by T. R. Harris
Daric left before Adam could come up with a witty retort. This was fortunate, because at the moment, he couldn’t think of one.
50
Adam stepped out of the landing craft and into a blast of heat and brilliant afternoon sunlight. He squinted and sniffed the air. It was both dusty and dank, with evident humidity. As he stepped away, he could sense the gravity was not as strong as Earth. Looking around at the inhabitants of the massive compound, he could see why.
There were literally thousands of aliens of a greater variety in one place than he’d ever seen before. Generally, they were Primes, which would make them oxygen-breathing, carbon-based lifeforms who existed within a narrow gravity range for effective motion. The Nuoreans would have selected this world as a happy medium for the majority of the races, favoring the lighter gravity creatures over those accustomed to more. Species like Humans could function just fine in lighter gravity, while the opposite wasn’t true. At least Adam had that going for him.
Armed Nuoreans prodded Adam and the rest of the prisoners from the shuttle and through a gate into a guarded and walled compound before releasing their shackles. Then they hustled back aboard the ship and departed, leaving the twenty-five new arrivals standing awkwardly near the wall of the compound, wondering what to do next.
Adam was surprised to see that the boundary of the holding area extended from the arid, almost desert-like terrain he was on, all the way to a thin jungle at the far end, and beyond. The barrier wall disappeared into the growth, giving him the impression that the compound was huge. It would have to be. Daric had said recently that the Nuoreans had collected over two thousand species, many of which had multiple members, although not much more than five or six of any one kind, as Adam could tell. That would be well over ten thousand creatures within the compound.
Looking out at the amazing variety of life before him, Adam was overwhelmed by the graphic enormity of the galaxy and all it had to offer. And this was only the beginning. The Nuoreans would continue to abduct races until they had all the advanced species in the galaxy under their control, or at least rated. The invaders were here for the long-haul, and unless something was done to stop them, indigenous intelligent life in the Milky Way would become nothing more than pawns in the largest series of gladiator games ever imagined, and lasting thousands of years. All advancement would end. All independence and aspirations by individual species would vanish. They would exist only to supply fodder for the Nuoreans, as a means for them to advance and acquire material wealth within their society
Adam couldn’t let that happen.
Another Human came running towards him. It was a man, about forty, with a torn shirt, dirty jeans and tennis shoes without socks.
“Another Human! Damn, am I glad to see you!” The man spoke English with a slight French accent. He took Adam’s hand and shook it vigorously. “I’m Pierre, Pierre Savoy.”
“Adam Cain.”
The man’s mouth fell open and his eyes wide. “No shit! You’re Adam Cain?”
Adam nodded.
Then the animated look on Pierre’s face vanished. “Do they know who you are?”
Adam nodded again.
“They got you too. I guess now we’re really screwed.”
“Where did they get you?”
“We were hauling parts to Hyben from the Union when these bastards showed up. They fired a bolt of some kind at us and blew out the entire electrical system. Then they just sat out there for about nine hours. At first we thought they were waiting for us to die, but then they came aboard. I have to admit, we didn’t put up much of a fight. The air was getting low and it was freezing by then.”
“There are more of you?”
“Three total, the other two part of my crew. We got here five days ago; staked out a patch of dirt with one of the few shelters on it. We’ve had to fight off about a dozen aliens to keep it. Do you know what’s going on?”
Adam looked around at the rest of the aliens from the shuttle. Most had wandered off, while some were met by others of their kind, just as Adam had. A few were standing back, watching Adam, looking to him for guidance, including the solitary Que’l. The huge-headed walking battering ram could come in handy.
Adam nodded for him to follow.
“Take me to the others,” he said to Pierre Savoy.
Adam was aghast at the conditions in the compound. As Pierre had intimated there were very few of the thatched-roof shelters to protect the prisoners against the intense heat and light. What there were of them were being constantly fought over. During the ten minute walk to the Human’s encampment, he witnessed nine brutal hand-to-hand battles taking place, often between small clusters of aliens against other gangs. The solitary aliens without strength in numbers sat or were sprawled out on the ground in the blazing sun, some appearing dead, while others barely alive.
There was a definite hierarchy already established. The two Juireans in Adam’s group were joined by four more. As they walked to their designated area, other species deferred to them. It was the same for Adam and Pierre. If the reputation of the Humans wasn’t known before entering the compound, Pierre and his cohorts must have schooled them on it—with often bloody consequences.
Having the hulking Que’l walking behind them didn’t hurt either.
Adam turned back to the square-headed alien. “I’m Adam Cain.”
“Andic,” said the Que’l. “I was in the stadium when you and Riyad Tarazi took on our greatest Drunage player, Dravis Hurr. I was both impressed and upset.”
Adam smiled. “Dravis and I became good friends after that.”
“Yes, I heard of his exploits against the Sol-Kor.”
“I’m glad to have you by my side,” Adam said. “It increases our chance of making it out of here alive.”
“As I fully intend to happen.”
