinely did the Go Team move or were just fast learners, but they were doing it now.
    “Kings of the Wild Frontier” came on now. Maybe it was the asymmetrical drumbeats, but Adam Ant’s music was really firing my brain up. The lyrics of this song were incredibly helpful, at least to me in this situation.
    “Chuckie, give Naomi your cube. Mimi, Abby, you’re up.”
    “What are we doing?”
    “Moving galaxies, probably. But right now I’d like you to figure out how the cube works and get an ozone shield, or some kind of parasite shield up around the Earth, pronto.”
    They gaped at me. “How—” Naomi started.
    “This is what Chuckie’s been training you for,” I snapped. “I realize the situation sucks, but we don’t get to be heroic when things are quiet. Not that they ever are, mind you, but still. You two are the most powerful adult A-Cs we have. You can do more than Serene, Jeff, and Christopher, and that’s without the Surcenthumain boost. Stop acting like you can abdicate responsibility now that the menfolkO are home and unharmed. It doesn’t work like that.”
    The Gower girls looked at each other, then back at me. “You’re right,” Naomi said.
    “Yes, but we have no idea what an ozone shield would be like,” Abigail added.
    “I do,” Chuckie replied.
    “Time for the Wonder Twins to go to triplets.”
    “We need Jeff, too,” Naomi said. “He understands the cube, possibly better than Chuck does.”
    “I doubt it, but it’s worth a shot,” Jeff said. He handed Bellie back to Oliver, then took Abigail’s free hand. I left them to it.
    Buchanan had been quiet, and I needed some input. “Malcolm, where do you think they’re going to choose as their main arrival location? Or are you thinking they’re just going to blow us to smithereens?”
    “I’m with you, Missus Chief. They’re going to land and see what’s going on. As for where, it’s going to depend on whether they want a show of force, to create panic and terror, or to create a diplomatic illusion.”
    “MJO?”
    “New York is always popular for this kind of thing.”
    “Hacker International, Stryker’s already voted for the Southwest. Any other ideas?”
    “Major cities are always popular,” Henry said.
    “Tokyo,” Ravi said immediately.
    “Moscow,” Yuri countered. “Going for an area with a lot of nukes.”
    “Middle East, maybe?” Big George suggested. “They’re trying to start a war there, after all.”
    Turned to the Middle Eastern Contingent. “What do you guys think?”
    To their credit, the four of them didn’t waste time asking me why I was asking for their opinions. Instead, four brows furrowed in thought.
    “May I ask a question?” Mona asked.
    “Sure.”
    “Why would so much have gone on here, in Washington, D.C., if this was not the landing site?” The others nodded their agreement. So did Buchanan, Tito, and White.
    “Wow, we need to swear you into the Kickbutt Gang fast.”
    I sent another group text out as the song changed again. Happily, the teams