“We’re fine now,” Gin-us cut in as he stepped out into the hallway. “Just having fun playing with magic we don’t understand.” He rushed past Patrick, bumping his shoulder into his back roughly. “We have it under control now. If you don’t mind me, I’d like to get back to my ship.”
“Gin-us, wait!” Patrick reached out for Gin-us but Flupotia grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “What?” He spat at her.
“Just let him be for now. Whatever his reasoning, he’s not happy about what you’ve done.”
“What I’ve done? I haven’t kept secrets that put lives in jeopardy!” He stared her down hard, making sure she felt the blame he was putting back on her.
“Patrick,” she sighed deeply, “it’s not like that.”
“Then tell me what it is like? Because I thought we were on the same team here?”
“Please, just let it go.” She began to walk down the hall away from Patrick.
“Fine.” But Patrick couldn’t just drop it, he needed to have the last word. “But the next time I make a mistake because of secrets you’re keeping, let’s hope nobody gets hurt!”
“Not cool.” Frize walked past Patrick to follow Flupotia who had not even bothered to acknowledge his last remark.
With guilt weighing on him heavily, Patrick began his own walk back towards the command center. He knew his words had been harsh, but now was not the time for secrets. He was the leader of this army and needed to know everything if he was to lead successfully. Especially things that could change the tide of the war.
John offered to make dinner for everyone, but Patrick refused. His stomach was in knots and he had no appetite. Silence settled over the command center as everyone took up their posts. The remaining time spent traveling to Venus was going to be unquestionably spent in silence.
◆◆◆
VII: Other-Wordly David & Goliath
Gin-us was the first to notice Venus in the distance, his eyesight mildly superior to those he traveled with. Six hours of radio silence and he really didn’t want to be the one to break it. He waited patiently for the other ships to notice and let Flupotia be the one to break the silence. Even then, he was glad that nobody brought up what had happened. There were no explanations, questions or apologies. It was strictly business. Replies were short and held little emotion. With no distraction to the conversation, a plan was quickly finalized for surveying the planet.
The ships made their descent, a line of three with no one truly taking the lead over the others. They were scouting for other ships, any evidence of the Plutonian presence or whereabouts. It was clear to everyone that the tension between the three leaders was at an all-time high. Patrick was almost hoping they would find a ship hovering just on the horizon, something for them to fight together and bolster the alliance back up before it deteriorated any further. Much to his dismay, they found nothing in orbit around the planet.
With no evidence of Plutonian presence in orbit, they were still confident the planet was occupied below. Even though they had stolen the King's power they knew he had plans in place to invade Venus before he had finished with Earth. They also knew that the prison transport they had commandeered had been carrying a prisoner from Venus.
The surface of Venus looked nothing like Earth as they made their descent. How does anything live here? Patrick looked down on the planet which was covered in a thick murky cloud. With little knowledge of Venus or what lay beneath this cloud, they began the plunge into the unknown. Patrick finally took the lead, eager for any opportunity to prove his value as a leader. The turbulence that suddenly rocked his ship sent Patrick falling to the ground. He recovered quickly before anyone could notice and sat back in his chair with a firm grip on the armrests. Storms raged in the clouds around the ships as they continued to push through.
Lightening cracked at the ship and thunder rattled their ears. Patrick felt his stomach flip and turn as the ship squealed around him. Gin-us gripped his chair tighter, his knuckles turning white and sweat pooling on his forehead. Flupotia was faring only slightly better having been through a fair share of turbulent flights before. Frize was in the engine room, doing his best to hold on as the ship twisted and turned around him.
The ships felt as if they were going to be pulled apart in any second. Just a little further, I know there is something on the other side of this cloud! With a final push, the fleet broke through the heavy winds and dense clouds. Yet again, Patrick was tossed from his seat as the ship came to a screeching halt, the boosters now acting as brakes. The forces around him quickly stabilized and Patrick was able to walk to the front of the command center, and admire the planet below.
