Patrick felt the weight of the Martian shift off him and he slowly opened his eyes. Now standing, the Martian was grasping at his face where a blade was sticking through the back of his throat and out his open mouth. His eyes were bulging out of his head in pain as he frantically tried to dislodge it. Patrick watched the blade slowly slide from the Martians face as his eyes went glassy. The Martian’s final breath left before his knees had even hit the dirt. Patrick looked up, expecting to see Flupotia standing over the Martians’ body, but instead saw Gin-us. He had the same look of hatred in his eyes that he had when dispatching Hawfleburg. He quickly turned to address the mass of Martians who were awake and swaying in angst. The cave was deathly silent, all you could hear was the water dripping from the walls.
“NO ONE IS TO TOUCH THIS HUMAN!” Gin-us boomed, “IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”
Each and every Martian nodded their head and murmured their understanding. Gin-us was not happy with this lackluster response, so he asked again with even more force. The cave was filled with screams of “Sir, yes sir!” so loud that Patrick thought the cave might collapse.
“I, Gin-us the Second of Clan Piranix, have killed the former King.” His voice was now steady and calm. “I shall not waste my breath on speaking his name. I am now your King.”
Cheers erupted from the small crowd of Martians that had gathered. Patrick released his breath; unaware he had even been holding it.
“My first decree as King,” Gin-us nodded in Patrick's direction as he spoke, “is that no harm may come to this man here or his companion. If any harm falls on them by any of your hands, you will no longer be graced with those hands!”
There were no cheers from the crowd this time, but a silent murmuring of acceptance spread across the crowd.
“This man is going on a mission. On his quest thus far, he has managed to kill not one, but two giant snakes from Saturn. He also managed to stage a rebellion here while a prisoner to the old King. With these actions, he has won the respect of the Martians here and across the stars. Now his quest must continue as he plans to venture further down into the core of this planet. His quest ties all of us together, each and every one of you. If he is successful, it may allow us to return home one day. To a planet free from the tyrannous King Flaca!”
The cheers were back. A wave of euphoria rushed through the crowd and into Patrick as he realized he wasn’t alone anymore. For the first time since his quest had begun, he actually felt at ease. His trust in Gin-us expanded exponentially.
Gin-us then turned his attention past Patrick towards Flupotia, who was still lying unconscious.
“Let’s get her taken care of. Then we can talk about getting onto the next guardian.”
A few things happened in the following hours. Gin-us had Flupotia taken to a small hut at the far edge of the camp where she would be personally attended to by the Martians only doctor. It was fortunate that he had been one of those knocked out by Flupotia, as he too had a strong vengeance against the man-eating Martians and would have joined Gin-us in the fight. Patrick was invited back to Gin-us’ hut to rest while she was tended to. The Martians lived simply, and while Patrick at first assumed it was due to their current predicament, Gin-us assured him their homes on Mars weren’t much different. They lived a simplistic and minimalistic lifestyle. Their technology, while advanced, was not as present in their daily lives as humans. Patrick was fed, the food resembling a veggie burrito.
After he was fed, he was sent to a room to wash and given new clothing. He was taken aback by the beauty of the garbs he was given. They were intricately woven with beautiful patterns of all colors, like nothing he had ever worn before. Despite feeling uncomfortable wearing such clothes, he knew his were beyond saving and put on the new outfit.
Once he was washed and clothed again, he sat down with Gin-us to talk. As he looked outside the window, he was suddenly aware that all the Martians were no longer clothed in rags.
“Where did these clothes come from?”
“They were always here. That horrid King thought it best we maintain the look of savages. Which I assure you, we are not.”
Patrick gave a curt nod and joined Gin-us at the table. The conversation shifted to Patrick, his quest thus far, and the power he was after. Without much effort, he won Gin-us over, who readily agreed to join Patrick and Flupotia on their quest. He believed enough in what they were doing to take a temporary step back from his new crown to help them succeed. His true hope was to return home to a free Mars and knew this was his best hope at that dream. Patrick readily welcomed the help of Gin-us, hoping he was only the first of many allies to be gained.
