by Marcus Sloss
Jarod squeezed through the opening before pushing the gate closed.
“Which boat is she?” Jerod asked.
“The end of the docks. Give me your Gpad. You now have permissions as the captain. If you could set a -” She glared at Jarod when her Gpad pinged an alert. She realized too late that he was not the captain she had hired.
Jarod shoved the old lady over the side railing. She screamed as she fell, with her flaying arms desperate for salvation. The descent a dozen feet down was brief. There was an awkward silence. To his everlasting regret, Jarod peered over the edge. Her head pulsed blood, her neck was at a jagged angle, and her eyes were wide open with a glazed terror. There was no rise or fall of her chest.
He watched intently for minutes, hoping to see her chest flare back to life. He heard running footsteps by the gate.
“Mrs. Demouth, I am here. Mrs. Demouth!” The man screamed her name. The actual captain was flustered. Jarod heard the man mutter, “End of the world prank maybe. She did pay me a bonus upfront though. Mrs. Demouth! I can’t believe I forgot to ask for the code. Hey you. Open this gate please.”
Jarod ignored the order and turned for The Pearly Dream. The captain screamed his demands a few more times before giving up. He left for someplace that Jarod would never care to know. With determination, Jarod boarded the bobbing ship at the end of the dock. He immediately untied the boat of the mooring lines.
The Pearly Dream had sails and an electric motor for navigating tight waters. He started the engine with his permissions. He dialed in a course on the captain’s station for Los Angeles. The boat had an estimate of twenty five days with good winds and using the motor with sails full. Less if the solar panels remained charged from constant sunshine. He hit accept.
The anchor raised itself with the winch whining and the chain clanking. The sails stayed furled. The moment the anchor locked, the self-driving boat took over. Jarod grinned. He was going home. Now it was time to check out the inside.
A yacht sailboat combo was the latest rage. Fully eco-friendly while still including luxury and technology. The old lady was an idiot. She could have set the information in herself. Then again, maybe she was an elitist. Manual tasks beneath her. Jarod grinned when he saw the leather living area. There was a fully stocked wet bar. Hell, there was a de-salinator on board. A massive suite was in the bow of the ship with auto-stabilizing pistons to let you sleep without a rocking motion. They had literally spared no expense on this lavish boat.
Jarod laughed loudly into the intricately decorated space. Then he cried while the sailboat slipped out of port. Finding his courage, he went to the bar. Mounted between bottles of expensive liquor was a tommy gun. The kind you saw in mobster movies, except it was different. The design was more streamlined with no metal. Hard colored plastic meshed with clear sections. The acrylic drum showcased three-inch darts perfect for killing fish. Jarod mulled it over, realizing you would lose every dart fired. He figured Mrs. Demouth probably didn’t care because the weapon was mostly ceremonial anyway. He shifted into the cupboards. Even preserved food for a few months. While that was fantastic, it was not what he was searching for. Eventually, he found the correct cabinet. Spare dart drums were arrayed neatly. Five death-dealing reloads of ammo ready and waiting. Perfect.
Jarod lifted the dart gun off the mantle, testing its weight. He surmised the darts had to be hollow because the entire thing weighed less than a few pounds. An extra look confirmed his theory. The grip was solid in his hand. When he shouldered it, the weapon felt natural. This was the exact opposite of what he expected.
He was a man of science. Violence was never in his nature. Jarod had always been able to talk himself out of every situation that bordered on turning into something beyond hostility. He prided himself on his negotiating skills. His introvert ways were far more important than confrontation.
All that changed though. Funny how aliens pushed him over the edge. This weapon was not what altered him, although it certainly brought him an inner warmth of pleasure to hold. The sheer power in his hands forced out a cackle of madness.
Killing an old defenseless woman unleashed a monster inside him. He had transitioned from a weakling coward to a survivalist at all costs. He was determined. Nothing would stand in his way to getting to Jill and Mary. This weapon was the guiding missile on his path to save them. Jarod realized he was getting a bit looney. He poured a whiskey neat into a very expensive crystal glass. He raised the drink and downed the liquid in a single sip. He gave a tip of the glass to salute Mrs. Demouth. May her sacrifice return him to his loving home.
