Lost On Mars

by George Robbins

  At first, everywhere was very quiet in there, with the only sound coming from the dusty howling winds, then all of a sudden, the militia entered with loud roars, clanging metals and cheers.

  In just a minute, silence hung above the whole place when the militia ceased making their noises. It seemed they had done it on purpose, it seemed they wanted to play stealth games now.

  Neither voices could be heard nor clanging metals, only vehicle engines and the whistling dusty winds.

  Just when Donnie was wondering why there was total silence from the militia, he heard a vehicle engine approaching his side. The sound was getting louder by the minute. He became stunned when he realized a militia type of hummer vehicle with no roof was speeding on the side of the fuel truck, two feet away from his side. A Khaghin guard had a laser gun pointed at him through the vehicle’s window. He held the ladder firmly, swung his body out of the way before the Khaghin could shoot the laser, swung back immediately when the laser missed him and shot the Khaghin driver without prior aim.

  He thought he had missed the shot, but then the vehicle diverted out of the way and crashed into a militia jeep, causing an instant explosion.

  The bright mushroom smoke from the explosion could be seen by every being in the sandstorm.

  Donnie stared with glimmering eyes, his heart aching and wondering what Hakaz was thinking at that moment. He just couldn’t believe he had destroyed two militia vehicles with just one laser shot.

  “Are you there Don?” Arida shouted from the other side of the tank.

  “Yeah!”

  “Did you do that?”

  His smile faded with just a breath. “Yeah”

  “Great! Let’s keep on flushing them”

  After Arida ended her statement, a sudden bravery entered Donnie, he could feel it. He turned his back to the pursuing vehicles and continued delivering heavy shots at them.

  Chapter TWENTY TWO

  Donnie felt pains in his right arm just when he shot down one of the flying saucers of the militia. It took him numerous shots to get it down and he knew the last one will definitely be coming for him. He lowered his rifle and gritted his teeth, looking down at his hurting arm. Laser shots from the militia were flying all around their truck. He felt his breath heat up and throat getting drier each passing second― there was one moment when he wanted to take off the radiation mask, but stopped himself.

  He raised his head back up and realized everything will soon go wrong. The militia vehicles that were behind them were now in line with the fuel truck. He looked down at a spiky pickup speeding near him, three Khaghins with guns standing in the back. The Khaghins looked up at him on the ladder, then one bent down and picked up a hooked rope.

  “Oh shit― and what is he going to do with that?” Donnie swung his weapon at them and tried to pull the trigger, but then the Khaghin hooked his jacket and pulled him into the back of their vehicle.

  Donnie became startled, laying on his back and looking up at their red faces. He stamped two Khaghins away from him, clasped on his pistol on the side of his belt and shot the Khaghin holding the hooked rope. He sat up and quickly shot the two Khaghins he had pushed away in their skulls. They jolted into the air and fell out of the vehicle.

  Donnie darted up on his feet, his heart thumping like never before. That was a near death situation he had just escaped.

  “Oh man, I lost my laser rifle” he glanced around at the speeding militia vehicles and the fuel truck, four feet on the side of the pickup he stood in. He sighed deeply when he realized he had completely lost the laser rifle. Now he was only left with Gardner’s pistol.

  The militia vehicles noticed Donnie standing in one of their own vehicles and began shooting at him.

  Donnie squatted, his heart wanting to push out of his chest. He looked down at the pistol in his hand, looked up at the ladder on the fuel tank and wanted to straighten himself and jump. But he knew he couldn’t, he knew lasers will strike him down before he could reach the ladder. He turned his stare to the head of the pickup vehicle when he realized there was a Khaghin in there, steering it. He gripped his pistol very tight and walked slowly through his squat towards the vehicle’s head. He climbed onto the roof, laid on it and pushed his upper body down into the window.

