Watch The Skies [END]

The incoherent jabbering of the station's crew made the officer in charge, Lieutenant Junior Grade O'Connell, to question their sanity. These women would not be the first people to crack under the strain of prolonged isolation in a desolate environment. It was only when Doctor Attwood produced the photos of the crash site that O'Connell started to give their tale some credence.

"Tell you what," he said at last. "If you don't mind, M'am," (as a full Lieutenant, Barbie LeGrande out-ranked him), "you accompany us and guide us to the wreckage. The rest of you wait here."

"No way!"
"You can't leave us here."
"We're going with you."
"The creature might return while you're gone."
"I'm not staying."

Yielding to the inevitable, Lieutenant, jg O'Connell had Becky and April get into the second vehicle with the other two sailors while Lieutenant LeGrande set up front with him. Doctor Attwood sat in the rear with the Chief Petty Officer assigned to the detail.

Looking down at the holstered forty-five on O'Connell's duty belt, Barbie asked, "You just have side-arms?"

"Oh, no," he shook his head while jerking his thumb to the rear of the vehicle, "There are carbines in the back."

Barbie kept a close watch on the odometer, and at one point she said, "Slow down. We are nearing the precipice."Not only did he slow down, he stopped. Barbie glanced at him, wondering why, but when she looked back out the windshield, she saw the reason.

There was a faint yellow glow on the horizon, growing steadily brighter, until a blinding semi-circle of light arose from the ground below.

As they watched, a loud explosion pierced the air, drowning out the howling of the wind. A red flash erupted from the drop-off and a silver object shot skyward, rocketing over the people below.

When the object with the comet-like tail faded from sight, Lieutenant, jg, O'Connell shook his head. "Oh, man. The Captain is never going to believe this one!"

Riding back to the station, Sarah leaned forward in the back seat and told Barbie, "You know we are going to be spending the rest of our enlistment writing reports and being interviewed?"

"If they don't lock all of us up in a looney bin," the Station Commander replied.

"Well, at least you have us as witnesses," O'Connell pointed out.

"It's just as easy to lock up eight as it is four," Barbie answered. Then she turned her head to stare out into the darkness.