After their conversation, Gin-us retired to his bedroom, leaving Patrick with a small cot to sleep on. He fell into a deep sleep quickly, feeling like he was finally in a safe place.
The next morning Patrick was sitting outside Gin-us’ hut, waiting on news on Flupotia. He thought back on his journey thus far, amazed at all he had survived and overcome. He shivered at the thought that he had actually killed living beings. A part of him longed for the days sitting in school with piles of homework or riding around the neighborhood with Mark. He looked out at the camp of Martians and began to recognize the similarities to humans.
As Patrick continued to think on this, Gin-us approached with the Martian Doctor a step behind. The looks of sorrow on their faces concerned Patrick deeply.
“Flupotia, what happened to her? Is she okay?!”
“Hello, Patrick. It is Patrick correct?” The Martian doctor extended his hand to Patrick, which he shook hesitantly. “Sorry I didn’t introduce myself last night. I’m Dr. Jont, definitely wish we were meeting under different circumstances. I am afraid I have some bad news for you.”
Patrick's mind instantly went to the worst-case scenario. She isn’t going to make it. He was thankful at this point to have Gin-us’ help on his journey, but he needed Flupotia. Her wits and chanting had been instrumental in getting them this far. But there was more to it. His heart ached just thinking about not having her around.
Dr. Jont did his best to quickly extinguish Patrick's rapid-fire thoughts. “She will be fine… in time. However, I’m going to have to keep her under observation for a few days. Gin-us has concerns about you staying here by her side while she recovers. It will likely hurt your chances of getting to this power source before alien reinforcements arrive at the planet. Unfortunately, if you are to stop King Flaca, you may have to go on without her for a short time.”
Patrick's heart lifted, but only slightly. He knew the quest he was on was more important than any single being, but how could he just leave her behind?
“But why do you need to keep her? Is she hurt?” Patrick's head fell between his knees as he said more to himself than anyone else, “If she got hurt in any way trying to save me, I could never forgive myself.”
“She isn’t hurt exactly. But she has slipped into a coma of sorts. Best I can tell, she cannot feel or think anything right now. It’s almost as if she’s in a trance of her own doing.”
“She will live, right?”
“My hopes are very high.”
Patrick had always disliked doctors. They could never just be straightforward with you. Ignoring the doctor and his indirectness, Patrick turned to Gin-us.
“And you think it’s wise to go on without her?”
“Under the current circumstances, yes, I do. Dr. Jont, please go attend to Flupotia. I’d like a moment to talk privately with Patrick. And then we will need to make preparations to leave.”
Dr. Jont nodded and began making his way back to the hut at the edge of the camp. Patrick watched him walk away, each step feeling like a direct attack on his heart. He wanted so desperately to talk to Flupotia, to get her opinion on what to do next. Knowing that he couldn’t only sank his heart lower.
Without really speaking to Patrick, Gin-us began packing provisions shortly after the Doctor had left. Patrick knew he had no choice but to leave Flupotia with Dr. Jont. He fully truste
d Gin-us at this point, but was still uneasy with the whole thing.
“Gin-us, I don’t know about all of this.”
Gin-us did not even look up from his packing. “She will be fine. I promise you.”
“What if our trip takes longer than you told them it would? What if a new king gets appointed who decides their alien-eating Martians now? Then what?!” Patrick felt his mind reeling with all the possibilities and he sighed. "I trust you Gin-us, but all of them? Not a chance?”
“You are being foolish. I know that you do not know our ways, but you have to trust them all by trusting me. I have laid my decree that no harm shall come to her. It is Martian law that the only way a tribe can appoint a new king is if another Martian kills the current king. No one can overthrow me if I’m not around to kill, so what’s the problem?”
