Galileo (Battle of the Species)

by Meaghan Sinclair

  “Damn,” he muttered.

  “What have you learned?” Ava asked.

  “That their suits are impervious to electricity blasts.”

  “What is your new strategy?”

  “I will focus the blasts on the suit’s openings and go for the eyes or mouth,” Renn replied.

  “Your estimated rate of survival is 60%.”

  “Acceptable,” he replied.

  “The simulation will animate in five, four, three, two, one.”

  On “one,” the Bignet animated and rushed Renn. He aimed for the mouth, but the beast kept it closed and Renn penetrated the Bignet through the exposed right eye. The Bignet shuttered while its left eye rolled back into its head and fell to the ground.

  “The Bignet has been terminated,” Ava announced.

  The cave then changed to a foggy marsh with a large green-scaled reptile flying in the air. The beast’s eyes were already fixated on Renn while it remained frozen mid-dive towards him.

  “What is your strategy?” Ava asked.

  “To shoot it with Mindeerian fire,” Renn said, unsure of whether he should continue to use the same weapon or whether he was expected to mix it up. He reconsidered changing weapons when he heard the scattered thoughts through the simulated marsh and knew that most of his friends were having a difficult time with their chosen weapons.

  He tried to block them out and focus on keeping himself alive, but the sound of Leo dying over and over in the next pod, tugged on him. Renn entered Leo’s mind, careful not to move anything around, rather just to see through his eyes at what he was fighting.

  Renn saw that Leo was at the base of an orange sandstone formation in the middle of a flame-colored desert. Before him, stood an orange and red-scaled reptile that one had to look directly at to see, as it blended well with its background. The mouth of its large snout was puckered, while the cheeks puffed out like scaled balloons.

  On “one,” the reptile spat acid on Leo’s face, covering his eyes and skin in a slow burn. Renn could then see the animal take a bite out of Leo’s ribcage before the pain and attacker vanished.

  “What have you learned?” Ava asked Leo.

  Leo gasped and shook his head. “It spits too fast for me to shoot it,” he replied.

  “What is your new strategy?”

  Renn could see Leo’s eyes focus on the beast’s puckered mouth, knowing it would once again spit acid towards his face.

  “I don’t know…kill myself before it spits?”

  “Your estimated rate of survival is 0%. You may want to rethink your strategy.”

  “Thanks, Ava,” he said, scowling at the cloudless blue sky. “Just do it.”

  “The simulation will begin in five, four, three, two...”

  Ask for a Morian shield, Renn projected.

  “Renn?” Leo asked, looking around the stone mountains and missing the wad of acid flying towards his face. Leo screamed in pain until the simulation reset.

  Next time, ask for a Morian shield, Renn persisted. It’s strong enough to slow the acid down. Then drop the shield and shoot it. He was, however, so focused on Leo, that he hadn’t noticed that the maximum wait time had ended in his pod and Ava had begun without his permission. On “one,” the green-scaled beast dove, decapitating him in one quick motion, before vanishing.

  “Aww, crap,” Renn mumbled.

  Pay attention to your own lesson, Professor Paro projected into Renn’s head.

  Yes, sir, Renn replied, as Paro walked through his hologram marsh and into Leo’s desert.

  Renn tried to focus on the green-scaled animal frozen above him, but couldn’t help but eavesdrop.

  “Why are you still on the first simulation?” Paro asked Leo.

  “It’s spitting too fast.”

  “So, you’re going to give up?”

  “I’m not giving up…it’s just…I’m not a fighter like the others.”

  “Leo, the main goal of the Galileo is to teach students how to survive extraordinary situations. That’s what the other students are trying to do. Why did you come here?”

  “To learn to survive,” Leo replied.

  “Even on a Class One planet, you may be required to kill to survive.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not a killer.”

  “Good, because I’m not training you to be a killer. I’m training you to be a survivor,” Paro replied. “Taria is a Class Four planet and you are at the bottom of their food chain. This bloated Tarian won’t hesitate to kill you for its supper, so what do you do?”

