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Back Alien 3 Save as PDF
Chapters (111)
  1. 1271 Avenue of the Americas
  2. 11
  3. 13
  4. 17
  5. 19
  6. 21
  7. 22
  8. 23
  9. 25
  10. 27
  11. 29
  12. 31
  13. 33
  14. 35
  15. 37
  16. 39
  17. 41
  18. 43
  19. 45
  20. 47
  21. 49
  22. 51
  23. 53
  24. 57
  25. 59
  26. 61
  27. 63
  28. 65
  29. 69
  30. 70
  31. 71
  32. 73
  33. 76
  34. 77
  35. 78
  36. 79
  37. 81
  38. 82
  39. 83
  40. 84
  41. 85
  42. 87
  43. 90
  44. 92
  45. 93
  46. 94
  47. 95
  48. 97
  49. 98
  50. 99
  51. 100 VII
  52. 101
  53. 102
  54. 105
  55. 106
  56. 107
  57. 108
  58. 109
  59. 110
  60. 111
  61. 112
  62. 113
  63. 114
  64. 115
  65. 116
  66. 117
  67. 118
  68. 119
  69. 120
  70. 121
  71. 122
  72. 123
  73. 125
  74. 127
  75. 128
  76. 129
  77. 131
  78. 133
  79. 135
  80. 137
  81. 139
  82. 141
  83. 143
  84. 145
  85. 147
  86. 150
  87. 151
  88. 153
  89. 157 XI -
  90. 158
  91. 159
  92. 160
  93. 161
  94. 163
  95. 166
  96. 175
  97. 177
  98. 179
  99. 181
  100. 187
  101. 189
  102. 191
  103. 193
  104. 195
  105. 197
  106. 199
  107. 201
  108. 203
  109. 205
  110. 207 207
  111. 209 209

?I didn’t say I was ready. Just do it.? 181

181

He adjusted the viewscreen, waiting while she took a long, unblinking look.

?Okay. That’s enough.?Aaron instantly deactivated the scanner.

?I’m sorry,?he murmured as gently as he could. ?I don’t know what to say. Anything I can do-?

?Yeah.?She started struggling against the confines of the tube. ?Help me get out of here.?Her arms were extended upward, reaching toward him. 182 XIII -

The assembly hall looked emptier than ever with its reduced population of prisoners. The men muttered and argued among themselves as Dillon’s fist slammed into the transparent window on the wall. Reaching in, he ripped free the loosely secured fire axe within and turned to hold it over his head.

?Give us strength, O lord, to endure. Until the day. Amen.?

Fists rose into the air. The men were uncertain, but; determined. Dillon surveyed them intently.

?It’s loose. It’s out there. A rescue team is on the way with the guns and shit. Right now there isn’t anyplace that’s real safe. I say we stay here. No overhead vent shafts. If it comes in, it’s gotta be through the door. We post a guard to let us know if it’s comin’. In any case, lay low. Be ready and stay right, in case your time comes.? 183 183

?Bullshit, man,?said prisoner David. ?We’ll all be trapped in here like rats.?

Dillon glared at him. ?Most of you got blades stashed away. Get ‘em out.?

?Right.?William grunted. ?You think we’re gonna stab that motherfucker to death??

?I don’t think shit,?Dillon told him. ?Maybe you can hurt it while you’re checkin’ out. It’s something. You got any better ideas??

William did not. Nor did anyone else.

?I’m tellin’ you,?Dillon continued, ?until that rescue team gets here, we’re in the shit. Get prepared.?

?I ain’t stayin’ here.?William was already backing away. ?You can bet on it.?

Dillon turned, spat to his left. ?Suit yourself.?

Aaron tapped out the necessary code, then ran his thumb over the identiprint. The inner door which protected central communications slid aside, telltales coming to life on the board, the screen clearing obediently as the system awaited input.

?Okay,?he told the woman hovering nearby, ?what do you want to send??

?You got a line back to the Network??

His brows furrowed as he checked the readouts. ?Yeah, it’s up. What do you want to say??

?I want to tell them the whole place has gone toxic. I think they’ll buy it. There’s enough refining waste lying around to make it believable.?

He gaped at her. ?Are you kidding? Tell them that and they won’t come here. Not until they can run and check out the results of a remote inspection, anyway. The rescue team’ll turn back.? 184

Alan Dean Foster

?Exactly.?