∞∞∞
Jarod had stayed up all night watching the aliens arriving onto Earth. When the satellites were destroyed, the Gnet went down. Thankfully, the Pearly Dream was built for such scenarios. The loss of connection to the outside world meant no more updates for weather, news, and accurate mapping of sea lanes to warn of other traffic.
The Gpad for the ship itself could still track speed, direction, and drift through the yachts sensors. As long as he kept battery power, he could get home on autopilot. Thank goodness the sails had sewn-in solar cells; their intake had allowed the batteries to stay fully charged. The rudder, sails, and adjustments were all automated as the yacht continued to sail forward.
Jarod left the captain’s chair to look at a falling construct up ahead. The massive building-shaped alien device had been descending from the atmosphere for hours. Before the news cut out, it did mention there would be more fourgates coming down to Earth. A few were slated to arrive on the ocean. The yacht sailed by the large alien structure before it landed. He watched the descent until it faded beyond the horizon.
Jarod was exhausted from staying up all night. With a long yawn that followed a big stretch, he went for the bedroom. Aliens were real, and they were on Earth. Telling himself this helped him rationalize snuggling with a deadly weapon. Sleep swiftly overtook him.
Jarod’s eyes shot open, a loud noise ripping him from sleep. There was a thud from the back of the boat. He instantly was frightened. He reached to tell Jill to get the bat she kept by the nightstand. Jill was not here. He was not at home. A panic set into him until he gripped the dart gun tightly. An ease washed over him. He could hide in the room. That was his first idea. The damn stabilizing gyros prevented him from going under the bed. The closet had locking shelving, so he could not hide there. A second glance revealed the cabin was simply a terrible place to hide.
The sound of soft talking - no, it was singing - hit his ears. The flat of something wet smacking the lush cabin carpet was louder than the chatter. They were in the main cabin. He could get behind them if he hurried.
Scared but determined, Jarod opened the hatch to the deck. He hauled himself onto the white decking. His eyes winced from the bright sunlight. Silently, he closed the latch. He locked the top down from this side. Now, whoever was on his ship was trapped in the cabin.
Jarod had never fired a gun. Blambo seven taught him to shoulder the weapon, aim down the barrel, and then squeeze. Never fire from the hip. Movie instructions were the best he had to go on.
He walked along the outer edge of the hull on his tippy-toes. Every step was subtle and carefully placed. The sound of items crashing onto the floor outside the cabin covered his movements. Jarod risked a quick peek into the captain’s stations.
A massively muscular man stood with a crackling trident. The being was more divine than the actors who portrayed mermen in the movies. Large gills flapped against the sides of his exposed body. There was no single tail. Instead, his hips went to knees down to shins. He had two long flippers instead of feet. A dorsal fin aligned his spine that was tucked tight against his body. The man-fish was not bothered by nudity as he dangled freely.
Jarod gulped. His opponent was armed with a magical weapon. Not only that, but he was also big enough to kill him with a single punch.
Jill… Jill… Mary… Mary… I must get home.
Psyching himself up worked.
/> One step forward gave him clear line of sight. The merman was yelling his song language into the interior, oblivious of the threat.
Jarod aimed the dart gun, closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger five times.
A thud sounded. Jarod peeked through his closed eyes to see the merman was dead in a pooling puddle of blood. The crimson red turned black. The black moved. Jarod tried to dodge the goop, but it gave him two options. Jump off the boat or let it attack. Too scared to leap off his moving boat, he accepted his fate.
His foot was covered in the black substance. He didn’t feel the material, alien, or whatever it was that touched him. When the black went into his body, he shivered. He was infected. One of his worst fears was now a reality. The long list of probable outcomes and what-ifs screamed in his mind.
