Free Giants Of Mars by Paul Alan

stag to freeze, for the Humanoids’ dark outlines presented through long shadow in their direction.
    The leader focused on a single animal, separating it out from the rest. His heartbeat thumped in his ears, when an iris dilating adrenaline rush, surged throughout his large body. He stretched back before violently releasing his spear, signaling the others to unleash a volley of finely sharpened spears.
    The ambush’s lethality, created a succession of deathly squeals, groans and grunts, indicating some animals had been mortally pierced. Terror gripped the animals, scattering the herd in all directions; they bolted for safety. Straightaway, the tip of the leader’s spear met its mark, collapsing the animal’s lung cavity, destroying its capacity to breathe.
    For all to see in a display of exuding confidence and prowess, he calmly perambulated up to the agonized deer, and cut open the jugular with a stone knife, mercifully splaying blood on the ground. The mere act of dropping the prey animal in one quick throw, flexed his superiority, ensuring his place as clan leader for the unseen future. For the rest, they would give chase after the mortally wounded deer; following blood trails for miles.
    The hunting party strode in single file, carrying the product of the hunt back to their settlement, when again, the winds began gusting, pushing down the tall grasses, momentarily contracting in bands of swaying madness.
    As the sun reached full rise, and with heads held high, each clan member welcomed the warmth of the early morning’s sun. And as the hunters relaxed in their mutual accomplishment, a large fiery object streaked across the Martian sky. Breaking the sound barrier like the Hammer of Thor, the sonic “BOOM!” vociferously echoed, shaking the very ground beneath the hunters’ feet.
    Exploding in a fit of thunder, the object slammed into the Martian soil, releasing a large, mushrooming fireball in the sky. The hunters watched in horror as it rose from the direction of their settlement, plunging the primitive Humanoids into a state of panic and fear. Gasping protests of ear deafening shrieks, puffs, and loud chest thumping shrills, dominated as they darted around angrily, throwing spears in the direction of the rising black cloud.
    Over the Cydonian plain, the Cargo Bay Sleeve spun violently out of control; two of three large parachutes tangled on deployment. However, all was not lost for the Chameleon as the properly unfurled chute claimed enough drag to avoid complete and utter disaster. A total free fall would have dealt a deathblow for Jason and Lexis.
    With the black mushroom cloud to his front, the clan leader turned and looked upward at the descending Sleeve. Wildly, he jabbed his spear at the alien craft twisting over the savanna. The terrified hunter marveled excitedly in pure wonderment at the alien sight. Cautiously, doubling back in the direction of the early morning hunt, a closer inspection was needed to see exactly what had invaded their territory from above.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

S URVIVING N ATIVES
     
     
    The Sleeve landed intact at the edge of dense bamboo forest; the tall pliable tree-like structures, along with the swampy bog surface, helped cushion the impact significantly. Jason was knocked out cold from the sudden blow. Lexis’s sophistical neural net scanned Jason’s unconscious body. “CRANIAL DISPLACEMENT, improbable…CONCUSSION, 95.28% viability… overall estimated physiological recovery time, 2 weeks…overall estimated physiological recovery time, 8 to 10 weeks…psychological impact, digressive affects of previous psyche status. No other injuries identified.”
    She could not get the Chameleon online; the ship was dead inside the Cargo Bay Sleeve. Lexis checked the fuel cells to see if they were charged and intact, which they were but no power would transfer. She surmised that some nefarious type of