What if you die on the mission? The thought raced through Patrick's head, but he dared not say it aloud. If Gin-us was dead, then Patrick knew he surely would have been dead too.
Instead, he shrugged, “I still don’t want to leave her.”
Gin-us stopped packing his backpack and looked Patrick straight in the eyes, the intensity of the stare enough to send shivers down his spine. “Patrick, you are fighting for more than just yourself and your own personal relationships at this point. Do you want to see your entire planet destroyed alongside the rest of the galaxy? Do you want to suffer the same fate as us? Prisoners on Venus perhaps, guarding the orb there? Could you deal with all of that happening, just for her?”
Patrick looked down, ashamed, the last question hitting him hard. How could he even think about putting the safety of the entire planet on hold just to make sure one girl was okay? His heart struck as if a thousand bees had attacked in answer; he pondered how one girl could have such a hold over him already. He had hardly known her that long.
“I don’t know. Flupotia has been by my side this entire journey, trusted me far before I trusted her. She started this with me, she should be by my side finishing it as well.”
“I trust you know that finding the orb is not the end of your mission?”
“I understand, we still have to escape and save Earth.”
“Yes, and then continue onward. That is not all you have ahead of you Patrick. When you started on this path, I think you may have taken on something far larger than you yet realize. You have single-handedly sparked a revolution. You’re going to have to be the one who continues to lead it, throughout space. Until you stand on top of King Flaca’s dead body, your quest is not yet over.”
Patrick took a few steps back and fell into a chair behind him as if the words had a physical mass to them. “No, no, no. I did not sign up for any of that!”
“At this point Patrick, that doesn’t matter. Think of all the other planets, with civilizations and families like yours? All of them living in disparity with no hope for their future. At this point, you’re the only one who can save them all. And you’re just going to give up and walk away?”
“I’m a senior in high school, I’m not ready for this kind of responsibility! I can barely keep a fish alive for a few months, and you’re going to tell me I have to save the entire galaxy? I understand what you’re saying and why this needs to be done. But… it’s just more than I can handle alone.”
Gin-us took a step towards Patrick and placed a hand on his shoulder. “First of all, you are not alone in this. You have already started to amass allies. And in time, we can only believe and hope that your forces will continue to grow. The further we push, the harder we push, word of our quest will spread too. Secondly, is it really too much to handle? A month ago, I bet you would have said the same thing about getting as far as you already have. Don’t doubt the power that is inside of you, Patrick. I see greatness there. If I did not believe in you, I would not have jumped so quickly in deciding to follow you.”
Okay, Yoda. Patrick thought to himself. But he knew that he was right. If someone had told Patrick that he would at any point in his life kill giant snakes from Saturn, manipulate Martian kings, and be on a quest to save the galaxy, he would have looked up directions to the nearest insane asylum for them. The most heroic thing Patrick had done before this was keeping Sir Fishington alive for two and a half months.
“I get it Gin-us. Really, but I just can’t think about all of that right now.” Patrick shook his shoulders as if to let the pressure fall off them. “We’ll go get the orb without Flupotia, but then we’re coming right back here to her. And we will not leave until she wakes up.” Patrick looked him dead in the eyes, standing strong on the outside but shaking like a leaf on the inside. “And I mean it.”
“Fair enough.” Gin-us smiled at Patrick and went back to packing, leaving Patrick with a sense of pride.
◆◆◆
VII: A Truth and A Lie
It didn’t take long for provisions to be packed up and their weapons retrofitted. Patrick silently urged things to move slower to no avail. Gin-us and he were on their trek to the next guardian within a few short hours. As they took off though, Patrick thought of the giant snakes and mass of Martians he had overcome. If this was to be a single guardian, he was sure it wouldn’t be that bad. But if he had learned anything from this journey, it was to never underestimate what lay ahead but to also not underestimate his will to overcome.
Gin-us was the first to speak as they trekked along in the desert-like-terrain. “So, are you certain who the next guardian is?”
