“Your friend is alive…for now. He is the next step to the next phase of your transformation,” Mr. Toad smiled.
“What do you mean?”
“I know you have been feeling a growing hunger deep within; a hunger so intense that it kills all other desires. You have always been able to kill without feeling. That is a part of your relation to me…our species. You’re not just a bloodthirsty killer, but also a bloodthirsty animal that craves the taste of flesh and blood. Your friend is your next step to becoming complete. After you dine on his flesh and blood, your body will change within a period of one week, and will finally be fully transformed. It will be painful at first, but when your transformation is complete, we shall celebrate,” Mr. Toad explained to Luis.
“You’re insane! I would never hurt Frank, he’s my friend. That’s ridiculous, I would never eat a person!” Luis blurted out. Mr. Toad slammed a fist on the table with such force, that it shocked Luis’ and forced him to shut up. He froze.
“You will eat your lover, and you will enjoy it. This is not something you can stop. It will be difficult in the beginning to accept, but when you take your first bite, you will not doubt any longer. Your strength will increase immensely, as well as your other senses. You will no longer feel any fear or worries. Trust me, son, you will learn to love it. Humans or humanoid creatures, are our only source of food and nutrition. Without them, we would perish. They are our prey,” explained Mr. Toad.
Luis was too overwhelmed and confused with such intense emotions that he couldn’t even argue with the large alien. Luis’ grief was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Enter,” said Mr. Toad. Another alien entered, who was also wearing a black robe lined in blue hieroglyphics.
“Brother, I have distressing news. We opened the obelisk. The female is gone,” the alien said in his demonic voice. Mr. Toad rose to his feet, with a terrifying look of anger on his face. His black eyes rolled into the back of his head, as he slammed his fists on the dining table, smashing it to pieces. Wooden fragments flew in all directions. Luis stood as still as he could, almost passing out from fear of seeing the alien in rage.
“I knew the White Skull couldn’t be trusted. That little shit will DIE! He will suffer a slow death as I eat him alive and suck on his bones! Get me Silvana!” Mr. Toad yelled to the other alien. The alien left the room as Mr. Toad began to pace back and forth. Luis and the two men stood in complete silence, hoping they wouldn’t become an outlet for Mr. Toad’s rage.
A few minutes later, there was another knock at the door, causing Luis to tense up even more. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing what was about to come through the door.
“COME IN!” yelled Mr. Toad. To Luis’ surprise, a beautiful woman entered the room. The young woman looked to be in her early twenties, with straight, long black hair and had a tanned complexion. Mr. Toad seemed to calm down a little when he saw the young woman. Although Luis wasn’t interested, he was impressed by the woman’s physique. She was wearing a tight, black vest, which exposed her toned arms and cleavage, and tight black pants. Luis guessed that she was an American Indian, by the traditional bone choker she was wearing around her neck. If it weren’t for her partially black eyes, he would think Jesse would have been interested in her. Luis knew Jesse had a big thing for American Indian women. Luis could tell by looking at her that she was a bitch. Luis wished Jesse were there to help him. Like the two other men in the room, she also had a tattoo, but it was on the right side of the lower part of her neck, and was the color red and purple.
“Silvana, the White Skull has ruined my plans. I want you to track him down and bring him and the girl back to me alive. I want them both completely intact. Use a neutralizing gun to render them unconscious. Try not to hurt them too badly, like the last person you brought back to me,” smiled Mr. Toad. Silvana returned the smile, remembering how she had almost beaten a man to death that she was supposed to bring to Mr. Toad for questioning.
“Before you go, I want you to meet your brother, Luis. He has finally been returned to us, daughter. Say hello to your sister, Luis,” said Mr. Toad. After hearing that the woman was his sister, it almost caused his eyes to go completely cross-eyed. Luis was too baffled to even speak anymore. Silvana sat down on Luis’ lap, and ran her fingers through his hair.
