Chapter Ten – High Commander Performance
A LASER PULSE FROM a placktoid hit the ceiling above them, scorching the purplish material. An acrid smoke oozed from the hit. They heard the command, “Do not move.” The placktoid that had fired was tall and thin and resembled a pen standing upright, but Carrie’s amusement at the placktoids’ likeness to office stationery had long ago evaporated. She swallowed and wondered how the mechanical aliens would react if she tried to take out a weapon. Not in a good way, she decided. It was a bad idea. She couldn’t possibly take down enough of them to prevent a deadly retaliation, and Dave was unarmed.
The placktoids slowly approached. The two humans edged closer together. “Got a plan?” Dave asked Carrie.
“Do not communicate,” said the tall, thin placktoi
