Larry Niven - Footfall

The machine balances crazily on two wheels, like men. It slows, wobbles, stops.

Humans approach on foot.

Harpanet’s muscles know what to do when he is hurt, exhausted, friendless, desperate, alone. Harpanet’s mind finds no other answer. But he sees no future—

He lurches from the water. Alien weapons come to bear. He casts his gun into the weeds. He rolls on his back and splays his limbs and waits.

The man comes at a toppling run. No adult fi’ would try to balance so. The man sets a hind foot on Harpanet’s chest, with such force that Harpanet can feel it. He swallows the urge to laugh, but such a weight could hardly bend a rib. Nonetheless he lies with limbs splayed, giving his surrender. The man looks down at his, captive, breathing as if he has won a race…

“We got him!” Harry shouted “Now what?” He waved uphill, where a score of armed men, hidden, waited with weapons ready.

“I can talk to them—” Carlotta sounded doubtful.

“They won’t listen.” And dammit, this is my snout, they can’t kill it now. Harry thought furiously. A guilty grin came, and he lifted the seat of the motorcycle, where he kept his essential tools.

“You’ve thought of something?”

“Maybe.” He dug into the tool roll and found a hank of parachute cord. It was thin, strong enough to hold a man but not much use against one of those. He gestured to the captive, using both hands to make “get up” motions.

The alien stood. It looked at them passively.

“Gives me the creeps,” Harry said. He clutched his rifle. One 30-06 in the eye, and we don’t have a problem. “See if it’ll carry you,” Harry said.

“Carry me?”

“Sheena. Queen of the Jungle. I know they’re strong enough.”

A dozen truckers and farmers stood with ready weapons.

Harry walked ahead of the invader, leading it on a length of cord. Carlotta rode its back, sidesaddle, She beamed at them. “Hi!” she called.

None of the watchers spoke. Perhaps they were afraid of saying something foolish.

“It surrendered,” Carlotta shouted. “We’ll take it to the government.”

There was a loud click as a safety was taken off.

Harry whistled: Wheep. wheep, wheep! “Here, Shep! Hey, it’s all right, guys. Shep big gray peanut-loving doggie!”

There were sounds of disgust.

Pavel Aleksandrovich Bondarev fingered the priceless tapestry covering the bare concrete wall. “It doesn’t really look like a bomb shelter,” he said.

Lorena rolled lazily in the big bed. “They are very nice rooms,” she said.

Her own room was just down the corridor, close enough that only a few of Bondarev’s staff knew just how late she stayed. They wouldn’t talk. As secretary to the acting commander of the Soviet space defense forces, Lorena was one of the most powerful women in the Soviet Union . As long as my wife is not offended. She must know, but so long as I am discreet…

Lorena rolled off the bed and walked to the closet, where his uniforms hung. She fingered the shoulder straps on one of them. “I had never thought to see you a general,” she said. “And now there is talk of making you a Marshal of the Soviet Union—”

“Hah.”

“You do not wish promotion?”

“Of course not. I never wanted to be part of the military at all. I would rather talk with the aliens than fight them! They were in space for decades, out between the stars where there is no interference, no radio noise-think of what they must have learned!”

“They have destroyed half of Russia , and you wish to talk to them!”

He sighed. “I know it is impossible. Perhaps, though, when we defeat them, I will learn what they know of stars.” Only it is not so certain that we can defeat them. Whenever we launch a missile, they destroy the missile base.

“They have landed in America . Perhaps the Americans have captured aliens.”

“Perhaps.”

“And perhaps not. It is late.” She moved provocatively. He didn’t react. “So. You are satisfied for the moment,” she teased. “Perhaps later—”

“I have other things to concern me,” Boudarev said.

Lorena laughed. “They do not always keep your attention—”

A chirp sounded from the other room. Bondarev put on a robe. He could not cut short a conversation with whoever called on that phone. “Bondarev here,” he said.

“Narovchatov.”

“Da, Comrade Narovchatov?”

“I am told that the Americans have called you.”

“Only to test the telephone line. I did not myself speak to them.”

“Who did?”

“My secretary.”

“What was said?”

“Nothing, Nikolai Nikolayevich. Comrade Polinova spoke to an American technician. She was told that the Americans wished to speak with me, but then the connection failed.” Bondarev spoke nervously. Should I have reported this? But there was nothing to report.

“It is a matter of great concern,” Narovchatov said. “We have been unable to make contact with the Americans. The Chairman wishes to speak with the American President. Are your technicians working on reestablishing this connection?”

“The failure was not here, Comrade Narovchatov. I understand that the cable crosses the Atlantic, then passes under the Mediten’anean, and comes through Istanbul . I believe the break was in Marrakech.”

“Where there is chaos,” Narovchatov muttered.

“Da.” Bondarev had sporadic communications with a large Soviet armored force in Africa , but that group was far to the south and east of Marrakech.

Lorena came in with a glass of hot tea and set it beside him. Bondarev nodded his thanks.

“Perhaps the KGB has agents in Marrakech,” Bondarev said. “Perhaps they could facilitate the repair of the cable.”

“A splendid suggestion. I will send the orders. The matter is urgent, Pavel Aleksaridrovich. There is unrest in Germany and Poland . We have reason to believe the West Germans may attempt something. The Americans must restrain them.”

If they can. And if they will. “Da. I understand.”

“Have you anything to report?”

“Only rumors. Our station in Tehran confirms that the Invaders have landed in the central United States , and there is land warfare. The Americans in Tehran know little else, but they pretend high confidence.”

“You will call if you learn more, or if you make contact with the Americans.”

“At once.”

“Your wife sends her regards,” Narovchatov said, “She is well and your children are well.”

“Thank you.”

The connection broke. Bondarev sipped his tea. “My family is well,” he said musingly.

“But they did not say where.”

“No. With the Chairman and the Politburo. Somewhere near Moscow , I would presume.”

She sat on the couch and leaned against his shoulder. “I am glad they are safe. I am also glad your wife is not here.”

“The Chairman wishes to speak with the Americans. It is urgent.”

She sat up quickly. “Why?”

“There is unrest, in Poland and Germany .”

She cursed. “They dare!”

“Da. They dare.” Now that we cannot send the army. Now that the army is needed in the Turkic republics, and Latvia , and Estonia .

“I hate them,” Lorena said.

They were under the house, inspecting the support pillars. Carlotta was more frightened than Wes. He tried to reassure her-not hearing what he was saying, but knowing he was lying badly. The quake was coming. Soon. These pillars had to be reinforced before the San Andreas fault tore loose and sent everything rolling downhill in a spray of debris. A sound like a brass trumpet ripped through the world; and then the world tilted and everything started to roll.