“Father, I don’t think he is too happy to be here. Don’t worry, Luis, everything will be all right. I can understand your shock, since you didn’t grow up around father the way I have. Most half-breeds are conceived within the Renexobious brotherhood and raised with their fathers. Unfortunately, there have been a few who are born not knowing their true heritage…like you. The fact that you are father’s rightful heir was hidden from the UPG. If they had known, they would have probably caused you to have an accident, if you know what I mean. We have our own plans that must not be interfered with. We have a little surprise in store for…”
Mr. Toad cut her off, “Silvana, Luis already has a lot on his mind. We must not bore him with unimportant facts at this time. All right, now go, retrieve the White Skull for me…and remember…in…one…piece,” Mr. Toad scolded.
“Yes, Father. Tah tah, Luis, see you soon,” Silvana said in a sexy voice, as she gently brushed her hand against Luis’ cheek. Silvana quickly exited the room.
“Que, are these two retards my brothers?” Luis boldly asked Mr. Toad. Both men narrowed their eyes.
Mr. Toad bellowed out a deep laugh, “No, Luis, I see you have a sense of humor. I always knew you were bold. No, these men are your brothers, but not by blood. However, Silvana is your blood sister. You see, our species consists of a single brotherhood, which has many ranks. Each rank of the brotherhood is segregated by color. The red letters you see on my garment indicates that I am the supreme ruler. Red also indicates those who are from the royal blood line, like you and your sister. The blue letters you see on the two men’s robes, indicates that they are my private guards. Green indicates the Renexobious, who fatten up and handle the livestock…our food. Yellow letters indicates priests, who occasionally handle ritual sacrifices, and purple indicates trained warriors, like your sister. There are other ranks, but you will learn them all in time. That is enough for tonight, my son. My guards will take you to your room. I will call upon you in three days after I take care of a few things. I will give you those days to process everything that has taken place. Rest easy, I have a lot planned for you. Guards, take my son to his room. Make sure that he takes off those ridiculous clothes and wears his black robe from now on.” Mr. Toad dismissed the guards and his son.
One of the guards sedated Luis, and then the both of them carried him out of the room. Mr. Toad left the room and decided to go to his feeding chamber for a while. He had many things to get done, but didn’t want to start on an empty stomach.
Chapter 9
"What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof."
Christopher Hitchens
Captain Moore had just finished giving his weekly martial arts class in one of the civilian gyms. It was a popular class that many females attended religiously. Some of the civilian ladies stuck around after the class to grab at his large biceps. Captain Eric Moore was a young, handsome man in his early thirties, who had a lot of female admirers. He loved the attention, but was still holding off for Mrs. Right. He decided to continue his workout in the corner of the gym. The captain grabbed a long pole staff and began to swing and twirl it around with ease. He was a master of martial arts and had been studying it since he was five years of age. His female admirers looked on as he suavely impressed them with his pole technique. Captain Moore tuned them out and continued with his training.
Later in the evening, Eric met a lady at one of the lounges on the restaurant level that he had met a few days earlier. When the beautiful blonde approached, he politely pulled out a chair for her, and they both sat at the bar. The lighting in the lounge was dimly lit, giving off a romantic ambiance. While he was dressed in a dashing white dress shir
t and black pants, she wore an elegant blue dress. Her hair was blonde and wavy, touching her shoulders. Her full lips glistened from her red lipstick, making them look inviting.
After they both ordered their drinks, Eric began the conversation, “You look beautiful tonight,” he said, in a deep voice.
“Thank you,” Dorothy smiled. A small band by the dance floor was playing some jazz music.
“So, how long have you been in the UPG?” Dorothy asked, as she sipped on her drink through a little red straw.
“Ten years now. Eight years at the UPG Headquarters, and two aboard the Horizon,” Eric answered.
“Do you enjoy it?” Dorothy asked. Her hair looked really soft to him, and he held himself back from touching it.
“Yes, I love it. What about you? Why did you decide to come aboard the Horizon?”