The area claimed by the Humans was twenty feet round, consisting of a raised platform about two feet off the ground, protected from the sunshine by a thatched awning, at least during the hottest part of the day. The other two Humans sat on the edge of the wooden platform in the shade of the awning. They had stationed themselves on each side, backs to one another, on guard. An alien with purple skin and a long, spiked tail lay dead in the dirt about ten yards away.
“Trouble?” Pierre asked as he joined his crew.
“Always,” said one of the men. He was staring at Adam, his eyes wide. “Aren’t you Adam Cain?”
“Yep.” He reached out his hand to shake. The man took it enthusiastically.
“I’m Manny Brown, from San Francisco. Goddamn, they got you, too.”
“I took a few of them with me beforehand,” said Adam with a grin.
“I’m Billy Kring, Corpus Christi, Texas,” said the other man.
Adam shook his hand as well before introducing Andic to the Humans. They accepted him into the shelter without question. If he was with Adam Cain, then he was okay.
“Not exactly the Ritz, is it?” Adam commented, looking around the shelter—if you could call it that.
“Back in the forest, some of the aliens have started to build better shelters,” Pierre explained. “Some of the stronger species wait until they’re done and then take over. It’s pretty cutthroat around here. The bastards with the guns have begun to string lines with what they term fresh water on a drip system, which just sets up another battlefield. Oh, and for toilet facilities, you just dig a hole and go. It’s going to get pretty rank around here real soon.”
“Yeah, not much thought was put into this place,” Billy added. “A lot of the aliens can’t take the heat or they need a lot more water to survive than we’ve been given. Other groups go at each other like cats and dogs, probably instinct or something. Bottom line, they’re dropping like flies around here.”
“What about food?”
Manny snorted. “That’s the worst of it. They drop bundles of crap from drones and then everyone just dives in. The strongest get some, the others don’t. It’s a real shitho
le here, Mr. Cain. What the hell’s going on? Who are these guys and why have they brought us here?”
“I’ll tell you what I know. It won’t be encouraging, but at least it will put things in context.”
The three other Humans and one Que’l huddled in closer as Adam filled them in. When he was done, they leaned back, most with their mouths hanging slack, vacant looks in their eyes.
“We are to compete with the—you called them Nuoreans?” asked Andic. “I would welcome that.”
“It’s to the death, buddy,” Adam cautioned.
“Is there another way? I would welcome the chance to kill as many of these creatures willing to face me.”
“I’ve fought them,” Adam said. “They have skills, and a lot higher than basic. It won’t be easy, especially for the bulk of the species in the galaxy.”
Three stocky-looking aliens with leather skin and three-inch-long claws on stubby hands approached the shelter, eyes unblinking and steady on the gathering of Humans and Que’l. Adam looked at Pierre. “You’ve gotta be kidding? Do they really intend to attack?”
“Desperate people do desperate things.”
Adam stood up and faced the leather-skinned aliens. “Don’t do it,” he called out. “We’re Humans, and this is a Que’l. You won’t win. What we have to do now is stick toget—”
One of the aliens rushed forward, kicking up a small cloud of dust behind him. He was incredibly swift, probably the product of a heavy-gravity world. He landed on Adam before he could react, throwing him back onto the wooden platform. Sharp claws tore through Adam’s dark green uniform top, the one he still retained from his adventure aboard Daric’s ship. Adam cried out in pain as the claws dug into his chest.
Strong Human hands were on the alien’s body a moment later, pulling him off. Pierre and Billy pummeled the beast, breaking arms and legs before tossing his limp body out into the compound. A second attacker was thrown out of the shelter by others, creating his own small dust eruption as he hit the ground. Creatures in the compound raced forward to remove the bodies, plus that of the purple being with the spiked tail.
Andic swung his head from side to side and snorted, like an irritated bull, challenging any others test him. The third alien landed on Manny, slicing the skin of his bare left shoulder. Pierre and Billy rescued him, as well, and dispatched the third alien much as they had the other one.
Adam sat up, blood soaking his ripped uniform. Pierre looked down at him, an almost insane look on his face.
“You have to make an example out of the attackers. The word gets around and they leave you alone.”
“That was leaving you alone?”
“Some are just stupid.”
A shadow passed over the shelter. Adam got to his feet and stepped out into the daylight. A large craft was hovering over the compound. All the creatures stopped what they were doing to gawk at the silent craft. It was about two hundred feet high and moved until it was right above the jungle tree line.
“Attention players!” A loud voice boomed out from speakers on the hovering craft. “Attention players. I am Game-Master Daric (416) Kallen-Noc of the Nuor. I am the leader of the invasion force that has taken you captive. I have only now arrived on this world and will now provide an explanation of why you are here and what is expected of you.
“First, I must apologize for the current conditions of your holding area. We do not normally treat our immunity players as such, preferring strong and healthy opponents for the games. Unfortunately, your sheer numbers, along with the surprisingly swift success of our retention program, has us behind schedule in providing adequate shelter, food or facilities for you. That will change with time. I ask for your patience and request that you do not kill each other in the meantime. It is our intention to help you stay alive, at least until the time comes for the games to begin.”
Daric had their attention. The compound was deathly quiet, all eyes looking skyward.
