by Riva, Aline
“You're right,” he agreed, “We have to get them out.”
They walked on, into the green gloom where light barely escaped through the high, dense canopy of tree tops, heading for the colonist's camp that stank of death, where beyond, the clearing spread wide, but the tall trees offered little in the way of heat or shade, and the enemy waited, guarding the forest home of the robotic alien queen.
“Vishcarra,” said Jinx, as he rolled on his front, looking into the eyes of his alien lover, “You and me are forever. But...I've been thinking...I know your sister has chosen Mack, but he's getting old. He needs to return to earth. He can't mate indefinitely with Lazzarra. And then there's Cora...she's human, a lot younger than him...I can see it in his eyes, he wants to go home. But I don't, I want to stay with you.”
It had been a moment of clarity, a moment that had seen his thoughts shift gear as he lay on the floor, his sexual urges spent, his jeans back on, his trainers on, even his shirt on, but wide open as she placed her hand on his chest and felt the beat of his human heart. Something in his mind had shifted, recalling the world before the crash, and then remembering the look in Mack's eyes as he had raised that human flesh to his lips...
“He's just not cut out for this kind of life,” he added, “But I am. I want to be here with you forever.”
Her dark eyes glittered like night skies as she regarded him silently, processing all he had said.
“My sister is the ruler of the forest. Her choice is final.”
“But you could intervene, you could talk to her – persuade her!”
“I cannot intervene,” she stated, “I am secondary.”
As he lay on the floor beside her, confusion clouded his gaze.
“What's that supposed to mean? Secondary? That's not very...tribal of you!”
“I can not influence her choice,” she said, “I am not designated.”
“Designated?”
Jinx sat up, looking at her in confusion.
“You sound different, Vishcarra.”
She blinked, processing all he had said as her semi organic mind switched between logic and the fondness she acknowledged for this human male.
“We talk later,” she purred, her hand sliding down to his jeans as she rubbed his crotch through the fabric of his jeans.
“No, please talk to me now!” he said urgently, “What's going on? Tell me, I love you!”
“I love you also,” she replied, her dark eyes shining as she tugged at the zip on his jeans.
“No!” Jinx got up from the floor, and she too got up, looking at him questioningly.
He ran his hand over the necklace of human teeth, looked into her eyes, regretting nothing of the passion and the lust that had driven him over an edge that did not feel like madness as he longed to hold on to it forever.
“I need to speak to Mack,” he said, and he activated the control on the wall and the door slid back, and as he left the back room and stepped into the queen's chamber.
Jinx found Mack and Cora sitting together, Cora was in a sheer gown and Mack had put on his flight suit and was lacing up his boots.
“Clothes?” Jinx said in surprise, “You don't need those around here...I was right, you want to leave, don't you?”
Mack stood up and stepped close to his best friend, thinking about the Rik Jinx he had flown with for fifteen years, such a contrast to the man who stood before him now, shirt open, scratches on his chest from his alien lover, and a necklace of human teeth shining pearly at his throat.
“Rik,” he said softly, noticing over his shoulder that Vishcarra stood watching in the doorway, “Listen to me – none of this is real.”
Jinx laughed, it was a laugh that was off key as denial shone in his eyes along with a hint of madness, a look that had been there since his mind had bent out of shape after witnessing more than he could withstand. Mack put his hands on his shoulders, keeping his gaze fixed on him.
“It's not real,” he said again.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Mack?” Jinx said in disbelief, “This is as real as it gets! Flesh and bone, blood, barbarity...this is it now, this is our world whether you like it or not! Whatever it takes, adapt and survive...maybe you don't have what it takes, but I do!”
Mack fought against his rising sorrow at the state of his close friend's mind as he looked into his eyes.
“Remember before the crash?”
Jinx became tearful.
