Alien Caller

by Greg Curtis

  David reset his jaw as best he could and tried to shake the damage in his leg out, barely noticing the pain, while Five rose and attacked again, like a rattle snake. It might not be as coordinated as it had been at the beginning, but it hadn’t slowed down any. This time it charged and he tripped it with a leg break, taking the customary punch to his thigh in his stride. He got up, surprised he still could but thankful his long bone wasn’t broken and waited while it splashed down.

  He had no time to give in to the pain as he saw that five was rising again. This time it was injured. Maybe even badly injured, and he knew he had it. But the hole it had rent in the floor wasn’t big enough yet. He had to get it to charge him once or twice again at the critical spot, or wait for six. And with the number of injuries he’d already sustained he knew he couldn’t take number six. He still might not survive against number five.

  He feinted at it, slowly getting it to swing back at him, and as a tactic it seemed to work. The thing had no understanding that it was being baited. In fact it had little understanding of anything any longer, so the head blows had apparently had some effect. But it had enough blind aggression that it followed him around the arena with murderous intent. The silence of the crowd was also his ally, as he realized they were still not counting the machine out. They hadn’t seen his plan. He started to hope.

  But Five had other ideas. One second it was being slowly baited around the arena, the next it had fired up the turbos and was coming at him like a bullet. David desperately threw himself sideways again and tried another leg break, which thankfully worked. As he watched it splash down he kept wondering how many more times he could use that simple move without it learning. But he also celebrated as he watched a whole three meter long strip of buckled deck simply rip loose in front of it as Five slid along the floor. The robot had rolled the top layer of steel decking up before it like a rug on a polished wood floor.

  Better yet it took time rising, and he took advantage of its hesitation to jump on its back and pile drive it with both feet back into the floor. As a tactic it wasn’t subtle, but it was lethal. If Five had been a human, his spine would have been crushed by his more than two hundred pound weight. But the robot was far stronger than that and his blow was merely another annoyance. It shook David off like a flea and made his way to his feet, though finally it was beginning to look a little unsteady on them.

  Fortunately Five wasn’t the sort of robot to let little things like wobbly feet stand in its way. It simply leapt straight at David. The only warning he had was when he watched its knees flex, and that, even as injured as it surely was, was barely enough. David threw himself sideways, feeling the whoosh of air as the robot flew past him, then two more powerful blows on his thigh and shoulder. It impacted on the barrier and was rebounded on to the floor, hitting with a thump that would have put a cannon to shame. David by then had enough sense to jump to his feet and pile drive it once again into the metal floor. This time he managed two good leaps before the robot shook him off like a flea. Each one drove the robot hard into the floor.

  When it got up this time, he could see the damage it was starting to take. Its face was flattened, its furry chest dented, and the previously broken eye had disappeared completely. But it was still very fast and unbelievably strong, and utterly savage. It was also inventive. Out of the blue the robot tried a looping take down of its own, and David only avoided it because of its lack of depth perception. Its foot fell short by inches because it couldn’t tell how far away he was. But a miss was as good as a mile and David took the advantage of its mistake to attack its other stationary leg, and heard a satisfactory crack as its knee broke.

  There was no doubt about it, he was finally starting to hurt it. He risked a smile through the pain, and rediscovered his broken jaw. Another reminder that he was in serious trouble as well. He wouldn’t survive another robot.

  From then on David was in control. The robot limped and couldn’t accurately judge his distance, and that was just barely enough to give him the victory. David just kept doing take downs, slamming its metal carcass into the floor with a series of satisfactory thumps, while watching the floor buckle and break underneath it.

  It was slow going as the robot was too tough to break, and too stupid to know it had lost. It was also dangerous as he kept taking more damage himself. It was still unbelievably fast and powerful and he flew around the ring several more times. But for every take down he watched the various hollows and holes in the deck becoming larger and larger, while the robot moved more and more awkwardly. Four hundred plus pounds of metal makes a major impact on even the best steel plate.

  Then finally he saw the second layer of deck plating break under one of the machine’s body blows, and he could see some hope. Literally. He could see the room underneath. A darkened chamber filled with what looked like shelves and boxes. A store room. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

  The sight of it filled him with new energy, new hope. There actually was a way out of this nightmare. Seeing his salvation so close and Cyrea’s rescue not far behind, he started taking the fight once more back to the robot. No longer waiting for it to charge him with its seemingly inexhaustible strength he started baiting it, and then tripping it even as it took the bait. Leg breaking it again and again into the deck, and for good measure, jumping up and down on it after, until the entire floor looked like a minefield had exploded in it.

  Then finally, after another back breaking judo flip, he knew it was finally time to end it. Time to try and escape and save Cyrea.

