Cuddy had to think about that. Was that the correct hand … should it be the right hand?
“Yes!” Jackie said. She took his outstretched hand in hers and shook it. “I am … honored to meet you … Tow. Cuddy has told me so much about you.”
Grimacing, Cuddy gave Tow an apologetic smile.
Tow, nodding, gestured for them to come up the ramp.
Jackie hesitated a moment as she looked again at the ship there before her. Looking excited, she glanced over at Cuddy.
“It’s okay. I promise, you’re safe here.”
She smiled and, taking in a deep breath, headed up the ramp behind Tow. Last, Cuddy followed behind. The alien stopped at the open hatch, bowed his head and gestured for them to proceed inside.
Inside the ship, Jackie—with an expression of utter astonishment—looked around at the surroundings. When the AI orb hovered into view from the bow, she took a step back. Cuddy felt her body press against him.
“It’s okay. That’s the orb … the artificial intelligence for the ship.” The orb hovered in close. One of its articulating arms began to extend, its claw—three finger-like digits—opened and closed. Cuddy tensed—his hands tightening into fists.
Tow ordered, “Back away, orb! Jackie is a friend. Amend your database to include her … do it now!”
“Database amended. Hello, Jackie … welcome aboard the Evermore.” Cuddy noticed the orb was sounding less alien-like than before.
“Tow,” he said. “… I think the Howsh took my brother.”
Jackie was uncharacteristically quiet as she continued to take in the glowing and naked, as usual, alien.
“That may be true, Cuddy. I am sorry. It is my fault; I have caused unexpected turmoil on your planet.”
“We need to rescue him. Find that ship … go get him.”
Jackie said, “And I’d like to help too.” Tow silently studied them both.
“The repairs to your ship … have you started yet?” Cuddy asked.
Tow nodded. “Yes, but I am quite weak. It is a slow process.” He searched Cuddy’s face and asked, “Tell me, how are you doing, Cuddy?”
“You mean since you used him like a lab rat in that chamber of horrors of yours?” Jackie interjected. Tow and Cuddy stared at her.
“It’s not like that, Jackie,” Cuddy said. “I thought you understood.” He was beginning to regret bringing her along.
Indignant, she looked at Tow. “He’s changed, you know. He’s not the same person he was before. He’s having a big problem adapting. Did you think about that before—”
“Jackie!” Cuddy snapped. “It’s what I wanted. What’s wrong with you, anyway? Stop attacking Tow. Remember, you’re a guest here.”
“It’s all right, Cuddy. She is correct. I did not fully anticipate the physical and mental repercussions those wellness chamber sessions would have on you beforehand … on a human. I made some assumptions that have proven to be incorrect, and I have thought about little else ever since.”
“Look, Jackie, I wouldn’t go back … to the way I was before, not for anything. What Tow did for me … was a gift. He’s changed my life for the better. I think you owe him an apology.”
Jackie said, “Fine, then … sorry,” crossing her arms over her chest.
Cuddy was well aware she could be tenacious—had spunk—but he’d never seen her be rude before. He chalked it up to her being overwhelmed. Any normal person would be freaking out about now.
“Tell me what to do, Tow; how I can help with the repairs?” Cuddy asked.
* * *
Tow was a good teacher—patient with Cuddy’s lack of knowledge of even the simplest of concepts. But Tow provided the necessary information along the way, as well as the rudimentary principles behind them. Tow had commented multiple times how quick a learner Cuddy was … which in and of itself was super encouraging.
They were in a section of the ship Cuddy had not seen before, and as far astern as they could go. Tow referred to the compartment as Engineering. The emersion-drives, each about twelve feet high by ten feet wide, took up the majority of the compartment’s space. Tow pointed out a specific area, where a Howsh plasma strike had breached both the outer and inner hulls, striking the drive. A charred, blackened section on the drive appeared to be in early stages of repair. Several newer-looking components had been added, and a cluster of optical cables, of sorts, hung loosely from some kind of conduit. Again, it didn’t go unnoticed on Cuddy that only a few days before he had no clue what an optical cable was, or of the basics of how a propulsion system performed. Now, his brain was like a sponge. He listened as Tow and the AI orb spoke, no longer attempting to speak in generalities, and found he had a greater affinity toward understanding—both the mechanical aspects of the propulsion system, as well as the physics that lay behind it.
