Origins : Pico
Page 2
“But I’m not a fighter. Why haven’t you chosen someone from the military?”
“Two reasons. We’re going to need every single trained soldier to fight the war against the alien invaders and we want you to take the Champion on hand-to-hand. You’ve strong hands, arms and back. You outreach the Champion. You’re nimble and flexible and you’re fighting for this planet’s future and your future which will be rich. You’ll be the saviour of the people.”
“Thanks everyone, but I don’t want to do it.”
oOo
Pico was outside pushing dirt up the mound when he was shipped.
Chapter 3
When Pico arrived on the ship, he was spoken to by a small rectangular pillar. It was about half his height and had a blue flashing light at the top. The pillar protruded up from the grey white ground and addressed itself as ‘15’. Pico protested but 15 was very persuasive.
Pico resigned himself to his fate and spent some time both adjusting to his surroundings and getting ready for a fight he didn’t want. After a while Droos and Roi also arrived on the ship, they’d been inspecting the fleet of ships they’d bought.
“Pico,” said Roi excitedly, “you won’t believe how amazing the fleet is, we’ll certainly devastate the aliens with this technical superiority. This weaponry is incredible!”
Roi was clearly bowled over by the armaments on offer but Pico felt she was missing the point.
“Yes, but I might die for them yet.”
Roi snapped back to the now and the job in hand.
“Indeed, so you need to win. We’ve got the ships, now we want you back too. I don’t care if the Gerontium comes back with you or not.”
Pico’s Feel grew a little, this was the first time someone had said something to him that made him think that they were on his side, and that what he was about to do actually meant something.
“Thanks. You’re the military advisor, give me some advice please?”
Roi and Pico discussed the Champion at length. They knew the Champion had fought many battles. They knew it was also biped with two arms. They knew the Champion was shorter and stockier than Pico. That it had a short, thick fur all over its body. They knew it would fight naked and that it had long, sharp teeth with a fearsome bite. The Champion was from an alien species called Rainal from a planet called Px-9.
oOo
Pico left the door which closed behind him and he walked to a circle of light about 100 meters in front of him. Beyond that was another circle of light towards which he could see the Rainal walking in the distance. This was the arena. The grey white floor had been changed to the crusted brown clay of Aurelia, puffs of brown dust lifted with every step taken towards the light. Once both combatants were standing on the light circles, a ‘Bong’ sounded to indicate the start of the fight. The light circles disappeared into the clay. Instantly, the Rainal, baring its teeth, ran towards Pico.
Roi had said that this would be a likely start to the fight, the Rainal would look to upset and unbalance Pico early on. Pico acted as he’d been told and sidestepped, as the Rainal ran past, Pico slapped down hard on its shoulders and it stumbled past him without falling. The Rainal, steadied itself, stopped and turned, then it snarled and showed it’s fangs again. Red saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth down onto the brown clay where it instantly soaked into the dry crust. Pico stood waiting for the next attack, the two beings circled around and the crust underfoot broke up into fine dust as they did. The Rainal closed in on Pico who stood with a wide stance, feet apart, knees slightly bent, his wide webbed hands out in front of him waiting for the attack, which finally came.
The Rainal leapt up towards Pico’s face and grabbed the back of his head punching its knees into Pico’s torso. This hurt his hearts and his Feel, it winded him and he wanted to double up in pain but his strong, powerful legs grounded and he stood, carrying the creature which tried to bite into his face. Pico’s thick head skin withstood the bite, the fangs unable to puncture. Pico used his long arms to grab the head of the Rainal. He pulled its head away from his own and away from his body. The Rainal had no option but to let go. Pico now had a large webbed hand to both the front and back of the Rainal’s head, holding him up clear off the ground. He started to squeeze with all of his might. In covering its mouth and nose, the intention was to stop the Rainal from breathing, to asphyxiate, not enough to kill but to gain submission. But the Rainal had not finished yet, it swung its arms and legs at Pico. Pico continued to squeeze. The flailing limbs could do little to stop Pico with his strong, webbed hands and soon the attempts to damage Pico became attempts to break the hold, then desperate attempts to find air. Still no submission, Pico squeezed again.
Then it happened, the skull popped. Literally, burst open with a ‘pop’. And it went everywhere; brain and bone matter, fur, teeth, blood, eyeballs, flesh - everything seemed to cover Pico, in his eyes, down his throat, all over his body. He hadn’t meant to do it. It just happened. He just wanted the Rainal to stop. Not this, not like this.
He’d won. But he felt sick.
The blood soaked into the clay.
Chapter 4
Droos returned to the planet in triumph with the Gerontium whilst Roi stayed on board in one of 15’s holds working on the training of Aurelian crews and transfer of the vessels.
Pico was left alone with 15, the arena had disappeared. Pico was clean and recovered, he’d taken refreshments and felt as good as he expected to.
