by Marcus Sloss
“I like him, Father. He is certainly not a typical food creature. Honest, brave, and stupid. Makes for perfect pets. Once he leaves, I would like to find some. Replace those lizardmen we have farming. Trade the lizardmen in for raw materials. I have been wanting to craft a submersible suit for ocean portals,” Lilith said. I finished moving the best loot out front. Other soldiers were shifting those boxes into the RV for me. I found a box in the back of the store I could use to scoop the goods up front into. I dumped the cheap tools in it for messing with tiny screws onto the ground, letting them scatter with a clatter. Every Gpad and electric device I could find was tossed into the box. “Do you have a scuba set, Eric?”
“I do not. I will admit, I do not fear much, but the deep waters frighten me. Enclosed vision makes me feel… off. My body is fluid on land, in water I am hampered,” I said, almost done with loading what I could. I shot the locked cabinets. Bingo. I was going to need a second box. “Willow, get in here to help collect these Gpads. We have enough for the crixxi.”
“There is a name I have not heard in a generation. The forest people?” the father said.
Shit, me and my big mouth. “Yes, tall trees, fur on the hips for the female, a mane over the neckline for the males. Tails and extra ears. Easy on the eyes. They were defeated by the lurrol—”
A fist slammed into the ground.
“Lava-spewing rock giants that roll on wheels?” the father asked.
The daughter replied, “He is not lying, Father. You know the translator is working. I have studied that species. What perturbs you?”
“They killed our former matriarch eons before you were born. You have to hit their brains, and we are susceptible to their spewing lava. Their eyes are so small it is hard to shoot them,” the father said.
“Are the bodies worth anything?” I asked.
“Impressive. You killed some, didn’t you?” Lilith asked. “Do not answer that. I found the footage. Okay, the high, protruding brow line makes it easier for shorter creatures to shoot them in the eyes. Interesting.”
“We only killed two and were forced to abandon the fight.”
“Fighting a losing battle is ridiculous. Plus, you are woefully underprepared for most threats that you should avoid fighting at your Xgates. You will not always encounter such esteemed visitors like us.”
The Gpads in the box lit up, blaring their red-alert lights without sound.
“Do not read aloud. When the portals flare pink, be ready. The enslavement masters are splintering. You will notice. Be ready. Do not openly speak of what you are reading. Transcribe only. Welcome to the Alliance.” - Unknown
Great. Cryptic nonsense from god-like aliens. Exactly what I needed to add to the mix. I did adhere to what was written. Even Willow kept her mouth shut.
A bellow from the direction of the Xgate sounded.
“I may wish to talk again before the gates go golden. If you see our kind, do not fire, Eric of Stronghold Mansion. We will harvest the bodies of the lurrol. If you see us warring with the inferior gods, seek guidance. Eat your foes well, human,” Lilith said.
When the two of them thundered away, items shook off the walls. I gulped.
“How do they know so much? The Gnet is down.”
“Obviously, it’s not. Maybe there’s a tower box nearby without power. Or they stole one, or they absorbed the data when they hit Boulder Sanctuary. Never mind, my Gpad is on. There are no towers active, though. Maybe they operate with a six, seventh, and eighth sense,” I said with a deflated sigh. I hefted my full box and hauled it into the RV. I went to the bedroom and emptied the contents beside the bed. Torrez was waiting for me outside the RV. “We loaded up?”
“Yes, but there is a washer-dryer store right there. I was—”
“Do it. Hurry,” I said, and ran to the open front door. “Back the convoy up to the laundromat.”
I checked out the screen. Rhinotaur bodies were being piled outside the portal in a strung-out trail. As the portal drifted, the bodies piled in a random pattern. Lilith and the others were scooping them up to chuck them into their portal. That explained the sudden end of our conversation. My heart ached. If they chose to kill us, we were doomed. I had to assume we did not taste good. If we did, there was nothing we had that could stop them.
I leaped out of the moving RV. “This is done,” Willow said, gesturing to the Gpad store.
