Free Pulse: When Gravity Fails (Pulse Science Fiction Series Book 1) by John Freitas

sun the way it had done to the previous stars, then it would just be cruel to tell people .
    “I’ll make the call, if there is hope we could survive,” he said. “If …”
     
     

12
     
    Holden and Grant Grayson – Arkansas
     
    Holden stared out the window at the passing countryside. They had left Little Rock a while ago and were on open road again. Grant was playing with his blocks. Every time he dropped one, Holden reached down to retrieve it and gave it back to his brother before he had time to cry much.
    Uncle Carter and Mom had been laughing, sang along with the radio, and played twenty questions with Holden through Little Rock. Now they were back to talking in hushed tones. Carter had turned up the radio a little, but they weren’t singing along. A report about global earthquakes had come on and Carter quickly switched to a CD. They still weren’t singing along. They were quietly arguing the way that mom and dad used to do before they split.
    Holden decided they were probably talking about dad. He stared out the window.
    Leaves blew in the wind above the ground in a pattern that made sense and Holden sighed.
    Then, he saw the stick. He sat up to get a better look. It wasn’t exactly large, but it was too big to be carried by the wind. Holden squinted and watched it turn in the air.
    He whispered. “Playground magic.”
    The stick coiled and turned around on its self. It was too flexible. As its head lashed out angrily at the air, Holden realized it was a snake floating several feet above the ground. He shivered and looked away.
    Grant pointed out his window. “Look.”
    Crater and mom were still speaking in their secret tone and not paying attention to anything else.
    Holden sat up and looked where his brother pointed. A field of cows ate grass. One turned in a circle kicking its feet a few inches off the ground. If they hadn’t been looking right at it, the boys probably would have missed it the way the adults seemed to.
    Another cow jumped and bobbed higher in the air.
    Grant laughed and touched the window as he pointed. The spit from his finger being in his mouth smeared the glass over Holden’s view of the flying cow. Grant said, “Over the Moon.”
    Holden nodded, but stared in silence.
    “Don’t smear Carter’s windows, Baby,” Mom said.
    Holden looked forward to see if she saw it. She was back to talking with Carter. She saw the glass, but not the flying cow outside it.
    Grant dropped another block and it floated through the air to Holden’s side of the car. Grant stretched his arm out toward his older brother. “Hey. Mine.”
    Holden flicked the block with one finger and it sailed back to Grant’s side. Grant caught it. “Got it. Hey, Mom. Watch what we can do.”
    “Not right now, Honey. The adults are talking. Don’t interrupt.”
    Grant stuck out his bottom lip and released the block again. It floated out a few inches, but then dropped like normal to the floorboard again.
    Grant let out a long, shrill whine and reached for the floor as far as he could from his car seat. Holden leaned down and picked up the block before handing it back to Grant.
    Grant stared at the block and back at his brother. “Over the Moon?”
    Holden shook his head and put a finger over his lips.
     
     
     

13
     
    Michael Strove and Roman Nikitin – Russia
     
    Michael moved back from the mouth of the cave farther back on the damp, muddy floor in the dark. The opening was covered, but not enough and the search parties were getting closer. Their pattern was meticulous and he couldn’t imagine them missing the hiding spot once they got close enough. If he tried to flee now though, they would be on him for sure.
    Michael had tried to sleep, but couldn’t stay out for more than a few minutes at a time. Pain and stress were robbing him of the ability and he knew it would catch up with him soon and at the worst moment.
    Roman’s eyes were open across from him.
    Michael fished out a protein bar from his