“I remember you, on that bed in the med centre...the scan results...thinking I was going to lose the best friend I ever had. Then you walked back on to that flight deck and it was like a miracle and all I could think was, I still had you in my life, you have no idea how much I love you, Mack! You're like a brother to me, more than a brother...So much more, you're the best friend I've ever had! And when we were crashing, when that ground was coming closer and closer and I took hold of your hand I remember thinking, I'm with Mack...No matter what happens, I have Mack at my side so it has to be okay!”
Tears streaked his face.
“But I know you want to go home,” Jinx added in a voice choked with pain, “I don't want you to leave but I want you to be happy! I'm happy, I want the same for you and I know you're not happy here!”
Mack could not bring himself to raise his voice, knowing it would be pointless.
“Rik,” he said gently, “The mining corporation turned the digger droids into full androids with artificial jelly skin. They changed the order on the satellite from sleep mode to hostile programming, created this whole false world of an alien tribe in the forest. The purpose was to terrify and slaughter the colonists. Make it look as if anyone who settled here died by an unknown hand, and if by chance they did learn of the tribe, they never would have thought to scan the satellite – the colony project would have dropped this planet like a hot brick and handed it to Shine for free! This is about money. It's about gold!”
Jinx had stopped weeping, listening to all he had said.
“Lies,” he whispered, shaking his head.
Mack's gaze fired up with determination as he thought of the short time they had left.
“Earth security has alerted a nearby military ship. They're turning around and heading this way, scanning the planet and sending a rescue ship! Once they pick up survivors, this world will be nuked!”
Rik's gaze seemed to pass right through him.
“I'm not leaving,” he said, “I love her!”
Mack looked to Vishcarra.
“Tell him. Fucking tell him the truth!”
She tilted her head, then looked to the curtain as her sister entered the room.
“Something is amiss?” asked Lazzarra.
Mack's face turned to a mask of rage as he grabbed the open razor from the bedside and lunged, slicing across her throat as Cora gave a gasp of shock.
“No!” cried Vishcarra, and Jinx stepped forward, grabbing at arms he found surprisingly strong as he looked into her eyes, her rage matching the blaze in his as he repeated No, and she froze for a moment, watching as Lazzarra's head tipped back, the slit skin leaking fluid that was not blood as beneath, wires and artificial veins carrying clear fluid were exposed. Then Lazzarra snapped her head forward with an audible click and lunged at Mack, slamming into him with a bone crunching thud as her steel body encased in false flesh connected with human flesh and bone, knocking him to the floor heavily.
As his grip loosened on the blade she snatched it from him, as Mack struggled with her iron grip, his hand locking on to her wrist as he held the razor at bay with an effort that took all of his strength as destruction burned in the eyes of the machine. Suddenly two hands covered the face of Lazzarra, nails digging through jelly skin the ran with clear fluid as Cora gave a yell and tore off the android's face. As the skin came away, black glittering eyes slopped on to Mack's flight suit, hanging by threads that snapped as pale glowing lights set into blank features were monetarily blinded by the running fluid as a jaw that snapped artificial double rows of teeth opened an
d closed, the android temporarily immobilised.
“Move!” yelled Cora, seizing the blade and slicing it through the air. Mack rolled from beneath Lazzarra, as Cora buried the blade deep in the neck of the android, yelling as sparks flew and the body twitched, then as the lights that glowed set deep in the head began to falter, the jaws stopped snapping, and the body rolled on its back, motionless, power draining slowly out as if life blood itself had been lost.
“You killed her,” Jinx said quietly.
Mack staggered to his feet and shook his head.
“It's just fucking robot, Rik!”
Vishcarra was trembling. Cora grabbed the handle of the blade and gave it a tug, pulling it free from severed wires, then she grabbed a silken throw and covered the body of the queen and turned to Vishcarra.
“She's next!” she said with a murderous gleam in her eyes.
“NO!” Rik said sharply, standing in front of his lover.
But Vishcarra was trembling, shaking all over in a jerking, puppet like motion.
“Please no...” Mack murmured, watching as he wondered what would happen when control was passed from the failing droid to its replacement.