Jackie was a hard worker. Her job, principally, was to carry various small parts from one of the nearby storage compartments, as requested, or hold items in place while the AI orb fastened them on, using an assortment of strange looking power tools. Cuddy mostly was tasked with using his brute strength wherever needed. One tool he used, looking nearly identical to the common crowbar, pried fried, welded-on components off the drive.
Tow leaned against a bulkhead, supervising only. Cuddy could see his friend was having a hard time staying vertical and then noticed something else as well—his beautiful white glowing radiance had significantly diminished. A sudden tightness gripped at Cuddy’s throat. He remembered the conversation—where Tow had talked so openly about his impending, inevitable, death. Cuddy’s heart felt heavy in his chest. He looked over to his alien friend and wished there was something he could do.
Chapter 24
Standing next to Tow, Jackie watched him work from the opposing bulkhead on the damaged emersion-drive. Using brute force, Cuddy jammed the end of the crowbar into a small gap on the last, melted-together, metal component. He put his full strength behind prying it off. It was steamy hot in the small compartment and Cuddy had removed his shirt an hour before. His back muscles were tense beneath his wide shoulders, his abdomen flat. He had the muscular build of an athlete, which surprised her since, before that day, Jackie had never witnessed him do any form of exercise.
Over the preceding hours, Cuddy had asked a never-ending sequence of questions—mostly directed toward the AI orb. Seeming to have an insatiable hunger for information, he needed to understand not only the whats and hows of everything, but also the whys. Questions like, why did the designers of the ship’s propulsion system decide to install an emersion-drive system instead of some kind of anti-matter drive? It appeared that he was asking questions even Tow could not answer.
While Cuddy and the hovering orb conversed, Jackie asked, “So, what’s going to happen … next?”
Tow said, “Soon, the AI orb will attempt to initialize the drive. After that, the two drives need to be balanced … synchronized—”
“No, I mean with Cuddy. Will you be taking him away from us? Into space?”
Tow, watching Cuddy and the orb, said, “I no longer make those decisions, Jackie. Even if I could, I wouldn’t. My time here is almost at an end.” As if on cue, Tow began to cough into his open palm. Jackie waited silently for the deep hacking to let up. He then continued, “The question you need to consider asking is this: What will you do … go with him or stay here?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t asked me to go with him.”
“And he probably won’t,” Tow said. “Unfairly, he has taken on this burden by himself. No one should have such an enormous weight placed upon them … such as his now.”
“You mean returning the heritage pod to Primara?” Jackie asked.
Tow looked surprised.
“He told me about it. But I’m not surprised that Cuddy would want to help. I’ve never known a more decent person,” she added.
Cuddy gestured toward the emersion drive, with its myriad of newly mounted replacement parts. “Almost done.” Then, pointin
g to the contraption Jackie had held in her hands for the last twenty minutes, he said, “I’ll take that.”
She handed the strange device across to him. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Cuddy held it up before the hovering orb, and gestured with his chin towards the side of the big drive unit. “How will this be oriented onto the suspension-regulator?”
Tow, his voice now barely above a whisper, told Jackie, “Cuddy’s intelligence has continued to grow exponentially. Yet emotionally, he is still immature. I am sure you too have noticed as much. Those two aspects will continue to be at odds for him. For how long, I do not know. He will need help … to cope and understand.”
“I have my own life to lead. Obligations … my father’s recuperation … school …”
Tow nodded appreciatively. Then he and Jackie looked toward Cuddy, who was addressing them.
“Sorry, Cuddy, what did you say?” Jackie asked.
“Weapons.”
Confused, Tow shook his head.
“Time is a crucial factor. Best if we do things in parallel. The orb here tells me the initializing and synchronizing of the repaired drive will take over an hour. Eventually, we’re going to need sufficient weaponry on board this ship to even the odds with the Howsh.”
Tow said, “Why would the Evermore have any weapons available? Pashier are pacifists.”
