Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31078 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31078 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
“Just fucking great. I just took this damn thing in for maintenance,” Matt muttered under his breath.
He took a deep breath and tried to start the truck again. To his relief it cranked up this time with no problem. “Good.”
He stole a glance into the rearview mirror and realized that the precious seconds lost had cost him because whatever it was hurtling from the sky was coming right at him. Pressing down on the gas, the truck sped out. He hoped he hadn’t damaged his stuff in the back as he’d bundled it up so hurriedly, but right now self-preservation took over.
Matt had only driven a couple miles when he heard a loud crash. It was a good thing this was a desert where not much damage could be done. Instinct told him to keep driving and not look back, but curiosity took hold and wouldn’t let go. He had to know what had crashed. If it was a space rock then it would definitely be something to share at his next lunar club meeting.
Making a U-turn, he headed back to the crash. “I feel like one of those morons in a horror movie,” he muttered, but this opportunity was too great to pass up. What he was expecting and what he saw were two completely different things.
This was no asteroid, it looked like a mini rocket of some sort and it was glowing. Did he dare get out of his truck and investigate further? He’d seen enough alien invasion movies to know that it usually didn’t end up favorably for the curious human. If he walked away now, he’d forever curse himself for being such a chicken shit. Besides, hadn’t he always believed that Earth wasn’t the only planet with intelligent life forms? This could be the discovery of a lifetime.
On the other hand, his only defense out here in the Californian desert was a hunting knife and a black belt in Tae Kwan Do. Who knew what kind of funky technology the aliens would have. They could have incinerating guns or maybe they’d have sharp teeth and claws.
The little ship changed from a yellow to an orange glow and began to flash. Though this kind of craft looked unfamiliar to him, something told Matt that it wasn’t supposed to blink like that. Deciding to take action, he walked over and touched it.
“Fuck!” He immediately pulled his hand away from the hot metal and blew on it. Judging from the vibrating of this UFO, it was about to blow. Disappointment tore through him. He wouldn’t get to find out what or who was inside. Matt was about to make run for it when, he heard a faint voice.
“Please help me.” It was a feminine voice in an accent unfamiliar to him.
“How?” he asked, cautiously stepping closer to the space ship against his better judgment.
“The door is stuck!” The person inside cried in a desperate please. It pounded from the inside of the vehicle.
The ship was too hot for Matt to touch, but he had to help and quick or he and his alien friend were toast. “Think, Matt, think,” he muttered. He took off his jean jacket and wrapped it around his hand and looked for a latch. Finding a handle that looked like it would open something, he grabbed on, placing his foot against the craft for leverage.
Pulling with all his might, the door opened, sending him flying back. Two slender arms popped out. Rushing over to assist the alien, he yanked it out, and found himself staring into a pair of large brown eyes. “Please, we have to get out of here. When the heliocraft turns red, that means it will be only seconds before it blows,” and with that she fainted. Instinctively he reached out and caught her.
Lifting her up in his arms, Matt hurried back to the truck and stuffed her in. Thankfully it started the first time, and not quite a thousand feet away, an explosion went off. He dared to look behind him one last time and was surprised to see a big nuclear bomb like cloud. He slammed on the gas willing the truck to go faster. “Come on,” he said through gritted teeth.
When Matt felt he was a safe distance away from the explosion, he slowed down and looked over at the alien he’d rescued. His breath caught in his throat. This didn’t look like an alien at all. She looked just as human as he did, and quite a beautiful at that.
His friend, Chuck, another scientist he worked with closely, would have gloated if he’d seen this woman. Chuck believed that any species on other planets would have a humanoid form instead of looking like those green things with big heads and eyes. When he had a chance Matt knew he’d have to come back here to find the remains of that ship, but in the meantime, he needed to get this woman back to his place.