The silence from the cabin was broken when song words turned into a wail of anguish. A female mermaid raced up from the cabin stairs to cling to the dead merman. Jarod aimed. Yet, he hesitated when he saw no weapon.
“Who are you?” Jarod asked.
“We are the -” squeaks, snaps, and a melody played from a white square-shaped device embedded above her ample chest. “You need to name me and our species.”
“Merfolk, why would I need to give you a name when you already have one?”
“We are merfolk. We are here -”
A second mermaid slapped her flippers up the stairs in a hurry. A kidney punch was savagely delivered by a black-haired black-eyed mermaid. The first one crashed to her knees. The trident was scooped up by the aggressor; a sparkle of electricity shot forward. The first mermaid fell to the deck with violent shaking.
“Put the weapon down,” Jarod ordered with a confidence he did not know he had.
“Yes, Master. She is a trickster. The other merlady below and I were deceived by her and the old Master. When our commune was raided and our males defeated, we knew we would need a new family. This devil convinced us to join her champion. He filled our contract with terms we didn’t comprehend at the time.”
Jarod let the mermaid vent. Well, she had knees and shins; he guessed merlady worked. She also was very naked with large swollen breasts, thick hips, and no hair anywhere besides on her head.
“There were theories on the Gnet that the aliens were here to capture humans. Is that true?”
“Yes, Master. Capture, raid, loot, pilfer, and more. It is the will of the gods to venture forth and take what others cannot defend. Do you have a name or prefer Master?”
“Jarod is my name. Do you have one?”
“I am selecting one from the translator now. I always wanted to pick my own name. I like to blow bubbles. Bubbles works,” Bubbles said with a bouncing clap. Jarod’s eyes couldn’t help but follow her jiggly tits.
“Bubbles certainly works.”
“Jarod, you have three options allowed by the gods,” Bubbles said. A third merlady exited the cabin with hands up. She was malnourished, with ribs and hips showing. Bubbles sat in the captain’s chair then pulled the frail one onto her lap.
“The gods?”
“We figured this was a new world the gods deemed in need of salvation. We saw no water cities and the fish were all wild. Funny thing is, I told him not to try to steal from a moving vessel. Surface dwellers get very defensive over their land on water.”
“You worship the aliens who created the portals?” Jarod asked.
“Yes, and the little aliens that keep us healthy. We have been hunting for treasures to trade for zinc. Our aliens are very excited. There is zinc all over this vessel. Part of why he was so distracted. When we have more time, I will educate you on the way of the gods.”
“Ah, the black goo that left him and entered me,” Jarod said, connecting the dots. “They eat zinc. Long term not great, the fiberglass will eventually degrade if it is stripped. What were my three choices?”
“You can set us free. Either right now or by waiting for the next trade rotation on the god-gates. You can kill us, which would be a waste. Now that we are free of our contract which bound us to this dead merman, we can bind into servitude for you. Finally, you can contract us to do your bidding, since we are at your mercy. We merfolk have a way of life. Our alpha men dominate then subjugate. If you give me a beneficial contract, I will happily accept your rule. You will have to provide for Coral and me. I will name her Jelly,” Bubbles said. Coral was on her lap, and Jelly was slowly breathing on the ground, still out from her electrocution.
“You are telling me you will become my servants?”
“Yes and more if you are good to us. I will please you like never -”
“I do not do physical interaction without covers. A plague killed my parents, and since then, I take extra precautions. As enticing as -”
“Silly, Jarod. The mini gods inside you will make you immune. You will never get sick again. Eventually, you will be all muscles like he was. A mighty warrior with a mighty weapon,” Bubbles said, pointing at the dart gun. “When we swear to you, a weapon will not be needed to keep us loyal. Jelly may force you to kill her though. Which if you do that, it will just mean food for the fishes. Four might be more than this vessel can handle anyway.”
“You mean kill her?”
“Actually, yes. Prove yourself to me, Jarod. Then I will give you whatever contract you want,” Bubbles’ voice sang in his ears. My heart was filled with a desire to please her.