“Well, I wasn’t happy living on a space station,” Dorothy said, as she took another sip of her drink, “and I’ve always dreamed of having my own house on a planet…being able to walk outside and smell the fresh air. You know, instead of the stale air on the space stations.”
One of the spaghetti straps of her dress fell over her shoulder. Eric gently put it back in its place with his finger, feeling her soft, warm skin against his hand. Dorothy was extremely attractive, with the beauty of a glamorous model. The two of them looked like the perfect couple, right off the cover of a fashion magazine.
“Would you like to dance?” Eric asked her.
“Yes, I would love to,” Dorothy smiled. He gently took her hand and walked her over to the dance floor. Dorothy put her arm around Eric’s waist, as they held out each other’s right hand. Eric gently spun her a few times. They looked into each other’s eyes, as they began to slowly sway back and forth. They didn’t speak for several minutes, but moved in closer and closer, until finally, their arms were around each other. Eric could feel her firm breasts pressed against him. Dorothy’s fragrant perfume captivated him, as she rested her head on his hard chest. Her hair was soft, brushing against his cheek. He smelled her hair, and felt as if he were in heaven. After three songs, Eric kissed Dorothy, and she happily kissed him back. While eating dinner, they laughed and drank, as they told each other their life stories. They talked for hours, until finally, the lounge closed. They were the last ones there, as the bus boy overturned the chairs onto the tables.
When the bartender told them he had to lock up, Eric walked Dorothy back to her apartment. They exchanged a gentle kiss at Dorothy’s door, and Eric headed back to his room. Dorothy went into her room and locked her door. As she tossed her security key onto her night stand and placed her purse on her bed, the phone rang.
“Hello,” Dorothy said.
“How did it go?” a man asked.
“Very well,”
“Do you think he suspects anything?”
“No,”
“I saw you two together. You looked like you actually like him. Dorothy, do not forget what you are supposed to do,” the man advised.
“You don’t have to worry about me. You know I always get the job done,”
“All right, just remember our orders. We only have so much time to prepare. If we don’t succeed…well, you know the consequences,”
“And what about you? Did you have to kill Ensign Rivers? That was going a little too far, don’t you think,” Dorothy asked.
“I know, I regret my actions, but he seemed like he would talk if someone interrogated him. I didn’t want to take the chance. Besides, I don’t think the admiral will figure it out…until it’s too late,”
“When it’s time, how are we going to get off of the Horizon?”
“They said that after we complete our mission, a ship will take us back to Earth,” the man explained.
“Good, because I can’t wait to get back to Washington D.C. I should have never agreed to this assignment,” Dorothy admitted.
“Yeah, but I can’t wait until they put the money in our accounts. Just keep putting on your charm, and it will all soon be over. I’ll contact you again within a few days. In the meantime, I’ll keep a close eye on you and the captain. Sleep tight,” the man said, and then he hung up the phone. Dorothy hung up her phone and sat on her bed. She let out a long sigh. She was conflicted with her feelings for Eric and her mission. Eric seemed like such a nice, gentle man, like a prince in a fairy tale. At the same time, she had to get certain information from him. She knew it would take awhile, but she figured she would just enjoy the time they had together. Dorothy felt guilty for what she was doing, and decided that after this mission, she would retire early, with her very large payoff that she was going to receive. She just hoped that the money would make up for the guilt she was feeling. A few minutes later, Eric called her room, and they talked into the morning.
The next day, Professor Howard and Dr. Petrouski argued over the alien artifacts that were locked up in the security vault. They were in the main science lab analyzing dirt samples that they had taken from the blue planet.
“I’m telling you, the inhabitants were on that planet only a few years ago. They must have been taken by force,” the professor protested, as he poured a beaker of chemicals into a glass flask that had dirt in it. The glasses touched each other, creating a clanking sound.
“How can you be certain? I didn’t see any signs of a struggle. It is very possible that there is some kind of virus which has completely wiped them out,” Dr. Petrouski argued. The doctor remembered what he saw back on the blue planet. However, he didn’t want to tell the professor, since he had his own reports to make.
