Alien Invaders from Beyond the Stars Read online

  About the Book

  You see strange lights in the night sky. It’s a flying saucer, just like in the movies. Inside are lizard aliens – disguised as humans. They have come to invade planet Earth! You want to resist, but your actions may lead to the destruction of humankind …

  Do you have what it takes to save the world? Or will the aliens unleash their ultimate weapon?

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  You Choose 6: Alien Invaders from Beyond the Stars

  Collect them all

  About the Author

  Copyright Notice

  Loved the book?

  For my niece, Ava Grace

  – G.I.

  You watch the light blaze across the night sky, a whooshing sound in its wake. You shiver – a chill of fear or a tingle of excitement?

  You continue to stare out of the guesthouse window, as the light draws nearer. This is the most exciting thing that has happened on your holiday so far.

  The light comes closer still, zooming low over the trees of the national park. It slows down as it approaches. It’s a flying saucer, just like in those old sci-fi movies – smooth and metallic, with a row of lights spinning around its circumference.

  As it soars over the guesthouse, the windows rattle. And then it’s out of sight, over on the other side of the building. You can still hear the whooshing noise.

  You’re about to race outside when you look to the door connecting your room to your parents’. You could probably see the flying saucer through their window. And it might be gone by the time you get outside.

  But it’s after midnight – do you really want to wake them?

  If you want to risk waking your parents to look out their window, go here.

  If you’ d rather head outside, go here.

  You burst through your parents’ room and race to the window. You are just in time to see the flying saucer turn at right angles, zooming off out of sight again.

  As the whooshing sound fades, you hear another noise – in the room with you. It sounds like a herd of wild pigs. What could it be?

  You look across at your parents. They are still asleep and snoring – loudly! You can’t believe that they missed seeing the flying saucer.

  If you want to wake them to tell them about it, go here.

  Or maybe there’s still a chance of seeing it if you run outside? Go here.

  You dash out of your parents’ room and into the garden. Looking up at the night sky, you are disappointed to see nothing but the crescent moon and twinkling stars. You jog around the guesthouse, hoping the flying saucer might still be visible from another spot.

  But it’s definitely gone.

  Sadly, you head back towards the house. You notice there’s a guy sleeping in a deck chair in the middle of the lawn, but you don’t care.

  You walk to your room, wondering if you should wake your parents.

  If you want to wake your parents and tell them what has just happened, go here.

  But what’s the point? It’s gone! Maybe you should just go to bed. Go here.

  You race outside, still in your pyjamas. You are in time to see the flying saucer descend into the trees to the north. You’re pretty sure that’s near the lake where you went fishing yesterday.

  You want to go and investigate. But you can’t do that in your sleepwear.

  You turn to head back towards the house and see a shape in the darkness. You approach cautiously.

  There’s someone in the middle of the lawn. It’s that weird guy who’s always wearing a black suit, even when it’s really hot. He’s also staying at the guesthouse, and he’s always asking questions. But right now he’s fast asleep – lounging in a deck chair, binoculars in his lap.

  You return to your room, wondering if you should wake your parents. But then you risk them not letting you go to the lake.

  If you think you should tell your parents, go here.

  If you want to get dressed and head out into the national park, go here.

  You gently shake your dad but he continues snoring. You try your mum. She mumbles something, turns, but doesn’t wake.

  You try shouting, but they sleep on. No wonder they missed the flying saucer.

  Without really thinking things through, you grab the glass from the bedside table and throw the water over their faces.

  ‘Help! I’m drowning!’ your mum yells as she sits bolt upright.

  ‘Where’s the umbrella?’ asks your dad, also sitting up.

  Then they spot you with the empty glass in your hands. They are not happy!

  You try to tell them about the flying saucer, but they think you just dreamt it and insist you go back to bed.

  You’re annoyed that they don’t believe you.

  Do you let your anger get the better of you and continue to argue with them? Go here.

  Or do you do as they ask? After all, it is late, you are tired … and maybe you did imagine it all? Go here.

  You go back to bed.

  You toss and turn for hours, unable to sleep. But as you lie there, you begin to doubt what you saw. Maybe it was a dream? Perhaps you did imagine it all?

  Finally you fall asleep.

  You wake up late the next morning and feel refreshed. You’re convinced that what happened last night wasn’t real.

  You go bushwalking through the national park with your parents, then check out the local town in the afternoon. You spend your time in the second-hand bookstore as your parents shop for souvenirs.

  You’re reading an old copy of HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds, when you glance up at the clock: 4.58 pm. You’re supposed to meet your parents at 5 pm. You’re going to be late!

