Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet

by Matthew Kadish

  “You gotta be kidding…” said Jack.

  Suddenly, the other sick Regal soldiers stirred, their sickness seemingly having given way to zombieness. Jack now found himself staring down four zombies all on his own.

  Ohhhhhhhhhh crap, was the only thing that went through his mind before the first zombie attacked.

  “Doc, get down!” Jack yelled as he pushed Doc Pyle out of the way. Jack raised his rifle and got off a shot at one of the zombies before another one slammed into him, tackling him to the ground. Jack used Faruuz’s rifle to brace against his attacker as the zombie frantically tried to bite Jack’s neck, black bile seeping from his mouth onto Jack’s face.

  Presented with such a dire (and gross) situation, Jack was forced to fall back to his patented strategy number two to avoid a beat down – namely, call for help.

  “Help!” screamed Jack. “Someone!!!”

  Jack then heard Doc Pyle shrieking. He looked over to see two of the new zombies on top of the man, biting and tearing him apart. Jack wasn’t able to concentrate that much on the poor doctor’s situation, since the zombie soldier on top of him was twice his size and quickly baring down on his neck.

  This is it, Jack thought. I’m totally gonna die… eaten by a zombie!

  Faruuz was right. Jack definitely did not think this was cool anymore. Then, suddenly, a blast of red plasma fire streaked through his attacker’s head. The zombie went limp, and three more shots rang out, each one finding its mark as the other zombies hit the ground.

  Jack looked up and saw Scallywag standing there. With a twirl of his pistols, he holstered his weapons and looked down at Jack.

  “Ya okay, lad?” he asked.

  Jack crawled out from under the body of his attacker and looked around. The sound of shooting had stopped. The moans of the zombies had gone away, too. He looked up at Scallywag hopefully.

  “Is it over?” Jack asked.

  “Wait for it…” the alien responded.

  Just as Jack was beginning to wonder what that meant, the zombie corpse beside him began to jerk.

  Alarmed, Jack crawled away further. The other dead zombies begin to spasm, as well. Suddenly, ghostly figures floated out of the bodies. Jack watched with a mixture of fear and amazement as the glowing white forms of energy twisted and writhed in the air. They didn’t look like the bodies from which they had come, but as Jack looked on with wonder, he could see what appeared to be eyes and also a mouth that was moaning and screaming silently.

  Then, the ghostly forms shot off, streaking out of the cave with alarming speed. This happened with each dead zombie that lay around on the ground. As soon as the ghostly figures were gone, the hard black rock of the cave floor started to grow around the bodies that were left behind.

  The black rock became like sand that rolled up and covered the corpses. Veins of green and purple glowed as they burrowed into the dead bodies, the black rock completely encompassing them. Finally, it re-solidified, leaving new rock formations in the ground where the bodies had once lain.

  “Scally,” said Jack, his chest almost paralyzed by the terror of what he had seen. “What just happened?”

  “Yer guess is as good as mine, lad,” the alien replied. “But whatever it was, I can guarantee ya – it ain’t good.”

  Chapter 22

  Anna paced back and forth restlessly. It felt like she’d been cooped up in her cell for hours on end, and the incessant waiting was starting to get to her.

  After about a twenty-minute trek from the bridge, she had been escorted to a small room, made up of cold, grey metal. That was about the extent of what she could describe about the space, except for a modest rectangular outcropping that Anna could only assume was probably meant to be a bed. However, it was made up of the same hard metal as everything else.

  There was some dim light from the ceiling and fresh air being pumped in from a vent that kept the room comfortably cool. But other than that, there were no amenities, not even a toilet. For a moment, Anna wondered if all the Deathlord chambers were like this one – cold and empty.

  Her first few minutes alone, after her Deathlord captor had dropped her off without a word, were spent searching for some type of escape. Her instincts had been to go for the vent, though it was too high up for her to reach, and even if she could have reached it, it was doubtful she’d be able to get the casing off let alone fit through the small opening.