Patrick shrugged, “I only know what Flupotia has shared with me. There’s either a jaguar or a unicorn waiting for us. She’s been right up until this point, so I’m not going to start doubting her now. Have you heard anything differently?”
“I’ve heard rumors of the giant snakes from Saturn, but always disregarded them. Given the size of our tunnels, I didn’t think they would be beyond us. And now, you’ve confirmed they were the first guardian. There is also talk of small men made from fire, whom I have had some unfortunate interactions with in the past.”
“Personally, I’m hoping for the Unvisited Jaguar from Jupiter.”
“Any idea where it gets is name?”
“Flupotia told me it’s because nobody has ever actually seen him. Anyone that has, has never made it back.”
“Great.”
Patrick shook his head in agreement and a steady silence fell around them, their thoughts filling the air. Gin-us’ mind traveled back to Mars, he thought of the home he had left behind, wondering if the aliens had destroyed the monuments he had built.
Patrick, on the other hand, had his mind flooded with pictures of Flupotia alone with the Martians. She had done more to help him than anyone else and he knew he owed her more than he could ever repay. The guilt of just up and leaving her alone with a bunch of Martians he had no reason to trust, settled over Patrick like a thick blanket, slowly suffocating him. He began to doubt that Flupotia would trust the Martians once she woke up. There was a good chance she would try to escape upon coming out of her coma. Patrick sent a silent prayer her way, asking her to listen to and trust in Dr. Jont. Once again, Patrick tried to make his concerns known to Gin-us, hoping for reassurance, but getting none.
“You need to stop worrying. Even if she comes out of her coma, she isn’t going to wake up.”
Patrick stopped short, “WHAT?! Dr. Jont said she was going to be fine!” Patrick turned abruptly. “We have to go back, now!” Patrick began storming off in the direction they had just come from.
“Patrick!” Gin-us called after him, running ahead to stand in front of him and block his way.
Patrick tried to walk around him, but Gin-us held him firm by the shoulders.
“Patrick, stop and listen! I may have said that wrong… what I mean, is your friend is in what we call a dream chamber. It’s a medical device, used for keeping someone in a state of dreaming. So even if she comes out of her coma, she will be safe with no idea who is around her.”
“What do you mean, keeping them in a state of dreaming? How is that poss
ible?”
“I can’t explain the science of it all. But it’s used in our medical facilities to protect patients from themselves. Sometimes, the mind is ready to wake up before the body. This allows us to continue to monitor and help. I promise you, she is perfectly safe.”
Patrick stood for a moment, unsure of what to do with this information. “Next time,” he said harshly, “lead with that sort of description first.”
Patrick was still upset with Gin-us but felt relieved knowing Flupotia was safe. With everything going on, he was just happy Flupotia would be none the wiser about being left behind. He turned from Gin-us and continued forward. The world was so full of mystery, more than Patrick could have ever dreamt up. He wanted to press Gin-us for information on the dream chamber, on life on Mars, on what he knew about the tyrannous King, about everything. But at the same time, his mind was already swirling, overloaded with new data.
The trek between the Martians cave and the next guardian lasted a few days. It was a weird time for both of them, both growing closer and further apart from each other. Given they now had only each other to rely on, their friendship grew. But underneath it was a silent resentment. Patrick resented Gin-us for the obvious reason of taking him away from Flupotia. Gin-us resented Patrick for taking him away from his people, he finally had what he had been working for and just up and left it. Both, however, decided to keep quiet about their feelings, letting them slowly boil.
They arrived at the door on their third day of travel. Patrick had been looking down at his feet, trudging along and thinking of Flupotia. Gin-us placed a firm hand on his shoulder forcing him to look up. The door ahead was different than the first two and by far the most interesting. It was a door so black it almost seemed as if it wasn’t there. There were small white circles outlining the frame of the door, seeming bright but dim at the same time. It was as if the door existed in a state of ying and yang, perfect harmony.
The Birth of a Rebellion Page 9
