by Mike Ploof
The stars streaked by like fractured rainbows as “Supermassive Blackhole” by Muse blasted through the PA. Ella and Val laughed as they twerked in front of me, and Purshia clapped excitedly.
“Shake that ass!” she yelled from the pilot seat.
The girls were amazing dancers, each with their own unique style, and I wasn’t too bad either. Everyone was in a great mood, given that we now had full control over our nanobots, and we hadn’t heard a peep from the greys in three days, which was a blessing.
We were finally free, and we were enjoying every damn minute.
“Dropping out of hyperspeed in five seconds,” Purshia announced, still dancing at the controls.
We joined her at the helm as the stars came to an abrupt halt, and a large green planet with a ring of shimmering ice appeared on the main screen.
“It’s beautiful,” said Ella.
“He’s going to be so happy to be home.” Val wiped her eyes and rested her head on my shoulder.
“There’s a heavy concentration of lifeforms in this region.” Purshia zoomed in on an area near the planet’s equator.
“Can you tell what they are?” I asked.
She typed quickly on her keyboard, and the image of a drogan popped up.
“They’re drogans, thousands of them.”
“Great. Let’s land a few miles away from the herd. That’ll give Drogy a chance to get comfortable before he’s reintroduced to the population.”
“I hope they’re nice to them,” said Purshia.
“Me too.”
We dove through the atmosphere, and a vibrant world of green forests and crystal clear rivers and ponds came into view. We skimmed the treetops, passed over a pond, and landed in a lush grassy valley.
“There are more than drogans around us,” said Purshia.
“Look at that!” I pointed at the screen as a huge dinosaur-like creature emerged from the trees at the edge of the clearing. The creature had a scaly body with large ridges jutting out of its back, and a neck twice as long as its body. It reminded me a little of a stegosaurus. That was my favorite dinosaur when I was a kid.
“They look like argasars,” said Ella.
“On my world we call them dinosaurs.”
“They’re magnificent.” Purshia sighed dreamily.
“How’s the air on this world?” I asked.
“Breathable.”
“All right, you ladies ready to say goodbye to Drogy?”
“No,” they said in unison.
I sighed. “Yeah, me neither, but it’s for the best.”
They followed me to the cargo hold, where Drogy was alert and grinning like a happy puppy.
“You know where you are, don’t you.” I petted his snout when he bowed his head, and he let out a coo of longing.
Val opened the cargo bay doors and lowered the ramp, and sunlight spilled into the dark hold. Drogy chirruped and shook his head excitedly, and a shiver moved through him, vibrating his feathered scales. He sprang from the cargo bay and took to the air, his feathers illuminated by the sunlight in a brilliant array.
“Well, so much for goodbyes.”
Drogy circled our craft, squawking happily and spinning in the air. We watched him with wet eyes, and the girls snuggled up to me. I thought he was going to fly off into the sun, but he abruptly turned and landed in front of us.
He glanced behind him, looked at me, then turned his head again.
“What’s up, buddy?”
He let out a whimpering sound and ruffled his feathers.
“Maybe he’s nervous to return to the others,” Purshia suggested.
“No, it looks like he’s trying to tell us something,” said Val.
“What’s up, boy? What’s wrong?”
He craned his long neck back and let out a roar. Then he moved his head toward me, carefully grabbed hold of my belt with his teeth, and pulled me forward.
“You want me to see something?”
He moved his head up and down, then took off once more.
“Let’s see what’s got him so rattled.” I engaged my nano suit and leapt into the air. My jetpack flared to life, and I sped after him.
The girls followed, their suits glowing brightly at the edges. Drogy led us east for almost ten miles before landing on a tall, rocky hill. When we set down beside him, he cooed and walked to the top of the ridge. We joined him and looked over the side.
“By the stars!” Purshia blurted.