The weapon pointed at Jelly’s head. The snap of the dart discharging was drowned out by the splashing of brains splattering the deck. Bubbles clapped with a mad laugh. Coral joined Jarod as the three of them cackled in the daylight of the murdered body.
“Oh, Jarod. You sure know how to woo a lady. We are going to be quite the team. Place your hand over my translator,” Bubbles said, while tapping the white device over her large breasts.
Jared stepped forward to the sitting ladies. Coral started a soft sound that caused him to become aroused. His hand landed on the device. His mind whirled with information. While he was lusting and in an odd situation, Jared contained enough wits about him to see he was the master on the contract. The rest mattered little. He accepted before repeating the process with Coral.
“Thank you for sparing us, my Sea King. You will rule the oceans with us at your side. You honor the gods and will achieve great victories for their pleasure. Now, you’re due a reward for freeing us of that tyrant.”
Jarod was led to the cabin by the two merladies. They entered the shower, where a euphoric reality became so amazing it was magical.
An hour later, Jarod realized he did not feel contaminated. His phobia was gone. He tugged at it. He searched for that loathing of contact. When he asked Bubbles, she said he was a new man, one the worlds should fear.
Jarod smirked. Content, without a worry. Jill would be so impressed he finally was able to get better. She would love the new him.
BOOK 2
CHAPTER 1
“Sit, please. What brings you to my booth?” The alien across from me shifted in a large cedar rocking chair as his lips peeled back, revealing rows of serrated teeth. I was starting to think movie directors must have had inside knowledge of aliens. This fellow in front of me was a blue-skinned climbing species. His clawed, seven-fingered hands gripped the armrests as his long ears twitched to catch a random noise that came from behind me. Something flickered in my peripheral vision, and my eyes darted to see his tail correcting a plaque’s placement until it was exactly where he desired it.
As he spoke, my integrated translator noted that he did not have an English-assigned name. I noticed his species was another nine on the rating scale. I was overwhelmed by the information the alien controllers were giving me access to. There was still so much to understand.
“My name is Eric Yang; my friends call me Cap. I would like to call you Winston. A friend of mine lost his name recently. His owner informed us he was called Felix. Does that work?”
“The translator takes the name you pick and substitutes my name perfectly. I am
honored you chose a respectable replacement. Since I am not busy, why don’t you tell me why you are here, and a little about yourself. I do have this sign for a reason.” Winston’s tail flicked towards another plaque on his wall. It read We reserve the right to refuse service and was hung above a cute nine-tailed kitten. The alien was certainly particular.
“I do not have much experience in fighting aliens. At first glance, I thought you were a mercenary captain, based on the footage playing behind you that showcases so much information on so many different aliens. I sent a query to my friend downstairs to figure out if we could hire troops. We learned you can only exit the portal you came in from, meaning no mercenaries marching between worlds during golden portals. When I gave your booth a second inspection, I realized you have knowledge that may very well save the lives of people I care about,” I said.
The video broadcasting behind Winston caught my attention. The screen flipped left to right like a slideshow. A new alien would appear with detailed information about them indicated in sections of the image: how fast they were, how high they could jump, level of technology, strengths, weaknesses, and more side notes; it even had stats with scoring. “You turn invisible. Which makes you a prime candidate for detailed surveillance.”
“And why should I sell to you?” Winston said. He locked his long blue fingers. I felt his stare as he gazed over his knuckles. “I have refused humans before.”
There were scars etched into his lean naked body. I assumed Winston’s kind did not wear clothes when shifting to invisible. Nudity was common among the aliens I saw at the great market.
“I have over a thousand noncombatants I need to protect. Two species now,” I said while proudly holding up two fingers. Winston raised what could only be assumed was an eyebrow. “When the containment ship arrived, humanity panicked. I had a powerful friend who loves me; she funded our stronghold and used her position of power to make sure we were safe. The gates activated before we were even close to prepared. We still are not. We encountered three alien species, as only three of our gates shined blue. The puroon, they decimated a small stronghold. I see you smirking. They died to buxen.”
