Cover

IF THEY’RE COMING FOR US, WHO’S COMING FOR THEM?

The galaxy is vast and not everything is what it seems. The invasion we always feared is here. Which begs the question: what do the invaders fear? If not us, then what … or who? And what happens to the would-be peacemakers when they find themselves in the middle of something else? Something dangerous, something highly advanced, and … something familiar?

A wise humanity prepares for everything it can imagine.

It cannot prepare for what it cannot imagine.

That might be benign, it might be malign, or there might be a sign.

You just have to know where to look.

DEDICATION

For the folks at MiblArt, who did this marvelous cover

while working out of…Lviv. In between occasionally

having to take cover in their basement

So, let’s not have any more artists complaining about

having to work under “difficult” conditions

—I—

Morning, Dev.”

“Good morning, Charlie.” Slipping the brown leather strap off his shoulder, Devali Mukherjee let his satchel slide gently down onto his desk. Slender as he was, it slid off easily. Regular cardio sessions at the gym together with running in the city parks kept him trim and fit, if not muscular. Settling into his seat, he leaned back and contemplated infinity—alongside his much paler friend’s currently fashionable unshaven visage. Dev frowned. Although it was not required by his job, he took particular pride in his neatness. That meant keeping his straight black hair cut short and his beard invisible. “Anything of interest this morning?”

His colleague took a breath before beginning. “Well, the Chinese are making irritated noises about some components of the last aid package we promised to Vietnam, suicide bombing at an international school in Lahore killed a security guard plus the two bombers, the Mapuche Resistance Front is still threatening to pull out of the peace talks we’ve been brokering in Santiago, and the Chinese-Taiwan talks seem to be making some progress even if the pace makes a snail race look like the Indy 500. Oh, and one more thing.” Pulling down the hem of his white shirt so that it once more fully covered his belly he paused for effect, though considering the nature of the news it was unnecessary. “At 02:47 this morning, a giant alien spacecraft appeared over Panama.”

Dev offered a thin smile as he methodically unpacked his laptop. “I know it is early, and it is Friday, but is that the best you can do?” It struck him that Charlie did not smile back.

“No, I can do better than that.” His white-shirted colleague nodded at Dev’s desk. “Turn on your computer. Go to any channel. Doesn’t have to be all-news. Everybody’s carrying the same feeds.”