Of all the things he had expected, this was not one of them. Beneath the thick clouds covering the surface of Venus were deep jungles stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a sea of green in every direction with active volcanoes dotting the landscape sporadically. Smoke billowed from each, pillars rising to join the thick clouds in the sky. It took close to an hour of slow flight until they finally found a clearing large enough to land their fleet, having noticed no sign of the Plutonians in the process.
The clearing was one of the most beautiful places Patrick had ever seen. On one end was a large body of water hundreds of leagues deep. Yet somehow the water remained crystal clear and allowed an unobstructed view to the deepest depths. Even from the ships, you could see dozens of bright colors darting around in every direction. There was a waterfall sparkling like diamonds as it cascaded over the nearby hills and splashed silently into the pool of water below. Surrounding the water and spreading across the clearing were red grasses over a foot tall. The clearing took on the appearance of a raging fire as the wind of the descending ships billowed across the tall grasses.
The tress surrounding the clearing stood taller than any on Earth, some even reaching into the clouds above. Vines hung down in loops between the tree where moss of all colors spread out, creating the look of a living rainbow. Nobody spoke, but everyone had the same thought running through their minds. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
Blown away by the beauty around him, Patrick forgot all the anger and mistrust he had been harboring and reached for the radio. Jane let out a small yelp and grabbed his arm before he could call out to anyone. He looked to her for an explanation and saw fear spread across her face. She was pointing to the opposite edge of the water where a large bird was pushing its way through the trees.
The air around them hung still as a silence crept over the crew and nobody on the ship dared to even breathe. The large bird resembled a pelican with white feathers covering most of its body. The tips of its wings were black where the feathers ended. It had a long neck and beak which it stretched into the air as it flapped its wings. This sent a wave through the air that rocked the ships gently. The bird crossed the clearing towards the deep pool of water. As it bent over to drink hundreds of razor-sharp teeth and a tongue that glinted in the light as if made from sharp steel were revealed. The bird dipped its head into the water and in a single swallow emptied nearly half the pool.
It was only when the bird raised its massive head from the water that it noticed the ships hovering in the air. It stood up straight and cocked its head sideways like a confused puppy. The bird's feathers ruffled up as it turned to the sky with an open mouth. With a blood-curdling caw, the bird began racing across the clearing.
Shivers raced down Gin-us’ spine as he saw the bird make a beeline for his ship. Without even giving him a second to think, the bird had cleared the distance between them. It was now standing just outside the ship, eye level with the command center. Its milky green eyes were darting back and forth as it stared at Gin-us and the others inside. The bird nudged the ship with the side of its beak which sent everyone to the floor. Again the bird nudged the ship, this time using the tip of its beak to push it towards the ground. With no response from the ship, the bird let out another loud caw and opened its beak wide. The bird bent over and closed its mouth around
the ship.
“Jane!” Patrick sprang into action as he watched the bird make its move. “I need to know what the atmosphere is out there, right now! Roger, go get all the ammunition and guns you can carry from the armory. John.” Patrick looked to John and almost laughed as he realized with relief he had no real task for him.
“Just get the ship landed.” He turned to run down the stairs but stopped at the top. “Carefully!” He added, turning back to John as he continued to exit.
Patrick had never been much of a space buff but hoped the environment of Venus could sustain human life. Although, he thought as he ran towards the exit of the ship, even if I had known much about space, I probably wouldn’t believe any of it anymore.
“Oxygen levels are higher here than any I’ve ever seen on Earth.” Jane’s voice broke out over the ship's intercom. “Gravity levels seem stable enough to operate without one of the tethers.”
Patrick stopped at an intercom to reply. “Great, go help Roger in the armory. Get everyone you can outside as soon as we’ve landed!”
