Free The Space Between by Scott J Robinson Page A

Less than a minute and the bat would be upon them. Kim had
to make some real decisions. She stood behind the cannon, Harry
nearby with a box of matches in hand. It was surreal. Thick, bitter
smoke drifted around them one moment, and the next it was clear.
Sound came and went. Moans and shouts filled her consciousness,
leaving no room for other thoughts, and then she could think all
too clearly.
    Kim took a deep breath and tried to calm her
racing heart. That was a futile exercise.
    "What do you think?" Harry shook his head.
"Bloody hell, we're being attacked by giant space-bats."
    "Space-bats?" Kim said. "You think they're
from space?"
    "Can you think of a better idea?"
    "Well..."
    "Beware," Harry bellowed and stepped
forward.

6: Open Doors
     
    "Not yet," Kim said, a hand on his arm. She
tried to gauge the bat's speed and imagined the flight of the
previous cannon balls. The idea of space-bats kept getting in the
way and she shook her head to clear it. "Not yet." She used her
shoulder to wipe sweat from her forehead. When she looked up again,
the bat was skimming over the trees just beyond the far side of the
field. "Fire," she said softly.
    "Fire in the hole."
    Kim covered her ears. She felt the explosion
hit her in the chest, smelled the cordite and watched the ball
sailing across the field.
    No good. No
good . She could tell almost immediately.
While the others continued to stand and stare, she hurried to the
next cannon, checked the aim, then started to push on the back
corner. Keeble came to help a moment later.
    “ [Who are these soldiers?
They just don't understand how battle works, do they?]”
    Kim ignored him. What else
was she supposed to do? "Harry." And Harry ignored her . "Harry."
    She stepped back then pulled Keeble away a
moment later.
    "Harry. Quick"
    Harry shook himself, turned, and went to the
second cannon.
    "Fire the damn thing."
    "Fire in the hole."
    The thump in the chest.
Ringing ears. Kim held her breath. "Come on. Come on ." The ball sailed
though the sky, a black spot against the blue.
    Kim leaned to the left. She held her
breath.
    She almost thought she
heard the impact of the ball hitting the bat. That wasn't possible.
But it did hit.
She turned to look at Harry for a moment, saw the same look of
stunned disbelief that she knew must be on her own face.
    "Huh."
    They'd hit it.
    There was a screech that cut through all
other sound and Kim turned quickly back. The huge creature was
leaning dangerously to one side, tried to correct, went the other
way. After a couple of seconds of struggle a wing clipped the
ground. It came down in a rush, plowing a long furrow in the
outfield and sending up a storm of dust. Sounds of pain came from
the cloud, but if Kim knew anything at all about giant space bats,
and she didn't, she didn't think that one was going anywhere in a
hurry.
    "What now?" Boydie asked after what seemed
like an hour.
    Smiling, Kim continued to watch the results
of their handiwork. "We should go see who we can help." She had
almost forgotten about all the injured people.
    "What about those cylinders though?" Harry
asked.
    "What?"
    "Those cylinders that were strapped under
the bat-thing."
    "Well..."
    "I don't imagine the bats made them."
    Kim wiped sweat from her face and looked at
the cloud of dust, as if she could see the creature inside. She
chewed her lip for a moment as she thought. "Your point?"
    "My point," Harry said, turning to look at
her, "is where are the people who did do the making?"
    "As far as points go," Kim said, "that's a
pretty good one." If she hadn't still been feeling the rush of
shooting the thing down she might've had the same thought.
    " I thought so."
    Bats from outer space were bad enough. Bats
from outer space that were nothing more than vehicles for other
things were even worse.
    Boydie cleared his throat. When Kim turned
to look at him she had the distinct impression he'd been a couple
of steps further forward a moment ago.
    "Perhaps we can ask them," he