  He stood and waited, just in front of the large hole it had made, until five made up its mind and decided another charge was its only answer. It came at him exactly as he had hoped with a wide stance so it could cope with its lack of balance, and he repeated his original take down, sliding feet first through its legs, looping his own legs up and around its waist, grabbing its ankles and then with all his strength lifting it up and backwards, pile driving its armoured head directly into the most heavily damaged section of floor. This time the results were much more gratifying, as a section of deck the size of five’s chest simply buckled and then gave way as it pierced it like a needle. And best of all the robot was simply stuck in it, upside down, arms and legs waving randomly. It was no longer a threat. But then he realized, it was also plugging his escape route like a cork.

  The crowd, silent for so long, suddenly sighed as they saw that, understanding that their latest champion had lost. But hopefully they didn’t yet understand how much else they might have lost. David circled his trapped prey, really just surveying the hole the robot was in, and saw with satisfaction that there was a piece of jagged reinforcing immediately behind its back. A piece that was perfect for his needs.

  He moved slowly to the edge of the arena, trying to look like a cripple, which wasn’t far from the truth, and then sprinted with all he had left at it. He leapt and aimed his feet directly at the thing’s pelvis. The result was everything he’d dreamed of and more, as the creature literally broke in two. In an explosion of sparks, its body and right arm went one way, while the other arm and its head fell down the hole. The floor sheeting had acted like a knife, literally cutting the robot in half even as it buckled. The robot in turn had turned a hole into a huge gaping rent in the floor.

  Faster than the crowd would have believed possible, he jumped after the head.

  A ten foot fall and he suddenly found himself on a whole new floor level. He was free. It was a dark, cold grey small room, but it had one thing that made it the equal of any palace; a door. The sight of it was enough to fill him with renewed energy as he suddenly had hope again. Hope of saving Cyrea.

  He hit it like a charging rhino and watched with satisfaction as it fell off its hinges and burst into the corridor beyond. He might be injured and a primitive human, but he was still strong and finally free. People stopped and stared at him, shocked and obviously frightened. Leinian people. They looked like they’d seen a ghost. He screamed incoherently at them, and watc
hed them flee with satisfaction. They weren’t his target, but they were in the way.

  They scattered like the wind before him, leaving him with a completely free corridor. A whole cacophony of sirens suddenly went off, and he realized he was a fugitive. But then he’d already known that. What they didn’t know was that he wasn’t fleeing, not yet anyway. He was always a soldier first and he had a job to do. He had to save Cyrea and he knew of only one way to do that. A very satisfying way. Hell was shortly about to visit Cyrea’s tormentor.

  The relief of finally seeing his way out of this nightmare leant him even more energy, and the hope of finding Cyrea and escaping this death trap grew and grew. Adrenaline flowed through his veins like water as never before. For a while at least, he knew he would be next to invincible. But as for how long he could keep going; that was a whole new question. A voice he knew too well started screaming over speakers, and he knew he had no more time. But the voice had replaced its smug evil with a new quality; fear. David relished the sound. Even more, he could imagine the evil creature telling everyone he was fleeing, and to get out of his way. How little he understood.

  Leg injuries forgotten he ran for what he thought was the front of the ship. He had gotten turned around in the arena, but still the ship’s front was slightly higher than its back, and it had stair cases everywhere. Leinians saw him as he ran and dived out of the way, panicking. He knew he must look a sight being twice the size of most of them, and with blood everywhere, including on his face. And a demented look in his eyes, but it served his purpose.

  Two quick corridors and he found a set of stairs. One flight up was where he’d been held, and where he was going. He took the steps three at a time, trying to get there before anyone guessed his destination. He had almost no time he knew before the bastard would realize he was coming back, and his advantage of surprise would be lost. But he might have even less before the slime started working again on Cyrea. The run back was even faster, and any Leinians that weren’t fast enough getting out of his way found themselves knocked roughly aside.

  Suddenly he was back at the chamber where he’d been held captive. He risked a quick look inside and saw that only the robots remained. They were standing around the lit arena, motionless, with no instructions to carry out. No one else was there, no crowd, no sadistic piece of shit. But then he’d always known where the head tormentor was even if he hadn’t told him. He’d seen the trace of light from the observation room above the chamber and had known from the beginning. The question was did his tormentor guess that he knew?

  He continued down the corridor past the chamber, heading for the stair case leading to the viewing room. Two more flights of steps vanished in short order, and he was at the door. It was locked. And when he hit it, he realised it was locked and barricaded from the other side. Apparently he was expected after all. But no barricade was going to stop him. He hit the door hard and then hit it again, smashing it with his entire body weight. The door began buckling.

  Over the air he could hear the voice, screaming in panic, and he knew the master of the ceremonies had suddenly found a new emotion, fear, and was calling for back up. All the back up he could get. A savage joy possessed him and David vowed to get him before they arrived. He could almost feel his enemy’s blood flowing in his fingers as he snapped his neck. He redoubled his efforts and watched the door slowly collapse. Metal door and metal frame, they still weren’t going to stop him.