In the shadowy valley below, hundreds of drogans were being corralled into cages. Others were being loaded onto cargo ships by large machines, and still more sat huddled together in a cramped space surrounded by a forcefield.
“So that’s how the greys got them,” I said.
Purshia fiddled with her holoscreen and shook her head. “There are no greys here.”
I pointed at someone climbing out of a big machine. “What are those?”
“Kelgox,” said Ella disdainfully.
Purshia turned the holoscreen so I could see it. It depicted a tall, red-skinned race with no hair, beady little eyes, and a head too small for its body. The thing was flabby and bulbous, with short legs but long arms and torso.
“The Kelgox are known animal tamers,” said Purshia. “They thrive by capturing and selling exotic animals.”
“They’re scum,” said Val. “They have no respect for living creatures. One hundred years ago they wiped out the Jeeber population on my planet. We have been at war with them ever since.”
“I think it’s time to shut these fuckers down. What do you think?”
Val’s scowled, and a nano gun formed on each hand.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
The rest of us engaged our weapons, and I gestured for them to huddle up.
“What’s the plan?”
“We need to free the drogans before we attack,” said Purshia. “We don’t want any of them getting hurt.”
“I agree, but I have a feeling we’re not going to be able to sneak in there. We’ll need a distraction.”
Drogy growled low and puffed up his feathers.
“Good idea, bro.” I turned to the girls. “Drogy and I will create a distraction. Once we’ve got everyone’s attention, you three get down there and free the drogans.”
“Be careful,” said Ella.
“You too.”
I mounted Drogy, winked at the girls, and urged him into the air. Drogy ran to the edge of the ledge and leaped, spreading his wings at the last moment and shooting across the valley. The operation going on down there was pretty big. There were dozens of small dome-shaped huts beside larger buildings, and six watchtowers surrounded the place. It was like a prison for drogans, and I guessed there were at least a hundred Kelgox.
Warning cries rose up among the red-skinned beings, but the drogans cried out with hopeful chirrups and triumphant roars. Drogy flew over a group of Kelgox scrambling for cover and unleashed a plume of fire that destroyed their smaller abodes.
“Fly over that distant ridge before those tower guns start blasting!” I warned.
He flew higher, and I watched nervously as the big turrets atop the watchtowers turned to track us. We barely made it over the ridge before the bullets started flying, and their impact carved out a huge chunk of stone, which exploded behind us as we swooped out of sight.
“I want you to keep flying around the perimeter,” I said. “Make sure you get their attention, but don’t stay in view for more than a few seconds.”
He chirped determinedly.
I jumped off and engaged my jetpack, then turned toward the ridge. There were three ships coming for Drogy, and as I sped toward them, the lead ship launched a big
wire net that crackled with electricity. I shot straight up into the air, avoiding it, and unloaded with both nanoguns. My laser rounds punched big holes in that ship’s hull, and it spiraled out of control and exploded.
The other two ships veered off in different directions. Drogy intercepted one and ripped off its right wing with his massive claws. I went after the third ship, launching two nanobombs that reduced it to fiery rubble.
Drogy banked around the ridge, and I flew over it, swooping low and veering toward the cargo ship the beasts were being loaded onto. The work had stopped, and the Kelgox had taken what cover they could. Dozens of them fired at me, but I was going too fast for them to lead me with any success.
The turrets on the closest tower barked fire, and I barely dodged the fast-moving missiles they launched. Dodging them wasn’t good enough, however, because they exploded next to me, releasing a massive amount of electricity. The burst sent me off-course, but my nanosuit absorbed the brunt of the shock.
I regained control and launched a nanobomb at the turret, utterly destroying it, then flew on to the next. I did a full circle around the Kelgox camp, systematically taking out the turrets. Once they were all down, I did a pass over the clump of dome shelters and reduced them to smoldering debris.
The girls somehow disengaged the energy field keeping the hundreds of drogans huddled together, and the beasts took to the sky, a gloriously colored flock of dragon-like creatures. The sight made my heart soar, even as it filled the Kelgox with terror.