“Look … you’re going to have to get over that, Tow. I’m sorry, but there’s no other option, now that humans are in the mix. And remember, you made that choice.”
Impressed, Jackie watched Cuddy patiently hold strong—not backing down.
“Well, there are no weapons on board, although the vessel does have powerful energy shields.”
“Obviously not powerful enough, since your thirteen other armada ships were all destroyed. That should be proof enough.” Cuddy turned to the AI orb. “And are you a pacifist too?”
“I am programmed to be, that is correct.”
Cuddy looked back to Tow. “I’m sorry … the orb needs to—”
Tow interjected with a raised hand: “AI orb, from this point on you will take directions from Cuddy Perkins. I am transferring my executive command status to him. Update your database to coincide with my orders.”
“Database updated,” the AI orb said.
Jackie was well aware something huge had just transpired, as Cuddy and Tow continued staring at one another.
“Cuddy Perkins, a Howsh vessel is quickly approaching from the north. The course vector is perfectly aligned with our current position.”
“How much time—”
“None,” the AI orb replied. “It is nearly upon us.”
* * *
Tow, Cuddy, and Jackie, along with the hovering AI orb, hurried forward. Standing within the small bridge compartment, Tow showed Cuddy the symbolic representation of the landed Howsh ship on the virtual viewscape display. It took Cuddy several moments to make heads or tails out of the surrounding landscape.
“That’s your ranch. Right there!” Jackie then said, “Don’t you see it?”
Cuddy did. It appeared the Howsh spaceship had landed close to the house. His mind raced. Had the Howsh now taken Momma—in addition to Kyle? Or had they killed her? Killed them both? He looked at Jackie, his face registering indecision.
Jackie in turn looked first at the AI, then at Tow. “Is that orb thing capable of … doing more than hovering around? Can it fight?”
Tow said, “The AI orb can speak for itself, Jackie, and will do what is asked of it.”
“Both my articulating arms are equipped with integrated plasma implements. Utilized mostly for close-range welding and cutting,” the AI orb said.
“And they can be reconfigured?” Cuddy asked.
“Affirmative.”
“As weapons?” Jackie asked.
“Affirmative.”
“Then do it …” Cuddy ordered.
Jackie leaned in toward the viewscape display and made a face. “Shit, that looks like …”
“Police cruisers,” Cuddy said, raising the crowbar grasped still in his right fist. “We need to get over there, Tow. I know that violence is not your thing, so maybe you could get started initializing the drives?’
“Yes … I will do that.”
* * *
Cuddy and Jackie ran full out, skirting in-and-out between trees, as the hovering AI orb kept pace alongside them. Never before in his life had Cuddy been this scared. His newly intelligent, informed mind was useless dealing with the mental bombardment—the all-too-real possible scenarios of what might be going on now at the ranch.
He followed behind Jackie as she leapt over the brook, and they heard the crack crack crack of gunfire, coming from up ahead. Jackie quickly glanced back over her shoulder then slowed so he could catch up with her.
Cuddy shouldn’t have been surprised. It was only a matter of time before the Howsh found the Evermore. But only one Howsh ship had appeared on the display. Where were the others? Would they too be landing soon? Would the U.S. military start bombarding this area? Maybe with nuclear weapons?
Cuddy, now taking the lead, ran out from the line of trees as gunfire continued to fire. Cuddy, Jackie, and the orb entered the barn, quickly slowing down their pace. Out of breath, Cuddy and Jackie leaned over and, with hands on knees, heaved in deep lungfuls of air. The AI orb continued forward, moving toward the open doorway then hovered there. Still out of breath, Cuddy joined the orb in the barn doorway and peered out toward the house. Thank God, it’s still standing! Both the Maxima and VW bug were where they’d been parked. But near to the road was a landed spaceship, equal in size to the Evermore. It was supported above the ground by three landing struts. A gangway ramp extended out, beneath the ship’s underside. Fifty yards further down the road were two police vehicles parked at angles on the road. Cuddy recognized the vehicles as the sheriff’s and Officer Plumkin’s. Both driver-side doors were open—used for cover—as the officers periodically fired toward the spaceship. The sheriff was firing a rifle while Plumkin used his side arm.