  Then in a single glorious instant it was gone, the door falling to the floor as its last hinge tore loose. The room was finally open. His enemy lay inside. He dived in, knowing the likelihood that he would be facing weapons, and wasn’t disappointed as a ruby red beam splashed somewhere over his head. Which was why he’d come in so low. The shot was fast, but he was faster. A chair, or the remains of one became a missile as he threw it in the direction of the shooter, causing him to duck.

  That was all the time David needed, as he covered the distance between them in a single lunge. One hand took his weapons hand, a sudden flick broke the wrist and the weapon went flying. More crunching sounds made themselves known, as he shattered the Leinian’s whole arm and shoulder. It was ridiculously easy, as though he was made of paper. The other hand went straight to his enemy’s neck, cutting off his scream before it began, and he lifted him off the ground one handed and pushed him straight into the wall. The fingers might be broken, the wrist next to useless, but for the moment his hand had all the strength he needed.

  His tormentor turned out to be Leinian as he’d expected, but he was older and even tinier then the others David had met. His size made it easy to hold him against the wall with his left hand, feet dangling at least a foot off the ground, while he used his right to search him. The Leinian was panicking wildly, which was exactly how David wanted him, but with his throat caught in the vice of David’s hand he was unable to scream. The best he could do was splutter and gasp for air.

  Finding nothing in his hands or clothing David stripped him, a simple operation as he simply tore the clothes off his body. The one piece grey suit came apart like paper with so much adrenaline coursing through his veins and he tossed it behind him. The under garments went faster. And then he had him. Not just physically, he held his whole being in his hands. Heart and soul, the Leinian was his. David saw it in his eyes. The ancient Leinian was simply so terrified he would tell him anything. Do anything for him. He wouldn’t even think of resisting. There was of course only one thing he wanted to know.

  “Cyrea.” He roared it at him, straight in his face, and watched the old Leinian wilt. With his jaw broken, what came out sounded more like an animal’s snarl, but it was close enough.

  “She’s all right. She’s not here but she’s fine. Really. I wouldn’t hurt her. It was a trick. All of it. Just a trick.” He was babbling so fast David almost didn’t understand him, but when he did, it just made him angry. He knew he couldn’t believe him. It sounded too good to be true. It sounded like exactly what he wanted to hear, and he wouldn’t trust the creature. He couldn’t, not when he’d heard her scream.

  “You lie.” If his first shout had been loud his next was a sonic boom, and the sick creature nearly shat himself with fear.

  “No! True, true. All true.”

  Sounds behind him stopped his interrogation before it could go any further, and he flung the ancient Leinian brutally to one side while he spun and found the weapon he had dropped. A diving roll brought the silver pencil into his hands, and once there he knew how to use it. It had only one button, push and aim. He did just that and was rewarded with the sight of a red beam cutting its way into the far wall with a small explosion of fire, and the sounds of surprise and panic somewhere beyond the room.

  He picked up the Leinian again, who hadn’t even had time to move from the place he’d landed, and this time looped his arm around his throat from behind. Now he had a weapon, a hostage and a living shield. There was real hope. He shot a couple of short blasts into the door frame and was rewarded with the sounds of more panicking feet as they dived out of the way again.

  “Tell them to get back.” He had to repeat himself several times before even he could understand himself, but the creature did exactly as ordered. He knew he would. It was always the way. Those who were once in positions of absolute power were generally cowards when it was taken away from them. And this one had suddenly found itself absolutely powerless.

  “Cyrea.” There were two things he knew he needed. He needed to get Cyrea, and he needed to get out of this hell hole. And from his new found position of strength he thought he just might be able to do both. He kept screaming the name in the Leinian’s ear until he understood, and then he too started calling for her. Meanwhile the number of people outside the door was growing, and he kept sending splashes of red light in their direction. The metal around the already ruined door frame was beginning to melt, and the people were milling somewhere beyond it. But at least they weren’t coming through.

  “Cyrea.” This time
he forced the laser into his prisoner’s temple and watched him squirm. But at least he seemed to understand. At his prodding his hostage began calling for her, using his voice for David. Begging for her would have been more accurate, which seemed so right to David. He should beg. He should pray - before he died. But most of all he should get Cyrea free. Fast.

  It was a long and anxious wait as he stewed, wondering what they had done to her. Would she still know him, love him? Would she even be able to stand? He needed her to be able walk at least if he was to get her out of this hell hole. But then he also needed to be able to walk himself, and he knew he too was starting to run down. The adrenaline was waning again, and his tiredness and injuries were beginning to make themselves known. On the edge of victory he was beginning to fail. It would be close.