Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet

by Philip Harris

  Lith gestured for them to sit. “My people welcome you.”

  Glitch couldn’t quite get used to the pseudo-telepathy. It felt as if his mind was itchy.

  “May I ask,” said Zheng, “what do your people call yourselves?”

  Lith hesitated, looking around the village. “You have no words for us, but you can call us the So-lang. That is similar.”

  “So-lang…” said Zheng. “Thank you.”

  Glitch leaned close to Anderson. “Better than mole-men.”

  Zheng elbowed him in the ribs, her eyes blazing. Glitch winced and felt his face flush.

  Two of the So-lang arrived carrying a long wooden pole, clearly the trunk of a tree significantly healthier than the ones they’d seen in the desert. Suspended on the pole was a leather basket filled with more rocks. The pole carriers’ bodies were covered in sweat, either from the heat or from the exertion, and Glitch imagined he could smell singed skin. They lowered the bucket to the ground near the roasting creature and removed the pole. Then they lifted the bucket and added the rocks to the mound. Fat dripped from the roasting meat and sizzled on the rocks beneath. Glitch’s stomach rumbled.

  Lith smiled and motioned toward a young boy who was standing nearby, holding a rough stone knife. Lith made a couple of quick sounds, like gasps, and the boy responded in kind. Then he grabbed a flat piece of wood from a pile next to him, hacked a few slices of meat off the creature onto the wood, and passed it to Glitch.

  The pink meat smelled delicious, but Glitch waited until Lith and Anderson had their own servings. His mother had taught him nothing if not how to be polite at mealtimes. When the boy offered a plate to the doctor, she declined. Lith stared at her for a moment, as though he might be offended, then shrugged, grabbed a handful of meat, pushed it into his mouth, and chewed noisily. He smiled and nodded toward the boy, a trickle of grease running down his chin. He gestured to Glitch to eat.

  Glitch gave Zheng a questioning look.

  Zheng gave him a tight smile. “I’m a vegetarian.”

  Glitch considered making a comment about alien meat being murder then changed his mind and just nodded. A young girl hesitantly brought them each a wooden cup filled with water. Glitch smiled and thanked her. He sipped the water. It was crisp and cool, refreshing.

  Glitch looked at the meat for a moment, summoning up the courage to try it. Anderson seemed to be enjoying her food, although less conspicuously than Lith, so he picked out the smallest scrap of meat he could find and tentatively dropped it into his mouth. He’d been expecting chicken, but it was actually closer to ham, although with a rougher texture. It was juicy and a little sweet, and he had to agree it was good. His stomach growled again, urging him to hurry up. Anderson smiled, and he blushed as he grabbed another chunk of meat.

  Every time their plates got anywhere close to being empty, the young boy rushed over with another pile of food. Finally Glitch and Anderson had to wave him away, rubbing their bellies in the universal sign of “No more for me, I’ve eaten too much already.”

  Anderson groaned.

  “Do you think they have any wafer-thin mints?” said Glitch in an exaggerated French accent.

  Anderson grimaced, and for a second, Glitch thought he’d put his foot in it again. Then she smiled and shook her head in mock despair.

  A crowd of the So-lang had gathered around the roasting animal, most of them with their own plates or holding great chunks of meat in their hands. A few of the children gathered nearby, surreptitiously watching the visitors as they tucked into their own food. It seemed such a normal scene, like something Glitch might read about in National Geographic while he waited for a haircut. He could almost forget they were on an impossible planet orbiting Earth. Only the alien features of the people around him made it seem anything other than normal.

  Lith let out a long, enthusiastic belch. The children laughed with delight and promptly began trying to outdo him, and each other, with longer and louder burps. Glitch was tempted to join in but couldn’t quite muster the courage. Then Anderson let out a surprisingly rip-roaring belch, and Glitch found himself digging deep and adding his own accompaniment. Even Doctor Zheng managed to add her own meager burp to the mix.