15 spoke to Pico at length, he asked him to stay a while with him while he was in orbit. 15 made an environment for Pico that was like Aurelia. Pico moved towards the environment to rest. When he walked in, he couldn’t believe what he saw, the environment was magnificent. It was exactly like Aurelia - but just the best bits. It was bright and warm although there was no sun. The ground was the perfect colour of clay with its brittle crust. There was a dwelling, like the one he had, but better. He walked up the entrance ramp and into the main body of the building. He loved it, every inch; he loved the walls - smooth and hard - not like his, he loved the gentle curve of the domed ceiling, he loved the space, the air, the light, he could see where he could sit and where he could lie, it was comfortable, more than he could have wanted. Then the female came to him.
She looked a little like Roi, and from really looking at her, he knew that he and her had been born at a similar time, they had the same ‘old’. The female had a beautiful ridge pattern on the top of her head, tight and shallow, well-defined with smooth, elongated swirls. Pico’s ridges were deeper and less defined in comparison. They talked and it was easy. Pico’s ‘Feel’ grew inside him a little. They left the dwelling and she took him through to a fluid line to see the fluid. Pico loved seeing the fluid, he’d been a few times to see a fluid line with his parents when he’d been less old but the nearest one to him was still far away. He hadn’t seen one for a very long time. This fluid line was wide and moved slowly. The female explained that she was part of the ship, made by the ship, but he didn’t mind. They watched the fluid together and both marvelled at it. She was like no-one he’d ever met before although she was clearly like him. She was gentle, she was warm, she was understanding, she was generous and she talked to him as they walked away and it felt good.
And then he saw the yellow. He couldn’t believe his eyes! There was so much yellow, more than he imagined there could ever be. He ran to it, like he’d never run before, with utter joy. When he reached it he could only dive into it, the way he’d always imagined you could, head first, fully stretched out and he landed into it softly, like diving into feathers and the yellow dust rose around him in twisting patterns filling his senses. She came and joined him, both throwing double scooped handfuls of yellow, high in the sky over each other frolicking; the sweet smell, the softness, the feeling of joy. He then stood throwing handfuls of the yellow over his head, settling on and filling his head ridges, mounding down onto his shoulders. She joined him, laughing. He outstretched his ar
ms and she mounded the yellow thickly all along the tops of them. He felt so good, she looked at his face and he at hers. His ‘Feel’ throbbed and glowed red, he put his arms around her and they bonded together for the first time.
Chapter 5
Shipping was easy, Pico thought as he arrived back on Aurelia. He’d been told about the war. He laughed. What war? The aliens saw the strength of the Aurelian armada and ran for their lives. It seems the only person who put their life on the line for Aurelia was him. He looked up, there were no longer any dots against the sun. Just the way he liked it.
He went to his dwelling but it was occupied by others. He left.
He went to work, the Defence Department. The mounds he’d helped build were being flattened. He went into the ministry but couldn’t find Droos or Ovor. Eventually he found Roi, she was talking to some other people and Pico waited alone for a long time before she came to him. Pico looked at her, he could no longer understand why his ‘Feel’ had grown when he first met her.
“So where’s my reward and my hero’s welcome?”
“I didn’t do any deal with you Pico. If you’ve some grievance, take it up with Droos. He’s in charge and always has been.” she was cold.
“My dwelling’s gone.”
“Droos is the male you need to speak with.”
“Where can I find him?”
“I think he’s on one of the starships, he seems to spend quite a lot of time there now.”
“Thanks.”
Pico turned and walked away, brown dust rose from every footfall. He headed back out into the Aurelian sunlight and looked around him.
After a short while he said, “I’m ready now.” and disappeared.
oOo
15 is a fleet ship.
15 travels the universe building armadas of battleships which it sells to those who need them.
Each deal comes with the chance to win back the original cost in a one-on-one fight - 15’s Champion against a challenger.
15 has a new Champion.
His name is Pico.
Other books by the author
SOME TIME
Whilst mid-crossword on his packed commuter train, our unwitting victim is abducted by an alien spaceship.
And so, the seemingly endless conversation between man and machine starts.The vast, enigma of a ship has a job vacancy - it’s looking for a hero. The choice; to live, for hundreds of years, in the lap of luxury, with everything your heart desires - along with the small chance that you might die a terrible, bloody, painful death in armed combat - or to walk out of the airlock, now.Our ‘man out of time’ soon discovers the problem with living forever, with unlimited resources, is that the devil makes work for idle hands to do.
But are they both hiding dark secrets…
Available now on Amazon in paperback and ebook formats
About the Author
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Facebook - Frank.Neary.9
Blog - www.frankieneary.com
Frank was born in Solihull, West Midlands where he lived until he was 19 when he moved to continue into higher education.
He studied Catering at Bournemouth University (when it was Dorset Institute of Higher Education) and then moved to London where he started working as a copywriter in the Advertising Industry. He later set up his own agency and moved out to Woking, Surrey to start a family. He has two daughters.
Recently Frank has relocated back to the Midlands.
He lists his sci-fi influences as Iain M Banks, Douglas Adams, Alan Moore and William Gibson.
He also loves reading Elmore Leonard, particularly his crime novels, as well as Douglas Coupland, Brett Easton Ellis, Irvine Welsh, Raymond Chandler and Gunter Grass.
His favourite book is ‘The Confederacy of Dunces’ by John Kennedy Toole.
Table of Contents
SOME TIME
Origins : Pico
Frank Neary
Origins : Pico
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Other books by the author
SOME TIME
About the Author