Free Encounters 1: The Spiral Slayers by Rusty Williamson

go
to their rooms, call room service, shower, change the bandages on their ears, get
some sleep and change clothes.
    ---
    It happened at the end of the fourth day. In the middle of
the night, a reporter dressed like a doctor managed to slip past security and
sneak into Adamarus’ room. Adamarus stared at him as he took out a small video
recorder and, pointing it at him asked, “Hey, what can you tell us about the
aliens?”
    Adamarus couldn’t hear a word but got the gist reading the
reporters lips. He pointed at the bandages wrapped around his head and shrugged,
“I hear they’re loud.”
    Suddenly the door burst open and the reporter was grabbed
from behind by several security officers. They grabbed his video recorder and
wrestled him out of the room. The security officer who seemed to have the
highest rank lingered behind and apologized to Adamarus, but Adamarus just
waved it off indicating that it was not a problem.
    The next morning the five-inch headlines read, “The Loud Have
Landed!”
    ---
    The arrival of the aliens caused a worldwide uproar the likes
of which the planet had never seen. There were riots, marches, rallies,
demonstrations, strikes and many suicides. Across the planet crowds filled the
streets singing songs, waving banners, making speeches and chanting prayers. It
seemed like every point of view was suddenly dialed all the way up on the
intensity level. Even those who would normally have stayed home—the silent
majority and those who had no point of view one way or the other on the
aliens—came out of their homes in a fury to protest the way the rest of the
world was reacting.
    The news coverage was continual which only fanned the fires. Books
were in the making, interviews aired and several movies were in the works. Around
the world all manner of hype, craziness and mayhem exploded over the weeks that
followed the alien landing and it all surged in one direction: towards the
alien ship in the city of Hillcrest.
     Law enforcement, civil defense and the government moved just
in time. Spearheaded by the team the President had assembled, the town was
sealed off within a week of the landing. A trench was actually dug partially
around town to help hold off the surge of people wanting to see the ship.
     

 
    Chapter Five – Best Laid Plans
     “If you believe that doing nothing is a valid
course of action, then and only then is it possible to say that there is always
an answer.”
    Dimerities (ancient Amular
philosopher 924-1008)
    Source: The Archive
    Two and a half months later…
    Youth and immortality! De Bella thought. He was in the capital alone in his office. He leaned back in
his chair and rubbed his eyes. So far only ten people knew about the miracle
the Loud had performed on Adamarus. If the news got out the masses would go
crazy. He had to contain it, control it. “Youth and immortality,” he said
softly into the empty office. More than anything else, he wanted it… wanted it
for himself.
    His com unit buzzed and he looked at it. He knew who it was
and he knew what he was going to be told. For almost three months he had had
Leewood try everything to open a dialog with the Loud with zero success. The
damn ship just sat there completely unresponsive. He looked at the com unit
with a resigned expression as it buzzed again. They were going to be forced
into letting Adamarus open talks with the Loud and then later they’d somehow
replace him. Again his com buzzed. Finally he answered it, “De Bella here.”
    On the other end Leewood said, “No response, sir.”
    “I see.” The congressman’s eyes drifted to the window. It
looked across a park to the capital building. Three days of snow had created a
winter wonderland but De Bella took no notice.
    “What do you want to try next?” Leewood asked.
    De Bella sighed, “Nothing.”
    “Nothing?” Leewood asked.
    “I can’t think of anything else to try, can you?”
    “No.”
    “Well…we’ll need to go ahead and let Adamarus