“Transfer complete,” said Vishcarra, as her eyes glittered with fury.
“Forgive them!” Rik begged.
Then a blue haze fell upon the land, and as the room was cast in shade, Cora ran to the silken drape and pulled it aside.
The guards that filled the settlement were looking skyward, their sights fixed on the blue glow that had filled the skies with an unearthly hue.
“That,” Mack said as he gestured to the skies, “Is an earth military vessel scanning the ground! Your world will be destroyed, Vishcarra, you must let us leave!”
“Let them go,” said Jinx, and as he stepped back and took Vishcarra's hand, Mack stared at him in shock.
“They're going to nuke the planet!”
“Just go,” said Rik as he held back tears, keeping hold of the hand of his lover, “Go while you still have a chance!”
“Not without you! No, I can't let you die here!”
“Fucking leave!” Rik yelled as tears filled his eyes. His hand was still locked with Vishcarra's. The light fade out and the sky lightened to its usual shade once more. Vishcarra looked to Rik and nodded. Then she stepped forward, and the guards bowed low to the ground and stood up once more.
“Lazzarra is dead!” she declared as her voice echoed about the settlement, “I address you as Queen! The humans shall be allowed to leave.”
Cora had already dashed outside.
“Mack!” she called, and he looked back at Rik, who stood there in defiance, his hand linked with his lover.
“She's just a fucking android! That's all she is, save yourself!”
“I am not leaving!” Jinx said as his eyes blazed with anger, “I love her!”
Mack's eyes blurred with tears.
“Then die with her, I tried to saved you!” he whispered, and then he turned away, running to catch up with Cora as the guards obediently parted like a wave, letting the humans flee the camp.
As the wide clearing grew darker, Jody and Zeke slowed their pace, up ahead where the forest was dim, the trees were trembling and shaking as limbs were disturbed and leaves rustled. Further on, they saw the bodies of the slaughtered colonists, bobbing in the breeze as they hung pale and lifeless.
Zeke snapped two cables from his reel and looked to Jody, who did the same.
“They have heavy blades,” she said.
“One touch will take them out,” he reminded her, and they walked on carefully, looking left and right.
As the ambush hit it came with a flurry of dropping bodies, as android guards plunged to the ground, landing perfectly and righting themselves, standing up straight, weapons raised, as they stalked closer to the surrounded humans.
Zeke had his back to her, watching as they were circled, and then he gave the word.
“Now!” he said, and as he turned left, she turned right, the cables whipping with a flurry of sparks. As guards fell the cables dimmed and more advanced, a blade sliced through the air and Zeke dodged it, snapping another cable across the faces of three androids, who shorted on the spot and fell heavily as Jody snapped off the remaining cables from her loop and lashed out in all directions, yelling out as a blade shaved at her arm, tearing through skin and taking off a chunk of flesh with it as her arm drenched in blood.
Zeke lashed out with the last of his lines, snaring the remaining aggressors, who shorted, sparked, and fell face down in the dirt, twitching and then moving no more.
“Help me!” Jody gasped, her face growing pale
Zeke stripped off his shirt and wrapped it around her arm, tying it as the fabric began to stain crimson.
“Remember your training,” he said to her, “It's a lot of blood but it's not an artery – you'd be painting the forest red if it was!”
“You're right,” she said as she shivered, and then she clutched at her arm and he led her onwards, heading for the place where the trees spread out and the clearing was in sight.
Suddenly, as two people came running up through the gloom, Zeke and Jody stopped, recognising the man in the fight suit, who ran holding the hand of the woman in the sheer gown, her fair hair flowing behind her as she dashed towards them with a look of panic on her face.
“Mack, Cora!” Jody called, and then she breathed a relieved sigh.
“They made it!”
“But not Jinx, he's not with them,” Zeke murmured.
As they caught up, Mack let go of Cora's hand, pausing to catch his breath.