  The belching contest was just beginning to die away when the first bird-man burst through the cavern ceiling. Lumps of rock crashed to the floor, destroying one of the smaller huts and sending people running. Screams filled the air as three more of the winged creatures appeared. They were carrying iron bars with long leather strips attached to the ends, and as they swept over the village, they swung the whips at the fleeing So-lang.

  Lith pointed at the bird-men. “Barash!”

  The village erupted into chaos. The So-lang scattered, some running into buildings, others trying to get to the safety of the tunnels. A few stood still, too terrified to move.

  Glitch watched in horror as one of the Barash caught a young So-lang, flicking the leather whip around his neck and lifting him into the air. The boy screamed, scrabbling at the leather and trying to free himself as he was dragged upward and out of sight.

  More and more Barash appeared until there were too many for Glitch to count. He recognized one of the creatures as the leader they’d met on the surface. It hovered in midair, clicking and shrieking, giving orders to the others. When it saw Glitch, it pointed and emitted three sharp clicks, clearly audible above the shouts and screams of the So-lang panicking. A pair of Barash turned and swooped toward Glitch.

  Anderson was crouched next to the doctor, a few feet away. “Get down!”

  Glitch dived to the ground as the first of the Barash reached him. He felt the sting of leather on his right calf and yelled.

  “We have to get inside,” said Anderson, pointing toward the large building.

  The door was open, and several of the So-lang were trying to get to it past the circling Barash.

  “We won’t make it,” said Glitch.

  Two children, young girls, were cowering behind a wooden table that had been flipped onto its side. One of the Barash landed and strode toward them, flicking its whip ominously. The doctor picked up a nearby rock and threw it at the advancing bird-man. It bounced off its shoulder, but the creature ignored it and continued toward the girls.

  Something hit one of the huts near Glitch. A few seconds later, flames flickered to life. Thick black smoke filled the air, drifting over the village and cutting visibility. Glitch ran toward the burning hut and pulled at a branch sticking out from its base. There was a loud crump as something inside the hut exploded. Glitch shouted in frustration as flames engulfed the hut. He tugged harder on the burning branch, and it finally broke free.

  Glitch ran toward the children and put himself between the girls and the approaching bird-man, hoping it was afraid of fire. It wasn’t. The Barash advanced toward Glitch, the fire from the branch flickering in its eyes. Glitch jabbed the branch at the Barash then swung it at its head. The tip caught the Barash in the eye, and it let out a long, high-pitched screech.

  Glitch turned to the girls. “Run!” He waved, urging them to get away, but they stayed crouched behind the table, eyeing the burning building with growing concern.

  Doctor Zheng ran toward them. One of the Barash saw her and whirled, swooping after her. Zheng saw the whip flashing toward her a fraction of a second too late. The thin strip of leather wrapped around her arm, and she was pulled backward and up. She screamed in pain and clutched at the whip, trying to support her weight and stop herself from falling.

  Three of the Barash landed near Anderson, surrounding her. One of them made a rapid clicking sound and tilted its head.

  “I don’t know what you’re saying,” said Anderson, “but I’m guessing you’re not asking me on a date.”

  She ran, dodging left between two of the Barash. They lunged at her, grabbing her shoulder. Anderson twisted, pulled herself loose, and ran toward a nearby cluster of huts.

  With a crack, a whip wrapped around Anderson’s ankle. She took anoth
er step before her leg was yanked backward, sending her crashing to the ground. Her face hit the dirt, splitting her lip. The Barash pulled on its whip, dragging Anderson across the ground. She grabbed at the earth around her, trying to find purchase but failing. The Barash grabbed her beneath her shoulders and lifted into the air.

  “No!” screamed Glitch, and he threw the burning branch at the advancing Barash.

  The creature batted it away and kept coming. Glitch backed away to find a way out. He glanced left, past the large building, and spotted a narrow tunnel far too small for the Barash to get through but maybe large enough for him. He turned and ran.

  As he darted between a couple of huts, a shadow reared up out of the smoke. The leader of the Barash swept toward him, wings outstretched as it glided across the cavern. It hit Glitch, knocking him backward and sending him crashing to the ground. The Barash landed on top of Glitch, grabbed him by the shoulders, and slammed him into the floor. Glitch’s head snapped backward, cracking against the hard-packed earth.