  You quickly purchase the book and head out of the store … in time to see a flying saucer come zooming out of the clouds. It streaks over the treetops and hovers to the north of the national park.

  That’s where the military base is, isn’t it? You passed it on the way to the guesthouse when you first arrived. The saucer opens fire – some sort of heat ray, just like in The War of the Worlds – and shoots down. It’s followed by explosion after explosion.

  Everyone in the town has come out onto the streets, staring up into the sky.

  The flying saucer moves across the treetops towards the town. Fighter jets approach from the west.

  The heat ray blazes through the sky and the jets erupt into balls of flame.

  Panic hits the town! People are running and shouting. Someone breaks a shop window and grabs the jewellery on display.

  Your parents – where are they? You’re not sure you’ll be able to find them in this panic.

  If you want to search for your parents, go here.

  If you think it might be better to return to the guesthouse, go here.

  You throw on some clothes, stick your mobile phone in your pocket and grab a torch. You head outside, passing the sleeping man in the chair, and off into the trees.

  You’re pretty sure you know the way to the lake, where you think the flying saucer has landed. You follow the walking trail for about half an hour, when you see a faint glow ahead.

  It’s not long before you are peering out from behind the trees. The flying saucer has landed right beside the lake, glowing brightly. It’s so huge it takes up almost the entire clearing.

  You watch with wide eyes as a hatch opens in the side of the saucer. A ramp slides down onto the grass. Shapes are moving about in the opening, silhouetted against the bright light.

  Aliens!

  You wonder what they’ll look like. Grey beings with enormous eyes? Reptile people with sharp teeth? Slimy mas
ses of tentacles?

  The shapes move down the ramp. There are three of them. And …

  They look human!

  You are amazed to see that they are like ordinary women, although they are wearing silver jumpsuits.

  Perhaps they’re not aliens? Maybe they’re scientists test-flying a new type of aircraft? But, then again, maybe they’re agents for a worldwide organisation of evil? There’s only one way to find out – go and talk to them.

  If you want to approach the people in the silver suits, go here.

  But if you want to stay hidden and keep watching them, go here.

  You look for your parents but can’t find them. They’re not at the meeting point. You find yourself being swept along with the panicking crowds. People are running and shouting and looting the stores.

  The flying saucer zooms through the sky and comes to hover above the town.

  Moments later you hear a gurgling electronic voice from the sky.

  ‘Earth creatures, your planet has been invaded.’

  Invaded? Silence falls as people stop and stare at the alien ship.

  ‘Tactical assault ships have conducted a simultaneous attack on every one of your military bases. All your defences have been completely destroyed. Resistance is futile. You will not be harmed if you cooperate. Please step out into the open in an orderly fashion for processing.’

  Some of the people quietly obey. But others resume their panic. A bunch of people come running out of the supermarket, their arms loaded with boxes of food. You are swept up with them, stumbling along the main street.

  ‘Stealing will not be tolerated,’ booms the voice. ‘You will be terminated.’

  You barely have time to look as a flare of light and heat descends from above.

  You shout at your parents. You rant and rave at them.

  But they still don’t believe that you saw a flying saucer. And now they’re shouting back at you – that you’re seeing things; that you’re letting your imagination get carried away; that you’re being silly.

  How could they doubt you?

  You’re so upset that you run – out of the room, out of the guesthouse, into the national park.

  By the time you calm down and pause to catch your breath, you realise that you have no idea where you are. You’re lost!

  It’s dark. There are strange sounds coming from the shadowy trees around you. Wild animals? Aliens? You don’t know, but you’re not sticking around to find out.

  You retrace your steps, stumbling through the dark.

  Moments later, you are tumbling down an incline. You reach out, trying to stop yourself. You frantically scrabble at the ground and bushes, finally catching hold of a small shrub.

  You attempt to get to your feet but can’t – they are dangling over the edge of the cliff! You try to pull yourself up, but the shrub is slowly coming loose from the ground. You feel yourself edging further … and further … over the cliff.

  How long can you hold on?

  You decide to stay hidden and watch.

  You take out your mobile phone and snap a few photos, but then notice that you don’t have any reception. Are you out of range, or are the signals being jammed?

  The silver-clad figures wander around the clearing for a few minutes. They hold strange devices and wave them about as if taking readings. Finally, one of them gestures to the others and they go back up the ramp.

  The hatch remains open.

  You wonder if you should go in to investigate.

  If you want to enter the flying saucer, go here.

  If you want to rush back to the guesthouse and tell your parents, go here.

  You come out of hiding and walk towards the silver-clad people. They are looking in the opposite direction and don’t see you.

  You sneak up right behind them and tap one of them on the shoulder.