“Where's Jinx?” asked Jody, and Mack shook his head.
“We should get back to the ship,” said Zeke, “Rescue party's on its way.”
“Yes, we need to leave, no time to waste,” Mack agreed and then he put his arm around Jody, supporting her as together the survivors broke not a run, making for the pathway that led back to the wreck of the Pharaoh 2.
As Rik stood with Vishcarra on the steps of the escape pod, a sweet breeze blew through the settlement, making the exotic silks behind them shift and sway. He took hold of her hands and looked into her dark eyes.
“Their nukes won't touch us,” he vowed.
Her smile glittered like bone white rows of razors and she gave her reply.
“I shall rule this land for many years to come,” she told Jinx, “With you at my side.”
“I love you,” Jinx said as passion burned in his eyes as if the flame could never go out.
“And I love you,” she promised him.
And somewhere up in space the military craft that had sent a rescue vessel to meet with the survivors of the Pharaoh 2 crash, fired on the satellite that powered the droids.
The explosion was not seen from the skies, but as Rik looked into the eyes of his lover , he heard the sound of power failing, a single sound of electronic powering out as five hundred droids stopped in their tracks, looking frozen in time, as if the settlement was filled with statues. He stared at the sight of the guards and the servants, all still, all frozen in the same split second, and then as Vishcarra gave a gasp and fell to her knees, he sat down on the step beside her, put his arms around her and held her, as she weakly looked up at him.
“I am semi organic,” she whispered, “But my power supply is gone...”
And her head fell back, her body slumped in his arms, as a terrible silence fell over the camp, and Rik cast a terrified gaze about the place, taking in the sight of every android frozen, and then he looked down at his lover's body, cradling her as tears filled his eyes and the thought of his best friend.
“Mack,” he whispered, “Please don't leave me...”
Jody stumbled and Mack kept his arm around her, Zeke and Cora had already reached the wreck of the Pharaoh 2, and as she leant on him for support, Jody stumbled the final steps to meet with the others, looking up at Mack as relief shone in her eyes. A small craft had landed close by, and uniformed men with guns
were beckoning.
“I'm so glad you made it back!” Jody said, and Mack met her gaze, smiled and then placed a kiss on her brow, then he put his arm around her shoulder, and steered her towards the waiting craft.
The engines were heavy and the hum filled the air as the guard shouted to the survivors to board. Zeke was first in, followed by Cora, and then Mack helped Jody up the steps.
“She's wounded,” he said to the guard who stood by the open hatch, “Take care of her,” and he gestured to Jody.
“What?” Jody said, and as he stepped back from the ramp, Cora shot forward, clinging to the open hatch.
“Mack, no!” she yelled.
“I'm sorry,” he said as he looked to the others, “I can't leave my best friend.”
Cora yelled his name again as Zeke looked on in alarm and he saw tears shining in Jody's eyes. Then the guards boarded, one pulling Cora back as she called to Mack again, but he had turned around and run back, heading for the pathway, where he stopped, looked up and then watched the rescue vessel climb higher into the skies, until its engines powered up and it shot off out of sight, past the planet's atmosphere.
As he ran, Mack's body ached from the fight with Lazzarra, his lungs felt ready to burst and it crossed his mind that he was too old for this final push, he wanted to drop to his knees and catch his breath, but as he cleared the fallen androids and saw the clearing in sight, he made for it, dashing through into the settlement on a last burst of adrenaline, he saw the droids all frozen as if time had stopped, and the only sound he heard was soft weeping as Jinx sat on the steps of the escape pod as the silks shifted on the breeze, as he looked down at the body of Vishcarra.
Mack ran through the frozen android crowd, over to the steps and sank to his knees beside Jinx, who turned to him and gave a sob.
“Mack,” he said as tears ran down his face, “You came back for me...”
“Of course I did,” he said as he fought for breath,”I got the others back to the rescue ship...they're okay. And I'm here, with you, and that's okay, too.”