They screamed warnings to each other, alarms sounded, and the big cargo ships powered up, but there was no way we were letting the bastards get away.
I flew toward one of the cargo ships and blasted the wide cockpit window. Laser rounds slapped my chest, but the nanosuit deflected them. I landed on the nose of the long craft and aimed at the shocked crew.
“This is for Drodog!”
I unloaded on the crew, tearing them to pieces with my laser guns. The engines died, and I dropped into the cockpit and walked to the door. I kicked it right off its hinges and put a bullet in a surprised Kelgox’s head. There were others in the passenger compartment, but I didn’t take the time to count them before opening fire. By the time I was done, there were so many scattered body parts, I couldn’t tell how many there’d been. A dozen or more, at a guess. I felt no remorse for any of them. They captured, tortured, and sold the drogans to the likes of the greys, and in my book, that made them poachers.
Those Kelgox that managed to survive our initial assault were hunted down and torn apart by the drogan flock. I met up with the girls near the burning cargo ship, and Drogy landed beside us.
When every Kelgox had been killed, the drogans dispersed, flying north. Drogy nudged me with his long snout, and I petted his feathered neck.
“You’re free, Drogy,” said Purshia as she hugged him. “Go. Be with the others. Find a mate, have babies, and live a long and happy life. We’ll make sure the Kelgox never come back.”
“Goodbye, Drogy,” said Ella and Val, and they gave him hugs.
He cooed and looked at the departing flock.
“Thanks for everything.” I said. “We’ll sure miss you.”
He licked my face with his long pink tongue, and I laughed despite the slobber. Drogy backed away and tossed his head back. He roared triumphantly, offered us one last longing gaze, and launched into the air.
A lump grew in my throat as we watched him join the flock and fly away.
“How are we going to keep them safe?” Ella asked. “Surely the Kelgox will return.”
“We can launch sensors into orbit that’ll alert us if their ships approach the planet,” said Purshia.
“Good idea,” I said. “That’ll give us a chance to get here before they set up shop again.”
We returned to the ship and launched without incident. Once in orbit, Purshia released three sensors in different locations around the planet. It took about an hour from start to finish, and soon we were on our way out of the solar system.
“Who’s ready for a damn vacation?” I asked when we hit hyperspeed.
“Oh, me, me, me!” said Purshia.
“We can’t reach Zerenity fast enough,” said Val.
Ella had told us about the tropical planet, which was supposedly one of the best vacation spots in the galaxy, and we’d planned on heading there after we dropped off Drogy.
“I can’t wait to sit back, sip a fruity drink, and relax under the twin suns,” Ella said dreamily.
“Shh!” Purshia suddenly hissed. She held a hand to her ear, and her eyes widened.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We’re receiving a distress call.”
“From where?”
Purshia typed on her pad and glanced at me. “It’s coming from the Gammarack sector, about a half a day’s flight away at present speed.”
I was already shaking my head. “Fuck that. Everyone knows you don’t answer distress calls in space.”
“Why not?”
“Because you end up with alien eggs in your belly, or it’s a trap, or it’s some omniscient being who wants to absorb you into the hive mind.”
“How do you know that?” Ella asked.
“The movies, duh,” I said.
“I’ll bring it up on the screen,” said Purshia.
A few seconds later, a scared-looking female appeared. She had light green skin, big orange eyes, and tubular chutes sticking up out of her hairless head. She was a cute little thing, and her apparent terror made me instantly concerned for her.
“She’s a Verithian,” Purshia whispered.
“My name is Bella’Rah,” she whispered. She glanced behind her into the darkness and listened, then shivered, and looked back at the recording device. “Please, if you are receiving this, you must help us. There are fifty of us, all female, some as young as three years old. We’ve been kidnapped from our planet by the abusive Korlocks. They’ve beaten us, starved us, and intend to sell us as slaves. Please, we need you—”
“You there!” came a barking voice that made us all jump.
