Whether or not there was intelligent life out there had never been a question. With half a trillion planets in the galaxy, millions of others must have the right conditions for life. And recently, the electromagnetic signals had been increasing.
Something was surely coming.
Alia had read all about it, and she and Zak were always listening and watching for signs—screaming engines, bright flashes of light, fireballs in the sky. But that morning, all they heard was a muffled whump. It sounded as if it had come from the far side of the park. They saw a hint of silver, the way you might see an insect fly past in the corner of your vision, but by the time you turn to look, it’s gone, having flown off somewhere else.
Let’s find out what it was! Alia veered from the well-traveled path and took off, knowing her older brother would follow. She struggled to be still and attentive for lessons each day, but she loved racing through the desert on the way home, kicking up sand, skittering over rugged rocks on the far side of the park. She always wanted to push further into the desert, beyond where their parents permitted them to explore.
I don’t see anything. Zak scuttled along the rocks with Mip panting at his side. He reached down to scratch her furry head and frowned. We should go back.
Zak never liked to wander far.
