Read Online Star Watch by Mark Wayne McGinnis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mark Wayne McGinnis
Tags: Science-Fiction, Space Opera, Military, Science Fiction & Fantasy, alien invasion, Exploration, Space Exploration, first contact, Galactic Empire
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left. All six legs moved simultaneously, in their strange, unnatural, rhythm. Boomer sat on the ground and watched Alice’s crazy happy antics. She hadn’t seen her favorite pet since The Lilly. Then she had a sudden insight, realizing their clever ruse: Her father quickly dropping her off; Jack acting annoyed; the open habitat. It was all pre-staged—to reunite her with Alice. Coming from behind her, she heard her name called.
“Boomer!”
She turned around and saw Dira, Rizzo—one of her father’s young Navy SEAL friends—and Jack standing in the corridor, smiling back at her.
“You all tricked me?”
Dira, laughing, stepped in and gave Alice a scratch behind her ears. Rizzo smiled and waved. “We’ve got to get back; good to see you again, Boomer.” Rizzo and Dira hurried off down the corridor.
“Thank you, Jack … I really missed Alice.”
Jack half-shrugged, scratching at his white scruffy beard. “It’s no big deal. Just thought you’d want to see her again.”
Boomer got down on her knees and wrapped her arms around the drog’s midsection. Placing her head on her back, she cooed, “You’re a good girl, Alice.”
Jack walked over to the access panel. “You can come back and play with her later. Boomer, I need to get this portal closed … its been held open a lot longer than it’s supposed to be.” He gestured for Boomer to join him in the corridor as he entered a code into the access panel. Boomer, watching Alice seated on her back haunches, gave her a goodbye wave while the portal window was reactivated. She heard the familiar three beeps and the portal window appeared again like solid glass.
“The captain tells me he wants me to give you more responsibilities,” Jack said, looking serious. “He thinks you’re ready for it. To be honest … I’m not so sure.”
“I am ready!”
“Uh huh. Well … okay … come with me. We’ll start right now.” He strode down the corridor, not waiting for Boomer, while talking over his shoulder. “With Ricket’s help, I’ve begun work on several of the more distressed habitats in the Zoo … some have gone long periods of time without any attention … what’s necessary in maintaining and retaining viable eco-systems.”
Boomer, catching up and walking by his side, took in the various habitats they passed along the way.
“Although there are some habitats that are more self-sufficient … ecosystems needing little in the way of oversight … there are others, like Alice’s HAB 209 back there, that require significantly more attention. Animals of all different species need to be fed … cared for. If that doesn’t happen, you know the result?”
“They die.”
“Yes, that’s right, they die. And I won’t have that on my watch.”
Boomer continued walking by Jack’s side until he slowed. They reached the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a habitat. “This one is in bad shape. Ignored from way back, when the Minian was under Caldurian control, before Granger had …”
Boomer finished Jack’s sentence for him, “Before Granger stole the Minian from them, right?”
Jack didn’t respond to that. He pointed to the habitat. “Unattended for over a year, all indigenous animal life perished. Starvation, the primary issue. This is HAB 7 and I want you to see firsthand what happened here.”
“What is it you want me to see in there?”
Jack moved off to the access panel and began entering the code. She kept her eyes on HAB 7’s portal window. It looked dark and foreboding inside, as if a storm was brewing. Like any moment the skies would open up and pour down a deluge of rain. She realized that this habitat seemed different, too. Where other habitats were naturally primitive, untouched by civilization or environmental changes—this one clearly showed evidence of some habitation by intelligent life. Dreary-looking in the darkness, there were ancient ruins scattered across the distant landscape.
“What is this place,
“Boomer!”
She turned around and saw Dira, Rizzo—one of her father’s young Navy SEAL friends—and Jack standing in the corridor, smiling back at her.
“You all tricked me?”
Dira, laughing, stepped in and gave Alice a scratch behind her ears. Rizzo smiled and waved. “We’ve got to get back; good to see you again, Boomer.” Rizzo and Dira hurried off down the corridor.
“Thank you, Jack … I really missed Alice.”
Jack half-shrugged, scratching at his white scruffy beard. “It’s no big deal. Just thought you’d want to see her again.”
Boomer got down on her knees and wrapped her arms around the drog’s midsection. Placing her head on her back, she cooed, “You’re a good girl, Alice.”
Jack walked over to the access panel. “You can come back and play with her later. Boomer, I need to get this portal closed … its been held open a lot longer than it’s supposed to be.” He gestured for Boomer to join him in the corridor as he entered a code into the access panel. Boomer, watching Alice seated on her back haunches, gave her a goodbye wave while the portal window was reactivated. She heard the familiar three beeps and the portal window appeared again like solid glass.
“The captain tells me he wants me to give you more responsibilities,” Jack said, looking serious. “He thinks you’re ready for it. To be honest … I’m not so sure.”
“I am ready!”
“Uh huh. Well … okay … come with me. We’ll start right now.” He strode down the corridor, not waiting for Boomer, while talking over his shoulder. “With Ricket’s help, I’ve begun work on several of the more distressed habitats in the Zoo … some have gone long periods of time without any attention … what’s necessary in maintaining and retaining viable eco-systems.”
Boomer, catching up and walking by his side, took in the various habitats they passed along the way.
“Although there are some habitats that are more self-sufficient … ecosystems needing little in the way of oversight … there are others, like Alice’s HAB 209 back there, that require significantly more attention. Animals of all different species need to be fed … cared for. If that doesn’t happen, you know the result?”
“They die.”
“Yes, that’s right, they die. And I won’t have that on my watch.”
Boomer continued walking by Jack’s side until he slowed. They reached the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a habitat. “This one is in bad shape. Ignored from way back, when the Minian was under Caldurian control, before Granger had …”
Boomer finished Jack’s sentence for him, “Before Granger stole the Minian from them, right?”
Jack didn’t respond to that. He pointed to the habitat. “Unattended for over a year, all indigenous animal life perished. Starvation, the primary issue. This is HAB 7 and I want you to see firsthand what happened here.”
“What is it you want me to see in there?”
Jack moved off to the access panel and began entering the code. She kept her eyes on HAB 7’s portal window. It looked dark and foreboding inside, as if a storm was brewing. Like any moment the skies would open up and pour down a deluge of rain. She realized that this habitat seemed different, too. Where other habitats were naturally primitive, untouched by civilization or environmental changes—this one clearly showed evidence of some habitation by intelligent life. Dreary-looking in the darkness, there were ancient ruins scattered across the distant landscape.
“What is this place,
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