A big hand grabbed Bella’Rah by the head and lifted her off her feet. Her terrified face was replaced by that of a pale-skinned being. He scowled at whatever device was recording, then static filled the screen.
The girls looked at me expectantly.
“It could be a trap, you know. Poor Bella’Rah might be acting.”
“You are a lawman, Harry Warwick.” Purshia scowled at me. “You have a duty to help those in need.”
I looked from her to Ella and Val, and both of them were giving me the same expectant look.
“Aw shit.” I threw my arms up in defeat. “But if an alien ends up bursting out of my chest, I’m going to be really, really pissed.”
We were chilling in bed, watching The Terminator for the third time, when the proximity alarm went off. The trip was a little over six hours, and we’d spent the time napping, screwing, and watching Earth movies. The girls loved that movie, especially Val, who’d gotten in the habit of impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger’s legendary lines.
“We’ve arrived,” said Purshia. She jumped out of bed and got dressed with the rest of us, and we ran to the bridge.
Purshia shut down the sensor warnings and zoomed in on the spaceship, which was orbiting a purple planet.
“It’s a Korlock cargo ship, class 3. But it’s had some upgrades done to its weapons systems,” said Purshia.
“If it comes down to a fight, would we win?” I asked.
“That depends on who shoots first,” she said with a shrug.
“Hail them and see if they really are a bunch of slavers. If so, we proceed with Val’s plan. Ella and Val, you two get in the cargo hold and get ready.”
When Ella reported back that they were ready, I nodded to Purshia. She fiddled with the controls, and a moment later the ugly mug of one of the grey-skinned Korlocks filled the screen.
“Greetings,” I said affably. “I am Captain Zed.”
“What do you want?” he asked suspiciously. He had two small horns protruding from his temples and a head of black dreadlocks. From his chin hung a goatee made of spaghetti-like black tendrils.
“I’ve been hanging around this solar system for days without fuel.” I laughed like a goofball. “I know, I know, what kind of dumbass runs out of fuel in the Gammarack system? It’s a long story.”
“We have no fuel for you,” he said abruptly.
“I can pay handsomely.”
He laughed and then sneered at someone off camera, presumably one of his crew.
“I can trade these two sluts for some fuel,” I said, and Purshia switched the camera to Ella and Val, who had stripped down to their bra and panties and looked like they were tied back to back in the cargo hold. They were gagged, and makeup streamed down their teary cheeks.
She switched the camera back to the Korlock captain, who was grinning hungrily.
“Come aboard. Bring the females, and we will talk.”
“Be right over,” I said with a big smile.
I could tell by the way he looked at me before signing off that he thought I was an idiot. He probably planned to rob me of the ladies and my ship, and toss me out the airlock.
I couldn’t wait to see the surprised look on his face.
“It’s show time, ladies,” I said over the PA. “Purshia, hold down the fort.”
“What if something goes wrong?” she asked, concerned.
“If things start to go south, beam us the hell out of there.”
“I can’t. They have a disrupter in place, probably so hostages can’t get beamed off.”
“Well, improvise then,” I said with a shrug.
I joined Eva and Ella in the cargo hold, and we boarded the transport ship. Purshia had given me some lessons, and I was getting pretty good at flying the thing.
“Ready?” I asked, strapping myself in.
“Ready,” said Ella from one of the six seats behind me.
“Do it!” said Val in her best Arnold voice. “Do it now!”
“That’s not Terminator, that’s from Predator,” I said with a grin.
She laughed. “Do it now!”
“Phallus 1 ready for launch,” I told Purshia. I’d named the transport ship that because it seemed fitting; the thing was basically a long tube, with wings that could retract if need be, but it was usually parked in its tubular form. As the cockpit was slightly wider than the rest of the craft, it resembled a giant dick.