“Cap, I need your help,” Torrez said from the end of the shopping plaza. I ran with long strides until I performed a sliding skid. “They are bolted down and then they cement the bolts. I could—”
“I got it,” I said, hurrying to the first machine. I punched the cement free. I noticed a soldier trying to wrap a machine. “Do not drag it out until I bust the bolts.”
I slid two fingers under the machine until they wrapped the thin bolt. A single tug busted the zinc-cover carbon-steel bolt. My virum spilled out. I guessed there would be new infections in the area. I ignored the black goop eating the bits of bolt and rotated to the next three.
When I was done, Torrez rocked the machine. Victory was ours when he walked the industrial-sized dryer for an open trailer. I had not even thought of the endless task of laundry. Chucking my dirty clothes into a fire pit was a bit reckless. I spent the next fifteen minutes destroying bolts. The moment I finished, I ran back to RV3 to check the screen.
The radio smacked with static. “—luxe Duke, over.”
“Go for Cap.”
“—timate your re— to —ase.”
I decided to talk long and drawn out. “We found vital supplies. Leaving in three minutes.”
By the time I finished saying that we were loaded up, I had gone to the back of the RV roof to look at the Xgate. The massive divine-apes were hard at work.
“We are going home, Lilith, Father, and other gods. Be well.”
I was shocked when they gave nods in return. Harvard was probably going to jizz in his pants over these creatures. I bet they were ranked a twenty out of ten on the alien species scale.
“Rolling out,” Dedric said over the mic.
I went to the front of the RV for the roof hatch. I wanted to tuck the bottom half of my body into the loft.
“What are you doing up there?” Willow asked.
“I am keeping my body inside the RV in case I need to fire Big Sploosha!” I said with a grin.
“Is that what you named your gun!?”
“You know it,” I said with a cackle.
“They keep tossing bodies out of that portal. There must have been a huge nest of rhinotaurs being farmed,” Willow said sadly.
“I don’t need to run faster than the bear—”
“—only faster than you,” Willow said, completing my statement.
We let the trip transition in silence. From my perch I watched the convoy slither through abandoned cars. The streets of the Denver suburb were silent, the bombardment of advertising absent. I super didn’t miss that nonsense. My observations found that the roads were smeared in blood. A few skeletal remains dotted alleys or storefronts. When we passed by a high-rise apartment, the splattered remains of the suicides were evident. Well… the stains were. The roaches ate the bodies, minus the bones. Death. Denver was death. Everywhere I looked, humanity lost.
I thought the city void of life until a large mutt with a rabid appearance snarled at us from an alleyway opening. It was eating the remains of the rhinotaur that was flung into the city. Violence sparkled from its eyes that warned me. The growl it gave was one of death before surrender.
“Halt the convoy,” I commanded.
The tires screeched. I sighted the dog before willing the weapon to fire. The orb zoomed into the midsection of the dog; the animal kept eating, desperate for its food. A moment later it toppled in death.
“Dismount. Loot the bodies,” I ordered into the radio.
The generator was smashed into pieces, which made it easier to carry. The weapon was intact, forcing four soldiers to carry it. I wondered how heavy t
he actual-sized weapons were that we needed to fight monsters like Lilith.
With the advanced weapon—with parts to a green power source—looted, we retrieved the best parts. An auto-knife was brought out, its serrated blades humming when the soldier tested its battery power.
“Leave the body for the scavengers. I only shot the feral dog because it would have attacked,” I said. Then I thought about it. “Grab the dog’s body. The ramoths need to eat too. Gargoyle will only last so long.”
A soldier grunted at the grisly task, but carried out my orders. The dead dog was tossed on top of a thick rubber bouncy house. I noticed we got the quality ones and that there were more than a few. I hope there were the patches that came with them for when you got a leak. I chuckled at wondering about holes in kid toys over slaying rabid dogs. This was the new world of worlds. There was little more I could do besides what was best for the community.
