The Second Wave Read Online Free Page B

hungry, especially with the sun warming them from
above. Timothy was two steps ahead of her, weapon at the ready, but
as soon as she produced the red licorice with a triumphant purr, he
slowed down and, without looking, held out a hand. They resumed
their way munching, passing another, smaller patch of the lilac
flowers, which they gave a wide berth.
    It was a beautiful planet, they both had to
admit that. Just strange enough to be different, but not to make
them feel out of place. Sally felt like walking through a “one of
these is not like the other” picture, idly wondering which one was
indeed the right one. If there were so many realities out there,
with so many planet Earths, then who could tell which one was the
original? Was there even an original? Or were they all just copies
of something long gone?
    “Holy Zeus!” Timothy’s yell yanked her back
into reality. He had walked a few steps into the forest, his
uniform was just visible between the trees. Something in his voice
made Sally grab her gun tight and rush after him.
    * * * *
    While Sally Sheldon pondered alternative
Earths, Eleven led Mandy and Sophie to a strip of barren land by a
dried-up lake.
    Mandy shielded her eyes from the sun and
looked around. “This looks odd.”
    “It’s the crop fields,” explained Eleven. She
crouched down to let dry earth run through her fingers. Sophie made
a confused sound.
    “This whole area should be cultivated,”
Eleven told them. “Corn, rye, buckwheat, you name it.”
    “So either someone did a really lousy job—”
But Sophie never got to finish her sentence.
    Eleven’s radio sprang to life, and Timothy’s
voice cut through the silence of the midday sun. “Captain, this
is Niman. You’re gonna wanna see this.”
    Eleven was on her feet in an instant. “Did
you find someone?”
    “ Positive.”
    He gave them his coordinates.
    * * * *
    When Sally caught up with Timothy, she almost
let out an unprofessional shriek. It took a moment for her brain to
register that they were not facing a monster, but something that
almost resembled a human being. Timothy stood opposite a naked
woman with mud-streaked skin, hair that might be auburn under a
crust of dirt, and wide, curious eyes.
    Sally tentatively made contact, “Hello.”
    “We’re not here to harm you,” Timothy added,
but didn’t lower his gun.
    “Are you from the settlement?”
    But the woman never heard Sally’s question.
Her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Neither Timothy nor Sally
were quick enough to catch her, even though Timothy later insisted
on telling the others that she sank into his strong arms with a
smitten sigh. Nobody believed him anyway.
    After a short discussion about quarantine
protocols and international safety, Eleven and her team decided to
put up a medical emergency tent and call Dr. Paige, instead of
bringing the woman back to Earth. She looked healthy enough, but
Eleven and Mandy had a point when they argued that she could be a
carrier for something. Perhaps the rest of the settlers was out
there as well, suffering from a new form of disease. Because people
who were healthy and sane, Timothy couldn’t stress that enough even
though they all agreed, did not run naked through forests on alien
planets.
    So Eleven sent out a transmission through the
wormhole, and two hours later, Summer Paige stepped into the
medical tent Timothy and Mandy had erected in the middle of the
meadow, close to the wormhole.
    The woman was still unconscious. They had
lifted her onto a gurney and covered her up. Sophie carefully
cleaned the woman’s face with a cloth and some water.
    “Where did you find her?” Dr. Paige wanted to
know. She immediately began working, scanning the patient, taking
blood samples, feeling her skin for abnormalities.
    “Two of my team walked into her at the edge
of the forest,” explained Eleven. “She never said anything, she
just lost consciousness.”
    “Of course she did. She is badly dehydrated.
Hand me the IV