Alcantaran 1: Alien Abduction Read Online Free Page A

Sandghost stood over seven feet tall with very broad shoulders and long thick arms.   It had a large barrel-shaped torso.   The hands on the ends of the arms were enormous with four fingers and a thumb on each hand.   The head was almost a cube with almost square corners like a block of stone that an artist had just started carving.   It had the eyes, nose and mouth but it hadn’t been rounded like a human head yet.   It was very massive, in proportion with the rest of the body.   Each leg was bigger around than the creature in the robe.   The Sandghost's skin looked like someone had made a giant statue out of sand and then had given it life.   The creature didn't know it but Gus weighed over 400 pounds.   The creature slowly took all of this in and didn't make a sound.
    This infuriated Gus even more and he roared even louder, "Listen, you pile of kamaal waste, I'll split you in two."   Gus started to take a step toward the creature.
    The creature moved the lower limb on the right side and reached into a fold of the robe.   The limb moved quicker than Gus' eye could follow as it pulled a small slender rod with some sort of grip.   The creature held the grip in something like a hand with two fingers and a thumb.   The fingers looked like they had small suction cups on the ends.
    He had barely completed the step when he saw a bluish light on the end of the rod.   He dropped to his knees as he felt an excruciatingly intense pain.   The pain was so bad he could hardly breathe and he definitely couldn't move.   After what seemed an eternity, the pain stopped and he gasped for breath.   He was so weak all he could do was kneel there, trying to get air into his body.
    "I am Nansha of the Challeka Traders of Elgebar V.   Our supreme commander is Zibo ao Te and you are her prisoner.   If you do as I say, we may, at our discretion, offer you a chance to purchase your freedom.   If you threaten us again, the pain will be worse next time.   We have work for you to do to earn your keep.   You will follow me now to see where you will work," the small creature said in a quiet voice in Gus' language.
    The creature turned and stepped from the room, where it mounted a small disk that sat on the floor.   Gus dragged himself to his feet and followed.   It was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other but shortly he felt himself returning to normal.   The disk rose about six inches off the floor and moved down a large passage-way.   Gus followed as best he could until his limbs started moving normally again.   As he started moving better, the creature moved the disk faster down the passage-way.   Gus thought about attacking the creature again but the memory of the pain was too fresh.   He decided to bide his time and would get this creature the first chance he got.   Sandghosts were known for their long memory.
    The creature led Gus down the passage-way to an elevator and they dropped several levels.   When the elevator opened, they moved into another passage-way.   There were more of the robed Challekans and several other aliens moving in both directions.   The creature led Gus to a doorway that swung open as they moved up to it.   When they stepped through, Gus saw a huge room with several of the flying machines that had spooked his kamaal.   Gus saw that some of these machines had a ramp down in the back and different species of beings were loading and unloading boxes, bags and equipment.   Nansha directed Gus to one of the flying machines where another robed creature was directing the unloading process.   Nansha waved toward Gus and then chirped, clicked and rustled to the other robed figure.
    The robed Challekan came over to Gus and said, "My name is Sabah .   You can start carrying those sacks to the grav-sled over there.   I'll be over on that platform observing so don't try anything."
    Gus debated in his mind about smashing this creature or doing as it said and looking for a better chance