“What is it with you and viruses? You think everything is the cause of a virus. No, the chemical’s I analyzed in the soil sample clearly shows that there are different elements that must be from another planet. Thus, telling me…that they must have been removed against their will. Look…look at the sample,” the professor said, as he shook a small glass flask, spilling dirt and chemicals on the floor.
Dr. Petrouski blankly stared at the professor and smiled, “Professor, calm down before you get a heart attack. Listen…you should leave it alone. The UPG Council told us that we are not to make any more studies until further notice,”
The professor completely ignored the doctor, “You know, I think something is going on. Don’t you think it’s a little strange that when we finally find that extraterrestrials do exist, we are not permitted to make a scientific study?” asked the professor.
“Yes, I do, Professor, but, at the same time, they do have a valid point…of us continuing our search for an inhabitable planet. I mean, that is our main goal, is it not?” the doctor asked.
The professor ignored him again, “I need to analyze those samples we took from the planet. I believe that if I can just analyze them that I can prove that the humanoid life on that planet was taken against their will,”
Dr. Petrouski rolled his eyes and sighed. He felt that it was almost hopeless to reason with him. “Professor, we can’t analyze those artifacts…they are locked up. What are you going to do, pick the lock? Come on, Professor, I do agree with you that something doesn’t feel right, but we have our orders. Just let it go. Here, help me analyze this blood sample from the Hodges woman. She clearly died from old age, but her blood has possible traces of the Pelicom Virus.” The doctor held out a vile of blood. The professor frowned, nodded his head and took the vile. The doctor didn’t really need any help. He just wanted to get the professor off of the subject. He was personally worried that someone may catch wind of their new discovery, and that all hell would break out. The doctor liked his job too much to get fired for disobeying orders.
A few hours later, Admiral Scanlon, Captain Moore, and Commander Jain were sitting in the glass conference room, attempting to put together the missing pieces of the River’s murder.
“So, no one remembers seeing anyone using Lieutenant Holland’s console that night?” Admiral Scanlon asked.
“No, sir…and no one seems to have an explanation why the security cameras were
shut off at the time Ensign Rivers left to go to the bathroom. So, unfortunately, we are no further in our investigation than before,” Captain Moore said, as he tossed River’s file in front of the admiral.
“Someone must have seen something. We are going to have to keep a closer eye on the command crew. Someone is covering up for somebody…and I don’t like it. The last thing we need aboard the Horizon is a goddamn spy,” the admiral said, with frustration.
“Do you have any suspicions?” the captain asked.
“I would have suspected Rivers, since he was always so nervous and shifty,” Commander Nilay Jain expressed. “You don’t think the message could have been sent to the agency do you?”
“I don’t know. All we know is that someone sent a message to one of the many UPG departments. Now, if it has to do with the alien artifacts, then why don’t they tell us straight up?” the captain asked.
“The message we received from the UPG is strange, like they were tipped off about something. You would think with that type of discovery, that they would want the professor to do some research,” the captain said, as he stood up.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to interrogate my staff again…until they remember who had access to the security cameras that night. I’ll let you know what I find, Admiral,” the captain said, as he saluted.
“Keep me posted, I want Rivers’ killer,” the admiral expressed, as he put on his reading glasses and began to sift through some personnel files which he had in front of him.
Captain Moore continued to interrogate the other officers and crew on the bridge. He went into his office, which was separated from the rest of his staff. His office was raised higher, so he could over look his security officers at their desks. He was also the youngest captain in the UPG. Some of his officers were older than his own father. He could tell that the older officers looked at him with jealously. One occasion, one of his officers actually called him a young pup out of anger, and he assigned that officer to guard the level where the garbage was disintegrated…for three months. That officer never talked back to him again. The captain had heard that the smell on that level was unbearable.
Voyages of the White Skull Book 1 Page 18