  All three scream with fright and run away, back up the ramp, waving their arms over their heads.

  You must have startled them.

  You’re about to follow, when an alarm blares.

  You turn to run but are suddenly unable to move. You are caught in a ghostly green light streaming from the ship.

  You struggle, but are lifted off your feet.

  You float backwards through the hatch and into the flying saucer.

  Green hands are grabbing you and holding you.

  You are strapped onto a table.

  Reptilian faces bob into view.

  ‘Time to find out what makes these human creatures tick.’

  ‘Pass me the probe.’

  You faint!

  And never wake up.

  The guesthouse is not too far away. You fight through the panicking crowds and run all the way.

  But your parents aren’t there. You race to your room and stay there, waiting for their return. You look out through the window as the flying saucer hovers above the town. The heat ray flares briefly. You hope that your parents are okay.

  Another flying saucer descends from the clouds to hover above the guesthouse. Moments later you hear a gurgling, electronic voice booming from the sky.

  ‘Earth creatures, your planet has been invaded. Tactical assault ships have conducted a simultaneous attack on every one of your military bases. All your defences have been completely destroyed. Resistance is futile. You will not be harmed if you cooperate. Please step out into the open in an orderly fashion for processing.’

  Should you obey the alien invaders?

  If you decide to follow the aliens’ instructions, go here.

  But if you think you’ d be better off hiding under the bed, go here.

  You creep along the corridor, following the sound of the voices. At the end, you peer around the corner, just in time to see the three silver-clad figures enter a room. The last one quickly glances over her shoulder and smiles at you.

  You duck back. Did she see you? Probably not.

  You tiptoe to the doorway and look through. It’s a laboratory, full of electronic equipment and test-tubes and things in jars. But the people you were following are gone.

  You walk in.

  The door swishes closed behind you. The silver-clad women step out from behind some equipment.

  ‘Ah, there you are at last,’ says the first one.

  ‘Indeed,’ says the second, nodding eagerly. ‘We were hoping you would come after us.’

  ‘Mm-hm,’ mutters the third, rubbing her hands together with glee. ‘We are in desperate need of an Earth creature for our experiments.’

  Your eyes widen.

  ‘Yes,’ says the first, putting a hand on her head. ‘We are aliens.’ She grabs a handful of her own hair and yanks. Off comes her wig – and her human mask.

  Underneath is a lizard face with green scales and black eyes.

  The other two also pull off their masks.

  One of them smiles, revealing sharp teeth. ‘I’m afraid we don’t expect you to survive.’

  Another hisses at you, opening her mouth wide – too wide. A forked tongue lashes out, striking you on the cheek. You feel pain, like a bee sting.

  You try to back away, but you feel woozy. Your vision blurs. Your legs wobble like jelly.

  The alien lizard people advance towards you … and you black out.

  You walk along the empty corridor, its walls also made of smooth, curved metal. It leads you to another metal room that has screens and controls set into one of the walls. There are three doorways at the opposite end.

  You approach the largest screen, which is displaying a series of technical diagrams. You have no idea what they are. You casually run a finger along the screen.

  Red lights flash. An alarm blares.

  Is it time to get off the saucer and go home? Or do you want to stay aboard?

  If you want to head down one of the other corridors and look for a place to hide until the alarm stops, go here.

  If you want to get off the saucer, go here.

  Time to get out of here. You race along the corridors towards
the hatch.

  In your haste, you stumble. You fall.

  A hand grabs your shirt and pulls you to your feet.

  You look up and see …

  The face of an alien!

  It has green, scaly skin and black eyes. It’s huge, over six feet tall, and broad. Big green muscles bulge from beneath its silver jumpsuit.

  It grunts and slings you easily over its shoulder. It carries you through more corridors and then dumps you into a chair in front of a metal desk.

  Behind the desk is another lizard person. But this one is smaller.

  ‘I am Major K’to,’ announces the alien. ‘I am in charge of security on this scout ship. And you are trespassing, Earth creature. Now, the question is, do you have any information that might help our invasion?’

  Invasion? Aliens are planning to invade Earth?

  ‘If you have information, then I should take you to the flagship orbiting around your moon and let the field marshal question you. But …’ He pauses and looks closely at you. ‘You appear to be a child and thus unlikely to contribute anything useful – in which case I’ll just lock you up here for the time being.’ He scratches his chin. ‘Hmm … what to do?’

  You think about your options. If you get to meet the field marshal, you might be able to learn more about the invasion. You might even find some way of stopping it. But then you’d be stuck up on a spaceship orbiting the moon. It might be better to stay here on Earth, in this ship. You could even find a way to escape.