Patrick looked out of a porthole window in horror. Gin-us’ ship was slowly sliding down the bird’s throat. Flupotia was sitting in her own command center, watching the scene unfold. She watched Gin-us’ ship enter the bird's throat and Patrick’s ship begin to descend.
“Fool!” She grabbed the radio to call out to Patrick. “Patrick, come in!”
There was no answer.
“Patrick!” She placed a hand on the window as she screamed into the radio. “Pick up!”
Patrick was now by the exit hatch of his ship which was still several feet above the ground. He already had the outer doors open and knew there was no time to waste. He jumped, his legs screaming in pain as he slammed to the hard ground and his knees cracked. He winced as his breath caught in his throat and he tried to take in a deep breath of air. The taste of the air rushing to fill his lungs was far sweeter than he had been expecting. Instead of being able to catch his breath he was instead taken aback and began choking. Taking more than a few moments to recover, Patrick stood and began running yet again towards the massive bird. His knees were screaming at him as he pushed through the pain. But he kept moving trying to reach Gin-us and the others before they traveled any further down the bird’s now enlarged throat.
Patrick, no! Flupotia watched as Patrick jumped from his ship to the ground below and began running at the bird. “What are you thinking?” she yelled to no one in particular. “Get this ship on the ground, now!”
As Patrick made his approach he began to call on his new powers. He poured every last ounce of strength he had left into the largest flame he could conjure. Patrick stood there screaming out in pain from the effort but continued to push past his limits. He held the flame until it was so large, he felt as if he were standing inside the sun itself and only then did he release it upon the bird. The flames slammed into the side of the bird and it stumbled backward coughing up the ship as it fell. Patrick tried to jump in the air and punch his fist in celebration but his knees wouldn’t let him.
With the bird now defeated, Patrick turned his attention towards Gin-us’ ship. It was currently lying on its side and was covered in a thick layer of stringy mucus. He took off running yet again, his legs screaming with each step. Where the bird had clamped its mouth down around the ship it had left a series of dents that Patrick used as a ladder to climb upwards.
Flupotia had now successfully landed her ship and was standing at the exit. She wasted no time opening both exit doors and running out. She watched in fear as the bird began to rise behind Patrick. He was entirely unaware that his blast had done nothing but startle the giant bird.
“Patrick!” Flupotia hollered his name as loud as she could despite knowing she was too far away for him to hear her warning.
There was no time for Patrick to react as the bird opened its mouth and let loose an attack. Water flew from the bird's mouth with the force of twenty firehoses behind it. Patrick felt his spine crack as he was tossed from the top of Gin-us’ ship. Flupotia watched his body tumble through the air, the jet of water from the creature continuing to propel him.
He came to a sudden and painful stop as he slammed into the ground and rolled. The stream of water finally subsided and Patrick looked around in a haze. He found himself lying just on the edge of a steep drop off into the remaining pool of water. Flupotia was now running between the bird's legs. She raced past Gin-us’ ship which was still lying on its side. She heard the bird behind her let out a large caw and saw another stream of water fly over her head.
Patrick’s body was radiating with pain already as the water slammed into him yet again. He had nothing left in him to fight and he tumbled over the edge of the cliff. He hit the water with a loud splash, knocking the remaining breath from his lungs. Patrick tried desperately to swim but found that he no longer had the energy.
Flupotia slid to the edge of the water and jumped into the stream away from the bird. She raced towards Patrick’s body as the bird’s attack propelled her forward.
I’m sorry I failed you all was the last thought Patrick had before closing his eyes and letting the water rush into his lungs. He choked silently in the depths of the water. The world around him went black as his lifeless body sunk deeper into the water.
◆◆◆
Mark was sitting at the edge of his bed watching a channel that was dedicated to Patrick and his adventures. They hadn’t heard from him since he left Earth but those running the channel refused to stop watching the skies.
“This is stupid.” He crossed the room and shut the TV off. “Who cares what he’s up to? He abandoned us.”