  As soon as the Khaghin driver turned his head and saw him, a bullet flew right into his skull. His head yanked onto the steer, and then the vehicle lurched into a different direction. Donnie’s eyes widened as he realized they were going to crash into a militia truck. He held the top edge of the window and swung inside. He pushed the dead Khaghin driver out of the truck and took hold of the semicircular steer. “How do they control this thing?” He murmured to himself, looking down at the steer. Donnie stepped on the brake pedal and instantly stopped the vehicle from crashing into the militia truck.

  “Oh God! That was very close” Donnie sighed deeply, his chest heaving in and out uncontrollably. The dust storm had gotten inside, since the windows were opened. Donnie couldn’t see a thing. He had learnt a little driving of Martian vehicles from Arida, back on the Lower Rim, therefore he had a little knowledge on how to control it. He pressed a faded green button near the speedometer and the windows slid closed. Fresh air puffed out from the vents and cleared out all the dust. Donnie quickly took off the radiation mask and gasped for fresh air. “Oh that’s so good” he slouched his back into the seat and squinted his eyes.

  Minutes later, after he had felt calm, he straightened his head and gazed into the windshield. It was as if he was looking through night vision glasses. Donnie became impressed, he could see everything clear on the outside.

  Whiles he sat there nodding his head at the impressive looking windshield, he remembered the fuel truck, he remembered Arida and Hubbit and how every vehicle have sped far ahead of him. He snapped back to reality, started the engine and took off after them.

  In just ten minutes, Donnie was right behind the militia vehicles. It seemed now they had all forgotten about the vehicle he was in.

  Donnie, looking into the windshield and could see their fuel truck not in black silhouette like all the militia vehicles but rather red. He also saw Arida in orange silhouette, hanging on the fuel tank’s ladder and shooting at them.

  “Hang on Arida” he muffled and sped through the shooting militia vehicles till he reached two feet away from the fuel truck.

  When he reached over there, he could see Hakaz’s truck right behind him. The chief had pushed his upper body out of the truck’s window and was busily firing lasers at Arida.

  Donnie pulled the gear shift back and forth, stepped on the gas pedal and twisted the steer to the right. The pickup drifted to the right side of the vehicle and moved closer to where Arida hanged. Immediately he got there, Arida glared down at his vehicle. She swung her hand from the pursuing militia’s direction and pointed her laser rifle at the pickup.

  “Hey! Wait!!” Donnie lowered the glasses down. He stretched his left hand out of it. “It’s me, Donnie!”

  “Donnie!” she folded he brows. “How did you get in there?”

  Before Donnie could reply, a green laser struck into Arida’s rifle and flung it out of her hand. She swiftly looked back at the militia vehicles in shock. Hakaz pulled his eyes away from the scope of his rifle and grinned at her.

  “Jump!” Donnie yelled

  She jerked her head back at Donnie. Donnie looked back at her, knowing she wouldn’t do what he had instructed her to do, but will rather want to retaliate back.

  “Jump!!” Donnie insisted, though he was expecting her to do the opposite. To his surprise, Arida took in a deep breath and jumped onto the head of the vehicle.

  Hakaz threw his head back with expanded eyes, seeing that spiky pickup belonged to the militia. He wondered why the Khaghins in the pickup hadn’t shot her yet, but little did he know that none of his guards were in that vehicle, but rather Donnie. As Hakaz tried to shoot her, she swung into the pickup through the window.
He lowered his head back at the rifle’s scope and started to shoot at the vehicle. The pickup sped forward and was promptly out of sight.

  Hakaz stopped firing shots and dragged himself back inside his truck. He was really annoyed one of his own truck had been used against him. He looked at the driver with a glare. “Get me closer to that fuel truck” the chiefs words took the Khaghin driver by surprise. Looking at how annoyed he was, the driver nodded without saying a word.

  Just when Arida sat down, Donnie rolled the glasses back up. “Ohh, night vision activated” the first statement she made when she sat down.

  Donnie looked at her whiles driving. “Is it always like this?”

  “No” Arida lowered her head and flipped a switch on the side of the gear shift. “It’s activated when driving through less visible grounds―like the sandstorm”

  “So where are we heading to?”

  “Don’t really know, but we will soon be out of―” they suddenly dart out of the radiation sandstorm unexpectedly.