  “Never go to Taria?”

  Professor Paro sighed. “Leo, you need to go back to your dorm room and pack your bags…”

  “What?” Leo exclaimed in disbelief.

  “There’s no point in you going to school here if survival isn’t your number one priority.”

  “But it is my prior…No. I’m not giving up,” Leo said. “I’m not going back home. I want to survive. I will survive!”

  “Then take care of it,” Paro said. “Ava, begin in five.”

  “The simulation will animate in five, four, three…”

  “Ava, give me a Morian shield and a B-8 hand cannon,” Leo said.

  Renn’s heart raced faster — mesmerized by the determined voice of his friend and the boom of the hand cannon.

  ***

  Desh was having a grueling time paying attention in species class the next day, until the professor announced, “Lux, I believe it's your turn.” His interest rose while the blonde gathered her things and walked up to the front of the class, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She tapped on her tablet, initiating the hologram projector.

  Desh noticed she wasn’t wearing thought blockers and he tried to hide a grin — a grin that faded when a Mindeerian male illuminated in front of the students upon Lux’s command.

  “I did mine on Mindeerians,” Lux began.

  Desh got nervous knots in his stomach at the thought of her taking the time to learn more about his species, then remembered he had told her that the blue light on his palms could appear for no reason. He sunk in his chair realizing his lie to save face was about to bite him smack-dab on the ass.

  “Mindeerians are electrogenic,” Lux continued. “Like some eels and sharks on Temin and Earth, they generate volts of energy through muscle cells called electrocytes. They are telepathic and telekinetic, combining their telekinesis with their electricity production to fire electrical blasts, known as Mindeerian fire.

  “When Mindeerians experience a heightened state of emotion such as excitement, stress, fear, or embarrassment, they release a blue light from the palms of their hands.”

  Oh gawd, Desh thought. The palms of his hands began to admit a faint blue light and he tucked them under the desk. Maybe she didn’t notice...

  “It’s also a misconception that the blue light will illuminate…‘for no reason’…” she said, glancing back up at Desh with a mischievous grin.

  Damn, he thought.

  “Mindeerians are a monogamous species who mate for life. The only time they will seek another partner is in the event of their partner’s death...”

  Desh’s mind wandered to his mother. He knew Mindeerians only changed partners after the deaths of their loved one, but hadn’t really thought about how close he and Renn were in age. It meant that their mother had wasted no time with replacing his father with Adam and that they were still together.

  Desh felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal, just as he had when he found out about Renn. His mind spun with questions: How could she not tell me that she was in love with someone? Who is Adam? Does he feel as resentful towards me as I feel towards him? He thought about the port junction. There was no conversation between the two, no: “Hi, I’m your stepdad.”

  Are you all right, Brother? Desh heard Kia think.

  Desh looked at Kia.

  Kia nodded towards Desh’s illuminated hands.

  I’m fine, Desh projected. Do
n’t worry about it.

  Lux had already sat down by the time Desh started paying attention to his surroundings again.

  Professor Zaneer looked around the class. “All right, last one for the day. Rudy, you're up.” The rest of the students relaxed, finding themselves exempt for one more day.

  Rudy initiated the hologram projector, prompting a pink, scaly alien to illuminate before the class, batting her eyes at the students as she sashayed her hips around in a seductive dance.

  Dylan and Renn hid their faces, trying not to laugh.

  Rudy looked down at his notes, took a deep breath and began. “Sapphons are a species of a hundred percent females. They are parthenogenetic, not requiring a male to reproduce. But they CAN have sex with men, I might add.”

  The class giggled until Professor Zaneer put up a hand, silencing the class.

  “There have been more than a few explorer ships who have landed on Linrovia that have documented this. Nowhere is it stated whether they enjoy the company of human males, but I would be more than happy to do research on the matter.