He walked over to the window and stared out at the woods where Patrick had found the base. A thought started to form in the back of his mind.
“Why does he get to have all the fun?” The corner of his mouth started to rise. “I think it’s time I had an adventure of my own.”
◆◆◆
Why is it so dark? That was the first thought that crossed Patrick’s mind as he opened his eyes. He was wrapped tightly in his sleeping bag, lying outside somewhere with not a single star in the sky above. He took a deep breath and his lungs screamed in agony.
“Ahh,” he cried aloud in shock.
He slowly pulled himself from the sleeping bag ignoring the pleas of his aching muscles to stop. It took great effort but he finally managed to make it to his feet. He was in a large field surrounded by tall red grass stretching in every direction as far as he could see. There were several small campfires scattered about. Just on the edge of darkness, he could see the outline of four massive structures. The first three he recognized as the ships of his fleet, but the fourth he could not quite make out. Patrick kept low in the grass and crept forward, inch by inch. It wasn’t until he was only a dozen yards away that he realized the fourth structure was the massive bird he had fought and lost to. Patrick approached from the upper left side of the creature where he saw a massive wound ripped open. Patrick then realized that despite his personal failures they had still managed to kill the bird. Satisfied that there was no immediate threat Patrick stood up from the grass and made his way to the nearest fire.
“Gin-us!” Patrick shouted as he stepped into the light of the fire, a little too loudly startling both Gin-us and Xavo. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you alive! What happened here?”
“Happy to see you’ve woken up.” Gin-us nodded to Xavo who stood up to leave. “Sit with me, when Flupotia returns she can explain everything.” He passed a bowl to Patrick filled with a dark brown soup. “Eat, you look horrible.”
Patrick swirled the bowl in his hands, the growling of his stomach beating out the smell that reached his nose.
“We lost a few in the attack.” Gin-us kept his head low as he stared into the fire. “This isn’t going to get any easier. We lost two of the Firemen, Nae, and Rack. Flee is taking it kind of hard. We lost one of the Petros too, never got her name.” He sighed deeply. “We even lost
three of the Plutonian prisoners. I hate that I feel bad about it. They’re the enemy!” He dropped his spoon forcefully into his bowl.
“Gin-us, I…”
Gin-us held up his hand and Patrick knew not to press the subject further. Things were still incredibly tense between the two of them. With the way things had gone down with the orb, now was the time to try and repair relationships.
“Can I get a refill?” Patrick surprised himself that he had already downed a bowl, the taste far better than the smell.
Gin-us caught the bowl as Patrick tossed it over and refilled it in silence. He placed the ladle back into the pot and leaned in close to pass the bowl back. As Patrick grabbed it, Gin-us held tight until he looked up and they locked eyes.
“We need to work together better in the future. If we can’t do that, we might as well give up now.”
He let go of the bowl and stood from the fire. He started to walk past Patrick but stopped for a moment. He placed a hand on Patrick’s left shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. He then let go and disappeared into the darkness. Patrick felt the urge to follow but knew better. He also knew that Gin-us was right, things had to change and they had to start working together as a team. Patrick sat in silence for a while swirling his spoon through the soup in his lap, waiting for Flupotia to return and find him.
◆◆◆
The first Plutonian death at the hands of Punx came only twelve hours after his release. Punx was far larger than the other Plutonians, standing over seven feet tall. Rumors had swirled around since a young age that while his mother was from Pluto, his father was a giant from somewhere far away. Punx never took kindly to these rumors, and when he overheard two others spreading them, he wasted no time in defending his honor.
Krick had been by his side during the entire ordeal, and while he did not help with the killing, he didn’t try to stop it either. He had his own share of rumors to deal with and knew what Punx was going through. Krick was the physical opposite of Punx in every way. He stood just under four feet tall with long, gangly limbs. He relied more on speed and accuracy to get the job done, while Punx relied on brute force.
Aliens from Arapholanx: The Burn of Magic Page 8