  Then she examined the entrance, again to no avail. There didn’t appear to be any type of control panel on her side, and the large, imposing door seemed intent on staying shut no matter how hard she pounded or kicked at it.

  Eventually, she tried to take a nap, but even if her “bed” had been comfortable enough to sleep on, her mind was still racing about the direness of her current situation.

  Her thoughts went to Jack. She wondered if she had made the right decision, agreeing to cooperate with the Deathlords if they spared him. There was no reason to trust that the Deathlords wouldn’t kill him as soon as he was out of her sight, but then again, she didn’t have much choice. She just prayed there was some shred of honor among the Deathlords, and that they would keep their word.

  Then of course, there was Shepherd. She wondered what had happened to him after she had been teleported off the Earthship. Was he still alive? Or had he been captured, too? Anna seriously doubted her Paragon protector would ever allow himself to be captured by the Deathlords. But if he had somehow escaped, would he be able to rescue her? And even if he did, where would they go? They would still be in the middle of a Deathlord mothership surrounded by a veritable army of soldiers – and not even Shepherd would be able to hold them off forever.

  Calling upon her training from the Royal Order of Luminadric Monks, Anna even tried to meditate in an effort to calm her nerves and to hopefully reach out to make contact with some type of nearby Ancient Technology that might be able to save her.

  The monks had been a vital part of the royal family, ever since Emperor Nameer had been forced to overthrow his tyrannical brother thousands of years ago. During the civil strife historians refer to as The Starfall War, the Royal Family almost destroyed itself. Nameer had created the order to help not only ensure the survival of the Royal Bloodline should such a devastating event ever occur again, but also to create a system that would train and educate future rulers to ensure proper leadership of the Empire.

  Since then, the monks had been acting as spiritual advisors to guarantee a strong moral presence was kept around the Emperor to prevent tyrants from forming. At least, that was the story told to the populous at large. Beyond that, their real purpose was to help train the Royal Family in the ways of the Free Mind, nurturing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects required to properly operate Ancient Technology. Though it was generally accepted that the Royal Bloodline operated through genetics, it was actually a combination of genetics, mental ability, and spirituality that allowed one to successfully control the wonders that the Ancients had created. If there were one thing that had been clear, it was that the Ancients did not want their technology to be used by anyone who was not worthy of it.

  Anna wasn't feeling particularly worthy at the moment, though. She hadn't received much training in her youth, not with three older brothers in succession before her. It was customary to only train those who were not in direct line for the Imperial throne in the basics of what the Luminadric Monks referred to as trinity - the fundamentals of the bloodline - so that control of Ancient technology could be kept centralized. After the death of her family, the monks had tried to train her in more advanced methods, but Anna had lost interest once she had developed enough skill to properly interface with Ancient technology. She had preferred to devote her time to figuring out how to stop the Deathlords – much to the chagrin of her tutors.

  She was certainly regretting that decision now. Perhaps if she had been a better student, she might be able to use her abilities to find something that would help her. It was said that those of the Royal Bloodline c
ould operate Ancient Technology from light-years away when properly attuned to their trinity. Emperor Youngblood or Emperor Tarrok, who oversaw great expansions of Imperial territory with their ability to access the wonders of the Ancients all over the Empire from their seat of power on Regalus Prime, exemplified this talent.

  However, Anna’s skills at meditation were deeply lacking. When she was finally able to properly attune to her trinity, it was as if she were in the center of a terrible, empty void, and before long her concentration broke down and her mind went back to its chaotic visions of doom and gloom.

  Anna had never felt so powerless before. Her heritage had always afforded her some measure of control over her situation, but here, none of that mattered. She was now a prisoner, not a Princess. She often struggled with bouts of uncertainty and depression. Feelings that she was not worthy of the Empire her ancestors had forged were constant companions in her daily life. She often felt that everyone around her – along with Shepherd to a certain extent – did not think she was capable of handling such a huge responsibility. Even she doubted whether she was truly meant to hold such a high position. Her brothers had been groomed for such things, not her. But those feelings were nothing compared to what she was experiencing now. The last time she could remember feeling this helpless had been the day Regalus Prime fell. She had been forced to watch as everything she had ever known had been destroyed in front of her.

