A Hunch in the Desert: An Earth’s Secret Alliance Comic

Page 1

Adam: By the way, thanks for stopping them from crushing me. Why did you do it?

Malcolm: I don’t know, man; what’s with all the questions?

Adam: What is it?

Malcolm: Shh….

Malcolm: Someone’s watching us.

Adam: How do you know?

Malcolm: It’s OK, they’re friendly.

Adam: How do you know?

Malcolm: It’s a hunch.

Adam: Hello!

Adam: We know you’re here!

Geogram: How did you know I was here?

Page 2

Malcolm: I just had a hunch.

Geogram: You are not scared? Like the others?

Malcolm: Most of them fear anything different.

Malcolm: Well, a few of them are OK. Who are you?

Geogram: I am Ambassador Geogram from the planet Zalma. And you are?

Malcolm: I’m Private Malcolm Dow…

Adam: …Private Adam Rabinowitz…

Malcolm: …from the planet Earth. You don’t look like the other aliens we saw.

Geogram: Those are just dummies, modified clones grown in a lab, like plants. They were never alive.

Adam: Why are you here?

Geogram: I have come to ask for your help.

Malcolm: Not interested.

Adam: Welcome to Earth. Please excuse my friend.

Page 3

Adam: What kind of help? If you can travel through space, you must be far more advanced than us.

Geogram: Yes, we are. But my people are pacifists. We do not understand violence. Another planet, Moad, has sent ships to attack us.

Geogram: We do not know why they have chosen to do this, and we are trying to resolve things peacefully, but our deflectors will not hold for much longer.

Geogram: We have no weapons to fight.

Malcolm: So, you want us to fight your war for you?

Geogram: No!

Geogram: Preferably not…. We simply…wish for your negotiation skills.

Geogram: We saw in your broadcasts that you recently negotiated peace, and we would like you to do the same for us. We do not have much time.

Page 4

Adam: What would happen if they stole your technology?

Adam: Would they use it against Earth?

Geogram: I’ve already run projections—our systems calculated a seventy-three percent chance that the Moad would attack Earth next.

Malcolm: How far away are they?

Geogram: If they gain our technology, it would only take them five months.

Malcolm: What! Are you saying that we could have hostile aliens here in less than a year?

Geogram: Possibly, why?

Adam: If we were to help you, would you give us these deflectors?

Geogram: Of course. We are willing to give you anything you need to achieve peace.

Adam: Why don’t you two wait here and I’ll get one of the officers?

Geogram: I do not believe that would be wise. They did not react well to the clones.

Page 5

Malcolm: That’s how we do it, through our chain of command.

Malcolm: If we can’t go to any of them…. There’s no way they’d let us talk to anyone higher up.

Geogram: Perhaps our information is incorrect. Do you trust them?

Malcolm: No.

Malcolm: But that doesn’t matter, that’s the way we do things around here. I ain’t risking a court martial.

Adam: Don’t worry, we’ll think of something.

Geogram: We will continue our observation for now, and then let you know. Call us tomorrow with your communicators.

Adam: What communicators?

Geogram: They are already in your hand.

Adam: These are communicators? How do they work?

Page 6

Adam: Where’d he go?

Malcolm: Well, that’s weird!

Malcolm: That’s a communicator?

Malcolm: Don’t be so gullible.

Adam: Why are you so insensitive? Have you figured out why you stopped those guys in the truck earlier?

Adam: You weren’t just saving me, you know. You were stopping the bullies, bullies like the Moad.

He walked away, hating that Rabinowitz was correct.