Cuddy felt Jackie move up to stand close by his side. Placing a hand on his arm, she asked, “What’s going on?”
“Sheriff and Plumkin are shooting.”
“So do you see them … what are they called, the Howsh?” Jackie asked.
“No, not yet. Wait … there … there’s one of them.”
They watched as a tall, furry creature came around the corner at the far side of the house, holding a weapon—a rifle of some sort. Then Cuddy noticed the front screen door of the house was partially open, hanging loosely on a single hinge. Momma!
Chapter 25
Standing outside on the porch—Rufus barked continuously. The dog was obviously highly agitated at what was going on inside. It took all Cuddy’s willpower not to charge forward—run full out toward the house. He didn’t know if Momma was still safe inside or if she’d already been taken. Was she even alive?
The alien beast, lurking by the side of the house, fired back toward the sheriff’s police cruiser. Bright red bolts of energy hit the open car door, leaving in their wake several charred—glowing hot—craters. A second, nearly identical Howsh joined the one at the side of the house. He too held an energy weapon, which he raised and began firing toward the second police SUV, parked farther back down the road. Cuddy heard Officer Plumkin make a yelping sound, then quickly duck his head back behind the open car door.
Cuddy could see someone else, sitting inside the sheriff’s cruiser. Seated in the passenger seat, peering out over the dashboard, were, unmistakably, the two white strips of adhesive tape across Tony Bone’s nose. The sheriff’s son.
Three more sets of furry legs were descending the gangway, which made at least five Howsh that needed to be dealt with—somehow. Even one was a problem. Cuddy wondered how many more were still on board the spaceship.
Crack! Startled, Cuddy and Jackie flinched as a loud rifle report resounded out from within the house. He turned in time, hearing
a second loud crack, to catch a bright muzzle flash through the kitchen window.
Cuddy threw caution to the wind and sprinted out the barn door, hearing Jackie’s desperate plea behind him: “No … Cuddy … wait!” But he couldn’t let them take Momma—or worse, hurt her.
In one long stride, he leapt up onto the porch. Crossing his forearms in front of his face, he plowed his two hundred pounds into the off-kilter, hanging screen door, which crumbled and splintered into kindling on impact. Cuddy ran past the foyer and into the kitchen, nearly tripping over a Howsh body, lying, its furry limbs askew, on the floor. Cuddy noticed a good portion of his head had been blown away—a splattering of skull shards, fur, and brain matter, covered the adjacent wall.
Hearing a choking, gurgling sound, he ran down the hallway on the other side of the kitchen and found another Howsh. Momma’s shotgun—its breach open—was lying on the carpet. The Howsh had one arm raised high—a ginormous fist wrapped around Momma’s neck, pinning her high up on the wall. Her legs thrashed as she desperately tried to kick out and free herself. One shoe had fallen to the floor. What came next was both terrifying and comforting. It was a voice. Cuddy knew it was the AI orb, somehow speaking out to him. Use your mind … use your will to prevail.
Crazed with fury, Cuddy’s hands balled into white-knuckled fists. Yet he did as the unseen voice suggested and constructively applied both his anger and will power and watched as the alien’s hand and fingers, so tightly gripped around Momma’s neck, suddenly burst into a splattered cloud. A blood-red mist filled the hallway. Cuddy reached Momma’s side as she fell to the floor. Desperately gasping—her hands clawed at her throat. The Howsh wailed—a high-pitched, blood curdling, otherworldly sound. Blood rhythmically spurted out from his lower arm—now with no hand. The alien beast, bent over in pain, used his other hand to tug his ruined appendage—its matted fur now slick with blood—into himself. His anger had only increased—stepping in closer, Cuddy ratcheted his right arm backward, simultaneously twisting—torquing—his upper body around. The ensuing, spring-action release—like a human pile-driver—drove Cuddy’s right fist into the back of the alien’s head with enough force to shatter his skull into hundreds of pieces. The alien died right where it stood, teetering for only a moment. Cuddy shoved the lifeless body away from Momma as it crumpled and fell to the floor in a heap.
The Simpleton: An Alien Encounter Page 13