  The last thing she wanted to do was give in to those feelings. Allowing defeat to set in and kill her ambitions to fight the Deathlords was the worst possible situation she could think of. As long as she stayed defiant, as long as she stayed resilient, and as long as she held onto thoughts of escape, she was sure she could take whatever the Deathlords threw at her.

  At least, she hoped she could.

  After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, a noise emanated from the door. Anna perked up, getting to her feet as the entrance to her cell opened.

  The fearsome looking Deathlord who had captured her entered the room, the heavy metal door hissing shut behind him. Anna stared at the imposing alien before her. His fierce eyes burned bright red, gazing at her in a way that instantly made her agonizingly uncomfortable.

  The two stared at each other for what felt like an extremely long time, though in reality it was really just a few seconds. A million and one questions raced through Anna’s mind – where were her friends? What did they want with her? Why were they attacking so many innocent worlds?

  But ultimately, Anna knew her questions were not likely to be answered, so she opted to stay silent and wait for the Deathlord to speak.

  She did not have to wait long.

  “So, you are the blood of the Ancients,” grumbled the Deathlord.

  “I am,” replied Anna, trying to sound braver than she felt.

  “Pitiful,” he replied. The alien flicked his wrist, and suddenly Anna felt herself pulled into the air, as though invisible hooks were digging into her shoulders and lifting her up.

  She tried to muffle her cries of pain as she hovered closer to the Deathlord, coming almost eye-to-eye with him.

  “To think, you are the last of the Heretics,” he said, his eyes burning fiercely, “a race that once ruled over the entire known universe. And I could snuff you out with a thought if I so desired.”

  “Then why don’t you?” said Anna through gritted teeth. Her shoulders felt like they were on fire.

  “Because the foul specter of your Ancestors still lingers,” the Deathlord replied. “And I need your help to deal with them.”

  “I’ll never help you!” exclaimed Anna.

  She dropped to the floor. The invisible hooks in her shoulders had disappeared and she collapsed to her knees, hugging herself in an effort to make the pain go away.

  The Deathlord strode by her, glancing around the sparse holding room as if he suddenly found it interesting. He turned and looked at Anna as she got to her feet, and his eyes seemed to blaze even brighter than before.

  “I am Zarrod, the Deathlord Supreme - culler of worlds, master of darkness, and bane to all that is living. No force can harm me, no weapon can strike me, no army can defeat me. I am the Omega, and the universe trembles at my fury. Who are you to deny me?”

  Anna stood straight and tall, mustering as much dignity as she could.

  “I am Princess Glorianna, daughter of Emperor Tavlos IV, heir to the Galactic Regalus Empire, keeper of the sacred bloodline of the Ancients, and master of their forgotten technology. I am the protector of my people, and I would deny any who would seek to do them harm.”

  “You act as though I’m giving you a choice,” growled the Deathlord.

  “We always have a choice,” replied Anna.

  A deep, raspy grumble escaped from the Deathlord, which Anna could only assume was a chuckle.

  “That is where you are wrong, Princess,” the alien replied.

  Searing pain suddenly assaulted the back of Anna’s head. She screamed, desperately grabbing at the base of her skull where blinding agony raged, bringing her to her knees.

  Her vision sparked and crackled as she struggled to stay conscious, part of her body was quickly going numb, and the room started to spin uncontrollably.

  “What… what’s happening…” she whimpered.

  “Sleep, Princess,” said the Deathlord as he towered over her. “And when you awaken, I’m positive you’ll see things… differently.”

  And then, before everything went black, Anna heard the most frightening thing she’d ever heard in her life.

  She heard the Deathlord Supreme laugh.

  Chapter 23

  Anna was running through a field. Her lungs were burning and fear coursed through her veins. A group of Deathlords was chasing her unrelentingly, led by the fearsome Deathlord Supreme. She looked up in the sky and could see the Planetkiller fleet of motherships looming ominously overhead.