We left Denver. The city outskirts were more of the same. Metal signs ripped from the ground, cars stripped of doors, and skeletons bleaching in the sun. I remember watching a documentary on what Earth would be like if humanity disappeared. Already, signs of those predictions were evident. Nature was starting to reclaim what was once lost. Grass growing in the middle of the cracked street was evidence. Early, and small, but a sign of things to come for this once-great city.
When we left, I was sad. For the defeated residents and our loot left behind. We hit a decent haul, though. Nothing amazing, but certainly decent. I guess I should not complain to myself until the golden gate or Harvard told me what these generators and weapons from the rhinotaurs were worth.
I tucked myself into the loft with the danger behind us.
“Head up top, Willow,” I ordered. I shoved my face over Dedric’s shoulder. Twenty-two miles per hour. “Why are we going so slowly?”
“The gradient of the hills is steep. We can speed up in a bit. You should be able to reach the XO on the radio now,” Dedric mentioned.
That was his way of saying I got this.
I slipped into the booth. The drones were focusing on my small convoy now. Only one watched the process of bodies arriving on Earth only to be thrown into a portal moments later. A solitary drone gave me a view of Jevon and his team. They were stacked on the side of a road waiting to link to our convoy.
I guess they were done looting. Not much to say, really, so I watched the screens while we proceeded west into the mountains. Lilith gave a final look at the drone watching her. She gave a nod before the connection closed. I heard a drone operator cursing.
“Do not send another drone to that Xgate. Expand our convoy pattern, or whatever. Do not bother the mega-monster,” I ordered in a loud tone.
“Yes, your grace,” Peterson said with a snicker.
The moxie was always a sign the tension was starting to fade. I had been on edge ever since we left Stronghold Mansion. Twenty minutes up the hill and we condensed into a solid unit again. During the downtime, I compiled all the information I could. I wanted a report ready to fire off the moment we were back in Gtower range. Jevon jumped into RV3 and I faded back to the drone operators.
“Peterson,” I said, waiting for her goggles to come off. I leaned against the doorway, returning her smile when she locked eyes with me. “Those divine-apes, they cut the feed of these drones. How many of the blimps do we have on standby?”
Peterson was more confident than ever. The little meek black woman was beaming a radiant smile. “Well, we bought backups for the backups of these little drones. Honestly, the only reason we fly them without an autopilot is that we zoom in while on a mission. I am operating a dozen camera feeds for the one you are seeing.”
I twisted my jaw while I thought about how to proceed.
“They can die. They can be defeated. If they come to our home, I want to know. How many can you have airborne around the base at one time around the clock?” I asked.
“Drones are not mindless robots that last forever. They will fall out of the sky. A battery shorts, a connector breaks, a bird strikes. The list goes on, especially if you want around-the-clock coverage.”
I let her huff out a sigh.
“I want a blanket of drones. If one goes out, we chalk it up to some random occurrence. If a dozen wink out to the north, for instance, we know a divine-ape is coming from the north. Or some other creature capable of severing the connection,” I said, sticking my hands in my pockets. “Peterson, you six are our most valuable assets. I say that for a few reasons. Find me drones with more protections. And Peterson—” I closed the door while lowering my voice. “Buy me drone operators. I know there are some on the servant market.”
She gulped, then nodded. “I can maybe grow the team, but if you want eyes in the sky around the clock with multiple missions going, then I may need outside help. You do realize what you’re asking of me?”
“Think of it this way, Peterson, if we get the right operators with the right drones, they can join the community. I imagine good aliens captured by bad people in need of a new home. I find something noble in providing the less fortunate with a good environment. I don’t know a better person to rescue others and set them free,” I said, and meant it.
A few other drone operators patted her back. She grew confident from their encouragement.
“The blimps are the most ideal. Honestly, if we expand the perimeter, we don’t need to watch the inside so much. Unless you need to spy on us,” Peterson said with hesitation. She frowned. “I am thinking of a plan. Actually, you gave me a lot to organize. Expect a more solid network of drones after we get home.”