  Glitch struggled to push the Barash off, but the creature was too strong. It smashed Glitch’s head into the ground again. Glitch’s vision swam. The Barash stopped hitting Glitch’s head against the ground, and Glitch felt himself being lifted.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Prisoners in Peril

  After falling through a sinkhole, Glitch, Captain Anderson, and Doctor Zheng find themselves in the company of a So-lang, a pale mole-like creature that can communicate with them telepathically. The So-lang, Lith, takes the humans back to his village, where they enjoy a meal and a spirited belching competition. As the group begins to relax, a troop of bird-people, the Barash, attack the village. Despite their best efforts, Captain Anderson and Doctor Zheng are caught and carried away as Glitch faces down one of the Barash.

  Glitch hurled the burning branch at the Barash, but the creature simply batted it away and kept walking. Glitch backed away, searching for an escape. Glancing to his left, he spotted a narrow tunnel too small for the Barash to get through. He ran toward it.

  He was almost halfway there when a shadow reared up in front of him. Glitch looked up to see the leader of the Barash gliding across the village toward him.

  The creature knocked Glitch over then landed on top of him. It slammed Glitch’s head into the ground. Glitch struggled to push the Barash off, but the creature was too strong, too heavy. The creature cracked Glitch’s head against the ground again. Glitch’s vision swam, and he felt himself being lifted off the ground.

  Glitch twisted and turned in the Barash’s grip as the creature carried him higher and higher. Glitch knew what was about to happen. He’d seen crows do this with shellfish on the beach. The Barash would carry him to the ceiling then drop him on the village below. He’d crack open, spilling his delicious brains all over the floor, and the Barash would land and go all Walking Dead on him.

  He was still waiting for the Barash to let him go when they passed through the hole in the ceiling and back into the open air above the desert. The sudden change in light and perspective set Glitch’s stomach rolling and churning. He felt bile rising toward his throat and vomited, half-digested meat falling to the desert below. The Barash leveled off before it curved right, away from the city, and flew parallel to the cliff they’d descended to get to the plain.

  Once his stomach was under control again, Glitch twisted around, trying to find the doctor and Anderson. Other Barash passed nearby, flying in formation with people in their arms or hanging from whips beneath them.

  Glitch searched the Barash’s victims, but none of them appeared to be human. Glitch wasn’t sure whether he was happy about that or not. He figured he had a better chance of surviving with Anderson there to help fight off the Barash. If the doctor could put aside her scientific curiosity for long enough, she might be able to help too. Still, he’d rather they were safe, even if that meant he was destined for a grisly end.

  Glitch closed his eyes. The bobbing motion of the Barash’s flight was making him nauseated, and his stomach was threatening to let loose another stream of vomit. He focused on the air rushing past him and tried not to think about the distance between him and the desert floor or what would happen to him if the Barash lost its grip.

  When Glitch opened his eyes again, he could see their destination. Or at least he assumed the cluster of tall trees dotted with huts was a Barash village. Long wooden suspension bridges linked the buildings, and Glitch saw Barash moving along them.

  More of the creatures flew between the trees or circled above them. For a moment, Glitch felt some of Doctor Zheng’s wonder, but then another of the Barash swept in front of him. The young boy Glitch had seen captured was hanging limply beneath the creature, the leather whip still wrapped around his neck.

  The Barash pulled right, turning away from the treetop village and toward a large tree that stood slightly apart from the rest. Glitch’s Barash followed. It flapped its wings a few times, speeding up until it was leading the group. The tree housed over a dozen cages. Most of them were empty, but a couple had people in them; huddled forms crouched inside, watching the arrival of the newcomers.

  Glitch’s Barash swept toward one of the larger cages, near the top of the tree. As they got close, two unladen Barash swooped past. They landed on top of the cage, unhooked a door, and swung it open. The creature carrying Glitch slowed as they approached the cage, then it hovered above it. Glitch realized what was about to happen just as the Barash let him go.