  The Deathlords in pursuit fired upon her. They missed, but dodging their blasts distracted her enough to cause her to trip and fall.

  Anna hit the ground. As she looked up, she could see her pursuers closing in on her. She struggled to get back to her feet, but it was no use. The Deathlords caught up. Their leader towered over her and cackled.

  “There is no escape,” said the Deathlord Supreme, his eyes burning with red fury as he clenched his fist evilly. “You are ours, now.”

  “No!” cried Anna. “Oh, please! Won’t someone save me?”

  As the Deathlords closed in around her, a large explosion rang out overhead. They all looked up to see a Deathlord mothership blowing up in the atmosphere.

  Another mothership exploded. And another. And then another.

  From the last explosion, the Ancient Earthship barreled forth, flying down toward them. As it screamed overhead, Jack jumped out, hitting the ground and gracefully tucking-and-rolling to his feet.

  “Leave her alone, jerk-wads,” said Jack, pointing his finger bravely at the Deathlord Supreme and his minions. “I totally know karate.”

  “Puny human,” growled the Deathlord Supreme. “You cannot hope to defeat us!”

  Jack glared at the Deathlords defiantly. “Wanna bet?” he sneered before ripping off his shirt, revealing his huge, chiseled muscles. “My fists make the speed of light wish it were faster! Come get some.”

  The Deathlords charged toward him but were no match for the fury of Jack’s totally sweet karate moves. After a flurry of lightning punches and spin kicks, the Deathlord soldiers had been handily dispatched, leaving only the Deathlord Supreme.

  “Please, don’t hurt me…” he sniveled.

  “Sorry, punk,” smirked Jack. “I don’t do mercy.”

  With that, Jack dramatically leapt into the air, finishing off the Deathlord Supreme with a drop kick that sent the evil alien flying back a good 20 feet before exploding from the might of Jack’s awesomeness.

  “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” cried the Deathlord before he blew up.

  Suddenly, Jack was surrounded b
y a gaggle of adoring fans. His mom was there, so proud of her son for defeating the evil aliens. Matt and Chunk were there, too, as were all his friends. Even J.C. Rowdey was applauding.

  “You’re the greatest son in the world,” said Jack’s mom as she kissed him proudly on the cheek.

  “Dude, you rock!” cheered Matt. “You totally saved us all!”

  “I’m such a loser,” whined J.C. “Do you think I could ever be as cool as you, Jack?”

  “No,” replied Jack, right before kicking J.C. in the nads. The crowd cheered once again.

  Anna rushed up and threw her arms around him.

  “My hero!” she exclaimed. “You saved me yet again!”

  “Yeah,” shrugged Jack nonchalantly. “That’s what I do.”

  “How can I ever repay you?” asked Anna innocently.

  Jack locked eyes with her. “I can think of a few ways…”

  With that, Jack grabbed Anna and dipped her downward in his arms. The crowd looked on at the most perfect, heroic, romance-novel-esque pose primed for the greatest kiss ever recorded in human history.

  “Time for some wacky, baby…” said Jack.

  Jack leaned in to kiss Anna, but before their lips touched, she stopped him.

  “Jack,” she said suddenly. “You need to focus.”

  Jack leaned back and looked at Anna curiously.

  “Huh?” he said, wondering what happened to his kiss.

  “Focus, Jack,” she said. “You need to focus…”

  Jack could feel the back of his head tingling and suddenly the scene around him changed, twisting and fading away. His friends and family were gone. Anna was gone. Earth was gone. Even his totally awesome muscles were gone. Now, Jack was on the bridge of his ship, looking around as Deathlords moved about it, inspecting the various consoles.

  “What the heck?” Jack wondered aloud. His dream had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. For a moment Jack was afraid the Deathlords would turn and attack, but none of them seemed to see him.

  Jack watched as the Deathlords silently walked around the bridge of the Ancient Earthship, removing wall panels to look at its inner-workings. These Deathlords were different than any he had seen before. Instead of armor, they wore dark robes with heavy hoods that covered their faces. Strange red symbols adorned their backs, as if to signify some sort of rank.