  “Linrovia is a Class Three planet because of the Alasters, which I don’t think is fair because Alasters live in water, so as long as you stay out of the water, the planet should be a Class One. Since it’s a Class Three though, humans under the age of eighteen aren't allowed to go there without their parents…which would be totally awkward, but I could go with a professor's permission slip if done during a school year.”

  Rudy stopped and looked at the professor with hope in his eyes.

  “It'll never happen, Rudy,” Professor Zaneer said patiently.

  “Sapphons are carnivorous, killing behind closed doors like humans, discreetly murdering the other species on their planet for food. They make good midwives for various species, have never fought a war, and are excellent singers.” Rudy finished in disappointment. He returned to his seat, casting an occasional glare at Professor Zaneer, and proceeded to pout for the remainder of the lesson.

  ***

  Renn went to his Mindeerian lesson, spending the hour practicing his aim. Paro had set up a series of drills for Renn to work on that reminded him of skeet shooting, but with short lightning blasts fired from his hands. He found it hard not to see it as a game, since no lives were at stake.

  When Renn walked back to the dorm rooms, he found Dylan and Leo sitting by Dylan's desk, studying for species class. Renn walked over to his bed, feeling groggy and weak, and flopped down on the mattress, burying his head into his pillow. He could feel Upgrade jump up and lay next to him, snuggling against his legs, as if having waited for the moment all day.

  Dylan held up a small tablet with a moving picture of an alien on one side and the species information on the other, facing him. Leo sat on the other side, looking at a gray alien with ivory spikes, curving out from its neck.

  “Is it…a….Rhonet?” Leo guessed.

  “Nope,” Dylan replied.

  Leo scratched his white hair and squinted his blue eyes at the picture, thinking. “A…Preveri?”

  “Nope.”

  “I don't know, give me a hint,” Leo said, trying not to give up.

  “It’d eat you,” Dylan said.

  Leo stared at the picture a little longer. “Yeah…that doesn't narrow it down that much.”

  Dylan laughed. “It’s a Prodlin,” he said and tapped on the back of the tablet, changing the picture to a rust-colored decapod with blonde setae covering its body. Large claws snapped towards the viewer, while its fluorescent blue eyes scanned the room.

  “Is it…a…Aquitani?” Leo guessed.

  “No, but close,” Dylan encouraged. “Same planet.”

  Renn’s heart began to pound in his chest, occasionally missing beats, then adding an extra. He lifted his head, feeling dizzy.

  “Guys?” Renn said, not moving from the bed.

  “Yeah?” Dylan asked.

  “Would you mind helping me to the medical bay? I think something's wrong,” Renn said.

  Dylan and Leo looked at each other, put down the tablet, and speed walked over to Renn, picking him up by the arms.

  “Why didn't you say something?” Dylan asked.

  “I just did,” Renn replied, as if that were the silliest question ever.

  Dylan and Leo dragged Renn into the medical bay, where an android instructed them to lay him down on a bed.

  Renn looked up and saw Ava lower a long body scanner. It emitted three loud bursts, scanning his dermas, bones, then blood and organs, before retracting back into the ceiling.

  Renn felt a slight vibration on the bed and looked down to see medical tubes slithering along his body. “What the…?”

  Dylan rested his hand on Renn’s shoulder for a second, settling him. “No, it's okay, just relax,” Dylan said. “Let Ava do her thing.”

  Patches self-adhered to Renn’s body, seconds before a computer screen behind him lit up, displaying his vital signs. He then felt a sting on his arm and looked over to see a needle had inserted itself, releasing fluid from a tube that had slithered out of the wall.

  “This is normal?” Renn asked in amazement.

  “Well, yeah,” Dylan replied with a shrug. “I know it takes getting used to, but it’s more accurate than doctors and nurses.”

  “A doctor would tell me what’s happening and what they’re doing though,” Renn said.

  “Oh, Ava can do that,” Leo said. “Ava, what’s the diagnosis and treatment?”