  The floor of the cage was covered in a thick layer of leaves and branches, a concession to comfort. But still, it hurt when Glitch landed. And it smelled. The floor covering looked fresh, but apparently en suite bathrooms were not a feature of Barash prisons.

  Dusting himself off, Glitch stood and moved to the side of the cage, peering through the wooden bars at the other people being carried to their cells. The Barash carrying the young boy circled the tree as though looking for somewhere to land. To Glitch’s horror, it gave the leather whip a shake, and the boy plummeted to the ground, bouncing through the branches before landing with a soft crunch that made Glitch’s blood run cold.

  Glitch looked around, terrified of what he might see. A dozen or so of the Barash were flying around the tree. Some of them were still carrying their captives; others had already deposited them in their cells and had taken up position as guards or lookouts.

  Most of the occupied cages held So-lang. Without exception, they sat on the floor, heads bowed as though they had resigned themselves to their fate. There were a couple of other humanoid forms that Glitch didn’t recognize, but they were too big to be either Zheng or Anderson.

  There was a noise from somewhere above Glitch, and he turned to see one of the So-lang, a young male by the looks of it, dropped through the door of the cage. The So-lang landed on the floor with a solid thud and lay there, groaning.

  The cage door clicked shut. The So-lang groaned again. He was bare chested and had red welts around his waist where the whip had cut into him. Glitch reached to press his fingers against the So-lang’s neck then realized he had no idea whether So-lang had pulses or how he might measure one. He pulled his hand away. The So-lang opened his eyes and saw Glitch. His face filled with fear, and he tried to push himself backward.

  Glitch tentatively put a hand on the So-lang’s shoulder then pulled it away when he flinched.

  “It’s okay,” said Glitch. “You’re safe.”

  The So-lang shook his head forcefully. “Not safe. Not here.”

  He had a point.

  “Okay… maybe not forever, but for now you’re safe. You can get some rest while I figure a way out.”

  “No way out.”

  “Okay, so you’re a glass-half-empty kind of guy. I get it.”

  The So-lang frowned, puzzled.

  “Never mind. Safe or not, you need some rest. My name’s Glitch.”

  “I am Nen.”

  “Okay, Nen, lie there and get some sleep.”

  Nen nodded an
d closed his eyes. Glitch peered at Nen’s neck for a moment, looking for a pulse, then realized that might be considered more than a little creepy and stood. The world swam around him as blood rushed to his head. He rested his hand against the cage. The bars were wooden, bound with thin green vines.

  When he’d recovered his balance, Glitch tugged on the bars. They barely moved, and they were too thick and solid to break without some sort of weapon. Glitch picked at one of the vines, but the skin was too hard. It was more like wire than vegetation.

  Glitch shivered. It was growing dark and getting cold. Looking at his T-shirt, now covered in brown dust and with a rip in the right sleeve, he wondered just how cold the planet got. He wasn’t dressed for interplanetary adventures.

  Looking out over the village, he saw the Barash gliding between the trees and walking across the wooden bridges—going about their daily lives. It seemed such a normal scene—apart from the flying bird-people and cages full of prisoners. Glitch glanced back at his fellow captive. Nen’s eyes were still closed, but Glitch could see his pale chest slowly rising and falling.

  Glitch searched the trees for Anderson and Zheng again, and this time he found them. They were lower down the tree in a slightly smaller cage. It seemed to just be the two of them. Anderson was pressed against the bars, trying to get a better view of the village. Glitch could barely make her out in the growing darkness, but presumably she was looking for him. He slipped his hand through the cage and waved to her.

  After a couple of minutes of frantic waving, he got her attention, and she waved back. Then Glitch realized just how much like a worm his arm looked. Visions of ravenous bird-people swooping on his pale flesh flashed through his head, and he quickly pulled his arm back into the cage. He wondered whether he should call down to Anderson to let her know he was all right. Then a shadow flickered across his cage as one of the Barash flew overhead, and he decided to keep quiet.