  It was supposed to be a happy moment when they came out of the sandstorm, but their faces changed in shock and disbelief whiles they looked through the now normal windshield. They couldn’t believe they were back on the land they thought they would never step foot on again― another part of the Craterlands

  “Oh no, the north Craterlands” Arida whispered as they gaped at the dark-holed thunder striking lands.

  “Come get the wheel cause we are going to die if am the one steering it out here”

  Arida didn’t think twice, she grabbed the movable steer, pulled it to her side and began to drive. Donnie was taken by surprise, he didn’t know that the steer could be moved. What innovation can Mars offer now?

  “Don’t ask me any questions Don. You saw what you saw”

  “I know right?” Donnie gazed at the steer with heightened brows. His surprised face quickly changed into a glum. “Do you think Hubbit would survive?”

  Arida chuckled. Donnie heaved his head back, wondering why she would be laughing in their current situation. She replied, “Don’t underestimate that Martian. He is very good at controlling anything that moves and trust me, he is not ready to die yet”

  Donnie nodded briefly, trying to comfort himself with Arida’s words. He took his attention back to the terrorizing land ahead of them and wondered how they were going to survive this time.

  The remaining eighty militia vehicles continued to chase them through the Craterlands. A few vehicles crashed into the craters, the last mini flying saucer and other militia vehicles were struck by lightning.

  The militia increased their firepower. Arida and Donnie who were ahead of all the vehicles, turned back their heads and watched the fuel truck with glimmering eyes. They realized it wouldn’t last another hour in the hands of the militia. “We should go and get Hubbit!”

  “I think so―the truck will fall soon” Arida looked back at the fuel truck again, this time a militia truck next to it and Hakaz jumping from that truck onto the fuel truck’s tank.

  Chapter TWENTY THREE

  “Oh shit!” Arida pushed the steer back to Donnie and kicked her side of the door open. “Take the steer, am going to get that bastard off the tank”

  “Who?”

  Arida did not reply him, she held the top edge of the window and climbed onto the vehicles head. Donnie grabbed the steer immediately she disappeared out of the vehicle. His eyes fell on the left winged mirror and saw Hakaz walking on the fuel truck’s tank. “Oh that?” He now knew which bastard Arida was referring to.

  “Donnie!” Arida shouted from the roof. “Decrease the speed and get me closer to the tank”

  Donnie put a slight pressure on the brake pedal and moved the pickup a little closer to the fuel truck. The fuel truck moved a little past them and now they were in line with the ladder on the tank. Arida stood in a ready posture. She jumped and hanged on the ladder. She flipped a thumb up at Donnie as he watched her through the winged mirror.

  “Okay the fearless Arida made it” Donnie watched her climb onto the tank, then he drifted further from the side of the tank.

  The chief was getting closer to the head of the truck. He halted and looked over his shoulders when he noticed Arida standing right behind him.

  He clenched his jaw as rage continued igniting through him. Arida had just gotten in his way and all the plans he had in mind.

  “Ahh, so you came―just where I wanted you” Hakaz said, looking up into the thundering sky.

  Arida pulled out her two laser pistols and pointed it at him. “It ends right now!”

  “Oh does it? Just like that?” Hakaz looked over his shoulders again. He turned swiftly, kicked the guns out of her hands and stamped her onto the tank.

  “Am not the bad guy here” he walked towards her, bent down and gripped on her vest. He repeatedly yanked her onto the tank and then slapped her with the back of his hand.

  Arida’s lip burst with blood. She narrowed her eyes in anger and stamped the chief away. She spat out blood, forcing herself onto her feet. Arida glowered down at the chief with her ponytail flying behind her head through the speeding winds. She could see the lightning striking the lands and flipping over a few militia vehicles.

  Hakaz, sprawled on the tank, began laughing. “You are so naive Arida, thinking―”

  “Who told you my name? I guess am important now. When did you start caring about knowing your prisoners’ names?”