“Thanks, Peterson. Thank you, drone team, for all the hard work.”
“The bonus?” Bonnie said, and I chuckled.
The virum sure had a way of converting people from timid to assertive. I knew this issue would come back up.
“We have a shopping list now, with valuations and everything. I want to buy a few machines, get some heavy weapons, and increase our defenses. With that said, apply for what you need to the Gnet lists,” I said with a smirk. Bonnie pouted before removing her goggles. “If you think I am living with my head in the sand about people deserving pay, you are wrong. Think about if you want unicorn pool floaties over an energy beam that can cut through the hide of a monster. Soon. Wish it was sooner. For the community.”
“For the community,” they echoed back.
We entered Gtower range. My Gpad flared alive. I raised my wrist hesitantly. Phew, it was clear of alerts. A general message was waiting from Perci.
“Call me. Love you.” - Your forever girl
“Home soon, we did great. No one died and we got some loot. Could have been worse. Sending details now. Will call when you are caught up.” - Hunky Hubby
I smirked at her silly name changing. I sent the report to the command channel and Aspen. I contemplated giving them less information but this had everything, including the cryptic message about not speaking out loud regarding the alliance. Whatever that was. I was honest when I told Perci I felt we did great. Any mission everyone came home from was fantastic in my book. I knew some would pout because we didn’t get epic loot. There was a whole city to still sort through. We could go back next Xgate rotation.
I flicked the irritating thought away and returned to my happy place. I dug into the task file to see what needed attention. I found a geology folder.
I opened this up because I had not realized Perci had found a rock guy or girl. Of course, it was a crixxi. Excellent. Razzar was able to compile the list of minerals in our valley fairly quickly. Based on the report, he was done in minutes. Oh, Perci left a note.
“Gave him the data from the survey teams. Completed in an hour. Here are his recommendations. Hired on the spot.” - Persephone
Gold, silver, tungsten, zinc, lead, granite, and something I did not understand. That was all on scan one. Okay. Fair point. Nothing super desirable, but it would be in our backyard. I especially liked the idea of six-hundred-foot walls with earth in betw
een them. Something so tall even the tallest alien assholes couldn’t jump it. That castle in the eastern portal was a few hundred feet tall. The task would be massive, but worth the effort. It was not like the population had after-school soccer or a movie to watch on Gflix.
The other scan results mentioned some gems, but more of the same. Hmm. I opened up a second report he sent. Damn. I let out a whistle. My Gpad rang before I could process this insane breakdown of how Razzar wanted to accomplish our mining.
“Hey, my love,” I said to Perci.
“You spoil me. Please don’t stop.” Perci had her chin in her palms with her elbows on the table. She must have put the camera ball in front of her. “I was serious.”
“Oh, great job hiring Razzar,” I replied with a dashing smile. She frowned. Aw. “Your hair is looking amazing. I missed you.”
“Better. I tease. I just missed you too. I do not like being the stay-at-home wife, but I digress. This is where I am best suited. For example, Razzar. Did you review his findings?”
“Yeah, nothing fantastic jumped off the charts. All this is—”
“The zinc is not. Zinc is actually expensive. We need to make a decision. Machines or servant labor,” Perci said with a wince. “God, that sounds awful.”
Dedric shot a glance over his shoulder at me with a hint of scorn.
“Is that what this file is? I just opened it and was trying to break down all the details. Oh.”
“‘Oh’ is right. We save on the first year if we go with servants. After that, the machines pay for themselves.”
I set my camera to fly a few feet away. “Perci, I am all for helping females in servitude, who are prisoner, and slave contracts that become free. I am also one hundred percent in favor of taking a woman who would be raped, beaten, and forced to do horrific things and give her a great job like a daycare helper or a drone operator. Hell, there are a thousand jobs that the community can stomach besides hard labor in the mines. We are not running a slave camp. Freedom camp, sure. The whole thing can be debated endlessly, and I get squeamish inside thinking about it.”