“As to why you are here…. You will be ranked and then made available for combat challenges by members of my race. This is how my species survives and prospers. It has been our way for thousands of years. As you can tell, there is no avenue for escape and rescue is not an option. As I speak, the Nuor are consolidating our presence in your galaxy. We cannot be defeated. This is a fact you must accept.
“Now I will explain more concerning the ranking system for our challenge matches. As you can imagine, the more highly-ranked species will carry the most immunity points. These beings will be held in reserve until members of my race can work through several lower level combatants. We save the best for the relatively few challenges at the top.
“Species will be ranked by combat skill and tactical expertise. I am the entity who will determine such rank, yet with our recent arrival in your galaxy, I have not had the opportunity to observe each race individually. Fortunately, having all of you in one area gives me and my staff this opportunity. Remember, only the strongest will be saved for the later challenges. All others will be made available for challenges much earlier, even before the formal combat arenas are complete.
“I ask again for your patience as we upgrade the compound to better provide for our honored players. The Nuor have taken great measures to bring you together. We do not wish you to suffer during your containment.
“That is all.”
The Humans looked at each other. “Did he just do what I think he did?” Billy Kring said.
Adam nodded. “He sure did. He just set every damn alien here against each other in the ultimate cage match. You thought it was bad before, hell you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
A few minutes later Andic excused himself to search the compound for others of his race. He told Adam he regretted leaving the Humans, but if species were to be evaluated individually, he owed it to others like himself to help them if he could.
“Perhaps an alliance, if they agree?” Adam offered. “There could be strength in numbers. Right now survival seems to be the order of the day.”
“I will discuss it with them, if they exist. If they do not, I will return and help the Humans. Adam Cain, you have saved us before. If anyone could again, it would be you.”
Adam turned to the other three Humans. “What’s it like in the jungle? Are there more resources, more cover?”
Pierre nodded. “There’s both, but also a lot more threats, as well as a lot of creatures better suited to living there. Some climb like monkeys, others are chameleons, able to blend into the foliage undetected. I’ve seen some things with six-inch long fangs that can run on all fours and jump twenty feet.”
Grimacing, Adam scanned the area around the small covered platform. “Okay then, if we’re going to stay here, we need weapons and more cover than we currently have. We also need to establish a kill-zone around the shelter. Did you see any plants in the jungle with large fronds or any bamboo in the forest?”
“Both,” said Billy Kring.
“Good, let’s gather as much as we can before things get too bad,” Adam said, taking command. “We go out only in pairs. We’ll make weapons from the bamboo and cover the shelter with frond sides. We don’t want to remain out in the open. We need a defensible shelter. I’ll go with Pierre to the forest; I need to get a lay of the land, and he seems to know it pretty well. Manny and Billy, you guys stay here and guard the shelter.”
The compound was rapidly devolving into a chaotic, deadly killing field. Aliens rolled on the ground, scratching at each other, while others ran past the two Humans with creatures on their backs, anchored by sharp claws impaled in bloody flesh. A few approached Adam and Pierre, before realizing who and what they were. The smarter ones backed away, content with seeking out weaker beings.
A few well-placed fists and feet sent the not-so-smart creatures scurrying away, nursing injuries.
The tree line was about three hundred yards from the shelter, and a lot of other creatures had the same idea as the Humans. They were gathering up every loose stick and rock they could find. Adam was
relieved to find a type of bamboo plant in the jungle, yet like vegetation on most light-gravity worlds, it was of humongous proportion. Adam couldn’t use the two-foot thick sections for weapons, but he could the young growth at the base of the giant sprouts.
The two Humans began tugging at the four-inch diameter stalks, but even with their extra strength, they wouldn’t break. Then Adam knelt down close to the ground and cupped his hands. Moments later, a sparkling light appeared in the space between them.
“What the hell?” said Pierre, his face animated, lit by the dancing light. “What they’ve said about you is true. You do have powers.”
“Not powers,” said Adam. “Just a little alien technology I can call upon when needed. Cover me. If the Nuoreans are watching, I don’t want them to see what I’m doing.”
The static electricity balls Adam was able to conjure up with his ATD already carried a substantial amount of heat in them, but not enough to cut through stubborn foliage. Yet if he compressed the ball into a smaller space, the heat increased exponentially. In a few moments, the light was brighter and more-concentrated into a single point. Adam then commanded the tiny point of light to slice through the bamboo sprouts. Soon he had four sections of hard, segmented bamboo, each about six feet long.
Turning next to the wide, green fronds from neighboring palms, the pair was soon ready to begin the trek back to the shelter. Pierre pulled several bunches of fronds behind him, while Adam carried the bamboo shafts, along with a few smaller branches he found.
“Hold up,” he called out after a few minutes. “Watch these.” He set the bamboo on the ground and then raced off after a couple of nearby aliens.
He reached them seconds later and grasped both by the collars of their shirts. They fell to the ground, dislodging the precious cargo they carried in makeshift pouches made of the curled up fronts of their garments. Four rocks rolled out, each with at least one sharp edge. Adam scooped up the stones.