  “Nah, you are the least important― but your godmother told me all I had to know about you, Arida-ail” Hakaz got up onto his feet. “Balain did―she will be very sad when I deliver your shredded corpse to her”

  Arida unzipped the small bag on the belt over his shoulders. She had lost her precious laser pistols and now needed another weapon to face her greatest enemy. She wasn’t feeling any fear whiles they stood facing each other. All she felt at that moment was rage. She shoved her hand into the bag and took out one of the two Roghim gloves. The lines and little circles lit white as soon as she wore it. She grabbed the golden hilt from the bag and jerked the flaming blade out of it. “I told you, it ends right now”

  Hakaz wasn’t looking shocked like the way Arida was expecting. Hakaz rather continued to gaze at her with a chuckle. “Am not scared of that weapon in your hands”

  “You better―” a laser shot flung the flaming blade out of her hand. The flaming blade yanked back into the hilt and fell in between the two of them. They both looked down at it in unison, with a million thoughts running through their heads.

  Hakaz raised his eye towards Arida and slowly pointed to something behind her. She didn’t know what to expect. She swiveled and looked behind her to saw a Khaghin guard, his upper body out of a truck window and holding a sniper rifle.

  “I didn’t jump onto this truck without a plan, I came her with a strategy. You are lucky that I ordered them not to shoot anymore when I got up here. I just wanted to finish you myself, with my own hands”

  Arida watched the chief carefully, her arms slightly apart. It seemed like the chief knew what she was about to do by the way he kept his eyes glued on her, whiles he continued taunting.

  As Arida bent instantly to grab the golden hilt, he kicked her off the tank. Arida gripped the ladder fast enough before she could fall to the ground. Hakaz bent and took the hilt, walked towards the curved edge of the tank and saw Arida hanging on the ladder. Arida looked up at him with sparkling eyes, thinking he was going to stamp her off the tank. The chief pointed the hilt down at her and said, “Hope you are enjoying your ride?”

  He squat and seized Arida’s lower arm. “Now I have the hilt, I will also need the glove” he pulled her hand from the ladder and raised her whiles he also straightened himself.

  Hakaz took off the glove and left her falling back onto the tank. He looked up at the cloudy skies and the numerous lightning that were descending from it. He nodded. “It’s a miracle we haven’t been struck by lightning yet―but I kno
w we will soon be, so am going to make this quick and get out of here with the rest of my Khaghin guards” he wore the glove and jerked out the flaming blade out of the hilt. Hakaz raised the blade to his eye level, gaping happily at it like it was the most precious thing he had ever seen his entire life. His eyes broadened more as he gazed at the flames that were crawling all over the glove on his hand. “How amazing―so so impressive” he said and looked down at Arida. “Just like you reduced Balain’s guards with this powerful weapon, am going to do same to you and your friends―especially the alien”

  He raised the blade over his head and swung it down to strike her, however she moved out of the way. The flaming blade thrust deep down into the fuel tank.

  They both shuddered, knowing that the flame, getting in contact with the fuel is going to cause the whole truck and probably every vehicle near it to explode. Hakaz was stuck holding onto the blade. He didn’t want to leave it stuck in the tank. Liquid fuel sprout out and began leaking out. The flames around the blade caught the fuel and soon, flames from the blade were crawling all around the tank.

  Arida, sitting up, unzipped the small bag over the belt on his shoulders and took out the silver Roghim hilt and the last glove. She quickly wore the glove and jerked out a watery blade. She froze the blade, got up on her feet and thrust it deep down into the tank. Just as soon as she did that, all the flames on the tank quenched, then the whole tank and the fuel in it froze into ice.

  Somehow, the flaming blade couldn’t be frozen, the flames around it continued to be active. Hakaz pulled out the blade with every strength left inside him. He stumbled backwards, his chest and shoulders heaving back and forth and panting out of toil. He bent a little, wanting to hold on his knees and rest, but realized that would be his greatest mistake ever. He began to speak with his upper body hung low. “Wow, never…. knew…. you had….two of the―” his voice broke whiles he continued panting. “Most powerful….blades….on ....this planet”