  “The patient is suffering from hypokalemia,” Ava explained. “I’m now increasing his potassium level.”

  “How long is this going to take?” Dylan asked, looking up.

  “The process will be complete in two hours,” Ava replied.

  Dylan and Leo exchanged looks.

  There was a bit of an awkward moment until Renn finally spoke. “Guys, I can read minds, you know? Don’t worry about it. I know you two have to get to class,” Renn said.

  His friends grinned.

  “Hey, we'll be back in an hour, okay?” Dylan said.

  “Okay,” Renn replied, waving the one hand that wasn’t hooked up to a tube.

  Dylan and Leo left, passing a Third Year who had metal flaps widening his mouth, so a lens and laser could travel down his throat.

  Dylan cringed. “Man, I don’t want whatever that guy has.”

  They walked into robotics class, taking the last table, which left the chair usually occupied by Renn, empty.

  The bell chimed, prompting Professor Tamar to begin. “All right class, settle down,” she said, walking around. “Can everyone please pull up Lesson 15 on your…” but stopped when she found herself standing in front of the empty chair. “I’m sorry, who are we missing?” she asked, looking around.

  “Renn,” Meta replied.

  “Oh. And where is he?” Tamar asked, but Meta shrugged, looking at Dylan.

  “He's in the medical bay. I’ll give him my notes,” Dylan said.

  “Very good, thank you, Dylan,” Professor Tamar replied and then continued with the lesson.

  Dylan fussed with his tablet, then began recalling images in his head — recent memories of waking up that morning, eating breakfast with the guys; the memories increasing speed until the memories once again slowed when Renn got sick. The memory of Renn in the medical bay slowed down in time to hear Ava announce Renn’s prognosis.

  The hair stood up on Dylan’s arms when he came to the jarring realization that someone else was in his head. The feeling of initial shock consumed him as if someone had ripped out his heart and held it in front of his eyes. Dylan looked up at Desh, finding him staring back at him. The blood rushed to Dylan's face and his fists clenched. Get out of my head or I will take you down right here, right now, he thought.

  Desh, however, was done searching.

  They stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

  Kia looked up, noticing. “Am I missing something?” he asked.

  “Nope,” Desh replied, pulling up the lesson. />
  ***

  When they got to English class, Kia stood before the students, having volunteered to give his English speech, while those remaining to give theirs cowered in their desks from stage fright.

  “The first time I fought in battle with my father was against the Semians, who were trying to overtake a peaceful species called Tronals,” Kia began. “Before we took flight, I saw a young Toran join us, named Ethan, and I walked up to introduce myself. He was my age and had blond hair and light brown wings. He was fighting his first battle, like I was, and we talked about how excited we were. We wanted to be warriors like our fathers and show them that we could be as brave. To make them proud to call us their sons. There are so few opportunities in life to show what one’s made of, not just to other people, but to oneself.

  “We took flight as my father sounded the Toran battle cry and I felt the wind against my feathers and the feel of leather and metal against my chest. We were showered with laser blasts and I took a deep breath, drew back my arrow, and fired into the enemy. I heard my father shout my name and I looked back to see a laser blast heading my way. I raised my shield and deflected it, snapping out of my daze. My heart raced when another laser blast flew past my wing. I wasn't expecting battle to be so chaotic.

  “I watched in horror as one of Ethan's wings was blown apart by a blast he couldn’t dodge. I dove for him, trying to catch him, but couldn't reach him in time, and he fell to the ground where the enemy finished him off. We defeated the Semians in battle that day and when we landed, Ethan’s father carried his son’s body back to his mother. It was the first time I understood why my father never celebrated his victories. Because no one wins in war.”

  ***

  After their classes were over, Dylan and Leo walked into the medical bay, where Renn was putting on his shoes, getting ready to leave.

  “What's wrong?” Renn asked, noticing Dylan seemed a little on the edge.

  “I'm sorry, but your brother's an asshole,” Dylan said, not even bothering to sugar coat it.